Déjà vu had been more of a constant for Mamoru over the past few months on this oh-so-crazy mission.
However, when he entered Usagi's room, he saw a sight that almost pulled the rug from under his feet. Back in her Teeanger form, Usagi was dressed in her school uniform and looked almost exactly as she had on the first day they met. Instead of a crumpled English test, she had the Star Medallion in her hand and her face was a strange mixture of hope and sadness.
"You know, Mamoru," she began quietly as he closed the door behind him, "everything today was just so intense, I don't even know how to put it all together anymore."
Mamoru decided it was better not to mention that he had stayed close to the Sailor soldiers with Diana the whole time and had witnessed all of today's developments. Even the kiss between Usagi and his alter ego during this time.
Slowly, he silently approached her bed, where she looked so lost and continued to look at the small medallion.
"That Sailor Moon doppelganger was really a trap set by the Dark Kingdom. They almost beat us, but a new Sailor scout appeared out of thin air today. At first, we thought she might be the princess we'd been looking for for so long, but then she said she was Sailor Venus and that she would fight alongside us. We have a new ally and it feels great that we are now stronger than ever, but at the same time, I'm very worried about..."
Now Usagi looked up from her medallion and Mamoru could see tears at the corner of her eyes, threatening to run down her cheek at any moment.
"Mamoru, you have an injury on your shoulder from the fight."
It felt good that Usagi cared about him, but at the same time, Mamoru found it almost harder to hide the complete truth from her any longer. Embarrassed, he scratched his head and broke his silence.
"I must have been a little naive at the time and only had to save you on my mind, and I must have blocked everything out. Zoisite took cold advantage of that and rammed a pointed crystal full of black energy into my shoulder as thanks."
"What happened then?"
What should Mamoru do now? The decision had already been made that Usagi would lose her memories. At least from his side. And the worry lines on Usagi's otherwise smooth forehead were not a good sign for her otherwise cheerful nature. Over time, she would go through nothing but hell anyway. Tomorrow would see the final battle between him and Zoisite. He would fight her and the Sailor Team for three months, brainwashed by Beryl, until he almost killed her at the North Pole with his sword as Endymion. All her friends would die in the eternal ice before then and she would be completely alone.
How could she retain any confidence with all these experiences? Perhaps through him, if there was still a remnant of memory left in her. There was a possibility when Mamoru felt the small object in his inner jacket pocket.
Mamoru looked resolutely at Usagi and began to explain to her
"This search for the Moon Princess will come to an end tomorrow. We will run into each other on the street and you will follow me since you noticed the injury on my shoulder. We'll be dragged together from the Dark Kingdom to Starlight Tower and end up in a lift. The situation will spiral out of control and you will make a decision that will shake me to the core but simultaneously relieve me so infinitely."
Mamoru found many question marks in Usagi's eyes and so he continued with his explanation of the events to come.
"You honestly surprised me in many ways during this lift ride. We were facing death at that point, but somehow this "prison" was like a small world for both of us, where we had a real conversation for the first time. I told you the reason why I was looking for the rainbow crystal and at the same time I felt drawn to you, as if you were the explanation for all my questions. And to be completely honest, that's exactly how it is."
Mamoru sat down on the bed with Usagi, clasped her hands tightly, and looked at her insistently.
"Just like I said on the beach, I still mean it, Usagi. Just as I swore to you thousands of years ago. The reason for my existence, the reason for my entire endeavor, my entire mission. He is you and I will always and forever love and protect you."
Usagi looked more confused than ever and when Mamoru tried to lean in and touch her lips, she pulled away from him.
"I'm sorry. It's so strange. I just followed you after the fight and I did something that felt right. By Tuxedo Mask, I mean. I... well, I did it..."
Usagi didn't have to continue because Mamoru understood. He had understood the whole time and hadn't wanted to give up the last shred of hope. But he had to say goodbye to this idea. For good.
They were not from the same time. He didn't have his own star crystal. He was Mamoru, but not completely himself.
It hurt. It hurt immensely and at the same time it was okay, because it was supposed to be like this and not otherwise.
"You don't have to explain anything to me Usagi, it's okay."
Mamoru smiled sadly at his princess
"This time here with you was a gift I never even dared to dream of. You showed me what family is, what life feels like and how you keep making this world a better place with your zest for life."
As he pulled out the white cat ball, Usagi was already anticipating the next, inevitable step on this journey. She had already seen Mamoru take out this ball many times to erase certain memories of inexplicable things that had happened before. The fact that Mamoru was now holding this magical utensil in his hand and only the two of them were in this room could only mean one thing
"Mamoru, does this mean your mission is now complete?"
With a slight tremor in his voice, he reassured Usagi
"Yes, we were successful. There is a chance for us to succeed in the future with this weapon of love. Diana is already waiting for me. But there's one more thing I have to do and I think you know what I mean."
Usagi swallowed, then looked deep into Mamoru's eyes.
"It won't all be gone, will it? I mean the memories."
Mamoru hesitated briefly and ran his hand through his hair a little helplessly
"You'll remember everything, you'll know how you became Sailor Moon, you'll remember all your experiences with Luna and the Sailor Team, the same with your classmates, your family and all your friends and acquaintances. Only it will be as if... I never existed in your life with Diana and Kousagi."
"Oh, I see," was all Usagi could manage to bring out. She looked down at her hands. Just like the did on the stone wall of the bridge when Mamoru had told her that he was going to America.
"Are you okay with it?" He looked down at her sadly
"Yes, it's all right. What's the harm in that? It's not like we're never going to see each other again."
Usagi turned to Mamoru and immediately hid her blonde head in his chest so that he couldn't see her true pain.
"And... I'll always love you, too."
Yes, she would. And Mamoru admired Usagi in that moment for her strength, her courage and her bravery. He lifted her head and looked deep into her eyes. Tears streamed down her cheeks as she spoke
"Oh no, I actually wanted to say goodbye to you with a smile on my face."
"Usako."
Amazed, Usagi looked at the small brown velvet box in Mamoru's hand
"Open it", he instructed her
She carefully opened the lid. Inside, nestled on a white velvet cushion, was a sparkling silver ring with a rather large white diamond cut into a heart.
"Mamoru, this is..."
Usagi looked up from the ring to Mamoru. Silently, he took the ring out of the box and put it on Usagi's right finger.
"Here."
The ring, which Mamoru had bought in the Osap shop along with his own wedding ring, shone perfectly on Usagi's delicate ring finger. Somehow, he thought, it would come back to him one day. Maybe the same way as the star medallion.
"Aishiteru, Usako."
Usagi hugged Mamoru, beaming with joy.
"Thank you, I'll treasure it", she promised while whispering to him.
He held her tightly and wished that this moment could remain in both of their memories for eternity.
Tears ran down his cheeks as he put on Artemis T. Usagi lay down on the bed and before she turned to the side, she said with a smile on her lips.
"You know Mamoru, I often just flop down on my bed after school and have a litle nap. One day, Luna came through my open window while I was sleeping and woke me up. Since then, I keep thinking to myself "what if this is all just a never-ending dream and in reality, I'm nothing more, but little ordinary Usagi Tsukino. A clumsy crybaby?"
She was rewarded with a small smile on Mamoru's lips.
"You're more than that Usako. So. Much. More."
Usagi nodded and closed her eyes. Mamoru threw the white ball high into the air and a pink-coloured cloud immediately enveloped the fourteen-year-old schoolgirl. Mamoru stood in front of her bed for a moment and watched, lost in thought, as Usagi slept peacefully, breathing evenly.
"I'll wait for you, Usako. I'll give you space to the moon if it's what you need. Just say you one day will bring back yourself to me. With all your memories of us."
-------
Compared to the bustling Tokyo, Elysium seemed like a quiet, evergreen, forgotten paradise.
As last time, Mamoru had regained consciousness in front of the large lake. Around him, this magical realm looked exactly as he had left it. Except for the difference that this time, he formed a four-leaf clover with Diana, little Kousagi, and the Light of Hope.
"Chibi?" The little girl asked curiously and looked questioningly at Mamoru. Before he could answer, however, he noticed a strange energy in his chest preparing to leave his body.
"Your Majesty, that is the energy from Helios' star crystal," Diana spoke Mamoru's suspicions aloud.
On the one hand, Mamoru felt relieved about this energy, but on the other hand, the withdrawal of the life elixir would prevent him from travelling back to Usagi in the past forever. It was a bit like saying goodbye and looking into an uncertain future. All his hope now lay in the magic inherent in the small star medallion.
"You have mastered your task. The light of hope. I can feel its energy." Helios had stepped out of the evergreen forest into the clearing in the guise of a pegasus and touched the golden medallion with his golden horn reverently.
"Helios, where are Setsuna and the others?" Diana looked around searchingly.
Pegasus' face darkened, "Sailor Pluto had to go into battle against Galaxia. A lot has happened since you left. Unfortunately, there is no future for the two princesses at this moment. The world is in great danger."
Mamoru followed Helio's gaze to the star medallion. Diana raised her voice to her friends.
"It took us a lot of time and effort to locate Galaxia's Star Crystal in the past. If we can't use this power, then it will all have been for nothing."
All for nothing? Mamoru couldn't believe Diana's words. All these experiences with Usagi, her family and the incomparable feeling of having a family of their own were enriching and would remain in Mamoru's memory forever. Even if they couldn't defeat Galaxia in the end, this journey had been anything but in vain. Angrily, Mamoru clenched his fist and spoke
"No, Diana. That's not true. We had a wonderful time and all our memories will stay with us no matter where we go and what we become one day. I'm more than sure of that. It just can't be any other way."
Diana looked sadly at her master, but before she could say anything in response to Mamoru's outburst, the little girl had taken Mamoru's hand and said "Chibi, Galaxia" loud and clear. Her focussed, highly concentrated gaze did not bode well for her companions. She focussed on the star medallion and closed her eyes. All at once, the star crystal appeared and floated gently into the palms of the small child's hands, which moulded themselves into a shimmering, pointed iron.
The three companions watched devoutly as the mysterious little girl transformed into a sword, which vanished into thin air within seconds of its transformation.
"She will stand by Sailor Moon in the battle against Galaxia as a weapon of love," Helios finally broke the silence.
"Helios." Mamoru had to get this off his chest, he simply had to know if there was still a spark of hope to save Usagi's memories.
"A lot happened on my journey into the past, a lot of which Usagi witnessed. Artemis T has taken all of her memories, but is there perhaps a way to give them back to her one day?"
Helios looked at his master urgently.
"Endymion. Your connection to Serenity is unique in this universe. Your love has lasted for thousands of years. Do you really think that a magical cat ball or a Dark Kingdom brainwash, or even the Silver Crystal, could ever truly rob you of your time together and the memories that come with it?"
Mamoru looked at the white pegasus in front of him in utter disbelief.
"You mean there is a possibility?"
"It will reveal itself to you when the time is right. Be confident and have hope. I believe in Sailor Moon and her unique power of love. She will protect us. Whether she has the light of hope with her or not. Because there is hope in all of us."
Helio's words still echoed in Mamoru's mind as the little girl, now in her Sailor Warrior uniform, materialised above them and fell exhausted into Mamoru's arms.
"Chibi," Diana cried out in surprise.
"There's hope in all of us," Mamoru murmured, lost in thought, as he gently stroked the sleeping Chibi Sailor Warrior's face.
"Oh dear. What can we do now?" Diana looked anxiously at her comrades-in-arms.
But she was denied an answer when a shivering cold suddenly spread over Elysion. Mamoru knew this harbinger from times gone by only too well; his kingdom was in acute danger and about to be swallowed up by the darkness.
"There is hope in all of us," echoed the storming trees of Elysion.
"Majesty, Diana!" The white pegasus tried to spread its wings protectively, but the darkness drew ever closer to the shore of the lake. It would soon swallow up the three remaining heroes and the little girl.
"Yes, there is hope in all of us. Even if it's only a little light of hope. I believe in it. And I love this world. Just like Usagi. And all our friends. I believe that Galaxia loves this world just as much as we all do."
Mamoru's words acted like a magical light in the now pitch-black stormy night and slowly began to spread and calm the severe weather.
"This warmth, this is..." Daina began, but the little Sailor Warrior in Mamoru's arms was quicker.
"Chibi," she squeaked happily and cheerfully. She squeezed Mamoru's hand tightly and pulled him up into the sky of his kingdom.
Before Mamoru knew it, he was floating high in the air, looking down on his brightly lit, evergreen land.
"Farewell, Endymion," Mamoru heard Helios say one moment, and the next he was floating high above the clouds of Tokyo. His princess had turned her back to him, covered only by wings, and was obviously speechless at the sight of the Sailor warriors around her who had also found their way back to this world they all loved so much.
"Usako."
At her beloved pet name, Usagi moved around and looked at Mamoru in his guise as Endymion with tears in her eyes.
Love had won.
And this sixteen-year-old middle school girl had saved the whole world with her own light of hope. Just as she had done before and would do for all eternity. Mamoru felt pure admiration for her strength as she fell happily into his arms and he told her, "You were brave, my Usako."
"Mamoru," she blurted out in tears and he took her in his arms, never wanting to let her go,
"It's finally over. It's all good now."
He had his Usako back. Nothing would ever come between them again.
This could be the end.
Except for one tiny little thing.
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Dearest readers,
Thank you for reading this story so far. There is an epilogue coming up soon, so please stay with me for the last chapter of this story. As you might know I also publish my stories on platforms like AO3 or fanfiction.net - this platform here is my playground where you find the first ideas of my stories. I write, I change, I publish here every now and then and I am always happy to hear from you.
Love
Danni-Bunny