Bishoujo Senshi Sailor Moon Sailor Stars: Chaos Theory
Act 36: Usagi and Mamoru: One Last Chance
By: Sora Kazeno
Happy Holidays everyone!
This is it! By the end of this act, Usagi will finally make her decision. One will be happy and the other will be heartbroken.
Usagi rushed back down the stairs to see the other girls again. They were surprised at Usagi's change in appearance. She changed into an outfit they had seen her wear before on previous dates with Mamoru.
Ikkuko raised her eyebrow. "Where do you think you are going all dressed up? Especially when you start school so soon! I forbid you to leave this house until all of your work is done." Ikkuko scolded her daughter.
"We are all getting together tomorrow at the shrine to finish our assignments," Rei thought on her feet giving a quick response to Ikkuko's protest. Rei knew how much Usagi needed to see Mamoru at the moment. "A couple people in our group couldn't make it until tomorrow… and one of them was going to help Usagi with a difficult assignment."
"Oh and who is in this group?" Ikkuko eyed Rei suspiciously.
"…The Three Lights…" Rei knew if she said this Usagi's mother would be more at ease and be content upon knowing the Three Lights would be present.
"Wow! They are going to be there tomorrow to help my little Usagi? They are such nice young men!" Ikkuko gushed for a couple more moments and rambled on about when Usagi would have all three of them over for dinner.
"Quickly…" Usagi hissed to the other girls to escape. She was going to rely on this trick as much as she could until it didn't work anymore. "I'll be back later!" Usagi called over her shoulder. She closed the door behind her and let out a sigh of relief.
"Thanks, Rei-chan!" She said brightly. The girls were able to help her leave quickly so she could see Mamoru.
"Don't thank me, yet…. Now we have to get together tomorrow afternoon so you can actually finish your work. Tomorrow is Sunday." Rei reminded Usagi. They had to follow through with the plan they given Usagi's mother.
"Ugh!" Usagi complained. "Well… I'll worry about it tomorrow."
"We'll make sure you get it done, Usagi-chan," Ami said, trying to be reassuring. "I take it you were able to talk to Mamoru-san?"
"Yeah… I'm going to meet him at a cafe… I'm really hungry…" As if to emphasize her point, her stomach growled.
Everyone laughed. Once the laugher ended, Rei turned to Usagi, "Do you want me to walk with you?" The cafe was somewhat on the way back home for her. The other girls live in different directions.
"Umm… it's okay, Rei-chan. I'll see all of you tomorrow!" Usagi smiled at them before she turned around and walked down the block head towards the direction to the cafe. She checked the time on her watch and realized it was already 1pm. She would be there in about twenty minutes.
Nervousness and worry began to set in. It had been easy to call him and create plans, but now actually going through with them was quiet different. She was about to see him. What would she talk about? How could she explain how she was feeling and everything that happened?
Then it hit her and she realized how much she had changed. This was Mamoru… Endymion…she should be able to talk to him about everything. Why should she feel nervous? She thought back to the past couple of times they were alone. He kissed her or they almost kissed. The last time…. He and Seiya fought over her.
Usagi paused in front of a store window to check her reflection. She could see the worry in her eyes. She hated what was ahead of her. Later tonight, she was going to make what could possibly be the most difficult decision of her life. She closed her eyes and inhaled deeply. She couldn't think about that right now. It wasn't fair to Mamoru.
With renewed determination, she continues walking towards her destination.
Mamoru checked his watch again. 1:17pm. She should be here any moment. He had so much he wanted to say to her, but a lot of it would have to wait until they were in a more private setting. It was one thing to talk about their relationship as Usagi and Mamoru out in the open, but it was a completely different matter discussing their future relationship as future rulers of the Earth. He checked his watch again. 1:18pm. One minute had passed since he had last check his watch, although it had felt longer. He hadn't been able to talk to her since the fight in his apartment. He hated how things ended and he had been denied an opportunity to talk to her due to Eris… and Sailor Star Fighter.
The door to the cafe opened and there she stood looking as beautiful as ever. His heart rate increased as she approached him. She seemed nervous to meet with him, but the smile across her face showed him that she was also happy to see him. Her expression set his mind at ease for the time being. They could work this out. They had to. He firmly believes they are stronger than all this.
"Hi Mamo-chan…" Usagi said as she sat down in the booth across from him.
"Hi…Usako," Mamoru managed to say. There was so much he wanted to say and had prepared to say before their meeting. But now, having her sitting across from him face to face, he found himself struggling to form a coherent sentence. He smiled and tried his best to relax.
A waitress arrived to ask for their orders. Usagi ordered a burger and ice cream soda. Mamoru ordered a sandwich and a soda. After the waitress left, they stared at each other for a moment unsure of what to say.
Mamoru realized this was ridiculous. It should not be so difficult to talk her. "I'm really glad you called earlier."
Usagi nodded her head slowly. "I'm just not sure what to say… I mean I know we have a lot to talk about, but I don't know where to start". She didn't want to bring up Seiya's name, even though he played a major role in her recent behaviors.
"This might sound weird, but I want to hear about everything you've gone through during these past several months," Mamoru said. "I think it would help me understand what you've experienced… and later we can talk about everything else."
Usagi was surprised to hear Mamoru make such a statement. "I'm not sure where to begin…." She was trying to determine how far back Mamoru wanted to know.
"Well… I guess this all started with….Chaos. It seemed like you were constantly at war with it."
"He," Usagi clarified. "It…was difficult. I could see the battle against everyone, but I couldn't do anything to stop it."
"It's okay," Mamoru reassured her. "No one blames you for that."
Before Usagi could continue their food arrived. While they ate, Usagi recounted some of the events and how she was eventually able to break free. They were silent. The next part of the conversation would lead into her decision to go to Kinmoku. Although she explained this to Mamoru before, she learned a lot about herself since that day.
"We can always talk about it later," Mamoru suggested. "What would you like to do next?"
"I'm not sure", Usagi said while she sipped more of her ice cream soda. This was unusual behavior for Usagi. In the past, she would have been thrilled to go anywhere with Mamoru. She couldn't shake the uneasiness she felt. A part of her wanted things to be the way they use to be, but deep down she knew that was not a possibility.
"Did you want to go for a boat ride in the park?" Mamoru asked. It would give them a chance to talk and Usagi wouldn't be able to get up and leave if they were in the middle of a lake. She would have to talk about what happened.
"Umm… sure," Usagi said with a small smile. She wasn't ready to be alone with him again in his apartment and the park was still a somewhat public place. Her thoughts immediately drifted to the time Chibi-Usa had first appeared and had interrupted a romantic moment between them after one of their boat rides. She fell silent and tried to stop tears from forming in her eyes as she thought about the little girl.
In the middle of the lake Usagi found it easier to finally talk to Mamoru. "I wasn't completely honest with you when I left to go to Kinmoku. It took me a while to realize this, but I felt like I couldn't stay on Earth after everything that happened. I needed a break. Kinmoku gave me that opportunity." Usagi's eyes were unfocused as she stared at the water at the side of the boat.
"What would have been the worst thing to happen if you remained on Earth?"
"…I just wasn't ready to talk about Chaos and I knew everyone wanted to know what happened… especially with Seiya."
Mamoru did not respond right away. He knew she was correct. Some of the comments Chaos had made while in control of Usagi were alarming. Chaos had hinted several times about her feelings for Seiya and whether Mamoru and Usagi were soul mates. "I heard that Sailor Uranus and Sailor Neptune tried to stop you from leaving."
Usagi smiled slightly. "Yes… but they were unsuccessful."
"I heard you gave them an order… I don't think I've ever heard you give someone an order." Mamoru focused all of his attention on Usagi, while he prepared to ask her his next question. He paused for a moment not knowing how to word the next part. "I had planned to try to stop you from leaving. I had been up all night thinking on the best way to prevent it, thinking of what to say to you…and I was so confused and hurt. Somehow, I eventually fell asleep and by the time I woke up you were gone. I was too late."
Usagi's gasped lightly. She never knew Mamoru tried to go after her when she first broke the news to him. She didn't know how to respond or what to say. Apologizing didn't seem right.
After a few moments, Mamoru continued, "What happened on Kinmoku? I understand you completed some training…but I am also curious as to what the planet was like."
Usagi was slightly surprised by Mamoru's interest in the home world of the Starlights. "Umm…sure. I'm not sure how long we traveled until we arrived at Kinmoku. When we got there…there was a banquet in our honor. Everyone bowed down to Sailor Cosmos as a gratitude for defeating Chaos. It was a really weird feeling," Usagi continued to recount the details of her adventure. She left out the moments she had with Seiya. But this time… she told him about her dreams.
"I had a dream while I was there…. About Chibi Usa. She was yelling at me. She wanted to know why I gave up and why I was not fighting for her…" Her voice became low and tears threatened to shed from her eyes. "It was really difficult."
"Have you had this dream more than once?" Mamoru asked with curiosity. If Usagi had dreams of Chiba Usa, why was she thinking about being with someone else? Where the words Chibi Usa spoke in Usagi's dream an admission of guilt by her subconscious?
"Other versions of it…" Usagi slowly responded. She recalled the anger Chibi-Usa had shown in the dream. Then she remembered the silver-hair girl she began to dream about just shortly after. She wasn't sure if she should tell Mamoru about her other dreams, the ones that did not involve him. It would certainly hurt him and he had already endured too much pain.
Mamoru quickly picked up on Usagi's mood. "You seem to be in deep thought about something, Usako."
"Hmm? Oh sorry…." She tried to refocus her attention to the person across from her in the boat. "I was just thinking about some of my dreams." She stopped herself from elaborating. She hoped Mamoru would assume they were about Chibi-Usa. She wasn't so lucky.
"Usako…I feel like there is something that you're not telling me." Mamoru frowned slightly. He didn't understand why she would try to keep secrets from him. They used to share everything with each other. He began to fully understand how strained their relationship had become in the past several months. He never wanted to believe things had reached this level.
Usagi's eyes widened as she took on the appearance of a deer trapped in headlights. "I..ah…" Usagi lowered her eyes to her lap. She frantically tried to think of a way she could talk herself out of this situation, but it was never a skill she was able to master. Mamoru was always able to see right through her. Maybe she should tell him. He wanted to know. "I had other dreams of the future…an alternative future to be exact. And there was a young girl there with silver hair…" She refused to raise her head up and look him in the eye. She didn't want to have to elaborate any further.
"…" Mamoru tried to find the words to convey his feelings. He opened his mouth, but no sound came out. Was the little girl a different version of Chibi-Usa? He didn't want to imagine an alternative future that did not include him with Usagi. But… he needed to know what she saw exactly in her dreams, so he could repair the damage done to their relationship. He forced himself to ask, no matter how difficult or painful the answer may be for him to hear. "What else did you see?"
Usagi's head snapped up in response to Mamoru's question. She couldn't believe he wanted to hear more. She parted her lips slightly, as she tried to form the words. She chose to be vague about certain aspects. "We were… at the Silver Millennium. There were other people around… but I couldn't clearly see their faces." That was not a complete lie. There were other people in the distance, but she was unable to determine for sure whom. She didn't want to tell him Seiya was there… and he was the King.
"Ah…" Mamoru didn't want to push the matter further. He wanted to change the focus of the conversation back to them. "I've thought a lot about the Silver Millennium," Mamoru said with sadness in his voice. "I wish I had more memories from that time."
Usagi's eyes reflected the same sadness in Mamoru's. "I've started to receive more of my memories from back then…" Her voice trailed off as she thought of a time she was alone with Endymion in her room. A slight blush began to creep up on her cheeks as she thought about their intimate moment.
Mamoru looked at her with curiosity. "What happened?" His interested was piqued by her reaction to his questions. There was something she was not telling him. He studied her carefully as he slowly rowed the boat further into the lake.
"It was a time during the Silver Millennium when you and your parents came to the Moon. My mother asked me to show you around. So I did…and we got along really well…" Her blush increased when she recalled their first kiss in the gardens.
Mamoru smiled slightly. "You're blushing, Usako…"
His comment caused her face to redden. He chuckled. "I must have really made a good first impression on you…I just wish I could remember what I did," he teased.
"You were really sweet, but at the same time not too thrilled to be on the Moon due to some problems on Earth. You thought being at the palace was a waste of time," Usagi explained. "But you were interested in the roses that were in the garden, since they were originally from Earth."
"I wonder if it is somehow related to why I had roses as Tuxedo Kamen" Mamoru wondered out loud. He felt relieved to be able to begin to clear the air and listen to Usagi's thoughts. He was convinced he could repair their relationship, if he fully understood what happened to her.
"It's possible," Usagi agreed brightly.
"But I think there is something that you are still leaving out," Mamoru stated. He stopped rowing the boat now that they were in the middle of the lake. He leaned closer to her. "What else happened, Usako?"
"…Umm…." Usagi bit her lip. It was difficult to talk to him about their past lives, especially when he had very few recollections of being Endymion and their past lives. She couldn't have her decision be influenced by her past history with the Prince. But could she separate that history? Was it really that simple? Endymion was an influential person in her past life… and her present. If she couldn't share such important moments of their past, how could she stay with him in the future? Today was about trying to reconnect with Mamoru and see if their relationship could be repaired. It would never happen unless she was honest with him and didn't hold anything back. This is Mamoru, the person she used to confide in countless times.
Usagi leaned forward. "I was blushing earlier…. because… I thought about a time… we were in my old room and you gave me a present; the pair of golden pearl barrettes I wear in my hair as Princess Serenity."
"Ah…" Mamoru said as the thought about the barrettes. "But I still feel like something is missing…." He leaned closer to her expecting another answer.
He knew her too well. "Well…we were also engaged…" her voice trailed off. She didn't know how to explain the other part.
Mamoru reached over to hold her hands. "I'm glad to see some things remained the same in both lifetimes." He wanted to let Usagi know he wasn't giving up on them and he still wanted her to be his wife, regardless of their recent issues. He refused to give up on their future.
Usagi looked down at their joined hands. His hands felt warm as he held her hands. It gave her a feeling of calmness. She relied on him so much in the past. He was always there to calm her when she was upset. "Mamo-chan…" she whispered. She slowly looked back up at him, but couldn't form the proper words when she looked into his eyes. She could feel herself being drawn in. Subconsciously she inched forward on the wooden bench seat to be closer to him. It was something she did on instinct.
Mamoru didn't waste a moment. He leaned forward and lightly kissed Usagi on the lips. She didn't pull back. He took it as a sign of encouragement and deepened the kiss. She continued to return the kiss. After a few more moments they slowly broke apart.
Mamoru lightly caressed her cheek. "I've missed you so much, Usako."
He was different this time, Usagi realized. In the past, it felt like he had treated her to a degree as a child. But this was different. She smiled at his gentle touch. She slowly began to open her eyes, expecting to see Mamoru sitting across from her. As her eyes began to come into focus she realized she was actually sitting across from Prince Endymion. Alarmed, she immediately glanced down to confirm her suspicions. She was dressed as Princess Serenity. It was another flashback from their previous life together. She shook her head to clear her thoughts.
She closed her eyes for a moment and when she opened them she was watching a past memory of herself with Endymion in the distance, as if she was floating on the water observing Princess Serenity and Prince Endymion a short distance away.
During their previous life, they had gone on boat rides before when she had snuck away to Earth. Why was she seeing this right now?
"I know you're worried, Serenity," Prince Endymion said, redirecting Usagi's attention back to him. "There is always unrest somewhere, but we are not in danger." He tried to reassure her and place her mind at ease.
Princess Serenity nodded her head. She worried about her love. She was used to peace and few conflicts. "Okay," she responded slowly. After a few moments she began to relax. "I wish I could see you more," she said with sadness in her voice. "I know the senshi cover for me at times but I imagine it can be difficult at times with my mother. I'm not sure how she would react." Princess Serenity thought back to a conversation she overheard about an arranged marriage in her future. She was worried about the actions of her mother. The Earth and the Moon had a strained relationship and it could aggravate the situation. Diplomatic relationships were just beginning to improve.
Princes Endymion sat down on the bench next to his Princess and placed his arms around her, hugging her body close to his. He hated to see her worry. He preferred to see a smile on her face. He could feel her body relax against his.
Princess Serenity raised her head to look up at him. Her eyes twinkled. "…I love you…" she whispered. It was the first time either one of them said those words to each other.
Prince Endymion smiled down at her. "I love you too, Serenity". He lowered his head to kiss her. "Always…"
"Usako?" Mamoru was worried about Usagi. All of the sudden she had a dazed look on her face and she wasn't responsive.
Usagi blinked her eyes several times and jerked to the side in her seat. She quickly lowered her face into her hands and leaned forward.
Mamoru quickly moved to the other side of the boat and placed his hands on her shoulders. "Usako, what happened?" Panic began to set in when she didn't respond right away.
Usagi gradually raised her head. She chose her words carefully. "I just had another vision of a memory from our past lives… of a time we were on a boat together… just like this…" She looked at him with tears in her eyes.
Mamoru gently rubbed her back in a soothing motion.
Usagi burst into tears and buried her face into Mamoru's shirt. "I'm so sorry…." Her voice barely above a whisper, "I didn't think things would ever turn out this way."
Mamoru did not say a word as he waited for Usagi to continue.
"I never meant to hurt you," Usagi said between sobs. "Everything is so confusing". She felt overwhelmed again. She wasn't sure if she could make a decision between Mamoru and Seiya. Some days she felt like she was sure she could be with Seiya, but at moments like this she feels like she belonged with Mamoru.
"What you've been through, Usako, would be difficult for anyone to handle. Please tell me what I can do to help you. I want to ease your pain."
Usako gasped at his words. Mamoru sounded more like Endymion every day. He was finally opening up to her. It was a side of him she rarely saw him disclose to her since they first began to date. She sniffled and quickly brushed her remaining tears to the side. "I don' think there is anything that you can do… I can't keep going back and forth…it's like Luna told me. I have to make a decision. I can't keep doing this. It isn't fair to you… or to anyone."
The couple was oblivious to the dark clouds that had gathered throughout the day until the moment a few drops of water began to sprinkle down on them.
Mamoru sighed. "It figures…" He grumbled. He stood up and moved to the other side of the boat to pick up the oars. "I guess I better start rowing quickly or we are going to be drenched."
Usagi smiled at his comment. It was a way to ease her feelings and give her a few moments to compose herself. "I'm sure you can have us reach the dock before it really starts to pour."
As if on cue, the clouds unleashed a downpour, soaking them in seconds.
"UGH!" Usagi shouted in frustration. She hated being in soaked clothes. She was thankful only part of her dress was white, as that section of the dress stuck to her skin like a second layer.
Mamoru began to laugh. "I guess that didn't work…" He began to increase the speed as he rowed towards the dock. The sooner they could be out of the rain the better. It seems even the elements were making their date difficult.
Shiori, Yuna, and Sakura returned to Kinmoku. The entire afternoon, Taiki and Yaten observed Seiya's sour attitude. Yaten was fed up. "What is going on with you?"
Seiya didn't respond at first. But the frustration continued to build up. "I don't want to talk about it."
"No… this can't keep going on like this," Taiki said as he narrowed his eyes at Seiya, as if to tell the other man he needed to explain his recent behaviors.
Seiya raised his voice, "I told you, I don't want to talk about it!" His eyes flashed in annoyance.
It was Yaten's turn to pursue the matter. "That isn't how it works! We work together as a team and when there is a problem we discuss it. If we were to go out into battle right now, it would end badly since we would all be frustrated with each other."
Seiya let out a deep breath. He knew Yaten was correct. When they were on Kinmoku training to become sailor senshi, they were taught to always discuss their struggles, even if they were of a personal nature. The other members on the team needed to be aware, a lack of disclosure could one day cost one of them their life. He was reluctant to discuss the recent issues he had experienced with Usagi. They didn't know about Usagi kissing Mamoru, that she was probably with him now, and the possibility she could return to being him.
Their Princess had instructed them to remain on Earth and continue to protect Sailor Cosmos. Would that still be the case if he was no longer with her? It was a reality he didn't want to think about. Taiki and Yaten were on this planet because of him. If circumstances change, they should be aware.
Seiya sat down on the couch and rubbed his forehead in frustration. He folded his hands and rested his forehand against them as he leaned forward with his eyes closed. "Odango … and I have had problems". He finally admitted out loud.
"What kind of problems?" Taiki asked. It was obvious to him Seiya and Usagi had some issues, but did not understand the nature of them. He sat down on the couch next to Seiya and Yaten sat down on the opposite side of Seiya. He knew that Seiya and Mamoru fought over Usagi, but Seiya never discussed any of the details from the incident.
Seiya decided to be direct. "She might go back to Mamoru-san."
"What?" Yaten exclaimed in disbelief. "That doesn't make any sense after everything that happened in the past couple of months."
"There's been a lot going on during these past couple of months. She keeps recalling some of her past memories with him." Seiya didn't want to have to say his name again. Hearing the name only increased his agitation. "Odango's past self…. Isn't able to let him go that easily."
"So it is creating issues," Taiki clarified. He didn't need to hear the rest of the details to be able to piece everything together. He had one more question. "What happened this morning?"
Seiya wanted to react immediately and say it wasn't important but it was the reason he flew off the handle this morning with the other Starlights. "She wanted to spend another day with him and then decide whom she is going to be with."
Yaten's eyes flashed dangerously. "That's bullshit!" He shouted. "Right before she went to Kinmoku she made it clear what she decided. All of this back and forth is ridiculous."
"But not surprising," Taiki spoke up quietly. Seiya and Yaten looked at him in confusion and waited for him to continue. "The other senshi have discussed Usagi-chan becoming Queen soon. It would make sense for more of her past memories to surface. I'm assuming all of these memories have taken an emotional toll on her."
Seiya sat quietly, absorbing Taiki's observations. Instead of trying to be supportive to the one he cares about most, he lashed out at her. That would only push her away from him more and in the direction of Mamoru. While his anger was justified, it did little to help him overcome the core issue. He did not feel comfortable sharing the dreams Odango had of the future with him as King. He wasn't sure if what she saw would remain as a dream.
"Is it always going to be like this?" Yaten asked out loud to no one in particular. "Is she going to keep changing her mind until she becomes Queen?"
"No." Seiya responded with conviction. "She made it pretty clear this morning she is going to make a decision tomorrow. I'm trying to respect her wishes and give her time, but it is next to impossible to sit here knowing she is spending time with someone else."
"But if you don't give her this opportunity, there will always be doubt. Are you ready for that?" Taiki asked trying to ease Seiya's discomfort.
Seiya took a deep breath. "Sometimes I wonder if it's better not to know." He didn't want to image what his life would be like if Usagi wasn't part of it. He knew if that were to happen he would not be able to remain on Earth. It would be too painful. It had been difficult for him to return to Kinmoku the first time around without her. This time around, he wasn't sure how he would be able to cope without her.
"You should have told us all this was happening," Yaten chided. "We're here because of the relationship the two of you developed. What happens between you and Cosmos will affect us."
Taiki shook his head at Yaten as if to tell him to stop. He chose this moment to come to Seiya's defense. "He knows this." Taiki hesitated as he tried to defuse the situation. "I'm glad you finally told us." He turned to Seiya.
Seiya nodded his head silently. The pain in his eyes was clear. "I need to do something else to get my mind off of this." He looked around the room until he found a guitar. He stood up and walked over to the instrument. He carefully picked it up. "I know we still have some songs to finish working on. I could use the distraction."
Usagi attempted to towel dry her hair. She still had some spare clothes she left at Mamoru's apartment. She was cold, but at least she was in dry clothing again. She paused to look at her reflection in the bathroom mirror. Her dress was in the dryer. She would need to change before she returned home, but she wasn't about to wear a soaking dress. She sighed. She felt relief having been able to talk freely to Mamoru, but she wasn't any closer to making her decision. The more time she spent with him, the more she realized he changed.
Usagi hung up the towel on the top of shower. She took a deep breath before she opened the bathroom. There were still a few things she needed to talk to Mamoru about. It was difficult to talk to him in his apartment. Every room contained memories of them together. Mostly happy memories… many that involved Chibi-Usa. She slowly walked into the living room and sat down on the couch.
Mamoru walked over to the couch with a large coffee mug in his hands. "I've made you some hot chocolate," he said and he placed the mug in her hands.
Usagi's eyes lit up. "Thanks, Mamo-chan!" She blew on the chocolate for a moment to cool it before she tried to take a sip.
Mamoru sat down next to her. "I wanted to finish what we were discussing earlier."
Usagi bit her lip slightly. She wasn't sure what else she could talk to him about. "I'm not sure what you mean." She took a few more sips from her hot chocolate.
"I wanted to hear what I could do to help you."
Usagi placed her mug down on coffee table. "I'm not sure…" Usagi said quietly. "It's not that easy…I wish there was a simple answer." She struggled to understand why she still felt so hesitant around Mamoru. She used to tell him everything, but she couldn't cast her feelings aside for Seiya so easily. She loved them both.
Mamoru placed his hands on top of Usagi's softly. "What is preventing you from choosing me?" He asked as he leaned closer to her.
Usagi's lips parted slightly as she looked up at him. Her eyes displayed confusion and sadness. "I wish it was that simple…but I…I don't know…" she begun to be drawn in by his eyes and found herself slowly moving closer to him. Spending the day with him had reminded her of familiar patterns.
Mamoru squeezed her hands tightly. "I love you, Usako. I want what is best for you but I can't help you if you don't tell me what you need." He looked deep into her eyes. He raised his right hand and lightly touched her cheek.
Usagi was speechless. This was the side from Mamoru she had been wanting to see for such a long time. A voice in her head told her it was how Endymion had treated her in the past. But she didn't want to always compare Mamoru to Endymion. In a way, they were two different people.
Mamoru leaned forward and lightly kissed her on the lips.
Usagi's eyes watched him carefully to see what his next move would be. "I…Mamo-chan…I don' think there is anything you need to change-" Before she could finish her statement, Mamoru kissed her again, but this time it was a deeper kiss.
Usagi's eyes widened in surprise. After a moment, she returned the kiss and subconsciously moved closer to him. Mamoru put his arms around her to pulled her closer to him.
The dryer buzzed and the sound startled them. Usagi pushed herself back from Mamoru a little bit. "I…I should probably be going…" She stood up quickly. She felt nervous being alone with him. As if it was something she shouldn't be doing right now. It increased her confusion since had been alone with him countless times in the past. She had always loved to spend time alone with him. She never felt this way before…before Seiya.
She grabbed her garment from the dryer and returned to the bathroom to change. She changed her clothes and paused at her reflection in the mirror. She was the problem. Even when she was with Mamoru she couldn't feel at ease because she still wasn't sure if she would pick him or Seiya. This decision shouldn't be so hard! She was about to head out of the bathroom but realized her hair was still down. She wanted to return home the same way she had appeared when she left. She found Mamoru's hairbrush and quickly brushed her hair. Within minutes her hair was once again in odangos. When she opened the door she found Mamoru standing there.
"I don't want things to end like this today… you don't have to leave yet…" He pleaded with her. He placed his hands gently on her shoulders. He wanted to spend as much time with her as he could. It had been months since they spent this much time together alone. The more time he spent with her, the more he could work on repairing their relationship.
"I'm sorry…" Usagi said looking down at the ground. "I have to go… it's getting late…" She turned away from him and headed to the door. "I had fun today," she said softly. "But I still have a lot to think about." She wasn't sure if she would be able to make the necessary decision by tomorrow. She learned a lot about Mamoru today.
Mamoru was clearly hurt by her decision. He was struck with pain. He wanted to try to convince her to stay, but it if she felt like she was being forced to stay it would only make things worse. "Will I see you again tomorrow…?" He finally asked.
"…Most likely…" Usagi answered. She tried to force herself to slightly smile. Usagi paused at the door to put her shoes on before she left. She closed the apartment door behind her. "The problem is me, Mamo-chan… not you…" she whispered.
Usagi paused outside of the front door to her house. Night had fallen and she wasn't any closer to deciding what she would do. She greeted her family and quickly excused herself to go to bed.
She lied down on her bed and tried to get some sleep. Eventually she drifted to sleep.
Neo Queen Serenity walked down the hallways of the Silver Millennium. She heard the King had just returned, but she was not able to find him yet. He had gone off to Earth to attend to some business and had been gone for the past three weeks. She frantically searched for him.
"Serenity!" He called out to her.
The Queen turned around as soon as she heard him call out to her. She smiled at the sight of her lover. "Endymion!" She exclaimed as she rushed forward to greet him.
King Endymion smiled and rushed to her with stretched arms. He hugged her tightly before he leaned over to kiss her. "It was nice to visit Earth, but it is not the same without you there."
"How are things going?" Neo Queen Serenity asked.
"The new palace is coming along nicely. I can't wait to show what it looks like when it's completed."
"I can't wait to return to Earth… our own version of Crystal Tokyo."
Usagi bolted upright in bed. She was breathing heavily. Their own version of Crystal Tokyo? Was it possible to have that kind of a future? She had come to believe that future never existed. Usagi threw the covers off of herself walked over to the bathroom. She splashed cold water onto her face. A lot of things did not add up regarding the dream she just had. When she went to the future with Sailor Pluto… Tokyo looked the same. When she went five years into the future she was still living on Earth with her husband. But she never figured out who her husband would be. When would she leave Earth to live at the Silver Millennium? She told herself she wasn't going to go to the future again. She had to make this choice on her own.
Usagi returned to her bedroom and tried to go back to sleep. It was still early in the evening. She closed her eyes and she kept picturing herself with Endymion at the Silver Millennium. She eventually relaxed enough and was able to drift off to sleep once more. This dream was a bit different.
Neo Queen Serenity looked down at the bundle in her arms. She smiled at the sleeping prince. It was rare for males to be born to the Silver Millennium. She felt at ease and happy. The door opened and the silver haired girl, roughly around the age of three ran into the room, anxious to see the new baby. Seiya followed behind her.
The sounds of Neo Princess Serenity caused the baby to slowly open his eyes. They were red. The same shade as Chibi-Usa's.
Usagi fell out of bed tangled up in her covers. She gasped for breath, her right hand clutching her chest. Tears followed down her eyes. How could she have two dreams, about two different men, one right after the other? She was afraid to go back to sleep and what she would see next. The clock near her bed told her it was almost 5am. It was too early for anyone else to be up. She needed a space where she could be alone, undisturbed. She needed to pace back and forth and talk out lout to herself to help her decide. She couldn't remain here. Her fingers grazed the crystal pendant she wore around her neck. She would travel to the place all of her dreams pointed her to, the Silver Millennium. She quickly transformed and vanished. She planned to return in a few hours.
Sailor Cosmos slowly strolled through the garden. The light from the Sun was beginning to peak over the Earth. As she slowly walked, she reflected on the memories she had here with Endymion and Seiya.
"This isn't fair!" Sailor Cosmos shouted. "Everywhere I look, I see memories or images of both of them…. How am I supposed to be able to make a decision?" She gripped her staff tightly as she headed to the main building.
She walked up a large marble flight of stairs. She walked out of the balcony near the ballroom. It was the spot where Princess Serenity and Prince Endymion had last kissed each other before Queen Beryl destroyed the palace. Her fingertips brushed against the decorative banister. She entered the open doors and into the main ballroom.
The last time she was within this room, she was with Sailor Star Fighter. Fighter witnessed her last memories as Princess Serenity. She promised Usagi she would help the Princess have happy memories in the palace again. Sailor Cosmos' eyes lowered. This was before she told Seiya she kissed Endymion in the garden. "But if things were going so well with Seiya… why did I kiss Endymion….?" She questioned out loud. "Yet… I felt guilty when I kissed Mamo-chan instead of Seiya earlier…" She finally admitted out loud.
Usagi placed her hands next to her temples and clenched her fists. "This shouldn't be so difficult!" She left out a deep sigh of frustration. "But… I love them both… for different reasons…"
She took a sharp intake of breath when she realized she was comparing Endymion and Seiya. She needed to compare Mamoru to Seiya. She was determined not to let her past dictate her future. Yet, as she walked around the Silver Millennium, she couldn't help but recall the times she had been here with Endymion, or in some instances, Sailor Star Fighter.
Wherever she went, she had images of herself with either one of the men in her life. She shook her head side to side. She needed to redirect her thoughts to something more productive. She reverted back to Tsukino Usagi.
Usagi had to make this decision as Usagi. She tried to eliminate any source of distraction or anything that could influence herself or sway her decision in any way. She laughed when she realized she was walking around the Silver Millennium in her pajamas.
She was nearly certain of the decision she was about to make, but see still needed a bit more time. Time she didn't really have. She needed to return home before her family realized she wasn't there. Her mother told her she had to finish her school work today. She didn't have much left. Three hours later, Sailor Cosmos returned to Earth.
The clock in her bedroom read 8:30. She was supposed to be at the shrine at 10am to meet up with the girls and finish up her school work. Usagi opened her closet and quickly pulled out a clean sleeveless black shirt with a cut out crisscross pattern under her neck and a pale pink skirt. She fixed her hair and quickly applied make up.
Usagi yawned while she searched around her room for her school work. The assignments somehow ended up scattered on her table. She wasn't ready to return to school yet. She still had an important decision to make and Eris to defeat.
A knock on the door startled her and caused her to slightly jump. "Usagi, it's time to get up." Ikkuko said as she opened the door. "Oh, you're awake!" She was surprise. She hadn't expected her daughter to be up and had already prepared to drag her out of bed. Her eyes widened when she saw Usagi clutching her school assignments. "Usagi!" She exclaimed in surprise. "I'm glad to see you are taking your studies more seriously!"
Usagi nervously smiled at her mother. At that moment, she was glad to have school as a distraction while she tried to make her final decision between Mamoru and Seiya. "I'm going to be leaving in a few minutes."
Ikkuko watched her daughter suspiciously. "Usagi, are you feeling okay? You want to leave without trying to eat anything?"
Before Usagi could provide a verbal response, her stomach growled.
Usagi paused at the bottom of the long flight of stairs leading up to the shrine. She was closer to making a decision than she was this morning, but she was still hesitant. What if she was making a mistake and picked the wrong person? It would take time to repair all of the damage she had created. What if he really was upset with her, but just didn't want to tell her until she made a decision?
"Good morning, Usagi-chan!" Ami said brightly walking up to Usagi. "Let me know what you need help with today."
Usagi nodded her head slightly. It was clear she still wasn't her normal self.
Ami could tell Usagi was still distraught from yesterday. "Usagi-chan, are you okay?" She was worried about Usagi.
"Yeah…it's just…today is going to be difficult. I have to tell them…but I'm still not completely sure what I'm going to do…" Usagi's voice trailed off.
Ami turned and hugged Usagi. "Let us know what we can do to help you."
Usagi numbly nodded her head and slowly returned Ami's hug. "…Thanks…" She murmured. She didn't want to talk about it anymore. "We…should probably head up."
Ami nodded her head and they began to climb the long flight of stairs up to the shrine. They didn't talk as they approached their friend's home. Minako and Makoto were already waiting for them near the entrance.
"Hi guys!" Minako said cheerfully. She was about to ask Usagi how she was doing, but Ami shook her head signaling not to. Minako picked up on the cue and quickly stated, "Time to finish our work!"
"You're over playing it, Minako-chan…" Makoto whispered to her. Makoto turned to the other girls. "I brought over snacks for later."
No reaction from Usagi at the mention of food. Usagi sighed. "Let's get this over with…" She grumbled as she stepped forward in the direction of the shrine. She sent a clear message to everyone she wasn't ready to talk about her relationships with Mamoru and Seiya.
Stunned, the three other girls slowly followed behind Usagi. They weren't sure how things would turn out. Ami whispered to Minako and Makoto, "She hasn't made her final decision yet..."
Minako's eyes widened. "Ah…no wonder." She understood Usagi's actions now. She was hoping to see the Three Lights today, particularly Yaten, but given the circumstances she would have to wait for another opportunity to see the silver-hair Starlight. She hadn't talked to him much she since accidentally knocked Sailor Star Healer over on Nemesis.
Rei was already waiting for the girls with tea for them in one of the main rooms. She carefully studied the face of Usagi. She appeared miserable. Rei frowned slightly.
The girls pulled out their books and reviewed their work. Usagi blankly stared at her math assignment with a pencil in her hand, but she was unable to focus on the math problems in front of her. All she could think about was the decision she needed to make today. Her heart rate increased. Soon it felt like her heart was pounding in her ears. It was too much to handle. "AGH!" Usagi shouted as she threw her arms up into the air, placed them back down on the table and rested her head on the table. "This is too much…" she said softly.
Rei sat closest to Usagi and placed her hand on Usagi's shoulders. "We'll listen." Rei wasn't sure what else she could say at the moment other than offer her support.
Usagi slowly raised her head. "I think I know what I want to do, but what if I chose wrong?" Tears began to stream down Usagi's eyes. "What if…I've hurt him too much?"
"Usagi-chan…" Minako spoke up, "I know that both of them love you, and whomever you chose, they will be happy for you. But Usagi-chan, you have to do what you believe will make you happiest."
Usagi honed in on Minako's word choice. "Whatever makes Usagi… happiest… not Cosmos… not Serenity…" She wiped the tears from her face. When she thought about what she needed to do from this perspective, everything seemed so simple, so much clearer. As Usagi, the same advice she was given from her future self. She smiled for the first time since she had woken up that day. "Rei-chan…can I use your telephone?"
Rei was surprised by Usagi's question. "Umm… sure…"
Usagi excused herself into the hallway and walk over to a small table where a telephone was placed. The other girls quietly followed Usagi to eavesdrop on the conversation. They were also curious as to know who Usagi would call first and what she would say to him.
Usagi was unaware of the audience behind her. She took a deep breath and picked up the telephone. She listened to the dial tone a few times before she began to dial his number. Unfortunately, the one she wanted to speak to did not pick up the telephone. "…Is Seiya there?" She asked in a quiet voice.
The girls behind Usagi exchanged glances. Was Seiya the one she chose or the one she was giving up? All four girls inched forward to try to listen in on Usagi's conversation.
"Haven't you done enough?" Usagi heard Yaten's curt response from the telephone. It was like before. They were trying to protect Seiya from her. Seiya must have told Taiki and Yaten what transpired between them. It was the only reason she could think of for receiving such a short response from Yaten.
Usagi knew this wasn't going to be easy. "Yaten-kun… I just want to talk to Seiya." Usagi tried to sound firm, but her voice wavered at the end.
Yaten again told her no. She wasn't sure what to do, other than try to visit them at their apartment.
Minako walked up from behind Usagi and grabbed the telephone from her hand. "Yaten-kun! Let Usagi-chan talk to him!" She hissed at Yaten over the telephone.
When Yaten heard Minako's voice on the telephone, his anger flared up. "Minako-chan, this has nothing to do with you! Shouldn't you be working on not tripping over your feet?"
Taiki and Seiya looked at Yaten as soon as they heard her name. Now they knew who was on the telephone.
"Yes it does!" Minako continued to argue with him into the phone. "Usagi-chan needs to talk to him. Whatever it is, it's about them. It's not about you." Minako paused for a moment. "You know it's important…."
"There is too much of this back and forth. I'm not going to keep watching this. Its nuts," Yaten shot back.
"Can't you do this for me?" Minako asked sweetly. She tried to charm the Starlight.
Yaten grumbled a response. "Where are you guys?"
Minako blinked a few times, surprised by the change in Yaten's attitude. "Umm… we're at Rei's family shrine." She had a hard time believing Yaten would change his mind so quickly.
"Great," Yaten said in an annoyed tone. "We'll be there soon." He quickly hung up. Seiya and Taiki looked at him with a questioning glance.
Minako hung up the telephone. She turned around to face the others…. "Umm… I guess they are all coming over here."
"Minako-chan! I can't believe the way you challenged Yaten-kun like that!" Makoto exclaimed.
"He wasn't going to let Seiya-kun talk to Usagi-chan unless I intervened…" Minako fumbled with a response. She was also surprised at how things transpired, but pleased Usagi would be able to talk to Seiya.
"…Now I just have to think of what I'm going to say…" Usagi said softly. She smiled nervously.
"What just happened?" Seiya interrogated Yaten. He glared at him while he waited for a response from his fellow teammate.
"Apparently, Usagi-chan wants to talk to you and Minako-chan didn't like that I wouldn't let her talk to you right away… and somehow I agreed to go to the shrine…" Then it hit him. "Oh man…"
"Eh? Minako-chan convinced you?" Seiya focused on that aspect of the conversation first. Then he processed the rest. Odango wanted to talk to him. His playful nature quickly disappeared and he became more serious. "We should leave in a few minutes." He didn't want to waste any more time. He needed to know what she had decided, no matter how painful. He began to feel nervous. He wanted to know her decision, but the worriedness began to take hold. What if she didn't choose him?
Seiya tried to push those thoughts out of this mind. He would never regret the relationship he had with her. It was something he would always cherish. At least for a while, he had his Odango.
"So… all of us are going?" Taiki asked with a raised eyebrow. He didn't quite understand how Usagi trying to talk to Seiya turned into the three of them going to the shrine.
"I guess…" Yaten said as he stood up and stretched. "We probably need some fresh air anyway."
Usagi knew it was pointless attempting to complete any of her school work, especially since Seiya was on his way over. Her heart raced with anticipation of what she would say when he arrived. She paced back and forth on the wooden walkway outside one the numerous shrine rooms. She couldn't sit still. She was extremely inpatient while she attempted to wait for him.
She tried to rehearse what she would tell him in her head. She tried to find the right words, but nothing sounded right. She couldn't believe how difficult this was for her, but she knew it would be the right choice. She didn't understand why she was struggling for so long. Fear. She told herself. Doubt. Those were common emotions she experienced in all faucets of her life.
She took a sharp intake of breath when she saw three very familiar figures slowly entering the grounds. The determination she felt to express her feelings right away dissipated. She gathered her remaining courage and slowly walked towards the trio. "Hi…" she greeted them. She didn't want to talk to Seiya in front of Taiki and Yaten and wasn't sure how she could nicely ask them to leave. All of her attention was on Seiya. He appeared exhausted and…worried.
"Are the other girls inside?" Yaten asked looking for a way to leave this awkward scene. As much as he didn't want to see Seiya hurt, Usagi had to talk to him so he could move on, if Seiya would be able to move on.
"Yeah..." Usagi responded softly. It was all she could say at the moment.
Taiki and Yaten nodded their heads and silently walked past the couple. They headed for the open door. Taiki paused for a few seconds, long enough to close the door behind them.
Usagi and Seiya stared at each other, but did not say anything until they were alone.
Usagi was about to open her mouth to speak, but Seiya stopped her. "Wait Odango… I think I know what you're going to say."
Usagi hesitated.
"Before you say anything… I just wanted to apologize."
"For what…?" She didn't understand. He didn't do anything wrong. She was the one that had caused him all this pain.
"I should have taken more into consideration how you were feeling and everything you experienced. I guess what I'm saying is…I never should have interfered with you and Mamoru-san. Otherwise… none of this would have ever happened."
Usagi was taken aback by his words. She never dreamed he would tell her anything like this. Was he trying to say that what happened between them was a mistake? "Seiya… I don't understand what you're saying…"
"I ruined everything for you, Odango." He lowered his head slightly, tears threatened to burst forward. "You had everything planned out for the rest of your life until I showed up."
Usagi gasped. He blamed himself for everything. "Seiya… it's not like that…" she tried to correct him, but he wasn't finish talking.
"I'm sorry, I've caused you so many problems, Odango… I never wanted things to turn out like this." Seiya said. He took a deep breath and slowly raised his head. He felt slightly more at ease that he was finally able to tell her his thoughts. "I just want you to be happy with whatever you decide."
"Seiya… it's not like that…" Usagi repeated while she slowly approached him. She wanted to close the gap between them. Her eyes widened when she recalled Seiya telling her similar words before the final concert the Starlights gave when searching for the Light of Hope. He had told her that he understood he was in a one sided love. "But… things are different this time, Seiya… the feelings I demonstrated to you… were genuine."
Seiya immediately picked up on the phrase, "were". The message to him became clear as day. She wasn't picking him. She cared for him, but she was still going to choose Mamoru. He wanted to try to end this as soon as possible. There was no reason to drag this out any further. "I'm glad." He wanted to keep it simple and short. "Odango… I think it's best if… I…just leave." He finally finished. This was the most difficult thing he had ever done. He wasn't sure if he could actually handle hearing her say the words to him.
"Se…Seiya…" Usagi said tears streamed down her face. She finally began to fully understand all of the pain he experienced. Before she could say anything else; they were interrupted.
"I think it would be best if you both died." Haumea snapped. An army of minions stood on either side of her.
Seiya quickly redirected his attention to Haumea; perhaps this interruption was the best way to end things. He pulled out his transformation headset. He was done playing games with the Black Moon. Once they were defeated he would return to Kinmoku and put all of this behind him. Everything could return to normal for Usagi. "Fighter Star Power, Make Up!"
Usagi could feel her anger flare. Haumea interrupted the conversation she needed to have with Seiya. She didn't want to waste time battling Haumea again. She didn't get a chance to tell Seiya what she needed to. She was tired of these disruptions. She would end this quickly. "Cosmos Crystal Power, Make Up!"
As soon as Sailor Cosmos finished her transformation, Haumea unleashed a royal blue mist at her. Sailor Cosmos began to cough a few times. Her body was no longer visible due to the cloud of blue surrounding her.
"This is the most powerful batch ever made. Enough to kill anyone of lunar descent," Haumea taunted the younger girl. She would finally have her revenge for the loss of Quarora. She smiled with glee.
"Odango…." Sailor Star Fighter said softly as she searched around in the mist. She couldn't find her anywhere. Panic began to set in. This is not how she wanted things to end. "Odango!" She cried out in desperation. Fighter was lost within the cloud. Anywhere were she turned all she could see was blue. She couldn't even tell where Haumea was anymore.
The sound of high heels clicking on the ground caused her heart to skip a beat. Was it Odango or Haumea? Could it be someone else?
Haumea narrowed her eyes. The footsteps sounded different than the ones of Sailor Star Fighter trying to finding Sailor Cosmos. She didn't understand what was happening. Sailor Cosmos should be lying dead on the ground from the gas. It should have poisoned her. She personally made sure the dose was high enough. Her calculations were not off. They couldn't be.
A gust of wind appeared and the blue mist began to disperse. The mist began to clear and Sailor Cosmos cape flapped in the breeze.
"Impossible…." Haumea said in disbelief. "No… you should be dead."
Sailor Cosmos smiled at her sweetly. "I guess I should be thanking the Dark Moon… being trapped within the crystal seems to have allowed be to develop an immunity to the gas."
"It's not possible… you are the Moon Princes… you should be dead!" Haumea screamed at her. She was now terrified of what would happen next. She bet everything she had on this one move.
Her shouts alerted the others inside the shrine. The door swung open, revealing two members of the Lights and the Inner senshi. "Usagi!" Rei shouted when she realized what was going on.
"NO!" Haumea continued to scream at her. "The gas is supposed to kill you! You are of lunar descent!"
Sailor Cosmos smiled at Haumea. "I guess you don't know your history…" she taunted her. There was something different about Sailor Cosmos this time. "Did you really think the atmosphere of Kinmoku could kill me… the planet that helped make me what I am today?" There was a hint of arrogance in her voice.
A chill ran up Sailor Star Fighter's spine. The voice reminded him of the same voice used by Chaos when he had control over Sailor Cosmos.
Sailor Cosmos' eyes lightened. "I'm tired of you interfering with us. I'm tired of the Black Moon trying to attack my home." Sailor Cosmos raised her staff above her head and gathered energy. "Divine," her staff flashed brightly for a few seconds before the white light turned into an array of prism colors. The energy continued to gather into several rows of small stars. "Stardust." Hundreds of stars shot forward at Haumea.
Haumea cried out for a few seconds and jumped back behind her army of minions. The minions quickly vanished. She was left alone. Haumea had nothing she could use to try to stop Sailor Cosmos.
"I will protect my home against anyone that tries to harm it and its inhabitants," Sailor Cosmos said in an even tone. She sounded like Usagi again.
"This isn't over yet, Princess of the White Moon." A few seconds later Haumea's body disappeared from sight.
Everyone stood frozen in place unsure of what just transpired.
"What happened?" Minako asked as she watched Sailor Star Fighter and Sailor Cosmos. There seemed to be tension in the air.
"We should be going," Sailor Star Fighter directed Yaten and Taiki. She didn't want to stay any longer than she needed to.
Taiki frowned. Based on Sailor Star Fighter's demeanor it was clear which way the conversation had gone. Things did not turn out well for her. He was not looking forward to dealing with the aftermath.
Sailor Star Fighter turned her back towards Sailor Cosmos and began to walk away.
"Wait!" Sailor Cosmos exclaimed. She couldn't leave things like this. She never had a change to tell her what was decided. She reached out and grabbed Sailor Star Fighter hand to prevent her from walking further away. "I didn't get a chance to finish…"
"It's okay, Odango… I already know what you were trying to say."
"No you don't." Sailor Cosmos' tone was firm. "You never gave me a chance."
Sailor Fighter turned around to face Sailor Cosmos, confusion written on her face.
Sailor Cosmos smiled and closed the small distance between them. "You never gave me a chance to tell you… I choose you." Sailor Cosmos stood on her tippy toes to try to kiss Sailor Star Fighter, but she was still too short.
Sailor Star Fighter's jaw dropped in surprise. Fighter was certain Usagi would chose Mamoru based on everything she had said after her return from Nemesis. She didn't want to hear the rejection. She snapped out of her daze and quickly placed her arms around the petite senshi and kissed Sailor Cosmos. Sailor Cosmos' staff fell to the ground as she wrapped her arms tightly around Sailor Star Fighter.
"…I think we should head back in…" Makoto said.
"Yeah…" Minako said, also in surprise. She shook her head. "I'm glad she's made her decision."
As they headed back inside, Yaten was overheard saying, "I guess we aren't going back to Kinmoku after all."
When their lips parted, Sailor Cosmos smiled up at Sailor Star Fighter. "I was starting to think you were going to leave before I could tell you how I felt." Her tone became serious. "Seiya… you thought I was going to choose Endymion…" The realization made her feel sadness, but given recent circumstances and her declaration to spend all day with Mamoru, it was a logical conclusion. She took a few steps back. "Seiya… I chose you… because… you loved me as Tsukino Usagi before you knew anything about my past or being a senshi. I know we will have a lot of challenges ahead of us… but I want to face them with you." She lightly touched Sailor Star Fighter's cheek.
"Challenges..?" Sailor Star Fighter repeated while she considered Sailor Cosmos' words. "Not everyone will accept us together." She didn't have to say whom. It was already obvious.
"Leave them to me." Sailor Cosmos said with a smile. She appeared so happy. It was as if all of the worry and anxiety she felt earlier in the day had melted away. She could finally feel at ease.
"This was one heck of a summer break. I'm worried what the New Year is going to look like." Sailor Star Fighter teased.
Sailor Cosmos gasped. "I still have to finish my work or my mother will kill me!"
Sailor Star Fighter tear dropped slightly. This was typically for Usagi. "I'm guessing we should head back inside so you can finish your work. But you know the other girls are probably going to have a lot to say."
"Not really… Minako-chan will be distracted since Yaten-kun is here. I'm sure I can get Ami-chan to help me with my work."
Seiya and Usagi entered the room and were greeted by a room filled with silence from everybody. No one knew what to say.
"You guys are that surprised?" Seiya asked trying to lighten the atmosphere in the room.
"You didn't sound that confident this morning," Yaten shouted back. "But it's good things were…figured out." He wasn't sure what else to say.
Usagi looked at her homework on the table. She sighed. "I don't want to finish my work." Her simple statement created a round of laughter in the room. Dejected, Usagi plopped down the floor near her assignments. "I just want to enjoy what is left of my summer break", she whined. She felt like she never actually got a chance to relax and enjoy the summer.
"Let me help you with it, Usagi-chan," Ami offered. She quickly glanced down at Usagi's worksheet. "This isn't too bad. You're halfway done with this, and so far everything looks good."
Usagi grumbled, but knew she had no other options at this point. They wouldn't let her leave until her work was completed.
It was early in the afternoon when Usagi began her work and by the time she was done, it was late afternoon. All of Makoto's snacks had been eaten.
The entire afternoon, Minako expected to be reprimanded by Yaten for her actions of Nemesis when she knocked both of them over on a stealth mission. Maybe Yaten wasn't as upset with her anymore. As everyone was getting ready to leave, Yaten finally spoke to her. "That was a dirty trick you played to get all of us over here."
"A trick?" Minako asked innocently. "I don't understand, all I did was ask for a favor. It's what friends do."
"Friends…" Yaten slowly repeated. He never really considered the Earth senshi his friends. For the longest time they had been viewed as their enemies, and it was only after having to join forces for the better good of their mission, were the Senshi considered comrades. But he never really thought of them as anything else than Senshi. Yaten smirked a little. He still had a lot to learn about Earth. It was a good thing they weren't going anywhere for a while.
"Thank you for your help," Ami said to Taiki. "You seem to have a knack in being able to explain the material to Usagi-chan in a matter she can understand."
Taiki shrugged slightly. "I've had a lot of practice teaching Seiya and Yaten."
Makoto watched the interactions with the other senshi. It seemed as if they were all pairing up, leaving her and Rei; though Rei had Yuuichirou. He hasn't been around much due to helping Rei's grandfather. But they would both be returning home later this year. Makoto smiled when she realized the timing was beneficial to not have them home during their battle with Black Moon. How could they explain the Moon Senshi's coming and going? Worse, Rei's grandfather would be hitting on all of them.
Ami, Minako and Makoto left the shrine together. Yaten and Taiki headed back to their apartment. Seiya offered to walk Usagi back home.
Seiya was still in a state of disbelief. He had convinced himself earlier that he would have been the one cast aside by Usagi.
"Seiya?" Usagi said louder. He seemed to be in his own world.
"Hmm?" Seiya redirected his focus to the woman walking next to him.
"You seemed to be lost in thought."
"I was."
"Oh? What were you thinking about?"
"How lucky I am to have you in my life."
"Sei… Seiya…" She murmured. He always seemed to know what to say to her. It seemed to flow so naturally for him while Mamoru struggled with it. Mamoru. She hadn't spoken to him today. Usagi's shoulders slumped when she thought about the other difficult task she still had to complete for the day. She stopped walking.
"What's wrong?" Seiya asked. He noticed the sudden change in Usagi.
"I just realized…there is one more thing I have to do today." Her voice was very quiet and sad.
Seiya was silent as he waited for her to continue, unsure of what she would reveal as her last task.
"I have to talk to Mamo-chan. He has to know that… I chose you." She frowned. It would be a difficult conversation. She wasn't sure how he would handle it when she would tell him she chose Seiya again. But this time… it was her final decision. She could talk to him more about it since she wasn't about to rush off to another planet.
Seiya didn't like the idea of Usagi speaking to Mamoru again so soon, but he knew it was a conversation she had to have with him. If he was in Mamoru's position, he would want to know. He wanted to be supportive of Usagi. A part of him worried that she would change her mind after spending time with Mamoru.
Usagi became concerned when Seiya didn't respond right away. She reached forward to grab his arm. "I'm not going to change my mind," she tried her best to ease his mind. "…But I know it's not going to be easy."
"Did you want me to go with you? I could wait somewhere?" Seiya asked. He knew going with her when she spoke to Mamoru would definitely lead to another confrontation. He didn't want to fight Mamoru again.
"I appreciate the offer…" Usagi said as she considered what would be the best plan. "But I think it would be best if I go alone. I'll see you at school tomorrow." She smiled slightly at him.
"How about I meet you at your house tomorrow morning? I'll walk you to school." He pulled her close to him for another tight embrace before they parted.
"I look forward to it…" she hugged Seiya back tightly. She didn't want to leave him at that moment, but she needed to speak to Mamoru.
After a few moments they parted ways. She started walking towards the direction of Mamoru's apartment. A walk she made countless times. She tried to figure out what she would say when she saw him. She knew she didn't want to drag it out.
Her heart raced as she stood in front of his door again. She thought back to the last time she felt this nervous about entering his apartment; when she asked him and Seiya to get along. That turned into a fight when Seiya showed up to talk to Mamoru. This time there would not be a fight. She took another deep breath to calm herself. This was going to be the most difficult conversation she has ever had with Mamoru. She still loved him…but she was in love with someone else. She needed to be able to move on. He was her past. He was no longer her future.
Usagi knocked on Mamoru's door. She patiently waited while she heard shuffling behind the door. A few seconds later, he opened the door. "Usako?" He was surprised to see her here so late at night. He quickly moved to the side to let her in.
"Hi… Mamo-chan…" It was impossible to call him anything else. He would always be Mamo-chan to her. When she called him Mamoru-san it didn't seem right either. "We need to talk."
Mamoru led Usagi to the couch and they both sat down. His stomach began to feel queasy when he seen the look of sadness in her eyes. He knew she was with the other girls this morning to complete her work. But they should have finished hours ago. The longer he went without hearing from her, the more he worried.
"As you know… I spent the rest of last night thinking about what I was going to do. And I've come to a decision… it wasn't easy," Usagi couldn't look at Mamoru anymore with what she was about to tell him. She clenched her fists into tight balls. "I'm…I'm sorry Mamo-chan…" Her voice cracked. This was extremely difficult to tell him but she knew it would be for the best.
"…Usako…" He tried to find the right words. "You have to reconsider. You can't …" His voice trailed off. He had so much he wanted to say to her, but he was in a state of shock. He struggled with putting the right words together.
"I have thought everything over... And I've chosen to remain with Seiya."
Her words cut him like daggers. "I can't believe you are willing to walk away from everything we have so easily."
"This wasn't easy for me, Mamo-chan!" Usagi shouted. "I can't believe you would think I made this decision lightly." Her voice softened when she realized she yelled at him. "I still want to have you in my life…but not in the same way as before. I don't want to completely lose you."
"…" He was speechless at how quickly her temperament changed. She truly was not the same girl she was when she was Sailor Moon. "I just wish there was something I could do to change your mind."
"I know…it's just when I first saw the new future….it gave me a realization."
"How so?" He wanted to try to understand how she could end things between them.
"I realized…if I had never awakened as Princess Serenity….Would we ever be together as Chiba Mamoru and Tsukino Usagi?"
"Of course." Mamoru tried to reassure her even though he wasn't as confidant as he sounded.
"Think about it. We never got along. We were both so mean to each other…It was almost as if we hated each other. If we never learned each other's past identities, we would have still acted the same toward each other."
"Usako…we just needed time to realize how we really felt." He pleaded with her. He couldn't believe what he was hearing. Did yesterday mean nothing to her?
"…How much time?" She asked quietly. "Or… it might not have ever happened. I think about how things were with Makaiju. I had my memories back and I tried to get you to remember, but you still acted as if you didn't want anything to do with me."
"That's not fair, Usako."
"But it's true!"
"What about the Moonlight Knight? He was a part of me that came to life to protect you".
"That was Endymion's creation."
Mamoru opened his mouth to speak and instead he let out a loud sigh of frustration. He sat down on a stool near his kitchen counter. It always comes back to the difference between him and Endymion. "I don't understand… I am the same person. I've always been Endymion. I will always be Endymion."
"But do you love me as Chiba Mamoru or as Prince Endymion?"
He began to understand what she was saying. "It doesn't matter what form I am. I will always love you, Usako. You know that." He was thankful he sat down for a moment. If he hadn't his legs probably would have given out. It was too much to handle at once.
"I thought after the time we spent together yesterday…" His voice began to trail off. "That you were finally coming back to me. For the first time in months, I had hope again."
"I never meant to mislead you, Mamo-chan…it's just I wasn't sure what I wanted until this morning. I did enjoy our time together. I will always cherish those memories…but it is time for me to follow my heart and it has directed me on this new path". She walked over next to him and lightly placed a hand on his shoulder. "I don't want to lose you." She lowered her head as she finished her last statement. "But I have to follow my heart."
"Even at the cost of breaking mine?"
Usagi took a few steps back. "That's not fair, Mamo-chan. This isn't easy for me either!"
"You have to ask yourself why it's so difficult. Are you sure this is something that you want?" He now stood up and walked back over to her. "I have never stopped loving you. I never will."
Usagi closed her eyes. Her hands were clenched at her sides. She knew she had to leave the apartment. "I'm sorry, Mamo-chan, but I can't return your feelings anymore…" She spun on her heels and fled from his apartment one final time.
Usagi slowly walked home. It was a long difficult day. She finished her work, was attacked and had to choose whom she would love. She felt confident in her decision right now, but then again she felt the same way when she originally left for Kinmoku. But she thought this out!
This is the path she chose. Though deep down, she knew the disappearance of Crystal Tokyo played a role in her decision. But she, Usagi, made this decision. Not Princess Serenity. Not Sailor Cosmos. She wanted more than anything to be happy. After everything she had experienced, it was all she wanted.
She was lost in her thoughts and she didn't notice that she had passed by Setsuna, Haruka, and Michiru.
"Kitten?"
Haruka's voice disrupted Usagi's voice. She turned around to see the three Outer Senshi. "Hi!" She exclaimed happily. "I didn't see you there."
"You seem really upbeat," Michiru smiled at the younger girl's mood.
Setsuna became suspicious of her behavior. She thought back to the last conversation she had with her in the time streams when they had discussed her struggles with making a decision between Mamoru and Seiya. "Were you able to sort everything out?"
"Yes." Usagi grinned. "And it feels great."
"What are you guys talking about?" Haruka was trying to keep up with the conversation. Realization dawned on her. Were they discussing her decision on choosing Mamoru or Seiya?
Usagi knew what would happen as soon as they knew whom she chose. She hoped over time their anger would decrease and they would learn to accept Seiya. "…I chose Seiya." She kept it simple.
The three older women gasped at her response. They always knew it was a possibility, but it didn't make it any easier to hear. They were confident after recent events she would resume her relationship with the Prince of Earth.
Haruka released sounds of frustration deep in her throat and was about to protest until Setsuna cut her off.
"I'm glad to hear that you've made your choice. I know it was difficult for you," Setsuna's words silenced Haruka.
Usagi's smile returned. "It's late and I have to be going."
"Good night," Michiru said with an air of annoyance in her tone.
Once Usagi was out of earshot, Setsuna turned to face Haruka and Michiru. "Now that she has made her decision… you have to be careful or you will most likely not receive golden crescent moon marks. As it stands right now… Seiya will be beside her when she becomes Queen." Setsuna reprimanded them. She wanted to ensure they would also receive the mark of the Royal Court.
Haruka was about to protest, but knew Setsuna had a point. "Damn it." She looked at Michiru. "This is going to be difficult."
"Think of it as part of our mission. We won't be able to protect the Princess…the future Queen…if we are not around in the future." Michiru said trying to help Haruka understand the importance of receiving a golden crescent moon mark. "Besides, it would be a disgrace to be excluded from the Royal Court."
While Haruka and Michiru talked, Setsuna was lost in her own thoughts. This new information made her think of an ancient legend from her home. When the danger from Eris is past, she would return to Pluto. She couldn't stand by and do nothing anymore. She kept her plan to herself. She wasn't sure if it was possible and she needed to do more research and a lot of searching within the royal palace of Pluto.
Mamoru was surprised to hear a knock at his door. He wasn't in the mood for any visitors after the day's events. He debated for a moment what he should do from his living room couch. It might be important. Another knock was heard, louder this time.
He let out a deep breath and stood up. The person at his door was persistent. He slowly walked over to the door and opened it.
"Mamoru-san…I wanted to check on you." It was Rei.
"I'm fine," he immediately said not wanting to discuss the matter anymore. He knew why she was here. She wanted to talk to him about Usagi and how he was holding up since Usagi chose Seiya and not him. She wanted to talk about the future he was promised, but now will never have.
Rei eyes softened. "I'm here to listen to anything you want to talk about. It's just…." She hesitated unsure of what she would say next. Since Seiya initially left Earth they had spoken many times about Usagi. Mamoru had several concerns that he didn't know how to address with Usagi, yet he knew talking about it would upset her. "I'm sure today has been difficult for you."
Mamoru narrowed his eyes. He knew Rei wasn't about to give up. She was worried about him and how the break up with Usagi affected him. He conceded. "Terrible…" He finally responded. "She…told me her decision….Not even an hour ago." He sat back down on the couch. "I thought things had gone well yesterday…"
Rei sat down quickly on a chair nearby. She knew Usagi left to meet Mamoru yesterday, but never heard anything about the time they had spent together.
"After she left, I kept replaying a conversation we had at the Silver Millennium," Mamoru said. His eyes were distant as he recalled the events. "Usako repeated to me… something I told her when… I was trying to protect her the first time the Black Moon appeared several years ago." He couldn't bring himself to say it was when he broke up with her. "I told her our love wouldn't last forever…because I foolishly thought at the time I was protecting her." Regret was written across his features.
Rei shifted uneasily in her seat, "I remember that night. Afterwards, Usagi was devastated for several days. Until she came up with a new plan to try and win you back." She wasn't sure how she could comfort Mamoru. Usagi choosing Seiya over Mamoru twice. Her decision seemed clear.
"I have to get her back…" Mamoru sounded desperate.
Rei bit her lip. She didn't want him to have unrealistic expectations. "You might not be successful," Rei knew it would be painful for him to hear this, but he needed to realize the truth.
Mamoru glared at Rei. He didn't want to believe Usagi could be that far gone. "Why do you say that?" He challenged the senshi of fire. This was Usako, the love of his life. How was he expected to just be able to walk away?
"Did…Usagi ever tell you about the dream she had… of the future?" Rei questioned him. She had to approach the subject carefully. He would not like what she was about to tell him, but it seemed to be the only way to help him understand Usagi's choice.
"Dreams? Do you mean recent dreams?" Mamoru had a puzzled expression. "She told me about a dream she had… where Chibi-Usa yelled at her that she gave up." He replayed more of the events from this afternoon. He remembered the other girl. "She also mentioned a silver-hair girl at the Silver Millennium." He tried to recall any other piece of their conversations regarding Usagi's dreams. He looked at Rei and noticed the look of worried on her face. "Rei-chan… why do you look so worried?"
"…What did she tell you about the silver-hair girl?"
"Not much." Suddenly it hit him. "Rei-chan…what are you not telling me about this girl?" He began to feel anxious. He had assumed the silver-hair girl might be an alternative version of Chibi-Usa. He had been full of hope when he went to sleep last night. He didn't understand what changed.
"The silver-hair girl….called Usagi her mother in some of her dreams." Rei said softly. She tried to think of the best way to tell him the news. "Usagi… also saw Seiya-san there…. and he seemed to be the girl's father."
Mamoru clenched his fists tightly. Within a matter of seconds his fist began to shake in anger. This couldn't be possible. How could Usagi possible have a child with someone else… and Seiya no less? His mind wildly raced. He had so many questions. Is this what Usako based her decision upon? But she had claimed she was going to make the decision based on whom she loved the most as Tsukino Usagi. How could she have dreams of two different futures and two different..? He couldn't finish the final thought. He refused to believe the future that Rei described. After a few minutes, he finally found his voice. "Why are you telling me this?"
"I thought you should know all of the facts," Rei said slowly. She hoped this revelation would not lead to future conflicts between him and Seiya. "I was hoping it would help you understand what Usagi experienced and why she made her decision." She stood up from her seat and sat down next to Mamoru on the couch. She lightly put her hands on Mamoru's arm. "I know this is difficult to hear…but you needed to know the entire truth Mamoru-san."
"Why wouldn't Usako tell me this?" Tears threatened to fall from his eyes. A small breath of air escaped his lips. "She didn't want to cause me more pain."
Rei nodded her head in agreement. "I just didn't want to see you…get hurt any further."
Mamoru snapped his head at Rei. "Get hurt further? How could I be anything, but hurt?" He jerked his arm back away from Rei. "I wish you never would have come here."
Rei's eyes soften at his anger. "I'll leave." She stood up and walked over to the door and put her shoes back on. She knew he was lashing out right now because he was upset. The anger would eventually pass. "Take care." She knew he needed time to process everything.
Usagi yawned as she sat down at the edge of the genkan. She would be leaving in a moment to resume the school year. As she put her shoes on, she thought about everything that occurred since the beginning of summer. She was controlled by Chaos, became Sailor Cosmos, traveled to Kinmoku, kidnapped, and taken to Nemesis. A knock at the front door interrupted her thoughts.
Usagi stood up and slowly walked to the front door. She was surprised to see Seiya there when she opened the door. Then she remembered he had offered to walk her to school on the first day back. "..Hi…" Usagi said with a small smile. She was still trying to come to terms with the decisions she had made the night before. "I'm leaving for school!" Usagi called over her shoulder to her mother. She quickly closed the door behind her.
The duo slowly walked to school. Seiya tried to talk to Usagi several times, but he received short answers. He turned to her and hugged her tightly.
"Whaa?" Usagi exclaimed in surprised. After a moment she returned the gesture. "I guess I've had a lot on my mind." She broke away from him to apologize.
"You don't have to apologize," he reassured her. "I'm sure last night was difficult for you."
"Yeah…" Usagi said with a sad smile. "It was something I had to do. I just hope that Mamo-chan will be able to forgive me one day."
"I'm sure he will."
Usagi glanced up at him in confused. "How do you know?" He was never very close to Mamoru.
"Because no one can stay mad at you for very long, regardless of what happened," Seiya said. He leaned over and lightly kissed her on the forehead.
Usagi blushed slightly. She wasn't used to such affection in a potentially public place. "Se…Seiya!" She exclaimed. She decided to change the subject. A lot has happened since the last time I was at school."
Seiya chuckled. "I can only imagine how some of your classmates are going to react when I show up with you."
Usagi's widened her eyes in alarm. The Three Lights fan club members. They always gave her a hard time before and didn't believe she was worthy of "Seiya-sama's time". She thought back to the fierce softball game against Sonoko. Her shoulders slumped at the thought of seeing his fan club.
"They will just have to get used to it," Seiya said with a grin.
Before Usagi could respond, they were greeted cheerfully by Minako. "Usagi-chan!" Minako searched the area around Usagi with her eyes. After a moment, Minako's eyes showed disappointment when she realized Seiya was the only Three Light's member present. "I'm surprised to see you so early at school."
"I told Taiki and Yaten that I would pick Odango up today to make sure she was on time. I'm sure they're already in the classroom," Seiya explained to Minako.
"Oh..." Minako smiled brightly. "I'll see you inside!" She turned and walked past the school gates, leaving Seiya and Usagi just outside the entrance way.
Usagi let out another deep breath. She didn't want to see her classmates.
Seiya reached over to hold her right hand. He squeezed her hand for encouragement. "Everything will be fine. I'm with you." He whispered in her ear.
Usagi blushed slightly at the affection act. What was the worst thing that could happen? "We should probably go to class. I can only imagine what Minako-chan would say if we are late."
Seiya smiled. They walked wordlessly across the schoolyard. A few students stopped in the middle of their conversation to stare at them.
Usagi felt uneasy as she could feel everyone's eyes on her. She wondered if this is what it always felt like to be an idol. A few minutes later, they exchanged their shoes and began to walk to the classroom.
Usagi bit her lip when she saw Sonoko standing near a row of windows with four other girls. She displayed an icy glare at Usagi. She did not speak to Usagi. Instead she turned to the girls beside her and whispered something. The group laughed.
Seiya arched an eyebrow at their immature behavior. They abruptly stopped laughing and looked away. The group may not approve of Usagi but they didn't want to do anything to upset the idol they worshiped.
The couple turned the corner and nearly bumped into Ami and Taiki talking among themselves. "Good morning, Usagi-chan!" Ami said brightly with a warm smile.
"I see you made it here on time," Taiki said. His comment directed toward Seiya. "We were just about to head to class."
"You're not in class with us?" Usagi asked confused.
"No… they changed my class due to my test scores for the new term. I'm in the same class as Ami-chan." Taiki explained. It still sounded foreign to him to address everyone with the chan suffix. It was his way of trying to fit in more with the others.
"I'll meet you by the gate after class, Usagi-chan," Ami said before she turned to enter her classroom.
"Yeah…." Usagi responded slowly. She turned to head to her classroom. They walked the short distance to their classroom and sat down in their seats as always. Minako and Makoto spoke quietly among themselves. Yaten sat bored in his seat.
Seiya excused himself for a moment to rush to the bathroom. As soon as he left the room, several of the other girls in the classroom bombarded Usagi with questions about her relationship with Seiya.
"Is it true Tsukino-san? Are you and Seiya-san a couple?"
"What is it like dating one of the Three Lights?"
"When did you two start dating?"
Usagi is flustered by the sudden attention and mumbled a few responses as the girls continued to ask her questions.
"Leave her alone," Yaten growled at them. "Whatever Seiya does on his own time is his business." He knew the girls would be relentless until he said something.
The swarm of girls were startled by Yaten's sudden outburst and went back to their seats.
Minako watched Yaten in awe. She had not expected Yaten to come to Usagi's aid.
"Thank you…" Usagi said to Yaten with a smile.
Yaten smiled slightly. "If you think this is bad, it's only going to get worse."
Usagi bit her lip. She knew Yaten was right. She wasn't sure if she was ready to be in the constant spotlight.
Seiya entered the classroom and sat down in his seat behind Usagi.
The bell rang and a few moments later the teacher entered the classroom.
Usagi was surprised Seiya wanted to have lunch with her on the roof. Usagi pulled out her bento box and immediately began to inhale the fish and rice.
Seiya watched her for a moment and then began to laugh.
Usagi stopped for a moment to stare at him in confusion. "What's so funny?"
Seiya smiled and brushed a few grains of rice from her cheek. "I'm glad to see that some things haven't change." He became more playful, "I don't understand the rush though… it's not like anyone is going to steal your food." He gave her a mischievous grin as an idea occurred to him. "Well… maybe…" He eyed what was left of her food.
Usagi clutched her lunch to her. "Nooo!"
Seiya burst out laughing at Usagi's reaction.
Usagi pouted at Seiya for attempting to take her food. "That's no way to treat someone you like."
Seiya turned a little more serious. "Like? You think I only like you?"
"…Ah…Well…." Usagi stammered.
Seiya smiled at her again. "I know what you meant." Seiya picked up his bento box he had placed to the side to resume eating.
Usagi picked up her bento and her chop sticks. She picked up rice with her chop sticks and was about to resuming eating but stopped. "Se…Seiya…"
"Hmmm?"
"I wonder what is going to happen once the Black Moon is gone. I mean… what would it be like to just be a normal high school student?"
Seiya smirked. "What is normal?"
Usagi looked at him surprised. Then she understood. "Yet…I guess we are far from normal…not everyone is a senshi." She picked up her chop sticks again and resumed eating her lunch.
They ate in silence, each lost in their own thoughts until they were done. It was nearly time to head back to class. Seiya stood up and gently helped Usagi back to her feet. "Almost time to head back." He began to walk toward the door leading the staircase to head down.
"Wait…" Usagi said softly tugged at his arm.
Seiya turned around, surprised by Usagi's action.
She looked up into his eyes. "There is…something I've been wanting to tell you for a while." She was nervous. She often thought back to a particular time they stood in this same spot in the rain. "It's… something I should have told you a long time ago."
"Odango…" he whispered slowly unsure of what she was about to tell him.
She smiled and looked deep into his eyes once more. "You are good enough. You've always been good enough."
Seiya smiled warmly at Usagi. His hand briefly caressed her cheek before he leaned over to kiss her. They kissed for several minutes before they finally broke apart, each still smiling at the other.
The bell rang to resume class, ending their tender moment. They rushed to the staircase hand in hand.
Usagi has finally made her decision! But not everyone is happy with her choice. Wait until you see what Setsuna has planned! Why would anything be easy for Usagi?
This storyline is starting to wrap up! The girls force Usagi to train, Haruka overhears something odd, Endymion comes to Sailor Cosmos aid, and the Moon Senshi have some updates! Act 37: Preparing for Battle