Chapter Five
"That was cryptic," Rae mutters.
"But she's right," Usagi states. "This is happening to me because it's my responsibility to fix it. Though I was hoping through telling you, you would be able to help me."
Ami recovers herself, "Okay, so the best thing we can do to start is for you to tell us what you've already come up with Usagi."
"Well, I thought about what Mamoru said yesterday and went from there. How I thought of it was that if yesterday is just a re-enactment of the final day then what's wrong with the re-enactment is what's wrong with the final day."
"That's a good point Usagi, but I still don't remember what happened on the final day," Ami comments.
"Basically replace the first bit with my parents for Luna, replace the argument we had starting off with you not believing in my dream, replace the second bit with my parents to my Mother first not listening to me then an argument between us and her not believing either. Then of course after that the bit with Mamoru changing to Endymion believing in my dream and going to talk my Mother for me, and finding out that my dream was about to come true with the battle starting, and me watching it become a reality. Then we all know about what happened in the battle."
The girls look at her with wide eyes.
"What?" Usagi asks.
"All those horrible things happened on the final day?" asks Minako.
"Yes, though that is the condensed version of what happened. To be fair it was an incredibly crucial time and you all had more important things on your mind to pay attention to the dream your Princess had, and you were right it would have been more likely for Rae to have had a vision and not me."
"You say that so flatly," Makoto says incredulously. "Like it doesn't mean anything to you, like isn't a painful remembrance."
"I've had a while to think about it, and you were all right, not about the me making it up part, but apart from that you had very valid points. But the thing is I keep thinking about is that Pluto said it's my problem to solve, does that mean I'm the only one who'll be able to come up with an answer?"
"It is likely Usagi," Luna remarks. "Pluto does have a tendency to be vague but if she said it's your problem to solve then it is yours."
"But the only solution I can come up with is to find the problem with the day and fix it." She looks up at the others with wide eyes. "How am I supposed to fix what happened in the past?"
"Let's take things a step at a time Usagi," Ami suggests. "What we should think about is not how we're going to do it but what we need to change."
"That's easy," states Usagi. "If I would have been able to get either you or my Mother to believe me early enough I would have been able to give you forewarning of the enemies impending attack, so in the least you would have been prepared, and in the most would have been able to tell you what they planned to do before they did it so that you would have been able to plan a counter attack for their every move and easily defeat them with a planned attack and the Moon Kingdom wouldn't have fallen."
All of them look at her with open mouths. Mamoru is the first to recover, after only a second; the others are not so quick and even after their eyes are still wide.
"What? There is a reason why I'm leader you know. I've been pondering it for a while; normally I do my pondering the night before the destined day."
"Again that sounded like something Ami would have said," Makoto says, still sounding surprised.
"I won't disagree with you," Usagi states with a grin. "Though if what I guessed what Pluto said right then I 'm the one who's supposed to come up with the answer. Oh Gods!" Usagi says wide eyed.
"What is it Usagi?" all seven of them ask in unison.
"Haven't you thought about it yet? The only way to stop this loop is to fix the problem. To fix the problem I need to change what happened in the past. And if I change what happened in the past … I would change the present, and the future."
The other seven occupants of the room go silent as the full implication of what Usagi had said sinks in.
"I'd never have my parents," Ami, Makoto and Minako say with tears in their eyes.
"I'd never have my Grandpa," Rae says with pain in her voice.
In a gentle voice Usagi reassures her friends, "You don't remember the past then. You will. You're parents," Usagi says looking at Ami, Minako and Makoto. "And your Grandpa," Usagi says looking at Rae. "Are the same in your past life as your present life. I'm the one that'll have different parents. And anyway, it wouldn't be that bad, there are good things that would come out of it," she says smiling at Mamoru.
He gives her a small smile in response.
"It would make the world a better place, there would be no pollution!" Ami says enthusiastically.
"Ami," Rae, Minako and Makoto groan.
"Well it's true," Ami answers, not at all embarrassed by her comment.
"Ami's right," Usagi says, shocking the others into silence. "That would be just one of the advantages. If I'm supposed to do this the planet is obviously not meant to be this messed up, and it would be in much better hands if our past selves were to rid the influence of Beryl from the planet. Wish me luck."
"You're going now?" Rae asks in surprise.
"No time like the present, plus I believe it's easier to start something early, then you don't have the last minute rush," Usagi says with a smile at Ami.
Ami returns it.
"At least say goodbye properly," Minako says.
"But it's not goodbye. Not really."
Usagi goes to all of her best friends individually and gives them a tight hug, expressing how much she would miss this life, if all went well, without words. Usagi gives Luna and Artemis a good stroke down their backs saying jokily, "See you when you're human."
Finally Usagi turns to Mamoru, and runs into his arms. She goes on tiptoe and kisses his lips. Hungrily he returns the kiss, pulling her tight against him, holding onto her with the worry he feels for her clearly being expressed.
They break away and Usagi looks into his eyes. "It isn't goodbye, we'll see each other again and if all goes well we'll see each other for longer."
Usagi runs from the room, fearing that if she didn't leave soon she would never leave, though in reality she would never allow that to happen. Usagi keeps running until she arrives home.
She runs to her Mum and hugs her tightly.
"What's that for Usagi?" she asks shocked, though she more than happily returns the hug.
"I love you," Usagi states.
A second later she runs to her Dad and hugs him just as tightly.
"Usagi have you been out with some boy?" he asks suspiciously.
"Only Mamoru Dad. I love you."
She goes over to Shingo and hugs him too. "I even love you Shingo."
Usagi runs up to her room. With a resolved expression she calls, "Pluto."
"Yes Princess?" Pluto asks appearing before her, and bowing.
"You know there is no reason to do that Setsuna," Usagi says, indicating the bow.
"You remember my name Princess?"
"I remember more than that, and you remember my name also Setsuna," Usagi replies with a grin before turning serious. "Just tell me please Setsuna; am I going to damage anything by doing this?"
"Everything that you will cause to happen is meant to happen. I have faith in you Usagi, I know you can do this," Pluto places her hand on Usagi's shoulder and transfers part of her power into her. At seeing Usagi's puzzled expression Setsuna clarifies, "A gift to help you should you find that they are being difficult, you will know how to use it when the tine comes."
Stepping away from Usagi Setsuna taps the Time Key onto the floor with the resounding boom echoing throughout the room and a glowing portal appears before Usagi.
The two women share a smile before Usagi steps into the portal.
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