The Family You Choose

By Bashfulglowfly

Chapter Ten

Prince Endymion managed to get Usagi down from mid-air and into his arms. As soon as that happened, she became unconscious and untransformed from the sailor fuku into a dress that was a disgusting parody of the one she used to wear.

Prince Endymion ordered his Shitennou to turn their backs. They heard ripping noises. Kunzite gripped Nephrite's arm, hoping that the man wouldn't try and kill their prince because he was ripping the clothes off Nephrite's beloved niece.

When they were allowed to turn around, the dress was in shreds on the floor and Usagi was in Prince Endymion's arms, wrapped tightly in his cloak. Their prince looked at them. "Let's get out of here."

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Usagi stretched. She didn't hurt anymore. Her eyes popped open and she sat bolt upright and looked around wildly.

She was in her own room.

She began to shake and tears ran down her face. But she wiped them away. She had to smile because she wasn't alone. Mamoru lay on top of the covers next to her. Minako was across the foot of the bed with one arm draped across Kazuya who was sitting on the floor leaning against the bed. Nobuyuki and Jun were lying on the floor. Makoto was curled up next to Nobuyuki with her head resting on his shoulder. Rei was on top of Jun and holding him like he was her pillow. Soichiro and Ami managed to curl up on the small loveseat that was against the wall next to her desk.

"You okay?" Came the soft voice that was rough with sleep.

Usagi turned and looked. Mamoru was propped up on one elbow, staring at her. She smiled at him and placed her hand on his cheek. "Yes. I'm better now."

"I healed you. You had a lot of bumps and bruises."

Usagi bit her lip and tried to ask about what she feared had happened. Mamoru didn't smile but pulled her close. "He didn't rape you. I swear to you, he didn't do that."

Usagi shuddered in his arms. "I was afraid…I think he would have."

Mamoru didn't disagree. "He probably would have but I think he would have waited until you were awake. If you were unconscious it wouldn't have fit into his insane fantasy that you were his fiancée and that you loved him."

Usagi clung to her prince. "What happened to him? I remember this weird eye in the middle of his forehead…then nothing after that."

Mamoru kissed her lips. "You transformed into Sailor Moon." He smiled at her look of surprise. "Yes, you became Sailor Moon. You transformed and bitch-slapped him into a wall from what I could figure out. Then we arrived." He kissed her again. "Demando is dead. By my hand. He will never, ever hurt you or scare you ever again."

Usagi looked at Mamoru then kissed him back. Mamoru pressed her back into her pillow and began to slide his hand to her…

"Yeah, don't think so, buddy." Nobuyuki growled in his ear.

Mamoru slanted a look at his Shitennou. "Go away." He enunciated.

Nobuyuki smiled…like a shark. "No."

Usagi began to giggle as Mamoru rolled off her and onto his back, covering his eyes with one arm. "I hate you, you know that."

Jun laughed. "Feeling blue in a certain spot?" Mamoru just glared which caused Jun to laugh harder.

Kazuya stood up and stretched, wincing as muscles complained. He really wasn't designed to be sleeping on floors. "Let's get cleaned up the best we can and get something to eat. Then we can talk."

Neither Nobuyuki nor Usagi had clothes that would fit the others, so they went for the simplest solution. In separate rooms, they stripped off their civilian clothes then transformed into their Senshi and Shitennou forms. Jupiter didn't trust anyone to do things right so she started the laundry herself then began making breakfast. While she was doing that, the others told Usagi what had happened since Demando first attacked.

Usagi listened as they described meeting Sailor Pluto, going to Crystal Tokyo and meeting King Endymion. The guys described, with much editing of certain things, how they rescued Usagi from Nemesis. The girls told how Emeraude attacked the Palace in the form of a dragon and how they defeated her. Emeraude had attacked just after Endymion and the Shitennou left to rescue Usagi.

Venus shook her head sadly. "I could tell that she loved Demando a great deal. And she went mad when he captured you because she finally realized that she meant absolutely nothing to him."

"So why didn't she attack me?"

Venus shrugged. "Who knows? Perhaps she knew that if she did attack you, he would kill her slowly and painfully."

Mercury sighed. "Still, it was a bit sad that we had to kill Emeraude."

"We had no choice." Said Mars.

Jupiter started setting food on the table. "This won't be the last difficult decision we'll have to make."

Venus nodded. "It's only the beginning."

Usagi sighed. "It certainly is." She looked at her family that surrounded her. "I have my memories back. The moon kingdom, meeting Endymion…not wanting to become Sailor Moon."

Venus stared at her princess. "Do you still not want to be Sailor Moon?"

Usagi pulled at a loose thread on her skirt. "I'm not the same person that I was back then. I don't like the idea that people have to die. I'd like to make things better, happier. But I know that I won't always be able to do that. But, I think learning how to be Sailor Moon will be a good start on everyone's happiness and future." She looked up. "Will you help me? Please."

Endymion pulled his beloved into his arms and kissed her soundly. "We will help you. We will ALWAYS be by you side."

Usagi smiled back and leaned in for more of his kisses.

While they didn't live the traditional "Happily Ever After" they were happy despite the other villains that came to attack them and their planet. They won their battles, often with great difficulty. They made new friends in the form of Sailor Pluto, Neptune, Uranus and Saturn. They survived the Great Sleep and built a new civilization for humanity.

Usagi never again saw the family that she was born into but happily lived with the family that she had found in Mamoru, Minako and Kazuya, Nobuyuki and Makoto, Jun and Rei, and Soichiro and Ami…not to mention the many children she and the girls gave birth to.

So, in Usagi's heart…she did live Happily Ever After.