ALL THAT GLITTERS
Chapter 12: "Regrets- -I've Had A Few"
A Neo-Sailor Moon fanfic
By Bill K.
Once the Princess Usagi was stable enough to leave the emergency exam, she was placed in a monitoring room. As she slept, many people passed in and out of the facility: medical personnel, her parents and friends, all concerned about the young girl's welfare. Eventually time passed and everyone drifted away from their vigil, Ami, Rei and Endymion finally prevailing upon Queen Serenity to leave and get some sleep. Only one person remained a constant in the room. Only one person couldn't be prevailed upon to leave, even to tend to her own need for food and sleep. Only one person maintained her vigil.
Hotaru stared at the girl sleeping in the hospital bed. Life sign monitors silently reported information above them. The girl would glance at it occasionally, hoping for some sign that her best friend in the entire universe was waking up. When that sign didn't come, her gaze would return to her friend while dark, fearful scenarios clouded her young mind.
Haruka and Michiru had sat with her. So had Yutaka. So had the Asteroids. Each one had tried to convince her after far too long a time to leave, to return to some semblance of a normal life, to at least succumb to her own needs. Hotaru steadfastly refused. Though she was still drawn and listless from her own efforts to heal her friend, she wouldn't hear of tending to it. Only the forced intervention of Haruka got her to even eat.
Now she was alone with her friend and soulmate. She sat in the darkened room and watched, forcing her eyelids not to droop and her head to loll backwards. It was during that struggle that it happened. One moment she was alone with Usa. The next she felt a presence next to her.
"Setsuna-Mama," Hotaru murmured, looking up at the towering senshi next to her.
"Your diligence to your princess and your friend does you great honor, Hotaru," Pluto whispered, whispered as if she feared to disturb the sleeping princess.
"Thank you," Hotaru replied softly. "Is she going to be all right? Did we get to her in time?"
Pluto remained silent.
"You can't tell me," Hotaru whispered. "I know that puts you in a spot sometimes. I apologize for asking."
"I bear you no grudge," Pluto told her. Her hand came to rest on Hotaru's head.
"This kind of spoiled our reunion, Setsuna-Mama. It's not fair. I wanted you back so bad. I wished and dreamed that there was a way you could come back to me." She began to tear. "But if it means losing Usa," and the girl choked up, her voice raw with emotion. "It's not fair!"
"I do not consider my life for hers a fair exchange either, Hotaru. If I could, I would undo all of this. And my greatest regret would only be the separation from her glorious person - - and from you."
Hotaru looked up at her.
"I said we would meet again, dear Hotaru," Pluto said with a melancholy that threatened to crush the woman. "It is that joy that allows me to endure the burden of knowing the pain My Lady has undergone. It eases my pain to know at least that I may share my life with you once again."
Hotaru's arms shot out, wrapping around Sailor Pluto's thighs. She squeezed as tightly to the senshi as she could, trying to physically impress her feelings for the woman through her needful hug. Pluto's hand dropped down and began caressing between Hotaru's neck and shoulder blades. She felt the wetness of Hotaru's tears on her thigh, heard the raw emotion in her smothered sobs.
"You were quite brave, Hotaru," Pluto said softly. "You and your fellow senshi. You are the finest friend My Good Lady could ever hope to have - - and I could not cherish you more than if you were actually flesh of my flesh. Have faith, my sweet Hotaru-chan. Have faith that your efforts will be rewarded."
The pair stayed at their vigil until Hotaru finally succumbed to sleep. At that point Sailor Pluto transported them both to Hotaru's bedroom, where she lay the girl down to sleep with a gentle hand and a grateful kiss.
One moment the Princess Usagi was in the arms of her beloved Helios. It didn't matter that she was on a strange planetoid that he had no business being on. He was there and he loved her and she loved him and they were together and everything was right with the world.
And then he wasn't there - - and all she knew was pain.
The next moment she found herself lying on her back. The alien sky was gone from above her, replaced by the Vy-Nar (tm) ceiling found in the buildings of Crystal Tokyo. It was an antiseptic white with light grids embedded in it. The Princess could hear the soft ping of a vital signs display monitor. Usa felt confused. Was she in the palace hospital? Why?
It was difficult to keep her eyes open. She blinked once and suddenly there were people standing over her. There was a dark form on one side. By staring at it for several moments Usa determined that it was Hotaru. The girl's shoulder-length black hair hung down around her face, almost obscuring everything but her large violet eyes - - and the tear streams below them. Usa noticed that she was dressed all in black. That meant she was feeling insecure. Had something happened? Had her foster parents had a fight? It was unusual, but Haruka and Michiru did fight every once in a while. You could always tell because Hotaru would be dressed in black the next day. Was that why she was upset?
Then Usa noticed there were people on her other side. Straining, she realized it was Palla-Palla. The girl's eyes were red and her features were twisted in utter despair. What could upset them both so much? And there was Cere-Cere behind her, sniffling into a synthetic hanky. And Jun-Jun was next to her, struggling to hold her emotions in. Why were they so upset? But the biggest surprise of all was Ves-Ves, standing behind them all struggling not to cry - - and failing - - and hating herself for failing, just the way Ves-Ves would. What could have happened?
Then her brain kicked in enough to add up hospital room and grieving friends. She was hurt. Something had happened. Had they been attacked? Was that the pain she remembered?
Was Helios all right?
Her eyes closed and when they opened again, the scene had changed. Ami-san was standing over her, glasses perched on her nose and her "doctor's face" on. She was dressed in her red-trimmed white medical bodysuit that covered her from the neck down in a germ and bacteria-resistant shield. Seeing Ami-san was a jolt given her last memory and it took a few moments for Usa to figure out she'd drifted off. Usa watched her, unable to summon the strength to speak. In her field of expertise, Ami-san was business-like and the consummate professional - - almost. Twice Usa detected the mask slip and her dear Aunt Ami's emotional concern for her peek out.
She must have really been hurt bad for that to happen.
To her it seemed like just an eye-blink, but suddenly the scene before her changed. Her Ami-san had changed positions on the left side of the bed she lay in. A new shape was on her right. It leaned in and Usa saw it was her father. He was talking to Ami-san, ex-doctor to doctor, probably about her. He tried to hide it, but he was worried - - really worried. Usa wished she could tell him she was all right - - but that would be a lie and he'd always taught her not to lie. She felt like a bowl of soggy Soba noodles and wished like anything for a hot meal - - even one her mom had cooked. In the back of her mind she wondered how long she'd been hurt. She wondered about Helios, too, but was afraid to dwell on it, fearing the worst.
And then her mother was at the foot of her bed. They locked eyes for a moment and Serenity realized she was awake. Her lips moved - - she must have told the others because Ami-san peered down at her intently.
Suddenly Ami-san pulled back. Usa saw why. Her mother was glowing silver. She was bringing the Silver Crystal into play. How badly was she hurt? Why did her mother have to risk herself like this? Why couldn't her mom just let her recover on her own?
The waves from the Silver Crystal washed over her and Usa's mind filled with thoughts of peace and joy. Memories of her having fun with Momoko, with Diana, with Hotaru, with the Asteroids became a collage in her mind. Riding on her father's shoulders when she was three - - her earliest, most precious memory. Feeling the loving caress of her Ikuko-Mama's hand and knowing the warmth of her love and realizing later that she was the grandmother Usa never knew. Gazing up at her mother in the palace reception room as she received visits from the people of Crystal Tokyo - - how elegant she looked and how easily she made friends with everybody, friend and foe alike, and knowing at that moment that she wanted to be a fine and wonderful lady just like her mother. And then there was that moment when she realized that Helios was the man she loved, the man she would do anything for and travel any distance to be with. And that brought her hidden fear to the surface.
"Helios," she sighed softly, drawing the attention of her parents and Ami-san. "All right?"
But she drifted off before she heard the answer. When next she was conscious, the room was dark. Her vision had improved enough, though, to immediately recognize Sailor Pluto sitting beside her.
"Puu?" Usa ventured softly. Her voice was back and she felt stronger. Whatever her parents and Ami-san had done was working.
"My Lady," Pluto smiled, though her voice betrayed the churning emotions beneath. "I am gratified that you have returned to us. It gives me another chance to thank you for my life and to enjoy the warmth and pleasure of your company."
Pluto reached over and pressed her hand to Usa's. The Princess squeezed it as hard as she could, though her grip wouldn't have broken an egg.
"Is Helios all right?" she murmured. "Please tell me the truth."
"Lord Helios is unharmed, My Lady," Pluto replied. The answer drew a warm smile from the patient.
"That's good," Usa whispered. "He must have saved me - - from whatever attacked."
"My Lady," Pluto said, her voice raw with emotion. She squeezed Usa's hand and suddenly Usa was afraid again. "Helios was not with you."
"But . . ."
"It was an illusion," Pluto continued solemnly, "cast by a predator to lure you into its clutches and suck the life from you." Usa seemed confused - - more likely she didn't want to believe. "It nearly killed you, My Lady."
For a moment it seemed like she would swirl down into a whirlpool of horror, anger and terror. Primal fears rose up inside of her, fears of being prey shuddered through her young body. Then she summoned the strength to take hold of it from somewhere and get it under control. She glanced up at Pluto and saw the woman realized everything she was feeling and sympathized. There was a small security in that.
"When he called," Usa said softly, vacantly, "I thought it was him. I thought," and suddenly her face screwed up. "Oh, I'm so stupid."
"No more so than anyone else, My Lady," Pluto consoled her. "It gave you what you wanted to see most." Pluto seemed to want to say more, but held her tongue.
"Go ahead and say it," Usa whispered, sensing what had been left unsaid.
"Forgive me, My Lady," Pluto continued with obvious reluctance. "There is a time when prudence and caution is the wisest path."
Usa's eyes fell.
"Please do not let this become something that crushes your tremendous optimism, for that is one of the things that makes you the noble spirit you are. But optimism alone is not an adequate shield against tragedy - - in this case as well as that of what drove you to this rash act."
"Not you too," moaned Usa. "Puu, I saved you. I don't see how that could be a bad thing."
Pluto looked down and took a breath. "My Lady, good intentions do not automatically make one right. And poor planning can make ill omens from good intentions." Usa's frown burned on her face. "Do you recall when we were in the helicopter cockpit? You began to reach out to me with your right hand?"
Usa nodded.
"Had I not stopped you, you would have struck your right hand on the side of the hatch and lost your grip on the time key you held," Pluto told her. "With no way to return to the future, we would have both been consumed by the explosion. I know this, for I foresaw it. And, but for one rash unthinking act, an entire future would have been without you and would have been poorer for it. This I have foreseen as well."
Usa's cheeks burned with shame.
"My Lady, you acted for only the best of reasons. But you did not possess the knowledge to alter such powerful forces along the template of your intent. I may manipulate time because my power grants that I may see all the futures to come and know what action to take and what action not to take. But where I see, you are blind - - just as you were blind to the abilities of the native plants of the world you nearly died upon. I thank you for my life, My Lady, as I thank you for thinking enough of me to dare such ingenuity. But I beseech you, My Lady, do not trust upon the shield of good intentions alone in the future."
"Yes, Puu," Usa whispered, mortified and angry with herself. Sailor Pluto leaned over and kissed her on the cheek.
"I forgive you, My Lady."
Usa's shame kept her tongue still. If Sailor Pluto took offense, she didn't show it. After a few minutes Usa drifted off again. She woke up briefly and found the room empty save for the automated monitors around her. As her eyelids grew heavy again, the Princess wondered if her entire conversation with Pluto had been a dream.
"No, Maiden, it was no dream," she heard.
Turning quickly, Usa searched for the one who had spoken to her. Rather than her hospital room, she was standing on a hillside ankle deep in fresh spring grass. Above her was a sky so crystal blue as to be unreal. Newly blossomed trees and flowers swayed gently in the warm, fresh breeze that precociously blew under her skirt. Usa looked down and found herself wearing a shimmering white gown. It bared her shoulders, drew tight at the bodice, then flared from the waist and billowed to the ground. The folds of the gown stirred as did her long trails of pink hair, rustling in the invigorating spring air.
"Helios?" Usa called out, fearing that this was another illusion and that she was still in the clutches of the predator Pluto had described to her. She turned around - - and there he was.
"This is the dream, Maiden," he told her. "You sleep in the hospital room in Crystal Tokyo. This is but a dream I have manufactured for you." Emotion colored the soft features of the dream guardian in a way she had never quite seen before. "But for me, it is a dream come true."
And his arms reached out and seized her and drew her to him with a strength born of need and worry, desolation and relief. It was an aggressiveness she'd never witnessed in him before, but she had to admit, with her face pressed against his chest and his arms pinning her close, that it was kind of exciting.
"I despaired I would never see you again, Maiden," he admitted, his hands caressing her back.
"I'm sorry for worrying you, Helios," Usa squeaked. "It seems all I've done . . ."
"Shhh," he responded softly. "I know all that has transpired, Maiden - - now. Perhaps I am not the most impartial judge, but I cannot fault you for your actions."
"Thank you," she said. "Um, it is really you, isn't it?"
"How would you have me prove it, my love?"
"Tell me something I don't want to hear."
Helios thought for a moment as he caressed Usa's back and she nuzzled against his chest.
"You will wake up soon," he said, "and we will be forced to part again - - until your next dream."
"Damn it, I sure didn't want to hear that. I guess you are real."
"Better the pain of an uncomfortable truth than a deadly lie, Maiden," Helios whispered. His hand came up under her chin and tilted Usa's face up to look at him. "And now, please take pity upon a desperate man."
His lips neared hers until they brushed ever so lightly.
"My soul is parched, thirsting for the tender caress of your soft lips," Helios whispered,his mouth so close that she felt his breath. Usa brushed her lips against his.
"I thought you'd never ask," she whispered and their lips pressed into one.
Usa opened her eyes, the burn of her dream still on her lips. Her parents were sitting beside her bed again. Endymion was reserved, but hopeful. Serenity looked like she was moments away from bursting into tears, even though she wore a wide grin. Diana was perched on a table with Luna behind her. None of them looked like they'd slept very well.
More guilt for her.
"I'm sorry," Usa wheezed as a pre-emptive strike against the wrath she dreaded. Suddenly Diana leaped down onto the bed.
"Sorry?" Diana snapped, her expression a mixture of anger and anguish. "You deliberately defied my very good advice and nearly got yourself killed once! And then when no one would pat you on the back for your defiance, you run off and nearly get yourself killed a second time! Well sorry just doesn't cut it!"
"Diana!" Luna gasped, amazed and anxious over her daughter's outburst, particularly to a member of royalty.
"No, Mother, I will not be silenced!" Diana fussed furiously. "What you did was rash and incredibly immature! Do you know how many people risked their lives to save you? And how many more you left worrying about you? My Lady, have you no sense of propriety at all?"
"I'm sorry, Diana," Usa groaned. Her hand came up and weakly stroked the back of the gray cat.
"No, no, you don't," the cat replied, arching up as the hand caressed her back, "make up that- - ummm- - easily."
"I think you've made your point, Diana," Endymion suggested.
"Yes, Your Majesty," Diana responded meekly.
"I guess this is another one I owe you, huh Pop?" Usa murmured. She couldn't look at him. "Thanks."
"I can't claim total credit," Endymion said, caressing her cheek with his hand. "Saturn and the Asteroids are the ones who found you, at considerable risk to themselves. I just kept you alive until we could get you back here. Your mother healed you to the point where Ami could take over."
"Guess a lot of people really like me," Usa whispered. "I'm sorry, Pop. I was only going to see Helios. I just needed a little sympathy."
"And that was my fault," Endymion admitted. "I shouldn't have lost my temper."
Usa scowled at the bad memory.
"Honey," Endymion began. "I don't want to limit you - - and then again I do. You see, there's a part of me who wants you to explore, to test your abilities, to discover new things and become all you can be. But there's another part of me that wants to keep you safe and secure and protected from all of the hazards that I know are out there that you don't know anything about. It's my job to keep those two sides balanced so that you're able to grow without endangering yourself. But it's your job to use your head and not take wild chances because you think you're invulnerable."
"How was I supposed to know about the planet?" protested Usa.
"You weren't. That's just one of the pitfalls life throws in our path. You can't avoid them," and Endymion recalled his experience with the plants, "no matter how experienced you are."
"You're talking about saving Puu," Usa murmured.
"Yes. If you had consulted me or any of the inner senshi, we might have been able to work out a safe scenario to accomplish it - - because it was a very brilliant idea. But you didn't trust us."
"OK, I get the message already," groaned Usa.
Sensing Endymion was finished, Serenity leaned in. She cupped her daughter's face in her hands and gently kissed the girl's forehead. The queen looked down into her daughter's eyes.
And said, "If you EVER do anything like this again, you BRAT, I'll - - I'll smack you silly!"
"Yeah, right," snickered Usa. "I believe that!"
"OHHHH!" fumed Serenity.
"OK, Serenity, I think she's suffered enough," Endymion said, easing his wife away.
"Am I'm still banned from using the time keys?" Usa ventured.
"Yes."
Usa scowled.
"Sailor Pluto is the only one . . ." Endymion began.
"Who knows how to use them," Usa interjected softly. "I know, I know." Usa turned her head. "I'm kind of tired, Pop. Don't be mad if I conk out on you." And the girl closed her eyes while everyone else looked on in sad sympathy.
When Usa awoke again, she found Hotaru and the Asteroids sitting with her. For a moment she feared accusatory stares, even anger. But instead she was rewarded with expressions of gratitude.
"They said you were finally lucid," Cere-Cere grinned, "so we dropped by. Hope you don't mind."
"After what you guys did for me?" Usa whispered. "I owe you five big time."
"You sure do," Ves-Ves replied. Cere-Cere glared, but Usa could detect the edges of the redhead's mouth curling and knew she was only joking.
"We were just doing our duty," Jun-Jun said, "to a friend."
"I'm really sorry about putting you all through that," Usa began.
"Don't even go there," Hotaru smiled. "We don't intend to listen."
"It's just," Usa began. "It seemed so real."
"We know," Jun-Jun told her. "They almost got us, too. If it wasn't for Cere-Cere, we might have all been lunch for those plants."
"We do what we can," Cere-Cere said modestly.
"Palla-Palla made you a picture, Princess!" Palla-Palla exclaimed suddenly. She shoved her way in front and held it up. The picture was a childish scrawl of six stick figures linked arm in arm before a sunset. The only way to distinguish one figure from another were the colors of their sailor fukus.
"That's great, Palla-Palla," Usa smiled. "I'm glad it's accurate, too." The princess sighed. "I promise I'll make it up to all you guys. When I get out of here, we're all going shopping - - my treat!"
"Princess, that's not necessary," Jun-Jun began.
"Jun, shut up!" barked Ves-Ves. "If the rich girl wants to spend her money on us, let her!"
"Yeah, I could use a new spring wardrobe, you know!" echoed Cere-Cere.
"Palla-Palla wants some new dollies!" howled Palla-Palla
Jun-Jun glared acidly at them, but before she could respond Hotaru's hand touched her arm.
"Don't fight it, Jun," Hotaru smirked. "You won't win, because you know how stubborn she is."
A smirk crossed Jun-Jun's face. "You're right," she said, glancing at Usa. "What WAS I thinking?"
"Stop making me laugh!" Usa protested between giggles. "I'm not that strong yet!"
Eight days later, Usa was declared healthy enough to go back to her daily routine. However, it was obvious to Ami, and just about anyone who had visited her over those eight days, that the Princess was in a deep depression. The combination of her brush with death, her guilt over the entire time incident and the worry she'd caused everyone had conspired, in Ami's opinion, to produce a sizeable loss of confidence in the young senshi. Upon checkout, Ami tried to get Usa to agree to counseling, without success.
Minako stopped by her quarters and gave her a pep talk. It didn't help.
Makoto showed up a few hours later with a tray of hot cinnamon rolls and some earthy advice. There was no change.
Rei invited her over to the shrine for some tea. There she encouraged the girl to talk about her troubles or to talk about fashions, music or anything else she wanted to. Usa came, but was sullen company.
When the other senshi reported for self-defense class, the Princess was conspicuously absent. Jun-Jun offered to go see what was wrong, until Ves-Ves pointed out that Hotaru had already left to do just that.
Hotaru - - dressed in black as she had ever since Usa's depression hit - - entered Usa's bedroom. Usa was curled up on her bed, clutching a pillow to her chest and staring off into nothing. The girl gently sat down beside her friend. Slowly she began to talk to her friend, to tell her everything she could think of that would lift her spirits. Usa nodded, exchanged views, sounded sincerely touched by Hotaru's and everyone's efforts. The two talked for hours as only they could.
But in the end, it didn't help. The shopping trip was postponed.
More time passed and Usa's mood lifted some, but not enough. Once more ensconced in her room, sitting on the edge of her bed wanting to do something and lacking the spirit, she heard her door hiss open. Glancing over to see if it was Hotaru or Diana, she found instead it was her mother.
Serenity sat down on the bed next to Usa. She put her hand on Usa's thigh and rubbed it maternally. She didn't say a word. Instead she waited for Usa to say something. For her part, Usa avoided her mother's gaze. If she wanted to say something, she couldn't find the words. Seconds drew into minutes until the queen just couldn't stand it anymore.
"Don't you think you've spent enough time in your room?" Serenity asked.
"I don't feel like going out," Usa mumbled.
"Everyone misses you."
"I'm sorry."
"Don't be sorry. Go out. Do something. Live your life. You still have it. Stop hiding."
"I'm not hiding."
"Oh, but you are. Stop feeling guilty and go live."
Usa didn't respond, which the queen always found maddening.
"Oh, you are such a BRAT!"
Usa's head was down, obscuring her reaction. The shuddering shoulders and the loud "sniff" betrayed her, though.
"Oh, Usa, I'm so sorry!" gasped Serenity.
"No, you're right," the girl sobbed as her mother gathered her in. "I am a brat. And I'm completely useless, too. I try to do good and I try and try and it always comes out wrong!" Shuddering sobs overtook the pink-haired teen and robbed her of her voice.
"Oh, Usa," Serenity sighed, hugging and consoling her daughter. "You do good. You do a lot of good. You're a wonderful person and an excellent Sailor Moon. So many people wouldn't love and respect you if you were useless."
"But I almost killed myself," Usa whimpered. "And - - I could have messed up everything - - and hurt all my friends."
"We're not perfect, Usa, none of us are. What you did could have happened to anybody."
"Yeah, right," her daughter sniffed, tears still pouring down.
"It's just you have more responsibility and more expectations than other people," Serenity continued. "So when you do mess up, it's on a bigger stage and more people notice." She kept the girl close, trying to dry her tears with a mother's love. "You're much better than you think you are. Don't be discouraged."
"You don't understand," Usa sobbed. "I want to be so much better than I am - - and after this, I . . ." The girl's voice trailed off.
"You feel like an idiot, right?" Serenity smiled sympathetically. "You feel like the dumbest person in the entire universe and you're afraid to touch anything because you might break it."
"Is this supposed to help me?" Usa asked, sniffing loudly.
"Yes," Serenity replied patiently. "Because I know what you're going through. You saw what I was like when I was your age. Before I was Queen of Crystal Tokyo, I was Queen of the Screw-ups. There were many times when I lay awake at night wondering if the world had been saved in spite of me instead of because of me. There were so many times when I was saved from dying by your father or one of your aunts. So I know what you're feeling." She rubbed her daughter's arm. "If I can become the beloved queen of so many wonderful people and be the subject of so many inspirational legends, just think of what you can do." She brushed her daughter's bangs with her hand and gave the girl her most encouraging smile. "Because you're already so much better than I ever was. I know you almost died. We're grateful you didn't. The world would have been much poorer without you."
Usa kept her gaze down at the hands in her lap.
"Well I must not be doing this right, because you're still down in the dumps," Serenity scowled. "Mom always knew what to tell me." Then a smile of inspiration crept onto her face. "You know, I think I know what just might lift your spirits," Serenity said, her enthusiasm becoming almost imposing.
"Pig out on candy?" Usa asked glumly.
"Tempting, but no," Serenity smiled. "What you need is an expert's advice. You need to realize that even though you messed up this time, you don't mess up all the time. And it's past time I did this anyway. Come on, Usa. Let's take a trip."
"Where?" Usa groaned.
"You'll see," Serenity said.
"I thought this was a bad thing," Usa protested.
"I checked with Pluto and she said everything would be fine." Serenity countered.
"You mean you guilted her into it," grumbled Usa.
"Would you be quiet," hissed Serenity. "You're going to spoil the surprise!"
Ikuko Tsukino stood in her kitchen, serenely mixing ingredients in a bowl. Usagi had done well in her first year of art school and the woman wanted to reward her daughter. At first she thought of getting her an expensive gift - - but then she realized that, to her daughter, lemon cookies were almost as valuable as a diamond.
Besides, lemon cookies were from the heart.
"Mom, are those lemon cookies?" she heard Usagi gasp.
"Well, so much for that surprise," Ikuko grinned, glancing behind her. Usagi was standing by the back door.
Then Ikuko did a double-take. She looked again. Usagi seemed older - - and she was wearing a fine white gown with a butterfly-wing tie in the back.
"Usagi?" Ikuko inquired, staring at her. "You look different. And where did you get that gown?" Then her hand went to her mouth. "A-Are you from the future?"
"Yes, Mom," Serenity smiled warmly. She extended her arms and the two women embraced. "It's been a while."
"Nonsense, I just saw you this morning. Then again, that wasn't really 'you'. I guess for you it has been. Oh, but you've grown up so well!" Ikuko gasped happily, nearly in tears. "Oh, dear, thank you for giving me a peek at how you'll look as a woman." Then Ikuko grew serious. "This is just a visit, isn't it? Something isn't going to happen?"
"No, I just felt like visiting," Serenity beamed. Then she grew an impish smirk as she reached for the back door. "And I brought a surprise."
The door opened. Usa peeked in.
"H-Hi, Grandma," the teen offered meekly.
"Chibi-Usa!" Ikuko squealed and suddenly Usa was engulfed in a grandmotherly hug. But it felt good. She glanced at her mother and saw Serenity looking proud enough to burst. That made her feel even better. Maybe this didn't glitter like gold or accomplishment, but it was real nice.
Maybe this was going to work after all.
THE END
