Author's Note:
This is set eight years after 'Crystal Hearts – When The War Ends' You really need to read the first one for this since there are a lot of references to it. Chibiusa is betrothed to Helios and has been for the past seven years.
My email address is Guardian4@atlantic.net. If you want to email me about my story, please put fanfiction in the subject line. Sailor Moon was made by Naoko Tacheuchi, I don't own it.
Crystal Souls
Heartbeat Of The EarthChapter 1: Far From Home
Chibiusa stared out the window while the teacher droned on and on. She missed the Senshi and her family so badly that it felt like a gaping hole in her chest. She missed Crystal Tokyo…
Ever since the War Against The World had ended eight years ago, other countries began to accept Crystal Tokyo and magic. The world was slowly picking itself up from the damage that it had taken at the hands of the creatures that had invaded. Without the Goddess Selene's help, they would have lost. Being in the center of the war though had given her a decided advantage in the history classes; most of the time, she knew more about the past than the teacher did, thanks to her visits and training in the past. And who better to know about the Dark Moon Family than her…
"Ms. Tsukino, are you paying attention?"
The sharp tone of her teacher lanced across the room and broke her reverie. Chibiusa cringed and looked at him. He was a heavy set, balding man, but with piercing brown eyes. He wore a dark brown suit and glared at her.
Ever since she had enrolled in the boarding school in England, her mother and father had agreed to use their 20th century last name. The only thing about herself that she thought was relatively funny was her first name. She went by 'Usagi' in the registers and such, since that was her name, but with Helios, and the Senshi, including her mother and father, they still called her Chibiusa. She still often thought of herself like that. The name just kind of stuck.
"Yes, Sensei?"
He frowned. They had made no bones about the fact that she was from Crystal Tokyo, but they never mentioned she was the Crown Princess. The only one who knew that was the principal and he insisted on treating her like everyone else, which suited the situation just fine. Every time she thought of him, she thought of Jupiter and their last confrontation. She had almost decked him with her Jupiter Lightning Tempest. They didn't get along very well.
"I will give allowances for the fact that you are not from here, but please call me sir. We do not respond to Sensei here."
"Yes, sir."
"Now, could you tell me why the Dark Moon Family became our enemy?"
Thanks to the War Against The World, the whole world knew about the Senshi, even if they hadn't met them. They knew about the Dark Moon Family, but thank heaven they didn't know about Beryl, the Silver Millenium, or such like that. It would be a world-class nightmare. Old prejudices would creep back in against the Senshi and especially her mother. Another creature like Metallia or Beryl could surface again on the planet.
Chibiusa almost looked back out the window in pain. Even after all these years she still felt the hurt of the Dark Moon Family and what they had done to her and her world. It had come crashing down around her ears, thanks to them.
"They refused cleansing of the Ginzuishou," She saw him frown and sighed inwardly, "the crystal," His frown disappeared. "And were banished to Nemesis. They wanted the Earth for themselves and came back to take it."
She had to be careful about what she said. People might get suspicious if she knew something they didn't. They weren't supposed to know she went in the past. Everyone would want to do it and that would not be permitted.
"Good." He turned his attention back to the class and she turned her attention off of him. She never had to think in history class, since she had lived the past and future in most cases. And if she ever had a problem with a research essay, she either asked Setsuna or Ami. If Setsuna didn't tell her, Ami probably had a book on it somewhere or it was stored on her minicomputer.
She looked back out the window and smiled involuntarily as she thought of Helios. She barely managed to keep her blush from her face. He was so handsome, funny; extraordinary…She loved him like her mother loved her father. She could barely believe that she was betrothed for seven years. She had begged her parents to declare it; she and they both knew she would marry him anyway, but she didn't want to go through all the suitors that would come in the future. To all concerned and that needed to be told, such beings like that of outsiders and diplomats that came to the Earth, it was declared that she was betrothed. They wouldn't let her marry him when she was that young, but since she was sixteen now she might get a chance to. She was working on her parents. For crying out loud, when Usagi had been sixteen all she wanted to do was get married!
"Tonight's homework is section's one and two of chapter 15 in your textbook," the teacher stated amidst the groans from the students. "To be turned in tomorrow."
Chibiusa, who sat in the middle of the classroom, stood up with the rest. She'd been going to the school for three years now and knew the inner workings of it better than just about anyone. Stretching her muscles and grabbing her books and bags, she dropped her stuff off in the dormitory. She had lunch and then gym, something she didn't need them for. Having been a Senshi when she was younger and being around the Senshi since she was a baby had decided advantages as well. The gym teacher loved her since she could do just about anything he asked of her.
"Usagi!" cried a voice behind her.
Chibiusa turned. Strolling toward her were her four friends. Samantha was her favorite by far. She reminded her of Haruka sometimes and then Rei others and then maybe Ami or Michiru with her being calm and quiet sometimes, but she was always watchful no matter what, reminding her of Setsuna. Beside her was her least favorite friend, though still a friend, Tracy. Tracy was often very loud and obnoxious, always ready to get her own way. She was also very pretty.
The other two were almost twins in mind but very different in body. The tall one, Alexandria, was captain of the basketball team but a romantic at heart. The shortest of their group was Shannon, captain of the bookworm team, or so everyone called her. She was also a romantic at heart, and although she read and seemed quiet, she was anything but.
They found their customary shady place under two trees that they always sat at for lunch. Chibiusa immediately lay down and stared up at the sky through the canopy of leaves. She was very maudlin today for some reason. Her friends carried on behind her, but she didn't pay it any attention other than cursory.
The Shitennou had fit in very well at the palace once relations between the Inners and them had firmed to good. And to think that it was Ami that started it all by dating Zoicite first, she mused. When they had first appeared, Chibiusa had been certain the Shitennou wouldn't last but five minutes, but things had changed. She recalled the first Christmas that everyone had had together. It had been the Kings, all eight of the Senshi, her mother and father, her and Helios, Luna and Artemis and…
Diana came to mind and the longing turned painful again. Her image swam before Chibiusa's mind's eye. Light gray hair, tinged with purple, framed a pale but always cheerful face. She missed her friend. After three years, she still hadn't gotten used to her absence. Even when she had gone to the past, she had gone with her. She was to her like Luna was to her mother, a good friend and mentor, not to mention confidant.
Luna was as strict with dating as Artemis was lenient. Luna reminded her Kenji-papa while Artemis reminded her of Ikuko-mama. She smiled, thinking of her mother's parents. She missed them as well. Her father had used to be like Kenji-papa when she had been younger, but now he was as lenient as Artemis. He trusted her judgment and she thought he was secretly pleased that she was in love with Helios.
Going over the map in her head of where the Outers would be on perimeter this week, she was pleased to see that Pluto would be near. Maybe she could sneak out and see her even though she knew the older woman wouldn't approve…
"Usagi!" said Shannon loudly, her face within inches of Chibiusa's.
Chibiusa jumped. "What?"
Shannon moved back as Chibiusa sat up. "You're from Crystal Tokyo, right?" She nodded, bewildered. Shannon's eyes brightened up in excitement. "Have you ever seen Neo Queen Serenity? I heard she has real wings made of white feathers and she resembles a goddess! I heard she can float in midair and she made the entire Crystal Palace with that stone of hers!"
Chibiusa stared at her four friends. Was that what people thought of her mother?
Alexandria picked up enthusiastically, "I heard that her and King Endymion are totally in love and that you couldn't separate them! I heard that the queen was pregnant again!"
Chibiusa was fighting to contain in her laughter. She was stunned when the topic turned about herself though.
"And the Crown Princess! Have you ever seen her, Usagi? I heard no one sees her because she's so shy! I heard she was even more beautiful than Aphrodite!"
"What about the Senshi!" cried Alexandria. "I heard that Uranus can destroy the planet and that Jupiter can cause thunderstorms that last for years! I heard that Mercury has an IQ of 1000 and that Venus was more beautiful than Aphrodite and more than the Princess! I heard that Neptune and Pluto can both cast someone straight into space; and that Mars builds a firewall straight around the palace and burns alive anyone they don't know. You have to have an escort of Senshi before you can get into the palace! And Saturn, I heard she can teleport anywhere in the world with anyone, including to other planets!"
Samantha still said nothing, watching them all.
Chibiusa stared at them all, shocked at all the tall tales of the Senshi. No one knew what they could truly do?
"What about that Endymion?" asked Tracy. "Can you imagine having that stud for a husband? I've seen pictures of that hunk in the textbooks…he's absolutely gorgeous! Hey, Usagi, do you think it would be possible that King Endymion would take a mistress?" was the sly question.
Before she could answer, her eyes wide but slowly gaining anger at her statement, Samantha stood up abruptly. Chibiusa almost groaned. Sam and Tracy had never been on good terms and this was going to be bad. They only tolerated each other because they both were friends of Chibiusa. Most of the time, they ignored one another.
"You would ruin any beautiful love just so you can get what you want, wouldn't you?" she asked vehemently.
Tracy examined her nails and replied coolly, "At least I look good enough to be a king's mistress, unlike you."
Samantha's hands clenched into fists and her eyes blazed with anger. "You don't understand! Neo Queen Serenity and King Endymion are completely in love! Anyone can see that! That's the one truth everyone knows! You would wreck an entire family just to get power or the bragging rights to being the slut of a king!"
Tracy jumped to her feet, but a voice interrupted anything she might have said.
"Why don't you ask Usagi since she lived there?" drawled a deep voice.
Tracy made goo-goo eyes at someone and Chibiusa looked behind her. It was David, a southern American boy with fairly good looks and a smart tongue. She had never really met him, but now that she saw him she couldn't help feel attracted to his good looks.
Her friends turned to her expectantly. Chibiusa thought, her expression flustered. "Neo Queen Serenity isn't pregnant, and her and King Endymion are soulmates which means he would never take a mistress. Jupiter can't create thunderstorms that last for years, Uranus can't destroy the planet," That's Saturn, she thought privately, "Neptune and Pluto can't hurl someone into space, Mars doesn't have a firewall around the entire palace and burn you up if they don't recognize you. Mercury has an IQ of about 300, not 1000. Saturn can't teleport to any other planets with anyone and you don't need an escort to enter the palace. Neo Queen Serenity can't fly and she doesn't have wings."
"What about the princess?" prompted Alexandria enthusiastically when she said nothing else.
Chibiusa was not comfortable talking about herself. "She isn't as beautiful as Aphrodite is and she isn't all that shy."
"Usagi?"
Chibiusa looked up at David from where she sat on the ground.
"Want to see a movie with me tonight?"
In her head, Helios's image flashed before her eyes. His presence made her heart warm and she almost smiled. "No thanks."
He shrugged and smiled at her, which set her stomach fluttering anyway. "Maybe next time," he said and strode off.
"What is wrong with you girl?" asked Tracy. "You were just asked out by the most gorgeous guy here and you turned him down?"
"Maybe she doesn't want to be dating an overfilled ego instead of a man," retorted Samantha. Sam had never liked David from the beginning, and she liked him even less after they had broken up a year ago. Tracy was constantly near him, hoping for him to ask her out, and that only irritated Sam more.
Chibiusa stood up and headed for gym when the bell rang. None of her friends had the class with her, something that she was grateful for. All the talk about her family and home bothered her. Could people really believe that they were that powerful? Her attention was not completely on the class, but her body knew what to do so she didn't have a problem. Her thoughts were enough company and didn't leave much room for anything else.
Late that night, she crawled out the window in dark clothes and crouched in the shadows. Running quickly, she hoped to intercept Pluto on her rounds. She dodged many trees and felt like she had gone a mile in the space of five minutes. She wasn't used to this kind of running anymore. Her legs soon began to burn with fatigue instead of oxygen. She stopped and clutched a stitch in her side, her long ponytails falling down around her head as she bent down. As it turned out, she had to dodge her friend's time staff as it swung from nowhere toward her head.
She dropped onto her shoulder and rolled, thanking all the gods that she had been trained back in the past and was still in the habit of rough housing every once in a while with Haruka and Makoto when she got a chance to visit home, which was less and less often as time went on.
"Pluto, it's me!" she hissed quietly as the staff came hurtling toward her again.
The staff hit the ground and Chibiusa was pulled to her feet and enveloped in a chest-breaking hug. She was released and she blinked, finally making out Pluto's figure. Her face was not happy.
"What are you doing here? You should be back up at the school!" she scolded harshly, picking up her staff again.
Chibiusa looked down. "I wanted to see someone. I've been lonely."
"Don't you have friends there?" asked Pluto quietly, knowing how hard it was for the girl to be alone without her close friends.
"Yes, but not the kind that you all are. I constantly have to watch what I say and I can't be myself."
"Oh, my little princess, I understand," she said compassionately and pulled the distraught girl into her arms again, this time more gently than the rough hug before. "I understand. If I'm ever in the area and you feel lonely again, please come but don't get caught. You know how estranged the principal is with us. He would not like it."
'Not like it' was an understatement. He would pitch a fit if he knew.
"Are the others going to be around here when you leave?" she whispered.
Pluto hesitated, clearly not wanting to tell because she knew Chibiusa would sneak out again to see them. Chibiusa deduced that they would. "Who?"
The Senshi of Time sighed. It always amazed her how perceptive Chibiusa could be, just like her mother. "Uranus and Neptune. But I warn you, they will not be as lenient with something like this as I am. Most likely, you would be facing a World Shaking and a Deep Submerge if you snuck up on them."
"But I didn't sneak up on you!" she exclaimed.
"Yes you did."
Chibiusa shrugged, smiling. The two talked for hours until Pluto made Chibiusa go back to the dormitories to get some sleep. Climbing back through the window silently, she changed and dropped down into much needed rest, dreaming of Helios.
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