"I wonder if they'll ever get here..." Usagi murmured, holding her arms tightly around her. It seemed like an eternity had passed since she called her friends, but they still hadn't arrived. "Chibiusa..." She felt a tear slip down her cheek, and wiped it away with an annoyed movement. "Why am I crying? I should be GLAD she's gone!"
"Glad WHO'S gone?" She heard a voice ask, and froze. It was Mamoru,
he had an almost concerned look on his face. "Mamo-chan... Er, Mamoru-san,
Chibiusa is gone again. I'm afraid the Black Moon could have her." She kept her tone even, and prayed he'd leave. He nodded,
"I'll help you look for her."
"No!" Usagi replied hotly, shaking her head. "My friends are going to help me, I do NOT need you. So, GO." She turned her gaze away from him,
but heard him walk away. "He'll probably just look for her on his own..."
She murmured, as she closed her eyes and leaned back onto the wall. She
felt more tears slip down her cheeks, not only for Chibiusa, who she prayed was alright, but for Mamoru... Please, don't say you don't love me anymore...
"Usagi! What are you doing?!" She heard Rei's voice not that long after, and she jumped.
"Rei-chan! Why did you do that?!" She demanded.
"I was talking to you, but you didn't answer. So, I had to yell." She replied, matter of factly.
"I see... I guess I was hoping Chibiusa was all right..."
"Yeah, whatever. You don't even care about her, all you ever do is complain about her. How can you say you care NOW?" Rei demanded, and Usagi
shrunk back.
"I do care about her, Rei-chan. She just gets on my nerves... Ruins my bedroom... Turn my boyfriend against me... Still," Usagi wiped away the tears that were drying on her face. "I CARE about her. She's just a child, and she's trying to help her mother! I care..." Rei nodded, and put her hand on Usagi's shoulder.
"We'll find her, Usagi. I know we will." Rei smiled, then jerked away when she heard Makoto's voice,
"Sorry we're late!" Makoto announced, shattering the moment. Rei turned away from Usagi, and glared at Makoto and Minako.
"You two must take lessons from Usagi, and Ami-chan is even worse."
"Ano, Rei-chan. I'm right here." Ami said softly, walking up from the opposite direction.
"Good, let's get going. We need to find Chibiusa-chan, we can't let the Black Moon have her!"
Chibiusa sat on the swing, swaying back and forth. "I don't see why I have to be here... Usagi hates me, everyone hates me..." She lifted her gaze up to the evening sky, and watched the graceful curve of the cresent moon
appear from behind the veil of clouds. "I can't do anything here, I can't save my momma if I don't have the Silver Crystal.. And I don't..." She pushed harder, and swung to and fro. Suddenly, the answer to all her problems hit her. "That's it!" She cried, jumping from the swing.
"To bad you won't be able to do anything about it." A cold voice answered, and Chibiusa froze in terror. She looked up, and recognized Rubeus.
She backed away, and stumbled. He loomed over her, grinning evilly. "Finally,
with you, we'll be able to end this all. The future will be ours."
"NO!" Chibiusa screamed, her cresent moon appearing and flaring with light. Rubeus shrank away from the beam of light that shot up around her, and Chibiusa stood. "You won't hurt my momma!" He grinned,
"You think YOU can stop us, Rabbit?"
"I am not a Rabbit!!!" Chibiusa wailed, as Rubeus neared her.
"Whatever you are, you will be dead soon enough..." Her eyes wide with fear, she raised the Time Key she wore around her neck up into the sky.
"Never, you won't!"
"Going to run? You can't hide from us, Rabbit."
"I'll get the Silver crystal, then I'll stop you! I'll save my momma!" He laughed, then his eyes widened as she called upon the power of the
Time Key. "Time Key! Take me to the Silver Millennium! Take me to the Moon!"
As the beam of pink around her intensified, he could do nothing but back away. And then, she was gone...
"Chibiusa's Moon Beam!" Usagi cried, seeing the light flash up into the sky. "I have to stop them!" She broke away from the group, and headed towards the light. She reached the place, and found Rubeus... But Chibiusa was nowhere to be seen. "CHIBIUSA!" She screamed, and Rubeus turned to face her. His look of shock turned to an evil grin when he saw her, and the
others arrived.
"It seems you're too late. We have the Rabbit." Usagi's eyes widened,
and she raised her hand to point at Rubeus.
"GIVE HER BACK!"
"Never, Sailormoon. She is ours."
"...please..." Usagi begged, falling to her knees. "She's just a child."
"Why would you take Chibiusa-chan?" Ami asked simply, and Rubeus
answered,
"She's the Princess of Crystal Tokyo. With her, we will be able to defeat the Guardians, and conquer the capital of the world. Then, the future
will belong to the Black Moon Clan."
"You have no honor, attacking a child." Makoto spat out, and Minako
looked up at him from where she sat beside Usagi, comforting the crying girl.
"How could you?!" She demanded, and Rei glared in agreement.
"I already answered that, Sailor Senshi. Now, if you don't mind..."
He sent a volley of energy balls at the girls, who dodged to the sides. All,
that is, except Usagi, who was still crying. She was hit, and flew back
from the explosion.
"USAGI-CHAN!" Minako cried, rushing to the fallen girl. Ami and Makoto protected her, and Rei stood her ground before Rubeus.
"MARS STAR POWER, MAKE UP!" Rei shouted, and as flames wrapped around her she was transformed into Sailormars. "You will pay for your evil!" Sailormars cried, "BURNING MANDALA!" The multiple rings of flame shot at Rubeus, who laughed as he drifted to the side.
"You Senshi are no match for me... But now is not the time to fight.
I will return, don't think I won't..." With that, he faded out in black energy. Sailormars screamed at the empty sky,
"COME BACK AND FIGHT, YOU COWARD!!!"
*****************************************************************************
Chibiusa felt strange, almost light, as she floated through the
passage of Time. Momma told me all about the Silver Millennium... I'm sure
Queen Selenity would let me borrow the Silver Crystal to save my momma... Her
DAUGHTER. I should have thought about this in the first! Then I wouldn't have had to deal with Usagi! Still... She smiled in the passage. She isn't
that bad ALL the time... And then, just as sudden as her smile had appeared,
she was falling from the light that marked her arrival in the Past. Falling,
falling... And then, she had landed. She found herself in a too familiar
position. She had landed on a girl, pushing her away, and kissed the man the girl had been kissing. Now, she was sitting on his lap, and the girl was lying behind them. Chibiusa blinked, Just like when I fell on Mamo-chan and Usagi... She was brought back to reality, when she heard a voice, "Who are you?! Why are you sitting upon my betrotheds lap?!" Chibiusa turned around,
and gasped. It was her mother! No, she shook her head, It's not my mother
EXACTLY. "You're Princess Serenity, aren't you?" She asked, as she stepped
away from the man, whom she now knew to be her fathers past self, Prince
Endymion.
"Why do you ask?" Endymion asked, and Chibiusa turned to face him.
"Because she has the Silver Crystal! Which I need to save my momma!"
"The Silver Crystal?" The princess seemed confused. "I have no Silver Crystal. My mother, the Queen, holds that treasure of the Moon. Why do you
need it, child?" The princess knelt before Chibiusa, She seems so familiar...
She reached a hand up to touch one of Chibiusa's odango, "Who are you...?"
Chibiusa blinked,
"Ano..."
"What?" The princess asked, then felt Endymion take her hand and gently lift her to her feet.
"My princess, you should not be so at ease with this child. She appeared out of no where... She could be an agent of the Dark Kingdom."
Princess Serenity shook her head,
"No, she can not be. She looks like me, Endymion..." She gazed down at Chibiusa, who smiled as she asked.
"If you trust me, can you get the Silver Crystal for me, Princess
Serenity?" The princess nodded,
"I am very sure my mother would allow you to use the Crystal to save your mother. I will ask her, after the ball has came to an end." Chibiusa
smiled gratefully,
"Thank you, Princess Serenity."
*****************************************************************************
Usagi was surrounded by her friends, but she felt all of her helplessness inside of her. "Chibiusa..." She murmured, feeling the tears threaten to pour our again.
"Don't cry." She heard Rei's voice, harsh to her ears.
"Demo, Rei-chan..."
"I said we would get her back! And we will!" Usagi smiled, despite
all of her pain.
"I believe you still, Rei-chan."
"Only..." Ami murmured, "How will we find her?"
"Ami-chan is right... We can believe in finding her with all of her hearts, but HOW will we do it?" Makoto asked. Minako shook her head,
"We need to find someway into the Black Moons base, then we'll be able to find her." Minako said, and Makoto sighed,
"But how will we do that?!"
"There's no way..." Usagi mumbled, her hope dashed. "Chibiusa is gone, and I've let the future be destroyed... If only I had been nicer to her... She might not have ran, and been caught..." She began crying, and
felt comforting arms surround her. Rei replied, her voice fierce.
"We WILL find her!"
*****************************************************************************
Endymion stood with his four Guardians. "Do you suppose she works
for the Dark Kingdom?" Kunzite asked him, his gaze upon the pink haired girl
who was being led out of the princesses quarters. Her foreign clothing had been changed, and she now wore a white gown, one of the princesses from when
she was a child.
"She looks so familiar..." Neprite shook his head.
"It's almost confusing." Zoisite commented, and Jadeite turned to face his Prince.
"What do you think, Prince Endymion?" Endymion grinned,
"Jadeite, stop being formal, for one..., " his look went serious, "And, about the girl... I believe her to be an agent of the Dark Kingdom."
"But she's only a child, Endymion!" Jadeite replied,
"Still... She came out of no where, and FELL on Serenity! I don't think any NORMAL child would do that."
"You are right, Endymion." Kunzite agreed, "She can't be normal. She
should be watched." Endymion nodded,
"Only Serenity seems to love having her around! Even if it's for her own good, I don't want to hurt her."
"Do not worry, Endymion." Kunzite said, his gaze upon Chibiusa. "We
shall take care of her..."
I can't believe I made it here, Chibiusa thought to herself, as she
watched the ball. She stood at the base of the stairs, and the Senshi, the
Princesses guardians, four girls who looked all to familiar to her, stood
around her, and the princess who stood next to her.
"What a wonderful evening!" Serenity exclaimed, clasping her hands
together before her. Princess Venus nodded,
"It is. And maybe you'll be able to see Endymion again..." Serenity
blushed,
"Venus! There is as child present!" Chibiusa grinned, They have no idea how old I really am...
"Oh, why do you speak so of yourself, Serenity?" Princess Mars asked,
grinning. Serenity laughed gently,
"Always the joker, Mars."
"Princess!" Princess Mercury exclaimed, "He has arrived!" She was speaking of Endymion, who had entered by one of the grand rooms side doors.
Serenity said not a word, and left her guardians to meet her Prince at the
center of the room.
"I missed you, Endymion," She smiled, as he took her into his arms.
"And I you, Serenity." Chibiusa watched from a distance, How wonderful! They look so right together! Still... She turned to the four Guardians, These are the Sailor Senshi? They looked achingly familiar to her,
and she smacked her head. Of course they do! They guard momma at home! They
just look... younger. Still, something nagged at the edge of her mind. Something she couldn't quite put her finger on...
"Would you care to have this dance?" An unfamiliar voice entered her thoughts, and she turned to see Princess Venus accepting the invitation to
dance from an all to familiar white haired man, wearing an ornate uniform
and a long cloak. She watched as one by one the Princesses each received such an invitation, Princess Jupiter from a man with wavy brown hair, Princess
Mars from a man with nape length blond hair, and Princess Mercury from a man with wavy blond hair in a ponytail.
"They're all so familiar..." Chibiusa murmured, watching as the four
Princesses were led out with the four men. "Who are they?" She shook her head as she leaned back onto the stairs. "This is all so confusing. I shouldn't worry. All I need to think about it getting the Silver Crystal
once momma talks to the Queen."
Luna watched the pink haired girl, Chibiusa, from across the room.
Artemis was next to her, and asked, "Who do you think she really is, Luna?"
Luna shook her head,
"She looks as though she could be the Queens daughter, she is so
familiar. But she appeared from the nowhere. I don't want to say this, but
she could be an enemy."
"That child? An enemy? Luna, you can't be serious!" Luna nodded sadly,
"I said I didn't want to say it, Artemis. But it's how I feel..."
"Then what shall you do about it, Luna?"
"I'll talk to the queen..." She turned from him, and walked off out of the ballroom.
*****************************************************************************
Mamoru shook his head in disbelief, "They have Chibiusa?" Minako
nodded,
"Hai. Usagi-chan tried to save her... We were just too late." Ami
asked, a pleading tone in her voice,
"Mamoru-san, can you help us? She's so depressed, maybe if you
could... talk to her, she'd feel better." Mamoru looked away, a distant look
in his eyes. I want to help her... But she could be destroyed... Why did they have to come me, he asked himself. Why couldn't they find some other way to help her? He shook his head, and focused his attention back on Ami.
"I can't. I don't care..." Rei's eyes twitched, as she exploded in
anger,
"DON'T GIVE US THAT BULL!" Rei cried, holding Mamoru by the collar.
"I know you still love her! Because you can't just stop loving someone!
I know, because **I** didn't! Mamoru, tell it to me, tell me that you truley
don't love her! Because..." Her voice became softer. "If you can honestly
tell me you don't love her, then I will leave you alone. He blinked in surprise,
"Rei..." He closed his eyes, What am I supposed to do...? I care about her, I do... But I... His eyes opened, his look grim, "I DON'T LOVE
HER! Can't you understand that!" With that, he turned away, and slammed his door on the four startled girls. He leaned back onto the door. I wish this could all just end...
"I can't believe him..." Rei said, her voice trembling with suppressed rage. "He can't hate her!"
"Rei-chan..." Minako murmured, putting her hand on the angry girls
shoulder. "It'll be all right..."
"But how? Usagi-chan is depressed, and the Black Moon has Chibiusa-chan?"
"I never thought she'd take her disappearance so hard... I never thought she even cared."
"I wish I could take all the bad things I've said about Usagi
away. She may be an odango atama sometimes, but she cares so much about everyone..."
*****************************************************************************
Chibiusa sighed, This ball is getting so boring... She shoved away from the stairs, and made her way through the crowd like a piece of thread.
I don't think Serenity will mind if I go into the garden... Momma told me so many wonderful things about it. I want to see it up close. She left the
ball room, and walked out into the cool night air. The wind ruffled her hair, and she took a deep breath. "It's all so beautiful... Especially the Earth.
I've never seen it from this view..." She pouted. "Now I wish the Crystal
Palace was on the Moon!" Then, just as sudden, she smiled. "That's it! I'll
ask momma once I get the Silver Crystal to save her! Maybe we can have a
palace built on the Moon!" she giggled, and span around as she ran out into the garden.
*****************************************************************************
Usagi looked up out of the window, her slender hands propping
up her chin as she regarded the beautiful orange and pink clouds
floating in the twilight sky. She closed her eyes, and let her head fall.
"Chibiusa..." She murmured the name. "Mamo-chan..." She felt tears slip down her face for the millionth time that day. "I've lost the most important
person to me... and a girl I didn't even think I liked. I just thought
she was an annoying invader from the Future who wanted my Crystal... If I had just given it to her, she could have saved her mother, and the Black Moon
would be gone..." She heard a sob escape her lips, as she buried her face in her hands. "Why, why, why..." She cried over and over, her tears wetting her hands. "If I hadn't been so stubborn, so self righteous..." She didn't wipe the tears this time, she didn't feel like she had the strength for it.
Please, Chibiusa... Mamo-chan... Come back to me... Please... I don't know what I'll do if you don't...
*****************************************************************************
The End of Episode One of All In My Imagination
Stay Tuned for Episode Two, "Usagi's Depression, The Betrayal of the Generals"
Usagi falls deeper and deeper into her depression, and Chibiusa is
captured by the Generals, and 'disposed' of-She's put into the dungeons of
Queen Beryl!