Disclaimer: As usual, I disavow any rights to the characters from Pretty Guardian SailorMoon. They all belong to Takeuchi Naoko and Bandai.

The following story is based on the Live Action version of SailorMoon (PGSM). I hope you enjoy it!

A big hello to aserene and Serenathy! I'm glad you two are reviewing. (smile) There aren't quite enough chapters yet to really know if a lot of people are liking the story enough to keep reading or if I'm getting a bunch of "Oh yeah, that one" hits. Serenathy, in answer to your questions, the last chapter was the first time that Usagi had ever met Michiru. She had not really heard of her (since she prefers idols and pop to classical music), but knowing Usagi she will soon be one of Michiru's biggest fans. As for the pace... I'll bite my tongue and let you see it unfold. Otherwise, I might spoil it for you. (wink) And I wouldn't want to do that.

I know I promised this chapter would be a longish one, but that was before I stole half of it and put it in the last chapter. So, please don't shoot me if it seems a little short. The title goes better with what I left here. And now, enough of me talking. Enjoy, minna! - Raya

Pretty Guardian SailorMoon R - Prelude

Waning Moon

"So," Rei said, sounding bored as she watched Makoto walk around the store with a clipboard in her arm. "What was so secret that you couldn't tell me on the phone?" She reached out to play with a tiger lily. As she bent forward to smell it, she missed Makoto's frown as she marked an item off on her list.

"Has Usagi contacted you yet?" Makoto asked as she studied a selection of daisies, lilies, and salvia.

Rei sat up straight and gave her a curious look as the something in Makoto's serious tone demanded her complete attention. "No… Should she have?"

Makoto sighed a little irritably, and moved on to look at a selection of white and orange flowers. "I told her to call you last week," she grumbled as she made a few more notations on her clipboard. She turned and gave Rei a worried look. "She's been having dreams. Recurring dreams." Rei arched a brown eyebrow and waited patiently. "And… her crescent moon comes out when she does," Makoto finally managed to get out.

Rei took a sharp breath as her eyes widened. Makoto nodded as she turned back to the wedding bouquet she was creating. "I've seen it," she continued quietly. "And Luna says that it wasn't just the once. She's been paying attention now, and she says that it happens every time Usagi has this dream."

"How often?" Rei asked, trying to keep the worry out of her voice.

"Luna says at least once every night, sometimes during the day, too." Makoto nodded absently to herself as she flipped the page on the clipboard and began to gather flowers for a different bouquet.

"What is the dream about? Do you know?" Rei's eyes were glued to Makoto, whose hands tightened on the flower stems she was holding.

"She told me… It's a nightmare. She hears a little girl crying for her mother, but she can't find her. She says… Something terrible is going to happen if she can't find the girl." Makoto gently put the gathered flowers on the counter, reached into her pocket, and pulled out her shears. "She told Luna that she's been having this dream for almost a month now," she added as she began to trim the ends off of the flowers and put them in a small container of water.

"A month!" Rei exclaimed angrily. "Why didn't she call me! Why didn't you call me?"

"I just found out about it last week!" Makoto replied a little defensively. "Luna knew she was having dreams, but she swears she didn't realize how serious they were until I found out. That's when we both saw the crescent moon. I told Usagi to call you…" Makoto trailed off, and then gave Rei a pained look. "But I didn't tell her about the crescent moon. I don't think she really knows how important this is."

Rei calmed down a little, and then nodded her head. "You didn't want to worry her." The statement came out as a fact, not a question. Makoto nodded as she swept the trimmings into a waste basket, and began to put the flowers in the temporary water holders. "Who else knows?" Rei continued, fighting back a sigh.

"I don't think anyone else knows. Mamoru-san, maybe. At least, he knows she's having the dreams. I don't know if he's seen the crescent moon or not." Makoto replied as she worked. She looked up at her friend. "Do you think we should tell them?"

Slowly, Rei nodded. "But not yet," she added as Makoto looked back down at her work. "I want to talk to Usagi first, and maybe do a fire reading." Her tall friend made a sound of agreement.

In human form, Luna watched anxiously as Usagi stirred restlessly on the couch. The light from her sigil was pulsing throughout the room as she went through her longest dream yet.
'Mama…'

"Where are you?" Usagi called anxiously. "Please, where are you?" She gasped as she tripped over something. As she crashed to her hands and knees, she gave a soft sound of pain. She turned to look at what had made her fall and her eyes grew wide. Quickly, she scrambled back to the woman who had appeared in her path.

"Hello? Wake up! Please wake up," Usagi called as she shook the woman's shoulder. She managed to turn her over, and gasped again. Dressed in a long, turquoise gown, Michiru stared up at her with blank, aqua colored eyes. "Michiru-san? Michiru-san, wake up!"

'Ma… ma…' she heard the little girl sob from somewhere close by. She looked around, and moaned softly as she saw more people collapsed on the floor around her. Somehow, she knew that these were the lumps she had been dodging.

'Mama…'

"Come here!" she called as she gathered her skirts and stood back up. "Follow my voice! Come to me." Usagi began to run ahead once more. "This way!"

'MAMA!' the child screamed. Usagi screamed as well as the building shook around her from the force of the blast.

"Small Lady!" Usagi cried as she sat up on the couch, one hand reaching desperately in front of her.

"Usagi!" Luna called as she grabbed her princess' hand.

"Lu… Luna?" Usagi asked uncertainly. They both jumped and turned as an urgent knock sounded on the door. Giving Usagi a concerned look, Luna released her hand and went to answer it.

As she opened the door, her eyes grew wide, and an expression of relief flooded her face. "Rei!" she exclaimed as she reached out to draw the miko into the apartment.

"Luna," Rei replied as she walked in quickly and looked around. "What's going on? I just heard Usagi scream."

"Rei-chan?" Usagi asked as she leaned weakly against the wall of the hallway. Her face lit up with pleasure as she saw it truly was her long absent friend. "Rei-chan!"

"Usagi!" Quickly, Rei and Luna moved to help her. "Usagi, what happened?" Rei demanded.

Usagi shook her head, dark pigtails swaying gently beside her face. "Nothing. I just got up too fast, that's all." Her two friends gave her matching looks of disbelief as they helped her back to the couch. "I'm all right now, really." Rei made a noncommittal sound as they sat down.

"Rei-chan! What are you doing in town? I thought you weren't planning to come home for at least another six months?" Usagi asked curiously as she sat up straighter and looked a little stronger.

An unreadable expression flashed across Rei's face, and was quickly replaced by an uncertain look. "My father asked me to come back for a little while," she replied. She watched as Usagi's and Luna's eyes widened.

"Really?" Usagi breathed softly. She looked at Rei a little cautiously. "Did... Did he..."

Rei shook her head with a small smile. "He asked. Well, he had his assistant ask," she said as her smile turned to a frown. Rei and her father were getting along better, but even after four years a rift between them still existed. She shrugged one shoulder and then turned back to Usagi.

"It's just for some political convention or other. Maybe a few photo shoots." She narrowed her eyes. "What was that dream? It sounded like a nightmare," she asked not bothering to sound nonchalant.

Usagi shifted a little uncomfortably on the couch. "It's just a dream…" Rei waited patiently, staring at her sternly, and finally Usagi began to talk.