A/N
Do you know what the worst part about writing a chapter that everyone likes?
There's literally no way to keep those high expectations, and whatever chapter comes next will fall woefully short compared to the last.
Still, I must go on, for Matsuo's sake if nothing else.
I'd like to give a huge, heartfelt thank you to chobits15, for taking the time to make the first fan art for Rabbit of the Moon! I loved it, am incredibly flattered, and I'm going to print it out and stick it on my wall somewhere. Thank you, thank you, thank you!
Disclaimer: Well, we all know how it goes.
My god damn hair grew.
I turned into Sailor Moon once, one freaking time, and my hair grows out to my knees.
Unbelievable.
"Quit moving." Matsuo scolded, gently nudging my back with one of his knees.
"I'm not moving."
"Yes," He huffed, and the air caused a few strands of hair to displace on my head. "You are. Ask me how I know Usagi-chan."
"I don't really-"
"Ask me."
He wasn't going to let this go, was he?
I let out a long suffering sigh. "Please, Matsuo, tell me how you know. I'm absolutely dying with curiosity."
Jupiter laughed from where she leaned against the kitchen countertop, and I sent her a look that clearly stated do shut up now. Sadly, Jupiter remained unfazed in the face of my glare; that was the problem with her, unlike the rest of the Sailor Scouts she did not appear daunted by anything I threw her way. In many, many ways Jupiter was like a kicked puppy, and no matter what I said she just kept coming back. It seemed that she was the only one not completely outraged by my actions (my very existence, really), and for the life of me I couldn't figure out why.
Matsuo beamed at Jupiter's smile, momentarily distracted and I tensed up.
"Matsuo, my hair, please."
"Oh, right." He continued his trimming, snipping blonde locks with slow, careful movements. From my place on the tiled floor I could see Jupiter glancing to Matsuo, then to the ground, to him again, then out the window. This made me rightfully nervous, because if she was looking away, that meant he was noticing and in order to notice he had to turn his attention from my hair.
"Matsuo," I began sweetly. "If you mess up my hair or stab me from lack of proper caution and attention, I will be forced to take unsavory actions. Play your games on your own time, please."
"Sorry, sorry." Matsuo paused, considering something, and then added, "But in the event that such an accident did occur, I'd just like to point out that you could turn into Super Usagi and your hair would probably grow out again."
"Don't call me that." I groaned. Ever since finding out about the paranormal world, Matsuo had been stuck on the whole Sailor Moon thing, as though somehow it was the most interesting part. You tell a guy that monsters roam the earth and the history books are missing about a millennium, and all he cares about is Super Usagi.
Honestly.
Before I could change the subject, my dearest friend had gone off into dreamland. "Why though? It's cool. My best friend is a superhero, I feel like a sidekick. I should have a name shouldn't I? Like… Moon Man. Mr. Moon. The Moonster. No, scratch that last one."
"Moon Boy." I blurted out. Suddenly, I found myself flocked with images of a character from a movie, Incrediboy or something like that from The Incredibles. "Huh. Maybe having a bratty little sidekick wouldn't be so bad. You could fetch me things and I'd save you from peril when you inevitably tried and failed to prove your strength by heading into a battle far out of your league."
Matsuo made an annoyed noise, but Jupiter looked amused.
"Mooner Eclipse." She suggested.
I laughed. "Matsmoon."
"The Mooning Star."
"Moonkick."
"Moo-"
"-Please stop." Matsuo interjected.
"You started it, Moontsuo." I smirked.
Behind me, Matsuo grunted. "Right, all done. The length should be able the same, so I doubt anyone will notice otherwise."
Yeah, anyone that isn't Harumi.
I stood from the floor and sat in the chair next to Matsuo's. I studied him for a moment, and my previous humor faded as I said, "Look, I know you think this whole Sailor Moon business is just the coolest thing ever, but I'm not some kind of superhero; that would be Jupiter's area of expertise. I'm not going to start running around the city fighting crime and saving civilians or anything like that."
"I know that." His gaze was unwavering as he graced me with a smile, kind and sympathetic, and suddenly I found muscles I hadn't consciously stiffened begin to relax. I managed to dredge up a similar expression in return, more thankful than sympathetic. That was the thing about Matsuo, he really did understand; he knew how I felt about being Sailor Moon and the war, and despite knowing that I had the ability to take up arms, he never pushed me on it.
I would be eternally grateful for it.
Matsuo had taken everything quite well, all things considering.
"If…" Jupiter began, only to pause. She shuffled a bit, gaze faltering momentarily before finally settling on me. "If you ever did change your mind about it, well, we could always use another set of fists." At my baffled expression, she shrugged and added, "Just thought I'd put it out there."
"Oh," I examined her, finding that she seemed genuine in her words. The only thing that had me pausing… well, I'd been wrong before, hadn't I? With Naru, I had barely been able to see through her lies to the police, even knowing the truth beforehand and that was a scary feeling. If I couldn't read Naru then how could I possibly be certain of anyone else? Yet unlike Venus and Mercury, Jupiter had this all around honesty about her; it never seemed to occur to her to play games or take someone's measure, so her words were pure, true spoken and from the heart. It made it hard to deal with her sometimes. "Thank you for offering. I mean, I'll probably never take you up on it, and the rest of the Sailor Scouts certainly aren't going to be happy if they ever hear about it, but nonetheless, thank you."
"Yeah, they aren't your biggest fans at the moment." She laughed sheepishly, clearly not having taken that into account. "Who knows though, things can always change."
Naivety was going to get this girl killed one day.
Matsuo, in the midst of sweeping up rejected strands of hair from his kitchen floor, looked up and asked, "By the way, how are things going with blondie?"
Jupiter deflated. "Jadeite, and it isn't going all that great actually. Rei has been going at him from every angle, trying to break down his defenses, but so far she hasn't had any luck. The wards are holding, which is good, and she can feel the dark energy tainting him, she just can't seem to purify it; it's been driving her mad."
"Well, it's only been three days." He reasoned. "She probably just needs more time, right Usagi-chan?"
I hummed noncommittally.
It was good that Mars had been able to sense the corruption, it meant there was a chance it could indeed be stripped away. What worried me was that she didn't seem to have the power to purify it, despite her priestess talents; on the youma, her skills seemed to work just fine, but perhaps people simply weren't in her area of expertise. I contemplated that thought before discarding it, because as much as I wanted to believe that perhaps that was the case, it just didn't fit.
Mars was a priestess, and though my knowledge was minimal on these matters I couldn't help but think that, if anything, people in general should be within her reach. Vaguely, I thought I could recall a time where Mars exorcised the evil from a person before. I tried to think back on it, but the memory would not full return to me and though that was mildly concerning I very carefully did not think too much on it. The fact of the matter was that priestesses were spiritually trained to drive away the demonic and purify, so the fact that she couldn't meant this was more than a simple possession.
I knew very little about Queen Beryl and her abilities; she brainwashed the generals, but with what means I couldn't say. It was possible that she prayed on their own darker feelings; it would explain why Mars was having trouble. That would be bad news, not just from them but for me especially. Jadeite had seen my transformation, it was entirely possible that, should he escape, he could find me sooner or later.
We were running out of time.
I could try using the moon stick, but I had a feeling that it wouldn't do what I needed it to; the solution sounded far too easy to be believable. So where did that leave me then? If Mars wasn't up to the task, then there were only two courses of action left to be taken; either Jadeite would have to die, or I would have to figure out a way to use the Silver Crystal to cleanse him. Both scenarios had grim consequences; Jadeite was supposed to be my ticket out of this war, one of four and if I couldn't turn him to Mamoru's side then I was in trouble.
The Sailor Scouts needed the four of them if they were going to win this war.
Even if, by some twisted fate I ended up fight with the Scouts, my added strength alone would never be enough to fully turn the tides so it wasn't even an option. One person was not good enough, not to fight an army, or whatever the universe was going to throw at them after that. This war was never going to be over, not really; if the Aphotic Kingdom went under, someone else was simply going to take their place. The Sailor Scouts needed long term commitment and resources; they needed Jadeite, so killing him was a last resort and yet we were running out of time.
If his lack of presence hadn't been noticed yet then it would be soon.
Under no circumstances did I want to turn to the Silver Crystal, that would mean potentially restoring memories and what's more I didn't even know how to use the damn thing. If Mars didn't step up her game, I wasn't going to have any other choice though; this world did not stand a chance without Jadeite and his lot.
I prayed it wouldn't come to that.
Long, flowing silver hair styled into two odango buns.
Blues eyes, so familiar to my own and yet so different, stared back at me. These eyes were brighter, lively with hope and dreams; they were not the ones that looked back at me through the mirror, hard and calm and seeing the world of what it truly was. These eyes, they watched through rose tinted lenses. They inspired songs, poems, and were the kind that had someone gladly taking a bullet for you.
They were not my eyes, no matter their familiarity.
"Rise." The figure said, and I did. Her smile, the way she held her head high, the straightness of her posture; these all came together to give the undeniable sense of regality, royalty. As I took in her white gown, the golden crescent moon adorning her brow, and the silent, empty courtyard around us, my mind came to a conclusion of it's own.
"Serenity." Dread dug deep, talons clawing into my stomach, but it was nothing compared to the guilt that shot like an arrow through my chest, knocking the air from me and making my knees go weak. There was no accusation in her gaze, no resentment or hatred; Serenity looked at me tenderly, warmly, as though we were old friends reunited at last and my throat tightened.
"Sailor Moon." She stepped forward gracefully and took my hands in her own, squeezing gently. "Why do you look so sorrowful? Please, do not show such a sad expression, or it shall infect me as well."
Her voice, the same as my own and yet how different it sounded; her inflection and the way the words flowed from her lips made all the difference in the world. My gaze drifted downward slightly, and she tilted her head to meet my eyes once more, smile turning more morose as she beckoned me to cheer up, blue orbs imploring. It was too much, too unexpected, and I let out a shuddering breath, eyes welling with tears as I managed to choke out the words. "I'm so sorry."
And I was.
I was so unbelievably sorry, for stealing this life from her, for taking her second chance, for letting her die, quietly and with no one the wiser as I continued on living, for wanting to live, for knowing that I'd probably make the same choice all over again.
Here she was, the victim of my own selfish desires, and she didn't even have the decency to treat me the way I deserved to be treated. Serenity was the girl that died alone, never mourned; a mere child with so much potential in her future, something I hadn't realized in time. Thirteen years old, full of life and love and with no idea as to the cruelty of this world or the fate that had awaited her.
I was so, horrifically apologetic for what I had done to her.
The tears spilled over then, and she caressed my cheeks with her thumbs, wiping them as they fell.
"Oh, Sailor Moon, you mustn't cry." Serenity proclaimed. "It is fine, truly, I forgive you, so please cry no further. That you would weep for me… It means more than I could possibly say."
"Why are you being so nice to me?" I couldn't understand it.
Her smile grew once more. "There is so much you do not know. Will you walk with me?"
She offered an elbow, and hesitantly, I linked arms with her.
Serenity led us about the Moon Kingdom for a while, content to remain quiet as my tears gradually dried. The further we walked, the more I began to notice things about the palace. It was empty save for us, and eerily still; there were a few times that, from the corner of my eye I thought I saw a different, more desolate and ruined image over the place, but each time I looked it remained pristine. We wandered to an outer courtyard, towards the edge of a manmade pond and when we arrived Serenity broke the silence.
"Tell me, Sailor Moon. When you look into the water, what is it that you see?" She gestured to the pond, and I found myself gazing in.
I saw twins; the face of Usagi Tsukino drastically differed on two separate people.
There was Serenity, with her white gown, silver hair, and glowing blue gaze. Then there was what could only be me, as Sailor Moon except the colors were all wrong. Dark metallic, blood red, midnight blue; even the white was wrong, sort of faded and off color, not in a yellowing way but as though it was losing color entirely, just on the edge of light gray. Had Serenity's gown not been at my side for comparison, I would have never noticed the difference.
These were the wrong shades of the Guardian of the Moon.
The hair was golden though and the eyes were just right, so clearly belonging to me, tense and unwavering. The princess and I were different as night and day, two opposites wearing the same face. Serenity seemed to read my mind, because she said, "Different, yes, but in the end are we not the same?"
"What do you mean?"
"I am Princess Serenity." She began. "I will always be Princess Serenity of the Moon Kingdom. You are Sailor Moon, and you will always be Sailor Moon; that identity belongs solely to you. I never had the chance to become her, and therefore she is not a part of me. I can never become Sailor Moon, and you can never become Princess Serenity; these identities belong to us, and us alone. You and I are rather different, the warrior and the princess, yet we are also the same. Sailor Moon and Princess Serenity have both lived as Usagi Tsukino, and it is her that connects us."
I had never considered it that way. "I suppose so, but… Usagi Tsukino, she was yours to begin with. I'm not-"
"How it is that you became her is irrelevant." She interjected. "You are Usagi, and now you are also Sailor Moon, whether you care to admit it or not. It is what connects us, so do not carelessly detach yourself from these parts of you. Surely you have felt it, your mergence with this life; your mind has made a home here."
Something in me acknowledged this as truth, and it rattled me.
"What point are you attempting to make here?" I tore my gaze from the water, turning to her. "Why are you so caught on this?"
I was having trouble rationalizing this entire conversation. So we were connected, alright then, but what did that have to do with anything? She was dancing around the subject, not quite revealing whatever end game she had here and it was beginning to irritate me.
"You do not understand yet." She murmured quietly to herself, sighing. Serenity addressed me once more, this time with a sense of frustration. "We are Usagi, and we are also so much more. When you became her, Usagi Tsukino disappeared, yes, but that does not mean that I did."
What?
"No, you had to have." I argued. Because where else could she have gone? There had been nowhere to go, I knew this for a fact; if I'd been able to escape that day, I would have.
"I wasn't there though." She raised a finger and tapped my tiara. As she did so, something caught my eye in the water, and I realized it was our reflections. The moment she touched the tiara, the color sort of rippled, not back to gold but brighter, to a white. It was only for a moment, and then the smoky color was back. Serenity put a hand to my chin and turned it back to her, clearly done with my lack of attention. "Sailor Moon, think; if I had been there, you would have seen my memories, so why is it that you remain blissfully unaware of them?"
"I…" She was right though. I had so many of little Usagi, but not a single one of the Moon Kingdom. Even the memories of Serenity's reincarnated life had faded over time, along with many of my own. Why, if Serenity and Usagi were one, why did I receive only half of her memories? Something else about it niggled at my consciousness as well, an itch I couldn't quite reach.
Her hand lowered, fingers tapping my heart once. "I'm here. It's where I've been the whole time."
I blinked, and then it hit me.
"Oh," I breathed, and she all but beamed in approval.
Serenity had been in the Silver Crystal.
It made sense too; Usagi hadn't regained her past life's memories until the Silver Crystal had shown itself within her, in fact no one really had; Mamoru had dreams, yes, but nothing clear. The memories themselves weren't repressed, they were sealed in some way. I hadn't killed Serenity by taking this body, because she had never been there to begin with. I had simply absorbed part of her, Usagi Tsukino, and by doing that, well… We truly were connected by the name.
"So what does this mean then?" I asked. "You said I can't become you, so I'm not the moon princess, right? Does that mean I can't use the Silver Crystal either?"
Questions piled themselves in my mind, and I was dying to have them answered because this had the potential to change everything. If I couldn't use the silver Crystal then I really was of no use to the Scouts in their war, and I was pretty much pardoned. At the same time though it meant that I couldn't fix Jadeite, and that either the Scouts would have to figure something out, or he would have to go.
"It is difficult to explain." She looked to the sky wistfully. "Only a descendant of the Moon Kingdom could become Sailor Moon or use the Silver Crystal, and you have done both so therefore you must be the Moon Princess."
"But you just said-"
"You are not me." Serenity confirmed. "The body you have merged with is the Moon Princess's though, so I suppose you are me in all but name. We are different people, understand, different souls, but Usagi Tsukino is both Sailor Moon and the Moon Princess; this is something that cannot be changed."
"So… I'm the Moon Princess, but also… not?" She was making absolutely no sense. I hadn't used the Silver Crystal either, so what was she going on about? "You need to be more clear about this, for the sake of my own sanity."
Serenity nodded thoughtfully and took a moment to think her words over. "You have the powers of a princess of the Moon Kingdom, Sailor Moon, but you can never transform into me, you can never become Princess Serenity. We are two halves of the same moon, so to speak."
I was still a bit lost, but nodded anyway and she continued. "This is all beside the point though. What you need to understand is that, to this very day I reside in the Silver Crystal. My time in this world has ended, and I will not be returning; now I can do naught but watch and guide you. The war against the Dark Kingdom must be won at all costs, do you understand?"
I did, of course I did, and I was doing what I could to help make that a possibility. Serenity seemed to be the one that didn't understand; the battlefield was not a place I was meant to be in. Bravery was a trait I did not possess, I was selfish and my first, natural instinct was to survive. Given the option between fight or flight, I would choose to flee every time. "What exactly do you expect me to do about it?"
"You're wrong, you know." She said suddenly. My expression morphed into one of confusion at her words, unexpected as they were. Serenity looked at me in determination. "This world, its success does not hinder on me. Whether it withers or blooms depends on you, Sailor Moon. I… I did not have the courage to go on when the Dark Kingdom came and murdered those dear to me."
Her gaze turned hard then, and Serenity looked more… like me. "You are different though, and the world will be better for it. The War, My kingdom, they were not lost until I gave up; if I had been stronger, they could have been defeated and so much would be different. You have that strength, even if you cannot see it; unlike myself, you have the ability to do what needs to be done, the will to go through with it until the very end."
"I will be your tool." Serenity promised. "So do not think that you are alone in this any longer. No matter what you do, or how hard it becomes, remember that there is one person that knows your truth. Remember that you are never alone."
She stepped away from me, and the world turned fuzzy, fading out of focus. The last thing I saw was Serenity's face, an expression I couldn't quite pinpoint.
"And Sailor Moon, thank you. Thank you for grieving me."
The world slipped from beneath me and faded into nothing.
"Astral Projection, a state in which the conscious mind leaves the physical body and moves into astral realm; otherwise known as an out of body experience, astral projection in an advanced form of lucid dreaming." Matsuo paused and looked up from the book in his hands to me, tone skeptical. "This is what you wanted to skip classes for then?"
I didn't answer, unable to form the proper words.
How could I possibly explain it, anyway?
My expression must have been grim, because Matsuo eyed me for a mere second before returning to the book. "While similar to lucid dreaming, astral projection is truly in a category of its own, and therefore should not be mistaken for its counterpart. When lucid dreaming, there is a greater capacity of interacting and taking control of the dream, with a lower level of awareness whereas with astral projection, one has a higher level of awareness and less control over the dream itself. These are the core differences between the two and what ultimately defines Astral Projection as a higher form of lucid dreaming."
"What else does it say?" I asked quietly.
Matsuo's gaze flickered up to me briefly before falling back onto the text. He ran a finger down the paper and ended up flipping the page before anything of interest caught his eye. "Right, listen to this. Astral Projection is a supposed form of telepathy that presumes the existence of a soul, or astral body completely separate from the physical body. The soul, or astral body, is capable of traveling outside the physical form and throughout the universe. The most common expression of astral projection is the meaning of journeying to other worlds; heavens, hells, and other, after-death spheres of existence as well as any transcendent environment.
"It is theorized that, when in the act of Astral Projection the astral body is tethered to its physical counterpart by a silver cord. Many philosophers agree that it is the connection between the soul and the body that allow for one's return from the astral realm. While there is no conclusive evidence, it is widely agreed upon that in death the silver cord is severed, and the soul, separated from the physical body, remains in its astral form. This had led to many debates as to what would occur to the human body should the soul be disconnected during astral projection."
The two of us sat in silence in the wake of this information, each lost in our own musings.
My mind was a mess, nine different trains of thoughts and a million questions piling up. Where did I even begin? I had woken up this morning in a fit of near hysterics as the dream came back to me. I didn't know what to make of it, whether it was even real or simply my own imagination running wild but I hadn't been able to let it go. I wanted to believe that it had been nothing more than a dream, I was under an immense amount of stress, my identity revealed, and that was all.
Except, if that was the case, why the hell was this book hitting so close to home?
Traveling to other dimensions? Through a non-physical realm of existence?
It was too eerily reminiscent.
Then there was the part about death, what happened to the so-called soul afterwards, the possibility of travel in its astral body. That was also too familiar, and the very thought made my throat close up in panic. I didn't want to know this, didn't want to believe it, but… when the ludicrous clicked, began making even the smallest bit of sense, how did you turn your back to it? It was frightening, and I think that more than anything was why I couldn't simply pretend otherwise; if there was anything I believed in, it was the worst case scenario, and this just fit too cleanly.
My existence after death was something I would never forget.
That sensation of floating for what felt like ages and yet no time at all, not really existing in one single place in time or physical location; the feeling of being ripped from that Neither Here Nor There place and finding myself in an actual form. It all fit so neatly with what this book had described, and then there was the dream itself to consider. I was fully aware, and unable to control the dream or direct it in any way. I shuddered as the similarities dawned upon me, suddenly sure I now knew more about the afterlife than any person had a healthy right to.
"Hey," Matsuo nudged me, and I snapped to attention. "Telepathy, that's a psychic ability right?"
I nodded.
"Well, isn't one of Makoto-chan's friends psychic?"
I blinked and stilled. "Yeah, actually. We aren't going to mention this to anyone though, alright?"
He shrugged, closing the book. "You haven't even explained anything to me yet anyway, so there isn't really anything to mention is there?"
"Right…" I looked at Matsuo, at his steady gaze, reassuring expression, and suddenly my throat wasn't so tight and I could breathe again. I had banged on his door early this morning and whisked him away without any significant explanation and Matsuo had just come along obediently, asking minimal questions and not pressuring for answers I couldn't seem to spit out. I felt a rush of affection for him then; if anyone deserved to know what had happened, it was him. "I had… a dream last night. I was in the Moon Kingdom, at the palace and it was all so real. I talked to someone there, and… I don't know. It could be nothing, but I just have this feeling, and I can't ignore it."
It had been no ordinary dream.
The things I had learned, the information, it held more value then I could say and at the moment I was hardly able to grasp even half of it. I felt a headache coming on and leaned my cheek down on the table. I hadn't even read the damn book, and it was hurting my brain.
"So hang on a second here." Matsuo shifted forward in his seat to remain in my line of sight. "Does this mean you have psychic powers too? Because that is seriously over kill, and completely unfair. You're already a superhero, you know? Save some cool for the rest of us."
"I'm not a superhero."
"You have super powers."
"My god, fine." I sat up and gave him a withering look. "I'm a god damn superhero, let's move on. This dream told me how I might be able to fix Jadeite."
"Oh, that's good then." He said. My expression didn't change, but he must have saw something else in it because he added, "Or perhaps not?"
"It's complicated."
He nodded sagely, and pushed out his chair. "Well, tell me on the way. Aikido waits for no man, as the saying goes."
I opened my mouth tell him that was very much not how the saying goes, but all that came out was a sigh as I stood and followed him out of the library. There really was no arguing with him sometimes, it just wasn't worth the effort. We exited the building and started down the stairs as I spoke. "You remember the Silver Crystal-"
"-You mean the Legendary Silver Crystal of Great and Immeasurable Power? Yes, I do recall hearing about that."
I kicked out at him, and he hopped over my leg easily as I chided, "Don't interrupt me with your sass. Anyway, yes, that crystal. Well, it's all powerful and whatnot, and apparently it could purify the dark evil whatever in Jadeite."
"Real useful." He snorted. "Now we only need to find the thing and figure out how to use it; or, well, you do since your one of the only ones that might be able to. Makoto-chan thinks Naru has it and just doesn't know it, so obviously the crystal isn't going to be easily recognizable. You know, this would all be easier if Naru just remembered who she was."
I kept my expression neutral.
When Matsuo had woken up at the temple, memories miraculously intact, I had tried to explain everything to him, to the Sailor Scouts' horror. The key word here was tried, because as soon as it became clear to everyone involved that I would not be persuaded otherwise, Jupiter had taken it upon herself to pitch in and tell him things I might have missed; things like who the moon princess was. She was wrong, of course, but I couldn't exactly say that in front of them and there simply hadn't been a good time to mention that fact as of yet.
Matsuo glanced at me, did a double take, and his expression morphed into disbelief. "Oh my god."
"What?" My tone was defensive as he stopped dead and loomed over me, eyes narrowing.
"You." He said, pointing a finger at me. "You're making a face!"
"No. No I am not."
"You are!" He insisted. "You totally are! I know that face, it's a I'm not going to say anything face. You make that face when a customer insists they're right!"
Damn him, how did he know? "I'm not making a face! This is just my face!"
"Spit it out then." Matsuo demanded. "I said something you know isn't true, so tell me what it is."
I paused, considering. "First, tell me how you could tell so easily."
He scoffed. "You go blank, pacifying, like a little kid told you Santa Claus was real and you weren't going to let him think any different. You have a face, now get over it and tell me what I don't know."
I shifted my feet, looking everywhere but at him. Matsuo was having none of my shit though, because he got right up in my personal space, slapped his palms to my now stinging cheeks, and tilted my face back to him. I accidentally met his eyes, those stupid, brown, puppy eyes and the words were spilling out of me before I had time to think them through. "Naru doesn't have the Silver Crystal, I do. She's not even the Moon Princess."
Silence.
"…What."
"…"
"What?!" Matsuo shook me a bit, and I smacked his hands away.
"Alright, alright, Christ!" my hands smoothed the stinging in my cheeks. "Girls are delicate you heathen, especially our faces."
He wasn't even listening. "What do you mean you have the crystal?! Since when?! No wait, more importantly, how the hell did you get it in the first place? You let everyone think Naru was the Moon Princess, that she had it! Do you know how upset Makoto-chan will be when she finds out? Not to mention the Sailor Scouts! They're going to be furious, they'll murder you when the truth comes out! Have you even thought this over? Have you been blind to Minako-san? She won't take this lightly, neither will the others, and Makoto-chan, god. She invited you to join them at any time!"
"Matsuo-"
"And Endymion! He seems like a good guy, what's he going to think? He's already angry that you kept information from him, but this? This-"
"Matsuo-"
"-Is so much worse! It's next level lying, advanced deceit! You weren't just withholding information, you were keeping the very thing he was searching for from him, and knowingly! Wh-"
I shoved a hand over his mouth. "Will you be quiet for one second and let me explain?"
He grabbed me by the wrist and withdrew my hand. "This is serious, Usagi-chan."
"I know that." I replied somberly. I knew it better than anyone, more than he or the world could ever realize. Matsuo released me, and my arm fell back to my side as he exhaled and nodded for me to continue. Quickly, I gathered my thoughts and started walking again. "I'm not like the Scouts or Mamoru. My… awakening was very, very different. The Silver Crystal, it powers are vast, possibly endless, and if it was used on any of them, they would regain the memories of their past lives. I, however, would not. My past life, well, I have the memories, but they're vague and the details fade with every day, and with them the ones of Usagi Tsukino's life seem to disappear as well.
"I know things that are better left in the dark. No, I don't have all the information, but… trust me when I say it's probably for the best. Don't act like I have any sort of duty to these people alright? I am neither my past life, nor the Usagi Tsukino that grew up in this town; I'm this… this odd combination of memories and feelings I can't really explain. My allegiance is to me, and I understood the consequences of my actions when I kept everything a secret."
That girl that died in her dorm room, she was no longer me.
The girl that was always late, eating her fill, and full of life, I had never been her.
I owed the Scouts and Mamoru nothing.
"The Silver Crystal, if I use it then Jadeite's memories will likely return. I've been keeping it to myself because it would be very bad if any of them remembered the past. Not only that, but… whether I like it or not, the Silver Crystal is my responsibility; I have to keep it safe, and not just from the common enemy but from any idiot that thinks they can do a better job of protecting it. If the world believes it is in another's possession, then it is that much safer from discovery."
Matsuo took in my words, thinking them over.
Finally, he spoke. "What about the Moon Princess though? Doesn't she have to be protected from the Dark Kingdom?"
The laugh that escaped me was bleak. "Protected for what reason though? The Heiress to a kingdom long fallen and in ruin, to a race of people that died out; what is it exactly that is so important to preserve, and for who?"
Matsuo didn't seem to have an answer for that, and we spent the rest of the walk in silence. The words of princess Serenity haunted my every step.
My time is over, and now I can do naught but watch and guide you.
It was a terrible thought, to see your loved ones and the world crumbling around you and not being able to do a damn thing about it. I could help thinking back to something she had said, something I had known all along. Back in the Silver Millennium, Serenity could have fought; she could have done something, anything, but when the time came she abandoned hope and committed suicide, leaving her people to die. The queen had given her this second chance, to have a happier life and make up for her mistakes.
By choosing to live, I'd done more than take this second life from her.
I had stolen her sole chance at redemption.
Serenity's tale was truly a tragedy.
After dropping Matsuo off at the dojo, I reluctantly trudged off to work.
The moment I entered the back room, Harumi caught sight of me and his eyes immediately narrowed on my ponytail. His voice took on an offended quality as he said, "Did you cut your hair?"
I coughed, averting my gaze.
Sacrilege." He hissed, coming over to my side and man handling me. I was spun around and the elastic band was loosened until the golden locks fell, sweeping past my shoulders and down my back. Harumi weaved his fingers expertly through my hair, running down the length of it. With disgust, he turned me back around and added, "How dare you."
"Matsuo did it." I replied quickly, throwing my friend under the bus. I almost felt guilty, but then, this was Harumi I was dealing with; sometimes sacrifices had to be made.
Harumi scowled. "He is dead when I see him, dead I tell you. Sit down; I'll need to fix this mess and salvage what I can."
I sat, paranoia settling in; had Matsuo butchered the back of my head without telling me? He wasn't exactly a professional, but surely he hadn't done that bad? I hadn't had any other choice to begin with anyway, I'd kept my hair in a bun for a few days to hide the length but going to a salon wasn't a long term solution if it was just going to grow back the next time I was forced to transform. How did I explain the rapid growth every time, or what if I ran into someone that knew me while getting it hacked off?
Too many variables.
Harumi trimmed the edges, muttering to himself, and when he finished I couldn't really tell the difference. "Next time you think about making a change in your hairstyle, don't. These blonde locks belong to me now, and I'll not have you ruining them, understand?"
"Yes sir."
"Good, now hold still while I get you into makeup."
I held back my sigh and waited patiently as Harumi transformed me into a flapper girl and shooed me out onto the floor. Under his creative eye, the café and its staff complimented one another, coming together to create a work of art from the 1920's. I spent a good hour and a half waiting tables and serving customers before Matsuo finally arrived and was whisked into wardrobe. He joined me look as ruggedly handsome as ever, hair artfully brushed back. I snapped his suspenders, making him jump. "I like the addition. Harumi has a good eye for these things."
He swatted me away. "Watch it, little rabbit."
I scrunched my nose. "Why are we friends?"
"Who knows." Matsuo replied. He glanced around quickly before leaning in closer. "How are things at your house?"
"Ah," My hands smoothed over the fabric of the dress I wore as I contemplated my next words. "I'm working on it."
Matsuo had invited me to come live with him, and I wanted to, really; it was just that things had been so busy the last couple of days, I hadn't had a chance to figure out how exactly to accomplish such a feat without the Tsukino family making a mess of things. It was on my list of issues to work out, but I wouldn't be getting to it until the Jadeite situation had been resolved one way or another.
Matsuo set a palm to the top of my head. "Don't worry about it. One thing at a time Usagi-chan; we'll get there eventually."
I grunted, and a mischievous gleam entered his eye.
Quicker than I had time to react, Matsuo brought his other hand up and flicked me on the forehead. I hissed, rubbing it, and turned to retaliate only he was already walking off to greet a new customer. Scowling, I stored my revenge for later as another group was seated in my section. I flipped open my notepad and pen as I approached the table, too focused on the sting to pay them any real attention. It was only when I arrived that I looked up and froze.
Seated at the table was a group of older boys, nothing too unusual, except for the fact that they wore a familiar uniform, belonging to a private school, and that one of them just so happened to be Mamoru.
He was staring at me, eyes wide, and I could do nothing but look back as my stomach dropped. Then, one of the other boys said something to me, and I focused back in to the world. Plastering a smile on my face, I began. "Welcome to the Fabler's café, where tales of fantasy and adventure are weaved into reality. How many I serve you?"
The boy to Mamoru's right gave his drink order, followed by the rest. When it came to him, he looked down to the menu as though it were the most interesting thing and ordered water. I scuttled away to the backroom, his gaze burning into my back until the two way door closed between us, cutting off Mamoru's view.
Shit.
I snatched a tray and began filling cups, all the while fighting my instinct to flee, crawl under a rock, and die. At some point, Matsuo entered the back room, and he came so quietly that I didn't even notice his presence until he said, "Usagi-chan, stop being violent with the cups: what have they ever done to you?"
I whipped my head around. "He's. Here."
"What? Who is?"
"Mamoru." I spat through gritted teeth.
Matsuo looked amazed. "No way." He swiveled around and peered out through the small window in the two way door. I stepped forward and yanked him back by the collar, afraid someone would see him looking.
He choked, and, ignoring it, I sternly told him, "Don't be so obvious! Also, what's with that excited expression? This isn't a good thing you fool!"
"I like him though, Endymion- er, Mamoru-san is cool."
I went to snap a retort when a thought occurred to me. I smiled angelically and nodded, "Well, why don't you take his table then? I don't mind. Really."
"Nice try." Matsuo smirked. "But no."
"Why not?"
"Because," He said. "I like seeing you squirm. It makes for a nice change, balances out the universe and all that."
I picked up the tray of glasses and glared at him. "I hate you."
He shrugged carelessly and stepped aside as I went out the door.
The moment I was back out on the floor, the table of boys had their eyes on me. I pushed down violent thoughts and dredged up that eager to please smile and soft voice. When their drinks had been distributed, I flipped open my notepad once more. "So then, are we ready to order?"
I stood on the opposite side of the table, as far from Mamoru as I could get without appearing rude. Unfortunately, this left me near the more bold of the group of four; he was about the same age as Mamoru, with blond, curly hair and a flirtatious smile. The boy leaned forward ever so slightly, chin resting on his palm on the table. The move gained my attention, and with a lidded gaze, he asked me, "Hey, what's your name?"
I studied him, happy to focus on anything that wasn't Mamoru.
The boy didn't give me any creepy vibes, but at work Harumi had a strict rule about not giving out personal information to the customers for our own protection. We were allowed to give our first names, but that was it and he had no qualms about using fake names either. I don't know what possessed me to do it; maybe it was Mamoru's intense gaze no longer on me but the menu, or the fact that somewhere behind me, Matsuo was watching gleefully. Maybe it was the sudden loss; loss of normality now that my best friend was in on a truth I'd been running from.
Maybe it was that, by coming here Mamoru had invaded my last sanctuary.
I loved the Fabler, so it was like a physical wound.
I don't know what drove me to it, but it felt good, the way I met the boy's gaze head on, with a true, charming smile, and replied, "You can call me Usagi-chan. What should I call you? Any personal preference?"
His eyes, somewhere between chocolate and gold, brightened, and his grin widened just the smallest amount. "Kai works. These are my schoolmates, Nishimura-san, Yamada-san, and Chiba-san."
Kai listed them using what I was sure were surnames. I fluttered my lashes at them and responded, "It's a pleasure. May I take your orders then?"
Kai's friends went first, taking their time and waiting until I finished writing before making any specifications, then Mamoru went. This time, he looked me straight in the eye while rattling off his order. The intensity made it hard to tear my gaze away, especially since I couldn't seem to read him but I managed all the same, treating him no differently than I would any other customer. Well, perhaps that wasn't absolutely true; I might have been more distant, but then I was also angry; he had taken something special from me.
After writing down Kai's order, I pranced away from the group, dropping it off in the kitchen before moving back out onto the floor to check on my other tables. At one point, I saw Matsuo go over to the group and greet them, chatting up Mamoru with his usual carefree disposition. They spoke for a bit before he clapped Mamoru on the shoulder and went back to work. I kept a steady eye on their drinks and went back for a refill once until the food was ready. The tray was heavy, but nothing I couldn't handle as I approached the group and dished out their meals.
This part was more difficult, as it required me to move closer.
Under Mamoru's relentless stare, I set his plate on the table and cautioned him on its heat, gaze never quite meeting his. Just as I moved to leave Kai's hand shot out, fingertips brushing the inside of my wrist to make me pause. "Usagi-chan, have you been working here long?"
"I'd say so." I confirmed, thinking it over. "It's been a couple months; feels like forever sometimes though, you know?"
He hummed in understanding. "So then, you must work here regularly."
I nodded. "Yeah. I mean, I spend a good portion of my time here. My boss, Harumi, he's really great about it, let's me come in and work even when I'm not scheduled."
"I see." Kai said, though he didn't give any further explanation.
I left them to it after that, checking on my other customers, making small talk with them and refilling drinks. As the night wore on, I went back to their table a few more times, clearing the table off and taking their payments. As they left Kai gave me a debonair smile and winked, and I saluted before waving them off. I spent the rest of my night ignoring the fact that Mamoru had been here; instead, I cleaned tables, wrapped silverware, discarded trash, swept the backroom, and organized the wardrobe.
I very carefully did not think about what I had lost.
I couldn't afford the blow, already wounded and teetering on an edge.
Falling apart was a privilege I did not have at the moment.
I knew what I had to do.
I knew it in my heart, as certain as the blood pumping through my veins; I knew the answer to this problem, but knowing and acting were two very different things. At school the next day, surrounded by unpleasant vibes, I did my best to tune out the world around me. This was not a particular easy task with Venus mentally attempting to murder me with her gaze alone. The Sailor Scouts treated me with varying degrees of loathing, and Venus was quite possibly the worst.
She could work with me when push came to shove, but the rest of the time I was a black stain, marring her perfect record. Mars made scathing remarks, Mercury gave me frosty, yet polite smiles, but it was Venus that took the cake. She was rightfully intimidating, and I knew that should the day ever come where we came to physical blows, she would have to go out first.
Venus was not to be taken lightly.
Sadly, neither was Naru.
"You know the drill, Usagi-chan." She said, twirling her finger. I contemplated ignoring her, and probably would have gone through with it had Jupiter not gotten up and moved my desk for me. It was lunch time, with the usual crowd in the usual position; to my left, fire, and to my right, ice. I dutifully arranged my expression to appear unbothered by the Scouts as Naru chatted on, the queen holding court. "Usagi-chan, you missed it! I met a really cute guy yesterday after school. We're going on a date today, so he'll be waiting for me at the gates, and I need to look my best. I was thinking we could meet up after and go over everything, you guys could even tag along and follow us for an hour, give me a second opinion."
"I'm up for it." Venus chirped. Of course she was; when it came to Naru, there appeared to be very little Venus wasn't up to doing. Strangely enough, it was the same with pretty much everyone else in Naru's circle; Yumiko was excited, and to no one's surprise the other Scouts had no problem with it either. Maybe if it had been Matsuo going on a date, I'd have been interested in spying; after all, he was my best friend. Naru was… well, not really a friend. It was difficult to explain my relationship with her.
She was like glitter; all but impossible to get rid of.
Yumiko dragged me from my train of thought. "Kuri-chan and Nana-chan will want to come too, we should ask them when they get back to the classroom."
If Naru's boyfriend didn't notice a group of girls that large stalking them, then it would be a miracle. Mars seemed to like Naru's train of though. "it's a good idea. I mean, if he's a creep or something and you want to end the date you can just give us a signal and we'll make an excuse for you."
"He's a dream boat." Naru sighed. "I kind of hope there's at least one thing wrong with him; after all, how do you compete with perfection? Anyway, you'll come, right Usagi-chan?"
"Uh," I kept my gaze on Naru. "I'll see what I can do. I have something to do after school and I don't know how long it's going to take."
She arched brow. "Like what?"
I sipped my drink. "Praying. The temple I'm going to is a bit far, and you know how I feel about buses so it'll take a while. But well, I hear it's a good place to ward off evil spirits and whatnot." I slid my gaze over to Mercury, know that she, along with the rest of the Scouts, would have their eyes on me. "You'll all just have to fill me in on the gossip later. Probably for the best if Naru has an emergency exit, especially nowadays."
Translation: Don't leave Naru alone.
Mercury nodded, the movement so slight that Naru didn't even notice it.
"I'll come with you." Jupiter said out of the blue.
I stared at her, annoyed but unable to ward the girl off without arising any suspicion. Matsuo was supposed to meet up with me after school anyway, so if one of them had to come then it might as well be the most easily distracted.
"Fine." Naru huffed. "Just don't forget, okay?"
"Got it." Guess I was stuck on this one.
"Careful, Naru-chan." Mars sneered. "I wouldn't put too much hope into her coming. Sometimes expectations only lead to disappointment."
"Oh dear." I chimed. "That sounds dreadfully like a personal issue. Anything you'd like to share?"
Mars glared daggers at me, but gave no retort.
The rest of the school day passed by uneventfully, and by the time the bell rang I was more than ready to get out of there; my anxiety was relentless, and at this point I just wanted to get the inevitable over and done with. This was going to be a disaster, I had already accepted it, but that didn't mean it was going to be any less stressing. I had several courses of action planned out for the possible outcomes, figuring that if I couldn't evade the pain than I might as well come prepared for it.
To my displeasure Naru insisted I see her to the gates so that, at the very least she had a chance to show off her guy. Walking with Naru meant walking with the Scouts, and normally I was able to avoid long term interaction with them, lunch aside. Now though, there was nowhere to run.
It wasn't agony, walking down with the lot of them.
Just highly unpleasant.
Mars was prickly after my last comment, and I found that ignoring her entirely did the most damage so to amuse myself that was how I killed time. Yumiko was the barrier between us, and when Mars muttered something unkind while I rambled on, the poor girl would look between us nervously. She didn't want to be rude to Mars, but at the same time I wasn't allowing her attention to waver from me fully.
We had all gathered our things from our lockers and headed towards the gate when Naru interrupted me. "Oh my god, there he is. Okay girls, act cool, don't completely embarrass me either or I will bury each of you in shallow graves. That goes double of you, Usagi-chan."
"Rude. How is it that you think I'm the most likely to do such a thing?"
"Because," Se sniffed. "You'd do it just for a laugh."
Well, she wasn't wrong.
"I'll be on my best behavior then." I promised, and she nodded regally.
"I expect nothing less."
Naru linked arms with me when we were within a dozen feet of the gates, and I flinched, head turning to her. She seemed to become more lively as she looked at her date; cheeks coloring, eyes brightening, hair bouncing. The air slowly left me, my legs started feeling unsteady and I became lightheaded. I moved to pull away from her just as my gaze followed her line of sight to the boy waiting at the gates.
Deep blue eyes shifted from her to me just as I looked.
Mamoru.
The world tilted ever so slightly, and then Naru let go, just missing the moment my hands began to tremble. It didn't stop, almost as though she were still gripping my arm, only the drain was weaker. Naru went up to Mamoru and greeted him, suddenly shy, and he blinked, focusing back to her. He gazed down at Naru affectionately, and said something, but the words were muffled to me. Air returned to me, yet I still felt off as I looked at them.
Oddly enough, the world seemed to steady, painfully so.
"Are you ready then?" He asked, and Naru nodded. They turned to leave, Naru waving us off, as if the girls weren't going to follow them around all day. Mamoru's gaze flickered over to me, and our eyes locked for the span of a heartbeat. My expression was neutral, but Mamoru appeared to read something in it because he reacted, eyes widening, lips parting. Then Naru was leading him away, and his back fully turned on me as together they exited the gates.
I counted to ten, and left in the opposite direction.
Jupiter said nothing during our journey to meet up with Matsuo.
I had nothing to say, so our trip was spent in silence; if I'd been in the mood, I would have reveled in the quiet as it wasn't something that went hand in hand with Jupiter's presence. My feet moved of their own accord, taking us down a well-known path while my mind was occupied with other things. I counted to one hundred, and then went over what was to come.
Matsuo would distract Jupiter while I did the heavy lifting.
If I was unable to use the Silver Crystal, then Jadeite would have to be dealt with somehow. If I succeeded, and his memories were fully restored, then the next course of action was to convince him to keep his mouth shut by whatever means necessary. If he was purified but didn't know who I was, all the better. If the Silver Crystal somehow healed him only physically, I had to be ready to finish the job. I had never intentionally killed before, and so this possibility made me wary. Would I be able to do it? Would I flee, or freeze in fear? Hesitation would get me killed, one way or another.
If I did go through with it, what did that mean for me?
This wasn't like what had happened with Serenity; this was a conscious, preplanned decision and there was no acting otherwise. This would be premeditated murder if it came down to it.
I shoved those thoughts away.
Maybes and what ifs would get me nowhere right now.
No matter the variables, this interaction was going to end one of two ways; either with me trying to kill him, or me threatening him into submission. Either it didn't work and he was still the enemy, or it did and I needed to secure his allegiance and or silence.
We met up with Matsuo about halfway to the temple, and he appeared to sense the mood. Normally, I'd be content to leave the continued silence, but today was a special case; I needed Jupiter out of my hair and he was my best hope at it. When we finally made it to the temple grounds and began climbing the stairs, I caught Matsuo's gaze and jerked my head at Jupiter. He glanced at her and nodded once, shifting between me and her. Jupiter smiled at him, and Matsuo grinned back.
Shoving his hands in his pockets, he whistled as the three of us reached the top of the stairs. "This place is really nice. Do you spend a lot of time here, Makoto-chan?"
"Yeah," She flushed prettily. "Its where we spend most of our time training actually. The grounds make for a good obstacle course."
"I don't doubt it." Matsuo put on his best smile and Jupiter seemed caught in his gaze. "You know, if it's not too much trouble I wouldn't mind getting a tour of the place."
"Really?" Jupiter perked up, then her gaze turned to me. "But…"
"It's fine." I told her. "You two will only mess with my concentration if you're hovering over me the entire time."
Jupiter seemed torn over it. She quite obviously wanted to spend time with Matsuo alone, but in order to do so it meant she'd have to take her eyes off me. Whether she was worried for my sake or had simply been following orders to keep an eye on me, Jupiter was really struggling with the decision. Matsuo realized the same thing, and he shrugged casually, giving that understanding expression. "It's fine it you don't want to."
"I do." She replied hastily. "It's just.."
"Fifteen minutes or half an hour isn't going to make or break the world." I commented, lying through my teeth.
Jupiter looked at me, and I silently told her to make a choice already.
"Well, I suppose that's true." She said, and Matsuo beamed.
"Great." He set a guiding hand between her shoulders. "Let's get a look then. See you in a bit, Usagi-chan."
The poor flustered girl allowed herself to be taken away, and I used the opening to slip into the house. Where Mars' grandfather was, I had no idea; I found myself tiptoeing through the Japanese styled home, listening quietly for any sort of movement. I didn't want to startle the old man, but at the same time I also wasn't keen on making my presence known. The elderly could go on about things forever if given the chance, and I really didn't have time to indulge him.
I managed to sneak to the back of the house and into Jadeite's room without exposure. There was a brief moment where I pondered on how exactly Mars was explaining the captive to her grandfather, but really, it wasn't any of my concern. Jadeite looked like hell when I entered, lying on his side with hands and feet tied, mouth bound and unconscious. His hair was a mess, and he was still dirty from the previous fight. Out of context, this scene would probably give Mars' grandfather a heart attack, so most likely he didn't even know about the house guest.
The seals around Jadeite were still in place.
I stood outside the wards, uncertain was to do next when the brooch adorning my uniform suddenly pulsed. Part of me wanted to pretend I hadn't felt it, and I was nearly decided on the matter when the damn thing pulsed once more.
I literally just had my hair cut though.
Again, the brooch pulsed, as though answering my thoughts.
"Fine." I snapped, reaching for it. Harumi was going to have a seizure. "Moon Prism Power, Make Up."
This time, the transformation seemed to take longer, slower. Again it was like breathing air, crisp and fresh, for the very first time. There was a rush of energy coursing through my veins; my limbs felt stronger, my mind clear and rejuvenated and I couldn't hold back the sigh of relief, pleasure, clarity. My hair no longer hung around my face; it grew once more, going up into ungodly odango buns. At the end of the transformation, I felt alive, on top of the world and capable of anything.
It was that thought that stopped me, fear sharply cutting through.
Don't get cocky, I reminded myself. Cocky blinds you.
These words grounded me, and as I looked to Jadeite, the fear, worry, and apprehension had returned. I was grateful for it; better fear and caution than cocky and carelessness. I closed my eyes, concentrating. It was strange, like astral projection; my body was here in the world, but when I tried hard enough, it was like I could see the Moon stick. It had to be in some sort of astral realm, waiting to be summoned into the physical world, or at least that was what I assumed. It made far more sense than simply popping into existence each time I had use for it.
I didn't need the moon stick though, so I moved past it, digging deeper.
Further, further I mentally went. It was difficult to rationalize what happened next. I found something, sort of a white light that couldn't really be seen but rather sensed, and the moment I touched it Serenity's voice came to me and I faltered.
Good, Sailor Moon; you're almost there. Take hold of the light, harness it for this single moment in time and do not allow it to slip from your grasp.
I exhaled slowly, then, before the fear could stop me, I seized the light, claimed it as my own.
It was overwhelming, before the light was gone and my eyes were blinking into focus. I did not feel very different, though as I took stock of myself I realized this was not entirely true. Becoming Sailor Moon had taken away the drain of what Naru had done, but now after doing as Serenity instructed, I could feel the faintest difference in my body. It was… strange, hard to keep a firm hold on, it felt as natural as my own heartbeat. A thrum, a miniscule spark of electricity, a piece that fit just right, so perfectly that I barely noticed its presence or that it had ever been missing at all.
My gaze fell to Jadeite once more.
Do not break the wards, simply pass them.
I did, kneeling at his side. I removed the gag and the restraints, for no reason other than my own gut feeling that they were no longer necessary. I brushed back a few of the blond locks at Jadeite's face, and his expression somehow began to look more peaceful.
It is time, Sailor Moon. You know what to do.
And Serenity was right, I did know.
I moved without thought, driven by pure intuition, instinctively knowing what would happen before even completing the action itself. It came as no surprise, as I leaned down and pressed a kiss to my enemy's forehead. The air around us fluttered, rippling with a force of pure, unadulterated flow of energy, shattering the wards around us; then it was gone as quickly as it came, along with the hum inside me. I leaned back, posture straightening, and studied Jadeite, already knowing what I would find.
There, between his brows was a silver crescent moon.
A/N
When I was writing this last scene, I had a flash of an image where Serenity tells Usagi she knows what to do, and Usagi takes out a huge knife and plunges it into Jadeite's chest and that ladies and gentlemen is why I really shouldn't allow my imagination to run wild.
No more horror movies/anime/books for me.
I actually have the next scene written up, but this chapter was getting way too long and I just couldn't fit it in so we'll have to wait for next time.
Anyway, as less action packed at this chapter was, I kind of really enjoyed writing it. We're really getting full circle now, with the astral stuff and Serenity's appearance. I've been saving that up for a while actually, since it's really important to Usagi's character growth that she gets the chance to speak with Serenity and find some minor peace in being able to apologize. It literally has been killing me, waiting so long and finding the right moment for the exchange. More character growth to come in the next chapter, just not for Usagi.
Since a lot of you guys have mentioned about Usagi's possible powers in comparison to the OG Sailor Moon, I thought I'd throw you all a bone here. I like OG's powers, they're interesting enough, but the thing is Usagi isn't the same person. She's got the tiara, but that doesn't mean she'll use it. Usagi is the kind of person that isn't going to think to use weapons in the heat of a battle. She learned to fight with her fists so that's what's going to come naturally to her, because she knows she can rely on her own physical strength.
Is it mundane? Yeah, but that's the point.
Usagi looks at herself and sees a normal girl, not someone with super powers.
Anyway,
Thoughts? Questions?
Please Review!
