Divinity: Fates and the Afterlife

Chapter Forty-Two

"Do you think they made up?"

Kunzite opened his grey eyes and turned to look at Minako lying next to him on her bed, her blue eyes were so full of curiosity and concern for the royal couple. After they left them alone to deal with their marital problem they went to the station to gather whatever information they could find about the incident and the archaeologists' location and headed back to Minako's apartment where they spent their night talking—among other things. There was no question that both were worried about what was happening and there was no doubt that both were trying their best to remain as calm as possible but things were starting to get out of control.

"Most likely," he said, still groggy from sleeping. Minako pursed her lips as she leaned her head on his shoulder, "I hope so..." she said with worry in her voice. Kunzite rolled on to his side and put both arms under his head for support, "I would not be so worried."

"Why not?" Minako said with slight surprise; Kunzite took a deep breath and closed his eyes again "Because they have not called,"

"What if they're still fighting?"

Kunzite opened one eye and let out a raspy chuckle, "My, I am surprised Venus... why are you so worried?" Minako frowned with concern, "Why aren't you?"

"Because it is practically impossible to break them apart. Their fate is glued together—" Kunzite sighed softly, "You know this well since you tried it one too many times in the past."

"Yes, rub that in my face... like you didn't do such thing either," Minako frowned and rolled to lay on her back and looked up at the ceiling, "I don't think I've ever seen Mamoru being mad at Usagi-chan before..."

"He is not mad at her," Kunzite muttered, "He is mad at the situation and he is mad at himself,"

"Did you talk to him after I left?" Minako turned her head to look at her white-haired lover. Kunzite nodded and followed Minako and laid on his back with both arms behind his head, "I did, yes. It was just like you said, the Princess thought Endymion was being unfaithful because of a series of messages she found on his mobile device."

"And... was he?" Minako looked at Kunzite with expectation and curiosity, "No, he was not." Kunzite shook his head and let out a soft sigh, "I will spare you the details, so, long story short, Endymion has been trying to purchase a property that had Princess Serenity interested for a long time... the woman she thinks is his mistress is actually the realtor who has he has known for a long time,"

"Oh..." Minako widened her eyes and pounded her mattress with her fist, "I knew it! I knew he was going to do something like that!"

"I am surprised that after all this time, you still have doubts about how the Prince feels towards your Princess."

"Hey, I knew!" Minako frowned at Kunzite, "It's very hard for me to believe he would such a thing to Usagi-chan,"

Kunzite nodded, "He loves her deeply, but he is also very troubled and that is making him lose his focus,"

"Because of what's happening..." Minako let out a soft sigh, "You haven't let him know we found the archaeologist's location, right?" Kunzite shook his head, "No, I want to give him time..."

"Time?" Minako frowned, puzzled. Kunzite nodded, "They did not have a proper honeymoon—there was an important turn of events that made them return earlier than expected and soon after another attack happened. It is like we are back in time again and we find ourselves about to fight another faceless enemy." he sighed tiredly, "I know Endymion too well to say with certainty that he will take matters into his own hands the moment I inform him of this woman's whereabouts," his face stiffened, "And to be honest, I am worried, because I know you all have been trying to ignore your true selves and live like normal human beings in this era but I am afraid it is no longer possible. Endymion is conscious about it and he slowly is accepting it, but your Princess is not... that is what is troubling him. He wants to give her the life she wants and deserves but in order to do that, he has to take a role she has yet not seen him but knows it exists."

"She is aware of that," Minako slowly leaned her head on his shoulder again and sighed softly, "She may not show it but she is slowly responding to her divine descendance too, the moment the Golden Crystal started reacting on Mamoru something in her has started to wake as well but she is afraid of losing him... and that is something I understand perfectly."

Kunzite looked at her tear-glossed blue eyes and cupped her cheek, Minako took a deep breath and let it go, along with her emotions, "The anguish, the anxiety curling up in your chest like a poisonous snake..." she closed her eyes as she continued, letting her tears finally run free, "I am afraid of losing you too... again."

This was enough for him to move quickly and put his arms around her and pulling her closer to him. Kunzite closed his eyes and shook his head, "No Venus... you will not lose me, not this time, I will not allow it."

"Please tell me we will fight together... please tell me we will do this together," Minako sobbed softly, her fingers curled around the thin fabric of his undershirt. Kunzite nodded and kissed her temple, "Yes, we will fight together Venus... for the future, for our people, for our Prince and Princess... and for us." his arms tightened around her, turning his words into a promise, "And we will succeed... things will not have the same ending," he leaned his head on her shoulder and took a deep breath, "They won't."

O—o—o—o—O

In between boxes of take-out food, Usagi sat on the carpet as she ate her sweet and sour chicken and kept her eyes glued to the television at a new couple, now in dinosaur costumes, running down a maze against the clock for a considerable amount of money on the television.

"Ruuuuuuuuuuuun! Ruuuuuuuuuuuuun you crazy blue dinosaur!" she yelled at the television passionately, she was too excited, almost as if her life depended on the couple running before her eyes. Mamoru joined her on the soft carpet minutes after holding a small bowl with a stir-fry combination of noodles and vegetables, "What did I miss?!" he looked up and frowned, "What? No goo this time?" his eyes widened when the couple on t.v. fell into a pool of green slimy substance making him smile with unexpected joy. "Ah, there it is!"

Usagi clicked her tongue and pointed the screen with her chopsticks, clearly stressed out by the couple's performance, "See, they are not coordinated! They need to think about their strategy!" Mamoru chuckled as he picked his noodles with his chopsticks, "Oh, there are strategies in this show?"

"The chicken couple did so much better,"

"They did, they did so much better..."

"Okay," Usagi blew her bangs and took another bite of her food, "They need to answer correctly the next couple of questions if they want to go into the magic capsule."

"But if they want to get into the magic capsule they first have to cross the rainbow circuit, catch the porcupine—then go inside the tunnel of wisdom, fly to the prize asteroid and get the blooming bonus..." Mamoru stopped eating and blinked with amazement, "What the hell did I just say?"

"I know!" Usagi turned laughing at him, "This show is so addicting! I don't know how come we never watched it before!"

"It literally makes no sense," Mamoru shrugged his shoulders and started laughing, "But I must admit it is a guilty pleasure to watch this thing, it's so bad it's good, you know what I mean?"

Usagi turned with a beaming smile and nodded, "Yes," she turned to the television again, "We could totally win that contest..."

"Excuse me?" Mamoru chuckled incredulously, Usagi turned to look at him with that same beaming smile and nodded with excitement, "Think about it, we would totally win that competition! We would win the grand prize and we would have our crowns and trophies."

"You're joking, right?" Mamoru arched his brow, Usagi shook her head "No! We would be so in sync! You would do the strategies and I would run with super speed to get the prizes and money... we're perfect for this." Mamoru laughed, "And what costume would you choose? It has to be coordinated... apparently,"

"We would be a kick-ass pair of piglets," Usagi grinned at her husband, "Super cute and powerful!"

"Piglets are smart so..." Mamoru frowned and shook his head, "What the hell is wrong with me?!"

Usagi put her take-out box on the coffee table to lean closer to Mamoru and rubbed her nose on his playfully, "You would be the most super handsome piglet in the world." Mamoru blushed and made soft piggy snorts as he kissed Usagi's cheek making her squeal with delight, "You smell like pineapples..." he smiled and sat back to continue eating his noodle dish, "You are one tangy odango,"

Usagi tapped her forehead playfully, "One smart tangy Odango—see? My plan worked."

Mamoru smiled at her, "You are very smart Buns, but, if we continue eating like this, we will have to go out sooner than expected to buy more food."

Something in his comment made Usagi's heart stop beating for a second, "I wish I could make you stay with me like this forever... as selfish as that sounds," she said softly as she poked her chopstick on the piece of chicken; her chirpy and happy voice was now substituted by a more serious and sad tone. Suddenly, the new couple playing on that game show on t.v. wasn't that relevant anymore as she realized the truth about their situation. "Usa..." Mamoru pursed his lips as his hand reached her cheek to caress it. Usagi exhaled softly and looked at him, nodding "I know this is only temporary Mamo-chan... and I understand, I truly do, I just..."

"I know..." Mamoru said softly and put his bowl on the table, "Come here," he opened his arms and waited for her to crawl her way into his arms. Once secured, he leaned his head on her shoulder and gave her butterfly kisses, "You'll have me forever—you are not making me stay."

Usagi bit her lower lip and let out a sad sigh, "But there are things happening outside this little perfect world I asked you to create with me. People are getting hurt—I am the worst person, asking you of all people to stay hidden with me."

"My world is perfect as long as you are in it—it doesn't matter what turn it takes," Mamoru kissed her cheek again, "It's true, things are happening, this planet is being targeted, but you are not making me stay hidden. Usa, it's because of you and the promise we have been keeping between us that urges me to fight and make this little world of ours a reality for you and for everyone on this planet. You are not making me stay and you are not the worst person for asking me to be with you, I'm your husband, that is how it should be. I will always be glued to you, even when you can't see me, I'll be here." The prince ran his hand over her chest and pressed it against her beating heart, "I wish this moment we're having right now could last forever too but soon, it will."

Usagi looked up at him with hope in her eyes "It will?"

Mamoru nodded, "And we will watch this incredibly absurd show together while eating take-out all day—we will make this a tradition."

"But what if we take our stand as Cosmic Monarchs?" Usagi blinked a little shocked, "How are we ever going to find the time?"

"We still don't know for sure what is going to happen but in case it does, we will still do it anyways, in our own way. You know I have never been too fond of the idea of wearing a crown over my head." Mamoru pursed his lips, "We will find the time... we always do,"

Usagi smiled softly and put her hands on each side of his face, "How come we always feel like our time together is never enough?"

"Because it's never enough," Mamoru smiled and leaned down to kiss her forehead, "And it never will be, but we have always found a way to make time," his arms tightened securely around her and took a deep breath, "Usa... please promise me you'll be strong,"

"Mamo-chan?" Usagi looked at him wide-eyed, Mamoru looked down at her with worry in his royal-blue eyes, "I am asking you, my most beloved treasure—the most important being in my life, to stay strong. Please, keep that pure heart of yours shining brightly because it is what will guide me through this maze of madness. Keep your light on me, Moon Goddess so I can return to you safely."

Usagi's eyes began shining with tears as she remembered that same request he made her a long time ago, right before he was sent to war. "I will—I promise." she nodded and pulled herself up to be face to face, "But I have one request to ask you in return,"

"What is that?" Mamoru looked at her curiously, Usagi looked into his prismatic blue eyes and leaned closer, "You have to let me fight with you. It's a request made from a Senshi to a Polemarchos—please, let me fight with you, Endymion."

"Serenity..." Mamoru said softly and tried to turn to look away from her but Usagi's hands kept his face locked to exclusively look her in the eye, Usagi didn't change her stance, her eyes were glued to his and they held so much security it was impossible for him to ignore, "If you have to hold that sword again—if you have to go through all that all over again and fight whoever stands in your way, at least let me be by your side to support you in any way that I can. I know I can do it and as long as I am with you, I am not afraid, I will not be afraid, you taught me that."

Mamoru looked the determination in her crystal blue eyes, it shone like a mirror in the sun. He could not deny how strong she had become; how many enemies have succumbed to her light allowing her to grow as a soldier of justice. She was a warrior and a princess, one that wanted nothing more than to fight for her, her people and the safety of this world and that was something that he, as a warrior could not ignore. If it was to join forces, this was the best time to do it and if they were about to face Olympus or death itself, this was the time to stay together and build that world they have been yearning to have for so long.

Moving his arms away, Mamoru stood up and offered his hand out to his wife to stand up. Usagi looked at him with a confused face but took his hand anyway and stood up, "Mamo-chan?"

"Do you remember what I taught you that day at the beach?" he asked while walking away to the kitchen, Usagi blinked and tried to remember the many times they went to the beach together and think of something she had asked him to show her but her mind was a clean slate. She saw Mamoru walking back to the living room with a mop and a broom on his hand, "Uh... you taught me... how to clean?" Usagi frowned with doubt. Mamoru chuckled and shrugged his shoulders, "Well I tried but..."

"I know..." Usagi sighed and hung her head low with shame, "I know..."

"Yeah..." Mamoru sighed with defeat and handed her the mop, "But, no, not that. Remember what I taught you with the sword?"

Usagi's eyes widened, knowing now exactly what he meant. He was going back, way back in time with his question. "You taught me how to defend myself."

"Okay," Mamoru nodded, "Do you remember any of it?"

Usagi scoffed softly and waved her hand, "Of course!"

"Show me a first stance,"

Usagi held the mop with both of her hands and pointed at him with it; one hand placed carefully in front of the other, her right knee bent forward and extended the other one behind her "Ah, see? I remember."

Mamoru walked towards her and touched her extended leg with the tip of his broom, "This leg is a little far back, bring it closer," he walked around her and did the same with her flexed knee, "And your weight should be equal on your right and left leg—your weight must never fall on your knee entirely, otherwise you'll lose balance and fall down and also, you will strain your muscles," Usagi turned to him with genuine surprise, "I thought you said you were not going to train me."

"Well, after a long thought I came to the conclusion that I must obey my Princess' command," Mamoru answered while still looking down at her starting position, then at her hands holding the long wooden stick "Also, if a Sailor Senshi is asking me to teach her something to improve her fighting skills—as a soldier myself I have to comply." His eyes fixed on hers and frowned, "But let me be clear about something, Serenity, I am not teaching you how to kill—I am teaching you how to create openings for you to escape and counterattack, your mind must never be focused on taking a life, do you understand?"

"Y-Yes," Usagi looked at him with amazement and gratitude; this was proof that he was putting his trust in her to fight the enemy with him. "Relax your hands... relax your shoulders," he stood behind her and helped her improve her posture before stepping back and took the same position, "This is a stand you usually take when you are getting attacked up front," Mamoru looked at her, "From here, you have two options," he did the movement first to show her the basics, "You either counter attack by hitting the enemy with a straight forward move, or," he pulled himself back and turned with the broom in one hand as he moved to the side, "Make a diagonal hit,"

Usagi widened her eyes with awe and much respect for her husband; Mamoru turned to look at her with a serious face, "If an enemy comes straight to you, how would you attack?"

Usagi bit her lower lip and moved her mop stick forward, then up and down, "I would hit that bastard right in the face," Mamoru chuckled and took the position in front of her, "Show me, I'm your enemy—hit me right in the face,"

Usagi tightened her grip on her mop and try to repeat the attack but Mamoru quickly blocked it and gently tapped her ribs with his broom, "Remember that even if you hold the best weapon in the universe it will not protect you if you are not aware of your surroundings, as soon as you move your weapon must do it too to make the enemy lose its safe position and attack. It's a strategy game, you need to plan a solution for variable stances the enemy might do next—remember a fighter—"

"—Is always one to two steps ahead so I need to be prepared…"

Mamoru smiled, "Exactly," Usagi smiled and nodded proudly, "I remember that too,"

Mamoru moved again and repeated the lesson, this time, Usagi moved took a second stand and blocked his broomstick with her mop from the side, to this, Mamoru turned to her opposite side to distract her and pointed her back with his broom, "See?"

Usagi bit her lower lip and turned to hit the broomstick but her eyes widened when she realized she had gone a little too strong with her move and hit the lamp on the small table next to the sofa, and broke into tiny pieces, "I'm sorry!" Mamoru arched his brow, "I don't understand why you always hated that lamp..."

"It was an accident!" Usagi looked at Mamoru and blocked his coming attack. "Don't get distracted—good." Mamoru smiled and put his weapon down. "Now, for hand to hand combat," he walked towards her and put his arm around her neck with enough pressure to let her know the lesson continued but careful enough not to hurt her, "There will be times like these, when the contact is close enough for the enemy to get you—even then, you must be sharp and quick to free yourself and ready to counterattack and escape."

Usagi tried to move her weapon but his arm was restraining her, "But..." she frowned, "I can't..."

"See how I am preventing you from attacking me with your weapon?" he asked, "This would make the enemy think they have you under their control—but—" he moved his arm away and stood in front of her, "You have a small window in both time and space to act," he said in a serious tone, "By now, you should be aware of your surroundings and know if the enemy is left or right handed by the way they hold their weapon giving you some advantage to know their weak points." He came closer and pulled her with his arm around her shoulders, "This is when you make your move—the best way to free yourself, as silly and obvious as it sounds, it by stabbing your heel on their foot, thrust your elbow right in the jaw, push away, turn and kick," Mamoru held her again, "Try it,"

Usagi blinked, "On you?"

"Yes,"

"Wait, no, no!"

"What? Why?" Mamoru frowned, Usagi shook her head "I don't want to hurt you, you're not my enemy!"

Mamoru arched his brow, "You won't hurt me—you have to do this if you want to be ready for battle,"

"But..." Usagi looked at him hesitantly, Mamoru sighed softly, "You have to put those thoughts aside, for now, Usa, focus on the bigger picture,"

"You won't get mad if I try to kick you and I end up breaking something else?"

"No,"

You won't get mad if I accidentally hit you and hurt you in the process?"

"No,"

"Promise?"

"I promise,"

Usagi arched her brow, "Alright, but, wouldn't be easier if I just kicked the guy in the groin?"

Mamoru crossed his arms, "Yes, if your attacker is a man—but, how are you going to do that if you can't free yourself from his grip?" he walked over to her and pinched her nose softly, "You wanted me to teach you, right?"

"Yes," Usagi nodded, Mamoru tilted his head "Well, there you go—there is no way I can see where you need to improve your skills if you are afraid of hitting me, in order to learn, you have to give me everything you got, Sailor Moon,"

Usagi widened her eyes with pure admiration for her husband as she responded to his command and continued her lessons. She could see why this exercise was different this time; he was not talking to her the same way he did back when he taught her a few things as her lover, this time he was speaking to her like a soldier to another, the invisible chains tying her desire and ability to learn were finally broken and he was there, willing to prepare her for war. The way he explained every detail, technique and every position made her feel respected and worthy to have him as her mentor. He was as serious and strict as he needed to be for her to understand everything he was teaching her was far from being a game. A smile or an innocent flirt would always show from time to time as a compliment, but both were focused on getting things done with perfection. This meant beyond the imaginable for Usagi because this was an opportunity she always dreamed of having since her days during the Silver Millennium. All she wanted was to be taken seriously, and even when she was the daughter of a powerful Goddess that helped create an important Alliance with the Heavenly Gods, she was still seen as the untouchable jewel—the princess that just needed to be with a proper suitor and pose beautifully with a crown over her head.

It was until she decided to take a different turn in her life and met the prince. Her relationship with Endymion sparked her interest and her desire to become someone stronger; every night escapade, every conversation and every moment they had together showed her how she could be so much more and become someone who really looked after her people and Kingdom, the same way he did. Times where different now and she earned her title as sailor senshi and now, she was better known for being Sailor Moon rather than just Princess Serenity; times where different for sure, she was finally married to the man she loved, she no longer needed to escape behind anyone's back to be able to see him, he was there with her and he was now being part of that wish of creating a better world.

Mamoru decided it was best for his wife to have more space to move so he pushed all the furniture in the living room out of their way. It had been almost four hours now since they started practicing but they were so in the zone they didn't even notice the afternoon sun had started to set in the distance. The prince turned to his wife as she turned to kick him again and blocked her hit, "Good. Keep your eyes in the red areas," he said as she stepped back and turned to do a follow up attack, "Be continuously conscious of your space," he said and pressed his broomstick against her mop as if he was pretending to attack her and turned to evade her attack, "Beware of your opponent's ability to hurt you somewhere else," he frowned and blocked her blow holding his broom horizontally with both hands and pushed her back, "Do it again—breathe,"

Usagi nodded and took a deep breath between pants and tried again but Mamoru blocked her attack again, failing her attempt to break his defense; Mamoru narrowed his sapphire eyes, "Again,"

Usagi frowned with determination and let out an exasperated sigh after another failed attempt, "This is harder than I thought... what am I doing wrong?!"

"Again,"

Usagi tried again and failed, Mamoru blocked her attack and frowned, "Try again,"

"I feel dumb..." Usagi looked at him, Mamoru arched his brow "Why?"

"Because you are a master on this... and... well, I'm not, I keep failing and failing..." Usagi blew her sweaty bangs, "I feel like I am just making fun of myself," she frowned at him "And don't you dare laugh at me,"

"I would never do such thing, I know this is hard, but not impossible," Mamoru shook his head, "Do you want to take a break?"

"No! I want to do this right!" Usagi's frustration was starting to get the best of her; Mamoru walked over to her and pulled her into his arms for a quick supporting hug, "Usa, I didn't learn any of the things I know overnight. It took me years of practice worth of blisters, cuts and ugly bruises—and a lot of nights standing under a freezing waterfall..."

"Still... I feel like there I am missing a key point,"

"You are doing good,"

"Yeah, but not great,"

Mamoru kissed her temple, "This is your first time doing this, and you are doing very good."

"Well, yes, but..."

"Don't be so hard on yourself," Mamoru pinched her nose, "Relax, breathe... you need to learn how to breathe otherwise you'll keep running out of air,"

Usagi blinked, "To breathe?"

"Yes," Mamoru nodded, "I know how it sounds... but breathing comes before a strategy, technique, and before any fighting movement. It's easy to forget how to breathe because you never learned it in the first place—it's something natural until you get distracted by all the fighting. You can't fight your best if you run out of air all the time. Breathing gives you the energy to excel in every movement you make and with every change, the character of your breath must change with it."

"Ah..." Usagi looked genuinely surprised, "Can you teach me that too?"

"Of course," Mamoru smiled softly and walked back to grab his broom; Usagi blinked, "Wait, is that why you meditate every morning?"

"Kind of, yes," Mamoru looked at her over his shoulder, "It also helps me keep my mind focused and put my thoughts in order—but it's an exercise, you have to do it every day,"

"Huh," Usagi nodded with amazement, "Training is hard and I have to admit, this is nothing like holding a sword,"

"Holding a sword is not like holding a mop, Usa," Mamoru flashed her a small smile, "For starters, the weight between both weapons is very different, and so is the way how to handle both,"

"A mop is not a weapon," Usagi chuckled; Mamoru put his broom over his shoulder and arched his brow, "Everything you use for either defense or attack can be considered a weapon—do not underestimate the power of a stick, in this case, a mop." Mamoru walked back and kissed her again, "If you don't believe me, ask Kunzite,"

"Why?"

"He learned that the hard way,"

Usagi blinked surprised, "You really think I can do this?"

"Yes, I really do. You are doing great, Usa, come on—one more time, take your position," Mamoru pulled back and prepared to receive her attack. Usagi felt a boost of confidence and tried again, this time succeeding in making an opening to break her opponent's defense and finally understanding the technique before turning to attack him following his commands, "Turn—kick, hit me!" he smiled softly as he blocked her mop on his back with his broom, "Good girl," he turned and grabbed her again, "If you have a free hand—what you do you have to do?" Usagi nodded, "I must let it be proactive,"

"How?" Mamoru pulled her closer; Usagi frowned and followed step by step with perfection, "I must disturb, disrupt, or break my opponent's balance,"

Mamoru nodded, "Go!"

Usagi nodded and slid down, turned on her heel and threw a high kick, blocking Mamoru's coming attack, "Maintain your balance throughout your performance," he said again with a proud tone in his voice and took another stance with his broom out to her, "Hit!"

Usagi jumped and hit his broom with her mop, turned and kicked his weapon away; Mamoru turned and pulled her close to him and pressed her against the window and looked down at her, "If pinned either against a wall or on the ground, abdominal breathing can lower your heart rate and help you collect yourself so that you can think: What part of my body is free... what targets are presenting... where is the nearest exit?" He leaned close enough for her to feel the sensual chill of his warm breath caressing the soft skin of her neck, she knew what he was doing and she had to pass his test, "Now, breathe Serenity... think of me as an enemy trying to hurt you—breathe and tell me, what is your closest solution?"

"I need to create an opening,"

"How are you going to create it?"

Usagi frowned with determination and turned to push Mamoru away the prince immediately blocked her by wrapping his arm around her neck and waist. Usagi licked her lips and took a deep breath; Mamoru nodded, "Attackers often take aim at their targets from behind or the side by using a circular attack to slap, grab or punch. To combat this, use the side of your wrist to intercept and hit them in a similar position by keeping your arm at a right-angle so you can create a decent amount of space between yourself and the attacker—clear?"

"Crystal,"

"Go!"

Usagi quickly followed as she was taught and performed a clean and perfect counter attack making Mamoru smile proudly. He was very impressed she was learning and understanding every single technique and movement he was teaching her without any complaints or showing hesitation; her experience as senshi, her personal growth and her infinite and strong will to protect everyone was her fuel to learn and perform with success. They remained focused on the moment, not caring of the time marked in the clock in the living room, by now, it was late at night and they were not even close to being done; it was like if a new rush of energy and motivation had revitalized her spirit and he had to admit it was exciting to see her fighting to become better.

In the late hours of the evening, they continued practicing only accompanied by the sound of their hasty breathing and the dry, muffled sound of wood against wood. Not a single word was spoken after Mamoru gave Usagi the full lesson but it was not needed, they were both focused and with their own secret mission, Usagi learning how to grow her strength and skills and Mamoru protecting her; this was his silent way to tell her that he loved her and trusted her and Usagi couldn't feel more special and thankful.

O—o—o—o—O

"Why are you looking so intensely at the moon?"

Luna widened her burgundy eyes and turned to Artemis who was walking towards her and sat next to her on the porch at the Hiwaka Shrine. They had been there since Rei's grandfather passing since they knew the Priestess needed the company despite her constant assurance of being alright.

Luna smiled softly and turned back to look up at the night sky, "It brings me peace—I do not know if it is just me or if it is really shining more brightly than usual..."

"Hm," Artemis hummed softly, catching Luna's attention "What?"

"I did feel a different aura coming from Usagi, when she was here," Artemis's voice remained in the same calm and collected tone, "When she mentioned feeling stronger, it clearly showed. Although, she was troubled—her soul was."

"With the strange attacks and threats we have been receiving, it is only natural for her to be troubled." Luna sighed, "I wish I could do more to help her." Artemis looked at his beloved and smiled sadly, "I know, I know how much you love her but right now, she is where she needs to be and with who she needs to be."

"He is troubled too,"

"If what they say it's true... he will be alright."

Luna frowned, "What do you mean?"

Artemis sat straight and looked up at the sky, "I remember that night—when the Prince went to the Moon to warn Queen Serenity about the tragedies happening on this planet. It amazed me how he was capable of actually creating a path for him to cross realms but what amazed me, even more, is how despite having lost everything, he still had a mission on his mind," he turned to look at Luna, "And that was to keep the Princess safe." The white cat sighed softly, "The Terran Prince, the admirable warrior for his people and Kingdom took an oath to serve another realm and Kingdom with the sole purpose of protecting his beloved and find a way to save his planet. Even when he gave his life on that mission, she was the last one standing—what happened after was a choice she made, not a failure from him. If the Prince really has awoken like Ares says he has, then, his principles and mission are intact, meaning he will continue his fight against whoever threatens the Moon Princess and his planet. Let us not forget he is the rightful protector of Earth—as a descendant of the Sun God."

"You do not look too concerned about all this."

"I trust my Queen, Luna. I trust her good judgment and if she always believed in the Terran Prince is because there is a reason behind it, one beyond his roots and background."

Luna sighed heavily, "I thought this was all over... the battles, the angst, the pain..."

"I remember Princess Serenity often asked Her Majesty to include her more in political matters, she wanted to learn the ways of a warrior—she wanted to separate herself from her mother's shadow and she achieved it. Being a soldier is a position that can never be lost or forgotten," Artemis looked at Luna, "I do understand what you mean and how you feel, believe me—this is unexpected... and up to some point, uncertain, but we must trust in them. They are stronger than before."

"I wish Queen Serenity would have informed us about all this back when she had the chance," Luna said with heavy remorse, "Maybe we would have been able to prepare the girls,"

"It is no surprise for us to know that the divine world is very complex when it comes to terms of laws and their ways of living. Power is usually the strongest of achievements and what every god is really after, something that always put our Queen in slight disadvantage when times for her to speak and propose ideas for the Alliance came to happen because she was a believer of love and nobility." Artemis shook his head, "And that led her to choose a bad man to serve as the Lunarian Commander and become her daughter's husband."

"Are you judging Her Majesty's principles, Artemis?" Luna looked at him wide-eyed. Artemis shook his head, "No, but it was because of those principles that made her overlook Athamas's true nature."

"It was her way to mourn King Athan's passing."

Artemis' nodded, "It was still a bad choice. She gave great power to an ambitious man, the combination only gave atrocious results to everything."

Luna frowned, "Did you see him do those things?"

"No," Artemis green eyes locked with Luna's burgundy ones, his voice turned cold and monotone "But I did witness his madness and it was frightening,"

"You never mentioned this, not even to the Queen."

Artemis sighed softly, "I tried to convince her to choose another man for the position but—like you said, it was her way to mourn the King's death."

"Do you think he is behind all that is happening now?"

"Athamas is a very dangerous man, but, something tells me he is just a pawn to a bigger force." Luna looked at the white feline with a baffled expression, "What do you mean?"

Artemis nodded, "He may be dangerous, but let us not forget the fact that he never got the rank or strength of a Polemarchos, if this goddess, Asteria, is one or someone close in terms of power—I highly doubt she would follow orders from somebody inferior. I did my research on him back then... how he got to skip all that is needed to obtain a rank like the one he had is still a mystery to me. He was a low ranked soldier who got his title of General almost overnight, it is almost as if it was planned all along, him, being close to the Lunar Queen and marry the Lunar Princess."

"Artemis, are you implying that all the events happening today were planned all those years back?" The white cat nodded, "Yes Luna, that is exactly it."

"B-But..."

"Luna, think about it," Artemis's green eyes narrowed, "We have not heard from Athamas since the first attack. We have encountered many situations involving the mysterious army of shadows, and now Asteria... but the Andromedian is nowhere to be found. It is almost as if he was used just to awaken the Terran Prince, he is a pawn Luna, he is being used to awaken Princess Serenity too. None of us remembered him... not until that day."

"This runs deeper than I ever could imagine," Luna shook her head in disbelief, "Then... if he is a pawn, who is that bigger force? Who is behind it all?"

"Lord Ares said it was Chaos but I am starting to believe it is just a decoy to distract us from the real responsible. I have heard and read many things about the God of Dementia, but, Asteria is from the Underworld and serves to another deity..."

Luna's eyes widened in horror, "Could it be..."

"A plan Hades might be working since the very beginning," Artemis looked up at the moon and sighed, "And the mere thought of it terrifies me, Luna," he looked at her, "It terrifies me."

O—o—o—o—O

The next morning, Usagi opened her eyes and stretched her arms wide only to realize she was the only one in bed and in the bedroom; a bolt of worry and anxiety made her jolt out of the bed to go and look for her husband but the unmistakable scent of freshly brewed coffee calmed her senses. Much to her surprise and relief, she saw him drinking a cup of coffee, already showered and dressed while reading the newspaper in the living room in complete silence—he had the weirdest of habits, she thought to herself.

A warm smile brightened Mamoru's face and he took another sip of his coffee, "Morning,"

Usagi widened her eyes, up to this day it surprised her how he knew whenever she was there without even having to glance around the room. "Morning..."

Mamoru turned his head to look at her but his charming smile remained intact, "Did you sleep well?" Usagi nodded and frowned when she noticed the living room was like if nothing had happened the day before, "Did you...?"

"Cleaned? No," Mamoru arched his brow and chuckled, "I just put the furniture back, I did notice you cleaned the apartment and also our laundry—thank you."

"I didn't shrink anything this time,"

Mamoru smiled, "I know, and my shirts kept their original color,"

Usagi blushed, "H-How long have you been awake?"

"For about... two hours, I think? I went to take a quick run, came back, took a shower and made some coffee," Mamoru took another sip, "Hungry?"

"Wait, you went running?" Usagi frowned and shook her head, "Didn't you have enough exercise for a day?"

"Ah, have we met?" Mamoru arched his brow; Usagi sighed "Didn't you sleep?"

"Yes, I did, I went to bed at the same hour you did," Mamoru chuckled, "Usa, why are you surprised to see me awake? Aren't you always calling me Mr. Sunshine? Well, there is a reason for that... in case you forgot,"

"Well, yes, but we stayed up practicing until dawn! I punched and kicked you like there was no tomorrow, didn't you get tired?" she looked around again and huffed, "And of all things, you had to clean instead of coming back to bed with me,"

Mamoru put his black mug on the coffee table, "Usa, there were pieces of broken glass on the carpet and floor because of that lamp you broke." Usagi sweat dropped and waved her hand, "Ah, give it a rest, it was an ugly lamp anyway..."

"It was one perfectly functional lamp and now we have to go buy a new one," Mamoru sighed softly and turned to look at her still sleepy and groggy wife, "But anyways... to answer your rant, yes, I would have loved to go back to bed with you but I have to go out—I was just waiting for you to wake up to let you know so you wouldn't worry."

This was enough for Usagi to fully come to her senses and pay close attention to what he was saying, "What?" she walked around the sofa and sat next to him, "Wait... no, where are you going?!" Mamoru smiled and combed her messy bed hair with his fingers, "Like I predicted, we ran out of food... I need to run some errands, go to the store, go to the bank, and then meet with Chieko."

Usagi felt another bolt of anxiety inside her and bit her lower lip at the mention of Mamoru's ex-girlfriend. "B-But..."

"I know Usa, but we really need to buy groceries. We can't keep surviving on take-out food and... well—whatever's left in the fridge. Also, if you want pancakes... I need to go buy the ingredients. You can go back to sleep, I won't take long." Mamoru's hand slid down to cup her cheek, "You practiced hard yesterday and you barely had any sleep. Go back to bed, I promise that by the time you wake up I will already be back."

Usagi frowned and shook her head, her lips pouted unwillingly giving away her sentiments about him leaving her side. She knew they eventually would have to show up their faces to the world and reintegrate into society's routine and life but like she said the day before, time was never enough when they were together. "W-Why can't I go with you?" she asked softly, almost like a whisper making Mamoru arch his brow with slight surprise, "I never said you couldn't come," he chuckled, "I just never thought you would want to come—it's nine in the morning and you usually prefer to stay home and sleep while I go do all these boring things."

"I want to come." Usagi's soft tone made Mamoru smile, "Well, that would be lovely, also, there is something I want to show you,"

Usagi's eyes lit up with excitement, "Like a surprise?"

"Exactly like a surprise," Mamoru chuckled, "Okay, so, I'll go get myself another cup of coffee while you go get ready, alright?" Usagi nodded and quickly sprint back to their bedroom and came back with a small wicker box where she kept her art supplies and grabbed her scissors, "Okay... but before that, I need you to help me with something."

"Yes?" Mamoru asked quizzically as he filled his cup with coffee and walked back to the living; Usagi sat on the sofa again and handed him a sleek pair of scissors, "I need you to cut my hair."

Mamoru almost choked on his coffee and looked at her with a pale face, like if he was given the worst of news, "What?!"

"I need you to cut my hair!"

"Usa... I'm not going to cut your hair," Mamoru frowned with complete denial. Usagi let out a puff of air in exasperation, "Why not? I need your help! If I could do it myself, trust me, I would..."

"Usa, I'm not a hair stylist, I am going to leave your hair all uneven!" Mamoru shook his head and put the scissors on the coffee table, Usagi gave her husband an irritated glare, "Mamo-chan, come on, it's no big deal... Venus used to do it all the time!"

"That was a long time ago," Mamoru said in an exasperated tone making Usagi sigh, "You really expect me to go out with this crazy hair? I can barely take two steps without falling over my face and besides, it's your fault! You fix this situation!" Mamoru arched his brow, "Wait, how is this my fault?"

"Your crystal did this! Come on! We'll be late!" Usagi grabbed a handful of hair and waved it in front of him, "And I'm also getting hungry," she chuckled at his frown, "Why the gloomy face?"

"It's just that..." Mamoru sighed and crossed his arms, "I like your hair the way it is... cutting it feels like a crime to me." Usagi blinked with genuine surprise, "You love seeing my hair this crazy long? Seriously?"

"Yes, seriously. I have always loved your hair and when its down it's even more beautiful," Mamoru pursed his lips and shrugged his shoulders to emphasize his indignation, "But if you don't care about me leaving it like a dog just chewed on your precious hair of moonbeam then hand me those scissors again."

Usagi laughed, "Mamo-chan... you're a doctor, your pulse couldn't be steadiest, also, you can make a clean cut with a heavy sword but you can't cut hair with a pair of scissors? Come on..."

"Okay first of all... it's all tangled," Mamoru ran his hands through her hair and frowned, "Hand me a brush or something and then we can continue arguing about this."

"Goodness gracious..." Usagi mumbled with shock and went back to their bedroom to get a hairbrush, "I knew you liked my hair but not to this extent... cutting it makes you cranky,"

"I'm not cranky..." Mamoru mumbled as he leaned to grab his mug to take another sip of coffee, "I just don't think you should cut it..." he turned to look at his wife walking back smiling sweetly, "You are so cute, have I told you that?"

"No,"

"You are so cute,"

"That doesn't change the facts," Mamoru mumbled shyly; Usagi leaned closer to give Mamoru a small peck on the lips, "Look at you all blushed," she let out a soft chuckle and handed him a large paddle brush, "Here you go, enjoy."

Mamoru pulled her back into his arms and started combing her long hair with the gentlest of strokes slowly detangling all knots until it was left like a soft and silky silvery curtain and looked at it with awe, "How long do you want to keep it?" he ran his fingers through it one last time and kissed her neck softly, sending soft chills down her back. Usagi smiled and stood up to take a look over her shoulder, "Um... you can cut it up to my waist," she arched her brow and looked at him with a wry smile, "Is that long enough to keep His Royal Highness pleased and happy?"

Mamoru widened his eyes and felt his cheeks flush once again with shyness, "Yes..."

Usagi chuckled, "Alright, waist length it is," she grabbed the scissors and handed them to her husband again and smiled widely, "Oh, wait, I have an idea! Wouldn't be easier for you to use your sword?" Mamoru felt his blood run cold in his veins and looked up at her with a cynical glare, "You have to be kidding me..."

"No, I'm not kidding," Usagi turned, exasperating Mamoru in the process "Usa..."

"Ah, ah—hear me out!" she pointed a finger up, "It would be quicker... you just glide the blade through the hair in one swift move... like in the movies,"

"I am not going to summon a deadly weapon just to cut your hair—" Mamoru muttered dryly, "Hey! Do you want me to cut your hair or not?"

"Yes... I was just trying to save you some time,"

"We would be saving time if we were over this ordeal by now..."

"Okay, okay..." Usagi turned and put her hands on her waist and closed her eyes, wishing for the best, "Go."

Mamoru sighed and positioned the scissors waist height and began gliding them through the hair, one slow cut at a time, "This is so awkward..." he mumbled as he snapped another chunk of hair. Usagi chuckled, "Why? It's just hair..."

"I'm warning you, if you don't like it, it won't be my fault. I don't want to hear you nag about it later, okay?" Mamoru slightly stuck his tongue out for concentration purposes as he continued to snap another piece of hair making Usagi giggle, "Well... if I don't like it, I will make an appointment with my stylist and have it fixed,"

"Ah great, so you'll be cutting it more,"

"Well, that depends on how well you perform this task, my handsome Polemarchos,"

Mamoru pursed his lips, "If you keep mocking me, Princess, I am going to forget about those pancakes you so desperately want,"

"Noo! Not the pancakes!"

Mamoru did another slow cut and pulled back, "Done."

Usagi blinked startled and turned to look at him, "What?"

"Here," he handed her the pair of scissors and pushed himself off the couch, "I'll go get a bag to put all this hair in,"

"That was quick!" Usagi ran to the guest bathroom to look at her hair and gaped surprised at the clean and precise haircut, "And you were all worried you wouldn't do a good job?! This is better than how my stylist cuts it!" she peeked her head out the door and looked at her husband with wonder, "Have you thought about pursuing a career in styling hair?" Mamoru started picking the long strands of hair and shook his head without looking at her, "No, I'm good—thanks."

"You would be a great hairstylist," Usagi said with a smile on her face and walked back to the living room and wrapped her arms around his waist from behind, "My dear Endymion, don't be sad... it will grow back."

"I'm not sad..."

"I am going to leave it down today, just for you," Usagi nudged her nose on his lower back playfully, "Now that I know how much you love it when I wear my hair down, I'll try and do it more often,"

"Thank you dear, but, Usako?"

"Yes?"

"It's getting late,"

Usagi widened her eyes, "Oh shoot! Okay! I'll hurry up..." she turned on her heel and sprint back to their bedroom to take a quick shower and get ready to leave. Mamoru turned to the closed door and smiled, "Oh Princess, heavens know how much I love you."

O—o—O

An hour and a half later, Usagi stepped out of the apartment like a fresh lettuce in spring. Like she promised to her husband, she wore her shiny and silvery locks down, matching her minimalistic outfit; a long white shirt, black sweater layering on top of it, black skinnies, animal print loafers and a black faux leather handbag, matching Mamoru's always dark and neutral tones in his clothing, this time a light grey sweater and dark jeans matching his trusty black converse. Somehow, the black made her crystal blue eyes stand out even more from behind her long, dark lashes that were momentarily hidden behind a pair of large round dark sunglasses.

"Where are we going first?" The silver-haired princess asked with curiosity as she stepped into the car and put her seatbelt on while her husband started the engine of their car and put his phone on the dashboard; Mamoru put his dark ray ban's and drove out of the garage, joining the morning traffic, "We have to make a stop at the bank... I hope it isn't too crowded,"

"Why not just an ATM?" Usagi asked casually, Mamoru stopped at a red sign and turned to look at her, "Because I need to do other movements with my account."

"Ah," Usagi smiled and turned the radio on, "And once we leave the bank, are we going to get something to eat?"

"No, after that we are meeting with Chieko,"

Usagi froze in her seat, "Ah..."

Mamoru chuckled as he continued to drive when the light turned green, "Don't get jealous,"

"I'm not jealous," Usagi bit her glossy pink lips and looked out the window, mentally thanking herself for choosing a large pair shades to hide her jealous glare, "I mean, she's the girl that kissed you first but, whatever."

Mamoru started laughing, "Usa... you're being silly,"

"Well, did she or did she not kiss you before I did?"

"Did I marry her or did I marry you?"

Usagi pointed an accusing finger at him, "That is not what I asked, Chiba Mamoru."

Mamoru continued laughing, "You make it sound like we had such an intense relationship—I remind you, Buns, I was fifteen."

"So what? That doesn't mean you didn't smooch and said lovely things to each other... held hands and such."

"Like this?" Mamoru held her free hand and intertwined his fingers with hers, then brought it up to his lips to kiss it softly, "Don't be jealous Princess... you are the only woman in this or any other life of mine."

"Plus, I was fourteen when I started dating you and we have had an intense relationship ever since,"

"Usa, you're a totally different person,"

"She must be ecstatic for being in touch with you again," Usagi mumbled, Mamoru chuckled "Usa... just how do you think we were? You have this crazy idea in your head that it's way too far from what it really was..."

"I just..." Usagi blew her long bangs, "It's hard for me to picture yourself with another woman, that's all. I wished I was your first kiss like you were mine."

"You are the first woman I have ever loved,"

Usagi smiled, "That's sweet, but, still... I am not your first kiss."

"Well, if we're going to play this game, in my defense I have to say you had a serious crush on Motoki," Mamoru teased her, "But yeah, whatever,"

Usagi turned with wide eyes, "That was just a crush... like a million years ago!"

"So? It was still a crush, you liked him more than you liked me," Mamoru pinched her nose, "But that's cool..."

"Okay, you were rude to me..."

"I wasn't rude!"

"Yes, you were! You and your sarcastic comments about my grades..."

Mamoru smiled softly with nostalgia, "Buns, you had thirty points in a test... and you kept throwing things at my face, what did you expect me to say? Oh, wow look at that! Those are very interesting grades you have there, beautiful lady." Usagi exhaled and slouched in her seat, trying her best not to break in laughter, "Well, in my defense, I didn't know you were sneaking behind me all the time."

Mamoru laughed, "I wasn't sneaking behind you, I was on a mission... alright, my dear, I really need to get this done as soon as possible, I'll be right back," he parked the car and unbuckled his seatbelt as he grabbed his wallet from the cup holder.

"Right, because Chieko is waiting..." Usagi said softly but still with a hint of annoyance and jealousy in her sweet voice. Mamoru turned and pushed his sunglasses up to look at her, "Usa..." he shook his head, "Don't do this..."

Usagi looked into his eyes through her sunglasses and leaned closer to him to wrap her arms around him and kissed his neck, "You're right, I'm sorry," she drew back and rolled her seat back, "I will wait for you here, I am getting a little light headed..." Mamoru frowned and pulled back to touch her forehead, "You okay, Buns? You look a little pale,"

"Yeah, I'm okay... I just need to take a little nap," Usagi gave her husband a warm smile, "I'll be fine,"

"You sure?" Mamoru looked at her with worry, "You are still exhausted from all the exercise you did yesterday,"

"I can take it, I am a Sailor Senshi," Usagi turned to look at him, "I must keep it up so I can kick-ass as cool as you do,"

"You're very cool, Sailor Moon," Mamoru pinched her nose and leaned closer to give her a sensual kiss on her lips "I'll be back soon,"

Usagi smiled and watched him walk into the large and fancy building and leaned back in her seat, mentally kicking herself for still feeling jealousy towards the now so famous Shimuta Chieko. Choosing to better kick the nasty thought aside, she noticed Mamoru had left the keys on and preferred to turn the radio to distract herself and started surfing through the channels to find a good song to sing along when she heard there was a talk show discussing some of the highlights from the discovery from the archaeologists.

"Casanova Akira and her team of experts have reappeared after the attack at the Metropolitan Museum of Natural History in Tokyo these past few days and sent her sympathies and support to the victims' families. A lot of doubt has been surrounding her investigation causing a lot of difference in opinions and putting her reputation at risk. Her exhibition, named "Divinity on Earth," has been postponed in order to respect those affected during the press conference. In the midst of speculation and hard questioning, this new exhibition promises an important change on how we study how civilizations and society have evolved over the years."

"Divinity—she mentioned something about us being protected by gods," a man joined the discussion with the hostess, "People with power,"

"She suggested it," the radio hostess said but was quickly interrupted by the other man, "That's crazy—she is literally mixing two realities and creating a new one with this theory,"

"What do you mean?"

"Well, for years we have never heard anything similar to this... now all of the sudden, new relics have been found and now we are now people ruled by gods? Isn't that crazy?"

"Well, it does sound a little out there, but, she has left many things up for discussion and consideration."

"Yes, but, if there is really royalty that represents us as a planet—then where is it? Why haven't we heard anything from them? If they have so much power, why they haven't come up and say—we're your Monarchy, we represent you up in the heavens,"

"Maybe it is something that needs to be explored a little further,"

"I think it is too incredible to be true and her reputation is being scrutinized because of it—I think she is taking this overboard,"

"Okay, let me ask you this... if it were... if this secret and divine Monarchy existed, would you be against it?"

"Well, I don't know—I wouldn't be liked to be bossed around,"

Usagi rolled her eyes with annoyance at the man speaking, "Please..."

"Technically, we are all bossed around by politicians, we live under certain rules..."

"Yes, but—this is royalty we are talking about,"

"Would it bother you that much?" The hostess asked, "If these people were to protect us from the attacks we were having lately,"

"If they really exist, where are they? That should be the question,"

"The Sailor Senshi have been making rounds lately—what better example of divine power do you want?"

"Are you suggesting they are Earth's royalty?"

"It could be a possibility... but let's leave this question for our fellow listeners to analyze and comment in our next segment, I want to know what you think, do you really believe in Casanova Akira's theory, and if you do, how would you feel of living with cosmic monarchs—our phone lines are open, we will return shortly after a short message from our sponsors."

Usagi widened her eyes, "Divinity on Earth..." she mumbled and narrowed her crystal blue eyes, "What did you find, Casanova Akira? Just how much did you find?"

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