Hey there minna-san!  Chichiri is FINALLY able to type up chapter 6!!
Aren’t you all proud of me?  Anyways, I’m back and so is the story.  I have
a huge chemistry project to work on and a history project and all kinds of
other stuff in between, so please be patient, ‘k?  This chapter is happy
and sad.  Now, what do you think I’m going to say before starting the
story?  That’s right!  I don’t own Sailor Moon, so please don’t sue me (I
spent all my money this morning anyway buying presents for two adorable
children at the zoo).  Now on with chapter 6!!  FINALLY!!!  (And don’t
forget to e-mail me, ‘k?  Oh, and the chapter title is metaphorical, it's
not really spring yet.)

New Snow by Chichiri
Chapter 6- Winter of True Love Turns to Spring

“It’s all right Usagi,” Minako comforted Usagi, using the name Usagi while
no one else was around.  “Don’t let Rei’s words get to you.  I think you’re
a great leader and you’re the picture of what I always dreamed a princess
would be.”
     “But it’s true!” Usagi cried.  Tears were flowing freely down her
cheeks now.  “What Rei said is true!  I am nothing but a klutzy, stupid,
crybaby!”
     “But you’re a great leader,” Minako insisted.  “Usagi, I admire you
for your loyalty and courage, not to mention the incredible strength that
you have.”
     “But Rei was right, you always have to save me,” Usagi said.  “I can’t
fight alone.”
     “Nobody ever said that you had to fight alone,” Makoto pointed out as
she walked up to the bench in the park where Usagi and Minako sat.  “And
your true strength comes from within.  Your big heart and pure soul give
you more strength than I could ever dream of having.  You certainly
shouldn’t let a few harsh words get to you.”
     “Thank you Mako-chan, Mina-chan,” Usagi said quietly.  “You’re great
friends.”

Mamoru opened the door to his apartment and was surprised to find it
empty.  ‘I hope Serena’s all right,’ Mamoru thought.  All of a sudden
Mamoru felt a great sadness inside him.  He knew in an instant that it was
not his own sadness, but rather the sadness of another person.  Somehow, he
was not surprised at the presence of this person, he had felt it for most
of his life.  Walking into the bedroom, he noticed something on the table
by the bed.
     Mamoru walked over to the table and picked up the object.  It was a
gold and silver locket in the shape of the morning star.  He brushed his
finger over the intricate designs on the locket.  The locket sprang open
easily at his touch and began to play a soft-sweet melody that was
comfortingly familiar.  And suddenly the memories flooded back to him . . .

     Lights twinkled from the windows of the palace on Tartarus, in the
heart of the Negaverse.  It was a night of rejoicing because the Negaverse
had finally agreed to join the Silver Millennium after many years.  But
something about the place made Mamoru feel uneasy, so he had retreated into
the gardens.  He had been disappointed that there were no roses and then it
had began to rain.  Between crashes of thunder he had heard a girl crying.
He found her hidden among hedges, curled up and hiding from the storm, and
looking very much like a rabbit.  She had been afraid of thunder that
night, but he took her hand and led her back to the palace, pulling a red
rose from behind his back and handing it to her.  She had been delighted
with the rose and the two had felt comforted and safe and complete in each
other’s presence.  He had called her Usagi because she had looked like a
rabbit when he had found her; and she had called him Mamoru because he had
protected her from the storm.  After that night, they had talked mentally
almost every day through a special link they had between their minds,
although they had not seen each other for many years after that night.
They were soulmates from the start and their love had lasted for over a
thousand years and now brought them together again . . .
     Now Usagi was in pain and Mamoru had to cheer her up.  So he began
once more to concentrate on Usagi’s mind.  ‘Usa-chan,’ he thought.  ‘I
remember, Usa-chan.’

Makoto had taken Usagi and Minako back to her apartment.  Usagi had fallen
asleep on the couch.  ‘Usa-chan!’ Usagi heard in her sleep.  ‘Mamo-chan?’
Usagi thought.  ‘Yes,’ Mamoru replied.  ‘Really?  Do you really remember
me?’ Usagi asked.  ‘Yes, Usa-chan.  I never completely forgot you.  I could
always feel your presence within me, like it was before during the Silver
Millennium.  Why are you so sad now?’ Mamoru asked.  ‘Rei-chan left the
Sailor Senshi because she said it was my fault that Zoisite got Ami-chan.
And she told me that I shouldn’t be the Princess because I’m just a klutzy,
stupid, crybaby,’ Usagi said, pain apparent in her voice.  ‘Usa-chan, you
are a princess at heart.  When I first met you, I had no idea that you were
a princess, let alone the Moon Princess.  But I could feel something very
special about you.  There was a beautiful gracefulness that flowed strongly
through your energy and it was far more graceful than any of the princesses
my father forced me to meet with.  You are a very special princess,
Usa-chan, because you don’t act like the other princesses.  They are snobby
and uncaring about anything but themselves.  And you, my dear Usa-chan, put
the well-being of others before yourself.  You insist on being treated
normally, not like you’re royalty.  And there is a wonderful joy that is
always radiating from your beautiful smile.  That is why you are the
Princess, not just because of your bloodline.  Now, I am going to give you
a present, like we used to do, so concentrate on the energy I am going to
send you,’ Mamoru said.  ‘All right,’ Usagi agreed.  Mamoru could feel her
happiness growing.  Usagi concentrated on the energy that Mamoru was
sending to her.  ‘A red rose!’ Usagi exclaimed as the energy took shape in
her hands.  ‘Thank you, Mamo-chan.’  ‘Aishiteru, Usa-chan,’ Mamoru said
gently.  ‘Aishiteru, Mamo-chan,’ Usagi whispered back.
     “It was only a dream,” Usagi sighed when she opened her eyes.  As
Usagi glanced down, however, she saw that her hands were clasped around a
red rose.  “Then it wasn’t a dream?”  Usagi got up and headed for the
door.  “I have to go see him,” Usagi said to herself.
     “Where are you going Usagi-chan?” Minako asked.
     “I have to go see Mamo-chan.”  Usagi smiled.  “He remembered.”
     “What?” Makoto asked.
     “Remember long ago, during the Silver Millennium, I told you that I
had met a boy in the gardens outside the palace in Tartarus, and Mina-chan
said that we were soulmates.  And then we could talk through our minds.
Mamo-chan just spoke to me while I was asleep,” Usagi explained.
     “Are you sure it wasn’t a dream?” Minako asked.
     “Mamo-chan sent me this.”  Usagi held up the red rose.  “I’ll be
fine.  See you in school tomorrow!  Ja ne!”  Usagi went out the door and
began skipping down the streets to Mamoru’s apartment.  Halfway there, her
communicator beeped.  “What is it?” Usagi asked into the communicator.
     “Usagi, I’m really sorry, but there’s another powerful youma and after
what happened with Ami-chan, I think we should only fight when we’re all
together,” Makoto explained.
     “I agree.  I’ll meet you in a few minutes!”  Usagi turned off the
communicator and shouted, “Moon Crystal Power!”

Back at Makoto’s apartment, Makoto said, “She’s on her way.  I feel really
bad, though, interrupting her reunion with her soulmate.  Well, let’s go
downstairs to wait for Usagi.”
     “All right,” Minako agreed.  Both had already transformed into Sailor
Jupiter and Sailor Venus.  A few minutes after they got outside, Usagi came
running up.
     “Let’s go!” Usagi panted.  “And let’s be prepared to do a combination
attack as soon as we get there.”
     Once they arrived at the bookstore where the youma was draining energy
from people, they recited their introduction speeches:  “I am Sailor Moon!”

          “I am Sailor Jupiter!”
          “I am Sailor Venus!”
     “We fight for love and justice!” they shouted in unison.  “On behalf
of the Moon, Jupiter, and Venus we will triumph over evil!”
         “Jupiter Thunder Crash!”
         “Venus Meteor Shower!”
         “Moon Sceptre Elimination!”
     The youma was reduced to a pile of moondust and Nephrite appeared
behind them and instantly hurled a blast at them.
     “Sailor Moon!  Look out!” Minako shouted as she saw the blast coming
towards them.  She quickly shoved Usagi and Makoto out of the way and fell
to the ground when the attack hit her.
     “Sailor Venus!” Usagi and Makoto cried out together.
     “You’ll pay for this Nephrite!” Usagi shouted.  “Moon Sceptre
Elimination!”  Nephrite threw an attack at the same time that Usagi threw
hers.  Her attack hit his shoulder and his attack knocked Usagi to the
floor next to Minako.
     “Jupiter Thunder Crash!” Makoto shouted.  Nephrite disappeared and
Makoto knelt beside Minako and Usagi.  All of a sudden, Nephrite
reappeared.  He held out his hand and bathed Minako in a green light.  Then
she disappeared.  Next Nephrite turned to Usagi.
     “No!!” Makoto screamed as Usagi was surrounded by a green light.  Just
as Usagi’s form began to fade, a red rose sliced through the air, breaking
Nephrite’s power.  “Tuxedo Mask!” Makoto shouted happily as Usagi began to
reappear.
     “Cape Boy!  What are you doing here?”  Nephrite demanded.  “I thought
you were gone.”
     “For a while I had forgotten my destiny’s call, but now I remember
all,” Mamoru said, as Makoto knelt beside Usagi.  “But just as the rose
sleeps in winter to reawaken more beautiful in spring, so my memories
slept.”  (I know it’s corny, but I’m not good at writing philosophical
advice, so bear with me, ‘k?)  As he finished speaking, Mamoru nodded
slightly to Makoto.
     Makoto jumped to her feet and shouted, “I call upon the power of
Jupiter!  Grant me the strength to defeat this Nega-trash!  Jupiter Thunder
Dragon!!”  The blast hit Nephrite’s shoulder where Usagi’s attack had hit
him before and he began to bleed.  ‘That’s strange,’ Makoto thought as
Nephrite disappeared.  ‘He was bleeding red blood.  But when Zoisite
“killed” him before, he bled green blood.’
     “Mako-chan,” Usagi said standing up.  Then she asked, “Mina-chan?”
The look in Makoto’s eyes told Usagi what had happened.  Then Usagi turned
and saw Mamoru.  “Mamo-chan!  You really did remember!”  Usagi hugged
Makoto and Mamoru as she cried tears of happiness and tears of sadness.

Usagi and Makoto had gone back to Mamoru’s apartment with him to talk about
what to do next.  “What should we do?” Usagi asked.
     “We need to find out more about the Four Generals,” Mamoru said.  “We
need to find out how they can still be alive.”
     “Well...  I don’t think they are still alive,” Makoto commented.
     “What do you mean?” Usagi asked.
     “I’m not sure exactly,” Makoto replied.  “They’re the same, but
they’re different in one important way.  Do you remember when Nephrite
died?  His blood was green then.  But when we wounded him today, his blood
was red.  I think that the Four Generals we fought before actually are
dead.  The ones we’re fighting now are their reincarnations in this world.”

Well, that’s it for chapter 6!!  I left you with a bit of a cliffhanger
didn’t I?  Ha-ha-ha . . .  So now you have to wait until I have more time
to type.  But this chapter was happy because Mamo-chan remembered and sad
because now Mina-chan is with Ami-chan.  Um, I can’t think of anything else
to say, except e-mail me at
runnerup2001@netscape.net
Ja ne!
~Chichiri