Title: Son Usagi-the real Usagi?

Author:  Fate's Child (Ran)

Date started: July 21, 2001

      When night finally gave way to day, it found Usagi up and in her training clothes.  Steeling herself for the reaction she would get, she opened the door to the room that the rest of the senshi were staying in.  Standing in the middle of the circle of beds, she smiled once before opening her mouth.

      "RISE AND SHINE!"  Her voice was loud enough to wake the senshi, but still quiet enough to not pass the sound proof walls in the room.  Her smile gave way to a smirk as she saw the senshi bolt up in bed, each covering their ears. 

      "Kami..."  Rei's proclamation died as she saw who had done the yelling.  "Usagi?"

      "Yes Rei?" 

      "What are you doing up?"

      "I'm getting you all up for training.  Everyone else should already be downstairs and waiting for us.  I did let you all sleep in and am probably going to get beat for it, but..."  She looked at everyone's amazed faces.  Rei's was the first to strip itself of all emotion.  The rest followed.  Usagi sighed.  'This is not going to be fun.'  "Come on you guys.  You'll find training uniforms in the dresser, all in your size.  I took care of it last night before you all came here.  Breakfast is in five minutes, I suggest you come down and eat a lot.  Today's training will leave you sore and tired."  That said, Usagi turned on her heel and left the room trying not to let her frustration at her friend's attitudes show.    The senshi all looked at the door that their leader had just walked out of and turned to look at each other, each look confirming the other's fear.  This was not the Usagi they knew. 

*     *     *

      Usagi was already done with breakfast and talking with the outers when the inners finally came downstairs.  She just pointed behind her at the table full of food before turning back to her conversation.

      "I know you all have been training with the Z gang for a while, specifically Gohan and Trunks, I was told."  When she received a round of nods, she smiled.  "Now you all get to train with me."

      "What's up with the inners?  Rei seems even more angry with you then she usually is."  Haruka asked, a worried look replacing the smirk on her face as she saw her Princess' face fall. 

      "They're angry with me for keeping this all a secret from them.  Not that I blame them, I mean, I'd be pretty upset if any of you had kept something this big from me.  But I guess it's all for the best until we've finished this battle.  Then I'll try and deal with this problem."

      "Koneko-chan, don't worry.  They'll forgive you.  Just like we did."  At Usagi's questioning glance, Michiru spoke up.

      "Don't think that we weren't angry at you for keeping all this a secret too, Usagi.  Even after Setsuna explained to us why you had to, we stilled felt a little betrayed."

      "But, Usagi-san, we got over it because we realized that you are still the same Usagi that we know and love.  Only you've got a bit more of the Princess inside you then we all first thought."  Usagi smiled at her friends and then turned around to face the rest of her senshi. 

      "Let's go outside now, guys, we have a lot of work to do."  Once everyone was assembled outside, including the Z gang, Usagi levitated slightly in the air to get everyone's attention.  "I want to spend the first two days training in nothing more then how to focus your ki into blasts as well as sparing physically.  I don't want you to mix these until the third day.  On the third day, the first group will go into the room of space and time to train.  For those of you that don't know what that is, a year passes in there for every day that passes here.  That will allow us to have more training time, training that we will all need if we are going to successfully beat Metallia and the androids."  She moved her eyes over the group.  "If anyone wants to back out, I suggest you do it now.  From this moment forward there will be no turning back."  When no one moved, she nodded.  "Everyone move into your groups." 

      Once everyone was in their groups, she walked to each individually, beginning  with her father and Ami. 

      "Dad, I want you to work on martial arts today with Ami.   I know that the discipline in that will help her when it comes time to start the ki blasts and such."

      "You got it, kiddo!"  Her dad gave her a goofy smile that made her realize just how much she had missed him over the last few years. 

      "Thanks dad."  She walked over to Gohan and Makoto next.  "Go-chan, I want you to hone in on Makoto's karate skills and then start working on ki blasts if you think that she's up to it."  When Makoto reached for her pen, Usagi shook her head no.  Holding out her hand, she took the pen from Makoto.  "Senshi, give me your pens."  Grumbling, her senshi did as she ordered.  "We are going to be working on developing you, not your sailor form.  Once you are stronger, so will your sailor form."  She went to all the other groups and gave out more instructions, basically the same as what she had given for Ami and Makoto. Then she walked back to her own group and moved them to a second clearing. 

      The next few hours were spent sparring.  Trunks took on Michiru and Hotaru while Usagi trained hard with Haruka.  Then, they switched until everyone had been worked by Usagi.  She smiled, satisfied with the results.  While they took a break for lunch, she went over to Trunks. 

      "Thanks, buddy, I couldn't have done this without your guys' help."  When he gave the arrogant smirk she was all too familiar with on the face of his father, she threw a small ki blast at him smiling larger when he threw on in return.  The next hour was spent in an intense spar between the two, ending in a tie when they realized they still had to train the outers more. 

*     *     *

      That night's dinner was filled with more groans of pain then Usagi had ever heard before.  Every now and then she would feel one of the inner senshi glaring at her back.  When she turned around, they had stopped.  She gave into the urge to smile a bit more, deciding to ignore Vegita's grumbling about having to train a woman.  Gohan and Trunks kept arguing about something and after dinner, the senshi all immediately went to bed, even the outers, who sensed that their Princess needed some time alone with her friends and family.  They all sat in the living room of the Capsule Corporation. 

      "Usagi, those girls are pitiful excuses for guardians and even more pitiful as fighters."  Piccolo's gruff voice broke the ice. 

      "You have to understand Pico, that they never needed to know how to fight our way before.  Their sailor senshi powers were enough.  Except for a few times, but the crystal took care of that."  This time, she told her story again, only inserting all of the things she had left out while telling it in front of the senshi.  Such as how she felt the first time she couldn't turn SSJ, and the times that she had to sneak off in order to train properly.  At the end, she was greeted with silence. 

      "You should have never had to leave here in the first place, Gi-chan."  Her mother's voice was sad.

      "I had to, mom.  But now I'm back and I hope that I'll be able to stay.  There's something that I didn't tell my senshi.  I think that these two worlds are going to merge eventually.  That is what will form Crystal Tokyo.  And since I've been informed that this is the last major battle before it is born, I think I should be able to stay here."  Her explanation was again met with silence before Vegita left mumbling something about getting some real training done.  The next hour was spent talking about what she missed and then everyone headed off to bed.  Except Trunks and Gohan.  Suddenly, Gohan nudged Trunks and stood up yawning. 

      "Gee, I'm tired.  'Night guys!"  Usagi gave a questioning look at her brother's back and then looked towards her friend who was staring at her with a strange look on his face. 

      "What?"

      "Hm?  Oh, nothing, Usa.  I was just wondering if you were up to going for a walk.  I think I need it after sitting her for so long."

      "Yeah, sure."  They both stood and headed towards the woods, finally stopping in the clearing they had trained in and sat down, looking up at the stars. 

      "I missed you, Usa."

      "Oi, Trunks, I missed you too.  There was always something missing from my time with the senshi in their universe.  I finally figured out that it was you."  Usagi almost slapped herself as she realized what she had said.  It wasn't that she had missed her brother, or family.  She had missed Trunks the most.  A feeling of dread dropped down on the senshi of the moon as she realized something that she had been pushing down for a long time.  She had fallen for her friend from the future.  She stood up and made a move to leave when he grabbed her wrist. 

      "Usagi, there's something I have to tell you, something that Gohan finally convinced me I had to tell you."  He swallowed nervously and Usagi's eyes widened in amazement.  She had never seen Trunks nervous before.

      "Trunks, I-"

      "Usagi, I missed you more then I would have missed a friend.  I think that I'm in love with you.  I think I have been since I came back from the future that second time.  And I think that if you were to die during this fight, or if you had to go back to that other dimension, I would... I would die."  His voice had come out hoarse at the end and she thought she could see a faint blush tinting his cheeks.  All she could do was open and close her mouth like an idiot.  Finally, she just squeaked. 

      "Trunks!"  She hugged him tight around the waist and tried to hide her smile.  "Trunks, I think that I love you too.  I think I have for a long time and that was the reason I couldn't stay with Mamoru.  I didn't feel the way I do around you."  The next moment, their lips touched, causing both to smile mentally.  Usagi rested her head and hand against Trunk's chest while his chin rested on her head.  They stayed like that for the next few hours, finally breaking apart to go to bed, each thinking of the other all night long. 

*** I could end it here, but I want to have the whole thing done in six chapters so.... I won't***

      The next morning, on mutual agreement, they acted like nothing had changed.  Although Gohan kept throwing curious glances their way, they just went about training like they normally did.  On the third day, she brought everyone to Kami's lookout. 

      "Okay guys.  Here's how this is going to go.  Dad and Ami, go in first.  Next, I want Vegita and Rei.  After that, Makoto and Gohan.  I want Minako and Piccolo to go in after that and then the outer senshi.  All of you.  Pluto will meet you there when she had time.  I will go in with you to complete your training and then I'm going to go in with Trunks last to complete my own."  They opened the door.  "Alright, Dad, Ami, see you in a year."  The door closed with a thunk.  Usagi turned to everyone else.  "I want you to all still train, Trunks and I are going to see if we can find something about the androids from Krillin and eighteen.  I'll see you all at the end of the week."  With a small smile, Usagi and Trunks took off. 

      "Are we really going to see Krillin?" Trunks asked when they were half way there.

      "For a little bit.  And then we are going to spend three days alone."  She gave a wicked smile.  "And then a year."  Smiling at the look in her eyes, he added,

      "And then the rest of our lives."  The clasped hands and began to fly at a more leisurely pace.  

*     *     *

      Usagi shook her head to hide the laughter bubbling up in her throat as she left the house of one of her father's best friends.  Trunks took her hand and dragged her a safe distance away from the house before she burst into laughter.  When the tears leaped into her eyes from laughing so hard, Trunks smiled. 

      "Usa, it's not that bad."

      "He," *snicker* "has HAIR!"  And then preceded to fall into helpless laughter again.  Trunks just shook his head, a dumb smile on his face as he watched his girlfriend laugh uncontrollably. 

      "Usagi, I love you."  His face lost all traces of humor and he looked down at her, watching her expression.  She stopped laughing and pulled him down to where she was. 

      "Trunks, I love you with all of my heart.  I," she looked him strait in the eye.  "I never told Mamoru I loved him.  I never told him that he was my everything.  Anytime I said anything like that to him, I was as Princess Serenity.  I, Son Usagi, love you.  And I think that Serenity loves you too... 'cause, well, we're the same person now that my memories are back to the way they were."  Trunks smiled. 

      "So, when do you want to tell everyone else?"

      "If you don't mind, after the battle.  I don't want them worrying about it or doing something stupid like tipping Endymion off.  If he went psycho, he's likely to still think that I'm his."  She grimaced and then noticed that the sun had set.  "We better go back to Kami's lookout and wait the night out.  They come out tomorrow morning."  Trunks kissed Usagi softly after they stood and held her in his arms a minute longer then necessary. 

      "I won't lose you again."  Usagi looked up at the steel determination in his voice.

      "And I refuse to be lost.  Listen Trunks, if you ever change your mind, you know I'm going to have to kill you." 

      "Same goes, Usa."  They joined hands and flew towards the lookout.