THE SECOND MOBIUS

Book Two of Bishoujo Senshi Sailor Moon CosmicStars

by Nashie (aka ShadowSamurai)

May 2000 – September 2000

Revised - Winter 2001

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.

Episode 220: Return of the soldier of innocence? Usagi's troubles

("Get out and get free!")

("Don't stay locked up in this prison!")

("Stay away from here!")

("The darkness is overpowering!")

(Usagi stared through the darkness. She had a funny feeling that she was dreaming and pinched herself. No pain. She was dreaming. Sitting down on the cold, wet ground, she stared bleakly through the heavy mist.

("Who's there?" she asked in a bored voice. She hated when she found out she was dreaming. "Mamo-chan? Is this the cake dream?")

("Please, stay away!")

("Don't come any closer!")

("No, oh god, no! Help us!")

(Usagi clapped her hands over her ears, trying to clock out the screams. The cries were full of anguish and pain. They were screaming. Screaming as if their lives were being taken in a brutal horrible way.)

("NOOOOO!" came a long, piercing cry. Then there was silence. Absolute silence. Tears fell down Usagi's cheeks, the cries being repeated over and over again in her mind.)

("Stop," Usagi moaned in a fear stricken voice. "Stop. STOP!!!!")

Usagi woke up with a start. She was covered in cold sweat. Her breathing was gasped. Shaking uncontrollably, she began crying. It was a long, mournful cry of the people who had been killed in her dreams. In HER dreams.

There was a shuffle on the other side of the door. It slowly creaked open and Usagi's mother walked into the room. "Usagi?" she asked, staring at the blonde. "Are you okay?"

"Nooo," Usagi moaned, covering her face with her blanket. It was already soaked. She tried saying more, but her voice was lost to her. She kept seeing, in her mind's eye, a horrible murder. Repeatedly.

"It's okay," her mother said, sitting down next to her. She stroked the girl's soft hair. Usagi wanted her to stop. She wasn't her mother. Her mother died nearly thousands of years ago and she hadn't seen her since. Usagi let the woman stroke her hair for awhile. After a long period of time, she got up and left the room.

"NOOOOO!"

Usagi buried her face in her hands. Why? Why?

She looked outside. The sun was gone and it had been for a couple of hours now. The sky was cloudy and brooding, predicting a storm. Usagi didn't know why, but she wanted to leave. To escape and never come back.

Shakily getting out of bed, Usagi pulled off her pajamas and dressed into black overalls and pink sweatshirt. Carefully pulling her hair into her much loved style, she looked in the mirror. This wasn't the Usagi she had known a year ago. It was true, what Hogoshi said. The loss of the outer soldiers had effected them greatly.

Who was this girl she was staring at? Gone was the playfulness and cheerfulness that had once been in her eyes. It was gone by a more mature and sorrowful look. Her eyes no longer sparkled as they had done once. The child innocence, gone. The realization of ultimate death had shocked her to the core. She had never recovered although everybody thought she had. The childish Usagi was gone. Dead.

Dead. Usagi hated that word. Every time she thought of it, it always reminded her of the final moments Pluto had given them. When death had taken over her body. No breathing. No heartbeat. Cold nothingness. Nothing…

Making sure everyone was asleep, Usagi tiptoed down the stairs. She was as quiet as a mouse. She carefully opened the front door and walked out into the night.

Where to go in this silence? No one was up at this hour. Even the sky was asleep. Wishing she had brought an umbrella, Usagi ventured out into the darkness. To the park. Yes! That's where she should go. No one was there and no one could find her.

Her thoughts were cluttered. This hateful life as being Sailor Moon had always brought her sorrow and regret. She was always saying good-bye to good people. Ending lives, starting new lives. She hadn't been the big action Sailor Moon she used to be. To the world, she no longer existed. It was someone who they had once heard of.

Staring out at the park, Usagi hesitantly looked for a bench with a little bit of a view. She needed to think. She had been doing a lot of thinking lately and had surprised all the soldiers when she started passing tests with flying colors.

Sitting on a bench that overlooked at large pond, Usagi sat with her head in her hands. There was a thundering boom in the distance. Usagi knew that if she didn't leave soon, she'd be caught in a downpour.

Unwilling to move, Usagi sat still as the rain began. It soaked her hair and her clothes. It continued raining, chilling her to the bone. Usagi didn't move, her face expressionless. Death. Was that what she was asking for? She remembered only thinking about those sorrowful eyes that had been taken over by death.

Everything went black.

("Usagi-chan…you don't deserve death." Usagi looked around for the source of the voice. She saw a figure standing over in the darkness. Tall, muscular built. A boy?)

("You can't do this," the voice said again, walking toward the blonde odango-atama. It was very foggy and she could hardly see the person. She made out the blue-gray eyes that seemed to be regarding her. The person's hair was short and windblown.)

("Do I know you?" Usagi asked, thinking that she knew this person. The sailor outfit worn by this person was clearly visible. The person shook her head.)

("No," the person said shortly, her silver hair changing. It lengthened to her waist, except for two pigtails that were hung from black ties and only reached her shoulders. "Save and pray for this doomed planet.")

("I can't.")

("Yes, you can. Because they are still with you. They will always be with you." There was a blinding flash of light.)

Usagi woke up, blinking. She was in her room, staring up at the ceiling. She had somehow been tucked under her blankets. Shivering, she struggled to sit up.

"Usagi-chan!" Mako gasped, staring over at the sailor soldier. Her eyes were wide in relief. She ran over and hugged the girl. "We were so worried." Usagi saw that the other girls, minus Hogoshi, were sitting around her bed, with worried looks on their faces.

"What happened?" Usagi asked, her voice heavy. She stared at Rei with huge blue eyes. Rei stared back at her, her violet eyes heavy with fatigue and relief.

"You don't remember?" she asked, grasping Usagi's clammy hand. "You passed out, I think. Nearly dead. You wouldn't be here right now if Chibi...I mean, Lady Usagi hadn't found you." Usagi stared at Rei with question marks in her eyes. Lady Usagi?

"Who's Lady Usagi?" Usagi asked, staring at all her friends for an explanation. They all just stared at her with empty eyes. Usagi got a sour look on her face. "Who on earth is Lady Usagi?"

"Me," a tinkling voice said. Usagi looked over to the door and saw a girl who looked to be about eight standing in the doorframe. Her hairdo resembled Usagi's, with pointed odangos. Her pink hair reached down to her shoulders in large pigtails. "I'm Lady Usagi." Usagi's eyes widened in disbelief.

"Chibiusa!?"

Author's Note: A subconscious attempted suicide by Usagi? It doesn't seem real, does it? Even if a year has passed however, the inner senshi have not yet been able to get over their friends' tragic deaths. It hit them too hard, and too close to home, knowing that they could have possibly done something to prevent Fate from taking its course. I guess it's some warped form of post-traumatic stress syndrome. I'm no psychoanalysis expert, but a loss that great is bound to affect you for just a few days, weeks, or months.

Well, I've thoroughly confused you for one day. More confusion in the next chapter.

Eat a pancake, why don'tcha, until then?