Hello everyone! Again thank you for all the reviews (SO sorry about the
deleted ones!). Now it's come to my attention that some people are confused
by the story, just bear with it, all will become clear soon, for now I'll
say that the story takes place from many different narrative persons. One
side is 1st person: Usagi's writing, the other is 3rd person omni. Is also
skips from different points in the story, the present, and different points
in the past. Like I said just bear with it and it will all come together
soon. ^_^ Thank you all for your support and enjoy chapter 4!
PS: another public service announcement! For Claidi Journals fans, there is a book four and it'll be released soon!!!!! (Oh, I was doing cartwheels!) Aight, on with the show!
Disclaimer: Sailor Moon and all its respective characters do not belong to me in any way, even though I do own quite a bit of their merchandise. however Max, Kate, Jenn, Tyler and Keisuke (Casey) are all my characters and belong to me. (Tyler, you already know I own you ^_-) MUWAHAHAHAHAH *cough, cough* and for those of you who were wondering, the Max who reviewed IS the Max in the story. Well. not really but. ok know what just go do that thing you were going to do, that's right, read my story!
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Love, Labors, Lost.
Chapter 4: The Future
Rated: PG-13
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She sat on the edge of her bed her head in her hands. She was losing it; that was for sure. All those years she'd spent, building up a world that would be safe for her son to live in and in less than 24 hours she had smashed holes so big in it she wasn't even sure they were repairable.
Through the slits of her fingers she spotted her discarded laptop that, a few hours ago, she had come so close to breaking. Maybe all she needed was to write some more, she needed to tell someone, anyone! Even if it was just a machine.
"Baka!" she growled at herself. This story would end, just like the rest of them, in the trash bin. She'd tried before, to write her story, so many times she couldn't count but every time she got close to finally admitting it, her hand or pencil or tongue froze. No matter how many times she tried it would not come out. She couldn't bring herself to admit her shame. All the pain she caused, the people she'd hurt, were still hurting. NO! She wouldn't-couldn't think about it, if she did. she screamed again but this time knew enough to cover it with her pillow. She couldn't escape! She had to though, she told herself. Usagi sat up and frowned, she would make herself escape, she'd forget about it all again. It was the only way, or that's what she kept telling herself. Forget. it is the only way.
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Far away, and yet closer than anything else, a figure held a glass of wine, and starred into a bluish globe at the would-be Queen of Crystal Tokyo. His lips curved into an icy smile as he relished in the taste of his drink. Turning away from the globe he set his glass down and wafted in the air. Oh to be alive! Well, breathing anyway, but the way things seemed to be going he would be there soon enough. Turning back to the globe he rubbed his hand together feverishly, it was looking as though she would finally be his.
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"MAMA! I'm going to be LATE!" Keisuke cried as his mother combed his almost translucent hair for what seemed to be the 53rd time.
"I just want to make sure you look good for your first day of school baby," she said teasing him. He sighed and grabbed her hand leading her to their car.
Usagi laughed as she waved goodbye to Max and Kate, and they were off.
"So," she said once they were on the road, glancing at her son through the corner of her eye, "remember what I told you about the other kids baby, if they give you any trouble, just don't listen to them, 'kay? You are amazing; don't let anyone tell you different. Stand up for yourself, and don't let them get to you."
She had made sure that he knew nothing of the incident the night before last. This was her burden, and she would bare it alone. He could torment her all he liked, she deserved it, but she would be dammed if she let him get to her son too.
"I know Mama, don't worry 'bout me, I was just over reacting the other night. I didn't mean to worry you any."
He looked down and traced the lines of his "Power Rangers" lunch box. The boy was wise beyond his years; he normally was very good about not asking the wrong questions, and was perplexed over what could possibly have gotten into him the night before last. People told him he was smart, that he had a lot of 'potential' and would go far, but sometimes he just wished he were normal kid. He wanted to go to kindergarten, paint pictures, play in the mud, make up adventure stories and play hide-and-go-seek.
However unlike most adults Keisuke had encountered, Usagi never treated him any differently than if he was a 'normal' four year-old. What was normal? Every child was different, and so what if her son was smart? To her, he was still her baby Keisuke. He remembered, about a year ago, shortly after his genius was realized and they had enrolled him into a school for the gifted, he had come home from school and ran into her arms, his chubby hands holding shyly his first ever-algebraic equation. He expected her to gape at it and wonder off it, shaking her head in amazement as his teacher had done. Instead, after reading over it she squealed with excitement for him and wrapped him up in one of her famous bear hugs.
"Is this for me?" she had asked hopefully. He nodded enthusiastically and she hugged him once more before scooping him up and proclaiming that it was going right on the fridge because that's where she would see it most often. He laughed at the all too true statement and watched in delight as she stuck it in the most obvious place on the refrigerator. It stayed there for sometime afterward, and was fallowed by many others, each more beloved than the last Once they had out grown the fridge she adorned her room with them, holding them more valuable than any work of art made by even the greatest of painters, and to her, they were.
Usagi sighed and kissed his forehead at a red light. "You never upset me baby, that wasn't your fault." She heaved gripping the steering wheel with both hands. "That wasn't your fault," she repeated. They were silent until Usagi pulled up to the school courtyard.
"We're here!" she said, announcing the obvious, her normal cheery smile once again adorning her lovely features. "Have a wonderful first day."
Keisuke pouted, "Will you walk me in?"
Checking her watch she was about to decline, having a few day classes herself this year, but melted at his look and smiled, "alright, come on."
"Yay!" Keisuke exclaimed, jumping out of the car. She took his hand as he led her inside the building.
Unlike the halls of most middle schools which were filled with art, posters, trophies and pictures, Chesterfield County School for the Gifted hall's were adorned with neatly placed academic lists, test scores, and the names of the top ranking students in the county. This aspect of the school was one Usagi did not care too much for, but inside the individual classrooms, depending on which ever subject the student excelled in, they would have a section of the wall dedicated to their achievements. She was aware however, of the problems her son had been having with the other students, so she had taken special care to arrange that his classes this year were with other children closer to his age.
She grimaced slightly as they neared Keisuke's homeroom, but more at the eager teacher outside of it, but she pasted on a huge grin and fearlessly, or so she'd like to think, approached the middle-aged woman.
"Why hello dear," the woman said to Keisuke with a smile, "Last name please?"
"Tsukino." He said, smiling. The woman looked over her list and nodded.
"Tsukino. Tsukino. ah! Yes Casey. Well then you're in the right place. My name is Mrs. Spencer, and I'll be your Homeroom teacher this year, and you are-?" she turned to Usagi.
"Serena Tsukino," she smiled shaking the woman's hand. "I'm Casey's-"
"Sister, of course! Oh it is so nice to see siblings taking an active role in-"
"I'm not his sister."
Mrs. Spencer leaned in closer, her brows rising above her chained spectacles. "Pardon?"
Usagi sighed mentally, but kept her smile, "I'm not his sister, I'm his mother."
Mrs. Spencer took a step back, sizing her up; trying to rationalize it, she spoke hurriedly. "Oh! I am SO sorry dear, at a first glance you still look to be in your teens but I must have been-"
"No, you were right Mrs. Spencer, I'm 19." She said gritting her teeth, before the woman's expression could fully change to the look of disapproval Usagi was so used to, she checked her watched and exclaimed in mock alarm,
"Oh! My goodness, I better get going or I'm going to be late!" she bent down hurriedly to Keisuke's level and embraced him warmly, "Baby, you have a good day at school, I'll pick you up IN SIDE THE BUILDING, at 3:00 okay?" he nodded, used to his mother's escape routine.
"Good Boy," she said patting his head, mussing up his neatly combed hair. Before disappearing completely out the door she called over he shoulder, "I love you!" and she was gone.
Usagi cursed as she left her son and a baffled teacher behind. Getting in the car she slammed the door, and turning the ignition she speed down the road as fast as she could go with out breaking the speed limit.
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"No man seriously, check this one out!"
"Who? The chick with the pink skirt?"
"No! The one next to her."
"Shit! Now she fine."
"Yo, yo, yo, man! It's that Japanese chick!"
"You mean the one with the kid?"
"Heh, now SHE is fine."
Ah the charming boys of Crossroads High, thought Usagi. Intelligent too, Jesus couldn't they see she was in earshot?
"Man, if all girls who have kids look like her, damn!"
Step outside the circle, she told herself, but heard another snicker and promptly threw the circle away.
"HELLO BOYS," She yelled directly in one of their ears. "NICE TO SEE YOUR VOCAL CORDS ARE WORKING BUT YOUR MOUTH SEEMS TO HAVE A PROBLEM KEEPING ITS TONGUE FROM HANGING OUT!" She reached up and closed the tallest of the three's jaw and walked into the building, rolling her eyes at the "OOOOOO's" she left behind.
However she knew that those boys were not the least of what the school had in store for her that year. As she settled in her own classroom she could already hear the snickers circulating, catching, like a disease infesting its self in each person, the hatred seeping through their eyes like venom from a snake. She knew they didn't know any better, and thinking of her savior, who at one time was also persecuted wrongly, she asked God to forgive them, only her prayer was: forgive them, so I don't have to.
"Alright class settle down!" an authoritative voice boomed throughout the room. After the last few paper airplanes flew by and all spitballs had dropped, the teacher rapped some papers on the desk and began his spiel.
"As all of you know I am Mr. Johns, and for all of you who don't, now you do, I will be your homeroom teacher for the remainder of the year, and (thankfully) will only be seeing you about five or six times between the two semesters. You all are seniors this year and- would anyone mind explaining to me what's so funny?!"
The class burst out laughing as a cheerleader pointed to the redhead standing in the doorway. So it was not she who they were snickering at, it was this poor girl! Usagi looked over her attire and found the reason for their scorn; she was dressed in a black Renaissance style ensemble. The top was a tank resembling a corset that showed, but not to distaste, the rounds of her chest. The skirt was floor length, and looked to be divided into three sections, black on each side and dark purple down the middle.
Usagi's heart went out to her as she stood nervously in the doorway, like a rabbit caught off guard. She gripped her backpack tightly with one hand, her other held her schedule but was presently resting on her flat stomach. She looked to be about sixteen, perhaps seventeen at most. She had shoulder length Strawberry-blonde hair that would have been curly, but was now straightened, probably by a bun she could have had it in earlier. Her eyes were a soft green and her skin the color of porcelain, tinted lightly red with embarrassment. But there was something about this girl, she seemed through it all. Usagi tried, but couldn't put her finger exactly what it was this girl seemed to exude.
Mr. Johns turned to the girl, his hand resting idly on his hip. "Yes miss can I help you?"
The girl scratched the back of her auburn head and squinted at her schedule. "Um, did you say this was the senior homeroom class?" her voice was soft but clear, sure.
"Yes, yes it is."
"Oh, I'm sorry then I-"
"Are you a senior?"
"No sir, I'm a sopho-"
He cut her off once more, agitated, "Name?"
"Jenn Carl."
He looked over a list in his hands, "Well then Ms. Carl, you belong in room 201, it's right down the hall"
She gave him a grateful smile, "oh thank you sir, so sorry for the interruption." With that she was gone.
Mr. Johns turned back to the class and sighed, "as I was saying, you all are seniors now and I expect that kind of behavior out of you." He coughed loudly, waking a few dozers, but sighed again, defeated. "Know what, ya'll know the drill, so instead of wasting my breath, here are your schedules, try to talk -quietly- 'till the bell rings."
The room sounded like an explosion of voices at the permission of speech, but one stuck out above the rest. "Oh THANK you sir, SO sorry for the interruption. PLEASE! Could she be any more of a slut? I mean really, why is she even wasting her time on an education? OBVIOUSLY she knows another way around." The voice was Jessica's, the blonde cheerleader who had pointed to the girl when she first appeared, Usagi's #1 tormenter the entirety of their junior year.
The sheep around her erupted in a high-pitched laughter that sounded much like machine guns going off. Jessica turned, with silted eyes, to Usagi, "I mean at least Tsukino over here," she drawled, pronouncing her last name with the worst accent, "didn't FLAUNT herself like that girl. How old are you now by the way Sere, nineteen? And your brat is. five?"
Usagi could have punched the living daylights out of her then. The nerve! Talking about her baby that way. But instead she grit her teeth, gave her a tight smile and said, "Four, and isn't it funny how his GPA, on a high school level, is higher than yours would be if they combined all 3 of your high school years?"
Jessica gaped at her, mortified, but before the anorexic looking girl could think of a come back the bell had wrung and Usagi was out the door.
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"Thank, GOD it's lunch time I'm SOO hungry!" Jenn Carl exclaimed to a tall jock wearing a Crossroads High Football Jersey.
The jock smiled, and shrugged, "yeah but what else is new? OW!" he exclaimed, rubbing his smacked shoulder. "Hey, I only speak the truth."
The two certainly were a spectacle, and mouths dropped as they chatted their way to the cafeteria. Yes it was bound to happen that a person of Jenn's 'type' would happen to pass by a jock, but never, well obviously not never because here they were, but almost never would you find the two to be actually saying something other than "get out of my way!" to one another.
Jenn tugged on the jock's jersey. "Hey lets sit over here today." She said motioning to a table different from their norm.
He shrugged turning from his current destination. "Sure, whatever." He said and plotted himself down next to the redhead.
Usagi looked up slowly as she heard a familiar voice at a table near hers, and strangely, found herself happy to be starring at who she recognized as the girl from that morning. She was not sure what it was that made her do what she did next. Perhaps it was a more outgoing Usagi, left over from her earlier teen years, that acted then, but whatever the case, Usagi rose and approached the girl and her male friend.
"Hey, you're a senior aren't ya?" Jenn said once Usagi had greeted her. Without giving Usagi time to respond, Jenn grinned introducing herself, "My name's Jennifer, but please call me Jen, and jock boy here is Tyler," she said punching his arm slightly.
Usagi smiled, this girl was cute, and so sweet! She cursed Jessica for her stereotyping before shaking the enthusiastic girl's hand "I'm U- Serena." Usagi cursed herself this time, this girl may be nice, but it was no reason to let her guard down. "Serena Tsukino."
At that the girl let out a squeal of excitement. She jumped up and put both hands flat on the table. "You have the COOLEST name I've EVER heard! Japanese right?" She lowered herself down dreamily, "Why couldn't I have been born Japanese?"
"Jenn takes Japanese, she's a huge fanatic," Tyler offered to a surprised Usagi.
"I see," Usagi laughed, then raised an eye brow, "do you like anime by any- "
"Are you SERIOUS? I LOVE Anime, that's why I decided to take Japanese."
Usagi gasped in excitement, the girl's youthful outlook catching, "REALLY? I haven't found ANYONE here who likes it!"
Tyler rolled his eyes as the two girls chattered on about Gundam Wing, Rayearth, Trigun, and some other names he could not pronounce. Oddly enough Jenn was the first to calm down, a dazed look in her eyes,
"Of the moon, what an awesome thing to be." she sighed, referring to Usagi's name.
"Try it," she whispered but before either could ask anything she turned to Jenn, "So how old ARE you? I mean I know you're a sophomore from this morning but."
"I'm only fifteen." She announced sadly.
"But she acts like she's five." Tyler added, but moved in time to dodge slap he had coming. Jen glared while he grinned famously back at her. "Hey go make yourself useful and buy us some food." She said finally, turning back to Usagi.
He groaned, "But the line's about to close!"
"Well then you best get a move on boy!" she said, pushing him towards the line.
"I'm goin', I'm goin'." He grumbled.
Usagi laughed again. "You two certainly are a cute couple."
Jenn stared blankly at her for a moment and then it was her turn to laugh. "Oh don't I wish."
Usagi looked puzzled, "You mean you two aren't."
"Nope, sadly, Ty doesn't want a girlfriend until he gets out of high school. Too busy he says, which I understand." But she sighed, and Usagi recognized a familiar longing in her eyes as she watched the junior head towards the lunch line.
"Obedient though," she laughed tearing her eyes away from his retreating form. "So, what made you come over here, not that I mind at all... just curious."
Usagi sighed and was about to respond, apologize for her classmate's snickering, when a boy came up from behind Jenn and smacked her butt quickly, laughing and jumped ten feet when Jenn jumped up herself enraged and screamed at the fleeing boy,
"Ian Connie, you ASSHOLE! You KNOW I've already put one convicted felon away! Wanna be the next?" She was about to go after him herself, but noticed that Tyler had witnessed the scene, and was already on the case, chasing the boy's sorry ass down the hall.
Jenn smiled, despite herself, at his predicament as Tyler pinned the boy up against a locker, releasing him in time before a teacher walked by.
Usagi winced, shoving the surfacing memories back down to where they came from quickly.
Jenn sighed and sat down, "Sorry bout that. Some guys are just pricks, but I ain't sacred of 'em."
Usagi thought back to what she had yelled to the boy, something told her it was not her place, but curiosity got the best of her.
"Oh," Jenn huffed, waving her previous statement aside with her hand. "I just-," she stopped and lowered her usually loud voice, but only a bit, "This guy, he molested me when I was a kid, he was my babysitter, he ran a home dare care center."
Jenn caught the concern in Usagi's eyes and shook her hands wildly; comforting her, "Don't worry! Oh don't worry about it, he's serving his ass five years probation and a lifetime under Megan's Law. Everywhere and anywhere he goes for the rest of his life the cops are gonna know just who and what he is." She blurted out surprising herself. Normally, she wasn't this open with strangers about her past. Something told her though, that this girl, Serena, would need what she had just told her. Somehow, she knew, and today strong forces had been at work, to shove the two together, first that morning, she'd seen her more times than she could count in the hall, and now this.
Jenn leaned back resting her hands on the stools on either side of her. That same look Usagi had seen earlier crept their way into the sophomore's eyes, the one she couldn't figure out, but didn't think about it as this new information reeled in her mind. She couldn't believe it! Here this girl was, a real live survivor of something quite similar to what she herself had been through! She LOOKED happy, and they way she talked about it, so openly, as if she were telling her about a cold she'd just gotten over, or the time she fell off her bike when she was five. Could it be that there was hope for people like her?
Jenn grinned at her, "I'm free," she said just as the bell rang and that lunch period ended.
"I'll see ya around, kay?" Jenn called over her shoulder as she met up with Tyler and he handed her a sandwich to scarf down as she congratulated him on a job well done dealing with the little puke from earlier. However the same something from before told her that she wouldn't have to see her again, or at least not soon, and if she did, it would let her know.
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The morning after Mamo-chan and I reconciled, I awoke with butterflies in my stomach. For the first time since that horrid day he broke up with me, I felt truly alive.
However that day was also not to be our last encounter with the Black Moon. We fought a number of tiresome battles after that, knowing only that was that they were trying to open something called the "Black Gate" and that this could not be allowed to happen. But we had just gotten a breakthrough; Chiba-Usa finally gave in to our pleas to travel into the future, and help her mother. You see, Chibi-Usa is, though I didn't know it at the time, my future daughter, my and Mamo-chan's rather. In a future that should be pending now. Well, sort of. Perhaps I should start from the beginning.
Chiba-Usa came to us from one thousand years into the future. When I say us, I mean Mamo-chan and I, right on top of us actually, totally ruining what would be one our last blissful dates. Somehow, Mamo-chan, to my ultimate fury, took a liking to her, and brought her to my house, where she promptly convinced, or hypnotizing really, my entire family into believing that she was our beloved cousin. From then on I was sure that she was a demon from below, contrary to the way she descended upon us, sent to destroy any remaining happiness left in my life. I mean her eyes were red for Pete's sake! The odd thing was that no matter how much she got me in trouble, or screwed up, or embarrassed me, I still had this strong feeling of warmth for her. Which I later determined to be love, the kind a parent has for their child.
It was soon after her arrival, we were introduced to the Black Moon family, our newest enemy. They came from a place they claimed to be "30th century Crystal Tokyo", and, as we found out shortly thereafter, Chibi-Usa belonged to this same future, and that it was she whom the Black Moon Family was after.
After that it was a constant struggle to protect her, keep her out of harms way, and when harm has overwhelming unnatural powers, well, it becomes quite a task. The small pink haired girl talked constantly about her mother, and how much she wanted to go home, to the 30th century. She tried many times, mainly when she was mad at me, and failed. However once she told us that her mother was in jeopardy, we persuaded her to reveal her key, and let us help her save her mother by traveling into the future, where we were the man in white would await us.
I leaned against his shoulders letting his arm fall comfortably around me.
"Whatcha thinking about?" he whispered when I was so quiet. I shifted a bit getting reacquainted with the soft tones he used.
"Chibi-Usa," I sighed, little brat took up our time even when she wasn't with us. "Who in the world is she Mamo-chan?" I continued, "I mean yes, she's from the future, and she must be important if the Black Moon wants her so badly, but I just can't figure how we fit in to all of this. She says she needs to save her mom but we don't even know who she either, we don't know anything." I squinted my eyes playing with a new thought, "Ya know, she doesn't even exist yet, in this world, she's yet to be born, it's weird to think about, but it's true ya know?"
He chuckled amused with my new concept, "Yes, I suppose you're right, and yet, she's sleeping at your house now. When she wakes up she'll eat, and she'll talk and she'll laugh." He raised my chin to look him in the eye, "She's as real as you and me Usa," he kissed my forehead lightly, and laughed himself, "Ya know, I wouldn't be surprised if she ends up being related to you somehow after all. The two of you are so much alike, that's why I took such a liking to her. She was like a small version of you. Why do you think I surrounded myself with her constantly when we were apart?"
I blushed and sighed, turning away as he kissed the curve of my neck. He leaned his forehead to mine and whispered, "It'll all be alright Usako, as long as you're by my side, I know everything will be alright." He claimed my lips for his, and the rest of the world faded away and I was lost in him.
"Are we all ready?" I asked my fellow soldiers, Mercury, Mars, Jupiter, and Venus, placing a hand on Chibi-Usa's shoulder.
"Hai!" They affirmed.
I knelt down to Chibi-Usa's level. "All right now kido, do your thing, we're right here."
She nodded shyly, and looked to Mamo-Chan for further reassurance, when he smiled back at her she sighed and lifted the key in the air. "I beseech you God of time, Chronos! Let us pass through the gates of time! Crystal Key, take us home! Home to the 30th century, so Sailor Moon can save my mommy!"
The earth rumbled and a burst of light erupted from the key. We cried out for the young girl but we were all absorbed in the light, and in a flash we were traveling through what seemed to be a tunnel, only it wasn't. There is not a word in the English language, or even the Japanese one, to describe what we went through. A passage of sorts would be fairly accurate. It was if the entire world was around us and yet a million miles away at the same time.
I will not go into detail about the battle we fought there in what Sailor Pluto called the "Time Warp", because I simply do not remember most of it. Only that we were split up, there was a monster, and we defeated it. What we encountered afterwards surpasses most anything else in my memory, and even now I can remember it more vividly than sometimes even what I ate for breakfast that morning.
We stood before those majestic doors of time, as if on trial before the world, and we were. We were about to witness the effects of the sentencing fate had given our world. Mamo-chan squeezed my hand tightly as the doors slowly creaked open and before us lay the majestic city of Crystal Tokyo, our home in the 30th century. Only it lay in total desertion and ruins.
"My God..." Venus whispered in awful reverence, "This can't be our f- future... can it?"
I couldn't believe my eyes. The city was, well, it was incredible to say the least, but the air was so thick, and it smelt of death. I hid my face in my beloved's cape. Not wanting to be a witness to the travesty.
Chibi-Usa hugged her floating, cat-faced ball, which she called "Puu" or "Luna P"; tears filled her eyes, "Mommy!" she called as she ran out into the fog and disappeared from our view.
"Son-of-a," Mamo-chan muttered as he released me and ran after her. "Usa! Chibi-Usa!" he cried desperately into the fog.
"Chibi Usa-Chan! Come back!" Venus yelled as she followed him into the fog, the rest of us in suit.
We stopped on a particularly foggy path, out of breath. I cursed silently. She was always doing this, the little brat! Leading us into a wild goose, or in her case, rabbit chase. But then I remembered our surroundings, and that this god forsaken place was her home. It was then that all of her pain suddenly sunk in. I wanted to cry for her, hold her and tell her I was sorry for giving her such a hard time, but she wasn't there for me to hold!
However my thoughts were suddenly interrupted and I was suddenly on my guard, instincts taking over as a figure began to appear out of the fog.
"Who's there?!" Jupiter yelled into the mist. No answer.
"Don't wanna talk eh?" Mars fumed, "I'LL make you talk, MARS... FIRE- "
"Wait!" Mamo-chan, or rather Tuxedo Kamen, ordered as the figure came into view.
I clamped a hand over my mouth, and tugged at Tuxedo Kamen's cape, "Ma-Mamo-chan! He looks just like you!"
I couldn't see past his mask, but I could just feel his eyes widen as he took notice of the uncanny resemblance. "You're, you're right, he- it can't be..."
The rest of us stood there slack jawed as the figured raised his head and smiled at us, his own mask clearing and stormy blue clashed with stormy blue as the only two men present starred into each other's barred eyes.
"Greetings, I welcome you all to the 30th century." He spoke and suddenly my train of thought became hazy, 'his voice!' my mind screamed. Deep, and solid, commanding even, a hint of arrogance... and it hit me like a brick. This voice, this voice was the very same that threatened me in my dreams to stay away from Mamo-chan!
Realization dawned my features, but to my left, a growl ripped through the air.
"You..." Tuxedo Kamen drawled, his voice dripping with rage.
"Mamo-" I tried to reason with him but he was too far-gone.
"You SONOFABITCH!" he yelled as he charged for the man. Five female voices cried out, but the man from our nightmares didn't even draw the sword that was attached to his side. We soon found why, as Tuxedo Kamen lay on the ground behind him. He had gone right through the man!
"What the-" Tuxedo muttered, a bit dazed. The figure, now very obviously an apparition, only chuckled.
"Not a very nice thing to say about your own mother." He turned around and gave a slight bow to Mamoru, who was slowly rising himself off the ground. "I am sorry for not introducing myself sooner. I am King Endymion, your future self Chiba Mamoru."
Tuxedo Kamen's jaw fell to the ground, or at least looked as if it could have. "Whadidyousay?" he mumbled, almost drunkenly.
King Endymion turned around, ignoring his past self, and smiled sadly, but famously at me. "Your future husband."
I shook my head. This didn't make any sense! "If you are who you say you are, then why would you send nightmares to spilt, Mamo- err, you and... Why would you want to spilt US up?"
Mercury placed a claming hand on my shoulder, "Usa-chan, it's okay, I'm sure his, highness," she giggled at the word, for is must have sounded odd referring to Mamo-chan as royalty, "has a good explanation for this."
King Endymion nodded, "Thank you Sailor Mercury, and I do have a good explanation, however it would be wise for us to move to the safety of the palace before I explain anything."
He turned and began to walk away but I called after him, "What about Chibi- Usa?" I demanded. He paused and looked back over his purple caped shoulder, "Do not worry about the Small Lady, I have found her and she is well. Please, come, there is much I need to tell you, and we haven't much time."
I amazed myself when I obeyed his words, he just seemed so... regal, and you just had to trust him. So we followed, completely unaware of the nightmare that lay ahead of us. Well, me anyway. I only found out later that nowhere in this accursed future was it 'safe', even at that very moment, we were being watched.
"I am surprised they made it this far, highness." A blue haired man mused as he gazed into the crystal ball with his brother. However, his white- haired sibling and prince only had eyes for one of the seven figures in the ball, as he zoomed in on the blonde figure.
"She is so beautiful, don't you think brother? It really is amazing how very much she looks like Serenity already. She's only 14 you know, Nemesis! Fourteen year old girls aren't supposed to look like that!"
"Highness, may I remind you that Sailor Moon is still a girl, and not yet Serenity, the woman you love." He turned from the ball to face his brother, and flinched.
"What are you saying Saffir? Are you saying that she is too young for me?" The prince hissed.
"No Dimando I was just say-" Saffir tried, but was cut off and rudely put in his place.
"HIGHNESS!"
"Highness," he sighed, clenching his fist, trying to calm the tick that was forming above his left eye. "All I'm saying is that she might not be ready-"
"SERENITY IS SERENITY! NO MATTER WHAT AGE!" Dimando walked briskly over to where his brother was standing and took hold of his uniform's neckline, lifting his slightly off the ground.
"Are you telling me that the one time, one age, one WHATEVER! Are you saying that the one opportunity I have to make her mine; you're worried about some earthling LEAGAL SITUATION?! Then what the FUCK is she doing with... HIM?" he pointed an accusatory finger to the image of Tuxedo Kamen on his globe. "I don't think the problem is that I'm too old, I think HE'S too young! Don't you see Saffir? She needs a real man! Not some puny 18- year-old smart-ass! Look where he gets her! Imprisoned in a crystal glass! Sure I did it, but he's the reason why!"
Saffir gulped as Dimando released him, he knew then his brother really was going mad, but he was his brother! What was he supposed to do? Desert him? Never. So he only stood by calmly as his brother and Prince ran a hand through his hair and came up with a "fool proof plan" that would make the, "Little Rabbit" his, forever.
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"All right class, settle down. Now, first off I know you are excited to be back in school, so I would like to start by welcoming you all back to another great year at Chesterfield County School for the Gifted." Mrs. Spencer began her introductory speech to Keisuke's Class.
"Now, I have with me here all of your teachers," she said, motioning to her left, the six teachers standing there. "Going down the line: Mrs. Wilma Harrison will be your social studies teacher, Mr. Jason Carter, your English teacher, Mr. William Arlington will teach you math, Ms. Emily Carlton will be offering computer studies, for those of you who are interested see her after class, Language Coordinator is Ms. Sharon Drive, you will meet your individual language instructors next period.
"Now last but certainly not least, this year we have a special guest science instructor, who is actually here to earn his graduate degree, his name is Mr. ah... hmm..."
Mrs. Spencer turned to the man apologetically, "I'm sorry sir, but can you please say your name, I know you told me but-"
The man smiled charmingly, "It is quite all right," He reassured, then turning back to the children, "My name is Chiba, Mr. Mamoru Chiba."
PS: another public service announcement! For Claidi Journals fans, there is a book four and it'll be released soon!!!!! (Oh, I was doing cartwheels!) Aight, on with the show!
Disclaimer: Sailor Moon and all its respective characters do not belong to me in any way, even though I do own quite a bit of their merchandise. however Max, Kate, Jenn, Tyler and Keisuke (Casey) are all my characters and belong to me. (Tyler, you already know I own you ^_-) MUWAHAHAHAHAH *cough, cough* and for those of you who were wondering, the Max who reviewed IS the Max in the story. Well. not really but. ok know what just go do that thing you were going to do, that's right, read my story!
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Love, Labors, Lost.
Chapter 4: The Future
Rated: PG-13
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She sat on the edge of her bed her head in her hands. She was losing it; that was for sure. All those years she'd spent, building up a world that would be safe for her son to live in and in less than 24 hours she had smashed holes so big in it she wasn't even sure they were repairable.
Through the slits of her fingers she spotted her discarded laptop that, a few hours ago, she had come so close to breaking. Maybe all she needed was to write some more, she needed to tell someone, anyone! Even if it was just a machine.
"Baka!" she growled at herself. This story would end, just like the rest of them, in the trash bin. She'd tried before, to write her story, so many times she couldn't count but every time she got close to finally admitting it, her hand or pencil or tongue froze. No matter how many times she tried it would not come out. She couldn't bring herself to admit her shame. All the pain she caused, the people she'd hurt, were still hurting. NO! She wouldn't-couldn't think about it, if she did. she screamed again but this time knew enough to cover it with her pillow. She couldn't escape! She had to though, she told herself. Usagi sat up and frowned, she would make herself escape, she'd forget about it all again. It was the only way, or that's what she kept telling herself. Forget. it is the only way.
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Far away, and yet closer than anything else, a figure held a glass of wine, and starred into a bluish globe at the would-be Queen of Crystal Tokyo. His lips curved into an icy smile as he relished in the taste of his drink. Turning away from the globe he set his glass down and wafted in the air. Oh to be alive! Well, breathing anyway, but the way things seemed to be going he would be there soon enough. Turning back to the globe he rubbed his hand together feverishly, it was looking as though she would finally be his.
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"MAMA! I'm going to be LATE!" Keisuke cried as his mother combed his almost translucent hair for what seemed to be the 53rd time.
"I just want to make sure you look good for your first day of school baby," she said teasing him. He sighed and grabbed her hand leading her to their car.
Usagi laughed as she waved goodbye to Max and Kate, and they were off.
"So," she said once they were on the road, glancing at her son through the corner of her eye, "remember what I told you about the other kids baby, if they give you any trouble, just don't listen to them, 'kay? You are amazing; don't let anyone tell you different. Stand up for yourself, and don't let them get to you."
She had made sure that he knew nothing of the incident the night before last. This was her burden, and she would bare it alone. He could torment her all he liked, she deserved it, but she would be dammed if she let him get to her son too.
"I know Mama, don't worry 'bout me, I was just over reacting the other night. I didn't mean to worry you any."
He looked down and traced the lines of his "Power Rangers" lunch box. The boy was wise beyond his years; he normally was very good about not asking the wrong questions, and was perplexed over what could possibly have gotten into him the night before last. People told him he was smart, that he had a lot of 'potential' and would go far, but sometimes he just wished he were normal kid. He wanted to go to kindergarten, paint pictures, play in the mud, make up adventure stories and play hide-and-go-seek.
However unlike most adults Keisuke had encountered, Usagi never treated him any differently than if he was a 'normal' four year-old. What was normal? Every child was different, and so what if her son was smart? To her, he was still her baby Keisuke. He remembered, about a year ago, shortly after his genius was realized and they had enrolled him into a school for the gifted, he had come home from school and ran into her arms, his chubby hands holding shyly his first ever-algebraic equation. He expected her to gape at it and wonder off it, shaking her head in amazement as his teacher had done. Instead, after reading over it she squealed with excitement for him and wrapped him up in one of her famous bear hugs.
"Is this for me?" she had asked hopefully. He nodded enthusiastically and she hugged him once more before scooping him up and proclaiming that it was going right on the fridge because that's where she would see it most often. He laughed at the all too true statement and watched in delight as she stuck it in the most obvious place on the refrigerator. It stayed there for sometime afterward, and was fallowed by many others, each more beloved than the last Once they had out grown the fridge she adorned her room with them, holding them more valuable than any work of art made by even the greatest of painters, and to her, they were.
Usagi sighed and kissed his forehead at a red light. "You never upset me baby, that wasn't your fault." She heaved gripping the steering wheel with both hands. "That wasn't your fault," she repeated. They were silent until Usagi pulled up to the school courtyard.
"We're here!" she said, announcing the obvious, her normal cheery smile once again adorning her lovely features. "Have a wonderful first day."
Keisuke pouted, "Will you walk me in?"
Checking her watch she was about to decline, having a few day classes herself this year, but melted at his look and smiled, "alright, come on."
"Yay!" Keisuke exclaimed, jumping out of the car. She took his hand as he led her inside the building.
Unlike the halls of most middle schools which were filled with art, posters, trophies and pictures, Chesterfield County School for the Gifted hall's were adorned with neatly placed academic lists, test scores, and the names of the top ranking students in the county. This aspect of the school was one Usagi did not care too much for, but inside the individual classrooms, depending on which ever subject the student excelled in, they would have a section of the wall dedicated to their achievements. She was aware however, of the problems her son had been having with the other students, so she had taken special care to arrange that his classes this year were with other children closer to his age.
She grimaced slightly as they neared Keisuke's homeroom, but more at the eager teacher outside of it, but she pasted on a huge grin and fearlessly, or so she'd like to think, approached the middle-aged woman.
"Why hello dear," the woman said to Keisuke with a smile, "Last name please?"
"Tsukino." He said, smiling. The woman looked over her list and nodded.
"Tsukino. Tsukino. ah! Yes Casey. Well then you're in the right place. My name is Mrs. Spencer, and I'll be your Homeroom teacher this year, and you are-?" she turned to Usagi.
"Serena Tsukino," she smiled shaking the woman's hand. "I'm Casey's-"
"Sister, of course! Oh it is so nice to see siblings taking an active role in-"
"I'm not his sister."
Mrs. Spencer leaned in closer, her brows rising above her chained spectacles. "Pardon?"
Usagi sighed mentally, but kept her smile, "I'm not his sister, I'm his mother."
Mrs. Spencer took a step back, sizing her up; trying to rationalize it, she spoke hurriedly. "Oh! I am SO sorry dear, at a first glance you still look to be in your teens but I must have been-"
"No, you were right Mrs. Spencer, I'm 19." She said gritting her teeth, before the woman's expression could fully change to the look of disapproval Usagi was so used to, she checked her watched and exclaimed in mock alarm,
"Oh! My goodness, I better get going or I'm going to be late!" she bent down hurriedly to Keisuke's level and embraced him warmly, "Baby, you have a good day at school, I'll pick you up IN SIDE THE BUILDING, at 3:00 okay?" he nodded, used to his mother's escape routine.
"Good Boy," she said patting his head, mussing up his neatly combed hair. Before disappearing completely out the door she called over he shoulder, "I love you!" and she was gone.
Usagi cursed as she left her son and a baffled teacher behind. Getting in the car she slammed the door, and turning the ignition she speed down the road as fast as she could go with out breaking the speed limit.
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"No man seriously, check this one out!"
"Who? The chick with the pink skirt?"
"No! The one next to her."
"Shit! Now she fine."
"Yo, yo, yo, man! It's that Japanese chick!"
"You mean the one with the kid?"
"Heh, now SHE is fine."
Ah the charming boys of Crossroads High, thought Usagi. Intelligent too, Jesus couldn't they see she was in earshot?
"Man, if all girls who have kids look like her, damn!"
Step outside the circle, she told herself, but heard another snicker and promptly threw the circle away.
"HELLO BOYS," She yelled directly in one of their ears. "NICE TO SEE YOUR VOCAL CORDS ARE WORKING BUT YOUR MOUTH SEEMS TO HAVE A PROBLEM KEEPING ITS TONGUE FROM HANGING OUT!" She reached up and closed the tallest of the three's jaw and walked into the building, rolling her eyes at the "OOOOOO's" she left behind.
However she knew that those boys were not the least of what the school had in store for her that year. As she settled in her own classroom she could already hear the snickers circulating, catching, like a disease infesting its self in each person, the hatred seeping through their eyes like venom from a snake. She knew they didn't know any better, and thinking of her savior, who at one time was also persecuted wrongly, she asked God to forgive them, only her prayer was: forgive them, so I don't have to.
"Alright class settle down!" an authoritative voice boomed throughout the room. After the last few paper airplanes flew by and all spitballs had dropped, the teacher rapped some papers on the desk and began his spiel.
"As all of you know I am Mr. Johns, and for all of you who don't, now you do, I will be your homeroom teacher for the remainder of the year, and (thankfully) will only be seeing you about five or six times between the two semesters. You all are seniors this year and- would anyone mind explaining to me what's so funny?!"
The class burst out laughing as a cheerleader pointed to the redhead standing in the doorway. So it was not she who they were snickering at, it was this poor girl! Usagi looked over her attire and found the reason for their scorn; she was dressed in a black Renaissance style ensemble. The top was a tank resembling a corset that showed, but not to distaste, the rounds of her chest. The skirt was floor length, and looked to be divided into three sections, black on each side and dark purple down the middle.
Usagi's heart went out to her as she stood nervously in the doorway, like a rabbit caught off guard. She gripped her backpack tightly with one hand, her other held her schedule but was presently resting on her flat stomach. She looked to be about sixteen, perhaps seventeen at most. She had shoulder length Strawberry-blonde hair that would have been curly, but was now straightened, probably by a bun she could have had it in earlier. Her eyes were a soft green and her skin the color of porcelain, tinted lightly red with embarrassment. But there was something about this girl, she seemed through it all. Usagi tried, but couldn't put her finger exactly what it was this girl seemed to exude.
Mr. Johns turned to the girl, his hand resting idly on his hip. "Yes miss can I help you?"
The girl scratched the back of her auburn head and squinted at her schedule. "Um, did you say this was the senior homeroom class?" her voice was soft but clear, sure.
"Yes, yes it is."
"Oh, I'm sorry then I-"
"Are you a senior?"
"No sir, I'm a sopho-"
He cut her off once more, agitated, "Name?"
"Jenn Carl."
He looked over a list in his hands, "Well then Ms. Carl, you belong in room 201, it's right down the hall"
She gave him a grateful smile, "oh thank you sir, so sorry for the interruption." With that she was gone.
Mr. Johns turned back to the class and sighed, "as I was saying, you all are seniors now and I expect that kind of behavior out of you." He coughed loudly, waking a few dozers, but sighed again, defeated. "Know what, ya'll know the drill, so instead of wasting my breath, here are your schedules, try to talk -quietly- 'till the bell rings."
The room sounded like an explosion of voices at the permission of speech, but one stuck out above the rest. "Oh THANK you sir, SO sorry for the interruption. PLEASE! Could she be any more of a slut? I mean really, why is she even wasting her time on an education? OBVIOUSLY she knows another way around." The voice was Jessica's, the blonde cheerleader who had pointed to the girl when she first appeared, Usagi's #1 tormenter the entirety of their junior year.
The sheep around her erupted in a high-pitched laughter that sounded much like machine guns going off. Jessica turned, with silted eyes, to Usagi, "I mean at least Tsukino over here," she drawled, pronouncing her last name with the worst accent, "didn't FLAUNT herself like that girl. How old are you now by the way Sere, nineteen? And your brat is. five?"
Usagi could have punched the living daylights out of her then. The nerve! Talking about her baby that way. But instead she grit her teeth, gave her a tight smile and said, "Four, and isn't it funny how his GPA, on a high school level, is higher than yours would be if they combined all 3 of your high school years?"
Jessica gaped at her, mortified, but before the anorexic looking girl could think of a come back the bell had wrung and Usagi was out the door.
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"Thank, GOD it's lunch time I'm SOO hungry!" Jenn Carl exclaimed to a tall jock wearing a Crossroads High Football Jersey.
The jock smiled, and shrugged, "yeah but what else is new? OW!" he exclaimed, rubbing his smacked shoulder. "Hey, I only speak the truth."
The two certainly were a spectacle, and mouths dropped as they chatted their way to the cafeteria. Yes it was bound to happen that a person of Jenn's 'type' would happen to pass by a jock, but never, well obviously not never because here they were, but almost never would you find the two to be actually saying something other than "get out of my way!" to one another.
Jenn tugged on the jock's jersey. "Hey lets sit over here today." She said motioning to a table different from their norm.
He shrugged turning from his current destination. "Sure, whatever." He said and plotted himself down next to the redhead.
Usagi looked up slowly as she heard a familiar voice at a table near hers, and strangely, found herself happy to be starring at who she recognized as the girl from that morning. She was not sure what it was that made her do what she did next. Perhaps it was a more outgoing Usagi, left over from her earlier teen years, that acted then, but whatever the case, Usagi rose and approached the girl and her male friend.
"Hey, you're a senior aren't ya?" Jenn said once Usagi had greeted her. Without giving Usagi time to respond, Jenn grinned introducing herself, "My name's Jennifer, but please call me Jen, and jock boy here is Tyler," she said punching his arm slightly.
Usagi smiled, this girl was cute, and so sweet! She cursed Jessica for her stereotyping before shaking the enthusiastic girl's hand "I'm U- Serena." Usagi cursed herself this time, this girl may be nice, but it was no reason to let her guard down. "Serena Tsukino."
At that the girl let out a squeal of excitement. She jumped up and put both hands flat on the table. "You have the COOLEST name I've EVER heard! Japanese right?" She lowered herself down dreamily, "Why couldn't I have been born Japanese?"
"Jenn takes Japanese, she's a huge fanatic," Tyler offered to a surprised Usagi.
"I see," Usagi laughed, then raised an eye brow, "do you like anime by any- "
"Are you SERIOUS? I LOVE Anime, that's why I decided to take Japanese."
Usagi gasped in excitement, the girl's youthful outlook catching, "REALLY? I haven't found ANYONE here who likes it!"
Tyler rolled his eyes as the two girls chattered on about Gundam Wing, Rayearth, Trigun, and some other names he could not pronounce. Oddly enough Jenn was the first to calm down, a dazed look in her eyes,
"Of the moon, what an awesome thing to be." she sighed, referring to Usagi's name.
"Try it," she whispered but before either could ask anything she turned to Jenn, "So how old ARE you? I mean I know you're a sophomore from this morning but."
"I'm only fifteen." She announced sadly.
"But she acts like she's five." Tyler added, but moved in time to dodge slap he had coming. Jen glared while he grinned famously back at her. "Hey go make yourself useful and buy us some food." She said finally, turning back to Usagi.
He groaned, "But the line's about to close!"
"Well then you best get a move on boy!" she said, pushing him towards the line.
"I'm goin', I'm goin'." He grumbled.
Usagi laughed again. "You two certainly are a cute couple."
Jenn stared blankly at her for a moment and then it was her turn to laugh. "Oh don't I wish."
Usagi looked puzzled, "You mean you two aren't."
"Nope, sadly, Ty doesn't want a girlfriend until he gets out of high school. Too busy he says, which I understand." But she sighed, and Usagi recognized a familiar longing in her eyes as she watched the junior head towards the lunch line.
"Obedient though," she laughed tearing her eyes away from his retreating form. "So, what made you come over here, not that I mind at all... just curious."
Usagi sighed and was about to respond, apologize for her classmate's snickering, when a boy came up from behind Jenn and smacked her butt quickly, laughing and jumped ten feet when Jenn jumped up herself enraged and screamed at the fleeing boy,
"Ian Connie, you ASSHOLE! You KNOW I've already put one convicted felon away! Wanna be the next?" She was about to go after him herself, but noticed that Tyler had witnessed the scene, and was already on the case, chasing the boy's sorry ass down the hall.
Jenn smiled, despite herself, at his predicament as Tyler pinned the boy up against a locker, releasing him in time before a teacher walked by.
Usagi winced, shoving the surfacing memories back down to where they came from quickly.
Jenn sighed and sat down, "Sorry bout that. Some guys are just pricks, but I ain't sacred of 'em."
Usagi thought back to what she had yelled to the boy, something told her it was not her place, but curiosity got the best of her.
"Oh," Jenn huffed, waving her previous statement aside with her hand. "I just-," she stopped and lowered her usually loud voice, but only a bit, "This guy, he molested me when I was a kid, he was my babysitter, he ran a home dare care center."
Jenn caught the concern in Usagi's eyes and shook her hands wildly; comforting her, "Don't worry! Oh don't worry about it, he's serving his ass five years probation and a lifetime under Megan's Law. Everywhere and anywhere he goes for the rest of his life the cops are gonna know just who and what he is." She blurted out surprising herself. Normally, she wasn't this open with strangers about her past. Something told her though, that this girl, Serena, would need what she had just told her. Somehow, she knew, and today strong forces had been at work, to shove the two together, first that morning, she'd seen her more times than she could count in the hall, and now this.
Jenn leaned back resting her hands on the stools on either side of her. That same look Usagi had seen earlier crept their way into the sophomore's eyes, the one she couldn't figure out, but didn't think about it as this new information reeled in her mind. She couldn't believe it! Here this girl was, a real live survivor of something quite similar to what she herself had been through! She LOOKED happy, and they way she talked about it, so openly, as if she were telling her about a cold she'd just gotten over, or the time she fell off her bike when she was five. Could it be that there was hope for people like her?
Jenn grinned at her, "I'm free," she said just as the bell rang and that lunch period ended.
"I'll see ya around, kay?" Jenn called over her shoulder as she met up with Tyler and he handed her a sandwich to scarf down as she congratulated him on a job well done dealing with the little puke from earlier. However the same something from before told her that she wouldn't have to see her again, or at least not soon, and if she did, it would let her know.
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The morning after Mamo-chan and I reconciled, I awoke with butterflies in my stomach. For the first time since that horrid day he broke up with me, I felt truly alive.
However that day was also not to be our last encounter with the Black Moon. We fought a number of tiresome battles after that, knowing only that was that they were trying to open something called the "Black Gate" and that this could not be allowed to happen. But we had just gotten a breakthrough; Chiba-Usa finally gave in to our pleas to travel into the future, and help her mother. You see, Chibi-Usa is, though I didn't know it at the time, my future daughter, my and Mamo-chan's rather. In a future that should be pending now. Well, sort of. Perhaps I should start from the beginning.
Chiba-Usa came to us from one thousand years into the future. When I say us, I mean Mamo-chan and I, right on top of us actually, totally ruining what would be one our last blissful dates. Somehow, Mamo-chan, to my ultimate fury, took a liking to her, and brought her to my house, where she promptly convinced, or hypnotizing really, my entire family into believing that she was our beloved cousin. From then on I was sure that she was a demon from below, contrary to the way she descended upon us, sent to destroy any remaining happiness left in my life. I mean her eyes were red for Pete's sake! The odd thing was that no matter how much she got me in trouble, or screwed up, or embarrassed me, I still had this strong feeling of warmth for her. Which I later determined to be love, the kind a parent has for their child.
It was soon after her arrival, we were introduced to the Black Moon family, our newest enemy. They came from a place they claimed to be "30th century Crystal Tokyo", and, as we found out shortly thereafter, Chibi-Usa belonged to this same future, and that it was she whom the Black Moon Family was after.
After that it was a constant struggle to protect her, keep her out of harms way, and when harm has overwhelming unnatural powers, well, it becomes quite a task. The small pink haired girl talked constantly about her mother, and how much she wanted to go home, to the 30th century. She tried many times, mainly when she was mad at me, and failed. However once she told us that her mother was in jeopardy, we persuaded her to reveal her key, and let us help her save her mother by traveling into the future, where we were the man in white would await us.
I leaned against his shoulders letting his arm fall comfortably around me.
"Whatcha thinking about?" he whispered when I was so quiet. I shifted a bit getting reacquainted with the soft tones he used.
"Chibi-Usa," I sighed, little brat took up our time even when she wasn't with us. "Who in the world is she Mamo-chan?" I continued, "I mean yes, she's from the future, and she must be important if the Black Moon wants her so badly, but I just can't figure how we fit in to all of this. She says she needs to save her mom but we don't even know who she either, we don't know anything." I squinted my eyes playing with a new thought, "Ya know, she doesn't even exist yet, in this world, she's yet to be born, it's weird to think about, but it's true ya know?"
He chuckled amused with my new concept, "Yes, I suppose you're right, and yet, she's sleeping at your house now. When she wakes up she'll eat, and she'll talk and she'll laugh." He raised my chin to look him in the eye, "She's as real as you and me Usa," he kissed my forehead lightly, and laughed himself, "Ya know, I wouldn't be surprised if she ends up being related to you somehow after all. The two of you are so much alike, that's why I took such a liking to her. She was like a small version of you. Why do you think I surrounded myself with her constantly when we were apart?"
I blushed and sighed, turning away as he kissed the curve of my neck. He leaned his forehead to mine and whispered, "It'll all be alright Usako, as long as you're by my side, I know everything will be alright." He claimed my lips for his, and the rest of the world faded away and I was lost in him.
"Are we all ready?" I asked my fellow soldiers, Mercury, Mars, Jupiter, and Venus, placing a hand on Chibi-Usa's shoulder.
"Hai!" They affirmed.
I knelt down to Chibi-Usa's level. "All right now kido, do your thing, we're right here."
She nodded shyly, and looked to Mamo-Chan for further reassurance, when he smiled back at her she sighed and lifted the key in the air. "I beseech you God of time, Chronos! Let us pass through the gates of time! Crystal Key, take us home! Home to the 30th century, so Sailor Moon can save my mommy!"
The earth rumbled and a burst of light erupted from the key. We cried out for the young girl but we were all absorbed in the light, and in a flash we were traveling through what seemed to be a tunnel, only it wasn't. There is not a word in the English language, or even the Japanese one, to describe what we went through. A passage of sorts would be fairly accurate. It was if the entire world was around us and yet a million miles away at the same time.
I will not go into detail about the battle we fought there in what Sailor Pluto called the "Time Warp", because I simply do not remember most of it. Only that we were split up, there was a monster, and we defeated it. What we encountered afterwards surpasses most anything else in my memory, and even now I can remember it more vividly than sometimes even what I ate for breakfast that morning.
We stood before those majestic doors of time, as if on trial before the world, and we were. We were about to witness the effects of the sentencing fate had given our world. Mamo-chan squeezed my hand tightly as the doors slowly creaked open and before us lay the majestic city of Crystal Tokyo, our home in the 30th century. Only it lay in total desertion and ruins.
"My God..." Venus whispered in awful reverence, "This can't be our f- future... can it?"
I couldn't believe my eyes. The city was, well, it was incredible to say the least, but the air was so thick, and it smelt of death. I hid my face in my beloved's cape. Not wanting to be a witness to the travesty.
Chibi-Usa hugged her floating, cat-faced ball, which she called "Puu" or "Luna P"; tears filled her eyes, "Mommy!" she called as she ran out into the fog and disappeared from our view.
"Son-of-a," Mamo-chan muttered as he released me and ran after her. "Usa! Chibi-Usa!" he cried desperately into the fog.
"Chibi Usa-Chan! Come back!" Venus yelled as she followed him into the fog, the rest of us in suit.
We stopped on a particularly foggy path, out of breath. I cursed silently. She was always doing this, the little brat! Leading us into a wild goose, or in her case, rabbit chase. But then I remembered our surroundings, and that this god forsaken place was her home. It was then that all of her pain suddenly sunk in. I wanted to cry for her, hold her and tell her I was sorry for giving her such a hard time, but she wasn't there for me to hold!
However my thoughts were suddenly interrupted and I was suddenly on my guard, instincts taking over as a figure began to appear out of the fog.
"Who's there?!" Jupiter yelled into the mist. No answer.
"Don't wanna talk eh?" Mars fumed, "I'LL make you talk, MARS... FIRE- "
"Wait!" Mamo-chan, or rather Tuxedo Kamen, ordered as the figure came into view.
I clamped a hand over my mouth, and tugged at Tuxedo Kamen's cape, "Ma-Mamo-chan! He looks just like you!"
I couldn't see past his mask, but I could just feel his eyes widen as he took notice of the uncanny resemblance. "You're, you're right, he- it can't be..."
The rest of us stood there slack jawed as the figured raised his head and smiled at us, his own mask clearing and stormy blue clashed with stormy blue as the only two men present starred into each other's barred eyes.
"Greetings, I welcome you all to the 30th century." He spoke and suddenly my train of thought became hazy, 'his voice!' my mind screamed. Deep, and solid, commanding even, a hint of arrogance... and it hit me like a brick. This voice, this voice was the very same that threatened me in my dreams to stay away from Mamo-chan!
Realization dawned my features, but to my left, a growl ripped through the air.
"You..." Tuxedo Kamen drawled, his voice dripping with rage.
"Mamo-" I tried to reason with him but he was too far-gone.
"You SONOFABITCH!" he yelled as he charged for the man. Five female voices cried out, but the man from our nightmares didn't even draw the sword that was attached to his side. We soon found why, as Tuxedo Kamen lay on the ground behind him. He had gone right through the man!
"What the-" Tuxedo muttered, a bit dazed. The figure, now very obviously an apparition, only chuckled.
"Not a very nice thing to say about your own mother." He turned around and gave a slight bow to Mamoru, who was slowly rising himself off the ground. "I am sorry for not introducing myself sooner. I am King Endymion, your future self Chiba Mamoru."
Tuxedo Kamen's jaw fell to the ground, or at least looked as if it could have. "Whadidyousay?" he mumbled, almost drunkenly.
King Endymion turned around, ignoring his past self, and smiled sadly, but famously at me. "Your future husband."
I shook my head. This didn't make any sense! "If you are who you say you are, then why would you send nightmares to spilt, Mamo- err, you and... Why would you want to spilt US up?"
Mercury placed a claming hand on my shoulder, "Usa-chan, it's okay, I'm sure his, highness," she giggled at the word, for is must have sounded odd referring to Mamo-chan as royalty, "has a good explanation for this."
King Endymion nodded, "Thank you Sailor Mercury, and I do have a good explanation, however it would be wise for us to move to the safety of the palace before I explain anything."
He turned and began to walk away but I called after him, "What about Chibi- Usa?" I demanded. He paused and looked back over his purple caped shoulder, "Do not worry about the Small Lady, I have found her and she is well. Please, come, there is much I need to tell you, and we haven't much time."
I amazed myself when I obeyed his words, he just seemed so... regal, and you just had to trust him. So we followed, completely unaware of the nightmare that lay ahead of us. Well, me anyway. I only found out later that nowhere in this accursed future was it 'safe', even at that very moment, we were being watched.
"I am surprised they made it this far, highness." A blue haired man mused as he gazed into the crystal ball with his brother. However, his white- haired sibling and prince only had eyes for one of the seven figures in the ball, as he zoomed in on the blonde figure.
"She is so beautiful, don't you think brother? It really is amazing how very much she looks like Serenity already. She's only 14 you know, Nemesis! Fourteen year old girls aren't supposed to look like that!"
"Highness, may I remind you that Sailor Moon is still a girl, and not yet Serenity, the woman you love." He turned from the ball to face his brother, and flinched.
"What are you saying Saffir? Are you saying that she is too young for me?" The prince hissed.
"No Dimando I was just say-" Saffir tried, but was cut off and rudely put in his place.
"HIGHNESS!"
"Highness," he sighed, clenching his fist, trying to calm the tick that was forming above his left eye. "All I'm saying is that she might not be ready-"
"SERENITY IS SERENITY! NO MATTER WHAT AGE!" Dimando walked briskly over to where his brother was standing and took hold of his uniform's neckline, lifting his slightly off the ground.
"Are you telling me that the one time, one age, one WHATEVER! Are you saying that the one opportunity I have to make her mine; you're worried about some earthling LEAGAL SITUATION?! Then what the FUCK is she doing with... HIM?" he pointed an accusatory finger to the image of Tuxedo Kamen on his globe. "I don't think the problem is that I'm too old, I think HE'S too young! Don't you see Saffir? She needs a real man! Not some puny 18- year-old smart-ass! Look where he gets her! Imprisoned in a crystal glass! Sure I did it, but he's the reason why!"
Saffir gulped as Dimando released him, he knew then his brother really was going mad, but he was his brother! What was he supposed to do? Desert him? Never. So he only stood by calmly as his brother and Prince ran a hand through his hair and came up with a "fool proof plan" that would make the, "Little Rabbit" his, forever.
************************
"All right class, settle down. Now, first off I know you are excited to be back in school, so I would like to start by welcoming you all back to another great year at Chesterfield County School for the Gifted." Mrs. Spencer began her introductory speech to Keisuke's Class.
"Now, I have with me here all of your teachers," she said, motioning to her left, the six teachers standing there. "Going down the line: Mrs. Wilma Harrison will be your social studies teacher, Mr. Jason Carter, your English teacher, Mr. William Arlington will teach you math, Ms. Emily Carlton will be offering computer studies, for those of you who are interested see her after class, Language Coordinator is Ms. Sharon Drive, you will meet your individual language instructors next period.
"Now last but certainly not least, this year we have a special guest science instructor, who is actually here to earn his graduate degree, his name is Mr. ah... hmm..."
Mrs. Spencer turned to the man apologetically, "I'm sorry sir, but can you please say your name, I know you told me but-"
The man smiled charmingly, "It is quite all right," He reassured, then turning back to the children, "My name is Chiba, Mr. Mamoru Chiba."