It was a beautiful spring day, and it promised to only get better.
She smoothed nervous hands down the front of her lab coat, primping her hair with quick gestures at every reflective window she passed. To receive an invitation to the Tokyo Bay Observatory was a high honour indeed, and not one she would have ever dreamed of receiving so soon. After all, she was still in college, pursuing her degree with a focused determination now that she knew…
No. Best not think of that. Not now, on such a glorious day.
She couldn’t have missed the open door and the subtle noises coming from inside the room, though she felt self-conscious and out of place as she stepped inside, straightening her name tag with one last twist. Her collected demeanor almost vanished when a squeaky voice at her elbow said, “Hajimemashite, ah….Meiou-san?”
“H-hai, hajimemashite.” They exchanged bows as she quickly glanced at the man’s nametag, though he was obviously a fellow student and not a scientist. “Yuureisen-san.”
Her fellow student was a short, mousey-looking fellow with uncombed brown hair and a shy smile. Although he seemed friendly enough, his eyes were bloodshot and tired as he peered at her through his thick glasses, courteously leading her around the room to show her what exactly was going on and what they were expected to do. Even casual observers were put to work, although her task was as simple as noting the exact time of full eclipse.
“It is a marvelous event for us to witness, Meiou-san,” he said suddenly. “People would once consider an eclipse a sign of God’s wrath, a vision of doom. The Chinese thought a dragon was devouring the brilliance of the Sun, and banged their drums and shouted to the heavens to scare it away. In every ancient land, it was a sign for the future.”
Setsuna smiled briefly, not wanting to encourage him. “But we know what causes it now, Yuureisen-san, and so it has become the realm of science than the phantom world. It is marvelous in the way of lightning striking the clouds, but no longer mysterious or a sign of romantic doom.”
He smiled back at her, a goofy, buck-toothed grin, and retreated to a shabby desk in the corner for his own task. She sighed in relief, unbuckling her watch and setting it down next to the notebook she would record her time in, though she didn’t need it; her internal clock was infallible. However, she tended to turn her classmates off when she produced the exact time without ever looking at a timepiece, so she had taken to wearing it to stop spooking them.
“The solar eclipse will arrive in nine…eight…seven…”
Tapping her pencil against the paper, Setsuna allowed her eyes to drift over the room, watching the others as they stared out the windows, their eyes shielded by protective lenses. She picked hers up from the desk, turning it over in her hands before lifting it to her eyes to see the slow creep of a shadow across the sun. The moon in its orbit, slowly spinning around their blue world, was gradually covering up the source of their life. Something was bothering her, but she couldn’t put her finger on it.
Even for her, time seemed to be slower than usual. The moon swallowed up the sun like the very dragon Yuureisen-san had described, though no amount of drums or noise would drive it off. It was a creeping, silent shadow, and she felt the first tickle of panic at the base of her spine as it neared the climax, her hand poised to write.
Her eyes drifted again to see Yuureisen-san smiling up at the sky.
She slowly stood up, the pencil dropping from her hand; the exact time of eclipse had been marked in gray. “What’s happened?” she whispered, clutching at her breast.
Yuureisen-san was across the room, too far away for him to hear what she was saying, but she heard his old words echo in her ears: “A vision of doom. In every ancient land, it was a sign for the future.” The room turned to shades of grey as she stared, the only one not interested in the sight outside. Her blood turned to ice in her veins; she felt the shift of someone entering their dimension, the rending of space time.
“An enemy has arrived!” Quickly, as the other researchers were occupied, she ran from the room, her sensible shoes dull against the linoleum. The sense of evil began to sting her senses as she ran to an abandoned corridor, stopping dead at the whisper in her ears; it sounded like her own.
“What will you do, Setsuna? This is merely the beginning. The beginning of a nightmare. Don’t even bother fighting. Would you give up your dreams to fight?”
“Like the devils I will fight! Pluto Planet Power!” She thrust her hand to the heavens, reaching for the power of her cold star, so far away. “Make Up!”
Nothing happened. Disbelieving, her spoke the words again, louder, drowning out the whispering. Again, nothing. Just the ache of her arm as she held it high, and the sick feeling of fear in her stomach. “Iie…did we truly abandon our duties that day? The power is gone!”
Her hand dropped, slapping against her hip as she stared out the window into the darkness. Had they so completely turned away from their duties as sailor soldiers that the power refused to acknowledge them anymore? If the noise inside of her head was any indicator, perhaps it was so; she knew it was the voice of Meiou Setsuna, the young woman who didn’t want to give up her life to a responsibility she hadn’t asked for.
The eclipse slowly released its shadow as she sank down to the floor, staring at her hands. “Then, perhaps our mission is truly over. Princess…have we abandoned you?”
It was a damned nice spring day, and it was going to get better.
Alex stretched, feeling the warmth of the sun soak through her coat as she walked towards the park where she was meeting the others. It seemed incredible that more than a year had passed since clumsy, crying little Usagi had become Sailor Moon. She had become more confident in herself, evidenced by the good news in her acceptance to Juuban High, passing her tests despite the odds (and her definite lack of studying). And the other girls had so easily become a unit that everyone was hard-pressed to remember a time when they hadn’t been friends.
Granted, her own life wasn’t as rosy; it had been nearly two months since she had called off her relationship – if you could call it that – with Haruka and Michiru, though she couldn’t say where exactly the guilt had begun to creep in from. Some nights she had woken up in their bed and simply watched them sleep, realizing just how cynical she had become about her life. When had she become the elder in her relationships with people? She had always been the one chasing experience, not the other way around; playing the flirt with companions old enough to know better and not caring.
So she had broken it off, charmed them with her smiles and assurances, and left them to their solitude. Once in a while she would see Haruka in the paper, holding the winning cup aloft and smiling into the camera. Even more rarely would she see Michiru and her violin, playing for a sold-out crowd of adoring fans. It was enough to know they were happy as ordinary people, despite their fame. She had wished them well, even though she had a feeling another problem was on the horizon. Something was going to happen, even after almost half a year of peace; it was only a matter of time.
Stopping to grab a paper, she scanned disinterestedly over the main headline – why did she care about an eclipse? They were far more interesting when you were actually on the moon itself – and decided the rest of it constituted the dreaded Slow News Day. When they printed articles on a dog that drank nothing but warm sake, you knew nothing important was going on. With a shrug, she tossed the paper back onto the pile and kept walking, squinting over the top of her sunglasses at the traffic lights. A nice day indeed, but a little too bright for her eyes.
Ichinohashi Park was a mix of activity, not surprising considering the time of the year and the natural spectacle of an eclipse that was due to occur. It would have been difficult to find everyone, if they hadn’t agreed on a spot to meet, and after a few minutes of dodging pedestrian traffic – did people honestly have to set up tables to sell crap for such an occasion? – she spotted a familiar set of odango, both blonde and pink.
“Sensei!” Minako hooted, waving her arms at her. When she had her attention, she spun around madly, showing off her uniform. “Look at me! I’m a Juuban High student! The day has finally come when I can call Usagi-chan a classmate!”
“Yare, yare, forgotten again,” Makoto sighed melodramatically as she adjusted her own kerchief. “How typical of Minako-chan to completely ignore us; ne, Ami-chan?”
Ami was staring up into the branches of a nearby cherry blossom tree, watching the birds sing. At the sound of her name, she startled, smiling, but didn’t respond. Though she shared the uniform of Juuban High, she didn’t feel much like celebrating; she had given up her dreams of attending high school at Musashi Senior High, her exceptional IQ and scores having guaranteed her a place. Instead, she had lowered her expectations to stay close by her friends and allies, and while she knew it was the right thing to do, it still left a note of discontent in her spirit. She was not particularly surprised to note that none of them seemed to recognize her sacrifice.
Minako stuck out her tongue at them as she caught Rei up in her crazy dance, pulling the hapless maiden around in a circle with her. Rei was the only one not wearing a blue and red Juuban High uniform; hers was still the grey and burgundy of TA. She had not been above subtle reminders during the last six months that she was elevated to high school automatically, even though she still had yearly exams almost as traumatizing as theirs. But, even though she had a scowl on her face as Minako dragged her around, the blonde’s crashing entrance at her school – possible through a combination of disguise, sheer madness, and an intense desire to see how such privileged students spent their day – had obviously cemented their friendship.
That had been an event to remember. Even though Rei openly disregarded her school’s Catholicism, she was a firm supporter of its discipline and education. Minako didn’t care about that so much; she was more interested in the male attention Rei always seemed to attract because she wore such a privileged uniform. So she had taken up Rei on her open invitation to visit the school – though it was also obvious she hadn’t been entirely serious – and went undercover to see how it felt to be a student at TA.
Neither of them would tell what had actually happened, but the most obvious result was their newfound attitude around one another. They had been friends more as a necessity of being sailor soldiers together before the disastrous visit; Rei in particular seemed to regard Minako as a flighty girl barely worth more than her civility and trust. Now, she seemed to open up more towards her, even if she tried to hide it behind her usual mask of propriety. She even used the more casual suffix whenever she talked to Minako. It was almost surreal.
Usagi and Chibi-Usa were watching the two spin around with almost identical wistful smiles on their faces, despite their differences in age. When Alex waved to them, they seemed to open up, focusing their attention on everyone else as she joined them. “So, what brings six lovely ladies like you out on a beautiful day like today?” she asked as she tugged on Usagi’s ponytail, dropping onto a nearby park bench to sprawl out and relax. Chibi-Usa jumped up next to her, swinging her backpack around onto her lap.
“The cherry blossoms are here at last! They’re just as beautiful as mama always told me,” she said in a rush of words, kicking her legs. “It’s like a wonderful pink miracle.”
“It is, isn’t it? It’s Nature’s way of reminding us of the beauty of the world,” Makoto sighed, lifting her face to the sun as she held up her hands to catch some falling petals. “Like a cozy dream after the insanity of exams! I’m so glad they’re over.”
Minako let Rei go, and they spun apart to land on the grass, giggling in various degrees of happiness and dizziness. Flopping onto her back, Minako said, “We’ve cheated death by finishing exams. Even the strongest enemy wasn’t as bad as my math exam! I thought I would die as the clock ran out. But I made it!” She punched the air, sitting upright and smiling widely at them all. “And now, I’m going to the same high school as all of you! Well, except Rei-chan, who has it easy.”
“Not that easy,” she sniffed. “I did have exams as well. I simply never had to worry about not graduating.”
“Well, now that we’re all in high school, we’ll have far more time to enjoy ourselves,” Ami interjected, finally looking around and paying more attention to her friends. “I plan on joining the computer club, or perhaps the English club.”
There was a moment of quiet as the wind picked up, shaking a light shower of petals onto everyone’s heads, filling the air with scent. Chibi-Usa soon broke the quiet with a squeal of delight as she slid off the bench, running around to capture the petals like the young child she was, completely captivated by an event she had never seen. Several people nearby stopped and smiled, watching her as she gathered handfuls of the delicate petals and pressed them to her nose, inhaling deeply.
After a while, Makoto said thoughtfully, “I don’t know yet which clubs I’ll join. Number one would be the cooking club, but if there is an Ikebana club, I might join that instead. But they might also have a sewing club, and then I won’t know what to do…”
“Well, I know what I want to do! Volleyball club, here I come! I’ll take us to the top! After all, I haven’t been able to practice my form in a while. I’ll spike the ball into my enemies’ faces!” Minako mimed her spike, slapping her fist into her palm. “And then, I’ll beat my enemies at the idol auditions on weekends!”
Rei brushed off the enthusiasm with a flip of her wrist, saying, “Of course, Minako-chan would want to get sweaty and dirty to relax. I myself have chosen archery. It’s an ancient, classic sport that requires concentration and focus.”
“What about you, tsukimidango? Are you going to join any clubs?” Alex asked, picking up Chibi-Usa’s backpack as the younger girl came back to sit down, delicately holding a full blossom in her hands. Usagi frowned, rolling her eyes in thought.
“I don’t know…I like to read manga, I guess. Maybe the drawing club? But then, I don’t really draw, I just read.” She kicked at a small rock on the sidewalk, watching it bounce away. “Maybe I’ll just be a member of the go home club, ne? Who needs clubs anyway?”
A shadow fell across her back as arms came around to hug her tight to a warm chest. “Very true. Who needs clubs anyway, when they’ve been neglecting their boyfriend for many months?” Mamoru said, giving her a kiss atop her head.
“Ara, Mamoru-san, you’ve been neglecting Usagi-chan too. After all, didn’t you make it to KO University School of Medicine? It takes hard work ands lots of studying. I plan on following you there soon,” Ami warned him, though she smiled as she said it. Mamoru chuckled as he was caught out, releasing Usagi to the tune of a jingle bell that had everyone staring quizzically at him before they saw the culprit at his feet; Diana.
She pranced over to Chibi-Usa and leapt up into her lap as Minako asked, “Where are Luna and Artemis, Diana? Weren’t they coming with you? That baka Artemis said he was going to meet me here!”
Diana flicked an ear, looking a bit crestfallen. “They decided not to come, because they said it would be too sad to see me leave. But it’s ok. I’ll see them in the future.”
“Ahhh…” Makoto sighed, echoing the others’ somber faces. “That’s right. You and Chibi-Usa-chan are going back to the 30th century.”
“We’ll miss both of you terribly. Don’t forget to study hard and make us proud,” Ami said, stepping forward to give them both a hug. It had already been decided a week ago that only Usagi and Mamoru – and the cats, but they apparently chickened out – would go with Chibi-Usa to the chosen location for her opening of the portal. Everything had been planned out; Chibi-Usa’s existence had been judiciously wiped from everyone else’s minds, as they had quickly figured out trying to explain why she was gone had problems of its own. Even Ikuko no longer remembered her “niece,” the younger Tsukino Usagi.
Minako gave her a bright smile and squeezed them both tight, saying, “You better come back and visit us, or I’ll be really mad at you! I want to see how proud you’ve made me. And make sure you bring back some really crazy souvenirs!”
“Souvenirs? You’ve been to the future, you crazy blonde,” Alex interjected, shaking her head. “What would she bring back, a chunk of ice and a polar bear?”
“Ignore her, Chibi-Usa, she tends to speak before she thinks. Say hello to the king and queen for us, when you return home,” Rei said, eschewing the hug for a low, proper bow. Minako stuck her tongue out at her on the way up.
Makoto also hugged them, smiling through a glint of tears. “Don’t forget us. The girls who were your friends. Practice your sewing like I showed you.”
“I will. I won’t forget any of you. You taught me so much about how to be a lady and a young girl.” Hugging Makoto fiercely in return, Chibi-Usa slid off the bench and swung her backpack on. She looked up at Alex, holding out her hand as the redhead sat up. They shook hands, though Chibi-Usa was clearly not very adept at it. “I’ll miss you too, Alex-chan. Onee-chan.”
“Just don’t cause too much trouble, p’tite. Or don’t get caught.”
“Goodbye, Chibi-Usa-chan!”
“Come back soon, Chibi-Usa-chan!”
“Goodbye!”
The spot they had chosen was in a quiet and usually forgotten section of the park, tucked up behind a grove of the few early-blooming trees that were subsequently abandoned due to their drooping branches. As they walked, Chibi-Usa began to hum, swinging her arms. Usagi smiled, watching her walk ahead of them, unaware of the picture the three of them made. In the future, perhaps, they would walk like this, and often, proud parents with their only child. She didn’t want to ask the young girl; anything about the future seemed tenuous and strange, as if a different Tsukino Usagi had grown up and become a queen. Some days she would put her pen down and stare hopelessly at her work, realizing that in a few short years she would be the most important person in the world.
She shook her head slightly and re-focused on her prince and their time-displaced child, who was now tugging at the former’s sleeve. “Hai, Chibi-Usa?” he asked, stopping to give her his full attention.
“I want to ask a favour, Mamo-chan! After all, soon I’ll be gone…” Putting on her best pleading face, she clasped her hands and fluttered her eyelashes. Behind her, Usagi rolled her eyes and made a face of her own that plead for deliverance.
“You want a ride on my back? Yare yare…you’re almost a grown lady. And here you are, taking advantage of me.” But he crouched down for her – and Usagi had never known him to truly deny the young girl anything; why would he stop now? – and allowed her to crawl like a monkey onto his back, backpack swinging precariously. Diana squeaked and fell off her shoulders, landing perfectly on all four paws on the grass, giving Chibi-Usa a priceless look of indignation.
They continued walking as Mamoru remarked, “This is a very special day, you know. A total solar eclipse, visible from Tokyo. You’re going to see a remarkable event before you go home, Chibi-Usa.”
“Really? Wow! That’s when the moon itself covers the sun, right? That’s amazing! I can’t wait to tell everyone!”
“The new moon, yes. It’s a once in a lifetime event. A special thing for us to see together.”
Near their destination, they encountered a man passing out shields with which to view the eclipse, to spare their eyes. Mamoru grabbed four, remarking once out of earshot that Chibi-Usa could hold it up for Diana, who looked stunned and quietly grateful. “Arigatou gozaimasu, prince!” she stage whispered, even though they were well away from the vendor.
Coming to a stop beneath the trees, Mamoru rather gracefully reached back and swung Chibi-Usa down, after giving Usagi his handful of shields. She herself was vibrating with excitement; a solar eclipse was indeed something special, and having never seen one in person, she was impatient for it to start. Looking up at the sky, she could see the very edge of it beginning to creep into the larger disc of the sun. “It’s starting, it’s starting!”
“Give me one!” Chibi-Usa cried, taking two of the shields as Mamoru took one. Picking up Diana, she managed an awkward shuffle with the kitten in her arm, holding up her own shield with her right as she held Diana’s with her left. Then, properly protected, they all looked skyward.
The shape of the sun looked as though it had been cleanly cut, a round chunk missing. The moon was merely a black semi-circle against the brightness of the larger star, a blot of darkness stealing daylight. Nearby and far away, they could hear the crowds of people in the park gasping in awe, and one loud child in particular cried, “Mama, the sun is being eaten! It’s scary!”
“How silly to think of it that way. Obviously, she’s still a child,” Chibi-Usa thought as she watched the slow inch of the moon as it crawled across the sky. “To say that the sun is being eaten….! But, now, what’s that sound?” Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Usagi’s equally puzzled expression, and they turned towards one another saying in unison, “Bells?”
It was definitely bells, though no one else seemed to hear them. Diana was blinking up at them in confusion, an ear twitching; Mamoru was still staring up at the sun, totally absorbed in the event. But as the sound grew louder, he lowered his arm, turning around to face them. “What’s that sound?”
“…maiden, please…”
“It sounds like bells,” Mamoru said.
“Maiden, help me…”
It was a horse. As they stared, the most beautiful white horse came slowly prancing out of a shaded wood that simply had not existed a moment ago. The sky darkened around them as it came closer, revealing to them a golden horn rising from its forehead to pierce the shadows, tossing a mane of silver hair. Wings of white feathers opened, rising to curve above its profile as it stopped, close enough for both girls to touch. “Please, maiden, help me.”
None of them spoke. Chibi-Usa was the first to move, reaching out a trembling hand to touch the winged horse’s nose, which looked as soft as velvet. Though the horse didn’t seem to be upset or scared, it gently pranced out of reach. “Please, maiden. Please help me.”
“Me!?” they both exclaimed, pointing to themselves.
The winged horse lowered its head, stepping back another pace. It slowly disappeared as day turned to night, leaving them in the semi-shade of darkness as the winged horse and the woods completely vanished.
Silence reigned for a good five minutes.
Wearing identical expressions of awe, they turned to stare at one another. “Usagi-chan…did you see…?”
“Hai, hai…that beautiful horse…” Usagi whispered, her fingers flexing unconsciously against her breast.
“He called me a maiden!” Chibi-Usa cried, clasping her hands together as she swung around towards an equally stunned Mamoru. Usagi blinked rather comically as she turned to follow the younger girl with her eyes, swiveling around to stare at them both.
“What do you mean he called you a maiden? You’re still a kid! It was obviously me he meant!” she proclaimed proudly, stopping Chibi-Usa in her tracks.
“You can’t be serious!” she scoffed, dismissing her elder with a wave of her hand. “You’re an old hag in comparison to me! I’m obviously a young, beautiful maiden, and it was me he meant!”
Mamoru was still too stunned by what he had seen to reprimand either of them as they began shouting at each other, trying to out-do the other with details of their attributes, which ranged from bedroom space to age to uniform colours – Usagi contended that only babies wore pink, while Chibi-Usa countered that it was the sign of youth – their rising voices thankfully ignored by the far crowds. Neither of them noticed Mamoru’s face as he slowly shook his head, wondering why the voice of the winged horse had sounded familiar.
Above them, the moon covered the sun completely, at which Mamoru finally looked up. He frowned at the sudden twinge in his chest, pressing his hand to his heart. “What an odd feeling,” he muttered, the sounds of the girls’ arguing finally catching his attention. He exhaled quietly as he saw them still gesturing at one another, their voices mixing into babble as they fought for dominance. “Usa, Chibi-Usa, please, stop that! Both of you know better.”
At the sound of his voice, they both snapped to attention, shuffling their feet like naughty children. Mamoru stifled a twinge of irritation at Usagi’s antics; for the love of the kami, she was nearly sixteen, not five. But to be honest, she had been a model teenager for months during the pressures of exams. He supposed he could chalk it up to Chibi-Usa’s trip home that had her acting like a brat rivaling her daughter.
“Did you see the horse too, Mamo-chan?” Usagi asked, gesturing towards the space where it had appeared. “So suddenly, a beautiful winged horse…”
“Actually, I don’t believe it was technically a horse. Greek mythology describes a winged horse named Pegasus.” As he spoke the name, he felt a ghost of memory tickle the back of his mind, as if he had used it before. His past life creeping up on him, perhaps? “Anyway,” he continued, shaking it off, “why are you two arguing over his comment? What matters is what he said, not who he intended it to.”
The sound of the far crowd grew louder as he finished his statement. Suddenly, he was gripped by the pain of claws digging into his heart, a stronger sensation of pain then before that had him nearly on his knees, gasping for air. He heard the girls shout dimly as he bent over, holding his chest tightly, as if that could stop it from hurting so damn much….
The sound of bells had him whipping his head up to find the source, the Pegasus returning – to him? – but he only found Diana prancing in front of him, her bell tinkling as she cried, “Prince! Are you in pain?”
“Hai, Diana….only a little bit. It’s fading now,” he gasped, which was true; already it was a pale imitation of the stabbing claws that had gripped him. He slowly stood upright, only to be nearly thrown back down as both girls rushed to help him, supporting him despite their unequal heights.
There was a strange sound on the wind as a shadow, incredibly, fell across the park. Looking up, they could see the oddest winged ship flying above their heads against the eclipse; a large, fish-faced boat with tiered sails that resembled the sails of the junks on the Yangtze. It was a hodgepodge of angles and fins, and it was flying.
As it came closer, they could hear the singing from its decks, though the music was slightly ominous despite its cheery words: “The circus is here, the circus is here! The Dead Moon Circus has arrived! The city of lights, and the world of dreams, how beautiful it is! This is the time we’ve been waiting for; come one, come all, to our marvelous circus show!”
The ship swooped past in a lazy glide over their heads, and they could see nothing of its passengers, merely hear them. They watched as it flew away, slowly disappearing into the sky.
“That was….a flying ship?” Usagi gasped, rubbing at her eyes vigorously. At her side, Chibi-Usa did the same. Mamoru simply stared into the sky in the direction it had disappeared, frowning thoughtfully. “Mamo-chan, do you think the others saw it? A flying ship!”
“I think the whole city did,” he said absently. But when he took his eyes off the sky and looked around, he saw no puzzled looks or pointing fingers across the park; instead, there were cheerful faces and laughter. “Or perhaps not,” he amended, biting his tongue as the pain returned to stab him in the chest again. He tasted iron as he pressed the flat of his hand to his heart, trying to hold in his shudder as his girls argued behind him once more. “All of these strange events, one right after the other. It seems dreamlike, but it’s so real, like this abnormal pain.”
He grimaced again as the pain surged, pulsing in time with his heart.
Across the street, Ami lifted her arm and stared up at the eclipse. After Usagi and the others had left, the girls had decided to leave the park and head for the Crown parlor, where they could still see the eclipse and sit in comfort. The faintest sounds of singing had yet to reach their ears; all they could see was the shadowed disc hanging in the sky.
“It’s such a marvelously rare event,” she said as they walked, lagging behind. “I wonder what our ancestors thought, seeing something so mysterious.”
Rei gestured up at the sky in front of her as the others slowed. “There are many myths about the solar eclipse. The Chinese, for example, thought it was a dragon swallowing the sun. And so they beat mirrors and made so much noise to scare the dragon away.”
“There’s plenty of myths about fighting. The Sun fighting the Moon, Bear fighting the Sun. Both get eaten a lot,” Alex said blithely. “Though it’s rare that a solar eclipse happens without a lunar eclipse before it. Most of them time it happens in threes.”
“I wonder what Usagi-chan thinks of this,” Minako remarked quietly.
“Or Chibi-Usa,” Makoto added.
The sounds of singing grew a bit louder as they stood on the sidewalk, staring up at the eclipse. Out of the blue, Minako asked, “Ne, minna, let’s all make a wish! Surely during an eclipse, they’ll be extra special.”
Rei made a particularly haughty face at her. “Whatever gave you such a silly idea? Wishing during an eclipse? How childish!” Minako flicked her tongue out at her, though the dart of her eyes towards a young girl and her friends who laughed as they made their wishes was obvious. It was almost wistful the way Rei glanced towards them, realizing where Minako had gotten her inspiration.
Makoto laughed, holding out her hands. “I’ll make a wish! It’s fun to pretend we’re still children with lovely dreams. I want to be married in white. My dream is to be a beautiful bride, for a handsome groom. And then, I want to own my own shop! Perhaps cake, or flowers!”
“See! Mako-chan understands!” Minako crowed, pumping her fist. “Me, my dream is to be an idol! I’ll be talented and beautiful, and I’ll have lots of fans!”
Ami thought of Musashi Senior High, and what she had given up to be with her friends and fellow soldiers. Her dreams were not so far out of reach, despite what she had done; yet could she still call them dreams when she knew they would be discarded once the future arrived? She looked at her friends’ smiling faces and knew she could still at least try. “My dream is to be a doctor,” she said quietly, brushing back an errant strand of hair. “A doctor, just like my mother.”
Rei acted thoroughly put-out as she joined in, but the others weren’t fooled; after all, she was smiling as she said, “I want to be the priestess of our shrine. I want to take ojii-chan’s place and become head priestess. That’s my dream after all.”
Alex shook her head when they all looked at her expectantly. Minako scowled and grabbed her arm, shaking her bodily when she wouldn’t own up. “Come oonn, sensei, you have to have a dream too! No one but old biddies and shriveled old men say they have no dreams!”
“I didn’t say I didn’t have any, I just don’t feel like sharing,” Alex shot back as she was dragged around in a half-circle by a straining Minako.
“Come on, Alex-chan, you can’t just keep silent!” Makoto chided, waving a finger at her. “That’s not fair! We all said our dreams. You must have one too.”
“I’ve had plenty. They just didn’t come true.” She shook off Minako, glowering at her rather childishly. “I’ve always wanted to sing and play guitar. If I wasn’t always been dragged into someone else’s fight, I’d be in the clubs. I’d be happy on stage.” Minako squealed and threw her arms around her, squeezing her tight.
“Yoshi! Another idol! We can do it together, sensei!”
“Not if I want to be laughed off stage!”
Everyone laughed as they continued walking, the chorus following them growing even louder. As they stopped for the light, Makoto cocked her head curiously. “Ne, minna, do you hear singing?”
They lifted their faces towards the sky to see the ship gliding overhead, casting a shadow across the crowd. Over the edge peered colourful faces as they sang and cavorted: clowns in make-up and silks, an animal trainer with a top hat and whip snapping the air, acrobats swinging from the masts. All of them were singing, though their voices made up a curious chorus that wasn’t particularly pleasant; it was ominous and dark, tickling their ears unpleasantly as they swooped close and passed by. “The circus is here, the circus is here! The Dead Moon Circus has arrived! The city of lights, and the world of dreams, how beautiful it is! This is the time we’ve been waiting for; come one, come all, to our marvelous circus show!”
Wind teased its sails, and the ship swung away, heading towards the Juuban shops. Within seconds it was lost past the taller buildings.
As one, they glanced curiously at each other. Then, they looked around at the crowd still waiting patiently – and a few not so much – for the lights. No one seemed to be talking about a flying ship, or acting as if they had seen something so unusual. Most were on cell phones.
“You saw that, right?” Alex muttered, lifting a hand to scratch at her head. “Flying ship, singing clowns? I’m not in need of medication?”
“Hai,” they responded, looking puzzled.
They backed out of the waiting crowd and headed for a solitary location in front of an empty shop; the window proclaimed, in loud yellow letters, that a ramen counter was soon to open. “Did you hear what they were singing about? A Dead Moon Circus,” Ami said thoughtfully as she drew a finger through the dust on the window. “How odd a name for a carnival show.”
Minako slouched back against the frame of the door, looking up at the sky. The eclipse was still shadowing the sky, hiding the sun from their eyes entirely. “How odd it all was. A flying ship! Could it be Silver Millennium technology? Somehow, I feel as if I’ve seen them before.”
“It’s possible but not likely,” Alex responded, sunglasses in hand. She was cleaning them with the end of her shirt, lifting them to see if they were still dirty. “Most ships in the Silver Millennium that could fly were small passenger transport. Anything as big as that junk was a certifiable pleasure ship and very expensive and very rare. And not that I’m an authority,” she added, putting them back on, “but I don’t remember ever seeing a flying ship like that at any of the parties Serenity had. Something that glamorous would have stood out.”
“Would anyone on Earth own such a vehicle?” Rei asked, rocking almost imperceptibly on the balls of her feet; for her, it was almost as telling as if she started pacing around. Alex shrugged.
“Possibly, though I don’t know of flying ships being popular on Earth. Most traveling was by water or by portal. The technology that powered the ships of the Silver Millennium was crystal, which the Earth had no access to.”
“Could the solar eclipse have been an opening portal through which that strange ship could have come through?”
They all stared at Rei as she spoke, her brow furrowing as she stared up at the sky. When she realized what she was doing she jerked her head down, fixing them all with a somber stare. “It seems fortuitous for evil to arrive. The solar eclipse, a rare event. In tarot, the Moon is a sign of unforeseen peril, and deception. The circus is called Dead Moon.”
“You don’t think a new enemy has arrived?” Makoto whispered.
Minako pushed away from the window, her mouth set in a harsh line. The longer away she was from Venus, the more she felt as if it had been a mistake to accept that pen. Time to think had meant time to question and brood. But now, with the possibility of the fight once more, she felt the old pleasure of the magic tease her memory; Venus told her quite clearly what to do. “We have to get back to Usagi-chan. If this is true, she could be in danger.”
None of them questioned her as they followed her footsteps back towards the park, followed by the drifting orb of the moon.
The crowds were making it impossible to think of leaving by their normal route to Mamoru’s apartment; people were coming and going as the eclipse disappeared, and Mamoru made a noise of frustration in this throat. At this rate, they’d never get back at a decent hour. He sighed, feeling his wallet grow lighter in his pocket as he thought of a solution which would undoubtedly leave him much poorer for it. Not that he liked to begrudge either of his girls gifts, but with Chibi-Usa leaving…
His feet changed direction before he could stop himself, and he herded them both along a path that was far less crowded. “We won’t make it home anytime soon with this crowd,” he said, in reply to their unspoken question. “Let’s go to the Juuban shops for a little while and wait.”
Just as he predicted, both of them looked ready to ready to strangle his savings. They grabbed onto an arm each, all but tugging him down the sidewalk as Usagi said, “That’s a great idea, Mamo-chan! There was this pretty ring I saw at the jewelry shop…”
“Greedy Usagi, always thinking of herself! I’m going to be going home soon; Mamo-chan should be buying me gifts, not you! Save your allowance instead of spending it on manga!” Chibi-Usa chided her as Diana rolled her eyes.
“Greedy princess is more like it, Small Lady! Both of them will be in the future waiting for you!”
Mamoru inwardly groaned as they started arguing. Far be it for he to be glad to get rid of his time-traveler daughter, but there were some days he wished he had never had her drop onto his head. He loved her dearly and hated himself for thinking so, but she could definitely be a handful, especially when she and Usagi got into it. The noise level was especially ridiculous; they tended to start out-shouting each other when they were really mad.
He knew it wasn’t anything they did on purpose; after all, Usagi was only a teenager, not a regal queen in her twenties, and Chibi-Usa was more like her than either cared to admit when she didn’t get her way. It was especially bad when they started fighting over his attention. He had long ago promised himself that he would make sure he gave Chibi-Usa the love and consideration she deserved when she was born, after realizing he had to be an inattentive son of a bitch in the future. A king and queen of a slowly regenerating world had little time for her; here, in the 21st century, she was unconsciously demanding her just due.
And Usagi was just plain scared. Scared of losing him, scared of not being up to the task of their looming future, scared of what Chibi-Usa represented for that future. He had long ago realized that though he was just as scared of losing her as she was him, he was used to that cold gray loneliness; she, however, had not lost anyone close to her until Moriya had died in her arms. Chibi-Usa was not an actual rival for his love, and they both knew it, but she represented a possibility, many of them, and it scared Usagi to death.
So they bickered, and they fought, and they argued over the stupidest, silliest things. But he knew they would both be grieving once they were separated, Usagi most of all; Chibi-Usa would be doing nothing more but moving on to their grown selves, whereas they in the past had no one to replace her.
Mamoru didn’t realize they had reached the shopping center until Usagi’s gasp of surprise had him recognizing his surroundings. “Look at that, above the street!” she said, pointing up at a banner hanging above their heads. “Circus Arrival Blowout Sale?”
“They can’t mean…that weird flying ship!? But it only passed us by an hour ago!” Mamoru said, glancing at his watch. His eye caught a stack of flyers stapled to a nearby telephone pole, and he ripped one off the top. “The circus has arrived, an exotic troupe from the deepest depths of the Amazon! The mysterious Dead Moon Circus has traveled the world, and now they’ve come to Tokyo. Amazing! Mysterious! Magical!”
“I can hear a song that sounds like that mysterious ship’s song,” Chibi-Usa said, tilting her head. They stood in silence for a moment, craning their ears to catch a familiar melody; it was indeed the same, though the words were different. “How did they get here so fast?”
They walked further down the street, seeing several stalls set up with colourful banners and balloons advertising their souvenirs for the circus. None of them had existed the previous day. “Very weird,” Usagi mumbled, spinning on her heel slowly. Seeing one vendor in particular smiling at her, she waved a hand in greeting. “Hello! What’s this about a circus?”
The lady’s smile grew wider as she motioned them over. “The circus? The Dead Moon Circus, of course! This is a very special sale we’re having for them. The shopping center is handing out stamps now until the last day when you buy a souvenir, so you’ll get discount seats at the circus. You should take your little sister, she’ll love the show!”
But Chibi-Usa’s attention had wandered along with her body, and she was already down at another booth. “Look, look, Diana! It’s so marvelous here! It’s like a festival with all of the streamers and balloons and toys! And we have to miss it…”
“Chibi-Usa, don’t disappear like that!” Usagi snapped as she came up behind her, Mamoru lingering behind. “What are you looking at…? Oh, wow!” she cried, reaching past Chibi-Usa to point at a selection of kaleidoscopes, shiny with colourful glass. “Glass kaleidoscopes! They’re so pretty!”
“I know! Everything’s so pretty. Look at those posters of the clowns!”
“Goldfish! Mama would never let me buy any. She said they would die on me.”
Mamoru picked up another flyer as they continued to coo over the junk – which he was fairly certain it was, for their prices – and frowned. “’Grand Opening: Mamiana Sakaue Park. The Dead Moon Circus.’ But so suddenly? This doesn’t make any sense.”
Usagi suddenly tugged on his arm, and he turned around to see them waving two of the kaleidoscopes at him. “What? Do you want these? What are they?”
“Glass kaleidoscopes! The lady said they were 1000 yen for both. Will you buy them for us, Mamo-chan? Pretty please?” Chibi-Usa pleaded, giving him her cutest doe eyes as Usagi did the same. Mamoru sighed, though he was silently pleased they had managed to find something cheap, instead of the more expensive junk a booth down. They both attacked him with a crushing hug as he withdrew his wallet, and he had to do a rather strange, wiggling dance to pull his arm free and thumb out the appropriate bill to the lady, who looked vastly amused.
“You’re both making it hard for me to breathe!” he choked as their hold didn’t lessen.
“Arigatou, Mamo-chan!”
They let him go and took in a deep, grateful breath as he watched them play with their new toys. Chibi-Usa spun the end, holding it up for Diana to see; the kitten was mesmerized, though Mamoru wondered for the first time if she wasn’t mostly colourblind like normal cats. Strange how such a thing never occurred to him, especially with Luna and Artemis around. Strange how many simple things never occurred to him, despite the absurdity of his life.
Out of the corner of his eye he saw a flurry of movement, and he turned to see the girls standing at the entrance of the street. They looked as if they had been running full sprint, but when Minako saw him staring at them, she gave him a jaunty wave. He nodded curtly, turning around to see Usagi and Chibi-Usa still playing with their new toys, entirely unaware. They could afford it, he mused; they had such loyal girls watching out for them, willing to risk their lives to keep them safe.
But it had been quiet for months, almost a year. What had them so startled?
“Mamo-chan, is something wrong?” Usagi was looking at him through her kaleidoscope, though her voice was anything but playful. She lowered the toy, twisting it absently between her fingers as he smiled at her.
“Just thinking, Usa. Our little girl goes home tonight. How strange that we’ve found ourselves parents before we’ve even been married. Do you think we’ve done well, despite all of it?” He nodded towards the young girl as she spun around with Diana in her arms, trying, apparently, to make the kitten dizzy. So far, she seemed to be succeeding in making them both ill.
Usagi hugged the kaleidoscope to her chest as she smiled. “I think so. Even if sometimes, I’ve been harsh and mean. We love each other. How could we do badly?”
The bells began to toll the hour as they stood there, watching Chibi-Usa as she tipped over and fell, her eyes rolling back in her head. Mamoru checked his watch, then glanced back at the crowds; the girls were gone, but the press of bodies hadn’t lessened any. If anything, they’d gotten worse. “Damn,” he muttered. They had planned to go to his apartment and eat dinner before going back to Ichinohashi and sending Chibi-Usa home. Now, with the crowd as thick as before, he seriously doubted it could be done at a reasonable hour, and both he and Usagi had school in the morning. Even if they skipped dinner and tried to go, there was too big of a crowd.
“Chibi-Usa,” he said, watching his still dizzy daughter as she stood up, “do you want to go home tomorrow, instead? It’s getting late, and there’s still a big crowd at the park. By the time they leave, it will be dark and far too dangerous. You can explain what happened when you arrive tomorrow.”
She blinked at him, thinking hard for a moment; obviously, she was still a little too dizzy to come to the same conclusion he had. Then, she nodded, scooping Diana up with a smile. “I get to stay with Mamo-chan tonight!”
“Not just you!” Usagi announced, not to anyone’s surprise. She folded her arms and scowled at the younger girl as she said, “I’m going to stay too! This is our last night together. I’m not going to go home.” Then, she frowned as a thought occurred to her. “Say, Chibi-Usa, didn’t you say in your letter that you would be home today? What will the queen say?”
Chibi-Usa rolled her eyes at her, lifting the kaleidoscope to stare at Usagi. “Baka Usagi, I can simply go forward to the day I want! It’s time travel!”
Fingers, long and pale and slender, trailed across the surface of the mirror. The glass revealed nothing as she passed by, which suited her; it meant she didn’t have to face the truth, that she was still young and beautiful. What an irony that the White Queen had done so well in choosing her prison, stopping her from taking over her precious kingdom. Here, she would never become ugly and old, always frozen in the bloom of life.
Only in this shadowed realm behind the mirror was she perfect. But the reality…
She sneered at the glass, a trick of her frozen world in that it showed outward from both sides, revealing the darkened shadows of the circus tent she was residing in. Only her trusted Zirconia was allowed within, though the craggy wrinkles and drooping jowls of her face were a terrible sight. Otherwise, she had an empty space to look out upon, a rather boring view.
“The time is approaching,” she sighed to herself, gliding gracefully into her throne. Its design was grand and overblown, a testament to both her lack of artistry and her sense of Gothic grandeur. Cobwebs and spiders would not have looked out of place hanging from its curving arches, and while she was a haunted specter behind the mirror, she was entirely unaware of how ridiculous it was. “Soon, the Dead Moon will take this planet. Nightmares will corrupt this world from within, and I will devour its power, insignificant to the shine of that holy stone of the White Moon.”
Giggling like a young girl, she clapped her hands. “Yes! The power of that holy stone is truly amazing. The power of Earth and its precious Elysion is nothing compared to it. On this planet, the people of the White Moon are helpless. Once the nightmares spread completely, we’ll destroy them easily, corrupting them from within.”
“Nehellenia-sama, our plans are already falling into place.”
Zirconia, standing on the opposite side of the mirror, was a short, squat, waddled old woman. Her head was crowned with a tight, shiny cap; her cloak was the colour of midnight, splashed across the front with a black shadow that resembled nightmarish eyes. She held a staff that served to keep her upright as well as for channeling her power; atop fluttered an eyeball with white wings, its pupil red. The rustle of skirts was all she heard as her queen stepped closer to the glass to see her, as she kept her face respectfully inclined. “Zirconia, my loyal servant.”
“Nehellenia-sama. Our circus plot is well underway. At the Dead Moon Circus, the humans will be helpless, their dreams ripe for devouring by the lemures. Surely, the loss of beautiful dreams will be the final blow to Elysion.”
“That’s exactly what it will be. The beautiful dreams of humans are what give power to that insignificant priest and his temple. Once they’ve been destroyed, nothing will stand in our way as we remake this world in the image of the Dead Moon.” Nehellenia sighed as she eyed Zirconia, shivering as her golden eyes drifted over the old woman’s wrinkles. “The power of the Silver Crystal will soon be mine. The princess no longer has the protection of her cold, dead kingdom. Just as I foretold.”
Zirconia nodded, still staring at the floor. “The Amazones Quartet is impatient. Those girls are nuisances, and I respectfully ask again why we’ve bothered with them.”
Nehellenia laughed, scratching her long fingernails down the glass separating them. “Ara ara, Zirconia, are you feeling jealous of those girls? I chose them exactly for who they are, and how wonderfully ironic it is for them to defeat those of the White Moon. They’re perfect for the fight ahead. Weak, malleable children with their power confined to their Amazon Stones.”
“I still think, my queen, that they will turn against us. That they’ll have to be destroyed before they’re of any use to us.”
“That will be likely, in the future. But, Zirconia, my loyal one, they will provide nothing else but entertainment until then. As well as toying with those of the White Moon before they have to put down like troublesome dogs. Trust in me, your beautiful queen. Use them as you would any dangerous weapon until the time comes for us to rid ourselves of them.” Nehellenia smirked, turned away from the glass to stare at her throne. “After all, the Dead Moon Kingdom will have no room for those who are not absolutely loyal.”
Zirconia’s staff rapped the floor sharply in agreement. “As my queen demands it, so shall it be done.”
The girls were giggling in their nightclothes as Mamoru prepared tea, a calming ritual that often helped him settle down for sleep. Brewing chamomile tea with its calming scent, the hot beverage soothed his senses, reminding his body that it was time to relax; after a year of frantic fighting and hectic schedules, his internal clock was still off. He tended to sleep late and wake up too early if he didn’t purposely prepare himself, leaving him exhausted throughout the day.
Lately, however, he seemed to be even more exhausted than usual, even after a good night’s sleep. He pressed a hand to his heart, recalling the pain he had felt in the park; was he suffering from some sort of ailment? Was he worse than he thought? “Tomorrow, I’m going to the doctor,” he muttered, setting three cups and a small container of milk on a serving tray. The tea pot finished off the set, and he walked into his bedroom carefully, expecting to find out they had destroyed his bed.
Instead, he found them sitting atop fresh sheets still playing with their kaleidoscopes, with Diana curled up and out cold in front of the balcony doors. He smiled at the sight: Usagi was almost enticingly lovely in her long pink nightgown with the ruffled wrists, her hair down in a golden, wavy mass around her face; Chibi-Usa was swallowed up in one of his white shirts, surrounded by spun cotton candy hair. Setting the tray down quietly atop his desk, he poured tea for all three of them, adding a good splash of milk for Chibi-Usa, a half-splash for Usagi, and just a little dash for himself. “The tea is ready,” he announced, lifting up the tray again.
“Arigatou, Mamo-chan!” they echoed, crawling off the bed to pick their cups off the tray as he indicated, after which he picked up his own. Settling back on the bed carefully, they sipped their hot tea and sighed.
“This is a special night,” Mamoru said at last, sadness colouring his tone. He cradled his cup in his hands as he smiled at his daughter, the girl he would not see again until the day she was born and set in his arms. It was a painful realization. He had been prepared to see her off, but now, as she sat on his bed, he realized that he may never be truly prepared; he could only wonder what his future self thought as he lived each day without her.
And they were allowing time to pass as Chibi-Usa was in the past, so she wouldn’t go home to find nothing had changed; for them, she had been gone almost a year. Even though they had their hands full with their kingdom, they had to miss her terribly and think of her often. He knew he did, even when she was sitting next to him.
He wondered if Usagi realized how amazing it was for him, as an orphan, to know that he wouldn’t grow old without a family, that his future was going to be happy simply because he had love. Even when the ice came and the cold froze the world, he would have that happiness.
“Mamo-chan, have you been happy with me here?” Chibi-Usa asked quietly, staring at the surface of her tea. Her reflection was mocha-coloured and rippled, and completely foreign to her. “I know this was so strange for you two. For me to be here, ahead of time. And I’ve been such a brat sometimes.”
“Chibi-Usa, don’t say that. Of course we’re happy. We’ll miss you until the day you’re born.” Mamoru ran a hand over her hair, as Usagi smiled at them. “Even if it’s true that sometimes you really are a brat. Just like your mother can be.”
The smile turned into a gaping mouth. “Mamo-chan, what are you saying!?” Usagi cried, even as they started laughing. Mamoru reached out and took her hand, kissing the back of it gallantly. Her mouth closed as she blushed.
“I love you no matter how you act, Usa. Both of you are my special girls. I’d die for you. My lovely princesses.” He swallowed the last of his tea as they both turned bright red with embarrassment, smiling as he set the cup aside on his nightstand. “Now, both of you should be getting to bed. We need to get up early tomorrow to send Chibi-Usa home.”
Pouting in unison, they gulped down the rest of their lukewarm tea, giving him the cups before they flung the covers back, wriggling in next to him: Chibi-Usa was a small, warm presence between them, keeping the two physically separate. She sighed gustily, burrowing her head into the edge of the pillow. “I’m not tired,” she stated emphatically.
Mamoru arched an eyebrow at her. “That was what the tea was for. Young lady, you’re getting up at five o’clock, so you had better get tired soon.”
“Five o’clock!?” Both of them were gaping. He massaged his forehead with a grimace, wondering not for the first time why he hadn’t been more stern with the girl in the future. Obviously, he was going to be reading up on how to be a firm parent after Chibi-Usa went home.
“You have to leave early, Chibi-Usa, and you, Usa, have school tomorrow! This isn’t an occasion to skip, especially when classes have just begun.”
“Fine, fine,” Usagi huffed, hugging the pillow to her cheek. But Chibi-Usa just squirmed again, pouting.
“But I’m not tired!” she whined, tugging the covers up to her nose to hide an obvious yawn. “Tell me a story, Mamo-chan. That’s what papa does. Mama tells me stories at bedtime, too, so I’ll fall asleep quickly.”
“Aren’t you too old for stories?” Usagi asked cynically.
Chibi-Usa rolled over in bed and stuck her tongue out at her. “Of course not! Mama would tell me lots of spooky stories, and stories about pirates, and heroes, and vampires, and, and mirrors!” She pointed at the mirror that sat against Mamoru’s wall, tall enough for him to check his clothes in the morning, and plain as the man himself. In the dark, lights from the street cast flickering shadows across their faces, revealing them as pale ghosts in the glass. “Mama said there’s an old European legend about mirrors and the new moon. On those dark nights, you shouldn’t look into a shadowy mirror, or you’ll be drawn into the nightmare world on the other side, forever.”
Usagi audibly gulped as she eyed the glass. Apparently her imagination was still going strong in the future; dark worlds on the other sides of mirrors, honestly! “Still, it’s spooky,” she mumbled under her breath. “Thanks a lot, Chibi-Usa.”
Mamoru bit back a sigh, smoothing Chibi-Usa’s hair back, only to find her breathing softly; she had fallen asleep at last. Tucking the covers up under her chin, he kissed her forehead. “Sleep well, musume.”
But she didn’t hear him; she was fast asleep, floating in the darkness. She was drifting, her borrowed shirt warm and comforting against her skin. It felt as if she were wrapped in sunlight despite the darkness in front of her eyes. “Maiden,” she heard someone whisper.
“Yes,” she sighed into the darkness, “that’s what I want to be. A maiden, no longer chibi. A lovely, slender lady. Just like Usagi.”
“You are the maiden with the beautiful dream.”
“But I’m not yet. I’m still just a kid.” She winced as soft light rippled in front of her eyes, and her bare feet touched what felt like a smooth, glassy surface. “Where am I? Is this a dream?”
“It is, maiden,” the voice agreed.
A soft nose nudged her hand, and she turned around.
The Pegasus was standing behind her, as magnificent as the first time she had seen it. She gasped, taking a step back, only to be stopped by the gentle grip of his teeth on her sleeve. “Pegasus!” she said in awe, staring at him. “In my dreams? How?”
“Because you have the beautiful dream I’ve been searching for. You give me the strength possible to visit.” He lowered his head, dipping his wing down. “Climb onto my back, maiden.”
She hesitated, her fingers bare centimetres from his soft wings. “Is it safe? I won’t hurt you, will I?” she asked softly.
He whinnied laughter, kneeling down. “Of course not, maiden. Please climb on.”
After a few awkward hops – and more than a few crimson flushes as she realized she was close to flashing him – she finally climbed on, wrapping her arms as far as possible around his neck. He stood up, snapped his wings firmly, and took off into the air as she gasped, watching the world of darkness receding to reveal the sparkling lights of Tokyo at night. “Wow!”
“This is your city, maiden,” Pegasus said as they glided overhead.
“It really is! Wow! It’s so beautiful at night! Look at all the lights and sparkling glass! It’s amazing!” She leaned back and forth, trying to see everything. “I can’t believe I’m seeing this! But, wait; why is that place dark? It’s as if it’s in shadow,” she said, pointing to a shadowed section of the city overlooked by the Tower. “Is that…in Juuban!?”
Pegasus swooped closer, though obviously careful they didn’t come too close. “That is where your body is sleeping, near that dark shadow. It’s the taint of Earth’s enemies as they plan to invade further.”
“Is it the circus? The Dead Moon Circus!”
“Is that the name of their human guise? Yes. Their evil is spreading as your sleep. Already the dimensions have closed, as Earth’s spirit has been compromised. Maiden, you must help me stop them. Use your strength.”
“But I…” she whispered into his mane, watching the city beneath her feet. She had to return home, to take her place as a true princess at her mother’s side. To fall into the role of a future queen, learning her place as she had never truly done before. It was what she had always wished for: to be a lovely grown woman. A true princess, instead of a chibi fake.
He tilted his head as they swooped closer, and everything changed. Instead of the night sky of Tokyo, they were flying through a meadow. She couldn’t help but laugh as wild grass tickled her bare feet, reaching out to trail her fingers through the stalks. But her laughter faded away as she saw the gathering at the foot of a gentle hill, sitting in two sections of chairs, their rapt attention for the couple on the hill itself.
Usagi and Mamoru were picturesque and beautiful in their wedding clothes: Usagi in a frothy, lacy white Western style wedding dress, Mamoru in traditional black Shinto robes. Her blonde hair had been untied from her customary odango and curled, then tied back with red ribbons that matched the roses in her bouquet. Chibi-Usa had never seen pictures of her parents’ wedding ceremony; as she spent more time in the past, she realized they may have simply been lost in the ice, or deliberately forgotten along with their old identities. She had no idea if her mother had married in white, or if her father had worn traditional robes.
As Pegasus came to a halt some metres away, she recognized Rei’s grandfather as the man officiating the ceremony, though he looked exactly the same as he had when she had seen him just the day before. If this was their wedding, he should have been several years older. As she looked around the crowd, she realized none of the girls looked a day older than fifteen, and she began to frown. “Pegasus….is this a dream as well?”
“Yes, maiden. The beautiful dream of the shining girl I saw with you. This is a dream in peril from the invading enemies.” He pawed at the ground anxiously. “Would you allow this to happen?”
She stared across the grass at the gathering, which was, she realized now, a young girl’s theory of what such a wedding would look like. The cake, sitting alone on a table nearby, was ridiculously tall and opulent; Usagi’s train was so long it reached the red carpet that led to the hill. It was a beautiful dream, but not exactly realistic.
“You don’t understand, Pegasus,” she said softly. “I have to go home. I have to be the princess, to learn how to walk and stand and be smart, so I can be queen someday.” She touched her breast, not feeling the familiar lump of her brooch, but knowing that it was within arm’s reach in real life, safely tucked within her clothes. “That is my dream: to be a true lady.”
He stared at her with unreadable eyes, his head tilted as he considered her. She felt embarrassed, suddenly, as if she had done something wrong. But it was the truth, and besides, she knew the world wasn’t left unprotected: the sailor soldiers would still remain in the 21st century to protect everyone. She squeaked as his wings snapped unexpectedly, and they took off again, soaring up past the unsuspecting dreamer and out of her dreams, only to glide into a living room that looked just vaguely familiar to her. His hooves were silent on the wooden carpet as he walked calmly through an arched doorway – which meant both of them ducking lest they bash their heads – and into a dining room.
“How was school today, Ami?” Ami’s father asked as he passed the rice to her mother. Chibi-Usa felt a sudden pang of recognition and sorrow; this was Ami’s dream, certainly, because she knew her father had long ago left them to stay in the mountains. They had not shared a dinner table since Ami was a little girl.
And Ami was no little girl in her dream, but a teenager who smiled warmly at her father, receiving the rice from her mother – who was not working as usual, but actually at home, actually sharing a meal with her. “It went well, otou-san. My classes at Musashi Senior High are as excellent as I expected. And I’ve decided to join the Art Club, instead of Computer, just as you hoped.”
“That’s wonderful, Ami!” her mother praised her. “Don’t neglect your talent. You can be a smart girl as well as an artist. We’re so proud of you.”
“Musashi Senior High?” Chibi-Usa murmured, feeling uncomfortable the longer they watched them eat and share in their day. “Ami-chan wanted to go to that difficult school?”
“It isn’t a dream about schooling, Maiden. It is a dream about family. This girl has high goals, and has reached them all, making her parents proud of it. She embodies them both.” Ami’s mother laughed at a joke Ami’s father told her, as Ami simply sat and ate, obviously, quietly happy. All three of them were content to be together, instead of dividing their attentions.
Chibi-Usa felt shamed to realize how lonely Ami must be outside of her friends and school. Where Chibi-Usa had grown up with no friends, insulated from the world, and with little time spent with her parents, Ami had grown up with one parent who was always busy, and no real friends until she met Usagi. Her dream would of course be to have that perfect family and her achievements.
“I know what you’re saying, Pegasus, but even when I leave, you won’t be alone! Sailor Moon and the sailor soldiers will still be here, willing to fight with you. My battles are fought. It’s time for me to return home.”
“Maiden, I need you. Only you can break the curse. Only you can free Elysion.”
They were aloft again as she gripped his mane, ducking her head against the wind. Would he show her everyone’s dreams in order to persuade her? She hoped not, even as a tiny bit of her was curious. It simply felt too much like peeping. “Pegasus, please,” she begged, even as they descended into darkness.
No; not darkness; merely a dark street in a small, strange town that looked completely foreign to her. The street itself was dirt and well-pounded. Pegasus drew his wings back, tickling her legs with his feathers, and trotted towards a building with English letters she couldn’t read. The smell of cigarette smoke and something yeasty wafted towards her nose and she sneezed as they passed through the door, and into a dark, only moderately lit room with round tables and chairs, and a bar. “This is a strange dream. It’s not very beautiful.”
“This is not a beautiful dream, maiden. It’s a memory of a happier time that arrives only as a dream,” Pegasus said as Chibi-Usa craned her neck, gawking at the bar.
“Why do you keep showing me these things?” she whispered, even though she had realized no one noticed them, even as a man walked around them.
“To show you what will be lost. Even this memory is in danger. As a dream, it is timeless and lovely, softened at the edges. No one should have these destroyed by vandals.”
Alex was at the bar, holding a glass as she laughed. But it was not the same young woman Chibi-Usa knew; though she looked to be the same age, she was slightly shorter and prettier, with softer features that clearly marked her as a woman. Her hair was cut short to her shoulders, and she tossed it back impatiently as she gestured at a man and woman sitting next to her. “Pete, you have to admit one thing to Australian superiority: sunsets. We’ve got the best. Even if you poofters up here have everything else, we’ve got some great sun.”
Her voice was different, thicker; even though Chibi-Usa inherently understood her, she knew her English had an accent. The man next to her – black-haired and slightly shady looking, though he seemed in good spirits – waved a finger back. “Don’t make me laugh, Alexander. You know bloody well Essex tops the list. You agreed with me. Therefore, I win a totally useless contest.”
“I only said that to make you happy, you wanker. Now gimme my pound, or I’ll have to pound you.” She nearly toppled him off the stool trying to rummage in his pockets as their companion laughed, and Chibi-Usa gawked.
“Alex onee-chan is so…different. Was her life happier before she met Usagi?”
Pegasus tossed his head and began to trot towards the wall, passing by a jukebox wailing Chris Xander tunes about romance and true loves that seemed totally inappropriate for any of Alex’s dreams, and they stepped into a park where a couple and their child were having a picnic. “Mako-chan?” she queried curiously as they came closer, trotting across the grass.
It was a plumper, decidedly older Makoto who knelt on the blanket, with the finest lines of grey at her temples, beaming proudly as her husband – whom Chibi-Usa didn’t recognize – lifted their son above his head. “Are you flying, Haruki?” he laughed as he swung the young boy around.
“I’m flying, papa! I’m flying!” He tried to make a propeller noise with his lips, and only succeeded in spitting all over his chin as Makoto covered her face and laughed.
“Conrad, put him down before he makes a bigger mess! You both have been neglecting my food, anyway,” she chided them with a smile, accepting her son as he was handed down to her. “You know I’m so busy at the restaurant, these days alone with you are special.”
They watched them eat, a similar comparison to Ami’s dream, though the trio seemed to be content to merely be together instead of actively talking and relating their day. Makoto, despite being plump and matronly, seemed genuinely at ease with herself. Chibi-Usa smiled as they ate, remembering a picnic she and her parents had taken years ago. Though it had been within the protective confines of the palace, it had been much the same.
Her smile softened into sadness as she wondered what would happen, should Usagi fail. She felt a sudden shame at the thought of leaving; even though her mission was over, she had a desire to stay. To fight, still. Even though everyone was waiting for her back home, she wanted to help Pegasus. But she couldn’t, not when her mama was expecting her home, a proper sailor soldier.
“Pegasus, please take me home.”
The sunlight was bright in her eyes as Chibi-Usa opened them, finding herself somehow half-off the bed; she and Usagi had managed to switch places during the night. She groaned, sliding the rest of the way like a slug to land on the floor with a thump, her hair loose and half in her eyes. “It was a dream,” she muttered, rubbing her eyes. “Just a dream.”
As she pulled off her nightshirt, struggling in the small confines of the bathroom, she heard a metallic tinkle. Twisting around rather comically to stare between her legs, she saw a beautiful glass and gold bell resting on the tiles, glittering faintly in the light. As she reached for it, she remembered then the end of her dream:
Pegasus flew out of Makoto’s dream, soaring aloft through a warm, soft wind that tickled her face and felt alive against her skin. She spread her fingers wide to feel the wind rush through them, only to have it end as he landed with a click of his hooves, though their destination seemed to be nothing at all; merely a white expanse that shimmered like glass, stretching as far as her eyes could see. It reminded her of the light of the full moon, white and perfect.
He knelt down so she could slide off, her feet touching a cool surface that felt like…well, what she always imagined clouds to feel like. It was almost indescribable. “Pegasus, where are we?”
“Within your dreams, those you have yet to imagine.” He nuzzled her cheek, and she giggled at the unexpected ticklish sensation. “Maiden, please heed my plea; I am your supplicant. You have the beautiful dream I’ve been searching for. It was foretold to me that you would be the one to break the curse on Elysion. We will share our strength and defeat the enemies who would destroy this world.”
“I can’t be the only one with beautiful dreams who can help you, Pegasus!” she said, touching his nose. He huffed into her hand, and she drew back, thinking he had sneezed, only to find herself holding a tiny gold and glass bell. “A bell….?”
“Yes. Whenever you need me, ring this delicate bell. I’ll hear its music, and come to your side. Please. Be my ally. Without you, Elysion will fade, and the Golden Crystal will remain forever hidden.”
She realized everything had begun to fade at the edges as she took a step back, clutching the bell. “The Golden Crystal? What is it? Pegasus, wait! Don’t go yet!”
“My name is Helios,” he said, and the world of her dreams went dark. And she woke up.
Now, here was the bell. She picked it up and held it to her cheek, feeling a gentle warmth. Everything had been real. The beautiful wedding, Ami’s family dinner, Alex’s friends, Makoto’s family picnic; she had seen them all. Her friends’ beautiful dreams.
She had to leave before she lost her nerve.
Dressing quickly, she scribbled her note goodbye and left it carefully on the pillow. Diana, still groggy from sleep, was cradled over her shoulder as she checked her backpack: clothes, mementos, and a long-unused Luna P. She had turned the device off after the events of last summer, realizing that she didn’t need the protection anymore. Though she tended to miss its comforting beeps and whisper of air as it followed her around, she felt confident enough to protect herself.
The last item she withdrew with a sigh: Neptune’s mirror. Its surface remained blank, no matter what she said, not even showing her face anymore; did it mean she wasn’t worthy yet? Was it broken? The last time she had seen Neptune, it had been an unexpected run-in at the supermarket; she, Haruka, and Setsuna were shopping. Hotaru hadn’t been with them, and she had been sad to not see her, even though she would have been a baby. Still, they had taken a picture together, a happy one with all of their smiles. And she had forgotten to ask about the mirror.
She closed her bag with a final snap.
It was almost an hour later as her slow steps took her to the spot in Ichinohashi Park, the key clutched tightly in her hands. Diana was still sleeping on her shoulder, leaving her alone with her thoughts, which were too numerous for her liking. And the bell tinkling ever so quietly in her pocket was draining her willpower with every step.
The park was deserted at five in the morning, save for a few homeless immigrants sleeping on benches as she passed quickly by. She wasn’t worried about being caught as she stood in near silence, protected by the trees, and pretending she wasn’t in the city but in a wild forest somewhere far away. The key was sweaty in her hand, and she wondered if this was the last time she’d see such live trees. After this, it would be the ice and snow and cold.
Lifting her hand, she wondered briefly if Pluto was the one who would open the gate for her, or if the gate opened automatically at the summons of anyone with a key. Then she said, . “Time Guardian! Tear apart the sky and open the space-time door to me!” The winds began, as they always did, whipping her ponytails and the trees above. “I have to go, Pegasus. Iie, Helios! I’m sorry!”
Diana was stirring on her shoulder as she cried, “I call the true name of the almighty god of time, the time guardian’s father! Cronos! Reveal to me the path of light!”
But the light didn’t show.
The pain seized her like a fist, racing through her body as she screamed, dropping the key; Diana tumbled from her shoulder, fully awake, as she herself fell backwards to the ground, shaking and twitching. “Small Lady! Small Lady!” Diana nearly screamed in her ear as she bobbed back and forth, clearly frightened out of her young mind. “Please, speak to me! Small Lady!”
“Diana…the door…it didn’t open for me…?” She groaned, holding her head. “Ittaaaiii, it hurts!”
“Chibi-Usaaa!” The pounding of feet through the ground made it worse, and she grimaced, rolling onto her side and curling into a ball. She recognized Usagi’s voice and dimly wondered how they had gotten there so quickly, but she didn’t care; as soon as Usagi touched her, gathering her into her lap, she began to feel better. “Kami-sama, what happened? Diana, tell us!”
“Small Lady tried to open the door to return us home, but it didn’t open. And then, she began screaming and shaking in pain,” Diana said rapidly, her voice shaking with fear. “I didn’t know what to do, Usagi-sama!”
Larger hands touched Chibi-Usa’s forehead, and she moaned. “Don’t worry, Diana, we’re here. Chibi-Usa will be fine.” Mamoru was smoothing her bangs back, cradling her head. “Why would the door not open? Is Pluto not at her post?”
“It should have worked,” Chibi-Usa groaned, slurring her words a bit. The pain had lessened considerably, but she continued to lay back, limp as a rag doll. “I don’t understand. It should have wor—“
Her eyes opened wide as she snatched Helios’s words out of her memory: “Already the dimensions have closed, as Earth’s spirit has been compromised.” Dimensions….time was a dimension. The enemies had managed to cut off her access to the door to space-time by simply invading. She couldn’t go home until they were stopped, even if she tried. How ironic.
“Chibi-Usa?”
She stared up into Usagi’s confused eyes, shaking her head. “It’s strange, but…Pegasus told me about a new enemy, in my dreams. Now I can’t go home to the future, so let’s go home. Pegasus needs our help.”
“The Pegasus?” Mamoru queried as he helped her up, lifting her as she protested, and settling her on his back. “It came to you last night?”
“Yeah…”
Usagi picked up her backpack, looking faintly absurd as she swung it over her shoulder. She looked at Chibi-Usa rather oddly, lip bitten as she fell into thought. Then, she said, “I thought I saw the Pegasus, too. In my dream, about my wedding day on the hilltop. But I thought I was imagining things.”
Chibi-Usa looked guilty as she nodded. “Pegasus showed me your dreams, to convince me to help. He said everyone’s beautiful dreams are in danger.”
Mamoru gave her a little bounce to put her higher on his back as they walked through the park, towards the entrance. “But can we trust him? Appearing so suddenly, just before those suspicious circus people…”
Usagi waved the notion away, shaking her head. “Iie. I felt only goodness. Right, Chibi-Usa? Pegasus isn’t evil. We would have sensed it.”
The homeless people were gone from the benches they left the thickest grove of trees near the entrance; likely, it was because of the tiger sitting there, blocking their path. Mamoru stopped dead, snapping an arm out to halt Usagi. Diana gave a little shriek of terror and hid behind his legs. Lazily, the tiger snapped its tail, and stood up.
It was an impressive predator standing; Chibi-Usa had only seen old, faded pictures of them in her borrowed books. The real-life version was infinitely worse, and she felt her insides freeze. “M-M-Mamo-chan, maybe we should run,” she whispered, feeling her headache vanish in the wake of bone-chilling fear.
“That would be worse; he’d chase us,” he muttered, standing still as a statue.
“Should we transform and fight him?” Usagi choked, touching her brooch.
Snorting disdainfully, the tiger leapt at them. Despite Mamoru’s warning, Usagi ducked to grab Diana and took off running at the same time he did, though she screamed and he rather bravely stayed quiet. But when he turned his head to see where the tiger was, he slowed to a stop. “Usa! He’s not following us,” he called out, puzzled.
He was staring at them again, giving them a look of annoyance. Rather impatiently, he pawed at the ground, coiling its tail. When they continued to stare, the tiger’s jaws opened wide in a snarling yawn before it took off running, heading out of the park. Mamoru watched him run, before turning to glance at Usagi. “I think it wants us to follow.”
Her face was determined as she watched it run as well. “We have to. To have such a fierce animal running loose in the city…! Could it be from the circus, Mamo-chan?”
“It would have to be. Ueno is too far. And for it to make it here from Inokashira Park without being captured is absurd.”
Chibi-Usa tugged at Mamoru’s shirt, to turn his head. When he did so – somewhat awkwardly, given their positions – she said, “Let me go, Mamo-chan. If we have to fight, Sailor Chibi-Moon will do it. I’m already feeling better.” It was only a tiny lie; her head throbbed just slightly whenever sound hit a certain pitch, and her bones ached a bit, but she had faith in the magic of her transformation to fix both. She began to wiggle off, which meant he had to let go or inadvertently flash her panties to the park.
“Small Lady, are you sure? You were injured!” Diana questioned, though she allowed her to pick her up with no argument, only to be handed over to Mamoru. Her only answer was a quick sprint as the trio ran after the large feline, only to find it waiting for them just down the sidewalk. Once he saw them, he took off running again, heading towards the lazy curve of the circus tents visible in the distance.
The streets were thankfully not at their busiest, given the time of day; there was only a weak rush of traffic, and most of them looked so tired, they probably wrote off the tiger to sleep deprivation. Very few people screamed as they looked out their windows, but as he seemed to totally ignore anyone that wasn’t directly in his path, they simply revved the engine and drove off. Mamoru had to wonder if people were simply becoming too jaded thanks to the year they’d had: frozen sea surges, catastrophic fighting and destruction, UFO sightings, and The End Of The World. A tiger was pretty simple and tame, all things considered.
With his next step, he was on the ground.
Usagi and Chibi-Usa kept running, not even aware he had fallen, which suited him; despite the fact that it felt as if he had been skewered through the chest – and he knew all too well how a sword felt as it slid home – they had to stop the tiger. And he knew, somehow, that they couldn’t stop this pain, whatever it was, as it ripped his heart apart and stole his breath. Diana was at his side, a bundle of concern and alarm, but it was only so much noise to his ears, background noise to his pain.
He rolled onto his side, a hand falling to rest on the cool grass that separated the park from the sidewalk. Almost immediately he felt better, but not by much; the feel of the earth, of his planet and kingdom, felt inherently wrong. Tainted. Struggling to share its energy with him, the prince and avatar of its power. It coated the back of his tongue with a thick sense of despair, making him gag as the pain in his heart lessened. At the corners of his eyes, he could see shadows, even in the growing light of the sun.
“What’s happening to my planet?” he whispered, digging his fingers into the grass. It didn’t answer him, except to send that sense of wrongness. Were the circus people doing this? Were they the new enemies Chibi-Usa spoke of? “Usa…be careful.”
Several blocks away, Chibi-Usa and Usagi came to a sliding halt. The tiger had stopped the end of an alley that Usagi would later swear had existed on a street that never before had such a dark, damp finality to it, and simply sat down. Out of its shadow two girls stepped.
“They must be from the circus,” Usagi muttered.
One girl laughed as if it was a marvelous joke, covering her mouth. “Ara ara! What makes you say such things?”
“Your clothes,” Chibi-Usa and Usagi chorused.
Both of them frowned at that, glancing down at their outfits.
The one who had spoken had blue hair the colour of a clear sky, tied up into a bun and several ponytails that circled her head like the orbits of planets, tipped with blue orbs. Her clothes consisted of a skimpy blue dress that resembled a strapless metallic bathing suit with a bare wisp of a skirt, and strapped gladiator sandals.
Her friend had red hair – not copper, not strawberry, but bright, impossible red – tied up into a ridiculous tower of gold bands and a long, slender tuft at the end that stood precariously over her head. Asking her if she got radio reception would not be out of the question. Spiky epaulettes graced her shoulders, while her red bikini top and scandalously thin bottoms covered the basics, but not much else of her darker skinned body. And not to be outdone by the audacity of her outfit, she carried a whip in her hand.
On both their foreheads were two black marks: a solid circle, and a ring.
Usagi finally asked, “Isn’t it a little cold?”
“Of course it is! Nothing compares to the heat of the Amazon,” the red-haired girl sniffed, uncoiling the whip in her hand. She snapped it sharply, and the tiger stepped around her to snarl at the two again. “Tiger’s Eye, are you anxious to eat these suspicious girls? Silly children with their silly toys.”
“What!? No way!” Chibi-Usa cried, backing up. “Usagi, we have to transform!”
They scrambled away as Tiger’s Eye leapt, ducking beneath his claws as he soared overhead in a magnificent arc, landing to block their path out of the alley. Skidding to a halt again, they quickly stood back to back. “Now! Moon Cosmic Power, Make Up!”
“Moon Prism Power, Make Up!”
For a second nothing happened. Then—
Nothing still happened.
Both of them lowered their hands, rather comically looking around. “Ano…Chibi-Usa…are you still…?”
“Hai…are you still…?”
“Hai…”
Their transformations hadn’t worked. Usagi touched her brooch, feeling a heavy feeling of dread, deep in the pit of her stomach. Why wasn’t the power coming at their call? The brooches hadn’t been broken, everything had worked the last time they—
She remembered the chalice and its power filling her up, giving her a marvelous strength she had never felt before. Everyone had contributed to it, and she had transformed again into Super Sailor Moon.
But the chalice was gone, its job done. And she couldn’t call on her friends to loan them power; that was absurd. Possibly, she had done too much, strained the limits of her potential after using so much of it to rebuild, but it didn’t seem likely.
Touching her brooch, she imagined that power. Super Sailor Moon was the obvious next step, a level up that she had been shown far too quickly. If she wanted that strength, she had to find it in herself; she wielded the enormous power of the Maboroshi no Ginzuishou, and to lay down and call it quits over such a simple stubborn subconscious, well, that wasn’t happening. Not with an obvious enemy in town.
She felt Chibi-Usa take her hand, squeezing.
The power was there, and she could touch it. All she had to do was reach….
She heard herself say, “Yes. This is the next step. This time, you must take it yourself.”
Closing her eyes, she listened to the sound of the crystal, pulsing in time with her heartbeat. It echoed faintly, as it resonated with Chibi-Usa’s crystal, and as she listened to the swell of its chorus, she lifted the hand that held her daughter’s, shouting, “Moon Crisis! Make Up!”
The two circus performers cried out at the flash of light, covering their eyes. When they looked up, Super Sailor Moon and Super Sailor Chibi-Moon stood there, no longer afraid. “Now! For love and justice!” Super Sailor Moon said, pointing at the two.
“We are the pretty-suited sailor soldiers!” Super Sailor Chibi-Moon added, though it was somewhat comically aimed at the tiger.
“Super Sailor Moon!”
“And Super Sailor Chibi-Moon!”
“It took you long enough to reveal yourselves! Troublesome pests!” the blue-haired performer snapped, actually stomping her foot. A flick of her wrist revealed a small blue ball in her hand, as her friend snapped her whip again. “Summon Ball! Lemures, come forth! Nightmares and frightening dreams, attack these meddling girls and their beautiful dreams!”
Black, spiky clouds spun out of the ball, growing in size as they hovered over their prey. Even though they didn’t look like much more than floating sea urchins, they attacked viciously, driving them back towards the tiger as they cried out, blocking their faces from the sharp spikes. With each successful touch to their skin, they felt the lethargy of sleepless nights and horrible nightmares dampening their spirits; the world faded at the edges.
“What do we do to attack!?” Super Sailor Moon gasped, swatting one away. “I can’t summon the heart moon rod, it won’t come to my hand anymore!”
“I don’t know!”
Chibi-Moon cried out as one particularly vicious lemure slammed into her breast, knocking her backwards; as she fell, she heard the tinkle of the bell within her uniform. She landed hard, hearing it ring again, louder this time, and she pulled it from her bodice. “Helios…Pegasus…help us!” she cried, ringing it again, deliberately.
The sound of hooves filled the air as Pegasus appeared, running in front of them both and swinging his head, attacking the lemures with his sharp horn. “Helios, be careful!” Chibi-Moon gasped, crawling to her knees.
“If only we could attack these creatures, we could help!” Super Sailor Moon continued to flail her arms at the lemures, knocking them away with minimal success. As she stepped back, she almost tripped over Chibi-Moon’s backpack, and ended up kicking it aside; the zipper opened, spilling Luna P and several other items onto the ground, including both kaleidoscopes. When she caught the flash of light, she yelped, “That’s mine! You little thief, you were taking mine too?!”
Chibi-Moon shook her head, scrambling back as a low-flying lemure nearly took her head off. “I didn’t mean to grab both! It was an accident!”
“Little brat! Just because you’re a kid doesn’t mean you should get away with such things all the time!”
Pegasus drew his wings back, shielding them both from the lemures as they bickered, saying – in a rather irritated tone – “Maiden, princess, please! You’ve called me, and I’ve come to your aid. What do you require of me?”
They stopped arguing at the sound of his voice, looking guilty. “We need a weapon, Pegasus,” Super Sailor Moon said, eyeing the tiger as it continued to guard the alley opening. “And quickly! My heart moon rod…”
“I’ll lend you my strength.”
On the ground, the kaleidoscopes began to dance. As they lifted into the air, they lengthened into longer rods, curving around at their bottoms to form large handles in the shape of a heart. A crescent moon and wings graced the apex of the hearts, and a small crown at the very tips. “Our kaleidoscopes…” Chibi-Moon gasped, reaching out her hands.
“You’ve formed attachments to them already. Your spirits will link strongly, and create a focus. Channel your stronger power through these kaleidoscopes.”
Super Sailor Moon grabbed the other one, swinging it through the air. The words to summon her attack sprang to mind, and she said, “Super Sailor Chibi-Moon! Shout ‘Moon Gorgeous Meditation’ and we’ll destroy these nightmares!”
Pegasus pranced aside and they aimed their new weapons, seeing the faces of the two circus performer’s plummet. Both of them leapt high, far out of reach. Super Sailor Moon and Super Sailor Chibi-Moon ignored them and shouted, “Moon Gorgeous Meditation!”
A brilliant flash of light obliterated the lemures, sparkled through with the colours of the rainbow; a kaleidoscope made real. The tiger snarled and ran, with the two girls on his back, laughing merrily as they disappeared down the street. “We’ll see you again, meddlesome insects!” the one in blue called back, before they vanished. Around them, the alley itself vanished, turning into a sidewalk and a vacant building for rent.
The sun was bright in their eyes as Pegasus pranced back, nodding his head in satisfaction. “Yes. That marvelous power…maiden, you’re the one I’ve been searching for. I knew it all along.” Chibi-Moon turned to see him as he beat his wings, disappearing into thin air like a ghost. “Maiden…”
“Helios!” she cried, reaching out to him, only to feel her gloved fingers pass through his body. “Why do you keep leaving me like this…?”
Behind her, Super Sailor Moon gasped, “Mamo-chan!” and ran towards him, catching him in her arms. He was breathing hard, Diana cradled in his arm, though she immediately wiggled free upon seeing Chibi-Moon.
Mamoru shuddered, staring over her shoulder to where Pegasus – Helios – had vanished. His lips formed the name, but no sound came out; as Chibi-Moon ran towards him, he wondered why the name sounded familiar, swearing that he himself had said it once before. Was it a memory? He had a faint vision of a boy in white, smiling up at him.
The world went grey around the edges, and he closed his eyes, grateful for the darkness.
“Damn those beautiful people! They’ve been reborn for sure, these White Moon people. And with their power intact, too.” Zirconia shoved her way through the flaps of Nehellenia’s tent, her ears still burning from her queen’s rage. They had expected the princess and her people to have survived in some form – the power of the Ginzuishou was a potent siren’s song to Nehellenia’s ears – but not to be so obviously prepared to fight.
Striding into the main tent, she snapped, “Where are you girls? Stop hiding and playing foolishly in the shadows!”
“Are you mad at us, ojii-san?” a voice chirped out of the darkness.
The lights flicked on across the tent, as four girls appeared in the ring, looking as if they had been waiting for Zirconia. Two of them were the girls who had attacked Chibi-Moon and Super Sailor Moon earlier; the other two were similar in height and appearance, one pale skinned, and one darker skinned.
At one end stood the pale girl, with pink hair tied up into two wide hoops and long ponytails, a bun atop her head secured with a yellow bow. She wore an outfit similar to the red-haired girl, with a pink and black bikini top decorated with a rose, and scant bottoms with a wispy yellow skirt. Her strapped sandals were pink, a single rose at her ankles. She toyed with a long-stemmed yellow rose, twirling it between her fingers.
The other girl had green hair wound into five separate ponytails: three rose above her head, tied at the ends; the other two fell at her sides. Her top was wound around the edges of her breasts and up over her shoulders and around her neck, green edged with brown; her wide legged green pants cinched tight at the calves and hung around her thighs. A set of straps wound around her hips, clasped with a brooch shaped like a sun, from which dangled a flap of darker green fabric, matching her sandals.
On all of their foreheads were the two black circles.
“I’m disappointed in you, indeed!” Zirconia snarled, waving her staff at them. “I warned you not to engage these girls directly, only to observe them. You’ve revealed us to them!”
“Ojii-san, stop worrying!” the green-haired girl scoffed, waving the comments away. “We’ll deal with them without a problem, they won’t expect us even after this.”
“You insolent brats!”
Her shout bowed all four of them back, and they cowered under her lazy gaze as she came closer. “You cannot attack these girls so flagrantly! Their power is nothing you can withstand from a direct assault. They are immortal! They are the sailor soldiers of legend! Don’t think you can be so smart and defeat them in your brazen manner.” She rapped her staff sharply on the ground as they continued to cower, though she was fairly certain that by now they were simply humouring her. It gave her no little joy to know that soon, either they would die, or she would kill them. And she would enjoy it.
“This will be done slowly. Our nightmares will infect the populace through Elysion, and through our lemures. Those girls are to be infected slowly as well, not attacked so obviously.” She eyed them as they cowered, then smartly smacked the pink-haired girl with the bottom of her staff, eliciting a yelp. “Cere-Cere, take charge of your sisters! As the eldest, this is your responsibility. And stop calling me ‘ojii-san’ in that manner!”
Another smack, and she stepped back, glaring at them. Cere-Cere rubbed her leg, grimacing at her. “Ojii-san, no need to be cruel! Sisters, let’s do what he says.”
“I don’t like it! You said we could do it how we wanted!” the green-haired girl snapped, hands on hips. Next to her, her blue-haired sister scoffed.
“Jun-Jun, get real! What ojii-san says is what we do. And if we can go outside and cavort and play, why not follow the rules, just for now?” She was spinning a ball in her hand again, tossing it from hand to hand.
“Palla-Palla is right, I want my freedom to play! Who says we need to do all the work anyway?” their red-haired sister agreed, uncoiling her whip and snapping it with relish. Another snap ripped away a curtain behind them, hiding the entrance for the animals into the arena. The tiger, Tiger’s Eye, was sitting on his haunches, whiskers twitching; on his head sat a hawk, as if it were entirely natural. A decorative fish tank near them held an exotic fish, blue with a silvery sheen that flashed in the lights of the tank. “Tiger’s Eye, Hawk’s Eye, Fish Eye. My three precious pets. You’ll help us, won’t you? To take on human form and find out those girls’ dreams by stealth and sneak.”
Curiously, all three showed understanding and agreement, from nods of the head, to a crazed flurry of swimming. The red-haired sister laughed, gesturing back at Palla-Palla. “Palla-Palla, change these clever creatures!”
“Certainly, Ves-Ves! Palanquin Ball!”
She tossed the ball into the air, releasing its magic with a burst of light. All three animals spasmed, disappearing in a puff of smoke; as it slowly cleared, three humans were visible, silhouetted against the cloud. They were also fairly naked. Palla-Palla grimaced, gesturing at them to clothe them, apparently unaware of what constituted normal clothes; discreet and tasteful they were not.
Fish Eye had turned into a slender, effeminate male with blue hair and eyes, two slashes of blue and coral colour along his left cheekbone, and a dual circle on his forehead. Palla-Palla had clothed him in a bodysuit that, if he fell from a great height, likely would have bounced him; it was ribbed, looked like plastic, and was totally inappropriate with the high black stilettos he wore on his feet. A fish skeleton decorated the midriff, and the faintest hint of scales graced the backs of his hands.
Hawk’s Eye was a cheeky, compactly muscled male with a shock of pink hair, two slashes of red and tan, and a dual circle mark with two diamonds on his forehead. Purple fabric had been rather strangely tucked around his chest and up over a shoulder like a bandage; another piece was tied around his waist like a skirt. Lavender fishnets covered his legs, and black French heels completed the look. At this point it was also obvious that Palla-Palla had very little idea of how to dress a male, though both of them seemed merely thrilled with the very idea of clothing: they were tugging at one another’s outfits, cooing.
Tiger’s Eye watched them with a critical eye, standing apart. His hair was blonde and long, held back by a red bandanna across his forehead; red and blue smeared his cheek. He had a white sleeveless top that bared his midriff, tiger patterned tights, and black briefs. Tall black boots with short heels laced up the back of his legs, and a scattering of rings decorated his left hand. “It’s about time I got to play,” he said simply, though his mouth stretched into a toothy smile.
“Being a human is so weird, and so great!” Hawk’s Eye laughed, waving his hands through the air, feeling the sensations of the breeze against his skin. “Finally! We can prove ourselves to Ves-Ves-sama!”
Fish Eye was stroking his throat, eyes wide at the realization that he had no gills. “How odd to feel such warm, smothering air! I’m so grateful for the opportunity to stand on two legs and breathe!”
Ves-Ves snapped her whip again, catching their attention. “Don’t disobey us, the Amazones Quartet! Your duty will be to infest the beautiful dreams of those girls. Allow the lemures to feast on their brilliance. Once they’ve been destroyed, they’ll be completely helpless!”
“Hai, Ves-Ves-sama!” they chorused, bowing rather awkwardly. In a wink of an eye, they disappeared, flush with their new power.
The four sisters eyed each other, obviously in different degrees of agreement on their new servants. “Do you think they’ll do their jobs, Ves-Ves?” Cere-Cere queried, tapping her bottom lip with a pink nail. Ves-Ves shrugged, tossing the whip around her shoulders just so.
“Does it matter? Even if they fail, they’ll give those girls something to think about. Ojii-san never said we couldn’t toy with them.”
They exchanged slow, lazy smiles that bore no resemblance to anything kind, then began to laugh. Shadows coloured their eyes if one looked closely; they moved uneasily, dancing through their pupils. None of them seemed concerned that the light cast none of their own shadows as they walked away, meandering towards a bronze framed mirror sitting against the fish tank. It was a stylized sun, quite possibly an antique; it was darkened with verdigris and age, the glass dotted with stains.
Within, Super Sailor Moon and Super Sailor Chibi-Moon were standing over Mamoru’s fallen body, their mouths moving silently; it was obvious they were frantic, and that he wasn’t responding to their words. The mirror was, however, broadcasting them loud and clear, just not what they were saying.
“I need to be strong for Mamo-chan, I need to be an adult, I need to be strong…”
“This is too much for me, I want to be a child, I don’t want this responsibility…”
The sounds of their thoughts grew louder as Jun-Jun snorted, dismissing them with a wave of her hand. “How ridiculous! These can’t be their true dreams.”
“Honestly, it’s so simple! To look at them, it’s obvious they desire the complete opposite of their thoughts.”
“Yeah, they’re too stuck-up and sure of themselves to desire these things. We can fix that.”
“It’s my simplest ball trick!” Palla-Palla produced her ball, rolling it along her arm to her hand. “Opposite Ball! Reverse their thoughts and show them the results of their true dreams!”
“Mamo-chan! Please, say something!”
“He won’t wake up! We have to take him to the hospital, Sailor Moon. He could be really hurt!”
A bright ball of light dropped from the sky above their heads, completely unnoticed.
Super Sailor Moon nodded, looking to Diana. “Diana! Go find the others. Tell them we took Mamo-chan to the hospital where Ami-chan’s mama works. Hurry!” She didn’t wait for an answer, and stood up along with Chibi-Moon, glancing quickly around. When she didn’t see anyone watching them – a true bit of luck, considering how much time had passed – she said, “Now, Chibi-Moon, let’s undue our transformations quickly!”
“Right!”
They closed their eyes with the rush of power, never seeing the light as it hit them.
Usagi frowned as she opened her eyes, feeling oddly disoriented. That usually didn’t happen. Her body felt uncomfortably squashed, and as she turned to see Chibi-Usa, she felt the strangely heavy swing of her ponytails as they moved behind her shoulders. Then she shrieked, falling backwards into a fluffy bundle of what she realized was her uniform, pooled on the ground.
Chibi-Usa was huddling on her knees, trying to cover herself, and with good reason: she had grown up, and her uniform, appropriate for her grade, was now far too small. She looked like Black Lady without the femme fatale dress, but it was obviously not so evil a transformation. Desperation tinged her eyes as she stared at Usagi, pulling at her skirt with no success. “U-Usagi?”
“C-C-Chibi-Usa!?” Usagi stared back at her, before hazarding a look at herself. Where Chibi-Usa had grown, she had shrunk; now she was the chibi. Her uniform, now far too big, was pooled around her body, thankfully covering her decently, even if she felt like a child hiding beneath the blankets. “Kami-sama…what’s happened to us? We’ve switched sizes!”
