Just a quick reminder that my supplementary work, Descent Into Darkness is best read between the last chapter and this one.
It's not mandatory reading, but if you want to get a glimpse of Mamoru's perspective at this point of the story you can go check it out.
CHAPTER SIX
She was exhausted. Utterly exhausted.
The past week had seen a record number of youma attacks. Usagi had lost count somewhere after ten, though given the precious little sleep she was running on, counting much higher than that was currently beyond her capabilities. For seven straight days the Senshi had faced a constant bombardment of relentless, indiscriminate strikes sent by the Dark Kingdom. Usagi's communicator had been going off like a smoke alarm morning, noon, and night, summoning her from school, home, and everywhere in between to put out fires all across the city. Everyone was run off their feet and miserable about it; even Ami had begun to complain.
Adding insult to injury, Usagi had managed to rack up a record-breaking six straight days of detention, mainly for the usual offences: late to school, falling asleep in class, and one rather extended bathroom break where Haruna-sensei had accused her of cutting class. In all fairness, her teacher had been right; Usagi had slipped out of math class to help Makoto deal with a youma, but it didn't seem fair be punished for doing her duty as a Senshi. Defending the innocent was way more important than learning algebra…too bad it wasn't an excuse she could ever use.
Bone-weary after serving her final sentence of the week—Haruna-sensei had refused to set her free until she'd cleaned the classroom from top to bottom—Usagi trudged down the sidewalk behind Makoto and groaned when they reached the stairs to Hikawa Shrine. She hoped today's meeting wouldn't take too long. All Usagi wanted to do was go home, eat dinner, take a nice, warm bath, and go to bed. She hadn't had a single uninterrupted night's sleep all week, but there hadn't been any youma sightings in the past twelve hours—the longest they'd gone in days. Perhaps it was foolish to get her hopes up, but maybe even the Dark Kingdom needed a break.
The others were already gathered in Rei's bedroom when Usagi and Makoto arrived. Ami was sitting at Rei's desk with her nose buried in a textbook, while Rei and Minako sat cross-legged at the low, square table in the middle of the room. Makoto smiled as they entered to a chorus of muted greetings and chose a spot at the table, whereas Usagi only grunted a monosyllabic reply before heading straight for Rei's bed and dropping face down like a sack of potatoes.
"Make yourself at home," Rei drawled.
Usagi moaned into Rei's quilt. "I've never been so tired in my life. Let's get this over with so I can go home." Uncomfortable, she slid an arm beneath Rei's pillow and rolled onto her side. "Your mattress is too firm, Rei."
Rei rolled her eyes. "So get off of it then."
"I'm too tired to sit up," Usagi whined. "I need to lie down, even if it feels like I'm lying on a slab of concrete." Cool air kissed her stomach as she fidgeted, and she tugged at the hem of her shirt in irritation. Her shirts had been riding up all week, and she had a sneaking suspicion that her mother had shrunk them in the wash.
Makoto arched her back as she stretched her arms above her head. "I'm pretty beat too. All this back and forth is killing me; I feel like I've run across Tokyo more times than I can count."
"It's been very disruptive," Ami chimed in, pulling off her glasses. "I've fallen so far behind on my reading, I don't know how I'll ever catch up." Usagi made a token effort to look sympathetic along with the others, even though she suspected 'behind' for Ami meant being only five chapters ahead instead of fifteen.
"It's been a difficult week for all of you."
Usagi looked over as Luna and Artemis entered the room and hopped up onto the table. "This increase in activity has been running us all ragged," Luna said. "That is why it's vital that we do our best to get ahead of these attacks."
Artemis nodded. "So far, we've been struggling just to keep up. We need to anticipate the enemy if we're going to have any chance of stopping them."
Ami sighed and set her textbook down. "I've been analyzing the data for days, but I can't detect a pattern in their activity."
"And I've meditated in front of the fire," Rei added, "but it tells me nothing."
"We might as well throw a dart at a map," Usagi muttered, flopping over onto her back to alleviate the ache in her hip. She'd suffered more than her fair share of bumps and bruises this past week, and her stiff joints were in desperate need of a long, hot soak.
"As inspired as Usagi's idea is," Luna said, sounding anything but impressed, "perhaps we can think of something a little more intuitive."
A moment of ponderous silence passed before Minako spoke up. "The enemy is more likely to target crowded areas."
"Except for that couple making out in the park Tuesday night," Usagi pointed out with a snort. "That was hardly an energy buffet."
"And the yogurt stand yesterday afternoon," Makoto added. "The poor guy didn't even have any customers."
"It was sweet of him to give us free yogurt, though."
"The fresh kiwi was a nice touch."
"Mine had strawberries!"
"We're getting off topic," Luna interjected as Usagi and Makoto exchanged looks of amusement. "As random as these attacks have been, Minako is right. The enemy is after energy, so large crowds make sense."
Rei frowned and folded her arms across her chest. "That doesn't exactly narrow things down, though. It's not like there's a shortage of crowds in Tokyo."
Makoto grabbed a sheet of paper from her schoolbag and placed it on the table. "It's just a hunch, but I saw these flyers posted near my apartment, and I thought it might be worth a look."
Curiosity piqued, Usagi dragged herself from Rei's unforgiving mattress and shuffled over to the table to take a peek. After kneeling down next to Makoto, Usagi scanned the flashy neon font with tired eyes. It was an advertisement for a new arena in the area. In celebration of the grand opening, free skating lessons were being offered to groups of five from two Olympic pair skaters. Usagi's eyes widened when she read the names, and Makoto jumped at her ensuing squeal. "Ooh, Janelyn and Misha! I've seen them on TV, they're amazing!"
Minako looked up from the flyer with a wary expression. "That's sure to draw a crowd."
Rei pulled the flyer across the table and studied it with a frown. "'Female groups of five?'" She looked up at the others and raised an eyebrow. "Anyone else think that's odd?"
"Yeah," Makoto agreed, "I thought it was weird too."
"It's certainly an unusual stipulation," Luna said, glancing at Artemis. They exchanged nods before Luna turned to Makoto. "Good eye, Makoto. An event like this would be a prime target for harvesting energy. The five of you should go check it out."
Makoto blushed at the praise then looked to the others. "Tomorrow morning, then? Does everyone have skates?"
Usagi frowned. She did have ice skates; had, in fact, begged her parents for a pair last winter after watching a figure skating competition on TV. Seeing all of the beautiful, graceful couples dancing around on the ice had convinced Usagi that she was destined to become a world-class figure skater. Though her mother had needed slightly more convincing, Usagi had eventually wheedled her way into a trip to the mall, where she'd picked out fancy skates and a gorgeous skating dress that were sure to make her look fabulous when she hit the ice.
And hit the ice she had; numerous times. Countless, in fact. Truth be told, on her first time out, Usagi's butt had made more contact with the ice than her skates…and she'd been so sure she would be a natural. The sad reality had been a crushing disappointment. Hopes shattered, she'd wobbled off the ice into her father's waiting arms and bawled while he'd patted her back and insisted that she would get better with practice. The only thing that had perked her up in the end was a conciliatory ice cream cone. When they'd gotten home, Usagi had shoved the dress and the skates in the back of her closet and they'd been sitting there gathering dust ever since.
"Usagi?" Makoto said, laying a hand on her shoulder. "Do you have a pair of skates?"
"Oh, um, yeah," Usagi stammered. "I think I have a pair somewhere…but we don't actually have to skate, do we?" The prospect of embarrassing herself in front of her friends, an arena full of people, and two Olympians held little appeal. "Can't we just go and watch?"
Makoto frowned then glanced at the flyer. "I think it's just for groups taking the lesson, I didn't see anything about—"
"What's wrong, Usagi?" Rei said with a smirk. "Don't you know how to skate?"
"Of course I know how!" Usagi snapped without thinking. Then, when her brain caught up with her mouth, she hastened to amend the bald-faced lie. "I just— It's…been a while since I went skating. I might be a bit rusty."
Ami gave Usagi's hand an encouraging pat. "That's all right, Usagi. It's a lesson, you don't need to be an expert."
Usagi was more concerned about being able to stay upright, but she forced herself to smile in response.
"I wouldn't worry if I were you, Usagi," Artemis said with a wink. "I'm sure you'll be a natural on the ice."
The cat's breezy claim raised more than a few eyebrows, Usagi's included, before Luna's skeptical scarlet gaze widened. "Oh, yes, that's right! I'm sorry, Artemis, I assumed you were joking when you suggested Usagi—ah, well, never mind that." Luna looked to Usagi. "I don't know if you remember this, Usagi, but you were quite the gifted skater back in the day."
Usagi blinked. "Say what now?"
"I assume Luna and Artemis are referring to the Silver Millennium," Ami clarified, earning nods from the cats.
Usagi's mouth dipped in a frown. "Serenity was big on skating?"
"You could say that," Artemis replied, stepping forward with an eager smile. "You were the one who brought ice skating to the moon," his bright gaze slanted to Ami, "with a little help from Mercury, of course."
Usagi was gratified to see that she wasn't the only one confused when Ami's brow furrowed.
"It's a charming story, actually," Luna said, grinning and shaking her head. "Before your sixth birthday, you decided that the only thing you wanted was an ocean of your very own."
"No, I didn't," Usagi said. She'd asked for a pony for her sixth birthday, which was much more reasonable than an ocean.
"You did," Luna replied with a cheerful nod. "You had your heart set on it, and when your mother tried to explain that oceans couldn't exist on the moon you burst into tears."
"Thought she'd cry herself an ocean right then and there," Artemis quipped dryly.
Usagi's mouth flattened, but not because she'd also happened to cry when she hadn't gotten the pony.
"Yes, you cast quite the gloomy pall over the castle in the days that followed," Luna told Usagi with a patronizing roll of her eyes, "but little did you know that Mercury was devising a plan to grant your unusual request." Ami's look of confusion turned to curiosity when Luna flashed her a fond smile. "On the morning of your birthday," Luna continued, turning back to Usagi, "you refused to come out of your room."
"I don't recall your exact words," Artemis chimed in, "but it was something along the lines of 'It's my party, and I'll cry if I want to'."
"Indeed," Luna said with a slight shake of her head. "Anyhow, once you had tired of pouting, your mother managed to coax you out onto the balcony and"—she paused to laugh—"you should have seen your face. Mercury had used her magic to create a makeshift ocean—modestly sized of course—just beyond the palace courtyard."
Rei shot Ami an appraising look. "Pretty impressive for a six-year-old."
Artemis barked with laughter before Ami could blush. "That certainly would be, but Mercury was a good deal older than that. She had to be almost sixty by then."
"Sixty?" Rei echoed, eyes wide.
"Don't look so surprised," Artemis replied. "You were all older than the princess, and Mercury was the youngest of the lot of you. The Queen had long desired an heir, and when she was finally blessed she made sure to choose experienced guardians. She was very protective…"
When Artemis trailed off, Luna cleared her throat and picked up the thread. "Indeed she was, and not without cause." Usagi fidgeted when Luna gave her a chiding look. "You were so excited about the surprise that your mother barely managed to keep you from jumping straight off the balcony. The entire kingdom had assembled for the unveiling. It was a truly remarkable day." Luna's wistful expression turned indulgent. "And you were one very happy little princess."
Though her tongue itched with the urge to correct Luna's umpteenth use of 'you' instead of 'Serenity', Usagi forced a tight smile and kept her thoughts about spoiled rotten princesses to herself.
"That's really sweet," Makoto said with a smile. "I'm guessing the ocean froze when winter came and that's where the ice skating came in?"
"Ah, that's where things get interesting," Artemis replied. "You see, the moon didn't have seasons."
When Makoto's brow crinkled along with the rest of the girls', Luna stepped in to elaborate. "The moon was no more hospitable of an environment during the Silver Millennium than it is now. It was only through the power of the ginzuishou that a portion of its surface could be made habitable for its residents. As such, it was not plagued by weather systems or seasonal changes, but rather remained in a state of perfect stasis at all times."
"Fascinating," Ami remarked. "Maintaining a stable ecosystem of that size must have required a great deal of power."
Luna gave Ami a solemn nod. "Queen Serenity's power was second to none and revered throughout the galaxy." Her eyes dimmed. "Well, throughout most of it, anyhow." When Artemis leaned forward to rub his head against her shoulder, Luna's whiskers twitched in a sad smile. "Forgive me. All of this was to say that skating came to the moon not as a consequence of nature, but of magic." Her gaze turned back to Usagi. "When you raced down from your chambers for a closer look, Mercury explained that though the water was beautiful it was also dangerous, given that it was a product of her own innate magic. As such, you were given strict instructions to look but not to touch."
"And what do you think happened after that?" Artemis asked in a tone that could only be described as long-suffering amusement.
"She touched it," Usagi and Rei answered in unison.
"Bingo," Artemis said.
"There was barely enough time to react, but Jupiter managed to snatch you out of harm's way before Mercury's counter spell took effect. The water froze in an instant, and while at least half the kingdom was still recovering from shock, you insisted on being let out on the ice. With the Queen's approval, Jupiter led you out and you were instantly enamoured. Mercury's 'ocean' became a permanent, safe fixture of the kingdom through the ginzuishou's magic and was renamed Mare Serenitatis." Luna smiled as Usagi's nose scrunched in confusion. "Or as it was more commonly known, the Sea of Serenity. The rest, as they say, is history."
"Princess Serenity dragged Jupiter out onto the ice whenever she could," Artemis finished with a wry grin. "The two of you became quite the talented pair. With your memories restored, maybe some of your old talents will begin to manifest."
Judging by the faint blush that rose in her cheeks, Makoto seemed pleased by the idea, but Usagi only fidgeted and tugged at her shirt. She didn't care if she was any good at skating, she was good at plenty of other things.
"It's hard to imagine Usagi being gifted at anything that requires even a modicum of grace," Rei teased, drawing Usagi's sharp gaze.
While she wasn't sure what modicum meant, Usagi knew when she was being insulted, and she crossed her arms and scowled. "Just like it's hard to imagine you keeping your big, fat mouth shut for more than twenty seconds, Rei."
The discussion quickly devolved into a deafening raspberry war before turning into an all out pillow fight. The cats excused themselves as the motley crew of teenage warriors blew off some much needed steam and eventually the skirmish calmed down enough for the meeting to wrap up. With plans to meet at the arena the next day, Usagi headed home alongside Makoto. They had been travelling in pairs all week, and though Usagi hadn't failed to notice that she was the only one who never travelled alone, she hadn't bothered to say anything about it. After all, she enjoyed the company.
She arrived home to the sounds and smells of family and food. Her father and brother were in the living room watching TV while her mother prepared dinner in the kitchen. Though Usagi's stomach rumbled in anticipation of food, she headed straight for the stairs, eager to soak her tired, achy bones in a hot tub.
"Usagi, is that you?"
Usagi paused on the stairs and turned to find her mother standing in the hallway with a tea towel slung over her shoulder and an all too familiar frown upon her face. Usagi breathed an inward sigh before dutifully answering, "Yes, Mama."
"You're home late again. Where were you?"
Getting scolded by her mother was always unpleasant, but it was the thick note of underlying concern in her voice that made Usagi wince. She never enjoyed letting her mother down, but she hated making her worry. She wanted to be a good daughter and a good Senshi, but it often seemed like the two were mutually exclusive. "Sorry, Mama," she murmured, reaching for yet another flimsy excuse, "Haruna-sensei kept me after class again…"
Her mother's lips curved in a soft frown. "Usagi, that's every day this week." Usagi bowed her head in shame, expecting a lecture, but her mother surprised her by laying a gentle hand on her shoulder and asking, "Is everything all right?"
Unnerved to find herself at eye level with her mother, Usagi wrapped her hands around the staircase railing and fixed her gaze upon her knuckles. She hated lying to her family. She did her best to avoid it whenever possible, but with the non stop insanity of the past week—these past months, really—she'd had no choice. Juggling two identities was no small burden, and the level of deception and secrecy required to protect an alter ego exacted a heavy toll.
Laughter sounded from the living room, reminding her that it could be worse. Her father could be out here questioning her too. Usagi mustered a smile and tried to sound reassuring when she replied, "I'm all right, Mama. It's just been a long week at school."
She tried her best not to fidget under her mother's assessing gaze and failed to realize she was holding her breath until her mother finally sighed and nodded her head. Usagi was trying to exhale in a natural fashion when she felt fingers graze her midriff. She glanced down just as her mother tugged at the hem of her shirt, and the sight of her exposed navel made her blush.
"I think my shirts shrunk," she mumbled, jerking the hem down.
Her mother's gaze swept up and down the length of her before settling on Usagi's chest. Then, leaning forward with an impish smirk on her face, her mother winked and said, "I think you've had a growth spurt."
Misunderstanding her meaning, Usagi's cheeks puffed up in affront. Then, as understanding dawned, she deflated and hunched her shoulders before reaching a surreptitious hand behind her back to adjust the band of her bra. She'd been having trouble with more than just her shirts this week.
"Looks like it's time to welcome you into the wonderful world of underwire, my dear," her mother joked before her expression grew wistful. "My little girl is becoming a woman so fast."
Usagi cringed and mumbled an awkward reply before hightailing it up the stairs, eager to flee the mortifying sound of her mother's soft laughter.
Grateful to have made it through a relaxing bath and a full meal without any youma-related interruptions, Usagi said a silent prayer of thanks as she got ready for bed. Despite the early hour—not yet nine o'clock—she was more than ready to bring the day to an end. The little sleep she'd managed to get over the past week had been restless, plagued by disturbing dreams that evaporated as soon as she woke. The only saving grace had been her lack of run-ins—nocturnal or otherwise—with Serenity. With no sign of the princess lurking about in her subconscious, Usagi had managed to put at least one worry to rest.
A proper night's sleep was just what Usagi needed, and she planned to take full advantage of the sudden lull in Dark Kingdom activity. Given the opportunity, she would happily sleep straight through until Monday morning, but for now she'd settle for a full eight hours.
Stretching her legs into the empty space at the foot of her bed, her thoughts turned to Luna. Though Usagi had managed to repair their rift with a special order of gourmet cat treats and a hefty dose of heartfelt prostration, her feline foot-warmer had not returned. Luna had found a new bosom bud. Usagi knew she shouldn't take it personally, but in truth she was feeling a little deserted. Although he'd only arrived a week ago, Artemis had already ensconced himself in Luna's good favour and the two were practically inseparable now. Though they claimed to be working on strategy sessions, Usagi had seen the way the two looked at each other… She only hoped her parents would be willing to house a litter of kittens when the time inevitably came.
Things with Venus—or Minako—had not been quite so effortless.
Making friends had never been an issue for Usagi, but there had barely been time to stop and take a breath over past week, let alone cultivate a new friendship, no matter how desperate she was to do so. Like Rei, Minako went to a different school, so Usagi had hardly seen her in her civilian form. She had, however, spent ample time with Venus, and she was a sight to see. A remarkable fighter, Usagi was truly in awe of her, and it was no mystery why; Venus's time as Sailor V meant she had more experience under her love-me-chain than the other four of them combined. She was quick on her feet, her aim was impeccable, and her instincts were always on point. At times it seemed like she was running circles around the rest of them on the battlefield.
If Venus had one weakness, it was teamwork. While there was always a period of adjustment after a new Senshi joined the team, there had been more than a few tense moments during the past week as they'd all struggled to find a new rhythm. Venus's take-charge attitude had rubbed some the wrong way and tempers had flared more than usual, but given their current circumstances it was hardly surprising. Things would settle down soon. They had to. And once they did, there would be plenty of time to get to know the real Minako.
Usagi couldn't wait. For more than one reason.
She groaned and rolled onto her side in order to relieve the ache in her hip. After packing more than a month's worth of battles into a single week, Usagi had more aches and pains than a ninety-year-old woman. Or so she assumed. She could chalk it up to the hectic pace or her own clumsiness, but the real reason she had taken such a beating this week was obvious. Tuxedo Kamen was MIA. The other Senshi had been doing their best to draw fire in his absence, but without her masked saviour waiting in the wings to whisk her out of harm's way, Usagi had been forced to face the painful reality of her own inadequacies as a Senshi like never before.
Suffice it to say, Tuxedo Kamen's presence was sorely missed.
A full week had gone by without any sign of him, and the Senshi still had no leads on where to look. There'd been no sign of Kunzite's sneering face either, just a surplus of vicious youma sent to collect energy, none of which had offered up any useful information. Tuxedo Kamen had vanished, and as much as Usagi missed her hero, she was equally concerned about his alter ego. Seven days without Mamoru… When was the last time she had gone that long without seeing him? Usagi honestly couldn't remember.
How many times had she cursed his constant presence in her daily life? Usagi could no more answer that than say how many corners she'd rounded in the past six days, expecting to bump into him. Nor could she count how many navy blazers had caught her eye. Or how many raven-haired heads had stopped her dead in her tracks. Whatever the number, it was more than she cared to admit.
She'd also spent a good deal of time wondering about Mamoru's life. How many people even knew he was missing? He'd told her he had no family, but what about friends? Was he popular at school? Other than Rei, Usagi had never seen him with anyone but Motoki. She'd wanted to stop by the arcade, but there'd been no time between school, family, and Senshi obligations. Even if she'd had the time, what would she have said? How could she look Motoki in the eye and pretend that she didn't know what had happened to Mamoru? What right did she have to go poking around in his life when she was the reason he wasn't here living it?
It bothered Usagi how little she knew about the obnoxious boy who loved to tease her, and the superhero who had saved her life more times than she could count.
All she knew was it was her turn to save him.
She reached for her stuffed bunny, Ninjin, and hugged him against her chest. She would find Mamoru, and she would save him. That was what she had to focus on. That was what mattered. The rest could wait. The rest would follow. They would figure it out together. As a team. Usagi tucked Ninjin's floppy ears beneath her chin and nuzzled him close, inhaling his familiar scent as she closed her eyes and prayed for a full night of undisturbed slumber.
Leaning back into the luxurious softness of her marshmallow pillows, Usagi plucked tiny tufts of candy-floss clouds from the air and popped them into her mouth, delighting as the sweet spun sugar dissolved on her tongue. As she licked her lips a chocolate unicorn pranced by, throwing her a wink and leaving a glimmering licorice rainbow trailing in its wake. She'd worked up quite the appetite strolling through the fields of frosting and climbing the peppermint trees, and some strawberry licorice would really hit the spot right now. Perhaps she'd stuff a few gumdrop flowers in her pockets too. In case she got hungry later.
"You certainly seem to have an affinity for food."
Usagi blinked. A talking unicorn? Preposterous.
"If one would deign to call this food…what is this?"
Usagi whirled around and found not a unicorn but a princess. Serenity was studying a blue taffy bush with a perplexed look. "You, again," Usagi muttered as the remnants of her candy-floss turned to chalk in her mouth. "What are you doing here? And don't try to tell me this isn't my dream."
Serenity paused to survey their sugar-laden surroundings before raising an arch brow. "I wouldn't dream of it."
Usagi ignored the pun and turned away. "Well I would, and I am." She burrowed deep into her makeshift marshmallow pillow throne, crossed her arms, and scowled. "I'm sorry"—she really wasn't—"but you're not welcome here."
Serenity made no reply as she approached, taking care to avoid brushing her skirts against a patch of candied apples on the way. Usagi looked on in annoyance and wondered if the prim princess had ever gotten dirty a day in her life. She doubted it.
Having successfully navigated the sticky foodscape, Serenity drew a short breath and clasped her hands in front of her. "It is clear that my presence agitates you, and for that I am sorry." Usagi doubted that too. "But it is imperative that we speak."
Usagi didn't want to talk to Serenity. She wanted to eat rainbows made of licorice, and she wanted to do it in peace. She'd gone a week without any sign of the princess, and she'd been more than happy to write the earlier incidents off as nothing more than stress-induced delusions.
"You have not slept deeply enough these past nights for me to visit you," Serenity said, intruding upon Usagi's thoughts. "And I have exhausted what strength I had in other pursuits, so I have been too weak to enter your mind while you are conscious."
Usagi gaped for several moments before pressing her hands to her temples and squeezing her eyes shut. "Stop that! Get out of my head!"
Hands gripped her own and pulled her up from the cushy embrace of her marshmallows. Usagi squawked as she lurched forward, but Serenity kept a surprisingly firm hold on her hands as she brought them eye to eye. "I have told you before, you and I are linked." She squeezed Usagi's hands for emphasis. "It will do you no service to languish in denial. You must accept that if you wish to move past this."
"I don't even know what this is," Usagi argued as she tried to twist her hands away.
Serenity held fast. "Your heart is conflicted, and until you find clarity you will never fulfill your destiny."
Usagi met Serenity's intense gaze with a blank stare before glancing down at their linked hands. Drawing upon her admittedly limited reserve of patience, she blew an exasperated breath up at her bangs before speaking. "Look," she said, "you sound very impressive, but I have no idea what you're talking about."
At this, Serenity made a very un-princesslike sound before bringing their foreheads together. Usagi winced as a blinding light enveloped them, and though it faded fast, it left her vision speckled with white dots. Blinking, she looked around and found no sign of her delectable dreamscape, but rather a familiar sea of greenery.
"The garden again." Usagi punctuated her monotone observation with a dreary sigh.
Serenity rolled her eyes and released Usagi's hands. "No doubt you would find it more appealing were it made of confectionery."
"If that means candy," Usagi replied, "then yes, I would." Serenity's dream garden was tragically devoid of licorice rainbows, but Usagi figured she might be able to salvage things by hunting down the apple tree she had discovered last time. "So, why are we back here?" she asked, craning her neck as she scanned the nearby trees for fruit. "Do you have something against candy?"
"It has become clear to me that you are not fond of listening. In the interest of expedition, I shall endeavour to show you."
Usagi turned back to Serenity. "Show me what?"
"A glimpse," was Serenity's cryptic response.
"A glimpse?" Usagi echoed in a petulant tone. "A glimpse of—" Movement flashed in her peripheral vision, and she whirled around and gasped when a figure emerged from a copse of tall shrubbery. "What? How?" she sputtered, stumbling back several steps.
Serenity moved to her side and laid a gentle hand on her forearm. "Do not fret, it is only a shadow."
It didn't look like a shadow to Usagi. What it looked like was a clone of Serenity, identical in every way. "I can't deal with three of us, I can barely handle two." Usagi's shoulders tensed when the triplet turned in their direction. "Go away!" she cried, but the new arrival gave no sign that she heard her.
Serenity let go of Usagi's forearm and clasped her hand instead. "I told you, this is a shadow; a memory. She cannot hear you."
Perplexed but also intrigued, Usagi took a few cautious steps toward the so-called 'shadow'. When her approach sparked no reaction, Usagi walked up to the dream-clone and waved a hand in front of her face. Oblivious to her presence, Serenity's copy turned and walked away. "Neat," Usagi said, watching as shadow-Serenity wandered around the garden, stopping here and there to touch a leaf or smell a flower. "Pretty vivid memory."
"It is a day I will never forget," Serenity replied.
Usagi raised an eyebrow. "Oh yeah?" she said, but her interest was already waning. Scratching an itch at her side, she let her gaze wander in search of apples.
Serenity began to follow her shadow-self, heedless of Usagi's drifting thoughts. "This was the day my life changed forever."
"No kidding," Usagi muttered before spotting a hint of red in the distance. After a quick check to make sure Serenity wasn't looking her way, Usagi ducked to the left and nipped around a line of trees. If the princess expected her to stand around watching boring, old memories, the least she could do was provide a snack. There had to be something around here that Usagi could munch on.
She weaved her way through a trail of leafy shrubs and prickly bushes, keeping her eyes peeled for anything edible as she went. Though she saw leaves, herbs, and flowers aplenty, there was not a single, solitary fruit to be found. Many of the plants were foreign to her, and as she ventured further in search of sustenance, Usagi gave a thought to just where on Earth she might be. It didn't look like any of the parks she'd been to in Japan. Had Japan even existed in the Silver Millennium? Luna and Artemis had been pretty vague about timelines, but even if they hadn't, it wasn't like Usagi was much of a history buff anyway.
It probably didn't matter, given that this was all just a dream. A dream sorely lacking in apples.
When she reached a massive hedgerow several feet taller than her, Usagi came to a halt. Unwilling to turn back, she decided to follow alongside it until she found a way through. Thankfully, she didn't have to go far before she came to a break in the hedge where a waist-high gate had been installed. Unlatching the hinge, Usagi nudged the gate open with her hip and walked through.
She found more plants inside, but they were less wild here and more cultivated. Judging by the gate and the hedgerow, Usagi guessed this was a private garden. Though there was still an assortment of small trees and shrubs, the space was dominated by roses. Dozens of huge, blooming bushes peppered the area, perfuming the air with the delicate aroma of sweet rosebuds. Beautiful they were; edible they were not. Usagi moved on.
She was swerving around one of the bushes when she felt a tug on her pyjama bottoms. Looking down in irritation, she saw that the hem of her pants had gotten snagged on a low lying stem. When she tried to pull her leg free, the stem proved stubborn and held tight. Grumbling under her breath, Usagi bent down to try to extricate herself from the grasping rosebush and got herself stabbed in the process.
Yelping when a hidden thorn pierced her thumb, she jerked her hand away and tumbled backwards onto her behind as the sound of tearing fabric rent the air. Scowling, Usagi rubbed her sore tail bone with her good hand then examined her injured thumb. The thorn had pricked deep enough to draw blood, and the bitter taste of copper filled her mouth as she drew the smarting digit between her lips to soothe the sharp sting.
She was thus occupied when footsteps sounded behind her. Startled, Usagi swivelled around and nearly collided with a pair of armour clad knees. The onyx hued knee plates were polished enough to reflect her alarmed expression, and Usagi blinked at herself in momentary bewilderment before scrambling to her feet and taking a few clumsy steps back in order to put some distance between her and—
Mamoru.
Usagi's heart jumped into her throat. Mamoru was here, standing right in front of her. How was that possible? A sea of muddled images flashed through her mind, disorienting her, and Usagi closed her eyes for a moment to steady herself. When she opened them again he was still there in front of her. "Mamoru?" she whispered. For a moment he seemed to look directly at her, and Usagi's breath hitched. Then his hand reached out, and she shuddered as it passed right through her.
A few painful heartbeats later, Usagi stepped to the side, extracting herself from the unsettling, ghostly contact. She tried to collect herself as she watched Mamoru cup a tender blossom with long, delicate fingers and felt an inexplicable tingle in the spot where those phantom fingers had passed through her only moments ago. Her confused mind struggled to make sense of what she was seeing…feeling. Then, all of a sudden, it clicked; he had to be another part of the dream.
Emboldened by the realization, Usagi allowed herself to step forward for a closer look. The strange armour should have tipped her off first, but as Usagi studied this Mamoru who wasn't Mamoru, she noted several other subtle differences. Though his hair was the same shade of black, it looked a touch longer, curled against the high collar of his shirt. His features were also sharper, more mature; high cheekbones stood out above the strong line of a jaw that had lost the softness of youth, and a tiny scar whitened the skin at the corner of his left eye. This wasn't the high school upperclassman Usagi saw most every day.
"Endymion," she whispered.
"He is beautiful, is he not?"
Usagi whirled around and spotted Serenity perched on a wooden swing, gazing at Endymion with the besotted expression of one hopelessly in love. Slouched to the side with her head resting against one of the swing's ropes, Serenity looked content to languish there forever. Usagi glanced between the dreamy princess and her oblivious prince before feigning disinterest with a casual shrug. "If you say so."
Serenity spared her little more than a brief glance, but Usagi saw her subtle smirk. "Your nonchalance fools no one, yourself included."
Mortified by the heat rushing to her cheeks, Usagi ditched denial and embraced anger instead. "Is that why you dragged me here?" she snapped. "To watch you moon over him?"
Serenity pinned Usagi with a hard glare. "We are here because you must come to accept things as they are," she replied, her tone clipped and cool, "and cease pretending they are as you wish them to be."
Usagi growled in frustration. "I don't know what you're talking about!" she shouted before stomping her foot. "Nothing is the way I want it to be! I've been fighting non stop all week, I've barely had time to eat, let alone sleep. I've been lying to everyone: my teachers, my family, my friends. And on top of all that, I have Tuxedo Kamen to worry about."
Usagi paused for breath, and as the burning in her lungs subsided, so too did her anger. Sinking to the ground, she pulled her knees to her chest and rested a cheek against them before turning her gaze to Endymion. As he moved through the garden an image of Mamoru stole into her thoughts, and she squeezed her eyes shut, willing it away.
"I don't know where he is, or if he's all right." Usagi hated how weak and pathetic she sounded. "No matter how hard I try to stop thinking about him, I can't." The admission proved harder to voice than she'd expected, and she swallowed past a lump in her throat. The torturous guilt had been eating away at her all week, haunting her every waking moment. Sleep had been her last bastion, but even at rest she could find no peace. Was there nowhere left that she could escape her troubles?
"If I want to dream about candy for one night, can't you just let me do that?"
Serenity regarded her with a sympathetic gaze and said nothing. They stayed that way for a time until the sound of snapping wood shattered the tranquil calm. Their heads turned in unison, seeking out the cause of the disturbance. Serenity's dream-clone stood frozen a dozen paces away, resembling a deer in the headlights, and Usagi followed her startled gaze straight to Endymion, who was kneeling down next to a rosebush looking rather dumbstruck himself. Time seemed to stop, and Usagi couldn't help but feel a little of the moment's magic seep into her.
"The first time I laid eyes upon him," Serenity said, her voice brimming with nostalgia. "It seems so long ago now."
Usagi's own memory of her first encounter with Mamoru played in her mind, drawing a sharp contrast to the enchanting scene she'd just witnessed. The incongruous comparison left a sour taste in her mouth and she spoke without thinking. "Probably because it was." A deep blush lit her cheeks in the wake of her callous words.
"You are just a foolish child," Serenity snapped. "You understand nothing."
Though Usagi knew she'd provoked the rebuke, she'd heard that dismissal one too many times. "I'm not a child!" she insisted, surging to her feet. "But you're right about one thing; I don't understand. I don't understand what any of this"—she paused to gesture at the garden scene—"has got to do with me. Yes, it's all nice and good for you to take your stroll down memory lane, but if you want my attention, you're going to have to get to the point."
Serenity's turbulent gaze narrowed, and she rose from the swing with a huff, pausing a moment to fuss over her skirts before marching over to Usagi. "Your heart is conflicted over many things, not the least of which is him."
"Who?" Usagi replied, though it was patently obvious which 'him' Serenity was referring to.
Serenity tilted her head and gave her a pointed look. "If you wish for me to 'get to the point' as you so eloquently put it, then you had best do the same."
Usagi sighed. "All right, fine. You're talking about Mamoru." She stole a glance at Endymion and fiddled with the drawstrings of her pyjama bottoms. "Like I said, I'm worried about him." Reading into the silence that followed, she shot Serenity a defensive glare and scuffed a toe against the ground. "I'd have to be some kind of monster not to be. Anyone would feel the same in my shoes."
Serenity smiled and laid a hand on her shoulder. "Of course you are concerned for his safety, that is only natural," she said before her mouth drooped at the corners. "But that concern has little to do with your conflicted emotions. Denying your feelings will only—"
"Look," Usagi interjected, shrugging Serenity's hand off and pacing away, "it's complicated, okay? You can show me your 'glimpse' and tell me how this one afternoon evolved into some epic love story, but this"—she motioned once again to the two royals frozen in time—"has got nothing to do with Mamoru and me. We're not star crossed lovers." She paused to swallow. "We're not even friends. The truth is, we can barely stand each other."
Usagi didn't care to admit how much that truth suddenly bothered her.
Serenity didn't respond at once, taking the time to consider Usagi's words—or perhaps to choose her next ones, Usagi didn't know—but after several moments she pursed her lips and pressed her hands together in a conciliatory gesture. "While I will grant you that I do not have the benefit of knowing your history, I can see into your heart, and I know that is not the whole truth." Her eyes softened. "Do not forget, I was present when he lay wounded after having risked his life for yours."
"That's different," Usagi muttered. "That was Tuxedo Kamen and Sailor Moon, not Mamoru and Usagi."
"Are you not Sailor Moon? Is Mamoru not this 'Tuxedo Kamen' you speak of?"
"Yeah, but…no," Usagi sputtered, shaking her head. "We are, but we didn't know that about each other."
Serenity raised a brow. "You fought together, but you did not share your identities?"
"No," Usagi answered, "not until that day."
Serenity's lips curved in a gratified smile. "So then he did know it was you."
"No," Usagi repeated, stumbling over the muddled version of events in her mind. "I mean, yes he knew, but he'd only just found out. I told you, it's complicated."
"I fail to see the complexity of your situation," Serenity replied in a patronizing tone that made Usagi want to grind her teeth. "If he cared nothing for you as you claim, I very much doubt that he would have risked his life for yours. And if you cared nothing for him, your heart would be more at ease."
"You don't get it," Usagi muttered. "He didn't do it because he cared about me, he did it because he thought I couldn't take care of myself." He thought she was weak and useless, incapable of fighting her own battles. Judging from the countless close calls she'd had this past week, he was probably right.
Serenity no longer seemed to be listening. "This Mamoru of yours—or 'Tuxedo Kamen' as you call him—sounds like a noble gentleman, and a worthy reincarnation of my Endymion."
"Mamoru isn't mine," Usagi snapped. She'd grown tired of Serenity's blind assumptions. She didn't need someone telling her how to feel, and she definitely didn't like being dismissed when she disagreed. Serenity didn't understand Usagi's relationship with Mamoru. Usagi wasn't even sure she understood it herself, but she was certain of one thing.
"Mamoru isn't Endymion, and I am not you. Your life has nothing to do with me." Usagi emphasized the unequivocal statement by slicing her hand through the air.
Serenity's wistful expression dissolved as her mouth drew tight in a firm line. "My life has everything to do with you," she replied, meeting Usagi's defiant glare with a look of cold assurance. "Were it not for my life, you would not be here. Until you come to accept that, your subconscious will remain fractured, and you will never be able to save him."
As always, thank you very much for reading. Your time and interest is much appreciated.
Can you guess where the next chapter will take us? 😄
Feedback of any kind is humbly encouraged and greatly appreciated.
