Author's Note:

Enjoy.

Tokoyo Sidewalk 3:45 P.M.

Mamoru was on his way to the local temple that he knew to house one Miss Rei Hino. She was Usagi's best friend before this mess. He and Motoki had continued their conversation until they had reached the arcade and Motoki had to start working. They had decided to research what they could and see what conclusions the research lead them to. Mamoru had left for the shrine promising to return if he learned anything.

He looked up at the mass amounts of steps and sighed.

At the end of the climb he was greated by a small ancient man, "Can I help you young man?"

"I'm looking for Miss Hino."

"What do you want with my granddaughter?"

The priestess walked up, "Grandfather, don't be so rude. This is a friend. His name is Mamoru."

Rei's grandfather turned to her and smiled, "Alright my dear, just looking out for you. Let me know if you need anything."

Rei nodded and smiled to Mamoru, "Follow me, I was getting ready to make some tea the girls were coming over."

"Good I wanted to speak with all of you. I was hoping they'd be here."

Rei looked over her shouler as she lead the way to the kitchen, "What did you need to speak with us about?"

'This needs to wait. It waits until they are all here. And all sitting.' "We'll just discuss it when the girls get here if thats alright. I don't want to repeat any of this."

Rei smiled and nodded.

Ten minutes later had four girls and Mamoru sitting around a small square table in Rei's room sipping tea.

Mamoru shifted nervously as he set his tea cup down. "You're all wondering why I'm here." He received four nods as his answer. "I wanted to talk with you about Usagi." Ami and Minako's eyes filled with tears. Makoto's grip tightened around her tea cup, to the point Mamoru was afraid it would break. Rei slammed down her cup, and started to point towards the door. "I thought I would receive this kind of reaction. Something is wrong."

Rei raised a skeptical eyebrow, "Oh really?"

"Its hard to explain but she's changed."

Rei frowned, "She's a bitch. Its not that hard to explain."

Mamoru frowned, "Before last Friday, when was the last any of you had seen her?"

"Do you know what she did last Friday?"

Mamoru took a turn looking each of the girls in the eye as he spoke, "I can't tell you exactly what she said to each of you." Rei opened her mouth to speak, but Mamoru cut her off as he continued, "But if what she said to me is any clue. She used what she knows of you to make you hate her."

Tears were streaming down Rei's face, "She betrayed us. She never was our friend if she could say any of those things."

Mamoru nodded, "I'm sure thats what she wants you to think. That why she did what she did to you and to me. I only have one hope for the future and the only one, that I can see, to help me reach that future was Odango Attama as we knew her. Last Friday she promised me I would never have that. I don't deserve it. Maybe she's right, but whats got me curious is, as far as I can tell, she said something similar to each of you. Now since you won't answer my first question, let me ask another. She said something to each of you, her closeset of friends, and she said something to me her worst enemy, but no one else. Not Umino. Not Naru. Not even Motoki. Why us?"

Minako looked puzzled. Makoto's grip losened and a frown formed on her face. Ami looked deep in thought. Rei'd tears continued, "Does it matter? She attacked us in the worst of ways. She wasn't posesed. As far as we can tell she wasn't being controlled. That was one-hundred percent Usagi talking."

Mamoru sighed and rubbed his eyes, "It matters because she wanted you angry. She wanted to hurt you so badly that it would never occur to you to think why, the anger would just come."

"Usagi's not that smart."

"Really? I saw her today. In fact Usagi's attending Azubu High School."

Ami's head snapped up, "Not possible."

"Advanced placement to the Senior class."

Ami shook her head.

"She's in all the advanced classes."

Ami shook her head.

"She's in my classes. She was reading those damn files all day. I don't think she was really paying attention,"

Minako interrupted him, "That sounds like Usagi."

Mamoru continued, "She was able to answer all the questions. She even aced the pop quiz in advanced bio-chemistry."

Ami shook her head.

"To get accepted. To receive that placement she had to take eight different tests, four of which were essays. I checked it out myself. Its all legit."

Ami's tears finally fell. "She was right. I kept hoping, but she was right."

Mamoru shook his head. "No Amy. Something is wrong. She didn't mean those things she said. She even told me today that she's been distracted since before she met any of us. She said her poor studies were do to something else. What we need to figure out is why she said these things. As far as I can tell it would be the last time we saw her before Friday."

Minako wipped at her tears, "I find all this hard to believe. But, I hadn't seen her since Wednesday at the arcade."

Ami dried her tears, "Thats the last any of us spoke with her. But I did see her after that in the park. I believe she was arguing with you."

"Actually I spoke with her on the phone when she couldn't make it to the study group."

The look on Mamoru's face lightened, "Thats great, why didn't she come?"

Rei shook her head, "She said it was a failed math test."

Mamoru could tell she thought something else by the look on her face, "But?"

"Well, when she first gave me her excuse for canceling, she didn't sound like Usagi... when I started to question that she just started to wail, and I didn't really want to go deaf so I just dropped the subject."

Mamoru nodded, "Then its gotta be what she skipped the study group for."

"Or why she skipped the study group." Ami shly smiled.

"Can I count on you girls to help me figure this out?"

Hurt and confusion filled their faces. He stood up and started to the door, "I'm sorry. I've already asked to much. I'll let you know if I learn anything."

"Wait Mamoru." Mamoru stopped at the sound of Minako's soft voice, and looked at her over his shoulder. "We've answered you questions. Answer one for me." Mamoru nodded, knowing this was the time to gain their trust, and maybe help. "What did she say to you that day?"

A tear streaked its way down his face after a brief pause his broken voice filled the silence, "She told me that I could never be loved." And then Mamoru stepped out of the preitess's room and headed towards the temple steps.

As he reached the top of the stairs he was stopped by several shouts. Turning around he found that the girls had followed him out of the room. Lita was the first to speak, "We'll help."

Minako smiled, "She hurt you worst of all, and you're not ready to give up on her."

Ami nodded, "She's our friend it would be silly to give that up so easily."

Rei cracked her knuckles, "And when we do figure out what the hell that baka is up to we beat some sense into her!"

Mamoru chuckled a bit. "Motoki and I will be glad for the help. I was just going to see Motoki, lets head over to the Crown to discuss this, and I'll treat you girls to dinner."

They smiled at the offer of dinner, but their usual enthusiasm seemed to be dampened. As they headed over to the arcade Mamoru filled them in on what had happened at school that day.

When he mentioned her knew name Minako became pensive. "I know that name." As Mamoru continued to speak Minako was only half listening until they reached the arcade doors and she shouted in triumph, "I've got it!"

Mamoru raised an eyebrow. Rei smiled, "You get used to it." Everyone continued to walk till they reached the counter.

Ami looked at Minako, "What have you got?"

Motoki walked up just in time to hear the explanation.

"Serenity Lua. She was a fashion designer. She had a huge company. Mare something or another, but that wasn't part of her fashion business. Anyway, she was huge. She was always first. If you wanted the next thing, the newest, most beautiful, most intricate then you wanted a Lua. At least until 10 years ago."

Motoki spoke up, "When she died."

Minako nodded her head.

Mamoru looked to the blonde, "Do you know what happened?"

"I don't remember. I was really young back then. Mom was crushed. She loved going to 'Lua in London' it was the primary shop for Serenity."

Ami looked thoughtful, "Since we don't have a way of figuring out what happened to Usagi last week, maybe we should start with her family. Are you sure she said the fifteenth?"

Motoki nodded, while Mamoru confrimed, "Yeah, why?"

"It should be fairly easy to track her origins all the way back. Its very uncommon for women to share a family name like that."

Minako frowned, "What do ya mean?"

Mamoru smiled as he explained for Ami, "Women often take the name of their husband when they get married. The option not to take it is a recent development. It was part of the women's right movement."(I don't know if thats true, I just made it up! Don't kill or sue me!!)

Ami continued for him, "If she's the fifteenth, that would suggest that the name originates back several centuries, somehow past down through a male dominated society where it should have been blaspheme for a woman to even have the identity, let alone the audacity to pass down her full name."

Everyone seemed to understand this thinking and all agreed the best place to start their research. "Motoki I told the girls I would buy them supper. Get them what ever they want. While the food cooks, is it okay if we head upstairs and use your computer?" Motoki nodded. The girls began to head for the back. "Girls, wait. Something just occurred to me." They stopped and turned to face him. "Have I ever talked to any of you about my parents?" Each shook their head, 'no'. "Rei, I didn't mention anything to you when we were hanging out did I?"

"No, Mamoru-san. Whats this about?"

Mamoru smiled politely, "Nothing, really. I just thought I heard her say something this morning, but it was obviously my imagination. Go on upstairs, I gotta grab my jacket outta Motoki's car before I forget it again. Damn thing has been in there a week." Though obviously suspicious of his actions, they did as he asked and continued upstairs.

"So whats this really about? You don't forget anything. Especially not that green jacket it was your father's."

"Usagi knows something about my parents."

Motoki's eyes widened. "What? How?"

"I'm not sure of anything but she slipped last Friday. And it just occurred to me now looking at Rei. She's the only person besides you that I've ever spent any time with.--"

"She's the only girl you dated."

"We didn't date. We were friends just hanging out.--"

"She thought they were dates."

"They weren't. Besides, thats irrelevant. Any way, you are the only one that knows about my parents."

"So?"

"Usagi said I was a disappointment to my parents. To those I can't remember."