LIKE TEA INTO TEAPOT

Kunzite, now Yoru Oshiro. Nephrite, now Arashi Nakamura. Zoisite, now Mitsuo Inoue. And Jadeite, now Yuki Watanabe.

Yoru, Arashi, Mitsuo and Yuki.

Rei rolled these names along her tongue, observing the scene developing in the living room.

"Are you hungry? I may cook dinner!" Makoto rested her hands on her hips and smiled, her eyes glancing at everybody in the room and finally lingering on Arashi, her cheeks coloring with a soft red when he smiled and nodded.

Minako clapped her hands with excitement, "Great idea! I'm going to help you."

Usagi raised her right arm, "Me too! Me too!"

On her way to the kitchen with Makoto, Minako turned her head to Usagi and winked, "It's better you avoid the kitchen, Usagi-chan, or you're going to cut all your fingers."

Usagi slowly lowered her arm, expressing her disappointment with her weepy voice, "Mina-chan! You aren't fair!"

Rei smiled and walked to the couch. She sat on the couch's arm and glanced at Yuki reading a magazine; as Yuki, everybody looked comfortable in that new situation: while Makoto and Minako cooked dinner, Arashi and Mitsuo were playing chess and Yoru was sitting on the armchair, Mamoru and Ami sitting on the armchair's arms by his side and listening seriously to his talk.

Probably too much serious and clever talk among Mamoru, Ami and Yoru, since Usagi left her place behind the armchair, she walked to her schoolbag resting near the apartment's door (along with the other girls' schoolbags), she knelt down and took a manga from it. The manga in her hand and a happy smile on her face, Usagi walked to the couch and sank into it by Yuki's side, glancing at the magazine in his hands, "What's about?"

Yuki turned to her and smiled, "It's a magazine about the most interesting monuments in the World. How they were built, their structures, their stories, and so on. This is a monograph about the Sacrada Familia"

Usagi had a deep and disappointed sigh, "How boring. So boring as Mamo-chan, Ami-chan and Yoru talking about University."

Rei placed her hands on her hips and bent to Usagi, "Usagi-chan! Be more respectful. Besides, why have you a manga in your schoolbag? I'm not surprised your grades are so bad." In her bending to Usagi, her chest gently touched Yuki's head. She blushed and moved back.

Usagi shook her head like a scolded child, "Rei-chan! You are so harsh!" She opened the manga and hid her face behind it.

Rei sighed and rested her right hand on her face.

Yuki burst out laughing.

That soft and sweet laughing. Rei remembered it and how she had fallen in love a long time before, last Senshi falling in love with the Shitennou.

Mars rested her hands on the balustrade of the wide terrace and looked at the Moon shining in the dark blue sky; so strange to watch the Moon from the terrestrial Court.

She had a disappointed sigh. She wasn't surprised of Jupiter falling in love with Nephrite, being the most romantic of the Senshi. More surprising Mercury giving in to Zoisite, the shy and serious Mercury putting aside her usual shyness and laughing as never before, like cold water vaporized by sun. Even more surprising the final decision of Venus who surrendered to the cold and serious Kunzite, the leader of the Senshi falling in love with leader of the Shitennou; Mars couldn't believe Venus could be so banal and irresponsible.

The Senshi were born to protect Princess Serenity, not to be distracted by love.

"Hey."

She turned round and stared at Jadeite walking to her. Jadeite was always calm and she liked to talk with him, letting go what's spinning in her mind; he was a good friend. Wasn't it enough, being good friends? Why weren't the other Senshi content to be just friends with the Shitennou?

He approached the balustrade, bent forward and rested his elbows on it, looking at the Moon, "Why are you here, all alone?"

She folded her arms and crossed her legs, resting her back against the balustrade, "To be honest, I am not happy about how things are going. I am worried."

He glanced at her silently, waiting for more, giving her the chance to share with him her feelings the way she wanted to.

She kept on talking, "I am worried that Venus, Jupiter and Mercury could be distracted from their task to protect our Princess. Aren't you worried for your Prince?"

He straightened his back, now his hands on the balustrade instead of his elbows, "Are you trying to say that since Venus, Jupiter and Mercury have fallen in love with Kunzite, Nephrite and Zoisite, their love and loyalty to Princess Serenity is weakened?" A soft breeze caressed his cape.

She frowned and nodded.

He smiled, his eyes staring at the shining Moon, "Love isn't like tea into a teapot, enough to fill a certain number of cups but not enough to fill a new cup unless you take some tea from the other cups." He glanced at her confused look, "I mean, do you think that the second son is loved less than the first one, the third less than the second, and the last less than anybody? Love has no limits, so I don't think Venus, Jupiter and Mercury are going to love Princess Serenity less than before just 'cause they have fallen in love with Kunzite, Nephrite and Zoisite. Maybe, they could love her even more 'cause they love the guardians of the Prince loved by her. Sort of large family."

Mars sniggered and shook her head, "It's true, what Court's people say about you." She casted him an amused look, "They say you're really good with words."

Jadeite ruffled his wavy hair, "Yeah, it's what they say." He turned to her, "Do you know what's the meaning of my name? Knight of Patience and Harmony. I'll admit, I am the weakest among the Shitennou. I'm pretty good with ice and with clay dolls, but it's poor thing if compared with Kunzite, Nephrite and Zoisite's powers. When there's a possible war on Earth, I usually go on a reconnaissance, trying to understand what's moving our opponents and what's their goal, so planning to find a common ground for building peace. I am a planner and a peacekeeper more than a warrior."

She had some steps away from the balustrade and turned round, "Sometimes I envy your calm and your being so peaceful."

He looked into her eyes, "I have observed you, Mars, and I think you are also really spiritual, not just fire. You're like some people on Earth, they are called priests and priestesses."

She nodded, "I know what priests and priestesses are. I have heard about them, but I don't think I'm so spiritual, after all. You are overestimating me. On battlefield, I would be able to melt your ice and to turn your dolls to ashes, but I don't think I would be able to plan a single thing or to be spiritual."

He smiled, closed his eyes and lowered his head, his smile turning into a soft laughing.

In that moment, Mars understood she couldn't avoid falling in love with him 'cause she already loved him.

Hidden behind her manga, Usagi glanced at Rei and how she was observing Yuki. She smiled sweetly and then shared a knowing look with Mamoru.

It was like a big and loving family.

In her heart, Usagi prayed for a future of happiness for her, Mamoru, Senshi and Shitennou.

The woman looked at her image in the mirror.

She caressed her long, curly and red hair.

Her confusion was gone, and her memories were finally back. Metallia couldn't help her anymore, but she still had part of that strength, a strength fed with hate for everyone who had stolen her happiness; hate for Princess Serenity and her Senshi; and hate for the Shitennou, useless servants who hadn't been able to find the Silver Crystal, incompetent servants, especially the first one, Jadeite.

She was going to punish them all, finding them once more and punishing them.

She, Beryl, was going to have her final revenge, if not on Princess Serenity and the Senshi, too strong for her, at least on the Shitennou.