When all else fails

She said:

Imagine my surprise when I went to school and sat in my usual chair, only to find a special edition copy of Kokusaijin the magazine. It featured a water color painting of the Senshi and Tuxedo Mask. Under them the title of "Mending Sailor Friendships and Love" written in bold red letters. A part of me was appalled; another part I will admit wanted to laugh my ass off! I could not believe desperation had driven them to this! I vowed to start reading the article during lunch, so I placed it in my satchel to wait till later.

Ms. H came in and started droning on about quadratic equations. And while yes I was keeping up with the lecture I by no means like it! I caught myself about to daydream and quickly reigned myself in. unless I received high marks this year I could not get into college. Believe me you college was needed! I had to find a career that was flexible, and allowed me to work from home.

That's when I had my epiphany. We the Sailor Senshi were going to have to work on strength training. It would not be possible for all of us to respond to a call. For Mamoru and Ami who were studying to become doctors such interruptions could cause them their career. Minako if she made idol as was her dream would have a lot of free time and her flaky behavior would be described as quirky. Rei might have a harder time getting away from the shrine if she took over it but Yuuichirou would help her out, if she didn't drive him away. Makoto would own her own restaurant so who would question her strange hours if she had a competent manager?

Damn looks like I took that side trip into dreams Ville any way. I snapped back to attention and started taking notes. After all no rest for the weary, right? Lunch thank Kami arrived fast. Sticking to my normal routine I sat with Naru and Umino for lunch, after I ate I excused myself and finding a relatively quiet spot began to read the article:

Dear Reader,

This edition is a special edition. Inside our Dear Kokusaijin column we have the Sailor Senshi and Tuxedo Kamen! That's right fan, you read it right. The Senshi and Kamen have come to us to help repair their relationship with Sailor Moon. So the question is can this relationship be saved?

Read on & Enjoy!

Dear Kokusaijin,

Four months ago I made a terrible mistake; I deeply hurt my best friend Sailor Moon. I didn't mean to tell her she was a super klutz and had missed out on the day Kami handed out grace. I have a fiery temper but I never thought she took my harsh words to heart. Sailor Moon is more than just our leader. Indeed she is my savior. While Moon may not be the most graceful she has the largest heart. Indeed I believe it's this that allows her to banish the enemy; after all there are many types of strength.

Before I meet her I was a loner, always ostracized for my unique upbringing and powers. Moon was the first one to overlook all that and see my loneliness. She is the sister of my heart if not my blood. Tell me please, how I can get her to see that the shortcomings of this relationship lay with me and not her.

I've never admitted this before but I was so jealous. She gets to be the hero almost all of the times we battle evil. She also got the best guy in the universe! It's not so much that I want him; it's more like I want what they have. That deep soul bond, the kind of love that is the stuff of legends and fairy tales, yes that is what I envy. I want to have my best friend back; I need my best friend back!

Please help me! I've really messed up and need the advice!

Burnt Bridges

Dear Burnt Bridges,

Yes I realize you are sorry, but if you want to repair this friendship you have to also work on yourself. Losing your temper and yelling at people is not a positive way to channel your anger. I will tell you what my mother use to tell me. I'm sorry is not an erasure. It cannot erase your mistake. Something said in anger is always hard to take back, if not impossible.

Start by apologizing to Sailor Moon, and then explain to her why you said the things you did four months ago. Let her know how her friendship enriches your life. Work on a signal, so that when you are heading towards Crazy Ville with the temper she can remind you that you're about to swan dive off the deep end!

And work on your temper, meditate, jog, do something to release that energy positively! It will enhance your life and your relationships!

Kokusaijin

(I swear to Kami I wanted to giggle. Rei saying she has a fiery temper is like saying a volcano is kind of hot! I was kind of glad to see she felt bad about our fight. Truth be told I should have stood up to her a long time ago. Maybe if I had established a line that she shouldn't cross she would have respected it and stopped before that point. Add that to the fact that Mamo-chan had been her boyfriend first and well there was bound to be hidden resentment somewhere. I felt confident we could mend our friendship, but the way we communicated was going to have to change. I was not taking shit from anyone ever again. I was a princess who eventually would be queen. That meant command and authority; such things are not often instantaneous but must be earned. I would ensure that my scouts knew the chain of command in the future. No longer would I be chastised like a child.)

Dear Kokusaijin,

Four months ago I had a horrible lapse in judgment, and I said something really mean to one of my best friends. I accused her of not trying her best and letting her friends down. I never even gave her the chance to defend herself. I let my frustrations with other things slide into our friendship.

Normally I am tranquil and calm, but on this day I raged like the sea at storm. I'm deathly afraid that I have drowned this relationship.

You see Sailor Moon is the first person to see me beyond the brains. As a matter of fact I think she's made it her life's purpose to make sure I act like a normal teenager and have fun. She rightfully says we are only young once and we should act like it. How right she is! We know more than most that at any time any of us can be killed battling to save the world.

Please help me restore this relationship. Because what good is saving the world if your friendships don't survive?

Drowning on a sea of despair

Dear Sea of despair,

You of all people should know that water while life giving can also be highly destructive. Know these truths and deal with them. I understand frustrations with some things can slide into all aspects of your life, but ask yourself this. How do you want to be remembered? For what you were or what you've done?

If Sailor Moon looked inside you to see someone worth befriending then you should work on being a better friend. Understand that not everyone wants to be a Nuclear Scientist; everyone has their own niche in life and should not have to change for anyone else.

Go to Sailor Moon and apologize, and then tell her why you jumped on the "let's trash her" ride. If she truly is the kindest heart hero you say she is she will forgive you. But be warned the friendship will have to be rebuilt and it will never be the same! It might be better or worse, it all depends on you!

Kokusaijin

(Okay Ami's made me tear up a bit. She was the official peace keeper of the group and must have had months of guilt written angst to deal with. Out of all of us Ami was the most delicate, not to say she was like a flower rather she had never had real friends before us and sometimes was overwhelmed in social situations. If left to herself she would simply try and fade into the background. I had made it my personal mission to make sure she was well rounded with fun in her life; after all you know the saying about all work and no play. Maybe I would start with Mercury first, she being the intellectual of the group would understand everything that I needed to explain. While Venus was my second in command, Ami-chan was the brains of the operation. Strategy, battle planning those was her strengths, and by Kami she would use those tools to help repair the rift in this group preferably before we all got killed!)

Dear Kokusaijin,

Four months ago life really hit me hard. I had a fight with one of my best friends and since then nothing has been the same. I'm the fighter of the group. Give me something to scrap with and I am in there! My verbal attack on Sailor Moon was highly uncalled for and cost me a beautiful relationship. You see Moon was the first person to see me as something other than a trouble maker. My culinary skills just clinched the friendship. Nobody loves my triple chocolate surprise like she does!

The night that we fought I was so mad, but I was mad at myself for not being able to destroy the enemy. And so I took those feelings of anger and malcontent and spewed them on a blameless soul. I'm KO'D by this lost.

Please help me! Without Moon I don't know if I can continue the good fight!

Stormy Clouds

Dear Stormy Clouds,

Violence doesn't solve everything! Quick to sin and quick to repent isn't always healthy either! You must learn to slow down and take stock of your situation. Not everything in life is a battle.

Stop, listen, think and then act! It will save you a lot of grief in the future! Now sit Sailor Moon down and apologize and then tell her how much her friendship has done for you! Everyone likes to know when they've had a positive effect on someone's life. Be prepared to work hard on your friendship!

Friendship is like the perfect soufflé. You need the best ingredients, time patience and no noise! Failure on any of these can cause it to deflate!

Good luck with the apology and you might want to make a chocolate snack to hedge your bets!

Kokusaijin

(Yikes! Saying that Makoto-chan liked to fight was like saying Godzilla loved to destroy Tokyo. Both were HUGE understatements! I mean hello. Makoto-chan lived for putting the smack-down on the bad guys; after all it was a perfect channeling of her aggressive tendencies. Bad guys went down and Jupiter didn't end up in jail on assault charges. Yet strangely enough Kami had gifted her with a softer gentler side. She was a cook extraordinaire able to whip up dishes that would make a Tenshi weep with joy or envy. Our friendship would be easy to mend; her gruff exterior hid a marshmallow heart. Quick to fall in and out of love, yet fiercely loyal that was Jupiter.)

Dear Kokusaijin,

If Sailor Moon is Mar's sister, Mercury's lifeline and Jupiter's beta-taster then she is my partner in crime. But four months ago I committed the ultimate felony. No I did not jump on the "what's wrong with you band wagon". My sin was silence. Instead of standing up for her I just let everyone vent. I didn't know that she was at the end of her emotional tether.

I know they say "the course of true friendship never runs blue" but I think our friendship hit a huge hurdle. Please help me repair this friendship!

Broken Ropes of Friendship

Dear Broken Ropes,

Commit the crime now do the time.

Sometimes it's the things we don't say that are the worst! You need to think about why you stood quiet instead of speaking up when your fellow Senshi jumped all over Sailor Moon. Once you figure that out you need to speak to your friends.

Last but not least you have to go and apologize to Sailor Moon! Let her know how much you value her friendship and willingness to join you in your escapades!

No the course of friendship never runs true, but with time and effort you can make your friendship last forever!

Kokusaijin

(Felony, did poor Venus really view her crime as that bad? Perhaps a misdemeanor offense if any was committed. After all no one ever died of a broken heart. Did they? Looking back at all the pranks and trouble we managed to drag our fellow Senshi into I had to giggle. If Jupiter, Mercury and Mars were the serious ones of the group then Venus and I were the comic relief. And like most great comics we got no respect! Sometimes Venus would join the serious side and those were the times I felt most betrayed. Yes I was a crybaby and I was a klutz, but it was the only way I dealt with the knowledge of death at the tender age of fourteen. There were times when I swore Venus got that and others when I would despair that she would ever understand the full scope of my fear. But that is my fault. After all I never articulated what was wrong; I never opened the door to my deepest fears. How could I expect anyone to know of them if I never acknowledged them? If you can't share with your cohort in crime, how do you share with others?)

Dear Kokusaijin,

I don't know where to start. I had the perfect life, I helped save the world literally making it a better place and I found my soul mate. Imagine what a great thing it was to be able to combine the two. Saving the world and loving Sailor Moon.

When outside pressure started I let it push away the only thing in my life with meaning. I said things I didn't mean at the time telling myself that it was for the best. After all better alive and mad then in love and dead, right?

I broke up with my Tenshi and now I am miserable! Life without her has no meaning. It is like losing a limb, something you took for granted until it was no longer there! Dear Kami, I need her back in my life! I understand now that life with her no matter how short and danger filled is better than eternity without her!

If she takes me back I will spend eternity making it up to her and cherishing her like a princess. Please help me capture a fallen star twice. Help me win her heart back!

Debonair and broken!

Dear Debonair

Love is like a garden, tend it well and it will flourish for you. Mistreat it and it will wilt and die down. The good news is with hard work and patience you can bring your love and garden back to life.

Before you embark on this ask yourself this? Was it worth it to break her heart? If you really love someone you have to be honest, especially when it's easier not to be. True love is the rarest kind and few are able to find it, let alone keep it. Know what matters to you the most and take it from there.

So get on your knees and apologize, and keep apologizing. And when she gets fed up with the apologies and tells you not to apologize again, apologize for apologizing! Send her flowers and cards to let her know you still love her. Don't expect her to be too receptive in the beginning!

Lucky for you she's your soul mate which means after you have suffered enough she will probably take you back. Be prepared to suffer though, a heart once burnt will be twice shy!

(Oh, that one made me soooo MAD! He loved me, but did he treat me like an equal? No! Well to be perfectly fair I was quite alright with him swooping in and saving me. And what happened in our alter ego lives spilled into the dynamics of our regular relationship. I was a scared fifteen years old in love with a nineteen year old college student.

He was studious to my carefree attitude. He was responsible to my devil may care way of handling responsibility. We were polar opposites. Many a night I stood up glancing at the moon wondering why out of all the girls he had chosen me to be his girl. What made me so special?

The truth is I didn't value myself enough to make a stand for any rights. Like a love sick puppy I was grateful for whatever scraps of attention he could provide. Now not to say he treated me like shit. Rather opposite he was generous with his time and money. But many a time I would look at him reading a book that was totally beyond my comprehension and would think how much more he had in common with Ami-Chan or Rei-chan.

When he broke up with me was it really a surprise or had I deep down inside thought that whew finally the day has come? I see now that if I want this relationship to have a second chance I need to treat myself with respect, command my own attention and set my own boundaries. I still loved Mamo-chan, but I was no longer than naïve innocent child.

If he truly desired a relationship with me we had to start anew. I once heard in an American song a line that said "promises never last forever". Maybe it was true, I mean a promise is a promise, but it's almost a guarantee that the circumstances that prompted the promise always change.

It would be interesting to see Mamoru's interpretation of this advice column. I guess the only question now was could this relationship be saved?)

Kokusaijin

Dear Sailor Moon,

We think it's terrible about what has happened recently to you. To lose your love and friendships within a short time span is very hard. But do not despair! Your true love and friends have seen the error of their ways!

As hard as it might be try and be understanding when they apologize! Important thing is to TALK it out. Both you and they need to understand the dynamics of your relationships and what causes them to act the way you do.

Don't try to heal the group dynamic until you work on the individual friendships. Remember you are the leader and as such you must lead, really lead. No one can disrespect you unless you allow it! If there is a valid reason for some of your behavior that the scouts didn't like then you need to be honest and come clean.

You all face death each time you rescue Japan and as such each person reacts differently to that pressure, in order for the Senshi and Kamen to function as a cohesive group you have to understand the strengths as well as the weaknesses.

The good news is that because you are friends outside the Senshi you should be able to bridge the recent gaps.

Establish boundaries and set limits. Facing danger daily can bond a group together and also rip them to shred faster. In the last few months you all have probably went through some major changes. Get to know the new Senshi and Kamen.

Also communication goes both ways! If they upset you, wait until you are calm and let them know. None of you can read minds as far as Kokusaijin knows.

We send you our fondest wishes and hopes for the future. And oh by the way thank you very much for defending our planet!

Kokusaijin

(It was gratifying reading the last letter to me from the magazine. After all it basically confirmed some life lessons that I had already learned. The next few months were going to be filled with challenges. I would insist that we all build our relationships be built more slowly and with a great deal more trust, communication and candor.

While I was ready to start the healing process it did not mean that I was going to just roll over and go back to the way things used to be. Like I said I would start with Ami and work my way from there. It would be one on one outings and conversations until I felt comfortable enough to deal with the Senshi as a group.

Mamoru was a bit more difficult. I find my body wants to betray my heart and mind. So while one on one was needed, it also must be public. All that man has to do is kiss me and I melt. Honestly I could not afford to be anything softer than granite until my point was well and truly established. Here's to hoping that he would feel guilty enough to respect my new boundaries.

He, the future king was going to have to woo me ardently if he hoped to regain my love, devotion and trust! For without trust there is no love….

At this point the bell rang signaling the end of lunch period. I stuffed the magazine into my satchel, avoided the girls' eyes and went back to my desk. Like I said I just wasn't ready to talk to the three of them at the same time! Man the three o'clock bell never seemed so far away!

Gomen ne all for the time between updates, my mind is not always the most linear of things and I actually finished chapter 4 way ahead of chapter 3!

Read & Review!