CHAPTER FIVE


She was in a garden. A beautiful garden.

Lush, verdant greenery stretched as far as the eye could see—shrubs, flowers, trees—everywhere, teeming with life. The air was perfumed with the intoxicating scents of freshly cut grass, delicate florals, and sweet, ripe fruits. Usagi closed her eyes and took a deep breath, filling her lungs with the heady aromas. Invigorated, she wiggled her toes and delighted in the ticklish sensation of lush grass beneath her feet. A quick downward glance revealed that she was barefoot and…wearing her pyjamas.

In a garden. Outside. Judging by the bright sun overhead, in the middle of the day.

Blinking, Usagi frowned and took a closer look at her surroundings. She was alone, so far as she could tell, but nothing looked familiar. Wild, lavish flowerbeds bordered by meticulously manicured hedgerows blanketed the ground, while towering, leafy trees reached up toward the sky; some speckled with tender blossoms, others laden with plump fruit that made Usagi's mouth water. This place was undeniably lovely, but how had she gotten here? Had she suddenly taken up sleepwalking and wandered into someone's private garden? The thought was as mortifying as it was fantastical. No one in her neighbourhood could possibly have a garden this large.

"This is a dream."

Usagi whirled around and discovered that she was not alone after all. Beneath a tall, blossoming plum tree on a small wrought-iron bench sat Serenity. Usagi took a moment to consider the name. It suited the princess. Serenity indeed looked serene; a picture of elegance with her gauzy white gown draped beautifully over her slender figure. Feeling ridiculous in comparison, Usagi wrapped her arms around her midriff in an attempt to conceal her bunny-print boxer shorts and matching pink tank top. As usual, feeling self-conscious made her irritable.

"So, what's the deal? You're invading my dreams now too?"

Seemingly unfazed by Usagi's churlish remark, Serenity leaned back against the bench and fingered the skirt of her dress. "This is my dream, as a matter of fact. You are the guest here."

Usagi frowned again, confused. "Oh." It didn't make much sense to be in someone else's dream. Then again, nothing made much sense anymore. Annoyed by Serenity's presence but perceiving no real threat from the princess, Usagi relaxed and strolled over to the nearest apple tree. After a moment's study, she picked the largest, reddest apple she could reach, shined the sizeable fruit on her shorts, and turned back to Serenity. "So, what is this place anyway?"

Serenity's lips curved in a wistful smile. "This is—well, this was—my very favourite place on Earth."

Usagi took an enormous bite out of her apple and moaned in bliss when the sweet, tangy juices hit her taste buds. Serenity's brow pinched as Usagi took a second mammoth bite with unabashed enthusiasm. "Mmf, well this garden is very pretty," Usagi said, munching away on her apple and plopping herself down on the soft green grass. "I can see why you'd like it."

"You shouldn't speak with your mouth full, you might choke."

Usagi scrunched her nose and aimed a peevish look in Serenity's direction. "What does it matter?" she asked, before taking another bite. "You said this was a dream."

"I'm not sure that's a good excuse for poor manners."

Rolling her eyes at the priggish response, Usagi wiped her mouth against her bare forearm then blew a big, fat raspberry. A ripple of genuine surprise passed through her when Serenity giggled at the cheeky gesture. Seeing the girl's smile sparked a small glow of joy deep within Usagi, and she was tempted to smile in kind. Instead, she chomped down on the last of her apple and sprawled out on her back.

"You seem remarkably carefree."

Usagi ignored the quiet observation and turned her attention to the sky. A large, billowy cloud floated above her, and when she squinted her left eye it kind of looked like a turtle. She brought the apple to her lips again and grimaced when her teeth hit its seedy core. Chucking the core away, she swiped her tongue across sticky lips and sighed.

"I assume etiquette lessons have not been a large part of your education thus far?"

"Why do you talk like that?" Usagi asked, growing irritable again. "You sound like Luna." Usagi loved Luna, but she hadn't meant it as a compliment.

"Why do you speak the way you do?" Serenity countered.

Usagi sat up and scowled. "What's wrong with the way I talk?" Serenity said nothing, but when their gazes clashed Usagi's irritation morphed to unease. Rattled by the uncanny gaze, she looked away, but she could feel Serenity's eyes linger on her.

"It is unusual to be faced with one's reincarnation," Serenity said after a time. "You are so…different."

"Maybe I'm not your reincarnation then." As soon as she said the words out loud, Usagi realized just how much she wished they were true.

"We both know that you are."

Usagi pushed herself to her feet and paced away. "Yes," she said with a sigh, "we do, but that doesn't mean I have to like it."

"Why are you so discontent? I admit, your resistance puzzles me."

Usagi crossed her arms and said nothing as she took time to consider the question. Her feelings, so far, had been based on little more than gut instinct, but her gut was not happy. It wasn't just a matter of the indefensible episode of body-snatching she had endured during their informal introduction; it was more than that. Her very identity had been called into question. Was she supposed to celebrate as she stared down the barrel of her own personal existential crisis?

In any case, Usagi felt neither equipped nor inclined to explain herself, but she knew Serenity was waiting for an answer so she voiced one of her lesser concerns. "I don't know who you are."

"I am you," Serenity replied without hesitation.

Usagi whirled on her. "No, you're not! You're some ancient princess from a kingdom that no one's ever heard of, and I'm a regular teenager in junior high."

Serenity surveyed Usagi with an expression of cautious scrutiny before rising from the bench and approaching. She was no more than half a dozen paces away when Usagi's wary-eyed gaze made her stop. "I am not familiar with 'junior high'," Serenity said, enunciating the unfamiliar term with stiff precision, "but I do know that you are no ordinary youth."

The apple's sweet aftertaste turned bitter on Usagi's tongue and her shoulders slumped. "Yeah," she muttered, "thanks for the reminder."

Serenity tilted her head and frowned. "Perhaps you are not so carefree as I thought."

Usagi shrugged and toed the ground with a bare foot. "There's not much freedom in being Sailor Moon."

Serenity seemed surprised by the statement. "You do not enjoy the mantle of a Sailor Senshi?" Her mouth twisted in a wry grin. "How ironic."

Still unclear on the concept of irony, Usagi's brow furrowed. "What's ironic about it?"

"I always wished for the freedom that I believed the Sailor Senshi enjoyed, and yet you tell me that you find little freedom in the role."

"A princess who wanted to be a Senshi?" Usagi gave Serenity a dubious look. "That seems like a downgrade to me."

Serenity raised an eyebrow. "A powerful soldier who wishes for the obscurity of an ordinary youth? Pray, tell me, what is the difference?"

Flustered by the undeniable parallel, Usagi floundered to find a suitable response. "I don't— I mean, I'm not—" Unable to form an intelligible rebuttal, she gave in and conceded the point with a resigned sigh. "I guess it's easy to want something you can't have."

Serenity's answering smile was bittersweet. "A classic case of 'the grass is greener'."

Disquieted by their unexpected accord, Usagi lowered her gaze to the ground. "Well, the grass is certainly green here." The observation sparked a brief flash of insight, and her eyes snapped back to Serenity. "Your favourite place on Earth," she echoed, suddenly grasping the significance of the statement.

The smile faded from Serenity's face before she nodded. Usagi noted the shadows in her eyes and waited a beat before asking the obvious question. "What's a Moon Princess doing on Earth?"

Serenity turned away, hunching her shoulders as she raised her arms to hug herself. "You already know of this. I showed you."

Scattered images flashed through Usagi's mind, blurring together in a disorienting slide show of indecipherable events. There was too much information packed inside her brain, too much history. She had no idea how to sort through all of it on her own. She needed someone to help her make sense of it all.

She moved to Serenity's side. "Tell me," she prodded. "There's a lot of stuff in my head, but I don't understand it."

Serenity gave her a sidelong glance but said nothing. Before she could second guess herself, Usagi reached out and clasped one of Serenity's hands. The physical connection was indescribable. As their gazes locked, Usagi felt torn between a strong desire to hold fast to the princess and never let go, and an acute impulse to turn tail and run. Serenity's tragic expression eased, and she laid her free hand on top of Usagi's, as though she sensed her uncertainty.

"Please," Usagi pressed, surprised by the urgency in her voice. "Help me understand."

Serenity's gaze grew distant, and in the long silence that followed Usagi feared she had been carried off on a wave of nostalgia. Just as Usagi began to wonder if Serenity would ever snap out of it, the princess startled her by squeezing her hand. Serenity looked around before returning her gaze to Usagi's face. "This is where we met," she said, and her voice held a wealth of emotion. "This is where we fell in love."

An image of Mamoru popped into Usagi's mind, but it was not the Mamoru Usagi knew. He was different somehow. It wasn't just the strange, formal clothing he wore; he looked older, and there were other small incongruities as well. "Mamoru…you were in love with Mamoru."

Serenity donned a soft smile. "That is your name for him. I knew him by another name."

"Endymion."

The word felt both foreign and familiar on Usagi's tongue, and she noted the way Serenity's smile brightened at the mere mention of the name. "You loved Endymion," Usagi amended as she pieced things together in her own slow fashion. "A prince from Earth."

"My prince from Earth," Serenity corrected, and one look at her ardent expression was enough to convince Usagi that her affection for the prince had been no mere crush.

Treating the jumbled mess of information in her mind as though it were an unassembled puzzle, Usagi worked to join each piece with the next. As more and more pieces clicked into place a picture began to form. All too soon, the chaotic pile was sorting itself with alarming precision and, able to understand at least some of it, Usagi belatedly wondered if there hadn't been some bliss in her ignorance.

On the one hand, there was something incredibly romantic about a Moon Princess falling in love with a prince from Earth. The two had literally been star-crossed lovers. It was the stuff of fairy tales. Under normal circumstances, Usagi would be starry-eyed and swooning like the hopeless romantic she was. In any other situation, she would be engrossed in daydreams of her own epic romance.

On the other hand…

The idea that she and Chiba Mamoru were the reincarnated souls of two star-crossed lovers was utterly ridiculous. Two people who couldn't go ten seconds in each other's company without trading insults. No one in their right mind would have ever predicted such an ironic twist of fate. Not in a million years. Usagi was not starry-eyed, she was stupefied. And though she did feel a little faint, she was most certainly not swooning. As for daydreams of an epic romance… Well, there was little appeal in that with Chiba Mamoru as her co-star.

As it was, the dream she was currently occupying had begun to lose its appeal. The garden's earlier charm was waning; seductive aromas that had tickled Usagi's nose now suffocated her with their cloying odours. The lush, vibrant landscape seemed to be closing in on her, blinding her with its harsh palette. As her heart rate increased and her palms grew slick with sweat, Usagi's gaze darted from left to right, searching for a means of escape.

"I think I'd like to wake up now."

Serenity patted Usagi's hand in a bid to reassure her. "I brought us here to protect you while you rested. Be at ease, nothing can harm you here."

The words failed to comfort Usagi, and when she tried to pull away Serenity refused to let go. "How am I in your dream anyway?" Usagi blurted, using her free hand to pry at Serenity's grip. "I don't want your dreams, I want my own!"

Their eyes met and time seemed to freeze as Usagi's poignant words hung in the air. Seizing upon the moment of surprise, Usagi cried, "Get out of my head!" and yanked her hand free. Reeling from the shock of their severed connection, she staggered back several steps before regaining her balance.

Serenity's expression drew tight in a frown. "I cannot," she answered. "We are linked."

"Well, unlink us." Usagi knew it wasn't that simple, but she didn't care.

"You must accept me if you wish for us to move past this," Serenity told her, moving forward to erase the distance Usagi had put between them. "Not just here," she continued, pressing her left hand to Usagi's temple, "but also here," she finished, placing her right hand on Usagi's chest, over her pounding heart.

They stood together like that for a while, Usagi couldn't say for how long. Like in most dreams, time didn't seem to flow in a linear sense. Serenity's beseeching touch remained constant throughout, and though Usagi yearned to feel comforted by the intimacy, it had the exact opposite effect. Sapping the scattered remnants of her composure, the tenuous connection made her feel smothered, anxious, and in very real danger of being consumed.

Usagi could see the yearning in Serenity's eyes, and she knew what the princess wanted, just as she knew that she was the only one who could give it to her. But Usagi wasn't brave enough to grant Serenity's wish, for she feared that doing so would require sacrificing too much of herself. Curling her fingers around Serenity's hands, Usagi drew in a deep breath and felt her heart rend in two as she pushed the princess away.

"I'm sorry," Usagi said with sincerity. "I can't."

Then, with Serenity's final look of betrayal burned into her mind's eye, Usagi turned and fled.


Something fuzzy had crawled into her mouth and died. Wait, no…that was her tongue.

Usagi opened her eyes one at a time then blinked to clear her bleary vision. Gone was the brilliant sun and blue sky of the garden, replaced by the pale, nondescript ceiling of an unfamiliar room. She had escaped the dream but where was she now? A soft pillow beneath her head and warm blanket pulled up to her chin told her she was in bed, but little else. While a part of her was content to stay there, curiosity and a full bladder persuaded her to sit up and look around. She groaned when the tight muscles in her back screamed in protest as she tried to rise.

"Oh, you're awake!"

Usagi looked to the left and found Ami seated in a chair at her bedside. As Ami hastened to remove her reading glasses and set aside a thick textbook, an image of Sailor Mercury, battered and unconscious, flashed in Usagi's mind. A raspy squawk burst past her chapped lips as she made a second attempt to rise from the bed and Ami rushed to her aid.

"Easy now," she said, cupping Usagi's shoulders, "let me help you."

Usagi grimaced as Ami coaxed her aching, sluggish body into an upright position. When Ami reached forward to arrange her pillows, Usagi leaned in and wrapped shaky arms around her friend. Pressing her face into Ami's soft, bouncy hair, Usagi felt a tear slip down her cheek as she shuddered with relief. "Oh, Ami, you're okay!" Her voice was hoarse and strained but she didn't care.

Ami tensed for a moment before relaxing into the embrace. They'd been teammates and friends for nearly six months now, but Usagi's uninhibited physical displays of affection still occasionally caught her off guard. "Yes, Usagi, I'm fine." Extricating herself from the hug, Ami clasped Usagi's shoulders and settled her back against the pillows before adding, "Thanks to you."

Usagi's cheeks flushed. While she recalled most of what had happened, some of the finer details were still fuzzy. Content to leave it that way for now, she drank in the welcome sight of Ami, safe and sound. When her thoughts inevitably turned to the others her smile dipped in concern. "Rei and Mako-chan?" she asked, gripping Ami's arm. "Where are they? Are they all right? What about Sailor V? Venus, I mean. Are they hurt?"

Ami smiled and laid a comforting hand over Usagi's. "They're fine. Rei, Mako-chan, Minako—" Usagi's brow furrowed at the unfamiliar name. "Sailor Venus," Ami clarified. "Her civilian identity is Aino Minako. Sorry, Usagi, I forgot that the two of you haven't been properly introduced yet."

Usagi sank back against the pillows, committing the new name to memory. Aino Minako. Usagi hadn't met Minako because she hadn't made it to the meeting. She hadn't made it to the meeting because she had followed Mamoru. The events played out in reverse as Usagi traced each step that had led her—led them all—into this mess. How would she explain everything to the others? A queasy knot formed in her stomach at the daunting prospect.

"Awake at last."

A soft weight landed on the bed near Usagi's feet, pulling her from her troubled thoughts. Luna padded over to her side and Usagi ran a gentle hand along the arch of her back, pleased to see the feline unharmed. When Luna's head tilted up in a contented purr, Usagi eyed the golden crescent moon on her forehead. Unbidden, a question popped into her mind: where might she be now if she hadn't removed those bandages from Luna's forehead all those many months ago? Would she be sitting in the Crown Parlour enjoying a milkshake, instead of here… Where was she, anyway?

"Where are we?" Usagi asked.

"We're at Mako-chan's apartment," Ami told her.

Pressing a hand to her lower back, Usagi attempted to stretch and winced at the ensuing crack. "I'm so sore." Her gaze flitted to the dark window. "What time is it?" When a long silence followed, she turned and caught Ami exchanging a furtive look with Luna. "What?" Usagi asked, looking from one to the other. "Is it that late?"

At Luna's nod, Ami glanced down at her wristwatch before answering, "It's half past six in the evening."

Usagi frowned. Half past six? That couldn't be right.

"Usagi, it's Sunday," Luna said. "You've been unconscious for nearly twenty-four hours."

Usagi's eyes went wide. "What?" she blurted, true to form. "Why did you let me sleep so long?" No stranger to Usagi's panicked awakenings, Luna raised her eyes to the ceiling and shook her head, leaving Ami to address the frantic query.

"We weren't able to wake you, Usagi," Ami told her, brow furrowed. "Your energy levels were dangerously low. That's why we brought you here to Mako-chan's apartment; we had to get you somewhere safe and private until you woke up."

Usagi drew her lower lip between her teeth and mulled over Ami's explanation. She remembered feeling drained after her fight with Kunzite, but learning that she'd been unconscious for so long afterwards was unnerving. She'd been tired after battles before, but never like this. Was it because of the ginzuishou? In her desperation to use it to save her friends, Usagi had never paused to consider whether it was safe. She was turning to ask Luna when another thought stole her focus.

She had never gone home last night.

"My parents are gonna kill me!" Usagi wailed, gripping the soft comforter covering her lap.

Ami shook her head and waved her hands. "Don't worry, we took care of that. I called your house and told your mother that we were spending the night here in order to work on a group project for school."

Though the alibi sounded plausible, Usagi's mouth still curved in a dubious frown. "Mama believed that?" Usagi turned to Luna. "Without even talking to me?"

Luna gave a haughty little sniff. "Your mother is used to you lying to her, Usagi, not Ami. She was probably so pleased by the idea of you dedicating a weekend to schoolwork that she didn't think twice about it."

Instead of snapping back at Luna's dig, Usagi twisted the quilted fabric in her hands and lowered her head. "This is terrible," she moaned. "What am I going to do?"

"It's all right, Usagi," Ami told her. "I'm sure your mother believed me."

Usagi sighed and shook her head. "No, it's not that. Now Mama's going to expect me to bring home a good grade on something."

Luna snorted but Ami didn't even blink before taking Usagi's hands in her own and giving them an encouraging squeeze. "I'll help you," she vowed, "so that you can bring that good grade home to your mother."

Ami's utter sincerity managed to both warm Usagi's heart and shame her at the same time. It was foolish to worry about something so trivial when there were so many more important problems facing them. Usagi's eyes grew moist as she threw herself at Ami for another hug. "Oh, Ami, you're such a good friend!"

Ami didn't flinch this time, accepting Usagi's show of affection with a soft giggle and an affectionate pat on the head. After a few moments she drew back and gave Usagi an assessing look. "How do you feel?"

Usagi felt like a pile of hot garbage, but she didn't want Ami fussing over her so she plastered a reassuring smile on her face. "Just the usual aches and pains, nothing a cup of Mako-chan's hot cocoa won't fix. Where is she, anyway?"

The breezy deflection seemed to do the trick; Ami blinked before her eyes widened. "Oh, right! She and the others are out…taking care of something, but I need to tell them that you're awake!" Ami looked around the room then back to Usagi. "I must have left my communicator in the kitchen. Will you be all right on your own?"

Usagi waved Ami off with an airy laugh, but when the door closed she breathed a weary sigh and slumped against the pillows. She'd only just woken up, but the urge to go back to sleep was surprisingly strong. How could she feel this tired after nearly a full day of rest? Was there something wrong with her?

"Are you all right, Usagi?"

Usagi jerked to attention. She'd completely forgotten Luna was still in the room. "I'm fine, Luna," she said, easing back again as she reached up to massage her stiff neck. "Just a little tired."

Luna peered up at her with watchful eyes. "You were talking in your sleep."

Normally, Usagi would laugh at such a statement and assume that she'd been drooling over sweets or boys—or both—in her sleep. But Usagi knew very well that she hadn't been dreaming about either, and something about Luna's pensive tone put her on edge. Awake now, and already unable to recall the finer details of her dream conversation, Usagi wondered what bits, if any, might have slipped out into the waking world without her knowing.

Should she tell Luna about Serenity, or would Luna just think she was crazy? Usagi had already wondered that herself several times… So much had happened in the last two days. A new Senshi joining the team, multiple standoffs with powerful foes, secret identities revealed, Tuxedo Kamen wounded and kidnapped, and then finding the princess and the ginzuishou. Sitting here now, tired and groggy, Usagi wasn't entirely sure all of it had really happened. It was almost too much to believe.

She stole a glance at Luna and noted the concern in the cat's scarlet gaze. It was probably best not to say anything. Not just yet. Everyone was already under enough strain as it was. Usagi didn't want to make matters worse by telling them all that she was losing her marbles. Especially if all this business with Serenity turned out to be nothing. Stress did weird things to the brain. Maybe that was all this was. Stress.

"Usagi? Did you hear me?"

Usagi placed a hand behind her head and forced an awkward laugh. "Sorry, Luna, but I don't think I'll be able to concentrate on anything until I find a bathroom." The evasion wasn't a total lie; twenty four hours in bed had done Usagi's bladder no favours.

Luna frowned but nodded and jumped off the bed before heading for the door. "I'll get Ami so she can help you."

Usagi rolled her eyes. "I think I can make it to the bathroom by myself."

Luna looked skeptical, but she made no further move to summon Ami. Bracing herself, Usagi planted her hands on the mattress and began the sluggish chore of getting upright. In truth, the task proved more arduous than she'd anticipated, with nearly every muscle in her body protesting at even the slightest movement. As soon as Usagi was up, all she wanted to do was sit back down, but Luna's worried gaze spurred her forward on shaky legs.

Grateful for the fact that Makoto's apartment was mercifully small, Usagi staggered out the door and headed straight for the bathroom. Luna followed close on her heels, and when it looked as though the cat planned to follow her into the bathroom Usagi waved her off. "I'm fine, Luna," she said, "stop hovering."

Luna nodded and brushed her head against Usagi's ankle before heading off in the direction of the kitchen. Usagi was stepping into the bathroom when she heard Ami's soft voice carry out into the hall.

"…didn't say anything about it, Rei. I haven't asked her yet, she just woke up."

Hearing Rei's name made Usagi forget her bladder in an instant. She stopped in her tracks, turned, headed for the kitchen. She wanted to talk to her friends, wanted to hear their voices. She needed to—

"She seems like herself, nothing unusual like earlier."

Usagi halted a step away from the kitchen door. A tinny reply sounded from Ami's communicator, but Usagi couldn't make out any of the words.

"No, the crescent moon is gone."

Leaning back against the wall, Usagi reached up to press a shaky hand to her forehead and felt nothing but her own slightly sticky skin.

"We can discuss all of that when you get here. Right now, let's focus on the fact that she's awake. I need to go check on her."

Loathe to be caught eavesdropping, Usagi made an awkward dash for the bathroom and slipped inside before locking the door behind her. Ami's one-sided exchange played in her mind as she tended to the necessary business of emptying her bladder. Though Usagi had only heard half of the conversation, it was obvious that the Senshi had been discussing her. That was to be expected, of course, but what had Ami meant by 'nothing unusual'? And why the mention of a crescent moon?

Moving to the sink to wash her hands, Usagi caught sight of her reflection in the mirror and cringed. She looked awful. Her face was pale and drawn. Dark circles shadowed dull eyes, giving her an almost ghoulish appearance, and the unflattering bathroom lighting cast a sallow yellow hue over her pallid complexion that clashed horribly with Makoto's ill-fitting mint green pyjamas. Worst of all was her hair. Freed from her trademark buns, it was sticking up every which way in a mess of tangled knots.

Horrified by her haggard appearance, Usagi rolled up the voluminous sleeves of her pyjama top and went to work. The sensation of cold water on her face was both torturous and heavenly. Though she was tempted to fill the sink and submerge her entire head, Usagi settled for splashing herself a few more times before rummaging around for a toothbrush and a bottle of Aspirin. After downing two pills on the spot, she loaded the toothbrush with a liberal amount of toothpaste and set to ridding her teeth of their fuzzy coating. Once she had done away with the dragon's breath, she turned her eyes to her hair.

Brushing the tangled mass was no easy task, and the tired muscles in Usagi's arms trembled as she struggled to work her way through the matted snarls in her long mane. When the last knot pulled free, she dragged a finger along the centre of her scalp to create a part, and a patch of shimmering strands caught the light. Frowning, Usagi leaned in toward the mirror for a closer look.

No trick of the light, the hair was indeed a different shade. Was she already going grey at the tender age of fourteen? Dismayed at the prospect, Usagi gathered the aberrant strands in one hand and pulled them down in front of her face. Bright and shiny, the hair gleamed with a light all its own, reminding her not of grey but of silver. Or perhaps platinum. Her forehead tingled, drawing her eyes up toward a glimmer of gold.

Knocking sounded from behind and Usagi whirled around, still clutching the platinum hairs.

"Usagi?" Ami called through the door. "Are you all right in there?"

A surge of irrational panic shot through Usagi, and without thinking she plucked the hairs from her head in one savage motion. The shimmering strands dangled from her hand as she reached up to soothe her smarting scalp. It was the stress, she told herself. It was getting to her. A soft voice in the back of her mind whispered otherwise, but Usagi ignored it. She was not going crazy. A lot had happened, and there was a logical explanation for all of it. That's what Ami would say.

The doorknob jiggled. "Usagi?" Ami called again, this time with a degree of urgency.

Usagi glanced at the strands before turning her eyes to the bathroom's small waste basket. "Uh, yeah, Ami," she called, dismissing the trash in favour of the toilet. "I'm fine." She dropped the hair in the bowl and flushed it down, watching to ensure that no trace of it remained. "Just finishing up." Pressed for time, she made quick work of her hair, pinning the lopsided buns with sloppy haste before spinning toward the door.

Ami was waiting on the other side, and her concerned frown eased into a smile as she looked Usagi up and down. "You look more like yourself. How do you feel?"

Usagi forced a bright smile. "Good. I feel…like myself."

"Good," Ami echoed before gesturing down the hall. "The girls should be back soon. Why don't we go sit in the living room? I've been monitoring your energy levels since yesterday, but now that you're awake I'd like to do another—"

The loud bang of a door crashing open sounded through the apartment, causing both Usagi and Ami to freeze mid-step. Usagi faltered when she reached for her transformation brooch and gripped the thin satin of her pyjama top instead. Ami grabbed her by the arms and started pushing her back toward the bedroom before a crazed voice cut through the air.

"Where is she?"

The voice that followed was softer but no less agitated.

"Rei, you dented my wall."

Ami relaxed and let go of Usagi's shoulders before stepping back with a wry smile and a roll of her eyes. Beaming, Usagi hurtled forward with surprising speed and collided with Rei as she rounded the corner of the hallway.

"Rei!"

"Usagi!"

Usagi wrapped her arms around Rei and released a happy sob. Overcome with relief, she tried to speak but her words dissolved into a steady stream of incoherent babble. Rei allowed the noisy, tearful embrace for a time then gripped Usagi's arms and nudged her away, far enough to look her up and down, but not so far that she had to let go.

"Usagi, hush," Rei ordered, her tone firm but gentle.

Usagi obeyed, content to drink in the sight of Rei, hale, hearty, and yes, even a little grumpy. As had been the case with Ami, the memory of Mars, singed and subdued, surged to the forefront of Usagi's mind and with it, their final words to each other.

Her face crumpled. "Oh, Rei, I'm so sorry! I didn't mean what I said, it was horrible." Tears pooled in her eyes as she bowed her head in shame. "Please forgive me."

"Usagi." The name held a soft reproach, but Rei gave her arms a gentle squeeze. When Usagi looked up, Rei's expression held no anger, no blame, only concern. They shared a quiet moment before Rei asked, "Are you okay?"

Usagi nodded.

Ami approached from behind and placed a hand on Usagi's back before Makoto's face appeared over Rei's shoulder. Usagi embraced all three of them at once in a blubbery show of affection. This was all she wanted; to be surrounded by her friends, safe, and warm, and overflowing with love.

A soft, masculine cough sounded. Usagi looked up from her cocoon of friends and spotted a girl with long blond hair tied in a red bow standing a few paces away. Usagi puzzled over the stranger for a few moments before she noticed the small white cat sitting at the girl's feet. Usagi's eyes zeroed in on the golden crescent moon on its forehead, identical to Luna's, and then she blinked in recognition. Looking back at the unknown blonde, Usagi marvelled as the magical veil dissipated before her very eyes.

"Sailor Venus!" Usagi had never experienced the magical cloaking firsthand, having met the others in person before they'd been revealed as Senshi.

The girl smiled and nodded. "Aino Minako, actually," she clarified. "In this form, anyway."

The girls parted and Usagi took a few steps forward, her expression a mixture of awe and curiosity. Minako blinked when Usagi grabbed one of her hands and did a little hop. "Aino Minako! I always dreamed that I would be best friends with Sailor V! This is so cool! I don't recognize you, so you can't go to our school. Do you go to a fancy private school like Rei? Are you in the eighth grade too? Do you like milkshakes? We've got to go for milkshakes! What was it like being Sailor V? It's so cool that you have your own anime show and a video game! Would you sign my—"

A hand clamped down over her mouth. "Geez, Usagi," Rei grumbled, "shut up or you'll scare her off."

"That's okay," Minako said, smiling and waving a hand before Usagi could feel embarrassed. "Yes, I'm in eighth grade at Shiba Koen Junior High, and I love banana milkshakes." Without missing a beat, Minako reached behind her back, produced a glossy 8x10 headshot and a marker, then signed it with dramatic flourish before handing it to Usagi.

Makoto stepped forward and peered behind Minako with a bewildered expression. "You carry those around with you?" Ami and Rei's frowns echoed Makoto's confusion, but Minako's smile never wavered.

A starry-eyed Usagi noticed none of this as she admired the beautiful photo of Sailor V. "To Usagi," she read aloud, "Shoot for the Moon! Love, Sailor V." She closed her eyes and hugged the photo to her chest, oblivious to Rei's intense side eye.

Luna weaved around Usagi's ankles before looking up at the group. "It's good that you're all properly introduced now, but it's getting late and there are things to discuss before you all go home for the night."

The girls filed into the living room behind the cats, save for Makoto, who declared hot cocoa and cookies were in order. Usagi's stomach grumbled in appreciation when Makoto brought out a heaping plate of giant chocolate chip cookies a minute later, and she made no apologies for grabbing half a dozen straight away. It felt like she hadn't eaten in days.

"We've been over yesterday's events already," Luna began, "but there are a number of gaps that we need you to fill in, Usagi."

Usagi looked up from her cookie hoard, mouth already stuffed full of gooey, chocolatey goodness, and blushed to find everyone's eyes on her. She swallowed her mouthful and blinked. "Gaps?"

"Yes," Luna said with an exasperated look. "How about you start by telling us why you never arrived to the meeting?"

Usagi gazed down at her cookies with longing. For a few brief moments she had forgotten her problems. What she wouldn't give to just sit here enjoying cookies and cocoa with her friends, rather than having to begin the familiar and torturous task of explaining all the many ways she'd managed to mess things up. Was that really asking so much?

Screwing up her courage, she took a deep breath and launched into her tale. "Haruna-sensei gave me extra time in detention for being so late to class, so I was rushing to get to the shrine when I ran into Mamoru…"


"You transformed in front of him?" Rei exclaimed, mouth agape.

Usagi blushed and bowed her head, suddenly tongue-tied, but Makoto stepped forward and placed a mug of hot cocoa in her hands before coming to her defence. "What choice did she have, Rei?"

"It hardly matters now, anyway," Ami added, accepting a cup of cocoa with one hand as she typed away on her mini-computer with the other. "We know now that Mamoru is Tuxedo Kamen and not just a civilian. Should he prove untrustworthy, our knowledge of his identity should be sufficient leverage to ensure his silence." No one said a word, but Makoto nodded in Rei's direction as she held out her tray and Ami had the grace to look abashed as she reached for a cookie. "Of course, first and foremost we need to find him and secure his safety."

Silence descended, and Usagi stared down into her steaming mug as her stomach twisted in anxious knots.

"You transformed into Sailor Moon, but how did you escape the elevator?"

Startled by the unfamiliar voice, Usagi looked up and found Minako's eyes on her. Unlike the rest of them, Minako had chosen to stand and was currently leaning against the wall closest to the front door. Usagi wondered if she was shy or just stand-offish. Minako had remained mostly silent throughout Usagi's recounting, but her expression was all business now, a stark contrast from her lighthearted introduction. It was easier to recognize the Senshi within…but harder to imagine them sharing a banana milkshake.

"Did Mamoru also transform?" Minako asked.

Usagi opened her mouth to answer but found herself at a loss. How was she supposed to explain what had happened when she didn't fully understand it herself? Her vision dimmed as the memory of those frantic moments resurfaced in her mind. Mamoru's expression of utter disbelief. The feel of his trembling hands prying at her arms. The sound of his fervent pleas to leave him behind. The heat of the flames licking at her back. Her desperate prayers for the power to save them both. And then that warmth. That warmth from deep within that had filled her with comfort and wrapped itself around her like a protective blanket.

A gentle presence in the back of her mind began to stir, soothing her anxiety and whispering sweet promises of peaceful slumber.

"Usagi?"

A strong hand shook her shoulder, pulling her back to reality. Usagi blinked as the room came back into focus. Makoto was kneeling in front of her, gripping her shoulder, features pinched with worry. "Where'd you go?" Makoto asked, her voice soft.

Usagi frowned at the question. Where had she gone? What did that even mean? Her gaze drifted past Makoto to Luna, who was staring at her…forehead? Usagi stiffened and smacked a hand against her brow. Feeling nothing but her own flushed skin, she forced an awkward laugh and slid her hand up into her bangs, ruffling the hair in an effort to cover more of her forehead. "Sorry, I guess I spaced out for a minute."

Makoto got up from the floor and resumed her seat on the sofa next to Ami, but Usagi caught the wary glance they exchanged. Eager to move past the awkward moment, Usagi forced her thoughts back to the conversation. What had Minako asked her about? The elevator. Mamoru. "No," she said, adopting a firm tone, "he didn't transform. I didn't know what to do, I just wanted to protect him. Us," Usagi corrected, stealing a quick peek at Rei, but nothing in Rei's opaque expression indicated that she had noticed the small slip.

"I…I don't know what happened." Usagi could have made something up, but the truth seemed simpler somehow. "One minute we were in the elevator and the fire was heading straight for us, and then the next thing I knew the fire was gone and we…weren't." The room went silent, and Usagi masked her discomfort by taking a sip of cocoa.

Ami was the next to speak. "So, you managed to get out of the elevator…somehow, and then?"

Usagi lowered her cocoa and fixed her gaze on the coffee table as the ensuing events ran through her mind. "We were out of the elevator and Zoisite was there, and then Mamoru transformed into Tuxedo Kamen…" Her voice trailed off as she revisited that particular revelation with mixed emotions, and her eyes slid to the right where Rei sat, hands folded in her lap, violet eyes trained on the floor. Usagi knew Rei was listening, but she had no idea what Rei was thinking. Usagi had been so caught up in her own complicated thoughts that she hadn't stopped to wonder how Rei might feel in the wake of everything that had happened.

She knew Rei had been on a few dates with Mamoru; how could she forget when Rei lorded the fact over Usagi every chance she got? It didn't matter how many times Usagi had insisted how obnoxious Mamoru was, Rei seemed to think he was a catch. And even though Usagi would have preferred a root canal over a date with Mamoru, it had still needled her that Rei had a boyfriend. How serious were they anyway? It seemed like Rei only mentioned him when she wanted to brag about having a date.

"And then, Usagi?" Ami prodded, pulling Usagi's attention back to the conversation. "How was Tuxedo Kamen injured?"

Usagi grimaced as a stab of guilt pierced her gut. "It was my fault," she admitted in a tiny voice. "We argued, and I wasn't paying attention."

Makoto's brow furrowed. "You argued? With Zoisite?"

"No." Usagi let out a low moan and squeezed her eyes shut. "With Tuxedo Kamen."

"With Tuxedo Kamen?" Ami's surprised echo grated on Usagi's frayed nerves. "That's not like you, Usagi."

Usagi scowled. "Well, he wasn't just Tuxedo Kamen anymore, was he?" She thumped her empty mug down on the coffee table and rose from her chair before pacing to the balcony doors. Staring out at the night sky, she pressed her hands against the back of her neck in an attempt to ease some of the tension from her spine. "He was Mamoru too, and arguing with Mamoru is exactly like me."

Usagi remembered his words. Remembered how they'd pierced her like an arrow, deflating all of her hopeful, romantic notions with one vicious shot. Once Tuxedo Kamen—once Mamoru—had realized that Sailor Moon was just Tsukino Usagi, he had dismissed her. The veil of mystery had been lifted, erasing the dashing hero and the blushing heroine and leaving Mamoru and Usagi to stand awkwardly in their place. There was no romanticizing that.

She sighed before recounting the end of her wretched tale. "We argued, I was distracted, and Zoisite…" She stopped, surprised to hear her voice break.

"Usagi?"

Makoto's compassionate call made Usagi's heart ache, and she wrapped her arms around her waist before clearing her throat. "Zoisite was aiming for me, but I wasn't paying attention, and Tuxedo Kamen…" She paused to swallow the painful lump that rose in her throat. "Tuxedo Kamen pushed me out of the way and he was hit." She turned to face the others, bracing herself for their censure, but there was no accusation in their expressions, no blame…only sympathy. Somehow, this only made Usagi feel worse.

"I tried to help him," she told them. "There was so much blood." Usagi could see it even now, soaking through his shirt, staining her trembling hands. "I tried to stop it, but…I didn't know how."

"It was likely your desperation to help him that summoned the ginzuishou," Ami said, glancing down at her computer screen. "I've been wondering if you're only able to summon it in times of great need, or if you always have access to it."

Usagi knew Ami well enough by now to know the genius wasn't merely thinking out loud. She wanted Usagi to try to summon the ginzuishou, but Usagi was hesitant to do so for a whole host of reasons, not the least of which was she was genuinely afraid of the crystal. But given that she wasn't especially keen to admit that, and everyone was staring at her in expectation, Usagi sighed and held out her hand. Closing her eyes, she tried to access her summoning magic but there was no tingle, no spark, and when she opened her eyes again her hand was still empty. Inwardly relieved, she feigned a look of apology when disappointment dimmed Ami's hopeful gaze.

Ami clicked her mini-computer shut. "I suppose, like the wand, the ginzuishou is linked to your power as Sailor Moon. Still, it was worth a try. I'll need to get readings on it the next time you transform."

Usagi gave a tight nod and retreated to her chair as Luna hopped up onto the coffee table. "Well then, that covers Usagi's portion of the events. The rest we know, aside from the extent of Tuxedo Kamen's injuries before he was taken."

"It appeared as though Usagi healed him after she awakened as the Princess," Ami pointed out, looking to Usagi. "Isn't that right?"

Usagi blinked in response. Her memories spanning the time between Tuxedo Kamen's injury and waking up on Jupiter's back were foggy at best, and while she'd been hoping to hear a more detailed account from the others, asking them to fill in the blanks now would only lead to more questions Usagi didn't know how to answer. She wasn't ready to talk about Serenity, and she had no desire to discuss her too-close-for-comfort encounter of the third kind. Though she'd been desperate to call for the Senshi's aid at the time, the moment had passed, and with it her conviction.

"He was still hurt," Rei said, breaking the silence and drawing Usagi's startled gaze. "From what I could tell, his wounds didn't look fatal, but he was too out of it to answer any of my questions. He just kept murmuring the same thing over and over…" When Usagi opened her mouth to ask the obvious question, Rei met her gaze, and the uneasiness in her expression made Usagi's stomach twist. "Keep her safe." Rei looked away as soon as the words had left her mouth, leaving Usagi to process them in stunned silence.

The white cat—Artemis, Usagi dimly recalled—stepped forward. "Right then, for now we'll assume Tuxedo Kamen is still injured. We don't know why the Dark Kingdom took him, but we do know that we need to recover him as soon as possible. Aside from the obvious reasons, his knowledge could be a liability." Artemis paused and turned his gaze to Usagi. "We can't afford to leave him in the hands of the enemy when he knows the Princess's true identity."

Usagi bristled but Luna nodded. "Artemis is right, but none of you can afford to lose sight of what is most important. The ginzuishou has been recovered and our princess has been found. You must strive to be more vigilant than ever." Usagi watched the others nod as Luna looked each of them in the eye. "With Tuxedo Kamen captured it is imperative that you look out for each other in battle."

Luna's solemn gaze landed on Usagi last. "I'm counting on you to be especially careful, Usagi. You are now the Dark Kingdom's number one target. It is crucial that you approach every battle with caution and allow the Senshi to protect you." Usagi frowned when Luna's eyes narrowed. "And that includes having your communicator with you at all times and using it to inform us of your whereabouts."

Usagi rolled her eyes. "Why don't you just slap a tracking device on my ankle?"

"Don't tempt me," Luna growled.

Usagi crossed her arms and slumped down in her chair before blowing out an angry breath. "Let me get this straight: a month ago you gave me the wand, told me how strong I'd gotten, and that it was time I step up and be a leader. Now some princess shows up and suddenly I'm the helpless mascot?"

Luna scowled. "It's not 'some princess', Usagi, it's the Moon Princess. The mission has always been to find the princess and the ginzuishou." Usagi tensed when Luna's scolding expression morphed into a look of wonder. "You're the only one who can wield the ginzuishou. You, Usagi…it's always been you." Luna's eyes shimmered with unshed tears. "Serenity," she whispered, "you are the mission."

Usagi edged back in her chair, thrown by the reverence in Luna's voice. Accustomed to the cat's withering glares, patronizing lectures, and general all-around disappointment, Usagi didn't know how to react to the newfound deference in Luna's gaze. A quick glance around the room revealed five similar gazes fixed upon her. Why were they all looking at her like that? What were they thinking? And how was it possible that with six sets of eyes staring at her, Usagi felt completely invisible?

'It's not you they see,' her mind whispered. 'They see her.'

With that one thought, Usagi's wavering heart hardened.

Planting her hands on the armrests, she shot up from her chair. "What do you know, Luna?" The angry words tasted bitter as they launched off her tongue. "You obviously don't have a clue, or else you would have told me all of this months ago when you barged into my room and ruined my life."

A chorus of gasps resounded throughout the room, and a wave of regret crashed over Usagi as Luna's delicate features crumpled with hurt.

"Usagi!" Makoto admonished. "You don't mean that."

Usagi opened her mouth to agree, but when the words refused to come Luna lowered her wounded gaze and turned away. Pursing her lips together, Usagi stared at Luna's hunched back as Makoto's statement echoed in her head. You don't mean that. Was Makoto right?

When a hand clasped her shoulder, Usagi turned her head and found Rei standing at her side. "Of course she doesn't mean it," Rei answered, meeting Usagi's eye. "She's just not herself right now. A lot has happened, and we're all feeling the strain. Sometimes that makes us say things"—Rei slid her fingers down Usagi's arm and clasped her hand—"and do things we regret. Sometimes we screw up and all we can do is ask for forgiveness."

Tears pricked Usagi's eyes as the memory of Mars's harsh judgement tingled across the skin of her left cheek, and her nostrils flared when Rei squeezed her hand. Usagi swallowed and gave Rei's hand an answering squeeze before nodding. "Right," she murmured, turning her attention back to Luna. "I'm sorry, Luna."

Luna nodded in acknowledgement, but Usagi knew her careless words would not be so easily forgotten.

"I think that's enough for today," Minako announced, glancing at the clock on the opposite wall. "It's getting late, and we all need to get home. Given the sudden surge in youma attacks, we should walk home in pairs. Everyone rest up tonight."

"Youma attacks?" Usagi echoed. "What youma attacks?"

Rei nudged her in the direction of the bedroom. "They happened while you were asleep. One last night and two today."

"What?" Usagi whirled around. "How did you—"

"They weren't very strong," Rei told her, anticipating Usagi's question as she grasped her shoulders and shuttled her through the bedroom door. "Energy stealers, like the ones we faced months ago." She grabbed Usagi's folded school uniform from Makoto's dresser and handed it to her. "We were able to take care of them without you. Get dressed."

Usagi did so in a hurry, her mind teeming with questions. Three youma attacks in two days was a lot to handle, even if they hadn't been as strong as their more recent foes. Kunzite's cold eyes flashed through Usagi's mind, causing her to drop the sock she'd been holding. Bending over to retrieve it, she raised her eyes to Rei, who waited by the door. "Why are they back to stealing energy?"

Rei's mouth flattened in a grim line. "We don't know. It's a strange shift in tactics, but what's got us more worried is the chaotic pace. Why so many unfocused attacks in such a short time span?"

The others were already gathered by the front door, ready to go, when Rei and Usagi got there. Makoto saw them off with one of her trademark smiles, but her green eyes were lined with strain when Usagi turned back for one last wave. As they exited the building, the group split up according to destination; Ami headed out with Minako and Artemis, while Rei and Usagi set off with a quiet Luna in tow.

Usagi didn't say much on the way home, feeling awkward and uncertain in the orbit of Luna's conspicuous silence. Rei managed to ease some of the tension by recounting the events of the youma attacks. Usagi did her best to pay attention, but her earlier fatigue returned with a vengeance and before long it took all of her focus to put one foot in front of the other. The cool night air had sapped what little energy she had left, and she longed for the comfort of her own bed.

When they arrived at Usagi's house she eyed the front door with a mixture of relief and dread. The odds of slipping inside and making it upstairs without crossing paths with her mother were slim, and weariness tended to inhibit her growing prowess as a liar. Feeling her nerve slipping, she turned to Rei and offered to walk her to the shrine, but Rei waved her off, insisting she'd be fine.

Usagi drew in a breath before heading inside where she was met by her mother, who proceeded to bestow a generous helping of effusive praise upon her daughter, reminding Usagi that she would be expected to bring home a decent grade in the near future. Usagi nodded along and offered a few vague replies before saying good night and heading upstairs. Though she was tempted to crawl into bed as soon as she reached her room, she forced herself to brush her teeth and change into pyjamas, marvelling all the while at her own exhaustion.

When at last she climbed into bed, Usagi stretched her weary legs into the empty space that Luna usually occupied and frowned. Their fraught exchange weighed heavy on Usagi's heart as she wondered where Luna had chosen to sleep for the night. Rei had been right; Usagi hadn't meant what she'd said…not really. While Luna could be overbearing, Usagi loved her dearly. She would have to find a way to make amends. Until then, she supposed she would be sleeping alone.

Rolling onto her side for comfort, Usagi turned her gaze to the window. She'd forgotten to close the curtains, and the moon's soft white light shone down unimpeded, casting a tranquil glow over the room. Ill at ease, Usagi raised a tentative finger to her forehead and felt nothing but her own skin. Did that mean she was safe? Whole?

Her thoughts turned to Tuxedo Kamen…and Mamoru. Wherever he was, Usagi prayed he was all right. If they rescued him—when they rescued him—how would things change between them? Would he join their team? Would they become friends? Usagi's conflicted heart clenched at the possibility. What would he want, and for that matter, what would she want? The whole situation seemed too complicated to comprehend, and Usagi's tired brain was begging for rest. She could worry about all of this tomorrow.

As she closed her eyes and drifted off to sleep, one niggling question lingered her mind. There had to be a reason why the Dark Kingdom needed a sudden influx of energy, but for the life of her, Usagi couldn't figure out what it was.


My thanks to everyone who's read this far!
We've reached a point in the story where I'd like to suggest another piece of mine, Descent Into Darkness. It's not mandatory reading as such, but I did write it with this specific story (universe) in mind, and now would be an optimal moment to check it out, chronologically speaking. It's a short piece (~6k) that I wrote for Dendy week in 2022, and it offers a glimpse of what's to come.
Feedback of any kind is humbly encouraged and greatly appreciated.