Sailor Moon Generation Gap Chapter 1 - Awakenings The palace's throne room was bustling with organized chaos. Usagi kept out of the way, standing by the thrones. Her mother and grandmother, both with long flowing hair tied into two pony tails, were discussing something, Usagi wasn't sure what, with the Royal Guard, her grandmother's closest friends. Usagi's grandfather was standing beside her, his hair starting to be streaked with grey. He was trying to keep Usagi calm, rubbing her shoulders. Two more of the Royal Guard were standing by the windows, watching the events outside. Another of the Royal Guard entered the room. She was tall, with long hair, and carrying a staff. Usagi's grandmother walked over to talk to her. Usagi looked up into her grandfather's eyes. He smiled warmly back, reassuring her. One of the Guards at the windows, with short blond hair, called out, "They've broken through the walls!" The leader of the Royal Guards, another blond who looked a lot like Usagi's grandmother, sent them out to help the palace defenders get inside. The situation didn't improve. Almost as soon as the survivors were inside the palace, the invaders were breaking down the main gates. All of the Royal Guard, except for two sent to slow the invaders, gathered around Usagi's grandmother, joined her grandfather. Usagi's grandmother pulled out a beautiful gemstone and held it up. Her Royal Guard protested, but to no avail. The tall Guard walked over to join Usagi and knelt beside her. "Time to go, Little Princess," the Guard said. "No!" Usagi exclaimed. "Mama! I don't want to leave you!" Usagi's mother walked over, a sad smile on her face, her pink hair streaming behind her. "I know, honey. I wish there was another way." She knelt and hugged Usagi. "Be brave. You'll be safe." She blinked back tears, got up and backed away. "Goodbye, Usagi." Usagi's grandmother held up the gemstone. It glowed from within, and then spread its light over the room. Another of the Royal Guard, the smallest one, raised her scythe. The weapon also shone, the two auras combining into one. Then Usagi's sight was lost as another brilliant light surrounded her. "Mama!" she yelled. "Mama! Don't make me leave! Mama!" -**- "Mama! Mama!" Usagi woke up. She wiped the sweat off her brow. A strange dream, and not the first time she had it. "Usagi?" her mother called, popping her head into the room. "Are you alright? I heard you call." "I'm okay, Mama," Usagi replied. "It was only a dream." "You sure, dear?" Usagi nodded her reply. Her mother continued, "It's time to get up anyway." Usagi looked at the clock. "Oh no! I'm gonna be late!" she exclaimed. She quickly got changed for school, then brushed out her long red hair. She tied her hair into two ponytails, each one having a heart shaped bun. Satisfied that everything was in place, she grabbed her lunch and ran off to school. -**- A small grey cat prowled through the neighbourhood, staying alert for any other presence that may appear. Hearing the sound of running footsteps approaching from behind, the cat quickly climbed up a nearby tree and waited. The footsteps' owner ran by, her red hair streaming behind her. 'Could this be her?' the cat asked herself. -**- Hidden away, a figure stirred restlessly on a slab of jade. She suddenly bolted upright and looked around, disoriented. She looked around and found her sword and mirror. Getting off the slab, she straightened her uniform, a simple grey jumpsuit with a waist-length blood red cape. She looked into his mirror. Her shoulder length green hair was unkempt, and there was a nasty scar along her right cheek. She traced the scar with her finger for several moments. "So I live, still, Moon brat," she whispered. "'That which does not kill me only makes me stronger.' I shall rule over the Earth, now that you are out of the way. I, Muerte, vow this on my life." Muerte chuckled softly. "My minions, to me!" she commanded. -**- Usagi ran through the gates at Juuban High School. She stopped when she saw two of her friends, An and Yumi, along the main path to the school. "Usagi!" one called. "It's not like you to be late. What happened?" "Sorry, An," Usagi replied. "I didn't sleep well last night. Just first day jitters, I guess. So, did you finally get asked out by Jiri-kun?" "Don't get me started," An huffed. "I did everything but tell him that I wanted him to ask me out, but he never got the hint. I give up with boys." "You're too easily discouraged, An," Yumi said. "If Jiri-kun doesn't notice you, there's always Nomura-kun." "I'd rather die unmarried and unloved," An wailed. "Ignore Yumi-chan," Usagi said. The three girls walked inside and towards their home room as the first bell rang. "She's just teasing. Jiri-kun will notice you some day. Besides, Nomura-kun isn't as bad as everyone makes him out to be. He's just a little, um, intense." "And winter is just a little cold," Yumi said. The three girls giggled as they stepped towards their home room. Usagi, in the lead, bumped into someone coming out of the room. She looked up at the person she ran into. The woman was tall and had long dark hair tinged with green tied in a bun. "Sorry, Sensei," Usagi said. "I should have been watching where I was going." Usagi and her friends slipped by the teacher and took their seats. They added to the din with their chatter about the school break, until Jiri-kun entered the room. An remarked on how cute Jiri-kun looked in his uniform, then sat staring at him. She continued to stare even after Usagi told her not to be so obvious. The talking settled when the second bell rang and the teacher returned to the classroom. Usagi had the class stand and bow to the teacher. While everyone was up, the door at the back of the class open. Usagi turned her head to see two girls, both out of breath, burst into the room. Recognizing one as Seisin'no-chan, a girl who was chronically late, Usagi shrugged. The other girl Usagi didn't recognize, though she did spot streaks of dirt on the girl's uniform. Yumi took the opportunity offered by the commotion to whisper "Suck up," to Usagi. "I have to keep my marks up somehow," Usagi returned. The two late-comers quickly found their seats and the class sat back down. The teacher introduced herself as Meiou-sensei, started the history lesson, then had Jiri-kun continue has she took the late-comers out into the hall. 'How could anyone be late on the first day of class?' Usagi wondered. She snuck a look at An. An was thouroughly engrossed in the lesson, or at least Jiri-kun's voice. Usagi nudged her friend in the ribs, gently at first, then harder when the first attempt failed to get An's attention. "What?" An whispered annoyedly. "You're supposed to pay attention to what he's saying," Usagi teased. An responded by sticking out her tongue. The teacher returned to the room with Seishin'no-chan and her friend as Jiri-kun reached the halfway mark in the chapter. Meiou-sensei took over the lesson, letting Jiri-kun sit back down, to An's dismay. Usagi gave credit to her teacher, she made history vivid, like Meiou-sensei had lived through it, instead of reciting a dry list of dates and events. -**- Selina snuck around in the grass surrounding the red-haired girl's school. She had tried getting on by just walking through the bars of the closed gates. A large human male claiming to be the hall monitor had stopped her, telling her that animals were not allowed on campus during school hours. Selina was most unimpressed by his rhetoric, but knew that there was no way for her to get past him. The cat resorted to her next favourite method of getting around, jumping from tree to tree. Selina took pleasure in leaping from tree to tree over the hall monitor's head, but became serious as she prowled around the building itself trying to find the girl again. After a few minutes of searching, Selina found the girl. She was sitting in class, paying close attention to whatever the teacher was saying. Remembering some of the stories that her great-great grandparents passed down through the ages, Selina took pride in that her charge was doing much better in class than the ones in the stories. A bell rang, startling Selina. The red-haired girl turned to look outside. Selina darted into a nearby bush, not wanting to be found by the girl yet. All in good time. -**- Usagi looked forward to her lunch. The first day of school always brought changes to the school grounds, even if it was just a raking of the grass. She also wanted to see the familiar and the new faces. Usagi passed the boy-crazy Aino Minako in the halls, and kept her distance from the Amazon-like Kino Makoto and her boyfriend. Going outside, Usagi saw the school's girl genius, Mizuno Ami, running laps on the track. Usagi sat under her favourite tree and opened her lunch. She heard rustling in the leaves above her. Looking up, Usagi saw a sleek grey cat with an odd marking on its forehead. "Poor baby," Usagi said to the cat quietly. "Are you hungry?" She ripped off a piece of her sandwich and held it out. "It's okay, I won't hurt you." The cat sniffed the air warily, then leapt to the ground. Usagi dropped the food to the ground. The cat looked at the sandwich, then to Usagi. Getting the hint, Usagi picked up the sandwich and brushed the dirt off. "Fussy, aren't you?" she said, holding the food out for the cat again. Daintily, the cat took the offering. Usagi scratched the cat's ear. "Do you have a name? Maybe I should give you one. 'Fluffy' doesn't suit you. 'Buttons'? No, that won't work. 'Buster'? 'Pookie'?" "Selina." Both the cat and Usagi looked at each other. "You talked!" Usagi exclaimed. She looked around frantically. "Of course I talked, Princess. Who else is here?" Selina said. Usagi lowered her head to Selina's level. "Where did you learn to talk?" "Same place you did, Princess. Are you ready?" "Ready? Ready for what? And why are you calling me 'Princess'?" "You are the Crystal Princess," Selina answered. "Crystal . . . Princess?" Usagi sat back up. "What are you talking about?" "You are the Crystal Princess," Selina repeated. "You are the heir to Crystal Tokyo." "Crystal Tokyo? Look, if this is a joke, then you got me good, whoever's behind this. A talking cat? Princess of Crystal Tokyo? Good one." Usagi laughed nervously. "I am not joking, Princess. I am here to prepare you to take the responsibilites of the Crystal Princess." "Look, um, Selina, I already have responsibilities. I have homework and clubs, not to mention chores at home. I don't need more piled on me, let alone from a talking cat. Now, please excuse me, my friends are waiting." Usagi got up. "It is your destiny, Princess." Usagi waved as she left. She found An and Yumi and joined them. She wanted to tell them about what just happened, but talking cats weren't something they'd understand. Usagi could barely understand it herself. -**- Selina watched as Usagi left. The girl would be difficult to prepare if she didn't change her attitude. Too busy indeed to be the Crystal Princess.