~*~*~*~
Hotaru shivered in the dark cold room as she wheezed for breath. She was becoming weaker by the day, and no one seemed to know why. She wasn't allowed to see her friends anymore, Kaori made certain of that. Her father had all but lost interest in keeping the woman under control. What was going on, she wondered? Everything seemed to be turning upside down for her. She even noticed changes in herself. Her powers were getting stronger, but her physical health was deteriorating rapidly. Things had gotten so bad that she would blank out for days at a time; she wouldn't remember anything that had happened during this time. Her father had refused to take her to the doctor for these problems, he had blamed this on the stress that she had been through in the last year. She didn't know any better than to question his judgment, after all, he had never led her wrong. So she continued life as is, forgetting weeks at a time.
This time she found herself in her bed. She didn't know how she got there, or how long she had been there. Last she remembered she was eating dinner with her father and Kaori. But now here she was, safely tucked away in her room where she found safety and comfort.
A loud noise was heard from beneath, causing her to jump with fright. Her shaking increased, though not from the cold. She was scared; terrified of what was happening to her. She felt as if she was losing control over her body, like something else had a hold of her. She was constantly on edge, everything frightened her; even her father's experiments, which were usually conducted in the lab directly under her room.
"What." she murmured as she took a look around her room.
~*~*~
Usagi kept to herself the next day. She woke in a hurry and rushed to get out the door. Her parents were caught in surprise. They hadn't seen her moving this fast for school since she was little. Both of them exchanged looks when she began wolfing her food down like there was no tomorrow. Goku quirked his eyebrow up a bit. He wished he knew what was bothering the girl, but she didn't seem like she wanted to talk. She looked more as if she was trying to hurry to avoid conversation, so he would say nothing about current events.
"Slow down there, kiddo, You're going to choke yourself." He chuckled as he too began speed eating.
Usagi didn't look up at her father. Instead, she just continued to shove food down her throat. Luna walked into the room and jumped up on the table. She looked oddly at Usagi, and then at Goku. "Usagi, you're turning into your father."
Chi-Chi sat down next to her husband with her own breakfast. "Usagi, slow down." She waited for her daughter to respond, but none came. She frowned as she set her bowl down on the table. "If you choke on your food don't tell me I didn't warn you."
Usagi remained silent as she shoved the last spoonful in her mouth. She had been too busy to answer. Luna, too, frowned at the girl. She had been like this ever since she had come home the night before. "Usagi, I need to speak with you."
Usagi frowned back at her cat advisor. She didn't feel like talking. She still hadn't sorted out all the details in her mind. She needed time to talk things over with her friends first. "Not now." She exclaimed as she gulped her milk down.
Goku watched his daughter's peculiar actions. He was worried about her, she had never acted so distant in a time of war. She was hiding something, he knew it, but what he didn't know. He wouldn't pressure her to tell him though, she was getting old enough to fight her own battles, he just wished that she would be comfortable enough to tell them what was going on. "Usagi, you'll be late for school if you don't get going soon."
Usagi looked up at her father, completely shocked. She was sure he was going to ask her what was wrong. He usually would have. Was she getting better at fooling him? She smiled just slightly at the thought. It was impossible; he knew her too well to be fooled. "I know. That's why I'm hurrying." She lied. She wouldn't normally hurry like this when she knew she was going to be late for school. Normally, she would continue to take her time and just be late.
Goku looked back at his wife, who looked concerned, but knew better than to say anything. This wasn't the time to get into an argument. "Better get going then."
Luna shot a glare at the older Saiyan. She was counting on him to bring up to subject of the girl's quietness. "Usagi!" She chastised as she looked back up to her Princess, who was already clearing her breakfast plates. "Be ready to talk when you get home."
Usagi ignored the black cat again as she placed her plates in the sink. "Maybe." She said as she walked to her father and gave him a hug. She could tell that he was ignoring what was bothering her, which felt great. He wouldn't ask until she was ready to talk, and she knew it. "Thank you." She whispered in his ear as she pulled away.
Goku let out a small sigh. Just as he was able to read his daughter, she was able to read him just as well. They both knew that the other was keeping quiet now; it would be an unspoken barrier that both of them would bring up until the time was right. He gave her a small smile as he kissed her on the cheek. "Have a good day, kiddo."
Usagi scurried to get her bag, which was just outside the kitchen by the front door. "I'm going over to Rei's to study after school."
Chi-Chi, not knowing how to react to her husband's unwillingness to ask their daughter what was bothering her, called back, "Don't be home too late."
Usagi flung her bag over her shoulder and reached for the doorknob. "I won't." She proceeded to open the door and step outside.
Chi-Chi waited for the door to close before she shot a wicked glare at Goku. "What the hell were you thinking?! Something is obviously bothering her, and you don't say anything."
Goku sighed as he leaned back in his chair. "I know that, Chi-Chi. But she needs to know that we aren't always going to be the ones to go looking to fix her problems. If she needs our help, she'll ask us. She's getting old enough to know when she needs us, and when she's able to handle herself."
Luna frowned as she jumped down off the table and proceeded to the kitchen door. "She's only 13 years old, Goku. Add in the fact that she's dealing with the heavy stress of being a Princess and you've got yourself a first- class problem. You need to be watching her every move, and know exactly what's going on in her life."
Goku frowned at the little black cat on the floor. "She may be a Princess, but she's still my daughter. I want her to be happy, and I want to believe that she is mature enough to start handling problems on her own. Thirteen is a confusing age, it threw Goten through a few loops, but he came out all right." He pushed himself away from the table and backed up, obviously frustrated.
Luna sighed as she looked downward. "Yes, it's a confusing age, which is why you should be ready to help her."
Goku began to walk toward the exit of the room. "I never said I wouldn't help her. I just want her to be the one to come to me for help, when she knows that she needs it. I don't want to live her life for her and tell her when she needs help."
Chi-Chi remained silent, but fumed with anger. She could see both Goku and Luna's points, but she tended to want to side with Luna. Usagi was not any ordinary 13-year-old. She was a Saiyan Moon Princess. She had more problems to deal with than any other 13-year-old. "I just want her to be safe, Goku."
Goku stopped for a moment, and tilted his head to the side as he gave a little smirk. "She's a smart girl, she wont get herself into any more trouble than she can handle. Trust me on this one. She'll come to us when she's ready." And with that, he left the room. He didn't much like the idea of not knowing what was troubling his daughter either, but it's what had to be done.
~*~*~
Usagi stopped just outside her house, completely surprised by what she saw. She didn't know what to say, or what to think for that matter. "Can I help you?" She asked, as she walked forward just a ways.
He had been sitting out there for nearly an hour now, waiting for her to emerge from the house. "I'm worried about you."
Usagi blinked twice, more confused now than before. "Mamoru." She said as she pulled back a bit. She had an awkward feeling in her gut, like he shouldn't be there; but at the same time, she wanted him there. "Why?"
Mamoru chuckled as he looked straight into the girl's eyes. "Because I am."
Usagi was completely speechless. He had been acting strangely lately, which was weird. He was being nice to her, for what reason she didn't know. Not that she didn't rather enjoy his changing attitude. After all, she had worked so hard to change him over the years, maybe it was all paying off. "Are you feeling all right, Mamoru?"
Mamoru side as he gave Usagi a quick smirk. He could tell she was confused, and who could blame her? The two of them hadn't exactly gotten along very well in their earlier years of knowing one another. He had always considered her a bratty little kid, and had treated her as such. Hell, he was even confused as to why he was standing here in front of the Son house. "Of course I am, but I want to make sure that you get to school safely. Without being able to transform into Sailor Moon." He cut himself short, seeing a pain flare into Usagi's eyes. He knew then that he had brought up the wrong subject at the wrong time. "I'm sor."
Usagi stopped him mid-word. "Don't be." She looked down to the ground with a sigh of her own. "Look, I'm fine, really." She forced herself to look back up into his eyes. They weren't the same eyes that she knew from so long ago; they had grown softer, more compassionate. "I can take care of myself."
"I know you can. But we're all worried about you, Usagi." He couldn't believe what he was saying. He had just admitted that he was worried about her, something he never thought he'd be saying.
Usagi was taken aback by his statement. She didn't know quite how to respond to that, but it wasn't long before she was grinning. "Oh I'm sure you are too, Mamoru." Although she kept a cool composure, a million thoughts dashed through her mind.
Mamoru frowned at the girl's snide remarks. "Look, if you don't."
Usagi stepped back yet again, feeling even more uncomfortable. She didn't want to get into this right now, she wanted to not have to think about the events that had come to play. "I'm sorry." She said solemnly as she continued to look him in the eyes. "I know you're all worried about me. The truth is, I'm scared. What's wrong with me? What if I can't ever turn into Sailor Moon again?" She felt as if a knife tore through her heart. Even though she hadn't really relished on the idea of being a Moon Princess, of having the responsibility of being Sailor Moon, she knew it was a part of who she was. In becoming Sailor Moon, the empty feeling that she had had finally been filled. "It's like a part of me is missing." She lowered her eyes to the ground, which were beginning to well up with tears.
Mamoru crossed his arms over his chest, but stayed silent. He could sense Usagi's distress, but he didn't want to say anything that would offend her, or make her feel even worse than she already did. Instead, he would try to cheer her up; this wasn't his area of expertise anyway. "Why don't you skip school with me today, Odango."
Usagi wiped away the tears that were starting to drip down her cheeks. "What?" She asked as she looked up to her childhood rival in disbelief. "I couldn't." She started, but cut herself off to look back at her house in paranoia. "My mom would."
Mamoru chuckled as he shifted his weight. "I should have known you'd be too chicken." He taunted as he took a step back and began turning himself around. "If you ever get some guts, give me a call. We'll reek some havoc."
Usagi could feel her face turning red as she stamped her foot on the ground. "I'm not chicken!" She cried out.
Mamoru smirked back at the girl. "Prove it. Skip school, have a little fun, forget your worries." He turned himself slightly in order to face the young Saiyan. "We can go visit the squirt, or."
Usagi was having a rush of emotions at this point. She had no idea what to feel; all of this was too confusing for her to handle. "Why are you doing this, Mamoru?" Mamoru said nothing, so she continued. "Why are you being so nice to me?"
Mamoru's smirk widened as he tried to sort out what he wanted to say. "Because, Odango, you've grown on me." Usagi was utterly speechless. She had no idea how to reply to something like that. "Now, let's get going. We'll check back with Ami after school about your broach. Just focus on having fun until then."
Usagi didn't know what she should do. On the one hand, taking time out of her busy schedule for some fun sounded like a good idea; however, her mother wouldn't think so, and it was her mother who mattered most right now. If she was caught skipping, she would never be trusted again. "Well.I.I." She looked nervously back at her house, expecting to see her mother standing there, listening to what was being said. "What if I just asked my dad? I'm sure he wouldn't care."
Mamoru frowned. "What does it matter if you get your parents approval, Usagi? Just do it. You're 13 already, old enough to make your own decisions about school."
Usagi looked back up at him with questioning eyes. "I guess." She tailed off into silence as she contemplated his suggestion. After thinking about it, she knew her father would probably say no to her. He would want her safe at school with her friends. "Ok." She said, finally coming to a decision. "I'll do it, but this better not be a plot to get me in trouble."
Mamoru's frown turned into a wide smile. "I won't." He slowly let himself lift into the air. 'I want to make sure you're all right.' He motioned for Usagi to do the same, which she did. "Going to Hotaru's first?"
Usagi nodded and the two of them started out for the city. She hated to do this, without her parents permission when she knew both of them wouldn't want her to; but she needed to do this for herself. She needed to get her mind off of school; and, more importantly, she needed to get her mind off of the whole Sailor Moon issue.
~*~*~
Michiru and Haruka walked the halls of Mughen at a casual pace. Their next class was still 20 minutes away, and neither of them were in much of a hurry to get there early. They had both been quiet for most of the day. Like Usagi and her friends, they too had been at the fight from the night before. They had seen how close Rei had come to her end, but they were able to save her from danger. These were not just any normal enemies that they were dealing with, they were much stronger than before. The other Senshi would be almost helpless in destroying what they were facing. It would be up to the Senshi of the outer galaxy to save the earth from destruction.
But something still bothered them; something about what had happened the day before. Haruka reached out and grabbed a hold of Michiru's arm, pulling her aside to the wall. Michiru looked up into the blonde's eyes. "What is it?"
Haruka said nothing as she looked to her right, and then her left. She was looking for any kind of suspicious character that may have been lurking about. "Something didn't add up last night." She whispered as she pulled Michiru even closer until she was practically hugging her.
Michiru played into Haruka's 'game', and made it look like they were sharing an intimate moment. "What is it?" She had been having second thoughts of the night before as well, though she didn't want to bring it up. What the other Senshi did was no business of hers, she had her own job to do and planned to live up to it.
Haruka leaned in closer until her mouth was by Michiru's ear. "Something strikes me as weird. Usagi didn't transform yesterday during the fight."
Michiru closed her eyes and rested her chin on her lover's shoulder. "I know, and I have no idea why she didn't. You don't think anything is wrong, do you?" She continued to get comfortable as she dug her nose into Haruka's neck.
Haruka smiled softly. "It's not for us to worry about. She's got her friends and," She paused to give a slight frown as she thought about what she was about to say, "Mamoru to protect her. We just need to focus on our duty to protect the earth from destruction."
Michiru nodded in agreement, though she didn't know how comfortable she was with letting the young Saiyan fend for herself when the other Senshi were so useless. "I agree, but I don't want to lose her to the hands of these monsters; not like Taro."
Haruka smirked as she rubbed her hand on Michiru's back. "You're starting to sound like Mamoru." She chuckled.
Michiru gave a slight giggle back. "We're all changing." And with that, she pulled away and took Haruka's hand in her own. The two were silent as they continued down the hallway; both were too busy thinking about what the matters at hand.
The thought that her two best friends were warming up to Usagi didn't disgust Haruka as much as it had in the past. It was true, they were all changing; growing up had ways of doing that to people. They didn't seem to find as much pleasure out of torturing the Saiyan as they had in their past. She'd rather just ignore the girl altogether, but that wasn't very possible given the recent circumstances. They would have to watch Usagi even closer now, knowing that she was their Princess. That fact alone gave Haruka a feeling of anger; how could such a bratty ditz be chosen Princess? She would lead the world to ruin.
~*~*~
Professor Tomoe tucked himself away deep in his lab where only one other was permitted. He was working on his latest project; or rather, his latest plan to take the hearts of the world. Time was running out for his lady, his protector. She was growing weak and Hotaru was getting too suspicious that something was wrong. The Senshi were getting overly meddlesome as well.
Gritting his teeth, he banged his fists against the table. "Damnit!", He cried out as he swiped a pile of papers off his desk. Not a single crystal heart had come in for two weeks.
A tall, dark figure appeared from behind him with a sly grin. "Don't worry, Professor. Those Senshi will be done away with very soon. The little one wasn't there last night, and her friends didn't seem to be able to hack it."
The Professor's anger grew as he glared over his shoulder at his red headed assistant. "You aren't helping this. You're choosing all the wrong victims."
Kaori frowned, but continued to grin. She wouldn't let his words get her down. "Have patience, Professor. The girls will falter. The two Senshi who have the power to stop us will not succeed in destroy every one of our minions." She proceeded forward and sat next to the Professor. She could feel his growing apprehension, but she said nothing.
He was angry with her, and had been for some time. They had been at this for six months, and were barely keeping their mistress in power. It was because of Kaori's poor candidates that they needed a constant re-supply of Heart Crystals. The Senshi were only making things worse with their feeling of need to stop the attacks. "You have one more chance, Kaori." That was all that was said before the bell to the house rang.
Kaori got up, knowing that she would be expected to answer it. "You won't be disappointed again, Professor." Grumbling to herself, she made her way up the stairs of the lab.
~*~*~
As disoriented as she was, Hotaru swung her legs over the side of her bed. She too had heard the doorbell, and had every intention to answer it. She knew who was out there for she could feel their presence more than anything. Her heart raced inside her chest with excitement; she hadn't seen any of her friends in so long.
With a half smile, which was the best she could pull off, she slid down off her bed and scurried to her bedroom door. Her breathing increased as she soon realized how weak she really was, but she didn't care. All she wanted was to speak with her best friend, Usagi.
Her excitement grew as she stumbled through the hallway up to a flight of stairs. She stopped for a moment to take a deep breath as a sensation of feeling dizzy swirled around her head. 'What's wrong with me.' She thought to herself as she put a foot out for the first step. It was at that moment that she felt a sudden rush of pain burst through her temples, causing her to tip forward in excruciating pain. She let go of the hand railing on the wall and grabbed a hold of her head as she tucked forward. Her balance was lost, and she dove down the stairs.
"Owww." She moaned as she tumbled down, but she barely realized it was happening. The pain in her head was too great for her to handle. She needed help. "Daddy." She tried to yell for him, but all that came out was a mere whisper.
~*~*~
Outside, Usagi appeared to be fidgeting more than usual. She had her tail gripped in both hands, and was twisting it rather tightly. Mamoru noticed this shortly after they had landed on the sidewalk, but had said nothing. But now as they waited for someone to answer the door, it was beginning to get on his nerves. "Would you stop that already?" He snarled as he sent Usagi a piercing glare.
Usagi looked down at the ground and only gripped her tail even tighter. "Stop what?" She demanded.
Mamoru frowned. "Stop playing with your tail." He yelled as he pried her hands away from it. She gave out a small whine, but allowed him to free her tail. "What's wrong with you anyway, Odango?"
Usagi continued to stare downward, slowly lifting her tail back up to her hands. "I'm just nervous about my mom, that's all. She'll be so mad if she knew that I skipped school." She raised he head just slightly in order to see if anyone had come to the door yet.
Mamoru groaned as he threw his head back. "Not that again. Come on, you've skipped school to have a good time, not worry about your mom."
Usagi smiled just slightly. "I know, but."
She was cut short when Mamoru interrupted. "But nothing. Stop thinking about your mother. Be a little rebellious. She's not going to be able to do anything about it now, you've already missed class."
Nothing more was said as the two of them continued to wait.
~*~*~
Hotaru wailed in pain as she curled up into a ball. She was completely oblivious to the fact that she had just fallen down a flight of stairs. The pain was that filled her head was much too immense to handle. She continued to cry for her father, but her voice was muffled by her whimpers. Her saiyan ears picked up the light footsteps of her caretaker; her trembling grew.
Kaori took small steps toward the hallway in which Hotaru had fallen. She had heard the commotion, but was in no rush to aid the fallen girl. She wore a rather quaint smirk. She knew that it was Hotaru who had run down here, and not her mistress. And for that she wouldn't bother to see if the child was all right. "What are you doing, Hotaru?" She asked, though not expecting an answer.
Not caring to stop even for a short moment, she stepped over the struggling girl and continued on her way. She had a feeling of who was at the door; only one group ever had the nerve to come by. "Meddling brat." She mumbled softly as she made her way to the front of the house. She wasn't in the mood to deal Usagi's interfering nature. She needed to think of more important things; like finding a pure heart crystal. She had been told very sternly of her last chance. Professor Tomoe seemed very serious in his voice, though she had her doubts. She was the only one for the job, really. But then there was the Mistress. She had a hold over Tomoe; whatever she wanted, she got. He personally saw to that.
There came another ring from the door, causing Kaori to roll her eyes in disgust. "The brat can't even be patient.She'll get hers. After all this crap she's pulled on us." She reached out for the door, pulling it open when her fingers wrapped themselves around the knob.
Outside she saw not only an apprehensive Usagi, but Mamoru was standing to her left. She sneered at the duo. "What do you want!" She demanded as she pushed herself out of the house, careful not to let the door swing wide enough to leave any kind of view of Hotaru lying on the floor.
Mamoru found the woman's manner of behavior rather strange, even for her. He knew she didn't like either of them, but she seemed to be hiding something. "We're here to see Hotaru. She hasn't been feeling well lately and."
"And that's precisely why neither of you two should be here now!" She snapped back at them quicker than Mamoru could finish his sentence. "Leave, both of you! I don't want to see either of your faces here again!"
Usagi, feeling much braver now, looked up at Kaori with a frown. "What are you saying?"
"Do I have to spell it our for you?" Kaori motioned for the two of them to leave the door stoop. "You aren't welcome here anymore. You're bothering Hotaru. I wouldn't be surprised if you were the reason why she's so sick! You and your.your diseases!" She didn't know what she was saying, but she could tell from the looks on their faces that they weren't buying what she was saying. She had to come up with something; she needed to think. "You were the reason she broke down and went back into her shell two years ago! Ever since then her condition has gone down hill!" Feeling proud of herself, she tried to hold back a grin. That would have been reason enough to banish all of Hotaru's friends from the property, and then she would never have to deal with them again.
Usagi and Mamoru exchanged a glance of disgust for a split second, but Usagi quickly pulled her view downward. Remembering that she herself had been involved in the death of Hotaru's mother, she suddenly felt ill. It was true that she had been part in Hotaru's distress, but she didn't think that it had caused any real damage. Just the year before Hotaru had felt well enough to help save the world from Tatsuo. Surely there was no connection between her mother's death and her illnesses now, could there be?
She didn't have much time to think about it before Mamoru was lashing out at the red head. "Listen here you blithering old woman!"
Kaori gasped, clearly shocked that anyone would ever think of her as 'Old'. "No, you listen her little boy! If you don't get off this property, I will call the police and have both of you hauled off to jail. It's your fault that little Hotaru," She tried to sound as sympathetic as possible as she spoke those words, "is so ill today. If you really consider her your friend, then leave."
Usagi looked back up at Kaori, completely speechless. There was something going on here, something she couldn't explain, but she was going to find out. She wouldn't just stand by and let one of her best friend's be shut out to the world like this. Kaori wasn't even the girl's mother. She was nothing more than the caretaker. "Right then, we'll be leaving now." She said, with a hint of a smirk.
Mamoru looked down at the Saiyan next to him in complete awe. "We.we're leaving?"
Usagi turned her eye up to Mamoru. She didn't give him any indication that she had a plan for she didn't want Kaori to suspect anything. "Yes. We're leaving now. We don't want any trouble here."
Kaori grinned widely. "That's a good girl." She was laughing on the inside; it had worked. Her lie had completely fooled the two. She carefully backed herself into house and slammed the door shut. "What idiots." She sneered as she headed back to the hallway where Hotaru still lay in pain.
~*~*~
Mamoru blindly turned his back upon the house, not even taking notice that Usagi hadn't moved an inch. He shoved his hands into his pocket; his face bore an angry frown. He couldn't believe that Usagi had just given in like that. To just declare defeat in the face of the enemy, she was taught better. "You really blew it this time, Odango." He said angrily as he walked down the path leading to the driveway. "Now we won't know what's happening to Hotaru."
Usagi frowned at Mamoru, but quickly gave that up for a sly smirk. "You really don't know me very well, do you Mamoru?" She gave a giggle as Mamoru stopped short of his next step. He turned only his neck so that he could see her with his side vision. She could tell just be watching his movements that he didn't understand what she was talking about, so she went on to explain. "When you beat me in our first fight, I trained as hard as I could for an entire year and came back for the victory. When Cell came the following year and all hope looked to be lost, we all trained and fought until he was defeated. Same goes for all the other enemies we've ever fought. Especially last year, when I had lost my ability to use my Ki, I still pressed on to help everyone."
Usagi's words made Mamoru think hard as he turned to completely face his rival. He felt stupid as he let his eyes fall upon the ground. "I should have known you had something up your sleeve." He paused for a moment, and looked hopefully up to the girl. "You do have one, right?"
Usagi grinned. "Of course I do. I'm not going to let that witch ruin Hotaru's life like this! She's hiding something, I just know it. It's up to us to find out what it is.
Mamoru smiled in such a way that Usagi hadn't seen in a long time. It was his old reckless grin that she had seen every time he saw her. "Right then, what is it?"
Usagi cocked her head to the side and grinned even wider. "That, my dear Mamoru, will be revealed in due time." She giggled even harder as she ran to his side and latched on to his arm. "When I've figured out how I'm going to go about doing this, I'll tell you."
Mamoru wasn't sure what to pay more attention to. The fact that Usagi, queen of kindness, had finally decided to turn to the 'dark side' or the fact that she was hanging onto his arm.
Hotaru shivered in the dark cold room as she wheezed for breath. She was becoming weaker by the day, and no one seemed to know why. She wasn't allowed to see her friends anymore, Kaori made certain of that. Her father had all but lost interest in keeping the woman under control. What was going on, she wondered? Everything seemed to be turning upside down for her. She even noticed changes in herself. Her powers were getting stronger, but her physical health was deteriorating rapidly. Things had gotten so bad that she would blank out for days at a time; she wouldn't remember anything that had happened during this time. Her father had refused to take her to the doctor for these problems, he had blamed this on the stress that she had been through in the last year. She didn't know any better than to question his judgment, after all, he had never led her wrong. So she continued life as is, forgetting weeks at a time.
This time she found herself in her bed. She didn't know how she got there, or how long she had been there. Last she remembered she was eating dinner with her father and Kaori. But now here she was, safely tucked away in her room where she found safety and comfort.
A loud noise was heard from beneath, causing her to jump with fright. Her shaking increased, though not from the cold. She was scared; terrified of what was happening to her. She felt as if she was losing control over her body, like something else had a hold of her. She was constantly on edge, everything frightened her; even her father's experiments, which were usually conducted in the lab directly under her room.
"What." she murmured as she took a look around her room.
~*~*~
Usagi kept to herself the next day. She woke in a hurry and rushed to get out the door. Her parents were caught in surprise. They hadn't seen her moving this fast for school since she was little. Both of them exchanged looks when she began wolfing her food down like there was no tomorrow. Goku quirked his eyebrow up a bit. He wished he knew what was bothering the girl, but she didn't seem like she wanted to talk. She looked more as if she was trying to hurry to avoid conversation, so he would say nothing about current events.
"Slow down there, kiddo, You're going to choke yourself." He chuckled as he too began speed eating.
Usagi didn't look up at her father. Instead, she just continued to shove food down her throat. Luna walked into the room and jumped up on the table. She looked oddly at Usagi, and then at Goku. "Usagi, you're turning into your father."
Chi-Chi sat down next to her husband with her own breakfast. "Usagi, slow down." She waited for her daughter to respond, but none came. She frowned as she set her bowl down on the table. "If you choke on your food don't tell me I didn't warn you."
Usagi remained silent as she shoved the last spoonful in her mouth. She had been too busy to answer. Luna, too, frowned at the girl. She had been like this ever since she had come home the night before. "Usagi, I need to speak with you."
Usagi frowned back at her cat advisor. She didn't feel like talking. She still hadn't sorted out all the details in her mind. She needed time to talk things over with her friends first. "Not now." She exclaimed as she gulped her milk down.
Goku watched his daughter's peculiar actions. He was worried about her, she had never acted so distant in a time of war. She was hiding something, he knew it, but what he didn't know. He wouldn't pressure her to tell him though, she was getting old enough to fight her own battles, he just wished that she would be comfortable enough to tell them what was going on. "Usagi, you'll be late for school if you don't get going soon."
Usagi looked up at her father, completely shocked. She was sure he was going to ask her what was wrong. He usually would have. Was she getting better at fooling him? She smiled just slightly at the thought. It was impossible; he knew her too well to be fooled. "I know. That's why I'm hurrying." She lied. She wouldn't normally hurry like this when she knew she was going to be late for school. Normally, she would continue to take her time and just be late.
Goku looked back at his wife, who looked concerned, but knew better than to say anything. This wasn't the time to get into an argument. "Better get going then."
Luna shot a glare at the older Saiyan. She was counting on him to bring up to subject of the girl's quietness. "Usagi!" She chastised as she looked back up to her Princess, who was already clearing her breakfast plates. "Be ready to talk when you get home."
Usagi ignored the black cat again as she placed her plates in the sink. "Maybe." She said as she walked to her father and gave him a hug. She could tell that he was ignoring what was bothering her, which felt great. He wouldn't ask until she was ready to talk, and she knew it. "Thank you." She whispered in his ear as she pulled away.
Goku let out a small sigh. Just as he was able to read his daughter, she was able to read him just as well. They both knew that the other was keeping quiet now; it would be an unspoken barrier that both of them would bring up until the time was right. He gave her a small smile as he kissed her on the cheek. "Have a good day, kiddo."
Usagi scurried to get her bag, which was just outside the kitchen by the front door. "I'm going over to Rei's to study after school."
Chi-Chi, not knowing how to react to her husband's unwillingness to ask their daughter what was bothering her, called back, "Don't be home too late."
Usagi flung her bag over her shoulder and reached for the doorknob. "I won't." She proceeded to open the door and step outside.
Chi-Chi waited for the door to close before she shot a wicked glare at Goku. "What the hell were you thinking?! Something is obviously bothering her, and you don't say anything."
Goku sighed as he leaned back in his chair. "I know that, Chi-Chi. But she needs to know that we aren't always going to be the ones to go looking to fix her problems. If she needs our help, she'll ask us. She's getting old enough to know when she needs us, and when she's able to handle herself."
Luna frowned as she jumped down off the table and proceeded to the kitchen door. "She's only 13 years old, Goku. Add in the fact that she's dealing with the heavy stress of being a Princess and you've got yourself a first- class problem. You need to be watching her every move, and know exactly what's going on in her life."
Goku frowned at the little black cat on the floor. "She may be a Princess, but she's still my daughter. I want her to be happy, and I want to believe that she is mature enough to start handling problems on her own. Thirteen is a confusing age, it threw Goten through a few loops, but he came out all right." He pushed himself away from the table and backed up, obviously frustrated.
Luna sighed as she looked downward. "Yes, it's a confusing age, which is why you should be ready to help her."
Goku began to walk toward the exit of the room. "I never said I wouldn't help her. I just want her to be the one to come to me for help, when she knows that she needs it. I don't want to live her life for her and tell her when she needs help."
Chi-Chi remained silent, but fumed with anger. She could see both Goku and Luna's points, but she tended to want to side with Luna. Usagi was not any ordinary 13-year-old. She was a Saiyan Moon Princess. She had more problems to deal with than any other 13-year-old. "I just want her to be safe, Goku."
Goku stopped for a moment, and tilted his head to the side as he gave a little smirk. "She's a smart girl, she wont get herself into any more trouble than she can handle. Trust me on this one. She'll come to us when she's ready." And with that, he left the room. He didn't much like the idea of not knowing what was troubling his daughter either, but it's what had to be done.
~*~*~
Usagi stopped just outside her house, completely surprised by what she saw. She didn't know what to say, or what to think for that matter. "Can I help you?" She asked, as she walked forward just a ways.
He had been sitting out there for nearly an hour now, waiting for her to emerge from the house. "I'm worried about you."
Usagi blinked twice, more confused now than before. "Mamoru." She said as she pulled back a bit. She had an awkward feeling in her gut, like he shouldn't be there; but at the same time, she wanted him there. "Why?"
Mamoru chuckled as he looked straight into the girl's eyes. "Because I am."
Usagi was completely speechless. He had been acting strangely lately, which was weird. He was being nice to her, for what reason she didn't know. Not that she didn't rather enjoy his changing attitude. After all, she had worked so hard to change him over the years, maybe it was all paying off. "Are you feeling all right, Mamoru?"
Mamoru side as he gave Usagi a quick smirk. He could tell she was confused, and who could blame her? The two of them hadn't exactly gotten along very well in their earlier years of knowing one another. He had always considered her a bratty little kid, and had treated her as such. Hell, he was even confused as to why he was standing here in front of the Son house. "Of course I am, but I want to make sure that you get to school safely. Without being able to transform into Sailor Moon." He cut himself short, seeing a pain flare into Usagi's eyes. He knew then that he had brought up the wrong subject at the wrong time. "I'm sor."
Usagi stopped him mid-word. "Don't be." She looked down to the ground with a sigh of her own. "Look, I'm fine, really." She forced herself to look back up into his eyes. They weren't the same eyes that she knew from so long ago; they had grown softer, more compassionate. "I can take care of myself."
"I know you can. But we're all worried about you, Usagi." He couldn't believe what he was saying. He had just admitted that he was worried about her, something he never thought he'd be saying.
Usagi was taken aback by his statement. She didn't know quite how to respond to that, but it wasn't long before she was grinning. "Oh I'm sure you are too, Mamoru." Although she kept a cool composure, a million thoughts dashed through her mind.
Mamoru frowned at the girl's snide remarks. "Look, if you don't."
Usagi stepped back yet again, feeling even more uncomfortable. She didn't want to get into this right now, she wanted to not have to think about the events that had come to play. "I'm sorry." She said solemnly as she continued to look him in the eyes. "I know you're all worried about me. The truth is, I'm scared. What's wrong with me? What if I can't ever turn into Sailor Moon again?" She felt as if a knife tore through her heart. Even though she hadn't really relished on the idea of being a Moon Princess, of having the responsibility of being Sailor Moon, she knew it was a part of who she was. In becoming Sailor Moon, the empty feeling that she had had finally been filled. "It's like a part of me is missing." She lowered her eyes to the ground, which were beginning to well up with tears.
Mamoru crossed his arms over his chest, but stayed silent. He could sense Usagi's distress, but he didn't want to say anything that would offend her, or make her feel even worse than she already did. Instead, he would try to cheer her up; this wasn't his area of expertise anyway. "Why don't you skip school with me today, Odango."
Usagi wiped away the tears that were starting to drip down her cheeks. "What?" She asked as she looked up to her childhood rival in disbelief. "I couldn't." She started, but cut herself off to look back at her house in paranoia. "My mom would."
Mamoru chuckled as he shifted his weight. "I should have known you'd be too chicken." He taunted as he took a step back and began turning himself around. "If you ever get some guts, give me a call. We'll reek some havoc."
Usagi could feel her face turning red as she stamped her foot on the ground. "I'm not chicken!" She cried out.
Mamoru smirked back at the girl. "Prove it. Skip school, have a little fun, forget your worries." He turned himself slightly in order to face the young Saiyan. "We can go visit the squirt, or."
Usagi was having a rush of emotions at this point. She had no idea what to feel; all of this was too confusing for her to handle. "Why are you doing this, Mamoru?" Mamoru said nothing, so she continued. "Why are you being so nice to me?"
Mamoru's smirk widened as he tried to sort out what he wanted to say. "Because, Odango, you've grown on me." Usagi was utterly speechless. She had no idea how to reply to something like that. "Now, let's get going. We'll check back with Ami after school about your broach. Just focus on having fun until then."
Usagi didn't know what she should do. On the one hand, taking time out of her busy schedule for some fun sounded like a good idea; however, her mother wouldn't think so, and it was her mother who mattered most right now. If she was caught skipping, she would never be trusted again. "Well.I.I." She looked nervously back at her house, expecting to see her mother standing there, listening to what was being said. "What if I just asked my dad? I'm sure he wouldn't care."
Mamoru frowned. "What does it matter if you get your parents approval, Usagi? Just do it. You're 13 already, old enough to make your own decisions about school."
Usagi looked back up at him with questioning eyes. "I guess." She tailed off into silence as she contemplated his suggestion. After thinking about it, she knew her father would probably say no to her. He would want her safe at school with her friends. "Ok." She said, finally coming to a decision. "I'll do it, but this better not be a plot to get me in trouble."
Mamoru's frown turned into a wide smile. "I won't." He slowly let himself lift into the air. 'I want to make sure you're all right.' He motioned for Usagi to do the same, which she did. "Going to Hotaru's first?"
Usagi nodded and the two of them started out for the city. She hated to do this, without her parents permission when she knew both of them wouldn't want her to; but she needed to do this for herself. She needed to get her mind off of school; and, more importantly, she needed to get her mind off of the whole Sailor Moon issue.
~*~*~
Michiru and Haruka walked the halls of Mughen at a casual pace. Their next class was still 20 minutes away, and neither of them were in much of a hurry to get there early. They had both been quiet for most of the day. Like Usagi and her friends, they too had been at the fight from the night before. They had seen how close Rei had come to her end, but they were able to save her from danger. These were not just any normal enemies that they were dealing with, they were much stronger than before. The other Senshi would be almost helpless in destroying what they were facing. It would be up to the Senshi of the outer galaxy to save the earth from destruction.
But something still bothered them; something about what had happened the day before. Haruka reached out and grabbed a hold of Michiru's arm, pulling her aside to the wall. Michiru looked up into the blonde's eyes. "What is it?"
Haruka said nothing as she looked to her right, and then her left. She was looking for any kind of suspicious character that may have been lurking about. "Something didn't add up last night." She whispered as she pulled Michiru even closer until she was practically hugging her.
Michiru played into Haruka's 'game', and made it look like they were sharing an intimate moment. "What is it?" She had been having second thoughts of the night before as well, though she didn't want to bring it up. What the other Senshi did was no business of hers, she had her own job to do and planned to live up to it.
Haruka leaned in closer until her mouth was by Michiru's ear. "Something strikes me as weird. Usagi didn't transform yesterday during the fight."
Michiru closed her eyes and rested her chin on her lover's shoulder. "I know, and I have no idea why she didn't. You don't think anything is wrong, do you?" She continued to get comfortable as she dug her nose into Haruka's neck.
Haruka smiled softly. "It's not for us to worry about. She's got her friends and," She paused to give a slight frown as she thought about what she was about to say, "Mamoru to protect her. We just need to focus on our duty to protect the earth from destruction."
Michiru nodded in agreement, though she didn't know how comfortable she was with letting the young Saiyan fend for herself when the other Senshi were so useless. "I agree, but I don't want to lose her to the hands of these monsters; not like Taro."
Haruka smirked as she rubbed her hand on Michiru's back. "You're starting to sound like Mamoru." She chuckled.
Michiru gave a slight giggle back. "We're all changing." And with that, she pulled away and took Haruka's hand in her own. The two were silent as they continued down the hallway; both were too busy thinking about what the matters at hand.
The thought that her two best friends were warming up to Usagi didn't disgust Haruka as much as it had in the past. It was true, they were all changing; growing up had ways of doing that to people. They didn't seem to find as much pleasure out of torturing the Saiyan as they had in their past. She'd rather just ignore the girl altogether, but that wasn't very possible given the recent circumstances. They would have to watch Usagi even closer now, knowing that she was their Princess. That fact alone gave Haruka a feeling of anger; how could such a bratty ditz be chosen Princess? She would lead the world to ruin.
~*~*~
Professor Tomoe tucked himself away deep in his lab where only one other was permitted. He was working on his latest project; or rather, his latest plan to take the hearts of the world. Time was running out for his lady, his protector. She was growing weak and Hotaru was getting too suspicious that something was wrong. The Senshi were getting overly meddlesome as well.
Gritting his teeth, he banged his fists against the table. "Damnit!", He cried out as he swiped a pile of papers off his desk. Not a single crystal heart had come in for two weeks.
A tall, dark figure appeared from behind him with a sly grin. "Don't worry, Professor. Those Senshi will be done away with very soon. The little one wasn't there last night, and her friends didn't seem to be able to hack it."
The Professor's anger grew as he glared over his shoulder at his red headed assistant. "You aren't helping this. You're choosing all the wrong victims."
Kaori frowned, but continued to grin. She wouldn't let his words get her down. "Have patience, Professor. The girls will falter. The two Senshi who have the power to stop us will not succeed in destroy every one of our minions." She proceeded forward and sat next to the Professor. She could feel his growing apprehension, but she said nothing.
He was angry with her, and had been for some time. They had been at this for six months, and were barely keeping their mistress in power. It was because of Kaori's poor candidates that they needed a constant re-supply of Heart Crystals. The Senshi were only making things worse with their feeling of need to stop the attacks. "You have one more chance, Kaori." That was all that was said before the bell to the house rang.
Kaori got up, knowing that she would be expected to answer it. "You won't be disappointed again, Professor." Grumbling to herself, she made her way up the stairs of the lab.
~*~*~
As disoriented as she was, Hotaru swung her legs over the side of her bed. She too had heard the doorbell, and had every intention to answer it. She knew who was out there for she could feel their presence more than anything. Her heart raced inside her chest with excitement; she hadn't seen any of her friends in so long.
With a half smile, which was the best she could pull off, she slid down off her bed and scurried to her bedroom door. Her breathing increased as she soon realized how weak she really was, but she didn't care. All she wanted was to speak with her best friend, Usagi.
Her excitement grew as she stumbled through the hallway up to a flight of stairs. She stopped for a moment to take a deep breath as a sensation of feeling dizzy swirled around her head. 'What's wrong with me.' She thought to herself as she put a foot out for the first step. It was at that moment that she felt a sudden rush of pain burst through her temples, causing her to tip forward in excruciating pain. She let go of the hand railing on the wall and grabbed a hold of her head as she tucked forward. Her balance was lost, and she dove down the stairs.
"Owww." She moaned as she tumbled down, but she barely realized it was happening. The pain in her head was too great for her to handle. She needed help. "Daddy." She tried to yell for him, but all that came out was a mere whisper.
~*~*~
Outside, Usagi appeared to be fidgeting more than usual. She had her tail gripped in both hands, and was twisting it rather tightly. Mamoru noticed this shortly after they had landed on the sidewalk, but had said nothing. But now as they waited for someone to answer the door, it was beginning to get on his nerves. "Would you stop that already?" He snarled as he sent Usagi a piercing glare.
Usagi looked down at the ground and only gripped her tail even tighter. "Stop what?" She demanded.
Mamoru frowned. "Stop playing with your tail." He yelled as he pried her hands away from it. She gave out a small whine, but allowed him to free her tail. "What's wrong with you anyway, Odango?"
Usagi continued to stare downward, slowly lifting her tail back up to her hands. "I'm just nervous about my mom, that's all. She'll be so mad if she knew that I skipped school." She raised he head just slightly in order to see if anyone had come to the door yet.
Mamoru groaned as he threw his head back. "Not that again. Come on, you've skipped school to have a good time, not worry about your mom."
Usagi smiled just slightly. "I know, but."
She was cut short when Mamoru interrupted. "But nothing. Stop thinking about your mother. Be a little rebellious. She's not going to be able to do anything about it now, you've already missed class."
Nothing more was said as the two of them continued to wait.
~*~*~
Hotaru wailed in pain as she curled up into a ball. She was completely oblivious to the fact that she had just fallen down a flight of stairs. The pain was that filled her head was much too immense to handle. She continued to cry for her father, but her voice was muffled by her whimpers. Her saiyan ears picked up the light footsteps of her caretaker; her trembling grew.
Kaori took small steps toward the hallway in which Hotaru had fallen. She had heard the commotion, but was in no rush to aid the fallen girl. She wore a rather quaint smirk. She knew that it was Hotaru who had run down here, and not her mistress. And for that she wouldn't bother to see if the child was all right. "What are you doing, Hotaru?" She asked, though not expecting an answer.
Not caring to stop even for a short moment, she stepped over the struggling girl and continued on her way. She had a feeling of who was at the door; only one group ever had the nerve to come by. "Meddling brat." She mumbled softly as she made her way to the front of the house. She wasn't in the mood to deal Usagi's interfering nature. She needed to think of more important things; like finding a pure heart crystal. She had been told very sternly of her last chance. Professor Tomoe seemed very serious in his voice, though she had her doubts. She was the only one for the job, really. But then there was the Mistress. She had a hold over Tomoe; whatever she wanted, she got. He personally saw to that.
There came another ring from the door, causing Kaori to roll her eyes in disgust. "The brat can't even be patient.She'll get hers. After all this crap she's pulled on us." She reached out for the door, pulling it open when her fingers wrapped themselves around the knob.
Outside she saw not only an apprehensive Usagi, but Mamoru was standing to her left. She sneered at the duo. "What do you want!" She demanded as she pushed herself out of the house, careful not to let the door swing wide enough to leave any kind of view of Hotaru lying on the floor.
Mamoru found the woman's manner of behavior rather strange, even for her. He knew she didn't like either of them, but she seemed to be hiding something. "We're here to see Hotaru. She hasn't been feeling well lately and."
"And that's precisely why neither of you two should be here now!" She snapped back at them quicker than Mamoru could finish his sentence. "Leave, both of you! I don't want to see either of your faces here again!"
Usagi, feeling much braver now, looked up at Kaori with a frown. "What are you saying?"
"Do I have to spell it our for you?" Kaori motioned for the two of them to leave the door stoop. "You aren't welcome here anymore. You're bothering Hotaru. I wouldn't be surprised if you were the reason why she's so sick! You and your.your diseases!" She didn't know what she was saying, but she could tell from the looks on their faces that they weren't buying what she was saying. She had to come up with something; she needed to think. "You were the reason she broke down and went back into her shell two years ago! Ever since then her condition has gone down hill!" Feeling proud of herself, she tried to hold back a grin. That would have been reason enough to banish all of Hotaru's friends from the property, and then she would never have to deal with them again.
Usagi and Mamoru exchanged a glance of disgust for a split second, but Usagi quickly pulled her view downward. Remembering that she herself had been involved in the death of Hotaru's mother, she suddenly felt ill. It was true that she had been part in Hotaru's distress, but she didn't think that it had caused any real damage. Just the year before Hotaru had felt well enough to help save the world from Tatsuo. Surely there was no connection between her mother's death and her illnesses now, could there be?
She didn't have much time to think about it before Mamoru was lashing out at the red head. "Listen here you blithering old woman!"
Kaori gasped, clearly shocked that anyone would ever think of her as 'Old'. "No, you listen her little boy! If you don't get off this property, I will call the police and have both of you hauled off to jail. It's your fault that little Hotaru," She tried to sound as sympathetic as possible as she spoke those words, "is so ill today. If you really consider her your friend, then leave."
Usagi looked back up at Kaori, completely speechless. There was something going on here, something she couldn't explain, but she was going to find out. She wouldn't just stand by and let one of her best friend's be shut out to the world like this. Kaori wasn't even the girl's mother. She was nothing more than the caretaker. "Right then, we'll be leaving now." She said, with a hint of a smirk.
Mamoru looked down at the Saiyan next to him in complete awe. "We.we're leaving?"
Usagi turned her eye up to Mamoru. She didn't give him any indication that she had a plan for she didn't want Kaori to suspect anything. "Yes. We're leaving now. We don't want any trouble here."
Kaori grinned widely. "That's a good girl." She was laughing on the inside; it had worked. Her lie had completely fooled the two. She carefully backed herself into house and slammed the door shut. "What idiots." She sneered as she headed back to the hallway where Hotaru still lay in pain.
~*~*~
Mamoru blindly turned his back upon the house, not even taking notice that Usagi hadn't moved an inch. He shoved his hands into his pocket; his face bore an angry frown. He couldn't believe that Usagi had just given in like that. To just declare defeat in the face of the enemy, she was taught better. "You really blew it this time, Odango." He said angrily as he walked down the path leading to the driveway. "Now we won't know what's happening to Hotaru."
Usagi frowned at Mamoru, but quickly gave that up for a sly smirk. "You really don't know me very well, do you Mamoru?" She gave a giggle as Mamoru stopped short of his next step. He turned only his neck so that he could see her with his side vision. She could tell just be watching his movements that he didn't understand what she was talking about, so she went on to explain. "When you beat me in our first fight, I trained as hard as I could for an entire year and came back for the victory. When Cell came the following year and all hope looked to be lost, we all trained and fought until he was defeated. Same goes for all the other enemies we've ever fought. Especially last year, when I had lost my ability to use my Ki, I still pressed on to help everyone."
Usagi's words made Mamoru think hard as he turned to completely face his rival. He felt stupid as he let his eyes fall upon the ground. "I should have known you had something up your sleeve." He paused for a moment, and looked hopefully up to the girl. "You do have one, right?"
Usagi grinned. "Of course I do. I'm not going to let that witch ruin Hotaru's life like this! She's hiding something, I just know it. It's up to us to find out what it is.
Mamoru smiled in such a way that Usagi hadn't seen in a long time. It was his old reckless grin that she had seen every time he saw her. "Right then, what is it?"
Usagi cocked her head to the side and grinned even wider. "That, my dear Mamoru, will be revealed in due time." She giggled even harder as she ran to his side and latched on to his arm. "When I've figured out how I'm going to go about doing this, I'll tell you."
Mamoru wasn't sure what to pay more attention to. The fact that Usagi, queen of kindness, had finally decided to turn to the 'dark side' or the fact that she was hanging onto his arm.