Stars in a New Sky

Chapter 6: Duty

Warmth

It was the first thing Usagi felt as she slowly regained consciousness. She couldn't remember why she was unconscious. Uneasiness kept her from probing any deeper. Instead, she focused on the warmth enveloping her. It reminded her of her dreams in the arms of her prince. She smiled and tightened her arms around it. She felt safe and content. If this were a dream, she never wanted to wake up. 

Faintly, the sound of voices reached her ears.  

"How am I going to explain this?"

Usagi sighed and snuggled closer to the warmth. It was Mamoru's voice. She liked his voice. It was calm and reassuring. Just like her dream prince. Now that she thought about it, Mamoru looked a bit like her prince...maybe if he wore a mask it would be easier to compare?

"Don't worry. I'll take care of that. I just need you to carry her."

Whose voice was that? If sounded familiar, but Usagi couldn't place it. It stirred a memory...something buried deep in that darkness she didn't want to explore. It was part of the reason she'd been asleep. She didn't want to open her eyes, but her mind wouldn't let her rest.

"Carry me where?"  Usagi murmured.

Mamoru came to a stop and looked over his shoulder to see Usagi's blue eyes slowly open. His breath caught in his throat, his heart hammering in his chest. He knew she'd started to wake up a few minutes ago when she'd tightened her arms around him. He would be lying if he said it hadn't affected him. He usually disliked contact with people he barely knew, but this was different. Usagi didn't feel like a stranger. It felt as if he'd known her for years. He felt oddly protective of her.

"Home." 

Usagi looked down to see the black cat from earlier looking up at her. "Hey! It's you." It was the cat from earlier...the talking cat who tried to protect them from Mr. Hayashi...or whatever was inside Mr. Hayashi. Closing her eyes, she sighed, burying her face in Mamoru's back. She was too tired and weary to be embarrassed by what she was doing. "It wasn't a dream, was it?" She asked, her voice muffled.

"Sorry, bun-head. It was real."

She could feel his voice vibrate through his chest. "Don't call me that." she muttered.

"Usagi?"

She looked up at the sound of her name. The black cat was gazing at her with a sad expression. "This wasn't supposed to happen. Selene wanted you to have a peaceful life."

Patting Mamoru's shoulder, Usagi signaled him to put her down. Squatting down to the cat's level, she asked, "Who are you and who is Selene? What happened to Mr. Hayashi? Where is he?"

Luna bit back a small chuckle. It seemed not much had changed for the princess in this life except for her name. "My name is Luna and Selene is a goddess of the moon." She replied.

Usagi looked from Mamoru to the cat. "A goddess?"

He shrugged. "She vanished into thin air...I'm willing to believe she's a goddess."

"O-okay. Why does a goddess care what happens to me? Why did Mr. Hayashi attack us?"

"Well," Luna began. "Your teacher...Mr. Hayashi was possessed by an evil force called Metalia. She needs a host to manifest in our world."

"And the rest?" Mamoru pressed. He leaned against a light post and folded his arms over his chest. "I think Usagi and I deserve an explanation after all that." He was more than a little frustrated with Luna for her secrecy and Selene with her cryptic answers. He'd been trying to get information out of the cat on the way back to Usagi's house, but she had been reticent to speak with Usagi unconscious.

Luna sighed under the weight of his gaze. "Fine." Even in this life, Endymion retained his intimidating presence. "A long time ago, there was a kingdom on the moon..." She told them everything about Princess Serenity and Prince Endymion. How they met...how they fell in love...and how they died. She told them about Metalia...her greed for the power of the Silver Crystal...and her eventual imprisonment.

"Now that the goddess Selene is awake, she is determined to destroy Metalia once and for all."

Usagi rocked back on her heels. "That sounds just like a fairy tale..." The story of the tragic couple made her heart ache. She could feel tears burning her eyes. "But...if they died, why did Metalia call me a princess?"

"She called me Endymion. What did she mean?" Mamoru regarded the cat with suspicion. He didn't like where his mind was going. Between the dreams, Metalia, and Luna's story...Mamoru was fairly sure he had the answer to both his and Usagi's question. However, he wanted Luna to say it herself.

Luna looked up at her princess' earnest face. She was still so innocent and fragile...much as she was before. Endymion towered over them, his face stoic, his eyes a mystery. From what Luna had observed, this incarnation was already starting to grow attached to the princess. Destiny was a hard thing to fight. "You and Mamoru are the reincarnations of Princess Serenity and Prince Endymion. Now that your powers have begun to awaken, you'll be able to defend yourself from Metalia."

"Wait, what?!" Usagi jumped up, shaking her head emphatically. Her chest tightened as panic threatened to overwhelm her. A princess?! She was the farthest thing from it. And fight? Ridiculous. She was a terrible klutz on a good day. What made that crazy cat think she could fight monsters?! "I can't fight and I'm not some princess! If you knew me, you'd know I'd be no good!" She could hear the fear and panic in her voice, but couldn't stop the rush of words falling from her lips. 

Luna approached tentatively. "I'm sorry, this is a lot to take in, but it's the truth. It's your duty to protect the Silver Crystal."

"Duty?" Usagi gasped, backing away. She bumped into Mamoru's chest. He placed a comforting hand on her shoulder. The warmth in his hand felt solid and reassuring. Some of her panic eased. "Easy, bun-head. It sounds scary, but you won't be alone."

"I won't?" She looked up at him, eyes glazed with tears.

"No. You think I can let my pupil run off on her own? And besides," he added. "You might not remember, but you're the one who saved us earlier." 

Usagi's eyes widened in surprise. "I did?"

Mamoru nodded. "It was actually really cool."

Usagi sighed. "I'll try, but don't be surprised if I suck at being a princess." Together the three of them continued the rest of the way to Usagi's house. After a moment, Usagi asked. "So...what happened to Mr. Hayashi? Is he okay?"

Luna glanced guiltily at Mamoru. He averted his gaze to the night sky. He was not about to try carrying both Usagi and Mr. Hayashi. Since Selene hadn't stuck around to lend a hand, Mamoru made an executive decision and left Mr. Hayashi under the protection of a tree. He was breathing normally and would probably wake up soon. The park wasn't in a bad neighborhood and there was a police station down the street. Maybe he should call in an anonymous tip when he got home?

"He'll be fine." Mamoru replied.

Luna arched a brow at him. "Right...he'll be fine."