#like they did all fight galaxia but like… let’s be real it was Usagi who defeated galaxia everyone else had basically died

[minakoainosupremacy]

I just rewatched the Nehalenia arc in stars for the first time in awhile, and damn… that shit HITS.

[ladyloveandjustice]

Hello fellow sailor moon I just found your blog and in quite intrigued and figured you might find this question interesting

So I was watching Sailor Stars episode 7, and I realised that the sailor moon in the anime has something of a no kill rule in the anime while the in manga she seems pretty OK to kill most of her foes

In the anime, she spears a lot of her villains with the exception of Queen Beryl and pharoh 90, so I was wondering, do you think the sailor moon should have a no kill rule

Personally, I'm not a fan of her killing in the manga, considering she's meant to be the representation of love, so I'm kinda glad the 90s anime gave her the no kill rule

But in your detailed opinion do you think sailor moon should have a no kill rule?

(ftr i think manga Sailor Moon would also have saved an innocent civilian she knew had been transformed into a monster against her will. She refused to kill Hotaru, after all)

The no kill rule is kind of a weird thing thing to contemplate because it's like, does killing the monsters violate her supposed no kill rule? Sure, they're technically made of evil magic or objects or whatever but they're all sentient, and in later seasons they start having distinct personalities (the doorknob one who was bad at fighting, the jump rope girl who wanted friends, ect) but she never tries to talk them out of their behavior the way she would a human foe. It's kind of a convention of the genre.

I think Sailor Moon killing most of her enemies quickly was just a convention of how the manga had to work--Naoko only had twelve chapters and she was told to design seven or more villains to cover a 45 episode season and now she has to fit them in a short space somehow... so having them one shotted is really the only way to go about it. She didn't have time do do stuff like redemption arcs for villains, while the anime did.

It's also notable that Usagi regrets this even at the end of the manga. She realizes that these dark magic abominations were not something seperate from her or the rest of humanity, but lonely beings just like herself. And she grows tired of killing, because with all her loved ones gone there's nothing left to fight for.

As for my ideal, I prefer a mix. The Usagi who offers a hand to everyone, who sincerely believes anyone can change and should be given a chance... but if they've rejected that hand, and even worse, hurt/killed her friends, she'd do what needed to be done to protect the world, with a very heavy heart. She will never, ever give up on anyone if there's even a glimmer of a chance they would change their ways, but she's not stupid enough to die instead of defend.

I do thing the end of the anime where she forgave Galaxia for killing her friends and just totally let her off the hook- without even knowing if Galaxia would bring them back--was a bit too much in the other direction, personally. I wanted to see more anger from her, and i believe she WOULD normally have been very angry (like she was in the manga) if the writers hadn't decided she must be as saint like as possible in those episodes. I'm fine with her reaching out to Galaxia and helping her but there should have also been some anger and a demand there- undo the damage you've done, bring back my friends and if you can't I WILL personally remove your powers and we will rebuild every planet you've destroyed, find every survivor, because you're going to have to work for this."

The Usagi who killed Beryl (and Kunzite!) would have demanded those things, and I don't think her into becoming someone who wouldn't do those things makes her more enlightened, it just makes her seem less like a real person.

(Usagi does save Galaxia even more inexplicably in the manga, but there it comes off as an act of desperation after seeing everyone she knows get killed, it's over, there's no hope, she can't take it anymore, she wants to at least still have one person there with her even if it's the person who killed them, because at least Galaxia understands her deep loneliness)

To be clear, it's not like I think the last episode is terrible or anything. I can roll with it, and I love the scene where Galaxia's shell cracks open and we see her true self underneath. It just felt off, because yeah, Usagi is love, but love can be angry, love can be unforgiving, when the people you love the most are hurt.

[chxmpionofjustice]

STUDY  :  TSUKINO USAGI  ♡

♡   BASICS.

♡  IS YOUR MUSE TALL  /  SHORT  /  AVERAGE? Usagi is the shortest of all of her friends. She’s 4′11″ or 150 cm and yes, she’s fun-sized.

♡  ARE THEY OKAY WITH THEIR HEIGHT? Yes and no. Her lack of height can come in handy sometimes, but it really is a pain in the butt to buy pants. She compensates with shorts and skirts and she can’t really complain because she’s looks amazing in them. And her boyfriend’s face is too far away from hers for her own liking, but standing on tip toe for a kiss feels like something out of a romance, so she can deal.

♡  WHAT’S THEIR HAIR LIKE? Long, blonde, and shiny. She tries to keep it cut to around knee/calf length but ever since she awoke as the Moon Princess, her hair seems to want to grow much farther than than of its own accord and... well it seems to get a little lighter over time. She keeps her hair up in her signature odango-and-pig-tail style on either side of her head. The hair style is held to together painstakingly with hair bands and bobby pins, all of which come out when she goes to sleep. Sometimes she’ll wear her hair in two low pigtails when she sleeps but more often than not, she lets her hair loose.

♡  DO THEY SPEND A LOT OF TIME ON THEIR HAIR  /  GROOMING? Hahahahahahahhahaha. What do you think? YES. Usagi’s hair is one of the few things she puts real effort into. Her hairstyle itself takes a lot of time to do (She’s got the thing down to a science but it still takes her around 10 minutes and would take anyone else a LOT longer), not to mention what she does to keep her hair healthy. Usagi has a whole basket of hair products in her room, ranging from shampoos, conditioners, hair masks, and oils. Maintaining all that hair is hard, okay?

♡  DOES YOUR MUSE CARE ABOUT THEIR APPEARANCE  /  WHAT OTHERS THINK?  Yes and no. She definitely cares what she looks like. She loves fashion and putting together outfits so she looks kawaii wherever she’s going (this also counts work as an adult, she will be the girl in the office wearing the cutest blouse and skirt combo with a pair of adorable kitten heels and this will clearly fool everyone into thinking she can adult). But she doesn’t really do that because she cares what others think. She does that for herself, to make herself happy. And if people happen to think she looks good, well that’s a plus. She can be a little vain like that, but who isn’t?

♡   PREFERENCES.

INDOORS OR OUTDOORS? outdoors

RAIN OR SUNSHINE? sunshine

FOREST OR BEACH? beach

PRECIOUS METALS OR GEMS? gems

FLOWERS OR PERFUMES? flowers

PERSONALITY OR APPEARANCE? personality

BEING ALONE OR BEING IN A CROWD? being in a crowd

ORDER OR ANARCHY?  order

PAINFUL TRUTHS OR WHITE LIES? painful truths

SCIENCE OR MAGIC?  magic

PEACE OR CONFLICT? peace

NIGHT OR DAY? day

DUSK OR DAWN? dusk

WARMTH OR COLD? warmth

MANY ACQUAINTANCES OR A FEW CLOSE FRIENDS?  a few close friends

READING OR PLAYING A GAME? GIVE ME GAMES OR GIVE ME DEATH

♡   QUESTIONNAIRE.  

♡ WHAT ARE SOME OF YOUR MUSE’S BAD HABITS? HAHAHAHA. Okay do y’all even have TIME to read this? Seriously, there are a lot. To name the biggest bad habit of hers, it’s over-indulgence. Usagi shamelessly indulges in EVERYTHING she loves to the point of excess sometimes. She’s banned from a couple buffets because of her eating habits, the girl is a black hole for food, and will eat whatever she wants to eat. She wastes money on food, mostly junk food because she doesn’t cook. 

Despite the fact that she can’t cook, she will buy ANY cute appliance available for the kitchen that she can. Hello Kitty Toaster? Got it. Sailor Senshi chopsticks? GOT THE WHOLE SET (of course for when everyone comes over, they can eat with their designated chopsticks, duh). Mickey Mouse Waffle Maker? BOUGHT (Girl doesn’t know how to make waffle batter). Every single cup she owns has a character on if from some anime, movie, or manga. She even has commemorative Sailor Senshi cups too. Oh you thought it ended with the chopsticks? NOPE. She spends money on plushies, pillows, pens, bags, etc, of her and her friends and does it QUITE HAPPILY. Of course, the thing she buys the most of (besides herself)? Tuxedo Mask. Tuxedo Mask plushies. A Tuxedo Mask pillow case for a body pillow (listen don’t judge her), the rare Tuxedo Mask action figure and the Tuxedo Mask vibr-.... Well let’s just say that she doesn’t only buy every day items with his brand.

A lot of her indulgence has to do with money because she has no impulse control. If she sees a cute thing, she wants it, she buys it. Be it items or clothes. And whatever she buys usually ends up... Well, not put away. Usagi can be pretty messy (it’s a system that works for her, okay), to put it simply. And she’s messy because, to put it quite frankly, she’s kind of lazy. She’s a queen procrastinator who prefers to play games, read manga, doodle, and SLEEP rather than do homework or chores. Usagi would rather do anything under the sun except her responsibilities and everyone who knows her knows this. Boy, do they know this.

That being said, when she is facing her responsibilities as Sailor Moon, she does almost a complete 180. The Earth is her responsibility to protect and she will do anything she has to to keep it safe. Even if it means sacrificing herself. Despite how selfish she can act with certain things (food mostly, she’s like Joey, JOEY DOESN’T SHARE FOOD), Usagi will give herself to save a life in an instant. No hesitation. Because to her every life is precious. The world is precious. So if she has to use her crystal to the point where she has no life energy left to defeat someone evil or divert an asteroid, she will. If she has to throw herself into an abyss to defeat an enemy and save everyone else, she will. 

You may be asking yourself why I wrote that all out. “Altruism is a good thing!” I did it because the level of altruism she displays is destructive. To herself. She is so willing to save everyone that if she sees her own demise as the only way to keep everyone else from dying, she will let herself die. And that’s not giving up. Giving up would be going without a fight. Usagi is gonna fight until her very last breath and that’s gonna be what takes her. Unless someone can come up with a way to save everyone where she won’t have to do that, there’s no stopping her, either. 

♡ HAS YOUR MUSE LOST ANYONE CLOSE TO THEM? HOW HAS IT AFFECTED THEM? Yes and no. Usagi and her friends have all died more than once. Losing them and Mamoru the first time it happened was absolutely devastating to her. She still has nightmares of seeing their bodies lifelessly laying in the snow. Of watching Mamoru, her prince, die in her arms and then be taken away from her only to become a pawn for the enemy. 

The first deaths are the hardest to get over.

And then watching one by one as her friends were taken by the Black Moon (she only BARELY saved Venus, if she didn’t have Mina-P with her, she doesn’t know if she would have been able to go on like she did), her future daughter was corrupted so heinously that she took her own father hostage for her own amusement, and then Sailor Pluto’s death.

I won’t even get into how Galaxia practically vaporized Mamoru in front of her and she was so traumatized that she wiped it from her own memory and was convinced he got on the plane to America. Or how Galaxia also did the same to her friends. There are nights Usagi wakes up in tears with the awful inability to breathe and the only thing that can calm her down is hearing their voices. 

She clings tight to Mamoru when anyone gives him an all too appreciative lingering look (seriously, the man is too pretty for his own good, he attracts so many bad guys) because god forbid they end up turning out to be something evil and try to take him away from her. 

The long and the short of it is that Usagi definitely has some form of PTSD. Thank you for coming to my TED Talk.

♡ WHAT ARE SOME FOND MEMORIES YOUR MUSE HAS? Usagi had a sunny life and continues to live wearing rose-tinted glasses even when she has to stop and save the world now and then. She has so many fond memories of growing up like playing dress up with her mom,  meeting Naru in primary school, playing in parks and going to the beach with her family. She has even fonder memories of meeting her best friends, her sisters in arms, in middle school.

And, despite how it ended, sometimes Usagi likes to think on some of the memories from her past life in the Silver Millennium. How she and the senshi would spend day after day with each other. Memories of her mother doting on her and of extravagant balls held in opulent ballrooms. Memories of meeting the beautiful prince of Earth and of the first time she felt his lips on hers.

She has an awful lot to sort through.

♡ IS IT EASY FOR YOUR MUSE TO KILL?  Hell no. She struggles with that idea. The only time she kills is when the enemy has shown their truest form and she has no choice. Otherwise, Usagi will do her damnedest to save everyone. The bad guy included. Because everyone deserves a second chance to do the right thing.

♡ WHAT’S IT LIKE WHEN YOUR MUSE BREAKS DOWN?  Usagi is known for being a crybaby. We establish this early on when we meet her. So one would think her break downs are loud and dramatic because that’s how she is when she cries. That’s... Not strictly true though. When Usagi breaks down, really breaks down, its because she’s holding onto her pain quietly. Usagi breaks down with silent tears and full body sobs. She breaks down with trembling hands and their white knuckle grip on her pillow that she’s holding against her face to muffle when she can’t be quiet anymore.

She breaks down alone.

When someone finds her and tries to comfort her, it can go one of two ways, either she’ll just keep letting it out and allow herself to be comforted, or she’ll suck it all back in, put a stopper in it and assure whomever it is that she’s fine, really, she was just crying because Lawsons didn’t have any more red velvet cake, honestly. 

When Usagi breaks down, she’s at her lowest emotionally, usually feeling horrible about herself. That’s a point that you’d think would be particularly difficult for her to get to right? Right?

♡ IS YOUR MUSE CAPABLE OF TRUSTING SOMEONE WITH THEIR LIFE? She literally does this all the time. Usagi is an amazing judge of character. Not counting her senshi, Usagi has put her life in the hands of people that her allies considered untrustworthy multiple times. And she was right to trust every single one of them. The first one being Tuxedo Mask, then the Outer Senshi. After that, Hotaru. Helios. The Starlights. Usagi knows when she can trust someone with her life and yes, yes, YES, she is very capable of doing it. 

♡ WHAT’S YOUR MUSE LIKE WHEN THEY’RE IN LOVE? Haaaaaaaaaaaa, gosh. Usagi in love is... She loves with her whole self. Usagi is not good at hiding her emotions, even when she’s trying to hold them in. She’s the definition of ‘heart on your sleeve’ because she’s so very open with her emotions and she doesn’t know any other way to be. 

When Usagi is in love, you can take one look at her with the person she loves and it’s obvious. We’re talkin’ heart eyes muthafucka. She’s clingy, likes to touch and be affectionate a lot. And, this goes back to her indulgence thing, she has no problem letting her person know she wants them when she wants them and indulging in that. She’s not subtle in anything with her love. 

She is very physical in her love, but that’s because that’s how she is. But being in love is also tender. Kisses pressed into sleep warm skin, banter and giggles over breakfast (that the other person made because once again, ya girl cannot COOK), cuddling on the couch or in bed while having soft conversations or talking about their day, going out to spend the day at the park or where ever for a day date, romantic dinners in her favorite restaurants or, even better, at home. It’s secret smiles and softened eyes and soft brushes of skin. It’s being completely open and endlessly patient when the other person can’t be just yet. Usagi in love is both in-your-face and achingly tender.

And yes, I know that Usagi had heart eyes when she saw Rei. Listen. Usagi has a big heart. Like a humongous heart. She falls in love easily. She could say she’s in love with her ice cream and totally mean it, okay? Usagi loves with all of herself and that’s not just romantically. But the type of “in love” Usagi can be in, because of her heart, can seem fickle, even when it’s not to her. Just because she started loving one thing doesn’t mean she doesn’t love something else just as fiercely.

♡ TAGGED BY: @adversitybloomed​  ♡ TAGGING :  WHO EVER WANTS TO TBH

[docholligay]

Series Finale

Another release from the patreon vault: My rarely-publicly-published Au of Mystery and Shadow, my “good end” AU--this is a special piece I wrote for Jet to commemorate her finishing the anime! almost 3,00 words.

Mina put the pizzas down on the ottoman, placing some paper plates next to it. “Domino’s finest!” She walked toward the kitchen. “Hey buddy, you need a beer?”

“Love one.” Haruka called from the couch, tucking her legs under the soft blanket. “Thanks. Kimi did NOT want to go down tonight, I’m not sure what her deal was.”

“Well, you know how children are,” Michiru set down her glass and passed the champagne bottle over to Haruka, “they have a miraculous sense of whenever their parents would like to do something.”  Haruka twisted the bottle open and passed it back to her. “Thank you, my love. Rei?” She carefully poured into the glass set on the end table, “May I offer you a glass?”

“I’m taken care of.” She patted the box of Franzia next to her.

“Of course you are, I’m foolish to have asked.” Michiru tossed her hair, her voice teasing, and settled in next to Haruka on the couch.

There was a time when Rei would have blushed, and tried to imitate Michiru’s fineness, but, as it was, she grinned. “Just pass me some of those breadsticks.”

Haruka tossed the box over to her as Mina reentered the room, beers in hand. She handed one off to Haruka and plopped in the oversized beanbag next to Rei.

“I’m fascinated to see their take on this. I haven’t been watching since the turned me into an Usagi knockoff. Blonde isn’t a personality type, people.” She took a chug. “Also, why the fuck did we all have a crush on your gay ass?” She shook her head at Haruka. “Also, we were young, not idiots, I think Usagi was the only one who mistook you for a dude at first. And for like, 20 minutes tops.”

Haruka draped her arm around Michiru, who snuggled into her shoulder. “So you did watch the third season.”

“Just enough to see what they did with you. Heartthrob my ass.”

Michiru gave a careless shrug. “I never watched any of it. I never imagined it would tell the story fairly. Though,” she smiled up at Haruka, “it is true that your handsomeness is without measure.”

“AT LEAST THEY DIDN’T MAKE YOU STRAIGHT.” Rei shouted across the room.

Mina rolled her eyes. “Speaking of incapacitatingly homosexual…”

Michiru put a finger to her lips. “My children are sleeping.”

Rei reiterated in a harsh stage whisper. “At least they didn’t make you straight.”

Mina drew her arm around Rei. “Honey, you are not the only one this happened to. Like...maybe all of us. Except those two.”

“Me! With men!”

“Well you know what they say, “ she smiled, “Men are from Mars--”

“No men are not from Mars no men on Mars ever Mars hates men Mars is women’s space only Mars--”

“Rei.” Michiru called over to her. “We’re all very aware of the...she weakly waved her hand in the air, “lack of historicity involved in this production.”

“Mina, did you see the cathedral episode? They had Usagi trying to convince me not to shoot myself.” Haruka chuckled.

“Oh, did you punch her in her fucking face like you did me, or is that not a magical friendship moment?” Mina shot back.

“Oh, like you didn’t punch me in the face as soon as I got better. And no.”

“You had it coming, buddy.”

“I really did.”

“Ladies.” Michiru steeled her voice just a hair. “If we don’t start catching up, we’ll miss the finale, you know.”

Rei pressed play.

__

“THAT’S NOT WHAT HAPPENED.” Rei sat bolt-upright, which was an impressive feat in a beanbag, such was the quality of her rage.

Mina chuckled. “I didn’t really think they were gonna use my parting words of ‘earn it, assholes’ on a kid’s show.” She took a drink of her beer. “Usagi literally did cry this much though.”

Rei ignored hend continued her rant. “Where’s the battle we had with Galaxia? Where’s Mina crossing swords with her?”

Mina rolled her eyes. “Where’s my sword at all, is the real question here.”

“WE DIDN’T JUST JUMP IN FRONT OF THE FUCKING STARLIGHTS.” Rei was practically out of the beanbag now, near levitating with anger. “We fought to protect everyone, Galaxia STRUGGLED WITH US.”

“I hardly think they would be willing to express the brutality of what actually happened in a children's cartoon, Rei.” Michiru tried to reassure her. “If they even know. We are a fiction, a story, to everyone in this world except ourselves, and so they may bend it however they like, without worry of being ahistorical. I assure you, it isn’t personal.”

“Also,” Mina playfully kissed her cheek. “Shut the fuck up. You get a loving exit, I get to say,” she affected a high and mocking voice. “I have to protect important people!” she fell back into her normal range. “What kind of shitpot strategy was that? I KNOW how I fight, why would I trust it to people who’ve clearly lost before? The whole thing makes no sense.”

Rei seethed. “That’s not how it happened.”

“I was about that shocked?” Haruka tried, helpfully. “Being dissolved hurt about that bad?”

Rei looked down at her large watch. “I think I lasted longer than that.”

“That’s what they all say.” MIna playfully poked at Rei.

Rei’s face twisted up in a scowl. “That’s not what I meant, Mina!”

MIna lay on top of her. “Oh, I know that.”

“Hey!” But she laughed playfully. “Mina, I can’t see the TV.”

“Oh, you can hardly see the TV anyway, and it’s just the long legged senshi disco.” She straddled Rei. ‘I, GALAXIA, WILL GIVE YOU A GREATER CHALLENGE.” They tussled on the beanbag in their teasing, loving way.

“Ruka,” Michiru brushed back Haruka’s hair. “Are you going to be all right?”

Haruka looked at her softly.  “Yeah, I’m fine, Michi, why?”

“The next episode treads into...tender territory for you, I know.”

“Oh.” Her face fell a bit. “I forgot.” She took a deep breath. “I mean, I made peace with it, we did what we did because we thought we had to. We did have to, I guess. I don’t know. I tried my best. It was all I could think of.” She snuggled in a little closer to Michiru. “I asked for forgiveness. She forgave me, I think, somehow.” She gave a weak laugh. “I guess.”

“You don’t have to watch, Haruka.”

“I know. I’m okay.”

__

Even Rei was quiet. She wanted to argue about the unfairness of the four of them getting some kind of battle, of their struggle being made known while hers was hidden and made into another person’s moment, and yet, watching Haruka and Michiru look quietly at the screen, while the girl was meant to be Hotaru (They called her Chiyoko, and her hair was too long, but that was the least of everyone’s problems.) faded away, without a word.

Rei had not been there, and so she did not know except by rumor, but it couldn’t have been like this, a perfect emotionally convenient peace. Hotaru had been confused, and hurt, and angry, and she had continued to be so for many, many, years.

Haruka and Michiru held each other quietly, bearing witness to the terrible honesty of what they had done. Of course that was the part they got right.

Children had a gift for many things, and timing would always be chief among them, as the girls heard the small patter of a child heading down the stairs.

“Mama? Papa?” MA crept into the living room. “Can I have some juice?”

She looked so little there, standing in the light of the foyer, the light behind her casting a shadow across her face. Michiru and Haruka sat still for a moment, trapped in the space between their past and their present, where demons, however captured, still called from the basement.

Michiru was the first to move, noting her daughter’s confused expression. “Sweetheart, we don’t often have juice after we go to bed, you know.” She walked toward her, extending her hand, “But I’m certain we can find something acceptable to both of us, can’t we?”

“Uh huh.” She nodded and took Michiru’s hand in hers, as they walked toward the kitchen together.

It was only when they disappeared from the kitchen that Haruka seemed to regain herself, and wiped at her face for a moment before pulling over her chair and following them into the kitchen.

“I think a cheese stick and a glass of water is an excellent compromise, my darling.” Michiru was knelt at MA’s level. “Much less sugar and twice as delicious.” She handed MA a cheese stick. “Now, let’s go back up to bed. I’ll tuck you back in.”

They turned, and nearly ran into Haruka, who reached out and stroked MA’s hair sadly.

“You know Papa would never, ever kill you, right, honeybee?”

MA looked up into Haruka’s tear-filled eyes, confused. “Yes?” Her tone suggested she had never considered something otherwise until Haruka had asked the question. Her eyes became her mother’s for a moment as she patterned out Haruka’s emotions. “Papa are you okay?”

Haruka nodded and tried to collect herself. “The show we’re watching made me sad. It’s okay.”

“Like when Mufasa dies.” MA nodded sagely.

“Like when Mufasa dies.”

She reached out and patted Haruka’s knee reassuringly. “It’s just a story, Papa.”

“I know.” Haruka leaned forward and gathered MA into her lap, hugging her tightly.  “When you’re older sometimes it’s hard to tell the difference.” She kissed the top of her head. “I’m sorry, baby, you go on to bed.”

She slid off Haruka’s lap and took Michiru’s hand to go upstairs, Michiru reassuringly running her hand over Haruka’s shoulders as she passed.

Haruka wheeled back into the living room and sighed heavily, letting herself coast toward the couch. She paused for a moment, lost in her own thoughts, trying to pick them apart the way she’d been taught in therapy, trying to give herself the love and forgiveness she afforded Michiru.

She felt a gentle rub on her back and looked up to see Mina standing by her side. “Your kid definitely has your sense of the dramatic moment, Haruka.”

Haruka gave a chuckle. “I guess she does.” She closed her eyes and took a deep, slow breath in, and slowly let it out. “I’m doing alright.” She nodded. “I’m not the worst thing I’ve ever done.” She set the brake on her chair and transferred herself to the couch, flopping back on it dramatically.

There was a beat. “Buddy, that’s not the worst thing you’ve ever done. Remember when you bought that pink and yellow sweater?”

Haruka laughed.

__

The sound of her hand connecting with Usagi’s cheek rang across the den as Michiru poured herself a cocktail in the dining room.

“You slapped Usagi?” Rei’s eyes were fierce, even with their slight cloudiness.

Haruka held her hands up in the air. ‘Ten years ago! To save the world!”

Mina took a drink of her beer. “Should have said they made it up. You’re in for it now.”

Haruka held out her hands to Rei, as if to appease her. “I didn’t know how else to make her believe it! It wasn’t my first choice, Rei!”

She set down her glass of wine. “You slapped Usagi! I AM GONNA BEAT YOUR ASS.”

Haruka pointed aggressively to the screen. “LOOK I’M BEATING UP SEIYA NOW LET’S WATCH THAT IT’S GRE--”

Whether it was the irritation of her misrepresentation, the fact that Haruka had slapped Usagi ten years ago, the idea that it even had to get that far, the bottle of wine in her stomach, or all four things, Rei Hino was no longer having any of Haruka’s excuses, and voiced her disapproval of past Haruka’s choices being presently animated on the TV screen by leaping on top of her and reaching for her neck.

Haruka held her tight in a hug, her arms pinned to her sides. “You know I, um, I have a lot more upper body strength than you? I literally spend my whole day--OW!” She jumped as Rei dug her teeth in Haruka’s shoulder. “GODDAMN!”

Rei whirled like a crocodile and dumped them both onto the floor, Haruka still holding her close.

“Rei, it's not really winning if you beat up a cripple.”  Mina called over her shoulder.

“MINA YOU’RE NOT HELPING.” Haruka struggled to keep Rei pinned against her.

“Wasn’t trying to.”

“REI IT WAS TEN YEARS AGO.” Haruka tried to flip Rei onto her back, but she sprang off her back foot and fell back on top off Haruka.

“YOU’VE NEVER BEEN HELD RESPONSIBLE.”

Michiru strolled back into the living room, drink in hand. “If either of you wake the children, you’ll be responsible for lulling them back to sleep, I hope you know.”

“Michiru, help!” Haruka struggled against Rei.

Michiru sat at the end of the couch. “Is there not some statute of limitations in play, given that Haruka did die for the cause, after it all, and also given that she still bears the scars of her devotion to her princess.”

“No!” Rei growled, still squirming.

“Well, I tried.” She sipped her cocktail.

“MICHIRU.” Haruka looked at her, wide-eyed.

Rei went limp in her grasp, suddenly. “Okay. You win. I give up. You’re right, this is childish.”

“Thank you.” Haruka released her and relaxed against the hardwood.

She was taking a cleansing breath when there was a sharp smack across her face. “OW! Fuck, Rei.”

“I WAS ONLY PRETENDING YOU SHOULD KNOW THAT WELL.” She stood up, hands on her hips, satisfied.

Haruka closed her eyes and laid back on the floor. “I’m too old for this.”

Rei marched back over to the beanbag and sat next to Mina. “Justice is finally served.”

Mina nodded. “Good job, fireball, you sure showed animated Haruka.”

Michiru set down her cocktail. “Haruka, do you need some assistance?”

“Naw.” She rolled onto her side. “I got it.” Her eyes caught the TV screen, where she and Michiru lay fading from life, and she gave a soft frown. She had heard you couldn’t remember pain, not really, but there was something about watching it happen in front of her, more graceful than she remembered it being, less like a thousand tiny pieces of her blinking and dying each second, the pin-prick holes in her body flowing with pain.

Michiru sat next to her, and slipped her hand into Haruka’s. Their eyes met, expressing what might have been a hundred comforting words.

At least, it might have been if Rei hadn’t have checked her watch and immediately started screaming about how Michiru and Haruka got more time to die than she did and this was ridiculous and unfair and unnecessary.

__

“Did any of this even happen? Asking for a friend.” Mina snacked on a last bite of cold pizza, Rei’s head on her shoulder, drunkenly half-snoozing.

Haruka stretched back against the arm of the couch. “I don’t know, we were all dead at the time.”

“Lucky us, this is garbage.” She shook her head. “This is how Galaxia should have destroyed planets, if I have to listen to these nerds whine about their goddamn planet one more time I’ll kill myself, Galaxia doesn’t even have to do anything.”

“I feel kinda bad for them, is that weird?”

Michiru’s eyebrow raised. “I know you and Seiya have made peace after all these years, but yes, I say that comes as a shock.”

“Don’t get me wrong,” Haruka motioned toward the pizza and looked at Mina pitifully, who edged the box toward her, trying not to disturb Rei. “I think they were still whiny and annoying and pathetic.” Michiru leaned forward and handed her the pizza box, which she accepted gratefully. “But I mean...they had some more going on than Seiya’s crush on Usagi. I don’t remember it being like...everything?”

Michiru smiled and teasingly ruffled Haruka’s hair. “Perhaps because mainly you spent your time concerned she had a crush on me.”

Mina extended her hand to the TV in disbelief. “Oh, we just had to tell Sailor Moon to believe in herself, why didn’t I think of that! Classic tactical mistake.”

Rei stirred. “What’d I miss?”

“Fucking nothing, let me tell you what.”

__

A commercial for potato chips was on-screen, happily singing about crunching and flavor.

Mina sat up from her beanbag nest. “I can’t believe it’s been ten fucking years. And eight since, you know,” she gestured broadly to the three of them, “everyone but me got hurt.” There was a small note of guilt and hurt in her voice, the way there always was when she spoke of it, and Rei touched her shoulder lovingly.

“Usagi didn’t get hurt. Because of you. So, we did what we were supposed to.” Her voice took on that tender tone it rarely took on in public, the one that reassured Mina in the dark.

Mina nodded half heartedly. “I guess.” Rei kissed Mina softly, and drew her close.

“Rei. Mina.” Michiru motioned to them. “Come sit over here, with us.”

They looked at each other, and smiled, linking arms as they made their way over to the couch.

“C’mon.” Haruka scooted herself over as much as she could. “We started this together, and we’ll finish it together.”  

They shared a look as the commercial began to dim, the colors fading from the screen, a sense of possibility and memory filling the room, the people they were and could have been like ghosts.

“Are you ready?” Haruka asked no one in particular.

“Ready.” Mina nodded.

The four of them snuggled together on the couch, and heard the music come up for the last time.

Makenai.  

[eskalations]

“We Have Time” a Sailor Moon Oneshot

Title: We Have Time  Rating: K+ Genre: Romance/Hurt/Comfort Pairing(s): Usamamo (Usagi x Mamoru), and Chibiusa Links: AO3, FF.net Summary: On a break from Harvard, Mamoru decides to invite Usagi and Chibiusa to Disney World for a family vacation that they may not get the opportunity to take in the future. However, as we all know, not everything always goes according to plan.(Post-Stars)

A/N: Hey guys! A week ago I wrote a oneshot (it may be expanded, I really don’t know) and it completely slipped my mind to share it here. So here you go! This is my first go around with the Sailor Moon fandom, so I hope it’s alright!

Usagi was terrified.

Now, don't assume that she wasn't before then – because she was. It was one thing to be so far from home and in a country, that spoke a language that you knew very little of, but it was a whole other thing to be stuck with an ill child that you were supposed to be the future mother of yet didn't know how to take care of.

She looked back upon the events that had transpired that had lead up to this moment of fear, and couldn't help but shake her head at the fact that such happy beginnings could have such desolate endings.

~~~~

Mamoru had been so excited when he had called her two months ago with what he said was a surprise for her and Chibiusa. The pink-haired child had showed up once again in the present a few months after he had headed off to Harvard for his actual year of studies (since Galaxia had interfered with his plans the year before). Once he realized that both of his girls were together once more, he decided that they needed a family vacation.

For someone who was rarely excited about anything other than his studies, Usagi found the young man's behavior quite odd.

"It'll be great!" He had claimed, the excitement in his voice evident through the phone she held to her ear. "Japan's Easter holidays are falling in line with my Spring Break this year. You two could fly out on that Saturday and we could stay for the week."

While excitement flared up in Usagi at the thought of seeing him again, she couldn't help but question such uncharacteristic enthusiasm coming from her Mamo-chan. "While this all sounds great, Mamo-chan – I do have a few questions. One, how on earth do you suggest I ask my parents to go along with all this? My dad already had a near heart attack when I asked to visit you during winter break, what makes this any different?"

"Well," Mamoru countered, answer already prepared. "One, Chibiusa would be with us the entire time – and two, I would be paying both of your ways."

"Mamo-chan!"

Her boyfriend was so thorough that he had already answered question number two.

She knew Mamoru had money, his inheritance from his parents was significant enough to pay for his way through school and keep him living comfortably, however – this just seemed like too much.

"Flights are expensive!" Usagi exclaimed, her voice raised and eyes bulging at such a generous offer. "There is no way you can pay for the both of us to come down there."

"Oh yes I can," Mamoru commented smugly, sounding very much like the young man she used to know who enjoyed referring to her as Odango Atama. "I've been working part time here on top of my studies and have been able to save up some cash for this little venture. When you told me Chibiusa had come back as well, I started putting away even more. I promise you, money is not an issue."

"But my parents – "

"Usako," The young man on the other end stopped her mid-sentence. "Surely, they do not think that we could get up to anything inappropriate while an eight-year-old is traveling with us. Besides, where's my girlfriend who was so excited to see me that she took a chance and asked her parents to come visit during Christmas, hm?"

Usagi blushed at his comments, but couldn't keep the small smile that alighted on her features off her face. She did want to see him – terribly. However, this wasn't the same Usagi he had left back at the airport when she was sixteen. While she had heckled him in her younger years to buy her expensive gifts and knick-knacks, she hated to know he was going to spend so much money for her sake.

When she had planned to visit at Christmas, she had every intention of paying for herself. She had begged and pleaded with her parents to allow her to go spend the holidays with her love in America – but while her mom was on board, her father had flat out refused. While the reasons he stated were that they didn't have the money to send her and that she was only seventeen and far too young to cross an ocean by herself, his real reasoning was obvious – he didn't want his daughter alone in a strange country with a young man that he was still hesitant to trust.

He had finally gotten her mother on his side when he mentioned that she needed to be home with her family for Christmas. Even once Usagi pleaded that Mamoru would be spending his Christmas alone with no one, her parents wouldn't budge – though she could see the sadness and compassion within her mother's eyes.

Mamoru had offered to pay if it would help, but Usagi refused his offer. She knew it wasn't about the money and he did too.

Returning to the present, she sighed heavily into the mouthpiece. "I guess it couldn't hurt to ask them."

"That's my girl," Mamoru's words held a fondness in them that nearly made her heart explode.

Ever since the entire Galaxia incident, he had been surprisingly less restrained with his affections. She guessed death had that effect on everyone – you go from having everything to having nothing in a second, so what was the point of hiding one's feelings when one could be gone in the blink of eye? While Mamoru still had walls and reservations, he was finally beginning to open up to her.

"I guess I should ask them before I tell Chibiusa," She remarked wryly, then thought for a moment. "You know what, actually – the little spore may be a big help in convincing them."

"Tell me what?"

At the familiar voice, the young blonde turned in her desk chair to face the doorway. There stood her future daughter – pink pigtails and all. While Usagi tried to look annoyed, she couldn't help the now familiar pride that filled her whenever she saw the girl. To think that, one day, this small child was going to be her's and Mamoru's – never failed to cause her heart to swell.

"Chibiusa!" She exclaimed, annoyance in her tone. Yes, her feelings for the girl had softened – but her attitude towards her eavesdropping hadn't. "Were you listening in on my conversation?"

"No!" The young girl defended herself, walking into the room with her nose high in the air. "I was walking past and heard you mention my name. It's kind of hard to ignore the sound of your loud voice, baka!"

Usagi gripped the phone tightly, fighting the urge to go off on the little brat. While she had matured in the past year – she was, after all, still herself. After a deep breath though, she was able to move her focus back on to the task on hand.

"Mamoru wants to know if we would like to go on a little vacation during the Easter holidays," Chibiusa's face lit up and her tiny slippered feet carried her to the side of the chair – her face inches from her future mother's.

"Really?" She asked hopefully, her red eyes alight with excitement. Usagi couldn't keep from smiling at the look of happiness on the little girl's face, however – she needed to make it clear to her that it wasn't set in stone yet.

"We have to convince mom and dad," She warned, curbing the young girl's excitement before she possibly became too hopeful. "But I was hoping that you could help me with that."

"You've got a deal!" Chibiusa exclaimed, twirling away from the chair while trying to manage her joy. As far as she was concerned, they were pretty much going. She stopped for a moment though to ask Usagi the question that the young woman had been wondering herself.

"Where are we going?"

The entire time, Mamoru had been sitting on the other end of the line – his lips raised in a fond smile at the harmless bickering coming through the phone. Hearing Chibiusa's question however, he finally spoke once again.

"Disney World."

The moment a shocked Usagi had repeated the words for a waiting Chibiusa – all hell broke loose. Unable to hide her ever raising excitement, the young girl had let out a small squeal. Ever since she had started visiting the past, she had been exposed to the wonderful world of classic Disney, which you didn't see much of in the future. Mamoru and Usagi had been wrangled into having several Disney nights with their future daughter over the past few years – something that they all enjoyed immensely.

"Really Mamo-chan?!" She just kept repeating, pushing her face up against Usagi's so that she could be heard on the other end of the phone. "Are you really going to take us to Disney World?!"

"If you two princesses will allow me to – I will."

When Chibiusa had run from the room, exclaiming down the stairs, Usagi had to restrain herself from doing the same. Mamoru didn't know it, but he had just brought back the inner child that Usagi had been trying so desperately to suppress these past few months. Unable to say anything else, the young woman couldn't help but the whisper three words.

"Thank you, Mamo-chan."

~~~~

Usagi didn't know how she had done it, but she had convinced her parents to allow her and Chibiusa to travel to the US. Well, to say she was the one that convinced them was a bit of a stretch. It was mostly Chibiusa's doing.

"Oh, Disney World!" Her mother had said happily as the two girls entered the kitchen and explained Mamoru's offer. The matriarch of the family wiped her hands on her apron and turned from the stove to clap her hands together in excitement. "What a thoughtful young man he is."

Usagi watched her father from the corner of her eye, knowing what was coming next. She could already see the scowl on his face.

"You're too young."

"Papa," Usagi tried to reason, gripping Chibiusa's shoulders tightly in support. "Please. I haven't seen him since August. We won't be alone and everything will be paid for."

"I still don't like it." Usagi quieted at his words.

"Kenji," Ikuko's voice broke the silence that followed the man's statement. "I really do think this may be the perfect way for them to spend time together. Chibiusa will be there – not that I don't trust Mamoru-san if you had been going alone – but it's not like they can do anything inappropriate with a child staying with them."

Usagi had nodded at her mother's reasoning, her blue eyes looking beseechingly into her father's. He had never been able to resist her puppy eyes before, so surely he wouldn't be able to now. Add on Chibiusa's as well and the man was a goner.

Two months later, Usagi and Chibiusa were standing in the airport and waiting to board.

While she had tried to appear calm leading up to the trip, Usagi was a nervous wreck. You would think that after being Sailor Moon, little would phase her – but it had done nothing to prepare her with the stress that came with traveling. Not only had she had trouble figuring out what to pack – even with the help of her senshi – but she had never been on an airplane before.

Her eyes watched nervously as another airplane took off down the runway, a visible gulp running down the line of her throat.

Her parents and friends had said goodbye to them at the security check, the girls yelling out that they were expecting gifts and souvenirs, while her parents had looked on with barely concealed sadness at their baby girl leaving the nest for the first time. That left her and Chibiusa to their own devices until they were called to board.

Chibiusa was calm as they walked past the stores with snacks and goodies for the ride. They stopped in one and bought some drinks and candy for the flight. Usagi could barely keep her hand from shaking as she handed her money to the cashier. The woman gave her a sympathetic look as she handed back her change.

"Have a good flight!"

When they were finally at the gate, neither felt like sitting. The younger was bouncing with excitement while the elder nearly visibly shook with fear.

"What's wrong, Usagi?"

The young woman was interrupted from her thoughts by an oddly concerned voice. Looking down at the little pink-haired child who held her hand, she tried to smile convincingly.

"Mhm, just excited to see Mamo-chan."

Chibiusa's mouth fell into a frown, a furrow forming between her brow in annoyance. Usagi's heart clenched as the expression reminded her so much of the boyfriend she was about to see. With her nerves the way they were, she honestly almost burst out in tears at such a moment.

"You don't have to lie, Usagi," Chibiusa told her, the furrow disappearing as her features rearranged themselves into a supportive expression. "It's okay to be scared. I kind of am. I've never flown on an airplane before either."

"Really?"

Chibiusa nodded, her pigtails bouncing as she squeezed her future mother's hand tighter. "My mama and papa usually don't let me go with them when they have to travel outside of Tokyo, so I've never flown before. I'm trying to think of it as riding Pegasus again though to keep the nerves from getting to me."

There were times when her daughter spoke with wisdom and reason that shocked her. It was so easy to forget that the girl had lived a long 900 years already, despite her looks. It was also times like these when, like with the furrow in her brow, Usagi was reminded who Chibiusa's future father was. Both were so reasonable and level-headed most of the time, something that Usagi wasn't. Maybe that's why they all balanced each other so well.

"Now boarding, Group 1 for Flight 117 to Boston."

Realizing that it was time for them to board, Usagi took a deep breath. At least the next time she got on a plane it would be with both Chibiusa AND Mamoru by her side.

Chibiusa tugged at her hand, pulling her forward. Usagi could do nothing but follow.

~~~~

When they had arrived in Boston – 12 hours later – both girls were tired and desperately hungry.

However, nothing could curb their excitement when they saw the young man who was waiting for them. Standing with his dark hair perfectly styled against his forehead and in a blue t-shirt and dark wash jeans was Mamoru Chiba. A smile was on his features the moment they stepped into the airport.

Forgetting about the child who was standing beside her and all the other passengers who were trying to move around her, Usagi launched herself at the man she hadn't seen in months and who she had lost nearly a year before.

"Mamo-chan!"

Mamoru blushed at such a greeting, noticing all the stares they were getting – however, his arms locked around her and pulled her ever closer still. He had never been one for public displays of affections, but could not stop himself from leaning down to capture Usagi's lips as tears of a joy started making their way down her cheeks.

When they broke away from each other, one word escaped his lips.

"Usako."

The sound of her name said with such reverence, had another round of tears welling in her eyes. She couldn't resist reaching a hand up to his cheek and caressing it with wonder – amazed that they were here, in America, and together.

Suddenly, after a passenger almost knocked into her with a large bag tossed over his shoulder, breaking up their moment – Usagi remembered the little travel buddy who had made the trip with her.

She turned and saw Chibiusa standing behind them with her hands joined behind her back and a big smile on her face. She was surprised that the young girl had remained behind – usually they were fighting over who got more of Mamoru's attention.

The moment she realized that their greeting was over, she nearly leapt into the young man's already outstretched arms.

"Mamo!"

She giggled as he rubbed his nose in her hair and gave her a big hug. The two of them hadn't seen each other since prior to the Galaxia incident. While Usagi used to watch their easy affection with jealousy for Chibiusa, she found that now it was comforting and familiar. It was like a look into her future. Though now she couldn't help but feel a tiny bit jealous of Mamoru with how good he was with her and how great of a dad he would eventually make.

"How has school been?" He was asking her, still holding her tightly against him. She giggled up at him and told him of all the new friends she and Momo had made this year and how she was once again class president of her grade.

They had some time to kill with their next flight being about 3 hours out, so they went to get a bite to eat. Usagi held tightly to Mamoru's hand as Chibiusa skipped ahead with her bunny backpack bouncing joyfully behind her, scoping out all the options of what they could have.

"I've missed you."

The words caused a blush to appear on Usagi's cheeks – they were whispered so genuinely that they nearly made her heart stop.

"I've missed you, too," She shared with him, fighting back the tears that nearly threatened to spill over on to her cheeks again. "I can't believe I'm here – with you. It's all so surreal."

"It is," Mamoru smiled down at her, his grip tightening on her hand.

Before another word was said, Chibiusa was turning around and gesturing at a restaurant that served contemporary Asian food. The couple behind her nodded their heads and followed their future daughter up to the line.

~~~~

The next flight went by uneventfully. They had arrived in Orlando with very little problems and had made it to their hotel with plenty of time to get a bite to eat and to sleep a full night before taking on the parks the next day.

They were staying at the Contemporary Resort and had gotten a room with two large Queen sized beds with a nice view of the Magic Kingdom. Usagi and Chibiusa were in awe, and after they'd had their dinner, they sat giggling on the balcony as they watched the fireworks in the distance explode over the castle. Usagi nestled back further into her boyfriend's lap and gripped one of the arms that encircled her shoulders, her eyes shining with love and content.

Chibiusa had announced that she wanted her own bed, claiming that Usagi's kicking would keep her awake all night if she slept with her and she wanted to be well rested in the morning. The kid was so excited she could barely contain herself and Usagi was sure that even without her kicking in the middle of the night, she was going to have a bit of trouble going to sleep.

So, it was with a blush that Usagi crawled under the covers of the other bed and waited for Mamoru to finish brushing his teeth. Amazingly, when she looked over at the bed her future daughter rested in, Chibiusa had already drifted off – the day's travels catching up with her.

Mamoru turned off all the lights – besides the one on in the bathroom in case Chibiusa woke up in the middle night and needed to use the toilet – and climbed into the bed he was sharing with his girlfriend. He couldn't help but be grateful to his future offspring for giving him the pleasure of sharing a bed with his love.

Usagi didn't know why she was blushing. They had shared a bed many times before and had gone all the way back in the summer after the defeat of Galaxia – neither of them able to wait any longer when they had gotten so close to losing each other. Despite all that though, she couldn't keep the flush from her cheeks.

She turned to face the man lying next to her in the dark, craving his warmth and comfort. She had missed these moments the most – these quiet moments where there were no youma and no senshi and it was just them. When her nose touched his, she felt an arm encircle her waist and pull her closer. The bare skin of her legs rubbed up against the skin of his and she couldn't fight the shiver that ran through her body.

No words were exchanged, they never needed them anyway.

His kiss was soft and slow, the very essence of it practically touching her soul. Her lips were receptive, opening gradually under his gentle prodding. While they knew, they could not go far with their innocent daughter sleeping in the bed across from them, there was still a part of them that needed the assurance that the other was really there.

"School has been so hard without you," Mamoru whispered as he allowed her to breathe for a moment, his lips still touching her's as he spoke. "I know I've always said that my dream was to become a doctor, but I think somewhere along the way something changed."

"What do you mean?" She asked, trembling still from the restrained passion evident between them. While his words thrilled her, they also scared her. Surely he was not thinking of giving up his dream in medicine just so he could be with her?

A soft kiss was bestowed on her lips to stem her worry. "I shouldn't have said it like that. I still want to be a doctor, but my dream has evolved." He ran his hands through her long blonde tresses, free of her usual buns as she allowed it to remain down for bed. "I meant only that you and Chibiusa have become so much a part of my dream that it's hard to be so far away from you."

Usagi couldn't help the smile that stretched across her face at his words, his own grin visible in the dark.

"I love you," She murmured softly – this time, initiating a kiss that left them breathless and panting moments later. Through the harsh breaths though, she was able to whisper out, "But we'll be a part of your dream whether you're here or there. Remember that."

They were silent for a few moments before he whispered in the dark. "The reason I was so excited to bring the two of you down here was so that we could have a vacation as a family, since it doesn't seem like we'll have the opportunity in the future."

Once again, he had answered a question she wasn't even sure she asked. But it warmed her heart to hear such words.

~~~~

They'd had three good days before any real problems arose. Real problems not counting Usagi's near heart attack on the Haunted Mansion or her upset stomach after coming off of the Rocking Roller Coaster that had her with her head in a toilet for nearly an hour, anyways.

It had all started Tuesday night when they decided to go off property for food.

"I read online about a good sushi place in the city," Usagi had claimed as they returned to their room after a full day at Animal Kingdom. The bridge of her nose was faintly pink and her shoulders were also a tinged a light shade of it as well, causing Mamoru to grimace in anticipation of the loud yelps that would surely make their way out of the shower the next morning when Usagi got in. Knowing she was going to be miserable the next morning when her sunburn had time to settle into her skin, Mamoru agreed without any argument.

They had gotten into the rental car, eaten a good dinner, and then had returned to the hotel. The moment their heads hit the pillows, they were down for the count and slumbering like babies.

It wasn't until the morning that things started to get bad.

Mamoru had just gotten dressed and allowed Usagi to use the shower when he noticed that Chibiusa was being a little more sluggish than usual.

"What's wrong, pumpkin?" He asked, gently sitting beside her on the bed. She was propped up by her pillows, but an arm was resting on her stomach as though she was in pain. She was flushed, but Mamoru knew that she had gotten a bit red the day before from the sun. A yelp from the bathroom reaffirmed that both girls had been much too excited to put on their sunscreen. He reached out to feel her forehead, just in case she was sick, but suddenly Chibiusa was up and standing beside the bed.

"Nothing!" She answered quickly, though her movements were a little less coordinated than usual. "I'm just a little tired from yesterday. I can make it, though."

Though he was still dubious, Mamoru decided to take her word for it. "Well, alright then. Go get dressed so we can get a move on."

Chibiusa grabbed her clothes and ran to the bathroom to brush her teeth, leaving a still worried Mamoru behind in her wake.

At breakfast, he noticed his daughter barely touched her food. The Mickey waffles on her plate got soggy in the syrup before she finally decided to leave them alone with only a bite taken out of one of them. Beside her, Usagi was practically stuffing her face with the food they had gotten at the quick service station.

Hoping that possibly her stomach was just a little upset from exhaustion, Mamoru made a trip to the soda fountain and returned with a ginger ale. He placed it in front of the girl without a word, knowing that if he said anything – she would deny it. She had looked so forward to this trip and he knew that she wasn't going to take a breather just because her stomach wasn't cooperating.

Chibiusa carried the drink around with her even once they had gotten to Epcot.

She perked up a bit as they walked through the gates and she saw the telltale ball resting right in front of their eyes. Mamoru breathed a bit easier when he saw a smile light up her face as they sat in their seats on Spaceship Earth.

Usagi wasn't completely oblivious to the young girl's strange quietness either and asked her periodically if she felt like she needed a break. They had walked past half of the countries and had shopped around in a few, the heat nearly suffocating. Even Usagi was getting tired, but Chibiusa kept insisting that she was okay and continued trudging on.

They had just sat down for lunch when the young girl stood up out of her chair and announced "I need to use the restroom," before quickly scurrying away in the direction of the nearest one. They were in the Mexico pavilion, since Usagi had never had the opportunity to try Mexican food. This entire exchange went unnoticed by her, who kept looking at her menu trying to decide what she wanted.

"Oh, this sounds good!" She commented thoughtfully, before flipping the page and remarking, "Oh, but this does too! I can't decide!"

Mamoru tried to focus on his menu, but he couldn't help but feel like something was wrong.

"Mamo-chan?" Usagi asked breaking him from his thoughts, "What are you planning on getting?"

"Uh, well – " He was about to answer, when he noticed a pink-haired little girl making her way back to the table, tears running down her cheeks.

He was on his feet in a second, opening his arms to her as she ran to him nearly sobbing. He noticed the stares of everyone around them, but ignored them as he sat back in his chair and pulled the girl on to his lap in an attempt to placate her.

"Chibiusa, what's wrong?" He tried to keep the panic out of his voice, knowing that him freaking out would probably scare her even more. Usagi hadn't gotten this memo though and was in the midst of a panic across from him.

"What's going on? What's wrong? Why are you crying?"

Mamoru patted the sobbing girl's back, knowing that if she got too upset – it could trigger the crescent on her forehead to appear and her energy to escalate.

"I – I – I don't feel good," She finally was able to stammer out, turning her head into Mamoru's chest in an attempt to shield herself from the eyes of the other diners, "I had to throw up but my stomach still hurts."

This is what Mamoru had been afraid of.

Calmly he gathered her up and motioned for Usagi to grab her backpack. Luckily, they hadn't ordered anything so they were able to leave the restaurant quickly. Usagi didn't even complain about missing a meal, so concerned was she for her future daughter's welfare. Ignoring the heat, Mamoru carried her halfway around the world (literally) and got them out of the park with little fuss.

While the girl complained of nausea the entire time, it wasn't until they reached the bathrooms outside the main gate that she quickly jumped from his arms and ran in the direction of the door. Usagi wordlessly followed as he was left to worry by the wall.

When the two girls finally excited the bathroom, he was shocked at how poorly the younger was beginning to look. The flush on her cheeks from her sunburn was the only color left in her usually lively face. Usagi's brow was furrowed with worry as the young man picked up their daughter again and had them walking hurriedly to the parking lot.

He thought once they got back to the hotel, things would be better. It was obvious that she was suffering from food poisoning and usually it didn't last for more than a few hours. But luck was most certainly not on his side.

Chibiusa was in and out of the bathroom for most of the day with both diarrhea and vomiting. She was only able to throw up two more times before it became dry heaving since there was nothing left in her stomach. It wasn't until the stomach pains increased and her throat started to burn though that the real tears began.

Mamoru knew he had to do something.

"I'm going to run to the store," He told Usagi, amidst the wails of their future child, gathering up his keys and his wallet hurriedly. Such a statement had the young woman in a panic.

"You're going to leave me?" She asked, tears forming in her eyes. She was already distressed with Chibiusa making such pitiful noises from the bed, but the idea of Mamoru leaving her alone to take care of the child – when she had no experience whatsoever – was what made her break.

"I won't be long," He promised, patting one of the buns that was starting to come undone at the top of her head. "I just have to see if I can find something to settle her stomach. I'm scared she's going to get dehydrated at this rate. If it gets much worse, we're not going to have any other option but to take her to an ER."

Hearing his words terrified the teen even more, but before she could say anything – he was out the door.

Chibiusa continued to whimper, laying on her side with her arms curled around her. It made Usagi's heart hurt to see her in such pain.

"I want my mama," The girl wailed, burying her face in her pillow – misery evident in her tone.

Usagi didn't know what to do. Did she go to her? Did she try and comfort her? She knew though that Chibiusa rarely allowed her to show any affection for her – her mind thinking of Usagi and Neo Queen Serenity as two separate beings.

Though she feared the rejection, Usagi squelched her desire to reach out and hold the child and instead opted to run her fingers across the girl's bangs and into her sweat damp hair. She released a sigh of relief when – instead of pushing her away – the sick child nuzzled into her touch.

"I want my mama."

Usagi whispered back, "Me too."

~~~~

When Mamoru returned from the store, he found the girl's in the exact position he had left them in. With four bags filled to the brim in hand – he got to work on getting Chibiusa better.

However, as the afternoon wore on, she only seemed to get worse.

By nighttime, Mamoru was beginning to accept the inevitable. They had tried getting her to nibble on some bread and drink some water, but both only made her more sick and had left her in the bathroom for an hour. He had tried giving her every stomach settling medicine he could find too – but her stomach couldn't handle even that.

By 9 PM, Usagi caught Mamoru rustling through his suitcase.

"What are you looking for?"

Instead of answering, he pulled out a manila folder and handed it to her before re-zipping the bag. Usagi opened it curiously.

Inside were all her medical documents as well as Chibiusa's.

"I had Luna send those over to me before the two of you got here just in case something happened to either of you. The American Health Care System is a stickler for serving those who don't produce the right documentation, so I figured it was better to be safe than sorry. Luckily, Luna was able to obtain the forged ones that were created for Chibiusa's school," His reasoning was so sound, that all Usagi could do was nod.

Chibiusa was not happy though.

Usagi couldn't believe the girl still had tears left in her after crying all day - but when she heard the word hospital, her sobs became near deafening.

"I don't want to go!" The little girl shrieked as Mamoru tried to calmly gather their things for the ride there. "I don't like doctors! I don't like needles!"

Mamoru though was not going to be deterred. "I know, pumpkin – and I'm sorry. I don't like needles either, but there is no other way for us to get you better. Staying here will only make it worse."

Disney sure got an eyeful when they had to carry her kicking and screaming to the car, but the steward at the front desk looked at them sympathetically and told Usagi as they were about to make their way out the door, "Don't worry – we see this all the time."

Chibiusa continued to cry the entire ride there, causing Usagi to tear up as well as her stress rose to exponential heights. Hearing Chibiusa in pain and feeling so helpless was starting to get to her. By the time they pulled up to the emergency room, there were tears falling down her cheeks as well.

Mamoru carried the sick girl in, her cries whimpers now as she had run out of tears to cry. They had to fill out several sheets of paperwork – which were handed to Usagi and then promptly handed to Mamoru, before they finally got to sit down in the waiting room.

Hospitals made Usagi nervous. She hadn't had to spend much time in any, but they left her uneasy. While her fear of needles was nowhere near that of Chibiusa's and Mamoru's, it didn't mean she enjoyed them. She hated having to see the sick people walking around hospitals, too. Seeing so much sickness and pain caused her heart to ache and her eyes to water.

They were called back and basically told what they already knew. She had food poisoning and was severely dehydrated.

Amazingly, by the time they stuck the small girl with an IV, she was halfway asleep – exhausted from the day. One whimper was released as they poked her with the needle, then she was silent. Mamoru and Usagi held her hands while they put the tape on the inside of her elbow to make sure the IV wouldn't move.

Once the girl had dozed off, Usagi walked from the room.

~~~~

"Usako?"

The young woman turned her head towards the doorway. The place was hustling and bustling and she was sure they didn't appreciate her standing against the wall and nearly blocking the hall, but she wasn't in the mood to think rationally at the moment.

Mamoru leaned against the door frame, arms crossed – worry evident on his exhausted features.

"What's wrong?"

Usagi released a humorless laugh, her eyes trained on her shoes against the off-white tile of the floor. "What a ridiculous question."

The young man beside her couldn't help but nod. "I agree – but sometimes it needs to be asked. What's bothering you?"

"This is terrifying."

"I know."

"I mean – " She had to swallow down the squeak that traveled up her throat, resisting the urge to break down right there in front of the entire ER. "I mean I just don't know what to do."

"Neither do I," Mamoru answered – reaching for her hand to show that her pain wasn't one that he was unfamiliar with. She snatched her hand away before he could grab it though.

"Yes you do," She whispered, looking at him accusingly. Her blue eyes shone with frustration in the fluorescent lighting. "You always know what to do. You knew even at breakfast that something was wrong and the second all hell broke loose; you already knew what to do. Don't act like you don't."

"Usako," Mamoru's tone was pleading, his hand reaching out for her's again and grabbing hold of it as it limply hung by her side. "I'm studying medicine, that's the only reason I knew what to do. Even in the end, that wasn't enough."

"That's not what I was talking about," His expression turned puzzled as he watched her fight back the sobs that were threatening to escape. "I'm her mother and I didn't know what to do. What happened to maternal instincts? Shouldn't I be the one comforting her and nursing her?"

Now, Mamoru realized what this was about. Squeezing her hand tightly, he released it to firmly grasp her shoulders. He stood close, making sure her eyes were looking directly into his own.

"You aren't her mother yet, Usa," He whispered, tenderly. One hand raised from her shoulder to wipe at the tear that had suddenly started making its way down her cheek. "You haven't given birth to her and raised her yet. All things come with experience and you've missed several years of her life and nearly all of her illnesses. No maternal instinct can tell you exactly what to do, you have to learn as these things happen."

"It's just so hard cause you're already such a good dad," Usagi admitted, the tears coming freely now as she spoke the fears she had been holding in for years. "I don't know what I'm doing half the time and scared I never will."

Mamoru shook his head, pulling her tenderly to his chest as she began to cry in full. He stroked his hand up and down the back of her hair – trying to give her the comfort and reassurance she so desperately needed.

"We have time," He reminded her, tugging at one of her long pigtails like he always used to do. "Our future is still far away."

"Yet she's here."

"Yes, she is," Mamoru pulled back so that he could consider her eyes once again, blue on blue. "So I guess that means all we can do is try our best until then."

Usagi nodded, wiping at her eyes. She could feel the nurses looking at them as they passed. She felt a bit ridiculous now for getting so jealous and upset, but the tender look on Mamoru's face proved to her that he understood.

"I'm sorry," She apologized, eyes drawn to the wet mark now staining his white tee. "I don't know what came over me. I just see the two of you together sometimes and crave the closeness that you share."

Mamoru had to laugh at her statement. "Think back, though. Did she ever once ask for her papa today? Because all I heard was mama."

Usagi shrugged, her cheeks blooming with color. "I guess that's true."

"You know it's true. Like you said, I seem to just know things."

"Oh, come on," Usagi lightly pushed at his chest, walking past him and opening the door to Chibiusa's room. "I didn't mean to stroke your ego."

Mamoru just gave her a smile in response.

As they walked into the room, they noticed Chibiusa's eyes were open once again. From the moment she stepped into the room, Usagi was the focal point of her attention. How the young woman herself couldn't see this – couldn't see the admiration and love shining on the eight-year-old's little features as she looked on the woman who would be her mother in a few short years – he did not know. But it warmed his heart to see such an exchange.

And as Usagi curled up on the bed next to her future daughter, finally giving into her urge to hold her close, she realized that maybe she wasn't as bad at this as she had always thought.