"Find the crystal," the princess whispered, her sky blue eyes meeting his. He could see the grief in them, as though she had lost someone precious, and he felt empathy forging a connection between them. He too knew what it meant to lose someone, and even though he couldn't remember his parents, at times a strange loss swept over him, sorrow for what could have been.

She began to fade, and though Mamoru tried to reach her, his efforts were in vain.

The next afternoon, Usagi was not at the arcade. In fact, Mamoru had not seen her all day, and was beginning to worry. After nodding goodbye to Motoki, Mamoru set off to find her.

It turned out Usagi wasn't at the bakery, ogling the pastries. Nor was she at the Osa-P Jewelry Store, or serving in after-school detention. And then, at last, he found her at the park.

He knew in an instant that something was wrong; she sat quietly on the bridge that spanned the pond, head bowed, ignoring the grime that was surely dirtying her formal black dress. Since when did Usagi wear black? Or anything formal, for that matter?

She didn't look up as he approached her. "Usagi?" he asked softly, trying to rein in his panic.

Usagi finally looked up at him, not seeming at all surprised. Just defeated. "What do you want?"

"Are you okay?"

She didn't answer, instead turning back to look at the water. When he noticed the tears slipping down her pale cheeks, Mamoru felt his heart break. Wordlessly, he fell to his knees and wrapped his arms around her. She climbed into his lap without hesitation and buried her face in his neck. He could feel her tears running down his skin.

He wasn't sure how long they sat there before Usagi spoke, mumbling into his neck. "Today was my grandma's funeral."

Mamoru tightened his grip. Sometimes, actions were more powerful than words.

For some reason, his mind flashed to the princess. In many ways, she resembled Usagi. The same sorrow, the same golden hair and fair complexion. But he was being ridiculous. Usagi couldn't be her.

Couldn't she?

Perhaps . . .

But that was a question for another day.