Usagi sighed as Mamoru approached her and wrapped his arms around her. "I felt the need to come home to you," he whispered against her neck.
"Sorry," she replied, resting in his embrace. "I can't hide my feelings from you. I discovered that it's not something that even a strong determination can change."
"I understand why you wanted to keep it from me while I was at work, don't get me wrong, but I'm glad for it. I have been alone my whole life, and this connection with you makes all that loneliness worth it to get to this moment."
She pressed her cheek to his chest. "You had loving parents."
"Yes, but I don't remember them, so it's hard to…" he felt her tense in his arms and her anxiety spike again. "What is it? Please don't worry for me."
Usagi stepped back out of his embrace, and he watched as she drew a two-inch smooth stone from her pocket. She flipped it over and saw a design etched on it. "Raye really is thoughtful. She's been rejected for so long in her life, and it's made her more empathetic instead of bitter."
He smiled, "and she roasted Emerald. She does have an edge to her. Not that I am complaining."
She gave him a wry smile. "I figured not since after that, I ripped Diamond's heart out of his chest and then decapitated him."
He wrapped his large hand around her hand, holding the stone. "What is that? And why did it cause you so much anxiety?"
"It's another stunning piece of magic from Raye. It's a rune that after I speak it, the spell she stored in this stone will be released."
"I'm confused. Why would that be a bad thing? One, she wouldn't try to harm us. Two, you wouldn't speak the word if she did. What about it makes you so upset?"
She looked up at him with so much love in her eyes that he almost gasped. "The spell that was placed on this stone will unlock your memories of your parents when it's released. It's not the spell that concerns me. It's the bittersweet moment that comes after it. I worry about how it will all affect you."
He cupped her cheek, "It might be hard, but you're here with me." He felt his level of nervousness spike. He was actually going to get his memories back! He had learned to believe that Raye could do anything.
"Raye wanted to ensure this was between the two of us, so she did this," she held up the stone to him. "She didn't want to trespass."
"Which is what you meant by her empathy." He kissed her nose. "Speak the word."
"Now?"
Mamoru gave her a crooked smile. "If not now, when? I'll just fixate on this until I know."
"Gebo," she spoke the rune that meant 'personal relationship' Raye had picked that one for a reason, she knew.
As soon as she said the word, she felt him wrap his arms around her and hold onto her tightly as she closed her eyes. She worried as all she could do was wait.
Or so she thought.
Usagi opened her eyes, and she found herself and Mamoru standing in a completely white room. She looked around and whispered, "Where are we?" Even spoken quietly, the room echoed oddly with all its hard, smooth surfaces.
"I think we're in my safe place," he answered. "It's too much of a coincidence otherwise." He looked at her and sighed, knowing he had to explain. "The orphanage always seemed so chaotic and messy to me. When I got overwhelmed, I imagined this room, and it felt like I could breathe again."
"It's where I chose to meet you," they both heard a woman say. She was standing at their side, in a place they knew she hadn't been a moment ago.
"Mom," Usagi whispered with tears in her eyes. "What? How did you come to be here at this moment?"
"I missed you too," her mother whispered.
Usagi rushed into her arms, crying. "You always knew what I meant to say when I was upset."
Her mother kissed the top of her head and said, "You have done so well. You're exactly where you should be, and I'm so happy to get to see you with Mamoru."
"I should introduce you," Usagi said.
"Oh darling, but I already know him." Usagi watched, surprised at her mother's words, as the woman walked over to Mamoru. "You've grown tall."
He cocked his head, "We've met?"
"I went by another name then. Granted, you wouldn't remember me anyway, but yes, we've met. To your parents, I was known as Miran."
Usagi gasped as Mamoru asked, "You're Miran, the Oracle that my mother was friends with?"
"I am. After all, centuries ago, I knew your existence was in danger. I found a way to assure that I would be reborn to meet you and keep you alive for my daughter."
Miran knew they were both stunned into silence, so she continued. "I wanted to explain myself before your memories were unlocked, so here I am."
"Did my parents grieve their shortened life?!" Mamoru asked suddenly, afraid of the answer but needing the truth. It was the one answer he was afraid that his memories couldn't bring him, and now he hoped Miran knew.
Miran smiled and shook her head. "I sought your mother out because I knew she would give birth to you, and I knew the man she had to marry. What surprised me was how close the two of us got. She was the dearest friend I had in two lives, and it made me worry that no man would deserve her. Yet I accepted it had to happen since it was all in pursuit of my daughter's joy. Then she found him before I could for her. Fate is a funny thing. In that moment, I believed that I had achieved a century-long goal, but I was concerned that I would sacrifice my dear friend's best interest for my daughter. It still didn't stop me. Ultimately, once I came to know him, it made sense to me that you would come from such an amazing man. I came to love them both equally.
"I would go to great lengths to protect your parents, and on top of that, I loved them so much. They died, but they weren't separated. Hades is more compassionate than he is believed to be. I worked with him to ensure they were both together and happy in their afterlife. Yes, they miss you, but they are fully aware of your destiny, and I have visited them recently to tell them that you have found each other."
"But they had a life among the living they lost….." Mamoru objected.
She raised one eyebrow and asked, "And are you happy? You aren't alive either."
"But I'm still-"
"What's the difference?" she interrupted. "Yes, they don't live in Japan, but they still exist together. Your thinking is still so human. They have the rest of time together, just like you and Usagi do. Why would they regret that?"
"Mom, they didn't see their son grow up. They didn't get to be there for him!" Usagi objected.
"They died for his sake," Miran replied. "A parent's job is to protect. They did just that, and they had the satisfaction of knowing their actions put him on the path to epic love. They knew what they did assured his happiness for untold centuries. What parent wouldn't happily give up everything to secure their child's future? So many parents break their own hearts over the path their child takes, wishing they could affect the outcome. What more could they want?"
"They loved me that much?" Mamoru asked with vulnerability in his voice.
Miran looked him in the eyes and then touched his temple lightly with her fingertips. "Start with the hardest moment, but really look."
Mamoru was suddenly standing in the grass with a horribly mangled car before him. He then looked, and he saw his mother and father had been tossed from the vehicle, and they lay on the ground dying. Next, he saw his mother reach out and manage to take his father's hand in hers. They both smiled as right before she died, and she whispered, "He will be loved."
Blinking, he found himself back in the white room. With a shaky voice, he said, "They did."
"Yes. They did. The only thing that took away their pain was knowing the love waiting for you."
Usagi took his hand and squeezed. "Forever."
He smiled and nodded to her. He then looked at Miran again. "Did you lock away my memories?"
"I did. And now Raye has done what I saw coming. Now is the time for your memories to return. Now, when you have love, it's good to remember their loving care. I'm sorry I took them from you, but your mother saw the future a bit too. She made me promise to remove them until the right time. She saw your great suffering if you remembered."
Mamoru tucked his chin a bit in self-consciousness. "Will it hurt?"
"Not now with my daughter by your side. Now the memories will be sweet."
Miran then faded, and they were standing back in their penthouse. Usagi looked up at Mamoru as a look of joy came over his face.
He said, "Mom and Dad used to love to take me to the zoo. I always insisted on seeing the giraffes on display. They were my favorite."