AN: Hello lovelies. Thank you for all the love sent my way for this fic. If you want more and hate to wait, head over to my Tumblr for the link!

Chapter 7

"In an age of hope men looked up at the night sky and saw "the heavens." In an age of hopelessness they call it simply "space."

― Peter Kreeft

A thick fog surrounded Usagi, making it impossible to see an inch before her; even the ground was obscured by it. It was scary, and yet, her heart raced for an entirely different reason. Usagi had dreamed this before. So many times before. Five years of dreamless sleep was not enough time to erase it away. And now that Usagi was in a usual slumber, it had returned.

For some reason, she couldn't remember how it went, though, only that she had dreamed this dream before.

Taking a step, she almost tripped, the long skirt of the dress Usagi wore getting under her foot. An easy fix, she pulled the cloth into her hands to lift from her feet. Unimpeded, she wandered. And she was all alone.

"Hello?"

Usagi's voice echoed off of nothing, the ground shaking slightly at her voice. What was she even standing on anyway?

Taking a full circle, she only saw fog and mist, no shapes in the darkness. "Hello? Anyone here?"

"I'm sorry, I didn't know you still came here."

She spun, the voice coming from nowhere and everywhere at the same time. "Where are you?"

The voice chuckled, and the fog dimmed, becoming more like a dense mist. A figure stood in the distance, and Usagi walked quickly towards it. Even though she could see a shape, she couldn't make out any details, and it seemed as though no amount of movement allowed her to get any closer to them.

"Why can't I…. Why can't I get to you?"

"Because I don't want you to."

Usagi's heart sank with his words. "What? Why not?"

"...Because I don't deserve you."

She shook her head, the need to get to him overwhelming her. "Please…. I need you."

"No, you don't…. Serenity."

Usagi's tears fell without warning; the sound of that name from those lips broke open a tomb inside her where her sorrow lived. "What do you know? You don't know what I need, or else you wouldn't keep us apart!"

"I know more than you!"

"Then… at least tell me!"

The voice grew silent, but their figure remained unmoving in the shadows. "You really want to know? Fine. I am the one who is responsible for your death."

Her heart leaped into her throat. "What…."

"I want to be with you, Usagi, more than anything. But I don't deserve you, and you don't deserve to be with someone who fails you again and again."

"Fails me?"

"Usagi?"

"Yes?"

"Usagi, wake up."

The shadow shifted, fading away. The fog grew, gray overwhelming Usagi's senses until it turned to white.

Bright light burned her eyes, struggling to open them. The pain it caused distracted her for a moment, not noticing right away that she was no longer in Mamoru's arms. Instead, she was in some kind of large covered vehicle. A green tarp covered the top, a large square cage around them holding it up. It had a flap at the back, one that Tark and Turner sat at, peering out with guns in their hands at the ready. The rest of the group scattered about, Toki right next to her. But she searched, finding each person in the car with them; the only ones missing were Yega, Saori, and Mamoru. Her eyes found his dark hair a second later, laying down across from her on the floor. Eyes shut, he slept peacefully, Kathy just now shaking him awake.

Looking around Toki, she spied Saori in the driver's seat of the large vehicle, Yega, next to her. No one was speaking, the tension on high.

Mamoru soon pulled himself up to the bench across from her and Toki, looking Usagi over. "Did you sleep well?"

She gave the nod, all eyes on the two of them as they made the only sound other than the truck's loud engine. "What's going on?"

"We are in Kyoto, getting close to the research park," Toki spoke softly beside her.

Standing on the swaying floor, Kathy took her cap off her head and put it on Usagi. "You should stay hidden; you are far too pretty for your own good." It was a compliment and yet not. Beauty had become a curse. A frown burned Usagi's cheeks, and Kathy chuckled. "Well, that's a little better. If the enemy happens to look at you, best you wear that face."

Kathy tugged the hat a little further down on Usagi's head and went back to her seat. Mamoru had his arms crossed, still looking right at her without shame. "What should I expect? When we get there?"

"Danger."

A few huffs of nervous laughter came from some of the others; Itsua turned to the side next to Usagi. "Kyoto has been Youma occupied for a few years now. A few months after Mercury cut the river for us and returned to Kima Research and Development, the research facility she held up in for almost a year. Jupiter left with her; the two worked together with their powers to create livable strongholds for survivors and resistors. Then Jadeite came, taking over the whole city and taking up residence in Kiyomizu-dera as his castle. Kima Research is the only safe hold even though it is surrounded by Youma twenty-four seven."

"So, that's what we are going into? A wall of Youma?" Itsua nodded, and she turned, glaring over at Mamoru. "Stop the car."

Itsua balked. "What? We come this far, and you wanna quit?"

"No, I want all of you to quit. Stop the car, let me out, and I will go the rest of the way alone."

Toki grabbed her hand, squeezing it tightly in his. "Even if we would do that, it's too late."

Usagi looked up, finding Motoki's attention to the front of the cab, a large building peeking up out of the thick forest. Set in the middle of the Yamashiro Basin, mountains surround it from behind, both blocking it in and keeping others out from behind. Patches of snow still sat on the ground, and the tops of the mountains were white, but she didn't need them to tell her how cold it was outside; the car did little to shelter them.

Dark clouds hung above, the sun cutting out the closer they got, resulting from the sheer amount of negative energy surrounding the building. And it was a big building.

Now stopped, everyone began to jump out of the truck, Toki gently pushing her up and out. Sticking with her, Motoki grabbed Usagi's arm and pulled her around behind the others; Mamoru, Yega, and Saori were pulling up the rear.

Fear overflowed within her; so many people around her walking willingly to their deaths.

Trudging deep into the forest, they walked parallel to the facility as it neither shrank nor grew in their movements. The ground dipped, a slight trickling sound reached Usagi's ears. At the bottom of the gully (snow and leaves crunching under their feet in the silent woods), a large tunnel's mouth appeared. The cement crumbled at the edges, but not enough to misplace the large and thick metal grate that covered the entrance. Snow, leaves, and forest hid most of the tunnel, which was quite a feat given it was large enough for even the tallest of their group to stand upright inside. It stood around eight feet tall.

Wet leaves had her slipping a few times as they neared the bottom of the gully; Toki kept Usagi from landing on her butt hard. Tark and Matsoui walked up to the grate first, assessing and tugging on it a few times as if to test its stability. Mamoru passed by Usagi, walking up to the front and pushing the two away gently. Then, grabbing onto one side, she watched as the gate and the tunnel began to vibrate. It was small, but it was there.

The shaking caused the metal and the cement to separate seconds at a time. When it did, Mamoru pulled, the gate swinging away after a few minutes of his work. After that, the whole thing swiveled -like a secret passage- the top and bottom staying in place. Without question, the others moved into the dark alley; Mamoru watched as he still held the metal in his hands. Toki gave Usagi a little shove, getting her to move in the right direction.

"Hurry, they probably felt that."

She knew what Toki meant; the Youmas nearby (making Usagi's senses tingle) might have also sensed Mamoru as he used his power. Even though it was small, the amount Mamoru used only a drop of what he had inside him; it would be like blood in the water, the Youmas, a bunch of sharks.

Staying close to Toki, they stood in the dark and damp, watching as Mamoru moved the gate again -back into place.

He was just starting to pull it when Usagi felt the shift. "Mamoru…"

"I know, I know."

His efforts doubled, trying to pull the metal into place and not crumble the entire tunnel in the process. The sound of grunting and roars caused the others to shift uneasily.

While Usagi ran to Mamoru's side, grabbing onto the metal with him. "Usagi, get back!"

She ignored Mamoru, trying to help him pull. It wasn't long before the two of them weren't alone, the others grabbing and pushing or pulling to move the grate faster. It rattled in place just as the first few Youma fell into the gully, their bodies slamming against the metal bars a second later. Mamoru grabbed Usagi up, pulling her back and away before their arms reaching in through the holes grabbed her. One of them stared at her, a smirk on its face, causing a shiver to run down her back.

The group went deeper, everything was washed away by the darkness, and the sound of growls behind them faded away after several minutes. However, Usagi still didn't relax; she didn't like being in the dark in the slightest. Even with the flashlights of the others dancing around on the walls.

A warm hand slipped into hers when she stumbled slightly; Mamoru kept her from falling into the ankle-deep water that smelled of moss and dirt. Hers -and everyone's- feet were wet through and freezing for sure. But she hardly noticed, with Mamoru continuing to hold her hand tightly.

After several moments of walking and sloshing, pale light poured in from another grate above them. Swiftly, Utena got hoisted up by Tark, and she struggled a little to move the heavy metal, stuck with age. Once open, Utena pulled herself up. A second later, a rope ladder tumbled down, and the others climbed up. Mamoru went up before Usagi, leaving her with Toki, Kathy, Yega, and Matsoui. Usagi was starting to notice; she was never anywhere long without Mamoru or Toki near.

Mamoru didn't trust many people.

Usagi went up -Toki on her heels- a hand reaching down and pulling her up once her hand broke free of the tunnel. Soon, she stood surrounded by the others in a small courtyard. It was silent and still, a few small trees swaying in the cold breeze from the mountains. Once everyone was up, someone put the grate back, and they moved slowly towards the building before them—a large gate and stone wall behind them, caged in by the structure.

Everyone was still tense, a strange reaction, given they were safe inside the grounds. Why was everyone still in battle mode?

She soon got her answer, the courtyard filling with a few more bodies. They all had guns, and they all had those guns pointed at them. Mamoru stepped before Usagi, and Toki moved to her back, the two of them covering her with their bodies and making her sick to her stomach.

A popping sound rang out over the tense silence, the sound of electricity in the air. "Who are you, and what do you want?"

Tark stood at the front, gun dropping down to his side. "We are travelers from the Northeast stronghold here to see Mercury."

"And just what do you want with her?" The woman's voice was full of malice; things were not going well.

"That is between Mercury and us."

The woman chuckled. "You think you can just sneak in here and speak to her? It doesn't work that way!"

The electricity sparked, high enough that Usagi could see it over Mamoru's head. "Please, Jupiter, we mean no harm."

Jupiter? The woman speaking was a Senshi? Usagi wiggled, trying to look around Mamoru, but Mamoru anticipated her, moving as she did to keep her out of sight. His distrust of the Senshi was starting to annoy her.

"No harm? You come with no warning, claiming to be from a stronghold that fell months ago, and you have the balls to say no mean no harm."

"It didn't fall; we lost the ability to communicate." Mamoru finally spoke up and sounded annoyed, everyone going still and silent as they took him in.

"Well, well, well, isn't it the Chiba, Mamoru. I thought you swore you would never step foot in here…."

A door squeaked as it opened, feet shuffling at the sound. "Mamoru-san? What are you doing here?"

The voice; Usagi knew no matter how soft and far away it was from her. Unable to stand it, Usagi shoved Toki hard, going behind Mamoru and pushing through the others. The ones with their guns pointed at them tensed, and their weapons aimed at her, but Usagi just ran. Bright blue hair (down to past Ami's shoulders) danced as she turned her aqua eyes to Usagi, going wide as Ami took in the sight of her.

In an instant, they were in each other's arms, tears streaming down their faces as they sobbed.

"Usagi-chan…"

oOo

The others of their group were led to 'living quarters'. Not sure what those would look like, but Usagi figured they would be very comfortable given the place's size. Ami held Usagi's hand -leading her around- while Mamoru and Toki were right behind her. The mysterious Jupiter walked ahead of them, glancing back at Usagi now and then.

Once inside the guarded door, one made of thick glass and metal with a keypad on the side, Ami turned around and hugged Usagi fiercely again. Ami's sobs echoed softly on the room's walls; tables were covered with equipment like microscopes and test tubes filled with liquids of varying colors. Lockers filled one wall, and another door with glass to see through but was pitch black on the other side.

Ami pulled her back, looking at Usagi closely and then chuckling as she removed Usagi's hat and touched her hair. "I almost didn't recognize you."

"Huh? Oh yeah, right."

Usagi dropped her glamour, the weight of her hair returning and almost knocking her over from the difference. Her golden strands swept the floor, Usagi's hair out of its usual style. Nothing was keeping it from being longer than her body.

Ami continued to pick up Usagi's strands to look at. "You have grown Usagi-chan…."

There was an edge of sadness in Ami's voice. "So have you."

Now Usagi touched Ami's hair, the length so different than when she left her. "I'm so sorry, Usagi-chan, I never would have left you. But Luna, she told us…."

"I know."

Tears picked up in her eyes again, the rest of the room remaining silent as the two of them reconnected. "That night… Usa…. I'm so sorry."

Grabbing Ami into her arms again, Usagi silenced Ami, muffling her words and crying with her shoulder. "It's okay, Ami. I know. It's all okay now."

Ami was still whimpering on Usagi when she turned her attention to the curious and hesitant Jupiter. Still, in her fuku, the girl was weary of the three newcomers in the room, even with Jupiter's partner weeping on Usagi's shoulder.

One arm around Ami, Usagi extended her hand out to the beautiful brunette. "Hi, I'm Usagi. Also known as Sailor Moon."

After a beat, she took her hand, squeezing it firmly as they shook. "Makoto, Sailor Jupiter."

"Sorry we didn't meet sooner. I got detained." Jupiter chuckled a little while Ami let out another sob. The two bodies behind her shifted, uncomfortable. "You know Mamoru and Toki, right?"

Makoto's face turned from a grin to a glare as she looked at the two of them. "Yes, we know one another."

Mamoru let out a small grunt. "See you still hold your grudges."

"So do you!"

"Guys, please." Ami's head popped up from her shoulder to yell at the two of them. "Can we just…. let it go for now?" They both settled, making Usagi more curious than ever at just what had gone on between all of them. Ami's focus returned to Usagi. "Are you hungry, Usagi-chan?" She giggled before Usagi could answer. "What am I saying? Of course, you are. Come, I'll show you a few places on the way to the Cafe."

The small party they now made strolled down the halls, passing a few people here and there. Even with her glamour back on, people still gave the odd glance her way and at those around her. Not sure what looks were on Mamoru and Toki's faces as they walked behind her, Ami and Makoto smiled warmly at Usagi as they pointed out rooms and certain spots to her. All Ami pointed out were particular research rooms with a 'special' purpose while Makoto showed her good leisure spots.

When they arrived at the 'Cafe' (which was just like a cafeteria with all plastic tables and chairs), their group sat at one end. They all conversed loudly with each other until they caught sight of Usagi and the Senshi, each falling silent as they neared.

Ami smiled softly at them all, glancing back at her. "Usagi-chan, these are the people that helped get you here?" She gave the bluenette a nod. "Thank you all so much for getting Usagi-chan here safely."

In shock, it took them a few moments to respond, mumbling, 'you're welcome' and 'no problem'. All of them gave Usagi strange looks even as they tried to keep their heads down. One glance back, and she saw Mamoru and Toki were giving them all warning looks as well. Something Usagi fixed with quick smacks to their arms and shoulders. A scowl appeared on both their faces, aimed at her.

When Usagi turned back around to the group, she caught the looks of shock on some of their faces. Utena and Saori just frowned.

Ami tugged her along, taking Usagi to the back where the food was a self-serve facility that was once a buffet line.

"You guys have electricity and running water here?"

Ami gave a nod while Makoto grinned, "Yeah, apparently Jadeite likes the luxuries Earth offers. So we were able to reroute a few things here without him noticing."

Usagi shuddered at the name, the name of the man that helped kill her. A hand ran down her back; Mamoru caught her reaction and was trying to calm her. She grabbed his eyes for a second before pulling away from him.

Quickly, Usagi returned to the conversation at hand. "Jadeite, is that close to you here? How are you able to function and not be under his thumb?"

"It was tough -at first- getting attacked once a week. But after a while, he stopped, leaving Jadeite's horde behind as a reminder and essentially trapping us in. He doesn't see us as a threat, not anymore." Ami rambled off the facts with a tiny hint of irritation and sadness in her voice. "Besides, Rei keeps him fairly occupied now."

Her tray fell, the crashing sound bouncing off the walls. "Rei?! Where is she?!"

Mamoru had his hands around Usagi's shoulders, trying to stop her shaking, while Ami wanted to calm her with her words. "Rei is deep in the mountains meditating right now. I put a tracker on her in case she gets wild again."

"Gets wild?!"

Ami folded, her head dropping to her chest. "Now and then, she goes on rampages, attacking Jadeite and his castle till she runs out of strength. She gets a little closer each time but gets closer to dying each time too." Lifting her face, Ami looked Usagi in the eyes. "Rei took your death… really hard. She blamed herself. And so she keeps trying to get to Jadeite to kill him in revenge. Even though she knows it won't bring you back or make her feel any better."

Usagi spun, Mamoru's hands releasing only to land back on her shoulders as she faced him. "I need to see her."

A second passed (Mamoru just staring at Usagi), then he looked behind her. "Ami?"

"I can check out her tracker and get us a location."

His eyes back on her, "eat first and rest."

Knowing it wasn't up for discussion, Usagi took the tray Makoto handed back to her and filled it up.

oOo

Ami showed them the showers. The sight of it made Usagi a little giddy since she hadn't bathed in over five years. It was a little selfish, but she stayed in the warm water till long after her fingers wrinkled. Clean clothes were left for her, a fluffy pink sweater and light-colored jeans. Also, a bra and panties that actually fit.

Towel wrapped around her head (hiding her long gold locks), she found the room Ami assigned to her, opening the door without knocking.

"Whoa, whoa, hold on!"

She quickly wrapped her hand around her eyes but not in time to keep her from seeing a lot of Mamoru's skin. "What are you doing, naked, in my room."

The door slipped shut behind Usagi as she stepped inside the room. She kept her hand over her eyes, afraid to move any more than she already had. "Our room and no one left me clothes outside my shower, so be thankful for that!"

Usagi shrugged. "Well, if you weren't so cold to everyone..." He pulled her hand from her face (now fully clothed, thankfully) and stepped back over to the bed. "Then maybe you wouldn't have to streak."

Mamoru chuckled, his back to her as he folded up his soiled clothes and stuffed them into his bag. "Pretty sure it wouldn't matter. Sounds more like guilt or Princess treatment to me."

"Princess…?"

He froze, only for a second, before turning around and sitting on the edge of the bed. Mamoru made no attempts to answer her question, even though she didn't really ask it.

The room was tiny, with barely any space between the bunk beds on either side of the room. Standing between them, Usagi could rest her hands on the top bunk of both of them simultaneously.

A tiny, two-drawer cabinet sat in between the two beds, squeezed in somehow. On top sat a large hairbrush -presumably left for Usagi. Her excitement at the sight of it swelled again, looking at it with the same joy as she had the showers. Soon she had her towel tossed aside and sat on the bed, pulling it through her long, wet locks.

Mamoru stared at her across the way; Usagi glanced up as much as she dared to catch his small smile as she brushed. "So why are you in my room again?"

"OUR room Usagi and I am here to sleep."

She paused, meeting Mamoru's stare with a glare. "You're not serious."

"You're not to be left alone."

"I bathed alone!"

"And I was on the other side of the divide the whole time."

Usagi wanted to throw her brush at him, but she wasn't finished. "Mamoru, we're inside a fortress. I think you can relax a bit, at least for now."

"It's not the Youma I'm worried about."

He laid back on the bed, several tiny squeaks coming from the springs in the mattress. "You can't honestly think someone will attack me in here?"

"I think if anyone wanted to, this would be the best time. Your guard is way down."

"Clearly, yours isn't. Why not let one of the girls stay with me? Ami and Makoto would protect me." His silence answered her, and her irritation swelled again. "Seriously, Chiba? You still haven't let that go?"

His head flopped over to the side, glaring over at her. "Usagi, do you know what happened with your henshin after you fell asleep? Ami took it. She ran experiments on it for a year until she gave up and returned it to Luna. Do you know what she was trying to do?"

Usagi blinked, not breaking away from his stare until understanding hit her like a ton of bricks. "She was trying to access its power. Trying to create a new Sailor Moon." Mamoru turned his eyes back to the bunk above him, focusing his lingering anger on it instead. "They needed a Sailor Moon, Mamoru. The fight was lost because she wasn't there; because I wasn't there."

"The fight was lost because they let you down and didn't protect you as they should have."

"Well, if you feel that way, then you should be mad at Tuxedo Kamen too." As soon as the name left Usagi's lips, it felt as if the air left her lungs. "Oh, God. Tuxedo Kamen! I've been so wrapped up… what happened to him? Where is he?"

Mamoru flinched at her words but then shrugged them off. "He is getting the punishment he deserves. Or as close to it as he can."

"What… what does that mean?"

"Nothing."

"Mamoru.."

"None of them deserve you, Usagi, especially him."

The amount of sheer disgust in Mamoru's mouth made her shiver. She didn't know if she could handle any more of it. He had turned on the bed again, his back to her now. "What about Saori? Won't she have... issues with you sleeping in here with me?"

"Now who's not being serious."

"But, I am!"

"Usagi, whatever issues Saori has are not yours or my concern. They're her problem."

"God, how can you be so cold!" She jumped off the bed, unable to take any more of him, and made for her escape.

"Usako!" She froze, the genuine concern in his voice stopping her. The bed squeaked as he got off it and her heart raced even as she continued to stare at the door. Something small thumbed against her head, hard and a little heavy. "Your hair."

Since she refused to move, his hand twisted around to her face, her Luna pen in his fingers. She snatched it, her hair changing instantaneously with her opening the door.