If the Future May Fade Ch. 4

. . .

I don't even have time to properly express my surprise before Usagi pulls me away from the rest of the family. I stumble after her in a lanky mess-following the familiar path up the stairs to the bedrooms. The nameplates on each door are just as they were last time I was here and I'm glad momentarily for something that's exactly the same.

I don't know what else I can handle, actually.

My identity of Chibiusa is already so far gone that I hardly believe that I thought things would be better coming back to the past. I've changed too much. And obviously so has the past. I guess this is the actual birth of Tsukino Nyanko and the temporary death of Chibiusa. But Nyanko is still better than Small Lady any day.

"Ta-da!" The blonde squeals, pushing her door open to reveal two beds smooshed into the small room. One covered in blue bunnies and the other covered in pink cats. It's only obvious which one is mine and it takes all my effort not to outwardly cringe. This may quite possibly be worse than my bedroom back home except cramped together.

Usagi smiles at me expectantly, but her smile fades when she takes notice of my backpack. My very small backpack. "You didn't bring a lot," she notes as her lips turn down. It's an obvious fact but her being so upset about my lack of planning is...disheartening. "A-Are you not staying for the rest of the term like you promised?" Her lower lip trembles and her blue eyes are the saddest I've seen her in such a long time. This isn't the girl I remember. This girl is simply forcing herself to be cheerful and it's painful to watch. I can still see the red rimming her eyes from when she ran away crying from Mamoru.

It's strange-I didn't see puffy eyes when she fought as Sailor Moon.

As a matter of fact, she acted as if she was a different person.

"I grew out of a lot of my clothes back at home. I figured we could go shopping or something," I fib, plopping my bag down on the bed. Truth be told, I brought all the casual clothing I had left. Ceres is always telling me casual clothes are no way a princess should dress.

So everything else in my wardrobe is satin, lace, silk, tulle, ect. Nothing that I could pass off wearing as a "normal" sixteen year old girl in the twentieth century.

The blonde piques her head, studying me. "You did seem to grow," she ponders aloud. "And you're in high school too." She looks at me dreamily and breaks into a grin. "That must be so cool!"

I nod hesitantly. It's going to take a lot of time getting used to playing the older cousin. And since I'm supposedly a high school student, I'm supposed to be a role model. Just like Usagi herself was when I was nine.

But high school...my stomach sinks in my gut. Is there a possibility I can run into Mamoru more often? Somehow I think that could result in a bad thing. My possible fate aside, I offer the blonde a small smile. "It's been nice, I admit."

She sighs absently and falls onto the blue bunny duvet, pulling a pillow to her chest. "All the boys and leniency concerning what you do with your life. I'm jealous."

Looking over, I realize this is my chance. To find out the extent of what she knows about who is supposed to be her future husband. Hopefully the answer is desireable because the last thing I want is to have inserted myself into the wrong dimension. A dimension where I was never meant to be. That scares me most of all. "Boys? Does that mean you have one in mind?"

Usagi shoots up, her cheeks flushed as she squeezes the pillow in her arms tight. "W-Why on earth would you th-think that? Y-you and mamma are one and the same!"

A smile spreads across my face. Maybe it's just a different version of the past that I can ave fun with because her outburst sounds like she has a crush."Oh, really? So I can start attending the local high school and have any boy I could ever imagine? And not have to worry about my little cousin having a crush on him? Awesome!" I easily fall into a swoon and clutch my hands to my chest.

It seems like my years of manipulating my senshi is about to pay off.

Her blue eyes widen instantly and her face becomes practically fluorescent. "N-nyanko-chan! C-can you not?" She hugs her pillow to her face and tries to hide behind the frilly pink square of fluff.

"Can I not...what?" I smile and wiggle my eyebrows at her. But no response. And I finally I have the upper hand. My smile broadens. "Soooo, who is it?"

"Chubbaa Mammorrrummh," she screeches into her pillow. That was most definitely Chiba Mamoru. I.. just need to make sure, right? I mean-mumbles into a pillow are hardly satisfying when it comes to winning a battle.

I arch an eyebrow. "Now, I could hardly understand you! Chuba Momoruh? That hardly sounds like an attractive high school student!"

Usagi tosses her pillow at me, her cheeks puffing out. "Chiba Mamoru! Okay? Is that alright with you?" She screams at me, tears forming at the corners of her eyes.

Shit. "Sorry, Usagi-chan. I was just playing around with you." She turns her nose away from me. I reach for the pillow that landed beside me and nudged her knee with it. "So is the Chiba Mamoru a nice guy? Attractive?"

Closing my eyes, I pray to Serenity she doesn't find his jerk tendencies to be cute. It's revolting to think anybody would think being mean is attractive. In my opinion he needs a serious attitude adjustment before he can step foot near Usagi.

The blonde glances at me and her gaze falls to the floor, tears streaming down her cheeks. "He's handsome with zero personality."

I blink. The exact answer I wanted, almost verbatim to what I thought in my head . But a main questions captivates me. "Why do you like him, then?"

She shakily wipes at her eyes and takes in a sharp breath. "He wasn't always like this! He used to be really sweet and caring, until-" Her hands fly to her mouth almost as if she realized she shouldn't have said something.

"Until What?"

"Until...well...until he got a girlfriend."

. . .

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