A/N:

Sorry for the delay, everyone, but thanks so much for your patience. I've been trying to hard to finish this chapter! I have already started on the next chapter, so hopefully it won't be as long between that one and the next. As always, thank you SO MUCH for your lovely reviews. They truly inspire me to keep writing. You all are so kind, and I'm so thankful that you enjoy my stories! Stay safe, everyone. Let me know what you think about the chapter!

Chapter 7:
No matter the cost

Sailor Moon's heart pounded in her chest as she watched Tuxedo Mask smile. The entire world seemed to slow when he was near, leaving her thoughts to race while the moment passed by in a comfortable, languid sort of way. Her gloved finger tips reached out to his face. Surely it couldn't be Seiya. Her eyes darted to the bushes where he had been thrown. There was an empty place where his body had been. Had he moved? She hadn't seen him disappear, but if he was Tuxedo Mask...wouldn't he have told her? The logic said it wasn't possible, but everything before her said it was.

"Who are you?" she whispered. She could hear her friends' footsteps nearing; they had only a small window of time. Tuxedo Mask's head turned to look at her, a mischievous grin on his face. She could feel his eyes on her as she reached out to him. Her fingers were nearly at the edge of his mask when he caught her wrist in his palm. His strong fingers wrapped around her hand a little less than gently. It was a warning, but not one to cause fear. There was something else beneath that mask that those eyes would have told her, but for now she could only read his touch.

"We still have some secrets between us, don't we?" His voice was low and teasing. "Perhaps someday, Sailor Moon, we can reveal these things. But, for now…"

"Sailor Moon!" came the breathless cries of the outer senshi. Several groans and whimpers of pain came from the inner senshi who were slowly picking themselves up from around the area. Sailor Uranus arrived first, falling to one knee before Sailor Moon. Neptune, Pluto, and Saturn weren't far behind, but they busied themselves with helping the other senshi to their feet.

Uranus looked up at Sailor Moon, her arms crossed before her chest, "We came as quickly as we could. I'm glad you're safe." She turned to Tuxedo Mask, "As always, we thank you for protecting Sailor Moon." Tuxedo Mask tipped his hat as Uranus stood to her feet. Her eyes were softer, it seemed, but still determined as ever. "Now that you've awakened, there's much to discuss."

"I told you, you could do it!" Came Mars's voice from behind Sailor Moon. She stood on her own, her fuku torn in many places and scrapes covering her body. "I mean, Tuxedo Mask had to save you, but you got it eventually." She stuck her tongue out at her friend and Sailor Moon bounded toward her, hugging her tightly. "Ow, careful!" Mars held her elbow gingerly, grimacing at her friend.

Sailor Moon looked around at the area which had been torn apart by their fight. Neptune approached assisting Venus with one arm thrown over her shoulder. Jupiter and Mercury followed in tow with the aid of Saturn and Pluto. A rustling from the bushes caused Sailor Moon to snap her eyes toward the sound, but the two cats from the previous day, Artemis and Luna, hopped out. Everyone stood before her, all too familiar feelings of hope and warmth, fear and sadness, safety and protection filled her to the brim. These were the people she knew and had forgotten. They had been everything to her, and now they were before her again.

Luna walked into the middle of the circle that the senshi and Tuxedo Mask had formed, her tail twitching as she looked into the eyes of each of the people before her, before resting her gaze upon Sailor Moon. "Welcome back, Sailor Moon." The group began softly welcoming her, their warm smiles accompanied by tears. We missed you on the team. We're sorry for hiding. We wanted you safe. There were too many things to be heard all at once, but these would all have to be explained later. "We're all excited to be back together again, but there's no time to dilly dally!" Luna stated bluntly, sitting back on her haunches.

Artemis joined Luna, nodding, "While we have all regained some of our memories, there are still major pieces missing." He looked to Pluto, "Sailor Pluto has been investigating the time-space continuum. As we are all aware, any and all information surrounding the Silver Imperium Crystal seems to be what has been blocked from our minds since our reawakening."

Sailor Pluto stepped out from the group, her burgundy eyes calm. "I traveled through time-space to the location where I had been tasked to watch over the time-space door. The door is there, but there appears to be a warp preventing it from opening. Until we can find the cause of the warp, I'll be unable to travel into the past to see what happened before."

There was a silence as everyone took in the information. Sailor Moon felt her head spinning once again. She had just regained her memories. Everything was still fuzzy. She could barely recall the time-space door or the Silver Imperium Crystal to begin with.

"Do we know anything about our enemy yet?" Jupiter asked, one hand clenched and pulled back against her hip, ready to fight. "I'm getting tired of these guys always being one step ahead of us. It feels like they know more than we do."

"I think I might be of some help in that regard," Tuxedo Mask chimed. He stepped forward, his hand outstretched. Within his gloved palm was a golden pendant, shaped like the sun, with a large, circular, crimson jewel in the middle. "I awoke to my true self today, just as Sailor Moon did. I felt the disruption of the earth; it rose up through my body and told me to come here. As I left my home, a woman stopped me in the street. Her face was covered by a hood, but she called me by name, despite my disguise, before taking my hand and placing this pendant there. The instant it touched me, I could see the memories connected to this jewel.

"There was a woman with golden and crimson hair, surrounded by star seeds. All around her was the darkness of the depths of space. I watched her reach out to the most brilliant star seed among them, and her eyes fell on me as she crushed it to dust between her fingers. Her lips didn't move, but a voice spoke to me, 'at the center of the universe, Sagittarius Zero Star has the answers you seek.' When I looked up from the pendant, the hooded woman on the street was gone." Tuxedo Mask ended his story, grasping the pendant in his palm a little tighter.

"It sounds like a trap," Neptune whispered, making eye contact with the outer senshi. "We know they want the Silver Imperium Crystal. We have to investigate before we do anything. We can't just go in blind." Her seafoam eyes turned to the two felines in the middle of the circle. "Luna, Artemis, have you ever heard of this Sagittarius Zero Star? Surely the Moon Kingdom's databases would have information?"

Artemis hummed, deep in thought. "Sagittarius Zero Star...I don't remember hearing of anything, but Luna and I can look through the archives."

Luna nodded to Artemis and turned to the outer senshi, "It may be best if you all could return to your planets to investigate as well. We'll be weaker in number, but if it's only a few days, it shouldn't be a problem."

Uranus, Neptune, Pluto, and Saturn nodded solemnly. The air was suddenly heavy with the overwhelming clarity of the situation. Sailor Moon had just awoken, yet here they were readying themselves for battle. How could she help when she barely even knew herself? she felt oddly alone in comparison to her friends who had the time to accept this life once again, who were already acquainted with their bodies that had suddenly become unfamiliar shells to their souls.

Sailor Mars broke Sailor Moon's thoughts as she slowly stepped forward, reaching out to touch the pendant in Tuxedo Mask's hand. "I know this pendant. I saw it in the flames…." The group was silent, watching Mars's every move. She seemed to be struggling with a memory. "We were fighting, but she was a soldier like us. G...what was it? G—gala? No, maybe—"

"Galaxia." The words tumbled from Sailor Moon's mouth in an exhale of disbelief. Her eyes widened at her own unexpected utterance. She didn't know who it was but the name was there, in her mind, somewhere deep in memories she had forgotten. A searing pain jolted through her head, causing her to cry out as she held her head between her hands.

Mercury was quickly at her side, her gloved hands holding her shoulders. "Sailor Moon, what is it? Are you okay?" Her gloved finger tips quickly examined her head and eyes for any sort of injury. Sailor Moon nodded, still wincing at the pain.

"Do you remember anything else?" Venus asked, softly. "If you remember her name, perhaps there's more? Maybe our memories will return, too."

Sailor Moon shook her head this time. "I—I just—" she cried out again, falling to her knees. "There's something there, but it hurts to remember...I—I can't."

"I think that's enough for today," Luna chimed in, "Sailor Moon has gone through a lot today. Let's rest tonight and reconvene once we've all done our research."

The group nodded, splitting up without words to leave for their respective jobs. Tuxedo Mask tipped his hat before jumping up to the top of a nearby light pole.

"Wait!" Venus cried, leaving Sailor Moon's side. "Tuxedo Mask, you're looking for answers, too, right? How can we reach you? Who are you?"

The masked man grinned, looking into the distance. He produced a rose seemingly from thin air and tossed it down to Venus's feet. "Don't worry. Whenever a fair maiden is in trouble, I'll be there." He bounded off, quickly disappearing into the distance.

Venus huffed, crossing her arms. "Some answer that was."

Jupiter sighed, "That guy always helps us, but what does he want?! I can't remember anything about him!"

The group made small conversation, talking about their memories and Tuxedo Mask, as they each undid their transformation. Sailor Moon's head still ached slightly as she grasped her own brooch, undoing her own transformation. The brilliant pink ribbons that had engulfed her and transformed her now retracted back into the brooch, leaving her body weak and tired. Usagi could feel the weight of her clothing hanging from her body; they felt heavy and foreign against her skin although she had worn them many times before. Everything had changed now. The difference between her as Usagi and her as Eternal Sailor Moon was stark. As a sailor soldier, she was strong and brave, but as Usagi she had never been those things. Despite the memories of numerous battles and saving the world, it all still seemed like a mistake. And now she was forced to keep this secret she never wanted to begin with.

Usagi stared out and across the calmness of the pond before her. Everything was back to normal. The birds were chirping in the trees, the ducks waddled happily to the pond, and the koi swum just below the surface, their brilliant golds and reds flitting through the water as the sun reflected off their backs. Yes, everything in the world was the same now except for her.

"It's a lot to take in," came Rei's soft voice from behind her. Usagi gasped softly, looking to her friend who now stood beside her. Their friends were chattering away behind them, but Rei and Usagi seemed to have a peace around them. "I didn't want to believe it either at first, but overtime, more of the memories come back. It gets easier." Rei's violet eyes were soft as she softly smiled at her friend. Her hand wrapped around one of Usagi's shoulders, pulling her close to her. "We didn't want to tell you if we didn't have to. We knew you had already been through so much. But I'm glad you're with us now. We hated keeping it from you."

There was a warmth in Rei's touch; a gentle reminder that without Sailor Moon and these memories, these friendships would have never existed. Fate had brought them together once, and then again after Beryl. Now it brought them together in another way.

Usagi gasped, her thoughts suddenly racing. They had been brought together before—that's right. Her memories were unclear and slow, as if they were being lifted from a vat of muck and mud. There had been a wish to be reborn by a queen in a distant land. She called out to a brilliant and sparkling crystal—the Silver Imperium Crystal surely—and all was enveloped in light. The crystal had to have been a part of this.

Usagi's eyes were wide as she turned to her friend who hadn't seemed to notice the cogs that were spinning in her mind. "Rei, I think I've figured it out! The Silver Imperium Crystal, it's —"

"Usagi! Come quick! Seiya is still here!" Minako shouted from behind them.

Usagi turned on her heel, a sudden panic coursing through her body. She thought he was gone. His body hadn't been there when she looked. Had he seen everything? Was he hurt? She ran to the tree where Minako stood motioning for her. Ami was knelt on the ground beside Seiya, speaking to him softly. His eyes were open, but he was obviously disoriented.

"Seiya!" Usagi cried, "Are you okay?" She fell to the ground beside him, wrapping an arm behind his neck and pressing her cheek against his as she embraced him. "I was so scared. I didn't know what happened to you!"

Seiya smiled a little—the same mischievous smile he always had—followed by a thumbs up. "Some luck, huh? I'm gonna have to start working out more if I'm going to stand a chance against all these monsters." He sat up, wincing slightly. Usagi balanced him with one hand against his back, but his eyes were serious as he looked at her. "And you're okay? I'm sorry I couldn't protect you." His warm hand gently stroked her cheek as his attempts to veil the fear on his face failed horrendously.

Usagi nodded, tears welling in her eyes. She looked around at her friends. "I'm okay, now. Sailor Moon and the other sailor soldiers saved us. We're safe." From behind Seiya, Makoto winked at her friend.

Ami stood, brushing off the front of her skirt. "It'd be best if Seiya got home to rest. That goes for all of us." She gave Usagi a knowing look, to which she nodded slightly in response.

"Yeah, and thanks for calling us, Usagi," Minako added in. "We may have missed the fight, but at least we could be here to help after the sailor soldiers left."

The group parted ways and Usagi helped Seiya walk home. His building was in a ritzy part of the Juban district, closer to downtown than most of its outskirts. There were hundreds of tall buildings, full of expensive flats and apartments. The Three Lights were most likely not the only celebrities residing in the area. Usagi looked up at the building as if for the first time. She knew she had seen it a million times before, that she had already experienced a moment of pure awe the first time Seiya had invited her over, but now it was something different. Did she belong in such a place? Did Seiya? How had he ended up at a mid level high school like Juban, when he surely could have paid for better? And of all people, why had he fallen for her? She was just average on all accounts, and some even less. When Usagi had entered high school she had just barely passed her exams. She was nearly world renowned for her lack of grace and couth, and, yet, Seiya Kou of the Three Lights, the popular, handsome, new transfer student...had picked her.

It didn't make sense, and now to know that she was Sailor Moon, a soldier of love and justice—surely they were even less alike now. Unless…. Usagi looked to Seiya as they stood in the elevator of the building. He smiled at her and flipped his hair as he looked toward the green numbers that rose higher and higher above the elevator doors. His face, the black hair, the posture—he could be Tuxedo Mask. Perhaps that was what had brought them together, this destiny that had fated them to fight against evil together. Usagi's heart beat in her chest. She had to know. She had to find out whether he was like her or if he had been blessed to live a pretty normal life.

Seiya rummaged through his pockets for his keys, and they jingled slightly as he unlocked the door. "I'm home!" he called into the dark apartment. He smiled back at Usagi, holding her hand and leading her in.

"Seiya!" Taiki's voice came from within the apartment, "we need to talk. There's been—" Taiki's face appeared from around the corner of the hall. He gasped, Yaten appearing behind him shortly.

"Oh! Usagi's here," Yaten stated flatly. His eyes were wide as he looked between Seiya and Taiki.

"I think we can discuss it later," Taiki said quietly. He held out a jewel encrusted star, just like the one Seiya had in that box of his things. "It's about this." Yaten held one out as well.

Seiya tensed beside Usagi. She watched as they seemed to have an unspoken conversation amongst each other. "I can go if you need to talk," she murmured, taking a step back.

"No!" Seiya blurted hurriedly, "it's not important. It can wait." Taiki nodded and Yaten scoffed in his normal sassy fashion. They disappeared into their rooms, and Seiya led Usagi into hers.

He flopped down backwards onto his bed, sighing. His arm covered his face, leaving just his mouth uncovered. Usagi watched him, imagining him donned in a mask and tuxedo. She gingerly laid beside him, propping herself on her elbows as she leaned into the warmth of his body. He was quiet for a long time, just his breaths and her heartbeat making sound in her ears.

"Are you okay?" Usagi whispered, lowering her head to his chest. She pressed her ear against him and listened to his heartbeat, too. If nothing else, this was alike. They both were alive, breathing the same air, their hearts beating in time with one another. Maybe if she knew Tuxedo Mask's heartbeat like she knew Seiya's, she would know if they were one. Seiya was otherwise silent beneath her. She tried again, "What are those brooches about?" Usagi lifted her head to watch him. His arm slid slowly from his face. His eyes were far away, as if they were watching a memory play out on the ceiling. There was something there in his eyes, something painful and nostalgic.

"It was a promise we made a long time ago," Seiya whispered, "but I thought they had forgotten." He let his face roll toward Usagi. "To be honest, I had forgotten until you found it." He pulled the star brooch from his pocket and showed it to Usagi again. Her eyes looked over it noting the familiarity it held to her own.

"Seiya? Why would he have such a thing?" Haruka's voice was suddenly loud in her mind.

"I think Haruka is concerned as to why your boyfriend would have a woman's jewelry in his things?" Michiru's saccharinely sweet voice echoed after, causing Usagi to gasp.

Her hand had covered her mouth without her permission and her eyes darted to meet Seiya's. She looked between each pupil trying to put together the puzzle. Now that she knew exactly who she was—that she only could become Sailor Moon with her brooch—and who Haruka and Michiru were, too, their concern suddenly became clear. They weren't worried that he was cheating or seeing another woman. They were worried because of her; they wanted to protect her. Usagi's hand made its way around her brooch, suddenly feeling the pressure of the questions burning in her brain as Haruka and Michiru surely had as well. Why did Seiya have her brooch? Did he know about the Silver Imperium Crystal? Had he already known her secret this whole time? Could she tell him?

"Usagi, what's wrong?" Seiya asked. She could tell he was confused, his eyes were soft, full of concern. He couldn't possibly know. He was just a normal person like she should have been.

Usagi swallowed hard, reaching out to touch the star brooch before her. It was cool to the touch, there seemed to be no opening of any kind. It was similar to hers, but also not. She took her own brooch from her blouse and held it next to Seiya's examining the two. Seiya watched her, his eyes giving nothing away if there was anything to be told.

"Seiya," she began quietly, looking at the sheets below her, "do you...are you...someone else sometimes?" Her eyes flitted up to his face where his eyebrows would have surely been raised to the ceiling if they could go any higher on his face.

"Wh—what did you say?"

"Do you...you know...help the sailor scouts fight monsters?" Seiya tried to interrupt, but Usagi blurted out the next part in sheer embarrassed nervousness. "Are you...Tuxedo Mask?"

"Oh," Seiya sighed, laughing slightly. "Unfortunately not." He pocketed his brooch and sat up. "I'm more of a suit person myself."

Disappointment weighed down on Usagi's chest. "So you're just normal." If Seiya was actually Tuxedo Mask, why would he lie about it? Did he not trust her? She looked out into the window trying to remember everything from her past.

"Mostly," he replied, watching Usagi carefully. "Just like you, right?"

Usagi's head snapped back toward him, her eyes wide. For a split second she thought maybe he knew what she was. "Y-yes. Of course." She stumbled over her words. Was he trying to tell her something without saying it? Was that code that he truly was Tuxedo Mask? Should she tell him that she was too? Surely she was over thinking.

"Usagi, if you are feeling overwhelmed about us, please don't," Seiya whispered softly, his eyes suddenly serious. "The other night, when you said you couldn't give me a normal life—I hadn't had a normal life in years. It wasn't until I saw you that day at the airport that I ever felt normal at all. It was like every cloud in the sky had lifted, and I could see the galaxy for the first time."

Seiya was speaking, but Usagi wasn't comprehending. She was stuck on a single sentence. "Did you say we met at the airport?" The day of the Three Lights concert from weeks ago had come back to her. Her mind seemed to be remembering things faster since becoming Sailor Moon. The little memories were coming back to the surface and sometimes conflicting. Makoto had told her they hadn't met at the airport, but somewhere else. Bits and pieces of the day she met Seiya flashed before her vision—the sun shining brilliantly through the windows, the announcements over the intercom about a flight departing for America, a giant crowd of people, and a glimpse of blue eyes and black hair.

There was silence. Seiya's mouth was open slightly, confused and speechless. "Yes. Or maybe it was at that movie set we did in the park. I know we—"

"No," Usagi stopped him. "It was the airport." Her eyes searched the white wall next to them, frustration welling up inside of her. "How could I forget? Why was I there?" Suddenly, it came to here—the missing piece. The memory appeared so suddenly and with such vividness that it hurt her both her mind and body. Her stomach flipped, her head ached, and her body reacted as if it were trying to destroy itself before letting the truth settle in too much. She sat up, stumbling to the bathroom connected to Seiya's room and retched loudly, clutching the porcelain of the toilet in her sweaty palms. Seiya was by her side in a moment, holding her hair, reaching with one hand to wet a washcloth under the faucet as she emptied her stomach. Sobs wracked her body while Seiya gently wiped her forehead. Usagi wilted to the ground. Her body laid against the cool of the tile floor like a trampled flower.

"Usagi? What happened?" Seiya asked, sitting beside her. He took her head from the tile floor and into his lap, stroking her back with his hands.

"I don't know why I'm crying, but it feels so sad," she cried into her hands, covering her face. "I was with someone when I met you, there was a ring...I was engaged." She could hear the words, but not the voice nor see the face of the man she was with. But in her memory she could see the ring on her finger, a pink tourmaline gem surrounded by small pearls. "But he left?" More pain—it was a violent reaction to her attempting to put the pieces together. "I can't remember."

"He left," Seiya whispered. "I had forgotten about him." Usagi lifted her head to meet his gaze. She could see the pain in his eyes again—pain and surprise—an all too familiar feeling to Usagi these days. Her heart twisted. He remembered something that he had forgotten too. Maybe he was just as confused as she was. "I remembered something else though…"

Seiya stood, helping Usagi to her feet. He sat her down on the bed before walking to his closet where he removed the old picture album they had found. He placed it in front of Usagi, her sniffles still filling the air. They flipped through the pages, when suddenly there was no more empty spot above the label "our first dance at the club." Now there was a picture there. Usagi looked awkward, her shoulders squeezed tight together under Seiya's touch as she blushed at the camera. Seiya's arm was around her waist, protective and cool, and he wore on his face dark sunglasses and a huge grin. The little bear keychain he had won earlier in the day stuck out of his pocket of his shirt, just barely.

"It just was here the other day. I don't know if someone removed it and put it back, but now it's here!" Seiya smiled at the photo. "It feels like such a long time ago."

For Usagi, the photo brought with it a slew of memories. Nothing was as it seemed anymore. She could remember the day, the feeling of nervousness she had felt on that date—but there had been something else besides it being a first date. Her heart began beating in her chest. She could see the bear keychain lying on the ground of the empty club. She could hear herself ask where Seiya was. She could remember an enemy—Iron Mouse was her name—standing before her and three other sailor soldiers she vaguely recognized standing in the darkness. The memories of the date happened in frames, like a polaroid camera. First a light, then the picture. They started slow, one frame at a time, but they gradually appeared in quick succession to the next, becoming a slow motion movie in her mind.

Before she realized what was happening, Seiya had scooped her up into his arms. The movie reel stopped in her head. He held her close to him, his arm wrapped around her waist and her cheek against his chest. "It's okay. Don't worry." The frames were there in her mind again instantly. She couldn't tell if what he said was in reality or if she was hearing them as she did that night as Seiya held her tight in the darkness on the dance floor. She could feel the confusion she had felt then. She could smell the smell of Seiya and the memory of someone else. The reel continued. Seiya told her to run when Iron Mouse revealed herself and her plan to steal Seiya's star seed. Usagi had obeyed and ran into the hall, transforming herself as she prayed silently that Seiya would survive just another moment until she could get back to him. When she returned she had found the bear keychain lying there alone on the floor where he had been. Seiya was nowhere to be found. The fear she felt then was deafening; the not knowing if he was gone or if he had escaped. And it was her fault. It was her fault then that he was in harm's way. And now, it was her fault again. If she stayed with him, it would always be her fault. He would always be risking his life to be with her without even knowing it.

Usagi broke away from Seiya suddenly, tears welling in her eyes once more. "I'm sorry!" She cried, "I just...I just need some space to think."

She ran from Seiya's room, knowing his wide eyes were staring at her, hearing his voice call for her, but she didn't look back. She picked up her shoes from the entrance and ran barefoot through the halls of his ritzy apartment, feeling even more out of place. No one who lived here would be caught dead running through the halls barefoot and crying. The weight of the realization that she and Seiya were so out of one another's league fell over her like a black cloud. He was not Tuxedo Mask; it was obvious now. That was a fairy tale she had made up in her mind to make herself feel better. Even more suffocating was the ever rising fear of this life that she had forgotten—a life of fighting, of fear, of barely even keeping herself and her friends alive. Usagi could hardly stand the idea of living such a life herself. Seiya did not belong in such a world.

Usagi ran for blocks, her shoes barely clasped on her feet after she had managed to wobble her way into them while waiting at a crosswalk. People stared at her. Their eyes followed her, surely pitying her tear stained face and breathless gasps. But she didn't care. Her body was moving her on her own accord. She couldn't stand to think too much, so she let herself go wherever her feet took her, as if hypnotized.

When she finally stopped, her frame stood before the flashing lights and red doors of the Crown Game Center. The automatic doors chimed as they opened with a soft whoosh. Usagi heard the sounds around her more than she saw with her eyes. Her vision was honed for only one thing. She scanned the room, overwhelmed by the sounds, but the familiar head of black hair and blue eyes she was searching for was nowhere to be found. In the back, Motoki stood at the counter counting coins, completely unaware she was there. Or perhaps he had greeted her and she hadn't heard. He waved to her over his shoulder, smiling. Usagi rushed to the counter, her heart still beating double time and her lungs burning with each frantic breath she took.

"Where's Mamoru?" She pleaded, her ragged gasps far too desperate in her own ears. Surely they sounded catatonic to Motoki, she thought, but it didn't stop her. "I need to see him." Her hands fell against the counter with a thunk, clenching until her knuckles were white.

Motoki turned from behind the counter, his eyebrows raised in the way he did when he was about to tease her. He waved his hands in front of him laughing. "Woah, Usagi, where's the fire?"

"Please!" Usagi cried, grabbing Motoki's wrist before he could turn away. "I wouldn't ask if it wasn't urgent." She stared at him, trying to send a mental message that she didn't quite understand herself.

To her surprise Motoki's eyes softened, and he frowned. "He went home maybe thirty minutes ago, Usagi. You just missed him. I'd tell you where he lives, but—"

"I know where he lives," Usagi blurted out. She blushed as Motoki cocked one eyebrow to the sky.

Motoki's eyebrows then furrowed as he began putting the pieces together. "How would you—"

Before he could finish, Usagi turned on her heel, her feet taking her away once more. The truth was, she didn't know where Mamoru lived. She wasn't sure why she would say that. In her mind, there was nothing when it came to Mamoru Chiba. She couldn't imagine his street, or his probably average apartment, or the way the light shined through his curtains in the morning from his bed. What she did know was that if she didn't think, if she let herself escape from trying to make sense of everything, then somehow she was finding the way to wherever her body was taking her.

As the scenery changed before her, Usagi could feel the strange familiar nostalgia she had felt over the past few weeks. She had walked these streets many times before, even though she didn't remember. Now she knew that those feelings of nostalgia and sadness meant something all along. If she could only fit all the pieces together, it could all make sense, but her mind seemed to be missing some essential bit, some small memory that would link it all together. Her feet stopped walking and she stood in front of a tall apartment building. She looked up at the rather nondescript building. It wouldn't have stood out from any other apartment in the area. The building name was small to the right of the front doors. If her feet hadn't brought her here, she would've probably never known it was an apartment at all.

Usagi stepped forward and into the apartment. There was an elevator in the back of the front entrance, where she rode up to the 6th floor. Her heart was pounding in her chest again, but not from the run or the sobs that she tried to stifle, now it was something else. She stopped again in front of a seemingly random door and knocked three times. There was silence. It stretched for what felt like a lifetime when finally the door knob turned with the softest click. The door opened and before her stood Mamoru. His peach dress shirt was tucked into his tan dress pants, the sleeves rolled up to his elbows. Mamoru's eyes met Usagi's, and they locked for just a moment. Usagi was speechless; her heartbeat still pounded in her ears, so loudly she could hardly think. Mamoru, on the other hand, had no reservations about speaking.

"Tsukino?" He asked in the same tired tone as the previous day. It was as if he had only met her once and could hardly remember her name. Mamoru crossed his arms in front of him. "What are you doing here?"

A/N:

Ooops, lil bit of a cliffhanger there ;), but there was so much to write! I'm really excited for the next chapter. Hopefully I'll have it out for you all soon! Please let me know what you thought and if you enjoyed the chapter. I'll see you all at chapter 8!