Blood on the Moon
By Lydiby
Chapter XIV
The next few months went on excruciatingly slow. Some days were better and some were awful, but Rini kept me going. She didn't talk much at all and she refused to be separated from me for a long time. As did my parents, coming home was the first time I'd seen my father cry and it frightened me a bit. I began to cry before I managed to explain that I was Sailor Moon. While I babbled endless apologies through a curtain of tears, Shingo whispered, "It's ok."
The certainty in his voice surprised me out of my misery. His brown eyes were filled with a strange compassion.
"You're invincible Sailor Moon," he whispered in my ear. Shocked, I stopped crying completely; I was learning more about my little brother every day.
He took my hand and guided me through everything that was so very difficult to say. I unraveled years' worth of lies. For my parents, I can't say they were shocked, but I can't say they weren't hurt either. There were a lot of tears shed, but more than enough love to make up for it all. It was such a relief to come clean and cry it all out on my mother's shoulder. She listened to everything.
As it turned out that I was right about the Starlights. She liked them instantly and began cleaning out Shingo's old room (Shingo had moved out just a month or so ago), and the guest rooms in the basement. It was crowded, but playing hostess always seemed to give my mother an extra glow. It was a huge comfort to be surrounded by people who loved me all the time. I tried hard to be proud of the friends I had lost instead of sinking into depression.
Several weeks later, I sat in bed with Rini making up a story for her.
"At the very beginning of time, there was a goddess named Selene…" half asleep myself I began murmuring something about the creation of the moon, only to jerk awake.
This wasn't just some story I had made up on the spot. I had memories of places involved with it. Fortunately, Rini was already asleep and I quickly slipped downstairs. Luna was curled up on a newspaper, reading at the kitchen table while my mother finished loading the dishwasher.
"Hi, Mama," I said, softly kissing her on the cheek before sitting at the table with Luna. She closed the machine and looked at the two of us curiously.
"I believe that Taiki and Yaten have gone out for something. I'll be in the living room with Kenji, if you need anything. Goodnight, my princess," she said hugging me.
"Thanks, Mama." Her footsteps faded down the hall.
"What's troubling you Usagi?" Luna asked.
"Luna, do you remember an old legend about Selene creating life—"
"By touching the moon?"
"Uh, yes? I don't…" I tilted my head—trying to get my thoughts to slide around into the order I wanted. "Something's there, I'm remembering, and maybe, it has to do with…with them," I finished, the last syllable sliding bittersweet off my tongue.
"You're right about Selene, there was a great spire, a crystal obelisk in the palace grounds. That was our most sacred place."
"Then if there's any chance—"
"Princess…" Luna's voice was pained. I realized I had stood up abruptly and sat again.
"Of course," I whispered, bowing my head.
"It is worth a try, Usagi-hime," Luna purred comfortingly. I scooped her up and hugged her. (I wasn't quite adjusted to the idea of being a princess, so when they wanted to use my title they had taken to calling me Usagi-hime. It kept me from thinking everything I'd ever known of myself was simply void. Such juxtaposition can never be wholly comfortable; I needed time to transition.)
"Let's go talk to Seiya. I don't think I can wait. Not when there is a question unanswered."
"Let's."
A few minutes later we stood in the hall by the door.
"I'll go speak with mama and papa," I said, placing Luna on Seiya's shoulder.
Seiya nodded, "I'll go start the car."
"Mama, Papa," I called nervously. I had lied to them so many times, how could they believe what I was about to say now?
"Yes?" My father turned of the television.
"Seiya and I are going out to find Taiki and Yaten. Then we're going to the moon. There's no trouble, I'm just looking for…something."
"When will you be back?"
"In time for breakfast I think, and maybe," I stopped and drew a deep breath.
"Maybe?" mama prompted.
"There is a very improbable chance that we may have company," I whispered.
The admission made my heart squeeze, I hoped so badly, but I knew the odds. Mama hugged me tight and daddy kissed the top of my head.
"Keep an ear out for Kakyuu and Rini, please."
"Of course."
It wasn't long before the five of us were in the car. Seiya parked at a public beach and we all walked out over the dunes. My hair lashed in the wind; I kept cutting it and it kept growing. I set Luna down and turned to the others.
"Thank you," I said simply.
"Usagi-hime, it's nothing," Taiki said, surprised and sincere.
"Well then…"
Our commands filled the air. Again, I cannot describe having wings. Kneeling I scooped up Luna. As we all soared through the air, I laughed nervously.
"This is so unreal, Luna. It takes a rocket three days and us a few minutes."
"You do realize that the palace isn't on this side," Luna's voice echoed as a sphere-like form enchased us. It was a shield or pocket of oxygen, I suppose.
"I'm not the terrible student I used to be Luna, I've been studying my home." I retrieved a map of the dark side of the moon from where I had folded and tucked it under my collar.
"Lady Moon keeps her secrets well hidden," I said, thoughtfully. My thoughts were wandering back to the day that the moon had ceased to have it's own independent rotation and enough ozone to support life.
From the earth the moon was just waning, so we landed in a strange inky night of deadly cold. A soft glow emitted from the crystal was the only relief. Without the shield spheres we would have been dead of hypothermia before we suffocated. Of course the change of pressure, being instantaneous, would beat the cold. A grimace crossed my face as I thought of that. It was a swift, but ugly death just beyond these transparent spheres.
It was as though we had stepped into a black and white photograph. As my foot touched the ground a joyous multitude shouted in my mind. Within seconds they had faded, but I still felt an unnerving presence.
"Welcome home, Princess," Luna cried, but mixed equally with her pride was sorrow. This was not the homecoming it should have been and Luna took the failure upon herself, although she could do no more to change it than anyone. Gently, I squeezed her, trying for reassurance. Kneeling, I sifted the glacial moon dust through my gloved hands and the ghosts stirred an unnatural breeze across a surface untouched, save for meteors, for more than millennium. As the last pebble fell from my fingers, a shattered obelisk, which lay where it had fallen, tore across my vision. Startled, I pitched forward, falling on my hands and knees, and a cloud rose around me. Disquieted, I watched the particles drift ever-so-slowly to the ground.
"Follow me, please," I said. Pushing off the ground easily and rising well above the plain where we had landed. Now that I knew where I was really going I shot across the black sky. When the ruins at last came in sight a terrible thought made me land abruptly. Another large cloud of dust billowed up around me like a sudden fog.
The palace was just as Beryl had left it. What if all of our bodies lay within, frozen in death? I shuddered, and heard the Starlight land behind Luna and myself.
"I'm not going in there," I whispered. "It ought to be this way," I said, louder. Facing the east, where the twilight eased the oppression of an unrelieved horizon, we all picked our way through the surreal landscape.
Kneeling at the base of the fallen spire, I removed the crystal from its casing. Not knowing quite what to do, I began to silently pray to whatever of the benevolent powers that be who cared to listen. Shamelessly I begged for the rebirth of all who had died fighting chaos. There was nothing elegant or dignified about the grief built up within me. The only response was that the crystal began to shine blindingly, forcing me to continue with my eyes closed.
When there was nothing left to say that I hadn't already, I whispered amen. Immediately the crystal dimmed to the gentler light from earlier. When my eyes cleared the spire was restored, but nothing else had obviously changed. Wearily, I stood to face the Starlights and Luna. Frowning, I realized my apparel had changed into the white princess gown.
"Shall we return then?" Taiki asked, kindly.
"Yes," I sighed. Wishing for nothing more than to seek the oblivion of sleep in my own bed, which I did immediately upon our return.
What seemed like a short time later, someone was shaking my shoulder. Groaning, I swatted at whoever it was.
"Usa, come down and have breakfast." It was Shingo, sitting on the edge of my bed.
"Alright, alright," I mumbled, "you could have let me sleep in a little, it is Sunday."
"Well Mama made this big huge breakfast, and," his breath hitched lightly, "there's something on the news that might cheer you up a little."
"What?" I gasped, bolting upright. His eyes were a little wistful as he looked at me, so I swallowed some of my hope.
"I don't know what it means, Usa," he said, shaking his head, "Here, go down and see for yourself," he handed me my dressing robe, "and don't forget to eat!" he yelled after me. How could I? I thought as I knotted the robe's belt around my waist.
The leaves were beginning to turn outside the kitchen window, but the small television held my rapt attention.
In the heart of a park in downtown Tokyo there was a mysterious crystal spire. It was identical to the one on the moon that I had restored a few hours ago. All through breakfast I cried, but for once I was happy.
I knew what it meant. It meant hope.
It took a lot of convincing to get the Starlights to take me to the park. I was glad my father had already left for work, because between all of them, I probably wouldn't have won the argument. They were clearly worried about something, something they were keeping from me. I didn't care; I wanted to see the obelisk for myself. Quickly I showered and threw on a long white skirt and a grey cardigan over a rose coloured cami.
"Usagi-hime," Luna said, unhappily as I ran down the stairs. Rini tugged at my sleeve, still in her pajamas, so I scooped her up at once.
"Good morning, Small Lady," I laughed, kissing her on the cheek. "And to you, Kakyuu!" I said spotting her sitting on the stairs to the basement. Taiki gave a slightly alarmed cry and picked up her young charge and disappearing down into the basement, towards their rooms.
"Usagi-hime," Luna tried again.
"Yes?" I looked up, and Yaten, and Seiya were standing in front of the door, looking equally unhappy.
"What's the matter?" I asked, a little frightened.
"The spire has already been connected with Sailor Moon, Usagi." It was my mother who answered.
"How?" I demanded, a little angrily.
"They don't know how to explain it, Usagi-hime," said Yaten, "we've been sheltering you, rather a lot," she admitted somewhat wistfully, "The world is catching up. They've connected a lot of things they couldn't explain to Sailor Moon. NASA is in something of an uproar right now; there are conspiracy theories everywhere. The government is set on discovering who you are. Since we are acting in place of your guardians, it's our responsibility that they don't."
"They already have a software program designed specifically for Sailor Moon's identification, all they need some footage of you to match it," Seiya said.
"Then I'll wear dark glasses, and we won't be able to get close anyway. I just want to see it myself, we don't have go near the park," I pleaded desperately.
Shingo shook his head, knowing he couldn't help me with this, and said; "I'll see you at lunch, Usa. I've got to get to class." Everyone shifted uneasily as they considered what I'd said. I handed Rini to my mother with another kiss.
"I'll be home in about an hour. You two have fun, and be good," I told her. She nodded in that funny way of hers that was a little uncomfortably solemn for a child. Using the crystal I made a pair of sunglasses, styled like an American movie star's from the fifties and a scarf, which I held in my hands, thinking about it. Would it be all too obvious? My hair wouldn't fit under it anyway and we'd be far away from whatever surveillance they had. I decided to tie it on anyway, better to increase their suspicions and make it harder for them to learn anything.
The car ride was marked with a very displeased silence. I pulled clips out of my purse and twisted my hair into a large knot at the base of my neck. Then I tied the plain pink scarf on my head. Taiki put the glasses on me with a frown and tugged at the scarf until she was content with it. We pulled up about three blocks away from the park and they let me walk within one. For a minute or two I stared up at it. Rising high above the russet and golden trees in the morning light, to me it was a promise. Then Yaten pulled me back to the car and we drove away, taking a long and detoured way home.
Waiting was never easy, though, and I didn't know how long or what form my answer would take. It helped to know it was there because getting up in the morning was difficult for me.
