Desperate Measures

She floated, free from the pain in her chest; free from all that could hurt her; free in oblivion.

Usa! A woman's frantic cry echoed through her space of peace. Usagi, answer me! Some shaking. Mamo-chan…

Her body was being moved, as though controlled by water.

Usa! A man's voice this time entered her dream state. Come on, Usagi. Wake up. A pause.

Usagi! The woman's voice again, this time more frantic than moments before. What's happened, Mamo-chan? Why won't she…

I don't know, Usako. I just don't know. Another pause. Perhaps the crystal can…

There was a very slight pressure on her chest, and it then began glowing. She was warm. Suddenly, the light was out in front of her, and she felt herself being pulled.

I think it's working! The male voice exclaimed.

Usa? Usa, please fight this…

"Are you sure you want that?" came a third voice, but this wasn't a thought. This one was for real. "If you let them pull you, you'll go back to the pain and suffering."

The pink-haired child opened her eyes and found herself staring into the eyes of another – a boy she knew. Were they friends? How did she know him?

"If you allow them to pull you, you'll be in pain again." The boy smiled at her and held out his hand. "Take my hand, and I'll free you from all of it." He smiled wider at her hesitation. "You will not know pain again, my princess. Ever. I promise."

She reached out her hand, and at the moment they connected, a white light burst from her chest and away from the couple.

Mamo-chan! What's happening?! HER CRYSTAL'S GONE OUT!!

NO!

Usa, no, please! Please come back!!

She fell limp in the arms of the boy, his evil smile in place. The surrounding sky began to darken as the princess's eyes closed once again, the last of her fight gone.

She felt cold, suddenly, but too weak to even shiver. The warmth from before had completely vanished, and she longed for it to come back.

Mamo-chan! Mamo-chan, she's…She's not breathing!

I know, Usako. I know…

Mamo-chan, wake her! The woman was becoming hysterical.

I'm trying, Usako! Some more shaking. Usagi, hear us, please!

Our baby! Mamo-chan, our baby! She's…she's…Oh, my God, Mamo-chan!!

Usako! Listen to me! LISTEN TO ME! When her cries died down, You are a powerful queen, you hear me? You've brought Pluto back to life; Hotaru back to life; and me on a few occasions. You can save her.

Another brief moment passed, and the princess felt the slight pressure on her chest again. Only this time, there was no light, but there was pain – the same pain as before.

There was no warmth that had warmed her body.

No light; no warmth; no energy to fight; so instead, she gave in to the darkness, allowing it to take residence in every crevice of her being.

Chibiusa, one last whispered plea from the female. Please come back to me.

She heard nothing; she felt nothing; she was…nothing.

***

It broke his heart. There was no other way of saying it. He remembered his wife's frantic cries from the night before, and it was all he could do not to join her. He'd wanted to scream just as much as she had; wanted to pick up his daughter and shake her until she woke up; wanted to hold her close to him like he used to when she was a child.

Exhausted from her continual energy expulsion, Usako had fallen asleep beside the teenager. As he watched her now from the doorway, he remembered her last words before finally falling into a fitful sleep: Chibiusa, please come back to me.

The king hadn't heard his wife call their daughter that in years. The last time he heard it, their daughter was ten and beginning her "I'm too old for this!" stage. He wished he could take his family back to that day – the day "Usagi" declared she was no longer "Chibi." She'd looked so innocent, and yet very adamant. Ten years old, and already as stubborn as her mother.

He smiled at the memory as a tear trickled down his face.

"Mamo-chan," Usako's soft voice came to him from the bed.

"Yes?" he answered just as softly. His wife's eyes were downcast, studying the pale cold hand intertwined with her delicate ones.

"Oh, Mamo-chan," she exclaimed on a whisper as she went into his arms, offering him whatever strength she could. "What are we going to do?"

"We're going to keep trying…" Was he really that confident?

"But what if that doesn't work? What if…what if she…" Serenity broke into tears.

"She won't."

"How do you know?" she sobbed into his T-shirt.

"Because you have the two best 'healers' in the world in your living room," came a new voice from behind. Both monarchs turned and smiled as they saw the Senshi – all of them in their entire splendor – standing in the living room. It didn't take much to realize it was Mars who had spoken. "And if anyone can figure it out, Your Highness, it's Ami and me."

"How did you…?" the queen barely whispered.

"Endymion summoned us this morning." Mars blushed a little.

The queen looked at her husband.

"I didn't know what else to do," he said as he shrugged. "We can't take her to a hospital – they'd pronounce her dead in a matter of minutes; and we weren't getting anywhere. I thought…" His sentence was interrupted by his wife's tear-salted kiss as she grabbed his shirt and pulled him to her.

"I love you," she whispered into her husband's mouth. "Thank you!" Serenity stood and raced into the arms of her friends.

"Sorry it took us a while," Venus commented as she detransformed. "We had to find a baby-sitter."

"You're here. That's what's important!"

Jupiter placed both of her hands on her queen's shoulders, offering whatever strength she could. Then, she looked at the child laying in the bed. "So, what happened?"

***

And ever since then, she hasn't responded to anything. Someone was getting through! If she had the energy, she would've begun rejoicing. However, the black just sucked her dry.

Okay, Serenity, why don't you join the others in the other room while Mercury and I figure out what's happening here, okay? A new female voice? No. Someone she knew of – but…

But, Rei …

No, Serenity, Rei is right. You're too close, and may distract us. We'll inform you of our findings. This one had to be Mercury – yet another female. How many were there?

No, the girl thought, I want her to stay!

Mars, please! She's my daughter!

What did that word mean? "Daughter"?

Serenity, we said no. She's in safe hands, you know that. What you need to do is go be with your husband right now. The two of you need each other…

What I need, Mars…wait, what are you doing? There sounded like there was a struggle. No! No, you can't so this! The female was hysterial. You can't! Her voice softened – blocked by some sort of object. The girl could hear the cries, but not what she was saying.

We're going to regret that; you know that right?

I don't care, Mercury. She can't be in here right now in her mind-set. It'll distract you as a physician, and me as a psychic. It's hard enough with her in the bungalow.

I know, but still. She's her mother…And this thing isn't picking up any kind of abnormality.

Okay, then the rest is up to me.

What were they doing? Where's the female? Ow! Ow ow ow ow ow! Stop it! STOP IT! THAT HURTS!!!! Female! Make her stop!!!

They were probing her. She felt every mental stab, each one bringing a new kind of pain – from blue-dull to white-hot, pulsating.

Nothing, the probing one commented. Not a damn thing! She began pulling out.

The girl was ever so grateful! She hoped her female – yes, she'd taken possession of the one called Usako – would come back, and the other two would just stay away.

Creaking hinges? Was a door opening? Is her female coming back?

What did you find? Her male voice asked – yes, she'd taken possession of him, too.

Serenity, the non-probing one started softly, this isn't going to be easy, and you may want to sit down.

I'm not sitting anywhere, her female cried emphatically. Answer his question!

We found nothing.

***

Nothing? They had found nothing? The two most brilliant minds in all of Japan – quite possibly the world – found nothing?!

How can that be? The queen sat alone on the front porch, curled up in one of the chairs, while her tears dropped into her teacup. When Rei and Ami had come out with the news, she became sick to her stomach.

She had read somewhere that chamomile tea helped with that, so her husband (bless him!) ran to a supermarket and bought the two of them some. She had to admit, it worked for the most part, but now, all she wanted to do was not feel a thing.

It was a horrid realization that Usa was now lost to her. Even now, it still made her nautious to think she may not have a daughter in the morning.

Well, if that's the case, she thought solemnly as she stood, I should be with her. After a few deep breaths, she gathered up her strength to approach the front door.

As she entered the tiny foyer, she was caught by the stares of the Senshi – all of them wanting to say something, but none of them knowing what to say.

"Serenity," Ami said as she came forward.

The queen held up her hand. "Not now, Ami." The command was kind, but not lacking in ferver. "I can't lose it now." She looked around the room and noticed the majority of them were missing. "Where's Endymion?"

"He's with Usa," Makoto answered.

"Rei and Minako?"

"Minako went for a walk to the beach, and Rei just…"

The queen's brow creased. "Just what?"

Ami answered, "We don't know. She got this vacant look on her face and teleported…"

"Teleported?" The matriarch was beginning to panic.

"But she said she'd be right back, Serenity," Makoto quickly supplied. "She just said there was something she had to get."

Serenity nodded as she looked towards her daughter's room. The door was cracked slightly, and she could see her daughter's body. So still was she.

She entered the room and closed the door. Her husband was kneeling beside the bed, holding their offspring's hand and fighting tears as hard as she was.

Walking to him, she placed her arm across his shoulders and knelt beside him.

She could feel herself beginning to lose her composure. "Any change?" Serenity barely managed to whisper.

"No," Endymion answered as he moved so his wife could be in front of him.

***

Mamo-chan? The female's voice was back! The little girl rejoiced as much as she could given her lack of energy. This woman really spent a lot of time with her,

Yes, Usako? The man was back, too! The little girl started getting excited. She'd heard these two the most since she had collapsed. It was rare she didn't feel them hold her hand, or brush her forehead, or hold her close.

Is she going to die?

Silence from the man.

I have to know, Mamo-chan. Is our baby going to die?

I don't know, Usako.

I don't want her to! Tears lined her voice, and the girl heard the rustling as the man must have gotten up and wrapped his arms around her.

She felt something in her chest – the pain of a breaking heart. She wanted to cringe, but her body didn't comply. The pain radiated, and there was nothing she coud do but lay there and take it.

The woman's cries were so painful! The girl wanted to reach out and hold her hand.

"Ima hitotsu tatakai ga owari

Hitotoki no yasuragi no naka de

Nagashiatta kirara no namida

Densetsu e shizuka ni kawaru deshou"

Wait, I know this…

"Meguri meguru no deshou ka

Nanimo kawaranu deshou ka

Ai wo nakushita deshou ka

Ai ga umareta deshou ka"

The girl's eyes opened. The woman's voice – her cries through the song…energy…

Warmth…

Light…

Peace…

"Ima koko ni watashi-tachi ga ite

Ano sora ni hoshi ga aru you ni

Ano hoshi ni mo mata sora ga ari

Sono sora de hoshi ga kagayaku deshou"

Mama…

"Meguri meguru no deshou ka

Nanimo kawaranu deshou ka

Ai wo nakushita deshou ka

Ai ga umareta deshou ka."

Mama sang this to me when I was…

The girl felt the woman collapse onto the body on the bed and the cries escalate. Don't cry, the girl thought to the woman.

Come back, the woman cried. Come back to me, Usa!

I'm coming! She felt a hand in hers – actually felt it! She concentrated. Squeeze. Nothing. Squeeze, dammit! Still nothing. Usa felt the weight shift on the bed – her mama had gotten up, and the hands were disconnecting.

No! Usa mentally screamed. Mama, come back! She concentrated on her hand again. Squeeze!!

The fingers finally closed slightly, and the queen jumped.

Did she just … ? Usako sat down on the bed. "Usa?" she called softly as she placed her warm hand against her daughter's cheek. It was gaining color – slowly – and warmth! Oh, do I dare hope?

The princess's face moved into her mother's palm and a small smile crept across her lips. The hopeful mother rubbed her thumb on her child's cheek, encouraging her to open her eyes, supporting her will to awaken.

Then it happened. Small Lady's eyes slowly fluttered open, and a smile broke across the queen's face as she burst into tears and took her daughter into her arms.

"Thank God! Thank God you're all right!" She turned towards the door. "Endymion! Endymion, come in here!"

Within seconds, the bedroom door burst open and the king hurried to his wife's side. "What is it?" he asked as he took his wife's shoulders.

She directed him to the bed. "She's awake!" Serenity hurried out into the front rooms where the Senshi were, proclaiming the good news!

Mamoru looked down and saw his daughter's bright red eyes staring back at him. Suddenly weak, he fell to his knees. "Usa," he barely managed to choke out. "My princess…" His voice caught in his throat as he then took the teenager into his arms.

The other Senshi had gone into the room, but Rei stayed in the doorway. The princess was awake – and she couldn't be happier – yet, something still seemed very, very wrong.

What price had been paid?