Disclaimer: Sailor Moon and Gundam Wing are owned by huge companies and created by highly talented artists who are not me

Disclaimer: Sailor Moon and Gundam Wing are owned by huge companies and created by highly talented artists who are not me. Trust me, if you ever saw me draw you would know that I can't draw anything but stick figures. However, if the people who do own Heero and Rei would like to give them to me as a gift or donation I would be happy to accept!

A/N: More Senshi drama and it's kind of angsty. For those who hate Mamoru, I'm sorry! I really like the love story between Usagi and Mamoru and it fits into my story really well. Maybe the next story I write will have an Usagi/anyone else but Heero or Mamoru pairing (You didn't think I would pair Heero with anyone else besides Rei did you?).

Dedication: To the wonderful staff of Fanfiction.net, especially Xing, Steven Savage and Michele Savage for being awesome and working so hard during the outage to keep us happy. Also to Duckie (I know I gave an eternal dedication last time but this time it's for another purpose) for giving me such an awesome idea for this chapter and also to all the readers who have reviewed. It makes me glow to receive them! I also write more!

" " – Spoken

' ' – Thought

Inners are 17, GW pilots are 18, Haruka and Michiru are 19, Setsuna is eternal, Hotaru is 15, Mamoru is 22 and nobody else matters. All events happen a year after Galaxia and a year after Endless Waltz.

####***

"PLUTO!"

The longhaired woman covered in scratches and bruises stumbled forward from the time portal that winked out behind her. Her staff clattered to the floor and she landed on her hands and knees, gasping for breath. The surprised inhabitants of the room, namely the Senshi, broke out of their state of shock and rushed over to their wounded comrade.

"Pluto! What happened? Are you okay," myriad voices babbled, concern etched in varying degrees across their pretty faces.

"Crystal Tokyo is gone…The future is gone," stated Pluto dully, her eyes dilated from shock and exhaustion.

Pluto's statement sent a ripple of fear and shock through all of them. Pluto was normally so calm and unruffled that the others sometimes wondered if she was human, especially during times of tragedy. However, this proved them all wrong as they saw the fear that swam in her eyes. Haruka managed to get Setsuna sitting upright and was supporting her with her arms. Setsuna closed her eyes in exhaustion, her breath rasping in shallow pants. Ami had run out of the Fire room, gone to fetch a basin of water and some clean cloths to bandage the time guardian's wounds. Michiru knelt down and surveyed her friend's appearance with concerned eyes. She sensed that the exhaustion that Setsuna was suffering stemmed from far more than physical exertion. She held her tongue though, waiting for Ami to return before she questioned her friend. At that moment, Ami rushed back in and knelt down on the other side of Setsuna, beginning to clean the blood that flowed from a particularly nasty gash on her head.

"Setsuna-san, what did you mean by Crystal Tokyo being gone? Is Chibiusa okay? What about our future selves," inquired Usagi anxiously, her heart freezing at the thought of their utopian futures and her daughter vanishing.

The other senshi waited with bated breath for Pluto's answer. The time guardian heaved a huge sigh and seemed to wilt before their eyes. Finally, she painstakingly stood up, shooting Ami a grateful glance for her help. She said sorrowfully, "I said Crystal Tokyo is gone and I meant it. It was destroyed, as were all of the Senshi, including Small Lady and King Endymion. That future no longer exists."

The senshi seemed to be struck dumb, standing still as statues as the thought of all they had worked for disappearing before they could ever even realize it. Slowly, Minako asked, "How did it happen?"

Setsuna hesitated for a moment before asking, "Where's Rei?"

A quiet hush filled the air. The inner Senshi shuffled nervously, their eyes sliding away from Setsuna. Michiru stood slowly, her eyes pensive as she looked at the four younger women. Haruka stood as well, her hands coming to rest on Michiru's shoulders as she struggled internally to not lash out. Hotaru, however, had no such qualms.

"The rest of the Inners accused Rei-san of betraying Usagi-san with Mamoru-san and drove her away. We can't find her. The last time anyone saw her was on Friday when the Inners hurled their accusations at Rei-san," said Hotaru bitterly.

Pluto leaned heavily upon her Time Staff, the timeless senshi seeming to age before her companions' eyes. She sighed softly before raising her magenta eyes to meet the gazes of her fellow soldiers.

"I was afraid of something like this. I had wondered what had happened to make Crystal Tokyo's future fracture like it did. There were strange occurrences happening in the future, so I went back to my post after Rei's ojii-san's funeral to check on things. What I found was little ripples of distortion so I decided to track it back to its source and went through the timeline to see what was happening. What I saw was catastrophic and completely unexpected. I found myself in the time during when the Black Moon first attacked. I didn't think much of it since I knew the Inners would protect Crystal Tokyo and Neo Queen Serenity with their barrier, but I was shocked to discover that the barrier was so weak as to be almost negligible against the Black Moon. I teleported to see what was going on and discovered that Sailor Mars wasn't there. Without all four of the Inners, the power of the shield was greatly diminished. I also discovered that the Senshi were weaker than they were supposed to be at that particular time. I tried to discover what had happened to the Senshi and discovered that Mars wasn't there when Crystal Tokyo was formed either. That means that there wasn't enough power to form Crystal Tokyo without the other Senshi giving more power to the Ginzuishou, which in turn made them weaker and not able to replenish their energy enough to stave off the attack of the Black Moon. I tried going further back to see what had happened to Rei but I slammed into a barrier of some kind that prevented me from going any further back so I went back to the time of the Black Moon's attack on the palace. I…broke the rules of Time and fought by the future Senshis' side. It wasn't enough. I had to watch helplessly as you were all cut down in front of me. Neo King Endymion died trying to protect Small Lady and Neo Queen Serenity, but Wiseman obliterated them all in one blast. After that, the rest of you seemed to lose heart and were defeated one by one. I barely had enough power to bring me back here and it only worked because of my sheer desperation," Pluto murmured, tears in her eyes as she recalled the events leading her back to present day Tokyo.

"So the absence of Mars led to the downfall of Crystal Tokyo," mused Michiru thoughtfully. "I honestly hadn't thought she was that powerful."

"It's not so much about Mars being powerful or not," Pluto whispered almost inaudibly, "though she has power within her that is still untapped, but that the Senshi are not as powerful as they can be without even one member. The Senshi are like a chain; if even one link is missing, the chain can be broken."

"But what about the time before the rest of you joined us? We were still able to do a Sailor Teleport and a Sailor Planet Attack without you and both of those actions are pretty powerful," questioned Minako, tilting her head to one side in thought.

"The Inners and Outers are two separate groups that can meld into one. As Inner Senshi, you are able to do the Sailor Teleport and the Sailor Planet Attack with little problems. So too can the Outer Senshi, though we have never had to try. When the two groups combine, the power is amazing and there is almost nothing we cannot do. However, if one of us is missing, it weakens the group they come from. In this case, with Rei gone, the Inners are weakened drastically but the Outers are unaffected. It would be the same way if you reversed it and one of us Outers was missing. As an entire group, we are weakened," answered Setsuna.

"So what we need to do is get Rei-chan back," stated Makoto, her green eyes gleaming, almost brimming with tears.

"It's not that easy. We don't know where she is or if she's even okay. Remember? You chased her off! And even if we did find her and she's fine, what makes you think she would want to come back to you," demanded Hotaru, her pale face flushed with anger.

"Because she cares about all of you and all of you are her friends," came a voice from the doorway.

"Mamo-chan! What are you doing here," asked Usagi, surprised to see her fiancé standing in the doorway looking so solemn.

"I came over as soon as you hung up with me on the phone, Usako. I could hear the worry in your voice and knew something must have happened to Rei-chan. I had to come because I feel that whatever happened to Rei-chan must have something to do with the misunderstanding we had on Friday. Am I right," asked Mamoru, walking towards Usagi and holding his arms out to her.

She rushed into his arms, clutching his shirt. She felt so protected in his arms and Pluto's news of Endymion being dead in the future had shaken her to the core. He had died for her several times now and she couldn't shake the feeling of dread that had filled her. She needed the reassuring warmth of his arms around her to make her feel better.

Mamoru could feel Usagi shiver in his arms and he tightened his embrace slightly. When she had burst in upon him and Rei and had jumped to the conclusion that he was cheating on her, he had been shocked. He knew they had their ups and downs and that they were trying very much to let their relationship develop naturally instead of feeling like they were being pushed by destiny. Because of that, they had their share of arguments and misunderstandings, like any couple. However, he had never thought that she would think he was cheating on her. He vowed to himself that he would never give her cause to lose faith in him or his love for her. It had taken the possibility of his really losing her to make him realize how much she meant to him. When they had talked yesterday and he had finally had the chance to explain everything, Usagi had been surprised beyond belief. He had laid his heart bare to her and they had a wonderfully clarifying discussion about their expectations in the relationship. They had gotten rid of a lot of insecurities, like Usagi's insecurity over Rei. He had explained that Rei had become like a little sister to him and he loved her and the rest of the girls in a purely platonic way. After their talk, he had felt as if new life had been breathed into their relationship.

"Oh, Mamo-chan, Rei-chan is missing and no one has seen or heard from her since Friday. Now Pluto says that Crystal Tokyo and our happy future are gone because Rei-chan isn't there. What did we do to her," wailed Usagi, burrowing her face into his chest.

"Maybe I should hear everything from the top, minna," said Mamoru, trying to let Usagi's rush of words sink in.

"I agree," said Pluto. "I'm going to need all of the details before I can try to find out what happened to her."

The next half-hour was spent rehashing the events leading up to the last time Rei was seen by anyone. Tension was still high, especially between Hotaru and the other Inners. Haruka was beginning to simmer down but only because Michiru was gently leaning on her. As the tale finished, Pluto frowned thoughtfully and Mamoru looked disturbed.

"I should have checked on her to make sure she was okay. I was so wrapped up in making sure I explained everything to Usako that I totally forgot about Rei-chan," Mamoru said, slapping his forehead. "She must have been in shock hearing Usagi's accusations along with the rest of you girls accusing her, especially since her last words to me were about how sure she was of the love between Usagi and myself."

At that statement, Minako and Makoto groaned and Hotaru glared even more fiercely at the Inners. Ami turned pale and bit her lip. 'I should have known Rei-chan wouldn't lie. I've known her for several years now and she has never lied. In fact, it's her brutal honesty that causes her to clash with most people,' she thought forlornly. Minako had proceeded to knock her head against the wall in remorse. "I am such a baka." thud "Baka" thud "Baka" thud "Ouch," the blonde said, her words in perfect rhythm to her head bashing.

"Minako-chan, stop that. That's not going to help Rei-chan. We need you to be thinking as clearly as possible instead of killing yourself over this. You'll have plenty of time to make this up to Rei-chan when we find her," Artemis spoke up, worry shining in his blue eyes. He knew how close Minako had gotten with Rei. They often spent the night at each other's houses and spent the nights confiding secrets and giggling way into the early morning hours. He had been astonished to see these two bond so closely. He had always thought that Minako would have a closer relationship to Usagi than to anyone else, but Rei seemed to be her perfect match. He had to admit that Rei brought something out in Minako that no one else did.

"I failed her, Artemis! I was supposed to be her best friend and I couldn't even give her the benefit of the doubt or at least reassure her that she was still my friend. Kami! I didn't try to defend her at all! If this had happened to me, she would have been jumping down people's throats for even thinking about accusing me," Minako cried, the anguish evident on her flushed face.

"Well, at least you weren't the one to attack her, Minako-chan! I was the one who said all of those horrible things to her. I don't know if she can ever forgive me," Makoto sobbed.

"Girls, it doesn't do anything for Rei-chan for you to be beating yourselves up like this. You have all matured greatly since I first met you and I'm sure Rei-chan will understand and forgive you once she sees how sincerely sorry you are," Luna consoled.

"Maybe Rei-san will, but I don't know if I can," Hotaru said coldly. "Friendship is so important to her and you threw it in her face."

"Hotaru-chan, if Rei-chan forgives them then you should do the same. After all, you'll only hurt her if you fight with them because she'll be torn between them and you," reminded Michiru gently, anxious over her "daughter's" cold behavior.

"…You're right, Michiru-mama. IF Rei-san forgives them then I will too, but only then," Hotaru said stubbornly.

"Enough of this bickering then. We will look back in time to see what happened to Rei and we will work from there," stated Pluto calmly.

"We? How are WE going to see back in time," asked Haruka. "Last time I checked, you were the only one with time powers."

In answer, Pluto waved her Time Staff and an oval the size of a beach ball appeared in the air. When they looked into it, they could see Rei running from the park towards the shrine. Minako, Makoto, and Ami flinched in remembrance.

"Why is there no sound, Setsuna-san," asked Usagi.

"My powers are very weak right now and this is all I can do. I thought it best to at least make sure she was okay before I rest and try to recuperate my energy," Setsuna replied, still focused on the oval in front of her.

They turned back to watch as they saw Rei go through boxes inside the Fire Room. Their collective hearts hurt to see the anguish on the normally strong girl's face. Rei usually hid her deepest, darkest emotions behind a mask of confidence and she seldom let people see through it. They had all been privileged enough to be considered close enough friends for her to drop the wall and be herself. Each of them shook themselves from their reverie and returned to watching the scenes unfold before their eyes. Rei seemed to pick up a scroll of some sort and break open a seal. They watched as she mouthed some words thoughtfully before the Sacred Fire and then gasped in surprise when a portal opened and sucked Rei through. The picture flickered out suddenly and they watched as Pluto fell to her knees again, exhausted.

"Well, at least we know Rei was alive and didn't do anything reckless before she disappeared. Only question now is, where did that portal take her," Haruka questioned.

"Well, the rest will have to wait until Setsuna-san has rested and can get some more information on what we just saw. I suggest that we go home now and meet back again when Setsuna-san has recovered fully," Michiru said smoothly, bending down to help Haruka lift Setsuna to her feet.

Everyone agreed and headed their separate ways, lost in thought. Foremost on their minds was the relief that Rei was alive somewhere and that they would soon find a way to reunite with her.

###***

It had been a week since Pluto had made her astonishing reappearance back in present day Tokyo. It had been a long, nerve-wracking time as Pluto had slowly regained her energy. It had surprised the Senshi how much energy Pluto had lost and had still been able to function. Finally, Ami declared Setsuna fully recovered and able to use her powers without endangering her health. Luckily, school was over and the girls used Rei's sorrow over her ojii-san's death as an excuse for her to be away and for the temple to be temporarily shut down. Currently, the Senshi and Mamoru had arrived at Haruka and Michiru's mansion to plan the next step of their recovery of Rei.

Ami sat on a light blue loveseat, tapping on her computer and creating a program to help analyze any information that Setsuna might come up with. She had decided to work away her worries, burying herself in books of transpatial transportation and creating computer programs to calculate points of origin. Anything that would keep her from thinking of Rei's face when she had all but accused Rei of lying to them.

Makoto sat next to her, idly drumming her fingers on the armrest. The past week had been hell on her nerves and the brunette was anxious for something to happen. She hadn't confided in the others but she had been haunted by nightmares every night of Rei running away from them and being killed. Faint circles under her eyes were the only testimony of the turmoil inside her. 'When I see you again, we'll talk and get everything out in the open. We haven't always agreed on how to best protect Usagi-chan and that has always been the source of any disagreements we've had. We should be closer since we have so much in common with people abandoning us.' She vowed silently to herself that Rei wouldn't have a reason to turn away from them again.

Mamoru sat on a large couch, lost in thought. 'I've seen these girls go through so much. They've died, been reborn, gained memories of a past life and saved this world from numerous monsters all in the span of three years. They are so strong, both physically and mentally, that I sometimes forget that they are still teenagers and that their emotional strength is still developing. Their bonds to each other are so strong that it still amazes me that they had such a huge fight that it would drive Rei-chan away. Imouto, you better be okay or I fear that the Senshi may shatter.'

Usagi sat next to Mamoru on the couch with Luna on her lap. She absently stroked Luna's midnight black fur as her mind drifted back to the many times that Rei had been there for her. 'She's forced me to grow up and accept my responsibility as a Senshi and as the Moon Princess. I always resented her for that, but now I see that she did it out of love and concern. What will I do without you to push me forward, Rei-chan? I love all of the Senshi, but I depend on you to lead me to the next plateau," Usagi thought desperately, unconsciously tightening her grip on Luna. The black cat said nothing, but hoped that the sadness in Usagi's eyes would disappear soon.

Next to Usagi sat Minako, who leaned on the armrest despondently. She had been in a funk ever since Rei had disappeared and had only dropped further into depression, always recalling her friend's betrayed expression. Artemis lay draped over her shoulder, occasionally nuzzling the side of Minako's face to reassure her that she wasn't alone. 'It's hard to be cheerful when your best friend is gone. It's even harder when you're the one to help drive her away. I don't blame Hotaru-chan for hating us. Heck, I hate us right now, especially myself. Onegai, Rei-chan, be okay. I'll even let you yell at me for as long as you like. I need your emotions to help balance me out.'

In a brocaded armchair sat Haruka, her fingers steepled together in front of her, a faint frown between her sandy brows. It had been a hard week on her as well. She had struggled internally with wanting to rail at the Inners for their disregard of a beloved friend and wanting to shield them all from the harsh emotions she knew they were suffering. She looked upon these younger girls as little sisters who were sometimes too naïve for their own good and she hated being caught between them. Only Michiru understood how she felt, having watched her companion pace back and forth like a trapped tiger long into the nights.

Leaning over the back of the armchair stood Michiru, her face contemplative. 'How do we heal this group? Will things ever be the same again? I fear that this will change the girls forever. They have had to face the ugliness that resides in all of us, even the purest of us. The ocean murmurs to me of a change that will affect us all. I hope we are ready for it. I think I fear for Rei-chan most of all though. I have a feeling that she hasn't been unaffected by her strange disappearance,' Michiru thought privately. She absently reached a hand to tuck a stray lock of wavy aqua hair behind her ear when her eyes fell across Hotaru sitting in a window seat. 'She is separating herself from the rest of us. Her coldness is increasing day by day. I fear that if we don't find Rei-chan soon, we will lose Hotaru-chan to her bitterness forever. She has experienced so much loss and hatred in her life. Is it any wonder that she adores Rei-chan for giving her a way to reclaim her life and pride back? I would feel the same if Haruka was taken from me."

Hotaru sat in the window seat, facing away from the rest of the Senshi. She was dressed completely in black, something she hadn't done in a long time. She knew that she was slipping away from the rest but she found she couldn't gather the strength to care. 'I know they didn't mean to hurt Rei-san, but I can't help but want to blame them for all of this. I can feel Michiru-mama's concern over me and I want to talk to her about this darkness building inside, but I just can't. I don't think this darkness will pass until I see Rei-san again. Maybe I'm holding on to the anger because I don't want to think about Chibiusa-chan being gone either. Who am I fooling? I was mad before when I found out what they did, but it got worse when I found out that Chibiusa-chan will die as a result of their harshness with Rei-san. They took away two of my closest friends in one fell swoop. I'm struggling to cope but it's like a huge wave of blackness and I'm drowning in it.' Hotaru was so lost in thought that she never noticed Setsuna standing in the doorway watching her with sorrowful eyes.

Setsuna swept the room with her gaze, noting how all of them had survived the week while she had been bedridden. She silently walked into the room in her Sailor Pluto uniform and banged her staff on the floor to gain their attention. All heads snapped up and swiveled in her direction, hope shining in their eyes like small beacons. She smiled inwardly and thought, 'There is hope for all of them. I only pray they will come out of this stronger than before.'

"Pluto! What did you find out about where Rei-chan disappeared to? Is she okay? Was it another enemy," demanded Usagi impatiently, leaning forward in her excitement.

"I'll answer in reverse order. First, it's not another enemy that abducted her. She is okay and I have found Rei-chan in not only another dimension but in the future as well. This makes it very difficult to get her back. In fact, we cannot just pull her back from that other dimension and time. We will have to go to her and then bring her back. Also, I can only traverse through time not dimensions so I will need Sailor Mercury and her computer to help me find a way to do both. Will you help me, Ami-chan," asked Sailor Pluto.

"You don't even need to ask, Sailor Pluto. I will do everything I can to get Rei-chan back," stated Ami stoutly, relieved to be of some help. "I already have done some studying on transpatial transportation and have programmed my computer to help us. Whenever you want to start is fine by me."

"Leave it to Ami-chan to already be way ahead of the rest of us," laughed Makoto, feeling at ease with Setsuna and Ami in charge of the intelligence gathering. Her eyes glittered with the thought that she would be reunited with her friend soon. Her hands had caused permanent wrinkles in her short black skirt while waiting with bated breath for Sailor Pluto's findings.

"How long do you think it will take for you to figure everything out and have us ready to get Rei-chan back," said Minako excitedly. She was fairly bouncing in her seat and dislodging Artemis, who was hanging on for dear life with his claws in her shirtsleeve and trying to ignore Luna's muffled laughter at his predicament.

"I don't know yet. At the very least it will be several days before we can get everything sorted and then come up with a plan on how to get there. We'll call you as soon as we come up with anything," replied Ami, her nose already buried in her computer.

"Well, let us know as soon as you can. It doesn't matter when you solve it; we'll get started immediately. We've already wasted enough time," stated Minako, falling into her role as leader of the Inner Senshi automatically.

Ami nodded and continued to type furiously while Setsuna looked over her shoulder and nodded occasionally at some detail Ami's computer unearthed. Makoto wandered into the kitchen and began working on food to feed their researchers, knowing Ami wouldn't stop for something as trivial as food when she was in the middle of something large. Michiru followed Makoto into the kitchen, bent on getting some tea brewed to accompany whatever delicacies Makoto whipped up in her kitchen.

Usagi leaned into Mamoru's side, nearly fainting with her excitement at the prospect of seeing Rei soon. Mamoru, understanding how his beloved felt, wrapped one arm around her slim shoulders and squeezed her gently. "Come on, Usako, let's go and leave them to their research. We can't do much but get in their way for right now. I'll treat you to some ice cream."

"You're the best, Mamo-chan," squealed Usagi happily, jumping up in her excitement. Unfortunately, Luna, who had still been in Usagi's lap, was flung unceremoniously through the air and barely landed on her feet several feet away. Glaring slightly at her charge, Luna mumbled, "Well, at least she's gained her appetite back."

Artemis, who had crawled into the seat vacated by Usagi, rolled on his back laughing at the sight of normally dignified Luna so disgruntled. His laughter was cut short by a small thwap to the back of his head, administered by Minako. She shook her head at her guardian cat and then scooped him up in her arms and cuddled him in compensation for hitting him on the head. "Artemis, you shouldn't laugh at Luna. We're all so excited about the possibility of seeing Rei and making up with her that we're all giddy."

"Hai, Minako-chan," said Artemis, rubbing his head with his paw sheepishly. Luna smirked at him before jumping into Usagi's waiting arms.

"Do you want to come with us, Minako-chan? There's probably not much for you to do here either," said Mamoru.

"What about the others," asked Minako.

"I'll stay here and make sure Ms. Scientist eats," stated Makoto, who had ducked her head out of the kitchen when she heard Artemis laughing. "If that's okay with Haruka-san and Michiru-san, of course."

"Sure, why not? As long as you make something for us too," remarked Haruka, who was lounging indolently in the armchair. "Thanks for the offer of ice cream, Mamoru-kun, but I'll pass this time."

"I don't mind if you stay, Mako-chan. I'll decline your offer of ice cream too, Mamoru-kun. I need to make sure Haruka doesn't pester Mako-chan in the kitchen or bully her into making her favorite pasta dish again," Michiru laughed delicately from the kitchen doorway.

"Mou, Michi, you're no fun," pouted Haruka.

"Well, how about you, Hotaru-chan," offered Mamoru, still laughing at the expression on Haruka's face.

"No, thank you, Mamoru-san. I'd prefer to stay here in case of any developments," stated Hotaru, smiling slightly. She was trying very hard to let go of her negative feelings since she knew she would be seeing Rei soon.

"Well, don't hesitate to join us if you want. We'll be at the Crown Ice Cream Parlor. Let us know if anything happens," said Mamoru, being dragged out the door by an eager Usagi and followed by a giggling Minako.

"Hai, hai," laughed Haruka. "Just make sure you have enough money to satisfy Usagi-chan's ice cream obsession!"

A groan followed by more laughing left the mansion. The stately home seemed brighter with the promise of hope.

####***

It had taken two weeks for Ami and Setsuna to figure everything out. The rest of the Senshi had spent their time trying to either help out however they could or not get in the way. Finally, the call came from Setsuna to meet at the Outers' mansion. A half-hour later, nine people and two cats were comfortably ensconced in the living room, the lights ablaze in the large room. All eyes were focused intently on the regal figure of Setsuna and the delicate form of Ami, waiting for the solution that would bring their friend home. Setsuna surveyed the small group and smiled gently, confident they would be able to undertake the very delicate procedure needed to assure Rei's safe return home.

"Well, it took many hours of research and experimentation of different theories but Ami-chan and I have found a definite way to get Rei-chan back," stated Setsuna.

A low buzz of excitement thrummed through the room, the assembled people darting glances of barely suppressed glee at each other. Haruka finally broke the anticipatory silence and demanded, "Well? What is it? The longer you wait, the more likely it is that Rei-chan will be squashed senseless by hugs and then Crystal Tokyo will still be gone."

Michiru chuckled gently and lightly shoved her companion's shoulder, remarking, "You know you're going to be just as bad and you'll probably be the first to crack her ribs in a giant bear hug since you've got longer legs than the rest of us." Light laughter rang through the room as the Senshi of wind flushed slightly and crossed her arms, a small humph escaping her lips.

Ami smiled widely, her last few weeks of nonstop work forgotten as she relaxed in the softer atmosphere. 'It's so good to see everyone at ease again, especially Hotaru-chan. Please wait for us, Rei-chan. We're coming,' the blue-haired genius thought to herself.

"So what do we do to get Rei-chan back," inquired Hotaru.

"The time and space situation is very delicate. That is why I needed Ami-chan and her computer to help me figure a way to steer through it without causing more problems and also to help me find a way to actually get to where Rei-chan is. We've discovered that my power can get us to the right time but I will need the rest of you to get us to the right place and boost my own time powers. We'll be doing a version of the Sailor Teleport with a couple of differences. First, Mamoru-kun will take Sailor Mar's position in the circle as we need his power. Secondly, the Outers will be integrated into the circle as well. Thirdly, we'll need Sailor Moon to use her Ginzuishou to channel the power of the Sailor Teleport. And lastly, we cannot do this if we are not concentrating on Sailor Mars with pure emotions, like our love and friendship for her. If you have no questions, let's go ahead and start," stated Setsuna, her voice ringing with authority. The gathered group looked at each other, their eyes sure and confident. There were no questions needed.

The gathered group stood and filed outside to the back lawn of the spacious grounds surrounding the mansion. A full moon hung in the night sky, beaming benevolently down on them. Usagi looked up at her symbol and smiled, seeing the full moon as a good omen. The two guardian cats stood off to one side as transformations flashed, one after another, setting the secluded grounds ablaze with light that slowly dissipated. They watched as Sailor Pluto directed the Senshi to their designated places. Sailor Moon, Tuxedo Kamen, Sailor Saturn, Sailor Mercury, Sailor Uranus, Sailor Jupiter, Sailor Neptune, Sailor Venus, and finally, Sailor Pluto stood in a ring. Sailor Moon took a deep breath and then the Ginzuishou slowly floated out towards the middle of the circle.

"Remember, concentrate on Sailor Mars and your pure feelings for her. We cannot have any dark feelings or this won't work," reminded Sailor Pluto.

Suddenly, Sailor Saturn broke the ring, letting go of Tuxedo Kamen and Sailor Mercury's hands. She looked around the circle, letting her gaze rest on each of the Inners as her eyes passed them. She took a deep breath and said, "Gomen, minna-san for the attitude I've been having towards you these last few weeks. I was so upset and angry over what happened to Rei-san that I didn't stop to think about how this was affecting all of you. I was very bitter and hateful and I regret that now. Michiru-mama was right that I should let go of this negativity because of how it would affect Rei-san. I just wanted to apologize and get this off my chest." She watched the Inners warily as they digested her words. Finally, after a short silence, Sailor Moon walked towards Sailor Saturn and hugged her gently, followed soon after by Sailor Jupiter and Sailor Venus. Sailor Mercury, reached over and squeezed her hand, smiling softly. Sailors Uranus, Neptune, and Pluto smiled with pride at their "daughter" and with relief that she had managed to go beyond her dark feelings. After everyone returned to their places and resumed their powering up, each Senshi and Tuxedo Kamen began concentrating on Sailor Mars, feeling her absence from the circle.

"Ganbatte, minna! We'll watch over everything while you're gone. Just bring Rei-chan back home where she belongs," stated Artemis.

Nine faces smiled at the two cats and then prepared to focus their power towards the Ginzuishou. However, one mind was torn between pure hope and guilt. 'I'm so sorry, Rei-chan, that I wasn't a better friend to you. I wish I could go back and make it up to you,' thought Venus hazily as she poured her power into the crystal.

Abruptly, the crystal glowed brilliantly and flared with rainbow streaks and the Senshi began to levitate off the ground, preparing to shoot off towards Sailor Mars' location. As they disappeared in a surge of power, Pluto felt a hard yank on her power and gasped. 'Iie! This is wrong! Yamete,' she thought frantically, feeling the power spiral out of her uncontrollably.

FLASH

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I know, I know. I'm evil. People (Duckie) tell me that all the time. I already have Chapter 6 half written, so it will be out soon. I know it's another chapter without Rei but I have to write this so you all won't think that I hate the other Senshi. They have reasons for doing and feeling the things they do. Please don't hate me too much and please review! Next chapter: Shades of Futures Past! (Obscure enough for you?)