AN: I apologize once again for the length of time you have waited to read this. This chapter has been floating about in my brain for a long time, but had not been able to find its way out onto the page. About half of it had been written prior to the hard drive failure, but since it wasn't backed up anywhere, I had to rewrite it from memory. I've received many suggestions and comments about this story and I appreciate that you feel so strongly about my work and so comfortable reaching out to contact me. I hope that this chapter more than lives up to your expectations. The good news is that chapter 5 is already started.

This chapter is dedicated to my beta and sounding board: Usa. I don't know what I would do without ya, mate!

/\/\/\/\

A soft beeping from Mercury's minicomputer drew their attention. "They're here." Mercury stated flatly.

/\/\/\/\

Mercury's gentle announcement sent Moon's pulse racing. Her stomach twisted into a nauseous lump and her palms began to sweat, dampening her gloves. She nibbled absently on her lower lip and watched the approaching warrior with dread. She was terrified of failing, of losing her team to this self-proclaimed Princess.

Mars dropped a reassuring hand on her shoulder, startling the young blonde out of her thoughts. She turned towards the fire senshi, a grateful smile on her lips, the worry easing slightly in her deep blue eyes. Mars touched Moon's tiara with her free hand, wordlessly conveying confidence and support to the younger girl. Bicker though they might, only Tuxedo Kamen was better at giving Moon the support she needed to firm up that backbone and face any challenge that came along.

Venus observed the connection between the two girls as she entered the clearing. A pang pierced her heart at the bonds between the four senshi before her. She resented the fact that she had been awakened alone, without the four people who had been most important to her in her past life. A dark spiral of envy colored her thoughts of Usagi. Usagi hadn't fought alone, not even from the very beginning. Endymion had been aiding her from her very first battle, protected and loved without any of them remotely realizing the true seriousness of their mission.

Mercury took note of the dark look on Venus' face and wondered silently about the hurt and anger that seemed to age the girl before her. The hurt and anger seemed most raw whenever their newly-discovered Princess looked upon Usagi and that gave the senshi of water pause. She did not wish to lose her first true friend because this Princess had pre-judged her and found her wanting. She resolved to find a way to make Venus view Usagi in a fair light.

Jupiter wasn't paying attention to the underlying emotions rampaging about the five of them. She was angry and frustrated and was actually eager about displaying her skills to the self-righteous senshi of Venus. Of the four of them, she was the one who believed the least of what Minako had told them earlier. Oh, she might truly be the Princess, after all, who else was likely to be? Usagi? Rei? She snickered softly at the idea. Not one of them was suitable, in her opinion, but this Minako seemed to have the right attitude and bearing to be royalty. After all, she certainly was an arrogant little piece of work. But that didn't mean she had the right to lie to them. Furthermore, it certainly seemed like sour grapes to Jupiter that Minako had been blaming everything on Mamoru's past self. If Serenity had been dumb enough to go to Earth in the first place, then she should be woman enough now to accept the fault and not dump all over the man she had claimed to love beyond all good sense in her past life. It wasn't like Endymion had made her love him, anyway, now was it? Jupiter's head began to hurt from all the name changes as she tried to sort out past life, present life, past life alter-egos, and present life alter-egos. Sighing, she cheerfully cursed the blonde for bringing all this drama into their already demanding lives and waited for something to happen.

Venus closed her eyes, shaking off her personal demons and letting her persona as leader and Princess take over. When she opened her eyes, she was ready to put the girls through their paces and assess them. "Thank you for meeting me out here. In order for me to get a good picture of your development so far as senshi, I am going to ask you to complete several tasks. I want to benchmark your level of fitness. I want you to demonstrate your abilities as well. I have been assured that you will do what I ask willingly and to the best of your ability." Venus looked down at Luna, who nodded silently.

The four girls stared mutely at her, waiting for instructions. This wasn't a time to forge bonds or try to get to know each other better. This was a time to show her what they were made of. Whatever she thought of them was unimportant right now. All that mattered was that they do what they had been doing successfully without her for so long and let her make whatever decisions she might wish to. They knew in their hearts that they were a group, first and foremost, and no dictatorial Princess was going to tear them apart.

/\/\/\/\

The first tasks Venus subjected them to felt like a high school physical assessment. They ran a mile and were timed. Moon raced her heart out, but Jupiter beat her easily. Mars was just behind Moon, claiming she would have done better "if not for these stupid heels." Mercury ran steadily, but significantly slower than the other three.

Next, they had to do 25 chin-ups, 20 sit-ups, and 30 push-ups – all timed events. Jupiter was the first done each time. Moon and Mercury struggled quite a bit, disadvantaged by their body types. Moon's speed might be incredible when she was late for school, and as such it might help keep her looking fit, but she wasn't known for working out. Neither was the studious Mercury, whose upper body strength was more keyed to lifting heavy tomes and writing well into the night rather than supporting her own body in repetitious exercises.

Finally, the time came to demonstrate their special attacks. Venus had set out dummies for Mars to flambé, Jupiter to scorch, Moon to dust, and Mercury to freeze. She witnessed Moon's double-team attacks with Mercury, with Jupiter, and with Mars, as well as their Moon, Mercury, Mars and Moon, Mercury, Jupiter triple-team attacks. She strained to see as Mercury blanketed the area with fog to provide cover for Mars' flame attacks or Moon's battle ending twirls. She had to admit the girls worked together better than she had initially assumed.

/\/\/\/\

The girls slowly sank to the dew-dampened grass as the trials ended and Venus and Artemis consulted several meters away. Luna padded up to her exhausted team. "I'm really proud of you girls. You gave everything you had, without complaint. I know your feelings are mixed about the Princess, but you put it aside for the good of the team and I couldn't be prouder of you. I really couldn't."

The girls grinned awkwardly, too tired to really care. All they were waiting for was permission to go home. Moon leaned tiredly on Jupiter's strong shoulder. When Venus glanced in their direction, she was overwhelmed as an image was superimposed in her mind upon their figures. Instead of Moon and Jupiter, sweaty and exhausted, leaning on each other in order to keep from tumbling back limply on the grass, she saw their past selves, the young girls they were on the moon, Usagi curled against her taller friend, confiding her little secrets from the day as they sat out in the garden after dinner, relishing the few moments away from the court's intrusive eyes.

Artemis looked up at his mistress with concern. Her eyes were vacantly staring at Sailor Moon and Sailor Jupiter and he couldn't see what was so fascinating about them. Placing his paws on her orange heels, he called up to her. "Minako?" She didn't respond, so he pawed at her knee and tried again, "Minako-chan?"

"Hmm? Oh, Artemis, what is it?" Venus looked down at him and he could see she was slowly coming back to reality.

"What happened, you zoned out?"

"Oh, nothing. It was just, the way they are sitting reminded me of something . . . from the Moon Kingdom." Artemis frowned, concerned. The closer they had gotten to Tokyo, the more Minako had been having what he could only consider flashbacks of the Silver Millennium. He wanted her to embrace her role as the Princess of the Moon Kingdom and the leader of the senshi, but he didn't want to lose her to the past. The Minako she had been when he had first met her was precious to him. He hoped the time would come when she could let down her guard and allow the girls to get to know her fun-loving, carefree side.

Venus turned her attention back to the girls. "Alright girls, I know you are exhausted and I will let you go home in just a moment. I am really impressed with your stamina and your physical strength, Jupiter. Mars, you may have a sharp tongue, but it seems just the right thing to motivate Moon along without allowing yourself to slack. Mercury, your physical acuity is lacking, but you are mentally the most focused and clever of this team. You all have areas to work on, but we will discuss that tomorrow. Good night, girls." Without waiting to hear their reply, she turned on her heel and vanished into the night, leaving four cranky, tired girls in her wake. Not one of them had failed to notice that Venus had not said one positive thing about Sailor Moon. They wrapped the small girl in a tight group hug, glaring after the orange-and-white-clad dictator.

/\/\/\/\

Mamoru couldn't get the princess out of his head. Or more accurately, he couldn't get her into his head. Ever since Minako had passed through his apartment and into the night, he had been trying, unsuccessfully, to summon up the image of the girl that had haunted his dreams for so long. Usually, she needed no invitation to barge into his mind and demand his full attention. Now, every image his tired mind dredged up was of his beloved Usako. He recalled the first time he had met her, how adorable she had looked when she was put-out and offended by him. The first time he had encountered her as Sailor Moon, wailing at a youma and doing everything in her power to imitate a sitting duck. Even the night she had gotten drunk at the masquerade ball and ended up asleep in his arms floated across his memory in vivid detail. He let his mind's eye roam over that memory, remembering the serene beauty of her face as she slept so trustingly in his arms, as if she had always done so and always would.

As much as Mamoru enjoyed his thoughts of Usagi, he was frustrated by his inability to recall even the tiniest shred of memory relating to the princess who tormented him in his dreams. The girl who had put such a strain on his relationship with Usagi now seemed to have vanished without a trace. He couldn't decide why she had vanished, either. Was it because she was now here, reunited with her senshi, that she no longer needed to contact him? Or was it because the dreams had been Minako reaching out to him, though she denied having been aware of him, and having discovered his romance with Usagi, she no longer wanted his aid? If the princess truly was Minako, then it seemed she had decided to cut ties with him. If she wasn't, then where had the princess gone? Why would she suddenly disappear? For so long, she had haunted his dreams. For so long, he had wanted to be free of her. Now, without her, he was confused in ways he had never been before. When the dreams had started, they were his secret burden and he had longed for them to end. When he had fallen for Usagi, they had placed a barrier between them and the only thing he had thought would remove that barrier was finding the princess. Logic dictated that the disappearance of the princess from his dreams confirmed Minako's identity as the princess.

Finding her had consumed the team for so long. But her arrival was hardly greeted with joy. Instead, she had brought confusion, unhappiness, anger, disbelief, insecurity, and rivalry into their group. This seemed to prove that she was not what he claimed to be. As a leader, as the princess they were supposed to have known in their past lives, she was inspiring no loyalty, eliciting no affection, and earning no respect. The girls had turned on her and grouped about Usagi without even seeming to ponder over their decision. During the search for the princess, the girls had seemed oblivious of Usagi's dread. They had all seemed confident in their belief that Mamoru and Usagi were destined to be together and that the princess would not present herself as a threat to their relationship. They had eagerly awaited her arrival and he had expected them to be overcome with joy when she appeared. Despite their reaction when she finally had appeared, when they had seemed to be drawn to her and perhaps even had been remembering pieces of their past life, and even despite the excitement he knew they had felt before the meeting, their attitudes were firmly negative towards her. As important as Usagi was to the girls, if Minako really was the princess, shouldn't they be torn between them? Yet, finding her had not plunged the entire team into disarray and confusion. Instead, they stood firmly beside Usagi, and against their long-sought-for princess. It was not a logical outcome in his mind, at least not one that would confirm Minako was the long-awaited Princess.

Mamoru turned to the window again, glancing out in the night, his gaze seeking the park. As if in answer, faint multicolored lights flashed distantly, informing him that the princess' evaluation had begun. He frowned briefly, wondering if he should go to them. If he secreted himself amongst the trees, allowing only Sailor Moon to catch a glimpse of him, no one else would know he was there, but his presence would bolster her performance. He turned to go to her, but was stopped by another thought. If he attempted to help her, would it backfire? By being there, would he actually undermine Usagi's confidence in herself as Sailor Moon? If she thought she only performed well because he was there, watching over her, then her self-doubt would remain. And if he should be caught out, then the other senshi, or worse, the princess, might doubt Usagi's abilities and dedication to her position as well. He sank down on to the couch yet again, torn with uncertainty and frustrated by his desire to help his angel. He glared about the apartment, looking for some answer or some form of relief.

/\/\/\/\

De-transformed, Rei glared after the retreating girl and her cat. "High-handed, domineering, over-confident little bitch."

"Rei-chan!" Luna scolded.

"No worries, Luna," Makoto laughed, "she's just talking about herself."

"Watch it, Mako-chan. I have never been as rude and unfriendly as that." Rei sniffed angrily.

Ami and Usagi exchanged incredulous glances. "Actually, Rei-chan, when you first joined us, you were a lot of those things you just called her." Ami volunteered.

Rei leaned forward into the smaller girl's face. "Would you like to say that again?"

Usagi laughed lightly, the sound a bit forced, "Ami-chan, you forgot to mention 'bully'." Rei pinched Usagi on her arm, eliciting a high-pitched wail from the blonde and accusatory frowns from Makoto and Ami.

"Stop that." Makoto scolded the other three. "We have wasted enough time out here. Let's go home and get some rest." Wearily, they all clambered to their feet, murmuring their agreement with Makoto's decision.

Luna watched as the girls headed first in the direction of the temple, then followed at a safe distance, keeping watch over them from the shadows.

/\/\/\/\/\/\

Mamoru's gaze settled on the textbooks heaped haphazardly on his desk. Since Minako had presented herself, he had ignored his studies. Their presence before him renewed his tormented contemplation on the challenges facing his relationship. He knew he was developing a compulsion to ease his girlfriend's suffering. He didn't want to solve all her problems for her, but he certainly couldn't take a hands-off attitude in this case. Usagi's fear of losing him to the princess was deep-seated and torturous for her. Her belief in the connection between himself and the princess might have only been supported by images in her dreams, but Minako's revelation that he was Prince Endymion, Princess Serenity's betrothed from a past life, had given that belief ground to stand on. Although he had been in no position to scorn her dream-visions, considering how seriously he took his own, he had not wanted to let her consider the princess as an even remote threat to their relationship.

Guilt assailed him now. The fact that the princess, his supposed past love, despised him so, even blamed him for the destruction of the Silver Millennium, could hardly be described as a trivial matter. Her overture of peace and acceptance notwithstanding, she could prove most problematic to their relationship. Should she develop feelings of jealousy or vengeance towards him, she was in a position to tear the senshi apart, or at the very least, torment Usagi emotionally and psychologically.

Mamoru wondered about his past as Prince Endymion. How strongly bound to Princess Serenity had he been? Their meeting had been forbidden. Their love was even more so. Their devotion to each other must have been incredibly strong to have convinced Queen Serenity to break sacred rules and allow their betrothal. If their love had been so strong, how dark of an emotion must now possess Serenity to have turned that love into such hate and contempt for him. Could such hate come to possess Usagi as well? Could her devoted friends switch sides and come to feel the same hatred for him? How could he have displayed such intense love and devotion for Serenity and then have betrayed her? Could her willingness to lay blame solely on him mask her own involvement in their kingdoms' destruction? He felt a stab of guilt as his mind conjured up a darker image of the determined, self-righteous princess. She had not proved, yet, to have a deceptive nature, nor did she seem likely to. Was he merely searching for any excuse to mistrust her and draw the other senshi closer to himself and to Usagi, binding them securely to him as allies? She had not yet given him firm reason to either trust her or distrust her. Instinct told him there was more to discover about Minako and Serenity as well as about himself and Endymion. He would have to wait and watch.

Dropping his head to the table, Mamoru sighed in defeat. Usagi's torment would not be eased by him tonight. Feeling as if he had failed her, he turned to gaze out his balcony doors. As he did, the bright moon was enveloped by clouds, its pure white light obscured from his view. He closed his eyes and whispered a prayer. He desperately longed for the return of her bright, carefree, joyful nature. He leaned back, his head resting at an angle, and finally fell asleep.

/\/\/\/\

Serenity stood before the small crowd, a cold smile on her face. Her perfectly manicured fingers were curled possessively about Endymion's upper arm. Before them, standing alone and ringed by the others, was Usagi. Her face was frozen in shocked betrayal, uncontrollable tears pouring from her horrified eyes.

Endymion was speaking woodenly to her. "I'm sorry, Usagi, but I realize now that when I gave you my love, I was actually transferring my feelings for my mysterious princess onto a girl who was attainable. I was attracted to you, and I came to care about you, but my heart truly loves Serenity. Please forgive me for hurting you. I was confused and when you fell in love with me, it seemed the right thing at the time." He turned to face the triumphant princess, cupping her chin tenderly and softening his voice to that deep timbre Usagi loved, "I am so sorry for my betrayal of you, Serenity. I had given up believing that you would ever come for me. Can you ever forgive me?"

Oblivious to Usagi's shredding heart, Serenity simpered and whispered huskily, "Endymion, I waited so long for you, knowing the Ginzuishou would remind you, remind everyone of who I am and who we were to each other. How could I hold such a mistake against you? I love you with all my soul, have loved you across time, and will always love you."

Endymion groaned softly, heated by the half-innocent way she spoke. He turned her to face him more fully and pulled her against him, capturing her mouth in a heated, passionate kiss that sickened Usagi further. Serenity's hands curled tightly in his hair, as if to prevent him from pulling away. His arms encircled her waist, one hand tangling in her waist-length golden curls.

To Usagi, the kiss seemed to last an eternity. To the others present, it was a beautiful sight, proving the connection of their two souls had never been severed. Usagi struggled to remain standing, her body shaking with a despairing anger. She couldn't believe he would rip her heart out like this, after all the warnings she had given him, after the way he had sworn the princess meant nothing to him. She tried to convince herself that the princess had done something to him, but deep down, she knew the truth was that they had never belonged together in the first place. She had known he belonged to Serenity and yet she had still gone after him. She hated herself for hurting Serenity and Endymion. She hated herself for allowing herself to fall for Mamoru. She really hated herself for believing he would have ever chosen a clumsy, childish, immature, worthless crybaby like her over a polished, poised, gorgeous, intelligent woman like Serenity.

Usagi sat bolt upright, jerking herself physically from the nightmare. Her breath came in short pants and her face was wet with tears. She shuddered and clutched her arms about her upper body, trying to squeeze the unreasonable pain out of her heart. "Mamoru loves me, he loves me, he loves me. . ." she whispered into the night, rocking slightly as she did. She closed her eyes and carefully imagined the way she felt secure in his arms, the way their kiss seared into each other's souls, the way he looked at her and only her. Her heartbeat slowed and the pain subsided as she forced the paranoia back.

As she calmed down, exhaustion began to reclaim her, luring her tired, aching body back to sleep. Usagi surrendered to her body's demand for rest, pulling her covers over her head. This time, she slept undisturbed.

/\/\/\/\

Usagi groaned as the sun cheerfully lit up her room. Her eyelids protested her futile attempts to open her eyes and start the day. Seriously tempted to roll over and bury herself in her blankets, she frowned darkly at the ceiling. A flutter of wings outside her window caught her attention and she turned her head more fully towards that light-admitting portal, curious as to which feathered friend had come to visit her.

A soft cooing commenced, informing her that her unseen visitor was a dove. Usagi smiled, thinking of the romantic images people often created around doves. With a wistful sigh, she pictured a pair of doves perched on her windowsill, the female's head tucked into the male's chest as they cooed gently at each other, surveying her yard and her street from their roost. The thought made her ache to wrap her arms around Mamoru's waist and gave her the impetus to push the covers back and sit up, know that if she hurried, she could meet him before school.

As she moved, the rewards from the previous night's exercise made themselves painfully known. Usagi bit back her complaints as she pushed her aching body out of bed and towards the shower. She remembered now that she had crept in and thrown her gym clothes to the floor, pulled her nightgown on, and crumpled into bed. Her hair was wildly tangled and she felt itchy and sore. As she turned the tap, she bid farewell to an early morning kiss from her own personal superhero. She waited until the water was as hot as she could stand it before easing into the steamy shower, hoping the pounding downpour would work out some of the kinks in her muscles.

Since she had started dating Mamoru, she had begun getting up earlier. She still rushed around in the morning, but most days she was out the door with enough time to meet with him in the park, before dashing off again to school. Outside of her family and Mamoru, no one was aware of this change in Usagi. Today, however, that extra time would be used up in the shower and the struggle to tame her hair.

As if sensing Usagi needed a little pampering, her mom was hard at work making pancakes for Usagi and packing them into a second lunch box. Shingo was seated at the table already, devouring the first batch she had made. As she flipped a few more off the griddle, the doorbell rang. Shingo got up to answer it.

Ikuko was surprised when her son led Usagi's boyfriend into the kitchen. "Tsukino-san," Mamoru bowed, "I am sorry to disturb you so early, but I had a feeling Usagi-chan might be running a bit late today. I would like to offer her a ride."

Ikuko smiled warmly at the polite, nervous young man. "Don't worry, my husband's not here." She almost laughed when Mamoru visibly relaxed. "Sit down and join us for breakfast. Usagi is still getting ready, I'm afraid."

Mamoru graciously accepted and made small talk with Shingo as they ate. Ikuko was dying to ask Mamoru how he knew Usagi would be running late this morning and if he knew why exactly her daughter had felt the need to take a very long shower this morning, but she didn't want to do so in front of Shingo. She did, however, make note of the way he kept glancing up at the stairs, watching for Usagi's descent.

Usagi finally made her appearance, flying down the stairs at top speed. "Morning mom, Shingo, Mamo-chan, gotta run." She grabbed the two lunch boxes from her mom as she passed, skidding down the hallway. The three turned to watch the blonde whirlwind disappear. Then, like lightning, she was back. "Mamo-chan?" she asked incredulously. "What are you doing here?" Mamoru winced as she launched herself into his arms, hitting him with full-force. Ikuko and Shingo groaned for him.

As soon as his breath came back, he wheezed out, "I came to give you a lift to school, Usako." His reward was a high-pitched squeal and a tighter vice-grip on his chest. Mamoru struggled for air, but couldn't bear to ask her to let go.

"Usagi, dear, I think that's enough. You don't want him to pass out," Ikuko reprimanded gently. When her daughter flushed guiltily and pulled away, she rolled her eyes and shook her head. When was her daughter going to make the full transition from child to woman, she asked the ceiling. This adolescent phase was really a strain. Her attention turned to Shingo, who was watching the scene with all the amusement a younger sibling can derive from his older sibling's discomfort. She hoped he would be calmer when he hit his teenage years.

Mamoru stood, thanking Ikuko politely for breakfast and excusing them both. She waved goodbye, then finished preparing Shingo's lunch. As soon as the front door closed behind them, Mamoru pulled Usagi in for a kiss. "Did you sleep alright, Usako?" he queried as they pulled apart.

Usagi looked away. "Mostly. I had a silly nightmare, but I got over it." She smiled up at him. "Thank you so much for coming over, Mamo-chan. I was really bummed that I wouldn't have enough time to meet you this morning. I know it was hard for you to have to risk running into my dad."

Mamoru shook his head, "I'll face any obstacle for you, Usako, you know that. Though, sometimes, I feel like your dad is scarier than a Dark Kingdom Shitennou." Usagi laughed at the concept of her dad being compared to Jadeite or Nephrite. "I knew that you would have gotten in even later than usual, and that you would be even more worn out than usual. I couldn't stand the thought of you running to school today." Mamoru opened her door for her, holding her bags while she settled into the passenger seat.

When he had buckled in and started up the car, Usagi claimed his free hand in hers, clinging to him tightly as the sped away from her house. Only once they had neared the school did she share anything from the previous night. "We're to meet with her today, to review how we did and to discuss how we need to improve. Can you join us?" She tried to stay nonchalant, as if they would just be hanging out, but she couldn't fool him.

Mamoru slid the car neatly into a parking spot and shut off the engine. "Did she say anything else about the tests?"

"Well, she said that Ami was really smart and Makoto was really tough and Rei was really good at pushing me along." Usagi glanced out the window, noticing a group of girls pointing at them and whispering. She frowned at them.

Mamoru pulled at her hand, reclaiming her attention. "Did she say anything positive about you at all?" His eyes were stormy. Usagi shook her head. "What a cold-hearted snob," he snarled. So much for his attempts to get her to view Usagi fairly, he thought dejectedly.

Usagi laughed. "You should have heard what Rei called her."

Mamoru didn't smile. "I have no doubt I would have agreed with Rei one hundred percent."

"Oh, Mamo-chan, don't be angry. I'm sure she knows what she is doing."

Mamoru kissed her softly. "You are too kind-hearted, Usako. It worries me."

She smiled brightly up at him. "Mamo-chan, you know you are absolutely wonderful, right? How on earth do I deserve you?"

Mamoru shook his head. "You deserve someone better than me, Usako. I'm the one who doesn't deserve you." Her eyes sparkled with anger at his comment, but he dropped a finger on her lips to prevent her from interrupting. "I said I don't deserve you, Usako, I never said I was going to let you go. You're the greatest treasure I could ever find."

The anger faded, leaving tears standing in Usagi's eyes. He might say things in corny, silly ways, but it was the way he said it that moved her so deeply. She flung her arms tightly around him and kissed him deeply, telling him silently that he was her greatest treasure, as well, and that she had no intention of losing him, either.

The warning bell interrupted their kiss. They were both disappointed to be parted so soon, but Mamoru was pleased to see his angel bounce out of the car and into the school building, energized and exuberant. It had been a while since he had last seen her so uplifted and it raised his spirits and his hopes. He had wanted to tell her that Minako had come to see him last night. He was afraid, however, that she would misunderstand Minako's motives and get upset. They hadn't had enough time this morning to discuss it so that he could be sure she understood that she was no threat to their relationship. He sighed softly as he turned the engine over, knowing they would have to talk about this soon enough. To not let her know about a girl turning up on his balcony was unthinkable.

He backed out and drove off towards his own school, not noticing Minako watching him from the front gate.

/\/\/\/\

Usagi had never hated a school day as much as she did this one. Every class she entered, there was Minako, standing at the front of the room, next to the teacher, giving her little "new student" speech. How on earth did the girl get into every single one of her classes? Makoto and Ami weren't even in all of her classes! Thankfully she had at least Naru, Ami, or Makoto in every one of her classes, so at least she had someone to lean on, although Naru was oblivious to Usagi's feelings about the new girl. As if school wasn't bad enough, now there was an extra pair of eyes watching Usagi's failures. She wanted to pound her head on the desk, but she kept her back straight and her eyes forward, refusing to melt in front of Minako.

Minako watched Usagi with some amusement. She could feel the incredulity rolling off the younger girl. She knew her feelings of dislike for the Moon senshi were unfair, but the little brat had everything Minako felt she had deserved. Her position had cost her romance; Usagi had it in spades. Her position had cost her friends; Usagi was adored by her senshi and her classmates. Her position had cost her all of her free time; Usagi still played around like a child. She flipped a length of hair back over her shoulder and glanced at the clock. The lunch bell would ring any minute. She grinned.

/\/\/\/\

Across town, Rei felt a familiar feeling of dread tightening the muscles in her neck and shoulders. Something was about to happen, something that was going to hurt someone she loved a great deal. She turned her gaze to the window and noted that her pet ravens were perched on the ledge, watching her. She nodded to them and they took flight, whirling away, into town. She didn't know exactly where they were headed, but they would keep watch for her. She bent her head in a brief plea for protection for everyone she could think of, only to be interrupted by her teacher's voice.

/\/\/\/\

Deep in the bowels of the Dark Kingdom, a member of Beryl's Shitennou was nearing the end of his incarceration for insubordination. Zoicyte's isolation hadn't improved his temperament much. Kunzite returned to his protégé's room after a day and a half, expecting to find a calmer, more reasonable version of the young man. Instead, he was met by an angry young man with glittering eyes, a passionate figure that Kunzite felt entranced by. He watched passively as the blonde stalked about his prison, muttering darkly about the sailor senshi and the way they always thwarted him. "I need your help, Kunzite," he blurted suddenly, stopping his tirade directly in front of the taller man. "There's something I'm missing. I should have broken them by now." Rage gleamed in Zoicyte's emerald green eyes. Kunzite could feel himself drowning in them.

He closed his eyes and leaned his head back against the cavern-like wall. Zoicyte studied his mentor, waiting for him to say something, admiring the fall of his hair and the length of his throat. After a moment, Kunzite spoke, his gaze on the ceiling. "Beryl has spared you quite often, Zoicyte. Don't forget that. Jadeite and Nephrite were obliterated after fewer failures." He heard Zoicyte begin to protest, but he raised a hand to cut him off. "If we are to work together, then we must have a foolproof plan to present to Beryl."

Zoicyte smiled darkly, eager to work together with Kunzite. He stepped forward, closing the gap between them, finally earning Kunzite's gaze on his face. "Together, I am sure we can accomplish anything." His voice was huskier than he intended as he gazed into Kunzite's glacier-grey eyes.

Kunzite's smile stayed in his eyes, his face impassive. "Let us do some research into what Jadeite and Nephrite had uncovered. Surely one of the senshi has a weak point we can exploit." He moved away from the wall, brushing against Zoicyte as he left the room. Zoicyte needed a steadying breath before he was able to rush after the silver-haired leader of the Shitennou.

/\/\/\/\

Usagi settled between Ami and Makoto, plunking her simple lunchbox down on the wooden table and enviously admiring Makoto's fancy meal. Makoto just grinned down at her hungry friend and placed a freshly-baked, perfectly soft chocolate chip cookie on top of the bunny-decorated lunch kit. A few more cookies were passed out amongst the other girls sitting at the table. Ami primly saved hers for last, but Naru, Usagi, and the other girls indulged in dessert first.

Usagi gushed over Makoto's baking skills in a half-joking attempt to wheedle another cookie from her. Makoto leaned past the blonde to warn Ami, "Better eat it now, before Usagi-chan steals it."

Ami laughed softly, knowing that if Usagi begged for her cookie, she would hand it over to her dearest friend without a thought of protest.

Usagi responded to Makoto's assessment by sticking her tongue out. A shadow fell over the table as she did so. "Well, that's mature, I'm sure." Usagi glared up at the interloper, who stood behind Naru with one hand on her hip, a mocking smile on her lips.

Makoto glowered belligerently at Minako. "And who exactly asked your opinion?"

She sent their princess a look that warned her not to mess with Usagi, a veiled threat that amused the arrogant girl.

"I do apologize," she purred, forcing a look of sincerity onto her face. "I'm just not accustomed to her youthful exuberance."

Around the table, faces darkened. While Usagi might be the target of in-group teasing, they did not take outsiders mocking her lightly. Naru rose and turned to face the new girl, anger evident in her eyes. "Leave her alone."

Minako studied the red-head challenging her, a slim blonde eyebrow arched speculatively. Ami, Makoto, and Usagi tensed, uncertain how far their self-proclaimed leader might push a civilian.

Usagi grasped her childhood friend's upper arm, her body angled over the table awkwardly. "Naru-chan, don't get upset. She's new here and is probably nervous and insecure. There's nothing worth arguing about here."

Naru relented, not wanting to trouble Usagi. She met Minako's speculative gaze with a cold one of her own. "If Usagi-chan accepts your apology, then the rest of us will as well." She turned her back on the blonde, dismissing her from her mind. "Oh, Usagi-chan!" she gasped, dismayed. "You've got rice all over your blouse."

Usagi glanced down, turning beet red as she realized that she had leaned forward into her lunch kit. Minako snickered and walked away, highly amused. Usagi watched her go, wondering if she would ever be able to make a good impression on that girl. "Excuse me," she sighed, "I'll go get cleaned up." She headed for the bathrooms, brushing at her uniform blouse as she did.

She was used to the laughter and jokes at her expense that she encountered on her way to the cafeteria bathrooms. She rarely let them bother her. Today was no exception. Her thoughts were focused on senshi woes. While Artemis had warned them that Minako would be attending Juuban Middle School with them, she hadn't anticipated having the supercilious girl in every single class. As the most senior class at Juuban, they had the latest lunch, so it had been a very long morning. She fervently hoped her last two classes of the day would offer a respite from the disguised princess' disapproving eyes.

Usagi yawned widely as she pushed the bathroom door open. The pink-tiled room was empty, she noted with some relief. Another yawn stole upon her. She turned to gaze at her reflection in the mirror, noting the dark smudges under her eyes seemed more pronounced. Her non-senshi friends never commented on how tired Usagi looked anymore. They just assumed she stayed up too late talking on the phone with her dreamy boyfriend. She sighed as she surveyed her blouse, the sticky grains of white rice determinedly clinging to the thick cotton fibers of her boxy uniform top. She scowled darkly at them as she picked them off, one by one.

Nearly finished with her task, she was startled by the rusty squeak of the bathroom door on its hinges. She turned involuntarily towards the sound. Minako entered, her smirk still marring her perfect features.

/\/\/\/\/\/\

Kunzite bent forward, icy eyes scanning Jadeite's journal voraciously. Zoicyte thumbed less enthusiastically through Nephrite's notes about star alignments and speculations about the human girl named Naru. Zoicyte knew all about that dead end. His derisive assessment of Nephrite's wasted life was suddenly interrupted by a soft exclamation from Kunzite.

"It appears Jadeite discovered the identity of at least one of the senshi. He hints at it here in this journal entry about a shrine he worked at. Apparently he convinced the old priest there to take him in and the priest set him to work selling charms. Jadeite used the charms to steal energy, but the priest's granddaughter was suspicious of him. He intimates here that she was somehow connected to the senshi."

Zoicyte tossed Nephrite's writings on the table. "I just hope she doesn't turn out as useless as that lovesick Naru girl."

Kunzite sent him a quizzical look, but did not seem interested in further details. Instead, he rose. "Let us learn more about this girl. Jadeite referred to the shrine by the name Hikawa Jinja. Perhaps we can find this perceptive shrine maiden there and question her."

Zoicyte grinned maliciously, eager to witness one of Kunzite's interrogations.

/\/\/\/\

Rei uneasily shifted in her seat, eyes shifting compulsively from her texts to the window, hoping to see the reassuring figures of Phobos and Deimos returning. She was thankful it was study hall and the teacher was distracted with her grading, but the dread filling her was not abating. She glanced again at her watch, disappointed to find school would still be in session for another two hours.

/\/\/\/\

Minako and Usagi faced each other in the putridly pink bathroom for a long moment. From her position at the fifth and last pale pink sink, with her back to the half pink-tiled, half pink-wallpapered wall, Usagi felt like she was trapped in some warped version of an American western, waiting for the cue to "draw". Minako coolly appraised the bathroom, assessing the ugly walls, the makeup-stained sinks, the muted and fading pink linoleum on the floor, and the three garish fuchsia bathroom stalls.

After a very long moment, Minako approached the fourth sink, primping absently in the mirror. Uncertainly, Usagi returned to removing the last few offending grains of rice from her blouse. "I noticed Mamoru dropped you off this morning. Does he do that often?"

"N-no. We usually meet in the park before school." Usagi eyed Minako, suspicious of the blank mask the girl had arranged her features into.

"Running late today, I assume?" Minako hardly expected an answer to that. She had needed Artemis' extra prodding this morning to make it to school on time herself. She would have preferred to start school Monday morning, rather than mid-week, but Artemis had flattened his ears back and glowered at her, insisting she had already missed too much school during her convoluted exploration of the top half of Japan. She balanced her schoolbag on the sink's edge and dug around for her hairbrush.

Usagi rinsed her hands under cool tap water quickly, ready to escape Minako's unnerving presence. She couldn't think of a single thing to say to the girl and just standing there in silence unnerved her. She shook her damp hands lightly, not wanting to accidentally splatter Minako with water droplets and regretted leaving her bag at the table, her handkerchief neatly folded inside it.

"Here, you can use mine." Usagi glanced over at Minako in surprise. She was holding out a vibrant orange and yellow terry cloth square. Usagi thanked her softly and patted her hands dry. "Don't worry about it. I usually forget. I attended an international school in Hokkaidou. They had to cater to Western students, who were used to paper towel dispensers, liquid hand soap, and toilet paper in every bathroom, even in the train stations. One of my classmates used to complain about the fact that you have to bring your own toilet paper if you used a public restroom, so I told her that was what the advertisement tissues they hand out on the streets are for. After all, public restrooms are a favor to the public. I told her they were expensive and money doesn't grow like weeds."

Usagi stared at Minako, wondering where this sudden burst of random chatter had come from. She also made a mental note to ask Ami about this "money doesn't grow like weeds" expression. "Well, thank you very much for lending me your handkerchief to dry my hands, Minako-san. I'm sorry to have troubled you." Usagi handed the somewhat damp cloth back to Minako.

"Oh, don't worry about it. After all, I guess I owe you." At Usagi's puzzled look, she grinned and said, "I did borrow your boyfriend last night."

/\/\/\/\

Kunzite and Zoicyte appeared on the staircase of Hikawa Jinja. Dressed like college students, they casually ascended the remaining steps and followed the path toward the main building. A young man with floppy brown hair and dressed in priest robes greeted them, setting aside his broom to see if he could be of any assistance.

Kunzite smiled politely, "Yes, I am doing some research on shrine maidens in the modern era for a college paper. Does this shrine have any young women who work here?"

Yuuichirou nodded, eager to help. "Sure, of course we do. Our head priest's granddaughter, Rei, is the shrine maiden. She's at school right now, but . . ."

"I see. Might I ask you some questions about her?" Kunzite interrupted. "Your answers would be used to aid in the selection of interview questions and minimize the amount of background information we would have to collect from her before we begin."

Yuuichirou gladly agreed and soon Kunzite and Zoicyte knew everything that he knew about Rei Hino, the prominent Tokyo politician's daughter. Without knowing it, he confirmed their suspicions that she was a Sailor Senshi, especially when he spoke at length about her ability to commune with the Great Fire. Furthermore, they came to realize that this trusting young lad was more that a little enamored of the girl.

/\/\/\/\

Usagi's world spun. Minako had "borrowed" her boyfriend? How did someone "borrow" someone else's boyfriend?

Minako smiled coldly at the stunned girl. "Looks like he didn't tell you. Hmm, what else has your perfect prince been hiding from you?" Congratulating herself on planting seeds of doubt in Usagi's mind, she left the bathroom without another word.

/\/\/\/\

Phobos returned alone, unerringly seeking out Rei's next classroom's window. He fluttered, squawking direly, setting Rei's heart pounding. The fact that Deimos had not returned told her he had stayed behind, a witness to whatever was happening. Phobos settled restlessly on the ledge outside the window, twisting his head nervously. Rei shifted uncomfortably in her seat, trying to think of a way to leave school. She toyed with the idea of cutting the next class, but she knew she wouldn't succeed. Too many of the girls here watched what she did, eager to gossip about Councilman Hino's daughter. She hardly wanted another of his visits to the shrine. He would show up with all the arrogance of a self-important autocrat and look down on everything she and her grandfather held near and dear while he scolded her for bringing embarrassment upon him. She glanced one last time at the fidgety crow. He seemed to have accepted that she must stay and he had settled in to wait for her.

/\/\/\/\

Mamoru was distracted. Motoki watched him fumble through his day with more than a little concern. Since Mamoru fell for Usagi, the cold, flawless upperclassman had been replaced by a warmer, more approachable human being. While that had meant Mamoru no longer sailed through his days without any problems, Motoki hadn't ever seen him unable to concentrate in his classes or ever known him to forget his textbooks in his locker. It was obvious that something was bothering him and, once they were in the hallway, Motoki finally couldn't restrain himself from asking Mamoru what was going on.

"Did you have fight with Usagi-chan?"

Mamoru was startled out of his thoughts. Amused by the protective tone in Motoki's voice and the warning look in his eyes, Mamoru shook his head. "We haven't had a fight. I'm just worried about her. Does it show that much?"

Motoki snorted, "Show much? You'd brought your math textbook to chemistry and didn't even notice! I watched you 'reading along' from the wrong book, for crying out loud! You've set off a number of rumors and gotten at least one girl's hopes up by staring in her general direction for an entire class period. You even had to ask permission to go back to your locker to get your literature assignment. No, it doesn't show much at all. I'm just incredibly perceptive," he deadpanned.

Mamoru was horrified. "Which girl, Motoki-kun? At least tell me who so I know what to expect." He couldn't believe this. Now he was going to have to explain to Usagi about two girls instead of one? His day couldn't get any worse!

"Suzuki Kimiko."

Mamoru let his head thunk against his locker door. His day had just gotten worse.

/\/\/\/\

Usagi gathered her composure, resolutely pushing away thoughts of Minako and Mamoru together. Until she knew exactly what Minako was talking about and where exactly she had been when they had been together, she would not let herself suspect him of any wrongdoing. She loved and trusted him. Minako felt he was the enemy. Of course she would try to split them apart. Nodding firmly, she pushed the bathroom door open and hurried to the table, knowing there were precious few minutes of lunch left.

Makoto and Ami gave her curious glances when she returned, but they didn't ask what had taken her so long. Makoto silently pointed to Usagi's lunch box. Usagi noticed that the remains of her lunch had been formed into two rice balls, perfect for eating quickly as she walked back to class. Squealing happily, she hugged the taller girl tightly before tearing into the first one. Ami laughed softly and Makoto waved Usagi's appreciation off, a slight blush staining her features. When the bell rang, Naru and the other girls hurried off, leaving Makoto and Ami with a chance to discover where Usagi had been.

"I got cornered in the bathroom by Minako," Usagi confessed. "She was really cold, then friendly, then got really nasty."

"Nasty? How so?" Makoto demanded.

"Well, I'd forgotten my handkerchief and she lent me hers. When I thanked her, she said she figured she owed me one since she borrowed Mamo-chan last night." Ami and Makoto gasped. "When I looked surprised and confused, she acted shocked that he hadn't told me and then said she wondered what else my 'perfect prince' hadn't told me." Usagi paused, then added, "That her phrasing, 'perfect prince'."

"How dare she? What is wrong with that girl?" Makoto growled, her right fist clenching and unclenching rhythmically.

"And what does borrowing Mamoru-san mean?" Ami wondered. "He didn't mention anything to you this morning, Usagi-chan?"

Usagi shook her head. "He only wanted to know how the test went yesterday. He did seem to take it personally when I said she didn't say anything positive about me. Almost like he was disappointed in her."

"Well, maybe he saw her during his evening jog and tried to talk to her about her attitude towards you," Ami suggested.

"He'd better watch his step around her. And not just cause she's behaving in a manipulative manner. If he does anything out of line, Usagi-chan, . . ." Makoto left her sentence unfinished, her raised fist explanation enough.

Usagi's protestations of Mamoru's devotion and that Makoto didn't need to worry were swallowed by the warning bell. The three girls scattered, each to her own class. Usagi slipped into her seat just in time, dismayed but not surprised to find Minako already seated, one row to the left and one seat back. She prayed for the school day to end quickly, unaware that her sentiments were being echoed at the exact same time by two of her closest friends.

/\/\/\/\

Suzuki Kimiko had been harboring a not-so-secret crush on Mamoru since they had been paired up by an overzealous teacher in Anatomy lab. She had figured that the best way to counteract the statistical differences in male success in science and female success in science was to make everyone work together in male-female pairs. From Mamoru's point of view, it had been a disaster. He had been forced to spend the semester carefully and studiously ignoring the girl, lest he unintentionally do something that allowed her to think he was interested. She was the kind of girl who was convinced that if a guy asked her to pass him a scalpel, he was somehow insinuating that he liked her. When they had first been paired up, he had tried to talk with her about the day's lesson. That had ended up as more of a teacher-student relationship than a partnership, which hadn't bothered him very much. At least, not until the day she had called him "darling" in class. That was when he discovered she had a very different perspective on their relationship than he had. Motoki had given him no end of grief over the girl's infatuation. Not knowing exactly how to handle this new challenge, Mamoru had simply shut the girl out, behaving as if she didn't exist.

Kimiko's response to the cold-shoulder had been to take up a letter-writing campaign. At the end of each day, Mamoru would find a brightly colored envelope jammed into the vents in his locker. At first he had politely read them and would throw them away at home. When this only encouraged her, he would jam them into his bag and throw them away, unread, on his path home. Finally, he was reduced to yanking them out in irritation and dropping them on the floor. After a few days, the letters stopped coming.

Of course, Motoki had felt the need to keep Mamoru up-to-date on what Kimiko thought about the whole debacle. Motoki's knowledge of school gossip was very extensive. The girls at the arcade confided in Motoki like drunks confide in their bartender. At various times, he had been subjected to Motoki's reports on Kimiko's speculations that Mamoru was commitment-phobic or scared of the intensity of the emotions she stirred in him.

For the first time in his life, Mamoru couldn't wait for the summer break. He practically secluded himself in his apartment. Eventually, Motoki informed him that Kimiko had found a new target for her affections. Mamoru was grateful for, but sympathetic towards, the hapless fool that had garnered Kimiko's infatuation. Now, Mamoru risked the return of Kimiko's affections in full force.

Normally, with Usagi by his side, Mamoru would have been strong enough to laugh off any of Kimiko's stunts. But knowing the stress Usagi was under, he felt that adding Kimiko into the mix might be more than she could bear. He was going to need help. Wearily, Mamoru decided it was time to bring Motoki into his confidence. At least, partially, anyway.

/\/\/\/\/\/\

The bell rang simultaneously at both Juuban Middle School and at TA Private Girls School. At each school, a flood of young girls poured out of every available door. Ami, Usagi, Makoto, and Naru gravitated towards each other through the crowd. Rei struggled to push through the crush, desperate to return to Hikawa Jinja with all due haste. Minako remained by her locker, waiting for the jubilant students to clear the halls. All her senshi knew they were to meet at the shrine within the hour, but Minako doubted any of her schoolmates would turn up early. Knowing Rei would be heading home by bus, Minako saw no reason to rush there.

/\/\/\/\

Mamoru beckoned Motoki to sit beside him in study hall. "I need to talk to you after class."

Motoki's curiosity was instantly aroused. "Can't wait," he grinned. Mamoru rarely confided in anyone, so Motoki treasured each time his taciturn friend opened up a bit.

Mamoru's mouth opened in retort, but he was cut off by the tardy bell's sharp ring. He settled for a glare that did little to damper the blonde's smug attitude.

/\/\/\/\

Usagi, Naru, Ami, and Makoto chattered happily as they walked away from school. Minako temporarily forgotten, they looked and felt like the normal teenage girl Naru was. Usagi relished every moment, finding respite in the youthful exuberance of her friends. All too soon, however, they found themselves standing on the street corner, bidding Naru farewell. As they waited to cross the street, Usagi's communicator began to buzz.

As soon as she opened it, Rei's voice hissed out in a panic. "Don't talk, just listen. Yuuichirou and Grandpa are in danger at the shrine. I think the Dark Kingdom is setting a trap. Find the princess and warn her not to come here."

"What are you going to . . ."

"Hush!" Rei hissed harshly. "Your first duty is to protect her." With that, Rei clicked off her communicator.

Usagi, Ami, and Makoto shared a horrified look, frightened for Yuuchirou and Grandpa, and anxious to get to Rei.