Phèdre: Guess who?

Yusuke: It's kind of obvious, isn't it?

Phèdre: Shut up, Yusuke!

Hiei: The Tantei has a point.

Phèdre: It's your turn to do the disclaimer, Hiei.

Hiei: Why can't you do it?

Phèdre: Because, as an author, I have certain powers, including the ability to make you completely miserable.

Hiei: Fine. Phèdre doesn't own Ruroni Kenshin or Sailor Moon. She's not that smart.

Phèdre: (growls) Let's see, now how can I work you into this story.

Hiei: Um, nevermind. I didn't mean it, really!

Yusuke and Kurama: (snicker)

Chapter 2: A Decision Made

"Usagi! Wait, please!" Usagi heard Makoto's voice behind her. She stopped and collapsed on the sidewalk, consumed by her pain. She didn't even know why it hurt so much, but she did remember. The minute she heard his name, she'd remembered. She didn't know how she knew, but she knew that he would never do anything to hurt her, never!

"Usagi?" Makoto said as she leaned down and put her arms around her friend.

"He'd never do anything to hurt me! I know he wouldn't!" Usagi cried.

"Shh! Shh!" Makoto said softly. "I know he wouldn't. He loved you."

"What?" Usagi looked up through her tears, and unbeknownst to her, a hopeful look on her face. "He did?"

"Yes." Makoto said gently. "And you loved him before you fell in love with Endymion." She got a strange look on her face. "It was kind of strange. It was like you fell in love with him before you met him. And you completely forgot about Battousai. It's not that surprising that he turned and joined Beryl."

"It was my fault then." Usagi sobbed. "I should have been stronger."

"It's not your fault you fell in love with Endymion." Makoto said soothingly.

"But I didn't!" Usagi wailed. "My mother used the crystal to make me love him."

"Why would she do that?" Makoto asked bewildered.

"Because she wanted the alliance with Earth." Usagi told her. "And she never really approved of Battousai to begin with. He may have been a member of the Royal Guard, but Mother still didn't think he was good enough for me."

"Oh, Usagi." Makoto said softly. "I'm so sorry."

Usagi smiled. "It's not your fault, Makoto. I think it's weakened since Mother died. Now that I'm fighting it, I can overcome it."

"Why didn't you fight it before?" Makoto asked curiously. Then, realizing how it could be taken, added, "I mean in this life."

Usagi smiled. "I know what you meant. And I think I was so in love with the idea of being in love, that it didn't even occur to me to pay attention to my subtler feelings. Now I know better."

A few days later, the Outers, Usagi, and Makoto met in the Outers' Mansion. When they heard of the Inners' (excepting Makoto) reaction they were very upset. "We wanted to tell you gently. Give you time to adjust." Setsuna explained.

"I can't believe they could be so cruel!" Haruka exclaimed, furious. "They could have hurt you!"

"Haruka." Michiru said calmly, putting a hand on her girlfriend's arm. "They didn't know after all. We promised that we would keep Serenity's love a secret. It was by chance that the Queen found out."

"Thank you, Haruka." Usagi smiled. "But I don't blame them. They couldn't have known how it would affect me."

Haruka shook her head. "You're too forgiving, Princess."

"What are we going to do about this?" Makoto asked from her position beside Usagi. Makoto hadn't left Usagi's side since Usagi's breakdown, refusing to let her be alone, as she was afraid that Usagi would break down again.

Michiru shook her head. "I don't see what we can do. Battousai doesn't appear to have been reborn."

Haruka snorted. "Of course he wasn't! The queen was the one who sent our souls to the future to be reborn. Naturally, she wouldn't send the one person who could destroy her carefully laid plans."

"He was reborn." Hotaru said softly, speaking for the first time since the meeting began. "I don't know where he is, but he has been reborn."

Setsuna nodded, "Yes, he was reborn, but not in this time. He was born about 120 years ago."

Usagi felt tears welling up again, but fought them down. "Is there anyway I can go to him?" She knew better than to ask if he could come to her.

Setsuna thought for a moment before answering, "Yes. But I'm not sure how long you'd be able to stay there. We do need you here to help fight." Setsuna reminded her.

Usagi nodded quickly.

"I'm glad that's settled." Haruka said. "Now, how are you going to tell Mamoru?"

"Simple." Usagi said in a cold voice that they had never heard her use before. "I'll just tell him I think I should see other people, and he can continue seeing that other girl."

"What?!" Makoto roared. "That creep's been cheating on you?!"

"Yes." Usagi said calmly, not disturbed in the least.

"It isn't Rei, is it?" Haruka growled. "Cuz if it is..." A murderous look on her face. The same look was mirrored on Makoto and Michiru's faces. Although, Michiru's wasn't as deadly.

"Oh, no." Usagi assured them. "Rei wouldn't do anything like that to me. It's some blond college girl."

Setsuna nodded. "We'll worry about Mamoru later. I think he deserves a little worry after all he's done to you. I think you should leave for the past as soon as possible."

"Why is that?"" Hotaru wanted to know.

"Because Usagi will get nervous if we put it off." Setsuna told her.

Haruka nodded. "And we're going with her, right?"

Setsuna shook her head. "No, it would disturb the Time Line too much. Only one can go with her."

Immediately, all four senshi (Haruka, Michiru, Hotaru, and Makoto) proclaimed that they wanted to go. Usagi smiled, happy that she could count on them to be there for her. Setsuna also smiled at her fellow senshi. "I'd go, myself, but since I'm the only one who can access the Gate at will, I need to stay." She thought for a moment. "Haruka, Michiru, I'm afraid neither of you can go. We need you here as you're both very strong and will be able to defeat many Youma that the Inners can't." Haruka and Michiru both nodded reluctantly, understanding the truth in Setsuna's words, but not liking it one bit. "Makoto, while you're very strong, you tend to stand out in crowds. That's not what we need right now." Makoto bowed her head, upset, but trying not to let it show. "That leaves you, Hotaru. Perhaps you could pretend to be sisters whose parents just recently passed away." Setsuna suggested.

Hotaru shrugged, "It sounds fine to me." She glanced up at Usagi.

"Yes." Usagi said softly. "I have no problem with it."

"Good." Setsuna said. "Come back here at the same time tomorrow to leave.

----scene change----

"Usagi?" a voice asked. Usagi turned and saw her daughter from the future. A recent talk with Setsuna revealed that she was also from the another dimension. "Are you okay?"

Usagi gave her a tired smile. "I'm fine, Chibi-Usa. Just a little nervous." Then she looked more closely at Chibi-Usa. "Why are you here? Is something wrong?"

Chibi-Usa gave a slight laugh. "No, everything's fine. I'm just visiting."

"Really?" Usagi perked up. "How long are you staying?"

"A couple of weeks." Chibi-Usa said.

"Oh." Usagi's smile disappeared. "Well, I suppose you can help the senshi while I'm gone."

"Where are you going?"

Usagi grinned slightly, "I'm not going anywhere, it's more like a when."

"Why?" Chibi-Usa asked.

Usagi sighed. "You do know that you're in a different dimension, don't you?"

"Yes." Chibi-Usa confirmed. "Puu told me before, said it would mess with the Time Line too much if I went to my dimension's past."

Usagi nodded. "I'm going to the past to meet a man I loved in the past, during the Silver Alliance. I'm going to see if I still love him." 'And if he still loves me,' she added to herself.

"What about Mamoru?" Chibi-Usa asked.

"He's been cheating on me for a while." Usagi said dissmissively, not a shred of emotion on her face. "I was in love with Battousai before I met your father."

Chibi-Usa nodded, understanding. Though she pretended not to notice, she knew that her parents weren't getting along. She had often seen her mother with a handsome red-haired man, one of the guard. Her father seemed to have his own interests, every girl in the palace that wouldn't tell her mother. "Could I come meet him?"

"You'll have to ask Setsuna." Usagi smiled. "She's already arranged for Hotaru to come with me."

Chibi-Usa nodded enthusiastically, "So when are you leaving?"

"Tomorrow," Usagi informed her. "Why don't we spend the day shopping? It'll take my mind off my nerves and let us spend quality time together."

Chibi-Usa grinned, "Only you would say something like that, Meatball Head."

"Quiet, Fungus." Usagi told her smartly, slipping back into 'ditz mode.' "We've got a busy day ahead of us."

After an exhausting shopping trip, they stopped by the Outers' Mansion and got permission for Chibi-Usa to go further back in time. Setsuna's reasoning was Chibi-Usa was going to mess up the Time Line no matter when she was, so she might as well be doing something productive. Even as she said this, she smiled affectionately at Chibi-Usa.

The next morning, the Outers, Makoto, Usagi, and Chibi-Usa all met in the Outers' Mansion. Usagi, Chibi-Usa, and Hotaru all took the suitcases Setsuna had prepared for them and stepped through the portal Setsuna had summoned while calls of 'be careful', 'stay safe', and 'take care of the princesses' followed them.

Setsuna, Haruka, Michiru, and Makoto stared at the spot where their friends had stood just moments before. "Well," Setsuna said. "We should start making excuses for their absences."

The rest nodded.

Makoto said, "We can tell the schools that they're sick with the flu, and we don't know how soon they'll recover."

Michiru nodded, "Yes, and we can tell Usagi's parents that she's staying with us for a while."

Setsuna smiled, "Hotaru lives with us, so that isn't an issue."

Haruka spoke up, "What about the other senshi?"

The group exchanged looks. "As much as I'd like to leave them in the dark," Setsuna said, "We must tell them something."

Makoto put in, "Maybe that she went to visit Chibi-Usa in her own time?"

Haruka frowned, "But that sort of thing isn't allowed."

Michiru suggested, "But she's been so depressed lately. Wouldn't that cheer her up?"

The three looked at Setsuna, who smiled. "I think you have something there."

----End Chapter----

Phèdre: Was that okay?

Kurama: Yes, it was quite good.

Phèdre: Thanks!

Hiei: You're really not going to put me in this story, are you?

Phèdre: I don't know, it depends on how you treat me. Anyway, it would be fairly difficult. I guess I'd have to just mention you in passing.

Yusuke: Phèdre, you do know that I love your works, and I think you're incredibly talented, don't you?

Phèdre: Why, thank you, Yusuke.

Kurama: Brown-noser.

Yusuke: Hey, it'll keep me alive, won't it?

Kurama: Good point. Please review.

Hiei: You're no better, kitsune.

Kurama: At least I'm not so blatantly obvious about it.

Hiei: True.

Glossary:
Youma— means demons; the warriors of the negaverse; the senshi's enemies. The really weird-looking people that the senshi fight on a day-to-day basis.