Author's notes:  Previous notes still apply.  Not too much 
to say this time around, except that this is a short chapter.  
Btw, six years have passes between Chapter 1 and Chapter 2.

Of course you all know that Sailor Moon and it's characters 
belong to Takeuchi Naoko, Kodansha, and many other large 
miscellaneous companies.  Any other characters in this story 
(there aren't that many) belong to me, and if you want to use 
them, please let me know.

C&C is, as always, appreciated. :)



                           Wrong Choices
                           by Lady Otaku
                       <OTAKU9@aol.com>


                             Chapter 2


Timothy Walters stared in awe at the beautiful woman he had 
come to adore.  He had first met her six years ago when she 
arrived at his friend's, Robert Jr.'s, house for the first 
time.  The little Japanese girl arrived with her blonde hair 
tied up in knots at the top of her head, and her tear-stained 
face begging for peace.  Robert's father had told them that 
she was going to live with them.  She was fourteen then, and 
Robert and himself were sixteen.  At first Robert Jr. disliked 
the idea, but her kindness softened his heart and he began to 
love her like a sister.

He remembered her struggling with her English, and finally 
mastering it.  She dove into her studies, and had graduated 
high school at the top of her class.  She had graduated from 
college, but had taken time off from university to pursue her 
career as a dancer.  No one would have thought that the clumsy 
Usagi Tsukino would shed her clumsiness and become the 
graceful dancer, Serenity.  The stage name suited her, for 
she was always serene.  It seemed to be a part of her nature.  
She was withdrawn and quiet, and painfully shy; that was the 
only reason he and Robert were her only friends.  Timothy 
was not surprised that in her six years of living in Washington, 
she never once went out on a date; and he was overjoyed about 
that.  Robert, and himself were her only companions, and she 
was content.

Timothy was jolted out of his reverie by the applause that 
filled the stage.  Applause for the beautiful Serenity.  The 
applause was overwhelming considering that this was just a 
dress rehearsal.  She bowed slightly and a blush tinted her 
cheeks.  She walked gracefully backstage, her silver hair 
flowing behind her in the two ponytails she always wore.  It 
was strange, on the day of her eighteenth birthday, she woke 
up with silver hair.  Not white, aging hair, but a beautiful 
silver that seem to glow in the moonlight.  Once he had asked 
her about her strange hair color and unusual style, and she 
had said in a faraway voice that it was a sign of royalty.  
He never understood what it meant.

He got up to meet her backstage.  He knocked on her dressing 
room door and she invited him in.  She sat at the mirror 
removing the make up off her slender face.  He smiled at her.  
He had fallen in love with her, and it was about time that he 
let her know.

"Hello Tim," Usagi said to his reflection in the mirror.

"Usagi," he began as, suddenly, her dressing room door 
burst open.  A very excited Samantha Rollins, dancer, ran to 
Usagi and threw her arms around her.

"Samantha, what is the matter?" Usagi asked as Samantha stood 
in front of her, eyes dancing with joy.

"Serenity, I have the most wonderful news!  I know how you've 
missed Japan these past few years, and how you wanted 
desperately to return, but couldn't"

"Samantha, I STILL don't know what you're trying to say," Usagi 
cocked her head in confusion.

"Well," Samantha started ceremoniously, "your uncle has just 
booked us for a two week production stay in Japan!" she 
exclaimed happily.

Usagi dropped the brush she was holding, and the color 
drained out of her face.  "No, that's impossible!" she said 
as panic threatened to claim her.  She stood and ran to her 
uncle's office leaving a very surprised Samantha and a very 
worried Timothy in her wake.  Timothy followed Usagi to her 
uncle's office and pressed his ear to the door.

"Uncle Robert," Usagi said, "how could you do this to me? You 
know the reasons why I can't return to Japan.  I beg you to 
cancel this trip.  I have yet to recover..."  her words became 
difficult to hear as she began to whisper.

"Usagi, I'm doing this for you.  It has been six years since 
that day.  You need closure.  You need to finally close the 
book of the past so that you can begin your future.  You know 
that running away was not the answer then, and it is not the 
answer now.  You NEED this trip.  Your family misses you, and 
so do your friends.  I'm sure that Mam-"

"NO," she screamed, "don't say it."

Timothy heard her cry out, and begin to sob.  He couln't take 
it anymore, and he burst into the room.  She sat accross from 
her uncle crying into a handkerchief.  Timothy grabbed Usagi's 
hand and led her out the door as he threw a sinister look over 
his shoulder to Mr. Robert Lester.

*****

"Usagi, are you alright?"

The words reminded her of that night that she and Motoki walked 
home in the darkness while she contemplated visions of death.

"Yes, Tim, I'll be alright," she said softly trying to convince 
herself that it was true.

They had reached her home and they were alone in her room.  
They sat on a couch; he stared at her, and she stared at the 
crescent moon outside her window.

"Do you want to talk about it?" Tim asked her.

"No"

"Usagi," he began, "there is something that I've been wanting 
to tell you."

"What is it?" she asked as she turned slowly to look at him.

Impulsively he leaned forward and pressed his lips to hers.  
He caressed her lips with his, and she began to respond 
parting her lips, thinking of another.

*Only one other has held my lips with such love,* she thought.

"Mamo-chan," she whispered, and froze.  Timothy stopped as 
the foreign phrase passed her lips noticing that she had 
stopped suddenly.  He pulled back and stared at her curiously.

"What does 'mamochan' mean, Usagi?" his innocent question 
tearing at the wounds of her broken heart and releasing all 
the sorrow once again.  She stood up suddenly and walked to 
the window to hide the tears in her eyes and the paleness 
of her face.

"I'm sorry, Tim.  I must ask you to leave."

"But Usagi, I thought you wanted..." he trailed off as she 
turned her head and looked at him with empty eyes.

"I'm sorry, Tim, that can never be," she said solemnly.  
After a brief silence she continued, "Tim, you are my closest 
friend in America.  I need to ask you a great favor.  I know 
that you must hate me right now, and I would understand if you 
refuse, but I have to ask."

"You know that I can't deny you anything, Usagi," Tim struggled 
to keep his voice from shaking.

"I'm going to Japan, and I need you to be there.  I need your 
support and your friendship.  I must face my past, and I need 
you as my lifeline.  Please, Tim, I can't bear to lose your 
friendship.  I've lost too much already, and I don't want to 
lose you too."

"Of course, Usagi.  I have a friend in Japan, and I'm sure I 
can stay with him."  He stood and walked toward the door.

"I'm sorry, Tim," she said softly.

"No, it's alright.  I shouldn't have been so impulsive.  I 
just need to know something."

"Anything," she breathed.

"What does 'mamochan' mean?"

"It means 'my only love'" she said, a solitary tear running 
down her cheek.

"I see," Tim said as he shut the door behind him.  He walked 
out of the house defeated and confused.  What had happened in 
there?  He walked over to his car and got in, slamming the 
door.  He sat there in the shadows, finally turning on the 
light as he rummaged through his wallet.  Finally he found 
what he was looking for.

*Mamochan...Somehow, I don't think that phrase applies to me.  
The meaning just doesn't sound right.* he thought as he sat 
in his car staring at a picture of Serenity.

*****

The next day Usagi, her uncle Robert, Robert Jr., and Tim rode 
in silence in a limousine to the airport.  Usagi sat in the 
limo staring out at the passing scenery.  She memorized the 
details of the home she had known for six years.  She knew 
that something decisive had to happen in Japan, and she had a 
feeling that once she saw her friends and family again, she would 
not want to return.  She continued to stare out the window as 
she remembered in vivid detail the life she had led in America.

She remembered arriving at her Uncle's home, six years ago, 
and being terrified at the sight that greeted her.  A huge 
mansion, numbers of servants, and his son who at first seemed 
distant and aloof.  Everything seemed so cold at first.  Then, 
as she began to learn English and as she progressed in her 
studies, she began to enjoy being in America with her uncle 
and cousin Robert.  She wasn't the Usagi she had been all her 
life.  She became Serenity not only on stage but in her demeanor.  
She became graceful, shy, quiet, and even her physical 
appearance changed.  She was not Usagi, the clumsy, rambunctious 
crybaby anymore; she was Serenity, and she was one step closer 
to her destiny.  She remembered waking up on her eighteenth 
birthday and finding that her hair had turned silver and had 
grown back to it's original length. Her mother's royal silver 
on her head was all the proof she needed to see that she had 
matured.

After graduating high school at the top of her class, she 
went to college, and after that she began to dance.  When she 
danced, she felt like her alter ego, Princess Serenity, took 
over her body.  She had choreographed her own routine, and 
designed her own costume.  She danced in an abbreviated version 
of her Princess gown, though no one save her friends in 
Japan would recognize it.  She danced to the tune of Endymion's 
locket.  She danced an homage to the moon, and to her love.  
She became the music, and she became Serenity.  Tim had asked 
her once how she created the effect of a crescent moon appearing 
on her brow in the middle of her performance, she had smiled 
secretively.  When she danced as Serenity to that melody, 
she felt Endymion's presence in her heart.  How did she ever 
believe that she would be able to escape her past.  How could 
she escape Endymion?  He was a part of her, and she was a part 
of him.  How could she ever doubt that, and how could he?

She had hoped that she would be able to forget him, and 
even contemplated using Tim to do so, but she couldn't hurt 
Tim.  His friendship had become so dear to her.  Dear Tim, 
she had suspected that he held different feelings for her 
in his heart, that he wanted more than friendship.  She feared 
the day when he would reveal his true feelings, and how she 
would have to hurt him.  She could never love another, not the 
way she loved HIM.  She did hurt him.  She could see it in his eyes.

Usagi turned to Tim who sat next to her unmoving, staring at 
his hands.  When he noticed her stare he looked up and the 
sadness she saw in his eyes was so overwhelming that she turned 
her head in shame.  She wanted to reach out and touch his face, 
to embrace him and feel his strength, but she knew that it 
wouldn't be prudent.  She needed him, but she knew there was 
a limit to his friendship.  If she pushed too hard, and asked 
too much, she would lose him.  Just like she lost Mamoru.

*****


An airplane landed in Japan, and a silver headed passenger 
set a shaky foot on her homeland.

*****

At the Hikawa Shrine, Luna stared silently at the Ginzuishou 
placed on a velvet pillow under a glass dome.  She cocked her 
head in wonder as she felt a strange power emanating from the 
ancient ginzuishou.  It began as a single pulse of light, 
barely noticeable.  Suddenly, the light coursing through 
the ginzuishou had a rhythm.  It began to beat to the rhythm 
of a heart.

"Rei!" screamed Luna "Usagi has returned!"

And older, wiser, and slightly saddened Rei walked into the 
shrine and smiled at the cat.

"I know," she said calmly, "I feel the Princess' presence.  
She has returned to set in motion the events that will fulfill 
her destiny.  We must wait, my friend, until she is ready to 
see us." She walked over to the glass dome and placed her left 
hand on it as she stroked the cat with her right hand.  Luna 
smiled a feline smile.

*****


End of Chapter 2.

Sorry everyone, short chapter.  What will happen now that 
Usagi has returned after six years?  What will she find 
different?  

Again please send all comments to OTAKU9@aol.com