...
Carry on,
You will always remember
Carry on,
Nothing equals the splendor
Now your life's no longer empty
Surely heaven waits for you!
Carry on my wayward son,
There'll be peace when you are done
Lay your weary head to rest
Don't you cry,
Don't you cry no more,
No more!
"Wake up, Usagi!"
Usagi's eyes opened with a jolt, and her breathing remained rapid for a moment as her mind tried to remember where she was. Her head turned to the left and her surprised mind still found it difficult to make out or remember anything.
"Mamo-chan?" She asked in almost a surprised voice. His eyes opened and he smiled at her before moving closer to her and wrapped his arms around her. Usagi's eyes closed partway as his warmth washed over her, and she began to wonder what had caused her to jolt awake in the first place. Her warm breath grazed across his bare chest and his warmth calmed her every nerve.
"What?" He inquired in a soft whisper against her ear. "Usako..." Her forehead rested gently on his chest, and her eyes closed all of the way.
"Just a dream." She whispered back, but then a new pain stabbed at her heart and she lifted her head, and tears glistened in her eyes as she looked at his face.
"What? What's wrong?" He demanded holding her closer. "What did you dream?" A bright smile lit up her face and she beamed up at him.
"Something wonderful..." She said in a dream-like tone, and his muscles relaxed a bit, and he smiled as well.
"What?" Her smile faded a bit, and her eyes sadden as she gazed vacantly at his chest.
"I don't remember." She admitted finally. "Only... I was sad for a very, very, long time..." His eyebrows furrowed.
"Sad? You said it was wonderful!" He argued, and she looked back up at him with her eyes shimmering with tears, but also dancing with happiness.
"It was wonderful." She agreed, and Mamoru smiled as he shook his head.
"And how could that be?" He asked. Usagi was beaming and she touched both sides of his face as she shifted her body and kissed him.
"Because..." She said shortly, and then rested her head on his chest and he pressed his chin at the top of her head as he held her. Her eyes closed again and the dream vaguelly formed in her memory, but she could not make it out entirely. "Then the nightmare was over, and we were all together again..." He kissed the top of her head as she continued to speak softly, and happily as if she were still somewhat within the dream. "Everyone I love... all of us together... We could make a new future for ourselves..." She paused and her face changed in displeasure. "But then..."
"What?" He asked. She looked back up at him with her eyes shimmering meekly and a soft blush burned on her cheeks.
"Mama was calling my name." Mamoru frowned.
"What?" He asked shortly in surprise. Usagi smiled and tilted her head to side with a small giggle.
"She was waking me up for school!" She said cheerfully, and Mamoru's lips pressed together in a bit of annoyance. Usagi giggled again at his expression.
"Okay..." He said in a long voice as he let the detail sit there in between them for a moment, and then he glanced over towards clock. "Speaking of school though..." Usagi shook her head and fell back onto the bed.
"I don't want to get up, Mamo-chan!" She whined playfully. "Just a few more minutes?" She begged with puppy-dog eyes. Mamoru smiled and bent down to kiss her.
"Come on, it's time to get up." He said smiling. Usagi disappeared under the covers.
"No." She refused childishly, and he lifted the covers just enough to see her blue eyes shimmering up at him.
"What if I make you a big plate of pancakes? Hmm?" He asked leaning forward. "The biggest plate you've ever seen?" Usagi rested her chin on the palm of her hand as she thought it over for a moment with a mischievous gleam in her eyes.
"Strawberry pancakes." She amended the bribe. His smile remained as he watched her quietly.
"Sure." He agreed. Usagi beamed up at him again and crawled up from under the covers.
"Deal!" She agreed happily, and she kissed him again and his arms wrapped around her as she found her head falling back, and his kiss was just a lustful as hers. "God, don't let this ever end... Don't let the nightmare ever come back..." She thought as their lips continued to touch. "Just let us live this future to the very end. Let us be at peace... forevermore." Usagi pulled away from the kiss and Mamoru lifted himself off of the bed, and began to pull on a white shirt. As he stood he grabbed hold of the pocket watch off of the side table, and placed it in his chest pocket. "Let this future be forever. Don't let it be ripped away from us..." Vague the images of the dream began to creep into the back of her mind. They had all been in a giant blank plane, together, and then... She had been back in her room, and the school day ahead of her. A dream within a dream...
"I'll start to cook, you get the girls up." Mamoru said after putting his slippers on, and then he looked at her on the bed, and stopped short at seeing Usagi's teary eyes. "What's wrong?" He asked leaning back down on the bed in order to get to her: to stop those awful tears! The ones he swore to stop.
"Do you promise?" She asked weakly, and he was next to her without another moment passing by and wrapped his arms around her protectively.
"Promise what?" He demanded. He would promise everything and anything and fight to the ends of The Earth to keep that promise if only it would stop those awful tears!
"Can we stay together?" She begged, and he pulled away from her to look her in the eyes, and he gripped the sides of her face as tears streamed down her cheeks. Mamoru's heart hurt too much at the sight of the sadness in her eyes and he kissed her again forcefully.
"I swear it." He said hugging her again, and Usagi clung to him.
"Forever?" She whispered with a cry into his ear.
"Forever." He swore before pulling away and kissing her again.
"I want to be with you forever and ever. Just the way we are now..." She said. "It doens't matter what future it is." She said resting her head on his shoulder. "I want your warmth close to me, always. That bright star... I want to always feel it." She said pressing her head against him, and she could make out the soft ticking of the watch near her ear. "I love you..."
"I'll always be by your side, and so will everyone else." He promised. "We're not going anywhere!" Her eyes closed, and a soft smile returned to her face. Slowly she was becoming stronger and stronger: filling with courage.
"They always give me the strength I need..." She thought happily in realization. "Mamo-chan and the girls..." She pulled away from him and smiled up at him, and the tears in her eyes were now happy. "We're finally together again..." She repeated happily. Mamoru's eyes widened as if he too were remembering something, and his embrace tightened around her, and Usagi found herself somewhat surprised by the emotion behind it.
"I want to hold you against me like this for eternity." He told her.
"Mamo-chan..." They pulled away, and stared into each other's eyes. "We were made to be together." Usagi said happily. "To always be one."
The Moon and The Earth.
The Pearl and The Sea.
"We'll never be separated again. I promise..." Mamoru said. "Usako..." Usagi blushes at the familiar tone; even after fourteen years of marriage. He kissed her again. "I love you, Usako..." As they kissed Usagi felt as if the weight of everything lifted off of them, and she found the weight of the past sliding off of her shoulders and onto the ground beside her. She pulled back first, and they smiled at each other, tears shining at the edge of her eyes. But they were happy now and the pain in their hearts had melted away. "Let's go get the girls up." He said, and Usagi nodded cheerfully.
"Yes." She agreed. He got off of the bed again, and Usagi watched him leave the room as she remained sitting on the bed. She got up and moved to the dresser and changed her clothes before beginning to brush her long, yellow hair and putting it up in her familiar dangos; anything else making her feel less like herself.
"Meow." Usagi's smile returned brightly and she turned excitedly.
"Good morning, Luna!"
"Meow." The cat said in return. Usagi sat down on the bed, and Luna jumped up beside her. Usagi pet her head and behind her ears as she leaned back slightly on the bed.
"You were in the dream too." Usagi said quietly. "I'm glad..." Usagi said with a soft smile. "It was the happiest moment of my life." She laughed as she spoke the end of the statement. "Listen to me." She said looking down cheerfully at Luna. "It was just a dream..." Usagi stared into the hallway and distantly. "Ne?"
"Meow..." Luna said in question, and Usagi turned with a new, mischievous smile as she poked Luna's nose.
"Nothing." She declared merrily. and then she scooped the cat up in her arms. "Come on, Luna! Its time to wake up the girls!" She giggled as she ran out of the bedroom, and down the hall. "Too bad Chibi picked up her Uncle's dislike of cats!" She commented with a skip. "Should we be evil today?" She asked. Luna's eyes simply sparkled happily.
"Meow..." She said in a disagreeing tone.
"Aww, your no fun." Usagi whined putting Luna down, and then she burst through the bedroom door. "Get up! Get up!" She cried in a sing-song voice. A teenage girl with two pink, pointed dangos already sat at her desk with a book grasped in her hands. In truth, she had probably been up for at least an hour.
"For once your up on time." Chibiusa commented licking her index finger, and turned the page. Usagi's eyes watered childishly.
"Waah! Your so mean to critice me so much!" She whined. "You were once almost exactly like me!" Chibiusa looked up from her book, supressing a small smile.
"That was before I started taking after my friend's good example." She said closing the book loudly and lifting her chin into the air proudly. "And if you didn't give me so much to critice, it wouldn't be a problem!" Usagi's fists balled and she preformed a dramatic pout. Chibiusa took off her reading glasses and placed them on top of the book. Usagi watched her for a moment, and suddenly her eyes were tearing up for real now. Chibiusa turned back towards her and halted a bit startled as she noticed Usagi's tearful stare. "What?" She asked uncertain.
"It's just..." Usagi couldn't seem to find what to say. "You're no longer our baby anymore." Usagi said looking Chibiusa over again carefully. "Your so big, grown up. A real lady." Chibiusa shook her head and lowered it slightly as she sighed.
"Typical Usagi." She sighed, but suddenly her head lifted and she rushed over and hugged her mother, and they held onto each other not wanting to let the other go for a long time. "I had such a horrible dream last night." Chibiusa said with tears in her own eyes. No matter how grown-up she tried to be, she always would be her mother's daughter. And the dream's darkness had almost sent her to her parent's room... like it had when she was younger.
"It's over now." Usagi whispered, and Chibiusa nodded.
"Mama..." Usagi's eyes opened in surprise by the tone. "I love you." Usagi pressed her close, afraid of the moment slipping by. That the next moment her teenage daughter really would be a real lady and leaving her behind.
"I love you too, Chibiusa." She whispered continuing to hug her close. Suddenly a loud snore broke through the air from the other bed at end of room, and the mother and daughter separated as they looked across the room to the almost life-less mass sprawled out over it with half of the covers on and half of the covers off; bare feet in plain view. It was just too tempting... Mother and daughter shared a glance with each other and a mischievous smile revealed itself as their all too alike minds came to the same cruel idea.
Mamoru flipped another pancake off of the skillet and onto the waiting plate beside the stove. The gooey chocolate chips gave off a sweet smell, and the strawberry syrup off to the side proved to make the breakfast much more tasty then he had originally planed. And then there were the whole strawberries off to the side as well... The sound of high-pitched laughter broke through the doorway. and he already knew it was coming from the bedroom at the end of the hall.
"Stop! Stop!" The laughing voice begged, and Mamoru smiled as he turned the stove off, and made his way down the hallway. He peeked through the open door into the girls' room, and he was happy to see Usagi completely out of whatever had struck her that morning. She and Chibiusa sat on each side of the second bed with their fingers moving relentlessly as they tickled their victim. "Stop!" The victim continued to call out with a violent fit of laughter. "Help!" She cried tilting her head back as she laughed. Chibiusa and Usagi continued despite her pleas.
"It's what you get, Chibi, for being such a lazy loafer!" Chibiusa declared loudly.
"Like mother, like daughter!" The girl squealed. The tickling stopped short.
"Hey! Are you trying to say it's my fault?" Usagi whined. "Tsukino Kousagi!" The girl continued to laugh as she tried to regain herself after being tickled so harshly.
"On the stupid mother turtle's back is the stupid child turtle..." Chibiusa mumbled a bit to the side.
"And on the stupid child turtle's back is the stupid grandchild." Kousagi added. Usagi's eyes widened as she quickly saw the tide turning against her.
"Attack!" Both young girls cried as they lunged forward and attacked their mother who let out a girlish scream as she fell back on the bed as they tickled her.
"No! No! Traitors!" She laughed trying to tickle them back, but it was no use. "Chibiusa! Kousagi!" Mamoru stepped into the room, and suddenly the girls screamed as he joined into the battle, and both Usagi and Mamoru pressed down against them. The girls were helpless as their parents took charge of the situation.
"You two forgot..." Mamoru declared. "If the stupid mother turtle falls, the child, grandchild, and greatgrand fall too." The girls laughed, but Usagi turned her head to face him.
"Waah! You had to add the stupid into there too?" Usagi asked, and Mamoru let out a gasp of shock as suddenly all three girls turned on him, and the weight of the three threw him off of the bed, and they slid off after him with a set of girlish screams. The three of them sat on top of him, but he finally lunged forward to get the upper... nope. Still caught underneath them. The three sat on and around him laughing at his plight as he found himself unable to gain the upper hand. There were just too many of them now.
"You have to get ready!" He tried, but the girls above them continued to giggle as they looked down at him, and he knew he was in serious trouble. "I'm making chocolate chip pancakes!" He cried loudly in desperation, and both Usagi's and Kousagi's eyes light up.
"Really?" They asked together.
"Only if I'm allowed up." He threatened, and both Usagi and Kousagi were off of him in anther second leaving Chibiusa alone in her attack. The girl gasped loudly as Mamoru sat forward and easily overpowered her. Chibiusa shook her head sadly as he continued to hold her in his arms; confining her movement.
"Betrayed for food..." She sighed in annoyance.
"Gomen..." Usagi and Kousagi chimed together in unison.
Luna sat in the doorway, her eyes radiant as the trio continued to bicker playfully with one another. Her eyes moved to the opposite corner nearby Chibiusa's bed and heart beat more happily as the small grey cat sat in her own personal basket looking at the scene just as happily, and then the kitten caught Luna watching her and Diana offered her mother a bright smile before turning back to the scene, and Luna forced herself to do the same.
"We're going, Suu!" Chibiusa cried as she ran forward and Hotaru followed after her happily with her school bag in tow, and Chibiusa's four schoolgirl friends followed after them; each with excessively elaborate, and colorful hairstyles. Setsuna stepped out onto the porch after them and smiled as she watched them go, and she rested her arm against the pole of the archway leading off of the patio. The dark-hair teenager waved back at her with a radiant smile before she pressed onward after her best friend, and their companions. Setsuna caught the soft sounds of their laughter as they ran towards the school.
"Meow..." Setsuna turned to her right to see Luna sitting on the steps of the porch looking up at her, and Setsuna let a small smile curl up the one side her face as she turned away from the cat and stared upwards towards the sun as it continued it's steady rise in the sky. She glanced towards the cat again in the corner of her eye and the cat seemed to be taking in her every feature.
"So..." Setsuna said finally as Luna had not spoken yet. "You finally remember..." She said, and Luna's eyes sparkled anew.
"Yes." Luna said happily. Setsuna looked away from her and her hand dropped beside her as she sat down at the top of the steps and Luna sat down closer next to her. "She did it... She really did..." Luna said happily. "I remember... We were all together again, and we thought we were returning to the Crystal Tokyo. Then..."
"You woke up here." Setsuna finished for her. "Neo Queen Serenity revived us all, and her power mixed with the paradox she had created by killing Death Phantom... It reverted everything back, and the Senshi with no memory of it."
"Except you?" Luna asked, and Setsuna nodded.
"Time does not affect me the same way it does all of you." She reminded her, and then her eyes lowered to the front gate where both Chibiusa and Hotaru had left. "And I had a child to raise." She said referring to Hotaru. "She had been reborn as a child."
"Haruka-san, Michiru-san... Do they remember? Hotaru-chan?" Luna asked, and Setsuna shook her head.
"Uranus and Neptune know our identities as Senshi, but it does not matter... We cannot transform." She said and Luna nodded slowly as she let the information sink in. "They don't remember the paradox, and..." She paused. "Hotaru only knows a few things. We decided to keep her Senshi identity a secret from her. At least for now, but we cannot hide her abilities from her. She knows we have a secret, but does not inquire about it. She trusts us to tell her what she needs." Setsuna explained. "It works this way... for us."
"But why?" Luna asked, and Setsuna looked down at her with her smile disappearing. "Why did we come here? Why didn't we return to Crystal Tokyo?!" Setsuna remained with her face darkened for a moment.
"Death Phantom's paradox... when Hotaru went into it, she really did make it permanent. Time was reset and Neo Queen Serenity only ensured that this new future was not darkened." Luna's lips parted and her head fell a bit.
"So Crystal Tokyo is gone? All of that time we spent together? It didn't happen?" She asked.
"No." Setsuna said. "It happened, and someday they may even remember it." Setsuna continued and she lifted her head upwards as she stared into the pink and blue sky. "And perhaps... she did save that future. Somewhere... it may be playing out; in some other timeline."
"Parallel... universe..." Luna said softly, and Setsuna nodded.
"Somewhere... Small Lady is returning home from the past, and I am at the Time Gate greeting her, and you are taking my place for awhile so I can go with her, and we are having a wonderful dinner together, and viewing The Earth in all it's grandeur above us." Setsuna told her. "Somewhere... this paradox didn't even happen, and the only clue that something was amiss was that Sailor Pluto had felt something turning in The Time Vortex; a link between the two universes being created. After awhile she will let it go to just a simple storm in the mists of time. Just like she feels once almost every other week." Luna had followed her gaze upward and her eyes closed as she pictured The Crystal Palace in her mind towering over the city and Neo Queen Serenity's protective power flowing over them all; the power of The Silver Millennium. A power that would still protect them if they ever needed it as The Moon Castle was rebuilt and awaiting the time when a descendant of The Moon would call upon it.
"We'll be alright here." Luna said, and beside her Setsuna nodded in agreement.
"Yes." Setsuna whispered. "We are finally living the normal life Queen Serenity always wanted for us. I'm glad... hopefully..." Luna understood what she wanted to say, but as a soldier she could not speak it out loud so Luna would. She would dare to hope it aloud.
"Hopefully the peace lasts. That our children will remain safe and have a future that they can live out happily." Luna said, and Setsuna could feel a few tears threatening at the back of her eyes.
"Yes." She agreed. "Small Lady... Chibi-usa..." She forced herself to say, and Luna smiled remembering how she had always, throughout Chibiusa's lifetime, had called her Small Lady and how the name had stuck along with Chibiusa. "Chibiusa and Hotaru will have a peaceful future. Of peace and dreams..." Luna nodded.
"Yes." She agreed opening her eyes happily. "All of our children will live in peace. Let that be our greatest wish, and let us always fight for that end."
"Usagi's late... again." Rei said stirring her coffee one more time before taking a sip. Beside her Ami shifted her glasses closer to her face and let out a sigh as Makoto sat with a sketch book as she drew the petals of a rose and held it up in front of her to look at it.
"Do you think this would actually work? Or do you think the lilies would take too much away from the roses?" She inquired turning it for both Rei and Ami to see. Minako's head appeared in between them and she squinted as she peered at the bouquet design critically. Then she stood up straight and gave her a dramatic thumbs up.
"Perfect!" She declared, and Rei nodded in agreement as Ami smiled softly.
"So the shop is doing well I take it?" Ami asked lowering her book. Makoto's face blossomed into a bright smile as she nodded enthusiastically and she held the picture close to her heart as her eyes sparkled happily.
"We've already received enough preorders to turn over a profit this month..." She said and her voice gave the declaration a dream-like quality. "Everything seems to be working wonderfully! It's all a dream come true!" She continued.
"So you're in charge of the flowers and shop, and what does your husband do exactly? I know he doesn't have the passion you do, even if he does support you whole heartedly." Rei questioned. Makoto nodded, but remained smiling.
"He is in charge of keeping the books balanced, and me from spending too much in my enthusiasm. The time he worked with Yoruno-sama and his past experience surely paid off in that respect." Makoto told them happily. "I hope by next month I can have enough money to spare to finally get him that telescope." She mused falling back into her dream-like voice. "He's done so much for me!" Minako sat down beside her and lifted her feet up onto the table, and both Rei and Ami pushed them off. She was un-phased as she sat up tall in her chair and tilted her head to the side merrily.
"Seems we both lucked out in the husband department." She declared.
"Oh, right..." Rei said as she remembered something. "How is your husband's work going? What was he? An assistant director for some show?" Minako nodded.
"A comedy." She agreed, and Rei nodded.
"Right. You said that last week and it struck me as weird. I didn't think he had a sense of humor." Rei said doubtfully.
"I guess you could say they keep him in that position to keep everything on track. You need a serious person in a group of goof-offs to keep everything and everyone, including the head director, on schedule. That's his job. The carefree access I get is just a bonus!" Minako cried happily.
"It still doesn't make sense to me why he does it even if the pay is good." Rei stated.
"He does put up with Minako-chan. An amazing feet considering their completely opposite personalities." Ami reasoned. The way Minako's husband spoiled her like a small child astounded each of them. Minako had everything she could ever want, and took complete advantage of everything he offered to her. "He also readily puts up with our husbands."
"Well, your husband is different. He seems to actually be similar to Minako's husband on some levels. The serious, well, mostly serious, doctor!" Rei countered. "How he puts up with my husband..." Her face formed an irritated mask as she sat with her eyes closed and her chin resting on her knuckles as she stirred the coffee steadily. "Why do I even put up with him?" She asked, and the others smiled knowing fully well that she loved him despite her constant declarations of annoyance.
"Speaking of Jed-san..." Makoto jumped in leaning over the table. "Is he still working at The Shrine and the school?!" She asked. Rei nodded with the same irritated look.
"Yes." Rei growled. "He will not quit even though he is better off just trying to do one. Personally I wish he would just stick to giving lessons at The Shrine and not the school. Even though..." She sighed. "He really is a miserable priest..." She complained. "No spiritual sense at all!"
"Well, he's trying." Ami said, and Rei nodded with a small smile curving at the edge corner of her lips. There really was never a dull moment at her place... "How are the calligraphy lessons going? They started last week, right?" Rei shook her head.
"Not yet." Rei said. "I need to find time to put aside for it."
"Hurry about it will you!" Minako cried leaning forward over the table wide-eyed. "Ami-chan's kid's writing is atrocious!"
"I though you said I couldn't force learning..." Ami said narrowing her eyes suspiciously, but Minako shook her head.
"That was before I saw her write something down!" Minako cried. "It's worse then Usagi's was!" Makoto's face paled.
"Seriously?" She questioned. Minako nodded. "Why can't I see that being possible?" She questioned to herself putting her fingers on her chin thoughtfully.
"Well it is!" Minako cried. Ami now wore a similar irritated expression to what Rei had.
"And unfortunately she doesn't want it to change." Ami said. "All I can get her to do is read, but I feel as if I wasn't really the one to spur her into that. All I got out of her mumbled self-motivation rant was something about being "outsmarted" by Kousagi." Rei frowned at that.
"Seems something happened last week between them." Rei said. "My girl has been a bit grumpy and aloof for the past week, and all I got out of it was that somehow, for some reason, she was avoiding Kousagi."
"Did something happen?" Makoto questioned. "A fight?"
"I didn't think they got along together in the first place." Makoto stated. "I'm always ridiculing Mako for trying to ditch the poor girl." Minako nodded slowly.
"Mina always complains about taking her places too." Minako said sadly.
"We can't force them to get along." Ami entered quietly, and Rei nodded.
"I feel as if they would be really good friends, if they just tried to be." Rei complained.
"Well... Give it enough time. They'll come together eventually!" Minako declared loudly as she pointed upwards. "No one can tell when a friendship will form!"
"It's been three years of school together, and they were never friends before that..." Rei countered again.
"It'll happen!" Minako cried. "I know it!"
"One thing you cannot force is friendship." Ami stated. "It has to come naturally." Minako sat back in her chair and placed her hands at the back of her head and placed her feet on the table, this time they made no move to stop her.
"It won't be forced. Once they finally open up to know each other, have something in common that they can't deny... It will happen. Kousagi is..." Minako bit her lip and her feet moved from the table and she placed her elbows down as she rested her neck in her two hands and a serious gaze came over her features. "A light that attracts those in need. Like her mother..." Ami and Rei sat across from her in quiet agreement for a moment as they each let the memory of their first encounters with Usagi nearly two decades before come forward. " Makoto sat next to Minako and she too leaned over the table with her head turned towards Minako as her hand rested on her ear.
"Maybe you're right." Makoto said. "Whatever happened last week... it seemed to make Mako-chan a bit quieter then usual. Perhaps... we might one day see them come together: an invincible force. Like we did." Makoto said turning to the other two. "Let's wait patiently and see, ne?" She said and Minako nodded. Rei and Ami glanced at each other then nodded in agreement; each smiling brightly.
"Mama!" The four women turned towards the chorus of calls and they each smiled brightly as their four third graders stood in a line in front of them.
"Speak of the little devils..." Minako said as she leaned back in her chair again and crossed her legs merrily.
"If only that would work for Usagi." Rei complained in a soft growl.
"We're leaving now!" Little Ami called out, and Ami Sr. removed her glasses and set them on top of her book.
"You guys take care now!" Makoto called out to them, and the girls nodded together before making their way towards the street. Makoto remained with her chin rested on her hands along with Rei as they each watched the group go.
"This life..." Minako thought to herself with her smile softening, and there was a long pause between the four "sisters-in-laws" as the breeze blew their hair to their right as they continued to wait for Usagi whom they could now see coming along with Kousagi next to her who was running ahead of her in order to catch up with the other four girls. Minako's eyes sparkled as she took everything in, but she wasn't quite sure why she was happy by it all; the ordinary, carefree lives they were living. "I'd never wish for anything else."
"You guys!" Usagi called out to them with a wave as she jogged towards them, and a laugh reached them. The four smiled despite having been waiting for a very long time, and it was longer then they even realized... to be together. Usagi's laughter warmed each of them and they felt a sense of happiness and pride wash over them as they sat there. Minako watched Usagi sit down next to Rei enthusiastically as she immediately began to talk childishly. Finally... it was all over. Minako looked upwards towards the pale Moon that still remained visible in the blue sky as the breeze continued to keep them cool. She didn't know what was over exactly, but all that mattered was that it was over, and she was free as an unknown burden lifted off of her. She felt like she could fly threw the sky without it pressing down upon her, and she leaned back with her arms stretched out happily to the side with her own carefree laugh and her eyes closed happily as she tilted her chair back on it's hind legs.
They were together, and they were finally, completely, and entirely...
Happy...
Notes: We have one more chapter! And then its done! There WILL BE A SEQUEL... "Time Passages". So keep an eyes open for it.
And... I love Parallel Sailor Moon. Kousagi just makes me laugh! "This tongue will one day save the world!"