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Usagi always expected that when the world changed, it would be in a blinding flash of cold, shimmering ice, and a world on the brink frozen in time. She spent her time counting down the days until the world broke so far beyond repair only the Silver Crystal could put it back together.
Until she had to be Queen.
For as long as she could remember—which, if you included her last life was a long time—that was a role she'd always dreaded. Even Princess Serenity, in all her royal etherealness, dreaded the thought. All Serenity—Usagi—had ever wanted was freedom. Freedom from the rules of royal society, freedom to love who she wanted, freedom to live her life how she wanted, unburdened from war and bloodshed and death.
The one things all of her incarnations have had, and always will have, in common, is that freedom was never an option for her. Her life would always belong to the Moon. And Usagi was destined to live in the shadow of Sailor Moon, Princess Serenity, and eventually, Queen Neo-Serenity.
But the change wasn't world shaking disaster. Instead, it came in the form of a silent shining infant.
When the first quirks started appearing, the Sailor Senshi, who had been preparing for a very different world, didn't know what to do. Even though Setsuna could no longer see the future, they knew far too much had changed for it to be the reality Chibiusa had come from. For the first time, there was a uneasy hope that, in this future, the Queen and her Soldiers would not be needed.
And they were partially right. The world didn't need a crystalline palace and a Queen.
What it needed was Heroes.
"And in the name of the Moon, I will punish you!" Usagi giggled to herself as her kids called out her trademark battle cry along with the old TV. She smiled to herself as she cleaned up the lunch dishes.
She remembers when the TV show first aired. Rei had teased her to no end that she'd been made into a cartoon for preschoolers. They obviously knew you could relate, you're practically the same! All you do is cry, eat, and sleep too! Usagi rolled her eyes at the memory. Despite the many, many years, her and Rei still managed to fight like they were teenagers.
"Mama!"
Usagi smiled as her youngest daughter, Kousagi, threw her arms around Usagi. The little girl's hair was in disarray, pink strands falling out of her 'rabbit ears ', and tear in her ocean blue eyes.
"What's the matter, Kouchan?" Usagi smoothed her daughter's hair with one hand, and rubbed her back with the other.
"It's Bakugo! He tried to blow me up!" Kousagi began to wail, and not for the first time she regretted have a daughter so similar to herself. She never realized how lucky she was that Chibiusa took after Mamochan's temperament.
"It's okay honey, I'll talk to him." She bent down and held her daughter until she stopped crying. After the tears subsided, she ushered her over to the other side of the carpet, thankful that the episode of 'Sailor Moon and Friends!' wasn't over yet.
When she walked over to Katsuki Bakugo he was already crossing his arms and looking upset.
"Katsuki," she held out her hand to him, "can you come with me a minute?"
He looked like he was going to argue with her or cry for a second, but he eventually grumbled to his feet, not taking her hand but following her lead anyways.
Even before he got his explosive quirk last month, Katsuki Bakugo was a handful. Now he was an explosive handful. At least Usagi's days were never boring.
Usagi noticed he was clenching fists the he tried to hide behind his back and frowned.
"Katsuki," She crouched down and waited for him to look her in the eyes," did you hurt yourself?" she asked softly.
His little face got all red and his eyes started to water.
"It's okay," Usagi gently stroked his blond hair. The tears started falling in earnest, but Usagi didn't push. Sometimes you just had to wait them out, especially the kids as stubborn as Katsuki.
After a few moments of silent crying he held his hands out in front of him. They were red and irritated with some heat blisters in the creases. His body wasn't use to his quirk yet then. It happened often with kids who manifested their quirk early, unfortunately.
"Let's get you cleaned up."
It was a practiced routine. She lifted Katsuki up on the counter next to the sink. She cleaned his hands with a cold washcloth before resting both his small hands in her palm.
Usagi took a deep breath, searching for the power deep inside of her. It was the same power she once used to transform into Sailor Moon. These days, she found a much more practical use for her power than crime fighting in a mini skirt.
She grabbed the feeling of moonlight that lingered under her skin and pulled it to the front. Her palms glowed a soft gold, same as the crescent moon that shimmered lightly on her forehand—almost transparent, only noticeable in the low light. Katsuki's palms shone, the redness and injuries dissipating as they were bathed gold.
Though it always felt much longer, the healing process only took a couple minutes. Katsuki flexed his hands, testing the new skin. How was staring down at his palms, pointedly not looking at Usagi. But over the years Usagi had learned patience. She watched the little boy work through his feelings with a small smile on her face. She could literally feel his inner turmoil, a power she picked up sometime in the last couple hundred years.
"I didn't mean to. . ." Katsuki grumbled, glancing over at Kousagi.
"Why don't you tell me what happened then?"
His little cheeks turned pink with embarrassment. Very quietly, he said, "She scared me."
"And when she scared you, your quirk accidentally went off?" He looked down at his hands and nodded. She didn't need empathy to know he felt guilty. Usagi rested a hand on the top of his head. He looked up at her with bright red eyes that reminded her of her first daughter. "Did you say you're sorry?"
He puffed out his cheeks, looking as indignant as a four year old could, "But she scared me!"
"You're right," she placated, "and she should apologize too. She shouldn't have scared you, but if you hurt someone, even if it's an accident, you need to say sorry. If you don't the weight you feel here," she pointed at his heart, "will only get heavier."
"But it's my quirk! I can't control it, so it's her fault!" Katsuki's eyebrows furrowed, like that was the most obvious thing in the world.
"Just because you can't control it, doesn't mean it's not your responsibility." She bopped his nose lightly, and despite himself he giggled. "Accidents will happen, Katsuki. They happen all the time. What matters is how we deal with them. You want to be a hero, right?" He nodded enthusiastically. "We'll, heroes like All Might and Sailor Moon have to take responsibility for the damages they do during a fight, even if they were trying to do something good. To be a good hero, you have to care about the people around you, and how you affect them."
He seemed to contemplate this for a minute. It wasn't something kids heard enough these days, if you asked Usagi. Society was too busy looking at the quirk and not the kid these days. Ugh, she was staring to sound like her mother.
"Okay," he said finally, looking up at her with a determined look, "if it's what All Might would do, I'll do it."
"I'm proud of you Katsuki. Being kind is the hardest thing a person can do, and you're doing very good at it." She smiled at him and helped him off the counter.
"That's because I'm the best!" He puffed out his little chest and Usagi couldn't help but chuckle. "Just like All Might."
Maybe it was vain, but Usagi couldn't believe that buff upstart was what children looked up to nowadays. He hadn't even been around fifty years, and already Sailor Moon was becoming a thing of the past. Although she couldn't help but be pleased that he said in an interview that she was his inspiration to become a symbol. (Truthfully, she wasn't really sure about the whole symbol business, because while Sailor Moon had always been, and always would be, a symbol, it wasn't a fate she would wish on anyone. She often found herself hoping he was doing okay.)
Usagi followed Katsuki over to Kousagi. He paused and looked back at her. She nodded encouragingly, and silently hoped her daughter would be. . . well, like Usagi about the whole thing. He tapped on the pink haired girl's shoulder and she immediately glared at him.
"What do you want?" Kousagi was absolutely venomous for a four year old.
He crossed his arms, and for a second Usagi thought they were going to fight, but instead he said, "I'm sorry I almost blew you up, it was an accident."
Kousagi 'hmffed' at him. "You should be."
"Kousagi," Usagi scolded, "it was very nice of Katsuki to come apologize. Now, I think you have something to say sorry for too."
Kousagi turned her glare onto her mother, but Usagi didn't back down. She raised her eyebrows at her daughter, who stared back defiantly.
"Okay," Kousagi turned back to Katsuki, "I'm sorry you're such a scaredy cat." Katsuki's clenched hands started to smoke.
"Kousagi Tsukino!" Usagi didn't yell, but it was a near thing. Kousagi stuck her tongue out at Katsuki and all she could think was god, why is she so much like me? "You will apologize right now for scaring Katsuki and the name calling. And if I hear you name calling again, you'll be in big trouble. Do you understand?"
Kousagi nodded and grumbled out an apology. Katsuki held his head high, like he was above the whole interaction. "I'll forgive you, because that's what a hero would do. Not that you'd understand."
Usagi had to quickly separate them before they got into another fight and both got in trouble. She spent the rest of the day playing 'keep the problem children away from each other' with minor success. She only had to break them up two more times, neither of which had to involve timeouts, so she counted that as a win.
Usagi stood outside the school at the end of the day watching Katsuki and Izuku Midoriya, one of the cutest kids she'd ever seen—second to only her own kids—run down the street. Inko Midoriya trailed behind them, watching with a fond smile on her face. Inko was school friends with Katsuki's mom, a woman just as head strong and loud as her son, and was usually the one to pick Katsuki up. His parents were terribly busy people, according to Minako they were rather popular fashion designers. Still, she couldn't help but think of a lonely little girl from the future, desperate for her parents attention, when she thought about the family too long.
"Hey there bunny!" Mamochan practically materialized next to her, scooping up their daughter and spinning her around.
"What about me?" Usagi said playfully, crossing her arms and raising an eyebrow at him.
"I could never forget you, Usako." He grinned at her and gave her a kiss on the cheek. "How was school?"
Usagi sighed and leaned into his side like she always did when she was tired. Kousagi wiggled out of his arms to grab her things. Usagi groaned when her daughter took off in a dead sprint down the hallway. Again.
"I feel like I should be apologizing to my mom, again." She rested her head on his chest and she could hear him laughing.
"That bad, huh?" He smooth a hand over her hair and kissed her forehead.
"I never realized how much Chibiusa was like you until Kousagi was exactly like me." She whined. "If I ever say I want to have another kid, don't listen to me. I've lost my mind."
He laughed at her pain like the traitor he was, but he was so comfy she didn't move. "Are you sure the real reason isn't that you can't think of anymore rabbit themed names?"
She leaned back and pointed a finger in his smirking face, "Hey! Kousagi was your idea mister."
"But you agreed," he shrugged.
She smacked his shoulder and he laughed. "You're the worst," she complained, but when he opened his arms she fell right back into them.
"I'm ready!" Kousagi ran up to them, toting around her Sailor Chibi Moon backpack, a present from her favorite Aunt Minako. She thought about scolding her daughter for running, but decided to pick her battles. School was over and they still had to get through dinner.
"What'd you learn today at school, Kouchan?" Mamochan took their daughter's hand and gave her his undivided attention.
It made Usagi smile. Seeing what a good father her was just made her love him more, if that was possible. The role suited him much more than being a king, she thought to herself.
They walked together down the streets of Musutafu together, the sound of Kousagi's rapid chattering filling the cooling autumn air. Soon the dying leaves would fall, as they did every year. Even after all this time, she still found the sight beautiful.
They soon reached the home her and Mamochan had shared since Musutafu was Tokyo, when she had inherited it after her parents passing. It wasn't exactly the same, it had to be rebuilt after it was destroyed in the War Against Quirks along with every major city in Japan. Tokyo had moved afterwards, rebuilt in a less devastated place, and Musutafu had risen as the Quirk Capital of Japan. It wasn't common knowledge, but Usagi had helped build up the houses around her with her bare hands. She would never forget.
"Kousagi, shoes!" Usagi yelled after the pink haired girl as she burst through the door. She sheepishly toed off her shoes and put on her slippers before taking off towards the kitchen. "Good goddess," Usagi signed, shaking her head, "what are we going to do with the girl?"
Mamochan kissed the crown of Usagi's head. "Love her just as she is, and try and guide her the best we can."
Usagi scoffed. "What are you, a fortune cookie?"
"I predict a wonderful, homemade dinner in your future," he teased.
"Does that mean you're cooking?" Usagi had gotten better at cooking over the years, hard not to when you live so long, but she could now admit that it wasn't one of her strengths. The steps always got muddled in her head, and she either kept forgetting or misremembering things.
"If it pleases the lady," he gave a little bow and they both laughed. While she had gotten used to be more mature, Mamochan learned to be sillier over the years. It was a good look on him.
They made their way to the kitchen where Kousagi was munching on some of Mako's cookies.
"Don't spoil your dinner," Usagi warned. Then she had a flashback of her mom saying the same thing to her after school. Yikes.
Usagi started to help Mamochan prep dinner. Gyoza weren't hard to make, but they required a bit of work. It always went faster when they helped each other in the kitchen since they couldn't count on Mako to make all their food.
"So," Usagi asked as she chopped up some vegetables, "have you heard from Chibiusa?"
Mamochan was mixing the dough next to her, focused on his measurements. "Not since that thing with Endeavor last week. You know, she gets that from you."
"What!? I didn't tell her to insult the number two hero on live TV."
"You didn't have to. You raised her to call out injustice when she sees it, no matter who it is."
She signed, "Still. It's bad enough she takes so many international missions, I wish she wouldn't also terrorize our local heroes."
"You trusted her with the Millennium Agency for a reason. Besides, those heroes need to be terrorized. God knows their egos could stand a hit or two."
"You're just as bad as her. And you she gets it from me." Usagi paused, looking at her cut up veggies. She trusted her daughter—Chibiusa was strong and capable and smart. She was more qualified to run a hero agency than Usagi ever was (not that Usagi had done most of the running, that was mostly Minako and Ami). "Still. I'm her mother, and it's my job to worry about her."
"I know. I feel the same."
Usagi wouldn't say she missed hero work. It was only recently, relatively speaking, that the Sailor Senshi were able to take a step back from the hero game. Occasionally they would suit up again, but ever since All Might came into the picture, they were able to lead relatively normal, mundane lives.
Despite not living in the future of Crystal Tokyo, Chibiusa still remembered her alternate life. A part of her would always be the princess raised to protect love and justice. So, instead of dissolving the Millennium Agency, the first Japanese hero agency founded during the war, it was passed down to Sailor Chibi Moon and Sailor Saturn. (Eventually, the Sailor Quartet would awaken and take their place next to their princess, but no one knew when it would happen, or what the catalyst would be.)
Usagi would never get in the way of her daughter's dream, but she could wish it was something less dangerous, and a bit closer to home.
"I can see the steam coming out of your ears," Mamochan wrapped his arms around her waist. "It'll be okay." She turned around and put her arms around his neck.
"Okay," she could feel the love she had for him filling her chest, like it was first time a beautiful prince held a lonely princess, "I love you, Mamochan."
"I love you too, Usako." He leaned down and pressed a gentle kiss to her lips.
"Eww! Gross!" Kousagi manifested in the doorway with as much disgust and outrage as a four year old could. The couple broke apart and laughed as their daughter continued to complain about then being too lovey-dovey.
Later that night while she was watching dishes Usagi turned on the TV to help pass the time. She'd just gotten off the phone with Mako, who was telling her how lonely she'd been since Shouta moved to Naruhata. Since he'd graduated UA last year, Mako had been having trouble finding someone to help around the cafe. Usagi also suspected that she was worried about him being on his own again, especially since Oboro's accident.
Usagi wondered how long it would be before Mako found some other kid take in. Probably not long.
"In other news," the newscaster with vines of blue flowers for hair said, "the well know Japanese heroes, Sailor Chibi Moon and Sailor Saturn, were seen working in tandem with well known Australian hero, Vapor, to stop a group of arsonists in the Australian outback. Apparently, before the heroes arrived, the fires were untameable. It's unclear how they managed it, but the Japanese heroes managed to put out the raging fires and help the Australian government arrest the offending parties. They say the attack. . ."
Usagi tuned the woman out, too focused on the footage of Chibiusa using the pink crystal to freeze time, then turn it back. She watched as houses rebuilt themselves, bathed in a soft pink light. It was amazing the power her daughter had, so much like her own yet so different. The next shot showed Sailor Saturn using her Silent Wall to protect a group of civilians for a large blast of fire, not a scratch on anyone.
Usagi smiled softly to herself as the TV plays footage of Chibiusa leading efforts to reunite families that were separated in the chaos.
"Is that oneesama!?" Kousagi practically scrambled up the counter to get closer to the screen. Usagi laughed and helped her daughter up. "Wow. . ." Kousagi looked at Chibiusa like she hung the moon and stars in the sky. She'd always looked up to her bigger sister in a way Shingo never did with her.
"I wanna be just like her some day!" Kousagi smiled so brightly, she could rival the sun. The thought of Kousagi wanting to be a hero. . . it scared Usagi more than she'd like to admit. But she still found herself smiling along with her daughter.
"First, you have to get good grades," Usagi pet her daughters hair, "and stop calling people names."
Kousagi, predictably, didn't like that very much, and immediately began whining.
Usagi smiled all throughout it, because in the end, she had two beautiful, healthy daughters, a loving husband, and the peaceful life she'd always dreamed of, full of friends and family. These small moments of peace were what she spent years fighting for. And she'd be damned if she didn't enjoy them.
Even if they weren't made to last.