moon stuffs

The story follows Usagi as she wakes up abruptly from a terrifying nightmare. She doesn't remember much from it but she recalls all of her friends dead, the world around her in ruins, herself on her knees looking at her surely sealed fate. A shining, menacing figure looming above her.

She attempts to brush it off, as nightmares of that nature aren't too uncommon for her, and goes back to sleep.

The next day at school she meets a strangely concerned Ami, who approaches her to ask if she's feeling better from yesterday. Usagi's left very confused by this because she doesn't have any memories of the event. Ami's concern seems to grow, but she deems that perhaps it's better to keep it for their senshi meeting, as to not confuse Usagi further. Usagi is still VERY confused by Ami's actions, but she trusts the small genius, so she decides to move on with her school day as best she can.

The school day goes by as normal, quite boring, although there's a small persistent feeling that keeps needling at Usagi.. her classroom looks a bit different that usual.. perhaps she's thinking too much.

On their way to the meeting Ami and Mako try to act as casual as possible, but heightened concern is visible in their faces and actions toward the blonde. Them at least clearing up the waters a little bit by telling her that last night they were all caught up in a significantly dangerous monster attack.

Once at the temple Usagi meets up with the rest of the girls, Luna and Artemis, where she's told what happened the night prior.

An office worker turned monster started attacking people inside the small workplace, Sailor Moon and the others showed up, trying to restrain/contain the monster at best they could while guiding the rest of the civilians to safety. The monster, seemingly exceptionally powerful, knocked down some of the frame columns in the fight, causing the building to start collapsing. At that point, most of the senshi made their way out to safety along with any injured civilian, the only ones left inside being Mars, Moon and the monster. Mars trying for her life to get a hold of Moon, while she kept fighting on, trying to make her way to the office worker so she can turn him and bring him to safety with them before the building collapses on him, crushing him. Managing to get away from Mars for a second, the floor between them suddenly collapsing, causing Mars to halt her pursuit as Moon looked on with an awe-inspiring look of hope. She promised Mars she'd make it out alive with the man and started running towards him once again. Mars barely making it out as the remaining columns finally game out, causing the total collapse of the building. Nothing left but rubble.

Mars and the senshi made their way towards the ruin in utter desperation, Mercury looking for any vital signs left underneath them. A very weak, almost imperceptible signal disappearing as soon as it came into view... a sudden call immediately halting her thoughts and demanding all her attention instead. They all looked ahead and saw Sailor Pluto, carrying the now passed out human office worker and a frail looking Sailor Moon.

Sailor Moon seemed confused, irrational and scared. Extremely scared actually. Even though the girls were initially put off by this, Mercury attributed it to a possible head injury, which was later confirmed by an evaluation of Usagi's conditions. Usagi wasn't making much sense and acting in an almost catatonic state unless directly confronted. After Ami's evaluation of her injuries and after concluding that, due to their senshi healing, Usagi wouldn't need any treatment, she made her way back home. In the same catatonic emotionally distant way she had been since the accident.

Usagi nods, finally being able to connect the dots on her mind going completely blank of the prior night's events. A long meeting was held that early evening, some tears, some laughs, some snack, some stern yet blissful scolding.

Their dear Usagi is safe.

Their dear Usagi is alive.

Everything is going to be okay.

As the weeks pass by, Usagi starts forgetting about those night's event, it was just another mission. Although, she admits that something's still prodding at her. It's nothing she can exactly nail down, just a small yet ever-present feeling of anxiousness within her. Ami explaining to her that it's possibly just a result of trauma. Regardless of them being senshi, they are still 16. Traumatic experiences are often too much for even adults to handle, let alone teenagers.

One day after school, the girls get to finally take the afternoon off and have fun! With all the prep and studying they have been doing for the high school exam, they barely had any time to do something together.

Walking joyfully down the street Usagi offers the girls to go to Crown and grab a bite to eat. Mako asks intrigued if that's on one of her new spots she found, Usagi always suggesting interesting and colorful cafes she finds around town. Usagi laughs off Mako's statement in an ironic fashion. "Ah ah very funny, Mako". Mako still sports a smile on her face from her friend's silliness and charm, but her tone turns slightly more serious, telling Usagi that she wasn't joking, Mako has a good memory when it comes to food spots, she'd remember it. Perhaps Usagi went there with some other friends.

At this point, Usagi stops and looks at Mako quite seriously, asking her politely to quit playing. Mako insisting she wasn't joking, she had never heard of a place called "Fruits Parlor Crown". Usagi turns around again seemingly angry at Makoto for making fun of her before she walks on, while Rei offers her words on the matter saying she has never heard of it either.

Usagi stops once again. This time her pouty anger on the brink of turning to panic. Ami and Minako finally joining in, they have never heard of the place Usagi seemed so fond of.

Minako, sensing the change in atmosphere, goes to reassure her friend by placing a comforting hand on her shoulder. Which get promptly slapped away by an angry, almost delirious Usagi.

"THE CROWN CENTER! GUYS! THE ONE WE GO ALL THE TIME! ABOVE THE ARCADE!! WHERE MOTOKI AND UNAZUKI WORK!! WE HAVE BEEN GOING THERE FOR YEARS!!!"

Minako takes a hold of her shaken friend, trying to calm her down as the others close the distance.

"Usagi, please relax. it's ok."

"NO. NO IT'S NOT OKAY, WHY ARE YOU GUYS DOING THIS TO ME!? THIS IS NOT FUNNY!"

"Who's Motoki?"

...

"Is that a friend of yours?"

The words escape Makoto's lips almost automatically, her curiosity taking a hold of her.

Usagi just starts running, faster than they ever thought possible. Minako struggling to keep up with her. Since when was Usagi this fast?

The chase lasts more than a few blocks, Usagi ignoring all obstacles, even passing red lights, which were fortunately only small intersections. The girls behind Usagi passing as well, Makoto and Ami giving hurried apologies to the occasional honking driver.

Her destination finally coming into view, but..

It's not there.

A regular looking convenience store in its place.

Usagi can see the look of utter horror and disbelief her heaving reflection is sharing.

Minako finally catching up to her, grabbing her arm perhaps too forcefully. Blaring her unhearing form with countless, equally delirious questions and reprehends. The rest of the group catching up. All deciding to move to a more inconspicuous place, their little scene having caught way more attention than desired.

Once safe from prying eyes and ears, they finally confront their friend.

They often go to a bakery called "Dumbo Doughnuts and Coffee". It has a small arcade next to it, but they only went there a handful of times because the owner is a very belligerent old man. Most of the time they just meet at Rei's place.

Perhaps her head was worse than they thought. Ami going full doctor mode, doing scan after scan, asking multiple questions.. nothing. More scans, a physical examination, more questions. Nothing... wait.

"Wait, wait Usagi, wait. Go back on your words for a moment."

"uhh.. well I brought you to the arcade, I played some and then let you play, but you were late for cram school, so you kind of ran off in the middl.."

"Cram school?"

"Yeah"

"I-I have never gone to cram school Usagi, you know this. I have a private tutor, you know, for my condition."

Rei interjects, this isn't going anywhere. They need to understand what is going on. Ami hesitantly proposes to let Usagi speak, let her tell all she know. Only then they can asses the situation to the fullest.

Usagi goes over their whole history, at least all she can remember. Most of it was remarkably similar, a few oddities here and there, but nothing too majorly different to what the other senshi recall. Although the closer she gets, the fuzzier the memories become. The weeks prior to the accident being nothing but a blurred amalgamation of feelings rather than memories. She remembers.. terror.. the same terror they all felt the evening that preceded D-Point. It was all too mangled and distorted to make up, yet too overwhelming to handle.

Tears finally flowing from Usagi's eyes as her face contorts, being unreadable. It's all too much, she has to try to remember. Not only for her sake but for the sake of her friends, but she just.. can't. It hurt so much and she just does not understand why.

Mako and Ami close in to comfort their distraught companion, Rei sharing the same sadness and desperation of her friends, but deciding to keep in place. Instead throwing a glance at Mina, who's looking on at nothing in particular. She's in deep thought, she knows her, so many thoughts firing through the blonde's incredibly perceptive mind.

"Mina.."

...

"Where's Pluto?"

...

"Have we seen Sailor Pluto at all since the accident? Setsuna?"

"N-no, she's not normally one to walk among us as a civilian." Ami answers.

"Minako, what are you thinking?"

"We need to find Pluto. She always has answers to everything, despite her reluctance to always indulge in a proper answer. Perhaps she could shine some light on the situation."

Later on, the group tries to regain some lost ground, enjoying a modest fast food meal at the outside seating area. Mako and Ami trying their best to make the blonde feel at ease, Usagi most likely just indulging in the play for her friend's sake, acting more like the carefree and joyful Usagi the know.

"Mina.. what are you really thinking?"

Minako and Rei making their way to the table with their trays of food. They both look on at the trio as Mako steals a couple of Usagi's fries, and while Usagi is trying to combat her strong friend to reclaim her property, a snickering Ami reaches over and steals one as well, causing the blonde to throw another fit.

"I'm not sure. I have a few theories, most of which I do not like.. at all."

"Do you really think Pluto has something to do with this?"

"Would you put it past her?"

...

Not really.

"I'm scared Rei. I'm trying so hard to hold it together."

Rei looks over at Mina in utter disbelief. It's bad.. it's bad. Rei feels suddenly swallowed by wave of plunging fear. Unable to utter a single sound.

"I think we lost our Usagi."

.

Setsuna was not one to wonder around aimlessly. She's always there for a purpose, always there when needed. For anything.

"I do apologize for making you wait. I believe you all were in need to my presence tonight."

Four girls sitting on a bench facing the now abandoned children's playground inside the much more expansive park, while the last one leaning on the light pole which illuminated the scene.

"Cut the the bullshit Pluto, what did you do?"

Minako immediately springing off the pole and making her way closer to the offending party. Three of the girls confused by the confrontational nature of Minako's words.

Setsuna's face remains unchanging, all but silently confirming Mina's suspicions.

"WELL??"

"I supplied what was needed. The pieces are not perfect, they never are. A false fit is far from my first choice of action, but given the circumstances, nothing is to be lost on either side."

The five girls' faces all mirrored the same look of confusion, although some seemed much angrier than others. Before Minako could leash out again on the tall woman, Usagi abruptly stands up.

"Setsuna, please, I just want to understand. Please, I'm asking you as a friend. What happened to me?"

...

"That's understandable. Are you certain of your decision Usagi?"

".. yes."

"Very well.

Student Usagi Tsukino, age 16, passed away following the collapse of the subsidiary Genki Corporation office building. She sustained fatal blunt force trauma to the head and chest, it was a very quickly death. Nothing could've been able to save her on time."

The room is indescribable.. a deadly mix of emotions accumulating within each of the girls facing her, ready to spill over.

"I'm.. not from here aren't I?"

"No."

"Where?"

"I do not believe telling you would do any good for any person involved, especially yourself. All you need to know is that you're safe here now, amongst your loved ones and no-"

"WHERE?!"

Usagi screaming at Pluto, a tinge of poison this Pluto was still unfamiliar with: hate.

"... I fail to comprehend you Serenity. Why? Why would you insist your press for information that would only lead you to more pain?"

"Where are they Pluto? Where's my mom, where's my dad? My brother, my friends, my Mamo.. Where is my home Pluto??"

"It's gone princess. I'm sorry.

You are a part of your world as much as everyone else, even with the power of the Silver Crystal, nobody can expect you to triumph every battle you face.

Now, all I've done is connect your lost piece to another set which is missing an almost identical piece. Again, it's not a perfect fit, but all of you can work together to make the seams connect, patching the hole once again."

Usagi's legs finally giving out under her. Usagi sinks on the ground, surely bruising her knees, but oddly.. none of her friends reaching over to comfort her.

Silence.

..

All too scared to speak. To be the one to break the spell. To be the one to coldly stab the other.

Setsuna takes the hint and starts making her way to leave.

"So she's gone forever?"

"..."

"Our Usagi is.. dead." The flowing tears on Minako's eyes betraying her flat, empty tone.

"Usagi is just Usagi. She's right beside you, you both share almost identical experiences and memories. What leads you to dwell on what you cannot have?"

"it's not the same."

"But it is. I .. fail to understand. Your world has not changed, it would have if I let events run their course, but I did not. A Usagi Tsukino would have died regardless of my actions. I have granted this world a second chance while also offering a new start to a surely sealed fate.

I have done this to help you. All of you."

"Why didn't you save her instead?" The voice coming from quivering Rei. Eyes downcast, hands clutched tight together on her lap, her sleeves now a darker shade of burgundy where the drops have been falling.

"That is not how this works.

You are all equal factors of your world.

If I were to intervene, it would not be your world anymore.

There's only so much I could do for you."

The atmosphere is left unchanged, the despair emanating from them growing ever louder. Yet.. Calm. Quiet. Resigned.

"I seem-"

Setsuna clears her throat, the first resemblance of real emotion finally getting caught in her throat.

"I seem to have made a.. misjudgment.

I assure you that my intentions were nothing but charitable, I apologize, truly.

I will reflect on the events that transpired tonight and how they'll affect my actions moving forward.

..

In the meantime.. I have the highest hopes that perhaps you all could still try to make the best of this cluttered affair. Not come for my sake but for your sakes.

Farewell for now."

With that, Setsuna disappears into the night, as quietly as she entered.

TLRD;

Usagi has tragically passed away form an accident during combat. Unknown to senshi, Sailor Pluto intervenes by saving an Usagi from a universe where she'd surely die along side the rest of her world and places her in this universe. Although some of the pieces don't seem to fall into place leading the girls to make their way to Pluto for some answers.