New Beginnings
Usagi, unaware of the events taking place in Japan, stayed awake during her flight. Below was an endless vision of blue, eventually meeting with a chain of mountains that seemed to continue forever like the ocean. Artemis noted the weariness in her eyes, but she refused to close them or sleep. Over and over again, she asked herself if Mamoru or the girls cared for her at all, if they would even understand the pain and sacrifices she had made for them.
After twelve long hours, the plane finally landed, two tired passengers descending the ramp. "Usagi, why are we in another country? Please, won't you tell me what happened? I know you don't have to, but at least help me to understand."
"I didn't ask you to come, Artemis. Either quit complaining or find a way home." Hurt, but still unable to rationalize with her, Artemis had no choice but to continue on until she finally opened up. This was nothing like the cheerful girl they all knew. She wasn't crying or complaining, she simply moved on pure instinct. He feared for her, Usagi knowing so little English, not even enough to really get her by.
Usagi first made her way to exchange her money to American currency. Second, she purchased bus tickets, not really caring where it took her, so long as it was as far from her past and Sailor Senshi as possible. The further she was, the harder it would be for them to track the Silver Crystal, something she'd refuse to call upon unless absolutely necessary. Artemis had no idea what had happened between her and the girls, and he'd not lightly forgive them for it either.
As they rode the bus, the land was a constant change around them, the United States so big that even one state was as big as Japan. One state after another they passed through, from California, into Arizona, the land looking so hostile and empty of life. All Artemis could see was sand, cactus plants, and the occasional rock. It reflected the sorrow in Usagi's heart, and the desire to have the Senshi say that everything was okay.
It doesn't matter anymore. The girls made it very clear that I'm not needed or wanted any longer. The bus came to stop at a remote location, the last couple of passengers stepping off. Artemis normally wouldn't have minded a vacation, but here there was no one to greet them, or to carry them to a safe place to sleep. Carrying only a single bag, she lifted it and Artemis and began to walk, uncaring of the brutal sun beating down upon them. He had no idea what had drove her to such drastic circumstances, but if she didn't stop or find a place to stay, they would both die, and he'd never leave her to do this on her own.
Moving at night, and sleeping during the day, Usagi continued walking. She was hungry, exhausted, and at her mental limits when they saw a house in the distance. Did she risk knocking on their door, her face and clothes covered in dirt? Looking at her feline companion, she realized that she didn't have much of a choice. As angry and hurt as she was, she couldn't let him die. Lifting him in her arms, she walked the remaining mile, her face flushed from the unbearable heat. Was this what it felt like to have heat exhaustion?
At last they stepped onto the old wooden porch, a weak hand knocking on the door before she sank down and rested her head against a single pillar. No one answered, and it was entirely possible no one was home. For the first time since their journey, she slipped into darkness, no longer afraid if she might live or die. She was away from their cruel words, from the battles that plagued her every waking moment. In the darkness, she was at peace. Tired, blue eyes opened, Artemis too weak to cry out for help. He only hoped someone might return soon.
It was almost nightfall, an old truck making its way down a dirt path. Too most, the land they lived upon was isolated and hostile, but they had made it work. They raised cattle and horses, trained them, and sent them to the auction. It wasn't always the easiest way to make money, but it was the only life they knew and loved. Upon returning home, hoping for a hot bath, the last thing the couple expected to find was an unconscious teenager on their door step, a white cat in her limp arms. "Bob..."
"I know... call the doctor." Jumping from the truck, he bent over to feel for a pulse. It was feint, but present, the feline opening his eyes enough to meow before falling back into an unconscious state. It was a wonder that either of them had survived, the rancher finding no car tracks to indicate they had driven. Had their car broken down somewhere? There was only one other direction the car could have been, and that was on the other side of their ranch. He'd concern himself with that later, gently lifting and carrying the girl out of the hot winds. The sweat had long dried from her skin, the girl shaking as she slipped into a hypothermic state. Her body temperatures were erratic, so close to a heat stroke that he quickly grabbed blankets and soaked them in ice before throwing them on top of her.
Briefly, she woke and screamed, falling back unconscious immediately. The cat, he took a damp cloth and dabbed his tongue, knowing better than to force water down his throat. It would be like this for several days, both on the verge of death. As the doctor and police came and went, none of them finding a car or hearing of a missing child's report, they left with a promise that he'd call if he found out anything.
The cat recovered first after a couple of days, but the girl showed no signs of waking, despite the fever being gone.
She drifted in and out of consciousness, no longer certain of the real world or dream. Unknown to her, was Artemis never leaving her side, waiting to see her blue eyes again. The days blended together, and one day, she simply woke up, Usagi sadly smiling down at him. Climbing into her arms, he felt her lift and nuzzle his fur with her cheeks, hot tears falling. "Usagi... Please, will you tell me... I'm not leaving you, regardless of how hard you try to convince me to do otherwise. What did they say to you?"
"How'd you know?"
"With the way they were acting and your current state of mind, I added two and two together."
Usgai told him what had occurred between herself and the girls, Mamoru and then Luna when she got home. Expecting him to yell at her, she was totally shocked when he started pacing back forth, anger quivering his tiny little whiskers. "I can't believe Luna! Of all the people, she should have been the one making you feel better, not lecturing you. She's always placed too much pressure on you, forgetting that you're only a kid. Usagi, I think you should stand up for yourself, but not until you're ready. The girls don't hate you, of that, I'm positive. However, that doesn't excuse the way they've treated you over the past couple of years."
"They were born and trained as fighters; Sailor Moon didn't even exist, except in legends, until we gave you the power to do so. Becoming a queen and the savior of the world doesn't happen overnight. It takes time, patience and a lot of love. Promise me one thing; that you'll return and prove them wrong. If then, they still can't accept you, and then I'll step in and interfere."
"You're not mad at me?" she whispered.
"You didn't do anything wrong, so why should I be? Now quit worrying and let's focus on your next plan of action. You've been sick for two weeks and the ranchers that found us are really worried about you. How do you feel?"
"I'm better, but I don't have any idea who I am or what my purpose is any longer."
The air was hot, but at least they weren't walking and Usagi sat on a bench that faced the setting sun. Soon she heard a pair of foot steps behind her and she looked to see who it was. "I was wondering where you had wandered child. How do you feel?"
"Tired..." Usagi was having a hard time understanding what the woman said and it showed in her expression and eyes. Linda took pity on the child and smiled.
To Usagi's surprise and delight, Linda began speaking to her in her native tongue, causing even Artemis to glance up surprised. "It's okay, I'll help you learn our language. What is your name?"
"Usagi."
Linda didn't know why, but a voice entered her head, telling her to call her something different. "Usagi, my name is Linda, and my husband Bob, will be home later. How about I call you Serena? It's much easier to spell and pronounce.
Usagi found herself warming to the woman and she needed the kindness. It helped ease the ache in her heart. "Thank you. Do you know where I can find a job and a place to stay while I'm here? I have nowhere to go and I need to make sure that I don't starve."
"You can stay here. If you want to work, then you can help my husband on the ranch or with me in the kitchen. But, you can do that after school every day. What grade are you in?"
"I don't know," Usagi sadly admitted. As a result of her battles, she had fallen so far behind, that she just didn't see how she could possible catch up.
"Well; we'll start at the beginning, and if you study hard and over the summers, you can catch up and graduate in a couple of years."
"Why are you helping me?" Usagi asked, her eyes filled with tears.
Linda felt pity for the child, the girl obviously lacking in love and affection. She couldn't be more than sixteen or seventeen, but she had no self-worth or confidence. "Serena, where are your parents?" Tears that wouldn't fall, shimmered in her blue gaze. How was a girl so young filled with so much sadness, as if she carried the entire world on her slender shoulders? "It's okay. One day at a time and we'll worry over the rest later." Perhaps the girl's parents had died, and she wasn't able to talk about it.
Usagi was exhausted and decided to go to bed early. It took her about a month to regain her strength, but she helped with the chores around the house and the ranch, picking up as much English as she could before she started school in the spring. The seasons rarely changed and Usagi was surprised that it didn't snow in Arizona. Her heart longed for the wintery country of Japan and the smiles of her brother and parents. Did they miss her as much as she missed them? She never talked about them or the girls and Artemis was kind enough not to bring the subject up.
School finally began a week after the Christmas holidays and Usagi discovered that the Ranchers had practically adopted her. With her never mentioning her family back in Japan, they just assumed she had no one else, and she never bothered to correct them. From the moment she had awakened in their home, they had showed nothing except love and kindness, and she gladly gave it back. Rather than lecture or ground her for mistakes, they gently encouraged and showed her the correct way.
Students in America were more informal than those in Japan. It wasn't that she didn't like America, but she missed the simple things like ice cream shops, the arcade... She used to like laughing, had her own hopes and dreams; when had all of that faded away? For the first few weeks, Linda and Bob helped with her English and understanding her homework, but having nothing other than these kind people and chores, all she had was time to study and learn the things she had never been able.
At first, it had been hard to catch up, but after awhile, all the math, science, and reading began to make sense and she pulled ahead of her class mates. All she had ever needed was to believe in her, but because she had fallen behind and kept receiving bad grades, she just thought she couldn't handle high school or college level work. What could she do if she truly applied herself? If Bob and Linda weren't helping her with her homework, Artemis took their place, surprisingly intelligent.
Artemis, over the past several months, came to the same conclusion. Usagi was as smart, if not smarter than Ami, but she had never found the motivation to excel. "Usagi... why have you never tried before? You could have easily made straight A's in school, and yet..."
"What was the point if we were going to die? It's not that I didn't care... I chose to save something more important; perhaps that choice was the wrong one and I really don't know anymore. My parent's always yelled at my marks, whether or not it was 99 or 0. I just stopped caring, knowing that if I did anything less than perfect, it wasn't enough."
"Your parents loved you, Usagi."
"I know, and perhaps the girls did as well. All I want, Artemis, is to be loved and accepted regardless of how I excel or fail. I just want to hear good job, and try harder next time." Usagi stood and walked to the window, staring up at the moon. "One day, I'll prove to everyone that I can make it without their help. Perhaps I'll be 19 or 20 when I finish school; maybe I'll finish sooner if I keep up my studies throughout the summer months. It's too soon to say. Here, I'm Serena, where no one knows my failures or my bad grades. I can start over, and discover who I am and what I need to do."
"Is the future set in stone, or an obligation because of the past? I need to know if my love for Prince Endymion was real, or if I'm obsessing over a past that has nothing to do with love, but something we all went through and as a result are holding on because we're afraid to move on with our lives."
"If you do well in your classes, the teachers have said that you'll graduate in two years."
"It's more than that. I'm already excelling in every class, and I've been allowed to take college courses in the place of my normal ones. So, essentially, I'll be able to attend a full University upon my graduation. Artemis?"
"Yes."
"Why have you decided to stay?"
"Who else would help with your homework and martial arts training?"
Her eyes widened, shocked that he knew of her secret training. After school, unlike in the past, she'd stop by studios and watch other kids train, memorizing the forms and techniques so she could practice them on her own. She didn't have money to take lessons with everyone else, nor did it matter. Most individuals took martial arts because it was cool or to exercise, but she knew it was the difference between life and death.
The first year and summer came and passed, Usagi already two years ahead of schedule. This meant that she had probably caught up to the other Sailor Senshi in their third year, but none of that mattered. If another enemy attacked, she didn't want to have to worry about falling behind again. Once, a long time ago, she had wanted boyfriends, flowers, and candy. Now it all seemed false to her, as if she was in search of something she had no name for. What was love? She thought she had known it once, but everything that had happened was a result of a future that she shouldn't have ever seen, but chosen on her own.
If Prince Endymion wasn't her path, then what was it? Did she have someone, or was she destined to walk a solitary path? Was that the true destiny of a fighter like her? Unlike the old Usagi, surrounded with friends, she only had the old couple and Artemis, to afraid of the past to let anyone get close to her anymore. If she was alone, no one else had to die; didn't it?"
School, training, work... it all ran together, becoming her sole purpose in life. Artemis hated how isolated she had become, her eyes so empty, as if a piece of her had died on that plane. Was it possible to break down those barriers she had created? He didn't have the answers, but it would take someone very patient and stubborn. Bob loved having her around, the chores becoming so much easier, and the sales going up as she talked to other ranchers and told them about the qualities of each cow and horse.
It was more than that though. Artemis and Serena never parted, doing every together, to include riding horses. He thought he had seen it all when one day he looked up to them on the back of a horse, the white cat with the reins in his hands. When they were planting seeds, Artemis would be digging the holes for her to drop them in. It was during these moments that they saw her barriers drop, a rare smile on her beautiful features.
Artemis saw more than a mental change take place in her, but a physical one as well, where her bangs grew out, and her hair reached her ankles. Her Odangos vanished, replaced usually with a long pony tail, or a braid, her skin tanned from working out. Her grace had improved, seldom tripping over anything and if she did, she caught herself before she hit her face. A close bond had formed between the two companions that Usagi and Luna never had, nor did Artemis have one this close to Minako. They talked about many things that bothered them and felt like they could tell each other anything. Minako would never listen to Artemis and only talked about boys or idle gossip, while Luna would ridicule him for everything. It seemed that both souls had the same problem and they had reached out to each other.
Second year of high school came and Usagi found herself on the top of the class and an honor student. Her English was proficient and one could hardly tell that she was from another country as she spoke. A lot of the boys had made it a contest to see who could get her to go out with them and every time she would leave them in her dust. Now instead of a snob, she was frigid, cold and unable to feel or love. If any of them became more aggressive than the other boys, Usagi would quickly convince them that messing with her could be very, very painful.
Linda found Usagi practicing some of her stretches and forms from her martial arts class one day and watched her for over an hour. The woman was beautiful, but too isolated. "Serena?"
"Yes?" Linda wasn't her mom, but she might as well have been, that's how close they were.
"How old are you now?"
"Seventeen."
"When was you're birthday?"
"June sixth."
Linda gasped as she realized it was October and none of them had known. "Why didn't you tell us? We could have given you something?"
She smiled at Linda and stopped what she was doing. "I have all that I want. A roof over my head and loving parents who adopted me. You're giving me an education and food and have allowed me to keep my cat. What more can I ask for? I think that would be rude and selfish of me to do so."
Tears came to her eyes at her simple words and ran to envelope the girl in a big hug. "Oh Serena. We would love to do anything that you ask. You're such a sweet girl and I can't believe you only spend time with us. A girl with your looks and kind attitude should have lots of friends and a boyfriend."
With a giggle, Usagi lightly pushed on Linda's stomach and hugged her back. "I thought parents were supposed to discourage their children from dating and here you are suggesting it. When the time is right, I will find someone. But I don't want a guy dating me because destiny makes him, or because they have a bet going on in school to see who'll be the first to score on me."
"You're such a bright one. Many girls your age don't have half the wisdom you do, but a part of me wonders if you're not bitter about something in the past. You never talk about where you came from or who you knew. I'm not going to make you and figure you have a good reason, but I wanted to let you know that you don't have to face the past alone. Bob and I have an ear open if you need us to listen."
Usagi felt a tear make its way past the shell she had formed, but didn't let another fall. "I know, but the past is a distant memory and not important. If we let the past rule our lives, then we would constantly be looking backwards instead of forward. You and I both know that the only successful people in the world are those that keep their eyes and feet on the ground."
She has such a bitter conclusion for one so young. What made her so cold to everything and eveyrone? "What about the home coming dance? Are you going to go to that?"
"I don't have any reason to and besides, I promised dad that I would help him break his new batch of horses that week. A promise is a promise and he doesn't have a whole lot of help."
"You're a blessing child. You never know how much we've wanted a child, but the good lord wouldn't provide us with one for some reason. Now I know why. He was sending you so that we would have the help when we needed it. He's getting to old to be doing this work by himself and in a couple of years he can hire another hand to help him, instead of yourself. I'm so worried about you getting hurt out there."
"I'm okay. The work is good for me and it helps me to hit harder in my martial arts classes."
"How did you learn all of that?"
"I watched, and then practiced everything I saw. It was like my homework, but with time and patience, I excelled at everything the masters showed their students."
"I don't see how you can do so many things at once and stay sane, but I'm proud of you for your constant effort in trying."
The night was cool and showing the first signs of winter, but still there was going to be no snow that year. It made the longing for Japan that much stronger, but Usagi was determined to finish school in America at the top of her class and with the highest honors in the state. She had heard rumors from the teachers that they had entered her in the contests throughout the country for the top student in the nation award. Usagi didn't think she was that good, and only kept trying and improving.
Over the past two years since coming, she had found that reading in the library wasn't as bad as she had first thought. During lunch she would go there, away from the other students, their taunts and badgering. The more she read about history, the sadder and bitterer she became. Needless bloodshed and war had always been in history and she was wondering if there would ever be a time without it. One part of history had her intrigued.
There were parts in the books about certain fighters that saved the earth countless times from evil, but none knew their names. They were simply called the Z senshi, defenders of Earth from thousands of years ago. One in particular caught her eye, and she couldn't believe that one as handsome as this one, could exist in the past, or be as powerfully built. His hair stuck out in every direction and there was mention of him winning a tournament that use to be held in Japan every five years before they became a city and modernized. His name was Goku and that was the only real mention of him. There was no mention of what race he was from, where he lived, or how he trained. 'How can history not know that much about him?' thought Usagi. His smile, as the ring master held up his hand during his victory, drew Usagi in like a moth to the flame. She somehow felt that he knew what it was like to be compassionate and a fighter at the same time. 'He's so innocent.'
What bothered her most was, she was becoming obsessed with a man in the past and she couldn't shake the feeling no matter how hard she tried. Artemis noticed her getting quieter and if he asked she would snap at him in irritation. He had learned when she got that far off look in her eyes, not to bother her and go find a quiet place to sleep in.
'What is wrong with me?' Usagi cursed at herself. 'I act like a love struck idiot, but at least a fantasy guy can't hurt me.' She would often have blurred dreams about a man that was very demanding, but gentle at the same time. He was nothing like Mamoru in the fact he accepted her for who she was, and not what she wasn't. Then she saw other people around him as well. Seven to be exact. Never did she once figure out that her mother, Queen Selinity, was sending her these images in her sleep.
When her third year of high school came, she had done a lot of extra summer classes, extra classes after school in a program called duel enrollment. It allowed a student to go to college and receive credit not only for the college classes she took, but also gave her high school credit too. She was going to have her first year of college out of the way before she even began and would be out of high school at eighteen-years-old.
She didn't know what else to take, so she took a lot of extracurricular activities in high school, while she took all the advance classes in college. Chemistry, Calculus II, English Literature, and other classes that went far and beyond what she needed to graduate. She was also now learning Karate after receiving a black belt in both Taekawndo and KungFu, and was rapidly moving up the ranks in her third class. Not many could rival her strength, nor did they want to. Most people in school had taken the hint that the strange girl didn't want to be with anyone and left her alone.
A lot of the school kids were excited about the senior prom, but she remained un-interested and decided to take a series of exams that would choose some of the most advance colleges for her in the world. She had decided to be a computer engineer for medical research and knew of only two schools that would be acceptable. Her home college in Japan, or some college in New York.
Usagi noticed that Artemis would look at the stars for long periods of time, longing for something he wouldn't ask for. She knew what it was and that she would give him what he wanted after school was out. She was surprised he had stayed with her this long, but didn't want to make the hurt worse. She missed her family too and knew that she shouldn't have left them the way she did. This problem with her and the senshi was not their fault and that she needed to go and let them know she was still alive.
*End Flash Back*
"Artemis?"
Artemis looked at his friend and quickly forgot why he was so lonely. "What is it Usagi?"
"We're going home in a couple of weeks. I just received word that I got accepted in the University of Japan. I'm also the highest ranked student in the nation and that I will be getting school paid for the entire time I'm there."
Artemis jumped onto her shoulders and purred into her ears. "I'm so proud of you Usagi. You've come a long way since arriving here and the Senshi were so wrong about you. I knew you had it in you and I've never doubted you for a second."
The last two weeks came too soon and she had to say good-bye to her American family. She promised to come and visit them regularly and also hired someone that would help her father out on the farm. She never told them about this arrangement and made sure it was private between her and the person she hired. She had save all her money over the last three years and could more than afford to do this.
They found a closer plane than California to return home and couldn't believe that they would be back in Japan soon. "You know what Artemis? I miss the winters and the cherry blossom festivals every year. I wonder how much everything's changed since I've been away or if anyone even cares that I left?"
"Don't worry Usagi. I'm still by your side no matter what. If the senshi don't want to accept you, then I'll turn my back on them." Usagi smiled her thanks and knew the sacrifice he was making for her.
"Wow, I can't believe we've been gone for three years and I'll be turning nineteen in another month. I can spend it with my mother, father, and brother if they want me around. If not, I guess I can always study. It's too bad I have to have roommates; I much rather be alone."
"Well, from the brochure I read, you can always request a single room after the first year. But, why don't you try and make friends Usagi. You can't keep this isolation going forever. It's not the way you're supposed to be. I miss the happy and carefree girl. I mean, I like the improvements, but the attitude could have stayed away."
"Oh Artemis. I can't do that anymore. The girls were right. I'm much better off this way."
The plane landed and once again, Usagi made a trip in a taxi and stopped in front of her house; afraid to walk up to it. A young man, who had seen the taxi drive up, walked up to investigate only to freeze in his tracks dropping all his high school books on the ground. Usagi had turned to look at who it was and nearly cried. Shingo was standing in front of her and he was so tall now that he easily towered over her. Tears were forming in his eyes as he looked at her, but he was unable to move from his spot. "Usagi..." he choked.
Tears entered her eyes as she realized that her family did miss her while she was gone and she trembled as Shingo broke from his stance and hugged Usagi with all his might. Her hands wrapped around his body and she hugged him back in return, both sobbing in joy and pain from being separated. "Oh Shingo. I'm so sorry. If I had known you guys cared, I wouldn't have left."
"You idiot. Of course we cared, and I could never tell you how much I wanted to say I was sorry."
Usagi gasped. Shingo thought this was all his fault and realized the senshi must not have told them the real reason why she had left. The anger continued to grow and she vowed to make them realize their mistake. At least they could have found the courage to tell her parents the truth. "Let's go inside. I want to see mother and father really bad. I'll promise to tell you everything that I can about where I went and what happened."
"Can you tell us why you left?"
"I'll tell you what I can dear, but no more than that all right." Artemis was on her shoulder looking at Shingo and he blinked in surprise.
"Isn't that Minako's cat? I have to admit, I haven't seen Luna since you left. I think she's staying with her now."
Pain was in Usagi's chest as she realized that maybe the Senshi didn't need her, but quickly buried it telling her self so what. She didn't need them or anyone else. Her family and school was all the mattered. Artemis felt her stiffen and cringed at how much further she had changed over the years.