Crystal Flaws – Book 01 Crystal Tears – Revised

by Luna Hope

What was the *other* reason Small Lady was sent to the past the second time? Will Neo-Queen Serenity and King Endymion's marriage survive a very old secret revealed?

Crystal Flaws – Book One (Revised)

Crystal Tears
By Luna Hope
Rated - PG
**********
Chapter 1

"Quiet Usagi! We don't want the enemy to know where we are!" hissed Sailor Mars as
she pulled her Queen into the safety of a cave hidden in the mountainside.

Tired and more than a little anxious, Usagi responded sharply, "I know, Rei! I didn't slip
on purpose!" They both sat quietly and tried to catch their breath. The cave's
unrelenting darkness retreated a bit when Mars turned on the small, battery-operated
lantern she had brought with her.

Sailor Mars whispered, "We'll wait here until dark. If the others aren't here by then,
we'll have to go ahead without them." She tried to reassure Usagi as she continued, "I'm
sure they're all fine. They'll catch up. The important thing is we have to get you hidden.
If the Dark Moon captured you, our world would be lost for certain."

Usagi sighed. She knew Sailor Mars was right. "I wish I knew what to do! We know
Small Lady will defeat the Dark Moon and bring my crystal back, but when? I feel
so…so helpless without it! They'll see you and the other Senshi stopped protecting the
palace and know I left the crystal barrier. They'll come after us! I don't even have the
Disguise Pen! If the others can't find Mamoru quickly and escape they'll be captured!
Mamo-chan's hurt badly too, I remember! How will they get him out?" Usagi's panic
was increasing.

Sailor Mars shook Usagi gently to get her attention. Mars stated, "We have plans for
those things. Trust us. The one thing we can't afford is for you to be captured. They
won't be sure of a victory if they don't have you. Protecting the palace was draining us.
We realized it was more important to protect you and the King. The palace could be
abandoned. We are to meet here and then head to the mountain lodge. It's secluded and
we're betting it hasn't been discovered yet."

The two women heard a noise outside the vegetation that concealed the cave's entrance.
Sailor Mars stepped in front of Usagi and prepared for battle. A low whistle made her
sigh with relief. "It's the others," Sailor Mars stated. She quietly whistled a response
and went ahead to meet them.

Usagi jumped up when Mamoru enter the cave. He looked up and put a hand out to stop
her usual forward dash into him. "Usako please, I'm not steady," he said. Usagi gasped
as she realized he was leaning heavily on his staff and was very pale.

Sailor Mercury entered the cave behind him. "I did what I could for him given the lack
of time and supplies," she said.

Usagi carefully led Mamoru to a rock by the side of the cave and helped him sit.
Kneeling in front of him, she started to cry. "Mamo-chan," she sobbed, "If only I had the
silver…" He stopped her words as he brushed her tears away with his fingers.

With tears in his own eyes, he said, "At least we're here and alive. We'll be okay."

The Senshi had been whispering with each other by the front of the cave and keeping
watch. Usagi came forward and she could see the fatigue in their faces and bodies. Her
heart was touched by their unfailing devotion to her and Mamoru's safety.

The women turned when they heard their Queen approach. "Ami, Mako, Minako, Rei,"
she choked out, "Thank you." As they hugged, Luna and Artemis stepped out from
behind the girls. Usagi saw them and started to cry again. "I'm so glad we're all here!"
she said.

"Don't be too relieved, we still have a long way to go," stated the ever-practical Luna.
She continued, "It's almost dark. We'll need to leave soon."

The forest's darkness enveloped the group as they stepped out of the cave. They didn't
dare even a small light to show the way. The dim, reflected light from the thin crescent
moon didn't do too much to help, but it didn't give them away either.

The cats with their keen eyes and ears led the way. Next was Sailor Jupiter who
supported Mamoru, with Sailor Mercury close behind. Usagi, who was still in the long
gown and heels she held court in, was next steadied by a somewhat patient Sailor Mars.
Sailor Venus brought up the rear to listen for approaching enemies. They made fairly
good time. Occasionally Usagi mumbled something about wishing she could transform
and get rid of the gown and heels. Sailor Mars' hiss would quickly silence her as they
continued on their way.

As day was breaking they approached the mountain lodge. It sat on a ridge with a
beautiful view of Crystal Tokyo below. From this distance the destruction didn't show.
The sight made Usagi catch a sob in her throat. She wished the illusion of peacefulness
was reality, and the invasion from the Dark Moon was only a disturbing nightmare.

Suddenly, as they watched, dozens of Dark Moon spaceships rose up from the city. At
first they thought it was a search, but then they realized the ships were leaving.

"What's going on?" the friends wondered. Then, as they looked around with enlightened
eyes, it dawned on them. Gathering together, they breathed a sigh of relief as the sky in
front of them started to shimmer and swirl. Soon, a pink haired girl was running toward
them.
**********
Chapter 2

There was now a time of peace and rebuilding. Mamoru and Usagi once again sat as
King and Queen of Crystal Tokyo. Princess Small Lady Serenity had returned to Crystal
Tokyo from the past bringing the Imperial Silver Crystal back with her. Her recent
adventure seemed to have matured her greatly, and she was now eager to learn all she
could from the Senshi and her parents.

Before the Dark Moon had attacked, Neo-Queen Serenity had charged the Outer Senshi,
with the exception of Sailor Pluto who was at the timegate, with the monumental task of
evaluating and readying other planets and moons in the Solar System for settlement. The
Queen had realized that the only way humanity would grow peaceably would be if there
were new frontiers for people to test and challenge themselves on. Many of the other
planets and moons also had valuable and unique resources that would make settlement
profitable to all involved.

When the Dark Moon Family had attacked the Earth they had also taken control of all
space travel. This had effectively stranded each of the outer Senshi at the primitive
outposts they were working on. They did remember that the Dark Moon Family was
eventually defeated but it aggravated them to no end that they couldn't do anything to
help.

One of the first things the King did when he got back was search for and reestablish
contact with the outer Senshi. He found Uranus on one of Jupiter's moons, Neptune had
been on the planet Venus and Saturn had been stranded on the planet Mars. All three
were very happy interplanetary communication was working again and that transport
would be available within the week.

The King, Queen and the inner Senshi were very busy with repairing the damage to the
Earth and Crystal Tokyo's reconstruction. They had also decided to excavate and rebuild
the Moon's palace. Their hope was that they'd find some useful remnants of information
regarding the advanced technology and magic that was in use during the Silver
Millennium.

Two months after their return, King Endymion was sitting at his desk looking over a
project proposal the outer Senshi had sent to him. The project's main goal was to protect
the Royal Family and the Crystal Palace from ambush situations similar to the Dark
Moon's invasion.

The King agreed their proposal had merit. He now realized they had depended too much
on the Silver Crystal for protection. He knew Sailor Mercury was almost done with her
dimensional filter and that plus this project would make the Earth almost attack proof.
Definitely liking the sound of that, King Endymion proceeded to send a secure
interplanetary email to the outer Senshi. He approved their proposal and said that as soon
as their planetary exploration projects were stable they could return to the Earth to start
the project code named, "CTEM".

King Endymion had just finished sending his letter someone knocked on his office door.
He answered, "Enter," and his wife and daughter opened the door.

"Mamo-chan, are you done? It's lunch time." Usagi informed him.

Mamoru chuckled to himself, [No chance I'd miss a meal with my two girls around.] "I
just have to log off…" he answered but was interrupted by the plaintive ringing of his
phone.

Smiling apologetically to his family, the King lifted the receiver. His suddenly
concerned expression as he listened prompted his wife and daughter to fully enter the
room and stand by his desk.

"We'll be there right away," King Endymion agreed as he hung up. Looking up he
answered his family's questioning gazes, "A worker who was hand excavating a room in
the Moon Palace found a hidden, deteriorated stairwell the hard way."

The Queen gasped, "Is he…"

Endymion shook his head as he explained, "Someone heard him yell just as he was
falling. That person's quick action to activate and drop a portable biosphere backpack
down the hole saved the man's life. He's conscious but badly injured. Any attempt to
lower a rescuer to him has just knock debris on top of him. They've run out of ideas and
asked for our help."

Pulling out her communicator, Usagi immediately summoned her Senshi to the King's
office. In moments they were all assembled in a circle and began a Sailor Teleport.

King Endymion was startled to see Small Lady had also taken a place in the circle as
Chibi Moon. He started to protest but his wife silenced him by squeezing his hand. She
whispered, "Remember, she's a Senshi now too." Reluctantly he acquiesced.

The group arrived on the moon and was quickly ushered to the accident site. Bright
lights were set up to illuminate the hole in the floor. The worker could be seen lying
among the crumbled remains of the stairs on the floor below. The passage way was a
vertical drop with only narrow clearance between the jagged pieces of stairs that were
still tenuously attached.

King Endymion quickly evaluated the situation and knew that none of the Senshi or
himself would be able to fit down the hole without causing the rest of the stairs to
collapse.

The foreman hesitated to approach the King when he saw that the Senshi were looking
him over with suspicion. King Endymion knew they didn't have time for these
formalities. With a glace of reproach at the well meaning but over zealous guardians, the
King commanded, "Approach and report on the situation."

Nervously, the foreman stepped forward and stated, "Your Majesty, the biosphere battery
pack will be depleted within the next ten minutes."

"Do we have a charged battery pack available?" the King asked.

Nodding, the foreman added, "The battery needs to be installed and he's too badly
injured to do it."

"Damn!" the King muttered as he ran his fingers through his hair. He realized time was
about to run out for this man and he couldn't see a way to help.

The Senshi and the Queen had turned away from the hole to listen to the conversation and
Chibi Moon took the opportunity to look down to the floor below. She listened to
enough of the conversation to know that the man was going to die if they didn't do
something right away.

With a determined look in her eyes Chibi Moon walked up to her father and firmly stated,
"I can fit down there. Let me go."

Her father's horrified look was mirrored on her mother's face, as they simultaneously
blurted out, "No way!" The King added, "It's *much* too dangerous!"

Chibi Moon scowled at her father's answer. With a stubborn set to her chin that looked
very similar to the angle of her father's chin, Chibi Moon pointed out, "I'm the only one
here who can fit and he'll die if I don't go. You *can't* let him die without even trying!"

To Chibi Moon's surprise, Sailor Mars stepped forward to support her. "Your
Majesties," Mars formally addressed them, "Chibi Moon is the only one here that can
help and I don't think her being here was by accident. She is a Senshi too. Believe in her
and trust her abilities."

After a moment of unspoken eye communication between the King and Queen, they both
reluctantly agreed.

With a harness securely tied to her, Chibi Moon holding the battery pack and a first aid
kit, was slowly lowered into the hole. Her knees got scraped when she bumped into a
rough projection but she stoically bore it. She refused to give her father a reason to pull
her back up before the job was done.

The first thing Chibi Moon did when she touched the floor was to connect the new
battery to the biosphere backpack. Now she knew she had some time. First she checked
the worker for any major bleeding and only found many scrapes and small cuts. Next she
removed the space blanket from the first aid kit and covered the man securely. She was
pretty sure he had at least a broken leg. The only other thing she could do for the guy
was to offer him a drink from the water bottle which he gratefully drank then closed his
eyes."

Chibi Moon stood and called out to her father and the others what she had done. Her
father responded that she had done well and for her to be ready to be pulled back up.
"Poppa!' Chibi Moon exclaimed, "I can't leave him alone down here like this! I want to
stay until he's rescued."

Mamoru really didn't like the idea of his daughter's life depending on a portable
biosphere. The reliability of the portable model under long term and multiple occupancy
was less than what he was comfortable with. He was about to point this fact out to his
daughter when he remembered that the workers around him depended on portable
biospheres daily. If he made it known that he didn't have enough confidence in the
equipment to allow his daughter to use it, what would that say about the value of the
people who worked for him there?

The King decided to take a different approach. He called down, "Chibi Moon, can you
see any place there might be another stairwell or someplace we could break through?"

Arcing her flashlight's beam out past the biosphere's limit, Chibi Moon was surprised to
see a massive room with row upon row of tall shelving and cabinets. She searched for
some kind of opening similar to the one above her. Her light wasn't powerful enough to
show the limits of the room, but it did show another crumbling stairwell farther down to
the left of her.

"Daddy, I see a stairwell. It's pretty far down on my left when I face this way," Chibi
Moon informed.

Her father asked, "Can you estimate the distance?"

Chibi Moon responded, "It's hard to tell in the dark. My flashlight beam just barely
reaches it."

Her answer did help the King. He grabbed two portable biospheres and headed toward
the door. As he passed by, he gestured for Sailor Jupiter to follow him.

Neo-Queen Serenity called to her daughter, "Your father went to find the stairwell."

Chibi Moon once again turned to inspect the intriguing room she was in. It looked like it
could be a library but her small light revealed boxes and other things that she didn't
recognize on the shelves instead of books.

Small Lady had always been curious about the Silver Millennium, her grandmother
Queen Serenity, and the Golden Kingdom of the Earth. Up until now, there hadn't been
much information available and she had often wished she could know more about the
people from that time. The thought that about fifty steps away was a wealth of things
from that time gave the Princess a very strong desire to investigate. The only thing that
kept her from running over there was the slightly less than transparent shimmer that
showed the outer limit of the atmosphere the portable biosphere provided. She reminded
herself that giving in to that impulse would definitely kill her and that she wouldn't be
able to learn anything if she was dead.

Suddenly, Chibi Moon was shaken from her thoughts when she felt more than heard a
strong impact. She quickly turned her flashlight back to the distant stairwell and saw
Sailor Jupiter and the Earth's King drop down through a sizable hole Jupiter had blasted.

Sailor Jupiter hurried past Chibi Moon and knelt to inspect the injured man. King
Endymion quickly moved toward his daughter.

"Follow the hall about 500 feet and get a stretcher down here immediately," the King
ordered through the hole in the ceiling above him. Grabbing his daughter's arm, Mamoru
quickly pulled her close against his side. He then turned and practically dragged Chibi
Moon with him to the larger opening.

Chibi Moon waved her flashlight in the direction of the shelving as she went past it. To
her dismay she wasn't able to identify anything there before her father had rushed her
away.

King Endymion, holding Chibi Moon close, easily leapt to the upper floor and back into
the stationary biosphere's range. He turned off the portable biosphere with a relieved
sigh then looked down with the intent of praising his daughter. The words died on his
lips when he saw her furious expression. "What?" he exclaimed defensively.

Chibi Moon angrily answered, "I wanted to see what was down there, Daddy!"

Confused, her father asked, "What was where?"

"You didn't even look!" his daughter accused him, "There was *stuff* on shelves down
there, *lots* of stuff! I wanted to look at it but you dragged me away before I could!"

Chibi Moon turned to pick up the portable biosphere her father had put down and he
knew she intended to go back down there. "Chibi Moon, you will not go back. It's
dangerous!" he firmly stated.

One look into her father's eyes let Chibi Moon know he meant it. Her face crumpled
with tears of frustration and disappointment as she turned and ran back to where she
hoped her mother was.

The young girl didn't look very Senshi like as she burst into the room and threw herself
into her surprised mother's arms. Sobs racked the child warrior's body and the other
Senshi all gathered around the Queen and her distraught child.

"Chibi Moon, what's wrong? What happened?!" Neo-Queen Serenity worriedly
exclaimed.

Standing in the doorway, the King answered his wife's questions, "I wouldn't let her stay
below and explore."

The Queen looked up at her husband and soberly responded, "Oh." Crouching down,
Neo-Queen Serenity whispered to the distraught young girl for a moment.

Chibi Moon stiffened as if shocked by her mother's brief words.

The Queen then stood and Chibi Moon raised her gloved hand to scrub away the tears on
her cheeks. With a catch in her voice, Chibi Moon looked up at her mother and stated,
"You're right. I'm sorry, Mother. I did forget." She then turned toward her father and
quietly apologized for her behavior.

The King quickly moved to hug his daughter and state, "Apology accepted." Handing
her a rose, he added, "As soon as I'm certain it's safe I'll bring you back here to look
around."

Chibi Moon thanked her father then moved to take her place in the small troop of Senshi.

After they had returned to the Crystal Palace, Mamoru privately asked his wife, "What
did you say to Small Lady that made her shape up so quickly?"

Usagi responded, "I asked her to please remember the uniform she wore."

Mamoru nodded at his wife's wise words.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Mamoru did keep his word to his daughter. Two days later the stationary biosphere had
been expanded to include the new lower level. The area had also been scanned for any
possibly hostile elements.

The King, Artemis and the Princess joined the first exploration expedition. Artemis
lashed his tail with visible excitement as he surveyed the tall shelves in the main room.

"This is the archive! I guess it wasn't destroyed because of the door wards. They must
have continued to work until Queen Serenity had sent everyone and the Silver Crystal
away."

King Endymion, who in the past hadn't known the archive existed, asked, "What kind of
information was stored here?"

Artemis answered, "This main room housed the technical and scientific archives. There
were also separate rooms back there," he pointed to the far wall, "that housed historical,
political and social information."

Small Lady who had been listening to the conversation, asked, "Does that mean it's
information about the people of the Silver Millennium?"

Nodding in response to the Princess' question, Artemis was impressed she had followed
what he said.

The Princess turned to her father and with barely restrained excitement exclaimed, "Oh
Daddy, can I please be in charge of researching the information in the other rooms? I
promise I'll do a good job!"

Both the King and Artemis smiled at the Princess' enthusiasm. They were more
interested in the technical and scientific information. The other rooms wouldn't be a
priority to them for quite a while.

The King considered his daughter's words then responded, "As long as you continue to
do well with your royal duties and studies, I don't see why you can't." His daughter's
eyes lit up and she clasped her hands together in joy. He added, "Of course, your mother
will have to agree too."

Small Lady nodded happily. She was pretty sure her mother would agree to anything her
father had approved.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

One afternoon about a year after the archives discovery, Usagi and Mamoru were eating
lunch together. Once again Small Lady had requested her meal be brought to the
archives. Usagi was starting to worry about Small Lady. Her daughter's obsession with
the Moon archives showed no sign of ending anytime soon. Looking up at her husband,
Usagi asked, "Mamo-chan, I know things have been busy around here, but have you
noticed how Small Lady spends every spare second she has at the Moon archives?"

Mamoru thought a moment then replied, "Yes, I guess she does. I don't see anything
wrong with that though. It's like a hobby to her. There aren't many other children for
her to play with, so I'm kind of glad she has found something to keep herself occupied."

Usagi sighed, "I guess you're right. It's hard to know what's best for her. I know that
sometime she will go back to the past to meet Hotaru, but how do we know when it's the
right time to send her? Do, or did we just decide to send her, or did something happen to
prompt us to send her? She never said anything other than she was to make friends, as
far as I can remember."

Looking up with a mischievous, teasing smile, Mamoru asked, "Why are you wondering
this? Are you tired of our daughter and want to send her away again?"

Usagi sputtered indignantly, "Of course it's not that! I love Small Lady and would never
want her to go away!"

Mamoru laughed at her seriousness. "Usako, I'm only teasing you." He reassured her, "I
know you love Small Lady."

Usagi's anger melted under his smile. With a sigh she said, "Mamo-chan, you're
impossible!" The couple got up from the table and Mamoru put his arm around Usagi as
they walked from the room.

Usagi asked, "Mamo-chan, Don't you ever worry we might not be making the right
decisions and we'll mess things up for the future?"

As he tightened his arm to hug her, Mamoru answered, "No, the way I figure it is, the
decisions we make must be the right ones for the future, because we have proof of the
future in our memories from the past." Thinking about the sentence he had just said, he
laughed and asked, "Did that make any sense?"

Usagi answered with a laugh, "No, but it made me feel better anyway."

"Good," Mamoru replied, "I'll remember what I said for future reference."

Wincing, Usagi shook her head and chided, "Don't try to make puns Mamo-chan. It isn't
pretty!"

They both laughed, secure in their love, as they walked on.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

In the archives, Small Lady discovered yet another box of papers. This one was filled
with what looked like news events. Pulling a lamp closer, she started to read. As she
continued, she grew more and more interested. It seemed to be a file of news clippings
and pictures about the Prince of Earth. There was also a letter addressed to the Royal
family of Mars that stated the information enclosed was the results of an investigation
they had requested.

Small Lady recognized her father in the pictures, but not the men with him. The articles
identified the men as the Princes of the Earth's Continents. They seemed very close to
her father.

There were also pictures of women with the Princes. Many of the pictures were of a
woman with red hair. The articles identified her as Princess Beryl of the Northern
Continents.

Small Lady also found a picture of the Royal Family of the Consolidated Earth. Staring
at the picture with puzzlement, she thought, [I recognize Poppa in this picture. Is the
couple with him his parents? They must be, the paper says they're a family.] Small Lady
exclaimed, "They're my grandparents!" She held the picture closer to the light as she
examined the faces. "Poppa looks like his mother, but he has his father's eyes," she
noted.

Small Lady started to stand as she excitedly said, "I have to show this to Momma and
Poppa!" She hesitated with a sad look on her face then sat back down. [Momma and
Poppa have been so busy,] she thought, [All they talk about is the royal schedule and the
reconstruction progress. When I talk to them about things from the Archive they try to
look interested, but I know they aren't really. Momma's eyes start to glaze over and I
can tell she's not really listening. Poppa tries harder, but when I take a breath, he says,
'That's nice Small Lady I'm glad you're having such a good time.' Momma then takes
that as her cue to start talking about their stuff again.] Small Lady pouted with
annoyance as she thought, [They are more interested in rebuilding the present kingdom
than in the information I have gathered!] Suddenly a new thought brightened her face,
[Maybe this is what will catch their attention!]

With new resolve Small Lady stood up, put the file back in the box then asked a member
of the staff to help her carry it to the King and Queen.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The royal court was in the middle of an update session on the reconstruction progress.
Many people were hurrying in and out of the room. Other people were whispering with
their business partners as they waited impatiently for their chance to consult with the
King and Queen or the royal advisors.

Mostly it looked and sounded like total chaos to Small Lady. She wondered how her
parents could stand all the disorder and commotion. [When I'm Queen,] Small Lady
thought with stars in her eyes, [I won't do things this way! People will take turns. They
will have appointment times and not be late or early. They definitely will not come
running in a panic with every little thing and interrupt other people! I especially won't
allow people to interrupt my family time. When court is done for the day, it will be
completely done. I won't let emergencies take me away from MY family!] Small Lady
blushed as she thought to herself, [If I have a family! It's weird to think about. Who
would I even marry?] She blushed even more as she tried to imagine herself as a wife
with a husband and children.

With a sigh Small Lady shook herself from her thoughts and went forward to presented
herself to her parents. An intermission was called for the court, but the Senshi, now the
Royal Court Advisors, were still sitting around the King and Queen. Small Lady was
mildly annoyed that they weren't alone. She shrugged her shoulders as she thought,
[When are my parents ever alone? Never!]

King Endymion smiled at his daughter and asked, "What's up Small Lady?"

Small Lady took a deep breath then said; "I found a box with something that might
interest you."

"Is it interesting enough to interrupt court?" interjected Rei.

Small Lady made a face at Rei. "I think it is, so just be patient," she retorted. Rei sat
back and sighed. The other Senshi and Small Lady's parents laughed.

"Rei, take a chill pill," Makoto said. "Someday the reconstruction will be done and then
there'll be nothing left for us to do!" she joked. Everyone laughed again.

Small Lady cleared her throat. King Endymion and Neo-Queen Serenity motioned for
her to bring the box. "What is the treasure you have for us?" Neo-Queen Serenity asked.

Small Lady showed the picture of her grandparents to her parents. Everyone exclaimed
in surprise.

Neo-Queen Serenity said with awe in her voice, "Many things have been found about the
Moon Kingdom of the past, but this is the first time something has been found about the
Earth Kingdom!"

King Endymion stared at the faded clipping. With tears in his eyes he quietly said,
"Thank you Small Lady, this is very special!" Her parents hugged her and the Senshi
congratulated her on the great find.

"Wow," Small Lady thought as she gratefully enjoyed her parent's full attention, "I'm so
glad I decided to show them what I found. They really like it!"

Later, if Small Lady had been asked to, she wouldn't have been able to explain what had
happened next.

One of the Senshi had reached into the box and asked what other interesting things Small
Lady had. With an eerie silence, the group passed around the other pictures, articles and
the letter.

Small Lady could see that people were upset, but she didn't know why. Her mother had
left the room in tears and Ami had watched her go with shocked and saddened eyes.

Makoto had also watched the Queen leave. Suddenly her face showed fury and a low
growl escaped her throat as she closed her eyes and harshly gripped the arm of her chair.
The upholstery had quickly succumbed to Mako's assault and the ripping sound
reverberated through the silent group. Opening her eyes, Makoto looked at the shredded
foam and material in her hand then threw it on the floor in disgust. Makoto stood up and
pointedly avoided looking at the King as she silently strode past him and left the room.

Rei had watched the other Senshi's reactions then turned a baleful eye to Mamoru.

Watching Rei silently glare, Small lady wondered why the Senshi of Mars looked like
she wanted to either throttle the life out of her father or else fry him to a blackened crisp.

Her father was visibly shaken and Small Lady was confused and a little frightened by
everyone's reactions. With wide eyes and a worried voice she asked her father, "What's
wrong Poppa?"

King Endymion took a deep breath then said, "Small Lady, we need to keep this stuff.
It's very personal."

Small Lady looked even more confused as she asked, "Why? What's so important?"
Quickly thinking about what she had seen and read in the box, she said, "The file is about
people you were friends with in the past, Poppa. What's so upsetting about that?"

Mamoru raked his fingers through his hair as he sighed. He looked pained and at a loss
for words.

Minako could feel all the sadness and heartache radiating from her friends and it rubbed
her heart raw. Quickly wiping at her eyes, she tried to pull herself together before things
got any worse than they already were. Minako stood and walked up to Small Lady. She
asked, "Are there other boxes like this or is this the only one?"

"I didn't notice more, but I hadn't looked either," Small Lady answered truthfully.

King Endymion stood and agitatedly ran his fingers through his hair. He stated, "I'm
afraid you can't work in the archive for a while Small Lady."

Small Lady gasped with shock. "Why Poppa? The archive is my project!" she implored.

"I'm sorry but it has to be this way for now," her father answered lamely.

Small Lady choked on tears of anger and hurt as she yelled, "I wish I hadn't brought this
to you! I hate you!" Pushing Minako out of the way, she ran crying to her room.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The next morning the castle was unusually quiet. Everyone was cautious and subdued
because there was trouble in the Royal family.

Usagi and Small Lady had requested breakfast be sent to their suites. Mamoru stood
looking at the empty seats around the breakfast table. He rubbed his eyes tiredly then left
the room.

The meal service workers spoke sadly to each another in hushed tones as they cleared the
untouched food from the table. No one in the palace was used to the strained
environment.

Mamoru sighed as he paused in front of the untouched food tray on the floor by Small
Lady's door. [She must be really upset if she didn't eat again,] observed Mamoru. He
hesitated, thinking he should try to talk to his daughter, but continued on when he
realized he still didn't know what to say to her.

Down the hall was the suite Usagi had chosen to use. Likewise her tray of food was
untouched. [Usako didn't eat again, either. Neither of them have left their rooms
since…since our big blowup yesterday,] Mamoru thought as he sighed again and rubbed
the back of his neck. [Well,] he thought, [You messed up big time Tux and you knew it
all along. You just hoped it would never be found out, but now it has. What do I say to
Usako? I still don't know, but we have to do something about Small Lady. Oh well, here
goes nothing!] He reached out and knocked on the door.

Mamoru heard Usagi say, "Enter," so he opened the door and stepped inside. As he shut
the door Usagi, who stood on the balcony, turned. He could see she had been crying, a
lot. It just tore him up inside even more. She stared at him. Sadness, hurt and anger
were reflected in her eyes. She stood silent waiting for him to speak.

Mamoru cleared his throat and took a deep breath. "I know there isn't anything I can say
to make this better. All I have is, I'm sorry."

"Sorry! For keeping a secret like this from me all this time?" Usagi whispered
incredulously.

He turned his head from her piercing stare and swallowed the lump in his throat. "Usako,
we need to talk about Small Lady first," he tried to speak calmly.

Usagi sighed. "Yes, I realize now, this was why we sent her to the past again. I knew it
was soon, I just didn't know why…" her voice broke with a stifled sob. "We will deal
with this after she leaves. Please be sure to be there when she goes. We need to put on
pleasant faces so she won't worry or fight going. Agreed?"

Mamoru nodded his head yes. He knew Usagi was right. "I will tell her to come talk to
you. I will also make the arrangements with Pluto to meet us by the palace medallion in
half an hour." Mamoru said this then opened the door and left. Usagi stood staring at the
door then realized she needed to prepare because Small Lady would be there soon.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

When Small Lady knocked Usagi was again standing on the balcony, but this time in her
Royal gown and with a smile for her daughter. "Small Lady, please come in."

As Small Lady hesitantly walked into the suite she started to question her mother, "Why
are you here in this room and not with Poppa? Are you angry with me because of the file
I found? Why are you angry with him?"

Usagi could hear the worry, hurt and fear in Small Lady's voice. She knew this wouldn't
be easy. Taking a deep breath, Usagi looked out over the balcony to the gardens below.
She tried to gather peace and words to say to her daughter. Finally she spoke, "Small
Lady, the papers you found were a surprise to us. Some of them good and some of them
unsettling, as you could tell." Small Lady's eyes grew bright with unshed tears as she
nodded but didn't speak. "Your Father and I need to discuss the issues and we'll work it
out. Things should be normal again soon. Okay?" Usagi looked at her daughter
hopefully.

Small Lady looked uncertain but she nodded and said, "Okay, Mother." Looking up at
her mother she asked, "You're not mad at me, are you?"

Usagi could see that Small Lady felt as if she had caused the problem between her
parents. Usagi gave her daughter a hug of reassurance as she said, "No, of course not.
You've done nothing wrong."

Small Lady sighed with relief. She then looked at her mother with hopeful eyes and
asked, "Does that mean I can go back to work on the Archive?"

Usagi stood up and said, "Well, actually I have something else I need you to do right
now. I promise the archive will wait for you to finish this. I need you to visit a place
where a special friend is waiting to meet you." Usagi delivered this statement with what
she hoped was a good mix of excitement and mystery.

Small Lady took the bait. "A friend? Who? Where is he or she?" she asked with
surprise in her voice.

"This person is in the past. You will get to see Sailor Moon and the Senshi again. They
will take care of you, and also help further your training as a Senshi."

Small Lady visibly brightened at the thought. "It sounds like fun and I'd love to see
everyone again. But Momma, how will I recognize my special friend? Will he or she be
looking for me?" she asked.

Usagi smiled and said, "Don't worry, just make lots of friends and you'll know when you
find the right one. I will send a note with you to give to the Senshi." Usagi sat down at
her desk with a pen and paper. After a moment, she handed Small Lady the paper.
"Don't lose the note. We'll need to grab your senshi equipment on the way. Your father
and Pluto should be waiting by the palace medallion for us now so let's hurry." Usagi
opened the door and they left to get Small Lady ready to go.

When they got to the medallion, Small Lady gave Pluto a big hug.

"How are you, Small Lady? Ready for a trip?" Pluto greeted as she returned the hug.

"I'm fine, and yes," Small Lady replied politely. She turned to her parents and looked
uncertain. The recent family conflicts had made her feel insecure and it was reflected in
her eyes. "Are your going to miss me?" she asked worriedly.

Mamoru knelt down, looked in his daughter's eyes and answered, "Oh Pumpkin, we'll
miss you more than you could ever know! You will have fun and before you know it you
will be back with many wonderful stories and adventures to tell us." He hugged her
close, then handing her a rose he said, "Here's a rose for you from me. Look at it and
you will be reminded of my love for you."

"Thank you, Poppa!" Small Lady said as she hugged him back with all her strength.

Usagi then hugged her daughter as she promised, "I will miss you every day. Always
remember that I love you." The insecurity in Small Lady's eyes melted with the warmth
of her parent's reassurances.

"Bye Momma, I love you too!" Small Lady gave her mother a final hug and then stood
by Pluto. "I'm ready now," she stated. With that, the sky shimmered and swirled. They
rose up together and were gone.

"Well, I guess that went okay," Usagi stated wearily as she turned to walk away.

"Wait, Usako!" Mamoru implored.

She shook her head. With tears in her voice she said, "I can't face all that right now too.
Please give me time. We will speak tomorrow." With that Usagi quickly walked away.

"What will we do now?" Mamoru wondered sadly. He went to his office. "At least
there's still work to do," he sighed.
**********
Chapter 3

The four Senshi sat drinking tea in Makoto's apartment. They often gathered here to
discuss things and relax. Makoto's was the favored place because she could always be
counted on to cook up some fabulous food to eat. If it weren't for the active training the
girls did regularly, they would be big as houses from Makoto's food! Today was no
exception. Makoto presented them with a chocolate cheesecake, fruit salad, and
shortbread cookies filled with raspberry jelly then dipped in chocolate. They groaned in
appreciation as Makoto dished out servings of the heavenly treats.

"Eat up," Makoto encouraged. All four girls spoke in chorus as Makoto continued with,
"There's plenty more!" Makoto blushed as they laughed.

"I think we know there's more Mako!" teased Minako.

Smiling, Makoto defended herself, "I can't help it, it's a habit! Don't tease me or I won't
make anything more for you!"

"No, Please! We'll be good!" they all wailed in mock terror.

"Ah-ha!" Makoto crowed as she dramatically raised the plate of cookies above her head
with one hand then pointed at the girls with the other hand, "I have you right where I
want you - addicted to my cooking! Now bow down to me in fear!"

All four girls burst out laughing.

After they ate a bit, Ami said, "Let's get down to business." They all looked a bit
uncomfortable because they knew they had to discuss what happened the day before at
the palace. Ami started with, "Are we in agreement that this is a very serious discovery
and that we need to think our response through and come to a consensus?" The other
girls nodded.

After a few moments, Makoto spoke. "I can't believe he did this. Did he remember
these facts from his past?"

"From his expression yesterday, I would say he did," stated Ami.

Minako mused, "You know this explains many things that had me puzzled. I could sense
jealousy and evil in Beryl, but also a great sorrow. She was obsessed with Prince
Endymion. Metalia took advantage of that and exploited her weakness. Now that we
know this, I actually feel sorry for her."

Rei spoke bitterly, "I blame him! He caused so much pain and sorrow to so many people.
He dropped Beryl when he saw a better opportunity come along and we all paid dearly
for his actions! Our lives would've been so different if he had honored his promise to
her."

Makoto interjected, "Rei, I don't think you're being completely fair. First of all, he may
have been forced into the engagement with Beryl, and second, we don't know the reasons
he broke the engagement. There may be much more to this than we know."

Ami spoke up, "Beryl and the Earth Princes all looked so happy in the pictures. They
looked like different people from the ones we knew. It makes me sad to know that
Kunzite, Zoisite, Jadeite and Nephrite were Prince Endymion's court and loyal guardians.
How miserable they must have been as Beryl's pawns."

Makoto said, "I wonder how Usagi is taking it? How will she ever forgive him for
causing the destruction of the Moon Kingdom and the death of her mother?" All the girls
shook their heads.

"I wouldn't want to be Usagi right now," said Minako.

Ami looked up, "I almost forgot to mention that Small Lady was sent back to the past this
morning." The other three girls looked up with surprise then nodded as they remembered
Small Lady's second visit.

"I think that was a wise move," Makoto said as she stood to clear the plates, "It would've
upset Small Lady to watch her parents struggle with this." She paused then worriedly
added, "Hopefully everything works out okay by the time she returns."

Minako had a concentrated pensive expression on her face as she absently bit her
thumbnail. Rei noticed her and teased, "Hey Minako, I think I see smoke coming out
your ears. Be careful or you'll get a brain cramp!"

Startled, Minako dropped her hand to her lap and responded, "Lay off me, Rei! I was just
thinking that everything *has* to workout okay. I'm fairly certain that if it hadn't Small
Lady would have mentioned it to us when she returned to the past the third time. I don't
think she could have hid something like that from us."

Minako was trying to reassure the others and herself but her brain did hurt. Thinking
about the past, the future and the future's past was more Ami's department. [However,]
Minako thought, [we didn't have a clue the King and Queen were having problems when
Small Lady visited the second time. Now we know they obviously were.] Minako
decided to keep that discouraging thought to herself.

Makoto offered, "My opinion is we should try to stay neutral and a bit distant in this.
Usagi and Mamoru need space to work it out. If Usagi comes to one or more of us about
this, we should listen and be supportive, but not give an opinion. If we choose sides, we
could cause more strife and lengthen the conflict." The other girls agreed.

Minako looked at Rei. "Are you sure you can do this?"

Rei nodded her head. "I'll have teeth marks in my tongue, but I can do it," she replied.

"One last thing," Minako noted, "Since Luna and Artemis are still on a diplomatic trip I
don't think they should be bothered with this now. We'll catch them up when they get
back. Okay?"

"Yes, that's a good point, Minako. Anything else?" Ami asked. Each girl shook her
head no. "Meeting adjourned," she stated.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The palace was eerily quiet and deserted. All reconstruction meetings had been canceled.
The media quickly heard about the disruption and began circling the castle like vultures
honing in on a kill. The Senshi were able to keep the media out of the Castle but couldn't
control what the workers who came and went from the Palace said.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

That evening Luna and Artemis, in their human forms, were at the ambassador of
Europe's house for a diplomatic party. They knew something was up. People kept
ending whispered conversations abruptly and giving them curious glances.

Finally, Luna couldn't stand it any more. "Artemis," she whispered as she held his arm
and turned them toward a French door that led to the gardens, "Something's going on…"

"I know," Artemis interrupted.

Looking annoyed, she pointedly continued, "I'm going to find out what."

Artemis looked alarmed, "Can't you just wait? I'm sure it'll come out soon enough."

Luna shook her head then gave him a quick peck on the cheek before she turned to go.

Grabbing her arm, Artemis stopped her. He worriedly said, "Be careful. We're not home
and you're not familiar with the area or local animals."

With a sigh, Luna nodded then disappeared into the darkness. At that moment Artemis
couldn't decide if their special talents were a blessing or a curse. [She always was better
than me at that sort of thing so I shouldn't worry,] he though, but he did worry anyway.

For about thirty minutes Artemis was kept busy making up excuses for his wife's
absence. He sighed when he finally saw her enter through the garden door then quickly
moved toward her. She looked calm outwardly but he could tell she was upset. As he
slid his arm around her waist, he offered, "Let's dance."

Once they were on the dance floor he quietly asked, "Well…"

Luna slowly shook her head then whispered, "Something has happened at home. If you
believe the rumors then Crystal Tokyo's King and Queen are dying of a rare incurable
disease, they're also getting a divorce and the Princess has been either kidnapped and
taken off planet or she was raped by an ancient alien dug up at the moon archives then
sent into seclusion on the planet Mars."

Artemis raised his eyebrow skeptically as he looked at Luna. He wanted to laugh
because the scenarios sounded so ludicrous. However, he and Luna both knew rumors
could often have a small grain of truth wrapped up deep inside of them. Finally he spoke,
"We need to call Minako." Luna nodded.

The call they made to Minako was of little help. She was uncommunicative and vague.
Disconnecting their call, Luna and Artemis looked at each other. Artemis turned and
said, "I'll pack while you check the transport schedule." They both wondered what
could've happened in such a short time.

On the trip home Artemis grabbed an international newspaper. A lengthy article had lots
to say about the monarchy of Crystal Tokyo but again most of it was obviously
speculation.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The Senshi were notified of the Cats' early return. That evening they waited by the
Transport pad.

[So much for not bothering them about this,] thought Minako.

The Palace transport arrived and Luna and Artemis, in their preferred cat forms, stepped
out. Luna spoke first to Minako, "What's going on?! Where are the King and Queen?"

Minako didn't answer Luna's question, and instead said they'd talk later in a more
appropriate place.

[We're at the palace!] Luna thought as she walked toward her and Artemis' apartment,
[What could make the palace an inappropriate place to talk?] Luna sighed. "What did
that Meatball-headed Queen do now?" she anxiously whispered to herself.

Later, the Senshi met with the cats and gave them an accurate update of the situation.
Luna sat in shocked silence and Artemis shook his head slowly. "What a mess!" he
stated.

Luna ruefully said, "And here I thought Usagi was the one causing trouble. Sighing, she
thought for a moment then continued, "Tomorrow I will try to talk to Usagi and see if I
can help her. Artemis, you will need to speak with Mamoru and see if he has any logical
explanation for all this. We all need to get some rest tonight. Contact me if anything
changes."

Everyone answered, "Yes, Luna!" They sometimes teased Luna for her tendency to jump
in and take over, but in this situation they were relieved.
**********
Chapter 4

The next morning dawned gray, cold, and drizzling. Mamoru stood looking out from the
balcony in his room. [I guess this is a good reflection of how I feel today. I wonder if
she will talk to me like she said she would. How do I ask her to forgive me for this? I
wouldn't forgive me if I were her. Maybe I should just leave. She could run things
without me. Maybe she will tell me to go. How could I live without her?] he thought.
With a sigh Mamoru turned away from the window as he stated to himself, "I better get
out of this room before I get any more depressed than I already am." He quickly opened
the door and left.

Mamoru almost bumped into the person bringing Usagi's breakfast tray to her room. He
lifted the tray from the worker's hands and said he would bring it to the queen. Stepping
back into his room, Mamoru got a vase of water. He produced three beautiful roses and
put them in the vase on the tray. [That looks better,] he decided. [Usako isn't used to not
eating and I don't want her to get sick. Maybe the flowers will persuade her to eat a
little.] He picked the tray up and headed down the hall.

Mamoru reached Usagi's door. He hesitated then decided to walk in. The room was dark
and Usagi was still sleeping. Mamoru put the tray on the round table by the window.
Moving to stand by the bed, he watched her sleep. She hiccupped, said his name and
rolled over. He walked around the bed to see her face again.

[She's so beautiful, as always,] Mamoru thought. He didn't really want to wake her.
While she slept he could pretend things were still okay between them. He quietly sat on
the floor next to her bed and leaned against the side of the mattress by her head. He
could feel her breath on his face and it comforted him. He closed his eyes. Mamoru's
sleep had been fitful the last two nights and he was more tired than he realized.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Usagi slowly woke from sleep. Her eyes were still closed and she imagined she heard
Mamoru's breathing while he slept. Ready tears slipped out from under her lashes. [Oh
how I wish things were like before. I wish I never had to open my eyes again, so I'd
never have to face this problem. Maybe I could just sleep forever, like Sleeping Beauty.]
Her body's urgings let her know that wouldn't work very long without an enchanting
spell.

Usagi sighed. Opening her eyes, she looked at the canopy above her bed. The realization
that she still heard Mamoru's breathing prompted her to look over. There was Mamoru
sitting up on the floor, with his head against the side of the mattress, sound asleep.

Usagi was now wide-awake and indecision tore at her. Part of her wanted to pull him
into her arms, and the other part of her wanted to kick him in the head and tell him to get
out. [He is still so cute when he's asleep,] she thought. [I guess I couldn't really kick
him while he's sleeping,] she rationalized as she lay there watching him.

Usagi sighed quietly. Wistfully she thought, [I wish I could go back in time, erase what
had happened, and we could be happy again.] She considered asking Pluto to help, but
realized that it was very unlikely Pluto would agree. [I wonder if Pluto knows how we
end up working this out? She probably wouldn't tell me if she did know. She sure is a
tight-mouthed witch!] pouted Usagi, as she mentally stamped her foot. It felt better to be
angry with someone else instead of Mamoru, for a moment, at least.

Usagi sighed again. For the hundredth time she went over it in her head. [If he had told
me about his and Beryl's relationship when we first met, what would I have done? If he
told me he had broken the engagement, would I have turned away, or would I have still
taken my chances with him? Would I have chosen the Moon Kingdom and my mother's
safety instead of him? I don't know. I do know I wasn't even given the chance to choose
to possibly save them! Mamo-chan hid that choice from me and many people sacrificed
themselves because of it! How could he have stayed silent as he watched Beryl destroy
everything I held dear? He didn't even save his own parents or Kingdom. He watched
his best friends be possessed by Beryl and he still said nothing! How can I possibly love
a man that could do these things?] Usagi's hurt at his silent betrayal wrapped around her
heart and squeezed. Crystal teardrops flowed down her cheeks again and a sob arose
unbidden from her chest. She tried to stifle it, but with little success.

Mamoru startled and sat up quickly with a surprised look on his face. As his memory
returned he reluctantly looked up at Usagi. Her hair was spread wildly around her as she
partially sat up leaning on one arm. The other arm was clutched to her breast and her fist
was in her mouth. Her tear filled eyes caught his for a moment and then she collapsed on
the bed and sobbed bitterly. "How…" Usagi gulped between sobs. "Why… did you do
this to us?"

Mamoru, seeing and hearing her like this, reached his breaking point quickly. He put his
head back down on the mattress and sobs shook his shoulders. "I was so young!" he
gasped out as he struggled to explain.

Looked up at her again, the full confession bubbled up in Mamoru's throat, "We all grew
up together. We went to school and on trips together. We were the royal brats of the
Earth! We were confident in our power and took full advantage of it. Other Princesses
from the Earth joined and left our group over time, but Beryl was always there. She was
the most beautiful Princess and she knew it. She also made it clear that she considered it
her right to be by my side. Even when we were young children, she would direct our
games. She and I were always the King and Queen and the others were our spies or
enemies. It was assumed to be like that. No other girl dared to challenge her about me.
Since she was the most beautiful girl, and kind of wild and fun to be with, I didn't mind
the situation. We were paired together always. Our parents were friends, and it was
assumed we'd eventually marry. Politically, it would have been a good union of power
so no one stood between us or against us."

Mamoru looked away from his wife's clear blue eyes in shame and sorrow as he got to
the hardest part of his confession. He knew it would hurt her and she didn't deserve any
of it, especially hurt caused by him. Taking a deep breath, he continued, "As we
matured, Beryl and I schemed to get away from the others, to be alone. The other guys
teased me, but I didn't care. I knew they were actually jealous. We felt very grown and
superior to the others, and in return the others admired our guts. When Beryl's and my
parents discovered what was going on, there was a big meeting. It was decided that Beryl
and I should be married soon. They agreed that we were very young, but they also knew
they had no way to control us. Beryl and I weren't even at the meeting. My father spoke
to me the day after and told me of the decision. I was shocked and I wasn't sure I wanted
to be married yet. However, Beryl was very happy and excited about the decision so I
figured it was childish of me to be reluctant. There was a holiday. Beryl and I and all
our friends were at the palace to celebrate. I knew it was expected that I would propose
that night. I had the ring and did as was expected of me. The plans started to be made
and everyone told me how lucky I was.

Mamoru paused to catch his breath then continued. "A few weeks later, we learned about
the Moon Kingdom and the other Planet Kingdoms. Our kingdoms were in an uproar.
The new Kingdoms scared the Earth's royal families. Many of the royal families thought
we would be overthrown. They wanted to build fortresses, band together and defend
Earth from all outside invasions. My father was more willing to try peace and
negotiations first. He was in the minority, but he was also the King of the Consolidated
Earth Kingdoms so he was able to press his opinion. He asked me to accompany him to
the Moon for the first official meeting with the Moon and Planet Kingdoms. It was at
this meeting that I saw you in the garden surrounded by flowers and was struck through
to the heart. I knew I had never felt this way about Beryl, and I knew immediately that I
was making a *BIG* mistake if I married her. When I spoke to my father he was very
upset. He informed me that my duty was to the Earth's kingdoms and that it was too late
to change things. Despite what my father had said, I knew I couldn't go ahead with the
marriage. I went to Beryl and I told her I wanted to break the engagement. It's an
understatement to say she was upset. She asked if there was another woman. Since I
hadn't really met you yet, I could truthfully say no. Of course she didn't believe me.
Beryl and her parents left the palace and I didn't speak with her again."

Mamoru looked down at the floor. He sighed as he remembered the pain and difficulties
of that time. Speaking quietly, he continued the story that had sat as a secret weight in
his heart for eons. "I was now a social outcast. My parents were very angry. I left on an
extended trip to our vacation home. While I was there I thought of you each day.
Finally, I decided I had to meet you. I was welcomed on the Moon and found that the
Moon and Planet Kingdom people were very nice and truly wanted peace. I had also
fallen madly and more deeply in love with you. I was determined to convince the Earth's
Kingdoms to accept the new Kingdoms."

"I went back to Earth and everything was a mess. The Earth's Kingdoms had become
split by Civil War. My parents were doing everything they could to try to hold things
together. I realize now that they were probably already fighting Beryl and Metalia."

"I desperately wanted to see you again, and I wanted to warn your mother about what
was happening on the Earth. As the Prince I couldn't get transport to the Moon, so I
created my Tuxedo Kamen persona and got off the Earth successfully. I saw you, and I
warned your mother that things were getting very bad on the Earth. I wanted to go back
to try to help, but that was when Beryl and her army took over the transports and attacked
the Moon. I tried to protect you and your mother. I guess Beryl had someone spy on me
and report to her that I was there with you. When she said she was going to destroy you
and your Kingdom I knew she meant it."

Mamoru whispered the end of his confession, "I didn't know how to stop her." He put
his head down on the bed again as crystal tears of remorse and release silently slipped
down his cheeks.

Usagi sat on the bed wide-eyed and hiccupped. She wasn't sure she had really wanted to
hear all she had just heard. She hugged her arms around herself and shivered.

Mamoru looked up and sucked in a ragged breath. His eyes were red, his face tear-
stained and miserable.

Usagi continued to be silent. It was too much for her to comprehend. Her head felt light
and dizzy. "Oh," she whispered as she raised a hand to her head.

Mamoru now grew alarmed. He noticed that Usagi looked very pale, like she was going
to faint. Suddenly Mamoru realized she still hadn't eaten. Quickly jumping up, he
grabbed the glass of orange juice from the tray then sat down on the bed beside her. He
commanded her to drink as he brought the glass to her lips.

Usagi obeyed and drank the juice. It felt good on her throat, but it hit the bottom of her
stomach like a ton of icy bricks and Usagi gasped.

Mamoru reached over for the toast. It was cold, but it would have to do. He offered the
bread to her. She looked at it for a moment, then took a piece and nibbled on it.

By the time Usagi finished the toast she was starting to feel like she would live. She also
knew she was still very hungry.

Mamoru looked at the eggs. They were cold, hard and dry. The bacon wasn't any better.
"Wait here," Mamoru said. "I think I can get you a fresh breakfast." Mamoru put the
vase of roses on Usagi's nightstand and left the room with the tray.

Usagi looked at the roses. [They're beautiful,] She said to herself. She picked one out of
the vase and held it to her nose. [How long has it been since he made roses for me?]
Usagi wondered. She sighed then lay back down on the bed still holding the rose.

When Mamoru returned with Usagi's hot breakfast he found her sound asleep still
holding the rose. Mamoru smiled at the beautiful sight. He again put the tray down, but
this time he sat on the bed and gently reach over to wake her. The enticing smells must
have registered in Usagi's subconscious because she opened her eyes right away.

"Your breakfast is served, your Highness," Mamoru stated with a flourish then lifted the
tray and brought it to the bed. Usagi sat up. She decided it didn't look too great, but it
smelled wonderful. Mamoru blushed, "It's been a while since I've made a breakfast
myself. Hopefully it tastes okay."

Usagi picked up her fork and speared a piece of egg. She ate it then smiled and said, "It's
very good. Thank you." Mamoru sat on the edge of the bed and enjoyed watching her
eat.

As Usagi finished the bacon she wondered to herself what the kitchen looked like. "I'll
go check and clean it if needed. There's no reason we should annoy the kitchen staff."
Usagi's thoughts trailed on, "How long has it been since I washed a dish and would I
know where to put it away?" Usagi giggled a little at her thoughts.

Mamoru smiled. "Are you feeling better now?" he asked as he stood, took the tray and
put it back on the table.

"Yes, I am, thank you," she replied. "Thank you also for the roses. They're beautiful."

Mamoru's eyes misted over as he whispered the words he always answered Usagi's
statement with, "Never are they as beautiful as you."

Someone knocked on the door. "Who is it?" Usagi queried.

"It's Luna and the other girls," a voice replied.

Usagi answered, "I'm not up yet. Give me half an hour please. I'll meet you in the blue
room then."

"Okay Usagi, but don't dawdle," said Luna's voice.

Usagi smiled at Mamoru. "You've been very sweet to me. Thank you. I appreciate you
telling me about what happened in the past. I do need time to think about it though.
Okay?"

Mamoru answered, "Yes I understand. Would you be willing to have dinner with me
tonight?"

Usagi quietly responded, "Yes, I think I can manage that."

Their formal words felt awkward between them but for now it was the best either of them
could manage or hope for.

Standing up from the bed, Usagi tactfully but firmly dismissed Mamoru from her room
saying, "I need you to leave so I can get ready to meet with the girls."

Mamoru silently headed for the door then stopped and turned to face Usagi. He tried to
not sound too pathetic, but failed miserably as he hesitantly spoke, "I suppose it's too
much to ask for a kiss, isn't it."

Usagi thought a moment. "Yes, it really is, but you may be able to get a hug. Will that
do?"

"That will more than do," Mamoru said as he opened his arms and Usagi stepped into
them. Tightly enveloping her, he whispered against her hair, "I never truly ever deserve
to have you around, but I'm grateful for each day that you are." Mamoru reluctantly let
go and left her room.

Usagi thought about what Mamoru had said as she took a shower and got dressed. Tears
filled her eyes when she realized this meant she wasn't Mamoru's first lover in their first
lifetime. It also made her wonder if she was his first lover in their second lifetime. With
a heavy heart she realized she very possibly wasn't. The thought of any other woman,
especially Beryl, in Mamoru's arms caused Usagi to see red. Usagi then realized that
Beryl had probably felt a similar anger. "All of Beryl's political and romantic aspirations
had been dashed to bits. If I had been in Beryl's shoes, could I have resisted the
seduction of Metalia's offer of power and revenge?" Usagi didn't want to answer that
question. She didn't think she'd be very proud of an honest answer.

Usagi gave herself a final look over in the mirror. She felt and looked a bit calmer, but
she still didn't know what she should do. "Maybe a talk with Luna and the Senshi will
give me a different perspective," she thought. She absently picked up a rose from the
vase and took it with her as she left.
**********
Chapter 5

Usagi followed the sound of female chatter to the blue sitting room. She entered a room
that looked very much like the sitting room at the shrine Rei lived in as a teen. Usagi sat
on a cushion next to Minako and poured herself a cup of tea. The others stopped talking.
They could see the affects of what had happened in Usagi's eyes and in the slope of her
weary shoulders. No one knew quite what to say to her.

After a moment, Luna walked across the table and sat in front of Usagi, "I heard you've
had a rough couple of days while we were away." Usagi nodded. Luna made a
sympathetic noise and continued, "You know we're all here for you, but in this situation,
whatever happens depends on you and Mamoru." It killed Luna to see Usagi so
miserable. Luna loved Usagi as if she was her own daughter. She had watched all the
girls grow up and mentored them, but secretly, Usagi was special to her. It wasn't just
because she was the Queen and Sailor Moon, it was more a protective feeling for a child
so precious that you'd be willing to die to protect them. No matter how grown the child
becomes, the urge is still there to shield from heartache or harm.

Makoto cleared her throat and everyone turned toward her. As Mako lifted a box from
her lap, she said, "Here Usagi. I know it's still early, but I don't think you'll turn it
down."

Usagi looked puzzled. She took the box, opened it and started to laugh as she said,
"Thank you Mako. Chocolate always makes me feel and think better." Usagi took four
of the rich truffles and passed the box around. She looked at her loyal friends and tried to
gather her thoughts. "Okay. I guess you already know we sent Small Lady to the past."
The girls nodded, so Usagi continued, "Mamo-chan and I have had a chance to talk some.
He told me what had happened that led up to Beryl's attack on the Moon. The situation
was very complicated. I'm still not sure how I feel about it."

Rei as usual, spoke up, "Did he have a good reason for not telling us about the broken
engagement?"

Usagi answered with a raw, "No, he didn't. He did keep that information to himself."
With a shaky voice she continued, "Beryl's attack on the Moon caught him by surprise.
He knew the Earth was at war, but he didn't know Beryl was leading it and that she
wanted revenge for the broken engagement. Prince Endymion broke up with Beryl
before he and I actually met, but only just before." Usagi paused then sighed before
continuing, "Even if he had told me about the broken engagement, I don't know if things
would've happened any differently." Everyone sat in silence as they thought about what
Usagi had said.

Luna suddenly stood up with a strange look on her face. She spoke in a quiet
uncomfortable voice, "I have something to say." Everyone looked at her. She cleared
her throat. "Until now, I had forgotten. I knew about this. I saw the papers in the past,
before Beryl had attacked." Luna hung her head. Everyone sat in shocked silence as
they waited for her to continue, "When Prince Endymion proposed to Princess Serenity,
Queen Serenity was very happy. She felt this would make the Earth an ally and she knew
how much Princess Serenity was in love with Prince Endymion. Everything seemed
perfect. All the Royal Families were invited to celebrate the engagement. Prince
Endymion took the invitation to his parents and the Earth's Royal Families. The day of
the festivities came and we hadn't heard from Prince Endymion or the Earth's Royal
Families. Prince Endymion arrived that evening with the news that the Earth's Royal
Families were at war. The Royal Family of Mars arrived the next day and requested a
private audience with Queen Serenity. I went along as her advisor. They presented the
file of information they had gathered. Queen Serenity and I were very shocked. The
King and Queen of Mars suggested the engagement be called off. Queen Serenity
thought long and hard about it, but she just couldn't bring herself to crush the love
between Princess Serenity and Prince Endymion. She thanked the King and Queen of
Mars for the information. She assured them she would look into it further, but that she
didn't feel it merited an immediate ending of the engagement. She said she wanted to
give Prince Endymion a chance to explain. She then asked the King and Queen of Mars
to keep this to themselves. They said they felt she was making a mistake, but that they
would comply. After they left, Queen Serenity took the box of information to put it
someplace safe until she could deal with it. The festivities continued and then Beryl
attacked. The information was forgotten in the commotion." Luna whispered, "I'm sorry
Usagi, I wish I had remembered this sooner."

Usagi gathered Luna in her arms and hugged her. "It's okay, Luna, don't feel bad. You
didn't keep it to yourself on purpose. Well that explains how the file got to the Moon
palace." Usagi sighed. "This is a lot to think about. I thank all of you for your support,
but I need some time alone to try to sort this out." Usagi got up from the table. "I'm
going to take a walk. I'll be back by dinner time."

As Usagi left the room, Minako said, "I hope they can work this out."
**********
Chapter 6

Usagi went to her room, changed into jeans, a T-shirt and a hooded rain jacket. Usagi
slowly walked along the trails by the castle. With her hair tucked into the jacket, she
looked like an average woman taking a walk in the rain. No one stopped or questioned
her.

Usagi wandered on deep in thought, [From what Luna said, my mother knew what was
really going on when Beryl showed up. I guess she didn't blame Prince Endymion for
Beryl's attack. If she had, she wouldn't have saved him and sent him to the future to be
with me. When she has contacted me she hasn't said anything about Prince Endymion's
part in all this, and she hasn't warned me away from him. I'm glad I know how she felt
about all this. If she didn't hold him responsible for what had happened, then I guess it's
not right for me to do so.]

Usagi continued walking. [Okay,] she thought. "If I have this settled, then how come do
I still feel so miserable?] The answer she gave herself stopped her in her tracks. "I'm
jealous!" she whispered, "Jealous of the part of Mamoru that Beryl had." Usagi shook
her head and spoke sternly to herself, "How can I possibly begrudge that small part of
Mamoru's life when I have had so much more with him? The best part of Beryl's life
was probably with Mamoru. She worked so hard and paid so much to try to get him back
and she failed. Her misfortune was directly my gain." Now that Usagi admitted her
jealous feelings, she felt ashamed of them.

Usagi stopped walking again and looked around. It was then that she realized she didn't
recognize this trail or where she was. [Great,] she thought. [I didn't pay attention and
now I'm lost in my own kingdom!] Usagi also realized that it was getting dark. She had
walked much longer than she had intended. Usagi felt for her brooch and realized that in
this time of peace she had started to not carry it with her everywhere. It had become
more a piece of jewelry to go with her royal gown for formal occasions. "Damn!" Usagi
muttered.

She sat on a fallen log and shivered. [Mamo-chan is expecting me for dinner. I'm sure
he'll realize I'm not there and start a search party,] Usagi reassured herself.

The woods were getting darker now and Usagi kept hearing noises. She debated if she
should continue walking, or climb a tree or just sit. She was tired, cold, very hungry and
getting scared.

The thought occurred to Usagi that if something happened to her, she'd never be able to
tell Mamo-chan that she forgave him. She thought about his kindness to her that
morning, in spite of how miserable and upset he was too. [Actually,] she realized, [He is
upset because he loves me and he feels bad about the pain he is causing me.] Crystal
tears slipped through Usagi's fingers and fell on her lap. [I never even thought about
how afraid he must be that I won't be able to forgive him.] Right there Usagi decided she
may not like what happened in the past, but she definitely didn't want it to ruin all they
had in the present. "Mamo-chan has always stood by me, supported and protected me.
One thing from the past shouldn't overshadow everything else he's done," she resolutely
stated.

Suddenly, Usagi heard a noise in the trees near her. She yelped in surprise as a large dark
figure dropped to the ground in front of her. As it came towards her she started to scream
as she jumped up to run.

"Usako!" yelled a familiar voice.

Her scream stopped in a gasp. "Mamo-chan?" She whispered.

He caught her as she fell and wrapped his strong arms and cape around her. "Oh Usako!"
he whispered as he held her close to his warmth and kissed her forehead.

Usagi looked up at him and asked, "How…how did you find me?"

Tuxedo Kamen looked into her eyes and said, "Don't you remember silly? I can always
find you when you really need me!"

"Oh yeah," Usagi mumbled, "I guess I did forget." Snuggling closer in his arms, she
sighed. Suddenly, she pulled back from him and looked up again. "Wait! I have to tell
you, I forgive you! You didn't know Beryl would do what she did. I'm not mad
anymore."

A look of relief crossed Tuxedo Kamen's face. He pulled her close and put his head
against hers. "Thank you," He whispered and she could feel his crystal tears on her
cheek as he hugged her.

After a moment Usagi whispered, "I love you."

Tuxedo Kamen said, "I love you too." They smiled at each other then kissed with more
heartfelt emotion than they had shown to each other in a long time.

Usagi, who stood comfortably wrapped in Tuxedo Kamen's embrace said, "Mamo-
chan?"

"Hmmm?" he answered.

"I'm hungry," Usagi stated plainly.

Tuxedo Kamen laughed. "Of course you are!" he said with a smile. "Hold on tight and
I'll get us home to dinner."

As Tuxedo Kamen leapt over the treetops with Usagi safe in his arms, they laughed
together. It had been a long time since they had traveled this way and it was exhilarating
with the wind and mist in their faces.
**********
Chapter 7

Usagi and Tuxedo Kamen arrived at the castle and were met by four very worried women
and two anxious cats.

Rei started to scold Usagi, "What were you thinking, walking in the woods and rain so
late? Why are you dressed like that? No wonder no one remembered seeing you!" Rei
took a breath and was prepared to continue her lecture.

Minako put a hand on Rei's arm and shook her head. With a smile, Minako quietly said,
"Look."

Rei then saw what Minako was referring to. Mamoru, as Tuxedo Kamen, had his arm
around Usagi's waist. Both of them looked happier than they had looked in days.
Obviously they had worked things out between them.

With a sigh, Rei decided to give up on the lecture. "I guess all's well that ends well," Rei
stated with resignation as she walked away shaking her head.

Luna laughed. "I guess there's nothing else left to say except goodnight. Let's go,
Artemis."

"Yes, dear," Artemis replied with a wink as he turned to follow Luna.

Makoto, Ami and Minako gave Usagi hugs and said they'd see her tomorrow as they also
left.

Tuxedo Kamen took Usagi in his arms and said, "I think they're leaving us alone!"

"Amazing!" Usagi replied with a smile.

"Wonderful!" Tuxedo Kamen said as he leaned down to kiss her.

"Wait!" Usagi interrupted, "There's still the matter of dinner and I'm still hungry!"

"Okay, okay," Tuxedo Kamen sighed, "Let's go raid the pantry!" Arm in arm they
headed down the hall giggling like children. Once again secure in their love made
stronger with Crystal Tears.
**********
Chapter 8 - Epilog -

The three Outer Senshi had finally completed the planet evaluation project and returned
to Earth. The preparation and actual colonization of each planet or moon would still take
many more years, but the necessary preliminary work was done and the process was set
into motion. Uranus, Neptune and Saturn along with the King were finally able to begin
the CTEM project.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Hotaru had made it her personal mission to drive Setsuna insane. Setsuna was certain of
it. Every morning Hotaru visited the time guardian and asked her the same question. Of
course she was polite and would chat with Sailor Pluto about the Palace's daily goings on
but eventually she always managed to bring it up.

This particular morning Setsuna was in an exceptionally good mood as she greeted
Hotaru with their usual breakfast of pastries and coffee.

They chatted while they ate and Setsuna patiently bided her time. Finally, Hotaru
nonchalantly asked, "Setsuna, do you think the Princess will be coming back soon?"

A slow Cheshire cat grin curled the Time Guardian's lips and her eyes twinkled with
suppressed mirth as she sat there silently.

Hotaru looked up when she didn't hear Setsuna's usual pat answer of, "Sometime soon I
expect." Seeing Setsuna's expression, Hotaru's violet eyes grew large with hope,
"Setsuna-Mama, is she coming back…today?"

Setsuna startled, then began to laugh as she pointed out to her grown adoptive daughter,
"You haven't called me 'Mama' since before the great freeze!"

Hotaru blushed then impatiently whined, "Just answer my question already!" which only
made Setsuna laugh harder.

Realizing her poor daughter was about to pop from suspense Setsuna finally admitted,
"The Princess Small Lady Serenity will be returning from the past this afternoon at
exactly four forty-seven Crystal Tokyo time."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Hotaru thought the day would never end! She sighed as she again tried to focus on her
work. Ruefully she reminded herself it wasn't a good idea to mix chemicals when
distracted. She watched as the sticky green ooze she had made climbed up over the top
of the beaker, quickly spread out onto the table then harden into rock.

It was only three fifteen and Hotaru decided she needed some fresh air. As she stepped
out the door into the palace gardens she was momentarily blinded by the bright sunshine.
Hotaru ran smack into a new palace guard recruit.

"Ow!" Hotaru exclaimed as she stumbled back.

The recruit reflexively caught Hotaru by the arm to keep her from falling. "I'm so
sorry!" he exclaimed, "I'm late and I didn't see you come out the door. Are you okay?"

Hotaru was certain she had ran into a brick wall, but realized it was a soldier when she
looked up into his midnight blue eyes. She tried to assuage the worry she saw reflected
in those eyes as she answered with an embarrassed smile, "I'll live. I wasn't looking
where I was going either. Thank you for catching me."

The soldier grinned back as he ran his hand through his dark hair, making its mahogany
highlights flash in the sun, "I'm glad you're okay. Um…I'm late. I better go, bye."

The soldier hurried into the palace and Hotaru continued her walk.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

At four forty-five King Endymion, Neo-Queen Serenity and all the Planet Senshi, both
Inners and Outers except for Pluto, stood by the Palace medallion as they impatiently
waited.

Haruka could see Hotaru was especially excited and was standing next to the King and
Queen. Reaching forward, Haruka grabbed Hotaru's arm and pulled her back to stand
with her and Michiru.

Hotaru's surprise turned into annoyance. "What'd you do that for?" she exclaimed.

Michiru leaned over and pointed out, "I know you haven't seen her in a long time but let
her parents have a chance first."

Hotaru wanted to pout but reminded herself she was far too old for it. For some reason
her parents always made her feel like a child. It also didn't help that they were right.

The sky above the group began to shimmer and swirl. Soon the Time Guardian and the
Princess materialized above them then gently floated to the ground.

Small Lady looked up at Sailor Pluto and said with a smile, "Your landings are much
smoother than mine are. Thank you, Plu."

Princess Small Lady Serenity then turned to the group, properly curtsied and threw
herself into her parent's arms. Amidst the greeting confusion, Pluto smiled and silently
returned to her post.

Usagi exclaimed, "Welcome home, Small Lady!" with a catch in her voice.

Mamoru didn't say a word as he hugged his two girls. The possibility of never being able
to have his family in his arms again had been way too close for his comfort.

After taking as much as she could, Small Lady started to struggle and exclaim, "I can't
breath! Let me out!"

Chuckling, Mamoru let go. Usagi still held her tight as she laughingly decreed, "I'm not
letting you go until you give me my presents!"

Small Lady sighed theatrically as she explained, "Of course, I would *never* forget your
presents, Mother, but I need my arms to get them!"

Usagi finally also let go and Small Lady pulled a backpack around off her back. She
explained, "I have yours and Poppa's right here. Everyone else will have to wait for me
to unpack."

Small Lady looked up after saying that and spotted a pair of large uncertain violet eyes
that were staring at her from behind Sailor Jupiter. With a gasp she asked, "Hotaru?
Is…is that you?"

Hotaru stepped out from behind the other Senshi and was promptly glomped onto by a
sobbing princess. "Hotaru! Oh, I'm sooo… *happy* you're here!" she exclaimed.

Usagi reached down at her feet and chuckled as she picked up the forgotten backpack.
Whatever was inside didn't sound like it had survived the fall. However, she decided the
look on her daughter's face had been well worth a broken present.

When Small Lady finally pulled away from her best friend, Hotaru happily exclaimed,
"Welcome home, Chibi-Usa-Chan. Um…I mean Small Lady."

The Princess laughed and said as Hotaru blushed, "I don't care if you call me 'Teeny
Rini'! I'm just happy to see you!"

The Princess finally took a look around at all the Senshi. As she finished scanning the
group a shadow briefly crossed her expression. She thought, [I had hoped, but I didn't
really think he'd be here.] She then greeted everyone with a smile.
The End!
This story in a very unintentional and roundabout way became the first book of a five
book series I wrote called, "Crystal Flaws". Book 2 is "Crystal Fears", book 3 is "Crystal
Clear", book 4 is "Crystal Bells" and book 5 is "Crystal Ties". Please look for them and
read them also. ^_^

I'd like to thank my terrific beta reader, Sophia Prester, for helping with the revision of
this book. Her help was very valuable and is much appreciated. ^_^

Thank you for reading my story. If you liked it, or if you have any (kind and gently
worded) suggestions/comments about my story, please let me know. This is my first
fanfiction and I would love some feedback. You can email me at ndeblock@att.net .
Bye, Luna Hope

DisclaimerSailor Moon and all her friends don't belong to me. They belong to Naoko
Takeuchi. I just borrowed them for a little bit of fun. ^_^