...
Staring at the blank page before you
Open up the dirty window
Let the sun illuminate the words that you could not find
Reaching for something in the distance
So close you can almost taste it
Release your inhibitions
Feel the rain on your skin
No one else can feel it for you
Only you can let it in
No one else, no one else
Can speak the words on your lips
Drench yourself in words unspoken
Live your life with arms wide open
Today is where your book begins...
Luna's warm body filled Usagi with a wonderful feeling of comfort. As Usagi walked stroking her fur both the girl and cat seemed to grow more peaceful. This peace was something Usagi hadn't felt ever before. Always she was running from place to place, always looking for where she belonged, but the mere touch of the cat's soft fur made the peace pool deep within her soul. What was going on? Why did she feel so topsy-turvy? She had almost given up hope in everything, and then, this cat had appeared. It wasn't really anything much. Just that when she looked at her, Usagi felt as if everything was going to be alright. Usagi looked at Luna who had cuddled in her arms trying to ignore her cuts. Usagi found herself smiling once more as a thought occured to her.
"You were following me." Luna looked up at her, and Usagi felt as if the cat understood her every word. Usagi stroked the cat behind the ears. "Well, I guess if you were going to keep following me around anyways," She stopped stroking Luna and poked her nose playfully. "We might as well make you officially my cat." The cat mewed as if happy and Usagi giggled. A warm glow filled her heart.
"This feeling... I've felt it before." The cat rested its head down on her arm and Usagi kept walking towards her house. "I felt it at the ball, with Minako, and that couple at the park. Now that I think about it, with Makoto and Ami as well. With Rei. too.. its like.. its like a..." Usagi turned down her street and she kept trying to pinpoint the word she was looking for. "Its like a warm nostalgia."
"I'm home!" Usagi entered the house and her mother came out from the kitchen.
"How was-" She noticed the cat in Usagi's arms. "Who is this?" She bent down with a smile.
"This is Luna." Usagi said. "She was following me, and then two crows attacked her." Usagi pointed to the cuts on her back. Her mother looked the cat over.
"Well, we can fix that. I'll give her a bath and then a nice warm-"
"No." Her mother looked up at her in surprise. Usagi was surprised herself. "Its just that, I want to do it. Besides, your busy with dinner." Her mother stared at her for a moment and then nodded.
"Okay." She began to walk back into the kitchen. "Just yell if you need anything." She said. Usagi began to walk up the stairs and then her mother yelled up to her.
"You realize she can only stay until we find a new home for her, right?" Usagi looked back down the stairs at her mother. "You know how Shingo is about cats." In truth, Usagi had forgotten all about Shingo's hatred, or really fear, for cats. Usagi looked down at Luna sorrowfully.
"I guess it was just one more thing that wasn't meant to be." Usagi said turning around walking back up the stairs. Her mother watched her go and wished she hadn't said anything.
Ikuko had noticed Usagi's depressed mood ever since the ball, but she could find no way to help her daughter.
"I'm home!" Kenji stepped through the door and lifted his nose into the air. "Something smells good." Ikuko smiled and he kissed her. "Are Shingo and Usagi home?"
"Shingo went to a friends house, but Usagi is here." She hesitated before telling him, but he was going to find out sooner or later. "She brought home a cat." Kenji stood shocked.
"A cat? But she knows Shing-" The sound of laughter interrupted him and the two adults looked up the stairwell. Did they really just hear that? Or did they just dream it? They looked at each other to confirm it. After a full week and a half of tears and red, puffy eyes, Usagi had finally found her laugh once more. Ikuko smiled.
"You know, its about time Shingo got over his fear, err, hatred." She said and Kenji found himself smiling as well.
"I don't think I could agree more."
Usagi gently soaked Luna in warm water and the cat sat quietly with her eyes closed. The cuts on her back were not bleeding, but Usagi took extra care not to hurt Luna as she cleaned them.
"See, that wasn't too bad, now was it?" Luna opened her eyes and mewed in complaint.
"It was too!" At least, that was how Usagi interpreted it, and Usagi laughed at her.
"Come on, I'll dry you off and then we'll go see if we can get us some food." Luna allowed Usagi to cover her in a cloth and gently dry her, but Usagi was still cautious of the cuts. "Lets go now. Hmm?"
The two of them walked down the stairs to the kitchen and the wonderful smell of food reached them.
"Mmmm... smells good!" Usagi rushed into the kitchen. "What is for supper?" Ikuko smiled.
"You'll see." She bent down to pet Luna. "I'm adding something special for our newest family member." It took Usagi a moment to let that statement register in her mind, but when it did, her mother got to see the shining smile she had begun to miss.
Usagi sat pretending to do her homework up in her room. Luna sat curled up on Usagi's bed and she watched her try her best to work. She just could not keep her focus on the pages in front of her and her thoughts wandered off onto all the confusing things that had happened that day. So many rushing emotions had bombarded her today and she was plum worn out. Never before had she ever felt so tired. Slowly, she found herself closing her eyes and her head sunk onto the small table. She would just rest her eyes for a few moments, and then try to concentrate on her reading...
Usagi jolted awake from a deep slumber. Even though Usagi didn't remember turning off the lights, the only light was from the stars and the sliver of moonlight. Usagi pushed back her hair out of her face, but as her hand touched her cheek, she found it wet with tears. "I was crying again." She pulled her hand away and looked at her moist fingers. "Why do I wake up crying? What is this dream?" Usagi began to move, but a weight on her lap stopped her. Luna lay sleeping on her lap. Usagi smiled sadly and began to stroke her soft, warm, fur in order to calm herself. Luna must have been worried about Usagi as she had cried in her sleep.
Luna stirred in her sleep as Usagi pet her, and Usagi stopped, not wanting to wake her. Usagi looked up to the moon. In a day or two, it would be completely gone and its pale light would not stir up all of these emotions in Usagi's heart. Those emotions of sorrow and fear. Usagi sighed. Then again, in the very deepest part of her heart, the moonlight stirred up something else. Something sweet and lovely. Another tear fell from Usagi's eye.
"Please," She said aloud. "Find me." She didn't know who she was pleading to, but she knew that it was the same person, no, people, that Usagi cried out to every night. Ever since the ball, Usagi would awake up crying from a dream that she could never remember. Her heart would call out to those people and Usagi would be left crying in the moonlight. "Please..."
"Nyaa." Usagi looked down at Luna with tears in her eyes. Her hand went to her eyes and she began to dry them with her sleeve.
"I just wish I knew what to do." She said and Luna rubbed her head against Usagi comfortingly and Usagi pet her.
"Your too lucky Luna," Usagi moved her hand away from Luna and looked back at the night sky. "You don't have anything to worry about." Usagi sighed and Luna opened her mouth, but she did not make any noise. "I give up." Usagi's tears began to overcome her again despite her struggle to contain them. "There is nothing left to do, I can never be with him." Usagi pet Luna's head one more time. The cat's eyes were saddened as Usagi cried. "Luna, why does all of this hurt me so much?" She asked. She knew that the cat couldn't answer her, but she just wanted to have someone listen to her for once. She hugged the cat close, her warmth giving a sense of support.
"Its all too familiar. All of it." Usagi pulled away and looked down at Luna. Again, Usagi felt as if Luna understood her. Usagi's voice became distant. "Its like a long dream that I've had before." Usagi swore that she saw Luna smile and then her lips moved...
"Because it is, Sailor Moon."
Usagi shoved the cat off of her more violently than she had intended. It had talked! A suppressed and choked scream threatened to edge out of Usagi's throat as Luna picked herself up and began to walk back towards her. Usagi's mind was spinning wildly. "This isn't happening!"
"Goodnight." Usagi laid her head back down on the table quickly. This was just another crazy dream that she would not remember in the morning, she just had to get there.
"This isn't a dream, Usagi-chan!" Luna said coming closer, but Usagi refused to lift her head.
"I can't listen to you because you are not really talking." Usagi said; her voice muffled by her arms and the table. She heard, or dreamt she heard, Luna sigh.
"Please, don't make me claw you, Usagi-chan." Usagi clenched her fist tightly and looked up for a brief instant. Luna jumped up onto the table and sat down in front of her. "Now-" Usagi put her head back down as Luna spoke.
"This isn't happening!"
"Usagi-chan!" Usagi felt Luna's paws on her head, shaking her, but Usagi refused to look up. Luna's claws dug into her skull for a brief moment.
"OW!" Usagi jerked away and stood up as she rubbed the back of her head. Luna sat back down.
"I'm sorry, but none of this is a dream." Luna declared watching Usagi desperately. Usagi rubbed her head for another second and then she removed her hands.
"Okay, if this isn't a dream, and you can really talk, then how?!" Usagi demanded pointing at her. Luna shook her head.
"Even if I told you, you wouldn't understand. I will reveal everything to you when the need arises." Usagi crossed her arms in a pout. "Please be patient, Usagi-chan. If I told you everything it could jeopardize the future!" Usagi's mind was spinning. She didn't understand!
"The future?" Luna didn't say anything for a moment and Usagi thought she saw a sadness come over her.
"Again," Luna's voice confirmed her sorrow, "everything will come in due time." The sorrow in Luna's eyes was replaced with determination as she stood up not speaking, and flipped backwards in the air. A bright light shone in the room and as Usagi's eyes adjusted, they fixed onto something that had fallen onto the table in between Usagi and Luna.
It was a small round brooch with a crescent moon in the center that was similar to Luna's own and it had a small, pink gem above it. On the outside of the circle were four circular stones: red, orange, blue, and green. Usagi looked at it for a moment and then cautiously she bent down and held it with both hands. It felt warm in her hands and a tingling sensation filled her body. "What is this? That nostalgia is filling me once more." Luna stepped closer to Usagi.
"There is a Solder of Love and Justice within you!" She said. Usagi looked at her and then back down at the brooch. The tingling sensation grew and something intense began to awaken within Usagi's soul. Fearful, Usagi dropped the brooch onto the table once more and took a step back.
"I can't be!" Usagi's heart was beating wildly. How could she be a solder? A fighter? She was crybaby Usagi who was always irresponsibly late and always sleeping at the most inappropriate times. How could that type of person be a "Solder of Love and Justice"?
"But you are!" Luna said looking up at Usagi with pleading eyes. "Please Usagi, you must transform into Sailor Moon! Your future, our future, depends on it!" Usagi looked down at the brooch and the intense feeling came back to her.
"No! I can't be! This isn't true!" Then again... All of the last week's emotions came flowing back into her again. All of those things that had felt so familiar to her, the intense sadness that had consumed her ever since she had left the ball. The feeling that something important was missing; was this it? Usagi bent down hesitantly and encased the brooch with her hand. Fear filled her, but she realized that her heart yearned for it.
Usagi pulled the brooch to her chest. Something within her was crying out to her and the glint of moonlight caught Usagi's sweet and lovely feeling from the deepest part of her heart broke through and Usagi stood speechless as the power surged through her.
"Please," Luna begged. "Repeat after me." Usagi shook her head quickly taking a step back from the table. "Pleas-" Luna stopped as Usagi lifted her right hand above her head. She already knew what Luna wished her to say. The moonlight was speaking to her, trying to remind her of who she was.
"Moon Prism Power!" She shouted, and Luna's mouth hung open in surprise. Usagi's whole being reverberated as she completed the phrase. Her heart screamed it and she willed all of this to be true. Oh, please let it be true! "Make Up!" She shouted this with a passion she did not know she possessed.
A glorious light illuminated her room and from the brooch a cool stream of ribbons encased her. The light diminished and Usagi stood in front of Luna in a Sailor fuku similar to her school's, but in many ways very different. Her school uniform did not come with a mask and a tiara.
The power continued to flow through Usagi and she closed her eyes. The power was so foreign to her, but yet so familiar. Just like everything else.
"Luna, what is this?" Her eyes remained closed. She was so afraid, but it also felt like someone else was inside her trying to get out; someone brave. The memories of a distant past attempted to break through, but Usagi could not yet reach them.
"Sailor Moon." Usagi opened her eyes and looked down at Luna who sat smiling. "Please, find the Silver Crystal and the Moon Princess!" The memories pressed forward, but still remained out of reach.
"Silver Crystal? Moon Princess?" All of this was just beyond her comprehension.
"Strange things have been happening, and you must investigate them." Luna explained. "Thefts are occurring everywhere and the enemy appears to be searching for the Silver Crystal as well. You must stop them." Usagi, no, Sailor Moon, nodded as she remember what Naru and Umino had told her earlier and knew that it was true.
"Tuxedo Kamen?" If she had thought about it more she would have realized that her friends had not told her this name. Luna nodded.
"Some him, but others as well, and they are the ones that worry me. Sailor V has been fighting them well, but your mission is to help her."
"There are others." Sailor Moon spoke this without thinking, but she knew in her heart that it was true. "Other Sailor Senshi." Luna looked at her with widened eyes.
"Yes." Luna confirmed finally. Sailor Moon found herself smiling brightly as she looked back at the moon. Hope mingled with the new power flowing through Sailor Moon's body.
"We will find each other, and together, I know, everything will come together." She looked back down at Luna still smiling. This was the first thing that had felt right all week and it was the strangest.
"Thank you, Luna." Sailor Moon found herself laughing after she said this. "Your name is Luna, right?!"
A shadowy figure crept into the darkened arcade, making sure that she was not observed. She sat down in front of the game counsel and after a brief moment, the game began to move out of the way to reveal a staircase leading to a hidden basement.
Minako began to walk down into the secret hideout when she thought she heard something behind her. Looking back over her shoulder, she saw nothing nor heard anything else. She walked forward and the game moved back into place, completely hiding the secret entrance.
"Find me." Minako turned around quickly. She had heard it for sure that time, she knew it! Her eyes were met with only darkness and she did not see anyone. She stood silent, waiting for the voice to come once more, but nothing happened.
"Are you okay?" Minako jumped. Her partner's voice had frightened her out of her concentration.
The white cat with emerald green eyes sat on top of a table next to the central computer, and he looked at her expectantly. Minako looked back to the entrance, but perhaps it had just been her imagination.
"I'm fine." It wasn't really true, but she wouldn't have been able to explain herself. She walked closer to the cat who sat pouring over a map of Tokyo. "Any hunch as to where they will strike next?" Artemis shook his head.
"No clue." He said with a frown. "But there are other things we need to discuss." Minako sat down at the table and looked over the map. Red crosses covered many of the stores and shops, but some were circled in blue: potential victims. "We have more information on who we are facing." Minako looked up from the map. "It seems new pockets of the Dark Kingdom have awakened." Minako's mouth opened in surprise, but then it shut. She really shouldn't be surprised, it was always them, she just wished that they would stop coming.
"This Tuxedo Kamen?" She had thwarted many of his stealing attempts, but she was not sure what he was after.
"Maybe so." Artemis said, but he seemed a bit hesitant to go on.
"Tell her Artemis." A soft, sweet, feminine voice said from the main computer. Now that Minako had many of her memories back, she realized that Boss was really Queen Serenity, whose essence was still living within the computers of the Moon, but after a year of only knowing her as "Boss" it was a hard habit to break; even after two years. Artemis sighed.
"What is it?" Something about his face made Minako a bit worried.
"We know what they are after." He said. "At first I was only suspicious of it, but now their intentions are known without a doubt."
"And?" Artemis stood up and motioned to the red markings on the map.
"All of these stores are know for their collection of precious gems." He explained. "At first I thought it might just be by chance, but then..." He paused.
"Then we got a confirmation that the enemy is looking for the Silver Crystal." Boss finished for him. Minako let those words sink in. They seemed to have no meaning to her, but at the same time alarm bells went off in her head. A surge of new memories tried to break free of their slumber and Minako struggled to unlock them.
"Silver Crystal?" She spoke the words and one of the memories broke through the fog. Yes, there was a very good reason for her to be worried. "The Illusionary Silver Crystal, the one that gave the Queen power during the Silver Millennium?" The memory of her dying body being swept away by the crystal's power came back full force. "The one that sent us here to the future? To be reborn?" Artemis smiled sadly.
"Yes." Minako stood up.
"They cannot find it!" She said clenching her fist tightly. "I will stop them!" She blushed as she realized something. "Where is it?" Artemis sighed.
"It is with the Moon Princess." He said. "Buried deep within her soul, it lies hidden so the enemy cannot detect it. At least, as long as she stays unawakened." Minako thought a moment. That was another reason why she was never told who the Princess was. She didn't know, Artemis didn't know, and even Boss didn't know. If they knew, they might accidentally betray this information to the enemy.
Minako could only remember the basics of her past life. That she was the leader of Princess Serenity's guardians and that it was her duty to protect the Earth alone, to prevent the others from having to carry the weight.
"So if Serenity is awakened and the Silver Crystal is found, we are all in danger?" Artemis nodded.
"There is more to it then that, if The Silver Crystal was revealed to still be in existence, other, more powerful beings might come and try to take it." He said. "To protect the Earth, we must not let it be known that it exists!" The task at hand began to overshadow Minako.
Could she do this all on her own? On the outside she gave Artemis her greatest smile.
"Got it!" She said giving him a thumbs up. She put her other hand on her hip and winked at him. "Don't worry about a thing, Aruaru!" She said his name in a childish way to show that she was ready for anything to come her way, but on the inside she felt the weight of the duty pulling down on her. Recently she had begun to wish more and more that she had help. All of these late night escapees were taking their toll, on her and her grades, not that her grades were anything to boast about in the first place. "I will protect and serve from a distance."
"That's my Venus." Artemis said smiling. "Just..." He frowned. "Don't call me Aruaru." He knew her better than anyone, but Minako had kept her desire for help even from him.
"There is something else." Minako and Artemis looked at the computer with surprise. Obviously this was news to Artemis as well.
"What?" Artemis asked. Boss did not speak for a moment.
"Someone has been to The Moon Castle's ruins recently." She said. Minako heard Artemis gasp and Minako's heart flipped. No one was suppose to go there!
"Who?!" Artemis demanded. Boss seemed reluctant to say anything, but she had to go on.
"I don't know." She said honestly. "I can honestly say this is baffling to me. Someone came to the Moon, someone who knew their way around. I didn't even detect them!" Artemis sat with his mouth hanging open. "They went into the Prayer Room and-" Artemis looked like he was going to faint and Minako supported him. Prayer Room? Minako tried to remember what that was but it was lost to her entirely.
"And?" Minako asked after Boss' voice had trailed off for a bit too long.
"They took a transformation brooch, as well as the Senshi's wands." She finished. Minako thought Artemis was going to die right there in her arms.
"AN ENEMY?!" Artemis finally shouted. "It had to have been an enemy! The only ones with good intentions who could travel to the Moon would be the Senshi, but not until they could transform, and they can't do that without their wands, and each other!" All of this was making Minako's head spin. An enemy had visited the Moon's Sacred Castle? Artemis turned to Minako, his eyes completely serious and filled with worry.
"I agree with you Artemis, but that does not explain why the alarms did not inform me." The Queen said. "It was as if it were someone who belong there, but the only ones who can come and go as they please would be my advisors, or in this case you!" Artemis was not convinced.
"Mina, until further notice, everyone you meet on the field is an enemy. Okay?" Minako nodded, but in her heart something told her that this was not true. Whenever she fought with Tuxedo Kamen, she felt, how could she describe it?
She felt as if she should be protecting him. She felt as if they should be working together.
Minako pushed the thought aside as quickly as it had come to her. He was looking for the Silver Crystal, and that meant he was endangering Serenity. It meant that he was her enemy.
Artemis watched as Minako walked up the hidden staircase to the arcade's main floor. Despite her cheerful front, he knew that she was hurting inside.
"Maybe we should reconsider awakening the others." The Queen's voice shocked Artemis. He had been thinking the same thing, but had not planned on speaking it aloud.
"You're the one who said not too!" She did not speak for awhile.
"I didn't think the enemy would keep coming. I thought it would be a year, tops, not three." There was silence in between them. He hadn't thought it would have gotten this bad either. "She was never meant to be alone." Artemis sighed. "And neither were you." Artemis felt a pain in his heart, but he did not want to admit it.
"Its the way it has to be." He said not wanting to talk about it.
"Perhaps, but it is still strange that-" She let the sentence die out as Artemis' face grew saddened.
"I'm fine." He said, telling himself that it was the truth. "And I'm sure Mina is too. She is so strong." There was more silence in between them.
"I think perhaps you think too highly of her." The Queen said sadly. Artemis pulled his eyes away from the doorway and looked back at the computer.
"What do you mean?"
"Though Minako is Sailor V, she is still a teenage girl!" She said. "She should be at parties and hanging out with friends! Not on midnight adventures and surrounded by deadly enemies! Not-" The Queen stopped with final words unspoken. They dare not speak of the final pressing issue, one too hurtful for all of them. "Not meant to have a heart crushing curse whispered in her ear. To never find peace. To always put duty over love. Forever." The argument was already hanging over them, they did not need to speak it. "I never wanted this... I never wanted any of them to have to face this pain again! Especially her..." Queen Serenity's voice seemed to be on the verge of breaking. "Venus..." The Queen said sadly in a soft voice. She seemed to pause a moment to let the pain subside. The fighting was never meant to become so serious. Neither of them had meant for the fighting to become so personal. Kaitou Ace had taken his toll on Minako, and both of them could see it. If there hadn't been a two year reprieve, they were not sure of what would have been done. The guilt lay heavily upon each of them.
Artemis did not respond to The Queen's arguments. He closed his eyes, and only after a minute of silence did he speak again.
"We will stick to the plan." He said finally. "Serenity will not be awakened, and Venus will fight on her own." He paused. They couldn't even awaken the others if they wanted to, someone had stolen the wands. He wondered if that had been the enemies' plan. "The fighting does not seem to be too much for her." He was lying through his teeth, and he knew it. The Queen knew it too.
"Is it?"
The day was beautiful! Absolutely beautiful! Never before had Usagi felt so happy this early in the morning. Usagi lifted her hands up into the air and spun around. Once stopped she stood looking up to the clear blue sky. Her right hand hung by her side with her briefcase, but the other... the other covered the brooch that was fastened neatly onto the center of her uniform's bow.
It hadn't been a dream. All of it had been real! At the thought of this Usagi spun around again. She was so happy that she couldn't contain herself.
Sailor Moon.
She liked the sound of it, and the fact that it was her... Unbelievable!
"Usagi-chan!" Usagi looked back behind her to see Naru racing towards her. "You're already up and going to school?" She asked in disbelief. Usagi laughed as she nodded. She was just too happy! Naru stood beside Usagi in bewilderment. The other day she had been so dejected, but now she was as radiant as the sun.
"I'm almost in college, Naru-chan." Usagi said walking forward. "Its best if I started to act like it." Naru looked like she might faint.
"Usagi, you-"
"All cheered up I see, Odango Atama." The two girls looked to there right to see the man standing there with his hands in his pockets. It was the first time he had ever engaged her without having something thrown at him. The sight of his blue eyes filled Usagi with so many conflicting emotions, but she knew that his smile was even more confusing.
"What is with you?" The words escaped Usagi before she had time to think. Naru and the man looked at her in surprise.
"Usagi, don't be rude!" Naru said hastily. Usagi couldn't help it. She felt herself becoming more and more attracted to him, but that couldn't be! Her heart could never belong to him! Only... Usagi tried to push the image of the man at the ball away, but she just wasn't strong enough. Besides, this man's eyes were enough to remind her of him once more.
"It's okay." The man said lifting his hands out of his pocket. "See you later, Odango Atama." He began to walk past her, and Usagi felt her face flush red.
"It is Usagi!" She shouted after him, but when he looked back at her he was smiling even more brightly.
"You'll always be my Odango Atama." With that he walked away from her. The red on Usagi's face darkened and Naru tried to soothe her.
"There is no need to get angry." She said. "Its just a nickname!" Usagi refused to admit to Naru that the redness was actually a blush, and that in reality, the nickname was growing on her.
"This can't be happening!" She couldn't have a crush on him! But then again... it felt like it might be so. "Who are you?" Her hand went to the brooch on her bow once more. Why was everything so confusing like this?
Mamoru couldn't get away from Usagi any faster. What had he been thinking saying that? What had possessed him to even talk to her? He could have kept walking by and she would not have even noticed him.
Mamoru was having the same problem as Usagi, he just could not admit his attraction towards her. It had started out small, a warm smile that would come as soon as he turned around, a skipped heartbeat at the sound of her laugh, and then, her tears. The image of her in the alleyway the day before still haunted him, but then again, her laugh... He heard it again, behind him, and he turned around to see her walking with her friend. It was so innocent and sweet. Like a warm, happy dream or memory that hit you at the bitterest of times in order to comfort you.
What was he thinking? Mamoru's face was now heating up and he tried to push her out of his mind. His heart belonged to Kimi!
Yet, he knew that this was not true. His dream, the woman who called out to him, she was the only one who could truly hold his heart. But who was she? Her hair was the longest he had ever seen and through the shadows, her sorrowful eyes met his. They were overflowing with tears and pain, but Mamoru could not fix it. Not without the Silver Crystal. Her eyes... Mamoru stopped walking for a moment and looked back towards Usagi, but she was already gone.
Usagi walked home alone that day. Naru had one more date with Umino and as Usagi began to walk alone she realized that once again she was starting to feel sad. She grasped the brooch tightly trying to recapture the happiness of the night before, but just like The Crown, Fountain, and The Shrine, it had lost its warmth. It was just not the same being all alone.
"Tsukino-san." Usagi lifted her head to see Ami and Makoto standing a few yards in front of her. The sight of them filled her with a sudden burst of happiness.
"Ami-chan! Mako-chan!" Usagi rushed forward to walk with them, and a laugh escaped her lips as her arms looped through theirs, to the surprise of the girls.
"Tsukino-" Usagi tilted her head towards Ami as she spoke, but she stopped as the blond girl smiled at her. There was something about all three of them together that was making Ami feel strange.
The walked along as Usagi talked excitedly. The other two girls didn't really get a word in, but the sight and sound of Usagi laughing was enough for them. Something strange was going on inside both of them and even if they could have talked, they wouldn't have had any words to describe it.
They walked by the Hikawa shrine and at once Usagi felt the warm glow begin to fill her once more. The ghosts of the past were changing, once again they were happy feelings. What had changed?
"How is the cat?" Usagi stopped walking to see the Shrine Maiden standing on the staircase.
"Rei-chan!" The Maiden stood up straight, and Usagi thought that perhaps she had offended her with such a familiar tone. Yet then again, Usagi didn't care. Her name was Rei-chan from now on. "Luna is wonderful! Arigato!" Usagi found herself laughing once more.
The three girls around her were making Usagi's heart soar! She just felt so happy!
Rei's hard demeanor fell away and she smiled. "Good." She said. "You should come by with her sometime so I can make it up to you and her." She stood shocked at what she had just said. Rei was not one to hang out with others, so why had she just suggested that? She told herself that it was just to keep an eye out for this suspicious girl, but her heart knew it wasn't the truth.
A change began to overshadow the three girls around Usagi. Her laughter did something to them that they had never felt before. The mere sound of it brightened up their day and all of them realized it. They saw the change happening around them.
Each had the unexplainable desire to protect Usagi, but protect her from what?
"Okay!" Usagi agreed cheerfully to Rei's suggestion and they began to walk away from her. Rei didn't really want her to go though. Rei watched the group leave and she felt sad that she had not invited them up to the shrine. There was just something about them that was comforting, even with their strange auras.
Jed walked towards Kimi's "office". She didn't really pry into the company's business matters, but when it came to who they employed, she had the final say. He had to admit that she was good at it, but sometimes he wished that he had walked away from her offer. That he had followed his gut and turned her down.
From her office emerged her fiancé, Chiba Mamoru. Upon walking by each other, each offered a slight nod of greeting.
"Mamoru."
"Jed."
There was no formalities between them, but there was also no real friendship, despite Jed's secret yearning.
They had never really talked, Kimi made sure of it. Jed and the other executives rarely got to see the young man who might one day become their boss. Instead, he was always rushed away from them and hidden in the shadows of the mansion.
Jed didn't understand Mamoru's attraction towards Kimi, but he feared that it might be like his own. He feared that Mamoru was stuck in an never ending cycle of control. Always wanting to leave but finding that he couldn't. It was like Kimi owned Mamoru, just like she seemed to own Jed. Just like Kimi owned the others.
If this was true than Mamoru had it worse than all of the rest. Jed and the other executives were only working for her, but Mamoru was going to marry her. Jed wished he could help him, but he had his own problems to work out for the moment.
Especially since Kimi had called him in alone.
Kimi sat at the desk with the day's newspaper in front of her. Each day she poured over it for clues but none were forthcoming. The only thing of interest to her was the growing reports of this Tuxedo Kamen and the return of Sailor V. Both seemed to be searching for the Silver Crystal and she knew all about that.
The day after the ball Kimi had sent out her multitude of Youmas in order to find it but had been having no luck. It was imperative that she find it before they did. She had to find it to ensure that everything went as she wished. She knew who had the Silver Crystal, that pathetic Moon Princess.
Kimi smiled. If she found the Silver Crystal's carrier than she would find the Princess, and then... oh how she loved to think about it... If Kimi found The Princess then Kimi could kill her with her own two hands. Endymion would never know it and they could then live in peace without having to worry about The Princess coming in between them ever again.
Anger flared in Kimi's heart and she slammed her fist against the desk. Yet her minions were getting nowhere! They had been searching and searching but it was nowhere to be found. They were pitiful. Kimi looked to the door waiting for the answer to that solution to walk through it.
It had become time to call out the big guns.
"You called, Yoruno-sama?" Jed's blue eyes were dark and looked a bit annoyed at being called in, but Kimi offered him her brightest smile.
"Yes, Jed, I did." The man stood before her and bowed slightly.
"What can I do for my boss' heir?" He asked and Kimi laughed as she shook her head. These pathetic slaves knew nothing of the power she wielded or about how little she cared for her family's company. This company was only a front for her. One day, she would rule the world with Endymion as her King.
"Oh poor Jed," She said with a small laugh. He rose and looked at her with could eyes.
"May I ask what you think is funny?" He said crossing his arms. Kimi stood up.
"Do you really think you coming to Japan was an accident?" She asked. "Do you really think that I called you to this company because I thought you had talent?" The look on his face revealed he did not know where she was going with this.
"Then why?" He asked in a voice with little emotion. He would not please her by revealing his confusion. Kimi stepped closer to him and placed her hand over his heart. He flinched but did not back away.
"Oh you had no other choice." Kimi explained. "You are my slave. You are bound to me for eternity." Her red-brown eyes met his and he tried to take a step back. "You must serve me." She said as her hand began to glow. Jed pushed himself urgently away from her.
"What are you doing?!" Kimi's smile widened as she moved her hand towards her face as she observed it.
"Such power," She said, seemingly talking to herself. "Enough power to control the Solar System, enough to control the galaxy." Something flashed in her eyes. "But I only want Endymion-sama. I only want the Earth!" Jed had almost back away completely towards the door. Kimi's eyes began to glow with power as she stared at him. "Yet for that to happen she has to be out of the way!"
Jed had just put his hand on the door when she extended her arm out towards him. The power began to fill him and he let out a shout of pain. His forehead was burning!
"Wake up, Jedeite! My fiery Shitennou!" His forehead felt like it was on fire as a green stone revealed itself. The pain was almost too much to bare. Such memories were filling him: hatred, destruction, but then again... the desire to protect.
His Prince.
Mamoru.
He could remember him now, Endymion! Jed fell to his knees before Kimi as the memories overcame him.
"Rise, Jedeite." Jedeite looked up at the woman before him. He remembered.
"Queen Beryl." He could remember her now, why he hated her. She was the one who owned his soul, even in death. She was the one he could not break free of.
Jedeite bowed before her with his head held low.
"Queen Beryl-sama." Above him her face twisted with delight.
"Go Jedeite, my lowly Shitennou. Find the Moon Princess and bring her here to me." Jedeite looked up at her. He despised her but she could not refuse her. His mouth moved without his command.
"Yes, My Queen."
But where the hell was he going to look?!
Notes:
I know it is Jadeite, but for the sake of the story he is going to spell it Jedeite (I think the English Dub did this anyways). I did this so I could keep the name Jed and support the idea that he is a foreigner. In SM he is referred to as being in control of the "Far East" but considering that the story takes place in Japan I always thought of him being an American, and so... he is.
Another Note: Why aren't Usagi's parents woken up by this?!