Epilogue- Two Worlds, Again, At Last
"...here?" Usagi stood in the doorway, staring
with wide eyes at the empty room. "Uh?" She stammered, blinking. "Rei-chan?"
After a moment, Usagi laughed, a little too loudly and nervously. "Minna!
This isn't funny! Come out! Onegai? Minna! Ami-chan, I can't believe you're
going along with this! Minna! Minako-chan! Mako-chan! Rei-chan, stop being
so mean! I'm here, okay!" Usagi set down her satchel, and peered around
the room, the feeling she was having a joke played on her disappearing
with worry. "Minna? This really isn't funny...."
Out of comfort, she clasped her brooch, and
stepped back out into the hallway, peering around the corners. Around her,
suddenly, a burst of brilliant red light streaked out, hitting the wall
opposite her in beams. In the brightness, she spun around, hands guarding
her eyes as she tried to look though.
"Minna!"
Running into the room again, she stared. It
was still empty.
"What is going on!?" Usagi began to wail,
then heard familiar laughter on the door's opposite side. "Rei-chan!" she
stormed over, throwing the door open to see...well, not what she expected.
Ami, Rei, Makoto and Minako, wearing dresses that looked like something
out of a Renaissance Faire, and Setsuna in the middle, garbed in black
robes. "Nan...nani?"
"Ah, Usagi-chan!" Rei asked sweetly, seeing
Usagi's confused expression. "Whatever is the matter?"
"Rei...Rei-chan...what is going on?"
"Going on? Why, nothing, Usagi-chan! We wouldn't
leave you out of anything, you know that."
Usagi's eyebrow twitched. She knew she was
being teased, and had absolutely no idea why everyone looked like they
were two seconds from laughing hysterically at her confusion. "Rei-chan,
why are you dressed up in weird clothes?"
"Oh, these old things?" Rei laughed flippantly,
waving a hand in dismissal.
"Rei-chan!" Then everyone began to giggle,
and even Setsuna was smiling. "What is going on?!"
While Rei joined in, Minako managed to say,
"Usagi-chan, you know we wouldn't go off and have an adventure without
you!"
"What's that supposed to mean?"
But her answer was more
laughing.
"Mako-chan...?"
Makoto tried to stop, and, still giggling,
took Usagi's arm, trying to lead everyone back inside. "We'll tell you,
Usagi-chan, calm down."
"But!"
Ami came up on Usagi's other side, peering
around. "Don't worry. Once we finish studying tonight, we'll tell you about
everything!"
That brought some pained, "Ami-chan's...."
and groans, but Ami picked up one of the Biology books still open on the
table, and put on the glasses that lay there. Her face became determined,
setting herself to a massive job.
"Minna. We have been gone for approximately
two months-"
Usagi shrieked, "Months?!"
But Ami was still continuing, glasses shining
brightly. "We are desperately far behind! Imagine how much we've forgotten!
It's time now to practice!"
"Aw, Ami-chan...."
Setsuna edged her way away from the five girls,
arguing the benefits of taking a break, even before Usagi had begun to
study, and getting some food. She was forgotten, in the arguing and laughing
that was breaking though Usagi's pained questions as to what had just happened.
It always amazed her, how strange the Inner Senshi could be, and yet still
manage to accomplish anything. She heard a shriek from within, accompanied
by some laughter. Then again, maybe it was their ability to laugh together
that always somehow made them come though. And, in the way of things, Setsuna
faded away into the Fourth Dimension, still hearing the familiar chatter
behind her.
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