Hi mina! I'm kind of struggling on how to get his out, I've got the idea put I don't know how to put it into words... -_-; Thank you so much GoldenGoddess for being my first reviewer! And to everyone else who reviewed! *Huggles* You people rock! Also... *sheepishly* I forgot to write this in the prologue but yes, it is placed after Endless Waltz at least a full year later (so in After-Colony 198) So, the pilots are about 17-18. Also, their Gundams weren't destroyed, only fixed and placed into storage. Damn, this thing is LONG. Please keep the reviews coming, the more I get, the more motivated I am!
Disclaimer: I do not own any of these characters, but the story is MINE.
Chapter 1: The Reunion with Ami-chan
Numbed with shock, Sailor Pluto watched as the image before her began to clear. As the Keeper of Time, she recognized all the signs that were meant to inform her that the State of Time had changed; the subtle glow around the image, the gentle thrumming in her staff and her own persistent intuition. Setsuna's garnet eyes flashed as a young golden-haired individual was unveiled through the mists. She appeared to be sitting in some sort of café, and Pluto's senses shifted through the sounds of light chatter, the smell of coffee beans and the sight of many people either singly or in groups scattered throughout the scene, some eating, others drinking or leafing through a newspaper.
The girl's looks, and not to mention her aura was an unmistakeable match to Usagi's... But there was something else, something more...
Also noted with a slight frown was Usagi's age. Despite the obvious fact that the State of Time had changed, the Moon Princess seemed to be the same age as the as the day -Setsuna faltered for a moment-as the day that the inner senshi had been killed. She was healed too; as if her now-flawless skin had never been stained with her own blood. It looked like she had been simply plucked from her own respective time, restored by the Ginzuishou and settled back here. Surely she had no memory of what had happened, sitting in that booth so carelessly, sipping her tea and pouring over that book. What day was it?
Curiously, The Keeper of Time shifted the scene slightly to centre in on a newspaper held by an older woman who sat in the booth behind Usagi.
The EarthSphere National Post, Friday May 11th, After-Colony 198
Nani??! The Ginzuishou had brought her here? But why? To what purpose? Certainly, when Usagi had screamed for her crystal's help, she had meant only to revive her friends. But why this place, why now? Pluto's brow furrowed slightly and with a flick of her hand, set the image on her Princess again.
Yes, it was surely Usagi, but there was something else, something more too her. Setsuna sought out the aura of the Ginzuishou, just to make sure it was still safely in it's young charge's guard. Fleetingly, she passed over Usagi's hair, which was strangely tied back and piled absently at the nape of her neck, and beyond her clothes, which were slightly conservative for Usagi's normal tastes and centred in on the glow of power that The Keeper of Time knew intimately as the Ginzuishou.
Pluto's heart nearly stopped. The crystal -a small piece-was sitting daintily in a ring on Usagi's hand. The rest of the jewel was nowhere in sight.
* * *
Usagi slipped absently at her drink as she mentally reviewed her notes.
Hummm... Chemistry, biology, and physics...Finished. Now all I have to do is study for my English novel test and complete my draft for my geo report and I'll be finished. A blue-nailed hand gently stirred the contents of her glass and the girl took a moment of pause to study the activity around her.
An older woman over her shoulder, reading the paper; two loud children and their mother over by the counter; two men sipping coffee to her left; a man and a woman laughing and smiling in the both in next to hers, the woman with her back to Usagi and the man facing in the blonde's direction, but is eyes never leaving his companion. They'd been flirting ever since Usagi had arrived, and seemed so unaware of anything else but each other that the blonde felt a twinge of envy. She sighed inaudibly and her blue-eyes gaze swept over the books and notes she had littering the table.
I don't have time for a boyfriend, Usagi thought, only slightly regretful. I have to concentrate on my studies. There is nothing more important for me right now then my schoolwork. I can't be sidetracked. But a secret part of her wished that she could just toss away all the papers, all the texts, and find out what it was really like to be loved like that by someone.
Bitterly, Usagi swept up her things and shoved them hastily into her school bag. Then, after pausing to pull out her purse and draw out what she owed and tossing it onto the forgotten table, the blonde left without a backwards glance.
Let's see... The geo teacher said the report should be two pages long, so I suppose I should start with a paragraph on the borders of the region and continue on with... The girl's thoughts were locked firmly to her work as she walked over the threshold onto the street. When she brushed past a boy headed into the building she had just left, she murmured a vague "excuse me" and continued on determinedly. Usagi didn't notice the boy as he watched her retreating form with slight curiosity, then turned to follow his friends into the café.
* * *
Wufei motioned disgustedly at the headline of the newspaper sitting before him on the café's shiny surface. "The idiocy. Couldn't that onna have assured a better security plan for these shipments of weapons? Hijacked! Damn that Peacecraft woman!" he growled, balling his hand into a fist.
"Ririna used as much military strength she could, given her beliefs and the new laws passed." Replied Hiiro in his usual stoic manor, hiding his true frustration. Three shipments of weapons: guns, explosives, and mobile suits, all of them headed to the incinerator on Ririna's order, seized by unknown forces. No survivors bad been reported found. "We've been lucky to have come this far without incident since Mariemaia. I expect Lady Une will be calling on us to accompany the next unit sent out."
Beside Hiiro, Duo sat up straighter and cracked his knuckles, "About time!" exclaimed the American boy, grinning deviously. "Shinigami has waited long enough, my buddy is long overdue for an appearance!" Duo looked across the table to Quatre, awaiting his friend's gentle criticism.
The blond said nothing. In fact, he seemed to have no notion that everyone seated around him was watching him. Trowa was the first to speak.
"Quatre?"
The boy blinked, then turned to his friend, "Oh, sorry Trowa. What did you want to tell me?"
Silence.
"Trowa?" Quatre's gaze swung over the rest of his friends. "Guys?"
"What's on your mind, Quatre?" asked low voice. The command in his speech was unmistakable. "What are you thinking?" The others at the table watched Quatre only, their own thoughts and feelings forgotten for the moment. Whenever their blond friend was thoughtful like this, not paying heed to important things such as missions and the threat of war, the other four pilots knew something was up. Quatre was almost like a telepath, going deeper into the situation and pulling out the true emotions of everyone involved. Now, he looked uncomfortable and squirmed slightly under their gaze, blushing faintly.
"I... well, I... I can feel some sort of power nearby. It's waning now, but there was something... here. Something important. That's all I can tell you." He murmured. The other pilots relaxed their guard and fell back into thoughtful silence.
Hiiro was the first to speak, and he did so without looking at the blond. "Tell us if you feel anything else. We need to know all possible allies-and enemies." Quatre nodded submissively and the Perfect Soldier stood up. "I'm heading back," he said, meaning one of Quatre's many mansions where the blond had invited them to stay, and then left. Duo and Wufei nodded.
"I'm going too," he said with a shrug. "There's a new arcade open not to far from here and this Shinigami is going to work on his target practice. Contact me if there's word on a new mission."
The Chinese boy followed, "I'm going to stop the park before heading home." He said, more to himself then to Trowa and Quatre. He needed to relax-and with sweet Nataku in storage at the moment the best place to go was to Nature.
Storage, Wufei thought bitterly. That was totally unfitting for his Gundam, a great warrior and a hero of war. Storage! Sweet Nataku, what was this world coming to?
"This is injustice," he murmured for the millionth time as he walked out into the street.
* * *
Usagi closed the door to her apartment with a sigh, flicking on the light and tossing her keys with a metal clink on the small stand that stood faithfully to her right. She pulled off her light coat and struggled out of her boots before walking down the short hallway and walking over the threshold that led into her pale bedroom. She dropped her bag onto the white queen-size bed that she slept in and followed suit herself after swiftly glancing to the clock.
6:30! Plenty of time to finish my schoolwork, thought Usagi with a contented smile. I'm glad I got my science papers finished, otherwise I'd never have time to have the rest done by tomorrow.
Thinking of her science texts sent the blonde into her bag. Did I write that part about the impact of photosynthesis in a populated environment? I think I may have forgotten...Usagi scowled, rummaging through her things. Where was it? Her folder, science folder, WHERE WAS IT? The blonde was in a state of near panic and up-ended her bag over her bed, papers flying everywhere. Her blue-nailed fingers frantically shifted through the books, sheaves of paper and scribblers.
No folder.
It must be.... The blonde's expression changed to one of muted fury. She'd left it at the café. Baka.
Usagi took a deep breath to calm herself. "No big deal," she told herself soothingly. "I have lots of time, I'll just go get it."
* * *
Pluto watched quietly as her Princess pulled herself out of bed and hurried towards the door-then, halfway, turn around and return to her room, as if she'd forgotten something. The Keeper of Time leaned forward eagerly, hoping this was it. She'd sensed the Ginzuishou's presence with renewed strength when Usagi had entered the apartment and was hoping that the jewel would reveal itself. Perversely however, Usagi stopped at her dresser and with a sharp intake of breath that was close to a hiss, Setsuna watched as her Princess remove the ring that held a piece of a gem and place it into a jewery box . A box that held also a bracelet, necklace, a pair of earrings and a small hair comb-all of them decorated with pieces of the Ginzuishou.
Usagi picked the necklace from the box and quickly clicked the clasp behind her neck. Then, almost trance-like, she pulled all the bobby pins out of her long hair and let it tumble down like a golden waterfall, free from any bindings.
"Just like Rei-chan's..." whispered The Keeper of Time in alarm. It was true then.
Disclaimer: I do not own any of these characters, but the story is MINE.
Chapter 1: The Reunion with Ami-chan
Numbed with shock, Sailor Pluto watched as the image before her began to clear. As the Keeper of Time, she recognized all the signs that were meant to inform her that the State of Time had changed; the subtle glow around the image, the gentle thrumming in her staff and her own persistent intuition. Setsuna's garnet eyes flashed as a young golden-haired individual was unveiled through the mists. She appeared to be sitting in some sort of café, and Pluto's senses shifted through the sounds of light chatter, the smell of coffee beans and the sight of many people either singly or in groups scattered throughout the scene, some eating, others drinking or leafing through a newspaper.
The girl's looks, and not to mention her aura was an unmistakeable match to Usagi's... But there was something else, something more...
Also noted with a slight frown was Usagi's age. Despite the obvious fact that the State of Time had changed, the Moon Princess seemed to be the same age as the as the day -Setsuna faltered for a moment-as the day that the inner senshi had been killed. She was healed too; as if her now-flawless skin had never been stained with her own blood. It looked like she had been simply plucked from her own respective time, restored by the Ginzuishou and settled back here. Surely she had no memory of what had happened, sitting in that booth so carelessly, sipping her tea and pouring over that book. What day was it?
Curiously, The Keeper of Time shifted the scene slightly to centre in on a newspaper held by an older woman who sat in the booth behind Usagi.
The EarthSphere National Post, Friday May 11th, After-Colony 198
Nani??! The Ginzuishou had brought her here? But why? To what purpose? Certainly, when Usagi had screamed for her crystal's help, she had meant only to revive her friends. But why this place, why now? Pluto's brow furrowed slightly and with a flick of her hand, set the image on her Princess again.
Yes, it was surely Usagi, but there was something else, something more too her. Setsuna sought out the aura of the Ginzuishou, just to make sure it was still safely in it's young charge's guard. Fleetingly, she passed over Usagi's hair, which was strangely tied back and piled absently at the nape of her neck, and beyond her clothes, which were slightly conservative for Usagi's normal tastes and centred in on the glow of power that The Keeper of Time knew intimately as the Ginzuishou.
Pluto's heart nearly stopped. The crystal -a small piece-was sitting daintily in a ring on Usagi's hand. The rest of the jewel was nowhere in sight.
* * *
Usagi slipped absently at her drink as she mentally reviewed her notes.
Hummm... Chemistry, biology, and physics...Finished. Now all I have to do is study for my English novel test and complete my draft for my geo report and I'll be finished. A blue-nailed hand gently stirred the contents of her glass and the girl took a moment of pause to study the activity around her.
An older woman over her shoulder, reading the paper; two loud children and their mother over by the counter; two men sipping coffee to her left; a man and a woman laughing and smiling in the both in next to hers, the woman with her back to Usagi and the man facing in the blonde's direction, but is eyes never leaving his companion. They'd been flirting ever since Usagi had arrived, and seemed so unaware of anything else but each other that the blonde felt a twinge of envy. She sighed inaudibly and her blue-eyes gaze swept over the books and notes she had littering the table.
I don't have time for a boyfriend, Usagi thought, only slightly regretful. I have to concentrate on my studies. There is nothing more important for me right now then my schoolwork. I can't be sidetracked. But a secret part of her wished that she could just toss away all the papers, all the texts, and find out what it was really like to be loved like that by someone.
Bitterly, Usagi swept up her things and shoved them hastily into her school bag. Then, after pausing to pull out her purse and draw out what she owed and tossing it onto the forgotten table, the blonde left without a backwards glance.
Let's see... The geo teacher said the report should be two pages long, so I suppose I should start with a paragraph on the borders of the region and continue on with... The girl's thoughts were locked firmly to her work as she walked over the threshold onto the street. When she brushed past a boy headed into the building she had just left, she murmured a vague "excuse me" and continued on determinedly. Usagi didn't notice the boy as he watched her retreating form with slight curiosity, then turned to follow his friends into the café.
* * *
Wufei motioned disgustedly at the headline of the newspaper sitting before him on the café's shiny surface. "The idiocy. Couldn't that onna have assured a better security plan for these shipments of weapons? Hijacked! Damn that Peacecraft woman!" he growled, balling his hand into a fist.
"Ririna used as much military strength she could, given her beliefs and the new laws passed." Replied Hiiro in his usual stoic manor, hiding his true frustration. Three shipments of weapons: guns, explosives, and mobile suits, all of them headed to the incinerator on Ririna's order, seized by unknown forces. No survivors bad been reported found. "We've been lucky to have come this far without incident since Mariemaia. I expect Lady Une will be calling on us to accompany the next unit sent out."
Beside Hiiro, Duo sat up straighter and cracked his knuckles, "About time!" exclaimed the American boy, grinning deviously. "Shinigami has waited long enough, my buddy is long overdue for an appearance!" Duo looked across the table to Quatre, awaiting his friend's gentle criticism.
The blond said nothing. In fact, he seemed to have no notion that everyone seated around him was watching him. Trowa was the first to speak.
"Quatre?"
The boy blinked, then turned to his friend, "Oh, sorry Trowa. What did you want to tell me?"
Silence.
"Trowa?" Quatre's gaze swung over the rest of his friends. "Guys?"
"What's on your mind, Quatre?" asked low voice. The command in his speech was unmistakable. "What are you thinking?" The others at the table watched Quatre only, their own thoughts and feelings forgotten for the moment. Whenever their blond friend was thoughtful like this, not paying heed to important things such as missions and the threat of war, the other four pilots knew something was up. Quatre was almost like a telepath, going deeper into the situation and pulling out the true emotions of everyone involved. Now, he looked uncomfortable and squirmed slightly under their gaze, blushing faintly.
"I... well, I... I can feel some sort of power nearby. It's waning now, but there was something... here. Something important. That's all I can tell you." He murmured. The other pilots relaxed their guard and fell back into thoughtful silence.
Hiiro was the first to speak, and he did so without looking at the blond. "Tell us if you feel anything else. We need to know all possible allies-and enemies." Quatre nodded submissively and the Perfect Soldier stood up. "I'm heading back," he said, meaning one of Quatre's many mansions where the blond had invited them to stay, and then left. Duo and Wufei nodded.
"I'm going too," he said with a shrug. "There's a new arcade open not to far from here and this Shinigami is going to work on his target practice. Contact me if there's word on a new mission."
The Chinese boy followed, "I'm going to stop the park before heading home." He said, more to himself then to Trowa and Quatre. He needed to relax-and with sweet Nataku in storage at the moment the best place to go was to Nature.
Storage, Wufei thought bitterly. That was totally unfitting for his Gundam, a great warrior and a hero of war. Storage! Sweet Nataku, what was this world coming to?
"This is injustice," he murmured for the millionth time as he walked out into the street.
* * *
Usagi closed the door to her apartment with a sigh, flicking on the light and tossing her keys with a metal clink on the small stand that stood faithfully to her right. She pulled off her light coat and struggled out of her boots before walking down the short hallway and walking over the threshold that led into her pale bedroom. She dropped her bag onto the white queen-size bed that she slept in and followed suit herself after swiftly glancing to the clock.
6:30! Plenty of time to finish my schoolwork, thought Usagi with a contented smile. I'm glad I got my science papers finished, otherwise I'd never have time to have the rest done by tomorrow.
Thinking of her science texts sent the blonde into her bag. Did I write that part about the impact of photosynthesis in a populated environment? I think I may have forgotten...Usagi scowled, rummaging through her things. Where was it? Her folder, science folder, WHERE WAS IT? The blonde was in a state of near panic and up-ended her bag over her bed, papers flying everywhere. Her blue-nailed fingers frantically shifted through the books, sheaves of paper and scribblers.
No folder.
It must be.... The blonde's expression changed to one of muted fury. She'd left it at the café. Baka.
Usagi took a deep breath to calm herself. "No big deal," she told herself soothingly. "I have lots of time, I'll just go get it."
* * *
Pluto watched quietly as her Princess pulled herself out of bed and hurried towards the door-then, halfway, turn around and return to her room, as if she'd forgotten something. The Keeper of Time leaned forward eagerly, hoping this was it. She'd sensed the Ginzuishou's presence with renewed strength when Usagi had entered the apartment and was hoping that the jewel would reveal itself. Perversely however, Usagi stopped at her dresser and with a sharp intake of breath that was close to a hiss, Setsuna watched as her Princess remove the ring that held a piece of a gem and place it into a jewery box . A box that held also a bracelet, necklace, a pair of earrings and a small hair comb-all of them decorated with pieces of the Ginzuishou.
Usagi picked the necklace from the box and quickly clicked the clasp behind her neck. Then, almost trance-like, she pulled all the bobby pins out of her long hair and let it tumble down like a golden waterfall, free from any bindings.
"Just like Rei-chan's..." whispered The Keeper of Time in alarm. It was true then.