...

I can't wait... to be with you.
No, I just can't sit still... are we there, yet?
Takes me back... I remember.
Such a magical place... it was all...you.

Closing in... I hope that you make it.
Closing in... I hope that you find your way.

Usagi was helpless.

Ami didn't want to admit it, but as she scanned the hundreds of books on the library shelf she had to. Usagi's mind had drifted off constantly while the others had attempted to study. Her eyes would be looking down at her school book one moment and then they would slowly drift towards the window and she would become quiet. It was just strange to see Usagi so still. Before today Ami thought that Usagi was always bounding from one place to another, but today she had seemed so somber. Even when she would give Ami the brightest of smiles, there was something in her eyes that revealed there was something bothering her. And then there was that... dream...

"Ami-chan..."

Ami found herself looking over her shoulder once more. It had just been a dream though, not real life. It was silly for Ami to take it so seriously. She should just keep her mind on the real problem at hand: Usagi.

Even if Usagi hadn't been acting weird, Ami was sure that she would still have been just as hopeless. Usagi had a natural aversion to studying where as Ami had a natural studious nature.

Makoto was a bit better, but she was still not safe. It wasn't that she didn't want to study, she just needed someone to keep her on track. From the last few days of spending time with Makoto, Ami had realized many things about her new friend.

First off, despite her seemingly hard demeanor, there was a really sweet, and to Ami's surprise, really feminine woman within her. Makoto was always cooking and cleaning, as well as dreaming about her future to come. The second thing was that Makoto was not stupid at all. It was just that she was spending too much time caring for others to get her school work done!

Ami sighed with relief as she pulled out a random book from the shelf. She was glad they had not gone to Makoto's to study after all. Makoto would have been to busy trying to be a good hostess to get any studying done, and that would not have been fair to her.

Speaking of hostesses, that left the third party of their newly created study group. She was not as smart as Ami, not many were, but she was fairly decent. As well as very disciplined. Out of Ami's three study partners... Rei was the only one safe. Ami put the book back on the shelf without really looking at it. Rei was such a mysterious priestess.

Ami's thoughts fell back to the strange events that had lead them to studying at Rei's shrine to begin with. Perhaps Rei was safe in her studies, but was she really safe?

That man... his eyes had been so cold. So cold that they burnt; like dry ice. The complete opposite of the woman's... Ami's thoughts trailed off there. Again her mind had led her back to her dream. The woman seemed to be haunting her wherever she went. Ami shook her head violently to get her image out once more and then tried fixing her thoughts back onto her study group. Lets see... Usagi. How to help Usagi...

Did she really have any chance? Ami sighed and leaned against the book shelf. She had tried to find some subject that would keep Usagi's mind focus but so far only one had succeeded in getting Usagi out of her stupor for more than a minute: the planets.

"The moon won't be out today, will it?" Usagi had asked the question out of nowhere while she stayed gazing out of the window. The other three had turned to look at her, but it seemed that her question had been rhetorical. She already knew the answer.

"The new moon signifies death and destruction." Ami had looked at Rei in surprise as she said this. Rei had been almost as silent as Usagi for the whole study period. "I always find myself somewhat saddened when the moon isn't out." Rei said. Makoto looked out the window.

"I never noticed it before, but now that I think about it, I seem to get more agitated around that time too." Makoto agreed. Ami had followed their gazes, but she could not agree with them.

"I always liked it." Ami had said suddenly. The others had looked at her, and she had offered a meek smile. "I mean... I know it will always come back." She meant it more than that though. She just didn't want to go too deep into her particular love for The Moon's pattern. The Moon would fall into darkness, but always it would pick itself back up and into its splendid glory. She tried to make it seem more rational though. "I love its predictable patterns and motions, besides, there is something about a moonless sky that always makes me feel at home." The other two were looking at her with a strange look on their faces, and Usagi just kept staring out the window. "But I love having a moon too." She added quickly. It made her feel less lonely. "You know how Earth got a moon?" Ami asked trying to get the strange look off of their faces.

"How?" Makoto indulged her. Ami fiddled with her pencil.

"Earth didn't always have a moon. There are several theories as to how The Moon got created." Usagi had turned her head towards Ami and Ami had been happy to have gotten her attention. "One says that The Moon was its own planet in our solar system, but when it got too close to Earth's gravitational pull it began to orbit The Earth instead of The Sun." Ami said. Usagi had seemed to listen with genuine interest. "Then there is an other theory that when The Earth was very young it was struck by an other planet about the size of Mars. The molten Earth was broken up and the smaller Moon was formed. This is supported by rocks taken back from The Moon that says The Earth and Moon are made of fairly similar material as well as mathematical equations that trace The Moon almost all the way back to The Earth." Ami stopped her lesson and took a deep breath. She had never given a lesson like that before, she had always been on the receiving end.

"And what theory do you like better?" Makoto asked. Ami looked back down at her books.

"It doesn't matter which one I like best, just which one had the most evidence. I would have to go with the second theory." Ami said. Makoto smiled softly.

"I like the first one better." Makoto said. "It may not have as much evidence, but something about The Moon being attracted to The Earth seems really sweet to me." Ami sighed. She thought so too, but like she said it wasn't about how she felt about it, but about the evidence.

"I agree with Mako-chan." Usagi said suddenly with a wide smile. "Its so romantic!"

"I didn't necessarily mean it that way." Makoto said with a laugh. "But sure, why not."

"Well, I personally agree with Mizuno-san." Rei spoke up. "I learned about it in school and I can say that there is definitely more evidence for the second theory."

"I always loved The Moon." Usagi said with a bit more energy. They had seemed to have found a subject she liked. "What are your favorite planets, everyone?" She asked looking around the table. The other three girls were caught off guard.

"Usagi-chan, The Moon doesn't exactly count as a planet." Usagi's smile brightened at Rei's remark.

"I never said it was my favorite!" She countered. Rei seemed agitated.

"Then what is?" Usagi crossed her arms.

"The Earth of coarse!" She said like it was a no brainer. Rei scoffed.

"You live here!"

"Oh yeah? Than what is your favorite?" Usagi asked. Rei opened her mouth but then she seemed to think before speaking. Her mouth closed and then she looked down at the table a bit embarrassed.

"The Earth too." Usagi smiled triumphantly. Rei looked up at her in a glare. "But Mars is definitely tied!" She shouted. "The Red Planet." She said a bit more softly.

"What about you Mako-chan?" Usagi asked turning to the taller girl. "What is your favorite?" Makoto seemed to think a moment. Her eyes had become a bit dreamy and then she nodded.

"I love The Earth too." She said. "Yet if I had to choose another it would be Jupiter." Ami looked at her in surprise. Then again... Jupiter was the largest of the planets, but... soft... like Makoto. It seemed like a brooding giant, but in truth it was misrepresented by its size. Though Ami couldn't say it was too gentle. It had storms that could last centuries. Usagi looked at Ami now and she knew it was her turn.

"What about you Ami-chan?" Ami had opened her mouth to give her immediate response.

"Mercury." Something stopped her though and she looked out the window once more.

"The Earth." She changed her mind suddenly. It was so different than the rest of the planets. Full of life and fresh air. Full of sound and happy memories. "But I definitely would say Mercury is tied." So close to The Sun but being able to survive. Ami wished that she would be able to do that one day. To be able to with stand all the struggles and pressure applied to her when she went on to become a doctor.

Ami looked back at Usagi thinking she would find a bright smile beaming up at her, but Usagi seemed to have gone back to her strange mood. She sat there with her arms crossed on the table and a strange look in her eyes as she looked from each of the girls.

"Mars. Jupiter. Mercury..." Ami heard Usagi whisper softly. "Venus."

"Is Venus is your favorite, Usagi-chan?" Makoto asked after hearing her. Usagi snapped out of whatever had affected her for a moment.

"Oh, no. Its just-" She cut off quickly and looked down at her book once more. "Its nothing." She said and the others had let the topic slide.

Ami looked back that the library shelf and glanced at the titles.

Interpreting Dreams and Astronomical Signs. Ami let out a soft groan. She had wandered her way to a different area of the library while she had been drifting off in thought. Interpreting Dreams...

"Ami-chan..."

Again the woman's cry echoed in her ears and Ami pulled the book off of the shelf violently. She had to figure this out!

"Got a dream that's been bothering you?" Ami looked to her side to see a young man watching her. Ami's cheeks burned and the man stepped closer.

"More like haunting." Ami whispered, her voice cracking. The man laughed. Ami was never good at talking to others, especially not young men like him, but he seemed different somehow.

"Well I can't help you there. Just so you know you aren't the only one with strange dreams in this world." The man grabbed a book from the shelf with a similar title as the one Ami held. "Seems like we're in good company." The man's blue eyes shimmered slightly and Ami found herself staring into them. She knew him from somewhere, but where? She glanced down at his hands to see he was holding an assortment of books: history, precious gems, mythology, and now, dreams.

"I'm Mizuno Ami." She said quickly looking back up at his face.

"Chiba Mamoru." He said in return and bowed slightly. His eyes narrowed. "Have we met before?" Ami tried to pinpoint where she had seen him but she couldn't remember.

"I think." She agreed. "I just can't remember."

"Ami-chan..." Ami jumped again and looked over her shoulder involuntarily. She heard Chiba move to see what she was staring at.

"Are you alright?" Ami looked back at him and nodded.

"Yeah, its nothing. I just thought I heard someone call my name." Chiba nodded and then bowed slightly.

"Nice meeting you, hope you solve your dream troubles." He said with a smile as he turned.

"You too." She called after a bit of hesitation. He looked back at her for a moment and he seemed to be trying to remember where they had met before as well. He turned around again and began to walk towards the front desk. Ami let out a heavy breath and waited a few minutes before making her way towards the front as well. He was just making his way through the door when Ami placed the book on the counter.

"This is a very different read than usual." The desk clerk said reading the title. "Having trouble sleeping, Mizuno-san?" Ami took the book back.

"Just a little." She looked back at the door, but he was no longer in sight. "Who was that man?" She asked looking back at the clerk. "Chiba Mamoru, where does he go to school? Work?" The clerk seemed to smile a bit.

"Do we have a crush, Mizuno-san?"

"Ami-chan..."

"What?! No! I was... I was... just curious. I feel like I met him before." Ami countered after she had regained her composure. The calling was coming more frequently. Ami's eyes opened wide. Calling? She looked down at the book in her hands. Was it more than just a strange dream? Ami's breathing was becoming more rapid. A calling?

"I'm sorry I don't know anything about him besides the fact that his name, like you said, is Chiba Mamoru and that he likes to read material almost as heavy as your own." The clerk said. "I think I heard something about him being engaged, but I'm not sure. Too bad though, he would have been good for you. To have someone who is able to keep up with you." Ami blushed. She hadn't even thought about that around him and the idea of dating him seemed ludicrous and just... wrong.

"Ami-chan..."

Ami sighed and made her way to the door after giving the clerk a polite thank you. She had only just stepped out the door when a blur of yellow and blue collided with her.

Usagi wiped her eyes dry as she walked towards her house slowly. Very slowly. So much had happened since getting out of school and she just could not contain herself. It was all happeing so quickly. Usagi's heart was beating quickly and she just wanted to shout at the top of her lungs. Usagi's eyes lifted up slightly towards the sidewalk in front of her. Luna sat there on the sidewalk ahead appearing to be waiting for Usagi. An instant smile brightened the girl's face.

"Luna!" The girl picked up her pace and she rushed towards the cat. A new joy filled her heart and she embraced the cat. A soft purr came from the cat as she rubbed against Usagi. As they walked on the cat lay over Usagi's shoulder like a stole and she rubbed her head against Usagi's neck and then she felt the wetness of Usagi's cheeks.

"Usagi-chan, what's wrong?!" Luna demanded urgently. Usagi wiped her cheeks once more. A wide range of emotions had swept through Usagi's body in the last twenty-four hours.

Throughout the school day she had been thinking about Tuxedo Kamen. She had even toyed with the idea of going back to the mansion to confront him, but she knew that nothing would come of it. She would only have been sent away and she may then reveal to him her identity. She had to keep herself a secret, but her heart longed to see him right then. She didn't want to wait until their next meeting on the battlefield. She wanted to talk to him face to face without their masks and aliases. Usagi's feet turned her towards the park and she found herself subconsciously heading to the central fountain. "Usagi?" Usagi smiled shyly at the worried cat on her shoulder.

"Luna, do you know who the other Sailor Senshi are?" Luna stayed silent for a moment as she watched Usagi. She seemed to be unsure of how to take Usagi's question.

"Why do you ask?" Usagi felt giddiness come over her and she just wanted to swing Luna around.

"Something- Something happened today." Usagi said and she clutched the handle of her briefcase tightly to stop her from actually taking the cat in her arms and swirling. She could barely contain herself.

"What?" Luna encouraged. Usagi sucked in a sharp breath before moving forward.

"You said I should start to get some of my memories back soon, right?" Usagi asked in haste. Luna nodded.

"Yes, of The Silver Millennium." Luna assured her. Usagi closed her eyes for a moment bringing up the image once more, and a new batch of tears threatened to spill over her eyelids. She just had to be sure though. She had to start off small.

"Is Sailor V, Sailor Venus?" Luna smiled softly. Tuxedo Kamen had called her that but then Usagi... remembered it herself. It wasn't an actual memory that had come to her. She didn't see them change before her, but as she had looked at her friends she had just known: Mercury, Mars, Jupiter; her friends and allies. And Usagi had distinctively felt the absence of their companion. Venus...

"Yes she is." Usagi sighed in relief, but now she felt her nerves overcoming her. That had not been the only thing that had come to her.

"There was something else." Usagi said softly as the image came to her and tears edged closer to the side of her eyes.

"What?" Luna said leaning closer to Usagi's face. "What did you remember?" She demanded. Usagi smiled and she stopped walking. She leaned against the nearby park fence and she looked at Luna as she began to speak. Usagi's sapphire blue eyes glistened from the tears.

"Something wonderful," Usagi said and Luna's eyes opened wide.

"What?" She asked gently. Usagi closed her eyes and lifted her chin up towards the sky as she put herself within the memory once more.

"It was so... so warm and bright." Usagi said as she pictured herself lying on the warm ground with a familiar smell floating up to her nose. "I was so sad." Usagi said remembering how her eyes had looked up to see nothingness expand before her. "I don't remember why though. My thoughts from then are too blurred." Usagi continued.

"You were sad?" Luna asked. "But you said it was wonderful." Usagi opened her eyes and looked back down at the cat.

"It was," Usagi said, "because all of a sudden I was no longer alone." Luna just continued to stare at Usagi's face as she seemed to glow. "They were there with me." Usagi's voice seemed distant and as if she was in a dream. "They were all there with me." Luna blinked.

"Who?" Usagi looked back towards the road.

"We were all together, standing as one. I could hardly see their faces though. They were dark silhouettes against the brightness of the light, but..." Usagi paused and her smile brightened. "I knew them, and they knew me." Usagi looked down at her feet as the tears came. The joy of the memory was overshadowing her. "We were all together, and we were happy." Usagi looked at Luna, her smile still there through her tears. "Ami-chan, Rei-chan, Mako-chan..." Usagi said happily. "They were all there." Usagi laughed. Luna couldn't believe what she was hearing. She had heard the story so many times before, though she hadn't been there to see it herself. "And there was still others beside them." Usagi continued. "I was hugging someone, but I couldn't make out her face."

"Her face?" Luna asked surprised at this deviation. Usagi smiled at the cat and took her in her arms.

"Yes. At first I was being held by a man, but then she was there." Usagi explained. "I think it was V-chan, but... I couldn't make her out clearly." Luna's mouth opened wide. Usagi's smile saddened a bit. "You weren't there." Luna's mouth shut and she nodded.

"I was with Art-" She stopped. "I was with someone else." Usagi stood thinking.

"Oh." Usagi seemed disappointment. "I was hoping that you were there, and I just didn't remember." Usagi explained. "It was one of the happiest mo-" Usagi stopped short in her sentence. "Luna what is wrong?" The cat was tearing up.

"Usagi-chan, you shouldn't even be remembering that!" Luna said crying. "It's... It's not..." Usagi tilted her head sideways.

"I don't understand. I thought you wanted me to remember the past." Usagi remarked in confusion. Luna nodded.

"But... that..." She was sobbing. "Oh Usagi-chan, please." The cat began to beg. "You have to remember everything else! You have to find a way to fix this mess! Just like you always do!" Usagi just kept staring at her.

"I'm trying!" Usagi said crying as well. "I just... I want to remember so badly. Luna, can't you help me?" Luna opened her mouth but no noise came out. The cat looked back at the ground.

"I'm afraid to. I'm sorry Usagi-chan. It isn't fair for me to beg you to remember years' worth of pain and memories in just a few days. I'm sorry." Luna looked back up at Usagi. "Just, know that I believe in you. I won't make the same mistake twice." Luna promised. "I will always believe in you." Usagi smiled through her tears.

"Then, let's move ahead." The crying girl said. It was time to stop waiting for them to find her. "Let's awaken everyone up quickly. So we can fix everything together; as one." Usagi held Luna close to her body as she looked up towards the darkening sky where a few stars twinkled. "Just like before."

Minako stepped forward into the fading sunshine and waved to the girl standing at the opening of the fence. The girl simply shook her head agitated and began to walk away from her. Minako raced forward to be beside her before she could get out of sight. The girl did not turn around and Minako followed a few paces behind.

"Hikaru-chan!" The girl looked back at Minako for a moment and then continued to walk forward without a word. Minako walked faster in order to come up beside her. "Hikaru-chan, talk to me! Please! You've been ignoring me all day! Please! Stop!" The girl obeyed and faced Minako, her eyes hard and angry.

"You know what yesterday was?" She asked in a low and steady voice. Minako stared at her a moment, the wheels turning in her head. Yesterday? So much had happened the last few weeks and last night itself had contained the emotions of an entire month. Minako wasn't completely sure what the date was.

"I don't-" A new bracelet glistened on Hikaru's wrist. A sick feeling came over Minako and she closed her eyes in shame. "Your birthday." She said in disbelief. She put her hands on her face. "I can't believe this: your birthday." Minako looked back at her friend; her best friend. Since they were little they had been together in everything. Hikaru had been the only one who had stuck by Minako when things had gotten rough and the only one who had put up with her solitary behavior. "I'm so sorry! I'll make it up to you! We can go out tonight, just you and me!" Hikaru looked down at the ground.

"Minako," She said looking back up at her. There seemed to be tears at the back of her eyes, but also raging anger. "For three years now you've been avoiding me. Always running and making excuses." The girl turned away from Minako. "I never asked. Never! I always supported you. I thought: perhaps there was something going on that I wasn't a part of. I thought: okay, she has something personal going on, one day she may come around to telling me, but for now I'll support her silently." Hikaru's hands visibly wrung the handle of her briefcase. "That day never came though. You continued, continue, to run. You continue to give me the cold shoulder, but I was always there. I was always waiting to be there." Hikaru looked back to her longtime friend who stood silently looking down at the ground and her face covered in shadow. "Minako, we were best friends. Why didn't you open up to me?" Minako couldn't even look up at her. Hikaru closed her eyes and shook her head sadly. "It's the same thing over and over." She sighed. "Yet still I thought, I will be there for her, just like she will be there for me…" Hikaru stayed silent for a moment. "Then last night I had such a difficult time, and where were you?" Hikaru asked looking up. "I saw you." She said. "I saw you… leaving the arcade." Her voice was rising. "That stupid arcade!" Hikaru was crying now. "Always that stupid arcade! All afternoon? Was that where you were while my whole life crumbled around me?!" Hikaru demanded. Minako's grasp on the handle of her briefcase tightened, but she could not speak up. Hikaru leaned forward. "Just tell me Minako!" She demanded. "Just tell me that there is some reason you put me off other than… other than that stupid arcade and your stupid little… stupid little crushes!" She screamed this last part. Minako was now looking up at her; she kept blinking back the tears. She felt as if Hikaru had just slapped her, but there was nothing Minako could say in her defense that Hikaru would understand.

"It wasn't- I didn't- I never-" She couldn't explain herself. Hikaru lifted her hand to silence her silly words and she closed her eyes once more. Only the sound of heavy breathing was between them while Minako waited for the girl to speak.

"It doesn't matter anymore." Hikaru said as she put her arm and opening her eyes. "I set you free, Minako." Minako didn't understand. "Go do whatever makes you happy." She said. "It's obvious to me that I've been keeping you back for a few years now when you should have been moving forward, and I'm not going to hold you to our friendship." Minako's mouth opened wide in shock. She wasn't saying this!

"Now you don't have to fret about which destiny to pursue. You don't have to choose between being a soldier and finding love."

You don't have to decide between being a soldier and being a friend.

"Hikaru," Minako said desperately once the memory had passed. "I never meant to cast you out. Please, you're like a sister!" Minako grabbed hold of her shoulders and tried to force Hikaru to look into her eyes. "Hikaru, please! Without you I'll die! I'll go mad!" Minako was growing more desperate now, but the girl in her grasp was not looking at her. Her eyes were closed and her head tilted to the side.

"It doesn't matter anymore." Hikaru repeated. She lifted her arms and removed Minako's hands from her shoulders. Minako shook her hands off and grabbed hold of Hikaru once more.

"Hikaru, I'll tell you everything! Please!" Minako cried. "I can't lose you!" Hikaru shook her head.

"I'm moving." Minako felt the air being sucked out of her and the support being ripped out from underneath her.

"Wh-What? Wh-When?" Minako couldn't breathe. Hikaru took her hands off of her shoulders once more, and this time Minako did not fight her.

"I found out last night." Hikaru said. Her voice full of anger still and she did not look up at Minako. "It is a miracle it did not happen sooner." Minako's eyes stung as she pushed back tears, she couldn't cry. "Father's company is moving him to China, and we are going with him this time." Minako took a step back. "I didn't fight it this time because, well, I don't have anyone left here." Hikaru looked up at Minako. Minako still couldn't breathe. She felt like she was dying. Her heart was racing a mile a minute and there was no way to stop it. She couldn't speak her protest as Hikaru shook her head sadly once more and began to walk away. Minako grabbed hold of her hand. The girl turned around angrily but Minako was already embracing her. Hikaru's body turned ridged and she did not indulge Minako with hugging her back.

"Please… Don't leave." Minako begged barely finding her voice. "I can't… I can't do all of this alone…" Hikaru's shoulders slacked some and Minako felt hope rise up within her. "I need someone who can understand…" She wheezed.

"Oh Minako," Hikaru's voice had so much pity. "I've never been able to understand! You never let me in!" Minako tightened her embrace.

"But you were always there. You helped me even though…" Hikaru was pulling away from her and she was shaking her head.

"I always believed in you Mina-chan." Minako nodded her head rapidly.

"And I always knew it!" Minako assured desperately. "Please, I need that belief!" Hikaru shook her head.

"I will keep on believing, that one day, one day you will be happy." Hikaru mused to herself but not speaking directly to Minako. "That one day you will find what you are looking for. That you won't have to put whatever it is in front of those you love. I hope it is soon." Hikaru said looking into the distant. Minako couldn't breathe again as Hikaru spoke. "I hope one day you will find someone who will understand you in the way that I never could. I hope that one day…" Hikaru was about to cry. "I hope one day…" Hikaru was having a difficult time keeping her voice steady and the tears were about to pour out onto her cheeks. "I hope you will-" A soft beeping cut her off from Minako's pocket. Hikaru stopped and stared at Minako's pocket. Minako's pocket seemed to burn like hot coals. "I hope one day you will be able to follow your dreams." She grabbed Minako's hand as the beeping began to increase in its frequency. "I hope that whatever this is doesn't get in your way." She dropped her hands and began to walk away. She stopped for a moment. Minako saw that she was really waiting for Minako to stop her again. To stop her from walking out of her life, but Minako couldn't. The beeping was becoming more urgent and she felt her hand was itching to grab the transformation pen. "You'll make a great idol someday." Minako barely heard Hikaru whisper as she began to walk away. The world around Minako had just began to spin around hopelessly.

"You will be hopeless when it comes to love, for all eternity… Your fate is to keep fighting."

Minako couldn't breathe. She was going to faint. Her support had just turned the corner out of view.

"Mina! Mina!" The voice came up from her pocket trying to bring Minako back to focus but she could only gasp for air. She was dying! She just couldn't breathe anymore! Her heart was about to explode and she was becoming dizzy from the lack of air. She leaned against the nearby fence in order to replace the support that had just been taken from her.

"V-chan..." Serenity's voice echoed in her ears.

"Where are you?" Minako gasped. "Where are you all?" She was having a heart attack, she was about to pass out.

"Mina!" It was Artemis' voice, but Minako could not take out the pen anymore. She didn't want to fight alone. She only wanted to be a normal girl again. One who could laugh and play, one who could be there when her friends needed her to be. What good did Sailor V do? All she did was go around stopping creatures that wouldn't be here if Sailor V had never come out of retirement! She didn't help anyone! She just hurt Minako's relationships and her studies. Minako gasped for air once more, but she couldn't suck it into her lungs. She was dying! Minako found herself falling to her knees from the lack of air. There was no one there by the secluded park fence to help her.

"Mina! Mina!" The voice was no longer coming through the pen and she saw the cat racing towards her.

"Art-" She couldn't breathe. The cat placed his paws on her legs. "I'm- dying." She gasped.

"Breathe Mina! Get it out of your head! You aren't dying..." He lowered his voice, trying to sound calmer than he was. "It's a panic attack, you aren't really dying, your heart is racing but it will pass. Just keep breathing!" Minako nodded and she tried to suck in air. Artemis' voice came through her panic trying to soothe her. "Just breath in slowly." He said calmly. He breathed in deeply and Minako tried to mimic him. He let out the breath and Minako found that she could do so too. In and out. In and out. Minako's heart began to slow as the airflow came back and Artemis smiled sadly. "There we go." He said calmly.

"Arte-" She gasped out but he shushed her.

"Just breathe. Don't worry about anything else. Just breathe." Minako followed his lead once more. The cat rubbed his head against her comfortingly. "Just breathe." Minako swallowed hard and she gasped once more. The air was so sweet and clean. She closed her eyes in order to just concentrate on breathing. "Mina, are you alright?" Minako opened her eyes and back down at the cat. His green eyes watched her and they reflected worry.

"I'm..." She took another breath, "alright." She said. She had never experienced anything like it. She had felt like she was dying, but she had been far from it. The cat at her knees was still watching her with worry. He had pulled her through it, he had saved her from her panic. "Artemis!" She took him in her arms and held her close. Three years... three whole years he had been there with her, helping her come into her duties as Sailor V. Sailor V... she had one good thing. "Aruaru."

"Don't call me Aruaru." The cat said, but there was a laugh underneath it. Sailor V smiled at the sound of it.

"Aruaru..." She said again.

"We have to get to the arcade." Artemis said as she held him, but she didn't move. "Mina?" The girl pulled away finally and looked down at him. Her eyes were sorrowful and she was full of regret.

"Artemis, why?" Artemis sat staring up at her, his eyes reflecting the regret of her own. "When I wanted to go after them, to awaken them, why did you and Boss say no?" Artemis couldn't keep her gaze.

"At the time, there was no need." He whispered. "The enemy had vanished, and when I had started to come to the same conclusion... it was already too late. The pens were gone and...I'm sorry." He said softly. "I was just too blind to see how much you were affected. Too stupid to see that you needed help, that I needed help. Especially now that..." He stopped. Minako caught his hesitation.

"What?" He sighed.

"It can wait for a few more hours." He said. Minako frowned.

"Artemis." She said sternly. Artemis looked too sad just then. "What?" Her heart began to beat more quickly and she thought she might relapse. Perhaps that was what Artemis was trying to prevent, but it was already too late. "Artemis, what is it?"

"We won't be able to communicate with Boss anymore." He said. The flimsy support that Minako had just stabilized on was tugged from underneath her and Minako was finding it hard to breathe again.

"Mina," Artemis breathed in deeply and Minako nodded as she followed his lead. "In, out, in, out." A minute passed, maybe two.

"What happened?" Minako asked her voice cracking. The street lights were turning on now and a few stars glimmered in the sky.

"It's a miracle that we stayed in contact this long." Artemis said. "The computers on The Moon only have limited power to keep the communications up between the planets. They can stay running indefinitely on The Moon, but it would be a strain on them to keep up contact with us." Artemis paused. "As long as The Moon Castle stays in ruin and is not revived, we won't be hearing from Boss anytime soon." Artemis just continued to shake his head, angry with himself. "It was only supposed to be a year! A year of fighting! Not three! These things should have passed by now!" Minako sat there trying to continue to breath. "I wish... I wish..." He sighed and stopped talking for a moment. "Serenity, Queen Serenity warned me. She said that you were never meant to be alone." He said. "I should have listened to her."

"Venus, Goodmorning..."

"V-chan..."

"Minako-chan..."

Minako began to stand up slowly. Her breath was coming easily.

"Then I will find them." She said determined. "Sailor Moon, if she is Serenity, then... then I won't be alone for much longer. We will be together again soon." Minako said. Artemis was watching her, glad that she was breathing normally once more, but worried that she might do something foolish.

"Let's not be hasty about this." He warned. "We haven't confirmed it yet, just... be cautious." Minako nodded.

"I won't reveal my secret identity or anything about the arcade." Minako promised. "I just have to be able to talk to her though!" Artemis nodded.

"I can work something up. Some sort of communicator like the one in your transformation pen." He said. Minako smiled, but it was a weary smile from all that had happened to her today. She had lost a lifelong friend, but now… she found that she could breathe easier. It was difficult to admit but she knew then that is was the right decision on Hikaru's part. Minako was moving into deeper waters of mystery, and she needed to be free to do whatever it took. Minako didn't realize this entirely yet, but one day she would appreciate the sacrifice Hikaru had just made on both of their parts. One day Minako would be able to find what she was searching for. One day Minako would be able to reconcile her duty and her love because those things would overlap. And just like Hikaru had wished, it would be soon.

"Artemis, thank you." The cat shook his head.

"I haven't been a very good guardian." He said sadly. Minako bent down and scooped him up into her arms.

"I wouldn't ask for anyone else." She said trying to smile brightly, but Artemis could see through it, and her reaction earlier could not be forgotten.

Notes: I was really, really unsure if I wanted to keep this chapter in, but after a lot of thought I decided that the story did need it. I was worried about portraying Minako like this but in the end I think it was alright to do so. This was a very strange chapter to write. It was like the last one, changing so many times in the course of outlining this story.

Just know that the memory Usagi is describing is from The Galaxy Cauldron/Cordon (depending on the translation you have). I have a small obsession with Sailor Stars, especially the manga. See? I told you manga knowledge would come in handy!

Okay, Codename: Sailor V notes:

-Kaitou Ace is the one she is remembering in the italics and his "curse".

-the last few italics are all Serenity/Usagi. "Venus Goodmorning..." comes directly from when Sailor Venus awakens in the final battle of Codename.

-Hikaru was Minako's best friend in the manga. She disappears after Sailor Moon starts. Kind of like Naru, we are never told were she went. Hikaru has a startling resemblance to Ami (Whom we will get back to), they could be twins!

-In the original timeline Minako started looking for the others right after her awakening, but in this timeline the enemy disappeared and Artemis told her no. This lead to their plan of action once she came out of retirement.

-Boss vanishes before Sailor Moon begins, but it is never explained. It is actually never said out right that Boss is Queen Serenity, but it is greatly implied that she is. Who else could it be?!