Wavering Destiny

Chapter 38: Ready or Not

Wavering Destiny
by Strawberry Moon Rose

The outer guardians never transformed during Stars, but I'm under the assumption that when Saturn gave Uranus, Neptune, and Pluto their upgrades to Super form in the first episode that they too changed their phrases to "Crystal Power...Make Up!". So that's what I've used.

Keep in mind that the only people who are aware that it's too late for Chibi-Usa to happen now are Setsuna, Mamoru, Usagi, and Seiya. The inner and outer guardians still are under the assumption that if Usagi and Mamoru work things out she'll be born.

Thank you for your supportive reviews =D

Enjoy :)

Disclaimer: I do not own Sailor Moon or any of the characters. They belong to Naoko Takeuchi.
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Chapter 38: Ready or Not
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"So she just left? Without saying anything?" Rei asked in disbelief.

Minako nodded and tilted her head back against the pillar under the Hikawa Shrine. She was sitting with her knees to her chest. Her head ached from a sleepless night, dark bags etched under her usually bright eyes. As if mourning over Yaten and worrying about Chibi-Usa wasn't enough, Usagi had to disappear on top of it. She had to lie to her mother and tell her Usagi had gone home when she had no clue where she was at. Minako was stressed out and it showed.

"But why?" Makoto folded her arms across her large chest. "It's not like Usagi to leave without telling us. I wonder if something happened to her."

"That's what I'm worried about," said Rei, squeezing her eyes shut.

"You said that she went to talk with her father, correct?" Ami inquired.

Minako nodded. "But I knew something was up by the look on her face. I checked the caller ID after she left and she'd been talking to Mamoru. When she didn't return, I started to get worried. Usagi had been avoiding him since we'd gotten back. I don't know what he said to make her agree to meet him, but she did."

"So where's he at now?" Rei demanded. She stopped sweeping the cement and shifted the old fashioned straw broom over to one hand.

Minako sighed, her shoulders drooping. "That's just it, he won't pick up the phone. I even went to his apartment last night and his university this morning, but he wasn't at either of the places. I don't know where he is and that worries me even more."

"This is really strange," Artemis commented, speaking for the first time. He sat alert next to Luna on the stone shrine steps, tail swishing back and forth anxiously.

"I'll say," Luna agreed. She gazed up at the overcast afternoon sky. "Usagi...where are you?"

She'd been giving her owner much needed space while she stayed at Minako's, entrusting Artemis to watch over the both of them. She was starting to regret the decision and wondered if she should have gone and talked with her instead.

"I'm trying her communicator right now," Ami said, flipping open her blue wristwatch and keying in some information.

Rei set the broom down and peered over her shoulder. "Got anything yet, Ami?" she asked after a moment.

Ami frowned. "This is odd, it won't even connect to her. She must be out of range or something. I'll try again..."

"Impossible!" Luna got to her feet and walked over to the Mercurian guardian. "Unless she's out of the country, there should always be signal."