Thank you all so much for your reviews! This chapter is why I started writing this story. This is the way I like to imagine Usagi finding out who Tuxedo Kamen is. I hope you guys enjoy! Please let me know what you think.

Mamoru staggered through his front door grasping his shoulder. He paused in the entryway leaning against the wall trying to calm his breathing. He almost lost her. She would have just been gone. What would have happened if that other Sailor Scout hadn't shown up? That horrible scream she let out echoed in his ears. He slammed his fist against wall. His shoulder throbbed as blood dripped down his arm. He quickly removed his shirt and went into his bathroom. He tried to get a good look at the damage Zoisite had done, but he couldn't turn his head enough to really see. He closed his eyes and felt his power rise from deep in his chest. He focused on his shoulder, willing it to heal. He sighed as he felt the skin start to close, then gasped as he felt the wound reopen again. What was happening? What had Zoisite stabbed him with?

"Having a little trouble?" Mamoru jumped as he heard Zoisite's voice behind him. He came to his full height as he turned around to face a hologram of the general standing in his hallway.

"Zoisite. How did you find me?"

"Why I stabbed you with a dark crystal! The wound will never heal and the energy it gives off makes you easy to track."

Mamoru felt a chill go down his spine. "What do you want," he barked.

"My, my where are your manners? You know what I want. And I know what you want. Sailor Moon," Mamoru felt his stomach drop, "safe. And I can promise you that we'll have no choice but to capture her and torture her within an inch of her life if you don't meet me tomorrow with the rainbow crystals." Mamoru saw Usagi falling to the ground inside that dark bubble. He heard her scream.

"Where do I meet you."

Usagi was sitting still at her vanity. She slowly looked up to meet her eyes in the mirror and quickly looked away again. She hated this feeling. She had been positive that she was going to die last night. She had given up. She had. She was about to let go. Did she not love her life enough to fight more for it? Did she not love her friends enough to fight more for them? She was ashamed. What sort of leader was she? A reluctant one. She didn't want any of this. She wanted to be a normal teenager. She wanted to choose her life. Her eyes landed on a photo of her and the girls. Mako-chan's arm was slung around her shoulders, Rei-chan's arm was linked through hers, and Ami-chan's hand was resting on Rei-chan's shoulder. They were all beaming at the camera. That had been a rare care-free day where they could all just be best friends and enjoy a beautiful day. Usagi's face fell again as she realized they all almost died last night.

Across town at the Hikawa Shrine, Rei was looking at the same photo. She sighed heavily as she looked out the window to where her grandfather was tending to the grounds. Makoto was just locking her apartment on her way to meet the girls. As she stepped outside, the beautiful day was lost on her, and everyone she passed took note of the sad looking brunette. Ami stopped by the park on her way to meet her friends. She took her shoes off and stepped into the lake. Closing her eyes, she let the sounds of the water calm her racing thoughts.

Usagi made her way down the stairs but stopped when she heard her mother and Shingo laughing in the kitchen. She stood in the shadows watching them with a strained expression as Luna brushed against her leg. Usagi looked down to Luna's questioning gaze and shook her head slightly. She hurried down the stairs and out the door, shutting it before Luna could follow.

She decided to take the long way to the shrine. She needed time to break out of this foul mood. She couldn't stand it if they asked her what was wrong. So, she started walking in the opposite direction. Soon she passed a café and stopped in her tracks. Through the window she could see her old group of friends with Naru-chan and Umino. They were laughing and drinking milkshakes. What would she give to be with them now? To be normal? But she wasn't. And she couldn't be, ever again. She turned away and started running as tears filled her eyes.

Rei sat down on the stairs with Makoto and Ami. None of them spoke, they didn't need to. One look at each other and they knew they weren't alone in how they felt. They came to close to losing everything last night. They let Usagi down. They needed to be better. They would be better.

"I wish that Usagi-chan would come on time today. I'm sure she's feeling the same way we are," Makoto sighed.

"She's probably feeling worse," Rei commented. "You know how deeply she feels."

"I know I'll feel better when I see her," Amy said. "I always do."

"Me too," Rei and Makoto said together.

They all looked up as a blonde teenager and a white cat came into view.

"Venus?" Ami asked.

"That's me," the blonde said with a wink. "My name is Aino Minako. And it's a pleasure to be with you all again."

"I'm –"

"Ami. And Rei and Makoto." Mina said, acknowledging each of them. "I already know more about you than you think. We have a lot to talk about."

"When are you going to introduce me, Mina-chan?" the white cat grumbled.

"Sorry! This is Artemis. He's been my companion for a while now."

"It's a pleasure to be united with you ladies. Where is Luna?"

"She'll be coming with Usagi," Ami explained.

Usagi didn't stop running until she made it to the bridge. She caught herself on the railing and leaned slightly over the edge as she caught her breath. She had to pull herself together. Think of something different. This bridge. She's run into Mamoru on this bridge before. Mamoru. Her heart started thumping. She wanted to see him. She's run into him accidentally plenty of times. How hard could it be to find him? He's not on the bridge. What about by the fountain. She took off running again until she was standing in front of the marble fountain. He wasn't there either. She slumped down onto a nearby bench. Mamoru could make her feel better, but she really wanted to talk to Tuxedo Kamen. How could she find him?

She knew where he lived! She had woken up in his bed after she had depleted her energy during a battle. She had seen his hat and mask lying on the bedside table and panicked. She ran out of the apartment and down the stairs so fast, she was several floors down before she realized she didn't see the apartment number. But she remembered the building. She got up with new determination and made her way down the street.

As the building came into sight, she started losing her confidence. She stopped across the street and looked up, up, up. It was a huge building. Her shoulders slumped as she lowered her gaze. She took a sharp intake of breath. Mamoru! There he was! Right across the street.

Mamoru walked out of his building with little hope. But he had to try. He had to protect her. He wouldn't fail today, no matter what it cost him. His shoulder was still steadily aching and no matter how many times he tried healing himself he couldn't get the wound to fully close. He decided to stop wasting energy trying. He'd need all his energy to defeat Zoisite.

"Mamoru!" He turned to see Usagi jogging toward him with a huge smile on her face. He couldn't help but smile back at her.

"Usagi. Are you ok?" He reached out to grasp her shoulders and look into her eyes.

Usagi's smile faltered for just a second. "I'm fine." He continued to stare at her, and she could no longer meet his eyes.

"Well, I'm not having the best day. What are you doing right now? Could we do something?"

His face fell and she quickly continued, "I mean, I'm sure you're busy. I'm sorry. I was looking for you and I was just so happy to see you here."

"Usagi. I can't."

"It's ok."

"No. I can't at all anymore." Her heart stopped for a moment as she looked at him with confusion. "I'm leaving town. Now. I…I don't think I'll be coming back. I hope I will, but there are more important things. I'm not right for you. I'm not good for you. I can't prote- I just can't."

He started to pull away but Usagi caught his hand firmly in hers.

"Mamo-chan?"

His heart broken again at the sweet nickname. She'd never called him that before. Again, her face inside that dark bubble flashed before his eyes. He held back tears as he broke her hold on him.

Usagi stood with her arm still outstretched toward him. Her heart was shattering. Her world was shattering. He couldn't leave. Something was wrong. Something happened to him. She felt her near death experience pale in comparison to whatever must have happened to him to make him leave her. Her hand still felt warm. Her hand, it had blood on it. She looked down at the blood and snapped her head back up to Mamoru's retreating form. His shoulder was bleeding through his shirt. She felt her stomach drop. She slowly turned her head to the high-rise apartment building she was standing in front of. She looked back to Mamoru and took off after him.

"How long have you been a Sailor Scout?" Makoto asked their new team member.

"Years," she replied. "It's been a different experience for me than it has for you. I remember a lot. Things you can't imagine yet. But I'm going to help you to."

Usagi kept losing sight of Mamoru in the crowd. But she wasn't too far behind him. He looked like he was in pain. He also looked like a man on a mission. She didn't want it to be true.

Rei's brow furrowed as she stared at Minako. "Tell us."

"Rei! Ami! Makoto!" Luna leapt up the stairs as she called out to them. "Is Usagi here?"

"No, Luna," Rei answered.

"I have a bad feeling. Her face when she left this morning… Where could she have gone?"

"She'll be with him." Minako interjected. "It's already happening again."

"Him?" asked Rei. "Who?"

"Tuxedo Kamen. I believe his real name is… Chiba Mamoru."

One feline and three human jaws dropped open.

Usagi was shocked to a standstill as Tuxedo Kamen left the alley that she had followed Mamoru into. Her hand went to her chest as her heart broke in a new way. Mamoru had been her one good thing. The thing that made her normal. The thing she could count on. She was falling for him. And Tuxedo Kamen knew. He knew that she was Sailor Moon. How could he not tell her? Her hand became a fist leaving his blood smeared on her chest. Why didn't he tell her? She hurried out of the alley before she lost sight of his long cape.

"She'll always go to him. They are tied by the red string of fate," Minako explained. "We should go find Usagi now. She needs our help. She needs us more than you realize." Minako looked to each girl, landing on Rei last. "Do you understand?" Rei saw something in Minako's eyes that made her hair stand on end.

"Mars Power Makeup!"

Ami and Makoto hesitated for a moment, wonder what Rei had sensed.

"Mercury Power Makeup!"

"Jupiter Power Makeup!"

"Venus Power Makeup!"

Usagi gasped as a red bubble started to form around Tuxedo Kamen. She ran as fast as she could and slammed into his back. He turned in alarm and grabbed her roughly by the shoulders.

"Usagi! What are you doing here?"

Usagi glared into the eyes behind the mask. Tuxedo Kamen's lips parted as he realized that she knew. They both disappeared. When they reappeared, they found themselves in a large bright room. Usagi looked over Tuxedo Kamen's shoulder to see Kunzite, and Zoisite standing a few feet to his left in front of a wall of windows. Tuxedo Kamen shoved Usagi behind him.

"Tuxedo Kamen, it's time to finish this," Zoisite demanded.

"I couldn't agree more. Just let the girl go. She has nothing to do with this."

"We couldn't care less about her. Show me the rainbow crystals."

Usagi looked to her feet and took a deep breath. She reached up and placed her hand on Tuxedo Kamen's shoulder. He turned toward her with a look of trepidation and a slight shake of his head. Her eyes softened as she gave him a small smile. The smile slid off her face as she turned to Kunzite and Zoisite and took a firm step in front of Tuxedo Kamen. The confused looks were wiped off of their faces as she took a second step and blinding gold light started to travel up her body transforming her in a dazzling fashion into Sailor Moon. She ripped her tiara off her head as soon as it appeared and threw it at the dark generals before she had finished transforming. Kunzite raised a shield just in time, but he and Zoisite were still thrown against the glass cracking it on impact. As Sailor Moon caught her tiara, Tuxedo Kamen grabbed her hand and pulled her into a long hallway.