Stars in a New Sky

Chapter 34: Just Like Heaven

Usagi awoke to the sight of swirling grey mist. Puzzled, she slowly sat up. Despite how hard she tried, her eyes could not pierce the thick veil of fog that surrounded her. How had she gotten here? Where was here? The last thing she remembered was...

"Hello, Princess Serenity."

The voice startled her. Turning, she spotted a tall Sailor Guardian appear out of the mist. Sailor Pluto, her memories supplied for her. She frowned in confusion. Sailor Pluto rarely left the door to Time and Space unguarded. The guardian had only been in attendance at Silver Millennium a few times in her living memory. Pluto regarded her with a soft smile. She hadn't changed one bit. She was as effortlessly poised as ever. Her long, dark hair hung loose down her back. She carried with her a tall staff with a bright red orb at the top. She looked completely unabashed at Usagi's presence.

"Am I dead?" Usagi couldn't stop herself from asking.

Sailor Pluto gave a quiet laugh. "No, you're not dead. Your soul is at a way-station between the worlds. You've put a lot of strain on that human body of yours."

"The Silver Crystal." Usagi reached for the moon stick only to come up empty-handed. A moment of panic streaked across her face.

"Relax. It will be there when you need it. Though the Silver Crystal has become fused with your being, you must still take care. Your human body can only take so much. Once you ascend, that will change."

"Ascend?" Usagi repeated uneasily. Becoming a goddess wasn't exactly high on her priority list at the moment. She would be lucky to pass the entrance exams into Juban High School.

Sailor Pluto shook her head. "You won't have to worry about that any time soon. You have a lot of living as a human to do before that happens."

The certainty in her voice was reassuring. Slowly, Usagi stood. She looked down in surprise to see herself still in the gauzy white dress from Silver Millennium. "So, what now?"

Pluto's smile grew wider. "That's entirely up to you."

"Will I remember this?" Usagi gestured vaguely to the mist. 

Sailor Pluto shook her head. "No, it's best if you didn't. This isn't the first time you've met me in this place...and I suspect it won't be the last. You've always had a way of complicating things."

"I'm...sorry?"

Pluto laughed once more. "No apologies are necessary. You've kept things interesting."

"Oh..." She smiled half-heartedly. "How do I get back?"

"Do you want to go back?" Pluto asked, a wry smile tugging her lips. She could see the stricken look on the girl's face and decided to clarify. "You have a choice, princess. Your soul can move on and reincarnate, hopefully in a more peaceful time." She watched Usagi's face fall in disappointment. The expression filled Pluto's heart with joy. It meant Usagi hadn't quite given up the fight for her life. For her life as a Sailor Guardian.

"Or..."

"Or?" Usagi looked up with hope in her innocent eyes.

"Or you can use the Silver Crystal's power to return home...with everyone else."

"With everyone..." She whispered in shock. "Are they..." She broke off as tears welled in her eyes. At this moment, she didn't care if she was a crybaby. It was too hard to be strong right now. "Are they alive?"

Pluto cocked her head to the side as if she were listening to a sound only she could hear. "Your guardians, your prince, and the other two reincarnates are clinging to life. Their souls have not quite crossed over yet."

Usagi gasped, pressing her hand to her mouth. "I-I can bring them back?" She sobbed.

"Yes, princess. There's just enough power within you to manage that safely. If that is what you choose."

Usagi nodded without hesitation. What kind of life could she possibly have without the girls and Mamoru? How could she even consider allowing herself to reincarnate? Who knows if she would even meet them all a third time around? "I'll do it."

Sailor Pluto bowed deeply. "Just as I would expect of our princess."

***

I love you, Mamo...

Mamoru awoke with a start, his heart pounding in his chest. His eyes darted around the familiar features of his sunlight bedroom. Uncertainty and confusion had him by the throat. The last thing he could remember was...dying in the Dark Kingdom.  Dying in Usagi's arms. His mind winced at the awful memory. Now, he was alive and home...but how? 

A sudden clatter in the kitchen sent a spike of adrenaline through his body. Someone was in his apartment. Sliding out of bed with the stealth of a panther, Mamoru reached for the first thing he could lay his hands on. The wood of the baseball bat was warm from the light of the sun. His hands wrapped securely around the familiar grip. Slowly, he cracked open his bedroom door and slipped silently into the living area. Bat raised and ready pounce, Mamoru stopped short at the sight that greeted him.

"Hurry up, Mako! I need help with the curry." Usagi demanded, the phone receiver sandwiched between her shoulder and jaw. She was busily mixing something in a bowl with a wooden spool, while a pot was emitting an alarming amount of smoke. He suspected from the smell that something was about to burn. Her face was smudged with some kind of sauce and her apron was stained in various places. He knew without looking that his entire kitchen was probably a disaster area...and it was the most glorious thing he'd ever seen. 

It was at that moment that Usagi looked up. "Oh, Mako! I've got to go. He just woke up." She hung up the phone and hastily wiped her hands on a small towel. "Hey, Mamo! Sorry if I woke you up." She motioned him to stay where he was while she stepped around the kitchen island. "I was just making--"

"Is this...real?" Mamoru whispered, interrupting her. His heart thudded against his ribs, barely daring to hope that this vision wasn't a hallucination. That his Usako was real.

Usagi smiled gently. "Of course, it's real...we made it this time."

The abrupt thunk of the baseball bat on the carpet startled Usagi. Before she could say anything else, Mamoru had covered the short distance between them and wrapped his arms around her. He drew her body in tight as if terrified she might disappear. She could feel hot tears soak into her shirt. 

"I did it, Mamo. I ended it." She smiled against his chest, reveling in the warmth of his arms. 

His watery chuckle was muffled. "I never had any doubt." He pulled back and smiled down into her sweet face. Moving impulsively, he kissed her soft lips. She returned his kiss with equal fervor. Her passion touched his wounded heart, reassuring them that this was real. They were alive. They had survived. No longer did they toil under Metalia's shadow. 

This was only the beginning of their new lives and he didn't intend to take anything for granted. Not after he'd gone through a virtual hell and found a place just like heaven.