Tsukino Usagi

Satisfied with Mamoru's response, she turned back to the ghostly girl and smiled warmly. She hoped they might see those sorrowful eyes brighten soon. "Let's find her together, then," she said. She reached out slowly with both hands to touch the little plant, opening her palms as if to carress it.

With one final searching look into the girl's face, she gently took the sapling into her hands by the base, careful not to disturb the roots too much.

As soon as Usagi's hands touch the sapling, the illusion surrounding everyone falls away, a hint of cold in the air the only lingering aspect.

That, and the sapling now nestled in Usagi's hands.

Those with special abilities or items could detect that all of the previous things emotions and energies are now simply concentrated on the sapling, as if it was the true origin of all the strange happenings.

As everyone gets their bearings, some may notice a large cherry tree, far larger than most, that sits at the far end of the park.

As Usagi is holding the sapling, she can feel a yearning from the sapling to go nearer to this larger tree.

Minako Aino

Minako blinked twice, hoping that she wasn't hallucinating. But yes, they were back at their picnic area. The area was empty now, as most civilians had left before they'd gone into the illusion and not many had returned. Their food and items were untouched, luckily, the smell of sweet and savory like music to her nostrils.

Minako glanced around, counting heads to make sure that everyone had returned with no problems. Counting the correct amount, Minako let herself relax for the first time in what felt like hours.

"Well," she said, drawing out the word, "glad that's over!" She grinned but then realized that Usagi was still holding a sapling in her hands. How did something created by an illusion still hold corporeal form?

She leaned in close to it, giving it closer inspection. "Looks like you got a gift."

Not much of a gift, if she were to be honest. What would anyone do with a sapling of all things?

Mamoru Chiba

As the illusion dissipated around them, Mamoru let out a slight exhale. As he had predicted, the taking of the sapling had cleared the strange world away, and they were now all back in the park. All of the girl's energies were in the sapling, he could feel, and he also noticed the massive cherry tree blossoming on the far side of the park.

Mamoru smiled. He knew exactly what needed to be done.

Naru Osaka

"Oh, thank gawd," Naru said, gratefully flopping onto the picnic blanket. Yup, it's real alright. She patted the ground. Yup, real too. She let out a breath she wasn't aware she'd been holding. "That was exhaustin'," she said, rubbing her legs with her hands to bring back some warmth and circulation. She suddenly blushed, realizing that in her flood of relief she was being extremely unladylike.

She peered back at the group to see if anyone had noticed. Usagi is still holding that little tree... Naru wasn't superstitious, but she had been so ready to leave whatever had just happened behind her, that the tiny sapling was an unwelcome intrusion in her recently returned reality.

 Rei Hino 

Just like that, it was over.

Or... was it?

Rei blinked, amethyst eyes watching the sapling now in Usagi's hand. She didn't feel suspicious of it, necessarily, but all of the emotions from before now seemed concentrated on the small tree. This wasn't a simple gift... something remained unresolved. The dark-haired girl glanced around the park, and her gaze stopped on a larger tree. It was highlighted for her with her extrasensory perception. Rei wouldn't be surprised to find that it played a role in all of this, although she still wasn't sure exactly what they ought to expect.

"Usagi," the priestess mentioned, voice low. "I sense something from that," indicating the sapling in the blonde's hands, "and that," nodding her chin towards the large tree at the far end of the park.

 ami-chan

Ami watched Usagi take the sapling and then things seemed to go back to normal. Ami let out a calm breath feeling better about the situation but took out her computer anyway to check for anything at all that still could be around. She found that an item was now generation almost all the different energies: The sapling. She looked more into her computer for signs of anything else abnormal..

Tsukino Usagi

A shiver ran through Usagi as the illusion fell away and the familiar park was left before them. She closed her eyes for a split second, praying it was real. The feeling of the cool, wet tangle of roots in her hands was suddenly salient and her eyes flew open again. She could feel the same sorrow that was in the ghost's eyes now emanating from the little life in front of her. But there was a glimmer of something else too....

Hope?

Looks like you got a gift.

Minako's words brought Usagi out of her engrossment. She blushed a little and looked hastily around at everyone - still with her, safe and sound. Naru had flopped down onto their picnic blanket. Thank goodness we didn't have to fight after all, Usagi thought to herself.

She turned back to the blonde and let out a relieved but somewhat nervous laugh. "Yeaaaah... Too bad I have a terrible green thumb!" A certain brunette came to mind for an instant.

"Usagi," the priestess mentioned, voice low. "I sense something from that," indicating the sapling in the blonde's hands, "and that," nodding her chin towards the large tree at the far end of the park.

Usagi stopped laughing and looked across the landscape of grass and white-pink canopies to where Rei had indicated. She suddenly felt a pulling feeling. She stepped forward towards the magestic tree almost involuntarily. Had it always been there?

"Mama," she stated matter-of-factly. Her eyes widened as the revelation hit. "Everyone! We can reunite them!" Without waiting for her friends to respond, Usagi started walking quickly in the direction the sapling felt so desperate to get to.

Mamoru Chiba

Mamoru gave a slight smirk. He had little doubt Usagi would figure out the answer, but he always quite enjoyed it when she came to a conclusion on her own.

Watching her walk off, he figured it was probably best to help, and dashed off after her. Figuring that nobody had brought a spade or a trowel for some impromptu gardening, and because the girls were probably unwilling to get their hands dirty (literally), he arrived at a patch of dirt about 20 feet or so from the tree, where it would get plenty of rain and sun. Using his fingers, he began to carve out some of the soil, just enough for the sapling to fit, smiling at Usagi as she made her arrival.

Naru Osaka

Usagi's friends were more active than Naru had anticipated - they were already off again. She stood and followed, uninterested in being the only one left at the place where they'd taken their ghostly trip.

As she approached, she noticed Mamoru lifting clumps of dirt from the ground. Mamoru's kinda weird, huh? she thought to herself. It wasn't every day you saw a grown man on his knees digging a hole with his bare hands in a public park. Naru gave a slight shrug to herself. Maybe that's why their relationship works so well, she reasoned. She knew Usagi had more than her fair share of quirks, too.

 Rei Hino 

She followed behind the others, quiet now, not even realize that she was drifting closer to Minako. It seemed that soon they'd have some form of closure, probably... what a picnic this had turned out to be. Rei didn't regret having chosen to join her friends here, but she felt a pang for the "normal" afternoon she had hoped for.

 Ami-chan

Still on her computer Ami followed Usagi and Mamoru and then stood by Rei and Minako as they all waited to see what would happen with Usagi and her sapling..Ami was hoping things would be back to normal soon.

With Mamoru's help, Usagi was able to get the roots of the sapling safely and securely in place.

As soon as the last of the soil was patted flat around the trunk, cold air wafted around them all once more. Similar to before, but somehow different. Less invasive. It was almost like a cool summer breeze rather than the icy cold grip of winter.

The sapling and the great tree both glowed a pale white for a moment, before two figured emerged. From the sapling came the now familiar face of the young girl from before. From the larger tree came the ghostly figure of a woman dressed in a similar manner.

Both smile and bow their heads in thanks. "I knew you would help us," the daughter says. Gone is the sadness from before, only awe and gratitude left in its place. "You'll come visit us next spring, right?"

The mother only continues to smile as she reaches out to take the hand of her daughter, reunited for the first time in many years.

A moment later, they both vanish leaving the gathered group alone amongst the falling cherry blossoms.

The group stays there for a moment as the warmth of spring begins to reach them once more. They speak with one another, words of curiosity and relief at what they'd been through together.

Deciding to finish the rest of their picnic, the group goes back to their spread out blanket and all of its goodies and spend the rest of the day joking and laughing and indulging.

Every once in a while, a gaze will glance over to the two trees, one large and full, the other newly planted.

But instead of sadness, there is only joy in the air.

The End!

Quote :

That's it! Thank you everyone for participating and helping to bring a lot of smiles and fun into this event xD I hope everyone enjoyed their time here! It was a delight to see so many new faces! <3

As a thank you for your hard work and participation, please accept this lovely signature and bumper set made by our talented tiny kitty, Diana! <3 <3



I hope to see you all in the next event!