Chapter Eight
Ryo woke from a dream unlike anything he'd experienced – he'd been on the moon during the Silver Millennium. The flood of memories of being Princess Mercury's trusted knight hit him in a deluge from a broken dam. He remembered being tasked with protecting her enroute to the Moon Kingdom. He remembered watching with envy as Prince-General Zoisite won Ami's favor. Like the other prince-generals, Zoisite betrayed his one-time beloved princess, corrupted by the power of Queen Beryl.
Ryo blinked, back in present time. As Ami frantically spoke to Rei, deja vu hit him: last minute confessions of love, a desperate last stand in a grand hallway, and being corrupted by Queen Beryl with the murderous Bumbo. "We're on our way!" Ami exclaimed to her wrist communicator. "Ryo!" She grasped his wrist and he was floating in the voice between worlds, between time. "Ryo!" Ami again shouted as they passed through the nothingness of time and space. "Hi, Ryo," they were both teenagers again, in modern times, meeting for the first time.
"Ryo!" Ryo found himself sprawled out with Ami over top of him, tapping his cheek. "Ryo, honey, don't do this! Not now!"
He blinked. Couldn't have been but a few minutes. "Ami?"
"You were seizing," she performed a cursory check of him as spoke, "The dark energy is spiking, and the weather is turning worse!"
Ryo closed his eyes and sensed the world around him: snow was falling in tropical Singapore and the Amazon Basin. Rivers and inland seas that hadn't frozen in millennia were turning to ice. "We don't have long, I'd guess less than twenty-four hours!"
Ami leaped from the bed and ran for her overnight bag. "I need to stop by my apartment really quick!" She extracted a black, lacy ensemble that hadn't been worn nights previously and began slipping on the undergarments. Head out of the gutter, now is not the time to pop a boner! Ryo ran for his own closet, realizing this would be the last time he'd be here. He got dressed and opened a small keepsake box. He rifled through the contents: his class ring, the button to his school uniform he never had a chance to give away, and finally, two photos of Ami. One was an unflattering candid shot Usagi had taken of Ami eating a hamburger, the other was a more appropriate formal picture of Ami she'd gifted him at age fourteen – his first photos of her. He slid the photos into his wallet as he finished getting dressed.
Ami dressed in as best she could in the outfit she'd left here from two days prior. "You may want to pack a change of outfit," she said. Ryo nodded and snatched his own bag and threw in a few essentials. Before they left, he loaned Ami a coat, despite it being considerably too large for her.
By the time they got to the garage, the air was outright frigid. He fired up the engine and they took off. The streets of Tokyo were coated with snow, but thankfully it was being cleared. However, the howling winds forced him to make minor corrections with the steering wheel as he approached Ami's apartment building. "Here," she handed him a keyfob, "I never drove, but I still have a space reserved."
Ryo pulled around the garage, swiped the keyfob, and drove them inside to the empty parking spot. They walked in silence back to Ami's apartment. Once inside, Ami haphazardly dumped most of her overnight bag, stripped out of her existing outfit, redressed in a fresh outfit, and packed essentials she might need for the next day. As she came out of her room, she moved to the kitchen, opened the cupboard, and packed the bottle of wine she and Ryo had opened a few nights earlier. "Planning a last hurrah?" Ryo asked, trying to make the mood less somber.
"We all can finish it tonight," she replied, zipping the bag closed. Tears were gathering at the edges of her eyes. "I don't want to wait and see how it ages over a thousand years…" tears finally began spilling.
"Hey," Ryo wrapped his arms around her. "It's going to be okay, Ami!"
"Dammit, it's not okay, and it won't be!" Ami sobbed into his chest.
"Ami, we can't save everyone and everything; that makes it important to save what we can save for the future," Ryo's voice became more of an echo to him as he spoke. He could tell he spoke the words, but they were coming from someplace long ago.
"You were there so long ago, the last time this all fell apart!" She shook, "My trusted knight who held me after Zoisite fell and betrayed us!"
"I remember now," he wiped away her tears.
"I lost you then, and I'm losing you again!"
"Ami, there is no Queen Beryl this time," he protested, "no Negaverse, no one targeting people this time! Your survival and the survival of Usagi is what matters this time!"
"I can't lose you again!"
"You won't," he shook his head. "We're going to the shrine, and we'll figure out whatever magic you girls have been working on!" Ryo was trying to reassure himself as much as her now. After all they'd shared in a few days, after just learning how much they'd shared without knowing, the thought of dying was hateful. "But we have to go now if we're going to make this work!"
Ami stared at him, childlike in wonder, "Okay," she nodded. She grabbed her bag, and they left.
Usagi knew things were going to get bad after the concert last night, but she hadn't expected things to turn so suddenly. Snowstorms had almost paralyzed Tokyo, and the TV this morning have been alive with talk of bizarre weather the world over: Snow accumulation in Miami and Orlando, Florida, ice forming on the surface of Lake Victoria in Africa, and the Panama and Suez Canals were becoming impassible due to ice flows forming.
Her blood chilled as reports began coming in of whole communities at extreme latitudes suddenly having reports of mass fainting and whole communities losing communication with the rest of the world. She picked up the phone and called Rei, "Rei, we're out of time, have you seen the news?"
"Yes, it's bad!" she replied via a staticky connection.
"Call Ami and Minako; I'll call Makoto and Shingo."
"On it!" the connection ended.
Usagi pulled out her communicator and called Makoto, "Jupiter, you there?"
"Reading you loud and clear," Makoto replied, sounding slightly winded.
"Looks like our timing was a bit off," Usagi said.
"Shit happens, I'll be at the shrine in twenty minutes! I gotta lock down this wine cellar before I leave!"
"Wine, seriously?" Usagi managed a laugh.
"Hey, this stuff will be priceless if it keeps! I'll see you at the shrine!"
"See you there," Usagi ended the conversation and again pulled out her cellphone. As she dialed Shingo's number, she noticed her phone suddenly said, NO SERVICE. "Mamoru!" she called out to the bedroom.
"Yeah!" he heaved as he finished checking their bags for the night.
"Try calling Shingo on your phone, mine has no service!"
After a brief pause, he said the words she feared, "Dammit, I've no service, either!"
Usagi ran for the landline and dialed frantically. While she still had dial tone, the automated system informed her in a nasal, electronic tone that the number she had dialed was not available. "Shit!"
"Honey, we'll try again after we get to the shrine," he carried their bags up to the entryway of the apartment. "The phones could be down for any number of reasons."
Usagi wished she was the naïve fourteen-year-old she'd been when she first turned into Sailor Moon. Mamoru meant well, but this was bad. The plan had been to ask Shingo to meet them at the shrine this morning and explain everything. Now, she couldn't even reach him via phone. "We'll get him on the way to the shrine."
"Usagi, he's out of the way. I'll drop you off with the others, and go to pick him up," he said as he walked up to her.
"Are you sure?"
"Usagi, you and the girls need all the time you can get to practice; leave it to me!"
"Mamoru!" She wrapped her arms around him as she'd done many times on the eve of major battles in the past. Today, they knew they weren't going to win; they were merely hoping to minimize what they'd lose in the process.
"I'll be there and back before you know it; now, let's go!" He kissed her forehead and they took off.
Ami wasted no time once they got to the temple; she and Rei transformed while Ryo stored their overnight bags in a room set aside for their stay. Minako arrived not long afterwards, and soon Makoto and Usagi arrived. As Usagi exited Mamoru's car, she took off her wrist communicator and handed it to him. A quick brush of lips, and he was off.
"What's with Mamoru?" Makoto asked first.
"We had no cellphone service," Usagi shook her head, "and I couldn't reach Shingo on the landline either."
"Ladies," Rei spoke sharply, "I'm sure they'll both be fine, but we have to focus if we're going to get this to work!" A cold gust of air cut to the bone, and Ami suddenly wished they'd invested in cold weather Sailor Guardian gear. Short skirts make great for high kicks but seriously are terrible for these occasions!
"Ladies, er… Sailor Guardians…" Yuichiro spoke as he arrived, "does anyone need me to take anything into the shrine?"
"Please," Minako and Makoto offered their bags.
"I'll help," Ryo took Usagi's and Mamoru's bags, "and I don't suppose we have anything resembling coffee or tea we can heat up for them? I get the feeling we'll need it before long!"
"This way," Yuichiro gestured, and the two men left the girls in the courtyard.
"Moon Crisis Power!"
"Jupiter Crystal Power!"
"Venus Crystal Power!"
"MAKE UP!" Usagi, Makoto, and Minako all transformed in a dazzle of light.
"Okay," Ami said, "where do we start?"
"Let's pick up where we did last time," Usagi said, "We seemed to have the preliminary version down.
"Right," the girls stretched out arms, and interlocked their hands. Ami began concentrating, focusing her energy, remembering that Ryo, Yuichiro, and Shingo's lives were all at stake. Soon, Venus joined in, then Mars, then Jupiter. Usagi's form began to shift from Sailor Moon to Princess Serenity, and the Silver Moon Crystal morphed from its spherical shape into that of a lotus-like flower. "Silver Crystal Protection Power!" Usagi called out, and the five different streams of power swirled together until they formed an ethereal lattice of translucent quartz.
"It worked!" Rei shouted.
"My god," Ami broke from the circle to tap the crystal capsule. It was solid.
"Whew," Usagi wiped sweat from her brow. "That was more taxing than I expected."
Makoto spoke up, "Ladies, I hate to say it, but we're only half done…" her tone was somber.
"We still have to test it on someone living," Minako said.
"Should we wait for Mamoru and Shingo?" Usagi asked.
"No," Ami added with desperation, "The sooner we work out the kinks the better!" If we can field test it now, we can be reasonably sure if it works long term or not!"
"Then its Ryo or Yuichiro," Rei said.
"Or both," Minako added, "if it works, no sense in leaving them out to the elements any longer than necessary!"
Ami felt the weight of the decision on her shoulders, "Yuichiro goes first," Rei said before Ami could speak. They exchanged glances, "He already volunteered when I told him a few days ago."
"Well, that settles it," Usagi said.
"I'll go get the boys," Rei said.
The drive to Shingo's apartment nearly broke Mamoru's arms as he struggled to maintain control of the car against howling winds and slick patches of snow and ice. Road service crews were fighting a losing battle to keep the roads clean. He pressed the button on the hands-free function on his steering wheel and tried one last time for argument's sake, "Call Shingo Tsukino!"
"Unable to dial out," The feminine voice called out via the car's speakers. Dammit! He doesn't even know I'm coming! What if he doesn't answer when I get there? What if he isn't there? How much time do we really have left? Worried thoughts swirled Mamoru's head as he fought the road and fatigue to keep on the road and in the proper lane.
Despite having the heater going, Mamoru was keenly away that his body was chilled to the bone. Having had a few youma drain his energy over the years, he recognized the insidious sensation. Can't linger long. Kick in the door if need be, but just get there!
Mamoru arrived in the loading/unloading zone in front of the building, set his emergency flashers, hopped out of the car, and pressed the call button to Shingo's apartment. "Hello?" Usagi's brother thankfully answered.
"Shingo! It's Mamoru!"
"Mamoru? What the heck are you doing here? Did Usagi and you fight or something?"
Mamoru smacked the reply button hard enough to warp the key,"Dammit, listen to me, I need you to come down right now! Usagi needs you!"
"Dude, you do realize it's a blizzard out!" Shingo complained.
"It's a matter of life or death, kid!" Mamoru boomed, "I'm not being fanciful!"
"Okay, jeez!" It was probably only a few minutes, but it could have been hours between the cold and feeling his energy slowly bleeding off, but Usagi's sleepy-eyed brother arrived at the door. "So, where is Usagi?"
Mamoru ran to the car, opened the passenger door, and shouted, "Get in!" as he ran around and got in, himself. He'd barely registered gravity and his ass in the seat as the seatbelt clicked home.
Shingo did fasten up as Mamoru put the car in gear and turned them on the course back toward the shrine. Snow was now falling in thick tuffs, and visibility was near-whiteout. In spite of the limited field of vision, Mamoru pushed the car as much as he dared. "So, what the hell is going on, Mamoru? Where is my sister! Why the hell are you dragging me out in the worst blizzard this early in the season?"
"The truth?" Mamoru grit his teeth as he struggled to keep them on the road.
"That would be nice!" he demanded.
What the hell, who cares where he learns it now? "Listen, the truth is… you sister is Sailor Moon!"
"HA!" Shingo laughed, "Now how about you try telling me again; this time without talking out of your ass, Mamoru!"
"I just did," he grinned as he turned a corner, feeling the tires skid. Mamoru turned into the fishtailing motion to correct for the loss of traction.
"Right?" Shingo said skeptically, as he death-gripped his seat. "And where the hell are we going so fast? You'd swear the world is ending!"
"It is!" Mamoru felt the car grip the road again and put on as much speed as felt safe, which wasn't much.
"Mamoru…" Shingo hesitated, "… you're being damn serious!"
"Why do you think your sister sent me to get you?!" he said through gritted teeth. "She's been Sailor Moon since she was fourteen. Did you ever notice that none of the girls were ever around during a youma attack?"
Shingo stared, not knowing how to react. "You're kidding… a meatball head like my sister!"
"Yes," Mamoru grinned as the road became slick again, "A meatball head like your sister is the guardian of Earth." As he spoke the words, the car skidded, and they were jerked around from the impact.
Ryo stood back as the girls formed a ring around Yuichiro. This is it, if they don't get it right, or if it doesn't work. He shivered against the cold as the air turned more and more crisp.
"Rei," the other man spoke, "in case I don't get a chance to tell you…"
"Enough," Rei put a hand over his mouth as she stepped forward. "Tell me when I see you in the future!" Rei planted her lips on his and Yuichiro's cheeks burned red. "Ready?" she asked as she took her place in the circle.
"Ready!" he said, laying down on the snow-covered ground.
The girls again focused their power one at a time. "Silver Crystal Protection Power!" Usagi completed the ritual by again summoning the crystal around Yuichiro. A bright flash, and Yuichiro was encased fully. "Silver Crystal, hibernation!" Usagi called out with another bright flash. Yuichiro was frozen statue still, asleep like the legendary Snow White in a glass coffin.
"Did… did it work!" Rei demanded.
"Yes," Ami said as she stood over Yuichiro and scanned with her computer and visor. He's in stable suspended animation, and his energy levels are steady.
Rei placed a gloved hand over the crystal coffin. "Sleep well," she choked, "I love you, you big oaf!" Tears stained Rei's cheeks pink as she cried.
"All right," Ami dispersed her visor, "It's your turn, Ryo." Ami turned to stare at him. "The sooner we get you bundled up, the sooner I can breathe!"
BEEP! BEEP! BEEP! The girls' wrist communicators began going off. "Mamoru!" Makoto called out.
"Makoto, we skidded out and the car is a wreck!"
"Are you two okay!" Usagi snatched Makoto by the wrist, and called into her communicator.
"Yes, but we're a good three kilometers away and not able to make it!" Mamoru called out.
Chills crossed Ryo's spine. He could keep his mouth shut and be safe and sound. Like you could live with yourself if something goes wrong? "Mamoru," he walked into the huddle, "where are you two?"
"About three kilometers up the main highway to the shrine, but I don't have an exact position."
"Do you still have your phone with you?" Ryo asked.
"It's not going to work!"
"Go into your GPS, it should still be reading even if the cell towers are down!"
There was a pause, but Mamoru called out, "I'll be damned!"
"Send the map coordinates; I'll come get you two!" he reached for his keys. Mamoru read them out and Ryo punched them into his phone.
"I'm going with!" Ami said with her eyes growing wide. "You'll need someone to navigate while you drive!"
"Ami, if we don't make it back…"
"Ryo, if Mamoru and Shingo don't make it back, it's a moot point," Usagi cut him off, "Take your girl and go!"
"Whatever you decide, hurry!" Mamoru called frantic. Shingo and I are feeling our energy draining; I don't know how much time we have!"
"Come on!" Ryo took Ami by the hand and they ran to the car. The engine thankfully fired up on the first attempt and they took off.
Ami watched the GPS display, calling out turns as needed. It couldn't have been but fifteen or twenty minutes, but it felt like a lifetime as time dilated. He shouldn't be here! I should have taken one of the other girls instead! "Slow down, they should be up again," she said. Ami turned to look at Ryo, visibly shivering despite the heat being full blast. Being a Sailor Guardian was some protection against being drained of energy, but she didn't want to take chances lingering.
The headlights illuminated the black mass of Mamoru's now wrecked car. He had skidded out and struck a concrete pole, and the engine was spewing steam and white smoke. As she and Ryo exit and ran to the other car, the wind hit Ami and nearly froze her in her tracks. "Come on, honey!" Ryo took off his jacket and threw it over her shoulders as he pressed her forward.
"Ryo, you'll freeze!" she protested
"You'll freeze faster," he knocked on the window of Mamoru's car, "seriously, I love the short skirt, but you girls need to invest in something with leggings and long sleeves!" he laughed.
Despite the gravity of things, Ami laughed, too. Only you could make me laugh when the world is going to shit! The door to the car opened, and Shingo and Mamoru crawled out the passenger side. "Are either of you hurt?!" Ami yelped.
"Fine… we're fine," Mamoru pulled out his rose and transformed into Tuxedo Mask. "But we won't be for much longer!" the group shuffled to Ryo's car.
Shingo stared incredulous, "Y-you're Ami's boyfriend from back in the day!" he said in recognition as they buckled up.
"Have you put two and two together yet, Shingo?" Ami grinned. Shingo had once had a crush on Ami and Sailor Mercury not knowing the truth.
"Ami?!" Shingo blinked like he was seeing her for the first time. "Then… Usagi really is…"
"What did I tell you?" Mamoru chuckled.
"Ryo, slow down, we have a left turn coming up," she called out, attention turning back to the GPS.
"That might be a problem," the car skidded as the anti-lock brakes toggled on and off. The car skidded and spun around once, but thankfully, Ryo did recover before they jumped the curb. "You okay?" he asked, his frigid hands shook.
"Y-yes, love!" she squeaked.
"Love? You two are back together?" Shingo said with mild disappointment.
"Yes," Ryo nodded with a mischievous smile to Ami, "Now let's get going!" The car took off, but this time slowed considerably until it came to a stop about a quarter of a kilometer from the shrine. "Dammit!" Ryo desperately tried shifting the car, but they were hopelessly stuck in deep snow. "We walk from here!"
"I can't see a thing out there!" Shingo screeched.
"Mamoru, take Shingo and follow your phone GPS to the shrine!" Ami commanded. "I'll take Ryo!" They group bailed out and began walking in a white out so thick Ami couldn't see beyond three meters.
The cold and the wet of the snow burned it was so cold, but Ami thankfully had Ryo's jacket. As they trudged along, Ryo began falling back, and finally he fell to his knees in the snow. Beyond them, she heard muffled conversation and groans among Shingo and Mamoru. "Ryo, come on, it's just a bit further!" she knelt beside him, getting a good look at him. Ryo's skin was pallid white and his lips turned and unhealthy blue-purple. The cold couldn't do that this quickly!
"I'm sorry, Ami," he gasped, "I think my energy is gone; my legs won't carry me! I'm sorry… I wanted to see everything with you, do everything with you…"
"Dammit, come on!" she embraced him, "it can't be but a hundred meters!"
"I'm sorry princess, but you're too important… please… go… leave me!" he protested in a too-familiar voice.
The weight of what he was saying landed square on Ami's shoulders. If I leave him here, there is still a decent chance of Usagi reviving him in the future. Ami propped herself under his arm and pushed with all her might until they were both to their feet. If you leave him; he dies in the snow of hypothermia before the eternal sleep spell puts the world out on its ass! "Come on dammit!" she dragged him as he hobbled along, "I'm not losing you a third time, not after everything we've been through the last few days!" Ami put one foot in front of the other, not caring how cold the howling wind got.
"Ami…" he wheezed.
Bright light almost blinded Ami as it broke through the gloom. "Ami!" Usagi's voice approached.
"Usagi!" she redoubled her effort, and she felt Ryo's legs sputtering along with her.
"Ami!" Usagi bear-hugged both of them.
"Usagi, you are too important…" Ami chided through freezing tears.
"Girl, for once, be a bit selfish and accept a good thing!" Usagi increased the flow of power from the Silver Crystal. "We have a full millennium to recharge it!" Usagi took his other arm over his shoulder, "This way!" Within moments, they were back in the courtyard of the temple.
Despite the healing of the Silver Crystal, Ryo remained incredibly weak, as did Shingo. "Now or never; let's get the boys tucked in and we'll be off!" Minako called out.
"Honey," Ami took Ryo's jacket off and wrapped it around him, "it's time."
"I love you Ami…" he sighed, "… so, very, very much."
"It will go so fast," she put a hand at his cheek. "You'll wake like nothing happened," she smiled as tears spilled. "And then, we have a whole future together!"
"Sounds… great!" he wheezed as she laid him back.
"Girls, let's do this," Ami said as they formed the circle, and their powers began to flow into the lattice around Ryo until he was encased in the quartz shell.
"Little brother," Usagi walked up to Shingo, also laying on his back – weak from having so much energy drained.
"It's really you, isn't it, sis?" he asked.
"Yes, it is," Usagi smiled. "Shingo, this may feel a bit weird, but I promise when you wake up, things will be better!" Usagi howled over the cold. Again, they formed the circle, and Shingo was sealed as well.
"Well," Mamoru wiped his eyes, "time to go?"
Ami pulled out her computer and visor. Yuichiro's life signs were the most stable of the three. Shingo while weaker was far from danger zone. Ryo, however, was right on the edge of being too weak. If I'm wrong, we've killed him and not saved him! A firm hand clamped down Ami's computer screen, "Ami, there is nothing we can do now," Makoto stared with her big green eyes. "You'll see him in the future!"
Ami chewed her lips and nodded, restraining tears, "All right!" The group joined hands and they disappeared in a bright flash.
Usagi had mixed feelings upon their arrival in the ruins of the Moon Kingdom. On one hand, their story hand begun here, and at least there were no storms buffering them. She stared down to the Earth, now casting its shadow upon the moon. The normally brilliant blue marble now appeared a desolate pearl, much as the moon appeared from Earth. Earth had been home for so long, the thought of it being a frozen ice ball made Usagi sick to her stomach.
"Hey, Princess," Mamoru, now in his Prince Endymion form, stood beside her, "why the long face?"
"I can't believe it's gone, Mamoru," she cried, "just like this place," she gestured to the ruins around them.
"It won't be gone forever," he squeezed her, "and when you return, there is a lot waiting for you."
"Waiting for us," she reminded, looking at her engagement ring, "I can't do this alone. My life as Sailor Moon is proof enough." He shoulders sank.
"What is it?" Mamoru asked.
She looked down at her long, flowing dress, "I'll never again be Sailor Moon. When I wake up, I'll be Neo Princess Serenity."
He placed a hand at her cheek, "And when we are finally married, then you'll be Neo Queen Serenity." His beautiful blue eyes took her in, and they were locked in a kiss.
"Ahem," a familiar, motherly voice called.
"Luna?" Usagi separated to see her cat and confidant standing nearby.
"I think you might want to have a chat with Mercury, princess," Luna said. "The poor girl is beside herself. I don't think spending a thousand years asleep worrying will do her any good."
"Right," Usagi nodded. "See you before we all go to sleep," she said to Mamoru as she took off toward her friend.
Ami sat at the far end of the ruins, knees drawn up to her chest, and staring out to Earth. "Hey," Usagi found and open spot to sit beside her.
"Princess," she nodded.
"Ami, you can call me Usagi," she replied, "by now you've more than earned it."
"Usagi," Ami buried her face in her knees and began to cry. "I almost left him in the snow to die!" she sobbed.
"But you didn't," Usagi embraced her friend.
"I left him frozen in crystal! We don't even know if it will work!" Ami continued.
"It'll work," Usagi rubbed her hand up and down Ami's back, "and he'll be there for you when we return."
"How… how are you so sure!" she wailed.
"A feeling," Usagi assured Ami the way Queen Serenity had once reassured Usagi in a past life. "Sometimes it all we have."
"I want to be with him so badly!" Ami cried. "I thought we had almost another day!"
"Ami," Usagi shot her a cross look, "if you two are pregnant before Mamoru and myself…" Ami stared, taking a few moments to realize what Usagi was implying was in jest. Ami broke out in laughter, as did Usagi. They laughed until the cried. "All right, my friend," she hugged Ami again, "it's time for us to fall asleep."
"Do you think we'll dream?" Ami asked.
"Hard to say," Usagi shrugged, "I'm guessing for a while, but hopefully it goes by quick. Feeling better?"
"A bit," Ami sighed.
"Come on," Usagi got up, offering her friend a hand. By the time they came back to the center of the ruin, the other Sailor Guardians and Mamoru had gathered. Usagi brandished the Silver Crystal, "Ready everyone?"
"Ready," the group called out.
Usagi raised the crystal above her as the shadow of Earth began lifting off the moon, "Silver Crystal, Hibernation!" Warm bliss washed over Usagi, like being on a picnic blanket on the warm spring afternoon. She didn't even feel drowsy as she drifted down to the ground beside Mamoru. Pleasant warmth wrapped her like a towel from the dryer as the veil of sleep overcame her.
Author's notes: Hi everyone. Thank you as always for reading, and I hope you enjoyed. The next chapter we get to see the beginning of the future. This story will probably wrap up in another few chapters. I hope you've been enjoying thus far. Until next time, stay healthy, stay safe, and I'll see you in a few weeks!