Note: Characters of Bishoujo Senshi Sailormoon belong to the guy that created the manga Naoko Takeuchi and not me, but the characters besides that belong to me!

Together Again
Chapter 3

"Good or bad?"

"A bit of both actually, Serenity wants to try using the ginzuishou at the high peak of the gala tonight to restore your voice."

"I do not think that would work."

"Let her try at least, you and I both know that different crystals have different capabilities. Besides, she’s used the ginzuishou to heal others before."

"Hai, I will let her try."

The gala begins, Sarah and Merlin are about to walk into the ballroom . . .

"Matte Sarah, before we walk in I want to give this to you." He said as he put a jade chain necklace with a large emerald pendant around her neck. He felt lower that a worm’s belly for doing this to her, he only felt worse when she kissed him in gratitude. They linked arms and walked through the door. All eyes turn to Sarah and Merlin. Merlin feels Sarah tense up, he knows that there’s a war going in inside her between fear and courage. It seems that courage wins this time and Sarah plasters a smile on her face to hide her fear and goes to try and mingle.

" . . ."

She tries to speak telepathically to no avail, she shoots Merlin a frightened look. Merlin gives her an apologetic look and she begins to fume when she realizes he’s the cause of her lack of magic somehow.

Serenity sees Sarah storming toward Merlin with a murderous look in her blazing green eyes and decides to hurry along the ceremony. But Chibi-Usa shakes her head no and walks calmly over to Sarah.

"Sarah, you can beat Merlin later, please don’t ruin the gala."

<There is that glow of power around her again, that incredible power to calm. Where does this power come from?> Sarah though as she saw the young girl holding her hand and pleading with her eyes, asking Sarah over and over not to fight. Sarah smiled and nodded. Chibi-Usa’s face lit up and she led Sarah to some of her friends to introduce Sarah.

A few hours passed, Serenity, Endymion and Chibi-Usa stood up at the table after dessert had been served with their announcement.

"Attention friends, you may have all noticed that our guest Sarah has been rather silent. There is an explanation for that. Years ago in the medieval era, Sarah was attacked by a town she was visiting. An evil magician had revealed her true nature as an Alicorn. In an attempt to kill her, a spear was plunged into her throat, causing her to lose her voice and giving her a great fear of humans. I invited her to this gala in hopes of helping her friend Merlin overcome her fear. To ensure she didn’t run, he took away her magic. I now ask him to restore her powers. We will be using the ginzuishou in hopes of healing her throat so that she may once again speak and sing."

Merlin removed the necklace and she stared at him in shock.

"The necklace made me lose my powers?"

"Iie, it was the emerald set in it."

He once again shrank under her glare.

"Sarah, please stand and revert to your true form, you too Merlin."

They both did as Serenity asked and a collective gasp came from all around the table. Sarah stepped back, a terrified look on her face, that was exactly how the villagers had reacted before chasing her. Merlin put his wing on her shoulders to stop her from running.

Sarah looked at Chibi-Usa, still radiating the calm aura around the room.

<Am I the only one who can see the power in her?>

The ginzuishou appeared and began to shine brightly, all except Merlin, Sarah and Serenity closed their eyes against the blinding gleam. A white aura appeared and centred around Sarah’s throat. It pulsed for a minute before the aura vanished.

Everyone looked expectantly at Sarah, wondering if it worked. Sarah remained silent, she was too nervous to try.

<Such incredible power the child holds.> Thought Sarah as another wave of calm washed through the room.

Sarah closed her eyes and took a deep breath while thinking of the first thing she’d sing if her voice had been returned. Another deep breath and she was ready to let loose.

Pure, sweet, notes emerged from Sarah’s long unused throat and into the hall as she sang an old song she had learned long ago from her adoptive mother. All the guests stared in silence, not wanting to disturb her first song in millennia. The song itself was in Sarah’s native tongue, a romance song that she had forgotten that lulled humans into a romantic mood. That’s just what happened, everyone suddenly got all friendly with total strangers! Except for those who had already married. Sarah realized this and let her song draw to an early end. She turned red in embarrassment at forgetting that the song of an Alicorn affects the mood of humans. With the song ended, everyone snapped out of their trance and applauded Sarah on her singing. Her voice truly would shame that of an angel.

Soon the gala was over and everyone was reluctantly leaving, Serenity asked to talk to Sarah and Merlin for a moment.

"Hai?" Merlin asked.

"I do hope I’m not imposing, but would you two consider baby-sitting Chibi-Usa tomorrow night? Endymion, the Senshi and I have some off-world business to attend to."

As usual, Merlin opened his mouth to say something before Sarah could. She managed to clamp his mouth shut with her wing before a word escaped.

"We would be glad to." She grinned.

"Thank you Sarah! Merlin! That’s two I owe you Sarah. But be warned, she’s a little bundle of energy and hyperactive. If you can get her in bed at eight-thirty then I congratulate you!"

"Oh, I am quite sure a lullaby will put her to sleep." Sarah told her reassuringly.

"Come on Merlin, we have much work to do if we are to stay on schedule." She said to him while leading him away by the nose. He was begging for her to let go. Serenity gave an obscure smile and chuckled slyly.

On the moon, Sarah and Merlin were working double time. Even though they had many years until then, they wanted everything to be perfect.

"Are you sure he’ll come Sarah?"

"I am positive he will come, when I last talked to him he wouldn’t stop talking about ‘her’." She shook her head slightly before she continued. "He is in love Merlin, he fell in love about the second time he laid eyes on her."

"What about ‘her’?"

"Do not worry yourself! In the time she knew him she gained a new dream to go with her many others. But believe it or not, she has kept it hidden from him."

"Masaka!"

"It is true!" Sarah paused and changed the subject. "Merlin, have you noticed anything unusual about the child of Serenity-sama? I know I have."

"Now that you mention it, I have. I saw the aura around her at the gala, I thought I was the only one who saw it."

"I think that we, being creatures of magic, are the only ones who can see her power."

"Should we tell the Queen and King? They do have a right to know about the power Chibi-Usa possesses. Plus she’ll soon need guidance on controlling her power."

"Merlin, could she be the one the prophesies said would come? You know, ‘like the phoenix, she who once possessed great power will rise from her ashes and emerge as the Mother of the reborn Alicorns’?"

"Impossible! That’s an ancient story from before our time to tell at bedtime! And she’s a *human* for crying out loud! Even if the story were true, Chibi-Usa can’t be the reborn Mother of Alicorns, no one could hold that much power!"

"Except her. You can not deny the power she holds. She is still very young, as she becomes older her power will grow."

"Yeah, but why should our Mother be a human? I don’t like it." He grumbled.

"Do you not want the Hidden Valley to prosper once more?!" Sarah snapped fiercely.

"Sure I do, but her?"

"We must keep that option open, you know that."

"Hai." He reluctantly agreed.

They continued the rest of the day’s work in silence with the occasional glance at the other.

Later that day, a half hour before Serenity, Endymion and the Senshi were due to leave, Sarah pulled them all over for a quick chat.

"Your majesties, guardians, there is something of importance that we must discuss upon your return. It concerns the Princess."

They all nodded that they understood before heading up into the ship.

When the ship took off, something slammed into Sarah’s leg and held on tightly.

"Hi Sarah! I was told you’re gonna be my sitter! Very suteki! What are we going to do first?"

Sarah let a giggle escape her throat.

"Well, we could start with a trip to the park, but first we have to get you out of your good dress."

"True. Mommy would kill me if I got my dress dirty!"

"Ikimashou."

"I’m ready!" Chibi-Usa called as she locked herself on Sarah’s foreleg again.

"That is good."

"Sarah, would you . . . give me a ride?"

"I do not know . . ."

"Please?!"

"Hai."

Sarah kneeled down and let Chibi-Usa use her wing as a ramp onto her back.

"Um, Sarah, can I ask you something?"

"Of course child, what is it?"

"Ahh, do you know Ellios?"

Sarah nodded as she walked to the garden for take-off.

"Do you talk to him often?"

"Iie, maybe once a year. He is a very busy lad. Why? Are you infatuated with him?"

"Hai. But he doesn’t visit at all! And if he waits too long he won’t be able to see the light of my dream to be an adult!"

"Not necessarily child, he couldn’t find you because of the spell of the New Moon. When you grow naturally, there will be other dreams to lead him by."

"How did you know that?!"

"I remembered, I saw everything." Sarah said as she took off and glided on thermals toward the park.

"Can you land here?"

"Surly you jest! There are far too many people!"

"I want to show you to them! Besides a few of my friends from the gala are here, they know you."

"You do not honestly think the adults would accept me do you? It is them I worry about."

"The adults at the gala accepted you!"

"Only because they were told what to expect, me."

"Well then, if they see me on you then they’ll know you’re my friend! So let’s go!"

Sarah sighed. She had won this round. Sarah went down and landed with the softness of a feather.

Everyone stared at Sarah, not believing what they were seeing. Sarah kneeled to let Chibi-Usa slide down her back before standing and transforming to human form. Thankfully, Chibi-Usa started the conversation.

"Minna, this is my sitter Sarah. She’s the one who saved the world from Lucifer!"

"Child, please . . ." She whispered.

"Sarah, can I ask you something?"

"Hai."

"Would you *stop* calling me child!? We’re friends and you should call me by my name!"

"If you insist, but in our culture you are a child."

"Arigato." Chibi-Usa said before running to her friends to play.

*************************

Did you like it? Questions, comments and suggestions are welcome! I’m at catofnight@home.com

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Updated on Thursday, July 8, 1999.