Motoki's coffee, famous far beyond the borders of the Game Crown Center, had always helped Mamoru maintain his focus in life and often carried him through the day after nights spent studying or fighting. This cherished ritual of coffee-drinking, combined with the unique friendship that connected him to Motoki, gave him confidence even in the current situation.

He and Diana had by now provided Motoki with all the necessary information about future developments, up to the point where Mamoru's Star Seed was stolen by Galaxia. They had even confessed to Motoki that his girlfriend Reika was a carrier of a Rainbow Crystal and would soon transform into a demon of the Dark Kingdom.

Motoki had always sensed a certain aura around Reika, but he was also relieved that, in the end, everything concerning her—and their relationship—would turn out for the best.

"Well, there are worse things than dating a demon who represents science among the bad guys," Motoki grinned broadly and savored the last sip from his cup.

"You've been here in this time for quite a while now, so it's all the more important that things in my timeline regarding Mamoru and Usagi remain stable. And even though it was a close call this morning, I'll do everything in my power to make sure you don't run into your younger self, Mamoru."

Mamoru took his last sip of coffee as well and nodded in agreement with Motoki.

"It would be an absolute disaster if you encountered your past self, since it's really difficult to manipulate the memories of such special Star Seed bearers—especially in your case. All the brainwashings you've been through, or from my time perspective will go through, wouldn't exactly help your already battered memory," Motoki said with concern, casting a thoughtful glance at his best friend.

"Battered memory?"

Before Motoki could stumble into an awkward explanation, Diana quickly jumped into the conversation.

"Good, so Her Royal Highness Epeios is in charge of shadowing the past self of the future King Endymion," she explained swiftly, adding, "and the two of us will ensure, with Artemis T's help, that a protective shield is set up around the little red-haired girl. That should keep her safe from the enemies of the Dark Kingdom for now, and with her, the future Queen Serenity and her family as well."

Mamoru was satisfied with the strategy discussed so far. It didn't sound half bad, and surely, with Motoki's help, the next opportunity to retrieve Galaxia's Star Seed from its current bearer would soon present itself.

In good spirits, he left the arcade and headed straight back to the Tsukino household. As he stepped through the genkan, he could already hear Usagi in the living room, clearly playing with Kousagi while using exaggerated voices.

"Hahaaa, now you're done for!"

"Stop it!"

"Huh? What kind of clown are you?"

"I, uh, I, uh… I'm chosen. I fight for love and justice. I'm Sailor Moon, and in the name of the Moon, I'll punish you!"

Mamoru couldn't help but smirk at this all-too-familiar dialogue. How close the obvious sometimes was, yet remained deeply hidden from most people. In the hallway, a vase of fresh flowers sat on a dresser. He plucked a red, long-stemmed rose from the colorful bouquet and peeked curiously around the corner into the living room. Usagi was holding a crudely painted Hello Kitty figure in one hand and a Sailor Moon doll in the other.

"Sailor Moon Kick!"

Kousagi clapped enthusiastically as the Moon warrior flung herself at her plush opponent, sending it soaring across the living room in a high arc.

"Just you wait, you'll regret this, Sailor Moon!"

The plush Hello Kitty clearly wasn't ready to give up and was about to pounce on the Sailor Moon doll when Mamoru instinctively launched his red rose at the villainous figure.

Swoooooooshhhhh!!!!

Usagi stared, utterly baffled, at the all-too-familiar weapon now embedded razor-sharp in the already battered stuffed toy. Slowly, she lifted her head, and their eyes met.

Mamoru swallowed hard. Usagi looked so different with her mature, magically altered body, but her sky-blue eyes couldn't be changed by any spell in the world. She was still the innocent teenage girl, though she now eyed Mamoru with a strange mix of suspicion after his somewhat impulsive reaction.

"I found Kousagi at the Game Crown Center," she explained, a hint of annoyance in her voice. "Your past self crossed my path there too… You're really such an unbelievable, conceited, nasty jerk, you know that?"

Even though this memory had only just been added to Mamoru's mind due to his presence in the past, it seemed to fit perfectly into a whole series of similar encounters with Usagi.

With a tired smile, he replied, "Well, if I remember correctly, you gave me plenty of good reasons to act that way."

Usagi pouted and shot back, still highly irritated by his behavior in this time, "Life isn't exactly easy for me right now, but you manage to drive me up the wall every time with your boundless arrogance."

Mamoru sighed. Usagi wasn't entirely wrong, of course, but this whole time with its confusing dreams about the Moon Princess hadn't exactly been a walk in the park for him either. He took a few steps toward her, pulled the rose from the Hello Kitty figure, and sat down next to his little family. Kousagi was happily playing with her Sailor Moon doll, completely engrossed. Mamoru almost envied her for that childlike ease, something neither he nor Usagi could enjoy amid all this chaos.

"I know it's not easy for you, Usako."

Usagi crossed her arms and deliberately looked away. He scooted a little closer.

"It must be really tough, fighting as a superhero at night, going to middle school during the day, and then playing a married mother at home. I really appreciate that you're taking all this on, and I can't take back all the insults I've thrown at you in this time, but you can be sure… I love you with all my heart, and we're doing all this for our future together."

The rose felt like a promise in that moment as he placed it in Usagi's hand.

"And I'll do my best to complete my mission so you can return to your normal life as soon as possible. Without all this chaos."

"Normal life!" Usagi repeated tonelessly, staring at the rose in her hand.

"How am I supposed to go back to something that can never be the same as before, Mamoru? Not since Luna told me I'm chosen and have to fight evil from now on. I'm supposed to save the whole world. Me, of all people! Sometimes I wish I could forget all this and have my normal, old life back."

Her voice faded to a whisper as her gaze drifted aimlessly around the room.

"My whole world around me is suddenly going completely crazy. On top of all this time-travel superhero stuff, I'm really worried because my best friend has fallen in love with one of our enemies… with Nephrite… and I have no clue what to do."

It was so utterly selfless of her—and at the same time so absolutely typical—that Usagi ultimately cared more about her friends than herself.

Mamoru would have preferred to avoid the topic of Naru entirely, since meddling like that could drastically alter the past. But in that moment, a saving idea—and a welcome distraction—came to him to pull Usagi out of her gloomy thoughts.

"If you're so worried, maybe you should talk to someone who could give you advice… Why not ask Motoki? He's really a great listener."

Usagi was visibly surprised by his suggestion, and her face flushed a few shades darker.

"Mo-Motoki? Uh… well… I don't know if we ever talked about this in your time… but I kind of… have a little crush on him going on."

Her confession made Mamoru burst out laughing, startling even Kousagi from her play. She looked up at him, puzzled, as he explained to his rather flustered future fiancée:

"Don't worry, Usako, it's fine. Motoki's my best friend. Go ahead and ask him, I don't mind… honestly, I can hardly think of anyone better to help you in this situation than him."

Usagi was still confused but decided to take Mamoru's advice.

"Well… maybe you're right, it can't hurt to ask. Watch Kousagi for a bit, okay?"

Without looking back, she marched out of the room with determined steps. As soon as the front door clicked shut behind her, Mamoru pulled out Artemis T and gave Kousagi a serious look.

"We'll keep an eye on you and make sure no one but us sees your special power. At least I can keep Usagi safe from that danger. She's got more than enough on her plate already."

With those words, he transformed Artemis T into a protective shield, which soon settled over the astonished girl like a magical veil. Mamoru could only hope that the Star Crystal's energy would remain invisible to the enemy. As for how things would turn out with Naru and Nephrite, unfortunately, he knew all too well.

To Diana's and Mamoru's amazement, the cloaking tactic worked astonishingly well for a few weeks. Living together as the newly formed Chiba family with the Tsukinos also continued to go smoothly. Mamoru was even able to resume his studies, as Ikuko fully embraced her role as a grandmother during his absences. Everything fell into place perfectly and felt like a completely normal life for everyone involved.

Everyone except Usagi.

A lot had happened since she decided to confront Naru about the dark side of the man her best friend had fallen in love with.

Nephrite, as it turned out, hadn't been such a terrible villain after all. On the contrary, he had stood up for Naru and protected her from Zoisite and her minions. But he had paid for that courage with his life. In his final hour, Usagi, as Sailor Moon, had been there for Naru, but since then, her best friend hadn't been the same, and it seemed she couldn't recover from this tragic loss.

This weighed heavily on Usagi and haunted Mamoru as well, because he might face the same fate as Nephrite if his mission didn't succeed.

The closer time crept forward, the more he was plagued by nightmares. Whenever he woke up drenched in sweat, he was immensely relieved to find Usagi by his side. Breathing calmly and steadily, she seemed like a sleeping, protective angel to him.

He wouldn't hesitate for a second to sacrifice himself for her. He would still fight for this planet too. But carrying a foreign Star Seed had changed Mamoru by now. Over time, the everyday life tied to this sweet existence he was currently living—one that meant more to him than anything else—had become something he desperately wanted to hold onto for as long as possible.

"That's the wrong decision. You're losing yourselves in an illusion."

Mamoru couldn't stand hearing Diana's daily mantra anymore. Highly focused, he muttered Latin vocabulary from a medical textbook to himself while Kousagi played on the floor beside him in Usagi's room.

"Arteria carotis, arteria femoralis, arteria radialis."

"Sailor Jupiter awakened recently, and now the hot phase of the hunt for the Rainbow Crystals begins. Our mission has to be completed in the next few weeks; time is running out."

"Arteria subclavia, arteria tibialis, arteria ulnaris."

Annoyed, the little cat yanked the vocabulary notebook out of Mamoru's hands.

"Your Royal Highness! You know everyone is counting on our success and that we can't fail. That's not an option."

Mamoru sighed and shot his time-travel companion an equally annoyed look.

"I know, Diana, I know… but I can't help it. We haven't found a way to get the Star Seed out of Kousagi yet, but the Dark Kingdom isn't after her either. We're stuck in this time, and I just want to make the best of it, okay?"

Mamoru took the notebook back and was about to dive back into his terms when Diana lost her patience. With her paw, she flung the notebook to the floor.

"Arghhh, Your Highness, damn it, how many times do I have to say it?! THIS isn't your reality! No matter how much you try to sugarcoat it!"

Mamoru stared stubbornly at the book in front of him.

"Why can't I be happy, Diana? Why can't I enjoy what I've always wanted right now? You don't know what it's like to grow up without a family. To be without parents and always have to manage life on your own. This, with the Tsukinos and Kousagi, feels so good. It's the best thing I've ever experienced in my life."

Diana sighed heavily and rubbed her forehead with her paw.

"Before we traveled to the past, I swore I'd protect you… even if it's from yourselves. Prince Endymion, this is neither the time nor the place where you belong. Our journey was never anything more than a means to an end—to find the light of hope."

"A means to an end?!"

Now Mamoru was angry. He glared sharply at the little cat in front of him.

"This life here means everything to me. Everything! And I won't give it up that easily! You can't stop me from that, Diana!"

Before Diana could argue back, they heard the bedroom door open. Surprised, they both turned around.

"Chibi Chibi!"

The little red-haired girl ran cheerfully toward Usagi. An unsettling, inscrutable expression lingered on his fiancée's face, alarming Mamoru.

"Is everything okay?" he asked cautiously.

Usagi pulled a shiny golden object from her skirt pocket and held it out to her friends.

Mamoru froze.

"I found this music box today at a cemetery in Yokohama while I was there with Naru… it looks exactly like yours, Mamoru."

In the most literal sense, Mamoru's past was catching up with him twofold right now. Today wasn't just the day he had lost his music box during the fight against Zoisite; it was also the day he had regained the first shard of the Rainbow Crystal—and with it, a crucial piece of his memory. But he never would have imagined that Usagi would uncover his secret identity as Tuxedo Mask on the very same day he had.

Now there was no way to deny the obvious any longer.

Mamoru took his star locket from his pocket and confessed,

"Yes… that's my music box…"

"So… does that mean you're…" Usagi's voice trailed off as she saw him slowly nod.

She gasped and stared at him with wide eyes.

"But you said you were the Moonlight Knight! And that Motoki definitely had nothing to do with it! You can't be my Tuxedo Mask… that's impossible… I don't understand any of this… who are you really?!"

"Usako… please… there are very good reasons why I can't tell you everything." Mamoru desperately searched for an explanation to calm her, but she only snapped back:

"I think that's not the only lie you've told me here… seriously, be honest for once and stop all this secrecy, or get out of my life!!"

Before Mamoru could respond, they heard Ikuko's voice from downstairs.

"Usagi, Mamoru! Kousagi! Come down, dinner's ready!"

Usagi automatically called back without breaking eye contact with Mamoru:

"We're coming!" – "This isn't over. We'll talk more after dinner… I'm starving!" Without another word, she turned and raced downstairs like a whirlwind.

Mamoru swallowed hard. It felt like everyone was suddenly against him.

--

During dinner, Usagi acted toward her parents and Shingo as if everything was perfectly fine. Once again, Mamoru could only admire her ability to so perfectly conceal her secret identity. But he knew that all the confusion he saw in her eyes—hidden behind a mask of false happiness—stemmed from him and this foolish idea of inserting himself into the Tsukinos' lives.

Maybe Diana was right, and he didn't belong here after all.

When dinner was over and everyone had settled into the living room, Mamoru sat down next to Usagi on the floor. As he watched Kousagi play with the Sailor Moon dolls again, he spoke quietly to his fiancée:

"Please don't be mad at me for not telling you the whole truth… if you want, I'll explain everything upstairs later."

Usagi gave him a long look and finally murmured softly:

"You know… I think I've suspected for a while that you're Tuxedo Mask… maybe because I feel like your past self, despite all the nastiness, isn't actually that bad. I mean, unlike Motoki, he encouraged me to talk to Naru about Nephrite, and he even once said that true beauty only comes from within when I wanted to become a model. And Tuxedo Mask often shares those kinds of wise words too, always encouraging me and sometimes giving me a good talking-to. Oh, sorry if this doesn't make any sense to you." With an apologetic smile, she continued, "You're obviously my future… but I think you're different from Mamoru-Baka… it's so weird and complicated."

It was the missing Star Seed that made the difference. Not only the futile attempts to transform into his old self, but also the fact that Galaxia's Star Seed only surfaced in interaction with his past self, struck Mamoru like stabs of truth in this moment of realization.

Still, Mamoru wanted to hold onto this life.

"No, it's not that, Usako. I think I understand what you mean… but—" he couldn't finish the sentence as a storm of cherry blossoms suddenly burst into the Tsukinos' idyllic living room.

Right in front of the little red-haired girl, the pink nightmare of petals condensed into a figure.

Mamoru froze as he recognized none other than Zoisite, casually stepping out of the rosy whirlwind.

"Chibi?"

In Kousagi's hand, instead of the Sailor Moon doll, was Artemis T. For whatever reason, she had managed to deactivate the protective shield.

Once again, Mamoru's entire life was in immediate danger of falling apart completely in an instant.