I Would Have Said . . .
This story utilises the Japanese names of the Sailor Moon characters, so if you don't know the Japanese names you may need to brush up on them.
Also, this story combines parts of the anime and the manga. The parts concerning Naru's past are from the anime, but the bits of information about the galaxy cauldron, and Sagittarius Zero Star are from the manga. For those of you who haven't read the manga, please read below. Those who have, you can skip ahead.
The inner and outer senshi die throughout the Sailor Stars Manga, and Usagi travels to a place at the center of the galaxy called Sagittarius Zero Star. Chaos (the ultimate evil being) binds to the galaxy cauldron and instead of destroying it, Sailor Moon jumps into it, dying, and is later reborn in the 30th century.
My name is Naru Osaka. My mother owns the jewelry store at the mall - Osa. P. My father - well, we don't talk about him anymore. I'm in high school now. Recently something strange happened in my life. Before you I tell you that however, you should know this.
Usagi and I used to be friends. Since we were toddlers, we always hung out, helped each other, shared our secrets. In our senior year of junior high, this started to change.
I can trace it back to one day - the day I was attacked in mom's shop. It's strange, how you remember the negative things that happen so vividly. I remember the girl who showed up to save me - Sailor Moon. Pretty Soldier Sailor Moon, she called herself. Up until then, I had only heard of Sailor V.
That was the same day that Usagi saved a cat on the way to school. Its name was Luna. After that, she adopted the cat and brought it to school every day. She started meeting new friends: Ami, Rei, Minako, and Makoto.
Then I remember when I fell in love with Masato - no - Nephrite. There were three sailor soldiers then. And he - the love of my life - died. I remember at first he thought I was Sailor Moon, which I obviously wasn't. Then he began to think that I knew who Sailor Moon was - since she always showed up to save me. It's such a funny thought, being where I am now.
Usagi and her friends had "powwows" at the Sendai Hill Temple, where Rei lived. Rei worked at the Hikawa Shrine, close to the place where the 'disappearing bus' used to be. Usagi and her friends always ran off at unusual times. After a while, they completely stopped talking to me. The mall, once mine and Usagi's haven, became her and her friends' haven. Her new friends. I'm not jealous. I don't think I ever could've been. Just hurt. Lonely.
Then something strange happened with Umino. I always saw him but never noticed him. After my hurt subsided, and I finally found a way to care again, I realized he liked me. I had always thought he was infatuated with Usagi. At first I thought he had given up because Usagi liked Mamoru, but after a while I learned that he had a genuine interest in me. I began to notice his humor and his intelligence. He protected me all the time. For a while, he was my comfort against knowing what Usagi was doing, to me and for the world.
Then Usagi met three older friends. She was getting more popular by the second, and I was drifting away. They were Haruka, Michiru, and Setsuna. They were strange girls, very distant. Even the younger one that Usagi seemed to especially like, Hotaru. Somehow though, they were all very close.
Usagi became more mature in the passing year. She seemed stronger, more passionate, determined, and sensitive. I noticed her change before my eyes, silently watching from my careful place. Sometimes she was so elegant, I could almost imagine her as one of the princesses we used to pretend to be as kids.
And I can't forget Usagi's supposed family. She always told me that she hated Mamoru, the guy who called her "Odango-Atama," though I knew better. All of a sudden, they were together. I should've seen it coming, but I didn't. And I can't forget the little pink haired girl with Usagi's hairstyle, who showed up out of nowhere. Usagi said it was her cousin, but in all the time I've known her, she's never had a cousin named Chibi-Usa. She doesn't realize I know that Chibi-Usa means "Little Usagi."
Chibi-Usa and Usagi shared an amazing bond, I noticed, though it was rather unique. It was kind of like a sibling relationship combined with a mother-daughter one. Later Usagi claimed to have a pink haired sister who, again, surprisingly shared her unique hairstyle. Chibi-Usa was gone then. And Usagi became friends with the Three Lights, after Mamoru's departure for America. She didn't think I knew about the ring Mamoru gave her but I did, and I know exactly how brokenhearted she was when he left. I wanted to show her sympathy. I knew how she felt. I wanted to tell her I understood her, but I was afraid of taking the first step, and breaking the ice. It was too late when she found her comfort in Seiya.
A while ago, I didn't understand the incredible importance of Usagi's departure in our later years of high school. I know Sailor Moon's fellow soldiers had disappeared - dead - no doubt. That was when Usagi became lonely. She spent many solitary hours by herself, locked up in her room, continuously looking up at the sky. Then, one night, she disappeared. I never saw her the next day.
She didn't know what I knew, what I regretted not telling her. She was Sailor Moon, and I knew. I knew that her new friends were sailor soldiers too. I knew that Chibi-Usa is her future daughter. I knew. I wished I'd told her.
One day the world started to crumble, buildings fell down, and sunlight ceased. That was the day my life changed forever. The world was ending, I knew that, and I was afraid. Where was Sailor Moon? Somehow I knew she was out there somewhere, fighting for us: my friend, my best friend. All I could think about was helping her: giving away my life, so didn't have to give away hers.
It happened. A woman with whom I was unacquainted appeared in front of my eyes. She looked like Usagi. Before, I had never known what being Sailor Moon truly meant. I had never known what the ginzuishou could do. That day I learned everything: Usagi's past, present, and future. I learned of Sagittarius Zero Star, where Usagi was. So I hoped and prayed she would be okay. If there was one thing I could've said to her before she jumped into that cauldron, it would be, "I'm sorry. Sorry for not being there when I should've been." I would've told her not to worry, because I would protect the world while she was gone. I would hold the world together in her absence, and I would anxiously await her arrival. I wanted her to know that the greatest bond ever, our friendship, will never be broken, and never be swayed. That day, I found out who I truly was for the first time. Maybe I will tell her, when she comes back. The healing power of the ginzuishou is mine as well, because I am . . . Princess Serenity's sister, Princess Naru.
Disclaimer: I don't claim to own the show and manga Sailor Moon nor its characters. Nor am I associated with Toei Animations, or Naoko Takeuchi in any way. However, this story is my own personal work, so please do not plagerize!
Also, please review and tell me what you think. Criticism is welcome, as this is my first story on fanfiction.net. Thanks!