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Chapter 21 – Soulmate
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Chibi-Usa sat on the edge of the bed in Hotaru's room, still having not changed-that was far from her mind. She found herself thinking not only about whether this current living situation would work much longer, but also what she wanted from Hotaru in the end, and that was really where she found herself stuck. What did she see as her end game with Hotaru? She still didn't know where she was in the future. Why had she only just met her in this time? There wasn't any way for her to know that in all likelihood until she got back to her own time and talked to her parents there. They would surely know the answers to her questions about Hotaru, but she didn't know when or how she'd return to them either. She sighed and tried to clear her mind of thinking about her parents for the time being because she knew that would only upset her in the end, and that wouldn't help her figure things out.

She felt a connection to Hotaru; that she knew without a doubt in her mind. Just with everything else going on, she hadn't had the time to investigate what that meant from her end. She didn't exactly have any experience with friendship-let alone anything more than that. She did see love all around her, that was clear and obvious, but they'd had years to grow in their relationships. She'd only just met Hotaru in the grand scheme of things, and was that even enough time to feel so strongly about someone? Yet her Mama had told her that she loved her mother the moment she met her. She didn't realize the obstacles in her way when she told her that because, at least from her perspective, their love was very clear. But she knew now that loving someone was only a part of being in a relationship with someone.

She sighed and rubbed her hands together, looking down as she did. She let her thoughts drift back to a short time ago. Given how Hotaru reacted to Haruka-san's comment, she appeared to be vehemently against the idea. So she was left to wonder, 'Does Hotaru even feel the same connection that I do? Is it only from my end?' If she were one of my guard, perhaps, but she's one of my mother's guard. She looked up abruptly and covered her mouth to silence a gasp. There was clear and obvious reason for why she felt such a connection to Hotaru, now that she really thought about it, she was her soulmate. It hadn't even crossed her mind until now and that seemed foolish, but it did bring to mind a conversation she had with her mother….

"Will I ever find someone? Like you and mama, I mean." Small Lady asked out of the blue.

They'd been sitting on a marble bench watching the stars in the garden waiting for Mars to return from what was meant to be a brief visit to her home planet. Serenity knew that she didn't like going back there, but there were squabbles among the ruling house and its rival that Diana thought it best for her to handle matters personally. She was due back shortly, thankfully. She shifted closer to her daughter and wrapped one arm around her, "I can say with certainty that you'll definitely find someone. It just takes longer for some people than it does with others. I was very lucky to have your Mama in my life for such part of it."

The pink hair Princess nodded, "How will I know when I meet them though?"

"I'm going to tell you something my mother told me." She said and paused as she rubbed her arm lightly. "You'll have a strong connection with that person. It'll be stronger than what you feel with the Sailor Quartet. You might not recognize the difference at first, I know that I didn't right away, but you will and when you do, you will know that person is your soulmate." She continued to rub her arm even after she finished, but she was no longer looking at her daughter, instead staring off into the distance with a large smile spread across her lips.

Small Lady followed her mother's gaze and quickly found her own smile growing, any further questions flew from her mind in that moment.

Serenity gave her a one armed hug before saying, "Go show her how much she was missed." That was all the urging the Princess needed as she jumped off the bench and ran full speed at her newly returned parent. Serenity followed at a much slower pace as she knew the other woman would be forced to stop as soon their daughter crashed into her. She smiled as Diana caught her midstride and twirled her around once before placing her back on the ground.

"I was only gone a couple days!" She exclaimed with a laugh in her voice.

"We still missed you! Right, Mother?" Small Lady asked as she looked over her shoulder.

Serenity was already stepping even with her wife as she said, "We always miss you no matter the length you are gone." She leaned forward after giving her a quick kiss, "How did it go?" She questioned quietly.

"It went fine." She whispered back, letting Serenity know that things probably didn't go fine. She smiled a moment later though before loudly announcing, "I'm really glad to be back with my girls!" She once again picked her daughter up, this time planting a kiss on her cheek.

Small Lady giggled softly when her Mama kissed her a second time before putting her down again, between her parents, each one taking a hand as they began walking towards the palace.

Chibi-Usa hung her head despite her previous thoughts. It had never occurred to her that when she did find that person that they might not feel the same, that perhaps all she was interested in was friendship. It was painful to think about but still, she knew that if that's all she'd get from the other girl, she could live with that. At this second though, she wasn't sure if she could live with her in the most literal sense. That was something that she needed to address sooner rather than later because she knew Hotaru would likely be arriving soon.

There were other things to think about as well-such as did she tell her? And if she didn't could she possibly act the same as before, realizing what she does now? She sighed and gripped the fabric of the comforter as her mind raced with the pros and cons of each option. Luck didn't appear to be on her side because she was still without a decision as she heard the doorknob being turned. Her eyes immediately focused on the door, even as she half dreaded and half anxiously waited for the other girl to appear.

A moment later the door cracked open a little, but stopped as Hotaru's voiced called from the other side, "Are you decent?"

Chibi-Usa looked down at herself; she'd completely forgotten that the other girl suggested she change into something more comfortable, "Y-Yes!" She answered after a few seconds when she realized the other was waiting for her response. She heard the door open further and began an explanation before she could be questioned, "I'm sorry, I didn't change like you suggested." She said even before Hotaru closed the door.

Once she was fully inside and had closed the bedroom door, she waved off the statement, "It's fine. Whenever you want to wear is fine of course." She took a few more steps inside before asking, "Did you just sit up here then?"

"I-I was just thinking." The future Princess said simply.

"Oh yeah, what about?" The dark haired girl asked, smiling slightly as she stepped closer.

"Perhaps it would be for the best if I went to live with Mama at her shrine again." Chibi-Usa said softly, looking at the floor, not really wishing to meet the other girl's eyes.

Hotaru's smile completely dropped at what she just heard, that was definitely not what she could have guessed, a million miles from it in fact. She couldn't stop herself from asking for some kind of clarification, "W-What? What did you say?"

Chibi-Usa sighed softly before saying, "I think you would be more comfortable if I wasn't constantly around you." She hazarded to look at the other girl as she said that, but she regretted it almost instantly. Though she was still a fair distance away, she could clearly see the hurt in her eyes reflected back at her.

"Why would you think that?" Hotaru asked quickly.

Chibi-Usa lowered her gaze, not sure how much of herself she was willing to expose if it meant she was going to be hurt as a result, so she decided to go a different direction. "I just saw how much you were against the idea that we may have been flirting, not that I'm saying that I was…and I know how I can be…"

"Wait." Hotaru interrupted the other girl before she could say anymore and reached over, placing her hands on top of hers. "That is not why I reacted like I did." She said and squeezed her hands, willing the other girl to look at her. Whether it was her will that influenced her or it was her own, Chibi-Usa stared at her with brow in a deep frown.

"Why did you then?" The pink haired girl asked, not wanting to waste time. She wanted to know, but more than anything she wanted some hope.

"I…." Hotaru began but stopped almost as soon as she started. If she told her the truth behind her reaction, she'd have to tell her everything, it wouldn't be right not to or at least it wouldn't feel right. How she reacted earlier clearly caused the other girl to assume some things that were honestly the opposite of what she wants. She might not have a decided what she felt towards the girl currently sitting on her bed, but wanting distance between definitely wasn't what she wanted.

She rubbed her hands together and found herself pacing for a few seconds. She stopped and took a deep breath, a part of her wanted to sit on the bed beside the future Princess, but she stopped herself. She didn't want to let being close to the other girl affect her resolve to fully explain herself. "I'm going to try to get this all out at once, so if possible please don't interrupt me."

"I have no intention of doing that. I want to hear your truth." Chibi-Usa replied quickly, not wanting to leave any doubt in her words.

'My truth…' Hotaru repeated in her head. She sighed and lowered her head. The truth was something she hid from herself for too long, so long that she missed any opportunity she may have had at one point. This girl knows nothing of her past with the other Chibi-Usa and therefore the conflict it caused within her about the very girl with her now. 'I guess that's why we are in this situation…and this girl with me right now doesn't deserve to be hurt because of my own messed up conflict.' She thought. She shook her head a moment later because she knew those thoughts wouldn't help her with this.

"No one has really told you much about the girl that we all remember coming from the future, right? The girl that we came to know as the daughter of Usagi-san and Mamoru-san." She began and looked at the other girl for confirmation, though pretty much knew already. Chibi-Usa shook her head no, making her crack a small smile as she held true to her word about not interrupting even when she was the one to ask a question. "She was incredibly kind and believed in me even when I did nothing to deserve it."

Chibi-Usa nearly protested the other girl's statement, but quickly closed her mouth before a word could slip passed her lips. She didn't exactly like how Hotaru thought so little of herself, but she promised not to interrupt. She regretted that at the moment.

"I told you before that my existence was always meant to bring an end to things and bring about their revival afterwards. When Haruka-san, Michiru-san, and Setsuna-san concluded that I was to become Sailor Saturn they tried to eliminate me before I could become a Sailor Senshi…" She paused when she heard a sharp breath from the girl in front of her. She had her hand over her mouth, likely to prevent herself from saying anything. She realized that she needed to explain that she held no ill will against her fellow guards, "I don't blame them though. The role of the Outer guard has always been to eliminate threats before they could become dangerous; they were always the first line of defense so they were only doing what their instincts told them to do. I would have done the same in their position."

She didn't exactly like Hotaru's explanation or reasoning, but she couldn't exactly say so at the moment. She didn't think that they could have even succeeded in stopping Saturn's rebirth like that anyway, but that was beside the point.

"The only reason I brought that up is because she and Usagi-san protected me and made it clear that I wasn't to be harmed no matter who I could become." She continued, letting herself smile for a moment at the memory before her face became neutral, "I repaid that kindness by literally taking her heart." She said and closed her eyes afterward, clenching her fists tightly at her sides at the same time. It took her a few seconds to realize that it probably needed a better explanation. She opened her eyes, but kept her hands clenched as she spoke again, "Remember that I told you about the accident that killed my mother and injured me too as well as the deal my father made?" She said and waited a moment to see if she recalled her telling her about that. It took a moment, but the pink haired girl nodded, so she continued, "The being that was using my body needed a pure heart to become strong enough to take over and she got that with her heart. And I guess that brings me to my truth."

Chibi-Usa inched forward a little as she waited to hear what the other girl was going to say. There was a knot that had apparently formed in her stomach at some point. She certainly had some assumptions that were floating around in her head, given the way the dark haired girl spoke, but she wanted to hear everything expressed from her own lips. She couldn't help feeling as though meeting Hotaru after this other girl, who she could have been in a different lifetime, was a cruel twist of fate.

"I struggled for a long time to become myself again. I hurt a lot of people while she controlled me, but I couldn't do anything to stop her. It seemed the harder I tried, the weaker my spirit became. She was my beacon of hope that I kept fighting to get back to because I knew if I continued like I was; she wouldn't survive either, not without her heart crystal. I just wanted to do everything in my power to save her because I couldn't do anything to stop her heart crystal from being taken in the first place." She paused for a moment. "At some point I think I realized why I was fighting so hard. She was my only friend, but she was really a lot more than that, I loved her. It was that realization that I think helped me overcome Mistress Nine."

Chibi-Usa lowered her gaze to the ground, away from the other girl. She didn't know what the right thing to say was, but she felt the need to apologize, even if she wasn't at fault for anything, "I'm sorry. I'm sorry that I'm not that girl. I can't imagine how hard it is look at me and wish I was…"

"That's not what I'm trying to say." Hotaru quickly cut the other girl off, forcing her to look at her again. Hotaru's eyes sparked with unshed tears as she bit her lower lip painfully, "I know that you aren't and I don't want you to be her; that's not fair. I reacted like I did because Haruka-san knows about my feelings you and her."

"For me?" The future Princess asked quickly.

Hotaru looked a little surprised by the question, "You must know that I care about you."

Chibi-Usa looked away and gripped the bedsheets firmly, "I was beginning to doubt…"

Hotaru stared at the floor as she spoke again, "I'm sorry that I made you feel like that. I've just been so conflicted about things because I wasn't ever able to even tell her because she was unconscious when I returned her heart crystal and I became a baby after that, so I just…" She covered her eyes with her hands and dropped to her knees.

As soon as she saw how upset Hotaru was, Chibi-Usa got off the bed and knelt in front of Hotaru and started to lean forward, but hesitated for a moment. She looked at the sobbing girl and closed her eyes tightly, allowing a few tears to escape her own eyes. 'I can't just sit here and not do anything to comfort her.' She thought and opened her eyes once again. Before she let her mind muddle things further for her, she quickly moved forward and enveloped the other girl in a warm hug. She didn't say anything immediately, but she'd been on the receiving end of comfort from her mothers enough in the past to know what helped her. She rocked the other girl back and forth until she calmed down. Once her tears had slowed, she stopped rocking her and proceeded to rub her back soothingly, which was another thing she'd learned from her parents. She felt like she understood a little better what was troubling her so much, she never got any closure.

Hotaru seemed to finally regain her composure as she pulled away a little and wiped her eyes with her hands, "I'm sorry." She said softly, but Chibi-Usa was more than close enough to hear.

"You don't need to apologize at all. It's much better to let your feelings out than to bottle them up. I'm glad to be able to help you this time." She said with a small smile.

The dark haired girl nodded a moment later, "I do want you to know that there are some things I do know and one of those it that I want to be by your side, I don't want there to be distance between us. I know that being apart from you is the last thing that I want because the thought of that hurts."

Chibi-Usa nodded, but didn't say anything immediately. It wasn't that she wanted that either but the thought that her existence was the reason for her pain, it seemed that there was even more of a reason to make sure she was as far away as possible. Forcing that issue right now though didn't feel right, nor was adding her feelings on to her shoulders, there would be another time for that she was sure. "I understand. I was only trying to give you some space."

Hotaru smiled slightly before saying, "I know and it's partially my fault because I probably should have just talked to you first. I'm just not the best when it comes to talking about this, but I also didn't want you to feel any guilt because nothing is your fault."

Chibi-Usa looked away as she said that, "You say that but…" She paused when she felt at hand on her cheek, urging her to look at the girl across from her. She let her lead her head back to its previous position until she found herself staring into her companion's regal purple eyes.

"I don't want you to disappear. That is the last thing that I want." She said and dropped her hand from her face to take her hand. "I understood when I came back as Sailor Saturn that the choices we needed to make to help Rei-san likely meant never seeing that girl again and I have no regret about that, I came to terms with that. I'll admit it was hardest when you first came here, but I understand you are not the girl I knew before, but that doesn't make me want to know you any less. I've enjoyed every moment that I've been lucky enough to learn more about you."

The pink haired girl could feel her eyes sting with unshed tears and at that moment she felt an overwhelming urge to kiss the girl in front of her. She never felt that desire before and even though she wanted to, now didn't feel like the right time, for Hotaru at least, so she pushed that thought aside and did a more acceptable gesture. She moved forward and wrapped her arms tightly around the other girl. She felt Hotaru's arms encircle her a moment later as she whispered, "Thank you Taru-chan."

Hotaru smiled even though the other girl couldn't see. Saying you're welcome didn't seem like the right thing so she said what she felt was more appropriate, "I should be thanking you, really." She said it so softly, not really trying to let her hear, but being right next to her ear that was pretty impossible.

"Are you thanking me for wanting to get to know you? Because if you are, that is unnecessary as I told you, I wanted that from the beginning too." Chibi-Usa whispered back, not willing to relinquish their hug just yet.

"I remember." Hotaru said softly. She knew that it needed to be the other girl to initiate anything because she was worried about potentially misdirecting her feelings onto her, but now that time has passed and she has really gotten to know this girl, maybe even better than the girl she could have been, perhaps they wouldn't have been entirely misplaced. Maybe it was just fate…

Rei lay in her bed, staring at the ceiling in her room. She'd been trying to sleep for what felt like hours, but the reality was that it couldn't be much more than 30 or 40 minutes. She wanted nothing more than to flip a switch and turn off her mind, but things didn't work that easily. Sleep didn't seem to be in her near future so with a groan, she pushed her blankets to the side and sat up. 'I need to clear my head.' She thought and got up walked out of her room.

A part of her wanted to meditate with the Great Fire, but fresh air was probably the better option. She didn't know if that holy fire would react poorly to her so soon after using that energy, she expected that there was a chance that it would reject her and that was something she'd rather not risk. It was rather late so the shrine was closed, but she still made her way to the back courtyard, which wasn't open to the general public even earlier in the day. She slid open the door that lead outside and stepped on to the cobblestone, shivering a little as her bare feet made contact with the stone. 'I should have put on some sandals or something…' She thought ideally as she slid the door shut before taking a few steps away from the building.

She took a deep breath and closed eyes even as she turned her toward the stars. It was a cool evening, but not so cold that she needed a jacket or anything. A moment later, she heard a caw to her left. She quickly turned to the source of the sound and saw her two ravens staring at her, cocking their heads to the side from time to time. "Phobos! Deimos!" She crouched down and extended her hand to the two black birds. "I'm sorry that I've ignored you both for so long." She said and petted each bird on their head. She let her hand fall to her side after she gave each raven attention. "I need help so I'm glad to see you both." She pleaded and watched both birds flap their wings, lifting themselves off the ground before their bodies began to glow and in a flash of light two identical girls appeared in place of the two ravens, each kneeling before Rei. They wore virtually identical leotards except one wore red and other wore purple, each with a black star on their chests. They both wore the same hair style and had long black hair, though incidentally each girl's eye color reflected the color of the other's outfit.

Rei smiled as recognized the two women before her. She did not travel much to Mars in her time after she became Sailor Mars in her previous life, but she did meet these girls on one of the first occasions that she did. They were meant to be her bodyguards and counselors had she never gone to the moon. They were one of the only things she found enjoyable about her visits to her home planet. Her interactions with them were always pleasant, though they hardly seemed like the bodyguard types. They were loyal to her even without ever truly taking the positions they trained to do. She did believe they would have become friends if things had played out differently, "I did not expect to see you both in this lifetime."

"We were always with you Princess." Deimos, the girl in red, stated with a smile.

"We were just waiting for you call on us." Phobos, the girl in purple, said wearing a matching smile.

Rei hung her head at that statement. She knew that she didn't mean it in a bad way, but it made her feel as though she had neglected them and being honest with herself, she had. "I know I said it already, but I'm sorry for neglecting you. Had I realized…"

"Please Princess, you needn't apologize." Deimos said, cutting her charge off.

"Yes, we are only happy that we can be of assistance to you now." Phobos explained further, not losing her smile in the slightest.

Rei couldn't help smiling at their words, "I'm glad to have you here." She paused for a moment before beginning to pace back and forth in front of the twins, "I just hope you'll be able to help me."

"What did you need, Princess?" Deimos asked quickly, inching a little closer, a move mirrored by her twin.

Rei looked between both girls, hoping that they would have some knowledge about how to control this troublesome energy, "Can you sense anything different about me?"

They both nodded at the same time, "We knew from the time you returned some time ago, when you were taken." Phobos stated.

Rei gave them a quick nod, she had a feeling they would already understand at least a little, which made things a little easier to explain, or at least that's what she was hoping to accomplish. She took a sit in front of the two girls and crossed her legs, "I was wondering if there is any way either of you can think of that I can block the energy's malicious intentions. I already tried blocking it out completely and that only worked for short time." She paused for a few seconds before explaining, "I tapped into that energy because I couldn't let anyone I care about get hurt, but I can almost feel it on the edge of my consciousness waiting for another opportunity try and take me over. I need to be able to control it, rather than it control me. Do think that's possible?"

The two girls looked at each, as though they were having a silent conversation amongst themselves. A couple seconds later they turned back to her, "You are asking because you intend to use that power again?" Deimos asked.

"If I need to, yes." Rei admitted simply.

"You do understand that that could be very dangerous, Princess." Phobos said cautiously.

"I do, that is why I wanted a way to control it." Rei said seriously. She had other options to explore if they didn't have any possible solutions, but being able to actually talk with them in human bodies, rather than ravens, she was hopeful.

Both girls looked to be lost in their own thoughts for several minutes and Rei was beginning to lose hope that they could have a possible solution, when the red eyed girl suddenly announced, "What about the mantra of clarity?"

Deimos eyes widened a moment later, when she launched into her sister, hugging her fiercely, "You are brilliant, Phobos!"

Rei was happy that they seemed to be pleased with their conclusion, but she didn't know what they were talking about, "I'm not exactly sure what that is." Rei interjected.

"It's like an empowering prayer to the old Gods. You'll need something that can focus on in order to keep your mind your own." Deimos began to say, when Rei interrupted with the most logical thing in her mind.

"I have Usagi."

The twins smiled at each other for a moment before saying together, "We mean something you can have with you."

"It should probably something small to always have on your person." Phobos explained further.

"But having it be something related to the Moon Princess might not be a bad idea." Deimos chimed in.

"Related to both of them would be better." Phobos added.

Rei nodded and tried to think of what could possibly work for how they were describing. She could recall a few things that might work from their previous lives, but that wasn't very useful because all of those things were lost to time. There wasn't nearly as much that came to mind in this lifetime, but perhaps she could simply create an object like they were describing with Usagi.

"Then you would need to recite a mantra to empower yourself from the energy's influence and protect yourself." Deimos said with a smile.

"Now we can't promise anything Princess, but that is the best solution we know and…" Phobos said, doing her best to reiterate the need for caution, but before she could finish her thought she was enveloped in a hug.

"Thank you." Rei whispered softly before pulling away from the other girl and hugging Deimos as well. She thanked her as well, before looking at both girls, "I will try anything that could help me because I can't lose myself."

"We are just glad that we can be of assistance to you." Deimos said, once again wearing a smile.

"I'm sorry that I never had a real opportunity to get to know the both of you back then." Rei said softly, looking down slightly.

Deimos laughed almost immediately afterwards, "No you aren't." She said causing the miko to look up quickly.

"Yes, because you met the Moon Princess." Phobos added.

Rei smiled at that, because that was without a doubt true. There was much that she would change about her past but being chosen to become the avatar of Mars and meeting Serenity was absolutely not one of them. Still, she couldn't help feeling that some things may have gone differently if she had perhaps taken them to the moon with her when she met them. She'll just never know though, which did make her regret things a little more. When she first met the persistent ravens in this life, it was even before she awoke as Sailor Mars; she didn't even know why she named them Phobos and Deimos, but she must have known on a subconscious level. "We can get to know each other in this life though!" Rei exclaimed optimistically.

"Unfortunately, we cannot remain in these forms for very long Princess." Deimos explained, finally losing her smile at those words.

"This planet and this lifetime is one without sustained magic at least ours, but perhaps we will in the future!" Phobos said with a hint of excitement at the end.

"We are not going anywhere though, Princess!" Deimos added as she began to glow.

"So, please talk to us whenever you wish!" Phobos exclaimed and began to glow as well.

Rei nodded quickly before saying, "I will. I won't go so long without talking with you both again, I promise." As soon as the words left her mouth the two girls shifted back into ravens, each cawing at her happily, if she didn't know any better. She smiled and patted each bird on their head and stood up after, "I'll do what you suggested. Thank you for all of your help!" She exclaimed and walked back towards the shrine. As she reached the door, she looked over her shoulder and saw her two ravens still watching her, "Thank you, Phobos and Deimos!"

Hotaru felt the slightly smaller girl tighten her hold around her midsection a little as she mumbled something unintelligible, so she responded in kind. She hadn't expected to have a conversation about the girl she knew as Chibi-Usa before, but now that she had her chest felt a little lighter. She'd never said the words out loud to anyone, so maybe that was why she felt better. She knew that she would never see that girl again and it still made her sad, but she was coming to terms with that.

The girl currently clinging to her was a kinder person than she even deserved, she was pretty sure of that fact. Understanding that she did in fact have feelings for her was one thing, she wasn't oblivious to how she felt, but understanding had definitely been a process. It was hard to wrap her mind around how she could have feelings for both incarnations of the future Princess. There was still a part of her that felt as though she was betraying a girl that she would never meet again. She wasn't sure how long that may last, but she didn't think she could think of pursuing anything until that feeling passed.

There was still the fact that she likely didn't exist in the future. That was something she tried not to think about, but couldn't ignore forever. She knew that Chibi-Usa was completely in the dark about why she never met her in the future and the only one who might have any knowledge wasn't with them anymore, though she did remember Chibi-Usa saying that she was sure to be reborn again, there wasn't really any telling when that would be. And being so unsure about her own existence in the future made any thoughts about the future difficult, especially ones relating to the future Princess.

She sighed and a moment later she felt the other shift, making her think that she may have woken her up. Thankfully she still seemed to be asleep, she just repositioned herself slightly. Once she was settled, she mumbled something again, but this time she understood or maybe she just spoke clearer.

"Ho..taru…"

The dark haired girl almost immediately felt her cheeks warm. She wasn't sure why but it seemed like such an intimate thing, even though she didn't know she was saying it, she was dreaming after all. 'Then that meant that she was dreaming about me…' She thought but quickly tried to drive that idea away. She usually tried to hide things, but she still tended to where her emotions on her sleeve, 'If she felt anything for me, she would have said something.' She reasoned with herself.

She looked over to her desk and saw how late it was and closed her eyes a couple seconds later, 'Maybe I just misheard her…' She told herself before deciding that it was way too late to think straight and focused on trying to get some sleep as soon as she could.

Ikuko was pleasantly surprised to find Usagi was already awake and getting her school uniform ready, at the time she usually was just getting her to wake up. An added plus was that she didn't find anyone else in her daughter's room too, not that she expected that she would after their conversation. So the first time in a while, her daughter actually had the time to sit down and eat a decent breakfast rather than just some toast or a granola bar. She was nearly finished but there were still a few minutes before she needed to leave.

Kenji sat next to Usagi at the table, sipping his coffee as he read the morning paper. He was in his own world, so he probably wouldn't even be paying attention. She put her own cup down on the counter and spoke to her daughter, "I was surprised when you came home last night without Rei accompanying you."

Usagi looked up from her plate as she swallowed the last of her breakfast, "She was really tired last night, so I told her that she didn't need to walk me home." She explained.

Her mother nodded slightly before speaking again, "I see. Will we see her tonight?"

Usagi got up and took her plate over to the sink and began to clean it as she answered, "Maybe, I'll have to ask her."

The older woman nodded again as she said, "Well your father should be home a little after five, you know."

She finished cleaning her plate and grabbed a towel to dry it before putting it away, "I'll ask her, I promise." She knew this conversation was inevitable, but she also didn't want to put Rei through any stressful conversation if she wasn't feeling completely up to it and that was her priority. Her parents weren't going anywhere.

"Okay, well just let me know, sweetie." Ikuko quietly.

For his part, Kenji was completely oblivious to the hidden meanings behind the words in their conversation. He simply continuing to read while drinking his morning coffee. Before anything more could be said though the last member of the household made himself known, "Whoa, who are you and what have you done with my sister?" Shingo asked.

Usagi rolled her eyes at her brother, "I'm going to go to school." She said and hugged her mother briefly before walking over to her father and gave him a quick kiss on his cheek, finally bringing him back to reality, "See you later, Otou-san."

As she was leaving the room she heard her brother yell, "Don't give your teacher a heart attack!"

"Shut up, Shingo!" She called back and slipped her shoes on before heading out.

End Ch. 21

So, I finished this chapter surprisingly fast, probably for two reasons; it just flowed really well for me and it took my mind off things going on in my personal life, this was helpful. About the chapter, I've always been of the mindset that I needed Hotaru to actually talk about and work through her feeling for Usagi and Mamoru's daughter's before anything could hope to move forward with Chibi-Usa in this story, as I think I've made clear she is a different person here. This felt like the right time to address that. I hope that Chibi-Usa's own conclusion in here doesn't feel abrupt, as it felt real to this character for me. Not only that, you can be sure that some flashback for her wasn't the only time she talked about soulmates with her mother.

I was happy to finally bring in Phobos and Deimos here too. It feels a bit wrong that I didn't really mention them before and so I thought showing their "human" forms would be most appropriate, so that Rei could truly communicate with them. The technique I described in here is actually used by psychics in real life to 'take ownership of their own mind', so it felt like a realistic technique to have Rei attempt. Whether she will be successful is yet to be seen…

I forgot to make mention and thank the guest review, which I could not reply to. So let me do that now, thank you for taking the time to write such kind words, I appreciate it.

Lastly I wanted to say, thank you once again to doggysmoo for being my beta on this.