lyrasoze@hotmail.com
Hi again. Winter Break is a wonderful thing, as I can actually get
something accomplished. This is a magical moment.
Disclaimer: Look Mom! I wrote something! Of course, none of the characters belong to me by any stretch of the imagination, but it's a start!
Fortune to the Wind
By Lyra Matsuoka
Chapter 2
Variations on a Theme
Parrae extended her hand once more, and before any of the
others could say or do a thing, Usagi accepted the offer. Another
sharp pulse of white light surrounded them. Usagi saw Tuxedo Mask
flying towards Parrae, and saw the other scouts reach for her, and
closed her eyes in despair. It was over before it had begun, now
she would never know...
Usagi waited, her eyes tightly closed, for the hard impact and
the rolling momentum that would send her flying away from this
once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. One second...two seconds...three...
anytime now...
"Are you waiting for anything in particular?" Usagi frowned
slightly and cracked one eye open. Her vision was filled with Parrae's
face. The expression the woman wore was slightly mocking. "Kneeling on
the floor all day is hardly a productive use of your time."
Usagi's eyes widened of their own volition. There was a brilliant white
light shining down on her and Parrae. It felt distinctly like a spotlight.
Usagi carefully pushed herself off the floor into a kneeling position. The
spotlight began to fade, revealing a dimly lit room with no distinguishing
traits. There was no sign of Tuxedo Kamen or any of the senshi. In fact, there
was no sign of Sailor Moon. Usagi glanced down at herself and saw, with no small
amount of astonishment, that her fuku had vanished without a trace. A toga not unlike the one Parrae was wearing had wrapped itself around her body. Usagi
shook her head in amazement and started as her hair brushed against her face;
the golden locks were no longer contained in odangoes and pigtails. Instead, her
hair hung loose and heavy across her shoulders and down her back.
"What..." she breathed, and Parrae laughed softly.
"This is a rebirth, of sorts. As such, all aspects of your current life
have been stripped away and replaced with only those things you will need to
make the transition between the old and the new."
"Oh," Usagi walked forward on bare feet, noting that the floor was cool
but not cold. In fact, the room was a neutral temperature. Everything here
seemed to hover in between. It was neither black nor white. There were no
distinct walls, no ceiling, and no noise. Upon closer inspection, it seemed the
complete *lack* of these things was the point.
"This is a place BETWEEN. It is exists outside of time and space, outside
the fluctuations of human intent," Parrae said, watching Usagi closely.
Usagi nodded, accepting this information as par for the course, and turned
to face Parrae. "Where do we start?"
Parrae walked forward quickly, seeming to glide across the distance. She
reached for Usagi's hand.
"You are certain that this is your wish? You are determined to decide on
your own destiny?"
- Who else would decide? - Usagi thought, intending to sound flippant.
Instead, the question became truly that, an inquiry. - I hope this...goddess, or
whatever she is can't read minds. That might get annoying. -
But Parrae gave no indication that she had heard Usagi's thoughts, and so
Usagi nodded quickly instead. "I'm sure."
Parrae raised an eyebrow and nodded once. She extended her arm and turned
her palm upward. One by one she folded her outstretched fingers into her palm.
As she did so, mirrors began to appear. Each was set in a different kind of
metal or stone frame. One was gold, one silver, one copper, one bronze and one
black obsidian. Usagi watched them appear, noticing that the mirrors did not
reflect.
"They do reflect," Parrae said. Usagi jumped at the sound. "You must stand
directly before them."
Stepping forward, Usagi stood before the first mirror and its glinting
silver frame. There she was, dressed in a short skirt and tight top. She wore
knee high boots made from soft brown leather and her hair was amazingly short.
Very chic. Usagi reached up and touched the back of her neck, but her heavy
golden hair was firmly in place.
"The mirrors reflect what *could* be, not what is," Parrae said.
"Everything BETWEEN depends on you and your choices. These mirrors represent
directions you may take, if you so desire. These mirrors are pathways you
might have traveled...might still travel."
"If I step through this mirror, will I be trapped in that life?" Usagi
asked quickly. - I want the chance to explore my options. Comparison shop, if
you will. I don't want to be stuck with a bad decision. -
"Nothing here is permanent until you make it so."
"What about my...the others? What happens to them?"
"That depends on your choices."
"You aren't being very helpful," Usagi muttered, walking over to the
silver mirror. There she stood again, this time dressed in overalls and sandals.
Her hair was long and tied into two braids.
"I brought you BETWEEN. The rest is up to you."
Usagi rolled her eyes and prompted a laugh from Parrae. Grinning, Usagi
turned back toward the mirrors. The copper frame showed her in a power suit and
heels. The bronze showed a carefree teen, ice cream cone in hand, shoulder
length blond hair bouncing as she walked. And the black...Usagi shied away from
the black. She sensed that she would have to face whatever lay in that mirror
soon enough. But not now...no, not now.
Turning quickly away from that dark mirror, Usagi faced the gold frame and
saw Sailor Moon standing tall and strong. Usagi took an involuntary step
backward before raising her chin and turning her back on that golden mirror and
all the pain, frustration and disappointment it offered.
"Do not be so quick to turn away from all that you know, Usagi."
Parrae stood in the center of the floor, looking at the mirrors as they
hung in space. Her expression was fierce. "Do not cast that life off until you
are certain that what you choose instead is superior."
Usagi nodded slowly, uncertain what to do next.
"Select a mirror."
Usagi walked quickly to the bronze frame, watching her carefree self
walk calmly down the street. The girl in the mirror did not fear youma, or
her own quickly developing super-powers. The girl in the mirror looked
concerned about stretching her allowance to the end on the week and passing her
classes, not about the safety of the world and the location of a crystal.
- That's who I was...- Usagi thought, her throat tightening. - That's who I
still would be, if only...-
Holding back tears, Usagi pointed toward her reflection. "Her. I know her.
She's...she's me."
"All these woman are a variation on a theme. That theme is you. All these
woman are you...a you that made slightly different choices, or had slightly
different experiences."
"So my parents will still be my parents?"
"Not always."
"If I'd woken up earlier on the day I met Luna, and taken the long way to
school, I would have missed her entirely," Usagi mused. "Is that me if I had
missed her that day?"
"Yes."
Usagi felt her heart leap in her chest. A smile tugged at the corner of
her mouth, and she felt her fears fade away. "How do I get in?"
Parrae nodded toward the mirror. "Just step through the frame."
Usagi took a deep breath and stepped forward. The image in the mirror
stood perfectly still, waiting. Usagi reached out a hand and watched as it
passed through the glass. Encouraged, Usagi stepped through the frame and felt a
shimmer across her skin. Looking down, she saw that she held an ice cream cone,
that her hair was blowing in some unseen breeze and that a school uniform had
replaced her toga. Smiling, Usagi looked back through the mirror at Parrae.
"When you have made a choice one way or the other regarding this destiny,
call my name."
"Will you be watching me?"
"Darling, I am an integral part of the program. Enjoy!"
Parrae gestured with her hand and Usagi found herself on a busy Tokyo
corner, sitting on a bench and watching the world go by.
"USAGI!"
Usagi's head whipped around and she smiled broadly.
"Hi!"
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
Parrae watched as Usagi walked toward a new experience. Closing her eyes
briefly she turned away from the mirror and sank into a chair that seemed to be
made of smoke. She gestured sharply and all but three mirrors faded into the
background. The copper frame remained in place. The gold and black frames moved
in front of the chair. Parrae glanced at Sailor Moon, standing tall and strong
in the gold mirror.
"Future," she muttered and pressed a finger to the golden frame. Sailor
Moon melted away, and in her place stood an elegant woman in a long white dress.
Only the gleaming golden crescent moon that graced the woman's forehead
surpassed the glow of the crown on her brow. Parrae smiled slightly and turned
to the obsidian frame. There stood the same woman - but her skin was whiter, her
hair was a paler gold...and on her forehead lay an inverted crescent as black as
time. Parrae watched the two reflections for some time.
"It will come to this..."
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
lyrasoze@hotmail.com
Hi again. Winter Break is a wonderful thing, as I can actually get
something accomplished. This is a magical moment.
Disclaimer: Look Mom! I wrote something! Of course, none of the characters belong to me by any stretch of the imagination, but it's a start!
Fortune to the Wind
By Lyra Matsuoka
Chapter 2
Variations on a Theme
Parrae extended her hand once more, and before any of the
others could say or do a thing, Usagi accepted the offer. Another
sharp pulse of white light surrounded them. Usagi saw Tuxedo Mask
flying towards Parrae, and saw the other scouts reach for her, and
closed her eyes in despair. It was over before it had begun, now
she would never know...
Usagi waited, her eyes tightly closed, for the hard impact and
the rolling momentum that would send her flying away from this
once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. One second...two seconds...three...
anytime now...
"Are you waiting for anything in particular?" Usagi frowned
slightly and cracked one eye open. Her vision was filled with Parrae's
face. The expression the woman wore was slightly mocking. "Kneeling on
the floor all day is hardly a productive use of your time."
Usagi's eyes widened of their own volition. There was a brilliant white
light shining down on her and Parrae. It felt distinctly like a spotlight.
Usagi carefully pushed herself off the floor into a kneeling position. The
spotlight began to fade, revealing a dimly lit room with no distinguishing
traits. There was no sign of Tuxedo Kamen or any of the senshi. In fact, there
was no sign of Sailor Moon. Usagi glanced down at herself and saw, with no small
amount of astonishment, that her fuku had vanished without a trace. A toga not unlike the one Parrae was wearing had wrapped itself around her body. Usagi
shook her head in amazement and started as her hair brushed against her face;
the golden locks were no longer contained in odangoes and pigtails. Instead, her
hair hung loose and heavy across her shoulders and down her back.
"What..." she breathed, and Parrae laughed softly.
"This is a rebirth, of sorts. As such, all aspects of your current life
have been stripped away and replaced with only those things you will need to
make the transition between the old and the new."
"Oh," Usagi walked forward on bare feet, noting that the floor was cool
but not cold. In fact, the room was a neutral temperature. Everything here
seemed to hover in between. It was neither black nor white. There were no
distinct walls, no ceiling, and no noise. Upon closer inspection, it seemed the
complete *lack* of these things was the point.
"This is a place BETWEEN. It is exists outside of time and space, outside
the fluctuations of human intent," Parrae said, watching Usagi closely.
Usagi nodded, accepting this information as par for the course, and turned
to face Parrae. "Where do we start?"
Parrae walked forward quickly, seeming to glide across the distance. She
reached for Usagi's hand.
"You are certain that this is your wish? You are determined to decide on
your own destiny?"
- Who else would decide? - Usagi thought, intending to sound flippant.
Instead, the question became truly that, an inquiry. - I hope this...goddess, or
whatever she is can't read minds. That might get annoying. -
But Parrae gave no indication that she had heard Usagi's thoughts, and so
Usagi nodded quickly instead. "I'm sure."
Parrae raised an eyebrow and nodded once. She extended her arm and turned
her palm upward. One by one she folded her outstretched fingers into her palm.
As she did so, mirrors began to appear. Each was set in a different kind of
metal or stone frame. One was gold, one silver, one copper, one bronze and one
black obsidian. Usagi watched them appear, noticing that the mirrors did not
reflect.
"They do reflect," Parrae said. Usagi jumped at the sound. "You must stand
directly before them."
Stepping forward, Usagi stood before the first mirror and its glinting
silver frame. There she was, dressed in a short skirt and tight top. She wore
knee high boots made from soft brown leather and her hair was amazingly short.
Very chic. Usagi reached up and touched the back of her neck, but her heavy
golden hair was firmly in place.
"The mirrors reflect what *could* be, not what is," Parrae said.
"Everything BETWEEN depends on you and your choices. These mirrors represent
directions you may take, if you so desire. These mirrors are pathways you
might have traveled...might still travel."
"If I step through this mirror, will I be trapped in that life?" Usagi
asked quickly. - I want the chance to explore my options. Comparison shop, if
you will. I don't want to be stuck with a bad decision. -
"Nothing here is permanent until you make it so."
"What about my...the others? What happens to them?"
"That depends on your choices."
"You aren't being very helpful," Usagi muttered, walking over to the
silver mirror. There she stood again, this time dressed in overalls and sandals.
Her hair was long and tied into two braids.
"I brought you BETWEEN. The rest is up to you."
Usagi rolled her eyes and prompted a laugh from Parrae. Grinning, Usagi
turned back toward the mirrors. The copper frame showed her in a power suit and
heels. The bronze showed a carefree teen, ice cream cone in hand, shoulder
length blond hair bouncing as she walked. And the black...Usagi shied away from
the black. She sensed that she would have to face whatever lay in that mirror
soon enough. But not now...no, not now.
Turning quickly away from that dark mirror, Usagi faced the gold frame and
saw Sailor Moon standing tall and strong. Usagi took an involuntary step
backward before raising her chin and turning her back on that golden mirror and
all the pain, frustration and disappointment it offered.
"Do not be so quick to turn away from all that you know, Usagi."
Parrae stood in the center of the floor, looking at the mirrors as they
hung in space. Her expression was fierce. "Do not cast that life off until you
are certain that what you choose instead is superior."
Usagi nodded slowly, uncertain what to do next.
"Select a mirror."
Usagi walked quickly to the bronze frame, watching her carefree self
walk calmly down the street. The girl in the mirror did not fear youma, or
her own quickly developing super-powers. The girl in the mirror looked
concerned about stretching her allowance to the end on the week and passing her
classes, not about the safety of the world and the location of a crystal.
- That's who I was...- Usagi thought, her throat tightening. - That's who I
still would be, if only...-
Holding back tears, Usagi pointed toward her reflection. "Her. I know her.
She's...she's me."
"All these woman are a variation on a theme. That theme is you. All these
woman are you...a you that made slightly different choices, or had slightly
different experiences."
"So my parents will still be my parents?"
"Not always."
"If I'd woken up earlier on the day I met Luna, and taken the long way to
school, I would have missed her entirely," Usagi mused. "Is that me if I had
missed her that day?"
"Yes."
Usagi felt her heart leap in her chest. A smile tugged at the corner of
her mouth, and she felt her fears fade away. "How do I get in?"
Parrae nodded toward the mirror. "Just step through the frame."
Usagi took a deep breath and stepped forward. The image in the mirror
stood perfectly still, waiting. Usagi reached out a hand and watched as it
passed through the glass. Encouraged, Usagi stepped through the frame and felt a
shimmer across her skin. Looking down, she saw that she held an ice cream cone,
that her hair was blowing in some unseen breeze and that a school uniform had
replaced her toga. Smiling, Usagi looked back through the mirror at Parrae.
"When you have made a choice one way or the other regarding this destiny,
call my name."
"Will you be watching me?"
"Darling, I am an integral part of the program. Enjoy!"
Parrae gestured with her hand and Usagi found herself on a busy Tokyo
corner, sitting on a bench and watching the world go by.
"USAGI!"
Usagi's head whipped around and she smiled broadly.
"Hi!"
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
Parrae watched as Usagi walked toward a new experience. Closing her eyes
briefly she turned away from the mirror and sank into a chair that seemed to be
made of smoke. She gestured sharply and all but three mirrors faded into the
background. The copper frame remained in place. The gold and black frames moved
in front of the chair. Parrae glanced at Sailor Moon, standing tall and strong
in the gold mirror.
"Future," she muttered and pressed a finger to the golden frame. Sailor
Moon melted away, and in her place stood an elegant woman in a long white dress.
Only the gleaming golden crescent moon that graced the woman's forehead
surpassed the glow of the crown on her brow. Parrae smiled slightly and turned
to the obsidian frame. There stood the same woman - but her skin was whiter, her
hair was a paler gold...and on her forehead lay an inverted crescent as black as
time. Parrae watched the two reflections for some time.
"It will come to this..."
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
lyrasoze@hotmail.com