Divinity: Fates and the Afterlife

Chapter Fifty-Five


Minako sighed and leaned her back to look at the ceiling, "This is too much information to process in just one take..." she muttered and soon after, closed her eyes, "Complicated too,"

Kunzite took a sip of his tea and put the cup on the coffee table, "As Endymion's right hand and advisor, I felt the obligation to let you and your advisors know." He turned to Artemis, who nodded in gratitude. Minako pursed her lips and took another minute to process what Kunzite had told her about the actions they would have to take as Shitennou and how their strategy has been forming. After his meeting with Endymion, the general went back to Minako's apartment to talk to her about the many changes they would face if there was another attack so she, as leader of the inner senshi would think what's best to do and what course of action to take.

The prince's personal and very cathartic journey was kept in secret, of course, but there was still more Kunzite felt was needed to reveal to his beloved, "Venus, you need to be informed and prepared because your Princess will need your support, we do not know when they are going to return and if they do, how are they going to do it." Venus opened her eyes and turned to Kunzite who had had his intense gaze fixed on her, "What do you mean?" She sat straight on the couch and frowned while shaking her head, still trying to process all the information the general has given her so far, "Kunzite, what do you mean? Is something going to happen to her?"

Kunzite kept his stoic face but the way he was looking at her told Venus more than she was expecting to know, with a sigh, the general leaned his back on the couch, "Endymion might be called to fight but Princess Serenity won't be able to go with him, none of us can, not even us—his Shitennou."

Venus narrowed her eyes, "What?" she leaned closer to her lover "Kunzite... I don't understand, why? To fight? For whom?" Kunzite loved to see the intensity of her bright blue eyes, always so determinant about something. "He is a Polemarchos, Venus, and when in need, he has to lend his powers to Ares and—"

"—Serve as a soldier to the Celestial Army," Artemis mumbled with surprise, finishing the general's sentence, "God Ares has acknowledged him as a part of his army, then," Kunzite nodded at the white cat, "That is correct, Artemis." Venus shook her head, and turned to her guardian and mentor, "You knew about this, Artemis?"

Both, Artemis and Luna nodded, "I was well aware of it since I was an advisor to another jurisdiction to Queen Serenity, my closeness to the Commander and the many political treaties I had to advise with Her Majesty is what gave me the knowledge of such league. It is no secret that Ares is the God of War and as such, he was part of the ascension of Gods to take control and the creation of Olympus. He has trained many great warriors for years but only a few he considered that truly endured the harsh training and the high level of discipline with honor can be worthy to earn the rank of Polemarchos and take part of the Olympian Army."

"Since very young, Endymion was taught the same principles and training that proved he could earn the rank. On Earth he did, but due to his obvious nature and the strained past of his family, it was not the same in the divine realm. But now things have changed, with him fully aware of his capabilities and with God Ares' acknowledgment, it means he has finally taken his rightful place." Kunzite cupped Venus' cheek, "War is drawing close and Ares will need him to fight, but he, being from a different jurisdiction as you Senshi, he has to go alone."

"And you?" Venus frowned, "What about you?"

Kunzite took her hands into his and gave her a soft smile, "We will stay here and take the front, as First in Command of the Shitennou, I have to take his place and lead the others. Venus, this is a preventive strategy of action, we cannot take it as fact just yet but if things do happen to turn this way, Princess Serenity might need to be taken away for protection, and you as her Guardian, have to be there for her."

"I feel like there is more to know, your eyes are telling me so," Venus whispered as she traced Kunzite's jawline with the tip of her fingers and cupped his cheek with her hand, "You know more to the Prince's truth than Princess Serenity does... which is hard for me to believe because he tells her everything. If there is someone that knows that man like an open book, is her."

"That is true,"

"So why is he keeping this from her?"

"He is not keeping anything from her, but putting the conditions the Princess is now into consideration... there is nothing much that can be done at the moment. Telling her all this would only mortify her and she's weak, she needs proper care and attention and he is trying to give her that." Kunzite placed his hand on top of hers, "While he appeared to be in a coma, Endymion was actually preparing for this while regaining his strength. He is different, Venus, the Prince has grown both mentally and in strength—Endymion has become the man we were expecting to have as King two thousand years ago. But now, he has surpassed that expectation and so has the intensity in his energy and aura comparing to how it was back then, it is much more in peace and in control."

"That only means that we have entered the era of Crystal Tokyo—this must be it." Venus looked at the general with wonder, "But, I feel it's changing somehow, the course of things. The way it was supposed to go." Kunzite frowned, "What do you mean?"

Venus remembered the time they traveled to the future with Sailor Pluto's help and witnessed what the future looked like on first hand, what they were told it was. The King and Queen, ruling a utopian world full of beauty and wonders—a land of prosperity, working as one nation. No matter how many times they asked, Pluto never revealed what truly happened in time and what made the world change the way it did but she was certain about something, she remembered clearly the King had no shitennou by his side, like the queen had them as her guardians, and the thought brought sorrow to her heart because it meant that in the end, Kunzite was going to leave her again. If what Kunzite said was true and the terran prince was going to be called by God Ares to be part of the Olympian Army and if the shitennou stayed on Earth, it meant only one thing: Their duty and presence in this world was only to serve their master and then vanish again, like they did when Metallia was defeated—both times.

Minako felt like she could break into tears any minute now as she angrily thought how it didn't matter how many lives she had, the man she claimed as the love of her life was probably not going to stay by her side and it terrified her-it broke her heart and the saddest part was that she was sure Kunzite knew about it too. The irony of being a descendant of the goddess of love and not being able to live that love with the one she chose was a cruel game, "Venus," she heard his low, deep voice calling her several times but she couldn't come out of the eerie place she got herself into. "Was it a decision from the Gods—all this?" Venus looked down, trying to understand and to put the pieces together, "Why do they punish this planet so much? Why do they hate it with such intensity? —I don't understand,"

Artemis looked at her with sad eyes and noticed how the last thread of fate that tied her to Aino Minako was slowly unraveling and letting her go, revealing her true self. All these years she had been hiding and protecting herself from the raw truth of her past with that name, making it more obvious as to why she didn't want to let go; she didn't want to remember what she had lost. To Minako, constructing a lie was much better than facing the truth of her nature, was better for her, or so she so much wanted to believe.

"Venus," the white cat called her name, not as sailor senshi but as the honorary heir of the house of Venus, daughter of the Goddess of Love and Beauty, Aphrodite. Luna closed her eyes and took a deep breath, "Laws were broken—as advisor that is what I would have answered you back then," the black cat looked up at Minako, who was quietly crying on the sofa, "But it is all a thirst for power, one, this planet sure has which is why Queen Serenity tried so much to protect it once the Terran Goddess was sentenced and condemned."

"I feel so powerless..." Venus closed her eyes, "This is how Princess Serenity must have felt when she defended her love for Prince Endymion and I didn't want to listen... this burning feeling in the pit of my stomach, this pain in my chest..." she shook her head, "Venus," Kunzite held her hand tightly, making her turn to look at him, but she didn't let him continue, "Why am I condemned to lose you every time I feel I have you back? Why do we have to be apart?!" her voice broke into heavy, painful sobs "Why do we have such cursed fate?"

Kunzite felt his chest being scrunched and torn into pieces, he pulled her closer to him and wrapped his arms around her protectively, "We knew this was something it might happen, it is not your fate the one that is cursed but mine, sweet Venus—" Venus looked up, "W-What?"

Kunzite looked down at her and shook his head, "I failed as guardian not just once but twice, but I will not allow myself to fail a third time—I do not know how the future looks like, I do not know if I am going to be part of it or not but I will not step aside and do nothing about it. If I die, at least I will do it fighting for a purpose—for you." He wiped her tears with his thumbs softly, "I see the Prince and Princess' awakening as something good—a beacon of hope, back then we were divided, it was a lost cause but now... we can do this, we can fight together. Do not let that vision of the future cloud what it still may be,"

"Pluto said it herself," Venus widened her eyes and turned to Artemis, "The future is always changing, and a good proof of it is how Usagi did not become Queen or gave birth to their child at the age of 22,"

Kunzite widened his gray eyes, "W-What?" his face was one of pure shock, enough to brighten Venus' mellow mood a little, "P-Princess Serenity gives birth to an heir?" he asked with surprise and turned to the blonde, "Ah, that..." Venus chuckled and turned to grab a tissue to dry her tears, "It's a long story, but yes... she was supposed to become a mother when she turned 22 but it didn't happen—obviously."

"I see," Kunzite sighed and scratched the back of his head, "And Sailor Pluto, did she mention anything else?"

"We haven't heard anything from the Outer Senshi since the attack," Luna shook her head, "None of them has contacted or visited Usagi," Venus sighed, "I have been in contact with Neptune, the reason why they have been so under the radar is because Pluto went to the Gates of Space and Time to look for a missing loop from where the enemy might be filtering through while Saturn has been trying to stay as low key as possible, and Uranus... well, she's mad."

"Mad?" Luna frowned, Venus nodded "Yes, mad," she turned to Kunzite who was caressing her arm, "I think she's mad at the Prince..."

Artemis shook his head and frowned confused, "Why would she be mad at him?"

"You never know with her, she is one of a kind..." Venus turned to her mentor and shrugged a shoulder, "I only know she is mad in general, at least that is what Neptune has told me—that she has been in a very bad mood lately, but, if you connect the dots—it's pretty obvious. She hasn't asked for any of them,"

"Well, I suppose the best we can do now is to move out of that apartment," Kunzite muttered and rubbed his chin in thought; Venus widened her eyes like if his words were pure magic and turned "Y-You are moving out?" Kunzite arched his brow, "Well considering how things are going, I think it is the most appropriate thing to do. No matter how much we have tried to remain quiet, there has always been this strange tension between us despite trying to keep things under control—we appreciate the gesture, but we do not want to cause more problems, we have enough already."

Artemis looked at the couple and smiled softly, secretly knowing Venus' deepest feelings. After fighting the Dark Agency, and Venus confronted Kunzite under the influence of the enemy, Artemis later found out about the brief but very pure romance she had with the general during the Silver Millennium while looking after Princess Serenity. In Minako's life, Kunzite's memory had been the most profound and the one that never seemed to let her go, no matter how much she tried to forget him, no matter how much she tried to convince herself, it was always him, the white-haired shitennou—the man that set the high-standard for every man she dated in the past. He turned to his beloved Luna and gave her a smile, one the female feline understood right away being already familiar with the situation between them, "Venus," Artemis looked at her, deciding to adopt her real name with much more naturalness, "We will go check on Mars and see if she has found any clues that could help us decode the enemy's whereabouts,"

"Nephrite still cannot read the stars entirely, he says they are not talking... it is as if they were being corrupted." Kunzite looked at Artemis, hoping the piece of information would help them in the fire readings. Artemis nodded, "I see, so there is still control over them, they are still lurking. General, is it possible for him to keep trying to attempt any contact?"

"I will let him know but I am sure he will continue trying. We know the complexity of the situation and it requires our full attention," Kunzite looked outside the window, "He probably is trying to read them tonight, leave it to us,"

"We will keep in touch then, thank you, General Kunzite." Artemis bowed his head at the shitennou and jumped down the coffee table, followed by Luna as they walked to the door Minako opened for them to allow them to walk out of the apartment. Her heart started pounding her chest like a drum, one strong beat after another in a continuous rhythm, one louder than the last. Her thoughts couldn't stop picturing a reality where Kunzite was not around, it was inconceivable but also possible. She closed her eyes for a minute and tried to hold her tears again when she felt his arms wrapped around her waist and turned her over to meet face to face, "Venus," Kunzite leaned down and murmured in her ear. His warm breath was enough for her to cling to him like if her life depended on it, "Stay with me," she said softly and looked up into his eyes, "I want you here, with me—don't go... don't go Kunzite."

"Not without a fight," Kunzite shook his head and tightened his arms around her and captured her lips in a deep, loving kiss, both feeling scared and madly in love.

O—o—o—o—O

At the other and busiest side of the city, Makoto was ending her shift at the restaurant when she heard Akiyama Masao say goodbye to one of the waitresses. After the very uncomfortable display of emotions that happened not too long ago, the relationship between her and Masao was close to null and since the restaurant had regained its popularity they had little to no time to even try to talk about what happened.

Surprisingly for her, things had toned down at the restaurant. She no longer felt Haruto's pressure and it had been long since he tried to make a move on her again. Suzuki, the sous-chef, still tried to overshadow her with her opulent personality but she decided to follow Nephrite's advice and take the high road.

Makoto began putting her things inside her tote bag when she noticed the young man coming close to her, "Kino-san," she froze and looked up at him a little confused, "Akiyama-san,"

"Kino-san... I—um, I wanted to congratulate you, you've been doing a great job and have managed the new menu very well," Masao although serious he showed little signs of nervousness, Makoto noticed, "Thank you, and congratulations on your promotion—Chef,"

"Thank you," Masao smiled but the awkwardness in the air still hung between them, making this conversation more of an obligation than an actual casual chit-chat. Masao took a deep breath and rubbed his neck shyly, "Kino-san, I want to apologize..." he sighed softly, "For what happened the other day, it was unfair of me to judge you the way I did and to try to take advantage of the situation by hurting your feelings,"

Makoto was surprised by the young chef's blunt honesty and acceptance. It was like a rush of fresh air—she thought, and after all that happened in the last couple of months, it was only fair to put this whole dilemma to rest once and for all. The Amazon lady smiled as she finished packing her knives and other kitchen supplies and rolled the bandana she usually wrapped around her head under the net she was obliged to use while cooking, "I think it's fair," she gave Masao an amused glance, still with the same smile on her face "An apology is not something you hear every day in such competitive environment like this... I really appreciate it." she closed her duffle bag and leaned on it over the table, "I just have one question: How come?"

Masao blushed a little, feeling ashamed "I realized that you never really gave anyone reasons to be after Haruto-san, and also, I caught Suzuki being the one behind all this drama." Makoto pouted her lips and nodded, "Yes, that sounds about right. I hope she learns the lesson." Masao nodded, "Well, I think she will—eventually. She'll come after me now that I got the promotion that was meant to be hers,"

"You better be prepared, she's merciless." Makoto chuckled to lighten the tension between them, "I hope we can put all this behind... I really appreciate your honest apology, thank you."

Masao put his hands inside his pants' pockets and smiled, "One's gotta do the right thing," the young chef scratched the back of his head, "So... the tall guy that was with you that night... is he your boyfriend?"

Makoto widened her eyes and blinked a couple of times, trying to process the meaning behind the word and she was not sure if she could actually call the shitennou her boyfriend. There was no doubt about the connection they had and the feelings that were already out in the open but were they really a couple? Could she call Nephrite her boyfriend? She wasn't sure. For starters, he was not the normal, average man to date, he was a man with ancient history and special qualities that could easily put him on advantage and despite him having confessed his feelings and have spent time together Makoto was more than certain it was not even close to the type of relationship Kunzite and Minako had. "Um, it's a little complicated to explain," she smiled, "I have known him for a very long time, you can say we're close."

"Childhood friends?"

"More like, very old friends."

Masao looked at the doors from the dining area opening and smiled sadly, "Yeah, that's for sure." his soft and almost disappointed tone startled Makoto, who turned to look over her shoulder when Masao motioned his head to point the double doors that led to the dining room and saw Nephrite looking as handsome as ever wearing a cashmere brick red sweater matching his chestnut-brown hair and gray slacks, "N-Nephrite,"

Masao noticed the soft blush in Makoto's cheeks and recognized it as one she once dedicated to him whenever they had time to talk alone. He had to admit that indeed, the brown-haired man at the door held a different, much more mature vibe and that his time to conquer and regain Makoto's affection was lost the minute he misjudged her; if they knew each other for a long time his mistake was the other man's advantage to step in and sweep her off his grasp and he had to accept his loss with dignity. Looking down, he let a soft sigh, "Well, I don't think Haruto-san will return for the night so I will go do some inventory," he waved his hand at her, "See you tomorrow Kino-san, have a good night."

Makoto turned surprised at Masao who didn't give her much chance to say anything else and just waved her hand, "G-Good night... Masao-san..." she turned to the man at the door again and sighed with a smile, like a girl very much in love. "H-Hi."

Nephrite looked around and pursed his lips, "So this is where you do your magic and share it with others," he glanced at her with a coquettish flair and curved his lips in a very sensual sided smile, "They are very fortunate," Makoto's blush intensified but refused to look away, she liked him too much to miss every gesture, every motion, and every word he said. "You just say it because you like me," she joked as she zipped her tote bag and walked towards him, Nephrite nodded and greeted her with a graceful caress on her cheek with the back of his hand, "Of course, but also because it is the truth." he tucked a piece of her hair behind her ear and tilted his head to look into her forest green eyes, "I am sorry for walking here without notice, the hostess told me it was alright since you were closing for today,"

Makoto's heart fluttered inside her chest like was filled with thousands of butterflies, "Yes,"

Nephrite looked down at her, still with that perfect smile on his face and flicked her messy fringe, "Shall we?" he offered his arm for her to take and walked out of the restaurant and into the busy night streets of Tokyo both immersed in their casual conversation. He turned and grabbed her duffle bag, "Allow me," Makoto looked at him startled "It's okay, it's not heavy I can—"

"I know," the shitennou smiled as he continued walking, "But I want to be helpful," they both stopped at the corner of the street and waited for the light to change red so they could cross to the other side, "To be honest, I do not know where we are heading—after meditating, I felt like I needed to decompress but when I walked out of my room I realized I was alone, again. I suppose Jadeite is at the temple with Mars, Zoisite is probably wandering around the city waiting for Mercury to end her shift at the hospital and Kunzite is most likely with Venus,"

Makoto blinked, knowing what he meant when he said he was meditating and bit her lower lip, "Did they say anything?" Nephrite turned to look down at her and then at the people crowding around them waiting for the same light to change colors. "I think it would be better if we go somewhere more private... are you hungry? Would you like to go somewhere in particular?" Makoto smiled and shook her head, "You might think I am the most boring woman ever but I would very much like to go home, I made new tea recipes and a fresh batch of peach biscuits I want to try out—if you're interested." Nephrite's smile widened by the invitation, "More than interested," they turned and saw the light flickering green and crossed in silence, his arm slowly rested on her shoulders and pulled her close to him as they walked towards Makoto's apartment.

Once there, the Amazon opened the door, turned the lights on, and put her duffle bag on a chair by the door and walked inside her comfy living room to open the windows, "I like the breeze that filters in at this time of the evening," she smiled and turned to look at Nephrite who was standing right behind her and looking down at her with deep endearment. His hands slowly moved to cup her cheeks and could not help but smile "Sweet Jupiter, you are a vision to look at,"

Makoto blushed again as she looked into his warm-olive colored eyes and thought about Masao's question: is he your boyfriend? —She didn't really know why that was so important to her at the moment, with everything that has happened with Asteria and the andromedian, why it meant so much to her when it was more than obvious that there was a different, peaceful energy surrounding them every time they were together. Makoto thought about it for another minute and came to the silly conclusion it was probably because she was always misunderstood or taken for granted, the romantic girl too strong for any man. Nephrite repeated the same graceful gesture of caressing her cheek and narrowed his eyes slightly, "What is on your mind, Jupiter?"

The way her deep voice modulated her name made her smile, it was ironic how she proclaimed herself the soldier of courage and still could not gather enough bravery to express her feelings, maybe because she was too scared of her passionate heart and how it would betray her once she decided to act and follow her heart's wishes. Still a little hesitant but with more determination than just minutes ago, she moved her hand up and curled her fingers on his hair falling over his right shoulder and smiled, "Just something my co-worker said back at the restaurant,"

"What is that?" Nephrite smiled and graced her lip with his thumb, Makoto smiled "Ah, nothing... it's just something silly," she was loving his delicate touch but felt it was better to step back before she would go on to think things that were probably not even there. Nephrite was taken back for her sudden change and blinked as she walked to the kitchen and put some water to boil for the tea; "Jupiter, you know you can tell me anything, right?"

"Mhm," Makoto answered quietly and walked back with a beautifully adorned plate with the biscuits she mentioned him on their way to her apartment and placed it on the table along with two cups and matching plates. "It's just that..." she looked at him and chuckled nervously, "I don't want you to think I am being silly,"

"Why would I think that?" Nephrite shrugged his shoulders, the same smile never leaving his handsome face, "Not telling me would be silly, really," the curious tone in his voice made Makoto chuckle again and took a deep breath and exhaled, "Masao—my co-worker, asked me if you were my boyfriend." she saw Nephrite's eyes widen a little and felt her cheeks flush and covered her face with her hand in embarrassment, "See? I told you it was something silly—of course, it's silly, we have—" she jilted when she felt his hands on her shoulders and turned to look at him. Nephrite leaned down close enough to turn the moment more intimate, "And?" he said slowly, startling Makoto completely "W-What?"

"What did you answer him?"

Makoto blinked, "I..." she pressed her lips tight and turned to put a biscuit on each plate and chuckled nervously again, "That we have known for a very long time, which, is true if you—" her eyes widened when he felt his hands moving her face to meet his, naturally reclaiming the intimacy of just seconds ago, "Is that what you want?" his warm breath crashed against her pouty lips as he looked down into her eyes with emotion, "What I want?" she asked, dumbfounded, and tried to shake her nerves with a chuckle but her body was not responding the way she wanted to "Yes," Nephrite traced the line of her lips with his thumb again while never leaving his eyes from hers, "I believe I am more than just a boyfriend... we have a level of confidence a pair of acquaintances or friends would not normally share between them,"

Makoto felt her knees feel like jelly, the word was suddenly overshadowed what boyfriend meant to her. Nephrite was going deeper with his analysis which only confused her more because she really didn't want to ruin whatever that was between them. The soft, squealing sound coming from the kettle began pleading for her attention but her eyes couldn't stop staring into his, no matter how much she tried "I—I have to... the water..." she licked her lips nervously, "Jupiter," Nephrite leaned his forehead on hers, "My adoration for you is no secret, I found love in you—that does not make me your boyfriend but your lover, the question here would be if you have found love in me?"

Makoto tangled her fingers in his wavy hair and sighed softly, finally letting her feelings unravel with raw emotion and truth, "Yes, I have... I have..." she shook her head, "It's silly—" she blushed when she felt his lips caressing hers "Then, that is all that matters to me," he said under his breath and closed his before locking his lips with hers; his arms wrapped around her waist and lifted her off the floor while deepening the kiss and felt her mold into his arms much more relaxed than she was just minutes ago. The screeching from the kettle on the stove intensified, demanding urgent attention which made the Amazon pull back and break the kiss to turned to look at it slightly annoyed, "Oh, the water..." she mumbled, Nephrite turned and carried her to the kitchen to turn the knob off before she could even think of moving away from him. The action made her break into giggles, finding it incredibly adorable for a man so serious like him show those specks of boyish behavior; Makoto looked for a pot to pour the boiled water but Nephrite pulled her back into his arms and cupped her face with his hands again, "Water will always be water and it can always be put to boil again..." he said softly and nibbled her lower lip with his, "Now, where were we? Ah, yes..." he narrowed his eyes so full of new found passion and claimed her lips once again in a more sweet but passionate kiss.

O—o—o—o—O

The next morning, Usagi opened her eyes and blinked several times until she adjusted them to the dim light filtering through the curtains of the bedroom. She slowly turned on the bed and surprisingly for her, Mamoru was next to her sound asleep. Usagi snuggled a little closer and took a minute to look at him in silence while thinking how much she had desired to be exactly like this, in bed, in peace, and with her loving prince by her side, as her husband. With the most of cares, she shoved his hair away to look at his face and realized this was one of those rare occasions where she woke up before him, considering how he was always up by dawn but it was maybe the fact that he couldn't do much, that allowed himself to be lazy and sleep more or maybe it was a new habit she so much wished he'd take from here on. She smiled when she heard his slow and steady breathing muffled through the pillow he was hugging close to his chest.

He looked so cute—she thought. With his slightly flushed cheeks and his dark hair all disheveled slowly falling again to cover one side of his face while the other was hidden behind the fluffy pillow. This was so different from what the world was used to see of him; she loved this raw version of the always impeccable man with unyielding character and principles. For some time now, it had become a custom of his to sleep shirtless, giving her a pleasant visual treat as she admired in silence how his toned muscles peeked through every time he moved and the scent of his worn cologne impregnated in his skin lingered in between the sheets just allured Usagi's senses even more. Why was he so damn sensual? She wondered while biting her lip with mischief; a part of her wanted to lean closer and kiss him until he woke up and do more things in bed that just sleep. She missed him—intimately. She missed the rush of excitement and the good chills his lips and touch did to her every time they made love. She missed the stormy look in his eyes, the way they turned into that indigo shade of blue and the way he made her feel like the only woman in the world; she missed to lock herself around him and run her hands through his hair and just let herself go with the rhythm of his body swaying with hers. The man was too sensual to be true and she found it funny that he really didn't even tried to be, it came naturally, he was just too damned blessed with charm. Usagi missed him, she truly missed him, and she could tell he missed her too but no matter how much she wanted to wake the lion she had for a husband, she didn't dare to do it, she didn't have the heart to interrupt his much-needed sleep. Mamoru was a jealous man with his time in bed, being this—besides coffee—the second thing she has seen he shamelessly ignores on skimping, considering how he was the type of person that liked to keep things simple and who liked to live with only the necessary. When it came to his bed, he had to have the most comfortable sheets, covers, pillows and everything in between. He didn't collect, he constantly changed things—a trait she didn't mind at all because she was a master of laziness and sleep. She had to admit that after she slept in his bed for the very first time, it has never been the same, no matter how much she tried to replicate the comfort on her own bed back at her parent's house, no matter how many pillows, no matter the layers and layers of memory foam on her mattress, no matter how much fabric softener she added to her sheets and covers, it was never the same. Whenever they went shopping for something—anything, he would always go to the home-goods section and check new pillows or duvets proving he valued his sleep like the most sacred of treasures probably because of its lightness and because he only did it whenever he felt safe enough to shut down and snooze off, making Usagi feel like his most trusted guardian.

Putting her raw desires and imagination aside, the princess turned slowly to the other side to look for her phone and check the time, her pale blue eyes widened when she confirmed that in fact, it was way too late for Mamoru to still be in bed; "Ten..." she mumbled groggily as she scrolled through her messages and saw a couple from Mika, who ever since she left the office has been texting her what's been going on with Yuki now that she was unveiled as a cheater and Maya's rage for having lost all the art for her new fashion campaign. After giving those a quick read and answering Mika back with a heartfelt *'wwww' she fixed her attention on the other unread messages waiting to be read at the bottom, one from her mother and other from Motoki. Usagi bit her lower lip, hesitating for a minute before gently pressing her finger on Motoki's message first and held her breath nervously as she read:

"Usa-chan,

As promised, everything was taken care of with discretion. I have your results with me and spoke to the specialist; you're fine but there are some delicate things I would like us to talk about in person. Please give me a call whenever you are coming.

Love, your Onii-san."

Usagi bit her lower lip and turned quickly to look over her shoulder when she felt Mamoru stretching and saw him turn to the other side and hide his head under the stack of pillows, showing no signs of waking up any time soon. Smiling, she turned her attention back to her phone and sent a quick response to Motoki and proceeded to tap to open her mother's text and realized that ever since Rei's grandfather passed away she hadn't stuck to her promise on going to visit them every weekend. She hadn't called or even sent any signs that they had returned from their honeymoon; they didn't know Mamoru was hurt, they didn't know she no longer had a job, or that she was not in the best of shapes—health wise. She hasn't called to check on them and see if they were alright and after what has been all over the news almost 24/7 about the strange disease outbreak, the attacks, and disappearances she felt bad for not being in touch and she had to make up it up to them for the time she had been absent. Without giving it much more thought, she slowly got out of bed and walked to the bathroom to take a quick shower and get ready to go out.

She stood in front of the large mirror inside the walk-in closet and studied her reflection for a minute, thinking of the many things that have happened and let out a soft sigh. Her eyes locked in the reflection of the golden pendant gleaming proudly in the soft light and could not help to admire its beauty up close; her pale blue eyes narrowed as she rolled the stone between her fingers and had a faint flashback of the queen wearing it the very day she met her and later at the winter ball, "Thank you," Usagi whispered and smiled softly at the feeling of the endearing connection and blessing from her mother in law, protecting her from the beyond. The princess gave it one last glance before she took the necklace off and carefully placed it on a small ceramic plate over her dresser so it wouldn't get wet making a mental note of not forgetting putting it back on when getting dressed and quietly walked to the bathroom putting her ninja-like skills to the test and try not wake up her husband while getting ready.

O—o—o—o—O

Makoto walked into the kitchen and turned the stove on to boil water, again, and proceeded to cook breakfast for two. With a smile on her face, she began thinking about how long it had been since she cooked for a boyfriend, and how nice it felt to do it and to actually be with somebody who shared the same feelings as her.

"*Salve, Jupiter,"

Makoto widened her eyes and turned over her shoulder as she kept whisking some egg whites on the ceramic bowl rested securely in her arm, "Good morning," she greeted him with a smile, one that grew bigger when he went to seal the greeting with a soft, loving kiss. The general looked at the oven heating and then at the kettle boiling water and smiled, "See? Water will always be water,"

Makoto chuckled and blushed when she remembered what happened after he said those words, "You are right, that is why you are a great royal advisor," Nephrite smiled, "I do my best, I do my best... so, what are you making?"

"Cloud eggs," Makoto kept whisking the whites in circular motions, Nephrite paid close attention to the way she moved around the kitchen and smiled, "Sounds like a dream." Makoto giggled, "And taste like a dream too,"

"What can I help you with?" Nephrite tucked his sleeves a quarter up and rubbed his hands excitedly, surprising Makoto for his interest, "Uh, you could help me slicing the loaf of sourdough bread and toast it on the small grill I have heating on the stove—I know you're good with sharp blades so I know you'll do a wonderful job," her playful comment made the man chuckle heartedly, "So they say..." he mumbled as he took out the bread knife and proceeded to cut thick slices of bread and put them over the grill, "This is very nice—this peace, this moment... with you,"

Makoto closed the oven and turned to look at him while wiping her hands with a clean towel, there was something in his voice that made her feel melancholic, almost as if this adorable moment between them could never happen again, "About last night... when you told me you were meditating, did you see anything that could give us a clue?"

Nephrite placed another slice of bread on the grill and with a soft sigh turned to Makoto, "All I see is confusion, Jupiter. Confusion and corruption—I cannot lie to you, it is mortifying." He narrowed his warm hazel eyes, "It is almost as if they are being silenced, controlled by a bigger force. We have been working on a preventive plan... if they attack again there will be no turning point." he felt a tug in his heart when noticed the fear in Makoto's eyes and pulled her into a warm embrace, "Fear not my Jupiter, we will fight with everything we have,"

Makoto closed her eyes, feeling lulled by the steady sound of the general's steady heartbeats, "I want to keep cooking for you... last night was very special, this morning is like a dream... I don't want to lose you,"

"I do not want to lose you either," Nephrite rubbed Makoto's lower back and kissed her head, "We must not give in to adversity Jupiter, I will not say it is going to be easy... but we all know how to fight and we all want the same. We must be strong and not give them the privilege to win, promise me my beautiful Amazon Goddess..."

Makoto opened her eyes and looked up at him, "I promise you, my Heavenly King," she stepped on her tiptoes and brushed his lips with hers, both hoping for the best, both in love.

O—o—o—o—O

Usagi walked out of the bedroom and closed the door behind her with gracious care and walked to the living room surprising Megumi who was sitting on the sofa, drinking a cup of tea while reading one of the princess' fashion magazines "Y-Your Highness!"

Usagi chuckled softly and put a finger on her lips, asking the maiden to keep her voice low so her husband wouldn't wake up, "Good morning Megumi—I know, I know what you're thinking," she said in a low voice, Megumi smiled softly, "Are you going out again, Your Highness?"

"Just me this time. Mamo-chan is still asleep, as incredible as that sounds." Usagi looked for her keys, "When he wakes up, could you please tell him I went to visit my mother and that I will be back in a couple of hours?"

"B-But... Princess... His Highness said it's dangerous, he does not want you to go out alone and I agree," Megumi widened her eyes nervously, "Why not wait until he wakes up?"

"His Highness is sound asleep and who knows when he is going to wake up, and besides, poor him, he needs to lay still, his leg is still pretty hurt. I'll be alright, don't worry." Usagi smiled as she walked towards the door, "I'll just go have breakfast and as soon as I am done I'll head back, I promise." she turned and wrapped her arms around Megumi in a sisterly embrace, "You know, according to Mamo-chan, my mother makes this amazing plum tart, I will see if she has one baked and I will bring a special slice just for you but don't tell the Prince or he'll get jealous because he seriously loves it. I will see you in a bit, okay?" she winked her eye and turned to put on her red loafers to match her animal print light sweater and dark jeans. Megumi had not much to say before the silver-haired princess stepped out the door leaving her standing there a little disconcerted.

As she made her way through the crowded streets, Usagi found it strange that in the middle of May it was still a little chilly since Tokyo usually had very nice weather in the spring and it was popular during that station because of its blooming trees and upcoming beach days. She gave good thought as to where it was best to go first and after an internal battle and wave of emotions, she decided to pay Motoki a quick visit after meeting with her parents since she knew he was going to be more busy than normal due to the sudden attacks and strange diseases taking over.

Walking down the path she knew by heart, it took her approximately thirty minutes to finally arrive to her old district in Juuban and smiled when she saw the characteristic smithy gate in the distance and imagined that by this time her father had already gone to work, Shingo was at the university, and her mother was having her usual cup of coffee while reading the newspaper in the dining table. She pushed the gate open and walked towards the front door, feeling the nostalgia of her 14-year-old self as she walked inside the house, immediately catching Ikuko's attention, "Papa... did you forget your wallet again?" The older Tsukino walked towards the foyer and widened her eyes with great surprise to see her daughter standing there with a warm smile on her face, "Usagi!"

"Ohayo, mama," Usagi took her shoes off and walked towards her mother and wrapped her arms around her in a loving embrace, "I'm sorry, I know I haven't been around for a while... it's been... complicated." The apologetic tone in her voice was enough for Ikuko to pull back and look at her daughter straight in the eye, "Everything alright?" Usagi nodded, "Yes, though you must be wondering what I am doing here this early... right?" she followed her mother to the kitchen, Ikuko chuckled "I won't lie dear, it is a surprise—coffee?" she turned and widened her eyes, "Did you lightened your hair?"

Usagi widened her eyes and bit her lower lip nervously, "Oh, this..." she grabbed one long pigtail and sighed softly, "Yeah... um, I felt like I needed a little change... you don't like it?" Ikuko blinked and walked back to the dining table with two cups of coffee and handed one to her daughter who immediately went into the kitchen to look for the milk and sugar to tweak it into something sweeter. "I do, actually. It gives you a regal flair, you look like a Princess—silver suits you," she said softly as she stirred her spoon in her coffee, waiting for the cream to dissolve. Usagi froze back in the kitchen by her mother's choice of words but decided to dismiss the coincidence and joined her mother at the table "Did Mamoru drive you here before going to work?"

"No, Mamo-chan doesn't usually work over the weekend unless it's an emergency or has a patient in intensive care." Usagi put the spoon on the delicate plate under her cup and took a sip, "I walked here on my own, he was asleep when I left—I didn't have the heart to wake him up, he never sleeps until late and he's always so busy, I felt like he needed to rest, but sure he misses you."

Ikuko smiled, "A career in medicine is very demanding, he must have had a rough week," Usagi sighed softly, "You could say that,"

Ikuko put her cup down, "So when did you come back from your honeymoon?" The question pulled Usagi back from her thoughts while reading the headlines on the newspaper over the table, "Oh um, a little more than two weeks ago—I know, it's been crazy..." she sighed, "Rei's grandfather passed away and well, we have been trying to cheer her up... that's why I said it's been complicated."

"Oh, no..." Ikuko put a hand on her chest, "Oh dear, I am so sorry... how is she doing?"

"She's alright—sad, but... she's slowly accepting that her grandfather is now resting in a better place."

"Don't worry," Ikuko waved her hand, "We understand. I am just very glad and relieved you haven't been involved in those horrible attacks that have been happening lately or the flu that's been targeting everyone and with Sailor Moon making the headlines again, well... it means it's getting serious." Usagi felt a tug in her chest for having to keep the truth from her mother; her fingers tapped her warm cup nervously and nodded, "So I heard,"

"It's been eight years..."

"Yeah,"

Ikuko took a sip of her coffee and savored its strong flavor before continuing, "I imagine it must be difficult, now that you are married and have a job,"

"A little... I have managed..." Usagi's eyes widened and turned to her mother with a horrified expression, "I-I mean..." the color on her cheeks washed off her face when she realized what she just did, "Mama... I-I..." Ikuko arched a brow, "Usagi—I know."

"W-What?!" Usagi widened her eyes, making Ikuko crack a soft chuckle, "I know the truth, I know you're Sailor Moon."

"H-How?" Usagi watched Ikuko put her cup down and nodded. Her deep colored eyes looked into her daughter's crystal blue ones and sighed softly, "I have known for a long time—it happened one day while I was doing laundry, I walked into your bedroom to grab your school uniform and the broach fell from its bow by accident and I saw it—it was no ordinary piece of jewelry. I remember that at the time, strange things were happening... similar to what's been going on lately. There were strange creatures caught on camera, people disappearing or getting sick and the heroine that fought them all. Not long after, I saw a footage taken of the famous Sailor Moon and noticed she was wearing the exact same brooch on her bow and started connecting the dots together: the times you weren't home was when Sailor Moon was out there saving the world along with her teammates which I later assumed were your friends."

Usagi felt her blood had frozen while she listened to her mother tell her with such detail all of the things she thought she had kept perfectly hidden from the world and didn't know much how to react or what to say. She felt ashamed and like the worst daughter in the world for pretending to fool her own mother, and also, like the worst liar in the world. Ikuko stretched her arm over the table and reached for Usagi's hand and patted it softly, "I won't say I wasn't worried sick, I couldn't sleep knowing you were putting yourself in horrible danger but something made me not to intervene. I couldn't deny just how proud I felt to know what a brave woman you were growing up to be and clearly, have become. Fearless, true to herself but also, kind and loving."

Usagi felt a tug in her chest and the emotion manifesting in her eyes, "Mama..."

Ikuko sighed softly, "I always knew you were special and that you were the manifestation of a miracle. Since the moment I knew I was expecting you, I felt like I had been blessed by the skies." Her mature face looked at her daughter and gave her a sad smile, "When your papa and I got married we struggled for a long time to start a family and it was killing me inside to know that I could not give such wonderful man a baby. I went to see many specialists and none could give me a reason as to why I couldn't conceive a child, I was depressed because I really wanted to be a mother. During that time, I remember the news reporting a once in a lifetime cosmic view; that there was going to be the fullest moon in two thousand years one night. I remember seeing it everywhere, in the news and papers, I remember people constantly talking about it—an astronomical marvel—some even said it was the manifestation of the love between the Earth and the Moon because it would be this time it was supposed to be as big and shiny as ever was. A true historical moment for astronomers all over the world." The woman smiled, "Your father and I decided to go see the event at the park and it was beyond what it was said in the news... it was beautiful. It was truly magical... the way it gleamed, like a giant pearl hanging in the velvet night sky. At that moment, I felt it—the hunch, something inside me told me that I should pray to that magical moon to bless me with a child... so I did, I prayed with all my heart and weeks later, I found out I was pregnant with you." A soft gleam in the older woman's eyes let know Usagi that the story was more emotional and significant to her mother than she imagined and felt her eyes burning with tears.

"You never told me any of this..." Usagi wiped the trail of tears running down her cheek; Ikuko smiled "Not everyone knows about this. It's a secret kept between your father and me." Her hand cupped Usagi's cheek lovingly, "That you are my moon child—that is why we decided to name you Usagi," Ikuko chuckled, "Our little moon bunny."

The story moved Usagi to the core, to think she was her mother's miracle and that it had to be coming from the moon made perfect sense as to why she was reborn into this world and part of this family. It was like taking a veil from her eyes and realize the truth behind each and every one, how their lives were carefully planned to be the way they came out to be. The moon queen gave Ikuko the blessing of carrying her into this world before dying as a way to show her love and dedication for her daughter. She left her in the best, most loving hands she could ever find and silently thanked her for giving her the perfect childhood and the perfect parents before she had to ascend the throne as her successor.

Usagi moved from her seat and went to give her mother a tight, warm hug and sniffed with emotion in her mother's hair, "Thank you, for everything." Ikuko smiled and rubbed her daughter's back softly and closed her eyes, "No, thank you for choosing me."

Usagi pulled back and shook her head, still with shock "Why didn't you ever tell me any of this? Since when you have known?" Ikuko combed her daughter's long fringe to the side and looked into her crystal blue eyes, "You were turning sixteen—I didn't say anything because I have always felt there was something special—something different about you, and even if I did and asked you to stop doing it you wouldn't have listened to me. By the time you turned sixteen, I noticed you were slowly coming back to your usual routine and the image of that beautiful heroine slowly became a legend."

Usagi tightened her lips together and sat on the chair next to her mother, "I-I don't know what to say..."

"Usagi, I won't ask what pushed you to do what you did—I won't ask either of you two, because, I know Mamoru is involved in this too—" Usagi widened her eyes, "Wait, how?"

Ikuko chuckled, "Dear, the masked thief that stole precious relics was very well-known months before Sailor Moon made the headlines for the first time—that poise was unmistakable. I didn't hesitate to welcome him into our family because I know he has been by your side all this time without fail, he's always looking after you, he's your protector."

"I am truly amazed," Usagi exhaled heavily, "You are one sharp detective, you know that? You should totally work for the police—"

"Usagi," Ikuko's tone turned serious, "Please be careful,"

"Mama?" Usagi frowned, "Why are you telling me this?"

"Promise me you will be careful, both of you. Do you hear me?" The way Ikuko was speaking to her daughter was more of a woman who knew exactly what was happening to them. She knew more than Usagi imagined and it completely changed things because it was like she knew the divine energy flowing inside her and that somehow, she had gone through her own process to accept that she might not see her like this again. This conversation somehow felt like a farewell between them, like if her time to return the blessing to the Moon had come and it was ripping Usagi's heart, because she felt it too, "Mama..."

"Promise me, Usagi." Ikuko demanded with worry, "Promise me you will be strong—promise me you and Mamoru will stay together if times get tough. I promise to take care of your papa and your brother, you don't have to worry about that but please promise me you will be alright."

"I promise." Usagi held Ikuko's hand, "I swear mama, but please, stop talking like if you are saying goodbye to me..." her quivering voice was enough to break Ikuko's strong character and began tearing too, "Never my sweet daughter, we will never say goodbye," she pulled Usagi into her arms again and closed her eyes, "Never, my beautiful Moon Princess." Ikuko's words cleared the mystery to Usagi, she knew who she was and she was proudly accepting it and letting her be who she was meant to be.

The promise was their way to settle things, it was the confirmation Ikuko needed and the comfort and understanding Usagi needed to have in times like this. They both knew the truth and both had gone through their own ways to process the transitions in their lives but with gratitude, perseverance, and much love they would make it work in the future because to Usagi, Ikuko was her mother and to Ikuko, Usagi was her child and that's how it was going to be in their hearts for the rest of their lives.

"Does Papa know this?"

"I know he does," Ikuko took a deep breath, "He has never been as vocal as I have been with him, but he has always known."

"About me being Sailor Moon?" Usagi frowned with worry, Ikuko shook her head, "About you being a blessing from the Moon. No, about you being a heroine... I don't think he does and it's better if he doesn't know right now, he wouldn't take it too well... you know he can be a little overdramatic at times,"

Usagi crackled a chuckle, "Ah, yes..." She laughed, "Papa's a softie." Ikuko nodded, "He truly is," she smiled, feeling much more relieved. The rest of their morning slowly transitioned to a normal conversation between a mother and daughter, as if the emotion of a while ago didn't happen. They shared some gossip about what's been happening with other members of the family and friends, very much like they did normally when they were alone. Ikuko made breakfast for them and then lunch, this time with her daughter trying to be helpful in the kitchen. Ikuko stirred the pot where she was cooking a vegetable stew and added a pinch of salt to the steamy concoction, "Mamoru won't be worried that you have been gone for too long? He must be awake by now—it's almost noon,"

"It's okay," Usagi smiled while she continued peeling another carrot, "He knows I'm here and I need to make another quick stop at the hospital before I go back home,"

"Oh? Another?" Ikuko quirked a curious brow, "Everything alright?"

"Yes," Usagi nodded, thinking it was best if she didn't tell the whole story of her husband's injury to spare her mother the mortification of knowing they got hurt in battle, "Mamo-chan sprained his ankle the other day and he asked for a few days off at work. I just got a text from Motoki-oniisan asking me to pick up some papers to give to Mamo-chan to sign, so..." she turned to the clock on the wall and pursed her lips, "Actually, I should go before it gets late and he goes out for lunch or something," as Usagi turned to grab a towel to clean her hands, she decided not to tell her mother anything about the check-up she had because she knew Ikuko would worry even more thinking that for, now it was better to stay quiet until things went back to normal. She went to look for her purse to check if there were any messages or missed calls and was surprised to see there was not a single one coming from Mamoru. With a curious frown, she dialed their apartment and waited for Megumi to answer, "Hello?"

"Hi, it's me..." Usagi spoke slowly and turned to look over her shoulder to make sure Ikuko was still in the kitchen, "Just calling to check in, everything alright?"

"Yes, Your Highness. Prince Endymion is still sleeping, I went to check if he wanted some coffee but as soon as I opened the door I could hear him snoring a little,"

"What?!" Usagi widened her eyes and laughed softly, "He's still asleep and snoring? Are we talking about the same person here?" She heard a chuckle escaped from Megumi, "Yes, would you like me to go and wake him up to take your call?"

"No, Megumi, it's fine. My goodness... it's so rare of him to sleep this late, it's noon!" Usagi bit her lip, "Alright, so—I am heading to run some errands and then I'll go straight back home, okay? I will see you in a bit, if the sleeping beauty ever wakes up, tell him that I love him and that I will see him soon." she smiled when she heard Megumi chuckling at the other end of the line, "Consider it done, Princess." The lunar princess smiled,"Okay, I'm heading out—Mama didn't bake any plum tarts this week but I will bring something I know you'll love,"

"I appreciate it Princess, but please be careful on your way back home,"

Usagi appreciated the care and how Megumi looked after her the same way she looked after Mamoru and smiled when identified the motherly tone on her voice, "I will Megumi, see you soon." she ended the call and turned to see Ikuko walking towards her, "You called home, dear?"

"Yes, sadly, I have to go... but I promise we'll come to visit you very soon." The silvered blonde hugged her mother again, "I want that plum tart recipe, Mamo-chan's been asking me to bake a tart, I don't even know why he tries... but, okay," Ikuko chuckled and remembered the cute meaning behind that famous plum tart.

Ikuko was known for her good baking skills, she loved to bake and she did it every time with success but one day she came across the famous plum tart recipe and curious to see what it would taste like she gave it a go. She remembered it was the first time Usagi had brought him home to formally introduce him as her boyfriend and because she wanted to make a nice meal to greet him, she wanted to impress everyone with her newfound recipe but surprisingly, everyone hated it—except for Mamoru, who happily ate Usagi's half-eaten slice and even agreed to take home the rest of the tart. Ever since that day and despite anyone liking it, it has been a staple in the Tsukino household and there is one waiting in the oven whenever she knows Mamoru will visit. She loved the man, way before she discovered the truth about them, she became fond of him. Unlike Kenji, who initially had his doubts and reservations about him because didn't like much the fact he was older than Usagi, Ikuko never felt any threat or malice coming from the young man but all the contrary, he was always respectful of Usagi and she could tell he really cared for her by the way he was always looking after her. Her fondness grew even more when she noticed the positive impact he had on Shingo and later on how her always distracted and sometimes lazy daughter improved her grades at school to a considerable scale and later on, decided to study a career. To Ikuko, Mamoru became more than just her daughter's boyfriend, slowly but steady, he earned his place in their family and became a big brother to Shingo and a son to Kenji and Ikuko. His place on the table was no longer a question, it was always there waiting for him with a freshly baked plum tart. To everyone, this was the solid proof of her love for her son in law because as loving and caring Tsukino Ikuko was all the time, she still did whatever she wanted in the kitchen and she never baked any special requests.

"I will have one baked just for him, so he better comes with you next time, tell him I miss him too."

"Will do Mama, I promise." Usagi smiled before going into the foyer and slid on her shoes again; Ikuko took her apron off and walked with her to the door, "I'll walk you out, dear,"

Usagi turned, "It's alright Mama, don't go out—it's a little chilly outside, it's okay." She chuckled and kissed her mother on the cheek and walked out the door. Ikuko stayed by the window and watched her daughter walk away with teary eyes, "Please be safe dear," she pressed her warm hand against the chilly window and traced her daughter's silhouette as she walked away, "Be safe,"

O—o—O

After taking a ride to Tokyo Hospital to meet with Motoki, Usagi was back to a more crowded and commercial area in Azabu an hour later. With a load of information still boiling in her mind, partly from something she already knew but didn't know how to handle, Usagi felt it was best to clear her mind and walk her way home. She stopped at a red light and thought which way would lead her home much faster at this time of the day. She looked down at her phone to call Megumi again but noticed her reception had gone and so happened to everyone around her; she turned to a couple of girls complaining about it too. She turned and saw the red light began blinking, and so the rest of the street lights while the screens and virtual spectaculars suddenly shut down, "Another blackout?" she mumbled to herself and widened her eyes when she saw a car coming full speed towards the same girls crossing the street and quickly ran after them and pulled them back before the vehicle crashed on a pole, violently.

Usagi pressed her communicator by instinct and with no specific sender and brought it close to her lips, "Azabu Shopping District—the shadows have reemerged!" Her eyes widened when the ambient instantly became hazy and the people on the streets began rising in panic when another car followed suit and crashed on another pole the same way the first one, giving her little to no time to continue her alert; Usagi watched almost to a paralyzed state and paled when she saw the bodies inside the cars step out, moving awkwardly and unnatural and turned to look at her, "There. You. Are." Usagi's eyes widened and turned to see Athamas walking against the current of people running frantically for their lives. Her first instinct was to reach for the golden pendant and widened her eyes when she realized she forgot to put it on before she left home "N-No..." Athamas chuckled, "What, no bodyguards this time?"

"I don't need bodyguards, I can take care of myself—" Usagi frowned and took out her brooch and lift it in the air, "Moon Eternal Power—Make Up!"

O—o—o—o—O

A strong tug in Mamoru's chest pulled him from his deep sleep and opened his blue eyes and immediately turned to Usagi's side on the bed only found it vacant. "Usa," he called out to her loud enough for her to hear in case she was in the bathroom and stood up without paying attention to the crutches despite the discomfort and pain in his leg, "Usagi?" he called her again, this time with more urgency when the sharp tug in his chest intensified. He made his way to check inside the walk-in closet but again, she was nowhere around. As he turned to leave, something in the corner of his eye caught his attention and turned to find the pendant neatly placed in a small ceramic plate; his deep prussian eyes widened with panic, "No..." he grabbed it and turned to grab a t-shirt and a pair of pants and rushed out of the room feeling a knot in the pit of his stomach, "Serenity!"

Megumi caught the urgent tone in the prince's voice and walked out of the kitchen and looked at him with shock when noticed he was not using the crutches to move around and was fully dressed, "Your—"

"Where is she?" Mamoru frowned, Megumi blinked with worry, "Your Highness?"

"Where is she Megumi?!" Mamoru raised his voice with worry at the now nervous maid, "She said that she was going to visit her mother... that she would be back soon..." her eyes widened with worry when she saw Mamoru flinch in pain, "Prince!"

Mamoru grunted when he was reminded of his injury and cursed under his breath as he limped his way to the door, completely ignoring the maiden's worry tone in her call; Megumi noticed his pants slowly stained with blood as he moved but didn't have much time to say anything before she saw him flee the apartment with great urgency "No! Your Highness, wait!" Megumi rushed after him to try to stop him but he was already out of her sight.

The pull inside Mamoru's chest became stronger once he walked out of the building and saw the street lights and everything that usually would be giving life to the city was dead being the sound of screams the only thing that echoed through the air. Megumi caught up with the prince soon after and widened her eyes when saw the terror in the people's face as they ran for their lives. Mamoru frowned and kneeled on the floor and placed his palm on the ground to look for his wife's whereabouts, the pulsing ground gave him the exact image of her in seconds but he also saw she was not alone. "Damn you, Andromedian," he muttered angrily and flinched in pain when his leg reminded of his physical limitations once again; Megumi kneeled next to him and tried to help him stand up, "Prince... you are injured! You cannot move! You will only hurt yourself more!"

"I don't care," Mamoru closed his eyes and put his hand on his bleeding leg, "Et invoca virtutis," his hand began gleaming a soft golden light and transmitted the energy onto his wounded leg; like he said, the process required too much concentration and energy to actually heal such deep wound but the circumstances had changed and his idea of healing the most on his own and the other by his power was not an option anymore. In seconds the light vanished and Mamoru opened his eyes, fully transformed into his black tuxedo; he turned to Megumi showing a stormy blue taking over his deep azure irises and handed her the pendant to look after it, "Go back to the apartment, lock yourself and don't look out the window—whatever you hear, don't look outside." he turned quickly and ran towards Usagi's location with impressive speed.

"No." Megumi frowned, feeling impotent for not having the power or the strength any of them did. She wanted to help in some way, she wanted to be of aid and help the catastrophe not to repeat again. She didn't want to lose her home or prince and princess again, she did not want to lose her new friends, she didn't want to be alone again, "No, I cannot go back knowing something is happening to the Princess... no, even if it is small, I want to help, I want to do something... I have to do something!" she took a deep breath and armed herself with valor and ran after the terran prince, "I am sorry my Prince, but I will not leave you alone again—I will not run away, not anymore."

O—o—o—o—O

Usagi widened her eyes at the man walking towards her while enjoying every tragic minute of the people running frantically in all directions. "What the hell do you think you are you doing?!" she yelled at him with anger. Athamas stopped and arched his brow, "It is interesting how you ask me that question given that you have always known my intentions." The Andromedian general crossed the street, "I am taking what it should have been mine since the very beginning," Usagi looked at him defiantly, by now she had transformed into Sailor Moon and her gloved hand was holding her new scepter, "Yours? With what right do you think this planet is yours?"

"Oh, I do not care about this planet, my dear—" Athamas grinned and vanished into thin air and appeared behind the lunar senshi and wrapped his arm around her waist, pulling her close to him, "—I care about what is in it."

Sailor Moon widened her eyes and tried to break from his cold grasp, immediately remembering and putting into practice her training with Endymion and mentally thanking for not having the heavy wings on her uniform anymore as she slid down from Athamas arms, turned and threw a high kick straight to his jaw, knocking him down. Turning, she stepped away from the Andromedian and called her to scepter to appear and vanish the shadows possessing the civilians but Athamas regained composure right after and pulled her down and crashing her against the ground. The soldier princess tried to break free from his grasp and used her scepter to hit his hand away from her leg and jumped back up, ignoring the pain caused by the brutal fall. Athamas rubbed his hand on his lip and saw the stain of his own blood and licked it carelessly, "I still find it adorable how you pretend to live in a dream," he chuckled and looked at her "How long are you going to keep this stupid game of yours, eh, Serenity?"

"It's not a game," Sailor Moon frowned, "I am not the tragic Princess you liked to torture—that woman died, a long time ago."

Athamas started laughing to suppress the anger boiling inside him; he could see the difference between the woman he lost back then and the woman she had become now and that was standing before him, wearing a senshi uniform. Physically she also looked different and she no longer had the look of an innocent girl who did not have a clue of what happened around her; her eyes showed experience, determination, and courage. Her voice had matured too, while it was still soft and delicate it had deepened to an extent of showing her authority and power. She was right, the frightened, weak princess he knew was no more. "Why Serenity? Was it the shame too heavy for you to bear that you needed to atone for it by becoming a Sailor Senshi?"

"Your words make no sense to me," Sailor Moon narrowed her eyes at him, silently admitting that she had learned to imitate some of her husband's gestures over the course of many battles. Athamas smirked, "You still do not want to admit the consequences of your irresponsible acts," the former general tilted his head low "Open your eyes Serenity, all that happened back then... the fall of the Moon Kingdom was because you tangled your feelings and interest around that monster—your darling mortal." Sailor Moon shook her head, "That's not true and you—"

"Why did the dark witch go to the Moon then? Who could guarantee the High Gods were going to save his life?" Athamas wrapped his fingers around his sword's hilt, "Just because the Queen spared his life that night, it did not mean he was going to survive—there is a reason why he must be dragged to hell," he looked up and grinned with insane pleasure, "And he will be," the former general sprinted from his place towards her and unsheathed his sword, "Once you become mine!"

Sailor Moon widened her eyes and dodged the attack by a mere fraction of a second and channeled the power on her scepter, "I cannot let you continue poisoning this planet... Silver Moon... Crystal Power Therapy Kiss!" A strong, cleansing light spread across the entire area like a blanket made of pure stardust, reaching the dark entities crawling and rising from Athamas' shadow; the blonde general squinted immediately rejecting the silver energy coming from the senshi and jumped away from the sacred beam of light and kicked the scepter away from her hands, catching her off guard "Look around you, Serenity..." The andromedian growled and tug her sailor collar, pulling her closer to him and turned her head to look at the shadows spreading from his own eating up the souls of the people, leaving them unconscious on the ground, "Your little childish games cannot do anything—you cannot fight darkness with stardust, you have never had the heart to deprive a life, you are no warrior Serenity, you just like to pretend to be one while others do the work and keep you pure and away from all malice—you say you are not a tragic Princess anymore? I beg to differ, you are the same and even worse because you are wearing a uniform you cannot even pay homage to." Something in his voice made the princess realize that just like her, he no longer was the man she knew from that tragic part of her past. He spoke so sure that it almost pushed her to convince her to believe his truth making her question her power and his arguments when saying she couldn't do anything to prevent this planet from merging with an unknown dimension made of shadows; her undying question as to why the gods held so much grudge pulsed in the back of her mind. Serenity felt his cold hand slip from her collar to her neck, touching her like if he owned her, stamping the memory of his aggressive touch on her skin once again and turned to confirm Athamas words, her powers while strong, couldn't offer any permanent solution and it scared her—it terrified her because if she wasn't able to do anything, then who?

A familiar feeling of desolation washed over her and watched with teary eyes at the people screaming until their voices strained with pain and finished unconscious on the ground like vacant vessels. Athamas shook Sailor Moon's collar to emphasize his words, "See for yourself what you have done to this planet... see how you, a Goddess, have become a curse to this planet,"

Sailor Moon felt her eyes burn with tears, "No..." she turned and glared at Athamas, "We were fine, we were alright! You brought this misery to Earth! You did!" Her trembling hands wrapped around the andromedian's neck and pressed tightly, "You did!" The lunar symbol on her forehead began gleaming with intensity, much more than it did minutes ago with her scepter, blinding the former general and giving her an alibi to try to break free again. She lifted her knee as high as she could and hit him on the stomach several times, each time with much more force than the other, an act of violence she was not used to but felt necessary to keep herself safe and alive. Athamas resented the hits and punches while silently admiring her astounding strength, the more pain she caused him, the more anger he felt towards her. His grip on her neck tightened, limiting the air entering her lungs and the oxygen feeding her brain. "It's only a matter of time," he muttered as he watched her squirm in his hands, fighting for her life. "Where is your precious protector now Serenity?"

With teary eyes, Sailor Moon digs her gloved fingers around his, trying to loosen the grip on her neck but her sight was being compromised. Enraged at herself for not being able to fight him like she knew she could, she kicked him again on the stomach but the more she inflicted pain, the more he hurt her. Her fingers began feeling numb, her legs weak and her punches didn't come as high or strong anymore; she felt as if the energy inside her was being sucked away by the void look of Athamas eyes, she couldn't help it, the fear curling in the pit of her stomach as she slowly lost focus. "E-End..."

A fresh wave of air filled her lungs and gasped with force, when she felt his hands loosen their grip on her and turned with wide eyes at Tuxedo Kamen hitting his elbow on Athamas's jaw with brutal force and sending him straight to the ground, he stomped the metal end of the large cane he was using as a spear on the ground, making a thick, echoing sound "Get your disgusting hands off her," The masked man in black glared at the former general and walked towards him, holding his dark cane and swung it with no mercy across the andromedian's face and knocking him down again. Despite being in obvious pain due to the blow, Athamas broke into laughter and turned to look up with his bloodied face at Tuxedo Kamen, "Interesting choice of words, monster." He stood up slowly and walked up to him, "Your hands are not that clean either. May I remind you? Have you forgotten all the lives you have claimed as yours? All the beheadings you did, all the blood you shed..." he smirked, "You were granted to live here and decided to hide your murderous face behind a mask... has the monster been finally tamed by the Gods? Is that what makes you think you can touch the innocent, darling Moon Pr—" his eyes widened when he saw Tuxedo Kamen take the white mask off his face and let it fall to the ground, confirming he had finally stepped away from the shadow of the masked thief. The look in his eyes was one of a vicious man, deep and intimidating; the azure in his irises had gone by this point only showing the storm harboring inside him.

"This is who you chose to tie your life with?!" Athamas turned to Sailor Moon with an accusing finger pointing at Endymion, like a child making a tantrum, trying to prove a point, "This creature is no different than I am, Serenity, his hands are tainted, just as mine or even—"

"Hey," Endymion snapped his fingers in front of his face to shut him up, "I am the Guardian of this planet—your quarrel is with me, not Serenity. Stop meddling her into our affairs." he narrowed his eyes, "Also, for the record, the title of monster is not something I feel attached to, my name is Endymion De Terra, but if it's to concede it to you... I don't mind taking full ownership of it. You are not even close to being something of worth, you are a puppet playing the role of a lifetime, enjoying it's fifteen minutes of fame."

Sailor Moon widened her eyes with shock at the mention of his royal name, making his royal status official once again like a phoenix rising from the ashes from their past but this time, stronger—she noticed. The deepness in his voice, the stormy blue in his eyes, his poise and intimidating stance were different, he was different, and unlike other times when he assumed his role as prince, this time he was confident and proud, like the Leo he was.

"It's true, I am not a saint but you are not to be the one to judge my actions or the path I have taken in my life... now," Endymion narrowed his fury eyes and held the cane across his body, "Come, so I can give you a good reason to justify your damn words,"

Athamas growled giving in to the terran prince's taunt and ran like a beast with his sword in hand and crashed it against the cane, "Do you really think you can win with a stick? Has the Princess' innocence merged into your rotten soul?" Endymion spun to the side, creating a perfect opening and stamped his cane on Athamas' jaw again, "I told you to leave Serenity's name out of your mouth," Athamas turned and returned the movement, hitting his sword against the cane and pulling it down to punch the prince on his chin, "Do not underestimate my power, mortal."

In a dance of turns, both avoiding their blows both charging at themselves with fury the sound of their weapons clashing distracted Sailor Moon for a minute as she watched the prince move with much more ease, realizing that he had used his power to heal the wound on his leg. The fight was no casualty, she thought, he was doing it to regain enough strength and to give her an opening to escape the scene and perform her task. Little details like these are what made her admire Endymion's sharpness and battle skills and inspired her to be his match in battle. She turned and saw her scepter on the ground feet away from her and ran with all her might; the fight between the two men gave Sailor Moon the perfect opportunity to use her power again and cleanse the area that was still under the effects of Athamas dense and poisonous energy. She stood up and ran to get her sacred weapon but Athamas reacted fast enough to stop her, "I said enough!" he extended his free hand and blasted dark energy at the bodies on the ground to rise them and aid him in battle while he still pressed his blade against the prince's cane, "I am surprised that you of all creatures has let her live with such pitiful ideals," he moved his sword away to hit Endymion and kicked his leg up; the prince being at disadvantage for not wearing an armor fell on his knee and turned with wide eyes at Sailor Moon being targeted by the possessed bodies, "No!" he frowned and turned to swing his long cane in between Athamas legs making him trip and fall flat on his stomach to give him time to prevent the Andromedian from going after her, "You bastard!" He muffled with anger and squirmed with impressive force to free himself from Endymion's restraint.

"Get away, Serenity!"

Athamas growled, "No one is getting away!" He turned and punched Endymion in the jaw, breaking free and summoned for his power and blasted it at the prince, who, immediately counterattacked with his own, "Tuxedo La Smoking Bomber!"

The intensity of both energies clashing was too bright, too strong for the senshi of the moon to even think of interfering; she turned to follow the prince's petition but she was now surrounded by shadows, giving her little to no chances to escape; Athamas frowned as he continued to blast the prince with his energy "I am going to kill you and feed the demons of hell with your flesh and bones! You have been in my way long enough!"

Sailor Moon kicked and punched her way out of the barricade of corpses to run for her scepter but they were not alone anymore, the corpses had multiplied and the shadows had reemerged from the ground, restraining her and hungry to take her life with their sharp teeth, "Get off me!" Sailor Moon grunted as she tried to kick the now deformed and rotten creature, "No!" Endymion turned at his beloved and saw she was being attacked with eyes of horror, "Serenity!"

"Venus—Love Me Chain!"

"Burning—Mandala!"

Venus' golden chain knocked the body away from the princess and Mars' shots of rabid flames burned the shadows around her, freeing her and ran to grab her scepter to blast Athamas once and for all but like the prince silently predicted, he moved too fast and turned to attack them giving Endymion a small margin to swoop in and knock him down. The shadow's heads fell one by one, focusing their attention now on the shitennou with their blades covered in dark blood; Athamas cursed under his breath for forgetting about them and their constant intervention.

Venus and Mars merged their powers and blasted more shadows in their path, granting the opportunity Endymion was waiting to attack the andromedian again using his cane as a spear, blasting three sharp, strong and quick hits with it before repeating the motion as he turned it using his neck to control its weight when switching position to keep a flowed motion and pulled him by the collar, "What the hell do you want?! Why is Asteria crossing to this world!?"

Athamas chuckled, "It is interesting that you ask—" he drew out his sword and summoned for his power again and in one swift move cut the cane in two, "I have no interest in this planet, it can go straight to hell for all I care." He looked up and raised his hand, "And you can go to hell with it—the Gates are open... and they will suction the life out of this pla—" Endymion kicked him in the ribs and consequently punched him in the face again, shutting him up and ran towards the princess, who was surrounded by the shadows again, "Serenity!"

Sailor Moon's eyes widened and turned to the prince when she saw the sky rumble and darken with thick black clouds, "No..." her grip on her scepter tightened and lift it up above her head, "I won't let you open any more portals... I won't let you destroy our home," her crystal eyes narrowed and called for the silver crystal's power, "Mother—lend me your strength... Silver Moon Crystal—" her eyes widened when she felt being pulled back by a stronger force, taking everyone by surprise, she turned and saw Asteria wrapping her chains around her, "Your mother cannot hear you—she is dead." She looked up at the terran prince and smirked when she felt the princess struggling to break free from her chains, "Greetings, Hybrid. We finally meet again."

"Let her go!" Endymion demanded as he summoned for his inner power changing his tuxedo into his military uniform with dark armor and long cape before storming after the titaness but Athamas stepped in to block his way with a wall of dark energy and calling a massive crowd of dark possessed bodies that were now restraining him by pulling him to the ground.

"Let her go? Why? This is fun. No..." Asteria chuckled and tightened the chains around Sailor Moon until her royal symbol began to glow and morphed her uniform into her white gown. "This little rabbit was playing too close to enemy grounds and fell into the wolve's trap, now she is mine to collect,"

The senshi and shitennou went to her immediate rescue but Asteria blocked the attacks with her dark energy, "Princess!" Venus shouted frantically, "Venus—Love and Bea—" Athamas joined appeared behind her and knocked the love senshi to the ground and turned to the rest and blasted them with dark energy while blocking the shitennous' power attacks with his and repeated the same attack on the prince to them. Everything was happening so quickly and it was going out of control—out of their control. The dark titaness stomped her high needle heel on the ground to release her power, making the ground growl as it opened another portal, her eyes never leaving Endymion's prismatic blue ones, "I wonder Prince of Earth, what are you going to do—either save this planet or save the Princess's life. I wonder... just how valiant and skillful you are."

Endymion widened his eyes with horror and felt losing control of everything as he saw Asteria pulling from her chains and dragging the princess with her and went berserk by summoning his power and engulfed everything into golden flames breaking Athamas' barrier and burning the corpses weighing him down before storming after Asteria with rabid rage "I am going to kill you!"

Asteria smirked, igniting Endymion's rage even more, "Interesting choice of words when you obviously are not capable of coming close to me just now," she turned to see Serenity trying her best to keep her breathing steady, but it was becoming a challenge. She widened her eyes in panic and extended her arm out to the prince in anguish and desperation as she felt slowly lose consciousness due to Asterias' energy, "Endymion!"

Kunzite turned to Jadeite "Raise the barrier—give Endymion an opening!" he turned and saw Nephrite and Zoisite running towards them and followed by the other senshi, Jupiter taking the lead, "Sparkling Wide Pressure!"

"Mercury Aqua Mirage!"

"Zoi!"

"Starlight Attack!"

Athamas blocked the attacks with a barrier created by the energy given by Asteria and glared at them, "The Princess is mine—you worthless creatures," he turned and snapped his fingers to call for more shadows to keep them busy while the portal finished opening. Asteria tilted her head low and narrowed her dark eyes at the prince who was fighting his way towards them, "I told you to mark my words hybrid, I told you I was going to get my revenge... this is what you get for challenging me—see you in Inferno!" she turned and kicked Serenity into the dark pit behind her; like a horror movie in slow motion, Endymion widened his eyes with dread and felt his whole body had gone cold as he watched the princess fall into the deep abyss. Serenity felt like being pulled away from reality as she fell into the pit below her and extended her arm to try to grab on to something but the void in her stomach was too strong as she realized she was now too far from her world and the prince. Her eyes teared but she couldn't cry, she wanted to scream but her voice could no longer come out of her, she opened her mouth but no one listened as she slowly, very slowly, got summered into the darkness and lost all consciousness.

"Noo! Serenity!" Endymion screamed at the top of his lungs until his voice was strained with rage and slammed his fist on the ground burning everything in his path with rabid fire and kneeled right where the portal had closed just seconds ago. Desperate and beyond furious, he kept pounding his fists against the concrete until traces of his blood splattered with each punch, "Nooo! Noooo!"

Venus covered her face with her trembling hands and shook her head, "Princess... the Princess..." Kunzite kneeled next to her once the dark shadows turned into tar on the ground and closed his eyes, knowing that war was far from being over. In the distance, Megumi watched wide-eyed with tears running down her cheeks as her hand held the pendant the Prince handed to her to protect her and curled her fingers around it tightly. "No... not again..."


The Divinity Seris is rated M. Readers' discretion is adviced. Violence, cursing, and intimacy may occur.

I do not own Sailor Moon, just this plot and some of the characters.

Aditional notes:

*In Japan, using 'www' in a text message is the equivalent of the use of 'LOL' or 'HAHA' in America. So, in words, it means laughter or giggling.

*Salve: Good morning