Sailor Moon Fan Fiction ❯ Alone ❯ Chapter Six: A Team Once More ( Chapter 6 )

Alone
Chapter Six: A Team Once More

By Selenity Jade
Rated: PG13

 

Disclaimer: Do I own Sailormoon? If I do, I don't know about it, and I'm sure as hell not getting any royalties from it!

 

Pairing: Mamoru/Usagi

 

AN: Edited 03/19/08

 

xxx

 

Usagi sighed as she stared down at the photo in her hands. She traced a slender finger over the smiling faces of her friends. Minako, Ami, Rei, and Makoto were all present in the joyful capturing of a summer day at the beach. All five of them were present in the picture, enjoying a day off. A day off from Senshi worries, school, parental supervision. Just a simple, fun filled day. There had been so few of those since she had become Sailor Moon. She cherished every one of them now.

But she couldn't have asked for better friends. She wouldn't change anything that happened to her because of that.

 

She sighed, putting the picture back onto her dresser, right next to her favorite picture of her and Mamoru. She stood up and dusted herself off, a nervous action. It was time to go. Time to... take her friends back.

 

"Moon Crystal Power!"

 

xxx

 

Mamoru glanced up, his brow furrowing slightly as he felt the familiar tug at his heart. Usagi had transformed, he could feel it. He always felt it when she did. That was how he had protected her even when he hadn't known he was Tuxedo Kamen. The moment she had transformed, he had as well. He supposed he had just been lucky that it hadn't happened around any people.

 

He stood up from the couch where he had been talking with Usagi's mother and Luna. The black cat glanced up, a feline sort of frown on her face. "Mamoru-san? What's wrong?"

 

He immediately morphed into Tuxedo Kamen, without consciously choosing to do so. "Usako transformed."

 

Artemis' eyes widened. "She can't be planning to go alone, can she?"

 

Tuxedo Kamen nodded solemnly. "I think so," he said softly, starting up the stairs hurriedly. Usagi's mother, Artemis, and Luna followed directly behind him.

 

He burst into her room, finding it empty and the window open. "Damn it!"

 

He glanced back at the older woman and the felines, snapping, "Stay here!" Tuxedo Kamen then jumped out of the window, landing on the ground at a dead run.

 

xxx

 

Chibi-Usa watched as the dark figure dropped from Usagi's bedroom and run into the night. She blinked back tears as she quickly jumped out of bed - silently - and moved to follow her future father and mother.

 

She had watched silently from her bed as her 'cousin' sneaked into her room to steal her time key. She knew where her future mother was heading. And she would follow.

 

She wasn't going to let her parents fall again! It would be just like before if she just stayed here and waited for it to happen! It would be her fault all over again! If she could help, she would. She would find a way, a way to save her parents in this time, and in her own time. She wouldn't fail this time! She wouldn't be the cause of their fall again!

 

xxx

 

Sailor Moon continued running down the dark street, knowing somewhere in her heart that Mamoru was following her. He had told her once that he could feel her transformation, like a pain in his heart. She knew he had felt her change. She knew he would follow her.

 

She knew it because it would always be that way, and had always been that way. Even before Mamoru had been born, when he had been Endymion...

 

They had been reincarnated, but it wasn't a true reincarnation. Their genetics were the same and parts of their memories were buried, not forgotten. They even acted similar to their previous selves. They... had been moved into a new era with a new life. Not souls who had moved into a new body, a new life, and grew differently than they had before. They were here to save the future from Beryl, at first, and now... from everything else that had come and would come after her.

 

Would it ever end? Would one evil come after another for the rest of their lives, even up until the thirtieth century? Even through time and distance?

 

Would they ever truly find peace?

 

"Usako!"

 

Sailor Moon gasped, swinging around. She hadn't expected him so soon. It was too early! She had wanted him to catch up when it was too late to stop her. She was nowhere near her destination.

 

"Usako, wait!" he called again as he came into view. He was holding his top hand in his right hand as he dashed over the small park bench to reach her. "What are you thinking? Going after them alone? Are you insane!" he yelled angrily.

 

She frowned at his furious tone, and then smiled softly. "Since when, Mamoru, do you have a right to dictated to me how and when I fight and who I should fight alongside?"

 

He blinked behind his white mask, surprised at her sudden cool tone. "What?"

 

She sighed, glancing in the direction she had been going. "You're not my boyfriend anymore, remember? You yourself saw to that. What I do is my business now. Not yours."

 

"It is my business, Usako! We're not together, we can't be together, at least not yet, but I still love you, and I don't want you hurt. And what about your parents? And Shingo? Don't you think they would be upset if something were to happen to you? What about them? Or Luna and Artemis who lost everyone except for you now? And the Senshi? They're still alive, aren't they? How do you think they'd feel if they found out you died going to save them, alone. Don't do this alone, Usako." He touched her shoulders lightly and turned her around to face him, her startled crystal blue eyes darting up to meet his darker ones. "Please, let me go with you. Let me protect you."

 

Her mouth parted slightly in surprise and she felt the comforting warmth she had been missing these past couple weeks. The warmth that let her know she was loved by the man she desired most.

 

He took her silence for reluctance and sighed softly. If she wouldn't allow him to accompany her, he would have to follow her whether she liked it or not. He didn't want to do that. He wanted to go as a team. As the team they used to be, one that could defeat anything, could withstand anything, and could survive anything.

 

"Okay," Sailor Moon said timidly, looking up at him. She smiled slightly. "I might not be able to do it alone. And I won't risk my friends just because you hurt me."

 

He had perked up at her acceptance, but then felt the familiar stab of pain at the rest of her words. She didn't really want him there. She was only allowing him there because she was wiser than he. She wouldn't let her stubbornness or her pain prevent her friends' rescue. It hurt so much, though he knew he should have expected it.

 

He deserved it.

 

"Thanks," he told her, releasing her shoulders. "How are you planning on saving them?" He went right to the point. There was no purpose in standing there and staring stupidly at his former girlfriend. It was his fault; he would have to live with his decision.

 

And he would, as long as it kept her safe.

 

"I... We are going to the future."

 

He blinked. "Excuse me?" The future? What did the future have to do with anything? And how would they get there?

 

She gave another small, sad smile. "The man who has taken my friends is from the thirtieth century. And so is Chibi-Usa. She came back in time to get the Sailor Senshi's help in saving her parents," she paused, giving him a significant look, "us."

 

"What!" he nearly choked out as his jaw dropped slightly.

 

She sniffed slightly, a slight indication she was offended he didn't believe her. "You heard me. We are her parents in the future."

 

He was silent as he absorbed this bombshell. He...was the father of the pink-haired little girl he adored? Maybe that explained why he cared for her so much. He had thought it was a bit odd to care so much for his girlfriend's cousin, but had brushed it off after the dreams had started. He had put it down to missing Usagi so much and the little girl had reminded him so much of Usagi with her tiny pointed odangos and her cute possessiveness. But maybe he had always felt a connection with the child, a connection only a father and his daughter could have. It made sense, sort of.

 

He nodded. "Okay. How did you realize this? Did Chibi-Usa recognize you?"

 

Sailor Moon nodded slightly. "Sort of, though the future version of me has silver hair, so she wasn't sure. I overheard her talking to Puu - the floating cat head that looks like Luna - one day and revealed myself shortly after. She said her mother was once a Princess on the Moon, so I knew it had to be me."

 

He nodded. "Okay." As he realized something, he frowned. "Why didn't you tell me when you found out?"

 

"Because you broke up with me right after that. Nothing I would have said would have changed your mind, and I didn't want you coming back just for Chibi-Usa!"

 

"I..." He couldn't say anything to that. He loved the child, he didn't know what he would have done had she told him before. He didn't know if he could choose between them that way. Either condemn his Usako to die by being with her, or cause Chibi-Usa to never exist by staying away. Neither way would have worked.

 

"Thank you," he finally said, looking at her softly.

 

"For what?" she asked, surprised.

 

"For not telling me before. I... do not think I would have taken it well, given the circumstances."

 

She was confused as to his meaning, but nodded anyway. He would tell her when he was ready. "Are you ready to go now?"

 

He nodded. "Yes. Let's go get your friends back."

 

Sailor Moon shook her head. "Our friends, Mamo-chan."

 

He started slightly and then a tender smile spread across his face. "Yes, our friends." And with those words, Tuxedo Kamen followed the woman he loved, Sailor Moon, towards the docks where they had first met Chibi-Usa.

 

They would bring back the Senshi.

 

Together.

 

xxx

 

AN: Anyone else think the ending of this chapter was way corny? I do. (sigh)

 

Lovies!