Hi! Thanks for your reviews :) Cracks me up reading some of them!
Just and FYI - I may or may not have time to post another chapter for the next couple of weeks because I have finals coming up. Sorry! Gomen-nasai! I'll try tho but no promises.
KK ENJOY!

The dash back to Ami's apartment remained silent. Usagi, while worried, had no idea what was going on but there was so much tension in the air that she knew she shouldn't ask questions until later. Seiya was extremely concerned – this was one of his best friends… his family… and he didn't know what had happened to him. He focussed on getting to him to see the situation before interrogating Ami. Ami, on the other hand, was silently contemplating how to handle the current situation as Seiya was now involved. It was going to be a sticky situation if her plan didn't work…

Rei jumped up when everyone barged into the apartment. She was expected the girls and the guardian cats, but most definitely not Seiya. And it didn't help that he turned pale at the sight of his unconscious friend laying on the couch. His expression gradually became one of fear and anger…

"What happened!?" He demanded at Ami and Rei. They flinched when he yelled at them; not even Usagi had seen him like this. While still taken aback by his tone, the girls were only glad it was not Yaten in front of them. They remembered how hot-tempered and threatening Yaten could become especially when his friends were injured – like that time Seiya protected Sailor Moon.

Neither one of the girls spoke for a moment… they didn't know where to start.

Usagi slipped her hand into Seiya's, drawing his attention to her. Her face was pale, worried about Taiki as well, but kind. "Seiya, calm down." She gave him a warm smile to reassure him and somehow, it worked. Seiya relaxed slightly upon seeing her face and feeling the warmth that radiated from her. Usagi turned her attention to Ami, "You said you needed my help?" Confused as to what she could do, the blonde was still determined to do anything she could.

Ami exchanged a look with Rei. Rei eyed the couple holding hands and quickly turned to face the unconscious Taiki again, clenching her jaws. Ami saw it and understood that Rei too felt terrible about revealing the truth to Usagi… but they had no other choice now. Not when Taiki was like this.

"Usagi-chan," Ami's voice quivered. She sighed deeply and mustered whatever courage she had, "please sit down and close your eyes. You'll understand soon enough."

Even though she didn't understand, Usagi obliged. She, along with Seiya, sat down on the floor around the coffee table facing the couch where Taiki lay. She took one last look at Taiki and turned to look at Seiya. He looked into her bright blue eyes and Usagi could see the worry in his eyes… she wasn't entirely sure if he was worried only about Taiki anymore or that he too felt a sense of dread for what was about to come. Their grip on each other's hand tightened slightly, never breaking apart. Usagi looked forward again and closed her eyes.

Ami was about to pick up her purse with the two cats in them when Luna jumped out, "Ami-chan… let me." She whispered quietly. Seeing the blue-haired senshi nod, Luna jumped up on the table delicately and stood in front of Usagi. She gave Seiya a quick glance and saw the confusion in his eyes.

Seiya look at the black cat skeptically but didn't say anything… there was so much tension in the room. He looked around – Rei sitting quietly beside the couch, Ami standing on the other side of it looking down at Taiki, and a white cat had walked up to sit by a leg of the coffee table. Everyone looked so forlorn. He turned his attention back to Luna when he noticed the crescent moon shine brightly, imprinting on to the forehead of his Odango. Although peculiar, he waited silently to see what would happen.

In minutes, the light from the crescent moon faded. Everyone waited to see how Usagi would react.

She slowly opened her eyes… they were full of tears.

"Luna," she whispered as she saw her guardian cat standing in front of her. She quickly lunged forward to embrace her friend, letting go of Seiya's hand.

So glad to hear her friend call her by her name again, Luna sobbed quietly into her golden tresses. This whole time she had been living with Usagi, she had yet to name her.

When they parted, Luna could see tears streaming down Usagi's face.

Usagi scanned the room… "Artemis, Ami, Rei," their faces looked relieved and eyes brimming with tears. They were glad it worked; it was like seeing a long-lost friend again. Her eyes eventually landed on Seiya.

"Seiya…" the pain in her face was unbearable to everyone in the room. Fresh tears spilled down her face and she pounced forward and buried herself into his chest and sobbed loudly.

"Odango? What's wrong?" He held her tightly, having no idea what was happening or why Usagi was crying. He hated to see her cry. Seiya looked around the room, hoping that someone would tell him, but his eyes were only met with shameful eyes from the other people in the room. "What is going on?" His voice was full of anger now – he wanted answers.

Hearing him, Usagi pulled away and sat back up. She wiped away the tears on her face and spoke as normally as she possibly could, "Sorry Seiya…" she gave a quick glance at everyone and continued, "Sorry everyone… this was all my fault." She looked up into the midnight blue eyes that she loved so much and tried to contain the tears that threatened to fall.

Seiya could tell that she was begging for forgiveness… as to why, he had no idea. He lifted his hands and cupped her cheeks gently. His voice was so soft, "Odango, whatever it is, I'll always love you. Whatever happens, I'll always be here for you." He smiled at her and leaned forward, planting a soft kiss on her forehead.

A tear slipped down her pale face. His words calmed her slightly but the guilt was growing up inside of her.

Everyone else in the room remained quiet, letting the two have their time together… which could very well be their last.

After a few more moments of silence, Usagi returned to her original sitting position facing Taiki and everyone else. Her eyes darkened as she placed her hands in front of her chest. Like she did a lifetime ago, she concentrated her energy until she felt the same sensation she had once did. A faint glow emanated from within her palms. It grew steadily brighter. As she opened her hands, everyone could see the crystal flower that emitted the pink glow.

"The Silver Crystal… Usagi… you didn't…" Artemis looked surprised. Looking around, he saw Luna and Rei had the same expression he did… shock. Most surprisingly, he noticed Ami's expression was one of guilt. "You knew all this time didn't you?" He spoke to her.

"I had a feeling..." Her eyes flickered at Seiya and they understood. Ami was trying to let Usagi live her life as she wanted.

Usagi did not miss the interaction between Ami and Artemis. She gave Ami a small smile to show that she appreciated what Ami hadn't done until now.

"Odango…" Until now Seiya wasn't sure what to say, or to what… should he be surprised that the cat just spoke or ask about the crystal that appeared out of nowhere. It was too much for him to handle… he didn't know what to think or feel anymore.

"Sorry Seiya," she repeated herself. "Just close your eyes. You'll understand in a moment."

They took one last look into each other's eyes… one last loving look as he closed his eyes.

Usagi's eyes turned back to the Silver Crystal she held in her hands and she whispered almost inaudibly, "Please help me…" A single tear slipped down her face before the crystal shone brightly.

The light quickly engulfed the whole room and soon, it spread rapidly on the windows and flashed across the entire world. The brilliance of the crystal continued to pulsate as it covered the entire world, leaving a warm feeling within everyone.

The light soon dimmed but the warmth lingered. Usagi placed her hands back over her chest and the Silver Crystal dissolved back inside her.

Seiya opened his eyes and was the first to speak, "Odango…" His voice was quiet, face unreadable.

At the sound of her name, she slowly opened her eyes and turned to face him. Usagi didn't know what he was going to say or how he would react… she was scared…

"I still love you."

He didn't need to say anymore. Usagi had leapt forward and was sobbing hard as they embraced each other. A few tears had fallen down Seiya's face as he held on to his love tightly. There was nothing else they needed to say to each other… he had felt everything he needed to through her light.

Ami, Rei, Luna, and Artemis looked at them with heavy hearts, completely forgetting about Taiki until he stirred.

It was Ami who reacted first, "Taiki-san are you alright?" She helped him sit up.

"Just a slight headache." He looked into her baby blue eyes and smiled, "Don't wor…"

He was cut off as Ami hugged him, "I'm so glad you're alright."

He patted her back softly, "Thanks."

Rei felt awkward being surrounded by the couple cleared her throat to catch their attention, "Sorry to interrupt, but I think we need an explanation."

Both couples broke apart.

Taiki and Ami looked at Usagi. She avoided everyone's gaze and looked down at her lap… she felt so guilty.

Seiya raised his hands and gently rubbed away the tears on her face with his thumbs. It was only then did she have the courage to look up at him, "Odango, I told you earlier… Whatever happens, I'll always be here for you." He gave her a smile to encourage her.

"Wait." Taiki interrupted. All heads turned towards him now, "Yaten and Princess Kakyuu should know as well." Seiya nodded and Taiki proceeded to call them.

"I'll go get Mako-chan" was all Artemis said before he leapt out the window. Being in the past, they did not have her number.

"I don't believe anyone else is in town." Luna assured Usagi. The cat could tell Usagi was getting uncomfortable at the mention of so many names. She knew it was going to be a difficult talk for her even without so many people.

And so… they sat in silence until the others arrived.

Ami's apartment was a little cramped once everyone who could come had arrived – Luna, Artemis, Usagi, Ami, Rei, Mako, Seiya, Yaten, Taiki, and Kakyuu. The others will have to be filled in once they return to Tokyo.

It was Artemis who broke the ice, "So hello again everyone. By now, your memories should have returned and have questions about what happened."

"So?" Yaten was slumped into the couch next to his princess with his arms crossed, glaring at everyone. He was completely frustrated; remembering the past made him remember how much he wanted to return home and restore his home planet. Yet here they are… still stuck on Earth. "What happened?"

Usagi shifted uncomfortably and kept her eyes on her hands as she scrunched up her pants. It pained Seiya to see her like that. So, since he sat next to her, he reached over and placed his hand over one of hers. He spoke to her softly, "Odango? It's ok. I'm here."

Hearing his voice gave her the courage to look up at him. She saw him smiling the smile she loved so much. Sighing, she looked back down at her hands and started, "I'm sorry everyone. During the last battle, I released the power of the Silver Crystal… and it heard my concerns and my desire."

"What!?" Yaten's tone came out incredibly harsh, making Usagi flinch slightly. It wasn't because he was angry; it was more that he wasn't sure what she meant by that.

Kakyuu noticed and placed a hand on Yaten's shoulder and shook her head. She understood why the boy was upset but knew that being upset at Usagi was not helping the situation. "Healer, please let her continue." She turned her attention back towards Usagi and spoke gracefully, "Usagi-san, the Silver Crystal… that is your star seed correct?" Usagi nodded silently, afraid to speak again.

Luna took over for her and replied to Kakyuu, "The Silver Crystal is her star seed. It is also her source of power." Being outsiders, Luna thought it best to explain it to them, "The Silver Crystal possesses tremendous power and is possibly the single most powerful artifact in the universe. It focusses the energy of the user to perform whatever she desires, be it to defeat an enemy or to revive an entire world from ruin. But since the power is derived from the life force of the user, the strain of using it often causes the user to lose their life."

Hearing this, Seiya's hold on Usagi tightened a little. He didn't know the risk of using it could be so high.

Luna continued, "Thinking about it now… it all makes sense." She scoffed quietly at herself, "I can't believe I didn't think of it."

It was Taiki who asked next, "So what does the Silver Crystal have to do with our current circumstances?" He was not accusing anyone of their problems; he just wanted answers.

"I…" Usagi started softly, "I… used it…" She took a deep breath before continuing, knowing that she owed an explanation to everyone. "During the last battle with Galaxia, I used the Silver Crystal to overpower the darkness. Even though I was hopeful that my friends would return once Galaxia was defeated, I couldn't be certain. I remember feeling scared about losing them… be it that time or the next time an even more powerful enemy attacked. And also… I remember thinking that…" her voice trailed off. Seiya noticed her grip on his hands tightened and knew what she wanted to say. It made his heart feel warm.

Seiya's smile did not go unnoticed. "You didn't want to lose the Starlights." Luna helped her finish. Usagi nodded as a fresh stream of tears flowed silently down her face.

"So why did it have that adverse effect on us when we remembered something?" Taiki asked.

Usagi wasn't sure why that happened. Luckily, it was Ami who helped answer, "I believe I know the answer to that. When you were reborn into this life, you were reborn as humans. However the four of you were not from Earth, which means your human bodies could not handle the stress of the memories formed by your previous bodies." Seeing the confused looks from Yaten and Seiya, she added, "It's like when a doctor tries to transplant a donor heart into your body. If it is incompatible with your body, your body rejects it. Same concept as with your memories in this case."

Of course, Taiki had understood. He was impressed at her explanation. "How long have you known Mizuno-kun?"

Ami looked directly at him, "It was the only explanation that made sense to me since I know Usagi-chan wouldn't do anything to hurt you guys intentionally." She had initially thought that Usagi might have put up a barrier to block past memories, but it seemed unreasonable as it hurt them. She continued speaking as to answer the next question they had, "I suspected our reincarnation to be Usagi-chan's doing. You see, it was not the first time we were reborn. Queen Selenity of the Moon Kindom gave us new lives on Earth when the Moon Kingdom was destroyed. Sailor Moon had also restored us when we all died during our battle with an evil entity name Metalia. Both incidences were done using the power of the Silver Crystal. So when Artemis and Luna was able to use their powers to restore our memories, I knew this had to be the doing of the Silver Crystal."

It amazed almost everyone in the room that Ami was able to not only discover the truth, but that she had kept it a secret all this time.

"Sorry everyone…" Usagi repeated herself, "I just had to make sure everyone would return and I couldn't bear the thought of never seeing the Starlights again."

"But your light was so bright that time… I didn't sense any doubt when you were up against Galaxia." Yaten was so caught up in the story that he forgot to look angry. But also remembering the light Usagi's starseed emitted was enough to melt the anger.

Usagi thought about it and it seemed like she was going to reply, but she couldn't quite form the words. So Luna stepped in once again to answer for her, "The Silver Crystal follows her heart. So whether or not Usagi was conscious of it, the Silver Crystal reacted to the strong desire in her heart and created this new life."

Listening to everyone, Rei finally spoke, "But we will always have our duties as senshi. We cannot change that."

Ami shook her head, "Usagi's wish was that we could all lead normal lives. It has always been that ever since our battle against Metalia. You're right, we are senshi. But she gave us a chance to be normal teenagers… to relive the life we spent battling enemies and to be able to follow our dreams."

"But we have a duty to protect our future; to build Crystal Tokyo and secure peace. Have you forgotten about Chibi-Usa? She is only alive because Usagi and Mamoru are together but now…" Rei didn't dare finish her sentence but she had spoken enough to get her point across.

Usagi sobbed louder hearing this… she knew Rei was right. But she didn't want to face the truth.

"But somewhere along the way… in our past… Usagi's heart had changed." Luna was looking sympathetically at Usagi. Living with her in this life, she saw how much happier Usagi was compared to her previous life. She knew Seiya was the main reason.

Everyone in the room knew what Luna was subtly hinting at as they saw the couple continue to hold hands.

"So… what now?" Makoto had finally spoken up. She had been listening quietly to everything that had been going on. To her, her duties as a senshi was important. But it didn't bother her that they had been reborn – she knew Usagi's intentions were good. Besides, Usagi and Seiya had befriended her at school and saw how much they loved each other.

"We must return to Kinmouku. While I feel that it has been restored, I must check and I must be with my people." Her voice was gentle, but full of regret. Kakyuu knew how much the boys loved being on Earth and it hurt her that her duties as a princess was going to hurt them. She too had a good life here on Earth and was saddened that she had to leave it behind as well. "I am sorry to say this, but I do require the Starlights to accompany me back to Kinmouku-sei first. I don't know how things are or how much work is needed."

Everyone remained silent. There was so much information that needed to be processed that they didn't quite know how to feel.

Seiya gripped his hand tighter around Usagi's and closed his eyes, trying hard to push down the pain he felt in his heart. It was almost as if he was hoping that this was a nightmare and wanted everything to return to the way it was before.
Taiki and Ami looked at one another… they understood each other. All they could do was just smile bitterly at their unfortunate circumstances.
And Yaten… was just annoyed. Not only was his life turned upside down… or right-side up… he didn't even get one last chance to hear that shrieking voice that use to irritate him. And looking at Seiya-Usagi and Taiki-Ami only furthered his annoyance and dissatisfaction.

Sensing the uneasiness her statement had just made, Kakyuu spoke up again, "I believe we should sleep on it for tonight. It has been a long night and we all need some time to let everything sink in."

"Right," Artemis added on, "we should reconvene tomorrow at the shrine. Everyone else should be arriving back in town by tomorrow." Artemis took a quick peek at Yaten and saw his face had turned from one of frustration to anxiety. He knew the silver-haired boy was eager to see Minako but could tell that it would also unnerve him.

And so, one by one, they left to return home, leaving Ami in her apartment… with Taiki. He decided he needed to talk to her.

Seiya and Usagi walked home together in silence, knowing that they would just end up sitting on the roof quietly just to spend more time with each other as they contemplated their futures.

Everyone was overwhelmed but anxious to know how it would all turn out… knowing that their futures would start tomorrow.

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