Notes: Great big shoutout to Hybris Anaideia for beta-ing this fic and being a treasure in motivating me on writing this fic.

Prologue

It seemed that just moments ago, Tsukino Usagi had been a happy, carefree 4-year-old playing happily on the carpet, as her mom cooked in the kitchen. The room had started to burn hotter, as her body had begun to lag. Rubbing her eyes in exhaustion, Usagi had looked over to call her mom, when a flash of light had passed before her eyes.

Her head pounded with pain as screams rang in her ears, faint sobbing for her not to go echoing in her mind. Grasping her head, Usagi was unaware of her own little cries of pain before passing out with a high fever. Her mother's cries for her father to help were drowned out by the different voices and languages sobbing her name. The wave of memories and experiences had overloaded her so badly she had fallen sick.

Usagi's poor parents worried for her, as her fever had spiked dangerously and refused to go down no matter what they tried. The stress hadn't been good for her pregnant mother, who was due that month, causing her father to call his late friend's wife for help in caring for Usagi while her mom went for her weekly check-up.

Muffled noises could be heard from down the hall as Usagi tried to stifle her tears as memory after memory flashed before her eyes, blinding and raw in their intensity

"-eally appreciate your help Mayumi-san," Her father whispered as he carefully opened the door and let a red-haired woman in Usagi's room, "With Ikuko so close to her due date, and my hours at work-"

"I am happy to help Kenji-san. After all, my late husband was practically your brother in all but blood."

Usagi squinted through watery eyes as she saw her father share a look of sadness with the woman.

"Besides you and Ikuko-chan helped me so much after his death and Naru's birth. The least I can do is help watch over Usagi-chan for a few hours every week."

Closing her eyes as tears of pain streaked down her face, Usagi was plagued with memories of another woman who had tried to hide her sadness through a smile. She had been important to her, someone who she didn't want to leave behind. Groaning in pain, she buried her face into her pillow as gentle hands checked her temperature again.

"Her fever has spiked again." Her father whispered worriedly as he placed a cool towel on her forehead. A gentle kiss was placed on her clenched hand as he whispered with Mayumi-san. Usagi wished she could try and tell her father not to worry, that she'd be fine, yet memory after memory overwhelmed her again, paralyzing her body in pain.

"Usa-chan? Papa has to go but don't worry, my good friend Osaka Mayumi-san will take care of you while Mama and I are gone."

Darkness slowly swallowed her as her father left the room. Osaka-san hummed gently as she wiped away her sweat and tears with a cool cloth, lulling Usagi into an exhausted sleep.

Curious blue eyes and wavy red hair popped into her line of sight the next time Usagi carefully opened her eyes. A young girl, roughly close to her age, smiled cheerfully as she played with a doll by her bed.

"Hi, I'm Na-chan, what's your name?"

A part of Usagi wondered if she had foreign blood in her, as her hair didn't look dyed. As far as she was aware, Japanese people didn't naturally have blue eyes. Giving her a weak grin, Usagi managed to rasp out her name before wincing at the dryness in her throat.

"You sound bad. Want some water? Mommy is making some yummy soup in the kitchen."

Nodding carefully, Usagi was impressed as Na-chan, carefully brought her a glass of water from her night table, and didn't let go till she was sure Usagi had a good grip on it. Gulping the water in relief, Usagi prayed that the memory overload was done. She didn't know how much more of this she could handle. Counting quietly, Usagi realized she had spent a good week bedridden, as she remembered 25 years of another woman's life. All those people she had been forced to remember and loved were gone, and now she was stuck in this child's body with not even a similar culture or language to find solace in.

'How long am supposed to grieve for the loss of my old life? Should I forget them and pretend they didn't exist? Or is it something that I should hold onto, regardless if it makes my life a little less happy than it was before?'

"Your hair is very pretty, like the gold in my mommy's shop. Can I touch it?" The sound of the little girl's voice pulled Usagi from spiralling into darker thoughts, as Na-chan looked hopefully with big puppy eyes.

Charmed by the straightforward nature of this child, Usagi nodded as Na-chan gently ran her fingers through her hair. She had never noticed how long her hair was, reaching the midway of her back and curling softly at the ends.

"It's so soft!" Na-chan exclaimed, prompting Usagi to take a few strands and play with them as well.

She's right. My hair does feel like silk. Memories of her old self fighting with untameable messy hair crossed her mind, as Na-chan rubbed her cheek against her hair.

A soft chuckle from the door snapped Usagi out of her daze, as Osaka-san came in with a tray of food. Now that she could see properly, she noticed that Na-chan looked a lot like her mother, sharing the same hair and eye colour.

"Now, now Na-chan. Let's stop and have some lunch first, and after that, you can play with Usa-chan if she's feeling better." Osaka-san took Usagi's temperature as she reintroduced herself as a friend of her father, stating that Naru was her daughter and would be staying with her till the end of the day.

"Your fever is finally down! Your parents are going to be so happy when they return." Osaka-san smiled as she carefully helped Usagi eat her soup, her body feeling weak with exhaustion.

"Mommy, doesn't her hair look like gold?" Naru-chan exclaimed as she finished her soup.

"Yes, she has the same hair colour as Ikuko-chan when she was younger."

Usagi blinked puzzledly, as her mother had dark black hair that shone blue in the light, not blonde hair. Osaka-san must have realized her confusion as she giggled and leaned closer as if sharing a secret.

"Your mom's natural hair colour is just like yours; she dyed it black after she married your father and moved into this neighbourhood." Osaka-san sighed forlornly as she waxed poetically on how beautiful her mother's hair was as a teenager. Her golden curls had given her a ladylike charm, causing her to win the title of school-idol for all 3 years in high school.

"You went to the same school as Mama?" Usagi asked, curious to know more about her parents. Now that she thought about it, they looked ridiculously young! Just how old are they?

"Oh yes! We became close friends after the first day of class when we both realized we had a 'foreign' parent. Though your mom had an American mother while I had an Irish father." Pulling Naru-chan into her lap, Osaka-san explained that they got their blue eyes and red hair from her papa.

"You know, it was because of Ikuko-chan that I met my late husband. He was Kenji-san's best friend." Usagi leaned back into her pillows as Osaka-san smiled softly at her and Na-chan. "I hope you two end up being just as close friends as your fathers were."

Her parents didn't come home till late in the evening, long after Naru-chan had passed out beside Usagi from exhaustion. She had told her so many stories, and sang as many songs as she knew, while Usagi had her hair brushed and took her medicine. Osaka-san had taught them both how to make some simple bead bracelets, making sure that neither of them tried to eat the beads. Naru-chan had managed to make 2 while Usagi had finished 5 in one sitting. Both girls had traded a bracelet as a sign of friendship, making Osaka-chan laugh and coo over how adorable they both were.

Osaka-san and her Mama had crept into the room to carefully carry Naru-chan away and say her goodbyes. While Papa had walked Osaka-san and Naru-chan to the door, Mama had stayed behind, stroking her forehead.

"How's my Usa-chan feeling? Your fever's gone down at least."

Usagi was mesmerized by how young her mother looked. Even though she had slight bags under her eyes, and her face was pinched with worry, it couldn't hide the youthful glow in her mother's face. In fact, if she was guessing right, she'd say her mother is slightly younger than Usagi was when she died in her past life.

"Mama, how old are you?"

Oops! I didn't mean to ask that! Clasping her hands against her mouth, Usagi stared at her bewildered mom, a stunned silence between them.

"My, does Mama look old to you Usa-chan?" she teased, seeming to get her bearings back as Usagi shook her head violently.

"Mama's not old! Mama's beautiful! Usa-chan wants to know more about Mama."

Her mother's laughter echoed, seeming to warm the room with her smile. Her father must have heard her laughing since he came in and pulled his wife under his chin, with an arm loosely around her waist.

"What's so funny darling?" He asked, kissing the top of her mother's hair as he reached out to feel Usagi's temperature at the same time.

"Our little Usa-chan is feeling better and seems to be very curious about how old I am. I think Mayumi-chan has been gossiping about me today." Her mother beamed, cuddling into her husband as both gently stroked her pregnant stomach.

"Well Usa-chan, Mama is a beautiful young princess who I was lucky enough to convince to choose this old man over all the others who wanted her as their wife." He looked so serious that Usagi wondered if he honestly thought she would believe all that.

"Darling, don't tell Usa-chan that! You're hardly an old man, you're just 3 years older than me." Usagi giggled as her mother gently slapped her father's chest while they both cooed at each other.

"Usa-chan, Mama is 24 and Papa is 27. You have two young and hip parents, so don't let anyone else tell you otherwise!"

Usagi nodded as her parents both tried to look super serious as they told her how young they were. They both seemed to really love each other and clearly loved their daughter with all of their might.

Her mind made up, Usagi decided that she would be the very best daughter and older sister she could be. She had put her parents through hell this week, and with her mother in such a delicate condition, that stress could have caused complications in her pregnancy.

"Mama, Papa, I'm sorry I made you sad 'cause I'm sick. Don't worry, I'm gonna be all better really soon!" Usagi smiled as her parents each gave her a kiss on her forehead.

"You just focus on getting better Usa-chan. Mama and Papa are both strong, we can handle it." Her father boasted, while her mother hid her giggles into his chest.

"We have good news for you Usa-chan. If you're feeling better by next week, you'll be able to come with me and Papa to the hospital to meet your new sibling." Usagi wondered if she would get a brother or a sister. Snuggling to her sheets, she watched her parents tuck her in before gently closing the door.

'So...now what?' It was very daunting to realize you would have to relive your entire life all over again. She didn't even know what year it is, or if she was reborn in the same world as her old one.

Rubbing her temples in frustration, Usagi decided this was all something she would worry about in the future.

A week flew by, and Usagi found herself sitting in the hospital as her father paced in front of the room her mother was giving birth in. That morning had been very hectic as everyone rushed to get to the hospital on time. Her mom had managed to help Usagi with her hair, as a way to distract herself from the pain she was currently feeling, but her poor hair had been pulled and tightened harder than usual. In the end, though, two adorable pigtails had been styled by the end of the car ride. Tugging on the curls at the end of her pigtails, Usagi sighed as she wondered how much longer it would be. She had been feeling a little fatigued all day but didn't want to worry her parents by saying anything.

Reaching into her pocket, she looked at the two bead bracelets she had left. Two had been given to her parents, which they both were faithfully wearing today, and one was switched with Naru as a sign of friendship.

'One can be for my new baby sibling, but who should I give the last one too?' Usagi wondered if the nice nurse would like a bracelet. Or maybe the doctor who's with her mother right now?

She and her father had also gotten some roses to give to her mother and new baby sibling, but they had started to wilt a little with the heat of her hands.

'At this rate, they'll die before mom and the baby even see them, ' she thought mulishly, ' Maybe some water will help.

Gently tugging on her father's pants, she let him know she was going to the bathroom to give them a bit of water. The poor man was frazzled as he sat back down and wished her well on her journey, getting a giggle out of Usagi; the bathroom was only down the corridor.

So far this world seemed pretty normal. The technology was a bit old but nothing too unfamiliar to her eyes. She didn't know too much about Japan in her past life, so she couldn't tell if there were more cities than before, but the USA and Europe did exist, so maybe she was still in her old world?

'The only thing weird is the moon.' Her chest throbbed slightly at the thought t, and Usagi rubbed the aching spot as she continued to wonder about why the moon looked so odd, 'Those craters look different to the ones I remember from back home...Maybe it's the angle from the earth? ' She puzzledly absentmindedly.

Making her way to the end of the corridor, Usagi felt herself slow to a stop in front of the bathroom. Leaning against the wall by the door, she felt something pulse strongly inside her. Breathing heavily, Usagi took deep calming breaths as she closed her eyes against the rising sensations.

'What's happening now?!' She thought, as she helplessly leaned slightly to the right, but two strong hands picked her up before anything happened, while her father panicked over her weak form.

Calling over a nurse, Usagi faintly heard her say there was a spare room in the children's ward for her to lie in while her mother finished giving birth and that a doctor could look her over while her father stayed with his wife. As they made their way to the children's ward, Usagi focused on the strange sensation pulsing inside her. It felt like another heartbeat, almost like it was calling out to someone inside this building.

It seemed to grow louder and louder until it finally reaching a crescendo as they entered the room. A boy with dark hair was staring vacantly by the window as a nurse scolded him for getting out of bed. His head turned, and blue eyes met blue eyes as she was placed onto the bed.

The pulsing slowed to a stop as something in Usagi seemed to calm at the sight of him. The nurse and doctor checked her over as her father fretted, but all Usagi could do was stare at that boy. Closing her eyes in exhaustion, she felt a strange feeling welling up inside her; almost like a tiny voice was saying, 'Oh! There you are! I've been waiting for you.'