It was supposed to become a bright and sunny day when the Tsukinos and Mamoru departed from the Azabu-Juban district of Tokyo.
Their family car was comfortable enough, carrying four people and their luggage for a one week trip to the bays of Kujukuri-Hama and Mamoru was really looking forward to seeing his fiancée again.
The last couple of months really haven't been that exciting from Mamoru's point of view. Diana had tried absolutely everything in order to gain more information concerning a possible pattern to find the Light of Hope, but neither the little girl, nor any sparkling Star Seed had shown up during this time.
Mamoru had taken the opportunity to go on with his studies and had been happy to pass several quite difficult exams with excellent grades. At least this side would have been sorted once he was back in his own time. Hopefully.
Also, the senshi business hadn't been touched by the presence of Diana and Mamoru. So far, it had only been Usagi's family and Luna whose minds had been manipulated by Artemis T and Mamoru was far away from doing anything like that to the Sailor soldiers.
"Frankly speaking, it could weaken their fighting capabilities once their minds are influenced by Artemis T." The little grey cat had pointed out once.
Particularly Ray's spiritual strengths could been disabled by using such a tool and since this was one of her best weapons in order to fight certain youmas, Mamoru had spoken himself against using anything like that to the senshi.
The other power of Artemis T - erase certain memories from their minds - unfortunately could only be used once and was quite tricky as well.
"There is a certain danger of erasing more things that we want to and thus, again will not help us in this case." Diana had explained to him.
So overall, they were still right at the start of their mission but at least they hadn't damaged or changed anything in this time.
While Kenji, Ikuko, Shingo and Mamoru were driving in the car, the raven haired man was deeply sunken in his thoughts.
Apart from her slight emotional outburst when she found out about Rays and Mamoru's so called 'relationship', Usagi hardly had any contact with her far relative Endy ever since then.
For some reason, she had avoided him and Mamoru was quite depressed because of this fact. She didn't show up and asked for tutoring, she didn't hang around with him in front of the tv, she had become a phantom again like at the beginning of his stay.
He knew that he didn't belong to this past, he knew that she wasn't supposed to know the truth about him and her but Mamoru missed her so much.
The few days she had planned to spend with Ray, Amy and Luna had reminded Mamoru how it feels like being without her and he didn't want this any more. Usagi was his family. She and their future daughter completed his life and Mamoru wanted to feel this again.
"We have a good run, there is hardly any traffic on the roads. I think we shall approach shortly our destination." Kenji cheerfully sung from his drivers seat and thus got Mamoru out of his daydreaming.
"Endy, have you ever been to this lovely side of Japan?" Ikuko turned her head around and smiled at Mamoru.
"I always thought of going there but never really had the time, I guess." He lied to her. When he was six years old, he was actually about to go on a trip with his parents but they died in a car accident before so he never got the opportunity to visit this place settled in the prefecture of Chiba.
He had to lie since Ikuko wasn't supposed to know this secret of him which he had buried deep inside his heart.
Ikuko turned her attention back to the street and uttered happily
"You really missed a lot but lucky you, we can go there together now."
After a short while, they arrived at a train station where Usagi already waited for them. She was sitting on her luggage, busy with chewing a huge portion of dumplings.
"Hey Mum, Dad, Shingo, Endy!" She waved excitingly over to the group which had just got out of the car and were walking towards her.
"I'm glad to see you being on time, Usagi." Kenji carried a sound of certain pride when he spoke to his daughter.
"I just said goodbye to the girls. Amy will take care of Luna and Diana as long as we are on holidays."
"I don't understand why your cat had accompanied you to your weekend trip, anyway?!" Shingo groaned and made his way back to the car.
"Come on guys, it's just a short drive to our hotel and then we can relax a little bit there." Ikuko suggested and also climbed back into the car.
Since Shingo stubbornly preferred to have his seat on the window, Usagi had to squeeze herself in the middle of the backseats. Dangerously close to Mamoru who was already frightened of the drive back to Tokyo in a position like this, being that close to his beloved Usako.
Lucky him, it was probably not longer than five minutes which he had to hold his breath and silently had counted to 10.987 until they arrived at one of the most wonderful places he had ever been to.
"This really looks like a good stay for a honeymoon." He admitted rather to himself while he was standing in front of the beautiful building.
His statement had caught Usagi's attention. She flushed deeply and agreed silently
"Yeah, this looks like an absolute dream. When I get married I want to stay here, too."
The hotel was like a gem lying in front of them. It looked like a mixture of a fairy tale castle and a crystal palace, surrounded by tall evergreen conifers.
‚It reminds me a bit of Crystal Tokyo.'
Mamoru suddenly realized that this building was probably sort of an inspiration for his later home in the future. A future which was in complete danger at the moment, thanks to the evil Sailor Galaxia.
By remembering his hopeless fight against the golden queen, Mamoru perceived a sudden pain in his head.
Usagi was still standing next to him, so she hurried over to him and managed to keep him from falling to the ground.
"Mamoru!"
The pain was still enormous but was actually nothing against the pure shock when he realized that Usagi just had called him by his real name.
"What?"
He said back while he sunk into her sky blue eyes.
She was starring at him and suddenly shook her head as if she wanted to wipe away some of her thoughts.
"Sorry,...Endy." She took her eyes away, embarrassed by giving him the wrong name. "This was just an impulsive Action from me I guess. Are you alright?"
Mamoru could nothing but smiled back at her. "Don't worry, Usa. Believe me, I don't mind at all."
He raised his head and finally became aware that he and Usagi were standing alone in front of the hotel.
"I'm good. Where are the others?"
"Oh, they already got in. Come on! Let's have a look at our rooms." She clapped her hands together in excitement as if nothing happened before and dragged Mamoru through the open doors of the hotel.
Inside, this place was absolutely breath taking.
'Pretty much the same as in the Crystal Palace.'
Mamoru stated in his mind and was simply amazed when he entered his room. It wasn't only a unique view at the sea he got but also a bright and cozy room with a comfortable king size bed, a silky floor in a warm ocher tone and a bathroom which was rather a spa with a huge whirlpool.
He could stay here forever and gave Usagi a happy glance.
"So you like it?" It was rather a conclusion than a question which had escaped her sweet wet lips.
"I really think this is a special place. Yes indeed, thanks for bringing me here."
He said while he was keeping eye contact with her instead of enjoying the wonderful view at the ocean.
Both just stood there and looked into each other's eyes. Some moments too long to pretend that it was only friendship which connected them but somehow it didn't matter.
"You know" Usagi started, her eyes still meeting his. "I've come a lot to this place with my family when I was younger. I loved it so much as it gives me a certain piece of mind. It feels a little like coming home, I guess."
Mamoru knew what kind of feeling Usagi wanted to tell him and smiled back at his eternal love.
"I see. It is indeed wonderful...like you are."
It came out without thinking. Although Mamoru always had been a quite self controlled person, this thought had passed unfiltered through his lips.
Usagi's eyes widened and when both realized what just had happened, they quickly turned away from each other. Color rising up on their cheeks.
"I...I..." Mamoru tried to find an appropriate way to get out if this but was suddenly saved by a voice coming from behind them.
"Hey guys! Come on, the beach is wonderful and the temperature of the water is nearly perfect! Let's get into your bathing suits and come with us to the sea!" Shingo's head popped up and while he was swinging his swimming googles in his hand, he gestured Mamoru and Usagi to follow him.
"Yeah, we are coming!" Usagi cheered back and walked slowly to the door. When she was standing in the door frame, she hesitated and turned back to Mamoru who was still standing in front of the big window.
"Thank you for the compliment...Endy." A slight flush still crossed her cheeks and within a second, she was gone.
Mamoru sighed deeply, trying to control his emotions and started to unpack his luggage.
"This trip is really challenging already." He muttered under his breath and hurried himself up to prepare himself for the beach.
Ten minutes later, he was ready to leave and met up with the Tsukinos at the entrance hall. With a confused look he inspected Usagi's pink bathing suit.
"What?!" She retorted to his no verbal uttered question concerning the condition of her pink bathing suit. "There were moth holes, thus I attached some yellow ribbons. It's my favorite one and I wanted to keep wearing it." She defended her outfit but only received a smirk by him.
"Good approach, Usagi love! That's environmental friendly I must say." Kenji admitted to his daughter and turned his gaze to the rest of his family. "Let's go, I can't wait to jump into the sea!"
The sandy beach was close to the hotel and at least the same impressive. It was not too crowded, so there were enough beach chairs and there was even a little bar which served snacks and drinks.
Usagi, Shingo and Kenji sprinted to the waves and by shrieking high they jumped into the waves. Ikuko and Mamoru watched them while they were busy with unpacking their stuff.
"No need to help me, Endy. Just enjoy yourself and have fun." Ikuko smiled at him and added "you really deserve to have a good time after you've studied so hard."
"Thanks, Ikuko. I'll go in later, I just wanted to finish a book for university." He said and was rewarded with a deep sigh.
"I really wish that Usagi gets Someone like you one day, this would have quite a good influence for her in order to become more industrious."
He couldn't reply anything as the rest of the family had decided to come out of the water.
"I'm starving and Usagi has hit me with the ball!" Shingo complained.
"Let's have something to eat then." Ikuko suggested and turned her eyes to her son. "Shingo, please help me with the order. The others can stay here in the meantime, we'll be right back."
"It is really lovely and the water quality is great!" Kenji spoke while he was busy drying himself with a towel. "So, Endy! What do you think of this place?"
"It's really great. I like it a lot." He replied, carrying an honest smile on his face.
"You see, this is where Ikuko and I spent our honeymoon." He winked at Mamoru and eyed him quizzically "So once you've finished university and are a proper doctor, do you want to settle down and find yourself a girl you want to marry?"
That was a question, Mamoru was so not prepared to answer, particularly not with having the past version of his future wife standing next to him. He took a tiny glimpse at Usagi who's face had turned at least three shades of red deeper than normal and finally replied to his sort of future father in law.
"Well, to be perfectly honest...there is someone in my life already and this place looks indeed to be perfect to spend a honeymoon in the future."
He didn't look at Usagi but he could sense her surprise and disappointment, written on her face when Kenji raised an eyebrow at him and asked
"I didn't know you have a girlfriend at all? What's she like?"
"Well, err...she...she is" Mamoru couldn't do anything against it and beamed at Usagi while he continued his description "She is a princess, I thought I could never have, nor that I could deserve her at all. She has the biggest of all hearts and loves her family and friends so much. She fights against the evil by night but lives the life of an ordinary girl by day. Never ever in my life I thought I could meet someone like her. She is lazy, clumsy, loud, forgets her homework, gets detention, eats a lot, sleeps during class...but, but she cares about others and is complete selfless and always brightens up any room she enters with the unique way she is. She rescued me from the darkness several times and...she is just so much more than her sweet outer appearance might show. I...I'm sure she is the right one."
There was nothing but silence once he had ended his speech and Mamoru wished nothing more but to kiss his little princess who was having crystalline tears in her eyes right now.