A Sailor Moon Fanfiction: The Pledge of the Sun.

Chapter 143

Not long after, Harusuke sat in his room staring up at the ceiling, still wondering about the current state of his powers and their cause, but he still couldn't think of any reason.

Then, he heard a quiet knocking on his door.

"Harusuke? It's me. May I come in?"

Harusuke sat up. "Sure. Come in."

The door opened, and Ikuko walked in.

"What's up, Mom?" asked Harusuke.

"I just came to check on you," said Ikuko. "After all, it's natural for a mom to worry when her son isn't acting like himself."

"But, Mom, I said I'm fine," said Harusuke. "There's no reason for you to be - ."

"Don't say it," Ikuko spoke a bit sternly.

Harusuke was slightly surprised as Ikuko sat on his bed.

"Listen, Harusuke, I know you're a teenage boy, and you've got problems you want to keep to yourself and deserve some privacy," she went on. "But that doesn't mean I won't stop worrying about you. So I want you to know if there's anything you want to talk about, please don't be afraid to talk to me. I'm not sure what I can do as your mother, but I'll try my best to help you, even if it's only a little bit."

Harusuke looked at his mother while remembering his past defeats at the hands of Tiger's Eye. While wanting to tell her everything, he knew that he couldn't/. However, he did feel grateful for his mother's concern.

He then smiled and hugged his mother. "Thanks, Mom. I appreciate that," said Harusuke. "And don't worry. If there's a problem that I can't handle, I'll say something."

Ikuko smiled and hugged her son back.

"Sorry, Mom," Harusuke spoke in his thoughts. "I'm open to telling you anything, but I'm afraid that this is something I can't tell to even you. But maybe - someday I will."

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The next day, Usagi and the teens were at Fruits Parlor Crown having drinks together. As they enjoyed them, Harusuke told the girls what Ikuko said.

"So your Mom's starting to worry about you, huh?" said Rei. "You didn't tell her anything, did you?"

"Like I would even mention it," Harusuke sighed. "Even if I wanted to tell her, it's not like I can say: "Hey, Mom. I'm a superhero who fights evil to save the world and have been getting my butt kicked by a bunch of evil circus acts." She'll either not believe me or think I'm crazy."

"That's the trouble with having a secret identity," sighed Usagi. "The hardest part is not only trying not to tell anyone about it but also having to keep the pain of being a superhero to yourself."

"But still... I hate having to keep things from her," said Harusuke. "I mean, she's my mom. So I can't help but feel a bit guilty."

"I know it's hard, Harusuke, but there's nothing for you to feel bad about," said Ami. "Remember, it's to protect her and the rest of your family."

"I know," nodded Harusuke. "And believe me, I'll do whatever it takes to protect them."

"That goes for us, too," said Chibiusa. "Even if she's not my mommy, Mommy Ikuko is still my family, and I want to protect her too."

Everyone else answered with a nod.

Harusuke was still worried but felt a bit better and was burning with determination.