AN: Wow, thanks so much for all the reviews! I know I at least partially threatened everyone into it, but I really do appreciate it. I continue to be at a bit of a loss where this story's concerned, but the feedback definitely motivated to keep writing.

Disclaimer: I still don't own Sailor Moon. Nor do I expect to. Ever.

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It was difficult to continue being soothing when Usagi entered into a long stretch of pain. Her wings had initially emerged slowly, but the closer they got to the end, the worse it got.

Mamoru barely stifled a sigh as he continued to hold onto her through the spasms. It was probably one of the last bouts they would have to go through, but it didn't make it easier for either of them. She had to cope with the agony without his magic, and he had to try to help her through it despite how hard a time he had seeing her in pain.

"Almost there," he murmured against her hair as she grabbed onto his hand hard enough to leave bruises. It didn't matter; they would heal in a matter of minutes. "Just a little bit more, okay?"

"If having a baby is worse, I might have to reconsider," she managed to gasp.

"Don't let Chibiusa hear that."

"She's with the others, right?"

He nodded. Kunzite had fallen into the habit of teleporting the pair away immediately following any battle, and he led the others in keeping Chibiusa distracted until Usagi was able to hide her wings again and go back to normal. It was clear the group was suspicious, but no one had said anything yet.

Mamoru wanted to be able to help, but his knowledge of Lunarian physiology was limited to whatever Endymion and Serenity remembered, and while Endymion was a healer he had never been trained as a full medic, and Serenity's education had been focused on classics and politics.

"Maybe we should ask Zane or Ami-chan," he suggested at length, suspecting it would only be rejected again. "They might know more about what to do for you."

"No," she grimaced, her grip tightening again as another centimeter of wing slid free. "Can't tell."

"They hate it when you keep secrets from them."

"I know."

He did sigh this time.

Things were hard. It was true that Super Sailor Moon was more than a match for Daimons now, but they had no idea where to look or how to put a stop to it. The Daimons appeared seemingly at random, took a pure heart, and attempted to run. They didn't seem to have a controller behind them.

The two bright spots were simple: Uranus and Neptune, while not precisely allied with the rest of the group, were no longer fighting against them, and Super Sailor Moon was very powerful. A Daimon didn't stand a chance.

The negatives were worse. Kunzite and Nephrite had both been targeted, meaning that almost the entire group had barring Mamoru and Chibiusa. They had no leads whatsoever. According to the various psychics, the Silence was coming closer by the minute. And Usagi, while unstoppable in battle, was essentially helpless for hours after.

"I'm missing something," she muttered as she slumped against him, the pain finally ending for the day. She would be able to make her almost entirely revealed wings disappear in another hour or so, at least until it began again after the next battle. "There's something I should know, but I can't remember it. Something important. Why can't I remember?"

Mamoru picked Usagi up, taking care not to jostle her wings. "You'll remember eventually, so try not to worry about it. You'll only upset yourself."

He ran a warm bath for her and left her to soak for a while. She didn't like waterlogged feathers, but it was the only thing that would relax her enough to sleep. Satisfied she'd be okay for a half hour or so, he returned to the living room and froze.

Uranus, Neptune and Pluto stood there waiting.

He went for his henshin rose automatically, transforming into Tuxedo Kamen as he stared at them. "What do you want?"

"Peace, Prince," Pluto said quietly. "We are not here to do battle."

"I've trusted you this long, Pluto, and you haven't given me a reason not to. It's your partners I don't trust."

"We want you to keep Sailor Moon out of battle," Uranus stated.

"If you knew her at all, you wouldn't bother to say that."

"We're the guardians of the solar system," Neptune explained. "We're stronger than the Guardian Senshi in order to keep intruders away. We failed, but this is our fight."

"I already know who and what you are. She does too. It doesn't matter. It became ours when a friend was attacked in front of us. You need her power."

"She's not the Messiah. The Death Busters aren't like your other enemies."

"I agree; they're not. But the Black Moon Clan wasn't like the Makaiju, and they weren't like the Dark Kingdom. We're a little more flexible than you seem to think."

"It's our problem. They can't handle it."

"We've handled it this long. We've dealt with it even as the people we care about were targeted. Including you, I might add. She stood up for you that day in the Marine Cathedral. You should be more appreciative."

"We… appreciate… what she did," said Uranus with some difficulty, "but it doesn't change the facts. She doesn't belong in this war, not with her childish ideals."

"Those childish ideals have saved the world before. You're underestimating her." He faced Pluto. "You're being quiet about this."

"It is not my place to make their decisions."

"You're a member of their team."

"You know the limits I face. I cannot share my knowledge, even with them."

He frowned, but nodded. "I see. Well, I've heard what you had to say. You should leave before Usako comes out."

"She's here?" Neptune asked.

"Yes. Would you like to explain your plans to her? I'm sure she'd be glad to hear how little you understand her."

"We'll go," Uranus decided.

He watched until they were gone before he de-henshined.

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Mamoru left a note on the bedside table, letting Usagi know he'd gone out to run a few errands and that he'd told Kunzite to keep an ear out if she needed him.

He got some groceries first, since Usagi's sudden presence at most meals had worn down his supplies. Hoping to make her feel better, he even picked up a few of the sweets she favored. He dropped those in the trunk of his car before heading down a few stores to a school supply shop. He was out of notebooks and most of his pens were dead.

Of course, part of the reason he'd left was to deal with what he'd learned from the Outers. They hadn't told him much, but it was the things they hadn't said that held his attention.

Pluto had never actually voiced her opinion regarding Usagi's role in the war. It could mean that she agreed with the other two warriors, but it could also mean that she knew things they didn't and was avoiding saying things that might influence the timeline. She'd done both in the past, so deciding which it was proved difficult.

Neptune too had said very little, and as the group's psychic that made him worried more than anything. He knew that they tended to clam up when something bad was coming. Rei had stopped talking as much too, except to say that the Silence was coming. He didn't know Neptune well enough to understand her intentions, but the fact remained that she'd said little to back up her partner.

Uranus bothered him. She was clearly the leader of the Outers despite several strikes against her. She let her temper get the better of her and didn't always stop to think. While the same was admittedly true of Usagi, he was always assured that the little blonde had only the best of intentions. Uranus might have saved her once before, but he couldn't trust her to do it again if she thought sacrificing the princess would save the world.

He also knew that given his own feelings he couldn't be sure he would save the world if it meant her life.

"Mamoru-sama?"

He nearly jumped, but he recognized the voice quickly enough to save himself that bit of embarrassment. "Zane-san."

"Are you all right? You seem preoccupied. Usagi-sama is well, I hope."

He knew Zane and Ami in particular were suspicious of their behavior. They weren't the geniuses of the group for nothing. Still, tempted though he was to ask them, he knew it was Usagi's decision to make.

"She's fine. I'm fine. What brings you here?"

Zane held up a stack of notebooks and other supplies. "I offered to pick up a few things for Ami-san. She has cram school."

Mamoru nodded. "Yeah, she mentioned that. The others were really glad they wouldn't have to do more studying for the entrance exams."

"I offered to do the tutoring for her, but she said it was best to give them time off now and then." The blond studied his prince. "You do seem distracted. You are sure nothing is wrong?"

"Hm? Yeah, I'm sure. I just needed to get a few things and I'm trying not to forget them."

Zane was obviously not buying it, but he was kind enough to let the matter go. "If you say so."

The older teen sighed as he left, trying to massage away the burgeoning headache. And given his mood, it shouldn't have surprised him to practically walk into a Daimon.

"Of course," he muttered, shoving his bag of stuff into his subspace pocket before reaching for his rose. At the same time, he gave his link to Zoisite a quick shove, and judging by the yelp he heard inside his guardian had felt it. An alarm was quickly triggered through the bonds.

The monster growled at him, and in the middle of a street Mamoru couldn't risk a henshin. He quickly backpedaled, dodging a blow that might have squished him like a bug if he hadn't moved.

It was obvious the Daimon was a primitive one. It had power, that much was obvious, but it seemed to have no intelligence to go with it. Its personality consisted solely on distemper and tenacity. It reached for him again, and Mamoru had to drop to the ground entirely so it couldn't grab him.

"That is a yellow monkey," Zoisite said as he appeared.

"Good guess. Couldn't tell. Want to help?" Mamoru snapped as he plastered himself against the wall.

Zoisite tried to distract it, but the Daimon's only response was to swat at him like a fly and go after Mamoru again. It took some complicated maneuvering to get out of that one. Fortunately the thing had no real concept of agility.

"After today, I would get a stupidly stubborn one."

"Where is Sailor Moon?" Zoisite demanded.

"My place," he answered through gritted teeth. "Get her, but for goodness' sake, not a word about what you find."

The look the blond general gave him was one of absolute bafflement, but he obeyed the command even as the prince was seized by the scruff of his neck and held up in the monkey's face.

"You're an ugly monkey," he told it. "Just letting you know."

It answered by way of shaking him like a child's rag doll, hard enough that he was afraid his neck might snap. After which it proceeded to get way too up close and personal.

"Ew," Sailor Moon said as she and Zoisite appeared. "I know I should be more worried about him, but ew."

"Ah, would you mind, Princess? It has stolen his heart, after all," Zoisite prodded.

"Right."

She lifted the Grail and allowed a fragment of its power to flow into her before hurriedly snapping it shut again. She hadn't learned much about the Grail, but it was infinitely clear that the thing certainly possessed power, but it also lacked any amount of control.

She had become Super Sailor Moon by the time the Daimon dropped Mamoru's still body. The monster turned to go as she took a moment to kneel at his side.

"I'm sorry, Mamo-chan. I never wanted this to happen to you." She shot to her feet. "Hey, you! Bigfoot!"

Zoisite groaned. "Bigfoot?"

"You're not allowed to steal someone's heart like that, you ill-mannered ape! In the name of the Moon, I will punish you!"

It made a sort of swallowing sound before growling again.

"RAINBOW MOON HEART ACHE!"

The monster reverted to a stuffed monkey, and Mamoru's heart crystal quickly flew back to his body as she powered down.

His eyes snapped open in a hurry. "Usako! Zoisite, get us back to my place. Now!"

Still completely confused, Zoisite complied, and they had just reached Mamoru's living room when Usagi collapsed in Mamoru's arms.

"Usagi-hime!" the blond cried.

"Get me hot water and towels," Mamoru ordered distractedly. "If you can find some clean. If not there should be some old sheets in the closet."

Zoisite tried to understand what was going on. He had seen the glossy white feathered wings on Usagi's back when he'd gone for her, but there had been nothing to explain her sudden collapse or Mamoru's panic. When he found them, Usagi was lying on her stomach on Mamoru's bed, wings again exposed. And he saw the blood.

"Dear gods," he whispered. "What is happening to her?"

"It turns out gaining her wings is a painful process," Mamoru answered, eyes grim. "This is the first time she's passed out like that, though. Soak one of the towels and give it to me, then get another one yourself. We need to get the blood off so we can see what we're dealing with, but after that we just have to wait it out. Be careful; the wings are very sensitive."

For ten minutes, they didn't say anything as they carefully washed away the streams of blood marring the feathers and her back. Zoisite, despite his training and expertise, was at a loss as much as his prince was. He didn't know anything about the Lunarian royalty's wings.

Usagi came to with a shriek of pain just after they finished cleaning her up and managed to stop most of the bleeding. There were only trickles as her wings inched out now. She clutched Mamoru spasmodically, trying to contain her cries.

"Shh," he hummed. "It's okay, Usako. Last time. One last go of it and they'll be clear. You're being so brave, my poor girl. Relax and ignore it. You're almost there."

"Mamo-chan, it hurts! It HURTS!"

"I know it does, Usako, but you have to relax or it'll be worse. Focus on me, okay? It's almost over. This one is going much more quickly. Zoisite, can't you do anything?"

The petite teen turned her head enough to see him. "Zoisite?"

"I can try." He held his hands over her back and focused until a dim blue nimbus surrounded them. "I cannot stop the pain, but I can ease it. Breathe deeply, Usagi-hime. Slow. There you go. Watch Mamoru-sama. Keep breathing."

They both breathed a sigh of relief as she fell asleep. "What did you do?" Mamoru asked. "I tried everything I could think of to make it hurt less, but nothing seemed to make a difference."

"It was not for the pain. I induced sleep despite the pain. More, I had to tap Mercury's power to accomplish it, and it was difficult without the full bond."

"So she'll know something's going on."

"Most likely, yes."

"Well, it can't be helped. That was a bad one." He winced and rubbed his ribs. "I didn't realize that having my heart crystal stolen would hurt quite like that either. Not with how it was taken."

"I imagine it was significantly less painful than what Usagi-hime or myself encountered."

"Probably."

"What has been happening? Is this why you have been vanishing after every battle?"

Mamoru sighed. "Yeah. It's been like this since she got the Grail. I think that this is the last round, though. It should be done after today."

That seemed to be true. Her wings were slowly flexing and expanding further outward, and there was less blood with each extension. Usagi still whimpered a little as she slept, but it was obviously less painful than before.

The two young men sat down to watch her, occasionally talking a little before lapsing into silence again. Despite the time Zoisite had spent as a member of the team, he continued to find it difficult to truly be one of them.

A silver sheen sparkled across Usagi's skin as the wings completed their growth and suddenly were clean, and the light was soon replaced with the gown of the princess. The golden moon shone serenely on her forehead.

"It's finished," Mamoru whispered, relieved. "Thank the gods."

Zoisite tested her forehead for fever before taking her wrist to check her pulse. "She seems to be in perfect health now."

She stirred slightly, causing the general to withdraw in a hurry. "Mamo…chan?"

"I'm here. Are you feeling all right?"

Serenity nodded, brows drawn. She didn't seem to notice Zoisite at all. "Fine, but something seems… different…"

"Your wings."

He ran one hand down the right one, and she shivered from the caress. "They're grown."

"You've come into your own again. Serenity."

"Serenity? I… When did I change?" A moment later she was just Usagi again, but the moon and wings remained. "What's going on?"

"It will take a few hours before you will be able to hide the wings," Zoisite explained quietly, "or so I would guess. Are you still in pain?"

"No, not at all."

"Good. I shall leave you two alone, then."

He disappeared, and she shifted uncomfortably as the neckline of Mamoru's oversized shirt chafed the still tender point where feathers met flesh.

"You're uncomfortable," he realized. "I don't think I have anything that would work better."

"If you check the outfits I left in your closet over the summer, there should be a halter top. I can wear that if you'll find it and a pair of pants or something."

So he fished out the white top for her and managed to find her a pair of khaki pants to go with it. She changed in the bathroom again as he waited, anxious to be sure she was all right.

When she came back, she seemed to be at war with her long blonde hair.

"What's wrong?" he asked, confused.

"It keeps trying to get tangled into my wings!" she moaned. "The only thing that would be likely to keep it out of the way is a braid, and I can't braid it all behind my back! Not with these wings in the way!"

It took most of his life's training to maintain his composure, and even so Mamoru could feel laughter lurking just beneath the surface, waiting for a chance to spring. He swallowed. "Well, sit down and I'll do it for you, okay?"

She did, still mumbling irritably as she attempted to separate the strands from the feathers. She also seemed to be having a hard time keeping her wings from moving, since one or both would randomly flex. He sat down behind her and placed a hand on each until they stilled.

"Thanks," she murmured.

"No problem." He took the brush she was holding and set to work. The braid, when it was done, was a bit sloppy, but at least it wasn't causing any more trouble. "There we go."

Usagi smiled, but she still looked a little insecure. "This isn't too weird, right? I mean, I have wings. I must look so silly."

"Silly?" Mamoru repeated. "You look amazing. Just like an angel."

"Angels probably don't have to fight with their hair."

It was probably true, but he decided not to say that. "I'm sure your mother had the same problem when it happened to her. Still, you look beautiful. It's not like I would lie to you, right?"

"Right."

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AN: So this wasn't a very exciting chapter, but I figured I might as well get this part out. Next chapter should see things heat up again. As usual, please review- I won't mandate three, but I would definitely prefer it. Till next time!