Moving On...
By: Ali (minakoali@yahoo.com)
http://www.geocities.com/trowa-chan/main.html
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Author's disclaimer: First of all, I'd like to say that Sailor Moon
does not belong to me (tho, it would be pretty kewl. ^^) so yeah...
NEwayz, this fic mainly focuses on Usagi and Seiya. I think those two
could have something nice going but alas...Usagi's heart belonged to
Mamo-chan and this resulted in *gulp* Chibiusa. This is set in the
several years in the future and I hope you like it. If you don't like
it, then... *cough* heh heh... oh well, can't do a thing about it...
^^
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Neo Queen Serenity lowered the bouquet of red roses onto the white,
marble surface of the large monuments. While doing so, tears slowly
welled up in her eyes but with the onlookers within the palace, she
willed them to stay where they were. Her friends, the sailor senshi,
were there but many ambassadors, royalty and acquaintances were there
as well and as the queen, she would not allow her strong facade to
break so that her fragile and vulnerable interior would be revealed.
It was not that she wasn't strong, she was indeed a strong person but
today, she was hurting far more imaginable than anyone could have
conceived. She had the appearance of a young woman in her twenty's (as
did the other senshi) but Serenity had existed for hundreds of years
protecting the world, her home from any harm or evil.
Twenty years, she thought solemnly, it's been twenty, lonely years...
but Mamo-chan...I endured them like you told me to. I did my best.
Her tears once again threatened to break free of their confinement at
these thoughts but instead, she moved closer to the monument. As she
did so, she placed her hands on the small engraving of a rose, her
fingers softly touching the cold, stone petals. The memories came
flooding back into her mind.
*flashback*
"Mamo-chan..." Usagi said, holding his cold hand to her face,
desperately trying to warm them, "Please don't leave...I don't want
to know what it's like to live without you..."
She paused and with a quieter but tenser voice, "Please..."
Her voice was ragged and her face, normally youthful looking, appeared
ironically old. On her face, there was a smile but despite all effort,
Mamoru could see the sadness and sorrow in her eyes.
"Usako..."
Chiba Mamoru lied in the bed of the royal chamber. He had lived a long
and happy life, longer and happier than any ordinary human could have
ever dreamed of but deep down inside he knew this day would come. It
was true that he was the protector of this planet but he was never as
powerful as the sailor senshi and it was because of this that his life
span was not as long. He appeared young but like Usagi, he had been
around for several hundred years. His body was dying and despite all
efforts of doctors and even with the silver crystal, he could not be
kept from his inevitable fate. His destiny as the Earth's protector
had been fulfilled and it was time for it to be passed on to someone
else.
"Usako," he said in a small whisper, using whatever strength he had
left to caress her face, "You know...I can't stay with you forever...
at least, not for now. Please know that I will always love you and
I'll always be there to protect and guide you, but you have to promise
me that you'll be strong...promise me, Usako."
"But..."
"No buts, Usako," he said, his hand tucking a silky strand of hair
behind her ear, "This world...this universe still needs you and your
protection. Chibiusa, as well...she's so much like you, I could never
have been more proud of her, but she still needs your guidance. I need
you to be strong, alright?"
"Yes...I promise," she said. She took her husbands' hand and kissed it
on the palm, tears slowly welling up in her eyes.
"Thank you," he said.
With that, he closed his eyes serenely but he would never open them
again. The familiar and embracing aura that she had always felt,
dimmed until she could not even sense it. Usagi closed her eyes and
concentrated, searching for it but she knew it would be no use. It was
gone. The wrenching pain in her heart was too unbearable and it was
then that she let the tears flow, allowing them to run down her cheeks
and fall onto the bed sheets. She threw her arms around his still body
and began to sob uncontrollably.
"Mamo-chan..." she said through her tears, "I promise to be strong but
for now...but I need to cry...for now... I _did_ promise and I'll
carry this promise out..."
"But Mamo-chan," she said, letting out a few more sobs, "I miss you
already..."
*end flashback*
Serenity's finger continued to trace the edges of the stone petal
delicately, feeling the intricate detail of it, and she let other
memories, happier memories come to her mind. When her finger reached
the end of the last petal, Serenity closed her eyes and when she opened
them, she stood up and slowly walked away, right hand still lingering
on the rose as she turned. She smiled gently as she passed by her
close friends and finally walked back into the palace and out of the
courtyard where her beloved laid.
***
Chibiusa watched sadly as her mother left the grounds. "Mama..." she
whispered.
Rei walked up to the monument and gave it a blessing. "She's never
been the same, you know. At times, she seems fully happy but there's
always this small part of her that leaves her in sorrow..."
Everyone nodded in agreement.
"It's so sad..." Ami spoke softly, "She was able to escape our
loneliness and yet...we can't do a thing to help her..."
"I miss him too..." Chibiusa whispered quietly, "I wish he were here
so that Mama could be happy again..."
Chibiusa let out a little whimper and slightly tightened her embrace
around Diana, who had been in her arms the whole time. Everyone in the
courtyard seemed to have let out a sigh of their own.
The courtyard was a small area, which was not completely enclosed by
the crystal walls of the palace. The warm and embracing sun was only
a quarter ways up the sky but the light it emitted caused the light to
reflect against the crystal, flickering and dancing around the senshi.
The air was slightly cold but refreshing, and as the wind blew, the air
seemed to toss their hair around as if it were playing with each
strand. The senshi took in the moment. They had learned long ago to
enjoy moments like these and commit them to memory. They were so few
in number and so far in between. Earth had had its share of evil foes
and forces but they had managed to defeat every single one of them.
However, not all senshi were absorbing the moment, one of them was in
their own world. Minako was leaning against the farthest wall from
them, chewing her thumb, and deep in thought.
After a small, extended period of time, she finally stood up and
looked at her companions. "Minna," she said, "I think it's time we
talked to Usagi-chan..."
Makoto looked back at her with her dark, green eyes. "What's on your
mind, Mina-chan?"
Minako smiled slightly, "I think I have an idea...but sumimasen,
Haruka-chan...you're not going to like it..."
***
"A vacation?!" Neo Queen Serenity said, stunned that all the senshi
would approach her with such an odd proposition. She had never
expected for her friends to ask her to do _this_.
"Yes, Usagi-chan," her blonde haired friend replied. "I think it's
time that you had one. You've been under so much stress and yet,
you've never been able to get away from it all."
Usagi laughed. "Minako-chan, thank you for your concern. It's awfully
sweet of all of you to ask me to do this but you know that it's quite
impossible."
"Is it?" Mars said, stepping forward to join Venus' side. Her violet
eyes looking deeply into the clear blue ones of her old friend.
A slightly confused look appeared on her face. Her gaze scanning the
room and once again focusing on Venus. "Isn't it?" she replied with
renewed curiosity.
Haruka ran her hand through her hair, carelessly leaning her weight
into her right leg and looked at her queen. "It's quite possible,
Usagi-chan. I don't like this idea...much, but I _do_ think that it's
time that you temporarily leave your stresses and grieves behind."
"But..." the queen said, her brow slightly knitted, "I would never
leave the Earth unprotected. I'd be even more worried if I was gone.
What if a new enemy appears? What if some sort of world crisis occurs?
What if..."
Minako laughed and let her voice fill with false disappointment.
"Mou...do you really have so little faith in us?"
Her eyes began to gleam and she gave Usagi a large smile.
"No...but..."
"Then what's to worry about? The Earth is protected, after all, by all
of us and though, Chibiusa may not be as powerful as you or perhaps
ever will be, she is powerful just the same." Minako closed her eyes
as she said that and spoke this with her knowing voice. To add effect,
Rei and Makoto stood behind her nodding in agreement.
"Also," replied the senshi of Mercury, "With all your power, if
anything _were_ to occur, you could return to the Earth with a mere
thought."
The queen still seemed unconvinced and gave her friends a worried look.
The senshi had thought that she would still have doubts and it was now
her daughter's turn to persuade her.
Chibiusa placed Diana on the ground and walked gracefully towards her
mother. When she got right beside the throne she kneeled down and
placed her cheek on Usagi's hand. "Please, Mama," she said, "For me,
at least...I just want you to be happy... You've never been quite the
same since Papa..." She paused to find the right word, "...left and I
miss that part of you. I think it's time you should leave and for
once, let us handle things here."
The great queen's eyes softened and she placed her free hand on top of
her daughter's head. One of her disadvantages was that she could never
refuse her daughter when her daughter was being this sincere. She
reminds me so much of him, she thought.
"I'm so sorry..." Usagi replied softly, "I had no idea that I had
changed so much."
She looked up and slowly stood up from her majestic throne.
"Alright...I'll go but you have to promise me, that if anything should
ever happen, that you'll contact me right away. But...ano...where are
you sending me, anyway?"
Hotaru was about to answer when she heard a large rumbling sound echoed
through the room. It seemed to have come from Neo Queen Serenity's
stomach.
Usagi let out a nervous laugh and tried to cover her stomach while
doing so. "Heh heh," she said, "Is it already time for a little
snack?"
The whole room collectively facefaulted.
Rei slowly stood up from the ground. "Usagi-chan...we just had
breakfast half an hour ago..."
"Yeah, but...I'm hungry now," she said pouting at Rei.
"Some things never change, I guess," Michiru said with a sweat drop on
her head.
"What I'm curious about," interjected Ami, "is how she can keep such a
slim figure in that dress while eating the equivalent amount of food as
a young elephant..."
***
"Haruka? You're coming with me?" Usagi said through bites of chocolate
cake.
"Yeah," replied Haruka with a half smile. During times like these, it
was very hard to take her queen seriously. "It's best that you have a
bodyguard around and one that is not so trusting as Mina-chan and the
others."
Usagi looked up from her half-devoured delectable source of
nourishment. Chocolate icing smeared on the corner of her lips and the
queen looked at Haruka curiously. "What about Michiru-chan?"
Michiru smiled and tossed some of her teal hair behind her shoulder. A
mischievous glint came to her eye. "Don't worry, Usagi-chan. I think
I'll find it quite enjoyable with Haruka not around. It'll give me a
chance to _meet_ new people."
"HEY!"
Michiru laughed and the others smiled warmly. "But seriously, I'll be
fine. We can easily stay in contact and I'll have peace of mind
knowing that you'll be there keeping her out of trouble."
"HEEY!"
The whole room giggled and Usagi reached for another delectable morsel
of food. But then, she stopped before her hand could touch the cake,
she suddenly remembered that her question had remained unanswered.
"Minna..." she said as she looked at her friends, "Where _am_ I going?"
Ami looked up from her research notes on the study of Usagi's intake
capabilities. "We didn't tell you? You're going to the Three Lights',
I mean, the Starlights' planet. I've already spoken to Queen Fireball
and they'll be happy to have you as their guests."
Usagi's eyes lit up slightly. "Really?" But then she paused; she
slowly focused her gaze on Haruka and slightly raised her eyebrow.
"You agreed to this?"
Haruka laughed softly, "Not at first...but since I'll be around, I
think I can tolerate the idea."
"You agreed to go?!"
Haruka feigned sorrow and placed her hand dramatically on her forehead.
"Is it so unbelievable that I would put my feelings aside and accompany
my beloved Queen?"
Michiru looked astonished and let her eyes slightly water. "But I
thought I was your beloved queen..."
The whole room began to groan and mentally prepared themselves for
another flirtation match. Minako wrinkled her nose slightly and
stepped in between the two lovers. "I'll be coming too." Minako
stopped and grinned at the senshi of Uranus. "It's best that you
have a bodyguard around and one that is not so distrusting as
Haruka-san."
"HEEEY!!"
End Part 1
So, that's it, for now. What did you think? Good? Bad? Lacked plot?
You can tell me but no flames. I'm allergic to fire...that and I'll
probably ignore you. Heh heh... aren't I nice? Well, that's it.
Me go now.
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