Here my love for the manga peers through, if you are familiar enough, you might recognize an ancedote. Note the point of view changes.

Blood on the Moon

By Lydiby

Chapter XV

"It's broken," Usagi whispered. Feeling hopeless, as the screens sputtered static and gave an electrical zap, that sounded very bad, before going blank. Shingo folded her up in a hug as she went limp with disappointment.

"Actually, Usagi," Motoki said gently, "I know someone who could probably fix this. Genius with computers, and won't ask any questions."

"Are you sure?" Seiya pressed, "We can't take any chances with Usagi-hime's security."

"We can call and you can judge for yourselves upstairs."

"No," she yelled. Storming away from her father. He called after her but she ignored him. Why did he always think that an expensive birthday present made up for his always being gone? He wasn't a father; he was a credit card. And she didn't want a credit card. Furious with herself for letting him make her cry she broke into a run. Under a sudden increase in the downpour she ducked into an open gate and huddled beneath a cluster of tall pine trees. Sniffling angrily, she wiped away her tears.

"Granddaughter, what are you running from that has got you all upset?" a weathered voice asked her.

Seiya drove Usagi home and walked her to the door with one arm wrapped around her waist. "We'll find her Usagi, don't worry," she said firmly. Usagi buried herself in Ikuko's arms as Seiya jogged to the car so he would return the arcade in time.

She hated being shuffled around like this, but she understood why it was necessary. Which didn't make her feel any better. She wanted to be out there looking right now, but she couldn't. Shingo had promised to go out with her after they had decided if the programmer could be trusted. For now Luna tried to cheer and reassure her Princess, while Ikuko kept Kakyuu out of sight, baking cookies with the little girl in the kitchen. Worrying about her baby, who in turn, was worrying about her baby. Had she been kidnapped? Why would Small Lady run away? The more she thought of it the more she wanted to change into Sailor Moon and go search, but she knew Luna would tell the others and they would force her to return home. It was ridiculous!

So she sat by the window, watching the rain and the night get darker, waiting for Shingo to return.

Her knees quaked a bit as she stared at the terminal.

'Terminal,' she thought sarcastically. A little airplane had her shaking in her boots. But last Thursday she had been hired for a job she couldn't resist and that meant getting on the plane.

"Excuse me," a girl in large dark glasses behind her growled, "will you or won't you be getting on the plane? You are holding up people with more important agendas."

"Shove it," she snapped back. She fingered her ticket in her pocket, and then took it out.

"Welcome to—" the flight attendant's beaming face faltered as she met her towering scowl. It was a good thing she had packed her own food, because it was going to be a long flight.

Shingo got home around eleven. By then it was completely dark out side, if Luna or my mother had any control we wouldn't have gone. Yaten and Seiya were both still working with the programmer, whom Shingo seemed very pleased with. So we went. I knew we had as little chance finding Rini running around as sitting at home, but I couldn't stand waiting anymore. I was starting to get angry with everyone tiptoeing around me as though I were made of glass. Even if I were somewhat shattered, I had sealed chaos after all! In the process, I had lost nearly everyone I held dear, which made finding Rini even more important. I packed a backpack full of blankets and placed Luna on top them where she could peer out without getting wet. Shingo took my hand and we stepped out into the darkness together.

Small Lady. Rini was my daughter, and now she was gone. I couldn't believe that anything had happened to her. She had to have seen something, someone she knew. A few blocks away from our house I stopped and handed Shingo the backpack with Luna in it.

"Serenity what do you think you're doing?" Luna's voice was muffled, but still enraged.

"What I should have done when I first found out she had run off. Shingo, you might as well go home, you said it yourself before..." I smiled a little before transforming. After the split second had passed, Shingo swept me up in a hug and spun me around, laughing.

"You're invincible Sailor Moon!" he shouted to the deserted street.

Surprised by his reaction, I laughed a little.

"You should be indoors, young man," I reprimanded him in my best superhero voice, "It's not safe to be out alone this time of night."

Stretching again on my toes I messed his hair.

"Well, isn't this a reversal of stereotypes," he muttered dryly, coaxing another laugh out of me.

"I'll see you in the morning then."

He pulled me into another hug, and then said roughly, "be careful Usagi, please be careful."

"Of course," I said to my little brother.

Luna's shrill cries echoed after me, ordering me not to go anywhere.

The rain stopped soon after midnight, and then it was just plain cold. Systematically, I made my way across rooftops, careful to cover as much ground as possible. Standing four blocks away from the spire, I stared at it. What if she were in there? We hadn't told her about it, but she had probably heard about it somewhere. What if that mysterious child of mine knew something I had yet to remember? Much was possible thatscience could not explain, let alone me! If she were truly from the future (and there was no other explaination), even more than I imagined was possible. Eventually, I slipped away, knowing the Starlights would be furious enough without my blowing my cover (and theirs as well).

As I crossed districts, I noticed a shrine.One of the marvelous oddities of this city, the amalgamation of modern urbanism and relics ofancient empire. Examining it made it clear what had caught my eye. Behind the central building glowed a large bonfire. Curious, I jumped down into an empty alleyway where I released my transformation before heading up the hill towards it. It was sometime just after five a.m., the gates were opened the smell of incense wafting along the steps. When I peered around back, the fire dazzled my eyes and for a moment I could see nothing. When my vision cleared I saw a girl standing before it, dressed in formal priestess robes, her head bowed and a curtain of long black hair concealing her face.

But I knew who she was; her posture alone gave her away.

"Rei," I whispered hoarsely. The ebony hair flew back and her amethyst eyes met mine with a physical jolt of shock.

"Unto eternity so be it," she whispered. Then grinned, her old grin, before my vision blurred again.

When I had calmed down, which took me the greater part of two hours, I had enough presence of mind to call my brother and let him know I was fine. More than fine.He came over at once.

"I think it's only fair, Serenity, to tell you that your brother has the sight," Rei said gravely, just as soon as they'd been introduced. Shingo turned bright red and muttered something before swiftly ducking his head.

"You knew from the very beginning, didn't you? You little squirt!" I said, amazed. I forced his chin up so he had to look at me.

"Usagi-" he stammered, I smiled at him tiredly.

"I wish you would have come to me about it," I whispered, rather hurt.

"I k-know, and I was always so proud of you, but I was scared. I just wanted to pretend everything was normal. And then when you got into college I thought you'd be safe. But Rini showed up at our door this summer and fit into our family so easily, I knew something must have been up. When I ran into you, I knew you were lying and I knew there was nothing I could do. Something terrible had caught up to you and—and forgive me, please.

"Iknow you wanted someone to share your burden with. I've done what I could to help. The way things are now…"

"No, I'm sorry Shingo, I lied to you and mama and papa for years. You shouldn't have had to worry about me. You should have had a normal childhood."

"Let's both put it behind us, big sister. You're alive, and that you survived that Thing is all I care about; I thought that night would be the last time I ever saw you."

The three of us took the subway home. When I had changed into my pajamas I slipped down into the den and curled up on the sofa next to Rei. The Starlights had gone to the arcade again after nearly murdering me that afternoon. They were hopeful that they would have the system operating by tomorrow morning. Shingo was snoring in a recliner across the room, his head at an unlikely angle. We talked late into the night. About how Rei had mysteriously acquired a new life, too, but mostly about the past and future.

"I'm terrified of whatever's happened to Rini, and…I miss him so much," I whispered my confessions. She nodded and pulled my head down onto a pillow in her lap. Gently, she weaved her fingers through my hair and arranged it soothingly. I watched Shingo and remembered things for a long moment.

"As we were coming back, coming here, I fell asleep in the car. He must have fallen asleep too; I woke up to him screaming in his dreams. But I fell back asleep and forgot when I woke again."

Rei didn't respond to what I'd said immediately.

"Vampires don't need sleep; it can be dangerous. But I guess it is not surprising that he would let his guard down with you," she replied at length.

"So many things now are making more and more sense. Do you remember that night I saved you from Devin? I brought you to one of my soirées. I didn't know whom you were the first time I saw you, but there was an inner brilliance to you that drew me. He was furious with me. I didn't know him very well then, but I knew that he was gone already. Completely head over heels and not a clue how to show it!" She shook her head with a ruefulgrin, "And I knew he'd never change you. Making you his queen would have given both of you power—it may have kept us by your side a little longer. People think we are (we were?) damned."

She gently reach up to touch her normal canines as she said this. Even though she was human now, she still had the same imperial presence.It didn't bother me anymore.

"I know nothing more of either heaven or hell than I ever did, but he would never have risked it. You were purity to him, and he wasn't willing to taint you to save his own life.

"That's real power, Usagi, and if that power doesn't bring him back to you, I will be very surprised," Rei finished, lovingly.

By now I was weeping quietly.

"I'm afraid to hope," I confessed.

"Don't ever give up," she whispered my own words back to me and I halted my tears.

"Thank you Rei," I whispered through a knotted throat.

She lifted me up and dried my face before hugging me.

"You are my best friend, my sister and my princess. I hate to see you miserable, but I understand. This is true love, and it's worth fighting for."