Makoto and Artemis were now as still as a statue. They both felt the same level of shock, but for different reasons. Artemis was paralyzed in shock of yet another important person in his life finding out about his secret, while Makoto stood in shock from the sight of her once talking-cat ally now taking on the form of a human. Either way, there they were, staring at each other as if they've both seen ghosts.

"...Artemis?" Makoto whispered, the tiny cracks in her voice emphasizing on her bewilderment. "How did...How could...How can this be?"

"Hehe...Hey, Mako-chan." Artemis chuckled nervously, slowly scratching his neck. The two continued to glare at each other awkwardly, both still trying to process if this was reality or not.

"Excuse me..." The apartment front desk clerk cleared her throat to get their attention. "I don't mean to interrupt this...Wonderful reunion, but you'll need to put it aside for now, Mr. Artemis." She looked at her computer and spun the scroll on her mouse, silently scanning the screen and heavily sighing a short moment later.

"I'm afraid I have some bad news for you."

"Huh? B-bad news?" Artemis finally turned his head away from Makoto to look at the lady in concern. She sighed again.

"Yes...During your little staring competition with your friend over there, not only did I check the list of residents...But the list of future residents."

Artemis gulped.

"Were we really standing there for that long?" He asked, trying to change the subject. The clerk chortled to herself.

"Yes, you were." The lady motioned for Artemis to move closer and leaned into his ear. "But believe me when I tell you, I've known Makoto for quite some time now, and her eyes upon yours were most likely because she thinks your drop-dead handsome."

"Hey! I heard that, Riko!" Makoto angrily stomped over to the front desk. "I have a boyfriend, and you know that!"

"Oh, lighten up, Mako. I'm just havin' a little fun." The lady playfully nudged Makoto's arm. "But joking aside, you have no reason to be here, Mr. Artemis. So leave." The clerk's abrupt shift of emotion caught Artemis by surprise as he slowly stepped back, not realizing Makoto was behind him and clumsily tripping into her. Makoto sighed in annoyance.

"Even as a human, you're quite a screw-up, aren't you." She whispered. Artemis frowned in response and opened his mouth to say something before Makoto beat him to it.

"You don't have to kick him out, Riko. I got him." She stated, looking down at the grown man still held in her arms. She casually dropped Artemis to the floor before lazily waving her hand goodbye to the clerk and walking away.

"Makoto...Wait up!" Artemis quickly got himself to his feet again and chased his pony-tailed friend to her apartment room door.

"Oh no ya don't!" Makoto turned around and stopped Artemis in his tracks before he could move any further.

"Huh? What is it?" He asked casually. Makoto gave him a confused look.

"Isn't it obvious?" She replied as she grabbed her keys from her pocket. "I have a boyfriend that comes to my apartment to walk me to school every morning, and I'm not about to have some random silver-haired dude be the first thing he sees when he walks into the living room." Makoto inserted her keys and paused before turning her hand. "Especially if you're that...good-looking..." She quietly added before shifting the handle and walking into the apartment, completely facing forward and refusing to look at Artemis.

Dang. I know Artemis used to be a cat and all, but one glance at his face and I'll be sure to give in. Makoto thought.

"Wait, Mako-ch-" Before Artemis could even finish calling her name, Makoto slammed her door and locked a distressed Artemis out into the halls.

"M-Mako-chan! This doesn't even make any sense! Where the heck am I supposed to go for the night?" He banged his fist on the door. "You told the clerk you'd take care of me! What do you think she'd do if someone reports to her that there's a weird long-haired guy aimlessly roaming the halls!" Another bang. "Makoto!" And another bang. Whilst the banging continued, Makoto planned to go about her night routine as usual before pausing in the middle of brushing her teeth, staring at the mirror.

Wait a sec...Now that I think about it, this really doesn't make any sense. Where is he supposed to go if I just lock him out like this? Besides, this isn't any way to treat a friend.

Makoto steadily proceeded to brush before ceasing motion once again.

But wait...What would Motoki think? What explanation could I possibly have for keeping such a super-stud in my apartment? It's not like him-or anyone for that matter-would believe me if I said that this guy...

Makoto slowly turned her head toward the banging noise.

Used to be...

The banging continued.

"ARTEMIS!" Makoto shouted. "Would you please give me some time to think! This is a lot to process for me right now!"

Artemis slumped on the outside of the apartment door, sighing heavily while swinging his bag of clothes back and forth like a scolded child.

"Gosh...What am I gonna tell Mina's parents when I show up at the front door asking to stay for the night?" He whined as obnoxiously loud as possible. "It's either that or I sleep on the streets like a stray animal." Artemis gasped dramatically. "Except...I'm not an animal anymore, am I? My needs are so much different, so much more complex-"

Suddenly, the door swung open, causing Artemis to flail out of control before catching himself on the wall. Makoto sighed, turning her head to the corner and shutting her eyes in agitation.

"Just...Shut up and get inside."


Artemis trudged out of the bathroom, all traces of masculine confidence eradicated as the scent of jasmine-vanilla wash emanated from his body-which fit smug into Makoto's large, flowy bed robe.

"Uh...Mako-chan?" He looked down with discontent.

"Do you happen to have any other-"

"Nope." Makoto was quick to shut him down.

Artemis pouted, childishly flinging the ends of the robe as he shuffled his feet to the couch.

"Such a baby." Makoto remarked. "No wonder you and Minako get along."

"Hey! Don't compare me to her level of immaturity." He rose his finger matter-of-factly before briefly sniffing his flower-scented arm and pouting again.

Makoto chuckled, carefully placing a tray with two small teacups in front of them. She then hopped on the couch and sat in an eager position.

"So," She feverishly began.

"How did it happen?"

Artemis gave a blank stare.

"...You know what I'm asking, right?"

Artemis averted his gaze and eyed the steaming floral-printed teacup in front of him.

"Y-yeah..."

Makoto scooted closer.

"So? Tell me! How did this happen?!" She leaned forward, itching for answers.

Before Artemis could even open his mouth, Makoto already came up with a conclusion to dump onto the table.

"No, let me guess...You knocked into Usagi's compact by accident, cracked open the Silver Crystal, got exposed to the radiation of its power and transformed into a human?"

Artemis sat dumbfounded by Makoto's elaborate fabrication before slowly shaking his head.

"...No. Try again."

Makoto sunk into the couch before snapping back and clapping her hands as another imaginative idea popped into her head.

"Oh! Oh! Minako was hanging her dress to dry on the balcony, but it slipped out of her hand. As she tried to reach for the dress, she fell, so you morphed into a human to grab her." Artemis was about to protest before cocking his head to the side in thought.

"That sounds oddly familiar..." He said.

"Well, that's kind of what happened that one time Minako couldn't transform. Remember?"

Artemis heartily chuckled.

"Yes, of course!"

"Yea, she was falling off of that ramp, and you suddenly morphed into a human to grab her hand. Your human form seemed to only last for a few minutes though...I thought maybe it was triggered whenever Minako was in grave danger and needed saving. Without her having the option of saving herself, of course."

As Makoto slowly digested her own words, her eyes grew to the size of Jupiter.

"Wait...Minako..in danger..."

A long, exaggerated gasp escaped her lips.

"That was you on the news, wasn't it? Didn't you push her out of the way of an incoming car?! She lied to me. She told me it was some random dude that happened to be nearby-but it was you!"

Artemis blushed. His eyes fluttered to the floor before he fervently nodded.

Makoto blushed as well, the aura of Artemis's sudden bashfulness bouncing onto her.

"Wow...Some instincts you got there." She playfully nudged his shoulder. "You must really love her, huh."

Artemis's face was now as hot as magma.

"Pfft, I wish I could've seen her reaction once she realized it was you. You should've seen how flustered she was the night you saved her from falling."

As Makoto continued to ramble, Artemis reached for the tea, carefully inspecting his reflection as it stared back at him through the black liquid.

Whenever Minako is in grave danger... Makoto's words echoed in his head.

Whenever she needed saving...

His eyes narrowed as he brought the teacup closer to his face, acutely studying his human features.

Minako's heart was broken that night. My heart broke in return. Her hope was in danger. Her faith in love needed saving. Perhaps...that could've been the case?

"-And I think she really wanted you to stay that way, because I remember her acting super strange whenever we talked about it-Artemis?"

Wait...So would that mean the man in the dark hood was a mere figment of my imagination? Like some sort of embodiment of my instincts as her partner?

Artemis remained glued to the teacup, unresponsive.

"Artemis? Hello?"

No...The voice...The man...It was all too real.

"...Artemis? You alright there bud?"

...Just who was he then?

Suddenly, Artemis felt a pair of solid knuckles knocking into his skull.

"Hello! Anyone in there?"

"Huh-"

Artemis jolted upright, causing the seething contents of the teacup to hop onto his knee.

A brief silence filled the room as Artemis's face became flooded in bright red. Tears swelled in his eyes. His lip trembled.

"Here we go." Makoto whispered to herself before Artemis released an ear-splitting screech in pain.

"I swear you and Minako were made for each other." She mumbled under her breath before rising to grab a frozen package.


Artemis groaned in fatigue and confusion as his eyelids grew apart. When his vision became clear, he frowned in puzzlement as he eyed a thawed pack of peas on his legs.

"H-huh..." He murmured before steadily ascending upright. He rotated his head, curiously scanning his surroundings before the events that occurred the night before finally resurfaced.

"Oh...Makoto..." He mumbled to himself. He rose from the couch, approaching Makoto's bedroom. He knocked softly.

"Mako-chan..."

No response. He knocked harder.

"Makoto..." Suddenly, a booming snore emitted through the door. Artemis jolted in surprise.

I must've exhausted her. He thought, a pang of guilt stinging his chest.

Suddenly, he heard the front door handle begin to shake.

Keys jingled.

The knob turned.

Artemis bolted.

He didn't know where he was running, but the main objective was to not be seen. So, he secured himself in Makoto's kitchen pantry.

"Good morning, my Sasanqua. You ready?" Motoki's voice tenderly called out to his lover. As his footsteps tapped closer and closer to the kitchen, Artemis held his breath. "...Hello? Makoto?" Motoki gently knocked. The sound of Makoto's door slowly creeping open sent trickles of sweat down Artemis's spine.

Oh no...I can't stay in here for much longer. Think Artemis, think...

"Uhn...Moto-chan..." Makoto groaned. "What time is it?" Motoki chuckled nervously before pointing to the alarm clock on the nightstand.

Makoto didn't say a word.

She slowly rose, swinging her legs over the side of the bed. As soon as her feet touched the ground, she rushed towards the bathroom, aggressively slamming the door. She brushed her teeth with vigor, spitting toothpaste and blood all over the mirror before sloppily wiping her mouth and shooting out. She raced toward her uniform, ripping her nightgown off and clumsily hopped to the kitchen with one leg in her skirt. In the midst of the mayhem, Motoki quietly sat, his eyes following his distressed girlfriend as she sprung about.

As Artemis heard Makoto hop closer and closer to the pantry, he froze.

Oh no.

Before Artemis could make a move, the pantry door swung open. The brute force of Makoto's hand caused all bottles of sugar, spice, and everything nice to tumble from the shelves right onto Artemis, ultimately burying him.

"DAH-" Artemis yelped before covering his mouth.

"Mako-chan? You okay?" Motoki called out in concern.

Makoto stood in silence, skirt in one leg, hair in knots, drips of blood dribbling out of her mouth as it hung open, her eyes glued to a long, silver-haired fellow squirming under a pile of seasoning.

"...Y-yeah..." She wearily answered, carefully stepping over Artemis to reach for the cinnamon bread.

"Wait, Mako-"

"Shh." Makoto leaned down, unaware of her half-exposed leg. Artemis swiftly averted his eyes with a slight blush. Overcome with a sharp pang of embarrassment and vexation, Makoto growled before quickly kicking her leg into the skirt.

"Ugh, I swear Artemis, you've only lived with me for eight hours and you're already driving me crazy." She whispered harshly. "I don't know how Minako has been putting up with you for-"

"Makoto? I'm going to be late for my shift. It's already eight-thirty, are you feeling okay?"

Makoto let out a silent moan in frustration. "Yeah, sorry! I was up all night studying for an exam, so I'm a bit sluggish!"

Motoki replayed the recent scene of Makoto scampering across the apartment and frowned in confusion.

...Sluggish? He thought.

Makoto took a long, deep breath before turning back to Artemis, her hands placed on his shoulders.

"Artemis...I'm gonna need you to listen to me very carefully."

Artemis gazed into Makoto's stern lime-green eyes and nodded compliantly.

"Stay completely still in this pantry until you hear the front door shut. Then, wait about three minutes before getting your stuff and heading out. You with me?"

Artemis's chest tightened.

Oh god, she's kicking me out. Where am I going to live from now on? This is a disaster...

Artemis glumly lowered his head, nodding slowly. Makoto beamed and playfully knuckled his hair.

"Good. I'll leave the keys on the kitchen counter so you can lock the door and give it to me later. See you after school." With that, Makoto stepped out of the pantry and prepared to depart.

"Ready." She declared.

"Ready? How could you say that? Your hair is a mess, your uniform is wrinkled, your mouth is bleed-gah! Makoto! Your mouth is bleeding!"

"Stop being such a worry-wart, Moto-chan. I just brushed my teeth a little too hard, that's all."

"Well, you can't go to school with blood dripping down your chin."

"Relax, I'll swallow it up when I eat my bread."

"Mako-chan...That's-"

The couple's chatter was eventually deafened as the front door slammed shut.

And there in Makoto's empty apartment sat Artemis-alone, anxious, dejected, and still under a pile of seasoning bottles.

"Why..." He murmured to himself as he softly pushed the bottles off of his body.

"Why did I even wish for this? It's only been two days, and all I've done is cause trouble." He kicked the pantry door open with a bitter pout. "I tired poor Makoto out and probably ruined her attendance record. As for Minako...I'm usually the one that helps her get moving in the morning...But now that I'm here, I bet she hasn't even gotten out of bed yet." Artemis rose and brushed himself off. "Maybe I should head over there and see for myself."

He walked towards his bag containing his one, single outfit, sighing in distress. "Guess I better change into this..."

After finally ridding of Makoto's pink bed robe, he slipped into his pair of dark jeans and an intricately patterned silver t-shirt.

"Alright. Off to Mina's."

He clenched his fists in determination before grabbing the apartment keys and marching out. After locking the door, he slowly turned back around, overwhelmed with a wave of hopelessness.

"I really thought things were going to go better than this." He muttered to himself, drooping his head as he trudged down the hallway.

"I was supposed to have a place to live. I can't survive an entire month by leeching off of the girls."

He stopped mid-walk, his tightened grip on Makoto's apartment keys slowly piercing through the palm of his hand.

"What am I gonna-"

Suddenly, his brow furrowed as he concentrated on a lonely envelope lying on the floor.

"...To...Artemis?" He read aloud.

He steadily descended to pick it up.

Before even opening the folds of the envelope, he shifted his head to the upper left, laying his eyes on an apartment door with the number 133.

Then, he heard something jingly fall out of the envelope.

He looked down again.

They were keys for apartment door 133.

A smile bloomed on Artemis's face.


A/N:

Yeah, that's right. Years later, ya girl's hitting you with another chapter. I know in my previous announcement I mentioned continuing the story when the Sailor Moon Eternal movie came out, but I had no idea that it was going to be released in the middle of freaking September-when I start college. So, I'm actually anticipating on writing the rest of the story during the summer.

...Or now. I mean, its not like I have anything else to do in the midst of a DAMN PANDEMIC.

Oh, yeah, that's another thing. A lot of y'all are probably lingering on here due to being on lockdown anyway, so I might as well start pumping these out now to give you guys something to do.

I still absolutely cannot believe I'm doing this. I honestly thought I moved on from this story (and fanfic in general) a long time ago. This is definitely, FOR SURE going to be the last fanfiction I ever write due to the impending and overbearing responsibilities of being a grown-up, but after finding my old iPad, re-reading these thirteen and a half chapters and remembering how the story was supposed to play out...I just couldn't resist.

Oh, that reminds me (this is the last thing I promise), a good chunk of this chapter was actually written four years ago. I left it completely untouched. Can you try to distinguish what parts of the chapter were written by 14-year-old me vs 18-year-old me?