Disclaimer: Sailor Moon is copyright Naoko Takeuchi; Destiny and Fate (and anything you don't recognize) is mine.

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He stared out at the Earth, the beautiful Earth that would soon be out of sight. Earth was where he had been born, where he had lived until recently...

...where he had learned to love.

Soft footsteps sounded behind him. He tensed, hoping it wasn't her.

Her soft lilting voice spoke in murmurs. "You miss home, don't you?"

"Of course I do. Don't you miss your home?" He didn't turn, didn't take his eyes off Earth.

"Of course..." her voice was sad. He turned, and he was swept into her beautiful eyes.

Eyes that would never look at him with anything other then sisterly love. His heart broke.

She smiled a sweet, sweet, sad smile and walked to the balconly railing to look at Earth. "Do you ever regret it?"

"Regret what?" He couldn't take his eyes off of her. But then, he didn't want to.

"Leaving... coming here. You didn't have to, it wasn't asked of you... but yet, you did anyway..." her voice trailed off. "Why?"

He gulped. She wasn't usually this straight-forward. *I guess the princess of Mars is rubbing off on her...*

His heart jumped.

She was waiting for him to answer. "Sometimes I do. Sometimes I feel like running to the nearest teleporter." This got a smile from her. "Sometimes... sometimes I wonder why I don't. I don't have an obligation to be here... Endymion wouldn't be mad about my leaving." He smiled a wistful smile. "I don't know why I came here. I guess it was because I needed a change." Sorrow filled his eyes.

She turned, straightening up from leaning onto the railing, and looked up at him. She watched him carefully. "You may be my best friend, but even I don't know why you do the things you do or think. If you miss home so much, then go back. Nobody's making you stay. We all know you stopped going to college so you could come here."

He sighed and looked upwards toward Earth again.

"What are you scared of?"

Her last question caught him off guard.

"What?"

Her eyes pierced into his. "What are you scared of?"

"... I'm scared of going home... what if they don't want me back? What if they're disappointed in me for leaving the Prince? Will they think I'm too different? Will they think I've changed too much, for the bad?" He drew in a deep breath and whispered his last fear. "What if I see her again?"

Her eyes grew soft, and she walked towards him, stopping just in front of him. Lifting a hand to his chin, she raised his head up until she could see his eyes and brushed his bangs away. "You'll never know until you go back. And you'll always be welcome here." She got on tip toe and pushed his head down so she could kiss his forehead. Then she walked off without a backwards glance, going back to the girl she loved who was sleeping soundly in their bed. He watched her go. When she was out of sight, he whispered one last thing...

"I'm scared because then I'll have to leave you. I love you, Princess Neptune. " Kunzite turned and watched the Earth disappear below the Moon's horizon. "I'll always love you."

He would soon find out just how cruel destiny and fate are.

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Didn't think it'd be Kunzite & Michiru, did ya? ;)

This part of the story happens four years before the Silver Millennium is destroyed. And yes, I know Kunzite and Venus fell in love in the manga, not Kunzite and Michiru. :P