One Month Later

Minako was excited. The gay pride parade would be this weekend and all of her friends were going. All she needed to do was set up Ami with Makoto, and how appropriate to set the up in time for the weekend, and everyone would be happily paired off. She had Sapphire, Usagi and Diamond, Rei and Esmeralda, Rubeus and Greg.

She had tried talking to each of them about their feelings, but Ami insisted they were just friends. Mako-chan at least admitted she had feelings for Ami, but she was so convinced they'd be unrequited that she did nothing about them.

"How do I get Ami to wake up?" Minako hissed to herself.

"What was that, Mina-chan?" Usagi came up behind her.

"Have you noticed anything between Ami and Makoto?"

"Other than their unrealized love for each other, no."

Well duh! Usagi. "Well, that's what I'm trying to fix."

"Oh." Usagi thought. "I got an idea. Let's get Motoki to flirt with Makoto in front of Ami and see if she gets jealous."

"Why Motoki?"

"He's always around. Rita isn't, so he won't get in trouble with flirting with Makoto a little bit."

"Hmm! Crown after school today."

Usagi and Minako got there early to ask for Motoki's help. He giggled. "You two are always scheming."

When Ami and Makoto arrived, Motoki brought a free milkshake to the brunette. "On the house," he said with a wink, causing Ami to clear her throat loudly.

They talked normally for the most part. Ami brought up finals and Usagi shrilled.

"But you've been doing well in school recently."

"And what if I regress during the finals. My teachers expect stuff from me now."

"You should have just stayed mediocre," Rei teased.

"I know, right."

Andrew came back with the check. None of Makoto's food was on it. He smiled at her. Ami was turning red.

Minako and Usagi nodded to each other.

Usagi asked Ami if she could help her study for their English exam. They had an oral exam and a written one and she needed to practice the speaking and listening.

"Sure. How about Wednesday?"

"Great."


Come Wednesday, Usagi went to her house. Her English speaking was just fine. She wanted to grill Ami about Makoto and this was her chance.

"Did you want to do vocab or have a conversation?"

"A conversation, since that's what the exam is, right?"

Ami: Hi Usagi, How are you doing?

Usagi: Great, and yourself?

Ami: I'm lovely thank you. What are you up to?

As the two conversed in English, Ami stuck to the topics that they had covered in class, food, places, pronouns. Usagi kept trying to change the conversation towards romance. Do you have a boyfriend? Do you have a girlfriend? Do you have a crush?

Ami: Usagi, none of this has to do with our exam!

"Well duh," Usagi said. "My English is good. I didn't come here for you to help me study. I came here to help you."

"Help me do what?"

"Realize your feelings for Makoto and do something about it."

"What? We're just friends."

"Don't give me that. You like her. She likes you. The gay pride parade is this weekend, therefore you should be proud and gay, together."

Ami tried not to laugh. "You are mistaken, Usagi."

"No I'm not. I saw how you were looking at Motoki for flirting with Mako-chan."

"That's because he has a girlfriend."

"Then how come you flinch every time Makoto mentions a boy?"

"I don't flinch."

"You do, and I know why she mentions the boys, to make you jealous. Seriously, just let your guard down for once."

"I can't. She's my best friend. What if it doesn't work out?"

"It might not, but waiting until it's too late will be so much worse."

Usagi called Minako. She told her about the breakthrough she had earlier

"Well, she admitted her feelings, but she won't act on them either."

"Ugh! I could just scream!"

"What do you want to try next?"

They bounced around ideas and out of desperation, Minako said, "Can't we just lock them in a room together until they get it?"

Usagi giggled. "I think we can, and I know just the room."


The next day, they sent word to Makoto and Ami that there was an emergency senshi meeting at Rei's. When they got there, Ami and Makoto were already there.

"I need to get something that's up high. Can you help me Makoto?" Rei led her to the room in the back. "It's on the back shelf."

While Rei was bating Makoto, Usagi was talking to Ami.

"Rei has all of these books back here. I wonder if any of them will help us figure out who is sending those stupid youma after me." None of the attacks caused her to be injured, but they still happened about once a week.

Ami said "what books?" when Usagi and Rei quickly left the room and shut the door.

Ami turned to open it. "Hey, it's locked."

"What?" Makoto turned around, having finally reached the book that was way in the back on top of the bookshelf.

"I think they just locked us in here."

"No way," she tried the door. "WHAT THE HELL GUYS!"

Minako came and slipped a note under the door. "We are not letting you out until you and Ami work out your feelings."

The two looked at each other, unable to speak. Makoto then started pounding on the door, screaming bloody murder.

Usagi put on some music and started reading one of Rei's new mangas.

Rei was much more cheery now that she had a girlfriend. She was texting said girlfriend. "Plan in action."

Minako was fine with listening to music until Makoto calmed down.

After about five minutes, the thunderous senshi gave up, sliding to the floor. She turned to look at Ami.

"So."

"So."

Neither of them knew where to start. Neither of them wanted to go first. Ami was terrified that somehow this would go wrong. Makoto was too scared to know of what she was scared.

"I don't know what to say."

"I don't either,' Ami admitted.

"I wish this didn't have to be so hard."

"What didn't have to be so hard?"

"Whatever this conversation is supposed to be." Whatever we're trying to be.

"I don't talk about my feelings," Ami admitted. "I never could. I don't know how to trust them. You can't test love like you can science."

"I think you can." Makoto pressed her lips to Ami and then quickly pulled back. "That was the first trial. What did you think?" Amy could have sworn that their heartbeats synchronized for that kiss even though that made no sense.

"I think we failed to calibrate and have to try again." Ami kissed Mako-chan this time. They continued with short sweet kisses, each one getting slightly longer until Makoto thought it was time to say something.

"So we have established we like kissing each other."

"I believe we have."

"Would you like to come over for dinner tomorrow?"

"Is this a date?"

"Yes."

"Then, I'll be there at 7."

Makoto called Usagi who was surprised that her phone was ringing. She turned off the music and answered it. "Yes, Makoto."

"We talked okay. Let us out!"

"Not so fast. And the results of that talk were?"

"We have a date tomorrow, so can you let us out now."

"Sure."

"Rei, can you let them out? They've resolved their feelings now."

Usagi set Rei up. She started running out the house as Rei went to open the door. Makoto charged out. "I will kill all of you."

Rei and Minako ran.

"Where's Usagi?"

"She already fled!"

"That Odango-atama!"

Usagi was running home when of course, another youma appeared.

She quickly transformed and tried using her moon crystal healing on it. It had no effect. "So there's no soul to save." This isn't good.

The youma reached down to earth, picking up a protesting Sailor Moon.

The other girls heard the commotion and transformed to help. More youma appeared

They tried a variation of attacks, but none of them were effective. Just when the senshi were surrounded by the youma, two flashes appeared. One was a silver light and one was a dark light. The silver man was back with a dark haired man. They quickly used their sonic waves to kill the youma.

The silver man jumped into the sky, catching Sailor Moon as the youma who had taken her disintegrated.

"Can you tell me your name?" Sailor Moon asked her silver haired rescuer.

"No, but I'll let you have three guesses."

"How could I guess your name?"

"I can guess yours, Usagi."

"How did you know that?"

"You don't know who I am. Maybe I can give you a hint." He pressed his lips to hers. She knew those lips from anywhere. "Diamond!"

"Yes, my Love, and can you guess who my companion is?"

"Sapphire?"

"Very good."

The girls were stunned. "So you two have been our rescuers?"

"Guilty as charged. I don't know why, but when Odango's in trouble with youma, I feel this weird pulsating feeling."

"I feel it too, well when Sailor V is near the youma."

They went back to Rei's jinja. Diamond drove, so he could get Luna and Artemis for the real meeting

"So you're the silver man?" Luna thought she was silly for not getting it earlier. Usagi starts getting courted by a boy. Youma appear. Mysterious boy rescues her from youma.

"I am."

"But I can't sense any power when I'm near you."

"I couldn't tell you can talk."

Touche.

"We don't know much about the youma, other than what we can sense. We have little proof of anything."

"How about you start with who you are and where you came from?" Artemis suggested.

Diamond took over. "So we're both from Nemesis, although we grew up in Tokyo. Our mother wanted us to have a better life than to grow up to be "haphazard villains" as she put it, so she had us adopted by our parents who we lived with until they died. We've only been to Nemesis a few times. We haven't been back in over a year. I don't know what the youma have to do with us, but I can sense their presence for some reason. Maybe I knew their souls."

Usagi shook her head. "No, I checked. The youma that attacked me had no soul."

"None at all, not even a bad one?"

"Just ash."

"Now that is odd."

"Actually that makes sense," Sapphire said. "If the youma aren't real youma."

"What?"

"How do you kill a shadow?"

"You can't," Rei retored.

"Exactly, which explains why your attacks didn't work."

"But your attacks did."

"I know, but we attack with energy waves. Light is energy and you need light to cast a shadow. So even if it is just a shadow, our waves can destroy it."

"So you think a shadow picked me up?" Usagi questioned.

"Not a typical shadow a dark shadow." Sapphire explained how some youma were only superficial. "They're to scare people, like a Halloween prank. They're like an illusion from Nemesis."

"That explains why Usagi never got hurt," Luna added.

"But who would prank her for months?" Makoto questioned.

Sapphire smirked. "I know, and so do you Diamond."

"What? I don't know."

"Think for once. Who do you know who is puckish enough to send bogus youma to manipulate people into doing what they want?"

Diamond frowned. "You don't think …."

"Remember when I told you I could sense something special about the youma. I thought it was their soul, but I think it was the soul of their maker."

"You think Mom is sending bogus youma to stalk Usagi."

"Your mother?" Rei squealed.

"Who else?"

"What would be her motive?"

"To get you two together. Didn't the youma start after you met her but before you started dating? Why are you the only one who can sense when Usagi's in trouble and how did you always get there before Tuxedo Kamen. Mother planned it that way."

"And you and Minako?"

"Same thing."

"But we are dating. Why keep sending the fake youma?"

"What do all mothers' want?"

"For their kids to stop asking for money."

"That's what all fathers' want. Try again."

Diamond thought for a moment. "For their kids to marry good people."

"And …"

"To get to babysit the grandkids."

"And, you butt!"

"What! Just say it."

"To have the son's girlfriend over for dinner."

"You think this was a dinner invitation in disguise. But it's so manipulative and convoluted and ridiculous, oh my God it was mother all along."

"Exactly. It also explains why the youma never came when we were already there. There would be no point if we couldn't make a dramatic entrance."

"Mother does love dramatic entrances."

"Who is your mother?" Luna asked.

"Queen Pearl of the Black Moon, officially," Sapphire explained. "There's a dispute over whether or not she's the ruler of Nemesis. Some people say it's Death Phantom, but he has no actual power, other than deceiving people with his words. Mom told me never to talk to him."

"Yeah, she says Death Phantom will only lie to you and show you events to confuse you into giving him your soul. He always leads to your ruin."

"What about your other friends?" Rei asked.

"Rubeus and Esmeralda are from Black Moon too."

"She didn't tell me!"

"Did you tell her you're Sailor Mars?"

"No," Rei admitted. "We should talk about that."

"Did your mother say why she wanted you to not be evil?" Luna asked him.

Prince Diamond. "She didn't tell me very many specifics. She just said I was destined to be better than a hack job villain like most of her other sons, so she wanted me to go to Earth and then when she had Sapphire, she wanted to send him too."

"Is your Mom a villain?" Usagi asked curiously.

"Um, I don't know exactly. I wouldn't call her a hero, but she's not evil. I think she's more of a meddler than anything else, which can be good or bad."

"Should we go to dinner? She must be really desperate to have us over for dinner if she had me stalked for like two months."

"I suppose we should visit Mother."

"Maybe she knows what to do about the future," Luna suggested.

"What about it?"

Artemis explained how Usagi was a reincarnation of Princess Serenity from the Moon Kingdom and Mamoru was the reincarnation of the Prince of the Earth Kingdom and they were supposed to be married 1000 years ago, but they both got killed so Queen Serenity sent them into the future, where they were to marry and then rule the Earth, but now they're broken up.

"Is that why Mamoru is so mad that we're together?"

Usagi shrugged. "Maybe, but he dumped me after he found out about our 'destiny'"

"My mom isn't one for destinies, but she knows a lot of stuff. She might be able to give you some advice. I must warn you. She doesn't lie, but she is not always genuine with how she explains things."

"Huh!"

"She has a way of saying things that are factually accurate, but also misleading," Sapphire clarified.

"Oh! She sounds like a hoot."

"She is."

They decided to visit the Queen on Sunday. Luna and Artemis, of course, wanted to come. They all did, and Diamond said he'd invite Rubeus and Esmeralda too.

Luna found the whole scenario so strange. "They're so nice, but they're from the Negaverse." She could feel that they were genuinely good, not just putting on a front, but how could they be good if they had dark crystals.

"Not all of the people on Earth are good," Usagi pointed out. "It would make sense that not everyone from the Negaverse is bad, even if it's rare."

"That does make sense."

Friday

Mamoru had been avoiding Motoki's since the club incident the month before. He decided that his exile had been long enough and he went to Crown. When he got there, he saw Chibiusa playing a racing game with Diamond.

"I'm going to win!" Chibiusa declared.

"No you're not." He did, in fact, let her win.

"Told you!"

"As a gentleman, I must admit when I am wrong. How about a milkshake on me?"

"Yeah!"

She didn't even see Mamoru at first. She went to the table. "I won the race."

Sapphire laughed. "Diamond, you're slipping."

"What can I do?"

"Try not losing."

Diamond was happy to see Chibiusa smile. It made Usagi smile, which of course made him happy.

"You need to stop letting her win," Usagi whispered in his ear.

"You're just saying that because she beats you on her own."

"Hey!"

"Just teasing, Odango. Of course, you let her win too."

"You're such a jerk!"

"I'm your jerk!" They shared a quick kiss.

"Ew! Cooties," the girl called out.

"Nope. We're both vaccinated."

As they ate food and finalized their plans for tomorrow, Mamoru went to talk to Motoki.

"So you do show your face in here again."

"Shut up!"

"Relax. Usagi hasn't even mentioned you."

"Thanks!"

"Isn't that better than Mamoru is such an ASS I hate him."

It could be, or it could mean she's completely over him. Is he no longer a blip on the radar? He was stuck staring at the group until he heard his name, "Mamo-chan!" It was Chibiusa. "Let's race. I'm on a winning streak."

He went to play with the girl, his heart feeling heavy.


AN: Thanks for reading. We're approaching the half-way point on this story and shameless plugs. For any ATLA fans, I have a story, rated T, called The Crown, which is as the title suggests a saga involving a post-war battle for the crown of the Fire Nation, starring featuring Azula+ Haru (Harula) and eventual Ty Lee + Sokka, (Ty Lokka)