Author's Notes: I'm getting bored and I really just want her to dimension
hop, but I'll suppress my wants and fully continue this story. sigh
Disclaimer: I don't own SM/JL/TT
Chapter Six: Real, Pasted Smiles
Robin was on his motorcycle, starting the engine, when something hopped on behind him. He turned around to see Usagi, hair disarrayed and cheeks flushed.
"GO, GO, GO!" She yelled at him as she bounced nervously in her seat.
Robin hastily sped out of the garage in time to avoid a VERY angry Bruce.
"USAAAAAAAAAAAGIIIIIIII!!!!"
"What was that all about?" Robin shouted over the engine of his bike.
"Bru-chan's just a little upset about the shopping spree I went on...don't worry...I'm sure he'll get over it..." Usagi answered nervously as her eyes flickered back to Wayne Manor.
"I've never heard Bruce yell that loud." Robin said doubtfully.
"Oh well, I'm sure that in a day or two, he'll welcome me with open arms." Usagi said brightly.
"How much did you spend?"
"Well...."
"Welcome to Teen Titan Headquarters. You'd better make yourself comfortable, Usagi, you're gonna be here a LOT longer than a day or two." Robin said.
Usagi's head fell in gloom.
"Don't remind me! I swear I didn't even realize how much I was spending! I'm usually good with expensive things...just not when I'm buying them. Remember I told you when I saved all those expensive collector's items from Kiriyama-sama when he turned into a phagi? I swear, I thought Chibi-Chibi playing with those irreplaceable antiques was bad enough when Sailor Aluminum Siren showed up and ..." She said.
"That just goes to show, you're really not all that clumsy. I mean, if you can catch all those fragile items without breaking most of them, you're actually quite coordinated. Your problem is that you only really use your potential when someone else's neck is on the line." Robin said.
"What do you mean?" Usagi asked.
"What I mean is that you jump off a balcony for Endymion, you defeat Beryl for earth, you heal the Doom Tree for Alan and Ail, you go into the past for your future daughter, you almost kill yourself for Hotaru, you defeat Nehelenia for Mamoru, twice, and then you defeat Galaxia for her own soul and to win back your loved ones.
What I mean is that you have all this potential but you don't use it because you actually expect the worst of yourself. You think you can't do anything so the only time you actually try is when other people are depending on you!" Robin said, frustrated. "Can't you see what I see?"
"No." Usagi said as a lone tear streaked down her cheek.
With a frustrated sigh, Robin took her into his arms and rocked her back and forth as she cried. When her tears subsided, he stepped back and looked into her eyes.
"Why?" He asked her.
"Because I don't want to." She said. "Or at least I haven't wanted to for a long time."
Robin looked at her, puzzled.
"I've always wanted to be normal." Usagi said as she looked out a window.
"When I was reborn, I was clumsy but when I became Sailor Moon, I started to lose that. At first, I wanted to be everything BUT clumsy so I wouldn't be killed by youma (demons), but as it started to fade, I realized my normalcy was fading with it. I guess you could say I started to fight for my clumsiness and normalcy...and it worked; it became a habit I couldn't break.
"Unfortunately...or fortunately...I've accepted the fact that I will never be normal; not in this life or the next. Anyway, I decided to settle for the next best thing, the love and happiness of my friends and family, and of course of my Mamo-chan. I know they would love me and accept me even if I stayed clumsy, but for them to REALLY be happy, I have to make Crystal Tokyo work, and if I want to do that, then I have to become a great ruler." She said as she continued to stare out at the ocean beyond the Teen Titans Headquarters.
She slowly turned around and Robin was met with sad, blue eyes.
"So now I have to give up normalcy, but it's just so hard."
Robin looked at her with understanding in his eyes.
"Usagi, growing up is a part of normalcy. It would be ABnormal if someone stopped changing. Change is a part of life. Normalcy is simply accepting that change." He said.
Usagi looked thoughtful for a while before her face broke into a small, sad smile.
"Like Pluto would say, 'that chapter of time has ended and it just wouldn't do to try and go back.'"
Robin nodded his head in acquiescence. "And you might miss everything that's open for you in the future if you keep trying."
"Hey, how did you know the end to the saying?" Usagi asked.
"Great minds think alike."
"BAKA!"
Usagi was dusting furniture and Robin was vacuuming the floor. Robin had actually left Wayne Manor early to make sure everything was perfect for when his fellow comrades, and friends, arrived. As Usagi had hitchhiked a ride, Robin put her to work and the two of them were cleaning headquarters from top to bottom.
"They should be coming any minute now, I hope we get this all done before they come. I'd hate to make a bad impression." Usagi said as she finished all her dusting and took off her apron.
"Don't worry, they'll make a mess of this place in no time so they really don't care." Tim said as he turned off the vacuum. "Can you put this away in the closet for me? I'll start dinner since...well...you really shouldn't."
Usagi gave him a playful glare and stuck her tongue out at him as she passed and gave him her apron to put away in return.
"Hey, I can make those microwaveable dinners now!"
"Yeah, but I can't tell whether your cooking skills are still bad or if microwaveable dinners are all just bad in general!" He called after her and ducked as a shoe came hurtling towards him.
DING DONG!
'Since when do we have a bell?' Robin thought to himself. Shrugging, he went to the door to be met with Cyborg and Beastboy.
"How you doin Robin?" Cyborg asked as he took Robin's hand into a friendly handshake, while Robin forced a fake smile. He wouldn't let Cyborg know how much that HURT.
"Great, just finished cleanin' this place up." Robin said as he put Usagi's apron back in a closet and headed towards the kitchen to start dinner.
Cyborg and Beastboy looked at each other with raised eyebrows. WHAT was Robin doing with a frilly pink apron?
"Why'd you bother? It'll just get messy again anyways." Beastboy said as he reached for some of the food Robin was cooking. Unfortunately for him, Robin swatted his hand away with a spatula. A spatula that was covered in hot oil.
"OW! OUCH! OW! OOH!" Beastboy yelped as he jumped around holding his hand. Robin ran after him with a glass of water, trying to help out.
"Uhh...guys?" Cyborg asked, going very, very stiff.
Robin and Beastboy looked up to see a smiling Usagi.
"I...pleased to...meet you." Usagi struggled out.
Robin beamed with pride. He went to her side and slung an arm around her shoulder. She had been mistaken when she said he was shorter than her, they were actually the same height.
"Guys, I'd like you to meet Usagi Tsukino. She's gonna be staying with us for a while."
Suddenly, Beastboy was by his side, nudging him in the ribs.
"Robin, way to go man!" He said.
Cyborg also showed up next to him and had a gleam in his eye.
"I kinda thought you had something for Starfire, but it's good to see that you're playin' the field...explorin' new territory." He said.
Robin sighed and Usagi turned a bit green.
"Maybe I should clarify. Guys, I'd like you to meet my new FOSTER-SISTER, Usagi Tsukino." He said.
Cyborg and Beastboy blushed and put their hands behind their heads in embarrassment.
"Sorry bout that, Usagi."
"Didn't know you were Robin's SISTER."
"Saw a pretty girl, made a mistake."
"You understand."
"What do you mean I have a thing for Starfire?!" Robin yelped as Cyborg's statement made it through his head.
Usagi laughed.
"It's going to be lots of fun staying with YOU guys!" She chirped happily.
She was met by the blank stares of Beastboy and Cyborg.
"What did she just say?"
A small teardrop of liquid made its way down a soft surface before meeting the edge. It dripped downward slowly and then sprung back up like a yo-yo. It repeated this motion gaining more distance each time. Finally, its round bottom reached a flat surface and settled into a small pool.
"Usagi, stop drooling." Tim said. "We'll eat when Starfire and Raven get here."
"But Robin-chan, I'm so hungry!!!" She wailed, finally taking her eyes off the food.
"Come on Robin, let's start!" Beastboy acquiesced, now understanding Usagi's words after being provided with a communicator.
"Yeah, Raven doesn't eat a lot anyway and I know Starfire wouldn't mind." Cyborg said.
"No."
"Demo, Robin-chan...!"
"Come on, Robin!"
"PLEEEEEAAAAASE?"
DING DONG!
"See, they're here already." Robin said as he made his way to the doors. "And don't you dare touch a piece of food on that table."
Three wandering hands slowly dropped down and resigned to their places in their laps.
"He's just like Batman-chan sometimes..."
"OH! We have a guest!" A voice exclaimed.
"Raven, Starfire, I'd like you to meet my foster-sister, Usagi Tsukino."
"I'm very glad to meet you!" Usagi said as she bounced out of her seat to shake hands with the two girls.
"I am also very glad to meet you! Now I can have a new friend!" Starfire said as her eyes grew starry. "You will be my friend, won't you?"
"Of course!" Usagi beamed.
"This is such wonderful news!" Starfire said as she proceeded to squeeze the life out of Usagi. Fortunately for Usagi, she was used to this kind of treatment by Minako so she slipped an arm out of Starfire's grip and patted her on the head.
"I'm happy too." Usagi said with a sweatdrop.
Thankfully, she was saved from Starfire by a dark shadow that pulled Starfire's arms apart and got her out. Fascinated, Usagi looked around and saw Raven's hands glowing with the same dark power.
"I'm Raven." She said in a soft, husky voice.
"It's nice to meet you!" Usagi said as she bowed. All of a sudden, she turned around and saw Beastboy and Cyborg eating.
"Guys!" Robin said.
"What, you said we could eat when Starfire and Raven got here." Cyborg said in between bites.
"No fair!" Usagi wailed as she ran over to the table and launched herself at the food.
Starfire sat in the kitchen, slowly stirring her tea with a faraway look in her eyes. Her elbow was on the table and her head was cradled by her hand. She sighed softly.
"Couldn't sleep?"
She turned around to see Robin, in black pajamas, make his way to the refrigerator and fix himself a sandwich.
"No. I do not know why. It seems I have much on my mind these days." She replied with another sigh. "Much of my vacation was spent feeling lonely, even though I was with my family whom I missed very much. I thought the feeling would fade once I was back with my friends on earth, but it has not."
"Wanna talk about it?" He asked as he set his plate on the table and sat down next to her.
"I will be fine."
The two sat in a comfortable silence; Starfire, stirring her tea but head no longer cradled in her hand and a small smile on her face, and Robin, eating his sandwich.
Usagi watched them for a while with a soft smile on her face before going back into the hallway to go to her room.
Shade: I'm very tempted to just jump into another dimension, but I really want to wrap up the story and not leave any loose ends. Plus, there's a lot more people she can meet in this place. I was thinking about Spiderman. After this, I was thinking about LotR, X-men (I know it's the same universe, but the "problem" of mutants really aren't faced in the other comics so I want to make it another dimension), GW, DBZ, HP, CCS (not too sure about that one because I've only watched the English subbed and I haven't watched it in a while), Batman Beyond (hehehe, wait till you see this), Inu Yasha, Fushigi Yuugi, and Fruits Basket. Of course, all this is in no particular order. If you have any other requests, just leave em and I'll look em over.
EyesofPearl: There WILL be pairings, but I don't think any of them will be in this dimension. I'm thinking of an LotR pairing (but that dimension will come a lot later because to pair her up with a LotR char, I think she has to be much more mature), GW, POSSIBLY DBZ, HP, MAYBE Batman Beyond, POSSIBLY Inu Yasha, MAYBE Fushigi Yuugi, and POSSIBLY Fruits Basket. Wow, am I indecisive or what?
Miranda: Hehehe, that line was kind of a set up for another fic I have coming up, but it's more Pluto that does the dropping than the Ginzuishou. Hehehe, I almost feel like J.K., dropping all these hints. Well...except her clues make more sense....and they're usually more clever...and they usually make sense to other people besides myself...aw, crap...
Yami: I know what you mean about the Mamoru/Usagi fics. I think Mamoru fics are so not appealing because Mamoru seems like a boy-band guy: appealing at first but wimpier and wimpier as time goes by. Anyway, how do you know that Usagi will end up with Mamoru in the end? Okay, she WILL end up with him in the end but not the VERY end. Gah! I don't make much sense, do I? One word: EPILOGUE!!! (actually...that's kind of wrong too...but you'll see!)
Disclaimer: I don't own SM/JL/TT
Chapter Six: Real, Pasted Smiles
Robin was on his motorcycle, starting the engine, when something hopped on behind him. He turned around to see Usagi, hair disarrayed and cheeks flushed.
"GO, GO, GO!" She yelled at him as she bounced nervously in her seat.
Robin hastily sped out of the garage in time to avoid a VERY angry Bruce.
"USAAAAAAAAAAAGIIIIIIII!!!!"
"What was that all about?" Robin shouted over the engine of his bike.
"Bru-chan's just a little upset about the shopping spree I went on...don't worry...I'm sure he'll get over it..." Usagi answered nervously as her eyes flickered back to Wayne Manor.
"I've never heard Bruce yell that loud." Robin said doubtfully.
"Oh well, I'm sure that in a day or two, he'll welcome me with open arms." Usagi said brightly.
"How much did you spend?"
"Well...."
"Welcome to Teen Titan Headquarters. You'd better make yourself comfortable, Usagi, you're gonna be here a LOT longer than a day or two." Robin said.
Usagi's head fell in gloom.
"Don't remind me! I swear I didn't even realize how much I was spending! I'm usually good with expensive things...just not when I'm buying them. Remember I told you when I saved all those expensive collector's items from Kiriyama-sama when he turned into a phagi? I swear, I thought Chibi-Chibi playing with those irreplaceable antiques was bad enough when Sailor Aluminum Siren showed up and ..." She said.
"That just goes to show, you're really not all that clumsy. I mean, if you can catch all those fragile items without breaking most of them, you're actually quite coordinated. Your problem is that you only really use your potential when someone else's neck is on the line." Robin said.
"What do you mean?" Usagi asked.
"What I mean is that you jump off a balcony for Endymion, you defeat Beryl for earth, you heal the Doom Tree for Alan and Ail, you go into the past for your future daughter, you almost kill yourself for Hotaru, you defeat Nehelenia for Mamoru, twice, and then you defeat Galaxia for her own soul and to win back your loved ones.
What I mean is that you have all this potential but you don't use it because you actually expect the worst of yourself. You think you can't do anything so the only time you actually try is when other people are depending on you!" Robin said, frustrated. "Can't you see what I see?"
"No." Usagi said as a lone tear streaked down her cheek.
With a frustrated sigh, Robin took her into his arms and rocked her back and forth as she cried. When her tears subsided, he stepped back and looked into her eyes.
"Why?" He asked her.
"Because I don't want to." She said. "Or at least I haven't wanted to for a long time."
Robin looked at her, puzzled.
"I've always wanted to be normal." Usagi said as she looked out a window.
"When I was reborn, I was clumsy but when I became Sailor Moon, I started to lose that. At first, I wanted to be everything BUT clumsy so I wouldn't be killed by youma (demons), but as it started to fade, I realized my normalcy was fading with it. I guess you could say I started to fight for my clumsiness and normalcy...and it worked; it became a habit I couldn't break.
"Unfortunately...or fortunately...I've accepted the fact that I will never be normal; not in this life or the next. Anyway, I decided to settle for the next best thing, the love and happiness of my friends and family, and of course of my Mamo-chan. I know they would love me and accept me even if I stayed clumsy, but for them to REALLY be happy, I have to make Crystal Tokyo work, and if I want to do that, then I have to become a great ruler." She said as she continued to stare out at the ocean beyond the Teen Titans Headquarters.
She slowly turned around and Robin was met with sad, blue eyes.
"So now I have to give up normalcy, but it's just so hard."
Robin looked at her with understanding in his eyes.
"Usagi, growing up is a part of normalcy. It would be ABnormal if someone stopped changing. Change is a part of life. Normalcy is simply accepting that change." He said.
Usagi looked thoughtful for a while before her face broke into a small, sad smile.
"Like Pluto would say, 'that chapter of time has ended and it just wouldn't do to try and go back.'"
Robin nodded his head in acquiescence. "And you might miss everything that's open for you in the future if you keep trying."
"Hey, how did you know the end to the saying?" Usagi asked.
"Great minds think alike."
"BAKA!"
Usagi was dusting furniture and Robin was vacuuming the floor. Robin had actually left Wayne Manor early to make sure everything was perfect for when his fellow comrades, and friends, arrived. As Usagi had hitchhiked a ride, Robin put her to work and the two of them were cleaning headquarters from top to bottom.
"They should be coming any minute now, I hope we get this all done before they come. I'd hate to make a bad impression." Usagi said as she finished all her dusting and took off her apron.
"Don't worry, they'll make a mess of this place in no time so they really don't care." Tim said as he turned off the vacuum. "Can you put this away in the closet for me? I'll start dinner since...well...you really shouldn't."
Usagi gave him a playful glare and stuck her tongue out at him as she passed and gave him her apron to put away in return.
"Hey, I can make those microwaveable dinners now!"
"Yeah, but I can't tell whether your cooking skills are still bad or if microwaveable dinners are all just bad in general!" He called after her and ducked as a shoe came hurtling towards him.
DING DONG!
'Since when do we have a bell?' Robin thought to himself. Shrugging, he went to the door to be met with Cyborg and Beastboy.
"How you doin Robin?" Cyborg asked as he took Robin's hand into a friendly handshake, while Robin forced a fake smile. He wouldn't let Cyborg know how much that HURT.
"Great, just finished cleanin' this place up." Robin said as he put Usagi's apron back in a closet and headed towards the kitchen to start dinner.
Cyborg and Beastboy looked at each other with raised eyebrows. WHAT was Robin doing with a frilly pink apron?
"Why'd you bother? It'll just get messy again anyways." Beastboy said as he reached for some of the food Robin was cooking. Unfortunately for him, Robin swatted his hand away with a spatula. A spatula that was covered in hot oil.
"OW! OUCH! OW! OOH!" Beastboy yelped as he jumped around holding his hand. Robin ran after him with a glass of water, trying to help out.
"Uhh...guys?" Cyborg asked, going very, very stiff.
Robin and Beastboy looked up to see a smiling Usagi.
"I...pleased to...meet you." Usagi struggled out.
Robin beamed with pride. He went to her side and slung an arm around her shoulder. She had been mistaken when she said he was shorter than her, they were actually the same height.
"Guys, I'd like you to meet Usagi Tsukino. She's gonna be staying with us for a while."
Suddenly, Beastboy was by his side, nudging him in the ribs.
"Robin, way to go man!" He said.
Cyborg also showed up next to him and had a gleam in his eye.
"I kinda thought you had something for Starfire, but it's good to see that you're playin' the field...explorin' new territory." He said.
Robin sighed and Usagi turned a bit green.
"Maybe I should clarify. Guys, I'd like you to meet my new FOSTER-SISTER, Usagi Tsukino." He said.
Cyborg and Beastboy blushed and put their hands behind their heads in embarrassment.
"Sorry bout that, Usagi."
"Didn't know you were Robin's SISTER."
"Saw a pretty girl, made a mistake."
"You understand."
"What do you mean I have a thing for Starfire?!" Robin yelped as Cyborg's statement made it through his head.
Usagi laughed.
"It's going to be lots of fun staying with YOU guys!" She chirped happily.
She was met by the blank stares of Beastboy and Cyborg.
"What did she just say?"
A small teardrop of liquid made its way down a soft surface before meeting the edge. It dripped downward slowly and then sprung back up like a yo-yo. It repeated this motion gaining more distance each time. Finally, its round bottom reached a flat surface and settled into a small pool.
"Usagi, stop drooling." Tim said. "We'll eat when Starfire and Raven get here."
"But Robin-chan, I'm so hungry!!!" She wailed, finally taking her eyes off the food.
"Come on Robin, let's start!" Beastboy acquiesced, now understanding Usagi's words after being provided with a communicator.
"Yeah, Raven doesn't eat a lot anyway and I know Starfire wouldn't mind." Cyborg said.
"No."
"Demo, Robin-chan...!"
"Come on, Robin!"
"PLEEEEEAAAAASE?"
DING DONG!
"See, they're here already." Robin said as he made his way to the doors. "And don't you dare touch a piece of food on that table."
Three wandering hands slowly dropped down and resigned to their places in their laps.
"He's just like Batman-chan sometimes..."
"OH! We have a guest!" A voice exclaimed.
"Raven, Starfire, I'd like you to meet my foster-sister, Usagi Tsukino."
"I'm very glad to meet you!" Usagi said as she bounced out of her seat to shake hands with the two girls.
"I am also very glad to meet you! Now I can have a new friend!" Starfire said as her eyes grew starry. "You will be my friend, won't you?"
"Of course!" Usagi beamed.
"This is such wonderful news!" Starfire said as she proceeded to squeeze the life out of Usagi. Fortunately for Usagi, she was used to this kind of treatment by Minako so she slipped an arm out of Starfire's grip and patted her on the head.
"I'm happy too." Usagi said with a sweatdrop.
Thankfully, she was saved from Starfire by a dark shadow that pulled Starfire's arms apart and got her out. Fascinated, Usagi looked around and saw Raven's hands glowing with the same dark power.
"I'm Raven." She said in a soft, husky voice.
"It's nice to meet you!" Usagi said as she bowed. All of a sudden, she turned around and saw Beastboy and Cyborg eating.
"Guys!" Robin said.
"What, you said we could eat when Starfire and Raven got here." Cyborg said in between bites.
"No fair!" Usagi wailed as she ran over to the table and launched herself at the food.
Starfire sat in the kitchen, slowly stirring her tea with a faraway look in her eyes. Her elbow was on the table and her head was cradled by her hand. She sighed softly.
"Couldn't sleep?"
She turned around to see Robin, in black pajamas, make his way to the refrigerator and fix himself a sandwich.
"No. I do not know why. It seems I have much on my mind these days." She replied with another sigh. "Much of my vacation was spent feeling lonely, even though I was with my family whom I missed very much. I thought the feeling would fade once I was back with my friends on earth, but it has not."
"Wanna talk about it?" He asked as he set his plate on the table and sat down next to her.
"I will be fine."
The two sat in a comfortable silence; Starfire, stirring her tea but head no longer cradled in her hand and a small smile on her face, and Robin, eating his sandwich.
Usagi watched them for a while with a soft smile on her face before going back into the hallway to go to her room.
Shade: I'm very tempted to just jump into another dimension, but I really want to wrap up the story and not leave any loose ends. Plus, there's a lot more people she can meet in this place. I was thinking about Spiderman. After this, I was thinking about LotR, X-men (I know it's the same universe, but the "problem" of mutants really aren't faced in the other comics so I want to make it another dimension), GW, DBZ, HP, CCS (not too sure about that one because I've only watched the English subbed and I haven't watched it in a while), Batman Beyond (hehehe, wait till you see this), Inu Yasha, Fushigi Yuugi, and Fruits Basket. Of course, all this is in no particular order. If you have any other requests, just leave em and I'll look em over.
EyesofPearl: There WILL be pairings, but I don't think any of them will be in this dimension. I'm thinking of an LotR pairing (but that dimension will come a lot later because to pair her up with a LotR char, I think she has to be much more mature), GW, POSSIBLY DBZ, HP, MAYBE Batman Beyond, POSSIBLY Inu Yasha, MAYBE Fushigi Yuugi, and POSSIBLY Fruits Basket. Wow, am I indecisive or what?
Miranda: Hehehe, that line was kind of a set up for another fic I have coming up, but it's more Pluto that does the dropping than the Ginzuishou. Hehehe, I almost feel like J.K., dropping all these hints. Well...except her clues make more sense....and they're usually more clever...and they usually make sense to other people besides myself...aw, crap...
Yami: I know what you mean about the Mamoru/Usagi fics. I think Mamoru fics are so not appealing because Mamoru seems like a boy-band guy: appealing at first but wimpier and wimpier as time goes by. Anyway, how do you know that Usagi will end up with Mamoru in the end? Okay, she WILL end up with him in the end but not the VERY end. Gah! I don't make much sense, do I? One word: EPILOGUE!!! (actually...that's kind of wrong too...but you'll see!)