So...it's been another year. How any of y'all have managed to keep interested in this is beyond me but I appreciate it, let me tell ya. Also I tooooootally overestimated how much was left. In fact, I'm pretty sure the next chapter will be the last, although I might spread it out into two (I highly doubt this though.) Which means we're there guys! We're at the end! Just a little left after this! I hope I leave you feeling satisfied and this time I swear I'll try to make the final update asap so it doesn't effect the pacing for you guys. I suppose I could have just waited to finish it entirely first...but I just don't have it in me. I need to get these things out in the world so I can move on, lol.

So short recap: All memories are a go! Everyone remembers everything...whether they've regained control of their abilities is another matter. As things currently stand: the others back on earth are fighting youma that are popping up due to this instability in the girls' powers (and formerly the men's as well), two couples were reigniting their former romances, one nearly murdering the man she loved, and another was busy getting attacked by what could possibly be Metallia? Dun, Dun, DUN!

Enjoy!

"Well," drawled Uranus as she strolled into the control room, rolling her arm to relieve some stiffness. "I think I've earned a drink. Who's with me?"

Usagi and Mamoru smiled from their corner, having powered down for a lunch break, but Artemis merely scowled from where he watched the monitors. They should have heard something by now.

"I'm afraid we're not quite done with them yet, although things seem to have calmed down exponentially," Luna sighed, turning to face the others. "There are still one or two new cases popping up every few hours or so."

"Does that mean some of them haven't found what they're looking for yet?"

"I imagine so," Artemis glared at the comm links, checking once again to make sure they were still working, "Afterall, they're looking for something from over a thousand years ago if its even managed to survive this long it'll be a miracle, and we don't even know if that's what they need to fix whatever it is that's been going wrong."

Uranus crossed her arms and fell back to lean against a nearby wall.

"Well damn," she huffed, blowing her bangs from her face. "Does that mean I need to get back out there? Where's Michiru and the others at?"

"Right here love."

The others turned to see Neptune gliding in, with Saturn skipping up beside her.

"I've really enjoyed getting to use my powers!" the young girl beamed, running up to give Uranus a hug. "Normally all I ever get to do is swing my blade once but this has been so much better! Now I understand why you enjoy fighting so much Haruka-papa."

"Well I'm glad you're having fun pipsqueak," Uranus chuckled, ruffling the girl's hair.

"Hotaru, why don't you go sit with Usagi-chan and Mamoru-kun and I'll bring you a plate to eat," Neptune suggested.

"Yes Michiru-mama!"

"You too Haruka."

"Yes dear," Haruka chuckled, powering down.

Setsuna appeared a few minutes later, as they were taking their first bites of their meal, and they all took the opportunity to discuss what could be potentially happening on the individual missions. It seemed clear that there had at least been some successes. The very fact that they were able to take a break could be attributed to it. How many were yet to be determined. None of the girls or the Shitennou had gotten in touch with them and the ones left on Earth didn't dare risk interrupting anything just to get an update.

The wait dragged out for only a little bit longer, though Artemis was disappointed when it wasn't from Minako. No, their first bit of news came with the appearance of Mercury and Zoicite teleporting directly inside the control room...holding hands.

"I knew it!" Haruka snapped, grinning wickedly at a frowning Michiru. She slipped an arm around the other woman's shoulder and chuckled. "You know what this means right?"

"Does it mean what I think it does?" Usagi squealed. She bounced right up to the couple and pounced on them with a hug. Mamoru, who was just a step behind, helped to right them and gave Zoicite a clap on the shoulder with a relieved grin to see his friend looking so much happier than he had in Elysion.

"If you're asking if I remember," Mercury blushed, "the answer is yes."

"That's excellent news Mercury," Luna beamed, "And your powers?"

"Under my control once more." Mercury shared a small smile with Zoicite before adding, "I believe we were correct in our hypothesis. Regaining our memories seems to have been the key."

"What made you remember?" Usagi blurted out, unable to wait any longer. She was literally bouncing with excitement. The others smiled at their princess' enthusiasm and then turned their gaze towards Mercury, equally curious.

"Well...I...it was Zoicite's idea."

"Huh?"

"Well you recall that we Senshi mostly lived on the Moon," Mercury explained, waiting until the others nodded before continuing. "There was actually very little left on Mercury that signified any connection to me, I was truly at a loss of where to look. However Zoicite informed me of the Shitennou regaining their memories in sacred spaces significant to them so we searched for the Sacred Springs of my people. My memories and power returned after I drank from it." She smiled, glancing again at Zoicite. "I assume it'll be the same for the others."

"It was for me."

Startled, everyone turned to see a beaming Jupiter supporting a frazzled Nephrite standing behind them. Mamoru rushed over to assess the other man and began healing him, much to the couple's obvious relief.

"Although I would have preferred simply drinking from a spring," Jupiter growled, glancing worriedly over Nephrite. She perked up visibly when she saw he was already looking much better.

"Just you two? Still no word from the others yet?" Nephrite asked, stretching his neck once he could stand on his own again.

"Not yet," Mamoru answered. "Though now that we know you four have been successful, we hope to hear from them soon."

"Why don't you all get some rest," Usagi suggested, looking over them with concern. They were clearly all exhausted despite the new found strength the girls seemed to exude.

Ignoring the suggestion, Zoicite asked about the youma attacks instead. "Have they stopped or lessened at all?"

"We've got them under control," Haruka shrugged. "Best do as the kitten suggests."

"Kitten?"

Zoicite and Nephrite shared a puzzled look while Michiru rolled her eyes at Haruka's smirking face and redirected the confused men towards the door. "Go. Get some rest, we'll alert you if we need you sooner."

"I think perhaps we should do the same," Setsuna suggested once both couples were out the door, looking down fondly at their smallest member yawning widely. "Things have slowed down a great deal for now, we should all rest while we can."

"I agree, Artemis and I can keep an eye on the monitors and alert you if anything needs handling," Luna informed them. Artemis nodded his agreement. He wouldn't be able to rest until he heard from Venus anyways.

"Well I won't argue with that," Usagi grinned.

"Neither will I," Haruka agreed.

The others murmured their agreement and soon the control room was empty aside for the two cats with the soft glow of the monitors beeping every few seconds.

Artemis shifted, feeling the silence was almost eerie after all the commotion. It was foolish, he knew and yet something had him peeking over his shoulder.

"Everything okay?"

He flinched, and then turned sheepishly to face Luna.

"Just imagining things," he admitted. "It always feels a little unnatural after everyone's left."

Luna hummed in agreement.

"They are a loud bunch, aren't they?"

"You can say that again," Artemis chuckled. He turned to focus back on the monitor but still felt a sense of unease that he couldn't quite shake. He wished he knew how Venus was doing. While he wasn't fond of Kunzite, he also knew the Shitennou would never let anything happen to her, and yet he still felt so uneasy. What in Selene could be taking so long?

o0o

Kunzite scanned the empty cavern for what felt like the seventh time, only to confirm that he was indeed alone.

Venus was gone.

It wasn't difficult to determine why. His gaze drifted to the multitude of weapons that lay at his feet and the small collection of stones, so out of place on this foreign planet, that he knew had at one point carried Endymion's power. Power that had clearly been used to heal himself, given that he had awoken with them surrounding him. She had saved him.

And yet she was gone.

He dragged his hands over his face and then through his hair, considering what to do. It was highly unlikely that she still remained on the planet and even more unlikely that she would be returning. Which meant it was probably safe for him to return home...but then what? Should he return to the control room and debrief the others on what had occurred? He knew he should...but he wanted to talk to Venus first. However, the others needed to be informed that he and Venus had, at the very least, returned to Earth. And he was certain she had returned to Earth. Venus was many things but even she would prefer to hide away in a place that was comfortable and familiar. Perhaps that had once been this planet or even the moon but no longer.

The question now was would she see him upon his return.

Kunzite sighed, dropping his hands and bent to pick up one of the empty stones, pocketing it as a small memento of sorts. Satisfied there was nothing left to deal with, he allowed the darkness to fold in on him and teleported home, pleased once he was in his bedroom once more. Considering the time discrepancies, it had been months since he last laid in his bed and he proceeded to do so after powering down and kicking off his shoes.

He allowed himself five precious minutes to just enjoy the feel of his comforter and bedding beneath him, breathing in the familiar scent of fresh linen. Once those five minutes were done, he shot off a quick text to Mamoru stating they had returned and he would update him later and then slipped into the shower for a quick scrub.

He had a princess to find and he had allowed her to sulk long enough.

o0o

The raven haired woman groaned from where she laid on the ground and Jadeite tensed from where he watched in his crouched position. She was waking and soon he would know if she'd been possessed by Metallia. He hadn't been sure when she was unconscious but he doubted Metallia would be able to hide her dark energy once Mars finally awakened. She wasn't exactly capable of being subtle and he had felt the slithering signature of her power personally before.

Mars moaned again and slowly pushed herself up into a sitting position before the effort proved too much and she collapsed forward, catching herself on her hands.

Still Jadeite waited.

"Is…" Mars croaked, her voice coming out rough and scratchy, "Is anyone...there?"

She coughed, the dust storm from earlier irritating a throat that must have been already parched given their earlier activities, and Jadeite had to dig his nails into his palms to remind himself to stay put. He had to be sure Metallia was gone.

He watched Mars wearily lift her dark head, her tangled hair falling in front of her face, blocking her vision. She shoved it back with one hand, allowing him to finally lock eyes with her amethyst ones that widened as they settled on him.

"Jadeite!" Mars gasped. She struggled to climb to her feet only to collapse back to the ground in a coughing fit. "Jadeite," she sighed again and he watched as she seemed to swallow painfully. "Are you alright?"

This was it. This was the moment he would know.

He rose to his full height and made his way cautiously to her side.

"I'm alright," he answered, moving in such a way so he could directly face her. "You?"

Mars licked bleeding cracked lips and nodded shakily.

"Alright."

Jadeite took a few more steps, inching his way closer slowly, "Mind telling me what happened?"

She pursed her lips, clearly piqued. "I'm not sure," Mars huffed, "There was..something was here." She coughed and looked around the room. "Something that didn't belong."

Jadeite nodded, agreeing completely with that statement. He only hoped it no longer remained.

"And now?"

"I don't know," she admitted so quietly that Jadeite had to strain just to hear her. "I can't sense anything."

"Me either," he murmured, closing the remaining gap between them. He dropped to one knee in front of her and cautiously reached out, touching her pale, dirt streaked face. It was as delicate as he remembered. Jadeite turned her head first one way, then another, searching for any trace of the evil that had stood here just minutes before. He gently prodded her with what little energy he retained, allowing it to seep down and through her slender limbs and through the rest of her body. The part of him that wasn't terrified of what he'd find was surprised that either Mars or Metallia would let him be so invasive. But Mars seemed to sense the seriousness of the situation and remained silent, allowing him to do a thorough search until he was satisfied.

He sighed shakily in relief, praying he had done enough. He had never used his powers in such a way but unless Metallia had somehow found a way into Mars' very soul, he hadn't been able to sense a single trace of her. Which meant Mars wasn't possessed.

He shot her a halfhearted smile and stood, only for his smile to widen when she took his offered hand. With a wink, he swept her up into his arms—a glare being her only form of protest—and then teleported them back to Earth, arriving at the top of the darkened shrine steps.

"Wha...why didn't you bring us to the others?" Mars demanded as he lowered her to her feet. She dropped her transformation, looking even more drained than she did a minute ago but remained glaring up at him.

"I think you and I could both use some rest." Even if she didn't, he certainly could do with a few Zs. He gestured towards her home, praying she'd go easily. "Go get some sleep and we can talk to the others in the morning. At this rate we're both likely to get in an accident if we try to do anything else this evening."

Rei looked like she wanted to argue, even opened her mouth to do so, but before she could say a word her shoulders seemed to drop and her gaze grew distant. She nodded, turning abruptly on her heel, and walked away leaving Jadeite unsettled.

He moved to follow before thinking better of it and then transported himself home.

The lack of sleep was probably getting to him he decided, as he dropped onto his mattress, shutting his eyes. He released his transformation, relaxing as the soft, airy clothing he'd worn while in Elysion settled into place around him.

Everything was fine. He just needed a bit of rest. He'd check in on Rei in the morning and would see that everything was as normal as ever. That Rei was as normal as ever.

…

Jun opened weary eyes to stare obstinately at the ceiling. Several minutes passed before he closed his eyes in resignation and cursed.

"Shit!"

He rolled onto his stomach, shoving his face into his pillow. "Shit! Shit! Shit!"

With a great deal more effort than it would normally take, Jun dragged himself out of bed and began looking for his phone.

He could only hope everyone else had made it back in one piece.

o0o

"Ya know," Makoto murmured, bumping her shoulder into Nao in what she hoped was a playful way. "I think Mamoru was slacking off a bit, you still seem waaaaay too injured to make it all the way back to your place." She tapped her chin thoughtfully, stubbornly ignoring Nao's slowly growing smile. "You should probably come to mine. I can whip you up something tasty to get your energy back to normal in no time..."

"Why I do declare," Nao gasped, raising a hand to his chest even as his lips curled up into a smirk, "I think you're trying to take advantage of little 'ol me."

"What? No!" Makoto gasped, flushing a deep crimson, before looking away. "I mean, you're only like this because of me," she waved a hand blindly in his direction. "It's the least I can do to help you regain your strength."

"I think," Nao said, yanking her to his chest and lifting her slightly so he could whisper directly in her ear, "you'll find I have strength to spare," he murmured, flexing his arms.

It was such a line that Makoto couldn't help but cringe before bursting into uncontrollable giggles.

"Goddess above, were you always this cheesy?"

"I've been known to ham it up from time to time."

"Oh no!" Makoto groaned, dropping her head to rest against his broad shoulder. "Tell me I didn't hear that."

"You didn't hear that."

"I guess I asked for that," she sighed, covering her eyes. "Maybe you should head home after all. My place is awfully cramped and you probably want to stretch out being a big strong man and al—"

"But we're already here."

Makoto stumbled to a halt and saw that they had, in fact, already arrived at her apartment building. Suddenly feeling shy, despite their earlier intimacy let alone their shared history, she took an awkward step back while fiddling with her key.

"Soooo..."

"Soooo," Nao repeated, clearly amused by her sudden change in behavior. Makoto wished he would stare somewhere else, anywhere but directly at her. Goodness it was hot. Was there a storm coming for it to be so stifling?

"Ah."

Startled green eyes snapped in his direction and Nao couldn't help but feel overwhelmed by the adorableness of this ridiculous woman. After everything they'd been through, she was still so shy. He let loose a low, dark chuckle that only seemed to make her more nervous, as she stumbled back away from him, but he caught up to her before she could get more than a few steps and swept her up in his arms. He turned towards the stairs and started making his way up them.

"You were right," he murmured, nuzzling her cheek.

"I was?"

"Mhm, I'm still very weak."

"What?!"

She struggled to slip out of his grasp but Nao merely held her tighter and unlocked her door.

"I should go straight to bed. Doctor's orders."

"Wha—O-Oh…" Makoto stammered, finally catching on. "W-Well...if the doctor insists…"

"They do."

She swallowed, her cheeks a dusty rose, and raised dark, emerald eyes to his.

"I guess we should get you to bed then."

Nao grinned as he lowered his lips to hers, kicking the door shut behind them.

o0o

Satoru felt like a walking cliche but this was one time in his life where he felt he was allowed an exception. He was just so ecstatic! Hell, he was downright giddy! He wanted to whistle and skip and shout from the highest point he could find, though he doubted Ami would let him. Or maybe she would?

He snuck a quick peek only to spy a blushing Ami peering up at him. She squeaked adorably and hurriedly redirected her gaze. He knew that if he was a bird, he'd be preening right about now. As it was he couldn't help but feel more than a bit smug. What could he do to elicit more such reactions?

"Ami, my dear," he purred, putting as much charm as he could in the act. "I know they told us to go home and rest but how would you feel about getting some coffee and maybe taking a stroll? There's a street nearby with some interesting shops that I feel you might enjoy and to be honest, I'm not quite ready to part with your company just yet."

"Oh...I'd like that," Ami blushed, ducking her head and smiling softly.

"Excellent!"

Satoru slipped her arm in his, placing his free hand over hers, and adjusted their course to a coffee shop he knew resided just one block south. He hadn't been there many times before, he preferred the cafe where he and Ami had played their chess matches—gods that felt like ages ago now—but the coffee wasn't bad and the atmosphere was good since not many people tended to frequent it. He attributed this to the fact that the outside looked a bit like the entrance to a murder warehouse despite the owner's attempt to make it look more inviting by adding a cute little awning and sign in front.

The coffee shop was even more abandoned now, its patrons having gone looking for something more filling for the dinner hour, but there were still a couple lingering about, with one currently ordering at the counter.

"Why don't you take a seat and I'll get our orders," Satoru offered.

Ami thanked him, stating what she wanted, and he made his way up to the counter where they were quick to fill his order. In all, it probably took at most five minutes but by the time he managed to return to her, some average looking nobody was already chatting her up.

Satoru scowled, but quickly slid a smile into place as he approached, cutting between the two to offer Ami her drink. "Sorry for the wait dearest." He turned to face the intruder, slipping closer to Ami in the process, and nodded in greeting.

"Hello."

"Hello," The stranger replied.

The man was smiling but his voice seemed to crack near the end of his greeting and his face had grown rather pale. It put Satoru on edge, knowing his reaction could only mean one thing. Was this perhaps the man he'd seen Ami at that little art gallery with? He hadn't thought about that night since he'd first kiss Ami on the cliff, more tormented by his own past then what hers could be, but now he felt decidedly unprepared.

"Um," the other man began, clearing his throat awkwardly. "I wonder if I might be able to speak with you in private for a few minutes, Mizuno-san?"

"Oh! Um…" Ami turned towards Satoru with apologetic eyes and a light blush on her cheeks. "Would you mind?" she asked. "It'll only be a moment."

Satoru forced himself to smile but felt anything but gracious as he pointed in a random direction and told her he'd be right over there. It was hard. It was so hard. He wanted to turn around and sweep Ami away from this rude interloper but he didn't think that she'd appreciate him acting on any jealous whims. Luckily, he wouldn't have to sit there and subject himself to the horrors of his imagination. He'd be able to hear their conversation with ease.

Releasing a small portion of his power, he adjusted the air particles that laid between him and the little tête-à-tête, amplifying the sound as if he was standing directly in the middle of it, and began listening in.

"—feels like it's been forever since I last saw you."

" Yes, I'm sorry. I've been a bit busy."

Busy with him, Satoru smirked.

The man nodded and Satoru caught him glance his way.

"Is it because of him?"

Ami hesitated and Satoru wished that he could see her face.

"Partly," she answered eventually.

"Are you two…" the man began, waving his hand to indicate something before turning away in frustration. "You know."

YES! Satoru wanted to shout but managed to refrain by sipping his coffee instead.

"Matsumara-san...I'm sorry. I never wanted to hurt you. I truly did enjoy our time together. I don't know how best to explain it but he's someone from my past that I love very much. I never thought we'd be able to reconnect."

"So I never really stood a chance?" Matsumara smiled but it didn't reach his eyes. "I'm happy for you Mizuno-san, I really am. If anyone deserves happiness, it's you."

Satoru groaned, wishing he could hate the guy, but anyone who could still say such things after being rejected couldn't be too bad. He waved his hand, dispersing his energy and allowed the air particles to settle back down to normal.

Matsumara turned to leave and Satoru cringed, realizing that he was directly next to the exit. The other man waved halfheartedly before disappearing out the door, throwing a "It was nice meeting you," over his shoulder.

Satoru sighed, feeling slightly guilty, but concluded Ami probably felt worse. Her kind heart had always hated upsetting anyone she cared for. He returned to where she stood, shoulders slumped, troubled eyes staring deeply into her coffee, and wrapped his arms around her.

"Satoru?" she whispered.

"Yes love?"

"I think I'd rather just go home now, if that's alright."

"Whatever you need," he promised. There was just one problem. He wasn't sure where "home" was. Fumbling at what to do but eager, he slipped an arm around her and pushed open the door with his free hand, guiding them out onto the sidewalk before directing them towards his apartment building, praying that would be good enough for now.

o0o

Hisaki Matsumara needed a drink. Correction, he needed several. But fuck it if he felt like being around other people right now. He'd just grab what he needed from the corner store and then try to wipe the memory of this evening from his mind.

Just where had this other guy even come from? She hadn't said a word a week ago when he'd spotted her buying camping supplies. They had even planned a date! And now she had resumed an old relationship with a former flame? Had they met again at the campsite? Did he even really want to know?

Groaning, he entered the convenience store and headed directly towards the alcohol.

o0o

She was so close. A couple more blocks and she would finally be home and the cookie dough she saved for emergencies would be all hers. And this was definitely an emergency.

What else would it be after nearly killing the love of her life—although there was no string, so he wasn't really the love of her life but she'd love him two lifetimes now and why the hell wasn't there a string—if that alone didn't call for some emergency cookie dough, she didn't know what did.

And alcohol. The situation definitely called for alcohol and lots and lots of chocolate. Goddess she needed a drink.

Spotting the convenience store on the corner Minako snatched up a basket and beelined it towards the coolers in back, tossing in assorted amounts of junk food as she went. Chips, jerky, all kinds of chocolates, she was all in.

Once she arrived at the coolers, she picked two types of ice creams and then turned to grab some alcohol only to spot a man who looked as miserable as she felt standing blankly in front of them. Any other day she might have attempted to cheer him up—she really hated seeing someone so depressed—but she had her own problems.

"Excuse me!" She slipped past him, grabbed two large bottles of her favorite plum liquor and rushed past again, eager to get home already.

The man clutched his head, seeming already drunk and barked out an angry, "What?" but Minako was already at the checkout counter and had no issue ignoring the slamming and stomping noises that were now coming from behind her, although she had a little more difficulty ignoring the frowning cashier rubbing her chest.

"Great, just what I needed," the cashier mumbled, snatching the items up, scanning and then throwing them in a bag.

"Hey!" Minako scowled, "Could you be a little more careful? Those bottles are glass!" And she really needed the alcohol.

"You'll live," the cashier grunted, rubbing her heart. "That'll be four thousand, three hundred and eighty five yen."

Minako desperately wanted to slap this woman but somehow managed to restrain herself, paid and moved to leave only to run into a smiling couple who quickly became confrontational.

"Watch where you're walking! Dumb bitch."

"Get out of our way!"

Minako's fists clenched at her sides. "You can't beat up civilians," she muttered, "You can't beat up civilians."

She shoved past them, earning more profanity, and tried to repeat her mantra all the way home.

"You jerk!"

Minako looked up to witness a woman dumping her drink on her date at an outdoor cafe, startling two older men nearby, one of which slammed his fists on the table and jerked to his feet to begin screaming.

"You bitch! Can't you see other people are trying to eat here?!"

"Fuck off old man!"

"Why I out to—"

Dear goddess what was with people tonight? It's like the assholes were out in force! Damn she needed a drink.

Minako pressed the crosswalk button, forcing the cars to a stop after a few seconds. Once it was safe she began trekking her way across only to have cars honking at her! Two, revved their engines and one driver even rolled down their window to shout.

"Get off the road!"

She flipped them off, slowing her step noticeably until she reached the other sidewalk and then resumed her normal pace.

It figures that the one day she needed to be left alone, she'd have to encounter every ass on the planet!

Ignoring several other angry people she encountered, she marched the rest of the way home, hugging her precious goods to her chest and then slipped into her apartment building. She avoided the elevator, not wanting to risk being trapped with yet another asshole, and bounded up the stairs with ease before finally reaching the safety of her home.

Goddess she needed a drink.

o0o

Hisaki slammed the cooler door again, pissed that they were out of his favorite drink. He was just so angry and then that rude blonde didn't even have the patience to wait her turn!

"FUCK!"

He really needed to fucking punch something. Like Ami's pretty boy boyfriend. There was no way that fuck boy could take a punch.

Hisaki slammed the door again, not even flinching as the glass shattered from the force, and grinned.

Yeah...he needed to find that fucking prissy ass bitch. That was what he should do. He'd show Ami that she'd picked a loser over him and make her fucking regret it.

He turned on his heel, abandoning the alcohol, and shoved past a bickering couple out the door, intent on returning to the cafe as quickly as possible. However, that seemed unnecessary because right as he turned to go he spotted that annoying priss' freakish hair a block away.

Hisaki smirked and cracked his knuckles. He'd show this bitch who Ami belonged with.

o0o

"Take this!" shouted someone from behind them.

Satoru didn't hesitate, the recent training in Elysion still sharp in his mind. He shoved Ami behind him, spun around and caught the fist rushing towards his face, twisted on his foot pulling the attacker closer and then threw him down to the ground. A quick twist of the man's arm got him on his stomach and Satoru finished the move by pinning him with his knee pressed firmly against his back.

"Matsumara!"

Ami moved to Satoru's side and stared down at the man in horror. "I don't understand. This isn't like him at all."

"He was rejected, maybe it triggered something," Satoru shrugged. At least he no longer felt guilty. He bent slightly and sniffed. "Doesn't smell like he's had any alcohol."

"I doubt it would have had time to hit his system even if he h—"

A screech rang out, followed by several others, catching their attention. They looked up and watched as chaos unfolded in the streets. Several drivers were honking aggressively while others were slamming their door as they rushed to confront someone. Within seconds violence was breaking out. People were smashing each other against their vehicles and others were battering windshields with whatever they had in their cars.

Satoru was just reaching for his phone to call 911 when he heard another shout coming from the opposite direction.

"Fuck off!" A woman shouted, stumbling from a nearby convenience store. She held one platform shoe in her hand and seemed to be attacking someone just inside the building.

Satoru turned to Ami in confusion and then looked down to where Matsumara was still struggling and cursing in his grasp.

Something was seriously wrong.

o0o

Keisuke stared at the flowers on display. Flowers were good. People often apologized with flowers right? Although he had no idea why he was apologizing, he didn't think it was a bad idea...but flowers could also mean romance, which Minako had made clear she wanted no part of.

He turned to go only to freeze.

Only roses equaled romance. He could buy her something else.

He turned back to the display, trying to calculate which Minako would like best.

Lilies looked nice...but they didn't quite seem like her style...tulips and daisies were just too boring...and mums were just a bit too sculpted. Almost unnaturally so. If only he knew what she liked this would be so much easier...but wouldn't that imply a level of intimacy they didn't share? And didn't intimacy imply romance? This was a bad idea.

Keisuke turned to leave but then froze once more.

He couldn't just show up with nothing.

"Why don't you try these," interrupted the florist who'd been watching him all along. She handed him a small bouquet of sunflowers and marigolds and Keisuke felt the tension in shoulders ease. They were perfect.

He thanked her and quickly paid for the flowers, silently vowing to return the next time he ever needed help again, and began making his way towards Minako's apartment.

Keisuke was only a few blocks away when he spotted Rei on the opposite side of the street spying on something beyond a tree. He followed the path of her eyeline when he glimpsed his own target's signature red bow a little bit further up, rushing past a trio of arguing teenagers. As soon as Minako reached the other side of the street, Rei took off after her with such unnatural speed that Keisuke couldn't help but stare for a moment, only to curse when he realized it had cost him his chance of following after them as the crosswalk signal demanded he stop.

He glanced at the bouquet he had purchased and scowled. Leaving them on a nearby bench, he slipped out his phone and hit the speed dial for Jun.

o0o

"Speak of the devil," Jun grumbled as Keisuke's name appeared on his phone. He pressed the answer button and held it up to his ear. "Just the man I wanted to talk to."

There was a brief silence on the other end, followed by a gruff, "Is it about Rei?"

"Damn it!" Jun cursed, dropping his head against a nearby wall. "Yeah. Why do you ask?"

"There's...something wrong with her. I caught her stalking Minako for some reason but the speed at which she moved...I didn't think the Senshi could move that fast in civilian form. Did something happen on your mission?"

"There was...an incident," he admitted, cringing at how stupid that sounded. "After we explored the city and she completed her trial, Mars was insistent on going to this unmarked cave tucked in the side of the mountain. I tried to follow her but a barrier prevented me." Jun ran his free hand over his face, taking a moment to calm himself.

"Keisuke, it was Metallia."

There was a longer pause this time, followed by a, "Why didn't you alert anyone?"

"I checked her! I checked her several times just to be sure but I couldn't sense Metallia anywhere!"

"But you had your doubts."

"Yes," Jun admitted. "Which is why I was just about to call you. You said she was stalking Minako? Any idea why?"

"None. But I suppose it's possible I could be mistaken." Jun knew from Keisuke's tone that the other man didn't think that he was.

Jun sighed and moved to sit on his bed. "So what do we do now?"

"Meet me in front of Minako's building. We'll go up and do further reconnaissance. In the meantime, I'll get a hold of the others and let them know what's going on."

"Do you think that's wise?" Jun argued, "Won't informing Minako risk alerting whatever's possessed Rei that we're on to her?"

"I wasn't planning on it," Keisuke huffed, clearly growing annoyed. "Now just get over here already!"

"On my way!"

Jun hung up the phone, slipped it into his back pocket and then transformed, still relishing the feel of his uniform slipping into place after so long without it, and then he faded away.

o0o

"Finally!" Minako sighed, kicking the door shut behind her. She dropped her purchases on the table, letting them spread out, then pulled out her phone, locating her favorite delivery app.

Some takeout from her favorite curry shop, a steaming bubble bath and some dramatic ballads seemed like a good start to her evening. Maybe she'd throw on some of her favorite old sappy dramas later while pigging out on the junk food and then prowl the internet for some new shoes to go with that baby blue dress she'd bought the other day. And of course alcohol. Couldn't forget about the alcohol.

There was a knock at her door causing Minako to frown. There was no way that was her curry already, which meant it was someone she'd have to talk to and after the numerous jerks she'd run into tonight, she really didn't feel like dealing with anymore people. Pushing to the tip of her toes, she spied through the peephole and stared into amethyst eyes.

Rei! What was she doing here?

Minako hastily opened the door wide and gestured her friend inside, shivering as the priestess stepped past her. It almost felt like...she struggled to grasp hold of the feeling but it dissipated like smoke through her fingers.

"Maybe one of my windows is open," she muttered, closing the door and turning towards Rei. "Hey pyro, what are...you...doing...here?" Minako's brows furrowed as she took in the priestess' appearance. Her hair was tangled and knotted in places, her face was splattered with dirt, she looked flushed with fever and her eyes, which were normally so expressive, were lifeless husks.

"Rei?"

Rei continued staring at her a moment longer and then the next her eyes were watering and Rei was crumbling to her knees, fists pressed to her eyes. It was such an alarming sight, so unlike the Rei who always suffered alone, that Minako dropped to her side and wrapped her arms around her friend without thinking about the strangeness of it all.

It was a mistake.

The second her arms made contact, Rei latched on to her, nails digging into Minako's skin like claws while purple eyes watched as she panicked gleefully.

"Finally the crystal shall be mine…" hissed a cruel voice and suddenly Minako knew exactly what had made her shiver.

"Metallia!"

"I've gone by many names, but yes...that was one of them." A possessed Rei dug her claws deeper into Minako's flesh causing her to cry out in pain. "Now golden one," Metallia purred, finally stretching herself to fill the room as Minako struggled to free herself in vain. "I shall go by another."

o0o

"That's all I know. Tell the others, I'll let you know more when I can."

Kunzite ended the call just as Jadeite arrived, still looking a bit worn, probably from the events of his mission. He knew he probably looked just as rough. It was a shame they hadn't had more time to recuperate first. If Metallia had really returned, it would make the coming battle harder.

He brushed such thoughts aside, knowing that he needed to focus on the immediate concerns for the moment.

"What took you so long?"

"Sorry, I didn't know which was her exact building so I ended up teleporting a block away."

Kunzite made a mental note to have them memorize each of the Senshi's addresses in the future. "We'll enter from the balcony. Hopefully nothing's happened yet but it's already been several minutes since they both arrived, so be prepared."

"Understo—"

An explosion from high above chose that moment to interrupt them, raining glittering shards of glass all around. Both men paled as they realized the implications and Kunzite felt his heart clench in fear. He should have never waited for backup. They were too late, and now, Minako was in danger.