Divinity: Fates and the Afterlife

by Nebelflecke

- III - To create a future, you have to make peace with the past and work through it in the present. It is not just a leap of destiny, it is a reason to continue fighting. **Divinity is a long running series and it's rated M.

41. Chapter 41

Divinity: Fates and the Afterlife

Chapter Forty-One

AN: The Divinity series is rated M. That being said, I feel obliged to let you know this chapter has intimate scenes; if you feel uncomfortable reading love-scenes I suggest you skip this one.

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Haruka was watching TV in the living room with Hotaru reading a book next to her in silence while Megumi helped Michiru and Setsuna in the kitchen cook dinner. The aquamarine haired beauty looked at a more experienced Megumi chopping and dicing vegetables with an impressive skill and speed, "You are being so helpful Megumi-san, I don't know what would become of me if I handled dinner all by myself."

"Hey, are you saying my help doesn't count?" Setsuna frowned with slight hurt, Michiru giggled, "Of course it does but you are not always at this time of the day."

"I know my cooking isn't as great as yours but still—I have a pride." the senshi of time said softly as she finished making the salad. Megumi smiled at both women and put the knife down, "I remember when I first got my job at the Palace, I started out helping the main cook in the kitchen—I learned a great number of recipes."

"That sounds great!" Michiru looked at the girl, "You could teach us some of those—I'm curious to know what the Royal family had for dinner."

Megumi's smile slowly faded at the mention of the Royals, even when the girls had been treating her like one of them, including her and making her feel at home she had to admit that she did miss her days when she served the royal family and that she missed both the Princess and Prince. Michiru closed the oven door and put the casserole on the counter and turned when she too noticed the young maid's silence "Megumi-san, are you alright?"

Megumi turned and nodded, "Y-Yes, yes Milady, I am—I am sorry."

Michiru smiled softly and tilted her head, "Ah, I see... you miss the Prince,"

Megumi blushed and continued stirring the creamy gravy for the roast she had prepared, not really knowing what to answer to Michiru's sweet taunting. Michiru smiled and turned to pick the sliced bread to take to the dining table, "Don't worry, I am sure he—"

"Michiru—look at this." Haruka interrupted her lover and sprinted from her seat on the sofa. Hotaru had her deep violet eyes fixed on the TV and her face had gone unnaturally pale; Setsuna and Megumi soon followed behind when they heard the urgency in Haruka's voice. The sandy blonde senshi turned the volume up and continued watching the news about the attack at the museum and showed some of the footage taken from the cameras showing the reporters being attacked by shadow-like creatures. Hotaru's eyes widened when she spotted a woman in black, floating in the back, "Asteria..."

"What?!" Setsuna blinked with shock, Hotaru turned to look at Setsuna with worry "It's her, Asteria,"

"Call Minako," Haruka said with urgency, "They need to see this and be informed, it is more likely they can contact the royal couple before us," she stood up, startling Michiru, "H-Haruka? Where are you—" The blonde turned to her partner and gave her a well-known look, one only she would understand, "You know exactly where I am going,"

Michiru sighed softly and nodded, without saying another word she walked behind her lover. Setsuna turned to Hotaru who was still trying to reach Minako over the phone and turned to Megumi, "It is better if you stay here Megumi-san, we will return shortly." Hotaru nodded and turned to Setsuna, "I will stay with her, you go,"

Megumi widened her eyes and turned to the TV with a mortified look in her face as she brought her hands up to her chest, *"Sit caelum, misereátur nostri, Principis placent mihi, diligenter."

Hotaru turned to the phone again and dialed the blonde's number one more time and waited anxiously for an answer, "Please Minako-chan—please answer the phone..." she said in a desperate tone.

O—o—O

A soft ringing sound brought Minako back from her sleepy state, she opened her cornflower-blue eyes and turned to see Usagi curled up at the other end of the sofa but as soon as the ring alerted them of the call, her crystal blue eyes snapped open and jumped back to sit on the sofa and started looking for her phone almost frantically, "Mamo-chan..." she said with a hurried tone in her strained voice.

Minako turned to the table and saw that it was her phone the one ringing and frowned when she did not recognize the number on the screen, "Hello?" her eyes widened, "Hotaru-chan—what—" the blonde turned to Usagi with an unreadable expression, "I'm at Usagi and Mamoru's apartment—yes, they are back—it's a long story. What's wrong? You sound agitated..." her eyes widened "What?! When?!"

Usagi frowned and waited for the blonde to finish talking over the phone, Minako frowned and nodded, "Yes—okay I will look into it—yes, I will stay with Usagi-chan, yes—please keep me posted, thank you for calling me—okay, we'll be in touch." she hung up the phone and stayed silent and with a disoriented look in her face. "Minako-chan?" Usagi moved closer to her and placed her hand on top of her friend's, "Minako-chan... you're scaring me... what happened?"

Minako turned to Usagi with worry, "Where is the remote?"

Usagi turned to the minimalistic table next to the sofa and handed her the sleek remote, "What's going on?"

Minako turned the TV on, she did not need to surf much through the channels to find what she was looking for since it was all over the news, both blondes widened their eyes with shock as they saw the alert and the news anchor talking about what happened at the press conference with alarm. It did not take long before the loud sound of the front door slamming open took taking the girls by surprise; Usagi was the most shocked when she saw Mamoru walking in a hurry looking for her, "Usagi..." but his attention was soon fixed to the news playing in front of him and froze in place behind her; Kunzite walked in seconds after and also stood shocked next to Mamoru when he saw the blonde archeologist talking directly at the camera, "Terra Protectorem, non novi te ex - tradere, et ostende nobis faciem tuam crystallus," an unnatural smirk crossed his slim face, "Si tibi non vis pati propinqui."

The general turned to the prince and shook his head, "How the hell does he know about it?" Mamoru narrowed his eyes and shook his head, "Somebody is talking through him, somebody that knows about it... it's the same request."

Minako and Usagi turned to see both men standing behind the sofa, "The same request? Minako asked confused, "Wait, you can understand what he said?" Kunzite nodded and looked down at Minako, "He is speaking Latin, our native tongue, and whatever it is possessing that man wants something that belongs to us."

"The Silver Crystal?" Minako frowned, Mamoru's brows knitted together, "No," his indigo eyes turned sapphire, "The Golden Crystal."

"W-What?!" Usagi gasped and turned to the television and felt a cold chill down her spine when she saw the man's creepy smile on his face, "B-But..."

"I need to alert the girls," Minako looked for her phone and turned to Kunzite, "The Shitennou are—"

"They have been informed," Kunzite's dry tone in his voice marked his authority in the situation and turned to Mamoru, "Endymion—"

"Whatever they discovered has caught their attention and I need to know what that is," Mamoru said in a very low and threatening tone, one very far from its usual warmth and closer to the one Serenity witnessed when he was in his role as Commander during the Silver Millennium. Her eyes started to tear up, knowing exactly what it meant, "Mamo-chan..." she called him softly but felt a sting in her heart when she didn't have a usual reassurance response from him, instead, he kept his intimidating gaze at the anchorwoman who continued giving more detail of the recent events:

"The victims of the sudden attack have been taken to the closest hospital for medical attention—fatalities have been reported on the scene but we still do not have a precise number. We have been reported the remaining survivors are in critical condition. Due to the similarity between this attack and the one from weeks ago, authorities are now treating the matter as a hate crime and are taking drastic measures to find the responsible of such atrocities that are putting hundreds of innocent citizens in danger. The events unfolded during a private press conference at the Metropolitan Museum of Natural History where Casanova Akira and her team of archaeologists finally uncovered the truth about their recent discovery that has been kept a secret for nearly two months—"

"I will head over and meet the others there," Kunzite frowned at the prince, "Endymion, this—"

"—Is a second warning," Mamoru muttered dryly and sighed heavily, "I can't feel them anymore, meaning they have returned to their damn hole," he turned to the general, "But this time they left clear what they are after and what will happen if we don't surrender to them,"

"But why are they gathering energy from people?" Minako frowned.

"They are feeding themselves with it, and also, it is the fastest way to get our attention—they know we are here," Kunzite frowned and shook his head confused, "But for some strange reason they do not seem to know who we are."

"This is typical behavior of someone who wants others to feel intimidated," Mamoru arched his brow with authority, "I need to know where this woman has been taken—the havoc is not allowing me to track her whereabouts, it's hard for me to concentrate."

"I will take care of it," Kunzite nodded his head, "I will inform you once I have located her," he looked down at Usagi and gave her a small smile; the reassuring gesture she was expecting from Mamoru came from Kunzite instead, "Princess..."

Usagi nodded, letting him know she was on the same page as him, "I know Kunzite... thank you," she turned to the television and took a deep nervous breath. Minako felt the tension in the air was hanging over them like a cold dense fog and decided to take matters into her own hands. As a soldier and daughter of the goddess of love, she could not allow the royal couple to grow apart, not when all they have done over the years was to fight and manage to stay together for love and not when things have started to take a more dangerous turn. Crisis or not, they belonged together and if she tried to break them apart in the past, they have proven to everyone they care too much for each other to follow the rules of those up in the heavens to give up now, as their friend, she wanted to give them a little push to sort things out, because if there was something that could prove real love existed, was the royal couple. "I may be able to find her location—I work for the news, remember? The station might know more about the reporters that were sent there to cover the event,"

Kunzite looked at her with a puzzled face but given Minako's wink, he understood what she was trying to do, "I will very much appreciate your help, Venus," he played along and turned to Mamoru, "We will find her," he patted his shoulder and turned to walk away. Mamoru's nod was followed by a long heavy sigh knowing exactly what his friend was trying to hint him. Usagi stood from the sofa and accompanied them to the door to see them off when Minako turned and gave her friend a hug, "We won't let them—I promise."

"Thank you, Minako-chan... for everything,"

Minako smiled softly, "Call me if you need anything, alright? Don't mind the hour."

Usagi nodded and turned to Kunzite who had a reassuring smile in his face and leaned closer to her ear, "It is going to be alright, Your Highness, do not worry," the general bowed his head in respect and walked away with Minako. Usagi closed the door right after and rested her head on it for a minute while thinking about the things she could say or do to get over this uncomfortable distance between them. Her mind was still clouded by the attack but mostly by her current situation with Mamoru. The uncomfortable silence made her turn her head and see he was still in his same place behind the sofa watching the news and felt a strange mixture of relief and nervousness hanging heavy in her chest as she slowly walked towards him.

Mamoru sighed heavily and hung his head low as he tried to process the vivid dream he had of him talking to whom he clearly remembered was the terran queen. His black hair fell over his eyes and hid the obvious tension in his handsome face but his blue eyes snapped open and felt a jolt inside his chest when he felt Usagi's soft hand gently resting over his, "Mamo-chan..." he heard her whispering his name, sounding more like a plead than a call. Mamoru shook his head and slowly moved his hand away from hers and walked back to the bedroom in silence leaving a startled Usagi in the living room accompanied only by the noise coming from the television.

Her heart felt like it was being crushed inside her chest by a force she could not even describe; this was the first time he rejected her, the first time he ever turned away from her making her wonder if she had lost him completely and forever. She let out a heavy breath and went to sit on the sofa with her knees up to her chest as she let another batch of fresh tears fall with no control.

A few minutes later she felt a pair of warm hands on her shoulders making her jolt with surprise and looked up at Mamoru sitting on the coffee table in front of her; his alluring blue eyes changed to a more cobalt shade as he looked into her now puffy crystal-blue ones, "Mamoru..." Usagi took hasty breaths between choked sobs, "I'm so sor—" Mamoru pressed his index finger to her lips and shook his head, "Don't," he sighed softly and leaned back, "It was my mistake too—I let it become a misunderstanding," he frowned, "I don't like to argue with you Usagi—I can't do it, I can't stand it," he dragged his finger softly over her swollen lips in a form of caress, "I am sorry for worrying you and hurting you."

Usagi shook her head and took another shaky breath, "No... I'm the one who's sorry—I crossed the line, I disrespected you and did not give you a chance to explain," she sniffled softly, "With all that has been happening I shouldn't have..."

Mamoru's lips curved slightly into a sad smile and shook his head, "Usa—don't."

Usagi looked at him wide-eyed when she heard that warm reassuring tone in his voice, the one that always made her feel better, the one meant only for her, "Mamo-chan..."

"Whatever is happening outside it doesn't have to do with this—with us, having a discussion." Mamoru looked at her with that same intense color in his eyes, "This isn't us—it has never been and that's why I got so upset," his hand reached for a strand of hair framing her face and curled his finger around it softly, "But then I was reminded that I once acted that same way..."

Usagi blinked confused, "When?" Mamoru tilted his head and let out a soft sigh, "When I knew Athamas was engaged to you,"

Usagi widened her eyes and let a tear roll down her flushed cheeks, "Mamo-chan..."

"Do you remember that winter ball?" Mamoru narrowed his navy-blue eyes, "I was about to do the stupidest thing because I let my own jealousy, anger, and deception take over me, I believed another kind of truth and I let it become a problem," he shook his head and chuckled softly but more than sounding warm and playful it showed deep regret and sadness, breaking Usagi's heart. It was Usagi's turn to lean towards him and put her hands on each side of his face, "I never knew... that you were jealous..." she said with wonder, "You never told me any of this—we never spoke about it."

Mamoru closed his eyes and shrugged his shoulders, "I preferred not to, our time was too limited to be wasted in such gloomy conversation but it killed me inside to even think he could see you and be close to you anytime he wanted while I was far away dealing with many things at the same time and only wanting to be with you." he opened his eyes but remained with his gaze down, "I guess what happened today is related to those moments and that is why I felt so impotent,"

Usagi moved her hands slowly down his neck and rested her forehead on his, "I wish you could tell me what's in your mind and your heart..." she bit her lower lip, "You have always been like this—so independent, so self-sufficient and trying to keep everything under control..." she shook her head, "But I know there is a storm inside you—I know you are worried and angry no matter how much you pretend to be alright, I know you have been struggling since that day. It doesn't matter how much you try to tell me it doesn't have to do with me but it does because I'm with you and I can't stand watching you go through this alone," she moved her face closer until her lips caressed his, "I just wish you could let me in. Please... let me be a part of it..."

"Usa..." Mamoru breathed and shut his eyes tight, Usagi pulled him closer to her and could not hold her tears, "Please let me be here for you... "

Mamoru felt like her hands on his neck was the only thing preventing him from crumbling apart; all the emotions he has been keeping to himself since he regained his memories and his past was starting to become too heavy for him to keep under control any longer. His eyes began burning with unshed tears and cursed under his breath for feeling this vulnerable; Usagi felt him shivering and slowly ran her arms around him in a secure embrace, allowing him to finally break the spell that was keeping his emotions locked and let everything that was torturing him inside finally flow free, "It doesn't matter how much I adore you—heavens know how much I love you... but I will always be a threat to you, I will always be harmful and an obstacle in your life."

Usagi widened her eyes and moved away from the sofa and slowly clung to him with her arms tightly wrapped around him, "How can you even think that?!" she shook her head, "How dare you say such thing?!"

"I am becoming somebody I have subconsciously been keeping hidden since the day I was reborn," Mamoru said dryly and took a deep breath, "I am slowly responding more to my life as Endymion than the one I built as Chiba Mamoru... I feel like am slowly drifting away from you, Tsukino Usagi, and it is tearing me apart because I can't give you what you want." Usagi pulled apart from him and broke into sobs, joining his, "No... no, that's not true!"

Mamoru opened his eyes and shook his head, "Everything that has been happening it's because of this dynasty that has condemned me since I was born, but the truth is that I can't be just Mamoru for much longer Usa... I have to go back and finish what I couldn't back then," he looked at her with sad eyes, "I know you have been afraid of it, I know you are against it—I know you don't want me to hold a sword again because you know what it means but I was born like this. I am a man trapped between two realities, one that wants nothing more than to live by your side as a normal human being and another that has to fight to keep you safe but at the same time drags too much danger that would put your life at risk."

"I don't care," Usagi finally understood the whole spectrum of the situation. She finally understood why Mamoru had been so silent about the matter and why he has been pretending to be alright, why he has shut down his emotions and decided to live in a deep state of denial. It all boiled down to the fact that he was trying to keep everything together as one simple mortal man just for her own sake, so she could live a normal life when in reality, there was so much more to them than just simply mortality. Usagi came to realize she had spent too much time believing a wrong idea of how they should live, but the facts were there no matter how much she tried to ignore it, they were not normal people despite trying to live like ones. They are always on a mission to protect, they are soldiers and they need to fight whenever there is threat and just like Minako said, she knew Mamoru better than anyone did and she loved him for who he is, warrior or man and it has always been this way since the very first moment she met him. It was his determination and his passion what captivated her, his fearless character and his devotion to her; he is her warrior prince and now she was a warrior princess thanks to him, but at this moment, she was letting her own silly insecurities and caprices take the best of them and their relationship, risking all the love they have nurtured for too many lifetimes. "I don't care, do you hear me?!" Usagi raised her voice with desperation, finally accepting her fate, "I don't care if heaven falls down or if hell breaks loose, I don't care if the planet freezes or if the Moon collides with the Sun—if you fulfill your fate as a Polemarchos... I don't care, I love you!"

"Usagi..."

"I am madly in love with you! I love you so much! I love you do you hear me!?" Usagi sobbed and clung to him again like if her life depended on it, "I was born a Senshi in this world because I wanted to be brave and fearless like you, because I wanted to fight for love and justice and because I didn't want to be a Princess in distress anymore—I will fight alongside you, I can face anything but as long as I do it with you. I don't care about any dynasties, I don't care what the gods think... I don't care what they would want to do to us, I don't care if they approve our marriage or not—we will do this together, I will be with you—because damn it, Endymion, I love you! I love you! I love you!"

Mamoru widened his eyes in shock when he saw Usagi's hair suddenly started gleaming like strands of stars, her crystal blue eyes never looked so determined and so full of emotion—so blue. She sobbed softly as she looked at him, "Can't you see that I react to you? Can't you see that I am responding to my life as Serenity too? Since the moment you got your memories back you woke a part of me that was still numb and hidden deep inside of me. It's like you brought back everything I held dear of our life together—I remember everything. I remember when I first gave you the pocket watch on your birthday, I remember the winter ball, the first time I saw fireflies flying around that lake, the first time I saw the ocean, when I witnessed rain falling from the sky and the first time I saw snow." she leaned closer to him and sniffed his cool, fresh cologne settled in his skin, "—Our first kiss... and the first time we made love," her lips caressed his neck and took a deep breath, "I don't regret anything and I do not think we are leaving what we have or who we are in this era, we are still two people madly in love with each other—in this or in another life, you said you would find me, Endymion, and that we would find our way to be together." her arms tightened around his neck again, "I was too stupid and crazy to even think you would be with another woman behind my back—it was stupid of me, I shouldn't have been so insecure and think she was closer to you than me, I shouldn't have let jealousy take over me, I shouldn't have attacked you the way I did... we've overcome so many things and had come such a long way to put our love in danger for stupid thoughts like the ones I had..."

Mamoru looked at her dumbfounded, "Usa..."

"I am very sorry Mamo-chan..." Usagi drew back and looked at him in the eyes shyly, "I was jealous, I was insecure—I don't know what came over me. I guess I now understand how Beryl felt that night at the ball... I now understand why she lost her sanity the way she did."

"Are you comparing yourself to Beryl?" Mamoru frowned slightly disgusted, Usagi nodded softly "I lost my mind just like she did and threw a pillow at you," the comment made Mamoru burst into genuine laughter, startling Usagi, "What? What did I say?"

"Your concept of losing your mind is too adorable—I wish she would have thrown a pillow at me too. That way we would still be..." he trailed off and widened his eyes in realization; Usagi smiled softly, "See? We are the same." her hand caressed his face, "Yes, it's true. I wish you didn't have to hold a sword again because like you said, I know what that would mean but in this life or another, you are still the same man that makes me feel secure, happy and in love. If you fight, I will fight alongside you, if you respond to your nature as Endymion I will respond to mine as Serenity because like Earth to Moon—we react to each other's energy and strength." she tilted her head and sighed softly, "Just let me be your support—lean on me the same way you ask me to lean on you."

"I just wish it didn't have to catch up with us this way," Mamoru said with slight bitterness, "That is why I am upset with her..."

Usagi blinked, "Her?"

"The Queen," Mamoru sighed and gave his wife a jaded look, "You were right—I am mad at Her Majesty," he scoffed and averted his gaze but frowned when he saw a random contest showing in place of the news that was on just a while ago, "What the hell is that?"

Usagi looked over his shoulder at the television and widened her eyes in bewilderment at a couple dressed as chickens being thrown at a pool of green slime "I don't know but... why are they dressed as chickens?"

"I have... no idea... just when you think you have seen everything..." Mamoru shook his head and sighed, "Anyways..." he turned to look for the remote and turned off the television to give Usagi his full attention again, "She kept all of this information hidden from me, I grew up confused as to why I could do things nobody else did, there was never an explanation—everyone knew and never told me. I asked the Queen too many times and she always avoided giving me a straight answer. Whenever I asked about her family she would always find the perfect excuse to evade my question and now that things have come to this extreme I have to find a proper way to deal with all of this she could have prevented way back by telling me the truth," he sighed heavily and shook his head as if trying to get rid of some of his frustration, "But what hurts me the most is that she didn't trust me."

Usagi caressed his jaw softly with her thumbs and looked into his deep blue eyes, "I see it the other way around, she loved you so much that she kept you away from a world she felt foreign. I know it because it was foreign to me too—the moment I landed on Earth, I knew I was where I really wanted to be, where I truly felt I belonged... I felt free,"

"She was from that world, Usa." Mamoru frowned with hurt, Usagi pursed her lips and nodded, "Yes, but you just said it—she was. She resigned to that world and built a new one with the man she loved and had you. A world I wished I had when I met you," her lips curved into a soft, endearing smile, "I can see her point of view because I grew up in that world and yes, while the Moon was a beautiful place to live it never could be compared to Earth. You all lived with so much passion and I always found that fascinating. You had rain, you had snow, you had winter and spring... the trees, the ocean, the breeze... and then, there was you, the perfect embodiment of all that wonder and magnetic beauty," she blushed, "You still are..."

Mamoru felt his cheeks becoming hot and shook his head shyly, "You're mad..."

"No, I love you—madly." Usagi smiled, her finger traced the line of his lips with a gentle touch, "It wasn't because she didn't trust you, my dear Endymion, it was because she trusted you that much she gifted you another perspective to see the wonders of life and that is what makes you be you." she leaned closer until her face was just inches away from his, "If it had not been for her... I would not have been able to see you at the ball."

"She knew you were coming..." Mamoru blinked with amazement and understood what Gaia was trying to tell him in his dream. All along, the queen knew they belonged together and just like she did with Eros, she wanted him to create his own world with Serenity, one where they could live their love without any limitations. Usagi closed her eyes and took a nervous breath, "Please don't leave again... I'm sorry, I'm so sorry..."

Mamoru wrapped his arms around his wife and pulled her into an embrace, "I'm sorry too," he breathed in her sweet scent and stayed in silence for a couple of minutes, both indulging in the peace that brought them being together. Usagi opened her eyes and felt like if her soul had returned to her body, "Mamo-chan?" she asked hazily, still savoring the protective warmth coming from the prince.

"Mmm?"

"What do you think happened to that couple?"

"You are curious too?"

Usagi nodded, both bursting into laughter seconds later, "It's driving me insane—I want to know if they won something." Mamoru looked for the remote and turned the television on again, "Ah look—they're still there, all covered in slime."

"Wow, look at them run!" Usagi said wide-eyed and jumped back to the sofa while pulling Mamoru's arm so he would sit next to her and cuddle together. His attention soon shifted from the strange couple dressed in chicken costumes to the woman in his arms and could not help feeling overwhelmed by having such wonderful person in his life. He was aware of his constant fails and flaws and they both were aware of the things they would have to give up but it was all worth it as long as they remained together. Usagi's words felt more like a truth than a dream; they orbited each other like the earth and moon, they nurtured and understood themselves better than anybody in not only this world but the universe. They had been best friends and lovers at the same time for so many years they have become their own support system. She was right about something: she was stronger, she was a soldier and was too far from being a damsel in distress, but even then, he knew the enemy was too strong for her to fight alone because this was no ordinary creature, this was a vicious entity and it needed to be annihilated rather than being forgiven.

Usagi felt like a million pounds lighter, she felt like her world was spinning in the right direction now that she had Mamoru back with her but she couldn't stop thinking about him slowly leaning towards his self as Endymion rather than just Mamoru and it made her think about how Setsuna was right all along when she said that it didn't matter how many years had passed or how many things have changed, their destiny would be on top of every little thing they did and every decision they made. She was born being Serenity and he was born being Endymion in a world where they needed to suppress all that in order to fit into society and this era. They grew up forcing themselves into a mold that would soon break the moment they took their roles as guardians just how it was fated to happen but she did not regret a single minute of it because they have found each other again in a world where they could live their love freely.

They both watched the t.v. show like children watching cartoons as the couple continued their competition on the strange show; Mamoru frowned and shook his head still very confused by what he was watching, "I still don't understand the chicken costume... why is it necessary?"

"I think they get bonus points if they manage to finish the whole circuit with the costume on," Usagi said with wonder, "It still amazes me how they can run that fast!"

"Nooooooooo!" They both yelled at the television once the couple missed a checkpoint, "What are you doing!? Go right you crazy chicken-man!" Usagi groaned and threw a pillow at the television once the marker showed the couple had lost the competition. Mamoru arched a brow and looked at her with surprise, "So, throwing pillows is a thing now?" Usagi blushed and let out a soft chuckle, "It emphasizes my frustration."

"Ah, I see." Mamoru chuckled and stood up when the show came to an end, a startled Usagi looked up and followed his every move with expectant eyes, "Mamo-chan? Where are you going?" Mamoru walked around the sofa and started to take his sweater and t-shirt off, "I need to take a shower—I feel like I need to wash this day off, it's been awful."

Usagi rubbed her eyes, "I know..." she sighed and looked out the window "It's also very late." she widened her eyes and blushed when she saw him shirtless and with his hand waiting for hers, "Come on,"

With a smile, the blonde took his hand and followed him to the bedroom, she went to pull the covers to get ready for bed while he left his phone and wallet on his nightstand and went to grab some clean clothes before going into the bathroom. Usagi sat on his side of the bed and sighed, she still felt guilty for the events that happened earlier that day and for the horrible things she said that had been mortifying Mamoru and that made him lose his balance. She turned to his nightstand and saw his wedding ring gleaming under the soft light coming from the lamp and grabbed it to take a close look at it; Usagi brought it up to her lips and thought of the promise they made to each other on their wedding day, "Don't be silly, Serenity..." she whispered and shook her head without realizing it had been a while and that she was no longer alone in the room.

"Usa?" Mamoru looked at her with a puzzled expression and noticed she had his ring in her hand, "What are you doing?"

Usagi shook her head and looked down at the ring in her hand with shame, "I was thinking how stupid I have been..." she looked up at him with teary eyes, "I promised to make you happy and at the first test of trust, I broke your heart."

"Hey..." Mamoru went to sit next to her on the bed and kissed the top of her head, "Couples argue from time to time,"

"But they don't break their hearts... and we didn't argue, we had a fight." Usagi mumbled with heavy sadness making Mamoru sigh, "Usa... that is why I left, I didn't want things to turn uglier but my own demons caught up with me and made this whole mess far worse than it already was. It was like I opened this box and everything I was trying to suppress blurted out without control—I hurt you too, and I am very sorry."

Usagi looked at him and combed his damp hair back, "I love you, just the way you are." Mamoru smiled softly and gave her a curious glare, "You sure about that?"

Usagi nodded, "I haven't been so sure about something in my life until I met you and fell in love with you." A faint blush tainted Mamoru's cheeks in response to his wife's sweet declaration of love; he cleared his throat and put his left hand on her lap and wiggled his ring finger. Usagi looked at him with wide eyes, "Do you really want to stay married to a crazy woman like me?"

"Only if you really want to stay married to a crazy man like me," Mamoru's gaze on her made Usagi blush and gave him a nod, "More than anything in this world,"

"Then you know what to do with that ring... you have to seal the deal, Princess."

Usagi chuckled and slid the sleek tungsten band on his finger and saw his fingers slowly intertwine with hers as he brought her hand up to his lips, "Without you, I'm nothing," he whispered, "I feel lost when I am not with you, it's pure torture."

Usagi couldn't take the tension of being apart from Mamoru anymore and leaned closer to lock her lips with his and let the soft kiss take control over them as it deepened and became more intimate. She softly caressed his face with her hands and reacted to the sexual magnetism that always drove them to the very edge of passionate madness; they tugged and pulled their clothes off as if they were the real culprit for their separation and gave in to him as he slowly lay her on the bed.

It had been long since Usagi felt shy about expressing her feelings to Mamoru; they were addicted to each other and they could barely every stay away for too long. As their relationship strengthened and matured over time, they no longer put obstacles to succumb to the deep desire that was to live their love intensely. Whenever they were together, they lost all reason, their bodies reacted with the same heat and passion but they always experienced new things that made them feel more connected and more in love. They knew each other too well and yet every caress and kiss felt like a new addicting experience; Usagi loved the warmth of Mamoru's body on hers, she loved the way he whispered he loved her in her ear, the kisses in her neck and shoulders, his hands gracing her thighs and his strong arms wrapped around her waist. She loved to make him lose his mind and she knew well how to do it just as much he knew how to make her lose hers. From time to time, Usagi would slightly open her eyes and look into his and let herself get drowned into them; her hands slowly roamed down his back and secure herself with her arms around his waist and pulled herself from the bed to make him lay on his back and she could take control over him. There was something different about the way they showed their love this time, the attraction, the energy flowing between them; the way they kissed and how they reacted to their bodies made the moment more intimate and special for both of them. Usagi threw her head back in pleasure as she felt him caressing every inch of her body and gave herself to him entirely and completely forgetting about everything that happened outside of their bedroom; enemy or no enemy, threat or no threat—it was their time, their own little-promised world. Mamoru tangled his hands deep in her long silky hair and felt like time had stopped and returned to when they made each and every minute count before she had to go back to the Moon and to a life where their love was forbidden—an abominable sin. The way they held on to each other was pure and intense, Usagi leaned down and nibbled his lower lip before going down to his neck as she combed her fingers through his hair making him moan with raw pleasure. Between soft panting and moans, they came to the point beyond reason and held each other tight, both feeling exhausted and in pure bliss while slowly returning to reality.

Usagi's cheeks were flushed and her eyes shined with nothing but love for the man next to her. She stretched her arm and started playing with his hair as she snuggled closer to him and let herself being drifted away into a deep sleep.

O—o—O

Hours later, the soft light of dawn filtered through the windows of the bedroom bringing Mamoru back to his senses. He slowly stretched his arm and opened one eye when he didn't feel Usagi next to him on the bed and slowly jerked his head up to look for her; his royal-blue eyes widened when he found her standing by the panoramic windows looking at the city outside and parted his lips in complete awe.

There she was, covering her nude body with the dark grey sheet of their bed emphasizing her pale skin and now floor length silvery hair catching the first rays of dawn creating an aura around her and making her glow like the moon goddess she was. She slowly turned to look at him over her shoulder and smiled softly, already aware of the new changes in her body. Mamoru was completely mesmerized by his wife and felt his heart jolt in his chest and quickly went to her and took her into his arms, "Mea Serenitati," he leaned down and kissed her bare shoulder, sending chills all over her body. Usagi sighed with content and turned to look at him; she put her hands on his broad shoulders for support and stood on her tiptoes to gain some height and kiss him softly on the lips, waking their desire of being together once again; it was not long before her body started to react to his touch again as they both slowly deepened the kiss. After a minute or so, she pulled back to gasp for air and looked into his stormy blue eyes, "I am yours, Endymion, forever yours." As a response to her words, Mamoru picked her up in his arms and carried back to the bed to succumb to desire and give themselves to love one more time.

As she looked into her husband's alluring eyes, being Serenity no longer felt foreign to her, she no longer rejected or cursed her divine nature finally understanding what Mamoru meant when he said he was slowly leaning more towards his life as Endymion. It didn't feel like she was stopping being one to become another, it felt like a whole as she let the memories they shared together return the inspiration and the fuel that lighted her spirit to be the woman she was now; she felt secure, happy and complete. The moon princess let go and once again surrendered to her husband's loving caresses without feeling the pressure and fear of having to part ways before the sun reached its peak in the sky.

O—o—O

The sun finally came up and its strong rays were now filtering through the curtains with more intensity, almost as if it was demanding for the couple's attention. Usagi opened her eyes with a frown and saw Mamoru was still sound asleep and stirred lazily in bed. To her surprise, his arm tightened around her waist making her turn to look at him and smiled as she leaned closer to give him a peck on his nose, "Hi..."

Mamoru hummed softly and opened one eye, "Hi..." his husky voice from sleeping was like music to her ears; he frowned still a little hazed from his sleepiness, "What time is it?"

"I don't know..." Usagi blew her long fringe away from her face, "But we completely forgot to close the blackout curtains and now it's all bright and sunny..." she turned her back to the large windows and snuggled under the covers, "I am not getting up to fix that, you do it." Mamoru clicked his tongue with annoyance and threw a pillow at the window, startling Usagi, "What are you doing?"

"I'm... expressing my frustration," mumbled groggily and lay his arm over his face to cover his eyes, "I don't want to get up either but the light is too overwhelming—turn it off!"

"What?! You?! Complaining about the light?!" Usagi widened her eyes now taking Mamoru by surprise, he moved his arm away from his face and frowned, "What?"

Usagi started laughing, "You, Mr. Sunshine—we-get-up-very-early-every-day-to-go-out-for-a-run-or-do-yoga-before-I-drink-awful-coffee—you, Prince of Earth?!" she frowned and shook her head, "My, my, what happened to you?" the now silver-haired beauty placed a hand on his forehead to check his temperature, "Are you feeling sick or is that crystal playing with your head too?"

"No..." Mamoru scoffed at her comment, "I'm just sleepy..."

"Well that's a first—you never sleep," Usagi mumbled and hid under the covers again like a bunny in its hideout. Mamoru arched his brow and chuckled, "What do you mean I never sleep? Of course, I do. I just don't stay in bed until late hours in the afternoon, unlike a certain Moon Princess." Usagi popped her head out of the covers, honoring her nickname of luna bunny and frowned, "If I look at my phone and check the hour and is past noon—"

"What?" Mamoru smirked with playfulness and turned on his side to be face to face with her, "What are you going to do?"

Usagi blushed, "I'm going to throw a pillow at you... again," she turned but before she could get her hands on her phone a ring caught their attention. Usagi turned to look at him and quirked a brow, "That's yours,"

Mamoru groaned as he turned to the other side to check his phone and stayed silent as he scrolled through his messages. Usagi didn't need to ask who the incoming messages were from, his silence and expression made it clear, but this time she decided to take a different approach to the situation than the day before, "She's been looking for you," she slowly sat on the bed and combed her long silver hair back with her hand, "She called yesterday," the comment was enough for Mamoru to turn to his wife with an annoyed frown, "She called?!"

"Yes,"

"Here?"

"Yes,"

Mamoru sighed and rubbed the bridge of his nose, "And what did she say?"

"That she had been trying to locate you but your phone was turned off—she was also very surprised that this number still worked, like if she had been here before..." Usagi took a deep breath and armed herself with the courage to finally talk about the matter following Minako's advice, "Who is she Mamo-chan?"

Mamoru took a deep breath and exhaled as he pulled himself up and sat on the bed; he turned to look at her and combed his fingers through her long silvery hair and pursed his lips with shame, "I guess there is no point in keeping it a secret any longer..." his fingers slowly traced the delicate line of her lips, "Remember your random question about my past girlfriends?"

Usagi froze in front of him as she held the soft sheet close to her body and nodded in response, Mamoru took a deep breath and continued, "Shimuta Chieko is her name."

"Shimuta?" Usagi frowned, recognizing the name she saw on his phone but not the name from the woman she spoke with over the phone the day before. Mamoru nodded, "She is my legal advisor's daughter. Due to the closeness he had with my parents—she and I became friends. When my parents passed away and I was sent to the orphanage her father stayed in touch with me and so did she. Years went by and we met again when we were fifteen years old and became close again, we started off as good friends and eventually, that friendship turned into something more soon after,"

Usagi looked at him with surprise, very much amazed her intuition had been right and also because her husband was finally opening up and talking about it, "And... w-what happened?"

"What I told you it happened—we were too young to be in a relationship and the charm that brought us together vanished quickly after. I had too many things on my mind, I was fifteen—I had just started high school and was doing exam after exam, and Chieko... well, she was the kind of girl that had everything just by snapping her fingers. There was nothing Ikio—her father, wouldn't give her and well, her personality showed it. I know how awful it sounds and I know it's terrible, but, we didn't care for each other—not like couples should, so that 'commitment' came to an end."

Usagi puckered her lips in thought, "Shimuta you say?"

"Yes," Mamoru nodded and started combing her long silvery hair again, he couldn't get enough of how silky it felt and how shiny it was, like a cascade made of stardust. Usagi shook her head, still very into the conversation, "Wait, that wasn't her,"

"What?"

"That was not the woman that called yesterday,"

Mamoru frowned, "No? Who was it then?"

"Hisakawa Chieko," Usagi said softly, "That's not the girl—" she trailed off and blushed when she remembered her psycho phase, "—From your phone..."

Mamoru smiled and moved closer to kiss her wife's bare shoulder, "Usa... Hisakawa is her husband's surname. Shimuta is her maiden's name." Usagi widened her eyes and let out an exasperated sigh, "Oh... well, that makes me feel a lot worse, thank you."

Mamoru chuckled and caressed her cheek with the back of his hand, "Why?" Usagi blew her long bangs to release her frustration and combed them to the side, "Well, because I was jealous of a married woman." Mamoru pulled her into his arms and kissed her temple, "Even if she wasn't married I would never have eyes for another woman that it isn't you." Usagi blushed and snuggled into his arms, "That's why she calls you with such familiarity,"

"Yes,"

Usagi frowned, "And... how come she was calling you on our honeymoon? You didn't tell her you got married?"

"She knew I was getting married but we're no longer close, Usa, she didn't know when or that I was going to be on my honeymoon. It was my mistake not telling her I was going to be away but I honestly never thought she would contact me so soon or to call here, it never crossed my mind that she had the number," Mamoru sighed, "But I want to clarify, I didn't decide to walk down memory lane with her just because, there are reasons that oblige us to talk frequently,"

Usagi looked up at him with curiosity in her icy blue eyes as she tried to search for an answer in his dark, sapphire ones and shook her head, "And why is that?"

Mamoru leaned down to caress her lips with his and smiled softly, "To answer that question, Princess, I think it would be better if I showed you instead of just telling you," Usagi blinked with surprise "Why? What is it?"

Mamoru tucked a long strand of hair behind her ear, "You'll see, soon enough." Usagi smiled and then pouted her lips, "Okay, but, I can't go out like this."

"Well, no, only I can see you like this," Mamoru flashed Usagi a sensual smile, making her blush "No, not that—I mean, yes, but no..."

"What?" Mamoru frowned confused when he saw Usagi pointing her long silver hair, "What about it?"

"What about it?! It's crazy long!" Usagi grabbed a handful of silver hair, "It happened too when the Silver Crystal reacted the first time but this time, it not only grew but it also turned silver," she leaned closer to Mamoru and kissed him softly, "You held another part of my life as Serenity that reacted to the Golden Crystal the minute you stopped suppressing your powers. I can feel it... a warm energy flowing inside me and how being Serenity is not alien to me anymore. I feel that part of me alive and I feel stronger when I'm with you..."

"Me too," Mamoru looked at her in a daze as he intertwined his fingers in her long silver hair, "I have always loved the way you look with your hair down..."

Usagi blushed, pouting her lips she traced the line of his jaw playfully, "Do we really have to go out?" she moved closer and nibbled Mamoru's lower lip softly with her teeth, making him groan a little with pleasure and leaned her arms over his shoulders, "Can't we stay here away from everything and everyone? Just us, in our own little world... like we always wanted..."

Mamoru loved this side of Usagi, he loved the sensual way she teased him to get whatever she wanted; he could not stop looking at her, she was too sweet and too beautiful. Unaware of the reason behind Mamoru's silence, Usagi blinked with shame, "Am I being a bad person for thinking this way?"

Mamoru's eyes turned darker as he leaned closer to respond to her sensual kiss, "No, you're not. We can do whatever you want pulchra Serenitati, mea Luna Bunny," he whispered in her ear, making her smile. She closed her eyes and curled her fingers tight in his midnight hair, "Pulchra..." she mumbled softly as she remembered the meaning of the word. Mamoru brushed his lips on her neck and pulled her closer to him with one arm secure around her waist and his other hand caressing her lower back. He closed his eyes and took a deep breath, **"Seorsum fieri non potest ut ad me de te, accipe spiritum meum et singula illa. Vos meum tatis in manibus tuis, in toto corde meo pectus mi deam Luna pulchra—quidem ego cum ex eo filius tenebris lux tua, satis est ut mecum viveret... amare et sapere vix deo conceditur,"

Usagi pulled her head back to look at him and gave her husband a sensual smile, "You remember... how to talk like that." Mamoru returned the same playful, sensual smile and winked an eye at her, "The charm is back,"

"Oh, my... that's dangerous." Usagi bit her lower lip causing Mamoru to laugh softly "Just the sole fact of you being married to me is dangerous enough, my dear,"

Usagi giggled and combed his hair back and slowly moved to sit on his lap and pinched his nose carefully, "Says those who have never made up their minds about something..." she shrugged her shoulders carelessly and rolled her eyes, "Gods."

"Gods..." Mamoru mumbled and leaned back, "They're the crazy ones."

"Yeah, what the hell do they know?!" Usagi flicked a chunk of midnight hair covering his right eye and smiled, "I would do it again, you know? If we went back in time—I would escape again to Earth to meet you and fall in love with you..."

"Me too, Serenitati," Mamoru cupped her cheek with his hand lovingly, "But now I am curious to know, is there anything you would try and do differently if given the chance?"

"I would try to learn your native tongue, that's for sure," Usagi crossed her arms and looked at him like a girl planning her next mischief, "I would visit your mother more often to have some more of that special rose tea she liked so much... hmm, and maybe I would ask you ...I don't know... to train me or something..."

"Ah," Mamoru smiled, "I see where this is going..."

"What?" Usagi looked at him pretending to be surprised. Mamoru chuckled and shook his head, "I'm sorry Usa... I am not going to train you."

Usagi pouted her lips and frowned, "Oh, come on! Why not!?"

"I can't,"

"But you're the best to train me! You are like, the most qualified warrior to train me!"

"Seriously?" Mamoru frowned, slightly annoyed.

"Yes!" Usagi pounded his chest softly with her palms, "I want to learn!"

"We talked about this before—many times," he sighed and rubbed the bridge of his nose, "Usa... your way of fighting is far better than what I was taught and how I was taught." Mamoru's voice turned low, "I don't want your hands to be tainted with blood, I don't want you to carry with that remorse and I do not want you to tie your fate to its consequences," he blew his bangs annoyingly, "And besides—I don't even know if I am able to perform the same way I used to."

"Why?" Usagi blushed and bit her lower lip, "Of course you can—you have been doing it marvelously up until now... you know..."

Mamoru jerked his head back and let out a husky, warm laugh making Usagi giggle What?"

"You are unbelievable!" Mamoru said between laughs, Usagi nudged his chest with her chin playfully "Come on! You said I wasn't crazy when I told you I wanted to learn, why are you going all Athamas-mode now?" his laughter died right after the mention of the andromedian's name and looked at her with a frown, "Excuse me?"

Usagi blinked, "Well, aren't you?"

"No." Mamoru shook his head, still with a frown on his face. He looked like a child being scolded for something he didn't really do, Usagi tapped her finger on his shoulder accusingly "Yes, you are," she pouted her lips.

"You, comparing me to him... baffles me." Mamoru muttered bitterly, making Usagi laugh softly, "I am not comparing you to him I am just saying—"

"Serenity," Mamoru pulled himself back to a sitting position on the bed and combed his hair with his fingers as if trying to sweep his frustration with the gesture, "Back then, you weren't allowed to be involved in anything that came close in the slightest to a warrior's discipline—it's different now, you are a Sailor Senshi and a marvelous one I must add. You don't need to hold a sword to fight against evil... you are light, you fight for peace—don't be a bearer of chaos, don't be like me."

Usagi followed her husband and sat in front of him, not really caring for the sheet covering her body anymore, her silver hair was so long and abundant enough that did the job for itself. Her face was one of disbelief as she looked at Mamoru, her lips parted in shock "I-Is that what you think of yourself?" she asked, softly "Is that...?"

Mamoru shook his head, his hand softly cupped her cheek once again, "No, I don't call myself that but that is what Polemarchos really are and that is exactly how I was trained." A soft sigh escaped from him, more like regret than a liberating puff of air, "I was taught to make my way through chaos and cause damage no matter the consequences. If a task is given, it must be achieved by any means necessary. That is the raw truth of it, there is no sweet way to put it. A Polemarchos annihilates whatever is blocking his way to victory and I don't want that for you because it is not who you are."

"Your mother..." Usagi nibbled her lower lip with her teeth softly, "She was one... if she could fight like one I can do it too. She was kind and fair... she fought for peace and justice too,"

Mamoru sighed again, "Gaia has two sides, Serenity. The loving and elegant Queen you knew and the merciless warrior she was trained to be and I inherited that side of her. I inherited all that's wrong with divinity—I'm related to Chaos himself Usa, that fact itself disgusts me." he averted his ever-changing blue gaze from her, "I..." he shook his head and closed his eyes for a moment, "Sometimes I tell myself that this is all a bad dream that I will wake up and realize this never happened. I try to convince myself that Gaia wasn't like that but the truth is that she once held the same sword she later inherited to me. She, just like me, tainted her hands with as much blood as needed to accomplish a goal and paid a high price for it despite later becoming that righteous Queen you so much admire."

"The way you talk about your mother really surprises me..." Usagi pulled back and wrapped her arms around her, "It frightens me..." she frowned and shook her head, "Because I know you love her deep down all that anger and deception,"

"Yes Usa, I love her. She is my mother, the woman who gave me life and the one who looked after me on every step of the way, but you asked why you couldn't follow her steps or mine—this is why."

"Who gives the orders?" Usagi tilted her head with curiosity, "Who orders you something when you are your own Commander?" Mamoru chuckled, "I am not my own Commander."

"Well, you earned the medals, the position, and the title,"

"The King did—in this case, my father."

Usagi looked at Mamoru with disbelief, "Did he ever ordered you to..." Mamoru arched his brow, "Do you really want to know and destroy the good that's left of your thoughts on my family?" Usagi widened her eyes with shock, "He did?"

"If the Kingdom was in potential danger—that danger needed to be annihilated by any means necessary. In other words, yes, he did more than once," Mamoru said softly, "You are a soldier now, I can tell you things as they are,"

"I—" Usagi felt a hole in her chest, thinking how he never mentioned anything like this before. He has never been this blunt about that side of him and it was all new for her, but she was loving it because she felt closer to him and like she was his equal and not two different species, "So... if the King gave you the orders back then, who gives them now?"

Mamoru widened his eyes, raising both brows in wonder "Good question—well, I suppose it would have to be a higher ranked being—Ares, maybe."

"Ares... "Usagi said in awe and shook her head, "No—"

"What?"

"If I remember correctly... Mother asked you to be the Commander of the Lunar Army and you agreed," Usagi wiggled her brows with triumph, "So that means I'm your superior now." Mamoru smiled, "My dearest Serenity, you have been my superior since the moment I laid eyes on you," Usagi blushed, "Ah, see? This means, I am in charge now and I am ordering you to never, ever think of yourself as a bearer of chaos. You won't get a command to kill somebody from me, we will fight together and do things differently." Her eyes widened when Mamoru moved towards her and pulled her into a tight, warm embrace, "God, I love you," he whispered in her ear, "I love you madly..."

Usagi wrapped her arms around his waist and closed her eyes with a smile on her lips, "Te amo," she said softly, surprising Mamoru, "Ah, look at you, you sound like a true Terran."

Usagi giggled, "I have the best Terran teacher ever." she leaned closer to kiss him when a loud growl startled both of them, Mamoru widened his eyes and blinked with surprise, "What kind of monster was that?" Usagi blushed crimson red, "Umm... the one that screams for food?"

"Why didn't you tell me you were hungry?!" Mamoru pulled back and rolled on his side of the bed to look for his clothes, "If I don't feed you, that thing will come out of you and eat us both." Usagi bit her lip and went to look for her clothes and started to get dressed as well, "I haven't eaten anything since yesterday what did you expect?" Mamoru put his comfy sweats and favorite grey hoodie and turned to her both perplexed and upset "What?!"

"I wasn't hungry... I was sad, and my spicy noodles got all soggy," Usagi said while hustling her long hair as she tried to put on her pale pink sweatshirt and got stuck, "Ugh... a little help here?" Mamoru walked to her and helped her with her crazy long hair and let out a soft chuckle, startling her "What?" Usagi's voice was muffled by her hair.

"Nothing, nothing..." Mamoru tried his best not to laugh, "Come on, let's go eat something."

"You are cooking, right?" Usagi arched her brow, once she popped her head out of her sweatshirt, Mamoru nodded "Yes, I'll cook,"

"Because this hair could be a hazard." Usagi grabbed a handful and combed it back as she walked out of the bedroom but it wasn't long before she tripped on it and making her fall flat on her stomach, "Usa!" Mamoru ran over to help her stand up, "Are you okay? Did you get hurt?"

Usagi blew her long bangs and looked at him, "I lost practice." Mamoru smiled and pulled her back to her feet, "Just a tad."

"How did I manage to do my night escapades and walked all regal with hair this long? I will never know." Usagi shrugged her shoulders and continued her way to the kitchen. "Well, I don't remember you had it down for too long..." Mamoru said as he opened the refrigerator and looked at what was inside for a minute, thinking of their options. Usagi sighed as she sat on the counter and looked at him with a smile on her face, "I am loving this..."

"What?" Mamoru turned to look at her over his shoulder, Usagi kicked her legs back and forth happily, "This... us talking about these things... it's like having the best of both worlds." she giggled, "We're the same dorky royal couple but with a modern life," her eyes widened as she clapped her hands excitedly, "Ooh! And with pancakes!" Mamoru closed the refrigerator's door and looked at the clock in the living room "It's past noon..."

"So?" Usagi frowned as she chews a strand of hair playfully, "It's never too late to eat pancakes," she looked at the items in his hands, "What were you planning to cook with that anyway?"

"Well, I was planning on doing some kind of miracle with whatever I could find in the fridge, not that we have a lot of options, our fridge is not stocked," he turned and grabbed the soggy pack in the sink with a frown, "And whatever you left to defrost in the sink is un-eatable now,"

"I was planning on cooking dinner last night..."

"What is this?" Mamoru's brows knitted together as he tried to read the label in the package, "I don't remember buying this..."

"I did," Usagi pursed her lips, "I went to the market the other day and they were selling those... they're soy patties, but they have gone bad, right?"

"Yeah," Mamoru made a grimace as he put the soggy bag back in the sink and pursed his lips with disgust. Usagi smiled with triumph, "Okay! Pancakes it is." Mamoru sighed and turned to look at her, "We don't have what we need to make pancakes, Luna Bunny."

"What?!" Usagi looked at her husband as if the world was about to end, "What do you mean we don't have what we need to make pancakes?!"

"Exactly that," Mamoru shrugged his shoulders, "We don't have what we need to make pancakes."

"But—but we always need to be stocked to make pancake batter! Endymion, we always need to have the ingredients to make the perfect stack of pancakes!"

"Dear Serenity, we were not supposed to be here just yet, remember?" Mamoru said softly and leaned on the counter, his face now inches away from hers, "I guess I will have to go to the store now,"

"Isn't anything else we can eat for now?" Usagi blinked curiously, Mamoru pursed his lips in thought and turned to open the pantry, "Um..."

"Really? We don't have anything to eat?" Usagi narrowed her blue eyes, "This is where you live... right?" she frowned, Mamoru looked up at her "Wait here, I'll go to the store,"

"No!" Usagi pulled his arm to stop him, "You said we would stay here away from everybody—you forgot about our little world treaty already?" she pouted her lips making Mamoru chuckle, "No my love I haven't, but there's nothing good we can make out of a can of tomato paste and a potato."

"Wow, we're the worst newlywed couple ever..." Usagi chuckled, "Really, we only have one potato?"

"Yep," Mamoru showed it to her and put it on the counter, "And it's just five minutes away from morphing into something else..."

"Wow—we would make a great reality show, the life of cosmic monarchs; on today's episode: they don't have a thing to eat—I'm going to pitch the idea to Minako-chan,"

Mamoru laughed, "I don't think people will want to see that Usako—we would just feed the already stigmatized image of royalty and give the idea that we are spoiled brats that don't even know how to boil an egg." Usagi pursed her lips while scratching her head, "Well, I don't know how to boil an egg,"

"What?!" Mamoru looked at her surprised, "Seriously?"

"Hey! You have to admit it's hard to tell when they're done!" Usagi popped her arms up in frustration, "Just when you think they're ready... the yolk comes out all gooey, I don't like that,"

"Huh, no wonder why we are out of eggs as well," Mamoru muttered and let out a sigh of defeat, "Fine, you win. I'll order some take out."

"Yay!" Usagi jumped down from the counter and went to open the drawer with their wide collection of take-out menus she proudly harvested over the years of spending nights alone while he was either studying abroad or dealing with crazy schedules at the hospital when he started his residency. Her eyes gleamed like a girl in a toy store as she considered her options, "Can it be anything?" she asked out loud, knowing her husband was no longer joining her in the kitchen but she could hear him wandering somewhere in the apartment, "I'm quite concerned in your emphasis with the word anything but—sure."

"They're so many things we could eat..." Usagi said out loud again, "And I am starving!" she grabbed a handful of menus and walked back to the living room, "Okay... I have a plan," Mamoru turned and arched his brow, "A plan on leaving every food place out of business?" Usagi blinked, "No! But it's a good one though."

"When you said anything I thought you were talking about anything in a type of food not variety and quantities." he pointed at the bunch of menus in his wife's hands. Usagi arranged the pieces of paper like a deck of cards in her hand and flipped them like a fan while giving her husband an incredulous glare, "Oh please, like you couldn't afford it,"

Mamoru sweatdropped, "It's not because I can't afford it—it's because I would have to go to an ATM. I don't think I have enough cash in my wallet to pay for all that." Mamoru tapped her forehead playfully with his finger, "O mea bella Luna Bunny, sursum vestri step opus ad ludum opportuna,"

Usagi arched her brow, "I didn't understand a single thing you just said—see, now you're cheating, you know I can't resist when you talk to me like that, you and your stupid and beautiful sensual voice,"

The comment broke Mamoru into laughter, "My beautiful Luna Bunny, you need to step up your strategic game," he leaned closer and pinched her nose softly making Usagi widen her eyes with curiosity, "What do you mean?"

"You didn't think your plan through—" Mamoru sighed softly, "I still have to go out,"

"You haven't even listened to my plan yet! Good grief, Leo, calm down," Usagi frowned and waved the fan of menus in front of his face; Mamoru chuckled "Oh... I'm sorry, my bad," he crossed his arms, "Please, continue with this marvelous plan of yours,"

"If we order a wide variety, we will have food for days without getting tired of eating the same thing every day," Usagi said with a big smile on her face, her excited tone made her look even more adorable, "That way we can continue with our initial plan,"

"Oh, so it's a plan inside a plan?" Mamoru arched his brow, Usagi nodded excitedly "Exactly! We can stay here and we will have food already made for the next couple of days, I'm so clever—I know, you can thank me later."

"Ok, so..." Mamoru frowned, "I would still need to go out."

Usagi huffed, "I am going to chip in too, I must have some cash laying around in my purse, wait here," she turned and began walking back to the bedroom to get her purse when a loud thud followed by a curse word made Mamoru chuckle softly while he dialed the number from one of the take-out places Usagi suggested, "Stepped on your hair again?"

"Yeah... I'm telling you—I don't know how the hell I did it."

---

*May the heavens have mercy on us—please my Prince, be careful.

**"It is impossible for me to be apart from you, you take my breath away every day. You keep my sanity in your hands, my heart in your chest, my beautiful moon goddess—even when I am a descendant of darkness your light is enough to keep me alive... even a god finds it hard to love and be wise at the same time."

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