Forum: Tokyo City
Advanced or Relaxed: Advanced
Plot Summary: Usagi's life has been happy ever since Galaxia was defeated, and she has thoroughly enjoyed her normal life with her boyfriend and her best friends, and spending time with her daughter from the future. She looks forward to graduating, getting married and founding Crystal Tokyo, spreading peace over the world. However her life is turned on its head when a girl appears from the sky, claiming to be her daughter with Seiya from another future! And has the pictures and powers to prove it. She's at risk of being wiped out, and has come to the past try and convince Usagi to choose Seiya instead of Mamoru so she won't fade out of existence. But if she chooses Seiya, Chibiusa will fade out of existence.

Now Usagi and company all have to cope with the implications of this newcomer. Mamoru must come to terms with the idea of his one true love being with another man, though he wishes only for her happiness. The girls are unsure of which choice would be better, as it seems this new girls world is just as happy and peaceful as Chibiusa's future. Seiya is of course alerted to this strange new development, and he comes back to Earth, having to deal with his feelings about this proof that he could be good enough for Usagi. And Chibiusa does not like this new girl who is so similar yet so different from her who seems to be threatening her future as the sole princess of Crystal Tokyo.

As Usagi gets to know her new daughter better over time, her choice of which man to pick becomes more difficult. How will she ever decide which family to have, as she teeters between making her own destiny and following fate's design. But eventually, she must make a choice.

Details on any necessary information: This takes place at some point after Stars but before Crystal Tokyo is formed, even before Usagi and Mamoru are married. The player of Usagi will decide if Lyra is from an alternate future or a parallel future.

Restrictions: Only Usagi, Seiya, Mamoru and Chibiusa will be needed from canon. The only otaku will be Seiya and Usagi's daughter. Any other characters needed will be NPCed.

OOC Thread: OOC link

Member to Character List:
Usagi- Sailor Mercury
Mamoru- Princess Luna
Seiya- Sailor Pluto
Chibiusa- Sailor Pluto
Lyra- CrystalSetsuna

Mamoru smiled as he walked with Usagi and Chibiusa through the park, enjoying a day together as a family. It was a pleasure to him that Chibiusa had been able to come and visit again from the 30th century, though he worried often about her possibly missing too much of her royal studies, despite her reassurances, but he opted to leave it be. If she said it was fine, then as her future father, he would believe her. He reached out and gently laid an arm around Usagi's shoulders, then to prevent any minor fight, he laid a hand affectionately on Chibiusa's shoulders. It was such a beautiful day, and he wanted nothing more than to be able to enjoy with the two most important women in his life.

A moments musing made him chuckle quietly as he realized this was the very park where him and Usagi had been together when little Chibiusa came tumbling from the sky, landing on Usagi's back then ending up in his lap. It had definitely sent his world into a spiral of confusion over learning the future, but it was worth it. He glanced down at the pink hair girl briefly and smiled, his heart warming as it always did when he looked at his future daughter with his dear Usako.

Usagi took a deep breath and inhaled as much of the incoming spring air as possible. The weather was still rather cold, but she could swear she could smell the future blossoms in the air. In a couple weeks, most trees would be filled with beautiful cherry blossoms on full bloom, and that always meant… food. Lots and lots of food while they had a picnic under the cherry blossom trees. She half skipped half walked through the park with Mamoru and Chibiusa, her future family. It felt strange sometimes to be so young and already a mother, but it also felt right. All she’d ever wanted when she grew up was to be a wife and mother. It was nice to know that future was secure. Having your daughter travel back from the future sure brought its complications, but at the same time it was reassuring being able to know that everything would turn out alright. Not a lot of people had that.

She was definitely one of the lucky ones.

As Mamoru put his hand around her shoulder, Usagi snuggled closer to him, leaning her head on his shoulder. When she heard him laugh, she looked up at him curiously. “What’s so funny, Mamo-chan? Share!” she demanded, half hanging onto him and pouting a little. He’d better not be laughing at her!

Mamoru's smile grew warmer when he felt Usagi snuggling into him. She always seemed to enjoy these cuddling moments the best, and he distantly wondered how much worse it would be when they were actually married, not that he minded really. Her childlike affection was endearing to him, and he could never fault her for wanting to be close to him all the time. When she questioned him about the chuckle, he looked down at Chibiusa for a moment. “I was just remembering, what happened a couple years ago. How this started. It was here in this very park when Chibiusa first came to us.”

Now he turned his head, looking into her beautiful bright blue eyes, struck suddenly by a swelling of love in his heart for the blonde woman in his arm. “You look even more beautiful now than you did that day, Usako.” He smiled, a rare expression of such warmth and love from the man who was usually so serious and calm.

Usagi listened to Mamoru’s explanation and, at the memory of that stolen kiss, she pouted. “I still haven’t forgiven you for stealing Mamo-chan’s kiss, Chibiusa!” she yelled around Mamoru’s figure to where their future daughter was.

But then Mamoru gave her that look—the look full of love that always melted her heart—and Usagi instantly softened. She blushed at his compliment, all annoyance for Chibiusa forgotten, and her heart swelled. It wasn’t often that Mamoru spoke about his feelings openly, so whenever he did it, she always treasured the moment. It always felt special.

“Well, perhaps we should make up for that interrupted kiss right now…” she suggested with a playful grin.

Mamoru chuckled again, "We could..." He said smiling. Then he looked over at Chibiusa and smiled. He loved his family and Chibiusa was a big part of that. He loved Usagi and knowing that one day they'd have a child together made him extremely happy. Another one of his rare smiles crossed his face as he looked at Usagi. He quietly said, "I love you Usako." And pulled her into his arms. He held her close getting ready to kiss her. Then, as he brought his face close to hers, he started to have an intense feeling of Deja vu...

Chibiusa trotted ahead of Usagi and Mamoru in the park where she had first fallen upon them a few years ago. At the time, she had no idea that these individuals were the younger selves of her parents, but over time she grew to love and trust them in this time as much as she did at home in the 30th Century. 

As she stopped to smell some flowers and look out at the pond, she noticed Usagi and Mamoru were no longer right behind her. They had stopped at the spot where she had fallen out of the sky and were speaking quietly to each other.

When Usagi noticed her watching, she called out something about not forgiving Chibiusa for stealing Mamoru's kiss, so she made a face back before defiantly turning her back to Usagi and ignoring her.

Ordinarily she would take the bait and finish what Usagi had started, especially over Mamo-chan's affections, but ever since meeting Helios, she had felt differently, somehow. She mused when she might get to see him again as her gaze wandered to the light, fluffy clouds rolling through the sky.

As Usagi and Mamoru leaned in for a kiss together, and as Chibiusa watched the clouds, they began to darken and swirl in a circle, quickly forming something that looked rather like a vortex. The clouds continued to rush, bringing with it a breeze that lightly rustled the leaves on the trees. The center of the vortex grew dark then bright with energy, and a sound similar to a sonic boom burst from it along with a shockwave of energy.

A figure fell from the vortex and the clouds quickly returned to normal as the figure fell through the air towards the strange family. It landed on Usagi's back, knocking her down, but the figure rolled shortly after the landing and tucked into a ball, falling on the ground and going a few feet from the couple. The figure straightened up, crouching on the ground at she stared at the two. It was a young girl who looked exactly the same age as Chibiusa and had the same bright red eyes and light skin, but her hair was pitch black, done in cone odango that were larger than Chibiusa's, and instead of puffs, she had sleek pigtails that hung down to her shoulder blades, though the top of her pigtails close to the buns were bound with a dark blue ribbon. She blinked her bright red eyes a little, staring suspiciously at Mamoru before her eyes caught the blonde.

She looked Usagi up and down a moment before she spotted the long blonde pigtails and round buns. She stood up and ran to Usagi, her arms out stretched to embrace her as she cried out happily. “Mama!”

Mamoru and Usagi were about to kiss in the spot where they'd first met Chibiusa, but as they leaned closer someone fell out of the sky! He looked over at the young girl who had fallen on Usagi and then moved away from the couple. This must have been why he'd been felling deja vu earlier. This had happened in almost the exact same way as it had when they met Chibiusa, but there was something different about this girl. She wasn't like Chibiusa. She had the same eyes as Chibiusa and she looked to be the exact same age, which wouldn't be possible because Chibiusa definitely didn't have a twin sister.

Mamoru eyed the girl suspiciously and she stared right back at him and Usagi. But all of the sudden, after she had studied Usagi she recognized her and called her "mama". As he watched this strange girl embrace Usagi he felt a flair of protectiveness. "Mama?" He asked the young girl and then he called to Chibiusa, "Chibiusa would you come over here for a moment please?" He felt uneasy and this girl, whoever she was, was the cause of it.

Usagi giggled as Mamoru agreed to the kiss, blushing slightly despite it being her suggestion. She glanced at Chibiusa, who, after making a face at her, had turned away. Well, at least that one wouldn’t be interrupting again. She looked up at Mamoru and smiled. “I love you too, Mamo-chan.” She stood on her tiptoes as he moved closer, closing her eyes. She was completely oblivious that what happened before was happening again. Just like that time, her entire world had narrowed down into her and Mamoru, about to have a kiss long overdue…

Thump!

“OW!”

Usagi shrieked in pain and surprise as something heavy fell on her back. Again. She sprawled on the floor, sputtering as she flailed and tried to regain her bearings. What on earth was that?!

It took her a minute to locate the object since it had promptly rolled off of her and away. Usagi blinked as she met the eyes of a little girl with a shock of black hair, done in her own trademark odango style. She looked between the new girl and Chibiusa and back again as if making sure they were, in fact, two different girls and that Chibiusa hadn’t pulled a prank on her by repeating what she’d done all those years ago.

Usagi let out another small shriek as the girl ran toward her, calling her, of all things, ‘Mama’.

“Another one??”

Time seemed to stop for a moment and Chibiusa went numb. She had a pang of anxiety at first, thinking this was some new enemy making a bold attack in broad daylight.

Then when the mysterious girl from the sky called out "Mama" to Usagi, her feet turned to lead, rooting her to the spot. The anxiety turned into something else she couldn't quite name, and she felt a little wobbly.

Her visits to the 20th century were not long enough for a younger sibling to be born and grow to that age in he absence.

In what seemed like an eternity, she made her way over to Usagi, Mamoru, and the strange girl from the sky.

The young girl hugged Usagi happily around her waist, though she looked up when Mamoru had called out Chibiusa's name, looking at him a bit suspiciously once more with her disturbingly familiar red eyes. “What? I’m already right here. How do you know my nickname?” she asked him, then her eyes caught the pink haired girl approaching them and stared at her a little stunned, a strange mixture of anger and fear and sadness on her face.

She looked her up and down slowly as she unhooked her arms from Usagi and took a step away from her, taking in her features and observing the similarities between them, her eyes gradually narrowing, her expression turning mildly hateful as she stared directly into Chibiusa's eyes that matched hers, though their hair and subtle facial features were different, not saying a single word. They looked unnervingly like twins when standing face to face, as if confronted with some strange mirror.

It took a few heartbeats before she spoke, though it was almost too low to hear, and her tone was icy, filled with loathing and anger. “You're her, arn't you? You're Small Lady, the one Pluto was talking about to Mama and Papa.”

There was a little girl wrapped around her waist, calling her ‘Mama’.

And it was decidedly not Chibiusa. Usagi looked up helplessly at Mamoru, then turned her gaze accusingly at Chibiusa. Was this her sister? How come Chibiusa never mentioned this??

But then the girl claimed to be called ‘Chibiusa’ too, and Usagi scratched her head. She knew she wasn’t the most creative when it came to naming her daughter, but she couldn’t have possibly named two daughters after herself, right? That was beyond lazy, even for her. Not to mention confusing.

She felt a shiver as the two girls faced off, feeling as if she was looking into a mirror. Light and dark.

Was this Chibiusa’s evil twin?

Her brows furrowed as she listened to the girl’s words. Pluto was talking about Chibiusa in this girl’s presence? Well, that was hardly surprising on itself, considering how much Pluto generally liked to talk about Chibiusa. Some days Usagi wondered if maybe Pluto wasn’t her actual mother.

But from the way this girl was speaking, it seemed as if she didn’t know Chibiusa at all. Which meant she couldn’t be Chibiusa’s sister. Not unless she was born after Chibiusa died or something. Again, Usagi shivered at the notion. What was up with the future this time?

“I’m sorry…” she said as gently as she could to the dark-haired girl. “Who are you?”

Chibiusa returned the girl's cold stare with an equally steely gaze herself. Who on Earth was this girl and why did she look so much like her, and yet somehow...not? 
She flinched when the strange girl called her Small Lady and mentioned speaking to Pluto.

When Usagi politely asked who the girl was, the tension finally snapped.

"Usagi, is that all you can ask?! How can you be so nice about this?" she cried, angrily looking at Usagi.

She turned to the girl, "If you know who I am that I have a right to know who you are too. And how in the world do you know Pluto? She's always at the Time Gate, where could you have...?"

Chibiusa broke off when the phrase Time Gate came to the front of her mind. The possibilities of who this girl is and when this girl is from were endless, and she tried to stop herself from following any of those trains of thought.

Mamoru watched as his daughter walked towards this strange girl. When she walked over to Usagi she had started talking. What did she mean by 'how do you know my nickname'? Mamoru was worried about what this girl's presence could mean. She had talked about Sailor Pluto and a warning about Small Lady.

As he saw the girls glaring at each other Usagi had politely asked who the young girl was. Mamoru decided to speak up. "Sorry, little girl, but Usagi can't be your mother because this is our daughter." Mamoru said pointing to Chibiusa. "Also what did you mean by 'how do you know my nickname?' I was talking to Chibiusa, my daughter." Mamoru changed positions slightly, to a more protective one. He didn't trust this girl and he wasn't about to let her do anything to his family.

She looked at Usagi as she asked her who she was, a brief look of hurt crossing her face before she shook her head, like someone who just realized something and smiled a bit at the situation. She opened her mouth to answer, until Chibiusa did. Her head snapped back towards the pink haired girl, and her face flushed angrily like Usagi's would sometimes. “How can you yell at her?! Don't you ever do that again! She's a wonderful mother, and she's always been the kindest person!” She narrowed her eyes as Chibiusa basically demanded to know in turn who she was.

Then she looked up at Mamoru when he spoke. It seemed his words were a dagger to her when he said Chibiusa was their daughter. She glared at him a little. “Because that's MY nickname! Mama and Papa always call me by it, because I was named after Mama.” She almost seemed to sneer a little at Mamoru now. “You're not my Papa, but you must be that OTHER man. She is my Mama” she pointed at Usagi. “But my Papa is King Seiya of Crystal Tokyo. And I came here because our future is in trouble. Because of you” Now she glared hard and severely at both Mamoru and Chibiusa, her fists clenched a little.

Mamoru was shocked. He hadn't liked the girl before and now he really didn't like her. He was suddenly stricken with a bad feeling. His stomach dropped. He didn't like what this girl was saying and he didn't like how she spoke to his Chibiusa. He wasn't going to let this girl hurt his family. The little girl glared at him and he grew angry.

"Actually you'dbe the one causing the future to be in trouble. We saw the future of crystal Tokyo sometime ago. I am the future king of Crystal Tokyo and Chibiusa is our daughter." Mamoru said. "Don't you dare speak to my daughter like that ever again. She is in shock. You can't come here and expect us to believe that you are the daughter of Usagi and Seiya!" Mamoru was seething with anger, this was very unlike him, but he couldn't help it. This girl was threatening his family.

Mamoru turned to Usagi and said, "Usagi, I don't trust this girl. She could be a new enemy. What proof do we have that she's telling the truth?"

When Chibiusa snapped at her, that surprised Usagi. It seemed like such an unnecessarily violent reaction, especially given the fact that Chibiusa herself had arrived the same exact way. Oh, sorry, she’d even pulled a gun on Usagi. Granted, that was a toy gun, but she was clearly wielding it like she meant it to be the real thing. Excuse her if she found this girl, whose first thing she did was give her a hug, more endearing. She was about to yell at Chibiusa that being nice to people was a common courtesy when her daughter simply continued her tirade about Pluto and the Time Gates…

And then the mysterious girl actually defended her, which surprised Usagi more. It was actually… touching. Usagi almost teared up when she said she was a wonderful mother. She knew that Chibiusa felt the same way, but so often their relationship was filled with strife and arguments and some days Usagi still wondered if deep down maybe she was a terrible mother. After all, she had made Chibiusa feel lonely and desperate enough that she would be susceptible to Wiseman’s corruption. If Chibiusa had the perfect home life, that would have never happened. Usagi recognized that fault even if no one ever pointed it out directly, and it was a cloud that sometimes hung above her relationship with Chibiusa.

But this girl… This potential new daughter… was saying she was a wonderful mother and defended her so fiercely. Usagi couldn’t help but feel like she immediately wanted to protect her at all costs.

At least until the next bomb was dropped.

Her eyes widened when the girl denied that Mamoru was her father, and that, in fact, her father was Seiya, of all people. Usagi’s face immediately flushed bright red. What?! But that was… impossible. She was set to marry Mamoru in the future. Did she change her mind at some point?! And Seiya?! She didn’t even feel that way toward Seiya… right?!

Usagi remained in shock as Mamoru uncharacteristically yelled at the little girl. She’d never seen Mamoru react so violently to a kid before. Even back when Chibiusa first arrived, Mamoru had immediately taken to her. But she supposed knowing that this girl was the child of his future wife with another person would override his usual paternal instinct.

Even though Usagi understood all this, she was still surprised when Mamoru suggested that the girl could be an enemy.

“What proof did we have when Chibiusa first came here that she wasn’t an enemy? And yet nearly everyone immediately wanted to trust and protect her. The least we can do is give her,” she pointed to the dark-haired girl, “a chance to explain. The same chance we afforded Chibiusa.”

She wasn’t very happy with how defensive Mamoru and Chibiusa were being, even if she knew their reasons. Clearly they felt their future was threatened. But there must be an explanation.

Usagi knelt in front of the new girl, the one who wasn’t demanding the Silver Crystal or pulling a gun at her. “I’m so sorry about all this. Do you have another name we can call you by, just to avoid the confusion since you both have the same name?” she asked. She knew that would hurt because, if the girl was telling the truth, she and Chibiusa both deserved to be called by their rightful names, but one of them was going to have to budge before everyone got a headache. And Usagi knew Chibiusa was never going to.

“Then perhaps you could explain to us how this future came to be, since we’ve already seen Crystal Tokyo and you weren’t there.” Usagi squeezed the girl’s hand lightly, giving her an encouraging smile, telling her silently that she was willing to listen and understand.

She could not very well disappoint this girl if she thought Usagi was a wonderful mother, right?

The girl continued to look fiercely at Mamoru, not backing down despite his icy demeanor, though she flinched when he said that he was the king of Crystal Tokyo and that that pink haired...spore was their daughter. Then he dared to turn to her mother, proclaiming her to be the enemy and untrustworthy. She was taking slow breaths, though the occasional trembling of her shoulders was the only sign of how angry she was.

Then Usagi responded to him, and her expression turned to relief and love for the blonde woman who leapt to her defense. She had never expected different, her mother was always the warm kind hearted type who wanted to give everyone a chance. She looked her in the eyes as Usagi knelt in front of her and even apologized for how the other two were acting. Her eyes shined with unshod tears tears, even as she smiled. She paused, looking uncertain and yes a little hurt as Usagi basically asked her to give up what had in her life been her own nickname. She looked down a moment in thought before she looked up again, trusting her mother as she always had. She never did or asked for anything without some kind of reason.

“You named me after you, but formally you and Papa named me Princess Lyra Serenity..and the servants just call me Princess Lyra. So...I guess while I’m here...you can call me Lyra. Though Chibiusa is still my nickname.” She flashed a brief but lighter glare at Chibiusa. Then she looked back at Usagi, and smiled. “Okay Mama. I know you like having something sweet to nibble on and drink whenever you talk about something, even if it's serious.”

She paused to giggle a little at that quirk of her mothers, and she had many fond memories of sitting outside the palace with her mother, eating delicate little cakes and pastries and drinking iced tea whenever they had a discussion. She had often done the same thing whenever important people came to visit. She had once told her she considered it a way to help develop new friendships and extort peaceful ways. Whoever this man and girl was, they had certainly not learned peaceful ways from her. She turned her attention quickly back to Usagi. “So where do we go?”

Usagi’s heart broke for this girl—her daughter? what an odd concept still—as her eyes started tearing up. She hated the fact that the girl had only just arrived in the past and she was not getting the welcome she deserved. It was odd, she supposed, how differently she was reacting to this other daughter compared to the first. When Chibiusa first arrived, Usagi had felt nothing but suspicion for her. Perhaps it was because she demanded for the Silver Crystal, but it soon became more than that. Chibiusa’s way of latching onto Mamoru had made her feel threatened and even more shoved aside as most of her friends trusted the newcomer and wanted to protect her despite Usagi’s misgivings.

But this other Chibiusa was just so different from the beginning. And Usagi had changed a lot since then. She wasn’t quite so insecure anymore, and now she only felt protective maternal instinct toward this child.

“Lyra,” she repeated, nodding and smiling. “That’s a beautiful name.” She wondered where she’d come up with the title. Maybe something from Seiya’s heritage? Remembering Seiya and his supposed involvement in this whole thing made her feel hot again. What was she supposed to tell him? Was she supposed to tell him at all? Well, of course she should, but good god, this was confusing.

She was surprised when Lyra said so decisively that Usagi liked having something to eat while talking. Well, that wasn’t wrong. Technically, Usagi liked eating just about anytime. But eating did make her feel more into the conversation if it was boring or helped her feel calmer if it was worrisome. She was amused that apparently she kept this habit even as a queen.

“Bless you. I could really use food right now. See? Proof already that she knows me.” She glanced at Mamoru and Chibiusa pointedly. Looking at Lyra’s happy expression, as if she was recalling a fond memory, made Usagi’s heart ached in a strange way. This girl had an entire future with her that she didn’t know about. What was it like? It seemed like they had the perfect relationship, but now she wanted to know everything.

“Hmm. Well, the Crown Fruit Parlor has everything from ice cream to cakes to other glorious desserts. I don’t know if you still have it in your time, but I definitely vote for that. What’s your favorite food?” she asked, feeling terrible that Lyra knew everything about her and yet Usagi knew nothing about her. How could she not know her own daughter’s favorite food? This was upsetting.

She looked back at her other two family members. “Look, we’re going to go to Crown and let her explain. You both can either come or not, but I’m going,” she said decisively.

Mamoru was getting more agitated by the minute. Now, not only was this girl claiming to be the daughter of Usagi and someone else, but she also seemed to capture the heart of Usagi. Usagi had asked them to give this new girl the benefit of the doubt and a chance to explain herself. This new girl was to be called Lyra. Usagi had a point. Mamoru thought, although he wasn't happy to admit it, even to himself.

As Usagi and the girl started to walk away, Usagi had decisively said she was going and he and Chibiusa could come if they wanted or just not come. He decided to go with. This was he could keep an eye on this girl and hopefully get to the bottom of this. He looked over at Chibiusa, hoping that she would join him. Whatever was going on affected both of them and he wanted her by his side so that they could both understand.

Chibiusa watched in dismay as Usagi quickly bonded with the girl. She instinctively drew closer to Mamoru.

A part of her did feel a little bad for the girl as the initial shock subsided the tiniest bit, but it was a very very small part. She knew what it was like to travel through time along and confront the past selves of the people you know and love.

She also felt a bit embarrassed about her outburst. It wasn't very princess-like behavior; perhaps Usagi was having more influence on her than she thought.

When the idea of food and discussion came up, she simply nodded once Mamoru agreed to go. She may at least find out more details about this girl before arguing again. Her future must not be that dire if she's so forthcoming with information. When she herself had arrived in the past, she had no idea who was affiliated with the Black Moon or would try to take the Silver Crystal.

As they began walking to Crown Parlor, a little fantastical began playing out in her head. Perhaps something had happened to herself and King Endymion, and flung to the far reaches of the galaxy, they were thought lost, and in the years since Neo-Queen Serenity had married again to combat the loneliness. She was sure she was still always in her mother's thoughts and that she and her father were making every effort to return home and join the royal family.

...or maybe she had joined Helios as Queen of Elysion...
Her thoughts then drifted down another path.

Lyra continued to look up at Usagi, relaxing just a little when she said that Lyra was a beautiful name and giving her a small smile. The smile on her face only grew when Usagi had said “bless you” to her, and confirmed what she had said. She blinked a bit as Usagi suggested the Crown Fruit Parlor, looking mildly confused but willing. “It sounds a little like the Crystal Crown Parlor...You took me there sometimes. But okay.” When asked about her favorite food, she looked surprised and mildly hurt, then a little sheepish. “I'm sorry...I keep forgetting I haven't been born yet, and you don't know anything about me. Well my favorite food is...um...well...I don't really have A favorite food, but I really really like anything sweet! Aunt Makoto is always making sweets for us to eat. Chocolate strawberries, french vanilla crème cake, mango- lychee pudding, triple layered fudge tiramisu cake!”

It seemed to be she was mildly drooling at just the idea of sweets, then she blushed a little and smiled up at Usagi. She paused as the blonde extended an offer to the two to come along, but stated firmly that she was going either way. Oh yes, this young woman was not exactly like her mother, but the traits she recognized in a heartbeat shone through like sunlight through clouds on a rainy day. She didn't especially care about the other two coming, she didn't like these people who were a danger to her. But again, she reluctantly trusted her mother to know what was best. Things always came out alright if you just trusted her.

Once at the Parlor, her eyes widened and she blinked, taking in the features. “Hey, it really does look like Crystal Crown!” she smiled a bit. “This must be what it looked like in the past. How quaint!” she giggled a little. Once they had settled in a booth, she had to look at the menu, not being sure what this place would have at this point in time. She looked up at Usagi with wide eyes and a slightly pleading look. “Can I have the brownie fudge chocolate ice cream milkshake, and the Summer Splash parfait, with extra whipped cream and extra praline sauce? Or the strawberry-peach crepe with caramel?”

The matter-of-fact way Lyra spoke about her and the things Usagi did in the future made Usagi believe that she was telling the truth. Not to mention all the times she looked hurt by the lack of familiarity and confusion. No child could act that convincingly, right? Usagi knew she had a tendency to believe the best in everyone, but the way Mamoru and Chibiusa had reacted… Was she really being played for a fool here?

No. She believed in her heart that she was not.

She smiled in understanding as Lyra apologized about forgetting that she wasn’t born yet, and her face brightened when she said her favorite food was sweets. “A girl after my own heart,” she grinned. Well, that was about the only proof of maternity that she needed, wasn’t it? And the way she called Mako her aunt so casually… it warmed Usagi’s heart, and she couldn’t help but think what this future looked like. She was drooling just listening to Lyra naming all the delicious cakes. “That sounds like Mako-chan, all right.”

When they arrived at Crown, Lyra seemed to recognize it if in a distant way. She was amused at the idea that this place looked quaint. How did it look in the future? As they all settled into a booth and Lyra pleaded with her to have all the desserts, Usagi giggled. A strange warmth filled her heart, and it was odd, but… she already was falling in love with this girl. With her unborn, not even conceived daughter. She could not imagine never having her anymore. Lyra was pushing all her maternal instinct buttons so effortlessly.

“You can have whatever you want. Anything. Everything. Why not both? God knows I’ll probably devour more than one plate myself.”

Her imagination pictured them in the future, probably doing this often, just a wonderful outing as a happy family. But then she remembered that bit about Seiya being Lyra’s father. Mamoru and Chibiusa’s faces vanished from the picture in her mind, and she felt unsettled. What price did she have to pay to get that beautiful future?

She waited until everyone else placed their orders before adding her own. A plate of banana split and chocolate covered banana-filled crepe. She had a feeling she would need a lot of sweet things to swallow the truth Lyra was about to tell her.

As Lyra happily began asking for everything on the menu, Chibiusa glowered into the table. She bristled with frustration when Usagi told Lyra to order anything on the menu. She was never afforded that privilege. 

When the waitress came, she ordered her favorite flavor of milkshake and continued trying not to look at Lyra. She had no idea what to say, only that she felt vaguely threatened by this girls presence. Perhaps she could go back to Mamo-chan's apartment later today or tomorrow to talk about the possibilities with him where Usagi and Lyra couldn't hear.

When their order arrived, she chewed on her straw, taking in the conversation.

She looked at Usagi, waiting patiently for her answer, and smiled happily and laughed a little at her rather indecisive and scattered answer. “How about I order both, and we'll split half of everything, like we always do?” She smiled lovingly at the older woman, her eyes shining with a little admiration as they always did when she was reminded just how sweet her mother was. She could have sworn for a moment before they got their food, a look of...something negative crossed her face before it was gone just as quickly. Perhaps she was still adjusting to the fact that she could have a different future than what she thought.

Lyra smiled at the waitress, telling her "thank you" like she had been taught, and true to her word, she split the parfait and crepe in equal halves, giving one to Usagi and keeping the other. She took a sip of her milkshake first and sighed happily at the sweet taste flooding over her tongue before she picked up a spoon, beginning to eat little bites at a time of the dessert. She looked first at Usagi, then courteously glanced at Mamoru and Chibiusa. “So...I guess this is my chance to tell you everything now.”

She paused a few moments to take some breathes and get her thoughts together before she continued. “Well...like I said before. I’m Usagi Tsukino-Kou, but my family calls me Chibiusa. And my Mama and Papa are the King and Queen of Crystal Tokyo. I’m the crown princess, and successor to them. Um..” she seemed to grow a little uncomfortable, and even looked slightly upset, frowning. “One night, I had a....a nightmare...” she lowered her eyes embarrassed, “ And I went to Mama and Papa's bedroom. I just wanted a...a hug and a talk so I could get back to sleep. But when I got there, they were already awake. They were talking to this strange woman I had never heard of before, they called her Sailor Pluto.”

She looked down at her parfait now, stirring it a little and nudging the fruit around. “She said she had to leave the time gate, because she had sensed a disturbance in the past. Some kind of time ripple, something that was making the current time stream unstable.” She took a deep breath and stared hard at the glass of parfait, her hand holding the spoon still now, though it trembled a little. “I heard Mama....Mama ask...if it was possible for her other future to happen. The one with someone named....Endymion and...Small Lady. And...Pluto said it was a possibility....”

She slowly looked up at them, her eyes a little hard. “Aunt Ami taught me all about alternative split time lines. I knew when I heard that, that if that future happened, I....I would disappear. So I had to come back in time, to make sure that you chose my Papa, so I won't disappear. That's why I'm here.” She stared, right at Usagi.

Chibiusa started intently at Lyra as she explained herself and the timeline she came from. She felt a small ripple of pleasure that this girl did not have a close relationship with Pluto in her timeline. At least one of her relationships with the other Senshi was sacred, even though this girl called the others "Aunt." She was both curious and afraid to ask Lyra about Saturn; that was a connection that might be too painful to hear about.

And then the biggest bomb dropped. Chibiusa's straw fell from her mouth, forgotten about as she started in horror at Lyra, tidal waves of emotions roaring through her. This confirmed her worst fears, a tiny part of her mind had considered this possibility the moment she saw Lyra in the park, but she stuffed it down and tried to think about other things. But now it was out in the open.

If Lyra would cease to exist when Usagi chooses Mamoru, then surely it would be the other way around if in some twist of fate Usagi would choose Seiya?

“We always split half of everything?” Usagi said in shock. That was unexpected, given how she always seemed to fight over everything, including food, with Chibiusa. “You’re such a nice girl,” she added, staring at Lyra with wide, glossy eyes. And the way Lyra looked at her was almost mirroring that. She seemed to truly look up to Usagi and love her in a completely uncomplicated way, which was… nice. Usagi didn’t have too many of that kind of relationship, where everything was simple and just… normal.

She accepted her half, wondering how she was supposed to eat this and her order, which was a clear sign that she was growing up. Usually that wouldn’t have been a question at all. As Lyra was getting ready to tell them everything, Usagi nibbled on the crepe, really wishing with all her heart she was just going to introduce herself as her second daughter.

Lyra repeated the fact that she was her and Seiya’s daughter, which still unsettled Usagi. How could she and Seiya be the King and Queen of Crystal Tokyo…? Lyra seemed a bit embarrassed when talking about the part where she had a nightmare, and Usagi’s heart went out to her. Would it be weird if she gave her a hug now? Not knowing who she was until half an hour ago?

So there was one difference between Lyra and Chibiusa; somehow, Lyra did not know Pluto. Usagi was strangely not surprised. If Lyra wasn’t as lonely as Chibiusa, then she wouldn’t have ventured all the way to the Time Gate and found Pluto. She didn’t like the thought of a disturbance on the time stream. She wasn’t prepared to lose anyone she cared about, which was what tended to happen when these things cropped up. That was the problem with knowing the future. She felt like she always had to fight to ensure it happened the way it was supposed to.

The other future? The one with Endymion and Small Lady was the other future? Usagi felt her stomach sink and her entire body going cold. With every word that came out of Lyra’s mouth, she felt more and more horrified. She was smart enough to know what an alternate timeline was. It meant choices. Unpleasant ones.

After Lyra finished her story, Usagi leaned back on her seat, aghast. “So… what you’re saying is… the future where I become queen with King Endymion by my side and Small Lady as our daughter is a different future than yours? And that if I stuck with them, your future would cease to exist? But doesn’t that mean…” Usagi swallowed hard. “If I chose your father, Chibiusa and that future would disappear?”

“Mmm-hm.” She nodded at Usagi with a smile. “Whenever I can't decide what to get, I get both and then split it with you, so nothing goes to waste, and then maybe we both get to try something new.” She flushed a little when Usagi had called her such a good girl, and it sounded almost exactly like her mother's voice. Then she explained everything, growing steadily more uncomfortable. She didn't like the concept of disappearing, why should she have to? Then her mother was asking questions, and she focused on her, her eyes still a little hard, but her gaze steady.

“Yes, and yes. But I know why my future deserves to exist.” now her tone took on hints of Ami, how she sounded when she was explaining something technical in a debate or theory exploration. “I know it's better because I know I'm better. I've been training all my life how to be queen of Crystal Tokyo, and I want nothing more than to be able to rule it and make it as happy and peaceful as you and Papa have.”

Now her attention seemed to shift halfway onto Chibiusa, her gaze narrowing slightly. “And from what I've seen of this...Small Lady, she hardly seems like proper Queen material. Judging by the looks of her, she's utterly spoiled with no respect for anyone except herself and she lets her emotions get the better of her. She'd never be able to formulate a proper treaty, not that she'd know the process I bet, without starting a war. And I sincerely doubt she'd know the proper procedure and formalities with a declaration of war and exactly what it would entitle, and its effects on the people of Crystal Tokyo, if it is worth it or not, or how to negotiate peace to prevent war. If she's also your daughter, she's shamed you Mama. She hasn't learned a single thing from you, and it seems like she doesn't want to.” Her voice was vaguely challenging, as if daring Chibiusa to say it was untrue.

Lyra's superior attitude toward her apparent diplomatic abilities coupled with her put downs toward her snapped the state of shock Chibiusa had fallen into. The room turned red as her blood boiled, but unlike Usagi, she knew how to stay level and make a solid retort.

"You may have learned about diplomacy and war in your studies in your variation of the 30th Century, but I have learned many valuable lessons and skills by coming to the 20th Century. I have learned what life is like for regular people outside the walls of the Crystal Palace, which will allow me to better relate with my subjects when I one day ascend the throne. At school, I'm in the top of my class in all subjects and have been voted class president, so my peers recognize me as a leader amongst them. By coming and studying here, it has helped teach me the mistakes of the ancient past, much of which is lost to the real Crystal Tokyo, so that I can avoid the mistakes of the past when my times comes. I have also been trained as a Senshi here in this time, which provides a tactical advantage and real experience should the peace of Crystal Tokyo ever be disturbed. I even have my own quartet of fellow Senshi to help! You, on the other hand, haven't event shown any magical ability of any kind and yet claim your future to be the right one. Other than your own studies from your own time, what ability have you shown, beyond your word, that you should be the rightful successor to the throne of Crystal Tokyo and the mantle of Sailor Moon?"