AN: So this is late again. I would blame the inadequate number of reviews, but really it's just that I'm having a hard time with this story, like I've said before. I just can't seem to figure out where to take it next.

Disclaimer: Not mine, or really, this arc would've been so much better.

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The girls decided that they all needed a sort of break from work- both school and Senshi- and took it upon themselves to organize a day out. The men were ordered to join them. Not that each reacted the same way.

Kunzite had only studied Mina for a moment before inclining his head.

Zane had paled but ultimately succumbed to Ami's pleas that he needed to form a rapport with the others.

Nephrite, laid back as he was, agreed without hesitation.

Jomei had baited Rei a few times before he would give in.

Mamoru shrugged, far more accustomed to their behavior than the others.

The mall was the agreed upon destination, but they all met at the arcade first for lunch and milkshakes. Motoki had been a little surprised to see so many newcomers, but he had smiled just the same and delivered their food. Kunzite paid the entire tab despite protests.

So they trooped over to the mall, chatting about anything and everything. Makoto teased Kunzite a little for his informal appearance, so at odds with the strict general she was used to. Jomei pestered Zane until the younger man gave in to his jokes and started laughing.

Usagi decided it was good for them to be out and about, laughing in the open as though all their worries had been left behind. She laughed with the others as Nephrite held Minako's bag up too high for her to reach, or when Rei made some quiet comment that made Ami turn beet red.

They were passing the park when the sky seemed to explode overhead, causing all of them to tense as the Senshi reached for their henshin wands. Usagi's fingers were tightening on her broach when she heard a familiar voice.

"Chibiusa?"

So she raced into the park as the others shouted and followed after her, desperate to confirm her suspicions. And there she was, still small and pink, Luna-P next to her as she rubbed her elbows.

"Chibiusa!"

Her unusual gaze shot up in an instant at the shout, and before anyone could really process what was happening she was in Usagi's arms as they talked at the same time, holding on for all they were worth.

"Mamo-chan!" they called together, and he joined them in their little group hug. It was the image of a happy family.

Once she separated from her parents, the Senshi had to crowd around Chibiusa and welcome her back, asking what brought her and exclaiming over how much she'd grown. She was obviously older than she had been when she'd left a few months before, and Ami speculated she looked about eight years old instead of five.

By now the Shitennou were a little uncertain. Beside Kunzite, none of them knew who she was, but even as they were beginning to worry about it the pink haired girl broke free of the Senshi and ran up to them, giving each of them a hug in quick succession. It didn't ease their discomfort.

"I'm so glad my whole family is together now!" she chirped.

Kunzite knelt in front of her, a faint smile playing against his features. "Welcome back, little princess."

She pursed her lips. "I'm not that little!"

"No, you clearly have grown, but you seem to have forgotten your manners. My companions have not met you before, Chibiusa-sama."

Chibiusa blushed. "Sorry! I'm Tsukino Usagi. Nice to meet you!"

Zane's gaze flickered between her and the girl he knew as Usagi. "Ah, I seem to be at a loss. Tsukino Usagi?"

"Chibiusa, generally. It's what Mama and Papa call me here. At home I'm Small Lady."

"Mama and Papa?" Nephrite repeated. "You're from the future."

"Bingo!"

"Future?" Jomei asked, glancing at the others. "Our future? So if her parents call her Chibiusa, then Usagi and Mamoru are… Kiddo, does that make you my niece?"

She grinned. "Yep!"

"You don't have any brothers or sisters," Nephrite said mildly.

"Sure I do. You and Zane and Kunzite and Mamoru. Brothers. Mamoru's child, my niece. Simple."

Zane crouched down by Kunzite. "Hi. My name is Zane. Nice to meet you, Chibiusa-chan."

Chibiusa tilted her head to one side. "I already know who you are."

"Yes, but I am trying to be polite. You are a princess, after all."

"Okay," she said with a shrug. "Nice to meet you too. I normally call you Uncle Zoisite, though."

"Ah… Zane would be best, if you don't mind."

"Just tell her if you have a preference on names," Usagi called over to them.

Jomei flopped to the ground, but somehow still managed to look artistically sprawled. "You've killed me. I never thought I'd have a niece."

Chibiusa snickered. "You don't change."

"I should hope not!" he said as he sat up, acting offended. "Why change what's perfect?" He ducked the rock Rei had sent whizzing past his ear. "Whatever name you prefer is fine. I'm flexible."

Soon all four of the generals were playing with Chibiusa. Tag was an interesting experience when a few of the opponents could teleport. The rest of them had never seen Kunzite play around before and were awed by the experience.

Usagi saw Minako trailing away, so she told Mamoru and the rest of the girls to join them as she followed.

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Minako couldn't explain her sudden melancholy. It certainly wasn't like her.

So she left them in the park without a word.

She wandered the streets aimlessly. They wouldn't be going to the mall after all, so it wouldn't matter much if she went her own way.

Then she saw something entirely unexpected.

It was like her past had risen out of her distemper and became real, because in that instant Mina was willing to swear that she was watching Ace walk in front of her. It wasn't possible. She had killed him.

Hadn't she?

She had, just after he declared her love would always be hopeless.

Mina couldn't ignore it. Ace had been, for that brief moment of time, the person she had loved and admired. Despite his allegiance to the Dark Kingdom, she remembered how kindly Adonis had been before… just before.

So she followed the figure warily, wondering if Ace had returned the same way the Shitennou had, thinking he might possibly be an ally.

Ace went into a parking structure nearby, and Mina had to go in after him.

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Usagi saw the whole thing, but like Minako she was inclined to see the best in people. She followed both of them and slipped in as well, ducking behind a car to see what happened. She thought there might be other people walking around too, but she didn't see them.

In a single heart stopping moment she recognized the white panel van that had been there during the attack on Jadeite.

She opened her mouth to scream for Mina, to warn her, but it was too late. The sound of a shot rang out as Mina crumpled, Ace disappearing as she fell. Instead she unleashed the cry inside her mind and hoped it would alert the others.

Usagi turned to leave, to find a place to henshin, but a Daimon was unleashed before she could. In a flash all the entrances were sealed. She looked back at her friend.

The woman in red was there again, and she was giving some sort of monologue to the Daimon regarding how she, Eudial, was superior to Kaorinite, and that this heart was sure to be a Talisman.

Usagi sprang out of hiding the same time the other people she had heard did. "Haruka-san! Michiru-san!"

They looked uncomfortable over something, but her attention had already shifted to Minako.

"Don't touch it!" she cried as Eudial reached for the crystal. "DON'T!"

The woman just turned to the Daimon. "Doorknobder, deal with the intruders."

It argued, but Eudial repeated the order until it turned to face Usagi. And she had to make a choice: to henshin, revealing herself to civilians, or to risk Minako's life. It was no choice at all.

"MOON COSMIC POWER, MAKE-UP!"

She closed with the Daimon first by necessity- it was closer, and ill prepared for fighting or not it was an obstacle.

She was about to destroy it when she heard something unbelievable.

"URANUS PLANET POWER, MAKE-UP!"

"NEPTUNE PLANET POWER, MAKE-UP!"

Everyone stopped as Haruka and Michiru henshined. Sailor Moon came to her senses first and knocked the Daimon away, sprinting for Minako as Eudial reached for her heart crystal.

Neptune reached it first. "It's not a Talisman!"

The Moon Senshi almost collapsed in relief, but she turned her attention back to the battle.

"MOON SPIRAL HEART ATTACK!"

The Daimon was destroyed, but that still left Eudial. However, the monster's death had opened all the doors again, so with any luck the remaining warriors would join them.

Any sense of happiness she'd possessed vanished when Eudial revealed a weapon and threatened to use it on the still unconscious Minako. She had given a demonstration- the thing shot flames that Sailor Moon suspected would more than overwhelm Mars' own. She, Uranus and Neptune clustered over to the side, unsure of how to react. Taking advantage of that moment, the Moon Senshi sent a second plea through the bonds to her fellows.

"VENUS STAR POWER, MAKE-UP!"

Well, it didn't matter that Uranus and Neptune had seen them transform. They weren't civilians, and they had known already anyway. Usagi had been willing to accept the risk of henshining in front of an enemy, since they'd already proven her heart wasn't a Talisman. Venus, though, wasn't as powerful and might not survive an attack on her civilian self.

Venus didn't seem to care. "VENUS LOVE ME CHAIN!"

The weapon missed Eudial entirely, but it seemed to have been the point. Instead, its recoil had cut open the tank of Eudial's Fire Buster. It hissed and spat and Eudial, now disarmed, leapt into her van and drove away, nearly flattening the Senshi in the process. The others, just arriving outside, barely had enough time to get out of the way as she shot up the ramp.

Uranus and Neptune exchanged brief looks before turning and walking away. Sailor Moon couldn't let them go so easily.

"Haruka-san! Michiru-san!"

That prompted a flurry of murmurs from the others. The two Outer Senshi stopped at the top of the ramp.

"Why can't we work together? Why didn't you tell us who you were?"

"Your mission is not our mission," Uranus said.

That was the only reply she got as they walked away.

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We won't have any regrets, no matter who we sacrifice… Even if we have to sacrifice the owners of those pure hearts…

Usagi's dark thoughts were uncomfortable. She preferred the world of sunshine and laughter, after all, but the revelations of the previous days had shaken her.

She knew now who Uranus and Neptune were, and she knew that they couldn't see eye to eye where the pure hearts and Talismans were concerned.

The only bright spot was Chibiusa's return, something that had prompted a great deal of celebration among them. The news that she had come to train as a Senshi had been a bit of a shock and had dampened Usagi's spirits, but it paled against how happy her daughter's return made her.

Her thoughts circled back to Haruka and Michiru. She had liked and trusted them, and now she knew that it had all been a ruse. Helping her that night she'd been attacked, the way they had treated Makoto… It stung to realize how badly she seemed to misjudged them.

The phone rang, but she ignored it. If it was important her Senshi would use the communicator.

"Oi, stupid Usagi, phone," Shingo said as he stuck his head in the door. "Someone named Haruka."

"Haruka?"

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She thought about refusing to meet them as they asked, especially when they had been very clear that they only wanted to see her. Granted, she could call for Kunzite immediately if she needed him, but it seemed like a bad idea to go freely to people that had declared themselves her enemies.

She went in the end out of a sense of obligation. They were Senshi too, and on that dreadful night all those months ago they had left their human lives behind to save her. She hadn't forgotten.

So Usagi went to the building they had chosen for the meeting and up to the fiftieth floor. The elevator doors opened to a spectacular set of aquariums filled with tropical fish, turning the light blue and giving the impression that they were somewhere far away.

"This is amazing!" she declared, trying for some lightheartedness. "I didn't know there was an aquarium at the top of this building! Hey, can I bring my friends here some time?"

Silence was the only response she received. Haruka and Michiru were there, but Haruka was looking through the glass as if she hadn't heard a word. Michiru seemed content to follow the blonde's lead.

"…Can I?"

Haruka closed her eyes. "Don't show yourself in front of us ever again… Sailor Moon."

"We… are all the same… We're Sailor Senshi. We can't fight together?"

Finally Haruka walked over to her. "I won't allow you to slow us down with your half baked play war."

She grabbed at the Moon Senshi's henshin broach, and Usagi automatically moved to stop her. The older girl was both taller and stronger though, and after a brief struggle she had the broach in hand as Usagi crashed to the ground.

"I'll hold onto this."

She and Michiru began to walk away as Usagi shot back up.

"Wait! Please, don't go after people's pure hearts any more!"

"Don't say that. Listen. The next time you show yourself in front of us… You will die!"

They henshined as she stood there speechless and unsure. Without the broach, she couldn't transform herself, so there was no way she could fight them or keep them from doing whatever it is that was so important they needed to be sure she couldn't interfere.

"We are searching for the Talismans that are sealed inside pure hearts," Uranus said. "The Holy Grail will not appear unless we collect all three Talismans in one place."

It was hearing "Holy Grail" that stunned Usagi into silence. She knew what that was. And the Talismans… Realization crashed into her all at once. Usagi knew in that instant whose pure hearts contained those sacred items.

"Silence… A time of destruction is approaching this world right now. The only one who can save us is the Messiah, the one who can use the Grail," Neptune added.

"It has nothing to do with you."

A door opened behind them, leading to the roof. There was a helicopter there and the two Senshi headed to it.

Usagi struggled to be heard over the wind. "Haruka-san! Michiru-san!"

They ignored her and flew away.

But she knew the answers now! She knew where to find the Talismans, and more, she knew the Grail. They had refused to hear her, though, and had left before she could tell them.

"Will you go rescue them? They have headed off to the place where their destined battle will begin… But today, even those two are in danger."

Usagi knew that voice. "Pluto! They're in danger?"

"Will you go rescue them? But you might see even graver danger, as you are unable to henshin…"

"Please! If you know where I should go, tell me!"

Pluto- in her civilian form- met her eyes. "Marine Cathedral. Will you be able to stop them, Sailor Moon?"

Her answer was to reach out with her mind and desperately press against Kunzite's. /Kunzite, I need you!/

/I cannot come right this instant, but I will be able to slip away in ten minutes. Where are you?/

She gave him the address. /I need you to send me to the Marine Cathedral as quickly as you can. Then get the others and bring them after me./

/As quickly as I may./

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"We'll finally meet the owner of a Talisman," Uranus said as they looked up at the massive structure.

Neptune reached for her hand. "Uranus. You understand… that no matter what happens, we will acquire the Talismans. From here on, we'll ignore each other's danger and you'll move on by yourself."

"What are you talking about now, of all times?"

"You're right…"

Eudial had invited them to this place, claiming she'd found a Talisman's keeper. There had been some comments about working together, but it was clear that she'd found out who they were after they had henshined in front of her.

They entered, but the long hall seemed deserted and entirely unfriendly. It was unsettling Neptune, whose intuition warned her that something was wrong. It was clear she was correct when various wall insets began to move around them. It was a trap.

The warriors went back to back. The walls flew back and forth around them, but Uranus and Neptune had been trained since ancient times in far more difficult maneuvers. They dodged the various attempted blows. Their attacks smashed through them, reducing them to rubble.

"How's that?" Uranus asked.

She didn't see another one appear or realize it was flying at her unprotected back, but Neptune did. She pushed her partner out of the way only to be caught herself. Before Uranus could react, she had vanished.

The sound of a pipe organ filled the air, and she heard Eudial laughing.

"Sailor Uranus! Now, I have the owner of a Talisman!"

"What are you talking about?"

"I really fell for it as well… But then, not even you had realized it."

"What in the world are you talking about?"

"I'll tell you. The owner of a Talisman is your partner, Sailor Neptune! I will soon extract the Talisman from Neptune. How do you feel about that? If you want to watch, come to the main hall."

Uranus needed no further urges. She sprinted down the long entry in response, mind awhirl. She couldn't see how Neptune was one of the carriers of the Talismans. There was no way… was there?

She reached the main hall and threw open the doors. There, in the center of a long path, was the strange red piece of wall that had stolen her partner. Neptune was bound to it by some sort of thorny creeper, clearly unconscious.

"NEPTUNE!"

She hadn't realized that this too would be a trap. Instead of the walls flying at her, they merely turned. And unloaded a barrage on the unsuspecting warrior. She shrieked in pain and fell back.

"You fell for it!"

The organ playing stopped. It had only been a recording.

"Idiot, when someone other than myself walks across this bridge, they receive divine punishment!"

"Divine… punishment…?"

"Don't worry. I haven't pulled out Neptune's Talisman yet. I must pull the Talisman out of another person first…"

"Another owner of a Talisman?" Uranus managed to say as she propped herself up on her elbows.

Eudial leveled her gun against Uranus' chest. "I mean, you! I'm talking about your heart… The one that tried to save the world, without fear of soiling one's hands."

She smirked. "Talismans are sealed within pure hearts. There is no way I could be holding a Talisman."

"You'll see soon enough… Although with those wounds, the force of this gun will kill you."

A ripping sound was the first warning they got. "URANUS!" Neptune screamed as she tore free and ran for them.

She was met with the same fate as Uranus. The guns in the walls fired on her too, but she stood up again.

"Haruka… I won't let you die…"

"Wait, Neptune, don't move!"

She didn't listen, and she paid the price. Another barrage, longer now, tore into her, and her screams shredded her partner's heart. Still, she got back to her feet, whispering her name.

Neptune began to stumble forward again, but there was no further attack. The mechanisms that had hurt them before had run out of ammunition, and she proceeded forward.

Eudial had been surprised at the failure of her trap, and Neptune went straight to her. The woman reacted automatically, and another shot rang out.

Neptune's glimmering heart tore free behind her as she crumpled, coalescing into a small hand mirror emblazoned with her symbol as Uranus stared on in shock. She didn't move again.

"So this is a Talisman. I'll take yours next!" Eudial cried.

"We are the ones in whom the Talismans were sealed… O Messiah, is this the punishment we get?"

"Hold it right there!"

In the light from the stained glass windows, the first impression Uranus had of the newcomer was an angel with wings like a butterfly's. It was the image of the Messiah, and she felt a surge of hope.

Before she could recover from the surprise of Usagi's appearance, the petite blonde launched herself into Eudial, knocking her away from the wounded soldier. The gun was knocked away as their enemy plummeted below.

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"Snap out of it, Michiru-san!" Usagi studied the glowing mirror. "Please, Talisman. Turn back to Michiru-san's heart crystal."

"Stop that. We've found the Talisman. This is the way it should be."

"Impossible! Then, Michiru-san is…"

"You're so unfair, Michiru," Uranus whispered. "To leave for a world of your own…"

She threw back the broach.

"I'll return that to you. You really were reckless. You knew you couldn't henshin. You don't learn, do you?"

Usagi watched her reach for the gun and lunged. "You can't!"

"Let go!"

"Stop that!"

"There is another Talisman inside me!"

"Even if we don't have the Talismans, we can save the world!"

She wouldn't tell Uranus what she knew now. Not when she knew it would result in her death. She wouldn't have another friend die for the cause.

"What?"

"I'll… save the world."

"It's strange… When you say it, it really feels like you will. A few minutes ago, for some reason, you looked like the Messiah although I don't believe in your powers."

"Haruka-san…"

The blow came without warning, and Usagi was thrown back as Uranus tightened her grip on the gun.

"Sailor Moon, please make sure to find the last Talisman too."

"STOP!"

The others arrived as she fired, and they all saw the crystal of Uranus' pure heart transform to a marvelous jeweled sword.

"This can't be…" Usagi whispered. "Haruka-san… Michiru-san…"

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AN: I always hated this part. They essentially killed themselves for no purpose, because obviously there's a way for the Talismans to be removed that doesn't involve dying. But, that's how it goes, so I'll work with it. Now, guys, please review. I really need some input on this behemoth or I may end up giving it up as a lost cause. So please, let me know what you thought. Till next time!