Disclaimer - We all know that Sailor Moon and all related characters belong to Takeuchi Naoko. I claim none of them, but thank her for their use. All incidental characters are mine, but if you feel the desire to use them please feel free. I'll just disavow anything I don't like, hahaha… - Raya
Moon's Light
(November 1995)
Rei surreptitiously studied Usagi's face as her friend frowned in concentration over a drawing she was making for her manga club. Even though it had been seven months since she told her friends that she was pregnant, there was still no sign and the tests were still negative. She frowned as Usagi absently grimaced in pain and rubbed at her chest. Rei looked over to Ami who was frowning as well as she watched Usagi out of the corner of her eye.
Suddenly, they all jumped as Minako burst into loud laughter. She continued to laugh as her friends looked at her surprise. "What's so funny about your English homework, Minako-chan?" Ami asked curiously.
Slowly, gasping for breath, Minako calmed down. "Well, you know how Johnson-sensei has us reading English novels to practice, right?" As her friends nodded, she held up her book. "I chose this Regency romance, and it is sooo funny. I mean the situations this girl gets herself into! Reminds me of a certain someone," she said giving Usagi a sly look. Usagi just blinked back with a look of confusion.
"A Regency romance?" Ami asked looking a little surprised. "Aren't we supposed to give book reports on the novels we read?" As Makoto, Usagi, and Minako nodded, she continued. "What on earth are you going to talk about from a romance novel?"
Minako shrugged as she opened her book again. "I'll figure something out," she said with an air of unconcern. Ami shook her head as Makoto leaned over to read over Minako's shoulder.
"Hey, Ami-chan," Usagi whispered as she leaned closer to her blue haired friend. "What is a Re… Regen.. whatever novel?"
"Regency," Ami replied softly with a surprised look. "It's a romance novel set in England during the early 1800's. The main characters are usually nobility of some sort who are looking to get married. Lots of parties, balls, walks in the park and that kind of stuff. You've never heard of them?"
"Oh," Usagi replied looking toward Minako's book with more interest as she shook her head. "I could have read one like that? No fair… Ah!" she exclaimed more loudly. "Is that the time? I have to get home and make dinner!" Her friends smiled as she quickly put her artwork and notebooks back in her backpack.
Rei shook her head. "I still can't believe you cook," she said teasingly. "And that it's edible!" In a hurry, Usagi settled for sticking her tongue out at Rei and scrunching up her face.
"Bye guys!" she called a few moments later as she shoved her feet into her shoes and snatched up her satchel. With a wave and a smile, she ran out the door and down the steps.
"Bye!" they called after her.
Minako looked casually around the table. "She didn't leave anything this time, did she?" she asked as she placed a bookmark in her book. Ami and Makoto quickly inspected the floor where Usagi had been sitting, and then shook their heads. "Then, I have something I want to talk about," she said her expression suddenly serious. As she looked at the other three girls, worry joined the seriousness. "I don't like this strange pain Usagi-chan's been having."
"Me either," Ami said as Rei and Makoto nodded. "She's not pregnant. We all know that."
"Yeah, it's been too long," Makoto said. "There's no way the tests would still be negative at this stage, and she would be well beyond showing by now!"
Minako shook her head. "That's not all. You guys don't remember,..." Her voice trailed off a little uncertainly as she debated with herself.
"What?" Rei asked impatiently. "If it has to do with Usagi, spit it out."
Minako looked uncertain for a few more moments, and then began to speak again. "I remembered something a few months ago. You remember when you were captured by the Black Moon?" she asked. They blinked at her in surprise and nodded. "ChibiUsa-chan took Usagi-chan, Mamoru-san, and I into the future to find you. While we were there, Mamoru-san asked King Endymion-sama why it was that they didn't appear much older than their past selves. The king replied that..." Her voice trailed off again.
"It's all right, Minako-chan," Ami said as she suddenly realized why Minako was struggling. "I'm sure Pluto will forgive you for telling us. Unless it's something we can change?"
Minako shook her head and relaxed. "No, it's not something I think we can have any influence over. Thanks, Ami-chan," she said with a smile to her blue haired friend. "He said that Usagi-chan became queen at 22, gave birth to the Crown Princess, and then stopped aging."
"22?" Makoto asked in surprise. "But, she's only 17!"
"Precisely," Minako said as she nodded. "If ChibiUsa-chan is an only child, and she is born when Usagi-chan is 22, then there's no way Usagi-chan can be pregnant now."
"I see one problem with that logic," Ami said with a small frown. As her friends looked at her in surprise, she gave them a serious look. "According to Luna and Artemis, they've already been crowned King and Queen. I asked Luna about whether or not we needed to have a coronation ceremony in addition to the wedding," she added. "To officially make Mamoru-san a Prince Consort or Usagi-chan a Princess of Earth or something like that. Luna said that they had already been recognized, if you will."
"When they defeated Queen Neherenia," Rei said suddenly. "Remember how they looked?"
"Yeah," Makoto said slowly as she and Minako nodded. "Like Neo-Queen Serenity-sama and King Endymion-sama. Their outfits, their crowns, their scepters,... everything."
"So that means that the time line might be different already," Ami said. Her friends nodded thoughtfully.
"Ami-chan, have you checked her over with your computer?" Minako asked, already knowing the answer.
Ami nodded. "There is nothing physically wrong with her," she said reassuringly. "I have checked her several times, both when her heart was bothering her and when it was not, and she seems to be fine. She does have elevated energy levels during an attack, but it doesn't seem like an external attack or a defense against one."
"Rei-chan, have you done a fire reading?" Minako asked.
The dark haired shrine maiden nodded. "Like Ami-chan, several times." She shook her head. "Nothing. There is no danger that I can discern. No enemy who is attacking her, no danger associated with the attacks..." She frowned. "It is important, though. Something is going to happen."
"Do you see anything in particular?" Makoto asked curiously.
Rei shifted a little. "It's... hard to explain. I see... Light... Splotches of color... Mostly pink and white... There are no shapes, no real visions." Her friends heard the frustration in her voice, both at her inability to see and her inability to explain any better.
"But there's no threat to her that we must prepare for?" Minako asked. Both Ami and Rei nodded in agreement although their expressions showed that they were still uncertain. "Then, I guess we just keep our eyes open and try to be helpful and supportive for now," she sighed unhappily. Her friends nodded again.
Deep in the darkness, the Sailor Guardians surrounded the glowing light. "What's happening?" Sailor Guardian Venus asked anxiously.
"I think they're splitting," Sailor Guardian Mercury replied, sounding just as anxious.
"Sounds painful," Sailor Guardian Uranus mumbled. Beside her, Sailor Guardian Neptune nodded with a worried look on her face.
"Can we stop it?" Sailor Guardian Jupiter asked. She moved forward to hug the sleeping Sailor Guardian, but was held back by Sailor Guardian Mars and Sailor Guardian Saturn.
"I don't think we should touch her," Sailor Guardian Mars said calmly as her fellow guardian glared at her. "We certainly won't make her heal by trying to force her back together... In fact, we might just make her worse."
Sailor Guardian Mercury cocked her head to one side. "Heal her?" she asked curiously. "She has always been split, at least as long as I remember her."
"Mmm, and always asleep," Sailor Guardian Venus said uncertainly. "Why does she always sleep?" The other guardians shook their heads helplessly.
"Is there nothing we can do?" Sailor Guardian Jupiter asked again as another strong pulse of light came from the strange sleeping Sailor Guardian.
"Wait..." Sailor Guardian Saturn said softly. "Just... wait..."