If only I belonged to you

by Beej88

What if the Senshi defeated the Dark Kingdom without triggering the reveal of the Silver crystal and Serenity and Endymion's memories? My fic for Usa/Mamo week 2020! Aged up, AU/Canon-divergent with tons of reveals and a-probably-going-to-be angsty-because-I'm-incapable-of-pure-fluff Mamo-Usa fic.

8. Chapter 6- part 2

Hey, all! Sorry, it's been another hot minute for this story. BUT, for those still reading, I have finally, one year later, FINISHED this story! There will still be a follow-up epilogue with the Crystal Tokyo theme, but for all intents and purposes, this story is officially DONE.

A couple of things, first, you will notice this story is rated M. There is a reason for that, and it features midway through this chapter in the form of a lemon. Typically, I don't write very many lemons, and they aren't very explicit when I do, but this one is a little bit on the racier side. (Though still tame in comparison to some)

Secondly, MUCH LOVE goes out to my gorgeous Beta whom I adore. She is fabulous, and she's always pulling late nights with me when I suddenly get the random inclination to write. Love you, NinjetteTwitch.

Thirdly, I would like to address a guest reviewer that recently left a review for this story. This guest reviewer wanted clarification on the dream chapter. They wanted to know if Minako and Rei were a couple in the AU chapter, and they advised me that if they were, then they would not continue to read this fic as it clearly offended them

Guest reviewer, my apologies. I'm going to go back and fix that right away. I hate that you had to ask me if they were in a relationship because I obviously didn't make it clear enough. Yes, one hundred percent I wrote them as a romantic couple.

Imagine being a part of the Sailor Moon fandom and being homophobic? You're in the wrong place, my love. I would encourage you to back button all the content I provide for free in the future. This is my Fic. LOVE IS LOVE, and I will never cater to you, nor do I even remotely want to. BYE. Also, you inspired me to art a pretty ReiNako piece that you can find posted on my tumblr! Thanks!

So this is it, all. The end in all of its angsty glory. Thank you to everyone that read, reviewed, followed, favorited. You guys are awesome!

Part 2

In we welcome the reincarnated Prince and Princess of the Silver Millennium

Somehow he knew that when he woke, he wouldn't be able to remember the details of her face. Or how the delicate curve of her jawline and the earnest, heart-wrenchingly warmth in crystalline eyes reeled him in. Her gaze, soft and reverent as it swept over him, consumed him in ways he wouldn't be able to fully comprehend when he was awake, though the feelings would linger.

He would remember the soft caress of white silk and fluttering, exploring fingertips, though.

Mamoru vowed every night before he fell asleep, comfortably curled in the embrace of the woman he loved, that he possessed the strength to push the princess away. That it would go back to the way it had been before he'd been forced to leave DreamWeavers world. Back when the Princess had only just been a silhouette mournfully beckoning him from a distance. Every night he promised that he wouldn't answer her call, but every night, without fail, even as he held Usagi, he still inevitably fell into her arms.

He didn't know where he was tonight. It was always different, always a haze of colors and mist that managed to slip through his fingers by morning. He sometimes remembered the cast of rainbow lights that hugged her twirling form as she danced around him in crystal caverns. Or the texture of red sand as it pressed into the palms of his hands as he covered her body with his, the sound of the ocean's surf curling on foreign shores muffled in the distance.

Even now, Mamoru's mouth traveled hungrily down the column of her throat, breathless and helpless beneath delicate, tapered fingers that wove into his hair, tugging him against her, urging him on with breathy moans as he gathered her closer.

"Dimi," she whispered, lips pressed onto the shell of his ear. "I'm ready to wake up, now."

Time felt different in his dreams, and he wasn't quite in control, though he did maintain enough clarity to know that this was important. She was important, so damn important, and everything would be okay if only he could find her.

Mamoru clenched his eyes shut; his heart twisted up into knots as he buried his face in the crook of her neck to breathe in her scent. This was right. She was his, and he was hers. If only he could remember.

"Ren," he choked brokenly, the name forming on his lips though he couldn't recall how he knew it. "I don't know who I am. I don't know where you are."

Typically he would kiss her now, and the dream would unfold like a reel in which he would lose himself to her touch, the feel of her lips against his. This time, though, there was a twinge of agony that coiled in his chest. It cut through the haze of the dream because he'd lost the princess. He knew, with the unbearable certainty generated within the boundaries of this dream, that he'd just lost her again. But that wasn't right… she was right here, in his arms, wasn't she?

Before he could try and wade through his muddled thoughts to try and untangle what that meant, Ren pulled away. She lifted her hands, and they were so soft, so familiar as they framed his face. She held him steady so that he would look into compassion-filled eyes he would undoubtedly forget when he woke up.

"Dimi, you know exactly who you are," she promised in a breathy, shudder-inducing whisper that was so familiar Mamoru's throat constricted with emotion. "You know where I am, too."

He wanted to drown in this dream, retreat, forget. There was pain out there, agony, and he was afraid to be without her. It was those emotions, though, that prompted the Princess to sigh, propelling herself to the tips of her toes to brush her lips against his. So soft, so tender, like the flutter of butterfly wings caressing his skin.

"Wake up now, Dimi," she pleaded against his mouth. "I'm right here."

Inhaling sharply, Mamoru bolted upright, disoriented, breathlessly torn from another dream. He cursed, angrily kicking the sheets tangled around his legs away as he tried desperately to hold onto the wisps that were even now fading like a very distant, indistinct memory.

He raked his hands through his hair, shoulders hunched as he miserably contemplated how he'd ended up here. The princess, who'd once been a blessed refuge, a beautiful wispy-eyed silhouette that was the focal point against the backdrop of a full moon, was now something he'd come to dread rather than anticipate.

It took a moment to register that instead of waking up beside the comforting warmth of Usagi, hair and limbs adorably splayed out over the entirety of the bed, he was alone in the hollow emptiness of his apartment. With a harshly whispered expletive, Mamoru swung his legs over the edge of his bed, fumbling in the darkness to flick on his bedside lamp.

The light flooded his bedroom, highlighting that he was once again by himself in the cold, sterile, neatness of a space he no longer wanted. Mamoru morosely fixed his gaze on the Minato skyline twinkling through his bedroom window with a sharp ache resonating through his chest.

He fucking missed her. He missed her so much, it hurt. Though it had only been a week since they'd been apart, it felt like an eternity, and he didn't know how he was supposed to cope with the piercing ache of loneliness now that he knew better. Now that he knew what it felt like to be loved by Tsukino Usagi.

Turning away from the window, he caught a glimpse of his misery-filled reflection in a mirror that hung on his wall. His expression darkened, lips pressed together tightly as he studied his face with self-loathing. The problem was that he was starting to remember what it felt like to be loved by the princess, too.

Though he couldn't recall the details of the dreams, he remembered the feelings, and they lingered, settling like a ball of guilt and horror in the pit of his stomach. How ironic that he'd spent his whole life searching for who he was, and now that he was close to figuring it out, he didn't want to know. He didn't want any of it. Not the promise of answers, the powers of Tuxedo Mask, or the memories he'd been searching for all of this time. All he wanted was Usagi.

He was no longer interested in finding Ren. Ren?

Startled by the fact that he'd recalled her name, Mamoru stood abruptly, stalking angrily towards the mirror before swiftly removing it from the wall to forcefully slam it facedown on the desk below where it had hung.

Exhaling slowly, miserably, trembling with the unexpected wave of emotions, Mamoru wondered what Usagi was doing right at this moment. Today was her first day of school, and he couldn't help but wonder how it had gone. Did she like it? Did she make it to her classes on time?

He'd tried to talk to her, and he was ashamed to admit that he'd furtively stalked her once or twice in the past week, anxious just to get a glimpse of her. Every time she'd turned him away with that god-awful, heart-wrenching look in her eyes, lower lip trembling as she listed all the reasons why they couldn't be together. He understood, and he was hanging on by a thread as he did his best to respect her decision, but he couldn't help but think that, despite the princess, the fact that they wanted to be together was the only reason that mattered.

Mamoru pushed away from his desk with another angry curse, striding with purpose to his side table to unplug his fully charged phone. He scrolled through his contacts, and he stopped, finger poised over the name Usako. He wanted to call her, hear her voice, make sure that she was okay and that she didn't doubt her decision to go back to school.

He didn't press down, though, going back to call a different number, instead.

The phone rang twice before Minako answered.

"Chiba, you do realize what time it is, right?"

Mamoru grimaced, the heat of an embarrassed blush creeping up his neck because he hadn't even bothered to glance at the time. That was unlike him, and it only served to further highlight the welling desperation that had taken over his life since Usagi had broken up with him.

"I'm sorry," he apologized, his tone appropriately contrite. "I can call you back tomorrow."

Minako sighed, exasperated. "Lucky for you, I'm a night hawk," she quipped. "But I'm going to bed soon. So whatever it is, go for it."

Mamoru cringed, feeling stupid now as he cleared his throat. "It's fine, Minako," he replied. "I shouldn't have called you."

There was a moment of silence as Mamoru tensely held the phone to his ear, wondering if she'd hung up on him or if he should just hang up when she spoke again.

"She hated it, as expected, but she'll go back tomorrow, and Ami will make sure she doesn't fail. I tried, but she was late for her first class, and overall, she's devastated, Mamoru, but we'll make sure she's okay."

Mamoru released a relieved breath of air around the lump of emotion constricting his throat. Some of the tautness in his shoulders eased, and he hadn't realized how desperate he'd been to hear about her until that moment.

"Thank you, Minako," he choked gratefully, swallowing as he tried to cope with the fact that he wanted to be the one there to help her, but if he couldn't, then at least she wasn't alone.

"Give her time," Minako encouraged. "She loves you, Chiba, but this is hard."

Mamoru laughed humorlessly. "I'm aware," he snapped, unable to suppress the bitter bite in his voice.

Minako tutted. "Don't get snippy with me," she snarked, and it elicited the wisp of a smirk from Mamoru. "You called me, remember? Super late, might I add." Mamoru winced because she was right; his tone had been unwarranted. "Since I have you on the phone, though, I was wondering if you'd be open to meeting up with Ami at headquarters? We thought that maybe you might be able to help decode some stuff."

Mamoru frowned. "I'm not sure why I'd be able to help," he admitted warily. "I know less than any of you."

A pregnant pause on the line deepened Mamoru's frown before Minako loudly cleared her throat, clearly uncomfortable. "Well, um, so this stuff, according to Ami, pertains specifically to the prince? So we thought that..."

"Yes, fine," Mamoru interrupted abruptly, frustrated at the way her words pulled the breath from his lungs. "When?"

"I'll text you with the details," Minako promised. "Now I'm really going to bed. Goodnight, Mamoru. Don't let the bed cats bite!"

He didn't have time to respond before the line went dead, indicating that Minako had hung up the phone. Mamoru stood frozen for a moment, quietly processing their conversation before he exhaled slowly, locked his phone, and carelessly tossed it back onto his side table.

He fell back into the sheets of his bed, knowing full well that the very last thing he wanted to do was go back to sleep. He was only going to drown in another frustrating dream he now suspected were the painfully vivid emotional remnants of a past life he no longer wanted to know about. Why was it that he felt as deeply for the princess while he was asleep as he did for Usagi when he was awake?

He tried not to let the guilt consume him, and he closed his eyes, visualizing the perfect curve of Usagi's face, the sound of her laugh, and the silky softness of her hair as he drifted back to sleep. If he had a choice, if it was up to him, the only dream that he'd revisit was the one that DreamWeaver had crafted.

oOo

To say that Usagi was a bit of a mess was a vast understatement. It was getting harder and harder for her to hide that she was one step away from an epic meltdown while wading through what was potentially the very worst two weeks of her life. Even barring the fact that she was trying to function through the most painful breakup she was ever likely to experience, going back to school was hard.

It didn't matter that campus was only forty minutes away, thirty-five if she hustled. Or that Minako, for some reason, had designated herself as some kind of personal alarm clock who ensured that Usagi got out of bed on time every morning; she was still always late. It was one thing to have a severe lack of punctuality in middle school, being harshly scolded by sensei Haruna for showing up after the bell, but in University, it was embarrassing. How was it that everyone managed to show up promptly, ready to learn with their prettily polished laptops open and prepared to take notes?

Why couldn't she manage that? At least in middle school, Usagi had the luxury of friends. Not so much here. Even in a smaller scale university like TUSW, everyone was so focused, so serious, taking full advantage of the secluded pods designated for studying students.

It was on her third day as she stood alone, feeling dejected and miserable in the middle of the gakushoku, clutching her paltry lunch in her hands, that it really hit home. How was she ever going to feel like she belonged here? She could barely keep up in her classes, and, despite her best efforts, she was constantly daydreaming, missing half of the content. She dreaded the readings; the time spent sitting in lecture halls. She was trying, she really, really was, but she couldn't help but wish that there was an easier way to become a social worker.

She felt like an imposter here, and she wished more than anything that she could lean on Mamoru. It would only hurt them both more in the long run if she did, but how was she supposed to go from feeling like she was married, capable of accomplishing anything to… this; lost, bereft, with a sharp ache permanently residing in the cavity of her chest.

Swallowing around the lump lodged in her throat, she studied the other students. It became even more clear that Mamo-chan was not only out of her league because he fit into a setting like this, with sophisticated people that didn't sleep in, could focus in class, and could manage to show up on time, but because he was a reincarnated prince, too. He wasn't meant for someone like her, and Usagi had never felt more insecure, more out of place than she did at that moment.

It was a veritably defeated Usagi that barely managed to scrape through the rest of the day, encouraged by Minako's and Ami's text messages as they periodically checked in to ensure that she was managing. It was easy to send a thumbs up, bunny, and heart emoji to reassure them. They must have seen through the fake optimism, though, as Minako insisted she go home, take a bath, and recover from what was another harrowing day.

In fact, Minako was in a particularly pestering mood today, and the text messages only stopped when Usagi insisted that she only had plans to curl up into a ball under the comforting weight of her well-weathered blanket right after class.

Usagi wasn't sure what prompted her to change her mind. It could have been the general sense of misery that seemed to weigh down on her on the train ride back to Azabu Juban. Or it could have been that she'd spent twenty minutes staring miserably at Mamoru's number on her phone. Either way, the changes in her life had become overwhelming, and she was suddenly desperate for the comforting familiarity of the Crown arcade.

The thought of surrounding herself by the bustling din of arcade games while sipping on a strawberry milkshake was compelling enough to lift her spirits a little bit, and it didn't take much for Usagi to backtrack a little to go to the Crown instead of home. Already the familiar route as she wove through pedestrian traffic was comforting. She quickened her pace, hoisting her new leather bookbag filled with all the fancy new books she'd been told she needed more securely around her shoulder.

She wondered if Kaori was working when she stepped through the automatic doors, her gaze scanning behind the counter for the stern-faced brunette who would more than likely be busy with the afternoon rush.

Usagi froze, blinking in surprise when her eyes fell onto a different brunette instead, and she frowned, confused because Makoto rarely came to the arcade unless it was to meet at headquarters. This seldom happened since headquarters had sort of become Ami and Luna's domain as the others typically preferred to meet at Hikawa shrine.

Though Usagi found it a little strange to see Makoto at the counter ordering a drink on a random Wednesday evening, she didn't truly become suspicious until she lifted her hand in greeting and Makoto's eyes locked onto hers. The panic that blossomed in widening green eyes was unmistakable.

Usagi's heart skipped a beat, her insecurities slamming into her full force as she tentatively stepped towards one of her very best friends, who clearly had not expected or wanted to see her here at all.

"Mako-chan," Usagi greeted with a tremulous smile, internally convincing herself that this had to be all in her head. "What are you doing here?"

Of course, the fact that Makoto practically cringed, the heat of an embarrassed blush blooming crimson red on her cheeks didn't help to quell the nervous thrumming of Usagi's heart when her friend guiltily met her gaze.

"Usagi!" she croaked, laughing nervously. "I thought you were going home after class?"

Usagi was even more alarmed now because she hadn't told Makoto that she was going home after class. She'd told Minako via text message. The sickening feeling in the pit of her stomach intensified because her friends were trying to keep something from her. Again.

Usagi swallowed, trembling fingers clutching her bag like it was a lifeline. "Mako-chan," she rasped brokenly. "What's going on?"

To her credit, Makoto's expression crumpled with sympathy as she took an instinctive step towards Usagi. "I'm so sorry, Usagi," she apologized breathlessly. "We weren't trying to keep anything from you. We just know how much of a hard time you've been having, and we didn't want to hurt you or make things worse…."

Makoto trailed off, choking on her words as she furtively cast a sideways glance towards headquarters. Usagi's eyes narrowed, and her breath caught in her throat because the last time she'd felt this way had been in that clearing, after the Mime Cardian, and she hadn't been able to breathe.

Makoto gasped, rushing towards her to place a comforting hand on her shoulder. "Oh, Usagi," she breathed. "I'm so sorry, but Mamoru-san is in headquarters with Ami right now. We didn't think you'd be here tonight."

Usagi blinked, stunned into silence as she clutched her bookbag against her chest in a vain attempt to still the thudding of her broken heart behind it. Of course, it made sense that Mamoru would still interact with the girls. They were Senshi, after all, and he was…

It took every bit of strength Usagi possessed to force a shaky smile on her lips, and by the small crooning gasp of sympathy and the pity she could very clearly see reflected in Makoto's eyes, she wasn't fooling anyone. She probably should have let it go. It would only hurt, but Usagi was a sucker for pain, apparently, and she couldn't help but ask.

"Why is he here with Ami, Mako-chan?" she blurted, licking her lips because her mouth suddenly felt dry. "Did you… I mean, did he find out more from…"

Usagi choked on the words; cheeks flushed, lower lip quivering with the effort it took not to burst into tears. She wasn't sure how it was possible, but Makoto's expression was even more crestfallen as she inhaled sharply, uncomfortable because her friend obviously did not want to answer her question.

Still, Makoto tentatively nodded, wincing as if pained when she responded. "Yes, sort of," she began, hesitating, taking a deep, determined breath before continuing. "Ami has been trying to decode forgotten languages and the final transmissions for ages. She's doing well, but she'd only been able to pick out a few words and names that don't make sense. According to Mamoru-san, the princess is called Ren, and he was Dimi... except Ami discovered that those were only nicknames… because…."

Usagi didn't realize that she was crying until Makoto stopped, gasping sympathetically before leaning forward to protectively drape an arm across her shoulders. Up until that moment, at the back of her mind, deep, deep down, Usagi had subconsciously held onto the hope that maybe they were wrong. That it was a misunderstanding, and Mamo-chan wasn't really a prince. But if he remembered things...

Usagi bit back a sob, and Makoto clucked her tongue, tightening her comforting grip around her. "Ah, man, Usagi," she whispered mournfully. "You don't have to hear this right now, hon. It's okay that this is hard. I promise when the time comes, we will keep you in the loop. Please, go home and leave the Senshi business to us for just a little while, so you can take time to figure this out."

Usagi wanted to argue. She was a Senshi, too, after all, and she should be a part of this. She'd been reincarnated with the sole purpose of protecting the princess, too. Except, at that moment, Usagi realized that she hated the princess. She'd never hated a single soul in her entire life. That, more than anything else, gutted her, took the wind from her lungs, constricted her throat so painfully she felt like she would crumple. She'd officially failed in every single aspect of her life. In school, in love, and her sole reason for being alive.

Suddenly, Usagi was terrified that Mamo-chan would appear, and she'd have to face him like this. Brokenhearted and so close to crumbling into a ball of despair right here on the Crown's green scuffed linoleum floors. Panicked, she pulled out of Makoto's grip. Her vision blurred with tears, and Usagi retreated, taking several clumsy steps backward. She mumbled a half-hearted goodbye, flinching away from the unfiltered compassion pouring from Makoto's eyes before she turned tail and fled.

She wasn't sure how she was going to stumble her way back home, and Usagi didn't think that there was any possible way that this day could get any worse until she somehow managed to tangle her legs up just outside of the Crown, knees buckling as she tumbled forward. She probably would have fallen face-first onto the pavement if it weren't for a firm grip that darted out, grasping her waist to steady her.

Usagi sucked in a startled breath, disoriented as she peered up from beneath tear-laced lashes into the narrowed, practically predatory look of the very last person in the entire world that she wanted to see right now. Ginga Seijuro was the only person in this whole universe that possessed the ability to make her day even worse. She barely had time to suppress a grimace before she recoiled, hastily stepping out of reach from his hands that lingered far too long on the curve of her hips.

"Usagi-chan," he drawled, his voice eliciting a shudder as it crawled over her skin. "Are you okay? You look upset."

Usagi quickly wiped at the tears still wet on her cheeks with the back of her hand, frantically trying to hide that she'd been crying as she vehemently shook her head. "I'm fine, Ginga-san," she croaked unconvincingly. "Just a bit of a stumble, that's all."

Infuriatingly, Seijuro clucked his tongue, staring down his nose at her with a dismissive, borderline patronizing look that made Usagi frown. "Nonsense," he scoffed condescendingly. "You look like a mess. Here, let me walk you home."

He leaned in too closely, grasping her arm in a possessive, unwelcome way that sent alarm bells ringing in her ears, an uncomfortable feeling coiling in the pit of her stomach. Before she could open her mouth to protest, though, they were interrupted by a shrill shriek filled with fury.

"Tsukino-san!" Natsumi appeared out of nowhere like a redheaded, red-faced bat out of hell. "What is going on? Seijuro?"

Seijuro, thankfully, was quick to release Usagi in the wake of his sister's dismayed cry. Stepping back with a wince, he lifted his hands in the air as if she'd burned him.

"Natsumi!" he exclaimed, tone filled with surprise. "Nothing! Nothing is going on!"

Natsumi wailed something in response, but whatever she said didn't register with Usagi as, once again, she fled, not even remotely interested in sticking around to hear whatever weird argument was happening between the Ginga siblings behind her. Honestly, the only thing Usagi was currently interested in was the comfort of her bed and the tub of mochi ice cream stored safely at the very back of her freezer.

Usagi trudged onward, barely aware of her surroundings as she kept her arms firmly clasped around her book bag as she determinedly placed one foot in front of the other. She greatly anticipated the moment that she could finally curl into a ball and properly sob into her pillow.

Of course, this day, which had been less than kind to her, wouldn't be complete if it didn't finish off on a sour note, which manifested quite inconveniently in the form of a Cardian.

It was just a matter of time before another one would appear again, of course, and Usagi had briefly contemplated her good fortune that one hadn't emerged in the chaos that had been the past two weeks. So when the screaming started from behind her, fleeing civilians jostling her as they ran, and car tiles squealing as they skidded to a grinding halt, Usagi froze. Her eyes fluttered shut with a resigned, defeated sigh as she mustered the energy to twirl round and face the source of all the chaos.

The Cardian, a four-armed, eight-foot-tall beast covered in hard, flexing muscle and bulging biceps, angrily smashed enormous fists into the pavement at its feet.

"Machamp!" Its roar reverberated over the twisted metal of the cars that hadn't been able to stop in time, smack dab in the middle of what had been a bustling intersection. "Machamp!"

Usagi's pulse began to race with the familiar pull of adrenaline, and her heart fluttered into her throat as she instinctively, maybe a bit recklessly, called on her henshin in plain sight. As usual, a flurry of ribbons exploded over her body, the power of a Senshi thrumming over her skin as she successfully transformed into Sailor Moon.

Usagi thought she heard a gasp before she caught the flicker of a floating pink-haired form above the Cardian before it disappeared, but she didn't have time to dwell on that as the beast of a Cardian's deafening growl tore through the air.

Machamp's eyes narrowed beneath the flaps of three protruding fins at the top of his hairless skull as his gaze swiveled and focused onto her. He snarled, his lips pulled back over white fangs set in a bluish-grey complexion as he lifted his fists, then smashed them into the ground in front of him again. The pavement cracked under pressure, and the impact of the hit sent an invisible wave of force hurtling towards her. It blasted everything in its path so strongly that it ripped a phone booth and a fire hydrant from the ground.

Usagi was typically not very graceful. Her mother always teased her about the fact that she'd never grown used to her endlessly long legs, and this was the reason why she was consistently tripping over her own feet. Still, she should have been able to dodge Machamp's blow. The Cardian stood several feet away and, even as clumsy as she was, she'd seen it coming. Admittedly, Usagi was a mess, exhausted, deflated, and less than confident about absolutely everything at the moment, so it took longer than usual for her mind to register that she was going to get hit. As a result, her movements were sluggish when she dashed to the right at the very last second.

It wasn't quick enough, and the wave of energy that slammed into her felt like she'd just collided face-first into a brick wall. It knocked the wind from her, and she gasped, choking on the breath in her throat as it propelled her backward. She flew through the air, crying out as her shoulder and side smashed with jarring impact onto the unforgiving asphalt littered in glass and steel debris.

Usagi sucked in a pained breath, white light dancing at the edge of her vision as she struggled to sit up.

Machamp was merciless, and the Cardian barreled towards her with a sharp roar piercing the air, his heavy, angry footsteps leaving indents in the cracked street beneath him.

On any other day, Usagi probably could have ignored the pain, leaped to her feet, and fought back. Today, she felt defeated, disoriented, unable to bounce back in her usual fashion, so she wasn't quick enough to get away. She gasped, yelping as Machamp bent its massive body over her, curling beefy fingers around the column of her throat before lifting her in the air, extending his arm over his head, leaving her to flail. Her legs swung just above the ground, sluicing fruitlessly through the air as she gasped for breath and tried to pry his hand from around her neck.

It wasn't working, and her vision blurred as Machamp suddenly began to glow, and Usagi felt the transfer of her energy as Machamp started to steal it from her.

Usagi, running out of air and in immediate danger of asphyxiation, met Machamp's unforgiving glare of rage with a look of teary-eyed desperation. She was supposed to be a powerful Senshi. She was supposed to be able to defeat a simple Cardian just like all of the ones before him, but in a moment of utter resignation, Usagi allowed the intrusive thought that she was a failure to creep in.

She'd failed at absolutely everything, and the Princess, if they ever managed to find her, would be better off without a guardian who would steal the man she loved, secretly hate her, and who couldn't even protect her against a Cardian.

She'd never in all of her time as a Moon Senshi faltered in her resolve, but for a singular moment, amidst the flurry of insecurities, Usagi stopped fighting. Her legs stopped flailing, tears slid unchecked over her cheeks, and her hands slipped from the fist gripping her neck and fell like dead weight at her sides.

Just as she would have fallen unconscious, Machamp roared, this time in pain, as the stem of a razor-sharp rose sliced through the muscled flesh of his extended arm. His grip instantly loosened, and Usagi gasped, her ears buzzing, throat aching as she fell.

She was still disoriented from pain and momentary lack of oxygen, so it didn't register right away that she didn't slam into the ground as she should have, but that she was now cradled in Tuxedo Mask's protective, familiar embrace. Dazed, eyelids fluttering shut with an anguished moan, Usagi curled her hands into the silk lapels of his jacket as his trembling tapered fingers wove into the hair at the back of her head that he gently pressed against his chest while she recovered.

Machamp roared again; this time, the grating sound was muffled from within the safe confines of Tuxedo Mask's cape as the Cardian engaged the other Senshi, whose elemental attacks were also indistinct and difficult to decipher as Usagi slowly blinked. The sharp sting of pain thrumming over her throat where Machamps fingers had pressed into her skin was finally starting to cut through the fog.

Tuxedo Mask cursed, his body tense and unyielding with anger as he firmly cradled her face, forcibly lifting her chin, his eyes hard as they frantically studied her.

"What the hell was that, Usako?" he hissed, his breath warm as it fanned across her cheeks. "You stopped fighting!"

The accusing, fury-filled note in his voice tore Usagi from the haze of having her energy sapped, and she sucked in a sharp breath, stiffening as all the feeling started to return to her limbs and her feet found solid purchase beneath her. As much as she wanted to melt into his arms, bonelessly lean against him, breathe in his scent because she missed him so fucking much, Usagi remembered why she couldn't. This time, instead of bursting into tears and wallowing in her misery, she recognized the needle of anger beginning to churn with a warning in the pit of her stomach.

With a sharp, fury-filled inhale, Usagi pushed him away. Startled, he let her go, stepping back with a hard, pained look behind his domino mask.

She could have said many things at that moment. It hurts to be apart. I love you. I'm dying inside. Instead, she said nothing, teeth digging into the pillowy flesh of her bottom lip to suppress the words she couldn't say as she unsteadily slipped past him.

He didn't stop her, he trusted her to fight, and she fully intended to do that, except that she was a mess. It was like that first time all over again, the terrified middle-schooler standing in the middle of Osa-p staring down what she'd thought was the scariest thing she was ever going to see. She fell, stumbled, and the other girls were forced to pick up the slack every time she faltered.

It was demoralizing, embarrassing, and when it was over, and Machamp roared a final breath as Venus, not her, destroyed it, she felt so unbearably defeated.

Usagi averted her gaze, unable to meet anyone else in the eye. This time when Mamoru swept forward, towering over her hunched figure, she didn't have any strength left to push him away. When she risked glancing up at his expression, it was angry, firm; his jaw clenched so tightly she thought it might snap as his stare bore into her.

He didn't say a word as he held out his hand, offering it to her, and she couldn't muster the will to walk away even though she knew that she should have. The moment she placed her gloved hand in his, he swiftly pulled her into his arms. She barely had time to catch her breath as he hoisted her against him, leaned forward, and vaulted into the air.

Usagi was a jumbled mess of warring emotions as she curled her arms around him, burying her face in the crook of his shoulder, her cheek pressed against the beating pulse in his neck. He was strong, his strides confident as he leapt over buildings, his grip firm but gentle as he held her close.

Orange and red streaks bled into the horizon from the setting sun when he gracefully landed with minimal impact on the cement pad of a balcony. Usagi wasn't surprised to see that he'd brought her to his apartment as it was closest to the scene of the Cardian attack, and he barely jostled her as he expertly maneuvered her in his embrace while leaning over to slide the balcony doors open.

He only put her down when they'd slipped inside, and the heels of her boots didn't make a sound as they landed on the living room carpet. He stepped back, and Usagi wasn't sure what to expect, heart pounding as he had yet to say a word.

She winced because he looked furious. His lips pressed into a thin line, eyes narrowed as they bore into her, and he angrily ripped the domino mask from his face. Her lips parted on a stunned gasp as he leaned forward, his fingers probing at her neck. She hissed a breath through her teeth at the sharp, unexpected pain elicited by the gentle touch.

She imagined her neck was probably going to be a mess of mottled bruises as a result of Machamp's abuse. Mamoru must have realized that too because his eyes narrowed, his shoulders squaring as he proceeded to run his hands over her face, then her shoulders, and along the length of her arms. His movements weren't tender; they were brisk, clinical, as if he was checking her for injuries.

Usagi swallowed around the lump in her throat, wincing at how unexpectedly painful swallowing was. "Hey," she rasped softly as Mamoru swept his hands along her sides, gloved fingers fluttering over the dip of her waist. "Stop, Mamoru. I'm fine."

He froze, inhaling sharply, and Usagi's heart leapt into her throat when he snapped his chin up, and his gaze was nearly level with hers. His expression was anguished as if she'd struck him, and his hands flew up to abruptly cradle her face.

"No," he choked. "Don't call me that."

Usagi bit back a whimper, blinking back tears because she wasn't going to insult him by pretending that she didn't know what he meant. Didn't he understand that he was making this more difficult? She was trying to let him go. She was doing the right thing.

The tips of his fingers wove through the curls lining her temple, grazing the cool steel of her tiara as his thumb swept over her cheekbone. His face was mere inches from hers, close enough that she could see the pain creasing the corners of his eyes and the beautiful flecks of muted gold freckles in cobalt blue irises.

Usagi's knees buckled unsteadily, and a pained sob spilled from her lips. She tried to turn away, but he wouldn't let her. "You're making this more difficult," she choked. "We can't be together."

He said nothing for a moment, studying her face, searching for something before he pulled away with an angry curse. Usagi almost stumbled but quickly steadied herself as he turned away, angrily raking his fingers through his hair.

"This doesn't make sense," he spat. "I'm supposed to be with you, Usako. I'm meant to love you. I know I am."

Usagi's hand flew to her mouth, and she pressed her fingers against her lips as if they could somehow suppress the mangled, hoarse cry that spilled from them.

"Mamoru-"

"Don't," he hissed. "God, Usako. Don't call me that."

Usagi whimpered, shaking her head. "I can't; it's not right for me to call you-"

"Yes, it is," he rasped, reaching for her, eyes filled with desperation. "Please."

She didn't have the strength to push him away, didn't want to push him away when he curled his arms around her waist. She whimpered, leaning into him as he reverently ran his palms up her spine, pressing her closer as he swept down and captured her lips with all of the heartache and devastation that simmered between them.

Usagi gasped, ignoring the twinge of pain in her throat as she allowed herself to give in. To lose herself just one last time as she boldly nipped at his bottom lip. He moaned against her mouth, deepening the kiss with tangled tongues and hitched breathing as she wrapped her arms around his neck, curling her fingers through the hair at the back of his head, desperately tugging him closer.

In this moment, he was hers again. He was Mamo-chan, the brooding baka that she'd pined for all throughout high school; he was the husband of her dreams, the father of her children, the Tuxedo Mask to her Sailor Moon, the fucking yin to her Yang. The Princess didn't exist, and nothing could cool the heat that was simmering to a boiling point between them.

He needed her, and she needed him, too. There wasn't a single thing or intrusive thought that was going to possess the ability, at this moment, to cut through the haze of love and lust as Usagi leaned into him. Mamoru followed her lead, hoisting her against him without breaking their kiss as his hands slipped beneath the pleated skirt of her Sailor fuku and his fingers, hot and demanding, pressed into the back of her thighs. In one swift motion, he lifted her off of the ground until she could comfortably wrap her legs around his waist.

She fit perfectly against him like they were two halves carved apart but meant to be whole, and she whimpered into his mouth as he swept forward, pressing her back against the glass pane of the balcony door that slammed shut with a resounding snap behind her. He leveraged his body closer to support her weight, and she arched her back, rocking her hips into his. He groaned as he pulled his mouth from hers, breathless as his lips traveled along the curve of her jaw to nip at her earlobe before gently caressing the column of her battered throat.

Usagi's eyes fluttered shut as she leaned back, the crown of her head hitting the glass door with a dull thud. Mamoru stopped, his breath hot against her neck, his kisses so gentle, it felt like his mouth was barely grazing her skin, like the soft, fluttering caress of a butterfly wing.

He shuddered against her, his grip so tight, his fingers bit into the skin of her thighs.

"Usako," he choked against the hollow of her collarbone. "I thought I was going to lose you tonight. You stopped fighting."

She heard the agony in his tone, and he was right. She had, for a moment, stopped fighting. Right now, she didn't want to think about that. She didn't want to recall all the reasons why she'd momentarily given up or why they couldn't be together. So, instead of answering him, she tugged at his hair, forcibly pulling him away from her throat and the painful reminder of her close call. He frowned, his eyes studying her face, and she swept down, capturing whatever he was going to say next with her lips.

She nipped, licked, and delved deeper until he was groaning into her mouth, rolling his hips between her thighs with renewed vigor.

When Usagi broke their kiss this time, they were both panting, and she pressed her lips against his ear. She should have kept quiet, bit back the words poised on her tongue because it was only going to make this more challenging, but she couldn't help it.

"I love you, Mamo-chan."

The strangled sound that tore from his throat was desperate, pained, frenzied, and that sound mirrored exactly how she felt as she pulled her hand away from the unkempt mess of raven hair and pressed her gloved fingers against her lips. She bit into the fabric and pulled, quickly divesting herself of the silk material, letting them flutter to the floor at their feet.

Without the fabric of her gloves in the way, she ran her fingertips over the curved angle of his jaw, over the taut muscles in his neck, along the hollow of his collarbone before she deftly reached down in between them. Navigating around the bunched skirt around her hips, she slipped her fingers underneath the overlapping soft material of his vest until she felt the cool, flat clasp of his pants.

He sucked in a breath of anticipation, and Usagi smiled, moving her lips from the shell of his ear to the curve of his jaw. After DreamWeaver, she'd become intimately acquainted with the fastenings and openings of his tuxedo in the amount of time that they'd been allowed to be together, so she didn't fumble and, with a flick of her finger, opened the clasp.

Apparently, she was going too slow because Mamoru took over. His movements were brisk and impatient as he quickly removed his own gloves with his teeth, letting them fall next to hers on the floor before he smoothly slipped his hand between her thighs.

Usagi tensed, the muscles in her legs taut, her breath coming out in short, rasping puffs as he pulled the fabric of her bodysuit aside and slid his finger inside of her.

She gasped, dazed, her heart pounding, as she quivered with anticipation, feeling empowered by the way he watched her. His eyes hooded as the pad of his thumb skated across her clit, and she cried out, writhing as the heat pooled in the pit of her stomach.

"Now, Mamo-chan," she demanded, her tone still husky because her throat was still sore. "I need you inside of me now."

He sucked in a breath, and Usagi frowned when he hesitated. "I don't have anything… Are you still…?"

Usagi's frown deepened, and it took her a moment before it registered what he was asking. When it did, her eyes narrowed, and she sighed, "We've only been broken up for two weeks, Mamo-chan. Of course, I'm still taking the pill. I…"

He interrupted her with his lips on hers, swallowing her words, his kiss harshly edged with renewed desperation because she'd broken their carefully crafted bubble by mentioning that they were no longer together. He didn't give her time to dwell on the sharp sting of that reminder, and she gasped as he thrust inside of her, filling her completely. Her senses exploded as he moved in and out of her in the way that they'd perfected as they practiced over the months they'd spent together in each other's arms in the bliss that had been their dream world.

Despite the fact that Usagi was still sore in the aftermath of the Cardian attack, that her legs were cramping because they'd never had sex standing prone in this type of position for so long before, Usagi felt whole. As if she would never connect to another person the way she felt so intimately, emotionally intertwined with Mamoru.

She gasped, rolled her hips to meet his thrusts, eyes clenched shut as the heat built up in her stomach and exploded behind her eyelids in white-hot bursts of light that swept over her in tingling waves, numbing her toes that curled in her red high-heeled boots.

Mamoru let out a harsh, strangled moan as he followed her over the edge. If he hadn't been holding her up, Usagi would have slid to the floor, sated, a boneless mass incapable of moving a muscle. He buried his head in the crook of her shoulder, and they were both panting, whirring comfortably in the afterglow as they slowly slipped back to reality.

Usagi was the first one to let the stark, horrible chasm that was still between them move back to the forefront of her mind, and she swallowed a whimper, blinking back tears because it was going to be so much more complicated now.

Mamoru must have felt her body tense against him because when he lifted his head to meet her gaze, the stark, raw panic was back, and he clutched her tighter even as she unlocked her ankles and pulled away, sliding her feet to the floor.

Mamoru cursed, desperately pressing his lips into her hair. "Usako, don't do this," he pleaded. "It doesn't matter. Stay here with me."

She was tempted, so very tempted, to let it go. Forget that Mamoru might remember one day that he didn't actually want to be with her, but that he wanted to be with the Princess. Then, as the Moon Senshi, Usagi would have to protect them both together, and the thought was excruciating.

They needed to be apart. She needed to somehow find time to deal with this unwanted anger and hatred for the Princess that she was supposed to love. She wasn't going to be able to do that wrapped in Mamoru's arms. She needed to go, no matter how hard it was.

Unless… unless he could promise her that there would only be her… that he loved only her. It was unfair to ask, and the words nearly stuck in her throat, but she had to know.

"Do you love her?" she forced in a hoarse whisper. "Do you have feelings for her?"

He tensed against her, pausing for a beat of painful, telling silence. Though she couldn't see his expression, his hesitation was his answer, and it tore her up inside.

"It doesn't matter, Usako," he pleaded. "I want to be with you."

Gently, her hands trembling, Usagi pressed her palms into Mamoru's shoulder and pushed him away. He didn't resist, stepping back, his eyes glistening with tears.

"Usako, please don't."

Usagi shook her head, hands trembling as she smoothed down her skirt. "I can't," she whispered. "We can't, and when you find your Princess, I'll do my very best not to…not to resent her, Mamo… Mamoru."

She didn't let him respond, she couldn't bear it, and just like she had earlier, Usagi bit back a sob, swiveled around, swept through the balcony doors, and fled.

oOo

For the first time since… Well, never, Usagi made it to a Senshi meeting on time. Of course, she was late now, but she felt it was important to note that she'd passed beneath the archway for Hikawa shrine precisely thirteen minutes before she'd been told to arrive.

Of course, this was probably the one meeting that the others would have understood if she'd shown up late, even though it was the one meeting in which she hadn't.

Usagi exhaled, deflated as she glared at the entrance of the Haiden where the others had likely started without her. The irony, which did not escape her attention, would be comical even, if not for the fact that she was standing, frozen, heart all twisted up in her chest as she considered turning tail and fleeing once again.

It had only been two days since their last Cardian attack, after all, and didn't she have a pile of homework she was just dying to get to? The girls would understand if she couldn't possibly manage to attend a meeting in which she would have to be within the same vicinity as her ex-boyfriend. Whom Usagi still very much loved, and whose heart she'd ripped out only two days prior as hers, in turn, shattered into a million irreparable pieces.

With another sigh, shoulders slumped with defeat, Usagi gritted her teeth. She was going to go in there. She had to. She had a sneaking suspicion that this was not going to get any easier, and the day she'd vaulted from Mamoru's balcony railing for what would probably be the last time, she'd vowed that she would do better. Be better.

Nodding to herself, through sheer force of will, Usagi forced her legs to move through the open entrance. The interior was dim, quiet, the smell of burning incense overpowering as she strained her ears towards the muffled voices behind the closed door just ahead.

She stopped in front of that door for an additional five minutes, wincing as the higher octaves that clearly marked one of the girl's voices were occasionally followed by the low baritone that definitely belonged to Mamoru.

Barely suppressing a groan, Usagi miserably pressed her forehead against the weathered wood, her hand poised over the doorknob. She was such a coward. Such a crybaby. She just needed to go in. She was a Senshi. Warrior of justice and love, for crying out loud. Why couldn't she just-

One second, Usagi was internally bemoaning her fate, scolding herself with self-deprecating thoughts, and the next, she was falling forward, yelping out as the door she'd been leaning against suddenly disappeared as it flew open.

She would have fallen flat on her face because her arms were still currently pinwheeling in a vain attempt to keep herself standing upright, except that she collided face-first into Mamoru's chest instead. It was the one and only time that Usagi wished he hadn't been there to rescue her from her own reckless clumsiness.

His hands were warm, infinitely gentle as he grasped her arms to steady her. Usagi grimaced, the heat of a mortified blush burning her cheeks as she slowly peered up at him. Her heart stopped, throat constricting because he looked just as pained as she felt. She'd been an idiot to think she was even remotely ready for this.

With a sharp inhale, she frantically stepped back, and he was quick to let her go, stepping out of her way as he hastily averted his gaze and cleared his throat.

"Usako," he mumbled awkwardly in greeting. "I- we didn't think you were coming. We were just leaving."

Even though she'd been contemplating the fact that the girls would understand if she didn't show up two minutes before she'd embarrassingly fallen through the doorway and into his arms, for some reason, his words struck a painful chord that made her angry.

Everything was changing. Twice, her friends had left her out of the loop because they'd been afraid to hurt her. Admittedly, both times she'd ended up very hurt, but still. It didn't matter that it wasn't rational; Usagi was running on exhaustion, a rollercoaster of warring emotions, and a broken heart.

She couldn't entirely suppress the hurt as she lifted her chin, flicking her gaze to the others who were all watching her with similar expressions of dismay on their faces.

"I'm just as much a part of this," Usagi choked brokenly. "I deserve to know what's going on, too."

"Usagi, of course you deserve to know," Minako reassured, perfectly manicured brows arched in surprise. "What Mamoru meant to say was that the meeting has just ended."

"I'd be happy to go over what we've covered with you, Usagi," Ami interjected helpfully. "I don't mind staying a bit longer."

Usagi shook her head, frustrated that she couldn't seem to reign in the frayed pieces of her emotions. "It's fine," she snapped, stepping back over the threshold. "Don't bother. Minako, I'll see you at home."

She heard the dismayed beginnings of protest behind her as she left, but, once again, Usagi was furiously dashing tears off her cheeks with the back of her hand as she fled. She'd made it all the way to the street before Mamoru caught up with her.

"Usako, stop," he said, breathless as his fingers curled around her wrist, forcing her to a halt. "I'm sorry. Please, don't leave like this."

Usagi pulled her arm away, crossing them instead as she petulantly refused to meet his eyes. "It's fine," she whispered, clearly not conveying that it was fine at all. "It's not a big deal. I should have known it would be… I mean, I knew that it was going to be like this. I…"

She trailed off, each word punctuating a hole in her anger until it was gone, and all that was left was a hollow feeling that she was afraid was never going to go away. Mamoru sighed, the sound barely audible, and she warily lifted her gaze to his. He looked miserable, just as miserable as she was, as he slowly carded fingers through his hair.

"I know," he replied, his tone soft, dejected. "Look… I'm not sure what I was thinking either. To be honest, I just wanted to see you, but I…" he stopped, swallowing, a pained grimace contorting his expression. "I'll stay away if it's easier for you, Usako. I'll just keep Minako updated over the phone. You won't have to see me. I never wanted… I don't…."

Usagi inhaled sharply, shame exploding in her chest, coiling like poison in her throat. He was going to give up the Senshi meetings to make it easier for her? The Senshi, who had become his only friends since they'd been pulled from DreamWeaver? How could she have, even for a moment, forgotten how alone Mamoru was? She, at least, still had her family. She lived with Minako. She had many friends. Suddenly, her outburst felt unbelievably childish, and Usagi's heart ached so badly for Mamoru that she couldn't help but dash forward to wrap her arms around him in an impulsive hug.

Mamoru tensed, astonished, but it didn't take long before he reciprocated, curling his arms around her, pulling her closer, leaning forward to bury his face in the crook of her shoulder.

"Mamo-chan," Usagi whispered, her voice muffled against the fabric of his black sweater. "I'm sorry. I don't want you to stop meeting the girls. I know this is going to be hard, but they're your family too."

He lifted his head, surprise and anguish etched into the edged contours of his face as his eyes met hers. "Usako, I.."

"Mamoru-san!" The pained, breathless call pierced through the intimate moment, and they broke apart, turning with confusion towards the source of the sound. "Step away from her. Don't you know what she is? I do."

It was Natsumi, and Usagi gasped because there was something clearly very wrong with her. There had been moments in which Natsumi had definitely seemed under the weather, but Usagi had never seen her like this. She was pale, bruise-like circles under her eyes, red hair hanging limply in snarled tangles around the angled curves of her face that seemed much sharper than usual.

Glassy-eyed, expression contorted angrily, Natsumi took a step forward and weakly stumbled, clutching at her chest with a wheezing gasp that prompted Usagi to instinctively dash to her side to steady her.

"Oh! Natsumi-san!" Usagi exclaimed with concern. "Are you alright?"

Natsumi snarled, slapping her hand away, but it caused the redhead to stumble again, and she fell forward, barely catching herself with her palms as they scraped across the pavement.

Usagi turned, frantically seeking out Mamoru. "Mamo-chan, she needs help!"

Mamoru snapped into action, striding forward with that calm, impassive look on his face as he knelt in front of Natsumi, reaching out to press the back of his fingers against her forehead.

"She's burning up," he began, his tone clipped and cool as he leaned forward, wrapped his arm around her waist, carefully pulling her to her feet. "Natsumi-san, how long have you been feverish?"

Natsumi didn't respond; instead, she cackled hysterically as she leaned into him. "How long have I been feverish?" she hissed, snorting. "Since the moment I saw you, clearly."

Mamoru winced, glancing up at Usagi helplessly. Usagi barely suppressed the urge to roll her eyes because, honestly, she knew how Natsumi felt about Mamoru, but the girl was obviously delirious.

Usagi leaned forward, her eyes level with Natsumi's. "Hey, Natsumi-san," she began softly. "We're going to help you get home, okay? Can you tell me your address?"

Natsumi lifted her gaze, and Usagi involuntarily stepped back at the hatred glistening from narrowed eyes. "I know how you hypnotized Mamoru-san and Seijuro's hearts, Tsukino-san. I'm going to stop you."

After that confusing proclamation, Natsumi gasped, curling her arms around herself as she fell forward with another pained moan. Something was very wrong. Natsumi had always been malicious, angry, but there was something about the girl that made Usagi's heart ache. They couldn't just leave her like this.

Usagi glanced up at Mamoru, gnawing on her bottom lip, wringing her hands with worry. Mamoru offered her a reassuring half-smile before he readjusted Natsumi to give her more purchase, draping a slender arm across his shoulders.

"Natsumi-san," he began calmly. "I'm going to take you home, okay? Can you tell us where you live?"

This time, though she still let out an eerie, unearthly chuckle, she rasped out an address. Luckily, they weren't far, and Mamoru seized her around the waist more firmly and carefully began the painful process of guiding her home with Usagi following fretfully in tow.

"I'm sorry, Mamo-chan," Usagi apologized as the apartment complex that Natsumi had indicated came into view. "I would help you, but I doubt she'd let me near her."

Natsumi hissed in response, the sound practically feral as she stumbled alongside Mamoru, confirming Usagi's statement.

Mamoru shook his head with a dismissive wave with his free hand. "It's okay, Usako," he reassured. "It's not much further."

The complex building cast a shadow over them as they approached, and Usagi frowned, an involuntary shiver rolling down her spine as they neared the front lobby doors. Mamoru grunted, hoisting Natsumi closer, and it seemed like she was dragging her feet as they maneuvered her across the lobby to the elevators.

Usagi sped ahead, frantically pressing the button with the up arrow, then pried her hand through the gap as it slowly opened, pushing it back as if that would somehow open them more quickly.

Mamoru was strong, he was Tuxedo Mask after all, but she could see that Natsumi's dead weight was starting to become a strain. So after she pressed the button that would bring them to the floor that Natsumi had told them, she leaned forward, grasping her around the waist to help Mamoru by propping her up between them.

This time, whether it was because she was too weak or too delusional with fever, Natsumi didn't protest. When the elevator door opened, they wordlessly led her into the hall. The apartment wasn't far, and Usagi was grateful that she hadn't had to help Mamoru the whole way because she swore Natsumi purposely weighed her down, digging her nails into Usagi's shoulder.

When they stopped in front of the right door, Usagi exhaled with relief. "Should we knock?" she asked, glancing sideways over Natsumi's head at Mamoru. "Her brother might be home?"

Mamoru frowned. "Does she live with her brother?"

Usagi shrugged, jostling Natsumi, who hissed as she attempted to tear herself away before groaning and slumping forward in their arms again.

Usagi was going to lift her hand to knock, just in case, but the door flew open before she could, revealing Seijuro, who was wide-eyed, eyes slanted with worry. "An... Natsumi!" he exclaimed, shocked, his gaze sweeping over her slumped form, darting between Mamoru and Usagi. "What happened?"

Usagi smiled sympathetically. "She collapsed, Ginga-san. She has a fever, so we wanted to help her home."

Seijuro frowned, leaning forward to grab his sister. Natsumi tensed, though, and suddenly she straightened, causing Mamoru to stumble back. Usagi would have stepped back too, except Natsumi wove her fingers through the hair of one of Usagi's pigtails and forcibly yanked her forward.

Usagi yelped, and Natsumi laughed darkly. "Don't touch me, Ail," she hissed, tugging harder. "You don't get to touch me until you believe me."

Natsumi dashed past her brother into the apartment. Usagi cried out as the furious redhead dragged her forward until she was bent practically in half, unable to extricate herself, and forced to follow as Natsumi led her into a sparsely furnished living room as if she was leading her on a leash.

"Hey!" Mamoru roared. "Let her go!"

Tears sprang to Usagi's eyes as she desperately curled her hands around her hair, yanking it back in an attempt to free herself, but for someone that had appeared to be on death's door only moments ago, she was unnaturally strong.

Natsumi looked practically deranged, perspiration beading on her brow, eyes glinting red as they frantically darted between Mamoru, whose expression was dark with rage, and Seijuro, who looked worried.

"An…" he began, calmly lifting his hands as if he was afraid to startle her. "Let her go. You're just weak. Let me get you…" he glanced furtively at Mamoru before sliding his gaze back onto Natsumi. "Let me get you something to eat."

Natsumi cried out, the sound filled with rage and frustration as she ripped at Usagi's hair so roughly, Usagi was propelled forward, falling to her knees with a pained gasp.

"Usako!"

Usagi's heart skipped a beat, yelping in pain when Nastumi dug her fingers into the hair at the back of her scalp instead, yanking her head back, exposing her throat before she curled her fingers around it.

"Not another step closer, Mamoru-san," she hissed, leaning down, her breath hot against Usagi's ear. "You're under her spell right now. I'll free you from it. I'll free both of you!"

Usagi swallowed, fear blossoming in her chest along with total and utter confusion. Natsumi was clearly unwell, lashing out, and Usagi tried to calm her racing heart as she lifted her hand and carefully laid it against Natsumi's that was tightening like a vise around her throat.

"Natsumi-san," she choked. "Please, let me help you."

Natsumi responded by adding her nails, miniature scalpels slicing the tender skin of her neck. "Bet that hurts when added to the pretty little bruises Machamp left for you. Thank you for the little bit of energy, by the way. It was delicious."

Before Natsumi's words and what they meant could fully register, with unnatural force, Usagi was pulled backward, the back of her legs scouring across the floor and over the threshold of what appeared to be another elevator.

Usagi only caught a glimpse of Mamoru's horrified expression before the elevator doors slammed shut and darkness washed over them. It all seemed to happen so fast, and before Usagi could do anything, her heart leaped into her throat, her mouth opening on a silent scream as they began to fall at a neck-breaking speed.

At some point, Natsumi must have let her go. Not that Usagi could have escaped, anyway. She was too busy being plastered to the floor, trying to calm the churning of her stomach as they barreled through the darkness of the elevator shaft that seemed to be descending deeper and deeper until Usagi was sure they were sinking far into the bowels of the earth.

The elevator came to a grinding halt, metal squealing as it slammed to a stop. Usagi gasped, the wind knocked from her. She was dazed, disoriented when the doors slid open, and she was blinded by a green, incandescent light as the air, permeated with thick, cloying humidity, choked her. It smelled like earth and rot. Usagi gagged as Natsumi yanked on her arm, forcefully lifting her off the ground, tossing her from the elevator with so much ease; Usagi was inclined to believe that she'd never been weak with fever after all.

In fact, when she glanced up, Natsumi was no longer Natsumi at all. In her place was a green-skinned, pink-haired alien that glared down at her, thin lips curled over her teeth into a snarl.

"Makai tree!" Natsumi hissed, pink hair fluttering around her shoulders. "I've brought you an offering! Drain her."

It seemed like Usagi had spent the last ten minutes at a complete disadvantage. Pulled, yanked, literally tossed into a pile of dirt and roots. She was tired of being caught off guard. She was struggling to her knees to fight back when suddenly, one of the roots that she'd been splayed over lifted, curled around her waist, and launched her into the air.

Usagi screamed as she sailed through the darkness, dangling at a dizzying height, firmly constricted in what appeared to be an enormous… tree root?

Usagi's eyes filled with tears, breathless as the root began to pulse, glowing orange like Machamp had as it had pulled the energy from inside of her. Usagi whimpered, slamming her fists weakly against it as her watery gaze slid onto Natsumi's form below her.

There was a strange taste in her mouth, bitter, dry, and though it was weird, Usagi swore it tasted of anger and loneliness. How had Natsumi hidden in plain sight like that? Could she have prevented all this pain if only she hadn't dismissed her so quickly?

The elevator doors, which were just a darkened blur in Usagi's vision now, swung open once again. This time, it was Mamoru who raced over the threshold. His body was tense, shoulders squared as his gaze frantically swept over the tree before landing on Usagi, currently coiled in its unyielding grasp.

"No!" he roared. "Usako, hold on!"

Natsumi's eyes narrowed, and she bared her teeth as she vaulted up, flickering before she floated upwards into the air closer to where Usagi was currently being held captive. "Mamoru-san!" she cried. "This girl is Sailor Moon. She's clearly using her powers to enthrall you! When she's dead, you'll be free to love me!"

Usagi whimpered as the tree seemed to respond to Natsumi's words, tightening its grip around her waist just as another form flashed beside Natsumi. This time it was a green-skinned, blue-haired alien, and his expression was contorted with fury.

"An," he hissed. "What are you doing? I thought you felt nothing for that pathetic human male?"

Natsumi, or An, twisted around in the air to face him. Her fists clenched as she snarled at her brother. "Ha! At least he believes me when I tell him that pathetic excuse of a human girl is Sailor Moon. How does it feel to know that you've been duped by the girl that you love more than me, Ail?"

Ail gasped, swiveling so fast his hair cascaded in fluttering waves around his shoulders. His almond-shaped eyes were wide and filled with fear when they fell onto Usagi. She wasn't sure how she knew. Though somewhere in Usagi's brain, it probably wasn't that hard to connect the dots because it was so obvious that the blue-haired alien staring at her was, without a doubt, Ginga Seijuro.

"Usagi-chan!" he cried before turning to glare murderously at An. "What is wrong with you?"

Usagi was starting to fade, her lungs constricting, the muscles in her legs and arms spasming as she weakly lowered her chin to glance down. Mamoru wore a determined look as he frantically scaled the overwhelmingly large roots and protruding branches so that he could reach her. Usagi bit her bottom lip to keep from crying out, loathed to pull An and Ail's attention to the fact that Mamoru was so close.

"What is wrong with me?" An cried, and this time there was a tremor prevalent in her tone. "So you do love her? How could you, Ail? I thought you loved me."

Ail gasped, his expression softening as he reached for An. "I do love you. An. It's a different kind of love."

Usagi shook her head, their argument piercing straight through to her heart because it was such a strange parallel to what she was currently feeling. She suddenly felt sad for the aliens, who clearly were not siblings, because how excruciating must it be not to realize what love truly was?

It was in that instant that Usagi had a painful moment of clarity. She knew what love was. She felt it in droves from her friends; she felt it from her mother, father, even Shingo, who was as annoying as a little brother could be. Most of all, though, she felt it with blinding certainty from Mamoru. He loved her. He really, really did, and that was all that mattered.

The Princess, the Prince, all of that was something they could work through together, and if it wasn't, and Mamoru really did leave her later, did she really want to give him up now?

Just then, Mamoru propelled himself up, carefully balancing over limbs and gnarled branches to lean over the root that was squeezing around her. His expression was panicked as he leaned forward, elbows leveraged in front of her as he cradled her face in his hands.

"Look at me, Usako," he demanded, his tone hoarse. "I'm going to get you out. Just hang on, okay?"

Usagi was too weak to speak, so she settled for a halfhearted nod as he leaned forward and clasped her hand, pulling at her arm. Of course, Ail and An chose that moment to stop arguing.

Ail growled, the sound angry and savage. "It would appear, An, that this gentleman doesn't care about you at all!" he hissed, snapping his chin up. "Makai tree! Drain him!"

Before Mamoru could react, another extended root launched forward. He grunted as it curled around his waist, violently ripping him away from Usagi. She cried out, reaching for him, stretching her fingers because maybe if she pulled hard enough, went a little further, she'd be able to free him from the tree's lethal clutch.

"Mamo-chan," she choked, wincing, whimpering, vision blurring. She was running out of time, and they'd left things so painfully between them. If she was going to die, here and now, he had to know. "I want to tell you…."

She trailed off, gasping and choking on her words as the root pressed harder into her abdomen.

"I know," he croaked. "Don't speak. Save your strength, Usako. I know."

"No!" An screamed, wavering before appearing in front of Mamoru with angry, frantic eyes. "Makai tree! Drain only the girl! Not Mamoru!"

Usagi moaned, unable to hold her head up any longer. It fell, her cheek pressed against the inside of her outstretched arm. Ail appeared in front of her, and it took a moment to understand that the reason that he was so blurry was because she was starting to lose consciousness.

"Makai tree! Take only him! Not her! How dare you disobey me after everything I have done to take care of you!"

Usagi's limbs and lips were numb, and as it stood, she was not able to utter another word. If she could, though, she would have pleaded with Ail. She would have conveyed that the warped ways he was trying to show love only hurt the tree. Couldn't he feel it in the air? That hollow, lonely ache that seemed to permeate everything in this hothouse of an underground cavern with a pervasive sadness that broke her heart?

Usagi wanted to fight, but she was so weak. So tired. Her eyes fluttered shut, her breaths short, labored puffs.

"Usako!" Mamoru croaked, straining against the root that was holding him captive. "Dammit, open your eyes!"

From the dim haze of her semi-conscious state, Usagi heard the welcoming cries of the arriving Senshi as they interrupted Mamoru's mournful plea. How they'd managed to find this place, she had no idea, but she vaguely heard Mars call out with fire, felt the lick of Mercury's fog on her cheeks. Something that someone had done must have worked because the tree abruptly released her. She couldn't even muster the energy required to open her eyes as she fell. Her hair whipping against her face just before she smashed into the ground. Dirt and leaves skidding across her face as her head bounced painfully against it.

Her ears rang, and she gasped, trying to catch her breath as she rolled onto her side with a pained, breathy moan. She blinked slowly, dazed, as Mamoru's terror-filled expression appeared in her wavering line of vision. His lips were moving, but it was hard to hear through the pulsing ache in her head.

There was another blast of fire from Mars as it rippled over the Makai tree, and Usagi craned her neck, jolted from her haze with a painful snap, crying out in horror as several tree roots launched into the air. They extended angrily before they twisted and snarled, deftly sweeping the Senshi from their feet before it covered their tumbled bodies, caging them to the ground.

Usagi sobbed, turning back in time to see Mamoru stand, shoulders squared, arms outstretched to shield her from the tree, or Ail and An even, as the pair hovering in the air turned to face him.

"What are you doing, Mamoru-san?!" An screeched angrily. "Move over! I told you, I'm trying to free you from her spell. She's Sailor Moon!"

Mamoru bared his teeth, eyes narrowing with determination. "I know exactly who she is," he growled angrily. "I know who I am, too."

Usagi had seen Mamoru transform into Tuxedo Mask many times; it was a thing of beauty that she would never get tired of watching, so she expected a black, red-lined cape to fall firmly into place with his tuxedo. Usagi blinked, confused when Tuxedo Mask was not who he transformed into. Instead, the shimmer of blue-tinged armor, glistening steel, and the heavy brocade of a different cape appeared.

She gasped, struggling to her knees behind him, eyes glued to the proud chiseled profile of the Prince that had once loved the Silver Millennium's princess enough to topple an empire.

Usagi choked on a grief-filled sob because she wasn't ready. She wasn't prepared to lose him for good. With heavy, sorrow-filled eyes, Usagi forced herself to stand. Even filled with dread and anguish, Usagi couldn't help but admire how fucking glorious he was.

An wailed, even as Ail cast her an "I told you so" smirk. Usagi sucked in a sharp breath through her teeth when the pink-haired alien's features contorted into a look of hatred as she lifted her hands, a dark beam of power bubbling dangerously in her palms before she propelled it towards Mamoru.

Usagi didn't hesitate. It didn't matter that she hadn't even bothered to take the time to transform into Sailor Moon. Or that Mamoru probably didn't even want her anymore now that he'd transformed into the Prince. She loved him. She loved him with every aching piece of her heart and soul, so it wasn't even a question that she would protect him as she flew forward, using the last bit of strength she possessed to leap in front of him. She locked her knees, braced herself with determination as the beam pierced into her instead of him.

Mamoru roared with agony and outrage as she flew back and collided into the plated armor covering his chest. He curled his arms around her, anchoring her battered body against him as she slumped forward.

"Usako, no!"

She couldn't breathe, and she couldn't feel her legs as a cold, numbing sensation slowly crept through her limbs, spidering through her veins until she was gasping for air in between pained sobs. He was gentle as he tenderly lowered her to the ground, kneeling beside her.

"Usagi-chan," Ail rasped from above. "Why would you do that?"

It was unbearably painful, but Usagi slowly craned her neck, angling her face until she was peering up at Ail through tear-laced lashes. "I lo… love him. That's love, Ai… Ail."

"Usako, shhh," Mamoru whispered, cradling the side of her face, gently tilting it back so that she was looking into his eyes instead. "Look at me. Stay awake, okay? You're going to be okay. You have to be okay."

Usagi offered him a trembling smile, "Look at you, Mamo-chan," she gasped, and tears slid down her cheeks, pooling in the shell of her ears. "She's so lucky to have you."

Mamoru's eyes widened in surprise, his eyes glistening with unshed tears. "She…?" he laughed drily. "Haven't you figured it out yet, Odango Atama? You're my Princess. It was always you."

Usagi frowned, weak and fading; she wasn't sure if she'd heard him correctly. There was no way that she could possibly be the princess. Not her. Not clumsy, silly Tsukino Usagi.

"Look at how weak she is, Mamoru-san," An scoffed. "One measly hit enough to knock you down? Why don't I put you out of your misery."

An flickered, reappearing directly above them, her expression dark and filled with malice as she attacked again. This time, the lethal beam targeted Usagi's heart.

Just like Usagi, Mamoru didn't hesitate. He didn't even break eye contact as he launched himself over her. His heavy, pure black cape sweeping over his armored shoulders enveloped them both, and he smirked that pure Mamoru Chiba smirk as the beam pierced into him instead.

Usagi sobbed, pushing weakly at his shoulders to move him, but he remained unyielding, his arms trembling with the strength it must have taken him to hold himself up over her as the relentless ray of power battered through him.

Even when he collapsed, he was careful to roll onto his back beside her so that she wouldn't bear the brunt of his weight. The pained whimpered sounds that tore from Usagi's throat were filled with grief as she turned onto her side and, with great difficulty, curled her arm around his waist, pulling him until he lay on his side facing her.

"Mamo-chan," she choked. "You baka. Don't you dare die! I need you. The princess needs you."

Mamoru's eyes were hooded, his breath labored, and still, he choked on a pained laugh. "I told you," he croaked, lifting a trembling hand to cup the side of her face. "You are my Princess, Ren. It's you."

Then, with a final shuddering breath, Mamoru's eyes fluttered shut, his hand slipped from her cheek, and his chest ceased to rise and fall.

Usagi sobbed, hot tears spilling from her eyes as she curled her arms around his waist, tucking her head beneath his chin, burying her face against his chest. She pressed herself flush against him, and it could have been any other day. It could have been that time they tumbled into bed for the first time after finally getting ChibiUsa and Kousagi to sleep, or the hundreds of times after that when he'd curled around her, holding her as if she was his whole entire world. Or when they'd come home after DreamWeaver, and they clutched onto each other for dear life, mourning the life they'd lost.

It wasn't like those times, though. Mamoru was gone. Instead, it felt like… it felt like the time that… the time that…

Usagi gasped, the breath filling her lungs fully for the first time since Ann had struck her down. Suddenly, it felt like her ribs that had been constricted, partially broken under the tree's root, were mending. Somehow, she was healing, and even the sting of the crescent-shaped cuts from Natsumi's nails was disappearing. It gave her the strength to move, to carefully extricate herself from Mamoru's limp embrace to kneel over him instead.

His expression had smoothed, and Usagi's lower lip quivered as she bent over him, tenderly tracing the curve of his jaw. Her tears continued to fall, and one of them glistened silver as it landed on Mamoru's cheek, seeping into his skin.

Suddenly, he sucked in a breath, chest rising on a desperate inhale as his eyes flew open. It took a moment before they focused on her face, but his smile was blinding when they did.

Usagi could only watch as if from behind a hazy curtain of silk as he lifted his hand and, with all the tenderness in the world, traced something on her forehead.

"Look at you, Ren… Princess Serenity."

Then, the curtain fell, or more accurately, it was ripped from her, and the memories, the beautiful ones, the painful ones, slammed into her with a blinding force that exploded in her chest. It shattered outward in a burst of white, hot light that seemed to illuminate the entire cavern. It bounced off the Maikai tree, swirled around a stunned An and Ail, rejuvenated her fallen, awakening Senshi before curling around her in ribbons of white silk.

Yes. She remembered now. Serenity. Ren. Endymion. Dimi.

She felt it when the Silver Imperium crystal emerged from the cavity of her chest where it had remained hidden this whole time, and she gasped, palms lifting instinctively as the moon wand materialized. The crystal, glowing so brightly, fused with it.

It was through the freshly renewed lenses that belonged to Serenity, who gasped, heart racing as she grappled with the onslaught of memories. Endymion, no, Mamoru bolted upright, pulling her into his arms, his lips colliding with hers in a frenzy of roiling emotions. The moon wand fell into the pool of white silk from her dress in her lap, and her movements were brisk with passion, too, as she deepened their kiss, cradling his face, pulling him even closer.

Usagi was breathless when they pulled apart, clutching onto him as if her life depended on it, and her breathing only evened when the raw memories faded. She still very much remembered, but they were more like distant recollections rather than the painfully raw moments that were tearing into her as if they had just occurred.

"You know what?" An hissed, angrily interrupting them. "I'm done with both of you. Let the Makai tree feast."

She lifted her hands for the third time to attack, and Usagi and Mamoru were still drowning in each other, so they wouldn't have been able to defend themselves even if they wanted to. This time, though, it was Ail that flew into the path of An's deadly projectile. It tore through him like it had torn through Usagi, and An let out a blood-curdling scream of horror as he crumpled to the ground.

"No!" she screamed, flying to his side, collapsing to her knees to cradle his head in her lap. "Why would you do that, Ail? Why?"

Ail laughed meekly, his expression filled with regret as he tenderly cradled An's face. "Because," he whispered. "They understand love, An, where we've forgotten it."

Usagi, safely wrapped in Mamoru's arms, could only watch with horror, her heart shattering for them as Ail's hand went limp and fell with a last rasping breath before his eyes glossed over, glassy and unseeing. Usagi clutched at the gold embroidered bodice of her dress, whimpering, turning away from the horrible scene in dismay.

An's wail of grief was heart-wrenching as it tore through the cave, rippling over them in pain-filled waves. Despite Ail's sacrifice, An was not in a forgiving mood, and her eyes were red with rage when they focused on Mamoru and Usagi.

"You," she hissed through gritted teeth. "You did this!"

Usagi whimpered, shaking her head, eyes wide and pleading. She couldn't stand this. It was like Beryl all over again. So consumed in her darkness, so filled with pain and hatred, that she was blinding herself to her capacity to love. Usagi pulled away from Mamoru's arms, clasping the moon wand in her hand as she rose. Her dress rippled as it fell into place. She'd failed to save Beryl. She had to save An.

"An, please," Usagi begged, expression soft and pleading. "You deserve love. You do. You can have it if only you'll listen."

An growled, practically vibrating with rage as she flew to her feet. "I don't know what you are, but I'm going to crush you!"

Mamoru was instantly beside her, silent, stoic, protective as he swept his arm out in front of her. Usagi gasped with dismay because the move only seemed to enrage An further, and she lifted her arms, eyes filled with fire, and an unnatural fury as hysterical laughter bubbled from snarling lips.

Just as she would have attacked again, one of the tree's roots lifted then twisted, coiling around An as it had Usagi and Mamoru not too long ago.

Usagi cried out, racing forward to stop it somehow, her hands prying at the root with dismay. An choked, eyes wide, stunned that the tree she'd served had turned against her. Usagi whimpered, unwilling to let her die.

"Mamo-chan," she pleaded, glancing over her shoulder when she couldn't budge it. "Can you cut her down?"

Mamoru hesitated for only a second before he nodded briskly, pulling his sword from a scabbard strapped to his waist. He lifted it, and just as he was about to strike, the loud, authoritative baritone that could only belong to the tree echoed in their heads.

"You would spare her life after what she's done to you?"

Usagi sucked in a pained breath, fingers trembling on the root as An gasped and struggled. "Yes!" Usagi cried out. "Please. Let her go."

"If the positions had been reversed, I do not think she would show mercy to you, bright one. She would let you die. Do you still want to spare her?"

"Yes!" Usagi snapped, desperate now. "I would! Please don't hurt her!"

It was then that the tree told them everything. The weary voice of an entity floating through time as it regaled them with the devastating history of a species of green-skinned aliens grown from the trees' love, only to evolve into something corrupt, greedy for power. Eventually, the tree's children stopped listening as they destroyed each other.

Usagi listened with her heart in her throat. There were so many parallels to the Terrans of the past that had fallen prey to the darkness led by Beryl, toppling the Silver Millennium empire. Then to the people of Earth today who seemed to be moving at a quicker pace, losing themselves slowly to that same greed and corruption.

Mamoru wrapped his arms around her waist, and she leaned back against him, tears streaming down her face as she vowed to be the beacon that constantly reminded the people under her protection that they possessed the worth to love and be loved.

"Do you see now?" Makai tree asked, tired, tone heavy with pain and knowledge. "I've been corrupted, twisted into something unnatural. Would you cleanse me?"

Usagi couldn't speak, the sorrow constricting her throat, so she only nodded in response as she stepped away from Mamoru again with the Moon wand clutched firmly in her hands. It would be the first time that the reawakened princess of the Silver Millennium would use the healing properties of the silver crystal. It seemed fitting that it would be to cleanse the darkness from this wise, tired, sentient being that was weary of wandering alone when all it had wanted was to bask in the love of its children.

Usagi lifted her hands high above her head, calling for the healing the tree had requested, and the flash of silver bounced off of its rough, scarred bark. The power was warm, calming as it thrummed through her veins, pulsing through her fingertips before channeling into the crystal. Usagi briefly caught a glimpse of Venus with Artemis curled along her shoulders, Mars, Mercury, Jupiter, and Luna at their feet. Finally free from the gnarled branches, they stood with awed expressions on their faces. Then An who, for once, did not have an ounce of malice in her gaze as she watched brokenly as the tree that she'd mistakenly thought she was protecting burst into a ball of blinding light before it exploded into a cascading shower of stars that fizzled, and dissipated around them.

Usagi gasped, her head spinning when it was over, and she stumbled back dizzily as the rush of adrenaline receded, weakening her in its wake. Mamoru was there to catch her, though, and he steadied her, curling his arms around her waist protectively. The shimmering curtain of their transformation into Serenity and Endymion glowed brightly before disappearing, leaving only Mamoru and Usagi, who were very much in love, content to be wrapped in each other's arms, behind.

Usagi pulled away from Mamoru, striding forward as if drawn by a soft, magnetic light. It called to her, washing over her warmly as Usagi bent down in the middle of the crater left behind by the tree. In its place was a tiny little sapling that fit in the palms of her hands. Its brightness pulsated with its newly cleansed aura.

An whimpered, gasping with dismay as Usagi approached and held it out to her. "It's too late," she cried, tears glistening on pale green cheeks. "Without Ail, what's the point?"

Just then, a sputtering cough pulled their attention, and Ail, battered and breathless, stirred, eyes fluttering open as he struggled to sit up. "An, didn't you hear anything Makai tree said? There's always a point if there's love."

An wailed, crying out as she barreled into Ail, a flutter of pink hair as she flattened him on the ground and rained desperate butterfly kisses across his face.

"We'll learn together, Ail!" she promised as he laughed, pulling her to her feet. "I can do better. We can be better. Together."

Ail nodded, his expression doting as he lovingly curled his arm around An's waist.

Usagi stood patiently, heart full as they turned their gazes away from each other and onto her. This moment, the awakening of her past life, the pulsing healing properties of the silver crystal, the fact that these two beautiful souls in front of her had rediscovered the meaning of love and redemption was everything she could have ever wanted.

"I don't think there's anything we could ever do to repay you," Ail said softly as he lifted his hands, and Usagi stepped forward, carefully transferring the tiny sapling into his upturned palms. "You can't understand how much you've done for us."

Usagi smiled, lips trembling with emotion, eyes blurring with tears of happiness. "Just promise to spread love wherever you go."

Ail and An nodded in response, and Minako stepped forward, battered from the battle, her eyes wide and filled with awe. "Where will you go now?"

Ail and Ann exchanged a loving look, clutching their tiny sapling in between them. "We will seek out somewhere safe in the stars. There we'll take what you've taught us and love the life tree right this time."

Before any of them could respond, the pair flickered, vaulting into the air high above them, gleaming brightly before they disappeared.

Usagi swallowed, eyes still trained on the spot they'd vanished when Minako loudly cleared her throat. "Okay, so can we all just clear the great big giraffe in the room and admit that we were pretty stupid not to see that Usagi was the princess this whole time?"

Usagi blinked, inhaling sharply as she slid her gaze onto Minako's smirking face. Rei snorted, rolling her eyes with a dismissive wave. "I am not admitting I'm stupid; Usagi is literally the clumsiest, least graceful of us by far. There was no way that could have been obvious."

Usagi frowned, pursing her lips in annoyance, opening her mouth to protest when Ami stepped forward to interject. "It could be that those staples of Usagi's personality were crafted purposely to keep us in the dark?"

This time Usagi did gasp indignantly, "Rude!" she huffed. "I'm the boss now, right? Maybe I'll banish you all to the stars with Ail and Ann!"

The girls turned towards Usagi, smiles on their lips, eyes twinkling with mirth, deflating Usagi's indignation because they were obviously joking, and Makoto laughed. "Ah, c'mon, Usagi," she chuckled. "We have to needle you a little bit, now that Luna can't scold you all the time for not taking the need to find the Princess seriously."

It was Luna's turn to huff indignantly as she proceeded to lecture them on how this wasn't over. That now they needed to be extra vigilant, and Usagi was only half-listening, her heart full and brimming with happiness when Mamoru curled his fingers around her wrist behind her. Warmth washed through Usagi at the gentle touch as she turned away from her friends, twisting around to face him.

His eyes were filled with all the awe, love, and relief that she felt pulsing inside of her as he lifted his hands and framed her face tenderly between them. "I told you I was supposed to love you, Usako. I belong to you, always."

Usagi blinked back the tears of happiness those words elicited because, for the first time in a long time, she believed him. The memories of Ren and Dimi still flickered, as if in warning, at the back of her mind. A reminder of how hard they'd fought, what they'd given up to love each other, and now, Usagi would never take that love for granted.

"I belong to you, too, Mamo-chan," she replied, sighing softly as she leaned into his touch. "Let's not separate ever again."

His response was to lean down and press his mouth against hers, lips molded together perfectly as two halves become one whole, and Usagi's heart felt like it was near bursting with the heady realization.

"Oh my God, do you guys need a room?" It was Minako's voice that broke through the haze of their embrace. "You don't need one, you know; I'm always down for a show."

Mamoru broke away with a groan as he pressed his forehead against Usagi's. "Minako…" he warned with a tired sort of exasperation that made Usagi giggle.

"What? I'm totally serious. Do your thing, Chiba."

When Mamoru opened his eyes and met Usagi's with that expression that indicated he was about to get into another argument with Minako, Usagi couldn't help the cheeky grin to egg him on.

"Why not, Mamo-chan? Let's do it."

Mamoru rolled his eyes, giving her a quelling look. "Don't encourage her, Usako. Seriou-"

He didn't get to finish that sentence because Tsukino Usagi, former Princess of the Silver Millennium alliance, now proudly a struggling, poor student in university, flew into his arms and silenced him with another heartstopping kiss. Mamoru didn't protest, even when Minako whistled and Luna clucked her little cat tongue in disapproval. Usagi knew that everything was going to be okay. After all, they only belonged to each other.