Title: A Kiss In The Dark
Author: Princess Destiny
Email: In Profile
Author's Homepage: destinysgateway DOT com
Rating: M 15+
Summary: 'One Hour Challenge' #1 and 657 Combined: Response Fanfic. Eleven years ago, Mamoru's father married Usagi's mother. It's now almost Usagi's sixteenth birthday and she has to juggle her secret life as Sailor Moon, on top of school and a job at Motoki's shop. Her life is turned even more upside down when she begins to suspect the masked hero she is falling in love with is actually her awful step-brother!
Genre: Romance/UST/Comedy/Adventure/Action/Angst
Couple: Usagi/Mamoru, Rei/Mamoru
Category: SMTK
Chapters: 28/30
Status: Unfinished
Year Completed: N/A
Size: 820 KB

Comments: Hi everyone! Wow...it's been so long since I wrote anything. A year I think. I'm very sorry that it has been that long, but this last year was very hard on my family. My mom got cancer and I found that I was unable to write anything due to sever depression. The best thing I could do for my family was keep working, so I devoted myself to my job and shift working, which left very little time to come onto a computer. You'll be happy to know that my mom is finally getting better. Her cancer appears to be going into remission and the chemotherapy worked miracles. Thank you so very much to those who wished my mom and our family well and to those who prayed for us. I was very touched each time I received an email asking after my mom; it was much appreciated.

Okay, on to the Fanfic. Over the last year, I have been thinking over the plotline, the sequel and the very obvious divorce that was going to happen to Kenji and Ikuko. Not having written a divorce before made it incredibly hard to try and write the darn thing. I actually wrote the 'explanation to the children about the divorce' scene an entire year ago, as well as some scene's that came after as a consequence. But I think that the divorce scene may have come out a little too weirdly. Kenji getting angry, Ikuko sad, and Endymion and Serenity taking over as their future selves minds shut down in defence from the pain. I suck at these scenes! LOL. So I've decided to put the divorce scene in the next Chapter and do some reworking on it. I would really appreciate any feedback to me regarding this scene and any suggestions on how the talk between Usagi and Mamoru and their parents might go. You guys ever have that horrible feeling that you've written yourself into a hole? Well, that's where I've been over the divorce plot. I can't give any more away without ruining it all, but I'd love any feedback and please let me know if you spot any discrepancies. It's been a year, so I haven't read back over what I already wrote. I will when the last Chapter is done though.

Oh, and I have also debated over whether to have a sequel, or just continue the Fanfic under A Kiss In The Dark. The Fanfic size is currently at 860 KB, but some of that are scene's far in the future for the Fanfic that I already wrote. Definitely at this stage, I will be ending the Fanfic in another 2-3 Chapters and will then be starting the Sequel A Forbidden Kiss.

Got a Sailor Moon Fanfic? Come on over to destinysgateway DOT com,
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pairing! We would love for you to submit your Fanfiction to the Archives.

A KISS IN THE DARK

By Princess Destiny

Chapter Twenty-Eight

By the time the siblings arrived home in the taxi, the blonde girl was slumped against Mamoru's shoulder, deep in sleep. Her mouth was open slightly and she was snoring. Mamoru's mouth twitched in amusement as he stared down at her head. The cab pulled into the driveway and the driver advised him of how much it cost.

With one arm still about Usagi's shoulder, Mamoru dug out the money from his wallet. "Keep the change,"

"Thanks buddy," The driver grinned at him, and watched as the dark-haired boy opened the door and then carefully gathered the girl into his arms and scooted along the seat till he was out of the car. "Have a nice morning."

Mamoru straightened with his sister in his arms, and bumped the car door closed with one hip. He nodded to the driver as the car backed out of the drive and sped up the street.

Usagi continued to snore as if a bomb could have gone off and she wouldn't have heard it!

"Odango, you're a real delight sometimes," He chuckled, juggling her and his wallet and the house keys as he walked up to the front door. The porch light was on, but all was silent from within. Their parents were most likely still asleep. He glanced up at the sky and saw that it was starting to lighten as dawn approached. It really had been an all-night event.

At least Rei was alright, thanks to Endymion.

The Prince was now a part of him, but somehow still seemed sort of a separate entity. He remembered the past, but he was viewing it as if seeing it on the TV. He knew that he had been there right in the middle of it all, acting it out as the Prince of Earth, but it was staying there firmly as a distant memory. Mamoru wasn't sure that he wanted to remember it in full colour, clear as day. Especially not the last days of the Silver Millennium, which had been filled with anguish and death.

He truly would have gone off the deep end if he and his past self completely merged. There were just some things a regular, hero-type modern day teenager just couldn't handle. Being an ancient warrior was one of them.

Being engaged and intimate with Princess Serenity was another, since she was currently reincarnated as his step-sister. Things were crazy in his mind, as were his feelings. He was dead tired and really didn't want to think too much about it right then.

Mamoru put a knee against the door and rested Usagi's backside on it as he cradled her with one arm and unlocked the door with his other. He then turned the knob and shouldered the door open, then gathered his sister up again and walked inside. The hall was dark, but he could see that his mother had left the lounge light on for them. He sighed and leant against the door to close it, then lock it behind them.

The dark-haired man paused in the lounge, considering whether to put Usagi down on the couch while he got a drink from the fridge, or whether to take her straight upstairs. It was really endearing how much she trusted him. Being Sailor Moon had really honed her instincts, and she had never woken up even when being carried about in his arms.

And boy did it feel so very right to have his arms about her.

"Little sister, we have a problem. A really big one," He muttered down at her, brushing his lips softly over her cheek. He hesitated near her lips and then sighed deeply and straightened. He couldn't take advantage of her like that, he really couldn't. "Bed it is." Mamoru decided, ignoring the lounge light and heading for the stairs. He really wanted some cool water from the fridge, but he was also so tired his arms and legs felt like lead weights.

As the teenager mounted the stairs and he headed up, he sensed movement. Instantly he tensed, eyes focusing through the darkened hallway above to see who was there. He saw the faint outline of his mother in her white nightgown and Mamoru relaxed. "Mom, what are you doing up? It has to be barely five in the morning!" He scolded, stepping up the staircase till their faces were on level.

"Isn't that my line?" Ikuko smiled at him and then looked tenderly at her daughter. "I see that Usagi couldn't keep her eyes open, but that isn't anything new." She murmured. Her hand came up and she stroked Usagi's cheek, then her hand trailed up to Mamoru's own face, where she brushed back the hair from his forehead. Her eyebrows drew together and she looked very sad. Soon, her family would be broken up. They would no longer have all their good times together.

"Mom, is there something you want to tell me?" Mamoru asked gently, wishing that he could comfort her somehow. He knew what was going on between his parents and the pain it was causing, but he felt helpless to do anything to fix the problem. He was only a seventeen year old guy when all was said and done. Even with memories in his head of a past from a thousand years ago, and some truly amazing powers, there was no way for him alone to fix a marriage that was slowly ending.

Ikuko's face cleared and she smiled at him again as if nothing were wrong. "Nothing I can talk about just yet, darling," She told him, shrugging. If only she could unburden herself on her son, she would have. But it wasn't right. He would find out what was wrong soon enough, but she suspected that he was already fully aware of the problem. "Take Usagi to her room and then you get some sleep. Is Rei doing a little better?"

Mamoru felt a pang of guilt at the lie that was about to escape his mouth. He wanted to tell his mother that he was Tuxedo Kamen, and that Usagi was Sailor Moon. He desperately wanted to talk to her about his life and his worried, his past and his future...and most of all, his forbidden love for his step-sister. But he couldn't... "Mom, you won't believe it, but the Sailor Senshi healed Rei," He exclaimed, injecting all the awe and relief into his voice that he could manage at five in the morning after having been awake all night. Still, his words were a little croaky.

"The Sailor Senshi?" His mother said, a strange look crossing her face. The superhero's had saved the life of Usagi's best friend. Hmm, fancy that. She had her own suspicions on that count, but the blue-haired woman kept that fact to herself. Her eyes were rather strained as she answered him. "That's wonderful, Mamoru. So she's fully recovered?"

Wow, something was just not quite right about her response.

For a long moment, Mamoru's eyes rested on his mother's face rather suspiciously. She stared back at him, brows slowly raising in query. A moment later, she glanced away as if she were guilty of something, and her son's heart rate increased nervously. It wasn't the first time he had gotten a bizarre feeling that Ikuko knew more than she was saying. But as usual, the subject was not raised at all.

As they stood there awkwardly, he saw Luna pad down the hall from Usagi's room, her furry face showing much more emotion than a cat ought to have. She might be a thousand years old, but she hadn't learnt to hide what she was thinking. She obviously didn't think that she needed to, since no one would think a cat would be able to talk and think like a human.

"Luna, good timing. You can give me a hand with Usagi," Mamoru said lightly, grinning down at the furball. Both the cat and his mom exchanged a look as if to say he was nuts. "Never mind." He said sheepishly, stepping past his mother and heading down the hall. Luna ran after him and leapt onto the end of the bed as he placed his step-sister onto the covers and pulled her quilt over her. Belatedly, he reached under the covers and slid her shoes off.

Muttering at his stupidity, he waved a hand at Luna and left the room, closing the door softly behind him. His mom was no longer in the hallway and he could see that her door was now closed as well. "Night mom." He said under his breath, knowing that something big was coming. She had acted as if she wanted to tell him something. The dark-haired man wanted to think more about that, but he was just too tired.

He walked into his room, feet dragging on the floor from exhaustion. Mamoru changed into some boxers, eyes only half open. He noticed that his headache was starting to fade. When he glanced into the mirror, he frowned. Something was vaguely different about his face. They eyes maybe? Or his expression? "Must be Endymion," He murmured, deciding to think more about it after he had gotten a little sleep.

As he settled into bed and pulled the covers up to his chin, a chill went over his body as if he had a fever. The dark-haired man fervently hoped that he wasn't getting sick, but he had a bad feeling that it was something to do with his awakened memories...it had occurred to him to wonder how two souls could be in the same body, and if it could have physical complications.

"Later," He moaned, rolling over onto his side and curling up. He was just too tired right now to think.

Unbidden, Usagi's sleeping face slipped into his mind. He hoped that she would be alright after the day they had. Just the mental abuse she had coped from seeing her best friend badly wounded, and the fact that she had almost been sucked into the Dark Kingdom, could cause her distress. And that was something that her step-brother never wanted. If he could have wrapped her up in cotton and retired her from battle, he would have. But the blonde would never let him so such a thing.

He knew deep inside that it would be better if he left this house, and his sister, before something dreadful happened between them to ruin their relationship. Mamoru could say with certainty that something was bound to happen with his past memories popping into his head every time he saw her face.

Agonised over his fate, the teenager fell into a deep sleep.

Hideki glanced at his watch and saw that it was almost five forty in the morning. The sun was well on its way up into the sky, turning the shades of grey and black on the buildings and cars around him to their true colours. There was a light fog obscuring the objects that were further away. The street lights went out just then, and he focused on the huge white building a few feet away. He had seen Usagi and Mamoru leave about a half an hour ago, their faces worn, yet somehow happier. As their eyes had met over the lazily curling smoke of his cigarette, Mamoru had given his friend a deep, heartfelt grin. In that moment, Hideki felt a huge weight lift from his heart and knew that Rei was okay. Somehow, she was alright.

Thank god Mamoru was the Prince of Earth and the Senshi weren't entirely inept when it came to battle injuries. His fiery priestess would pull through. Well, she wasn't his just yet, but he hoped that she would be. Very soon.

Still,despite Mamoru's silent assurance, the gang leader desperately needed to see Rei's face, to look her over personally to find that she was doing better. Hideki knew he would never forget the memory of her broken bloody body laying there on the ground, her face as pale as death. He felt as if a knife had been thrust into his chest.

Hideki stubbed out his cigarette, ran careful hands through his hair to make sure it wasn't sticking up weirdly and then to straighten his clothes so that he looked respectful. If the hospital staff tried to stop him seeing Rei, there were going to be some bloody noses!

The blonde man took the elevator up to Rei's floor, scowling at a nurse who stared at his face and clothing for longer than was polite. For the first time, he was a little ashamed of what he was. Would such a lovely young girl really look twice at a rough gang member like himself? Would she wrinkle her nose in distaste and turn her beautiful purple eyes away from him? Doubt filled him as he stopped outside of her door and peered cautiously through the crack between her door and the jam.

Rei lay there, her hair spilling about her shoulders like fine black silk. Though she was dressed in a truly unattractive white hospital gown, the covers of her grey blanket pulled up to her armpits, and her face wan with tiredness, Hideki had never seen anything more lovely in his life. She was asleep, her long lashes laying like shadows on her pale skin. Her face was relaxed and she didn't appear to be in any pain. She was also not hooked up to an IV, or any equipment that was for life threatening situations.

Hideki's breath eased out and he closed his eyes in abject relief. She was alright. Mamoru's grin had been a triumphant, relieved one. His hand clenched about the door jam and he mentally went over the battle in his mind, making a note to utterly destroy that flying bitch Zoisite when they next met. But then, the blonde started to wonder what he was doing there in the hospital. Sailor Mars had been unconscious when he arrived to help Tuxedo Kamen and Sailor Moon, and Rei had never met Hideki in her life. He sighed and opened his eyes, starting to back away from the door and leave without her knowing.

To his shock, he found his blue eyes locked onto deep purple ones, staring back at him with an indefinable look in their depths. Hideki and Rei were silent for a long tense moment, neither looking away. And then a smile curved her lips and she murmured something, such warmth flooding her gaze that he was taken aback. His legs moved without him making a conscious decision and he backed away, her startled face abruptly disappearing from sight.

"Wait!" Her voice called out, sounding rather dismayed.

Hideki swore viscously under his breath, then he turned and ran full-pelt down the corridor, away from the girl he had growing, uncontrollable feelings for. His shoulder crashed into a nurse's and he apologised without stopping. He didn't even bother with the elevator, and took their stairs, so badly he needed to get away from Rei. From his feelings. From her smile.

The blonde gang leader practically fell out of the main entrance to the hospital and his run lengthened into a fast jog, neither seeing nor hearing anything around him as he tried to escape a pair of warm purple eyes, and the unsettling feeling that Rei had smiled that way at him that way somewhere before. But that was impossible, right?

The hero of Tokyo's bloodshot eyes cracked open, a deep need to keep sleeping making his body feel like a dead weight. He wasn't sure what had woken him up, but it had been an unsettling feeling, like something was wrong. As his gaze focused on the sunlight flooding his room, he suddenly thought of Hideki and he bolted awake. "Damn it, I should have called before I went to bed," He berated himself.

Mamoru reached down to the floor for his jacket and he fished out his cell phone. He quick dialled Hideki's number and waited as it started to ring. "Your call could not be connected..." The woman's automated voice went on to explain that the number dialled could not be reached and the phone could be out of range. The dark-haired man frowned and stared at his cell for a long moment before flipping the lid closed and ending the call. Hideki was somewhere he couldn't be reached, or maybe he had his phone shut off.

He sighed and flopped back onto the sheets, his blue eyes going to his clock. It was only 8:30 in the morning. He had gotten a mere three and a half hours of sleep, even after an exhausting battle and a long night of being by Rei's side. Mamoru smiled joyfully, unable to help himself. Not only had he healed Rei, but he had discovered she was family. A cousin. His lovely, fiery cousin Rakshayla.

The upperclassman lay there for the next half an hour, mind going over Rei, Usagi, the battle and the near fatal condition the Senshi of Mars had been in. It had been close; far too close. Finally he sighed, glanced at the window and decided that his brain wasn't going to let him drift back to sleep at this stage. He rose and exchanged his boxers for a t-shirt and shorts, then he slipped his socks and shoes on and quietly made his way downstairs and out of the front door.

An odd bank of fog greeted him and he stopped and stated at it for a long moment. The sun was out, but there was fog everywhere. The sort you only saw in the very early morning, around five o'clock in the morning. "Huh," He murmured, eyebrows raised. Mamoru shook his head and jogged down the drive to the footpath. He hesitated on going left or right and then he decided to go to the small park not far down the street. The jog would clear his head and maybe afterwards he would be tired enough to go back to bed and sleep.

As he jogged, he watched some early risers as the city woke up and people went about their day. It amazed the dark-haired man how normal and ordinary things seemed after a battle. It wasn't a good sign that a large group of people could be attacked in a public park and the next day everything went back to normal. Forgotten. The Dark Kingdom's attacked had increased to such frequency that it had become a common occurrence. He had noted that most battles were not even covered by the media these days, and he strongly suspected that the Government had hidden the attacks on Japan from the rest of the world. The police were certainly out in more force than they had been months ago and even the military could some times be viewed around the city, watching....

Mamoru entered the park and he immediately saw the fog swirl about the form of a person, who gradually became more distinct as a girl moving gracefully through the swirling eddy's of fog. He stopped warily, something telling him to be on guard. There was a glint from her forehead, and long blonde hair became visible, brushing the hem of a bright orange pleated skirt.

He recognised a Senshi who was wholly familiar, and yet not. That is, he had not yet met her in person as Chiba Mamoru or Tuxedo Kamen, but he had as Prince Endymion. Dark blue eyes glanced over the blue, white and orange fuku and then focused on a golden tiara that had a crescent moon carved out in the centre. He frowned, noting that this was not correct. There should be a stone there, not a crescent moon.

Sailor Venus...yes, that was her name. Mamoru wondered why she had taken this moment to reveal herself to him, but he kept the questions rising inside of him to himself. The true leader of the Sailor Senshi had finally arrived.

"Chiba Mamoru," The golden-haired Senshi greeted him coolly, her face expressionless. Her cornflower blue eyes watched him closely as he stopped a few feet away. She wasn't frankly assured of her reception. This man was an enigma in this day and age, and she was not quite sure of how much he remembered of his past. Or where he had gotten the idea for 'Tuxedo Kamen'. His gaze was direct, but a little wary, which was somewhat of a relief. Perhaps their first meeting would go well after all.

"Hello Sailor Venus," Mamoru greeted, eyes narrowing on her. What was she up to, that she had waylaid him out here in the dim light of dawn? In her Senshi form, no less. It implied that she was hiding things, or preparing to battle with him, and he didn't like that at all. But then, this was their first meeting in over a thousand years.

Venus was taken-aback. He recognised her? Impossible. Or had one of the other Senshi told him about her? No, that couldn't be right. From her reconnaissance on the Senshi and Tuxedo Kamen, she had gathered that they were unaware that Chiba Mamoru was the man who fought at their side. "You know me?" Venus questioned warily. His face gave nothing away as he looked her over from head to toe as if seeking something.

The Senshi looked the same, but what if she didn't have any of her old memories? Correction, she must have some vague glimmers of the past if she was masquerading as the Princess. Endymion's memories flooded him as she spoke, and he now recognised the moon symbol in her tiara as that of the Moon family. Venus was playing a dangerous game. "Mmm," He answered noncommittally, knowing that this would annoy her. She might give more away if she were angry.

"Then you know I am the Moon Princess?" Venus went on smoothly, needing to get that one out quickly. It was her duty to make them think that she was the Princess of the Moon Kingdom, in order to protect her. Venus hoped that if she explained things to Mamoru, as Tuxedo Kamen, he could be a strong ally on her side. However, his attitude was currently ticking her off. His face gave nothing away, and she prided herself on being able to read expressions.

Mamoru laughed derisively. "I can't figure out if you honestly think you're her, or if you're playing some game," He told her sternly, pacing closer. The man stopped when he was towering over the blonde. To her credit, she never flinched or moved back. "But you most definitely are not the Moon Princess." He murmured, punctuating each word with a short pause. If she thought to pull the wool over his eyes, she was gravely mistaken.

What? Sailor Venus swallowed hard, her eyes skittering to the side for a moment before meeting his again. He wasn't buying her lie....why not? Was she losing her touch? No...he seemed so certain that what she was saying was not the truth. What was going on here? "I am!" The blonde spluttered, completely thrown. How did he know?! He couldn't possibly have more memories than the Senshi.

Unless...

"Endymion?" Sailor Venus spluttered out in pure disbelief, a hand going to her throat in a protective manner. It couldn't be. It wasn't possible! The Prince of Earth had awoken before Serenity? This wasn't how it was supposed to play out. All her certainties suddenly crowded into her mind and she felt her heart plummet to her feet.

Mamoru smiled slightly in satisfaction at her stunned expression, eyes showing such innocent uncertainty that he felt bad. "Ah. I thought so." His suspicions were now confirmed. Venus remembered things from a thousand years ago and knew full well she wasn't the heir to the Moon throne. She was playing some game with them all. And if he was right, then she had already made contact with some of the other Senshi, possibly gulling them into thinking she was the real Princess. His brows drew together in a thunderous frown.

"It's really you?" Venus was utterly flabbergasted, which showed as she temporarily lost her cool and gaped at him. Mamoru had at first seemed superior, but was now giving her a frankly very scary glare. The expression in his eyes showed clearly that it was the Prince of the Earth staring back at her and he knew what her game was. She should have known from the way he was standing so proudly; arrogance and confidence showing in his bearing. "Well, damn." She muttered uncertainly, rubbing a gloved hand over her face. "I had a speech all prepared to try and figure out what you knew, but I never suspected that you had memories of the past."

Mamoru's glare dissolved a little at her sheepish expression. "As of yesterday, to be exact." He informed her, wiping some sweat from his brow with his t-shirt. He glanced around to make sure that no one was listening in, or could see the Senshi who had come out in broad daylight in a public park. Not the best move on her part, he admitted silently. The fog was starting to clear up and once he was satisfied that no one was near, he looked back to his companion. Many expressions crossed her face and then finally settled into resignation.

Venus's light blue eyes closed in resignation. A day? She had been off by a mere day? She couldn't possibly have foreseen this one in her calculations. Somewhere inside, she had always believed that the Princess would be the first to remember it all, or perhaps that Endymion and Serenity would remember together. It had been clear from the last two battles she had viewed that Sailor Moon's memories were emerging and her past self was helping her fight the Dark Kingdom. "Damn." She murmured under her breath. This felt like she had lost a battle...somehow. That she was not in control.

What had triggered Mamoru's past self to wake up? It had to be the fact that Sailor Moon had almost been sucked into the Dark Kingdom. Artemis had given her a full account of events from the bushes he had been hiding in while the battle had taken place. When she had prudently decided not to join the fray and rescue Sailor Moon and Mars personally, she had missed what happened. "I have to reassess everything. I was going to ask you why you were Tuxedo Kamen and maybe if you knew your sister is your past love-" She spoke to him in a hurried, quiet voice, needing him to understand.

"I am aware of the fact," Mamoru said tightly, hands clenching into fists. Of course he was aware! His whole life had been crumbling about him for weeks now, a piece at a time. He was almost at the end of his tether and this silly girl was about to bear the brunt of his wrath. How dare Venus, who had not revealed herself till now, but had clearly been around for a while, try and manipulate things? To make them dance like her puppets?

"What are your intentions?" They both asked at the same time, with identical stern expressions on their face. The two stopped and stared at each other for a long moment.

His lips twitched reluctantly. "Great minds think alike?" Mamoru suggested wryly. His arms crossed and he gave the girl a cool look from under his lashes. "What do you hope to accomplish with your charade as the Princess?"

Sailor Venus looked rather peeved, but answered anyway. She was addressing the heir to the Golden Kingdom, even if it no longer existed. Royalty was royalty and one day this man would be joined in matrimony to Serenity. "I'm going to keep the real Princess out of danger and hope to hell she doesn't wake up before she is supposed to." She answered bluntly.

The Prince of Earth blinked at her, and then nodded. "I have no objections." Wow, that had come out a little arrogantly. What was it about this small blonde girl that was bringing out his bad side? Perhaps it was the fact that one their very first meeting, she had baldly lied to him and named herself his Princess. Even if this was to protect Serenity, it was truly a bad way to find an ally. His memories were incomplete, but he seemed to recall Venus being a warmer, cheerful person. This girl's blue eyes were hard and wary, showing knowledge beyond her age. Perhaps her memories had been there far longer than his and she had found her awakening as the Senshi of Venus to be a hard lesson. She was only a child...

"Too kind," The Senshi muttered under her breath, unimpressed with his holier-than-thou attitude. He was the Prince of the whole darn planet alright! Weird, she didn't recall him being this bad a thousand years ago, but then, who could say how messed up her memories were?

The taller man sighed and stuck out his hand abruptly. "I apologise. I'm usually very easy-going, but circumstances have made me change, perhaps not for the better."

Venus took his proffered hand, inwardly astonished. He was apologising for his behaviour. Well now, that was more like it. Perhaps they could be allies after all. "I can see how remembering you are Endymion would be very unsettling. Especially given that Usagi is your step-sister in this incarnation." She smiled for the first time, then dropped his hand and half-turned away. "However, I have plans to protect her, and you will most likely be a problem in that equation. I have to ask you to step aside and let me do my duty."

"Please do your duty to her, but remember I am both her brother and her past love. I will be the one protecting her," Mamoru warned softly, his expression becoming deadly. This girl was pushing it with her behaviour, and he was not responding very well. "But I will not get in your way, Lady Venus, real leader of the Sailor Senshi. I know how well you take your duties to the crown." In an instant, his past self rose to the fore and spoke directly to the girl.

She blinked rapidly and then knelt at his feet, head bowed.

"Forgive me," She asked quietly, waiting. Venus had inadvertently insulted Earth's royalty and she was inwardly smacking herself for being such an idiot. Chiba Mamoru might be an ordinary guy, who was in fact much younger than Prince Endymion had been in the last battle, but inside he was still someone that she had to give the highest respect to. It had been ingrained into her from birth, and life in the Moon court had only increased that responsibility to her rank.

The dark-haired man murmured an assent and she leapt to her feet rapidly, a scowl on her face. "You're driving me insane, Chiba Mamoru!" She informed him, crossing her arms also. "Either be a 21st century guy, or Prince of Earth, for crying out loud. Your mood swings are giving me a nervous break-down."

"Tell me about it." He said dryly. Mamoru shook his head and then stepped past her. "We can continue this conversation another time." And then he was jogging off into the fog, leaving behind a very irritated blonde, who had the most insane urge to bash her head against a tree.

It was almost evening when a noise woke Usagi from her dream. She frowned as it started to slip away from her as it usually did. Something about a handsome Prince and fire falling from the sky...and the Earth, she had seen the planet as if from a distance and it seemed to glow as red as blood.

"Usagi, you have a visitor." Luna murmured from somewhere nearby.

The blonde glanced down and found her guardian curled into the covers over her stomach, the warmth permeating into the blonde comfortingly. Luna rarely curled into Usagi, so she was pleasantly surprised. She reached down and stroked her fingers across the golden crescent moon on her cat's forehead. She did this for a few more moments, delighted when Luna began to purr.

It was then that she sensed someone watching her and her her face jerked up to meet Rei's amused eyes. The brunette was sitting on the floor only a foot of two from the bed, watching the proceeding's with frank interest. "I had no idea Luna purred like a real cat," She grinned at her best friend, who looked sheepish. Luna snorted and then closed her eyes and continued to purr defiantly.

"Rei" Usagi exclaimed, her hand shooting out towards her friend. She needed to touch her friend almost desperately, needing to know that everything was now okay. She would never forget how the Senshi of Mars had looked, laying there covered in blood. Her guilt choked her for a moment as she remembered her betrayal. Rei might not know what her best friend in the world had done, but the blonde would always remember that she had almost sacrificed Rei in order to save Mamoru. "I know Mamoru healed you with the Crystal, but should you be out of the hospital so soon?" She queried anxiously.

Rei took the blonde's hand in both of hers and raised them to her cheek tenderly. Her purple eyes closed and then she kissed Usagi's hand and let it go. "I'm fine, Usagi. The hospital staff couldn't argue with the supernatural powers of the Senshi and didn't have a reason to keep me. I can't believe I'm healed and here with you." She murmured, smiling. Everything was going to be okay now. Sailor Mars was a part of her for the first time, not only in name, but in spirit. The things that she remembered from her past life were remarkable. The war, her love, the sacrifices that were made and the betrayals.

And he had come to see her. When her eyes had opened from sleep, they had met blue eyes through a crack in her door that had made her heart thunder in her chest. He had been unable to hide his feelings for her in that moment and she cherished every second. But who was he? What was his name? Rei was sure that somewhere in her unconscious state, she had heard a beloved voice.

"It came too close this time Rei," Usagi said slowly, shoving her covers aside so that she could sit up. Luna moved away and the blonde swung her legs onto the floor. Her blonde hair fell in waves about her and she grabbed a handful, grimacing at the knots. That would teach her to not brush it before going to bed.

Her mind went back to a few weeks ago, when Mamoru had backed her up to the bathroom wall and taken her hair in his hands. "It's gorgeous." He had whispered to her, his face so close and something in his eyes that had made her stomach explode into butterflies.

"What are you thinking about?" The priestess in training asked in interest, seeing a far away look in her friend's eyes. To her delight, Usagi blushed a bright red and wouldn't meet her eyes. Rei's expression firmed as she realised just who the blonde was thinking of. Mamoru-who had happened to have the great misfortune of being born as her step-brother. Or rather, having his father marry into Usagi's family. "Never mind." She went on, not waiting for the blonde's answer.

Usagi looked rather confused as she got out of the bed and sat at her dressing table. She reached for a brush, which was smoothly taken from her grasp by Rei. The priestess gentle took the pins from the blonde's hair and unfurled it, then began to brush in long strokes. She smiled softly, remembering how she used to do this for Serenity. Although Usagi looked even more bewildered by her unaccustomed action, she allow Rei to do as she wished.

Luna glanced up as she sensed movement in the doorway and saw Mamoru there. He leant against the doorway, his eyes never leaving Usagi and Rei. She was startled to see sadness and longing in his eyes before he saw her looking and he seemed to school his expression into a more relaxed one. Odd, what was he hiding? She could ask him later, when they were alone. Surely...it wasn't the kiss? But hadn't that all been sorted out? Rei and Mamoru were dating, weren't they? "It's bad manners to hang on the door jamb!" She snapped at Mamoru.

The dark-haired man ignored her for a long moment, his eyes on the glorious mass of hair cascading from his step-sister's head. He had seen it down over the years, and even more recently called it gorgeous, but now that he was Endymion he could see how much like an angel she looked. He wanted to run his hands through it so badly that his fingers twitched in response.

Mamoru also wanted to kiss Usagi and it made his heart ache that he couldn't. It had almost destroyed him when he remembered his past and that he and his Serenity were now related by marriage. She was much younger and the realisation would crush her soul. For her sake and his he had to act like her brother and nothing more.

The Senshi of the Moon's eyes went huge and she made a choking noise. "Umm, ah, Luna you-aren't I a good ventriloquist?" She said hurriedly, spinning around on the chair to look at her brother, whom she has not even realised was in the room. When he gave her a patiently exasperated look, the blonde glanced up at Rei's calm face and then to her guardian's calm red eyes. "You already know Luna can talk and I just sounded like a moron, didn't I?" She said in an acerbic tone, crossing her arms.

Mamoru continued to lean against the doorway, a huge grin spreading over his face. Now this was more like it. Them bantering, making fun of Odango. Wait-he shot a quick look at Luna and winced. Damn, Usagi wasn't aware that Luna knew was aware that she could talk. "It's not a huge deal, Odango," He said soothingly, running a hand over his chin in a thoughtful manner. "Just think how much easier it will be now with us having to sneak out of the house to battle the Dark King-crap."

Usagi, Rei and Luna all gaped at him, but for different reasons. In the cat's case, she didn't know Mamoru was Tuxedo Kamen and had just had a rather rude shock. "Us?" She yowled at him and then Usagi. "What does he mean by 'us having to sneak out of the house'?"

"Mamoru, you idiot!" Usagi shrieked at him in complete disbelief. Hadn't they agreed to not tell Luna that he was Tuxedo Kamen? The cat was going to go utterly ballistic. The blonde braced herself for the explosion. Wait-since when did Mamoru know Luna talked?

"Oh dear, you didn't tell Luna?" Rei dropped the brush onto the dresser and then sank onto Usagi's bed. She stared at Luna consideringly. and knew no matter what was said, the cat was going to give them a tongue-lashing for not telling her the secret. "It's like this Luna, a few weeks ago, Usagi and Mamoru found out they were fighting buddies. And Usagi, Luna and Mamoru had a long conversation, also a few weeks ago. He was as shocked as you are right now that the cat talks."

Mamoru groaned and covered his eyes with his hand at Rei's explanation to the feline. "She means I'm Tuxedo Kamen." He advised the cat dryly. From the deathly glare she levelled in his direction, he gathered that his deadpan tone had not impressed her, given the circumstances.

"You-you what?!" Luna spluttered out in pure shock, her red eyes wide. She gawked at Mamoru for a while, then turned to look at Usagi accusingly. "How could you hide something like this from me?" She demanded. She was the Senshi's guardian! Did they not think that she needed to know this information. "You have your own agenda! You keep stealing our Rainbow Crystals!" She growled at the handsome upperclassman accusingly, tempted to scratch his eyes out.

Mamoru inched into the room and subtly moved in front of Usagi in a protective move, his blue eyes stern as they rested on the cat's face. "We only found out a few weeks ago. And now that I know you're the Sailor Senshi I don't have to keep taking the crystals. We're on the same side." He said soothingly, surreptitiously checking that he socks were pulled high enough under his slacks to protect his ankles from her wrath.

Usagi nodded, hands held out placatingly. Luna looked like she was about to go homicidal on their butts and there wasn't going to be any survivors. "It's all okay Luna. I've talked things over with Mamoru. He's my brother, remember? Not the enemy."

"Yes," Dark blue eyes became rather sardonic. "I'm her-brother." Mamoru agreed.

Rei and Mamoru's gazes met in complete understanding and she gave him a tender look, wishing that she could hug him. Only the two of them truly understood how Mamoru was feeling right now, because only they two remembered their pasts.

Rei put up her hand and wiggled the fingers about. "And I only found out a few hours ago that Mamoru was Tuxedo Kamen and visa-versa." She said smoothly. Their alter ego's...well, their past selves, had decided not to tell either Luna or Usagi about their past in the Silver Millennium. It was a shock enough to find that her princess and her cousin were now semi-related in the present time.

As Endymion and Mars has spoken, Mamoru and Rei had been aware of it all. They had also gained some memories of the past and it made things all the more uncomfortable. She wanted to tell Usagi so badly. That she and Mamoru had slipped up in their relationship as siblings because of a past life. That the blonde was the Moon Princess and being Sailor Moon had been a mistake on Luna's part.

The Senshi of Mars had some suspicions about how this had all happened, and decided to speak with Mamoru later on. Her lips pursed as she considered the fact that the other four Sailor Senshi were out there somewhere in the world, possibly without their memories. It would be interesting to see if they turned up. Venus had only recently appeared, so it was entirely possible that Saturn, Pluto, Neptune and Uranus would also awaken. No-wait, Pluto would have been the only one to remember everything because she was the guardian of time. And Saturn...Rei shuddered. The only reason Saturn would become a Senshi again would spell doom for the entire world.

"I can't believe that you didn't inform me of something so vital to the mission!" Luna snapped at them all. She leapt to the ground from the bed and raced to the door, swiping at Mamoru's trousered leg with her claws as he passed.

"Luna-" Usagi called out. She broke off when the cat disappeared out the door and then heard her scampering down the hall. "This is bad." She moaned, covering her face with her hands.

Mamoru looked outside the door swiftly and then closed it, cursing himself for an idiot when he realised that his mom or dad or even Shingo could have overheard their conversation. "Give her some time to cool down and we'll try and discuss it all like rational humans." He told the girls calmly.

Rei shook her head and sighed. She grasped Usagi's shoulder and turned her back to the mirror, then picked up the brush and resumed doing the blonde's hair. As she ran the brush through the locks, she happened to catch Mamoru's love-struck gaze in the mirror as he watched.

The dark-haired man realised that his cousin was staring at him knowingly and that his expression as he gazed at his sister was less than brotherly. He swiftly turned his back to them while he schooled his expression.

"Mamoru, give me a hand here," Rei said softly, beckoning him over with one hand. When he turned his head and glared balefully, she grinned. She really loved taunting the big guy. Even more now since she knew she was related to him in a very old, past-life sort of cosmic way. "You brush this side and I'll put the other side up in a bun."

Usagi smiled at their antics as her friend went to her left side and her brother slowly came to the right. She saw him take the brush from Rei's hand and hesitantly began to run it through her locks. "Rei, you've never done my hair. You'll make a mess of it." She warned.

"I've done it a thousand times before, Odango," The dark-haired priestess said absently. She quickly realised her mistake and amended her words when Usagi frowned. "In my head, that is. I've seen you do it so many times that I think I can do it."

Mamoru looked at Rei and shook his head chidingly. Mars may have put up Serenity's hair a million times in the past, but Rei had never done it for Usagi. He ran the brush gently through his step-sister's hair, expression tender. Somehow, Rei had known that he wanted to do this. She had been incredibly in-tune with her psychic self a thousand years ago, could she be regaining that ability?

Usagi doubtfully watched as Rei parted her hair in front and back, stuck a bunch of pins in her mouth and then gathered up a comb and a handful of hair. To her astonishment, her best friend had pulled the golden locks into a perfect bun in mere minutes. She couldn't have done better herself. "Wow, Rei," She said admirably. Her eyes met Mamoru's in the mirror and she saw that he was still absently brushing, his blue eyes far away. It was rather soothing, actually. To be pampered by two people that she loved so much.

Mamoru enjoyed the feeling of warm silk flowing through his fingers and even though the knots were long gone, he continued to toy with the locks. When he glanced down at Usagi, he saw that she was watching him from the corner of her eyes. She blushed when she realised he was looking at her and her eyes darted away.

"Rei, can you put up the other side too?" The Senshi of the Moon said awkwardly, pulling her hair from her brother's grasp. The tension suddenly rising between them was uncomfortable and she didn't want him so close-or stroking her hair so lovingly! It was weird. In fact, this whole situation lately was weird. Things weren't the same between Mamoru and herself and she wanted to turn back time.

As Rei finished the second bun, the blonde shot to her feet and smirked at Mamoru's hair. "I see the colour still hasn't gone back to normal," She taunted. Yeah, that was more like the old Usagi.

Mamoru's face became incredulous for a moment until he realised what the blonde was doing. "You owe me for this Odango!" he growled out, hands going to his hair. It was still a lighter brown colour despite his efforts to wash the dye out.

Rei giggled as the two argued and tried to get their relationship back to how it had been. They were off to a good start, but still...one day Usagi was going to remember she was Serenity. And things were going to get really, really messy. To make matters even worse, this niggling feeling in the back of her mind wouldn't cease. A feeling that something very bad was about to happen to the Tsukino's.

To Be Continued...

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Princess Destiny