Usagi sat on the park bench and tried to think. It wasn't something she was particularly good at, having let others do her thinking before. When she made decisions, they were from her heart, usually on a spur of the moment. It had worked for her before, but she wasn't sure any more.

Now she faced a problem that couldn't be defeated by Sailor Moon and the Ginsozhou. And love wouldn't guide her, because it was a problem with love. Love from her past. Did she want to have a love that was left over from a past life? The question applied to both of her current interests. Mamoru and Kintaro were both men she had loved in the past. She had thought she loved Mamoru, but things kept going wrong between them. He had left her and dumped her more than once, even if he always seemed to have a good reason.

But was Kintaro any different? He had apparently left her in the past. In fact, now that she thought about it, was any man any different? Makoto's old Sempai had left her. Alan had left Minako. Uwara had left Ami. Were any men faithful? Haruka and Michiru were still together. Though Haruka had a wandering eye, she had never seriously talked of leaving Michiru. Maybe she needed to find a girl-friend.

She thought about the girls she knew. Naru was too taken with Umino. Makoto and Minkao were too boy crazy. Ami was too smart. Haruka and Michiru had each other already. Hotaru was too young. This new Setsuna was interesting, but hardly long term relationship material. That left Rei.

"Well, hello Tsukino-san," a voice interrupted her thoughts.

She looked up into Kintaro's endless blue eyes. For a moment she was tempted to give in to her feelings. But she ruthlessly fought them down.

"Ryuzaki-san. Hello again."

He smiled. "We didn't have much chance to talk yesterday, Tsukino-san. Do you mind having a chat now?"

She sighed. "I'm not in a good mood, Ryuzaki-san." She glanced at his left hand. Her eyes widened at the sight of the blue gem. For a moment she forgot why she was looking, but she noticed the silver gleam of a ring on his third finger.

He noticed her glance and held out his hand for her. He was wearing a sword-mans gauntlet and for a moment she thought the gem was part of that. But he removed the gauntlet and showed her that it was embedded in the back of his hand.

Her eyes kept darting to the plain silver band on his finger.

"The remnant of a hasty vow when I was too young to know what love really was," he said. "Now giri compels me to marry a woman I hardly know, instead of the woman I have come to love. Would you choose duty or love, Tsukino-san?"

"I…" She paused. "I don't know anymore, Ryuzaki-san. Once I would have said love, but now I'm not so sure what love is."

He sat next to her on the park bench. "Love is something that is impossible to define, Usagi-san. People sometimes mistake physical attraction for love. Sometimes duty is more compelling than love. I think our hearts are easily fooled and easily broken, but that doesn't make our love any less true when we feel it. I loved Yuri-chan, but she was gone for a long time. I love Ayame-sempai, but she has giri too. It's never simple."

Usagi watched him for a moment. "Do you believe love can carry over from a past life, Kintaro-san?"

"I don't believe in past lives. Or reincarnation." He smiled slightly. "Of course, that doesn't mean that there aren't such things. But I believe that when we move on from this world, we go to a different one, perhaps better, perhaps worse. Our actions here can determine where we go and what we are when we get there. But we never come back to this world. Except perhaps as messengers."

"So you wouldn't believe me if I said that I loved you in a past life? That I was your Princess and you were my Knight?"

"I would believe that you believed that. But Sailor Moon isn't who you are. You may have been the Moon Princess, but the Moon Kingdom is long gone. Who you will become is not determined by who you may have been in another life. You make your own destiny, Usagi. Not Sailor Pluto, not the Silver Queen, not Sailor Moon. Unfortunately, some of us have greater destinies, and our choices can have enormous effects. Which is why it is difficult to choose between giri and love."

Usagi stared. "How did you know?"

Kintaro smiled. "For someone with the training to see, your disguise magic is easily penetrated. Fortunately for you, very few have the ability or the training to see past the magic."

Usagi sighed. A thought struck her. "What about Hotaru-chan?"

Kintaro smiled sadly. "A very lonely young girl. She needs friends. I want to be her friend and I have no intention of stringing her along."

"You asked her on a date."

Kintaro sighed. "Yes, and she'll no doubt think I meant something romantic by it. The hard part will be to let her down without breaking her heart."

"That will be a new trick for you, sempai," a new voice growled. Makoto stomped up. "I thought leaving them pining after you was your normal tactic."

Kintaro rubbed his temples. "Kino-san. Imagine meeting you here."

"Yeah, sempai, imagine that. Thought you could avoid me forever?"

"What are you talking about, Kino-san? I haven't been avoiding you."

This comment set Makoto off. She leaped at him, fists leading the way. Kintaro deftly sidestepped and dodged her wild blows, leading her away from a confused Usagi. They were several meters away when he suddenly blocked one of Makoto's punches and brushed her aside. They faced each other, both in ready stances.

"What's going on Usagi?" Rei and the others arrived.

"I think Kintaro-san is Mako-chan's old sempai. She's trying to beat him up for some reason."

"She's not having much luck either, I see," Rei commented. "He's very good."

They watched as Makoto wore herself out. Kintaro simply evaded or blocked everything she had to throw.

"I think there may be a misunderstanding, Kino-san. As I recall, I told you that I would be attending a different school. I haven't been avoiding you."

"You never called me or wrote," Makoto accused.

"You didn't give me your number, Kino-san. I had no way to contact you."

"After all those dates…"

"Walking home through the park after school is hardly a date."

"You walked me home every day."

"I lived two houses further along than you. Yuri and Hikari walked with us."

"You carried my books."

"Only while your hand was injured," Kintaro countered, "while trying to punch me, as I recall."

Makoto blushed slightly. The others, seeing that the melee was over, came closer. Kintaro noticed them and turned.

"Hino-san, Aino-san, Mizuno-san. A pleasure to meet you all." He bowed.

The girls all bowed back. Minako grinned slightly.

"So," she said slyly, "You're Mako-chan's old sempai. She's told us all about you. Usually while comparing some other cute guy to you."

"Mina-chan," Makoto hissed, as she turned several shades redder.

Kintaro smiled. "Are you sure she wasn't referring to her other sempai, from first grade? She told me a lot about him."

The girls blinked and Makoto blushed.

"How many old sempai do you have Mako-chan?"

Rei stepped forward and grabbed his hand to examine the gem. Kintaro blinked.

"You are the one I saw," Rei said. "Do you know the others with gems like this?"

"Yes," Kintaro replied. "Hohoujii Yuri is my fiancée and Shido Hikari is our friend. They are the other two Magic Knights."

"Do you believe in visions, Kintaro-san," Usagi suddenly asked.

"That depends on the source of the visions. For example, Hino-san can probably see the future somewhat, and I would be inclined to trust her visions. Assuming that they can be understood. Sailor Pluto, on the other hand, is questionable. She has a tendency to only see what she wants to see."

"I resent the implications you're making, Kintaro-kun," Setsuna said as she slithered up to him. He stepped away, avoiding her embrace. His eyes narrowed and he raised his hand, whispering a quick phrase. Setsuna began to glow.

"Ah. A sideline alternate. Where is this line's Setsuna?"

"Due to a paradox flux, she was unable to return to her own time line. Many of us were stranded, so we decided to switch timelines and warn the Senshi of the troubles ahead. There's no telling how long I'll be around."

Kintaro watched her for a moment. "You're from the etchii sideline aren't you? Ayame-sempai introduced me to her alternate from that realm. Though I think it was an accident."

Setsuna grinned. "Did you have an orgy?"

"No. Though the subject came up enough. And for the record, I won't have sex with you."

The younger Senshi were staring. Setsuna pouted. Kintaro turned and glanced at the girls.

"What I said about Sailor Pluto applies doubly to this one. She has two tracks and only one monorail. If it isn't about seducing me, then she's thinking about sex."

"Hey," Setsuna protested. "I can think about things besides sex."

Kintaro glanced at her. "Only if they lead to having sex. Now if you all will excuse me." He started to walk away.

"Ryuzaki-san," Rei called. She ran up to him as he paused. The others stared as she stood on her toes and whispered something quickly in his ear. He nodded in response and took her hand for a moment, before leaning over and whispering back. Her cheeks were rosy as she returned to the others.

"You go Rei," Setsuna wolfed. The Senshi ignored her as they headed back to the shrine.