💫Drops of Starlight💫
by Strawberry Moon Rose
🍓🌙🌹
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Chapter 2: Listens Like Spring, Talks Like June
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"Oh my god! Seiya!?" Usagi's reaction registered as pure shock. Seiya only had two seconds to indulge in her comical expression before the shorter girl rushed forward, yanking her into an embrace.
A familiar scent tickled Seiya's nose - floral notes with a hint of vanilla. Memories cascaded over Seiya like a waterfall, flooding her senses. In mere seconds, she was drowning in a torrent of recollections—the last tender kiss on Usagi's cheek, her own playful remarks about whisking Bun Head away after their final concert, and the poignant moment of leaping on top of Sailor Moon, shielding her from Galaxia's devastating blow.
"I missed you!" Usagi's high-pitched voice was muffled into Seiya's shoulder. She sensed a momentary hesitation from Usagi - was she regretting the hug? Seiya hoped not. She reassured her by pressing the warmth of her winter gloves onto her back. Usagi must have decided the embrace was lasting a beat too long and hurriedly pulled back.
Seiya felt her cheeks flush a bubblegum pink. She hoped Usagi thought it was from the cold.
"Silly me, c'mon in and get warmed up! Here, I'll go make you some tea. Or would you like coffee?"
"Tea would be great," Seiya replied, stepping inside. Static electricity tingled her scalp as she tugged off her hat.
"I'll take your coat."
Seiya shrugged off her fleece coat, revealing a black turtleneck sweater. A short gold necklace swung around her neck. Dark denim hugged her hips, tucked into ankle combat boots that Seiya proceeded to untie in the entryway.
"Oh," Usagi blurted out. When their eyes met, she quickly cut her gaze and disappeared into the kitchen.
Seiya smiled inwardly, jumping to the conclusion Usagi had been expecting her male disguise. For some reason, it amused her.
Something like a whine sounded from somewhere in the apartment. Seiya slipped off her shoes as Usagi rushed out of the kitchen into the connecting dining room. Seiya followed, entering the room just as Usagi helped an infant latch to her breast.
"Oh!" Seiya froze. A baby. Bun Head...has a child?
Usagi smiled modestly, apologetically. "Sorry, Seiya. It's her suppertime. I hope you don't mind."
"Not at all." Seiya lowered herself on the far cushion. "I'm just a bit surprised. Though I shouldn't be, you know?"
The baby, with her cotton candy pink curls, turned her head in the direction of Seiya's voice, her big ruby-brown eyes filled with curiosity.
Seiya softened, murmuring with a smile, "She looks like Chibi Chibi." The baby returned the smile shyly before turning back to Usagi's chest.
"Her name is Usagi, but we call her Chibi-Usa for short."
"She's adorable. Congrats, Bun Head. She's lucky to have you as her mom."
"Thanks."
There was a pregnant pause.
"She'll be six months old on the 30th, next week," Usagi said before a shill whistle interrupted from the kitchen. "Oh, the tea," said Usagi, diverting her attention.
"I'll get it," Seiya offered. Shortly after, she returned, placing two steaming hot tea cups on the coffee table. This time, she chose the cushion beside Usagi.
"It's been a while, Seiya," Usagi began. "Tell me what you've been up to these past few years. Gosh, it's so nice to see you! How are Taiki and Yaten? Your Princess, is she doing well?"
"They're all doing great," Seiya responded. "Rebuilding our planet after Galaxia's destruction took a long time, even after most of the starseeds returned. Some lives were lost, and it wasn't easy. Last month, we finally completed the reconstruction of our palace. I'm employed as a full-time guardian for Princess Kakyuu. When I'm not on duty, I'm usually playing football with my team or writing music. I don't think I could ever stop singing, even if it's just in the shower." Seiya let out a small laugh.
"Really? That's amazing. I'm so happy for you..."
"Actually, Yaten and Taiki came here with me. They're probably looking for your friends as we speak. What are the girls doing these days? Tell me everything."
"Well, Rei is in Kyoto, training her priestess powers. Her grandfather passed away two years ago, so she's got Yuuichiro in charge of the shrine while she's away. She'll lie, but I think they're dating... Minako is in London with Artemis filming a drama that's going to premiere next year. Isn't that great? Minako followed her dream to become an idol. She mainly does singing and dance, so this will be her TV debut."
"Impressive," said Seiya. She understood Earth's entertainment world all too well. It wasn't as easy to break into as one would think.
"As for Mako, she owns a restaurant downtown and does floral design on the side. She's engaged to Motoki from the arcade. I don't suppose you ever met him... And anyway, Ami works here in Tokyo as a doctor, no surprise! She studied med school in America for a while, but she lives not too far from me now. She stops by when she can, but she works long hours. I wish I could see everyone more often, but we're all spread out and have our own lives now."
"Wow," Seiya responded, pulling her legs up to sit cross-legged. "I feel like just yesterday we were kids... Now look at everybody. I'm happy they're pursuing their dreams."
Usagi smiled, but her eyes didn't. "Yeah..."
Seiya suddenly noticed the dark circles under her eyes. She took in the stray hairs sticking out of her buns, and the crusty spit-up on her tee. Usagi had aged well, she didn't look much older, just that her curves filled out and her face lost a little of its roundness, but she looked...tired. Which made sense with a baby so young. But Seiya couldn't shake the feeling that there was something else Usagi wasn't telling her.
"Bun Head... I'm happy for your friends. But how about you?"
Usagi glanced down, appearing fixated on an invisible piece of lint on Chibi-Usa's onesie. "I'm okay," she said.
That was all she said. Seiya didn't push. Her attention shifted to the disarray of the room - the toppled bins of baby toys and scattered plastic rattles and crinkly books strewn all over the floor. Seiya remembered the glimpse of dirty dishes piled high on the countertops when she walked past. She knew Usagi could be messy, but this seemed like something more. The scene before her didn't quite align with the cheerful girl Seiya remembered. From the makeup-free appearance, to the jumble of baby activity mats and the opened package of diapers at their feet, it was evident that Usagi's life had taken a different turn.
The apartment was tiny, though not terribly outdated. The glass patio door led to a petite balcony overlooking Tokyo. At this time of day, the sun had dipped below the skyscrapers, casting the room in shades of apricot-orange and dragon fruit-pink.
"Is Mamoru getting off work soon?" Seiya asked. She wouldn't want to overstay her welcome once it got dark and Usagi's husband returned home. Though she had no problem with Mamoru, in fact she hardly knew the man, she'd rather not intrude.
"Mamo and I aren't together anymore."
Seiya blinked. "What?" she said stupidly, for a lack of a better response.
Usagi nibbled on her lip. "It's a long story..."
The rhythmic ticking of the grandfather clock filled the room, emphasizing the silence that followed. Sensing that Usagi might be willing to open up, Seiya said, "I've got time, Bun Head. But only if you want to talk about it."
Seiya's mind was racing with questions. They aren't together? I don't understand. They got married! What happened? That would explain why she saw no signs of anyone else living there—no briefcase by the door, no men's shoes in the entryway.
"It's okay, Seiya. It doesn't bother me to talk about it. I've healed from it all... " Usagi stroked Chibi-Usa's hair lovingly as she spoke. "Last year as we entered the new millenium, Crystal Tokyo was supposed to take over. But, as you can see, that didn't happen. It's still modern day."
"Crystal Tokyo?" Seiya furrowed her brows.
"Oh, I suppose you wouldn't know. It was my destiny. This beautiful, shiny future where I rule over as Neo Queen Serenity. I've seen it. Yes, time travel exists, as crazy as it sounds. It was supposed to happen when we went from the year 1999 to 2000. Like magic, or something, I'm not really sure how it works. But either way, it just never happened. Setsuna says something may have thrown me off from my destined path that rewrote my - no, our futures. She says Crystal Tokyo doesn't exist in the future timeline anymore, but she won't say anymore about that."
As Usagi reached for her teacup, Seiya quickly rose to help her, holding the cup to Usagi's lips while making sure not to disturb Chibi-Usa snoozing peacefully in her arms.
"Thanks," Usagi smiled appreciatively.
"No problem."
Usagi paused for a moment, gently pulling back from Chibi-Usa and adjusting her clothing. "I think once our fated future didn't materialize, that was it. There wasn't anything keeping us together anymore. Deep down, I had a feeling that Mamoru was only with me because he felt like he had to be. We knew the date when Chibi-Usa would be born, so we planned to conceive her last October, the night before our wedding." Usagi looked down, appearing somewhat embarrassed by that, or the fact she had said too much. "Please, don't judge."
"Of course not," Seiya said.
As Usagi continued sharing, the weight of her words hung heavy in the air. The room felt suffocating, filled with the bittersweet mixture of love and loss. Seiya listened intently, trying to comprehend the complexities of the situation.
"It was this February, when I was five months pregnant with Chibi-Usa, that Setsuna came to us with the news of the future being gone and it wasn't coming back," Usagi revealed. "It was just too much. Looking back, I should have known, with the way things were during our engagement... Mamo was distant and cold. I thought it was the stress of the wedding planning, but it never went away."
Seiya couldn't help but feel a surge of anger towards Mamoru. How could he leave Usagi during such a vulnerable time?
"Next thing I knew, Mamo was packing his things, telling me he's quitting his job to finally finish his degree in America. He said that at twenty-eight years old, it wasn't too late to pursue the dreams he had put off since I was sixteen. I mean, he'd already done his part, Chibi-Usa was going to happen. It wasn't the first time he broke up with me. And honestly, I'm a little relieved that Crystal Tokyo will never happen because that means my friends won't have to give up their lives to serve me. And Mamo can be happy too. I want that for him. I won't hold anybody back. I'm trying to look on the bright side, I have to. I'm a single mom with no skills and I don't have anyone to blame but myself for not being who I was supposed to be."
"Don't say that, Bun Head!" Seiya nearly shouted. Chibi-Usa flinched, and Seiya softened her tone. "I can't bear to hear you talk like that. This future not unfolding as planned is not your fault. And there's certainly no reason for Mamoru to abandon you to take care of his daughter either." Seiya felt her notorious temper flaring up. She closed her eyes and used every ounce of strength to control her emotions she could muster. "He should be standing by your side, regardless of ruling a kingdom or leading a simple life."
Usagi took in Seiya's words and finally admitted, "You're right. If he truly loved me as I once loved him, he would have stayed by my side, no matter what future we faced."
Seiya clenched and unclenched her fists in her lap. This is all too much. All these years I've been imagining Usagi living her dream life. She's supposed to be happy. That jerk...! How does he not see what's right in front of him? How could he just leave her on her own?
"Please don't be too mad with him, Seiya. Mamo's not a bad guy. He got sucked into my world without permission almost a decade ago. I know he loves me like a sister, and that's okay with me."
"But, Bun Head-"
"He makes sure I'm well off, financially. Thanks to him, I can stay home with Chibi-Usa. That we have this apartment, and food to eat. For that, I'm grateful."
Seiya tugged on her ponytail, even though it didn't need to be adjusted. "You know your mom wants you to move back home, Bun Head. I stopped at your old house thinking I'd find you there. She's the one who gave me your address."
Usagi let out a sigh, a mix of weariness and determination. "I know. But I don't want to be a burden. I'm an adult now. I have a family of my own. And besides, I don't mind. It forces me to grow up a little, you know? When Chibi-Usa was a child, we lived there together for years. I need this."
Seiya looked puzzled by the last part, but she brushed it off, her expression turning pained. "I hate seeing you unhappy," she admitted, reaching out for Usagi's hand. She knew the moon princess didn't mind when she returned the squeeze.
Usagi met her eyes and seemed to relax. It felt good to make a difference, no matter how small. Those big blue eyes studied what felt like her features: short black bangs, her signature ponytail and crescent-shaped earrings...
"Thank you for being here, Seiya," she whispered. "I really missed you."
"I missed you too, Bun Head. And I'll be here anytime you want me." Seiya kissed the back of her hand. "I always have been."