In Another Lifetime - Four
Usagi-chan
Usagi@tuxedomask.com
I don't own Sailormoon or anything pertaining to
E-mail me

~~~
The next day, we all met at my temple again.  Misao and Antai sat 
nervously fidgeting with anything and everything, while I swept
the temple grounds, over and over.  We were waiting for Migaru,
who was late.  This didn't surprise any of us, but it was driving
us nuts.

"Sorry I'm late guys!" Migaru called as she came up the stairs.
Antai and Misao jumped to their feet.

"Are we ready to go?" Misao looked up at me.  I set the broom 
against the wall and nodded.

"I guess so.  Does everyone know what to say?" I asked.

"Yes, Rei-chan." Migaru replied, smiling.  "We're going to
see Usagi you guys!  Be happy!"

"Happy?" Misao asked.  "We're going to rob her of her innocence.
Again!  How can I be happy?"

"Misao!" I reprimanded her.  Somehow, in Usagi's absence, I had
been elected leader.  It was not a position I enjoyed.

The four of us walked silently towards the familiar apartment 
complex.  We would often go with Usagi to visit Mamoru and it
was odd going to visit Usagi there.

All too soon the building loomed in front of us.  It was one
of the few that Serenity had not let the architects change.
She wanted it exactly as it had been.

I opened the door and walked in, the others coming behind me.
We paused to look at the name plates, glancing down them.  One
of the names leapt out at me.

"Chiba." I said quietly.

"Oh my..." Migaru whispered.

"I thought you said his energy signal was missing?" Misao asked.

"It's even the same number Mamoru used to live in..." Antai
was shocked.  

"Let's go up and see who it is." Misao suggested.  I nodded, 
and we went to the elevator.  

Nervously, the four of us stepped in and I pushed the button
marked twelve.  The elevator lurched and began moving up.  I
bit my lip, and could taste the coppery blood.  When the 
elevator stopped, and the doors slid open, I almost couldn't
bring myself to step out.  Then I remembered my first vision.
The feelings of despair were enough to get me moving.

"Who wants to knock?" Migaru asked as we stood in front of the
door.

"I will." Misao raised her hand and rapped sharply three times.
We waited a few minutes and we could hear voices before we
heard footsteps coming towards the door.

The door slid open, almost painfully slow.  When I saw who
had opened it, I almost gasped.  It was the exact image of
Usagi.  Every detail was the same as it had been when she
was sixteen.

"Chiba...  Chiba-san?" I managed to choke out.  She giggled.

"No.  That's my boyfriend.  Just a sec." She turned slightly.  
"Mamo-chan!  It's for you!" Her voice was the same as well.
"Please, come in." She smiled at us and we all stepped into
the front hallway.

"Her signal is strong enought to block out his." Antai 
whispered.  "That's why my program couldn't find him."

I nodded slightly, trying to prepare myself for what Chiba
Mamoru looked like now.

As he stepped into view, I almost fainted.  He, too, was 
an exact replica of the Chiba Mamoru from before Crystal
Tokyo.

"Yes?" He asked, his voice the same deep tone it had been.

"We...  We'd like to talk to you." I drew on my confidence
as a Shinto Priestess to talk to them, since my power 
as Himoto Rei and Sailormars failed me at the shock.

"About?" He asked.

"Both of you." I ammended.  "May we come in?"

"Mamo-chan?" Usagi looked up at Mamoru, confusion 
clouding her eyes.

"Its alright, Usako." He smiled at her and gestured for us
to come in.  We slipped off our shoes and followed them into
the living room.

I was shocked at the appearance of the place.  It seemed untouched!
It was like we stepped back in time.  Mamoru had everything set up
just as he had before, from the couch and tv, to the cabinet
and the vase of roses.  I heard a small gasp from behind me and
knew that Antai recognized everything too.

"So, what can I do for you?" Mamoru asked. 

"Your Chiba Mamoru amd your Tsukino Usagi?" I asked.

"Yes." Usagi nodded.  I began to wonder why their names hadn't
changed.  It was like this was their second chance at life.
They found each other again, which didn't surprise me at all.
Soulmates are like that.

"There's something you need to know..." I shut my eyes and 
took a deep breath.  "I'm Himoto Rei, a Shinto Priestess."

"I'm Kasui Antai."

"Kaboku Misao."

"And I'm Ukiuki Migaru!" Migaru beamed happily.  It seemed 
nothing short of a disaster could make her mood change.

"And may I ask why your here?" Mamoru asked.

"We all began having dreams," I watched them carefully as 
I spoke, hoping to see some sort of sign.  I noticed that
Usagi's hand seemed to tighten on Mamoru's.

"Everyone has dreams." Mamoru replied.

"Yes, but these were very specific dreams, about the future."
I noticed Usagi's eyes widen.

"They're true?  You know this?" She asked me.  I nodded.

"We've all had the same dream.  The feeling of helplessness,
loss...  It features you two." I clenched my eyes again,
and gestured for Antai to continue to speak.

"Rei found each of us and explained why we are having the dreams,
and how to end them." She used a calm voice, though I knew
what she was feeling as she spoke.  "We came to help you, because
you both play such major roles in...  In everything."

"You each lived two past lives that we know of." I told them, glad
that Migaru remained quiet.  "Together, in both those lives.  I 
suspect you had more than that, but I only know of two for sure."
I paused again, noticing the look the two exchanged.  Even now
their profound love startled me.

"I don't understand." Usagi tore her gaze from Mamoru's to
look at us.

"In your first life, Usagi, you were the Princess of the Moon
and Mamoru, you were the Prince of Earth.  I don't want to
go into depth, but you were both reincarnated on Earth a 
thousand years later." I explained.  "In that life, you
were just Tsukino Usagi, but you were also Sailormoon, and
Mamoru-san, you were Chiba Mamoru or Tuxedo Kamen."

"I don't understand." Mamoru spoke harshly.

"Mamo-chan." Usagi reprimanded him gently.  

"I realize this is hard to accept, to even grasp!  But
you know its true.  You can sense that much, I know.  The
last thing I want to do is destroy the happiness you
two have found, to take away your well deserved peace.
If I could keep this from you..." My voice trailed off
with a note of despair.

"Rei-chan," Usagi smiled.  "It's okay.  I can sense 
the truth of what you say, of what your doing.  I do
know you wish it were possible to go about this some
other way."

"If I could, Usagi-chan...  If I could do anything to
change this..." My eyes were full of tears.  I wanted
so desperately to let her live her own life.  I wanted
it so much...

"Destiny rules us all, Rei-chan.  I know that.  It's 
not your doing." Usagi moved closer to Mamoru, snuggling
into his embrace.

"We need to figure out what to do, what the deeper meaning
of the dream is." Misao said quietly.  I clenched my eyes.

"I know..." The words left my lips barely a whisper.

"You know?" Mamoru asked me sharply.  I nodded.

"We compose the Sailor Senshi.  We have been awakened for
a greater purpose than we have ever existed with before.
Even more than in our last lives, when we created this
paradise.  We are here again to protect it."

"There's a new threat?" Migaru asked.

"Yes."

"What is it?  How do we stop it?" Misao asked.  

"I don't know." I replied.  "The fire only shows
so much..."

"How can we stop what we don't know?" Migaru asked.

"We can't, but we can find out what it is." Antai spoke
calmly, holding her mini computer again.

"Is it a past threat?" Usagi asked suddenly.  "Someone
we've faced before?  Maybe someone we have to face 
every lifetime?"

I paused to think about what she said.  The only villain
we faced on the Moon and on Earth was Metallia, and she
was killed.  Princess Serenity had killed Queen Beryl
while Metallia had possessed her.  There was no way...

"I'm... not sure." I sighed.  "I'll do another reading
tonight."

"Really, we just wanted to talk to you, to find you."
Migaru explained.

"We needed to know you were both safe." Antai added.

"When will we meet again?" Usagi asked.

"Tomorrow, at the Shinto Temple." Misao glanced at me and
I nodded.

"Alright.  We'll be there." Mamoru promised.  Slowly, Misao,
Antai, Migaru and I made out way towards the door.  

"Thank you, both of you." I looked at Usagi intently, and 
I knew she understood the deeper meaning.  Her eyes held 
a deeper intellect that she had before.  She seemed more 
like the embodiment of Serenity, Neo-Queen Serenity.  

Tears filled my eyes as we stepped from the apartment.  Usagi
reached out and gently placed her hand on my shoulder.  The
gesture held such warmth and tenderness.  She didn't blame me
for what was happening, but I blamed myself.
~~~