Scene #2740: Adieu

Owner	Pose
Mamoru Chiba	It's Tuxedo Kamen that comes back to the palace, finally, after walking back through the city as Mamoru, texting. And getting stares for his twenty-first century clothes, but it is what it is. It's long past the ten minutes the sovereigns took with their daughter; it's a while since he sent his text about Riventon going to the ship to wait for everyone; it's probably, at this point, a while since Riventon's finished his second smoothie. It drives him a little crazy that he feels a little bad for his brother sitting alone on a crashed spaceship in the bay. He's so mad at him. With a hand on the friendly wall to lead him to where the Queen is, the boy who was once a king for a few hours and is now, he thinks, very thankfully just a prince with very few responsibilities-- and eighteen so soon. Eighteen in only a few days. Finally no longer a ward of the state, finally his own person in the eyes of the law. He feels so very young as he looks across the room he lands in, seeing her. The way she moves and holds herself, the tilting of her head, her height, her white hair-- she can't be Usagi anymore, can she? She must be. Her Moon Space was ''so'' Usagi, but so grown up with memories and affection for having been young, but the beauty of a full life behind it. He doesn't mean to be shy, but it's shy or awkward, and he's been awkward enough today.
Usagi Tsukino	Ten minutes, to hold her daughter and husband, to hear of her adventures, the burden of her guilt, the depths of her fears. To ''see'' her, their bright future, their strange-but-familiar child with the same candy floss colored hair in iconic pigtails and her same red eyes and her unfamiliar height, growing again, grown more. That was all Neo Queen Serenity could afford before duty called. By the time Mamoru makes his way through the palace and in a conference room, having just finished a call with Sailor Mars and before that, one with the governors of Io and Mercury to discuss her return and the Earth's return to a healthy state. Her voice had been measured and understanding, soothing to all of those who had been struggling to manage without she an King. In other words, when Mamoru peeks in, she has time. She's just turned when she catches sight of him, and the smile that splits her face is certainly very Usagi - warm and loving, though it make take him a moment to recognize the faint difference to that love - loving, but not in love. "Mamoru-kun," she greets him, and oh that's different too. "I thought you might turn up."
Mamoru Chiba	Letting his hand fall away from the wall at the same time as his henshin falls away from his self-concept, Mamoru takes a step forward, and then another. He smiles back tentatively, then pauses and says impishly, "Usagi-sama." He does bow, and one hand starts to lift again when he straightens, but he lets it drop and laughs, wry. "I must be awfully predictable," he says, there in his t-shirt and jeans and button-down, his school loafers. The red tips in his fluffy hair, the glasses-- he's so young. "I wanted to meet you," he says, "but instead, I've come to ask you not to purify the boy who came with us. It was an accident. We won't stay. He's hanging out on the crashed spaceship until we leave. I'm so sorry."
Usagi Tsukino	"Usagi-sama," Neo Queen Serenity repeats, and makes a face, equal parts amused and no not that. "My husband says your me called him Mamo-sama, so I don't know why I'm surprised you're on the same wave-length." She really doesn't know why, and her face goes grave as she listens to his plea. "Mamoru-kun, you have no need to apologize," Neo Queen Serenity says finally, "Sailor Mars went to investigate, when he lost control of his magic. She did not come in close enough to spy on your conversation, but she could understand that you care for him, and that stayed her hand." Unspoken is the obvious fact that it had stayed the ''queen's'' hand too. "Who is he, to you? And how does he have that - power?"
Mamoru Chiba	"He's my brother," Mamoru says, and the way he says it, he sounds ''so'' tired. He sounds apologetic, certainly, but not ashamed. Not ashamed in front of ''her'', never. "Not blood. We were the two super outcasts in the orphanage. I could heal little things, he could make dark energy shadows dance in his palm. We didn't know that's what it was called. He was born with it." He takes a deep breath and closes his eyes. "I'm sorry, your Majesty, I'm-- ''very'' angry with him right now. How he has ''that'' energy is that the-- the jerk looted her office after we killed her. He ''says'' he wasn't hiding it from me on purpose, but I--" Mamoru shakes his head, interrupting himself, eyes opening. He holds out his hand, looking a little desperate. "Please?"
Usagi Tsukino	The way he says it is apologetic but not ashamed, and Neo Queen Serenity's lips twitch into a faint smile, a well, ''what can you do''? "Even family we choose, you have to wonder if we ever really ''chose''," she remarks instead, and it's on her mind to tell him that he doesn't have to apologize, but she lets it go, instead, stepping forward, accepting his hands in hers. Even in the future, she doesn't wear gloves. She is open to the people - and she ''is most especially'' open to her husband. Mamoru isn't her husband, but he can sense the affection and love she has for him, just as ''he'' could love ''her'' daughter. He isn't her Mamoru, but he is Mamoru, and Usagi loves Mamoru, whether that be separated by a thousand years and another time or not. He can feel the honest truth - she is ''concerned'' for him, she is ''worried'' for him, but she is not going to kill his brother. He has saved her daughter and given her a second home, and though this isn't about ''debts'', it is about what people deserve - and what ''he'' deserves from her is not having to beg for his brother's life, even if he's a disaster waiting to unfold.
Mamoru Chiba	She takes his hands and Mamoru's are warm and strong, but have different calluses than her husband's, different strengths. He doesn't hold a stylus of some sort nearly as much, he fights with his hands, his knuckles are a little different. And when he shows her his brother, a huge part of that is how different his orphanage life was from her husband's, how he grew up and he wasn't ''alone'', so this Mamoru at this age has more confidence, is more open a person-- but he's also more of an asshole, he worries less, he's willing to dismiss lesser evils situationally, and there's a darkness to him that's just not ''in'' her husband. There's something else attached to it that has little to do with his brother, he remembers fully his life in the Golden Kingdom, so he's much much more ''Endymion'' at heart and in his ways of dealing with memory and psychometry and empathy than her husband is. Reckless for fun still sometimes, easily reliant on friends, ''open'', loud-laughing-- he's someone who her husband never was, and yet, he is still Mamoru. He's someone tempted to keep his own family name, but he's still Mamoru. He shows her, swiftly, how they grew up watching each other's backs; he shows her Takashi sneaking him food because he'd given his own up to a littler kid; he shows her how so young, he had access to a place entirely ruled by dark energy; he shows her fights he was in and the thing he does with his psychometry; he shows her them playing with magic in a corner. He shows her a limo from (context for Obsidian tangent) Obsidian showing up at the orphanage, Takashi arguing that Mamoru should be able to come too, Mamoru being delighted to go with Takashi and get away from that miserable place. He shows her being frightened and committed to making it out alive when faced with a woman from his nightmares in a business skirt-suit. He shows her he worked for Beryl. He shows her Takashi was still there after Mamoru left, alone as he is now.
Usagi Tsukino	Her hands are smaller than his, and softer than Usagi's - stylus calluses rather than those ''his'' wife has built up from gripping her various rods and hurling her tiara. Hers are hands built for a life of diplomacy and rule, rather than direct engagement with the enemy. She's taller, too; he doesn't have to look down as far to look into her eyes. Usagi is, generally speaking, open, when he uses his psychometry, her defenses minimal mostly by lack of practice. Neo Queen Serenity's defenses are great, shields in much the shape of the Moon's domed protections, clouded with reflections of a watercolor sky. Her own Moon Space closes vast sections of memory to Mamoru, though he has the sense that she would be willing to share if he asked. What's unshielded are her reactions to what he shares - Her surprise and warm affection for the many ways he ''isn't'' her husband, is different in a myriad of ways, but he's still Mamoru, even if he's also Endymion. There's some surprise at the desire to keep his name, if only because it represents such a fundamental shift, but a warm curiosity about it all. And there's her growing concern, growing ''horror'' - there's the parental concern of a mother, at the memory of Obsidian coming to collect two innocent boys, alone in the world but for each other. There's the knife of anger at the sight of Beryl and fear at the growing understanding that ''she'' was who Mamoru would go on to spend years of his life under. Her bewilderment that Mamoru's brother would stay, instead of go with him - "I have to remember to thank Shingo, for never giving me this much trouble," she says quietly. There's the sense that she pities Takashi for being alone, that she understands through Mamoru why stubbornness and pride and conviction might keep him tied to Obsidian, and an even greater knowledge that this is his choice, all of it - the loneliness too, is his own fault, not Mamoru's.
Mamoru Chiba	In the background is Mamoru's absolute enchantment with Serenity's internal Moon Space, and the hope that maybe he can help ''his'' wife build internal defenses like that, and that maybe Usagi can help him make his own defenses easier to maintain. The curiosity over his name change-- the memory of a conversation with his Nephrite bubbles up in reference, and it's not a decision he has to make yet, since they're not legally married in Japan, and it's a decision they would make together anyway. But Nephrite intends to take Makoto's name if she wants to marry him, ''because'' she's an orphan and has no one else in her family. The image of the lone red name on the side of the Chiba family stone flashes past, along with the sense that he's had to scrabble and claw to make things his and to keep them that way. More socially confident, but, more insecure in a lot of ways. There's very little reaction to the Queen's horror at his background, only a sort of echo of the bravado he wrapped himself in glimmering in explanatory recollection, and reassurance that he's getting better, Usagi and his boys are helping him get better. "Shingo is great," Mamoru says firmly. "I'm sure he only got better with age. Everyone's kind of a pain at nine." There's a flash of knowledge that Chibiusa-chan is now more like Shingo's age, and then a flash of gut-sickening dread that he'll have to give her up, and it's stomped on and shoved under the floorboards. He wrenches his mind back on track and exhales, squeezing the Queen's hands, then nodding. "I know it's his choice. He's an addict and you can't help an addict get off the drug until they want help. And-- he thinks the dark energy is what makes him special." That's where the pain really shoots through, the fridge horror that slapped him in the face on his way back to the palace. His brother thinks ''dark energy'' is what makes him ''special'', and that without it he's just like anyone else.
Usagi Tsukino	Neo Queen Serenity is full of affectionate amusement at Mamoru's absolute enchantment with her Moon Space-styled defenses, and she shares with him her confidence that he can certainly help his wife with such defenses - and that she can help him in turn. There's a flash of suggestion, a hint of a thought that such experiences were hard won, and that she hopes they manage easier, with inspiration from the future to spark the idea. There's another flash of consideration, interest, ''surprise'', at the pairing of Nephrite and Makoto, understanding, and sympathy, but never pity. She understands that he has had to scrabble and claw and fight to keep things, that he might be more confident but also more afraid. "Shingo is wonderful," she says, and there is a sense of almost-grief, a flash of emotion that she doesn't hide from him but dampens, the knowledge that her parents and brother are aging, steadily, and she is not. Her eternity and theirs is not quite the same. "And Takashi must be as well, for you to love him as you do. Even if you do want to plant your fist in his face and your foot where the sun doesn't shine." There is a moment, where she considers the gut-sickening dread, in the light of insecurity, of fighting and scrabbling, and because he has shoved it down, she says nothing. Instead, she reflects on what little she knows of Takashi, and asks, "Is Dark Energy what empowers him? If so... your world is different from mine. You know this all too well. But if what he considers special is magic... I can only hope for both of your sakes that what would be true here, is not true in your home, and that he sees it, some day." Because there is no magic in her world, save for the magic of the Sailor Soldiers.
Mamoru Chiba	"He's certain that Dark Energy is what empowers him. I'm certain he must have a strong linker core--" (a mishmash image of the concept of the magical soul: soul gems and the silver crystal and the shitennou's stones, things that let you use henshin devices) "--um, I don't know what else to call it, sorry, but I can't imagine he would have less power than I do if he--" (the voluntary discharge of dark energy a bit at a time, healing to fill in the ''gaps'' in his flesh; before it can get squashed there's a flash of having to do literally that for Jadeite as he resisted purification over and over again) "--gave it up. He just, firstly, doesn't ''want'' to only be as powerful as I am. Second, and slightly more reasonably, we have no way of knowing for certain whether he ''does'' have magic without it. But... if he doesn't get rid of it, it will kill him, whether or not it's by our hands. I don't know what to do yet to save him, but I ''have'' to try. You're right: I love him so." Finally, there's a blossom of delighted amusement from the prince as he addresses the last of what the Queen did not say, and he says, "You ''do'' have Earth's other magic though, don't you? Elysion. You have his Shitennou again." A beat. "I hope he already filled you in on them." A breath. (The image of his family's stone and its red name; the image of the Earth's-eye view of the thousand-year-old cemetery that King Endymion's parents--) "I'd like to clean it for him before we go, but I don't want to presume." Then Mamoru gently lets go Serenity's hands, unless she holds on to his.
Usagi Tsukino	"We call them Sailor Crystals," Neo Queen Serenity muses, in response to being shown the concept of a general magical soul, curiosity sprinkling her words at the vision of soul gems. "But you're right. No one willing to use Beryl's power to get ahead would be content to be as powerful as their sibling." Dark Energy was fueled by ambition as much as any amount of hatred or rage; Princess Serenity knew that well. No one who was willing to use Dark Energy against all advice wanted to call others his equal. There's a flash of sympathy for Jadeite's purification and concurrent healing, and a flash of sense-memory of the Queen and King carrying out similar procedures together. Still, she laughs along with that bit of delighted amusement. "They may not wear skirts - my husband and his men, that is - but they are Sailor Senshi as much as you are. We're not identical, but we're much the same when it all comes down to it." A beat, anticipation and cheer, as she smiles warmly. "''Of course'', he told me. A good surprise was necessary after all this." Her amusement fades at his request, heartfelt and sincere. "You won't be presuming, but even if you were, you of all people would have the right. He would like that, he really would."
Mamoru Chiba	"Sailor Crystals," Mamoru echoes, and he puts one hand over his heart thoughtfully, but he thinks about the stones in the box that King Endymion awakened his Shitennou with, and shivers a little, thinking about trapped souls and Amy Faust-- --but the Queen's joyous about the Shitennou, and a piece of anxiety flees his shoulders and jaw. But for them it's been so long, and two hundred years of penance and another lifetime, in a state of peace, have made it so that the King's men can easily be the King's men again, instead of worrisome potential traitors and enemies. They may not be his, but they're Endymion's, and Mamoru can recognise that now. But then their hands are separated, and the Queen is telling him that the King would like the only gift that Mamoru can think of to give him, and the prince smiles bright like the sun coming out, and his eyes shimmer a little. "Good. Then we'll do that. It needs more work than I can do in a day alone, but with my boys we can do it. And then we'll get out of your hair and bring my troublesome brother with us." There's a brief pause, and Mamoru looks ''really sheepish'' all of a sudden. "And, uh, my Neph is in the kitchen making mocktails. Do you-- not drink alcohol anymore? If you do... um, can we have some cool future alcohol? We won't get drunk in your city!"
Usagi Tsukino	Neo Queen Serenity nods towards Mamoru's hand over his heart, thinking of challenges not yet faced, and glad for the strength of her mental defenses that keep every thought from passing between them. There's helpful hints and returned favors and then there's spoilers - and ''his'' world, with it's wide array of magic, might see the events play out entirely differently. Getting ahead of herself and telling him about the trials and tribulations waiting on the road to Elysion might just lead them astray. Instead, she's glad that her excitement can make him relax; she can only wonder at how things had gone for him, with his men returning immediately after all their wicked deeds as Beryl's men. "I appreciate it," she says, earnest, "And I know he will too. You've helped my Mamochan reclaim many things he thought lost forever. This can be another one." The mention of his troublesome brother makes her laugh, and then the request is made and she laughs harder, warm peals of amusement that snake from her, and it takes a long moment before she can speak. "Mamoru-kun, Mamoru-kun," the Queen tsks, in such a tone that if she were anyone but Usagi and he anyone but Mamoru, he might be worried he'd disappointed her. "We might not be the City of Salarymen anymore, but Crystal Tokyo is still Tokyo! There's a cabinet in the kitchens - it's locked, but only with a childproof lock, that you can raid. You saved my city - if you want to get drunk in it, you can feel free."
Mamoru Chiba	There's just a moment where Mamoru looks so overwhelmingly affectionate, he telegraphs the hug long before it's in motion-- Maybe it's unexpected. He's so young to be so unreserved. Maybe it's wholly expected, because he is a Mamoru and she is a Usagi. But it's warm and enveloping and far more noodly than she's used to, and she's taller than he's used to, but-- "The way you just handled me makes me think you'd be as wonderful a mother to a teenager as you've been to a kindergartner," he murmurs, voice a little wry, and very happy behind it. As he pulls away and takes a step back, he says, "Thank you so much, Your Majesty. And-- if by some random cosmic injustice you should ever be in such dire straits again, please send for us if you can, we'll come."
Usagi Tsukino	He looks so sincerely overwhelmingly affectionate, in a way that would have made the girl Serenity had been once, swoon with delight, hearts in her eyes, surprised joy in the force with which she returned the embrace. It makes the woman that Serenity is now smile, bright and ''warm'' and happy, for Mamoru, for her other self, that he can be so openly affectionate. (Not that openly, all things considered - they are alone here, there are no watchful eyes. But a ''hug'', and just ''going'' for it!) It's still enveloping - she might be taller than Usagi, but she's certainly not taller than Mamoru, and he might be more noodly than her husband, more teenager than she's held in centuries, but... He's still Mamoru, and her love is still his. "I look forward to finding that out," she murmurs, "And you had a part in that." Her daughter had returned ''older'', for the first time in centuries. Older and more mature and settled into herself. "If something should happen again, I will reach for you," she says assuredly, and then smiles, lopsided, "Besides - you're going to be teaching my little girl - our little girl - more about how to be a Senshi, so we'll see each other again. I believe in that, surely and truly."
Mamoru Chiba	That's where Neo Queen Serenity gets to see this teenaged Mamoru who was being ''so'' dignified ... freeze. And run over the end of what she just said in his head a few times, making sure he actually understands it-- and his eyes well up, hands flying to his mouth. "She wants to come back with us? You'll ''share'' her with us?" he asks, and his voice cracks and soars in the middle of it, arms hugged tight against his own chest. "It's so dangerous, though! And-- and you just got her back-- ...oh, you weren't awake..."
Usagi Tsukino	She does get to see him freeze, and tear up, to watch his hands fly for his mouth and hear his voice crack and break. All the trapped hopes and the unspoken grief fighting each other. "She wants to come back with you for a time," Neo Queen Serenity confirms, and her voice is gentle. "I can't say I'm ''excited'' to see her go, but she's not just our Small Lady - she's Sailor Moon. But she's young and not fully grown, and to fight ''here'' would mean fighting threats her ''aunties'' must battle - her aunties, my own Senshi, my ''girls'' who have fought for hundreds of years." She lets him consider that - the kinds of threats that her girls would have to actually fight, and not simply eliminate in an instant - threats like the Black Moon Clan. "But to fight in your world, she would face threats that you all can join together against. She would fight alongside friends her own age, instead of the aunts that would love to whisk her from danger. She could grow, the way she finally ''wants'' to." It will break her heart a little, to wave goodbye for a time, but is that not what every parent looks forward to? The day their child can leave the nest, a little?
Mamoru Chiba	It is the ghost of bouncing on his heels, Mamoru's wound up so tight now; she can see the joy shining from him as radiant as his power, and she can see how he's failing by inches at repressing it. "I'm so happy," he says, simply, and then he lets out a slightly wet laugh. "I'm so happy you trust us with her, with teaching her. We'll, we'll take good care of her, for however long she stays with us. I'm going to cry, but, I think, I think I'd like to cry on my wife. If-- please, if you'll excuse me, Usagi-sama--" He dashes his wrists against his eyes and laughs again, quieter, as he takes out his pocketwatch. "Earth Crystal Power, Make Up!" he calls out, and there is a precious jewel toned bokeh lights and naked outline in a contrasting moving pattern thing, and there are ''poses'' and the rustle of silk in the dark. There he is, good old Tuxedo Kamen, hatless, smiling slightly easier behind the mask, but still-- he sniffs. "Adieu~" Teleport flash! Teenaged Usagi is about to have her hands full.