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REAWAKENING Book One of Bishoujo Senshi Sailor Moon CosmicStars by Nashie (aka ShadowSamurai) December 1999 - April 2000 Revised - Summer/Fall 2002
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Disclaimer: Sailor Moon and her friends belong to Naoko Takeuchi. The author takes no credit for any of the original storyline. However, all the new characters belong to me and I'd appreciate it if you didn't take any without requesting permission.
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REVISEDVERSION-REVISEDVERSION-REVISEDVERSION The following is the revised version of Episode 202. It was never completed, and the original version is below this portion. This was the last of the revised chapters from Reawakening.
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~~~Episode 202: A new enemy? The beginning of a battle for eternity~~~
Usagi lay in her bed, Chibiusa snoring loudly next to her. She had gotten used to the fact that this pink-haired child would be staying with them for an unknown amount of time, but it still irked her that she received the snoring habits Usagi was famous for. Briefly, Usagi wondered why Chibiusa just didn't take her old room in the attic that she used during the battles with the Dead Moon Circus.
Shivering, Usagi cast away that thought. Every single battle always reminded her of how close she was to losing her closest friends. In some battles, they _had_ died. It hurt to recall such terrible memories.
However, that night, the future princess' snoring wasn't keeping her awake. In fact, she was exhausted beyond her own belief. But...she didn't seem able to sleep. Perhaps, it was the still recent battle of Galaxia that filled the adrenaline in her blood. It was the hardest battle she had ever and (hoped) would ever fight.
*Galaxia...are you happy?* she thought, staring up at her white- painted ceiling. *You've finally been able to go back to family and friends. Your heart must ache...I felt it when you were finally free of chaos. You hurt deep down inside for the friends _I_ lost, thinking that was you did was irreversible. But...what you did can be forgiven! It is not your fault...*
Was that the only way?
Usagi sighed, closing her eyes. It wasn't the only way. She believed that if everyone worked together...then perhaps...no...then they _would_ accomplish the impossible. It occurred to her that all her battles had been won due to the efforts of her friends, whether they be with her physically or in spirit.
*One time, Rei-chan, you said I was too sweet for my own good,* Usagi thought, smiling as an image of Rei chasing her with an oversized broom ran through her head. *Am I? Am I too trusting? But...if no one trusts one another...how can we _believe_ in one another? How could we...*
The trail of thought ended abruptly. Well, it was _over_. No use crying over the past, even though there was nothing to cry about. The present was something she had to deal with.
And that meant getting to sleep.
Usagi shifted in her bed, her eyes struggling with fatigue-bruised lids. Lately, she was thinking too much about the past instead of the future. Rei and Ami often got on her case nowadays with the fact that she was off in her own little world. But, maybe it was a mild form of depression she was going through. After all, Mamoru had left...what was it...a month ago? Being without his presence after being united for such a brief period of time upset her. She _knew_ it was important for him to study and become what he truly wanted to be. But she also knew the she wanted him by her side. Like he had been in the past, when they first fought together.
*My beloved masked man.* The petite blonde would no doubt say that this was the man she would spend the rest of eternity with. She had seen her own future, she _did_ know.
Usagi yawned loudly and shifted again in her sleep. Chibiusa also turned and murmured something about "Mamo-chan" in her sleep. Her premature mother simply smiled at her daughter's sweet peaceful dreams. Tomorrow...tomorrow everything would be revealed. The senshi meeting they would have was to discuss the effects of the final battle against Chaos and Galaxia. It scared her to no end that if she told it, she would lose her friends all over again. She couldn't bear it. And she couldn't bear to bring those memories back to her friends either. But...it needed to be done. They needed to know what they had to do in order to prepare the world for Crystal Tokyo.
"Usagi-chan?"
Usagi groaned under her breath and looked over the bed. She saw her cat. Now, to the hypothetical observer, it would have seemed that the girl was simply imagining things. After all, cats couldn't talk. Now, if Luna, Artemis, or Diana realized that this hypothetical observer thought this, they would show him the reasons why cats were _not_ man's best friend.
"Usagi-chan! You're still awake!" the black cat gasped in surprise. Again, the fact that this cat could talk would lock most people away for the rest of their lives. Luna's red eyes were full of concern that usually wouldn't be displayed for her mistress. She couldn't believe the shape her mistress was in. "Go to sleep. You need it, especially since you have a meeting at Rei's temple tomorrow." Usagi shook her head slowly, the result of being sluggish from lack of sleep and too much energy.
"I can't, Luna," she whispered with a barely repressed sigh. Luna listened sadly to the girl before her who had saved the world numerous times, had lost her best friends in death more than once, and was expected to still go to school on the designated days. "I may be tired, but I can't seem to sleep. It's like...my muscles are tired, but my brain is going a mile per minute." Luna gave a crooked smile.
"Rei-chan would have something to say about that," she replied, grateful that her remark caused an annoyed smile to appear on Usagi's face. "You need to conserve your energy." Usagi barely nodded, as she felt a silvery glow spread throughout her consciousness. She wanted to blink, gasp, or jerk in surprise, but the relaxing calm was too powerful and too inviting.
*Luna?*
*Hmmm?*
*What is this?* Usagi didn't even bother thinking about why Luna could hear her. She just wanted an answer.
Luna seemed to pause. Finally, *it is something your mother taught me when you were a child. You had quite a few fears, princess.*
Before warm and welcoming darkness took over, Usagi wrapped herself in the silvery light in one time. Without any logical thought that she would have had two years ago, she knew that the mother was Queen Serenity and that, as a child, Princess Serenity had been terrified of the darkness.
*Luna...?*
*Yes, Usagi-chan?*
*...thank you.* She turned back to her pillow and fell face first into it. Luna could hear the slow, rhythmic sound of Usagi's breathing in a couple of minutes.
Luna didn't think that using the old silver song would harm Usagi. Much of Princess Serenity was still in her present-day incarnation. She would accept it, just as she had back in the Silver Millennium.
As Luna lay back on her pink pillow (that was, of course, covered in rabbits), she let her mind wander over the memories that she had accumulated over the past two years. She had waken up from suspended animation with Artemis a few weeks before running into Usagi. Her memories had all but been wiped out and she knew of only one thing: awaken Sailor Moon.
Luna frowned as she recalled that memory. Sailor Moon had never been a soldier during the Silver Era on the moon. There were only planetary soldiers, plus the handsome Prince Endymion, who defended their solar system. Sadly, though, none of them survived the attack on the moon, save Pluto and Saturn. And Saturn destroyed herself in order to lead the ruins of the Silver Millennium into a peaceful death.
Oh, how Usagi been surprised to find out she was to be leader of other soldiers with similar powers as she. But her heart had broken when she realized that four of these soldiers were not under her command and would resist her friendship. Luna had never seen such pain in her eyes, for she had not been at the heart wrenching moments of intense battles. She had not been there when the five inner senshi had discovered their past. She had not been there when Usagi's four closest friends had been killed at Beryl's commands. She had not been there when Usagi realized Mamoru did not remember her or when he had broken up with her. Neither had she been there when Chibiusa was found out to be Black Lady, when Saffiru and Demando died. No, she could not recall being there when Usagi's friends heart crystals, dream mirrors, or star seeds had been stolen.
And she was grateful for it.
For seeing her closet friend's heart broken would be too much to bear. Yes, over the past two years, the relationship between Luna and Usagi had developed from teacher and student to close friends. Usagi shared everything with her cat that she couldn't with even the inner senshi.
Luna lifted her head to look out the window at the moon, shining brightly behind thin dark blue clouds. For a moment, she simply stared, reminded of the dream that she had been having for the last week or so. Shaking her head slowly, she released her eyes from the silver satellite and turned towards the girl who represented it in battle.
*Usagi, you have deserved this peace. Enjoy it, dear moon princess.*
Usagi's only response was that of a snore.
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"Usagi-chan! Wake up!"
Usagi's eyes popped open, her dreams of Mamoru abruptly shattered, and she jumped up, startled. She stared accusingly at the culprit, Chibiusa, who was standing over on the side of the bed, wearing her school outfit and her rabbit backpack. The pink-haired child was grinning brightly, piling on all the dimples that she was famous for in the future.
"Chibiusa-chan!" Usagi cried, falling back onto her nice warm pillow. She closed her eyes as she pulled the pillow over her head. It couldn't be important. It never was.
Chibiusa, smile fading, grabbed the pillow and tore it from Usagi's grasp. Usagi groaned and pulled the covers over her head. Chibiusa sighed, putting her hands on her hips. Why must that girl be so stubborn, even _after_ the big important battle with Chaos?
"Usagi-chaaaaan!" she exclaimed in a singsong voice, knowing how much she was getting on her immature mother's nerves. She jumped on top of the lump on the bed that was vaguely human shaped. Usagi yelled something incoherent and thrashed around viciously, trying to knock the brat off of the bed. Chibiusa, however, was not so easily discouraged. "We have a meeting! We're..."
"...LATE!" Usagi screamed, throwing the covers back as she realized that Rei would skin her to Mars and back if she came to the first senshi meeting in over a month late. Chibiusa fell backwards off the bed, did an unlady like tumble, and sprawled on the carpeted floor in surprise and hurt dignity.
"Call Rei-chan!" Chibiusa suggested, but Usagi had already run out of the room in panic, screaming at the top of her lungs. Chibiusa walked to the other side of the room and looked for the phone.
She finally found it, next to a huge stuffed bunny Mamo-chan had won for Usagi at a fair a year back. She picked it up, sighed miserably at the thought of her immature mother, and dialed the Hikawa Jinja. Chibiusa waited patiently for someone to pick up the phone, her mouth twisting into a frown. Unlike her mother, she hated being late. Her mother in the future, the beautiful and responsible Neo-Queen Serenity, had drilled that important factor into her head the minute she could learn how to walk. Probably talking from personal experience. Usagi was never known to be early for _anything_, especially senshi meetings.
Chibiusa looked over at the bathroom door, slightly ajar and saw Usagi's harried expression in the mirror as she hurried to get ready. The pink-haired princess prayed that she wouldn't inherit such clumsiness from Usagi as she heard a click on the other line.
"Moshi, moshi, this is the Hikawa Jinja! May I help you?" Chibiusa frowned. None of the senshi: it was Kamada Yuuichirou. The victim of Rei's short temper and an apprentice to her grandfather. Chibiusa had to admit that he _was_ cute, but she definitely preferred Mamoru or Helios or Peruru...
"Hello?"
"Oh! I'm sorry! This is Chibiusa, Usagi's cousin."
"Hey!" the young man enthused, laughing a bit. "You're back for more abuse?"
"Er...yeah...more abuse..." Chibiusa had to sweatdrop, knowing exactly what he meant. She giggled nervously. "I was just checking to see if Rei-chan and her company are there."
"Yeah. I heard Rei-san say something about Usagi-chan being late again. I'm guessing you want to talk to her?" Chibiusa shrugged.
"Anybody will do."
"Except Meioh-san. No offense, but she gives me the creeps." Chibiusa smiled. There was Setsuna for you, giving everyone the watchful, criticizing eye of the senshi of time. "Here's Rei." There was a shuffle on the other line, and what sounded like arguing. Chibiusa picked out that Rei was a tad annoyed with Yuuichirou for interrupting her meeting and Yuuichirou was apologizing continuously.
Finally, "This is Hino Rei."
"Rei-chan, Usagi-chan woke up late. It's going to be another twenty minutes before we get there." A moment of brief silence. Chibiusa could practically feel Rei's temper burning on the other line.
"Really? That lazy...oh, I can't _stand_ her! Tell her to haul her slow behind over her so I can fry it with my ofuda!" Chibiusa bit back a smile. Considering what Rei _could_ have said, this was relatively mild.
"Sure, Rei-chan. We should be leaving-"
"Who are you talking to?" Usagi suddenly exclaimed, popping into the room, fully cleaned and dressed. Her hair was still damp from a very quick shower, but other than that, it didn't look like she had been rushed at all. "Is that Rei? Let me talk to her!"
"I don't think that would be-" Chibiusa started to say, but Usagi had already grabbed the phone. In an instant, her face had darkened and it almost seemed like her pigtails were standing on end, so angry she was.
"WHAT!? Oh, you're such a meanie, Rei! I didn't wake up on time! Don't yell at me! What...what do you mean I'm lazy!? You're such a brat! I _said_ I was on my way...what!? What do you mean by that!? Oh, you're so mean...I am not! I am not a crybaby or a ditz...STOP YELLING AT ME! I SAID I'LL BE THERE!" With that, Usagi clicked off the phone, threw it on her bed, grabbed Chibiusa's hand, and raced for the door.
"I can't believe...that self-righteous brat! I am _so_ going to yell at her when I get there! When is a girl supposed to get her beauty sleep..."
That was at the Tsukino household...
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...and this was at the Hikawa Jinja.
Rei hung up the phone, growling beneath her breath. She turned to the others, who had looked up expectantly at the sudden outbursts by the dark- haired priestess. All of them had the same look on their face: they knew where the senshi leader was at.
"Usagi-chan slept in again?" Minako said, more of a statement than a question. She chewed the end of a long blonde strand of hair in frustration. "Goodness gracious, that girl is _never_ early." The others made sounds and gestures of agreement.
"We have got to get Usagi-chan an alarm clock that actually wakes her up," Haruka muttered, her voice sounding both annoyed and amused. As long as she had known Usagi, the petite blonde had never been early for anything unless it concerned food.
"I thought she had one," mused Hotaru out loud, looking up at the others from where she was sitting on shrine's steps. Resting her elbows on her knees, she cupped her chin in her hand thoughtfully. "Doesn't she?" Ami shook her head with a shy, bemused smile.
"When all else fails, it is either her mom or Luna who will end up waking her up," she answered.
Makoto, who was casually leaning against the railing of the shrine, smiled as she added in, "And that's if her second alarm clock doesn't out- ring the first one. With all that racket going on, I can't imagine how Usagi-chan can sleep through it."
Hotaru frowned at Setsuna. "Was Princess Serenity ever like this, Setsuna- mama?" The older woman gave her "daughter" a quiet, reserved smile.
"Never," she replied. "Luna never let her even think about sleeping in."
"I wish some of that common sense would fade over into her present incarnation," grumbled Rei as she settled back down next to Minako, who was leaning up against the shrine's outer wall, playing a Game Boy. Artemis was peering over her arm, cheering her on as she breezily passed through the levels. The inner girls sighed at Rei's comment, all of them thinking along the same lines. Michiru and Haruka simply frowned, a little disappointed in the senshi leader's behavior.
Suddenly, a sudden minute storm of dust and blonde hair rushed up the numerous stairs and under the shrine's impressive archway. With a hurried and loud apology, the dust slammed to a halt in front of the eight young women (plus one white cat), resulting in an irritated exclamation from the rapidly disappearing cloud of dust. As it faded away, two girls with very odd hairstyles stood in its former midst.
"Sorry...I'm...late," gasped Usagi, her mouth hanging open as she breathed heavily. She doubled over, trying to catch her breath from the long, over-exerted run from her house to the Hikawa Shrine.
Chibiusa struggled out of her future mother's grasp with an annoyed, "Let me go, you klutz!" and sprawled unlady-like on the ground. She scrambled to her feet, a rosy blush staining her cheeks, and made sure she still had her backpack. With that done, she hurried to Setsuna and wrapped her arms around the guardian of time's waist.
"G'morning, Puu!" the little thing of a girl exclaimed excitedly. Setsuna smiled.
"Good morning to you as well, Small Lady." Chibiusa grinned and then delivered another crushing hug to Hotaru, who giggled at the greeting.
Usagi grinned brightly as she stood up and brushed any remaining dust particles from her long butter-blonde pigtails. "So...what did we miss?" Rei scowled impatiently as she got to her feet, crossing her arms.
"Fortunately for you, we haven't started yet. Come on, let's go in where it's cooler. This summer has been crazy!" Usagi blinked as the other senshi gave her reluctant, disappointed smiles and went inside.
With a sigh and a cheerful reminder to wake up earlier, Usagi followed them all inside.
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Shimmering lights...one...two...
"They faded, Sister."
"I'm sorry. I will try harder next time."
"Those are only two...where are the others?"
There was a brief moment of silence as the owner of the ladder voice seemed to be repeating her experimentation.
Shimmering lights...three...four...
"There!"
"These are the ones? There are four...what of the others?"
"Fool, there are only these four that we need to concern ourselves with. You don't understand the reincarnation process. Those of the White Moon Kingdom, the Silver Millennium, are all here, in what used to be the Golden Kingdom!"
"Sister...these four..."
"Haven't you been listening to me?" The owner of the voice wiped a few strands of hair from their face, dangerously silver eyes glinting. "Every single time we have tried for this, we have been thwarted. Beryl was a fool, going after the Princess _after_ she gained her four guardians. Did you see the path of the stars? All enemies have fallen to these despicable senshi! Even the most powerful senshi of them all, Sailor Galaxia, while inhabited by Chaos itself."
The second speaker lowered her head. "Chaos cannot be destroyed, not without..."
"Without the sword from the legends? That is a children's faerie tale! Chaos still lurks out there. What was the mistake everyone made? Will we be able to succeed where others have failed?"
"Sister...there are so few eyewitnesses...Chaos cannot be harnessed like a beast of burden..."
"Damnit, don't tell me that!" The girl pounded her fist onto the black obsidian desk. "I hate waiting here in limbo! The senshi have won what they think is their greatest battle yet! They are weak and arrogant now; they will never expect what we will bestow upon them."
"Yet, we cannot leave."
The room filled with silence as the first young woman lowered herself into her seat, letting her anger seep out of her, radiate around her like heat radiates from a hot coal. The second speaker chewed her lower lip nervously. She was the younger of two, the least motivated, the least ambitious, the follower, not the leader. Her sister's anger was fearful, and she tried her best never to aggravate her elder sister's short, violent temper.
Finally, "Queen Serenity locked us in this godforsaken limbo. Her daughter will feel my wrath once I escape. And I _will_ escape."
The second girl nodded. Better just appear to agree than to argue with her. After all, there was no point in bringing the temper towards her. Yes, she hated Queen Serenity too, and those four bothersome brats who acted on her command to protect that whiny, annoying princess.
She wanted them dead.
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For a normal person walking by the Hikawa Jinja, the sight was something quite odd. People who really wouldn't seem to have anything to do with each other, so different were their personalities, were seemingly chatting casually about their everyday life. Friends, that's what one would call them.
The normal person, of course, would not know that the school's klutz, the sweet-and-sour girl, the beautiful young priestess, the super-genius, the captain of the volleyball team, a famous and gorgeous violinist, a talented F-1 racer, a pink-haired elementary school child, a mysterious twelve-year-old, and a college student were actually the reincarnations of soldiers from a long-dead moon kingdom.
"Okay, so this is the first serious meeting we've had since Sailor Galaxia was freed from Chaos," noted Minako as she sat back into an overstuffed tan pillow lying in the sun. The cheerful, almost childish, personality of Aino Minako had faded away to the mature and thoughtful senshi of love, Sailor Venus. She sat back casually, blue eyes reflecting the light of the morning star. "In other words, we're here trying to discuss what we're going to do with our lives up until Crystal Tokyo."
"Plus," Hotaru chimed in, "the repercussions _of_ the attack of Galaxia and Chaos." The others nodded. Usagi took a deep breath. She had put it off long enough. She had never told the others exactly what had happened after each of their deaths, and didn't really want to remember all the meticulous details about the horrid battle.
"Princess..." Setsuna said quietly, noticing the distressed look in Usagi's eyes. "This is why we are here. In order to decide how much this has affected the universe, we need to know what you did. Please, tell us the battle." The blonde girl looked down at her hands and she closed her eyes.
When she opened them again, her eyes were so full of pain that many in the room diverted their eyes away. Rei, however, did not do so. Instead, she rose to her feet, strode across the room, and sat down next to her best friend, placing a gentle hand on Usagi's. Usagi gave the dark-haired priestess a small smile. Despite their bickering, they always came through for each other.
"It's okay, Usagi-chan," Rei soothed. "We're all here. We're not going anywhere." Usagi nodded and took a deep breath.
"My battle with Galaxia..." she started. "I guess...there's no place to start except at the beginning.
ORIGINALVERSION-ORIGINALVERSION-ORIGINALVERSION
The following version is the original version of Episode 202.
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~~~Episode 202: A new enemy? The beginning of a battle for eternity~~~
Usagi lay in her bed, Chibiusa snoring loudly next to her. But that wasn't keeping her awake. In fact, she was exhausted beyond her own belief. But...she didn't seem able to sleep.
Usagi shifted in her bed, her eyes heavy with fatigue. What was going on? Why was she so tired? Everyone else, she knew, felt the same way. Anytime they had group meetings, they were very short.
Usagi yawned loudly and shifted again in her sleep. Chibiusa also turned and murmured something about "Mamo-chan" in her sleep.
"Usagi-chan?"
Usagi groaned under her breath and looked over the bed. She saw her cat Luna staring up at her. Usagi stared at Luna sadly.
"Usagi-chan! You're still awake!" Luna gasped. Her eyes were full of concern. She couldn't believe the shape her mistress was in. The blonde odango-atama was pale looking and her usually cheerful blue eyes were drooping. "Go to sleep." Usagi shook her head.
"I can't, Luna," she whispered. Luna listened sadly. "I may be tired, but I can't seem to sleep." Luna gave a crooked smile.
"Please try," Luna replied. "You need to conserve your energy." Usagi barely nodded. She turned back to her pillow and fell face first into it. Luna was right. She needed to conserve her energy. Maybe if she closed her eyes and relaxed a bit...like Chibiusa...
Luna could hear the slow, rhythmic sound of Usagi's breathing in a couple of minutes. She looked worried as she jumped up on the bed, careful not to disturb either of the sleeping girls. All of the senshi seemed to be too tired lately. Usually they were so full of amazing energy.
Luna thought about the lunar eclipse that had occurred a month ago. No, that couldn't be it. No strange energy had been emitted. None at all. There had to be something that they weren't aware of. But what? She'd have to find out tomorrow.
Luna rested her head in her paws and thought of the blonde odango-atama. It was while before she could drift off to sleep. And it was the same dream she almost had every night. Of the outer planets. And of destruction.
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"Usagi-chan! Wake up!"
Usagi's eyes popped open and she jumped up, startled. She stared at the culprit, Chibiusa, who was standing over on the side of the bed, wearing her school outfit and her rabbit backpack.
"Chibiusa-chan!" Usagi cried, falling back onto her nice warm pillow. She closed her eyes as she pulled the pillow over her head. It couldn't be important. It never was.
Chibiusa grabbed the pillow and tore it from Usagi's grasp. Usagi groaned and pulled the covers over her head. Chibiusa sighed. Why must that girl be so stubborn?
"Usagi-chaaaaan!" Chibiusa said in a singsong voice. She jumped on top of the lump that was Usagi. Usagi moved around, trying to knock the brat off the bed. "We have a meeting! We're..."
"LATE!" Usagi screamed, throwing the covers back. Chibiusa fell backwards off the bed in shock. Usagi scrambled out of the bed.
"Call Rei-chan!" Chibiusa suggested, but Usagi had already run out of the room in panic, screaming at the top of her lungs. Chibiusa walked to the other side of the room and looked for the phone.
She finally found it, next to a huge stuffed bunny Mamo-chan had won for Usagi at a fair. She picked it up and dialed the Hikawa Jinja. The phone rang twice. Chibiusa waited patiently for someone to pick up the phone. She heard a click on the other line.
"Hello?" a familiar voice asked over the phone. Chibiusa's eyes lit up.
"Pu!" she cried.
"Hi, Small Lady," Setsuna responded. "Where are you calling from?"
"Usagi-chan woke up late again. We're still here," Chibiusa said cheerfully. Setsuna sighed. It was so like Usagi to wake up late. Well, the best she could do was tell Small Lady to get there when she could.
"Pu? Are you still there?"
"Um, yes," Setsuna said. "Well, come as soon as possible." Chibiusa noted that Setsuna's voice sounded very tired and that she was holding back a sigh.
"Bye-bye Pu," Chibiusa replied.
"Good-bye Small Lady."
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Setsuna hung up the phone and sighed. She turned to the others.
"Usagi-chan slept in again?" Minako asked when she saw the look in Setsuna's eyes. Setsuna nodded and the others groaned.
"We have got to get Usagi-chan an alarm clock," Haruka said, closing her eyes. Michiru sighed and nodded in agreement.
"I thought she had one," Hotaru wondered out loud. She looked at Ami. "Doesn't she?" Ami shook her head.
"It broke last month," she said. Mako smiled, remembering what had happened. Hotaru looked at her questioningly.
"What happened?"
"Well," Mako said. She scratched her head. "Last month, Usagi-chan was looking for a new alarm clock. I had asked her what had happened to her old clock. She said that she had 'accidentally' broken it. Then she had gotten a really evil look on her face." Rei sighed.
"She never listens," she muttered. "I told her just to fix her last one, but she wasted money on an alarm clock that fell in the river on her way home." The inner girls sighed. Everyone looked up when they heard the tingling of a bell. They turned to the door of the shrine. A small gray kitten walked out timidly.
"Where's Small Lady?" it asked in a high voice. Her wondering eyes looked at the girls. Artemis followed the kitten.
"Sorry Diana," he replied. "She's with Usagi."
"And Usagi-sama is not yet here?"
"No, Diana." Diana looked upset and crouched down and waited for Chibiusa to come.
Just then, a large cloud of dust appeared at the front gate. As the dust cleared away, the others could see a gasping Usagi and a near hysterical Chibiusa in her arms. Diana looked up at the commotion.
"Sorry...I'm...late," gasped Usagi, her mouth hanging open as she breathed heavily. Chibiusa struggled out of Usagi's grasp and fell on the ground. She scrambled to her feet and made sure she still had her backpack. She ran up to Setsuna and gave her a hug.
Diana yelped with glee and ran up to Chibiusa. Her collar bell jingled wildly as she jumped on top of Chibiusa's head. Chibiusa laughed.
"Now that you're here," Rei said, "and incredibly late, we can start." Rei led everyone inside the shrine. It was dark inside and Usagi made a goofy look appear on her face.
"Why'd all the lights go out?" she asked, grasping Mako's arm. "It's dark in here." Mako shrugged Usagi off.
"Shhh," Mako whispered. "There has to be a good reason." Rei nodded and opened a door near the end of a hallway. Inside, near the center of the room, was a blazing fire, almost touching the ceiling.
"It's been quiet lately," Michiru murmured. The fire crackled softly and lit her tired dark blue eyes to a fiery glow. "And as far as we know, it's been peaceful."
"I have a feeling," Rei said quietly as she sat in front of the fire, "that that is going to change real soon." The others stared at her in silence.
"What's up, Rei-chan?" Minako asked. Rei sighed. It wasn't that she didn't want to tell them, it was just that she felt it would be an extreme burden when she did tell them. Especially after the very recent battle against Galaxia and Chaos...that terrible fight that had cost all the senshi, save Sailor Moon, their lives.
"I had a strange vision," Rei began, the fire burning brightly. Her eyes were dark. "It began a couple of nights ago. Something was approaching the moon. Two asteroids, pink and blue. I felt that something was very wrong with them indeed. The universe was dark and the planets were surrounded by a foggy like air, but..." Rei stopped. Should she continue? Or was it best to just stop now?
"But what?" Michiru asked. She looked curious. "Go on Rei-chan."
"But in the background," Rei continued. Her voice had been clear, but now it seemed shaded. "I saw the planets of the outer solar system. They were completely enveloped in a dark light from the asteroids' tail." She stopped again and took a deep breath. "I have a terrible feeling that it's a premonition."
The others looked at her, surprised.
"Of destruction?" Haruka asked. Her brow furrowed. "Your visions are usually accurate." The others were quiet. Rei looked sad and yawned loudly.
"I'm sorry to bring this burden on you guys," Rei said, pulling away from the fire. She turned to her friends, the light of the fire sending shadows across her face. "But I have a feeling there's a huge battle coming up."
"Rei-chan..." Usagi began, looking more than upset by this extra burden. Her eyes watered and her mouth quivered. She got another goofy look on her face. "I'm too tired to fight." She started wailing loudly.
"Excuse me."
The girls spun around. Standing near the door of the room, was a young woman. Her blue hair was held in thick ponytails, resembling Chibiusa's. Her eyes were a deeper shade of blue, almost black. Her face was pale. Her school uniform was dark blue with a white blouse and an orange necktie. An eerie aura spread around the girl.
She smiled and Usagi almost wanted to gasp. The smile was haunting and Usagi felt as if an icy cold hand had been wrapped tightly around her heart. She looked at the others. They were staring at the girl, wondering, but unafraid. Maybe it was only her. But, this girl was scaring her. The closest person to her was Rei. She grabbed Rei's miko-san clothes and felt the icy fear begin to melt next to Rei's fiery aura.
The girl smiled again and spoke with heavily accented English. "Long time, no see-"
"What?"
"-outer soldiers."
************************************************************
Author's Note: I look back on this episode now, and wondered when had I ever been such a terrible writer. Well, I hope I've improved.
Just a few notes on some events in the chapter:
In the original version of this story, Chibiusa called Setsuna, "Pu". Later, in the revised version, it was "Puu". I've seen it spelt both ways, and I'm known to put extra letters in words that usually don't need them (but it makes no difference either way it goes). The mysterious' girls uniform is pretty much a carbon copy of Umi's uniform from Magic Knights Rayearth. I don't own that either, if anyone cares. Why was she talking to the group in the English? Mostly it was because I didn't know if "other" and "outer" sounded the same in Japanese, but the words could possibly be easily confused for someone who doesn't speak English as a first language. I made the sure the characters weren't OC. Instead, I made them too much like their personalities are displayed in the anime, and I have a feeling I've gone overboard with Usagi's character.
Oh, and I almost forgot. I have to thank Teki-chan for helping me out with my e-mail. If not, I never would have gotten my confirmation code for FFNet. This episode is dedicated to you. (Don't take offense that it's a crappy episode...)
Until the next episode, ta-ta.
REAWAKENING Book One of Bishoujo Senshi Sailor Moon CosmicStars by Nashie (aka ShadowSamurai) December 1999 - April 2000 Revised - Summer/Fall 2002
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Disclaimer: Sailor Moon and her friends belong to Naoko Takeuchi. The author takes no credit for any of the original storyline. However, all the new characters belong to me and I'd appreciate it if you didn't take any without requesting permission.
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REVISEDVERSION-REVISEDVERSION-REVISEDVERSION The following is the revised version of Episode 202. It was never completed, and the original version is below this portion. This was the last of the revised chapters from Reawakening.
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~~~Episode 202: A new enemy? The beginning of a battle for eternity~~~
Usagi lay in her bed, Chibiusa snoring loudly next to her. She had gotten used to the fact that this pink-haired child would be staying with them for an unknown amount of time, but it still irked her that she received the snoring habits Usagi was famous for. Briefly, Usagi wondered why Chibiusa just didn't take her old room in the attic that she used during the battles with the Dead Moon Circus.
Shivering, Usagi cast away that thought. Every single battle always reminded her of how close she was to losing her closest friends. In some battles, they _had_ died. It hurt to recall such terrible memories.
However, that night, the future princess' snoring wasn't keeping her awake. In fact, she was exhausted beyond her own belief. But...she didn't seem able to sleep. Perhaps, it was the still recent battle of Galaxia that filled the adrenaline in her blood. It was the hardest battle she had ever and (hoped) would ever fight.
*Galaxia...are you happy?* she thought, staring up at her white- painted ceiling. *You've finally been able to go back to family and friends. Your heart must ache...I felt it when you were finally free of chaos. You hurt deep down inside for the friends _I_ lost, thinking that was you did was irreversible. But...what you did can be forgiven! It is not your fault...*
Was that the only way?
Usagi sighed, closing her eyes. It wasn't the only way. She believed that if everyone worked together...then perhaps...no...then they _would_ accomplish the impossible. It occurred to her that all her battles had been won due to the efforts of her friends, whether they be with her physically or in spirit.
*One time, Rei-chan, you said I was too sweet for my own good,* Usagi thought, smiling as an image of Rei chasing her with an oversized broom ran through her head. *Am I? Am I too trusting? But...if no one trusts one another...how can we _believe_ in one another? How could we...*
The trail of thought ended abruptly. Well, it was _over_. No use crying over the past, even though there was nothing to cry about. The present was something she had to deal with.
And that meant getting to sleep.
Usagi shifted in her bed, her eyes struggling with fatigue-bruised lids. Lately, she was thinking too much about the past instead of the future. Rei and Ami often got on her case nowadays with the fact that she was off in her own little world. But, maybe it was a mild form of depression she was going through. After all, Mamoru had left...what was it...a month ago? Being without his presence after being united for such a brief period of time upset her. She _knew_ it was important for him to study and become what he truly wanted to be. But she also knew the she wanted him by her side. Like he had been in the past, when they first fought together.
*My beloved masked man.* The petite blonde would no doubt say that this was the man she would spend the rest of eternity with. She had seen her own future, she _did_ know.
Usagi yawned loudly and shifted again in her sleep. Chibiusa also turned and murmured something about "Mamo-chan" in her sleep. Her premature mother simply smiled at her daughter's sweet peaceful dreams. Tomorrow...tomorrow everything would be revealed. The senshi meeting they would have was to discuss the effects of the final battle against Chaos and Galaxia. It scared her to no end that if she told it, she would lose her friends all over again. She couldn't bear it. And she couldn't bear to bring those memories back to her friends either. But...it needed to be done. They needed to know what they had to do in order to prepare the world for Crystal Tokyo.
"Usagi-chan?"
Usagi groaned under her breath and looked over the bed. She saw her cat. Now, to the hypothetical observer, it would have seemed that the girl was simply imagining things. After all, cats couldn't talk. Now, if Luna, Artemis, or Diana realized that this hypothetical observer thought this, they would show him the reasons why cats were _not_ man's best friend.
"Usagi-chan! You're still awake!" the black cat gasped in surprise. Again, the fact that this cat could talk would lock most people away for the rest of their lives. Luna's red eyes were full of concern that usually wouldn't be displayed for her mistress. She couldn't believe the shape her mistress was in. "Go to sleep. You need it, especially since you have a meeting at Rei's temple tomorrow." Usagi shook her head slowly, the result of being sluggish from lack of sleep and too much energy.
"I can't, Luna," she whispered with a barely repressed sigh. Luna listened sadly to the girl before her who had saved the world numerous times, had lost her best friends in death more than once, and was expected to still go to school on the designated days. "I may be tired, but I can't seem to sleep. It's like...my muscles are tired, but my brain is going a mile per minute." Luna gave a crooked smile.
"Rei-chan would have something to say about that," she replied, grateful that her remark caused an annoyed smile to appear on Usagi's face. "You need to conserve your energy." Usagi barely nodded, as she felt a silvery glow spread throughout her consciousness. She wanted to blink, gasp, or jerk in surprise, but the relaxing calm was too powerful and too inviting.
*Luna?*
*Hmmm?*
*What is this?* Usagi didn't even bother thinking about why Luna could hear her. She just wanted an answer.
Luna seemed to pause. Finally, *it is something your mother taught me when you were a child. You had quite a few fears, princess.*
Before warm and welcoming darkness took over, Usagi wrapped herself in the silvery light in one time. Without any logical thought that she would have had two years ago, she knew that the mother was Queen Serenity and that, as a child, Princess Serenity had been terrified of the darkness.
*Luna...?*
*Yes, Usagi-chan?*
*...thank you.* She turned back to her pillow and fell face first into it. Luna could hear the slow, rhythmic sound of Usagi's breathing in a couple of minutes.
Luna didn't think that using the old silver song would harm Usagi. Much of Princess Serenity was still in her present-day incarnation. She would accept it, just as she had back in the Silver Millennium.
As Luna lay back on her pink pillow (that was, of course, covered in rabbits), she let her mind wander over the memories that she had accumulated over the past two years. She had waken up from suspended animation with Artemis a few weeks before running into Usagi. Her memories had all but been wiped out and she knew of only one thing: awaken Sailor Moon.
Luna frowned as she recalled that memory. Sailor Moon had never been a soldier during the Silver Era on the moon. There were only planetary soldiers, plus the handsome Prince Endymion, who defended their solar system. Sadly, though, none of them survived the attack on the moon, save Pluto and Saturn. And Saturn destroyed herself in order to lead the ruins of the Silver Millennium into a peaceful death.
Oh, how Usagi been surprised to find out she was to be leader of other soldiers with similar powers as she. But her heart had broken when she realized that four of these soldiers were not under her command and would resist her friendship. Luna had never seen such pain in her eyes, for she had not been at the heart wrenching moments of intense battles. She had not been there when the five inner senshi had discovered their past. She had not been there when Usagi's four closest friends had been killed at Beryl's commands. She had not been there when Usagi realized Mamoru did not remember her or when he had broken up with her. Neither had she been there when Chibiusa was found out to be Black Lady, when Saffiru and Demando died. No, she could not recall being there when Usagi's friends heart crystals, dream mirrors, or star seeds had been stolen.
And she was grateful for it.
For seeing her closet friend's heart broken would be too much to bear. Yes, over the past two years, the relationship between Luna and Usagi had developed from teacher and student to close friends. Usagi shared everything with her cat that she couldn't with even the inner senshi.
Luna lifted her head to look out the window at the moon, shining brightly behind thin dark blue clouds. For a moment, she simply stared, reminded of the dream that she had been having for the last week or so. Shaking her head slowly, she released her eyes from the silver satellite and turned towards the girl who represented it in battle.
*Usagi, you have deserved this peace. Enjoy it, dear moon princess.*
Usagi's only response was that of a snore.
************************************************************
"Usagi-chan! Wake up!"
Usagi's eyes popped open, her dreams of Mamoru abruptly shattered, and she jumped up, startled. She stared accusingly at the culprit, Chibiusa, who was standing over on the side of the bed, wearing her school outfit and her rabbit backpack. The pink-haired child was grinning brightly, piling on all the dimples that she was famous for in the future.
"Chibiusa-chan!" Usagi cried, falling back onto her nice warm pillow. She closed her eyes as she pulled the pillow over her head. It couldn't be important. It never was.
Chibiusa, smile fading, grabbed the pillow and tore it from Usagi's grasp. Usagi groaned and pulled the covers over her head. Chibiusa sighed, putting her hands on her hips. Why must that girl be so stubborn, even _after_ the big important battle with Chaos?
"Usagi-chaaaaan!" she exclaimed in a singsong voice, knowing how much she was getting on her immature mother's nerves. She jumped on top of the lump on the bed that was vaguely human shaped. Usagi yelled something incoherent and thrashed around viciously, trying to knock the brat off of the bed. Chibiusa, however, was not so easily discouraged. "We have a meeting! We're..."
"...LATE!" Usagi screamed, throwing the covers back as she realized that Rei would skin her to Mars and back if she came to the first senshi meeting in over a month late. Chibiusa fell backwards off the bed, did an unlady like tumble, and sprawled on the carpeted floor in surprise and hurt dignity.
"Call Rei-chan!" Chibiusa suggested, but Usagi had already run out of the room in panic, screaming at the top of her lungs. Chibiusa walked to the other side of the room and looked for the phone.
She finally found it, next to a huge stuffed bunny Mamo-chan had won for Usagi at a fair a year back. She picked it up, sighed miserably at the thought of her immature mother, and dialed the Hikawa Jinja. Chibiusa waited patiently for someone to pick up the phone, her mouth twisting into a frown. Unlike her mother, she hated being late. Her mother in the future, the beautiful and responsible Neo-Queen Serenity, had drilled that important factor into her head the minute she could learn how to walk. Probably talking from personal experience. Usagi was never known to be early for _anything_, especially senshi meetings.
Chibiusa looked over at the bathroom door, slightly ajar and saw Usagi's harried expression in the mirror as she hurried to get ready. The pink-haired princess prayed that she wouldn't inherit such clumsiness from Usagi as she heard a click on the other line.
"Moshi, moshi, this is the Hikawa Jinja! May I help you?" Chibiusa frowned. None of the senshi: it was Kamada Yuuichirou. The victim of Rei's short temper and an apprentice to her grandfather. Chibiusa had to admit that he _was_ cute, but she definitely preferred Mamoru or Helios or Peruru...
"Hello?"
"Oh! I'm sorry! This is Chibiusa, Usagi's cousin."
"Hey!" the young man enthused, laughing a bit. "You're back for more abuse?"
"Er...yeah...more abuse..." Chibiusa had to sweatdrop, knowing exactly what he meant. She giggled nervously. "I was just checking to see if Rei-chan and her company are there."
"Yeah. I heard Rei-san say something about Usagi-chan being late again. I'm guessing you want to talk to her?" Chibiusa shrugged.
"Anybody will do."
"Except Meioh-san. No offense, but she gives me the creeps." Chibiusa smiled. There was Setsuna for you, giving everyone the watchful, criticizing eye of the senshi of time. "Here's Rei." There was a shuffle on the other line, and what sounded like arguing. Chibiusa picked out that Rei was a tad annoyed with Yuuichirou for interrupting her meeting and Yuuichirou was apologizing continuously.
Finally, "This is Hino Rei."
"Rei-chan, Usagi-chan woke up late. It's going to be another twenty minutes before we get there." A moment of brief silence. Chibiusa could practically feel Rei's temper burning on the other line.
"Really? That lazy...oh, I can't _stand_ her! Tell her to haul her slow behind over her so I can fry it with my ofuda!" Chibiusa bit back a smile. Considering what Rei _could_ have said, this was relatively mild.
"Sure, Rei-chan. We should be leaving-"
"Who are you talking to?" Usagi suddenly exclaimed, popping into the room, fully cleaned and dressed. Her hair was still damp from a very quick shower, but other than that, it didn't look like she had been rushed at all. "Is that Rei? Let me talk to her!"
"I don't think that would be-" Chibiusa started to say, but Usagi had already grabbed the phone. In an instant, her face had darkened and it almost seemed like her pigtails were standing on end, so angry she was.
"WHAT!? Oh, you're such a meanie, Rei! I didn't wake up on time! Don't yell at me! What...what do you mean I'm lazy!? You're such a brat! I _said_ I was on my way...what!? What do you mean by that!? Oh, you're so mean...I am not! I am not a crybaby or a ditz...STOP YELLING AT ME! I SAID I'LL BE THERE!" With that, Usagi clicked off the phone, threw it on her bed, grabbed Chibiusa's hand, and raced for the door.
"I can't believe...that self-righteous brat! I am _so_ going to yell at her when I get there! When is a girl supposed to get her beauty sleep..."
That was at the Tsukino household...
************************************************************
...and this was at the Hikawa Jinja.
Rei hung up the phone, growling beneath her breath. She turned to the others, who had looked up expectantly at the sudden outbursts by the dark- haired priestess. All of them had the same look on their face: they knew where the senshi leader was at.
"Usagi-chan slept in again?" Minako said, more of a statement than a question. She chewed the end of a long blonde strand of hair in frustration. "Goodness gracious, that girl is _never_ early." The others made sounds and gestures of agreement.
"We have got to get Usagi-chan an alarm clock that actually wakes her up," Haruka muttered, her voice sounding both annoyed and amused. As long as she had known Usagi, the petite blonde had never been early for anything unless it concerned food.
"I thought she had one," mused Hotaru out loud, looking up at the others from where she was sitting on shrine's steps. Resting her elbows on her knees, she cupped her chin in her hand thoughtfully. "Doesn't she?" Ami shook her head with a shy, bemused smile.
"When all else fails, it is either her mom or Luna who will end up waking her up," she answered.
Makoto, who was casually leaning against the railing of the shrine, smiled as she added in, "And that's if her second alarm clock doesn't out- ring the first one. With all that racket going on, I can't imagine how Usagi-chan can sleep through it."
Hotaru frowned at Setsuna. "Was Princess Serenity ever like this, Setsuna- mama?" The older woman gave her "daughter" a quiet, reserved smile.
"Never," she replied. "Luna never let her even think about sleeping in."
"I wish some of that common sense would fade over into her present incarnation," grumbled Rei as she settled back down next to Minako, who was leaning up against the shrine's outer wall, playing a Game Boy. Artemis was peering over her arm, cheering her on as she breezily passed through the levels. The inner girls sighed at Rei's comment, all of them thinking along the same lines. Michiru and Haruka simply frowned, a little disappointed in the senshi leader's behavior.
Suddenly, a sudden minute storm of dust and blonde hair rushed up the numerous stairs and under the shrine's impressive archway. With a hurried and loud apology, the dust slammed to a halt in front of the eight young women (plus one white cat), resulting in an irritated exclamation from the rapidly disappearing cloud of dust. As it faded away, two girls with very odd hairstyles stood in its former midst.
"Sorry...I'm...late," gasped Usagi, her mouth hanging open as she breathed heavily. She doubled over, trying to catch her breath from the long, over-exerted run from her house to the Hikawa Shrine.
Chibiusa struggled out of her future mother's grasp with an annoyed, "Let me go, you klutz!" and sprawled unlady-like on the ground. She scrambled to her feet, a rosy blush staining her cheeks, and made sure she still had her backpack. With that done, she hurried to Setsuna and wrapped her arms around the guardian of time's waist.
"G'morning, Puu!" the little thing of a girl exclaimed excitedly. Setsuna smiled.
"Good morning to you as well, Small Lady." Chibiusa grinned and then delivered another crushing hug to Hotaru, who giggled at the greeting.
Usagi grinned brightly as she stood up and brushed any remaining dust particles from her long butter-blonde pigtails. "So...what did we miss?" Rei scowled impatiently as she got to her feet, crossing her arms.
"Fortunately for you, we haven't started yet. Come on, let's go in where it's cooler. This summer has been crazy!" Usagi blinked as the other senshi gave her reluctant, disappointed smiles and went inside.
With a sigh and a cheerful reminder to wake up earlier, Usagi followed them all inside.
************************************************************
Shimmering lights...one...two...
"They faded, Sister."
"I'm sorry. I will try harder next time."
"Those are only two...where are the others?"
There was a brief moment of silence as the owner of the ladder voice seemed to be repeating her experimentation.
Shimmering lights...three...four...
"There!"
"These are the ones? There are four...what of the others?"
"Fool, there are only these four that we need to concern ourselves with. You don't understand the reincarnation process. Those of the White Moon Kingdom, the Silver Millennium, are all here, in what used to be the Golden Kingdom!"
"Sister...these four..."
"Haven't you been listening to me?" The owner of the voice wiped a few strands of hair from their face, dangerously silver eyes glinting. "Every single time we have tried for this, we have been thwarted. Beryl was a fool, going after the Princess _after_ she gained her four guardians. Did you see the path of the stars? All enemies have fallen to these despicable senshi! Even the most powerful senshi of them all, Sailor Galaxia, while inhabited by Chaos itself."
The second speaker lowered her head. "Chaos cannot be destroyed, not without..."
"Without the sword from the legends? That is a children's faerie tale! Chaos still lurks out there. What was the mistake everyone made? Will we be able to succeed where others have failed?"
"Sister...there are so few eyewitnesses...Chaos cannot be harnessed like a beast of burden..."
"Damnit, don't tell me that!" The girl pounded her fist onto the black obsidian desk. "I hate waiting here in limbo! The senshi have won what they think is their greatest battle yet! They are weak and arrogant now; they will never expect what we will bestow upon them."
"Yet, we cannot leave."
The room filled with silence as the first young woman lowered herself into her seat, letting her anger seep out of her, radiate around her like heat radiates from a hot coal. The second speaker chewed her lower lip nervously. She was the younger of two, the least motivated, the least ambitious, the follower, not the leader. Her sister's anger was fearful, and she tried her best never to aggravate her elder sister's short, violent temper.
Finally, "Queen Serenity locked us in this godforsaken limbo. Her daughter will feel my wrath once I escape. And I _will_ escape."
The second girl nodded. Better just appear to agree than to argue with her. After all, there was no point in bringing the temper towards her. Yes, she hated Queen Serenity too, and those four bothersome brats who acted on her command to protect that whiny, annoying princess.
She wanted them dead.
************************************************************
For a normal person walking by the Hikawa Jinja, the sight was something quite odd. People who really wouldn't seem to have anything to do with each other, so different were their personalities, were seemingly chatting casually about their everyday life. Friends, that's what one would call them.
The normal person, of course, would not know that the school's klutz, the sweet-and-sour girl, the beautiful young priestess, the super-genius, the captain of the volleyball team, a famous and gorgeous violinist, a talented F-1 racer, a pink-haired elementary school child, a mysterious twelve-year-old, and a college student were actually the reincarnations of soldiers from a long-dead moon kingdom.
"Okay, so this is the first serious meeting we've had since Sailor Galaxia was freed from Chaos," noted Minako as she sat back into an overstuffed tan pillow lying in the sun. The cheerful, almost childish, personality of Aino Minako had faded away to the mature and thoughtful senshi of love, Sailor Venus. She sat back casually, blue eyes reflecting the light of the morning star. "In other words, we're here trying to discuss what we're going to do with our lives up until Crystal Tokyo."
"Plus," Hotaru chimed in, "the repercussions _of_ the attack of Galaxia and Chaos." The others nodded. Usagi took a deep breath. She had put it off long enough. She had never told the others exactly what had happened after each of their deaths, and didn't really want to remember all the meticulous details about the horrid battle.
"Princess..." Setsuna said quietly, noticing the distressed look in Usagi's eyes. "This is why we are here. In order to decide how much this has affected the universe, we need to know what you did. Please, tell us the battle." The blonde girl looked down at her hands and she closed her eyes.
When she opened them again, her eyes were so full of pain that many in the room diverted their eyes away. Rei, however, did not do so. Instead, she rose to her feet, strode across the room, and sat down next to her best friend, placing a gentle hand on Usagi's. Usagi gave the dark-haired priestess a small smile. Despite their bickering, they always came through for each other.
"It's okay, Usagi-chan," Rei soothed. "We're all here. We're not going anywhere." Usagi nodded and took a deep breath.
"My battle with Galaxia..." she started. "I guess...there's no place to start except at the beginning.
ORIGINALVERSION-ORIGINALVERSION-ORIGINALVERSION
The following version is the original version of Episode 202.
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~~~Episode 202: A new enemy? The beginning of a battle for eternity~~~
Usagi lay in her bed, Chibiusa snoring loudly next to her. But that wasn't keeping her awake. In fact, she was exhausted beyond her own belief. But...she didn't seem able to sleep.
Usagi shifted in her bed, her eyes heavy with fatigue. What was going on? Why was she so tired? Everyone else, she knew, felt the same way. Anytime they had group meetings, they were very short.
Usagi yawned loudly and shifted again in her sleep. Chibiusa also turned and murmured something about "Mamo-chan" in her sleep.
"Usagi-chan?"
Usagi groaned under her breath and looked over the bed. She saw her cat Luna staring up at her. Usagi stared at Luna sadly.
"Usagi-chan! You're still awake!" Luna gasped. Her eyes were full of concern. She couldn't believe the shape her mistress was in. The blonde odango-atama was pale looking and her usually cheerful blue eyes were drooping. "Go to sleep." Usagi shook her head.
"I can't, Luna," she whispered. Luna listened sadly. "I may be tired, but I can't seem to sleep." Luna gave a crooked smile.
"Please try," Luna replied. "You need to conserve your energy." Usagi barely nodded. She turned back to her pillow and fell face first into it. Luna was right. She needed to conserve her energy. Maybe if she closed her eyes and relaxed a bit...like Chibiusa...
Luna could hear the slow, rhythmic sound of Usagi's breathing in a couple of minutes. She looked worried as she jumped up on the bed, careful not to disturb either of the sleeping girls. All of the senshi seemed to be too tired lately. Usually they were so full of amazing energy.
Luna thought about the lunar eclipse that had occurred a month ago. No, that couldn't be it. No strange energy had been emitted. None at all. There had to be something that they weren't aware of. But what? She'd have to find out tomorrow.
Luna rested her head in her paws and thought of the blonde odango-atama. It was while before she could drift off to sleep. And it was the same dream she almost had every night. Of the outer planets. And of destruction.
************************************************************
"Usagi-chan! Wake up!"
Usagi's eyes popped open and she jumped up, startled. She stared at the culprit, Chibiusa, who was standing over on the side of the bed, wearing her school outfit and her rabbit backpack.
"Chibiusa-chan!" Usagi cried, falling back onto her nice warm pillow. She closed her eyes as she pulled the pillow over her head. It couldn't be important. It never was.
Chibiusa grabbed the pillow and tore it from Usagi's grasp. Usagi groaned and pulled the covers over her head. Chibiusa sighed. Why must that girl be so stubborn?
"Usagi-chaaaaan!" Chibiusa said in a singsong voice. She jumped on top of the lump that was Usagi. Usagi moved around, trying to knock the brat off the bed. "We have a meeting! We're..."
"LATE!" Usagi screamed, throwing the covers back. Chibiusa fell backwards off the bed in shock. Usagi scrambled out of the bed.
"Call Rei-chan!" Chibiusa suggested, but Usagi had already run out of the room in panic, screaming at the top of her lungs. Chibiusa walked to the other side of the room and looked for the phone.
She finally found it, next to a huge stuffed bunny Mamo-chan had won for Usagi at a fair. She picked it up and dialed the Hikawa Jinja. The phone rang twice. Chibiusa waited patiently for someone to pick up the phone. She heard a click on the other line.
"Hello?" a familiar voice asked over the phone. Chibiusa's eyes lit up.
"Pu!" she cried.
"Hi, Small Lady," Setsuna responded. "Where are you calling from?"
"Usagi-chan woke up late again. We're still here," Chibiusa said cheerfully. Setsuna sighed. It was so like Usagi to wake up late. Well, the best she could do was tell Small Lady to get there when she could.
"Pu? Are you still there?"
"Um, yes," Setsuna said. "Well, come as soon as possible." Chibiusa noted that Setsuna's voice sounded very tired and that she was holding back a sigh.
"Bye-bye Pu," Chibiusa replied.
"Good-bye Small Lady."
************************************************************
Setsuna hung up the phone and sighed. She turned to the others.
"Usagi-chan slept in again?" Minako asked when she saw the look in Setsuna's eyes. Setsuna nodded and the others groaned.
"We have got to get Usagi-chan an alarm clock," Haruka said, closing her eyes. Michiru sighed and nodded in agreement.
"I thought she had one," Hotaru wondered out loud. She looked at Ami. "Doesn't she?" Ami shook her head.
"It broke last month," she said. Mako smiled, remembering what had happened. Hotaru looked at her questioningly.
"What happened?"
"Well," Mako said. She scratched her head. "Last month, Usagi-chan was looking for a new alarm clock. I had asked her what had happened to her old clock. She said that she had 'accidentally' broken it. Then she had gotten a really evil look on her face." Rei sighed.
"She never listens," she muttered. "I told her just to fix her last one, but she wasted money on an alarm clock that fell in the river on her way home." The inner girls sighed. Everyone looked up when they heard the tingling of a bell. They turned to the door of the shrine. A small gray kitten walked out timidly.
"Where's Small Lady?" it asked in a high voice. Her wondering eyes looked at the girls. Artemis followed the kitten.
"Sorry Diana," he replied. "She's with Usagi."
"And Usagi-sama is not yet here?"
"No, Diana." Diana looked upset and crouched down and waited for Chibiusa to come.
Just then, a large cloud of dust appeared at the front gate. As the dust cleared away, the others could see a gasping Usagi and a near hysterical Chibiusa in her arms. Diana looked up at the commotion.
"Sorry...I'm...late," gasped Usagi, her mouth hanging open as she breathed heavily. Chibiusa struggled out of Usagi's grasp and fell on the ground. She scrambled to her feet and made sure she still had her backpack. She ran up to Setsuna and gave her a hug.
Diana yelped with glee and ran up to Chibiusa. Her collar bell jingled wildly as she jumped on top of Chibiusa's head. Chibiusa laughed.
"Now that you're here," Rei said, "and incredibly late, we can start." Rei led everyone inside the shrine. It was dark inside and Usagi made a goofy look appear on her face.
"Why'd all the lights go out?" she asked, grasping Mako's arm. "It's dark in here." Mako shrugged Usagi off.
"Shhh," Mako whispered. "There has to be a good reason." Rei nodded and opened a door near the end of a hallway. Inside, near the center of the room, was a blazing fire, almost touching the ceiling.
"It's been quiet lately," Michiru murmured. The fire crackled softly and lit her tired dark blue eyes to a fiery glow. "And as far as we know, it's been peaceful."
"I have a feeling," Rei said quietly as she sat in front of the fire, "that that is going to change real soon." The others stared at her in silence.
"What's up, Rei-chan?" Minako asked. Rei sighed. It wasn't that she didn't want to tell them, it was just that she felt it would be an extreme burden when she did tell them. Especially after the very recent battle against Galaxia and Chaos...that terrible fight that had cost all the senshi, save Sailor Moon, their lives.
"I had a strange vision," Rei began, the fire burning brightly. Her eyes were dark. "It began a couple of nights ago. Something was approaching the moon. Two asteroids, pink and blue. I felt that something was very wrong with them indeed. The universe was dark and the planets were surrounded by a foggy like air, but..." Rei stopped. Should she continue? Or was it best to just stop now?
"But what?" Michiru asked. She looked curious. "Go on Rei-chan."
"But in the background," Rei continued. Her voice had been clear, but now it seemed shaded. "I saw the planets of the outer solar system. They were completely enveloped in a dark light from the asteroids' tail." She stopped again and took a deep breath. "I have a terrible feeling that it's a premonition."
The others looked at her, surprised.
"Of destruction?" Haruka asked. Her brow furrowed. "Your visions are usually accurate." The others were quiet. Rei looked sad and yawned loudly.
"I'm sorry to bring this burden on you guys," Rei said, pulling away from the fire. She turned to her friends, the light of the fire sending shadows across her face. "But I have a feeling there's a huge battle coming up."
"Rei-chan..." Usagi began, looking more than upset by this extra burden. Her eyes watered and her mouth quivered. She got another goofy look on her face. "I'm too tired to fight." She started wailing loudly.
"Excuse me."
The girls spun around. Standing near the door of the room, was a young woman. Her blue hair was held in thick ponytails, resembling Chibiusa's. Her eyes were a deeper shade of blue, almost black. Her face was pale. Her school uniform was dark blue with a white blouse and an orange necktie. An eerie aura spread around the girl.
She smiled and Usagi almost wanted to gasp. The smile was haunting and Usagi felt as if an icy cold hand had been wrapped tightly around her heart. She looked at the others. They were staring at the girl, wondering, but unafraid. Maybe it was only her. But, this girl was scaring her. The closest person to her was Rei. She grabbed Rei's miko-san clothes and felt the icy fear begin to melt next to Rei's fiery aura.
The girl smiled again and spoke with heavily accented English. "Long time, no see-"
"What?"
"-outer soldiers."
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Author's Note: I look back on this episode now, and wondered when had I ever been such a terrible writer. Well, I hope I've improved.
Just a few notes on some events in the chapter:
In the original version of this story, Chibiusa called Setsuna, "Pu". Later, in the revised version, it was "Puu". I've seen it spelt both ways, and I'm known to put extra letters in words that usually don't need them (but it makes no difference either way it goes). The mysterious' girls uniform is pretty much a carbon copy of Umi's uniform from Magic Knights Rayearth. I don't own that either, if anyone cares. Why was she talking to the group in the English? Mostly it was because I didn't know if "other" and "outer" sounded the same in Japanese, but the words could possibly be easily confused for someone who doesn't speak English as a first language. I made the sure the characters weren't OC. Instead, I made them too much like their personalities are displayed in the anime, and I have a feeling I've gone overboard with Usagi's character.
Oh, and I almost forgot. I have to thank Teki-chan for helping me out with my e-mail. If not, I never would have gotten my confirmation code for FFNet. This episode is dedicated to you. (Don't take offense that it's a crappy episode...)
Until the next episode, ta-ta.