“Mama, tell me the story again,” she asked as her mother tucked her into bed. “Please?”
“The story?” her mother asked, almost absently. “Oh, which one do you mean? Do you mean the one about the Rabbit of the Moon who makes mochi?”
She shook her head. Her mother knew exactly which story she was talking about, but she loved playing this game with her. She also knew that her father told the story better than her mother, but he was busy tonight. He had some important business to take care of. He seemed to be busier than usual as of late, but he still managed to find the time to see her and tell her the stories that she loved to hear.
“Oh, I was hoping you meant that one,” her mother said with an unhappy sigh. “I’m afraid that’s the only one I know. Your father knows so many more stories than I do.”
“Oh, Mama, you know which story I’m talking about,” she said with a smile. “Tell me a story about Sailor Moon.”
“Sailor Moon…,” her mother said almost wistfully. She always seemed to speak with that tone of voice whenever she told a story about Sailor Moon. “Of course. I will tell you a story about Sailor Moon.…”
Just then, there was a pounding at the door, but her mother didn’t seem to notice.
“The Sailor Warrior fighting for love and justice.…”
The pounding on the door continued, louder than before. It was almost scary, but once again, her mother continued as if the pounding had never occurred.
“Sailor Moon, who would punish evildoers on behalf of the Moon.…”
The pounding on the door was so loud that it scared her and made her sit straight up in her bed.…
…and wake up in complete darkness.
She quickly looked left and right, watching and listening for the terrible pounding that had wakened her. She was scared. Oh, so scared….
“There you are, kiddo,” a male voice said softly as he opened the doors and hurried into her room. She reached out for him and clung to him after he rushed to her side while forgetting to turn on the light in his haste. “Are you all right? I heard you scream.”
“I was… scared,” she whimpered as she began to cry. “A noise… woke me up…. It was so loud….” She was cut off as a loud explosion boomed outside. “That’s it! That was the noise!!!” She began to cry again as he slowly rocked her, while making soothing noises. “Mama…. I want my Mama!”
“Your mother and father are busy right now, kiddo,” he explained quietly. “They can’t leave what they are doing. It’s too important, especially for your safety.”
“Mama!” she wailed, frightened as she clung to him, too afraid to let go.
“Don’t worry; I won’t leave you.”
“Is she all right?” another voice said suddenly as she entered the room and rushed to his side, also forgetting to turn on the light.
“I want my Mama!” she wailed, growing more and more frightened as another explosion boomed, louder than the last one. She had to cover her ears since the noise was too loud.
“Your mother sent us,” she told her gently. Her voice was always gentle. Even in the darkness she could always tell it was her by the gentleness of her voice and her short hair. “It’s not safe here anymore. We must take you to a place where you’ll be safe.”
“Are you going to take me to my Mama?” she asked, her eyes watery from all the tears she had shed.
“We can’t,” she said sadly. “It’s too dangerous for you to be with either your mother or your father right now.”
“You’ll be safe with the five of us to protect you, kiddo,” he said confidently. “I promise you that. And you know that I have never broken a promise to you. Right, kiddo?”
“I know, but….”
“Listen, kiddo,” he said quietly. “I know you may not understand, but we’ll try to explain things to you as we take you to where you’ll be safe. After that….” He paused again, but to her the silence was almost as frightening as the loud explosions outside. “Come on. We must hurry. The longer we stay here, the more dangerous things will become.”
A thought suddenly hit her as he began to carry her in his arms. She was alone. What about…? “Where is…?”
“There you are!” another familiar voice exclaimed as she called out to them, her long ponytail swinging in a small arc as she swung her head in their direction. “Hurry! We don’t have much time!”
“How are things back there?” he asked as the other three females started running alongside him in some kind of protective formation.
“Bad,” the dark-haired female told him. “It’s only a matter of time before they break through. The others have already prepared a quick emergency evacuation.”
“We didn’t have much time to prepare,” the other long-haired female said urgently. “It all happened so fast.”
“I know,” he said quietly as the conversation ended and she began to cry and cry and cry.
“How horrible…,” the woman said quietly as she listened to her protectors describe everything that had happened on their way to this place. She fell quiet as she turned away with a brooding expression on her face. “I knew this would happen, but….” She paused as she looked down at her. “And her?” she asked.
“We have explained everything to her,” he told her. “However, I didn’t want to be the one to ask her to undertake such a thing. I would’ve gladly taken her place – any one of us would – but our place is here. We’re needed here.” He paused and sighed quietly. “Her mother knew what was best, but I still can’t believe that it has to be done this way. It’s dangerous.”
She stepped forward and back into the sight of the woman and her fifth protector after her other four protectors had finished changing her from her pajamas to the same outfit she had worn earlier that day, since they were the first items of clothing that they were able to grab on such a short moment’s notice.
“I don’t care!” she said firmly. “If this is the only way to save my Mama, then I will do it! I will save my Mama! I can be brave, just like Sailor Moon!”
“I know, kiddo,” he said with a gentle smile. “I know you can be brave.”
“Listen,” the woman said calmly as she turned back toward her. “Where you are going, you are going alone. You cannot return until you have accomplished what you have been sent to accomplish. It is going to become even more dangerous here than it has become right now, so your mission is of the utmost importance.
“Also, I know that you may be followed,” she continued. “They might be lying in wait for you; waiting for you to appear. You must be very, very careful.”
“I will,” she said as she wiped away a tear.
“That’s my brave kiddo,” he said as he placed a gentle hand on her shoulder. “You remember who we told you to find, right?”
“Yes,” she said as she nodded determinedly. “I need to find Tsukino Usagi. She has the Silver Crystal. I need to find the Silver Crystal in order to save my Mama.”
“That’s exactly right, kiddo,” he said with a satisfied nod. “I’m so proud of you.”
“Are you ready?” the woman asked.
She turned around and glanced toward her five protectors. They all gave her identical “V”-signs of encouragement. “Yes,” she said as she turned back toward the woman.
“Good,” she said with a satisfied nod, then paused. “Oh, before I forget….” She stretched out one of her hands and made a beckoning gesture as a floating ball suddenly began floating toward her. “Take this with you.”
“My Luna Sphere…,” she said as she stared at it in surprise.
“Yes, but slightly modified,” the woman explained. “You can use it to contact me here whenever you need to, but only if the need is extremely urgent. I mean it,” she told her seriously. “It has to be very, very important.”
“I understand,” she said with a small nod.
“Good. Now, you must get going.”
“Remember, kiddo,” he called out as she turned to leave. “You don’t need to hurry, but don’t take too long, either. We won’t be able to last forever.”
“I know,” she replied as she glanced back at him and the others.
“Good luck,” all five protectors said in unison.
“You, too,” she said as she followed the woman into the darkness. On the other side would be the beginning of her mission. She had to find Tsukino Usagi and the Silver Crystal, or all would be lost.
To Chapter 56: The Girl that Fell from the Sky