Usagi's Struggles: Revelations from the Future

by Serena530

Two surprises in one event; one of which forces Usagi's hand, which leads to far reaching changes. Changes no one could have anticipated, and revelations no one could have imagined. Sequel to Usagi's Struggles. Warning: Long chapters inside

5. Lost and Found

Disclaimer: I do not own Sailor Moon or her characters, and have no right to it except as a long time fan.

Lost and Found

Thursday: Day Four continued...

Usagi and Mamoru released their transformations after slipping into a hallway through a doorway they hadn't seen earlier. Back in their normal clothes and the VR armor they began to walk through the hallways.

They ignored the virtual monsters, no longer interested in playing after dealing with the real thing and with Usagi being tired, but kept their eyes open so they wouldn't be caught off guard by another cardian or those two beings.

As they walked Usagi's communicator watch began to beep, and she lifted her wrist and opened the communicator portion to see the blue Mercury button flashing.

"Usagi here." She answered after pressing the button, and watched Ami's face appear on the small screen.

"I got an alert of an attack happening, but it stopped before I could contact anyone." Ami said. "I checked and saw that yours and Mamoru's energy signature were at the location."

"You're right. There was an attack by a cardian at the new VR theater, and we were there in the middle of our date when we came across the scene." Usagi said. "We destroyed the cardian ourselves; I made the decision not to contact the rest of you because you wouldn't have made it in time. Not only that but you would have had to get inside the building and navigate the dark maze-like hallways to find us.

"I understand." Ami said. "I imagine it would have been difficult especially if we were each entering the building alone."

"Yes." She agreed. "Well, the cardian was a female, and those two beings from before made a brief appearance." She informed her.

"Did they say anything?" Ami asked, and she could hear clicking so she knew Ami was typing out the information.

"They made a flippant comment about us still destroying their Cardians and that they would pick better next time." She answered.

Tell her the beings are capable of creating an invisible shield in front of them to block attacks. Mamoru said, and she repeated his words for Ami.

"And they teleported out of the area just like the last time they appeared." She added.

"That's good to know. At least we'll be prepared for that ability if they use it again." Ami said.

"True." Usagi agreed. "I'll inform the others at our next group training session."

"Okay. I'll let you get back to your date." Ami said.

"Thanks. Usagi out." She said before pressed the button to end the connection, and closed the cover shielding her communicator. She sighed and Mamoru wrapped his arm around her shoulders.

"How about we go eat after we get out of here?" He suggested.

"Yes. I'm actually starting to get hungry, and I have no doubt it'll get stronger the moment I smell food." Usagi said, and he nodded.

"You need the energy anyway." Mamoru said.

"True." She agreed.

"Do you have any idea what you want?" He asked, and she hummed thoughtfully.

"Something filling and tasty." Usagi said. "I'll need to sleep after eating. I had already thought I was going to need a nap after our date, because of my late night and early morning."

"What did you do last night?" He asked.

"I started reading an English fiction book I bought to help me in my English language class. It was good but it kept me from getting to sleep early even though I knew I had training early in the morning." She explained, and he nodded.

"We can go to your house and I'll watch you nap, and wake you up so you'll still be able to sleep tonight." Mamoru said.

"That's fine with me." Usagi said as they reached the exit of the virtual part of the theater.

They took off all the VR armor and left the building quickly and began to walk down the sidewalk, idly noting that there was still a line to get into the theater.

"Alight; food!" She said. "I'm in the mood for a hamburger. Hamburger and fries!"

"Then that's what we'll eat; now let's go find it." He said.

"Yes, food." Usagi said, and then her stomach suddenly rumbled loudly and Mamoru laughed just as loud at the unexpected sound.

1 hour later...

Mamoru drove up to the Tsukino house and parked in front of the house where he had originally parked when he brought his princess home to change for their date. He turned off the engine and looked over to see she had dozed off during the drive, and the car stopping and going quiet hadn't awakened her.

He grabbed his keys, unbuckled his seatbelt, and opened the car door as he got out. He closed it quietly yet securely and walked around to the passenger side and opened that door. He knelt down and unbuckled Usagi's seatbelt and carefully lifted her into his arms and out of the car before he kicked the door closed.

Usagi shifted slightly and opened her eyes at the sound.

"Are we there yet?" She asked softly.

"We're right outside your house." He answered as he walked toward the front door.

Usagi sighed and gestured slightly with her hand, and he watched as her keys appeared against her fingers.

As he reached the door she reached out with her key and unlocked the door while his mind unwillingly flashed back to the time where he'd carried her home when she was sick in the same way and she had reached out to open the door.

I'm fine now. She reassured him quietly, having heard his thoughts. We now know why I was sick, and now that we're together it will never happen again.

Yes, never again. He said. He never wanted to see her passing out any where at any time let alone in his arms.

Mamoru stepped inside the house and toed off his shoes and pushed the door closed with his foot before stepping toward the living room. Her mother looked up and gasped in shock and looked alarmed as she began to stand from where she had been sitting in a side chair sewing.

"Nothing's wrong." Usagi said quickly. "I just fell asleep on the ride back, and he likes to carry me when he has the opportunity."

Ikuko sighed in relief and relaxed back into her seat as she watched Mamoru round the couch and lay her daughter on the couch. He moved over in the next moment and took off her shoes, and went and placed them by the door before returning to sit on the couch with her.

Usagi scooted up and lay her head in his lap before shifting until she was comfortable, pulling her hair out from under her, and sighed as she closed her eyes.

Mamoru grabbed one of her streams of hair, which she had piled on the couch at her back, and ran his fingers through it.

"Did you have a good time?" Ikuko asked quietly.

"We did for the most part." He answered just as quietly. "We went to a virtual reality theater and had fun there until it was interrupted by a cardian attacking."

"Oh my." Ikuko gasped, and he nodded.

"We took care of it, but left the theater right after since we didn't particularly want to stay after that. Then we went to eat before coming back here." Mamoru said.

"Was the fight hard?" She asked.

"It wasn't hard but since it was only the two of us Usagi used more energy than normal. That's why she's so sleepy; that and because of her early morning." He explained.

"Why was it only you two?" She asked.

"The girls wouldn't have gotten there in enough time to help." He answered. "It would have taken them too much time to get to the building from their locations, get inside the building, and then make their way through it to our location. Inside the theater was dark and kind of like a maze." He explained.

Ikuko made a sound of understanding as she nodded. That made sense to her. By the time the other senshi got to them the cardian would have already been defeated.

"Oh." Mamoru exclaimed as he remembered something. "We took some pictures before going to the theater." He said as he summoned his from his subspace pocket and handed them to Mrs. Tsukino. "Usagi has the same copies except she has one of me by myself."

Ikuko nodded and looked through the pictures with a smile. She took in the strip of four poses and thought it was the cutest thing to see them cuddled up, wrapped in each other's arms, and kissing.

Then she looked at the pictures that were similar to the size of a postcard. There was one with the two of them together with Usagi with her hair the color of golden blonde, another of the same pose with her hair the color of moonlight, then there were three with Usagi by herself.

One with her hair color golden blonde, and two with her hair the color of moonlight. It took her a few moments to see the differences between those two pictures.

One was of her simply smiling, but the other had her crescent moon visible on her forehead and the look in her eyes was almost indescribable. It was soft, welcoming, and loving.

"They are beautiful; absolutely beautiful." Ikuko said as she handed the pictures back.

"I think so too." Mamoru said as he stored the pictures away back in his subspace pocket. He looked down to Usagi and realized she was completely asleep despite their quiet talk right over her.

Ikuko and Mamoru continued to talk while Usagi napped. During that time Shingo had arrived home from school, and almost two hours passed before Mr. Tsukino arrived home from work.

"Hello everyone." Kenji greeted them as he walked into the living room. "Where's Usagi?" He asked since Mamoru was there.

"Right here." Mamoru said as he gestured to the couch.

Kenji stepped forward and looked down to the couch and saw his daughter lying there on her side with her head in Mamoru's lap, one arm half hanging off the couch, and her other arm lying next to her chest with her hand lying on his thigh as if holding it.

And she was fast asleep.

Kenji shook his head as he smiled at her and left to change his clothes.

"I should go get dinner started." Ikuko said.

Mamoru nodded and watched her leave before he looked down to his princess. He didn't want to wake her but her nap had gone on long enough if she intended to sleep that night.

Serenity. He called as he gently shook her shoulder. Her face scrunched up cutely and he caressed her cheek with the back of his fingers.

Is it time to wake up? She asked sleepily.

Yes. Your father just arrived home and your mother just went to the kitchen to start dinner. Your brother arrived home not long after you fell asleep. He said, and she sighed.

Okay. Usagi said, but didn't move.

Are you still tired? Mamoru asked.

No. Just groggy and comfortable. She answered, and he smiled and rubbed his hand back and forth over her stomach.

Usagi lay there for a little longer, enjoying the feel of his hand moving over her stomach, before she sighed and stretched turning on her back and extending her arms back above her head. She opened her eyes and saw her prince smiling down at her.

I like this view. I don't want to get up. She said.

All you have to do is sit up and I'll smile at you from right next to me. He told her, and she laughed softly before she pulled herself into a sitting position and turned so she was sitting next to him.

The next nap I have will be in your bed. She told him as she leaned against him, and he huffed in amusement.

Whatever you want love. He replied.

In the next moment her father walked into the living room, and sat in the chair her mother had been sitting in earlier, which was right next to them.

It's a good thing our little conversation wasn't out loud. Mamoru said.

True. Usagi said as she smiled up at him. He probably wouldn't like me sleeping in your bed; his imagination would go in interesting directions.

Mamoru held in an amused snort, and thought that was true. His own imagination could easily go in interesting directions; such as his princess with her moonlight hair and crescent moon on display naked with only a sheet loosely covering her.

That can easily be arranged; as soon as I get the chance. Usagi said softly.

Then I look forward to it. He replied.

"How was your day?" Kenji asked as he sighed and relaxed in the chair.

"It was good for the most part." Usagi answered. "I went to school, we went on a date afterward that was fun, and then we ate a delicious meal."

"Then you came back here and went to sleep." Kenji said.

"I was tired." She said with a nod. "I went to sleep late last night and got up early this morning for training, and on top of that I used up a lot of energy destroying the cardian we fought earlier."

"Cardian? How come you didn't mention that as part of how your day went?" He asked.

"Because it's common; usual. It was only the two of us fighting, and not even all of the girls know about it yet." She explained.

"Well, what happened?" Kenji asked.

"It attacked at the location we picked for our date, which was inside a building. It attacked the other people that were there, and we fought it and it was defeated." Mamoru answered, and he nodded.

"Why did you use so much energy?" Kenji asked his daughter.

"The cardian was stronger and my tiara no longer works as a weapon to destroy them. So I had to channel my power through my wand, and it took more energy to do that." Usagi explained patiently.

"And before you ask I had planned on helping her, but the beings that are sending out the Cardians showed up so I was busy making sure they didn't attack while she was destroying the cardian." Mamoru added, and the older man nodded.

"So what's being done about your tiara? Are you getting a new weapon or something?" Kenji asked.

"For now I'm going to continue to use my wand, but I'm trying to find a better means since I can't keep using my wand like that." She said.

"Okay." Kenji said as he nodded. "Well, I was thinking at work earlier, and I'm curious to see one of your memories."

Usagi nodded and got up and went to put up the usual measures, since her little brother was home, of blocking off the stairway and blocking sound so her brother couldn't see or hear the memory.

"Do you have anything in particular in mind?" Mamoru asked while she was doing that.

"I'm curious to see the fight that you had been in on the day you revealed your secret lives." Kenji said.

"Oh." Mamoru said.

"Mom might want to see that." Usagi commented, coming back into the living room in time to hear that. "I'll be right back, and can someone close the curtains." She called as she left for the kitchen.

"Dad wants to see the fight Mamoru and I were in on the day we revealed our secret lives to you." She said as she pushed the door open and stepped inside.

"Oh!" Ikuko said, looking torn. "I want to see it, but I'm working on dinner and this takes time."

"I can always show you later, because it will take a while to watch it and then ask whatever questions you have afterward. You'd end up starting dinner when it's usually time to eat dinner." Usagi said.

"You promise to show me later?" Ikuko asked.

"I promise." She said as she nodded.

"Okay. Go on ahead and show your father." Ikuko said.

Usagi nodded and left the kitchen and went back to living room, and sat back down next to Mamoru.

"She'll watch it later since she doesn't want dinner to be late." She said.

Kenji and Mamoru nodded and Usagi summoned her silver crystal, and watched it appear and float between her hands.

"Are you ready?" She asked as she looked to her father.

"Yes." Kenji said firmly, and she nodded.

Where do you think I should stop the memory? She asked as she closed her eyes, and focused on the memory.

Right after Kunzite dies, but before Metalia makes her appearance. Mamoru answered.

Okay. Usagi replied and then spoke to her crystal. Please project my memory of the last fight with Kunzite from when we arrived at the Starlight Tower but before Metalia made her appearance from his body and without my internal thoughts or dialogue with my prince.

Her crystal pulsed gently and white light flared and spread around the room. When she opened her eyes the light had cleared and the beginning of the memory began to solidify around them.

Kenji stood off to the side with his daughter and her boyfriend watching as their transformed selves stood looking up at the Starlight Tower. He was used to his daughter's silvery hair, but it was still surprising to see the colors on the other girls.

He saw the wary looks they gave each other before heading inside the building one after another. They followed after them into the building and up multiple flights of stairs without moving, and eventually reached the top floor and cautiously stepped into the open floor plan without any furniture or people but with floor to ceiling windows on two sides of the massive room.

Again they stood off to the side as the group looked around before focusing on one spot. Kenji looked and didn't see anything at first; not until his transformed daughter spoke.

"I'm here as you demanded. You ready to finish this?" She said as she stepped forward.

"Definitely." A man said, and only when he stepped forward did Kenji actually see him.

He looked just as he recalled the man from the message in the sky looking only he could see all of him now. He had long white hair pass his shoulders, and he was a tall man; intimidating, though he wouldn't say that out loud.

Then the man attacked as soon as the one word answer left his mouth. A wave of gray light flashed out of his hand, a bright white light flickering within it.

Kenji watched everyone react instantly, ducking under the wave before they came up attacking as it passed over them. None of them hesitated at all as they spread out to give each other room as they attacked that one man.

And the man; he dodged all the attacks easily before sending another wave of gray light at the fighters. Then he jumped up and somehow floated in the air, avoiding their return attacks, before a large black hole opened up under him.

His eyes widened in surprise as he watched five creatures calmly walk and move out of the blackness. There was some sort of eel person, some type of hellcat, a female wearing a silver bodysuit with paper white skin, a fire bird, and the last was some sort of tree person.

His eyes flickered over each of them as they moved forward, and it became clear after a few moments that there was a specific creature for each of the fighters.

Each of them except my daughter. He thought.

He watched as the warriors were each confronted with one of the creatures, and watched them fight for a moment before his eyes returned to his transformed daughter, who was standing still watching the man that had somehow summoned those creatures.

It was really her he wanted to see fight even though he was curious about the other fights.

I can pay attention to their fights when Ikuko views the memory. He thought.

Kenji watched as the man raised his hand and his daughter made her wand appear in her hand. Almost at the same time a dark gray beam shot out of his hand and a white beam shot out of the crescent of the wand, and streaked through the air before colliding and creating a small explosion that pushed them both back.

He watched in amazement as they managed to stay on their feet and immediately start attacking each other and dodging those same attacks.

He gasped sharply as the man appeared behind her and kicked her in the back sending her flying with a cry before she felt to the ground. Before he could wonder if she was okay she rolled into a crouch and dodged the dark gray light blades that came hurtling at her.

"Oh!" He gasped as he saw that they had left deep gouges in the ground.

He returned his eyes to his transformed daughter and watched her frown as she stared at the man. The man sent more dark gray light blades at her but this time she jumped high over them and came falling back down clearly intending to kick him.

The man moved out of the way and she made her sword appear as she landed and quickly sliced the man across his back. In the next moment she aimed her wand at him and sent a beam of white light at him causing him to fly forward and skid across the floor. He got back up quickly and their rapid fighting continued.

The more Kenji saw the more confidence he gained in his daughter's fighting ability. The fight scene she had showed him and his wife before was short and there was only one creature that all of the fighters had focused on.

This was completely different. Everyone was busy dealing with a creature, so she was by herself with no assurance of backup. She had said she was still learning to use a sword, but this fight had happened months ago and she looked like she was doing very well.

At least to his eyes since she was holding it with one hand and her wand in her other hand. She was also moving around jumping, rolling, and dodging seemingly easily with both items in her hands, and her hair swaying and swinging all over the place.

How is she not distracted by her own hair or tripping and falling over it? He wondered.

He watched her use her wand to blast away one of the light blades the man threw at her then fall back to avoid the blade he swung at her as he ran at her. She rolled back into a crouch, amazingly not hurting herself with her sword, and pushed off into a run and swung her sword at his stomach.

The man was cut but not the severe injury she had clearly been intending to inflect, and didn't manage to avoid the up close beam that came shooting out of her wand. He went flying back until he slammed painfully into a wall.

Kenji watched as she steadied herself, her face remaining serious and calm as it had nearly the entire time she fought the man, and blinked in surprise as the others walked up to stand with her against the man.

He looked around and saw to his surprise that they had clearly defeated their opponents and there was nothing left of their bodies. He looked back to the man just in time to see him get to his feet and notice the same thing he had.

He looked on in surprise as the man suddenly blasted out a window and jumped out before floating in the air and releasing a large attack back at them. They managed to avoid being hurt and then began to run for the exit and rush down the flights of stairs as debris fell in large and small chunks; the building trembling and shaking around them.

As he, his daughter, and Mamoru were pulled after them by his daughter's power he began to understand that the man's last attack had been meant to destroy the building along with them inside.

It was frightening to him and it was only a memory. He couldn't imagine how they had felt running down those stairs as it was actually happening. He looked at their faces and saw that each and every one of them looked serious and focused as they sped down those stairs at what looked like breakneck speed.

Once outside the building they all moved away from its collapsing shell and looked up to the man, clearly ready to continue the fight despite all the noise of the building falling apart.

His transformed daughter, her transformed boyfriend, and Sailor Venus launched attacks up at the man at the same time. The man avoided it and was then forced to avoid the attacks from the rest of the Senshi.

He attacked them twice from two different directions, somehow disappearing from one spot and appearing in another to get it done.

His daughter fired her wand at him but he teleported away causing the beam of white light to miss him entirely. Sailor Jupiter fired lightning at him when he reappeared but he disappeared again before it could even reach him.

"Above us!" Sailor Mercury suddenly cried out as she launched her attack of bubbles, which Sailor Venus added to with her golden orange beam of light. But the man disappeared again out of the sight of everyone.

Suddenly Kenji heard Sailor Mars cry out in pain, and he looked around with everyone else and saw the light blades from before spin through the air. He followed it, along with Sailor Mars, back to the man, and watched as she launched her fire attack at him.

His transformed daughter attacked as well but the man was able to grab his light blade and disappear without harm. His daughter made a frustrated sound, and he couldn't blame her. The guy wouldn't stay in one place.

Kenji watched his transformed daughter step over to Sailor Venus and quietly say "I think we need to attack him all at once. Tuxedo Kamen is going to try and keep him from teleporting."

"I'll tell the others. Then we'll just have to wait for the right moment." Sailor Venus said as she nodded.

His transformed daughter nodded and he watched with her as the message was spread from one senshi to the next until everyone knew what to do. He then watched her look toward her transformed boyfriend and he looked over to see him running toward the man while making what looked like a black cane appear.

He looked back to his transformed daughter to see her nod to the other senshi and then look toward her transformed boyfriend. He kept the man distracted by attacking him physically and with his roses, and suddenly the Senshi all attacked making their individual attacks combine into one that hit the man knocking him down from where he had been in the air.

He got to his feet and threw his light blades, one toward Mamoru's transformed form and the other toward the Senshi. Mamoru blocked the blade coming for him with his cane, and his daughter did the same with her wand for the blade that headed toward her and the girls.

To his surprise both blades went flying back to the man and connected with him. He wasn't sure what the blades did to him, but the man hit the ground and his body began to slowly crumble.

Before the man finished crumbling the scene began to fade away, leaving Kenji back in his seat in the living room with his daughter and her boyfriend. As he adjusted to being back in his seat, safe at home even though he hadn't actually left, he watched her make her silver crystal disappear.

"What did you think?" Usagi asked her dad, and it was silent as he looked like he was searching for words.

"I think you were brilliant. I hadn't seen the first half of your fight since I was busy with my own, but seeing it now showed me that you did even better than I originally thought." Mamoru said proudly and then kissed her, uncaring that her father was right there watching.

"Thank you." Usagi said, blushing as he pulled away. "That means a lot to me; especially with how hard I trained."

"It was amazing to watch." Kenji finally said. "I have an even better understanding of your fighting skill, and more confidence in your ability. You did really well to my untrained eye."

"Thank you. I'm glad that seeing the memory has helped you better understand my fighting skills." Usagi said as she looked to her dad, and watched him nod and smile lightly.

"There's something I saw that I don't understand." Kenji said, and Usagi and Mamoru nodded. "How is it that you knew Mamoru was going to attack that man to keep him distracted?" He asked in confusion.

Shit! Usagi cursed silently, having not had to worry about that with the girls since they hadn't been close enough to see or hear that they hadn't spoken out loud. What should we say?

The truth or a part of the truth. Mamoru said. Tell him that our link as soulmates allows us to speak to each other in our minds, and that it's something we want to keep private. That no one else knows about it.

Okay. She replied before she focused on her father.

"Mamoru and I can speak to each other in our minds as a result of our link as soulmates." Usagi answered. "That's how I had known. We spoke to each other before I moved over to tell Minako about the plan."

"It's a special ability between us that we want to keep private." Mamoru said firmly. "No one else knows. Not the girls, and not Artemis and Luna."

"I understand." Kenji said as he nodded. "Knowing about that helps to understand what happened at the end of the memory." He added and Usagi nodded.

"You can tell Mrs. Tsukino about our ability. I certainly don't have any secrets from Usagi, and I don't want our ability to put any strain between you." Mamoru said, and Usagi nodded.

"It isn't a secret, but it's something very private between us." She added.

"I understand. I appreciate that you two don't mind me speaking to my wife about it. And it will likely help me answer any questions she has when she sees the memory." Kenji said, and the couple nodded.

"What happened after you defeated that man?" He asked. "I remember the sky turning black, so what happened after that?"

"That blackness was part of the being that had truly been in control of the Negaverse." Usagi said. "Mamoru and I used our crystals to cause the being to explode, and in the process got rid of the remaining darkness, all the youmas, and heal people who had been injured or killed as a result of the youmas."

There was no need for her father to know that the girls had all died, and that she and Mamoru had been inside the 'blackness' that was Metalia when they used their crystals to destroy her.

"Wow." Kenji said. "Then there was nothing attacking the city until those Cardians."

"Yes." Mamoru said, and Usagi nodded. "We had a nice long stretch of peace before the new enemy showed up. Hopefully we can defeat the one's sending the Cardians, and not have to deal with this enemy for months on end."

"Yes. That would be very nice." Usagi agreed. Especially considering what's going on with Rei.

Her father was satisfied after that and Usagi went and released the blocks she put up to keep her brother from discovering her secret while Mamoru opened the curtains in the living room.

After she returned to the living room they talked about random things until Mrs. Tsukino let them know dinner was ready.

Mamoru joined the family for dinner, enjoying eating with his princess, before he decided to head home and get to bed a bit earlier than he had been recently.

Night

Usagi yawned as she closed the book, Northanger Abbey, she had decided to read a little before going to bed. She had gotten a few more chapters in from the last time she read it, and so far she was really liking it.

It hadn't gotten boring or irritating, and it was really actually helping her just as she hoped it would. She was reading the sentences faster and understanding words quicker without having to think about them. The structure of the sentences and language was from centuries ago, but that wasn't getting in the way of her better understanding of the language itself.

She looked over to her alarm clock, smiling at the 6x4 picture of her and Mamoru with her hair the golden blonde color reminded that she needed to get a frame for it, and saw that it was nearing midnight, and decided that she really needed to go to sleep.

She pushed herself up in her bed and got up and went and placed her book on her floor desk, and headed out of her room passing the closed door to her little brother's room and downstairs with her moonlight silver hair trailing loosely behind her. She saw her parents sitting in the living room apparently watching some late night world news.

"I'm going to sleep now." Usagi announced.

"Okay. Goodnight." Her mother said.

"Sleep well." Her father added. "We'll see you in the morning."

"I'll definitely sleep well. Goodnight." She said with a wave as she turned toward the stairs.

She headed back up the stairs and to her room and closed the door. She turned off the light and got back in her bed, arranging her hair under the covers with her, and closed her eyes with a sigh.

As she relaxed she thought back on the beginning of her date with her prince. It was fun. She enjoyed taking the pictures and having a visual memory of the day, and the VR theater was fun except for the brief meeting with the new siblings.

Of course the cardian had ruined the rest of their time there, but they had managed to salvage the rest of their date. They had eaten a nice meal and were able to relax.

We need to have another date soon. Hopefully one that isn't interrupted by a cardian, and with less action. Something peaceful. She thought.

A few minutes passed and she was nearly asleep when she was startled into full wakefulness by a beeping sound. She peeled her eyes open and was just about to roll over and look at her alarm clock when she realized the sound was muffled.

It took her sleepy mind a few moments to realize it was her communicator. She freed her arm from her covers and opened the communicator portion of her watch to see the blue Mercury button flashing. She pressed it and watched Ami's face appear on the screen.

"Usagi here." She said sleepily.

"There's an attack happening in front of a public library near the market district. There doesn't appear to be many people there because of the time of night, but there's a small group of people close to the cardian's energy." Ami reported.

"Have you contacted anyone else?" Usagi asked as she blinked her eyes rapidly, trying to shake off her sleepiness.

"I haven't; you were the first." Ami answered.

"Okay. I'll contact Mamoru and leave the rest for you. What's the location?" She asked. "Alright I'm on my way. Usagi out." She said as soon as she heard the location.

She pressed the Mercury button to end the connection and closed her communicator before she sat up, pushing her covers back and got out of her bed.

Mamo. She called to her prince. Mamo-chan. She called again when he didn't answer right away.

Usako? She heard him answer sleepily.

Sorry to wake you love, but Ami just contacted me about an attack. I thought I would let you know before you were contacted or could be awakened by sensing my transformation. Usagi said. I don't know how that would feel, but I don't think it's pleasant.

It's disconcerting to say the least. Mamoru said. I wake up in an almost panic; knowing you need me and feeling like I'm already late to get to you.

Usagi grimaced as she opened her bedroom door.

I'm sorry you had to experience that. She said as she hurried down the stairs. I'll always give you a heads up if I can to save you from that.

Thanks, but it's okay if you can't. He replied.

Usagi saw that her parents were still in the living room, and she paused her dash coming off the stairs long enough to put her shoes on.

"What's going on?" Her father asked, standing up as he and her mother looked on in concern.

"There's an attack happening." She explained as she finished putting on her shoes; the same white ones she had worn on her date. "I have to go; don't wait up on my account!" She added as she opened the door, and hurried out as she pulled it closed behind her and took off running.

Do you think your parents will actually go to sleep? Mamoru asked idly.

Not a chance. She answered. Since they know what I'm going out to do they'll want to know that I'm okay.

When she reached a secluded area where there were no windows she gestured with her hand, and summoned her brooch from her subspace pocket.

"Moon Crystal Power, Make Up!" She said as soon as it was in her palm and was instantly surrounded in a bright soft pink light, and when it cleared she stood as Sailor Moon.

She took off running in the next moment for the location Ami had given her. As she raced along sidewalks and leapt onto fire escapes and up to rooftops her moonlight silver hair waved behind her like long narrow banner flags.

Just over ten minutes later she arrived stopping on a rooftop two buildings away from the library where all the action was happening. She knelt down at the edge of the roof, and took a good look at what was going on.

There were a surprising number of people lying scattered on the stairs leading up to the library, on the sidewalk in front of it, and just into the street where cars would park. Sailor Mercury, Sailor Venus, and Sailor Jupiter were there, which was no surprise since they all lived closer to the location, fighting the cardian.

The cardian itself was standing on all fours in the middle of the street. It was a pink furred lion with a thick white mane and vibrant green eyes. It had wicked sharp looking claws and teeth, and there was a strange large green spinning wheel floating high in the sky that had to have something to do with the cardian.

We'll have to keep an eye on that thing; who knows what it's for. Her prince said, having heard her description.

Yes. She agreed. I'm going to join the action.

I can see that strange wheel so I'm almost there. He replied.

Right. She said as she stood up. She cupped her palms together side by side and launched her Infinite Moonlight Illusion Beam at the lion cardian before she leapt down the four stories to the ground.

"Falion!" She heard the cardian scream as she touched down on the sidewalk as it was knocked to the side.

In that moment she realized that the cardian was a female, and that it had longer limbs than a normal lion. As it got up it stood on its back legs easily, and was tall and slender.

Venus fired off her Crescent Beam, and Mercury launched her Mercury Ice Bubbles while Jupiter launched her Supreme Thunder at the cardian.

"Falion." The cardian said with narrowed eyes as it nimbly dodged each attack. Then it roared at them and a blast of energy came flying out from between its parted jaws.

Everyone ducked under or dived out of the way of the blast, and quickly rolled into a crouch or stood up facing the cardian.

Sailor Moon rolled into a crouch and lifted her hands and launched her Infinite Moonlight Illusion attack before she stood and backed up toward the people lying on the ground.

Mixed in suddenly with her flying crescent moons were roses coming from above and behind the cardian. She looked up to see her transformed prince jumping down to the ground from the rooftop he had been standing on behind the cardian.

As soon as he landed he launched his Spinning Rose Evolution attack and began to make his way toward her.

"Falion." The cardian said as it leapt high into the air, up toward the strange spinning wheel, and seemed to hover over it before it roared at them and once again sent a blast of energy down at them.

They all dodged, leaping back or to the sides, trying to avoid stepping on the downed people as they got out of the way. Sailor Moon looked around and saw her prince trying to make his way to her from her right and Mercury standing a few feet away from her to her left.

I'm going to speak to Mercury about the victims. She told her prince as she glanced back at the people sprawled out.

Okay. You know I'll watch your back. He replied.

Thanks, but watch your own back as well; especially since Mars hasn't arrived yet. She said.

Will do. Tuxedo Kamen said before he launched his Spinning Rose Evolution attack to try and distract the cardian.

Sailor Moon hurried toward Mercury, seeing she had her visor activated, and when she reached her immediately started talking.

"Have you been able to check on the people?" She asked

"Some of them, but not all of them." Sailor Mercury answered. "I know they've all had their energy taken, but I'm not sure of the exact status of all of them. The few I was able to check are simply unconscious."

"Okay. I'm going to check on them; watch my back okay." Sailor Moon said.

"Okay. Be careful." Mercury said.

"I will." She replied before moving on and hurrying toward Venus.

Sailor Venus fired off her Crescent Beam attack to keep the cardian at bay as she saw her princess headed in her direction. She looked toward her before she glanced back to the cardian in time to see a red fireball streak toward the cardian from her left.

"I'm going to check on the victims; watch my back will you." Her princess said, and she nodded.

"Be careful." Venus said as she glanced over to Mars.

Sailor Moon nodded as she glanced to Mars as well.

"I definitely will." She said, and then looked around. "I'm going to check on the victims. Watch my back everyone!" She called out for Jupiter and Mars' benefit.

As she began to step backward toward the closest people she saw Jupiter wave to her before she ran and tackled the cardian so it took its eyes completely off her.

That wasn't exactly what I had in mind when we sparred against each other during training. She thought as she winced at the sight.

Jupiter is definitely a fighter, and it's a good thing she's good at it. Tuxedo Kamen replied.

True. She said before she turned her back on the fighting and checked on the woman lying in the street.

She had a heartbeat, slow but there, so she was definitely still alive. She thought that was much better than dead. They just had to defeat the cardian and she would be fine.

Sailor Moon then moved on to the next person and checked them, finding the man had a heartbeat as well, before she moved on to the next person.

On and on she went, checking the people and relieved to find everyone with a heartbeat, and occasionally glancing to the fighting behind her to see everyone's positions.

At the moment Venus was running behind the cardian, Mercury was off to the left of her current position where Venus had been when she spoke to her, Jupiter was directly behind her, Mars was to Jupiter's right, and Tuxedo Kamen was unfortunately to Mars' right.

Yes it is unfortunate, but so far she's focused on the cardian. Tuxedo Kamen said. She seems to be moving around to stay at one of my sides. Unless that's my imagination. He added.

It isn't. I trust your instincts and your awareness of who's around you and what they're doing. She said.

Thanks. He said, and she went back to checking on the downed people.

Sailor Moon checked three women and two men before she reached the last victim, which was a man and found all five of them were still alive.

There must have been some event at the library that caused the staff to remain late for so many of them to be here at this time of night. She thought.

As she knelt at the man's side she reached for his neck to try and find a heartbeat, but paused as she got a good look at him. He had long blond hair pulled back into a low ponytail, a slightly narrow face, and appeared to be tall despite lying down.

She stared in shock and surprise. This man looked exactly like Zoisite. She checked his neck and felt that he did have a slow heartbeat just like the others. Then she slowly and carefully pulled back one eyelid and saw a green dilated eye.

She shook her head slowly as she released his eyelid, and reached down to check the tag hanging around his neck and resting on his arm. It was a work ID just like the others that had the name of the library and his name; Akira.

It was a different name then the one she was used to, but she was sure it was him. This was Zoisite.

What's wrong? Tuxedo Kamen asked, sensing her shock and surprise, as he launched his Burning Rose Illusion attack at the irritatingly nimble cardian.

"Falion!" The cardian shouted and roared a blast of intense energy his way even as it dodged his fiery rose blossoms.

He narrowed his eyes; he couldn't duck under that since it might hit his head and he wasn't in the right position to dodge to his left, and didn't want to go in that direction anyway since Mars was there, and going backwards wouldn't work because of his footing. So he began to twist backward and toward his right.

Sailor Mars caught her breath as she saw the attack headed for Tuxedo Kamen, for Mamoru, and that he didn't look like he was in the right position to get out of the way.

I have to help him! She thought, and began to run toward him without a second thought.

Sailor Jupiter gasped as her eyes widened as she saw her fellow senshi moving away from her position.

"No!" She yelled before she took off running for the empty space where Mars had been standing a few feet away from her side.

Out of the corner of her right eye she saw Sailor Moon kneeling on the ground, and out of the corner of her left eye she saw the cardian open its mouth and the light from the beginnings of its energy blast lighting up the interior of its mouth.

Everything seemed to slow as the energy blast began to come out of the cardian's mouth. Jupiter's feet moved her forward, and Venus' eyes widened as she looked over at Jupiter's shout and quickly understood what was happening.

Mercury looked over as her lips parted in a horrified gasp her visor predicting what was going to happen, Mars still in the process of running was lifting her hands to try and divert the attack headed for Tuxedo Kamen with one of her own, and Tuxedo Kamen still in the process of avoiding the cardian's attack.

Everything seemed to return to normal speed in the next moments, and everything after that seemingly happened just as quickly.

Jupiter realized she couldn't deflect the attack with one of her own without risking hurting someone else, and she was too far away to try and deflect it with her body. Still, she tried, jumping forward in a dive to try and stop the attack from going pass her, but missed as the energy blast sped pass her.

Sailor Moon stood up as she heard her prince's words and began to turn around as she began to say what she thought.

It... She began before she felt a sharp agonizing pain in her back, flew forward so quickly she didn't have time to make a sound, and slammed into the ground before all went dark.

The energy blast hit her with such force that her body arched back in the shape of a pulled bow as she flew forward and skidded as she hit the asphalt, and lay eerily still as her body stopped moving.

Tuxedo Kamen cried out as he felt sharp pain in his back and further pain on his face and chest and in his head. He cringed violently at the pain before his mind caught up enough for him to realize it wasn't his, and his princess had abruptly stopped speaking to him.

He turned sharply and his eyes widened and his lips parted in a silent gasp as he saw her lying in the street face down. He turned, ignoring the cardian, and ran toward his princess, dodging around Mars, and quickly dropped to his knees at her side.

"Oh no! Usagi!" He breathed out, ignoring everything going on behind him, as he looked at the immediate damage before his eyes.

Her back was severely burned to the point that the back of her senshi suit was burned away revealing her skin. Or where her skin should have been since that too was burned away in places to the point that muscle and tendons were visible.

He gently moved her head so he could see her face and grimaced to see her forehead bleeding above her tiara, the gem in her tiara gone leaving only tiny fragments at the edges of where it sat, and road rash along her face.

Tuxedo Kamen breathed quickly, and his mind raced just as quickly. I need to get her out of here. She needs healing immediately! He thought.

He quickly yet gently slipped his arms beneath her so he had one arm under her collarbones and one under her upper thighs, and lifted her slowly as he stood and focused on his crystal and getting somewhere completely safe.

In the next moment he disappeared in a golden flash of light without a word to anyone, uncaring that the cardian was still a threat.

Venus frowned fiercely as she saw her princess get hit with the cardian's attack and not get back up, and it hadn't been lost on her that Tuxedo Kamen had cried out in pain as if the attack had hit him as well.

She decided to take charge since her princess was clearly injured and Tuxedo Kamen was busy tending to her and shielding her from further injury.

I won't let my prince get injured either. She thought.

And he was her prince just as Sailor Moon was her princess. She had no idea when she started thinking of herself as one of his guardians, but he had definitely earned it.

And this cardian needs to be finished quickly. She thought, deciding to be pissed at Mars after the cardian was taken care of.

"Falion." The cardian said in satisfaction as it looked at its handiwork, its tail swaying back and forth.

"Everyone attack!" Venus called out loudly before she did just that, launching her Crescent Beam at the smirking cardian.

Mercury blinked as she looked away from her downed princess and back to the cardian. Sailor Moon was injured, her princess was injured, seriously at that since she didn't get back up. She needed to keep the cardian from attacking her again, and Tuxedo Kamen as well since he was going to her.

She lifted her hands, just as she heard Venus' voice, and launched her Mercury Ice Bubbles at the cardian's legs hoping to freeze it in place.

Jupiter scrambled to her feet even as she watched the horror of her princess, leader, and friend getting hit with the cardian's attack. It looked painful and she knew it was serious when she didn't get back up.

She wanted to go to her, but the cardian was still very much there and dangerous. She turned her attention back to the cardian, glad when she spotted Tuxedo Kamen rushing to her downed princess, and lifted her hands just as she heard Venus call out to attack.

Yes; she would attack. It was all she could do now.

She launched her Supreme Thunder attack at the cardian's face, hoping that it hit at the most and distracted it at the least.

Mars heard Jupiter yelling behind her, but she didn't understand it and was busy trying to help Tuxedo Kamen anyway. Then she watched him twist out of the way of the attack she hadn't thought he would be able to avoid on his own before he cried out in pain.

She frowned in confusion and concern. He didn't get hit so she didn't understand why he was in pain, but then he looked off to his side somewhere off to her right behind her and began to run toward her.

Her heart raced at the sight of him rushing toward her, perhaps he wanted to thank her for trying to help him, but then he swerved around her and continued on almost as if she hadn't been there.

She blinked in disappointment and confusion before she looked after him, and only then did she see Sailor Moon sprawled out face down on the ground.

At first she frowned in irritation wondering if Sailor Moon had failed to dodge an attack, and then her eyes widened a moment later as she remembered that Sailor Moon had told them all to watch her back since she would be checking on the people who had their energy stolen.

Her breath rushed out of her as she understood it had happened because she moved away from her spot. That was why Jupiter had yelled. She had left Sailor Moon vulnerable to attack. Had left her princess vulnerable to attack.

And she was attacked, and from the looks of it she hadn't seen it coming at all.

Mars turned back around toward the cardian as she heard Venus call out to attack, and kept her eyes on the cardian rather than look around to see her fellow senshi. She wasn't prepared to face their reactions.

She launched her Fire Soul attack, sending a fireball right at the cardian to join the other attacks headed its way.

"Falion." The cardian said as it narrowed its eyes and nimbly shifted around and jumped over the attacks streaking toward it before it ran and leapt at Venus.

Venus fired off her Crescent Beam attack and sent the cardian blasting back end over end but it still managed to land on all fours, and Mercury launched her Mercury Aqua Rhapsody attack at it.

"Falion." The cardian said as it flipped into a backwards jump, avoiding her attack entirely, before it jumped up high into the air.

"Falion." The cardian said as it hovered over the green spinning wheel in the sky. It laughed as it looked down on them, its strange wheel spinning.

Jupiter launched her Supreme Thunder attack at the same time Mars launched her Fire Soul attack. The red fireball and green lightning streaked up toward the cardian rapidly.

"Falion." The cardian said, and laughed again before it and its strange green wheel disappeared.

"Damn it!" Jupiter cursed as she looked away from where the cardian had disappeared. "It got away. I can't believe it got away!"

"And with the energy it stole from all those people." Mercury added as she walked over to her.

She wasn't even sure if they would be okay without it. Would their energy regenerate over time? With Sailor Moon injured she didn't get a chance to report on their status, so she didn't know if all those people were alive or if some were dead.

"We'll have to fight it again at some point, and next tine it will likely be prepared for us." Venus added as she walked over to them. She saw that her princess and prince were gone, and that brought her anger to the forefront of her mind.

"What the hell were you thinking to break formation like you did?!" She asked angrily as she stopped and looked to Mars. "You knew you were in a position in front of Sailor Moon. Why did you move?!"

"I was trying to help Tuxedo Kamen because he didn't look like he would be able to get out of the way of the retaliatory attack headed for him, and I actually forgot that Sailor Moon was behind me." Mars said.

"What?!" Jupiter said in shock; not believing a word about forgetting their princess was behind her.

Mars had clearly ignored that fact in favor of trying to save a man that didn't need saving. She had wondered if Mars would be able to protect their princess with Tuxedo Kamen around and in danger at the same time. Obviously not!

Mercury closed her eyes and groaned as she turned away from Mars. Hadn't she wondered just yesterday if Mars would be able to protect their princess without the benefit of friendship?

She had assured them that she could, but Mercury hadn't been so sure. Clearly she had been right to be uncertain.

Venus stared at her incredulously.

"Tuxedo Kamen didn't need your help! He knows what he's doing! Did you forget who he actually is?! The man is a trained soldier who can take care of himself in a fight better than you can take care of yourself!" She snapped.

She meant that seriously. Mars may be a soldier, but she didn't remember her past, and therefore all her past training. Tuxedo Kamen did remember his past and every last bit of his training. She knew that personally from all the training she did with him and her princess.

"There was no guarantee that he would have gotten out of the way." Mars countered.

"Yes there was!" Venus and Jupiter said at the same time.

"Even in the highly unlikely chance he hadn't been able to get out of the way and was hurt Sailor Moon would have been able to heal him in an instant!" Venus continued, and glared at Mars as she clenched her hands into fists and shook them at her sides.

"Your duty is to Sailor Moon! You are a guardian to Serenity! It is outrageous that you have the gall to say that lie to our faces! You didn't forget Sailor Moon was there; you didn't care! Too busy trying to be close to Tuxedo Kamen and get on his good side!" She shouted.

Venus took a few deep breaths as she paced away from Mars and the others to try and calm herself, trying to hope that her princess had been healed by now; and trying not to think about the possibility that she might not be able to heal.

Mercury looked at the people again and to the empty space where Sailor Moon had landed and Tuxedo Kamen had joined her.

"Does anyone know where Sailor Moon and Tuxedo Kamen are?" She asked into the silence.

Jupiter and Mars looked to where they had last seen the couple and realized they were gone.

"I don't but it must be somewhere safe where he can tend to her properly." Venus said as she walked back toward them, and sighed heavily.

"Go home. We need space from each other before anyone says something they might or might not regret, and we need the rest because that cardian will be back at some point and we need to be ready for it." She told them.

"Can you make an anonymous call to the authorities and let them know these people need medical attention?" She asked Mercury as she looked to her.

"No problem." Mercury said as she nodded.

With that Venus nodded and took off running for home; she had two feline guardians to inform about the nights happenings. Jupiter took off after one last look at Mercury and Mars, and Mercury took off for the nearest working pay phone; not wanting to use her home phone in case it could be tracked back to her.

Mars sighed and looked around, seeing her fellow senshi getting further away, and the unconscious or dead people on the ground before she began to run home herself.

Minako's POV

The run home had cooled Minako's anger, but she was still angry by the time she reached her neighborhood.

She released her transformation, shivering lightly in her thin pajamas, and walked down the block until she reached her house. She moved to the side of the house where her window was and looked around to be sure no one was looking out their windows at this time of night.

Once she was sure she leapt up to her windowsill and stepped into her room before she closed the window. She turned toward her bed and stepped toward it as she saw Artemis and Luna sitting up at the end.

She sighed and sat on her bed and pulled off her dirty socks and dropped them to the floor before she slipped under her covers and leaned back against her pillow with a huff.

"What happened?" Artemis asked as he moved to lay sitting up on her covered thighs. Luna came and lay at her side next to him.

Minako sighed again. "Usagi was seriously injured and the cardian got away." She answered quietly.

"What?!" Luna said in shocked surprise. Artemis narrowed his eyes but remained silent to hear all the details.

"The fight started like any other. We confronted the cardian as each of us arrived and attacked it. When we were all there Usagi asked everyone to watch her back while she checked to see if the people that had their energy stolen were still alive or dead." Minako explained.

"Of course that was doable and everyone agreed, so Usagi started checking the people. From what I was able to tell Usagi had reached the last person when the cardian attacked." She said, shaking her head lightly.

"It didn't attack her specifically but Rei moved from her position, where she had been standing a few feet directly in front of Usagi, leaving that space open. Makoto had been the closest and tried to intercept the attack, but she wasn't close enough and missed." She explained. "The energy blast hit Usagi in the back as she stood up and when she hit the ground she didn't get back up."

"After that Mamoru went to her while the rest of us focused to try and destroy the cardian and keep it from attacking Usagi and Mamoru. The cardian was good at avoiding our attacks and managed to disappear right before our eyes. It was either teleportation or some power the cardian had." She explained.

"Is Usagi okay?" Artemis asked in concern.

"I don't know." Minako said. "Mamoru disappeared with her at some point while we were dealing with the cardian, and I didn't want to contact him because I didn't want to distract him from healing Usagi."

"If I don't hear from him soon I'll contact him." She added.

Artemis nodded and sighed heavily as concern filled him. Their princess was injured, seriously so according to Minako, and he wouldn't rest until he knew she was well again.

He didn't even bother to think about Rei. Her fate was sealed as far as he was concerned. Her actions were a betrayal. He didn't even care why she had moved from her position. It didn't matter to him. What mattered was that she had left Usagi open to attack when she had been unaware.

"Do...do you know why Rei moved from her position?" Luna asked hesitantly, and Minako scowled angrily.

"Before the cardian attacked in Rei's direction it had attacked Mamoru in retaliation for him attacking it. According to Rei she left her position because it looked like he wouldn't be able to avoid the coming attack and she wanted to help him. And she had forgotten Usagi was behind her." She explained, her tone conveying that she didn't believe a word of it.

Luna lowered her head and shook it at this further proof of Rei's decline in behavior. She had behaved in a way that ended her friendship with Usagi, and where one had never developed with Minako from her recent understanding, and she didn't know what was going on between Rei and Makoto and Ami.

And now Rei had done something that had gotten Usagi injured, and all because of her feelings for Mamoru.

"How did she react to Usagi being injured?" Artemis asked.

"I honestly couldn't tell when it first happened. We were all shocked and then focused on the cardian, but after it got away and Rei was making her excuses for why she moved from her position she hadn't looked regretful or sad." Minako said thoughtfully.

"In my opinion Rei didn't care, and it hadn't sank in as to what the results of her actions ultimately meant for her." She added seriously.

"So this is it for Rei." Luna said quietly as she looked up, and Artemis nodded seriously.

"Absolutely. She actively failed in her duty to protect her princess because she was more concerned about the guy she had feelings for." Minako said seriously. "As soon as she felt in her mind that Mamoru needed help she wasn't concerned about anyone else. And I told her to her face that her excuse was a lie, and that she had just wanted to get close to Mamoru and get on his good side."

"I have no doubt that Mamoru will tell Usagi exactly what happened, and Usagi will be done with Rei in every way. All that remains to be seen is how exactly she's going to go about doing it." She added, and then sighed.

"I'm going to try and get back to sleep. I still have school in the morning and we have no idea when that cardian will attack again." She said.

"Right." Artemis said as he got up and shifted around with Luna, so Minako could lay down.

"Feel free to chat about what happened." Minako said as she pulled her covers up under her chin. "I'll fall asleep regardless."

"Goodnight." Artemis said.

"Goodnight." Luna repeated after him.

"Goodnight you two." Minako said as she closed her eyes and tried not to think about what happened. She didn't want it following her into her dreams.

Meanwhile...

Mamoru blinked and looked around to see that he was in Elysion and, for the first time, close to the white shrine.

He was amazed he had arrived there since he didn't have a destination in mind. He had just wanted to get somewhere safe so he could see to to his princess. He looked at her and turned his mind to what was more important, healing his princess.

He placed her down among the roses, hoping the pleasant fragrance would sooth her even in her unconsciousness, and carefully removed his arms as he knelt her side.

"Your highness?" He suddenly heard a voice say, and he looked up to see Helios coming down the shrine stairs. "Great Terra! What happened?" He asked, catching sight of Usagi as he walked toward him.

"She got hit with an attack by a cardian we were fighting." Mamoru said angrily, and released an angry gusty huff. "It shouldn't have happened! It only happened because one of her guardian senshi didn't do her job!"

He knew Rei would mess up enough to get herself removed from the team, but he had not imagined this was what would make it happen.

Helios knelt at Usagi's other side, paying no mind to the prince's anger knowing it wasn't directed at him.

"Who exactly are you speaking of your highness?" He asked.

"Sailor Mars." Mamoru answered furiously. "She was warned to watched her back, Usagi had announced it to us all, but Mars was so focused on me that she didn't care and didn't do her job and this is the result! My princess getting hit in the back unexpectedly! I don't even know if the initial attack knocked her out or if it was the impact to the ground afterward that did it."

"Calm yourself Prince Endymion, and focus on Serenity. She needs you right now; you and Serenity can deal with her disloyal senshi when she is healed." Helios said calmly.

"Right; your right." Mamoru said as he nodded, and released his transformation with a thought so he could better focus his energy.

Light red light surrounded him before he was left kneeling in the sweats and t-shirt he had worn to bed. He took a steadying breath and tapped into his golden crystal.

Please, please help me heal my princess. He begged, and felt it pulse warmly inside him before his hands lit up with a golden glow.

He moved his hands to hover over her wounded back as close as he dared without touching it, focusing hard on guiding the healing power where it needed to go, and watched the wound gradually start to heal.

Slowly the bright red and bubbly burned skin began to heal, and the skin began to grow over the visible muscles and tendons until there was nothing but smooth skin visible. He moved his hands back and forth over the entire length of her back to be sure he missed nothing.

As if he was aware that he was finished with that area Helios carefully turned Usagi's head to face him, and Mamoru moved his hands to her face and began to heal the wounds there.

The gash on her forehead closed and the blood disappeared as if it had never been there, and the road rash marring her skin faded away leaving smooth healthy skin.

Then he and Helios carefully turned her onto her back and both reacted in their own way. Helios breathed out a sad sigh and turned his head away, and Mamoru gasped and grimaced.

Her brooch was scratched horribly, the bow on her chest was torn away along with the white fabric of her top over her chest, leaving her breasts exposed and scared with road rash and bleeding, and her thighs and knees had road rash.

Mamoru shook his head and sighed heavily before he lifted his still glowing hands and held them over her chest and focused especially hard to make sure her chest healed without a problem.

He knew it was a tender area and the last thing he wanted was for her to wake up with pain in her breasts. He watched the road rash fade away leaving healthy smooth skin, her delicate nipples stopped bleeding and returned to normal, and the blood disappeared.

He then moved down to heal her thighs and knees before moving his hands up and pressed them to the sides of her head, remembering the pain he felt in his head. He wondered if her head hitting the ground was what had knocked her out.

He closed his eyes and focused on healing any pain or injury to her head, and after a long minute he knew instinctively that he and his crystal had succeeded.

Mamoru sighed gustily and released the healing light, thanking his crystal, and sat back as he looked his princess over. He wanted to cover her up, but no amount of pulling or adjusting of her top was going to help. Instead he slipped his arms beneath her and lifted her as he pulled her against his chest to face him.

"Thank you so much for helping." He told Helios gratefully as he looked to him.

"You are most welcome." Helios replied as he looked back to him. "I hope Serenity is well now."

"I believe she is, but I won't be sure until she wakes up." Mamoru said.

Helios nodded and they both stood up.

"I'll return to let you know she is well as soon as I know for sure." Mamoru informed him.

"I appreciate that, and will watch for your return." Helios said.

Mamoru nodded and then closed his eyes and focused on his bedroom in his apartment, on the empty space at the foot of his bed, and willed himself and his precious cargo there.

A golden flash of light later and he opened his eyes to find himself standing in his dark bedroom. He looked to his bed, his covers pushed back from when he climbed out of it, and walked over to what had already been dubbed her side of the bed closest to the balcony.

He gently placed her on the bed and was going to cover her, but her boots were on and he didn't particularly want her to see her senshi suit as it was.

She's going to have to because I don't know how to release her transformation or if I even can. He thought with a light sigh. He couldn't even take her boots off with how snug they were fitted to her.

He shook his head and simply covered her. He'd change his sheets tomorrow.

Mamoru ran his fingers through his hair and stepped over and looked out the balcony window. No time had passed while they were in Elysion, so he was sure the Senshi were still out there with the cardian.

He had no thoughts of returning to help them. His focus was on his princess. He needed to be there for her whether she was awake or not, and he certainly was not going to put himself back into the presence of Rei.

Just her name in his thoughts infuriated him! He could not believe her! It was official! What she felt toward him was clearly obsession. Nothing else could have made her ignore the fact that she was supposed to be protecting her princess. Or not care that her princess could be hurt if she left her position.

He closed his eyes and grimaced and then frowned angrily as the image of Usagi's injured body instantly flashed against his closed eyelids.

He was so furious! If there was anything to come out of this situation it was that they would no longer have to deal with Rei. After what she did that night there was no way she could remain one of his princess' guardian senshi.

She had well and truly betrayed Usagi, and there was no going back for her. She could go back to living the life she had before she was discovered as Sailor Mars.

Once Usagi permanently removed her ability to be Sailor Mars that was it. They would never have to see her again. He could train with the girls again and not have to be uncomfortable at meetings or be distracted during fights.

The arcade would still be mostly off limits since that was the only place she knew he went to, but he would just have to go at a time when he knew it was impossible for her to be there to visit his friend. And that was only if he needed to see him suddenly or planned to see him, and his friend couldn't get away from work.

Although, I should probably truly stay away from the place to avoid even the possibility of seeing her. Especially considering how angry I am. I have no idea what I'll do to her if I'm face to face with her. He thought with a frown.

Yes. He would stay away from the arcade. There were plenty of places to meet up with Motoki and see and talk to him.

Usagi will likely avoid the place as well after tonight, so she won't chance seeing Rei. That's the only place they could see one another since they go to different schools. Rei's banned from Usagi's house and Usagi has no reason to go to Rei's. He considered.

Mamoru opened his eyes and wondered about the others. Minako didn't have a friendship with Rei, they had just been fellow senshi, but Makoto and Ami were still friends with her.

He wondered how long that would last; trying to maintain a friendship with someone who wasn't a senshi that used to be a senshi.

They had done it with Usagi, but her situation had been different. She had chosen to quit the Senshi, and they had been trying to get her back on the team.

He was cynical enough to wonder if they had been trying simply because they had needed her as the only one who could change youma who had been people with a rainbow crystal back into themselves.

Would they have tried as hard if she had just been a regular senshi?

Mamoru sighed heavily; clearly he still didn't trust them with his princess. Either that or the nights events had shaken what trust he had gained in them.

That won't do. He thought with another sigh.

He trusted Minako completely with his princess, and Ami and Makoto had worked hard to fix their friendship with Usagi and gain her trust. They had been honest about Rei constantly mentioning him and asking after him, and when they had been covering her from attack that night they had made sure no attack got by them.

Mamoru looked over to his unconscious princess and then at the time, and frowned to see that he had been lost in his thoughts for nearly half an hour.

And Usagi still wasn't awake.

He stepped over to the bed and sat next to her and gently shook her, hoping she was only sleeping and not unconscious since he had healed her head.

"Usagi." He called as he shook her. She frowned and groaned before her eyes opened a little to look at him.

"Endy." She whispered sleepily before closing her eyes.

Mamoru kissed her, relieved that she was better and had only been sleeping, before he pulled back to see her open her eyes to look at him with sleepy curiosity.

"Do you remember what happened?" He asked, and she blinked in clear confusion before her eyes widened and she gasped.

"The cardian and the unconscious people!" Usagi said as she tried to sit up, but he put his hands on her shoulders to stop her and she relaxed back wearily. "I remember an agonizing pain in my back too."

"You were hit in the back with the cardian's attack when Rei abandoned her position." Mamoru informed her.

"What!?" Usagi said in shock.

"I didn't see the attack personally since I was busy dodging an attack coming my way, but I felt the pain you felt and when I realized it wasn't my own I looked for you and saw you unconscious on the ground face down, and Rei was close to me clearly having moved toward me." He explained.

Usagi closed her eyes and shook her head slightly at what she had heard. This was it. Rei had messed up for the last time. She had specifically asked everyone to watch her back while she was preoccupied checking on the victims, and Rei hadn't done that.

She needed more details to understand fully, but her prince had told her enough. Rei had ruined the second chance she had been given, and in a way that was shocking but not entirely unexpected.

"Are you okay?" Mamoru asked, caressing her face as she opened her eyes.

"Yes. I was just thinking that Rei's messed up for the last time. I want more details about what happened, but I know enough to remove Rei as one of my senshi." She explained, and he nodded.

"I thought of that earlier, and only wondered how you would go about doing it; and when for that matter." He said.

"Definitely tomorrow, or later today, but I need to think about how I want to do it." She said as she looked away from his clock.

Mamoru nodded, and then sighed. "I'll be right back. I told Helios I would let him know you were okay since I healed you in Elysion." He said. She nodded and he stood and quickly disappeared in a flash of gold light.

Usagi sighed and slowly sat up. She didn't feel any pain which wasn't a surprise since Mamoru had said he healed her, but she was obviously still transformed. Then she frowned as she felt cloth moving against her skin where her senshi suit should be.

She pulled the covers away from her and gasped to see her chest visible. Her bow and the fabric beneath had been ripped away, and reaching behind her and she felt along her back, and felt that the fabric there was gone as well.

Immediately she released her transformation and was back in her pajamas in a few moments. She took off her white shoes and pulled the covers back over her legs and sighed.

She wondered how badly she had been injured. She didn't really want to know, but she thought she needed to in order to understand the full consequence of Rei's betrayal. She also wondered what happened with the cardian, and she of course needed to know the sequence of events that led to her being hit with the cardian's attack.

Usagi's eyes widened suddenly as she recalled what had so shocked and surprised her before she had been hit with that attack, but she wanted to leave that to discuss with her prince for last considering what it could mean.

Mamoru returned right before her eyes in a flash of light.

"Helios sends his greetings and hopes you're doing well." He announced, and she smiled.

"That's nice of him." Usagi said as she watched him climb over her and sit on the empty side of the bed next to her.

"So what do you want to do or talk about now?" He asked.

"I saw the damage to my senshi suit, and want to know how badly I was injured just so I fully understand the ramifications of Rei's betrayal." She said.

Mamoru grimaced but listed her injuries; severely burned back, deep gash to her forehead, possibly a concussion, and road rash on her face, chest, thighs, and knees.

Usagi grimaced at the list and what she imagined, but judging by the kiss she got when she woke up it must have been worse than what her mind could come up with.

"Thanks for telling me. I won't ask to see it; I don't want you to have to relive it in real time." She said, and he smiled gratefully.

"What happened with the cardian?" She asked next.

"I don't know. I left with you while the fighting was still happening, and had been waiting for you to wake up before contacting Minako." Mamoru informed her. "It had been nearly half an hour before I decided to try and wake you."

"Then let's contact Minako, and see what we can find out." She said as she nodded. She lifted her wrist and opened the communicator portion of her communicator watch and pressed the orange button for Venus.

"Minako here." A familiar voice answered a moment later as her face appeared on the screen.

"Hey. I wanted to let you know that I'm fine. Mamoru healed me and it's like nothing happened." Usagi said.

"That's great! I'm glad you're well." Minako said sincerely. "Artemis and Luna send their well wishes." She added in the next moment.

"Thank you all." Usagi said. "So what happened with the cardian?" She asked.

"It got away." Minako answered in frustration. "We all attacked it, but it kept dodging and then it jumped into the air and moved to that glowing wheel in the sky and disappeared with it."

Usagi and Mamoru frowned at each other.

"Then we can expect the next attack to be by that same cardian." Usagi said. "Oh, and it got away with the energy."

"Yeah unfortunately." Minako said, and Usagi sighed.

"Did you see what happened when I was hit with that attack?" She asked.

"I saw you get hit and I know it's because Rei moved, but I didn't see what was going on before it." Minako answered. "We got an explanation from Rei after the cardian got away."

"What did she say?" Usagi asked seriously.

"She said she was trying to help Mamoru because he didn't look like he would be able to get out of the way of the attack headed for him, and that she forgot you were behind her." Minako answered just as seriously.

Mamoru simply closed his eyes and shook his head.

"That's sad but isn't unexpected." Usagi said with a sigh. "We thought Rei would try to use any excuse to get close to Mamoru, and now that she has acted and it's resulted in a serious injury to me I'll be removing her from my Senshi."

"Good." Minako said as she nodded. "When do you want to do it?"

"I want to do it tomorrow, uh later today, after school." She answered. "I want you and Mamoru there, so I'll contact you when school lets out."

"I'll be ready no matter what." Minako said.

"Thanks. I'll let you go now so you can get some sleep. I'm going to contact Ami and Makoto next to see what they saw." Usagi said.

"Okay. Goodnight." Minako said.

"Goodnight." Usagi said, and pressed the button to end the connection before she pressed the blue button for Mercury.

"Usagi!" Ami's voice said happily as soon as her face appeared on the small screen.

"Hi Ami. I'm healed; it's like nothing happened at all." Usagi said.

"I'm glad to hear that. I was so concerned." Ami said.

"I just talked to Minako, so I know all about the cardian getting away. What I want to know is what happened after I was hit by the attack from your point of view. What did you see?" Usagi asked, and Ami sighed heavily.

"I had my visor activated and had looked over in time to see Rei move from her position toward Mamoru. My visor predicted what was going to happen, but it happened so fast I couldn't say anything." She said sadly.

"I saw Makoto run towards Rei's position and dive forward to try and block the attack, but it was going too fast and she had been too far away to stop it." Ami explained.

"And then it hit me." Usagi said.

"Yes." Ami confirmed.

"Thanks for telling me. Minako told me about Rei's excuse, so there's no need to have it repeated." Usagi said. "I've decided that this is the last straw for Rei. I'll be removing her as one of my senshi later today after school."

"I guess that isn't unexpected." Ami said with a sigh. "Do you want me there?"

"No. I'm not sure exactly how I'm going to do it, but I don't want to make it a big deal with having everyone there." Usagi said.

"Okay; I understand." Ami said with a nod.

"I'm going to let you go since I still need to contact Makoto; have a good night." She said.

"Okay. Goodnight." Ami said, and Usagi pressed the button to end the call before she pressed the green button for Jupiter and waited.

"Makoto here." She said a moment later as her face appeared. "Usagi! Are you okay? I'm sorry you got so hurt. I'm sorry I couldn't block that attack."

"Slow down." Usagi said with a smile. "I'm perfectly fine. Mamoru healed me so I'm as good as new. And you have nothing to be sorry about since it wasn't your fault I was hit with that attack." She added, and saw Makoto nod.

"I've spoken to Ami and Minako, so I know about the cardian getting away as well as their point of view of what happened before and when I was hit." Usagi said. "Can you tell me what happened from your point of view?"

"Sure. I was watching the cardian but I was also trying to keep an eye on Rei, given everything that's been going on with her, so I instantly saw when she moved away from her position." Makoto said.

"I immediately turned and ran for the empty space Rei had left as I yelled at her, because I knew that by that time you had moved away from where I been standing to the area Rei had been standing in." She explained.

"As I ran I could see you kneeling on the ground and the energy blast starting to come out of the cardian's mouth. I realized that I wouldn't be able to deflect it with an attack of my own or with my body, but I jumped forward in a dive to try anyway, but it sped right pass me before I could sail into place." Makoto said.

"I understand." Usagi said as she nodded. "Thanks for trying to stop it from happening in the face of Rei's betrayal."

"No problem." Makoto replied.

"Later today, after school, I intend to remove Rei as one of my senshi for good." She said seriously, and Makoto nodded.

"It's not unexpected after what happened tonight." She said.

"Yes." Usagi agreed. "I'll let you go so you can get to sleep since we have no idea when the cardian will attack again."

"Okay. I'll see you later in class." Makoto said.

"Okay. Goodnight." Usagi said.

"Goodnight; Makoto out." She said, and Usagi pressed the Jupiter button to end the connection before she closed the cover to her communicator watch.

"Now we know what happened." Mamoru said, and she nodded. "So, it'll be me and Minako to join you when you remove Rei as a senshi."

"Yes, but I don't want you visible where Rei can see you. It will be better for her to not even know you're there." Usagi said.

"I understand; especially since it's now clear that she is obsessed with me." He said, and she nodded.

"In addition to removing Rei's ability to ever be a senshi I'm going to have to either remove or seal all of her memories of being a senshi." Usagi said.

"Smart plan." Mamoru said.

And he truly thought it was since Rei wasn't going to be a senshi she couldn't be allowed to go on with her life but with those memories. She could tell anyone who they truly were, or she could grow bitter about not being a senshi anymore and do something stupid.

"You should eat something before you do it since it's likely to take a lot of energy." He added.

"True." She said as she nodded. "The last thing I want is to be left weak in front of Rei even if she won't remember her senshi life." She added, and he nodded and then sighed.

"Your parents are waiting, so I should get you home. Do you want to drive or transform and run?" Mamoru asked.

"Actually there's one more thing we need to talk about." Usagi said slowly, and Mamoru lifted an eyebrow curiously.

"Do you remember me being shocked and surprised, and asking what was wrong?" She asked.

"I do. I'd forgotten with you being hurt, but now that you mention it I remember." He said, and she nodded.

"The last victim I checked was a young man that worked at the library. All of the victims worked at that library where the attack happened, but the sight of this guy shocked me." Usagi said.

"Why?" Mamoru asked.

"The guy had long blonde hair pulled back in a ponytail and green eyes. He looked identical to Zoisite. In fact, I'm absolutely sure that's who that was." She said seriously.

Mamoru's eyes widened in shock. Zoisite. Dark general Zoisite. One of his guardian shittenou Zoisite.

"Are you sure?" He asked.

"Yes. There's no doubt." Usagi said. "Do you want to see?" She asked, and he hesitated.

"Yes. I need to see him with my own eyes." He said.

Usagi nodded and summoned her silver crystal; it appeared instantly between her hands floating and glowing softly. Please show my prince the memory of the last victim I checked. She calmly asked it.

Her crystal pulsed gently and white light flared out of the crystal and around the room. When it cleared they stood back in the street in front of the library in front of the people sprawled out collapsed to the ground.

They ignored the sounds of fighting going on behind them and watched her transformed self move to kneel next to the young man in question. They moved forward and knelt down as well to see better.

Mamoru watched the memories of his princess checking the man's pulse as she stared at him and he stared as well. The man really did look just like Zoisite as he appeared the last time he had seen him except he was now in casual clothes.

The height was the same, the hair color was the same, the length and style of the hair was the same, and even the shape of his face was the same.

As she checked his eyes he too saw that they were the green that had become familiar with the sight of Zoisite. This man was clearly Zoisite even though the ID card around his neck said his name was Akira. The same Zoisite that had been a dark general and the same Zoisite that had been one of his guardian shittenou in the past.

The scene faded away as the memory Sailor Moon stood, and left them sitting on his bed in the dark.

"I can hardly believe it, but it was him. That was Zoisite. But I don't understand it. You killed him." He said as he watched her put her crystal away.

"I did. Saw him turn to dust with my own eyes, so I don't understand it either. There can't be some identical looking man walking around." Usagi said.

Mamoru sighed; his mind racing so fast in his confusion that he couldn't even understand what he was thinking.

"I don't know what to think or how this happened. I'm just sure that that man is really Zoisite. I think I need sleep and a clear mind to make any sense of this." He said.

"I understand. Sleep will likely help us figure out how he can be here as well as any other questions we should be asking." Usagi said, and he nodded.

"And to answer your initial question: I would like a ride home if you feel up to driving." She added.

"Of course. I'm tired, but I'm also wide awake. I don't know how I'm going to get back to sleep." Mamoru said.

"I feel the same, and I still have to speak to my parents. If nothing else after all is said and done I'm going to lay down and stare at the inside of my eyelids to rest." Usagi said, and he laughed.

"I wish I could just spend the night here." She added.

"Me too." He said as his laugh trailed off.

They got off the bed and Usagi grabbed her shoes before she followed him out of his room and down the hallway.

"Maybe we can arrange something so you can spend Saturday night here." Mamoru said as they reached the door and began to put their shoes on.

"I would love that." Usagi said with a sigh. "I'll think extra hard to try to come up with something."

"I will as well." He said as he grabbed his keys and opened the door. "I hope we can think of something, because I would love to have you sleep in my arms." He added as they stepped outside and he closed the door.

Friday: Day Five

Morning

Ami's POV

Ami sat on her bed in nothing but her uniform skirt and bra as she pulled on her socks. She had already eaten and showered. She just had to finish getting dressed and head to school.

She stood up and went to grab her uniform shirt from where it hung on the hanger, but paused when she heard her minicomputer going off.

She grabbed it from where it sat on her nightstand and opened it, and immediately saw that she was being alerted to an attack by a single cardian. She quickly compared its energy signature to the one from last night, and discovered quickly that it was the same cardian.

With that determined she typed on the small keyboard to try and figure out the location. Once she had it she closed her computer and stored it away in her subspace pocket.

She then went and grabbed her shirt off the hanger and pulled it on before she lifted the sleeve slightly to reveal her communicator watch. She opened the communicator portion and pressed the orange button for Venus before she straightened her top.

She thought Minako was the best to contact since she didn't want to disturb their princess after she was hurt so badly. She had said she was perfectly fine last night, but she still worried about her fighting so soon after that incident.

"Minako here." The secret orange senshi answered after a few moments as her face appeared on the screen.

"The cardian from last is attacking again; this time at a coffee shop." Ami said. "I contacted you first because I didn't want to disturb our princess and have her fighting so soon after what happened."

"I understand." Minako said as she nodded. "The cardian got away on our watch and we need to get rid of it. Plus, we need to be able to deal with Cardians without Usagi in case something like what happened last night happens again. At least in terms of her getting hurt or she's unable to fight with us."

It didn't need to be said that there would be no more cases of betrayal to possibly put their princess out of commission.

"Contact Makoto. The three of us will handle the cardian." Minako said.

Ami nodded and pressed the green button for Jupiter and waited as she grabbed her sweater from her closet.

"Makoto here." The secret green senshi answered a few moments later, and the small screen split to show both her face and Minako's.

"We've got an attack from the same cardian as last night, and it'll just be the three of us handling it." Ami informed her.

"Is something wrong with Usagi?" Makoto asked immediately. "She said she was fine last night!"

"She's fine as far as we know, but we don't want to bother her with this cardian after what happened. And we need to be able to take care of Cardians without her in case she's hurt or simply can't be at the fight for whatever reason." Minako said.

"Mamoru always picks Usagi up to take her to school, so I don't want to delay him from that, and it's needless to say but I'll say it anyway-we need to get used to fighting without Rei." She added, and Makoto and Ami nodded.

"Now where's the attack location?" She asked.

"It's a coffee shop located near the downtown area in walking distance of multiple public transportation stops, so there's a lot of people in the surrounding area as well as at the shop." Ami said.

Minako and Makoto nodded in understanding. People would be trying to grab coffee and some pastry for breakfast on their way to work.

Ami then gave them street names and directions before they all got off to finish getting dressed so they could go to the location. Normally they would head out right away, but they would need to go to school afterward so they needed to be in their uniforms with everything they needed.

Ami put her sweater on, made sure she had her keys, and grabbed her school bag and hurried out of her room and to the kitchen to grab her lunch bag before she rushed to the door. Thankfully she didn't have to worry about her mother. She had already been long gone to work.

She slipped her shoes on and opened the door and hurried out into the hallway before she closed the door behind her.

She hurried out of her apartment building as quickly as she could before she found a secluded spot without any windows that she could see, and quickly put her school and lunch bags in her subspace pocket then pulled out her transformation pen.

"Mercury Power, Make Up!" She said as she held her pen up slightly.

Blue light and water came flowing out of the top of her pen and swirled around her before surrounding her and blocking her body from view. When it cleared she looked herself over, and seeing that she was in her senshi suit, she took off running for the location of the coffee shop and the cardian.

---

Sailor Mercury slowed to a stop on top of the roof of a convenience store as she saw the same large green glowing wheel in the sky that had accompanied the cardian the night before. She immediately pulled out her communicator and opened it before she pressed the buttons for Venus and Jupiter.

"Jupiter here."

"Venus here." They both answered quickly nearly at the same time.

"I'm on scene, a couple of buildings away, and the green spinning wheel from last night is here, hanging in the sky above the middle of the street." She said.

"I can see it in the distance, so I'm almost there." Venus replied.

"I can too." Jupiter said. "Have you spotted the cardian?"

"No. I can't see it, but there are people down on the sidewalk in front of the coffee shop." Mercury said.

As soon as she finished saying that the lion looking cardian from the night before came walking out of the open door to the shop on all fours as if it was meant to be there.

"It just calmly walked out of the store and is looking around." She said as she activated her visor. "It's watching cars pass by."

"I'm here." Jupiter announced after a few moments, and Mercury looked around to see her fellow senshi standing on the roof of the building across the street from her and the cardian.

"I'm almost there; I can see you both. I'm coming up from in front of you on Mercury's side of the street." Venus said.

Both Mercury and Jupiter acknowledged that they had heard her as they kept their eyes on the cardian. It was still watching cars pass by; either in fascination at the fast moving vehicles or it was trying to figure out how to get to the people in the cars.

Mercury looked up to the green wheel floating in the sky, and analyzed it with her visor in a way she hadn't been able to the night before.

It was made up of energy from the cardian, which could possibly explain how it had disappeared the night before, but she thought there was more energy there from what her visor was informing her of.

"I'm going to analyze the glowing wheel, because there might be more energy there mixed with the cardian's. It might be from the victims." She said as she knelt down.

"Alright. Stay out of sight until you're done and ready to join us, and see if you can find a weakness since I didn't notice one last night." Venus said.

"Will do." Mercury said before she ended the connection and put her communicator away before summoning her minicomputer. She opened it and aimed it at the wheel and began to type on the tiny keyboard.

"The two of us are going to keep the cardian occupied so it can't attack anyone else or notice Mercury." Sailor Venus said to Jupiter as she reached the roof of a building three buildings away from the cardian.

"No problem. How about we start with a combination attack." Jupiter suggested.

"Good idea. We should also do our best to keep it away from that wheel." Venus said.

"Okay." Sailor Jupiter said before she ended the connection. She put her communicator watch away and looked across the street to where Venus was standing to see her doing the same before she looked to her.

Jupiter nodded and Venus nodded in return before they both looked down to the cardian that was slowly stepping toward the street. It seemed there were some people walking by on Jupiter's side of the street that didn't see it or the people down on the other side of the street.

That wasn't surprising since there were parked cars on both sides of the street.

Venus lifted her arm and aimed her hand down at the cardian, and Jupiter lifted her hands and aimed for the cardian. Venus launched her Crescent Beam attack, and Jupiter launched her Supreme Thunder attack.

The bolt of lightning and beam of light shot down through the air and struck the cardian at the same time.

"Falion!" The cardian screamed in unexpected pain as it reared up on its back legs before it collapse back on all fours. It looked around, clearly searching for the source of the attacks, but they had already moved.

Venus jumped down to the ground and ducked in between two parked cars while Jupiter ran across the rooftops over to the building across from where Venus had been.

Supreme Thunder. She thought as she lifted her hands sending a bolt of lightning racing toward the cardian.

Crescent Beam. Venus thought as she stood up launching her attack at the cardian a few moments after she saw Jupiter's lightning about to hit it.

"Falion!" The cardian screamed again as it was shocked by a bolt of lightning. "Falion!" It cried out moments later as the beam hit it, and sent it flying forward out into the street causing a car to swerve around it trying not to hit it.

Mercury looked through her visor at the wheel, seeing its structure and her visors readings, as she ignored the sounds of pain the cardian made.

Despite it being made up of energy it was dense, and the longer she stared the more she thought she could see two different colors. And the readings on her visor appeared to agree with her.

She hummed lightly and looked back to the screen on her minicomputer and began typing again. She quickly linked her visor and minicomputer together and began to compile all of the information she was able to gather on the energy wheel together. Then she let her computer do the rest while she looked back to the wheel.

It didn't take long to determine with certainty what she was looking for. On her minicomputer a 3D image of the wheel formed before the view zoomed in and showed the two different colored energies more clearly. The second energy was blue and appeared to be encased inside the energy wheel.

Is that the energy stolen from people? She wondered. And if it is then that means the wheel needs to be destroyed. With any luck it will have some kind of negative affect on the cardian.

Mercury nodded to herself and closed her minicomputer and stored it away in her subspace pocket before standing back up and looking down on the situation with the cardian.

Venus and Jupiter were definitely keeping it distracted and occupied, which was good since she had no idea what exactly was going to happen when she did what she was about to do.

Mercury Ice Bubbles. She said in her mind as she lifted her hands sending her blue bubbles streaming up toward the wheel as they morphed into a fog. Before they had even reached the wheel she shifted her focus slightly and launched her next attack.

Mercury Aqua Rhapsody. She called in her mind, her watery harp appearing in an instant and sending swirls of water toward the now frozen wheel as she played the water instrument. The swirls of water slammed into the frozen wheel and blasted it apart.

Mercury then aimed her harp down at the cardian and began to launch her attack again.

The cardian leapt out of the way of the light beam headed its way.

"Falion." It said menacingly as it looked at Venus and then shifted its gaze up toward Jupiter. "Falion!" It screamed suddenly as if it was in serious pain. "Falion!" It cried out again as it was hit with swirls of water.

Venus blinked in slight confusion, but quickly lifted her hand and launched her Crescent Beam; deciding she could understand after the cardian was destroyed.

Jupiter seeing this, and having seen Mercury destroy the cardian's wheel, launched her Supreme Thunder down at the cardian. All three attacks hit the cardian nearly at the same time.

"Falion!" The cardian screamed in a tone that sounded like it was in agony.

Mercury, Venus, and Jupiter watched as their attacks swirled together around the cardian as it continued to scream, its body beginning to glow brightly. Its scream cut off after a few long moments and it gradually began to shrink, and they stopped their attacks and watched it get smaller and smaller.

Soon there was only a tarot sized card sticking up in the asphalt of the street. The image of the cardian on the card faded after they caught sight of it leaving an unremarkable blank white card.

Mercury and Jupiter jumped down to the ground and moved toward Venus as she stepped off the street and onto the closest sidewalk. Mercury looked toward the people on the ground and her visor alerted her to the fact that their energy levels were rising.

"The people got their energy back, but I don't know if that includes the people from last night." She said as she looked back to her fellow senshi.

"I doubt it. The Cardians are gathering energy for a reason, and those two beings we saw before probably collected that energy not long after the cardian had left." Venus said, and they nodded.

"We should go. We still have enough time to make it to school without being late." Jupiter said, and Venus nodded.

"Good job you two. You can inform our princess about the cardian's destruction." She said.

They both nodded and they all said goodbye before Venus ran in one direction, and Jupiter and Mercury headed in another direction.

Rei's POV

Rei sat in her assigned chair in her classroom listening to her nun teacher lecture about a piece of literature they had begun to work on the day before.

She had read the piece of literature but she was barely listening to the current lecture as she stared almost blankly at the front board; her mind drifting back to what happened last night.

She hadn't expected there to be a night fight like that, and definitely didn't appreciate being awakened for it. Still, she had gone to fight and tried to make the most of it.

She had done her best to fight the cardian and stay close to Mamoru in case he needed her. Since this new enemy arrived it seemed attacks were the only time she got to see him for an extended period of time.

There were the meetings, but those weren't frequent and she couldn't sit near him. All she could do was look at him from her seat. But with the attacks she could keep close to him without anyone thinking there was anything wrong with it.

They all ended up near him at some point during the fighting, and no one thought anything of it while it was happening or even afterward.

Because of last nights cardian she got to be near Mamoru and see him. See him standing, moving around, the swirl of his cape as he spun away from an attack, his blue eyes narrowed in concentration, his short jet black hair fluttering beneath his top hat, and even the way his hands moved when he threw his roses and launched attacks.

Those attacks had been a surprise to her. She had no idea he could do anything besides throwing roses and use his crystal. She didn't know when he had learned them, but she liked that he was getting more powerful.

It's a shame he didn't speak during the fight, and a shame Usagi managed to get herself hurt and draw his attention toward her. She thought as she held in a sigh.

Rei hadn't wanted to see Usagi hurt, but she thought Usagi had been foolish to turn her back on the cardian. Even with them protecting her anything could happen. They could've been hurt, and then she would have been open to attack.

I never would've turned my back on the cardian, which is another indication that I'm the better senshi. I can take care of myself, and I'm not so weak that I need saving. She thought.

I can be strong for Mamoru, will be strong for him, and be who he needs to stand strong and firm by his side. He's a prince after all, and would have been King in the past had he not sacrificed himself for Usagi.

Maybe there's a chance he can still be King at some point in the future. He has powers for a reason after all. She considered.

That would mean I could be a princess if I can get him to change his opinion of me, get him to see how much better for him I am than Usagi. If he can come to like me as much as I like him then I could be Queen one day. She thought with a small smile.

Rei sighed lightly at the picture in her mind. King and Queen meant they would be married. She would be Mrs. Chiba Mamoru. Mrs. Chiba Rei.

She loved the sound of that, Mrs. Chiba Rei, but it would never happen if she couldn't get him to like her. And she couldn't get him to like her if he wouldn't speak to her. The first time she could see that he had actually looked at her in months was last night when he was moving around her to get to Usagi after she was injured.

She supposed that was progress, but it wasn't enough! She needed to figure out how to turn his attention and affection away from Usagi and toward her. She knew she could do it if she could only think of a way.

I need to think! To start using the intelligence and sophistication I was gifted with to get the man I want!

Rei took a deep breath and let it out slowly as she looked around. Everyone was seemingly paying attention to the lecture. It looked like she was the only one who wasn't, but that didn't matter since no one could tell.

She needed to calm down. Being frantic wasn't going to help her get what she wanted. She decided to make a list, to keep herself calm and organized. She needed to get Mamoru to talk to her, to see her, and to have feelings for her. All in that order.

But how to get him to speak to me. She thought.

She shifted her arm, and her sleeve lifted to reveal her communicator watch. Her eyes widened as she realized the answer had been in front of her since she got it.

Thanks to Usagi Mamoru was now linked to their communicators and she could now contact him that way. He would answer because it could be about an attack or information to be relayed.

Rei took a breath to help hide her budding excitement, and raised her hand. Once she had her teacher's attention she asked to be excused to the bathroom, and thankfully she was. She calmly walked from the room and down the hallway to the closest bathroom, and opened the door and entered when she came to it.

She checked the stalls and made sure they were all empty and she was alone before she opened the communicator portion of her watch. She nervously licked her lips and pressed the gold button with a tiny dark blue Earth symbol on it.

She waited for what seemed like forever, but must have been just a few short minutes, but he didn't answer. Maybe he couldn't because he was in class or he might not have his communicator on him.

Rei sighed and closed the cover. If I can't talk to him right now than I'll try later, after school, but if that doesn't work then I need to see him. Not only so he can see me, but so I can talk to him in person. She thought. But he doesn't go to the arcade anymore and I don't know where he lives.

She couldn't ask Ami and Makoto since they would wonder why she would want to know even if they didn't know the answer, and Minako wasn't really a friend so she couldn't ask her; but there was no guarantee that she knew either.

She didn't know any other places Mamoru liked to spend his time. She didn't even know where he went to school; he'd never told her when he mentioned he was studying to be a doctor.

Maybe I can ask Motoki. She thought. He's Mamoru's best friend, so surely he'll know. He has to know everything there is to know about him.

But then she reconsidered; he wouldn't know everything. She highly doubted Mamoru had told him about his secret of being Tuxedo Kamen and working with and knowing the Sailor Senshi; let alone his past as royalty.

Still, Motoki should know about his regular life, and that was all that mattered to her. She would talk to him soon.

And hopefully get the answers I need to get me closer to Mamoru. She thought as she left the bathroom to head back to class.

Late Afternoon

Mamoru looked over and watched his princess open the passenger side door and pull her hair in front of her before she slid into the seat and closed the door as she settled her school bag on the floor at her feet.

Hi love. He said as he watched her pull on her seatbelt, and she shot him a smile.

I missed you. Usagi said as she buckled her seatbelt.

Good because I missed you too. He said as he pulled away from the curb he had been parked against. "Did that guy speak to you?" He asked.

"No. He surprisingly yet thankfully didn't approached me." She answered. "In fact, I didn't see him at all, but I don't think he's going to leave me alone for good."

"I agree. I'm sure he's only slightly discouraged that you weren't lying about having a boyfriend. He'll probably approach you at school on Monday." Mamoru said.

"True." She agreed. "Did Rei try to contact you again?" She asked since he'd contacted her during class through their link to let her know and to be sure there was no attack.

She'd let him know quickly that there was no attack that she was aware of, and that Ami and Makoto were right in the room with her.

"No." Mamoru said as he shook his head lightly. "She hasn't tried again thankfully. And speaking of Rei, do you want to go deal with her right now?"

"No. I want to give her a chance to get home, so we don't arrive before her." Usagi said. "Do you mind picking Minako up when I'm ready to go deal with Rei, so we can all arrive at the same time?"

"No I don't mind at all." He said, thinking it was a good idea that they all arrive and leave together.

Usagi nodded and lifted her wrist so her communicator watch was visible, and opened the communicator part and pressed the orange button for Venus.

"Minako here." She answered a few moments later.

"I still plan on dealing with Rei today but I want to give her time to get home, so me and Mamoru will come pick you up when it's time." Usagi informed her. "Will you be home?"

"Yes. I'll be home." Minako answered. "I'll be ready whenever you arrive."

"Okay. We'll see you then." Usagi said.

"Okay. Minako out." She said, and Usagi ended the connection and closed the cover.

"Now that that's taken care of we can go do whatever to pass some time." Usagi said, and Mamoru nodded.

"How about we go grab a snack and go somewhere where we can talk about Zoisite?" He suggested.

"Sure." She agreed as she looked out the window at the passing scenery.

She hadn't thought about it at all since she had told him about what she had seen the night before. She had wanted to rest and be refreshed when they had that conversation, and she was definitely feeling refreshed and more clear-minded then she had the night before.

35 minutes later...

Usagi and Mamoru walked through a small quiet park with small to-go cups of tea and a bag of dango that they had grabbed from a cafe nearby. They found a wooden bench and sat on it with the bag of dango sitting between them.

Mamoru took a sip of his tea and sighed.

"So, Zoisite." He said, and Usagi nodded as she swallowed a sip of her tea.

"Yeah. I still find it hard to believe. If I hadn't seen him with my own eyes I wouldn't have believed it." She said.

"If it's truly him then how can he be here? He was killed." Mamoru said, still trying to understand.

"I don't know. I can't explain it. I killed him myself; watched him turn to dust. He shouldn't be here." Usagi said quietly. "It can't be a look alike since he's identical to the young man we remember, and it can't be reincarnation. Doesn't something like that take time? Look how long it took us. Wouldn't he have been reborn? Still be a baby even if that was the case?"

Mamoru nodded in agreement as he grabbed a stick of dango and took a bite. She was right about it all. It definitely wasn't a look alike, and it couldn't be reincarnation. It had indeed taken them a long time to reincarnate. They both fully remembered their past life in the Silver Millennium, but there was nothing in between that and this life.

So how? If it's Zoisite then how can he be back? He thought.

He took another bite of his dango and thought back to what was going on during the time of Zoisite's death. He himself had been captured and was locked up in a cell in the Negaverse, Usagi was on the Moon to avoid feeling the pain of their separation before she came to participate in the fight where she killed Zoisite.

Then she joined him and they got away from the Negaverse after dealing with Beryl and a youma, then Kunzite made his demand of Usagi, they fought more youma and Kunzite before killing them all, and learning rather shockingly that Metalia had been possessing Kunzite.

Then we were inside Metalia, we used our crystals, and were unconscious for who knows how long before our energy was restored. We went to the Moon, talked to Queen Serenity, and returned to the Earth and fixed what Metalia did. He thought, humming lightly as he took a sip of his tea.

Perhaps that's it. He considered. When we used our crystals it's possible Zoisite was brought back then.

Usagi sat quietly, enjoying the peace around them, as she picked up a dango stick and took a bite. She was stuck on how exactly Zoisite could be back. Her mind was coming up completely blank for any way it could happen.

If it was him why hadn't he sought them out? Or maybe he had and he couldn't find them. Of course this only counted if he remembered them. He could actually simply be living his life and not know anything about them.

Does he even remember himself with however he came back? She wondered as she took another bite. Does he remember his life as one of my prince's guardians in the Silver Millennium? Does he remember his life as one of the dark general's of the Negaverse?

"Do you think it's possible Zoisite came back when we used our crystals to heal the planet and people from the effect Metalia had on them?" Mamoru asked before he took a sip of his tea.

Usagi's eyes widened as she chewed on the last piece of dango on her stick. That had certainly not occurred to her, but she thought it was very possible.

She had focused on healing the planet of the dark influence, destroying the youmas that were spread throughout the city and beyond, and restoring damaged buildings, cars, and lands.

"It's possible. Our crystals are powerful. I remember that I had focused on healing the planet from Metalia's dark influence." She said, and he nodded.

"I had focused on healing the people and animals of her influence." Mamoru said before he took another sip of his tea. "That included restoring the injured and bringing back people that died because of Metalia." He added after a few moments.

"That could have worked with Zoisite. When he turned to dust his remains were left where they landed. He very well could have been brought back to life since he was with the Negaverse because of Beryl but through Metalia's influence." Usagi said thoughtfully.

"So he would've fallen into that category." He said, and she nodded.

"If it truly worked with Zoisite then that same theory would also apply to Kunzite and Nephrite." She said. "I don't know what happened to Jadeite, so I can't say for sure with him."

"That makes sense," Mamoru said as he nodded. "and if he's truly Zoisite is he dark general Zoisite or guardian shittenou Zoisite?" He questioned and shook his head.

"We need answers. I think we need to investigate and see if it's truly Zoisite. We need to see him walking and talking, and see if the others are around as well." He said.

Usagi nodded as she swallowed a sip of her tea.

"I agree. We can't continue forward without those answers." She said. "I don't think we should do it today, dealing with Rei is going to be enough, but we have the whole weekend to make a start if it's going to take long."

"Tomorrow then. Doesn't matter when; just some time tomorrow." Mamoru said firmly.

"Tomorrow." Usagi agreed as she nodded.

From there they finished their tea and dango while making plans for a date the next day. Once they finished they headed back to his car and headed to pick up Minako.

.:xXx:.

Usagi, Mamoru, and Minako arrived at the stairs leading up to Hikawa Shrine and calmly began to walk up the numerous steps.

Before they walked up to the stairs Mamoru had used his connection to the Earth to find Rei's exact location, and saw that she was on the grounds in her priestess clothes.

It was decided that Minako would go find her and bring her inside her house, and to the room where meetings were usually held since it was a spacious room and Usagi could keep her distance from her.

Meanwhile, Usagi and Mamoru would make their way directly to the room from outside through the sliding door. Usagi would wait inside, and Mamoru would stay outside next to the wall so he couldn't be seen through the sliding door.

They reached the top of the stairs and saw that there was a fairly large amount of people, most of them tourists from the looks, but also a fair number of school girls from various schools.

"I'll check to see where she's at right now." Mamoru said quietly, and Usagi and Minako nodded. He focused his power through his feet, compensating for his shoes, and focused on finding Rei Hino.

Instantly images of the city flashed through his mind in quick succession before they slowed until he saw the shrine grounds. Different areas around the shrine grounds flashed before they stopped on Rei doing some sweeping near a building.

He informed them of her location as he released his power, and they thankfully realized it was away from the house so Usagi and Mamoru wouldn't be seen.

They shared a serious nod and Minako separated from the couple and went to go get Rei, and Usagi and Mamoru headed to the house at the back of the grounds.

The couple moved calmly and steadily around the perimeter of where the majority of people were gathered because they didn't want to run into Rei's grandfather. They didn't want him telling Rei that they had been there, because if all went well Rei wouldn't remember seeing Usagi and Minako that day.

They reached the house and moved around to the side and walked until they reached the sliding door that led to the room where the confrontation would take place.

Mamoru slid the door open and Usagi stepped inside with a smile of thanks and he slid it back closed until it was open only a few inches and then leaned against the wall.

Usagi took a few steps forward and paused as she looked around the room. They had had almost all of their Senshi meetings there since Rei became Sailor Mars, had studied there, and simply hung out there.

For her most of that time was fine, but there were a lot memories that she didn't like that she associated with that room. Luna, Rei, Makoto, and Ami complaining about her study habits, how much she ate, about not doing her homework, not fighting hard enough, and seemingly everything about her personality and habits.

They had made her feel like she wasn't good enough to be a senshi, like she didn't belong, like she was less than them, and wasn't someone they wanted to know anymore.

You're someone I want to know; have always wanted to know even back when I was teasing and insulting you. The four of them got caught up in their own self importance, and that's why they treated you the way they did. Mamoru said.

The girls adapted better to being senshi and felt that made them better than you, and Luna descended to their level instead of staying objective and allowed her personal opinion and wants to dictate how she acted and spoke to you. He continued.

You proved them all wrong when you didn't have to, and they have all finally seen the great young woman you are. He said, and then paused. Well, most of them. You're thankfully about to completely part ways with the only one who didn't.

Thank you. Usagi said as she smiled. You're right. All except Rei now knows I belong and am good enough. Well, maybe not Luna yet, but hopefully Artemis is straightening her out.

Yes. Mamoru agreed. Thankfully they came to their senses before you were revealed as the princess they were supposed to be looking for and protecting.

I'm very glad for that or the trust would have been even longer coming. She said.

True. He agreed. Hopefully after Rei is severed from the team you'll never have cause to feel or even remember feeling like you were less than anyone else ever again.

Before Usagi could reply the door to the room opened and she looked over to see Rei step inside and pause at seeing her. She looked back at her calmly as she watched Minako step inside after her and close the door.

I hope so too. She replied to Mamoru as she watched Rei move further into the room.

"Hello Rei." Usagi said calmly as she looked at her, and glanced at Minako as she stepped away from the door. "I was disappointed not to hear from you at all after I was injured last night. We aren't friends however I am still your princess and leader, and that alone should have been enough for you to check on me."

Rei looked from Usagi to Minako, who had moved to stand off to the side between her and Usagi, before she looked back to Usagi. She hadn't thought to contact Usagi at all. She had just assumed she was fine or she would have heard, but she also hadn't really given it a thought.

She hadn't even known Usagi would be here. Minako had just said they needed to talk. Seeing Usagi here must mean something serious needed to be talked about, and she was guessing it was her moving her position to the point that Usagi got hurt.

"You're right. I'm sorry for not checking on you. I was pretty distracted and agitated last night, but seeing you now you look fine; better than you did last night." Rei said.

Minako pressed her lips together at Rei's words. Distracted and agitated. She supposed that was true in a sense. Rei had been distracted and agitated trying to keep close to Mamoru while avoiding the cardian.

Usagi nodded slowly. Rei didn't sound like she cared that she had been seriously injured nor did she sound at all sorry for what she did.

She almost couldn't believe this was happening. She didn't think she would be forced to take away Rei's ability to be a senshi so fast; it had only been days since Rei had ignored her call and she learned that the fire had rejected her.

Nor did she think her being seriously injured would be the catalyst. She didn't know what she thought would cause it, but it hadn't occurred to her that it would be her getting hurt.

"I heard the reports of your actions that left me open to being hit in the back with an attack." Usagi said just as calmly as before. "Why did you move without warning?"

Rei held in a sighed and looked away. She couldn't tell Usagi that it was because she was going to help Mamoru. She doubted she would be pleased that she was trying to be near her soulmate.

But then again that cardian had been attacking, and he had genuinely looked like he needed help. She thought.

"Mamoru looked like he needed help getting away from the cardian's attack, so I went toward him to try and help." She said as she looked back to Usagi. "I hadn't thought about it I just reacted."

Usagi simply nodded slowly at her words.

Rei reacted without thought and revealed her true feelings in the process. She abandoned her princess to try and get close to me. Mamoru said scathingly.

I don't at all believe she was trying to help me. I didn't need it, and even if she was trying to help she would have only been in the way. In fact, she had been in the way. She had taken away a direction I could move in, because I didn't want to get so close to her. He thought.

Usagi agreed with him and his thoughts, and she didn't like the fact that one of his escape options from an attack had been blocked because of Rei.

"I understand. I understand that you're being as honest as you're willing to be. I also understood that you don't seem to care that I was injured nor apologetic for what you did." She told Rei.

"I suppose it's because of the way you truly feel about me. As I said before, we aren't friends, you don't like me, nor do you care about me. If you think of me at all it's to confirm in your own mind that you're better than me." She continued.

She also only considers me an obstacle between her and Mamoru because of her obsession. She thought, because after last night it was crystal clear that was what it was.

Rei wasn't thinking clearly; especially if she thought she could still come between Usagi and Mamoru.

How did Rei think that was supposed to work? She would part them and get Mamoru to return her feelings, and what, be with him? Yeah, they were supposed to be this couple in Rei's mind, but of course he would still be Usagi's soulmate and bondmate. Rei didn't care to factor that in with her obsession ruling her mind.

"Beyond that I think it hasn't occurred to you to be concerned for me or apologetic, because you haven't realized the magnitude of what you have done." Usagi continued.

"You deliberately left your position, without warning, leaving me open to attack and unaware that one was coming. I was seriously injured as a direct result. I won't speak the list of injuries my soulmate informed me of, but I will say that I am glad I remember nothing after the agony of the attack first hitting me."

"Do you not realize what this means?" She asked Rei as she watched her frown in confusion. "Clearly not." She added as she shook her head lightly. "It means that in abandoning your position you abandoned me; abandoned your princess, and in effect betrayed me." She continued firmly.

"I asked everyone to watch my back. Minako, Ami, and Makoto were able to do it just fine, but you couldn't or wouldn't do it. That is unacceptable! You're supposed to be watching my back, not watching a man who is fully engaged in a fight and more than capable of protecting himself. Keeping your eyes on Mamoru is not your duty!" She snapped in quiet anger.

Usagi took a deep breath as she looked away from Rei in her anger. She hadn't felt angry last night, likely because she was in shock over the attack and seeing Zoisite, but she was angry now, and it was mixing with that long suppressed anger from Rei attacking Mamoru and getting him captured.

She had realized during the peace they had after the Negaverse's defeat that it was a miracle their plan to rescue him had worked. If they did not have their bond they wouldn't have been able to talk, she wouldn't have been able to find him once she was in the Negaverse, and without her silver crystal she wouldn't have been able to disguise herself to get to him without a fight.

And all because of Rei's jealousy; because she let her emotions rule her instead of her logic! She thought angrily as she looked back to Rei, her eyes beginning to glow as the white sheen of her power covered the blue of her eyes.

"I told you before that I was done putting up with your behavior, and that I didn't believe you were sorry for what you had done." Usagi said in soft voice that still conveyed her anger.

"I told you outright that I didn't trust you and wanted nothing to do with you. Your attack on Mamoru was a betrayal and your behavior leading up to it had been atrocious, and now you have betrayed me again!" She said angrily.

"I gave you a second chance; a last chance. I asked you not to make me regret giving you your ability to be a senshi back, and now you have done just that. I regret it very much considering the circumstances surrounding what happened to me." She continued with brutal honesty.

Rei's eyes widened at Usagi's words, and widened even further as she saw her eyes start to glow. She had not given one thought to her actions being a betrayal to her princess. She had just wanted to help Mamoru.

As she listened to Usagi remind her of the words she had told her before she was beginning to understand what was happening. This wasn't just her getting a talking to like when she didn't answer her communicator; this was the beginning of something much more serious.

She looked over to Minako and saw that she was standing still and watching with a serious and unsurprised expression on her face.

She looked back to Usagi and flinched as she mentioned her attacking Mamoru. She didn't like being reminded of that action; of one of the reasons Mamoru wouldn't look at her or speak to her.

Then she gasped as Usagi said she regretted giving back her ability to be a senshi. She had known Usagi didn't trust her, and didn't want to be around her even before she had ended their friendship, but this was unexpected. Were her actions that bad to have her princess regret giving her senshi ability back to her?

Rei looked to Minako again, trying to come to grips with what was happening.

"I warned you." Minako said seriously.

Rei blinked as she remembered back to Minako's words when she spoke to her about not answering her communicator.

"You had better up your game if you don't want Usagi taking matters into her own hands."

"I warned you!" Usagi snapped sharply, her crescent moon appearing as her anger heightened. "I'm tired of it, tired of you, and I'm absolutely done putting up with you! You betrayed me when you attacked my soulmate, betrayed me when you didn't answer my call, and betrayed me when you abandoned your position and allowed me to be attacked!"

"Come!" She commanded as she lifted her arm and held her hand out toward Rei.

"No!" Rei cried out as she stepped back. "Don't do it!" She said, but there was nothing she could do.

They all watched as the Mars transformation pen appeared in front of Usagi's hand. She grabbed it securely and used her free hand to grasped the communicator watch as it too appeared in front of her. She placed it in her subspace pocket without looking away from Rei.

"Return from whence you came!" Usagi commanded for the second time in her life, her eyes flashing.

"No!" Rei cried out again as her body began to glow red.

This couldn't be happening. She couldn't be losing her power, her position as Sailor Mars! She needed to be a senshi! She needed it to continue being close to Mamoru! It was the only sure way she could see him regularly.

The red glow grew brighter and pulsed before it quickly pulled away from her body, as if it was being sucked forward and throwing itself at the same time, and sped through the air and into the red and gold pen causing it to glow with a red light.

Usagi quickly put the glowing pen safely away in her subspace pocket, and shifted her focus to the next phase.

Rei gasped and stumbled as she immediately felt weak. It was the same feeling she had before when Usagi had been revealed as the Moon Princess and she had removed her ability to be a senshi.

Already she was starting feel sick, her stomach rolling nauseously, and she lowered herself to sit. She looked back to Usagi and saw her eyes glow brighter as she lifted her hands up near her chest.

Usagi summoned her silver crystal and it soundlessly appeared between her hands, floating and glowing softly between her palms.

Please remove the power from Rei's red stud earrings, which served as the item to conceal her changed looks, and forever seal her memories of being a senshi. She asked her crystal.

I do not want her remembering her past as a senshi nor her time in the present as a senshi. She has betrayed me too many times as a senshi, has treated me like I am less than as both a senshi and a person, and she is obsessed with my Endymion; my prince, soulmate, and bondmate. She explained.

Rei is a danger to me and my soulmate, and a liability to the cohesion of my Guardian Senshi. She is also a danger to my Senshi. I have been hurt, but it could have easily been one of my Senshi caught in an attack when Rei did something she shouldn't have done. She said.

Usagi's silver crystal pulsed warmly, and she felt understanding flow through her before it brightened and white light flared. It quickly formed into a beam and streamed toward Rei, surrounding her as soon as it hit her and encased her in an almost transparent energy capsule.

"What's going on?! What are you doing to me?!" Rei cried out questioningly as her eyes shifted around at the power surrounding her.

Minako looked on curiously, yet maintaining her serious face, as she wondered what was happening as well. She thought it was done when Usagi got the communicator watch, and the transformation pen and called the power to it on top of that.

She didn't know what else needed to be done, but she trusted her princess. She was standing there, looking like the princess she was despite the school uniform, with a serious focused look on her face. She definitely knew what she was doing.

And my prince is still outside. He hasn't reacted to what's happening, so he must have expected this. She thought as she watched the scene in front of her.

Rei looked around frantically. The power surrounding her wasn't cold but it wasn't welcoming either. It felt neutral to her. She reached out with her hand, not even sure what she intended to do, and her eyes widened as she felt a solid force as if the energy was a wall.

She quickly moved her hands around and realized she was completely contained inside. She couldn't understand this. What was Usagi doing? Why was she doing this? She had already taken away her power and her ability to be a senshi. What more did she want?!

She looked to Usagi through the energy wall and saw her eyes practically blazing with white light, the blue no longer visible, and a serious look on her face.

Rei blinked her eyes suddenly and shook her head as she began to feel sleepy. It was strange to feel that sensation out of nowhere, but it was there and growing stronger. Why was this happening?

Usagi took calm steady breaths as her crystal used her energy to do her bidding. She watched Rei blink rapidly and shake her head a few times before her eyes closed. She tipped to the side and collapsed on the floor and lay completely still. The white energy stopped abruptly and the crystal returned to simply floating and glowing softly having finished its job.

She put her crystal away and took a deep breath and let it out slowly as she calmed herself down; the white glow in her eyes and her crescent moon disappearing from sight, as she looked at Rei's sleeping form.

Mamoru slid the sliding door open a little more and stepped inside and toward his princess. He slipped his arm around her waist as he reached her side and held her to him.

"I'm so proud of you." He said before he kissed her forehead. "I'm glad it's done."

"Me too." Usagi said as she leaned against him.

"What did you do after you took Rei's power and communicator?" Minako asked.

"I sealed Rei's memories of being a senshi forever." She answered. "She won't remember being one in this life or in the past. She'll recall knowing us all, will even still consider Makoto and Ami friends, but that's all."

Minako nodded and thought it was a good idea. That way Rei wouldn't grow resentful and bitter about not being a senshi anymore; especially after the way she reacted when Usagi began to take her power from her. Nor could she tell anyone about them.

"Let's make her comfortable before we leave." Usagi said with a sigh. "She'll wake up when she's ready, which can be at any time, and I don't want any of us here for that." She explained and Minako and Mamoru nodded.

"Her grandfather is still out on the grounds." Mamoru informed them.

"I'll take her to her room, so it will seem like she just laid down for a rest since he didn't see me enter the house with her." Minako said.

Usagi nodded as Minako went and carefully lifted Rei onto her back with Mamoru's help while Usagi opened the door.

Go ahead and help Minako. I'll wait outside where I was earlier. Mamoru told Usagi.

Okay. Usagi agreed and stepped out into the hallway with Minako, and began to head toward Rei's bedroom.

When they reached it Usagi opened the door and they stepped inside and quickly got Rei situated on her bed before leaving.

They returned to the large room they had been in and slipped out the sliding door, joining Mamoru outside, and closed the door. The three of them then began to leave the area around the house and the shrine grounds altogether.

None of them expected to ever set foot there again, unless there was an enemy attack happening, and in that case they would be transformed so Rei would no longer recognize them for who they really were.

Saturday: Day Six

Afternoon

Mamoru drove down the street pleased that the sun was shining and the skies were blue. It wasn't warm out but it wasn't really cold either. It was a nice day and great weather to be out in spending the day with his princess.

It was a good thing they had planned their date. They especially needed it with the last few days. The shock of knowing one of his past guardians could be alive and well, and the stress of the possibility of the others being alive as well. Not to mention the stress of Rei's obsession with him and his princess being seriously hurt because of Rei's actions.

His princess had been healed, and Rei was now officially out of the picture. The only thing left to worry about now was figuring out if Zoisite was truly alive, and if the other generals were as well.

There's also the issue that is now in place with Rei being removed as a senshi. There's no longer a Sailor Mars; Usagi's Guardian Senshi are incomplete, which means she is not fully protected and we are down a fighter. He thought.

With those happenings and issues in place he was looking forward to simply relaxing with his soulmate. They needed it. They needed to take their minds off what happened with Rei and the generals being alive. Time with just the two of them, and not worrying about anything but relaxing and having a good time.

He pulled up outside his princess' house minutes later and parked, but didn't bother getting out of the car or turning off the engine.

I'm here. He announced, and smiled at her quick reply.

I'll be right out. She said.

Mamoru didn't have to wait long. The sound of the front door opening had him turning his head, and he saw the vision of his soulmate appearing. She stepped out and closed the door and began to walk down the walkway toward him with a soft smile as her eyes landed on him.

She was wearing the white v-neck wrap blouse he had bought her, a lemon yellow chiffon skirt that flowed down to her ankles, and white comfortable looking tennis shoes.

The top fit her exactly as he thought it would, and he loved it in combination with it being white. Just as in the past, he loved her in white. It made her look so innocent and yet the fit of her gowns, or blouse in this case, showed that that innocence didn't define her entire personality.

And the yellow skirt brings out the color of her golden blonde hair, but it would still look good with her natural hair color. He thought as his remained locked on her.

Mamoru sighed lightly as he watched her walk; she looked beautiful and comfortable. His eyes moved back to her white top and he reminded himself that he needed to see about getting that dress made.

He needed to see it on her.

Usagi reached the car and opened the door before she slipped inside and adjusted her hair and skirt before closing the door.

"What dress are you thinking about?" She asked curiously as she pulled on the seatbelt.

Mamoru blinked, distracted from the happy sight of her wearing not just the locket necklace that had become a familiar sight but the rose linked bracelet as well on the wrist that didn't have her communicator watch on it.

"It's a surprise." He said as he understood what she was talking about; glad that she hadn't been paying attention to his thoughts when he first recalled the dress. He hadn't been able to get it made it in the past, so she had never gotten to see what he had in mind.

"Maybe you'll learn when we have time to go on a formal evening date." He added, because he knew the dress would no longer be able to pass for casual as well; not in this present time.

"Okay." Usagi said, letting the matter drop. If her prince was thinking about a dress for her then she didn't want to ruin whatever he had planned.

"How have you been today?" Mamoru asked.

"I've been well." She answered. "I slept good and woke up feeling great. It seems the weight of all the issues with Rei has been lifted from my shoulders now that the break has been made."

And she meant it. She felt so much more at ease knowing she didn't have to worry about seeing Rei anymore or worrying about how she was going to perform as a senshi and if anyone would get hurt or captured as a result.

After she, Mamoru, and Minako left the shrine grounds she had contacted Ami and Makoto, and immediately informed them that Rei was no longer a senshi and wouldn't recall ever having been one.

She had also warned them that the next time they saw her she would only see them as friends and nothing more. She would still know that Usagi was no longer a friend, and unfortunately her feelings for Mamoru would remain. She would even remember meeting Minako, but it would all revolve around them as regular people.

"Good. I'm happy for you." Mamoru said. "I'm especially happy that your clothes reflect your mood. You look beautiful."

"Thank you. You're looking very handsome yourself." Usagi said.

He was wearing a navy blue and white plaid button up collared long sleeve shirt and black jeans with black shoes. The top two buttons of his shirt were loose and his sleeves were rolled up just beneath his elbows.

"Thanks." He said as he began to drive away from the house. "Are you ready for the day?" He asked.

"Definitely. I'm ready to relax and have a good time." She said enthusiastically.

"That's exactly how I feel too." Mamoru said.

They drove along in companionable silence as they moved ever closer to their destination, and it wasn't long before Mamoru was parking along the sidewalk of a somewhat busy street.

He turned off the engine and unbuckled his seatbelt and got out of the car. He walked around and helped Usagi out of the car before locking the doors and walking hand in hand down the sidewalk.

After walking along a long block they reached their destination. An art gallery they had only been inside twice before back when they weren't a couple.

The artist was Yumeno Yumemi, a woman who had once been a carrier of a rainbow crystal, who painted for a living. She pained portraits and images from dreams and visions she had.

Now that Usagi and Mamoru knew who they really were and remembered their past they knew that it was either the rainbow crystal influencing Yumemi or she was reincarnated, because she had painted things that looked like instances from back in the Silver Millennium.

Now they had decided to come back to the gallery to see if she had painted anything new that resembled them as a few of her portraits had before.

They walked inside the building and found it quiet with only a hand full of people walking around. Two were obviously a couple and the rest were by themselves from what they could tell.

They moved to the closest painting, which was on a wall not far from the door, and saw that it was an image of a woman with blonde hair in a style similar to Usagi's in a white dress hugging the Earth with the darkness of outer space in the background.

It was beautiful and new from what they had seen before, so they knew she was still dreaming and having visions from the past.

"What do you think of it?" Mamoru asked.

"It's exactly what I wanted to do when my fascination with the Earth was at its highest before I finally met you." Usagi said.

He smiled as he looked from her back to the painting. He could easily see his princess trying to do that. Standing on the balcony to her bedroom, gazing up into the sky at the Earth, and opening her arms wide as she reached up.

The next painting they looked at was of a couple dancing in a ballroom. They were the focus of the painting but there were dozens of people dancing around them, and you couldn't see any detail of their faces.

The next painting was of a young soldier standing below a balcony with the light on in the window, holding the tether to a dark brown horse, looking up with his back to the viewer as if waiting.

The next painting was of a young woman in a white dress sitting on the ground in the grass with four women standing off to the side, their faces not visible to the viewer. Each was wearing a dress of her own in green, blue, red, and orange.

They continued their slow circuit of the gallery and noticed immediately when the paintings changed from past to present. They began to see paintings of their alter egos.

There was one of Sailor Moon standing on the roof of a building looking up at the Moon with the city skyscrapers in the background.

"I like it. She looks perfect." Mamoru said. Every detail from your outfit to the length of your hair is there. He added.

"Look." Usagi said quietly as she pointed to an area that was directly across from the viewer but behind Sailor Moon.

Mamoru looked and his eyes widened slightly as he spotted himself as Tuxedo Kamen kneeling as he faced the viewer. Clearly he was watching Sailor Moon. He was clear as day now that he had seen his small figure, but he was positioned in such a way that you wouldn't see him unless you searched the painting.

And the fact that the painting was set at night didn't help since he was back in darkness.

That looks about right. He said as he nodded. I was always watching you from the shadows.

Usagi smiled up at him and led him to the next painting, which turned out to be a woman that had long black hair and white angel wings wearing a pink dress. In front of her with their backs facing the viewer were Sailor Moon, Sailor Jupiter, Sailor Mars, and Sailor Mercury.

They were all standing in a way that made it clear they were ready to fight.

Yumemi remembers her time as a youma. Usagi said.

Yes. Although it's probably dream like for her. Mamoru replied, and she nodded.

It looks accurate. She said as she gazed at the painting. I like it.

Me too. He agreed.

They saw the remaining paintings and discovered that they were all fights with different youma and profile point of views of the Senshi and Tuxedo Kamen in different poses.

"I liked them." Usagi said as they were leaving the gallery. It was like seeing our past and present being told in picture form for us. She added.

"Yes." Mamoru agreed. "We need to come back sometime and see them again or see what else she comes up with."

"Yes; that would be nice." She agreed. "So where to next? We didn't plan for after the gallery."

"How about we find a park and go for a walk?" He suggested.

"I'm in. Let's go find one." She said.

With that decided they went back to his car and began to drive around looking for a park. Nearly half an hour of driving and quietly flirting they found what they were looking for. The park was not the largest they had been to, but it was a nice size for going on a walk.

They got out of the car and Mamoru pulled Usagi's arm through his and began to escort her like the gentleman he was. As they walked they talked about the paintings; the color schemes, what they liked about the paintings, what they felt, and the emotions they inspired.

In the middle of talking about the painting of her as Sailor Moon looking up at the Moon and him as Tuxedo Kamen watching her from the shadows they began to hear music. It was soothing and peaceful and they were immediately drawn to it, so they angled their path in that direction and came upon a small concert.

They looked around and saw people sitting in the grass as a trio played their instruments. A woman played a violin, another played the flute, and a man played a cello. As they watched people like them, drawn by the sound, began to show up and look around.

It looks like they're playing to whoever shows up. Mamoru noted. How about we sit and enjoy.

Usagi nodded and they stepped forward and moved toward an open spot. Mamoru helped Usagi sit and he sat next to her and wrapped his arm around her as she leaned against him with a sigh.

They listened to two different songs for long minutes enjoying the soothing sounds and the peace they brought.

Mamoru looked away from the musicians and down to Usagi to see her eyes were closed with a light smile playing on her lips. She looked calm and peaceful, and he thought she should always look so.

He looked back to the musicians and blinked as he saw thin blue strings coming from the sky attached to the people in front of them. He looked around and saw that they were attached to the people to their sides as well.

He frowned as he checked and saw that it was attached to him and Usagi as well, and that up close it looked like blue energy. He looked up slowly and his eyes widened at the sight that met his eyes.

There was a woman floating high in the air. She had lavender tinted skin, dark blue hair down to her knees, and black eyes.

She wore a red bodysuit with sleeves above her elbows, and a yellow vest that seemed to transition at her waist beneath a wide wrap into a sheer yellow open skirt down to her ankles. In addition, that she had yellow bands around her neck and wrists.

Hovering in front of her spread palms was a tennis sized ball of blue sparkling energy where the thin strings seemed to originate.

Shit! Mamoru cursed at the unmistakable truth of what he was seeing.

What's wrong? Usagi asked.

There's a cardian in the sky above us, and if I'm right it's taking our energy along with everyone else around us. He explained.

She opened her eyes and that was when she noticed the thin energy strings attached to everyone including her and Mamoru just like he said. She rolled her eyes upward and spotted what was unmistakably a cardian hovering in the sky with the strings all stretched up to the ball in front of its hands.

There goes our peaceful afternoon. She said with a sigh.

We'll just have to get rid of it, so we can get back to our peace. He replied, and she nodded slightly. We should use our crystals to block the energy strings, so we don't end up too tired to fight or unconscious.

Good idea. She said.

They both focused on their crystals and pulled up just enough power to stop the strings from taking more of their energy and sever the connection.

They watched the strings fall away from them and they waited a few moments so as not to let the cardian know they had actually done anything then they got to their feet and began to walk away from the area.

Once out of sight they began to search for a place to transform and contact the girls. When they found a large group of trees they slipped behind them, and she summoned her brooch while he pulled out a red rose.

"Moon Crystal Power, Make Up!" Usagi said and was instantly surrounded in a bright soft pink light while Mamoru was wordlessly surrounded in a light red flash of light. When the lights cleared they stood as Sailor Moon and Tuxedo Kamen.

Sailor Moon pulled out her communicator and opened it before she pressed the orange, blue, and green buttons for Venus, Mercury, and Jupiter.

They answered quickly and she told them of the cardian attack at the park, and that she and Tuxedo Kamen were on scene. Then she gave them the location, and said to join them when they arrived. They each agreed and she ended the connection and put her communicator away.

She nodded to her prince and he returned her nod, and without a word they hurried back to the area of the concert. When they arrived they saw that everyone was still conscious, but some looked drowsy as if they were on the verge of falling asleep.

Sailor Moon took off her tiara, charged it, and threw it sharply. It flew easily through the air cutting through the energy strings stealing peoples energy.

Tuxedo Kamen, meanwhile, gestured with his hands and a rose appeared in each one. He concentrated and watched them morph into red glowing rose petals before they began to spin around his body.

Spinning Rose Evolution. He thought sending the petals rushing forward as a red beam of rose petals toward the cardian's side.

"Amaderasu." The cardian said with a surprised frown as her connection with the people below was abruptly severed. "Amaderasu!" She cried out in pained surprise as she was hit in the side by an attack.

The cardian was knocked to the side but didn't fall out of the air, and managed to right itself quickly. The people on the ground at the concert looked up to see what was happening and started to scream and scramble to their feet to run away.

Sailor Moon put her tiara back on after she caught it, and lifted her hands to launch her Infinite Moonlight Illusion Beam attack at the cardian quickly to keep its attention away from the running people.

White light bubbled up like liquid in the cupped palms of her hands and an image of a silver blue tinted waxing crescent moon and a waning crescent moon fused together back to back appeared in the light in the palms of her hands.

She thrust her hands out away from her, sending an infinite repeating image of the silver blue tinted crescent moons within a beam of white light.

The cardian shifted out of the way of the attack and aimed its hand down at them, and fired off an orange laser-like beam of fire down at them.

They quickly moved away and launched their attacks as they moved, making sure to watch their step in the grass.

Sailor Moon lifted her hands again and cupped them together just below where her brooch sat on her chest, white light bubbled up like liquid and an image of a silver blue tinted waxing crescent moon and a waning crescent moon fused together back to back appeared in the light in the palms of her hands.

Infinite Moonlight Illusion. She thought as she thrust her hands out away from her, and watched as silver blue tinted crescent moons went scattering, rotating rapidly in every direction away from her toward the cardian.

Tuxedo Kamen took out a hand full of roses and narrowed his eyes slightly as he willed them to turn black. Deadly Rose Petals. He thought as he threw his roses, and watched as they shattered mid flight into black razor sharp rose petals as they flew forward.

The cardian flew out of the way of both attacks easily.

"Amaderasu." She said in irritation before she launched her laser-like beam of fire from both hands down at them.

They both ran from the attack and retaliated instantly. Tuxedo Kamen launched his Spinning Rose Evolution attack sending a red beam of rose petals at the cardian.

Sailor Moon frowned as she removed her tiara, charged it, and threw it toward the cardian. Then she quickly launched her Infinite Moonlight Illusion Beam attack at the flying disk. It hit and wrapped around the disk giving it a blue tint as it flew toward the cardian.

"Amaderasu." The cardian said as she flew around avoiding the black flower petals streaking toward her and the glowing disk, but frowned as the disk began to follow her.

Sailor Moon stared as she focused on her tiara and the cardian. This cardian needed to come out of the sky or this fight was going to take forever. That was the last thing she wanted.

The cardian continued to dodge the powered up tiara, flying left and right, up and down, but always avoiding the glowing disk no matter what.

Tuxedo Kamen gestured with his hand, silently summoning a hand full of roses, and threw the piercing red flowers up at the cardian to give it something else to dodge and more of a chance of getting hit.

"Amaderasu." The cardian said in irritated anger as she flew around, and then launched her beam of fire at the roses and tiara. The roses burned and the tiara was knocked off course before she aimed the beam down at the humans attacking her.

Sailor Moon jumped back out of the way of the fire beam that had been headed toward her as she summoned her tiara back to her. Tuxedo Kamen dodged the fire beam as it came his way and threw more piercing roses up at the cardian, followed by his Deadly Rose Petals attack.

The cardian dropped low in the sky to avoid the flowers and the black flower petals hurtling toward her, and then decided to land altogether hoping to have better luck with hitting them with her fire.

Sailor Moon threw her powered up tiara again and sent it spinning toward the cardian while Tuxedo Kamen gestured with his hands and watched as an open red rose blossom appeared in each palm. They burst into golden flames and he looked back to the cardian.

Burning Rose Illusion. He thought, throwing the burning blossoms at the cardian with all his strength.

"Amaderasu." The cardian said with a frown before she leapt back to avoid the burning gold balls flying at her, and used her fire beam to knock the spinning disk away.

Then she lifted her arms and put her hands side by side with her palms facing outward and sent a stream of orange bubbles that grew bigger the further away they traveled from her.

Before Sailor Moon and Tuxedo Kamen could react to the energy bubbles a group of blue bubbles came crashing into the orange ones from the side freezing them and causing them to fall to the ground where they shattered.

"Amaderasu!" The cardian screamed in pain moments later as she was hit with a bolt of lightning and blasted to the side.

An orange beam came streaking through the air right after that and slammed into the cardian before it hit the ground.

"Amaderasu!" The cardian screamed again.

Sailor Moon took advantage of the cardian's distraction and aimed her tiara, which was still flying through the air, toward the female, and watched as it sped through the air and slammed into the cardian's back as it was shifting to get up.

"Amaderasu!" The cardian screamed in pain before it jumped up into the air. "Amaderasu!" She shouted angrily as she sent beams of fire flying out of her palms at all the humans on the ground below her.

Tuxedo Kamen, Sailor Moon, and the newly arrived Sailor's Jupiter, Mercury, and Venus all dodged the beams of hot fire, and as soon as it passed them by they each attacked.

Venus launched her Crescent Beam sending a beam of light at the cardian, Mercury launched her Mercury Aqua Rhapsody sending swirls of water toward the cardian, and Jupiter launched her Supreme Thunder sending a bolt of lightning at the cardian.

Sailor Moon launched her Infinite Moonlight Illusion Beam sending a white beam with an infinite repeating image of silver blue tinted crescent moons within toward the cardian, and Tuxedo Kamen sent his Spinning Rose Evolution sending a red beam of rose petals toward the cardian.

The attacks all streaked toward the cardian but she flew higher and erratically to avoid each and every one of them confidently.

"Amaderasu!" The cardian screamed in surprised pain as she was struck in the back by the spinning disk she had forgotten about.

Sailor Moon summoned her tiara back to her and caught it before she put it back on her forehead; all the while watching the cardian fall from the sky.

She summoned her Crescent Moon Wand as she watched Venus send her beam of light at the cardian's falling form, and her prince send his sharp black rose petals spinning toward it as well.

"Amaderasu!" The cardian screamed in pain as both attacks hit it in midair before it was cut off abruptly as it hit the ground, its body bouncing slightly on the grass before going still.

Tuxedo Kamen decided not to take any chances and launched his Burning Rose Illusion attack throwing the burning rose blossoms at the cardian's still form as soon as they were in his hands.

As the cardian began to groan Mercury decided she wasn't taking any chances either and sent her Mercury Ice Bubbles streaming toward the cardian right behind Tuxedo Kamen's attack that quickly formed into a fog.

"Amaderasu!" The cardian screamed as it was hit and began to burn.

It rolled slightly in its pain, its body instinctively trying to put out the fire, but was hit with the bubble fog and grew still and quiet as it was froze; its body being quickly covered in ice.

Sailor Moon raised her wand and aimed it at the frozen cardian as she focused on her silver crystal. Please help me defeat this cardian before the beings who sent it arrive to help it. She said to the crystal resting within her.

The crystal pulsed warmly inside her and in the next instant a thick beam of pure white light shot out of the crescent of her wand and streaked through the air and hit the cardian. There was no sound from the cardian, it being frozen, but it began to glow regardless.

She narrowed her eyes and began to frown as she realized the process was taking longer then it had with the last cardian she destroyed.

She breathed deeply and slowly and figured it was taking longer because the cardian had been stronger than the previous ones. It had two attacks and could fly on top of that, and it had taken all of them attacking it to finally injure it enough to stop it.

Its body began to grow smaller, shrinking down more and more, and she cut the flow of power, thanking her crystal, as she watched the cardian continue to shrink. When it was small enough it stopped shrinking and glowing to reveal the familiar tarot sized card stuck upright in the grass by its corner edge. The image of the cardian fading away leaving a blank surface.

Sailor Moon instantly collapsed to her knees breathing deep slow breaths, and sat on her legs as she tried to breath through her weakness.

Tuxedo Kamen rushed to his princess' side and knelt down at her side.

"Are you alright?" He asked as he placed a hand on her back.

"I'm feeling weak; it took much more energy than last time." She answered, and he nodded as the girls gathered around them.

"I'll fix that." He said and soon as the words were out of his mouth he called on his crystal and began to slowly feed his healing energy into her body through his hands, giving her an instant recharge.

Sailor Moon looked at her wand as she felt her energy levels rising, her weakness gradually fading, and decided it wasn't useful as a weapon anymore since she was having to use too much energy to have it be effective.

I need another weapon. She thought seriously.

"Thank you." She told her prince as she felt the warmth of his healing light fade.

"Any time love." He replied, and helped her to her feet.

Sailor Moon put her wand away, and took a deep breath as she closed her eyes and focused inward.

Please, can you give me a more powerful weapon? She asked her silver crystal; hoping that simply asking would produce something because she couldn't think of anything else, and she couldn't keep using her wand.

She felt it pulse warmly inside her, and she had the sense of understanding and consideration. A few long moments passed before she felt it pulsing repeatedly. She sensed that it wanted her to hold out her hands, so she did as she parted her eyelids.

She watched a soft white light appear above her hands as she held them palm up side by side. The light grew brighter and brighter and went from the shape of a tiny misty ball to almost the size of a ruler. A weight settled in her hands and when the light cleared it was revealed to be a new wand.

The Moon Scepter. She thought instinctively.

Sailor Moon smiled as she gripped the scepter in her right hand. Thank you so much. She thanked her crystal gratefully as she looked at the weapon.

The scepter had a slender pink rod with a red base, and three gold five point stars at the top. Just above the vertical line of stars was a pair of spread golden wings with an outlined heart between them with a red jewel inside the heart, and above that was a red sphere inside a gold crescent moon that had five tiny red jewels along it with a tiny red and gold crown sitting on top of it.

It was longer than her Crescent Moon Wand and weighed a bit more, but she was sure it would work better than her wand.

"Woah. Where did that come from?" Jupiter asked curiously.

"I asked my crystal for a more powerful weapon, because I can't keep using my wand. It's taking too much energy to destroy the Cardians." Sailor Moon answered.

"It looks good." Venus said as she gazed at it, and Mercury nodded and smiled in agreement.

"It does." Tuxedo Kamen agreed. "I'm sure it'll be a perfect replacement."

"I can't wait to see it in action." Jupiter said.

"We have training tonight, so you only have to wait a few hours to see." Sailor Moon said, and Jupiter nodded.

Sailor Moon nearly grimaced as she realized they were going to get little sleep. They had training late that night and early in the morning, and she still needed to find a way to make it so she could spend the night with her prince.

"Well, I want to get back to my date, and I'm sure you all have things you want to get back to." She said as she put her new scepter away in her subspace pocket.

They all nodded; Mercury wanted to get back to her studies, Jupiter wanted to get back to the meal she had been cooking, and Venus wanted to get back to the light training she had been in the middle of.

"Alright. We'll see you all tonight." Sailor Moon said, and Tuxedo Kamen nodded in agreement.

"Alright." Jupiter said.

"Tonight it is." Venus said.

"See you later. Bye." Mercury said.

"Let's go find a place to release our transformation." Tuxedo Kamen said as he watched what remained of his princess' guardians leave the area.

Sailor Moon nodded and they hurried away and ended up using the same spot they had used to transform since the area was still clear of people.

"What do you want to do now?" She asked as they walked hand in hand away from the area in their casual clothes and back toward his car.

"Since our peace in the park was ruined I think we should go ahead and take this time to investigate if the man that looks like Zoisite is truly him, and if he is then try to find out if the others are back as well." Mamoru said thoughtfully.

Usagi nodded and focused on their path. It didn't take them long to reach his car and get in and be on their way toward the library where the man's ID said he worked.

They were actually on the other side of the city from the library, so it took them half an hour to get there through traffic. When they reached the area Mamoru parked a block away and they walked to the building.

He opened the door for her and she stepped inside the cool quiet building. She looked around as he stepped in after her and saw that there were quite a few people there.

They didn't see him at the front desk, and they wondered if he would even be there so soon after his ordeal. They began to walk further in, looking at the people to see if he was one of them, but so far nothing.

We should split up and see if we can find him. Mamoru suggested.

Right. Usagi agreed. Don't forget to look at some books so you at least look like you're here for that reason.

I will. He said before he began to walk off toward the far side of the floor they were on.

Usagi began to walk down the isles of books, glancing at the titles but not seeing anything to interest her, as she looked for the man that may or may not be Zoisite. She made her way gradually around the floor, but didn't see him anywhere.

I'm going up to the second floor. Mamoru informed her.

Then I'll make my way up to the third floor. She replied.

Usagi decided to take the stairs and as she walked up them she began to consider how they might have to return in a few days if he wasn't there. She knew the girls had taken care of the cardian that took his energy, but that didn't necessarily mean he had that stolen energy back.

We don't know where that stolen energy is going, but we know it's for something. She thought. Still, he had a day to regain his energy, so if he isn't here then he might just have the day off.

As she reached the third floor and began to walk around she looked at the people, and recognized a couple as having been victims of the lion looking cardian. If they were there then it was possible for Zoisite to be there.

She wandered down an isle and glanced at the books only to pause as she realized she was in the foreign language section and the books were in English.

Pretty lucky. She thought as she began to scan the titles as she stepped along the tiled floor.

Usagi knelt down in the middle of the isle as she pulled out a book about American photography. As she was flipping through the pages frowning in concentration as she slowly read through the descriptions she heard someone turn into the isle to her left.

She glanced over to see someone pushing a trolley full of books, and looked up and held in a surprised gasp to see Zoisite.

I found him. Usagi informed her prince. I'm on the third floor in the American section of the foreign language isle. He's pushing a trolley down my isle.

I'm on my way. Does it look like he recognizes you? Mamoru asked.

No. She answered as she looked away and stood up. He only glanced at me before he returned his attention to the books.

As she continued looking through the book she looked at the young man out of the corner of her eye. He still looked the same as he did when she recognized him; long wavy blonde hair in a low ponytail, vivid green eyes, and tall frame.

"There you are." Mamoru said calmly as he approached her, and she turned toward him with a smile.

Mamoru returned her smile. He'd gotten a good look at the man also standing in the isle before he approached, and he was absolutely certain the man was Zoisite. He had watched through the shelf of another isle seeing his movements and facial expressions and it added to his certainty.

I'm sure he's Zoisite, but I wish I could hear his voice. He said.

We have time to hang around and see what else we can find out. Usagi assured him.

Alright. He said. "What have you found here?" He asked as he looked to the book in her hands.

As she was showing him the book a young woman came down the isle, and asked Zoisite for some information and they were able to hear his voice.

It was the same as they both remembered from his time as part of the Guardian Shittenou in the past to his time as a dark general.

They subtly watched him for a while before they decided to leave. Usagi replaced the book and they left the isle.

I want to come back later. Mamoru said as they walked down the stairs toward the ground floor. I think I should follow Zoisite this evening to wherever he lives to see if he lives alone or if the other guys are with him.

It's a good idea. Usagi said as she nodded lightly. We should come back transformed. That way we can move around with ease and he won't recognize us from being in the library with him.

Then that's what we'll do. He said as they reached the ground floor and headed toward the exit.