Title: Moon Kingdom
Author: Nekkyoo Ema
Disclaimer: Sadly I don't own these charries, but I wish I did. However, I do own the storyline. If you want to steal... just ask. ^_~
~~
"I wish I could go to Earth tonight, and not have to wait..." a slivery, much like the moonbeams, haired girl said with a sigh as she looked out towards Earth from her balcony. She longed to go to there all the time, but could not until the moon was full and she could walk upon its beams.
"There you go wishing to be in that horrid place again," a voice said from behind the girl.
"Well, what do you expect? I am the crowned princess of the Moon Kingdom--- of which I have no power until my mother is gone... which, by the way, will not be happening soon--- and I have nothing to do but go to my tutoring sessions and then sit around all day," she replied in an annoyed tone.
"I still do not see why you long to be in such a place as Earth when the Moon is a much better place for you, Serenity."
Serenity turned and looked at her golden haired friend and cousin, the crowned princess of Venus, "Nako-chan, you know I dislike being called 'Serenity'," she stated.
"I know. But Gi-chan, I cannot just let you sit around all day doing nothing but wishing to go to Earth. You are only there for two days anyways, then you must come back or you shall be stuck there for another month until the full moon appears again." Minako replied.
Usagi sighed and walked to her bed and plopped down upon it heavily, "I know. But, there is so much down there that is so different from the Moon Kingdom. There are trees, and animals unlike those of here. And there are *real* people, not people of royal birth. And the sun, oh, it is so heavenly down there when it shines upon the Earth. ...It does not shine as brightly there as here."
"Gi-chan," Minako said as she sat next to her cousin, "I know how you long to be on Earth, but your place is here... among your own people. If you went there and did not catch the moonbeams home, you would be stuck there for a month Earth time. ...That's almost two and a half months here."
"But just think of the things I could do. The things I could learn, see, feel, touch, and taste, Nako-chan!" Usagi exclaimed, "oh, one day you must get over your fear of the moonbeam walk and come with me to Earth, then you shall see what it is that I love about the place."
Minako sighed, "and what if you did get stuck there? You would not be able to go outside for if the moonbeam touched you, you know what would happen."
Usagi thought about it for a minute. If a moonbeam did grace itself upon her while she was stuck on Earth, she would revert back to her present state: a teenage heir to the throne with long silvery hair, angel wings, and a long flowing white gown of silk. "But that would not matter to me! I just want to be there."
"But---but what if you got hit by water. It is almost always raining down there!" Minako protested.
"Nako-chan, I know I have never told you this... but I am not a water sprite like you. I am a snow goddess. What happens to you with water, happens to me with snow. And right now where I want to be it is summer---no snow at all!" Usagi replied.
Minako sighed, she was surprised that her cousin was not a water sprite like she, "very well, if you want to really go I guess I cannot stop you. Like I could anyway. Just be careful and catch that moonbeam back, okay?"
"Hai, do not worry, I will send you a message if something happens to me." Usagi replied. She wanted to jump up and do a little jig for getting the permission of the last person who held her back from going to Earth, but she contained herself like she had been brought up to do.
**
Two nights later, Usagi was standing at the walkway of the moonbeams. "See you in two days, Nako-chan," she said, waving. Soon she stepped carefully onto the moonbeam and began her quick walk to the Earth.
Minako, not able to ever watch someone walk upon the moonbeams, turned and walked back to the palace. "See you, Gi-chan..." she said as she turned.
Usagi smiled, she loved to watch the stars below her feet twinkle in the moonlight. Suddenly the beam shook violently and Usagi fell off balance and into a hole that she was to avoid this time around. 'Nako-chan! Something shook the beam, I do not know where I am falling to! You must call Setsuna-san!' she screamed threw the link she had with her cousin.
'Gi-chan!?' Usagi heard Minako scream out before the slivery haired girl fell upon a hard surface. Before she blacked out, Usagi made sure to change herself into a teenage Earth girl of sixteen, her normal age on the Moon, that wore a shin-length blue skirt with a light purple tank top and had blonde hair.
~~
Ririna Peacecraft was walking with her friend, laughing and giggling about all sorts of stupid things when she tripped over something lying in the middle of the sidewalk.
"Oh, my gosh!" she sputtered out when she saw just what she had tripped over: Usagi.
"Whoa, what's she doing just lying there?" Ririnas friend asked the others.
"I don't know. I think she's unconscious." Ririna replied as she flipped the girl, who was incredibly light, over. "She looks no more then thirteen," she said, "let's get her back to the mansion and get her checked out."
Ririna and her friend lifted up the lightweight girl and hurriedly walked back to the mansion not more then three blocks away from their current area. Upon calling out for the guard to call the doctor as they ran past, Ririna and her friend set Usagi on the couch in the main room.
What both of them failed to notice was that the girl still bore the mark of a crescent moon upon her forehead, yet it was hidden from view because of long blonde bangs.
**
"Queen Serenity! Mother!" Minako cried out as she ran threw the palace, almost knocking down everyone in her path. Screeching to a halt before she could pass the door to the throne room she threw it open.
Aphrodite, Minakos' mother, looked quite shocked that her daughter would barge in like a madwoman on the rampage. "What is it, my child, that has made you lose all manners within you?"
"It is..." Minako said, still catching her breath, "Serenity-hime!"
The elder Serenity sucked in her breath, "what about my daughter? What has happened, Minako-hime?"
Minako, who had finally found her breath, said, "she was walking upon the moonbeam to Earth when she said that something shook it violently and she fell into a hole that she was not supposed to! Then her mind went blank, I do not know where she is, but she said to contact Setsuna-san."
Queen Serenity was as white as a sheet upon hearing the news, Aphrodite was not faring much better. Serenity summoned for Setsuna to come, and come she did, only as Sailor Pluto.
"Queen Serenity, I do know where your lively young daughter has fallen to. But first I must tell you bad news." Pluto said when she arrived.
"Yes, what it is?" Serenity asked.
"I am afraid that I do not control that flow of time that she has graced herself upon. It is one of the few places my powers cannot reach." Pluto looked at the queen, who was getting whiter upon the minute, "She has fallen to a time much farther in the future, it is called After Colony 197."
"Well, how can she get back?!" Serenity thundered, causing Aphrodite to place a claming hand on her sisters arm.
"She will come back on the moonbeams, but I do not know why her mind went blank. I shall check on that right away." Pluto said as she faded from sight.
"Great Gods. How could something like this happen, Aphrodite? How? It is just not possible!" the queen said in her normal tone of voice.
"I do not know, but lets hope she opens the link to Minako soon."
**
Usagi stirred out of the black world that had taken her prisoner and opened her eyes only to see a pair of violet ones peering into them. Screaming in fright, Usagi jumped up from the couch to behind it.
"No, don't be frightened. My name's Princess Ririna Peacecraft, of the Sanc Kingdom. What's your name? My friend and I found you not to long ago unconscious on the sidewalk."
Usagi looked at her long and hard, the crescent moon now gone from her forehead. Then it dawned on her. She didn't have a clue as to who she was. "I---I do not know who I am."
Ririna looked shocked. What had happened to this girl to cause her to forget who she was?
"Wait... I do remember something. A name, I remember a name: Usagi," the teen replied. "But that is all I can remember."
"Do you think you could be from a very proper family? You speak so eloquently that one would tend to think that." Ririna asked, not knowing the consequences of her question.
Usagi looked at her like she was some ill-literate person, "I do not know! I cannot remember anything except for that name!" she cried as she ran from the room, only to bump into the people who were entering. Hurriedly she said sorry in her native tongue and ran.
"No! Catch her, please. She doesn't know who she is, that's dangerous!" Ririna screamed at the people as she ran after Usagi. Quickly the one with the messy brown hair spun around and ran after the fleeing girl.
Usagi ran threw the many hallways, trying to find a way out, but the huge building was like a maze to her. That was it! A maze. Usagi stopped for a second, then quickly turned right. She didn't know how, but she knew the way to get out of all mazes.
The teen with the messy brown hair caught a glimpse of blonde and turned the corner to follow her. He wasn't to far behind her, but she proved to be a faster runner then she looked.
Usagi once again turned a corner and finally came to a door. "Finally!" she said to herself once again in her native tongue. (AN: Lets just say it's different from Japanese and stuff.) She reached for the handles and threw the door open, only to be surprised that it was nighttime.
"Usagi, wait!" Ririna cried as when she finally caught up to the girl.
Usagi turned around, eyes wide, "look, I do not know who I am, nor do I know where I belong! Now, please stop asking me!" then the girl turned back to the balcony and ran outside. Soon she stopped and hid in the shadows. 'Oh, great Selene, Goddess of the Moon, please help me. I do not know who I am, but I believe that you can help me. I do not know why, but please, if you can, help me.'
**
Serenity sucked in her breath once again, "someone is calling for my help. It sounds like Serenity!" the queen said to Minako, who was staying by her side just in case Usagi did call with the link.
"What is she saying?" Minako asked urgently.
"She is saying that she wants her memory back. She believes that I am the one who can do that."
"You can, can't you?" Minako asked, worry in her voice.
Serenity looked at her niece, "yes, hold on." Soon the queen filled her daughters head with the memories.
**
"Oh no!" Usagi screamed as she saw the moonbeams touching her feet. Her memories back, she knew what was going to happen. Ririna and the boy heard her scream and ran towards her, not knowing what was wrong. But before they could reach her, she jumped off the balcony to the lake twenty feet below.
"What is she doing?!" Ririna screamed in fright. She looked over the edge of the balcony and could have sworn she saw Usagi with wings and long silver hair. 'No, that's just the moon playing tricks on me.' She thought.
The messy brown haired boy ran down the stairs to the lake behind Ririna, he too had thought he saw slivery hair and wings upon the girl.
"Usagi, what were you doing?" Ririna exclaimed when the now soaking wet girl clambered out of the lake water.
Usagi looked at the girl. Had not she said she was the princess here? "I ... got my memories back."
"And you just decided that jumping into the lake was the way to celebrate?" The sandy blonde haired teen asked.
Usagi looked at Ririna with defiance, "you will not speak to me like that! I have good reason to jump in that lake and let me tell you that you---"
'Gi-chan! Stop it now, you will blow your cover!' Minakos voice sounded in her head.
Usagi swallowed down her words of rage, 'Nako-chan, where am I?'
'Pluto-san said you are in a place called After Colony 197. It is over four thousand years ahead of the time you were going to,' Minako replied.
"Four thousand!?" Usagi screamed out loud accidentally.
Ririna and the boy looked at her oddly, finally he spoke, "'four thousand' what?"
Usagi gulped and suddenly wished she had walked on the moonbeam back to the moon, her home. "Um... nothing. Oh! How utterly rude of me, my name is not Usagi, though it is was I am called by my friends, it is Serenity."
"Where are you from?" Ririna asked.
Again Usagi looked flustered, "that I cannot tell. I am sorry. You took me in and yet I have to keep secrecy from you. Please, who is your friend?"
Ririna smiled, "this is Hiiro Yui. You bumped into his friends and him when you ran out of the room. By the way, what was it that you said when you ran?"
Usagi wasn't sure she should say it, but did anyway, "forlat. It means 'sorry' among my subj-people."
"Among your subjects? Just who are you?" Hiiro asked, ready to pull out his gun at anytime.
"Ay me, it is a mere game with my friends. I am the eldest among them, so I call them my subjects and I, their princess." Usagi lied.
'Nice one, Gi-chan,' Minako interrupted with a giggle.
'Hush, Nako-chan. I do not want to have another outburst like before.' Usagi answered. She looked Hiiro straight in the eyes so he would think she was telling the true. To her inward relief he nodded curtly.
Ririna, who had been listening intently, finally figured out what she had been trying to since the girl first spoke. "You speak just like they did in Shakespearean times!"
Usagi looked at her, startled, "pardon?"
"You do. I finally placed it just a second ago when you said 'ay me', it reminded me of a tragedy called "Romeo and Juliet" that I've read many times." Ririna replied.
Usagi knew who this 'Shakespeare' was, and the story of "Romeo and Juliet" from the book Setsuna-san had brought her from a time-line. But she did not know that he was still known so far into the future. This time, she could not come up with an excuse. "Guess it is a coincidence." She said.
"Hm..." Ririna replied thoughtfully.
Quickly the now blonde haired girl changed the subject, "Ririna, do you happen to have anything to eat? I have not eaten in almost a day."
"Oh! Dear lord, I guess you haven't. Um... would you like the change first? You are quite soaked." Ririna replied, blushing from her rudeness of not bringing up the subject before.
"Yes, thank you." Usagi said as she followed the princess into the house again and into a large bedroom.
"There are towels in there," Ririna said pointing to the bathroom, "and I will have someone bring you some dry clothes."
"Thank you, Ririna." Usagi said, slipping into the bathroom and reverting to her normal form. 'Oh, Nako-chan, this is one of the most eventful trips I think I have ever had.'
'You always said you wanted an adventure, Gi-chan. This is your chance!' Minako replied with an excited giggle.
'That is right! But I think first I shall get changed, have something to eat, then try and find a library in this place.' Usagi said, 'By the way, Nako-chan, am I being rude to Ririna for not giving her the title of '-hime'?"
'That is up to you. She does not look like the one to like being called 'Ririna-hime'. Though if I am the child of Aphrodite, and I am, I would say she has quite strong feelings for that boy she was with.'
'But...' Usagi started. There was always a 'but' with Minako and her daughter-of-Aphrodite sayings.
'But, he does not return her feelings. He does not hate her, he just cannot like her the way she does.' Minako replied, 'you better get a move on, Gi-chan, they are going to think you fell in the bathtub.'
'Oh, Nako-chan,' Usagi said, rolling her crystalline eyes before ending the link and drying herself. She wrapped a towel around her figure and walked out, only to see that a skirt, much like the one she had been wearing, and a sleeved shirt were lying on the bed.
Quickly she put them on and checked herself over. She did not want to have any sign of her not being of this Earth. "Just like an Earthian." She whispered to herself as she walked out of the room and found the kitchen. "Hello, Ririna."
"Hello, Serenity," Ririna said, turning from the four teens she was currently talking with. "Serenity, these are my friends; Duo Maxwell, Chang Wufei, Quatre Raberber Winner, and Trowa Barton."
"Hello, my name is Serenity." She said with a curtsey like she had been brought up to do.
The one called Quatre looked curiously at her, "who are you named after, may I ask?"
"My mother, Selene. And may I ask why you ask?" Serenity replied. Duo looked a little dizzy from all the proper talking that was going on.
"I knew someone named Serenity before," Quatre lied, he was actually thinking of where he had really heard the name before. Both of them sound quite familiar.
"Um, what would you like, Serenity?" Ririna finally asked after a moment of silence in the room.
"You would not happen to have any fried rice, would you?" Usagi responded. It was not something she had been able to eat on the Moon, but something she loved to when upon the Earth.
Ririna thought this to be odd, but shrugged, "yes, you can wait in here or somewhere else and one of the servants can bring it to you."
Usagis' eyes shined, "do you mind if I eat in the library, I love to read."
Ririna nodded, "Quatre can show you the way."
Usagi smiled in thanks to Ririna and walked beside the blonde teen. "How do you know Ririna?" she finally asked.
"She is a friend of my families," he said. How could he tell this innocent looking teen that he was an assassin that had once been assigned to kill the Sanc Princess?
'He is cute, Gi-chan. Maybe I should walk on the moonbeams tonight and join you,' Minakos voice said into the link.
"Oh, Great Gods..." Usagi muttered, 'Nako-chan, you are such a flirt.' She said in a teasing voice.
"What did you said, Miss Serenity?" Quatre asked.
"Oh, nothing. I was just thinking about my friend Minako-chan." she replied.
There it was again. That feeling of hearing a name before but not being able to place it. Quatre nodded, then opened the door to the huge library.
"Thank you, Quatre-san," Usagi said as she immediately went to the section where classics were held. Her fingers touched each books' bound lightly until she found the one she was looking for. Pulling it out gently, not wanting to ruin it, she sat on a couch and opened it.
Not to long after did the teen get interrupted by Ririna walking in the room and placing the bowl of rice in front of her. "I haven't seen that book in ages. Where did you find it?"
"Right there on the shelf. Do you not come in here often?" Serenity responded.
"No. With my diplomatic duties I don't have a lot of time to just sit around and read."
"I know how that feels. But I still find time to just enjoy reading." The 'blonde' haired girl replied. It was true. She did not have a lot of time to just sit and read, but somehow she managed to get it done. Usually by staying up late, reading until she fell asleep. Speaking of sleeping, Usagi yawned. "I think I shall retire now... um... which room should I sleep in?"
"Oh!" Ririna said, surprised, "right this way." The sandy blonde walked out of the room, with Usagi following not far behind, and went threw the maze of hallways to a bedroom that Usagi instantly knew as the one she had been in before.
"Thank you, Ririna," Usagi said as Ririna walked out of the room. She quickly looked around for cameras or anything that could spy on her, then when the coast was clear, reverted back to her original form. 'It is great to be back to normal.' She thought as she lay down in the queen-sized bed and slowly felt the tug of sleep pulling her into its world of blackness.
~Serenity's dream~
Walking down the steps, Serenity held the masque to her face. Beside her, her cousin Minako was doing the same. They had snuck out to come to the Masque and were not dressed, nor did they look like the crowned princesses of the Moon and Venus.
Soon a man came up to Minako and asked her to dance, she merrily accepted. None to soon after, Serenity was asked to dance by a teen, not too much older then she.
Serenity laughed happily as she was spun around by the teen. She knew she was at a Masque, but she did not know who she was dancing with.
"What is your name?" he asked.
Serenity shook her head, "thy name shall not be told," she answered. There was something familiar about him, but she could not put her finger on it. 'What is it, what is so familiar about this boy?'
All night she danced with him, never again did he ask her name. All the time she felt as if she knew him from somewhere, somehow. She could not shake that feeling of just knowing someone, but not being able to figure out who it was.
Soon it came time to unmask oneself and Serenity quickly found Minako and pulled her aside. "What shall we do? We are not supposed to be here, what if someone sees us?"
"Gi-chan, not to worry. We can slip out when everyone is unmasking oneself and no one will know. Let us go now," Minako replied as they crept behind everyone and slipped out the door just as easily as they had come threw it only two hours prior.
"You have yet to unmask thyself, little ones," a voice said from behind the girls.
Slowly they both turned around and saw the two teens they had been dancing with.
'Shoot! Nako-chan, think of something. I cannot find my voice.' Serenity said with the link they shared.
"One does not have to unmask thyself if one does not want to. Good night, to the both of you. We shall be off," Minako said, and with that grabbed her cousin's arm and walked quickly.
Serenity glanced back, "Nako-chan, they are not biding farewell. It seems as though they are determined to know who we are..."
Minako looked back as well, then stopped, "'tis rude to follow a lady when she has bid farewell, you know."
"But only you bid farewell," the teen Minako danced with said, "your friend, did not."
'Eh... I am out of ideas, Gi-chan. Do something, quick!' Minako said, nervously glancing at her cousin.
'Ah-ha! I have it!' Serenity said triumphantly. "You follow us wanting me to bid farewell when I believe that saying farewell to a mask is quite odd. If you shall take off your masks, we shall take off ours."
The two boys glanced at each other, debating if they should or not.
'What?! How is that a good plan! They are going to see who we are!' Minako said.
'Yes, but *we* shall see who they are first. If they are a threat, then I can simply use a power to make them forget we were here.'
Both boys began removing their masks. Once removed, the girls gasped.
~End dream~
Usagi shot out of the bed like a bullet from a gun. She was white as a sheet and had broken out into a cold sweat. "Those boys... they had no faces. It... it was like the masks were the faces. How odd a dream for Morpheus to give me." (AN: Morpheus is the Greek God of Dreams.)
Finally feeling confident enough to return to sleep, Usagi lay back down upon the pillow and soon feel upon the graces of the God of Sleep, Hypnos.
~~
Later that day, at the start of nightfall, Usagi started to ready herself to go back home. She did not want to go, but knew that she must. She did not belong in this time, it was not right for her. As much as she would hate not being able to get to know Ririnas friends better, she knew it was time.
Bidding her good-bye, everyone waved her off. She had decided to walk up the beams in the forest where no one would see her. But upon getting there, she learned a new concept. Cloud cover.
*Evil smile* I don't know if that's mean or not. But hey, 'tis my story! See you next chapter!
-Ema
Author: Nekkyoo Ema
Disclaimer: Sadly I don't own these charries, but I wish I did. However, I do own the storyline. If you want to steal... just ask. ^_~
~~
"I wish I could go to Earth tonight, and not have to wait..." a slivery, much like the moonbeams, haired girl said with a sigh as she looked out towards Earth from her balcony. She longed to go to there all the time, but could not until the moon was full and she could walk upon its beams.
"There you go wishing to be in that horrid place again," a voice said from behind the girl.
"Well, what do you expect? I am the crowned princess of the Moon Kingdom--- of which I have no power until my mother is gone... which, by the way, will not be happening soon--- and I have nothing to do but go to my tutoring sessions and then sit around all day," she replied in an annoyed tone.
"I still do not see why you long to be in such a place as Earth when the Moon is a much better place for you, Serenity."
Serenity turned and looked at her golden haired friend and cousin, the crowned princess of Venus, "Nako-chan, you know I dislike being called 'Serenity'," she stated.
"I know. But Gi-chan, I cannot just let you sit around all day doing nothing but wishing to go to Earth. You are only there for two days anyways, then you must come back or you shall be stuck there for another month until the full moon appears again." Minako replied.
Usagi sighed and walked to her bed and plopped down upon it heavily, "I know. But, there is so much down there that is so different from the Moon Kingdom. There are trees, and animals unlike those of here. And there are *real* people, not people of royal birth. And the sun, oh, it is so heavenly down there when it shines upon the Earth. ...It does not shine as brightly there as here."
"Gi-chan," Minako said as she sat next to her cousin, "I know how you long to be on Earth, but your place is here... among your own people. If you went there and did not catch the moonbeams home, you would be stuck there for a month Earth time. ...That's almost two and a half months here."
"But just think of the things I could do. The things I could learn, see, feel, touch, and taste, Nako-chan!" Usagi exclaimed, "oh, one day you must get over your fear of the moonbeam walk and come with me to Earth, then you shall see what it is that I love about the place."
Minako sighed, "and what if you did get stuck there? You would not be able to go outside for if the moonbeam touched you, you know what would happen."
Usagi thought about it for a minute. If a moonbeam did grace itself upon her while she was stuck on Earth, she would revert back to her present state: a teenage heir to the throne with long silvery hair, angel wings, and a long flowing white gown of silk. "But that would not matter to me! I just want to be there."
"But---but what if you got hit by water. It is almost always raining down there!" Minako protested.
"Nako-chan, I know I have never told you this... but I am not a water sprite like you. I am a snow goddess. What happens to you with water, happens to me with snow. And right now where I want to be it is summer---no snow at all!" Usagi replied.
Minako sighed, she was surprised that her cousin was not a water sprite like she, "very well, if you want to really go I guess I cannot stop you. Like I could anyway. Just be careful and catch that moonbeam back, okay?"
"Hai, do not worry, I will send you a message if something happens to me." Usagi replied. She wanted to jump up and do a little jig for getting the permission of the last person who held her back from going to Earth, but she contained herself like she had been brought up to do.
**
Two nights later, Usagi was standing at the walkway of the moonbeams. "See you in two days, Nako-chan," she said, waving. Soon she stepped carefully onto the moonbeam and began her quick walk to the Earth.
Minako, not able to ever watch someone walk upon the moonbeams, turned and walked back to the palace. "See you, Gi-chan..." she said as she turned.
Usagi smiled, she loved to watch the stars below her feet twinkle in the moonlight. Suddenly the beam shook violently and Usagi fell off balance and into a hole that she was to avoid this time around. 'Nako-chan! Something shook the beam, I do not know where I am falling to! You must call Setsuna-san!' she screamed threw the link she had with her cousin.
'Gi-chan!?' Usagi heard Minako scream out before the slivery haired girl fell upon a hard surface. Before she blacked out, Usagi made sure to change herself into a teenage Earth girl of sixteen, her normal age on the Moon, that wore a shin-length blue skirt with a light purple tank top and had blonde hair.
~~
Ririna Peacecraft was walking with her friend, laughing and giggling about all sorts of stupid things when she tripped over something lying in the middle of the sidewalk.
"Oh, my gosh!" she sputtered out when she saw just what she had tripped over: Usagi.
"Whoa, what's she doing just lying there?" Ririnas friend asked the others.
"I don't know. I think she's unconscious." Ririna replied as she flipped the girl, who was incredibly light, over. "She looks no more then thirteen," she said, "let's get her back to the mansion and get her checked out."
Ririna and her friend lifted up the lightweight girl and hurriedly walked back to the mansion not more then three blocks away from their current area. Upon calling out for the guard to call the doctor as they ran past, Ririna and her friend set Usagi on the couch in the main room.
What both of them failed to notice was that the girl still bore the mark of a crescent moon upon her forehead, yet it was hidden from view because of long blonde bangs.
**
"Queen Serenity! Mother!" Minako cried out as she ran threw the palace, almost knocking down everyone in her path. Screeching to a halt before she could pass the door to the throne room she threw it open.
Aphrodite, Minakos' mother, looked quite shocked that her daughter would barge in like a madwoman on the rampage. "What is it, my child, that has made you lose all manners within you?"
"It is..." Minako said, still catching her breath, "Serenity-hime!"
The elder Serenity sucked in her breath, "what about my daughter? What has happened, Minako-hime?"
Minako, who had finally found her breath, said, "she was walking upon the moonbeam to Earth when she said that something shook it violently and she fell into a hole that she was not supposed to! Then her mind went blank, I do not know where she is, but she said to contact Setsuna-san."
Queen Serenity was as white as a sheet upon hearing the news, Aphrodite was not faring much better. Serenity summoned for Setsuna to come, and come she did, only as Sailor Pluto.
"Queen Serenity, I do know where your lively young daughter has fallen to. But first I must tell you bad news." Pluto said when she arrived.
"Yes, what it is?" Serenity asked.
"I am afraid that I do not control that flow of time that she has graced herself upon. It is one of the few places my powers cannot reach." Pluto looked at the queen, who was getting whiter upon the minute, "She has fallen to a time much farther in the future, it is called After Colony 197."
"Well, how can she get back?!" Serenity thundered, causing Aphrodite to place a claming hand on her sisters arm.
"She will come back on the moonbeams, but I do not know why her mind went blank. I shall check on that right away." Pluto said as she faded from sight.
"Great Gods. How could something like this happen, Aphrodite? How? It is just not possible!" the queen said in her normal tone of voice.
"I do not know, but lets hope she opens the link to Minako soon."
**
Usagi stirred out of the black world that had taken her prisoner and opened her eyes only to see a pair of violet ones peering into them. Screaming in fright, Usagi jumped up from the couch to behind it.
"No, don't be frightened. My name's Princess Ririna Peacecraft, of the Sanc Kingdom. What's your name? My friend and I found you not to long ago unconscious on the sidewalk."
Usagi looked at her long and hard, the crescent moon now gone from her forehead. Then it dawned on her. She didn't have a clue as to who she was. "I---I do not know who I am."
Ririna looked shocked. What had happened to this girl to cause her to forget who she was?
"Wait... I do remember something. A name, I remember a name: Usagi," the teen replied. "But that is all I can remember."
"Do you think you could be from a very proper family? You speak so eloquently that one would tend to think that." Ririna asked, not knowing the consequences of her question.
Usagi looked at her like she was some ill-literate person, "I do not know! I cannot remember anything except for that name!" she cried as she ran from the room, only to bump into the people who were entering. Hurriedly she said sorry in her native tongue and ran.
"No! Catch her, please. She doesn't know who she is, that's dangerous!" Ririna screamed at the people as she ran after Usagi. Quickly the one with the messy brown hair spun around and ran after the fleeing girl.
Usagi ran threw the many hallways, trying to find a way out, but the huge building was like a maze to her. That was it! A maze. Usagi stopped for a second, then quickly turned right. She didn't know how, but she knew the way to get out of all mazes.
The teen with the messy brown hair caught a glimpse of blonde and turned the corner to follow her. He wasn't to far behind her, but she proved to be a faster runner then she looked.
Usagi once again turned a corner and finally came to a door. "Finally!" she said to herself once again in her native tongue. (AN: Lets just say it's different from Japanese and stuff.) She reached for the handles and threw the door open, only to be surprised that it was nighttime.
"Usagi, wait!" Ririna cried as when she finally caught up to the girl.
Usagi turned around, eyes wide, "look, I do not know who I am, nor do I know where I belong! Now, please stop asking me!" then the girl turned back to the balcony and ran outside. Soon she stopped and hid in the shadows. 'Oh, great Selene, Goddess of the Moon, please help me. I do not know who I am, but I believe that you can help me. I do not know why, but please, if you can, help me.'
**
Serenity sucked in her breath once again, "someone is calling for my help. It sounds like Serenity!" the queen said to Minako, who was staying by her side just in case Usagi did call with the link.
"What is she saying?" Minako asked urgently.
"She is saying that she wants her memory back. She believes that I am the one who can do that."
"You can, can't you?" Minako asked, worry in her voice.
Serenity looked at her niece, "yes, hold on." Soon the queen filled her daughters head with the memories.
**
"Oh no!" Usagi screamed as she saw the moonbeams touching her feet. Her memories back, she knew what was going to happen. Ririna and the boy heard her scream and ran towards her, not knowing what was wrong. But before they could reach her, she jumped off the balcony to the lake twenty feet below.
"What is she doing?!" Ririna screamed in fright. She looked over the edge of the balcony and could have sworn she saw Usagi with wings and long silver hair. 'No, that's just the moon playing tricks on me.' She thought.
The messy brown haired boy ran down the stairs to the lake behind Ririna, he too had thought he saw slivery hair and wings upon the girl.
"Usagi, what were you doing?" Ririna exclaimed when the now soaking wet girl clambered out of the lake water.
Usagi looked at the girl. Had not she said she was the princess here? "I ... got my memories back."
"And you just decided that jumping into the lake was the way to celebrate?" The sandy blonde haired teen asked.
Usagi looked at Ririna with defiance, "you will not speak to me like that! I have good reason to jump in that lake and let me tell you that you---"
'Gi-chan! Stop it now, you will blow your cover!' Minakos voice sounded in her head.
Usagi swallowed down her words of rage, 'Nako-chan, where am I?'
'Pluto-san said you are in a place called After Colony 197. It is over four thousand years ahead of the time you were going to,' Minako replied.
"Four thousand!?" Usagi screamed out loud accidentally.
Ririna and the boy looked at her oddly, finally he spoke, "'four thousand' what?"
Usagi gulped and suddenly wished she had walked on the moonbeam back to the moon, her home. "Um... nothing. Oh! How utterly rude of me, my name is not Usagi, though it is was I am called by my friends, it is Serenity."
"Where are you from?" Ririna asked.
Again Usagi looked flustered, "that I cannot tell. I am sorry. You took me in and yet I have to keep secrecy from you. Please, who is your friend?"
Ririna smiled, "this is Hiiro Yui. You bumped into his friends and him when you ran out of the room. By the way, what was it that you said when you ran?"
Usagi wasn't sure she should say it, but did anyway, "forlat. It means 'sorry' among my subj-people."
"Among your subjects? Just who are you?" Hiiro asked, ready to pull out his gun at anytime.
"Ay me, it is a mere game with my friends. I am the eldest among them, so I call them my subjects and I, their princess." Usagi lied.
'Nice one, Gi-chan,' Minako interrupted with a giggle.
'Hush, Nako-chan. I do not want to have another outburst like before.' Usagi answered. She looked Hiiro straight in the eyes so he would think she was telling the true. To her inward relief he nodded curtly.
Ririna, who had been listening intently, finally figured out what she had been trying to since the girl first spoke. "You speak just like they did in Shakespearean times!"
Usagi looked at her, startled, "pardon?"
"You do. I finally placed it just a second ago when you said 'ay me', it reminded me of a tragedy called "Romeo and Juliet" that I've read many times." Ririna replied.
Usagi knew who this 'Shakespeare' was, and the story of "Romeo and Juliet" from the book Setsuna-san had brought her from a time-line. But she did not know that he was still known so far into the future. This time, she could not come up with an excuse. "Guess it is a coincidence." She said.
"Hm..." Ririna replied thoughtfully.
Quickly the now blonde haired girl changed the subject, "Ririna, do you happen to have anything to eat? I have not eaten in almost a day."
"Oh! Dear lord, I guess you haven't. Um... would you like the change first? You are quite soaked." Ririna replied, blushing from her rudeness of not bringing up the subject before.
"Yes, thank you." Usagi said as she followed the princess into the house again and into a large bedroom.
"There are towels in there," Ririna said pointing to the bathroom, "and I will have someone bring you some dry clothes."
"Thank you, Ririna." Usagi said, slipping into the bathroom and reverting to her normal form. 'Oh, Nako-chan, this is one of the most eventful trips I think I have ever had.'
'You always said you wanted an adventure, Gi-chan. This is your chance!' Minako replied with an excited giggle.
'That is right! But I think first I shall get changed, have something to eat, then try and find a library in this place.' Usagi said, 'By the way, Nako-chan, am I being rude to Ririna for not giving her the title of '-hime'?"
'That is up to you. She does not look like the one to like being called 'Ririna-hime'. Though if I am the child of Aphrodite, and I am, I would say she has quite strong feelings for that boy she was with.'
'But...' Usagi started. There was always a 'but' with Minako and her daughter-of-Aphrodite sayings.
'But, he does not return her feelings. He does not hate her, he just cannot like her the way she does.' Minako replied, 'you better get a move on, Gi-chan, they are going to think you fell in the bathtub.'
'Oh, Nako-chan,' Usagi said, rolling her crystalline eyes before ending the link and drying herself. She wrapped a towel around her figure and walked out, only to see that a skirt, much like the one she had been wearing, and a sleeved shirt were lying on the bed.
Quickly she put them on and checked herself over. She did not want to have any sign of her not being of this Earth. "Just like an Earthian." She whispered to herself as she walked out of the room and found the kitchen. "Hello, Ririna."
"Hello, Serenity," Ririna said, turning from the four teens she was currently talking with. "Serenity, these are my friends; Duo Maxwell, Chang Wufei, Quatre Raberber Winner, and Trowa Barton."
"Hello, my name is Serenity." She said with a curtsey like she had been brought up to do.
The one called Quatre looked curiously at her, "who are you named after, may I ask?"
"My mother, Selene. And may I ask why you ask?" Serenity replied. Duo looked a little dizzy from all the proper talking that was going on.
"I knew someone named Serenity before," Quatre lied, he was actually thinking of where he had really heard the name before. Both of them sound quite familiar.
"Um, what would you like, Serenity?" Ririna finally asked after a moment of silence in the room.
"You would not happen to have any fried rice, would you?" Usagi responded. It was not something she had been able to eat on the Moon, but something she loved to when upon the Earth.
Ririna thought this to be odd, but shrugged, "yes, you can wait in here or somewhere else and one of the servants can bring it to you."
Usagis' eyes shined, "do you mind if I eat in the library, I love to read."
Ririna nodded, "Quatre can show you the way."
Usagi smiled in thanks to Ririna and walked beside the blonde teen. "How do you know Ririna?" she finally asked.
"She is a friend of my families," he said. How could he tell this innocent looking teen that he was an assassin that had once been assigned to kill the Sanc Princess?
'He is cute, Gi-chan. Maybe I should walk on the moonbeams tonight and join you,' Minakos voice said into the link.
"Oh, Great Gods..." Usagi muttered, 'Nako-chan, you are such a flirt.' She said in a teasing voice.
"What did you said, Miss Serenity?" Quatre asked.
"Oh, nothing. I was just thinking about my friend Minako-chan." she replied.
There it was again. That feeling of hearing a name before but not being able to place it. Quatre nodded, then opened the door to the huge library.
"Thank you, Quatre-san," Usagi said as she immediately went to the section where classics were held. Her fingers touched each books' bound lightly until she found the one she was looking for. Pulling it out gently, not wanting to ruin it, she sat on a couch and opened it.
Not to long after did the teen get interrupted by Ririna walking in the room and placing the bowl of rice in front of her. "I haven't seen that book in ages. Where did you find it?"
"Right there on the shelf. Do you not come in here often?" Serenity responded.
"No. With my diplomatic duties I don't have a lot of time to just sit around and read."
"I know how that feels. But I still find time to just enjoy reading." The 'blonde' haired girl replied. It was true. She did not have a lot of time to just sit and read, but somehow she managed to get it done. Usually by staying up late, reading until she fell asleep. Speaking of sleeping, Usagi yawned. "I think I shall retire now... um... which room should I sleep in?"
"Oh!" Ririna said, surprised, "right this way." The sandy blonde walked out of the room, with Usagi following not far behind, and went threw the maze of hallways to a bedroom that Usagi instantly knew as the one she had been in before.
"Thank you, Ririna," Usagi said as Ririna walked out of the room. She quickly looked around for cameras or anything that could spy on her, then when the coast was clear, reverted back to her original form. 'It is great to be back to normal.' She thought as she lay down in the queen-sized bed and slowly felt the tug of sleep pulling her into its world of blackness.
~Serenity's dream~
Walking down the steps, Serenity held the masque to her face. Beside her, her cousin Minako was doing the same. They had snuck out to come to the Masque and were not dressed, nor did they look like the crowned princesses of the Moon and Venus.
Soon a man came up to Minako and asked her to dance, she merrily accepted. None to soon after, Serenity was asked to dance by a teen, not too much older then she.
Serenity laughed happily as she was spun around by the teen. She knew she was at a Masque, but she did not know who she was dancing with.
"What is your name?" he asked.
Serenity shook her head, "thy name shall not be told," she answered. There was something familiar about him, but she could not put her finger on it. 'What is it, what is so familiar about this boy?'
All night she danced with him, never again did he ask her name. All the time she felt as if she knew him from somewhere, somehow. She could not shake that feeling of just knowing someone, but not being able to figure out who it was.
Soon it came time to unmask oneself and Serenity quickly found Minako and pulled her aside. "What shall we do? We are not supposed to be here, what if someone sees us?"
"Gi-chan, not to worry. We can slip out when everyone is unmasking oneself and no one will know. Let us go now," Minako replied as they crept behind everyone and slipped out the door just as easily as they had come threw it only two hours prior.
"You have yet to unmask thyself, little ones," a voice said from behind the girls.
Slowly they both turned around and saw the two teens they had been dancing with.
'Shoot! Nako-chan, think of something. I cannot find my voice.' Serenity said with the link they shared.
"One does not have to unmask thyself if one does not want to. Good night, to the both of you. We shall be off," Minako said, and with that grabbed her cousin's arm and walked quickly.
Serenity glanced back, "Nako-chan, they are not biding farewell. It seems as though they are determined to know who we are..."
Minako looked back as well, then stopped, "'tis rude to follow a lady when she has bid farewell, you know."
"But only you bid farewell," the teen Minako danced with said, "your friend, did not."
'Eh... I am out of ideas, Gi-chan. Do something, quick!' Minako said, nervously glancing at her cousin.
'Ah-ha! I have it!' Serenity said triumphantly. "You follow us wanting me to bid farewell when I believe that saying farewell to a mask is quite odd. If you shall take off your masks, we shall take off ours."
The two boys glanced at each other, debating if they should or not.
'What?! How is that a good plan! They are going to see who we are!' Minako said.
'Yes, but *we* shall see who they are first. If they are a threat, then I can simply use a power to make them forget we were here.'
Both boys began removing their masks. Once removed, the girls gasped.
~End dream~
Usagi shot out of the bed like a bullet from a gun. She was white as a sheet and had broken out into a cold sweat. "Those boys... they had no faces. It... it was like the masks were the faces. How odd a dream for Morpheus to give me." (AN: Morpheus is the Greek God of Dreams.)
Finally feeling confident enough to return to sleep, Usagi lay back down upon the pillow and soon feel upon the graces of the God of Sleep, Hypnos.
~~
Later that day, at the start of nightfall, Usagi started to ready herself to go back home. She did not want to go, but knew that she must. She did not belong in this time, it was not right for her. As much as she would hate not being able to get to know Ririnas friends better, she knew it was time.
Bidding her good-bye, everyone waved her off. She had decided to walk up the beams in the forest where no one would see her. But upon getting there, she learned a new concept. Cloud cover.
*Evil smile* I don't know if that's mean or not. But hey, 'tis my story! See you next chapter!
-Ema