Chapter One: Cloaked Memories
Serenity tip toed up the marble hallway and slowly pushed open the door to her daughter's bedroom. She smiled at the sight. Her daughter was sitting at the desk with tears of emotion filling her eyes. She was flipping through a book of old pictures, and she was gazing at this one with stars in her eyes. She pulled it out, folded it in half, and reached over to her pillow, tucking the picture underneath it. She let out a long sigh and closed the book. Serenity tiptoed in and placed a hand on her daughter's shoulder.
"Growing up for you girls has been rather difficult," she said with a gentle smile. Usa nodded solemnly.
"We, lost, a lot of good friends," she whispered, her voice cracking slightly as she spoke. Serenity watched her bite her bottom lip and smiled.
"I have an idea! The girls are going down to Michi's grandfathers farm tomorrow after their lessons. Why don't you join them?"
"Sounds great, I think," she muttered and stood, pushing Serenity's hand off her shoulder. "Good night, mom." Serenity tiptoed out of the room and quietly closed the door. Diana, Artemis, and Luna were standing outside the door. She smiled.
"She's growing up."
"Something was wrong though," Luna stated with a sigh. "That 'mom' was rather sharp, 'ya know." Serenity nodded.
"It's probably about, well, you know," The trio at her feet nodded. Serenity noted the questioning look on Diana's face and she turned on her heel, marching to her bedroom.
Usa woke up early that morning and changed into her riding clothes. She had decided late the previous evening that she would go early and skip her lessons; ignoring how much trouble she would be in with Lady Mercury. She needed some thinking time to figure things out, especially after the day before. The problem was getting out before she got caught. Her eyes fell on the long rope hanging on the doorknob to her bathroom. She smiled. She had used that many times before, especially during her younger years, to sneak out her window. She snatched the rope up and swung the window up. Tying the rope to a small nub on the top of the sill, she swung it out the window and began to slowly climb down.
She reached the stables in no time at all and tiptoed over to Starlight's stall. The white stallion whinnied and pranced its hoof. Usa placed her finger up and pulled two sugar cubes out of her pocket to calm the beautiful creature. She quietly unlatched the stall and allowed him to exit him.
"No point in saddling him up," she thought and carefully snatched his main. She pulled herself onto the stallions back and she silently steered him out into the field. They tramped across the entire field and to the end, towards the open field. She reached down and unhooked it. The two of them tramped out and she smiled as she kicked him into a trot. The wind blew her long pink hair back the slightest bit and she closed her eyes. A tear fell from them and the picture that was lying on her bed made its way into her eyes. Her smile turned to a frown and her eyes popped open, looking like a puddle. She picked up the speed, trying to erase the memories from her mind.
It wasn't long before she came to the Dark Forest. None of the girls were aloud in there. There were terrible stories about the burglars and some of the mystical creatures that roamed the depths of the forest. She rolled her pink eyes and looked over both her shoulders to make sure no one was there. Then, in a quick trot, she made her way into the dense forest.
Usa continued her journey for about an hour before she stopped to turn around.
"Let's go Starlight!" She steered him around. "I, think, it's this way. Or was it that way?" She asked aloud, looking to her right. She gulped. "Or that way? I know it wasn't behind me, I think, oh! Starlight! I'm, lost!" Usa cried in defeat throwing her head back. Suddenly, there was a rustle. She jumped in surprise and her eyes searched the forest. She climbed down from her horse and spun in a circle. She tiptoed over to the bushes and froze, her hands hovering over them. As quickly as she could manage with her shaking hands she yanked apart the bushes. She spun around and froze. She could feel her heart pounding in her chest and she was breathing hard. Usa felt a hot breeze tickle the back of her neck and she spun around, her hair standing on edge. She felt it again, except this time somebody touched her shoulder. She gasped.
"H." Her sound was muffled as a cloth clogged her mouth
"Ooh! That brat is obnoxious!" Raye cried out. "Where could she possibly be?"
"Calm down Raye," Mina responded as she steered Sakura up next to her. "I'm sure she's okay."
"Well just wait until Lady Mercury gets through with her! I can't wait to see the look that she'll have on that face of hers! Ha!" Mina rolled her eyes and sped ahead, leaping over a bail of hay that stood in her way and continued to circle until she caught up with Haru. Raye simply shook her head and looked towards the sky.
Usa struggled to get free of the chains that were binding her to the wall of the cottage. The gag had been removed, as well as her boots and helmet.
"Damn it all! Let me go now!" She shouted as loud as she could. The caped figure cackled.
"Don't worry sweet thing. You're going, straight to the depths of hell!" She cackled and then shook her head. "I don't even know if you're worth the bother. Now, hand over the Moon Prism."
"No! You can forget it! The Moon Prism has been entrusted upon me by the Queen, my mother," She froze, suddenly realizing her mistake. The first thing she had learned in life was to never let her position slip out to a stranger. She squeezed her eyes shut and another tear escaped her eye. "Let me go!"
"Forget it!" The woman cackled.
"I demand to know who you are!" Usa shouted, leveling her eyes with what at least looked like the woman's eyes under the cloak.
"You know me," she said flatly, pulling out a knife. Usa gulped and squeezed her eyes shut. This was it. The end was here.
"She's been gone far to long!" Amy finally cried. "Do you think I could find her position on my mini computer?"
"It's worth a shot," Hotaru groaned. Amy pulled up the computer and slowly began to scan. After a few moments, her lips flipped up into a smile.
"Senshi, follow me."
The knife slowly gained ground on Usa's throat as she desperately struggled to get free.
"Good by, Sailor Moon!" The woman cried. Usa squeezed her eyes shot, waiting for the blow, but all she heard was a bang and the sound of breaking glass. Her eyes popped open as she felt herself suddenly drop to the floor. She leapt to her feet and rubbed her behind. She looked up and gasped. Another caped figure was standing there.
"What the heck is going on?" She asked aloud. "Whose really on my side?"
"I am," the second caped figure said. "Now are you going to transform or make my little heroic rescue go to waste?" Usa couldn't help but smile. She reached into her pocket and reached for her prism. She held it to the sky.
"Moon Prism Power, ouch!" The prism was knocked from her hand and it flew across the room. She spun around and tried to make a dive for it, but she was thrown to the side and she it the wall with a hard thud. A small line of blood trickled down her now throbbing cheek. The first caped figure dove for it. Suddenly, a flash of lightning struck her hands and she jumped back in shock.
"Sailor Neo Jupiter!" Usa cried out as the group entered the cabin. "Sol Senshi!" Neo Uranus dove forward and snatched the prism. She tossed it towards Usa.
"Now! Finish her!" Usa nodded and smiled, once more holding it to the sky.
"Moon Prism Power, make up!" She couldn't help but smile as the familiar force of the moons energy ran through her every limb, sending a gentle shiver up her spine. She posed and held her Neo Moon Scepter out in front of her.
"You're through! Neo Moon Twilight Strike!" A beam of yellow light shot out towards the creature, but the figure was to swift. It dodged the attack and dove at Sailor Neo Moon. The scepter flew from her hand as she hit the floor. The caped figure yanked out the knife and was about to slash, but Neo Moon grabbed her wrist and began wrestling her back.
"Stop it!" She cried. Neo Mercury rolled her eyes.
"Venus Love and Beauty Shock!" The vibrating attack struck the creature in the back and the knife dropped from her hand. Neo Moon gasped as it scraped the side of her throat, leaving a small trickle of blood behind. However, she pulled her feet up and kicked the creature off. She snatched her scepter up and stood.
"Neo Moon Twilight Strike!" The attacked plummeted in her direction and struck the creatures body. The woman cried out in agony and in moments was disintegrated. Sailor Neo Moon collapsed.
"Is Starlight nearby?" Neo Mars asked. She shook her head.
"I don't even know how to get out!"
"I'll guide you." The girls all looked up at the second caped figure.
"Give us two good reasons we should trust you!" Neo Neptune cried out, leaping out in front of Neo Moon, but Neo Moon pushed her aside.
"I trust him. Lead the way."
Sure enough, they reached the field in no time at all. The caped figure turned to leave, but Neo Moon snatched his wrist. His head shot in her direction.
"Who are you?" She asked him. The caped figure, obviously a male, let out a long sigh. He yanked his wrist from her grasp and cleared his throat. With a sigh, he reached inside his cloak and pulled something out. He placed it in her hand and closed it, then turned and left.
"You'll find out soon enough." The girls de-transformed.
"What is it?" Michi asked. Usa shrugged.
"Beats me!"
"Well, let's have a look!" Raye poked. Usa held out her hand for all to see and they gasped.
"Wow! Love at first sight!" Mina sighed. "You're so lucky!" Usa shrugged.
"I don't know about that!" She sighed, and immediately began to walk towards home.
"Every year she gets a little weirder," Mako sighed.
Before she went to bed that night, Usa placed the ring on her dresser and pulled the picture out from under her pillow. She looked at the picture. The picture was of her two years ago with a blonde haired boy holding her against his chest. Both of them were smiling, and Mako was in the picture, making faces at them. She smiled gently and lay down on her bed as the boys familiar words raced through her head,
"I love you, and I always will. Maybe you can't see me now. I can't stay, but there won't be a day that I don't think of you. I promise I will come back one day. Please, just don't give up on me, ever." The sweet words had ended with her first kiss: his bottom lip gently brushing her top lip.
She had almost given up but maybe now, just maybe, there really was a still tiny ray of hope that everything would truly turn out okay.
TO BE CONTINUED.
Copyrighted 2002 TO SaturnGirl2oo2
Serenity tip toed up the marble hallway and slowly pushed open the door to her daughter's bedroom. She smiled at the sight. Her daughter was sitting at the desk with tears of emotion filling her eyes. She was flipping through a book of old pictures, and she was gazing at this one with stars in her eyes. She pulled it out, folded it in half, and reached over to her pillow, tucking the picture underneath it. She let out a long sigh and closed the book. Serenity tiptoed in and placed a hand on her daughter's shoulder.
"Growing up for you girls has been rather difficult," she said with a gentle smile. Usa nodded solemnly.
"We, lost, a lot of good friends," she whispered, her voice cracking slightly as she spoke. Serenity watched her bite her bottom lip and smiled.
"I have an idea! The girls are going down to Michi's grandfathers farm tomorrow after their lessons. Why don't you join them?"
"Sounds great, I think," she muttered and stood, pushing Serenity's hand off her shoulder. "Good night, mom." Serenity tiptoed out of the room and quietly closed the door. Diana, Artemis, and Luna were standing outside the door. She smiled.
"She's growing up."
"Something was wrong though," Luna stated with a sigh. "That 'mom' was rather sharp, 'ya know." Serenity nodded.
"It's probably about, well, you know," The trio at her feet nodded. Serenity noted the questioning look on Diana's face and she turned on her heel, marching to her bedroom.
Usa woke up early that morning and changed into her riding clothes. She had decided late the previous evening that she would go early and skip her lessons; ignoring how much trouble she would be in with Lady Mercury. She needed some thinking time to figure things out, especially after the day before. The problem was getting out before she got caught. Her eyes fell on the long rope hanging on the doorknob to her bathroom. She smiled. She had used that many times before, especially during her younger years, to sneak out her window. She snatched the rope up and swung the window up. Tying the rope to a small nub on the top of the sill, she swung it out the window and began to slowly climb down.
She reached the stables in no time at all and tiptoed over to Starlight's stall. The white stallion whinnied and pranced its hoof. Usa placed her finger up and pulled two sugar cubes out of her pocket to calm the beautiful creature. She quietly unlatched the stall and allowed him to exit him.
"No point in saddling him up," she thought and carefully snatched his main. She pulled herself onto the stallions back and she silently steered him out into the field. They tramped across the entire field and to the end, towards the open field. She reached down and unhooked it. The two of them tramped out and she smiled as she kicked him into a trot. The wind blew her long pink hair back the slightest bit and she closed her eyes. A tear fell from them and the picture that was lying on her bed made its way into her eyes. Her smile turned to a frown and her eyes popped open, looking like a puddle. She picked up the speed, trying to erase the memories from her mind.
It wasn't long before she came to the Dark Forest. None of the girls were aloud in there. There were terrible stories about the burglars and some of the mystical creatures that roamed the depths of the forest. She rolled her pink eyes and looked over both her shoulders to make sure no one was there. Then, in a quick trot, she made her way into the dense forest.
Usa continued her journey for about an hour before she stopped to turn around.
"Let's go Starlight!" She steered him around. "I, think, it's this way. Or was it that way?" She asked aloud, looking to her right. She gulped. "Or that way? I know it wasn't behind me, I think, oh! Starlight! I'm, lost!" Usa cried in defeat throwing her head back. Suddenly, there was a rustle. She jumped in surprise and her eyes searched the forest. She climbed down from her horse and spun in a circle. She tiptoed over to the bushes and froze, her hands hovering over them. As quickly as she could manage with her shaking hands she yanked apart the bushes. She spun around and froze. She could feel her heart pounding in her chest and she was breathing hard. Usa felt a hot breeze tickle the back of her neck and she spun around, her hair standing on edge. She felt it again, except this time somebody touched her shoulder. She gasped.
"H." Her sound was muffled as a cloth clogged her mouth
"Ooh! That brat is obnoxious!" Raye cried out. "Where could she possibly be?"
"Calm down Raye," Mina responded as she steered Sakura up next to her. "I'm sure she's okay."
"Well just wait until Lady Mercury gets through with her! I can't wait to see the look that she'll have on that face of hers! Ha!" Mina rolled her eyes and sped ahead, leaping over a bail of hay that stood in her way and continued to circle until she caught up with Haru. Raye simply shook her head and looked towards the sky.
Usa struggled to get free of the chains that were binding her to the wall of the cottage. The gag had been removed, as well as her boots and helmet.
"Damn it all! Let me go now!" She shouted as loud as she could. The caped figure cackled.
"Don't worry sweet thing. You're going, straight to the depths of hell!" She cackled and then shook her head. "I don't even know if you're worth the bother. Now, hand over the Moon Prism."
"No! You can forget it! The Moon Prism has been entrusted upon me by the Queen, my mother," She froze, suddenly realizing her mistake. The first thing she had learned in life was to never let her position slip out to a stranger. She squeezed her eyes shut and another tear escaped her eye. "Let me go!"
"Forget it!" The woman cackled.
"I demand to know who you are!" Usa shouted, leveling her eyes with what at least looked like the woman's eyes under the cloak.
"You know me," she said flatly, pulling out a knife. Usa gulped and squeezed her eyes shut. This was it. The end was here.
"She's been gone far to long!" Amy finally cried. "Do you think I could find her position on my mini computer?"
"It's worth a shot," Hotaru groaned. Amy pulled up the computer and slowly began to scan. After a few moments, her lips flipped up into a smile.
"Senshi, follow me."
The knife slowly gained ground on Usa's throat as she desperately struggled to get free.
"Good by, Sailor Moon!" The woman cried. Usa squeezed her eyes shot, waiting for the blow, but all she heard was a bang and the sound of breaking glass. Her eyes popped open as she felt herself suddenly drop to the floor. She leapt to her feet and rubbed her behind. She looked up and gasped. Another caped figure was standing there.
"What the heck is going on?" She asked aloud. "Whose really on my side?"
"I am," the second caped figure said. "Now are you going to transform or make my little heroic rescue go to waste?" Usa couldn't help but smile. She reached into her pocket and reached for her prism. She held it to the sky.
"Moon Prism Power, ouch!" The prism was knocked from her hand and it flew across the room. She spun around and tried to make a dive for it, but she was thrown to the side and she it the wall with a hard thud. A small line of blood trickled down her now throbbing cheek. The first caped figure dove for it. Suddenly, a flash of lightning struck her hands and she jumped back in shock.
"Sailor Neo Jupiter!" Usa cried out as the group entered the cabin. "Sol Senshi!" Neo Uranus dove forward and snatched the prism. She tossed it towards Usa.
"Now! Finish her!" Usa nodded and smiled, once more holding it to the sky.
"Moon Prism Power, make up!" She couldn't help but smile as the familiar force of the moons energy ran through her every limb, sending a gentle shiver up her spine. She posed and held her Neo Moon Scepter out in front of her.
"You're through! Neo Moon Twilight Strike!" A beam of yellow light shot out towards the creature, but the figure was to swift. It dodged the attack and dove at Sailor Neo Moon. The scepter flew from her hand as she hit the floor. The caped figure yanked out the knife and was about to slash, but Neo Moon grabbed her wrist and began wrestling her back.
"Stop it!" She cried. Neo Mercury rolled her eyes.
"Venus Love and Beauty Shock!" The vibrating attack struck the creature in the back and the knife dropped from her hand. Neo Moon gasped as it scraped the side of her throat, leaving a small trickle of blood behind. However, she pulled her feet up and kicked the creature off. She snatched her scepter up and stood.
"Neo Moon Twilight Strike!" The attacked plummeted in her direction and struck the creatures body. The woman cried out in agony and in moments was disintegrated. Sailor Neo Moon collapsed.
"Is Starlight nearby?" Neo Mars asked. She shook her head.
"I don't even know how to get out!"
"I'll guide you." The girls all looked up at the second caped figure.
"Give us two good reasons we should trust you!" Neo Neptune cried out, leaping out in front of Neo Moon, but Neo Moon pushed her aside.
"I trust him. Lead the way."
Sure enough, they reached the field in no time at all. The caped figure turned to leave, but Neo Moon snatched his wrist. His head shot in her direction.
"Who are you?" She asked him. The caped figure, obviously a male, let out a long sigh. He yanked his wrist from her grasp and cleared his throat. With a sigh, he reached inside his cloak and pulled something out. He placed it in her hand and closed it, then turned and left.
"You'll find out soon enough." The girls de-transformed.
"What is it?" Michi asked. Usa shrugged.
"Beats me!"
"Well, let's have a look!" Raye poked. Usa held out her hand for all to see and they gasped.
"Wow! Love at first sight!" Mina sighed. "You're so lucky!" Usa shrugged.
"I don't know about that!" She sighed, and immediately began to walk towards home.
"Every year she gets a little weirder," Mako sighed.
Before she went to bed that night, Usa placed the ring on her dresser and pulled the picture out from under her pillow. She looked at the picture. The picture was of her two years ago with a blonde haired boy holding her against his chest. Both of them were smiling, and Mako was in the picture, making faces at them. She smiled gently and lay down on her bed as the boys familiar words raced through her head,
"I love you, and I always will. Maybe you can't see me now. I can't stay, but there won't be a day that I don't think of you. I promise I will come back one day. Please, just don't give up on me, ever." The sweet words had ended with her first kiss: his bottom lip gently brushing her top lip.
She had almost given up but maybe now, just maybe, there really was a still tiny ray of hope that everything would truly turn out okay.
TO BE CONTINUED.
Copyrighted 2002 TO SaturnGirl2oo2
