Alone
Mamoru Chiba slammed his head into his hands once more. What was going on! Why the hell did he keep feeling like he should be somewhere else, protecting someone he loved so very deeply?
But he wasn't in love! He didn't care about anyone like that! He was just an everyday person who happened to have a strange tuxedo in his closet with rips and tears covering it and a small rose that never wilted or died. But everyone had those kinds of things... Everyone had those kinds of things...
But if he was so normal, why did that Odango-Atama keep popping up in his thoughts? Why did her hurt eyes haunt him every night? Why did those angry words scar him so deeply?
They had never hurt like this before! What was so different now?
It didn't make any sense, not any sense at all. How did a klutzy, crybaby like her keep overwhelming his thoughts?
He shook his head and plucked the small rose from the table. It shimmered delicately yet stood sharp and ready, a beautiful weapon and yet not...
It was a token of love, one that reminded him so much of that stupid Usagi. That beautiful Usagi...
Groaning, he realized he'd done it again. What was wrong with him? Had he lost his mind? What was wrong with him!
Staring off into the night, he felt an overwhelming need to hold the small blond, to kiss her flush lips, to hold her dainty hands... The feelings scared him, and he wasn't sure he liked that feeling.
Sailor Pluto stood before the gates, her eyes wide as she watched the problems of the world show before her. How had she let things become so terribly out of control? How could she have neglected her duty to the princess for so long?
"O Selenity," she whispered, the echo magnifying it a ten fold. How could she have let things get so out of control? How?
She glanced through the gates, seeing through the midst and into the future. She felt herself gasp in surprise and fear. The darkness. The earth stood in complete darkness, if she could call it an earth...
But why! Where had all these problems originated from that caused the princess to fall to the mercy of the shadows? Where or rather, when had Crystal Tokyo become void and the peace destroyed? Where was her little Chibi-Usa?
A small tear made its way down the lonely warriors cheek. She had failed them... She had failed them all...
Shaking her head to rid the thoughts, she straightened herself and held tightly to the key in her hand, the staff of her position that reminded her of her loneliness in the misty, timeless land. Things had gotten bad, but she could stop this, she knew the ways of time well, what she had done had been a mistake. A mistake that had cost her much, but one she could fix.
One she would fix...
Ikuko smiled softly as she watched the interaction between the two women, watching her daughter stare with such happiness at the other. Ikuko felt hope once more rise through her bosom.
She'd had to change some of her plans with the sudden knowledge that her daughter liked a magical alien warrior protected by the distant wind planet, but she had no qualms what so ever. They had all disappeared when she'd seen the love and concern shinning through those emerald orbs. The terrified fear that had glowed in them when her baby did not awaken to their touch.
Ikuko closed her eyes and stepped away from the door. She loved her child dearly, but knew rather well how determined she was to push people away. The little imp had tried to move out even, claiming she would endanger her mother and father if she stayed. Ikuko had simply knocked some sense into the crazed girl.
But still, those eyes so filled with tears... Those sad eyes that drowned in sorrow and fear and shame. Those sad eyes still haunted her nights. And she wasn't foolish enough to ignore the signs now that the hard headed girl would try it again.
Her baby was going to run. She was going to run from her problems and sorrows, cowardly pushing the people she obviously loved so much away.
Ikuko was no fool. She knew the girl was hiding something, something important, and Ikuko feared the outcome of such secrets. How could she protect her baby from something she knew nothing about?
Shaking her head, she left the hallway, instead opting to find the other of the two warriors that fluttered about her home. Perhaps if she could warn one of them about the tenancies of her child, then perhaps they could cure her of it. Heavens knew the child had the determination of a stone. Took after her father, that one did.
Minako glanced at the girl sitting beside her, the brunet with those big brown eyes that looked so sad. They reminded her of someone, someone she used to know...
Shaking her head with a sigh, she brushed away the feeling, something that was beginning to become a bad habit these days. What was wrong with her? Why did she want to hug this girl and tell her everything would be okay. Their princess was okay...
But they didn't have a princess! She didn't follow a princess! She was normal, a normal individual playing a computer game Sailor V. A game whose main character looked remarkably like herself...
"Ugh, I've lost it!"
"You to huh?" asked the girl beside her. Minako's head swiveled around faster than the speed of light, blue eyes piercing green.
"What do you mean?"
"Strange dreams, weird feelings, dejavu..." she shrugged slightly, a nonchalant smile. The smile was wiped from her at the young woman's words.
"She begs you as well?"
Shocked expressions exchanged and the two promised to meet again, something defiantly wasn't right here. Something defiantly...
Michiru jumped at the startled hand on her shoulder. She turned around quickly escaping the grip on reflex. She calmed down quickly when she found the young blue haired woman smiling back at her, the soft expression so loving and caring.
"Tsukino-san?"
Ikuko simply shook her head at the formalities, not used to such politeness after taking care of two rambunctious children. She shut her eyes at those thoughts.
"Michiru, please just Ikuko. What you have done for my daughter today... Had it not been for you I might have lost yet another child..."
Michiru looked up oddly at the comment. Another child?
"Of course Ikuko. Is there something you needed?"
"Yes, I was going to... to warn you of some strange tenancies Usagi appears to have developed."
"What do you mean?" the aqua haired woman asked, standing straighter at these words. Was there something wrong? Was Usagi in trouble?
"Calm down my dear, it's nothing like what your probably thinking," smiled the elder woman, chuckles of amusement escaping her as she lead them both to some chairs. "I just wished to speak to you about what I fear she might try. She can be such a handful sometimes."
Michiru quickly took a seat and listened quietly to the mother's ramblings, wondering why she was telling her such things. If Usagi wasn't in danger then what was the problem?
"I fear," whispered Ikuko sadly, all traces of joy escaping her voice as the wind dances from the clutches of the trees, "I fear my child will try once more to protect you. And to do so, she'll push you away. The little spore once tried to run away from home you know. And when I caught her begged me to kick her out. Something about not hurting me like the others..."
A soft swear was heard from the shadows and both women turned to see Haruka stalk into the light, her eyes alight with rage.
"Ruka?" asked Michiru quietly, worry seeping from her every feature. Was something wrong? And if not, why were such foul words escaping her?
"The woman in koneko's mind... She said things I didn't understand... stuff about some little boy protecting koneko..." the young woman's eyes widened greatly. "She had a brother! Koneko had a little brother!"
Michiru stared at her friend for a moment, feeling like sighing at how utterly tactless she was. Words had never been her friend's strong suit, but still. To remind a mother she had once had two children was beyond dumb!
"She did," nodded the woman, a solid voice meeting the accusations, Michiru turned to see the once hysterical mother release a deep sigh. "Her brother died protecting her. Usagi carried home the body of a skeleton that night, and the next night she disappeared entirely. I thought- I had thought she'd left to kill herself... But she didn't. She was in her bed the next morning looking as though nothing had ever happened."
Michiru listened with interest as the woman relayed the story, telling how her daughter had broken down one day when she got home, how Ikuko had worried of her last child when she returned home with cuts and scrapes. The story brought tears to the steel eyes that had faced down a many foes.
She reached into her pocket and pulled forth the crumpled picture, the smiling people all laughing with joy. Usagi smiling with such love.
"Ikuko, please, do you recognize these girls."
Michiru handed the picture to the blue haired woman, ignoring Haruka's strange stare. She watched her gasp in surprise and clutch her hand over her heart. The picture falling to the floor slowly, the girls smiling happily at the ceiling.
"It- It's them... But it couldn't... I'd remember if-" chocked words sputtered from the woman. Michiru moved from her spot quickly, prepared to whatever it took to protect the female who'd suffered such pain.
She found she needn't have bothered.
"No, no I'm okay," she whispered as she swatted away the two with deep breaths, her eyes firmly ignoring the crumpled paper. "It's just, I- I didn't expect to see them again..."
"What?" Sometimes, Michiru supposed, her friend's lack of thinking before talking was actually usefully.
"They are, or were Usagi's friends. They sometimes come to me at night, begging me to free them, they're locked away in the dark. Completely untouchable to the outside world."
Michiru looked wide eyed at this information. Usagi's friends didn't remember her? But why? How could such things happen? People didn't just forget! They just-
"Damn it!" Michiru looked over just in time to see the powerful warrior she knew fall to the ground. She watched with wide eyes as she cursed aloud, the angry words pouring from her mouth.
"Sailor Moon, this is all her fault!"
Michiru looked in surprise yet concern. What did that moon brat have to do with anything?
"What are you talking about Haruka?"
"The woman, Beryl, she talked about being sealed away. And besides, I see no other person around here who could do such feats!"
Narrowed teal eyes gave silent approval. That did make some sense, but why would Sailor Moon have anything to do with Usagi? Why would she care if the younger girl had friends?
Unless the moonlight warrior was jealous of the other girl. But could the lonesome fighter that worked so hard to defeat the evils of this world commit such an atrocious crime? Could Sailor Moon destroy the bonds of friendship?
Long fingers twisted together in anger. She could and she had. Sailor Moon was going to pay for hurting her friend.
Sailor Moon was going to pay big time.
Usagi squeezed her eyes shut at the terrible feelings directed towards her alter ego. Things were getting out of control and the reincarnated moon princess was not certain she could stop it. What could she do with everything swirling so out of control? Things were so hard now a days, what had happened to the times when she fought alone against the clutches of evil. Back when she'd first started her silent crusade against the darkness. It was so easy back then.
Back when things were simple and her unrequited love was safe.
But that love was fading, she didn't feel so breathless when thinking of him, or so weak when the thought of his lips against hers flashed through her.
What had happened to that undying love she held for the handsome prince she'd died for on the moon kingdom? When did the thought of his loving stare fell so foreign to her?
She moved away from the room that housed the woman whose face made her question destiny. The woman who'd protected her from the terrible forces within her mind. But how did Beryl even get in!
She was certain she'd destroyed her! She had none so! So how could a dead woman get into her mind?
Turning to look out the window, she watched the peaceful moonlight flutter through the clear glass, it's soft waves reflecting only serenity. Somehow, as she looked up at that bright silver moon, somehow she felt everything was going to be okay.
Rei felt the scream pierce through the night before she heard it, turning to look towards the setting sun. This was it, this would be her chance... Probably her last...
Turning to look at the blue haired girl behind her, she saw the determination in stare back. They would do this together. They had learned a lot but now would be their reconciliation.
Glancing up at the arisen moon, she felt hope.
Makoto raced down the street, her heels clacking loudly in her ears as she raced to the next victim, green eyes wide as she hurried. She was going to help free the warrior, she'd free them her if it was the last thing she did. She had to... She just had to...
Looking up at the bright ball of light in the sky, she felt her heart clench, tonight would be the night, she just knew it...
Mamoru jumped from rooftop to rooftop, the ease coming naturally scared him but he didn't bother with wondering why. He had a mission before him, he would allow the strange urges tonight and would not squash them as normal. He'd find out exactly where they lead to, and he'd find out exactly what was going on.
Glancing up, he saw an image of a beautiful princess cross his vision.
"I'm coming," he whispered to the night, "I'm coming my princess."
Haruka and Michiru glanced at each other before racing out of the house, a quick word to the mother who only nodded in response. Duty called.
Together they flew across the darkness, the moonlight lighting their way and they only glared back angrily. They would teach the coward to mess with their friends. They would show her indeed.
Pink boots licked across the ground, wide blue eyes staring off into the darkness. She had no idea what was to come, but she would face it. She had to.
And with that, Sailor Moon disappeared through the open window, black eyes staring widely in the place she had once been. Wide eyes weeping with tears.
