Prologue - Part 3
When the white light suddenly flashes in front of them – so bright, like a morning sun - Usagi and Usa had to close their eyes to cover it from the blinding white light. If was after a few moments later that they open it back, and when they do, both eyes widen at the shocking sight in front of them.
Floating a few feet above the floor, with her body bend upwards awkwardly and her chest push upward where a silver crystal floating above her chest, just above where her heart is Kousagi. The young girl herself seems unconscious, her eyes were wide open with no sign of life and darken eerily with tears, her white dress sway in a windless movement along with her dark lavender hair.
The crystal give a pulse, giving a wave of white light in every few minutes that goes through the walls of their house and expand beyond. The pulse wave shock the mother and daughter awake and to move simultaneously toward the still girl.
“Don’t touch her!”
“Usako stop!”
Usa turn around and saw her friends, Hotaru and her adopted mothers dressed in a very short sailor suit while Usagi turn around to look at her suddenly appearing husband standing behind her, wearing his armour. Alarm rings in Usagi’s head, and her pale face become two tone whiter. The last time Mamoru wear those clothes was during the Ice-Queen invasion, and that was 12 years ago!
Whatever happening right now must be serious for him to wear that armour again, and how she wish she is wrong.
“M,mamo-chan?” she ask, looking at his serious face. It was then she notices that he is holding his staff, which glows softly in a golden light.
“Hotaru-chan? Setsuna-san? Michiru-san? Haruka-san? What are you guys doing here? What are you wearing? And is that…is that a spear?!” Usa ask while pointing at the long weapon that Hotaru’s is holding. “And Papa!” She turns, looking at her father. “When did you get there? How did you get there?” Her voice taking a note of hysteric. Nothing make sense anymore in the girl mind. Her eyes keeping looking from her parents, to her friends and to her still-floating little sister.
“Chibi-chan!” Usa try to climb the stair, but her hand was caught and she was pulled downwards, away from - HER SISTER! “STOP IT! Let me go! Chibi-chan is…Chibi-Chan is!!!”
“Usa-chan, please calm down.” Hotaru say as she push her behind them. “You’re not helping anyone by panicking.”
“But Chibi-chan is…”
“Especially Kousagi-chan.” Her best friend, Hotaru-chan is always a bit mysterious. Sure they were childhood friends, her oldest friend but both of their personality is so difference from one another. She was difference. While Usa was energetic and cheerful, a bit proud and cheeky, Hotaru was calm and sweet, she is quite, soft-spoken and mature. Many people, including herself, thought thats why they can be such a good friends. But there were times when sweet Hotaru will be cold and emotionless, her eyes look centuries old and wise, as if the weight of the world rest on her shoulder, that she wonder do she really know her friend. Like now.
And everytime it happens, it always piss her off, and make her felt very scare.
Taking a deep breath to calm herself, she notice her surrounding looks difference. It takes her another deep breath to realise what is wrong. The colours around her was off! It was tinted in several shade of grey, purple and pink, with a flash of gold, like something is covering it all. Looking at her friends and the other three adult, each one of them is covered in several difference colors of light, matching their outfits. Taking a step back, she raise her hand and look at it, and almost lose her footing when she saw that she herself is covered in a glowing golden light, the same glow that her parents is also covered in.
“Wha…What’s going on?” she ask shakily. She look at all the adult in the room and finally at her parents. Her mother was crying, not in her usual loud way, but in a silence way with tears falling down her pale cheeks. His father had one of his arm around her shoulder, pulling her in, while his other hand is holding something. A staff? It was then she notice that he is wearing some kind of black armor. “Why…why are you…why mama’s..what…I, I don’t understand what’s happening. Please someone, tell me what happen?” Her eyes fall on her sister still floating figures and finally, her tear fall. “What is going on here?”
“We’re not quite sure what is happening right now.” Michiru begin hesitatingly, in her hand was her favourite antique mirror that she always have with her, which she keep looking at with her dark, turquoise eyes.
“Its happen so suddenly. At first, everything is alright, everything is normal but then, we felt something is wrong. The wind changing and then it just, stop.” Haruka say, her whole body is tense as if she expecting something will happen.
“Wa-what do y-you mean, s-s-stop?” Usagi stuttered, her tears has stop but her eyes is still red.
“Why are you crying, Mama?” Usa thought absent mindedly.
“Stop as in, the time has stop. Stand still.” Setsuna answer, holding her long staff close to her.
“The time stop? What are you talking about Setsuna-san? That’s impossible! The time cannot stop. If there is one thing that gotta stop is that everyone has to stop lying and just tell me the truth!” Usa snap, her voice rise higher as her body started to shiver.
“It is the truth, Usa-chan.” Hotaru answer while looking at her.
“Please, everyone, just stop lying and tell me the truth. Mama, Papa. Please, please tell me. You know what is happening right? What is going on? Whats happening to Chibi-chan? What is that glowing thing on Chibi-chan? Why is Papa dress up like that? Why are you guys dress up like that? Please tell me so that I can understand.”
Biting her lips, Usagi can felt a new set of tears is about to fall but she try to hold it. She look away from her oldest child desperate eyes to the figure of her youngest one floating just a few step away from her. Making a decision, she turn to look at her husband, and together – alway, always together – she turn to her daughter. “You deserve to know the truth. But to know the truth, my Small Lady, you have to know the past.”
Small Lady, that was her name, but she never really like it. Its too formal, and weird, no other kids have name like that, so she argue with her family to call her Usa instead. Not Usagi, couse that is her mother’s name, or Chibi, becouse she is not the littlest one anymore. But there are time, when her parents is angry or serious, they will call her that, or her full name. Usagi Small Lady Serenity.
So whatever it is, it must be serious. Very serious.
But she never expected this. A tale of forbidden love. A moon kingdom. A real prince and princess. Of death and sacrifice. Of reincarnation and true love and soulmate. Of sailor soldier of justice and love, and her nine guardian. Of escaping destiny and fate. (But she never knew that there is more to it, about a girl from the future, about a castle made out of crystal, about a kingdom that lasted for decadeds. She was never told about it.)
And when she ask for prove, Hotaru give her a sad smile. “Look around you, Usa-chan. What other prove do you need?”
“So, so then that glowing thing on Chibi-chan, that is…”
“The Silver Crystal, the treasure of our lost Moon Kingdom, the prove of your Royal White Lunamarian heritage and the most powerful source of energy in the whole universe.” Her mother reply.
She flinch at that. The most powerful thing in the entire universe is in the hand of her sister? And she is using it? How? And why? she voice her thought out loud.
Looking at her daughter from one to another, she answer. Her voice was filled with pain. “You hear her. Something is hurting her, badly, that made the crystal react so strongly. She is in so much pain, that the crystal reach out to her, awaken by her wish. And now, I,m guessing it trying to grant it.”
“Just like how it grant mine years ago.”
“Something? What is it?” The pink haired girl ask, her matching pink eyes move to every adult in the room.
“I don’t know.” Usagi shake her head, her eyes closed in pain.
“Somehing, or someones.” Everyone look at the tall prince, but he ignores them all and looks at his wife. “Usako, where is your Inners?”
“W-what?”
Setsuna, or Sailor Pluto was the first to notice. “Even if the time stop, they should still be able to move. Our own crystal protect us, and they should be able to hear your call, my Prince.”
“Unless…” Hotaru, Sailor Saturn’s tone of voice made everyone look at her. “Unless they are the source of her pain. Or part of her wishes.”
“That impossible! They are my friends! They will never hurt Kousagi-chan, they love her.” Usagi protest.
“That’s true, the girls love her. But their daughters?”
“What are you talking about, Saturn?” Usagi’s blue eyes sharpen at the young sailor’s words.
The young girl turn away and look at Usa. Understanding dawn into her eyes, her arms raise to stop the bile coming out of her mouth. “You are blinded by the love of your friends, that you never notice what’s happening around you, Princess.”
“Saturn.” Neptune stop her, laying her hand on top of her shoulder. The girl ignore her, but stay quite. Neptune raise her head to look at her princess. “You never did notice, did you Usagi-chan.”
“Notice what?”
“The way Mina, AmiKo, ReiKo and Mako treated your daughter.”
She don’t want to ask, or even to hear the answer, but unfortunately, she need to know. “How?”
“With disrespect, lies, dishonour, manipulation and betrayal.”
“That.. That’s not true. They are friends and…”
“Are they? Are they truly friends?”
“O-of cous…”
“No mama. It’s true. They never, they never treat her like a friend or nicely. I notice it, and I try to talk about it to Chibi-chan, but she told me…she told me that they are her friends, and that she love them.” With that, Usa broke down. “This is my fault, I should protect her but I fail. Its my fault. What kind of sister am I?”
“She also told us the same, and say that they were only teasing her. She told us to trust them, becouse they are friends.” Uranus continue, her voice was hard with anger. Anger at the four girls who play with their youngest and naïve princess, and at herself for failing to prevent it.
“No, no that…I don’t believe you,” Usagi whisper, her eyes widen with shock as she try to remember.
“Then look at this and tell me what do you see.” The image of her friends covered in the same white glow as Kousagi reflected in Neptune’s mirror made her swallow. That was the prove that whatever Kousagi is wishing for, its involve her four friends.
“Everyone…Oh, Kousagi-chan, what did you do?”
“Don’t blame this on her!!! This is not her fault, she is hurt by them, if anything its those…those brats fault!” Usa scream, she try to stand up with her shaking legs while pushing away Hotaru’s help. Glaring at the four Outers guardian, she slowly approce her sister. “Chibi-chan is, she is…shes too naïve. She keep saying that those brats is her friends even though they keep hurting her and manipulate her, she still believe they are friends.” Stopping beside her sister, Usa glare at her mother. “So don’t you dare say this is her fault!”
“No! I didn’t meant it like that,I just….I want to know what her wish is. She wish for something and the crystal is trying to grant it. It must be something powerful for it to be like…like this.” Walking forward, she try to hold her oldest daughter, but stop when Usa look away, angrily wiping her tears. “Usa-chan, please believe me. Im trying to find a way to help her. She’s hurting now so please, don’t fight with me.” When Usa keep silence, Usagi pull her daughter close and hug her.
Everyone keep silence as they watch Usagi try to calm down her first born. Mamoru walk forward to offer them his support when he realise something. “Is it me, or does Kousagi-chan look smaller?”
At that, everyone snap and approce the floating girl. True to what their Prince is saying, Kousagi look a lot smaller than she was before, with the dress now look loose and bigger on her while her hair grow longer.
“She does looks younger.” Pluto observe, a puzzle look appear on her face.
“Is it suppose to do that?” Usa ask as she step away from her mother to stand beside her. Unexpectedly, a male voice – not her father’s – answer her.
“Its more than that, I’m afraid.”
She turn around and come face to face with a stranger with glowing golden eyes. He was standing in front of the light, making his face hiden in the shadow of his hooded cape. All that she can see where those eyes that seems to trap her with so many emotions –longing, adoration, lo - and it making her felt dizzy. “W..who are you?” she whispers but it seems to echo around them.
The others was surprise to see the Priest, and wanted to shout his name, but somehow manage to keep their mouth close. All of them was aware of what the pink haired girl meant to the Priest and cant help to felt sorry for him when Usa ask him.
(Of couse this girl don’t know him, the girl who knows and love him was a girl from a difference time/space/world)
The male bow at her, hiding his eyes with his bang while hiding his pain. “Greeting my Lady. Please don’t be afraid of me, I meant no harm. I’m a friend of your family. I came here to give a warning, and an advice”
“What is it?” Mamoru step forward, while pushing his daughter behind him and to spare his friend and High Priest from his pain.
Nodding thankfully, he knelt down and lowers his head towards his Prince. “The silver crystal is trying to grant the young princess wishes, but the crystal, it is not powerful enough, therefore it’s trying to use her power instead. And because she is still young, she cannot protect herself from the power, or more likely, she is letting it use her power and in the process, letting it drain her life energy. We have to stop it. If we don’t, the little princess will grow smaller and younger until she will be reduce to nothing.”
“My baby!” Usagi scream and try to reach her daughter while Usa and Mamoru froze with shock.
“Don’t touch her! Especially you, Princess. You are the former holder of the crystal and a Royal Lunamarian, the heiress of this part of the Universe, and both of you are related by blood. If you touch her, the crystal will drain your power instead.” Quickly, Uranus stop the Moon princess before she manage to touch the girl.
“But look at her, she look so small, she looks younger by the minutes….My poor baby, we have to help her!” Usagi scream, her body shock as another wave of tears was release.
“That means she doesn’t have much time left.”
“Then we have to save her!” Mamoru snap, he reach the Priest shoulder and shake him. “Tell me! Tell me how can we save her? Can the Golden Crystal save her?”
Shaking his head, the priest regretfully answers. “The golden crystal won’t be much help. Its powerful, but they are too difference. They might react badly and make things even worst.”
“Then how can we save her? My little sister..she’ll die?” Usa ask as she stand right beside her sister, only a few inch apart.
Seeing this, Saturn try to pull her away but the girl refuse to move. “Usa-chan, please get away from her.”
Eyeing the crystal, Usa quickly made up her mind. In a blink of an eye, she push Saturn and grab her sister hand “Silver Crystal, please stop draining her energy, I don’t want to lose her. Please stop, and take mine instead.”
“Small Lady!”
“Lady!”
“Usa-chan!”
Not wanting to be separated, Usa hugs kousagi, affectively stopping the process as the silver glow that surrounds her sister earlier leave the younger girl and wrap itself around her, and to everyone horror, the crystal quickly drain her energy and making her younger and younger by the seconds.
“No!! my babies!”
“Usako!!”
Usagi quickly unwarp Usa’s hand around her sister and pushing the unconscious girl towards her father. Their eyes meet for a brief second, one clear message travel between the two soulmates – I believe in you my love, saves them – before Usagi grab Kousagi and embrace the little girl that look as small as a four years old, and instantly her dress change to her Royal Lunamarian dress and a large crystal appear around her, trapping them both in a huge Crystal. The silver crystal finally stops glowing and fall to the floor.
“Usako!” Mamoru scream as he watches his wife and youngest daughter trapped inside the crystal, unable to move as he held his other daughter in his arms.
“Princess”
“Don’t touch the crystal, or you will be trap too!” The scouts stop and look at the crystal in growing horror. Seeing that he manage to stop the scouts from touching the Crystal, the Priest, Helios move to Mamoru side. “Please my Prince, we need you here. Lady needs you. The Princess is using her own energy to stop the process, and I guess, being the former holder of the crystal give her some ammunition towards it. So they should be safe, for now.”
Closing his eyes in distress, he tighten his hold on Usa and just hold her close while taking several deep breath to calm down. In shaking voice, he ask. “So what now?”
Looking around him, and noticing his surrounding for the first time and the growing crystal, he answer while looking at his Prince “The crystal is still growing, in a hours I guessing it will be too big for this house. We have to move it.”
“But where? And how can we move it without touching it.” Neptune ask, clearly in distress.
Knelling down, he grab the fallen staff of his prince and look at the crystal on top of it. “Use the golden crystal to relocate us all to Elysian.” Standing up, he look at his prince and his daughter, realisation hit him. In a strangle voice, he continue. “All of us, except Lady and Pluto.”
“Why can’t she come along?” Pluto ask while keeling down beside her Prince, both of them looking at Usa’s face.
“Look at her,and tell me what do you see.”
“She looks young, like a little girl,around 6 years old, like when we first…Are you saying what I think you are saying?” Eyes widen with shock, both Mamoru and Pluto look at each other before looking at Helios.
“If we are thinking the same thing, then yes.” Closing his eyes, he take a deep breath. “There is only one way to save both of them, and only Lady can do it.”
The other three scouts quickly realise what they were talking about. Uranus try to open her mouth but unable to say anything. Neptune close her eyes in regret. “There’s no other way, isn’t it?”
“No, I’m afraid not.” Saturn answer her, looking at the frozen figure of their Princess and her daughter trap inside a crystal. A sad smile appear on her young face. “Its is her Destiny.”
Everyone smile grimly at that, while Mamoru takes several deep breath. He was loosing his family one by one, but there is still hope. And its lies on the shoulder of the girl in her arms. Remembering the past, the journey will not be pretty and it will be painful, but he will believe in her, as well as his past self’s will. He give a weak chuckle when he remember Usagi and the old ChibiUsa dislike of each other, they were like sister that hated and love each other. The circumstances were difference, but still the same. Therefore it will be alright.
Standing up while carrying Usa in his arms, he turn to look at the crystal for a few seconds before looking at Helios. “At least, let me see her off then.”
Looking at the handsome prince, Helios nodded. He handed the Silver Crystal wrapped in a handkerchief to the prince. “I will return later to collect you. Call me when you are ready, my prince.” With that, he lifted the staff, and with a golden glow, he along with the large crystal and the three other Outer scouts disappear.
Without a word, Mamoru walk towards the girls bedroom and lay the little girl in her bed. Taking a moment to gather himself, he look around and notice that everything was back to normal. Everything was in its right color and looking at the clock, he notice that it is moving again. “The time?”
“It has moved again. It had moved when the Princess manage to stop the crystal and was trapped inside the crystal.” Pluto answer while walking back with a round robot, shape like a certain cat face with two triangle ear and a wire on top. “I thought she might need a company.”
Nodding his approval, he moves around the room to gather some stuff for her journey while telling Pluto to change Usa’s clothes to a better one. The ones she was curetly wearing was a bit big on her as it suited her 12 year old body, not the current 6 year old. After changing her to a dark navy sailor suit top and pleated skirt, they wakes the girl slowly by shaking her shoulder. “Small Lady, wake up.”
“Papa?” Usa ask as she slowly opens her eyes. “What happen?”
Mamoru explain to her what happen when she was unconscious, and to say the girl was upset was an understatement. She cry when she hear that now both her mother and sister is trapped inside the crystal. “Small Lady, my dearest daughter. I’m sorry darling, but you are our only hope. Please listen to what I have to say now.”
Seeing her nod and her full attention on him, Mamoru explain. “Your mother will be alright, As long as the crystal is protecting her, they will be fine but your sister is still in danger. We need to save her, and the only one who can save her is you.”
“Me? How? How can I help?”
“The only way to save her is to go back in time, to the past and find SailorMoon.”
“Sailor Moon? Like the one you told me when I was a kid, the ones Mama just told me? She’s real?”
“Yes, she is. And she can help you. Will you do it?”
“I’ll…yes. I’ll do it. I’ll find her. I promise”
“I know you will, I have full faith in you. Sailor Pluto will take you back, just remember, do not tell anyone who you are. Your identity will be your most precious secret, only tell to those that you really trust.”
“What about Sailor Moon? Should I told her? ”
“If you trust her, yes. Take this with you, with your mother in a crystal stasis, this rightfully belong to you. Keep it safe.”
“The silver crystal…”
“Don’t let anyone see it, or touch it. Give me your hand.” He lay the colorless crystal on her hand. The crystal give out a weak light before dissolve into her palm.
“Where did it go?”
“I command it to go inside of you, this way no one can steal it. If you want to call for it, just close your eyes and say its name, and when you want to hide it, just close your hand around it.” Mamoru explain gently while give her head a gentle pad.
“Ok, I get it. Is there anything else I should know?” Usa look at her father. She was afraid, he can see it but was also very determine.
“One more thing. In the past, you will meet people that you know, but they are difference person. By sharing the same names, it doesn’t mean they are the same people that you know. But it doesn’t meant you can’t felt in love with them again. Just trust yourself, have hope and keep dreaming beautiful dreams, my dear Small Lady.” He gather her into his arms and hold her tightly. Usa hold her father back as tightly as she can. She was about to go on an adventure, alone and desperately need the strength from her father warm hug. She keep taking several deep breath to keep the memory of his father’s warm hug and scent.
Althought she hate to break them, Pluto know they don’t have much time left. “My prince, its time to go.”
Letting go of his daughter, he give her a final kiss on her forehead. “I have to go now, I need to take your mother and sister to a safe place. Here, take this with you.”
“Luna-P?” The pink haired girl ask, a bit surprise to see her old toys again.
“I’ll give it some powers, use it to protect yourself. Be safe, darling. I love you.
“I will, I love you to Papa.” Taking a step back, she try to give him a brave smile.
“Take her safely, Pluto.”
“Yes, your highness. Ready Princess?”
“Im ready!”
………………………………………………........................
“Take this, Small Lady. It is a Time Key, it will keep you safe from being lost when you go across the time zone. Just imagine the place and time that you wanted to go and it will lead you there safely. Don’t ever let it go, ok? Promise me that.”
“I promise. Don’t worry, Setsuna-san, I’ll be careful.” Usa say while tieing the chains around her neck.
“Please, from now on you must never mention my name. Especially when in this place. Here, I am call Sailor Pluto, the Senshi of Time.”
“Oh, I will remember that. And don’t worry, I will find a way to safe mother and Chibi-chan. You can count on me, Pluto!”
Looking at the shrunken teenager, she gave her princess a gentle smile. “I have faith in you, Small Lady.”
………………………………………………………………………
“So…” AmiKo drawl out, looking at her friends instead of her books as they walk towards their mothers’s weekly gathering café.
“The Chiba’s has left….” Mako continue, looking up at the darkening blue sky.
“Which means….” Mina continue, looking at her feet.
“Kousagi’s finally gone….” ReiKo finish, expression between confuse and anger.
The four of them was unusually silence, all lost in thoughts. Nobody says anything until they reach the Jupiter’s café. Looking around, they try looking for their mother’s but unable to find them.
“Where are they? They are usually here already, are we too early?” Mako ask while looking around.
Looking at her watch, Ami shake her head. “No, even though we arrive earlier than usual, they should be here already. If they cancel, mother didn’t say anything to me.”
“Maybe they are late because they’re sending the Chibas’ at the airport?” Mina suggest.
“Maybe, let just wait for them.” ReiKo decide for the group. Sitting at their mother’s usual table, they order their drinks while waiting for their mother arrival. No one say a words, making the waiting all awkward and uncomfortable.
They waited and waited for a long time, but no one came.