Usagi moved through the crowd with an ease and grace that many who'd known her in her younger days would never have believed. She let out a mild curse as she caught sight of the line that awaited her at the registrar's office. This was her last semester at college and she desperately needed to make sure she was registered for this last class. She pushed her way through the crowd and got in line.

She glanced around at the people in the crowd and once again felt lost in the mass of people. When she'd graduated high school, she had wanted to get as far away from Tokyo as possible so she'd convinced her parents to let her attend school in the United States. She didn't like to think about what had happened all those years ago, but somehow, it was never far from her mind.

She'd been through a lot in her junior high school days that had changed her. When she'd first been forced into the mantle of Sailor Moon, she hadn't wanted to fight for love and justice. She'd whined and complained about how being Sailor Moon was destroying her life, but it hadn't really. The responsibility had helped Usagi to grow up. Over time, she'd found the other Sailor Senshi and they had joined her to fight evil. She thought she had found friends she could rely on. How wrong she'd been. Just like she'd been wrong about Mamo-chan. Usagi felt her heart twist as she thought about him. She'd loved him with all her heart and he'd dropped her like a hot rock and shattered her heart.

Usagi sniffed and wiped her face with the back of her hand, drying off the stray tear that had formed. It had been almost six years and his memory still tore at her heart. How could she still have so much feeling for such an insensitive and hateful.ass. She winced as she though the word. Somewhere deep down inside, Usagi couldn't help but still love him. To her, he was still her destined lover. The one man in the world who could complete her. Unfortunately he didn't want her in this life. He'd old her that it was a mistake trying to resurrect a love from a past life that had nothing to do with this one. He'd proceeded to list all of her faults and told her that he could never love someone like her.

That had been the worst day of her life, although the weeks that had followed had grown no better. She'd turned to her friends for comfort, but they'd been cold. For some reason Usagi still couldn't understand, they'd started avoiding her. When she had finally confronted them on it at a study session at the shrine, Rei had told her flat out that they were tired of her and the way she acted. That they didn't need to hang around her anymore since the last of the Dark Moon clan had been taken care of. Usagi had been shocked and looked at the others, but the looks on their face had been all the confirmation she'd needed. Looks of pity and annoyance had been all Usagi had seen before she'd run from the shrine in tears.

She'd spent the rest of the year keeping mostly to herself. She'd tried to rekindle her friendship with Umino and Naru, but she'd completely ignored them in favor of her new friends and they'd snubbed her in return. Usagi had been lonely her last year of junior high and she'd spent her time studying. Her parents had been astonished at the sudden change in her grades, but had been worried at her lack of friends. They'd asked her about it many times, but Usagi hadn't wanted to let them know what had happened.

Usagi's grades had improved enough for her to get into a fairly prestigious private high school. She'd been surprised that she'd been accepted, but had leapt at the chance to leave behind her troubles. It had been hard to see Ami and Makoto constantly ignoring her and to see Naru and Umino together and knowing that she wasn't welcome. The worst thing was that she still managed to see her Mamo-chan at least once a week, even though she didn't want to. For some reason, they always ran into each other on the street, where he would snub her in front of everyone. Yes, the private school was a release for her. No one there knew her or cared about what had happened in the past.

Usagi had made a few friends at her new school, but had found it more difficult to let people close. After being betrayed by her friends in junior high, she tended to keep to herself and hide in her studies. She had laughed bitterly when she realized that she was acting like Ami had when she'd first met her. She had hated studying for years, but she had found the escape that it offered. When she was learning something, she could put her pain out of her mind. Her teachers had been proud of her and had encouraged her to apply to a wide variety of colleges. That was how she'd wound up at a small Washington state University in the United States, just outside of Seattle.

She was majoring in computer science and programming, which would surprise anyone she'd known before everyone had turned against her. She was snapped out of her reverie by someone poking her in the back and remarking that the line was moving. She advanced forward and quickly found herself at the front of the line. She gave the registrar her class list and waited while it was entered in the computer.

"I'm sorry, miss," the lady behind the desk said, "but the modern history class you wanted is already full. Do you have an alternate?"

"No," Usagi said sadly. "That was the only class I could find to fill the requirement. And I need the class to graduate."

"Well, let me see," the lady said sympathetically. She worked the computer a bit before turning back. "There's another course with an opening that will fill your requirement, if you'd like that one."

"Thank you," Usagi said fervently. She stood, shifting from one foot to the other nervously while the lady printed out her schedule.

"Here you are, miss," the lady said, handing her a piece of paper. "Have a nice semester."

Usagi smiled and stepped away to let the next person in line up to the counter. This was one reason she'd chosen a small college like this. People were more friendly here. She breezed through the crowd, heading out onto the green in front of the administration building when she saw something startling. There were three women standing under a tree talking that Usagi felt she knew. She was sure that she hadn't met them before, but something about them tugged at her mind. They stood out in the crowd; one was a tall bronzed woman with long green hair, one was a slim androgynous woman with short blonde hair and the last was a stunning aqua haired woman.

Usagi felt herself drawn to them, but suddenly shook her head and snapped herself out of it. She didn't have time for this, she had to go and buy her books for her classes before she went to work. Usagi looked down at her watch and gasped. It was this late already!? She had to hurry. Usagi took off at breakneck speed, dodging and weaving around other students, the three strange women she'd left behind completely forgotten.

Setsunna watched the blond girl with the two odangoed pigtails fly through the crowd with amusement. It had taken a great deal of time to find Haruka and Michiru and awaken them. It had distracted her from watching over the time stream and she'd missed her chance to change what had happened with the Inner Senshi. She'd been shocked at how they'd abandoned their leader and princess and turned against her, but when she'd tracked it back it had made a terrible sense.

Prince Diamond had been a cunning enemy, even in his defeat he'd managed to pull off a kind of victory. Before his death, he'd managed to hit the Inner Senshi and Tuxedo Kamen with some of the energy from the dark crystal. Not a lot, and not in an obvious manner. It had slowly made them angry and jealous of Usagi, until they couldn't stand her any longer. Setsunna had removed the influence that had caused the problem, but she was afraid it was too late. The damage had been done. Setsunna knew that Usagi had always been a kind and forgiving soul, but even she could be pushed beyond what could be borne.

Unfortunately that also spelled the end of the Crystal Tokyo that Setsunna had known. It was unlikely that there would ever be a Small Lady like the one she had known and loved. The time line had irrevocably shifted and the mists of uncertainty had covered the Gates so that Setsunna could no longer see the events that would shape the future. In an act of desperation, she had gone and awakened Uranus and Neptune early. They had not been meant to awaken until the Deathbusters had threatened, but for some reason, they had never surfaced.

Haruka and Michiru watched the older woman as she stared after a blonde girl running through the crowd. They had never seen their princess before, but Setsunna had assured them that Usagi was the real thing. There was no reason to deny it now. Both of them could feel the drawing that the girl had upon them. Something about her made them want to be with her and protect her. Haruka looked over at her comrade and smirked.

"So that little kitten is our princess, eh Michiru," Haruka said.

"I suggest you keep your womanizing instincts under control," Michiru said with mock severity. She held the expression for less than a minute before breaking up into a fit of giggling.

Haruka smiled much more tenderly at her new partner. Haruka had always known she was different than other girls. She'd hated wearing feminine clothes and had never enjoyed the things all the other girls her age did. Haruka had always been drawn to the thrill of martial arts and the danger of racing. Even more than that had been the realization that she was attracted to women. It had shocked her, almost as much as it had her parents. They'd been unhappy, but they'd come to accept that this was how their daughter was. Haruka had found it frighteningly easy to attract girls, just by dressing like a guy. In fact, most people took her for a guy on casual inspection. She'd flirted with many girls, but had never gotten too close. She'd never been comfortable with what she was, always feeling that something was missing. Until she'd met Michiru.

Michiru had been unlike anyone Haruka had ever met. For the first time, the infamous flirt Haruka had been at a loss for words. Worse, she had blushed and stammered. Fortunately, Setsunna had awoken both their memories of their previous lives, so Haruka hadn't suffered long. Once they had awoken, both had remembered their love for each other.

Michiru reached over and took Haruka's hand gently in hers. She had always imagined a normal life for herself when she was young. She'd studied the violin for years, showing a positive genius for that as well as her artistic ability with paint and canvas. She'd toured across Japan performing for the upper crust and had her paintings exhibited in fine galleries. But something had always been missing in her life. Both she and her parents had expected that she would meet a boy of suitable background and get married, then she would have children. Michiru had never suspected that her heart would fall to the brash woman beside her.

When Setsunna had first approached her, she'd agreed to meet with Haruka and see if there really was some truth to the story. She'd been surprised at first to realize that the famous racer Haruka Ten'oh was really a woman. More surprising was the intense attraction she'd felt towards Haruka. Never in her life had she been interested in a woman and it had scared her. At least until Setsunna had returned their memories of their past lives. Michiru had relived her love for Sailor Uranus and had been unable to deny her feelings. At least she'd been able to enjoy the stammering and blushing that had been Haruka's initial reaction. Michiru still teased her about it sometimes.

"We'll have to get to know her," Setsunna said. "It's going to be awkward because she has very little trust left in her. What happened with the Inners hurt her badly and she's been afraid to let anyone too close since then. I've arranged for her to be in the class I'll be teaching here, so I can meet her that way. We'll need to find a way for the two of you to get close to her."

"I think we can manage," Haruka said with a sly smile at Michiru. "Although I find it funny. Who better to teach a history class than the Guardian of Time?"

Setsunna just smiled at them.

* * *

Usagi dumped her books on the table with a sigh and flopped down on the couch. She'd barely managed to get to work on time after buying her books, and Usagi hated to be late for anything. She barked a bitter laugh at that thought. When she'd been young, she hadn't worried about being late. Being late had always seemed a fair trade off for sleeping or hanging out with her friends, but Usagi had changed. She briefly wondered if Rei and the others would even recognize her now. She knew she would never forget them. Even though they had rejected her and hurt her, she still cared about them and wished them well.

Usagi leaned back in the plush old sofa and breathed a sigh of relief. She worked as a waitress at a small café near her apartment to bring in some extra money beyond what she had left over from the scholarship money and what her parents could afford to send her. She'd told them that she could support herself and that they needed to save the money for Shingo to go to school, but they still sent it to her. What they didn't know was that she always put that money in a savings account and planned to send it to Shingo when he was ready for college.

"Hey, Usagi," a feminine voice came from in the kitchen, "are you hungry? I still have some food left over from dinner, if you want it."

"Sure, Zach, that would be wonderful," Usagi replied, not moving an inch. "I'll worship you for the rest of my life. I'll build temples in your memory. I'll even name my firstborn after you."

"Wouldn't that be cruel to the poor child," Zach said as he came out of the kitchen carrying a plate and a glass of iced tea. He was a petite man, not standing much taller than Usagi herself at five and a half feet. His hair was a light blonde like hers, but he wore it in a loose ponytail that hung all the way down his back. He moved with an unconscious grace as he set the plate and glass on the coffee table in front of Usagi. "I wouldn't wish my name on anyone. God knows I suffered enough in grade school for having a name like Zacheriah. Besides, I've heard that story before. You say it every time you're hungry and I haven't seen a single alter yet."

Usagi laughed lightly as her friend twitted her. Her parents would have been shocked to know she was living with a man here in the United States. Well, her mother would calm down once she knew the situation, but Usagi's father would have exploded in a fatherly eruption of titanic proportions. He'd get that blazing kanji for father glowing on his forehead and would go off on the poor boy like he had threatened to do with Mamo-chan. Usagi pushed that painful memory away and pulled herself back to the present and the heavenly smell of the food in front of her.

As she dug in, she reflected that Zach was a substantially better cook than she was, not that that was hard. It probably wasn't hard for someone who was doing graduate work in chemistry to follow a simple recipe, but he always managed to make it better than that, like there was something extra in the mix that made it taste like a piece of heaven. Their arrangement here worked out for both of them, especially since neither held any attraction for the other. Zach had been a teacher's assistant for the mandatory chemistry class that Usagi had to take her freshman year and they'd become friends. When Zach had been desperate for a roommate later that year, Usagi had managed to talk him into letting her live with him. He'd been hesitant, but he hadn't wanted to lose the apartment that he couldn't afford on his own, so he'd agreed.

They got along very well, each cheering up the other in their worst moments. There had been funny times as well. For the longest time, Usagi had thought that the effeminate Zach had been gay, and when she'd asked him what kind of boyfriends he'd had, she'd had the rare pleasure of seeing the glib man at a loss for words. He'd assured her that he was definitely heterosexual, but that he hadn't met anyone he was interested in a long time. Usagi had been horribly embarrassed by that incident, but things like that had cemented their friendship.

"Are you going somewhere tonight," Usagi asked, suddenly noticing that Zach had cleaned up the apartment and was dressed rather nicely.

"Did you forget already, Usagi," Zach asked in exasperation. Usagi just stared at him blankly. He sighed. "Two of my old friends are coming here tonight. They live in Seattle, but I don't get to see them often. So, Jason an I are going to spend the evening catching up on old times." He stopped for a moment, hesitating. "Do you mind if I bring them back here later? Neal and Ken might want to crash on the floor?" "I don't have a problem with that," Usagi replied as she swallowed the last of the food. "I have class tomorrow, but not until noon, so I can sleep in a little if I need to. And by the way." She paused for effect. "How come all your old friends are guys? I never hear about old girlfriends. I only hear stories about you and Jason and this Ken and Neal."

"That's because we've been best friends all of our lives," Zach replied as he picked up Usagi's dishes and took them to the kitchen. "As different as we are, we compliment each other. We were drawn together when we met in grade school and have stuck together since."

"It must be nice to have friends who stick with you like that," Usagi said with a note of jealousy.

"Well," Zach replied haughtily, "Some of us are just naturally better at making friends."

Zach's attitude had the desired effect of making Usagi laugh as she lifted a pillow and swatted him with it. He avoided the blow, but tripped over the low coffee table and wound up in a sprawl on the floor. He looked over at her sheepishly as she dissolved in a fit of giggles.

"Go on," she said. "Don't keep your friends waiting. I don't mind if you bring them back here, either. I wouldn't mind meeting them."

"Your wish is my command," Zach said, rising to his feet and mock bowing to her. He scooted out the door just ahead of the pillow she threw at him.

Usagi watched him leave with a smile on her face. She sank back into the couch with a sigh and thanked god for sending a friend like Zach into her life. Good friends were something she had never had many of and she cherished them.

To be continued.