I got five reviews for the last chapter! That's the most I've gotten on any of these chapters! Thank you so much guys. I love your reviews and I'm so happy you're enjoying this story. To thank by name as I always do, thank you AresX, sangoscourage, Myosotis13, Aleric, and Moonlight Pheonix. If anything shows I'm listening to your reviews this chapter does. I had no intention of really going into the relationship of Keiko and Usagi, but I'm happy I did. I think it worked out well, so a special thank you to sangoscourage for putting the idea in my head. Next chapter will have the king and queen. I've babbled enough. On with the story...

I should feel better now right? I told my parents off. I got everything off my chest. So why don't I feel better? The tears in my mother's eyes and the look of hurt on my father's face haunts me. The hardest blow was my sister's reaction. I never wanted to hurt her and I can't bear that I have. My sister, my friend- oh Usagi-chan I'm sorry. I try to block out the memory of Usagi begging me not to leave. It hadn't taken her long to recover from the initial shock and come after me.

I shake my head in an attempt to rid myself of the guilt, but it persists. If I'm really going to put my past behind me, I have to put a wedge between my present and my past. This won't work if it isn't a clean break and it can't be a clean break if I keep in touch with Usagi. This is the only way, right?

"Here we are at our home away from home," Hiroshi announces with fake cheerfulness. The whole tense situation is weighing everyone down. There was no resistance from my parents as I left. I feel a pang in my chest. There was no resistance.

The silence is oppressive as we get settled in our rooms. Tamiko and I will share a room and Hiroshi will get his own. The stress of the day has tired us all and soon Tamiko excuses herself to go to bed.

"How are you doing love?" Hiroshi walks up behind me, putting his arms around my waist and kissing my neck.

I close my eyes, enjoying the feel of his body against mine. "I'm okay," I murmur, leaning against his chest.

"Liar," he whispers. I can't see the knowing smile, but I'm sure it's there. "Talk to me here." I don't respond. "Keiko-chan you know I just want what's best for you right?" I nod. "I worry that you're making a mistake by trying to leave everything from your past behind. You insisted we had to come back here. Why?"

I bit my lip. "I needed to get all this off my chest." Was that the reason? Even I'm not sure.

Hiroshi reads the indecision in my eyes. "Well then you did what you needed to do. Why haven't you smiled since we left the palace? More importantly are you really ready to give up on everyone?" I don't answer and my gaze falls to the ground. "Correct me if I'm wrong, but I don't think you are and you know why I think that Keiko-chan? Because you smile every time you say your sister's name. I wish you'd talk to me more about your childhood," he tells me.

I look out the window, my mind drifting to another time. "I have very few early memories of my parents and Etsu wasn't brought on until I was six. Before Etsu was hired to care for me, I was passed from one caretaker to another. None which I liked much and the reason they didn't last long was there attention was rarely focused on me. They were so entranced by being at court that I was usually an afterthought. Usagi was always there though." I smile as I remember the happy times with my sister. "For years we were inseparable. She was my best friend..." My voice trails off as my trip down memory lane takes a dark turn.

"Was?" Hiroshi prompts me.

Hiroshi's voice brings me back to reality. "When Usagi was fourteen, Mother gave her the Sailor Moon broach. It was the same age Mother received it and she thought it was only appropriate that Usagi inherit it at the same age. At the time I didn't think much of it because not much changed. Usagi began training with the senshi, but she was still around all the time. I would even join in on the training. The next year though, things really changed. Usagi's training intensified and I was no longer allowed to participate. If I could get any of the senshi's attention for more than I second I could sometimes still get training, but that was rare. They understandably had a lot to do. Any time Usagi wasn't training was taken up by learning anything and everything the heir had to know. I was lucky if I saw her once a week. Our drift apart was more circumstances than anything else, but by the next year we were basically strangers."

Hiroshi sits beside me and grips my hand gently. "There is still time to change that Keiko-chan. If you do this, you'll never get the chance to know her again. Are you really ready to give up that chance?"

My resolve has weakened. How can I put everything behind me and move forward if I have a constant reminder in front of me? Am I just being silly about this? That's certainly possible. It wouldn't be a new trait for me. "I'm not sure," I whisper.

Hiroshi kisses my forehead. "Why don't you get some rest? You don't have to make this decision tonight."

"Thank you Hiroshi-kun," I respond. "I love you."

"I love you too. I'll see you in the morning," he smiles.

I head to my room and creep in quietly, so as not to wake Tamiko.

"Keiko-chan," I jump at hearing Tamiko's voice.

"I'm sorry Tamiko-chan. Did I wake you?" I ask, surprised that my entering would wake her. She's usually a really sound sleeper. Hiroshi likes to joke that a marching band could walk right by her and she'd never know it.

"No, I can't sleep," she says. "What's next for us?"

"I'm not sure. We'll all talk about it tomorrow and decide. Can I turn on a light?" I ask.

Tamiko reaches over and turns on the light by the beds, and I go about getting ready to go sleep. "Are we going to talk to your family again?" Tamiko's full of strange questions tonight. Obviously, something is bothering her.

"Probably not. Why?"

"Nothing," she says quickly, trying to end the conversation.

"What?" I ask, now very concerned.

"Nothing," Tamiko insists. "Are you set now? Can I turn off the light?"

"Sure," I nod. I desperately want to push the issue, but I'm worried that if I push her too hard, she'll get into one of her stubborn moods and never talk to me about it. I'll try again tomorrow. "'Night Tamiko-chan."

I hear Tamiko whisper good night before slipping off to sleep. Sleep does not come easily for me. The confrontation with my parents, my conversation with Hiroshi, and Tamiko's strange behavior keep me from drifting off. Finally as sleep begins to find me, I hear a frantic knock on the door. Who could that be? Hiroshi is the first person who comes to mind. That gets me out of bed quickly. Hiroshi is definitely not prone to panic and if it's him something is really wrong.

I open the door and there stands Usagi. Supressing my surprise, I move into the hallway and close the door behind me. "Usagi-chan, what are you doing here? How did you find me?"

"I have been turning this city upside down. Do you know how many inns are in this city?" I shake my head. "I didn't either, but I do now. Keiko-chan, we need to talk. Please let me get this out. I'm sorry for everything. I'm sorry I didn't realize how miserable you were, I'm sorry that I let you down repeatedly, and mostly I'm sorry that I let us drift apart. Please believe that I love you and I don't want to lose you again."

"Usagi-chan, none of that was your fault. I worked very hard at hiding my feelings and you always tried to be there. Even when you couldn't be there, I always knew you cared and wanted to be there because you'd usually leave a note or talk to me before you left. As far as drifting apart, that was as much my fault as yours. You had so much to do and would be so tired when you'd get home, so I would usually just leave you alone. I didn't want to be a burden."

"Never," Usagi interrupts. "You were never a burden and I never want to hear you use that word in reference to yourself again." She falls silent for a second. "Can we start over? I understand why you feel you have to leave here and I don't blame you. This place isn't exactly filled with happy memories, but I'll do whatever it takes not to lose you again."

I throw my arms around my sister and hug her tightly. "Some of those memories are very happy," I whisper. "We'll work it out. I promise."