Author's Note: I looked this up online, so I could be wrong but my research tells me that the name Mika means "New Moon" in Japanese. Hence the reason I choose to use the name. The other names have English meanings, but those meanings are not important for the purposes of my story. If the names start to have meaning again I promise I'll let you know. Please read and review. I feel very sad when no one reviews.

Fifteen years of peace had passed since the sacrifice of Serenity and Endymion. The princess grew under the watchful eye of the senshi. Now referred to as Mika, the princess had grown into a beauty with long pink hair that flowed down to the middle of her back.

"Mika," said Mars to her adopted daughter. "It's time to get off the phone and go to bed."

"But Mom," protested Mika.

"Don't 'but mom' me, young lady," said Mars, taking the phone from her. "Go get ready for bed. I'm sorry Aiko. Mika will see you tomorrow."

"Okay Mrs. Hino," Aiko said agreeably. "Tell Mika I said bye."

Since few people knew the senshi's real names, Mars had chosen to use hers. She had told the neighbors that Mika's father had died before she was born.

"Mom," Mika cried, not happy with her mother.

"Mika, what did I say?" Rei demanded.

"Fine," Mika said, storming off.

"Kids," muttered Rei as she went about tidying up the house. A beeping noise coming from her pocket interrupted her. It was her communicator. "Damn, why are they calling now. They know they're supposed to wait for me to call them after the princess is asleep." She locked herself in her room and pulled out the communicator. "This is a bad time, Venus. The princess is still wide awake."

"We have bigger problems. Mercury checked the barrier again today. It's weakening badly," Venus said solemnly.

"Crap, you're sure?" Mars asked.

"Is Mercury ever wrong?" Venus countered. "We're going to need the princess."

"She's only fifteen," Mars protested. "That's too young."

"We were only fourteen when we discovered who we were. This is her destiny, Mars. We all knew this day was coming. I'm just happy the barrier lasted this long. The way the enemy was pounding on it, I figured it would crack before ten years and then she would have been too young," Venus said. "She won't have to face this alone. We'll train her and fight by her side."

Mars closed her eyes. Venus was right. She wasn't surprised that this day had come. It had always been the princess's destiny to fight this battle. That didn't make it any easier. She had raised Mika since her parents' death and had come to love her like a daughter. Rei couldn't imagine what she'd do if something happened to her. "I'll protect you, baby," Rei thought," no matter what." Turning her attention back to Venus, "I'll tell her who she is tomorrow after school. Let's let her have one more day to be normal before we change her life forever."

Venus frowned. The delay made her nervous. Every minute spent delaying the inevitable, meant less time to train and prepare for the coming of the enemy. "Fine as long as you swear to tell her right after school. It is important we begin her training immediately. Personally I wish we could have begun it years ago, but then we would have given her location away."

"I swear I'll tell her," Mars said firmly. "I'll give her the moon transformation broach and we'll come right to you guys to begin her training."

"Mom," Mika called.

"Damn, Venus I need to go. The princess needs me," Mars said quickly closing the communicator, and heading out the door. "Mika, what's wrong?"

Mika looked at her mother in confusion, not understanding why she looked so stressed all of the sudden. "I wanted to say good night."

Rei smiled, "Good night, sweetheart. Sleep well."

The two parted for the night. The next morning Mika said a quick good bye as she bolted out the door. She was late for school again. "She really is your daughter, Serenity," Rei thought with a laugh as she waved good bye and told Mika to come right home after school.

Mika ran as fast as she could. "I won't be late again. I won't be late again," she chanted mentally. She burst through the door just after the bell.

"Hino Mika, I'm so happy you could join us today," the teacher said sarcastically. "I think detention in order, don't you."

"I'm sorry, ma'am," Mika muttered, sliding into the seat next to her best friend Aiko.

"Well at least you're less late then usual," Aiko teased.

Mika shot her friend a death glare, and then turned her attention back to the teacher.

The day preceded normally until school was over. Aiko and Mika's other close friend, Hoshi, waited for her until she got out of detention.

"It's funny. I can list the times you haven't gotten detention on one hand," Hoshi teased Mika when she came out.

"Har har. Very funny. Can we move on with life now?" Mika growled. She was always in a bad mood after detention.

Aiko smiled and suggested, "Why don't we go to the arcade and play some video games? It would be nice to relax before we have to go do our homework."

Mika shook her head. "Mom said I was to go straight home." She hesitated. The arcade really did sound like fun and what did ten or fifteen minutes late matter. She was never on time. Her mom would just write it off as a Mika thing. "Fine just one or two games though. I really do have to get home."

Mika and her friends failed to see the man following them. His eyes glowed red briefly as he watched Mika. "I've got you now princess."