Chapter 18

When all the girls left the cemetary they didn't know what was going on beneath the ground they walked on. Usagi had been dressed in a fading white dress. Her skin sunken in. She had died 3 months ago. The flowers that the girls and Mamoru gave her should have died by now but they hadn't. They were blessed by eternal life to prove that casket could not die.

Usagi's lifeless body suddenly rose. Her eyes stapped open. She took in a deep breath of air. She tried to sit up but her head hit the casket celing. Usagi was in a panic. She did not know where she was. What she was doing there and how long she was in there. Clawing at the casket's celing she only managed to tear away the cloth. A bright light shown with in her.

Blasting the casket's celing, it made a cirlce big enough for her to get out. She started digging with all of her strength to get out of the ground. She finally reached the topside. Gasping she stopped there. Trying to get her lungs to start breathing again. Finally getting the strength to pull herself out of the ground she climbed out.

Usagi stood up on unsure legs. She tumbled to the ground again. Crawling to the head stone she read her name. She would have screamed, but her death was nearly nothing to her. She grabbed the head stone and helped to stand herself up. Standing she waited until her strength returned. Slowly she started towards the one place she knew she could go.

She walked, looking around the town seemed no different at night. She kept walking though. So no one had needed her. She walked and walked. She stumbled along the way quite a few times, and had fallen over even more. Stopping at a bench she sat down to rest her tired legs.

She had sat there for minutes. Each second she was in this world it hurt and it felt like hours on end. Soon a group of girls came her way. It was smaller than the original. None of them spoke. They all knew the concicuences of their actions. They couldn't bring their friend back. One of the girls looked up to see Usagi sitting on the bench.

Rei stopped walking when she felt a fimilar presence. Looking up she saw Usagi sitting on the bench. At first she thought it was Usagi's spirit, to tell them to stop, everything was going to be ok. But after a few seconds she knew that was not true. If it had been the spirit Rei would have been beyond angry. The other girls had stopped to look at Rei. When she started running towards a lone figure on a bench.

Rei took off running towards Usagi. She was about to berrile into Usagi and give her a hug when Usagi stumbled back and away from her. Rei was hurt. But then she realized what Usagi could have gone through.

The other girls ran up to them. Upon seeing Usagi they were going to give her a hug when Rei stopped them. "Think about it. She may not recognize us right away! She's been dead for 3 months. She had to dig her way out of her own grave, can you imagine the trama she might be in?" Rei told them. "I should have known it was to good to be true."

Hotaru being the less frightning of the group walked up to Usagi stopping when Usagi was pulling away. "Usa-chan, do you recognize me?" Usagi just stared. "I'm going to touch you. Ok?" Hotaru reached forward. Usagi didn't make any move to move away. Hotaru was about to touch her hand when Usagi stood up and ran over to where Ami was.

Ami was surprised. Usagi picked her. Usagi nealt down at Ami's feet. She wasn't sure what Usagi was going to do. Usagi stood back up with something in her arms. "Luna." Usagi whispered while barring her face in the soft fur of the cat.

The girls were all angry. Not with Usagi, how could she have know? But with Luna. She wasn't there for the ritual, and the battle that Usagi died in. And Luna didn't show to many emotions when Usagi had died.

How did Luna get there anyway? The girls didn't have time to contemplate that question because Usagi took off running with Luna. She entered an ally. Luna changed back to her human form and took Usagi into her arms. They were both crying. "Oh, Usa-chan, I'm so sorry! The girls will tell you that I was a stiff and I didn't care that you died. But I did! I just didn't show it around them. I was secretly hoping you would come back to us. So when I felt your energy again I had to come at once. My dear, dear child. How did this ever happen?"

"I don't know!" Usagi cried out. "I woke up in my grave. The girls didn't seem as surprised to see me as you did!" Usagi cried into the woman's arms. The woman who was always there for her no matter what the senshi thought.

"Come, let's get going, artemis has been a mess since we've lost you. He blames himself for not being a better guardian." Luna started pulling Usagi away.

Usagi pulled back a bit. "The crystal, Luna?"

"Left when you died. I thought that was the end. The crystal leaves when it can't bring you back to life. It should return to you shortly. It left to find somebody of your blood line or as sutible to rule it as you, none of your ancestors. But since your back it'll come back. Now lets get you out of the cold and into some clean clothes."

Usagi nodded and let Luna transport them to her apartment. Luna sent her into the bathroom to take a shower and get cleaned up. Afterwards she exited to find an outfit set out for her to wear. Usagi dressed and went outside and sat down next to Luna. Usagi curled up in a little ball with her head on Luna's lap and fell asleep. Luna placed a comfortable over her. Shortly afterwards Artemis came through the doors. Freezing in place when he saw the princess. "Luna? Is it true? I thought I felt her pressence, but I couldn't believe it. Is she actually here?"

"She's actually here." Luna answered.

"She must be dreadfully cold. Let me place her into the guest bed room and you can make some hot coca for when she wakes up." Artemis was about to pick her up when Luna stopped him.

"NO! No, no. Please don't you should have seen her when I found her. She was terribly frightened. She couldn't compensate anything. She woke up in her grave. The senshi preformed the senue. I don't want her to wake up again all alone. It would tear my heart out to see her frightened like that again."

"Ok, I'll go make the coca, then bring in another comfortable. Should I call the senshi?" Artemis asked.

"No, they were all there, I'm sure of it. By now they all know she's alive." Luna told him.

"What about Mamoru? He deserves to know at least." Artemis informed her.

"Yes, but not now, let him sleep, he'll realieze she's back tomorrow when he wakes up."

"How do you know he's asleep?" Artemis asked.

"If he wasn't he'd be here by now." Artemis sighed his silent agreement and went to do his chores. Finishing them all he grabbed 3 blankets. One for him and Luna, one for Usagi, and one more in case any of them got cold.

Luna and Artemis soon fell asleep.

Well I'm done for now. Next time, you'll find out where Usagi went. And maybe were she REALLY went. I know it's alonger chapter, but I think the beginning is kind of cool.