2734/Here in the Garden

Here in the Garden
Date of Scene:	10 August 2025
Location:	Crystal Tokyo
Synopsis:	Waiting for a moment to meet Neo Queen Serenity, Usagi Tsukino with Crystal Tokyo's own Sailor Jupiter. Somethings remain the same.
Cast of Characters:	Usagi Tsukino, Makoto Kino
Tinyplot:	BMC: Wicked Ride
Tinyplot2:	Black Moon Clan

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Usagi Tsukino has posed:
After catching up with everyone, after accepting some healing and rest, after anxiously awaiting the results of Mamoru's conversation with Riventon and then texting with Mamoru and the girls in the aftermath, after all that and the fight before it, Usagi had decided that the garden is exactly the space she wants to be. Just to gather her thoughts, while Mamoru talks to the Queen, because she should talk to the Queen, too, she wants to meet her...

But it's a little scary, to think about meeting Chibiusa's mother, the Usagi who took up the name Serenity again and became a Queen and built this city, this whole world, really, and took it all on her shoulders. She'll go meet her! But... in a little while. When she's ready.

Not yet.

It in the gardens, among all the plants and bushes and trees, that had never died but are returning to even more life, full, with the Queen's restoration, that Usagi sees a familiar figure, willowy, and brightens a little, calling, "Mako-chan!"

Makoto Kino has posed:
The garden was always a haven of green growing things, even before when everything outside the palace was nigh lifeless. Now, with the planet rejuvenated, this place also flourishes with renewed growth. The places where the survivors harvested for foodstuffs are already visibly regrowing, and a few places that had been bare show signs of replanting.

The tall figure she called out to turns toward the sound of her voice. Usagi can probably realize her mistake almost immediately. It's undeniably Makoto - but Usagi's Mako-chan doesn't move like this, with such complete assurance. Usagi's Mako-chan always has a certain sense of self-consciousness about her height and her body that tempers her natural grace. This Makoto inhabits her stature with no such reservation.

The Sailor Jupiter of this future time greets her with a warm, fond smile. "Usagi-chan," she says. "Welcome. It's good to finally get to meet you."

Usagi Tsukino has posed:
Usagi does realize her mistake almost immediately, because her Makoto doesn't move like that. She has grace, but that grace is hampered by self-consciousness. This Makoto doesn't hesitate, in any shift or motion, pure confidence and assurance, and it makes Usagi smile to see, even if her smile is - not hesitant, but mindful, that this is a Makoto she doesn't quite know even if she does.

"Makoto-chan," she corrects herself, immediately, and she closes the distance between them without hesitation. Usagi is Usagi and Makoto is Makoto and 1+1=2. Usagi + Makoto = Hug.

"It's good to meet you too. You're - out and about, that makes sense but - I didn't get a chance to look for all of you before and I'm glad to meet you."

Makoto Kino has posed:
A thousand years and a whole other timeline does nothing to alter that fundamental math. Makoto hugs her warmly, exactly like Makoto should, with a little catch of a laugh because this Usagi, too, is just as she should be. Some things don't change, never mind the time or place.

"There've been a lot of things to keep you busy," she acknowledges as she steps back. "I did hope, though, that I'd get a chance to thank at least some of you before you all go back home. I'm especially glad that it's you."

Usagi Tsukino has posed:
"There has been! I know you were all protecting the castle... keeping it safe..." Having Moon Space, and understanding what it takes to put all her power and energy into it, and how she's only now starting to be able to fight while upholding it... she can understand some of what it cost to hold that protection instead of fighting for their people.

"I wanted to meet you all, but Chibiusa and I... had some other things on our plate. But she's back now!" Heartwrenching but true. "And so am I! And so are you."

She steps back, looking up at Makoto, grinning.

"Did you get a little taller?"

Makoto Kino has posed:
Her younger self would be flustered by that kind of question, but Makoto laughs merrily. "Maybe," she says, green eyes sparkling as she grins back. "After this long, who keeps track?"

The warmth in her gaze doesn't face, but her expression grows a little more serious as she regards Usagi. "That's one of the things I wanted to be sure to thank you for, if I could," she says. "Taking such good care of our Little Usagi. I don't know yet everything she went through, but I'm sure it wasn't easy on her. I'm so glad she had you and Mamoru there for her, all this time."

Usagi Tsukino has posed:
She'd never ever ask her Makoto, but she had had a feeling this Makoto would be amused by it, and she was! "Did I get taller? Chibiusa-chan never mentioned it, but she's so little maybe she didn't even notice..."

She grows serious with Makoto, her smile becoming fond and a little sad.

"I'd say you don't have to thank me, but you already did. She's... she's amazing. A little brat sometimes, and she totally thinks I'm not as cool as her Mama but... she's amazing. She dropped right in on us, and she tried to take the Silver Crystal so she could come back and save you all, and she's... Sailor Moon. Sailor Chibimoon. It's new. I'm so glad I got to meet her."

Makoto Kino has posed:
Makoto inclines her head, understanding and maybe just a little bit wistful. The response to her thanks is not much different from what she expected; of course Usagi would take care of Chibiusa, regardless of the troubles that came with it, because she is Usagi. 'Sailor Chibimoon' has her eyes widening slightly, though. "It sounds as though she's done some growing, herself. Though I suppose it'd be more surprising if she didn't, after all that, I'm glad for her all the same."

As someone who loves Small Lady like family, she can wish that the little girl hadn't had to go through everything that she did, but she can still be proud of her growth after all this time.

She settles her weight back on her heels and gives Usagi an assessing look up and down, evaluating her height against what she's used to from her friend and queen. "I think you did get taller, a bit," she pronounces after a moment, and grins again. "Though I'm not exactly the best person to ask myself."

Usagi Tsukino has posed:
"Isn't it amazing! She was using a Device for a little while and she was so cute - wait! I have pictures!" And after a momentary scramble to get her phone, Usagi provides Makoto with pictures of Masquerade Lapine in all her phantom thief, hat, cape and bunny ears glory.

"Our friend Rashmi-chan and Mamochan's stupider brother Riventon helped with that - she could use magic to defend herself some!" There are So Many Pictures of Masquerade Lapine, along with pictures of her with Cure La Mer, Sailor Saturn, Cure Wing, and plenty of others. "And then! After we - well, we went through a lot of stuff, and she came into her own power! As Chibimoon!"

New pictures, of Sailor Chibimoon! Mostly goofing around with the others.

"She did so much growing! It was amazing to watch, especially since - well, when she first dropped in we knew something was up, but figuring the whole story out... it was really something."

And being told that Neo Queen Serenity does get taller? Yeah she's thrilled.

Makoto Kino has posed:
Makoto looks through the photos with growing delight, leaning to see better as Usagi flips through the images on her phone. "Oh, she based her look on Tuxedo Kamen. How wonderful! She looks so cute!" She eagerly takes in the sights of the other magical warriors - so many different faces and costumes, so many allies. Her enthusiasm only grows when she sees Chibiusa's transformation into Sailor Chibimoon, mingling with pride.

"We knew she'd get there one day, but... I'm so proud of her. And all of you." Her green, green eyes lift to Usagi's face, shining with sincerity. "You did so much for her, and for us."

Usagi Tsukino has posed:
Watching the delight play across Makoto's face is so, so satisfying. She gets to bring this to her! She gets to be the one to share this news, and while it had been - kind of complicated for her, and still is, Makoto has been a senshi for so, so long. In this world, it means that Chibiusa is one of them in the most obvious way.

"She did! He's her favorite, or at least, I think he is, but yeah! She was so cute! They did cape tricks together."

Once she's accepted her phone back, she grins.

"It's what anyone should do. She needed help, and she needed us... and what did it cost us? Well, don't answer that, there was a lot of trouble, but she's worth it!"

Makoto Kino has posed:
"I don't think just anyone would love her the way you do," Makoto replies gently, smiling. Usagi doesn't even need to say it in those words. It shines through in the way she talks about Chibiusa, in how excited she is to share her daughter's accomplishments. "Finding her way to you two might be the best thing that could've happened to her in all of this."

She lifts her head, looking away across the garden. Her expression falls a bit as she breathes out a sigh. "If I'm going to be honest... it's a little frustrating, knowing that we couldn't handle all of this ourselves. Getting help from our past selves... well."

She shakes her head, and when she turns back to face Usagi she's smiling again. "Anyway, I'm grateful. And I am glad that it was you."

Usagi Tsukino has posed:
"Aha... well, maybe not. But you'd be surprised... there are a lot of wonderful people, in our time," Makoto had gotten to see plenty of them, captured in pictures on her phone - friends, familiar and not, surrounding Usagi and Chibiusa alike.

"Even just standing here, I can tell how much stronger you are than my Mako-chan, just from all the experience. Fighting those guys, though - that was hard, and we weren't like, totally completely taken by surprise. Chibiusa-chan might not have wanted to tell us everything, but we knew something was coming, and once they were there... they couldn't just super attack our world. And when they did attack, we had a lot more help than you guys did."

There are more of them from the 21st Century here in Crystal Tokyo than there are the total number of Senshi. It puts into perspective even more what it must have felt like to... to fight the terrible things that they faced, with just their small team.

"You all did everything you could! I know that, because my Makochan always gives her all, and I can't think you did any less. They snuck up on you and then you had to keep the Castle and the King and Queen safe. I'm grateful. If you all hadn't of been here, then Chibiusa-chan's Mama and Papa..."

It could have been much worse.

Makoto Kino has posed:
"You're not wrong about that," Makoto concedes, with a little dip of her head. "If we'd had any warning, maybe things would've gone differently - but there's no sense in thinking too much about 'what if'. What's important is what did happen, and that we're here now to talk about it."

Because Usagi is right about that, too - things could have been much worse, if the senshi had not protected the king and queen.

"How long will you all be staying?" she wonders. "It must be odd for you, being here like this."