No one could wait until six o'clock. The urgent call from Haruka had startled the Inners out of their turbulent dreams, forcing them to push their singular problems out of the way as a new threat emerged. It wasn't long before they met at Setsuna's apartment and together sat in stunned silence before the glare of the television set.

"To recap what has happened for those just tuning in- at 5:30 Tokyo time last night, something similar to shooting stars were reported descending from the Moon. Scientists remain uncertain as to the precise origin of this phenomenon, but this is the best guess we have now. These beams of light seem to have traveled down to Earth and…" the newscaster paused to shake his head.

"Entered people. We have many eyewitness accounts all over the globe reporting this strange occurrence. They say the victims immediately began to display crescent moons on their foreheads and in some cases, different markings. Our research has led us to believe they are most likely the astrological symbols used to identify the different planets. In fact, one Tokyo citizen remarked on how similar the crescents looked compared to that of Sailor Moon's, who had gone M.I.A. in the past few years along with her team, until recently. There is no evidence yet to suggest these new people are linked with the Sailor Senshi, however."

"Those afflicted then began talking about a 'Silver Millennium' or a 'Queen Serenity.' Immediate action has been taken to round up these presumed 'aliens' for fear of the panic and possible danger they might represent. Those of us here in Tokyo are used to unique happenings since Sailor Moon and her team became known to us, so local authorities are taken a cautious but respectable approach to these newcomers. Unfortunately, other countries have not taken so lightly to this occurrence. Dozens of deaths have already been recorded in the Americas, Russia and Europe."

The newscaster's face cut away to a grainy videos of protests and violence from around the world, and some of the room's inhabitants gasped with horror and pain.

"They seem to be no immediate threat unlike the monstrosity that attacked Tokyo only a few days ago, and it is not known if these two events are related," the man continued. "Authorities are unsure if this incident is related to the recent attack of the 'Death Phantom' here in Tokyo, or something completely different."

The screen shifted to replay an old scene. Footage from the first time the Senshi had encountered the Black Moon Clan streamed in front of their eyes. For a moment, they were too stunned to see their younger selves. Watching the battle from afar jarred with their memories of the terrible conflict.

"Some of you may remember that the Death Phantom once visited Tokyo before and was supposedly defeated by the Sailor Senshi. We are not sure if he is gone for good this time as well. No one recounts seeing Sailor Moon during the latest skirmish either and wonder if her disappearances has anything to do with the newcomers. But please, stay calm. None of these beings have tried to hurt anyone in anyway as yet. They seem just as scared and confused as the rest of us. We will keep you up to date with any new information."

"What the hell is going on?" Haruka exclaimed.

"People with crescent moons on their foreheads, the planet symbols? Luna?"

"I'm not sure, Makoto," Luna answered the brunette.

"Where's Usagi-san and Mamoru-san?" Michiru questioned.

"I called them and they should be on their way. They sounded distracted," Ami, answered.

"I hope everything is okay," Minako said.

"I don't think anything is okay," Artemis muttered. "Tell me more about what happened on the Moon, every detail you can think of."

The door pushed open then to usher in Usagi and Mamoru as Minako was about to speak. "Where have you been? We have a serious problem," Makoto said impatiently.

"Another one?"

"What do you mean, Usagi-san?" Ami said.

"Usagi-san? Since when have you called me that?" Usagi blinked in surprise.

Ami shrugged. "I don't know. It just seems appropriate right now."

"Well, stop it. What's going on?" their leader asked.

"Watch."

The group fell silent as the newscaster repeated his report, this time adding local images and video of these so-called 'strange aliens' in Tokyo as they were led into police vans. Already people were crowding the streets, some shouting taunts and angry words, but most keeping their distance. Mamoru and Usagi looked at one another.

"My wish..." Usagi said softly.

"What about it?" Michiru questioned.

"I wished for the past to be re-awoken within us, in all of us. The Silver Crystal must've taken 'all of us' literally. My mother not only saved my court and I but she saved us all, every person on the Moon that day. The past wasn't brought back for us alone, but for everyone reborn here on Earth."

"There wasn't anyone left on the Moon when we got there," Haruka pitched in. "If it weren't for Hotaru dropping the glaive, our bones would be the only human remains up there right now."

"It does make sense," Luna said thoughtfully.

"We'll have to talk to one of these people first to make sure," Ami added.

"I think we can speed up the search," Mamoru muttered.

"What do you mean Mamoru-san?" the blue haired genius asked.

"That can wait until later. We have bigger things to worry about," Usagi interrupted. "We need to do something about the people out there. They don't deserve to be treated like criminals. We need to protect them and then we can worry about understanding what's happened."

"What should we do?" Hotaru asked.

"Perhaps," Mamoru broke the nervous silence. "It is time the Sailor Senshi were no longer so behind the scenes."

.

Umino had received the call in the middle of the night, his co-worker practically yelling about some strange lights falling from the sky and disappearing into people. His immediate, clear thought was another strange mystical attack from another life force bent on defeating the Sailor Senshi and taking over the universe. These things were nothing new to Tokyo, but the fact that it was happening everywhere compelled Umino out of his bed.

He found, much to his surprise, the streets crammed with people even this late in the night. Chaos was running rampant all over the city. Some stores, magically fixed by Sailor Moon's power, were once again in disarray, vandalized and looted before his eyes. Crowds gathered waving placards with pictures of aliens with slashes through them, while others preached about the end of the world. He had never seen so many police, not even at every End of the World event before this.

When he finally made it to work, he was bombarded by loud voices and ringing telephones as he entered the studio. The place was in total disarray. People ran around, waving their hands with papers and loud directions. It was never quiet in here, but this was more than a buzz. It was a tornado of activity and a sense of being overwhelmed.

He spent the next four hours rummaging through old files, giving orders and passing on information as quickly as possible to others. There were files and files on the Sailor Senshi and what they knew about their battles, but he could find no clues. No one was more of an expert on the mystical group of girls than Umino was. He was beginning to think this might be something else entirely, perhaps an alien invasion. He almost rolled his eyes at the thought of little green men, but how could he say that was implausible with everything else this city had seen?

"Hey, Umino-chan!" He turned to find his co-worker, Keitaro, with a camera in hand. "Kenji-san wants us to go to the streets and get more footage."

Umino sighed, grateful for the chance for more information, and quickly grabbed his things. "Let's go."

He could see the flashing lights long before they reached the square. Police cars and barricades stood in their way preventing them getting any closer, but the scene couldn't be blocked off completely. Umino watched as the police fought to keep the growing crowd away from those being loaded into unmarked vans. They looked no different from anyone else in the growing light of morning except for the strange marks on their foreheads.

"What do you think is going on? Another evil invasion for the Sailor Senshi to handle?" Keitaro said behind the camera's lens. "If it was something serious like that you would think the Sailor Senshi would already be here, right?"

"That's why I think this is something different besides an attack. I think-" It was at that exact moment that Umino spotted a familiar face in the crowd of unfortunates. "Naru-chan!"

Her big eyes quickly found his and even from this far away he could see the fear in them. He watched as she wretched herself free from the line of the persecuted and raced in his direction. He met her at the police blockade, the group of enforcers behind her lighting her red hair on fire with their angry flashlights.

"Umino-chan!" She gripped his shirt tightly, her eyes frantic. He could not take his gaze off the mark on her forehead, its shining form astounding him. The crescent moon shone in the early light of day on its own accord.

"You're one of them?"

"Umino-chan, you have to help me! I'm not a threat. You've known me forever! But there's something else. No!" By that time, the group of shouting police had reached them, and he felt her grip no more as they yanked her off him. They were pulling her back towards the line, while more of them tugged at his shirt from behind as well. "Umino-chan!"

With a strength he didn't know the young woman had, she pulled herself free from her captors and raced toward him again, this time getting close enough to whisper in his ear. He felt her quickened breath on his skin for only a moment before she was taken away more forcibly this time. He watched as she was bundled into the van with the others, its heavy doors shutting on her frightened eyes. She had left him with only more questions and a troubled mind. And a name.

"Usagi."

.

Umino and Keitaro returned to the office with their clip ready to be broadcast on the morning news. He made sure Naru wasn't in the footage and for a long time he sat in his quiet office, head pressed firmly between his hands. The vision of Naru, his bubbly and innocent friend being rounded up like a criminal, continued to plague his thoughts. More importantly though was whom she had spoken of. Usagi.

Umino couldn't remember the last time he had seen the lively blonde. They had parted ways after high school. There had been the wedding and a few times around the office visiting her…

Umino dropped his hands to his desk, and looked to his closed office door with a strange expression.

He didn't have to knock on the other man's door. It was thrown wide open with people coming in and out as if it was a major freeway. Quietly, he merged into its traffic and soon came face to face with the man in charge of the Tokyo news Channel 6.

"Kenji-san, I need to speak with you," he said in a shuttering voice.

Usagi's father had an almost irremovable frown upon his brow since the previous night as he continuously pushed his glasses into place fervently. Umino had been afraid of him every time the young teenager had ventured to Usagi's house and found a completely new reason to be afraid of him when Kenji had become his boss.

"I'm a little busy, if you hadn't noticed!" Kenji snapped.

"I know, but," Umino moved closer, his voice barely above a whisper. "It's about Usagi-chan."

Umino watched as all movement in the room stopped for Kenji. His bright eyes gazed at Umino's alone for a moment, before he cleared his throat loud enough for the whole office to hear.

"All right everybody, out!" It took only a few moments before Kenji slammed the door behind them. "Now, what is it?"

"I was about to start filming when I saw Naru there behind the barricade."

"Naru?" Kenji repeated as he sat down. "She is one of Usagi's friends, right?"

Umino nodded. "She, she was rounded up with the others. She had one of those marks upon her forehead."

"Oh, I see," Kenji nodded. "Well I'm sorry for her. Things are going to be awful for those people if someone doesn't step up soon, I feel it. But what has that to do with Usagi?"

"I don't know, but all Naru said was she wasn't a threat and then she mentioned Usagi's name. She seemed really desperate about it."

Kenji sat silent for a moment, his mouth hidden behind his hand. He seemed to be fighting with something. "Umino-" The phone interrupted Kenji, and with a sigh, he picked it up. He listened attentively to the call, and at one point shot his eyes to Umino's face in surprise.

"What's going on?" Umino asked once the call was over.

"It's the Sailor Senshi."

.

Umino fought his way through the crowds as if his life depended on it. He could see them standing above the crowd but his mind wouldn't be satisfied until he could see up close. He hadn't stopped for hours now, but he couldn't rest until Naru's haunting face was pushed from his mind. In the women standing before them now, he knew he might find some of the answers he was looking for.

Eternal Sailor Venus' hands twitched behind her back. She eyed the growing throng nervously as she stood on the steps above them. The late morning light streamed over the city before her and she took a long, deep breath. Neptune and Uranus surrounded her and she took comfort in them, as if they were strong pillars holding her in place. The remaining Sailor Senshi, Usagi and Mamoru, had melted into the crowd in civilian clothes a short distance away. From the steps of city hall those familiar eyes watched her and she cast a fleeting smile in their direction. They thought it best that only a few of them address the crowds and that the one that spent time in the spotlight do the talking. When the crowded streets reached their peak, Mamoru nodded to the senshi in gold.

"Ladies and gentlemen!" Venus said into the mic before her, her hands clenched tightly around the edge of the podium. The multitude around her immediately stilled, but the constant flash of cameras jostled her. "I and the other Senshi know you must be concerned about what is happening around the world and in Tokyo. I am here to personally explain that what is happening has nothing to do with the recent attack of the Death Phantom, or of any future attack by an evil force. These people pose no danger to any of us. They are still your friends, your family and your loved ones. Things have changed recently, and things are going to continue to change. I know what happens when change moves too quickly. We become afraid, angry, and hostile towards our brothers and sisters. But we can't let that happen now. If we can't work together then we might lose sight of our humanity. We must insist that all criminal or violent actions against these people stop. We are willing to work with authorities in the care of our friends as we can help guide them through this transition and also protect everyone's interests."

As Venus finished her speech there was a moment of silence before the stairs erupted with a hundred voices.

"Sailor Venus, where did these people come from?"

"Are you really aliens?"

"Tell us who you really are!"

"You've been in the shadows for so long, why come out now?"

"Where's Sailor Moon?"

"Please!" Venus shouted, keeping a neutral, but friendly face. "I know you have questions, but I cannot answer them all at this time. In a short moment, I will be meeting with the city's officials to further discuss the treatment and care of our comrades. Hopefully we can come to a peaceful resolution. Thank you."

Umino watched as Sailor Venus, Neptune and Uranus walked to the top of the stairs and disappeared inside away from the constant questions and calls. The reporters and cameramen were in a frenzy to return with their footage or to find a way to sneak inside. Amongst it all, Umino looked with wide-eyes at a group near rear of the crowd. He could spot those odangos from anywhere and Umino made his way towards Usagi. He noticed a few others with her that he also recognized, especially the tall Mamoru clutching his wife's hand. Just as Umino found himself within yelling distance, he watched as they disappeared into an alleyway.

What was Usagi doing at the press conference, he wondered? She never seemed like one to involve herself in politics or current affairs. The petite woman had looked troubled as well. Naru's eyes burned into his mind, Usagi's name echoing as her words flowed from trembling lips. Umino fought his way through the crowd with his camera in hand, following carefully on their heels. He needed answers.

.

"So, do you think they'll listen?"

The shrine had become their official headquarters again after a few peaceful years of it just being the place to be together. They gathered after the speech, biting their lips or banging their knees together while their minds raced with possibilities. The Senshi thought of their three companions who now fought for the freedom of long lost citizens and comrades. It had been hours since Minako, Haruka and Michiru had stood on the steps and those gathered were growing nervous.

"You know what we'll have to do if they refuse use. We're all going to need to storm into those offices together and give them a piece of our minds. I really doubt they'd stand up to all of us at once, don't you think?" Makoto said, crackling her knuckles again with glee.

"We hope it won't come to coercion of that nature, Makoto," Luna said.

"Where did Mamoru-san and Usagi-chan go?" Rei asked. "There were here a half an hour ago and I didn't catch where they were going."

"They said they had something else important to show us and would be back soon," Ami informed them.

"I hope this works," Hotaru said.

"I hope we made the right choice in who we sent to negotiate. Those three aren't exactly known for being excessively diplomatic," Rei voiced her concerns.

"Maybe not, but they know how to persuade. Have you ever been grounded by Michiru or Haruka? Or tried to tell Minako no?" Hotaru said and the others laughed.

Usagi and Mamoru finally arrived then with eyes sweeping the room, their steps hesitant. Their leader looked relieved for a moment as Mamoru glanced outside behind him as he half shut the door, seeming to motion to someone beyond.

"Good. Minako isn't back yet," Usagi said.

"What's up, Usagi-chan?" Rei asked.

"Remember what Mamoru said about not having to wait long to talk to one of those people? Well, guys," she looked to the Inners, "try not to freak out too much, okay?"

"What are you talking ab-?"

With one fluid motion, Mamoru pushed the door to its limits to reveal what, or who, stood just behind its facade. Four men stood in the light of day, four men that the Inner Senshi could never forget. Images of days passed, both ancient and more recent, flashed through their minds at seeing the familiar group of soldiers before them once more.

Unheeding Usagi's words, the Senshi instantly were on edge. After the shock had passed, they rose to their feet to face the first of their enemies in this life, their henshin pens gripped tightly. Hotaru rose with others even if her face gave away her confusion. Setsuna was the only one to remain seated, her gaze peering at the two legendary groups of the Moon and Earth with a muted interest.

"This is impossible," Ami muttered.

"Oh dear," Luna said.

"This should be good," Makoto promised, the light of battle in her eyes.

"Please everyone, calm down. I can explain," Mamoru raised his hand. After a few tense moments, the Senshi agreed and put away their transformation wands. Mamoru turned to usher the group of trespassers into the once cozy room and closed the door behind them.

"Who are they?" Hotaru asked.

"The Shitennou," Rei ground out.

Even if now those of Mamoru's guard wore modern clothes, their identities could not be masked. They had not changed since their last encounter. The Shitennou's features and stances were otherwise the same. Zoisite stood a little behind Nephrite, his quick eyes darting over those in the room with an excited curiosity. Nephrite kept his attention on the shaking Senshi brunette who might at any moment attack him. Jadeite, the first to plague their lives here, had the audacity to smirk at them. Kunzite remained stoic as ever in stature.

"You will remember them soon," Mamoru said to Hotaru. "We might not have remembered them yet if we hadn't already faced them in this life. We fought them long before we met you. They served under Queen Beryl and Metallia."

"The enemy? The one that destroyed everything?" Hotaru repeated. "Why aren't we doing something about them then?"

"During the Silver Millennium they were my generals, my guardians," Mamoru continued. "They were fooled by Beryl and turned against me. In this life, the same thing happened. But once we defeated Metallia, I was given a box with four stones inside, the essences of my four generals. I've kept it all this time. When I woke up this morning I found them, alive and in the flesh."

"This must have something to do with Usagi-san's wish," Artemis suggested. "After all, they were on the Moon that day. What do you remember?"

"We remember everything," the tallest amongst them answered. Kunzite's eyes turned to the Inner Senshi then, searching their faces. "From the past and from what we did here."

"And do you think we can actually trust them this time around?" Makoto punctuated her question with another crack of her knuckles.

"We've all betrayed one another, if I remember correctly. We didn't have a choice and neither did the Shitennou. Perhaps we can understand something of what they are now going through," Setsuna spoke up.

They fell silent after her words, but Makoto continued to glare at the chestnut-haired general.

"Hey, if the Shitennou were revived do you think it's possible that-" Ami's question was interrupted as the door was thrown open anew and the last remnants of their party trickled back into the shrine.

"I think I managed to lose anyone on my tail. Michiru and Haruka were right behind me. You won't believe what happ-" Minako's canter into the room was immediately halted as her eyes scanned the new arrivals. Confusion turned to shock, but that surprised quickly burst into pained anger. Her fists shook at her sides as she gazed at the white haired Shitennou. Everyone watched as Kunzite's eyes turned towards her and the slate of his features morphed to match her tortured expression.

Minako took a step forward that spoke of a boundless need to rush into the soldier, whether to pummel him or smother him with needy caresses. In the silence that had fallen on them all, it was impossible not to feel the aching emotion that escaped Kunzite's lips as he spoke one word. "Loni."

The Senshi of Love gasped, memories and conversations long since passed rushing through her mind with that simple utterance. Her forward motion ceased and she took a stumbling step back, as if his voice had pushed her with an unrelenting force. Her gazed turned cold and broken.

"That's not my name anymore!" she yelled and rushed back out into the day.

"Minako, wait!" Usagi went flying after her.

Usagi had a hard time keeping up with her friend and found herself cursing the four donuts she ate that morning. The runaway Senshi finally collapsed in the lush gardens of the shrine, her chest heaving and her hair coming undone. Usagi approached slowly, unsure as to the state of mind of her beloved friend.

"What are they doing here?" Minako asked quietly.

"I brought them all back. I brought everything back. I didn't know this would happen. When I saw them for the first time, saw him, I remembered what happened in the past. What the two of you had. I didn't know what to do, how I should tell you. Minako-chan, I'm so sorry!"

"Don't, please. I-I can't think!" Usagi fell to her knees and tightly wrapped her arms around Minako. The blonde with the bow accepted the embrace with a deep-seated cry and Usagi held her friend close. They clung to one another, two princesses from different lands, but both bound by a love stretching over centuries.

"It'll be okay, Minako. It'll be okay."

They sat for a while, a modern dressed woman holding a troubled Sailor Senshi. In the bushes close by a shadowed figured watched on. The reporter's glasses caught the reflection of the sun as he watched a moment not meant for an outsider's eyes, but a moment that would change everyone's lives forever.

"Usagi…"