Disclaimer: Sailor Moon and Gundam Wing belong to their respective companies.

Note: While the characters of Gundam Wing are AU in this fic, the Sailor Moon characters and their history aren't. I pull SM history from the manga, anime, and musicals... If there are any questions, just let me know!

Chapter 1 - They'll Play with Our Lives

"Owwww..."

"Quiet."

"Ahh.. Reiiii..!"

"Stop whining."

Usagi pouted, and instead made soft wimpering sounds at her mistreatment.

Taking the silence as a cue, Rei grinned in a rather self-satisfied sort of way, as she went about her work. "Eighteen. An age that marks the blossoming of a girl into womanhood. It's the birth of new wisdom, elegance, and beauty. Now, I know we're talking about a crybaby dumpling-head, but I think it's best to be hopefu-"

"For someone who's been eighteen for only about two months, you sure do talk alot of game, Rei-chan," Minako's asute observation cut the priestess' obviously premeditated speech short, and earned her a giggle from Usagi, and a scowl from Rei.

The raven haired youth pulled the obi tigher around Usagi's tiny waist (making the poor girl's laughter fade into a yelp of protest), looping the length of satin material and giving each end another sharp tug. "As I am the eldest one here, and you are the youngest, you will not speak unless spoken to, Minako."

Minako rolled her eyes dramatically, sighing and flopping back on the small couch. Rei had really been taking that elder-stuff way too seriously since her last birthday, and while arguing might have been fun, she decided it was best not to vex her friend too much... Especially when Usagi was still at her mercy.

"Rei-chan, I don't think I can breathe," Usagi began tentatively after a few seconds of silence.

"Suck it up, you weenie," Rei chided, though she did loosen the bindings around the blond's middle. "I told you not to eat so much at breakfast, didn't I?"

"But it was my Super Special Birthday Breakfast! Mako-chan made it especially for me. I couldn't not eat, could I?" she countered, her voice rising to a plaintive whine.

"No one would have been offended if you'd denied that fourth helping of pancakes and that sixth doughnut," Rei snorted, deft movements quickly tucking and folding the lengths of the obi into the shape of a box bow. "There, you're finished."

Minako sat up at that, practically bouncing in her seat as she beamed over at the two of them. "Usagi-chan, let me see! Turn around!"

Rei stepped out of the way, a look of infinite fondness filling her expression, even if her words weren't nearly as touching. "Well, you clean up nice, I'll give you that."

Usagi slowly turned, arms held out at her sides, bare feet silent and the tail of her kimono whispering against the floor of the shrine with her movements. Layers of silk and satin, creamy white and the palest pinks, were wrapped lovingly around her petite frame. Combined with her flaxen hair (worn in her customary twin buns with trailing lengths) and soft, pale complexion (enhanced only by the lightest traces of makeup), she was positively radiant as she smiled hesitantly.

"Oh!" Minako exclaimed, hands clasping one another in her surprise. "You look so beautiful, Usagi-chan!"

The smug grin Rei wore didn't last long.

Giving a squeal of delight, Usagi launched herself at the priestess, locking her arms around her neck and hugging her for all she was worth. "Thankyouthankyouthankyou!"

Nearly losing her balance, Rei pinwheeled her arms to stay standing. "Get off, get off! You're going to knock me over and wrinkle your kimono!"

Giggling, Usagi reluctantly let her go before smoothing down the folds of the expensive material. "Sorry, Rei! But don't worry, I'll be careful at the party not to get it dirty."

"Speaking of the party, we'd better hurry, if we don't want to be late," Rei said, giving a glance at the clock. "Minako, you're next. Get over here."

Minako groaned, and for one of the few times in her life, wondered if beauty was worth all the pain that Rei was going to put her through.

As the sound of Minako bickering with Rei filled the room, Usagi moved to admire herself in a mirror. "This is going to be a great birthday! I can feel it."

Tying the last of the paper lanterns to the tree bough before her, Ami straightened her kimono and patted her hair back into place.

After a rather long and tedious debate, it had been decided that Usagi's birthday celebration was to be held in the park; after all, the cherry blossoms had a late blooming this year, and the trees were still full of the beautiful flowers that fell in a tranquil rain of as the wind blew through them.

Ami smiled to herself, looking around the area they'd decorated. The overhanging tree branches were full of small lanterns and paper stars between clusters of flowers, the ground warm with the green of grass peeking through the layer of soft sakura petals, while the picnic blanket they'd laid out was full of food and presents.

"Usagi-chan is going to be thrilled," she said quietly to Makoto, aiming her pleased look at the taller girl as she sat beside her on the blanket.

"Heck, I'm beyond thrilled with the final product, and it isn't even my birthday!" Makoto laughed in response, folding her hands in her lap.

"Haruka, Michiru, Setsuna, and Hotaru should be arriving soon," the blue haired girl commented, staring at the direction of the park's entrance. "Mamoru called to let me know he may be a little late."

"Usagi is really starting to rub off on him," Makoto snorted, and Ami had to cover her mouth to keep from giggling too loudly.

"Excuse me?" The two looked over their shoulders as the sound of a foreign voice, low and even, interupted them.

A young man approached them, slender as he was tall, his gait fluid and graceful. A veil of brown hair obscured the right half of his face, and the side that was visible held an undefined expression, neither threatening nor friendly, but a disquieting calm.

Ami and Makoto exchanged a quick glance before they both rose, their kimono rustling around them as they staightened to face him.

"Yes?" Ami asked cautiously.

"I seem to be a bit lost. I was admiring the beauty of the trees and flowers, and can't remember the direction of the exit," he replied in the same tone as earlier, his visible eye, a piercing green, shifting back and forth between the two of them.

"Oh."

Makoto cleared her throat, seeing that Ami wasn't going to say anything else- not that she could blame her. The man made her feel uneasy as well. "It's.. It's just that way," she lifted an arm, pointing behind her, keeping her sight fixed on the stranger. "If you go down a bit, you'll see a path. Just go left."

"Ah, I appreciate the help," the man paused, "You're having a celebration of some kind, I take it? I thought the Hanabi Fesivals were held only in May."

"It's our friend's birthday," Ami spoke up, hand descretely slipping inside the sleeve of her kimono, taking hold of her henshin wand.

The young man nodded once. "I see. Many happy returns to your friend, and thank you for your help." Walking with the same pace as he'd approached, the man circled around their blanket, and headed in the direction Makoto had pointed.

The girls looked at each other again before both laughed nervously to dispel the baseless, disconcerting feeling that had settled over them.

Out of eyesight, they didn't see the young man lifting what appeared to be some sort of cellular phone, nor did they hear what he said into it while looking back in their direction.

The roads were practically free of traffic, an event that was rare and welcomed. Haruka, sitting comfortably in the driver's seat of the convertable, shot a glance into the rear-view mirror.

In the back, Setsuna and Hotaru were talking in undertones to one another, the elder kindly setting a section of the other's hair back with a small silver clasp, the younger cradling colorfully decorated presents in her arms and on her lap.

"Love, don't speed. We're on time, and we don't need another ticket," Michiru's melodious voice drew her attention entirely onto the road again, and Haruka flashed her a confident half-smirk.

"There's no one in front of us this time; I'll just out-manuver any cop cars that try to stop me," she said half-jokingly, though slowing down to appease her partner all the same.

"Haruka-papa? What did you get Usagi-chan for her birthday?" Hotaru asked curiously, holding up a flat, rectangular box that she and Setsuna had been puzzling over.

"Heh heh, it's.. ah.. it's a grown-up present, Hotaru-chan," Haruka answered eventually, wisely staring straight ahead instead of at her irrate counterpart.

"I thought we agreed you would give her gourmet chocolate, and I would be giving her jewelry, Haruka," Michiru said far too coolly.

"She's got enough chocolate, babe. I'm sure she doesn't have a single pair of those."

Michiru's pronounced silence was almost tangible.

"What? All pretty girls her age need a good set of handcuf- Shit!" Haruka flung an arm protectively in front of Michiru's chest as she hit the breaks, swerving to avoid a collision with a car that sped out in front of them at the last moment.

The convertible spun, the bumper glancing off a parked car as it came to a stop.

"Is everyone alright?" Haruka waited for affirmations from them all before getting out of the car and letting off a string of expletives- while the convertable was fine, the car she'd hit had lost one of its tail-lights.

"Did you get a look at the car that cut you off?" Setsuna asked, helping Hotaru out of the convertable.

"Not really," Haruka scowled, crossing her arms and shaking her head. "It was probably some punk kid who just got his license and was out for a joy ride."

"What are we going to do?" Clutching the small stack of presents, Hotaru's wide, purple gaze swept between her parents.

"You and Setsuna are going to go on ahead to Usagi's party, while Haruka and I stay here and try to find the owner of the damaged vehicle," Michiru answered, moving to stand beside the sandy haired woman. "The park is only a few blocks walk from here."

Saying their goodbyes, Setsuna and Hotaru started down the sidewalk, leaving Haruka and Michiru behind to handle the situation.

Unbeknownst to them, the driver of the car that had caused the accident coasted to a stop in the distance. A smile of grim satisfaction curled up the corners of his mouth as he produced a strange, wiry cell-phone, a replica of the one his cohorts carried. Idly twisting at the bottom of his long, chestnut-brown braid, he spoke a few words into the device before folding it in upon itself.

"Usagi, I'm not skipping with you and Minako, no matter how hard you pull on my hand," Rei grumbled.

Despite Rei's insistance that it wasn't necessary or remotely adult-like, Usagi had been firm on her decision that they should all hold hands on their walk to the park.

Standing in the center of the three, Usagi merrily swung her arms back and forth as she and Minako skipped along, their blond hair shimmering along with the silken kimono in the brilliant sunlight, while Rei rolled her eyes at their antics, yet didn't offer resistance to holding hands after her initial protest.

The priestess did growl audibly, however, when Usagi and Minako entered into another round of the "Happy Birthday" song, sung in very poor english.

"You two are such idiots," Rei sighed loudly.

The two girls blinked and started giggling.

"Rei-chan! What did you get me for my birthday?" Usagi suddenly asked as the three paused at the corner of the street, waiting for the light to change so that they could cross.

"Ha! I'm not telling you. Suffer!" she laughed triumphantly at Usagi's crestfallen features.

"Aw, Rei-chan, you're so mean! And on her birthday, too!" Minako scolded, patting Usagi's back consolingly as the other girl pouted pathetically.

Snorting, the priestess shook her head. "You can't wait another fifteen minutes to find out? You have absoutely no willpower."

Usagi perked up, grinning widely and leaning in close to Rei's face like an excited puppy. "You'll tell me then?"

"You wish!" Putting a hand on the small blond's forehead, she shoved her away with a grin.

"Wah! So mean to me!" Usagi wailed, though she was quite happy to start skipping again with Minako once they'd crossed the street. "Just you wait, Hino Rei. Next Christmas, I'm not going to tell you what I got you. I'm going to make you wait!"

That caused both Rei and Minako to laugh. "Half the time you blurt out what you bought for us without our asking!"

Letting out an indignant squeal, Usagi snatched her hands away from them and covered her head. "You're both mean today!"

Rei and Minako let out another round of fresh laugher before they both slid an arm around their friend, causing Usagi to give up and laugh along with them.

Caught up as they were in their banter, when they turned the corner, they didn't notice the man standing in front of them until they were but a few feet away-

And until they were staring down the barrel of the hand-gun he held level with their eyes.

The girls all let out sounds of fear, their wide, innocent eyes first focusing on the weapon, then the one who controled it.

"Don't do anything stupid," he drawled, staring down at them with eyes the color of coal. He couldn't have been more than a few inches taller than Rei, but by the way he carried himself, he could have been a giant. His skin was a light caramel, his features arrogant, and his hair was as dark as his eyes, pulled up in an unforgivingly tight ponytail.

He stepped forward and the girls cringed reflexively, but all he did was force them off the sidewalk and into the alley behind the building that stood to their right with a few well-placed pushes.

His eyes darted between the trio and he opened his mouth to say something else, but was abruptly cut off.

"Please-don't-kill-us-it's-my-birthday-and-I-don't-want-to-die-today-I-just-want-to-sing-happy-birthday-and-eat-my-cake-and-open-my-presents," Usagi wailed in one, great breath, breaking out into full-blown, noisy sobs as she clung to her two friends.

"Shut up!" the man all but snarled, shoving the gun closer to Usagi's tear streaked face.

"D-do you want money?" Minako started, trembling hands moving to delve within the folds of her kimono.

"Don't move. And shut her up or I will," he ordered, gesturing to Usagi.

Rei obediantly slid a hand over Usagi's mouth, Minako's following hers a moment later.

It was silent then, aside from Usagi's hiccoughing sniffles and the armed man's steady, heavy breathing. The three senshi didn't dare move under his intense, scrutinizing gaze, and he didn't say anything for a time, almost as though he were trying to decide what his next move would be.

Sight narrowing, he nodded to himself before speaking again. "Your names. What are they?"

Face pale, eyes wide and mouth dry, Rei was the first to answer. "Hino Rei."

"Aino Minako," Minako spoke after her, her voice quivering.

"And her? Who is she?" The man tilted the gun at Usagi, who hadn't made a move to answer, and was still sniffling behind Rei and Minako's hands.

"Are you going to kill us?" Rei asked instead, causing Minako to whimper and hold more tightly to Usagi.

"Her name. NOW." The gun was pressed against Usagi's forehead.

"She's Usagi! It's just Usagi! Please don't hurt her!" Minako practically shouted, starting to cry as well.

The man's eyes widened a fraction, and the hard line of his mouth softened as though satisfied.

Rei noticed the recognition flash across his face at Usagi's name, and her heart dropped. "Who.. Who are you?"

Without answering, the man slid his free hand into one of his pockets, drew forth a handful of white powder, and tossed it at the cowering women.

A moment later, the three slumped to the ground, unconcious.

x

x

x

Once again, I'm posting this fic, hoping that it is now in accordance to FF's rules. It made me very sad when they pulled it the first time.

Please, review if you've read. Feedback in all forms is greatly appreciated.

Chuu

- Zangai