Alone

Makoto breathed heavily as she watched the scene play out before her. The monster that had attacked her was gone, but the warriors were not, they stood there arguing against the golden haired warrior, against the girl that spoke of sadness and betrayal and shock. She didn't understand. Why did she feel the need to run to that warrior? Why did she want to attack her in a fierce hug, holding her until the tears that filled those emotional blue eyes shined of love and happiness?

She didn't understand! Who was this warrior that could evoke such feelings, that could drive away the feelings of loneliness with a single wide eyed look so full of concern for her. Perhaps that was it, why did the woman send her a look that spoke of such sadness, that whispered the answers to her...

"We can't- won't forgive you..."

Why did those words ache her heart so? Why did the expressions in those blue eyes make her want to protect the one she had been protected by? Why!?!

She watched the two Senshi leave and was almost glad to see them gone. But that wasn't like her! She didn't feel like that to strangers! And then she watched the golden haired one turn to leave, the one who held her answers to everything... She just knew she knew... It just felt so...

"Please wait!" she called struggling to her feet as she rushed after the woman. A sharp intake of breath met her call, Haunted blue eyes turned to her green with an almost tangible fear...

"Please, please help me!" she begged as she moved towards the Senshi, the woman only nodded slightly, confusion masking her face.

"Please set her free! Please, she can't take it anymore..."

Wide eyes, wide blue eyes stared at her. She wondered for a moment if she understood, could she? The meaning was so vague, she could hardly understand it. But she knew for sure, she needed to ask, she had to ask. The sadness that came to her when she saw the proud warrior locked in the dark, begging her...

"No..." came a ghostly reply and Makoto looked up to see the warrior gone, in her place a small rose petal, drifting lazily to the ground... Makoto crumpled to the floor, tears leaking from those passionate green orbs.

No...


Rei sat before the great fire, stroking the small black stray that visited her every now and then. Somewhat mystified why she didn't shoo it off, but it wouldn't matter, the stubborn creature always came back after a day or two.

However, her thoughts weren't on the small black cat or it's strange golden crescent glittering in the firelight. No they were on something else, on the warriors that had visited her, that begged her. She had to free them, she just had to... But how?

"O Luna," the beautiful name making her smile softly, "what am I going to do? How can I awaken these warriors when I don't even know where they are? How can I free something I know nothing about?"

At her questions, wide scarlet eyes turned to stare at her in awe and something else, something she couldn't quite imagine... But she obviously was, cats didn't have human personalities! So why was she wishing it did?

"Ugh, I'm so confused, I don't know anything about what I'm suppose to do except to free the warriors, but what if they're bad! What if they want to destroy the world and they were locked up to prevent it!"

The thought didn't feel in the least bit right, but it did sound logical. How was she going to do anything when she knew nothing.

A soft pur answered her, almost telling her to look in her heart, to follow the light of her soul to the answer. But how could a cat even understand her! This was insane... And the dream could be anything! It could be just that, a dream! But somehow, she didn't think it was...

What am I going to do?


Haruka was angry- no she was seething! How dare that coward show up! How could she after what she'd done! She'd fled like a baby when thing's had got tough, she'd left Usagi to be hurt! Because of that- that thing, Usagi had been hurt!

Narrowed eyes burned with rage. And then, then the stupid fool had the nerve to look as though she'd been betrayed. As though she'd been betrayed! Ha! That fool had run off when things got tough and came back to fight the easy critter.

But then, something in the back of her mind told her that it wasn't that easy. Hadn't she been hurt in the process, and she'd distracted the monster long enough to take back the crystal they couldn't get...

Haruka squashed the train of thought easily. She didn't want to think of the good things the fool had done. She'd allowed Usagi to get hurt! Had she destroyed the monster the innocent girl wouldn't have had to jump in front of Michiru! It wasn't fair! Why did Usagi have to be harmed!

"Haruka?" came a familiar voice, she turned to place the burning orbs at the person who dared to interrupt her thoughts. The wild green fire was quickly smothered as terrified blue eyes shrunk away. Usagi...

"Koneko," whispered the woman, her expression softened from the cold mask it had just been. She enveloped the younger girl in a hug, holding her close to her, feeling the warmth that radiated off the small woman. "Forgive me koneko, I wasn't angry at you... It was someone else..."

Usagi backed away and looked at the cut, her eyes moistened with unshed tears as she watched the blood slowly leak from the wound.

"Where did that come from?"

Haruka felt her breath hitch. She looked beyond Usagi to the beautiful woman in the background. Should she tell her the truth? Should she tell this beautiful woman-child before her that she was a soldier of justice, driven by the planet Uranus, lord of the skies?

The reluctant shake of her friend's head told her all the answer she needed, and she painfully looked down at the younger girl, her eyes still burrowing hard against her. Why did she look almost pleadingly at her? Why did she appear so wise and fragile, yet so strong and unbreakable! Why!

"I fell when the people screamed, fell on some sharp object."

Why did she look as though she'd been pierced in the heart? Why were tears leaking from her golden haired angel's eyes? She didn't understand! What would make the young woman fill with such sadness that they could form into liquid. Liquid sadness...

She knew it wasn't a complete lie, she had fallen when someone screamed, only it had been Michiru screaming, and maybe that other girl. But still,those hollow eyes looking back at her, she felt as though it had been a lie. A terrible sin that had befouled her image.

"Koneko?" she shrunk away from her, almost scared. What had happened? Where was the loving girl that she'd kissed and who'd kissed back? Where was her koneko?

"Please, I'm tired, can you take me home?" the words were so sad, so empty, Haruka could only stare. What had she done wrong? Was iti something she'd said?

Haruka nodded silently, her mind a whirl with questions. Usagi left her car without the cheerful smile or the loving face normally seen upon her.

"O Koneko, what have I done?"

What have I done?


Usagi cried alone in her room, her hands shaking as the terrible sobs rocked her body. Why didn't they trust her! She'd thought they were friends, and friends could tell each other everything! So why couldn't they? Did they think her to stupid? To clumsy? To much the whiny crybaby that fought alone against the clutches of evil?

She fought alone...

The tears were slowly drying, Makoto's begging question filling her mind. The Senshi wanted free, they were slowly awakening to there princess's distress. But the question wasn't how or any such trivial matter, but if she could allow them. Could she let her four sisters, in every sense but blood, fight an uphill battle? Could she watch them all die, one by one swallowed up by there on demise?

She shook her head at the thoughts, she didn't- couldn't let them be free, they'd be hurt, they'd fall just as they did before and she would live. Live because they loved her, and the problem was that she couldn't live without them! She couldn't! She just couldn't...

And then there were the outer Senshi. They obviously hated her, but the confused, hurt look in Haruka's eyes when she shed away. When she shed away from her! Haruka was a girl, she remembered, a female warrior like herself! But that just sent another sob tearing from her raw throat.

Haruka was in danger because of her being a Senshi! What if she to fell to the darkness that threatened them? What if she to fell to the consuming darkness tearing away the hearts of the world? What if she had a talisman?

This thought stopped her dead still. What if Haruka did have a talisman? Could she loose the woman that gave her such pleasure? Could she selfishly destroy the world for someone she might, dare she say it, love?

Closing her eyes tightly, she rested her head against the cool clear glass of her window. She didn't want to think, didn't want to feel!

But she did.

She felt every rip at her heart as every treacherous thought passed through her. What was she going to do?

She wished Luna or Artemis were here, they'd know what to say, their soothing presence purring against her mind, calming her slowly as they rubbed against her.

She hated this, she hated being alone. But what could she do? She would face every monster, every demon, every horrible memory for her friends. She wouldn't let them die, they'd come so close last time, and she wouldn't let it happen again.

Sighing, she tried to think rationally. She needed sleep, was all her mind told her. Lots and lots of sleep, and maybe some food, she was terribly hungry...

Pulling herself under her bed, she fell to sleep, plagued by the mysterious Senshi and there harsh words. Images of Haruka and Michiru falling into the eternal slumber with her brother. All three blaming her for there fate.

Tears ran even as the moonlight tried to kiss them away.


Ikuko walked silently into the room, a smile placed softly on her lips as she stared down at her little girl. The smile soon faded as she noticed the tears and soft whimpering. She bent down to wipe them away.

"Usagi," she whispered, trying to rouse her from her sleep. The whimpering became louder, almost a moan...

"Usagi..." she called louder, this time starting to shake the small girl, worry lacing in with her voice. What was wrong with her baby? Why wasn't she answering her call? Why wasn't she waking?

"USAGI!" she screamed, tears were falling. Her baby, why wasn't her baby waking! What was wrong with her child?

She turned to run out of the room, prepared to call the hospital, to call the doctors, to call anyone who could save her daughter. Fate be damned, she wouldn't loose another, not another...

"Haruka... Michiru..." whispered her baby, her eyes still shut as she tossed and turned. "Haruka... Michiru..."

Ikuko stopped dead still. Wasn't that the name of those people she'd stayed with? Maybe they could help her, and if not, she'd could at least try before rushing her child off to the hospital. She was willing to try anything to save her baby, anything...


Michiru sighed silently as she and Haruka went over the same conversation once more. It was completely ridiculous the way her friend was so obsessed over a mere girl, but then again, she felt almost the same way. Only she had no romantic interest at all in the girl.

"I don't understand! She was so scared, and she looked as though-" her words were cut off by the ringing of the telephone, both girl's turned to stare in annoyance. Who would be calling at a time like this?

It rung for three times before the answering machine picked up. The sound of a worried woman's voice spoke with terror and strangely hope...

"Please, Kaioh-san, this is Tsukino Ikuko, Usagi's mother..." all other words were lost as Haruka had the phone in her hands in mere seconds. Michiru could only stare in a stupor at the phone. Listening to Haruka speak in clipped words, before hanging up and promising to come over immediately.

They stared at each other for a second, and Michiru saw the worry and fear that stared at her from those passionate green eyes.

"Koneko won't wake up, her mother called because she was repeating our names in her sleep. She thinks we might be able to help..."

They both nodded to each other before dashing off to get dressed, that morning, Usagi was in trouble and they weren't about to let there friend stay that way.


Ami walked slowly up the shrine steps, not sure at all with her plan. Not sure at all...

The shrine scared her, all those crows hanging around and the strange feeling she kept experiencing. Why did she feel like she'd come to this place all the time? Why did it feel so familiar!

Pulling herself up the last of the steps, she felt the odd urge to laugh, something about a young girl complaining over to many steps...

She stifled the strange feeling. It didn't make any sense, why did these strange senses come over her? And why were the strongest in random places such as the school, or the game arcade?

"Excuse me?" she called out. She felt so odd, so strange standing out there alone, she wanted to just run, to hide under her covers as she walked closer to the shrine, a small movement inside the ancient building.

"Who are you?" asked an annoyed voice, she once more doubted her reasoning for coming. Why was she always rushing into strange things like this?

A young priestess walked out of the shadows, it was still fairly early in the morning, but she couldn't help the strange urge to come. The feeling of terror she'd awoken with and that one thought on her mind...

Her princess needed her.

But she didn't have a princess... did she?

Violet eyes met those ocean blue, and all sleepiness escaped her. Why did those fiery eyes feel so familiar? Why!

"Rei," she whispered, her words escaping her mouth before she could stop them. She covered her mouth with wide eyes. What was that about? How did she know the other teen's name?

"Ami," replied the woman without hesitancy, she to looked wide eyed and shocked. What was going on?

"How do you know my name?" she couldn't help it, the words left her before she had a chance to stop them, but they left the other girl's as well. She couldn't help but giggle at the coincidence. How utterly odd this morning was turning out.

They both shook there heads and the priestess led them into the shrine. She didn't bother following for and instead opted to walk straight into the room they were heading to, moving in step beside the priestess.

They both sat down at a table and stared at each other before the violet eyed priestess broke the silence. A question that haunted both girl's spoken before them.

"It was the warrior's wasn't it?"