Lyra maintained her steady gaze, her spoon forgotten in the glass of parfait as she sat there, not moving or reacting as Chibiusa rebutted her reasoning. She merely raised an eyebrow at the girls claims for her lack of proof. Her eyes narrowed ever so slightly as she responded. “I have learned much more than war and policies in my time. What do you know of the taxing system employed in the kingdom? Do you understand what the proper codes for building are, so you can approve submitted permits? Have you ever participated in a trial of any varying seriousness? Have you even met the members of the parliaments of the varying branches, and actually understood what they do? And if you think I do not know the people of my kingdom, you are sadly mistaken. My mother takes me out constantly, and twice a week, we have a party open to the public so they can meet the royal family, and we can meet them. I never went to school, but all my life I have been taught by my aunt Ami. Who better to teach me history than one who has lived through it?”

Her expression became a vague sneer now as she sat a little taller. “How impressive that you had to come to the past to increase your abilities as a senshi. I may have not had to travel time before this point, but I have spent my entire duration as a senshi training with all of my aunts, and we have traveled through our galaxy and beyond, helping people, honing my abilities. We were able to defeat an organization called the Black Moon Clan when they tried to invade Earth. I work together with my aunts, who have essentially became my team as they were my mothers. How like a spoiled child to assume to know anything of my abilities. I am Eternal Sailor Celestial Moon, and I wield all the power of my Blue Moon Crystal. Just as my Mama did, I am able to heal injuries and purify negativity, or else destroy it if need be.” She opened her hand, and with a single blink of her red eyes, a lovely dark blue lotus shaped crystal appeared floating over the palm of her hand, glowing gently with a pulsing light.

She gave a light scoff at this girl's ignorance, waving a hand slightly. “Still? What a dummy. How do you think anything is done in a city? Do you think the servants in the palace work there just for the pleasure of waiting on the royal family? Do you expect the people who keep the city clean and take care of the machinery of the city and the teleporters to do it out of the good of their hearts? And do you honestly think people don't do petty things? They have freedom of will, things happen or disputes arise. And it is up to the Queen to settle them peacefully. It almost sounds like in your future, no one has any freedom of will. For your information, yes, we do build. Our population increases or new businesses want to start, requiring new crystal buildings. We can't build it recklessly, otherwise territory disputes would break out, and it requires advanced technology to shape the crystal into the proper shape, if it's not up to code, it could shatter and kill people. And how nice, they ask your opinion, you must feel so special. Because of course your opinion is all that matters when trouble arises.”

“And even better, you hide yourselves as civilians among the people. Oh certainly you hold picnics and celebrations for them, but I failed to hear anything about being with them during it. And I love how well you listen. I already stated my Mama would take me to the Crystal Crown Parlor.” Now Lyra reached into her pocket as her crystal disappeared, and she pulled out a small round object. She pressed the front, and it enlarged into a slightly smaller version of Chibiusa's black Luna-P. “Moon-P, projection pictures, downward angle.” She said calmly, and the cat sphere's eyes lit up lightly, projecting a photo on the table.

In the image, Neo Queen Serenity and Lyra sat inside a booth that looked strongly like the one they currently sat in, but made of crystal with comfortable cushions on the seats and backs, smiling widely as they were both about to take a bite of an ice cream sundae. A flick of the Moon-P's ear, and it switched to a picture of Lyra running down a track, side by side with Haruka, both in athletic running clothes.

Lyra with her mother and father, laughing as they each danced with some unknown civilian, probably a civilian who lived in the city.

Lyra, her father and Minako singing on a stage while Haruka and Michiru played instruments in the background

A picture of a surprised looking group of Neo Queen Serenity and her inner court sitting on a bedroom floor with mudmasks on their faces and pajamas.

Lyra holding up a piece of paper filled with words and a large A+, with Ami standing next to her beaming with pride.

Lyra sitting at a table with a much older looking Saturn, as old as the rest of the senshi, as they were carefully putting together a lamp.

A group picture of Seiya, Serenity, and Lyra in their royal outfits, together with Luna, Artemis and Diana in their human forms, the inner senshi and outer senshi, excluding Pluto, standing outside the Palace and everyone grinning happily.

“Projection off.” Lyra commanded calmly, and the Moon-P shut off, the images disappearing. “I'm sure to your eyes, my senshi look quite miserable. I'm amazed how easily you twist my words around to make yourself seem better...you are manipulative, a poor quality in a leader. And you think entirely too much of yourself. My father told me all about the Galaxy Cauldron. With his help, and the starseeds of the senshi, Sailor Moon was able to dissolve Chaos on her own. You were never there, and Sailor Moon was of course strong enough with her friends.” Now she looked at Usagi briefly again with that admiring look and smile.

Lyra certainly seemed like a sensible young woman. At least… until she started saying that her future was ‘better’. How could she know that when she didn’t know of the other future? And was she really judging Chibiusa based on spending five minutes with her in which they barely talked? With each word she said that put down Chibiusa, Usagi’s maternal instinct toward her other daughter finally rose up. Shamed her? Usagi was shocked at this implication. Chibiusa was not the easiest to get along with, yes, but they had gone through so much together, and every day they were learning to be better to each other. Although it took some time, their relationship grew, overcame all the obstacles and hurdles, and came out stronger on the other side because of it.

Before she could say anything, however, suddenly Chibiusa and Lyra started talking about their respective futures, trying to prove who was better. In that regard, at least, both of them were clearly still a child. At least, if they really thought showing off their accomplishments was going to be the way to win Usagi’s heart.

There were quite a few things that she noted from this information dump, however. Like how apparently Lyra managed to defeat the Black Moon Clan without needing help from the past, which, she had to admit, was impressive. And then she blinked at the appearance of the blue tinted crystal on Lyra’s hand. While Chibiusa’s Pink Moon Crystal took the shape of a rose, the Blue Moon Crystal had an almost identical shape to Usagi’s own Silver Moon Crystal.

When Lyra brought out her own version of Luna-P, Usagi stared at the pictures curiously despite herself. She saw herself—or a future version of herself, at any rate—sitting together with her daughter. The picture was gone before she could look at it too long, but there were more. Lyra and Haruka. Lyra with her and Seiya, looking immensely happy. Usagi felt a strange jolt of guilty wistfulness, knowing this was something she’d never have if she stuck to the future she had always known.

An impromptu concert with Minako, Haruka, and Michiru. A pajama party. Ami looking so proud of Lyra, shooting beams of warmth and love into Usagi’s heart. She realized that these were all the things she would deprive herself from if she let this future be erased. Not just her daughter, not just Seiya’s happiness, but also her friends would miss out on all this. So many lives were going to be impacted.

God, they all looked so happy.

Usagi’s dreams about the future and what her decision would mean dissolved as Lyra once again spoke. She briefly wondered about managing to defeat Chaos without Chibiusa. Wasn’t Lyra supposed to be there then? That event should have shaken the future timeline as well. But all of this time travel business did not matter. What the alternate timelines were like was not important.

After being silent for a long time, she finally spoke, quietly but with hidden strength and firmness that she did not show often. “Enough.”

Usagi looked between Lyra and Chibiusa, her features hardening. “Enough of this meaningless debate about who’s better. It is meaningless because you’re both my daughter. And I am sure in the future I love both of you. Even now, I already love both of you. Lyra, you’ve only known Chibiusa for five minutes. You can’t judge her, especially with your bias against her. She is a strong soldier in her own right and a capable princess. She deserves her future as much as you do. And for the longest time, her future is the one that I have traveled to, seen, and known intimately. I have gotten to know her much more than I have gotten to know you. That is not to say that your future does not matter, because it certainly does. But you must understand that at this point in time, I have been with her father, and have promised to be with him forevermore, for years. Meanwhile, I haven’t even seen your father for a while.”

She bit her lip, feeling completely torn inside. Why couldn’t she have it all? She was Sailor Moon. She’d worked miracles before. If she wanted to somehow save two very different futures, two very different daughters, could she not do that?

“That said, I am not planning on giving up on you. There must be a way to save you both… I refuse to erase one of you and an entire beautiful, happy future from existence.”

Mamoru saw how easily Usagi was warming up to Lyra. It made him uneasy. The thought that this little girl could ruin his future with Usagi and that Chibiusa could never have been born scared him. He saw how Usagi looked at this girl. It seemed like her childhood had been perfect, effortless even. Maybe the future with Lyra in it was better, more perfect and happy... Mamoru thought and even that hurt him more than Usagi could know. He also knew that he had to be strong for Chibiusa. Without him there to help her through this what would she do? Without her here for him, he had no clue what he would have done. He ordered a chocolate cheesecake and a water and watched Usagi happily get to know her "new" daughter. He saw a look of pain and sadness flash on Usagi's face, but almost as soon as it came, it left. He could tell she was struggling and he wanted to help her, but just the thought that she could leave him for Seiya immobilized him.

As he listened to Lyra talk about her future life with Usagi it hurt even more. They seemed to have the perfect relationship and he could see how hearing everything was upsetting Chibiusa. Then Lyra spoke directly to Mamoru and Chibiusa, saying that she assumed it was her turn to tell them everything. Mamoru listened closely to Lyra. She seemed afraid and he felt bad for her. Her story seemed plausible and he could sense that she wasn't lying. His heart sank, What can I do? What can I say to keep my future with Usagi? What happened that made her choose Seiya in this alternate time line? Mamoru thought, a look of confusion and sadness crossed his face. He only let it linger for a moment. He didn't want Chibiusa to see him like that. Then something crossed his mind, perhaps at the same time as it crossed Chibiusa's. If Lyra could disappear if Usagi didn't end up with Seiya, Chibiusa would disappear if he and Usagi didn't end up together. He looked over at Chibiusa as this thought sunk in. What were they going to do?

Suddenly he realized that Lyra was speaking directly to Chibiusa and saying that her future was better. He knew this was going to cause a fight between the girls and frankly, he was getting extremely irritated with Lyra. She had no right to come here and tell them that she's better than Chibiusa and her future was better. Mamoru and Usagi were meant to be together. They were reincarnated so that they could be together. He knew that for certain. He was about to speak up when Chibiusa spoke. It was the first time that she spoke, and he could tell she was mad. But she kept herself composed and he was proud of that. Chibiusa did make a fine point, her studies in the 20th century have helped her grow from a child to a more mature young adult.

Mamoru watched as the two girls started to argue about whose future was better. Their argument was getting heated and he could see that both of them were arguing with everything they had. Then Lyra started speaking in a manner that was far out of line. Mamoru grew angry, but before things could get worse Usagi spoke up. She defended Chibiusa and their future. She spoke of the promise she made to stay with Mamoru forever and he smiled a tiny smile. Then Usagi stated that she wasn't giving up on Lyra and that there had to be a way to save both Lyra and Chibiusa.

Finally Mamoru spoke up. "Usako, I think we should go home and you should think about this. Maybe even call the senshi and talk to them. I'm sorry, but I don't know if there actually is a way to save both futures." He turned to Chibiusa and held her hand, showing her, Usagi, and even Lyra that he was not willing to give up on his future with the woman he loves. He understood where Usagi was coming from, but he knew that unless she chose him or Seiya there wouldn't be a future with any of them and neither child would exist.

When Mamoru spoke, Usagi turned to him, knowing that he was right. There was no way that she could decide right here and now, and certainly not without talking to her friends. But she felt a little bit hurt when he said he wasn’t sure there actually was a way to save both futures. Sure, it seemed impossible, but she had done the impossible before. Numerous times. She’d managed to save Hotaru when everyone said it was impossible without unleashing Saturn and ending the world. She’d refused to the end to fight Galaxia and still managed to save everyone. She always, always made her own miracles.

She thought he would know that, and that he would believe in her, especially after all they’d been through.

“I also need to contact… Kinmoku,” she said decisively. “I can’t keep Seiya in the dark about this. He deserves to know that his future child is here and that the future might be in peril.”

She knew Mamoru probably wouldn’t like that either, but it was only fair. There was no way she was keeping all this from the other person that was heavily involved in that future. It might be her decision in the end, but didn’t he have some say, too? If anything, she’d like him to at least meet Lyra. Especially with the possibility that this might be his one and only chance to do so. Usagi wasn’t a fool; she knew having both Mamoru and Seiya there would make her decision even more difficult, but she still believed she wouldn’t have to choose.

Ami could figure out a way, surely. Ami could figure out any puzzle, no matter how difficult. And if not, maybe they could try to reach Setsuna. She knew best about futures and alternate ones and how to achieve the best possible solution. If two different futures could exist at the same time, then there had to be a way to get to both of them from here.

“I’m going down to the command center to send the message.” She wasn’t sure if Chibiusa and Mamoru would want to see this part, so she left the statement to be interpreted as either an invitation to join her or an opportunity to excuse themselves.

She turned and looked at Lyra with a soft smile. “Would you like to come see the past version of your father?”

Lyra started mildly to hear Usagi speaking in almost exactly the same tone as her mother. She always had such gentle strength, and Lyra immediately fell respectfully silent, looking to her. She listened to her, her face gradually falling further and further as she went on, looking utterly crestfallen by the end of the first part of her speech. She clenched her hands a little in her lap under the table, her heart falling, until Usagi finished by saying she would save both of them. Lyra hesitantly gave her a sad small smile and looked down at her parfait. Then the black haired man spoke and she looked up at him a little. She blinked confused by the nickname Usako then flinched hard inside at the mention of home as realization fell on her.

Where was she going to stay in this time? There was no Crystal Palace, no home for her. And she hadn't brought anything with her but her crystal, transformation brooch, and Moon-P. She didn't say anything though, even if the sight of Mamoru taking Chibiusa's hand drove another knife into her heart. She missed her father. Being away on diplomatic trips were one thing, but she was so far from her parents now in so many ways, an unfamiliar situation. And she didn't understand why her method hadn't worked. Ever since she was little, aunt Ami had told her that if she couldn't decide between multiple things, just compare what made them better and the choice would be easier, a theory backed up by the rest of her family. She'd been thinking of all the possible ways she could be better than this other daughter ever since she stole the time key from that Pluto woman. Why wasn't it working? She felt so confused, so lost and hurt now. But rather than show her emotions, she began eating her parfait and crepe halves, shoving the foodstuff into her mouth to cover up her lack of speaking.

Then she gave another start and looked up against her will as she heard the name Kinmoku, and that Usagi was going to contact her father. The roiling sea of emotions grew even greater in her. Oh she'd love to see her father so much, but how would he react to her? Would he possibly also agree somehow that maybe the pink spore girl's future was the better one, just because she had been in the past longer than Lyra? Her mother looked at her with that gentle smile and asked if she wanted to see her past father. A moments hesitation, and holding back the tears in her eyes, not showing how much pain she was feeling, she nodded silently and got up from the booth.

Though she had heard stories about Seiya and stumbled across Ami's Three Lights memorabilia at the back of her closet, Chibiusa was not so enthused about meeting him now. She had inferred his interest in Usagi from what the others had said, but Mamoru had been dead and Usagi never returned the affections, so it didn't really bother her. 

This was a different story however. She imagined this Seiya would probably be taken with his daughter and worry just as much about preserving a future where Lyra was born. When Usagi mentioned going to contact Kinmoku, Chibiusa most certainly did not want to go.

"Mamo-chan," she said, looking up at Mamoru, "I'd like to go for a walk. Would you go with me?" She didn't care if Usagi reacted to her snuggling up to Mamoru. Right now she wanted to get away from Lyra and process everything that had been dumped in her lap.

Mamoru heard Usagi say that she needed to tell Seiya about his possible future child. She said he needed to know that his future might be in peril. He was a little unhappy that they had to bring Seiya into this. The fact that they could start connecting after they know they had a kid, bothered him. Usagi only thought of Seiya as a friend, but what if that changed? What if Usagi started to fall for him? The thought unsettled him. Usagi made the decision to go to the command center and send a message to the other senshi to see if they could help. Mamoru wasn't sure if he wanted to join her. Then Usagi asked Lyra if she wanted to meet her father... Mamoru got a little annoyed, but tried not to show it.

While Mamoru was deep in thought, it seemed Chibiusa was as well. Suddenly she asked him to go for a walk with her and it took him out of his head. "Yes I'd enjoy to on a walk with you, Chibiusa." Mamoru said. He looked over at Usagi and Lyra and said, "We are going to leave you two alone to talk. Go see Seiya." When he said Seiya, it came out a bit more angry than he had hoped, but he just decided that it didn't matter. He paid for their dessert and then grabbed Chibiusa's hand and left.

Usagi was actually glad that Chibiusa decided to go for a walk with Mamoru. It would make things less awkward if they weren’t all there. She still thought Mamoru’s inexplicable anger to her was unusual, though. Was any of this Usagi’s fault? She hadn’t actually cheated on him, yet he was acting as if she had. And what was she supposed to do? Just abandon Lyra like that, knowing she was her daughter?

Usagi never actually pegged Mamoru as the jealous type, since that was usually her domain. She had never given him any reason to be jealous, either, because her love for him was true and unshaken, no matter how great the temptations were. He hadn’t been there at all when she grew close with Seiya, but not once did Usagi even waver or even think about being unfaithful. Did none of that matter? Did he seriously think she was just going to dump him and Chibiusa in favor of Seiya and Lyra?

It was dumb, and though it had been a while since she felt upset with her relationship, right now she most certainly was.

She didn’t even feel hungry for what was still in her plate anymore, and so she pushed it away and led Lyra to the game center downstairs. Her mind was reeling with all this information that she had just received and she knew she’d need to talk to her friends. After making sure no one saw them, Usagi slipped into the secret entrance that led to the basement, where the senshi’s command center was.

“Welcome to our command center in the 20th century,” she announced, gesturing grandly around the room for Lyra’s benefit. The room was empty today; not even Luna or Artemis frequented it anymore now that they no longer had enemies to fight. Usagi went to the control panel, sat down, and set up a communication link between Earth and Kinmoku. She was glad she’d actually learned to do this at some point instead of just relying on Luna, Ami, and the others.

As the connection was made and they waited for the other side to receive the call, Usagi patted the space on the chair beside her. “Come, sit,” she invited Lyra.

Mamoru couldn't have gotten out of there fast enough with Chibiusa. He knew that part of him was being very irrational, it wasn't like Usagi had done anything wrong, the future where Lyra claimed to have been from was an alternate one. But even thinking that Usagi would leave him for anyone, let alone Seiya really messed with him. He loved her and Chibiusa so much. They'd seen their future together in Crystal Tokyo. They'd even been reincarnated so that they could be together now, in the future. But somehow in this alternate world, something had happened and knowing that made him sick with grief and even angry at that small girl. Instead of being stuck in his own head, Mamoru decided to talk to Chibiusa and see what she thought about all of this without Usagi and that little girl around to hear them and argue.

"Chibiusa." Mamoru said, "What are your thoughts on all of this?" Mamoru seriously wondered what they were going to do. Usagi could be really stubborn at times and he knew that this was going to be one of those times. Once she laid eyes on that small girl and bonded with her, that was it, she was determined to save that girl's future too. It just didn't seem possible, sure Usagi had done the impossible before, but this was way out of the realm of possibility.

Lyra glanced silently at Chibiusa and Mamoru as they both agreed to go off on their own thing, and once again felt a sting in her heart as she watched them walk out of the arcade from the corner of her eye. Once again, the homesickness rolled over her like a wave and she hung her head pensively, fighting valiantly against the tears that wanted to come. No, she was not going to cry. She was stronger than that, and she had to put forward the best possible impression in this situation. She lifted her head as Usagi began moving, and she followed her, slipping right after her into the secret entrance, and down to the control room.

She paused and blinked, looking around slowly. It rather looked like the control room of the Palace, but not made of crystal. The technology was fairly primitive to her eyes, but after seeing some of the other technology while walking to the parlor, she could tell it was quite advanced for the era. It felt a bit nice that her mother was being nice again, welcoming her to the control room, but it also made her feel a little worse. This nagging doubt was growing that she would choose the daughter she knew more about, and Lyra would disappear, never getting the chance to prove her worth and fulfill her dreams. She swallowed a bit hard when she invited her to sit next to her. She watched as her mother tapped buttons, lingering a moment before she gingerly sat down on the chair, then raised her eyes expectantly towards the screen.

She watched as it faded to blank, then after a few moments, came to color. She jumped in surprise to see Princess Kakyuu on the other end, though she was without her customary hat for whatever reason. The Princess looked to Usagi and gave her an elegant, warm smile. “Ah, Princess Serenity, Usagi. It's wonderful to see you again. To what do I owe the honor of this communication?” her eyes flicked and she paused, looking mildly confused to see Lyra sitting next to her, her eyes shifting as she obviously took in the girls features before she looked again to Usagi, obviously holding her tongue for now.

When Kakyuu appeared on the other end, Usagi’s face brightened. “Princess! I’m really glad to see that you’re well. It has been a while.” She wondered if she should tell everything that was happening, but finally decided Seiya should probably do that once she’d talked to him. No doubt the princess would want an explanation for his absence—because he most likely would be coming here—and Usagi would honestly rather not be the one who did that.

“Umm… may I talk to Seiya?” she asked finally, noticing the princess looking curiously at Lyra. Hopefully she wouldn’t see any suspicious similarities between the little girl and one of her guardian senshi. Somehow, ‘this girl claims to be my and Seiya’s daughter from the future’ didn’t sound like something that would go well.

He hadn't heard her name in what felt like years.

Ever since returning to Kinmoku, no one had dared mention her to Fighter. She was too torn, too broken. She had lost her chance to really truly admit her feelings to the one person Fighter had ever really fallen for, and it was the biggest regret she had. 

Fighter remained the same happy, carefree spirit that she had always been. But deep down, she was the opposite. She yearned for that bright smile, those shining blue eyes, that smooth golden hair. Everyone knew that, despite what facade Fighter may be wearing on the outside, she wanted to go back to Earth more than anything.

But she had a duty. A responsibility to her planet. She had given Kakyuu her oath, saying that she would do anything it took to restore Kinmoku to its former glory. And she had done just that. Upon returning to Kinmoku, Fighter and the others found a group of survivors hiding underground in the ruins of Kakyuu's palace, living off of any food they could go out and find. They were all thin, starving, and weak, but they were alive. Immediately, Fighter and the other Starlights worked hard to return those people to their former nourishment. Since then, the humanoids worked hard to rebuild the palace and increase their population. 

Now, their population had increased to about half of what it used to be, and Kakyuu's palace had been fully restored. Cities were rebuilt, transportation methods were installed, and everything was returning to normal. They still had a long way to go, but they were getting there. 

Fighter was proud of the work she had put in and how far their planet had come. But there was still a part of her that felt...missing. 

When the servant rushed into Fighter's living quarters, babbling about Kakyuu and a call from Earth, Fighter couldn't remember ever moving so quickly. Was Earth in trouble? Was Usagi alright? Why, after so long, were they getting a call from Earth now?

The doors to the communication room were thrown open and Fighter rushed in, spotting Kakyuu sitting in front of the giant screen. 

And there was Usagi. 

She looked just as beautiful and charming as Fighter remembered. She hadn't changed one bit, and it was refreshing. But there was a look in her eyes, one that Fighter had only seen a few times, that showed something was wrong. It was then that Fighter noticed the small girl sitting beside Usagi, a girl who looked almost exactly like her, but with black hair.

Fighter felt her chest constrict, and for some reason she felt compelled to hug the child. She looked sad, but hopeful at the same time. 

Snapping out of her own thoughts, Fighter bowed to Kakyuu. "Your highness, you summoned me?" she said, looking expectantly at Kinmoku's ruler. 

"Yes, there is someone who would like to speak to you. I will grant you your privacy," Kakyuu responded, standing and walking out of the room. As soon as the door closed, Fighter rushed to the screen and sat down, looking up at Usagi with tears in her eyes. 

"Hey there, Odango. Long time no see," she said quietly, trying to maintain the cocky playfulness she was known for. It was hard...especially after not seeing her for so long. Forcing herself to stop being so wimpy and emotional, Fighter leaned back in the chair and crossed her arms behind her head. "What's up?"

Lyra sat and listened quietly as Princess Kakyuu and the past form of her mother made idle chat, discussing what was happening on their respective planets while waiting for her father. She observed the Princess silently, comparing the past to the one who knew in the future. Oh yes, her parents had taken her to Kinmoku for many vacations, and she had met the Princess a great deal, along with her other aunts Taiki and Yaten. They sometimes reminded her of the aunts from her mother, but somehow it seemed they didn't quite have the closeness of the sol senshi. Perhaps it was because of her mothers influence.

The fashion seemed roughly the same. She had always appreciated how the light fabrics kept you pleasantly cool, and secretly, she loved how they blew in the breeze, making her feel like a....a tragic heroine type of figure. It was a little embarrassing, and she hadn't admitted such a thing to anyone. Then her father appeared on the screen, and she only blinked once, her brain only taking a few moments to connect the dots. She was so used to seeing her father as that, she had forgotten that he had the ability to physically change his appearance, a power specific to the senshi of Kinmoku. She distinctly remembered when she first found out, walking in on her parents while they seemed to be having a pajama party, playing with each others long hair, both a woman. It had taken a fair amount of time to explain, and a few demonstrations to show it was still truly her father. She had been pretty young...

She sincerely hoped she would never develop such a trait. She wanted to be queen of Crystal Tokyo, not its king. She lowered her eyes a little in pensive though, wondering now if she was going to be able to be the queen. What could she do to preserve her timeline?

While Kakyuu had someone fetch Seiya, she and Usagi talked about things in Kinmoku and Earth. It seemed like they were rebuilding Kinmoku, which made Usagi happy. Hearing Seiya’s story about how Galaxia had destroyed the planet had broken her heart. Now that life was returning to it, she felt hope that they could begin again, restart their once prosperous civilization. They were strong people and she admired them for their tenacity. She couldn’t imagine what she would do if Earth had been wiped out like that. To no longer have a home.

Then behind Kakyuu, she saw Seiya—or rather, Sailor Star Fighter—enter the room. The moment their gazes met, Usagi felt her heart skip a beat. All this time, she had logically accepted that Lyra was indeed her daughter with Seiya. But it just didn’t really click what it meant exactly until she saw Seiya again.

It meant in this other future, they were in love. They were married. They did...

She stopped her train of thought right there before she turned red.

Usagi waited until Kakyuu left, giving her a grateful smile for letting them have some privacy. That would’ve been an immensely awkward conversation with the princess in the room.

Fighter was suddenly in front of her, her face filling the entire screen, looking at her with so much longing Usagi’s own heart ached in response. How could the two of them ever be lovers? She knew for a fact Mamoru was the one and only love of her life. And Seiya… liked Usagi a lot, but just as friends, right? Besides, she once told Usagi she had someone she loved. So there was someone out there for her.

She was glad when Fighter seemed as blasé as usual, though she knew the attitude probably would not hold once the bomb was dropped.

“Hey, Seiya! You look well! It’s been a while,” she grinned, relaxing a little. Usually she was more effusive, but in light of her news, she felt like she ought to show some restraint around Fighter so as not to… give the wrong idea. Usagi glanced at Lyra, who was looking at Fighter curiously. She seemed a tad bit confused, but she hadn’t said anything, so Usagi decided to just get to the matter at hand.

“I have someone I need to introduce to you,” she said carefully. “This is Lyra… um, Princess Lyra Serenity of Crystal Tokyo. She came here from the future, and… um… she said…” Usagi swallowed. This part was really hard to say. “She said that she’s our child.”

Usagi held her breath, almost afraid of Fighter’s reaction.

Fighter felt her heart plummet to the ground at Usagi's introduction. She had another kid?

Swallowing the lump in her throat, Fighter attempted her best smile. "That's great, Odango. I'm glad it seems your future is happy," she said, scanning the little girl again. So that's where the dark hair came from. Although, Fighter was surprised the kid didn't have blue hair, given the odd shade of Usagi's other daughter's hair. 

But honestly, why did Usagi feel the need to share this with her? It was like she was stepping on her heart, twisting her foot so it would go deeper into the dirt. Was this some cruel reminder that Fighter would never have a future with her? She had accepted that - so why did she have to be reminded of it?

Maybe because...she hadn't truly accepted it.

Fighter suppressed a sigh of sorrow as she realized that, deep down, she hoped and prayed for the miracle that would bring her and Usagi together. She hadn't given up on her Odango - and she never would.

No, not her Odango - Mamoru's. 

"Is this all you needed to tell me? Because I have things I need to do, so..." Fighter prepared herself to get up and leave. Secretly, she wanted to sit here and look at Usagi for hours, but she knew that wouldn't be appropriate. Kakyuu would return soon, and...Mamoru would probably be looking for Usagi.

She continued looking towards the floor a bit as her mother explained things to her father...or actually as the case was, now her second mother. The concept made her head vaguely ache, though she knew her aunts Haruka and Michiru were making valiant attempts at having a child between them. If her eventual cousin could have two mothers, why not her? It was still a bit strange. But not as strange as the tone in her father...mother's? Whatever, her other parents voice. She quickly looked up, and saw the tell tale signs of utter devastation in Seiya's face. She was hurt, and almost fell to tears, as the thought of her own dear father not wanting her, contrasting harshly with the happy memories of her lifetime.


But not for nothing had she been taught all her life by Ami Mizuno and all of her other aunts. She thought of what Usagi had said. OUR child. And Seiya obviously knew about the potential future with that pinky girl. The ache in her heart grew worse as it snapped in her mind that he thought she was also that Mamoru man's child! She quickly stood up, her hands planting on the edge of the computer, as she saw her father trying to run away. They had always been able to tell what each other was feeling, and even with a thousand years difference between her papa and this person, it made no difference.


“Papa, don't go!” she cried out plaintively.

Fighter was frozen.

Papa...?

Did that child just call her...papa?

"She said that she's our child."

"Our child."

"Our."

Suddenly everything made sense. The hair, the eyes, the skin, the strange emotions Fighter felt in this short amount of time. That girl...Lyra...

Was her daughter. 

But...how?

Fighter leaned forward, her eyes staring deep into the little girl's. This was definitely her kid. How could she be stupid enough to think this was Mamoru's? The kid was actually good-looking, for crying out loud. 

But the reality of it all kept Fighter's head spinning. She had a kid. With Usagi. In the future. In Crystal Tokyo. So did that mean...she had married Usagi, and...become the ruler? What would cause her to abandon Kinmoku and do such a thing? Plus, Usagi and Mamoru were meant to be together. They were in love on the Moon, they were reincarnated...

But maybe they were only in love on the Moon because they hadn't met Fighter. The thought brought a smug smile to Fighter's face. 

She had a chance. If there was an entire future dedicated to Fighter's life with Usagi, then that chance must be pretty damn good.

"So...you're my kid, huh?" Fighter chuckled, trying her best not to go insane with all of the thoughts rushing through her head. The best way to deal with problems, in Fighter's opinion, was to laugh about them. This wasn't even that much of a problem, anyway. "That explains the undeniable good looks."

Fighter was still staring deep into the little girl's eyes, and she could easily see the pain, the fear, the turmoil. This girl was scared. There was something going on, and for some reason, Fighter felt compelled to hug her and tell her that everything was going to be okay. She felt a connection with this kid, and they had only ever met between screens. 

"I'm not going anywhere, Lyra."

She stared intensely at the screen, watching the emotions running through Seiya's face. She could almost literally see the thought process and the dawning realization. Her father- why did she keep thinking that when he was in his female form?- leaned close to the screen, and they stared into each others eyes, bright red faced with dark blue. She had looked into those eyes so often, and it eased the heartache to be faced with something so familiar. A smug smile crossed Seiya's face, and with a chuckle she had questioned her being their child, and she nodded swiftly to the question. Then blushed a little when she said that it explained her looks. Her father had always raved about how beautiful she looked, that between him and her mother, she was probably the most gorgeous princess in the galaxy, if not a few galaxies.


Then Seiya told her she wasn't going anywhere, and her mental dam broke a little. She broke out into a wide relieved smile, even as the tears welled up in her eyes and ran heavily down her cheeks, dripping off her chin onto her hands. “I'm so glad, Papa. You're always there for me whenever I need you, just like Mama. You're the best in the universe.”

As they left Crown Parlor, Chibiusa gripped Mamoru's hand tightly. She wasn't sure what to say first or what to feel. 

When Mamoru asked her what she thought, she stayed silent for a moment before the words came pouring out.

"I don't know, Mamo-chan, there's just so many possibilities! I wish Pluto where here so we could consult her on what else is possible. From what...that girl...says it seems as if Usagi just up and chose a future with Seiya instead of with us. I mean, what if we're lost in space and Neo Queen Serenity married again out of loneliness, or maybe I'm Queen of Elysium with Helios (she blushed at admitting this out loud) and keeping myself hidden from Lyra, or what if one or both of us is... is..."  She couldn't bring herself to say dead, but the thought had crossed her mind. At this point she was grasping for ideas of how the two futures could coincide, but she knew it was unlikely her mother The Queen would keep her first husband and child secret from her second, no matter the depth of her grief.

She broke down into sobs and wrapped her arms around Mamoru, finally letting herself feel the despair of disappearing.

After what seemed like an eternity, she felt herself calming down and wiped the tears from her cheeks. "I agree, Mamo-chan. Usagi has done the impossible many times over, but I don't see how she can make things work this time."

When Chibiusa spoke to Mamoru a lot of her words echoed her thoughts. It was strange sometimes how Chibiusa and him thought alike, although Chibiusa's behavior was more like Usagi's had been, she still seemed to remind him of himself at times. When Chibiusa broke into sobs he wrapped his arms around her. He knew the pain and confusion she was feeling, because he felt it too. He shed a few tears while holding his daughter, but quickly wiped them away to hide them from her. When Chibiusa agreed with his uncertainty about Usagi saving both futures, he knew something was going to have to be done. But what? Mamoru thought.

He looked over at Chibiusa and finally spoke, "Unfortunately a lot of the things you've said have crossed my mind too Chibiusa. I'm worried about what could have happened to us and confused about the future. Usagi and I are meant for each other. We both know that, you know that, and all of the senshi do as well. We were reincarnated so that we could finally be together. I don't know what could tear us apart, the only thing I can imagine is something happening to us. Although I'm trying to trust Usagi's judgement, I think that something could have to do with Lyra... Do you know of any way to contact Pluto?"

"Not really," she admitted. "Once we saved Crystal Tokyo from the Black Moon Clan, I returned the Time Key to Pluto. I was sent back and forth from then on with Neo Queen Serenity making the arraignments with Pluto for me and Setsuna would help to send me back from this time. But she's gone back to the Time Gate from the 20th Century and I haven't received word from the 30th Century about visiting home. Maybe Haruka and Michiru would have some idea, but even that's a long shot. Maybe we should talk this out with more people, but I'm worried Lyra will confuse the process. She seems so determined to prove her future superior that she fills the whole room."

That’s great? That’s it?

Usagi blinked in confusion at Fighter’s reaction. Before she knew it, Fighter was already excusing herself, and she scrambled for words. What did she have to say to make her understand? It was hard enough saying it the first time!

Thankfully, Lyra spoke up, pleading for her to stay in the simplest way. In that one moment, Usagi saw the princess from the future, a girl calling after her own father, all the desperation she felt. Her heart constricted. There was no way she could lose this child any more than she could lose Chibiusa.

When Fighter finally seemed to get it, she still didn’t seem shocked. She was taking this surprisingly well. She even joked about it. Usagi was torn between laughing and crying. Watching the two of them converse, Usagi’s heart swelled with love. This was a family. They were a family. It felt so beautiful and heartbreaking all at the same time. How could she feel such overwhelming love towards someone she just met? Something about the three of them felt right, if in a different way than it was with Chibiusa and Mamoru.

“Seiya…” she decided to address Fighter by name, feeling like the title was too impersonal especially given the situation. “Would you be willing to come to Earth and meet her? And also… there’s this little problem where apparently she comes from a different future from the one I knew before. Which means… both futures can’t exist at the same time. At some point, one of them will be erased forever.”

Fighter felt her heart warm at the little girl's words. Smiling, the senshi nodded and winked. "Of course, I'll always be here," she said, not really understanding the depth of what she was saying. This was all so...weird. One minute she's trying to prank Maker, the next she's talking to her future daughter. The parental instinct within Fighter had been nonexistent until this moment. The only kid she had ever really had close contact with was Chibi Chibi, and she hadn't even been real, technically. The way the words came so naturally to Fighter felt strange, yet nostalgic at the same time. 

Usagi spoke, her voice always hitting Fighter like ice water. It was so refreshing, and it had just been so long. Fighter was so fixated on Usagi's face and voice that she almost didn't realize the request Usagi had made. 

"Come...to Earth?" Fighter repeated, her voice quiet. The thought of leaving Kinmoku to visit Earth again had both positive and negative effects. Of course she was still needed here with the princess and the rest of the civilians, but her daughter was waiting for her on Earth. She couldn't just leave Usagi to figure things out on her own, could she? No, that would be cruel. 

Scratching the back of her head, Fighter smiled nervously. "Yeah, I guess I could come back. I'll need to ask the princess for her permission and tell the girls, but I might be able to get there by tomorrow morning. I'll be right back, give me a sec," she said, standing and leaving the room to find Kakyuu. It was no surprise that the princess was waiting in her throne room. 

"Your highness, Usagi has requested my return to Earth. I...um..." Fighter blanched, not really knowing how she was supposed to explain to Kakyuu that she had a kid with Earth's princess. 

"You have obligations, do you not? You are free to leave as soon as you prefer. Kinmoku will be eagerly awaiting your return, Figher," Kakyuu intercepted. The sparkle in her eyes set an alarm off in Fighter's head. Did she...know? About the kid? 

"Th-thank you, princess. Please contact me immediately if my help is needed. I...will be going now."

Fighter turned to leave, mind blown by the princess's behavior. How could she be so smart and perceptive?

"And Fighter?"

She turned.

"Do not give up."

Feeling a wave of happiness, Fighter flashed the princess a thumbs-up and returned to the previous room she had been in, seeing Usagi and her child still on the screen. Plopping down into the seat, FIghter couldn't wipe the grin off of her face. 

"Alright ladies, you can expect one irresistible guy in Tokyo within the next 24 hours."

Lyra was beaming happily at Seiya on the screen, then turned her head when Usagi spoke again. She could see the love in her eyes, and her heart ached with the possibility that maybe she would choose her instead of the pink girl, that her chances hadn't been ruined when she tried explaining why her future should be picked. She mildly berated herself a moment at not having faith in her mother for even a moment. She turned her head back to the screen, hearing something about princess and permission, and saw her father leaving the room. She looked down a moment, clenching her hands then turned her entire body around, hugging Usagi tightly around the shoulders, her cheek nuzzling the older womans. “I love you, mama” she said, and that eased the guilt she felt for not believing in her. She leaned back and smiled Usagi's own smile back at her, then pulled away gently and sat next to her, closer this time though so their shoulders brushed and waited patiently but more happily for Seiya's return.

She wondered briefly how the Kinmokuian palace looked here in the past, Kakyuu's throne room and all the halls...she knew in the future, it many more osmanthus blossoms along the hallways and surrounding the palace, the scent perfuming the air night and day...a scent that made your head feel light and warm. She smiled briefly then looked up as Seiya made her return. She had that irrepressible grin on her face that always came with success, and she giggled at Seiya's words. “I can't wait to see you papa! And in your male form...I don't see you very much at all in your girl form. It's a little strange, you're the king of Crystal Tokyo after all!”

Usagi wasn’t sure why Fighter seemed unsure at the idea of coming to earth. Did she not want to? Of course, she was needed in Kinmoku, but… this was her child. Lyra clearly needed her.

When she excused herself to ask for permission from Kakyuu, Usagi felt relieved. She hoped the princess would understand.

She was surprised when Lyra suddenly hugged her tightly, pressing her body to hers. Her heart swelled with love for this child she’d only just known, and at the same time constricted painfully at the thought that she might lose her. “I… love you too,” she said, and she was being completely sincere. She really had fallen in love with the girl even in just a few short hours. Already, her life felt impossible without her. But at the end of the day, she would have to say goodbye to one of them, didn’t she? Deep down, in the part that Usagi didn’t like to give voice to, she knew.

And it broke her heart.

Fighter wasn’t gone for too long before she returned, looking happier than before. When she announced that she was coming to Tokyo within 24 hours, Usagi grinned. “That’s good news! We’ll be waiting for you.”

She laughed at Lyra’s honest words. It must be weird to her not getting to see both sides as often. But she would get the chance to get to know her father in a whole new way, and that made Usagi happy.

“Okay, Seiya, we’ll see you tomorrow,” she said with a smile.

Now that meant Lyra would have to sleep somewhere. Honestly, Ikuko probably didn’t need much explanation given how many strange kids she had taken in without question over the years, but her thoughts flew back to Chibiusa and Mamoru. Suddenly she wondered what they were doing and realized that she missed them. This was supposed to be her date-slash-family day. Now this really unbelievable thing had happened…

“Lyra, where do you want to stay the night? There’s my house, of course, but we may have to make up a story about you to my parents. Also, technically Chibiusa is staying there… Then there’s your dad’s apartment in the city, though of course it’s currently empty. I know where he hides the spare key and I’m sure he won’t mind, but… I don’t feel comfortable leaving you alone there.”

Lyra smiled happily and waved at her father in her female form before Usagi turned off the screen. She was definitely feeling much better, knowing soon she would be with her parents again, even if it was their past selves. The morning couldn't come soon enough she thought. And it was a delight to hear her mother telling her that she loved her in return. Her chances seemed to be growing!

Then Usagi asked her where she would like to stay, and she looked at her mildly stunned. How had she known Lyra had been struggling with those very thoughts for the past few minutes, since home had been mentioned. She smiled happily at the idea of staying in her house with her, but then her expression faded and she looked uncomfortable, certainly not liking the idea of staying with her pinky counterpart. She bit her bottom lip a bit in thought, mulling it over.

In the end, she decided to spend the night with her mother until her father got here, and that could maybe prevent any mischief that Small Lady would attempt, or any attempts to turn her mother against her. It would be worth the aggravation, and she could certainly control herself as befit the heir of Crystal Tokyo. “Can I stay with you, at your house then? And...” she paused, realizing she couldn't very well call her mother that in front of her past grandparents! A 13 year old daughter with a mother only a handful of years older would strain anyones mind. She hesitated a moment longer. “Do....do I call you by your name?....U-Usag..i?” it felt extremely strange on her tongue, to be referring to her mother by their shared name. How would she ever get used to it if she had to?

“Of course, if that’s what you want,” Usagi replied with a smile. She’d just tell her mother this was one of Chibiusa’s friends or something. Or maybe a friend’s niece or something along those lines. Ikuko never asked many questions and was always happy to welcome children into her home. If she could help it, Usagi would rather not brainwash her parents’ mind even if that… Moon-P? thing probably could do it. God knows Ikuko’s brain had been scrambled enough times.

Usagi laughed as Lyra asked if she could call her just by her name. “Yeah, you can call me Usagi. Chibiusa does too when she’s here. I guess the me on this time is quite different from Neo Queen Serenity.” That always felt weird to think about. Shrugging, she stood up and held her hand out to Lyra.

“Come on, then. Let’s go home.”

"Oh." Mamoru said. He wasn't expecting Chibiusa and Setsuna not to have been in contact with each other and more worrisome yet, Chibiusa hadn't heard anything from the 30th Century about coming back home. Could something have happened to them? Or is the future already starting to change? When Chibiusa suggested talking to Haruka and Michiru he thought, maybe that's a good idea. "Chibiusa, maybe we should talk to Haruka and Michiru about Setsuna, I know it's a long shot, but we could at least talk to them about what's going on. We could talk it out with more people and maybe even get a fresh perspective. What do you think?" Mamoru said to his daughter.