Chapter 3: “Visitors from Down the Street”
Last edit 5/10/08
Disclaimer: I own none of the characters of this story with all rights being owned by the appropriate copyright holders; I make no claim of any ownership. Should you wish to distribute this story only do so freely and with proper attribution.
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The first few moments following the disappearance of Sailor Pluto left the assembled Senshi stunned. Finally, it was Luna, many minutes later, who broke the silence. Getting up, she walked over to Usagi. Then bowing deeply, she said, “Forgive me for not recognizing you your highness. I should not have put you in all that danger, you were never trained to be a Sailor Senshi. My only excuse is that my memories of the past are very clouded.”
Just a few hours ago Usagi would have been jumping for joy in learning that she no longer needed to be Sailor Moon; however, that was then and things had changed. The child who had returned to her arms as Luna spoke had already wormed her way into Usagi's heart and in doing so she had caused Usagi to, unknowingly, mature significantly. No longer could Usagi think of just herself, she had to be strong for her daughter, and if her daughter was going to be training to be a Sailor Senshi of the moon, then she would be one as well.
“Luna-chan get up off the ground!” Usagi barked at the cat that was still bowed low in shame. “There is nothing for you to be sorry about, you were doing what you thought was best. The only thing that is now different is that we no longer have to look for the Moon Princess. And, we also know why I am such a lousy fighter. As much as I hate to admit it, I guess I will need extra training above what you give Mercury and Mars. Though, I probably could do that extra training along with ChibiMoon.” The last bit was said with an affectionate squeeze of her daughter.
Hearing Usagi's reaffirmation of being Sailor Moon, Luna was taken back, not having expected Usagi to be acting so mature. 'She will make a good queen one day,' Luna quietly thought to herself before addressing her princess again. “Princess, I am glad that you have decided to keep fighting as Sailor Moon. I will revise the training program for next time.”
Rei watched the exchange between Luna and Usagi with a warm feeling of delight in her heart. 'She has finally begun to recognize the inner strength that she has. I probably should not be so hard about her abilities, as it appears that both Ami-chan and I had extensive practice in being Sailor Senshi in the past. Wait a minute, the past?' "Uh, Luna what were you saying about the past?"
While Luna had remembered from the start that the warriors that she was searching for where in fact reborn warriors of a fallen kingdom past, she had forgotten that said warriors were unaware of their past. To a degree she could be forgiven for forgetting to mention that tidbit as in the case of Mercury and Mars she awoke them in the middle of a battle and Usagi had thought she was having a crazy dream or such until she heard Naru's cries for help. However, now that Rei had reminded her that she had not told them the truth about who they were, Luna decided it was time to explain the little that her stasis clouded mind could remember.
“You will have to forgive me for not being able to explain much more than what you already know, for you see my memories are very clouded as I have only recently awoken from stasis. Now as for the reason why you and Ami are Sailor Mars and Mercury is because you were those warriors as thousand years ago, the protectors of the Moon Princess and guardians of the Silver Millennium. For millennia the Sailor Senshi protected the alliance known as the Silver Millennium; however, a thousand years ago a great war befell the alliance and each of you fell in the line of duty protecting the Moon.
"The evil, however, did not win for Queen Serenity at the cost of her life was able to banish it away. And, then with the last her energy she sent your souls here to the Earth to be reborn. Unfortunately, that evil has broken free and it furthermore is the very one that we are fighting.”
Musing over what they had just heard, the faces of the three three teenagers were solemn and Usagi gripped the child in her arms a little tighter, subconsciously worried that a Dark Kingdom general would try to snatch her away. Seeing the fear building in the one who was quickly becoming her best friend, Rei declared, “Don’t worry Odango-Atama; we will defeat the evil for good this time. You can still count on us to protect you and your daughter.”
Agreeing with that proclamation, Ami nodded her head and said, "Hai, Rei-chan's right. We won't let anything happen to either of you." Then remaining the practical one, Ami brought up an issue that needed to be dealt with before they became too sidetracked. “What are we going to do about ChibiUsa-chan?”
That question, caused Rei and Luna to look over at ChibiUsa, as they realized the complication that she posed. Getting up from where she had been sitting in Usagi’s lap, ChibiUsa walked over to Ami. Stopping in front of the older girl, she removed the remains of Luna-P from her subspace pocket.
“This used to be Luna-P, it was destroyed during my trip back in time. It is what I use to alter peoples’ memories when I travel back in time.”
Nodding her understanding, Ami pulled out her computer and began scanning the remains. Reading the results of her scans, she frowned as she did her best to comprehend what her computer was showing her. Unlike youma these readouts were quite technical and then there was the question of how the device worked in the first place. Even still she did her best to find a way to restore its hypnosis functionality, but eventually she had to concede defeat.
“Unfortunately, the damage is simply too extensive. A good fraction of its internal circuity is going to need to be replaced and worse off, I don't think any of the required replacement parts have even been invented yet."
“Well that is just dandy,” summed up a slightly irate Rei. “I guess she will have to stay here at the shrine. My grandfather is the least likely to ask questions, and we are a place of sanctuary.”
Agreeing with Rei's logic, Luna was about to say so when Usagi voiced her decision. “NO! She will stay with me,” and then before the others could object she continued, “She is my daughter. I don’t care about the consequences, my mind is made up.”
In response, Rei outwardly muttered about Odango-Atama no baka; however, internally she felt a slight twinge of pride at Usagi’s continued new found backbone. She just hoped, though, that this was not a one-time affair, and that Usagi would maintain this new determination.
Seeing the determination in Usagi’s eyes, Luna knew that there was no way to change her charge's mind, and so she gave in. “All right she will stay with you, but how are we going to explain this to your parents? This is slightly more than just getting a cat,” Luna said referring to how she came to live with the Tsukino family only about a month ago.
“Easy we tell them the truth,” stated Usagi. Not waiting for the open mouths to be recovered by their owners, she continued. “Now I need to hurry and get ChibiUsa-chan some clothes at the mall." 'It's a good thing that mom gave me my allowance today and that ChibiUsa found me before I visited the arcade.' "Though first could I borrow your phone Rei-chan so that I could let my mom know to set an additional place at dinner tonight.”
Getting a weak nod from a dazed Rei, Usagi along with ChibiUsa proceeded to leave the room. It was not till the door closed behind Usagi that the others broke out of their daze and began to react to Usagi's declaration. As could be expected, Rei and Luna immediately began a long tyrant on how baka Usagi was.
However, they did not get far before Ami interrupted them. “As unorthodox as it seems, I think Usagi-chan has the right idea. ChibiUsa-chan should remain with her mother, Usagi-chan, and without the ability to hypnotize the Tsukino family, they will need to be told the truth. Luna, be sure to be there when Usagi talks to her family. And, don’t hesitate to call us, if you think it will help.”
"Hai," Luna and Rei reluctantly agree.
Then with that decided, the Senshi meeting broke up. Leaving the shrine, Ami headed to library where she could find refuge in its familiar environment to come to terms with the day's revelations, while Luna headed for the roof of the Tsukino house where she would find a similar refuge. Rei, already home, sought out the Great Fire. Usagi, however, had no need to seek any sort of refuge to sort out the day's revelations for she had already fully accepted new situation and as she walked hand in hand with the pink haired girl part of her felt that today had been a really good day.
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--The alley where ChibiUsa originally arrived--
After having spent an hour examining the alley, Zoisite gave it one final check. 'Just great there is nothing here. Oh, there is a massive energy signature residual about ten feet in the air. It looks like it probably was a portal of some sort; though, the trajectory would not have been pleasant for its traveler,' smirked Zoisite as he realized that anyone coming out of it would likely have ended up in the nearby dumpster. 'I wonder what kind of portal would have needed so much energy? Unfortunately, there are no other energy signatures in the area. Guess I had better go report my findings to Beryl; she will probably not be pleased,' and with that thought, Zoicite opened a portal of his own and returned to the Dark Kingdom base.
Zoisite assessment of Beryl's moved proved to be true and he suffered a great deal of pain in punishment for his less than welcome report. Though, on the upside he was to now return his focus to defeating the Sailor Senshi and this little wild goose chase was reduced to just being a secondary objective. Thinking about how much residual energy had still remained of that portal, Zoisite just hoped that he never had the opportunity to encounter his secondary objective. Who ever had command of the energy necessary to create such a portal would be a formidable foe; of course that enormous amount of energy was exactly why Beryl wanted him to find out more, as with it they would have sufficient energy to release their great leader.
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--A hospital--
In another part of town in a hospital lay a man vibrant red hair. His hair color, however, was not his most distinguishing mark that distinction lay with an upturned black crescent moon on his forehead. When conscious his demeanor easily instilled fear in others. Now, though, he looked no more threatening than any other patient, which was good as he life depended on the doctors being able to give him the best treatment possible. Though, even with the excellent treatment that he had been receiving, he still should have died. When he had been brought in his lungs had been full of water. However, his body appeared to be against the very notion of dieing and so the doctors had been able to nurse it back from the brink of death. Now all that was needed was for him to wake up from his coma, a coma that he had been in for a week now.
Lost in his subconscious mind, the man began to become aware of the dream plane.
'Where am I, and where are the others?' the man's dream-self thought to himself as the formless void that he initially found himself in shifted to be that of outer space with a crystal shaped ship spiraling out of control above the earth. The man watched as the ship's hull began to glow red from reentry before his shifted to locate him inside of the ship where he could see explosions rip through the internals of the ship while. He could not make out the exact words that the crew was saying, but the meaning was clear: the ship was doomed.
Yet again the scene shifted and now the man watched as large section of the ship plowed into a lake. A few moments later, a red haired figure drifted to the shore who was noticed shortly there after by a pair of runners. Following the arrival of an ambulance and paramedics the scene shifted once again, but this time it did not resolve into a firm memory but back into nothingness. However, he was not alone for a hooded figure with a glass ball sat before him.
Recognizing the being, Rubeus's dream-self asked,“Wiseman what is happening?”
“There has been a disruptions to the flow of time. The future no longer exists; even my continued existence is only temporary. The others are all gone.” Replied the hooded figure.
“Does this mean that Crystal Tokyo is destroyed?”
“No, Crystal Tokyo may still come to be. You must now prevent it from ever coming into being. The queen is alive in this time period, kill her and her child to prevent the rise of Crystal Tokyo. The child will lead you to the mother.”
Then with a new set of directions, Rubeus slowly began to regain consciousness. Seeing that he was in some kind of medical facility and not wishing to deal with the locals, he teleported himself clear of the building. Now floating high in the sky, he thought to himself, 'First thing is to find a place to base myself from, and then to find the future queen of Crystal Tokyo and kill her.'
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Elsewhere in Tokyo
Walking happily beside her mother’s past self, ChibiUsa had for the time forgotten her worries. Like any child, and especially a Usagi, she could not remain in a saddened mood for long when a distraction was provided, which the trip to the mall perfectly fit the bill for. Now, having finished their mall trolling and having expended most of Usagi's spending cash, the two of them headed for home. Holding the bag with her new outfits in her free hand, ChibiUsa still could not believe that Usagi had willingly and with no fuss given up her allowance money to buy these outfits. 'I would have thought Usagi would have at least muttered under her breath about giving up her arcade money.'
Turning the corner and catching sight of her mother's house, ChibiUsa felt her cheerful mood evaporate. Her change in demeanor did not, though, go unnoticed by Usagi. Slipping her hand out of ChibiUsa's hand, she wrapped the younger girl, who was now walking up tight against her in a one armed hug. 'She must be nervous about meeting my parents. Since she had visited once before, she must know how rabid my father can be when the topic of me thinking about boys comes up.' Usagi thought to herself as she realized that her daughter needed some reassurance that everything was going to be okay.
Then moving her arm from ChibiUsa's side to her shoulder, Usagi stopped the younger girl before kneeling down. Don’t worry about my parents. No matter what, you will be staying with me. Remember I am Sailor Moon and I will defend you.” Usagi said once ChibiUsa had turned to face her. "
Seeing her mother finish with a V-chan sign across her face, the pink-haired girl giggled. “You look just like Minako-chan.”
“Who?” questioned Usagi, but ChibiUsa had already begun walking and did not here Usagi’s question.
Hurrying after her daughter, Usagi caught up with her and retook the young one's hand. When they finally reached the driveway a few minutes later, Usagi suggested, “You should probably avoid using any familiar forms for addressing my family or calling me momma until after I have explained to them that you are my daughter.”
"Hai," ChibiUsa replied along with a nod of acknowledgment.
Having watched the two girls approach from her perch on the house's roof, Luna chose this moment to drop down to the ground. Then walking over to Usagi she knelt in front of the older girl. Seeing Luna, Usagi picked her up and placed her mentor into her normal position a top her shoulder. Then giving ChibiUsa's hand a good luck squeeze, Usagi took a deep breath and walked up to the front door and from there on into the house.
Shingo was the first to see that Usagi had brought a guest home. However, any excitement that he might have had in trying to embarrass Usagi was instantly killed when he saw that the guest sported the same weird hair style as his sister. Instead, he thought, 'Oh great Odango-Atama has found a pint sized clone of herself,' before deciding to hid away in his room till dinner.
“Usagi you’re home, I was starting to get a little worried. Oh, this must be the guest you told me about over the phone. She looks a lot like you, even has the same hair style,” Ikuko said. Then turning her attention to the younger girl, who she noticed looked a bit scared, she said, "Konnichiwa. I am Usagi-chan's mother. Did Usagi-chan do your hear up in that style? It looks very cute on you."
"Arigato Tsukino-san and yes Usagi-chan did my hair," gripping Usagi's hand tighter in nervous anticipation, ChibiUsa truthfully replied, or at least truthfully if you allow for some fourth dimension leeway.
“Mom is dad around? I have some things to explain, and I would like to only explain them once.”
“Yes he is in the back, would you like me to call him?” replied Usagi’s mother.
“Yes, and could you ask Shingo to come down as well. He should hear what I have to say as well.”
"Sure thing," Ikuko replied now even more curious by what her daughter had to say. She wondered if it had anything to do with that flamingo haired child. She couldn't remember having seen that girl before and she was quite a bit younger than her daughter. Something was obviously bothering the girl, but what ever it was they would help her out. She also wondered about the bag that the little girl was carrying with her as she recognized it as coming from one of the retailers that specialized in children's clothing. Well whatever the situation was, the sooner that she collected her husband and son the sooner Usagi would begin explaining.
Several minutes later once the whole family was assembled in the living room, Usagi and ChibiUsa got up from the chair that they had been sharing and moved to stand at one end of the room. The two stood facing Usagi's family with ChibiUsa directly in front of Usagi and the older girl's hands resting on the younger one's shoulders. “Mom, dad, Shingo I would like you to meet Tsukino Usagi-chan, or as she likes to be called ChibiUsa-chan”
“Ah, great not only does she look like a pint sized Usagi, she has the same name. At this rate she will probably be another Odango-Atama as well,” interrupted a complaining Shingo.
Clearing her voice to silence Shingo's interruption, Usagi continued, "ChibiUsa-chan is a time traveler from the future where she is the daughter of Neo-Queen Serenity. She has come to the past to train beside her mother as a Sailor Senshi." Hearing those statements, both Kenji and Ikuko wanted to interrupt their daughter and to tell her to start making sense; however, Usagi did not give them a chance and, instead, continued her explanation. "As you have probably already noticed, ChibiUsa-chan looks a lot like me and the reason for that and for sharing the same name as me is that I am or actually will be her mother.”
“Honey, how can this be?” questioned an utterly confused and lost mother.
“There used to be a great kingdom of all the other planets of the solar system centered on the moon, called the Silver Millennium. The Sailor Senshi guarded this kingdom and the heir to that kingdom was a princess named Serenity. That kingdom fell a…”
“What are you talking about Usagi?” demanded her father with a raised voice. He was not sure what had gotten into his daughter to cause her to give that first tale and now she was weaving a knew one, but he was going to put a stop to it. And, once he found out who had been filling her daughter's head with these tales, he would make sure they never bothered his daughter again.
Watching Usagi's explanation from her spot off to one side of the room, Luna realized she was going to need to step in. Usagi would be able to get them to believe in the Sailor Senshi and her role as Sailor Moon with a henshin, but ChibiUsa' relationship and her identity as a princess of the Moon would need something else. Furthermore, Luna had a feeling that Usagi's father might feel a bit resentful and it would be much better if that resentment was directed at her instead of her princess. Therefore, Luna spoke for the first time to the family.
“Usagi-chan speaks the truth. She is the reborn princess of the Moon Kingdom, her highness Princess Serenity. She, however she has not reclaimed any of her past memories.” Luna said garnering gasps of surprise from Usagi's family. “Yes it is true I can speak. Just as Usagi is not really a human, I am not an earth cat. I may look like one, but like the rest of those of the Silver Millennium, I am magical. The crest of the moon on my forehead is partially responsible for my powers and is the symbol of the kingdom that I serve. Usagi will have one on her forehead as well when the magic that is hiding her true identity is broken.
Realizing that even a talking cat would not be sufficient for convincing her family, Usagi decided that a demonstration was needed. Squeezing one of her daughter's shoulders to get her attention, Usagi silently gestured at her own locket once ChibiUsa had looked up. Getting a nod of understanding, Usagi stepped back from her daughter and then with a grin at each other, they took a hold of their lockets and called out “Moon Prism Power Make-Up.”
Those words instantly garnered the attention of the everyone else who treated to the sight of the transformation process that replaced Usagi and ChibiUsa with the pretty suited soldier of love and justice and a pink pint sized copy.
“Sa…Saiilor Moon?” Shingo timidly questioned.
“Yup, your klutzy sister is the pretty suited defender of love and justice. How do you think I knew your name that time that I saved you, and why I asked you to take good care of Luna afterwards?” Usagi replied
Shingo attempted to respond to his sister, but could only stutter, having a hard time accepting the truth that was now before him.
“So that is why you have been sneaking out late at night” stated Ikuko making the connection.
“Yes that is why I have snuck out of the house at times, and why I am sometimes late in getting home and have real lame excuses.
“What if you were to get hurt?” questioned a worried father, who was not sure if he liked what he had just heard. He may be proud of his daughter, but fighting was just too dangerous for his little girl.
“Don’t worry dad, Luna has already found two of my guardian Senshi, Mercury and Mars. Unlike me, they were trained as warriors back during the Silver Millennium and instinctively remember most of their training. Additionally, as Luna stated I am not truly human. I believe Mercury, by that way that’s Ami-chan, said that I heal faster than a normal human and have a higher endurance. And further, when I am in my Senshi form the magic heals me even faster and protects me from most wounds. Anyways, Mercury makes a good medic for those injuries that are more than just scrapes and bruises.
“Sailor Mars is Rei-chan. I am still the same klutzy daughter that you knew before. The only thing that is different is that I have a really unique after school job. I still love all of you the same. And to why I did not tell you before, it was to protect you. I could take the risk that somehow my identity would get out. Which means Shingo-kun that you cannot reveal any of this to anyone outside of the family. Doing so could potentially put you in great danger. I do not want my family to suffer because of who I am.”
Deciding to expand on Usagi's final statement, Luna said, “The enemies that we face are the same ones that attacked and destroyed the Moon Kingdom a thousand years ago. They were banished by Queen Serenity when she used the Ginzuishou. However, her use of the crystal at full power required the sacrifice of her own life. But, she was able to, before she died, send the souls of her daughter, her love, and her royal court ahead in time to be reborn on earth. I was placed in a cold sleep capsule to await their rebirth. I don't know why I was not awoken when Usagi-chan was born; instead, I remained asleep. I have only recently awoken and I am working on tracking down her highness's guardians so that they can both protect her and defeat the Dark Kingdom." Then knowing that Usagi's family was sure to have more questions, Luna apologetically added, "Unfortunately, I do not remember much else, as my memory was turned to Swiss cheese by the cold sleep."
Luna then proceeded to wait a few minutes for the Tsukino family to absorb what she had said before reiterating the need for them to keep what they had just learned secret. “If the Dark Kingdom was to learn that you were the family of Sailor Moon, you would become their perfect hostages. Further, if Queen Beryl were to learn that your daughter was really Princess Serenity, she would take delight in slowly killing you so as to bring pain to the Moon Princess. I do not remember the cause of Beryl’s hatred towards Serenity, only that it is very deep and is what partially powered her lust to destroy the Moon Kingdom. The other was the mistaken belief that the Ginzuishou was the reason that those of the Silver Millennium having indefinite lifespans.”
Any further discussion of Usagi's heritage was cut off by the grumbling of the tummies of the two Usagis , reminding everyone that it was getting past time for dinner.
"Why don't we break for now for dinner?" Ikuko suggested knowing that now that her daughter's hunger had made itself known that they wouldn't get much more out of her.
"Hai!" Usagi and ChibiUsa eagerly replied before within a blink of eye dashing from where they had been standing to being seated at the dining table in their civilian guise, ready to pile food on their plates.
Seeing the similar mannerism of the two kids, Kenji and Ikuko realized that as unbelievable as it was that they could see that those two were in fact mother and daughter. The parentage of ChibiUsa continued to become apparent as the meal progressed, at least in regards to how ChibiUsa appeared to have inherited her mother's appetite and ability to quickly polish off food.
Later once dinner began to wind down, Usagi decided to bring up why ChibiUsa was here in the past. “Mom, dad, as I mentioned earlier ChibiUsa came from the future to train to be a Sailor Senshi. Unfortunately, there is more to it than that." Usagi said as she she reached out with her right hand and placed it in her daughter's lap where she took a hold of the young girl's hand. "You see something went very wrong during her trip back in time. She was actually supposed to arrive a little over a year into my future, but the damage that occurred sent her too far back in time. Worse off, ChibiUsa's is now trapped here in the past, the future that she came from no longer being gaunted to exist."
Seeing that sadness that came over the child’s eyes as Usagi talked, Ikuko realized the truth that was being unstated. 'She has essentially lost her parents. Whatever happened during her trip, has caused the future, her past, to disappear. The only thing resembling consistency at all to that child now is my daughter, her mother’s past self.' Knowing that she couldn't do anything less than whatever she could for this child who had lost so much, Ikuko said, “Usagi there is no problem with ChibiUsa staying here for as long as she likes. Though with her being YOUR daughter, you will need to be responsible for her. For now, at least, she can sleep in your room.”
“Thanks Ikuko-mama,” replied a much relieved ChibiUsa who proceeded to get up from her chair and run over to give her grandmother a hug. Even though she had intellectually known that there was now way that Usagi, Sailor Moon, her mother, would allow anything to happen to her, she had still be deeply afraid that they would have thrown her out, but now those worries were finally once and for all put to rest.
"I know that we will have to hide ChibiUsa's real relationship to me. Therefore, we can just tell others that she is a distant cousin of ours from overseas who has come here to get to know Japan. I will talk to Ami-chan tomorrow about taking care of any records that we will need, she should be able to use her Mercurian computer to take care of those,” Usagi said surprising the others by how much thought fore thought she had apparently put into the situation.
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--Later that Night in front of the Crown Arcade--
'Well it is time for that sly cat to be caught in the act. It figures that he would pull a stunt like this.' Luna mused to herself as she remembered what ChibiUsa had told her as she told the two Usagis that she was off to check in with central control.
“Say hi to Artemis for me,” ChibiUsa had requested.
“Artemis is in the area? I was just going to check in with central control.”
Laughing at Luna's question, ChibiUsa said, “Artemis is central control.”
What then proceeded to follow ChibiUsa's revelation was a string of superlatives that caused Usagi to cover ChibiUsa’s ears, while shooing the cat out of the house.
"Oh, that cat is going to get it when I see him next. Trying to pass himself off as being more than he really is. Though, it does explain some of those errands that he sent me on." Luna grumbled to herself as she jumped on top of the Sailor-V video game and began entering her code. “Earth Tuna tastes good while the moon rabbit makes moshi.”
“Pass code accepted. What do you have to report agent Luna,” a metallic voice replied.
“Can it Artemis. I know your gig, so you can drop the acting,” she knew that ChibiUsa was right when she heard the unmistakable sounds of Artemis choking on something that he was eating (probably tuna). “I have also found the princess and another Senshi.”
In response to that revelation, the screen on the computer changed to show a video image of a white cat with a can of tuna by his feet. The expression on his face was one of a child caught with his hand in the cookie jar. “Err…, Luna I can explain…”
End Chapter 3
