Title: The Princess is revealed
Author: Sailor Linnea
Summary: Diamond is obsessed with capturing Sailor Moon, as he knows is the future Neo-Queen Serenity. He has a new evil plan to achieve that goal.
This takes place after the episode where Tuxedo Mask saves Sailor Moon from Diamond's castle. I've changed the story line a little from the anime. Tuxedo Mask was never hunted of bad dreams. Diamond doesn't know who Sailor Moon is as a civilian and Wiseman never existed. There for Chibiusa never transforms to the Wicked Lady.Chapter: 5
Thank you: Helena Cachudo for editing it for me!
A few days had gone by and all the girls were looking forward to the ball that would occur in two days. Under different circumstances Usagi would have been thrilled, by the peace, but not this time. She was worried.
"Usagi-chan? What is it?" Ikuko asked when she saw her daughter frown.
"What do you mean, mother?" Usagi asked, a smile suddenly replacing her frown.
"Don't try to hide it from me, honey! I know that you are troubled over something. This is isn't like you at all. Has something happened? Something regarding that young man that was shopping with us?" Ikuko said with a gentle voice.
"No, nothing has happened. It's silly, but I have this uneasy feeling that something bad is going to happen. I guess I'm just nervous about the ball." Usagi replied, her voice troubled.
"I'm sure it's nothing, honey. I mean what can happen at a ball?" Ikuko replied, ruffling Usagi's hair before leaving the living room. She missed the troubled expression on her daughter's face.
"Yeah, what could happen?" Usagi mumbled a frown still marring her face.
Luna had seen the worried expression on her charge's face and decided to ask her about it as soon as they were alone.
"Do you sense anything, Usagi-chan?" Luna asked as soon as they had reached Usagi's room.
"I'm not sure, Luna. Something doesn't feel right, that's all." Usagi mumbled.
"I understand that you are troubled Usagi. We haven't heard anything that would indicate that Diamond or Esmerald is involved. It has been weeks since their last attacks. Usually their attacks would occur within less than a few days apart. It's has been unusually quiet."
"I know that they are going to attack soon. I can feel it. But I can't figure out when or where and that is driving me crazy. Usually I would enjoy the peacefulness as long as possible, but the final attack is fast approaching and this time I have a child to protect. When we fought the Negaverse I saw all of my friends and my only love die to protect me. I don't want that to happen ever again. I hope I can spare Chibiusa that; she is too young to witness that! If Diamond or Esmerald manages to defeat us, I know they will kill her. After all, she's our daughter and a reminder of Mamoru's and my marriage. Neither one of them would want the child of their rivals to survive." The last was said with a sob, at the painful thought of losing her little girl. "Even though she used to be a little brat and still teases me, she IS my daughter and I love her with all of my heart." Usagi cried, not her usual loudly wails but with silent painful sobs.
"I know you do, Usagi-chan." Luna said and curled up in her lap and started to purr. "Don't worry! We won't let anything happen to her."
"Wasn't it you that told me awhile ago, that I don't worry enough?" Usagi asked with sad smile.
"I thought you were asleep and besides I was wrong. I can do the worrying for you. It hurts me to see you this distressed. I want the happy and carefree Usagi back." Luna said with a voice filled with emotions.
"The happy and carefree Usagi died when she remembered all of her duties as Princess Serenity." Usagi mumbled between sobs.
"No, she didn't. She is in there somewhere. I miss her and want her back. Where is the girl that is always able to make me smile with her silly actions?" Luna asked with a mischievous smile and stroked herself against her charge, trying to soothe her.
Eventually Usagi stopped crying; with a grateful hug and smile to her Guardian she went to the bathroom to freshen up. She didn't want Chibiusa to notice that she had been crying.
When Chibiusa entered the room half an hour later there were no trace of what had occurred there earlier. Usagi was her usual cheerful self and started to tickle Chibiusa until the little girl cried out for air. Chibiusa didn't notice anything amiss with her future mother and went to sleep next to Usagi with a smile. She fell asleep with an exhausted yawn and snuggled closer to Usagi for warmth. Usagi laid awake a long time before she finally fell asleep from pure exhaustion with an almost desperate hold on Chibiusa.
The next day Usagi tiredly sat down at her favourite table in the arcade. It was still early in the morning; so the arcade was empty expect Motoki who was busy wiping the desk.
'Why doesn't something happen? We should have figured out Diamond's next move by now. I know he hasn't given up. When I was kidnapped I discovered how obsessed he is of Neo Queen Serenity. And since that is my future-self, he will try to kidnap me again. But when? How? This silence is driving me crazy. What is he up to? Is there something that I'm missing? But what?' Usagi thought, the frown once again on her face.
"What are you thinking about, Usako?" Mamoru asked as he sat down beside her.
"Hm? Oh, hi Mamo-Chan!" Usagi squealed and gave him a bone-crushing hug.
Mamoru endured the hug with a smile even though it was a bit painful. "Usako, honey? Be careful of me, will you?" He said when she didn't let go.
"Sorry, Mamo-chan!" Usagi said with a sheepish smile.
"Don't worry, honey. Now, why is there a frown marring your beautiful face?" He asked as he trailed her face with gentle fingertips.
"I'm just worried about Diamond, that's all." Usagi sighed.
"Have Luna and Artemis found something?" Mamoru asked with a serious expression.
"No, not a single thing. And that is what's worrying me. It's to quiet. I know something will happen soon and I want to be prepared."
"We'll be ready when he makes his move. Don't worry, honey! We will beat him!" Mamoru said and gave her a kiss on her forehead."
"How can you be so sure? I feel helpless. If he tries that mind-trick again, I'm not sure if I can resist him. I would have been lost if you hadn't interrupted us the last time. I saw him coming closer and closer, but I couldn't move. I was paralyzed."
"You'll resist him honey. Now that you know what he's capable of, you'll find a way to defeat him. Just block his attempts by thinking about all who love you." Mamoru said with a gentle voice, placing another kiss on her lips.
"But what about Esmerald?" Usagi mumbled, still not feeling convinced.
"She'll try to lure us in a trap, but we will win." Mamoru said and silenced all other questions with a kiss. When he withdrawn Usagi's cheeks were red and her eyes shone of love.
"Hello lovebirds!" Motoki said with a teasing smile as he approached them.
"Hi Motoki-kun. How are you?" Mamoru asked as he turned to his friend.
"Fine, just fine. And I don't have to ask how you are. You look very happy." Motoki replied with a smile.
"Yes, we are, Motoki-kun." Usagi said and smiled at him.
"You know, I still think it is rather strange seeing you together. A couple of months ago you hated each other. What changed?" Motoki asked with a curious voice.
'Well let's see; we got our memories back and realised that we are re-born lovers from the Silver Millennium? That made us realise that underneath all teasing and arguing was a strong attraction and love. Well, I can hardly say that can I?' Usagi mused.
"We realised that we are soul mates." Mamoru said with a smile.
"Soul mates?" Motoki replied with a raised eyebrow.
"Yes, we realised that underneath all teasing and arguing a strong love had developed. In fact we realised that we knew almost everything about each other. It feels like we had known each other for centuries." Mamoru replied and caressed Usagi's hand.
'Well that explanation was quite good.' Usagi thought with a sigh.
"That's so sweet!" Motoki said with a smile.
"I think it was rather disgusting!" An evil voice replied and suddenly the whole arcade was thrown in pitch-blackness.
"What's happening?" Motoki asked with a terrified voice.
"Nothing for you to worry about little boy. I'm just here to kill that ugly, disgusting sailor brat that has somehow put a spell on my prince." The evil voice replied with a hideous laughter.
'Esmerald' Usagi and Mamoru thought at the same time.
Usagi quickly pressed the all-call button on her communicator. 'I can't transform here, that would reveal my identity.'
"Who?" Motoki asked with a confused voice.
"Sailor Moon of course. But I have to admit that I never saw a hint beauty in any of them. Not if you compare with me." Esmerald replied and suddenly she was visible floating in the middle of the arcade.
"Who or what are you?" Motoki asked with shocked eyes as he realised that the green lady was floating in midair.
"Haven't you heard of me, boy? I'm shocked! I thought my name was famous all over Tokyo. Well, never mind when I'm finished it will be."
"Well, we will never forget you. I'll grant you that. Nobody could forget that hideous laugh." A voice replied from the doorway.
"Or that ugly face." Another voice replied.
"And defiantly not your ugly sense for fashion." A third voice said.
"Who would dare to insult me like that?" Esmerald fumed and snapped her fan closed with an angry twist of her wrist.
"We dare!" Four voices replied. Suddenly the arcade lit up again and the four Sailor Scouts standing in the doorway were visible to all.
"It's the Sailor Senshi!" Motoki said with an excited voice.
"Oh, is it the Sailor Brats. Where is that ugly excuse for leader? And that utterly cute Masked man?" Esmerald asked.
"Our ugly leader Sailor Moon is unable to come right now. The same goes for the utterly handsome Tuxedo Mask." Sailor Mars said with a teasing voice.
'I'll get you for that one later on, Rei.' Usagi silently fumed and threw a dirty gaze toward Sailor Mars.
"Oh? Well, in that case I'll guess that I have to be satisfied with killing you. At least for the time being. But my readings indicate that the Sailor Brat should have been here. Never mind!" Esmerald snarled and called forth a youma. "Akuma!"
'Readings? Was she able to track me down? That's not good!' Usagi thought with a shocked expression. 'I have to be more careful!'
A youma dressed in a tight long red leather dress appeared, coming up from the floor. Underneath her was a burning inferno. It was a halter evening gown that opened in a vee from the waist up. The dress was completely open on both sides, held together only by tiny metal links. She had sequined horns, a tail and a trident.
"A she-devil?" Sailor Mars asked with a sigh. "Don't you think that these youmas' fashion senses are a little pathetic Venus?"
"You are right about that, Mars. I mean Halloween was a couple of months ago." Venus replied with a shrug.
"Don't dare to make fun of me!" Akuma yells and with a swing of her trident sends a stream of fire in the scout's direction.
"You shouldn't play with fire. Didn't your mother warn you about that?" Mercury replied with a calm voice before she attacked: "Mercury Ice Bubbles Freeze!"
The instant Sailor Mercury's power hit the fire it transformed to ice cubes that harmessly fell to the floor.
"Yeah! Tha't was cool! Go Merc!" Venus gratulated the sailor in blue.
"It was just luck! See what you can do to this attack, water senshi!" Akuma replied. She put her trident down so it touched the floor with a loud bang. The moment the trident touched the floor, a mighty wave of flames appeared and flared in every direction. All of the senshi quickly dogded the attack.
"Look out!" Mamoru yelled an dragged Usagi and Motoki under a table.
"Let us see how good you are with fire, as it is MY element." Mars said with a challenging voice.
"Your element? Little girl you can't be more than 15 years old. How can a child like you claim an element that I have mastered in over 2000 years?" Akuma asked with an arrogant voice.
"Well, that explains all the wrinkles in her face, the grey hair and the cheap fashion sense." Venus whispered to Jupiter. "Even though Esmerald's clothes are worse."
"I heard that you insolent little brat!" Akuma hissed.
"She reminds a little bit of a chimey when she's angry. You can almost see the smoke coming out of her ears."
"Enough talking! Let us fight instead!" Akuma said with an irritated voice.
"I actually agree with you on that one. I have better things to do than wasting my time here! Besides this conversation is boring! Burning Mandala!" Mars yelled and with a flick of her wrist send an burning inferno toward the youma.
Akuma quickly dogded the fire and returned it toward mars. "You have to do better than that to defeat me, little girl." She said with a mocking voice.
"That was my weakest attack. After all it is pointless to attack you with more power than necessary. But don't worry, I'll destroy you!" Mars replied and readied her for another attack.
In the meantime under a table
'Mars, you baka! Always so sure of yourself! Please be careful, she is more dangerous than she appears to be!' Usagi thought as she regared the battle with worried eyes. 'I wish I could fight there with them. I hate feeling useless. But I can't transform, that would reveal my identity to Motoki. But I want to help…I..' Her thoughts were interupted by Motoki.
"Do the senshi always talk this much during a fight?" He asked with a curious voice.
"How should we know? We don't know more about them than you do!" Mamoru replied with a suspicous voice.
"Don't mind me. I'm thinking aloud! It doesn't seem so serious with all the talking and teasing, that's all!"
Usagi and Mamoru sweat-dropped. They recalled all the battles and realised that all were the same. Always the talking, the teasing before they got down to business. They hadn't thought about that!
"But I guess that the senshi aren't the worst ones when it comes to useless speeches during battles!" Motoki said as he tapped his chin, deep in thought.
"They aren't?" Usagi replied.
"Then who?" Mamoru asked with a curious voice.
"Tuxedo Mask!"
"Tuxedo Mask?" Usagi and Mamoru choursed with shocked voices.
"Yes. I admit that I haven't meet him in person, but I have heard of his corny speeches!"
'Corny speeches?' Mamoru thought with horror. 'My repuatation is ruined!'
"But I guess they aren't so old as I thought. But even though they seems to be around 15 years old, they shouldn't act like they are five years old, arguing over who has the prettiest doll." Motoki said with a disapproving voice.
'Five year old? Are we really so bad?' Usagi thought with a frown.
"Their constant speeches about fashion is really embarresing as well. I mean the senshi's outfits are obscene. They are after all heriones and should set a good example. If my girlfriend was one of the senhi, I wouldn't allow her to show herself public in that little mini-skirt." Motoki said with a frown.
'But I bet that you would be thrilled over one of those outfits in private, wouldn't you Motoki? You hentai!' Mamoru thought with a little smile. 'I know you buddy, you enjoy all that revealed skin as much as any other guy.'
'We didn't chose that outfit, but I can't tell him that now can I?' Usagi thought with a frown marring her face.
"Don't frown at me like that Usagi. Can't you see the logic? If you fight youmas like this on a weekly basis you should wear more armour. That little scrap of material don't cover much."
"That's true, but I don't think the Sailor Senshi were allowed to chose their battle uniform, do you?" Usagi replied with an angry expression.
"Look, I'm sorry if I offended your idol, Usagi. But you must agree with me on this." Motoki said.
"No, I will not agree with you!" Usagi said with a stubborn voice.
"Honey, please calm down. Motoki doesn't mean anything bad!" Mamoru tried to assure his furious girlfriend.
"Of course not, I'm just concerned of their safety. And speaking about safety, does anyone know where Esmerald is?" Motoki replied and looked around for the green haired lady.
"Esmerald!" Mamoru and Usagi said with shocked voices. They looked around franctially, trying to locate her. Usagi spotted her just when she was going to attack an unsuspecting Mercury.
"Merc, look out!" Usagi yelled just as a red blur flashed towards Mercury.
To be continued….