"Moon Tiara Action," cried Mika. The tiara cut down three of the targets.

"Not bad," Venus said. As leader of the senshi, she had handled most of Mika's training and was impressed with the progress the young princess had made. She was athletic and smart, which allowed her to catch on quickly. She could now use both the Crescent Moon Wand and the Cutie Moon Rod, and had made excellent progress with the martial arts. Luckily Mars had pushed Mika learn how to fight early on so that she could defend herself. She also had ascended to using Moon Crystal Power Make-up to transform. "Let's try something more difficult. I want you to come at me."

Mika looked stricken. "I don't want to hurt you."

Venus laughed. "After all these years I'd better be able to protect myself. It'll be good practice for both of us. I need to see how you do against a real opponent. I promise the enemy won't hold still while you destroy them."

"Okay, let's go," Mika said. "Sailor Moon Kick!" she cried, striking out at Venus.

Venus dodged the attack and cried, "Venus Love Me Chain." Mika leaped out of the way just in time, and countered by throwing her tiara at Venus, distracting the senshi long enough for Mika to land a kick. Venus used Crescent Beam, which hit Mika's leg causing the girl to lose her balance. Mika quickly pushed herself up, but Venus was already standing above her.

Mika winced. If the battle had been real, Venus would have finished her off. She had thought she was doing so well too.

Venus smiled and offered the princess her hand. "Not bad. You're catching on quickly. I think you're almost ready."

Mika grasped the offered hand and looked at Venus in confusion. "What do you mean? I lost badly."

"Mika, your biggest problem is not your skills or knowledge. Those are great. You need to believe in yourself," Venus told her.

"How much longer before the wall gives?" Mika asked, ignoring Venus' comment. She had heard that from Venus many times before and didn't believe it. Instead her thoughts turned to the question that was never far from her mind. She might have been able to agree that she was doing well if she hadn't had this deadline looming over her head.

Venus sighed. "Mercury says three weeks, so we still have time. You've made so much progress Mika. Please believe that."

"But not enough," Mika said darkly. "Let's do some more."

"No," Venus said firmly. "Go rest and then we'll train more."

Mika was about to argue, but stopped herself. It never helped and she really was very tired. "Okay, I'll see you soon, Aunt Minako."

Mars came over as soon as training was done and began fussing over Mika. Mercury and Jupiter walked over to talk to Venus.

"She's doing well," Jupiter said.

"Shockingly well," Venus agreed. "I just wish she believed in herself more. Most of her mistakes are not for lack of skill or knowledge, but because she doesn't believe she can do this. I don't know how to show her that she really can."

Mercury paused for a second. "I may have an idea," she murmured.

After assuring her mother that she was fine, Mika trudged back to her room where Aiko and Hoshi were waiting to hear how her training session had gone. They were both recovering from their own. Mercury had managed to find magical weapons that they could use. Hoshi had been given a sword and Aiko a bow. Both weapons drew power directly from their masters, so Hoshi and Aiko had been training to increase their own magical and physical strength on top of the martial arts training.

Mika collapsed on the bed with a sigh, causing her friends to look at her with concern.

"Not good?" Hoshi asked, as he set aside his sword which he had been cleaning.

"Not good enough," Mika said, frowning. "I still need so much work. I don't know what's going to happen."

"But you're getting there and it's not like you'll be alone. Hoshi and I will be there by your side along with the senshi," Aiko said, always the positive one.

"I know," Mika said. Privately she thought, "I know you two will be great. It's me don't know about."

Aiko, seeing the uneasiness in her friend's eyes, gave her a hug. "Let's do something fun. You've thought about nothing, but the upcoming battle since you learned about it."

"Aiko, I can't. I needed to get some sleep, so I can train more. I still have so much to learn. Besides, I'm not allowed to leave the palace," Mika said stubbornly.

"So we won't leave the palace. We've barely know anything about this place, so let's explore," Hoshi said, slipping his sword into its sheath.

"But..." Mika started to protest, but Aiko grabbed her arm and dragged her out the door.

Soon they were lost in a maze of hallways, completely in awe of the beauty and grandeur of the palace. None of them had ever been in such a place. A picture caught Mika's eye, causing her to stop dead.

It was a picture of the king and queen wrapped in each others arms. Mika's eyes went from one figure to the other slowly. It wasn't that she had never seen pictures of them. She had, but now they were more than just legendary figures that she had learned about in school. They were her parents.

"Neo-Queen Serenity really looks like you, or I guess you look like her," Hoshi observed, also inspecting the picture.

"I wish I had known them," Mika said.

"I'm sure the senshi will tell you all about them if you ask," Aiko said.

"Yeah, but it's not quite knowing them," Mika said. She brightened though and said, "I'll ask Mom next time I see her."

A loud bang caused the three to jump.

"What was that?" Aiko asked, grabbing her bow which she had strapped to her back before leaving the room and an arrow.

"I'm not sure, but I'll go check it out. You two stay here," Hoshi said, grabbing his sword.

"No, splitting up is stupid," Mika told him. "We'll all go." She could see Hoshi start to argue, and cut him off with her most determined look.

Hoshi sighed. He was never able to change her mind when she got like this. "Fine, let's go."

Mika pulled out her broach and cried "Moon Crystal Power Make-up!" A second later, a fully transformed Sailor Moon stood before them. They took off cautiously to investigate the noise.

"Nothing," Aiko whispered after they thoroughly searched the area. "False alarm I guess."

Hoshi and Mika nodded their agreement, and the three decided to head back. Suddenly the lights went out. Hoshi and Aiko went into guard positions around Mika.

The attacking figures seemed to come from nowhere and retreat just as quickly, like phantoms fading in and out. Hoshi and Aiko put up a good fight, but the attackers were able to dodge most of the blows they dealt. A blast of water struck the three, throwing them to the ground. Aiko and Hoshi lay very still. They had used to much power and were no longer capable of fighting.

"I have to protect them," Mika thought, scrambling to her feet. The moon symbol on her head began to glow brightly, and she could feel the power running through her. Out of the corner of her eyes she saw a figure move. Mika pulled off her tiara and aimed it at the enemy, who dodged it but just barely. A fireball flew at her, which she counted by using the Crescent Moon Wand. She put so much power into her attack that it not only destroyed the fireball, but caused the enemy to collapse. She spun around in time to see another enemy move in the darkness. Her tiara caught the figure on the back, causing the person to cry out in pain. Mika kicked the figure hard before that person could recover. A beam stuck Mika in the back, but she recovered quickly and turned to face the two remaining attackers. She pulled out the Cutie Moon Rod and using her mind had it aim its attack in two places. This would reduce the power some, but with as much power as she was generating at that moment it should be sufficient to stop them both. The beam hit one, but the other managed to dodge it. Mika jumped at her attacker, while this person was recovering, hitting that person with the Sailor Moon Body Attack. The last attacker fell unconscious, and Mika breathed a sigh of relief. She looked more closely at her attacker and was shocked to see it was Sailor Venus.

"Oh my god," she whispered. "Venus," she cried, shaking the senshi of love. "Wake up, please."

Venus woke up, and groaned as she sat up. She turned to Mika with a smile and said, "I told you that you were almost ready."