Okay okay okay, che, fine! I'm doing an epilogue. Happy now? Jeeze.
(Laughs) Well, it looks like I'm going to be continuing both the sequel and
my YYH fic. I've received some really good suggestions for the sequel that
I'm going to use. Anyway, there's no point to this chapter other than to
make you all stop yelling at me.
Oh, and when I put down three dots in a row, you know, like someone
hesitating, it doesn't show up. I can't not do it, it's one of my writing
tools, so if you see a word with periods on one or both sides and no
spacing, like..this.just know the person speaking or thinking is hesitating
or whatever. Unless it starts showing up again, which I really wish it
would.
"Are you sure you can't stay just a little longer?"
Usagi looked up from packing her subspace pocket and offered the blonde girl who had once been her closest friend a small, insincere smile. "I need to be getting home. Trunks' real mom will be getting worried, and Vegeta's going to go insane if he doesn't get back to his regular training regime soon."
"I suppose it's too much to ask you to visit."
"Why even pretend, Minako?" She asked, suddenly very tired. "Things will never be the same as they used to be. I have fond memories from that time of my life, but that life is over, now. I've moved on. I don't want to ever think about this place again. I'm sorry, but it's the truth. I'm done with saving the world. Zeke's dead now, the next enemy who comes won't be my concern."
"But if you stayed we could fix things! I know you and Rei and Mamoru will never see eye to nose on whether or not we should have rescued you, but don't you think we could get past that?"
"It's not even about that anymore." She sighed. "I just want to go home."
"I'm going to miss you."
Usagi didn't answer. She didn't have the heart to lie to her old friend. She finished packing the last of her small family's things and closed subspace. "Well, Setsuna will be waiting for us." The senshi of time would be taking them back to Vegeta's dimension; Usagi hadn't yet recovered enough power for the strenuous task. Thankfully, she remembered very little of being under Zeke's power, nothing but her sense of triumph when Vegeta sent him flying through the wall and she had felt his life end. She had spent a week in bed, unconscious for the most part, and even now found herself exhausted by the simplest tasks. Healing took a lot out of both the healer and the one needing to be healed. It would take Usagi a long time to recover from the physical, mental, and emotional damage Zeke had caused, but at least she was finally ready to let go.
"I'm sorry." Minako blurted suddenly, eyes full of tears. "I heard about the baby.and I'm sorry."
Usagi ducked her head as the one thing she didn't want to think about came flooding back. She fought back the tears, but couldn't stop a bitter response. "Well, sorry isn't going to bring it back, now is it?" It was going to have been another boy. Vegeta would have been so proud.
"No. But I.I just thought I should tell you I'm sorry for your loss. Are you going to try again?"
"No." She couldn't bear to lose another, and was afraid what Zeke did might have messed up her body so she could never carry another full term. Veggie had brought such joy into her life, but she wouldn't take the risk again.
Trunks poked his head in through the doorway, the perfect distraction from Usagi's pain. "You about done, Usa-momma? Dad's about to blow a gasket. You know he's been drooling over the gravity room ever since we decided we'd leave today."
"Yes, I'm finished." Usagi walked to the doorway and put her hand on her small stepson's head, smiling down at him. She paused in the doorway, turning back to offer Minako a smile she didn't feel. "Goodbye, Minako. Tell the others I said so, too."
She left the girl gaping and went to the living room. The Outers had come to see her off. Minako had been the only inner Vegeta had permitted into the apartment. She hugged each of them tight - she would miss them, unlike the inners - and finally turned to Setsuna, taking Vegeta's hand one of hers. She cast a smile over her friends, a smile that grew when she looked down to see Trunks holding his baby brother's hand, then took a deep breathe.
"Okay, Setsuna. Take us home."
All right, that's the end this time, and no more. If it's not any good, I'm sorry. I can't do endings. Hate them. I'm not any good at them because, truthfully, I hardly ever actually finish stories. THE END.
"Are you sure you can't stay just a little longer?"
Usagi looked up from packing her subspace pocket and offered the blonde girl who had once been her closest friend a small, insincere smile. "I need to be getting home. Trunks' real mom will be getting worried, and Vegeta's going to go insane if he doesn't get back to his regular training regime soon."
"I suppose it's too much to ask you to visit."
"Why even pretend, Minako?" She asked, suddenly very tired. "Things will never be the same as they used to be. I have fond memories from that time of my life, but that life is over, now. I've moved on. I don't want to ever think about this place again. I'm sorry, but it's the truth. I'm done with saving the world. Zeke's dead now, the next enemy who comes won't be my concern."
"But if you stayed we could fix things! I know you and Rei and Mamoru will never see eye to nose on whether or not we should have rescued you, but don't you think we could get past that?"
"It's not even about that anymore." She sighed. "I just want to go home."
"I'm going to miss you."
Usagi didn't answer. She didn't have the heart to lie to her old friend. She finished packing the last of her small family's things and closed subspace. "Well, Setsuna will be waiting for us." The senshi of time would be taking them back to Vegeta's dimension; Usagi hadn't yet recovered enough power for the strenuous task. Thankfully, she remembered very little of being under Zeke's power, nothing but her sense of triumph when Vegeta sent him flying through the wall and she had felt his life end. She had spent a week in bed, unconscious for the most part, and even now found herself exhausted by the simplest tasks. Healing took a lot out of both the healer and the one needing to be healed. It would take Usagi a long time to recover from the physical, mental, and emotional damage Zeke had caused, but at least she was finally ready to let go.
"I'm sorry." Minako blurted suddenly, eyes full of tears. "I heard about the baby.and I'm sorry."
Usagi ducked her head as the one thing she didn't want to think about came flooding back. She fought back the tears, but couldn't stop a bitter response. "Well, sorry isn't going to bring it back, now is it?" It was going to have been another boy. Vegeta would have been so proud.
"No. But I.I just thought I should tell you I'm sorry for your loss. Are you going to try again?"
"No." She couldn't bear to lose another, and was afraid what Zeke did might have messed up her body so she could never carry another full term. Veggie had brought such joy into her life, but she wouldn't take the risk again.
Trunks poked his head in through the doorway, the perfect distraction from Usagi's pain. "You about done, Usa-momma? Dad's about to blow a gasket. You know he's been drooling over the gravity room ever since we decided we'd leave today."
"Yes, I'm finished." Usagi walked to the doorway and put her hand on her small stepson's head, smiling down at him. She paused in the doorway, turning back to offer Minako a smile she didn't feel. "Goodbye, Minako. Tell the others I said so, too."
She left the girl gaping and went to the living room. The Outers had come to see her off. Minako had been the only inner Vegeta had permitted into the apartment. She hugged each of them tight - she would miss them, unlike the inners - and finally turned to Setsuna, taking Vegeta's hand one of hers. She cast a smile over her friends, a smile that grew when she looked down to see Trunks holding his baby brother's hand, then took a deep breathe.
"Okay, Setsuna. Take us home."
All right, that's the end this time, and no more. If it's not any good, I'm sorry. I can't do endings. Hate them. I'm not any good at them because, truthfully, I hardly ever actually finish stories. THE END.