Hello lovelies! I hope you are all doing well! Been working on this bad boy for over a month now but I know many of you have been waiting for quite a while. Well here it is. I hope it doesn't stray too much from my old writing style, I feel like it does but maybe its exactly the same. Any who, this bad boy is 275 pages already and I still have the last chapter to post. Hope you all enjoy!

Chapter One

"Every bond is a bond to sorrow."

― James Joyce

Spring had sprung and the cherry blossoms were in full bloom. She stood alone on the bridge that Mamoru had shown her back when it was covered in snow. Her short white skirt flutter in the wind along with her floral print babydoll shirt. It was amazing how different it all looked with all the colors and life. She was so glad that they had won, otherwise this spring would not have been allowed to take place. A warm breeze picked up and carried blossoms with it. They swirled and danced around her, beckoning her to join them. She lifted her hands out to her sides and twirled with the wind. Petals tickled her bare skin and her nose causing her to giggle without care. She didn't stop until she realized she wasn't alone. At one end of the bridge stood Mamoru watching her with an amused look on his beautiful face.

"You are an angel you know that?" He smirked.

She gave him a sideways glance, "You told me that once already."

With his smirk only growing, "I did?"

"Yes, in a dream." She placed her hands on her hips as if to sass him.

"Oh well that doesn't count."

"It doesn't?"

"No, not at all."

He closed the distance between them with a few steps and wrapped his arms around her. She reveled in their warmth and comfort as she laid her head on his chest and listened to the gentle beating of his heart. A finger lifted her face to his and he bent down to kiss her. She rose on tiptoes to meet him halfway and her soul caught fire as their lips met. Every time he kissed her it was the same. Her heart beat wildly in her chest and her knees buckled, but he was always there to catch her. He pulled her deeper into the kiss, tickling her lips with his tongue. Just as she was about to give him access, the sky opened up with a roar and something heavy fell on her head, pushing down and crushing her neck. She fell to the ground, temporarily paralyzed as pain throbbed through her spine. When she felt she could move again, she looked up to see what had attacked her was clutching Mamoru by the neck. All she saw was a tiny body made up mostly of bright pink hair. What really caught her attention was the child's hair style. It was dangerously close to her own. She didn't know who or where this creature came from but she did know it still had a hold on Mamoru.

"Hey, what the hell are you doing?! You could have killed someone!"

The small creature turned and looked at her with red eyes. It looked her up and down, stopping at her hairstyle just as she had. Letting go of Mamoru, who looked like he was in shock, she walked closer to her. The girl was so small and, to be honest, very cute. She even had a small ball that looked a lot like Luna. Surely this girl was an ally not a foe.

"Are you Tsukino Usagi?"

"Um...Yes."

In a puff of smoke her cute little ball disappeared and in its place was a pistol pointed at her face. She could see down the barrel of the gun and a chill ran down her spine.

"Then give me the silver crystal!"

She blinked, staring wide eyed, her jaw had hit the floor and she was struggling to pick it back up again. She was in shock. Partly because this small strange child not only knew her name but that she held the silver crystal and partly because SHE HAD A GUN IN HER FACE! If she wasn't so terrified, she would laugh. All the horrific and terrifying things she had witnessed in her lifetime already and a gun still made her freeze. The little girl stood un-moving, save for a small tremor in her little arm as it held the heavy firearm. She stared at her, not the gun, looking for something. And then she saw it, a chink in the little girl's armor. This little girl was scared. She wasn't a killer, something or someone must have put her up to this. And that changed everything. She was no longer afraid, she was determined. This little girl needed help, protecting.

"I'm sorry but I don't have it with me. But if you want to come home with me….."

Mamoru had finally snapped out of his shock and grabbed the girl. The action startled the little one causing her to squeeze the trigger. She heard a loud pop and everything went black.

She had no idea how much time had passed, probably only a few minutes, but when she woke up, she knew that she was dead. Looking around she could see the sun shining through the cherry blossoms, giving a glow of pink light behind Mamoru's head as he leaned over her with a wide smile. His eyes twinkled with delight as he watched her. She felt warm and fuzzy all over making her absolutely sure that she was dead and this was heaven.

"Is this heaven?" She whispered.

Mamoru chuckled, "Usako, it was a pop gun."

"What?" She sat up quickly which was a mistake causing her head to spin.

"Whoa, slow down." He pulled her back down into his lap.

She raised a hand to feel her forehead which was lacking a bullet hole, "What happened?"

"I guess I startled her and she pulled the trigger. But it was just a toy gun." He looked a bit guilty. Either from scaring the girl or because he hadn't been fast enough to protect her even if it was a toy.

She quickly looked around, they were still on the bridge but the girl was nowhere in sight, "Where is she? Where did she go?!"

He shrugged, "She ran off. You fainted. It was either catch you or her and since she did nothing wrong I went for you."

"We have to find her!" She was screaming but she didn't care. Something inside her told her she needed to find that girl, to keep her safe.

Mamoru however did not seem to get it, "Calm down Usako, it was just a prank."

She stood up against his protests and pulled him to his feet as well, "She is all alone Mamo-chan. And she knows about the silver crystal. She needs our help I...I just know it."

He took her hand in his and led her in what she could only assume was the direction he saw the little girl leave.

They must have searched every inch of the park, looking for hours for the pink haired girl, but came up empty handed. Tired and defeated, Mamoru convinced her to continue again tomorrow and rest for now. She was still recovering from the big battle with Metallia having used so much of her energy. The sun was just slipping past the trees when they pulled into her Aunt's house, her still somewhat new home. Everything was just starting to turn green and in another month or so, the honeysuckles would be in bloom. Filling the air with their strong, sweet smell.

Mamoru came around to her side of the car and opened her door, but she was still too deep in thought to notice. How had that girl known who she was? And what did she know about the silver crystal, about her? Was she a new enemy? It was hard to believe that such a small creature could be a threat. And if she wasn't the enemy, then how did she know about the crystal? Was she sent by a new threat? Even if she was, her heart wasn't in it, she could see that much about her.

Mamoru was waving his hand in front of her face for who knows how long. She turned to see a concerned look on his face. If they were to be together forever, she was going to give him some serious frown lines. He put out his hand to help her out and she graciously accepted. His hand was warm and soft. He drew her in close. Mamoru was trying to get her to relax and it was working.

He ran his hand across her cheek, planting it just behind her ear, "I'm sure she is alright Usako, she probably just went home."

She frowned, "I just can't shake the feeling that she is out there all alone. With nowhere to go and no one to turn to."

He gave her a quick kiss on the lips and stroked her temple with his thumb. She felt a little bit better but she still had a bad feeling in her gut that she was meant to be more to that little girl.

They walked into her house together and as soon as they entered the kitchen her breath caught in her throat. Staring at them with her big red eyes was the little pink haired girl. She didn't even take a minute to think she just rushed up to the girl and wrapped her arms around her. She had been so worried about this stranger and now that she had her in her arms it was hard to let go. The little girl stood very still and stiff as if she was afraid.

She pulled back, holding on tight to the little girl's shoulders. "We looked everywhere for you. Are you okay? How did you even get here? Did you find it by yourself?"

Before the little pink one could answer, Yukio entered the kitchen behind them, "What are you guys doing?"

She froze, now she was the one who was scared. How was she going to explain this small child in their house?

"Mamoru, I can't believe you never told us about your adorable niece!" Yukio gushed.

Mamoru quickly recovered from his look of confusion and managed a fake smile, "Yeah..well...I don't get to see her much."

He eyed the little one suspiciously, "I guess we'd better get home."

"Actually," the strange pink one spoke, "I was wondering if I could stay here."

Even Yukio had a confused look on her face this time, but she continued, "Uncle Mamoru's place isn't exactly kid-friendly. And he is always at school or here anyways."

"Of course you can stay here." She could hardly believe the words that came out of her own mouth, but one look from Yukio told her that she was okay with it as well.

She turned her eyes back to 'Mamoru's niece', "She can stay with me in my room."

It would appear that this girl not only knew her, but Mamoru as well. As if she had been watching them or something, she knew about Mamoru's apartment and even his schedule. Just how long had she been keeping the two of them under 'surveillance'? How much did she know about them? Did she know about the girls as well?

The girl squirmed a little under her gaze, but she didn't let up. She may have strange feelings for this girl but she still wasn't going to just cave to the girl. She was sure she needed to protect this girl but she had to get the girl to answer her questions if she was going to save her. The little one swallowed hard under her gaze.

Mamoru looked at her and spoke without words, 'Is this a good idea?'

She gave him her sweetest smile and shrugged her shoulders, 'Don't have any other choice.'

She turned to see Yukio staring at them in frustration, "I hate when you guys do that! You guys have some mental conversation or code and it creeps me out!"

They both just chuckled and shrugged at the same time which only seemed to freak Yukio out even more. Turning, she caught the little one watching them with a smile. But it quickly faded when she realized she was back at the center of attention.

Yukio bent down in front of her so they were face to face, "Now...I'm sorry sweetie, tell me your name again?"

Taking her eyes away from Yukio, they found hers again and locked on, "My name is Usagi."

"Usagi? Really? How cute! Is that why you style your hair like that? In imitation of Usagi?"

She looked almost offended at the accusation, "My hair is in admiration of my mother."

All eyes turned to her causing her to blush, "Hey don't look at me, we just met."

Yukio put a gentle hand on the girl's back, "We need to come up with a nickname for you. Can't have two Usagis in the same house, it would be pandemonium! How about….Chibi-usa?!"

The girl smiled at the new name, not seeming to mind the change in title.

Chibi-usa took the opportunity to start moving towards the stairs but was stopped by Shingo who was bounding down the steps. He must have just realized that Mamoru was here. He almost knocked Chibi-usa over but this little girl had some seriously good reflexes. She jumped out of the way like it was nothing while Shingo tried to skid to a stop and failed. Landing squarely on his rump, he shook the whole house. It took him only a few minutes to recover though. The new person in the house seemed to throw him more than lack of air in his lungs from knocking the breath out of himself. He looked at Chibi-usa curiously, up and down. Then he looked at Usagi with the same fervor. He opened his mouth to say something, and by the look on his face it was going to be something snide. However, Yukio cut him off.

"Shingo, this is Mamoru's niece, Chibi-usa."

Turning back to the pink hair and round face, he then looked over at Mamoru, "She does look a little like you. She has your nose."

Now Mamoru was the one staring. He moved to stand a little closer to her; Shingo was right, they had the same nose. Maybe she was a long lost relative that finally surfaced. But then, how did she know about her? Maybe the enemy found her first. That would explain why she was a stranger to Mamoru. She hadn't told anyone yet, especially Mamo-chan, but she now suspected that the deaths of his parents were more than just a car crash. If there was more to it, then that would explain his lack of family members and how this niece could go unnoticed. That could mean that this new enemy had been planning this for a while, watching them and gathering information. Perhaps they also made her wear her hair that way, to create a connection to her as well. Either way, there was more to this girl than she was letting on.

Shingo seemed to recover and continued his original task, getting to Mamoru, "Mamoru-san, can you help me with my homework?" He turned to look at me and Yukio, "Apparently, you are the smartest person in this family!"

Yukio just shrugged and walked away, busying herself with other matters. She, however, was offended, before she could think of something clever to say back she caught Mamo-chan's face. He looked so happy. Then it hit her, Shingo included Mamoru in their family. And he had never had one. Mamoru looked like he might cry as Shingo grabbed his hand and yanked him towards the kitchen table. He pressed him into a seat and ran back upstairs to retrieve is work. She walked over and gave him a peck on the cheek before turning back to their little visitor. She stood watching the whole scene with a sad look on her face. It would seem as though Mamoru wasn't the only one with family issues. More evidence to support her theory.

"Come on Chibi-usa, I'll show you where you are sleeping." She said moving towards the stairs.

She waited at the bottom for the young girl to follow. She came to stand next to her as they went up the stairs together. The girl was so small, she had to be around 3 or 4 years old but she acted more like an 8 year old.

Yukio had been kind enough to buy her a bigger bed. She had gotten her a queen a few weeks ago but the smaller twin bed was still in the room. She turned it into a daybed, pushing it up against the wall and covering it in odd pillows and a few stuffed animals. She left the white and pink covers on it too, making it perfect for a little girl.

Turning she watched as Chibi-usa took in her surroundings. She didn't seem too impressed but she didn't seem disgusted either. Still, she knew how strange a new place could be.

Chibi-usa was still lingering in the doorway, "Welcome, come on in."

She inched her way in fully taking in the room as she went, like a mouse checking the room for predators. As Chibi-usa made her way in, she couldn't help but notice something was missing.

"Where is your stuff? Don't you have any clothes?"

Chibi-usa made a gesture to someone outside and her strange luna cat ball rolled in. She snapped her fingers and in a puff of smoke a small suitcase appeared. This girl had no problems letting her see whatever powers she had. Even if they were self serving powers. She wheeled her little suitcase over to the daybed and hopped on top of it. Bouncing a few times, she decided it was adequate and turned to inspect the stuffed animals. There weren't many. Just the few that she couldn't bare to get rid of. The dark chocolate colored dog with floppy ears her father got her on her fifth birthday; a giraffe that would no longer stand up on its own that her mom got her the first time they went to the zoo; and finally her favorite, a white bunny with long floppy ears and a pink bow that her parents got for her when they found out they were having a girl.

Chibi-usa reached for the latter, turning it over in her hands gently feeling its soft fur.

She saw it as an opportunity, "My parents gave me that one. Did your parents ever give you anything like that?"

"They gave me lots of toys." she said as she tossed the bunny back to its resting spot.

She didn't miss the past tense "gave" in that sentence. She didn't press but the girl must have lost her parents somehow. It was already hard for her to put distance between her and this child, but now that she knew the girl had lost her parents, it was going to be even harder. If this girl was with the enemy it was hard to believe.

A small squeak came from the window opening. Luna jumped to the floor, walked over to her and rubbed up against her legs. Chibi-usa's eyes lit up at the sight of her.

"Do you like cats?" Seemed like a silly question, given her strange, treasured toy cat ball that followed her everywhere, "This is Luna, she lives here too."

Luna glared at the child causing her to shrink away from her. It's not like Luna was extremely friendly to strangers on a normal day but for some reason this little girl gave her cause for alarm. Maybe Luna saw something she didn't? Afterall, her radar is better than hers. Still, Luna and all the Scouts were wrong about Tuxedo Kamen. Really wrong. She followed her gut, or rather her heart, then. Surely it would lead her down the right path once again.

She gently nudged Luna with the side of her foot. The feline took her time taking her eyes off the perceived threat before giving her attention to her charge. She gave a nod to say, 'Let's talk outside'. Leaving the room, Luna followed behind her. She shut the door to give as much privacy to the two of them as possible.

"Usagi-chan, who is that?!"

She rolled her eyes, "Her name is Chibi-usa. She may or may not be Mamoru's niece."

"May or may not," her back arched defensively, "You mean he doesn't know for sure?"

"Calm down Luna. He doesn't know any of his family. He lost all of that in the crash."

Luna did not change her stance, "She does look a little like him. But still, this seems really fishy Usagi-chan."

She giggled at Luna referencing anything as 'fishy' and Luna rolled her eyes at her, "You know what I mean, something's not right here."

She crossed her arms and huffed, "Your telling me. A girl just shows up alone and claims relation to Mamo-chan? Not to mention she somehow knows about the Silver Crystal…."

"WHAT!" Luna about had a stroke.

"Shhh! Someone will hear you!" She cautioned trying to calm her four legged friend.

Luna moved closer to her and talked softly but firmly, "Don't you think you should have mentioned that first?"

"Okay okay so I skipped the important bits, but I didn't want you rushing to conclusions. Luna, she is separated from her parents, she is alone and she is scared. I can see that about her, She needs our help. And...I think she came from the sky."

Maybe the last comment was a bit much. She had Luna till she said that, perhaps she should have kept that to herself.

But Luna calmed down, "Alright, but we should keep a close eye on her."

"That's why she is staying in my room."

Luna lifted up her paw and placed it on her bended knee. A glow came from under it warming up her knee to a pleasant level. When the light waned, a weight was left in its place. Looking she found a new transformation broach with the Silver Crystal inside. It twinkled in the fading sunlight. A reminder of the trials she had passed….and a promise of trials to come.

She picked it up, feeling its weight in her hands, "Thank you Luna. This is much more convenient than having it on a string. Also easier to hide."

"It's more than a convenience Usagi-chan. That is a more powerful broach than the one you had. Your power has grown and is continuing to do so," she jumped into her lap and looked her in the eyes, "You have gotten so strong Usagi. So much quicker than I could have imagined."

Just then, her stomach growled loudly, interrupting the moment completely.

Luna only laughed, "At least some things haven't changed."

She stuck her head back into her room to find Chibi-usa still sitting on the edge of the bed. She was watching her feet swing back and forth over the edge, several inches from touching the ground still.

"Are you hungry?"

Big eyes grew even larger and as if on cue her stomach growled even louder than hers had moments ago. Even though her stomach had already answered for her, she looked up at Usagi and nodded her head.

With a small giggle, Usagi extended a single hand out to the young miss. Who slowly slid off the bed, walked over, and took her hand. If felt so small and yet so warm. She marveled for a moment at the difference in size. She had no memories of Shingo when he was this small, holding her hand. She was too young for it to have been such a memorizing difference. She let her fingers wrap gently around her tiny hand, afraid she might break it if she were not careful, and led her out of the room. The girl trusted her enough to let her lead her around, 'Baby steps Usagi, baby steps'. Gaining her trust may take a while.

Not a lot I know, but don't worry, I will post the next chapter soon!