"Children! You wanted to go after children?!" Aphrodite screamed, livid. She paced around the lair, her hands on her hips. "Not even children, babies! Pregnant women! Where's your decency!"

Ares rolled her eyes. "Since when do you care? Since when does anyone care about what we do? We've never been 'acceptable' with our actions. Plus, that was ages ago."

"We've never attacked babies or other defenseless people before!"

"Emotions of pregnant women are better though. More excitement and that tastes sweet." Zeus laughed.

"I mean, I agree. Children is going too far," A shadowy woman commented.

"What do you know, Apollo?"

"You two have just been constant thorns in our sides! You don't want to take emotion and you fight over everything we do! All your plots suck too!" Ares pointed a finger at them. "Your powers aren't even good enough to destroy this planet like we're supposed to!"

"Our goal isn't to destroy the planet, merely purge all life on it." Another woman in the shadows said slowly.

Hermes remained silent with an unreadable expression.

"That's our job anyway." Poseidon shrugged. "We're just more powerful and have abilities more suited to that."

"You both suck! You're weak and you question too much! You should just leave!" Ares continued on.

"Ares!" Their leader looked at her with a tense look, but she was ignored.

"You two are too soft-hearted." Zeus said. "You aren't a descendant, so you don't understand the pain-"

"You aren't one either," Hermes stabbed, staring. "Almost none of us are direct descendants, only the original four and Mistress and Aphrodite are…."

"You know what? Fine! I will leave! I don't need you guys anyway!" Aphrodite finally screamed, storming away.

"Seconded." Hermes trailed after Aphrodite, who was marching away proudly. Ares and Zeus just returned to their usual activities, while their leader frowned at them.

"We are meant to stick together. You don't have permission to throw out people you don't like."

"I don't see you running after them." Zeus huffed. Poseidon stifled her giggles poorly.

"And whether or not we're descendants is irrelevant. We all share the same pain."

"You say that, but then you speak of things we don't remember or know!" Ares went back to her own corner. "Let me know when I need to collect emotions again."

Hermes and Aphrodite quickly disguised themselves upon leaving their hideout, knowing that was the best way to get help. Hermes disguised herself as a high school student in a dark blue sailor uniform with her hair tied back in a matching bow while Aphrodite wore a sleek black dress and gold jewelry, her hair crimped and flowing down her back. It wasn't the best they could do, but it would be serviceable at that moment.

The two walked off, deciding to split up and knowing they'd be able to find each other if necessary later on. Aphrodite walked the streets alone, having a confident sway to her gait and swinging her hips slightly.

"Wow, what a sexy chick! Didn't think we'd get lucky tonight!" Some college guys wolf-whistled at her as she walked past. She paused.

Aphrodite felt genuinely bad that Hermes might struggle to feed, never being one to attract attention even unintentionally. Their kind lived off emotions and too long without that would cause them to short out and die. But her? She would be feasting with how many gullible men she could capture with her charms. It was just like being back home and learning from her mother how to charm and trick carbon-based lifeforms and get them in the right moods for a feeding. Back home, it was easy for people like them, who often targeted the free-spirited and happy Venusians…

"Well? Did you hear us?" The guys called after her. She smirked and beckoned the three closer, following them to a college dorm that belonged to one of them, or maybe all three, it didn't matter to her.

"Can't get over how sexy you are, you're like some kind of goddess!" One purred, running a hand down her body slowly.

"Oh, if only you knew." Aphrodite unzipped her zipper and let her dress fall, revealing nothing underneath. That's right, she never wore underwear. What was the point? Just meant it took longer to get to the fun part. The guys all drooled at her, their eyes nearly popping out of their skulls. She flipped her hair. "Who wants to get me first? I can handle all three….."

Yes, she'd never go hungry on Earth at least.

/+/

Hermes ran down the dark street, trying to avoid as much danger as she could. She zipped and zoomed down alleys and wormed her way through gates, constantly moving. She didn't know where to go or who would be a safe spot. She didn't really care much for Earthlings, but at the moment she was desperate and defenseless and needed somewhere safe to recuperate, as well as a constant stream of emotion to feed from. That was the most important, and she knew she'd struggle with it because most didn't feel anything when they looked at her.

She kept running, tripping over a groove in the road and wincing, biting her lip to keep herself silent. She touched her ankle and cringed when she felt it was broken. This human body was so unathletic and not agile! Hermes very slowly stood up and limped down the street, trying to keep her balance. She'd stop at the first building she saw, period.

She eventually did come across a building, a small bakery with a tiny townhouse built into the back. All the lights were off inside, but that didn't matter to her. She gave one loud knock with her fist before she fell backwards and passed out on the street.

/+/

"I didn't know what else to do with her, Ittou-kun! I just felt bad!" Makoto explained in the morning when her husband woke up to an unfamiliar girl shoveling food into her mouth at their table. "Her ankle was broken too."

"I'm not upset, I'm just saying that now is a good time to be cautious. But I also get it…" he trailed off and looked at the girl. She looked so young and yet so old at the same time, somehow. She had eyes that glowed with inhuman energy. "I guess for now we have a second daughter."

Makoto sat across from her, placing her chin in her hands and smiling. The girl looked up with honey and rice sticking to her mouth, tilting her head.

"Is there something amusing for you to be staring at?"

"Uh, what's your name? I was really worried when I saw you on my doorstep passed out, especially in the winter, so I took you in." According to the calendar, they were already a week and a half into December, after all.

"I'm…Hermie."

"What a beautiful name!" she smiled.

"Mommy!" Mayumi ran into the kitchen, bouncing up and down.

"Yes?" Makoto rubbed her head.

"Strange lady! I don't like the strange lady." Mayumi automatically decided.

"Awww, she won't hurt us. She just wants a meal and some blankets. Now what's wrong," she scooped Mayumi up easily into her lap.

"Can I have breakfast?"

"Yes you can, if you help Daddy set the table."

"Yay! I'll be a good girl and help!" Mayumi jumped back down and ran around the kitchen, opening drawers to the very best of her ability while Ittou got out the plates. Makoto smiled as she watched them before focusing on Hermie.

"I'm sorry we don't have any space…but you may use our bedroom. First door on the left. Toilet is across from it and the bathroom is right next to it." she explained. Hermie said nothing as she left the room, hugging herself. Makoto sighed to herself, still feeling bad, but knowing there's nothing to be done. She instead focused on cooking breakfast for her family, thinking on what she had to do that day.

Her calendar said 'entice the public' which meant nothing to anyone else but made perfect sense to the Senshi. Today they were going to try and win over the public to the idea of Neo-Queen Serenity. Somehow. No pressure or anything.

After Mayumi went to daycare and Ittou went to work, Makoto dressed warmly in a green sweater and long skirt with a blue coat and brown boots on, a pink scarf and tights to complete the look. Perhaps it was a bit childish, but she liked it. She looked at herself in the mirror a few times, spinning around, putting her hands on her wide hips.

"Okay! Time to help our queen!" she grabbed the fliers Ami made and headed down to the shopping district where it was snowing lightly.

"Hi! Do you like Sailor Moon? Want to be ruled by her for eternity?!" Minako showed off the fliers and got in the face of every poor person who walked by. "Sailor Moon will become queen soon and rule you all! She'll turn the world into a utopia! She'll save you all from bad desires!"

"This feels wrong." Rei said bluntly. "Like we shouldn't be out here saying this to random people on the streets."

"They're not paying attention to us anyway." Makoto said. "What we're saying is unbelievable."

"We just gotta try harder! Sailor Moon will be the best queen ever! She'll unite all the planetary systems and be a just and peaceful ruler of Earth! Support Queen Sailor Moon!" Minako said.

"Sailor Moon? As a queen? I guess I could see that," A random person mused, taking her flier. "She's saved us all a bunch, after all."

"Yes! She's so happy you see her as the rightful ruler!" Minako waved them away.

"This sounds like a cult." Ami said.

"Well, wasn't that what Crystal Tokyo was? She brainwashed everyone into being kind and gentle all the time. No more bad emotions. Isn't that bad?" Rei said. "Doesn't that sound like a cult?"

"Maybe we weren't shown the full image." Ami said quietly. "Maybe that was only one possible future. Maybe we've already changed it into something better."

"Yeah, I mean Usagi-chan as we know her wouldn't act that way." Makoto reassured her. "Not the girl who reached out to nearly every villain, every antagonist, believing they could be good…"

She would never admit it, but she had her own doubts and concerns about the future as well. Her future self remained unmarried and never had a child, let alone an Eternal form. What had she done by ignoring all of that? Had she inadvertently doomed everyone? Or was Ami right and they had changed the future for the better?

"Queen Sailor Moon! She'll be the best ruler!" Minako kept announcing, handing out only two more fliers in the span of three hours. Makoto and Rei hugged themselves and shivered, while Ami still seemed unbothered by the cold.

"This is pointless. Let's just go back home." Rei said. "It's cold and we're not winning anyone over."

Minako huffed, tossing the fliers into the air and flipping her hair. "We just have to keep trying. They need something huge to convince them, I see!"

"Like the end of the world." Ami said suddenly, and the women left, their moods dull.

Makoto started to open her bakery for the day when she got a message on her pager, blinking.

"Huh?" She pulled it out and saw it was from Mamoru of all people, asking her if she remembered the name of her old orphanage and to continue their talk in a nearby park. She kept the sign closed and hurried to the park, choosing to stand so she'd be freed of the icy benches.

"Makoto-san, afternoon." Mamoru greeted her politely, dressed in a warm green jacket and black pants. "Thanks for answering me."

"Why so curious about my orphanage?" Makoto asked. "I haven't thought about that place in years…" She was only there for nine years, deciding to leave in middle school to try and make life on her own. It was a nonconsequential moment of her life that got buried in far more important and memorable moments, such as her life as Sailor Jupiter.

"Because…well, one way to be king is to take care of your people. Orphans and foster kids are treated rather poorly here and I wanted to help them out. My own life at the orphanage was…not great. I don't want more kids to suffer needlessly."

"You're such a kind soul." She thought for a minute. "I think it might've been Tender Hearts of Care."

His eyes widened. "You sure?"

"What's with that reaction?"

"That was the name of my old orphanage too!"

"What?! No way!"

He helped her into his car, but she spent the ride staring at him. "Are you sure? I would've remembered someone like you."

"Yes, I'm sure. And probably not. They kept the kids of different ages apart and I was much older than you so we never would've crossed paths. Plus, back then, I was….not in a good place. I just wandered around and was lost in a fog. A fog that was only broken rather recently when I joined this group." he explained.

When they arrived, the place looked just as she remembered it. A bright wooden door and garish windows with a heart on the sign. She carefully stepped in and bowed at the secretary.

"Hello! What can I help you with?" she asked nicely.

"We'd like to help out today! With the kids!" Makoto said. "Uh, like maybe reading or something….?"

"What can you do?"

Mamoru showed up and smiled at her. "I can read to the kids, but this one here is a great homemaker. Sewing, cooking, cleaning, whatever, she's the best at it,"

Makoto blushed.

"Lovely! Would you like to sew teddies with the older kids?" the secretary asked.

"That sounds perfect!" Makoto smiled back.

"Perfect! And you may read to our younger kids. What are your names?"

"Chiba Mamoru."

"Asanuma Makoto."

"Actually, could you write my name down as King Endymion?"

The secretary gave him a weird look but put it in anyway, directing Makoto up the stairs after giving her a visitor badge, leading her to a small room filled with desks and some sewing machines.

The older kids were sewing by hand, sitting quietly at their desks while they were overseen by a man with wavy brown hair wearing a simple loose yellow shirt and purple pants, the sleeves rolled up halfway on his arms. When he turned around, Makoto gasped.

"Honjou-san!" She bowed a bit. "I never thought I'd run into you again! I thought you worked at a kindergarten."

He blinked, trying to place her features. She still wore her ponytail, but otherwise her figure was thicker and fuller.

"Asanuma Makoto…but back then I was Kino,"

"Kino-san! Yes!" He smiled at her. "Being helpful with the kindergartners, I remember now. And yes, but they're on break right now so I come over here when they are to help out some."

"You're so kind." she beamed, feeling a bit self-conscious over the fact he hadn't seemed to age a day while she looked like a matron. "I want to help with sewing teddies!"

"Great! Just wander around and keep an eye on their progress and answer any questions!"

Makoto did so, smiling at the kids. Her green topaz engagement ring and wedding ring glittered in the light.

"Forgive me for the personal question, but are you married?"

She nodded. "Yeah! Right out of high school. He's the perfect man," She bent over and helped one confused kid who was making stitches crooked by accident. "We have a daughter too, Mayumi-chan,"

Honjou smiled warmly at her. "I'm so happy to hear you've blossomed well. Children are a miracle, aren't they?"

"I love my daughter! And how's your son?"

"Busy. He is part of his school's computer club so he's always there working on assignments and programming."

"Awww,"

"Help me, my ears are crooked!" a girl cried, and Makoto took the brown bear from her and looked it over.

"Hmmm.. this one looks fine, but the one on the right is a bit lopsided. The stitches are okay, but I think you just had the bear at the wrong angle. But I kinda like it, it gives it character!" Makoto smiled at the girl.

She sniffled. "You really think so?"

"I know so,"

"Then…I think I'll keep it like this! It gives him more personality!"

Makoto smiled at the girl. A boy couldn't figure out if he wanted a black or brown one and Makoto helped him decide on black.

After another hour, it was breaktime and Makoto took tea with both Houjou and Mamoru, who looked overwhelmed. She couldn't help giggling at his face.

"Reading was harder than you thought?"

"They mostly just ran around and wouldn't listen to me! I was afraid they'd break something." Mamoru sighed in exasperation.

"Younger kids can be tricky and not for everyone," Houjou nodded in agreement. "I love them, but I also feel I have a specific touch with them that keeps them calm."

"I'm just worried because I have my own child and what if I'm not good enough for her? What if I'm too distant or too smothering? Nobody really asked me if I wanted this, it all just kinda happened…"

"Mamoru-san…." Makoto breathed.

"The way I see it, it's something you learn on the job. Nobody is perfect and even now I'm making mistakes! But if you and your wife are enjoying the experience, then that's all that matters." Houjou smiled and sipped his tea.

"That's why I came here. To learn and to help these kids. This orphanage was where I spent a good chunk of my life and I owe it to these kids because I know how often orphanages can neglect and leave children behind." Mamoru said.

"You're a good person,"

"And soon you'll be a great king!" Makoto teased. "I also grew up here, but I don't remember much. I have more important memories now."

Houjou smiled at both of them.

When the day was over, Makoto was presented with a teddy bear, making her gasp.

"Keep it! You're nice!" the little boy smiled. Makoto softly smiled back.

"Thank you." she patted his head.

The two walked back to the car together, Makoto buckling up.

"Today was…an experience." Makoto said. "I didn't think I'd feel so sentimental towards my old orphanage, yet here we are." She gazed out the window. "What was it like, growing up there? I don't really remember."

"Me neither. I was lost in a fog of dreams. I robotically took care of myself, but that's all I could do. I stared at every girl who had earrings, trying to piece together my memories. I even observed you at first but quickly moved on. The earrings didn't match. And because of my distant nature, I had no real friends or anything. I just wandered around." he said. "By 15, I left. I had a small fortune from my parents and invested it in my apartment and studied lucrative fields I knew would pay a lot so I could keep taking care of myself. That's all there is to it,"

"I meant what I said. You're going to be a great king, and you're already a great father!"

"I just wish…I had the time to ask him more questions. Anything. There's still so much I'm figuring out on my own,"

She knew exactly who Mamoru referred to and thought of her own future self.

"Everyone is just figuring things out alone. That's where we are in our lives."

/+/

When she returned home, Hermie was sitting on the couch, reading a book intensely. Makoto stood in front of her. "Talk. Why are you here? I can sense your energy!"

The girl very slowly closed her book. "If I say I'm a villain of yours, will you attack me?"

"Depends on what you'll say." she put her hands on her hips.

"Me and another person, we were part of the group attacking you, yes. That's the truth. They thought we were too weak and questioned too much." Hermie began. "We're unfamiliar with life here, so she could be anywhere. I didn't mean to make myself vulnerable."

"Who are you and what do you want?"

"We just want to make this planet more suitable for us. No, that's a lie. We want the citizens of this planet to feel our pain. We used to be a part of your Solar System, eons ago. Before something happened. That's why I was shocked the first time I saw you all transform. I didn't know people from other planets lived here on Earth." She leaned back.

"You're Hermes."

"Yes." she smiled. "And right now, I have no love for them, so I don't mind telling you all of that. But I can't say anything more. Even I was often kept in the dark on a lot of things."

"If you need, you can stay here, so long as you promise to not harm me or my family."

"I…I need to feed. I feed off strong human emotions, primarily negative ones. We all do. How will you accommodate that?"

Makoto thought of their plans up to that point and frowned. "What happens when you feed?"

"Humans don't die, just faint for a little bit. We don't need much."

"Hm."

Hermes waited.

"You may feed off me, only with my permission, understand? I don't want to hurt you, but I also can't trust you just yet."

"I don't blame you. Thankfully, I'm not hungry yet." She returned to her book and Makoto got ready for bed, calling herself crazy for hosting an actual enemy in her house. Where her daughter and husband were! Thinking about what she said though, she brushed past her usual nightgown and instead slipped on her lacy black lingerie, smiling and leaning against the door when Ittou came in. Her hair was down.

"Hi sweetheart,~" she flirted, making him blush heavily.

"What's all this?"

"I'm bored and lonely…want me to ride you?"

"Sure!" He said eagerly, and Makoto had to break character and laugh at how excited he got every single time. Most nights when they had sex, she was on top anyway, liking to gyrate and rotate around while giving him a kiss. It was more fun for her that way.

Once they finished several rounds of sex, Makoto started to doze off, more exhausted than usual and thinking she knew exactly why. Just as she started to close her eyes, she was awakened by the door opening and the soft pattering of feet.

"Hm? Darling?" She looked over and saw Mayumi there, tears in her eyes and wet pajama pants. "Awww, wet your bed?"

She nodded shyly.

"Don't worry, Mommy will help you." She pulled on her yellow robe over her lingerie and pulled off the sheets, also throwing Mayumi's pajamas into the washer and drying her off, giving her a new pair. "Want to sleep with me and Daddy tonight?"

"Yes please!" she nodded happily and Makoto scooped her up easily and carried her to bed, letting her snuggle in-between her and Ittou.