A/N: Alright, hopefully the ball really gets a-rolling here. I promise this is longer than my poor little prologue! Oh and thanks for the reviews! I now completely understand when people say that reviewers are a huge motivating factor to write (or throw out the scraps as mystic soldier put.) That being said, here are some scraps! Enjoy!

Chapter 1

Rei, Ami, Makoto, and Minako all sat in their usual booth at the Crown Arcade in comfortable silence.

"She's late." Rei practically growled glancing down at her watch for what had to be the fifth time in the past 2 minutes.

"She's always late. It's part of who she is. I'm sure there's some delicate balance that would be severely upset if Usagi was actually...on time." said Makoto, seeming to space out a little bit at the last two words, probably imagining a prompt Usagi walking into the arcade quickly followed by a swarm of lotusts and volcanic eruptions.

"Oh, give her a break." Minako chimed in distractedly as most of her attentions were on trying to balance a spoon on her nose. Her eyes crossed as she stared down at the sterling silver appendage hanging off of her face. Almost without conscious thought Rei's hand flew up and swiftly knocked the spoon away from Minako and sent it flying towards Ami, who skillfully deflected it with her omnipresent book. She sighed and looked at Rei and Minako the way a scolding parent would look at a child, only her eyes visible over the edge of the book.

Rei scratched the back of her head and gave a nervous laugh.

"Sorry, Ami-chan..."

Ami only smiled sweetly at her friend, returning her attentions to her book. Minako sending a fleeting glance toward the distracted fire senshi reached out a faltering hand across the table to retrieve her spoon. Rei noticed the action and turned her head to fiercely glare at Minako.

"Would you QUIT?" she screamed her voice dripping with annoyance. Sure, Rei was usually pretty cranky, but with Usagi being late her temper was magnified and poor Minako was taking the brunt of it.

"Why?" She replied haughtily situating herself in the booth so that she was facing her opponent, readying herself for a battle of epic proportions.

"Because, it's childish and stupid!" Rei retorted mimicking Minako's position.

"YEAH?"

"YEAH!"

"WELL YOU KNOW WHAT ELSE IS CHILDISH AND STUPID?!"

"WHAT?"

"Your hair." Minako stated simply returning to her relaxed position leaning back against the cushioned seat and crossing her arms, assuming victory. Rei was not so easily defeated.

"My hair? THAT DOESN'T EVEN MAKE SENSE!" She practically screamed, throwing her arms up in the air in exasperation and letting them slam down on the table with a revurberating smack.

"Woah Rei, easy on the poor tables!" Motoki who had suddenly appeared beside the table stated good-naturedly.

"That one in particular, I don't know how many more tantrums of yours it can take." said Mamoru from his place beside his friend. Rei's face blushed lightly as she looked down at the table and suddenly became very interested in a napkin that was lying there. The other three girls giggled at their friends reaction.

"Mamoru-san, have you seen..." started Ami but she was quickly cut off by the soft 'whoosh' of the arcade doors sliding open and the familar frantic click of heels as ,if on cue ,Usagi came flying into the arcade. She skidded to a stop in front of the table and bent over placing a hand on her heaving chest as she steadied her breathing. She righted her self as she began firing off her usual excuses through her labored breathing.

"Sorry... I'm...late...I...over MAMO-CHAN!" she squealed as she realized who she had skidded up next to. Paying no attention to their audience she swiftly jumped into his arms wrapping her own around his neck. Instinctively Mamoru's arms snaked around to her back, supporting her as her feet left the ground and her legs took their rightful place around his waist.

"That was quite the greeting, Odango Atama." he teased as he watched her nose wrinkle in practiced annoyance at the use of her once hated but now treasured nickname. Her eyes narrowed as she leaned back slightly pointing an accusing finger into his chest.

"Baka, be NICE." she said trying her best to sound threatening. Mamoru quirked an eyebrow.

"And what if I'm not?"

Usagi seemed lost in thought for a moment her brows furrowing in concentration.

"I'll never kiss you again." She said lifting her chin and turning away from him, although she could not help but catch a fleeting glance back at his face. Mamoru looked at her coyly, enjoying their games and liking where this one in particular was going. Normally Usagi and him were not very openly affectionate in public, simply because Mamoru found it tacky. But ever since their battle with Galaxia, and the fact that he was dead for nearly 6 months put a lot of things in perspective. Now the usually-stoic Chiba Mamoru couldn't care less who saw him and his Usako, who was more than happy to play along.

"I don't believe you." he whispered huskily gently moving her face back towards him their noses grazing lightly.

"Oh yeah?" she said challengingly although his warm breath nearing her lips was quickly breaking her composure. Her eyes fluttered closed and her hand moved from his neck to the back of his hair to lightly grab a handful of his silky ebony hair.

"WOULD IT BE POSSIBLE FOR YOU TWO TO KEEP YOUR HANDS OFF OF EACH OTHER FOR TWO DAMN SECONDS!?" screamed a seething Rei. She had stood up violently knocking off several pieces of silverware off of the table. There was almost visible steam coming from the top of her head as two fists clenched dangerously at her side.

"WE HAVE VERY IMPORTANT BUSINESS TO DISCUSS AND ALL YOU CAN THINK ABOUT IS MAKING OUT WITH YOUR BOYFRIEND?" she continued.

Usagi and Mamoru blinked at her slightly shocked until Usagi lowered herself from Mamoru's grasp and looked at her friend unaffectedly.

"You're just jealous." she stated simply and stuck her tongue out before sliding into the booth next to Makoto.

"I think it's romantic" Minako said whistfully. The senshi of love had always gotten a slight buzz from just being around the couple. It was so strong it was almost addictive.

"Yeah" said Makoto in the same tone Minako had. "It reminds me of the senior I used to date at my old school."

Ami laughed quietly placing a bookmark to mark her page and set the book down gently.

"Should we get started?" she stated simply.

"Oh, can we PLEASE." Rei almost growled. Mamoru took this as his cue to leave the girls alone and asked Motoki for a cup of coffee, before walking towards the counter at the front of the arcade he tugged playfull on one of Usagi's long ponytails. She looked up at him and smiled sweetly.

"Ok, so what's up?" Usagi said, turning her attention to her fellow senshi.

"We don't quite know just yet." said Makoto pushing a strand of hair behind her ear as her familiar rose earing shimmered in the overhead flourescent lighting. The glare off of it caught Usagi's eye causing her to glance over at it.

Suddenly, her stomach lurched and her vision clouded, fixed on the small piece of jewelry. She was overwhelmed by an odd dazed feeling as her mind formed the name.

"Nehelenia." she said (A/N: This is a reference to the very beginning of the Stars season when Galaxia resurrects Nehelenia and she kidnaps Mamoru. I'm sure you remember but just to be on the safe side.)

"What?" Ami said looking at her from across the table apparently being the only one who heard her. She had noticed the look on her friends face, as if she was in a completely different world.

"Huh?" Usagi said as she snapped out of her reverie brought on by Makoto's earring.

"Like I was saying, I have no concrete ideas right now, but I do know that the sacred fire hasn't been responding to me the way it normally does. I mean, this is the longest we've ever been without any youma attacks." She said staring at her friends faces concern plastering her voice. "I guess I'm just worried. We're so out of practice, and ever since that last one I don't know just what we can and can't take."

"What if we're done?" came Minako's voice from the corner of the booth. An almost hopefull look shone from her brilliant blue eyes. All of the girls appreciated their senshi lives and held a very strong sense of duty, but at the same time they all wanted to just be normal girls, Minako more-so than the others. She wanted more than anything to be a teen idol, and being a senshi had thrown a huge wrench in her plans.

"What do you mean done?" Rei asked turning to look at the blonde next to her.

"I mean done, like no more youma's, no more bad guys, no more sailor business." she answered.

"We can't be done." Makoto said shaking her head. She was on the exact opposite end of the spectrum than Minako. Before becoming Sailor Jupiter she had had no real ties to anyone. Her parents had died in a car crash and her slightly violent nature had resulted in her not having very many friends. Now that she was a senshi she belonged.

"Mako-chan's right." Usagi stated as she stared out of the window obviously in thought."What about Crystal Tokyo?"

The senshi looked around the table studying each others faces, no one really wanting to touch the subject of their possibly disastrous future. Ami broke the uncomfortable silence.

"I get what you're saying Rei-chan, but until we know something definite there really is no point in worrying about it." Three pairs of eyes stared in disbelief at the petite blue-haired girl.

"Ami-chan? Are you ok?" Minako said reaching a hand out and touching her forehead, checking for a fever."

"Of course, I'm ok!" she said in a slightly annoyed voice. "All I'm saying is I think we deserve a break."

"YEAH!" Usagi and Minako squealed in unison as, both throwing their fists in the air joyously. Rei rolled her eyes and lightly flung her hair over her shoulder.

"Maybe you're right Ami-chan. I might just be looking too much into this..."

"You're too serious Rei-chan." Usagi said playfully wagging a finger in her friends face.

"Shut up, Odango." she retorted and stuck her tongue out at Usagi who did the same thing. Both jumped to their feet and the usual screaming match ensued.

"IT'S USAGI,BAKA!"

"ODANGO!"

"BAKA!"

"ODANGA ATAMAAAAAA!"

"BAKABAKABAKABAKABAKABAKABAKABAKABAKABAKA"

Ami picked up her book again, being able to tell that there was going to be no more sailor business discussed today.

"Not it." she said as she glanced at Minako and Makoto before averting her eyes back to her reading.

A knowing look passed between the senshi of Jupiter and Venus before they went to action, each claiming a partner and grabbing them, bringing them back down to their former sitting positions. The two bickering girls admitted defeat and settled in the booth.

"Wow, that was easy." said Makoto.

Mamoru, who had noticed that the conversation had travelled to a more casual topic walked over towards them.

"Would you guys mind if I borrowed your fearless leader for the afternoon?" he asked, a small smirk playing on his face.

"Gods no, take her." Rei said indignantly crossing her arms before giving Usagi a small smile and winking at her.

"GO!" she ordered pointing towards the arcade door, still smiling. Usagi hopped up happily grabbing onto Mamoru's jacket sleeve.

"Arigatou Rei, bye minna!" she chirped before walking out casually, Mamoru's arm making it's way around her waist possesively.

As soon as Rei was sure they were gone she turned and regarded the rest of the senshi seriously.

"Something's wrong with Usagi."

They were a tangle of arms and legs splayed out on the narrow cushions of his couch. The television was on in the background, but it had long been silenced. The blinds were closed in an attempt to block out the summer heat, but the incessant sun was pouring in through them casting a pattern over the two of their interwoven bodies. Usagi looked over at the sleeping form of Mamoru beside her his lips parted slightly, even breathing in sync with the rise and fall of his chest. She placed a small kiss on his lips and felt his arm tighten around her waist pulling him closer to him. Usagi grinned placidly and let herself drift off to sleep.

She stared at the rose that had been impaled on the ground in front of her. She had thought for one fleeting second that he had returned, that maybe just maybe he had come back to her. For that one second she had been happier than she had been in months. All of her feelings of empiness drained from as she began to smile That rose on the ground proved that that nagging feeling in her chest was wrong.

But it was just Seiya, of course he wasn't back.

'He's not coming back' she thought to herself, and though she didn't want to admit it she knew it was true. She let the pouring rain join the tears streaming down her face as she tilted her head back and screamed all her frustrations into the black night.

Mamoru's eyes flew open to the sound of Usagi screaming. He felt her fling herself off the couch and land on the floor in a heap. She stared around the room frantically, as if she didn't know where she was. Suddenly her eyes fixed on him and she screamed again tears threatening to spill.

"You're dead!" she yelled at an ear shattering volume as she pulled her knees to her chest covering her head with her arms repeating the phrase over and over. Mamoru just stared at her in shock. He didn't really know how to react to being told that he was no longer among the living. He slowly climbed off the couch and kneeled next to her placing a cautious hand on her shoulder. She recoiled at his touch, staring at him in horror.

"Usako?" he said pleadingly reaching for her again. The glazed look in her eyes had began to subside and she looked at him for what seemed to be the first time.

"Mamo-chan..." she whispered as comprehension made it's way across her features. Breaking out into a sob she threw herself onto him latching onto his shirt with her small hands as she cried openly into his chest. He pulled her closer to him, still terribly confused.

"I thought you were gone..." she managed to mutter in between sobs. Mamoru noticed she seemed unnaturally cold and she was shaking very violently. He reached over to the couch and wrapped the blanket they were using earlier around her tiny form.

"It's ok. I'm here, Usako. It was just a nightmare." he whispered into her hair. He sat there as she her sobs quieted into sniffles and her shaking subsided. Placing a kiss on her head he reassured her again it was just a nightmare while calmly stroking her hair. But Mamoru knew that that was no regular nightmare.

A/N: And Usagi's breakdown begins! Again read and review, let me know what you think. I'll have an update within the week, but I make no promises! Give me some incentive!

Also for those of you who didn't think I did a very good job getting the full emotion from that scene with Seiya on the roof, don't worry I'm done with it yet. Just trust me, I have a plan!