She stood off to the side, eyeing them. She couldn’t think. She knew them from somewhere else, something she had read, not seen.

“How dare you attack people in a wondrous park! I am the pretty sailor soldier Sailor Moon and in the name of the Moon, you’re punished!” Sailor Moon shouted.

“Can you come up with some BETTER lines?” Morpheus harrumphed and sighed in one breath. This caused her to nearly choke but she quickly found her feet again.

“Dream eater! Time’s up! I hope you’re ready for your nightmare cause I’m about to dish it out to you!” Morpheus shouted. “Morpheus Nightmarish Hold!”

The black holes swarmed over the enemy as it tried to blast the attacks away. But it sucked down to the ground and everything began to be pulled by it.

Morpheus frowned. “No.. no, no! That’s not supposed to happen! My attack... NO GET THOSE PEOPLE AWAY FROM THERE!”

Sure enough, the black hole was sucking the people into itself. Still sleeping, they all looked so peaceful and calm.

But Morpheus wasn’t. She took off and ran straight to the black hole. She watched her entire front stretch forward into that sucking machine and she turned, looking back with a wild gaze.

‘I’m...’

And she broke in half. Her body completely disintegrated into the darkness and suddenly, she felt around her, a soft cushioning. Her vision was coming slowly, a dot of light beaming into her mind and spreading outward until the light was blinding her.

But that, too, cleared. She was on the pavement of some sidewalk. She looked around and found words, English words. She thought she couldn’t read them but looking upon them, she could say those words with ease. As if it were her language but how could that be, she was Japanese.

She stood up slowly, no one paying attention to her at that moment. She began to walk slowly, looking around in amazement. She wondered what year, what time, what place she’d gotten into.

She was passing by a shop window and looked in for a moment to see what was inside when she saw her reflection.

Her hair was brown, her eyes green. She had Caucasian skin but it was broken out a little bit. She looked younger than she thought she was, around thirteen or even twelve.

She wore jeans and a black t-shirt, the writing on it worn out so much you couldn’t read it. She reached out to touch the window and realized something about her body.

It was different than that of her reflection. She was still in her senshi form as she stared at her gloved hand.

‘What do people see?’ She thought suddenly. She turned quickly and tried to look people in the eyes but they passed her, ignoring her.

‘Why are they ignoring me? Can’t they see me?’

She turned to look back at the reflection. ‘No wonder they can’t. She’s boring. Nothing remarkable about her. She’s a nobody...a nobody...’

She gazed down at her self. “But now.. I’m somebody, right? Because.. Because I’m a senshi right?”

She began to walk again. She walked easily, as if she’d been in this town forever. Places she could see but she couldn’t name it, the places, the town or the people. As if she had existed once here but something disturbed her, breaking her into two.

And everywhere she went, her reflection was always of that girl. She was still in her fuku but that other self bothered her. It irked her that it followed so closely. That reflection, that self looked so sad.

And that self, sometimes, just in flashes of lights, seemed be dripping blood at the forehead.

Morpheus began to shake slowly. It was fear, just budding underneath her skin, trying to break out. Her heartbeat was shattering her throat and she turned a corner and wretched.

“I have to get home..” She panted, wiping her mouth. She was dizzy again and wondered what would happen if she fell into darkness now. Would she completely be gone? Not like anyone noticed her to begin with. She wouldn’t be missed.

But she saw her parents, crying earnestly. But they were somewhere far away, the room was white and she found herself blinded once more.

‘Musouka...Musouka!’

‘Baku...’ Morpheus tried to open her eyes. But it was like they were nailed shut. Her body was shivering, she was cold. She could feel them, wires again, clamping onto her. She was aware of her head the most, buzzing with information, draining it from her. She tried to reach up but her hands were cemented down. ‘I can’t.. I can’t... waken...’

“My precious child, Mommy misses you.”

‘Who are you? You’re not my mother!’

“Hi honey, it’s dad again. I brought the newspaper, to keep you posted on today’s news...”

‘No! No! They’re not real! I am! This is a nightmare! I’m alive damnit! Can’t you see that!’

“I miss her so much. The doctors kept saying she was improving but she just won’t wake up...”

“Don’t worry. We will have faith that one day, she’ll return to us...”

‘I’m here. I’m right here! Please... stop this.. I hurt so much.. Baku.. BAKU BAKU BAKU!!’

And she fell forward out of the black hole. To the others and those around, it was as if she merely walked through it but her body was covered in sweat, the bile taste still in her mouth. She was sobbing, her fingers digging into the earth as she turned to rage against the hole.

It shattered to reveal the enemy, bigger, badder. It grinned darkly. “So nice.. to be full of nightmares...Master..”

“You... you fucking piece of shit! I’m GOING TO KILL YOU!”

“Dream Snatch!” She screamed as her weapon formed. It crackled with impossible energy and latched tightly onto the monster.

It began to scream but her grip tightened. Her vision was disappearing, her body slouching but she continued the attack, panting.

‘Stop.. stop it... STOP IT!” Baku formed in front of her, as that young man. His eyes were dark as he reached out and clamped her shoulders.

He was frigidly cold, the shock seeping into her in seconds, breaking her trance. “LET ME GO! LET ME GO!” She raised her hand to attack Baku himself but his body misted. His hands still held her, his eyes brightening.
“Shuu...It’s all right.. It’ll be all right..” His voice was soft, warm. It reminded her of her mother but the vision that came wasn’t like the mother she was used to. This one had brown hair and dark eyes.

“Ba..baku...”

“Destroy it!” Baku shouted to the others. Morpheus had forgotten about them.

“Moon Princess Halation!”

Morpheus mind was in pieces. She felt so tired as she struggled to get away from Baku. “WHO ARE YOU! What are you! Can’t you just let ME SLEEP!”

She collapsed onto her knees, her chest heaving. She was pulsing with energy and voices, always those two voices, began to echo in her head.

“Shut up! Shut up! LEAVE ME ALONE!”

“Musouka... listen to them..” Baku spoke so softly, gently.

Her eyes were fire, glaring up at him. “No... NO! This is me! This is the real me!!”

Her voice echoed in the air and her words came back to her. She tried to cover her ears, tried to clear her head but she began to hurt all over. She turned and ran, unaware that she wasn’t in senshi form. She ran and ran until she was home and staggered in.

Her mother looked up and nearly screamed at the ragged look of her daughter. Musouka fell to her knees again and her head tilted forward. She watched splotches of blood dripping down and her hand moved slowly to the wound upon her brow. It was in the shape of her senshi symbol.

The doctor at the emergency was quiet at he studied the notes. “She says she wasn’t hit by anything. Was there a wound there from before?”

“No, never,” Helen whispered.

“Doctor, do you think.. she hurt herself on purpose?” Ryuu asked thickly.

“Has she had a history of hurting herself?”

“She’s been sick but we haven’t been able to figure out anything.”

“It might be psychological. Does any mental diseases run in your family?”

“There is nothing wrong with our family!” Helen nearly shouted, in tears.

“Has she been getting help?” The doctor asked carefully.

“She’s seeing another doctor, yes but he says there’s been little progress,” Ryuu answered, Helen far too upset to say anything.

“Well, we should keep her overnight. Tomorrow we’ll do psychoanalysis to see if she has anything significant about her. But what from the way she acts and talks, she seems to be confused greatly.”

“We could easily have seen that!” Helen snarled. “All of you doctors are the same! You can’t do a damn thing for her!”

“I’m sorry but I’m doing my best. With more studying..”

“STUDYING! STUDYING!? That’s all you ever do!”

“We could prescribe...”

“DAMNIT! That’s all you ever suggest too! You’ll end up having her halfway dead if you keep having her take such medicine.”

“You didn’t let me finish. They’re anti-depressant pills. They would calm her down and keep her stable..”

“She’s already on that type,” Ryuu answered.

“Maybe another brand?”

“No, she will not change to another type. It’ll be the same results,” Helen stood up. “I’m taking her home.”

“It would be best if we kept her...” The doctor began.

“Yes, it’s a suggestion. Doesn’t mean we have to allow it,” Helen said coldly. “I’m getting my daughter.” She turned and stomped off out of the room.

“I’m sorry. We’ve been so stressed. We are really worried. She’s gotten worse.”

“Have you thought about hospitalization?” The doctor asked carefully. “If the doctors and nurses spend more time with her, it might make it easier on her.”

“Doctor, all Musouka wants is to be normal. But she’s struggling with herself about something within her and I don’t think it’s something the doctors can solve. I think it’s something only she can do.”

He shook the doctor’s hand. “Thank you for helping though. Excuse me.”

Helen was fussing over Musouka. “Oh my poor baby! Does it hurt much?”

“No..” Musouka looked as if she weren’t even there. Her eyes were glazed and she was so tired.

“Mama will take care of you,” She gently pulled her to begin walking. And they trudged, all together, to the car.

Night came and Musouka lay in bed, her eyes staring unblinking at the ceiling.

“Musouka?” Baku transformed into the male form. “Talk to me.”

“It hurts... my head...”

“I know. If I could take the pain away, I would.”

“Baku...I’m not real, am I?”

“You’re wrong. You’re just confused. You just need to wake up, that’s all.”

“That thing.. it called me Master. Did I make it?” Musouka shifted over to her side, curling into a fetus position. “I’m so tired...I want to sleep...”

“Wake up, please, for God’s sake, wake up,” Baku lay on his knees, his hands cupped over her own as he knelt to the side of the bed. “Musouka, you have to remember what happened.”

“But I can’t..” She was falling asleep, her eyes becoming heavy.

“Don’t fall asleep..” His voice whispered in her head.

“I’m so tired...just so tired...why am I fighting this? If I just fell asleep..”

‘Honey, Mommy’s here again. It’s been a while since any improvement but I think you’re getting better, no matter what the doctor says...’

‘Please, wake up...we want you to be all right honey...’

‘We can’t pull the plug on our daughter! What if she could wake up tomorrow? We would never know!’

‘We have to go on with our lives. It’s been three years...’

‘Three years...’

‘Three years..’

“Three years,” she whispered. “Something happened that time, long before I met you...or was it just before I met you? I can’t remember.”

And she was still that night, Baku by her side in constant worry.

But all she did was sleep. Only sleep.

Musouka got up that morning bright and early. She was thoughtful but not quite at that happy stage that Minako always was. But she thought if she acted like Minako, she’d feel better.

It didn’t work but she had fun pretending to be someone else. That reminded her of something but instead of forcing thought on it, she ignored it.

“Hi honey,” Helen beamed, her eyes red and swollen. Musouka’s smile faded.

“Mom... you’ve been crying? Why?”

“Wh...why? Honey, I was worried, so worried about you,” Helen’s eyes misted. “How do you feel today?”

“I feel better. I really don’t remember what happened.. I think I might have been hit by a car or something...” Musouka said quietly, thinking out loud.

“What? Did you see the driver?”

“The driver..” Something flashed and she pinpointed it. “He was drinking. I think he was drunk.”

“And he just drove OFF?” Her voice was angry.

“Mo..mom...” Musouka’s eyes widened as she stepped back. “Why... why are you angry?”

“Honey, somebody hit you with a car! You should be angry too!”

“But Mom... he.. he didn’t...”

‘He didn’t make it...How did I know that? What memory is this? I can remember it but I can’t place it...’

“Musouka?” Ryuu popped in. “Minako is here to see you.”

“Ryuu...” Helen started to talk to her husband. Musouka walked out to the front and peered out at the screen door.

“Yes?”

“How are you feeling?” Minako looked worn out for some reason. The other girls appeared, along with a tall man that she recognized as Usagi’s boyfriend and two feline cats. They had symbols on their foreheads.

“Hey...are those Luna and Artemis?” She asked without thinking.

“How... did you know that, Musouka?” Ami asked carefully.

“I read about them.”

“What?”

“In a ma..ma...manga...” She was talking, trying to stop herself but it was flying out of her mouth.

“A manga...” Usagi blinked. “You mean from Sailor V?” Her voice was weak.

Musouka pushed back. “I.. I...”

“Musouka..” Minako’s voice brought the other back. “Can we walk and talk?”

“No..NO! I don’t want anything to do with you!” She shouted and turned to see her family staring at her with sad eyes.

And for a moment, they changed into other people but she knew them so well but she couldn’t say who they were. If she did...

“LEAVE ME ALONE! BAKU! BAKU!” She screamed as she turned and fled, wisps of white swarming around her.

‘Wake up.. wake up..’

“I made them, didn’t I! I created them! I’m the monster! The enemy! WHY WHY WHY!!”

‘Wake up..’

“I CAN’T! It hurts! Oh god it hurts!” Her hand pressed to her bandaged forehead and she was bleeding again, the hand getting coated in the sticky mess. She stared at her hand, her body shaking.

“I’m dead.. I’m DEAD!”

‘Please.. just ...wake.. up...’

Baku’s voice was fading farther away. Musouka began to panic. “No.. don’t leave me! DON’T LEAVE ME ALONE! I DON’T WANT TO BE ALONE! BAKU! MOMMA! DADDY! WAKE ME UP! WAKE ME UP!”

Her arms wrapped around her as she began to sob. She fell to her knees and felt the ground soften, become pliable underneath her. Everything began to run together as she screamed and screamed, the high pitch shattering the glass windows. They flew at her, cutting her as she continued to howl.

She was locked, still locked. She had always been trapped in that cage. She could see herself, see those dead spirits calling to her. Faces came to her, familiar and some not so familiar.

Her grandmother, her uncle, her cousin. That friend that died from something she never found out about. That classmate that killed himself because it was just too much pressure for living.

All of them were suffocating her, telling her to go to sleep, to join them.

“No..” She spoke but it wasn’t her, in her voice, it was all around her, echoing and pressing outward, the ghosts spilling away.

“I don’t want to die... I don’t..” Her eyes began to rain with tears and she held her hands in prayer.

“Please... wake me up.. I just want to be me again...”

Musouka awoke in her bed, her parents sleeping on the chair and floor. Baku was settled at her feet as he snored, loudly.

She blinked and rubbed her eyes. “Was it all a dream?” She stood up slowly, feeling woozy. “Oh god, I feel like I’ve been hit by a...”

She blinked and couldn’t finish that line. She went to take a shower and she reached up to her head to pull the bandages off. But they were gone.

She looked at her reflection and saw that there was no wound. “All a dream? No... something happened, didn’t it? I have to remember...”

But she knew better to force it now. Every time she did, she broke into pieces. She had to let it come to her, not have her chasing it.

She showered and felt the water, warm and soothing, roll over her. She was trying hard to keep her mind in clarity. She wasn’t trying to think at all.

But of course, the mind cannot just shut off. She found herself thinking instead of the day ahead.

It was a good Thursday. “Forget Good Friday, give me any Good Day and I’m happy,” Musouka laughed at her own stupid joke. “God, I’m a idiot.”

She sat down in the living room and flicked it on. She beamed happily, unaware of her parents watching her with a worried look.

“She’s acting like she’s fine now..” Ryuu whispered.

“But she’d never acted like this... I think something is going to happen,” Helen whispered back.

“We should just wait.”

“Yes, just wait.” The two parents separated and headed off to work. Musouka continued to watch television. She was clicking, trying to find something good to watch but she choose a cartoon instead of all of those soap operas that’d been on at that time.

“I love this cartoon! I haven’t seen since I was like four!”

The cartoon, something nameless, was in English. Yet as she listened, she could understand what the characters could say.

“Hey, Mom? Dad?” It took her a moment to realize that they were gone and currently working.

“Hey, Baku?” She walked down the hallway to her room and found the pig eating food that Helen had brought to him. “Hey, Baku, do I know English by any chance?”

“Why do you ask?” He grunted as he swallowed a cutup carrot noisily.

“I’m watching a cartoon in the living room and it’s in English. It doesn’t even have subtitles.” She was trying to laugh.

He looked up, his snort wiggling slightly as he finished off his last bite. “You’re starting to wake up, you realize that?”

Her smile faded. “I’m... trying to not think, you know?” She talked, conversationally but her eyes were wide with fright. “I just want to try to be normal...”

“You were always normal. You just have a very vivid imagination.”

‘You just have a very vivid imagination,’ the other woman, who called herself Mom as well, was smiling at her. She felt little, like a child again. ‘It’s all right to dream, honey. You shouldn’t let others pick on your dreams..’

‘So I can be Sailor Moon?’

The woman was laughing. ‘You can be anything you want to be. Maybe you could write stories about your ‘adventures’.’

‘A story person! I wanna be a story person!’ She was jumping, she was so excited. ‘People will like me then, right Mama?’

‘Honey, they like you now.. Don’t believe bullies, believe in me and all the others that love you.’

The woman’s hand came out and stroked Musouka’s childish face. It was a warm hand, full of love. Musouka, with her chubby fingers, clutched back, her eyes wide with happiness. She felt it in her breast, spreading out to her as she smiled widely.

‘We love you for who you are... vivid imagination and all. After all, dreams are what our future becomes, right? When we dream, we create our reality. It’s very important...’

‘Mama...’

“So if I’m real, then why do I feel like I’m dreaming?” Musouka snapped out of that memory, still feeling the warmth along her face. She traced that cheek absently, staring at him with accusing eyes.

“Because for all you know, this could be a different KIND of reality,” Baku snapped back. He was angry.

“Why are you pissed?!”

“Because YOU ARE!” He shouted back at her.

They glared at each other before she turned and stomped off, trying to calm herself down.

“Stupid Baku.. more like Baka!” She turned the television off but still sat on the couch. She sighed quietly.

“I just don’t get this anymore.. Maybe I should just commit myself.”

She looked around before standing up again. She went back to her room and opened her safety cubby but the candy was gone.

“Did you eat this?” She glared at Baku.

“Your mother took it all.”

“But how did she know?” Musouka stared at it. “It’s pretty hidden.”

“Not for a watchful mother’s gaze,” Baku rolled over to his back, his eyes glittering at her.

“Baku, what kind of guide are you? You’re always vague, you have no magic except eating dreams and you can shape shift into a man! He’s your real form, right? Huh? Am I right?”

“No, I take that kind of form because YOU’RE comfortable.”

“You’re dropping me a hint, right? So then, let’s see, if you’re not a man, are you a gruesome monster draining me of MY dreams?”

“No, that’s not what I do. It’s something very, very different.”

She waited but his silence said his answer. She went to her desk and opened a drawer, pulling out her money safe.

“I thought you were saving.”

“I’m taking out five dollars. FIVE dollars. It’s not going to kill somebody.”

She pocketed the money and headed outside. She locked the door with a resounding click and jumped down all the steps in one leap.

She nearly fell on her face doing that stunt. She mumbled to herself as she caught her balance before heading back down the street toward the corner store.

“Hey, Boss,” She greeted the old man.

“Hey, Missus. The same today?” He smiled a toothless smile.

‘You’d think that’d deter me.. but nope!’

She plucked two candy bars and peanut butter M&M’s. The instant she saw those peanut buttery goodness, she knew she just HAD to get them.

She took off for home, plopping a few pieces of M&M’s in her mouth. She was happy, if just in that moment.

But her mind was slowly shifting.

‘That woman, she looks like that reflection. I wonder, if this isn’t the real me on the outside, could this be my soul within my body?’ She wondered to herself. She stopped quietly. “It’d sure as hell would explain why I feel like I could disappear. My body dies, so does my spirit. But then, why does this feel so real to me?”

‘You have a very vivid imagination.’

“Imagination... Is that all that girl had? She wasn’t somebody until she made stories to make her into a special person. But.. she never needed to dream inside, did she? She could’ve always.. been someone on the outside.”

She came to a stop. “But she gave up without even trying... Just like I’m trying to...so what’s stopping me?”

And Baku flashed in her memory. “Baku... he came to me when this all started...” She tried to take a deep breath as she began to shake.

“He’s been what’s keeping me alive, isn’t he? He’s not just a guide... he’s.. ME”
Baku appeared in front of her, a huge grin on his face. “It’s about time you realized who I was...”

And he changed, into that girl. She wore a simple nightgown as she smiled happily.

“Are you my soul?”

“Not quite... I’m your ability to dream.” She smiled. “I was always hiding in my books, my stories. Sailor Moon was my absolute favorite.”

Her smile faded. “But I couldn’t get along with others. I was always afraid so in my dreams, I became a warrior, a great person who could do wonderful things.”

“But watching you, I realized that this wasn’t what I truly wanted. I didn’t just want to dream about it, I wanted it to be real...”

“You were always looking to be normal, to be accepted for who you are. We let ourselves be bullied and picked on and we grew weak. All we had were our hearts and that we locked away in dreams.”

“But Mama... she told us we could do something with those dreams. Tell me, what do you want to do with your dreams?”

“I... I want to live them...” Musouka whispered. “I’m so tired of living like this. I always felt it was fake. I guess that’s what it took to remind me that reality is much more important. If I could make my dreams a reality, I wouldn’t be locked up anymore.”

“So do you want to wake up now?” And she held up her hand expectedly.