Sailor Moon Fan Fiction ❯ Alternate Millennium ❯ The Calm in the Eye of the Storm ( Chapter 3 )

Alternate Millennium (Title in Progress)

By Chmia

Beta-Readers:

Author's Notes: This fan-fiction takes place after Sailor Moon Stars, but it will not concern the formation of Crystal Tokyo. There will be a little bit of time-travel, but don't worry too much about that. I'll try to keep it minimal and I will always tell you what the setting is, so you know what time period you are in.

On a completely unrelated side-note, I will not be using random Japanese words in this story. I do not claim to know Japanese at all, so it would be ridiculous if I attempted to use “baka” or whatever every now and then. However, I will use the Japanese version, when I know them, of the names of the characters.

~~~~~

A Brief Look Into Chapter Two:

Second Setting: The Present

Luna quirked her head to the side, placed a paw on the screen, and then yowled in recognition. “This was one of the first youma Sailor Moon ever fought!” Her tail began to twitch as she talked, “But that means...” Luna's voice trailed off as she looked behind her at Ami to confirm a startling and previously unthinkable conclusion.

“Hold it,” Rei snapped, holding up a hand to stop Luna or Ami from speaking further. “Are you telling me that we just fought one of Beryl's youma at the beach? That cannot be possible! We defeated her years ago and I seriously doubt that one of her youma survived, even if it was one of the first youma Sailor Moon ever fought.”

Third Setting: The Silver Millennium

A cloaked woman stood over the destruction and anarchy of a small city nestled in between a once, fertile valley. The city was pockmarked by burning houses and ransacked buildings with intermittent throngs of people running rampant through the streets and alleyways. The cloaked woman sadly looked upon the city and tears flowed freely down her cheeks, as she stood immobile. “This is horrible,” she whispered, tears choking in her throat.

Falling to the ground and splattering in the mud, Usagi felt her hope fall when she saw the small pouch of money Sailor Pluto had given her in the man's hands. Chuckling, he waved it back and forth in the air before throwing it to another person in the raucous, drunken mob. Yelling with joy, the drunken mob stumbled away, most likely with the plan of purchasing more alcohol with Usagi's money.

Usagi, alone and terrified, sat in the mud and wept.

Chapter Three: The Calm in the Eye of the Storm

First Setting: The Silver Millennium

Usagi was uncertain how much time passed while she sat in the mud and wept. The chaos of the town continued around the weeping young woman covered in mud who seemed unwilling to acknowledge the presence of others or to remove herself from the mud. Nothing had gone right, so far, and the anxiety was truly starting to take a toll on Usagi's emotional stability.

Her weeping halted suddenly when hot air warmed the back of her neck.

Sniffling, she wiped her eyes and slowly turned her head to look behind her. An older man had outstretched his hand to touch Usagi while he leaned in closely. His wild eyes leered directly into her frightened, cerulean eyes. Her breath hitched in her throat and she slowly leaned backwards away from his touch, as if moving too suddenly might cause him to tackle her. “Hello, pretty.” He breathed slowly. Usagi quickly scrambled to her feet, which startled the man and caused him to fall over onto his backside. Slipping in the mud, she dashed forward away from the lecherous stranger.

Tears slipped from her eyes as she ran and clouded her vision. What was wrong with these people! Men and women had accosted her ever since she dared to approach this city. All she wanted to do was leave the city and she hoped that she could find somewhere else to go. There had to be some other town or city somewhere that would be willing to help her instead of threat her, molest her, and rob her. If she kept running, surely she would find the edge of the town and she would be able to leave without anyone caring to follow her.

Unaware of where she was running, Usagi collided into another cloaked figure hurrying along the remnants of the sidewalk. Gasping in shock, she reached out to steady herself before falling, but instead grabbed a handful of the stranger's cloak. The stranger gasped loudly in shock as the two tumbled to the ground in a heap. The cloaked figure shrieked and smacked Usagi in the chest with the large bag the cloaked figure had been carrying. “Get away!” The cloaked stranger shrieked.

The breath abruptly left Usagi's lungs as she doubled over to protect herself from the assault. “Please, I'm sorry,” she gasped. After another hit from the bag, Usagi reached out to grab the bag with her hands and roughly pulled on it in order to rid her attacker of the weapon. A struggle ensued as the two fought over the bag and the cloaked stranger reached forward to claw and hit Usagi. The hood to Usagi's cloak loosened and fell backwards during the struggle and her golden hair tumbled freely.

The fighting stalled as two pairs of bright, blue eyes stared wide-eyed with a feeling of faint recognition. “You!” The cloaked figure whispered loudly, covering her mouth. Paling, Usagi desperately hoped that this stranger had not recognized her as Princess Serenity. She should have thought to take her hair out of its odangos or done something more to prevent someone from recognizing her. The blonde woman hurried to replace the hood over her hair as she scooted backwards away from the cloaked stranger. Usagi hurried to her feet, but was halted by the stranger's hand upon her cloak. “Let go,” she demanded, pulling the cloak free from the stranger's hands.

“Please, wait,” the cloaked figure, begged. The stranger stood up and crossed the distance between the two of them with three quick steps. Reaching up, the stranger gently pushed her own cloak back a few inches short of fully revealing herself. “Lunarian,” she leaned in closely to whisper into Usagi's ear, “Be wary to let no one realize an association.”

The stranger motioned for Usagi to follow her as the woman pulled the cloak tightly. Before walking away, the cloaked woman winked at Usagi and then swung the bag at the younger woman's midsection. Despite being horribly confused, she was ready to dodge the bag and easily evaded the attack. The stranger ran away clutching the bag to her chest while screaming obscenities.

The cloaked figure had wanted Usagi to follow her, despite having hit her numerous times with that large, heavy bag. Sore and covered by small scratches and bruises, Usagi was not quite certain she felt very willing to follow someone that seemed eager to beat her. Not one single person that she had met so far seemed helpful. In fact, everyone she had meet so far had been extremely violent, confrontational, or perverted.

There was one important difference about this cloaked woman; she recognized Usagi as a Lunarian. She could not figure out whether or not this stranger had recognized her as a Lunarian princess, but the stranger had recognized Usagi as a Lunarian. The stranger's last statement had been just as peculiar as her actions. The statement had been so unclear and worded strangely. She was unsure whether or not the “association” was referring to herself as a Lunarian or herself as a Lunarian princess or some relationship between herself and the cloaked stranger.

Either way, she was supposed to follow the cloaked stranger and no matter how nervous it made her feel, Usagi had no other viable options. Frowning and feeling very unsure about her decision, she hugged the cloak tighter around her body and slowly began to trail behind the stranger. The longer she followed behind the stranger, the more nervous Usagi began to feel. She constantly doubted her decision and the chaos of the streets did nothing to quell her growing anxiety.

The cloaked stranger gave no further indication that she wanted Usagi to follow. In fact, the cloaked stranger walked so quickly through the streets that Usagi felt that the cloaked stranger was now trying to lose her in the crowd. Also, a couple of minutes had passed and it did not seem like the stranger was going to stop anytime soon. Slowing down to a hesitant stop, Usagi briefly glanced around at the buildings around her. Was she being led in a circle? This was ridiculous!

Just as Usagi had finally made up her mind to leave this crazy stranger alone and leave the town, the cloaked stranger dashed quickly into a largely intact alleyway. The younger woman quickly followed by leaping over a fallen wall. Now that the two women were hidden from prying eyes and no one could form an “association,” Usagi quickly covered the distance between her and the cloaked stranger. The cloaked stranger ducked into a doorway after checking to see if Usagi was still following. After waiting less than a minute, she hesitated, but eventually decided to knock on the doorframe.

A slender hand reached out, grabbed Usagi's wrist, and pulled her inside of the house. A strong hand stifled Usagi's screams, but she quickly stopped struggling when she saw that it was the cloaked stranger. With the other hand, the cloaked stranger gently reached up to push Usagi's cloak away. She stiffened, shaking terribly as the cloaked stranger ran a hand through her golden streams. Pulling away from the touch, Usagi shook her head fiercely as if to say `stop it.'

“Listen, my child,” an older voice crooned. “Listen closely, for you and I share more than the rest of the city may realize.” The cloak was removed to reveal a pale, slender woman with long, shimmering silver hair intertwined with sparse wisps of light blonde and pale, blue eyes that sparkled with warmth. She was older, perhaps in her early forties, with skin only just beginning to wrinkle and that looked as if it had never before tanned under the sun. Underneath the cloak she wore a pale, sleeveless blue dress with two tiers of fabric of contrasting hues that met in the back to form a bow. A string of fake, silver gems encircled her chest and silver fabric hemmed the top of the dress. In design, it faintly resembled the dress Usagi wore as Princess Serenity, but of far poorer quality.

“Neither of us can deny, we are both children of the moon,” the older woman spoke, “My name is Minerva and I wish to hear your story.” Usagi felt disbelieving, anxious, and excited, but a feeling of terror was beginning to creep and settle in her heart. Sailor Pluto had warned her of the consequences if anyone were to recognize her as the princess of the moon. Instead of denying the older woman's claim, Usagi took a step backwards as if to flee, but halted when she saw three young, shining faces cautiously spying on the two women. The children's whispers dimmed, than ceased altogether when they realized that they had been caught in the act.

“Quick!” A young boy hissed, pushing his two siblings away from the door and out of sight. “But, William, I wish to look!” Another voice whined.

Usagi could not help but cover her mouth as she giggled slightly when she heard the little girl's complaining whine, clearly heard by her and Minerva. “But, they do not see us,” said the youngest, who seemed to have yet mastered the art of whispering or observation.

“Children, do be polite and come to greet our guest,” Minerva reprimanded lightly. After a few seconds of hushed arguing, the youngest stumbled into the room as if he had been pushed. “Be nice, children,” Minerva scolded again, going to assist her youngest child, who seemed on the verge of tears. Hand in hand, the eldest child and the little girl walked into the room with their eyes lowered to the ground in shame. “Gather, my children.” The elder woman said and dutifully the children gathered around their mother, who gently placed the youngest child on the ground.

“This is my eldest child, William.” William was a scruffy looking young boy with unruly blonde hair that seemed in dire need of a good washing. His brown pants were patched and dirty, while his shirt seemed to be made of an old, worn burlap sack and his scratched feet were bare. “This is my daughter, Mary.” Mary smiled and curtsied, “I am pleased to meet you.” Her tight, blonde curls ended just above her shoulders and she also wore a pale blue dress that mimicked her mother's outfit, but was simple and appropriate in design for a young child. “This is my youngest child, Jonathan.” Jonathan was a toddler, still chubby with baby fat, with bright, blonde hair that was in need of a haircut. His clothing, most likely a hand-me-down from his older brother or sister, was patched and worn-thin from generations of use.

“My name is Usagi,” she said, smiling warmly at each of the children in turn. “I am very pleased to meet you and I hope we can become friends.”

Minerva quickly ushered her children off, so she and Usagi could resume their discussion. “Mary, do make our guest a light snack. William and Jonathan, prepare a sleeping mat and a clean pair of clothing for our guest.” Without a word of protest, the three children left the immediate area to carry out their assigned tasks. “Now, Usagi, do sit with me,” Minerva said, gesturing to a plain wooden bench against a wall.

After meeting the children, Usagi felt a little more relaxed and, truthfully, Minerva seemed very nice and caring. The young woman naturally placed her trust in the inherent goodness of each individual, whether that individual was stranger, friend, or foe. Sailor Pluto's warnings still made Usagi feel wary about telling Minerva too much, but she felt that it was obvious the older woman meant her no harm.

“Okay,” Usagi said, sitting down next to the older woman. She was not sure how to begin, because there was not really any information she could tell Minerva. Fortunately, Minerva began with her own story, to which Usagi attentively listened.

“Perhaps, I should begin.” Minerva said, folding her hands in her lap. “When I was a young woman, I resided on the moon with my husband and my eldest child.” Her eyes clouded with pain as she paused and looked down at her hands. Sighing, she said, “As a family, we traveled to Earth for a famous festival, but unfortunate events prevented us from returning to the moon. As you must be well aware, growing troubles have forced my family to hide our heritage and ancestry.”

Usagi gently, but firmly clasped the older woman's hands in her own. “I'm sorry. I'll do what I can to help your family.” She pushed aside her own growing curiosity in order to give Minerva the comfort she had no doubt been unable to receive for years.

For years Minerva and her family had ostracized themselves from their neighbors, because they were fearful of their true heritage and ancestry being uncovered. She had neglected to tell Usagi the details of the “unfortunate events,” but such events had led to the death of her husband. It had been very difficult to live without him, for he had provided Minerva with love and a pillar of support her young children were unable to provide. The Earth was not kind to a single mother with three children that were to young to prove themselves as a valuable resource to society.

After years of carrying a burden that she was unable to share with anyone, Minerva felt relieved by Usagi's presence. A tear slipped from her eye and she quickly reached up to wipe it away, but Usagi's slender hand halted Minerva. “Minerva,” Usagi whispered, her voice filled with unexpressed emotion. A low moan built in the older woman's throat until something broke. She collapsed in Usagi's outstretched arms and wept.

~~~~~

Crooning comforting words, Usagi held the older woman as Minerva wept away her sorrows and burdens. A soft rapping against the walls halted Minerva's tears and she quickly straightened herself. “Mother?” Mary questioned, walking into the room with a plate of bread and cheese.

“Yes, my child. Leave the plate here.” Minerva said, clearing her throat and hastily wiping her eyes. “I shall check on William and Jonathan.” She gently pulled her hand free from Usagi's gentle grasp, but before she turned to leave the room, she mouthed “thank you.” Smiling gently, Usagi shook her head. “No problem,” she mouthed.

As her mother left to attend to her sons, Mary proudly presented the plate to Usagi. “Here, Miss Usagi. I made this cheese myself yesterday, so it is really fresh.” She chirped proudly, pushing the plate closer to Usagi's fingers. In response, Usagi's stomach grumbled loudly.

“Thanks,” she said, blushing a bright pink as she reached for a piece of bread. Mary placed the plate next to Usagi, and then she crawled onto the bench and sat on the other side of the plate. The little girl attentively watched Usagi eat, which made the young woman feel just a little uncomfortable, but perhaps Mary was hungry. She dipped a new piece of bread into the soft, creamy cheese and held it in front of Mary, “Here, you should eat, too.”

“Thank you, Miss Usagi,” Mary chirped happily while quickly placing the offered food in her mouth.

“Please, call me Usagi. I want to be your friend, not your elder.” Usagi lightly reprimanded with a gentle smile. Mary beamed, placed the plate on her own lap, and scooted closer to the young woman. “Do you have any brothers and sisters? I have two brothers,” she said, holding up two fingers. “William and Jonathan pester my friends and I, but I suspect that William is fond of my friend Catherine,” the little girl said, leaning in to whisper to Usagi. Giggling, she placed a finger against her lips. “Do not tell, please.”

Giggling quietly to herself as well, Usagi held out her pinky. “I swear I will not tell William.” Mary seemed content with Usagi's answer, but confused as to why a pinky was being extended at her. “Pinky swear,” Usagi explained, “If we cross our pinkies and pinky swear, than neither of us can ever break our promise. It is that powerful.”

Mary stared with eyes wide in amazement, then she eagerly embraced her pinky with Usagi's pinky. “Wow,” she breathed. “Would you come play with me? I shall let you be a princess, if you play with me.”

“Will I get a crown?” Usagi asked, “Every princess must have a crown.”

“Of course,” Mary agreed, “but not as grand as my crown. I am the most important princess while you and the other princesses protect me.”

Usagi's eyes twinkled with amusement at Mary's statement of prosperity and importance. The little girl quickly made the young woman forget that her clothing was soiled, the circumstances she had been placed in since her arrival, and the terrible injustices taking place outside of Minerva's humble home.

~~~~~

Minerva reprimanded her child when she heard Mary's delighted shrieks and the loud thumps of little feet running in the house. “Mary, such loud activity cannot be tolerated inside of this household,” she scolded with her hands on her hips as she waggled a finger at her daughter. Mary's face turned bright red as she skidded to a stop in the doorway. Just seconds as she stopped, she squealed loudly, again. Usagi, having not heard Minerva, picked up the child and spun her in a circle in the air.

“Oh no, the princess has been captured by the evil dragon! Will her guardians save her?” Usagi said as she spun the child in the air. Holding Mary gently, the young woman bent over and pretended to nibble on the child's arm. “I'm so hungry,” Usagi said in the best deep, dark “dragon voice” she could manage. “A princess would taste so tasty!” Mary squealed again, laughing loudly as she feebly tried to swat Usagi away.

Minerva shook her head in slight exasperation, but she could truly not stay agitated with Mary or Usagi for their behavior. William, Minerva's eldest, had reached the age in which he no longer wanted to play with his youngest sister and, unfortunately, he had influenced Jonathan to feel the same. Partly due to her family's reputation, the parents in the neighborhood would not allow their children to associate with her sons and daughter. Fortunately, every now and then a friend would be found, but never long kept.

“Usagi, please ready the “princess” for supper,” Minerva requested. “But, mother!” Mary protested loudly with a whine. Usagi threw Mary over her shoulder like a sack of potatoes, causing the girl's dress to slide down immodestly. Mary shrieked in laughter and gently pounded against Usagi's back. “Let me down!” The child demanded in a joking manner.

“I'll take care of her, Minerva,” Usagi said with a broad smile. Minerva smothered a giggle with the back of her hand as the blonde woman carried her daughter off to prepare Mary for dinner.

~~~~~

Usagi was lying on the sitting bench underneath the window watching the moon rise high into the sky and bathe the area with a gentle glow. Minerva had gathered a few spare blankets and had laid them on the ground in order to create a bed for her visitor. However, Usagi did not feel like sleeping at the moment. She clutched her legs to her chest and sighed as she stared longingly at the moon for comfort.

After Usagi had told the two youngest children a story before going to bed, Minerva had sent all of the children to bed with a small snack of bread and cheese. When both women were certain that the children were asleep, Minerva tried to further question Usagi, but the stress had proved too much for the younger woman. She had been forbidden to tell Minerva anything of the past, future, or her true purpose for being on Earth. Also, the events she had experienced that day still weighed heavily on her heart and mind. She could not share her concerns, worries, or deepest emotions with the older woman. Even if she were allowed to tell Minerva everything, it would unfairly place a burden on Minerva's shoulders.

Usagi shivered when she remembered the touch of the drunken perverts or the horrid scene of that man's murder. She should have helped those poor people, but she had been so frightened that she had been unable to act. And truly... What could she do if she was unable to turn into Sailor Moon?

After dinner, she had washed herself with plain water and soap made of water, but she still felt violated and her belief in humankind unfairly tarnished by an influence that was corrupting Earth. There was goodness and light in every living creature, including mankind, but it seemed that inherent purity of humanity was being smothered by Beryl's influence. Usagi's mouth set in a grim line of determination. She had to change this planet's fate!

Unfortunately, she had to do it alone.

Sighing, she placed one hand on the window's surface, as if caressing the moon with her touch, and then rose from the bench to go to sleep. The faint sounds of chaos in the streets prevented Usagi from resting peacefully.

~~~~~

Second Setting: The Silver Millennium

Desolate under the shimmering light of the moon, the mangled ruins of a once magnificent kingdom rested, but not at peace. The servants' quarters were cleaved in the middle by a defensive turret that had collapsed under the onslaught of battle. The outer walls of the castle had collapsed, causing a small gathering of tall trees to destroy the former grand hall in which the King and Queen had once sat in order to receive visitors, noble and common. A torn, large hanging-tapestry limply flapped in the wind, as if it had lost the will and desire to proclaim its current ruler.

The palace had not been abandoned, despite its current state. Deep within, away from prying eyes, Beryl sat in a magnificent throne and ruled over a cowering, disorderly kingdom with her corrupting influence. The rubble of the palace suited her. It served as a tangible proof of her conquest and slaughter of the royal family and everything they had once held dear. Yes, the ruins on the moon were also tangible proof, but Beryl did not wish to reside there. The moon was now devoid of life and what was the point of ruling if you could not see the peasants cower and beg at your feet for one more chance at life?

However, some still struggled to keep the memory of King Endymion and his once magnificent kingdom alive. Underneath a precariously perched tree that had been uprooted, an old man knelt under the moonlight with his hands cupped against the ground. His darkened, wrinkled skin provided him some protection in the dark of the night, but he had no worry of being caught. The only thing that preoccupied his thoughts was coaxing the little seedling to sprout and live without fear.

The garden he had tended for decades had been severely damaged during the battle and the Generals despised the survival of any of the vegetation. However, the garden had truly been beautiful and the old man could not bear the thought of such beauty no longer surviving in this world. So, he carefully coaxed the few plants remaining to seed, sprout, and share their beauty with the world. It was difficult, because the Generals were wise to his determination and he would soon be forced to tend to the plants in the comfort and relative safety of his own hut.

Smiling, he sighed in relief as the seedling slowly sprouted and weakly danced underneath his outstretched hands. The plant was tentative, but trusting of the old man. “Thank you,” he whispered, gently stroking the seedling. “Rest, for now, little one.” He gathered a few pieces of the stone rubble and created a shelter for the plant with a large enough opening to allow in sunlight. Hopefully, it would protect the plant long enough for it to gather strength and the determination to live, while keeping it from the prying eyes of the Generals or Beryl. The old man was only able to do this for a few plants a week or else the abundance of “stone shelters” might reveal his plans to the Generals. Once the plants were strong enough, he replanted them near his hut.

Further away, two figures watched the old man try to recapture the beauty of a now lost kingdom and time of happiness. “It is so sad,” a woman whispered softly, reaching up to tuck sea-blue strands of hair behind her ear. “His efforts do so little.”

The other figure grunted in response, lifting a sword under the moonlight to see if it properly gleamed. Unsatisfied with the results, she wiped the blade on her white jumpsuit. “So eloquent, Sailor Uranus,” the woman with the sea-blue hair said with a hint of cynicism in the tone of her voice.

“Well, I'm not here to watch some old man water a few plants with his tears. We have other things to do.” Sailor Uranus said, hushing her voice so as not to be heard by the old man. “Not that I appreciate Sailor Pluto sending us to do her dirty work.” Standing, she raised the sword again and it vanished from her outstretched hand.

“She is unable to leave the Time Gate for long periods of time, especially now that it the time stream is being used by unknowing demons.” Sailor Neptune lightly reprimanded, grasping an ornate mirror in her hands. She gazed into the depths of the mirror, bit her lip, and shook her head. “I am given no insight into Beryl's plans.”

“Than, we'll just have to find information another way,” Sailor Uranus said with a smirk.

End Chapter Three

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Author's Notes: Usagi finally finds a reprieve from the chaos and despair in Minerva's household as she develops a special bond with Mary, the daughter. However, it will not stay this way for long. The characters of the Silver Millennium will talk differently, in what I call “the old tongue,” but hopefully it will not impair the reader's understanding of the story. This is why even Minerva's children talk with a more educated vocabulary and more advanced grammatical structure than normally seen with children of their age.

On a side-note, the old man will become a very important character and he will be one of the last non-cannon characters introduced. Hopefully, there are not too many non-cannon characters, as I have truly tried to keep the list short. However, he will not be seen again for a few more chapters.