Chapter 34-New Beginning
Three months later
Usagi opened her eyes and bright lights flooded in, causing her to wince and retreated under the cover. She sighed happily, as she breathed in the freshly laundered sheets. Seiya stirred beside her and rolled, tugging the cover away from Usagi.
"Seiya!" Usagi shoved and pulled the blanket back.
Startled, Seiya opened her eyes and bolted upright. "What? What?"
Usagi chuckled and hid under the blanket. "You stole the cover. It's mine." There was a silence momentarily and then Usagi felt the crushing weight on top of her.
"Then you don't mind if I sleep on top of you." Seiya said as she simultaneously launched a tickle attack.
Usagi giggled and squirmed under, feeling happiness bursting inside of her. She poked her head out and looked up at the love of her life. Dreamily, she purred and puckered her lips, demanding a kiss.
"Nope. You ate too much garlic bread last night." Seiya pinched her nose and waved her other hand in front.
Usagi gasped and made a shock face. She pouted and then squirmed back under the cover. "Seiya, you are mean. Also, your breath stank too. You had just as much garlic bread as me last night, if not more..."
"Yeah, we shouldn't have taken up Minako's dare...but we beat her and Rei, right?" Seiya chuckled. "Now, my princess, come out so I can kiss you."
"Then say something nice first." Usagi demanded.
"I love you all the way to the moon and back. There."
"The moon is too close." Usagi whined. "But it will do for now..." She poked her head out and beamed at Seiya. "I love you too..."
All of a sudden, the bedroom door flew open and an annoyingly energetic voice boomed out. "Rise and shine, love birds. Today is the day..." Minako strut in and opened the curtains.
Usagi groaned and covered her face. Shielding away like a vampire from the sun, Usagi curled up into a ball and pulled the blanket to cover her again. Today was the day and she had been trying to not think about it.
"Come on, you will do great." Seiya laid a hand gently on the shrouded Usagi.
"I don't want to meet and talk to all the leaders from all the countries."
The cover was flung over and Minako poked her head in. "Mako knew you would say that. So, here is the deal. She will make you a chocolate cake if you go."
Usagi looked up, and then smile weakly. "Can she put sprinkles on top?"
Minako rolled her eyes and then nodded. "Yes. Extra sprinkles. Got it. Now, Setsuna just finished sewing your new dress. So go see her after breakfast, okay?"
Usagi nodded and slowly got out of bed.
"Chop, chop...come on." Minako barked like a drill Sergeant.
"Ah, Minako, you are too loud. Okay, okay, I am going..." Usagi was forced to hurry her steps, as the other blonde resorted to shoving her.
"Setsuna-mama, that is so pretty." Hotaru exclaimed and ran her hands over the smooth fabric.
"Well, it's for my special firefly, so I have to make it extra special too." Setsuna beamed and held the purple dress up. She chuckled as Hotaru took the dress and spun around in front of the mirror.
When it was all over, she was finally able to bury Mamoru. For the longest time, she thought she would stay at the bottom of the well forever. All the emotions she kept bottled up, they brimmed over and swept her away in a wave. It was Hotaru that saved her and pulled her out. Slowly, the pain got less and less each day, until one day, Setsuna realized she was looking forward to starting over. From that day forth, she promised she would spend the rest of her life protecting Hotaru.
"Wow, is this for Usagi?" Hotaru examined the dresses on the rack and pointed at a long white gown. "Setsuna-mama, you are so good at this. Oooooo...the pink one! Chibiusa and I will have matching dresses. Yay! I am going to go tell her..." The girl dashed out of the room without waiting for a reply.
Setsuna chuckled to herself. Things have certainly been different around here. They still live at the compound for now. Dr. Mizuno and she continued to manufacture the vaccine. Minako was elected as the leader by the rest of the soldiers, running the mission of clearing the rest of the zombies and rescuing any people that might still be trapped. Ami and some nurses took on the mission of starting a hospital, using the abandoned buildings just outside of the compound. She would treat the survivors, most of them severely malnourished, and then administered the shots. Michiru and Usagi became the new teachers at the school. Seiya, Haruka and Rei worked as guards at the compound and at the make shift prison.
"Good morning, Setsuna." Usagi waltz in with a sandwich between her teeth. "Sorry, I am late."
Setsuna hadn't seen Usagi since the funeral. She couldn't help but notice that Usagi was slightly rounder around the waist. Given that food was no longer an issue, Usagi certainly didn't waste anytime eating anything and everything.
Sure enough, Usagi squirmed uncomfortably under the white dress. Setsuna had to help zip her up and she wasn't sure if the zippers would hold.
"Ah, I should have not eaten so much." Usagi said while she breathed shallow breathes. "If I hold my tummy in, I can still walk."
"You look like a white sausage." Rei wandered in and threw her usual verbal assault at Usagi.
Usagi looked up and stuck her tongue out at Rei. "You are so mean."
"Anyway, Minako said we will leave in an hour. Try not to eat anymore or your dress will pop." Rei smiled, waved her hand and walked out gracefully, her beautiful red dress flowing around her legs.
"Setsuna, I am scared." Usagi looked down, her face serious again.
"Well, if I add a pin here, that should make sure the zippers hold." Setsuna went over to her desk and rummaged about.
"I am not talking about that. I am scared about meeting all these world leaders. What if they are bad like Demande?"
Setsuna nodded and looked down. "Can't say for individuals, but if they are all in the same room, I doubt they will try anything. Plus, we will all be there to protect you."
Overnight, Usagi had become the most important person in the world. When she and Dr. Mizuno sent out the message to the people in Tokyo, the good news spread like wild fire. Suddenly, people stopped fighting and killing. They were eager to return to their civilized lives and in turn, the city was peaceful again. Eventually, someone in Germany managed to restore the internet and they made contact.
Soon, the news of a vaccine reached people from around the world...
Usagi sat in the backseat, clenching Seiya's hand nervously. Michiru and Haruka were flirting shamelessly in the front, the things they talked about had caused Usagi to blush more than once.
"It will be okay. They are just curious about the girl that saved the world, that's all." Seiya patted Usagi's hand for reassurance.
Usagi forced a weak smile and squeezed Seiya's hand harder. She turned and looked out the window, choosing to not to engage in any more talking. Tokyo was looking a lot cleaner now, thanks to the efforts of everyone. Occasionally one could still spot a wandering zombie, but no one fears the walking dead anymore.
When the news was first announced, Usagi was surprised to find there were more survivors in Tokyo than one would imagine. People were resilient and found ways to live, anywhere they could. A lot of people came back too, from the mountains and the suburbs.
Back in the day, Usagi learned about the Black Death pandemic and how it almost caused humans to extinct. She thought it was amazing how humanity could come back such brink of death. Now, she witnessed it herself.
It would probably take at least a generation for everything to return to normal. There was no doubt in Usagi's mind, however, that this would be a happy ending for everyone. She just wished her parents were here to witness this with her...
The car rolled to a stop in front of the convention centre. Flags of each country attending waved proudly on the poles and a crowd gathered in front. Spectators and reporters alike, they roared excitedly as Usagi exited the car.
Usagi grabbed Seiya's hand again and waved hesitantly at the people. A reporter approach and Seiya instinctively put up a hand to shield Usagi.
"Ms. tsukino, how do you feel about this meeting? How do you propose we rebuild the world?"
Usagi blushed and stammered. "Um...I...um..."
Minako came out of nowhere and wrapped one arm around her. "The meeting will be broadcasted live, just watch it. Now we have to get going. Thank you."
As they made their way inside, Minako muttered something about she should be in public relation. "Usagi, you are now the number one celebrity. They would call you queen if they could. So, watch what you say in public and to those reporters."
Ami and Mako and Rei were already waiting by the elevator. Usagi followed them in nervously.
"Who would've thought, a bunch of lesbians saved the world?" Minako chuckled as she looked at the couples in the mirror. She fixed her hair and reapplied her makeup.
Ding. The elevator doors opened and an old lady greeted them in the hallway. She handed some ID badges to the group and then led them to the conference room.
"Ms. tsukino, they've been waiting. It is such an honour to meet you myself." The old lady clasped her hands around Usagi's. With misty eyes, the old lady bowed deeply to her. "My grandson is alive, thanks to you."
Usagi smiled and pulled the old lady into a hug. "I am glad you guys are okay."
The old lady wiped away her tears and smiled apologetically. She placed her hand on the door handled and pushed. "The world is ready to meet the saviours."
Cameras flashed as the group entered into the spacious room. Representatives from different regions and countries stood up. Simultaneously, they all bowed, expressing their gratitude.
Usagi took a deep breath, then grabbed Seiya's hand and walked into the room.
Later that evening, a dine-and-dance party was held in honour of the group's effort in saving the world. Usagi watched happily from her table as everyone laughed and danced.
Michiru and Haruka just finished performing on stage and won thunderous applause from everyone. Hotaru and Chibiusa were running around and sampling all the cakes and cookies from the dessert table. Ami and Makoto were dancing in the middle of the dance floor, looking happy and free. Minako was trying to convince Rei to relax and was half dragging her to the dance floor. Setsuna was chatting with a young man on the other side of the room. Soon, the young man offered his hand, inviting Setsuna for a dance. She gladly accepted.
"Here." Seiya placed two slices of cake on the table. "Pick one. Mont blanc or stawberry shortcake? I pried them from the hands of those two devils over there. Seriously, they are so high on sugar, they probably won't be able to sleep tonight."
Usagi chuckled and dug her fork into one of the slices. She ate silently, as she continued to watch her friends having fun.
"So..." Seiya slid over closer and placed her arm around Usagi. "What does it feel like to be awarded the title -Ambassador of the World?"
"Like an honour. Like a huge responsibility. Like I have to save everyone." Usagi had mixed feelings when they announced that. She wanted to help rebuild the world, but soon she would have to leave Tokyo. Peace wasn't instantaneous in all the places. Usagi would go with the leaders on a world tour and help bring hope to people that were still struggling to survive.
"I've already talked to them. I am coming with you. After all, you need a bodyguard." Seiya beamed and shoved a giant bite into her mouth.
"Really? I would love that. Thank you." Usagi dropped her fork and clasped her arms around Seiya.
A finger gently tapped on Usagi's shoulder and she turned to look at the old lady. "The feed is all set up. It's time for you to address the world."
"Thank you." Usagi quickly wiped her mouth and checked her look in her compact mirror.
The dance music stopped and people turned their attention to the stage. Usagi stepped behind the podium. The cameraman held up his hand and silently counted down from three. Then, the red light went on, indicating Usagi was live.
"Citizens of the world, my name is Tsukino Usagi. I hope you can hear me, from wherever you are. I am here to tell you, the apocalypse is over." Usagi choked back her tears. "We have suffered, so much. We've all lost someone, or everyone…But I am here to tell you, you can finally stop fighting. Put down your weapons. Cease all fighting. Please."
Usagi quickly wiped away an escaped tear. "I know we can fall prey to our own fears. Fear that we can't protect the ones we love. Fear that someone you trust would betray you, over a loaf of bread. Don't you see? We are all in this together…So, here's a choice. We can either cave to our fear and hopelessness, or we can rise above it. There is still hope for humanity."
She turned around and revealed her neck to the world. "You see that? That was a bite mark, from a zombie. Somehow, miraculously, I recovered. I didn't turn. We have a vaccine now."
Usagi glanced over at her friends and smiled. Her friends. Her family…
"So, we need to stop fighting, because we are stronger together. This vaccine would not be possible if not for my wonderful friends. They protected me all the way and saved me from certain deaths…They worked days and nights until they could make the vaccine…" Usagi placed her hand over her heart. "Citizens of the world, I believe that you will all make the right choice. Don't fear, hope. Things may be bleak for a little while, but slowly, we will rebuild the world. We will not let fear dictate our actions anymore. We will prevail!"
Thunderous applause came from the room. With tears in her eyes, Usagi looked upwards.
Mom, dad…Chibiusa and I made it. I kept my promise…I love you…
A.N.
Thank you to all my devoted fans to this story. I decided to extend the ending of this story, because I wanted to end it on a hopeful note. Given the current political event, we could all use a little hope...
