Love.

Such a simple word. One word and four letters.

"Usagi, I have never been so sure of something—of someone in my life before."

No

"Listen to me. Please, before you go back to him."

No

"Usagi… I love you."

No

"Please, please reconsider. Think about your own feelings! I know this isn't one sided! I know you feel for me the same as I for you. I just know it in my heart and that is why I can't bear to leave your side so please, Usa, please don't make me!"

This is the person I am in love with

How her stomach filled with dread at that thought, she'll never forget because her mind wondered to Him and she realized her feelings meant nothing.

As Usagi stared down at Seiya, her tears rolling down her cheek bones and collecting in her lap, she felt something in my stomach sink. Her beautiful onyx hair was pinned back in her signature ponytail, as beautiful as ever. They had been walking back to the recording studio so Seiya and the others could finish their comeback album that had everybody on the edge of their seats in anticipation. After all, it's not every day a group as famous Starlights gets back together after ten years. According to the tabloids, after Yaten and Seiya saw passed their differences, they saw no reason to keep the group disbanded and immediately set out to reclaim their rightful spot on stage entertaining millions with their heartfelt songs.

Or at least that's what everybody thinks happened.

After the showdown with Galaxia, peace and prosperity found their way back to Kinmoku. Seldom were there any major issues. The Starlight senshi evolved into the equivalent of housemaids, tending to tasks as mundane as dusting or helping prepare dinner. Though this did not bother them much, Princess Kakyuu thought otherwise.

She saw what they so desperately tried to keep from her. They missed the planet they temporarily called home. They missed their music. And most importantly, they missed the senshi they now called friends.

"Return home when you are needed but do not be sad when you are not called." Said the princess with a wink.

/

It had been ten years since they had left. Ten years with no contact whatsoever. Ten years to think about everything that had happened in the last fight.

Ten years to get over her unrequited love.

Seiya had not been as lucky as Taiki or Yaten who so easily pushed their feelings aside to perform their best for their princess. Seiya could not just throw on a fake façade and pretend she wasn't leaving the love of her life to be loved by someone else.

When she and her sisters returned they were informed that the sailor soldiers were no longer as active as they had once been and hadn't had to defend Earth since Galaxia. They sailor soldiers were now living normal lives, still connected to each other but optimistic for a different future. A voluntary one.

When questioned about Usagi, the inner senshi all shared a look and stayed quiet. All except one.

"Not all of us are as…optimistic about not having our future set in stone," murmured Ami. The others had various looks of sadness, pity, or anger. What does that mean? Seiya couldn't understand.

"If I had it my way," started Rei, "I would have killed that bastard in our last life time."

"What are yo— "Yaten began to say but stopped when another figure appeared in the room.

"I can't believe you all are back. I didn't think we would ever see you again."

There she was. Just as beautiful as she had been ten years ago. Long blonde hair tied up in odangos, big blue eyes that were as deep as the Atlantic and perfect ivory skin. Usagi Tsukino.

Seiya immediately lit up and began to make her way over but stopped when she noticed it. Her heart dropped and her mood quickly changed from happiness to anger.

Usagi's smile faltered when she looked into Seiya's eyes. She quickly looked down in hopes of concealing the purple marking of her right eye. She had been so excited when she heard the news of their return from Luna that she just ran straight to Rei's shrine without any makeup. She hadn't meant to be unprepared and embarrass herself.

"Odango…how about we go talk, just the two of us?"

/

Months had passed and the Starlights readjusted to their old lives on Earth. Everything seemed to fall into place. Their old record label was more than happy to take them back and were already setting tour dates to debut the album that hadn't been written yet. Their housing situation was great since Ami was a successful doctor with too much work that kept her away from home and at the hospital. She was more than welcoming in opening her doors to the sisters and allowing them to stay in her too big home until they made other arrangements. Lita loved cooking extra for the girls already so adding three more plates at their bi weekly family dinners was not a problem. As for catching up on the world's most current events so it didn't seem as if they really did fall off the face of the Earth, Minako was an excellent teacher and never left out a single detail. The Starlights didn't know whether that was a good thing or not until they were sat at the receiving end of one of her lectures about the importance of detail when Yaten complained she did not care that camo was back in style. They learned quickly to keep their mouths shut and just accept what Mina offered.

Seiya was the most optimistic out of all three Starlights. She took everything in stride and just enjoyed being able to be close to the love of her life. She did, however, have a plan to help said love of her life even if it killed her.

/

After a full morning of rehearsal, lunch was a must so the fighter senshi typed out a quick message that promised food and sent it to a certain moon princess. Seiya took pride in the fact that Usagi had accepted every single invitation to hang out and took it as a sign of hope. She took the opportunity to get to know her better, avoiding her feelings for now because it was important not to rush into anything, especially because of Usagi's current situation.

As much as it pained Seiya to let Usagi return to Him, she couldn't stop her. Usagi is a grown woman, not some little girl who needs to be tended to all the time. If she wanted help, she would ask. If she wanted to leave, she would. Or at least that's what the inner senshi told her. Seiya couldn't say she agreed which is why she decided to tell the Odango her true feelings and help her walk away from her broken life to build a new one. Unfortunately, nothing goes as planned.

Lunch had gone great and she had even gotten a smile out of the recently timid blonde. It wasn't anything big but she saw it as a small victory. That's why she said it as they walked back to the studio. She thought there was no way Usagi could refuse; no way she could say anything but yes.

But as she glanced up at the woman she loved, tears of frustration clouding her vision, she began to wonder why things never ended the way they were supposed to.

/

She couldn't accept this. Absolutely not. What if He found out? What would happen to Seiya?

Usagi looked down at the woman that cried for her. Happy endings only exist in fairytales. How stupid she had been to have carried hope of a brighter future. How naïve she was to think maybe love really did exist.

As she ran away from the one person she would ever love wholeheartedly, her heart finally broke.

Love.

Such a complicated word. One meaning but a million interpretations.

Too bad it no longer held meaning for her.