Author's Note: The ages in this story…
Mamoru, Haruki, Fiore, Kunzite, Jadeite, Zoicite, Nephrite - 17
Haruka, Michiru, Setsuna - 16
Usagi, Minako, Rei, Ami, Makoto - 15
Shingo and Hotaru - 12

Unknown Force:
Quest for the Crystals

Chapter One

Tokyo Japan

In Memorandum
It is with deepest regret that we inform you of the passing of our editor Tsukino Kenji, and his wife Ikuko. They leave behind several children. Two daughters, and two sons. Our editor was the champion of many causes, and his wife volunteered at a children's center, where they met and adopted one of their daughters. They also adopted their nephew as their own child, and were actively involved in programs that helped find missing children, and when possible, reunite them with their families.
They will be greatly missed….

Usagi folded up the often read article without bothering to finish. Most of it was platitudes. It was the pictures she focused on. Pictures of her father and mother working and volunteering. It was that volunteer work that had gotten them killed just over a year ago. A strange creature had found them at the youth center, and had killed them, along with the parents of Kunzite, who had taken in Mamoru, Fiore, Setsuna, and Hotaru.

Hotaru's own parents had died several years earlier, when an experiment in their lab had gone awry. Or that was the claim. Usagi was firmly under the impression that another monster had been involved. Monsters seemed to follow their families.

She looked at the other article on her stack. It listed the other mysterious deaths from around that time. Minako's parents had died under strange circumstances, around the time she met her. And hers weren't the only ones to die. Her cousin Haruki's parents had been killed the day after he had come to stay with them.

Two of the children kidnapped were brothers, and cousins of Kunzite, and another boy who had been taken. Their mother, father, and little sister all died shortly after they moved to Tokyo, only three months after Minako's parents. There was a claim that one boy's father killed himself, but Usagi had long been wondering. Another of the girls who went missing, Makoto, had relatively wealthy parents who had also died, while on their way to speak to someone about finding their daughter.

Shortly after their daughters were taken, both of the wealthiest families had suffered major disasters. One a fire that destroyed the house with the family inside, the other a sickness that did not spread to anyone after, and had never been identified. Usagi thought it was the monsters.

The priest, Hino-san, had apparently died of heartbreak. He'd spent weeks trying to find his granddaughter. His story was the most tragic to her. He had lost his daughter and son-in-law when she had died in childbirth, and he, unable to live without her, had taken his own life. And then his granddaughter had disappeared only a few months later.

Just three days before, the Mizuno's, the last remaining family of one of the missing children, had died. They traveled the world. The girl's mother was a doctor who traveled to areas where medical help was needed. The father was a painter and did exhibits of the artwork he created in whatever area they stayed while she helped heal people. They had been in the Amazon rainforest, and had suddenly been set upon by a creature. The story had made its way back to Japan, and it came out that all the family members of the missing children were deceased.

Usagi knew her parents were dead because they had been searching for those children. Which led her to believe those children were still alive somewhere. She sighed. She and Minako had been talking about taking up the search. Unfortunately, they had no leads.

It was bad enough that they now lived on their own, as did their friends. They had to run every major purchase through their parent's lawyer, who was their legal guardian. Their houses had been sold within weeks of their parents deaths. All their money was controlled by their guardian, who doled it out piecemeal, even though there was more than enough to see them through.

Now they all lived in an apartment building. It was a bit old, but it was very close to their school, and it was near the Crown Game Center, and their friends. They had two apartments, both of them had three bedrooms. The apartments were small, but since they were the only ones on their floor they opened the doors up most of the time and it became one big space for them. They wanted to just get one big place, but the lawyer said no.

Usagi had an idea that might change his mind. She pulled out another folder and looked through it. She'd calculated the costs. The rent on two apartments for the next eight years, versus the cost of buying a building that the city was selling at the price of unpaid taxes. They could maintain the building for less than a quarter the cost of what was spent now. She could probably convince him to give them a larger living allowance too.

The building was closer to their school and the arcade too. And she thought perhaps it would make things easier on all of them. The building was built as a dormitory originally. It was three floors, with plenty of rooms, so they could all have their own if they wanted to. Of course, she and Minako would probably still share. They both felt safer together. And the nightmares…

Minako's head was resting on her own desk. She appeared to be sleeping, but Usagi thought she heard her sister sigh. It was sort of funny. They looked so much alike that no one believed Minako was adopted. So they stopped bothering to try. Besides, Minako didn't have to be blood to be her sister.

Usagi sighed. "Minako? Are you awake?"

"Yeah, sorry. I was thinking about those poor families. And it made me wonder. Do you remember dad telling us that people had once tried to take Shingo?"

Usagi nodded as Minako sat up and looked at her. "Yeah. I was thinking along similar lines. I've started remembering things…" Usagi trailed off, not sure she could explain.

"Like a green haired woman?" Minako asked. "And traveling from one place to another really fast?"

Usagi frowned. "Yes. And a man with red hair, and red eyes, watching me and Mamoru and Haruki. I thought I was imagining it."

"No," Minako whispered. "I don't think you were.

"What if Mamoru's parents, and Haruki's, and yours…" Usagi didn't want to finish.

"That's what I was thinking," Minako admitted. "I think we were going to be taken too. That was the day we met little Hotaru and you and the others. Kunzite's parents came to get me. They were really upset. And all three of Kunzite's cousins were taken."

"I know. I think maybe we all were supposed to be. This article dad wrote says two babies. Shingo and Hotaru, I'm thinking. And there was a police report in his files. The room Mamoru was in… a nurse claimed she saw a man with red hair and red eyes in there right when we left the room."

"I think the green haired lady saved us."

"Do you think we're still in danger?" Usagi asked.

"Yes," she whispered. "I was talking about it to Fiore, and he said he thinks the man with the red eyes was going to take us." She sighed. "I'm scared."

"Me too. I think we should move," Usagi said. "I want to go talk to the lawyer."

"We'd better get the others then," Minako said.

Usagi wanted to groan. As much as she knew they needed the others, she had a secret she was trying to keep hidden, and the more the others saw, the liklier it was that they would notice. She stood and gathered her files.

"Lets go."

) * O * (

Haruki stared across the desk at the elderly man who was their legal guardian until they reached the age of twenty, or at least until a few of them had. Then they could petition to adopt the others. The lawyer might be a little tightfisted with money, but he was a good man and had promised their parents to keep them together and out of the orphanages.

He was rather impressed with Usagi's work. His cousin had put together all the documentation, as well as making a list of the pros and cons of owning the building. She was talking rapidly with Kobayashi-san, trying to convince him their idea was best.

"I understand that the initial cost is slightly high, but I've thought about it. Sets helped me with the math. It will cost much less for us in the long run to buy this building. And that's including the costs of any repairs that would need to be made, as well as heating the property and having water, electricity, and even cable." Usagi put a paper in front of him.

"Plus," she continued, " there's plenty of room. The kitchen and dining room are one big room, so instead of running back and forth between two apartments we will all be together. And it's safer. Our neighborhood has had nine of those strange attacks in one month. This other neighborhood has had two."

"You have to understand a few facts first," Kobayashi-san said. "First, it isn't only you I'm responsible for. I am the lawyer for the missing children your parents were searching for."

Haruki gasped. He hadn't known that. He watched Usagi and Minako give each other one of those glances everyone called their 'twin look,' and wondered what they were thinking.

"There's enough room for all of them," Usagi said.

The lawyer nodded. "Okay, that's done. Then there are two other things. I want any of you who can to try and find a part-time job. I have several reasons for this, but the biggest reason is that if you want me to trust you with the responsibility of this building, I want you to prove to me that you can work towards it. Whatever money you make you will divide in half. One half will go into your household accounts. The other half will be your personal spending money. That does not include tuition, books, or school clothing. It is for extras. Fun things."

"How many hours a week would you like us to work?" Mamoru asked. "Usagi struggles with math, and I don't like the idea of Shingo and Hotaru being alone."

"Lets do this. There are seven of you who are old enough to work. I would like a total of at least seventy hours between you. And it doesn't have to be all of you working. Some of you do better with school and don't need as much study time." Kabayashi-san smiled at Mamoru, Setsuna, and Fiore.

"We can deal with that," Haruki told him. He looked over at Kunzite, who nodded. "I think our biggest concern is safety."

Usagi nodded frantically. "I'm sure you read some of my father's files before you gave them to me," she said, frowning. "I think you probably came to the same conclusions we did."

"I did. All I can tell you is that I think you are more than capable of protecting yourselves. But, I will allow for the purchase of a security system if you pay for one quarter of the cost. Also, have you all kept up with your lessons?"

Kunzite and Minako nodded. "We go to classes every day, and twice a week we work with the others." Kunzite said.

Minako frowned. "I still think we need more," she muttered. "Usagi and I are both worried."

"We can work out the details later. For now, let me get started on purchasing this building."

"What was the third thing?" Setsuna asked, her hand running through Hotaru's hair.

"You will be completely responsible for keeping the building and the grounds cleaned and maintained. I won't hire a gardener or cleaners. You have to do that yourselves. I know Usagi and Mamoru both can tend a garden, and the rest of you can clean. Repairs are a different matter. I won't be around forever, and one day you'll have to be entirely self-sufficient."

"You will too be around forever," Usagi insisted. Haruki stifled a laugh. He watched as Mamoru gently rested a hand on her shoulder and wondered how long it would be before the two of them realized they were in love.

"Be that as it may, I have other clients to see today," Kabayashi-san told them.

"Thank you for seeing us all on such short notice," Usagi said. Haruki smiled. She was always kind, and usually polite.

The job search was not going well. Minako had no idea what she was good at, as she had never worked before, and being only fifteen, there were few places that would hire her. It was legal for her to work, but she had a few months left in middle school, and most places avoided those students. She was frustrated. It had been almost a week since they'd been told to find jobs, and only Mamoru and Usagi had them.

For Usagi it had been as easy as spilling her problems to Motoki, a great friend of theirs. How she wished she'd gotten there first. Usagi was a bit of a klutz, but could work the counter with the best of them. She served ice cream and soda, and occassionally waited tables. She also helped kids play the games, which she went on about for several hours the night before.

Mamoru had found his job in a doctor's office, doing cleaning after they had closed for the evening. It was right around the block from the house they wanted to buy, and Minako was happy about that. She was worried that she would end up at home most nights, responsible for the kids, and for cooking. And cooking wasn't her best ability. In fact, it was among the worst.

She looked through the paper and found a notice that there was a call center looking for employees. There were also several retail shops. There was a call for nurses and emergency responders. Those were the most needed jobs. She sighed. Most of those places wouldn't hire her.

The phone rang. She heard Haruki answer it in another room and stood to go see what was happening. It had been nearly a week since they'd spoken to the lawyer, and she was nervous to see if they were able to purchase the property. But Haruki only spoke for a moment before he turned and handed the phone to her.

"Hello? This is Minako," she said, wondering who it was. The only people who ever called were Naru, Motoki, and their lawyer.

"Hello Minako. It's Etsuko. I was talking to Usagi earlier and she said you were looking for work as well. We just had to fire a waitress at the Crown Fruit Parlor. Do you think you could handle ten to fifteen hours a week? Mostly on Sunday afternoons, as it's our busiest day, and a couple evenings a week to help us close."

"That would be wonderul. Thank you Furuhata-san," Minako said, a little more formal than she would have been otherwise, since the call was regarding a job.

"Good. Thanks Mina-chan. If you could come in tomorrow we can do your paperwork."

"Hie. I'll be there right after school." Minako promised.

"Arigato. I'll talk to you then." The line clicked.

Minako turned to see Haruki and Shingo in a happy dance. She laughed. "That's three down, four to go," she told them.

"Actually," said Haruki, "Fiore and I both got jobs before we came home. We're going to work at the grocery store." Haruki looked proud of himself as Minako jumped and squealed in delight. Soon they would all be working, she just knew it.

She didn't fool herself into believing having jobs made them self-sufficient. It didn't at all. But it would help, and it would prove to Kabayashi-san that they were serious about taking responsibility for themselves.

Kunzite came in, a frown on his face, and she went to him automatically. He was probably her closest friend on the planet. She fought to make sure none of her deeper feelings for him showed. She didn't want to ruin what they had by unleashing the details of her unrequited love.

"What's wrong?" she asked him, giving him a quick hug.

"Nothing really," he said, "just a rough day. I think I have a line on a job though, down at the herbalists shop. I just don't know for sure yet. But school was a pain, and then job-searching on top of it took a lot out of me."

"We're all going to have to get used to it," Setsuna said, coming in. "I had a horrid day too. How are we supposed to meet seventy hours with just two people working?" she asked, groaning as she sat down on the couch.

"We aren't," Haruki said. "Minako, Fiore and I found jobs."

"You did?" Kunzite smiled and picked Minako up, twirling her around. "That's great. He added a high five for Haruki after setting her back on her feet. "Where is Fiore? He wasn't in his room."

"He went out to get a few things. He'll be back," Haruki told them. "I'm pretty sure he went to that new shop so he could flirt with that girl he likes."

Minako couldn't help giggling. Fiore flirted with a lot of girls.

"I think I might have a job for you Sets," Mamoru said, coming in a moment later with Usagi.

"What is it?" Setsuna asked.

"The cram school needs a teacher's aide a couple hours a day during the week. The one right near the Crown. The teacher was in there earlier when I was waiting for Usa, and she remembered you." Mamoru smiled.

Minako wanted to do a happy dance. In a single week they had met the lawyer's requirements. "Usagi should call Kabayashi-san and let him know."

"Not until it's a guarantee," Usagi said. "I want him to know we're serious."

Minako nodded. Her sister had become responsible almost overnight when their parents had died. Especailly since Minako had taken it so hard. And Haruki. They'd both lost two sets of parents.

Mamoru finished work and locked the building before heading to the Crown. He insisted that they all meet there when everyone had work in the evenings. Shingo and Hotaru did their homework at a table and played games while they waited. Minako, who was in the Fruit Parlor across the street, would walk over as soon as she was done.

Kunzite, who now worked in the herbalist shop, and Haruki and Fiore, who worked in a grocers shop, recieved discounts on food, which helped them. They would make any purchases before heading over to wait the few minutes before Mamoru and Setsuna met them. Sets, as she had long ago been dubbed by Usagi, was now happy. She loved working at the cram school. The students were young prodigies, and she adored them. While he was alone at work in the evenings. He liked the solitude.

Mamoru usually met them all before they headed home together. With all the strange attacks in the city, he didn't want any of them traveling alone. He couldn't bear to lose anyone else.

As he got close he looked in through the windows and saw the others. Hotaru and Shingo were playing games. Haruki and Sets were sitting together talking. Minako was looking over her homework, while Kunzite stood over her shoulder, probably trying to help. Fiore was working on what looked to be homework, but he had his chin in his hand and was staring out the window instead of actually doing any of it.

Usagi was busy wiping down the tables that were now empty, and checking to make sure everything was in place. He steeled himself not to show his emotional response to her before he went inside. It was becoming harder and harder not to just tell her he was in love with her. He was so afraid he was going to lose her somehow. If he did, he was sure it would destroy him. With a sigh he entered the arcade, throwing on a smile he hoped everyone believed.

"Mamo!" Shingo and Hotaru both raced to him. He was glad they could still be a little carefree. "We have news!"

He looked over as Usagi approached. "The lawyer called. We got the building."

He grinned and picked her up. Usagi squealed, throwing her arms around his neck and laughed. "Mamo-chan you put me down right this minute!" she ordered, giggling. "I still have… seven minutes left on the clock," she said, looking at the read out above the counter.

Mamoru set her on her feet and steadied her when it looked like she might fall over backwards. She stared up at him, her blue eyes wide and full of emotion. He had the urge to kiss her but tamped it down. She'd never been kissed before, and he wouldn't steal that from her.

She moved away slowly, still staring at him. Shingo and Hotaru grabbed his hands and dragged him to one of the game stations, begging him to play with them. He couldn't help glancing at Usagi every few moments, wishing he could take her back into his arms.

"So," Haruki said, coming over to them, "what should we do to celebrate?"

"I was thinking we could make a cake," Hotaru said. "Maybe Sets can help me bake one."

Mamoru nodded. That was a great idea, as long as Minako and Usagi stayed away from the kitchen. "We should surprise Usagi with it," he said. "She's the one who did all the research and got the lawyer to agree."

"Good thinking," Haruki said. "And if it's a surprise, she wont cook."

Shingo snorted. "Thank kami," he whispered.

Fiore sighed as he opened the door to what would become his bedroom. The whole place was filthy, and they had a lot of work ahead of them. But Usagi had been right. They needed to be together. Trying to manage with two tiny apartments was a pain. Having one large space which was open and dedicated around a central living area was much better.

He went straight to the window and opened it, looking out onto the grounds. There was a small vegetable garden on one side, and to the other there were roses. He loved roses. Mamoru, when they were just small children, had once saved his life, but he'd known he would have to leave Earth anyways. So Mamoru had given him a rose, to say goodbye. The flower had originally been given to him by Usagi, who stormed out onto the roof as he was about to leave and refused to let him go.

He grinned at the memory. Usagi had always been insistent when it came to what she believed was right. She told them he had to stay longer, and though she'd been only three at the time, and had no idea why she thought the way she had, Fiore listened. And now, twelve years later, he was still here, often to be found with Mamoru, or Usagi, or both of them.

He pulled a roll of trash bags out of his pocket and began picking up some of the debris. They would have to go through the entire place from top to bottom before they could move in. The inspector said there was no mold though, and the wiring was good, so at least it was just cleaning and replacing the water heater. Some things were easier to do than others.

Besides, since they were replacing the heater, they'd gone for a bigger one that heated more quickly, and held more heated water at once. He was happy with the find. Though it was second hand, it suited their needs perfectly.

He just hoped he could keep the others safe in this new place better than he could in their old apartments. Even though it was only a three block difference, it was like another world. There were fewer attacks in this area. By their old apartment it was getting bad. Attacks several times a week, and people getting injured.

With a park close by, and the schools and their jobs within walking distance, they had everything they needed. He'd been unsure about being so close to the shopping district, but now that he worked over at the grocery store, he had to admit, being close to home at the end of a shift was a good thing.

Two birds, both crows, alighted on the branch of the cherry blossom tree in the middle of the grounds. They seemed to be staring at him, and he wondered why.

He was sure they were no ordinary crows.

"Its safe," he said, not yelling, and opened the window wider. There was a flutter of wings as the crows landed on the window-sill.

"Do you need help?" he asked. Both crows nodded their heads.

"Food? Water?" The response was negative.

"Are you lost?" There was a brief hesitation, but then they shook their heads.

"Is it someone else you want to help?" Emphatic nods followed his question.

"Are they being attacked?" The crows peered at each other. One of them almost seemed to shrug.

"Are they missing?" Another series of nods.

His mind whirled as he tried to discover what they needed from him. He couldn't do much. He'd been searching for eight missing kids most of his life, and hadn't gotten anywhere.

"Have they been gone long?" he asked.

There was a brief pause, and then one of the birds tapped her beak quite a few times.

"Days?" he asked, worried. The crow shook her head.

"Hours?" Another headshake.

"Years?" More nods followed.

"How many years?" He listened carefully this time, as the crow tapped twelve times on the windowsill.

"Twelve years?" he asked. "Was this person taken as a child?"

Another nod and a sad caw followed his question.

"I've been looking for eight children who were taken as children. I'm still searching, and the others who live here with me are helping. If you want, you can stay here with us while we try to find them." Fiore said, feeling sad. These birds obviously cared about one of the missing children. They weren't ordinary Earth animals, that much was certain.

The crows nodded and he turned to begin picking up more of the papers and other broken items that littered the floor. There was some furniture in each of the rooms, not much, but some, and he began to poke through the things in this one. Most of it would be moved to one of the unclaimed bedrooms.

"We have a bit of work to do for the next few days," he told the birds, "but I'll introduce you to the others soon."

) * O * (

Struggling with the heavy water heater, Kunzite grunted as he moved it into position. The old one was being lugged out by Mamoru and Fiore, and Haruki had stayed behind with Kunzite to get the new one in place before the repair man came to hook it up.

It had already been several days of cleaning, repairing simple things, and groundskeeping. Usagi and Mamoru were out in the garden. Kunzite had taken over most of the carpentry work. Setsuna had kicked everyone out of the kitchen to tend to it herself. Haruki was busy on the roof most of the time, and the younger ones were constantly running trash out to the dumpster.

Fiore and Minako were looking through all the odd bits of furniture left behind. Some they were planning to use. Other things were going into one of the rooms that would remain empty. Kunzite snorted.

He had finally convinced Minako and Usagi to try using separate bedrooms. He was surprised how much they had fought him on it. But if he was ever going to make his move on Minako, he didn't need her sister in the room when he did it. He was very aware that she was in love with him, probably almost as much as he was in love with her.

He sighed and finished positioning the heater. Haruki glanced at him then, and it was obvious the other teen was wondering what was on his mind.

"Can I ask you something?" Kunzite started, looking over at the red-haired young man, who had become a very close friend.

"Sure," Haruki shrugged.

"How long did it take for you and Sets to admit you had feelings for each other? Once you both noticed them, I mean."

Haruki chuckled. "Not long. I hesitated, because I didn't want to ruin our friendship, but once she noticed her own feelings she sat me down and told me how she felt and asked what we were going to do about it. So I kissed her."

Kunzite was a bit shocked. Sets was always a bit shy, except around Usagi and Haruki. He guessed it made perfect sense for her to be open with him, but he was still surprised at just how open she had been. Haruki kissing her wasn't shocking in the slightest.

"So, are you planning on telling Mina?" Haruki asked.

"Telling Mina what?" Mamoru came into the room and looked at them both. "That he's in love with her?"

Kunzite glared at his friend. "I'll probably tell her long before this one gets up the guts to tell Usagi he's in love with her," he mocked.

Mamoru glared at him. "She isn't ready," he insisted.

"When will she be ready, you think? Maybe when her hair is grey?" Kunzite asked, and wanted to laugh when Mamoru's jaw dropped.

"What, you think she's ready now?" he asked.

Haruki shrugged. "I think she and Minako are both grown up enough to know what they want. But if either of you hurt them I'll hunt you down and kill you." He turned and walked out of the room.

Kunzite and Mamoru shared a glance, and both shrugged. Neither of them would hurt the girls. Kunzite knew they loved them too much for that. He had to admit he was worried though. Mamoru was holding himself back by sheer will power. If he ever let that control slip, Usagi might find herself married with half a dozen children before she could blink.

"Can I just say something?" Kunzite murmured as they headed out of the basement.

Mamoru nodded, frowning a little.

"Be careful."

"Careful?" he looked puzzled, and Kunzite wanted to laugh. He supposed there were some things he had considered that his friend had not.

Slapping Mamoru on the shoulder, he said in a very serious tone, "wrap it."

Mamoru's eyebrows raised, and for a moment he looked shocked. Then he nodded and chuckled. "If she lets me get that far, I've got it covered. But I'm not ready to tell her just yet. Let things settle down first."

Kunzite shook his head. He planned to tell Minako soon after the move himself. Maybe it would be best to wait a few more days, just to give her a chance to breathe.

"Good idea."

) * O * (

Setsuna coughed as she cleaned the kitchen. It was huge, industrial sized, and had a separate dining area. She was very happy with it. She didn't care much for cooking, but if she had to, she preferred to do it in a modern kitchen. There was even a dishwasher, which made her want to dance for joy.

She sighed. She had been cleaning, working, and going to school for the past week. Exhaustion didn't even begin to cover it. She wanted a vacation. The girls had been busy for days, doing most of the last minute cleaning of their old apartments before they could finish the move. They would have to do a last run through of the old places.

But she had finally finished the kitchen, she thought. The ovens were difficult to clean out and she'd broken most of her fingernails in the process. She'd had to pull out the refrigerator and all the other appliances to clean behind them. And there had been enough dust bunnies to create a person if she'd been so inclined. She smiled at the thought.

Now she had to start loading dishes and food. That would probably take the entire day. It was a good thing they'd all been given the day off of school. She was still surprised the lawyer had agreed to call them all in sick. None of them had work that evening either. She was really grateful they could try and get everything done in a single shot.

She heard voices murmuring in the next room. Minako and Usagi's laughter echoed down the stairs, where they were putting things away in one of the bathrooms. Someone was stomping around in one of the bedrooms. The crows, who rarely came inside the building, were cawing out in the tree in the yard. It was nice to hear everyone's noises.

She only wished they could find the others. Her memories were coming back. They had been since she'd turned fifteen. She remembered the orphanage, and the green-haired lady who had saved her. She remembered being brought to stay with the others, and the way she had met them.

She was almost certain that the others were somehow related to them. She wasn't sure exactly how it worked, but she had the feeling that it was important. Who had taken them? Why had they been taken?

Haruki came into the kitchen and kissed her cheek. She turned and wrapped her arms around him. They'd been dating for several months now, and she wanted their relationship to progress to the next level. She was planning to take it one step at a time however, to make slow easy steps, because she wanted to make sure it was right.

"Wow, this looks amazing," Haruki said. He took out his phone and snapped a picture. Then he scrolled through his phone and showed her the before shots he had taken. "Look at the difference."

"Worked my butt off in here," she said, proud of what she had accomplished.

Haruki slid his hands down her back and grabbed her bottom. "I don't doubt you worked hard," he said, laughing. "But thankfully your butt is still there."

Setsuna grinned. He really was perfect for her. He made her laugh and brought her out of her shell a bit. Not to mention he was absolutely adorable with his fiery red hair and his emerald eyes. He had a smattering of freckles across his nose, and a tilt to his lips that suggested smiles were easy on his face. And they were. Plus, he had the hint of dimples left over from childhood.

"I love you Haruki," she whispered.

"I love you Setsuna," he whispered back. He bent and kissed her. She forgot where she was, and who she was, and anything except the texture of his lips and the feeling of his hands on her back. Kissing him was heaven.

) * O * (

Hotaru was happy. She was pretty sure the cleaning was done, and she was really grateful for that. They had been working for a week, and she and Shingo had been doing a lot of the little things. It could be a bit frustrating at times to be told what to do all the time.

Shingo carried a load of boxes inside. He was helping the guys get everything loaded into the building. She and the other girls were doing most of the unpacking.

"I think that one goes in the kitchen," she told him. They'd used smaller boxes for plates and things because they were so heavy.

"Thanks," he said, and moved on.

Hotaru shifted her weight and continued unpacking the books. They'd set up one of the smaller living spaces downstairs as a library. She'd never realized how many books and manga they all had between them. They'd had to gather a couple of the bookshelves that had already been in the building.

She was beginning to wonder if they would end up using all the furniture in some way or another. There were spare bed frames, dressers, cupboards, and so many other things she hadn't even had a chance to discover the use of.

Hotaru was sure she was going to like living in the big old building that had so much character. There was more space, but that wasn't the reason. It was like the place was meant for them. Almost like it had been waiting for them to find it.

Fiore came down the stairs and went outside, and a moment later Shingo came out from the kitchen and followed him. She watched as they dragged in the work out mats, carrying them to the stairs that led down into the basement level. They were setting up a place to work on their self defense and their martial arts. She was happy with that. Dragging the mats over the living room and folding them back up had been annoying.

She smiled at Usagi, who had dashed down the stairs, a crow on each shoulder. "What are you doing?" Hotaru asked her.

"Escaping from Minako. I'm pretty sure she's sung the same four lines of the same song a million times." Usagi groaned dramatically and threw herself down into one of the cushy chairs. "We've spent the last week in those bathrooms and she loves the acoustics in there. The way the sound just bounces off the walls just right. We all know she has a beautiful voice, but I'm never going to get that song out of my head."

Hotaru laughed. "Well, you hum in your sleep apparently. Minako said you do."

Usagi nodded. "I know. It's this old tune I hear in my dreams. Sometimes I guess I just hum along with it." A minute later she went outside to help carry the boxes inside.

She was surprisingly strong, especially given she was only two inches taller than Hotaru herself. At four-nine, she was very short, and a bit too thin. But she had really pretty hair and eyes so Hotaru guessed height didn't matter. The boys all looked at her. Not that Usagi ever noticed. She only had eyes for Mamoru.

She hid a giggle behind her hand as Mamoru chased her inside, trying to take the box she carried. He was in love with Usagi just as much as Usagi was in love with him. It was sort of cute. She just wished he would kiss her already, then she could stop watching them torture themselves.

It wasn't hard to figure out that Kunzite and Minako were in love either. Or Haruki and Setsuna, though they were more open about it since they'd talked to each other.

She had a secret of her own, so she understood. She thought she might be falling for Shingo just as hard as the others were falling for their guys. She wasn't ready to deal with it just yet. Besides, she wasn't even a teenager yet, and Setsuna said she couldn't date until she was.

Usagi was not prepared for the attack. She had just turned the corner, on her way to work with Mina, when the monster appeared. It was as though all of her nightmares became reality in a single second as she watched the thing drain another teenager who had been headed in the same direction.

She wanted to scream. She wanted to run. Instead, she froze, staring at the creature. And then a strange feeling came over her. Something told her she had to do more. When her feet began to move Minako was with her, step for step, as though they'd planned it between them. Together they raced at the creature. Usagi slammed into it from behind, pushing it away from the teenager.

"Run," she screamed. The teenager, weakened by the attack, stood on wobbly legs, and tottered away at a shumbling sprint, calling for help.

Minako and Usagi each held on to the monster, unwilling to let it follow the boy. There was a strange glow between them and Usagi felt herself being drained. She had to do something.

"Mina!" she shouted as her sister began to fall. And then she was falling too. But she latched onto the monster with all her might, wishing for it to die, to cease to exist. The monster disappeared from her grip and she coughed as a strange dust filled the air. She it the ground hard, and bounced, landing next to Minako. Her sister reached for her hand.

"You killed it," she whispered, but Usagi barely heard her. Eyes closing, she slipped away.

) * O * (

Mamoru paced. Usagi and Minako were both being released. Kabayashi-san was signing the release documents, and then they could take the girls home. According to the doctor, neither had suffered greatly. Somehow they were both recovering much more quickly than anyone else who had been attacked.

His heart still ached. When he'd come around the corner to see Minako shouting for Usagi to wake up, he felt like he was going to explode. He didn't know how he'd been able to sense something was wrong, but he had, and he was more grateful than he could say. But learning they had not only been attacked, but that they had run toward the creature filled him with a mixture of anger and dread.

He couldn't lose them. Neither one of them. But if he lost Usagi… He knew that if she died he wouldn't survive her long. It was like knowing he breathed air, or that water was wet. It just was. He couldn't survive without her. She was his everything. And she didn't even know it.

The two blondes came out, fully dressed again, thankfully. Those paper gowns had been far too revealing. He'd never realized just how long Usagi's legs were. She was so short it didn't make sense for her to have those long shapely legs. He shook his head, trying to clear his thoughts. Instead he focused on his anger. On his rage that they had gotten hurt in the first place.

This was not the place for the discussion, but he glared at both of them, and watched as they shrunk. Though Minako wasn't looking at him, but at Kunzite, who was sitting in one of the chairs behind him. He'd forgotten he was there.

The others were all watching quietly. As soon as they got home, Mamoru intended to find out just what the two of them thought they were doing. He moved forward, Kunzite right beside him, and as his friend gathered Minako up, he found himself holding Usagi tightly. He wanted to weep in gratitude that she was alright.

The others gathered around the four of them, and suddenly they were in a very large, slightly loud, partly sobbing hug. Hotaru was crying loudly, and Setsuna was weeping over both of them. Mamoru however, couldn't cry. He was beyond tears.

They eventually broke apart and headed for the train. Minako and Usagi both paused, not wanting to go in, but he and Kunzite dragged them. He never could understand why they didn't like trains. He knew they would rather walk five miles than take one, but they were both so exhausted, they couldn't manage it. So they moved into one corner and huddled together.

The ride was fast, and they got home quickly. Mamoru entered the security code and unlocked the door. He waited until both girls were on the couch and opened his mouth to berate them, but Kunzite spoke first.

"What the hell did you two think you were doing!? Running towards one of those monsters is the stupidest thing either of you have ever done!" He was panting with exertion by the time he finished those two short sentences.

"Did you even think about what would happen to the rest of us if we lost you?" Mamoru screamed. "Didn't you care?" Suddenly he wasn't angry anymore, because Usagi was crying, her hands over her face, rocking back and forth.

He leapt to her side and gathered her into his arms. She was whispering, "I'm sorry," over and over, and he felt like the worst kind of jerk imaginable.

"It was instinctive," Minako was whispering to Kunzite, who was next to her on the couch now, holding her tightly. "We just sort of… moved. We didn't even think about it. It was like we were one mind for just a second."

"What do you mean?" Mamoru asked.

Usagi sniffled. "We moved like a team," she said. "Like we'd done it a thousand times before. It wasn't even a conscious decision. We just moved."

"And then Usagi killed it." Minako glared at Kunzite for a moment, and then wilted.

"Wait," Fiore came over to them. "Did you say Usagi killed the monster?"

There were gasps around the room. Fiore had killed a few of them, but none of the others had ever been close enough. Minako nodded though, and the others stared.

"I knew it. Don't you remember how she healed me?" he asked. Mamoru did remember. He hadn't for a long time. His memories had become clearer however, since he'd turned fifteen. He still couldn't remember anything before the accident, but he remembered the hospital, and everything that had happened there.

"I think there's more to Usagi than meets the eye," Mamoru said, and he rested his head on hers.

D Point - The Arctic Circle - Dark Kingdom (Negaverse)

Rei wanted to howl in frustration. Another Youma had mysteriously disappeared. That made a total of seven. She had no idea what had happened to them, but she was sure to be punished for it. She sighed, wondering what she was going to do.

Jadeite wrapped his arms around her. "It'll be okay," he said. "There has to be someone out there fighting them or something. We'll just find whoever it is and destroy them. Problem solved."

Rei nodded, but they both knew it wasn't that simple. There was a price for failure. Always a price. And sometimes it seemed too high a price to pay.

She didn't remember much of her life. In fact, she had only snippets. Waking up in the Dark Kingdom when she was young and watching someone get punished for failure. Being put into the chamber. Waking again at thirteen to be trained as a Dark General. It wasn't the happiest life. But it was hers, and she wanted to keep it.

"We have to track them down soon," Rei said, walking towards the throne room. Being punished was awful, but it was ten times worse if you didn't present yourself for it.