Out Of the Mist
By Michi-chan
Chapter 2
Neo Tokyo has always been peaceful and with Neo Queen Serenity ruling with the noble King Endymion by her side nobody living in the kingdom worried about threats. In turn, because of so much peace the protectors of the castle became weak and arrogant. There was more boasting than training within the castle walls, and even the famous senshi, protectors of the queen, have been found lacking. Often the training grounds would be deserted and anyone who came to train was immediately intimidated by it's baron atmosphere. That is, all accept one.
Chibi-Usa was determined to become as great a senshi as her mother. It was her life's goal and her greatest passion. She would wake during the early hours of the day and train her body, mind, and soul until lunch. Sometimes she would even sneak away from her studies and lessons as a princess and train in the deepest parts of the grounds. No one, especially her mother, objected to this and only a few times Chibi-Usa was gently lectured on her responsibilities.
Another one of her goals in life was to become just as beautiful, elegant, and lady-like as her mother. For this she would spend hours in her room after dinner walking with book atop her small, pink head and look at herself in the mirror, searching for flaws in her soft skin. She practices rounding her mouth when she spoke and keeping her hand folded in front of her hips. Nobody could say that Chibi-Usa didn't admire her mother.
With all of this in her mind Chibi-Usa had no problem waking early and sneaking out while her guest still slept. This was a routine that Chibi-Usa rarely broke. However, it was this particular morning that she had decided to cut her training short, so that she could escort her guest around the castle. The great crystal clock that loomed in the center of town could be seen from the palace training grounds and she head back to her room when the clock chimed eight.
Normally she was the first one up, so she was surprised to see that Mamuso was already wide awake and tinkering with something one her writing table.
"Mamuso," Chibi-Usa said with her surprise unmasked. Mamuso quickly turned around and quickly put her hand behind her back as though she were a small chld who just got caught with her hand in the cookie jar.
"Oh! It's you, I... I thought... you had left," she stuttered. Chibi-Usa giggled.
"Well I wake up real early to train," she said and circled around Mamuso to see what the girl had been looking at. It was a clay model of the magical chalice her mother owned. Chibi-Usa smiled at the memories that flooded back to her.
"I made this a few years ago. I was with my mother and father and I had this project and they helped me," Chibi-Usa stopped and smiled to herself. "Actually they did the whole thing for me. My original was so bad and while they were helping me I fell asleep."
"So... it's not real?" Mamuso said, disappointed. Chibi-Usa didn't notice the change in voice.
"Nope. My mom has the real one locked away."
"Your mother..."
"Yeah, she's really nice, and pretty. I want to be just like her when I grow up. She was strong too, that's why I train in the morning."
"Your mother... was strong?"
"Yeah! Well, she still is, but there aren't any monsters around her so It's kinda hard to keep up with training and all. Everyone just got lazy after my mother banished the Dark Moon people."
"Dark Moon?"
"Yep. Don't tell me you don't know about them. I was little when it happened, but I still remember it. You look older than me so you should remember too."
"I was sleeping..." Mamuso said quietly. Chibi-Usa shrugged and then took notice of Mamuso state of dress. She was still wearing that navy robe. Immediately she rushed to her closet and started to sort through her clothes, tossing them wildly about the room. Mamuso watched in puzzlement as Chibi-Usa ran to her bureau then back to her closet muttering "It's here somewhere," and "now for shoes." Mamuso watched the strange show of flying dresses and air born shoes with a stitch of emotion on her face.
"What... are you doing...?" she finally asked as the cloths settled on the carpet. Chibi-Usa popped out of one of the piles with a huge grin on her face, holding up a dark blue dress and black dress shoes.
"I noticed that you only have that robe, so you can borrow my stuff until we go shopping!" Mamuso took the clothing and stared at them. Something ran across her face and she almost smiled, but maintained it.
"I like your cloths." she simply said. Chibi-Usa grinned with a slight blush.
"Thank you. Minako helps me with all my shopping, so my stuff comes out pretty good."
"I like your cloths... Can I have them?" Mamuso asked quietly. Her eyes twinkled in the morning light that streamed through Chibi-Usa's open window.
"What? Oh sure!" You can have whatever you want from my closet, I don't mind. I always have too much cloths anyway. Oh! But don't touch the white dress. That's the traditional family gown and I can't buy that." Mamuso nodded her head and spotted the dress from under her eyelashes. The image of the white dress became impaled in her mind.
An elegant woman with aqua green hair watched Mamuso with a third eye during breakfast after she asked Chibi-Usa for her food. Chibi-Usa, good-natured that she was, giggled and switched their plates.
"So," the woman said slowly after thoroughly chewing a piece of sausage. "Where are you from again?"
"Far away," Mamuso said coldly without looking up from the plate of food, which she slowly ate.
"Can you give me a name?" she asked, a little irritated.
"Sedah." Mamuso said in a cool clipped voice. The banter continued between them as Chibi-Usa chattered happily to the tall blond woman seated to her right. Mamuso knew that they were two of the legendary senshi of Neo Tokyo and that they, unlike the other senshi were not lax about their training. In fact she knew that they often awoke earlier than Chibi-Usa to train and would continue their practice late after the young princess when to bed.
They were the kind of people who were everywhere at one time. They could leave the dining hall at this very moment and go all the way to the other side of the palace and she would still feel their presence. She wasn't uncomfortable around them, but they did annoy her.
"I've never heard of Sedah before. Is it very old?" The woman continued with the questions.
"Very," said Mamuso.
"Well is your country very secluded? I don't think we have you as an ally," Michiru said with a small smile.
"Michiru! Stop asking Mamuso all those silly questions. She my friend, and a guest, so you have to be nice!" Chibi-Usa said rather loudly. Michiru gave a small giggle and took another bite of her food.
"Sorry Chibi-Usa. It's just that we're not used to strange guest showing up in the middle of the night with a full interrogation."
"So what?" Chibi-Usa said standing up defiantly. "She's still MY friend. Come on Mamuso, I'll show you around."
"Chibi-Usa, I don't think that's a good idea," Haruka said calmly.
"Why? We have nothing to hide," and with that Chibi-Usa stalked out the dining room. There was silence and the Mamuso got up as well to follow, her food only half eaten.
"Mamuso," Michiru said standing as well. "You didn't answer my question." Mamuso gave her a cold look and then a cryptic smile slid across her face.
"We hide away from the world, and wish for no contact. We have no wars and everyone knows their place. We are very, very far from here and yet, at the same time, we are very, very close to you." With that Mamuso mad her exit.
Mamuso knew that her exit had been just as dramatic as the child princess's, however, that wasn't what she wanted. Her goal was to stay in the palace for the whole month and learn everything she could from the child name Usagi. Chibi-Usa, as she was called, was open to her right off, so that made Mamuso's job much easier. Now she was voluntarily showing her around the palace, which also followed her plan. If thing stayed this way that it would be easy to...
"Mamuso!" She jumped, slightly started as Chibi-Usa called her name and grinned. She had been so absorbed in her thought that she had completely toned the girl out.
"Sorry," she said, sounding sincere.
"It's ok. I zone out sometimes too." This made Mamuso smile.
"I wanted to show you something really special, but you can't let Michiru and Haruka know that I showed you." A small smile crept into Mamuso face. Secrets now?
"What is it princess?" she asked, deciding it better to use Chibi-Usa's title instead of her name. To say that nem out loud would be too painful.
"It's a crystal that belongs to my mom. She hasn't used it in a long time, but it's still powerful, and really pretty." With that Chibi-Usa lead her friend down a long corridor and through a secret side door that was concealed by a very large painting of 20th century Tokyo at night. The room behind that painting was filled with sunlight coming through extremely high windows and reflected with mirrors. In front of them was a long downward spiral staircase made out of black marble. The rails were the clearest crystal and the light that streamed through it pasted small rainbows all around the white washed walls. It was one of the most beautiful room in the entire palace.
The girl moved down the stairs for what seemed like hours. Finally they reached the end and behold, there was another large painting that served as a door. They walked through to a smaller room lit only by candles on the four walls. In they mysterious light lay a single marble pillar that only came waist high. On the pillar was a sky blue satin pillow where a perfectly cut crystal lay undisturbed, sleeping with a slight sparkle around it's form.
"It's the silver crystal, and it's very powerful," Chibi-Usa said in a hushed whisper as Mamuso gazed at it.
"One day, when I am queen I'll be able to use it better," she said.
"How do you use it?" Mamuso asked.
"Well... I ask the crystal for something, like the power to help my friends, and it grants my wish."
"Princess..." Mamuso asked, wondering how she should word her question.
"Call me Chibi-Usa," Chibi-Usa said. Mamuso winced. She hated it when people said that name.
"If we are friends," Mamuso said, avoiding the mane issue. "Would you use it to make a wish for me?"
"Of course! That's what friends do, they help each other."
"Can I have a wish? Can I have your wish?"
"Sure! You have my word. I owe you a wish." As the two girls ascended the stairs once more some of the color returned to Mamuso's pale face. Soon things would be in place. The aligning of the planets would be upon them and she would be able to find home. As long as Chibi-Usa was helping, she could do it.
. *****
Note: Let me know if you like this. I'm not a major fan of chibi-usa, but I thought that she would be perfect for this story. I'm going for a suspense thing since I suck at horror stories ^_^. See if you can figure of the mystery! There are a couple of hints in this chapter, and I plan to reveal more in chapter three! I've decided that the winner will get a special computer gift from me. I can be a uniquely made web background or a custom made desktop wallpaper of their favorite character(s).
As for chapter 3.... "That is a secret!"
By Michi-chan
Chapter 2
Neo Tokyo has always been peaceful and with Neo Queen Serenity ruling with the noble King Endymion by her side nobody living in the kingdom worried about threats. In turn, because of so much peace the protectors of the castle became weak and arrogant. There was more boasting than training within the castle walls, and even the famous senshi, protectors of the queen, have been found lacking. Often the training grounds would be deserted and anyone who came to train was immediately intimidated by it's baron atmosphere. That is, all accept one.
Chibi-Usa was determined to become as great a senshi as her mother. It was her life's goal and her greatest passion. She would wake during the early hours of the day and train her body, mind, and soul until lunch. Sometimes she would even sneak away from her studies and lessons as a princess and train in the deepest parts of the grounds. No one, especially her mother, objected to this and only a few times Chibi-Usa was gently lectured on her responsibilities.
Another one of her goals in life was to become just as beautiful, elegant, and lady-like as her mother. For this she would spend hours in her room after dinner walking with book atop her small, pink head and look at herself in the mirror, searching for flaws in her soft skin. She practices rounding her mouth when she spoke and keeping her hand folded in front of her hips. Nobody could say that Chibi-Usa didn't admire her mother.
With all of this in her mind Chibi-Usa had no problem waking early and sneaking out while her guest still slept. This was a routine that Chibi-Usa rarely broke. However, it was this particular morning that she had decided to cut her training short, so that she could escort her guest around the castle. The great crystal clock that loomed in the center of town could be seen from the palace training grounds and she head back to her room when the clock chimed eight.
Normally she was the first one up, so she was surprised to see that Mamuso was already wide awake and tinkering with something one her writing table.
"Mamuso," Chibi-Usa said with her surprise unmasked. Mamuso quickly turned around and quickly put her hand behind her back as though she were a small chld who just got caught with her hand in the cookie jar.
"Oh! It's you, I... I thought... you had left," she stuttered. Chibi-Usa giggled.
"Well I wake up real early to train," she said and circled around Mamuso to see what the girl had been looking at. It was a clay model of the magical chalice her mother owned. Chibi-Usa smiled at the memories that flooded back to her.
"I made this a few years ago. I was with my mother and father and I had this project and they helped me," Chibi-Usa stopped and smiled to herself. "Actually they did the whole thing for me. My original was so bad and while they were helping me I fell asleep."
"So... it's not real?" Mamuso said, disappointed. Chibi-Usa didn't notice the change in voice.
"Nope. My mom has the real one locked away."
"Your mother..."
"Yeah, she's really nice, and pretty. I want to be just like her when I grow up. She was strong too, that's why I train in the morning."
"Your mother... was strong?"
"Yeah! Well, she still is, but there aren't any monsters around her so It's kinda hard to keep up with training and all. Everyone just got lazy after my mother banished the Dark Moon people."
"Dark Moon?"
"Yep. Don't tell me you don't know about them. I was little when it happened, but I still remember it. You look older than me so you should remember too."
"I was sleeping..." Mamuso said quietly. Chibi-Usa shrugged and then took notice of Mamuso state of dress. She was still wearing that navy robe. Immediately she rushed to her closet and started to sort through her clothes, tossing them wildly about the room. Mamuso watched in puzzlement as Chibi-Usa ran to her bureau then back to her closet muttering "It's here somewhere," and "now for shoes." Mamuso watched the strange show of flying dresses and air born shoes with a stitch of emotion on her face.
"What... are you doing...?" she finally asked as the cloths settled on the carpet. Chibi-Usa popped out of one of the piles with a huge grin on her face, holding up a dark blue dress and black dress shoes.
"I noticed that you only have that robe, so you can borrow my stuff until we go shopping!" Mamuso took the clothing and stared at them. Something ran across her face and she almost smiled, but maintained it.
"I like your cloths." she simply said. Chibi-Usa grinned with a slight blush.
"Thank you. Minako helps me with all my shopping, so my stuff comes out pretty good."
"I like your cloths... Can I have them?" Mamuso asked quietly. Her eyes twinkled in the morning light that streamed through Chibi-Usa's open window.
"What? Oh sure!" You can have whatever you want from my closet, I don't mind. I always have too much cloths anyway. Oh! But don't touch the white dress. That's the traditional family gown and I can't buy that." Mamuso nodded her head and spotted the dress from under her eyelashes. The image of the white dress became impaled in her mind.
An elegant woman with aqua green hair watched Mamuso with a third eye during breakfast after she asked Chibi-Usa for her food. Chibi-Usa, good-natured that she was, giggled and switched their plates.
"So," the woman said slowly after thoroughly chewing a piece of sausage. "Where are you from again?"
"Far away," Mamuso said coldly without looking up from the plate of food, which she slowly ate.
"Can you give me a name?" she asked, a little irritated.
"Sedah." Mamuso said in a cool clipped voice. The banter continued between them as Chibi-Usa chattered happily to the tall blond woman seated to her right. Mamuso knew that they were two of the legendary senshi of Neo Tokyo and that they, unlike the other senshi were not lax about their training. In fact she knew that they often awoke earlier than Chibi-Usa to train and would continue their practice late after the young princess when to bed.
They were the kind of people who were everywhere at one time. They could leave the dining hall at this very moment and go all the way to the other side of the palace and she would still feel their presence. She wasn't uncomfortable around them, but they did annoy her.
"I've never heard of Sedah before. Is it very old?" The woman continued with the questions.
"Very," said Mamuso.
"Well is your country very secluded? I don't think we have you as an ally," Michiru said with a small smile.
"Michiru! Stop asking Mamuso all those silly questions. She my friend, and a guest, so you have to be nice!" Chibi-Usa said rather loudly. Michiru gave a small giggle and took another bite of her food.
"Sorry Chibi-Usa. It's just that we're not used to strange guest showing up in the middle of the night with a full interrogation."
"So what?" Chibi-Usa said standing up defiantly. "She's still MY friend. Come on Mamuso, I'll show you around."
"Chibi-Usa, I don't think that's a good idea," Haruka said calmly.
"Why? We have nothing to hide," and with that Chibi-Usa stalked out the dining room. There was silence and the Mamuso got up as well to follow, her food only half eaten.
"Mamuso," Michiru said standing as well. "You didn't answer my question." Mamuso gave her a cold look and then a cryptic smile slid across her face.
"We hide away from the world, and wish for no contact. We have no wars and everyone knows their place. We are very, very far from here and yet, at the same time, we are very, very close to you." With that Mamuso mad her exit.
Mamuso knew that her exit had been just as dramatic as the child princess's, however, that wasn't what she wanted. Her goal was to stay in the palace for the whole month and learn everything she could from the child name Usagi. Chibi-Usa, as she was called, was open to her right off, so that made Mamuso's job much easier. Now she was voluntarily showing her around the palace, which also followed her plan. If thing stayed this way that it would be easy to...
"Mamuso!" She jumped, slightly started as Chibi-Usa called her name and grinned. She had been so absorbed in her thought that she had completely toned the girl out.
"Sorry," she said, sounding sincere.
"It's ok. I zone out sometimes too." This made Mamuso smile.
"I wanted to show you something really special, but you can't let Michiru and Haruka know that I showed you." A small smile crept into Mamuso face. Secrets now?
"What is it princess?" she asked, deciding it better to use Chibi-Usa's title instead of her name. To say that nem out loud would be too painful.
"It's a crystal that belongs to my mom. She hasn't used it in a long time, but it's still powerful, and really pretty." With that Chibi-Usa lead her friend down a long corridor and through a secret side door that was concealed by a very large painting of 20th century Tokyo at night. The room behind that painting was filled with sunlight coming through extremely high windows and reflected with mirrors. In front of them was a long downward spiral staircase made out of black marble. The rails were the clearest crystal and the light that streamed through it pasted small rainbows all around the white washed walls. It was one of the most beautiful room in the entire palace.
The girl moved down the stairs for what seemed like hours. Finally they reached the end and behold, there was another large painting that served as a door. They walked through to a smaller room lit only by candles on the four walls. In they mysterious light lay a single marble pillar that only came waist high. On the pillar was a sky blue satin pillow where a perfectly cut crystal lay undisturbed, sleeping with a slight sparkle around it's form.
"It's the silver crystal, and it's very powerful," Chibi-Usa said in a hushed whisper as Mamuso gazed at it.
"One day, when I am queen I'll be able to use it better," she said.
"How do you use it?" Mamuso asked.
"Well... I ask the crystal for something, like the power to help my friends, and it grants my wish."
"Princess..." Mamuso asked, wondering how she should word her question.
"Call me Chibi-Usa," Chibi-Usa said. Mamuso winced. She hated it when people said that name.
"If we are friends," Mamuso said, avoiding the mane issue. "Would you use it to make a wish for me?"
"Of course! That's what friends do, they help each other."
"Can I have a wish? Can I have your wish?"
"Sure! You have my word. I owe you a wish." As the two girls ascended the stairs once more some of the color returned to Mamuso's pale face. Soon things would be in place. The aligning of the planets would be upon them and she would be able to find home. As long as Chibi-Usa was helping, she could do it.
. *****
Note: Let me know if you like this. I'm not a major fan of chibi-usa, but I thought that she would be perfect for this story. I'm going for a suspense thing since I suck at horror stories ^_^. See if you can figure of the mystery! There are a couple of hints in this chapter, and I plan to reveal more in chapter three! I've decided that the winner will get a special computer gift from me. I can be a uniquely made web background or a custom made desktop wallpaper of their favorite character(s).
As for chapter 3.... "That is a secret!"