I'm so happy that even though it's been so long since I last updated, I still have faithful readers! A major shout out to Puffgirl1952 for the first review, a few minutes after I posted the chapter! This chapter is dedicated to you!
Love,
Pegasus'Horn
Thorny Roses
Chapter 27
The Senshi and Shitennou, though outnumbering Wiseman and Black Lady by eight people, were still equal in power and strength.
The Senshi and Shitennou took turns attacking and defending, using all of their past experience and teamwork to deliver quick, strong, and calculated blows.
However, many of them did barely any damage against their foes.
Particularly against Black Lady: the Senshi and Shitennou could not bear to attack Black Lady, for it was only a disillusioned Chibiusa. How could they attack someone they considered a little sister? How could Sailor Moon or Tuxedo Mask even think of attacking their daughter?
Unfortunately, Wiseman knew this all too well, causing him to hide behind her for most of their attacks. Furthermore, any hesitation on their parts while attacking Black Lady only allowed her to attack the Senshi and Shitennou with full force.
Suddenly, Black Lady unleashed an incredibly strong attack of dark energy, eliciting screams from the Senshi and Shitennou. They fell over, once again.
"Finish all of them but Sailor Moon," Wiseman coldly hissed. Though he appeared unscathed, he was injured in quite a few places, a fact that he would never admit.
Black Lady nodded, directing a stronger blow at each of the Senshi and Shitennou except for Sailor Moon. Sailor Moon cried out as each of her friends screamed in pain. She felt her heart break as Tuxedo Mask struggled to keep a straight face throughout the attack.
She tried to shield them, begging the Silver Crystal to help her, but she knew that even in her deepest desires, she could not harm her child.
When Black Lady paused the torturing to allow Sailor Moon to surrender, Sailor Moon looked right into Black Lady's eyes. Tears spilled over from the heroine's eyes, making Black Lady feel uncomfortable.
"Chibiusa, please, stop," Sailor Moon begged. "How could you accuse us of not loving you? Your father and I love you so much, it hurts!"
"Black Lady, attack," Wiseman ordered.
Nothing happened.
Black Lady was frozen in place, a contorted look of confusion and sadness on her face.
"Black Lady!" Wiseman barked.
"Chibiusa, please! Look into your heart, your true heart! Do you see any hate from us? Don't you remember the love that we held for you?" Sailor Moon insisted. "You're my baby girl, our baby girl," she continued, motioning to Tuxedo Mask and herself. "And what about the Senshi and Shitennou? They're nothing short of your aunts and uncles!"
Black Lady remained silent, as though she were conflicted.
Wiseman watched as her eyes began to glaze over. Black Lady looked into her heart and, suddenly, the memories came flooding back.
...
"U-Usagi? Is it really you?"
Usagi turned around to face Chibiusa's large red eyes. They were glazed with unshed tears and the little girl's lower lip was quivering. Usagi's eyes softened as she kneeled down to the girl's height.
"Yeah, Chibiusa. It's me," Usagi softly said.
Chibiusa's eyes widened even more. In that one moment, Usagi looked so much like her mom from the future: her eyes were soft and mature—Usagi even had the same stature as her mom. The only difference was that Usagi's hair was cut.
Chibiusa broke out into tears, running into Usagi's opened arms. Chibiusa sobbed—it was just like hugging her mom. Usagi smiled, running her hand through Chibiusa's hair. She closed her eyes. Somehow, this felt so right.
...
"Ooh, is that udon noodles?" Chibiusa squealed. She ran over to the table, automatically placing herself in Rei's lap. Each of the girls, who harbored affection for the little girl, softened in their demeanors, instantly chatting again. They began to serve Chibiusa, filling her bowl with the noodles and spooning some rice for her.
...
"It's a long story…" Usagi said, her eyes trailing to the monster. It was struggling to stay up, gathering its powers for one last strike. It had its eyes on something behind the girls and Sailor Moon traced its glare to the target: Chibiusa.
"No!" Usagi screamed as she ran towards the pink haired girl.
The Yuma threw one last spike and Sailor Moon pushed herself to run faster. She scooped up Chibiusa in her arms and attempted to dodge the spike. She was so close but the spike dragged across Sailor Moon's thigh, causing a deep gash. Usagi fell to the ground, cradling Chibiusa to her.
...
"Usagi! Chibiusa-chan!" The two girls turned around to face Makoto and Rei standing at the front of the University gates. Usagi and Chibiusa hurried towards them.
"Wow, Rei nee-san and Makoto nee-san look so pretty!" Chibiusa stared in awe. Usagi nodded, examining her two friends' kimonos.
Makoto was dressed in a plain, dark green iromuji kimono with a lighter green obi. She wore a pink obijime on top of the obi and her normal pink rose earrings. She did have a few pink flowers in her high ponytail.
Rei was dressed in a furisode kimono. It was a soft red color at the top of the kimono, but turned a darker shade towards the end of the kimono and the ends of the large, swinging sleeves. Her dark hair was tied up in a bun, her bangs hanging out. She had pinned a garland of purple flowers to her hair, the color bringing out her eyes.
Chibiusa ran towards them, smiling brightly.
"Chibiusa-chan, you look very pretty!" Rei smiled, kneeling to the young girl's height.
"Thank you, Rei nee-san," Chibiusa bowed her head. Rei and Makoto squealed.
"Aww! So cute!" Makoto's eyes gleamed at Chibiusa.
...
"Wow, Chibiusa! I am so proud of you," Usagi laughed, hugging the girl closer. "So proud that I've prepared a little gift for you!"
"Yay! Really? Can I have it now?" Chibiusa bounced up and down in excitement. Usagi laughed, reaching into her back pocket and pulling out two tickets. "They're tickets to the new amusement park that just opened. I thought that we could go together and check out all the new rides," Usagi smiled.
"Oh my gosh! This is so cool!" She wrapped her arms around Usagi's neck, hugging her tightly. "Thank you, Usagi! This is the best thing ever!"
...
"Usagi! Mamo-chan!"
The couple turned around to see Chibiusa running towards them, followed by Luna, Artemis, and Luna P.
"Chibiusa!" Usagi kneeled down to catch the little pink-haired girl.
"You guys were so awesome!" Chibiusa gushed. "You were both kicking and punching, and jumping around and spinning, just like the circus, and, oh my gosh! It was so cool!"
Mamoru chuckled as Usagi smiled brightly at the young girl.
"I'm glad you enjoyed the show," Usagi laughed.
...
A few hours passed and during this time, Chibiusa had woken up. The Shitennou and Chibiusa began to play a game of catch using one of the oranges Kunzite and Zoicite had bought. When Chibiusa had failed to catch the orange and it was squashed on the ground, she pouted. Then, her sharp ruby eyes flitted to Luna-P's hovering form. The floating sphere seemed to know exactly what its owner was thinking and turned to fly away. However, Chibiusa was too quick. The Senshi and Shitennou laughed as Chibiusa triumphantly carried Luna-P over to continue the game.
...
They each grabbed a part of the large wheel and, standing on one side of the handle, pulled. They were becoming frustrated but could feel the handle moving.
"Should I call Mamoru?" Chibiusa asked.
"NO!" They all yelled. In that moment, the handle came loose and water flooded into the pool. The force of the water knocked over the Senshi, sending Chibiusa into a peal of laughter. The Senshi stood up, sputtering water. The water only came up to mid-waist but the water had been so strong that they were completely drenched from head to toe.
Chibiusa laughed louder, falling back onto the tiled floor. The Senshi looked at each other with grim smiles before closing in on Chibiusa. The little pink-haired girl stopped laughing, noticing the mischievousness in the faces of the Senshi.
"Wait…wait, no! No!"
Splash!
Chibiusa resurfaced, sputtering as well. "That wasn't funny!" However, this serious comment had the opposite effect, causing the Senshi to break into laughter.
For the next hour, they splashed and played before relaxing the steaming hot waters. There was more fun when Minako accidentally spilled her bubble bath into the tub, causing mountains of bubbles and suds to grow. They took turns scrubbing each other's backs while exchanging stories. Their laughter could be heard downstairs.
...
"Of course, but let's eat! We're all starving!" Usagi grinned, serving Mamoru and Chibiusa portions of the food.
They all ate and, just like the night before, they opened up the windows. This time, however, they decided to set up a bonfire on the beach. With the light of a full moon, they were able to get a considerably large fire going.
They sat around the fire, cups of hot chocolate in their arms as they were huddling together under many blankets. They exchanged stories, laughing deep into the night. Chibiusa let loose a yawn but refused to sleep, not wanting to be the first to fall asleep like last night.
"Come on, squirt," Usagi said, picking up Chibiusa and standing up. "Let's get to bed."
"Fine," Chibiusa sleepily conceded. "But I'm only agreeing because you're baka Usagi…" She fell asleep on Usagi's shoulder. Mamoru stood to help her inside.
...
On the third day, they decided to have a picnic on the cliff that Jadeite showed Rei. They each separated into their respective couples, leaving Chibiusa at a loss. She was grateful when Usagi opened her arms to let Chibiusa sit in her lap.
She, Mamoru, and Usagi spent their time chatting and listening to each other's stories.
...
Chibiusa felt herself returning to consciousness, the pain gone. She opened her eyes, facing Tuxedo Mask who still had glowing tendrils of light surrounding him.
"Thank you for healing me," Chibiusa mumbled. She looked around at each of their relieved but sad faces. "…where's Sailor Moon?"
At the question, each of them looked down while Tuxedo Mask stood and walked a few paces away. He clenched his fists at his side.
Sailor Mercury held Chibiusa in her arms solemnly. "Diamond took her, Chibiusa," Venus whispered softly.
"…w-what? No, no, it's not true!" Chibiusa began to cry. "Why did that baka Usagi do that?! Why did she leave? She said she would stay and help me!" She turned in Mercury's arms, sobbing loudly as the Senshi tried to hold back their tears.
Tuxedo Mask blinked up at the cloudy sky, trying to still his trembling lip. He swallowed his despair, turning towards the little girl.
"Chibiusa, do you want to save Sailor Moon?" He gently asked.
She nodded hesitantly.
"Then you need to help us. Do you know where we could go somewhere safe?"
Chibiusa's eyes brightened. She nodded excitedly. "Yes, follow me."
...
"Usagi!"
Usagi looked down to see Chibiusa hugging her knees tightly.
When Chibiusa had seen Usagi, she felt as though she were staring at her mother. Though the dress was not completely accurate, it was very close—close enough for Chibiusa to pretend as she catapulted herself towards the blonde.
Usagi held the pink-haired girl close, suddenly realizing why this felt perfect. This was her daughter, a piece of her and the man she loved. She was a blessing that came from their love. She was someone who Usagi would take care of as a baby, dress up in adorable clothes, go out to fun places with, buy toys for, talk about girl stuff with, listen to problems, just someone else to love and cherish…
Chibiusa was her daughter.
Usagi felt herself crying as she sunk to the floor, squeezing Chibiusa tightly to her as Chibiusa wrapped her arms around her waist. Tuxedo Mask also bent down on his knees, wrapping his arms around them.
...
Black Lady gasped as she realized that Sailor Moon was right. She was loved! The dark energy burst from her, leaving her body and transforming her back into a little girl. She floated down to the ground, right into Sailor Moon's waiting arms.
"Sailor Moon, I'm so sorry," Chibiusa cried against the moon senshi's neck.
"It's okay Chibiusa," Sailor Moon whispered, holding Chibiusa close. "I'm just so glad you're back to normal."
"We all are," Tuxedo Mask smiled, coming closer to them. The Senshi and Shitennou, though battered, also smiled in agreement.
Wiseman screamed in frustration. "ENOUGH!"
A blast of dark energy blinded them. Sailor Moon opened her eyes, gasping in pain at the sight before her. Tuxedo Mask, unconscious and horribly injured, lay on the ground beside her, as though he had been trying to shield her from the blast. Sailor Moon choked back a sob as she cradled his head, running her hand through his midnight hair.
Sailor Moon looked around, tears falling down her eyes. The Senshi and Shitennou were bruised and bloodied, their uniforms torn and stained. They were unconscious, as well.
Then, there a few feet to the right of her, almost out of her vision, Chibiusa lay on the ground. Sailor Moon stumbled to her feet, sobbing as she examined Chibiusa's battered body. Her pink hair was undone, bruises and dirt stains on her cheeks. Blood leaked from her nose, dribbling down the side of her face. Her clothes were ripped, tinged black as though they had been burned.
It was too similar to the scene she had lived while fighting Rubeus.
"I told you that this would happen if you did not surrender," Wiseman smirked. He reached out his hand towards her. "Now, give me the Silver Crystal."
Sailor Moon bowed her head, fighting back the tears. "Do you think that I would give up after what you've done to my loved ones? Do you think I would let them suffer in vain?"
She struggled to stand, succeeding but slightly hunching over. "I will not give up!"
Light exploded from her, transforming her into Princess Serenity. Wiseman shied away from the light. Serenity lifted the Silver Crystal above her, closing her eyes in silent prayer.
Silver Crystal, hear my plea! I beg you to give me the power to destroy this evil being! Awaken, and lend me your greatest power!
Beside her, Chibiusa's body began to glow. Though unconscious, her body began to float, rising along with Princess Serenity to float at Wiseman's height. Serenity watched in awe as Chibiusa's clothing transformed into a smaller version of her own dress, white with a gold circle neckline.
A gold crescent moon symbol appeared on the young girl's forehead before her ruby eyes fluttered open.
"What's going on?" Chibiusa asked Princess Serenity, confused by her attire and the light around her.
Serenity and Chibiusa watched as a larger and more intricate Silver Crystal began to form before Chibiusa's chest. Chibiusa, shocked at the appearance of her mother's Silver Crystal, cupped it in her hands.
Princess Serenity understood. The Silver Crystal had been hiding inside Chibiusa, thus giving her a lot of power as Black Lady and waking her up as Princess Chibiusa.
"Ready, Chibiusa?" Princess Serenity asked.
Chibiusa smiled, nodding.
Together, they raised their Silver Crystals and shouted, "Silver Moon Kiss!"
Wiseman gathered his own Dark Crystal power, attacking them with full force. Chibiusa and Princess Serenity gritted their teeth, praying for more power. Though they had two Silver Crystals, it was equally matched against the large Dark Crystal in Wiseman's possession.
Princess Serenity bit her lip, trying to summon more power.
At this rate, we'll be overcome. We need more power. Sailor Senshi, lend me your powers!
At the voice of their leader, the Senshi stirred awake. The gleam of the Silver Crystals healed them, replenishing their energy.
"Let's help her!" Sailor Venus encouraged. "Venus Power!" Her body glowed, turning orange as she lent her power to Princess Serenity and Chibiusa.
"Mars Power!"
"Jupiter Power!"
"Mercury Power!"
Each of the Senshi turned their respective colors as they lent their powers to Princess Serenity. Princess Serenity felt their powers and thanked them. Tapping into her newly acquired powers, she blasted more energy from the Silver Crystal.
Wiseman gasped, struggling to feed more energy into his attack. But he was no match for two Silver Crystals and the combined powers of the Senshi. He screamed as the light of their attack neared him until it passed straight through him. Princess Serenity, Chibiusa, and the Senshi watched as his body crumpled to the floor of the Tower roof, puffing up in clouds of dust. His purple robes withered away in the wind and his crystal ball shattered into a thousand pieces.
It was as though he had never existed.
In that moment, Princess Serenity felt another being enter her conscious. The Senshi and Chibiusa looked away at the intense light before looking back at what seemed to be Neo-Queen Serenity. She spread her light out, healing Tuxedo Mask and the Shitennou. They rose to their feet, the Shitennou embracing the Senshi.
"Mama!" Chibiusa ran into Neo-Queen Serenity's arms. "I'm so glad you're alive!"
Neo-Queen Serenity opened her mouth to respond but the Dark Crystal Tower began to violently shake. Serenity closed her eyes, transporting the entire group to the ground, just as the Tower exploded into a cloud of dust, disappearing.
All of the effects of the battle appeared reversed. Tokyo was peaceful, colored by the dying rays of a scarlet sunset.
"Whoa!" Jadeite gaped at Neo-Queen Serenity, awed by her power. "That was awesome!"
"For once, I agree with you," Kunzite concurred.
"Yeah, same," Sailor Mars nodded. Jadeite stuck his tongue out at her, earning him a smack on the head.
"Mama, I'm so glad you're okay!" Chibiusa clung to her mother's neck. "I'm sorry for everything I've done! I'll clean my room everyday from now on!"
"I'm so proud of you, Chibiusa," Neo-Queen Serenity hugged her daughter back. "I'm proud of all of you." She smiled at each of the Senshi and Shitennou. "Tokyo is honored to have such brilliant warriors, in this time and the future."
The Senshi and Shitennou beamed at her. She smiled at Tuxedo Mask, looking him up and down appreciatively. "You should wear black more often in the future," Neo-Queen Serenity advised. "You always did look amazing in black."
Tuxedo Mask blushed.
Neo-Queen Serenity turned to her daughter. "I cannot keep control over Sailor Moon's conscious for much longer. Return to the future, sweetheart, where Daddy and I will be waiting for you," she said. She kissed her daughter on the forehead before emitting another bright light.
Sailor Moon remained where Neo-Queen Serenity had been. The Senshi immediately hugged her and Chibiusa as the former Black Moon Clan members and Sapphire and Emerald ran over to them.
Sailor Moon grinned down at Chibiusa. "Come on Chibiusa, let's get you home."
"Not so fast, Sailor Moon."
Everyone turned around, facing Prince Diamond of the Black Moon Clan.
DUN DUNN DUUUUNNNN! CLIFF HANGER! Wow, I'm proud of myself, two chapters in two days. I deserve a cookie…or a bunch of reviews!
Love,
Pegasus'Horn