Sunday

Usagi woke up in Diamond's arms. She was thirsty. He did not want to let go, so she kissed him, waking him up before she pulled away.

"I'll be back."

He grumbled as she went to get water. She put a t-shirt on and went downstairs. On her way back, she heard a phone ringing. It was Diamond's phone, but Minako was calling.

"Hey Minako, what's up?"

"It's Sapphire. Can you come get me? Minako's parents came home early, and I'm stuck hiding in her closet."

"Aw! Sure, I'll get Diamond up now."

They had to go get him. Usagi created the diversion while Sapphire snuck out the side door.

Diamond dropped off Usagi at her house and then went home.

On the way, he started to talk to his brother about the facts of life.

"So things are pretty serious between you and Minako."

"What do you mean?"

"You spent the night."

"So did Usagi, and it's not the first time she stayed over."

"I know, and nothing happened last night, but it's better to be prepared before anything happens than to be scrambling at the last minute. Have you and Mina-chan talked about what you would use?"

Sapphire shook his head.

"I'll admit, it's not the most enjoyable conversation to have, but if you're ready to be in a relationship with someone, you have to be ready to talk about important things that affect you both."

"I can agree with that. So how did your conversation go with Usagi?"

"Well," it started off as a disaster. "She thought that talking about contraception meant I wanted to have sex like that instant and she kind of freaked out. Once I calmed her down and explained my point of view, it got a lot easier."

"Now that sounds like a great time," Sapphire said dryly.


Usagi had to go pick up Chibiusa. "How was your sleep over?" she asked once they left her friend's house.

"It was great. We got to make our own pizza and there was ice cream."

"Now that sounds like fun."

Usagi got a call from Rei. "Yes, I'm awake. Yes, I know to be at the jinja at two and I will be on time. What has you in a panic? Your grandfather's coming home early, and you don't want him to see us. Okay. I got it. Bye Rei."

"What's going on?"

Usagi knew Chibiusa wouldn't accept that this was a normal meeting because it wasn't.

"I'm going to go meet Diamond's mother, and I'm going to Rei's first."

"I thought she died."

"She did. I'm meeting his birth mother."

"Why do you need to go to Rei's to do that?"

"We're all going."

"We?"

"Ami, Rei, Minako, Makoto, Luna, Artemis, Diamond, and Sapphire of course

"I want to go!"

"But it's a long trip. You'll just get tired."

"If you can say awake, so can I. I want to go!" She got louder. Light started emitting from her forehead again.

"Okay, calm down. I'll ask Diamond if we can take you."

Chibiusa took a breath.

Usagi called him.

At 2:00, the group assembled at Rei's jinja. Rubeus and Esmeralda also joined them, not having seen their Queen in some time.

"You're bringing Chibiusa?" Rei questioned.

"I wanna go!"

Ami whispered to Luna, "should we be bringing her to the Negaverse?"

"I couldn't talk her out of it."

"Everyone get close," Diamond said. They huddled together. Usagi held Chibiusa. Rubeus held Trig. Minako held Artemis and Rei had Luna.

"And close your eyes," Sapphire added. Diamond's silver light combined with Sapphire's black light and together they made a purple light. "BLACK MOON TELEPORT!" the brother's yelled, swallowing the group into a hole.

Usagi tried to open her eyes, but they were moving too fast. They were in some type of protective shell. It seemed like it was over an hour, but it had only had been about 15 minutes before they got to Black Moon. They all tumbled out of the shell, most of them landing on their backs. Diamond and Sapphire knew how to land on their feet.

"It takes practice," Sapphire said as he picked up Minako.

Diamond scooped up Usagi and Chibiusa. "Welcome to Black Moon."

It was menacing yet surprising beautiful. The sky was deep purple and black the grass was still green and there were trees and flowers and parks. It was far from the desolate world that she had been expecting.

"To the palace!"

They started walking towards the palace when they heard a whistling sound.

A caravan came for them.

"Prince Diamond. Prince Sapphire."

The driver came out. "You're mother, our Queen, has sent me to drive you and your guests."

"Of course. Hop in ladies."

They climbed in the caravan and he was a fast driver. Usagi clung to Diamond. "Did he teach you how to drive?"

"Haha! We all drive like this I guess," although the BMW was much smoother than this caravan.

They stopped in front of what was a magnificent looking palace. It must have at least five floors and there were alcoves, balconies, and towers. The guards drew their spears, blocking the entrance.

"Who goes there?"

Diamond and Sapphire came to the front.

"Prince Diamond, Prince Sapphire, it has been a long time." The guards opened the gigantic doors, ushering the group inside.

Trig ran into the house. "Home sweet home!"

Luna was amazed at all of the artwork. There were paintings, vases, sculptures, miniature fountains, and even the curtains were of the finest silk. Artemis was looking for the kitchen.

A butler-youma came out to greet them. "Welcome to our palace. If there is anything you would like, I am at your service."

"You have a youma for a butler?" Usagi whispered into Diamond's ear.

"There are all kinds of youma. Usually only the bad ones end up on Earth."

"Do you have a library?" Ami asked.

"We have three. We have a library on the Negaverse, one on the Extra-terrestial Entities and a third library on Weird Science."

Amy thought reading on the negaverse would be the most practical, but weird science sounded great.

"Could I go to the Weird Science Library?"

"Of course." He waved his hand, making a series of arrows. "Just follow the arrows."

Amy took off. Makoto went after her.

"How about a training room?" Rei asked.

Again, the butler waved his hand. "We have several training rooms, a weight training room and a sauna."

Rei and Esmeralda were off.

"I know where the spa is," Rubeus was off.

"How about the play room?" the butler suggested to Chibiusa.

"Yay!" Chibiusa followed the pink arrows set out for her.

"Would you like to see the music room?" Sapphire asked his girlfriend.

"That would be great."

He took her to a room in the back of the palace with a piano, microphone, guitars and a drum set. "My mother loves rock music. Queen came to play here once you know."

"How did she get Queen here?"

"I think she kidnapped them and convinced them it was an acid trip."

"HAHA! Your mother sounds awesome."

"Do you have any snacks?" Usagi asked the butler.

He made arrows that went to a seating area outside. Usagi and Diamond sat down. A waiter-youma came out with biscuits and jam.

"These are so good," Usagi said as she stuffed her mouth.

Diamond took a bite. He always did miss the food when he left.

In the Weird Science Library, there was a section called "Inexplicable Scientific Phenomena!" with books, journal articles and magazines documenting events from mass hallucinations to spontaneous human combustion.

Ami was reading about a mass hallucination in Spain while Makoto was checking out the exhibits. They had this bowl of weird goo on a speaker that would vibrate. "Non-Newtonian fluid, on Earth is referred to as oobleck." Weird?

Chibiusa was playing on a child-sized train set. "I'm the conductor. WOOT!"

Trig came to play too. "Isn't this room great?"

"Yeah."


Everyone was enjoying a leisurly afternoon, until a purple light came out of the sky. The palace shook as loud music began to play. Everyone went to the windows to see a being come out of the light. She was beautiful, tall and thin with purple hair and black eyes. She wore a fancy robe that matched her hair and had a gold stripe in the middle. With her crown on, it was clear that she was Queen Pearl and as her name suggested, she was adorned with pearls.

The guards escorted her into the palace where she went to living room. Everyone came to join her. The room was beautiful: large bay windows, fancy couches and tables and filled with flowers.

"I told you she loves dramatic entrances," Diamond said as he led Usagi to the living room.

"I would too if I could make such an entrance."

The servants bowed. "Queen Pearl, Welcome home."

"Why thank you. I trust the palace has been prepared for our guests."

"Absolutely. Can I bring any refreshments to drink, your Highness?"

"How about a pot of tea, actually make it two, a green tea with jasmine and a black tea with lychee."

"Yes, Your Highness and shall I bring the cookies too?"

"Of course. What is tea without cookies?"

"Welcome to our palace. Please take a seat. I hope everything is to your liking. Diamond, Sapphire, don't be rude. Introduce me to your guests."

"Of course mother," Sapphire said, trying to mask his sarcasm. "This is Rubeus and Esmeralda."

"Don't be a snot. I've known them since they were born. Welcome home, you two."

Rei chuckled. "I'm Rei."

The girls introduced themselves.

"I'm Chibiusa!"

"I know. We've met before."

"We have?"

The queen took off her crown and put her hair under her cloak.

"We have met before. You had that cute little robot."

"I did. He's upstairs right now."

Usagi pursed her lips. Now how did they meet and where?

"You will find out in due time," the Queen told her.

"How did you do that?"

"I'm very good at reading faces."

"Which means if you're thinking about something and you don't want her to know, think about something else," Diamond cautioned.

"Now don't scare your girlfriend. I'm harmless, well mostly." She chuckled.

The waiter brought in the tea and cookies. "So, what brings you all to visit me? I've never had the Sailor Senshi here before."

"Well you sent enough youma our way, so we thought it would be time to visit," Diamond told her.

"You think I sent those youma?"

"Did you not?"

"Of course I did. I was wondering how long it would take you to figure it out. All I wanted was for my son to bring home my girlfriend, so I could meet her. Was that too much to ask?"

"You didn't ask."

"I did, in my own way. Plus, I wanted to see how well she could fight."

"But you sent me youma I couldn't destroy."

"I know, and you didn't panic or run away. You stood your ground even though you didn't know what would happen. Very good."

Luna appeared from behind Usagi.

"Luna, I've been expecting you. Is Artemis here too?"

Artemis appeared from behind Minako. "How did you know who we were?"

"I've heard of you two years ago. You aren't the only one who looks over the senshi."

"How long have you known who we were?" Ami asked her.

"I had my suspicions, but I was sure once I sent Minako her first youma."

"That was you?"

Sapphire was flabbergasted. "Why?"

"She seemed bored. I thought if she knew who she was, she'd have some fun."

Minako laughed. "I was bored."

"Did you send our first youma too?" Rei asked her.

"No. I knew once Artemis appeared that the rest of you would figure it out in due time."


Before they could ask her anything else, the waiter came to find out what they would like for dinner. "Tonight we have a home-made spaghetti and meatballs, a chicken roulade filled with chorizo and wild mushroom stuffing or a grilled salmon with a mushroom risotto."

Chibiusa, Usagi and Sapphire all wanted the spaghetti. Rei, Esmarelda and Makoto got the salmon and Minako, Ami, Diamond and Rubeus got the chicken roulade.

They even had a menu for the animals. Luna got the salmon and sweet potato mash. Artemis got the meat surprise and Trig got the sweet potato mash with ground beef.

While dinner was getting prepared, the Queen had her own questions. "I want to know the gossip!"


As the girls started clamoring about who was dating whom, who had broken up with whom and what all they wanted to do with their summers, the boys felt a bit out of the loop as did Chibiusa.

"How about we play a game until dinner?" Diamond suggested.

"Hide and seek!" She ran off.

"This palace is huge," Sapphire told him.

"We can track her with her crystal. Let's give her a count of 30."

Dinner

They had dinner in a large dining room. They had to get a booster seat for Chibiusa. The silverware was sparkling, as were the glasses and the plates. Candles burned purple in the middle of the table. Diamond was looking through the wine cabinet.

"The sommelier has already picked out the wine for dinner."

"I know. I just wanted to see what you've added to the collection, since I've been gone."

"You would know if you came to visit more."

The waiters served a salad as a starter. They had four arms each, so it was easy to serve the whole table quickly.

Chibiusa was given a fruit salad, so she wouldn't have to eat any vegetables.

Usagi wanted one too, but she felt childish asking for one, so she ate her spring salad. She was surprised by how good it was. "This is delicious."

"I take it you're not a salad eater at home."

"It depends," Rei answered. "Is pizza a salad?"

"Shut up Rei. When is the last time you ate a salad?"

"Last week," she alleged; she didn't know.

The wine was poured as people ate their salads. Sparkling apple juice was poured for Chibiusa.

The main course arrived. Everything was plated perfectly and looked delicious. The spaghetti came with garlic bread; the salmon with a spicy mango salsa and the chicken roulade had a red pepper sauce.

The guests were so thrilled by the food they barely said anything other than yum and "is there more" in Usagi's case.

"You must save room for dessert," the queen told her.

"Dessert!"

They had a pistachio ice cream and a flourless chocolate cake. Usagi, of course, ordered both.

"You're such a greedy gut," Rei told her.

"How can I choose between cake and ice cream?"

"You can't." the queen said. She also got both. "And in this palace, you never will."

After dessert, the queen offered them coffee or tea. Luna had some questions about the future.

"Of course, but first, I need a word with Chibiusa, before she falls asleep."

"What?" She snapped herself awake. "Oh me!"

They went to the Queen's office. Usagi was still puzzled by her relationship to Chibiusa. What did she know that they all didn't?

"Do you remember what I said to you when we met?" The queen asked her.

"Yes," Chibiusa said. They had met at the time gate when she was on her way to the past. The Queen had told her that she would succeed in saving her mother. All she had to do was follow her heart and everything else would fall into place.

"Well, I am happy to say that we are on the right track. The people who had attacked your mother in the future are on a good path now. They won't do it again."

"How do you know?"

"Because they weren't bad people. They just had bad upbringings. Can you keep a secret?"

The girl nodded.

"I changed their pasts, so they would have a better future."

Chibiusa felt better knowing her mother would be okay, but she had one more question.

"Will I exist in the future?"

The Queen smiled. "The world you know will change, but you will be very much a part of it. Don't worry about who your mother marries. Her love created you the first time and her love will create you again."

"Even if she doesn't marry Mamoru?"

"Even if she doesn't marry him. I know that no matter what, your mother and father will both love you very much."

Chibiusa hugged the queen.

"You're a sweetie. Now how about we find you somewhere to rest before you have to go home."

A servant came and put Chibiusa in bed. The queen returned to the lounge.

"So who wants to start?"

Luna looked to Usagi.

"Can you help me? I was told that I was destined to marry Mamoru and we are to create Crystal Tokyo, but I don't love him, even though my past life did."

The Queen frowned. "Who on Earth told you that?"

"Well, my mother told me about my past life and about our future."

"This will surprise you, but try and let me finish before you freak out. Your past life was never in love with Endymion. You were betrothed to him and you planned to honor it to unify the moon and the Earth, but your heart belonged to someone else."

"But we saw her past life," Luna insisted. "She and Endymion were in love and Beryl attacked under the control of Metalia destroying everything."

"That never happened. I mean yes Beryl attacked under the control of Metalia, but that was a minor event. It didn't even cause the end of the Silver Millenium."

Luna frowned. Had her memories been altered?

"What really happened?" Usagi asked her.

"I will get there, but first I must confess. Diamond, you have a past life, one I never told you about."

"I have a what?"

"You were also in the Silver Millennium before it ended."

Diamond frowned in confusion.

"Let me start with some history. There were a lot of wars before the end of the Silver Millennium. People conquering planets and moons and from the wars formed alliances and then there were betrayals and wars. All you need to know from this is that Queen Serenity and the Earth King were allies and I was an enemy to both of them."

Princess Serenity and Prince Diamond fell in love at a masquerade ball that Venus had put on to celebrate Two Loves Day."

As the Queen told her story, Serena started having flashbacks to her past life.

Flashback

Serenity was in a chair. The servants were preparing her for the masquerade ball. They filed her nails, painted them, did her hair in an updo, and makeup and helped her into her dress, an exquisite blue ball gown.

"You look absolutely wonderful," they told her.

"The perfect princess."

Serenity smiled. She would not be the only princess there. There would be several as well as many princes. She hoped that today she would find a prince to love. She also looked forward to meeting up with her friends: The Princess of Venus, the Guardian of Mars, the Champion of Jupiter and the scholar of Mercury.

The Queen came into her room. "Serenity, this is an important day for you. You will be of marrying age just next year and this is the perfect time to start looking for a husband."

"Yes mother." Marriage sounded scary. Can't she have a proper kiss first?

"I have pre-approved many of the princes in attendance for your hand, so hopefully, one of them pleases you."

"Yes, Mother. I will do my best." What can I do really?

"You always do."

She got into her spacecraft and her driver took her to Venus. She was quickly escorted into the palace, guards meeting her when she landed at the Queen's insistence.

"Serenity, finally you're here!" She hugged her friend. "And you look fabulous. Let me get you a mask."

They went to her room, where a white and silver mask was fitted to her face.

"No one will recognize me with this mask."

"That is the point, Serenity."

"But how will I find someone to love if we can't even see each other."

"If you find love, you'll find him again."

They waited for their friends, and together, all five girls went down to the ball.

The ballroom was huge. There were people everywhere. Girls giggling, guys telling stories of war and snacks, which is where Serenity went first.

"You won't find a boyfriend on the food plate," her friend teased.

"No, but I do love these crabcakes."

The Princess was asked to dance by several men. The first kept stepping on her toes. The next had a penchant for bawdy jokes and the third couldn't stop sneezing.

Oh boy, isn't this a disaster!

She was about to sneak out for some air when a new suitor approached.

"May I have this dance?"

"I was just about to sneak out of here."

"Oh, I can sneak out with you. This place is a bit dry for my liking."

He had a powerful voice, sure of himself, a bit cocky actually. She did not think it wise to sneak off with him. "On the other hand, let's dance."

He took her hand and gently led her around the floor. He was a very good dancer.

"So what brings you to this occasion?"

"Huh!"

"Why did you come here tonight?"

"My mother wants me to find a husband."

"Do you want a husband?"

"Eventually, but I'm only 17. I haven't even had a boyfriend yet."

"Really?"

"Is that surprising."

"Well I just expected a lovely looking girl like you would have had plenty of chances for a boyfriend. Were none of them good enough?"

"My mother is very strict about my company, and you can't even tell what I look like."

"I can see you have beautiful eyes, a great figure and clearly very good taste in clothes. It is possible that you are a butter face, but I doubt it."

"What's a butter face?"

"You know. She has a great body but her face," is ugly.

It took her a moment to get the reference. "You're mean."

"I am not. I didn't make up the saying."

"But you used it."

"When? I know you're not a butter face, seeing as how I know who you are."

"You do."

"Of course Princess of Venus."

"I am NOT the Princess of Venus!" Serenity hated getting mixed up with her friend.

"I was just teasing, Odango."

"My name is not … wait a minute. How did you know how I usually wear my hair?" She slapped his shoulder. "You knew who I was the whole time, didn't you?"

"Of course I did. Why do you think I snuck into this ball? I wanted to see you."

"You did. Why?"

"You don't remember me. I'll give you a hint. We met a long time ago. I called you Odango, and you called me baka."

Serenity thought back. When she was a child, she had met a boy at the park, but the guards wouldn't let her play with him because they said his family was no good. He had called her Odango because of her hair and she said he was a baka. "It's you?"

"It is. My name is Diamond by the way," he whispered into her ear.

"And you came all this way just to see me."

"I did. I never forgot that day."

"Neither did I," she admitted. "I always wondered what happened to you."

"Well, now you can find out."

They were seated together at dinner. Diamond sabotaged the seating chart as Prince Endimyon had been set to sit with her. They laughed and told stories about their lives. Serenity's friend had helped them sneak off into a private room where he held her in his arms. "I wish we could be together," she told him.

"Why can't we be?"

"My mother will never allow it, and neither will yours."

"Don't worry about that for now. I will find my way to you. No one can stop me."

He leaned in, giving Serenity her first kiss. It was short and sweet, but she could have sworn that electricity ran through their lips, making her heart stop.

He pulled back. "Don't stop," she muttered. He cupped her face in his hands and kissed her again. They stayed in their embrace until Venus told them that Serenity's escorts to take her back to the moon were on their way.

"Come find me," she said to him.

"I will, I promise."

End of Flashback.

Back to the Queen's story.

I believe you call it Valentine's Day. Anyway, because of my rivalry with your mother, you both kept the relationship a secret.

Diamond, however, didn't want to keep it a secret forever, and he asked your mother for your hand. She refused, but he wouldn't give up courting you. He would send her Queen Serenity flowers, and fight her enemies. He even said he would get me to give back a territory that I had taken from her, fat chance of that, but he tried.

She was convinced it was some kind of trap, that I was behind it, and she arranged for Princess Serenity to marry Endymion. My son still refused to give up and kept sneaking into the palace to see the princess.

Prince Endymion found out about Diamond when his father hired spies to keep his eye on the Princess and when the King threatened to have Diamond killed, Princess Serenity promised to never see him again.

About six weeks later, she found out she was pregnant and she wrote to Diamond asking for him to come back as he was the father.

He did, along with an army that he had amassed, and the King's men attacked. Diamond and Endymion decided to settle the dispute with a duel. When the King realized his son was going to lose, he told his archer to shoot Diamond. Serenity pushed him out of the way, and she died.

Diamond snapped and he killed Endymion for sabotaging the duel and killing Serenity, although I don't think he knew what his father was doing. The King flipped out and they went to war, destroying the Moon Kingdom and everything in their path.

Little did Diamond know, the Death Phantom was really commanding his army. He had promised Diamond to help him get Serenity back, but the real plan was for him to destroy the Moon Kingdom.

Queen Serenity sealed the Death Phantom in Nemesis and sent Serenity, the rest of her senshi and Endymion into the future by 1000 years, so they could protect the world.

I sent Diamond too to try and make up for what I had done wrong. If I had been there for him, I could have tried to work out a truce with the Moon Kingdom so that he and Serenity could marry, and the war never would have happened, but I was selfish. We all were selfish and our children suffered over our pettiness. I promised myself I would never make that mistake again.

Serena was still trying to combine what she was hearing know with what she had remembered then.

"So is Crystal Tokyo just a lie?" Rei asked, not to thrilled that Usagi had been given a bogus past.

"I have no idea," she admitted. "If it was based on Serenity and Endymion falling in love, then its foundation is fiction, but it's existence could be real. I don't know what will happen in the future, but I can give Usagi a piece of advice.

In your last life, you were ready to marry someone you didn't love because you thought you needed to so you could protect your kingdom and its people. Despite your best efforts, it failed anyway. You can't take care of everyone to the point of forgetting yourself. If you don't take care of yourself, you are in no position to help anyone else.

When you agreed to marry Endymion, your heart was split in two, your love for Diamond against your love for your kingdom. You have to find a way to keep yourself whole. Follow your heart and you can find a way to protect those who need you. Divide yourself and it will inevitably backfire."

Usagi thanked the Queen for her help.

"Of course, and you all are welcome here anytime."

It was getting late. They had to get back to Earth. They all gathered around to transport home. Chibiusa was asleep so Usagi held her.

"EARTH TRANSPORT!" The brothers yelled as they got sucked into another bubble.

It was after ten by the time Usagi got home. Diamond helped her get Chibiusa in bed. "Good night Small Lady," Diamond kissed her forehead.

"Night Daddy!"

"Did she just call you Daddy?"

"She said her father would call her Small Lady. It's probably a reflex or something."

Diamond gave her a kiss goodnight. "Goodnight my Love."

Usagi grumbled. She wished he could stay the night.

Luna was asleep too. Today was such a weird day. How could Queen Serenity just make up a future for her and make up a past? Diamond said that his mother didn't lie but she could be misleading. What about the past did she leave out?

Usagi stripped down to her underwear and went to sleep.