Hilde looked from one to the other in slight confusion, "You know her Duo?"
Duo nodded not taking his eyes off the girl from his past. "Usa, is it
really you?" He asked in a soft whisper.
Usagi felt tears come to her eyes and with a soft whimper she nodded. "Yes,"
She whispered before blinking hard once and ridding her eyes of tears.
Duo slowly walked towards her not noticing a scowl on Hilde's face. "Usagi,"
He whispered his hands coming up of their own accord and gently framing her
face. He stared deep into her endless blue eyes and saw wisdom and maturity
that shouldn't have been there but had always been.
Usagi smiled a soft yet sad smile as she gazed at Duo.
Duo grinned at her. "How did you escape from."
Usagi closed her eyes as memories washed over her. The memory of leaving the
church as Duo had commanded and running back to their old abandoned
warehouse. The memory of hearing the war cries and how she had been scared
not for her life but for Duo's. The last memory shook her up the most. The
memory of going back to the church and finding the lifeless bodies as she
explored searching for Duo but not finding him.
Duo watched tears start to trail down Usagi's cheeks and he gently laid a
hand on her shoulder. "Usagi?" He whispered.
She opened her eyes and looked up at him startled, "Duo." She turned away.
Duo wondered what had happened to the sunny girl he had remembered and
cautiously took a step back. "Usa, I have to run an errand but I'll be back
soon. Stay with Hilde alright?" Usagi nodded her eyes glued to the wall as
more tears came.
Duo bid Hilde farewell and left. 'Usa, what happened to you ?' he wondered.
With a soft sigh he continued on his journey to check his Gundam.
Usagi shakily wiped her tears away and noticed Hilde studying her. "I'm
sorry," Usagi whispered.
Hilde shook her head, "It's not a problem but tell me why you think Oz has
reformed."
Usagi managed a smile. "Because on my fourteenth birthday barely a week ago
my home was ransacked then destroyed by a group of soldiers claiming to work
for Oz."
Hilde frowned slightly, "You just believed them?"
Usagi shook her head, "No, I didn't just believe them but I could feel it.
It's hard to explain but I could feel they were telling the truth."
Hilde sighed, "So then you ran away from your broken home and met me."
Usagi nodded, "Right."
Hilde nodded again then her eyes stared deep into Usagi's. "How do you know
Duo?"
Duo sat in his Gundam as he thought. Memories of Usagi as a child were
merged together with the present day Usagi in his mind. "She looks the
same," He whispered in almost awe.
"Duo, are you in there?" Asked a soft male voice.
Duo leaned out and grinned at his friend, "Hey, Quatre what are you doing
here?" Duo jumped out of his Gundam and then realized Quatre wasn't alone.
"Heero, Wufei, Trowa? What are you guys all doing here?"
"Oz is back," Announced Heero in his usual cold tone.
Duo winced. 'Not now,' he argued in thought.
"Duo?" Called the soft feminine voice of Usagi.
Duo could hear her coming closer and cautiously hurried his steps to
intercept her before she entered the hangar and saw his Gundam Deathscythe.
He walked by the other pilots and left the hangar and heard the others
closing it behind him. Moments later he spotted Usagi looking around
attempting to find him.
"Duo," Usagi said with a smile upon seeing him again. "Hilde got in touch
with some of her friends and they're fixing my house. She said they'll be
done in a little over a week.
"You're leaving, Usa?" Duo asked in an almost stricken tone.
Usagi was about to speak when she noticed four other boys around Duo's age
behind him. "I." Her breath caught and she looked away, "Bye Duo-chan I'll
never forget you," She whispered before running away in the opposite
direction.
"Usa, wait!" Duo yelled about to go after her when he realized the other
pilots were around.
"Duo, who was that?" Quatre asked watching the girl run out of sight.
Duo closed his eyes, "Her name is Usagi," He stated before opening his eyes
again and following his fellow pilots back to the hangar.
Usagi ran until she felt her lungs were about to burst. With a last gasp she
sat down against a building and hugged her knees to her chests "Duo." She
said with a soft sigh.
"There is no time to be sighing over boys," Lectured a feminine voice.
Usagi looked around in confusion, "What? Who's there?"
A cat that looked like it had just gotten out of the kitten stage walked out
of the shadows. A shaft of sunlight reflected off a yellow crescent moon on
the cat's forehead. "I've been watching you Usagi. You want to know why your
home was searched don't you? You want to know why they burned your house to
the ground."
Usagi nodded speechless as she stared at the talking cat. "I do," She
managed to whisper.
The cat nodded, "My name is Luna, and Usagi-chan you are needed." After
saying this the cat did a backflip and a round pink item dropped to the
ground. "This is your brooch you will use to fight an evil that has appeared
in this world."
"Fight evil?" Usagi asked in confusion.
Luna nodded, "Yes, take it."
Usagi did as she was bid and attached the brooch to her chest. "Now, raise
your hand into the air and say Moon Prism Power Make Up!" Luna instructed.
Usagi nodded and raised her hand into the air, "Moon Prism Power Make Up!"
Her vision went dark and she opened her eyes and blinked a couple of times.
She felt herself spin around and she closed her eyes as she felt energy
ribbons surround her and then form some sort of body suit. She raised her
arms in front of her crossed and felt the energy ribbons form gloves. She
kept her eyes closed as the bright light pushed against her eyelids and she
could feel the energy travel downard and form boots on her feet. She felt
her whole body go slack for a moment and she instictively raised her head
and felt an almost burning sensation on her forehead. She opened her eyes
and without knowing why placed one of her hands on her hip and the other she
placed above her chin palm outwards she blinked as she felt a mask
intertwined in her fingers. Carefully she placed it on her face hiding her
eyes.
"What's going on here?" Usagi demanded staring at herself in confusion. She
felt an unusual weight on her forehead and she reached up and felt a tiara.
"What happened?"
Luna smiled, "I knew you were the one, Usagi-chan! You are Sailor Moon and
your mission is to find the moon princess and stop the Dark Kingdom."
Usagi glanced down and turned scarlet. "Luna! This skirt it too short!"
Luna started to say something when she felt her fur stand on end, "Quickly
Usagi-chan! I feel something evil near by!"
Usagi glanced down at the cat and noticed her staring in the direction she
had left Duo. "Duo!" She cried. She gasped and ran as quickly as possible.
Duo winced as the red creature attempted to get him with it's razor sharp
claws. "Give me the girl and I'll let you live," The creatue insisted it's
voice feminine but it's features that of a demon.
"What girl?" Duo demanded.
"I, Morga will not be fooled. Give me the girl!" She demanded leaping for
Quatre.
"Stop right there!"
All five pilots turned as one and even Morga paused. They all stared at the
figure of a sailor suited girl with a very short skirt. "You!" Morga accused
turning away from the pilots and going after Sailor Moon.
"You've attempted to destroy innocent people! A pretty soldier in a sailor
suit Sailor Moon won't forgive you! On behalf of the moon I'll punish you!"
Morga smiled, "We've been waiting for you," She informed with a sneer.
Sailor Moon took off her tiara. 'I hope this works,' she thought. "Moon
Tiara Action!"
Duo stared up at the heroine. "She has Usagi's hairstyle but she doesn't
look anything like Usagi. Who is she?"
"A weakling," Wufei scoffed. "If we couldn't destroy that monster with our
guns and swords do you really think a weak female can with a frisbee?"
"Yeah," Duo said with a chuckle pointing to Morga who screamed with pain as
the tiara blazed a path through her center and turned her into dust.
"Are you alright?" Sailor Moon asked glancing down at them.
"Watch out!" Quatre cried.
Sailor Moon turned and was hit with enough force to send her flying and slam
into a concrete building. She cried out in pain and lay still for a moment
as a blonde-haired man appeared. His uniform was grey with red trimming. "I
am one of the four Dark Kingdom's generals. My name is Jedite and Sailor
Moon I'm here to kill you."
Sailor Moon started to get up when a red rose flew through the sky and
struck just in front of Jedite. "What?" Sailor Moon asked in confusion
looking up. Her eyes widened as she saw a man in a cape standing there
another rose in hand. "Who are you?" She asked.
The man glanced down at her, I am Tuxedo Kamen. You did well Sailor Moon."
Sailor Moon scowled, "I was thrown into this building I didn't do well at
all."
The caped man stood silent for a moment struggling for words. Jedite noticed
the five boys had their guns aimed at him and he scowled. "I'll be back to
finish you Sailor Moon," He announced before vanishing. The ringing of five
gunshots rang out but they struck only air.
Sailor Moon shakily got to her feet and noticed Luna near by. "Wait," Duo
demanded. "What was that thing and why was it after Usa?"
Usagi's eyes widened beneath her mask. 'He can't tell it's me,' she thought.
"That was a creature from the Dark Kingdom and I don't know why it was after
whoever this Usa person is."
Sailor Moon turned as she heard something click behind her and she came face
to face with Heero's gun pointed at her. "Who are you?" He demanded.
Sailor Moon instictively reached to ensure her mask was there. "I'm Sailor
Moon champion of love and justice."
Wufei scoffed, "You're a weak female you can't be a champion of justice!"
Sailor Moon ignored Wufei. "I have to go but I feel creatures like the last
will come again." She crouched down and quickly leapt over their heads and
ran away as quickly as possible. When she was sure they couldn't catch her
she detransformed and sat back down where she had met Luna.
Usagi curled up into a ball again ignoring the cat beside her. "Not bad,
Usagi-chan not bad at all," Luna congratulated. Usagi ignored her.
"Usagi-chan?" Luna asked in confusion and looked up to see the girl crying.
"Usagi-chan what's wrong?"
Usagi turned her attention to the cat. "Luna, I killed that thing," She
whispered softly staring at her hands almost expecting them to be
blood-stained.
Luna nodded, "Yes, Usagi-chan and you did very well killing it."
Usagi stood up, "I don't want to kill any more things Luna! Just leave me
out of this!"
Luna frowned, "Usagi-chan you don't understand. If you wouldn't have killed
that youma then it would have drained the energy out of those boys and
killed them all including that Duo person you're so fond of."
Usagi felt her cheeks flame up, ". it really would have killed them?" She
asked softly.
Luna nodded but her fur again stood on end as they heard footsteps. "Be
prepared Usagi-chan," Luna whispered.
Moments later Duo appeared and he stopped at the sight of Usagi crying,
"Usa?"
Usagi got to her feet and forgetting all the years that had came between
them vanished as she ran into the arms of the only person she trusted. She
felt his arms surround her instictively and she cried against his chest.
"Usa, what's wrong?" Duo asked alarmed glancing down at her.
"Duo-chan, I thought you had died that day. After you left I ran and hid in
the old warehouse and then I heard the soldiers come."
Duo tightened his hold on her pulling her against his body as he remembered
that day so far away. He also remembered finding the bodies of the priest
and the dying words of the nun. 'Poor Usa saw all that at her age?' he
thought in sorrow.
"After they had gone I ran back to the church and saw it was just rubble. I
looked everywhere for you underneath anything I could lift and I found so
many people. Oh Duo, I was so frightened that the next body I would see
would be yours. I searched for days but couldn't find you so I thought you
were dead."
Duo felt her step away and she looked up at him tears of happiness in her
eyes. "Duo, I was so shocked to see you when you first appeared I acted
horrible. Please forgive me?"
Duo smiled almost grimly as he thought of the sights she had saw. 'She
searched for days?' He winced at what kind of thing that had to do to a
child's mind. "Of course Usa, now I believe Hilde is cooking something for
dinner tonight. Shall we go?"
Usagi winced as she remembered the harsh way Hilde had interrogated her. She
also remembered the way the other woman had told her Duo was her fiancee and
that she wanted Usagi gone as soon as possible. "I'm not that hungry
Duo-chan. I think I'll stick around here a bit longer."
Duo frowned, "No, Usagi there was this monster thing out earlier and
something else like it could appear. I don't want you hurt."
Usagi managed a faint smile. "Alright, Duo," She responded.
Duo grinned and with her at his side walked back towards the direction they
had came. A sudden loud meowing however forced them to turn around. Usagi
looked down and saw Luna with a sigh she bent down and picked up the cat,
"Duo-chan, meet Luna," She introduced.
Duo smirked and taking the cat's paw shook it. "Hey, Luna are you hungry
too? We should have a can of tuna somewhere around the place." Luna awarded
him by starting to purr and making Duo laugh.
Usagi giggled and Duo turned to her startled. "Now theres the Usa I
remember," He said with a grin. He noticed the four other pilots at the
bottom of a hill and groaned.
"Who are they, Duo?" Usagi asked as she studied them. "That one with the
deep brown hair and tanktop looks scary."
Duo smirked his indigo eyes dancing, "Don't worry, Usa I'll protect you from
Heero."
Hilde looked out the window and smiled when she spotted Duo but scowled when
she saw him almost arm and arm with Usagi. 'If she wasn't here he'd have
preposed today,' she thought in anger. Her fist clenched in jealousy and she
glared at the couple.
Quatre looked up and saw Duo and the girl come down. He noticed that Duo
seemed oddly serious even though his eyes were dancing. 'Something odd about
her,' Quatre thought.
"Hey, Heero, Trowa, Wufei, and Quatre I want you to meet Usagi," Duo
introduced. Usagi smiled brightly and looked at the group.
"So Heero is the one with the tanktop. Wufei is the blonde haired one?"
Duo started to snicker and Wufei turned red. "Injustice! How dare you
compare me with that weak boy, you weak woman!"
Duo scowled as Usagi winced. "Lay off, Wufei it was an honest mistake. "That
's Wufei and the blonde-haired one is Quatre."
"So the last one is Trowa," Usagi said.
Luna studied the boys and hissed at Heero as she remembered him pointing a
gun at Sailor Moon's head. Heero calmly took out his gun and aimed it at the
cat. Usagi gasped and thinking quickly she stepped forward and slapped Heero
as hard as she could. His face jerked to the side at the impact his normal
emotionless face shattered and a look of shock there.
Silence fell as all eyes turned to Usagi and the shocked Heero. "How could
you even act as if you're going to shoot a defenseless cat?" Usagi demanded
quickly getting over the shock of slapping someone.
Heero stared at her still in a state of confusion. No girl had ever slapped
him so hard before. Duo quickly grabbed Usagi and almost dragged her away
from Heero. "Hey, let go!" Usagi demanded. Duo ignored her.
"Heero, she didn't mean it," Duo apologized.
Usagi blinked, "I DID mean it Duo-chan! He tried to shoot Luna!"
Luna whirled as she heard sounds and her eyes narrowed as she saw a group of
soldiers appear. "We're here for Usagi Tsukino," They announced their eyes a
reddish tint.
Luna hissed and letting out a howl leapt for one of the soldiers. "Luna!"
Cried Usagi.
One of the soldiers saw the girl and compared her to a picture he held. He
reached for her when a person slammed into him. "You keep your hands off
her!" Duo demanded reaching for his gun.
Heero was faster however and he aimed his gun and shot three times. Usagi
screamed as she saw Luna kicked to the side and she rushed to the still
animal's side. "Luna, get up," She pleaded softly.
Duo turned and saw Usagi about to cry and he felt himself grow even more
angry. "Why are you after her anyway?" He demanded.
The soldier with the picture handed it over. "She's wanted by our general.
She's killed before and we plan to bring her to justice."
Duo felt the ground fall beneath him. 'Usa's killed before?' He shook his
head in denial as he remembered her lectures on stealing. "You liar! Usagi
couldn't kill she's too pure for that!" He aimed his gun and shot repeatedly
.
Usagi looked up at the sound of more gunshots and watched her eyes wide with
shock as Duo shot at one of the men. Instead of dying however the man turned
into dust. The same type of dust the youma had turned into.
"Lower class youma's called dopplegangers," Luna whispered in her ear.
"Luna, you're alive!" Usagi gasped in happiness hugging the cat.
Heero frowned, "Who are you and why where they after you?" He demanded.
Usagi sighed, "I don't know why they're after me. They're the same type of
people that raided my house and upturned everything in it before they burned
it to the ground. They came for me afterwords but I ran."
Wufei scowled, "Of course the weakling would run. The weak can't fight."
Usagi sighed and closed her eyes holding Luna close to her. "Yes, I am
weak."
Trowa however appeared to be in thought. "Did anyone realize that one
soldier," He pointed to the dust pile. "Said the general wanted her?"
Quatre nodded as realization struck, "Do you think perhaps he's the same
general as that Jedite person?"
Trowa nodded then turned to Usagi. "And for some reason they're after you.
You don't have any clue why?"
Usagi shook her head. "No, they only showed up a week ago. Before then I've
never heard of them but I did hear the first group mention they were going
to rebuild Oz."
Heero face tightened, "Rebuild Oz?"
Usagi nodded and Duo stepped inbetween her and her questioners as he saw her
eyelids droop. "Enough questions I promised Usagi I would take her out." He
glanced at her and grinned, "You're still too scrawny."
Usagi frowned at him but her eyes danced at their private moment. "Duo-chan,
what are you doing in life now? Not what you were doing in the past I hope."
Duo inwardly winced, 'I can't tell her I'm the God of Death. I've killed too
many people and Usa has always been so pure and untainted even back then.'
He fidgeted for a moment attempting to come up with an answer.
"It's none of your buisness," Heero announced coldy.
Usagi scowled at him but remained silent. She felt Luna leaning against her
ankles and she bent down and picked up the cat. "I'll have to take a
raincheck Duo-chan. I'm tired right now and need to get some sleep. Nice
meeting everyone," She called before vanishing out of sight at a run with
Luna held tightly against her chest.
"Usagi-chan, those soldiers were after you. Earlier Jedite was after you. Do
you think they know who you are?"
Usagi shook her head, "But they did that to my house before you met me,
Luna," Usagi interrupted.
Luna frowned in thought, "But then why are they after you Usagi-chan?"
Usagi shook her head, "I don't know Luna. But if a youma or whatever you
call it has the power to kill anyone then I'll have to kill it first. won't
I?"
Luna nodded gravely. "I'm sorry for forcing you to grow up before your time
Usagi-chan."
Usagi glanced down at the cat and laughed a small harsh laugh that didn't
become her at all. "I grew up when I was only seven Luna. When I searched
for the body of my best friend and found only corpses."
Luna winced, "Usagi-chan." She did the only thing she could think of and
stayed silent.
Usagi glanced down at the cat. "Seeing that youma crumbe that way made me
think of what happened to all those people who had died. I stayed for almost
a week searching the entire town but I never saw Duo there."
Luna remained silent as Usagi led them to her temporary room. "Usagi-chan, I
'm sorry you couldn't live a normal life," Luna announced.
Usagi turned her head tilted to the site. "It's alright, Luna I've become
used to it. I really haven't cried since that day. But when I saw him. saw
he was alive and that he had thrived I couldn't believe it. I thought it was
another cruel dream."
Luna started to speak when Usagi set Luna down on the bed, "Stay here, Luna
I'll go get you some tuna or something."
Luna watched the girl go and felt a tear trickle down her furry cheek.
"Usagi-chan," She whispered sadly as she thought of what the girl's life had
been like.
