Author's note: Sailor Mercury is by far my favorite character. There are not enough stories about her and Zoicite, so I wrote my own. I hope you like it as much as I do. Lira-chan

Mamoru's apartment

"We have to tell them." Mamoru stood in the doorway to what once had been a spare bedroom. Now, it was occupied by his four friends, who had been generals of Earth in their former lives.

Three of the four were there now. Kunzite sat on his bed, flipping through a magazine while Jadeite and Nephrite played a video game. Kunzite looked up as Mamoru entered. "Tell who what now?"

"Tell Usagi and the others that you're back. As far as they know, you're all still rocks somewhere."

"Oh, that. You're the one dating Usagi; shouldn't you tell them?"

Mamoru let out a frustrated noise. "You are supposed to be helping, Kunzite! I can't do everything by myself, that's why I had you in the past."

"That's true. Can't you just arrange a meeting? With them and us, I mean? We can explain how Beryl brainwashed us and how the Silver Millennium Crystal healed us…"

"That won't work," said Nephrite. "If we just meet them, they'll transform and blast us like they did last time. We've only been human for a week, Kunzite. We don't even know if we have any powers from our former lives."

The blonde general glared at him. "Look, Mamoru, why don't you talk to Usagi and everyone? Then we can meet and hopefully, no one will get blasted."

Mamoru sighed. "That's the best you have? Where's Zoicite when I need him?"

"He said something about the library when he left," Jadeite supplied helpfully. "He said this game was driving him crazy…"

Tokyo Public Library

"Ami-chan, are you going to the library again?" Usagi looked at her friend with an incredulous expression, as thought she couldn't imagine someone going for fun.

Ami laughed. "Yes, Usagi-chan. There are some things I need to research. But don't forget that we're meeting at the temple tonight."

"I won't. Bye!"

The blue-haired girl watched her friend hurry off and shook her head. She picked up her heavy school bag and climbed the steps to the library. "Hello," she said to the woman behind the desk.

"Good afternoon, Ami," the librarian replied. "You're here late today."

"I was with my friends." The woman smiled and Ami made her way to the library's farthest room. It was full of old, heavy books hardly anyone read. The reason that Ami liked it was the large window at the back, which gave her a view of the library's garden. This time of year, the flowers would be in bloom around the marble fountain. Ami took a large, leather-bound book from the shelf and sat down to read. She was so absorbed in the subject that she didn't notice the sky grow dark outside.

Reaching the end of a particularly long chapter, she remembered something she had read in another book. She rose, still thinking about what she had read. Ami started down a long row of books and reached out for a book. Her hand brushed someone else's and she leaped back, feeling the impossible sensation of silky skirts swirling around her legs.

"I'm sorry-" she began, but broke off when she saw who she had bumped. "Zoicite!"

The former Negaverse general stood there, looking as shocked as Ami felt. His green eyes widened at the sight of her. "Sailor Mercury."

Ami slid one hand into her pocket and held her henshin pen. "What do you want?" she demanded.

He drew a deep breath, then met her eyes. "I want to talk."