Usagi groaned as her alarm went off. She raised her head and stared at the numbers blearily. When Zach had returned the night before with his friends, they'd spent hours talking before she'd plead class the next day and collapsed on her bed well after four in the morning. She reached out and shut the alarm off, somehow managing to find the energy to stagger to her feet and amble towards the bathroom. She turned the shower on and stripped before climbing in and leaning into the water.

As she began to wake up, she mapped out her day. First, she had class at noon, then another at two. After that she'd go into work at three and work until nine when the café closed. Then she'd come home and get ready for tomorrow and do any homework that might get assigned the first day. Finally feeling fully awake, she turned off the water and quickly dried herself. Wrapping the towel around her, Usagi moved to her room, only now noticing that Jason, Ken and Neal were still here. And they were now staring at her. Neal and Ken rather appraisingly too.

Usagi blushed and ducked into her room, berating herself for forgetting that those three had planned on crashing there the night before. She tossed the towel over the rack on her door to dry and got dressed. She packed her books and notepads in her bag and carried it out into the living room of the apartment. She stuck her tongue out at the men lounging around, their eyes red with lack of sleep. Something about them together like this pricked a memory in Usagi. Each of the men looked somewhat like people she'd seen before, but she'd never made the connection without all of them together. That was silly though, Beryl's generals had all been killed, either by her or by internal politics. Just because she now knew four men who looked somewhat like them was just a coincidence. Really.

She moved into the kitchen and grabbed a couple of muffins on her way out to tide herself over until after her class, promising her stomach a more substantial offering later. She waved goodbye to everyone and dashed out the door.

The guys watched as she left, frankly staring. Finally, Neal turned to Zach and broke the silence. "Damn, Zach, how'd you get such a hot roommate," he asked.

"I'm being rewarded for my many virtues," Zach said with a mock pious expression, which promptly earned him a pillow in the face. "Seriously though, I was just plain lucky with Usagi."

Ken raised an eyebrow, commenting, "So Zach got lucky, huh?"

"It's not like that," Zach protested, blushing fiercely despite himself.

"Ah, methinks the gentleman doth protest too much," Neal quipped with a leer.

"Come on, guys," Zach whined while Jason fell over laughing. "It's not like that. Hell, she thought I was gay at first." Zach's attempt at denial was laughed down by his friends as he blushed furiously.

"He's right," Jason interjected, finally getting hold of himself. "There's nothing going on there. Poor old Zach is as virginal as ever, despite having a cute roommate."

"Come on, Jason," Zach said, discomfort obvious. "you know I haven't found the right woman yet. Why do you have to throw it in my face like that?"

"He does it because the rest of us accepted reality a long time ago," Ken said softly. Everyone was quiet as he said this. "We all had the dreams when we were younger, Zach, but you're the only one still holding on to them. We've all come to grips with the fact that the women in are dreams are just that and we have to make do with the women we find in reality."

"Is that why none of you have had a relationship that's lasted more than a week," Zach asked fiercely. The others ducked their heads, avoiding looking Zach in the eyes. "No matter what you say, none of you have given up on them either, so cut it out. Just because I'm honest with myself about how I feel, doesn't mean you should make fun of me for it."

"Zach," Neal said softly. "You're right. It's just that it's hard on us to deal with sometimes. We've been looking for them for years and never found a trace of them. Sometimes we just lose hope."

"Sometimes I wonder if we're looking in the wrong places," Ken mused. When the others looked at him questioningly, he said, "We've just searched wherever we happen to be. Maybe we should broaden our search. Who's to say they were even born in this country? We assumed that they had to be Caucasian because of their hair and skin, but look at Usagi. She's one hundred percent Japanese and she's as blonde as Zach. I think we should make up portraits and hire some private investigators. Just for a little while. You never know what we might find."

"That sounds expensive," Zach complained as he and Jason winced.

"Don't worry," Neal replied. "Ken and I make way too much money as it is. I think we can cover the tab for you two as well as ourselves."

"Then we're agreed," Jason said. "We'll each make up a portrait of our ladies as we remember them. New ones, mind you. I don't think they look like they did when we were fourteen anymore, or at least mine doesn't."

"You're right," Neal replied, his brows furrowing in thought. "The image has changed over the last ten years. Not a lot, to be sure, but enough that she doesn't look the same anymore."

"All right, now who's up for lunch," Zach chimed in cheerfully.

* * *

Usagi slumped in her seat, glad she had managed to make it to class on time after all. She pulled her bag from her shoulder and let it fall to the floor in front of her desk. She'd expected that this history course would be a lecture class, but it was being held in one of the smaller classrooms on campus. There were only five or six other people in the room and Usagi realized with a start that she knew most of them. They were all Japanese students that she had met here. What was going on?

The door opened and a tall woman walked in. She was dressed in a pale gray skirt suit and had long green hair that flowed down past her waist. Her bronzed skin set off her scarlet eyes amazingly well. Usagi had the strangest suspicion that she'd met this woman somewhere sometime before. She was obviously the teacher as she moved to the table at the front of the room and set her briefcase down.

"Good morning, everyone," she said turning to face the class. "My name is Setsuna Mei'oh and I will be the instructor for this class. This class was added late, as the administration had not decided to offer it until I was hired, so the class is likely to remain quite small. While as a history course this class will be primarily lecture, we will take one class a week to discuss issues. They can be from any subject you want from popular culture to ancient literature. I want you to engage each other in thought provoking discussion. I would prefer it if we can keep to historical topics, but I am comfortable with however it goes."

Setsuna proceeded to pull the class roster out of her briefcase and took the roll call. It didn't take long, although there were two people who were absent this morning, a Michiru Kai'oh and a Haruka Ten'oh. Setsuna made a notation on the list before passing out the syllabus and beginning her lecture.

"Usagi had prepared herself to be bored to tears. She'd never found history all that interesting and had never expected it ever to be so, but when Setsuna talked, you felt as if you were learning of events firsthand. She was a masterful storyteller and it shone through her lecture. She focused more on innovations and how they changed society. Usagi found herself enthralled and was surprised when Setsuna stopped and announced that the class period was over. Everyone shook themselves and checked their watches with muted exclamations of surprise before gathering their books and taking off.

"Miss Tsukino," Setsuna said before Usagi could leave the room. "May I have a word with you?"

"I guess," Usagi replied, surprised.

"I was wondering if you could look in on Miss Kai'oh and Miss Ten'oh for me," Setsuna asked. "They just arrived from Japan two days ago and I'm afraid they may have had problems adjusting to the time change."

"I guess so," Usagi said, surprised to be singled out for this.

"Here is the address they are staying at," Setsuna said, handing her a slip of paper. "I know this must be a surprise, but I'm their advisor here and I was informed that you have done well in helping students new to the United Stated to adjust."

"Sure," Usagi said, sticking the address in her bag. "I'll stop by a little later today."

"Thank you, Miss Tsukino," Setsuna said with a twinkle in her eye. "You can run along now. You look like you could use some lunch."

Usagi nodded and left the room, intent on answering the call of her stomach.

* * *

Usagi opened her locker and pulled her apron off. The shifts at the Firestar Café weren't all that long, but they were always busy. The Firestar was right next to campus and it was on the way to several of the major apartment complexes that housed students off campus. That made it a convenient place for students to come off and on throughout the day. Sonya, the manager, tried to keep a good sized staff, but it was difficult. Usagi hung up her apron and pulled her bag out before shutting the locker. She was always stiff after a shift and her day wasn't over. She'd promised that she would check in on those new students.

Usagi exited through the door at the rear of the café that all the staff used, turning out onto the alley between the Firestar and the bank next door. It was still early enough that the air was hazy with late summer heat and the sidewalks and roads were fairly congested with traffic. Usagi paused at the mouth of the alley and dug through her bag until she'd located the address she'd been given. She looked at it and felt her eyebrows rise in surprise. The address was for an apartment on the far side of town from the campus and those were very expensive apartments. These two must be fairly well off.

Usagi moved out on the street and saw the bus coming up to the stop just ahead of her. With an exclamation of "Lucky!" Usagi ran to meet it. She climbed on, flashing her student ID at the driver and took a seat. The bus rumbled forward, stopping every couple of streets to let new passengers on and others off. Usagi gazed out the window as she watched the town roll by. The business district was small and soon gave way to houses, both residential and student rented. Beyond that was the Super Wal-Mart that had moved in last year. Usagi had gone in there once or twice and hadn't been impressed. She'd never been fond of the American ideal of one stop, faceless, convenient shopping. She, like most Japanese, preferred the comfort and personal touch of small stores where you knew the people.

Usagi tensed, her hand gripping the top of the seat in front of her as the bus rolled to a stop. She rose to her feet and wove around the other passengers to get to the exit. She climbed out of the bus, swinging her bag clear as the doors closed behind her. She stood there a moment, looking up at the building. The Orleans Apartments, the sign in front of her read. Usagi had heard of this place. It specialized in luxury apartments and was where the college usually housed their very important visiting faculty. These two must be loaded to be able to afford the rent here.

Usagi entered the lobby and looked at the list of residents on the wall. They were listed as being in an apartment on the seventh floor. She moved across the lobby, her shoes clicking on the tile as she headed towards the elevator. She pressed the call button and was surprised to find the elevator waiting for her. Usagi stepped in and rode to the seventh floor, nervously shifting as the elevator slowly ascended. The doors opened on a balconeyed walkway that ran around the floor.

Usagi stepped out and looked at the nembers on the doors by the elevator. "Hmm, 710 and 708," She said softly. "I want 704, so it should be down on this side." She moved around the walkway until she came to the right door. The numbers shone with a golden gleam and for some reason she couldn't quantify, Usagi felt uneasy. She raised her hand and knocked firmly on the door. She could hear someone on the other side moving and the locks being undone until the door finally opened.

"Hello, I'm Usagi Tsukino," she said as the door opened on a young woman. Usagi stared in surprise as she caught her first glimpse off the slim aqua haired beauty. "Ms. Mei'oh asked me to stop by."

"Hello, Usagi-san," the woman said as she opened the door wide. "My name is Michiru. We've been expecting you. Setsuna said that she was going to have you stop by. Please come in."

Usagi nodded and stepped into the apartment, her sense of nervousness increasing. The apartment was richly but tastefully furnished. Usagi looked around and noted that the artwork on the walls seemed to all be recent. They were very well done and one of them caught Usagi's eye. It was hanging at the far end of the hall and was a massive canvas. Usagi found her eye drawn to it in a very intense way that frightened her. She moved forward, not entirely of her own volition until she stood before the painting. It was a beautiful scene of a palace with arching spires and beautiful fountains. And it had the earth hanging in the sky in the background.

A low chuckle managed to break the hold the painting had over her and she turned to see the other occupant of the apartment lounging on the couch. A tall athletic blonde, with short blonde hair and dressed in slacks and a button down shirt was giving Usagi an appraising look. Michiru closed the door and came into the room, sitting down next to her roommate. Very close to her roommate. Usagi's eyes narrowed as she looked the blonde over more carefully. She noted the lack of an adam's apple and the way the blonde was sitting and realized that this was a woman.

"You must be Haruka," Usagi said, noting how the blonde had put her arm around Michiru's shoulders and how Michiru had leaned into her.

"Yes I am," Haruka replied, her voice very deep for a woman. It was a surprising contrast to Michiru's soft soprano. In fact, Haruka herself was a startling study in opposites to Michiru. One exuded femininity and the other masculinity. "And you're Usagi-san. Setsuna didn't tell us that you were so cute."

"Behave, Haruka," Michiru said, her voice playfully reproving.

"This is a beautiful painting, Michiru," Usagi said turning back to the magnificent canvas.

"It's one of my favorites," Michiru said, gazing at Usagi intently. "It took me months to paint a canvas that large the way I wanted it."

"You painted this," Usagi asked in shock.

"She's quite the well-known artist," Haruka said lazily. "Even though most people don't understand what she's painting. Most people look at that and see a beautiful picture. But you see something else, don't you, Usagi?"

"What are you talking about," Usagi asked nervously.

"She means," A familiar voice said as Setsuna Mei'oh stepped out of the kitchen, "that you see the past in the painting. That you see a place you've been to, don't you, Princess?"

Usagi jerked back in shock at the use of that title and started to edge her way around the room towards the door to the hallway. "I don't know what you're talking about," Usagi said flatly as her eyes darted toward the door.

Haruka rose lazily to her feet, Michiru followed her. "There's no need to worry, Princess," Haruka said. "We're not here to hurt you. We're here to help."

"I still don't know what you're talking about," Usagi said, her voice starting to become slightly hysterical. She was trapped in here with three strange women. Who knows what they'd do with her. Maybe they were some kind of evil lesbian satanic cult looking for a sacrifice. Maybe they had worked for Beryl or Diamond, Usagi thought as she started shaking. "Please don't hurt me," she said in a small voice.

Michiru looked shocked and horrified and Haruka just looked insulted. Setsuna stepped forward and took Usagi's trembling hand in hers. "We're here to help you, Princess," she said and reached into her pocket, pulling something out. She opened her hand to show Usagi what she'd retrieved.

Usagi looked down at a stylized pen with a ringed globe on the top and a symbol that looked like a strange letter p. She gasped as she recognized it as a henshin pen. She looked up into Setsuna's eyes and asked a silent question. Setsuna nodded and put the pen back in her pocket and led Usagi back to the couch.

"You're Sailor Senshi," Usagi asked in an amazed voice as she collapsed onto the couch.

"I'm Sailor Pluto," Setsuna said as she sat down gracefully next to Usagi. "Michiru is Sailor Neptune and Haruka is Sailor Uranus. And you're our Princess and Sailor Moon."

Usagi sat there feeling numb for a moment, unable to feel anything. Then an emotion began to rise up through her. Anger. Where had they been when the others had abandoned her? Where had they been when the love of her life had shattered her heart? Why had they felt the need to set her up like this? What right did they have to claim anything from her? She wasn't the Princess anymore. She'd left that part of her life behind her and she'd be damned if she'd let anyone drag that pain back into her life.

Usagi abruptly stood and stalked to the door, every line of her body taught with fury. The others were too surprised to react at first. They'd been expecting her to welcome them. As Usagi was picking up her bag, Setsuna said, "I can tell you what happened to make them turn against you."

There was a dreadful silence in the apartment for a tense moment. Then the sound of a bag hitting the floor could be heard and Usagi walked back into the room and sat down stiffly on a chair across from the others. "Say your piece," Usagi said as coldly as she could manage.

To Be Continued.

Author's notes:

I'd like to thank everyone who's taken the time to read this and those who've responded to it. It's been fun to write, but I wanted to say a few things. This is planned to be a Mamoru/Usagi romance, just so you know. However that doesn't mean it's going to be easy. Nor are things between Usagi and the other Senshi going to be resolved easily. This could qualify as a dark fic, but I think it's not so much dark as it is reflecting of the pain of relationships in general. Nothing in life is easy.

Thanks, hitobashira