A/N: Okay, I know it's been awhile since I last turned out a fic. (Over a year, I can hear you over there Amichan) I am also quite aware that I have quite a few fics that need to be finished but give me a break, I'm just getting back my muse, and I think I might need something new to get me back into the writing spirit. I have decided to re-write an old fic that is referenced in many of my others. Have fun.

Ch. 1

Closing time,

Every new beginning

comes from some other beginning's end...

~Closing time, can't remember the artist. Oh well.

Usagi scrunched up her eyes, trying to shut out the consistent high pitched sound of her alarm going off.

"No," she muttered, turning over in her bed. She grabbed a nearby stuffed rabbit and pitched it at the offending alarm, knocking it off of its place on the dresser onto the floor, where it continued to beep angrily.

"USAGI!!" The shrill shriek of Rei echoed through the house. "GET YOUR LAZY ASS UP THIS MINUTE!"

Usagi didn't have too much time to comply as a completely dressed, and quite angry Rei burst into her room, bag in hand.

"You are going to be late again. GET UP!!"

"What does it matter to you if I'm late?" she murmured, curling into a ball underneath her sheets. "Let me sleep in, I'll get to school on time."

Rei threw up her hands in frustration. "That's it, I give up. When you're late to practise again this afternoon, do NOT whine and complain to me."

Usagi grumbled, pulling the sheets over her head as Rei stomped out of her room. Ami looked up at Rei as she came down the steps.

"No luck, I assume?" Ami said softly. Rei nodded angrily and Ami sighed, grabbing her bag and slipping on her shoes.

"Well she'll just have to deal with the consequences when she finally does get up,"

Mia nodded. "I'll have her toast and lunch ready for her. Knowing her, it should be another half-hour or so before she finally decides to rush out of here."

"Just make sure she doesn't trip on her way out the door," Touma called. "Gods know that we don't need Sailormoon going down from breakfast food."

"Well be sure that if she ever chokes, she be right up there with such greats as the president of America." Seiji said, chuckling as he sipped his coffee. Laughing, the girls left on their way to school.



Ami looked at her watch and counted down the seconds.

Three, two, one...

Usagi burst into the room, panting, dressed, and half a slice of toast still in her hand.

"G-g-go-gomen n-n-nasai...."

"Tsukino-san," Miss Haruna scowled at Usagi. "This is the third time this week you have been late. I am beginning to think that you like to clean the classroom after school."

"No, Haruna-san," Usagi said timidly, hiding the toast behind her back. Ami shook her head and sighed. They'd tried to wake her...



"It is your own fault," Minako told Usagi as they sat eating lunch. "Everyday we try to wake you on time, and every day you refuse."

"It's not my fault that youma and Shogun keep me up into the night!" she made a face. "I'd be fine if I didn't spend every night going 'Tsukini kawatte oishiyoki yo!"

"That's bullocks and you know it." Makoto told Usagi good-naturedly. "You were the same way before you became Sailormoon, and after you lost your memory."

Usagi raspberried Makoto and sighed into her empty lunch bag. "Rei and Mamo-chan are going to fry me when I show up late again."

"Not really," Ami said, shrugging. "Though Touma might if you throw off his schedule too much."

Minako nodded. "My advice, Usagi-chan....clean like your life depended on it."



Seiji looked up from his book as Usagi came running up the steps to Hikawa Jinja. He looked at his watch and blinked.

"Only ten minutes late....what'd you do, Usagi, haul ass up here?"

Usagi didn't answer as she was too busy trying not to pass out. Mamoru chuckled as he walked out of the temple with a glass of water. "Perhaps tomorrow you will get to school on time Usa-ko?"

Troopers and Senshi smiled ruefully as Usagi downed her water and straightened up, tossing her school bag to the side.

"Let's just get this practise started." Seiji grinned and nodded.

"That's the best thing I've heard all day."



Rajura scowled as the Ayakashi sisters sat huddled in a far off corner of the room. Their heads were bent together and every so often an excited giggle would make its way across the room to where the Shogun sat.

"Honestly," he muttered. "You'd think I'd done something big instead of simply proposing to her."

Anubis chuckled as he watched the sisters talk. "To women, any step in any relationship is big news. You think you made a small gesture, think again."

Rajura's scowl deepened. "Perfect...the last thing I need is for Bertie to be making a huge fuss over something so trivial."

"That's what happens when you allow yourself to develop romantic feelings for someone."

Rajura snarled at the disembodied smug voice.

"Come out Rubbeus, I know it's you."

The red-haired Dark Kingdom agent appeared, his expression matching his voice. "Face it-you've just trapped yourself. Whatever freedom you had is now gone. Shall I go get the ball and chain, or do you prefer Bertie to have a whip?"

"Fuck off!" Rajura snarled, turning his eye away from Rubbeus to his snickering comrades. He glared at Anubis and Shiten. "As if you two aren't just as bad, going out with Prizma and Katzie."

"We're not engaged to be married," Shiten quipped. "We know better."

Anubis nodded in agreement. "We're not that stupid. Doubt we'll ever be."

"Right," Rajura said, turning back to watch his fiancee. "We'll revisit the issue when you have kids."

Rubbeus snickered. "You're all equally foolish-you don't see me falling over for some female."

"Speak for yourself," Naaza snapped harshly. "Don't include me in them."

"You don't know anything other than hate," Anubis said, smirking slightly. "The day you fall in love with anyone is the day we sit down and have dinner with the Senshi and Troopers."

"You three used to be the same way," Naaza said, standing. "You've all gone soft. It's no wonder we can't beat those brats, you're all thinking with your d-"

"Watch it," three voices growled at once. Naaza snorted and turned, disappearing. Rubbeus laughed and disappeared also. Rajura sighed and raised a brow at Anubis and Shiten.

"Perhaps," he said at length, focussing on the sisters once again. "He has a point. We never had a problem beating brats like the Senshi before we teamed up with the Ayakashi."

"We didn't beat them the first time we tangled with them," Shiten said, a brow raised.

"We didn't have a problem until the Troopers showed up," Rajura told him sharply. "We need to strike at the Senshi separately....away from the Troopers. They're their weak spot."

"Take them down and we take down the Troopers," Anubis nodded and grinned.

"And their armour goes to Talpa," Shiten finished. Rajura smirked.

"Now all we have to do is find the opportunity...get one of the Senshi and we can lure the rest in without the Troopers. Then we can get the Troopers."

"And say goodbye to Rubbeus." Shiten laughed. "I like it."

"It didn't matter if you liked it or not," Anubis told him. "It's a good plan regardless."

Rajura stood. "If Bertie asks, I'm keeping an eye on the Senshi." Anubis nodded and Rajura disappeared.



"Mina-ko."

Minako blinked and looked down at the bouquet that had been presented to her. She grinned wide and blushed brightly, taking them from Seiji. She sniffed them and smiled, leaning over to place her lips lightly on his.

"Seiji-chan, they're beautiful." she said softly. He grinned and took a seat on the grass beside her.

"What were you up to?" he asked softly, taking her hand in his.

"Just looking up at the stars," she said softly. He nodded, sitting back and looking up at them with her.

"What do you think about?" he asked, turning to look at Minako. She shrugged.

"Lots of things," she said. "My life here, with you.....before you, and sometimes the life I had before on the moon."

Seiji sighed. "The Silver Millennium sounds as if it must have been a beautiful kingdom....I wish I could have seen it."

"It was," Minako said, nodding. "It was a beautiful life.....one we had to leave behind."

Seiji nodded as well, and after a brief pause, he asked, suddenly. "Did you have anyone there? I mean..."

"Anyone I loved, like I love you?" She asked, looking at him. Seiji blushed.

"I understand if you don't want to tell me, I was just-"

"No, it's okay," Minako told him, nodding. "And yes, I did...he was reborn too, except on the wrong side."

Seiji gave a low whistle. "That must have been rough."

"It was," she said softly, nodding. "But I have you now, so it's okay."

Seiji smiled and leaned over to kiss her again. "You're wonderful, you know that?"

"I know," Minako said, grinning. Seiji laughed and leaned back again. After another brief pause, he spoke again.

"I have just one more question, then we can talk about something else."

Minako nodded. "Okay."

"What was his name?"

The pause after his question was a long one. He had just opened his mouth to ask Minako to describe the palace when she finally spoke.

"Kunzite.....his name was Kunzite."

Seiji nodded. He was sure he'd heard the name mentioned before when Luna and Artemis were telling him about the previous enemies the Senshi had faced. From what he remembered, Kunzite had turned out to be a very evil Dark Kingdom general. He squeezed Minako's shoulder gently and she spoke.

"What about you?"

Seiji blinked. "What about me what?"

"What about your old loves?"

Seiji cleared his throat nervously. "I don't think we should discuss that."

"Oh come on!" Minako sat up and pushed him in mock anger. "I told you about my last love. Spill, it's only fair."

Seiji stuck his tongue out at her before sighing in resignation. "Well.....I've had a lot of girlfriends over the years.....the one who sticks in my mind was a girl named Miranda..."

Minako nodded. "What about her sticks in your mind?"

"She was rich....very. Very spoiled too, but...." he shrugged. "She always made me feel as if I were on a pedestal...can you imagine what that's like?"

Minako looked at the bouquet of flowers and smiled, nodding. "Yes....you make me feel like that every day."

Seiji blinked and grinned, hugging Minako close.

"See, things like that are the reason why I love you."

Minako giggled. "Hey...I try."