sabina21: you'll have to read to find out.

smoon4409: glad you enjoyed it cause there's more to come.

DilutedDreams: here you go. 😊

3 reviews, nice, glad you all are enjoying the newest installment of this storyline. Lets see where this road takes us, read, review and enjoy!

The devil within 2 ch.2

Rei POV

It's been seemingly longer than it really has been since the end of Beryl's reign. I sweep up the temple steps as I do every morning as an act of stress relief AFTER breakfast. Jadeite stays here as an extra hand to help out since grandpa who thinks he can still do EVERYTHING twisted his ankle in an attempt to do a high-performance move and is still recovering. It would have gone by faster for him, but grandpa is grandpa and refuses to acknowledge he's getting older and keeps insisting on being involved in everything.

Don't get me wrong, I'm very happy and glad he's still this active as most people his age definitely aren't. However, he's prolonging his own healing by NOT abiding by the doctor's orders. In fact, his words were 'don't trust the doctors, they just want money' to which I calmly asked him once 'then why did you once suggest I marry one?' to which his reply had been 'so you have a good man and money to take care of you'.

I swear his old school mentality could give any self-respecting independent woman who wants to afford her own stuff and be a financially stable person on her own a headache. Cause that's what he gave me whenever I'd remind him of what he was ordered to do. Jadeite and I did agree however to keep them two away from one another. As often as possible. Neither Jadeite nor myself wanted a repeat of grandpa remembering him.

It didn't need to happen again as it almost happened once already. Grandpa nearly put two and two together shortly after Jadeite stayed and began to work for us. Staying in a separate room that was distanced from ours for obvious reasons. Not that it kept him from venturing into my room or from me to his. I wasn't proud to admit it but there was a kinetic connection between us that I couldn't ignore.

When he first began to stay here it was because the apartment the other guys got wasn't big enough to house four fully grown men. They still had to re-establish their names, jobs, schooling, a lot. Jadeite knew he could make it easier by living here with us and being an extra hand in exchange for his keep. He took the extra he earned and put it towards college himself which did keep him away from grandpa too.

Nephrite I recall had been tempted to go to Makoto's but since she was already getting flack for being a teenager living on her own at school and many students lived ALL over the area, she didn't want to increase any attention on herself. Not that she couldn't handle it as she was one of the toughest of us, but both had agreed that him living with her especially with social workers coming by for surprise visits due to Makoto's age and noisy neighbors and noisy students around it would make life for both difficult.

They were dating though, they didn't let that be affected and for the first time in a while I saw Makoto seem really, really happy. At least when it came to her private life. She was in general a happy person but now there was no more reminiscing about the boy who broke her heart. There was no more boy crazy Makoto that even beat out Minako at one point for being boy crazy, she was actually just happy.

That was due to Nephrite who seemed happy to be with her as well. He was respectful of her schooling and made sure to never keep her out too late. She also made sure he never stayed too late on evenings when her neighbors were at home for the night, though she did time it to where when they were gone she'd have him over for the night. Though we suspect it had more to do with how loud the two got versus anything else.

Apparently, Makoto had some vocals and Nephrite was all about hearing her calling out his name, something he happily and satisfactorily told the guys about as they had a guys' evening at their place once. Jadeite had been asked about us but as I had made myself clear, reported we were making progress with our relationship but that my well-known trust issues still held contention in me.

I was working on them and doing better but I wasn't ready yet to spread my legs for him as I had in the past and while we BOTH remember things much more vividly now than before, he respected my decision. In fact his exact words to me were 'Trust me Rei, when you're ready I'll be ready to make you scream my name'. I knew it was a stupid masculine thing to say but I had to admit, I blushed scarlet on that. Especially with the way he looked at me.

It was like I was the only woman in the world to him and that alone made me feel special, loved, cared for and... scared. I knew it was ridiculous, but I was afraid not of him, but of falling for someone some whole heartedly that if my heart got broken over it I'd never be able to repair it. I recall how my mother got sick during my father's absence. I remember people speculating that she died of a broken heart.

Whenever Jadeite looked at me like he did, like it was only me he thought of and made sure to respect my wishes even if it gave him quote 'blue balls' he never treated me any differently or pressured me for anything. Though I could have gone without hearing about his 'blue balls' but guys do talk...almost as much as girls do and overhearing that when the guys were over at the temple to train was as easy a place as any to overhear that.

Jadeite took it in stride though and didn't let the jabs do anything, which only made me feel more comfortable around him and want to be with him more as he wasn't allowing it to do anything and as he stated, it was friends giving each other a hard time. 'it's what brothers do' he said as we settled on the couch that evening. So as I look up from the steps I see Makoto, Ami and Minako going by in a small conversation.

They begin to head up the steps as our next Senshi meeting is about to progress. We still did these. Once a week for us, once for the guys and once for everyone all together. It may seem like a lot but they lasted less than thirty minutes and was a nice way to be able to see everyone and play catch up. Especially since Ami had been doing more volunteer work at the hospital her mother was working at.

She figured, and correctly to, that the more pull she had with the staff over there the better it would be if we got injured during battle. Then she could help us out better with supplies to take care of us or at least a private area to go into if it was needed. Ami had been working a lot on her studies for medicine but had also been making time to spend with Zoisite since they were now tentatively dating.

She was still new to that world and was pretty shy still. Something he was okay with and accepted as low and behold, he was to. Turns out Zoisite was a pretty shy guy and only really spoke up on certain matters of political matters or ones he was passionate about or had strong opinions on. He tended to be more outspoken in training but from what we'd been able to pull from Ami, when they were together on a date they just grabbed anything to talk about.

He didn't push for anything but he did make attempts. Mostly it was light pecks or hand holding and sometimes even his arm around her shoulders but nothing more than that. At least according to Ami and he alike. If they were twisting it up in the sheets behind the scenes no one knew cause both were tight lipped about being descriptive which I was fine with. My own training as a miko frowned on premarital anything.

Granted it didn't stop me from getting close to it but it sometimes did gross me out to hear about other people's sex lives so frankly not a lot of the girls gossiped about much past making out and the rest didn't push either. Though sometimes some of us volunteered information such as Minako or even Makoto on occasion. Minako more so as her and Malachite didn't take long before I suspected they hit the sheets.

Once behind Usagi and Mamoru who hit them long before anyone else did. We only knew this as a fact when we went to visit Minako a few weeks ago and she was oddly couch bound. No one questioned it till she asked if we wanted dinner. When she offered us peas which I do like I said sure and in a shocking twist saw her pull them out from under her bum as she 'wince walked' a bit to the kitchen to cook.

Both Makoto, Ami, Usagi and I were left shell shocked that evening till Usagi said in a knowing voice, 'Yeah doggie style can be a bit rough, great but rough if you're not used to it.' I swore I heard my neck crack like 'the grudge' as I turned to look at her as she blushed a scarlet red that would have made a tomato jealous. Usagi got up and went in as she and Minako had a small private conversation about different positions.

While yes the rest of us could hear them and we were listening we were also red in the face trying NOT to listen. That evening became a cross between 'eager to learn' and 'embarrassed at the same time', so yeah we found out different things about each other in our own little ways that were both interesting, not needed to know and useful as it turns out. What made that night stick was Makoto's comment of 'she must not have been in the right position if she had to sit on a bag of frozen peas'.

That evening had ended with both Ami and myself beating Usagi's red face and groaning in many different emotions that we couldn't decipher. So when I saw the girls coming up the temple steps I saw Jadeite leave out.

"See you later this evening," he smiled and gave me a sweet kiss. He was always on time when he meant the evening which was usually right before 8pm as he knew grandpa didn't like people coming in after certain hours of the night so he was always aiming to be respectful.

I kissed him back as he left off with the girls giving me small smiles of their own.

"Is Usagi on her way?" Makoto asked as I nodded.

"Once she gets done over at Mamoru's." I confided as I swept the last of the debris away from the steps and near some plants that we had off to the side for tourists. Nothing much, just some sunrise flowers, lilies and a few others to entrance people to come up.

The temple was welcoming and we wanted to encourage that. While all the girls and I got along better and stronger than ever before, Usagi and I unfortunately still had some slight issues to sort through and Minako knew full well why as we both struggled with how to broach the why to Usagi without upsetting her too much. So far that seemed a useless endeavor as Usagi would inevitably be upset by knowing the truth of my secret training with Luna, never mind that I was still harboring the secret about Endymion and the generals.

Minako may not know the Full-on struggle I was having but she knew I was struggling on different issues. I looked around for a moment at the girls and began to go up the steps and took a moment to let my exhaustion and stress show. I even yawned from some of the sleepless nights I'd been having regarding all of it. Mind you I did love Usagi. She was like a sister to me now. We fought together as a team and fought each other in a typical friendly, sisterly manner, and found out so much about ourselves through each other.

I may have started off genuinely thinking she was a lazy, childish, bratty, spoiled to a degree and sometimes a useless, messy person but she'd grown so much since I'd first met her that the young woman that fought against Queen Metallia in the end was a completely different person than the young girl I'd first met. She, like the rest of us had grown so much since then it was like the childish lazy part of her disappeared and in its place stood maturity and all around dedication and honor now.

Her training with Endymion had made me realize I had been a bit too hard on her and she deserved better treatment than what I had given her. I realized that I was upset with her for things that were out of her control and that was wrong of me. I know Jadeite had had a small talk with me about things after I went to him once, venting about a lot of issues. He then asked me about common factors.

Part of me really saw Usagi as someone who had all that I wanted, yet hated her for not only still being a good person but someone who constantly reached out to me too. I didn't want that, I wanted to be angry, yet in doing so, I allowed my anger and grief over issues to cloud my judgment and hurt someone close to me. I was upset and took out my anger on her rather than dealing with it like any normal person would.

I was figuring out a way to apologize to her for it. Among other things that I know I needed to apologize for. Take for instance my lies to her about Endymion. Her own boyfriend that I still see drops by here from time to time. Still acting like he's 'normal' when really, he's still with Metallia's powers. Any time I get the urge to tell her I see it in him too, yet we both cowardly keep silent.

I've lied about so much to her, to so many people. Close friends and family and it's ongoing in its existence when it shouldn't even be a thing. I had planned to tell her the truth, to confess it on so many occasions, yet, much like Endymion, I feared her reaction. Or exactly like Endymion, not that he's told me but it's pretty easy to read off of him once you know exactly WHAT to read, fear of her rejection of our friendship.

To be frank and honest, despite how she always gives people second, third, and fourth chances to do right by her, even she has her limits. She's only human and everyone has their tolerance limitations. I know that while she may understand some of my reasons for keeping things a secret still, the fact still remains that I did and I along with Minako and Endymion kept several things a secret from her.

So far for the most part only the generals, Endymion and I know about their still being evil, but I do know that Malachite would prefer for Minako to know along with the generals to their counterparts. After all, it could honestly be seen as a huge deception on Usagi's part that was playing on her till he and the rest of the generals are free of evil. Even compromising truth and respect.

Metallia may be long gone with Beryl and their many youma's, but the power she held is still rooted strongly within them. Yes they use it for good, proving that powers, even those from the side of 'evil' can be utilized to aid those in need rather than to harm them and help out rather than destroy.

I sigh. It's a cross to bear as much as it is an acceptance to take in and acknowledge as truth. You're taught from a young age that there's a strong but firm line between good and evil. That it's all cut and dry, that there is NO middle ground, and yet this past year has proven that it's not all black and white...there's a large gray line that mixes the two up and blurs it till it spreads those lines further and further apart, making both of those colors disappear little by little till everything can come into question.

"You coming?"

I look over to Minako who gives me a small smile and knowing expression. I had drifted off in my own headspace and needed to be brought back in.

I nod, "Course."

As I head back up I can still feel my guilt towards Usagi eat me up as it slowly manifests itself within me. Only my cowardice prevents it from slipping out and telling her the truth...that and knowing it would mean that it would forever change many relationships.

"So Nephite and I had to play 'escape and evade' with Naru earlier today between his classes."

We look over to her. She was still trying to work around Naru finding out that 'Maxwell' or rather Nephrite was alive. While Naru and Umino were happy, Naru went through a LOT with Maxwell and even a lot with his true identity as Nephrite. He died in her arms, and it reasonably took a lot for her to let someone else in.

The fact Umino got in was probably what she needed to let go and accept that part of her life that happened. She had moved on and Makoto knew that. It's why she and Nephrite were trying to avoid her seeing them together. They didn't want to bring up old memories or old pain, or worse yet questions that couldn't be answered and one thing that Naru and Usagi were VERY much alike on. They were both stubborn when it came to something that they had an intuitive feeling about.

We didn't need Naru to ask about him. He wanted to move on from that part of his life and be with Makoto. She wanted the same and was finally with someone who loved her and wanted to not only be with her but share his life with her. He made no bones about how he felt about her and was upfront with her about all of it. It especially hit home when he took her to school one day after a night together.

We smiled for them as I was about to leave for my school when we saw the 'popular girls' snickering about the 'tomboy' who had her older brother there to drop her off. Makoto barely paid them heed yet it was clear that Nephrite heard them. When he leaned down to kiss her and told her he loved her it not only made Makoto go weak in the knees but made the 'popular girls' jaw drops.

Makoto held her head high that day and had a blush on it for a while too. Their insults on her height or stature, not that she was big, far from it but her Amazonian body could be intimidating to some people, couldn't reach Makoto. When one of the girls got prissy and said 'couldn't' find a guy here in this school to date?' To which a strong and happy Makoto responded 'I found someone much...MUCH better.'

Truth be told, Ami had a similar issue too. Once she started to see Zoisite people stopped commenting on her loner status. Even though she was friends with us, it doesn't take away from how others perceive oneself. When Ryo was around she let her guard down a bit and people saw the girl that we know and love. When he left they didn't see that side of her anymore, only we did, so when Zoisite came in she let that side shine once more.

She was even building respectful friendships with other students that were in the same genius classes she was in, giving her a bit of a broader network to look at. I myself at my school began to see past the insults about the temple or my grandfather seeing as we were looked at for being weird loners.

Yet when Jadeite came in once to bring me some food, I had overslept and forgotten my lunch, he brought it with a kiss. It was a nice surprise and it had been a bad day that he made better. It was easier to ignore the ignorant type and let things roll off my back. Especially when a few of the girls tried to hit on him and he said 'I'm with her, and only her' before giving me a wink and leaving. I recall those girls were divided between jealous and acceptance that day. Most had even left me alone, though some refused as I was their source of entertainment.

Still though it was a nice change up that gave me a break. Minako though, when she brought Malachite around more often, the insults of her trying to look like 'Sailor V', which was ironic, lessened. Her own positive energy glowed more and she radiated to the point of a mirror shine...so to speak. We all had good changes happen to us since the guys came but it wasn't the fact that they popped in that made a change.

No, it was that they changed us as much as we were changing them. We weren't the same girls from the start nor were the guys the same either. So yeah, Nephrite wanted to keep away from Naru for now so that she could eventually forget about him. He wanted her happiness but knew it wasn't with him and all knew we had to keep up the ruse so that things could be forgotten by anyone that wasn't 'magically' connected.

"Again?" I asked finally, knowing that Naru was still a good friend to all of us. It was just hard to sometimes navigate things around her and others.

"Yeah Nephrite ducked behind a tree while we chatted for about fifteen minutes. It was good to catch up, but I did feel bad that once more he had to hide."

I look over to her and see the slight guilt on her face reminding me a bit of my own as I ask her, "You want to tell Naru the truth?"

Makoto looks to us all now. "Kind of yeah, so that he doesn't have to hide from her, but at the same time not at all. She's happy in her relationship with Umino, I don't want to throw a wrench into that by telling her that her old love is now MY love AND he's alive."

I nod knowing that while part of me was hoping to get a different perspective on keeping secrets, Makoto's situation is very different from mine. It's not helpful especially in knowing that she's right to NOT tell Naru till it becomes pertinent to do so.

"It just doesn't make it any easier when we all want to get together for a regular day out and invite Naru and Unazuki out with us."

I nod knowing the truth of that. We can't have the guys out with us for the most part as Naru could easily recognize Nephrite or even Jadeite due to her encounters with them.

I can't remember Malachite or Zoisite meeting anyone but we were still not taking chances. It's great to have the girl trips together but sucky we can't have the guys drop in on the last day or something, though according to Minako a girls trip is a girls trip or a weekend away for a reason. No boys, no school, no nothing but us relaxing. Especially when Minako plans them out. She's the foremost on making sure a balance is kept in place for everyone, especially on how it reflects on her relationship with Malachite and their duties to Usagi and Endymion.

That's when I see Endymion coming in with Malachite. I hadn't noticed him before as he says, "Usagi will be in shortly, she got held up on a phone call with her mom."

I nod knowing that that could take a while seeing as Usagi didn't spend the night at her parents place last night.

"We need to talk." Malachite speaks up, sounding a bit distressed and anxious even, something that's rare to be heard from him...this only concerns me more.

Evil Endymion POV

I knew this would come up eventually but not this soon.

"I want to tell Minako we still possess the nega-powers," Malachite confesses. I hear the other girls chattering about inside and unable to hear us. The felines aren't here, or rather Artemis isn't here just yet. Paying a visit to Luna first before coming over. I made sure to have Usagi give her mother a call and even suggested to have a conversation with her.

She nodded knowing that she hadn't conversed with her for nearly a week for more than a few minutes here or there. They needed it as much as I needed the time to sneak in and talk with both Rei and Malachite about this. Jadeite slipped into the area, right as we came up after the girls. We had to make this quick so we could make it look seamless and NOT like it was a separate secret meeting we were having.

We were already hiding too much from the others. I didn't want to add more.

"I get that but there are factors to consider here," I assure him as he looks at me. The stress of being with his true love and NOT being completely honest with her was hurting them and their growing relationship, it was the same fear I was having so I did understand this. I just hated that it was coming down to this.

"I agree," Jadeite says, looking decisive as he answers. Only Rei and I look the most concerned about telling them all.

"Look, we can't just drop this on the rest of the girls like a damn bomb. There's going to be accusations, a war of finger pointing...and who knows what else." I point out as the evil within nods in agreement.

Rei chimes in with, "While I would love to tell the girls the truth, Endymion has a point."

Malachite looks at me, "I know you're afraid of Usagi's response...but our princess, our princesses will understand. The longer it goes however the worse this gets."

I clenched my jaw.

"It's already gone on for far too long, we need to nip this in the butt."

I know he's right but the betrayed expression that I know will be on Usagi's sweet loving features haunts me. It haunts the evil within.

"I get that this is hard…," I try only to be interrupted by Jadeite, "Don't mean to cut you off but what about easing into it."

I look at him suspiciously. "How?" I ask.

"Easy, we start by telling the girls one by one instead of all at once. Let each one get used to the idea instead of letting the drama flow through. It'll allow them to adjust and not get fueled by the anger of the rest who will be equally upset by it."

I nod seeing some validity in his reasoning.

"No extra anger to fuel it would mean that the anger would die down faster," I concede.

I see Malachite jump on this idea. "Then allow me to tell Minako first. She is the technical leader of the Senshi and the primary guard to Usagi. Hell she's the decoy to utilize to ensure Usagi's safety or identity from being exposed."

I nod and feel for the young blonde. Having recently recovered old memories Minako told us of her other purpose as leader of the Senshi.

Kami forbid someone goes after Usagi, Minako is in place and trained well so that she can act as a decoy or 'doppelganger' double to help prevent the last heir of the moon from being killed before, during or after her reign, at least till she produces a new heir to take over. Still though, when Minako remembered this fact it had to have hurt her a little bit. Plus she remembered being cousins to Usagi.

It was also why she had been selected. Not just because she was Venusian royal but because she could double as the Moon Princess if need be. Malachite knew that for her to express that to him and be honest about her other purpose here was hard for her. He wanted to be just as honest with her and I did get that but I didn't like where it could lead to and now we were hitting an impasse of being unable to wait it out any longer.

Yet maybe this would be a good thing. Minako could help me to make sure Usagi would be more understanding. In fact if we work this all right, with the girls eventual support we could make this all happen and work to our advantage. The more I think about it the more this could work in our favor. Usagi takes the girl's advice with serious consideration as any leader or leading princess would.

If we get them all convinced one by one of course instead of all at once so we can avoid the eruption that would surely be to come, we could make it that much easier to convince Usagi that I'm fine and that the evil can still be gotten rid of OR if it can be talked into...keep it and…

Mamoru jumps in...NNOOO! You need to stop trying to cheat the system unless you want to lose Usagi forever for deceiving her and LYING to her about it AND lose your connection to the golden crystal for good.

I sighed.

You know the golden crystal will do whatever it has to do to protect itself. It, very much like Usagi's crystal is designed by nature, by the gods themselves I believe to keep itself hidden and pulled away if the host or bearer is compromised then it can still be self-aware enough to avoid being used for evil. This makes me wonder in the largest of senses.

...how the hell do you figure that?

I'm seriously wondering how that's a possibility because our enemies have been after the crystal at least the silver crystal since the start of all of this. Here's the stroke of oddness though, the evil in me is debating the girls knowing the truth while Mamoru is encouraging it and telling me it's a good idea. I wonder why on both sides that there's the debate from the evil or encouragement from Mamoru to begin with.

Either way this needs to begin to happen and I can tell that both Malachite and Jadeite want this to move forward. When those two team up it's like Usagi and Rei teaming up, you know it's serious. Where there's a will there's a way.

"Okay yeah lets work this out then. Minako will be the first to know the truth and we can start to pinnacle the wheel that way," I agree even though I know that if it's NOT done right this could set off a string of crap that'll be hard to stop especially if we get a new enemy in.

"Okay good," Malachite sighed with relief. "Cause she can tell I'm hiding something and it is starting to physically hurt the emotional unbalance between us."

I nod knowing that despite my reservations I can't be selfish in this endeavor. Rei sees it as she resigns in her needs to. We both need to accept that this is going to be out in the open soon enough. Minako being the first to know will be good and helpful as she is the technical leader.

Yes, Usagi is the actual leader but with Minako as the technical second in command to her as leader BUT leader when Usagi is in princess form, it gets a little flip floppy...and I'm getting a small headache now from this.

"I'll tell her tonight...hopefully. Depends on how this meeting goes," Malachite tells us as Usagi finally comes up the steps. "Go, let's get this meeting done and we can get to what we have planned."

It's then that Usagi gets within hearing range. "So let's get to the meeting."

They all nod as we head inside. "How was the talk with your mom?" I ask her as I loop my arm around her shoulders.

"Good, she just misses me a bit but knows that I have a life, if anything she was happy to get the time in so she and dad could have some more 'alone time together'."

I laugh as she gives me an 'ick' expression. Just goes to show that it doesn't matter the age of the kid, adult or still a kid or teenager, they will always have an 'ick factor' when it comes to knowing their parents have sex in any form, I wouldn't know it but I've heard horror stories that affect kids till their own adulthood. Talk about a scary movie come to life. The meeting went by without a hitch. It was the same old same old, nothing new to share.

It ends in less than an hour, more than enough time to go out for dinner. Something I had been planning with Usagi for a few weeks now. We originally wanted to take her parents out to eat along with us but our schedules never did align up and besides, according to Usagi her mother would want a home cooked meal with them first THEN one at a restaurant. I had almost agreed to it till Kenji entered the chat on that one.

He was making his 'let's see what you're really like' clear on the matter as we first planned for a dinner, then once I suggested a restaurant as I didn't want to put Ikuko out he started to make it sound like I was making a dig towards the food or it being a home cooked meal. It wasn't either, I just legitimately didn't want to ask Ikuko to cook a full-on meal when it was more of a meet and greet rather than a full blown meal to be planned.

Besides, I wanted to be able to go our separate ways afterwards and take Usagi back to my place WITHOUT raising suspicion. Kenji made it clear Usagi would be going home with them afterwards so we made alternative arrangements to do it at their place for their comfort on an evening where Usagi would be staying home that night anyways. So THAT dinner was in a couple of weeks.

This one was just between her and I at the new sushi restaurant that just opened up. I went there with Malachite and the others just to check it out and the food was actually really good, and was a bit hidden off the beaten path so not too many people would be there. It wasn't till the guys, and I went in that we saw that it was the type where once people find out about it, they get booked up FAST.

So I made sure to make two bookings, one for Usagi and I this evening and one in a months' time for us and her parents to enjoy. I was going to make them love me, in some form or another WITHOUT any magical help. Just my connections, smarts and charm. As Usagi and I walked over there she laid her head happily on my arm as I smiled in pride. I had the most amazing woman in the world on MY arm and I was damn proud of it, especially when she looked at me with those soul full blue eyes of hers.

This was the face of a woman whom I couldn't live without. The eyes that I couldn't bear to look at me with contempt for my actions. For my deception.

"So I've only ever heard about this restaurant. Really good reviews," she says, excitement and hope in her voice while I just know she's thinking about what to order already.

"It's good, the guys and I were enjoying it last week." I assure her.

That's when she leans up and gives me a peck on the cheek. I turn my head to look at her and find her giving me a sweet kiss on the lips.

"What was that one for?" I ask as she smiles.

"Just cause...I know I have the most amazing boyfriend out there and I feel so lucky to have you as my own. I love you Mamo - chan."

I gave a loving smile, pulled her in for a small peck on the forehead in a small gesture of love and affection then looked away. Holding back my own trepidation over how things were going to go in the next few weeks while my guilt begins to gnaw a bigger hole in me.

We arrived at the restaurant and it's lovely. I try something else new there, this time spicier to test out their spice pallet. We have a simple, romantic dinner that gives us both a chance to catch up a bit and enjoy a night out away from everything school and business related.

It feels warm and nice. We crack a few jokes and just as we're heading out I feel a strange presence enter the atmosphere. Like an outside force is telling me that something is approaching earth. It's rare to get this feeling so I initially ignore it. Putting it off to being paranoid about a lot of things lately. That is till Usagi and I are in the park, going for a walk. It's our last part of the date before we get to the VERY romantic part of it.

I can tell Usagi is getting in the mood as well as she seems to be looking for a place for us to stop by. The sun has dropped out of the sky at this point. Only the moonlight is showing us any light as it reflects off the lake nearby. The small lamps in the area provide a low toned illumination that grants those walking past them a welcoming, calm and romantic feel to them that most people enjoy for a late-night walk.

The feeling pops up again. I force it out as I look up briefly and don't see anything wrong. I don't think it's paranoia now.

It's not paranoia, it's the part of you that's still connected to the earth trying to tell you of an invading force coming in. Mamoru tells me.

That's why it felt familiar yet weird. We continue to walk when Usagi stops suddenly, "You know there's no one around right now."

Her coy voice erases Mamoru's voice a bit as I see the devious intent with her eyes. Granted we just had sex less than 48 hours ago but I'm not one to look a gift horse in the face...or mouth, whatever the metaphor is. My brain is not firing on all cylinders when she gives me that beckoning expression.

She backs up to a bench and invites me to sit on it. Happy to oblige and all willing I go to the bench. We begin to make out. Softly at first then growing more passionate as our hormones begin to get the better of us. My hand slips around her and pulls her halfway into my lap. Her hand cups the side of my face and neck to angle my head better for more access as I cupped her face for the same too. My hand slipped down and cupped a full breast as she gasped in response to my ministrations as I slipped my tongue inside.

I could feel her nipple begin to harder at my touch. Right before I could slip my thumb past her sweetheart neckline a flash caught my eyes. I looked up in the middle of our intense make out session to see what seemed to be a comet coming right for our general area. My brows furrowed a bit in response. It wasn't traveling like a comet would normally travel. My suspicions rose up.

It was...slowing down. Now it has my attention. The kissing stopped startling and disappointing Usagi.

"I saw something coming down from the sky," I explained as my senses on both sides of good and evil rose up and wanted to know just WHAT had landed on OUR planet. Usagi, getting the sense that this was important, looked past her shoulder and saw the remainder of the comet go through a pack of trees before a very loud and near thunderous crashing boom was heard. "Bet you that woke the neighbors."

I wouldn't have bothered to call anyone had I NOT seen the fact that the trajectory did in fact slow down upon its last minute approach to earth. "Call the girls. This might be worth investigating."

We head on over to it. All traces of hormonal needs are replaced now by the need to figure out what the hell it was that just crash landed on our planet. Usagi and I made our way over to the crash site which was roughly a good ten minutes from where we were where a small crowd had already gathered.

I look around and see that there's a crater in the area. A large crater that's easily the depth of a swimming pool, though definitely shaped differently. The more I look at it the more it doesn't make sense to me. I spot Ami around the other corner and holding her Mercury computer to her side, calculating on it. She spots me and comes over.

"This isn't right," I tell them both.

"Agreed," Ami nods as Usagi asks, "Should it really be so big for this?"

She sees the difference too. The depth for what we're seeing is too big and deep for what looks like the shell of whatever was inside of the thing. Something came out of it, that's for sure. "No it shouldn't." Red flag number one. "I'll bet you ten to one that something came out of this and is around here somewhere." Which is red flag number two.

Something foreign or rather not of this earth came out of that crater, beyond the incredibly dense shell it left behind and is now hiding within my city. I look out around, trying to sense whatever it might be if it's lingering in the area. Perhaps trying to hide while people are surrounding the crater but there's literally nothing that appears out of place. No sense of odd energies or anything that I'm feeling.

There's no trees moved around or dented from something in a rush to leave or broken anything that would speak of something large leaving the area, at least not by foot. That's when a thought strikes me as I look at the ground but don't see any odd footprints. Not even animals. Only those of people mulling about so if whatever came out of it wore shoes we wouldn't know either way, yet something in my gut says it wasn't by foot. There were no traces of anything on the ground. "Whatever came out of the shell didn't leave by foot."

Usagi looks at me unsure of how I knew this.

"Look around, there's no broken foliage, no bent trees, no nothing except for this hole in the ground."

Now further concern etches her face. "So whatever left out of it 'flew' out?" she asks as Ami interjects, "Or floated out. There's several possibilities."

I nod knowing that we may have a new enemy out there now. I use my senses, both sets and find that there is a presence still left behind here. Coming from inside the shell. I'm guessing an energy signature from when who or whatever was in here left out. Ami gets closer to Usagi since the presence of people discovering the foreign object are increasing as she's trying to be more discrete in our discovery.

"My readings tell me that there is residual energy in this BUT...it's dissipating fast."

I nod as I remark, "I feel something here too...I can't get a good reading on it for obvious reasons."

Usagi then asks me, "Is it good or evil?"

I look at her. "Honestly it doesn't have a bearing sense of being either or."

Which is puzzling to both sides of me. Neither a clear sense of being good or evil, just is. It gives the potential hope for whatever it or they are to not be a threat, but it also gives potential for them to be a threat. It's the unknown on my home planet that bothers me as I'm someone who's very much an in control person.

Mamoru scoffs at me…yeah in control my ass. Letting evil convince you to keep it for the past few months instead of telling our beloved the truth of the matter. Yeah you're in control.

I growled at him internally. I said I was a person who prefers to be in control of things. There's a difference.

He scoffs again and this time laughs a little to…yeah right. You know as well as I do what's really in control and it sure as hell isn't you or me.

All of that aside, let's not forget the focal point here that we've never felt a presence like this before. The evil tries to push him away but I know Mamoru has a point here. I sigh and tell him…I do realize that and yes your opinion is a valid one to have. Especially since we now have a foreign presence on earth that might require the usage of ALL of us. I feel for the evil within as it debates this.

Mamoru then says…I get why you're hesitant on matters, but we have a potential new threat here, us all working in sync is the best way to combat it IF it is a threat.

I agree with his words yet the evil presses…or he's using it as a way to get a foothold into your mind so he can take back control and tell our beloved Usagi the truth. She will never forgive this deception. Not after all this time.

I consider this as Mamoru responds…lets face it yes, I would love to be back in control of MY own body, however, the most pressing matter is that we do what necessary to protect our world, our princess from ANY threats.

Yes we are fearful of Usagi's response if she finds out but it's still better to find out from us than to get caught in action and have her find out the hard way while we're fighting this - whatever came out of the shell…if we are to be fighting it. The evil tries to argue back.

Of course you'd say that.

The evil jumps at Mamoru, metaphorically speaking. Listen, we need to stay firm on our grounds if we want a future we've been building for the last few months. This new presence doesn't mean it's a new threat, it could merely be a new ally to work with us or for us if we can assimilate our royal presence upon it if it has the ability to understand that.

Yet even I know that that is a weak argument to make. but I've had enough.

There's too much to consider right now so I push both to the back of my mind…especially considering how on point they both are. "It's not clear, it's just there. It's honestly...a bit unsettling as it could mean we have a new threat here or a possible new ally."

Usagi nods. "Let's hope it's the latter, we've just gotten rid of our last enemy and I'd like to enjoy these moments of normalcy while we can."

I know what she means though it doesn't erase how it makes me feel or how the we faced the fact we were once more not alone.