breaking point

by max333

What if Usagi had finally decided enough was enough? Between the jabs and the lame excuses on problems going on involving not only Mamoru but Chibi Usa as well, Usagi has had enough and hits her breaking point. Now the girls must realize their own individual faults in the conflict and rise together to show Usagi that she is the glue that holds them together.

21. baby sitting & talking with rei part 2

SerenityxEndymion: yeah not at the moment no, I'm debating on if they should be at all. Mamoru only accepted seiya around cause it was temporary. Tyler plans to stay so yeah animosity. Tyler may be turning into that character that you love to hate…not sure but I certainly didn't plan for him to be that way, it is just sort of happening. Yes Luna and Usagi needed to talk to and get back on a decent verbal stance. I'll take that wow as a good one. lol

Princesakarlita411: smarting up yes, they will talk a bit yes. Glad this is the high light of your Sundays!

Rjzero00: oh definitely, that's one of the main problems that was had. Usagi period hadn't really been acknowledged and just wanted validation. A little bit, I know it was never really explained but neither was the whole reason he sent the visions to Mamoru for the break up. that bit about strengthening their relationship to me was bull. It was only put in there to keep the couple apart so that it could be geared more towards kids. as for the future senshi being easily defeated, I don't think that's the case. If I recall correctly they were the ones that used their powers continuously to hold up the crystal palace's defensive shields all over. They had just used their powers to put their queen in a crystal coffin of sorts so she could heal herself while they maintained a constant hold to keep their line of defense up since their offense was currently incapacitated. That's pretty powerful to me to keep constantly feeding ones power into a grid to keep a forcefield up. I hadn't actually. This is technically my first one. maybe if I can get inspired from a particular part of the series I can make it happen with a story line in mind. Thank you though, I just pour my frustrations into the angst. Its sort of therapeutic.

Joanne Frances Tiano Cajilig: pretty much. I really couldn't have said it any better myself.

LoveInTheBattleField: thanks.

AimlesslyGera: Tyler wasn't meant to be annoying, so this is actually a bit entertaining.

Jovemako: yeah he's releasing a lot of his anger and he's forgetting that he he's to release it in slower more controlled doses to not look like an ass. And yeah Tyler definitely egged him on. not initially but when he saw that he had Mamoru he took it for the win. And to be honest I have no real plans to introduce him to the senshi. She was happy cause it's the first time she's seen a macho display for her and over her. she doesn't want to like it but she can't help, but like it cause some women do enjoy seeing that type of possessive macho display. So its more of a psychological and biological thing rather than a 'legitimate like it cause it was the right thing' type of like it. hopefully that makes sense. Cause shoot the very seldom few times I've had a guy do something similar, which is NOT a lot, I had to admit it turned me on and made me feel safer even. Granted that was a LONG time ago but still, some women do like it. yeah Rei is finally getting it and Luna is working hard now to.

karseneau1: thanks, glad you enjoyed it.

Oracle Sybil: he will be working to get back towards her. things will be changing in those areas slowly. And yes Rei and Luna finally understand.

No extra's: pretty much. While she does have boundaries set up she likes to think of the good in people. So for Tyler, even though she knows he's interested in her, when she said 'just friends' and he accepted to her that means 'he's respecting my wishes and isn't thinking that he'll still flirt or anything else'. And I guess yeah that's how one can perceive mamoru and Tyler in this. Lol and yes Rei needed that but she also recognizes what she did was wrong and not something she should have done. Tyler himself is a decent guy you have a point and others will see that soon.

Ch18: Endymion and mamoru are one in the same to a degree, she wants the man that loves her and that's both, but she wants him to want to love her and be with her.

Anonymous: mamoru has made many mistakes yes, however in his slight defense here I believe he didn't allow himself to be brainwashed. He was severely weakened from an attack to save her who zoicite played dirty. I'm guessing a stab wound of that size is no joke, regained his memories of his former life then passed out from the pain and blood lose (who wouldn't). Woke up in that evil chamber where he was subject to who knows what kind of torture to give in and be evil and even when he was evil, he still found ways to help her out and blamed 'malachite involving innocents to do his dirty work for him as an excuse'. Sorry but if your evil you don't care who is involved to do the bidding, you just want to get the mission accomplished at all costs. Look at Beryl, every time a youma was destroyed it was on to the next one, same with her generals, she didn't care. Evil. Plus on some level he was there for usagi on several occasions thus proving his own need to protect her and love her. now on the whole metallia brainwashing thing, are you referring to the manga or SMC cause I think in the anime it was just Beryl who brainwashed him like three times cause Usagi kept healing him. yes he had metallia's energy in him but I didn't they all? the man kind of went through a rollercoaster of having his head turned into a boggle machine by evil so many times over in the span of technically a few months. Though not in his defense yes he messed up with the Saori thing and that will get touched up on again with Usagi. Just my thoughts is all.

Serenity24Luna: pretty much.

Veraozao: thank you. 😊

InuKaglover4ev22: yeah I bet. Oh yeah and it was well needed for the both of them. and yes for Luna and Usagi to get that hashed out is a long time coming but she needed to tell Luna for them both. She wanted to tell her for the longest time so now she finally has the chance to be like 'this happened to me and I need you to know and listen cause its not easy to get out'. I may have been off on my days there, my mistake. as for her mother doing that, to be honest when I was in my teens I was assumed to not have any plans and the plans for me to babysit were made for me. granted I didn't have any plans but still, parents do, do that when they want you to do something they want you to do. I'm in my mid thirties and my dad still does it to me. he only asks if I'm working on that day, otherwise he assumes I'm free to do whatever he wants. I love him to death but he's a pain sometimes. I just figured some parents are like that. and for Jeremy stating that they 'need' her to baby sit. Their still relatively new to town, and don't know a lot of people that are available for babysitting. Its really only two options and the first one was out. so he 'needed' someone he knew he could trust to a certain level. And while yes the assumption shouldn't be made, I've been there to only it was always assumed that the person to baby sit didn't have plans. Doesn't help when you never do so even though its 'rude' to assume it doesn't help much when you don't and have no real room to argue. Usagi is seeing the thing with Tyler which is why she noticing more things about him. he's a tiny bit cocky yes but he also knows the bits about Usagi's relationship with Mamoru and plans to be there as her friend that way in his minds eye IF/WHEN it goes south he can be the shoulder to cry on. while yes he's still flirting a bit, its not to the point where she's noticing it. at least not right now but soon she will. I'm not debating on their being a fight between Mamoru and Tyler. Like something close to Rei and Usagi but on a shorter scale. I want to make sure it fits if I can and further more doesn't take away from the growth of the relationships or the people within it. as for Usagi telling Tyler what was going on, she's always been an honest person. She wanted to give him the details that she could while still keeping the bigger parts out. especially since they have been talking near everyday and he's become a friend to her now. plus other than Umino and Motoki, one of which is more like a brother to her, she doesn't have a lot of male friends she can turn to, or rather people that are removed from her senshi world. If that makes sense. But you are right at the end of the day Usagi knows who her heart belongs to.

16 reviews, that's nice, glad everyone is enjoying this, there's going to be some more confrontations coming up soon but right now lets get to the next part, please read and review!

Breaking point ch.21

Usagi POV

It was hours till I got back home that evening. After that confrontation with Mamoru I felt conflicted in my heart. Tyler and I wound up once we got back sitting on the couch to watch a movie while his nephew slept soundly nearby. Turns out he didn't sleep so well without his parents nearby so to give him the feel that things were okay Tyler and I let him sleep in the play pen near us.

It also gave me a bit of a chance to think things over. While I knew I'd always love Mamoru to have him acting this way was nice but odd. I wasn't used to him actually making an effort like this. First with the flowers and candy that my father consistently looked at now, wondering what the hell had happened between us and hopefully NOT overthinking it, especially since there was nearly half a dozen bouquets through the house now.

The first floor looked like a small showroom of it, that made even Shingo look at me weirdly, though Chibi Usa looked at them with hope. I ignored her as much as possible, not wanting to get insulted even though the last time we spoke if you could call it that was really with her giving me a hug of all things. It was hard to be around her though. Sometimes she truly reminded me of her father…Mamoru.

She could be as stoic as him with her nose in the air attitude and put on the indifference of what I meant to her on in seconds flat. Truly a move her father perfected on me during our actual break up. ignoring that thought for now I reflected back to the ridiculous number of flowers that I knew Mamoru thought had done a nice job of trying to win me back into his favor. Every time I'd leave the house, I was essentially forced to see them.

It yes did remind me of him but not in the way that I knew he would have preferred. Seeing two of the bouquets by the door didn't make me eyes light up at the sight of them. it just reminded me of where we were in this limbo. The fact that we were here cause otherwise I knew there wouldn't be ANY roses in the living room. It had turned into more of a sad fact than a pleasant one to see them.

The worst, depending on how you look at it, was that I had one in my room because there was no more room left in the house. Mother used up all of the vases we had and don't get me wrong; roses were normally beautiful to look at but now all I could see what Mamoru's effort in them. It had me torn between remembering that I used to get those familiar vibes of 'so sweet' and then remembering everything he's done and not done.

Sometimes I would ignore them which sometimes prompted my father to look at me with 'what did he do to make you NOT want to see the flowers?' thankfully he didn't ask, but I had a feeling he would encourage mother to do so, so that I would hopefully tell her. I had yet to hear from her though. I had already eaten the chocolates, enjoying their sweetness, even if it now seemed bittersweet.

I even asked myself if accepting all of this told him that he was getting in good with me, because he wasn't. I came to realize that day that I was happy my parents got home when they did. It prevented me from having to make the decision to say no. No to the kiss that was too soon. No to him thinking that flowers and chocolates were a cure all and no to him thinking that this went anywhere beyond a first step.

And that first step was merely acknowledging that he fucked up badly and needed to make changes and fix it. I made dinner with mother that evening and while she didn't ask what was going on with the flower's I think she wanted me to come to her. I was too into my own head space to go to her though. So, as I sat and watched the movie with Tyler, I knew he liked me, but I definitely made sure to keep us at an appropriate distance. I didn't want to give him the wrong idea that we were more than friends and he respected it.

We even sat on the couch with space between us, even though his arm was on the back of it, almost as if an open invitation to cuddle up with him if I wanted. I smiled but didn't cuddle. I didn't want to give him the wrong idea. He was respectful of my wishes and I appreciated that in him. He acted the perfect gentleman. Though we did chat about his perspective on relationships and where it came from.

He did feel that way but once he explained it to me more clearly, I could sort of see his perspective I just still didn't agree with it. "When I first started out in college, I ended up running into this group who believed in that perspective to the core of it all. I had never myself thought of it that way as it wasn't how I was raised but I was also raised to expect different opinions, different beliefs and respect them as such." It reminded me of how my parents raised myself and Shingo to be.

"This one couple in particular they had dated for over a year, then she met this guy towards the end, fell in love with him and married him. She's been happy ever since. They even have a child together." I was surprised by this notion. It still didn't make it right though. There had to be more to it than that, "What happened between her and the other guy to make her know that he wasn't the right one for her?" I asked.

"Not sure, I only heard about them before I conceded to the fact that different cultures have different belief's." which was a true statement to, "Yeah I understand that but…I do have to admit I don't agree with dating someone and then dating someone else and only saying your taken when its an engagement." I saw his face turn to me, "Its just for me, I'm a hopeless romantic. I know its cliched but its true." I admit to him.

"To me if you're in a relationship it means your committed to that person." I hoped he would get the meaning of what I was getting across here. "Which means you wouldn't be dating anyone else BUT that person." He concedes, "Yeah, even if you're in a relationship limbo of sorts. Your still technically together. which is also why Mamoru hit you that day. He still sees us as together and while were 'on a break' I can't help but know that's technically true." I admit as he nods, "I can accept that." he tells me.

"I guess since my first real relationship experience was learning about it in college, I didn't exactly have the best references for it." he laughed, "You had an experience yes but perhaps no not the best. Usually if you date more than one person at a time it results in heartbreak or someone gets hurt." I tell him then ask, "Did your parents never tell you or Jeremy about relationships growing up?" I asked.

He sighed, "No, our parents split when we were in grade school. They only talked when it was necessary between us and once Jeremy was in college they talked even less, then when I graduated high school, my parents gave me a graduation present of my tuition for two years and said 'this is for the next two years of schooling we promised, don't blow it', before they moved out from their respective homes to be where they wanted to be. To this day we see them only a few times a year at holidays and such."

I was shocked to say the least and I think he could tell to, "It's not that we don't love our parents we do It's just that they didn't agree with the career choice my brother made nor did either of them want to have to leave the states to visit us. Jeremy and I always wanted to live in Japan since we were teenagers so when he met his wife, she agreed to move out here to begin their life together." his story had a slightly positive ending to it.

"It was just pure luck that her family didn't mind her moving so far from home. She agreed to visit during the holidays, and we agreed to do the same with our folks. So, in the end it worked out for all of us." We knew a tad bit about Jeremy due to them being sweet people, but we had no idea how they truly had gotten to be here. We just thought it was a work transfer. Turns out there was more to the backstory than we really knew. Tyler and his family kept things tight to the belt, but I kind of understood why though.

"As for the situation this is in relation to, I guess I can see where your, coming from. I'd certainly be upset if the situation with him had been in reverse." When he looked at me, I knew he meant Mamoru. "It's why I didn't argue with him not apologizing to me in the park cause to be honest, neither would I." he was agreeing with Mamoru…who would have thought. "I do see where you're coming from though and it does make sense."

"I'm sorry if my perspective before caused disruption it was just all I knew. I definitely have a new one to look at." I smiled, "I'm glad. Thank you for listening to me." he smiled, "Of course." He nodded. I was happy with that as we watched a movie till Jeremy and his wife came home, glad that I was available to baby sit again since their other sitter was at a family event for the evening. I needed to talk to Tyler in person anyway's so it worked out.

I left out shortly afterwards giving Tyler a quick hug as I left out. He didn't try to kiss me as promised and even maintained a short hug span to be respectful of our just being friends. So, when I got home myself, I got a chance to reflect on Mamoru's actions now. I was stunned by his outward displays of emotion as of late. He wasn't normally like this…or maybe he is normally like this and he hides it away.

That thought from my princess side made me question…if that's the case why? So, she answered…perhaps he's afraid of losing it or loosing you…you'd have to ask him. Which she was right. I would have to ask him all of this. I was torn between smiling at them for him FINALLY showcasing that he has emotions, and towards me in a somewhat positive notion that he loves me and wants to be with me.

Yet also fuming at him for acting like an ass and THINKING that THAT was not only a good idea, from the first action, but thinking that it was acceptable for that situation when had he just tried to talk about it and asked nicely to speak about it would have left with him instead of tending to Tyler's near broken nose. Had Tyler been an ass that forced a kiss on me and was treating me disrespectfully, I would have slapped him myself BEFORE Mamoru even had the chance to hit him.

I did it with Diamond when he tried to force a kiss on me. shot I even evaded Ail's kiss towards me a few times cause of the creep factor he presented. Tyler had neither, nor presented himself with either. We had a genuine good time and yeah…but Mamoru's actions were that of deeply rooted anger and jealousy that he NEVER displayed before. Hell, it made me think of what would have happened had he kissed Saori at the party instead.

Granted I didn't kiss Tyler, but I let him kiss me. Mamoru even confided recently that the kiss between he and Saori should never have even come to pass, that it shouldn't have been a thought on her mind but because of HIS own actions and lack thereof she got the impression that he wasn't interested in me, and wasn't in a true relationship in me. Its why I wanted to talk with him that evening after the kiss…well one of the reasons why.

I think I had been so conflicted over things because Mamoru was always the one constant in my life and by that, I mean that he was the first and ONLY boyfriend in BOTH lives I have ever had and that presented a lot of things to think about. He was also the one person that I felt, in both lives, that would NEVER EVER hurt me on purpose. And yes, I was reflecting back on those times to but I did know him in both, or at least I thought I did.

I had to remember that were NOT the same people from back then, just in the same bodies with the same memories and now the memories of whole new lives. It didn't take away my love for him, but it did make me a different person than before. I wasn't going to bow down and let him walk all over me like a doormat or give that impression. I could even feel the agreement from my inner princess on that one.

However, I also wasn't going to dismiss our past simple because this was a new life and that was just the past. The past isn't just the past, it's part of who we are and it's up to us on how we shape it into our future. We can use it to help us become better people or we can let it define us in a negative manner. We had the new life to live out our lives as we sought fit to and fight enemies that came in to try to hurt the people on earth.

We had our new lives to be who we wanted to be and be who we wanted to be with. Yes, the past life was the past life, but it still played a part in our lives today. It just didn't dictate what we did or who we were with. It just happened that we found each other and fell back in love with each other as we had back then. I didn't love him just because of our past, I love him because I fell in love with him in this time to. Before I found out who he was as tuxedo mask. Before I found out he was the prince.

So yeah, he was a constant from just before this all happened to now, and he was the only guy I had ever had sexual feelings for. The only guy that made my heartbeat faster, other than that short-lived temporary crush on Motoki. However, it didn't mean that I would let that love rule me if he couldn't treat with respect and appreciation the way I always did with him. You can love someone but not like their actions or treatment of yourself or others.

It wouldn't mean that I'd go back to him if nothing changes or if things changed temporarily and went back to as they had been. Far from it. If he couldn't make the changes as I had made, or if things slowly went back to the way they were before after I went back, it would definitely be over for us. It would be a hard road to follow afterwards but it was better than being stuck in a dead end relationship when the guy that you did love, claimed to love you but didn't act the part of a loving boyfriend/future husband.

It was why I initiated the break to begin with, to also give us both clarity over what we wanted in the future. Not what we saw but what we wanted together. That's when I started to think about the parts that I had already forgiven from him over the years. I forgave him for when he was turned evil by Beryl and attacked me several times, most notably in that bitch's throne room when he wrapped electrical thorns around my body.

I honestly felt like I was looking into the eyes of someone soulless that day. Yet I knew he was still in there. The proof had been there on many occasions before while he was evil. Those occasions told me enough that Mamoru was still in there and still loved me greatly, enough especially, to somehow convince the evil side of himself to protect me on a few occasions and aid me in his own way to save innocents. Even when he was evil, I still loved him more than anything ever.

And even though he never forgave himself for his time of being evil I had. I even forgave the 'breaking up with me to protect me thing' even though I didn't even come close to agreeing with his decision on it. Plus, I felt it was one of the dumbest things he ever did. The different options he could have taken. The help he could have gained just by asking the right people. However, I did acknowledge that he did it cause in his own dumbass way he thought he was doing what was right, to protect me.

However, not only did he acknowledged his fault in it but regretted doing it. He regretted losing that time with me. The time we could have used to be closer and to become stronger together, not just as a couple but as a soul. To join together on a deeper level. One that could have reinforced our bond greater than it had been even in our past lives. This however was different. Not even in our past lives had he made such a mistake.

I buried it too often as I WANTED us to work out. I loved Mamoru that damned much that I was willing to over-look it, I just couldn't overlook the treatment and the response he had to things that had been done. Like it had been worth jeopardizing our relationship and he hadn't even seen it coming because he thought it was acceptable…till I pointed it out. Sometimes now I even question if he's still the same person that I met in this lifetime. Were both different from the last one that's for sure.

I sighed again. I felt the need to go to Mamoru, to talk with him in depth. The feelings he stirred deep inside hadn't been stirred in too long and it felt nice. So here I lay in bed, trying to figure this out while responding back to a text from the class act man himself. His last text was wanting to talk so I responded asking…Saturday as we re-scheduled from last time? and making sure that we would be alone for this.

I looked at my door in the direction of Chibi Usa's room and knew I had to make things clear. I texted to him…Chibi Usa can't be physically there, we need to be alone with this…Sometimes as smart as he was, he was so ridiculously clueless in others. He texted back…yes absolutely what time can you come over…? I rolled my eyes, if only he responded somewhat like this month's ago, we wouldn't be here.

"Let's hope he keeps the date and time that I give him." I muttered as Luna jumped in through the window. Noticing that I'm on my phone she asks, "Tyler?" though she was hesitant. I answered, "No, Mamoru." I told her. Her eyes light up, yet she forced her tiny cat frame to remain calm. "Why?" I asked her, suspicious of her response. "No reason just glad you two are talking." But her avoidance of meeting my eyes was a tell-tale.

"Spill." I ordered gently yet still with enough force to get her to do it. "Don't be upset with me but I'm just trying to see if the possible next future royal in line will be of royal caliber or not." I swore my eyes bugged out from her words as she gulped, "It doesn't hurt to ask." She tried. I was astonished and to out of words for a split second to say anything back so I swatter at her feline butt as she just barely dodged the hit.

"Seriously LUNA!" I barked at her as she landed finally on my desk before jumping back on the bed, "It was just a question." She defended, "Tyler and I have hung out only twice, that was it." I snapped back. Seriously to ask THAT?! "But you kissed did you not." She defended her own argument. I grumbled, "How did you come across that bit of information?" I heard her intake of breath, "You think I don't watch over you? You're my charge of course I care enough to make sure you're okay." It was as sweet as it was a privacy violation.

"Point is I saw it and I was just asking a question." She said, "Well it's not what you think. Yes, we kissed but no were NOT dating. Mamoru and I are…in a complicated limbo of being on a 'break' and that won't end till he either works and proves to me that things have changed or…" I didn't even want to think about or. "Or?" Luna pressed, "Let's just hope that there is no or." I tried, "But you have to." She continued to press.

"Usagi while I may be over-stepping my bounds here, I will say this. IF the Tyler becomes someone to have within the future royal line it will be lesser in power versus someone of Mamoru's royal power caliber. Tyler is not tied to a planetary power. He's purely human, any children had with him - " this time I swatted at her fast enough to catch her off guard and send her off the bed.

I heard her screeching howl as she fell to the floor. She popped her head back up and ducked as I swatted at her again then reappeared closer to my desk. She wasn't hiding in fear though. I had seen her in fear, and this wasn't it. Especially when she climbed out and stayed out of hitting range. "Whatever your thinking of saying Luna re-think it." I warned. She huffed, "It's not like it's not the truth." She tried.

"Luna, Tyler and I have hung out TWICE, is that REALLY all the time you think it needs to lecture me on FUTURE KIDS?" I demanded of her. Her mouth snapped shut, "Perhaps I might have gotten ahead of myself…for the time being." I rolled my eyes at her. I couldn't believe her audacity sometimes. And while she had a POINT now was NOT the time to be talking about it…not even close.

Even though I could have a 'royal line' with anyone as I was royal, with Mamoru the line was more powerful that with someone who wasn't of royal 'caliber'. So, I got her point but she was jumping the gun before the bullets had chance to be made or before the barrel had even been formed or something along those lines. So, her timing was WAY OFF. Seriously, sometimes she over thought things and didn't realize how she came off.

"Are you two talking? You and Mamoru?" she asked, trying not to sound like she was prying information from me now, "Trying to set up and time to talk in person. I don't want to do this over the phone. Its highly impersonal given the nature of what we need to discuss. Plus, I don't want to talk to him through a phone when I want to see his reactions to what I'm telling him and to his own responses." She nodded her head as she thought about it.

"That's good thinking." She responded, "Plus I really don't want to try to talk to him with a phone glued to my head all night long. This is too important for that." She nodded, "Again, I couldn't agree more." It had been a long time since I'd heard her agree like that to something I said, and it was nice to hear. It felt uplifting to have the encouragement from someone I did at one point look to for comfort and guidance. So far, she was doing the right thing when it came to being there for me as I had been with making sure my grades were up.

I decided to put her through a test, "How long have you been watching me?" I asked, "Only the last week or so why?" she answered, so I told her, "Mamoru punched out Tyler when they first met." I had never laughed at seeing her eyes bug out before, nor her jaw drop as she started to lose balance at the shock, but I did now. I couldn't help it as she regained her footing. "Are you joking?" she asked.

"Not even close it was just your reaction." I admitted. She seemed to sweat drop before saying, "Was Tyler okay?" I nodded, "Yeah, he was a good sport about it. Then we ran into him today to." I told her about the events from earlier that day. The sun had settled, and the moon was out, I was just enjoying the glow from it on the inside of my room when she came in. "And?" she asked, I looked to her and admitted how I felt.

"I feel torn, conflicted. Which is why I need to talk to Mamoru and soon. I've never seen him react that way before. Never." I admitted. Not even in our past lives had I seen that type of dominating and possessive display. "You want to know if it was out of love or ego?" Luna asked. I turned to her, pretty insightful on that one, "I want to make sure he's genuine about making things right. I do still love him…" I begin.

"But I need to know that he does feel the same way AND that he's willing to be a part of the future that we both want. The one that has a loving wife, husband, good jobs, kids…and not bratty ones either." I mulled. "Sounds reasonable." She agreed. The support I felt really did the job in helping me sleep that night. Especially when I realized that Mamoru had now one two separate occasions made public displays of declaring our relationship and his love for me in his own way.

I went to sleep that night with many things on my mind. When I woke up the following morning, I saw that I had two text. One was from Mamoru an hour after I fell asleep. It read…Can I see you for both days this weekend? I wasn't sure whether to be excited or frown. It was sweet that he wanted to see me for both days, but I just KNEW that this was NOT the time for us to have two full days together to talk. Not to mention it wasn't going to take days for us to talk. At least it shouldn't. I wanted to talk and see him, but this is too much right now.

We needed to make this work but at a pace that worked for the situation and things weren't going to be getting back together that easily. Yes, I wanted to be back together but the point of fighting for someone is it didn't happen overnight. It took time and patience, to show the person you're fighting for that you mean it and that the issues that happened DON'T repeat themselves. So no a weekend wasn't going to happen.

I texted him back…I can do on a Saturday like we originally planned, this coming Saturday, then we'll see how things go. I then saw the other text. It was enough to shock me. "Rei…" I muttered as I read…we need to talk. Can you come by the temple after school today? I sighed…sure. Be there after school. I hoped this would put an end to the tension between us and let us have a normal healthy friendship. Getting ready I went to school and hung out with Makoto, Ami and Naru while Umino was in another class himself. It was nice.

We even answered questions in the next class by Haruna which she was happy as she went on teaching her class. I was quite active, something even the other students noticed as I answered a questions but also volunteered to put one of the answers on the board and did so successfully. I think I changed the perceptions of a lot of students minds that day as I happily walked back. I knew that this is what it felt like to succeed in something.

I recalled sitting in my seat afterwards and getting a text from Tyler saying…hope your day at school is going by well. I happily responded…oh its going very well, I even did a mathematical equation successfully on the board! He was happy for me and supportive. Before I could wish that Mamoru was a little bit more supportive of me academically, he texted me to shocking me as I hadn't been expecting Mamoru to actually confirm the time he wanted me over there by so we could talk.

Now let's just see if he kept it this time. I told myself…not allowing myself to become too hopeful in the event that something came up and he had to cancel. Which usually happened but I would give him this chance to prove that the past wouldn't repeat. Not for this. Making sure I had Mamoru's conversation up I read…Okay Saturday at 1pm it is then. I really do miss seeing you…seeing your smile…your bright blue eyes…smelling your sweet scent… His words put a small smile on my face.

I didn't know how to respond at first. Mamoru rarely talked to me like this even when we were dating. He seemed to really be putting in honest effort into this. It made me happy even though my heart was still hesitant to trust it. I responded by saying…good…it will be good to see you to, we do have a lot to discuss. I bite my lip hoping that wasn't too much to send, I didn't want to seem that easily swayed or charmed by him.

Though I had to admit he was actually being really charming. I also had to admit that both of them made me smile. Several long hours later, once classes were done and once, we were out, I told the girls where I'd be going to. They sighed and remarked in their own ways to 'be careful' and 'call if you need anything'. I hadn't told them about Rei and mines fight from last time. If things didn't go well today, I'll tell them so they knew but if they do go well then it can stay between us.

Besides, I don't think this 'goddess of war' wants it known that the 'moon goddess' herself handed her, her own ass, in her own temple no less. Even if I was STRONGLY tempted to brag about it a bit. Give her a taste of her own medicine. When the time was right, IF things started to revert back, I'll make damned sure it was known why I was the leader and not her. I didn't want to have to do it but if pushed I would.

I walked to the temple with more confidence than last time as I met with Rei at the front steps, "Come in?" she suggested as I saw the bandage on her nose. Red as it was now from the hit's she took from me last time. I accepted and walked in, feeling this time like I would be staying a bit I took off my shoes as she started to talk, "About last time…" I could tell she wasn't used to having to admit to defeat, so this was probably hard for her, however that was also her problem at the moment.

"Yes?" I asked, "To start with, I guess I felt that I faced my problems in life and believed you to hide behind crocodile tears. Like you used to when we first met." I resisted the urge to roll my eyes as I will admit I had crocodile tear moments before so there was SOME validity to that. I will also say that I wasn't THAT bad. "I wasn't always like that." I defended. I could tell she was going to say something but stopped short.

"True, but those memories stuck to me pretty easily compared to the others." Of course. I thought to myself. Negative things stick out more sometimes compared to the positive ones, it sucked but it was true. I was about to say something akin to that to her when her next words shook me to my core, "Like with that Diamond situation." I stopped short and asked her, "What are you talking about?" it seemed like a near out of the blue reference that didn't make much sense to me.

It was then that Rei's attitude, one that I knew she couldn't help at the moment came out as she said, "I know how you really felt about that no need to hide behind pretenses." I literally felt attacked right now by her. Her words making it sound like I asked for what happened to me to happen. Yet that didn't make sense because she didn't know everything, only Minako and Luna now knew everything.

Before I could get to upset and respond negatively to this, I needed more information on what she THOUGHT had happened, "What exactly do you think happened while I was trapped with Diamond?" I could tell she was trying to figure me out as she said, "Diamond told you he wanted you, tried to kiss you, and Mamoru saved you end of story." I couldn't believe it, that's what she thought happened? I tensed a bit and wanted to leave. Yet I knew I couldn't as it seemed she had incomplete information on me.

"You have no idea what happened to me do you?" I asked her, my voice cracking slightly as I saw the defense that Rei held fall a bit herself. However, she still managed to get out, "I over-heard you tell Minako and I quote 'Diamond's not that bad of a guy'." Like she was trying to win a fight and this time it was emotional and mental versus physical. The problem was she really had no full-on clue and was taking my words out of context.

I sighed, "So you didn't hear what I said beforehand." This causes Rei to appear as if she is doubting herself on what she thinks. Good. She needs to see how wrong she is on things. "I don't see how that matters." She tried, I should have walked out, should have said 'screw you', but I had a feeling that this needed to be said between us. All of this was needed between us, the fight earlier and now this.

So, I stayed and told her, "When diamond took me I passed out from the excessive amount of negative energy around me. When I woke up, I was re-dressed in a white and gold embroidered dress. How I was re-dressed only Diamond knows. I was still unconscious." I could see the clearly shocked look on Rei's face as her defensive stance, the one meant to guard her own emotions lowered that much more. I could sense her own need to know more, like her own fire senshi was reaching out to the moon princess to comfort and support.

Therefore, it pressed her to see past whatever was holding her as Rei back so she could understand and let us reach a communicable impasse of sorts. At least that's how it felt. I felt the tears begin to well up within my eyes, "I couldn't focus at first and when I went to use the crystal since he left it right there next to me, it was like a regular stone. No activity. No power. I was literally ALONE with a very powerful ENEMY with no POWERS to aid me in my fight." I saw how Rei stood now.

The defense she once held as she had her arms folded across her now seemed to drop a lot more, almost releasing them as she listened to me, "Diamond used that third eye to control my body, much like he did when he took me from you guys." Rei merely nodded her head; I wasn't sure if she was horrified at what was coming or hopeful that it wasn't too bad. "He lifted my body toward his at his will. I literally felt unable to move my body under my own command." I saw her eyes begin to water now.

Like she was finally conceiving how bad that experience for me was, "It took all of my will power just to slap his hand away from me, then that eye came out double time. Whatever control I had gained in those moments over my own form vanished to nothing but dust. It was his at that moment. Had it NOT been for Mamoru…" it was then that I saw Rei's form drop completely, her defensive nature was gone as tears sprung to life in her eyes. Angry and confused she asked, "Then why did you say he wasn't – " but I cut her off.

I didn't need her to go on a tangent. I needed her to listen, "Cause after Mamoru got me out, I had a chance to think properly and digest what had just happened before he got there." Rei's still didn't talk. "I realized he was being manipulated himself. That there was a chance to save him." Rei looked at me in shock. Though in shock that I would feel that way AFTER everything that happened or in shock that I figured it out I wasn't sure yet.

"In those moments though BEFORE Mamoru got there, it was terrifying. Not just because I was without my powers but mostly because I had just experienced in a sense what it would be like to be drugged and nearly raped by someone who was obsessed with me." I then saw Rei back up just the slightest bit. Like hearing it said like THAT made the experience that much more real, like something that we didn't regularly related to being a senshi since we had yet to ever run into an enemy that wanted that.

So, to hear that it could still happen to one of us even as powerful as we were was terrifying to say the least. Granted Diamond been incredibly strong as he was an enemy from the future who had had his powers for who knew how long before us and therefore knew how to utilize it that much more easily but it showed us that we had to be on our game. That we had to be vigilant in training not just our powers but with our minds and bodies as well.

Something we had been lacking in doing. "The maniacal deranged look in his eyes was terrifying. He was going to take what he wanted, regardless if I complied or not. I saw it in there and THAT is what terrified me." Rei I could tell wanted to look away from me, to NOT see the emotions of what happened in my eyes, yet like a train wreck she couldn't look away from me, she could only watch as I told her what happened.

"His control over me made me powerless. I was essentially drugged with dark magic, I was woozy, I had a screaming headache, worse than any period had ever given me and that's saying something, and his mind tricks in my head only magnified the pain. Like he was using the mental pain to bend me to his will. Yet I knew if I gave in, if I let him stop the pain, I'd lose myself." I saw how she looked.

How Rei took in that pain herself. She leaned against the nearest wall and blinked the tears down. They fell in down her cheeks as she looked at me. Our eyes were both becoming red with the pain. Mine from rehashing it, a second time over, and her hers from a mix of feeling whatever powers were sensing now that things weren't as blocked as before, and from probably remembering how she treated me afterwards to.

"So, when I got back to you guys and I was crying, it was because I finally got back to those I felt I could trust and be safe with. I was safe with Mamoru yes, but I needed the comfort of my friends, my sisters in arms and all I got from you was more harping to stop crying." Now Rei looked like she'd been punched in the gut. By herself. I saw how defeated she looked but more importantly how regretful she appeared.

"All I needed at that time was to talk and have my friends! Minako was one of the few who actually took the time to listen to me. You caught the tail end of a conversation and made a bad, incorrect assumption." It was then that she turned and lowered her head. I could sense however that she was genuinely feeling remorse for her actions. Her words. At least on that. She sniffled and wiped her nose on the sleeve of her miko robes.

"I didn't know." Her tone was low, and if there was any defense in it, it was only in her words as the tone held nothing but sorrow and sadness in it. "You never tried to even listen so how could you have?" she looked to me, her eyes wanting to glare but it was short lived as she knew it to be the truth and accepted it as such. "Your right, I didn't want to listen." She admits as she wipes the tears from her own eyes.

"I didn't want to hear it because we had so much to do and I honestly at that point didn't think Diamond had truly been able to do anything to you. I mean you came back in your uniform and you didn't look hurt." She said, not as a way of excusing it but as a way of explaining her thoughts at the time. "I transformed once we were far enough away so that the crystal would work." Understanding rested through her now.

It also settled into and made her see how wrong she'd been about other things to, "I didn't want to be in that dress anymore. I felt, I felt like a trophy in a museum. His private museum that I was trapped in forever. He even said that the palace would be my resting place." I still remember him saying those words to me to this day. I had felt uncomfortable, stomach was in knots, terrified and I had actually begun to doubt Mamoru being able to find me since not even my crystal would work to protect me.

I guess that was one of the few times he proved his love to me. He used the link to find me even in the future. Otherwise without that link…I didn't want to think about that though. It created new knots in my stomach that I didn't want to examine. "I guess I don't have as much right if at all to be as upset with you as I have been." She admits to me, pulling me from the torturous thoughts I had begun to have.

It also makes me curious about what she meant by that because it did seem like she was always pissy with me about something but avidly avoided talking to me about it and instead became really good at deflecting. Would she deflect me now though? "Why were you angry with me?" I asked her bluntly. "I think right now I need to be the one to listen to you for a change." The words were filled with a defeat that said, 'I've misjudged a lot and need you to set me straight on all of it, please tell me what I've messed up on'.

I think she notices my shock to hear that as she goes to take a seat on the mats by the now fixed coffee table and offers, "Tea?" I nod, "That would be nice." I accept as she prepares it. Five minutes later she comes in with two hot cups with two tea bags and hands me one, "Still hot careful." She advises ad I nod and blow on the steam coming from the cup, "Please tell me I'm ready to listen." She says.

So, I told her everything and she listened. From my issues with her and the girls, to Chibi Usa to Mamoru…all of it. Everything that I had hashed out with everyone, save for Mamoru and Chibi Usa, she now knew. I wasn't even sure how I'd have a conversation with Chibi Usa, but I did know that I couldn't do it till AFTER we bound her powers. I knew I'd be there for a while and was glad I had removed my shoes as we sat there. The tea eventually got drunk up by us both in slow sips, if anything it grew cold before we drank the last sip.

It felt like a release of pressure had been removed off of me. The second to last part but the last full part for my sisters and friends. It felt like that circle had now been completed. Now were she and I going to be good after this, no. I knew it wouldn't be. We had become much more strained than the other girls and I had gotten. I had them back in little by little. Rei would be different since we had so much going on still.

It was after a small pregnant pause of silence, one that enveloped the room after I talked for what felt like an hour, that she said, "I'm sorry…" she breathed in, a tear falling once more. "I'm sorry that I didn't take your words beforehand into consideration." I felt the depth of her feelings as she went on, "I guess when we saw in the future that you were the only one with a family, one that you created, not just gained by friendship…all I could think about for a moment was how does it work out for her but not for me."

I looked at her as she looked over at me, her eyes filled with angry and jealous tears but mostly sad ones. "How does it always seem to work out for you?" I could hear it in her voice, the want to have that herself, "How can I not have that family that deep down I've always wanted." She looked away, angry with herself or with me I wasn't sure, but I think it was anger at herself. "I wanted to be the bride, the wife. To have a happy life."

I think deep down it was a dream of hers to have that, "I didn't have that growing up and I thought once we became senshi, that in the future that I could get that." Now I saw where this was going. I sighed as she continued to talk, "I thought 'here we are about to see our future's to and when all we saw was your future…part of me began to resent you for it." I knew that was coming, all anyone saw was related to me in a sense.

They didn't get to see anything that related to them other than being senshi and my guardians still, "Here it was I thought that finally I could get my happy ending and seeing that I was still alone as YOUR senshi, made me feel like I gave up my chances at happiness for you. That we all did, for you." No wonder she resented me. The LAST thing I'd ever want was for those I loved to give up on what they wanted to.

I wanted the girls to live a happy, normal life. It was what I wished upon the crystal after Beryl's defeat. If Ann and Ail hadn't shown up who knew what would happen. "I was jealous and I hated myself for it cause I told myself I was better than that and yet I wasn't." her pain was born of what she saw others having and truly believing that she gave it up for someone else and couldn't stop the human nature to feel jealous and angry over it.

"It's why I encouraged Chibi Usa, it was like I had this mini conduit to see you act out and give me a reason to yell at you to. It was childish I know but I just hated that I was without a family of my own." I took her hand in my own on the table and told her, "Just because we didn't see that you or the girls didn't have one doesn't mean they or you don't have a family of your own." Her tears seemed to stop up a little bit at my words.

"I mean for all we knew all of everyone's husbands and kids were under the same spell as everyone else in Crystal Tokyo." She seemed to take that in as she looked to me. "Rei think about it. When we went into the future the king was beside himself with emotion. His wife was in a crystal coffin of sorts, he couldn't even touch her for some sort of comfort that she was still breathing there." Rei nodded.

It was as if things were coming together in her head now, "His only daughter he had to send to the past to protect her cause even he himself was injured and couldn't fight in the physical form anymore. Not to mention whatever anger towards himself that he had since it was his planet from start to finish that was attacked and overcome by enemies yet again." That's when Rei saw what I meant with everything.

"Earth has ALWAYS been Mamoru's planet to protect. We started to protect it in THIS life now cause it's our planet now to, but in the past one you girls were trained to protect your home planets and my mother's moon kingdom." It was as if realization was dawning on her as to why more information hadn't been given to her. Given to them by the king. Though he also had other good reasons like NOT wanting to change the past any more than he already had with what information he was forced to give so we could fight the enemy.

"For him his planet fell in TWO separate lifetimes and in BOTH of them, his family fell victim to the enemy. First his parents and his kingdom which is why my mother was letting him on the moon, so that he could fight on our side when his kingdom was over run. I think the LAST thing he was thinking about was saying 'and by the way, you guys have your own families here but they're under protective spell so you can't see them'. Besides we had a few more pressing things going on." Rei for the first time not only understood but chuckled a bit to.

"Wow…how did I NOT see or get that before?" I went to go open my mouth when she held up her hands, "No I get it why, it was rhetorical. I blinded myself from the answers because of my own anger and issues. It wasn't your fault at all. My fault was in allowing myself to become blinded by my emotionally issues." I wished I could have helped her sooner. I wish I could have given her some type of solace about the future and that it wasn't about just me. That I wanted more for us.

"You know after we defeated Beryl and you guys vanished in those final moments, all I wanted, all I wished for was for all of us to have normal lives. Especially after everything we'd just got done doing and sacrificing." I told her. She looked to me, "That's why we didn't remember?" she asked stunned, "Yeah. It wasn't just because the power blasted us out of there and wiped out our memories. We were all dead." At least it felt that way.

My energy was gone, and I felt like when I passed out once I made that wish that I was dead. I felt nothing but happiness that we had saved the world. That our loved ones were safe. I also felt and wished on the crystal to grant me one request, to give everyone a second chance. I had no idea that it did so till Luna gave me my memories back and got to remember what wish I had made seconds before the energy was gone.

"I had no idea. I think we just assumed that the crystal brought us back for any future enemies." Rei said, "No I don't think it could do that. We'd have to check in with Luna on it but yeah, those were my last wishes and thoughts." I told her. it was then that she gave me a shocking surprise and hugged me. I took it as 'wow I can't believe your hugging me' type of thing but was glad, nonetheless.

"Seriously…thank you for all of it. For being there for me, for being a friend, even when I didn't deserve you and for being my sister even when I really didn't deserve you." Her tears were now hopeful ones but with sadness in them to. I had a feeling on why though. She wasn't sure if we were friends or sisters now but hoped that we were still. I wanted to be but much like the rest of the girls it would take time and for her and I, it would take the longest.

" You know… sometimes I do a fire reading to try and see my own future, but it never lets me view it. Like something is blocking it." I nodded as I told her, "Do you think maybe it's because your vision was clouded before with the resentment and jealousy?" Rei looked at me in shock, "That's very much possible. If it's to clouded with negative forces it'll definitely imped the results." She looked at me with new hope now.

"Could we…?" she asks, "Yeah." I agree, as I figure we can also use this as a test to make sure that when Chibi Usa is here we can do the binding on her without any complications. We went at the fire reading for ten minutes. It was at the end of the ten minutes that we saw a blonde-haired man, his face wasn't to discernable but the two young happy looking boys who looked very similar to her were definitely a sight to red puffy eyes.

That's when we both heard a voice sounding off in the fire. "This will be a possible outcome ONLY if you work forward with everyone towards it and allow loved ones into your heart." The voice sounded suspiciously like her, yet I know for a fact that I didn't see her lips move or hear HER utter a word. "Was that your future self-talking?" I asked her, "I think so…" she let go of the fire reading as she turned around and said, "Thank you."

Her words I could tell her honest and genuine. Much like the rest of this conversation I knew that I was dealing with the real Rei. Not the one who pushed me away, not the one who antagonized me, not the one who distanced herself because she was afraid but the real Rei that I knew I could have a friendship with. One that I could work on that with. Much like with Mamoru this wouldn't be easy BUT this was something I could work with and as long as she was willing to work with me on it.