A Matter of Time

by Crunchysunrises

*New: Chapter 7* Taking place after Stars. The Ginzuishou sends Usagi strange dreams of her past, which helps sent into motion a chain of events that leads to new enemies, unexpected allies and uncovers a centuries old secret.

4. Heart Aches

Remember: Be kind and understanding to the newly budding fanfic writer. Sailor Moon and the associated characters do not belong to me but to incredibly rich and powerful people who would make no profit by suing me for using their wonderful characters. This is a work of love not a work for profit. All characters and plots that I make up do belong to me so do not steal them or I will be forced to send my Death Fuzzies after you. Remember you have been warned…

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CHAPTER 4

"So what did you do?" Minako asked.

"I invited him home to dinner."

"Makoto!" Usagi yelled, leaping to her feet. "You couldn't! You didn't!"

Makoto looked up at her friend calmly. "What's wrong, Usagi-chan?"

"You throw all forms of caution to the winds and invite a man you've known all of an hour, and that's stretching it, and you want to know what's wrong! I'll tell you! That is probably the most irresponsible and dumbest thing you have ever done! What were you thinking? What if he is a kidnapper or a killer or a thief? Now he knows where you live and he probably knows that you live alone!"

"If things go wrong, I can always become Sailor Jupiter."

"What if he sneaks up behind you and conks you on the head? You won't have time to become Sailor Jupiter because you'll be very unconscious!"

"Why aren't you happy for me?" Makoto flared. "Why are you looking for trouble?"

"Because I worry about you!" Usagi sniffed and her voice lost its heat. "I worry about you when you do stupid things that could get you killed or break your heart."

Makoto leaned forward and hugged her friend. "Nothing is going to happen to me. Normally I'd agree that inviting an unknown man home is very dangerous but this time it's different. This time it feels right. Very right, like when I first met you. That felt so right that I couldn't question what was happening. This feels like that and whatever happens I've got to see it through. Please Usagi-chan, I need you to understand so that…so that I can lean on you when things get tough."

Wordlessly, Usagi nodded. "Okay Mako-chan, I'll let you do this your way but if he hurts you or crushes your heart" a feral light entered Usagi's eyes, "I'll teach him a lesson that he'll never forget."

Makoto laughed and nodded.

"So what happened when Rei-chan sent out the alert?" Minako pestered her tall friend.

"We were making dinner. I asked him to leave but he wouldn't. He handcuffed himself to my stove!"

"He didn't!" Ami looked up from her book, shocked.

"He did."

The group of teenage girls broke into a flurry of laughter.

"I guess that he's really gone on you!" Minako choked cheerful between laughs.

"He seems to very persistent! You might have trouble evading his attention." Ami chimed.

Makoto arched an eyebrow. "Who says I want to avoid his attentions?" she asked.

Everyone laughed again.

"I take it he's drop dead gorgeous." Rei asked.

"Yeah!" Makoto got a dreamy look in her eyes. "And he likes to cook. He says that he's not very good at cooking but I think that he's being modest. He was very good at keeping dinner warm without burning it while we were fighting last night."

Usagi's face lit up. "When can I meet him?" She asked eagerly.

There was a collective groan from the older girls while Hortaru merely giggled.

"How come he even has handcuffs to whip out to handcuff himself to your stove, anyway?" Hortaru asked.

"He's going to school at a police academy. Part of the training is hands on, so this term he's a rookie at the Tokyo Police Department."

There was a collective "Oh" from the girls.

"He might be fun to have around in a crisis." Minako remarked impishly. Makoto blushed. "Ah ha!" Minako crowed triumphantly. "You have thought about it!"

"I wouldn't want him to get hurt protecting me." Makoto replied defensively.

"Sure."

Makoto blushed even more furiously.

"Leave Mako-chan alone Minako-chan." Rei broke in. "There's no need to embarrass her about her new love."

"Well!" Grinning Minako turned her attentions on Ami. "So what's new with you?"

"What do you mean?"

"You're glowing!" Usagi declared. "And you keep looking at your wristwatch."

Ami laughed. "Well last night, just before I went to sleep, Ryo Urawa called me. He asked that we meet up tonight."

"And?" Minako demanded.

"I agreed." Ami stated it calmly but the response was anything but calm.

"WHAT!" Shrieked four voices simultaneously while Hortaru looked at the scene wide-eyed. "WHY DIDN'T YOU TELL US SOONER!"

"It didn't seem all that important."

"NOT IMPORTANT!" Four voices screeched as Hortaru started giggling.

"What did he say exactly?" Usagi demanded.

"When and where are you meeting?" Minako demanded.

"Did he say where he's taking you?" Makoto demanded.

"How long do we have to get you ready?" Rei demanded.

"We're meeting at 7:30 at the Tokyo Tower and I have no idea about where we're going."

Usagi glanced at her watch, then did a double take. "It's 3:30 now!" She wailed. "We only have three and a half hours to help Ami get ready!"

"Then we have no time to waste!" Minako declared authoritatively.

Makoto looked at her friend critically. "Something blue. Aqua would be very good on her."

Rei nodded. "And we should definitely find something to keep her hair out of her eyes. It should probably have white or gold in it to compliment her complexion and the blue in her outfit."

Her friends swept Ami off to her bedroom. Hortaru paused uncertainly in the doorway. Usagi swept a dress up and held it up against Ami. "What do you think, Hortaru-chan?" She turned slightly. "Hortaru-chan?"

Reassured, Hortaru entered into the world of her friends to help them help Ami get ready.

'Poor Ami-san,' she thought. 'Maybe I can help her avoid some of their more…interesting choices.' She looked at the animated faces around her. 'Or maybe not.'

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Ami arrived in front of the Tokyo Tower at 7:25 dressed in an aqua blue mini-skirt, a snowy blouse, an ivory vest, and an aqua blue jacket that matched the skirt. She had knee high white stockings and aqua high heels. At the base of her throat nestled a tiny golden cross while her short blue hair was held out of her eyes by two golden hairpieces that were shaped like waves. She wore the faintest applications of makeup and a nervous smile as she stopped in front of the tower. Her eyes scanned the crowd and found their target on the fifth sweep. 'I almost didn't see him until he was here.'

"Hello." Ami greeted him as he reached her.

"It's good to see you." He responded nervously.

"Well, shall we go?" She asked.

"No!"

Ami drew back at his vehement reply.

He swallowed and drew a deep calming breath. "When I moved here awhile back, we got to be really close and, well, I think that we came to mean something to each other. When I moved away we promised to keep seeing each other even though we live far apart but…Mizuno-san I've met someone else." He went on, more sure of himself now. "She's perfect for me in every way and…I've come to say that we should just be friends."

Ami was in shock. "I see."

"It's not that you aren't desirable, you are. You're also intelligent, kind, an awesome warrior," he flash a faint smile. "But a couple should be made up of equals."

"We're equals." She protested faintly.

"No, we're not. I'm not as smart as you are…"

"You beat me on the exam…"

"By using my other abilities." Gently he placed his hands on her shoulders while meeting her eyes with his own. "Mizuno-san, you have to face it. We're not equals. One day you'll meet you're equal, you're other half. When you do, you'll be deliriously happy," a dreamy smile crossed his features, "trust me."

Ami pulled away. "I understand and I hope that you'll be happy with you're other half." Her voice was calm, cold and precise. Her eyes had firmed into chips of ice. "Please excuse me but I have other engagements."

Her back straight and her footsteps measured she walked away from Urawa. When she was absolutely certain that was no longer visible from Tokyo Tower, she started trotting as she wove through the crowds of Tokyo. Unable stop herself she began to run then to sprint while pushing and shoving her way through the people on the streets. Over and over in her mind one thought pounded and gave her the strength to keep going instead of collapsing in a heap on the sidewalk, 'Usagi-chan…Usagi-chan…Usagi-chan…"

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Usagi started to her feet as someone began to pound heavily on the door to her otherwise empty house. Stumbling down the stairs she yanked the door open to find a distraught Ami on her doorstep. "Ami-chan?" she asked bewildered.
"Usagi-chan!" wailed Ami before her eyes soften and slow tears began to trickle down her cheeks. Usagi swiftly drew her inside and up the stairs to her room, slamming both doors behind them, as Ami's tears began to come faster. As Usagi closed the last door, Ami began to be wracked by sobs. As Ami collapsed to the floor, Usagi leapt forward and caught her. Together they sunk to the floor, Usagi holding Ami. Gently she cradled her friend. 'Oh my Ami-chan…'

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"Zoisite! You have failed to collect the amount of energy that I asked of you. I am very disappointed."

His back straight, his head bowed and his demeanor meek, Zoisite stood alone in a puddle of light in the darkened throne room under the threatening stare of the Master.

"Do you have an excuse?"

"No. I have nothing to say about my recent failure except that I have a plan to do better next time."

"Good. I hate whiners. If you had made excuses for you recent debacle the punishment would have been even more severe."

Light lit up the pathetic form of Kunzite. Kunzite's eyes were locked on the form of his beloved. There was no anger or accusations in his eyes. Only love. Zoisite's heart twisted inside him. The vines began to pulse with dark energy.

Kunzite arched as much as he could in his position while screaming. Zoisite leapt forward shrieking Kunzite's name when an invisible power grabbed him and held him motionless. Helpless he twisted and writhed in the invisible grip of trying not to watch. Master had other ideas however.

The power holding Zoisite forced him to be motionless and held his eyes open and on Kunzite. Agonized, Zoisite watched, the scene burning into his memory. After what seemed an eternity, it ended and Kunzite fell against the wall limply, unconsciousness stealing him away. The power let Zoisite go. Instantly he was beside his lover. Frantically but gently he checked Kunzite over for wounds as much as he could while glaring angrily at the Master.

"The punishment should have been mine!" He snarled furiously. "I failed you not Kunzite!"

"You did fail me, Zoisite. But it was agreed from the beginning that Kunzite would bear the punishment for…difficulties in collecting energy for me." Zoisite opened his mouth to reply, "I should think before I spoke were I in your place," the Master warned. "I would choose my words carefully were I you. I will forgive you for your earlier outburst but I will not be so generous a second time so do not provoke me." Zoisite's mouth snapped shut. "The energy you collected will suffice but I will need more soon. I suggest that you do not repeat your fiasco. I may have forgotten to mention it but every time you fail the punishment will be worse for Kunzite. You are dismissed Zoisite."

With cold precision Zoisite stepped away from his lover, his head carefully lower so that his hair covered his face. Silently he rose a few feet into the air and vanished in a swirl of cherry blossom petals and reappeared in the quarters that he shared with Kunzite.

Or at least they had in his last life. Now he basically lived there alone as Kunzite was trapped in a wall in what had once been Beryl's throne room. Anger boiled through him at the thought that he swiftly stilled. He wasn't certain what his 'Master' had in the way of abilities but it was altogether possible that he possessed telepathy. Instead he studied the living room of their apartments and found it suitably depressing.

He couldn't look at a piece of the furniture, or even sections of the wall, without having dozens of memories overwhelm his mind. 'We've been living together for just over a thousand years in the way the White Moon people measure time. That's a long time to live with someone.' He thought miserably. 'I can't stay here. Not right now anyway. I need to get out of this whole realm for awhile. Earth. I'll go to Earth.' Visions of Earth people rose distastefully in his mind's eye reminding him of something. 'I'll need human clothes. But that's okay I'll just go steal some of Nephrite's human clothes and alter them a little to fit me. After all he's busy getting brainwashed so he might never miss them. If he does…Well I always loved a good fight with Nephrite.' With that Zoisite disappeared in another flurry of cherry blossom petals.

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Usagi impatiently waited for Rei to finish her meditation. 'Why can't she abbreviate her meditations today. It's really important.' Rei's eyes snapped open.

"Couldn't you have not meditated this morning?"

"No! Meditation is very important!"

"I got up really early this morning to make this thing work, you better not ruin it because you insisted on meditating."

"We'll be fine. Anyway meditation is way more important than sleep."

"You're kidding me!" Usagi looked at her friend. "You must be!"

"No, I'm serious. I can go without sleeping but not without meditating."

"What's so good about meditating?"

"It helps you to center yourself and focus your thoughts. It's relaxing and you think more clearly afterwards."

"Oh." Usagi remembered the beginnings of this conversation. "We'd better not be late."

"This from you?"

"Hey! Be nice!"

"I'm always nice."

Usagi snorted.

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Slowly Ami woke up. Living alone while her mother was on business trips had taught Ami responsibility among other things. Remembering that her mother wouldn't be home from Germany until Saturday morning, she felt remarkably uninspired to get out of bed. She wished that she could go beck to her dreamless sleep so that the ache that Urawa had created in her would temporarily be forgotten. 'I don't know if I can face today…' she sighed, 'but I have to get out of bed.' With that she hauled herself out of bed. She stumbled to the bathroom where she splashed water on her face and scrubbed her teeth before heading into the living room. As she soon as she had turned around from opening the curtains in the room, eight girls, a man, and two cats leapt from their hiding places screaming, "Good Morning Ami-chan!"

Ami jumped in surprise. Fully awake, she peered at the others in the room.
"What? Why?"

"Usagi-chan said that you were upset so we decided to come by this morning and cheer you up." Hisui explained.

"We decided to invade your house and stay until you feel better." Minako added.

Usagi leapt forward and grabbed the front of Ami's pale blue pajamas. "Ami-chan you have got to ask them to have breakfast now! I'm starving!"

Ami laughed at her friend, then turned to the others with a perfectly straight face. "Can we have breakfast now? I'm starving!"

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Zoisite was strolling through the park. He despised the humans surrounding him, hated having to find solace on their planet, and was infuriated by the admiring stares that he was receiving from members of both sexes. He was dreadfully vain and usually preened under admiring gazes. Provided that the gazes belonged to the right types of people of course. Yoma he allowed to admire him because they were too stupid and inferior to himself to bother about. Of course he allowed people in power to gaze upon his perfection. Certainly those he planned to double cross or destroy so that they might remember them. But humans…

'Where were they during my raid when I wanted them?'

The only thing that kept him from killing all the humans that looked on them today was that fact that it would bring the Sailor Senshi down on him en masse. He could then either fight to the death or retreat to the Dark Kingdom, either of which could be deadly to Kunzite. Instead he strolled through the park, a furious scowl covering his beautiful features and keeping everyone in the park at a distance.

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Usagi peered at her reflection thoughtfully, frowning slightly. Rei's words from before the surprise party at Ami's floated through Usagi's mind again. "…Meditation is way more important than sleep…I can go without sleeping but not without meditating…It helps you to center yourself and focus your thoughts…It's relaxing and you think more clearly afterwards."

Usagi thought of her current sleeping problems. 'It certainly couldn't hurt to try it. But I don't know where to begin.' An image of Rei's face came to mind. 'I can ask Rei-chan. Obliquely of course, I'd hate to admit that she might be right.' Usagi's frown cleared and she grinned. "No time like the present."

"What?" Luna asked sleepily from Usagi's bed. "What did you say?"

Usagi snatched her guardian cat up and spun her around. Luna suddenly looked distinctly unwell. "I said no time like the present to go visit Rei-chan."

"What brought this on?" Luna asked.

"Nothing." Usagi replied angelically before placing Luna in her accustomed place on Usagi's shoulder before she bounded down the stairs and out the front door. As she raced down the street, she decided to take a shortcut through the park. Without loosing her stride, she turned off through the park gates. Luna yowled and extended her claws into the shoulder of the sweater to avoid falling off.

"I wish that you'd give me a little more warning." Luna hissed into Usagi's ears as they were relatively alone. "It's bad enough that you insist on everywhere but these sudden turns…I'm going to get killed riding on your shoulder one day!"

"Sorry Luna. It was a rather spur of the moment decision," Usagi apologized.

"I noticed," Luna replied dryly.

Usagi stopped watching where she was going to frown at her cat and the shoulder of one of her favorite sweaters.

"AAWWW Luna! You've made holes in the shoulder of my sweater! Mom is going to kill us! Well, mostly me but-OOOUUUFF!"

Usagi had run head on into someone. In order to hold her position, Luna further damaged the sweater as Usagi and the young man were both hurled onto their backsides on the gravel of the path they had been on. Usagi scrambled to her feet first, hastily repeating her apologies over and over again.

"Are you okay?" she asked the unmoving stranger who was staring up at her through burning emerald eyes that had been widened to their fullest and were set in an extremely pale face. Blond hair tumbled about his shoulders in a ponytail that ended at his waist. He was wearing ashen slacks, a tawny collared shirt, and a maroon sports coat. His nostrils were flaring and he hadn't moved since Usagi had sent him sprawling.

"Here, let me help you up." Usagi offered worriedly. As she reached for his arm, he sprang into action. Leaping to his feet he screamed, "How dare you! How dare you!" Usagi shrank back in fear and surprise at his vehement reaction. He grabbed Usagi by the shoulders and began to shake her violently. "Why don't you watch where you're going, you blond sow! Get out of the way of your betters, you clumsy Neanderthal!"

He continued to rant and Usagi quite suddenly found herself furious. The collision between the two of them had been mostly her fault and she had apologized several times. She most certainly did not deserve this! She knew that by now everyone within hearing range was probably staring at them, but she really didn't care. As she came back to herself she realized that the beautiful man was still shaking her. Abruptly she shook off his grasp. Zoisite was dumbfounded by this sudden change in the demeanor of the small blond he was venting all his frustrations on. For a moment he paused in mid-rant. Usagi seized the opportunity.

"Now you listen to me, you spoiled brat!" she began, "What happened was an accident! An accident!" She jabbed the forefinger of her right hand against the center of his chest hard for emphasis. "It wasn't some evil plot on my part to humiliate you in a part full of people. It," stab "was" stab "an" stab "ACCIDENT!" STAB! "You can't just go around being mean to people because you feel like it! For one thing that's not right and for another it's not fair! Someday you're going to be despicable to someone who isn't going to take it and will do more than lecture you. When that happens, you're going to be done for! I hope you know that! Now, it you'll excuse me Potty-mouth-san, I have an appointment somewhere. Goodbye!"

With that Usagi strode off, leaving a gaping Zoisite behind. 'No one has ever spoken to me like that.' Zoisite thought numbly as he watched her go. 'Not even Kunzaito-sama…Who was she?'

When Usagi turned the corner out of Zoisite's vision she gave a huge sigh of relief. "What a foul tempered person!"

"Usagi-chan, didn't you feel massive amounts of dark energy around that person?" Luna asked her charge in a queer voice.

"No!" Usagi took a deep calming breath. "But I was at first too afraid and then too angry to feel anything from him."

"Well, I certainly felt dark energy around him. Usagi-chan, we've got to check him out."

"I can't Luna. I'm still too angry. If I saw him again anytime soon, I'd probably run up to him and start screaming again. I'm sorry Luna."

Luna sighed. "It's all right. I'll follow him on my own and call you if I turn anything up."

Usagi nodded. "And I'll come running, I promise. Only Luna…be careful."

"Of course." Luna leapt off her perch. "One last question."

"Shoot."

"Where did you get 'despicable'?"

"Ami-chan."

"I should have guessed. Bye."

With that Luna bounded off. Usagi looked after her cat.

"And what does she mean by that?"

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Rei was sweeping the temple steps when Usagi found her.

"Hello, Rei-chan!" she called cheerfully.

Rei stopped sweeping. "Usagi-chan?"

"The one and only!" Usagi beamed at her friend. "Rei-chan are you busy?"

Rei was instantly wary. Still, she thought a moment, mentally checking off her chores. "I'm almost done."

"Good! Rei-chan, I was wondering…"

Rei felt a sinking sensation in the pit of her stomach. "Wondering what?"

Usagi finished her sentence in a rush, "If you could teach me to meditate?"

"Usagi!" Rei was shocked.

"Please Rei! I'll work really, really hard at it! I will!"

"No Usagi! This is going to be like those other times that you asked me teach you something. You'll get bored or you'll lose interest, then you'll give it up. No, No, No, NO!"

"No Rei, this time I really mean it!"

Rei began to sweep vigorously. "You say that every time Usagi!"

"But I really, really mean it this time!" She thought rapidly. "Look! I'll make a deal with you. If I even look like I'm slacking off or giving up, you can stop teaching me. No more lessons, end of story."

Rei stopped sweeping to regard Usagi suspiciously.

"Really? No wailing, moaning, or screaming?"

"None."

"No ear blasting shrieks?"

"Absolutely not."

Rei hesitated for a moment more. "Deal." She proclaimed finally.

"Yes!" Usagi yelled leaping into the air and clapping her hands.

Rei waited for Usagi to settle down a bit to command, "Now go find a broom to help me finish up here. Then we'll start your meditation lessons."

"Right!" Usagi agreed cheerfully before setting off to find a broom.

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As soon as Zoisite appeared in his rooms he heard his Master's summons.

"Zoisite," the Master's voice was soft and menacing. "Come to me in the throne room immediately."

"Yes, my lord."

In a flurry of cherry blossoms, Zoisite appeared in the throne room, half bowed his hand to his chest. In the stone monstrosity that had been Beryl's throne lounged the form of his new lord on leg hooked over the arm of the chair. The seat had been heaped with soft cushions, making the throne look even gaudier than it had before.

"Zoisite, you have been absent from my kingdom all day. Where were you?"

Zoisite carefully composed his face, made his voice neutral, and blanked his mind so that no emotions or stray thoughts would betray him. "I was observing the humans and learning why my attack failed."

"I see." The Master paused. "You will be gratified to know that although your last mission was a failure, you gathered enough energy to awaken your fellows."

Zoisite didn't trust himself to think or speak so he merely nodded curtly.

"Let me reintroduce you." The Master cocked his head slightly. "Nephrite!"

There was a flash of light to the Master's left. When the light receded, Nephrite stood there. His face was dispassionate, but his curious eyes went over Zoisite carefully, cataloging everything about the effeminate man. 'Already he doesn't trust me. How ironic.'

"Zoisite meet Nephrite. Nephrite this is Zoisite."

"It is an honor to meet you," Nephrite intoned formally.

'He really doesn't remember a thing! This could be fun.' Despite his prior knowledge that Nephrite wouldn't remember a thing, Zoisite was profoundly shocked and disturbed. Zoisite choked back his emotions without so much as a shadow of change.

"As it is to meet you."

"Perhaps we can work together some time."

"Perhaps, although I usually work alone." Zoisite would have rather bitten out his tongue than say what he was going to say next. "It is an honor to have such an offer, though."

The Master looked at the pair with thinly veiled amusement.

"Now that the formalities are over between the two of you, let me introduce the pair of you to Rubeus. Rubeus!"

To Nephrite's left a man appeared with flaming red hair and cold blue eyes faded into view. He wore loose olive green pants that billowed around his legs and an eye-wrenching vest. The final touches were a pair of dark crystal earrings, a pair of clunky black boots, and a down turned crescent moon. 'How gauche! He has no taste whatsoever. Speaking of taste though, where did Nephrite get one of his old uniforms? I thought that the moths had gotten them all by the time that I died.' He snapped his attention back to the Master and the two men in front of him.

"Gentlemen, this is Rubeus. Rubeus this is Nephrite and that is Zoisite."

Rubeus looked at the other men haughtily. "I'm sure that you are as please to meet me as I am to meet you." Zoisite grimaced mentally. 'You know that I could come to hate this Rubeus even more than I hate Nephrite. I really think that is more than a possibility.'

"I'm certain," Nephrite murmured as he flicked a glance at Zoisite.

"I believe that Nephrite has the right of it."

Just then Rubeus noticed Kunzite. "Who's this and why is he in the wall?" he asked no one in particular as he floated off the ground and towards Kunzite. Nephrite followed Rubeus with his eyes but made no other movement. 'He knew that Kunzaito-sama was there before that flaming moron pointed him out.'

"Him? He is a king named Kunzite who failed me."

"What did he do?"

The Master laughed. "It's more like who knows him too well."

"Well then." Rubeus cupped his hands loosely, between which jarringly purple motes formed that were about the size of a thumbnail. Zoisite decided that he most certainly did not like the looks of either the energy balls or Rubeus's smug smirk. "For the Master's honor, prepare to die!"

"NNNOOOO!" Zoisite shrieked.

Rubeus laughed as he launched his motes.

Zoisite responded instantly to Kunzite's danger.

"ZOI!"

Flinging up a hand palm outward and facing the motes, Zoisite launched a barrage of cherry blossom petals. Petals met motes and minor explosions occurred with slight detonations. Swinging his enraged face around to look at a smug Rubeus and narrowing his eyes, Zoisite gestured with the first two fingers of his outstretched hand. Incandescent cherry blossom petals swirled up around Rubeus' body, burning whatever they touched. Rubeus screamed and covered his face with his arms. Zoisite lowered his arm and held out the other, palm flat. In it formed a long, thin icicle that was wickedly sharp.

Holding this deceptively fragile weapon like a rapier, Zoisite leapt at Rubeus. Just before Zoisite's icicle blade pierced Rubeus' chest, an invisible power grabbed and held Zoisite and his blade motionless in midair. Zoisite didn't bother to struggle. Instead, he glared furiously at the Master while Rubeus peeked between his arms to see what had stopped Zoisite and his attacks. The Master began to chuckle. Softly at first, then louder as he threw his head back.

"Temper, temper Zoisite. Someone might end up thinking that you really want Rubeus dead. We wouldn't want anyone to get the wrong idea, would we?"

Zoisite gritted his teeth hard. "No. I hope that I did not make the wrong impression."

Rubeus straightened up and resumed his cocky manner. The invisible hand returned Zoisite to his original position before freeing him. The Master turned his gaze on Rubeus.

"Try that again, Rubeus, and I'll let Zoisite kill you in the most painful way that he can think up. As Zoisite is a very creative person, it should be quite interesting."
Rubeus gulped and darted a glance at Zoisite who grinned evilly before banishing his icicle. "I understand Master and will obey."

"Good."

Somehow Nephrite had managed to maintain his neutral face throughout the entire incident. Rubeus, sensing that Zoisite was now his eternal enemy, concentrated his efforts on attempting to form an alliance with Nephrite.

"Perhaps you and I could work together sometime," he said with his most fawning expression and manner firmly dawned.

Nephrite, however, politely brushed him off. "No thanks, I work better alone."

The Master interrupted smoothly as Rubeus paled with anger. "I think that it is time for the three of you to meet the fourth member of your group. Safir!"

A man faded into view to the right of the Master's throne. "Yes, Master?"

"I would like you to meet Zoisite, Nephrite, and Rubeus." He gestured to the appropriate man in turn. "Gentlemen this is Safir."

For a moment no one said or did anything as the group of men studied each other. The new man was very young but, as his sharp eyes flickered over the forms of the other men, Zoisite saw a fearsome intellect hidden in depths of this man's eyes. The younger man wore white dress shoes, and a pair of white dress slacks. A black coat came to his hips and black leather gloves covered his hands. The most startling things about him though were his earrings and his forehead. He wore a pair of dark crystal earrings, and in the center of his forehead was a down turned crescent moon, both of which were exactly like Rubeus'. An unbidden thought came to Zoisite that caused him to internally wince, 'With his shortly cropped dark hair and light blue eyes, he bears an unpleasant resemblance to that idiotic Tuxedo Kamen.' With the thought of his enemy came the flask of an idea. Swiftly he caught it and smothered it so that he could examine it later. The moment over, Nephrite and Zoisite as one bowed to Safir murmuring, "It is an honor and pleasure to make your acquaintance."

Safir returned their bows. "As it is to meet you."

Rubeus thrust out his hand. "Nice to meet you."

Safir got a faintly distasteful expression as he lightly took the offered hand.

"I echo your sentiments." Abruptly he changed the subject. "You seem to share my earrings and crescent moon."

"Yes, but I don't know how. Do we know each other?"

"Of course you do." The Master interrupted. "There is a very good reason why none of you except Zoisite remember a thing. I'd rather talk about it when the fifth member of your group gets here."

"Of course, Master," murmured Safir.

"As you say Master," echoed Zoisite.

"As you will, Master," agreed Nephrite.

"Anything you say, Master," Rubeus put in.

"I'm glad you all see it that way. Demando!"

A final man faded in to Safir's right. "I am here Master."

This final man was dressed almost entirely in white. He wore black dress shoes and white dress pants as Safir did. Also like Safir he wore a high collared coat, except his was white. He had white hair that came to the base of his neck and blue eyes the exact same shade as Safir's eyes. This man had a commanding air about him that Zoisite distrusted. 'Men with commanding airs can get a great many men killed.' He too shared the earrings and crescent moon of Safir. The Master introduced him as his pale blue eyes ran over them all, cataloging everything that he saw. When the Master began to introduce Safir last of all something strange happened.

"And this-"

"I know you, Safir." Demando interrupted as his eyes caught and held Safir's.

"I know you too, Demando." Safir replied quietly.

As if those admissions stated it, their crescent moons began to flare with dark energy as the two men stared at each other. Suddenly, the crescent moons stopped giving off energy as the two men broke their eye contact and clutched their heads in pain. Zoisite had a pretty fair idea of who had caused the sudden headaches.

"Are the two of you well?" Zoisite asked.

"Yes, just a headache." They replied almost as one. Startled, they glanced at each other and grinned slightly.

"Then we had better make this quick so that Zoisite can show the two of you to your rooms." The Master stated. "There was a surprise attack by our enemies, the Sailor Senshi." A wall near the throne lit up with the faces of nine girls. "The battle was fierce and the four of you were badly wounded. Zoisite barely managed to get the four of you back here to be healed. Unfortunately, there was severe head damage in each of your cases. One effect of that seems to be your loss of memory."

"How will we know about ourselves previous to the battle, Master," asked Rubeus.

The Master looked at Zoisite with a malicious gleam in his eyes.

"Ask Zoisite. He was close enough to all of you to know what you want and need to know. He will also tell you your duties." Four pairs of curious blue eyes focused on Zoisite. 'Great. Just great.' Zoisite fumed mentally. Out loud he said, "Let me show you to your rooms. You have all had long and tiring days no doubt. Demando-san and Safir-san, I will send someone to your rooms to deal with those headaches." Zoisite turned to the Master, "If we may have your permission?"

"Of course. You are all dismissed." The Master then disappeared.

The men all stood as they were for a moment, then Zoisite jerked his head toward the back of the hall, "This way." Before he moved though, he caught his eyes with Kunzite's, wishing his a silent farewell.

Silently, the group walked down the hall. 'I wish that I could take notes on what I'm going to say.' Zoisite cleared his throat. "I assume that you all want knowledge on yourselves."

"That would be nice." Demando agreed.

"Well, for one thing," Zoisite thought wildly, "Demando-san and Safir-san, you're brothers."

"WHAT?" yelled Rubeus. "THEY LOOK NOTHING ALIKE!"

Neither Demando nor Safir acted surprised and Nephrite quirked an eyebrow at Zoisite.

"No really, it's true. Safir-san takes after their mother and Demando-san after their father. At least that's what they always told me. Anyway, they share the same eye color down to the very shade."

"It would explain why Demando and I recognized each other."

"And why our crescent moons acted up."

"That reminds me," Rubeus began, "Why do we three have crescent moons?"

Zoisite shrugged unconcernedly. "All your family do. You're some sort of distant cousin or something. Not very closely related to Safir-san or Demando-san."

"I see."

Zoisite stopped in front of a large door. "These are your rooms, Safir-san and Demando-san." Zoisite added mentally, 'And my old rooms before I moved in with Kunzaito-sama.' He opened the door to a clean front room. 'The yoma must have cleaned it up for them.'

"Thanks Zoisite-san," Safir shook Zoisite's hand as he entered.

"Don't forget the headache stuff," Demando added as he entered.

"Of course not." Zoisite shut the door and headed down the hall. 'I guess this means that I have to give that dolt Rubeus Jadeite's quarters. Yuck.'

Zoisite stopped in front of another large door. "Rubeus-san these are your quarters." Rubeus opened his mouth to say something but Zoisite cut him off. "No need to thank me. I have to go now and show Nephrite to his rooms. Then I have many duties to attend to." With that, Zoisite and Nephrite left a gaping Rubeus in front of the door to his rooms.

Zoisite and Nephrite walked in silence.

"You were lying back there." Nephrite said abruptly.

"What?"

"Earlier, when you said that you knew us and all that. You really don't know us at all. You're making it all up as you go along."

"You don't know what you're saying."

"Yes I do."

Zoisite pressed his lips together. Nephrite shrugged.

"Don't worry. I won't tell anyone."

"Why not? If you think its true."

"Because, you and I need allies. Rubeus is an imbecile. Demando and Safir are already allied by blood. Whether we like it or not, we need each other."

"Nephrite, how much do you remember from before?"

"Nothing. But I get the feeling that we hated each other."

"You're right about that. This time around it's different though."

"Why is that?"

"Because I hate Rubeus at his best thousands of times more than I ever hated you at your worst."

Nephrite laughed. Zoisite stopped outside a door.

"Here are your rooms. I'd better see about something for the brothers' headaches."

"Right." Zoisite turned to leave. "Zoisite, who is the man in the wall?"

Zoisite paused but did not turn around.

"The continued assurance of my obedience and loyalty."

Then he strode off down the hall. Nephrite stood outside his door and watch Zoisite until he was out of sight.

~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~

Usagi was peering in the mirror as she brushed her hair before bed. She had been surprised at how easily meditation had come to her. Rei had even remarked on it. Absently she hummed to herself as she ran her fingers through her hair. In her mirror she saw Luna leap through her open bed room window to land on her bed.

"So how did it go?"

"There's something very wrong about that man."

Usagi turned around to look at her advisor. "You think that the Dark Kingdom got to him, don't you?" she asked, eyes widening.

Luna sighed tiredly. "I don't know. I lost him in the bar district." She sat down and laid her head on her paws. "I was right about the dark energy though."

"What do you want to do about him?"

"I think that we'd better keep an eye on him."

"How do you plan to do that? We don't even know his first name!"

"Maybe he likes to walk in the park or drink in bars."

"And maybe he was out for a long walk and does like to walk in park or drink."

"We've got to start somewhere!"

"Fine. You and Artemis can watch the bar district and the parks for him."

"You're the leader of the Sailor Senshi! Take your duties seriously for once and help us look for that man!"

"You don't have to scream Luna!" Usagi took a deep breath. "Anyway, I didn't feel anything. All we have to work on is your feeling and you might be wrong. It's a waste of time. He'll show up if he's evil and if he's not we got everyone worried and wasted all that time looking for him for nothing."

"Fine! I'll do it myself!" Luna leapt back to the window. "In the meanwhile, what will you be doing if I may ask?"

"I'll be practicing my meditation. Then I'll go to bed."

Luna hissed in disgust before leaping out the window. Usagi settled on the floor on her room and began the exercises that Rei had taught her earlier that day and sank deeply into her meditation almost instantly. Like a veil being lifted, everything she had been dreaming for the past few weeks snapped into place and made sense to her. Behind her closed lids her life as the High Princess of the White Moon Empire unfolded.

~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~

Ami sat rigidly in her seat in her computer juku. She listened with half her mind to the teacher's newest project: a partnership with an unknown person in another juku over the Internet. Together they would create presentations on assigned topics and each would then present the finished project to their juku. Ami groaned mentally. She hated group work-especially with people that she didn't even know. She sighed slightly as she was handed the list of possible partners. Quickly she scanned her choices, hoping that blind luck would serve her well as there was no additional information besides their names. Her eyes jerked to a halt as they came to a name and a slight smile played across her lips. It was certainly appropriate that they work together. Pushing back her chair, she approached her teacher.

"Have you decided so soon, Mizuno-san?"

"Hai." Ami held up her list and pointed to a name. "Him."

The teacher looked at her quizzically for a moment then laughed.

"Very well." He made a note of her partner choice.

Ami returned to her seated and started typing her homework, listening to the others agonize over their partner choices.

~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~

Zoisite appeared in the apartment of Chiba Mamoru. Everything in the place was covered with dustsheets. Zoisite frowned. Where was that idiot? He tapped one foot pensively, raising a small cloud of dust. Gagging and cursing, Zoisite faintly heard a machine in the apartment bleep annoyingly before repeating, "You've reached the apartment of Chiba Mamoru but I'm not home right now because I'm in America studying. Please leave your message after the beep and I'll get back to you as best I can. Bye." Then an irritating beep sounded. Cursing even more vehemently, Zoisite rose into the air and disappeared in a flurry of cherry blossoms, leaving only the disturbed dust to show that anyone had ever been there.

~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~

A torrent of green hair wafted slightly to the left of the tall slender form in the nonexistent breeze. Slowly the owner of the hair turned around to face him, every detail perfectly copied from the silent moments when he had been able observe her every movement. Bubbles surrounded Setsuna as she finally showed her face, beautiful as ever. She opened her mouth to say something-

"RAP! RAP! RAP! Jiyuujin-san!"

Hisui groggily sat up. "What?"

"Rei-chan wants to speak with you!"

"Right." Hisui collected his thought for a moment. "Tell her that I'm coming."

"Sure thing."

He could hear Yuuchiru shuffling off as he got up. 'That boy hates me. The thing is that I have no idea why. I mean, its not like I murdered his family or even slightly dishonored him.' His dream came back to him. 'He a great sense of timing though. I wonder if he ever considered going into the field of mass torture. I really wanted to know what she was going to say to me.'

He sighed and left his room. Silently he padded down the hall to Rei's room and politely knocked.

"Come in."

He slid the door open and poked his head in. "You wanted to see me."

"Yes. I wanted to tell you that Usagi-chan has called a meeting for tonight at midnight, here at the temple."

"Thank you. Anything else?"

"No."

"Then I'll be seeing you."

And he left. 'She hates me with a passion. I'd better find a place of my own before she puts rat poison in my food or Yuuchiru accidentally drops something very heavy on my unprotected head.'

He flopped on his back on the floor of his room and slid the door shut with the toes of one foot.

'But first lets see if that dream can't be found again.'

~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~

They had met in front of the main temple, then removed themselves to the clearing where they usually conducted business. It was at the back of the temple property and hard to find if you did not know where to look.

"So why did you call this meeting?" Minako asked.

Usagi didn't say a word. Instead she began to shine with a brilliant white light as her Crescent Moon appeared and began to flare with golden light. Usagi began to float a few feet from the ground and a dome of energy formed around her. Feathers swirled through the air and ribbons twinned. With a silent explosion the energy disbanded and there stood…Sailor Moon! Looking very different.

The body of her uniform was still white but her three-layered skirt had changed. The top layer white, the middle golden, and the bottom white. Her white gloves were trimmed with silver, and over her wrists was a silver band that sported a golden crescent moon. She wore the white boots, which were also trimmed with silver, the inverted points of which also sported a golden crescent moon. Her fuku had no sleeves and the cloth over her shoulders was also golden, the edges embroidered with silver. In the middle of her chest was a broach, a silver heart with a golden crescent moon pointing up into the heart on the tip, the entire thing was surrounded by delicate snowy wings. For earrings she had golden crescents and a silver choker snuggly encircled her throat in the center of which was a tiny crescent. Where her skirt began was another golden crescent surrounded by a silver disc, from which came nine strands of color that wrapped around her hips. Where they met in the back a pair of silver ribbons started that blew around her legs. Sailor Moon's deep sapphire eyes, which were partially hidden behind a snowy mask and deep crimson lips that were curved into a slight smile as she regarded the shocked expressions of her companions. Her usually golden hair was in its usual style but now appeared to be diluted with silver. In the fringe of it on either side of her face, feathers were twined and where her hair was done up in buns on either side of her head, golden jewels were caught up in the center of them. The golden Crescent Moon in the center of her forehead was still visible but her wings were no longer stiffly held out to the sides. Now her pair of pristine wings was folded behind her shoulders.

"Sailor Moon!" exclaimed Makoto, Minako, Rei, and Ami in unison.

"What? But how?" sputtered Haruka as Mirchiru gaped and Hotaru silently looked on with darkened eyes.

Hisui gasped and looked shocked but, from eons of experience, he recovered himself within minutes and wore a neutral expression.

Setsuna gasped and her eyes widened but, like Hisui, she recovered herself quickly.

"You remember yourself and the past." It was a statement of fact.

Sailor Moon nodded. "Yes." She removed her feathery white mask. "And I want to help the rest of you remember too." She paused for a fraction of a second. "If you want me to that is."

Minako didn't even pause for thought or to see what anyone else did.

"Yes." She moved in front of Sailor Moon and met her eyes. "Please, return the whole of my memories to me."

"Me too." Hortaru put in, stepping up to Minako's side.

Sailor Moon nodded and her Crescent Moon begins to glow. Her crescent Moon shot out and hit Minako and Hotaru in the center of their foreheads. The Venus Symbol and Saturn Symbols shone in the response to Sailor Moon's Crescent Moon and Hortaru and Minako's eyes clouded over. After a few seconds, the silent rapport ended and the pair stepped back.

"Thank you." They say in unison when it is over. Without another word Minako went and sat beneath a nearby tree, leaned her head against its trunk and closed her eyes. Hortaru sat next to her, but curled up on her side on the ground before closing her eyes. The other Senshi looked at each other, a silent question in their eyes. Who would be strong enough to go next? Standing next to each other Haruka and Michiru, without looking, reach out for the other and clasped hands. Luna and Artemis's eyes met and they nodded to each other. The two couples turned to Sailor Moon, each oblivious to the other, and said at the same time, "Us next Sailor Moon." Then looked at the other pair in shock.

Sailor Moon smiled. "Both at the same time."

The two couples nodded as Sailor Moon's Crescent Moon streaked out and connected with their respective foreheads. The symbols of Neptune and Uranus shone in response and the Crescent Moons of the Cats sent off small golden streamers of light. As before, it is all over in a few minutes and the eyes of the recipients of Sailor Moon's ministrations, unclouded. The remaining Inner Senshi looked at each other nervously for a second before turning to Sailor Moon.

"We'll go next together."

Sailor Moon nodded and performed the same service for the rest of them. They found seats around the clearing and closed their eyes, as all those before them had, after the return of their memories.

"What's going on?" asked Hisui.

"They're remembering. I broke the barriers in their mind and tugged a memory from the Silver Millennium to the forefront of their minds. Now they're remembering everything from their past lives, and regaining lost powers."

Setsuna looked around at the group. "Luna and Artemis were checking out all the seedy dives in town and all the parks for a man with dark energy. I think that I'll go check around for him for them. Excuse me." She stepped away from them.

"PLUTO PLANETARY POWER MAKE-UP!"

"They told you?"

"I walked in on them while they were discussing the matter."

"Oh."

Sailor Pluto turned to Hisui. "Would you care to come with me?"

Hisui quickly weighed matters in his mind's scales. On the one hand he could go with Sailor Pluto to look for whoever this man was. He would be dreadfully nervous but he would finally get some alone time with her. On the other hand, he would finally be able to ask Sailor Moon some things that had been bothering him. Things that had been gnawing at his mind, heart, and even his soul. Regretfully, he made his choice.

"No, thanks. I think that I'll stay here and help Sailor Moon watch over the other senshi."

Sailor Pluto nodded her understanding before running off. Sailor Moon looked at him speculatively before shimmering slightly and changing back to Usagi.

"Why did you stay? I know you like her and I thought that for sure you jump on that opportunity."

Hisui's eyes widened and he flushed. "Can we go a little bit away from the others?"

"Sure."

As they walked, Hisui tried to form the correct words. "I-I needed to talk to you."

"About what?"

Hisui took a deep breath before taking the plunge. "I saw what happened after I was imprisoned and I was wondering…Why didn't you heal me with the Silver Crystal?"

Caught off guard, Usagi looked up at him in surprise and, for an instant, locked eyes with him. Before he broke the gaze, she saw a terrible fear hidden deep within their depths.

"Oh dear." Usagi stopped walking and took both of his large hands in her tiny ones. "I didn't heal you because I didn't want to pressure you into anything. I do love you as a friend-I love you very much-and I didn't want you to hate me because I talked you into something when you weren't in the best mental state to make that decision." She caught his eyes again. "I do care about you and I do want you around but you have so much to deal with right now that I thought it for the best to put off that topic until it was a better time."

"I want to be healed." A sudden impulse rushed over him and he blurted, "Now. This very moment."

"Hisui-kun, that is a very big decision for you to make. Are you sure? You can never go back to the Dark Kingdom, you know. The way that things stand now, you'll never be a king again and whatever powers are not solely yours you will loose."

"It's okay. I know this is right." His face hardened into a mask of bitterness and hatred. "I'd never, never go back to the Dark Kingdom again anyway."

Usagi nodded slowly and stepped away. "If you're certain."

"I am."

Then Sailor Moon stood there. "This won't hurt you. I'm told that it's actually very pleasant." Hisui nodded. Sailor Moon held her hands close together, but not touch. A light appeared and began to grow between them as she slowly moved her hands apart. When they were still fairly close together, she stopped and Hisui got his first look at the blindingly brilliant object of all Queen Beryl desires and hopes. 'It seems almost too small to be worth all the trouble Beryl was willing to, and did, go through trying to obtain it.'

"MOON HEALING ESCALATION!"

Hisui's clothes melted away under the flood of moonlight and moon dust that issued forth from the Ginzuishou. He was lifted off his feet and spun in a circle around in a large circle. He couldn't help but cry out with sheer delight. When it was over, he stood in different clothes, slightly disappointed that it was all over. Sailor Moon smiled slightly as she put the Ginzuishou back where she had gotten it.

"I take it that you enjoyed yourself."

He nodded, smiling still. Then a thought hit him and his smile vanished, to be replaced with a deep flush. "Did you…um…well…er…see me when I…um-"

"Lost your clothes?"

He nodded wordlessly, flushing even more deeply.

"No. The Ginzishou hid you from sight."

He breathed a sigh of relief as his coloring began to become normal. "Oh."

Sailor Moon laughed at him, as she once again became Usagi.

"Now there are some things that I want to talk to you."

"Shoot."

"Well, for one thing I really think that you should move out of Rei-chan's place."

"I think you may be right. I think that she hates me."

"Not hates. Just has a severe distrust for."

Hisui snorted. "So what do you suggest? I admit that I've thought about alternatives to living with the Hino family-when things haven't been too hectic."

"Well, didn't you buy some of those fronts that you used to gather energy?"

"Yes. I think that I did."

"So you're probably rich! Let's see now you own a gym, a pet store, a juku, and an amusement park-WOW! You're really rich!" Usagi turned to him with huge, pleading eyes, "Can I have free tickets into the amusement park? Please?"

Hisui was taken aback. "I don't understand."

"What's not to understand? Those businesses that you set up are doing well and racking in the money. You're incredibly wealthy."

Hisui looked at her with disbelief. "You're kidding."

Now it was Usagi's turn to be disbelieving. "You mean that you didn't know?!"

"No. Do you think that I would have lived with Hino-san as long as I have if I had known that? I was busy racking my brains as to what an ex-evil ex-king could do on this world!"

"Ooops." They turned around and headed back towards the others.

"You can say that again." He looked at her from the corner of his eyes. "You know what we're doing this Saturday?"

"No. What?"

"We're going apartment hunting and checking out my funds."

Usagi laughed. "That'll be fun." She suddenly became hesitant. "Can I ask you something…personal? I mean really personal?"

Hisui looked at her curiously. "Go ahead."

"You won't think that I'm nosy or rude or anything?"

He laughed. "Just extremely curious. Now what is it?"

Usagi took a deep breath and expelled her question as one long word.

"IknowthatyoureallyreallylikeSetsuna-sansowhydidn'tyougowithher?"

Hisui took a moment to unscramble this, then took a deep breath. Strangely, he didn't flush at all. "You're right of course. I like Meioh-san very much. Sometimes though Usagi-chan a person has to weigh not only what is fun but also what is important. I would have been very happy to go with Meioh-san but this was very important to me. I can always work on getting close to her, but its very hard to get your guards away from you long enough to have a heart to heart with you." He smiled ironically. "Besides, I would have been incredibly nervous the entire time I was alone with her and probably made myself look like a complete idiot to her."

"I don't think so."

"Don't think what?"

"Don't think that my guards are overprotective or that you would have made a fool of yourself."

He snorted. "You've never tried to talk to you."

Usagi giggled. "That sounds so funny."

Hisui thought about it a moment, then laughed himself. "I suppose it does."

"Seriously, though, Setsuna-san likes you as much as you like her and she is just as nervous when you're together as you are."

Hisui was flabbergasted. "It's not nice to tease me about this, Usagi-chan."

"I'm not teasing! She as obvious about it as you are!"

"Am I really obvious?" Hisui suddenly felt his stomach knotting up. What if the other senshi had noticed his feelings too and were laughing at him behind his back? What if Meioh Setsuna was laughing at him?

Usagi seemed to read his mind. "I don't think anyone else has noticed you two yet." She laughed suddenly. "Haruka-san and Michiru-san would be chasing you away from her. Minako-chan, Mako-chan, Rei-chan, Ami-chan, and I would always be following the two of you around and strategically forcing you two together. Ami-chan would spend the majority of her time saying that this was wrong and we shouldn't do this but watching at the good parts and Rei-chan would swear up and down that we were only following the pair of you around to protect Setsuna-san from you. Luna and Artemis would council everyone to mind their own business while Hortaru-chan would stand back and watch us all, laughing."

Hisui laughed at the images his mind conjured up for him.

"So what do you suggest?"

Usagi suddenly became serious. "Ask her out. Something informal and casual."

"What if she says no?"

"I don't think she will. She really likes you. The important thing is to remember to keep it casual or she'll back out."

"What? I don't understand."

"Setsuna-san doesn't like that kind of commitment. For her, her duty to me as my Sailor Senshi comes first, above everything else. I don't think that she's had any sort of life in the past thousand years, Moon time, of course. And even then she came out of the time stream to fight evil, not to relax and have a life." She smiled up at him. "Kind of like you when worked for Beryl."

He looked startled, then laughed. "I guess so. Of course there was one major difference. Hers is a work of love; mine was a work of fear."

Usagi nodded. Hisui changed the subject.

"Who is it that Sailor Pluto is looking for anyway?"

"A foul tempered, foul mouthed man I ran into, literally, in the park the other day."

"Do you think that she'll find the man?"

"No. I have a feeling that she won't. It's just a hunch, but I think that they're looking in the wrong places for him."

"Where would you look?"

"Honestly, I don't know but then again I'd probably just let him come to me." She shrugged uncomfortably. "Let's go back and wait for Setsuna-san."

"Okay."

In companionable silence they walked back to the clearing where all the other senshi save the Senshi of Time, Sailor Pluto, lay remembering.

~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~

Zoisite rubbed his temples tiredly. He had been working on his next scheme all day and he had a terrible migraine coming on. Rubeus had been making a nuisance of himself and only iron self control was keeping Zoisite from dispatching him to death. Safir and Demando were suspiciously quiet and he wouldn't put it past them to stab him in the back, literally. The Shiin family wished revenge on Sailor Moon and the Sailor Senshi for wounding and humiliating them, so he had to think of something before he lost control of them to their bloodlust. Nephrite was being nice and that was frightening in its own right after eons of enmity. Add to that that he might regain his memory at anytime and twist the knife after Safir and Demando had stabbed him, and Zoisite was beyond stressed. Not even his garden gave him pleasure any more.

'As much as I hate the idea, it seems like its time I took another trip to Earth.'

~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~

Usagi sat alone at the place she and the other senshi usually met after school. But Makoto, Minako, and even Ami hadn't been at school that day. After school, she had gone to Rei's school, then to Hortaru's school, then to Haruka and Michiru's school. It was the same story there too. Even Luna and Artemis were making themselves scarce. So now Usagi sat alone in the Crown Fruit Parlor, thinking about matters. 'Was I wrong to return their memories to them? It hurts more, yes, but I feel like I'm finally whole. I understand everything that's been happening since I first became Sailor Moon.' She sighed deeply. 'I hope that none of them hate me now.'

"Usagi-chan?"

Usagi looked up. "Motoki-san?"

He slid into a seat across from her. "What's up?"

Usagi squirmed slightly. After all this time, she still was uncomfortable with lying to the people who cared about her. "Nothing much."

"Where are the other girls, anyway?"

"All of them are sick except Naru-chan, who's on a study date with Umino-kun. I'm alone today. Even my cat is missing."

"Are you lonely?"

Usagi laughed. "No. I have a lot to think about right now."

"I didn't mean to interrupt! If you want, I'll leave."

Motoki moved as if to leave but Usagi reached across the table and grabbed his arm. "Please don't go Motoki-san. I haven't seen you in awhile and I missed you."

He sat down again and they began to speak of things. When the conversation lagged, Usagi asked a question that she knew Motoki would be very enthusiastic about. "So how's Reika-san?"

Motoki let loose with a torrent of information about Reika and Usagi smiled. It was nice to hear someone so happy and so in love. Idly she wondered if she would be invited to the wedding when Motoki proposed to Reika.

~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~

Zoisite wandered down the streets of Tokyo. Although the streets were crowded, people instinctively left a space around him as he moved through the throng. He scowled as blackly as he had the first time he had come to Earth. As he walked down the street, something he glimpsed out of the corner of his eye made him stop. Sitting in a corner booth across the street was the girl that he had had that argument with the last time he had been on Earth. It had been in that place that the humans call a park. He stared at her in her school uniform as she talked to an animate young man with blond hair. He still hadn't figured out what was so different about her from the other humans around her, he just knew that she was. And she seemed to tug at some buried memory. Something that he had seen but not thought important enough to remember. Now he could kick himself for his careless stupidity.

She seemed to sense his eyes on her and turned slightly to see who was staring. Swiftly he hurried off, trying to loose himself in the crowded streets of Tokyo. Just when he thought that he was wrong and she hadn't seen him, he felt a light tug on his sleeve. Looking down, his eyes met a pair of the bluest eyes that he had ever seen.

"Excuse me, but would you like to come have a sundae with me?" she asked.

Zoisite was taken aback. 'What in the world is a "sundae"?'

Her eyes widened and horror spilled into them. "You don't know what a sundae is?"

Zoisite was mortified that he, a seasoned warrior for the Dark Kingdom, had let his tongue slip. The girl took a firmer grip on his arm, pulling now. "Well, since you don't know what a sundae is, I'll have to introduce you." She grinned at him. "You're going to thank me for the rest of your life."

Zoisite was curious in spit of himself. 'It's not as if I have anything better to do on this planet.' He said defensively in his mind. "What exactly is a sundae?"

"Something so wonderful, it's beyond words."

Zoisite was definitely hooked by the intrigue of the whole matter.

They went back to that shop he had seen her in earlier. "Motoki-san, could you ask your sister for two triple hot fudge sundaes with extra chocolate and a strawberry on top?" She sounded elated and expectant.

"Sure." He eyed Zoisite for a moment but said nothing. The girl led him over to her previous booth and plopped down in her previous seat. Gracefully, he sat down across from her.

"You're really going to love this!"

He nodded but was saved from saying anything because the sundaes showed up.

"Thank you Unazuki-chan!"

"Sure thing Usagi-chan!"

Through his eyelashes he watched as Usagi snatched up her spoon and began to eat with gusto. Dubiously he picked up his spoon and took a tiny bite. Taste exploded in his mouth and before he knew it he had stuffed a huge bite in his mouth. As soon as he had swallowed that bite, he had another bite in his mouth. Then another and another bite disappeared into his mouth and down his throat. Before he knew it, he was eating as voraciously as his small companion was. People stopped and stared at the pair as they ate, but neither cared. He paused to ask, "What is the dark brown stuff?"

Usagi swallowed a huge bite. "Chocolate! In my mind it's what makes the world go around!"

"Definitely!"

All talking ceased as they buckled down to some serious eating. When he could think again, and the sundae was gone, he thought to wipe his mouth and say something his host. He said the first thing that popped into his mind.
"Thank you." He was shocked. 'Where did that come from.' His mouth continued to run away with him. "It was as good as you said it was."

She laughed. "Never doubt me. When it comes to sweets, I know all!"

Zoisite laughed his first laugh since he had woken up in Beryl's throne room.
"I'll keep that in mind." His mind switched to a different track. "Why did you do all this for me?"

She flushed slightly but continued to hold his eyes. "Because you looked like you needed someone to, you know, cheer you up."

Her response and the naked honesty in her voice shocked Zoisite. He had never encountered anything like it before but had no time to marvel over it as his eyes wandered to a nearby clock, and he did a double take. It was time that he got back to the Dark Kingdom. "I'm sorry to eat and run like this but…"

In panic he wondered if her even had money. He stuck his hands in his coat pockets where his hands came in contact with a roll of paper. He knew that this was what people called money and Nephrite had had a lot of it. With his fingers he unrolled four or five bills and palmed them. Gliding to his feet, he turned and bowed to the girl as politely as he would to any noble lady of the Dark Kingdom. Gently he took one of her hands, changed his grip so that his hand was cradling her hand palm up, and kissed the center of her palm. It wasn't much but the girl's hand tremble and he smiled slightly to himself. He turned her hand over in his and held it for a moment, slipping the bills into her hand, then pressing her hand closed.

"Thank you again." Then he swiftly strode out the door. Usagi opened her hand and her eyes widened at the amount of money she held. Swiftly she got to her feet and ran to the door but she couldn't see him. Slowly she walked back to the table that they had shared and paid their tab with a small portion of the money and decided to hold onto the rest so that she could return it if she saw him again. After all, no one could give away that much money to a near stranger without it being an accident.

~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~

Sailor Moon was on time to the senshi meeting for once. She thought that it was strange that the others should call this meeting when she'd seen neither hide nor hair of them since she had returned their memories to them. They had asked her to meet them in the clearing in her Sailor fuku and she had agreed.

Slowly she entered the clearing, looking around her for the others. As far as she could tell by sight she, standing in the middle of the clearing, was alone. With her mind though, she reached out and brushed her mental fingers over the surrounding area. Around her she could feel the other Sailor Senshi.

*Sailor Moon* Sailor Venus' voice spoke in her mind as she stepped out from behind a tree on the other side of the clearing. *We have been discussing matters and have come to an important decision. *

Several trees away Sailor Mercury stepped out from behind another tree.

*Over a thousand years ago, measured in the way in which the White Moon people measure time, we swore our eternal loyalty to you. *

*An alliance which has lasted in all the years since, * Sailor Mars stepped out from behind another tree. *Despite all the obstacles and the betrayals that were thrown in our path along the way. *

*When we needed you most you were there for us, and we have always hoped that we were there for you when you needed us. * Sailor Jupiter stepped out from behind another tree.

*We have spent the day discussing, for the most part, you and our relationship and future with you. * Pluto continued as she stepped out from behind her own tree.

*And we have reached the most momentous decision we have ever come to since our rebirth into this life. * Sailor Neptune said as she and Sailor Uranus stepped out from behind a tree as one.

*We would like to renew our oaths of eternal loyalty to you. * Sailor Uranus continued from her.

*If, * Saturn finished as she appeared, completing the circle, *you will have us. *

Sailor Moon's eyes welled up with tears. *I am honored. * Then Sailor Moon became Princess Selenity.

*Princess, * Luna and Artemis leapt out of the tree limbs from above the edge of the clearing and landed in front of Princess Selenity. *We, too, would like to renew our oaths. *

*Luna. Artemis. * A faint smile appeared. *I would not have it any other way. *

As one the Sailor Senshi knelt where they stood and placed their right arms over their chests so that their right fists were across their hearts. The full moon came out from behind a cloud and shone brightly down on the clearing as Princess Selenity knelt and kissed each cat in turn in the middle of his or her Crescent Moon. Golden light spiraled from each of their Crescent Moons and a white mist seemed to descend over each of the cats. The mists rapidly grew then imploded in on themselves so that for a moment they fit the forms of a tall young man and tall young woman before exploding and disappearing in a flood of silvery moots. Princess Selenity rose to her feet and summoned the Ginzuishou. It appeared in her left hand.

Before her stood Luna and Artemis in their human forms. Artemis was lean, had long snowy hair that ended at the upper reaches of his thighs and gray-blue eyes. Sharply handsome with almost translucent skin and large hands he had a golden Crescent Moon in the center of his forehead. He was dressed in white dress shoes, white slacks, a white long-sleeved and collared shirt, and a white vest. Around his neck, on a silver chain, hung a golden crescent moon necklace and in each earlobe he had a pearl earring. Luna was beautiful with long dark wavy hair and huge brilliantly blue eyes. She had a lightly olive complexion, small hands, and a figure that curved in all the right places. Luna wore a bright yellow spaghetti stringed dress that ended in the upper regions of her thighs. Like Sailor Moon's fuku it had multi-layers. The second layer of her skirt was black and ended the skirt around her mid-thighs. Where the spaghetti strings met the actual dress there were little puffs of black lace. She had bright yellow high heels that he a trim of black around the top and a tiny black bow at the v of each shoe. Around her neck hung a golden crescent moon necklace, on a silver chain, and at each earlobe hung a golden pearl-shaped stud earring.

They looked at each other for a moment before clasping hands and kneeling before the Moon Princess.

"*We, the cats of Mau, do hereby denounce all obligations and ties to our former plant and renounce our claims to the thrones of said planet and do so for all of our descendants. We remove ourselves and all descendants that we may have from the protection of the Sailor Senshi of our former planet and all the descendants that she may have. Instead we solemnly swear to uphold the will of the crowned High Princess of this solar system Princess Selenity, also called the Moon Princess of the White Moon Empire, also known as Tsukino Usagi also known as Sailor Moon. We will advise, protect, guard, support, and follow her all the days of our lives and beyond. Nothing, not even death and subsequent rebirth, will prevent us from fulfilling this oath of eternal allegiance to her. We also place ourselves and any descendants that we may have under her protection and the protection of any descendants that she may have. This we swear on our sacred honors, the only thing that we have left as we have renounced all former ties, which includes our former names. *"

The Ginzuishou flared brilliantly with a blind hot white light, covering Princess Selenity and human cats. When the light receded, two cats stood where the humans had been.

"*I accept your oaths of eternal allegiance and swear that I and my descendents will always protect you and your descendents for all of time and beyond. Nothing, not even death and subsequent rebirth, will prevent or alter the fulfillment of this oath. As you have foresworn all other connections, I make you members of the royal Moon Family and permit you to wear our family mark. I also name you Luna and Artemis respectively and give you permission to change between your human and cat forms at will. *"

The Ginzuishou flared again and sealed the oaths with its hot white light. When it cleared, Luna and Artemis looked at each other again before once again becoming humans. Then each moved to one side of the Princess, Luna to her right and Artemis to her left.

Sailor Venus stood and walked over to place her right hand over the other side of the Ginziushou, gasping as the sudden burst of power the thing flooded her with. Princess Selenity placed her right hand over Venus' hand and Venus placed her left hand on top. As the Venus Symbol appeared on her forehead and began to emit spirals of light, so too did the Crescent Moon and the Ginzuishou. A nimbus of silver, gold, orange, and yellow energy and power surrounded the pair and the crystal.

"*I, Aino Minako also known as Sailor Venus also known as the crowned High Princess of Venus Aphrodita, do hereby solemnly swear to uphold the will of my cousin and charge the crowned High Princess of this solar system Princess Selenity, also called the Moon Princess of the White Moon Empire, also known as Tsukino Usagi also known as Sailor Moon. I will protect, guard, support, and follow her all the days of my life and beyond. Nothing, not even death and subsequent rebirth, will prevent me from fulfilling this oath of eternal allegiance to her. This I swear not only upon my own sacred honor but also upon the sacred honor of my planet, Mother Venus. *" The Ginzuishou flared brilliantly with a blind hot white light, covering Princess Selenity and Sailor Venus and blotting out the other colors in the nimbus. When the light receded, Sailor Venus stood in a new sailor fuku holding a large sword in her left hand.

The body of her uniform was still white but she now had a three-layered skirt. The top layer white, the middle orange, and the bottom white. Her white gloves were trimmed with orange, and over each of her wrists was an orange band that sported a yellow Venus Symbol. She wore white boots, which were also trimmed with orange, the inverted points of which also sported a yellow Venus Symbol. Her fuku had no sleeves and the cloth over her shoulders was orange, the edges embroidered with yellow. In the middle of her chest, where Sailor Moon's broach was, was a smaller blue bow that had a golden heart where the button used to be. In the center of this golden heart was a brilliant yellow crystal. For earrings she had yellow Venus Symbols and an orange choker snuggly encircled her throat in the center of which was a tiny yellow Venus Symbol. Where her skirt began was another yellow Venus Symbol surrounded by a silver disc, from which came two strands of color that wrapped around her hips, one golden the other yellow. Where they met in the back a pair of yellow ribbons started that fluttered around her legs. Sailor Venus' hair was up in its usual style but its usual red ribbon was no longer there. Instead her hair was held back with a delicate looking golden headband that had tiny golden beryl placed at set intervals along it. In the center of her forehead the Venus Symbol clearly stood out now as the Crescent Moon would on Sailor Moon's forehead.

Her sword was long and straight with a golden hilt. The blade itself flashed silver in the moonlight and down its center were scrolls of gold. On either side of the hilt between the cross guards, picked out in tiny topazes, was a miniature Venus Symbol.

"The Venus Sword…" she breathed reverently. "The sword of my family and the head of the royal guard."

Gracefully she bowed to Princess Selenity before stepping back to her former place and knelt in her former position, this time though she held her new sword in her left hand, the point ground into the earth. Mercury stood up and took her place. She smiled slightly at her princess as she placed her right hand over the stone. Her eyes widened as the crystal washed her with its energy. Princess Selenity placed her right hand over Mercury's hand and Mercury placed her left hand on top. The Mercury Symbol appeared on her head and began to emit spirals of light. Princess Selenity's Crescent Moon and the Ginzuishou spiraled with light too. A nimbus of silver, gold, and two shades of blue energy and power surrounded the pair and the crystal.

"*I, Mizuno Ami also known as Sailor Mercury also known as the crowned High Princess of Mercury Hermesia, do hereby solemnly swear to uphold the will of my dearest friend the crowned High Princess of this solar system Princess Selenity, also called the Moon Princess of the White Moon Empire, also known as Tsukino Usagi also known as Sailor Moon. I will protect, guard, support, and follow her all the days of my life and beyond. Nothing, not even death and subsequent rebirth, will prevent me from fulfilling this oath of eternal allegiance to her. This I swear not only upon my own sacred honor but also upon the sacred honor of my planet, Guardian Mercury. *" The Ginzuishou flared brilliantly with a blind hot white light, covering Princess Selenity and Sailor Mercury and blotting out the other colors in the nimbus. When the light receded, Sailor Mercury stood in a new sailor fuku holding her minicomputer in her left hand and wearing her visor.

The body of her uniform was still white but, like Venus, her skirt had three layers. The top layer white, the middle dark aquamarine, and the bottom white. Her white gloves were trimmed with aquamarine, and over each of her wrists was an aquamarine band that sported an ice blue Mercury Symbol. She wore white boots, which were also trimmed with aquamarine, the inverted points of which also sported an aquamarine Mercury Symbol. Her fuku had no sleeves and the cloth over her shoulders was aquamarine, the edges embroidered with ice blue. In the middle of her chest, where Sailor Moon's would be broach, was a smaller ice blue bow that had a golden heart where the button used to be. In the center of this golden heart was a brilliant ice blue crystal. For earrings she had ice blue Mercury Symbols and an aquamarine choker snuggly encircled her throat in the center of which was a tiny ice blue Mercury Symbol. Where her skirt began was another ice blue Mercury Symbol surrounded by a silver disc, from which came two strands of color that wrapped around her hips, one golden the other ice blue. Where they met in the back a pair of ice blue ribbons started that fluttered around her legs. Sailor Mercury's hair short hair was held back with a delicate looking golden headband that had tiny sapphires placed at set intervals along it. In the center of her forehead the Mercury Symbol clearly stood out now as the Crescent Moon would on Sailor Moon's forehead. Unlike the others though, she had a second pair of earrings, sapphire studs.

She looked down at herself and laughed before stepping back and kneeling as before. With flawless grace, Mars rose and moved to stand in front of her princess. Laughing with her expressive eyes, Sailor Mars placed her right hand over the Ginzuishou and hissed through her teeth as the power swept over her. Princess Selenity placed her left hand over her and Mars placed her left hand over Princess Selenity's. The Mars Symbol appeared and began to send out spirals of energy. Princess Selenity's Crescent Moon and the Ginzuishou began to emit spirals of light too. A nimbus of silver, gold, crimson, and violet energy and power surrounded the pair and the crystal.

"*I, Hino Rei also known as Sailor Mars also known as the crowned High Princess of Mars Ariesa, do hereby solemnly swear to uphold the will of my dearest friend the crowned High Princess of this solar system Princess Selenity, also called the Moon Princess of the White Moon Empire, also known as Tsukino Usagi also known as Sailor Moon. I will protect, guard, support, and follow her all the days of my life and beyond. Nothing, not even death and subsequent rebirth, will prevent me from fulfilling this oath of eternal allegiance to her. This I swear not only upon my own sacred honor but also upon the sacred honor of my planet, Father Mars. *" The Ginzuishou flared brilliantly with a blind hot white light, covering Princess Selenity and Sailor Mars and blotting out the other colors in the nimbus. When the light receded, Sailor Mars stood in a new sailor fuku.

Her uniform was like the others with the body of her uniform remaining white and gaining a three-layered skirt with the top layer white, the middle crimson, and the bottom white. Her white gloves were trimmed with crimson, and over each of her wrists was a crimson band that sported a violet Mars Symbol. She wore white boots, which were also trimmed with crimson, the inverted points of which also sported a violet Mars Symbol. Her fuku had no sleeves and the cloth over her shoulders was crimson, the edges embroidered with violet. In the middle of her chest, where Sailor Moon's broach would be, was a smaller violet bow that had a golden heart where the button used to be. In the center of this golden heart was a brilliant violet crystal. For earrings she had violet Mars Symbols and a crimson choker snuggly encircled her throat in the center of which was a tiny violet Mars Symbol. Where her skirt began was another violet Mars Symbol surrounded by a silver disc, from which came two strands of color that wrapped around her hips, one golden the other violet. Where they met in the back a pair of violet ribbons started that swirled around her legs. Sailor Mars' hair held out of her face with a delicate looking golden headband that had tiny rubies placed at set intervals along it. In the center of her forehead the Mars Symbol clearly stood out now as the Crescent Moon did on Princess Selenity's forehead.

Gracefully Mars returned to her previous spot and knelt as Jupiter rose and strode to her princess. She winked at Selenity as they placed their hands on the Ginzuishou and gasped as the Ginzuishou washed her with its power. The Jupiter Symbol appeared on her head and began to emit spirals of light. Princess Selenity's Crescent Moon and the Ginzuishou spiraled with light as well. A nimbus of silver, gold, green, and sugar pink energy and power surrounded the pair and the crystal.

"*I, Kino Makoto also known as Sailor Jupiter also known as the crowned High Princess of Jupiter Zeuna, do hereby solemnly swear to uphold the will of my dearest friend the crowned High Princess of this solar system Princess Selenity, also called the Moon Princess of the White Moon Empire, also known as Tsukino Usagi also known as Sailor Moon. I will protect, guard, support, and follow her all the days of my life and beyond. Nothing, not even death and subsequent rebirth, will prevent me from fulfilling this oath of eternal allegiance to her. This I swear not only upon my own sacred honor but also upon the sacred honor of my planet, Father Jupiter. *" The Ginzuishou flared brilliantly with a blind hot white light, covering Princess Selenity and Sailor Jupiter and blotting out the other colors in the nimbus. When the light receded, Sailor Jupiter stood in a new sailor fuku.

The body of her uniform was still white but, like the others before her, her skirt had three layers. The top layer white, the middle forest green, and the bottom white. Her white gloves were trimmed with forest green, and over each of her wrists was a forest green band that sported a soft leafy green Jupiter Symbol. Her white boots, which were also trimmed with forest green, the inverted points of which also sported a soft leafy green Jupiter Symbol. The shoulder cloth of her sleeveless fuku was forest green, the edges embroidered with the soft leafy green. In the middle of her chest, where Sailor Moon's broach customarily hung, was a smaller softly leafy green bow that had a golden heart where the button used to be. In the center of this golden heart was a brilliant sugar pink crystal. For earrings she had leafy green Jupiter Symbols and a forest green choker snuggly encircled her throat in the center of which was a tiny leafy green Jupiter Symbol. Where her skirt began was another leaf green Jupiter Symbol surrounded by a silver disc, from which came two strands of color that wrapped around her hips, one golden the other sugar pink. Where they met in the back a pair of sugar pink ribbons started that fluttered around her legs. Sailor Jupiter's hair was in its customary ponytail but was held in place, not by the customary hair band, but by a delicate looking golden hair band that had tiny emeralds placed at set intervals along it. In the center of her forehead the Jupiter Symbol clearly stood out now as the Crescent Moon would on Sailor Moon's forehead. She looked herself over and grimaced slightly at the sight of the pink in her uniform. With a slight shrug she moved back to her former position and knelt as before while Pluto stood up.

Confidently she walked to the princess and looked at her with knowing eyes. She and Selenity placed their hands on the crystal as all the others before Pluto had. Pluto shivered for a moment as the Ginzuishou's power embraced her. The Pluto Symbol appeared on her head and began to give off spirals of light. Spirals of light from the Crescent Moon of Princess Selenity and the Ginzuishou joined her. A nimbus of silver, gold, black and deep red energy and power surrounded the pair and the crystal.

"*I, Meioh Setsuna also known as Sailor Pluto also known as the crowned High Princess of Pluto Persephonia, do hereby solemnly swear to uphold the will of cousin and charge the crowned High Princess of this solar system Princess Selenity, also called the Moon Princess of the White Moon Empire, also known as Tsukino Usagi also known as Sailor Moon. I will protect, guard, support, and follow her all the days of my life and beyond. Nothing, not even death and subsequent rebirth, will prevent me from fulfilling this oath of eternal allegiance to her. This I swear not only upon my own sacred honor but also upon the sacred honor of my planet, Guardian Pluto. *" The Ginzuishou flared brilliantly with a blind hot white light, covering Princess Selenity and Sailor Pluto and blotting out the other colors in the nimbus. When the light receded, Sailor Pluto stood in a new sailor fuku, her left hand out holding the Time Staff.

The body of her uniform was still white but, like the other senshi, her skirt had three layers, the top layer white, the middle black, and the bottom white. Her white gloves were trimmed with black, and over each of her wrists was a black band that sported a deep red Pluto Symbol. Her white boots were trimmed with black, the inverted points of which also sported a deep red Pluto Symbol, as was the shoulder cloth of her sleeveless fuku, the edges of which were embroidered with deep red. In the middle of her chest, where Sailor Moon's broach would hang, was a smaller deep red bow that had a silver heart where the button used to be. In the center of this silver heart was a brilliant deep red crystal. For earrings she had deep red Pluto Symbols and a black choker snuggly encircled her throat in the center of which was a tiny deep red Pluto Symbol. Where her skirt began was another deep red Pluto Symbol surrounded by a gold disc, from which came two strands of color that wrapped around her hips, one silver the other deep red. Where they met in the back a pair of deep red ribbons started that swirled around her legs. Her long green tresses were held away from her face by a delicate looking headband. Hers was silver though and had tiny garnets placed at set intervals along it. In the center of her forehead the Pluto Symbol clearly stood out now as the Crescent Moon would on Sailor Moon's forehead. Casting a faint smile at her princess, Pluto returned to her former position, grinding the tip of her staff into the ground.

Uranus stood and approached the princess. As she walked by Sailor Neptune, she briefly squeezed her partner's shoulder and she grinned at her princess before they placed their hands on the Ginzuishou. Uranus jumped when she felt the power of the Ginzuishou swirl eddy through her body. The Uranus Symbol appeared on her head and began to emit spirals of light; the Princess Selenity's Crescent Moon and the Ginzuishou spirals of light joined her. A nimbus of silver, gold, and navy blue energy and power surrounded the pair and the crystal.

"*I, Tenoh Haruka also known as Sailor Uranus also known as the crowned High Princess of Uranus Calaisina, do hereby solemnly swear to uphold the will of my dearest friend the crowned High Princess of this solar system Princess Selenity, also called the Moon Princess of the White Moon Empire, also known as Tsukino Usagi also known as Sailor Moon. I will protect, guard, support, and follow her all the days of my life and beyond. Nothing, not even death and subsequent rebirth, will prevent me from fulfilling this oath of eternal allegiance to her. This I swear not only upon my own sacred honor but also upon the sacred honor of my planet, Father Uranus. *" The Ginzuishou flared brilliantly with a blind hot white light, covering Princess Selenity and Sailor Uranus and blotting out the other colors in the nimbus. When the light receded, Sailor Uranus stood in a new sailor fuku, her left hand out holding the Space Sword.

The body of her uniform was still white but, like the other senshi, her skirt had three layers. The top layer white, the middle navy blue, and the bottom white. Her white gloves were trimmed with navy blue, and over each of her wrists was a navy blue band that sported a gold Uranus Symbol. Her white boots were trimmed with navy blue, the inverted points of which also sported a gold Uranus Symbol, as was the shoulder cloth of her sleeveless fuku, the edges of which were embroidered with gold. In the middle of her chest, where Sailor Moon's broach would hang, was a smaller gold bow that had a silver heart where the button used to be. In the center of this silver heart was a brilliant navy blue crystal. For earrings she had gold Uranus Symbols and a navy blue choker snuggly encircled her throat in the center of which was a tiny gold Uranus Symbol. Where her skirt began was another gold Uranus Symbol surrounded by a gold disc, from which came two strands of color that wrapped around her hips, one silver the other navy blue. Where they met in the back a pair of navy blue ribbons started that swirled around her legs. Even the boyish Sailor Uranus' hair sported a delicate looking headband. Hers was silver like Pluto's though and had tiny lapis lazuli placed at set intervals along it. In the center of her forehead the Uranus Symbol clearly stood out now as the Crescent Moon would on Sailor Moon's forehead.

The fingers of one gloved hand reached up and touched the silver headband. She grimaced slightly but did not say a word, instead choosing to return to her spot, kneel, and grind the point of her sword into the ground as Venus did. Neptune smiled at her companion and stood. As she moved toward Princess Selenity she brushed the fingers of one hand against Uranus' cheek. Neptune dipped her head and smiled slightly before they got down to business. They placed their hands on the Ginzuishou and Neptune's eyes widened and she gasped as the Ginzuishou wrapped her in its power. The Neptune Symbol appeared on her head and began to emit spirals of light and Princess Selenity's Crescent Moon and the Ginzuishou spirals of light joined her. A nimbus of silver, gold, navy blue, and sea-green energy and power surrounded the pair and the crystal.

"*I, Kaioh Mirchiru also known as Sailor Neptune also known as the crowned High Princess of Neptune Poseidonna, do hereby solemnly swear to uphold the will of my dearest friend the crowned High Princess of this solar system Princess Selenity, also called the Moon Princess of the White Moon Empire, also known as Tsukino Usagi also known as Sailor Moon. I will protect, guard, support, and follow her all the days of my life and beyond. Nothing, not even death and subsequent rebirth, will prevent me from fulfilling this oath of eternal allegiance to her. This I swear not only upon my own sacred honor but also upon the sacred honor of my planet, Guardian Neptune. *" The Ginzuishou flared brilliantly with a blind hot white light, covering Princess Selenity and Sailor Neptune and blotting out the other colors in the nimbus. When the light receded, Sailor Neptune stood in a new sailor fuku, her left hand holding the Sacred Mirror.

The body of her uniform was still white and her skirt made up of three layers, the top layer white, the middle sea green, and the bottom white. Her white gloves were trimmed with sea green, as was the band over each of her wrists that sported navy blue Neptune Symbols. Her white boots were trimmed with sea green, the inverted points of which also sported a navy blue Neptune Symbol. The shoulder cloth of her sleeveless fuku was sea green, the edges of which were embroidered with navy blue. In the middle of her chest, where Sailor Moon's usually was, was a smaller navy blue bow that had a silver heart where the button used to be. In the center of this silver heart was a brilliant navy blue crystal. For earrings she had navy blue Neptune Symbols and a sea green choker snuggly encircled her throat in the center of which was a tiny navy blue Neptune Symbol. Where her skirt began was another navy blue Neptune Symbol surrounded by a gold disc, from which came two strands of color that wrapped around her hips, one silver the other navy blue. Where they met in the back a pair of navy blue ribbons started that swirled around her legs. The refined Sailor Neptune's hair was held back from her face by a delicate looking silver headband that had tiny aquamarines placed at set intervals along it. In the center of her forehead the Neptune Symbol clearly stood out now as the Crescent Moon would on Sailor Moon's forehead. She smiled serenely down at herself before nodding to the princess and stepping back. She knelt as she did before, her left hand holding the mirror so that its outer rim was pressed against the earth and the face was turned towards her leg.

The smallest and youngest of the Sailor Senshi stood now and walked to her princess. Solemnly she looked up at Princess Selenity before reaching out with her right hand and placing it on the Ginzuishou. Her eyes narrowed and glowed a deep purple as the Ginzuishou wrapped her in its power. The Saturn Symbol appeared on her head and began to emit spirals of light. Princess Selenity's Crescent Moon and the Ginzuishou added their spirals of light to joined hers. A nimbus of silver, gold, purple, and black energy and power surrounded the pair and the crystal.

"*I, Tomae Hortaru also known as Sailor Saturn also known as the crowned High Princess of Saturn Cronua, do hereby solemnly swear to uphold the will of my dearest friend the crowned High Princess of this solar system Princess Selenity, also called the Moon Princess of the White Moon Empire, also known as Tsukino Usagi also known as Sailor Moon. I will protect, guard, support, and follow her all the days of my life and beyond. Nothing, not even death and subsequent rebirth, will prevent me from fulfilling this oath of eternal allegiance to her. This I swear not only upon my own sacred honor but also upon the sacred honor of my planet, Father Saturn. *" The Ginzuishou flared brilliantly with a blind hot white light, covering Princess Selenity and Sailor Saturn and blotting out the other colors in the nimbus. When the light receded, Sailor Saturn stood in a new sailor fuku, her left hand holding the Silence Glaive.

The body of her uniform was still white and her skirt made up of three layers, the top layer white, the middle purple, and the bottom white. Her white gloves were trimmed with purple, as was the band over each of her wrists that sported black Saturn Symbols. Her white boots were trimmed with purple, the inverted points of which also sported a black Saturn Symbol. The shoulder cloth of her sleeveless fuku was purple, the edges of which were embroidered with black. In the middle of her chest, where Sailor Moon's usually was, was a smaller black bow that had a silver heart where the button used to be. In the center of this silver heart was a brilliant black crystal. For earrings she had black Saturn Symbols and a purple choker snuggly encircled her throat in the center of which was a tiny black Saturn Symbol. Where her skirt began was another black Saturn Symbol surrounded by a gold disc, from which came two strands of color that wrapped around her hips, one silver the other black. Where they met in the back a pair of black ribbons started that swirled around her legs. The short hair of Sailor Saturn was held back from her face by a delicate looking silver headband that had tiny amethysts placed at set intervals along it. In the center of her forehead the Saturn Symbol clearly stood out now as the Crescent Moon would on Sailor Moon's forehead. She looked herself over for a second before smiling up at Princess Selenity and stepping back. She knelt as she did before, her left hand holding the Silence Glaive so that the butt of it was ground into the earth.

"*Rise my Sailor Senshi.*"

They did.

"*I hereby appoint Sailor Venus as the leader of my Sailor Senshi.*" Princess Selenity turned to Artemis. "*To help her with her decision and guide her in times of difficulty I assign you the task foe being aide to Sailor Venus. Do you both accept your tasks? *"

"*I do. *"

"*I do. *"

Princess Selenity detransformed to Usagi. "I'm glad." She flopped into a sitting position. "WHEW! Am I glad that's over."

Everyone else laugh.

Uranus frowned. "I wonder why our senshi uniforms are different than they were in our last lives."

"Because you know about me." Surprised, everyone turned to look at Usagi. "You didn't know about me in our previous lives so we weren't very strong. In this life time we have even fewer secrets from each other than our last life so we're a stronger team. We're also a lot stronger individually, too."

"Makes sense." Venus agreed.

Jupiter was fingering one of her sugar pink ribbons and frowning.

"What's wrong?" Mars asked.

"I know my aura and powers are pink but does my fuku always have to show it?"

That caused more laughter. "I guess so." Mars wiped her eyes as she suppressed more laughter and tried to sound consoling, "But don't worry. The pink adds a flair of color."

Usagi looked at her watched then sprang to her feet screaming, "DO ANY OF YOU KNOW WHAT TIME IT IS? WE'RE ONLY GOING TO HAVE A FEW HOURS TO SLEEP BEFORE SCHOOL STARTS. SENSHI MEETING DISMISSED." Then she dashed from the clearing, leaving a dust trail in her wake. The others looked after her for a moment, stunned, before detransforming themselves.

"Sometimes," Haruka remarked, "I wonder why she isn't the soldier of the wind."

"She's right though. We should all go home and go to bed."

Makoto yawned and nodded. "I second the motion Ami-chan."

The senshi walked to the temple before splitting up to go their separate ways.
Minako looked at Makoto out of the corner of her eyes. "What do you want to bet that Usagi-chan is going to be late?"

Makoto laughed. "Minako-chan, only a fool would take you up on that. I know that she is going to be late."

Minako laughed. "I was hoping that you'd be too tired to listen to your better sense."

Makoto snorted. "I'm not that tired. See you tomorrow Minako-chan."

"Yeah. See you tomorrow, Mako-chan."

~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~

Kunzite looked up at the light step in the room. Straining his eyes, he made out the vague shape of a small girl. She seemed to hover indecisively in the shadows.

"Who are you? I know you are there."

The girl stepped into the light and Kunzite gasped.

"I am Kikyoku of the Shiin Family of Ate, Warrior of Serious Depression." She came closer. "And you are Kunzite."

"You're family's supposed to be under a deep sleep spell. The strongest one that Beryl and her mistress could cast."

"The Master and Zoisite set us free."

"Zoisaito?!"

She seemed distinctly amused. "So the stories are true. You two are lovers."

"That's none of you're business!" He shot back. "Anyway, aren't you too young to be interested in that sort of thing?"

She laughed at that. "You'd be surprised. I'm probably much older than you are."

Kunzite decided to ignore such foolishness. "Why did you come?"

"Your depression attracted me." She was now standing directly in front of him. "I could feel it calling me." Before he could react, she had reached up and tucked his hair behind his ears, steadying herself on the vines that held him.

"You really are good looking, but I bet that you know that." She continued. "The stories were never really definite about you, you know. They were all agreeing that Zoisite was gay but they were never definite about your preferences."

"Why do you keep bringing that up?"

"Because I want to know. I won't go away or stop asking so It would be a good idea to answer now instead of later."

Kunzite sighed. "I like men and women."

She nodded. "That's good."

"Why?"

"Because I really like you."

"What?"

"I have a serious crush on you and have for centuries." Gently she rested a hand on his cheek. "I used to watch you when you were drilling your men, or making speeches, or even just walking around with Zoisite. I finally decided to tell you because after the sleep I realized that nothing in life is certain and I should seize my chances."

"I'm flatter-really I am-but I'm far to old for you. You should find a boy your own age and learn about love. Eventually you'll meet that one, that other half of your soul, and you'll love him forever. This, even if it could be, isn't right. I could never have that kind of relationship with you. You're young enough to be my daughter."

She stepped away, hurt. "That isn't fair. You never even gave it a chance."

Kunzite looked at her, his eyes cold and distant on the surface but with hidden sympathy. "Perhaps. But that's the way it is."

"If I got older looking-much older-would you love me?"

"No. Even if you were about my age, I couldn't love you that way. I'm in love with my Zoisaito and would never betray him for another. Never."

"Zoisite won't always be here. One day you may be alone."

"What are you saying?" Kunzite's voice became sharp.

"Just that accidents happen. He means to use the Shiin Family for his own purposes and will learn the follies of his ways. Quite painfully I'd imagine. Then you'd be alone."

"Don't you dare touch Zoisite!" Kunzite began to struggle in his wall. "Even if Zoisite was gone, I'd never love you or any other! I'd rather be alone for the rest of my life than betray him!"

"That's a pity." She moved close to him. As she reached for his head, the only part of him not encased in the wall, he tried to evade her grasp but she caught and held his head in a painful grasp.

"You'll be very sorry that you rejected me. Very sorry." The she kissed him passionately, her tongue invading his mouth. As she broke the kiss, she caught his lower lip in her teeth and bit it. Hard. Then she stepped back, licking Kunzite's blood from her lips, looking at his face intently. "I understand that whenever Zoisite makes a mistake, you have to pay for it. With us it will be the other way around. Since you made a very large mistake, Zoisite will have to pay a very high price. Enjoy thinking about that Kunzite while you rot in that mess of wall and vines." She turned to leave but paused for a second. "By the way plant-boy, I'm much older than you are." Then she left as quickly as she came.

Sighing he leaned his head against the wall behind him, knowing that the slow trickling of his blood down his face would eventually drive him mad. But there was something much dearer to his heart than his own welfare that was endangered and the loss of it would more than drive him mad. 'Zoisaito, my love, what are you doing?'

~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~
Here are the translations if you need them…(If you didn't notice I added some of my own names to the character names from the series-ex.-Jadeite's human name and the princess names for the other senshi.)
Tsukino Usagi = Serena = Sailor Moon = Princess Selenity
Mizuno Ami = Amy Anderson = Sailor Mercury = Princess Hermesia
Hino Rei = Raye Hino = Sailor Mars = Princess Ariesa
Kino Makoto = Lita = Sailor Jupiter = Princess Zeuna
Aino Minako = Mina = Sailor Venus = Princess Aphrodita
Meioh Setsuna = Sailor Pluto = Princess Persephonia
Tenoh Haruka = Sailor Uranus = Princess Calaisina
Kaioh Michiru = Sailor Neptune = Princess Poseidonna
Tomoe Hotaru = Sailor Saturn = Princess Cronua
Chiba Mamoru = Darien Shields = Tuxedo Kamen/Mask = Prince Endymion
Luna = Luna
Artemis = Artemis
Jiyuujin Hisui = Jadeite = Jedite
Nephrite = Nephlite = Nephlyte
Zoisite = Zoicite = Zoycite
Kunzite =Malachite
Rubeus = Rubeus
Safir = Sapphire
Prince Demando = Prince Diamond
Furuhata Motoki = Andrew (from the arcade)
Reika = Rita
Ryo Urawa = Greg
My Characters:
Tellosummo Ventum Aequila = ( vice versa) = Eagle from the Top of the World
Kikyoku = Serious Depression
Gekidoku = Deadly Poisons
Sado = Sadism
Ekirei = Plagues
Shikaku = Shadowy Assassinations
Zetsumei = Death
Shiin = Death
Ate = Discord