Sailor Moon Fan Fiction ❯ Men Are Idiots ❯ Chapter 2

Men Are Idiots

 

Summary: Set right after ChibiUsa comes to the past and Mamoru breaks up with Usagi. Usagi is devastated and is fast losing hope that she can ever regain Mamoru's love. Then strange things start coming out of the blonde's mouth. Is Usagi going crazy? And will Usagi and Mamoru's love be able to overcome this?

 

Author's Note: Some of this is taken directly from the anime. But most of it I just did from memory. It won't be completely accurate but you guys should be able to follow. I completely changed after the part where Usagi found out about the dream and confronted him in his apartment. Well, maybe not completely.

 

Disclaimer: I don't own Sailor Moon, Naoko Takeuchi does.

 

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Chapter 2

 

The form of Neo-Queen Serenity stood in place of Sailor Moon, every line of her body making it clear that she wasn't feeling very serene at the moment. Everyone looked on in amazement at the majestic figure of their future queen, paying particular attention to her wings (Hey, how often do you see a woman walking around with wings?). Turning around, the queen glared at the monster, instantly turning it to dust. “No one tries to hurt my baby in my presence and gets away with it.”

 

Ami hesitantly approached the queen and kneeled. Serenity immediately reached for her hand to pull her up. “You won't remember this, I guess because we haven't had this conversation yet, but I believe I told you that my Senshi will never be required to kneel before me except on formal occasions. Even then I don't like it so I try not to put up with it unless I am forced to. You are all my friends and as such I like to be treated as a normal friend when I can.”

 

Ami and the others nodded, not sure how to take this queen that they weren't sure was really Usagi. Sure she looked just like her, only more mature, more…majestic seemed a good word for it, but, if their hunch was correct, this was also ChibiUsa's mother and their future queen. Was she still the Odango-Atama that they all knew and loved?

 

Ami had to ask. “Are you really Usagi?”

 

Serenity nodded. “Yes, I am her in a little over a thousand years.”

 

Rei snorted. “It figures that it will take the Odango over a thousand years to start acting mature.” Then, realizing what she had said in front of her future queen (who she had just insulted and didn't really know all that well), slapped her hands over her mouth.

 

Serenity, on the other hand, only felt amusement and a little nostalgic. She hadn't had a good argument with Rei in a long time. She had grown out of most of the more immature reactions, but allowed herself to stick her tongue out briefly. This put the rest of them at ease because it reassured them that Usagi hadn't changed all that much.

 

“Mommy?” ChibiUsa said hesitantly.

 

Serenity opened her arms to her daughter and hugged her while she cried like she had been longing to ever since she had come to the past. “It is okay, Small Lady. I am very proud of all that you have been able to accomplish here in the past. There is nothing for you to feel guilty about.”

 

ChibiUsa cried even harder. “But Mama, I lost the crystal! I don't know what happened. All I did was hold it because I wanted to use it's magic to make me into a lady like you and it just disappeared! And then the NegaMoon attacked and you were hit. It's my fault that everything happened!”

 

Serenity brushed her daughter's hair lovingly. “It matters not, Small Lady. You are not at fault for what happened. Destiny has to run its course without interference and what happened is a part of that destiny. Everything will work out alright in the end and you will then be able to come home to your father and I.” her mood darkened. “Unless I kill him first,” she muttered as she stood and turned back to Mamoru.

 

Mamoru had been stunned when he had first saw the future queen. Then he had put two and two together and realized that ChibiUsa was Usagi's future daughter. Even the name now made sense. It explained why he felt so close to the child from the time that they had first met. He was willing to do anything to keep her safe because she was a part of Usagi and some part of him sensed that. It seemed that Usagi had eventually gotten over him and married someone else. He tried to be happy for her, but all he could feel was a deep despair, greater than he had ever felt before, greater even than when he had been in the car accident that had taken all his memories and his parents from him. Was this how she had felt when she thought he had a new girlfriend? If so, then there were no words that he could say to make up for it. He was surprised that she even wanted him back after the way that he had treated her and fully expected her future self to tell him off for it. Mamoru tried to speak to her but Serenity raised her hand. “No, you have said enough in these past few weeks. While I know that you were just trying to protect me, you should have trusted me to know what's best for me. It is my life and I will live it as I so choose and take risks where I feel the need to take them. What you did was selfish. You did not consult my past self at all. You made me feel like I was dieing and then made me wish I was dieing. You and I rely too much on each other's love to be separated. There could never be another for either of us. But I can understand you feeling this way. We don't know each other very well yet and, if I remember correctly, you still felt like no one could really love you so much that it would literally kill them if they couldn't be with you. You told me, or will tell me, that before me you don't remember ever being loved. And our past in the Silver Millennium just seems like too much of a fairy tale to be real. I thought that I was insecure, but you were even more insecure than I was and I was too immature to recognize that. Either that or you were just really good at hiding it. Anyway, you should learn not to put so much importance on dreams, especially when dealing with magical enemies. If they realized your weakness, they could exploit it and turn you against everyone just by planting dreams in your mind.” She paused to let that sink in.

 

Mamoru shook his head. “So you're saying that the enemy gave me these dreams?” a dawning look of horror came across his face at the thought. It even made sense. A couple of times he had even been reluctant to come to the Senshi's aid because it was so painful to see Usagi and he didn't want to get her hopes up, only to crush them yet again. She had almost died that one time when she had been put to sleep. It was like psychological warfare. Usagi and Mamoru were so stressed that they could hardly keep their minds on battles and that weakened them and opened them up to attack. Usagi could have died just because he had been so stupid as to listen to what was, in essence, just a dream.

 

Serenity shook her head, becoming even angrier. “No, it wasn't the enemy. But someone was sending you those dreams. I have no idea for what purpose, but he had better have a good explanation.”

 

“But who sent the dreams then?” Ami wondered.

 

Serenity didn't take her eyes off of Mamoru as she answered. “My husband. Small Lady's father.”

 

Mamoru's eyes darkened. Usagi's future husband had caused him to break up with her? If so then the bastard didn't deserve Usagi! Mamoru's righteous indignation gave out. Who was he kidding? It was his fault that they weren't together anymore. He had been the one to trust that stupid dream instead of putting his faith in their love. It had proven itself to withstand death more than once. He should have trusted it to do so again. He just couldn't bring himself to risk losing Usagi. She was his life, the very air he breathed. He could live without her, though not very happily, as long as he knew that she was somewhere on the planet alive and, ideally, happy. And he would have to as it seemed that she had fallen in love with someone else. He wouldn't stand in their way, even if the guy was a bastard. He loved ChibiUsa too much already to risk her not being born just for his own selfish reasons. All that mattered was that Usagi was happy.

 

Serenity's eyes softened as she saw Mamoru's internal battle. She could almost read his mind, she knew him so well. She knew exactly what he was thinking and loved him even more for it. Even in the future, her husband still had these moments of insecurity, especially when Seiya and the other Lights decided to pay a visit. She knew that it wasn't because he didn't trust her; it was because he still didn't feel that he was worthy of her and he loved her so much that even the slightest reminder that he had almost lost her caused him to have these moods that only spending the day alone with her would cure. But that didn't give him the right to play with destiny in this case.

 

Serenity let go of her daughter and stood, eyes darkening to a blue so deep they was almost black. Mamoru swore that he could see stars and even entire galaxies in them. She raised her hands and a beautiful silver staff appeared with a crescent moon at the top with rings around it that didn't seem to be attached to the staff at all. She raised the staff high above her head. “Pluto appear.” She said in a strangely hypnotic voice that the others got the impression would carry across the universe until it found it's intended target.

 

Less than ten seconds later, they saw a woman in a Sailor fuku appear carrying a staff shaped like a key. The woman knelt and barely had time to catch ChibiUsa as she shouted “Pu!”

 

Pluto gently nudged the child away. “Now is not the time, Small Lady. I have broken the rules of my post and must face punishment.” She turned her attention back to her queen. “Your Majesty, it is good to see you. I know what I did was wrong and am willing to face whatever punishment you deem fit. I shouldn't have listened to the king's pleas. I knew that it would only cause trouble but I wanted to lessen his pain in any way that I could. I know that my first loyalty is to you and I broke the rules. I accept your judgment.” She lowered her head and closed her eyes, awaiting her punishment.

 

“Sailor Pluto, Guardian of Time, you put the entire future in danger with your actions. They could have caused irreversible damage to the time stream, totally obliterating our future and even destroying the universe as we know it. It shouldn't have happened.” She paused. “But your compassion is what makes you such a good friend and Guardian. However, you need to learn from your mistake here and make sure that it doesn't happen again in the future. I understand how persuasive my husband can be so I will not punish you this time. I will ask that you bring him here temporarily so that I may have a `talk' with him. I am supposed to be the one who doesn't think before I act. He is the one that is supposed to weigh every factor before making a decision. It works for me most of the time; it most definitely doesn't work for him though.”

 

Pluto rose to her feet. But before she summoned the King she paused, feeling the need to defend the King's actions before he faced his queen. “Your Majesty, I think the King went a little crazy when you were taken from him. On top of that, he was forced to send his only child to the past for help with no one to guard her. He has no one; his entire family has left him alone. He said that he hadn't felt so alone since his parents died. He depends too much on your love to keep him sane. Just remember that when he appears before you and try not to be too hard on him.”

 

The Queen's eyes softened, anger taking the back seat to love as it always was with this woman. “We have always loved each other too much for our own good. It almost killed me when I thought that he had died when Galaxia attacked. I went a little insane at that time too. And there was the time that we had to be separated during the Great Sleep. But what he did almost messed up everything that we shared. If I hadn't been here, ChibiUsa may have never been born; I may have never forgiven him for giving up on us just on the basis of a dream.” She turned to Mamoru, who was looking more confused by the minute. “You need to learn to respect my decisions. I am Sailor Moon, the Moon Princess, the future Queen of Earth and the Solar System, among other things that you are not ready to hear. I face danger every day; I risk my life every time I go into battle. What keeps me from giving up is my love for you and the knowledge that everyone on Earth is depending on me, on us, to keep them safe. But you are the reason that I get up every morning. Your faith in me, your love, gives me the strength I need to fight.” She turned so that she faced all of her friends. “You guys never completely understood just how deeply we rely on each other. If I can't be with him, it's not just that I don't want to live, I can't live. We love each other too much.”

 

“I know that,” a quiet voice said as a figure appeared behind the Queen.

 

Everyone looked toward the voice, having had all their attention focused on the Queen, they hadn't noticed his arrival. Pluto had sent for him while the Queen was talking to Mamoru, feeling that the King needed to hear her words just as much, if not more so, as Mamoru.

 

Mamoru was in a state of shock. This was the man that Usagi had married? He looked almost just like him in his Tuxedo Kamen form! “Why do you look just like me?”

 

The other Tuxedo Kamen glanced at Mamoru apologetically. “I am you.” Mamoru looked pole-axed. “I sent you the dreams in hopes that, if we had spent more time apart, I would be more patient in waiting for my wife to come out of her sleep, that I would be able to bare our separation better.” He stared at his queen hungrily and raised his shaking hand to her face. “I love you more than my life. I love you more than I love my people, even though I know that it's wrong…I can't help the way I feel. And I have never been separated for you for more than a week or two. You have lived apart from me before, but I haven't ever lived apart from you. I thought that if you were strong enough to live hundreds of years without me, then I could live apart from you if only I had more practice. I was dead during Galaxia's attack. I was asleep and unaware during the Great Sleep. You are stronger than I am and always have been, Serenity. You say that you need me to live but you lived hundreds of years during the Great Sleep without me. I can't-”

 

Serenity put a finger to his lips, more understanding now. “The reason that I was able to pull through all those years apart from you was because I knew that you were relying on me. I knew that the enemy intended for me to die knowing that I had no hope of seeing you again…they had done their homework well. I would have died if I hadn't had the hope that I could use the Silver Crystal to revive you and the entire Earth one day when I was strong enough. Every bead of sweat when I trained non-stop, every tear I shed, every ounce of pain was worth it when I was able to look into your eyes filled with love once again. I understand why you did what you did but it wasn't because I had had practice at living without you that I was able to bare the years that I spent without you…it was because, even then, I was living for you. Even when I was sure that you had left me for good I knew that deep down that you would eventually be back. Then I found out that you were dead…If you want to know how I would do without you all you need to do is ask one of the Senshi how I was when I found out. If you hadn't come back to me, I would have given up. Don't you remember what happened at the final battle during the Silver Millennium? So don't ever doubt my love for you. You almost ruined everything that we have together. I don't think that I could have forgiven you if this had continued much longer. And don't think that I don't realize what you were doing when you sent that dream to my past self. You were testing my love, you dense man! People used to call me stupid but you take the cake this time! You almost destroyed everything. I can't believe I'm saying this but think before you act!”

 

The King was looking more and more sheepish with each word she said. For the first part of her speech he was almost in tears, but when she started chastening him and he looked more like a little boy by the second. He was the King of Earth and he was being gotten onto like a child by his own wife!

 

ChibiUsa had always thought it extremely funny when her daddy got a dressing down from her mommy. Most of the time he looked so indomitable that it seemed impossible that he ever did anything wrong, but when her mother was displeased with him he looked just like what he was: a man who loved his wife and hated disappointing her. She wanted nothing more than to throw herself into their arms but, even as young as she was, she knew that this was their moment and they didn't need to be interrupted. For the first time she felt that everything was going to be okay and that eventually they would all be reunited, for real and forever. She still couldn't believe that Usagi was her mother and Sailor Moon though. At least that was what she kept telling herself. She had no trouble believing that Mamoru was Tuxedo Kamen and her father though. (Like I said before…a Daddy's girl!)

 

The other scouts didn't want to intrude either. It was strange watching their friends' future selves have such an intimate scene, especially when Mamoru himself was watching them too.

 

Mamoru was confused. He, himself, had sent the very dreams that had made him so miserable! But, even though he was angry, he understood. He couldn't believe that someone as special as Usagi could possibly love him as much as she did. His future self must have wanted to test their love so that he would have some sign that they would be able to get through whatever they were going through. He was still a little confused about that. And he was confused about what he felt when he watched the two of them together. On the one hand he was glad that they still felt so strongly about each other after so long. But on the other he really didn't like that the Usagi he loved wasn't there. He cleared his throat. “Just to be clear, are you possessing our Usagi? Will you be going back to your own body after this or will you stay with Usagi? And what exactly is wrong with you in the future? ChibiUsa told us that you were in trouble and that she believes that it was her fault, but she didn't say exactly what happened.”

 

Pluto answered for the Queen. “There will always be a part of the Queen in Usagi. But she will fade into the recesses of her mind until she is needed. That part of her was just strengthened when the Queen was hit by the power of the Dark Crystal. It's like her conscious was sent back in time with Small Lady. It should go back to normal when the Queen is awakened. And I think that the Queen will be too weak after this to show up for a long time. As for what is wrong in the future…” she paused. “You will find that out in time.”

 

“At least now we know that the Dark Moon Family isn't possessing Usagi. Now that would have been a disaster.” Amy pointed out.

 

Rei started. “That was why I couldn't feel a foreign presence! She wasn't technically being possessed. The Queen is her future self and is a part of her. That was driving me nuts trying to figure out what was going on!”

 

“I wonder what we're all like in the future?” Minako wondered aloud.

 

The Queen smiled. “You are still the best friends I could possibly ask for…even Rei.”

 

“Hey!” Rei yelled, outraged.

 

The King laughed. “They still have their moments, even in the future. It's been a while since they've had one of their tongue wars but they are still known to occur.”

 

They all laughed when the Queen grumbled. “It's not my fault. She starts it…most of the time.”

 

Mamoru finally just accepted it. It was weird to meet your future self but, with all that had happened to them so far, he should have been used to weird. He was just glad to have the assurance that they would continue to love each other through thick and thin. If Usagi could forgive him for this, they could get through anything and everything. Amazingly, all the other things, at least the details, that they had mentioned about the future were immediately forgotten by the people of the past, as it should be. Nothing should stand in the way of destiny and they had many long years and trials ahead of them.

 

Pluto reflected that it might have been a good idea to listen to the King after all. She agreed with the Queen that he shouldn't have done it, that she shouldn't have taken the risk; it could have so easily worked out differently if even a single factor was changed minutely. She saw several different futures where the entire Solar System was destroyed. They were lucky…but it might have served a purpose. It gave them all the assurance that everything would work out for the best; that they would be together again. And even if they didn't remember exactly what was said and what would happen, they knew that their love would last centuries, even millennia, but even their future selves didn't know that yet. Time was a complicated thing.

 

Pluto cleared her throat. “The Queen will not be able to remain in control very much longer. You should all say your goodbyes. You will have to go back soon, Your Majesty,” she said, directing this last part to the King.

 

The King nodded reluctantly. He turned back to his wife and put his hand to her cheek. I think that I can wait more patiently now that I've seen you again.” He glanced at Mamoru and turned back to Serenity. “Do you think that your past self will forgive him…and you me?”

 

Serenity sighed. “We both know that you did what you thought best.” She slumped forward against her husband weakly. “I don't have much time. Know that I love you; remember that, no matter what, I will return to you. We have survived everything that life has thrown at us. We have even survived death multiple times and still found each other. This time is no different.” She leaned down and opened her arms to ChibiUsa. “Small Lady.” ChibiUsa bounded into her mother's arms. Serenity held her daughter close and whispered in her ear. “Remember how much your father and I love you, sweetheart. No matter what, never doubt that. I'll see you when all this is over. Be good for Usagi.” ChibiUsa nodded, fighting tears. “I have to go now.” She separated reluctantly from her daughter and rose to caress her husband's cheek. “I love you,” she whispered before she slumped forward, her form wavering until it turned back into Sailor Moon.

 

Mamoru immediately took her away from his future self and brought her to his chest and into his arms. He had missed holding her like this. He could hardly believe that he would be able to spend the rest of his life with her after resigning himself to living without her. Well, maybe he had never actually been resigned because that implied a certain acceptance and he hadn't really been able to truly accept that he wouldn't be able to continue being with her, loving her. And now he knew that he could and that their love could withstand the test of time. He couldn't believe that he had been so stupid!

 

Usagi awoke snuggled against Mamoru's chest. She squeezed her eyes closed tightly. If this was a dream then she didn't want to wake up. They could stay like this forever. But then she started to remember what had happened when her future self had taken over and she opened her eyes and leaned away from Mamoru to look around frantically, searching for some proof that it hadn't all been a dream. Her eyes almost immediately met the King's, Mamoru's future self.

 

The King watched her eyes grow angry as she remembered everything that had happened since he had sent Mamoru the dreams. But then she remembered his reasons, his insecurities, and he watched her eyes soften to mere annoyance. She reluctantly disengaged herself from Mamoru's arms and marched up to the King. She looked up at him with distinct displeasure, waiting for an apology.

 

Endymion knew what she was waiting for and he tried to find the words that would convey how sorry he was. What he had done hadn't helped him as he expected; it had actually made everything so much worse because he could remember the pain he went through as Mamoru was experiencing it, doubling the pain he was feeling. He didn't know what to say that would make her understand just how sorry he was.

 

Usagi saw his pain as he struggled to find the words and softened once more. She laid her hand on his and met his eyes understandingly. “I forgive you,” she said simply.

 

The King looked down at the girl that would someday be his wife and smiled gratefully. He looked over toward Mamoru. “Take care of her.” He turned back toward Usagi. “Thank you for forgiving me. I hope you can do the same for him.”

 

Usagi smiled at the King before turning to Mamoru to smile at him. He looked vaguely frightened, as if he wasn't sure how she could possibly forgive him. She let all the love she felt for him shine in her eyes and on her face and saw him noticeably relax and return that love. She surveyed all her friends and family and slowly started to smile mischievously. Past and future blended for a moment and said, “Of course we forgive you. You are, after all, just men no matter how many special powers and past lives you may have.”

 

Mamoru frowned while Endymion looked at her warily, waiting for the punch line.

 

Ami frowned too. “Usagi I think that what you are trying to say is that they are only human. You have been hanging around Minako too much.”

 

“Hey! What about me?!” Minako demanded indignantly.

 

Usagi ignored her to address Ami's question. “Ami, I would have thought that you would know. After all, everyone knows that men are idiots, especially when it comes to love.”

 

Ami rubbed her chin thoughtfully as she analyzed the data with her above average intellect. “Did you know that I have always suspected that, but I was never positive until today? If someone as smart as Mamoru here could do something so idiotic, what hope is there for the rest of their gender?” The other girls nodded their agreement.

 

Mamoru looked like he was going to protest his girlfriend's claim and the rest of their agreement but his future self acted quickly, hitting him in the shin with his cane. He leaned forward to whisper, hopefully where Usagi, and thus his wife, couldn't hear. “Just go with it. You will learn that she always right in these matters. And even when she isn't, it's better to go along with her. You will get in less trouble that way.”

 

Usagi frowned at both of them, having heard them (unfortunately, the King had to be heard over Mamoru's gasp of pain so his whisper was a little too loud). Then she thought about it and decided that Endymion's advice was only sensible. “You know, I never said that men couldn't learn. It seems that they can overcome some of their idiocy after a few hundred years. However it seems they still won't be able to master the fine art of whispering no matter how long they live.”

 

Both of them looked at her with almost identical expressions of sheepishness.

 

Pluto cleared her throat, saving the two men from further embarrassment. “Your Majesty, you have already been away from the palace too long. We need to get you back.”

 

The King nodded and turned to his daughter to say goodbye. He took her in his arms to hug her and assure her of his love and that they would all be together soon. He then handed her over to his past self and stepped back. “I have a feeling that we will all meet again soon. But until then…Goodbye.” King Endymion slowly faded from view.

 

Pluto went to stand in front of her future king, queen, and her princess. “Eventually you will meet my past self. I will be aware of what happened as I am the Guardian of the Time Gate. You, however, won't clearly remember what was mentioned about the future. Time and Destiny have to protect themselves. If you remembered you might be tempted to change events that shouldn't be changed. Such is the way of Time.” She smiled directly at Small Lady. “I will see you when you have learned to use the Time Key. Goodbye Senshi…we will meet again soon.” She brought her Garnet Rod over her head and disappeared instantly, unlike the King.

 

Rei started snickering, snorting as she tried to hold back her laughter. “Ain't that the truth!” she dissolved into laughter.

 

Makoto looked down at Rei curiously, while the rest of them looked started edging away from the crazy person on her knees laughing hysterically. “What are you talking about, Rei?”

 

Rei tried to get her laughter under control. “Odango finally said something intelligent! Men are idiots!”

 

Usagi looked down at her friend with a somewhat superior look on her face. “Just how slow are you, Rei?” Then, being the somewhat intelligent girl that she was, ran for her life with Rei screaming after her a few seconds later.

 

“IT'S FOUR O'CLOCK IN THE DAMN MORNING!!!”

 

Mamoru winced and, wisely, commented silently, And men are supposed to be the idiots?

 

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Okay, I'm not happy completely with the ending, but it will work for now until I can edit it. I've gone over it a few times and changed a few things but it's still not as good as I want it to be. I really just finished this because I wanted to see if it would help my writer's block. If I can come up with a better ending then I will come back later and edit it.

 

I don't really remember what happened during the time that passed before Serenity awakened the planet with the Silver Crystal. I don't even know if the other Senshi and Mamoru were with her or if they were asleep too (or whatever it was that happened to Earth during that time). I may do a story that explains all that but I have enough on my plate right now so it will be a while if I do.