I don't own Sailor Moon, but I own all original characters. The
character "Aya" has been influenced by the character of the same
name in the manga "Ayashi No Ceres."
Aki tried to keep his eyes on the blurry road in front of him, but Usagi was making it a little hard for him. He glanced over to the seat next to him, and saw her still skimming the front page of the newspaper, her knuckles whitening as her lips thinned with each paragraph. He knew what she was reading; a whole new set of attacks had occurred in Tokyo, injuring Sailor Jupiter in the fray, and killing twelve people. If the rain hadn't been pouring down so hard at the moment, distracting him, they would've been able to talk about it. But he couldn't see more than five feet in front of him, and they were on an extremely curvy mountain road near Edinburgh; you would have to be mad not to take your driving seriously on this road.
Usagi jumped slightly in her seat as lightning streaked across the sky in front of her, clutching the newspaper tightly in her fist. Aki let out a sigh of frustration, gripping the steering wheel harder. They had left Aya at the house three days ago to get away for a quiet trip out into the country, hoping for a bit of peace. It had gone well until this morning, when a wretched storm system had hit their part of Scotland, making driving seem like hell on earth. Usagi, for odd reasons of her own, was petrified of storms, and when the news from Japan was added into the mix, her mood was not a good one. Aki wanted to talk to her, but he didn't want to lose focus on the road. Aya had only been sixteen for a week; she didn't need to be an orphan yet.
Seeing his wife glance at him in worry, he tossed her a wan grin. "I hate this bloody weather," he muttered, loosening his grip on the wheel slightly.
"We have more to worry about than the damn weather, Aki." Usagi held up the paper. "What are we going to do? The Senshi can't take many more of these attacks, and neither can the public."
Aki winced inwardly. He did not want to get into this right now. "Usa, you're the one who wanted to cut yourself off from your parents and give up your powers. There's nothing you can do about it," he replied calmly, easing his way around a sharp curve.
"Are you saying I made the wrong decision?" she asked hotly.
"No, I'm stating a fact. You can't do anything, and that's a fact," he shot back, pressing softly on the brakes as the car ahead slowed down.
There was silence as he concentrated on the road, and she stewed in her seat. He could feel the anger radiating off her skin, and he sighed quietly. If he didn't say something soon, he was looking at a night in the living room. "Usa, Aya could do something for the Senshi if you feel that bad about this," he said quietly, glancing at her.
She did not look pacified. "Not necessarily. She may not have the powers. And besides that, I don't want my mother to get her and use her like she tried to use me. That's what she wants: me crawling back with Aya so she can command us to be like her."
Aki rolled his eyes. "Then why are we even having this conversation? We can't do anything for Tokyo. They'll have to figure something out for themselves." He frowned at the steadily thickening rain outside the windshield. "I'll be damned if this isn't getting thicker."
"How can you give up like that, Aki? There must be something," she retorted.
He grunted, and turned his eyes to her. "You yourself said Aya couldn't go. You can't go. No one here can help. Think of something, by all means, but according to you, it can't involve any of us," he replied gently, and turned back to the road, just in time to see a sharp curve on top of them. "Bloody hell!"
He swerved, blocking both lanes as the car settled on the road horizontally, the front end right in the path of another car. Usagi let out a little scream as the car hit her side of the car, sending them towards the guardrail, the rain on the road making them pick up speed as they hit the rail on Aki's side, and the car turned over. Aki reached for his wife as the car rolled roughly down the mountain, glass breaking and cutting into his skin. He looked up at his wife's face, and saw a tiny smile of disappointment on her face. He clasped her hand as his head smacked painfully against his side window, and his mind went blissfully black.
~*~
She heard the phone ringing on her bedside table, but she was too sleepy to reach across her bed to get it. No doubt it was only her mother calling for the hundredth time this weekend. Nothing too important.
Aya stretched, and blinked, opening her eyes to the only window in her room. It looked as dark as night, rain pattering on the roof with the quickness of a mouse's feet, and she looked over to her clock, checking the time. Eleven o'clock in the morning, it showed her. She groaned, and stretched again, wondering who on Earth would call at such an ungodly hour. School was just out; didn't people know that children were catching up on a year's worth of sleep?
The ringing stopped abruptly, and she was glad of it. She had had enough of the phone this weekend, what with her mother calling three times a day to make sure she was fine alone and such. Honestly, it was like they had never left her alone in the house overnight before! But she half-expected it. Ever since her birthday, her mother seemed to grow a bit more protective than usual, making sure she wasn't talking to strangers, always answering the phone, no matter who was closer to it. It was making Aya feel odd, and she almost wished she wasn't sixteen, just so it would all go back to normal. But what was the sense of that?
The phone began to ring again, and Aya rolled her eyes, rolling onto her stomach to reach for it. She might as well answer; her mother might think she was dead, or something.
"Hello?"
~*~
Aya burst into the main lobby of the hospital, soaked to the bone and wild-eyed. She looked like quite a sight to the nurses on duty, and they watched her race over to the front desk, seeing the signs of grief and denial on her pained, pale face. All of the nurses pitied their colleague on duty at the desk; no one wanted to give this young girl the news.
"Where are my parents?"
Nurse Bothwell, the woman on duty at the desk, looked up to see Aya standing before her, blue eyes as wet as her clothes, and straightened up in her chair. "Who are your parents, dear?" she asked in her grandmotherly voice, meant to soothe ruffled feathers.
Aya took a few deep breaths, winded from running all the way to the hospital from the house. "Aki and Usagi Kumada."
The plump woman checked her white patient list, and looked up at the young girl again, smiling. "Usagi Kumada is in room 122. You can go in and see her for a period of five minutes, as she is in the Intensive Care Unit, and only family gets a short visiting period."
Aya's heart plummeted. "My father?" she asked weakly.
Nurse Bothwell stood, reaching out to pat Aya's arm. "I believe they found your father dead at the scene, my dear," she replied softly, her cheerful smile fading into an expression of pity.
Aya slumped to her knees, silent tears streaming down her face. "That's what they said on the phone," she whispered, not bothering to wipe her face.
Nurse Bothwell went around her desk, knelt, and pulled Aya up into a gentle embrace. "I'm sorry, dear. Your mother will need you to be as strong as possible now."
Aya shook her head, stepping away from the nurse. "Thank you," she said softly, eyes downcast. She turned away, leaving the pity- filled nurse at the desk, and walked down the hall, swallowing down her tears as best as possible.
Her father, gone. It didn't seem possible, and yet there it was. She gasped quietly, wiping her cheeks with the sopping-wet sleeve of her sweatshirt. Thank god she told him she loved him before they had left!
She reached her mother's room after a few moments of walking, and stood at the closed door, not wanting to go in. She didn't know what to expect. She didn't want to see her mother in pain. A thought hit her suddenly. What if her mother didn't know? She wavered on her feet for a moment, gasping for air. God, she didn't want to be the one to tell her about her father. It would kill them both.
"Aya, come in. Quickly."
She was startled to hear her mother's weak voice through the door. How did she know Aya was here? Taking a deep breath, she opened the door, and stepped inside, closing the door softly behind her. It was fairly dark in the small room, and it took a moment for her eyes to adjust. Her mother was lying on the bed, hooked up to about five machines, but her mouth was free from a breathing machine. She smiled when she saw Aya's disheveled form. "Come here, Aya."
Aya came as directed, sitting down next to her mother and taking her hand gently. Usagi smiled, and sighed gently. "Did you hear about your father, darling?"
Aya nodded. Her mother sighed again. "In not too long, I'll be with him, Aya. I'm not going to live through this, and there are things you have to know."
She halted for a minute, taking some shallow breaths. Aya held back her tears, and waited, holding Usagi's weak hand in both of hers. Numbness overwhelmed her, keeping the grief at bay until she was better equipped to handle it.
And then, she noticed something she had missed in the dark of the room. Her mother's eyes weren't their usual gray. And her hair was much lighter than it should be.
"Mama, your eyes..."
Usagi grinned slightly. "My eyes aren't gray. Good. I am near the end." Her face grew serious. "Remember what I look like now, Aya. I have cinnamon eyes, and my hair is pink. Who do you know of with this color hair, and these color eyes?"
Aya's brow furrowed. "Uh..."
"Think, child," Usagi pressed. "You aren't dumb."
Azure eyes bugged out. "The Neo-Princess! The missing princess!"
"That's my girl. Remember this, Aya. It will make everything else fit into place later. Now, listen to me." Usagi sighed. "In my room, in the upper left drawer of my desk, there is a box. On top of that box is a letter. When you leave me, go home, and get both box and letter from the drawer, and read the letter first. It will explain everything to you." She paused, and looked at the table by her bedside. "Grab that paper and pen."
Aya did as she was told, mind reeling as her mother spoke. Usagi waited for her to sit back down, and felt her strength ebb as she breathed. "Aya, at Scotland National Bank, we have a savings account set up for you. When we last checked, there was a little over ten thousand dollars in it. Take it out after you have read the letter. You'll know what to do. The account number is 931160."
She watched with blurring vision as Aya scribbled on the little slip of paper. When Aya met her gaze once more, she smiled lightly. "Darling, just follow the letter, and open your mind. Fate one-upped me, and I bequeath you to him. But escape when you can. Don't make attachments. Be what you want to be, and make your own choices."
Aya kissed her mother's ashen cheek, staring at her pink, wavy hair. "Mama, are you really her?"
Usagi smiled, and nodded. Aya shook her head, blinking. "I don't believe it."
"You will soon enough." Usagi coughed, and squeezed Aya's fingers. "Darling, you must go."
"But, Mama---"
"No." Her voice was hard even in its weakening state. "You have to go. Try not to be seen. Keep your wits. And, always know that Aki and I loved you with all our hearts. I love you very much, Aya. Never forget that."
Aya kissed Usagi's furrowed brow. "I love you too, Mama. I'll never forget you, or Papa."
Usagi struggled to hold back her tears as Aya spoke. Crying wouldn't help the situation at all. She squeezed her daughter's hand one last time and let go. "Go and do as I've said, Aya. I love you," she whispered.
Aya tore herself away forcibly and left the room, tears running from her already burning eyes. Usagi smiled lightly, drifting from life as she felt Aki's hand in hers. She still saved herself. She still escaped fate.
~*~
'My dearest Aya,
If you're reading this, then fate has won, and I am dead. Do not mourn me, for we all lived happily together for many years. You are a beautiful child, and one any woman would dream of having as her own. I was proud to raise you as mine, as was your father. We weren't honest with you, darling. I've never told you the truth of my heritage, or your father's. This letter will explain everything.
Your father's real name was Hanari Aki. He was the son of a Japanese noble and politician who was intimately connected with King Endymion. My real name was Princess Serenity Usagi, also called Chibi-Usa when I was younger. I was the only heir to the throne of the Earth. My parents are Neo-King Endymion and Neo-Queen Serenity--your grandparents. Aki and I met at an official dinner at the Crystal Palace when we were sixteen. I was forbidden to actually date anyone, since my mother had decided that I needed to marry someone of or near my status. Aki and I began a secret affair, because we just couldn't stay away from each other.
When I was eighteen, my mother was just getting into her peak of controlling me. She wanted me to be exactly like her: a robot. Now, she wasn't always like this. When I was a very little girl, she was kind, caring, flighty, spontaneous, happy; everything I loved about her. But, after I turned seven, I started to see her change, develop a wall around her emotions. She thought she was still a child, I suppose, a child who needed to grow up. She didn't want me to be like that; she wanted me to be selfless, calculating. I couldn't do that for her. It just wasn't in me.
By my eighteenth birthday, I had had enough. Aki had to go to Scotland for school. In a rash decision, we decided to run away to Scotland and get married. I had to give up all my powers as a Senshi, which was difficult, and cut all ties with Tokyo, which wasn't so difficult. I changed my appearance, Aki changed his last name, and we left without a trace.
Now that I'm gone, it's a different story. There are attacks occurring all the time in Tokyo; the Senshi as they are can't handle this by themselves. As you know from your history courses, the Queen is incapable of transforming into a Senshi. They need a Sailor Moon to help them. They need you.
You possibly have the ability to be Sailor Moon. It's in your blood, but it's also possible you don't have it. Take the box in the drawer, and open it. The gem inside is my crystal. It should activate when you speak the words, "Moon Crystal Power." If it does, you are the next Sailor Moon. If it doesn't, then do what you wish in life. You may go to your grandparents if you wish, or you can stay anonymous.
You have a savings account at Scotland National Bank. The number is 931160. Take out the money, and buy yourself a one-way ticket to Tokyo. Once you're there, get settled in, and get as much information as you can. Find out where the enemy is. Work with the Senshi, but don't reveal yourself to them. I don't want you to go through the same pain I went through.
You can do wonderful things if you do your best, Aya. I'll be wonderfully proud of you no matter what you do. Remember that Aki and I love you with all our hearts. Fate can be escaped, and you're living proof. I love you with all my heart.
Love, Mama'
~*~
Aya looked out the oval window next to her, and shifted in her seat. She saw the bright blues of the Pacific Ocean shining up at her, and a small smile crossed her mouth. She was on her way, the smooth pink gem safe on a chain around her neck, her money safe in travelers' checks in her carry-on bag, and all her important possessions in two suitcases below her.
The night she read that letter, she had sat in her room in complete darkness, crying silently, comforted by the soft glow of her new crystal as it sat next to her. The hospital had called her to inform her of her mother's death, and told her they would take care of funeral arrangements. She had thanked them and hung up.
Her suitcases were already packed, a plane ticket bought, an apartment near the palace secured, and her money from the account in her carry-on. By six the next morning she was in the air, a runaway note on the kitchen table for anyone who would check for her, and a new last name on her ticket. Since the whole world had one government, there weren't any needs for passports anymore, just accurate ID. She had explained away the differing last names on her ID and ticket by telling the check-in desk she had recently been adopted by her step-father, and taken his name, which was on the new ticket. Seeing as her picture and fingerprints matched identically with the ID card, they believed her story.
She wasn't afraid of her new life, her new destiny. She felt like her heart had become whole, her feelings from before validated. Her heart ached when she thought of her parents, and it hurt that they'd had to die for her to be complete. But, it was her fate, and she couldn't dwell on the past when her future was ahead of her, only a few hours away. And she had never felt so sure of anything in her whole life.
~*~
Ok, friends. That's a wrap on Part Four. Please review, and tell me what you think. Any comments and/or flames can come to me at moon_smoothie1390@yahoo.com. Thanks to all who read! ~CR
Aki tried to keep his eyes on the blurry road in front of him, but Usagi was making it a little hard for him. He glanced over to the seat next to him, and saw her still skimming the front page of the newspaper, her knuckles whitening as her lips thinned with each paragraph. He knew what she was reading; a whole new set of attacks had occurred in Tokyo, injuring Sailor Jupiter in the fray, and killing twelve people. If the rain hadn't been pouring down so hard at the moment, distracting him, they would've been able to talk about it. But he couldn't see more than five feet in front of him, and they were on an extremely curvy mountain road near Edinburgh; you would have to be mad not to take your driving seriously on this road.
Usagi jumped slightly in her seat as lightning streaked across the sky in front of her, clutching the newspaper tightly in her fist. Aki let out a sigh of frustration, gripping the steering wheel harder. They had left Aya at the house three days ago to get away for a quiet trip out into the country, hoping for a bit of peace. It had gone well until this morning, when a wretched storm system had hit their part of Scotland, making driving seem like hell on earth. Usagi, for odd reasons of her own, was petrified of storms, and when the news from Japan was added into the mix, her mood was not a good one. Aki wanted to talk to her, but he didn't want to lose focus on the road. Aya had only been sixteen for a week; she didn't need to be an orphan yet.
Seeing his wife glance at him in worry, he tossed her a wan grin. "I hate this bloody weather," he muttered, loosening his grip on the wheel slightly.
"We have more to worry about than the damn weather, Aki." Usagi held up the paper. "What are we going to do? The Senshi can't take many more of these attacks, and neither can the public."
Aki winced inwardly. He did not want to get into this right now. "Usa, you're the one who wanted to cut yourself off from your parents and give up your powers. There's nothing you can do about it," he replied calmly, easing his way around a sharp curve.
"Are you saying I made the wrong decision?" she asked hotly.
"No, I'm stating a fact. You can't do anything, and that's a fact," he shot back, pressing softly on the brakes as the car ahead slowed down.
There was silence as he concentrated on the road, and she stewed in her seat. He could feel the anger radiating off her skin, and he sighed quietly. If he didn't say something soon, he was looking at a night in the living room. "Usa, Aya could do something for the Senshi if you feel that bad about this," he said quietly, glancing at her.
She did not look pacified. "Not necessarily. She may not have the powers. And besides that, I don't want my mother to get her and use her like she tried to use me. That's what she wants: me crawling back with Aya so she can command us to be like her."
Aki rolled his eyes. "Then why are we even having this conversation? We can't do anything for Tokyo. They'll have to figure something out for themselves." He frowned at the steadily thickening rain outside the windshield. "I'll be damned if this isn't getting thicker."
"How can you give up like that, Aki? There must be something," she retorted.
He grunted, and turned his eyes to her. "You yourself said Aya couldn't go. You can't go. No one here can help. Think of something, by all means, but according to you, it can't involve any of us," he replied gently, and turned back to the road, just in time to see a sharp curve on top of them. "Bloody hell!"
He swerved, blocking both lanes as the car settled on the road horizontally, the front end right in the path of another car. Usagi let out a little scream as the car hit her side of the car, sending them towards the guardrail, the rain on the road making them pick up speed as they hit the rail on Aki's side, and the car turned over. Aki reached for his wife as the car rolled roughly down the mountain, glass breaking and cutting into his skin. He looked up at his wife's face, and saw a tiny smile of disappointment on her face. He clasped her hand as his head smacked painfully against his side window, and his mind went blissfully black.
~*~
She heard the phone ringing on her bedside table, but she was too sleepy to reach across her bed to get it. No doubt it was only her mother calling for the hundredth time this weekend. Nothing too important.
Aya stretched, and blinked, opening her eyes to the only window in her room. It looked as dark as night, rain pattering on the roof with the quickness of a mouse's feet, and she looked over to her clock, checking the time. Eleven o'clock in the morning, it showed her. She groaned, and stretched again, wondering who on Earth would call at such an ungodly hour. School was just out; didn't people know that children were catching up on a year's worth of sleep?
The ringing stopped abruptly, and she was glad of it. She had had enough of the phone this weekend, what with her mother calling three times a day to make sure she was fine alone and such. Honestly, it was like they had never left her alone in the house overnight before! But she half-expected it. Ever since her birthday, her mother seemed to grow a bit more protective than usual, making sure she wasn't talking to strangers, always answering the phone, no matter who was closer to it. It was making Aya feel odd, and she almost wished she wasn't sixteen, just so it would all go back to normal. But what was the sense of that?
The phone began to ring again, and Aya rolled her eyes, rolling onto her stomach to reach for it. She might as well answer; her mother might think she was dead, or something.
"Hello?"
~*~
Aya burst into the main lobby of the hospital, soaked to the bone and wild-eyed. She looked like quite a sight to the nurses on duty, and they watched her race over to the front desk, seeing the signs of grief and denial on her pained, pale face. All of the nurses pitied their colleague on duty at the desk; no one wanted to give this young girl the news.
"Where are my parents?"
Nurse Bothwell, the woman on duty at the desk, looked up to see Aya standing before her, blue eyes as wet as her clothes, and straightened up in her chair. "Who are your parents, dear?" she asked in her grandmotherly voice, meant to soothe ruffled feathers.
Aya took a few deep breaths, winded from running all the way to the hospital from the house. "Aki and Usagi Kumada."
The plump woman checked her white patient list, and looked up at the young girl again, smiling. "Usagi Kumada is in room 122. You can go in and see her for a period of five minutes, as she is in the Intensive Care Unit, and only family gets a short visiting period."
Aya's heart plummeted. "My father?" she asked weakly.
Nurse Bothwell stood, reaching out to pat Aya's arm. "I believe they found your father dead at the scene, my dear," she replied softly, her cheerful smile fading into an expression of pity.
Aya slumped to her knees, silent tears streaming down her face. "That's what they said on the phone," she whispered, not bothering to wipe her face.
Nurse Bothwell went around her desk, knelt, and pulled Aya up into a gentle embrace. "I'm sorry, dear. Your mother will need you to be as strong as possible now."
Aya shook her head, stepping away from the nurse. "Thank you," she said softly, eyes downcast. She turned away, leaving the pity- filled nurse at the desk, and walked down the hall, swallowing down her tears as best as possible.
Her father, gone. It didn't seem possible, and yet there it was. She gasped quietly, wiping her cheeks with the sopping-wet sleeve of her sweatshirt. Thank god she told him she loved him before they had left!
She reached her mother's room after a few moments of walking, and stood at the closed door, not wanting to go in. She didn't know what to expect. She didn't want to see her mother in pain. A thought hit her suddenly. What if her mother didn't know? She wavered on her feet for a moment, gasping for air. God, she didn't want to be the one to tell her about her father. It would kill them both.
"Aya, come in. Quickly."
She was startled to hear her mother's weak voice through the door. How did she know Aya was here? Taking a deep breath, she opened the door, and stepped inside, closing the door softly behind her. It was fairly dark in the small room, and it took a moment for her eyes to adjust. Her mother was lying on the bed, hooked up to about five machines, but her mouth was free from a breathing machine. She smiled when she saw Aya's disheveled form. "Come here, Aya."
Aya came as directed, sitting down next to her mother and taking her hand gently. Usagi smiled, and sighed gently. "Did you hear about your father, darling?"
Aya nodded. Her mother sighed again. "In not too long, I'll be with him, Aya. I'm not going to live through this, and there are things you have to know."
She halted for a minute, taking some shallow breaths. Aya held back her tears, and waited, holding Usagi's weak hand in both of hers. Numbness overwhelmed her, keeping the grief at bay until she was better equipped to handle it.
And then, she noticed something she had missed in the dark of the room. Her mother's eyes weren't their usual gray. And her hair was much lighter than it should be.
"Mama, your eyes..."
Usagi grinned slightly. "My eyes aren't gray. Good. I am near the end." Her face grew serious. "Remember what I look like now, Aya. I have cinnamon eyes, and my hair is pink. Who do you know of with this color hair, and these color eyes?"
Aya's brow furrowed. "Uh..."
"Think, child," Usagi pressed. "You aren't dumb."
Azure eyes bugged out. "The Neo-Princess! The missing princess!"
"That's my girl. Remember this, Aya. It will make everything else fit into place later. Now, listen to me." Usagi sighed. "In my room, in the upper left drawer of my desk, there is a box. On top of that box is a letter. When you leave me, go home, and get both box and letter from the drawer, and read the letter first. It will explain everything to you." She paused, and looked at the table by her bedside. "Grab that paper and pen."
Aya did as she was told, mind reeling as her mother spoke. Usagi waited for her to sit back down, and felt her strength ebb as she breathed. "Aya, at Scotland National Bank, we have a savings account set up for you. When we last checked, there was a little over ten thousand dollars in it. Take it out after you have read the letter. You'll know what to do. The account number is 931160."
She watched with blurring vision as Aya scribbled on the little slip of paper. When Aya met her gaze once more, she smiled lightly. "Darling, just follow the letter, and open your mind. Fate one-upped me, and I bequeath you to him. But escape when you can. Don't make attachments. Be what you want to be, and make your own choices."
Aya kissed her mother's ashen cheek, staring at her pink, wavy hair. "Mama, are you really her?"
Usagi smiled, and nodded. Aya shook her head, blinking. "I don't believe it."
"You will soon enough." Usagi coughed, and squeezed Aya's fingers. "Darling, you must go."
"But, Mama---"
"No." Her voice was hard even in its weakening state. "You have to go. Try not to be seen. Keep your wits. And, always know that Aki and I loved you with all our hearts. I love you very much, Aya. Never forget that."
Aya kissed Usagi's furrowed brow. "I love you too, Mama. I'll never forget you, or Papa."
Usagi struggled to hold back her tears as Aya spoke. Crying wouldn't help the situation at all. She squeezed her daughter's hand one last time and let go. "Go and do as I've said, Aya. I love you," she whispered.
Aya tore herself away forcibly and left the room, tears running from her already burning eyes. Usagi smiled lightly, drifting from life as she felt Aki's hand in hers. She still saved herself. She still escaped fate.
~*~
'My dearest Aya,
If you're reading this, then fate has won, and I am dead. Do not mourn me, for we all lived happily together for many years. You are a beautiful child, and one any woman would dream of having as her own. I was proud to raise you as mine, as was your father. We weren't honest with you, darling. I've never told you the truth of my heritage, or your father's. This letter will explain everything.
Your father's real name was Hanari Aki. He was the son of a Japanese noble and politician who was intimately connected with King Endymion. My real name was Princess Serenity Usagi, also called Chibi-Usa when I was younger. I was the only heir to the throne of the Earth. My parents are Neo-King Endymion and Neo-Queen Serenity--your grandparents. Aki and I met at an official dinner at the Crystal Palace when we were sixteen. I was forbidden to actually date anyone, since my mother had decided that I needed to marry someone of or near my status. Aki and I began a secret affair, because we just couldn't stay away from each other.
When I was eighteen, my mother was just getting into her peak of controlling me. She wanted me to be exactly like her: a robot. Now, she wasn't always like this. When I was a very little girl, she was kind, caring, flighty, spontaneous, happy; everything I loved about her. But, after I turned seven, I started to see her change, develop a wall around her emotions. She thought she was still a child, I suppose, a child who needed to grow up. She didn't want me to be like that; she wanted me to be selfless, calculating. I couldn't do that for her. It just wasn't in me.
By my eighteenth birthday, I had had enough. Aki had to go to Scotland for school. In a rash decision, we decided to run away to Scotland and get married. I had to give up all my powers as a Senshi, which was difficult, and cut all ties with Tokyo, which wasn't so difficult. I changed my appearance, Aki changed his last name, and we left without a trace.
Now that I'm gone, it's a different story. There are attacks occurring all the time in Tokyo; the Senshi as they are can't handle this by themselves. As you know from your history courses, the Queen is incapable of transforming into a Senshi. They need a Sailor Moon to help them. They need you.
You possibly have the ability to be Sailor Moon. It's in your blood, but it's also possible you don't have it. Take the box in the drawer, and open it. The gem inside is my crystal. It should activate when you speak the words, "Moon Crystal Power." If it does, you are the next Sailor Moon. If it doesn't, then do what you wish in life. You may go to your grandparents if you wish, or you can stay anonymous.
You have a savings account at Scotland National Bank. The number is 931160. Take out the money, and buy yourself a one-way ticket to Tokyo. Once you're there, get settled in, and get as much information as you can. Find out where the enemy is. Work with the Senshi, but don't reveal yourself to them. I don't want you to go through the same pain I went through.
You can do wonderful things if you do your best, Aya. I'll be wonderfully proud of you no matter what you do. Remember that Aki and I love you with all our hearts. Fate can be escaped, and you're living proof. I love you with all my heart.
Love, Mama'
~*~
Aya looked out the oval window next to her, and shifted in her seat. She saw the bright blues of the Pacific Ocean shining up at her, and a small smile crossed her mouth. She was on her way, the smooth pink gem safe on a chain around her neck, her money safe in travelers' checks in her carry-on bag, and all her important possessions in two suitcases below her.
The night she read that letter, she had sat in her room in complete darkness, crying silently, comforted by the soft glow of her new crystal as it sat next to her. The hospital had called her to inform her of her mother's death, and told her they would take care of funeral arrangements. She had thanked them and hung up.
Her suitcases were already packed, a plane ticket bought, an apartment near the palace secured, and her money from the account in her carry-on. By six the next morning she was in the air, a runaway note on the kitchen table for anyone who would check for her, and a new last name on her ticket. Since the whole world had one government, there weren't any needs for passports anymore, just accurate ID. She had explained away the differing last names on her ID and ticket by telling the check-in desk she had recently been adopted by her step-father, and taken his name, which was on the new ticket. Seeing as her picture and fingerprints matched identically with the ID card, they believed her story.
She wasn't afraid of her new life, her new destiny. She felt like her heart had become whole, her feelings from before validated. Her heart ached when she thought of her parents, and it hurt that they'd had to die for her to be complete. But, it was her fate, and she couldn't dwell on the past when her future was ahead of her, only a few hours away. And she had never felt so sure of anything in her whole life.
~*~
Ok, friends. That's a wrap on Part Four. Please review, and tell me what you think. Any comments and/or flames can come to me at moon_smoothie1390@yahoo.com. Thanks to all who read! ~CR