Something must have gone completely wrong with the protective shield. That seemed to be the only logical explanation for Mamoru regarding Zoisite's unexpected visit.

Unfortunately, it came at the worst possible time.

Paralyzed with horror, he had to watch as the blonde general of the Dark Kingdom inspected the cozy Tsukino home with a more than satisfied expression on his face.

"You have a very nice house here. Such a pity it doesn't have a view of the Starlight Tower."

In fact, it had become Mamoru's home as well by now. The place where he had spent so many happy moments with his newfound family over the past months. Why did this dreadful villain have to show up HERE and NOW of all times? They had already caused enough damage in the past; Mamoru couldn't allow the Dark Kingdom to destroy everything he had so painstakingly built up during this time!

But he could no longer wallow in self-pity. He had to act urgently as he saw Zoisite gradually losing interest in the Tsukinos' four neatly arranged walls and approaching the little red-haired girl menacingly. He grinned devilishly. Usagi and the rest of her family stared at the evil general in total disbelief.

"And so you live here. Such a little girl… and yet you already possess so much incredible energy. Queen Beryl will be very pleased with this unexpected gift."

"Not one step further!"

At the threshold of the living room, Diana had positioned herself threateningly, glaring angrily at her opponent.

"Hands off the girl, Zoisite," she hissed, "or you'll regret it!"

Zoisite eyed the small cat with a dismissive glance from above and mocked:

"Well, well, a little talking housecat wants to punish me? That's more than ridiculous! Hahaha."

"Diana means it dead seriously… she said not to come any closer, or you'll pay with your life."

Zoisite's laughter choked as he heard the clear and determined words of the little girl in front of him. Stunned, he looked at Kousagi.

"Huh… but aren't you far too young to speak so clearly already?"

Before Mamoru or Usagi could take advantage of the general's momentary confusion, the red-haired girl had already decided to follow through on her threat. In the blink of an eye, she summoned the immense power of the Star Seed within her, unleashing a massive pink cloud that soon enveloped the entire living room in a dense, pink fog.

When visibility cleared, a large, gleaming metallic sword lay on the floor in front of Zoisite. Only three small engraved red hearts next to a golden crescent moon on the hilt suggested that the toddler's energy must be contained within the sharp blade.

Immediately, Diana leaped toward the sword and boldly gripped the hilt with her mouth.

"Take dat, you dweadful old scoundwel!" she mumbled, and within a fraction of a second, a concentrated burst of energy shot from the sword's tip. The tremendous force hurled the Dark Kingdom's general against the living room wall with immense impact.

Unconscious, Zoisite slid down the wallpaper and lay motionless on the floor. Once again, a magical mist spread over the living room until a loud clap sounded, and visibility suddenly cleared.

"Chibi!"

Unharmed, Kousagi stood there, delightedly watching Diana as she grabbed the white cat ball and approached the knocked-out villain.

"This should do it. Thanks to Artemis T, Zoisite will remember absolutely nothing of what just happened here. The memory wipe works perfectly on villains too."

A pink flash suddenly illuminated the living room, and in the next moment, the still-unconscious general dissolved in a whirlwind of tacky flower petals.

"Holy moly! What was that just now? A blonde guy shows up, my niece turns into a sword, and the cat talks? That's totally insane! If I tell this at school tomorrow, everyone will think I'm completely nuts!"

To ensure Shingo wouldn't even get the chance to spill the planet's greatest secret, Diana aimed Artemis T at him and his parents next.

A few moments later—and with it, a complete memory reset for three people—the Tsukinos' perfect little world was restored. It seemed as if nothing had ever happened.

They all sat relaxed in the cozy living room again. All except Mamoru and Usagi, who looked at their fake daughter with bewildered expressions. She, in turn, was fully engrossed in her Sailor Moon doll play again.

"What was that just now?!"

Usagi repeated her brother's words, still not entirely trusting the restored peace. She tightly clutched her transformation brooch, ready to transform into her superhero alter ego at any moment.

"I think that was just a small taste of how powerful she really is," Mamoru said, more to himself than to his future fiancée.

Wherever Zoisite had been teleported to—they were completely safe here again. He knew that. Only once in his life had Mamoru felt so protected by a similar power. But the Imperial Silver Crystal had not yet appeared in this time, and its future owner was still far from aware of her full power.

Was this little girl really the key to defeating Galaxia? United with the Star Seed and transformed into a sword? Was it a dangerous situation that could unleash the power of the Light of Hope? Or would the energy perhaps be even stronger if Sailor Moon and Tuxedo Mask found each other? Maybe even in the midst of a dangerous situation?

Mamoru urgently needed to discuss the latest developments with Diana… but first, he had to ensure that Usagi was no longer unsettled about his appearance in the past and that she truly and completely trusted him.

That, however, could only happen after each member of the remaining Tsukino family had loudly yawningly excused themselves from the living room. Mamoru finally leaned toward Usagi and spoke to her in a quiet voice.

"I'm so sorry, Usako, that I couldn't be completely honest with you. This whole time-travel story is more complicated and convoluted than Diana and I had imagined. But I think we've come a good step closer today. Maybe we can complete this mission soon and then return, hoping that everything in my time will be alright again."

Usagi responded with a slight shrug, paired with a blank stare at the little girl in front of them.

"I probably don't even understand ten percent of what's going on here… but I also think she's incredibly powerful."

Mamoru looked at Usagi silently as she continued to voice her thoughts aloud.

"It scares me, and at the same time, I feel a deep love for her. But when I look at her, I also feel an infinite sadness… as if something is missing from her. And I would so love to make it right and help her."

Usagi turned to Mamoru. Her gaze was glassy as she continued to ask him.

"What is this that I feel so deeply inside me? This urge to want to make everything right again? Who am I? Before you came into my life, I thought I was just Usagi Tsukino… a completely normal girl. And then Luna came and told me I had to fight. I'm supposed to be Sailor Moon. But I feel there's another part of me entirely—beyond all this superhero stuff."

Tears welled up in her eyes. It almost seemed as if one of them might crystallize at any moment.

"Is there something more? Please, why do I feel like I was someone else before… and why do I know that you were there too back then?"

So many questions were reflected in her face… and so many more were hidden deep in her heart. But Mamoru couldn't alter the course of the past.

Under no circumstances.

Even if he desperately wanted to.

He had to leave. Soon. He had found the Light of Hope. Theoretically, he could leave this time right now with the little girl and Diana and travel to Elysion to try to unleash her true power. But something held him back as he looked into Usagi's sky-blue eyes.

"Well, kids, you're still awake. Now off to bed!"

Mamoru and Usagi were abruptly pulled out of their conversation as Kenji poked his head into the living room. Usagi quickly wiped away her tears.

"Tomorrow will be an exciting day for all of us. We don't want to miss it under any circumstances."

"An exciting day?" Mamoru heard himself mechanically repeat the words of his future father-in-law.

Usagi sighed deeply, clearly having given up hope of getting answers to all her questions that evening.

"It almost sounds like you've never been to Tokyo. We're all getting new kimonos fitted tomorrow for the upcoming celebrations of the annual Fukagawa Hachiman Matsuri."

"Exactly! And since it's obviously Endy's first time, he's getting an especially nice yukata."

"Oh, it's so wonderful that we're all going together as a family."

Next to Kenji, Ikuko had also poked her head through the doorway and added with a warm smile, "And for the first time, I can take my granddaughter to this amazing festival. It's going to be wonderful. But now, off to bed!" She clapped her hands cheerfully, grabbed her husband, and disappeared as quickly as she had appeared.

Left behind were Mamoru and Usagi, still sitting in front of their pretend daughter. The little girl had by now finished her game and was heartily yawning at her supposed parents, rubbing her eyes tiredly.

Mamoru voiced his concerns aloud.

"I don't know if it's a good idea to take her to such a public place after everything that happened with Zoisite today."

Usagi merely shrugged again and replied.

"Do we have any other choice but to follow the course of history? I go to this festival with my family every year; I don't see a problem as long as you get the protective shield for Kousagi working again."

Her eyes clouded over once more as she continued.

"I actually wanted to go with Naru this year too… She really needs a distraction from the thing with Nephrite. She was so endlessly sad at the cemetery."

For a moment, Mamoru was tempted to tell Usagi details about her future, just so she wouldn't be so sad again. But he just managed to catch himself and said to her.

"You can't protect Naru from her fate, but please don't worry, Usako. She'll be okay soon. Everything will turn out for the best. It might sound strange now, but… just be there for her when she needs you, okay? That's your greatest strength anyway."

"My greatest strength?" Usagi now looked at him with wide eyes.

"Yes, of course that's your strength. That's what defines you and makes you so lovable, Usako… you care about others… deeply and sincerely. You always put their needs first without hesitating for a moment. That's just you. You were born in this time. On this planet. You're Usagi Tsukino. No matter what questions you have. No matter what comes, please never forget that."

Her eyes remained wide with wonder, but Mamoru could now see a hint of realization in them. He hoped Usagi would understand that she simply had to act as she always had, without questioning herself.

It was clear that Usagi was beginning to remember fragments of her past life. But ultimately, what had happened back in the Moon Kingdom was nothing but a tragedy in which neither of them had been granted happiness. That was a different life.

Now they were Mamoru and Usagi.

And he wanted to live this life with her in peace and freedom. That's why he had decided to go to America. That's why he had ended up in this time, without his Star Seed. That's why he had found a new way to live with Usagi. That's why… it was so hard for him to simply give up this life.

Usagi still looked at him with her big eyes.

"Believe me…" he said, diving even deeper into her radiant sky-blue eyes. "You're the reason I'm doing all this. Because you are you… my Usako."

Usagi's cheeks turned rosy, and she nodded slightly, her eyes still caught in his gaze. Finally, it was the little gray cat who snapped them out of this special moment as she muttered softly to herself.

"Ahem, well… I just entered some data into my computer, and it looks like I made a small mistake with Artemis T when I tried to hide your fake daughter behind a protective shield. It was clearly my fault that Zoisite showed up here to claim this immense energy source for their schemes. I'm really sorry about that."

With her head lowered, Diana guiltily looked at her tiny paws.

"Don't worry, Diana. I'm pretty sure Zoisite won't try again, as he's probably quite busy… well, I mean…" Nervously, Mamoru flashed Usagi a smile as she was picking up the sleeping little girl from the floor. Then he turned back to Diana. "I think we've got Zoisite under control for now, given the circumstances."

Determined, Mamoru headed upstairs, and moments later, the rest of the conspiracy group followed him into Usagi's room.

"So, the villain isn't a problem for your mission for now. I get that. But what do we do next?"

Mamoru furrowed his brow.

"I think we need to start awakening the Light of Hope so we can leave this time as soon as possible. And for that, we need Motoki's help."

Diana pulled out her super-mini computer and began frantically typing on it. After a few moments of absolute silence—aside from the soft snoring of little Kousagi, who was peacefully slumbering in Usagi's arms—Diana spoke again.

"To follow through on Mamoru's words, we need to bring you two together… not you two, but you as a fourteen-year-old girl and Mamoru's past self. And we'd better start now rather than later. Motoki can surely convince his best friend to join him at the festival."

"Wait a minute… are you telling me I have to go on a date with that BAKA???!!!"

Usagi's face suddenly turned pale as a ghost.

"I know it must be confusing, but Diana believes that every time you and my past self meet, the Light of Hope seems to burst forth from Kousagi's body. So we need to… well… provoke such encounters to understand exactly what's happening and how we can use this power properly."

"The last time at the embassy reception caused the biggest reaction so far, didn't it? That's where we need to start and push it even further."

Usagi grimaced at Diana's words and looked uncertainly from Mamoru to the little cat and back again, while gently laying the sleeping Kousagi on the large bed.

"Wait a second… what exactly happened at the embassy after I drank that tasty juice?"

Straining, Usagi tried to reconstruct the events of that evening. Suddenly, she froze as a suspicion crossed her mind.

"Did we… did we actually… am I supposed to… so that the Light of Hope… uh… sorry, but I can't… not at this point… I mean… I… I…"

"Usako."

Gently, Mamoru lifted Usagi's chin with one hand and looked deeply into her eyes.

"You don't have to do anything with me. It's just about meeting you to figure out how we can properly trigger the Star Seed's energy. Apparently, we both act like magnets for it, so we just need to let these encounters happen. Nothing more. So don't worry, okay?"

There was something in her eyes that Mamoru couldn't quite decipher, but he believed her words when Usagi said with a slightly trembling voice.

"I think I'm okay with that… but right now, there's just so much going on in my life; I'm just worried about Naru. I have so many exams to write, then there are constantly new Youma, and I have to play an adult at home while being a normal schoolgirl for the rest of the world. And now I'm supposed to go on a date with Mamoru, I mean—"

"I know what you mean, Usako. And I wish for nothing more than for you to get your normal life back as soon as possible. It's completely okay to feel overwhelmed. But I'll make sure it doesn't come to that. And once we've completed our mission here, everything will be normal for you again."

After a short while, Usagi took a deep breath and declared.

"Alright, I'll do everything you ask of me… I'll even kiss the Baka if it's necessary for the mission. Sorry, I know it's you, but at this point, we're so far from being a couple… really, really far… oh my gosh, wouldn't you be cheating on Rei then? Or have you already? Did you actually kiss me at the embassy, or was it all just a perfect dream?"

"Okay, just to clear this up once and for all—and I hope I can put this to rest for good… Rei and I went out a few times—if you can even call it that—but we were never really together!!! At least not from my perspective. And I want you to know that even back when you thought my first name was BAKA, I was already completely fascinated by you."

After Mamoru finished his defense, a small smile crept across Usagi's lips. Her eyes lit up, and a hint of triumph shimmered in them.

"Aha. I see. Well, I always had a feeling you enjoyed acting like a complete idiot around me. But I didn't know your weird behavior was nothing more than some kind of bizarre mating dance."

Usagi giggled and was on the verge of bursting into laughter.

Diana finally brought them back to reason.

"Good. Now that that's all cleared up—can we all go to bed and see what happens tomorrow?"

"Aye-aye, Sir!" Mamoru and Usagi called out in unison and got ready for bed.

As they all lay in the huge bed, Mamoru took a deep breath.

"And once again, we're a tiny step closer to fulfilling our mission."

As he heard Usagi breathing calmly and evenly beside him, he whispered into his sleeping princess's ear.

"Even if you think there's no way back to living a completely normal life, you will one day. And I'll do everything in my power to make you happy again, Usako."