Makoto ran down the road. She thought she knew what heartbreak was, when she had broken up with her senior boyfriend, years ago. But this was a million times worse. These were the girls she had fought with, saved the world with, even died with, once. These girls were closer than family. And now they hated her! Her friends were gone, and the Sailor Senshi were finished. They had been defeated, and now they were turning on each other. She had seen how the Mew Mews had stood together, even when they bickered with each other, while her friends - now her former friends - had turned on her. She knew that there was only one thing that could save the Sailor Senshi. There was one that had been the glue that held them together, one that they had all loved like a sister, and more than a sister. Usagi. She had to get to Usagi. Block after block she ran, without stopping, gasping for air but still running. Usagi's house was far away.

Yet she got there, her chest heaving, the sweat streaming down her face and soaking through her shirt. She was a sodden mess but she didn't care. She rang the doorbell, and again, and again, but there was no answer. "Usagi," she shouted. Was something wrong? Was Usagi in the hospital now, or ... or dead? Where was her mother? She pounded on the door with all of her great strength.

It opened, and there was Usagi, still in her pajamas. "Mako-chan!" she said, and Makoto staggered through the door and threw her arms around the last friend she had in the world. "Usagi... chan!" she gasped; and the tears rolled down her cheeks.

Usagi held her for a minute or more. At least, today she had the strength to stand; yesterday, she could not have done so. Makoto was so strong that even when she shook from exhaustion and grief, Usagi could hardly hold her.

Yet finally, Usagi pushed the sobbing girl away, and said, "What happened, Mako-chan? Have they attacked again?"

Makoto stared into Usagi's eyes. "No, my Princess." Usagi started. They never called her that. Makoto continued, "Usagi, the Sailor Senshi are falling apart. Rei-san and Minako-san hate me, and we almost had a fist fight, and they called me a traitor. They want me dead. They call me a traitor because I stopped Minako from murdering that girl yesterday, and because I didn't murder her myself last night."

Usagi stopped her. "You mean, she isn't dead?"

Makoto shook her head. "They have some kind of healing magic, they saved her. She's in the hospital, across the hall from Rei-san."

"Rei's in the hospital? Why didn't you tell me?" Usagi demanded.

"I didn't know myself until last night. I went to see her, and she was going to make it. I went back this morning, and brought Minako there, and then Ami showed up, too.. Well, Minako and Rei called me a traitor and a coward. We almost fought. I left. The Sailor Senshi are falling apart, and there's only one that can save us, bring us back together." She looked pleadingly into Usagi's clear blue eyes.

Usagi dropped her eyes and turned away. "I can't. I'm not Sailor Moon any more, I'm not Princess Serenity. I can't transform any more. I'm just plain old dumb useless Usagi."

Makoto seized Usagi by the shoulders, turned her around, and stared into her eyes. "We don't need Sailor Moon, or Princess Serenity. We need the plain old dumb useless Usagi that we all love. You have to save us. Maybe you can't transform. Well, Ami and Rei lost their pendants when they were captured, so they can't transform, either. Minako can, but she's still hurting badly from the fight yesterday. And they'll have nothing to do with me. Usagi, you have to go to them. This whole thing is falling apart."

Something changed in Usagi's eyes, and she stared deeply into Makoto's. Makoto had seen this before; it happened when Usagi finally made up her mind. And nothing could stop her, now. She spoke: "Makoto, you're a mess. Go upstairs and take a bath. I'll get you something to wear that isn't soaked and doesn't smell like a locker room."

"Your clothes are too small for me," the tall girl said; but Usagi smiled. "Between my Mom's stuff and mine, I'll find you something. You can't go visit the hospital looking like that."

And so they did find her something: a stretchy tank-top of Usagi's that did its best to cover Makoto's more than ample chest, but mostly failed; and a short skirt of her mother's that settled quite well on Makoto's curvy hips but pulled a little too tightly over her butt. Usagi shook her head. If Makoto had wanted to, she could put all of them to shame in the looks department, even Minako and Rei. But she was less vain than any of them, except maybe Ami. Well, any guys who saw Makoto in the outfit she was wearing would get a treat. There was a train station three blocks away, and the trains left on the hour; they could take the train to the hospital. They did not have to run all the way,