Author's notes:

Chapter two! If you haven't already, please make sure to check out the important notes from the Prologue. Enjoy, and leave some love!

Music rec - Elastic Heart by Sia

Chapter Two

She woke with a silent scream squeezing her throat, her ribcage arching to the ceiling and her neck thrown back in agony. Her bones contorted in excruciating pain, splaying her body stiff and long across her soft bed sheets. The stretch and tear of her muscles burned fiercely beneath her skin and her vision swam with tears and blackness. Will this never end?

"Please," she cried brokenly, wrenching her tortured body over to the edge of her bed. "Please, make it stop…"

Her room pulsed in and out before her, fading dark and reappearing in short flashes. She could see a timber doorway, the soft light from the hallway, toys strewn across the floorboards. She could see the sharp glimmer of crystal creeping down from the ceiling, freezing everything it touched. She could see the way it fought for dominance, and retracted just as fast, between every beat of her deadened vision. Where am I?

The glass of a picture frame shone on her nightstand, and she extended her weak fingers out, desperate to catch a glimpse of the photograph. Her fingertips skimmed the frame and pain shot out to every extremity, and the image went crashing to the hardwood, shattering to pieces.

"Little one," she heard, that beautiful, rough voice once again gracing her ears. "Are you okay?"

A figure flickered in the doorway, silhouetted to reveal nothing more than the tail of a long bundle of hair. Suddenly she was in a warm embrace, leaning her cheek against a steady, soft heartbeat. All of the pain disappeared, and instead her senses were filled with a citrus scent and a husky hum. The figure bundled her into their arms and fingers threaded through her fringe comfortingly. She tried desperately to open her eyes and see, but sleep beckoned her.

"Chibi Odango," the voice whispered. "It's alright, don't worry."

A tender piano tune began to play quietly, and as she melted into the hold, she could almost feel the ivory keys beneath her fingertips. Chibi…Odango…?

"Chibi Chibi!"

She blinked her tired eyes open to find the tiny girl with bright pink hair staring at her fondly in the bright light of the morning. Frowning, she shifted her sore body about beneath the blankets, where she was tucked safely, as though the horrors of her night had never happened. She pushed herself upright and glanced around—the room was still, too still. The trees outside her sparkling window didn't rustle in the wind, and when she listened, there was no sound. Time, it seemed, had frozen.

"Chibi?"

She felt a sense of dread begin to set in as the strange, hybrid reality began to grow dark, as though an eclipse was blackening the daylight. She held out her arms to the toddler, whose blue eyes looked frightened. "Come here, Chibi Chibi."

The little girl climbed into her arms willingly and she felt her shake with fear. She backed them into the headboard of her bed and pulled her closer protectively, feeling her throat constrict and eyes burn with a cry that she would not let overcome her. Will this never end?

"Rini…" Chibi Chibi said softly, and Rini felt her breath catch, looking down at the little child. She curled her tiny fist into Rini's blouse, right over her heart, nuzzling into her chest, and in that moment, she knew exactly who the young girl was.

"I will protect you," she told her, as everything went completely black. "I promise."

This place…I feel I have been here before…

He moved cautiously amongst the clouded, dark realm, through unending mist and chilling cold. This world he had come to wander held little feeling: it seemed eerily poised between peace and anarchy, ready to tip at any moment. It was lonely, distant—a dimension far from life, and yet so incredibly close.

This place…

Every time the mist parted, he expected to come upon its very edge—his salvation, perhaps, or his end. The haze, however, never cleared, and instead bounced the golden glow emanating from his horn in brilliant amber light.

"Please…"

The voice echoed so quietly that he barely heard it, but even so, he felt his body prickle with nervous energy. He would never forget that voice, and would forever follow its sound.

"Please, make it stop…"

Searing pain began to spread once again from the red stone on his forehead, bringing him to his knees. He clutched the gem as it unleashed its power through the darkness, and felt hot blood trickle down the bridge of his nose and between his fingers. I have never bled…

"Helios…"

Light flickered ahead, and he weakly looked up, squinting at what he could see before him. The cloud parted and through the mist tall, marble doors appeared, and he suddenly felt himself launching from the ground as he broke into a sprint. "Rini, I'm coming."

Setsuna cupped her long fingers around the hot mug of coffee and tilted her head worriedly at her companion. "What are you going to tell her?"

Across the small table, Mamoru sighed and sat back in his chair, his own drink long forgotten. "I don't know," he said, looking tired in the light of the day. "I've barely had time to process it myself, but the semester starts so soon and I don't have the luxury of time to think over my decision…"

She looked away from the Earth guardian and bit her lip, thinking about the luxuries time, simply, could not bring. "I'm sorry," he said, and she could feel his kind eyes watching her. "That was insensitive."

"No, it wasn't," she said honestly, watching children play happily in the park across from the café. She straightened up and refocused, determined to be upfront with the man who had grown to become one of her closest friends. "I don't think that you have much of a choice, Mamoru."

"I know," he said quietly, and she could sense the frustration radiating from where he sat. She knew there was an unimaginable pressure weighing down upon him, and sometimes, he allowed her a glimpse of insight into his true emotions. "I'll have to make a time to call and decline the offer, I just need to—"

She shook her head. "That's not what I meant."

His eyes widened and then he proceeded to frown, confused. "You think I should go? After everything that happened before?"

"I do," she told him. "This is a part of your destiny."

"A destiny in which I am not, to your knowledge, a doctor," he replied, narrowing his eyes. "A destiny that I have to fulfil, Setsuna, you know that."

"And you will," she said weakly. She wasn't so sure, not any more. "After you pursue your dream."

"My dream…" he murmured, toying with the edge of his coffee mug absently. He often grew quiet when he was pensive, but Setsuna didn't mind. She took a long sip of her coffee, breathing in the rich scent and enjoying the sunlight that had broken past the umbrella they sat beneath. Suddenly he looked at her. "I can't leave Usagi, not again."

"That's a choice you have to make," she said, feeling tense at the prospect of discussing Mamoru's relationship with her princess. It was something he broached with her occasionally, and she got the impression that she was the only one he discussed it with. "The two of you may have your differences right now, but you were very happy in the future—"

"You don't know that now, not for sure," he interrupted, and closed his eyes briefly. He reopened them, feigning composure. "That was before…"

Setsuna slid her coffee aside and leant forward. "Mamoru, Usagi knows this is your dream—she supports you," she said, encircling her fingers around his wrist and trying to ignore the jolt that sparked upon the contact. "She will understand, and everything will be fine."

His eyes were trained on their hands, and she wondered, for a moment, whether he felt the shock, too. She quickly pulled her hand away. How could she be so sure that everything would be fine, when she had no longer had any vision into the future? When she could no longer sense Rini, or even catch a glimpse of what was supposed to be?

"I know that if I confront the senshi about this trip, they will not support me," he said certainly, looking up at her. He cocked his head. "I thought you, of all, would be the most against it, because of Rini."

The pretty young girl's song-like giggle and pink pigtails came dancing into her mind, and she pushed the thought away. "Don't worry about the others, or me," she said. "Talk to Usagi."

He stared at her for a long moment, his blue eyes boring into hers. "Alright," he said finally. "I'll talk to her."

"Ugh, it's so hot!"

Usagi trailed along behind her friends reluctantly, heat radiating off the black tarmac in thick waves as they walked along the sidelines of the racing circuit. She swept the back of her hand over her brow and sagged her shoulders, giving a loud groan. "And I'm hungry!"

"Let's just find Haruka and wish her luck, then we'll find something for you to eat," Makoto replied over her shoulder, always the first to be understanding of Usagi's insatiable hunger. "I'm sure there'll be a vendor around here somewhere!"

Rei spun on her heel, walking backward as she poked her tongue out at Usagi. "Can't handle five minutes without something in that stomach, huh Usagi?"

"Shut it, Rei," Usagi grumbled, folding her arms over her chest. "You're so mean, can't you just be nice for once—"

"Enough! The two of you argued the whole way here, can you please just get along," Minako huffed, stopping between the two of them. She looked Usagi over and frowned. "Usa, you're really red—did you put sunblock on?"

The group had now stopped to look at her flushed complexion, and she felt even more heat rising to her cheeks. "Well—"

"I gave it to you before we left," Mamoru said, a hint of exasperation in his voice. Usagi felt tense in his presence—he had been strange since he had picked her up that morning. "Didn't you use it?"

"Well, no, but—"

Ami placed the back of her hand to Usagi's cheek, and then promptly dug around in her handbag. "You need to be more careful, Usagi, skin cancer can pose a significant threat to your health," Ami told her, handing her a tube of sunscreen. "It isn't something to take lightly, especially with your fair skin."

"Ami is right," Mamoru commented as she reluctantly began smearing the greasy substance on her angry skin. "You need to be more responsible with things like this."

She ground her teeth and said nothing, tired of the comments relating to her maturity and the constant fussing she endured from her friends. Perhaps she wasn't the most responsible, or the most intelligent, or even the most independent, but she liked who she was, as she was.

"Ruka, they're here!"

Michiru appeared from a booth ahead, a scarf wrapped around her aquamarine hair and a pair of sunglasses covering her eyes, looking sophisticated and poised as ever. She waved the group over happily. "Come on in, she's almost ready to go."

"I am ready," Usagi heard Haruka say as she stepped out alongside Michiru, clad in her skin-tight racing suit. She ran a hand through her short hair, ruffling it messily. "Thanks for coming."

Usagi rushed over to her, sunblock application long forgotten, and flung her arms around the older girl to wish her all the best in the qualifying race. Haruka was already considered a top racer nationally, and the qualifying round had the potential to land her a spot in a prestigious European circuit with international recognition. "Good luck for today, Haruka!"

Haruka returned the hug and gave her a wink as she pulled away. "Thanks, kitten."

The rest of the group moved to wish her well, and Usagi bumped shoulders playfully with Michiru. "You nervous for her?"

"Not at all—Haruka races in a league of her own, we all know that," Michiru said calmly, and lifted a delicate finger to rub in what was presumably a missed spot of sunscreen on Usagi's nose. Michiru glanced pointedly across to Mamoru, and back to Usagi. "Everything alright?"

Usagi looked across to her boyfriend, who was being given a brief tour of the latest upgrades to Haruka's extravagant vehicle. "Yeah," she said quietly. "Everything's alright."

Michiru drew an eyebrow up, unconvinced. "Haruka certainly reaps the rewards of any discontent between the two of you," she said, a smirk on her lips. "It's lucky I'm not the jealous type."

"What?" Usagi blinked at her. "No—I didn't mean to—it's not like that—"

Laughing, Michiru waved her off. "It's alright, Princess," she said lightly. "We understand completely."

Before she could comment further, the remainder of her girlfriends joined them, and Usagi was left to stare at the intuitive musician in surprise. If Michiru truly did understand, perhaps she could enlighten her, as the entire situation felt somewhat of a mystery, even to herself.

"Ready to go find our seats?" Mamoru's voice made her jump as he placed a hand around her waist. "Well, food first, of course…"

She nodded and forced a smile. "Sure."

The group gave Haruka one final round of well wishes and made their way across to the stands, finding a hotdog vendor along the way. Once they found their spot, Usagi sat happily and munched away at her lunch. "This is so delicious, you guys should have gotten something!" She extended out the cup of hot chips, offering them to her friends. "French fry?"

Minako and Makoto snuck a few each, and Ami giggled at her. "Your appetite never ceases to amaze me, Usagi, for such a small girl."

"Won't be small for much longer if you keep eating like that," Minako teased, which earned a grin out of Rei, who was seated beside her.

"Speak for yourself!" Usagi retorted, watching the aspiring celebrity dust the salt from her fingers. "I thought idols had to watch their figure…"

Minako brushed off the taunt, which was—as always—in jest. "Not as closely as future princesses!"

"Maybe it's not the amount you eat," Mamoru started tactfully from beside her, "but the way you eat it…"

Usagi slumped down into the hard seat and took the final bite of her hotdog, speaking as she chewed for effect. "What's wrong with the way I eat?"

"Oh, Usa," Rei admonished, as the other girls giggled at Usagi's cheeky behaviour. "So ladylike..."

Usagi ignored them and looked out over the track, squinting across at the starting line to see if the cars were ready to go. "How much longer until the race starts?"

Makoto looked at her watch. "Another fifteen minutes or so, I think."

Usagi nodded. It wouldn't be long and Haruka would certainly win the race—she was exceptionally talented, at almost everything she attempted, just like her girlfriend.

"Hello, everyone," she heard Setsuna say, and the tall guardian slid onto the free bench behind them, Hotaru alongside her. "We were running a little late—I'm glad we didn't miss the start of the race!"

Twisting to face the duo, Usagi smiled. "Nope, still a bit longer to go!"

"How did Haruka-papa seem before the race?" Hotaru asked, casting her eye around to try and spot her surrogate parents across the track. "I suppose she was confident, as always."

"She was pretty certain she'd win," Mamoru said, and then he smirked. "Though I won't repeat the words she used…"

Setsuna shook her head. "Nothing Hotaru hasn't heard before, I'm sure."

Usagi noticed the small, kind smiles shared between her boyfriend and the time senshi. Since discovering that Earth in its present timeline would be her permanent home, Setsuna and Mamoru had become good friends, bonding over their ventures at university, and other mature topics that bored Usagi no end, like politics, history and science. She didn't mind—the two had much in common, along with the shared interest in Usagi and Mamoru's future daughter. It seemed a strong friendship, which Usagi felt was good for Mamoru, and sometimes she wondered, very fleetingly, whether the bond was stronger than what she shared with him herself. The thought didn't seem to worry her—perhaps because of their predestined future, or their entwined past lives, or maybe even pure trust, she honestly wasn't sure. The only thought that did bother her was why she cared so little.

The group chattered away in the noisy hot stands and Usagi tuned out, feeling a headache set in. She wondered whether she had in fact gotten too much sun, until the pain moved to throb behind her eyes. She sheltered them from the bright sunlight and began to feel ill. Perhaps she was coming down with something…

Suddenly a strong gust of wind swept across the venue, sending a shudder up her spine. She felt her attention being drawn to a small family nearby—close enough to see, but well out of earshot. Something stole her focus, and she found herself staring at the mother, whose shaky hands rose to caress her head as if she were in pain as she attempted to feed the young child sitting on her partner's lap. The little girl with fiery ringlets was being difficult, jerking away each time she was offered a mouthful. Finally the mother tossed her hands up in frustration and stormed off. Usagi watched, perplexed, as the woman ignored her husband's pleas and let out a shriek, heading outside of the stalls. Over the ruckus of the crowd, her outburst wasn't heard, and while the scene could have been interpreted as an ordinary family spat, Usagi felt uneasy and felt her nausea grow worse.

"Are you alright, Usako?" Mamoru asked, his eyes worried.

"I'm fine, just a bit of a headache," Usagi said, smiling. She looked across to the exit, where the mother had rushed out, but couldn't see her. "I'm just going to go to the bathroom, I won't be long."

She weaved her way out of the stands and into the restroom block, but she was alone. Sighing, she splashed cool water onto her face and looked up into the mirror to where a dishevelled blonde looked back at her, pale beneath blotchy cheeks. The headache persisted and she squeezed her eyes closed. "Ow…"

Suddenly the young mother dashed in behind her, racing into a cubicle and retching over the toilet bowl. Usagi chewed her lip and wondered whether she should go to her aid, but stopped short when a deep cry of pain emitted from the woman. "Are you alright?" Usagi asked as she approached her. "Do I need to go for help?"

The woman said nothing, simply groaned and pounded a clenched fist against the cubicle wall aggressively. Usagi halted in her tracks—something was very wrong.

"Mama?" A little one's voice called, and the curly-haired child appeared beside Usagi. Without taking her eye off the woman, whose back began to shake violently as she wheezed, Usagi stepped protectively in front of the girl. "Mama, what's wrong?"

"Your mama's not feeling very well, that's all," she told her, feeling the crystal caged within her chest begin to warm in anticipation of danger. "You stay right there so I can look after her for you, okay?"

The little girl nodded and cowered as her mother screamed in pain, dragging herself up from the floor on weak legs. The energy surrounding the woman began to obscure her in blackness, and Usagi wrapped her fingers around her brooch. She couldn't transform here, not in front of the child, but she had to do something, and she had to do it fast.

"Usagi, are you alright? You ran off in a big hurry and I was worried—"

"Rei," Usagi said quietly, and she heard Rei's footsteps stop abruptly as she took in the scene before her. "This little one's mama isn't feeling so well—maybe you could take her to find her father?"

The woman slumped against the stainless wall as she tried to balance herself on trembling legs, and she let out another piercing cry, tossing her head back. A few blotches of deep red dripped to stain the concrete, and Usagi backed the child up further. "Now, Rei."

"Come on, let's go find your papa," Rei coaxed. "I'll be back, Usagi."

Usagi heard them leave and prepared her stance for battle. The black energy consuming the woman began to morph and bend, lashing at her body sharply and leaving behind gashes like deep knife wounds. Blood splattered the walls and the woman screamed, and with one final check, Usagi wrenched the brooch away from her chest, calling out her transformation chant.

I will help you, Usagi thought, as the white-hot energy raced from the golden crescent on her forehead to every tip of her body, engulfing her in unimaginable power and light. Wings sprung forth from her back in familiar, perfect pain, and the ribbons of her transformation kissed her skin, leaving behind her warrior's fuku. I promise.

"Reveal yourself!" She threatened, no longer able to see past the thick blackness that was devouring everything it touched. The walls began to crack and disintegrate and the corrugated iron roof blew off in a surge of the evil energy. She shielded herself from the flying debris, now exposed to the elements, and composed herself once more. "Tell me who you are!"

Darkness shrouded the clear sky above and a fierce wind kicked up dust and rubble, all signs of the glorious, sunny day long gone. Usagi gripped her tier tightly in her hand and stood strong in the face of the shadowed creature before her that was once a mother. Pale, bloody hands clawed out from beneath the growing black mass, and Usagi steeled herself as she imagined the woman, trying desperately to escape. "I demand you reveal yourself!"

The only reply was an icy screech. Usagi backed away, preparing to call out the incantation that could maybe—just maybe—free the woman from the grip of this new evil.

"Get back!"

Arms grasped her waist and tugged her away with such force that she felt winded. "Tuxedo Mask," she breathed. "I have to help her, please—"

From the corner of her eye, she saw Sailor Jupiter launch her razor-sharp attack in a blaze of green. It hit the darkness with full force and the growing shadow shrunk back. "It's working!" Jupiter cried. "We have to attack!"

Usagi wrenched herself out of Mamoru's arms at the sound of another human cry emanating from the figure. "No, wait, we have to help her—"

"She may have been that woman before, but she's not any more, Sailor Moon," Sailor Mars said fiercely, moving in to protect her. "Look around—we have to stop it!"

Usagi looked hurriedly at the grounds around her—people were doubled over in pain, clutching at their heads, crying out. Everything the energy touched, as it bled from the poor woman's body, was being drained. The little child lay motionless in her father's arms, and he was weeping. "No…"

Suddenly, the fight was no longer about the magical tools she had in her possession and the power she wielded. It was no longer about recovering innocent people from evil control, or restoring right in a moment of pure wrong.

Suddenly it was about choosing which lives had to be saved, and which lives had to be sacrificed.

She couldn't do it.

"My visor isn't giving me anything," Sailor Mercury said desperately. "It's just a mass of dark, malevolent energy—I can't determine the source!"

Lashes of gold and fiery arrows emitted from both Sailor Mars and Sailor Venus, and the spidery edges of the shadow rescinded further. It didn't seem to last, and the shadow rose to it's feet, ambling threateningly toward them. "It's not enough!" Venus cried. "We need more strength—"

"Dead, scream."

Pluto's powerful attack raced forward before Neptune, Uranus or Saturn could even utter a word. She stood, tall and powerful, in front of Usagi and Mamoru, her shattered staff clutched proudly across her body. The black mass was eliminated in a flash of purple light. "Your presence will not be tolerated in our world," her strong voice warned. "We will fight back!"

Usagi felt herself begin to shake as the darkness dissolved away and the woman's form moved haggardly toward them. The evil energy had fled, but what it had left in its wake left Usagi feeling sick.

"Sailor Moon, don't approach her—"

She yanked away from Sailor Uranus' grasp and ignored her order, moving instead toward the gasping woman who had raised her head to look at them. "Please…"

Usagi couldn't breathe. Blood dripped from the mother's hazel eyes in crimson tears and a gaping wound marred her side, which she had clutched between broken fingers as she limped forward. She fell hard to her knees and coughed bloody muck from her lungs, begging for help. Usagi dropped her tier to the dirt and knelt down in front of her, feeling hot tears run down her cheeks. "I promised I would save you," she said, her voice strangled in her throat. "And I will."

She wasn't sure where it came from, or what it was. She wasn't sure what would happen, and didn't think about any repercussions. She simply cupped the woman's cheeks between her gloved palms and felt her light flow out of her.

It was a perfect, clear day, and a mild breeze blew off the russet Kinmokian ocean onto their cliff-top battleground. Seiya wiped the sweat from her forehead and grinned at her opponent, swinging the wooden stick in circles around her body skilfully. She quirked a brow in their direction. "That the best you've got?"

The slender soldier before her dragged herself back onto her feet, puffing. "I'm trying!" She cried, flipping her purple hair away from her face. "Your antics are kind of distracting, Fighter!"

She smirked cockily. "I have that effect on women."

"Ignore her, Lira," Yaten huffed from behind her, busy with her own sparring match. "She seems to think she's God's gift to women." There was a pause, and then: "And men."

Seiya made eye contact with Lira and raised a finger to her lips, hushing her, to which Lira stifled a laugh and rolled her eyes. "My, Healer," Seiya said, twirling the stick toward her fellow guardian's unsuspecting back. "Do I detect a hint of jealousy?"

"Like hell you do," Yaten snapped, swinging her own rod over her shoulder to connect with Seiya's. The silver-haired senshi grinned. "My eyes are wide open, Seiya Kou."

"Oh, good to know," Seiya remarked, forcing their clashing weapons to the side in a swift swing. "I didn't think you could see over five-foot-three…"

"It's kind of a shame that I can, actually," Yaten quipped, gripping her Star Yell in mock-threat, "it means I have to look at your stupid face all day—"

"And what a privilege that must be—"

"Will the two of you stop? We're trying to provide exemplary training, not instil poor behaviour!" Taiki admonished, and the two warriors pouted at the interruption of their fun. She turned to the group of trainees watching intently. "What not to do: attack your fellow warriors."

Yaten huffed and rolled her eyes. "Taiki, we weren't actually going to attack each other—"

"Much," Seiya smirked.

"Oi, I will kick your sorry ass—"

"Perhaps, if you're so intent on trying to kill one another, we should use it to our advantage," Taiki cut in, and then looked at the future soldiers. "What do you say?"

The group of six young men and women—who were all highly amused by the entertaining session they were witnessing—nodded in unison. "Excellent," Taiki said with a smile. "Clear the ground, and Fighter and Healer will demonstrate how to effectively dodge harmful attacks."

Seiya narrowed her eyes at Yaten. "You're going down, pipsqueak."

"I doubt that," Yaten said, moving out across the field. "Show me what you've got, tough guy."

Seiya closed her eyes and felt the surge of power spread from the brooch between her breasts at her command. She now possessed one unusual gift that her fellow senshi did not: the ability to summon her attack without the use of her Star Yell, which had been destroyed during the battle against Chaos. It had taken time, and countless hours of training, but Princess Kakyuu was adamant that she could master the newly found skill. And she was right.

She hovered her hands in front of her chest and felt the blue light collect between them. "Star, serious, laser!"

The beam tore up the red earth in a fiery path, and Yaten dodged gracefully, a smug smile on her lips. "That the best you've got?"

Seiya growled and took a second shot, obliterating a nearby boulder and missing Yaten by the narrowest of margins. She heard Yaten laugh and reach for her Star Yell, shouting her own command. The crackle of her attack came hard and fast, and Seiya rolled out of the way, landing on her haunches. "Come on, Healer, give them some exemplary training!"

"I'll give you some exemplary training in a minute," Yaten threatened, and threw her hand into the air for another attack. "Star, sensitive—"

Seiya froze as a sharp twist to her gut came out of nowhere, stealing the breath from her lungs. Her vision blackened and she went deathly cold. Odango…

"Healer, stop!"

Suddenly Taiki was in front her, grasping her shoulders before she could collapse. "Fighter, Fighter? Seiya?"

Vaguely, she heard Yaten call out to the group, who were approaching to help the fallen guardian. "Training is dismissed!" She knelt by her side. "Seiya, what the hell happened?"

Air rushed back into her lungs and she gasped, feeling lightheaded. She shook her head, trying to produce words. "I…"

Taiki was watching her closely. "Detransform, you're too weak."

She let go of her transformation and slumped to her side, where Yaten caught her. "Seiya, what—"

But Seiya wasn't listening. She scrunched her eyes closed tightly and ground her teeth, searching desperately for that familiar light that was connected so deeply to her. For a moment—one fleeting second—it had disappeared, and she felt she might die, right along with it.

But it had reignited, stronger than ever before.

She couldn't see anything, but she could feel, and she could hear. The whitest of gold light enveloped and blinded her, warm on her flesh. It felt ethereal, to be in this place, suspended in complete peace. Where am I?

The white brightness broke open to unveil a beautiful red dawn, rosy and rusted against a disappearing indigo sky. She floated above an unfamiliar world that was lit by three beautiful suns, and couldn't help but close her eyes beneath their hot glow.

"Odango…"

Tightness constricted her chest and she gasped, panic filling her as she gripped her hands over the shining crystal emanating through her ribcage. This was not her panic—these were not her feelings. She'd felt them briefly before, never quite knowing what they were, but now suddenly they had a name.

Seiya…?

The light consumed her once more in a brilliant flash, and another voice rang through—a cheeky, singsong sound that she could never mistake. Again, her motionless body coiled inside with dread. "Mama?"

Rini.

"Please, make it stop…"

I'm coming!

What was this place? A windowed-world in between her own—a division of space and time—or merely a dream? She felt as though her heart and soul were branching out, connecting to those she loved so dearly—but was it real?

Is this real?

"Oh look, she's back among the living."

Usagi fluttered her eyes open, her vision slowly adjusting to the fluorescent lighting around her. Above her, a mess of black hair appeared, and a kind face looked down at her. The blurred man cocked his head, and Usagi reached out to trail her fingers through the long ponytail cascading over his shoulder, but her fingers never connected with the soft strands.

"Usako?"

She blinked and frowned, her hand coming to rest instead at Mamoru's collar. "Hi," she said weakly, and then the memories of the afternoon came flooding back to her. She sat up too quickly from Mamoru's lap and her head started spinning. "Is she okay? What about the little girl?"

"Everyone's fine, and they have no recollection of anything that happened," Michiru assured her. She was knelt down beside her with a wet rag in her hand. "You gave us all quite a fright, though."

"Typical of our Princess to do something brainless and dangerous," Rei said with a smirk, and offered her a drink of water. "You alright, Usagi?"

She took the glass gratefully and gulped it down, her throat parched. Slowly, she sat forward, swinging her legs over the couch she had been laid upon in Haruka's private garage. "What happened?"

"We're not sure," Minako told her from her spot on the floor. "You touched that lady and everything went white…"

"You healed her, and everyone else," Haruka's voice spoke from across the room. She folded her arms over her chest and looked at her darkly. "At the risk of your own life."

That much she remembered: taking the woman's cold cheeks between her hands and feeling the life leave her body. But now that the weakness had passed, she felt electric, different. "How…?"

"A new power, maybe?" Setsuna proposed. "We'll need to keep an eye on it, in the face of this new enemy."

Mamoru nodded, his hand rubbing Usagi's back comfortingly. The touch felt out of place: she didn't need his comfort, she was just fine. "I agree," he said. "We should meet to discuss these latest developments—but not here."

The scouts moved to leave, and Usagi looked out the open roller door to the sun that was rapidly setting over the track. Her gaze suddenly snapped back to Haruka, who was unabashedly stripping out of her racing gear to a sports bra and underwear. "Hold on—Haruka, did you race?" She frowned as the older girl ignored her, tugging on her jeans. "Haruka?"

Makoto met Usagi's eye and shook her head. "Come on, Usagi, Mamoru's going to run us all home."

"Okay," she said quietly, following her friends out the door. She gave Michiru a smile and waved. "Bye, everyone…"

A fresh evening breeze began to set in, and Usagi wrapped her arms around herself as she trailed behind the group. Setsuna and Hotaru offered to take one of the other four girls home, as Mamoru couldn't seat them all, but Usagi gripped his arm. "That's not necessary," she said. "I'm going to catch a ride with Michiru and Haruka, I'll wait for them."

"Usako—"

"Please," she said, unwilling to argue with him about her safety—not tonight. "I'll see you all tomorrow, okay?"

They reluctantly left the deserted racetrack, and Usagi let out a long sigh as the cars disappeared from view. She ambled tiredly across to the stands, taking a seat on the lowest bench and leaning back to stare at the stars that were beginning to peek through the dark sky. The events of the day started to catch up with her, and she shivered as she recalled the bloodied eyes and pained expression of the young mother, and the lifeless body of her child, held limp in her father's arms. They had endured their fair share of ruthless enemies, but never had she seen something so brutal and soul-destroying. She didn't know if she were strong enough to fight against an evil that sought to not only kill, but to also tear apart the most fundamental, beautiful bonds of humanity.

A silver star shot across the night sky, so fast she almost missed it. "Seiya," she whispered, though she wasn't sure where it came from, "what should I do?"

The strange realm she had perhaps visited in her dream played on her mind, too. Was it merely a result of her loss of consciousness—an in-between land for her to dwell while she donated her energy to those who needed it more? If that were true, why could she so suddenly feel her future daughter, and was she really in danger?

She felt tears sting her eyes. How could she ever know, now that Setsuna had lost her power?

And, she thought, is it really Seiya that I have been sensing all this time?

Groaning to herself, she gripped her head. This was simply too much for one day.

"What are you still doing here, Princess?"

She looked up to find Haruka ascending the stairs, sliding in to sit on the bench beside her. "I wanted to talk to you," she began, turning to face her. "Haruka, I'm so sorry you didn't get the chance to finish your race, I—"

"Forget it," Haruka replied tersely, and Usagi bit her lip. "What happened today cannot happen again. You can't put yourself at risk, regardless of where that blonde little head of yours may be."

Usagi felt her temper flare. "What is that supposed to mean?"

"It means you're not focusing on the best plan of attack like a leader should—instead, you're ignoring our warnings, running off on your own, making rash decisions—"

"I savedtheir lives, how can you—"

"And whose hair were you mistakenly stroking before, hm?" Haruka shot, and Usagi looked away. "We've worked too hard to let anything get in the way, Odango."

Usagi stared at her, heart pounding, as she stood and walked away. "Oh, and whatever's going on between you and your Prince," she said coolly, her back to her, "sort it out."