Sailor Moon - Envious Shades (Patreon)

The galaxy is always constantly turning. The vastness of space always expanding. For the creatures of the earth such vastness they would never hope to understand. So little can even grasp the vastness their planet has. Views constrict, views widen, what sort of people allow themselves to grow? When one has to protect the delicate galaxy what makes them worthy of such a task?

“Gaaaaah I lost again!” Usagi Tsukino rustles up her hair. The blond dango shaped buns on her head were starting to get messy from all her rustling. The blue-eyed girl could just not stand for losing another match. It was why she was still sitting after all. “Chibiusa…” Usagi groans and pops the sides to the collar of her white blouse. “You weren’t using cheat codes again, were you?” Pressing her knees against her floor Usagi sits up on her knees to tower over the small pink-haired girl. “I’m not gonna let it slide this time if you did.”

Chibiusa shakes her head rolling her eyes. She too had twin-tailed buns much like Usagi; though unlike the whining blond’s dango shaped ones, Chibiusa had ones shaped more like rabbit ears. For the small similarities though Chibiusa had no reason not to bully her future mother to be. Crossing her arms under her chest she turns her head away and puts up her usual bratty front. “Hmph, I’m just better than you is all. Maybe if you were a bit more ladylike you’d be able to deal with my refined movements.”

Biting at her lip Usagi starts to tear up. Though she knew she could not go letting a little brat make her cry, she found it hard not to wear her emotions on her sleeve. Wiping her eyes, she stands up smoothing out the back of her jean skirt and quickly runs to the door. “I just won’t deal with you!” At the front door, Usagi slips on her white sneakers and runs right out down the street. “H-haha… that’ll show her.” Going down the street people were walking about, it was a calm afternoon, the sun shining bright on the Minato ward of Tokyo. Azabu-Juban was as pretty as usual. The area was known for being trendy with the times, not only that it has a large variety of street shops. “So…” Wandering Usagi appreciated the nice weather for the day, though she had no goal. “I sort of just ran out of there… what do I even do today?”

THUD

Not paying attention of course Usagi bumps into someone while she’s walking. The voice of the person in question happens to be a mean and rude one. “The ditzy meatbun is here…” The disappointed sighing voice, Usagi already knew who it was before even looking up. The long black hair with that slight purple shine, the dark almost black purple eyes, Rei Hino was standing in Usagi’s way. “You’re walking around and don’t even pay attention if anyone’s in front of you?” The girl sighs again giving her hair a flip over her shoulder. Long, elegant, and beautiful, if Rei was not always so mean, Usagi would probably compliment her hair. Rei’s outfit was not bad either. Dressed for the hotter weather she has a short blue dress on, sandal wedges on her feet, the dress also has thin yellow long sleeves. “I’m surprised you haven’t stumbled into an enemy wandering around like that.” Rei pushes her sunglasses atop her head and crosses her arms under her chest. Even though not tall herself, she was taller than Usagi at the very least. “What’re you doing out today anyway? Usually, you’re with someone.”

Usagi contemplates saying the truth, but rather than being made fun of more she just comes up with an easy excuse. “Oh, you know… Setsuna and Chibiusa were spending some time together. So I figured may as well get some air for once, or find someplace to nap on such a nice day.”

The rather snippy Rei rolls her eyes and puts her hand to her hip. “Oh, is that so? I’d normally figure Chibi there pulled one over on you and you ran away crying. I guess stranger things can happen.” Putting her sunglasses back over her eyes Rei cocks her head away and starts to walk from Usagi without another word.

Usagi quickly races forward grabbing hold of Rei’s arm. “W-wait, wait!” Sighing slowly, she smiles and points down the street. “How about you come to the arcade with me or something? I’m pretty bored now.”

With a stern glare in her eyes, Rei rips her arm away from Usagi’s grasp. “I rather not have to deal with babysitting you. Why don’t you ask someone else?”

Laughing nervously Usagi looks around as if trying to find a physical answer to the question. “I… I mean…” Twiddling her thumbs for a moment she suddenly snaps and hops up in place. “Oh, oh, oh! How about, you get to take the leader role for a while for the next enemy we face? With that favor, you’d hang out with me right?”

Frustrated Rei’s eyes twitch, she barely holds back the groans under her breath. “I’d smack you now if I could I swear.” Pinching her nose Rei tries to simmer her anger back. “It’s those kinds of comments that always make me think you never should have been a leader. You’re too lazy, you just want to have fun because you’re bored so you try to gamble your responsibility to get what you want?”

Rubbing at her cheek with a soft smile forming Usagi nods. “I mean… did it work?”

Rei turns her back on Usagi again this time walking away in even more of a huff. “I can’t believe you sometimes. You really don’t deserve all the things you have.”

Usagi once again races forward sliding this time in front of Rei to get her to stop. “Wait, wait!” Hurriedly spurting out her words Usagi does her best to try and understand the situation. “What exactly do you mean? All the things I have I worked on or like… people gave to me because they were nice or whatever else. It’s not like I asked for a bunch. Most I usually ask for is to have a few normal days where I don’t need to go worrying about some bad guy turning people into monsters or whatever else. Geez, I didn’t expect you to get all irritated by it.”

Click, clack, click

Another woman now walks up to the bickering girls. With her long green hair and long legs, she was far taller than both the younger girls. Standing at five feet ten inches she looks down at both the girls and sighs. “Well it’s always easy to find you two when you’re together isn’t it?” Setsuna Meiou stands there in the flesh, Rei already glaring at Usagi as her lie was now unraveled before them. “What’s with the glares girls? I couldn’t help but hear you fighting over the leadership position, again.” The taller elegant woman makes both the girls look away as if guilty for being childish in her presence. She was wearing a pencil dress herself, light green color with heels on her feet. She looked as if she was ready for a business meeting, her dark red eyes good to freeze up pushovers. “I may be able to do something for you both if you wanted me to.”

Rei smirks and puffs her chest out to try and appear the bigger person. “Well, Setsuna if you’re suggesting something it’s probably a good idea. I’m sure this cry baby could use a lesson if you’re willing to teach us.”

Jumping up in place Usagi pushes into Rei’s side speaking loudly as if to stress her own point. “I don’t know about any of that but I’m sure it’s a good idea Setsuna! What the heck is it though, what could you do for us, it isn’t gonna be too stressful or something right? I was kinda thinking of an afternoon nap soon honestly.”

Tapping the side of her red garnet earrings Setsuna sighs softly. “Now girls, as an outsider sailor my time here has been limited, I know. Though I have seen you fight against each other time and time again. Even if it can seem harmless. Rei you do make Usagi cry a bit.” Usagi quickly nods glaring at Rei. “And Usagi, you can seem like an unfit leader many a time. Unable to act serious when the time calls for it. At points, you even put others in danger because you are trying to act with kindness.” Rei nods in agreement rolling her eyes again. “You’re both fellow scouts, just as I have to lead the outers when needed. Usagi needs to lead those here properly. And you both need to work together. Being alone… is something neither of you wants. So…” Setsuna takes both her earrings off putting them into her palm. “With my abilities of space and time… I can distort things to a degree. These are filled with my power. Each of you wear one of them. Then, you’ll be able to experience things differently. I hope it’ll teach you both a lesson and you can better yourselves from it.”

Rei and Usagi both take an earring the girls staring at it in wonder. Usagi the first to take gingerly attaches it to her ear. “Th-there.” With a short breath, she takes a step back from both the other girls and flicks the earring. “So, does this even look good on me? What exactly will this help us learn anyway?”

Attaching the earring herself Rei could not help be curious as well. “I do trust you, but it is strange for you to be so vague about it. Is it something we’re not going to like?”

Looking both ways down the street Setsuna hesitantly takes a few steps into an alley behind her so she was out of eyesight from random passersby. “Do let me know what you learned when all is done.” Before Usagi and Rei’s eyes, Setsuna vanishes teleporting away from them so she did not have to answer any questions.

Both the girls were at a loss for words. Looking back and forth between each other though they notice the earrings on their ears were now glowing faintly. Giving the gem of the earring a small tap the glow fades away. “Huh…” Rei grabs at the earring and tries to take it off not seeming to be able to. “It seems like it’s stuck on us now. I wonder what it’s actually supposed to do… is it even a lesson for us if she doesn’t explain it?”

Fiddling herself Usagi more forcefully tries ripping the earring from her ear but only succeeds in making her ear shine red with pain. “O-Ow…” Holding the side of her ear Usagi sighs looking down the street. “I mean, I’m guessing she teleported because she thought we’d get mad by it. It can’t be we just have earrings stuck on. Um, do you think we should stick by each other now though?”

Squeezing at her temple Rei grabs onto Usagi’s hand and starts pulling her down the street. “Fine, I may as well just bring you along.” Usagi tries to escape the girl's grasp but she latched on too strong. Rei keeps dragging Usagi further and further down the street. Some vendors nod, some small shops have people give waves while other people walking by stared confused at the girls. “You see.” Not slowing down Rei tramples on through people even as the crowd grows denser near the food and clothing shops. “I was thinking of getting a different shrine maiden outfit. Though I was also going to grab a bite to eat. I didn’t expect to be babysitting you today, so I do hope you brought your own money, I’m not paying for you alright?”

Drooling over a small cake stand Usagi goes to bite at it but Rei pulls her along. “W-waaait” Whining Usagi grabs at the air trying to reach her cakes unsuccessfully. “We can do the clothing thing after food can’t we?!”

Rei sighs glaring at Usagi, though something was strange. Staring at the cakes displayed she was starting to drool a little herself. Embarrassing as that was Usagi luckily did not notice. “Ugh, fine let’s grab a cake or two and then be on our way.” Usagi hops in place even pumping her fist in the air a few times. Rei though simply rolls her eyes and hands some money over to the vendor. It was a little street shop but it had a few tables outside of it to sit. Getting her plate and one for Usagi she sits down and slides the other cake over to the far too eager girl. “Really I didn’t think to come out here for sweets… guess it isn’t all bad.”

Having the cake placed before her Usagi consumes the whole piece in just a few bites. “Ah, soooo good.” Patting her stomach, she looks back toward the stand but bites at her lip to try and restrain herself. “No… no, I can hold out. I had more cakes at home still.”

Rolling her eyes Rei brushes her hair over her shoulder and leans back in her chair. “You really aren’t that much of a role model, are you?”

Puffing her cheeks up Usagi glares back at Rei but the girl just rolls her eyes again. Normally Usagi would let the comment slide and ignore it but something was pushing her to talk back. “Why are you looking all smug. Come on, don’t keep being so mean to me. Can’t a girl enjoy her sweets? I’m not supposed to be some natural-born leader, am I?”

Standing up from her seat Rei points at Usagi’s side. “Your Moon Compact would say differently. Not all of us exactly wanted to be involved with this. I get that. Though you’re supposed to be our leader. Sometimes maybe you act alright. But why not try being more of a role model for people like Chibiusa? She wouldn’t go around picking on you so much if you actually tried to be more mature.”

Jolting up from her seat now Usagi swings her head back in a huff. “Whatever! You’re just trying to be mean like usual! Let’s just get out of here already!”

Rei could at least agree on leaving, though staring at Usagi for a bit longer she could not help but feel something was off. Walking closer both the girls seemed to be about the same height. Though such a thing should be impossible. Rei was wearing wedges and she was taller than Usagi in the first place, they should never be the same height unless Usagi was wearing large heels, she was in sneakers still though. “Do you…” Rei carefully grabs at Usagi’s shoulder and pulls her off into an alley. “Do you have any idea how tall you are right now?”

Yawning into her palm Usagi looks away from Rei and keeps fiddling with the side of her skirt. “My height? I mean I’m same height as always, 4’11. Why would you even ask, I didn’t think you cared about that stuff.”

Shaking Usagi back and forth Rei waves her hand above both the girl’s head. “Look at us! We’re both the same height right now, that shouldn’t be possible! I’ve always been taller than you.”

A little grin forming on her face Usagi stands proudly jutting out her chest a little. “Heh-heh-heh, looks like I’ve finally hit my growth spurt. I guess I’m, standing a bit taller now huh?”

Dragging her palm against her face Rei quickly shakes Usagi more. “No, no, no. Don’t you get it?! I was still taller than you earlier today! When we first met up.”

Frowning Usagi pats the top of her oden shaped buns and looks back at Rei’s straightened hair. “I didn’t make my hair taller or anything. You’re saying I grew in like an hour?”

Nodding Rei leans back against the alley wall. “Yes, exactly—I’m shorter, and you—you’re suddenly taller is all I can think of.”

Tapping the earring in her ear Usagi cocks an eyebrow at Rei. “So, what, Setsuna wanted us to see things from a different view literally? Our heights are swapping or something? Well, I guess swapped since we’re not much different…”

Rei really wanted things to be that simple, but watching her hair she could see the normal black color getting lighter. “Of course, it isn’t that simple.” Sighing heavily, she grabs onto Usagi and turns her around to look at her hair. “Yeah, you too, of course.”

Waving her arms back and forth Usagi grabs at one of her twin tails and holds the hair in her hand. “What’s the matter exactly wha—” Looking at the ends of her blond hair, they were now black. It was almost like she got highlights like she was some girl going through a goth phase. “Not exactly the type of style I usually go for… did you really bring hair dye with you just for that?!”

Flicking Usagi’s forehead Rei lifts her hair and shoves it in Usagi’s face. “No, you idiot. Look, my hair. It’s changing just like yours. Our height, hair, I don’t know what else is changing but I thought it was strange I was suddenly craving sweets.” Usagi clearly still not understanding Rei puts the words out bluntly. “It seems like we’re somehow… turning into each other. I don’t really get how Setsuna could do something like that, but she does have time powers already so probably silly to question it.”

Looking back down at her hair Usagi watches the strands progressively blacken crawling up the other blond locks. “Wh-what?” Worriedly she tugs at the earring on her ear. Just as before though she could not unclip the thing from herself. “Like, really?! I’m becoming you?! I don’t wanna turn into some bully like you. Gaaah how would I even explain this when I get back home! This all seems like a bit much doesn’t it?”

Rei’s blackish-purple eyes change to the color blue, her hair even begins to part a bit differently on her head to more match Usagi’s style. “Well, it seems like these changes are happening even if we don’t want them.” Holding her hand out Rei beckons Usagi to her. “Give me your hair bands, if we’re going to go through some lesson… Setsuna probably wanted us to see how the other lives. I’ll just have to pretend to be you at your place. You still remember where I live don’t you?”

Grabbing at her hair buns Usagi sheepishly takes the bands out. Her blond and in places black hair then falls over her shoulders. Her hair had lengthened a bit though falling past the usual spot, and now half of her hair already turned that dark black color. Her eyes as well changed to Rei’s blackish-purple. “I mean… you don’t exactly have me over a lot, but I more or less know the area. Do you really think we should just swap places though? I don’t exactly know what I’m supposed to do living as you.”

Smirking Rei grabs the hair bands and starts tying up her hair. “Hah… well.” Scoffing under her breath she starts bringing her blondish black hair up making one of the buns. “I have a schedule I keep at my house. I have quite a bit to do usually you know. I suppose for you I just get to take a vacation, don’t I?” Realizing the thought that Usagi would be living as her Rei does frown as she completes the first bun. “Well, hopefully, you won’t mess things up so much that I can’t fix them…”

Usagi brushes her hair out grabbing onto certain strands now and again to watch the color change more. “I never know how so many can keep their hair down all day. It gets hot doesn’t it?”

Finishing up the last bun Rei tosses the new twin tails over her shoulders. “Not like I exactly sweat much. I’m used to long hair as well.” Rei groans a little looking at the blond twin tails, she was used to her more mature look and now she had to be content with something so childish? Sure it worked for Usagi, but she was like a child anyway. “Will I really have to look just like you? I better not have any strange ideas come into my head.”

With a glare, Usagi crosses her arms under her chest purposely trying to be sassy with her black hair. “If someone like you has so much to complain about I guess you were never amazing, to begin with.”

Rei stares back unfazed and reaches her hand into Usagi’s skirt pocket pulling out the Moon Compact. “You’re right, instead of being you, I can just be a better version of you. Heh, Setsuna will probably realize there’s no point to turn us back then.”

Speaking louder now Usagi grabs Rei’s Sailor Mars Compact for herself. “Hahaha, like anyone could be a better version of me! I’d like to see you try! You won’t be able to stand the pressure of a high school beauty like me!”

For all the little changes that had happened to the girls, the most obvious was height and hair color. With the slight hairstyle changes and the eye colors being different now anyone would think the girls had simply swapped clothes. Now though the final defining change hit. In that alley, both girls had been speaking normally. Only now could they feel their throats start to sting like they had drunk water down incorrectly. Holding at their throats they groan in pain. Rei squeezes at the side of her dress and Usagi holds a hand against her throat. The more they breath and gasp at the air the more their vocals changed. Usagi could hear her voice becoming more and more like Rei. While Rei, unfortunately, could hear her voice becoming more and more annoying.

“Finally!” Rei pants out her words feeling the pain start to vanish from her throat. Her voice was completely changed now. Her hair tied up just like Usagi usually had, the color changed, her eyes now blue. “Tsk… I really am just like you now. I even sound like you. Setsuna really went over the top with this one.” Calmly Rei smoothes out the back of her dress and looks down at her shoes. “I’m your size now too… good thing our body types aren’t horrible different. Though from all your sweet eating you do seem a little pudgy in areas.”

Usagi looks down sadly at herself. Of course, she of all people had to wind up being some sort of clone of Rei. “Ugh… I don’t think I’ll like hearing this voice in my head. Instead of trying to make fun of me why don’t you just run off! You know where I live anyway.” Wiping a small tear from her eye Usagi sniffles and runs away from the alley. Rei can only sigh watching herself run away so uncharacteristically but she does as suggested and starts making her way back to her new home.

Several Days Later

“Well thank you very much.” Chibiusa giggles softly into her palm body wiggling back and forth happily on her bed. In just a few days living as Usagi the refined Rei had changed much.

“Oh please, don’t mention it. This is the least I can do for being so rowdy all the time. Think nothing special of it.” Even if the voice was Usagi, the way of speaking was completely different now. She was acting like some prim and proper girl calmly brushing Chibiusa’s hair. Chibiusa of course saw through such a drastic change right away, though she cared not to outright mention it. Rei and her were playing up the act for themselves in some ways, luckily, they got along well enough already. “So, do you think I’ve been managing being Sailor Moon better than before?”

Giggling again Chibiusa hops off the bed and tugs at Rei’s legs. “Of course! You’re like a different person, more skillful, and we’ve even avoided some bigger problems now since you’re quick to act. Setsuna’s even seemed happy with your progress.”

Chuckling Rei turns herself a bit on the bed, Chibiusa ready to take over the hair brushing. “Is that so Chibiusa? You and Setsuna do usually seem like good friends.”

Chibiusa brings the hairbrush through the blond locks of hair carefully. Each stroke her eyes draw in closer to the earring still attached to Rei’s ear. “Yeah… me and Setsuna have a history you could say. I always liked her, she can get pretty lonely.” Chibiusa could tell the earring was Setsuna’s, she just did not understand exactly how the magic worked. Though she could only assume it was why Rei was now the new Usagi. “You know… Usagi… You really have turned a lot of things around. Rei hasn’t been around much lately though. It sounds like she’s having a lot of troubles maintaining her schedule for some reason. You’ve really stood up as a leader lately though, more so than ever.” Gingerly Chibiusa starts to twirl a finger around one of those blond locks of hair. She was sure this was some lesson Setsuna was trying to impart to them. Though Chibiusa was starting to like the setup a bit too much. “You know, you probably should have always been like this, huh?”

Rolling her eyes Rei sighs in disappointment. “Rei huh? Yeah, she seems to suddenly not be able to handle her own life very well. Just to think a few days ago she was telling me how she was going to work harder than before. I guess she ended up overworking herself.” Grabbing her hair into her hand Rei starts to tie her buns back onto her head. “I think it’s good and brushed now, thank you Chibiusa. How about we go out in a bit. I was thinking of actually seeing how Rei’s doing. I’m starting to worry about her, even if she is rude. I don’t want her dying from taking on too much work.”

With the chance before her, Chibiusa hops off the bed and starts tying up her hair now as well. “Of course!” Excitedly she makes the bunny-eared buns and slams her way right out the door. “Come on let’s get going! Don’t be slow alright!”

It takes Rei a few minutes to actually catch up but Setsuna was kind enough to stall Chibiusa from running too far away. “Oh, hello.” Rei waves and gives a nice kind smile, Setsuna returning it right back. “I wasn’t expecting to see you. I was just going to see how… Rei was doing. She’s been a bit of a mess lately I heard.”

Setsuna sighs right away at the comment and rests a hand at her hip. “Yes, she does seem far too troubled. I didn’t think it would be this hard on her.” Closing her eyes for a few moments Setsuna feels a small tug at her hand, Chibiusa was of course pulling at her. “Usagi. How about we all go and check in on her?”

Agreeing all the girls make their way to Rei’s. Though just drawing closer they already hear shouting and groaning. “Noooo come on!” Usagi stands off in the distance with a broom in hand wearing Rei’s usual shrine maiden outfit. She was just trying to tidy up but even being unsuccessful in that. Her black hair was now frazzled, and her eyes dark from lack of sleep. “C-come on… I was almost done… why did the wind blow this way?” Sweeping away leaves and dust from around the shrine it kept seeming to build up. Of course, Usagi was not trying to bag anything or brush it away from the direction of the wind but she was still trying something. “Nothing is working right… I can’t stand this… how can anyone live like this.”

Starring at herself, each step she takes closer Rei could barely believe it would be so bad. “You…” Rei walks right up to Usagi and grabs at her arm pulling her in to at least wipe away the leaves in the girl’s hair. “You can’t possibly be this bad with everything, can you? Geez, your classmates were amazed enough when I aced the quiz you had.”

Almost ready to cry Usagi holds onto Rei tightly. “I-I… I failed yours… horribly! I-I don’t know how you’re able to do so many different things! I just play video games and eat and stuff! This is all way too much, when do you have time to do anything fun?!” Actually, in tears now Usagi slides down Rei’s leg crying into it. “I can’t take this anymore. Did you bring Setsuna?! Change me back already!”

Chibiusa and Setsuna both stand-alone now a bit away from the shrine area. It was just what Chibiusa had wanted. “Sooo before you go.” Grabbing Setsuna’s side Chibiusa pulls her down so she can whisper into her ear. “I know those two swapped around. How about we make things permanent?”

Quickly covering her mouth to not gasp Setsuna pulls back shaking her head. “I-I cannot do that. Haven’t you considered what it would do to you? Even if she looks like Usagi now… she would not be your original mother. You could cease to exist.”

Sighing Chibiusa shakes her head and points over to the still crying Usagi. “That pathetic one can be the new Rei. Usagi now… I like her a lot more. I still exist right now don’t I? It’ll be finnne. Haven’t you ever seen the movies for this stuff? We’re in a closed timeloop… or um something like that.”

Frowning Setsuna rests her hand against her chest looking at both of the changed girls. “That sounds like something your mother would say… Rei is doing a good job as leader. And Usagi still seems to have learned nothing. How about this.” Setsuna’s fingertips begin to glow a faint white light. “For you, I won’t change them back right away. We’ll wait till Usagi has matured more… if she never does. She may be stuck like that for some time.”

Chibiusa grins and nods. “Sounds like a deal then. I don’t think Rei will mind at all.”

SNAP