Sailor Moon Fan Fiction ❯ The New Queen- Part One Princess ❯ Part One ( Chapter 1 )

[ Y - Young Adult: Not suitable for readers under 16 ]

This is an A/U fic set in Sailor Moon R series. The Senshi haven�t found the Princess or the crystal yet. Tux is here and so are the Generals and they are with him. And for a wild change, Darien and Usagi are dating and they know each other�s secret identities.

Anime/Manga: Sailor Moon Fan Fiction | Genre(s): Supernatural / Romance / Fantasy / Drama / Adventure | Type: Alternate Universe | Uploaded On: 02.13.2006 | Pages: 62 | Words: 78.8K | Visits: 553 | Status: Completed

This is an A/U fic set in Sailor Moon R series. The Senshi haven't found the Princess or the crystal yet. Tux is here and so are the Generals and they are with him. And for a wild change, Darien and Usagi are dating and they know each other's secret identities.

So read, review, and tell me what you think, but no flames, alright. I am open to all objective criticism.

As stated before, be kind and just enjoy the story. No one is paying me to write this, it's just for fun.

I don't own Sailor Moon; I'm just a fan.

NO FLAMES. IF YOU DON'T LIKE THIS THEN DON'T READ IT.

Part I

The Dark Kingdom

Prologue

Long silver blonde danced merrily in the light summer breeze. Happy laughter filled the entire courtyard causing the birds in the trees and the small animals on the ground to stop and watch with wonder as the tiny sprite chased her friends about stone covered yard.

A girl with long, inky black hair squealed and dodged the girl's hands. She darted behind a petite girl with a cap of dark bluish-black hair and the two girls screamed and ran away from their friend.

The blonde girl stopped in the center of the yard and collapsed to her knees. Her small pert face was flush from exercise and joy. The other two girls soon followed suite. They looked at each other and then burst out into hysterical laughter.

“Oh, this was much more fun than spending the day at the Arcade.” The blonde raised her face to the warm sun and closed her eyes.

“Or the mall or the movies.” The girl with the long black hair said. She rested her head on the left shoulder of her blue haired friend. “What was that game were just playing, Usa-chan?”

“Tag.” The blonde supplied.

“Hai, it was fun.”

Usa lowered face to look down at the two girls, a soft smile gracing her lips. “I can't believe that you two never played tag as children.”

The one with short hair blushed, “It is kind of hard to do such things when you are always in school.” She confessed.

“The other children did not want to play with me.” The other said softly, “Everyone though I was weird or strange because I lived here with my grandpa.” She smiled then. “But we have each other now, and you, Usagi. You are our friend and you helped us become friends.”

“Thank you, Rei and Ami.” Usagi said sincerely, “But my friendship comes with a heavy price.” She closed her eyes and two fat tears slipped from their seam to roll gently down her face. To her surprise, Usagi found herself in the center of a group hug.

The girls were laughing again, this time pulling Usagi from her melancholy.

“I wish we could always be like this.”

Cast List.

Serena (Usagi to most, Buns to Darien) Rensselaer -Tsukino-15

Darien Mamoru Chiba-Shields-17

Ami Mizuno-15 (Sailor Mercury)

Rei Hino-16 (Sailor Mars)

Lindsey Brita Rensselaer-Kino -18 (Sailor Jupiter)

Wilhelmina (Mina) Aino -19 (Sailor Venus)

Hotaru Tomoe-19 (Sailor Saturn)

Anastasia (Alex) Larisa Alexandrova-18 (Sailor Uranus)

Trista Meiou-21 (Sailor Pluto)

David Rothschild-19 (Kunzite)

Francisco (Frankie) Jaen Alvarez de la Santa Maria del Toro-18 (Jadeite)

Jiro Satoshi-Carter-19 (Nephrite)

Joshua Anderson-17 (Zoisite)

Extras:

Luna

Artemis Aino

Andrew

Eiji Kaiou (he was Greg, but now he is Michiru's brother.)

Samuel Shingo Rensselaer-Tsukino

Kenji Tsukino

Ilene Rensselaer-Tsukino

Dr. Marie Mizuno

Grandpa Hino

and the villains.

One

Usagi Tsukino trudged into the Crown Arcade feeling the weight of the world on her slim shoulders. Entrance exam loomed in the horizons and her math grade was just barely hanging on to a low C. And to make matters worst, that cat was getting on her last good nerve.

She glanced at her watch/communicator it was only three-thirty. Ami would still be in school and Rei was visiting her with her father. Usagi found an empty booth in the back of diner part and decided to wait for Ami. She pulled out her homework for the next day and started on it. She sat in silence for fifteen minutes before someone dropped into the bench across her. She looked up and groaned.

“If it isn't nerd-boy.” She muttered. She tried to bury her nose in her Literature book only to have it plucked from her hands. “Hey,” she cried.

Her tormentor grinned down at her angry little face. “You haven't spoken to me in two days, Usa,” his dark blue eyes reflected the fear that did not show on his face. “Are you still mad because I didn't tell you I was Tuxedo Kaman?”

Usagi shook her head, “No. I didn't tell you I was Sailor Moon. However, I am upset about Trista Meiou.” She took her book back and pouted, “What's going on with you and her, Darien?”

“Nothing,” he told her. He reached for her hands and laced their fingers. “I was just asked to tutor her in organic chemistry, that all, Buns.” His smiled charmingly at her. “Besides, she's too old for me. I like to be oldest in a relationship.”

Usagi blushed. “Yeah, well, how old she anyway?”

“Twenty-one, I think.” He kissed the knuckles on her right hand.

“You look like you're about that age.” She said falling into the spell he was creating.

“Well there is a difference of being twenty-something and looking like it. Besides, I am oblivious to all the members of the fairer sex, except for you.” He nibbled on ridge created by her knuckles. “So are we still on for Friday night?”

Usagi nodded. “My parents say its okay, but I have curfew at eleven-thirty.”

“That's cool; I have to teach an undergrad anatomy class for one of my professors Saturday morning.”

“That's my boyfriend, the super genius of all of Japan.” She said softly. “You want to wait with me until Ami shows up?”

Darien looked torn, “You know I do.” He kissed her hand a final time and he stood up. “But I gotta help Frankie with his chemistry lab or he will blow the place up.”

“KO University must be saved from the Spanish Menace.” She still pouted. “Call me soon?” She asked hopefully.

“I'll call you tonight, babe.” He swooped down for a quick kiss and then another before he reluctantly tore himself away from her. “Love me?”

“Of course,” she smiled up at him.

Darien touched her face tenderly. “Good, because I love you.” He saw his friend at the counter and called, “Drew, get Usagi whatever she wants and put it on my tab.” He kissed Usagi again and then left. Frankie was going to owe him big for this.

Usagi watched her boyfriend leave, a small smile on her lips as her lips as he passed by the window near her and he blew her a kiss.

Someone touched the top of her head. Usagi looked up and smiled brightly. “Hi, Drew.” She said to the sandy haired youth. “What's up?”

“A penny for your thoughts, bunny?” Andrew sat down in the seat Darien had vacated. He slid a chocolate shake under her nose.

“Oh, it's nothing.” She said airily. Her smile lost some of its light. She bit her bottom lip as she looked up at him through her lashes. “Hey Drew, do you know Trista Meiou?” She asked nervously.

“Yeah, she's a premed at KO U.” He told her. “Why you want to know?”

Usagi looked away, a slight flush stained her pretty face. “Well, I heard something—“ She picked at the hem of her skirt, embarrassed that she was actually doing this. “Actually, Lita was talking to her friend Hotaru Tomoe—“

“Sam's girlfriend, right? Yeah I know her. We have a couple classes together.” He said. “What did she say to Lita?”

“Well, Hotaru said that she over heard that this Trista girl talking to your ex-girlfriend, Reika. She was asking a lot of questions about Darien and—“

“Whoa!” Andrew sat up sharply. “Usa, I know Trista and I know she's not interested in Darien, in spite of what witch Reika might have said to Hotaru.”

“But…” She tried to protest but Andrew cut her off.

“There's no doing it, Trista knows that Dare is in a serious and committed relationship.” He leaned forward slightly and she did too. “She also knows that Darien is just a kid so she's leaving him alone.”

“You sure?” She did not like to be so uncertain.

“Yeah,” Andrew smiled at her. “I'm sure.”

“Yo, Drew,” a guy with close cropped silvery blond hair and dark gray eyes shouted at he cuffed the arcade manager. “If Dare saw you that close to his precious baby, he'd rip you a new one buddy.” He stooped to kiss Usagi's right cheek. “How's it going, babe?”

“I'm fine, Dave.” She laughed as he ruffled her hair. “Hey have you seen Sam?”

“Yeah, he's at the house helping Jiro and Josh put together our new sound system. Man, Drew, you won't believe that thing. Two of the speakers are about as tall as Usa.” He sat down as she made room for him. “Where's the cover boy anyway?”

“Chemistry lab with Frankie.” She told him.

Andrew sputtered, Dave was staring at her in horror. “Oh, God, I though that idiot was taking plain old safe Earth Science.” He cried.

“God, I hope Darien gets there in time.” Andrew said feverently. “Who in their right mind would give Frankie chemicals?”

“Usagi?” Ami Mizuno said softly. The two handsome young men looked up. “Hi.” She said nervously.

“Ami,” Usagi waved her into booth. Andrew scooted down to make room for her. “You remember Andrew.” He smiled at her as she sat down. “This is one of Darien's housemates, David Rothschild.”

“Hi, Ami,” Dave stuck out his right hand. “Are you coming to Usa's cousin's party this Saturday?”

“I don't know—“ She said quietly.

“Of course she is.” Usagi pushed her milkshake before Ami. “How was school?”

“Fine.” She looked down at her hands.

Andrew looked over at her uniform and frowned, “You don't go to Juuban High?”

“No,” Usagi said with a hint of pride, “Ami is a senior at Infinity College. She's studying to be a doctor just like Darien.”

Ami blushed deeply. “Darien Chiba-Shields is a legend in many academic circles…I will never be as in the same league as he…”

“Anyway,” Usagi said loudly, ending the extolling of Darien's qualities. “Ami, you're coming to my house for dinner with these guys.” She looked at Andrew pointedly. “Are you off the clock yet?

“Yes, dear.”

“Then we should go before Sam gets back with Josh and Jiro or we won't get anything.” She shoved at Dave. “C'mon. Move. Lita's making tortellini and her special sauce.”

“Are you sure you want two want to have this discussion now, Sailor Moon?” Mercury slapped a sharp projectile that was coming at her head with tin trashcan.

“You're right, Merc.” Sailor Moon whipped off her tiara and charged it. “Kamen, I need a distraction over here.”

The dark cloaked warrior slammed his right foot in the dark General's neck. “I am busy right now, Moon.” He said through gritted teeth as he ducked Jedite's flying fist. He caught the out flung arm and pulled the general in to meet his fist. There was a satisfying crunch as he broke Jedite's nose and two front teeth. But Tux boy did not stop there. He rammed his knee into Jedite's chest a few times, his knee connected with the sternum each time until it snapped under the constant assault. Jedite coughed up black blood. He tried desperately to retaliate against the masked warrior, but Tuxedo Kamen nimbly sidestepped him and the dark general fell to the ground. He laid there, hacking up chunks of black clotted blood. Tuxedo Kamen pulled out his cane; he released the hidden trigger and withdrew a sword.

Jedite saw his death coming towards him with slow, precise steps.

“Moon Frisbee.” The golden haired Senshi of the Moon called out and Jedite knew he was alone.

Tuxedo Kamen raised his sword and started to bring the blade down when out of the blue; a ball of black fur attacked him. He yanked the creature from his face, tossed it aside, and turned back to his prey, but that small reprieve provided the dark warrior chance to escape. Kamen ripped off his mask and swore.

“Luna!” Both Sailor Moon and Mercury shouted as they hurried over to the tuxedo clad warrior and the stunned looking cat. “What did you do?” Sailor Moon snatched the cat up from the ground.

Luna automatically assumed the pig-tailed bun-wearing girl was talking to the young man, but got a jolt when Sailor Moon turned on her. “Do you know how long it took us to set this up?” She ranted. “We had Jedite. We had him. That would have been one less enemy out of the way and what did you do—“ She had to put Luna down fast or that cat would have been flying into the bushes.

“We are extremely disappointed in you, Luna.” Mercury stated coldly.

“What are you both going on about?” cried the flabbergasted little animal. “I was stopping that man from becoming a murderer.”

“Murderer?” Darien whirled on the cat. “That thing was not human. It was vomiting black blood and green slime was leaking from its wounds.”

Moon moved in between the man and the cat. Darien took a step back and turned away from them. She wrapped her arms around his waist and rested her cheek on his back.

“Damn it, Buns. We were so close.” He blew a deep breath and hung his head.

“I know.” She said softly. “We'll get him next time.”

“There may not be a next time,” Darien turned around and looked down into her eyes gravely. “Buns, we took a serious risk tonight. With Mars out, it was only you and Mercury—No offense, Merc.” He called out to the blue Senshi.

“None taken, Kamen.”

“While I was fighting with Jedite, all I could think about was coming to you. Even when you called to me as per our plan, I fighting to stay focused on my target and not to go running to you.”

“But you didn't and that show that you have this I don't `lojack' on me under control.”

Darien could not help but to smile at her description of his sense. “Yeah, well next time—“

“Stop worrying about a next time, Darien.” She pleaded. “Next time, we're going lock Luna in a cage and we're going take out Jedite.”

A teasing grin broke out on his face. “You promise?”

“About Jedite?” She said, “Yeah, you bet—“

“No, dear heart,” he slipped his arms about her waist and easily lifted her from the ground and brought her to his eye level. “I was talking about the cage.” He drawled.

Usagi smiled lazily into his eyes as she slowly draped her arms around his neck. “Oh, yeah. That is a promise, you buy the cage and I will defiantly lock that kitty in my basement.”

“Sounds good.” He leaned in to brush his lips against hers. “I'll pick one up tomorrow.”

Behind them, Mercury coughed loudly. “Hey, guys. Can that wait until later? Usa and I snuck out of her house and if her parents find out that we---“

“Oh, crap!” Darien put Usagi down quickly. “I was supposed to give Eiji and Josh a ride to the Kou Brothers' party.” He swooped in for a quick kiss, leaving Usagi a little stunned. “Will you two be alright getting home?”

“Yeah,” Mercury demorphed leaving a tired looking Ami who was dressed in sweatpants, running shoes, and a tee shirt that read Infinity College Girls' Swim Team. Usagi was in a similar outfit, but her tee shirt had picture of Bart Simpson giving the finger and caption that read `I don't give an f***, man.' It was not a cute little bunny and Lita was going to kill her for taking it.

“One day, Lita's going to rip you a new one for stealing her clothes.” Darien told her.

“Don't worry about me.” She told him. “But you, buddy.” She waved a tiny fist beneath his nose menacingly. “You better behave at this party. You know Frankie is a big snitch.”

“Yes, dear.” He kissed her again. “I'll be on my best behavior. I'm one of the drivers remember.” He tipped his head in Ami's direction, “See you later, Ami. Good luck on that exam.”

“Good bye, Darien and thank you.”

“And you, pretty lady.” He kissed her again. “I'll pick you up in the morning. Bye.”

“Bye.” She touched his face tenderly. “I love you.”

“Of course you,” he winked at her as he backed away. “I'm your dream guy. Love you.” And he left them.

Usagi watched him go, she sighed and then turned back to her friend and smiled brightly. “Since Lita and Sam went to that party, how about we stay up and watch a movie and eat some of Lita's fudge brownies?”

“Usagi,” Ami shook her head and laughed. “Yes, that sounds like a wonderful idea.”

“Well let's make that wonderful idea into a great one. I'll make us both hot fudge brownie sundaes.”

Two

“Usagi!” Her cousin screamed, “When I get my hands on you!”

The petite blonde super heroine of Tokyo fell out of the open front window and right into the hedges but she did not stay down for long. Usagi pushed herself up on her hands and knees and scrambled away in an odd crawl walk/run before she completely pushed herself to her feet. The terrified girl a desperate last ditch effort for the front walkway but came to skidding to a halt as her pursuer came barreling out of the front door.

“Usa.” The tall, strawberry-blonde haired girl lunged at her cousin. “Get back here.”

“NO!” Usagi horrified screams could have been heard a mile away. “You are not going to make me do that Lita! You can't!” She finished shrilly.

But the older girl was without sympathy. This was the final straw for her temper and right now she was looking for a reason to put that horrid little back rodent (not cat) in the grinder. “You will clean up that mess or so help me, I will tell Aunt Ilene about that stash of chocolate in your closet.”

“I don't care.” Usagi leapt nimbly over a hedge and landed in her mother's vegetable garden. She carefully picked her way through it and when she made it out, the larger girl tackled Usagi to the ground. “No!” She cried, “Please, Lita, don't make me do this! I swear that I will stop eating your homework just don't make me do this.”

“Hell no.” Lita stood up and hauled the girl up too. “That cat hacked up three hairballs in my spinach pasta and that little rodent knocked over my homemade citrus punch.” She slammed her cousin on her feet like a spade. “Now, you will get in there and clean that mess up. My guests will be here in two hours along with your friends. I have to now make tomato and basil pasta to replace the spinach and create a punch to go with the hors d'oeuvres that I haven't finish making.” She yelled in Usagi's face. “You will clean up after that cat and lock it in the basement.” That was not a request.

Usagi shrank back from her cousin's rage. “Alright.” She squeaked.

“Fantastic.” Lita said grimly. “You don't put that cat back in its cage, if I see her again, I'm making fur ball soup. `Kay?” And she marched back into the house, her long braid slapping the center of back like a whip.

Usagi cringed. Then she became angry. That damned cat was getting on her last good nerve. Muttering to herself, Usagi stalked back into the house. She cleaned up the spilled punch on the sideboard table, changed the table linens, and tossed the hairballs. When everything was restored to its proper order, Usagi helped Lita finished her meal.

“So, who's Hotaru bringing?” Usagi asked. She risked this attempt at civility to see if Lita had regained a measure of control over her emotions.

Lita was calm. Cooking always helped when she was stressed. She flashed little cousin a smile as she slipped her antipasto tray into the refrigerator. “No one special. Usa, be careful with those quail eggs. I don't have time to buy any more---“ She looked closely at her cousin's mouth and her eyes narrowed. “Are you eating the caviar?”

“No,” she told her. But the tell-tale blush gave her away.

“Usa.” She a put a hand to brow to rub away the headache she could feel coming. “I don't know whose worst, you or Uncle Kenji.”

Usagi felt bad, “I'm sorry, Li, I'm just hungry. I didn't have breakfast this morning.” This was the truth. She had been at Rei's temple all morning helping her grandfather with chores.

Lita went over to her cousin and threw an arm about her shoulders. “Sam told me about your new friend—what's her name, Rei?” Usagi nodded, “Yeah, he said that she was injured when one of the mutant critters attacked those kids at her family's Shrine yesterday.”

“Yeah,” she pushed work aside, propped her elbows on the counter, and dropped her head in her hands. “Rei was so brave and selfless.”

“Luckily for her those two girls and that guy in the tux's showed up and your friend walked away with only a sprained wrist and concussion. She could have seriously been hurt.” Lita rubbed Usagi's back absently. “Some tourist got the whole thing on film. Can you believe it? Man, those kids are rough! I'd hate to have come across them on a bad day.” She smiled down at the smaller girl with her trademark cheerfulness. “After the party, how about I drive you over there with a basket filled with my special chocolate chip cookies and some of this pasta.”

“Did Sam invite Dave and the others?”

“Yeah.”

Usagi sighed as she sat up. “Then there won't be any leftovers. Those guys could clean out a supermarket and still not be full.”

“Coming from you, kid, that's something to worry about.” She laughed at the other girl's offended expression. Lita winked at her cousin as she headed to the fridge. She opened the freezer and rummaged about a bit. “I still have some of this tortellini and cream sauce.” She pulled out both containers and transferred them to fridge.

Just then the front door opened. Usagi's brother shouted where everyone was.

“We're in the kitchen, Sam.” She called back. “Lita, you better hide that stuff, if I'm going to take it to Rei's…”

“What are you taking to Rei's, baby doll?” Her brother asked as he scooped her up in his arms and blew a raspberry on the back of her neck.

Usagi screamed and tried to squirm away from her brother's embrace, but Sam had her cradled in his arms and at six-one, he had his little sister at a disadvantage.

“Mmm, something smells good.” And in followed the Spanish Menace himself aka Francisco Alvarez de la Santa Maria del Toro, (Frankie to all those who had the misfortune to know him). Frankie made himself comfortable in the Tsukino kitchen. He was comfortable everywhere he went and at that moment Frankie was headed straight for the fridge. “Lita, me amore, my offer still stands. You wouldn't even have to sleep me and I would give you the entire world.” He swatted her bottom playfully as he reached past her to pull out the pasta she had just put in.

“And get what you have?” She scoffed. She grabbed the containers and shoved them back inside and him away from the door. “That's for Usa's friend and everything else is just off limits. Don't you people have food at home?”

“We do, but none of us can cook as well as you.” Frankie flashed Usagi his mega-watt smile. “Holla, babe, how's it going?”

“It ain't.” She was now back on the ground and away from the counter. “I gotta broken friend and high school entrance exams in a couple months. And I'm pooped.”

“Heard you blew up the Chem. Lab at Takeuchi Hall, Frankie.” Lita smirked.

Frankie threw a dishtowel in her face. “Hell, it wasn't my fault. Darien was supposed to meet me there at three-thirty.”

“He told you that he was running late.” Sam dropped down on Usagi's stool and started spooning red caviar into the quail eggs. He had been around Lita long enough to know what needed to be done. “He came by the house to pick up some notebooks or something.”

“And you blew up the lab.” Lita hooted. “Boy, you are lucky you're rich or else your ass would have been kicked out.”

Sam nodded his agreement.

Frankie tossed his fair hair and stuck his nose up in the air. “You just wish you could be me.”

“Hey, Lita.” Dave came in with a strange look on his face. “Usa, your cat is trying to claw Darien's eyes out---“

Usagi was out of the kitchen, not in flash, she ran into a terrified looking Jiro.

“Oh, my God,” Jiro said hysterically as he helped Usa to her feet. “That animal just came out of no where and started hissing at Darien. When he tried to move, the crazy little beastie jumped on his leg.” His hazel eyes were large with fright. “Lita, do you have knife or something—“

Usagi swore under her breath as she marched into living room ready to toss that mangy animal on the street, but came up short when she saw Ami standing guard over a tired but happy looking Rei who held the disconcerted Luna in her lap.

“Rei-chan.” Usagi went on instant mother hen mode as she rushed over to her friends.

Both girls looked up and both smiled shyly at Usagi's overly concerned tone.

“What are you doing here?” Usagi scooped the evil black feline up into her arms and at the same time pressed her cheeked to Rei's in greeting. “God, honey, I thought you would have been in bed a week after what you had gone through.” She turned to Ami and they shared a hug. “Hey, Ami.” She smiled brightly as she took in Ami's outfit. “You look wonderful. Is this a new dress?”

Ami blushed becomingly as she looked down at her dove gray sundress with the white lace edgings around its sweetheart bodice. “Not really.” She said quietly. “It is something that's been in my closet for a while—I, umm, never had the opportunity to wear it before now.” She looked down at her feet quickly.

“Well, it's very pretty on you.” Usagi gushed, “I'll most likely be trying to borrow it one day. What do you think, Darien?” She finally acknowledged her boyfriend. “Doesn't Ami look lovely in that dress?”

Darien looked at Ami critically for a moment, “You do look nice, Ames.” He winked at her, “If I wasn't already a fallen man, I would ask you out, myself…” He noticed the warning look Usagi was giving him and he coughed nervously.

Ami's blushed deepened. She had been praised by one of her idols and gushed over by one of new best friends and it wasn't because she had achieved some high mark or accomplished some great feat on an exam. All the attention flustered the small genius, but it was a happy flustering. She looked up at Usagi; Darien had moved behind her friend and was resting his hands on the blonde's shoulders. A bright, happy grin broke out on her face.

“You two are the most wonderful friends anyone could ask for.” And she should know, she had asked for them a million times over.

“Oh, Ami.” Usagi had dropped Luna in order to give her friend a hug. Over Ami's shoulder, Usagi held a hand out to Rei. “Rei, when you are better, I am going to kill you.” She said laughingly.

Ami turned around and Rei moved into their fold. “Rei, do you know how worried we were when we heard the news.” Ami scolded gently.

“I had to do something.” Rei said a hint of defensiveness in her tone. She knew they cared for her, but she had been alone for a very long time and she was still getting used to sharing her emotions with others and dealing with theirs, especially when it concerned her well-being.

“Yes, of course,” Ami still sounded displeased. This was new for her. She never would have pressed on with a topic if someone wanted to beg it off. However, that was before her life had been taken over by Tsukino Usagi “However, you should have waited for the Sailor Senshi to come They always do as you know, yet you chose to put your in harms way. What purpose would it have served those children or your grandfather had you suffered even more serious injures than what already have?”

“Oh, Ami, not you, too.” Rei said impatiently. She tried to turn away, but the girls had a good hold on her. “Usa-chan, Ami-chan, please…”

“No, Rei.” Usagi snapped. “You scared the dickens out of us.”

“I had never been so terrified in my life.” Ami was the first to initiate the group hug. “Please, each of us for all of our mental sakes please, let's practice more caution in the future?”

Rei nodded. “I will be more careful, you guys.”

“Me, too.” Usagi promised.

“As shall I.”

And as one, the girls turned to the only male in their little group. Darien made a show of looking about the room, then he pointed at his chest, “Oh, you three must mean me?”

“Yes, dear.” Usagi let go of Ami to make room for him.

“We can't have our masked hero running about without giving the same promise.” Rei said impishly.

“We care about you, as well, Darien.” Ami added shyly.

Darien really did not want to participate in the overly sentimental moment. Hell, it was uncomfortable for him just being in the room with them all. Too much estrogen. But after a brief hesitation, Darien reluctantly moved into the group hug and the girls converged about him.

“What's this?” An older male voice boomed from the doorway. “Shields, you've got some explaining to do.”

The girls released their hold on Darien at the sound of Usa's father's voice.

“Darien, if you can pry yourself from the company of this young ladies, why don't help bring in the rest of these bags.”

“Yes, sir.” Darien hurried out the front door.

Kenji could not keep the smirk from his face as he watched the boy go. Usagi shook her head at her father's childish behavior. “Daddy, I don't know why are so mean to Darien. He is to the most generous and kindest boy in the world.”

Kenji snickered, “Boy?” He hooted, “That boy looks as old as Sam.”

“Darien is only seventeen.” Usagi reminded him.

Rei stared at her in surprise. “Really?”

Usagi nodded, “Yeah. Well, he'll be seventeen in a couple weeks…Oh! That reminds me. I am putting together a surprise party for him and I was wondering if I could enlist you two—“

“Of course.”

“Yes.”

Rei and Ami looked at each other and started laughing. Usagi couldn't keep a smile from her face and neither could her father.

“Great.” Usa peeked out the open door. Darien, being a perfect gentleman that he was (sometimes,) had taken all the bags from her mother's arms and whatever that happened to be in the back of the car. Ilene Tsukino was making fussing noises over him. “Dave, Josh, and my cousin Lita are in on this. Andrew says he's going to pitch in and he is going try to talk the rest of their friends into helping. We are meeting Monday at four o'clock at Crown Fruit Parlor.”

“Gotcha.” Ami smiled.

Usagi blinked. “Wow, I'm really rubbing off on you guys.”

“Now, if you could just rub off on Usa, Ami-chan.” Kenji gave his daughter a little nudge.

Usagi pouted. “Hey, old man, I'm not doing that bad!”

“That math grade is killing you.” Kenji said seriously. “If you want to go to Harvard…”

“I know, I know.” Usagi lamented. “I've got to place well on the High School exams and get into a high math.”

“That's right, Usa.”

There was a cry from the kitchen. The next moment Frankie came running into the living room with an angry Jiro on his tail.

“Frank! I can't believe you—Kami, when I get my hands on you!”

“It's just a car.” Frankie ran over to them and ducked behind Usagi.

“It's my car. I worked hard to buy it.”

“You needed another anyway.” Frankie told him.

“And how the hel—“ Jiro noticed the hard look on Kenji's face and amended the oath. “How the heck am I going to buy a new one? All my money is tied up in my education. With tuition, rent, and my share of the grocery bill, how am I going to afford a new car?”

“Hey,” Darien called out to his friends. “What's the problem, guys?”

Jiro took a deep breath, but it didn't calm him down. “The Menace jacked up my car, man.”

“You know what.” Usagi went to Darien and started taking the bags from his loaded down arms and distributing them to her friends. “We are going see if Lita needs some help. Mom, I wanted to talk to you about that thing we're having in a couple weeks.”

Ilene looked somewhat confused and then understanding hit. “Oh, yes, the thing.” She turned to three young men and said sternly. “Jiro, Frankie, play nice. You know Darien is a snitch.” His two friends glared at him and Darien silently groaned. The Tsukinos were a messed up family.

In the kitchen, Lita had just finished with her pasta. Dave was now seated at the island with a peeler in his hand and two pounds of white asparagus before him. He had the earpiece of his cell phone in his right ear and he was pleading with the person on the other end.

Usagi went around to the breakfast nook and put her bags down. Sam was also on the phone and from the sappy sound of his voice, Usa knew who he was talking to.

“I know you don't like her, babe, but I've already asked Darien and he laughed in my face.” He was saying. “Come on, Frankie is really desperate here. He needs a date to the embassy ball. Naw, Usa is going with Darien, not that I would have let Frankie take my kid sister out. Not to mention Darien would cut off both of Frankie's hands. What! Hotaru, honey, no…God, you hate Mina Aino, why wouldn't you want to wish Frankie on your worst…?” He hung his head and rubbed at his tired eyes. “Yes, dear. I know you are not evil and cruel bitch…”

“Sam!” Ilene scolded.

The youth looked up at his mother and mouthed his apology. “Sweetie, please just hear me out. Frankie has issues besides the obvious mental ones. Yeah, a lot of girls want to date him because of that---You still won't do it.” He sighed wearily. “No, no, that's fine. I'll see you when you get here. Yeah, I love you, too.” He hung up and then fell back in his seat with a loud moan.

“Come on, Seiya.” Dave said desperately. “Frankie will owe you big time—What do you mean she's gay? Fifty bucks she only said that because she didn't want to go out with you—Seiya? Hello?” He ripped out his earpiece.

“No luck either, man?” Sam asked.

“I can't believe that prick hung up on me.” Dave said in disbelief.

“What are you boys trying to do?” Ilene put her bags on the counter. “Lita, that sauce smells fantastic. But, honey, I though you were making spinach pasta with an alfredo sauce?”

“So did I but someone's fur ball got loose and decided my food was a good watering ground.” She glared at her cousin.

“Again?” Kenji shook his head, “Usa, I know how much you wanted a pet. But this cat is a menace. I'm sorry, honey, but Luna has to go.”

“We're trying to get Frankie a date for the Embassy Ball.” Dave said with a cheeky grin, “Maybe we can dress this cat up and teach it to walk on its hind legs…”

“Usa, why don't you try asking one of your friends?” Ilene suggested.

“And risk being ostracized for the rest of my high school career?” Usa said baldly. “I'm sorry, Mommy, but I don't think so.”

“Usa,” her mother said warningly.

“I can't do it, Mom.” She cried defensively.

“We don't say can't in this family.” Ilene reminded her.

Usagi groaned, “Fine,” she said exasperatedly. “I won't do it. I like all my friends and I enjoy my social life. I'm not going to risk it because Frankie is a jerk.” She wanted to say looser, but that word was frowned down upon in the house as well. “Besides all my friends are dating someone.”

Sam eyes fell on Ami and Rei and the idea hit him. “Hey, what about these two?” He asked nodding at them.

Usagi's eyes went wide with horror. “Samuel Shingo Rensselaer-Tsukino have you taken a complete leave of your senses?” She demanded shrilly. “You won't inflict the Menace on your girlfriend but you want to force him on my two new best friends?”

Belatedly, Sam realized what he had done and quickly tried to defuse his irate little sister before she became Mt. Serena. “Usa, no one wants to force anyone—“

Unfortunately, he was not quick enough. “How could you be so mean, so callous and shallow to suggest that I introduce two of the most sweetest and innocent girls in Japan to that lecherous, absentminded, wasted flake from Spain?”

“Usa!” Sam backed away from his sister.

She grabbed him by his shirt front and hauled up, somewhat. “Well?” She said through clinched teeth.

“I'm sorry.” Was his terrified reply.

Usagi let him go. “It's not the eloquent speech of forgiveness I had in mind but it will do.” She smiled sweetly at her brother. “But luckily for you guys, I know Mina Aino.”

“Whoa.” Dave said.

“You do?” Sam asked now that terror was gone.

“Yeah.” She went to the fridge, “Ames, Rei-chan, you guys want a soda or something?”

“Yes, please.” Ami was having a hard time not laughing at her friend's and her family's antics.

Rei made a small face. “I don't like carbonated drinks.” She said as she and Ami slid onto the bench behind the breakfast table.

“Oh, yeah, I forgot.” Usagi reached into the cupboard for a glass. “Well, we've got iced tea, Lita's homemade lemonade, fruit juice---“

“Could I have the lemonade, please?”

“I got that.” Kenji took the pitcher from his daughter and carried it to the table. “So Rei, we've had the pleasure of getting to know Ami. It's now time we've gotten to know you.”

“Yes, dear.” Ilene put a plate of butterscotch cookies on table. “Usa told us you live with your grandfather at the Hikawa Jinja on Sakura Oka?”

“Hai.” Rei said quietly.

“Mom's loves working over in the area.” Sam took the glasses his father handed over to him. “She's a photojournalist for Life Magazine. She's done several pieces on your temple and the neighborhood.”

“I am impressed.” Rei sounded a bit in awe.

“Don't be. Be impressed when I finally take home the Pulitzer.” Ilene smiled down at the beautiful girl. Her artist eye had captured Rei's ethereal qualities and she was impressed by what saw. “My god, your face seems so familiar to me. Ken, doesn't she remind you of someone?”

Kenji took a long look at Rei, his eyes deep in thought, “Yeah, honey, now that you mentioned, Rei sort of reminds me of Lin Far Yow, she was an Japanese-Chinese actress from Hong Kong…”

“She is—was my mother.” She picked at her nails nervously.

“Oh, honey.” Ilene laid a comforting hand on the girl's shoulder.

“No, it's alright.” Again, comfort. Rei now understood why Usagi was always touching them. A pat on the hand, touch on the arm, or a hug even when they weren't sure they needed it. Her entire family just oozed comfort. They opened their hearts as well as they're home.

While Rei endured the gentle questioning and teasing from her parents and brother and cousin, Usagi made a quiet exist and escaped to the living room to rescue her boyfriend from his friends.

Darien was leaning against the entryway from the hall to the living room. Frankie and Jiro were talking quietly. Usagi peeked around Darien and saw that her mother's living room was still in one piece and so were the guys. She jumped slightly when Darien slipped an arm about her slender shoulders . She turned her large eyes up at him and then she leaned against and wrapped her arms about his waist.

“I know about my surprise party.” He whispered into her hair.

She pouted slightly. “Alright, who told you?”

Darien noticed a couple twigs in his love's fair hair. “What were you doing? Playing in the bushes?”

“Lita was on the warpath earlier.” She snuggled deeper into his embrace. “You haven't answered my question, nerd-boy?”

“You know Frankie's a snitch, right?” He said teasingly. The Tsukinos were really rubbing off on him. “But seriously, before you claw out Frankie's eyes. He didn't tell me. I overheard Drew recruiting Asanuma and the Kou Brothers to help out with your plans.”

“Well, drats.” All that hard work, the crazy missions she had planned and the hours of torture for Darien were wasted. Then she remembered something. “Dare, has Wilhelmina returned from England yet?”

“Mina?” He propped his chin on the top of her head. “Naw, she's still in England, she just e-mail me this morning. She's going to be over awhile longer.”

“What about her classes over here?”

“She's gets her work in and she'll be back for finals. Why?”

“Sam wanted set her up on date with Frankie.”

“Set who up on date with me?” Frankie demanded. “If it's that pretty little brunette with the how do you say amatista ojos?

“Amethyst eyes.” Darien told him.

“Yeah,” his blue eyes shone with an unholy light. “What's her name, Dare?”

“None of your business.” Usagi was back in fighting mode.

Frankie took in Usa's angry face and he laughed, “Seriously, babe, who is she. I'm not going looking for a girlfriend, I just need a date for the Embassy Ball. Â¡Por favor!, Usa. I will do anything to prevent Princess Dia from jumping my bones.”

“You are such a pig.”

“I'm a desperate man, amore.”

“My friends are off limit, Francisco.” She warned him.

“I never though you would be so merciless, Usagi.”

“I'm not merciless. I just don't trust you.”

“I promise, I will be on my best behavior. And I will make the same promises and vows that I did for Lita. I won't touch her except to dance and maybe hide behind.”

“Look Frankie, I've known you for almost two years now,” Usagi said.

“So you should trust me.”

“No. No, Rei is her own person.” She said, but she wasn't happy about it. “You can ask her to be your date, but if she turns you do, that's going to be the end of it. Understand, Frankie?”

Frankie held his hands in surrender. “SÃ, hai, whatever…I just need a date, Usa.”

“Yeah, you keep saying that.” She growled. “But I'm warning you…”

“Usagi.” Ami tapped her on the shoulder. Usagi looked at her over her shoulder. “Your mother wanted to know if you would go to florist to pick up the roses she ordered…”

“Oh,” Usagi had forgotten about Lita's gift. “Yeah, I—“ She looked up at Darien imploringly. “Sweetie, could you give me a ride. I forgot all about grandma's surprise.”

“Sure, but why didn't you just have them delivered?” He patted himself down for his keys. “Jiro, you got my keys?”

Jiro patted himself down but came up empty. He looked about and saw them on one of the end tables. “Cover boy, what would you without us?” He said as he snatched up the keys.

“Have more privacy.” Darien quipped.

Jiro tossed him the keys. “Not with that girl as your chick.”

Darien snagged the keys from the air with practiced ease. “That's what I meant. I'd have more privacy.” He flicked his eyes in Usa's direction and winked.

Jiro grinned knowingly.

Usagi shoved Darien aside as she stormed past him. “God, half the time I don't know why I put up with you, nerd-boy.”

“Ah, she loves me.” Darien followed behind her making silly faces and kissy noises. Usa stopped, glanced back at him over her shoulder. Darien was still making those horrid funny faces. He was incredibly bad at it, but it touched her that he go so far as to make a fool of himself just for her.

She smiled gently. “C'mon, clown. You can buy me an ice cream cone.”

He straightened up as he took her hand. “Anything to make you happy.” He leaned down to kiss her but their tender moment was interrupted.

“God, get a room.” A tall, raven-haired girl slammed the front door as she stared at the two young lovers in disgust.

Darien raised his head slowly, his sensual lips curled into a snarl. “Tomoe.”

“Child.” She said acidly.

His snarl relaxed into a cruel smirk. “Still crying because you failed your bio exam?”

“I didn't fail, Shields.” She said indignantly.

“Could have fooled me with that fifty percent mark on your test booklet.” He smiled down. “But I don't have time to argue with you right now.”

“Hotaru, Sam's in the kitchen. I though you were bringing someone?” Usagi told her. She was getting so tired of these sniping at each other. She then remembered Ami, “Did you want to come—“

“No,” the girl said with a brief shake of her head. “Your mother have Rei and me helping with...hmm…spinach balls?”

“Oh, Mrs. Tsukino's specialty.” Hotaru said reverently. “Those things are hell to make, but they are SO good.” She went forward and with her right hand out. “By the way I am Hotaru, Sam's girlfriend.”

Ami started to bow, but she caught herself at the last second. With a sheepish little laugh, she took Hotaru's hand. “I'm Mizuno Ami.”

“I know who you are.” Hotaru smiled warmly. “I am the owner of Infinity College.”

Ami was thunderstruck. “Why—Oh, you are Dr. Tomoe's…”

“So that's how you render a genius dumb.” Usagi laughed. “Taru-chan, shame on you. Help Ames to kitchen and fortify her with chocolate. She'll come out of her stupefaction in couple minutes.”

Ami blinked, she blushed from mortification at what Usagi had said. But she caught the teasing look in her friend's eyes and she laughed. “Oh, why don't you go pick up those flowers. And bring me back some ice cream.” She folded her arms under her breast.

“Oh, I am scared.” Darien ducked behind his girlfriend. “Ami's fighting back and making demands.”

“Please, let's go before she decks you.” Usagi opened the front door and took his hand. “God, sometimes you can be so immature.”

“Naw.” He pulled her against his chest and wrapped his arms about her. “I'm spon-ta-ne-ous.”

“Oww, big words. I didn't know you knew any.” She was forced to duck walk but she wouldn't trade her place for the world.

“But I am still curious, Buns. Why didn't Grandma Rensselaer just have the flowers delivered here?”

“Because she did not want Lita to know about them.” She told him. “This is where Li lives, duh!”

“I'm hurt.”

“Kiss your own boo-boos.” She told him.

“No, idiot.” He dropped his arms and started towards his car without her. “I finally said that long and complicated name correctly and you did not notice.” He jerked open the passenger door for her.

“Aw, is my little Darien not feeling like a big boy today?” She mocked.

Darien glared down at her. “No ice cream.” He said venomously.

Usagi froze in her tracks. Her large blue-gray eyes went wide in horror. She gasped. “Oh, no!” she screamed shrilly. “Anything but that. No!”

Hours later. Darien was giving Ami and Rei rides home. Usagi had come with along under the pretense of picking up a couple DVDs and ice cream.

Darien stopped at a red light. “I don't care Luna.” He said in a voice as cold as death. “I think the enemy will attack the Embassy Ball.”

“I don't agree, Tuxedo Mask.” The cat said condescending.

“Darien,” Usagi corrected for the umpth time.

Luna hissed, “Darien.”

“Road kill.” He muttered.

“Guys.” Rei said tersely. Those two bickering had even pushed her to her breaking point. “This is a Senshi meeting…”

“Which begs the question as to why is he here?” Luna demanded.

“Because it's my car.” He growled.

“Besides that.”

“He's Tuxedo Mask.” Ami reminded her. “He's looking for the same exact crystal as we are and he is also searching for the Moon Princess.”

“Where ever she is.” Usa huffed.

Darien's right brow rose questioningly. Ami and Rei exchanged a look.

“Buns?” Darien ventured.

Usagi closed her eyes slowly as she shrugged off her jealously. “I'm alright.” She told him.

But there was a cloud of tension around her that was almost palpable. Darien realized what had caused it, but he did not know what to say to make her feel secure. The light changed and he drove on.

“Luna,” Ami said shortly. “We have decided to look into the Demetrios' Crystal. There is a 91% probability that enemy will crash the ball for the crystal. We just want to be ready.”

“And if they don't?”

“We will still see the crystal.” Usagi told her. “I don't know why you are fighting us on this. We are trying to locate this crystal and the Princess. You should be encouraging us to pursuit every lead.”

“I know and I am…” Luna lowered herself into Usagi's lap and closed her eyes. “You girls are right. You should investigate the Embassy Ball.”

“Good, because we are now all going.” Ami grinned at Rei. “Even you, priestess.”

Darien hooted. “I still can't believe Frankie talked you into being his date, Rei.”

Rei sighed. “He didn't. David did.”

Usagi half turned in her seat to face her friends. “I told that jerk to leave you alone if you rejected him.”

“Don't worry about it.” Rei told her. “Francisco will be volunteering at the shrine for three months starting tomorrow.”

“You can't get something for nothing.” Usagi laughed.

“I have to see this.” Darien laughed. “Frankie has never had to do a lick of work his entire life.”

“Neither have you.” Usagi reminded him.

Darien shrugged. “I'm different.”

“Not by much.” She scoffed.

“You want to walk?”

“Please, you would not put me out on the side of street.” She said confidently.

“One day, Buns.” He growled

“Yeah, yeah. Talk to the hand, Shield.”

He laughed, “That is so out dated.”

She smiled. “Take a camera when you guys go to hassle Frankie.”

“How do you know I'm taking the fellas with me?”

She gave him a superior look. “Because I know you and my brother. You guys are twisted on so many levels it's not even funny.”

“True.” He pulled around a curve and into up scale apartment complex. “Alright, Ami. You're the first stop.” He stopped before the lobby revolving door. The night doorman came forward when he recognized Ami stepping out of the back of Darien's BMW sports coupe.

“Good evening, Miss Mizuno.”

“Hello, Satoshi.” She said politely. “You've had a pleasant evening, I trust?”

“I have and thank you, ma'am.” The handsome young man was all dimples and smiles, but Ami was completely oblivious.

She turned back to her friends. Rei held out a large paper bag and that was closed up tight. “Thank you guys for a wonderful evening.” She bent forward to kiss Rei and Usagi's cheeks. “And please, Usa, thank your cousin for me again. With all the leftovers she and your mother pressed on me, Mom and I will not be having take out all week.”

“Lita was more than grateful and so was my mom.” Usagi assured her.

“Nevertheless…”

“Hey, don't forget our meeting at the Fruit Parlor.” Usagi told her.

Ami nodded. “I'll call you.” She took a step back. “Thanks for the ride, Darien.”

“No problem, Ames.” He called back.

“Bye, Rei.”

Rei smiled.

“Go to sleep.” Usagi told her. “I'll call you when I get home.” Darien put the car in gear and then sped off.

Ami watched as they all waved from the edge of the drive and then pull off into traffic. Those were her friends. She smiled to herself as she cradled her bag of goodies close and headed inside.

Ten minutes later, Darien and Usagi dropped Rei off at the temple. She was carry a bag similar to Ami's when got out. When they were half a block from the temple, Usagi put Luna in the back and she moved as close as she could to Darien.

After a couple minutes of this peacefulness in the middle of downtown traffic, Darien risked a glance down at his girlfriend's face and he saw the contented little smile on her face. “What are you thinking about, little woman?” he asked softly.

She raised her face to the moon roof and stared up at the stars and the towering skyscrapers that lined her vision. “I was just thinking about how lucky we are to have found each other so early in life.” She whispered, not ready to disrupt the stillness that enveloped them inside the car. “Promise me something, Darien.”

“Anything.” He reached for her left hand and carried it to his lips.

“That we will always be together.” She let him drop her hand to shift the gear, but he caught it soon after.

“I promise.” He told her. “You and I will be together for eternity and beyond. We're soul mates.”

“But what if this Princess—“

“I don't care about some girl I don't know.” He told her. He looked down at her, “You are all I care about. You are the only one I love. Nothing ever going to change that, Serena.”

She kissed his hand and then let it go when the car started to protest. “I love it when you get territorial and indignant.”

“You better.” He pulled into the video shop. “Because I only feel that way about you.”

“Mmm.” She sighed happily. “I have to go in for another fitting tomorrow.”

“I though you were planning my party?” He pouted.

Usagi looked at him strangely. “I thought you were not going to mention that.”

He rolled his, imitating her favorite gesture. “I want a humungous chocolate cake made of nothing but chocolate.”

“You need flour, eggs, and milk.” She opened her door and he followed suit.

“I want chocolate.”

“You want a giant candy bar, don't you?” She demanded.

Darien looked away quickly.

“When was the last time you had chocolate, Darien?”

“Not since we made that bet.” He told her.

“Are you lying to me?” She marched over to him and tried to intimate him, but she was at a serious disadvantage being only four-eleven and Darien a whopping five-ten and still growing.

“Buns.” He took her angrily little face into his hands and kissed her tenderly. “I love you, but you are nuts.”

“I just want my money.”

“You're going to lose.” He touched the tip of her nose and then let her go and took her right hand. “So what does this gown look like?' he asked as he led her into the store.

“I know you've had some chocolate.” She said stubbornly.

“Yep. You are completely nuts.” Darien told her.

“You owe me, buddy.”

“I'll keep a video log of Frankie's torture.” He offered

“Oh,” she blinked a couple time and then beamed beatifically at him. “Well, then, have all the chocolate you want.” She said sweetly. “By the way, it's backless and sleeveless.”

“What is?” The way she jumped around something left him so confused.

Usagi just rolled her eyes and groaned. “The gown.” She reminded him. “The one I am wearing to the Embassy ball.”

He frowned, trying to picture it in his mind. And it came to him, slowly. “Oh—OH!” He looked down at her interestedly. “So it's going to be…”

“If I go home with another hickey, my father said he's going to kill you.” She dropped his hand and went towards the horror section. “Hurry up, Shields, Lita wants to see…” The rest went unsaid. Her communicator was beeping.

Darien's cell phone rang. “Rei. Yeah, we'll be there in five minutes.” He put away his phone and turned to Usagi. “We gotta go.”

She slipped her hand into his and they hurried from the store.

“It's two mutated critters.” He told her once they were in the car.

“Jedite?”

Darien nodded.

Usagi touched his hand to give comfort and receive it. “We will get him, Darien.” She promised. “This time, Jedite is going down.”

Three

Jedite was running through the streets of the Juuban holding a hand his chest. He stumbled, falling hard into a couple garbage cans that were on the sidewalk. He struggled to pull himself up, but the wound his chest gape open causing him to cry out in pain.

He fell from on top of one of the large plastic containers to the hard concrete sidewalk and onto his injured side. The dark warrior cried out again, this time in rage.

How could this have happened to him?

He pushed himself up his knees. A shadow passed over him causing the suffering man to look up. Standing half a stone throw away from in the middle of the cul-de-sac was the masked warrior himself.

Tuxedo Kamen stood grimly in the center of the empty street. His top hat was gone, his white shirt and vest splattered with alien black blood. He had removed his cape and jacket and stood now as man in white shirt, black dress pants and with a broadsword in his hands.

Jedite tried to laugh, but it came out like a wet, tearing cough. There was no slim little rapier tonight, Tuxedo Kamen had come to this battle with the sole intention of killing him, Jedite thought bleakly. How ironic this entire thing was. Here he had come to surface to kill the Senshi and drain the populace of it life force, but now he was going to die.

Kamen watched at the wretched creature slowly pushed itself to its feet. His entire body tensed as he waited for Jedite to make his move. Tunnel vision helped in situations like this. It was like taking an exam or making an incision on a cadaver. Everything had to be precise, he had to focus and be ready or the other guy would have the advance and he would have to work harder just to correct that mistake and then prove himself all over again. Kamen was not about let that happen here. Jedite had mocked him once when he threw a rose at him, but that never happened again. Cold, sharp steel made a much better impression than a flower any day.

Jedite was going to pay for hurting his Usagi. He was suffering for causing their friends pain, and he now he going to die because that big ass mutated cricket had wrecked Darien's car.

Jedite steeled himself for the ensuing attack. With the last of his energy, Jedite summoned a fireball. “If I am dying tonight, Kamen, I am taking you with me.” He roared.

“That's not going to happen.” Kamen snatched two steel tipped roses from the air and hurtled them at the dark warrior.

Jedite dove out of the way. With a backhanded toss, Jedite sent the ball of fire at the young warrior, but Tux was prepared for it. He jumped up, sailing over his promised death, rolled and came down on Jedite with the blade of his sword fixed on the dark general's heart. Jedite could not move, he had expended the last of his energy and was now unable to defend himself.

The sword tore through cloth, skin, and bone easily to sink deeply into Jedite's chest. The force of the blow pinned Jedite to the ground. Kamen rose quickly, ripping his blade from his fallen enemy's chest, and Jedite's back arch up. A fountain of black blood sprayed from his lips and green slime was secreting from the two massive wounds Kamen had inflicted. He took a half step back at the same time he raised his sword over his head. Jedite lay almost dead but quickly dying; He looked up at the masked warrior and croaked.

“Finish it.”

Tuxedo Kamen brought the blade down swiftly. Jedite faced his death with open eyes. In a single blow, Jedite was gone.

Tuxedo Kamen kicked the severed head aside. He staggered back, taking deep gulping breaths, but he could not settle his stomach.

When the Senshi arrived, a mask less Darien was still retching in some nearby bushes. Sailor Moon dropped his discarded clothing and rushed over to him.

Mercury had pulled out her computer and was scanning the area that Tux had fought with Jedite. Mars picked up Kamen's cape; jacket and top hat and she followed Mercury, who was now kneeling on the ground beside the corpse, gathering samples of the black blood and slime.

“He actually did it?” Mars said in awe.

“He said he would.” Mercury murmured. She glanced up at Mars, “I doubt if I could have done this. At least not by myself.”

“I doubt if he could have done this before today. And I fear before long we all will be soaked in another's blood.” She tightened her arms about herself and shivered. “I wish we could just find this Princess and have this nightmare over with.”

“I do hope you mean the fighting?” Mercury asked teasingly.

Mars gave her a playful shove, “I am beginning to have several reservations about calling you my friend.” She winked at her. “Just finish gathering your samples so we can leave this place. People are bound to get curious and start looking for the fight…”

“Got it.” Mercury hopped up. Her tools disappeared into her subspace pocket. “Alright, we should leave now.”

Mars nodded. “Moon, Kamen,” she called. “I hear sirens.”

Sailor Moon had Darien's domino mask in her hands. She shoved it back on to his face as he scrubbed at his mouth with the handkerchief she had stuffed into his hands.

“C'mon, sweetie.” She gave him a quick kiss on the cheek and hug. “We have to get out of here.”

Darien nodded weakly. “I need to call someone about my car.”

“We are close to my house.” She told him. “I want to get you home, Darien. I need to make sure you're—“ Her voice broke off as tears overwhelmed her.

Darien pulled her into his arms and held her for a moment.

She clutched the back of his shirt as great heaving sobs wracked her small frame. “I don't—know—what…” She shook her. “Oh, God. I can't lose you, Darien.”

“I'm not going anywhere, Buns.” He said fervently.

“You are going somewhere right now.” Mars said. She and Mercury had run over to the pair and were hauling them to their feet. “We have to go, right now.”

The flashing lights of the emergency vehicles could be seen from two blocks away. Darien let go of Sailor Moon to grab the things Mars pushed into his hands. The two girls grabbed Sailor Moon by both hands and they all started running for one of the darken yards in the circle. They leapt over the back fence and headed towards the park. Once there in the safety of a grove of trees, they all dropped their transformations and went their separate ways.

Darien was going to double back to his car, but Usagi put a fuss. She still hadn't recovered from his fight with Jedite and she did not want him out of her sight. Had he not been in such a somber mood himself, Darien would have teased her about her reaction and would have reminded her that she too had been battle that night. But at that moment, he couldn't think of doing anything except comforting Usagi. And letting her fuss over him seemed to make her feel better so Darien indulged her.

They walked the three and half blocks to her house. She pushed the gate open and they were surprised to see her parents and Lita standing on the front lawn. They were all in their nightclothes and robes and each of their beloved faces were masks of concern, worry, and fear. When she saw her parents, Usagi broke out into fresh tears and with a child like wail, she raced into her parents' arms.

Quietly, Darien closed the gate and made sure that the latch was in place. He looked back at his girlfriend, now caught up in the embrace of her family, Darien suddenly felt alone and like an emotional voyeur.

“Oh, Darien.” Ilene clucked like a mother hen. “Honey, are you alright?”

He hesitated a second to long to suit the Tsukinos and the family went on emergency mode. Ilene and Lita had Usagi and were leading into the house. Kenji came over to the young man he had already though of his son-in-law (but not six more years hopefully and he was not going to tell him that;) and laid a fatherly hand on his right shoulder.

“Ilene is right, you're staying here tonight, son.” He steered the youth towards the front door. “Beside, I doubt we would be able to keep Usa at home if we called one the boys to come pick you up.”

“I don't think I could leave her either.” Darien admitted shakily. “I hope you don't mind.”

“Of course not, just as long as you stay in Sam's old room there won't have any problems.” He warned mildly.

Darien heard the implied threat and he nodded. “I'll be nothing more than Buns very good male friend who doesn't kiss her.” He vowed.

Kenji clapped him on the shoulder, “Good to hear, son.” He grinned sagaciously. “You do know Lita is a snitch, right?”

“Ah, no.”

Kenji pushed him through the front door, “Now you do.”

The Crown Arcade was packed which was odd for a Monday afternoon. The sounds of machines, laughter, and the snappy bubble gum pop music were enough to drive any self respecting adult insane.

Luckily for Andrew, it was his day off. He tore out of the place after asking a couple of the clerks to tell Usagi that they had moved to the Fruit Parlor upstairs

“I still can't believe it. That Darien's pretty little toy was ruined.” Andrew dropped down in the already packed booth. “Josh, shove over.”

“God, who though we all could fit in this thing?” Darien's doppelganger but with a long black ponytail complained for the hundredth time since he had gotten there.

A girl with a camera ran by and cried, “I love you, Seiya!” Snapping a quick photo of said copy and his two brothers.

The three guys groaned in chorus as they pulled on their sunglasses and lowered themselves further in the booth.

“God, don't be so overly dramatic.” Lita told them.

“This is why we don't hang out with you guys.” The silvery-blond Kou brother pouted.

“Correction, it's why we don't hang out with you.” Dave told him. “You ain't nothing three glorified pretty-boys.”

“Dave, one day your mouth is going to write a check your ass can't cash.”

“Seiya, I will kick your pony-tail wearing ass.”

“C'mon on then.”

Both moved to stand up only to be pulled back down. Lita glared at both of them, but gave the closest one a head slap (Seiya was the happy recipient!)

A blond guy with curly hair and glasses raised up as much as he dared in that packed booth and scanned the floor of the arcade below. “Where is Usa, Lita? It's not like her to be late.”

Lita had been worried and for the last twenty minutes she had been paying close attention to the dial on her watch. Josh was right, Usagi was never late, and that girl strove to be on time for everything. And if she called a group together, she was there at least ten minutes before everyone just to make sure everything was ready. And with these strange mutant creatures running about Tokyo, she was doubly concerned.

Sailor Moon was thrown into a solid brick wall with enough force to shattered every bone in her body. But in this case, it just knocked the wind out of her and most likely left an imprint on her body. Moon slid helplessly to the ground raising a trembling hand to her spinning head.

“Moon!” Mars shouted, “Look out!”

The two Senshi and Tuxedo Kamen scrambled to her aid, but they too late and the creature slammed into the tiny warrior again.

Moon screams of pain echoed throughout the Juuban Business District. The glass in the windows shattered and crashed down on to the streets. People, scrambled from their hiding place to avoid the deadly shower raining down on the sidewalks and the streets.

Tuxedo Kamen rammed his shoulder in the mutated green humanoid back, knocking it off the downed blonde warrior. Mercury came to her leader's aid while Mars jumped into the fray with Tuxedo Kamen. Both warriors were giving the fight their all, unleashing all the stops as they poured magic into their physical attacks.

An apprehensive Mercury was supporting Sailor Moon as she pulled her leader away from the fighting. Lithe gloved hands moved quickly over Moon's ribcage checking for more damaged as they made their way to safety, which was behind an overturned mailbox. Mercury leaned her leader the mailbox as she pulled out her mini computer to scan Moon thoroughly.

“Nothing is broke,” the ice Senshi reported shortly. “But there is some internal bruising. We need to get you to the hospital.”

“Don't worry about me,” Moon protested weakly. “I just need to get my breath and then I'll finish off this demon.”

Mercury wanted to argue, but now was not the time. Although concern was still in her eyes, Mercury moved away from her leader and started towards the fight. “Catch your breath, Moon.” She said over her shoulder, “I'll distract it long enough for you to get back on your feet.”

Moon nodded once. She held her left hand to sore chest. Her ribs might not have been broken but they sure as hell felt like it. Sailor Moon moaned from the pain as she pushed herself up to feet only to be slapped to the ground.

Kamen felt her pain through their link immediately and the masked hero retaliated. Mercury moved in on the beast to give Kamen a chance to help their leader. And to think, Luna did not want them have this guy on their team.

Deadly roses with steel stems cut through the air like a thousand pointed knives aiming for whoever dared to attack Kamen's beloved. Moon got out of the way as the intended victim of Kamen's wraith was skewered with several of razor sharp flowers. Today, it was a beautifully hand crafted Sixteenth Century rapier from Toledo that came out the masked one's cape.

Sailor Moon just stared at her boyfriend in open mouth wonder. He looked like he just stepped out a novel. Dark black hair and his night black cape moving in the wind. His handsome face was hard as he raised his sword and prepared to attack who or whatever that had attacked her.

Moon was distracted from her thoughts by a shrill scream of pain. She turned her head sharply and saw Mars and Mercury bringing the beast to its knees.

“Now, Moon!” Luna appeared out of nowhere.

Not that she needed that warning. Moon rolled to her knees, her right hand going up to snatch the golden tiara from her brow as called out, “Moon Frisbee!” Mercury and Mars leapt clear of the beast just as the Moon's attack hit.

Kamen made a desperate grab for the auburn haired warrior, but the thing disappeared into a portal. Kamen's vicious curses blistered the air around them. Sailor Moon wrapped her around her chest, tears of pain welling in the corners of her large eyes.

“Kamen,” Mars snapped as she and Mercury helped their leader to her feet. “Moon's hurt, we need to get out here…”

Without a word, Kamen turned sharply on his right heel, his drawn rapier disappeared as he scooped Sailor Moon up in his arms.

People were coming out of their hiding places as emergency vehicles appeared on the scene. News helicopters were already in the air going live to the networks reporting on what was being described as one of the greatest disasters not caused by nature. It was hard for the four warriors to shake the press. Helicopters followed them as they raced across the rooftops to avoid the jam packed streets and sidewalks.

“Oh, my God!” Andrew pointed frantically at one of the televisions that hung on the walls of the Fruit Parlor. “It's the cheerleaders and that guy they hang out with.”

“Hell, I thought they weren't real.” Frankie narrowed his eyes at the screen.

On the television, Tuxedo Kamen ran off the ledge of skyscraper and plumed down a couple hundred feet to land on the roof of a smaller building and he jumped straight into the air onto another building. Mars and Mercury were slightly ahead of him.

“We have just learned that the blonde one, Sailor Moon, she has been seriously injured during the fight.” A reporter's voice came on over the live feed. “We are assuming that the so called Sailor Senshi are taking their comrade to the closest hospital…Whoa! What the hell was that?”

A dense fog clouded the screen and most of down town Tokyo. The Four teenagers hurried out of an alley three rushing into a cab and the fourth hurrying to a bus stop.

“I'll meet you guys there,” Ami shouted over her shoulders to her friends.

“Hurry, Ami.” Rei cast a worried glance at Sailor Moon who was bundled in Tuxedo Kamen's cape.

“17 Yanagi Gairo.” Darien told the driver as he tossed him a handful of bills, “And hurry.”

Ami got off the bus half a block later, she ducked into an alley, making sure that it was clear before she drew her transformation wand and morphed. Sailor Mercury surveyed her fog, light was slowly, yet surely making it's way through in some patches and by her estimation, it would cleared up in ten minutes.

In ten minutes, she had to cross town, raid the supply closets at Tokyo General, managing not to get caught or be seen and then rush back across town to Darien's house without attracting attention to herself or where she was going or alerting his housemates…

Sailor Mercury collapsed in Darien's living room eight minutes and thirty-four seconds later.

“Here,” she shoved her purloined supplies towards a startled Rei.

Rei snatched up the bag and hurried up stairs to Darien's room.

Ami rolled onto her back, holding a hand to her heaving chest as she released her transformation. She sank onto the floor in a graceless heap moments before her eyes drifted shut. Opening the patio door had taken the last of her energy and now Ami just wanted to sleep.

“Kusatta oni,” She muttered tiredly, thinking of the beast they had fought against. “Kusatta ma.” Her mouth thinned as she recalled the auburn haired man who wore the same gray, military style suit that Jedite had worn. “I wish I knew where are they coming from?”

Four

“Moshii, moshii.” Rei glanced at the clock on the range. “Yuuichirou-san? It's Rei. Hai, I would like to speak to my grandfather please?” She stirred the contents in the pot slowly as she waited for the novice to summon her grandfather. It was a quarter after seven and they were all still at Darien's place. It had taken awhile, but Rei had helped Darien tend to Usagi. The petite blonde had coughed up blood a couple times before she could rest. Darien was worried. Even though Ami had told Usa she had no broken ribs, the fact that she had been spitting up blood was strong indication that something else might have happened.

Darien was now watching Usa's temperature and monitoring her as best as he could. He said the second she spiked a fever he was taking her to the hospital, Luna and their secret identities be damned.

Rei was more than inclined to agree with him on the matter. She had never understood why their identities needed to remain a secret anyway. Luna had warned each of them repeatedly on keeping their families in the dark about this alternative life they led. It was for their and their families' safety. Therefore, it was on days such as these, when one of them was severely injured in battle, that they could not go to hospital for the risk of someone learning the truth…

“Moshii, moshii,” the warm, caring, age roughened voice came on the other end.

“Ojisan.” Rei smiled sadly.

The old man sighed in relief. “Mago, where are you? There was an attack downtown—“

“I know, Ojisan,” She turned off the flame and moved the pot to a cooling rack. “I was there with Tsukino Usagi. We were on our way to meet Mizuno Ami at her tutorial sessions…”

“Kannon.” The priest cried, “Mago, were you injured?”

Rei nodded, but then she remembered he could not see her, “Ina, but…but, Usagi, she was…she was hurt.” She closed her eyes in shame. She hated anyone else lying and she could hardly stand it in herself.

“Ko…” he heard the tears in her voice, and Grandfather Hino wished he could have taken away her pain. “Rei, where are you now? I will have Yuuichirou…”

Just then the front door banged opened and Dave shouted, “Shields! Yo, you home?”

“Its okay, Ojisan.” Rei said into the receiver as Dave came stomping into the kitchen. “I will be home as soon as I can.” She switched off the cordless handset and turned to face a concerned Dave. “Darien is in his room, Rothschild-san.”

“Call me Dave.” He flashed a quick grin that quickly put her at ease. “No honorifics, please! Hino-san. I get enough of those in school and at work.”

Rei returned his smile. “If I am not to be formal with you, then I must insist that you do me the same courtesy.”

Dave stuck out his right hand, “I always want to be on first name basis with a beautiful and charming young lady.” He said as he carried her small hand to his lips.

“Rei?”

The young miko turned around to see Frankie standing in the entrance. He looked a bit dazed, like he had fallen and bumped his head or something.

“Oh, shit!” someone yelled from the living room. Where Rei had left a sleeping Ami.

She blushed slightly as she tried to remember placing blanket over her friend. Quickly, Rei excused herself and hurried, as fast as dignity allowed, into the living room to find Ami still asleep and Darien laying a blanket over her.

“We were caught in the fight down town,” he was telling Usagi's brother and his other roommates. “Usa didn't think she was badly off.”

Sam was staring at the young genius as if did not know him. Normally Darien would go into conniptions if Usagi had so much as a hang nail. It seemed completely out of character for him not want to take her the hospital when she could have been seriously injured.

Jiro noticed that something was not right as well. Darien was uncharacteristically somber and his manners were evasive. Jiro knew without a doubt that Darien was lying and he was scared out of his mind. Jiro was able to read Darien like a book, so could Dave, Frankie, and Josh. Sam rushed up the stairs, calling out to Andrew to pull his car around. Darien slowly followed him upstairs. He had to be with Usagi.

Rei sat down on the sofa next to Ami.

Jiro turned his attention to the priestess. “Hino-san, you were with Darien and Usagi when she was hurt?”

Rei stared at him questioningly. “I am sorry, but who are you again?”

Jiro blushed slightly. Frankie and Dave, who had just come out of the kitchen, burst out laughing.

“Now that is not something that occurs everyday, Ji.” Dave walked over to Rei and placed a bottle of apple juice in her hands. “Where are Sam and Drew?” He asked as he dropped down on the opposite couch and snatched up the remote.

“Sam went upstairs with the kid.” Jiro said worriedly. “They're going to take Usagi to the hospital.”

Rei was on her feet immediately. “I have to go with them.”

Dave shook his head, “No. We're going to take you and Ami home.”

“But…” She started to protest but Jiro cut her off.

“Dave's right, you were caught in one of those fights a few days ago, and your other friend looks exhausted.”

“Besides, your grandfather is worried about you.” Dave had caught the last of her telephone conversation earlier. “Don't worry, one of us will call you if Usa gets worse.” She still looked doubtful. “I promise.” He grinned at her, “Scout's honor.”

Ami shifted slightly and turned onto her side. Rei glanced at her friend, she reached out and brushed a strand of hair from Ami's brow as she said, “Ami was staying with the Tsukinos while her mother is out of town. My grandfather offered to send one of the novices for me…”

“Rei,” Darien called as he came down the stairs. “Both Usa and I would feel better knowing that you and Ami had gotten home safely.”

“Wow, an endorsement.” Dave smirked.

Darien stuck his feet into his shoes, “No, but I trust you guys, and these girls are my friends so I know that they will be safe with you.”

“Darien, how is Usagi?” Rei asked.

“She's awake.” He told her. “She still needs to be checked out. Her ribcage is a myriad of bruises.”

“She will be alright?”

He nodded and smiled reassuringly at the young miko. “She will be fine.” He turned towards the staircase when he heard the first hesitant step.

“Let me carry you, Serena, or least have Darien carry you.” Sam was saying. He loomed protectively behind his little sister, every few seconds he would reach out to steady her.

Usagi's right hand had a death grip on the plain wooden banister and her left arm was holding her chest. “I'm agreeing to go to the hospital.” She rasped. “Don't push it, Sam.”

“You can hardly walk!” He cried.

Usagi held her hand out to Darien. He rushed to her side and moved to scoop her up, but the look on her face warned him off. “Just help me down the stairs.” She told him. “I don't need you to carry me.”

“I know you don't,” He bent and easily took her into his arms and held her close. “But I need to. Indulge me, okay?”

Reluctantly, Usagi gave in. She rested her head on his shoulder and closed her eyes. “Where are Ami and Rei?” She asked, worry laced her voice as she recalled her friends.

“Dave and Frankie are taking them home.” Darien told her. “Now lie still, we have to get you to the hospital.”

Jiro went with Darien and the others and Frankie and Dave dropped the girls off.

Ami woke up and asked to be taken to the Tsukinos. Her mother had dropped her bag off that morning. Lita was waiting for Ami when the guys arrived. She called Ami over to her Jeep and they left for the hospital.

Rei called her grandfather from Dave's phone. Her grandfather promised to join her at the hospital.

“Now I know why I dislike doctors.” Usagi complained.

She had been confined to her bed a full five days and she had spent most of it staring at the pale pink and cream stripped wallpaper. Molly sat on the padded window seat with its mountain of rose, pink and white pillows and stuffed rabbits.

“Only you would complain about missing a week of school and being pampered.” The red headed girl snorted.

Usagi glared at her so called best friend, “I have no problems with the pampering, I'm just sick of being stuck inside.” She lowered her eyes to the magazine in her friend's hands and asked, “What are you reading?”

“European Vogue.” She held up the book so Usa could see the cover then lowered it. “So are you still going to the Embassy Ball with Darien?”

“Of course.” She grunted as she pushed herself up. “I have been looking forward to this since I saw Darien's invitation.”

“Why would Darien be invited?” Molly asked brainlessly.

Usa stared at her. “He's the Chiba heir. One of the oldest and most powerful families in Japan. And one of the wealthiest, although you would never know it because he's so cheap.” A recent fight had soured her disposition some. The reason for the fight, Luna and that Moon Princess. Damn that cat! She was not going to ruin her life. Nor was that freaking Princess…she's not going to steal her man. Darien was Usa's property. She loved him and cared for him. He was her best friend, companion, true love, and her soul mate and he was going to be her husband when she turned eighteen (Twenty-one her foot. She wasn't going to wait that long to have that man.). She would be damned before she let some tarted up, little so-called, alien princess take her man from her. Usa would die fighting for him and would kill any girl who tried to take him. Thieving little, gold digging—

“Oh, Usa!” Molly cooed.

Her bedroom door was opened and hanging there in view was a gigantic bouquet of most perfect red roses either girl had ever seen.

“Am I welcomed in today?” Darien called from the other side.

Molly giggled.

Usa shook her head at his antics, but there was no mistaking the love that warmed her features. “I haven't brushed my hair.” She called back. “And I am wearing the most ridiculous pajamas in the world.”

“I can top that.” He laughed, “Surfer pants, leather tong sandals, and one of Sam's hockey jersey. And…” He pushed the door open further and Usa started laughing.

“Oh, my.” Molly could only stare at the usually well-dressed and fashionable youth in horror.

Usa collapsed onto her side, both arms wrapped about her tender ribs. Darien removed the baseball cap and ran his fingers through his messy hair.

“I've been getting that all day.” He trooped inside and dropped down on the floor beside his girlfriend's bed. She was still laughing. “Buns, it's not that funny.”

“Yes it is.” She hooted.

“God, Darien-kun, what happened to you?” Molly asked respectfully.

“Bad week.” He laid the roses down on the floor. “Test, papers, helping out Frankie and Drew and Sam with some of their papers. I had TA duty for three of my professors and I haven't had time to do laundry. And with Buns out of commission, she couldn't do it for me.”

“Get a maid.” Usa told him.

“Why should I when I have a perfectly good girlfriend who could do it for me?” He countered.

“Jerk.” She pushed his head away.

Darien caught her hand and kissed it. “Your Mom's doing it all for us anyway. But we've got to chip in.”

“So you all are over here?” Lazily, she laced their fingers together.

Darien nodded. “Well, Drew went home, so his mom's doing his. I missed you, sweetheart.”

She smiled. “Me, too.” They remained so, just staring into each other's eyes.

And that meant it was time for Molly to go. She called a soft good-bye, that was unheard, not that she minded. She knew what it was like to be in love.

Molly went down stairs and to the laundry room where she found Ilene and Sam.

“You boys should really think of getting your own machines.” Ilene was telling her son. “I don't mind helping you and your roommates out, Sammy. But you all of you are grown, responsible young men.”

“I know Mom.” Sam said as he folded his sheets. “And you are right…”

“Hi, Sam.” Molly peeked into the opened door way. “Good night, Ms. Tsukino.”

Ilene glanced over her shoulder and smiled warmly at the girl. “Oh, good-bye honey. Did you have a nice visit with Usa?”

Molly nodded. “I did. But I have to get home now. Mom said she needed some help with the new inventory.”

“Oh, well. Have a good night and please tell Karen that I am looking forward to our lunch date on Friday.”

“Will do.” Molly waved. “Bye, Sam.”

“'Night, Red.”

When she was gone, Ilene said to her son. “She is such a nice girl.”

“She's a bit flaky, though.” Sam put his folded sheet aside and reached for another one.

“She just a young girl, they are all a bit scatterbrained at that age.”

“That's not true for Usa's two new friends.” He had finished with his bedding and was now putting it away.

Ilene looked up at her son questioningly. “What do you mean? Ami and Rei are two very nice girls.”

“They are, but there is something very off about them.” He rested his hip against the dryer, his arms folded over his chest as he shared his thoughts with his mother.

“Yes, they are not like the rest of your sister's usual circle of friends, however that does not make them strange, Sam.” Ilene picked up the next load. This was Jiro's. “They have had very different lives. Sweet little Ami is prodigy as well as the daughter of brilliant, renowned neurology specialist and her father an internationally acclaimed artist. And dear little Rei, the poor child is the daughter of one Hong Kong's cinema queens and her father is a powerful Member of Parliament. The dear girl has been trapped in the traditional role of being the only daughter of that powerful statesman and the Hino heiress. She has never had a true childhood.”

“You see, that's my point.” Sam said quickly. “What does two girls like that have in common with Usa? Usagi is the epitome of normal. She bright, funny, open…”

“And this is why Ami and Rei are now her friends.” She turned to her son and regarded him carefully. “Besides, I think Usagi needs them.”

That statement puzzled him. “Why would she need them?”

“I don't know exactly.” She looked away from him. “It's just how I feel when I see Usa with them. She gives more of herself to Rei and Ami than she would to her other friends. She happier, more confident…It is almost how she when she is with Darien or Lita.” Ilene laughed sheepishly. “Here I am reading more into my daughter's relationships. Oh, Sam. Just be happy for your sister. She adores you and she cares for her friends. Don't make her sad because of your mistrust.”

“But Mommy…”

“Shh.” She laid two fingers over his lips. “No more, Sam. Ami and Rei are good children. You should try to become friends with them. You might learn to like them.”

He sighed and surrendered to his mother's logic. “Yes, Mom.”

“Good. Since Lita is out with her friends tonight, I have to make supper.” She said over her shoulder. “Sam, be a dear and ask everyone what they want. We're doing take out.”

He laughed after her, “Nothing like a home cooked meal, eh, Mom.”

“I'm doing your laundry.” She told him, “I refuse to slave over a hot stove for you.”

Sam rushed about the house taking the orders. The last room on his stop was his sisters. He peeked inside of the room and smiled at the warm sight. Usagi lay facing the door with her hands tucked under her chin. Her long hair was unbound and fell over her shoulder, almost to the floor. Holding her was a sleeping Darien.

Sam eased out of the room, a slight smile on his face. He would let them sleep, but when he got Darien home, Sam was going to bust that kid's chops about sleeping in bed with his sister.

The day of the ball was upon them and Tokyo was swept up in the frenzy. International and national press agencies had descended upon Abuzu and spread to the little suburbs of Juuban and the Mugen Delta.

Last minute preparations were underway at the Tomoe home, where the four girls were getting ready. Hotaru was gracious enough to share her hairstylist and make-up artist with Usagi and her friends.

Usa and Hotaru were dressed and waiting for Ami and Rei. Darien had called Usa to let her know he would be picking her up in ten minutes. Frankie was already there, in the Tomoe kitchen. His father had sent a car for him, along with a set of instructions.

Ami was going to ride alone with Hotaru to pick up Sam then she was being dropped off at her home. Her father was to meet her at her home and they would go to ball from there.

Frankie returned from the kitchen with a sour look on his face. Hotaru flashed him a malicious grin. “What? You couldn't find anything to satisfy your picky palate?”

He shot her an unfriendly glare. “Are you always this friendly or is it just me?”

“You are the one referred to as the Menace.” She replied sweetly.

Before Frankie could reply, Usa asked, “What's wrong, Frankie?”

Frankie threw himself into a chair with a dramatic sigh. “It is my father's wish that I suffer for all eternity.”

The two girls exchanged looks. “Uh huh.” The petite blonde gestured for him to continue.

Frankie turned tragic blue eyes on Usa. “You don't understand, babe. My father wants nothing more in the world than seeing Dia and I together.”

“And—“ Hotaru said.

“Y casado.” He said bitterly.

A blank look crossed Usa's face, “Huh?”

“Married,” Hotaru translated. She snickered, “You unlucky bastard.”

“Sam is truly unfortunate; for he has willing tied himself to you, Hota-chan,” the blond Spaniard drawled. “But don't worry, he'll come out of his stupor and leave you.” He winked at Usa. “When will the Cover-boy show up?”

“Soon,” she told him. “He had to meet with his guardians and lawyers about something.”

“The life of a poor little rich boy.” Hotaru stood up and walked over to one of the large bay windows that over looked her well-manicured front lawn. “If Shields wasn't such a snide little child, I would sympathize with him.”

“Darien is not as bad as you make him out to be.” Usa rushed to defend her love's honor.

“No, it is his sister who is truly the worst.” Hard black eyes stared unseeing at the world beyond her gates at her father's legacy and her life's burden.

Frankie had a confused look on his face. “Darien has a sister?”

“Not a biological one. He's an only child.” Usa told him. Her attention was drawn to her friend. She stared worriedly after her. “Hotaru's talking about the daughter of the family Darien lived with before he moved in with you all. Her name is Wilhelmina Aino.”

It took him a moment to connect the name with a face when he did, Frankie's eyes lit up. “Mina?” Frankie cried. “The model?” Damn, the cover boy knew a supermodel. Of course Frankie knew his fair share of models and actresses, but none was as beautiful as Mina. Frankie wanted to die. His only reason for coming to Japan was to meet the elusive beauty. However, after two years, he had still not gotten an invitation.

“Usa,” Frankie dropped to his knees before the petite blonde who drew back from the crazed look in his eyes. Frankie grabbed the hem of her gown and stared up at her with puppy dog eyes. “You have to help me. You must get Darien to…”

There was a slight noise on the staircase. Hotaru half turned and she was forced to do a double take.

“Oh, my God.” Usa raised a hand to wipe at tear as she gazed upon her two friends. “Girls!” She stood up quickly and knocked over the dazed Frankie. She rushed to her purse, pulled out her camera, and snapped two quick pictures. “My mom would have never forgiven me if I didn't take a couple.” She grinned sheepishly. She directed her gaze to Frankie and scowled. “Won't you behave?”

Frankie continued to lie there; his eyes were riveted on the girl in the lavender gown.

Rei pulled her shawl over her shoulders and fidgeted with the tiny straps that encircled her neck. “I feel naked.” She complained.

“You look wonderful.” Usa told her, “Both of you look great.” She tossed her camera to Hotaru and rushed over to the two brunettes. “We need a couple of us together, for our scrapbooks.” She grinned broadly as she laced her arms through theirs and said, “Everyone smile.” Hotaru captured the moment for them.

As she lowered the camera, Hotaru had a sense of dÃ©jÃ vu.

Other voices filtered through her mind and the room changed. The place where she stood was all white. White walls, marble floors with large Dutch style windows and French windows with gossamer drapes flashed through her vision.

Soft whispers of laughter tickled her ears. Hotaru wanted to turn to the voices. She wanted to see them…

See who? Her mind wondered.

Them, was the reply.

A flash of white drew her attention towards the French windows. Ghostly hands pushed aside the crepe thin drapes and threw open the windows to reveal a balcony and rose covered trellis.

“…seph…”

Who? She tried to ask.

Spirit hands held the drapes aside. Hotaru had a sense of being pushed forward; was something beyond the lace that the spirit wanted her to see?

“…sepho…” She felt hands on her face making her look up into the dark velvet sky.

What is…? The questions died in her mind and on her tongue as she beheld the most horrific sight.

“…sephone…”

With her eyes wide, her mouth agape in fear, Hotaru tried to pull away. She did not want to see this. This was not real, it could not be…

“…seph…”

No! She screamed. All sound was denied her. Hotaru closed her eyes tight, trying desperately to forget the sight.

“…sepho…”

“Hotaru?” Usagi's gentle voice pierced her thoughts. “Do you have a bat anywhere?”

Hotaru blinked. Her vision cleared, she was once again in the front room of her house with Usa and the others.

Frankie had shoved the others aside playfully and pulled Rei into his arms for a photograph. Ami was laughing at his antics and the confused/embarrassed expression on Rei's face.

“Frankie, what did I tell you?” Usa's back was up and she was hissing. She was back in protector/lioness mode.

With a grand flourish, Frankie dipped Rei low. He leered down at the startled girl, and then he looked up at Usa and winked. “This is just for my father's benefit. Hota-chan, take the picture, I can't stay like this forever, this girl is heavy.”

“What did you say?” demanded the bristling miko.

“I am holding you with one hand.” He said in a pained voice.

Rei smacked his other arm. “I am not fat.”

“Oww.” He cried out childishly, “Dang woman, I never said you were. I just said you were heavy…” He cried out again as the flash hit him in the eyes. “What the hell?”

A malicious grin graced Hotaru's face as handed Usa her camera. “I am going to need a copy of that.” She told her.

“That was cruel, Hota-chan.” Frankie sulked. “I was supposed to be a dashing Don Juan, tossing my hair while gazing lasciviously down upon this fresh beauty in my arms. I was to be inspiring, bold, and romantic.” He sighed dramatically and pouted for all his worth. “You have wounded me, SeÃ±orita Tomoe.” He lowered his head in shame to Rei's breast.

The girl went from milk white to fiery red in under two seconds. Usa raised her camera just in time to snap Rei smacking Frankie upside the head.

“I want a copy.” Both Hotaru and Ami told her.

The doorbell rang just as Rei started to rip into Frankie.

Hotaru's butler appeared in the doorway, “Miss Tomoe, a Mr. Shields is here.”

“Show him in, Kazuhiro.” She waved him away. She reached up to rub away the tension in her neck. Her mind returned to that that image; Hotaru suppressed a shudder at the memory. It could not have been a figment of her imagination. It had been too real. Then what had it been?

Kazuhiro appeared again. His iron gray hair and mustache against his thin, old face sent a sudden chill down his employer's spine.

“Mr. Shields…”

Behind her, Usa called out happily. “Darien!”

Time seemed to slow down. Hotaru felt as if she were watching a movie being played in slow motion. She watched Usa run past her, long shimmering locks of pale blonde hair fanned out behind her. Her arms opened as she raced into the arms of her beloved. Darien caught her into him embrace and pulled her close. Their arms locked about each other in desperate holds, almost as if they were afraid of being ripped apart…Again.

Rei gasped softly. A wave of emotions rushed through her as her eyes were drawn to her two friends. Pain and sadness seemed to trail after them, strongly cloaking the two and their love. Sudden tears stung the back of her eyes as she continued watching them and the shadows that hovered over them.

They were not meant to last long in this world. Their love was too intense, all consuming. It was so beautiful in it is destructiveness. Rei's heart ached for them and the unfairness of it all. They were so young, so happy. They had finally found each other—Again.

What did that mean? Rei turned her wet eyes back to her friends. Two ponderous tears flew from her lashes. In her mind's eye she was watching two of her dearest friends dying and her world falling in on itself.

“Rei-chan.” Ami said quietly. She moved closer to her friend.

Rei looked into Ami's eyes and with a start, she realized that Ami had felt it as well.

The petite brunette took the miko's hand and squeezed it. We will protect them. Her touched conveyed to her sister Senshi.

No matter what it takes. Rei nodded. She was our first friend and then our leader.

Darien pulled back slightly to look down at his girlfriend. “So this is my dress?” He held her arms out so he could get the full effect of her gown.

“You've taken to wearing dresses now, Shields.” Hotaru said bitingly.

Darien tore his eyes from the more interesting parts of Usa's pale peach gown to glare at the older girl. “Why are you concerned? Do you think I will look better in one than you?” He kissed both of Usa's hands. “Ami, Rei, you both are simply gorgeous.”

“Thank you, Darien.” Rei said, “You are looking dapper in your finery.”

“Oh, this old thing.” He batted his lashes outrageously.

“Then you ladies should be thanking Dave and me.” Frankie joined in. “Cover-boy wanted to go with the traditional look with tails and a waistcoat. This jacket suits you much better and the full silk tie is much better than a bowtie.”

“Yeah, yeah.” Darien stooped to kiss Usa again. “We need to go.”

“Why the rush?” She breathed huskily as she followed him for another kiss.

“I have a surprise for you.” He said dreamily.

“I can do without another present.” She said as she drew him back in.

He was helpless to resist, even if he wanted to. They had not seen each other for a complete day…a full day without physical contact.

“Oh, stop!” Hotaru turned away in disgust. “Christ, you're going to eat the lipstick from her mouth, Shields.”

“This is indecent.” Frankie slipped his hands over Rei's and Ami's eyes. “Cover boy, break it up. Or will Hotaru have to break out the hose?”

Reluctantly, the lovers parted. With a wicked grin, Darien pulled Usa out of the room.

“Usa, you forgot your wrap.” Hotaru grabbed said items. Usa hurried back inside for her things. She flashed her friends a cheeky grin.

“Buns!” Darien hollered, “Come on, baby, let's go.”

“Hold your horses, Nerd-boy.” She hurried back to his waiting arms.

Frankie lowered his arms to drape over the two girls. “I hate to see the day those two are—how do you say casado.”

“Married.” Ami tried to his arm from across her shoulders.

“Yeah, that.” He pulled her into a headlock. “The guys and I bet that the kid will be born three months after the wedding. Well, I say one, but the others are more generous…”

“Does Sam know about this bet?” Hotaru asked coldly.

He grinned as Ami continued to fight against him. “You think we're stupid?”

“How much is in the pot?” She asked him.

“A hundred grand, American at Josh and Dave's insistence.”

She nodded, “I want in and I will match the highest bid and say three days.”

“Three days,” the two younger girls cried in unison.

“Usa isn't called `bunny' for nothing.” She laughed. “But come on, people. I have to pick up Sam and, Ami you are going to meet your father.”

Darien opened the back of the limousine to allow Usa to precede him.

“What is my surprise?” She asked, and then let out a surprised scream.

Darien slipped in behind her and closed the door. “Well, aren't you going to…?”

She tore out of the arms of her friend to kiss him quickly. “You are so cruel to me.” She poked him in the side playfully. “But I love this.” She reached for her friend's hand. “This is truly one of the best surprises I've had in a long while.”

Rei looked out at the line of cars before them, then back at the even longer line behind them, and sighed tiredly.

“Si, Senï€šor,” Frankie had been on the telephone with his father for the last ten minutes. He felt very rude, speaking in his native tongue while his guest sat by in silence. He had become more and more agitated and tense as the call progressed, until he sat beside her white knuckled and tight-lipped. “Have I ever embarrassed you, Padre? No, I am not being disrespectful, Sen--Forgive me, Padre. Si.” He raised his hand to his brow to massage the bridge of his nose. “I will speak with her Highness, however, I will not—“ He closed his eyes as his father told him what he would do. “I have a date, Papa.” He voice was weary.

Rei turned away from the sights of the embassy. Worry clouded her eyes as she watched Darien's friend.

“Francisco?” She reached up and took his hand away from his face. He opened his eyes and looked into hers. “You need to breathe.” She told him.

Maybe it was the gentle timber in her voice, or the concerned look in her dark violet eyes, but something changed deep within him at that moment. Hino Rei was suddenly more than some fresh-faced little girl he had met a few days before. No, Frankie felt as if he knew her; that he knew everything about her, to the smallest nuances of her personality…her very person. It seemed impossible, yet at the same time, it was true. It was as if he had found another part of him, a part that he did not know was missing until that moment. A goddess with red hair that was so dark that it seemed to be black. A goddess of fire and battle—Oh, what was her name?

“Francisco?” Rei said nervously as she fidgeted under his intense stare.

“Francisco!” His father barked into his ear. “Are you still there?”

Frankie took his eyes away from the worried girl. “I have to go, Padre.” He said quickly in Spanish. “We have come to the entrance. Please, give my love to Madre. Adios.” He pressed the little red button to end the call.

Rei was gathering her things. From her purse, she withdrew a compact and gave her face a once over.

Frankie found her innocent vanity charming. In his opinion, Rei was far more attractive without all the face paint. He started to tell her so when something in her bag caught his eye.

It was a long, bright red pen with the symbol of Mars on its cap. Rei stuffed her compact back inside and snapped her handbag closed. Frankie opened his mouth to inquire about the pen only to have the door open at his side. He resolved to ask her about it later. He stepped out to meet a barrage of flash bulbs. He turned back to the darkened limo to allow his eyes to clear, and offered his right hand to Rei.

“Come along, Miss Hino.” He murmured against her ear as they strolled down the red carpet, “The princess awaits.”

Inside, Ami was already working. Luna had snuck in, and Ami had attached a modified camera to her collar and sent the cat off to find the crystal.

At the entrance, the major domo announced, “Don Francisco Alvarez de la Santa Maria del Toro of Madrid with Miss Rei Yow-Hino.”

Ami spared the serene couple a passing glance before heading out to the gardens.

Rei had seen Ami leave and knew the game was already afoot. She glanced about quickly but did not see Usa or Darien, but she caught a glance of Hotaru already on the dance floor with a very handsome, tuxedo clad Sam Tsukino. She smiled wistfully, those two made one handsome couple.

“Darien Chiba-Shields of Tokyo,” the major domo boomed, “With Miss Serena Tsukino and Miss Wilhelmina Aino.”

Rei almost tripped over her front hem when she heard that. She turned around quickly and could not believe it. Falling in step behind her two friends was the most beautiful person Rei had ever beheld. She heard Frankie make a small sound beside her and she could not blame him.

The woman was simply gorgeous. She tall, almost as tall as Usa's cousin, with long, dark golden blonde hair that stopped at her hips, pale blue-gray eyes, which seemed not to miss anything. She wore a dark blue, form-fitting gown that hugged every curve of her body. A simple gold chain rested on her tanned skin and earrings just as beautiful in their simplicity graced her ears.

Rei would not have been surprised had Frankie abandoned her at that moment to chase after the glamorous, supermodel. Moreover, she wished he would since she had work to do.

“Rei,” Usa called delightedly after she and Darien were announced. She turned around and caught Mina's hand and half dragged the girl over to Rei and Frankie. “I have someone I'm dying for you to meet.” She waved to Sam and Hotaru on the dance floor. Hotaru had caught sight of her blonde rival and was trying to get away. “Rei-chan. This is Darien's sister, Mina Aino. Mina, this is one of my new best friends I've been telling you about in my e-mails.”

“Yes, both Usagi and Darien have mentioned you a great deal in their e-mails. You and another young lady, Amy, I believe.”

“Ami, sis.” Darien corrected as he joined them. “Usa, I've been spotted by some eager looking mama with her daughter. Shall we escape this dreary soirÃ©e?” He reached for her hand.

“I would love to save you, nerd-boy.”

Darien carried her delicate hand to his lips. “You make me swoon, Buns.” He pulled her into his arms and they hurried off.

Mina turned back to the staring couple and started to say something only to be interrupted by a four elegantly attired girls, calling out. “Don Francisco.” The girls called at once.

Rei looked around and spotted Ami at the veranda entrance. Usa and Darien were already upstairs. That only left her to get into position. And she needed to hurry; the enemy had just arrived. She yelped when Frankie glommed onto her right arm.

The girls glared daggers at her yet continued their advance. Frankie was almost cowering hiding behind her skirts. Mina looked at them questioningly. Rei smiled weakly and she wondered if her night could get any worst.

Ami smiled at passing group of revealers and from the folds of her gown, she withdrew her mini computer.

“TK, Bunny, do you read me?” She said into her hidden microphone.

Darien pulled Usa into a shadowed corner and lowered his face to hers. “We read you, Merc.” Usa whispered into her mic.

“Priestess?” Ami said.

It had taken some effort, but Rei had managed to lose Frankie and transform. Now Sailor Mars leapt onto a third story balcony, she ducked down as the security cameras swept the area. “I'm here.” She whispered back. “All's clear up here.”

“Any sign of the party crashers?” Darien asked her.

Mars closed her eyes and concentrated on the feelings she was receiving. “Not yet, but I know they are here, TK, and they are close.”

Usa wrapped her arms around Darien's neck, “Alright. We will check the second floor and family quarters; Luna should have finished with her sweep of the attic and should be back on the first floor. Merc, hold your position.”

“Roger.” Both girls signed off.

Darien checked the hallway, it was finally clear. He grabbed Usa's hand and they took off.

“Dare,” Usa said after a few minutes of snooping and spying.

“Yeah, babe?” He pulled open another armoire and came up empty.

“If this turns out to be this Silver Imperial Crystal, what do you think will happen next?”

“We'll find the Moon Princess, I guess.” He turned back to her and tried to smile. “That's what this entire thing is about, right?”

She glanced down at her feet, hoping he would not see the sadness on her face.

That was one of Darien's many failings; he always noticed things, especially when it concerned his bunny. He went to her and laced his arms about her waist. “I know this is upsetting to you and believe me, I know how you feel…”

“But I have this feeling, Darien.” She cried softly.

He laid a finger across her lips. “Shh.” He raised his hand to tip up her chin, so she could see the truth of his words. “I love you, Serena Rensselaer-Tsukino. I love you and no one else. No one will ever mean as much to me as you do. I will not let them, I am selfish that way, but I don't care. I do not need or want anyone else in my life except for you. I love you…”

“How touching. Humans with their overly sentimental drivel.”

The two looked up sharply. Darien grabbed Usa and shoved her behind him as he glared at the demon before them.

It was the creature from the business district; the one that had attacked Sailor Moon. Darien stared contemptuously at the humanoid monster that leered down at them. This one seemed to have a brain of sorts. Instead of the gray uniform, the thing wore a tuxedo, Tuxedo Kaman's suit to be exact.

Darien's mouth thinned as his dark eyes narrowed dangerously. “What the hell are you and what the fuck do you want?”

Usa smacked him lightly on the back for his foul language.

The creature tipped its head to one side; the insidious leer became a bold smirk. “What I am, boy, is far more superior to you lowly humans. As for what I want? Well, that is easy. I want the Imperial Crystal and your deaths, Sailor Moon and Tuxedo Kamen.” With that, the creature threw out his left hand and blasted the two out the window.

Ami had heard it all. She came racing from the gardens fully transformed as she leapt over a ten-foot high hedge. People were screaming and running as glass and part of the wall came raining down from the third floor. She leapt out of the way of the falling debris and raised her eyes to the gigantic hole in the wall. To her horror, Mercury saw Darien hanging from the loosening brick by one hand. His other arm was wrapped protectively about Usagi's waist.

“Darien!” She heard her friend's terrified scream.

Mercury was desperate. She had to do something, but what?

“Usa!” Sam had rushed out side when he heard the blast. Nothing prepared him for this horrific sight. His kid sister's life was uncertain and some psychotic, floating madman was about to kill her.

Nephlyte floated out of the hole in the wall, a dark energy ball hovered between his hands, slowly gaining strength. “Good-bye, Sailor Brat.” He raised his hands high as he prepared to end their lives.

“No!” Usa shouted.

Darien grunted painfully. He was not going to let Usa die. He would not let her die. Dear God! His soul cried out. He had to save her.

Cackling madly, Nephlyte extended his arms over his head. Darien tightened his hold on Usa. The demon hurled the ball of dark power at the two…

“No!” Sam raced forward, screaming, “Usa!”

Mercury was leaping through the air. She had to make it!

At the last second, Darien let go of the wall. The black ball missed his head by inches. Nephlyte roared in denial as his targets escaped him. Darien slipped his free arm beneath Usa's legs as he prepared to take the brunt of the landing. Nephlyte dove after them just as Darien landed in a deep crouch.

Usa looked up and screamed, “Darien!”

He knew the bastard would attack; Darien had been counting on it. He set Usa down before him; she shrank back as the blade of his sword came up before her.

She realized what he was going to do, but she would not allow it.

Nephlyte was bearing down on them, a fanatical gleam in his blue eyes as he envisioned the death of the two warriors.

Darien was tense, ready to spring forward. Usa clasped her transformation broach tight to her breast. She would not let him do this alone.

Black energy formed around Nephlyte's hands, he drew back and—and was tackled from the air.

“Who…?” Mars landed before the two on the ground.

“Mars,” Usa whispered urgently. “Where's Merc? We need some cover over here.”

Mars called to the other warrior. Mercury was still perched on her hedge, watching some unknown warrior in black armor beat the life out of their latest enemy. The two rolled about on the garden floor, crushing foliage, and knocking over anything that had the misfortune of being in their way.

Nephlyte managed to toss the stranger off and went for his attack.

“Mercury,” Usa shouted. “Smoke screen! Now.”

The warrior of ice and water shook off her surprised stupor and called out, “Shabon Spray!” A dense, heavy fog settled over the ruined garden, hiding the contenders from all prying eyes. Mercury jumped down and ran to aid the stranger. She grabbed up a fallen tree limb to use as a weapon. She prayed she was not making a mistake and was being led into a trap. With her visor in place, she located the scuffling pair easily. Mercury held her makeshift club aloft as she leapt in the air.

The armored warrior looked up quickly and then without warning, he grabbed his foe by the arms and yanked him forward, directly under the Senshi's limb. The thick piece of wood bounced off the red headed creature's head with a wet, mushy sound, akin to an overripe melon being thrown against a wall.

Nephlyte staggered forward, tipping back before toppling to the ground in an unmoving heap. Mercury dropped to the ground in a crouch, prepared to strike with her broken club if that creature made the slightest attempt to move.

The person in the armor was also waiting; his right hand hovered over the sword at his side.

Behind him the hedges moved, he stood up, ready for another one of the dark minions.

Sailor Moon, Tuxedo Kamen, and Sailor Mars leapt over the hedge to stand before their friend.

The two Senshi looked down at Mercury and the half broken tree limb in her hands.

“You okay, Merc?” Kamen asked over his shoulder, his eyes were riveted on the stranger standing on the other side of Nephlyte.

“Hai, Kamen, I'm fine.”

“Who's your friend?” Mars clenched her fists tightly; flames came to life around her gloved hands.

A black warp hole opened beneath the downed Nephlyte. The armored warrior leapt forward, crying out harshly, his sword came flashing out of his scabbard only to cut off one of Nephlyte's hands before the creature was swallowed in the shadows.

“Damn it!”

Kaman pounced on the distracted warrior. The two rolled about for a couple of minutes before the tuxedo clad warrior pinned the stranger down.

“Who the hell are you?” the caped crusader had his sword back and was holding it over his prisoner throat.

“Iso!” The stranger cried out. “I'm on your side, hombre.”

He pressed the blade closer, his eyes darkened dangerously. “Who are you?” Kamen ground out through clenched teeth.

The man on the ground swallowed hard. “Francisco de la Santa Maria del Toro. My friends call me Frankie…”

Sailor Moon almost fell over. “Frankie!” She cried in disbelief.

Five

Usa decided that life could not get much worst than it already had, but it did.

Welcome to the day after the ball. A beautiful Sunday afternoon at Hikawa Jinja. It was a mild day, not overly warm; the temperature was comfortable around the temple grounds and slightly cool in the shade.

Usa, Ami, and Rei were resting on a blanket underneath one of the temple's famous cherry blossom trees, watching the lazy progression of large puffy clouds in the sky as they listened to Darien and Frankie's conversation.

The two young men were dressed in the blue and white robes of a novice. They had refused the wooden sandals Yurrichio had offered them and kept on their running shoes.

Usa had a good laugh at her boyfriend's expense while Rei thanked him for his generosity by helping out his friend. Usa and Ami managed to pull the industrial priestess away from the work, chase off Yurrichio, and enjoy the picnic Usa had brought.

Luna lay in the center of the blanket, scowling at everyone.

“I really don't know what happened.” Frankie was saying. He kicked a rock out of his path and continued with his raking. “I just felt something…can't explain it.”

“You best try…” Luna started.

Rei dropped a napkin over the cat's face.

“I'm never gonna get used to that.” Frankie said as he signed a cross over his chest. “A talking a cat.”

“Ignore her,” Darien told him. “That's what I do. What do we call you in battle, by the way?”

Frankie laughed, “Jadeite.” He told them.

The four warriors stared at him as if he were mad.

“What?” He cried.

“Jedite?” Luna almost screeched.

“Jedite?” Darien was reaching for a rose.

“Jedite?” Frankie looked confused. “Like in Star Wars? No, hombre. Jadeite, like the stone, jade, but then you add `ite'.”

“And how do you know this?” Darien asked.

His friend shrugged. “I don't. I just know it feels right. You know?”

“Sort of.”

“Yet you have no idea of how you transformed?” asked Ami getting back to their earlier question.

“Not at all.” He squinted up at the sky. “Well, I remember thinking about someone—a person who is very important to me…Someone I would give my life for.” He finished quietly.

Darien and Usa were staring at him with twin expressions of horror and disbelief.

“Frankie is being serious.” Usa cried. “Oh, God, Darien. Hell has frozen over!” She collapsed on her side, screaming in terror.

Ami threw a wadded up napkin at her. “Be serious.”

“I am!” Usa hollered.

“Anyway,” Darien scooped up a small pile of grass and walked over to his braying girlfriend. “This person you were thinking about. Was it a girl?”

Frankie eyed him skeptically. “Why does it always have to be about a girl with you?”

Darien flashed him a superior grin. “Why, Francisco I didn't know you swung that way.”

“I don't, you pervert. Shut up.”

Darien dumped the grass on Usa. “What did I tell you about braying? It's ain't attractive on farm animals and it sure as hell isn't an attractive sound coming from my girlfriend.”

She sputtered, spitting out grass as she pushed herself. “Shields, you're dead…”

He grabbed her brow and pushed her back down. “Okay, you don't know if your person is a guy or girl?”

“It's a guy.” He joined the group and dropped down beside the basket. “I would bet Drew's favorite jersey on it.”

“A guy?” Rei said. “We are searching for a Princess and crystal…”

Frankie shook his head, “Don't know anything about a princess or some crystal. I…” He looked up at the sky, the colour seemed to mimic his eye colour. “I have to find the others.”

The group was looking at him strangely.

Darien cleared his throat loudly. Frankie lowered his gaze to them and they all smiled at him.

“The others?” Darien asked skeptically. Yeah, Frankie was defiantly off.

Frankie nodded. “Yeah.”

“Would you care to elaborate?” Luna said.

He looked away. “You all are connected to the moon?”

They exchanged questioning looks. The girls gestured for Usa to answer him, she glared at them, and Rei waved her fist under Usa's nose. She growled then sighed. “We,” she gestured at Rei, Ami, and herself. “We are connected to moon and we are searching for our Princess.”

“Serenity.” Frankie said quietly.

The four warriors looked down at Luna. The cat was staring at Frankie with her mouth gapped open. “How--?” the cat sputtered.

The young Spaniard rolled to his feet and grabbed his rake and went back to work. And that was extremely odd for him. Darien and Usagi were freaking out.

“He's industrious.” Rei murmured.

“He avoided Luna's question.” Ami stood up and went over to where Frankie was.

“What the hell is going on?” Darien stared wide-eyed at his housemate.

Absently, Usa smacked his arm. “Stop swearing.” She then remembered something. “Luna,” she picked up the cat and turned it to her face. “You've been holding out on us again, kitty.”

Luna trembled at the dangerous look in the girl's icy eyes. “I have a good reason.”

“None that will excuse this omission.” Usa said gravely.

Rei chose to join in at that point. “I wonder what else she's been keeping from us, Usagi-chan.”

“Yes, Luna. What other secrets have you been keeping from us?” The girl purred with completely evil look in her cool eyes.

While Luna was being interrogated, Ami was trying to get some more answers from Frankie. The normally open, talkative young man was surprising tight-lipped on the on the matters of his sudden abilities and whomever it was that he served. They all decided to let the matter drop for the moment and finished their work around the temple.

The next few days were odd ones. There were no attacks—of the mutated critter kind—but the group was attacked by the press. Frankie and Usa watched all five exposes of the “Sailor Girls and the Crime Fighting Phantom.” (One imaginative reporter had dubbed them, the Super Sailor V fighters and the Caped Swordsman.) Darien hated every name the press had given him and he complained about being second to them. (He started shortly after Sailor V had disappeared, four months before Usagi uttered her transformation phrase.)

Usa and her mom and Molly went all out on the Sailor Girls' merchandise. She even dragged Darien out on her largest shopping spree. By the end of the week, Usagi owned all the Sailor Girls' paraphernalia. Darien refused to enter her bedroom saying it was narcissism at its worst. (He secretly owned a Sailor Moon action figure. But it was his secret.)

By week's end, Frankie was ready to give up his search for his `others'. The enemy hadn't shown and all he done was join Darien and the girls at the gym for training, go to his classes, and attempt to study. Saturday afternoon rolled around and still nothing had happened.

Darien was in Osaka with his guardian for something that Darien said was important. The little brunette chick with the short hair was away at swim meet which left Frankie patrolling with Usa and the very delectable little miko who had captured Frankie's attention from the moment they first met.

Usagi was driving them around town in Darien's latest toy, a Porsche Cayenne. (Darien loved Porsche and Porsche loved him.)

“I still can't believe Darien lets you drive his car.” Rei said from the back seat. They had just picked her from her family temple, late that lazy afternoon. Yurrichio had been on the grounds, glaring at Frankie. The two had been staring and gauging each other, like two predatory wolves sniffing about the same mate. But Frankie was not going to allow that shaggy-haired lecher get anywhere near what Frankie had decided was his.

Frankie was thinking of a ways of asking Rei out, when Usa pulled sharply pulled into a parking space and got out. Rei was already moving, Usa looked back at Frankie and told him to get moving. One of the alarms Ami had set up was going off. Frankie got out and watched as Usa and Rei took two of Darien's rapiers from the converted trunk and hid them in a black case which Usa strapped to her back and they ran for the park.

“Damned creatures always went to the park,” Rei muttered.

Usa smirked. They were becoming more like each other. Now if she could only be more graceful or genteel like Rei, Usa's life would have been perfect.

They all ducked into an alley and transformed. Then it was off to the rooftops.

Lita wanted to kick herself being all kinds of fools. Lita had, while in a drunken stupor, agreed to do some of the grilling and she had been doing since she got there. She also had Usa's rotten little animal with her for her sorority's mascot. It was the annual KO University Frat and Sororities picnic/barbeque. She was hot, bored, and smelled of charcoal and cooked meats. She had seen Mina Aino earlier, they chatted briefly before Mina went off to talk to her sisters. Hotaru and Sam hung around before she and Mina went at it. Dave and Jiro dropped by to eat, Josh was there for a couple, but he left soon after to finish with one of his paper. No one had seen Frankie all day, which was odd for a guy who practically lived for free food and beer.

Still, she had been expecting to see Usa. That girl could hang with the best of them when it came to eating and free food, she would run down Frankie if he got in between her and piece of free food.

Lita was just turning another set of burgers when she heard the first scream. She looked up and was tackled from to the ground. Lita heard someone scream her name and the next second the gigantic bee-like creature was knocked off her. She tried to sit up but was gently pushed back down. Long, platinum blonde hair, streaked with silver fell before her eyes. Lita's looked up and her eyes went wide in shock. Kneeling beside her was one of the Sailor girls, the blond one. Sailor Moon.

Sailor Moon hovered protectively over her cousin, her pale eyes narrowed into dangerous slits as she waited for the droid to attack again. In the background she could hear Mars and Jadeite working on the rest.

Slowly, the warrior rose to her feet, her right hand went to her brow. The creature roared and made to charge the two girls. Moon snatched her tiara from her brow and sent it flying. The creature dodged it, which was what Moon was expecting. She leapt over her cousin, rushed forward as she drew her sword from her subspace pocket and plunged it into the creature's heart. The beast screamed in pain and tried to fall back, Moon stayed on it. She pushed the blade in deeper until it tore its back, the thing screams became shrill from agony. Moon ripped the blade out its chest and stabbed it in the throat. The force of the blow sent the creature to the ground where it twitched violently until it died. Moon looked about the park with hard silver eyes. There were ten mutated freaks; Mars and Jadeite were swamped as people and paparazzi crowded about to watch the “show,” they all seemed to have forgotten that this was real and that people could die.

She was not about to let that happen. Sailor Moon reached up and caught her tiara. Grimly, she replaced the ornament to her brow. Something dangerous and powerful came to life in her eyes.

The air seemed to come to life. Charged with lighting, magic, and life. Lita had never felt anything like this before. Whatever it was, it called to her and joined the melody in her blood and thundered along with the rhythm in her heart.

It was strong, stronger than anything she had ever known.

Sailor Moon closed her eyes and relished in the new gift that had been bestowed upon her.

“…Princess…” the wind seemed to whisper. “…Princess…”

She reached for it.

Why was she protecting her?

Shouldn't it be…?

…It is your scared duty as…

Her fingertips grazed it.

Our once peaceful kingdom…Our beautiful…

…She glows with white light…Our once peaceful kingdom…

Almost! If she could only grab it.

…to protect the Princess…

…sworn never leave her…

“Get up!”

She was jerked to her feet by invisible hands.

“Take it now!”

Her hand closed around the cylinder, she felt a rush power fill her.

“Defend our holy Kingdom.”

Mars turned away from the creature she had just set ablaze as she tried to locate the voice. Defend our holy Kingdom? Who?

Her eyes searched for Sailor Moon but her eyes were drawn to the glowing figure behind her.

“Mars!” Jadeite shouted to her.

Mars was not listening. All she could think about was getting to her leader. She whipped out two of her charms and flung them on two beasts coming on both sides of her. The creatures froze in their tracks.

“Moon!” Mars shouted as the thing behind the petite warrior rose up.

“Moon Healing Escalation!” Sailor Moon thrust a staff in the air. The large crescent moon on top flashed brightly, drawing all the light to it, absorbing everything before it exploded in a brilliant display of intense white light.

Mars lowered her arm and she looked around at the sight. People were lowering their arms and hands from their eyes, but the creatures were gone. Piles of fine grain dust drifted about in the air. In the background people were asking each other what was going on and what had happened. She was wondering the same thing. Then she remembered the glowing thing that had been behind Sailor Moon. She turned back to her leader, her amethyst eyes became as large as saucers.

Jadeite lowered his sword as he stared at the girl in the green mini skirt and half boots.

“Lit—“

“Senshi!” Mars shot him a warning look.

Moon glanced back at the warrior standing behind her and she smiled.

“Sailor Jupiter, I presume?” A saucy grin appeared on her face.

The new looked down at herself and then back at the blonde warrior. “Us—“

“Senshi.” Sailor Moon barked, “Retreat.” She ran toward Jupiter, caught her arm and pulled her out of the park. Mars and Jadeite followed suit, ignoring the startled cries and calls for autographs from the college students in the park.

Their safe spot was half a block over near an abandoned warehouse. The three more experienced warriors detransformed. Jupiter gawked at them.

“Usa!” She cried in horror.

Usagi touched the emerald broach on her cousin's fuku and she demorphed. “Go back to the park and pretend that nothing happened.” She ordered.

How was that possible? Lita started at her strangely. Her cousin, she was Sailor Moon and her friend was Mars and Frankie—She did not know what Frankie was.

Rei peeked around the corner. “It's clear.” She told them.

Usa nodded. “We have to get back to the car. Frankie, you follow Lita back to the park. Wait three minutes then run in looking wild eyed and worried. Lita, damn, you're injuries have healed. But that will be alright. Just tell everyone that you were saved by the Senshi or something. Rei let's go.”

“But, Usa…”

Her cousin and her friend were gone, leaving Lita alone with Frankie.

“What just happened to me?” She asked the empty air.

Frankie pulled out his sunglasses and ran his fingers through his disheveled hair. “What happened, me amore, is that you are now a Sailor Senshi looking for some Princess and a rock.”

Lita turned her wild eyes on him, Frankie grinned.

“You'll get used to it.” He winked before he covered his eyes. “But seriously, we need to get out of here. We do have secret identities to maintain.”

Lita returned to the park a short while later and the first thing she heard was, “Sam, we found her!” The next thing was that she caught up in her cousin's arm and was being hugged to death.

“Oh, God, Lita.” Sam cried as he checked her over for injuries. “Are you alright?”

She stared at him blankly.

When Lita did not answer him, Sam shook her hard. “Snap out of it, Lita.” He was already worried, now this was scary. Sam caught her chin with one hand made her look at him. Lita's pupils were dilated and her were glassy. “Shit!” He swore under his breath. “Dave, Jiro! Help. It's Lita.” Gently, Sam took Lita into his arms. His friends joined him and hurried for the closest exit.

Usagi's cell phone was ringing by the time she and Rei reached the car. She tossed the thing to Rei as she stowed their gear in the trunk.

“She's right here, Tsukino-san.” Rei was saying as Usagi unlocked the doors. “No, we were on our way there. We are alright. Hai, lie? Her cousin was attacked?” She met Usagi's questioning gaze. “Tokyo General. Hai, hai. We will be there shortly.” She rung off and handed the phone back to her friend. “Lita collapsed at the park.” She told her.

Usa put the car in gear and pulled out of lot. “I'm not surprised. It the same thing that happened to you and Ami. She summoned her own transformation rod and managed to finish off that red headed demon that was behind her.”

“The one from the Ball?” Rei was shocked.

She nodded. “I don't know how she did it, but her power joined with mine and she used it to take him down and turn him to dust.”

“Are you sure it was she?” Rei asked skeptically.

“Who else could it have been? We were the only ones there.” She noticed the intent, ponderous expression on her friend's face and she said. “I don't believe in Urban Legends, Rei.”

“Nor do I,” the other girl said quietly. “Yet Usa it would explain—“

“Sailor V is not real.” Usagi said firmly.

“There are nine planets, Usa-chan. We've just located a fourth warrior.”

“But V?” She said contemptuously.

“How about Venus?” The idea made sense to Rei. It felt right somehow.

Usa braked for a red light; she shook her head to clear it. “Sailor Venus?” She glanced at Rei.

The miko nodded. “Why not?”

Why not indeed, Usa mussed. The light changed and she turned left. “We won't know until we discover the truth. Does V really exist and if she does, is our ally or our enemy.”

“You're a pessimist.” Rei laughed softly.

Usa snorted, “Yeah and you're Mary-frickin'-sunshine right now.”

“Cynic.”

“Frankie lover.”

Rei gasped. “Take that back, Usa!”

“Or is it Yurrichio who owns your heart?”

“It neither!” Rei declared haughtily. “I have no use for men in my life.”

Usa smirked, “Yeah, right.”

“I don't.”

“You're just playing hard to get.”

“You calling me a tease?”

“If the shoe fits!”

“Usa!”

The other girl laughed. “You are too easy, Rei.”

“Bite me.” Rei growled.

She pretended to think about it; all the while mischief was sparkling in her eyes. “Naw, I'll let Frankie or Yurrichio do that.”

“Why couldn't you just stay away from my temple that day?” Rei moaned piteously.

Usa continued to laugh at her stricken expression.

They reached the hospital soon after. Usa and Rei rushed to emergency ward. The trauma center was pack and people were still coming in from the incident at the park. There were no serious injuries. The college students were complaining of slight headaches and had bruises from when they fell or collided with another person.

They managed to skirt the mess and find Lita already being released.

Everyone was there: Usa's parents, Sam and his housemates including a sheepish Frankie, Mina and Hotaru and four other people Usa did not know. Ilene was organizing everyone, they all wanted to accompany Lita home and make sure she was alright.

Usa waved Frankie over and surreptitiously slipped Darien's car keys into his hand before she rushed off to join her family.

A half-hour later Lita was settled in her bed with Usa tucked in beside her.

Usagi had climbed into bed with her cousin and gloomed to herself to Lita's side like a puppy. Sam was lounging at the foot of the bed, absently picking at the light summer quilt that covered the bed. The spacious room was packed with their friends, who covered every available space.

“I can't believe it, Li.” Andrew was saying. “You met Sailor Moon.”

“She didn't meet her, Drew.” Hotaru made Sam sit up so she could sit on his lap. “Sailor Moon was saving her life.”

“A lot of good that did her.” A tall, slender blonde young woman with short hair said disgustedly. “One of those creatures still managed to carry Lita off.”

“Alex, please.” Lita said wearily. “There were only two Sailor girls there and they were doing their best.”

“Yeah,” Yaten Kou chimed in excitedly. “Dude, what happened to the other Sailor girl and the boy-toy in the tux?”

Frankie snickered. Darien was just going to love his latest nickname.

“I think they traded him in for the dude in the armor.” Dave suggested.

“I don't know why? Boy toy was hot.” Yaten sighed dreamily.

Rei stared at him for a moment before turning to Usa.

Usa looked like she was going to attack the famous pop star. How dare the fruity little bastard ogle her man!

“Wait!” Jiro called from Lita's desk, “I want to know where the chick in the green cheerleading costume came from?”

“I want to know to know where she got those out-dated ankle boots?” Mina threw in.

“Forget her. What about the red cheerleader has those `Goddamn' high heels.” Dave and Frankie shared a high five.

“Long legs, mini skirt,” Frankie sang.

“All she needs is a pair of fishnet stockings, a little red garter and matching garter belt and I'm on it.” Dave hooted.

“Testify!” Frankie shouted merrily.

“Naw man,” Seiya put in, “The little one. That chick is hot to death.”

“I want to hit that myself.” Andrew put in.

Usa and Rei exchanged twin looks of horror and disgust.

“You pigs!” Hotaru spat. “Have you forgotten that there are ladies present?”

“Da, you gang of perverts.” Alex said darkly. “We do not want about your balnoy (sick) fantasies.”

Frankie tapped Dave on the shoulder, “What does balnoy mean?”

Dave shrugged, “I don't know. Ask the Russian.”

“She said that you were sick.” The latest member of their little group told them.

Lita looked up at the tall, dark skinned girl entered the room and she smiled broadly. “Trista.” She waved the over. “Honey, I did not think you would make it?”

Honey? More than a few people mouthed.

“I was on my way back from the airport when I heard the news on the radio.” Trista said as she bent to touch her cheek to Lita's. “Thanos was going to stay, but we called the hospital and they told us you weren't seriously injured.”

“Oh, that was sweet of him.” Lita moved her legs, making room for Trista to sit down. “I'm sorry I didn't get to see him before he left.”

“Oh, don't worry about it.” Trista made a dismissive gesture. “He had to get back to his restaurant before Milo burned it down or something.”

“Still, I wanted to see him.” Lita pouted. “I haven't seen him since Cory's wedding.” She nudged Sam with her foot. “You remember Cory Duncan, right?”

He frowned for a moment, trying to affix the name to face, his eyes lit up and he nodded. “Yeah, his sister used to baby-sit us all when we lived in LA. My god, he's married?”

“Who are you guys talking about?” Hotaru demanded.

The three people blushed and laughed sheepishly. “Sorry, love.” Sam pressed a kiss against her neck.

“We were just reminiscing.” Lita told her.

“So you guys are American?” Alex asked them.

“Japanese and American,” Sam told her.

“I'm German and American.” Lita corrected.

“Kino's Japanese.” Jiro said.

“It's also a German word.” Lita yawned broadly. “But it doesn't matter.”

“So you all grew up in La La Land.” Dave asked.

Trista nodded. “The same neighborhood. All of the children of movie stars, directors, producers, and studio executives.”

“Which one were your parents, Sam?” Jiro said.

“Mom. She was on a soap and did a few films before she started making a living as photojournalist.” Sam found a lock of Hotaru's hair and started to play with it. “Lita's mom, our mom's twin, she was actress, too.”

“Mother only did films.” Lita said snidely. Sam stuck his tongue out at her in response.

“What about your dad?” Jiro asked interestedly.

“You've never heard of Kasper Kino?” Sam laughed.

“The Kasper Kino?” Jiro cried.

“Yes,” Usa had to get in one. “The one and only. He's my uncle.” She beamed.

“Shut up.” Dave tossed a fuzzy slipper at her.

“But he was married to Daphne Rose and they had a daughter named Lindsay.” Said one Kasper Kino fan, (Jiro had seen all of the man's film and was a student of his style.)

“Lindsey Brita Rensselaer-Kino.” Lita told them.

“How did you come up with Lita?” Rei asked curiously.

“Their father?” Lita pointed at Usa and Sam. “He took the first two letters of my first name and the last two of my middle name and he came up with Lita and I've been stuck with it.”

Usa was studying Trista and it hit her. “You're the girl Darien's tutoring!”

Trista looked down at the Usa shocked face and smiled. “I was beginning to wonder if you remembered me, Serena.”

Usa threw herself in the older girl's arms and hugged her tight. “Puu! Oh, my God.” She sat back and looked Trista over, “Oh, wow! Why didn't you guys tell me that Trista was Puu! I was planning on kicking your ass for trying to get with my man.” She hugged her again. “Wow, I haven't seen you seen since I was like five…Oh, but wait!” She let go of Trista so fast that the other girl fell back on the bed. She held her hand out to Rei. “Puu, this is one of my new best friends.” She pushed the blankets back so Rei could climb in with her and Lita.

Rei flashed Lita an apologetic grin, Lita just nodded and made room for her.

“Puu, this is Rei Hino. Rei-chan, this my most favorite person in the world next to Lita, Mina, and Hotaru and Dave.” She winked at the blond playboy on the who was clacking away on Lita's computer. He winked back.

“Trista Meiou.” The olive skinned girl introduced herself.

“Puu.” Usa corrected.

“It's an honor Meiou-san.” Rei said politely.

“Please, just call me Trista.”

Usa crawled over to Sam and Hotaru. “Hey, I want some ice cream.”

“Do I look like Darien?” Sam shoved her back.

“Speaking of the child,” Hotaru started.

“Don't start on my baby brother, you black haired witch.” Mina said coldly.

Hotaru glared at him. “It would mean something if he truly was your brother, Blondie.”

“You want a piece of me?” Mina hissed.

“Chick fight.” Seiya hooted. The two girls glared at him. He paled and moved behind his taller brother. “I'm shutting up now.” He squeaked.

“Will someone please get me some ice cream!” Usagi cried in desperation.

The phone at Lita's bedside rang. “Moshii, moshii.” She had to plug her ear just so she could hear who was on the other end. “Grandmother? Hello.” She glared at the people in the room. Sam almost shoved Hotaru off his lap. Usa tripped over both Rei and Trista as she tried to get out of the bed. “Yes, ma'am, I am well. No, ma'am, I became dizzy, I am well. They are here.” She shoved the phone at Usa.

Usa tried to move away from it, but she ran only into people and Lita shoved the receiver to her ear. “Hello, Grandmother.” She dropped back on her rear with a pout. “I am fine. I am doing well in school this semester. Yes, ma'am. I will be accompanying mother to New York. Yes, ma'am. Grandmother, Samuel would like to say hello.” She threw the phone at her brother; he caught it before it beamed him.

Sam shot her a murderous look; she made a face at him. While Sam spoke to their grandmother (actually their great-grandmother,) Usa settled back in the bed with a pout.

“I want some ice cream.” She said sourly.

“Me, too.” Rei pouted..

“We ran out last night.” Lita reached for her purse. She fished around until she found her wallet. “Why don't you two run out and pick some up.” She handed the wallet to Usa. “Dave, do you see my PDA over there?”

He held it up.

“And while you're at the store, could you two grab the stuff on that list.”

Usa dropped her head on Rei's shoulder and groaned. “Fine. Frankie, give me Darien's car keys.”

“What!” Sam cried out in horror.

“Darien let's you drive his car?” Drew was gaping at the keys Frankie passed over his head to the little girl on the bed.

Jiro was practically drooling. “Usa, baby…”

“Every time I turn around, someone is hitting on my girlfriend.”

Usa turned to the door and her expression brightened. “Darien!” She held her arms out to him.

He made his way into the room, trying not to trip over the people in the floor. “You do know the Tsukinos have a living room, a den, and rec room. What's up, Kous?”

“Shields.” Seiya nodded.

“Hey, sis.” He said to Mina once he had reached the bed. Darien easily exacted his beloved from the over crowded bed. “Hey, you.” He pressed a chaste kiss to her lips.

“Hey yourself.” She cupped his face in her hands; a soft smile graced her lips.

“Miss me?”

“Of course.” She hugged him. “We have to talk.” She whispered.

“What's up?” He said against her ear.

“Help Rei out of the bed, I'll tell you on the way to the store.” She pressed a kiss beside his ear before she let him go.

Darien sat her down on her feet, then he turned and reached for Rei.

Usa adjusted her pants and tank top. “Frankie, you're coming?”

He started to say no, he noticed the intent look in her eyes and he nodded. He stood up and followed her out the door. Darien and Rei came down soon after. Rei had Lita's PDA in her hands.

“You forgot this.” She told Usagi.

“Oh, yeah.” She said sourly. “I just wanted some ice cream.”

“What's all this?” Darien took it and glanced down at list. “Chicken, curry powder, wild rice…”

“Shopping list.” She rooted through the pile of shoes before the door until she found her sandals and Rei's. “Mom, we're going to store.” She hollered.

“Usa,” her mother popped her head out of the kitchen. “I ordered supper, but we're out of soft drinks and dessert.”

“Colas and pies.” Usa asked.

“CrÃ¨me pies.” Ilene told her.

“Will do.”

“Oh, boys,” She said to Darien and Frankie, “Will you be staying for supper?”

“Yes, ma'am.” Darien told her. “We'll chip in of course.”

“You better.” Usa stuck her feet in her sandals. “You guys can put me to shame.”

“Rei? You are still staying over?”

“If it is no problem…”

“Of course not. Ami will be coming over as well. Usa, you will be doubling up.”

“That's alright. Daddy went to pick her up from her school?”

Ilene nodded. “Oh, one of Lita's sorority sister dropped your cat off.”

“Okay, could you feed her, please?”

“I'll have Sam do it.” Ilene turned back towards the kitchen.

“Alright, let's go.” Darien took his keys from Usa and they herded out the front door.

Back in Lita's room, Jiro confirmed that Frankie did get in the car with Darien and the two girls.

“Is it just me or is something weird going on with them?” Dave asked the room.

“No, something is definitely up?” Sam rested his chin on Hotaru's shoulder. I've been able to excuse Darien and Usa's behavior. Dare's a genius and he a bit eccentric; And Usagi—Usa always doing something. She doesn't know how to stay still.”

“What is it that you suspect Darien and Usagi to be hiding?” Mina asked him.

Sam shrugged. “I haven't a clue.” He confessed. “But I just have this feeling…”

“Then say it.” Mina snapped. “If you think my brother is in any danger—“

Sam cast about helplessly. To be honest, he hadn't a single clue of what was going on with Darien and his sister. But it was tied up in Usagi's new friends and somehow, Frankie was now apart of it.

Six

Usagi should have known this week was going to be a bad one. After what happened on Sunday and that disastrous meeting when Luna went after Lita, Usagi should have known to just stayed in her room for the week and let the thing pass. Lita did not like Luna and vice versa. Luna tried her standard authoritarian method with Usa's cousin. Lita really disliked the cat, but that just put her over the line to hate.

Monday was just as bad as Sunday. But it concerned Hotaru, Darien, and Mina. Usagi removed Darien from the equation but somehow Sam was dragged into it. (Sam had went out with Mina a couple times before he and Hotaru started dating. Mina claimed that Hotaru had stolen her boyfriend and she wanted him back.)

Tuesday, there was a battle. Usa and Ami were hurt, Frankie and Lita wanted to take them to the hospital, but the question of secret identities came up. Lita warned them this was the last time for that stupid little rule.

Wednesday, Josh and Jiro were at K O University Library when they had fight off a group of mutated creatures. The group and their enemy had shock as Josh and Jiro joined the battle as two armored warriors and to their surprise, they were protecting Darien. Which led to another reason Usagi wanted to hole up her room for the rest of the week? The three male warriors did not have gaping holes in their memories like Luna and the Senshi. Ami had been right when she had told them that Frankie been evasive when they first questioned him about who it was his served. Frankie, Josh, and Jiro were three of the four Royal Terran Guardians who protected the Crown Prince of Terra (Earth)/the Golden Kingdom, Prince Endymion.

Usa guessed at the identity of their lord before the three revealed who their Prince was. It was the first time she had ever turned away from Darien. It was her worst fear come to life.

Thursday. A war was brewing within their ranks. Luna (that little instigator) was once again trying to cause trouble between the Senshi and the Terran Guards. That cat was adamant in her belief the girls did not need any help from outside sources. For once, Usagi had to give Luna her due. When that cat wanted something, she would not stop until she had it. But her stubbornness was not helping them.

Usa was still reeling from the after shocks of finding out the truth about Darien. You see, Darien had not only been the Prince of the entire planet in his past life, he was the lover the girls' Princess as well as her soul mate. Luna had managed to make Usagi feel guilty by insinuating that the girl had betrayed their princess and so forth. Darien stood by his original decision. He wanted Usagi and was going to stay with her. The question was placed before Usa. The conflicted girl was torn by her duty to the unknown, man stealing Princess and her love for Darien. Somehow it turned into a huge fight with Darien's Guards who put his feelings first and the Senshi and their oath to their Princess. Usagi left them to sort out their problems as she went home to sort out her own emotions.

Friday wasn't great either, but it was getting better. Darien was adamant. He refused to give up on her and he would not let her give up on them. Her friends, despite of had happened with the Generals (as the guys chose to call themselves,) they told her not to give up on her love.

Usa was showered by Darien's many displays of affection. Every hour of day, she received a bouquet of roses. Their special song was played on the two radio stations he owned and a heart felt declaration of his love and list of her many virtues appeared in his newspaper and both ran all day on a ticker of his cable news channels for all of Japan to see.

He called her that night and asked if she wanted to go to the movies on Saturday. Luna ordered her to say no, Lita tossed the cat outside, she closed her cousin's bedroom door after she encouraged Usa to say yes.

Luna snuck back in and admonished the girl for once again betraying their Princess. That cat told Usa that Darien did not have his full memories and could not be in love with Usagi. She went on to claim that once Darien had seen the Princess, his memories of his life as Prince Endymion would return to him and he would return to his true love, the Moon Princess.

Once she was sure she had suitable crushed Usagi's hopes of ever having a future with Darien; The obnoxious feline stretched out on the girl's bed for a peaceful night's rest. Before that, the evil creature had the audacity to wish Usa a good night.

Heart sick, Usagi ran for her room and into Lita's. Her cousin held her as the blonde child cried helplessly into her arms. Lita did not release her until Usa had fallen asleep. It broke Lita's heart to see her cousin suffering, but she could do nothing to end Usa's suffering. Everything hinged on the Moon Princess.

Saturday rolled around. Usagi had made her decision. She loved Darien; she loved him with all her heart and soul. She would love him for the rest of her life. She was also bound to the Princess by her oath and her destiny. Usagi knew she could not have both. Luna could have been right about Darien leaving her for the Princess one day. She would have lived with that. But there was also the other scenario. The one were Darien chose to stay with her and she breaks her oath to her Princess. Usagi knew she could not do that. Therefore she decided to end her relationship with Darien. Be first, she wanted one more day with him, while he still loved her. Only her. She would enjoy this last day with him.

It was Saturday afternoon, two hours since she had left school. She had been on her way to the arcade to meet Darien when she ran into Molly and Umino. They were on their way to the Fruit Parlor, since she was going in that direction, Usa opted to tag along with them. Umino had been the one who suggested they take a short cut through the blasted park and like a fool, she agreed.

What the heck had she been thinking?

She hadn't been thinking. That had been her problem.

Her mind was preoccupied by the pain of this decision so Usagi was forced to play helpless bystander in this little drama. She was running about and shrieking as each situation demanded since Molly refused to let go of her hand long enough for Usa to make her escape and transform.

The new freak in charge was a real madman who seemed to live by the motto `more was best'. He had come with ten mutated pets and a lot of bad attitude.

Molly screamed in Usa's ear. The petite blonde shoved her friend aside as a mutated beetle with blades for arms swung two down at them. Usa rolled out of the way and kicked out at the creature's feet from beneath it.

“Aro Ryo Tan San!” Mars hurtled a charm at the creature's back.

The thing screamed in agony as the spell penetrated its armored shell. Usa pushed herself to her knees only to be kicked down. A booted foot was planted on her neck.

Jupiter, Mars, Mercury, and Kamen froze in place.

Zoycite held his sword over Usa's heart. “One more step, Sailor Senshi, and this innocent dies.”

Usa grunted painfully as she tried to push the foot of her throat.

“Kill—him!” She gasped. “Kill…”

Zoycite applied more pressure, Usa squealed helplessly.

“Get off her!” Umino screamed at him.

“Help her!” Molly screamed in terror, her eyes pleading.

Usa pounded on the freak's leg, he laughed at her pitiful efforts as he taunted the four warriors. “Yes, please kill me and this child will die as well.” His laughter became more manic. “Come on, you proud warriors of Silver Millennium, bound by your scared duty to protect all innocent lives…”

Kamen growled menacingly at the dark warrior. He could feel Usa's fear and panic, but he could also feel her rage. She did not care if she had to die, she did not want the freaks to win.

“Dar—“ Usa choked out.

“You filthy little toad!” Bellowed the thoroughly enraged, katana welding Tuxedo Kamen. “Get. Off. Of. Her. NOW!”

Zoycite gawked at him incredulously then he laughed. “Little man, you have no idea—“ his boast was cut off when Tux threw his katana at the effeminate little weasel's chest. Zoycite's reaction was swift, he managed to knock the blade away; however, and he lost his footing and stumbled back. Usa rolled out of the way. Zoycite summoned an energy ball and was about to launch it at the girl's unprotected back…

Out of the nowhere, a golden chain shot out and wrapped about Zoycite's extended arm and looped about his neck. Tuxedo Kamen leapt forward and grabbed Usa up and hid her in the protective folds of his cape. He directed his murderous eyes on the shrieking demon.

“You will pay for touching her.” He ripped off his mask. Wanting the thing to see the face off the one who was going to end its pitiful existence. “V, rip his damn head off.”

The person holding onto the other end gave a sharp tug on the chain. Darien raised his cape and covered Usa's face. Inside her shelter, Usa clutched at the front of Darien's jacket and buried her face in chest.

“No one will hurt you again, Bun.” Darien let the cape fall aside and he cupped her face with his free hand. “I would never let anything happen to you. You know that right?”

“Darien!” She reached up and threw her arms around his neck. The moon Princess be damned. If she wanted Darien, the Princess was going to have to kill her; Usa was not going to give him up without a fight.

Zoycite disintegrated into a pile of dead meat. Behind them, Molly screamed. The Senshi and the Generals galvanized into action. Darien stood up, Bunny hurriedly pushed his mask to his face. Darien did his best to keep her face hidden as they fled the park. Jadeite and Nephlyte had thrown their capes over Molly and Umino and the group, with their “hostages” fled the scene.

“Yo, Cape-boy.” Jade called to his Prince. News helicopters and the cops were on their heels.

“Can this wait?” Kamen called over his shoulder.

“Darien,” Usa moaned weakly as they went plunging over the side of ten-story building. “God, put me down so I can transform. All this—“ he leapt over another building. “Heck, Moon Prism…”

“We lost them.” Merc shouted.

“Everyone, break off.” Jupiter told them. She could take over and issuing commands like a pro. “We meet back at the house in five minutes.”

“What about these two?” Zoisite asked her.

“Bring them along.” She said, “Kamen, don't drop your bundle.”

“But what about the…” Mars started to say.

Kamen turned on his heel, he stood on the ledge of the building with Usa clinging to his arms. “Don't worry, miko, I will bring our guest along.” With that he leapt off the side of the building and into an alley.

Usagi staggered out of his arms and into corner where she relieved her stomach while he de-transformed.

“That's attractive.” He pulled out his cell phone and hit a number in his call log.

Usa sat back on her heels and drew in a deep breath. “Keep that up mister and I will kiss you.” She closed her eyes as she raised her face to the sky. “Who are you calling?”

“Min.” Darien said into phone. “Sis, where are you?” He reached out and brushed a strain of hair away from Usagi's face, his eyes were fixed on the bruise forming on her delicate neck and they hardened to sapphire bits. “We can meet you there.” He told his sister, “No, she's not hurt. Good. See you in two minutes.” He put his phone away.

Usagi opened her eyes and met his. “You want to tell me how you know Sailor V and why you've been keeping it a secret all this time?”

“You already know the answer to that.” He held his right hand out to her. “We should go. Mina will be waiting.”

She looked at proffered hand then at him. Usagi pushed herself to her feet and stepped past him. “How could you keep something like this from me, Darien?” She stepped out into the sunlight. Darien was right behind her.

“Buns, you know I wouldn't lie to you.” He slipped his arm around her shoulders as he led her towards the intersection they were to meet Mina.

“Then what do you call this?” She demanded angrily.

“I call it family loyalty.” He glanced into a shop window as they passed. There was a necklace in there that would have looked great on Usagi. He committed the store's name to memory. He would stop by tomorrow to pick it up.

She jabbed her elbow into his ribs, “You're not listening to me.”

Darien winced, “God, woman. Why did you to hit me, I was thinking about buying you something.”

“I don't want anything except answers, Shields.”

“Don't call me that.” He warned. Darien sighed. “Buns, I don't want you to think I did not trust you.”

“Well you didn't.” She shook his arm off only to have him put it back.

“I wanted to tell you. But I was swore to Min that I would keep her secret.”

“Why you?” She stopped on the middle of the sidewalk and turned to him. “She should have come to one of us…”

Darien pulled her close and whispered into her right ear. “I because I was her sidekick.” A car horn blew. He glanced over his shoulder, Mina had pulled to the curb and was blocking the pedestrian traffic.

“Hey, little brother. You two plan on staying in that spot all day or do have to get a ticket before you move?” She called to them.

“You were Ace?” she whispered back.

“Today, Dare.” Mina shouted.

“Get off the crosswalk.” Some guy shouted.

“Don't touch my car, moron.” She made an obscene gesture.

Darien touched his brow to Usa's and groaned loudly.

“Darien!” Mina snapped.

“Let's go before your sister kills someone.” She started to kiss him, but Darien drew back.

“God, woman, have you forgotten that you just puked.” He made a face.

One minute later, they buckled in and speeding through downtown Tokyo. Usagi sat in the back seat with Mina's mound of shopping bags.

“Are you sure you're alright, Usagi?” Mina glanced the girl in her review mirror.

Usagi rubbed at her sore throat. “I'll be alright, Sailor V, but thank you for asking.”

“It's Venus.” Mina corrected. “We should get you checked out…”

“I'll be fine.” Usa told her. “I just want to go home.”

Mina glanced at Darien, he nodded, “Home it is.” She said. “It's time I reestablished my command as leader of the Imperial Senshi.”

It wasn't exactly the great meeting of the minds. Heck, it was just barely civil. Usagi sat on the floor beside the couch that Molly and Umino were on and all three were watching Luna and Mina go at it.

Mina was a tall Amazon blonde goddess with a quick intellect and a sharp tongue. She was studying to be a lawyer, she wanted to a criminal prosecutor no less; Watching the way she tore into Luna was a glimpse at how good she was.

Ami returned to the family room, leading the four Terran warriors back. The guys had gotten bored and went to grab some takeout an hour ago. Usagi wished she could have gone with them, but Luna and her position demanded that she remain and at least put up a token fight for her title as leader. Now that she had done her part and surrendered her position gracefully—Okay, so she just told Mina it was hers, cat and all—Usagi wanted to do something else, even her homework. She did have a test coming up in trigonometry and the project for Japanese History. Hmm, she still hadn't decided on what period to do her report on.

She had just decided to do report on the Shogun Wars and focus on the Chiba's (yeah, Darien was old Japanese nobility. She found his British side to be just as interesting.) When all hell broke loose, literally.

The guys were coming back with Ami who was carrying a bottle of soda when Mina surged to her feet and Luna jumped back into a defensive crouch.

“Venus,” Lita was moving between the two hoping to head off the physical confrontation. “This creature does not speak for us. (And if she had any sense at all, she wouldn't be speaking right now. Lita thought,) Sailor Moon has surrendered her unlawful position as Commander of the Senshi—“

“She has no right,” Luna shrieked. “Sailor Moon is the leader of the Senshi. She was the first one I found. How this upstart was allowed to come here and force you all to accept her I will never know nor allow.” The cat turned her burning blue eyes on the girl sitting on the floor. “Why won't you defend your right?” She demanded of her. “You are their leader.”

“If I honestly believed that, do you think I would just give it up, Luna?” Usagi proceeded to roll her eyes at the cat. “I am not the leader.” She spoke firmly, but there was edge of impatience in her words as she forced herself into the futile confrontation. “If you're saying my being leader depends on being the first Senshi, then you are wrong again. Mina was the first Senshi.”

“What?” Luna turned her harried gaze back to tall blonde. “That is preposterous. I never felt you or your aura.”

“I have been fighting under the code name of Sailor V for the last four years.” Mina pushed away from Lita to drop down uncerminoniously in an empty chair.

“I don't understand,” Ami sat down on the floor beside Usagi with a Burger King bag. “Without a trigger from Luna, how were you able to morph?”

“Well, none of you guys used a trigger,” Usagi said as she tore through the bag. “Both you and Rei transformed when I was in danger—Lita too.” The bag was filled with fries and onion rings. She started to open her mouth to demand her food when Darien dropped two Whoppers in her lap. “I've hardly seen you guys use those pins—“

Rei and Ami exchanged a thoughtful look. It was apparent that they had never though about it either.

“It just seemed natural.” Rei commented. She removed the pickles from her chicken sandwich and handed them to Usa. “I remember thinking that I had to protect you, Usagi-chan.” She told them. “Jedite had me by the neck, threatening my life, but I did not care for myself. I knew I had to keep him from harming you.”

Ami nodded. “I knew when I saw Usagi-chan being attacked by that foul youkai that I had to do something to save—“ She looked sharply at Usagi, the color drained from her face and before she knew it, Ami was on her feet.

“Ames…” the other girl said worriedly. But Ami was no longer looking at her.

The warrior of Ice and Water was looking at Mina now. The golden warrior of love nodded imperceptibly. Ami swallowed hard as she slowly dragged her eyes back to the blonde girl she called her best friend.

“Holy—“

Mina shook her head sharply; the warning in her blue-gray eyes was unmistakable as she gestured at the fuming cat. Ami nodded to show that she understood; Slowly, she sank back to the floor beside the puzzled and worried Usagi.

“Ami, are you alright?” Usagi asked her voice mirrored her concern as she checked the other girl's brow for a fever.

Ami nodded once, she happened to meet Rei's gaze and was not surprised to see the shock and bewilderment on the young miko's face as well. Still. Usagi's cousin, did her…

“Well, your mission remains the same, Sailor Venus.” Luna sneered. “You must find the Moon Princess and the Silver—“

“I have already located the Princess.” Mina glared at the cat. “And both she and her crystal are safe.”

That caught Usagi's attention. The girl mouth moved silently as she tried to ask the one question that could have killed her. Thankfully, Luna was there to do the talking for her. You had to love that cat.

“What!” she exclaimed. “You know of the Princess' location?” Mina nodded. The cat pounced over into her lap and stood up pressing her paws against Mina's chest as she demanded. “Where is she?”

“Under my protection.” Was all the woman told her.

Usagi looked at her friends curiously, trying to gauge their reactions, only to find none. God, was she missing something here? By giving up her position as leader did that mean she gave up the right to have this information? Yesterday they were all clamoring for information to the find this gold digging tramp and her rock but now they looked as if they could careless. She directed her attention to her boyfriend and noted that he didn't seem interested as well—which was good for him, because he wouldn't have heard the end of it from her if he had—But hold the freaking phone! This was not good, not good at all, for him! That lousy, two-bit lying…

“Sonofabitch!” Usagi was on her feet and on Darien before any of them knew what was happening. She pounding on his back with one hand and the other was yanking at his hair all the while she was yelling at him. “You knew where that tramp was!” she yelled at him, “You knew where she was. You know who that bitch is. Damnit, I am going to fucking kill you, Darien. I'm going to kill her, then I'm coming back and gonna kick your ass! You cheating, low-life, scummy, motherfu—“

Darien was not lying there taking the abuse without a fight. Okay, so he wasn't hitting his girlfriend back or anything. He was trying to get to his sister so she could rescue him from the suddenly crazed bunny. Lita and Jiro extracted the enraged girl from his back and Darien scurried away from her once her weight was removed from him. But he did not get away from her without Usa getting in a final kick.

He collapsed beside Mina's chair and after a moment he regained his composure, Darien felt brave enough to face his girlfriend's wraith.

“What the hell is wrong with you?” He shouted at her.

Usagi's arms were being pinned behind her back by Jiro and Lita kept her hand over her cousin's mouth. She dropped that hand and ewwed when her cousin spat in her palm. Usagi's eyes were flashing as she glared daggers at him.

“How the hell could you do this to me, Darien.” She countered, also yelling.

Now he was confused again. “What did I do?”

The look in her eyes promised a more thorough thrashing, “You know where that gold digging tramp is.” She ground out. “Well too freaking bad, nerd-boy. That trick ain't getting her claws into you. You belong to me; and I don't care if she's the fricking Princess of the goddamned Sun and God has proclaimed her the Messiah. If she so much as looks at you, let alone touches you in any freaking way, I'm going to rip her hair out of her skull and strangle her with it.” She looked at Mina, the older girl's was staring at her in surprised horror. “I don't care if the cow is your princess. I never wanted be a Senshi in the first place and can't be one because when see I the Princess, I'm gonna hafta beat heifer down for trying to take my man.”

Mina smirked, “Well, have fun. I always say defend what is yours, right, Dare?”

“Shut up, sis.” He growled. His face was a red as Usagi's but for a totally different reason.

She laughed, “Aww is the little baby feeling bad because his girl beat him up.” Mina asked sarcastically

He ignored her and went to rescue his girlfriend. Jiro let the fuming girl go and Darien pulled her into a tight embrace.

“I promise you that no one will take me away from you.” He smiled to himself when she wrapped her arms about his chest and returned his hug. “But you do know, I reserve the right to beat the hell out of any guy who looks at you twice.”

“Go ahead.” She snuggled. “I only have eyes for you.”

“You two are sickening.” Lita said as she started to leave the room to wash her hands.

“Okay, with that covered…” Mina said.

“What?” Luna was once again fuming. “You're going to let that girl get away with threatening our Princess? Venus, are you mad?”

Mina cast a hooded glance in the direction of her brother and his girlfriend. “I don't interfere with true love.” She speared the cat into place with a cold glare. “And neither should you. It's the reason we're all here today.”

“No!” Usagi horrified screams echoed throughout downtown Juuban. She clutched the fallen Darien to her heart as she begged him to wake up. “Darien, please get up. Please. You promised you would never leave me. Darien…”

An enraged Sailor Venus had tore through the floating shield the Dark Kingdom warrior had surrounded himself with. Rage and grief made her stronger, the emotions fueled her power, making a pitiful mockery of the magic the Dark Kingdom's dog attempt to evade her wraith.

“You will die,” Venus bit off each word as she ripped into the shield.

The Sailor Senshi stood protectively around the small blond girl and the fallen terran Prince. Their hearts breaking with each of Usagi's pitiful cries. They fought off the creatures that tried to get to pair while the Generals under David's command, fought a larger threat.

David, or Kunzite, had joined Venus on her assault of the demon that had struck down her brother.

This latest attack had happened so fast that they had been unprepared for it. Mina had invited all of Darien's housemates and the girls and their friends out to dinner. After eating, they all decided to go see a movie and were on their way to the closest movie theater when the first wave of attacks happened.

Sam had grabbed Usagi and Hotaru and tried to run but their way was cut off by a gas main exploding when a group of creatures tore through the streets. People were screaming, cars where being thrown about. Mina immediately took charge. She ordered the Senshi to transform. Hotaru screamed and Usagi started yelling for Darien.

Mina turned around and saw her brother lying face down on the street, with a platinum haired villain standing over him. In his hand was a sword with blood running down its blade.

Mina stood, transfixed as her eyes started unbelieving at Darien's unmoving form. A silver blur shot past her and then Usagi was attacking the fiend, bare handed and fueled only by her desperate despair to protect the one she loved.

The villain raised his sword, ready to end the girl's life but he tackled to the ground by a fully armored David. The beast managed to shove Dave aside and which he quickly wrapped himself in a magical shield that neither Dave nor the other Generals could get through.

“Venus Power!” The golden Amazon roared angrily.

Lita, Ami, and Rei joined their voices with their leader's angry cry for blood and vengeance.

Usagi was already out of her mind with grief. She had crawled over to Darien, ignoring the battle that surrounded them as she carefully pulled his upper body into her lap. His blood stained the front and back of his shirt, the sword had gone completely through his body, piercing his heart. The blow had been fatal, death had come instantly for the young man, claiming Darien's life before he even hit the ground.

As the battle raged on, Usagi's cries had stopped, only to be replaced with promises. They were going to be together again, she would whisper. He just had to wait, she was coming to him.

An odd peace had settled over her as Usagi looked around blankly for something that would help her reunite with her love.

“Where is your sword, when I want it, Endymion?” She whispered brokenly. Her voice was no more than a detached whisper on the battlefield but it was heard by the four warrior women.

“No,” Hotaru was staring at the little girl in a mixture of horror and disbelief. “Princess, you cannot. It is not your time! Princess!” She tore out of Sam protective embrace.

At the same time, Usagi's distracted gaze fell on the fallen sword of their enemy.

“Serenity!” Hotaru shouted as the girl reached for the blood soaked blade.

“Endymion…”

Hotaru's cry caused the three warriors to turn to girl on the ground.

“Death,” Hotaru threw her right arm out, “Reborn…” The sky darkened as magic wrapped about her as hands closed around the long metal shaft of her glaive. “Revolution!”

Time in reverse…

Memories engraved in the past…

Our tragic past…

“This will not happen again!” Venus shouted as she tore the magical shell. “Terra and the Moon will be avenged! Our Queen did not die in vain!” The last shreds of spell disintegrated beneath her hands. A bright, deadly light tore violently from her body as she roared. “Love and Beauty Shock.”

“Wait for me.” Usagi held the sword over her heart and time seemed to stop.

Time in reverse…

Endymion, please don't leave me!

It's all over now. I feel strengthened.

…A warm touch…

I feel myself getting better.

That touch…

I know it—from a long time ago…

Slowly, Darien opened his eyes and looked about as much as he could from his prone position.

Endymion…

“Endymion, look!”

He turned around and smiled tenderly at the girl who was lean against the stone wall pointing up at the light colored sky.

He did not have to raise his eyes to the sky to see what held her excited attention.

She lowered hand to her heart as she gazed upon the alabaster moon that was her home. He watched as curiosity and sadness mingled in the pearl gray depths of her eyes.

“We are so small,” her sweet, childlike voice was almost a whisper on the wind. “My home looks so cold and empty from here.”

He reached and brushed the back of his hand over her lily cheek, her eyes drifted to his and a faint blush graced her delicate features.

“How does our planet look from the Moon?”

She looked away, but she did not leave his touch. “It is beautiful.” She whispered, “It looks like a beautiful blue crystal ball.”

“I will not stand for this,” He said gravely, his dark eyes speared the one who dared to insight his wraith . “There will be no war with the Moon.”

“They spy upon us, my Prince.” A redheaded woman cried desperately. “Your people are tired of submitting to their rule.”

“These are baseless falsehoods.” Zoisite said, rebuking the woman's statement. He turned to Endymion. “We have just come to realize that there is life on the Moon and the other planets…”

“They seek to deceive us with sweet words and overtures.” She shouted the guardian down. She turned her feverish eyes back to the Prince. Her frustration was evident in voice as she tried to covert him to her reasoning. “They seek to take over Terra, my Lord. How can you stand by and allow this…”

“Our Queen says different.” Kunzite interjected. “Queen Gaia has received the Moon Queen's representatives.”

“The purpose of this meeting was to decide who we would send to the Moon as our ambassador.” Endymion said. “My mother had though you would be well suited for the position, Lady Beryl.” He saw the surprise in her yellowish green eyes and contrite. “I will inform her Majesty we must continue our evaluation of the other candidates. Thank you for your time.”

The expression in her eyes as she looked at him was desperate and mixed with lust. Endymion could not wait for her to be gone fast enough.

Once the door had closed behind her, Endymion allowed himself to release the tension he felt every time Beryl came around.

“That one is dangerous, my Prince.” Kunzite turned to him.

His loyal guard only echoed what the Prince felt.

“She aspires for the Queen's throne.” Jadeite said.

“My people have reported that she is consorting with the Darkness.” Nephrite put in. “We should eliminate her as soon as possible, your Highness.”

“We will need irrefutable proof of her treason.” Endymion stood up from the table and began to pace. “My mother believes in the inherit goodness of all people. She will not allow me to do away with one of her favorites just on unfounded suspicions.”

“Then we should go to your uncles.” Kunzite suggested. “I have the greatest respect for our Queen, yet I fear that we are facing the danger that grows impatient by hour. Lord Odin or Prince Dyaush Pita could convince her to change her position.” He met Endymion's stony gaze. “We must act, your Highness. We will have to act soon or it will be too late.”

“I could appeal to all my relatives; Khepera, Zeus, Ohkuninushi, it would not matter.” He glanced out of the window; his gaze was drawn to the pale moon as it flitted about the afternoon sky. “My mother will want proof, witnesses or she will have doubts and would second guess herself in every decision afterwards. I will not have her ever doubt herself in anything.”

His guards looked as if they wanted to protest; yet they knew it would be futile. With his decision made, Endymion would be hard pressed to change his mind. His friends prayed that their Prince knew what he was doing.

* * *

“Endymion!” It was the last thing he heard his beloved say.

Beryl had done the unthinkable. She had sold her soul to the Darkness and declared war on Terra and the Moon.

Endymion had fought hard and valiantly with his fellows at his side and watched as his mother made the ultimate sacrifice for him and their planet.

He called out to her, desperately even as her magic wrapped about him and transported him and his friends to the Moon. He did not recall much of had happened from the moment they arrived in the Lunar Palace. He just remembered her, his angel. Serenity had come to him immediately. Her delicate arms going around him, holding his as the grief of his mother's loss washed over him.

The planning had begun almost immediately.

The Silver Alliance went into action, armed forces were mobilized, but it was all too late.

Beryl and her horde of demons fell on the pristine lunar palace like a plague of locus within hours. The younger Senshi were overwhelmed, the Lunarian guard fell like fresh mowed wheat at Beryl's advance. Endymion watched his friends fall one by one then all of sudden Beryl appeared before him. The blood of his dearest companions was still dripping from her clothes and the blade of her stone sword as she commanded him, Endymion, the High Prince of Terra to lay down his sword and stand at her side as her consort.

He could not get his mind around it.

Beryl was standing in front of him covered in his loved ones' blood. On her head sat his mother's crown--his crown--the state crown of Terra. Of all the atrocities that psychotic witch had done...She dared to stand before him and offer him a place at her side.

“I would die than live with you,” he spat.

She went into a rage then. Her sickly yellow eyes fell on the beautiful alien princess who had just run out to find him.

Serenity drew back, away from the terrible creature with the human face.

Beryl's jealousy had found a target to lash out upon. Before the little Princess could turn to runaway, the darkness fell on her. Endymion reacted quickly, running as fast as he could, Endymion threw himself in between the dark sorceress and the love of his life.

He hit the ground in a clattering heap, with Serenity clutched tightly in his arms. They rolled a few times before coming to a stop.

“Endymion,” he felt her soft little hands on his face.

“Se--ren----ity…” he rasped. He collapsed on her and he heard her scream.

There was a large, gaping wound in his chest; his lifeblood came pouring out in great torrents. She clung to him, pressing the gauzy material of her skirts to his chest trying to stop the blood flow, but her pathetic attempts were useless, for the blood continued to flow.

“No, no,” she moaned helplessly. She pressed at hundred butterfly kisses to his paling face. “Do not leave me,” she said on a broken sob. “Please, my love, stay with me…I love you.” She buried her face in his neck; her crystalline tears fell gently on his rapidly cooling skin.

Serenity…

He wanted to say her name, to tell her how much she meant to him, yet only blood came from his mouth.

“I love you.” She looked down into to his eyes; a sad little smile graced her lovely face as she brushed strains of his hair from his brow. “I'll love you forever.” She bent down and dusted an aching kiss over his stained lips. “Wait for me.”

Before his dying eyes, Endymion watched his angel drive his sword into her own chest. A little cry was all she made as the blade pierced her heart.

“Endymion.” It was the last thing he heard his beloved say before they both were swept away in Death's cold embrace.

* * *

“This has happened before,” Usagi looked down at Darien's pale face. “Long ago you died to protect me for I was not strong enough to save you. This time a coward stole your life without giving you a chance to defend yourself.” A tear slipped down her face as the sword fell from her trembling hands. “My love, we were not reborn to lose each like this! Please, Endymion, hear my voice. Do not leave me here like this. We have so much to live for. We've found each other again… Endymion, please don't leave me! You swore you would never leave me again. Endymion!”

Time in reverse…

Memories engraved in the past…

He had found her again….

Time in reverse…

He would not die like this. Not when he had so much to live for…

Memories engraved in the past…

…No. There were more than memories of a secret love affair. Their love was real, true, and worth fighting for. She was worth fighting for.

Time in reverse…

Life continued as would he with Serenity—Usagi at his side. He just had to reach for it and it would all be his once more.

The power that was his birthright.

The world that surged beneath his lax body heaved and breathed for him. The magma that ran through Terra's core pushed through his veins forcing his blood to move and flow. Water and wind attacked his wounds, repairing the damage done to bone and muscles. And the Sun, his father's light, nurtured and restored his body and his soul.

The battle was over. Venus had ripped the Dark Kingdom warrior apart, literally with her bare hands.

Jadeite and Mars had subdued the fires while Mercury and Jupiter handled burst water mains and the underground electrical equipment.

Venus and the other Generals had destroyed the mutated creatures. All were doing what they could to ignore the pain and grief that threatened to overwhelm them.

Sometime during the fighting, Sam had cautiously approached his little sister. He had grabbed up the sword that had fallen from her hand. Simultaneously, the youth felt awkward and useless. All around him his friends were fighting. Even his cousin and his girlfriend had joined in, yet what had failed to sink in was that they were using magic. Not just magic, archaic weapons, and each were performing amazing feats of physical strength.

Andrew was kneeling beside him, his hands were flying over Darien's still body.

“Usagi,” the sandy-haired youth said sharply, “you have to work with me. Hold this against the wound in his chest.” He had stripped off his shirt and put it under Darien's back and was using his tee-shirt for Darien's chest wound.”

Numbly, Usagi followed his direction. Andrew started CPR.

“You're going to be fine,” Sam heard his sister quietly promise to boy on the ground. He looked down at her, blood covered her pale hair, limbs, and stuck to her clothes. There was so much blood on her and around Darien's body, Sam doubted if there was anything left in his young friend's body to keep him alive.

“Remember how last week we talking about how many children we wanted to have?” She brushed her finger tips over Darien's cheeks, “Okay, you win. We will have six, just like you want. Five little boys, all named Endymion and one little girl named Bunny with my hair and your eyes. But you will have to wake up first. Please, sweetie. Open your eyes…I've already bought your birthday present. I sent out the invitations and people are have already started to RSVP…If you don't wake up, I'm going to go on a date with—“

“We got a pulse!” Andrew cried happily. He turned around a just as EMTs picked their way through the rubble. “Hey, over here. Hey!”

As the paramedics made their over to them, a racking, slugging cough shook Darien's body. And to the surprise of his friends, Darien rolled on to his side and he began to retch up the blood that had been in his lungs. Usagi had never seen a more beautiful sight or head a more wondrous sound. She gently held Darien's head, encouraging him to get all the clotted blood out of his body.

Andrew came out of state his of shock, grabbed up one of Darien's wrists, and felt his pulse again. It was steady and becoming stronger with each heart beat.

“I can't believe it.” Drew gasped at the pair in awe. “How…?”

“Bun—“ Darien tried to say, but it came out like a weak gasp.

She dropped a kiss on his brow, “Don't talk, sweetie.” She wanted to laugh or sing she was so happy. “I'm right here. I'm not going anywhere.”

“Where—Kun—Dave…?”

“David.” Usagi turned her urgent gaze on her brother, “Where's Dave? Call Dave. He can help Darien.” She looked back down at him, “Oh, if I only knew how to summon your armor.”

“His armor?” Andrew asked skeptically.

Darien saw the paramedics coming towards him, the same moment, Kunzite appeared at Usagi's side.

“Endymion?” he asked worriedly.

“Stand back.” The medics dropped down and began to exam Darien.

Sam slipped his arm around his sister's shoulders and pulled her back as Darien was lifted onto a stretcher.

“We're taking him to Tokyo General,” one of the paramedics informed them. “If he has family…”

“I'm his fiancÃ©e,” Usagi told them. “Please, I need to be with him.”

When he would have agreed, his partner shook his head. “We've doubled up.” He explained. “There are a lot of injured people out here…”

“But I—“ Usa reached for Darien.

“He'll be alright.” The kind one assured her. He placed a diamond shaped topaz crystal in to her out stretched hand. “Here, why don't you hold on to this for your boyfriend. From the way he was holding onto it, it must be very important to him.”

Usagi's eyes drifted down to the stone in resting in hands. It was hot to the touch and despite its size, it was very heavy in her small hands.

“Usa, let's get you to the hospital.” Sam was saying. He cast a distrustful look in Dave's direction.

She raised her eyes to meet her brother's concerned ones. Something seemed to dawn on her, for she turned around quickly and for the first time saw the damage that had been caused by the Dark Kingdom's latest attack. Her pale eyes went wide at the sight.

“Princess Serenity,” David inquired politely, his voice mirrored his concern.

Usagi flinched noticeable at use of her long forgotten name and title. She turned to David, no Kunzite, and the last veils of Time and Death faded from her mind and soul…

With a heart wrenching cry, the long lost Princess of the Moon threw herself into the arms of one her beloved's most trusted guards and companions.

A shuddering sob escaped her as the memories of her short and tragic past flooded her mind.

David looked helplessly at the Sam and Drew while the girl cried on his armored chest.

Time in reverse…

Memories engraved in the past…

Our tragic past…

Seven

Almost a week after the incident that almost claimed Darien's life and destroyed half of downtown Juuban, Usagi had tried to assimilate and process all the information that was pouring in from her own memories of her past life as Princess Serenity of the White Moon.

After Darien was released from the hospital, the entire group sat down with their closest friends and family members to talk this out.

There was a lot of anger at first, most of it coming from Sam who couldn't understand why his little sister, his cousin, and his girlfriend were Senshi. Hotaru, as the Goddess of Death related the sad history of the Silver Millennium. Hearing of their daughter's suicide had shocked the Tsukinos. Darien didn't take it well either. His final moments of life had been of those watching the woman he loved using his sword to murder herself. The brilliant kingdom had died with its Queen, a powerful sorceress and Senshi, who sacrificed her life so that her daughter and her friends would live again.

When asked if there was life still on the moon or the other planets, Hotaru told them that the time was not right for that information to be revealed. The Universe, like they were, was awaiting the return of its Queen. Only at her accession would it reveal itself.

And just like that, Usagi's world was yanked from beneath her feet.

All this talk about finding the Princess now took on a different meaning. Usagi was not just the Princess of tiny floating white moon, she was the heir—no, the ruler of a freaking star system.

But who would want her as their ruler? She had killed herself. She had chosen to follow Endymion into death rather face life and duties without him. She had put the Moon and the Solar System second, her own life had meaningless compared to loosing him and not being with him.

Was she so weak? Didn't her kingdom or her people matter? Oh, Goddess, she was horrid person.

Darien watched helplessly as Usagi pulled away from him and everyone else. He knew what she was doing and he knew no matter what he either said or would do, Usa would still blame herself.

She had died to be with him, it was not something he would have recommended, yet unlike herself, Darien was willing to give Usa the benefit of the doubt. She was in a state of shock and had acted without thinking. He had done the same thing to protect her. But Usa wouldn't be so generous to herself.

She was infuriating, Darien declared when returned from another failed attempt to see his ladylove.

Josh had the misfortune of being home when Darien returned from the Tsukinos in a foul mood for the fourth time that week. Josh knew he should have gone out with his roommates, but no, he had to stay home and study. Idiot that he was, Josh didn't think to lock, much less, close his bedroom door.

Darien was in rare fit of temper while he complained about Usa's feeling guilty for committing suicide in the past.

Darien was still going when his cell phone rang. Darien of course chose to ignore it. He knew it wasn't Usagi because she wasn't talking to anyone. Hell, she hadn't been to school all week. But if it was Mina, he really didn't want to talk to. His sister was yelling at him for not being with Usagi when she needed him. Darien's defense was short of breaking in and kidnapping her, Usagi would not see him.

Josh grabbed the phone on the second ring and answered it.

“Hello?” A soft, whispery voice asked on the other end. “Darien?”

Josh blinked. “No, this is his roommate.” He said, confused. “You want to leave a message?” If Darien cheating on Usa the Senshi and Sam were going to have his head. But Josh would have won the house other bet.

The girl hesitated, “Is he there?” She asked somewhat impatiently. “This is really important.”

Josh was ready to tell her to go to hell, but something in her voice made him say, “No, he's kind of busy.” This was true, since he stormed out Josh's room and was now beating the hell out of a wall. “Maybe I can—“

The girl sighed. “Could you tell him it's Ami.” She told him. “And that I am lost in downtown Tokyo and I need ride. I tried to telephone Lita, but I got her voicemail. Mina's not answering her phone and Rei doesn't drive and Hotaru is Kyoto. Short of calling Frankie, I would hitchhike back to Juuban.”

“Why not take the train?” Josh suggested. He shoved his feet into his running shoes and was looking around for his car keys.

“I can't,” Ami told him. “I came here with my anatomy class and I brought enough money for lunch. I didn't think immature idiots would actually leave me while I was in the restroom.” She blew out a deep breath. “I'm sorry, I shouldn't be unburdening myself on you like this…”

“Hey, we're all friends now, right, Mercury?” Josh smiled as he connected the sweet little dark haired girl's face with her name.

“I'm sorry, but who are you—“ Josh could practically feel her blush on the other line. “Oh, Usa is my best friend yet she is a horrible influence.”

“She has everyone in the house convinced we are all snitches.” He stopped by Darien's room and found the boy draped over his bed staring at photograph of Usagi. “Yo, Cover-boy, Ami got left in Tokyo and needs a ride. I'm going to pick her up, man.”

“Take my car,” Darien pointed to his keys on this desk. “It has GPS.”

Josh nodded, “Thanks man.” He said to Ami. “Are you on cell phone?”

“No, I am on a pay phone.”

He swore, “Alright, where are you?”

Forty-five minutes later, Josh parked Darien's car in front of a Western Style coffee house.

He got out and hurried up to the front door. It was one of Darien's little side ventures that was doing rather well in the in the posh, upscale area it located in. Ami sat in a corner booth munching on a sandwich and with a bottle of cream soda compliments of the owner.

Josh thought she looked cute in her Infinity College uniform. With her glasses on, she was studious and seemed aloof. Without them, Ami was just your average Japanese school but with a pretty face and shy blue eyes. Josh had a weakness for girls with dark hair and blue eyes.

Unfortunately, so did his housemate Eiji Kaiou, the rat.

The laws of their house stated who calls it first gets it. And Eiji, that punk, had called Ami Mizuno. Now Josh had to settle with just being friends with the pretty genius until his roommate (not friend, that jerk would never be his friend again.) got bored or she just flat out turned him down.

Josh put on his best I-not-out-to-hook-up smile as he walked over to the booth and dropped down on the bench opposite of the dark haired girl. He signaled a waiter as he glanced at Ami's blushing face.

“Sorry it took so long.” He said, “But you're okay, right?”

Ami nodded as she raised her right hand to the mouth. Such dainty gestures. She was adorable.

After she swallowed Ami asked, “Is Darien alright? Usa-chan refuses to see anyone and I am worried for both of them.”

“Darien's fine.” He assured her, “He's upset, more with himself than anything else. But he's getting through it.”

“It seems as if that is all we are doing.” She flashed him a self deprecating smile. “It's not everyday you learn you are the ruler of planet or in Usa-chan's case, the ruler of the entire solar system.”

Yeah, Josh had forgotten about that. The girl sitting across from him sipping her soda was not just a warrior and companion of the Princess of the Moon. Ami and the other girls were Princesses in their own rights and of their own worlds. Man, he was sitting at the table with a queen; the freaking Queen of Mercury and all he could think about was snagging her pickle.

Ami pushed away the rest of her sandwich and sighed. “I just wish she would talk to one of us.” She told him. “I want to know that she's alright.”

Josh could sympathize. “It's rough not knowing what's going on with those who lives you are entrusted to protect and care for.”

“It's completely different from how we lived on the Moon.” She told him, “Do you ever feel like you are living in a dream and that at any second you will wake up and you will be back in your rooms in your palace?”

He nodded, a sheepish blush staining his cheeks. “Before we all, you know—died, I a twenty-five year old man, chief strategist in Endymion's army and leader of my own forces in the Northern Territories. I know more about this world than my professors and it bothers me that I can't do half of the things I know I am capable of because no one believes in magic anymore.”

“Ah, you are so lucky.” She told him. His expression was skeptical until Ami waved her right hand before face, she stifled a giggle as Josh jumped back, his pale green eyes were large as saucers as he gawked at her altered features.

“I frightened my mother three days ago when I forgot to replace my glamour.”

“Glamour?”

Her features shifted and the alien ice princess was replaced by the sweet faced, dark haired girl Josh was familiar with.

“Ice blue skin does not sit well with most people.” She joked.

“God,” Josh managed once he got over his surprise. Then he laughed, “Wow. You look like a—I mean, that was really cool, and you…”

“You should see Rei without her glamour. She a goddess of flames from the tips of her hair to her feet.”

“You mean she's red all over? Like a lobster?”

“No,” Ami laughed. “I meant figuratively, except for her hair. Her hair is red now and her eyes. It's just broke her heart.”

“It's going to kill Frankie.” Josh let out a hoot. “The Menace swears he's in love with your priestess friend.”

“Oh, dear, I guess I feel sorry for him.”

“I feel sorry for Rei. Frank has been known to very persistent when he decides he wants something.”

“I doubt he will have much success with Rei.”

“I wouldn't count the Menace out,” Josh said grinning. He knew where this conversation was going, now he just had to maneuver the conversation towards his…

“Why do you all call Frankie “The Menace”?” Ami asked out of the blue.

“It should be the horror, but Drew talked us out of that. He said it would hurt Frank's feelings.”

“And the Menace does not?”

Josh shook his head no. “Frankie's our boy, he knows we are not calling him that to be insulting. He also knows, like everyone else in the house, that we all have his back if some punk ass loser tries to start with him.” He laughed sheepishly, “We have been close to getting kicked out more than a few times because of the fights we got in on each others' behalf. But we're like brothers, you know, a carry over from our past life. Even Sam, Drew, and that punk Eiji, we're all together.”

“Fraternity, brotherhood, sisterhood.” Ami pushed the rest of her uneaten sandwich away as she reached for her soda. “We are all bound to our allies by these ideas, we all have the same goals.”

“Yeah.” Josh picked up her pickle and took a big bite. “Between you and me, Merc, there's going to be serious problem between our two leaders.”

Ami looked at him in surprise. “Usa-chan and Darien?” she cried in disbelief.

“I'm talking about Mina and Dave.” His eyes were grave as he met hers. “If those two don't come to terms soon about Dare, he's going to find out and they might force him to make some choices Darien isn't ready to make.”

“What kind of choices?”

“The kind that could hurt everyone in the long run.”

From below her bedroom window, Usagi could hear Lita and her friends laughing and goofing around in the front yard. The smell of grilled duck and tuna made her mouth water and caused her empty stomach to clinch, but Usa did not move from her spot beside her window.

She pulled her laptop closer and checked her e-mails. Mina had footed the bill for the band that was playing at Darien's party; it was one of Darien's favorites groups. Mina offered to chip in for everything else; Usa emailed her back, thanking her for the getting Linkin Park to come, but she had everything covered. Lita was catering the party, she wanted to use this as a lunching pad for her own business, and Usa was glad to let her do it, but it cost her a pretty penny to cover the food and pay Lita's friends who would be the servers. Moreover, the food bill just went up as some Greek heiress Mina knew decided she wanted to attend.

Usa was starting to feel the pressure to make this a memorable as well spectacular social event. Goddess, this was becoming something almost bigger than herself. Damn it, why did she have to be in love with the freaking Chiba heir? Why couldn't she have fallen for some nice, normal guy whose family and personal life wasn't fodder for the tabloids and the masses?

Usa added the new name to list and compared it to the master list. Everyone she had invited had responded and was going to be there for the big event. That added to the twenty five people Mina just added, plus the servers, the band, and security, (nope, she couldn't forget those guys or Frankie who was providing them), the Crown was going to be at full capacity and her baby was going to have the best birthday party of his life.

Now, if she could just stop feeling sorry for herself long enough to see her precious boy friend, Usa felt that she would be complete until next month.

Reaching up, Usa brushed her long hair over shoulders and frowned.

“Usa!” Lita called from below. “I know you're hungry. Come down and have a bite with us.”

She was hungry, but when she looked down, Usa groaned at the rivers of pristine white hair that trailed across her bedroom floor. The stuff stretched from bed to where she sat near her window seat. As if that wasn't bad enough, after two days of effort, Usa had just managed to leave her bed and walk about her bedroom by herself without falling down. She didn't want anyone outside her immediate family to know about what she was going through.

It was the day after she regained her memories; Usa awoke before dawn, feeling like she was suffocating. Lita felt her distress came to her rescue and shock and horror of her parents, Usa had hair white, and her crescent moon insignia was shining brightly on her brow.

Days past, both Usa's and Lita's features changed to mirror their former lives. Usa had a good laugh when Lita came screaming down stairs with rose coloured hair. Lita could handle the increased height and added strength, but the pink hair was something else all together.

She watched as Lita dyed her hair twice, morphed and un-morphed, just to make sure didn't have pink hair.

Usa thought of doing it for herself, being Lunarian seemed to have bleached the colour right out of her, but with over six feet of hair, Usa didn't want to deal with the mess or the hassle. She didn't want to deal with much of anything now, including her own thoughts. Usagi pushed her computer away and dropped back on her pillows. She missed Darien.

“Princess.”

She closed her eyes and ignored the cat.

Luna jumped down from her perch outside Usagi's window to the plush window seat, leaping down to land noiselessly between Usagi and the girl's computer.

“Luna.”

“Yes, your Highness?” The cat said eagerly, ready to of service to her mistress.

“Get off my hair.”

As Luna leapt back, Usa sat up. She bunched her legs beneath her and rose. Her body was top heavy, with all that extra hair and her body filling out to what it once was in the past. Usa felt ungainly and overbalanced as she made the short walk from the window to her bed.

“Your Highness?” Luna tried again.

“I am tired, Luna.” Usagi reached for favorite sleeping shirt, one of Darien's old KO U tee shirts, and then she started to undress.

“We need to talk about the crystal…”

“There is nothing to discuss.” Usagi looked back at the cat over her shoulder, her pale eyes were cold and forbidding. “I have far more weightier issues that require my attention other than my crystal.” She snapped coolly. Mentally, Usa frowned as she caught the strange inflection in her voice and lack of contractions. “Now leave, Luna. I am yet to forgive you for your malicious behavior towards me and Endymion.” She turned her back on the cat and stripped off the rest of her clothes and kicked everything aside. She pulled on her sleeping shirt and then climbed into bed.

She would be a good queen. High above her home, the moon hovered over it's ruler, watching her and blessing her.

“Usagi?” Molly cry could be heard from across the school's courtyard.

Usagi turned around just in time to be caught up in her best friend's crushing embrace. “Oh, honey, you scared the wits from me.” Usa panted as she returned Molly's embrace. She pulled back and reached down for her bag that she dropped.

Molly took in her friend's appearance in a quick glance, her eyes lingered on the headscarf Usagi had tied over her hair. and speaking of Usagi's hair.

“Did you get a hair cut or something?” Molly asked.

Usagi shook her head. “No, but I have to go. Darien's party is next week and I haven't even talked to Andrew's parents about the band, security, and them giving up a full day's revenue just so my love can have the best day of his life.” She turned to Molly. “You wanna walk with me?”

“How are you feeling?” Molly asked as they left the campus.

“Like I am the world's greatest idiot for not coming to school all week.”

“No, I mean—“

“I know what you mean and I'm not ready to talk about it with anyone.” To soften the harshness of her tone, Usagi reached for Molly's right hand and linked their fingers. “I have so much on my plate right now and I want to do is be with my baby.”

“You haven't seen him all week.”

“I haven't seen anyone all week other than my family.” She laughed softly. “My parents don't know left the house.”

“Why were you stay in your house all week? And I'm not asking about—“

“I was falling over.”

“Huh?” Molly asked confused.

Usa laughed softly. “Terran gravity. I had to get used to it--again.”

“But you were born here.” Molly was still having trouble adjusting to the fact that her best friend was not only a super hero but an alien princess as well.

“Tell that to my body. Goddess, my bag feels like it's been weighted down by a ton of rocks or something.” They crossed the street and Usagi was side tracked by a teddy bear in window. “I have spent two months worth of allowance on this party and I had to begged Sam and Lita for some money when I ran out. I am so broke it's not even funny.”

“And you are going to the Crown?”

“I need to give the Andrew's dad the final installment and talk to him about the security. Also, I can eat off Darien's tab for free.” She said piteously. “Other than that, I am up the creek.”

“So that's why we're walking?”

“I don't even money for the bus.” She wailed. They stepped into the Crown and she smiled. “Now I am happy.” She declared before she bounced off and threw her arms around Darien's waist.

“Who is this woman and where is my baby?” Darien reached up to remove the headscarf from Usagi's head.

She ducked from his hands and kissed him full on the lips.

“Hey, hey.” Andrew called, throwing a towel at the two. “Enough of that, this is a family place.” He nodded in greeting at Molly. “Hey, Red want you usual?”

“I'm going to play a game first, Andrew.” Then she said to Usagi. “I will see you love birds later.”

Usagi caught Darien's hands as they wandered up to her hair once again. “Quit it.” She pressed her lips to his for a final kiss before moving back. “I've missed you so much.”

“We were all worried about you, Buns.” He reached for her bag and led her to an unoccupied booth. “Are you ready to talk?” He asked once they were settled.

She shook her head no. “I want to forget a lot of it.” She told him. “Like me killing myself and loosing you…”

“Hey,” Darien reached out and took her hands into his. “I'm not leaving you. We went through this and you need to accept it because you're scaring the hell out me.”

“I wish it was that easy…”

“Damn it, Bun.” Darien dropped her hands as fell back against his seat. Usa looked as if she was on the verge of tears and he was already there. “I haven't seen you since that night. But knowing you, you take things in and make them your own problems. You internalize everything and so do I.”

“So what should I do about it?” She asked sarcastically.

“You be good a girlfriend and help me clean my room.”

Of all the selfish things he could have said.

“I'm serious.” He told her. “You and I need to talk and my room needs to be cleaned. Let's kill two birds with one stone.”

Usagi almost did a double take. “Of all the—“

“I also have this pile of laundry that seems to be growing.” He flashed a brilliant, disarming smile that had her laughing softly.

“Let me talk to Andrew's dad and then we can leave.” She slipped out of the booth and headed around to the back.

Thirty minutes later, Usa was sorting through a pile of Darien's laundry, while he rooted through the mess that was his desk.

Every few minutes he glance back at Usa and drink in the sight of her sitting in the middle of his bedroom floor surrounded by his dirty clothes. Before coming to his house, they had stopped at the Tsukinos so Usa could drop off her school bag and change out of her uniform. Darien fought off a grin as he recalled the startled look on Mrs. Tsukino's face when he and Usa entered. Apparently Usa's parents hadn't known their daughter had left her room after a week of self-imposed isolation.

Now she was here with him, in dressed in one of his favorite outfits, pink and white shorts, and a sleeveless hooded jacket. The only thing that threw off the entire effect was the pink bandana that covered her glorious hair.

“Sometimes I find it hard to believe that you were once a super clean neat freak, Nerd-boy.” Usa laughed as she chucked a pair of dark blue surfer pants into the growing pile of darks.

“Have you forgotten the type of people I live with?”

“Bad influences, all of them.”

“Yeah, but they are some of the best friends a guy could ask for.” He reached for the phone beside his computer, “Sam mentioned that you put yourself in the poor house for my party.”

“That snitch!” She cried, incensed. “Can't he keep his mouth shut for…”

“Yeah, yeah. Anyway, how much do you need?” He asked.

Usa's left brow rose dramatically. “Excuse me?” she demanded gravely.

“I asked how much money do you need for the rest of this venture and I'm going to give you enough to get by on until you get your allowance.” He told her.

“In a pig's eye!” She shrieked in outrage. “I'm not taking a handout from you.” They already had this talk and every few months it would come back like cankerous toothache.

“Honey, you're broke and it's because of me.” He began.

She frowned, “I'm broke because I want to be.” She retorted.

He smiled, flashing his dimples at her. “You know most girls would love to have their super rich and very generous handsome boyfriends spoil them.”

“And you do, my gorgeous, hunky, intelligent, genius beloved.” She fluttered her long lashes at him. “But it's my turn to spoil you.” She poked at a pair of his boxers gingerly. “Sweetie, didn't we discuss the Spider-Man undies?”

Darien rolled over and snatched his favorite under garments from her reach. “You made me give up my favorite jacket. Spidy stays.”

“That green tweed thing was ugly as sin.” She declared. Fire sparked in Usa's now silver eyes as she recalled the horrid abomination that not even Mina had been able to pry from Darien's hands.

“It made me look studious.” Darien said defending the piece of clothing that he had loved.

“It made you look like a damn fashion victim crying out for help.” She spat. She had taken the thing and personally destroyed it. She swore if she ever saw another piece of green tweed in Darien's closet she would burn it right in front of him.

“And what does that bandana say about you, my sweet?” He countered mockingly.

Usa's hands flew to the pink headscarf in question, her eyes wide with shock. “What's wrong with my bandanas?” She demanded.

Darien could hear the pout in her voice, but he ignored it so he could get to the truth. “It's covering you hair, sweets—“

“That's what's it's supposed to do.” She said defensively.

“Why?”

“Because I didn't feel like combing my hair this morning. You know how much hair I have…”

“I do and never in the two years since we started dating have you ever not worn it down. I like seeing your hair, just like I love seeing you.” He reached out and removed the offensive thing. “Why didn't you talk to me, Buns?” he whispered as he started to remove pins she had used to plaster her hair to her skull. “I was scared, I was thinking that you blamed me—“

“No,” She cried, “No. I would never, never, blame you for what happened then, Darien. It was my fault—I was weak and I couldn't stop Beryl. I'm sorry!”

Before she knew it, Usa was in Darien's lap, wrapped up in his arms. She wrapped her arms about his neck and pressed her face against his shoulder.

They stay that why for sometime, doing the one thing that both had thought impossible, they were healing.

Just when she had begun to get sleepy, Usa felt Darien's hands back in her hair. She didn't protest, having all that weight top of her head was giving her a headache, not to mention the pins that had been constantly scratching her scalp all day. It was a relief to have it all coming down until Darien started screaming.

“Oh, my God!” He yelped.

Without moving from her comfortable position, Usa opened one eye, glanced down at the pile of snowy white hair that spilled down her back and surrounded them. She yawned broadly before closing her eye and snuggled closer to him.

“Oh, yeah, my bra increased, too.” She murmured.

That caused Darien to stop gawking at her hair. “Really?” He asked excitedly. “Can I—“

“No, touchy until I'm eighteen.” She reminded him.

Darien pouted like a three year old. “But I just wanna—“

“Eighteen.” She said firmly, but to soften the harshness of it, Usagi reached up and kissed his cheek. “But we make out until it's time for you to take me home.”

“I don't wanna make out,” he whined, “I wanna see 'em.”

Usa opened her eyes and tried not to laugh. “What are you, three?” She snickered. “My god, you look like just lost your best friend or someone kicked your dog. Geez, they're just breasts.”

Darien knew she would never understand. She just wasn't a guy. Guys understood, heck, even Mina understood ( she was the one that told him about the birds and bees in the first place.) It was just his look to have a frank and open yet completely naÃ¯ve hot girlfriend.

Darien picked her up about the waist and turned her around in his lap, making her straddle his legs. He touched his brow to hers as he placed his arms about her waist.

“Baby, you make my life hard.” He said plainly.

She beamed up at him, her silver eyes sparkling with mischief. “No more than you mine, sweetie.”

He tipped his head to one side and brushed his lips across hers. “But I'm loving every minute of it.” He whispered against her parted lips before diving in for a deep, all consuming kiss.

Usa squeaked and hid behind Lita.

“Leave me alone, Mina.” The girl cried shrilly as the taller blonde made another desperate grab for her.

“Usa, please,” her mother barked as she rubbed at her sore temple. “Just sit down and let Wilhelmina cut your hair.”

“No,” the petite Moon Princess said defiantly.

“You can't walk around with seven feet of hair.” Ilene told her. “She's just going to take off three feet…”

“This is my hair.” Usagi cried as she bundled it all around her.

“You can't afford it.” Lita tried to reason with her cousin. “You've two bottles of shampoo in three days.”

Usa stuck her tongue out her as she walked over to the television. “I don't want to all of this hair, but I can't it either. I mean, don't think I tried?” The looks on the three women's faces clearly said they did not believe her. “Okay, so I didn't, but the point is—“

“Darien's party is in eight hours.” Ilene reminded her. “We have to get there and supervise the decorating, Lita has to deliver the food and then come back here with Jiro and Taiki Kou to pick up the cake and make sure that arrives safely to Arcade. And we all have to be dressed, including you, the hostess.”

Usa stopped fiddling with remote and dropped her hair. “Two meters, Mina, and not a centimeter more.” She growled.

“Fine,” Mina threw her hands up in relief. “You think I was getting paid for this or something.”

Lita was about to commit only to have the doorbell sound. She waved Ilene back to seat as she started for the hall.

“Yes?” She asked as she glanced out the peek hole.

“Lindsey-chan, open the door, it's us” A familiar voice called out.

Lita hurriedly pulled the door open and stepped aside for sorority sisters. “Alex, guys. Wow, I wasn't expected you all for hours.”

“I've come to help you guys here,” Alex informed her.

“Is there anything we can take over to the Arcade?” Another girl asked her.

Lita snapped her fingers for a moment as she tried to think of something. “Oh, yeah, but it's at Tomoe-san home.” She told her, “You guys know where she lives, right?”

There were a lot of shaking heads.

Lita sighed, “Let me grab my car keys and purse. Alex, come with me. Mina could use some help trying to deal with my cousin.”

In just in time to, from the load crash in the family room followed by both Usagi and Mina apologizing profusely to Ilene for almost breaking Ilene's favorite lamp. Lita and Alex had run in and found both girls close to tears as they begged for forgiveness.

After Lita let her aunt know that she was heading over to Arcade to start with the preparations and reintroduced Alex to Usa and Mina, she left. Ilene sent the other girls to Usa's room while she remained downstairs, straightening up and gathering up Usa's hair.

While Usa showered, Mina and Alex when downstairs to help Ilene finish up with the cleaning. As soon as they had finished, the doorbell rang, Mina went to answer it and returned with Rei and Ami followed by Frankie, Jiro, and Taiki Kou. Rei and Ami went up to Usa's room. Jiro and Taiki went to kitchen while Frankie and Alex followed Ilene out to the garage for the decorations. An hour later they were all at the Arcade. Andrew's mother and sister were there helping out along with Darien's housemates and friends while Dave and Sam had the task of keeping Darien distracted until evening. (They hit golf range, were to have brunch, and then go to Tokyo Giant's game. Sam needed a baseball fix.) By mid morning, neither the Arcade nor the Fruit Parlor no longer resembled themselves. It was like stepping into a fantasyland dedicated to child in everyone. There were streamers, banners, and off course party hats, (Usa insisted on the hats). There was a crown of course, that was just for Darien. Ami had made it, showing her artistic side. Usa gushed appropriately and nearly ripped Frankie's head off when he attempted to don it.

There was the run to the Tsukinos' for the rest of the food, everything that needed to prepared on the premises had Lita and her friends in the kitchen. Ami went with Jiro and Taiki for the cake. Lita had spent three days making that giant confection that could melt in direct sunlight, She was happy that Ami went along, since the girl could create an cage of ice around the thing that would not melt, but would keep her masterpiece from cooling or getting wet.

Hotaru showed up around two-thirty to whisk Usa, Ami, and Rei off to a spa. Mina has assured Usa that she would make sure that everything would alright and that she would personally monitor everything, (that was before Lita ran her out of the kitchen with a giant chef's knife.)

As she watched the black limousine drive off, Mina though of everything that Usagi had done for her beloved little brother and she smiled. Before Darien had met the little bunny, he was a very lonely and introverted kid. His genius used to alienate children his own age and people of his intellectual level treated Darien abominably since he was a child and they were usually jealous of his gift.

Mina fell in love with Darien at first sight. There parents had always been close, their mothers had been like sisters and had been friends since grade school. Mina had grown up thinking of Jonathan and Midori Shields as her uncle and aunt. When Midori told them about the baby, Mina happily claimed the unborn child as her baby. Her mother used to tell she and Darien that Mina knew the baby was boy; Mina would always talk to him and she called him her little brother. Mina wasn't ashamed of that, she said that she had been right and she was right, she had her brother.

From the moment Darien had been born, Mina had always tried to be there for him. She was always there to encourage him, she believed in him, and loved him, but their visits were not enough to erase the pain caused by others who he saw and interacted with daily. After his parents died, Mina's father brought Darien to their home and when he told Mina that Darien would be living with them, her love for the sad face little boy overflowed in her childish heart. They were now and forever siblings.

Mina remembered sitting up with him that first night, hugging him as she told him that he would never have to be sad again. She would always be there for him because she was his big sister and big sisters never let anyone hurt their little brothers.

Of course Darien had worshipped her and he adored her just as much as she did him. Mina was always there to protect him from bullies, tend to his hurts, and dry his eyes. The only time their relationship suffered was during her first year as Sailor V.

Things between she and Darien were strained during that horrid time because for the first time, Mina was keeping secrets from her brother. This hurt Darien more than anything when he found out the truth. Of course, he got over it when Mina came home, injured from a fight.

He helped her clean and treat her injuries. Through it all, Darien never said a word, even when he bound the long bleeding gash in her waist. After he helped her dress for bed and helped her to bed. Silently, he cleaned up her bathroom and wiped off the blood on her windowsill and was tracked over her bedroom floor.

Unable to bear the terrible silence between any longer, Mina weakly called to him. Her heart caught in her throat when she saw the tears streaming down his face.

“Dare,” she whispered, tears stung at the backs of her eyes as she held her arms out to him.

He went to her then. Darien climbed onto the bed beside her and held onto her as much as he frail, boyish body would allow as he sobbed against her chest.

“I won't lose you, Sis.” He vowed, his voice broken by tears held onto her. “I won't lose you like I lost my parents. I won't!”

From that night on, Darien was her constant shadow when she went out as Sailor V. She tried locking him in his room and arguing just did not help. Darien was just as stubborn as she was and like all kids his age, he though he was invincible. Not even a broken arm could slow him down. Soon, Mina found that she liked having sidekick, but they had to do something to protect Darien and hide his identity. She came up with the tuxedo and mask after running into Ace in London. She and Darien started taking martial arts classes and both were already proficient swordsmen, since they had been fencing for over eight years. He became more than her little brother in that time, Darien became her best friend and oddly enough, he was her hero. However, he would always be her little brother, the one person she loved and trusted most in the world.

And more than anything, she wanted his happiness. Usagi Tsukino made her brother happy. Sure, when the two first met they fought like cats and dogs. Mina had serious doubts about two until she quiet literally stumbled over the two in a very serious make out session in their father's office.

The only thing Mina could say was “Next time, use the game room, Dare.”

Oh, Mina was grateful that Usagi had come into his life and wiped away all the pain and sadness with her love and brightness that she could give and more.

Darien deserved that and more.

The merry little twinkle of her cell phone brought Mina out of her thoughts of the past. She plucked it off her hip and glanced at the Caller I.D. and smiled happily as she opened it.

“Hi, Daddy.” She said brightly, “Where are you?” she headed over to an empty booth and sat down, “No, Dare's at a Giant's game with Sam Tsukino and Dave Rothschild. Yes, Daddy, you've met them both as well as Sam's parents.” She laughed softly. “I trust them, Daddy,--well I trust Sam to take care of Darien. No, no, I was kidding! I'm kidding. Dave's a good guy and a great friend to your one and only son. Alright, I love you and yes, your gift did arrive this morning. Hmm, I'm sure he's expecting your call. Alright. Bye, Daddy.”

“Daddy?” Alex dropped across from her.

Mina put her phone away with a nod. “Our dad called from New York.” She explained. “He wanted to be here for Darien's party, but you know business is?”

Alex knew from first had experience. “Missed birthdays, holidays, and recitals.” She picked at one of the papier-mÃ¢chÃ© decorations on the table. “My mother always had somewhere to be, a party or something that seemed more important than me.”

“Ah and how is Princess Anastasia Alexandrova holding up in everyday society?” Mina asked, flashing her a teasing smile.

Alex waved her off. “I have no idea of how the Princess is doing, but Alex is just fine and is enjoying her new station as simple college student.”

“You could have gone anywhere in the world, Anastasia.”

“I needed sometime to find myself and discover what I want to do with the rest of my life.” She then speared Mina with a hard gaze. “Don't call me Anastasia, Wilhelmina, only my mother does that to annoy me.”

“Da, dyevushka,” Mina said.

Alex burst out laughing, Mina's accent was atrocious, and Alex did not mince words in telling her so.

“Oh, shut up.” Mina laughed at her.

Just then, Lita came out of the kitchen, in her normal cooking attire, jeans, chef's jacket with her sleeves rolled up to her elbows, and a bandana over her hair. She saw her two friends in the corner booth and walked over to join them.

“What are you two blonde bimbos up to?” She asked as she dragged over a chair.

“Just shooting shit about Russian dikes with twisted attitudes.” Mina smirked.

“And stuck up Japanese bitches.” Alex flashed her a saucy grin.

Lita looked non pulsed by this. “So Mina, Eiji said his sister was transferring to Mugen Delta in the fall.”

“Really?” Mina asked interested. “Wow, Michiru Kaiou would be a wonderful addition to the Tokyo cultural scene, not to mention what she will do for the music program at Hotaru's school.”

“I knew Hotaru was excited, but you?” Lita was caught off guard by Mina's enthusiasm.

“Of course I'm excited and Darien will be, too.” Mina sounded a bit miffed. “We are both fans of her work.”

“I've met her a few time in Vienna and London.” Alex was rather awed herself. “She is a gifted violinist, a true genius if there were ever one.”

“Great, I just stepped into the `We-Love-Michiru' fan club.” Lita snorted disdainfully.

Mina and Alex exchanged a look, “Americans.” Alex said.

“They have no appreciation for the arts.” Mina agreed.

“Go to Hell, the both of you.” Lita told them.

Darien tried to sneak a sip of Sam's beer only to have Dave pluck it from his hand.

“I'm not having your over protective sister or crazy girlfriend trying to kill me if you get drunk, kid.” Dave said before Darien could even protest.

“You guys have me sitting in the sun, roasting,” Darien growled testily. “Since I could not stay in bed like I wanted to, you can at least let me have a beer.”

“Like the man said, o future brother-in-law of mine.” Sam told him, “I don't want to have fight off your crazy sister or my sweet, loving, but very deranged when it comes to you little sister.”

“I can't believe you are afraid of my sister.” Darien laughed at them. “Mina wouldn't hurt fly—“

“Don't lie.” Sam admonished him.

“She single handedly beat the hell out that freak that used you as pin cushion.” Dave told him.

“Only after Usa gave him a black eye.” Sam rushed in to defend his sister.

“Never thought the little bunny had it in her.” Dave admitted sheepishly.

“What? You've forgotten how she runs me about like her whipping boy and slave.” Sam cried in mock horror.

“Now that you mention it—“

“Yeah, yeah.” Sam turned his attention back to game and the other two followed suit.

After awhile, Darien stood up, saying he was going to the concession stand. While he was waiting in line, his cell rang.

“Yeah?” He asked distractedly.

“Is that how you are answering the telephone now, Darien.”

A smile as big as all out doors graced Darien's face as recognized the voice on the other end. “Dad—Sir, I'm sorry—Where are you? How are you?”

A warm chuckle stopped Darien's sputtering. “I am still in America and I am well, my boy. How are you today?”

“I'm good, actually, I'm better than that.”

“Mm, Min said that you were doing well and that you are out with couple of your friends.”

“Yeah, they are baby sitting me for my girlfriend while she sets up everything for my surprise party.”

“It's not a surprise if you know about it.” His father pointed out.

“No it's not, but Buns is really putting a great deal of work into this and I don't want to disappoint her.” Darien ordered a hotdog, nachos, and a bottle of water. “When will you back, Dad?”

“I don't know.” His father hesitated briefly before continuing. “I had planned to stop in London to visit your mother and your parents.” He swore immediately. “Son, I am sorry, I did not mean—“

“It's alright, Dad.” Darien rushed to assure him, “It took a while, but I can talk about them and today.”

“Your Miss Tsukino again?”

Darien grinned, “She's the best girlfriend in the world. She insisted no tears on my birthday.”

“And she is right, son.” His father said firmly, the warmth and love just slightly hidden beneath the surface. “I must go, Darien. Remember, I love you.”

“Yeah, old man, I will never forget.”

His father laughed, a deeply rich chuckle. “Happy birthday, Darien. I'll will telephone later this week.”

“Thanks, Dad, and thanks for the sword.”

“How do you know it's a sword?”

“I know you that well, Dad.”

They both rung off after another set of good byes.

As Darien started back towards his seat, a feeling of unease moved through him. It was very brief which caused him to dismiss it as nerves. He found the guys and trotted over to them and spent the rest of the afternoon enjoying the game.

Usa put down a butter cream coloured dress and held up a shell pink sundress with a flared skirt.

“What about this one?” She asked her fellow Senshi nervously.

“I like the lilac one,” Ami told her.

“Personally, I think she would look good in the white one,” Lita said.

“She needs some colour,” Mina said with authority. “She should wear the pink one.”

“The yellow one,” Hotaru put in.

“Then she would match the decorations.” Mina replied snipped. “I say the pink one—ooh, what about that heather dress with the halter top?”

“Can't be backless,” Usa pouted, “Darien hands tend to wonder and mess with ribbons around my neck.”

Every girl stared at her in shock.

Usa nodded sadly, “Mina, I hate to ruin the saintly image you may have had of your brother, but Darien is lecherous pig.”

“Of course he is,” Mina replied non pulsed, “He's a normal teenage boy. If he wasn't trying to cop a field every chance he had I would have been worried.”

Hotaru just dropped her face into hands while it was Usa's turn to stare a head blankly.

“You know, he's going to knock you up first chance he gets.” Mina told the stunned girl.

Ami and Rei turned to Hotaru. “We want in,” the girls cried in unison.

“In on what?” Usa demanded.

“Oh, the guys have a bet going to see when your first child will be born.” Ami told her.

Usa blinked.

“The current pot is two hundred thousand American,” Rei added.

“Does Darien know?” Usa asked them.

The girls turned to Hotaru, she shook her head no.

“I want in,” Usa said to surprise of her friends. “And I say four—no, five months.”

“Why five months?” Ami asked curiously.

“The wedding of course,” Usa cried. “I want something some elegant and tasteful, not rushed looking like a shotgun wedding. And also, I will need to fit in my dress and at my height, four months will be pushing it.”

“Make sense.” Mina laughed.

“We are all five months.” Rei told Hotaru as she hugged Usa.

“I want to know who put in two thousand dollars.” Lita said.

“Me and Frank,” Hotaru groaned. “Man, I hate to lose.”

“Does Sam know about this?”

Hotaru gave her a dirty look, “At the risk of sounding like that Spanish twit; Do I look stupid.” Mina started to open her mouth. “Shut up, Aino.”

“Guys, we are getting off track here,” Usagi whined. “I still haven't decided on a dress and I have to be at the Arcade in an hour.”

Everyone shouted out their favorite colours. Usa threw her hands up in exasperation and screamed.

There was a knock on her bedroom door and the next second, a welcomed face peeked in.

“Puu,” Usa shouted happily as she hurried over the woman as she came into her room.

Trista caught the girl in her arms easily at the same time, she surveyed the wreckage of clothes and shoes and influx of the Sailor Girls' paraphernalia that was everywhere.

“Wow, it looks like I've come at the right time,” Trista laughed once she and Usa separated.

Lita pointed at the garment bag in Trista's left, “What's in bag, Trista?”

“Oh,” for a moment, she had forgotten about the thing. “It's just a little something Darien asked me to deliver to his “personal eye-candy” on his birthday.” She turned to Usa and laughed, “My guess is that he meant you.”

“Eye candy?” Usa frowned as she cautiously opened the bag. “Mina, you need to have a long talk with your brother—Oh, my God, he got me Vera Wang!” She screamed, ripping out the dress.

“There is more outside—“ Trista jumped back as Usa raced to her bedroom door and flung it open. “Yeah, shoes and—“

Usagi was kneeling in the doorway, ripping open a boxes. “A Harry Winston pink diamond necklace and matching ring!” Usagi squealed. “Ha! Eat your heart out world, my man loves me.” She cackled like a madly, like something from B-horror movie. “Vera Wang shoes and in my size, too. Ah, he's so sweet.” She sniffed loudly. “Oh, my baby, he's so—“

“Horny.” Hotaru snickered.

Lita cuffed her upside the head.

Rei picked up the dress and gave it a critical once over while Usa was digging through her treasures. “Usa,” she called absently, “I can see through this.”

“I was right.” Hotaru said smugly.

Usa stopped singing Darien's praises and glared at the dress over her left shoulder before she scrambled to her feet and grabbed it. She held it up to the light and her eyes got as round as saucers.

“Oh, my.” Ami tried not to laugh.

“Mina, your brother is a pervert.” Usagi tipped her head to one side as she regarded the dress. “I have a slip. There is no way I am not wearing this dress.”

“Good,” Trista picked her away around to Usa's desk and sat down. “The sooner you're ready, the sooner we can leave.”

“We?” Lita asked.

Trista nodded, “I am invited of course?”

“Yeah, Puu.” Usagi smiled at her. “Thanks for the—“

“Just hurry,” she told her, “We wouldn't want the hostess to be late for her own party.”

Dear me, I didn't know this chapter was so long. And to think I have the rest of as chapter eight. Geez.

Look for eight by the end of this week. It's Beryl kids! Whoo hoo! ^_^!

Eight

Darien though he knew what to expect when he was his blindfold was removed, but never expected the sight that awaited him. He's first sight was of shining, glittering gold and dark blues, greens, and reds. Something was put on his head and people crowded about him, congratulating him, accompanied with hugs, kisses, and claps on his shoulders as he was urged further into the Arcade. It was blur of images until he spotted an angel.

Dressed in white tinted lightly with rose, Usagi stood out among the revelers, with her brilliant, diamond white hair, milky complexion, and her beautiful pale eyes were fixed adoringly on him.

His lips stretched into a warm smile graced his features as came to stand before her.

Suddenly she was in his arms, pressed against him as she whispered, “Happy birthday, my dearest and only love.”

A good beginning should had even better ending. But in the course of their two life times, Darien felt they should have known when they were at their happiest, something had to come out and ruin it.

And true to form, the party was in full swing when the Dark Kingdom attacked the Arcade.

Darien and Usa were huddled in corner booth, large chunk of his birthday cake between them that they were taking turns feeding each other when ground started to shake and the roof exploded.

People started screaming and the next thing Darien knew, Ami and Josh were at their sides. Ami pulled Usa out of his arms while Josh hauled Darien to his feet. Ami was running for the closest exit, with a firm grip on Usa's left hand when the space before them was blown to kingdom come.

Darien shouted Usa's name and tried to go to her, but Josh was forcibly pulling him in the other direction, when out of no where five armed to the teeth female creatures rose before them. One of the she-demons lunched at Josh with a pike. Josh pushed Darien back and he parried the attack with his own sword.

Now armed, Josh was able to take on their attackers as he tried to lead Darien to safety.

Darien looked behind himself and from the rubble he saw his love crouching on the floor behind a very dangerous and alien looking Ami.

Ice daggers flew from the Mercurian warrior as she speared their attackers. The creatures were turned the statues of ice that she shattered mercilessly.

“Endymion,” Josh snapped as he grabbed his Prince's arm. “We need to get you to safety.”

Darien started to protest, but Josh was already moving, half pulling half dragging Darien behind him, trying to make it to the other emergency exit.

Lita, Rei, and Jiro were fighting in the middle of the crowded dance floor. People were running everywhere and Beryl's creatures were taking advantage of the panic. People where being hurt and killed trying to flee. They were crammed together on the staircases, trampling over others and dying.

Frankie and Hotaru were trying to end the deluge of people at the stairs, but their efforts were useless against the flood.

“Mina!” Hotaru shouted. “We need a distraction!”

“Merc,” the Venusian growled out, “Blind them.”

Ami nodded once, she threw out her hands and called out, “Shabon Spray.”

“Senshi, protect the Princess.” Mina ordered as she raced into battle swinging her Love-Me-Chain. A golden light wrapped about her as she leapt into the air. She threw the chain out and cut down the youmas who rose out of the floor. Venus jumped back as ball of lighting tore through another set of creatures that was falling from the opening in the ceiling.

“Flame Sniper.” Mars shouted, unleashing a volley of flame arrows at creatures trying to force she and Nephrite into a corner. The terran warrior was protecting the Tsukinos and Usa's friends while Mars defended his front.

Neph spared a second to locate his Prince. He saw him and Zoisite trying for another exit but they had bogies on their tail.

“Jadeite!” He shouted, “Boguis a las tres.”

Jade turned in that direction. He ducked a claw swinging at his head and kicked the youma in the gut. It stumbled back and was decapitated by Saturn's glaive.

“Gracias, Hota-chan,” he winked at her before hurrying over to assist his liege.

Kunzite threw off three youmas that had tried to pin him down. Violet energy shot from his body as he tore through the ranks of creatures as Kunzite fixed his deadly gaze on Terra's great enemy. Beryl.

There was so much death, so many were suffering. If Ami had not been with her, Usagi knew she would have come completely undone.

More screams came from the side doors and stairwells. People were literally crushing other people who were trapped below them. The sounds of their deaths coupled with the sound of fighting had thrown the Moon Princess back.

It was the Fall of Silver Millennium all of over again and just like then, Usagi was overwhelmed—No, the memories of her past as Serenity…It was Serenity who was frightened and helpless.

Not her.

Before that day, Serenity had never witnessed as battle, she never had to fight.

But Usagi did. She fought everyday.

Until Serenity intentionally put a sword through her chest, the girl had never been hurt. Unlike Usagi as Sailor Moon. A warrior who has been injured more times than she cared to remember. A Senshi who lead her warriors in battle against the agents of Beryl's Dark Kingdom. She had killed, maimed, and destroyed all those who had stood against her.

She did not run from her enemies nor was she going to start now.

Usa felt the panic recede in her soul, memories of the past melted away as the shining warrior that resided in her was awakened.

The battlers seemed to stop and everything seemed to slow down as all attention was drawn to the front of the shop. Standing now, beside Sailor Mercury was glowing, stone faced Sailor Moon.

Moon glared at Beryl, her silver eyes narrowed into dangerous slits as she came forward.

“You know, Beryl, I put up with you in the past,” she began conversationally. “I had Endymion, I was in love, blind and deaf to everything, including you. Then you killed my man and I admit that I let you off easy. I mean, hey, killed myself and you went home the victor that day.” She stopped in the center of the room, ignoring everyone and everything except the redheaded she demon floating over the stage. “That ain't gonna happen to day, bitch. You better run now, tramp, because when I get my hands on your neck, I'm going to beat the hell out of you with your own damn right arm.”

Darien could only beam with pride, “That's my baby!” He cheered her on. “I got your back.”

“Kick her ass, babe” Jadeite cheered madly.

Zoisite stared at the two as if they had lost their minds.

If she could have, Venus knew she would have face vaulted.

“Move!” Kunzite shouted as grabbed Venus about the waist and just in time too as the Moon Princess launched herself at their enemy.

A flying tackle from Moon brought Beryl from the air and the tiny warrior was slamming her fist into Beryl's unprotected face. Just a few weeks before, Usa was going to kill the Moon Princess if she tried to take Darien from her. Luckily for them all, she turned out to be the Princess, but today there were no exceptions to be made. Beryl was a desperate little stalker tramp from their past lives who was still after her man. Oh, hell no, as far as Usagi was concerned, if it took death to get Beryl to understand that she was not going to get Usa's boyfriend, then so be it, the witch was going to have one bad day.

“Goddamn,” punch, “stupid,” backhand, “gutter-crawling-obsessive-freak!” Moon shouted as she continued to pommel Beryl's face, “He's with me! Endymion wants me. You fucked up by coming here trying to take my man…”

“Get off me!” Beryl shouted as she took swing at Sailor Moon's face.

Instead of knocking the smaller girl off, Beryl's attack only caused Usa to snap. Beryl could see a red haze film cover the Lunar Princess' silver eyes as the girl bared her teeth.

“That was your last mistake,” she hissed through clenched teeth.

Those not used to violent, over protective, jealous side of Usagi could only stare in silent horror as the girl did as she claimed she would do.

Darien had transformed and come over to help his sister and Kunzite. Venus stood there, in a stupor, watching as her princess proceeded to beat their so-called “Greatest Enemy” to death.

Saturn quickly realized that there wasn't going to be a great drawn out battle. She waved in the other Senshi to help rescue the injured and repair what damage they could. Tuxedo Kamen asked Mars to toss about a few spells and he took care of their youma problem with his Golden Crystal.

The Senshi and Generals along with the Tsukinos, Alex, the Kou brothers, Andrew, and Eiji went to help the unfortunate people trapped in the stairwells and the rescue workers. Since it was still his birthday thus it was practically a holiday therefore it was his day off, Kamen decided his involvement was over for the day. He went back for another slice of cake and watch Sailor Moon beat on Beryl. He pulled up a chair close to where Sailor Moon and Beryl were rolling about on the floor.

Beryl had resorted to hair pulling while his bunny was repeatedly slamming Beryl's head against the floor.

Well, Darien mussed, he couldn't have asked for a more interesting birthday celebration and he began to wonder how Usa was going to top this one next year.

“Die, you succubus,” Moon was yelling, “Die!”

A lock of Beryl's hair brushed the tip of his shoe, Darien glanced down and brushed it aside as he went back to his cake.

“Excuse me, Cape-boy,” Alex said as she came over to him, “But we could use some of your help.”

Slowly, Tuxedo Kamen raised his eyes to her before turning back to watch the love of his life defend his honor. “You need help, here I am.” He quipped.

“Well, we need help…” Alex started, but Darien wasn't listening.

Beryl had sucker punched his sweetheart, knocking her off, and now the hag was trying to escape.

Moon had kipped up and was now in a low crouch. She touched a gloved hand to her mouth; when she glanced down, she saw blood.

Beryl staggered to her feet, her wild eyes searched the room for an ally or a weapon when her yellowish eyes fell on the object of her obsession.

“Endymion,” she cried.

Kamen was in the process of carrying a forkful of cake to his mouth when he heard the rusty cry.

He cringed. “Aw, hell.”

Alex took a step back, not out of fear but from revulsion. “Bokh (God),” she gasped in horror. “What is that!”

Beryl's face had been beaten in, her nose smashed, her front teeth missing and both of her eyes were swollen shut. It was even worst when she smiled. A sick, pathetic sight that just turned Darien's stomach.

In her obsessed hazed mind, Beryl did not see his disgust as she started towards him.

“You touch him, Beryl, I swear to God…,” Moon shouted, running after Beryl only to come up short as sliver blade went completely thought Beryl's neck and sending her head flying.

Darien flicked the blood from the blade of his sword before returning it to his subspace pocket. He turned back to Alex and took his cake from the stunned woman's hand. “Well that's over with.” He said. “I guess I should do something—“

“Holy mother of God!” Kunzite shouted.

Simultaneously, Darien and Sailor Moon turned to opening in the roof and immediately there was a flash of light. Everyone heard the two cry out once, when the light died down, Alex started screaming.

Ilene saw her daughter lying motionlessly on the floor. For a second, it looked as if Usa had fallen in a puddle of spilled punch or something, except as she looked closer, Ilene realized that colour was all wrong. The liquid was thicker, the colour too vivid…

“No, Princess!” The Senshi had abandoned their task and raced to their fallen leader's side.

Alex staggered back as the Kunzite and the others rushed to Darien still form.

Venus held the Terran Prince to her, screaming denials while Zoisite checked for a pulse.

Beside them, Mercury was working tirelessly to revive her Princess.

“Their spirits are here,” Mars cried, her voice frantic as she watched Mercury and Jupiter work on Sailor Moon.

“I will not let them pass into death,” Saturn swore violently. “They will not die this day.”

“This is not what we were born for,” Venus shrugged off Jadeite's hands. “Serenity. Darien…”

Usagi opened her eyes, a startled gasp escaped her as she looked about her. It was so dark, like a heavy black drape had been pulled over the sky, blocking out the sky.

“Where am I?” She whispered when she had pushed herself up to her knees. Usa paused as she listened—Her eyes went wide with shock when she realized that she heard absolutely nothing except for her own breathing. “There's nothing here!” She cried, panic firmly settling about her. “Where am I—Aaahh!” She jumped when she felt something touch her right shoulder. Usa spun about, her right fist flying out, but it was caught easily. She looked up quickly and then threw her arms about her companion's neck.

“Darien!” She laughed as she hugged him tightly.

“Ugh, Buns, you're choking the life out me, baby.”

She let go sharply, an embarrassed blush staining her cheeks. “Um, sorry. Just got a little excited…”

Her fumbling apology was cut off as Darien swooped down and kissed her open mouth. A roguish grin graced his face when he glanced into her clouded eyes. Darien drew back after another kiss. He wrapped his arms about her small shoulders and planted a soft kiss between the two buns on her head.

“I have told you that you were my hero?” He asked softly.

Usa shook her head against his chest.

He nuzzled his chin on top of her head, a slight smile on his face. “Well, you are. Oh, God, I can't believe you actually fought for me.”

“You're my life,” She told him. “I was going to fight myself over you. No one going separate us and if some pathetic little whore tried to, I will be taking her head.”

“Ah, there's nothing like true, psychotic love to make a man feel appreciated.”

“Well, I am the Queen and I have to defend what is mine as well as fight for what I want.” She smiled up at him.

Darien was going to rebuke her bold statement when something in the distance caught his attention.

“What are--?” he squinted his eyes, “Ruins?”

Usa had turned about and was now following his line of sight, “I see them.” She was just as confused as he was, “They kinda look like a bluish white—“

“Just where the hell are we?” He demanded.

“Hey,” she scolded, smacking his arm.

“Woman, please.” He scoffed, “You have said worst in the last fifteen minutes.”

“I was defending you.” She reminded him.

Darien snorted, “You were just proving that you are possessive and psychotic. And I can't forget that you are insanely jealous.”

“And you're not?”

“I never said I wasn't.” He let her go but reached down to grab her right hand.

“Hey,” she cried when he started to pull her towards the ruins. “What are you doing? Let go of my hand!”

Darien just rolled his eyes and continued towards the ruins. As they walked on, both allowed their transformations to drop. Usa had hopped onto Darien's back. They passed the time just talking. Usa was going to spend next month in New York visiting her great-grandmother and he going to visit some of his Chiba cousins in Atami. Usa wanted to know how the restorations were going at Chiba palace. Darien wanted to sell the place or turn it into a museum, but she had fallen in love with the place and had been working hard to keep him from doing either. (It was one of the last surviving shogun castles in Japan and it had been the site of several major battles during the Hundred Years' war and the Shogun wars.) Darien had a love for history, but had no use for the place. When he graduated from university, he was going to take up residence in his other ancestral home in Aoyama. Usa had talked him out of opening his houses in England up to the public; he was not going do the same with that rotten old money eater in the Japanese countryside.

“I will buy it from you.” She was saying when they entered the ruins.

“You can't afford it,” Darien said for the hundredth time.

“How do you know?” She demanded.

“I just know.” He hunched down and allowed her to slip off.

“How much to rent it?”

“Are you saying you don't want to live with me?”

She looked aghast, “Of course I want to live with you. You will be my husband.”

“How can you be with me when you want to live in the countryside?” He asked.

“I wanna live a castle.” She pouted. “Every girl wants to live in a castle with her big, brave, handsome Prince.”

“I'm a king, baby.” He swatted her bottom playfully, “And you best not forget that, sweetheart.”

Usa socked him in the arm. “King my foot.” She was seething. “I will—“

“Buns,” Darien called over his shoulder, “Stop talking to yourself and get over here.”

She was not going to give up on their argument, Usa stormed over to him, ready to give him a piece of her mind. “Listen, Nerd boy, just because it's your birthday that does not mean— Dear Goddess, what in the name Selene is that?”

The thing that had captured Darien's attention looked like the hilt and pommel of a sword that was buried in the ground. With a start, Usagi realized what it was and more importantly where she and Darien were.

“Silver Millennium.” She gasped as she stared at the ruins of her home. “ This is my moth—this is my kingdom.”

Darien looked up at her sharply, and then he too began to look about. He had only come to moon that one time and he had died here. “The Moon?” He could not believe it. “But how?”

But Usa was no longer listening to him. She hurried through the ruins as memories of her past life were racing through her mind reminding her of the happier days and the saddest day of her life as the heir of the universe.

Goddess, how it had all changed, there was nothing left except the piles of broken, crumbling pillars. It was like walking about a ghost town, seeing everything that was once alive and flourishing now reduced to nothing but, but…

Suddenly, Usa dropped to her knees on a cracked marble floor in what was once the center of the palace, the rotunda that was their place of worship. Sad eyes gazed at a broken column of dull crystal.

Darien had soon came after her; He was worried about the effect of seeing the ruins of her home would have on Usagi. The memory of that fateful day he had come to Silver Millennium were still too raw in his newly awakened memories. For Usagi, to have see the place had been both her home and grave it must had been overwhelming.

Quietly, he stood by watching as Usagi extend her right hand towards the ruined crystal pillar. Yet before she could touch it, Usa dropped her hand and then crumpled in on herself as painful sobs broke from her mouth.

Darien knelt behind her and carefully he took Usa into his arms and held her close. He sat there for a long time, just rocking her as he tried to comfort her but her grief had overwhelmed Usa completely. Darien wished he could take away her pain or erase her memories of that awful day. Everyone they knew and loved had died in one strike. He had died right before her eyes and then she…And it wasn't enough to satisfy the gods or fate. But to have her mother do the same and to be here alone. Darien's heart broke for her.

If he could only back, he would have done some many things differently. He would heeded the advise of his Generals and but an end to Beryl before she came a threat. He could have explained his position to his mother; Gaia was not so naÃ¯ve that she would accept the life of one person over the lives of all their subjects. His mother would have done anything to protect her Kingdom, but it had been him who truly the weak one. But doubting his Queen and her strength as ruler, he allowed Beryl to live.

“How chivalrous you are, Endymion.” A delicate, melodious voice wrapped about the pair. “You will take the blame for something that was never your fault.”

Darien started quickly. He began to look about wildly. “Who's there?” He demanded once he was back on his feet. “Where are you? Show yourself.” He commanded.

Usagi clung to him; in her right hand was her crescent wand as she prepared for a possible attack.

The voice chuckled softly. The sound of single pair of footsteps on their right had both warriors turning in that direction. They quickly moved apart, Usa going to the right as Darien took point and drawing his sword.

He could make out a vague outline as the person came closer. The sound of rustling silk and small, precise steps identified the persons as a woman. A brief flash of gold winking from the center of what could the brow of a small woman held his attention.

Usa's eyes narrowed as she recognized a form fitting white gown. She gasped and before Darien could ask her what was wrong, Usa had dropped her wand and was running towards the woman.

The strange woman had stopped and opened her arms just in time to catch the smaller girl.

“Serenity.” She cried in wondrous delight as the two embraced.

“Mother,” Usa gasped in surprise.

Poor Darien was forced to do a double take and sure enough, he was looking at the Queen of Silver Millennium. Alive, healthy, and well—alive.

What the hell was going on?

“Move back,” Venus ordered.

The Senshi and Generals jumped out of the way to avoid being trapped in the magical barrier. Jupiter had to grab her aunt and drag her away from Usa's body and just in time to as the walls of crystal came up around the two fallen lovers.

“We can't let it grow here,” Mars was saying, her voice mirrored her panic and confusion.

“We don't a choice.” Mercury told her. She turned to Venus and said, “The thing that attacked the Prince and Princess is moving over Tokyo, and it's growing.”

“We have to stop it, Venus.” Saturn's tone was grave, “No matter the cost.”

Venus nodded, “Without the Imperial Crystal we are strong enough to seal this creature away. The best we can hope for is to contain it.”

Saturn stepped forward, her dark eyes filled with determination. “Awaken my team, Venus. With our combined strength and the power of the Outer Senshi Talismans, we might have enough power to return this demon to it's prison until our Princess has been reborn and is strong enough to defeat it.”

“What are you talking about?” Kunzite demanded.

“We are going to banish this creature for another millennium.” Venus replied grimly.

“No,” Sam said angrily as he grabbed Saturn to him. “You're planning to commit suicide.”

“We must protect this system.” Venus said.

“Even if it means your deaths?” He asked incredulously.

She looked at the crystal that protected the two people she cared for, “Even if it means our deaths.” She told him

Sam turned to Saturn and the other girls. He shook his head no; he was not going to allow it. He just lost his sister; he was not about to lose his cousin and the girl he was in love with.

“Lindsey.” Ilene touched her niece's face sadly. “I have lost my sister and now my daughter. I can't lose you, too.” She turned to Ami and Rei, “You girls are just babies. How can you want to do this?”

“Don't ask this of them.” Venus growled. “This is not something any of us wants to do. But this is our duty and our lives.” She turned to face the confused family members and friends and she steeled heart against them. “We are the warriors of the Silver Millennium, the Princesses of this Solar System. It is our sacred duty to protect it and our Queen from that threatens them. We knew this going in, we accepted this from the moment we reclaimed our past destinies for we will bear this burden of this on our souls. Do not attempt to dissuade my Senshi from their duties with your pleas and tears. Respect them enough to understand their positions and our duty.”

“Mina,” Kunzite said, “We know you are hurting right now. But Darien would not want you—“

“This isn't about Darien.” She snapped angrily. “We have to stop this demon before it becomes too powerful again. If this thing escapes the planet, then rest of the Solar System is doomed its past.”

“Venus, we need to go.” Mercury's quiet voice cut through the tension that surrounded them all.

Jupiter turned around and hugged her aunt. “I'm sorry.” She whispered.

“Hotaru,” Sam said pleadingly even as she pulled away from him. “Don't do this. I love you.”

Hotaru knew if she turned around she would have tempted to stay with him, so she didn't.

“Tsukino-san,” Mars said as Jupiter stepped away from her. “Would you tell my Grandfather that I love him?”

“Would you please tell my parents that I am so sorry,” Mercury asked with tears standing in her dark eyes. “I'm sorry and I love them very much.”

Kunzite touched Venus left arm, she glanced up at him, her face was an expressionless mask.

“What am I going to tell your dad?” He asked softly.

Venus looked past him to craggy crystal prison that held her brother and princess. “Tell him that Darien will be avenged.” Resolved to the path she had chosen, Sailor Venus started towards the center of the room. “Senshi, it is time.”

Mercury wiped at her wet cheeks, Mars laid a consoling arm about her shoulders. Jupiter took a final glance back at her family, she smiled sadly before she turned away. They all joined Saturn in the middle of the ruined room.

“We can teleport right beneath it.” Venus told them.

“How are we going to do this?” Jupiter asked her.

“With the greatest power we possess,” Saturn answered for their leader.

“I am not going to awaken the others just so they die,” Venus told them. “If we are successful, our Princess will awaken and she will be stronger and be able to defeat our enemy.”

“Then what are we waiting for?” Mars smiled, trying to bring a bit of levity to their grave decision. “Are Usagi-chan would say, `Let's go raise some hell and make the witch wish she had never decided to come out of her hole'.”

Jupiter grinned, “I don't Usa would ever say anything like that.”

“It could have been Frankie.” Mercury said, also smiling.

“Thanks, Rei.” Venus laughed, “Well girls, I can't say it hasn't been fun. We have had one of hell of ride. It has been an honor to serve with each of you and in our next life, may we be friends again.” The others nodded sadly. She held her hands out to Mercury and Saturn. “In a circle, ladies and let's hold hands.” When they were all in rough semi-circle, Venus said, “Merc, get us started.”

The crystal on the front of her Mercury's fuku began to glow as she called out, “Mercury Crystal Power!—“

Following close on her heels, Mars cried out, “Mars Crystal Power—“

“Jupiter Crystal Power—“

“Saturn Crystal Power—“

“Venus Crystal Power—“ Venus shouted as all their power built up. The area about them began to blur and swim as all the different colours of their combined energies came together and then it shifted.

They appeared in the downtown Tokyo, standing on the observation deck of Tokyo Tower right under the belly of the great, dark cloud of evil.

In one voice the five female warriors shouted, “Mediation!”

For days afterwards, people would remember the blinding flash of light that lit up the dark sky over Tokyo. The rioting and acts of violence ceased as people began to run away in terror from the light. People as far away as San Francisco, and St. Louis in the United States reported seeing a brilliant flash of something that was brighter than the sun. In Beijing and Moscow, both governments had an influx of telephone calls from hysterical citizens throughout the country that thought their nations were under attack. Many others though it was a sign from God either the beginning of the Apocalypse or a message for hope and peace.

In Tokyo and the outlying suburbs, the Senshi's attack hit with the force of three nuclear bombs. Buildings shook as glass was blown from windows. Car alarms went off, people were tossed about as the ground beneath their feet literally rose up beneath them. Water mains broke, gas mains exploded. Great gusts of dust and debris washed over the fleeing people, leaving even more death and destruction in their wake.

Back at the Tower, the Senshi poured all of themselves into the attack. They had managed to push the creature from the surface, but even with their strongest magic coming directly from their hearts and souls, they were still not strong enough to banish the creature completely.

Grimly, Venus watched as their enemy continued to stand against them. But the Sailor Warriors refused to give up. If they could not seal Metallia away then they could give their lives for their Princess' and pray that she could the impossible.

From her subspace pocket, Venus drew a stone sword. She held the blade aloft and it began to glow. “Oh, majestic blade that protect our Princess,” she prayed, “Hear me once more. Pierce this darkness; make it though to our Princess. We give you our powers and our lives…” Princess Serenity, Usagi, you must be alive! “Awaken, Serenity! Pay homage to our Holy Tower and bring peace to your kingdom!” She shouted. “Serenity!” With a final blast of their strength, the Senshi were thrown from the tower.

About the base of Tokyo Tower, the five brave warriors lay dead. As the last of their life forces faded away, the transformations faded along with their terran glamour, leaving the five alien princesses to be found along with the rest of dead when the search for survivors began.

“Foolish Senshi,” the demon chuckled. “This time, Terra is mine!”

Usagi dropped down on broken column, her pale face had lost all colour.

Darien stared speechlessly at the former Lunarian Queen.

“We're dead?” Usa whispered.

“Not yet, my darling,” the Queen corrected. “You are in between life and death.”

“I don't understand,” Darien confessed. “I feel fine…”

“This time and place exist outside the parameters of what you accept as reality, Endymion.” She assured him, she turned back to her daughter and said. “Unfortunately our time here is short and Serenity, we much to discuss.”

“I can't believe I'm dead.” Usa muttered.

Queen Serenity looked to Darien for help, but the boy just as worst off as her child. The Queen sighed wearily. “I need your attention since you both refuse to talk. Endymion, you and your mother, Queen Gaia did not know much about us of the Silver Millennium when you decided to marry my daughter. Serenity was quiet young and was continuing her education that would prepare for her future duties as queen and the Protector of the Silver Imperial Crystal. Since our kingdom was at peace, I was no great hurry to rush Serenity's training; I realized much later that was a grave mistake on my part. I allowed her a carefree life of innocence and pleasure. This was how she came to discover your world and fall in love with you.

“The year Serenity was to marry you, the sun was very active. The Queen of Neptune and the King of Mars were highly concern about this phenomenon therefore they brought this to my attention and I created a committee to investigate it. But I was too slow in my doing this for this unknown evil had already slipped past my Inner Sentinels and somehow buried itself deep within your planet. I contacted Gaia with these findings and we decided our best course of action would be to work together in trying to locate the criminal who summoned this evil to Terra, dispatch of the witch, and purge this darkness from our Universe.”

Darien started, his dark eyes filled with shock. “My mother knew about Beryl?”

The Queen nodded, “We were afraid that it would attempt a coup to take over your kingdom from the very beginning. Because your mother was afraid for you, she masked the power of your Golden Crystal early in your life and I played up the power and strength of my crystal through Serenity and with power of my Senshi. It had been our intent to drive the evil out of your world and to mine where I could destroy it and your mother would obliterate the foul creature that summoned it.

“Unfortunately, things did not go as we had planned. So many mistakes were made on both sides, small, seemingly inconsequential actions at the time led to our downfall.” Queen Serenity walked over to the ruined crystal tower, her face an unreadable mask as she gazed down at the broken pieces. “We did not know until it was too far gone that this creature had crept into the hearts of your Terrans,” she continued. “The creature sought the power of the Silver Crystal and the Terran throne. It wanted to overthrow my rule, yet it needed a base of power—“

“It came after us.” Darien said.

She nodded slowly, “Once in the hearts of the Terrans the foul creature created envy, fear, and paranoia within your people and it turned them against we of Silver Millennium.” She turned back to them, “Gaia and I kept this information from you two. It was deliberate and selfish, yet our only desires were to protect you and Serenity. You both were so young and naÃ¯ve and were caught in the first blushes of love. We did not want cause your worry…”

“Had I known,” Darien said through clenched teeth. “Had I known my mother knew about Beryl's treachery, I would have killed that witch and spared our kingdoms this tragedy.”

Shame coloured the proud monarch's features, but she continued to meet their steady gazes as she continued with her narrative. “When the Terran Kingdom fell, I realized that I would be making final stand here at my kingdom. My advisors and I assumed after you and your guardians had arrived that we would a day or more to prepare for a counter strike against the evil. We were completely caught unawares when the beast arrived on your heels, Endymion. My Senshi were immediately targeted and killed. Serenity's guards fell just moments after their noble parents. I had come too late…I watched young Freya cut down the witch that was responsible for your deaths. The poor girl, she was gravely injured and dying when I reached her side. There I was, alone, surrounded by dead and dying. Then I saw you, my sweet Serenity…My grief was so sharp and devastating. I could not breathe; I was caught in a wellspring of sorrow and rage. When I faced that beast, those emotions had so clouded my heart and mind that I was unable to defeat the demon.”

Usa looked at her worriedly. “What do you mean you could not defeat it, Mother?” She asked. “What did you do?”

“Since I could not focus my energies or my heart, I was forced to seal the demon away.” She said quietly. “I was not thinking straight when I banished it.”

“Mother, please,” Usa tone was urgent, “Did you send it back Terra?”

She nodded solemnly.

“Why?” Darien exploded. “Why would you send it back to my world? Why not to where it had come from originally?”

“I was overwhelmed,” she explained. “Serenity, you must understand that our hearts control the Silver Crystal. Our must be pure like crystal or we are weakened and destroyed. My grief and regrets led to my destruction and it is why the evil has returned. My dearest Serenity, I am afraid the task of ridding the Solar System of this is has now fallen to you.”

“But Mother,” Usagi whispered, “I don't have the crystal.”

Queen Serenity looked surprised by this news, “Well, something must be interfering with your will to summon the crystal.” She then smiled warmly at her daughter. “Sweetheart, do not fret over this. You are now the Queen of Silver Millennium, the power of the Solar System and the Silver Crystal are yours to command. When you ready to fully accept them, they will come to you.”

With the greatest fear laid to rest, Usagi took comfort in her mother's words and returned the Queen's smile a hundredfold. “You're right, Mother, I will not worry about this.”

“Good. Now it is time for you to return to Terra.” the Queen said as held her hands out to her. Usagi came to her and the two embraced. As she held her daughter close this last time, Queen Serenity gave her daughter final bit of encouragement. “My dearest, most beloved daughter. You must be strong, my love; You must possess faith, unity, and deep love at all times, for without them you cannot defeat the evil. Be proud that you are the Queen of this bright kingdom and Champion of Justice, my dearest Serenity.” She pulled back taking Usagi's face in her hands before she leaned forward and pressed a tender kiss on the spot were Usagi's crescent moon was. When she drew back, the golden insignia was shining brightly on her daughter's brow. “Never forget that I am so very proud of you, my darling girl, or that I love you.” She raised her eyes to Darien, a watery smile appeared on her trembling lips. “All I ask is that you continue to love my daughter. Even in the most difficult times and when you two are at a crossroads in your lives, remember that she is reason you live and the only one you would die for. Take care of her for me, Endymion.” Her gaze drifted back to her daughter, who now had tears in her silver eyes. “She is so small yet she bears a great burden on her tiny shoulders.”

“I promise, I will love her forever.” Darien replied solemnly.

“I know. It was why you were reborn there, together.” She whispered as she wiped at Usagi's damp cheeks. “Good-bye, Serenity.”

“Mother,” Usagi cried out in fright as she grabbed at the Queen's hands. “Don't leave me again, please—“

“My darling, I have never left you. When you look at the moon, you will know that I am here, watching over you.” Carefully, she freed her hands for her daughter's and then she moved back, her image fading before their eyes.

“No, wait, Mother—“

“I love you, Serenity.” The shade whispered.

“Mother, I—“ Usa choked out. With some effort, Usagi forced herself to smile as she called out to the shadows, “I love you, Mother, and I will never, never forget you.”

Her first memories were of him. Oddly enough, they had always been of him. Even before they ever spoke, she would either fantasize or dream about him all the time even after they had met.

How it all happened, it was quiet simple. She had seen his face on a screen in one of the monitoring rooms in the Minister of State's office. No one said anything as the High Princess stood rooted in one spot, staring openly at the beautiful young man with the raven dark hair and deep, mysterious sapphire eyes. She memorized his features that afternoon and later she added his face to her precious collection of sketches that she hid from her closest friends and companions.

Weeks later, she knew his name and for days after she haunted every office that had contact with the mysterious blue planet that her small world circled and she managed to learn more about him. The ministers believed that their Princess was finally showing some interest in the matters that concerned the Kingdom and welcomed all of her questions about the planet and the Terran Royal family. Oh, how clever she was, too. Disguising her inquiries about the Terran Prince with questions of possible treaties and diplomatic correspondences between their states; It was so easy for her to fool everyone, even her own mother never guessed her true intentions. In a short time, she knew a great deal about the Crown Prince.

He was well educated, intelligent, charming and mindful of the welfare of his people. He was also his planet chief military leader and a leading diplomat. He was handsome, brave, cultured, and perfect as far as she was concerned. She had to meet him.

Seeing up close him was the end for her.

One look and her hesitant, stumbling conversation with him had ruined her for all others who would have ever tried for her hand. No one could compare with him in beauty, a beauty that went beyond his physical appearance; he was truly a kind and generous person once she was able to see beyond his arrogant facade. He was curious about the other planets, he had thousands of questions about everything and she was happy to answer all that she could or bring him books that he seemed to devour with a mental voraciousness that rivaled the Princesses of Mercury and Venus.

She went from childish infatuation to love almost immediately and he expressed the same feelings. Their first kiss brought the Universe to a stand still and before either knew what was happening, the Princess was being carried away, surrounded by a small platoon of Venusian Senshi under the command of the leader of her guardians.

Days and weeks of no contact with her beloved nearly killed her and then one day, her mother relented. The Princess raced from her palace to the Terran keep and fell, literally on top of the Prince. He was on his training grounds, resting after a furious sparing match with his cousin. His joy at seeing her and being with her again mirrored her own. It was right there, with him lying flat on his back and she laying half on him that the young Princess asked the handsome Prince to marry her.

After he argued that it was the man's place to ask his ladylove to become his bride, he relented and graciously accepted her proposal.

At that moment and for the year to follow, she believed that she would have her fairytale ending. Her life was unfolding like one of her favorite stories complete with the handsome Prince who only loved her. Then glass dreams were shattered. Her fairytale had a tragic ending; Her Prince was dead, her kingdom was dying as she lay taking her final breaths.

A new life and new dreams and different memories came for her in the distant future.

She was an everyday schoolgirl in Japan. She blended into the scenery of the time and the backdrop of humanity like everyone else. She was nothing special; She wasn't a Princess or famous, she just didn't stand out in a crowd. But he did.

The first time she saw him, her heart sped up and her breath came out in short pants. He was so beautiful with raven dark hair and deep mysterious sapphire blue eyes. She was a confirmed romantic and believed in love at first sight. That was until he opened his mouth.

He wasn't compassionate or sensitive. He was arrogant, snide, and petty. She decided that she hated him after their first conversation. He was just some snooty college guy and far too old for her if he was in medical school. So she wrote him off, rather she tried to, but whenever he was about, she found herself drawn to him. Soon her disgust and dislike gave way and she found herself falling desperately in love with him. She tried to fight it, she was too young and he much too old to ever take her seriously. For a long time she tried to hide her feelings, but he was very perceptive when it came to her and to her surprise and utter amazement, he confessed that he felt the same way about her.

Her joy at his revelation immediately turned to heartache. She did not know what to say other than blurt out that he couldn't love her. He was a grown man and she was just a kid what kind of relationship could they possibility have? He was confused, but then realized what she was talking about it. After that afternoon in his father's office, there had never been any confusion between them until recently.

This new confusion led to the merging of the past and the present. The former royalty of the Moon and Terra had awaken in the a future where they were together and deeply in love with one another. This was how their story should have been. It was their story and destiny to find each other and always love one another…

Endymion…

“My Silver Imperial Crystal, I beg of you to help me find him…” She felt her heart beating in time with another pulse. “Endymion, my love, this time we will be born on the same planet and we will find happiness. My crystal, I will hold you to my breast…Together, we will protect you; And this time we will find happiness…” The beats joined as the power began to build in her soul. “Endymion, we will transcend time to live again. We will find happiness—Endymion.”

“Serenity,” he soul reached for hers, his magic brushed against her power. “Stop trying to corrupt me with your Lunarian magic.”

With a start, Serenity sat up reaching for him. “Darien? Endymion.”

“Darien, Endymion, Endy.” He laughed, “I am whoever you want me to be, even your baby.”

She threw herself into his arms and hugged him for all she was worth. “Selene, I hope we are alive.” She cried as she burrowed into his arms.

“You feel solid enough, a bit soft some places.” He felt a floor beneath him and heavy satin at his back confirmed to him that he was alive.

“Sweetie.” The light of his life murmured.

“Yes, love?”

“Your hands are wondering.” She snapped as she pulled away from him.

He shrugged as he reached up to brush his hair from his eyes. “Your fuku is just so inviting.”

“Yeah, yeah.” She reached up waved her right hand over her broach to release her transformation but her fingers bumped against something. She gasped as the thing began to glow.

“Well now,” Endymion grinned. “It would seems as if your mother was right.”

Floating before her awe struck face was a shimmering, brilliant Silver Crystal. “Oh.” She brought her hands up and the crystal moved towards them. “My crystal.” She breathed.

Endymion moved towards her, his own crystal gravitated towards hers just as he moved towards her. Serenity raised her face towards him, he brought up his right hand and caressed her face. He leaned forward, first kissing the golden insignia on her brow, then her tip of her nose, before he lightly pressed his lips to her rose petal soft mouth.

“So you have awaken, heir of Silver Millennium?” A dark, craggy voice broke through their moment of happiness causing the two lovers to pull away from their tender embrace.

Endymion blew out a sharp breath as he felt the hatred and malice coming from around the world as the demon's poison tried to seep into his world. Endymion's crystal reacted quickly, it golden light started to shine and he began to fight against evil in his planet.

Serenity crawled away to edge of whatever they were in. She sat back and looked up at the structure that surrounded them. Slowly, she reached out and touched it thick wall of crystal before she quickly withdrew her hand.

“Endy,” she said, her voice filled with panic.

“What is it, my sweet?”

“We are encased in Silver Crystal.”

“No wonder my crystal is working overtime.” He snorted.

“What was that?” She demanded.

He rolled his eyes, “You're crystal was trying to corrupt me, but mine drove you magic's out and revived me.” He stood up and picked up his sword. “Sweetheart, we need to get out of this. Something is very wrong out there—“

“Endymion.” She glanced back him and took his offered hand. Her crystal followed her as she joined him. “There is so much hatred and cruelty—“ she whispered.

He wrapped his arms about her waist. The crystal cage shattered and melted away in leaving them in the ruined Crown Fruit Pallor.

Kunzite was first to notice them. He called out them.

“Where are my Senshi?” Serenity asked urgently. “Why can't I feel them?”

“Usa,” Ilene cried as she to her daughter.

“Serenity,” Endymion said sharply. “You need to calm down…”

“No!” She cried as she tried to pull free of him. “Let me go, Endymion! I need to go to them. I have to save---“ She cried out as waves of cruelty and hatred slammed washed over the area.

“Serenity!” Endymion cried when she fell against him.

She clutched at her head as she battled back the nausea and dizziness that pounded her. “I must stop her before her darkness covers the entire planet.” She said weakly.

“No!” Her mother cried frantically. “Usagi—“

The Prince and Princess ignored her and all others. Serenity beseeching gaze steeled his decision. Endymion turned to his Generals and ordered them to find the Senshi. He picked up his Princess and the two vanished.

“This is most idiotic thing you could have ever done.” Serenity complained as she watched her Prince channel his transformation to summon his armor.

Endymion glanced about the rooftop of the Tokyo Hyatt and shrugged. “I could have put us on the ground.” He replied nonchalantly.

She rolled her eyes as she pulled out her crescent wand. “Why don't you go play rescue hero with your Generals.”

“You are forgetting that this is my planet, dear heart, and it will fight you while it's fighting that blob of demonic goo.” He stooped to plant a quick kiss on her neck, “Are you ready, love?”

“Ready as I will ever be.” She told him.

He caught her chin, making her look at him, Endymion smiled down at her. “We will win,” he assured her. “I will save my planet and you will save your friends.”

“I—“ She tried to protest, but he stopped her with a quick, hard kiss.

“No doubts or regrets.” He said, looking into her eyes. “Remember what your mother said. The Crystal follows your heart.” He winked at her. “Don't forget that I believe in you.”

A soft smile graced her features as she reached up to return his kiss. “I love you, too.” She whispered.

In the distance, the demon had turned towards them. She felt the power of the legendary Silver Imperial Crystal and to her surprise, another crystal of equal strength. She cackled madly as her lumbering form shifted and rolled over the Tokyo skyline.

She recognized the pair standing on the rooftop, completely oblivious to everything except one another. It was the Princess of the Silver Millennium and the Prince of Terra. Oh, how easy this victory would be, she declared to herself as she picked up speed, she rolled up like a wave charging towards the shore.

From the corner of his eye, Endymion watched the demon as she closers. A cruel smirk graced his handsome features as he ended his kiss with his beloved.

“It's time to end this,” he murmured.

“Damn these harpies.” She pouted as tightened her grip on the staff of her wand. “Always interfering during our amore time.”

“I will let you make it up to me.” He grinned.

She snorted, “No, you will make it up to me.” She retorted as she walked stepped forward. Serenity fixed her eyes on the dark shadow that once destroyed all she loved and cared for. “You will go no further, demon!” She declared, proudly, her voice was strengthened by her determination to win and to protect everyone she loved and cared for now. “I, Serenity of Silver Millennium, will seal you away!”

****

The silver crystal rose in the air before it settled in the crook of the golden crescent moon of Serenity's wand. Above the creature of darkness, the moon appeared in the sky, shining brightly as new day sun as it heeded the call of it's mistress. She closed her eyes, filling the power of her world, the strength of her heart and love and the power of her fallen Senshi. She channeled it, through her soul, letting it build and grow.

“I need more power,” she prayed, “Great Power of my kingdom, We give service to thee. We pay homage to thee and thine sacred tower. Grant us strength to succeed and bring peace to this land.” Serenity felt it as the magic tore through her body and mind, wiping away everything she through she had known or would every feel, leaving her hollowed out, pure and clean as a crystal.

Endymion had to look away, for the light was bright and strong that it seemed to blind him with it's intensity.

Serenity screamed as power pushed at the body, demanding to be freed. “Come to me, O Great Light of the Moon!” She yelled out, as the light wrapped about her. “I thee mine life, body, and mine soul!” Her eyes flashed opened, showing silver tinted whites and magic poured from her. “Strike this demon down. Destroy her heart!”

The demon reared back as waves of the bright magic slammed into her.

“Ohh,” the creature cooed as she began to absorb the energy pouring from the young warrior. “This moonlight! This is it! This is what I have longed for. The great power that called from abyss hidden in the sun.” But power was too great even for her to consume and she began to scream in pain as the force of the young girl's strength began to low her body away.

Now it was time. The crescent moon on the girl's brow flashed brightly as she shouted. “Get back, you foul creature. This sacred light will burn you to dust!” Serenity thrust her wand into the air. The Silver Crystal expanded and opened up like a flower as the all the power Serenity had been channeling violently tore from each crystal petal. When the energy hit the demon's swollen body, it reached with all the magic the creature had already devoured and for one tense moment, nothing happened. And then she exploded.

There was loud pop, sounding oddly like balloon that had just been burst. There was a great rushing of wind that shook every building for twenty miles in every direction and could have been felt for hundreds of more even going out to sea.

Endymion grabbed Serenity to him and wrapped them in an energy field of golden energy.

When he was sure that the earth had stopped moving, Endymion lowered the shield. He teleported to the ground, in a park close to his house and he laid Serenity down on his cloak.

He could feel his guards were looking for him, but he had more pressing things to worry about. He knelt in the clearing, burying both his hands in the soil until he touched the heart of his world.

“My poor Terra,” he smiled sadly as he reversed the damage that had been done by Beryl, the Senshi, and the demon. “You've just been scratched a bit. But this much will soon heal.”

An hour later, everything had been repaired and lift was restored as the people in Tokyo and the suburbs began to pick themselves up and wonder about.

“What happened?” Alex asked in awe after people who died, began looking about and started asking questions.

Kenji helped his wife stand up. Sam offered his hand to Trista while the Kous, Eiji, and Andrew went to check on the others in the Arcade.

“I think we have been saved.” Trista said blankly.

“Hey, everyone,” Seiya Kou shouted from the staircase, “David and the guys found the girls.”

“Oh, my God.” Ilene said as she collapsed weakly against her husband.

“Are they alright?” Trista asked him.

“Is Hotaru okay?” Sam demanded.

There was a commotion down stairs, Seiya jumped back as the David and the others hurried up the stairs carrying the five warriors. Andrew carried Ami to table and quickly laid her down on the top.

“Did any of them have a pulse when you found them?” He shouted as he started compression on Ami's chest.

“Hotaru,” Sam cried out as he tried to reach his girlfriend. Jiro turned around and caught his friend before he could touch her. “Let me go, Jiro.” The youth growled menacing as he tried to shove his friend out of the way.

“Let Trista and Drew do what they can,” Jiro said as he forced his friend back.

“I'm not getting anything.” Josh said after he breathed in a breath of oxygen into Lita's mouth.

“We are not giving up on them.” Andrew declared furiously. “Come on, Ami. C'mon, kid, you got too much to live for to give up now.”

“Oh, shit!” Frankie shouted as pulled his hands away from Rei's chest.

The three medical students turned to him, “What did you do?” Trista demanded as she rushed over to where he stood.

“What is it?” Andrew swore when he saw a red stain appear on the right side of Rei's peach coloured dress.

“I didn't do anything,” Frankie protested. “She just started bleeding and…”

“Mina's bleeding.” Dave shouted over the arguing pair.

“Damn it,” Andrew snapped. “Check them all. God, where are those paramedics?” He started back as he Ami's body began to glow. He turned around and everyone had moved back as the four other fallen warriors bodies began to glow as well. Suddenly an intense bright silver light filled the room. Everyone cried out and covered their eyes.

When the light had finally died down, Andrew looked about and began to laugh in relief.

“Oh,” Lita groaned as she rolled onto her side and grabbed her and touched her aching head. “It feels like I have been drinking from a bong.”

“Next time, let's not take the honorable death route.” Hotaru moaned as she stared up at the heavily decorated ceiling.

“I think we won.” Rei said through dry lips.

“Why does winning always have to hurt this much?” Ami wondered as pushed herself up on her elbows.

Mina asked the question that was foremost in each Senshi's mind: “How the hell did we get back here?”

Serenity rose from kneeling before the crystal tower. A soft smile graced her features as she left the Prayer Chamber. A guard bowed to her as she closed the door.

“Your Majesty,” A tall, ebony haired woman dressed in a golden robes with a golden crescent moon on her brow inquired as the girl turned to face her. “Would you please reconsider this decision. This is your home and we need you.”

Serenity smiled fondly at her Prime Minister then she moved to embrace her. “I will return, Luna.” She told her. “Right now, my place is still on Terra, with my parents, friends, and Endymion.” She stepped back, her silver eyes warm as she said, “I trust you to take of things until my return?”

“Of course, your Majesty.” Luna told her, “I am your loyal servant.”

Serenity nodded. “I know.” She looked past Luna and saw Endymion standing not too far away, his expression was anxious as he was in a hurry to return to his home. “Contact the other planets and let them know of the other girls' survival. I will be in contact soon.”

“But my Queen,” Luna started to protest, “What about your coronation?”

“We will talk about some other time.” Serenity told her. “Right now, I just want to see my family and make sure my Senshi are alright?” She rushed into Endymion's arms.

Luna smiled fondly at her girl and then waved her off. “Then go, your Majesty.”

Serenity glanced back her former nemesis, her mother's chief advisor and Prime Minister. “I'll see you soon, Luna.” She told her.

“Be well, Queen Serenity.” Luna said as she bowed to the girl.

She nodded once. The world about her faded as Endymion embraced her. She turned away as her palace in the stars faded away. When she looked up, she was looking at a Terran dawn.

She heard door slam open and some called her name. She turned around and just in time to be caught up in the arms of her family.

Endymion had brought her home and it was where everyone had come, waiting for them to return. Both were passed around for hugs and kisses, but she noticed that Senshi hung back. Gently, she disengaged herself from the crush of her family and she stepped forward. The five warriors silently transformed and each went down to one knee and crossed their right arms over their hearts in the traditional Lunarian salute.

“Queen Serenity,” Venus intoned formally. “We are—“

“Let's not do this right, now.” The new Queen told her, “I'm tired and it's late. Get out of the grass and go home.” She yawned broadly and stretched her sore muscles. “Ames, you still staying over?”

“Your Majesty—“ The Mercurian Senshi stammered.

“Until we go back to Silver Millennium, I am Usagi.” She told them. “Not Queen Serenity, nor her Majesty, or anything else. You are all my friends and that's how we will always be.”

“Guys,” Endymion said to his Generals, “Let's stick to Darien and you being my friends again. Even you cousin,” he said to David.

“Cousin?” Mina perked up.

“It's a long story.” Darien yawned, “I'll tell you on the way home.”

“But I don't…” Mina tried to argue.

“Come by later today.” Usa told her. “Much later.” With that final order, the young Queen of Silver Millennium, Senshi of Justice, and all around average Japanese school headed into her house for a well deserved rest.

End of Part One:

The Dark Kingdom