Choices

By: ShadowQueenGalactica


Disclaimer: I do not own anything affiliated with Sailor Moon. I do not own the rights to any of the songs related to Sailor Moon.

Author's Notes: This is one of my older stories, going through and trying to fix all the cringy typos. I'm also going to be adding some scenes that I thought the original was seriously lacking. Hope you guys enjoy the revised version of Choices.

Revised: 4/10/2021

**Wow! I ended up adding quite a bit to this chapter, I ended up splitting it, so the other half of the original chapter is being moved to chapter 6. Happy reading to those who are following this story. Let me know what you think! I love responding to reviews. :)


Review Replies:

JSanyaz: Thank you again for reading the story again, also thank you for your reviews. Yes, finally, with Seiya! It was so rough saving him for last, but it was necessary lol. Hope you enjoy this chapter. :)

Tropical Remix: (ch 4 reply): Yes, a drunk Usagi was very fun to write! I'm actually considering writing a short story about a drunk Usagi lol. I think I would have too much fun with it! XD Hope you're enjoying the story, thank you for leaving a review. :)


:: Chapter 5: Secrets::

Opening her eyes to the familiar sound of traffic, Usagi looked around to see they were on the rooftop of her apartment. "Thank you." She stated, hugging her friend. "I- I think it would be best to give me a couple of days, my friends, they-"

"You don't have to explain." Apollo chuckled, smiling down at his friend. "I will allow you a couple of days to rest, we still have more to discuss my friend."

"More?" Usagi asked in surprise, watching her friend smile and nod.

"Oh my friend, there's so much I need to tell you." Apollo stated in good humor. "I'm so glad I was right." He said caressing her cheek. "I was hoping you would be the one."

Blushing under the gentle caress, Usagi smiled as she looked into her friend's amused gaze. "I'll have questions for you as well." She stated, watching him smile and nod.

"I'll gladly answer any of your questions." Apollo stated, bowing to his friend. "I will see you in a couple of days, my friend, please try to rest."

"I will." Usagi promised, tearfully smiling as she rested her hand against the sigil on his chest. "I'll keep everything you told me a secret, I promise."

"Thank you." Apollo responded, bowing once more before vanishing from the rooftop.

Softly exhaling as her friend vanished mid-bow, Usagi felt her stomach nervously twist as she made her way to the rooftops exit. Opening the heavy metal door with a loud creak, she looked down the dark stairwell, deciding to take the stairs to her floor to give herself some time to come up with an alibi for her disappearance. "What am I going to tell them?" She worriedly muttered as she descended the steps, her mind wildly whirring over everything that had happened to her.

Glancing down at her bloodied shirt, she felt tears well in her eyes at the thought of the unexpected attack. 'She was going to kill me, regardless if she knew where Kikyo-chan was.' She thought, brushing the stray tears from her cheeks.


Waking to the sound of running water, Taiki groggily raised from the couch noticing it was early morning. "Usagi-chan?" He groggily asked.

"No, it's just me." Yaten responded, stepping into the living room. "Sorry for waking you, I couldn't get much sleep last night."

"Me either." Taiki admitted, standing and stretching his arms as a yawn escaped his lips. "What are we going to tell Seiya-chan?" He worriedly asked, surprised his brother was still sleeping. 'His energy levels must have been depleted if he's still sleeping.' He worriedly thought, glancing in the direction of the guest room with concern.

Resting his hand against the communicator Haruka had given him, Yaten softly exhaled as he contemplated for a moment. "I'll contact Michiru-san and see if-"

"No, they told us to only contact them if Usagi-chan came home." Taiki instructed giving his brother a look of warning. "They could still be searching, we don't want to give them false hope."

"I just-" Yaten stated, growing silent as he sighed out in exasperation. "Where is she? Why haven't they given us any updates?"

"You expected them to share information with us." Taiki scoffed, looking at his brother in disbelief. "We would be the last ones they would ever share any information with." He stated, thinking back to how quiet Setsuna had been when she briefly stopped by to drop off the two bags of gear. 'She didn't tell us anything, why will they not accept us as allies?' He thought with frustration.

Knowing his brother was right, Yaten softly sighed in defeat, placing the communicator back into his pocket. "You're right, they'll tell us when they're ready to share what they know." He agreed with a frown.

Deciding his brother needed to occupy his mind, Taiki smiled as he walked to where his brother stood, resting his hand on his shoulder. "The Princess will be waking up soon, let's figure out what we should make her for breakfast." He suggested, then abruptly turned his head at the soft click of the deadlock being unlocked.

::CLICK::

Meeting his brother's gaze as the door was opened, Yaten looked at Taiki for a moment before quickly rushing forwards to see who was at the door. 'Please, please let it be Usagi-chan.' He desperately thought, trying to control his urge to run to the door.


Nervously standing outside her apartment door, Usagi nervously exhaled hoping and praying Taiki and Yaten were still asleep so she could quickly change before they woke. Carefully slipping the key into the deadbolt to try and muffle as much sound as possible, she cringed at the soft click of the door unlocking. Gently pushing the door open, she sighed in relief not hearing any signs of movement as she stepped into the apartment.

Kicking her shoes off in their normal spot, she frowned when she noticed Yumiko and her gear were lying on the floor. 'They must've brought my car home too.' She thought, suddenly jolted from her thoughts when feeling strong arms suddenly embracing her. "Yaten-chan." She gasped surprised at his reaction to her arrival.

"Usagi-chan." Yaten sighed out in relief as he embraced his missing friend. "You're alright." He sighed in relief, smiling as his friend embraced him back. Taking a step back, he felt his relief immediately turn to alarm as he noticed her bloodstained shirt, a noticeable size hole in the shoulder of her shirt. "You're hurt, what happened?" He demanded, urging her forwards to inspect her injury.

"I'm alright, Yaten-chan." Usagi gently laughed, watching him abruptly meet her gaze with disbelief and confusion. "See it's been healed." She assured her friend, lowering the shoulder of her shirt the best she could to reveal the fresh scar where the gaping hole had once been. "I'm okay, Yaten-chan, really."

"Did Hotaru-chan heal you?" Taiki asked, alarmed at the sight of the dried bloodstain on his friend's shirt. Growing more concerned when Usagi shook her head, he frowned at how unconcerned their friend seemed by their worry as she began to walk forwards.

"No, she didn't." Usagi simply responded, quietly walking past her two friends making her way to the bathroom.

"Where the hell are you going?" Yaten abruptly demanded, looking at his friend in anger and disbelief. "You've been missing since yesterday, you come back with blood-stained clothes and you're not offering any kind of explanation. What the hell happened, Usagi-chan?" He angrily demanded.

"I'm alright Yaten-chan, I'm taking a shower and changing my clothes." Usagi calmly responded, turning and going in the direction of the bathroom before her friend could say anything else.

"What the hell?!" Yaten snapped, seething as the blonde entered the bathroom with a soft click of the door. "Why is she so damn calm about this?" He demanded, turning to his brother for some kind of explanation for their friend's odd behavior.

"Who else would have the ability to heal her injuries?" Taiki murmured, still perplexed by their friends' peculiar avoidance towards their questions and concern.

"Contact the others, Taiki-chan. They need to know she's safe." Yaten instructed as he removed the communicator from his pocket and tossed it to his brother.

"Why me?" Taiki asked, watching his brother look at him with annoyance.

"I'm too pissed to deal with Haruka-san right now." Yaten retorted, abruptly turning to go to the kitchen and occupy his mind with making some tea.

Looking down at the communicator in his hand, Taiki nervously exhaled as he pressed the small button on the communicator. Turning his attention back towards the bathroom door, he softly exhaled as he looked at the door with worry. 'What happened to you?' He curiously wondered, snapping from his thoughts as Michiru's voice snapped him from his thoughts.

"Taiki-san, is she home?" Michiru demanded, worry evident in her voice.

"She just came home." Taiki responded, watching the communicator quickly transfer over to Haruka.

"Where was she?" Haruka abruptly demanded.

"I don't know." Taiki honestly responded. "She was acting odd." He worriedly stated, glancing towards the door.

"Odd, how?" Haruka prompted, concern shining in her eyes.

"She didn't seem phased about her disappearance when we were questioning her." Taiki explained with a frown. "She's acting like nothing is wrong, like nothing happened." He explained with a frown.

"Don't let her leave again." Haruka ordered, glaring at the brunette. "We'll be there shortly."

"We won't let her." Taiki promised, watching the small screen grow dark. Looking back towards the bathroom door once more, he softly exhaled making his way back towards the kitchen to make himself and his friend some tea. 'Could the enemy have done something to her?' He worriedly thought, not understanding why his friend was not responding to whatever ordeal she had gone through. 'I should have told them about the scar.' He thought with frustration, wanting to kick himself for keeping the information from the volatile Guardian.


(Fifteen Minutes Later)

"Where is she?" Haruka demanded, as soon as the apartment door opened. Walking into the apartment, she noticed Taiki standing outside on the balcony sipping some tea. Turning her head as Yaten quietly shut the apartment door, she turned as Michiru addressed the silver-haired man.

"Is she alright? Is she hurt?" Michiru worriedly asked, not knowing what condition they were going to find their friend in. "Setsuna-chan and Hotaru-chan are on their way now, they'll be here shortly."

"She's not hurt, she's in her bedroom getting dressed." Yaten responded, pointing in the direction of his friend's bedroom.

"What?" Haruka and Michiru both asked in surprise.

"The blood?" Michiru softly stated, glancing over at Haruka in question. "That doesn't explain the blood that Setsuna-chan and Hotaru-chan found at the University?"

"Perhaps the enemy?" Haruka responded, finding the situation more concerning as things quickly began to not add up.

"Did she say where she was?" Michiru worriedly asked.

"No, she didn't say much." Yaten responded with an irritated huff. "She just came in and went straight to the bathroom to shower." He explained, watching Haruka swiftly walk in the direction of the bedroom.

"Thank you, Yaten-san." Michiru stated, genuinely smiling at the young man as she walked past Yaten to follow Haruka into the living room. Quietly sitting on the couch, she patted the cushion watching Haruka shake her head as she continued to watch the bedroom door for any sign of their friend's exit.

"It doesn't make sense." Haruka muttered in frustration.

"Give her time to get dressed, I'm sure she'll answer our questions." Michiru calmly assured her agitated partner. "You need to try and relax, Ruka-chan. You know as well as I, she's not going to respond well if you don't approach her in a calmer manner." She advised her lover, watching the sandy-haired blonde frown before nodding her head.

Growing more impatient the longer she waited, Haruka softly exhaled before walking forward to the closed bedroom door. Standing outside the door for a moment, she drew in a deep breath knowing she needed to stay calm while she confronted her friend. Raising her hand, she hesitated a moment longer before gently knocking on the door patiently awaiting her friend to answer the door.


Slipping her light pink jacket on to conceal her exposed scar from her tank top, Usagi tiredly exhaled as she looked at her reflection. Brushing her fingers against the deep, dark scar on her shoulder, she felt tears sting her eyes at the thought of the surprise attack.

(Flashback)

'I have to find Yumiko-chan!' Usagi desperately thought, ignoring her burning lungs as she forced herself to push past her injuries as she rushed down the empty path of the university. Screaming out in pain when feeling something strike her from behind, causing her to stumble and collapse onto the concrete path.

Feeling an explosion of pain in her shoulder, Usagi felt a moan of pain escape her lips as she grabbed onto her throbbing shoulder, gasping in shock when feeling the warmth of her blood drenching her hand. Nervously bringing her gaze down, she looked in horror at the gaping hole in her shoulder. 'I need help.' She desperately thought, tightly closing her eyes as tears streaked her cheeks unaware of the second attack hurtling towards her. Screaming out in pain as she was encompassed by a mass of dark energy, she felt the pain suddenly cease as she was encompassed in warm energy before everything went dark.

(End of Flashback)

'I should have been faster, this wouldn't have happened if I had my brooch.' Usagi regretfully thought, wiping the stray tears from her cheeks. 'She would have killed me if it had not been for Yumi-, no, Apollo-chan.' She thought, grateful her friend had assisted her. Zipping her jacket closed, she turned at the sound of a knock on her door.

Glancing over at Kikyo who was still slumbering, she quickly walked to the door not wanting the toddler's rest to be interrupted. Quietly opening the door, she felt her eyes widen in surprise when seeing Haruka standing in the hall. "Haruka-chan." She softly stated, unable to hold back her tears as she launched herself forwards, tearfully embracing her friend. "I'm sorry." She tearfully apologized, tears streaking her cheeks.

"Neko-chan." Haruka softly stated, tightly embracing her distraught Princess. "Are you alright, Neko-chan?" She demanded, unable to conceal the waver in her voice as she spoke. "Hotaru-chan, she found blood at the practice field. We've been so worried about you." She said, tightening her hold around her friend as Usagi broke down, her small frame quaking with her soft sobs. "It's alright, Neko-chan, you're safe now. We're not going to let this happen again." She swore, trying to console and calm her friend so she could question her.

"Usagi-chan." Michiru softly stated, seeing how shaken her friend was over her ordeal. "What happened? Are you alright?" She worriedly asked, resting her hand against her friend's shoulder unaware of the scar that was concealed by the jacket. Watching her friend wipe the tears from her cheeks as she shakily exhaled, trying to calm her emotions so she could respond.

"It- it happened so fast." Usagi tearfully stated, trying to calm her shaky voice. "I was at the practice field with Yumiko-chan. Sitha, the one who attacked me before at the Activity Complex, she attacked us while we were gathering the baseballs from the field." She explained, lowering her gaze in her shame before she continued to speak. "I didn't sense her presence this time, not until it was too late. She attacked without warning, I-"

"Is Yumiko-san alright?" Michiru worriedly interrupted, watching her Princess silently nod her head.

"Yes, he was able to escape from her. I told him to go for help so I could transform." Usagi said, then shook her head a bitter laugh escaping her lips. "I'm such a baka." She bitterly stated, as more tears streaked her cheeks. "I- realized too late that I had left my brooch in the car. I tried to run from them, I tried my best to reach my car while they argued over me."

"They?" Haruka questioned with alarm. "There's another one?"

"Yes, there was another one with her this time. He kept telling her to get what she needed, then to dispose of me." Usagi tearfully stated, then looked over at Yaten and Taiki who were quietly standing back in the living room listening to the conversation. "I swear, I didn't tell them where Kikyo-chan was, I will lay my life down for her before I give them what they want." She promised her two friends, not seeing their surprised looks as Haruka abruptly grabbed her by her chin forcing her to look at her.

"We will not let that happen." Haruka sternly spoke, watching her friend tearfully look at her before she silently nodded her head. "What happened next, Neko-chan?" She urged, trying to control the myriad of emotions she was experiencing as Usagi described her ordeal.

"I- I was running away from them and I remember this sharp, horrible pain from behind, then everything went dark." Usagi continued, closing her eyes and drawing in a deep shaky breath hoping they would believe the rest of her story. "I- I woke up a block from here this morning, I came straight home as soon as I woke. I don't know what happened after I blacked out." She said, tearfully looking up at her two friends hoping and praying they would believe her. "I- I have this, so someone must have come to my rescue." She stated, stepping back from Haruka's embrace as she quietly unzipped the jacket. Drawing in a shaky breath, she prepared herself, nervously awaiting their reaction as she lowered back her jacket from her shoulder revealing the fresh scar.

"Usagi-chan." Michiru gasped, covering her mouth in shock at the size of the scar. "Who would have-"

"I don't know." Usagi softly stated, raising the jacket back over her scar. "Someone helped me escape and healed my injury." She stated, looking at her two friends. "We must have an ally out there. That is the only explanation for why I'm not de-"

"Don't you dare say it." Haruka demanded, interrupting her Princess before she could finish her statement. "We're not going to allow this to happen to you, never again." She swore, resting her hand on her friend's shoulder. "Do you remember anything else after they hurt you?"

"No." Usagi softly stated, tears streaking her cheeks, her guilt becoming unbearable for lying to her friends. 'I have to do this, they would forbid me from ever seeing Yumiko-chan again if they knew the truth.' She sadly thought, knowing it was the only way to keep her friends secret from getting out to her two overprotective friends.

Seeing how exhausted her friend looked, Haruka proudly smiled at the thought of how honest her friend had been with them. "Go and get some rest, Neko-chan. You look exhausted, you need to replenish your energy." She advised, watching their Princess tiredly smile, before nodding her head. "We'll return this evening, will you please remain in the apartment for today?" She insisted.

"Yes, I won't go anywhere, I promise." Usagi stated, watching her Guardian smile at her.

"Keep your brooch with you at all times." Michiru sternly reminded her friend as she rested her hand on her friend's shoulder looking into her tired gaze. "One of us will be nearby at all times until this threat has been eliminated."

"Thank you, Michiru-chan." Usagi said, tearfully smiling at her friend. "For once, I'm looking forward to one of you shadowing me." She tearfully laughed, watching her two friends smile at her comment.

"I will allow them to remain here, you should be safe having the Starlights here as added protection." Haruka stated, watching her Princess look at her in surprise. "Forget what we discussed, you three are staying here." She sternly stated while glancing back at Taiki and Yaten.

"Alright, we're fine with that." Yaten happily agreed, watching Haruka nod before she turned her attention back towards Usagi.

"Get some rest Neko-chan, we'll see you later this evening." Haruka instructed, watching her Princess smile and nod her head. "I'm glad you're alright." She said, embracing her Princess once more before she tearfully spoke. "Please don't scare us like that ever again." She sternly stated, smiling as she felt Usagi silently nod in response to her request.

Brushing a few stray tears from her cheeks, Usagi shakily exhaled feeling emotionally exhausted from letting herself release her fears and frustrations from her earlier ordeal. Watching her two friends leave the apartment, she quietly turned her attention to Taiki and Yaten. "I'm sorry, but I need to get some rest will you-"

"Go get some rest Usagi-chan, you've been through a lot." Taiki interrupted his friend, worriedly smiling at the blonde. "We'll listen for Kikyo-sama, if you leave your door ajar for us."

"I will, thank you, Taiki-chan." Usagi stated, smiling at her two friends before she quietly turned and entered her bedroom once more. Entering her bedroom, she smiled seeing Kikyo was still lying in the same spot on the bed curled up asleep sucking her thumb as she slept. 'I meant what I said, I'm not going to let them hurt you.' She thought as she gently pulled the blankets back. Carefully getting into the bed, she eased into the bed not wanting to disturb the sleeping toddler as she pulled the blankets over her. Turning onto her side to where her back faced Kikyo, she smiled when feeling Kikyo soon snuggle next to her. Closing her eyes, she felt her fatigue catch up with her as she drifted into a deep slumber.


(Three Hours Later)

Groggily exiting the spare bedroom, Seiya smiled as he heard Kikyo's soft chatter sound from Usagi's bedroom. 'Is she back?' He worriedly thought, as his brother quickly entered the bedroom. Watching Yaten emerge moments later, he noticed his brother trying to quiet Kikyo as she began to whimper, reaching back for something in the bedroom. "What is it Kikyo-sama?" He tiredly asked, watching his Princess abruptly turn at the sound of his voice, a bright smile spreading across her lips.

"Sei-chan!" Kikyo happily squealed, reaching her arms out for the dark-haired guardian.

"Shh.. Kikyo-sama." Yaten shushed, quickly glancing back to see Usagi briefly stir in her slumber before drifting deeper into her slumber. Handing the wriggling toddler to Seiya, he turned and gently pulled the door shut with a soft click. "Don't wake, Usagi-chan." He quietly fussed at the toddler, then cringed at the abrupt realization they never woke their brother upon his request of Usagi returning.

"Odango is back?" Seiya abruptly demanded. "Where was she? Is she alright? What happened?" He worriedly asked, not allowing his brother time to answer his questions.

"Usa-chan." Kikyo happily stated, reaching towards the closed door. "Hold." She demanded as she began her attempt to wriggle free from her Guardian's hold.

"Not right now, Kikyo-sama. She will be awake later, I promise, let her rest." Yaten insisted, sighing in frustration as tears began to well in the toddler's eyes. " Please don't cry, Kikyo-sama." He pleaded, watching with panic as the toddler was preparing herself for one of her tantrums.

"USA-CHAN!" Kikyo loudly wailed, tears streaking her small cheeks as she screamed and wailed at the top of her lungs. Turning and slapping Seiya in her anger, she felt him quickly lower her to the floor, her bottom roughly hitting the floor in his frustration, a small grunt escaping her lips.

"No ma'am, we do not hit, that hurts." Seiya sternly stated, watching the small Princess immediately throw herself back onto the floor with another grunt, her arms flailing and legs angrily kicking about as she screamed and cried at the top of her lungs.

"Seiya!" Yaten angrily snapped, quickly scooping their wailing Princess into his arms as he scurried out of the hall away from Usagi's bedroom door.

"What did I do?" Seiya incredulously asked, looking at his brother in irritation as he silently followed his brother. "I'm not the one having the tantrum." He muttered, irritated he was getting the blame for the toddler's sudden tantrum.

"You're the one that upset her." Yaten snapped, glaring at his brother as he failed to calm the crying child.

"Let me see her." Taiki stated, taking their Princess into his arms. Feeling her wrap her arms around his neck, he felt her suddenly grab a fistful of hair from his ponytail before jerking down onto the fistful of hair. "OW!" He cried out, trying to pry her small vice-like grip free from his hair. "Kikyo-sama, what has gotten into you?" He demanded, wondering why the toddler was lashing out at them. "Don't just stand there, you baka's! Help me get her hand off my hair!" He shouted as his brothers stood in silent confoundment at his sudden predicament.

"Here, let me." Seiya stated, rushing forwards and trying to pry the child's tight grip from his brother's ponytail. "Damn, she's not letting go." He chuckled, trying his best to not laugh at his brother's situation.

"Will you stop laughing!" Taiki howled in his frustration. "Damn this hurts!"

"Let me try." Yaten stated, rushing forwards to try to help release the little hellion they called their Princess free from his brother's hair. "This is all your fault Seiya!"

"How is this my fault?!" Seiya demanded, glaring at his brother as he briefly forgot he was in the middle of prying their Princess from Taiki.

"Hello?!" Taiki immediately snapped, glaring at his brothers. "I would like to keep my hair!" He shouted, feeling his Princess give another sharp jerk against his ponytail. "Will you just get her off me!" He shouted, then froze as their friend suddenly spoke causing the three of them to abruptly cease their arguing.

"What is going on in here?!" Usagi tiredly demanded, standing in the hall looking at the three in disbelief as they tried to pry Kikyo off of Taiki. "Seiya." She gasped, tears shining in her eyes as she watched him abandon his brother and quickly walk forwards.

"Odango." Seiya stated, nervously reaching out and resting his hand against her arm. "Are- are you alright?" He worriedly asked.

"I'm fine." Usagi softly stated, a few stray tears streaking her cheeks at the sight of the raven-haired man that stood before her. "I'm so glad you're finally here, I've been so worried about you." She tearfully stated, closing the space between them as she embraced him.

"Odango." Seiya softly stated, blushing as the blonde embraced him. Wrapping his arms around her, he smiled at how perfectly she still fit in his arms. 'It's good to see you again, I've missed you so much.' He thought, snapping from his thoughts at their Princess's excited squeal.

"My, Usa-chan!" Kikyo happily squealed, releasing her vice-like grip on Taiki's hair. Feeling him abruptly set her down, she happily ran forwards hugging her protector's leg. "Hold." She stated, happily smiling up at the blonde. "Sei-chan, go!" She shouted, pushing against Seiya's leg as she wriggled her way between the couple.

"You're such a brat." Seiya muttered, chuckling as he took a step back to allow Usagi to lift his Princess into her arms. "Sorry, she woke you." He apologized, his cheeks turning a shade of pink. "I'm partially at fault for her tantrum."

"No, it's all your fault." Yaten quipped, glaring at his brother. "You're the one who pissed her off in the hall." He snapped.

"Yaten-chan, language." Taiki snapped, sighing in frustration.

"Kikyo-chan." Usagi gently stated, smiling as the child's affectionately snuggled against her. "Are you hungry? Is that why you're upset?" She asked, walking past Seiya towards the kitchen.

"Upset?" Yaten incredulously asked, looking at his friend in disbelief. "That was far from being upset, that was a full-blown meltdown." He muttered, watching his friend roll her eyes at his comment as she carried Kikyo into the kitchen. "What are you doing?" He demanded, trailing behind her in a huff.

"What does it look like?" Usagi asked, laughing in amusement. "I'm making Kikyo-chan breakfast."

"Usagi-chan, you should be resting." Yaten insisted, watching the blonde rest Kikyo on the floor before retrieving a bowl and rubber spatula.

"I'm alright Yaten-chan, really." Usagi responded in amusement, gently laughing at the big fuss he was making over her preparing breakfast.

"I'm sorry for Kikyo-sama waking you." Taiki apologized as he walked into the kitchen, easing when his friend smiled over at him before she shrugged and responded.

"It's alright, she's still a baby, she doesn't understand." Usagi assured her friend, smiling over at the toddler who was occupied by two small birds hopping around outside her balcony door. Watching her excitedly slap her hands against the door, she felt her smile broaden at the child's immediate disdain as the birds flew away at the sharp blow against the door. "You scared them, silly girl." She teased, watching the toddler swiftly glance back at her. "Where did they go, Kikyo-chan?" She asked, watching the toddler turn her curious gaze back towards the door as she spoke.

"They go?" Kikyo repeated, turning her gaze towards the large glass door once again. No longer having the entertainment of the birds on the balcony to watch, she turned her curious gaze towards the four adults in the room before deciding to go in search of her missing bunny. "Bun bun, you go?!" She called out as she ran out of the room.

"Why is she so calm with you, Odango?" Seiya chuckled as he walked into the kitchen. "She's always been a little hellion with us." He remarked with an amused smile.

"Seiya-chan." Taiki snapped, shaking his head in annoyance at his brother's comment. "She's still the Princess, show her the respect she deserves."

"Relax Taiki-chan, she's two, she doesn't know I'm insulting her, yet." Seiya retorted, chuckling at how serious his brother was acting. "Besides, I'm sure you were thinking much worse things a few moments ago when she had her death grip on your hair." He chortled, ignoring his brother's immediate glare and scowl directed towards him.

"I don't understand why she acts out with you three." Usagi stated, hoping to diffuse anything from escalating between Taiki and Seiya. "She's never lashed out at me, as she does with you three." She said, smiling with amusement. "She must like me better." She teased with an amused giggle.

"Perhaps." Seiya responded, stopping near the blonde before standing opposite to her as he leaned back against the counter. "How did you find her Odango?" He curiously asked, watching his friend pause her stirring, remaining silent as she contemplated on what to say.

"I-" Usagi stated, pausing for a moment wondering if she would sound crazy if she told them the truth. "I think Kakyuu-sama had something to do with it." She softly stated, missing her three friends' shocked looks as she kept her gaze down on the bowl of batter she'd been preparing.

"What do you mean?" Seiya urged, tears shining in his eyes at the mention of their fallen Queen.

"I think she was communicating to me in my dreams." Usagi responded, keeping her gaze down as she thought back to the terrible premonitions that plagued her dreams shortly before she discovered Kikyo at the park that fateful night. "I was having these premonitions a week before I found Kikyo-chan." She explained, turning and looking at her three friends knowing they deserved an explanation as she explained the events that led up to her finding Kikyo.

(Flashback)

Taking notice of a shooting star streaking across the late-night sky, she cried out in pain, grabbing onto her head as the premonition suddenly filled her mind once more.

'Protect her…' A soft feminine voice weakly pleaded in her mind. 'Protect the Princess…'

Opening her eyes as the vision ended, Usagi watched in shock as a small red butterfly fluttered towards her window. Watching the butterfly enter through the closed window, she extended her hand out, tears streaking her cheeks when feeling the warm familiar energy as the butterfly rested against her hand.

"It can't be." She gasped, looking at the butterfly in awe. "Are they back?" She asked, then gasped as the butterfly fluttered off her hand. "Wait!" She cried out, acting out on the sudden urge to follow. Slipping her jacket over her pajamas, she quickly hurried out of her bedroom, rushing to get her shoes on. Watching the butterfly flutter past her patio door, she sighed in relief before she spoke hoping the small butterfly would understand her. "Please wait for me, I'll be down shortly." She pleaded, as she swiftly ran out of her apartment in pursuit of the small butterfly.

(End of Flashback)

"I followed the butterfly to the park, I never imagined I would find a child. I was honestly expecting to see you three instead." Usagi said, smiling as she thought back to the first encounter with the small Kinmoku Princess.

(Flashback)

Scanning the sky for the red butterfly as she ran along the sidewalk, Usagi glanced back and groaned out in dismay when seeing the long distance she was putting between her and her apartment. "I should have taken my car." She tiredly grumbled, sighing out in frustration wondering where the small butterfly was leading her. Wrapping her arms around her from a gust of wind, she shivered as the cold brisk autumn air cut through her cotton pajama bottoms chilling her even more. 'I should have dressed warmer too.' She miserably thought, regretting her many mistakes. Realizing she'd lost sight of the small butterfly as she mentally chastised herself, she stopped in a panic, scanning the night sky in search of the shimmers of power that radiated from the small red insect. 'Damn, where did it go?' She thought with a brief moment of panic.

Spotting the small red butterfly once more, Usagi breathed a sigh of relief before running across the street. Noticing the park's entrance in the distance, she continued to follow the small flutters of the butterfly wondering who would be waiting for her in the park. 'Has something happened?' She worriedly thought, thinking of her three friends and their Princess as she entered through the gates of the park's entrance.

Trying to keep her gaze on the path and the butterfly, Usagi growled out in frustration when seeing she'd lost sight of the butterfly once again. "Where did you go?" She worriedly called out, looking around the night sky for its soft shimmer of power. Startled when it fluttered past her, she watched as it fluttered in the direction of the rose gardens. "Wait for me!" She called out, quickly going in pursuit of the small butterfly.

Cautiously approaching the gardens, Usagi immediately halted her steps, her heart nervously beating when hearing the muffled sounds of crying. 'Is that a child?!' She thought with shock and sudden apprehension, as she swiftly ran forwards. Running along the familiar garden paths, she felt her fear grow as the cries became more clear revealing a child was crying. Running forwards in the direction of the soft cries, Usagi desperately glanced around the dark looking for any sign of a child hiding in the shadows. 'Where are you?' She worriedly thought with panic, unable to locate the source of the cries as she ran deeper into the gardens.

(End of Flashback)

"I followed the path and her cries until I found her." Usagi softly stated, tears shining in her eyes. "As soon as I saw her, I knew something terrible must have happened." Wiping away a few stray tears from her cheeks, she smiled as she could hear the child singing to her bunny in the living room. "She was so terrified, but she trusted me enough to let me take her back to my apartment." She tearfully stated, pausing as she drew in a wavering breath. "You've all been through so much, I can't imagine the pain you must be experiencing from your loss." She softly stated, stray tears streaking her cheeks. "I wish there had been some way I could have helped prevent what happened on Kinmoku."

Feeling Seiya rest his hand on her shoulder, she immediately embraced him burying her face against his chest as she cried. "I don't know what I would have done if I had lost you all." She sniffled, not noticing Seiya tense at her words, a blush creeping to his cheeks.

"We're here now, Odango. We're safe, and our Princess is safe, thanks to you." Seiya tearfully responded, smiling down at her as she turned her tear-filled gaze up at him.


(Later That Evening)

Looking into the bedroom, Usagi smiled watching Kikyo suck her thumb as she slept in the middle of the bed. 'Good night, sweet Princess.' She thought, while gently pulling the door shut. Silently walking back to the living room, she sat on the floor giving her Guardians her full attention once more who was patiently waiting for her return.

"We need you to promise us you will contact us and let us know where you're going when you leave the apartment." Haruka began, watching their Princess nod her head. "Neko-chan, you're lucky that you're sitting here with us right now. I wish you remembered more about who stepped in to assist you while you were injured. We don't know if they're a threat to you as well or not."

"They're not a threat." Usagi snapped in irritation, abruptly realizing her mistake too late. "They healed my injury, Haruka-chan. Why would they bother helping me, if they did not mean to become an ally." She corrected herself, hoping her response was enough to correct her mistake for lashing out so quickly.

"Usagi-chan, their intentions may still be misleading. We need you to be cautious and ready to transform when you're not at your apartment. This cannot happen again, you need to stay vigilant and ready to fight." Setsuna softly stated, suspecting their Princess was keeping something from them. "Do you remember any more from what happened?"

"No." Usagi said, averting her gaze as she glanced towards the balcony where Taiki, Yaten, and Seiya were waiting to give them some privacy to talk. "They should be inside, it's too cold for them to be outside." She sighed, not wanting her friends to get sick from being out in the cold too long. "They can hear what we have to say, I'll end up telling them anyway." She muttered, standing and walking towards the balcony door.

"She's keeping something from us." Setsuna softly stated, as soon as their Princess was out of the room.

"She'll let it slip, give her some time." Michiru said, smiling with amusement, knowing their Princess was terrible at keeping secrets. "Give her time, she'll slip up to one of us or Rei-chan."

"We have to get her out of the city for a while." Haruka insisted, watching the three young men enter the apartment once more. Frowning when she noticed the subtle looks Seiya was giving her Princess, she clenched her jaw more knowing his intentions to try and sway her were still strong as the day he left.

"Where would we take her?" Hotaru curiously asked, trying to think of a safe location for their Princess.

"What about the lake?" Rei suggested, watching Setsuna and Michiru exchange a look, while Haruka was still glaring daggers in Seiya's direction. "We could rent a cabin."

"Neko-chan, how much longer is your break?" Haruka asked, turning her gaze towards her Princess.

"This is my last week off." Usagi responded as she walked into the room once more. 'What are they up to?' She suspiciously thought, knowing her five Guardians were scheming something while she had stepped out of the room. "Why do you ask, Haruka-chan?" She curiously asked.

"You're going to the lake with us for the week." Haruka responded, not seeing the look of surprise on Usagi's face as she kept her gaze forwards

"What?" Usagi asked, shaking her head with disbelief. "I can't just leave, I-"

"Why not?" Michiru asked, raising her brow wondering what excuse her Princess could come up with on the spot.

"I- I've been practicing with Yumiko-chan, he's expecting me to-" Usagi began to explain before she was interrupted by Haruka.

"You're not supposed to be going around him, Neko-chan. Do I need to remind you what you two almost did on Halloween?" Haruka asked, looking at her Princess to see her friend turn a deep shade of red.

"That was a mistake." Usagi defended herself, nervously clearing her throat to try to push past her embarrassment, hoping the others had not heard Haruka's comment. "We've both apologized to one another for our behavior that night." She added, wishing she had not mentioned Yumiko in front of Seiya.

Raising her brow in irritation, Haruka softly exhaled, shaking her head at her friend's naive comment. "Mistake or not, I don't want you around him Neko-chan. He's only after one thing, he won't stop until he-"

::Knock Knock::

"I'll get it, I'll be right back." Usagi announced, wanting to escape the uncomfortable conversation with Haruka. Noticing Seiya reach the door before her, she felt her heart stop for a moment as the door opened, revealing Yumiko. 'What is he doing here?!' She thought, suddenly panicked as she quickened her steps to the door. 'I have to get him out of here!' She frantically thought, knowing she couldn't allow Haruka to see him at the apartment.


Sitting at the kitchen table as the small group continued to talk in the living room, Yaten and Taiki were both struggling to stifle their laughter as Haruka brought up the Halloween incident. Noticing Seiya curiously listening in on the conversation, they watched him immediately look at them wanting answers at the mention of Yumiko.

"What is Haruka-san talking about?" Seiya quietly questioned. "Who is-"

"Later." Yaten quietly responded, his smile broadening at the memory of his very drunk friend. "Trust me, it will be better if I can explain it when they leave." He chuckled, smiling more when he noticed he'd piqued his brother's curiosity. "Let's just say-

::Knock Knock::

"I'll get it." Seiya stated as his brother's made no notion to get the door. Standing and walking towards the door, he didn't notice or hear Usagi announce she was answering the door as well.

'Who could it be?' Yaten curiously thought, glancing towards the living room to see Usagi was taking advantage of the unexpected guest knocking on the door to escape from Haruka's lecture. 'I wonder.' He thought, a mischievous smile spreading across his lips wondering if the topic of conversation had graced them with a visit. 'This is going to be good.' He eagerly thought with amusement.

Noticing his brother grinning, Taiki watched with anticipation suspecting who was at the door since the only other people who visited their friend were already present in the apartment. 'This is going to be an interesting evening.' He thought, unable to hide his smile spreading across his lips as his brother opened the door, Usagi arriving only moments later.

Opening the door, Seiya looked in surprise seeing a young man with blonde hair standing on the other side looking back at him with equal surprise. "Yes? Can I help you?" He curtly asked, wondering why the man was at the apartment.

"Is Usagi-chan here?" Yumiko calmly asked, hoping his friend was alright since she did not answer the door. 'Perhaps I should have made her stay and rest longer.' He worriedly thought, then eased as his friend quickly ducked under the raven-haired man's arm and stepped out of the apartment. "I'm sorry." He quietly apologized, his voice low enough for only her to hear.

"What are you doing here?" Usagi quickly asked, nervously glancing back to make sure Haruka had not followed her to the door.

"I wanted to make sure you were alright. You haven't been answering my calls or texts." Yumiko worriedly stated, reaching out and gently brushing his hand against her arm. Hearing Usagi sigh out, he watched her apologetically look up at him as she spoke.

"I'm sorry, I forgot I silenced my phone so I could sleep." Usagi explained, feeling guilty for making her friend worry. "I'm really sorry, Yumiko-chan." She apologized, smiling and blushing as he gently took her hand into his. Blushing under the soft delicate touch, as he brushed his thumb against the back of her hand, she blushed more as he leaned in closer to her, his warm breath against her face.

"I was worried you didn't want to see me anymore." Yumiko softly stated his nervousness ceasing when seeing how red his friend's cheeks were getting. Glancing at the dark-haired man who was still eavesdropping at the door, he fought back his smile when noticing the dark-haired man was not making any attempt to hide his jealousy as he watched them, his mouth agape in surprise of their close proximity. 'He's jealous of me.' He thought with newfound amusement. 'This is going to be fun.' He thought, knowing he was going to take great pleasure getting under the man's skin.

"Yumiko-chan." Usagi softly stated, gently pulling her hand from his. "Of course I want to see you, why wouldn't I?" She asked, smiling as she took a step back. "I have your bag here." She said, motioning towards the doorway. "I-" Hearing Haruka say something, she immediately grew silent, her stomach nervously twisting as Seiya glanced back to respond to Haruka. 'Don't say it Seiya-chan! Please don't say anything.' Her mind shouted too late, her eyes closing and a defeated sigh escaping her lips as Seiya announced Yumiko's presence.

Curiously watching his friend go from worry to panic, Yumiko quirked his brow at his friend's sudden, odd behavior. Watching the blonde swiftly step in front of him, he took notice of the dark-haired man quickly stepping aside as the door abruptly jerked open. 'Dammit, she must be one of the Guardians to the Princess.' He thought with panic, immediately recognizing the aggressive blonde from the night of the Halloween party.


'This is Yumiko-san.' Seiya jealousy thought, watching the way the young man was holding Usagi's hand. 'How dare he touch her so intimately.' He thought, unable to control his growing discomfort as the blonde continued to make Usagi blush. Clenching his fist at his side, he felt his other hand tightly gripping onto the door as he struggled to resist the urge to punch the guy.

"Who is at the door Seiya-san?" Haruka curiously asked, noticing how tense Seiya was becoming the longer he stood at the door, a combination of his body and the door blocking her view of Usagi's visitor. Watching Seiya turn his head and look at her, she frowned, not seeing their Princess in view. "Where's Neko-chan?"

"She's out in the hall talking with this guy." Seiya responded with a jab of his thumb over his shoulder, the disdain thick in his voice.

"What?!" Haruka snapped, abruptly standing at attention like a guard dog catching the scent of an intruder. "That son of a… I told him not to ever show… going to kill him..." She snarled under her breath as she made her way out of the living room.

Smirking as Haruka swiftly stood and angrily walked towards the door, Seiya couldn't help the smug smile from spreading across his lips happy to let the sandy-haired Guardian tend to the man who was putting his hands on his Odango. Gladly stepping aside, he watched Haruka open the door with force while turning her murderous gaze towards the blonde that was standing behind Usagi looking pretty damn nervous. Leaning against the door, he stood back and watched with amusement at the look of sudden discomfort and almost fear becoming apparent on the young man's face. 'Serves you right.' He smugly thought, a smile spreading across his lips at a thought. 'It's so nice not being on the receiving end for once.' He happily thought, glad he'd finally earned enough respect from the volatile Guardian to stay out of her radar for the time being.

Frowning as Usagi protectively took a step back to shield Yumiko further from Haruka, Seiya watched with surprise as Usagi squared her shoulders, preparing to stand her ground with the taller Guardian. 'Wow, this is new with her.' He thought with awe, never remembering Usagi being able to stand up to any of her Guardians the way she was now. ''Does Odango have feelings for him?' He worriedly thought, his stomach sinking and tightly twisting as his smirk turned into a worried frown with his growing apprehension. 'Is that why she's protecting him from her?'

"What are you doing here?" Haruka angrily demanded, glaring at the blonde who was standing behind Usagi with a look of unease. "I told you to stay the hell away from her." She sneered, frustrated her Princess had placed herself between them. "I will finish what I started if you don't leave 'now'." She threatened, her eyes narrowing with her warning.

"Haruka-chan, enough." Usagi pleaded, looking up at her friend in disbelief and frustration. "He's my friend, just as you're my friend." She tried to reason with her very agitated friend.

"Why is he here, Neko-chan?" Haruka demanded, turning her scathing glare from the blonde-haired man to her Princess.

"He's here for his bag." Usagi quickly stated, grateful the bag had been there to use as an excuse for her friend's unexpected visit. "Let me grab it for you, Yumiko-chan." She said, hesitantly leaving him as she quickly went to retrieve his bag from the entryway. Glaring at Seiya as she walked past him, she watched him look at her in surprise and confusion to her sudden anger towards him. Lifting Yumiko's bag from the floor, she turned and gasped seeing Haruka standing in front of her, blocking her from exiting the apartment once more. "Haruka-chan!" She cried out, as her friend abruptly jerked the bag from her hand silently turning towards the door once more. "Haruka-chan, please-"

"Here, take it." Haruka sneered as she stopped at the doorway, roughly tossing the bag at Yumiko's feet. "I don't want to see you here again, this is your last and final warning I will allow you." She warned, unsure if he even remembered her first threat since he was just as drunk as her Princess. "Understand?"

"Message received." Yumiko scoffed, glaring at the aggressive blonde as he placed the strap of his bag on his shoulder. Turning his gaze towards Usagi who was silently standing behind the blonde looking embarrassed as she was forced to watch her friends attempt to belittle and threaten him, he couldn't help the smile that spread across his lips as he met his friend's gaze. "I'll see you around, Usagi-chan." He said, boldly winking at his friend. Relieved to see a smile spread across her lips, his smile grew as she blushed before speaking.

"I'll see you around, Yumiko-chan." Usagi responded, blushing and smiling at his boldness to wink at her after Haruka had just threatened him. Stifling her laugh, she didn't notice the cold look Seiya cast towards Yumiko as he sauntered the direction of the elevators. "He's such a flirt." She giggled in amusement, turning and walking in the direction of the living room once more, a smile spread across her lips.

Cringing when her apartment door loudly shut behind her, Usagi knew Haruka was pissed with her. 'Run!' Her mind urged as she quickly attempted to take a sharp turn trying to detour through the kitchen. "Eep!" Feeling a squeak escaping her lips as Haruka suddenly had her by the wrist stopping her midstep, she released an exhale before turning and looking at her very livid Guardian. "I didn't know he was coming over, Haruka-chan." She quickly defended herself. "I swear, I-"

"Pack your things." Haruka angrily interrupted her friend, not allowing her room to speak. "We're leaving in the morning to go to the lake for a few days, we'll be back in the morning to pick you up. "

"What if I don't want to go?" Usagi challenged, then frowned when Haruka gave her a stern look telling her she didn't have a say in the matter.

"You're going whether you like it or not." Haruka responded, irritation laced in her voice. "After what happened to you at the field, we want you away from the city for a few days."

"It's not going to make any difference." Usagi muttered, softly sighing in annoyance.

"What is that supposed to mean?" Haruka challenged her friend, surprised by the boldness of her friend's comment.

"Nothing." Usagi sighed out, cutting her gaze towards the table where Taiki and Yaten were silently sitting trying to play off that they had been obviously listening in on the conversation. Feeling a mischievous smile spread across her lips, she tore her gaze from her two friends, before looking at Haruka with a challenging gaze. "They're going to the lake with me, Haruka-chan, or I'm not going." She calmly commanded, trying to keep a firm look as she stated her stipulation. "I'm not going anywhere without Kikyo-chan."

"If it will get you out of the city, that's fine." Haruka reluctantly agreed, hoping the Kinmoku Princess and her three Guardians would help keep their Princess sidetracked and out of trouble for a few days. 'As long as it's not the other douchebag, I can tolerate Seiya-san for a few days.' She bitterly thought, cutting her gaze towards the raven-haired man as he quietly returned to sit at the table with the other two.

"Really?" Usagi asked, shocked at her friend's willingness to agree to her stipulation without any kind of argument. "What no lect-" She retorted, abruptly growing silent at the warning glare Haruka gave her. "Alright, I'll get my bags packed later tonight." She casually stated, raising her hands in defense as Haruka released her wrist.

Watching her friend walk into the living room, Haruka immediately turned her gaze towards the three sitting at the table. "Don't make me regret this." She warned, keeping her gaze on Seiya as she spoke.

"What the hell?" Seiya muttered, glaring at Yaten as he snickered at him. 'So much for me thinking she would give me a break.' He thought with a frown.


Watching Usagi walk into the living room once more, Rei contained her disappointment as she spoke. "I won't be going, Usagi-chan." She stated, seeing the disappointment and questioning look in her friend's gaze. "We still need to have someone here defending the city." She explained, watching Setsuna and Hotaru nod in silent agreement.

"But they're not attacking the city, they're after me and Kikyo-chan." Usagi argued, not noticing Michiru and Setsuna tense at the comment. "Well, mostly me at the moment." She muttered with a frown, resting her hand over her shoulder where the scar was hidden by the pink jacket.

"Rei-chan, Hotaru-chan, and I will remain in Tokyo." Setsuna calmly stated, watching her Princess snap from her thoughts and turn her attention towards her.

"Yes, we'll ensure the enemy doesn't attempt anything while you're away." Hotaru affirmed with a smile and a firm nod of the head.

"Haruka-chan and I will accompany you to the lake." Michiru stated, before casually adding. "It seems you're asking for more trouble since the others will now be accompanying us." She added, watching a smug smirk spread across her friend's lips.

"Princess." Setsuna calmly spoke, watching her friend's smirk immediately drop. "Please." She implored. "Don't do anything reckless." She cautioned.

"I'm not." Usagi responded with an amused laugh. "I seem to only get into trouble when I'm with Yumiko-chan and he's not going to be there, so everything will be fine Setsuna-chan." She said with a wave of her hand, trying to reassure her friend and brush off the Time Guardians' ominous caution.

Glancing towards the kitchen as Setsuna and the others spoke with Usagi over the plans, Rei noticed Yaten and Taiki were deep in conversation while Seiya had his head discreetly turned, keeping a watchful eye on Usagi. 'He still has feelings for her.' She thought with surprise. 'Even after all these years, he hasn't given up on her.'

"Right, Rei-chan?" Michiru asked, watching the miko snap from her thoughts.

"What?" Rei asked, embarrassed she'd missed most of the conversation.

"I was saying you would be performing fire reading to see if we could get any leads." Michiru patiently repeated.

"Yes, I'll see if we can get any insight on their base or what their intentions are for you." Rei explained, watching Michiru smile and nod. "Usagi-chan." She asked, watching her friend turn her gaze towards her. "Have you told Mamoru-chan or any other others about what happened?"

"No, there's no need to alarm them." Usagi nonchalantly responded with a shrug. "I'm alright, now if I was lying on my deathbed, then yes they would be informed of the-"

"How can you take this so lightly?" Haruka demanded, watching Usagi abruptly look up at her. "You're keeping something from us, you're-"

"I was the one who was attacked, Haruka-chan, not you." Usagi angrily interrupted. "Why would I keep something from any of you?" She demanded. "I already told you, I don't remember what happened after I was attacked, I woke up and I came straight home." She snapped.

"We should be going, we still have our own things to pack." Michiru calmly stated, resting her hand against Haruka's arm as she stood.

Silently nodding her head, Haruka clenched her jaw irritated with her Princesses sudden bout of sass and willingness to bark back at her. 'This isn't like you, Neko-chan.' She worriedly thought, wondering if the newfound independence of being on her own and away from Mamoru and the remaining Inner Guardians were a cause for the sudden change in their friend's personality. 'What is going on with you, should we have the others return? Perhaps having them back here would help.' She thought, weighing the pros and cons of having the remaining Inners return to Tokyo.


(Later That Night)

Lying on her back on the floor, Usagi boredly stared at the television as Taiki sat back on the couch watching the news. Not sensing the sudden attack until it was too late, she grunted out in shock and discomfort as Kikyo suddenly dropped down on her stomach.

"Kikyo-sama." Taiki fussed, immediately standing to retrieve the child.

"She's alright, Taiki-chan, she's already attacked me." Usagi stated with amusement, waving away the brunette.

"She shouldn't be acting like that, she's a Princess." Taiki insisted with a frown, surprised by the toddler's rowdy behavior. "She-"

"That's Yumiko's fault, he likes to roughhouse with her." Usagi giggled. "Of course she's always the winning contender." She stated, turning her gaze to Kikyo who was sitting atop of her stomach smiling down at her. "Are you ready to go to the lake and have some fun tomorrow?" She asked watching the toddler happily point towards her small overnight bag.

"Go-go!" Kikyo happily announced, an excited smile spreading across her lips.

"Yes, we'll go in the morning. Cranky Haruka-chan will be here in the morning to make sure I follow them." Usagi responded, turning her gaze towards the television once more. Lifting her phone from the floor, she frowned when seeing she'd missed a call and received two texts from Mamoru.

"Everything alright?" Yaten asked, noticing the look his friend made when she looked at her phone.

"Yes, everything is fine." Usagi responded, setting the phone onto the floor once more. "Come on, Kikyo-chan. We should be getting to bed, I don't know how long of a drive it will be." She sighed, setting the child off her stomach as she raised from the floor. "I hope you guys don't mind that I volunteered you for the trip?" She asked, looking over to Taiki and Yaten.

"It will be nice to get out of the apartment for a bit." Taiki responded first with a polite smile. "I'll be glad when it's safe for Kikyo-sama to travel within the city again."

"Until then, the safest option for her is to remain in the apartment." Yaten concurred, looking at their friend.

"Do you guys need anything for the trip? I can go and pick up anything you're missing." Usagi offered, watching her two friends smile at her offer.

"No, we should have everything we need. Seiya-chan is packing his things now, he should be out soon." Taiki responded smiling at his friend. "Thank you again, Usagi-chan. You have done so much for us, I feel like we're a burden since you've been looking out for us and making sure we have-"

"You don't have to thank me and you're far from a burden." Usagi interrupted her friend with a bright smile. "You're my friends, I'll always be here for you." She promised, before looking down and offering her hand to Kikyo. "Let's go night-night." She prompted, chuckling as the toddler immediately pouted at the mention of returning to bed. "Where's bun-bun?" She asked, smiling when she spotted the stuffed toy in the hall. "There he is." She excitedly responded, pointing and smiling more as the toddler took off in the direction of the toy.

"Usagi-chan." Yaten stated, watching his friend turn and look at him. "Are you sure you're alright?" He worriedly asked, still perturbed at how calm his friend had been acting all day after her ordeal. "You were missing for an entire night come back home covered in dry blood, no memory, and a scar proving you went through something-"

"I'm fine." Usagi abruptly interrupted her friend, turning her back to her friend before quietly walking forwards. "I'll see you guys in the morning." She stated, not giving them time to respond as she lifted Kikyo into her arms and retreated to her room.

Exchanging a worried glance with his brother as soon as their friend shut her bedroom door, Yaten frowned when watching Taiki silently shake his head before speaking.

"It's best to not push it, she'll talk when she's ready." Taiki suggested, watching his brother scowl at his suggestion.

"Where's Odango?" Seiya asked as he walked into the room, a small overnight bag held in his hands.

"She's going to bed." Yaten stated, a smile tugging at the corner of his lips. "Which is what I'm going to do!" He stated, springing up and making a mad dash to the spare bedroom before either of his brothers could react.

"What the hell, Yaten-baka!" Seiya cried out, dropping his bag and making a sprint to the bedroom, only to arrive too late. Watching the door slam in his face as he reached the bedroom, he sighed out in irritation knowing he was going to have to share the pull-out bed within the couch with his brother. "Dammit!" He cursed under his breath, glaring at the door for a moment longer before turning with a pout as he made his way to the living room in defeat.

"You're not sleeping in just your boxers, you're wearing clothes." Taiki warned his brother, watching Seiya make a scowl before silently nodding his head with another pout. "Come on, help me set this up as a bed." He stated, turning off the television as he raised from the couch.


(The Following Morning)

"How much longer?" Yaten boredly sighed, turning his gaze towards the window to look out at the passing scenery.

"How should I know." Usagi grumpily muttered, glancing down at her speedometer to see she was speeding once again to keep up with Haruka. "I better not get a ticket, papa will kill me." She sighed, glancing over as Seiya chuckled.

"I'm sure you could talk your way out of it Odango." Seiya teased, watching her blush and smile.

"Or cry her way out of it." Yaten muttered, chuckling as the blonde glared at him through the rearview mirror. Sighing in relief as Haruka signaled them to turn down a gravel path, he raised in his seat curious to what the cabin they would be staying in looked like.

After a short drive, he felt his jaw drop at the sight of four, two-story cabins that were hidden away in the densely wooded area. The four cabins lined the horseshoe-shaped road, a small dock placed behind each home where the occupants would have their own private boat dock to gain access to the lake. "Damn, this place is nice." He stated, noticing one of the other cabins seemed to be occupied at the moment.

Parking her car beside Haruka's, Usagi looked around the densely wooded area admiring the beauty of nature around her. "This is going to be so much fun to explore." She excitedly stated, looking forward to seeing where the different paths would take her. Pushing the small button to pop her trunk, she opened her door and smiled as the fresh air and soothing sounds of nature greeted her. Glancing over at her friends, she noticed Michiru was walking towards the cabin to unlock it while Haruka gathered their bags, leaving the trunk open to retrieve the groceries they'd purchased for the duration of their stay.

Turning her head at the sound of the passenger doors opening, Usagi glanced back to see Taiki carefully lifting Kikyo out of the car and placing her onto her feet as she looked around her surroundings in wonder, her eyes lit up with excitement.

"Birds!" Kikyo squealed out in delight, quickly taking off without warning.

"Kikyo-sama!" Taiki called out, quickly going after his fleeing Princess. "Get back here, we'll explore later!"

"You should have known better!" Seiya called out to his brother with an amused chuckle. Turning his head, he felt his heart skip a beat, his stomach nervously fluttering as he and Usagi's gazes met. Watching her blush, he felt a smile tug at the corner of his lips, pleased he could still make her react the way she did before. 'I still have a chance.' He thought, with newfound hope.

"Seiya-baka!" Yaten snapped, watching his brother snap from his thoughts. "Quit standing there staring and help with the bags."

"We have five bags, relax." Seiya muttered, rolling his eyes at his brother's immediate scowl. Glancing at Usagi, he watched her make her way towards the back as well. Watching Yaten grab his bag, he reached in next removing Taiki's bag, then his own as Usagi reached for hers. Feeling their hands brush, he smiled at the warm, tingling sensation her soft touch caused.

"Sorry." Usagi muttered, wondering why she felt so relaxed with Taiki and Yaten, yet so nervous when Seiya was around. Watching him lift her bag, she smiled her thanks as she placed the bag on her shoulder and reached in removing Kikyo's bag from the trunk.

Closing the trunk door, Usagi turned her gaze to see a frustrated Taiki returning as Kikyo wriggled, kicked, and screamed wanting out of his arms so she could go and explore once more.

"Down!" Kikyo shouted, tears streaking her cheeks as she wailed at the top of her lungs. "Ki-chan, down!"

"Kikyo-chan." Usagi gently stated, resting the other bag on her opposite shoulder before holding her arms out. "Come see your Usa-chan." She said, watching the toddler immediately reach out for her, her bottom lip pouting as tears streaked her small cheeks.

"Birds." Kikyo whimpered, clinging to the young woman as she sniffled and snuggled against Usagi for comfort.

"It's alright, I'm sure you can come back out in a little bit with me." Usagi assured the child with a smile, wiping the tears away from her small cheeks. "We'll go explore later, I promise."

"I hate that you can do that so easily." Yaten remarked, gaining a smug smile from his friend. "She's so compliant with you."

"What can I say, I have the magic touch." Usagi smugly boasted, resulting in an eye roll and scoff from Yaten.

"If you say so." Yaten dryly muttered as they made their way towards the cabin.


Walking into the cabin entryway of the large cabin, Usagi looked around in awe at the large den that was located to the left of them, a large kitchen and dining room to the right, in front of them was a staircase that led to the cabin's upper story. Setting Kikyo out of her arms, she slid the bag from her shoulder, setting it by the door. Lowering the second bag she had been holding, she smiled watching Kikyo grab onto her bag and drag it away.

"Mine." Kikyo eagerly stated, dragging the bag behind her as she walked towards the living room.

"Yes, that is your bag little miss sassy pants." Usagi chuckled, shaking her head with amusement.

"This place is really nice." Seiya stated, looking around in awe from where he stood in the doorway near Usagi.

"There's four bedrooms on the top floor and two on the bottom." Michiru stated, smiling at the comment Seiya had made in his wonderment as she walked into the cabin, Haruka following close behind her.

"Michiru-chan and I will take the rooms on the lower level." Haruka announced as she walked into the cabin repositioning the bags of groceries she was holding.

"I guess we'll have the rooms on the top floor." Yaten said as he and Taiki walked into the cabin. "I'm going to have my own bed." He excitedly stated, then frowned at the glare Taiki was giving him. 'What did I do?' He thought with annoyance, frowning more when he noticed Usagi blush, an embarrassed look on her face. 'Damn! I probably just hurt her feelings.' He thought with remorse.

"I'm sorry about your living arrangements, Yaten-chan." Usagi apologized, blushing in embarrassment. "I wasn't planning on getting four new roommates or I would have gotten a bigger place." She said, looking up and forcing a smile.

"Don't apologize." Yaten quickly responded, feeling terrible for his comment, not meaning to hurt his friend's feelings. "I didn't mean anything by my comment, Usagi-chan." He apologized, feeling uncomfortable from the sudden awkwardness he'd caused.

"We do need to eventually find our own place though, especially if we make Earth our permanent home." Taiki suggested, watching both Yaten and Usagi look over at him. Seeing the apprehension in his friend's eyes, he gave her a reassuring smile before he continued. "Of course, we'll still need to stay close to Usagi-chan for the sake of our Princess." He said with mirth. "Kikyo-sama is not going to like being separated from her Usa-chan." He said with amusement, knowing their Princess had become reliant on their friend for all her needs. "If that's alright with you, Usagi-chan?" He asked, watching Usagi nod her head.

"Of course." Usagi calmly responded, though on the inside she was frantically battling with herself trying to keep herself together as she tearfully smiled up at Taiki. "I- I'm going to go pick out my room." She said, leaning down and grabbing her bag from the floor before retreating towards the stairs. 'Don't cry! You knew they would eventually leave.' She thought, struggling to hold herself together, not wanting any of her friends to see her cry.

Noticing tears shining in Usagi's eyes as she quickly walked past him, Seiya worriedly watched as she hurried up the stairs. 'Odango.' He thought, struggling to resist the urge to rush after her to check on her. After what felt like an eternity, he patiently waited until he heard a door shut. Lifting his bag from the floor, he quickly glanced back at his brother's as he spoke. "I'm going to go pick my room before you two find the better one." He chuckled, as he quickly hurried up the stairs as well.

::SHATTER::

Abruptly exchanging looks, Taiki and Yaten quickly hurried towards the living room to see what mischief their Princess had gotten herself into.

"Kikyo-sama! Whatever you're doing, stop!" Yaten snapped as he rushed in the direction of the living room.

"I thought you were watching her." Taiki sighed in annoyance as he quickly followed behind his brother.

"Me!" Yaten scoffed, glaring at his brother. "I'm not the assigned Guardian to the Princess, Seiya-san should be the one technically watching her." He retorted.

Rolling her eyes as the two argued, Haruka glanced at Michiru to see she was also looking at the two with amusement. "So much for a peaceful trip." She muttered, sighing out in dismay.

"I'm sure we can still find some pleasantries on this trip." Michiru purred, running her hand down her partner's arm, smiling more when Haruka nearly dropped the bags, her cheeks tinged pink from her gentle touches. "I love it when you blush." She teased, as she leaned forwards, their lips nearly touching.

"Well, why don't you help me unload these groceries and I will let you show me some of these pleasantries." Haruka huskily stated as she leaned in, pressing her lips against Michiru's. Stepping back, she smirked seeing the teal-haired beauty was blushing now. "Now who's the one blushing." She chuckled as she walked into the kitchen, leaving a flustered Michiru behind.


Wanting to be as far away from everyone for the moment, Usagi decided on the last bedroom at the end of the hall. Opening the door and walking into the bedroom, she pushed the door shut behind her. Dropping her bag to the floor, she leaned against the door, a shaky exhale escaping her lips as tears streaked her cheeks.

'Why do they want to leave?' She bitterly thought, knowing she had enjoyed having them at her apartment. 'I don't want to be alone again.' She desperately thought, silently walking towards the bed. 'What if I could talk Papa into me getting a bigger place that could accommodate everyone.' She thought, then frowned at the thought of her having to explain her living situation that wouldn't result in her father having a conniption fit and forcing her to move back home until she was married. 'No, he would never allow it, not since they're men.' She miserably thought, not hearing or noticing her bedroom door quietly opening and shutting as Seiya entered the room.

"Odango." Seiya softly stated as he opened the bedroom door. Seeing the blonde was in deep thought, he frowned when she didn't respond to him calling her name. Gently resting his hand on her shoulder, he heard her startled gasp as she jumped with fear under his touch.

"It's alright, it's just me, Odango." Seiya chuckled, frowning with worry when he heard her soft sniffles before she swiftly wiped away some stray tears from her cheeks. "What's wrong?" He worriedly asked, stepping forwards and nervously reaching out, afraid she would shy away like she had so many times before. Smiling when his hand rested gently against her cheek without any resistance, he tenderly brushed some stray tears away, smiling as she tearfully looked up at him. "Yaten-chan didn't mean any offense by his comment." He wanted to assure the blonde, hoping his brother's comment wasn't the reason for her being upset.

"I know." Usagi quickly stated, forcing a smile. "I'll be down in a bit, I want to unpack my things."

"I-" Seiya hesitated a moment, his stomach nervously fluttering as he found himself lost in her tearful gaze. "I've missed you Odango, you've been on my mind since the moment we returned to Kinmoku. I thought I would never see you again." He stated with newfound courage, his heart nervously hammering when hearing her soft hitch of breath as she blushed at his words.

Feeling her stomach nervously twist at his words, Usagi found herself lost in his deep blue eyes. 'Say something back to him, tell him how much you've missed him.' She thought, feeling at a loss for words. "I- I've missed you too Seiya-chan, more than you know." She softly responded, briefly seeing surprise and hope in his gaze at her admission.

Surprised at her words, Seiya gently chuckled, his smile broadening across his lips before he spoke. "I- I'm going to go pick my room, Odango." He said reluctantly lowering his hand from her cheek, already missing her warmth. "I don't want to incur the wrath of Haruka-san, for being alone here with you." He smugly stated, watching Usagi smile more at his comment about her overprotective Guardian.

"I thought you weren't afraid of her?" Usagi teased, watching Seiya shrug his shoulder, the corner of his lips tugging up at her comment.

"Now, Odango." Seiya playfully chided. "You know how much Haruka-san missed me while I was away." He said, struggling to hold back his laugh as Usagi laughed at his comment. "Besides, this other friend of yours seems to have all of her attention at the moment." He smugly stated, watching the blonde tense at the mention of the other man. "What do you see in him, Odango? Are you-"

"He's my friend, we have classes together and we're both on the baseball team, that's all." Usagi responded with a small smile. 'Is he jealous?' She thought, then shook the thought from her mind. 'No, why would he be jealous, he's probably moved on, something I seem to fail at doing no matter how much I try.' She bitterly thought, wishing she'd not been a coward on that roof so many years ago and not chosen to remain silent. 'I hurt him that day, I could see it in his eyes.' She miserably thought, then snapped from her thoughts as Seiya spoke.

"I wish I could have been here to watch one of your games." Seiya responded, noticing her surprised reaction to his comment.

"If you decide to stay and make this your home, perhaps you'll get your chance." Usagi responded, nervously licking her dry lips, her stomach nervously twisting. 'I don't know if I could handle seeing you leave again.' She thought, her heart aching for a moment at the thought of Seiya leaving.

Noticing her humor immediately turn somber, Seiya frowned as he ran a hand through his hair before he worriedly spoke. "Are you sure you're alright?"

"Yes, I'll be fine Seiya-chan." Usagi assured her friend, wondering who she was really trying to reassure, Seiya or herself. Watching him nod his head, she followed him with her gaze as he quietly turned and exited her room, blushing when he glanced back at her one final time, a smile spreading across his lips before he closed the door behind him.

Resting her hand against her cheek where his hand had been resting, she felt her heartbeat increase, her nervous flutters returning in her stomach as her cheeks grew warmer at the thought of his gentle touch. 'I- can't. I can't give in to these feelings, I have to stay strong, I can't disappoint my friends. I can't be selfish, I have to ensure my friends get the future they've been promised.' She heartbrokenly thought. 'I have a destiny to fulfill, regardless of what my heart tells me.'

To Be Continued...

Revised: 4/10/2021


Thanks so much for reading Chapter 5! Hope you enjoyed the changes/additions to the chapter. See you guys next chapter, if you enjoyed the chapter leave me a review and let me know! I love responding to reviews. :)

-ShadowQueenGalactica