Senshi New Year!

by A Writer of Fact and Fiction

Usagi and her friends return to Makoto's house in the country to celebrate the New Year's holiday. This next chapter in the series occurs a short time after 'Moon Revenge'.

Senshi New Year!

Usagi and her friends return to Makoto's house in the country to celebrate the New Year's holiday.

This story follows about seven weeks after my previous story 'Moon Revenge'.

Rated M for all the usual reasons.

Chapter 1:

Hanging up the phone, Usagi barreled down the hallway at the Hikawa shrine and into Rei's room. "Minna, great news! Mamo-chan said he can get away from the university for three or four days! So we'll all be able to have New Year's at your house, Mako-chan!" The petite blonde skipped around the room, overjoyed at the thought of another holiday with her friends, and especially happy about sharing it with her boyfriend.

"All of us? Aren't you forgetting something, Usagi-chan?" Rei grumbled. "Ojii-chan hasn't given Yuuichirou permission to come with me yet. And if he can't go, I'm not going either."

"What was his reaction when you told him about the trip?" Makoto asked as Usagi retook her place at the table. "Your grandfather wasn't too happy about you dating Yuuichirou to begin with. Do you think going away with him like this is asking too much?"

"Well, he didn't exactly say no, but he didn't say yes either. I have to try softening him up a little more. After all, it's not like we'd be alone most of the time. There would be six other people in the house."

"Try your best to convince your grandfather, Rei-chan. It just wouldn't be the same without you" Minako said with a grin. "Who else could tease Usagi the way you do?"

"I can live without that, Minako-chan!" Usagi exclaimed. "Though I do hope you can come" she told her miko friend.

"Yuuichirou and I will ask grandpa again tonight" Rei replied. "We'll see what happens then."

. . . . .

Hino-sensei sighed as he placed his teacup on the table. The diminutive old man sat back and peered at the two nervous teenagers who sat across from him. "Rei-chan, you are fully aware of my feelings regarding dating at your age. Even though I do not agree, I decided to allow you and Yuuichirou to date, despite the fact that you are still quite young. But what you are asking now..." The old man shook his head. "I'm afraid I cannot condone your idea of spending the holiday together."

"But Grandpa, like I told you before, we aren't going to some... love hotel for a weekend fling. It's Mako-chan's home. All our friends will be there."

"I fail to see how this changes the situation." Rei's grandfather took another sip of tea.

"Ojii-chan, Yuuichirou and I love each other very, very much. Why would you stand in the path of our love?" Rei kept her tone neutral, knowing that an emotional outburst at this point would only strengthen her grandfather's resolve and end any chance of changing his mind.

"Rei-chan, you're fifteen! This may come as a surprise to you, but I was fifteen at one time. I know what goes on in the minds of teenagers at that age."

"But things are different now, Hino-sensei" Yuuichirou said. "This isn't like... a hundred years ago."

"So you think I'm a hundred and fifteen years old, do you?" Rei's grandfather raised an eyebrow, pleased that his young apprentice had fallen so easily into his verbal trap.

"Uh... I didn't mean... you're not that old..." Yuuichirou stuttered.

Rei whispered to her boyfriend, "You're not exactly helping, Yuuichirou-chan."

"I'm not deaf either, Rei-chan." Hino-sensei chuckled, watching his granddaughter squirm uncomfortably. "Is there anything else you would like to discuss?" He studied the reactions of the two young people closely.

"No, Grandpa. We're both disappointed with your decision. Very disappointed. But we will not go against your wishes." Feeling incredibly sad, Rei squeezed Yuuichirou's hand beneath the table.

"Good. If there's nothing more, I think I will take a bath before retiring for the night."

Rei and Yuuichirou stood up. "Good night, Ojii-chan."

"Good night, Rei-chan, Yuuichirou-chan." He waited patiently until the couple had nearly left the room. He could sense the heaviness of their disappointment, but even more strongly the Shinto priest felt the depth of their love and the respect they shared for one another.

"Oh, Rei-chan?"

"Yes, Ojii-chan?" Rei stopped and turned in the doorway.

"Enjoy yourselves at Makoto's new home over the holiday." His eyes twinkled mischievously as Rei and Yuuichirou looked at each other, then back at him.

"You're letting us go?" his granddaughter asked, her voice a mix of confusion and the faint glimmer of hope.

The old priest nodded. "I am. I was waiting for your reaction when I said no. You both kept your temper in check and showed great maturity and restraint in your actions. I think you are mature enough to spend a few days together in Nerima with your friends."

Rei rushed up and hugged the little man, then kissed him on the cheek. "Arigatou, Ojii-chan!" Her wide smile lit up the room.

Yuuichirou bowed deeply to his teacher. "Thank you, Hino-sensei! I promise to keep your granddaughter safe at all times and always be the perfect gentleman. Thank you again!"

Laughing, Hino-sensei looked up at the eighteen-year-old boy. "As I said, Yuuichirou-chan, I too was young once. Just remember to... be careful. Ok?"

Blushing, Yuuichirou nodded and the young couple quickly left the room, hand-in-hand. The elderly Shinto priest slowly stood up and walked over to a window. Seeing his reflection in the glass, he mused, 'Do I really look a hundred and fifteen?'

. . . . .

"Mama, did you see my pink skirt? Is it in the laundry?" Usagi yelled down from the top of the stairs.

"It was washed yesterday, Usagi-chan" Tsukino Ikuko replied as she sat in the living room. "Check your closet again."

Usagi rushed back into her bedroom and hastily dug through her clothing. "Never mind! Found it!" She slipped the skirt off its hanger and added it to a suitcase that sat open on her bed.

"Usagi-chan, I thought you weren't leaving until the day after tomorrow. Why the rush to pack?" Her younger brother stood leaning against her doorway. "This isn't like you at all, you always leave everything until the last minute. Are you hiding something?"

"Not now, Shingo-chan. Can't you see I'm busy?" Usagi went to her underwear drawer and scooped up a handful of panties before dropping them into the case.

"Did you forget to tell Papa that your boyfriend will be at the house too? I can tell him at breakfast if you'd like" the eleven-year-old boy feigned innocence as he baited his trap.

"Don't you dare say one word to Papa about Mamo-chan being there! If you do, you'll never see your twelfth birthday!" Usagi had told her mother about the trip but had carefully avoided mentioning the precise details to her father.

"Well, I guess I can keep quiet... for a price."

"Nani?" Usagi glared at the boy. "Fine. What will it take to keep your mouth shut?"

"Oh, I don't know... There's a video game coming out next week that I'd really like..."

"Ohh! You little sneak! Ok, I'll get you your stupid game. But you have to promise not to mention Mamo-chan staying at the house to Papa. Deal?"

"And there's this new manga I'd like too-"

"Don't push your luck, Shingo!" Usagi warned her brother.

"You know, I could write Papa a note. That way he can find out tonight when he gets home from work, and I wouldn't have to remember to tell him in the morning."

"Ok, I'll get you the manga too! But that's it!"

Shingo agreed to the deal and returned to his room, smiling happily. Usagi groaned, 'Shingo will use up all my allowance for the next month! How will I afford snacks? I'm going to starve to death!'

---

Chapter 2:

Ami unlocked the trunk of her little blue car and watched as her boyfriend lifted their suitcase into it. "Please be careful, Ryo-kun. Your finger may feel completely healed but the bone is still a little weak from the fracture." The young man had made a rapid recovery from his mugging injuries six weeks before, but she still worried about him. The sight of her Ryo laying motionless in that hospital bed had given the blue-haired girl nightmares for days afterward.

Ryo wiggled the fingers of his left hand. "It's fine now, my love. Don't worry, I'll go easy on it." He closed the trunk and held the driver's door open to allow Ami to take her place behind the wheel, before slipping into the passenger seat beside her. "I think we have everything. Next stop, the Hikawa shrine!"

Leaning toward each other, the teenage lovers shared a gentle kiss before Ami started her car. She raced the engine to warm it in the chilly morning air. "I'm not sure who will be travelling with us, Ryo-kun. If we take Rei and Yuuichirou, our trip should be a lot more tranquil. When we're at the house though, I have a feeling that Usagi and Rei will soon be fighting again." Ami backed her car onto the road and the young couple drove off toward Rei's home.

"Do you think they'll be playing more tricks on each other?" Ryo asked.

Ami sighed. "As long as their feud doesn't ruin everyone's holiday, I really don't mind. It can be quite entertaining to watch at times." She remembered how funny it was to see Rei standing outside Makoto's house in her bathrobe. "This time though, Usagi-chan is on her own. I don't want to get involved at all in their pranks." The normally shy girl smiled coyly at her boyfriend, "We have other things to do."

Blushing, Ryo gazed lovingly at her, his deep blue eyes sparkling in the light of a sunny Tokyo morning.

. . . . .

"Do we have to, Yuuichirou-chan?" Rei asked. "I was hoping we could go with Ami and Ryo."

"I wouldn't ask Ryo to ride in the back seat of his girlfriend's car, Rei-chan. And I certainly won't fit back there. Which means we'll have to go with Mamoru and Usagi." Yuuichirou zipped up his jacket as the couple waited outside the shrine's living quarters.

"No matter what I do, I just can't get away from that troublemaker!" Rei grumbled. "It's like I'm being punished for something I did in a past life."

"Aren't you being a little harsh, Rei-chan? Usagi honestly isn't that bad. I think she's really funny at times."

"Yuuichirou-chan, we'll see if you still feel that way after you spend a few days under the same roof as her." At that moment, Minako and Makoto appeared at the top of the steps leading to the old Shinto structure.

"Konnichiwa!" Makoto called as they walked up, their luggage in tow. "What a beautiful morning!"

"You look incredibly happy today, Mako-chan" Rei observed. "I bet you can't wait to see that boy again!"

"Ito-san has probably forgotten all about me by now, Rei-chan" Makoto said. "Though I have to admit I was thinking of him earlier."

Minako frowned at her taller friend. "Mako-chan, if you and him become friends, where will that leave me? I'll be the only one left without a boyfriend."

"Have patience, Minako-chan" Rei said. "There's bound to be someone out there looking for you."

"If there is, he's really good at hiding" Minako muttered. The blonde's mood suddenly brightened, "But I'll find him! The Senshi of Love will track him down!"

Yuuichirou laughed. "You make it sound like you're hunting a wild animal!"

"I have a tip for you, Minako-chan. When you do find someone, try not to accidentally kill him."

"Rei-chan, love's a battle and I'm taking no prisoners!" Minako blurted.

"Great. You can have the wedding and the funeral on the same day."

Two cars turned into the shrine's parking lot and Usagi leapt from Mamoru's car as it pulled to a stop. "Is everyone ready to go? I'm so excited!"

"I can tell, Usagi-chan. It must be all that sugar you eat. You're always so hyper."

Usagi ignored the miko's ridicule and opened a rear door of her boyfriend's car. "Right this way, Minako-chan. Mako-chan, you're coming with us too."

"I don't want to rain on your parade, Usagi-chan, but Yuuichirou and I will be going in your car. Yuuichirou won't fit in Ami's rear seat" Rei told the blonde.

"But... what about Mako-chan? She's tall too" Usagi protested.

"You can ride with Ami and me, Mako-chan" Ryo volunteered. "It's only an hour's drive, I'll be fine in the back."

"Are you sure about that, Ryo-chan? I wouldn't want to inconvenience you."

Ryo and Ami insisted and the group soon set off on the road to Nerima.

. . . . .

"Mamo-chan, can I play this music I brought? We need a little entertainment during our drive." Usagi removed a compact disc from her small pink purse and held it up.

"Go right ahead, Usako." Mamoru nodded and turned his attention back to navigating the dense morning traffic. Someone on a bicycle wandered into his lane and he skillfully swerved around the careless rider.

In the rear seat, Yuuichirou watched with puzzlement as Rei put her hands over her ears. "Rei-chan, why are you doing that?"

"Just do it, Yuuichirou-chan. Trust me."

Usagi slid the disc into the dashboard player, only to have it pop back out. Perplexed, she inserted the disc again and moaned as it ejected once more. "It's not working!" She studied the myriad of buttons and knobs that surrounded the player and fiddled randomly with the controls before trying the disc yet again. After a moment, it stubbornly came back out.

"Ohh! This stupid thing won't play!"

"Usagi-chan you imbecile, you're putting the disc in upside down!" Rei told the girl. "Flip it over." She turned to Yuuichirou and whispered, "Wait for it."

"Wait for what?"

A second later, the stereo roared to life at full volume, causing Mamoru and Yuuichirou to jump in their seats. Mamoru hastily spun the volume control back to a tolerable level.

"Told you" Rei grinned at her boyfriend as she uncovered her ears. "Happens every time."

. . . . .

In the car behind, Ami too was preoccupied with the heavy Tokyo traffic. In the seat behind her, Minako asked the boy to her left, "Ryo-chan, do you have any brothers?"

"Uh, no, Minako-chan. I'm an only child."

Makoto laughed from the front seat. "Minako-chan, what's next? Are you going door to door looking for a boyfriend? Here's an idea! Why don't you take out an ad in the paper? It can say, 'Wanted: cute-looking guy for relationship with desperate blonde. Must be between the ages of fourteen and twenty, likes sports, and is not afraid of accidental death. Life insurance policy is a bonus!'"

"Very funny, Mako-chan. I'll have you know, I do have certain standards."

"Like what, that he has a pulse?"

Ami and Ryo joined Makoto in laughter as the blonde sulked in her seat. "You sound just like Rei-chan!" Minako fumed.

"I'm filling in for her since she's in the other car" Makoto grinned. "Seriously though, I'm in the same boat as you, Minako-chan. But I've been thinking about what Rei told us on our last trip, and she's right. The right guy will come along sooner or later."

"Ami-chan, can I ask you a personal question?" Minako asked the young driver.

"Sure, Minako-chan. If it isn't too personal."

"Being in a really serious relationship like you and Ryo have... is it as good as it seems?"

Ami looked at the blonde's reflection in her inside mirror. "Actually, it's even better, Minako-chan."

"I was afraid you'd say that" Minako sighed.

---

Chapter 3:

Stopping at a large grocery store in Nerima, the group of teens spread out around the aisles and began stocking up on supplies for the holiday. Makoto began filling her cart with ingredients for a traditional Japanese New Year's celebration and was working her way through the produce section when she heard a warm, welcoming male voice.

"Konnichiwa Kino-san! It's great to see you back!"

Makoto turned her attention away from the bins of sweet potatoes at the unexpected greeting. "Ito-san! It's great to see you again too!" she smiled happily at the young man. "It's been a while."

"Two whole months, Kino-san. And please, call me Yuji. We are neighbors after all. Are you celebrating the new year at your home?"

Makoto nodded. "We are, Yuji-san. My friends and I are spending part of our winter vacation at the old house. It's always nice to get away from Tokyo for a while" Makoto said. "How have you-" Their conversation was interrupted by raised voices coming from the next aisle in the grocery store.

"Usagi-chan! We're supposed to be buying real food today, not junk! Just look at your cart! It's nearly filled and there isn't a single healthy thing in it."

"Mako-chan is picking up the really important stuff, Rei-chan. I'm taking care of the fun things."

"You're going to be sick if you eat all that."

"No I'm not!"

Back in the other aisle, Yuji grinned as he listened to the exchange. "Sounds like your friends are having a small disagreement over the grocery list, Kino-san."

"Please ignore their bickering, Yuji-san. They're always like this. And you can call me Makoto" she beamed at the handsome young man as the voices continued arguing from somewhere behind a long rack of packaged goods.

"Rei-chan, don't put those back! I need them!"

"You do not need all those bags of umai bou! How many do you have in there? Seven? Eight?"

"Twelve" Usagi mumbled, cringing at the miko's expression.

"Twelve bags?" Rei gasped. "Why bother staying at the house, Usagi-chan? Why don't you just live right here inside the store? Then you can keep on eating until you explode!"

"Get out of my way, Rei-chan! I need a few more things and you're making me waste time." Usagi abruptly pushed her shopping cart toward the next shelf of snacks.

"Ow! You just ran over my foot, you idiot!"

"It's not my fault your big feet are taking up the whole aisle!"

"My feet are not big!" Rei bristled. "Your mouth, on the other hand-"

"Stop picking on me, Rei-chan! I'm warning you!"

Makoto and Yuji laughed. "Are you sure there's no problem, Makoto-san?"

"None at all, Yuji-san. They're usually much worse than this. But they really are very close friends. Hard to believe, isn't it?"

"I'd hate to see what they would be like if they hated each other!" Yuji joked. "So, I guess your boyfriend is here with you. Is he here in the store too?"

"No, I don't have... uh, there isn't anyone in my life at the moment" Makoto admitted to the teen, feeling a touch embarrassed.

"Oh? That's very surprising. I was sure a beautiful girl like you would have at least one boyfriend. Someone very special."

As he spoke, Makoto thought she detected a trace of optimism in his voice and quickly seized the opportunity. "Yuji-san, why don't you come over to my place tomorrow evening for dinner? We have lots of room and food and space and things and... everyone would be happy if you'd join us."

"Are you sure, Makoto-san? I'd really like that, if it's no trouble."

"No trouble at all!" Makoto insisted. "How about tomorrow at five?"

"Arigatou! It's a date!" Yuji chuckled, "Dinner with you and your closest friends. My brother will be so jealous."

As if like magic, Minako suddenly popped up behind her brunette friend. "Hello again, Ito-san! Sorry, but I couldn't help overhearing. I didn't know you had a brother!" Minako's eyes gleamed with a look that Makoto knew all too well and the blonde smiled sweetly at Yuji.

"Hi, Aino-san. Yes, my brother Taro is a year older than me. He isn't around the house much, he likes to spend a lot of his spare time at the school gym. He's on the volleyball team this year."

"Really?" Minako's smile grew wider by the second.

"But lately he's been skipping some of his practice time, ever since he started dating a girl in town."

Minako's smile instantly vanished. "Oh. How... nice."

Yuji gestured to the basket he carried. "Well I'd better get these things back home. It's been great to see you again, Makoto-san. And you too, Aino-san. Thanks again for the dinner invitation. I'll be over tomorrow at five."

"Bring your appetite!" Makoto called as they parted ways.

After he left, Minako glowered at her taller friend. "It's just not fair, Mako-chan! Every time I try to meet someone, it turns out they're already taken!"

Makoto didn't hear the blonde. Her mind was already racing as she planned tomorrow's dinner and she hoped Yuji would find both the meal and her company a most enjoyable experience.

---

Chapter 4:

Ami's car was first to arrive at their destination, with Mamoru following closely behind. Eight doors swung open in unison and the excited teens retrieved their luggage. "Nice to see that the old house is still here" Makoto said. "I was afraid it would burn down or collapse in an earthquake."

Taking off her shoes in the foyer, Usagi shivered. "It's freezing in here, Mako-chan!"

"It will be warm soon, Usagi-chan." Makoto retrieved two electric space heaters from a utility closet and plugged them in before entering the kitchen, while Mamoru set to work on building a fire in the fireplace.

"This is a really nice place you have here, Mako-chan" Yuuichirou remarked as he looked around. "It would make a great ski lodge if there were some hills nearby. Rei-chan, I'll carry the suitcases upstairs and start unpacking ours."

"First door on the left at the top of the stairs is our room, Yuuichirou-chan" Rei told her boyfriend. "Mako-chan, I assume we're keeping the same rooms we had before?"

"Sure, Rei-chan. I guess you'll be staying with me again, Minako-chan. Let's take care of the groceries."

Ami and Ryo helped Yuuichirou carry the luggage upstairs while Rei and Usagi followed the other two girls into the small kitchen. Together they began stowing away the food they had brought from Nerima, and Makoto chuckled as she noticed two large cardboard boxes crammed with snacks. "If I suddenly forget how to cook, we could survive on Usagi's junk food for a week!"

"I didn't buy that much, Mako-chan" Usagi said as she reached for one of the bags and was soon munching on takoyaki chips. "Rei-chan made me put some of it back."

"Don't worry, Usagi-chan" Rei teased. "If you run out, we can always rent a huge truck and empty the whole grocery store into it. That should last you another day or two. Why don't you make yourself useful for once and help me set up the heaters upstairs?"

After Usagi made a face at the miko and they disappeared, Minako lowered her voice. "There's two bedrooms that won't need any extra heat tonight, Mako-chan!"

"Make that three, Minako-chan" Makoto replied with a wry grin. "Now that Ryo is well again, I don't think we'll be seeing much of him and Ami-chan either! Which reminds me, where did you put that coffee?"

Minako's giggle was cut short by a loud shriek from somewhere above them. "Don't tell me Rei and Usagi are at it already!" Makoto muttered. "I thought their feud would wait at least a day."

Footsteps pounded down the stairs and a terrified Usagi burst into the kitchen. She stopped running when she reached the far wall where she stood trembling, panic written all over her face. "Mako-chan, there's a huge rat in my bedroom!"

"Come back here you big baby!" Rei's yell carried from upstairs. "It's just a little mouse. It won't hurt you!"

Makoto winked at Minako. "There stands our fearless leader!"

"You have to get rid of it!" Usagi wailed. "I can't sleep in the same house with that thing!"

Makoto sighed and picked up one of the empty boxes. "Calm down, Usagi-chan. The house is old, you can expect occasional problems with things like that. We'll catch it and release it outside."

"If you don't mind, Mako-chan, I'll wait here with Usagi until it's gone" Minako said nervously. "I'm not fond of mice either. Maybe we should have brought Artemis and Luna with us."

"I'm beginning to think Rei is right" Makoto laughed. "You two are related." She took a broom in her other hand and left the kitchen. With the fire now started, Mamoru followed the brown-haired girl upstairs to deal with the rodent.

"How big is it, Usagi-chan?" Minako asked.

Usagi held her quivering hands a foot apart and Minako's eyes widened in horror. "It's... it's a monster!"

. . . . .

Makoto and Mamoru entered the bedroom to find Rei warming her hands at the electric heater. "It ran under the bed" Rei told the pair. "Are you trying to trap it in that box?"

"That's the plan" Makoto replied.

"Let me have the broom, Mako-chan" Mamoru said. "I'll flush it out and you can throw the box over it." The eighteen-year-old male dropped to his knees and peered underneath the bed. "It's not very big at all. Are you ready?"

Makoto nodded and held the box with its open end down. Mamoru slowly slid the broom across the floor towards their target and the mouse suddenly sprinted away. "Here it comes!"

The small grey creature shot out into the open and Makoto dropped the box, only to miss as the rodent turned at the last second, scurrying into the hallway. "It's getting away!" Rei cried out.

Makoto grabbed the box as Mamoru scrambled to his feet. The trio dashed into the hall. "It's heading for the stairs!" Makoto yelled.

Further down the corridor, Ami and Ryo appeared at their bedroom door, curious at the sudden commotion. The mouse tried running into their room only to be frightened off by Ami's squeal. "Oh! A mouse!"

Yuuichirou added to the ruckus when he walked into the hall and nearly stepped on it. "It's on the stairs, Mamoru-san!" The group charged downstairs after their quarry as the grey rodent hopped and skittered toward the first floor.

. . . . .

In the kitchen, Usagi consoled herself with another huge handful of tonkatsu-flavored chips. "I can't stand those furry things, Minako-chan! They look so nasty!" Minako nodded in agreement and Usagi continued to munch on her snack as a stampede of footsteps and voices approached. "Sounds like they caught-"

The mouse shot into the kitchen and ran directly toward Usagi. Chips flew everywhere as the blonde screamed in terror and clambered onto the countertop, joined a split-second later by Minako. "Aaahh! It's attacking us!" Horrified, the two girls threw their arms around each other in a tight clench.

"Mamo-chaaan! Help!"

First into the room, Mamoru hurried over to the back door and flung it open wide. The mouse hesitated a moment, glaring at the frightened blondes with dark, beady eyes before fleeing outside where it disappeared into the back yard. Mamoru quickly slammed the door closed. "It's gone. You can come down now."

"If I had only brought my camera!" Rei laughed hysterically at the sight of the girls squeezed together on the countertop. "That picture would be priceless!"

"You chased it in here on purpose, didn't you Rei-chan?" Usagi screamed. "That was really cruel!" She looked around at her spilled chips. "And you made me waste my afternoon snack too!"

"It's still morning, Usagi-chan" Rei corrected her, still snickering. "You know, it was worth the drive out here just to see this!"

"If you're going to do mean things like that, Rei-chan, well... two can play at that game!" Still trembling, Usagi and Minako slid off the counter.

"Is that a threat?" Rei asked, raising her eyebrows.

Makoto sighed. "Here we go again. I knew it wouldn't last."

---

Chapter 5: :

With the old house now warm and comfortable, the teenagers spent the afternoon relaxing beside the fire after enjoying one of Makoto's delicious lunches. "Mako-chan, your talents are wasted if you don't open your own restaurant someday" Yuuichirou said appreciatively as he sat on the sofa with an arm around Rei.

"I keep telling her the same thing, Yuuichirou-san" Mamoru agreed. "I'm sure she would have a very successful business."

Ami looked up from the textbook she was sharing with Ryo, the young couple sitting snugly together at the opposite end of the sofa. "Mako-chan, if you ever decide to sell your house in the future, perhaps you could use the money to open a small restaurant in Tokyo. Though I hope you never have to part with your beautiful home."

"Me too, Ami-chan. I love it here." Makoto shrugged her shoulders, "But who knows what the future will bring."

"Speaking of the future, Mako-chan, aren't you having that boy down the street over for dinner tomorrow?" Minako reminded her friend.

"Oh, I was going to mention that!" Makoto said with a smile. "Yuji-san will be here at five. I'm planning a really fancy dinner for all of us."

"Lucky you!" Minako said with more than a little jealousy. "I wish I could win a boy's heart by making him a nice meal."

Rei snorted, "Minako-chan, I've tried your cooking. The only thing you'd win for the poor boy would be an ambulance ride to the nearest hospital."

Minako gave the miko a sour look. "Ok, I admit I need a little more practice. I can always learn! Or maybe Mako-chan will help. She can hide in the kitchen and make the food for me, and I'll just serve it. That's a great idea!" she beamed.

"Is it?" Makoto replied warily.

"Mako-chan, would you like everyone to dress up in our nicest clothes for the dinner?" Usagi asked. "We still have two days until New Year's but it would help make everything look more elegant."

"You certainly can if you want to, Usagi-chan, but my only hope for tomorrow is that everything goes smoothly and there are no practical jokes or disasters during dinner. Could you and Rei please declare a truce while Yuji-san is here? That would take a load off my mind."

"I certainly won't do anything to wreck your dinner date, Mako-chan" Rei assured the brunette. "Usagi is a different matter."

. . . . .

Feeling a bit restless, Minako stood up and stretched her limbs. "Minna, when we drove through Nerima, I noticed a movie theater near the center of town. Would anyone like to take in the matinee with me?"

"Did you see what's playing?" Rei asked.

"No, but there's bound to be something good showing. It's still early and I thought it would be a nice change from just sitting here."

"I'd like to go, Mamo-chan!" Usagi said, bouncing excitedly on the sofa beside him. "Can we? Please?" She looked up at him pleadingly with huge doe eyes.

"Sure, we can do that, Usako" Mamoru agreed, causing his girlfriend to squeal with delight. "Would anyone else like to come?"

"Why not?" Makoto nodded. "Count me in."

"We'll go too" Rei said. "A movie theater should be the one place where Usagi-chan can't cause a disaster. Ami-chan, would you and Ryo like to join us?"

The couple at the end of the sofa had been quietly working their way through a thick textbook, and they both looked up at Rei's question. "It's quite tempting, Rei-chan..." Ami said hesitantly, "but... we'd really like to complete the next three lessons in our trigonometry book today. Perhaps another time." She thought for a moment before adding, "Yuuichirou-san, you can borrow my car if you need it."

"Arigatou, Ami-chan, but I don't think it will be necessary. Mamoru's car can seat six in a pinch, and we aren't going very far."

"Minna, have a wonderful time!" Ami said as the moviegoers pulled on their coats and shoes. As they drove away, Ami smiled coyly at Ryo as she locked the front door.

. . . . .

The theater was nearly empty for the afternoon showing, with barely a dozen other patrons scattered around the room as the six teens chose their seats. Usagi insisted on a spot near the front of the theater and Minako and Makoto took places on either side of her and Mamoru. Rei pulled Yuuichirou into the row behind the others and sat down directly behind Usagi. "I don't trust her, Yuuichirou-chan" the miko whispered to her boyfriend. "It'll be better if we sit back here where I can keep an eye on... things."

Usagi twisted around in her seat and silently glared back before returning her attention to the gigantic tub of popcorn that lay in her lap. As they waited for showtime, Usagi nudged Minako. "What's this movie about, Minako-chan? Is it scary?"

"All I know is, it's an American movie with dinosaurs in it" her friend replied. "Someone at school said it's really good."

"Dinosaurs?" Usagi fretted. "This sounds like something we have to learn about in class. I don't want to have to learn anything new today!"

Rei leaned forward, "Isn't that like most days for you, Usagi-chan?"

"Shut up, Rei-chan." Usagi stuck a handful of popcorn in her mouth and tried to ignore the tease from the girl behind her.

. . . . .

Back at Makoto's house, Ami and Ryo worked diligently through their extra lessons, but as time passed they found their thoughts drifting away from schoolwork and toward something considerably more intimate.

. . . . .

"Ahh! It looks so real!" Usagi gasped aloud as the on-screen Tyrannosaurus bellowed at its intended victims. "I'm happy the Sailor Senshi never had to fight anything like that!"

"Sshhh!" Rei hushed the blonde. "Usagi-chan, you're making more noise than that dinosaur! Keep your voice down!"

Usagi turned around again and stuck out her tongue. "What's the matter, Rei-chan? Can't hear yourself speaking?" She smiled innocently as she pointed at the huge monster on the screen.

"I beg your pardon?" Rei hissed back. "With a mouth that big, it looks just like you!"

"Girls, please" Mamoru sighed. "Let's enjoy the movie without fighting."

"She started it!" Usagi blurted. "She's always so rude and trying to boss me around!"

"And would you please stop bobbing around so much!" Rei added as she craned her neck around the blonde. "Your stupid odango are blocking half the screen!"

"Who are you calling stupid, Rei-chan?" Usagi fumed. Grabbing a piece of popcorn from her half-empty tub, she flipped it over her shoulder, striking Rei on the forehead. The miko threw a piece of her own at Usagi and watched with satisfaction as it disappeared down the back of her blouse.

"Ohh! That's it!"

Rei's victory was short-lived as a half-dozen buttery white projectiles flew over the seat toward her. "So, you want to play?" Rei growled, quickly retaliating with her own barrage, several of which went off-course and became stuck in Minako's hair.

"Hey, leave me out of this!" Minako yelled, glaring at both girls. Somewhere behind the group, a flashlight clicked on and began sweeping around the room.

. . . . .

"We're already eleven chapters ahead, Ami-chan" Ryo asked when they had reached the last page of their lesson. "Would you like to study another one?"

Ami closed the textbook and placed it on the coffee table. "I think we should study more, Ryo-kun. Much more. But... not this subject."

"Ok. I brought a physics book too, if you'd... like... to..." Ryo's words faded as his blue-haired girlfriend's amorous expression told the boy exactly what she had in mind. "Oh!"

Sitting on Ryo's lap, the slim, attractive girl slipped her arms around the young man she so deeply loved. She gazed tenderly at him and he smiled shyly back, his deep blue eyes glimmering in the flickering firelight. "I love you, my sweet, beautiful Ami-chan" he said, his voice barely a whisper.

"My Ryo-kun, when you look at me like that, there's only one thing I want to study" Ami replied breathlessly. As the young lovers' hearts raced, their lips came together in a passionate, ever-deepening kiss.

. . . . .

"I can't believe we got thrown out!" Yuuichirou groaned as the teens left the theater and went to their car. "The movie was getting really interesting too."

Alongside him, Usagi and Rei pulled stray pieces of popcorn from their hair as they walked along. "It's all her fault!" they both spoke at once, glaring evilly at each other.

"Mamoru-san, can we go straight back to Mako-chan's house?" Minako asked. "I need to wash this sticky butter out of my hair before it dries."

Mamoru nodded and he looked skyward at the heavy, thick cloud that had rolled in. "It looks like we may be in for a storm this afternoon" he remarked as a few snowflakes began to drift downward through the rapidly cooling air.

. . . . .

Ami lay back on the large leather sofa and gently grasped her boyfriend's shirt. Tugging him toward her, she ran a hand through his dark hair. "My Ryo-kun... I want you so much."

Urawa Ryo had never understood how his quiet, studious, prim-and-proper Mizuno Ami could act so differently when they were alone together. He often wondered if all those years of being a model student with a sweet disposition and perfect manners had locked most of her emotions deep inside her heart. But as they grew more and more deeply in love, he happily realized that he alone held the key.

They kissed again, and Ryo asked shyly, "Shall we... go upstairs, my love?"

"We're all alone, my Ryo-kun. The others won't be back any time soon." Ami spoke softly, a hint of urgency in her voice. "Please... take me. Make me yours."

. . . . .

Pulling into Makoto's driveway, Mamoru clicked off the radio. "Sounds like we're in for a real blast of winter, Yuuichirou-san. We should probably bring in more firewood from the pile out back, I have a feeling we're going to need it." The fluffy white snowflakes from earlier had changed to fine, heavy snow that had already covered Ami's car in a thin white blanket.

---

Chapter 6:

"Ami-chan, someone's at the door!" Ryo gasped. All the color drained from his face.

"Nani? Quick, get dressed Ryo-kun!" The couple scrambled to their feet and the teenage boy began searching frantically for his clothing as the voices outside became louder.

"I can't find my pants!" Ryo exclaimed with a groan as they heard the sound of a key turning in the door lock.

Ami hurriedly pulled her top on. "Hide in the upstairs bathroom, Ryo-kun! I'll find them and bring them up later when no one's around!"

Ryo sprinted up the stairs, his unfastened shirt billowing behind the boy like a white cape. He managed to make it to the top step before the door swung open and Makoto entered the house.

As quickly as her fingers could move, Ami adjusted her top and straightened her skirt. Sitting back down on the sofa, the blue-haired girl grabbed the trigonometry book from the coffee table, dropped it into her lap and flipped it open to a random page. She looked up and smiled innocently as Makoto walked into the living room. "Back so soon, Mako-chan?"

"Yes, thanks to the Bicker Sisters" Makoto grumbled. "They had a popcorn war in the theater and we got thrown out... Ami-chan, what happened to your hair? It's all sticking up."

Ami's hand darted up from the textbook and smoothed her hair in the blink of an eye. "Oh, I must have mussed it when I... leaned on something." She smiled weakly and her face began to redden as the brunette took a step closer.

Makoto raised an eyebrow. "That's weird. Did you know your top is on inside out? I'm sure it wasn't like that when we left."

"It is? Goodness, I have to pay more attention when I dress." Ami's familiar blush deepened as Minako strolled over.

"Still hitting the books, Ami-chan? Where's your lover-boy?"

The studious young girl's blush deepened further. "Ryo-kun is... in the bathroom, Minako-chan."

"That reminds me, I need a shower desperately! My hair is beginning to clump together from that popcorn butter. I'll head upstairs and wait for Ryo to finish."

The blonde began climbing the steps, pausing briefly as Ami called up to her, her voice wavering, "Minako-chan, you can't... uh, I mean... Ryo may be a while."

Minako waved dismissively as she resumed her climb, "That's ok, I'll sit on Rei-chan's bed and wait for him. That way I won't miss him when he comes out. This sticky hair is making me crazy!"

Ami's heart sank as she pictured her Ryo trapped forever in the bathroom in his white shirt and briefs, while Minako hovered within sight of the bathroom door like a blonde vulture.

Usagi and Rei joined the other girls in the living room, and Rei yelled upstairs, "Don't take forever in the shower, Minako-chan! We need to wash our hair too!" Knowing Minako would be a while, she sat on the sofa beside Ami. "Are you feeling well, Ami-chan? You look a little flushed."

"That's because you're sitting there, Rei-chan!" Usagi declared. "Being around you can make anyone feel sick!"

"Urusai! I've had all I can take from you today, you immature little-"

Makoto raised her hands in an attempt to interrupt the quarrel. "Listen, how about for the rest of the afternoon we forgive and forget? Think of it this way, it will be good practice for the big dinner tomorrow. How about it?" she asked hopefully.

Rei and Usagi continued trading piercing glares but held their tongues, and Makoto breathed thanks to the planets above for the temporary cease-fire.

With her eyes still looking daggers at the miko, Usagi plopped down in one of the chairs to wait for her turn in the shower. Glancing toward the floor, her brow wrinkled with curiosity as she spotted a thin strip of black leather jutting out from beneath the coffee table. "What's that thing?" she pondered, leaning forward to grasp the mystery object.

Ami's mouth fell open in complete embarrassment as she watched her blonde friend begin to drag something from beneath the coffee table. "It's a belt!" Usagi pulled the object further out, only to find it attached through hoops to something else. "And a pair of pants!" Puzzled, Usagi held her catch up in the air. "Ami-chan, these look just like Ryo's-"

She was on her feet in an eye-blink, her trigonometry textbook crashing down onto the coffee table with a bang. With eyes wide and face bright crimson, Ami snatched the pants from Usagi's grasp and frantically shot up the stairs. The three girls in the living room exchanged glances as they heard the sound of a bedroom door slamming shut.

"Hey! I'm in here!" Minako's voice blurted from Rei's room above.

The bathroom door was flung open and a second pair of footsteps joined Ami's as two people rushed from the bathroom and down the hall into another bedroom. A second slamming door ended the spectacle.

With pursed lips, Makoto and Rei looked at one another.

"Studying again" Makoto said.

"Yes..." Rei replied with a nod. "Studying."

. . . . .

A blast of cold air announced the arrival of Mamoru and Yuuichirou as they entered the foyer. They kicked off their snow-covered shoes and walked over to the fireplace, stacking armloads of wood into a nearby rack. Yuuichirou whistled, "It's getting worse by the second out there! Mako-chan, do you have a radio? It may be a good idea to check the weather forecast."

"There's a portable radio in the kitchen, Yuuichirou-san. I'll go see if it still works."

"It's still early in the season for a heavy snowfall" Mamoru said, "and I can't recall ever seeing it come down this hard. If it doesn't let up soon, we'll get a whole month's worth by morning."

"Should we be worried?" Rei asked.

"We're fine here in Mako-chan's house" Mamoru assured her, "unless we get the blizzard of the century and they close the roads. If that happens, we may be trapped for a little while."

"Trapped?" Usagi gasped. "Mamo-chan, we're going to starve! See, Rei-chan, I told you not to put that food back!"

---

Chapter 7:

A few minutes later Makoto returned from the kitchen. "Well the radio works, though I wish it had given us better news. The storm outside is going to last through the night, Mamoru-san. It's the biggest to hit this area in thirty years. They said it has already caused a bunch of accidents around Tokyo."

"I wish I'd brought my skis" Yuuichirou said. "A little cross-country skiing tomorrow would really work up an appetite!"

"Forget about skiing and food, Yuuichirou-chan" Rei grumbled. "This stupid storm means I'm stuck in the house with Usagi for a whole day, if not longer!" Rei began to pace around the room like a caged animal.

Minako appeared at the top of the stairs clutching a towel. "Minna, there's no more hot water in the shower."

"You used up all the hot water?" Rei yelled. "That's just great, Minako-chan! What about my shower, and Usagi's? This is ridiculous!"

"Hai! Ridiculous!" Usagi parroted.

"Shut up, Usagi-chan!"

Mamoru tried to calm the girls. "If you wait a while, I'm sure the heater will make more. It's an old unit, we just have to be patient and give it time to catch up."

"I'd better check on Grandpa and make sure everything's ok at the shrine." Rei stopped her pacing and went into the kitchen to use the phone.

Makoto dropped down into a seat near the fireplace with a long sigh. "If this storm keeps up, Ito-san probably won't make it over for dinner tomorrow. I think I'm cursed" the brunette said glumly. "Every time I meet a new boy, something always happens to ruin things."

Usagi sat on the arm of the chair beside her discouraged friend. "Cheer up, Mako-chan. Things could be worse. Do you have his number? Why don't you give him a call and make other plans?"

Rei reentered the room. "More bad news. The phone line is dead."

Frowning, Makoto looked at the blonde. "You were saying?"

. . . . .

After the dinner dishes were washed and put away, everyone gathered at the dining room window and watched the storm rage outside. Ami and Ryo were even more quiet than they usually were, holding hands as they silently watched the blizzard.

The lights flickered, causing Usagi to squeeze her boyfriend's arm. "I'm scared, Mamo-chan."

"It's just snow, Usako. There's nothing to worry about." He gave his girlfriend a reassuring kiss on the cheek.

"In a sense this is actually quite romantic" Minako said. "Here we are, cut off from the rest of the world. It's like we're on our own little island."

"You won't feel that way after Usagi eats all the food" Rei grumbled. "If I was stuck on an island somewhere, I'd rather it was a warm sandy beach in Hawaii or someplace like that."

"Hawaii is definitely worth the long flight" Yuuichirou agreed. "The weather was beautiful when I was there."

Rei's eyebrows shot up. "You were in Hawaii? You never told me that, Yuuichirou-chan."

Her boyfriend nodded. "It was nearly a year before we met, Rei-chan. My parents and I were there for about a week when my father took his vacation."

"Oh, I bet the place was just crawling with cute eligible guys, Yuuichirou-san!" Minako enthused. "That would be so dreamy! I'd have at least two boyfriends and watch them fight over me! No, make that three!"

Makoto chuckled at the thought. "Minako-chan, isn't one boyfriend enough? That's all I want. Just one special guy with a kind heart who truly cares for me."

"The more the merrier, Mako-chan!" Minako joked. "You know what they say in those potato chip commercials, you can't stop at just one!"

"You're unbelievable, Minako-chan" Makoto sighed. "Yuuichirou-san, were there really lots of boys there?"

"To be honest, I wasn't looking at the boys, Mako-chan" Yuuichirou laughed.

"Oh really? What exactly were you looking at?" Rei asked, jealousy creeping into her voice.

"Uh... well... like I said, this was before we met, Rei-chan."

"Careful, Yuuichirou-san. You're walking on very thin ice!" Mamoru warned him with a grin.

"I want to know everything!" Rei demanded. "Where did you stay? What did you do? Did you talk to any girls? Tell me!" Rei dragged her boyfriend over to the couch and sat him down. She stood facing him, her arms folded. "Ok, let's hear the whole story." Everyone gathered around to watch Yuuichirou's interrogation.

"Well... there isn't much worth mentioning, my love. I tried a little surfing, but spent most of the time laying on the beach in the sun. And I went to a couple of parties at the hotel too, of course."

"Of course" Rei replied icily. "Yuuichirou-chan, be honest with me. Were you seeing someone?"

"Me? No! I... well, there was this American girl that tried to teach me how to surf. But you know my English isn't very good, we hardly understood each other."

"So you were seeing a foreign girl behind my back! Is that it?" Rei's face reddened.

"Absolutely not, Rei-chan!" Yuuichirou gulped, wiping his forehead with a shirt sleeve. "I wasn't doing anything behind your back. I didn't even know you then!"

"That's no excuse! Your heart should have told you that your true love would be patiently waiting to find you!" Rei sat on the coffee table and glared at the young man. "Was she cute? Did you go out with her?"

"Not even once, Rei-chan! Honest!"

"Good."

"We only danced together a couple of times at a party, that's all."

"You danced with a girl in Hawaii?" Rei took a deep breath to calm herself. "Yuuichirou-chan, I'm very disappointed in you right now!"

"But... but..."

"I've heard enough" the miko said. "I'm going upstairs to rest for a while. Alone." Rei stormed off to her bedroom in a snit.

The eighteen-year-old looked beseechingly at his friends. "Did I do something wrong?"

"Yuuichirou-san, some things are better left unsaid" Mamoru replied.

"And what's that supposed to mean, Mamo-chan?" Usagi glared up at him. "Did you ever go to Hawaii?"

"Of course not, Usako. I've never been outside of Japan."

"You'd better not think of going anywhere without me!" Usagi admonished him. "I don't want you going away on your own, dancing with strange girls!"

"Now that Mamoru-san is in a big university, he won't have to travel to meet strangers, Usagi-chan" Minako said. "His school must have dozens of foreign students."

"Minako-chan, stop stirring the pot!" Makoto whispered to the blonde.

Usagi grabbed her boyfriend's waist and steered him over to sit beside Yuuichirou. "Mamo-chan, are there any girls in your university classes?"

"What? Of course there are girls there, Usako. Some of my classes have over sixty students in them."

"Sixty girls?" Usagi moaned. "Why didn't you tell me?"

"They're not all girls, Usako." Mamoru cringed at his girlfriend's haphazard questioning. "And anyway, I'm not in the market. I love only you." He smiled as he took her hand. "There's no one else I'd rather share my life with."

"Then what about the time before we became friends, Mamo-chan? You went out with Rei" Usagi reminded him, pulling her hand away.

"You dated Rei-chan?" Yuuichirou was stunned. "How long did this go on, Mamoru-san?"

"It wasn't really... dating, Yuuichirou-san." Mamoru shifted uncomfortably on the sofa. "Rei insisted on taking me to a few attractions around Tokyo. We had lunch together a couple of times, and I believe there was a short boat ride in the park. That's about it. It never went any further."

"You guys are all alike!" Usagi wailed, her long golden braids flailing around as she waved her arms emphatically. "The moment we turn our backs, you're running around surfing and visiting attractions and riding around in boats with someone else!"

"Usako, that was over a month before we knew-" Mamoru tried to explain further but Usagi would hear no more. She silenced him with a wave of her hand.

"Excuse me, Mamo-chan, but I'm going upstairs to talk to Rei-chan. We girls need to stick together at a time like this." Visibly upset, she stomped off to find her miko friend.

Mamoru and Yuuichirou looked at each other. "What just happened?"

Minako wagged a finger at them. "I think you're both in the outhouse until Usagi and Rei calm down."

"Doghouse, Minako-chan. They're in the doghouse" Makoto said, correcting one of her friend's seemingly endless supply of misquotes.

"But... we didn't do anything!" Yuuichirou exclaimed.

"That doesn't matter" Minako told the boys. "What matters is that you both apologize to your girlfriends and make them feel even more loved and special. Trust me" she winked, "I know all about matters of the heart!"

"This whole thing is ridiculous! How can I apologize when I didn't do anything to apologize for?" Yuuichirou sputtered.

"I'm sure you'll think of a way."

---

Chapter 8:

She stared into her teacup as the nearby fire softly crackled in the stillness of the night. On the other side of the wall the heavy snow continued to fall, a strong wind whipping it into swirling clouds that whooshed past the living room window. Sighing, Makoto picked up the cup and studied the intricate greenish pattern of leaves that decorated the old porcelain. Raising it to her lips, she paused and looked up as a stair step creaked.

"Having trouble sleeping, Minako-chan?"

Her friend nodded wordlessly as she descended the stairs, a colorful robe wrapped tightly around her to fend off the chill. Taking the other chair by the fire, Minako extended her legs toward its inviting warmth.

"It must be after midnight by now" Makoto guessed.

"One-thirty, Mako-chan" the blonde replied. "That wind is keeping me awake. Is that why you're down here?"

"It's not the storm. It's... something else." Makoto sipped her tea.

"It's about dinner tomorrow, isn't it? This storm couldn't have happened at a worse time for you. I'm sorry."

The brown-haired girl shrugged. "There'll be other dinners, Minako-chan. Other chances..." Her words died away.

"You know, Ito-san doesn't live that far from here. He may still come over."

Makoto didn't reply. The old house quivered as a strong gust of wind howled mournfully against its walls.

The squall carried more footsteps along with it as Ami and Ryo came downstairs, a thick blanket in hand, and joined their friends in the living room. "Minna, ohayou." The couple bundled themselves together on the sofa near their friends.

"Good morning, Ami-chan, Ryo-chan. Join the party" Makoto said.

"Sorry about the storm, Mako-chan" Ryo said.

"It's hardly your fault, Ryo-chan. It's just... fate." Makoto thought back to a rainy afternoon several months before she had met the other girls. "You know, I had a boyfriend once. We weren't nearly as... close as you and Ami are, but I thought everything was fine between us, until that day in the park."

"You broke up?" Ami asked, not wanting to pry too deeply into her friend's past.

"Sort of" Makoto replied. "He dumped me."

"Oh. That's so sad."

"You know what's funny?" Makoto continued. "I'm kind of glad he did."

"Why?" Minako was puzzled. "Was he seeing someone else?"

"I still don't know the real reason why he walked away from our relationship, Minako-chan. Perhaps he had found another girl. But after seeing Ami and Ryo's love for each other, and the way Mamoru and Yuuichirou care so deeply about Usagi and Rei, I know now it would never have been that close between us. I guess he just wasn't the right guy. So it's for the best that it ended." She finished her tea and placed the cup down. "The really strange thing is, when I met Yuji-san, I felt something I've never felt before. It was almost like... I had found an old friend from very long ago." She laughed weakly, "That must sound really weird!"

"Not at all, Mako-chan. I felt the same way when I met Ryo." Ami gently squeezed her boyfriend's hand beneath the blanket.

"You did? Someone once told me that there isn't any such thing as love at first sight. Until now, I thought they were right."

"It happens, Mako-chan" Ryo insisted. "I fell in love with Ami before I even met her. Before my family moved to Tokyo, I found Ami's picture in a newspaper from the time she had finished first in a big examination. The moment I saw her, something in my heart instantly told me that she would become my future true love. I knew she was my destiny." He smiled at Ami and kissed her softly on the cheek.

Minako rubbed her chin. "I wonder if you were sent here to this life by Queen Serenity just as we were, Ryo-chan."

Ami was intrigued. "If that's true, she would have sent all of our boyfriends to be with us, not just Ryo."

"You see, Mako-chan?" Minako's voice brightened. " We only have to meet them again and everything will pick up where it left off. Nothing can keep us apart forever. Not if Queen Serenity of the Moon Kingdom has arranged it!"

"Maybe, Minako-chan. But I'm not holding my breath."

. . . . .

Late the next morning brought a reprieve from the storm, though the snow continued to lightly fall. The strong winds of the previous night had faded and Makoto made up her mind to press ahead with dinner plans for that afternoon. Ami and Ryo were parked in their usual spot on the sofa, chatting quietly as they worked their way through a thick textbook, while in the foyer Yuuichirou pulled on his jacket. "I'm going outside for a minute, Rei-chan. I'm curious to see how bad we were hit by the storm. We'll need more wood for the fireplace too."

"Don't freeze yourself, Yuuichirou-chan!" Rei said. "Wait up, I'll go with you."

Usagi and Minako peered through the frosted living room window. "It looks so wintery out there, but I've never seen snow like this before. Mamo-chan, I'm going outside too!"

Rei groaned. "Usagi-chan, if I walked into a typhoon, would you follow me then too? I can't even get away from you in a blizzard!"

Mamoru turned away from his work cleaning the fireplace. "Don't be long, Usako. I wouldn't want you catching a cold."

Usagi pulled on her coat and boots and followed Rei and Yuuichirou outside. "It looks so beautiful!" the blonde exclaimed as she trod into the driveway.

Drifting snow had collected along one wall of the house, and the two parked cars were partially hidden beneath banks of the soft white powder. Rei reached for a handful and packed it tightly between her gloves. She threw it at the window where Minako still stood watching, making the blonde pull away and yell something unintelligible at her.

The miko laughed and bent down to make another snowball when something whizzed past her head. "Oh, I missed!" Usagi giggled.

"So that's your game, is it?" Rei fumed. She quickly grabbed more and launched the white orb at her friend, striking her on the hip.

"No fair!" Usagi squealed. "I wasn't ready!"

"That's too bad. I'll have to aim higher next time." Rei prepared another volley while Usagi scrambled for the shelter of Ami's car. The blonde fired back only to miss again. "Why can't I hit you, Rei-chan? You're such a big target!"

"Are you saying I'm fat?" Rei yelled back. Usagi ducked behind the car as a shot burst against the windshield. Two odango jutting above the fender marked her target and Rei took careful aim for her next attempt, only to splutter as Usagi suddenly popped up and threw, hitting the raven-haired girl's jacket and spraying snow into her face. "You little monster!"

"Ha! Got you!" Usagi gloated.

Rei's final throw found its mark, striking Usagi in the shoulder. "Take that, odango-atama!"

Her feet lost their grip and Usagi toppled backwards into a drift. She stood up shakily, covered in white from head to toe. "Ok! I surrender!" Shivering, she brushed herself off and headed back inside the house in defeat.

Yuuichirou appeared with another armload of wood. "We really took a pounding, Rei-chan. That road looks impassable."

"For Mako-chan's sake, let's hope it's not."

---

Chapter 9:

Makoto briefly turned her attention to the window and frowned. As she toiled in her kitchen, the previous nights' storm had returned with a vengeance. It seemed determined to bury Nerima, along with any hope she had of dinner with Ito Yuji. She finished mashing sweet potato and began adding chestnut to produce a pot of kurikinton as the hands of a nearby clock showed well past four.

Nearby, her assistant checked on the progress of the konbu she was helping to prepare. "Mako-chan, I think it's ready. Would you check it for me?"

Makoto stuck a wooden spoon into the boiled seaweed and lifted some for careful examination. "Hai. It's done, Ami-chan. You can drain it and dump it in that red bowl beside the sink please."

Usagi's raised voice echoed from the living room, no doubt upset at something Rei had said. Makoto ignored their latest disagreement and returned to her task, trying vainly to lose herself in her work and forget about the afternoon that might have been.

At the piano, Rei stood behind Usagi and watched as the blonde reattempted a simple melody with her right hand for the fifteenth time. "That's not right, Usagi-chan. Why do you insist on hitting that key when it should be this one?" Rei reached over and played a note. "You keep making the same mistake every time. Pay attention!"

"I'm trying! This isn't easy, you know." Usagi started from the beginning and Rei grimaced as the seventh note clashed once more.

"No no no! If you hit that F key again, I'm going to break your finger!"

Usagi pounded the keyboard with both hands, producing a cacophony of noise. "You're a horrible teacher, Rei-chan! You should learn to be more forgiving of your students. Didn't you learn how to be patient at the shrine?"

"I have lots of patience!" Rei screamed. Laughter from the sofa made her whirl around and glare evilly at Minako. "You stay out of this!"

"Keep practicing, Usagi-chan" Minako urged. "You'll get it... eventually."

"I've had enough for one day" Usagi declared. "I can't learn anything with Rei's bad attitude." She slid off the bench and shot Rei a dirty look.

"That's fine with me. Maybe now everyone's ears will stop ringing!" Rei closed the lid over the keys as Usagi plopped down on the sofa between Mamoru and Yuuichirou. "Usagi-chan, teaching you to play a musical instrument would tax the patience of Beethoven!"

Ryo came downstairs, smartly dressed in a jacket and tie like the other young men were wearing. "You're looking really sharp today, Ryo-chan!" Minako said. "I'm so jealous of Ami." The fifteen-year-old boy blushed at the compliment.

His girlfriend appeared with the bowl of konbu and paused on her way to the dining room. "Ryo-kun, I haven't seen you in a suit before!" the blue-haired girl exclaimed with a warm smile.

"Do you like it?" he asked shyly.

"Hai!" Ami answered. "I love you like this!" Wearing a flowing blue gown under her apron, she walked over and gave him a soft hug. "You're so handsome, my Ryo-kun!"

"What a cute couple!" Minako grinned. "Though that bowl of seaweed you're carrying doesn't really add anything to the look, Ami-chan!" Ami blushed and took the food into the dining room with Ryo following close behind.

Minako leaned toward Rei, whispering, "She's more used to seeing him in a different kind of suit, Rei-chan."

"What do you mean?"

"His birthday suit!" Minako giggled.

"Minako-chan! This isn't the time for your tasteless jokes" Rei rebuked the blonde as she sat alongside Yuuichirou, though she did grin at the comment. "Which reminds me, it's nearly five. It looks like Mako-chan isn't going to get her wish after all. That's such a shame."

"I wouldn't blame Ito-san for staying home in this mess, Rei-chan." Yuuichirou spoke, slipping an arm around her. "It's a long cold hike from his place to here."

Makoto left the kitchen with a tray containing bowls of her very best kuromame. "Minna, we may as well have dinner now. There's no sense in waiting." She set the bowls on the dining room table and untied her apron, revealing a stunning green New Year's dress. "Everyone please enjoy."

"It smells delicious, Mako-chan!" Usagi grabbed Mamoru's hand and dragged him off the sofa. "Let's eat!"

Everyone suddenly looked toward the front entrance as a faint knocking sound carried above the wind. Makoto froze for a second, her heart skipping a beat. She rushed to answer it and her sadness instantly melted away as she opened the door. "Yuji-san! You came!"

"Makoto-san, there's no storm in the world bad enough to keep me from having dinner with you! And I hope you don't mind my saying this, but you look absolutely fantastic!"

"Arigatou, Yuji-san" the brunette replied modestly. She helped him with his coat and scarf, and with a glowing smile escorted him into her home.

. . . . .

"I would have called earlier to let you know I was still coming over, but our phone is out" Yuji apologized as he and Makoto joined the others at the table.

"Mine hasn't worked either since this storm started, Yuji-san. I hope you didn't get too cold walking over here."

"I didn't feel the cold at all, Makoto-san. I just had to see you again."

Minako nudged Usagi under the table and grinned before picking up a pair of chopsticks. "Yuji-san, you're in for a treat today. Mako-chan makes the best food in Tokyo!"

Usagi nodded emphatically as she scooped up a spoonful of ozoni. "She's so good in the kitchen, Yuji-san. And that's just one of her talents!"

"Please, you're embarrassing me!" Makoto objected. "If my food is okay, it's only because I enjoy making it. It's a hobby of mine, Yuji-san."

"Oh? Our hobbies would definitely compliment each other, Makoto-san. In the summertime I tend a small garden behind our house, where I try to grow a few vegetables. But I have to admit, sometimes they don't turn out so well!" Yuji tasted the soybean dish. "Your friends weren't kidding, Makoto-san. This is truly the best kuromame I've ever had!"

"Thank you, Yuji-san. You're too kind. It's just a little something I threw together."

. . . . .

As the meal progressed, even Rei was amazed at the restraint Usagi displayed while she ate. She asked their guest, "Have you been living here all your life, Yuji-san?"

"Hai. As I mentioned to Makoto-san earlier, I get the chance to visit Tokyo occasionally with my father, but being in a big city is still something of a shock to me. I'm a country boy at heart, not like my brother at all. He loves the excitement of Tokyo, even with all the strange problems they've had lately."

"Problems, Yuji-san?" Mamoru asked.

"I keep hearing about horrible monsters attacking people there, Chiba-san. Thankfully those mysterious Sailor Senshi always appear to save the day." He turned to his host. "Makoto-san, have you ever seen a real live Sailor Senshi?"

"Uh... well... I have seen them before, Yuji-san. A number of times actually."

"That must be incredible! My brother Taro isn't convinced they're real, but somehow I just know they are." He took another bite of his food. "I've read about them and seen blurry photos in the local newspaper. This may sound crazy, but when I look at those pictures, I get the strange feeling that I've met them somewhere before."

"If you visit Tokyo again you may see them in action, Yuji-san" Yuuichirou said, hiding a smile. "Though for your sake, I hope you're never attacked by a youma like I was!"

Rei jabbed her boyfriend under the table with the end of a chopstick.

"Ouch!"

"Oh, I'm sorry honey. Did I hurt you?" Rei asked him sweetly.

"A monster attacked you?" Yuji was stunned. "What happened?"

"Oh, uh, there isn't much to say, other than the Senshi appeared and took care of it. With my help, of course."

Rei jabbed him again, even harder.

"Ow!"

Yuji raised an eyebrow. "I'm glad you were ok, Yuuichirou-san. I understand those things are extremely dangerous. I doubt if my karate training would be of any use against them, but I'm sure it's nothing my favorite Sailor Senshi can't handle."

"You have a favorite Senshi?" Usagi asked. "Which one do you like the most? I know!" she grinned. "It's Sailor Moon, isn't it?"

The young guest shook his head, much to Usagi's dismay. "I'm sure they're all brave and highly skilled warriors" he said, producing a muted chuckle from Rei as she looked at her odangoed blonde friend, "but I really like Sailor Jupiter. I don't know why, but I feel... drawn to her for some reason. Makoto-san, did you know that your hairstyle looks a lot like hers?"

Makoto coughed in mid-sip of her tea.

"In any event, the next time I visit Tokyo, there's only one girl I'd like to see. That is, if you don't mind, Makoto-san" he added shyly.

"I'd be delighted, Yuji-san. I'll give you my address and phone number after dinner. Please call me anytime!"

The teenage boy smiled happily. "I definitely will, Makoto-san!"

---

Chapter 10:

Makoto excused herself from the table. "Minna, I'll be right back, I have to go check on the steamer."

"The steamer, Makoto-san?" Yuji asked.

"A dinner of mine wouldn't be complete without dessert" Makoto said. "The purin should be ready soon, I just need to take them out and let them cool."

"You're making purin? Makoto-san, how did you know I love custard pudding?" Yuji was all smiles at the thought of enjoying his favorite dessert in the company of the incredible girl who prepared it.

"Just a lucky guess, Yuji-san" Makoto grinned. She hurried into the kitchen and removed the molds from the steamer.

In the dining room, Yuji asked his new friends, "Where did Makoto-san learn to cook like this? Is her father a famous chef?"

"Mako-chan lives alone, Yuji-san" Rei told the young man. "She lost her parents years ago in a plane crash, and since she turned thirteen she's been living off a trust fund they had set up for her before their death. Because of that, she's become very independent, as you can tell."

"Oh. I'm very sorry to hear that" Yuji replied. "She's such a wonderful girl to have a terrible thing like that happen to her. She deserves much better fortune in her life. At least she has some very good friends who care about her, Rei-san."

"We're all quite close" Rei added. "Our little group has a... unique relationship with each other, you could say. We're like a family."

"That makes me so happy to know, Rei-san. Makoto-san is a very special girl. I'm very lucky to have met her."

"She is indeed" Mamoru nodded.

"Mako-chan likes you a lot, Yuji-san" Usagi told him. "Having you here for dinner was very important to her."

"She does?" Yuji positively radiated happiness beneath his blush.

A moment later Makoto reentered the dining room with a large serving plate containing a dozen small brown and white puddings and set it down in the center of the table. "I hope they turned out ok."

Everyone helped themselves to a dessert, and Rei scowled at Usagi when the blonde took three. "Yuji-san, please excuse Usagi, as you can see she can be greedy when it comes to food."

"I'm not greedy, Rei-chan! Eating that big meal just gave me an appetite."

"You got an appetite from eating?" Rei blurted. "Now I've heard everything!"

"Is your family planning anything special for New Year's Eve, Yuji-san?" Ryo asked.

"Nothing much, Ryo-san. My father is away in Europe on a business trip until the second week of January, so there won't be any big celebration this year. My mother has her sister over for a few days, but Taro and I will probably spend the time shoveling snow!" he laughed.

"If only snow were like food, you wouldn't have to shovel any" Rei joked. "We could send Usagi over and she'd eat your driveway clear!"

"Rei-chan, that's mean!" Usagi protested. "Don't pay any attention to her, Yuji-san." Usagi lowered her voice and looked at him from the corner of her eyes. "She has a nasty temper sometimes."

"A temper? That's funny, Usagi-chan. The only time I get upset is when you do something stupid! Which is most of the time!" Rei bristled.

"We'll send Rei-chan over instead, Yuji-san" Usagi fired back. "She can melt your snow with all her hot air!"

"Usagi-chan, If you say one more word-"

Knowing what was about to happen, Makoto hastily interrupted the girls. "How about we sit over by the fire?" she suggested to her guest. "It'll be a lot more comfortable there. Hopefully more peaceful too."

Yuji agreed and he and Makoto took their desserts to the living room to chat, while the others remained at the dining table a while longer. "Sounds like your friends are at it again, Makoto-san" Yuji chuckled as he settled into the offered seat near the fireplace.

"I've learned to live with their tantrums" Makoto replied as she pulled the second chair alongside his. "Though sometimes it can get more than a little out of control!" In the background, Usagi wailed defensively at Rei's latest taunt.

"Living alone in a big city and taking responsibility for every part of your life must be an incredible challenge, Makoto-san. I don't know anyone else our age who could do that."

"I do it because... well, because I have to, Yuji-san. I admit that living alone can make a person look at things differently" Makoto said. "It's not easy sometimes, but I love life and try to make the most out of every day. And my friends... they help me a lot."

Yuji looked at her pretty face as she spoke and his gaze was drawn to her sparkling green eyes, so filled with warmth and joy. He began to realize just how special and beautiful his new friend was, and how incredibly happy he felt sharing these moments with her.

. . . . .

At the door, Makoto lifted a scarf off its hanger and slipped it around Yuji's neck. "It looks like the storm finally stopped" she said with a twinge of regret. "Are you sure you can make it home ok through all that snow?"

"No problem at all, Makoto-san. I'll call you when I get home, if you- oh, I forgot the phones are dead!" he laughed. After fastening his coat, he gently took Makoto's hand. "Makoto-san, I had a wonderful time tonight. I'm sorry that I have to leave. May I... see you again?" he asked, his heart quickening.

"Yes, Yuji-san." Makoto answered without a moment's hesitation. "I'd really like to spend more time together with you." She grinned, "You know, a part of me wanted the storm to get a lot worse after you arrived. If you were trapped here, we could talk and be together a lot longer! I know that may sound selfish, I'm sorry. The stupid weather never cooperates anyway!"

"Makoto-san, tomorrow is New Year's Eve. Would you like it if I can arrange to come over again and ring in the new year with you? If that's too soon, I understand completely. I don't want to wear out my welcome."

Makoto's face lit up. "Please do, Yuji-san! As long as it's not a problem for your family, I'd love to see you again tomorrow!"

The teenager broke into a huge smile. "Then it's a date! I'll be over sometime after seven if that's a good time."

Makoto nodded happily. "That would be perfect! Please take care on your walk home, Yuji-san." They shared a soft hug before Yuji left her house and Makoto stood watching at the window until he waved from the street and disappeared into the night.

She turned around to see a row of fourteen eyes peering intently at her from the sofa and chairs. Makoto smiled at her friends. "I think that went wonderfully!" she sighed happily as she floated across the room toward them.

Usagi inched closer to her boyfriend and patted the sofa beside her. "Sit here, Mako-chan." She grinned at the brown-haired girl as she sat down. "I like him!"

"Mako-chan will be so happy to know her new boyfriend meets with your approval, Usagi-chan" Rei laughed.

"Rei-chan, he's not exactly my..." Makoto stammered, scarcely believing what was happening to her. "I mean, we still hardly know..."

Minako waved dismissively at her friend's reluctance to admit what everyone else realized. "Are you kidding, Mako-chan? Yuji was worshipping you with his eyes, hanging on your every word... And we all can plainly see how you feel about him. Face it, he's your new boyfriend!" The blonde folded her arms and sighed. "And I'm really, really jealous!"

"Hold on, everyone!" Makoto objected. "Serious relationships take time to develop, we may find things about each other that we don't like. You know, stuff like that."

"Mako-chan, if you ever decide you don't want him, please remember one important thing" Minako said.

What's that, Minako-chan?"

"I'm available!"

---

Chapter 11:

"Minako-chan, don't be so desperate!" Rei scolded her blonde friend. "Yuji plainly belongs to Mako-chan so you'll have to find a different boy to fall in love with."

Minako continued to sulk on the sofa. "I can't believe the Senshi of Love is the only one of us without a boyfriend! It's killing me! If I get any more jealous, I'm... I'm going to explode!" The other girls' laughter stopped at the sound of a ringing telephone.

"It's working again!" Makoto leapt to her feet and ran to the phone.

"Maybe that's Yuji, Mako-chan! Hurry and answer it before he hangs up!" Minako teased.

Makoto reached for the phone's handset, only to stop herself at the last second from yanking it out of the cradle. She forced herself to relax. 'Don't act so desperate, you idiot!' Reaching for the handset, Makoto spoke calmly into it.

"Moshi moshi."

"Hello again, Makoto-san" came a familiar male voice. "I just called to let you know I made it home in one piece" Yuji chuckled, his voice music to Makoto's ears. "And I... also wanted to say thank you again for dinner. I had a wonderful time. And the food was excellent too!" he laughed.

Makoto's heart raced and she immediately dropped all pretense of calmness and restraint. "Yuji-san! I'm so glad you called! You must be freezing after that walk. Are you still coming over tomorrow?"

"I wouldn't miss it for the world" he replied happily. Yuji paused for a moment as someone spoke to him. "I have to keep this short, Makoto-san. I just found out Mama is expecting a call from my father soon."

"Ok, then I'll see you tomorrow!" After they said goodbye Makoto hung up the phone and returned to the living room, feeling uncharacteristically giddy. "That was Yuji."

"No kidding" Minako grumbled. "I never would have guessed!"

He made it home safe and he's still-" Makoto suddenly went silent as the house was plunged into darkness.

"The power is off!" Usagi gasped.

"Thank you for that earth-shattering piece of news, Captain Obvious!" Rei muttered, her voice oozing sarcasm.

"We're going to freeze to death! Mamo-chan, hold me close! I'm too young and pretty to freeze!" the blonde pleaded, producing a groan from Minako.

"Don't forget 'modest', Usagi-chan" Minako quipped.

In the flickering firelight, Yuuichirou asked his host, "Mako-chan, do you have a flashlight?"

"There's one in the closet, but it doesn't have batteries. That's my fault, I should have picked some up at the store." Makoto lifted another log from the stack and placed it onto the crackling fire. "Hopefully the power won't be off too long, but to be safe I'll bring down some blankets from upstairs."

Mamoru volunteered to help and set off with Makoto into the upstairs darkness. With her boyfriend away, Usagi shivered alone on the sofa. "I feel cold, Rei-chan!"

"The heaters have been off for ten seconds and you're freezing already?" Rei snorted. "Usagi-chan, don't be such a crybaby!"

"Maybe if I eat something, it will make me feel warmer" the blonde pondered. "There's still a few bags of umai bou left in the kitchen. I'll be right back!" She stood up and managed three steps before knocking over the coffee table.

Minako pulled her feet back just in time. "Hey! Careful there!"

"Sorry!" Usagi righted the table and continued on in her quest for food.

Rei watched with amusement as Ami sighed and closed the book she and Ryo had been reading. "Problems, Ami-chan?"

"We were nearly at the end of that chapter, Rei-chan" the blue-haired girl spoke. "I hate leaving our studying unfinished."

Minako snickered, "That seems like an ongoing problem for you lately, Ami-chan!"

"What do you mean, Minako-ch... Oh!" Rei was sure she could see a blush form on Ami's face, even with the dim light of the fire.

Makoto and Mamoru came downstairs with an armload of blankets each and handed them out to the waiting teens. "I should get an extra one, Mako-chan" Minako insisted. "You should too. We don't have boyfriends to keep us warm. Or at least one of us doesn't" she added.

"In that case, Ami and Ryo won't need any blankets!" Rei joked. She watched with satisfaction as at the far end of the sofa, one blush deepened and another appeared.

A loud clatter came from somewhere within the dark kitchen, causing everyone to jump. "Usagi-chan, was that you?" Makoto asked.

"Sorry, Mako-chan" the voice apologized. "I knocked over a bottle of something. Ohh, now the floor is all sticky!"

"Great!" the brunette groaned. "Don't bother trying to clean anything, Usagi-chan. I'll take care of it when the lights come back on."

Usagi returned with the last three bags of the corn sticks. She dropped two on the coffee table and crawled snugly beneath a blanket with her boyfriend and the third bag. "I feel much better now!" she exclaimed as Mamoru put an arm around her and she began munching on her snacks.

With everyone bundled up against the increasing chill, Minako sighed. "It's a shame it's so dark. I brought along a game we could play."

"What kind of game, Minako-chan?" Makoto asked.

"I found it on a shelf at home last week, it's a quiz game for couples. I haven't played it but it sounds really easy. You take turns asking each couple a question from a random card you pick. They have to answer truthfully to win the points written on the card.

"What if they don't tell the truth?" Yuuichirou asked.

"If they give a ridiculous answer and everyone else thinks they're lying, the couple loses the points. And if they refuse to answer the question, they lose everything and are out of the game. The first couple to get five points wins the round."

"Sounds simple enough, why don't you go get it and we'll give it a try?" Rei suggested. "You may be able to see the questions more easily if you sit closer to the fire."

. . . . .

Minako rewrapped herself in her blanket, leaving her arms free. She peeled the cellophane from the sealed box containing the quiz cards. "I guess I'll ask all the questions, since I'm the only one here still unattached."

"Minako-chan, will you stop that?" Makoto grumbled. "I'm not 'attached' either, and even if I was, Yuji isn't here."

"Fine, Mako-chan, we can take turns asking the questions" Minako relented. "Ok, here we go. I'll start with Usagi and Mamoru." She pulled a card from the box and read it. "Oh, these aren't so bad."

"We're all close friends, Minako-chan. I don't think your quiz game will embarrass anyone here. Just ask the question" Rei said. "Yuuichirou and I want to win this!"

"Ok. First question, for one point, how many times a day do you kiss each other on the lips?"

Mamoru and Usagi looked at each other. "What kind of game did you say this was, Minako-chan?" Mamoru asked with a raised eyebrow.

Rei waved an arm beneath her blanket. "Well, tell her the answer!" she urged Mamoru with a grin.

Usagi and her boyfriend whispered amongst themselves for a few seconds before the blonde spoke. "Ok, our answer is... five times. Or is it ten? Or... maybe it's fifteen, Mamo-chan. I'm not sure!"

"Can you possibly be any more vague, Usagi-chan?" Rei grumbled. "Fine, that sounds... reasonable, I guess. Give them a point, Minako-chan."

"You're not the one asking the questions here, Rei-chan!" Minako pointed out haughtily. "But I'll give them one point."

"The next question is for Rei and Yuuichirou" Makoto said, reaching into the box for a card. "Hmm... this one's a lot more personal, but it's worth three points." She looked Rei straight in the eye. "How long has it been since your... first time?" Makoto grinned as she caught Rei in a rare blush.

Yuuichirou shocked everyone by giving the answer instantly. "One hundred and twenty eight days, Mako-chan. I believe that's three points for us, if you please!" Rei stared at her boyfriend in stunned silence.

"Minako-chan, I... don't feel comfortable playing this kind of game" Ami said quietly.

"You don't have to answer if the question is too personal, Ami-chan" Minako reminded her. "Of course, that also means you lose."

The thought of losing any quiz was nearly too much for the studious couple to bear. "Oh. Then I guess we can play one round" Ami agreed after a quick word with Ryo.

"My turn to ask, and the next question is for the brilliant but shy lovebirds at the end of the sofa." Minako removed a card from the box with a flourish and read it silently. A giggle escaped her lips and she tried returning the card to the box.

"Hold it, Minako-chan!" Rei ordered. "Don't go picking easy questions for Ami and Ryo and giving us the hard ones! That isn't fair."

"But Rei-chan-"

"Read the card you picked, Minako-chan!" Rei glared evilly at her and Minako reluctantly complied.

"If you insist." She looked at Ami and Ryo apologetically. "This question is worth five points, you win the round if you answer it truthfully."

Rei and Usagi leaned forward in anticipation as Minako cleared her throat. "Ok, Ami and Ryo, are you ready?"

The young couple nodded simultaneously and Minako asked again, "Are you sure?"

"Will you get on with it, Minako-chan?" Rei yelled. "Winter break will be over by the time you ask the stupid question!"

"Ok, I'm asking! I'm just trying to phrase it more delicately. The question is... how many times, on average, do you... uh... you know... 'do it'... on a typical night together?"

The room became silent and the four other girls waited for the young couple to blush red and quickly hide their embarrassment. Ryo did exactly that, but the petite blue-haired girl stunned everyone with her calculated reply. "I believe an accurate average would be... two point four times, Minako-chan."

"And we have a winner!" Minako threw the card in the air and applauded Ami and Ryo, just as the lights came back on. After a moment of speechlessness, everyone else joined in the applause.

"We won, Minako-chan?" Ami asked.

"You did!" Minako confirmed with a huge grin.

"That's nice." Ami immediately turned bright scarlet and she joined her boyfriend in burying their faces behind their blanket.

Rei turned to Yuuichirou, feigning disgust. "Some people will do anything to win a game!"

---

Chapter 12:

Illuminated by soft moonlight that filtered through a thin white veil of curtains, Usagi's pretty face was aglow with love for the young man who lay by her side. Her long hair shone with a golden hue as it cascaded down from her pillow and flowed across the wrinkled sheets that partially covered the young lovers. Two shimmering blue eyes regarded her boyfriend above a smile of absolute bliss.

The pretty blonde sighed contentedly as she snuggled within his tender embrace. "I wish tonight would never end, Mamo-chan."

Mamoru's fingers gently followed the curve of his lover's cheek. "As do I, Usako." His head tilted slightly to taste her lips once more and she responded with a faint moan of passion. Their lips slowly parted and Usagi snuggled closer, placing her head on his shoulder. "I love you."

"And I love you, my Usako. As I always have. And always will, until the end of time."

"Someday soon, every night will end this way" she sighed happily, then giggled as she heard faint sounds of love from the next bedroom.

"I think Rei and Yuuichirou are still awake too" Mamoru whispered.

"Mamo-chan, I hope Minako finds her true love soon. It must be awfully hard for her to stay here alone, especially now that Mako-chan has a boyfriend."

"Something tells me there's a guy out there just waiting to find her, Usako."

"I hope so."

Across the hallway, Makoto lay peacefully asleep, while the other single bed sat vacant. A solitary light glowed downstairs as Minako sat alone on the sofa, dreaming of the day when she too would have a special young man to love and call her own.

. . . . .

On the last morning of the year, Makoto awoke to find the second bed still neatly made, its sheets undisturbed from the day before. The tall brunette slipped on a pale green robe and matching slippers before entering the hallway, passing a closed door with a homemade sign neatly taped to it. She smiled as she read the words 'Please do not disturb' in Ami's precise handwritten hiragana script. 'Looks like they're trying to improve their average!' the brunette chuckled to herself before heading first to the bathroom, then downstairs.

Minako lay asleep on the sofa and Makoto quietly made her way past the sleeping girl and into the kitchen. 'She must have spent the entire night down here' she realized as she prepared a pot of tea. Pouring two cups, she took them into the living room and gently woke her friend.

"Hey. Wake up, sleepy head. It's New Year's Eve."

The blonde mumbled before sitting upright. She rubbed her eyes. "Oh, I must have dozed off! Arigatou, Mako-chan." She gratefully accepted the offered tea cup. "What time is it?"

"It's eight thirty. You know there's a perfectly good bed upstairs, Minako-chan. It must have been cold down here, even with that blanket."

"I was restless, Mako-chan. I needed to think about some... things. I didn't want to disturb you" the still-drowsy girl replied before sipping her tea.

Understanding her friend's thoughts and feelings all too well, Makoto spoke softly, "It's a new day, Minako-chan. And in a few hours we'll have a brand new year. A lot can happen in a year."

"I certainly hope it's... better than the last one. You know?"

Makoto nodded and smiled reassuringly. "I'm sure it will be."

. . . . .

Yuuichirou leaned his shovel against the front step and surveyed his and the other young men's work. The driveway had been shoveled and the cars cleaned of snow. The roadway had also been ploughed clear sometime during the night, and Mamoru started his car for a brief trip into town. As he and Usagi pulled away, Yuuichirou and Ryo went inside to warm their hands by the fire.

The radio had been moved from the kitchen to a temporary spot above the piano, and soft music filled the living room as Makoto and Minako sat talking on the sofa. Rei hung up the phone in the kitchen and walked out to her boyfriend. "I finally got through to the shrine, Yuuichirou-chan. Ojii-chan is fine, he spent the morning supervising the snow shoveling. I'm glad you arranged for help from the Meiji shrine before we left."

"I didn't want Hino-sensei to be there alone, Rei-chan. He may have called me and ordered me to come back, even if I had to crawl to Tokyo through the blizzard!"

Ryo went to the refrigerator and removed two small bottles of juice for Ami and himself. As he passed the phone, it rang and he promptly answered it then summoned Makoto.

"Mako-chan, Yuji is on the phone for you."

"Arigatou, Ryo-chan. I hope he isn't canceling tonight" Makoto fretted as she hurried to take the call.

"Konnichiwa, Yuji-san. Did you rest well?"

"I did, thank you" Yuji replied, and Makoto could almost feel the teenage boy's smile through the phone. "I had a wonderful dream last night, Makoto-san. I dreamt of you" the boy said shyly.

"Of me? I"m glad you didn't call it a nightmare!" Makoto joked. "Is everything still on for tonight?"

"Absolutely! Taro and I are getting caught up on last-minute jobs around the house so I won't be late."

"Wonderful!" Makoto exclaimed with relief. "I guess you must both be feeling tired from all that work. Please don't overdo it!"

"My brother knows how much I want to see you again so he's pitching in even more than usual, even though he's not exactly the happiest guy in town at the moment."

"Oh? What's wrong with Taro-san? Is he sick?"

"He's been a little down the last few days, did I mention yesterday that he broke up with his new girlfriend? That had to be the shortest relationship in history!" Yuji chuckled.

"Oh, I'm sorry to hear that" Makoto said.

"It surprised me too, but he said things just didn't feel right between them. He told me that after the first week he knew she wasn't the one he was looking for. I guess he's not the kind of guy who keeps a girl hanging on if he knows the relationship isn't going anywhere."

"Yuji-san, why don't you bring him along when you come over?" Makoto suggested on a hunch. "He may enjoy my friends' company more than sitting home alone."

"Arigatou, Makoto-san. I'll ask him right after our call. That's really thoughtful of you. Oh, before I forget, the reason I called was to ask if you'd like me to bring anything when I come over. Snacks or music, or anything else you may want."

"We've got it covered, Yuji-san. Usagi and Mamoru have gone out for a little last-minute shopping, so we won't need anything. Just bring yourself" the brunette smiled.

"I'll see you after seven, Makoto-san."

Makoto said goodbye and retook her seat in the living room beside Minako, deciding not to mention Yuji's brother in case he decided not to come. She crossed her fingers, hoping Taro would join them. 'At least then Minako will have someone new to talk to' she thought hopefully.

---

Chapter 13:

Usagi stared silently through the living room window, her petite form highlighted by soft moonlight that played upon the freshly-fallen snow. Mamoru walked up and stood beside the girl, slipping an arm around her slender waist.

"Is something troubling you, Usako?"

There was silence for a moment before she gave her reply. "I was looking at the moon, Mamo-chan. I sometimes wonder how things would have been if we had been able to live out our first lives." Usagi looked into her boyfriend's face and Mamoru could see a trace of sadness reflected in her eyes.

He thought for a while before he spoke. "Those days and memories are lost to us, my love. We will probably never remember our lives back in the time of the Moon Kingdom." He gazed at the girl he had fallen deeply in love with so very long ago. "The important thing is that we're together now. You and I, and all of our closest friends from that distant past life. We were given an incredible gift, Usako. A chance to live again, to love again, to make those dreams we once shared finally come true."

Usagi's mood brightened. She nodded and smiled at her young man. "This time, no one will take that away from us, Mamo-chan."

"I lost you once, my beautiful princess. I will never lose you again." He gathered her into his arms and held her close, two teenage soul-mates gazing out at the moonlight together.

. . . . .

Ryo rinsed the last dinner plate and handed it to Ami to dry as Makoto buzzed happily around the kitchen behind them. The brown-haired girl opened a cupboard and reached inside for champagne glasses, carefully placing them one by one on a serving tray.

"The dishes are finished, Mako-chan" Ami announced after putting the final plate on its shelf. "Is there anything else we can do to help?"

"Thanks a lot for taking care of those" Makoto replied. "You've both been a huge help. Why don't you give yourselves the rest of the year off?" she laughed as she set the last champagne glass onto the tray. "After I bring these out, the kitchen is officially closed!"

"Don't let Usagi hear you say that, Mako-chan" Rei said as she entered the room. "She'll go into shock!"

"I'm sure Usagi-chan will sneak back in for something else if the snacks run low" Makoto grinned. She glanced at the wall clock. "It's almost seven. Yuji should be here soon." Though she tried hard to keep her emotions in check, the anticipation in her voice was impossible for her friends to miss.

"How do you feel about this new boyfriend of hers, Ami-chan?" Rei asked. "Do you think our dear Mako-chan has finally found her true love?"

"It may be a little premature to assume so, Rei-chan. But it seems... quite likely" Ami agreed.

"Will you two knock it off?" Makoto chuckled. "Yuji and I still hardly know each other, but from the way everyone is talking, we'll be running off and getting married next week!" She carried the tray past her friends and into the living room, humming softly to herself. Setting the long-stemmed glasses on the coffee table, she noticed the empty sofa. "Where's Minako, Yuuichirou-san?"

Yuuichirou looked up from the chair where he sprawled comfortably in front of the fire. "She just went upstairs, Mako-chan. She said she was going to take a shower and change."

From beside the window, Usagi announced in a melodic voice, "Oh, Mako-chan! Your boyfriend is here!"

Makoto spun around in a blur of motion. "I'll get the door!" Rushing over, she greeted Yuji before he had the chance to knock. "Konbanwa, Yuji-san. Is it seven already?" she asked innocently.

Rei laughed from somewhere behind the brunette. "You're not fooling anyone, Mako-chan."

Makoto blushed as she took the boy's coat and placed it on a hanger. "Your brother isn't with you?"

"No. I'm not sure if he'll be coming over, Makoto-san. He was a little hesitant when I asked him about tonight, I think he's just shy at the thought of meeting so many new people all at once."

"I do hope he changes his mind" Makoto said. "For now, let's have a seat near the fire and get that winter chill out of you."

Yuji greeted Ami and Ryo who had taken their usual places at the end of the sofa with yet another textbook opened between them. "Hi, Ami-san, Ryo-san. This must be why you both get perfect marks in school. Every time I come over, you're studying."

"Those two do study a lot, Yuji-san" Rei interjected with a sly grin. "Especially at night!"

"Rei-chan, please!" Ami protested through a deepening blush.

Makoto peered into a half-empty glass bowl on the coffee table. "I see that Usagi is into the snacks again" she sighed. "I hope we don't run out before the evening is over."

"You've had enough for now, Usagi-chan." Rei picked up the bowl and moved it to the top of the piano out of Usagi's immediate reach. "I'm cutting you off for a while."

The blonde begged, "Please don't take the snacks away, Rei-chan! I promise I won't eat any more until later. Well... just a few more."

"Sorry, but I don't trust you or your promises" Rei answered back with a stern glare. "That bowl was full five minutes ago, and look at it now. You soak up food like a sponge!"

"That isn't fair, Rei-chan!" Usagi grumbled. "Why can't you trust me? I trust you!"

"You do? Ok, let's see if you really mean that. Come over here" Rei ordered, waving the blonde from her seat. "Let's do a little experiment and find out."

"What kind of experiment?" Usagi looked at the miko with suspicion.

"Stand right there and turn around so I'm behind you."

"Ok... what's next?" Usagi turned to face the fireplace with Rei a short distance behind her.

"I think what Rei-chan has in mind is something called a 'trust fall', Usagi-chan" Ami said. "You fall backwards and let Rei-chan catch you."

"Nani? No way, Ami-chan! She'll let me drop on the floor!" Usagi whined. "And then she'll laugh at me!"

"See, you really don't trust me at all, do you?" Rei said. "I promise I won't let you fall, Usagi-chan. Here Ami-chan, why don't you and Ryo demonstrate for Usagi what real trust looks like."

The young couple agreed and walked around the coffee table to an open spot. Ami stood in place and appearing completely calm and relaxed, allowed herself to tip backwards until she dropped lightly into Ryo's waiting arms. "It isn't scary at all if you know you can rely on your partner, Usagi-chan." She smiled at her boyfriend, "I would trust my Ryo-kun with my life." While Ryo was still holding her, he leaned toward his blue-haired girlfriend and softly kissed her cheek.

"Save that mushy stuff for later, you two!" Rei snickered. "Well, Usagi-chan? Are you going to let me catch you or not?"

"Ok. I'll try" Usagi said warily. "But if you drop me, I'll never forgive you!" Wearing a worried frown, Usagi began to lean backward and Rei positioned herself to catch her, only to look away at the sound of a sharp knock on the front door. Usagi fell back and crashed into the distracted miko, both girls toppling to the floor in a tangled heap.

"I knew it!" Usagi yelled.

"Ow! Will you get off me, you idiot? Someone's at the door!" Rei and Usagi picked themselves up and the blonde glared angrily at the raven-haired girl.

"That's no excuse! You meant to do that all along!" Usagi screamed. "You're totally evil, Rei-chan!"

Makoto ignored the developing feud and hurried to answer the knock. A handsome, athletic-looking young man of about seventeen stood waiting patiently outside. "Hello. I'm Ito Taro" he said, bowing deeply. "You must be Kino Makoto. My brother Yuji can't stop talking about you, Kino-san."

"I'm so glad you decided to come, Taro-san!" Makoto returned the bow and invited him inside. "I'm not one for a whole lot of formality, so please call me Makoto."

After the boy removed his winter clothing, the brunette escorted Taro into the living room. Yuji grinned up at him from his chair, "I was hoping you'd change your mind!" The younger teen stood up and walked over to his brother. "Allow me introduce you to everyone, beginning with the famous Mizuno Ami and her boyfriend Urawa Ryo."

"Mizuno Ami? So you're that brilliant student I read about who won the All-Japan examinations! It's a real honor to meet you both." Taro bowed once more to the young couple who stood and shyly bowed back.

The introductions continued until Yuji realized, "Someone's missing, Makoto-san. Where is Minako?"

"She's upstairs getting-" Makoto paused as her blonde friend appeared at the top of the stairs. "Never mind. Here she is now."

Wearing a close-fitting yellow gown and a fresh red bow in her hair, Minako apologized as she took the first step down. "Minna, sorry I took so long, I... just..." Spying the new arrival, her eyes met Taro's and her voice faded to a faint gasp. "Oh..."

"Minako-san, please come and meet my newly-unattached brother" Yuji asked.

To everyone's astonishment, Minako promptly hopped up onto the stairway railing and slid down to the first floor.

"Now there's a graceful entrance!" Rei laughed.

"Thanks for dusting the rail for me, Minako-chan" Makoto chuckled. "I've been meaning to do that!"

Taro's eyes were riveted on the pretty blonde who stood smiling brightly back at him. "It's a pleasure to meet you, ah... Aino-san, I believe?"

Minako beamed, "The pleasure is all mine, Taro-san! I'm... uh... I'm..."

"Your name is Minako, in case you forgot" Rei nudged her infatuated friend.

"Hai! I'm Minako!" she giggled.

As the two teens smiled warmly at each other, Taro felt a strong spark of recognition toward the stunning blonde-haired vision before him. "You look incredibly familiar, Minako-san." Taro simply couldn't pull his gaze away from the beautiful girl. "I'm sure we've met somewhere before, but I can't recall the time and place for some strange reason."

"I... don't think we've previously met, Taro-san" Minako replied sweetly, her heart beating faster. "At least... not in this life!"

---

Chapter 14:

Mamoru returned from a short bathroom break to find Minako and Taro talking and laughing together as they relaxed on the sofa, while not far away, Makoto and Yuji were holding hands and chatting comfortably as though they had known each other for years. In the center of the living room, Rei and Ami slow-danced with their boyfriends to soft music from the radio. Mamoru glanced at his watch and was surprised to find it showed less than forty five minutes before midnight. 'This evening is certainly going by quickly' he mused. As he took in the tranquil scene, Usagi tip-toed up behind him and slipped her arms snugly around her boyfriend's waist. She sighed happily and leaned against his back.

"Would you care for another dance, my love?" Mamoru asked.

"Hai hai!" He turned and took her hand, leading her to a vacant spot near the stairs. Holding each other in a tender embrace, they began slowly swaying to the romantic rhythms.

"Your dancing has improved a lot lately, Usako" he complimented the pretty blonde in his arms.

"Everything's so much better when I'm with you, Mamo-chan" Usagi whispered demurely. Usagi's shimmering blue eyes met her boyfriend's. "Mamo-chan, I love you so much, sometimes I think my heart will burst!"

Mamoru gently kissed her as he held her soft body close to his. "I love you too, my Usako. My princess." After another lingering kiss, he asked, "I think it's nearly time to break out the champagne. Promise me you won't overdo it tonight?"

"I promise" the blonde replied solemnly. "Mamo-chan, isn't this wonderful!" Usagi exclaimed as she and Mamoru held hands and weaved their way around the dancing couples. "It makes me feel so happy to see Mako-chan and Minako-chan with new boyfriends!" Usagi followed her soul mate into the kitchen as another song began to play.

On the sofa, Yuji smiled shyly at the brunette he found himself rapidly falling in love with. "Shall we... dance, Mako-chan?"

"I thought you'd never ask, Yuji-chan!" Makoto grinned. Moving to the center of the floor, Yuji and Makoto shared their first dance together as a couple. Makoto sighed blissfully, luxuriating in the warmth of her boyfriend's embrace as they moved in time with the music.

The other couples gave them a little more room and Ami watched them for a short time before whispering, "Mako-chan and Yuji move so gracefully together, Ryo-kun. It almost seems like they've danced like this before."

"Ami my love," Ryo pondered, his voice a whisper to the beautiful girl in his arms, "perhaps they have... as we once did. A very long time ago."

His courage heightened by the bubbly personality and openness of his new friend, Taro stood up and shyly offered his hand to Minako. She eagerly accepted it and they too joined their friends on the makeshift dance floor.

Returning with the champagne, Mamoru and Usagi watched Makoto and Minako with their partners. "I can't tell who is smiling the most, Mamo-chan" Usagi exclaimed. "Everyone looks so happy!" They waited until the song had ended before approaching the coffee table. After the other couples had finished their dance, he filled each glass in turn.

Mamoru and Usagi raised their glasses as the other teens formed a semi-circle around them. "Here's to the old year" Mamoru spoke. "It was a time of great personal discovery. A year of forming new friendships, and... rediscovering old ones."

Everyone sipped their champagne and Usagi giggled, "The bubbles are tickling my nose, Mamo-chan!"

"Go easy on the champagne, Usagi-chan" Rei cautioned with a wagging finger. "We wouldn't want a repeat of what happened at the promise party."

"I was hoping you wouldn't mention that!" Ami groaned, producing playful laughter from the other girls.

Minako and Makoto both decided another dance was in order, and were soon in their boyfriend's arms once more. Ami and Ryo sat this one out, and smiled as Minako turned her head and winked at them from within Taro's embrace. "Minako-chan is definitely making up for lost time" Ryo chuckled.

"I think Mako-chan is too, Ryo-kun" Ami observed.

On the radio, the song gradually faded out and was replaced by the voice of the late-night disc jockey. "Everyone, it appears the year is ending with a very dramatic development!" he told his audience, bringing Ami and Ryo to their feet with curiosity. Ryo increased the volume and listened intently as the other teens also clustered around the portable radio. "I'm now turning the broadcast over to Hanari-san in the newsroom."

"Arigatou, Eto-san. Minna, we have just learned that the Institute of Space and Astronautical Science here in Tokyo has announced an incredible find. Scientists the world over are hailing it as the discovery of the millennium. Reports have come in that the Japanese Hiten-Hagoromo lunar probe has, within the last eight hours, sent back new photographs of the lunar surface during an extremely close orbit. These photos apparently show details that engineers at the Institute can only describe as... ruins on the moon."

Usagi gasped and squeezed Mamoru's hand tightly as the news bulletin continued.

"Can they be sure, Hanari-san?" the announcer asked, the pitch of his voice rising. "Has anyone else confirmed this?"

"Hai, the photos have also been examined by both NASA and the European Space Agency, and it seems that scientists worldwide are in agreement on this one. The astonishing pictures reveal what appear to be partially destroyed walls and columns, possibly the remnants of some previously unknown civilization. We are told the Hiten spacecraft was passing over an area of the moon known as the Sea of Serenity when the photos were taken."

"They finally found it." Ami's lips formed the words but her voice was barely audible. "They found the remains of the old Moon Kingdom." She looked over at Usagi to see the blonde girl's lip quiver and a tear slide down her cheek.

"NHK Radio will be following this astounding story throughout the night and will release more information as soon as it becomes available. We'll return to our New Year's Eve countdown after this short message." The announcer broke for a commercial and the teens went back to their seats.

"This is incredible news!" Yuji said. "Do you know what this means, Mako-chan? They're saying there actually was life on the moon sometime in the past!"

"It certainly sounds like it, Yuji-chan" Makoto replied, a momentary distant look in her eyes.

"There has to be some mistake, Minako-chan" Taro said, shaking his head. "Maybe it's some kind of hoax or something."

"Minna, I think it's wise to wait until more information is released before we jump to any conclusions" Mamoru said quietly. "In any case, it's nearly twelve and I believe our glasses could use a refill."

Usagi dabbed the moisture from her eyes and held out her glass, her slender fingers gently holding its long fragile stem. "Thank you, Mamo-chan. Thank you for loving me, and for always being by my side." Her voice dropped to a soft whisper that only her love could hear. "Both then... and now."

. . . . .

With the last minute of the year nearly gone, everyone stood together and counted down the remaining seconds along with the live broadcast.

"Go!"

"Shi!"

"San!"

"Ni!"

"Ichi!"

"Zero! Akemashite omedetou!" The teens cheered in unison.

Mamoru gathered Usagi into a warm, tender embrace. "Happy New Year, my princess. May we share many, many more together." His lips met hers and they kissed passionately, and around the room Yuuichirou and Ryo also held their true loves and shared long, lingering kisses with them.

Standing together near the fireplace, Makoto grinned at Yuji. "You know, we've only known each other for a little... oh, what the heck!" Yuji's eyes widened as she pulled the surprised boy into her arms and kissed him deeply.

"Why not?" Minako exclaimed happily. "It's New Years!" She smiled coyly at Taro who blushed and smiled back, and Minako slipped her arms around the handsome young gentleman. Their lips came together and they too shared their first kiss.

After a little time had passed, Mamoru raised his glass once more as the traditional Japanese new year's song 'Hotaru no Hikari' played in the background. "Here's to the new year! And to the wish that it brings each one of us, our nation, and the entire world, love, harmony and lasting peace."

After everyone sipped their champagne, Yuuichirou added with a big grin, "And a wish for less fighting between Rei and Usagi!"

"That'll never happen!" Rei scoffed as everyone laughed.

. . . . . . . . . .

Note: The next episode is 'My Girlfriend is a Sailor Senshi!'.