Story One. Doctor Chiba's Lonely Hearts' Club

- See you later, Sailor Senshi - with a swish of his cape, Tuxedo Kamen jumped the nearest roof and was out of sight.

Descending into an alley, he brushed his bangs out of his eyes - why did the young Mamoru have such an inconvenient hairstyle? - and let his transformation go.

Why does it always look like younger me, doctor Chiba mused, walking towards his car - once fancy and chic, but now obviously outdated,

giving out his single-middle-aged man status clearly, but the one he trusted and never bothered to change.

But you secretly love it, he scolded himself. Tuxie's body is younger, faster, it;s reacting like it's still seventeen.

He wondered if it was the same for Sailor Senshi and their enemies.

From the looks of it, it was. But what did they really look like detransformed?

They must be several years younger than him, so do they have wrinkles, and spine problems,and varicosis?

You're professionally deformed, he chuckled at himself, as he entered his office.

At least I made my ability work, he thought. His manual therapy schedule was always full of patients.

No one needed to know about his healing ability as long as it helped.

The first patient was already waiting. A man about his age, with a greying ponytail and a tired air about him.

He seemed vaguely familiar, but Mamoru couldn't figure, why. According to his assistant, he was attending for the first time.

He nodded him to come in and went through the routine of washing hands.

The patient - Zacchery Ginso, according to the card - was already on the couch.

- My neck - he said - it bothers me. It hurts. It makes me lose my sleep. Since my partner passed away, I have this pain.

And I kinda...don't want to wake up the morning. The job I have sucks.

Mamoru sighed.

Somehow, he was used to hearing something like this.

Was he attracting broken and suffering people? He never wanted to be a psychologist.

That was Odango's realm.

He was about the meat and bones, and energy, and force beneath it.

But there were lots of people like this at his office.

His assistant joked about "Doctors' Chiba Lonely Hearts' Club" once.

- You don't like your job anymore? - he clung to the safest as he laid his palms onto the patients' neck - but why don't you change it?

The card says you are a ...designer?

- Not this one... - the patients' eyes trailed suspiciously to his and he frowned - you do have this doctor secret keeping code, do you?

Ayy, you not gonna believe anyway. Don't handle me to psycho ward, though - he chuckled uneasily and shifted on the couch

- I have a kind of...sidekick I've got myself into when I was really young

Mamoru frowned. Does he speak of criminal activities?

While talking to the client, he sensed his shoulders and neck for the pain source and it felt weird.

None of his patients had this kind of feeling. As if...

- I don't know why I'm telling you - the patient went on - but I kinda feel like I can't hold it anymore. Without Kun...well, there were four of us.

Three of my friends. Only one is left now. Me. And that bitch of a boss we have - his eyes snapped open in fear - I hope she doesn't hear

What was that?

Mamoru was really uneasy now.

The man was talking of something bad.

Was he psychic?

Or was he involved in a serious crime?

Maybe he should call Saori?

- Maybe you need protection? - he offered gently - I know some people who can help.

The man laughed bitterly.

- No one is gonna help me! When I was young it all kinda made know I'm the only one left and I feel like I'm in the middle of some stupid show.

Fighting this crazy quest with those crazy girls and a caped boy, and I bet thay don't know why we do all this masquerade for fucking decades!

What was he talking about?

It was like some alarm signal went off in the back of Mamoru's head.

- What are you talking about? - he voiced aloud, and the patient sobered abruptly.

- Oh. Sorry doc. I'm just in a side acting job, and the show got really old - he said sarcastically and very unkindly - and I sometimes talk nonsence to strangers.

By the way, looks like whatever you do helps.

Mamoru nodded, continuing his ministrations on the patient's neck.

There was something weird.

Seriously wrong.

It felt like the man wasn't entirely himself.

Like there was something alien inside.

Cancer?

He thought of how to tell the patient to check for it and not scare him.

His body felt...like he was partly dead.

An evil kind of dead.

The realization hit Mamoru suddenly and his hands froze.

- I guess that's all for today - he said automatically - attend again in a month.

The patient nodded and started dressing. His demeanor changed to cold and distant and almost hostile. There was something about him.

His voice. His story. This strange feel of his body.

The man moved his neck.

- Feel better, doc - he said coldly - ready to go to my weird crystal show. Till next time - he suddenly looked directly at him with those cold green eyes,

and was gone.

- Fuck! - Mamoru swore out loud, uncharacteristically, about to run and grab the man.

Was it just him?

Or did he just cure...did he just help...Zoisite?

He laughed out loud.

No way.

But he spoke of crystals.

And was that Kunsite's death he spoke of?

There were four of them when it all started, right.

It all fell into place oddly.

And those eyes.

And this hostile, strange energy.

Did he just discover the enemy accidentally right in his workplace?

- You've gone mad - he told himself aloud.

- So you finally agree that it's you who are nuts? - a soft voice responded him and he whirled in place to see Tsukino Usagi standing at his threshold

- hi, Doctor Baka. Oh, you've got moustache now?

His lips fell into an easy smile.

- Hi, doctor Odango Brains - he greeted back.

She chuckled.

- psychologist isn't a doctor...but I'm flattered. You know I realised today morning the odangos were kinda heavy. I forgot how they felt - she shook her pixied head -

It's fun to remember how we looked. And you used to had those bangs that were always in your eyes. No moustache and that sleek hair of yours. May I?

- You may - he turned away to wash his hands of Zoisite's(?) aura and not to look at her undressing.

When he turned back, she was at the couch in a t-shirt and leggings. He never insisted for patients to undress cause he didn't need it to feel their pain.

- How's your back? - he started to probe her muscles gently. Usagi was his monthly patient like many others.

She had an ever-going strain in her neck and shoulder blades, like she had a weight upon them, and he couldn't figure why, but he could ease it.

Her body felt soft and like home, and he reprimanded himself for being unprofessional.

- Hurts again - she sighed - I guess it's just...I've got tired.

- Maybe you let your patients' stories influence you too much? - he probed gently

- It's not that.. - she shrugged - it's just...just my life. She caught herself and giggled artificially - nevermind, Mamoru.

I'm sure you fix me and after I'm meeting the Spinster Club and we'll go laugh it off.

The Spinster Club. He knew she was referring to her circle of friends. Neither of them were married.

Though they were all quite breathtaking women, now all nearing forty.

He looked at Usagi's face.

First wrinkles were making their appearance at the corners of her eyes.

His heart clenched.

The little rabbit was aging.

- Usa, why did you never marry? - he asked on a whim, being all-to-much unprofessional and lightly clenching her shoulders.

- Um.. - she laghed uneasily - Rei says something about priestess chores, but I guess she has something going on with Yuuichiro,

Ami is the crazy dedicated doctor like you and doesnt' want to waste time on men, and Mako and Mina just don't want to choose one of many...

or did you mean just me?

- Yes - he didn't look at her face - I mean just you. You had pretty much admirers...I bet you still have.

She smiled, slowly.

- Maybe none of them was just Mr. Right, you know - she chuckled - I remember it was you who pointed out their faults to me.

- Sorry - he laughed - I was jealous. And young.

Jealous? It kinda escaped and he froze, waiting for her reaction. Did he just ruin their more-than-twenty-years old quasi-friendship?

But she just smiled again.

- If I really liked some of them, it wouldn't matter - she said softly - but you've always been a very precious frenemy whose opinion mattered much.

It's just...me and girls, we have obligations...

- What kind of? - he laughed despite himself - are you some kind of secret squad?

Why did her shoulders suddenly tense beneath his palms?

- Yeah - she laughed artificially, so un-Usagi - Furious Spinster Soldiers! What about you?

- I'm a crazy dedicated doctor like Ami - he started answering, letting her slide from the subject.

And then there was a sound. A strange one.

Like a pager.

And Usagi panicked.

She literally jumped up on the couch.

- What's this? - he asked - nostalgic? set and old-fashioned alarm on your phone? - he wanted to laugh, but Usagi was pale, and he silenced himself.

She skipped to her purse and he could hear her saying "I'm on the way, Ami!" into her cell phone or whatever was beeping, he politely wasn't looking.

- I have to go - she blurted hurriedly, throwing on her oversized tunic dress - I'm sorry, I'll pay for the visit, sorry I have to run like this, but...

She was obviously inventing the excuse because she didn't want im to know the real reasi, and he gave her an out.

- You don't have to explain, I won't charge you - he bent to help her get her purse, and suddenly the zipper on it burst and all contents were on the floor.

And he froze.

Usagi's embarassed 'oh!" went past him, he heard it barely, because he suddenly recognised a thing.

The one that was on his floor amongst Usagi's feminine possesions - the tampons, a small brush, a lipstick, some cash...

There lay a small object, the one he would typically mistake for an intricately decorated mirror, but he knew it was a brooch.

The one he saw so too many times all these years ago on Usagi's school uniform bow.

The one he saw just this morning on the bow of sailor-suited, odangoed heroine.

- Fuck, Usa...- he whispered, looking at her wide-eyed - all these years, how could I be so blind?

In her eyes, there was a flash of something.

He expected her to laugh and back out.

But she only smiled again sadly, taking his hand.

- I guess it makes sense if we go now - she said, and called out - Saeko! Please close the office, Doctor Chiba has an emergency!

They ran past his dumbfounded assistant towards his car.

- The Juuban Park, again - she said as he stormed out of the parking - and fell silent for a second, looking at the road ahead - sorry for your assistant

She'll think we are off to fuck.

He laughed.

- Let her.

He didn't want to analyze his feelings right now.

He was sad. And hurt it was Usagi to face all this. And regretful of how they could...

But there was no time for this.

There supposedly was Zoisite - Zacchery Ginso - going on with his stupid crystal show for his bitch boss queen, and they had to be on stage, like 25 years ago.

Usagi licked her lips nervously.

- Are you disappointed?

He responded the second she stopped talking.

- No, I'm not.

Than he stealed a glance at her.

- How about you?

She shook her head energetically, and the car screeched to a halt, and they didn't bother coming out, as the transformations washed over them,

bringing back her odangoes, his ridiculous bangs and stupid hat, her short skirt and high heels, and their teen bodies ready to fight.