"Venus… My Princess…"

Minako groggily opened her eyes and took in her surroundings. "Adonis?" she asked as she looked at the beautiful boy in front of her, who stared at her with concerned eyes. "Where am I? What happened?"

He shook his head, his ghostlike form making it seem as if he glowed in the dimly lit room. "You were not prepared to face Psyche yet. Not in a borrowed form…" he lowered his gaze, ashamed. "I could not give you the power you needed. I am sorry."

Minako forced herself to sit up. She reached up to place a hand on Adonis' shoulder, but stopped herself. I had forgotten… his form is not real. I can't even comfort him. "I don't understand… what exactly happened?"

"Psyche is incredibly strong. She attacked you, the energy thrusting you toward the ground, knocking you out. After you fell unconscious, Psyche lost interest in her game and left," Adonis explained.

"Did you take me here?" Minako asked, words of thanks already on her lips.

Adonis sighed in response. "I wish that I could have been the one to carry you here… But this form…" he looked down at his hands, their corporeality wavering with his confidence.

The door to the room slid open.

"Minako! You're awake!" Usagi ran toward her, arms wide and ready to hug. "I was so worried about you. Mamo-chan came just in time to see the attack, and he carried you back here. How are you feeling?"

Minako nodded and looked around the room once more, the light from the hallway trickling in. Of course. I know where I am now. Rei's shrine. Where else? "I'm fine. The others…?"

Usagi was distracted by the presence of an unexpected figure in the room. "Is someone else here?"

Immediately, Minako remembered herself. I've always kept this part of my past hidden. It was too painful, and I wasn't ready to talk about it. She glanced at Adonis, who nodded in return. I guess it's time that I told them. "You're right, Usagi. Someone else is here. Rather, his spirit is, anyway. This is Adonis, the one who lent me his powers during the last battle."

Usagi bowed politely, but the confusion was still clear on her face. "And… who is he?"

Artemis stepped forward from behind Usagi and sighed. "In this life, he was Minako's first real love."

Minako blushed as Artemis spoke. I know he never approved of Kaitou Ace… and, well, he was right. Kaitou Ace was Danburite, after all.

Adonis' eyes sparkled, a polite but apologetic smile on his face. "Much like your Endymion's Shitennou, I was corrupted by Queen Metalia's dark energy. However, in my past life, I was a loyal foot soldier on Venus. I fought alongside Endymion long ago."

"Then why have I never heard you mentioned? Neither Minako or Mamo-chan have ever said anything about you," Usagi asked, offended that the people so close to her had kept something like this from her.

Adonis glanced at Minako. "There are reasons for everything, I am sure. But I am sorry… I cannot last in this form any longer. I must go." As he faded away he bowed to the two princesses in his midst.

Usagi and Minako sat in the silence that remained, neither one wanting to be the first to speak.

Finally, Minako decided to speak up. Rather than staring at the space where Adonis was, I should be worried about my friends. "Is everyone else okay? Where are they?"

Usagi's eyes widened. "That's right! I only came in here to check on you and see if you were awake! Everyone is fine now, we're about to have a meeting to talk about this new battle. Come on, we'd better go, or Rei will get angry at me for wasting time."

Minako smiled to herself. Why was I so worried about telling her? She's still the same old Usagi. Nothing has changed at all.

….

"You said that her name was Psyche?" Ami asked Usagi and Minako.

Minako nodded. I feel terrible. As I look around, I see that there are cuts and bruises all over everyone. This is the damage that my attacks caused.

"I see… that explains why she was able to take on your powers, and why she has a personal vendetta against you," Ami explained. "In mythology, Psyche was essentially Venus' human counterpart and rival. Legend states that the goddess Venus was jealous of the beauty of the mortal Psyche, and sent her son Cupid to make Psyche fall in love with a hideous beast. However, startled by Psyche's ability to see him despite his invisibility, Cupid scratched himself with his arrow and fell in love with her instead…"

"Wait just a minute," Minako interrupted. "There is no way that I would have done something like that ever. Why would I have been jealous of her? And even if I were, I would never try to do something so terrible. Besides, I never had a son." Never got the chance.

"Relax," Rei interjected. "That's just the myth of the Roman gods, not a true reflection of you. No one is saying that you did those things."

"That's right," Makoto agreed. "I mean, in Roman mythology Jupiter, Mercury, and Mars are all men. Obviously the myths aren't accurate. Or if they are, they're from another life and beings different from ourselves and our past."

"Exactly," Ami smiled, turning back to Minako. "The myth is one thing, the truth is quite another. What you need to do is remember what really happened in the past."

"I can't remember much at all…" Minako sighed. But I know exactly who to go to… Adonis has always had a better awareness of the past than I have. He's the one who helped me to recall my true purpose. I hope that he is able to help me again…