Chloroform by Nephthys Moon

Aino Minako was not meant to be alone.

Conversely, she knew that she would always be alone.

Cursed in a past life because she couldn’t keep her hands to herself, the blonde knew that her only hope lay in the impossible; her Queen’s forgiveness. Stupid Aphrodite, she fumed. You just couldn’t leave him alone, could you? Now look at us! She knew it was useless to chastise the former goddess within her for the misdeeds of her past, but there were times she simply couldn’t help it.

She stared down at his handsome face, once more bloodied from her blade, and willed the tears to come. Her heart was ripping in two for what felt like the billionth time, and she couldn’t even summon the tears anymore. She stared at him with a grief too powerful for wails, too strong for sobs, and watched as the life faded from his eyes, leaving them blindly open and empty of the remorse and pain that had filled them just moments ago.

A gentle hand on her arm drew her attention from his face as it began to dissolve into nothing, leaving an ancient stone behind. She spun to see who dared to touch her only to meet brilliant blue eyes filled with compassion and tears. She shook her head. Usagi-chan really was too soft-hearted for her own good.

“Pull yourself together, Sailor Venus,” came the harsh voice of Hino Rei, and Minako glared at the girl for a moment. The miko’s voice turned softer. “I know what you are feeling, V-chan, but we have to continue on.” The sympathy and understanding in the normally snappish girl’s voice was nearly her undoing, but she nodded swiftly and led the charge towards their destiny.

As she lay dead mere hours later, her life sacrificed for her Princess once again, the goddess prayed that this time, her willingness to die for the one she’d wronged would be enough. It seemed that no matter how many times she was reborn, she was destined to make the same mistake, take the wrong path, no matter how hard she tried to avoid it. And this time, she was so positive that she had done it right. __________________

Tokyo, Japan Two Months Earlier
Minako was late. It wasn’t her fault – she’d woken up after the alarm had gone off and was rushing towards the school when she connected solidly with a warm, male body and fell to the ground.

“Dammit, Odango,” the man began, before looking down at her in consternation. For her part, Minako was humiliated. “You’re not Odango,” he said quietly, looking shell-shocked and vaguely disappointed.

“Aino Minako,” she offered, raising her hand. He lowered his, eyes wide, and helped her up.

“Chiba Mamoru,” he said. “Sorry about that – I thought you were someone else.” She smiled at him.

“So I gathered.” She couldn’t resist laughing. The surprise and embarrassment on his face was simply too adorable.

“Odango has a habit of running into me when she’s late,” he explained, his blush deepening. “The way you came barreling around that corner and crashed into me – forgive me.”

“Not at all,” she laughed. “It was completely my fault. I should have been watching where I was going, after all. As it happens, however, I am late, much like your friend Odango.”

“Friend?” It was his turn to laugh, apparently. “Hardly. Just a girl I know – and only because of our – er – collisions.”

“Well, I imagine that is what you’ll tell the next girl who runs into you about me. ‘Minako – no, she’s not a friend, just some girl I know from our collisions,’” she teased. He laughed, suddenly, the sound flowing over her like a warm breeze. “It was a pleasure to meet you, Mamoru-san, but I really am late now.” She bowed once and smiled when he returned it, then took off running towards the school. Had she turned to look back at the handsome stranger, she’d have noticed that he was standing as though stunned, mouthing her name and shaking his head as though he couldn’t believe his luck.
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“Princess,” he whispered, shrugging off the nagging feeling that something was wrong with this encounter. Mamoru continued walking towards his school, mulling over the meeting in his mind. Two nights ago, he’d watched from the shadows as Sailor Venus had been revealed as the Princess he had been searching for and as she’d dropped her transformation, introducing herself as Aino Minako. It seemed that this morning’s ‘collision’ was a fated encounter, one he fully intended to take advantage of.

As he continued on his way he recognized a now familiar sensation, one of being watched, that had haunted him for the past two days. He didn’t bother to turn knowing that if he did, he would see no one, though the feeling would persist until he entered a building. He finally made it to school, slipping into his seat and opening his book just as an unfamiliar face appeared in the doorway.

“Class, please welcome Akihiko Ryuu,” the teacher announced, gesturing towards a young man with long silver hair. Mamoru stared at him, a flash of recognition sweeping over him. “Akihiko-san is transferring into our class from America, and I’m sure you’ll all make him feel welcome.” She turned to the boy. “Akihiko-san, take the open seat in the third row, please.” The boy ambled towards the empty seat next to Mamoru and offered him a friendly smile. Mamoru ignored him. Something about the boy – it didn’t sit right. He couldn’t place the feeling, but he knew it did not bode well.

Within a day, that feeling had vanished. He forgot it even existed. He and Ryuu walked towards the arcade after school, chatting like they were the best of friends. Motoki’s eyebrows rose into his hairline when they walked in. Mamoru smiled at him, and the two friends sat down at the counter, where Motoki quickly placed two cups of coffee. For a time, the only sound was their chatter.

Girlish laughter pulled all attention to the doors, and Mamoru smiled at the sight of his nemesis, walking into the arcade with a manga in her hands, laughing hysterically at whatever she was reading.

“Oi, Odango!” he called. “I didn’t know you knew how to read!” Silence fell, and he wondered if perhaps this time he’d gone too far. Her book hit the floor and angry blue eyes lit with passionate fire. Ryuu was staring, whether in surprise or horror he couldn’t tell.

“Jerk!” she screamed, flouncing the length of the room to stand defiantly before him. He hid his smile. “Of course I can read!”

“Could’ve fooled me,” he taunted, waiting for the wails that he was sure were coming. Her face screwed up for a moment before she seemed to gain control of herself. She gave him a cold glare, one that he would have sworn she was incapable of just a day before, turned on her heel and stalked to the corner table that she and her friends had claimed as their own. She stopped to pick up her manga before she sat down and buried her face in it again, putting her back to him. Mamoru found himself vaguely disappointed. Torturing Usagi was one of his favorite pastimes. If the girl was suddenly going to grow up he would lose a lot of the enjoyment in his life.

“Are you that mean to all the girls?” Ryuu asked curiously, staring at Usagi as though he’d seen a ghost.

“Just that one,” Motoki put in. “If I didn’t know better, Mamoru, I’d say you were disappointed that Usagi-chan didn’t rise to the bait.” Mamoru turned to stare at his friends.

“A little,” he admitted slowly. “Odango’s tantrums are always good for a laugh.”

“Usagi-chan!” came a feminine voice from the doorway, making them all turn. Mamoru felt his jaw drop. Aino Minako – his Princess – was friends with Usagi? Ryuu stared at the blonde as well, eyes wide.

“Oh, Minako-chan!” Usagi answered, jumping up from her chair. “Come sit here!” She pointed at the seat next to her and Minako ran over to the other girl and joined her at her table.

“Wait a minute,” Ryuu said carefully, a considering look on his face. “Didn’t you say you met a Minako yesterday?” Mamoru nodded. “Then we should join them.” Mamoru felt his face slacken. Join Odango? Was Ryuu mad?

“Ryuu-kun, I don’t think that’s a good idea,” he muttered, but Motoki quickly spoke up.

“I think it’s a great idea.” Motoki’s smile was devilish and Mamoru turned his trademark cold stare on his best friend.

“Come,” Ryuu ordered him. “I’d like to meet this Odango and her friend.” He stood and walked in their direction, leaving Mamoru with little choice but to follow him.

“Mamoru-san!” Minako exclaimed, clearly delighted to see him. “Join us!” Usagi turned her glare on her friend and muttered something under her breath.

“Of course, Minako-san,” he said easily. “This is Akihiko Ryuu, a friend of mine from school.”

“Pleased to meet you,” Minako said cheerfully. Usagi was staring blankly out of the window to her left, pretending the two didn’t exist. Mamoru and Ryuu sat down and Minako immediately engaged Mamoru in conversation, leaving Ryuu to stare at Usagi. While he tried to pay attention to what his Princess was saying, Mamoru felt his eyes drawn to the other two.

Ryuu had introduced himself and Usagi had deigned to speak to him, albeit very formally and coolly. As Minako chattered on, Mamoru watched as a smile crept over Usagi’s face at something Ryuu said to her. Within ten minutes, he had the girl laughing with an easiness that Mamoru couldn’t help but envy. When Usagi finally looked at the clock nearly an hour later with a customary wail, the two were obviously fast friends.

“I think it’s a great idea, don’t you, Mamoru-san?” Minako asked him. He was embarrassed to admit it, even to himself, but he had no clue what she was talking about.

“Of course,” he lied smoothly, wondering what he was agreeing to.

“Dinner tomorrow night it is, then,” Ryuu said happily. “We’ll meet you girls here after school.” Mamoru stared. He’d just agreed to dinner with Odango? She looked a little less pleased than he did about the matter, he noted before she nodded once and ran from the arcade.

“Oh, is that the time?” Minako said, a startled look on her face. “I have to get home, too.” She stood and gathered her things, picking up Usagi’s school bag from the table. “Oh, no! Usagi-chan forgot her bag!” As much as he hated to admit it, Mamoru knew where she lived.

“I’ll take it to her,” he offered, holding out his hand. “I walk right past her house on my way home.” Minako smiled at him as though he were a saint, and handed it to him. She waved to them and walked out, leaving him to wonder how in the world he’d manage to escape from this without Usagi screaming at him.
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There were few nights she loved so much as Thursdays, Usagi decided. Her father worked late, her mother did the shopping and her brother was at practice for whatever sport he was currently playing. She had the house to herself, and she enjoyed it. When she came home from the arcade, she’d take a long, hot bath, soaking for at least an hour in the steaming water before washing her hair and carefully brushing it until it shone. She’d put on her favorite pink slip and listen to her favorite music and get lost in her favorite daydream of Tuxedo Kamen while she lounged on her bed in complete repose.

Yes, Thursdays were definitely her favorite school nights, she decided, sitting in front of her vanity with her hairbrush in one hand and a lock of long, silver-blonde hair in the other. The pink slip was silky against her skin and her lips were tilted into a slight smile. A ring of the doorbell startled her from her toilette and she groaned, reaching for her silk kimono and wrapping it quickly around herself as she rushed down the stairs.

The bell rang a second time as she reached the door and she frowned. Her mother never rang twice. When she opened the door, her jaw nearly hit the floor. Mamoru was standing in the doorway, an impatient look on his face and her school bag in his hands. By the street was Ryuu, who was clearly waiting for him. Usagi felt herself turn the same shade as her slip as both boys stared at her for long moments. She suddenly wished she’d put on something more modest.

“You left your bag,” Mamoru said quietly. She fought the urge to cry. Her worst enemy had just seen her in a nearly indecent state, and he seemed to be staring at her breasts. He held out her bag and she took it, her arm falling limply to her side with the weight.

“Thank you,” she murmured, unsure of what else to say. They stood in silence for long moments, Usagi staring at his feet, feeling his gaze on her chest when he suddenly seemed to snap out of it.

“No problem, Odango Atama,” he teased. “You should wear your hair down more often. You look almost pretty that way.” Her eyes rose up to meet his, and she was unable to hide the hurt in them. He took a step back, shame written clearly on his face, before waving an awkward good-bye and rushing towards Ryuu. Usagi stared at them for a long moment before she closed the door with a loud thud.

Mamoru had just seen her in her pink slip. The thought would not leave her mind. Mamoru – her worst enemy – had just seen her in her pink slip. The only thing she could imagine worse was if someone like Kunzite had seen it. She shuddered.

The bag fell to floor as she crumpled, her knees giving out, and she slid to join her bag. Tears streamed down her cheeks, silent for once in her abject misery. She would never forget this humiliation; it was far worse than anything he could have ever said to her.
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Kunzite smiled softly to himself. His plan was working.

When Zoisite had removed the mask Tuxedo Kamen wore, Beryl was not the only one who had recognized the face of the Prince. Memories had flooded the leader of the Shitennou as he’d gazed upon the once-familiar features. Suddenly it had all come back to him; Beryl’s corruption, the fear that the Earth would go to war with the Moon over the lies of an evil red-headed temptress…

Kunzite shuddered. He’d left the Dark Kingdom immediately and begun to follow Chiba Mamoru, watching the man to make sure that he wasn’t mistaken about his identity. He’d taken on a human glamour and enrolled in his Prince’s school, posing as a student to be close to his Prince. Careful conversation had led him to believe that Mamoru had no recollection of his past life – nor the identity of the Princess. Kunzite knew that only the Princess could bring his master’s memories back – and only with the power of the Ginzuishou.

It was ironic that he’d once searched for the Princess to appease Beryl and now he was looking for the wench to thwart her. His face turned menacing as he remembered his life before Beryl in this time. He’d been happy, he remembered. He had known who he was and what his purpose was; and then she had arrived.

Her hair was spun gold, her eyes a crystalline blue. Her face was as familiar to him as his own reflection. She hadn’t had to work to seduce him, he knew; he’d fallen into her arms and her bed as though no time had passed, as though it had only been yesterday that he’d first lain with the goddess among the scent of his master’s roses. Only after he’d screamed her name in his pleasure had the dream become a nightmare; the beautiful visage melted away, skin bubbling and cracking, sliding off her skull to reveal the horror behind the glamour: Beryl.

“Ryuu-kun?” The voice pulled him out of his melancholy. He was at his Prince’s side now, and that would have to be enough.

“Sorry,” he muttered. “Lost in thought.”

“It’s alright – I’m the same way,” Mamoru assured him. Kunzite smiled. His master had always been that way – understanding and compassionate. It had been his downfall in the end; first trying to reason with the insane witch who’d wanted him no matter the cost and then with his Shitennou when they’d turned against him, corrupted by dark crystals the woman had shoved into their bodies. Even now he could feel it pulsing; a siren’s call that urged him to capture the man beside him and bring him to the woman that wanted him most. He suppressed the urge; he would never turn his Prince over to her. If it took his last breath, he would not fail to protect his master this time.

The two men sat in comfortable silence, text books spread out before them as they studied for an upcoming final. When Mamoru’s attention was sufficiently engrossed in his work again, Kunzite allowed his mind to drift to the events of the afternoon. He found himself oddly drawn to the blonde that Mamoru had introduced only as ‘Odango’. Her face was familiar to him, and he didn’t understand why. It wasn’t the perfection that Beryl had used to trick him – no, that face had more defined cheekbones. That hair was the color of honey, not a startling silver-blonde, and the blue of the eyes was not quite the same. Still, he mused, the similarities were striking. And there was that pull – as though he had known her before and was meant to know her again. He just couldn’t shake it.

Her friend had been easily manipulated; Kunzite could sense the attraction the other girl had for Mamoru and had played upon it, getting her to agree that the four of them should spend time together the next night. Something told him that the Odango could hold the secrets to his past. While so many of his memories were clear to him, they all centered on the Prince and his life with him, but Kunzite knew that there had been more. The goddess – the goddess needed his help. And the Princess. The Prince needed her. He had to find them both. He couldn’t recall either of them clearly, just that they were cousins and looked enough alike that his goddess had occasionally pretended to be the Princess so that girl could steal away to meet his master.

The Odango was the one that could hold the key, he was sure of it. He just had to find out how to get her to reveal it without revealing who he was. The same feeling that told him that there was more to his past than just his Prince also assured him that his goddess would not look too kindly upon him if she were to discover his identity.
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Mamoru was grateful that Ryuu seemed to be so engrossed in his books; it gave him a few moments to himself. He desperately needed to sort through his thoughts. The Princess…why did he not feel complete when he was with her? Was it because he had yet to discover the Ginzuishou that she was begging for? And why did his heart still beat faster when he thought of Sailor Moon, knowing, as he did, that Sailor Venus was the girl that haunted his dreams? He pulled up a mental picture of the dreams, superimposing the memories of Minako over the Princess, but she stubbornly refused to fit.

Instead, he saw a vague outline, far too indistinct to be satisfying – wearing a pink silk slip and matching kimono. He buried his face in his hands and emitted a soft groan. He had to burn that image out of his mind. Odango in her nightclothes was not something he should be thinking about. Nor should he be thinking about the gentle swell of her breasts thrusting against the silk, pale and creamy and – he had to stop this.

Aino Minako was the Princess. He was in love with the Princess. And Usagi was Minako’s best friend – and if he’d judged the situation from this afternoon correctly – his friend’s new girlfriend. He stole a glance at Ryuu’s profile, haunted by the feeling of having seen the other before. But where? And when?

You’re losing it, Chiba, an inner voice mocked. He shook his head. Talking to oneself was normal – healthy even – so long as you never answered yourself. That was when true madness began. A tender smile crossed his face – he’d caught Usagi at it a time or two. She was utterly adorable when she was debating the merits of chocolate shakes versus candy to herself – not that he’d ever admit that.

FOCUS! he shouted mentally. Aino Minako is the Princess. He loved the Princess. He had to remember that or he’d drive himself around the bend. He had to think about Minako now. He certainly did not need to be thinking about Usagi’s breasts and chocolate in the same moment or he’d embarrass himself and Ryuu would probably laugh at him. For some reason, he felt comforted by Ryuu’s very presence – as though Ryuu were his calm port in a storm.

Great, he thought disgustedly, the next thing he knew he’d be imagining Ryuu covered in chocolate. The thought was enough to make him gag and Mamoru hastily shoved the mental image aside into the corner of his mind covered in big red X’s and labeled Never Go There Again. He really was losing it, he decided.
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“Not that one, Usagi-chan,” Minako said critically as she discarded yet another dress Usagi had pulled out of her closet. “That one makes you look like a school girl.”

Usagi raised her eyebrows at her new friend – her Princess. “I am a school girl,” she reminded her.

“Yes, but tonight we don’t want to look like we are!” Minako exclaimed. Usagi was forced to smile and nod. Really – her Princess had such an overwhelming personality. One minute she was calm, cool and collected – and the next…Usagi sighed slightly as Minako walked over to her closet and began to rummage through it, finally pulling out a black sweater and short pink skirt.

“This is what you’re going to wear tonight,” Minako said decisively. “And you’re going to wear your hair down.” Usagi cringed. If she wore her hair down, Mamoru would think that she’d taken his advice to heart – and she would never give him that satisfaction. Besides, she hadn’t left the house with her hair in anything other than her trademark odangos in more years than she could remember. She shook her head, denying the suggestion.

“Don’t give me that, Tsukino Usagi,” Minako ordered, the Princess voice coming out. “You will look fabulous with your hair down around your shoulders – just like a goddess. I insist.” Usagi sighed. Who was she to deny her Princess?

“If you’re sure,” she began hesitantly, wondering a bit at the maniacal gleam in her friend’s eye.

“I am.” The tone left no room for argument. Usagi shrugged and slipped the clothes Minako had picked into her overnight bag. She’d already gotten permission from her mother to spend the night at Minako’s, and Minako had assured Usagi that her parents wouldn’t be home – and wouldn’t care what time they came in if they were. She looked in her bag a final time, rifling through the contents to make sure she had everything she needed. Clothes for tonight? Check. Clothes for tomorrow? Check. Make-up? Check. Pajamas? Ch – nope.

She strode over to the dresser, opening the drawer that held her nightclothes and her eyes immediately fell upon the pink slip. No, she thought vehemently, she was never wearing that again. She would burn it first, no matter how many weeks’ allowance it had cost her. Mamoru had seen her in the slip – Mamoru had stared at her breasts while she was wearing the slip. Every time she saw that slip for the rest of her days she would remember that moment and cringe. The slip would have to die – a very painful death, she decided. Burning might be too good for it. She shoved it ruthlessly to the side and pulled out her pink bunny pajamas instead. They were far more appropriate –and there were no evil memories attached to them.

She stuffed them into her bag and pulled the drawstring closed. Minako was staring at her, and for a moment Usagi wondered if her violent thoughts towards her pink slip had been vocalized – or even just apparent on her face. A moment later, the other blonde smiled and linked arms with her.

“We’re going to have a great time tonight, Usagi-chan,” Minako assured her. “I know you and Mamoru-san haven’t always gotten along, but he’s obviously close friends with Ryuu-san and I’m sure he’ll be on his best behavior tonight.” Usagi nodded. She wasn’t as confident as Minako was, but she’d try to pretend for her friend’s sake.
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Minako shrugged off the guilty feeling. So Usagi didn’t seem excited about their date tonight – she could get her in the right frame of mind. All it took was the right kind of encouragement. Besides – Minako got a strange feeling in the pit of her stomach whenever she thought of Mamoru. It was almost as though she’d been destined to meet him.

Though why that thought gave her such an uncomfortable rush of fear was probably something better left alone. Her duty, whether anyone else knew it, was to Usagi. Her past life be damned. She would not make the same mistakes this time. If Ryuu was who she thought he was, given his apparent interest in Usagi…well, she’d just have to deal with it when the time came. She would not betray her Princess for a pair of pretty eyes this time.

She led the way to her house, wondering at Usagi’s silence when the other girls had assured her that Usagi was a chatterbox, and hoped that it wasn’t because Usagi wasn’t comfortable with her.

“Usagi-chan,” she began hesitantly. “You’re very quiet.”

Usagi jumped – startled, Minako thought. “Sorry, Minako-chan,” she mumbled, “I just have a lot on my mind.”

“I hope this doesn’t have anything to do with me being the Princess,” she said, staring into the clear blue eyes of the shorter girl. “I might have been the Princess in a past life, but in this one I really am just Minako, and I’d like us to be friends.”

“Of course we’re friends, Minako-chan!” the blonde exclaimed, throwing her arms around Minako affectionately. “I didn’t mean to make you feel bad! I was just worried about tonight! What if my parents call your house looking for us and we’re not there? My father will kill me!”

“They won’t,” she said confidently, smiling at the other girl. “Being the Princess does have some advantages.” Usagi looked at her curiously, but Minako merely smiled mysteriously and left it at that, bringing Usagi into her home and leading her up the stairs to her bedroom.

Two hours later, they were ready. Both had shimmering blonde hair trailing past their waists, though the shades were slightly different, and both had crystalline blue eyes that glinted with humor and mischief. Their faces were similar, even more noticeable than before with their hair styled alike.

“We could be sisters,” Usagi said wonderingly. Minako just laughed and nodded.

“We look great!” she exclaimed. “Mamoru-san and Ryuu-san won’t know what hit them!” Usagi giggled at her antics and the two ambled down the stairs and out the door, walking swiftly towards the arcade, where Motoki nearly dropped his rag at the sight of Usagi’s hair flowing in shimmering silver-blonde waves. Minako smiled in triumph.

“You two look great,” he said admiringly.
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Sometimes Motoki wondered if Mamoru thought he was stupid. It hadn’t taken the other boy long to figure out that Mamoru was actually Tuxedo Kamen; nor had it taken him long to realize that Mamoru’s constant pitched battles with Usagi were his bizarre way of flirting with her – if they were younger, Motoki rather thought that Mamoru would be pulling her Odango and chasing her around the playground. He shook his head – it was a sad, sad world he lived in where his best friend was reduced to picking arguments with the girl he had a crush on.

The two girls grinning before him were just further proof of what Mamoru had once called his ‘insane theory’. With their hair done up like that, dressed up the way they were, even he could see the striking similarities between the two. Mamoru was chasing after this new friend of Usagi’s because she looked so much like the girl he liked; it was painfully obvious. He only hoped that he didn’t end up ruining his friendship with Ryuu over the girl. It was pretty clear that Ryuu was interested in Usagi as well, and Motoki didn’t want to see Mamoru lose a friend over a girl, no matter how much Mamoru might like her.

Still, with her long legs on display in that short skirt and her hair flowing softly around her waist, Motoki had to admit that Mamoru had good taste; Usagi looked fantastic. Minako – he smiled – Minako always looked fantastic. The girl could show up wearing a potato sack and still look gorgeous. He couldn’t decide if she was pretty because of her smile or if her smile merely emphasized her good-looks, though. It was confusing. She was almost unnaturally pretty, but not in a fake way. It was clear that her looks were what she had been graced with upon her birth – there was nothing artificial about them – but they were almost too perfect to be quite human. If aliens ever wanted to take over the planet, they should all come to Earth looking like the gorgeous creature in front of him. Every man in the world would simply roll over and let her have whatever she wanted.

“Milkshakes?” he offered.

“Chocolate,” they said in unison, turning to look at each other in stupefaction for a moment before bursting into gales of laughter. He smiled at them and turned to whip up a couple of extra-special chocolate shakes to keep those cheerful smiles on their faces as he wondered how long it would take for Mamoru to say something insulting to Usagi and for her to lose her temper and throw a tantrum at him. It was bound to be an interesting evening.
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Mamoru’s thoughts were running along the same lines. He was going to be forced to spend an entire evening with Usagi just to spend time with his Princess. Usagi, whose breasts he couldn’t seem to get out of his mind. Usagi, who drove him up the wall with her whining and her pathetic attempts to one-up him. Usagi, with her delightful smiles for everyone but him. Usagi, with her energy that exhausted him just to watch. He shook his head. Ryuu would be there; Ryuu would distract her. He slipped on his favorite green jacket, blithely ignoring the remembrance of many insults she’d thrown in the poor thing’s way and checked his reflection in the mirror a final time. He was ready.

As he approached the entrance of the arcade, he forced a smile onto his face. He was going to enjoy the night. He would pray that there were no youma attacks that suddenly called him and Minako away from the table, or she might guess at his identity. He would pray for the ability to hold his tongue around Odango and not say anything to insult her, no matter how beautifully her eyes flashed when he did. He would pray for something to click between the Princess in his dreams and the Princess in the flesh. He just couldn’t shake the feeling that there was something – off – about the girl. Something wrong.

Then he saw her, sitting at the counter and laughing at something Motoki was saying. Her legs seemed to go on forever. Her hair spilled down her back in shining waves and her cheeks were flushed beautifully. A vision hit him with the force of a freight train and he stopped just outside the door, lost in thought.

That beautiful hair spilling over his arm, falling in silken waves to the ground. The smell of roses permeated the air and her breath tingling along his skin. Her head was thrown back in sensual abandon and his lips were pressed deliciously to her neck, her chest barely covered by a pearl-encrusted white gown.

He took a step back. Princess? The girl was a freaking goddess! He walked into the arcade, a smile breaking across his face – a smile that fell instantly when he realized that the beautiful girl he’d been staring at, the gorgeous goddess of his vision was not Aino Minako, with her rippling golden hair and lush figure. The silver-blonde waves belonged to Tsukino Usagi, sitting on a stool at the counter with a chocolate shake in her hand and laughing delightedly over a story Motoki was obviously telling her. Next to her, Minako was smiling demurely, hands primly in her lap and face raptly turned to watch Usagi.

Mamoru couldn’t blame her. In that moment, he was startlingly jealous that Ryuu would be the one Usagi was paying attention to tonight. Minako is the Princess, he reminded himself furiously. Minako is the Princess. He was in love with the Princess. Usagi was the Princess’ friend. End of discussion. He gaped at the two, noticing for the first time that despite the differences in height and hair color, the two girls sitting at the counter were practically twins. He groaned. No doubt, Motoki would have a lot to say on the subject the next time he came into the arcade alone. Mamoru made a silent vow to never enter the establishment without Ryuu or Minako as long as he lived.

Which, given the way his heart was racing, might not be that long after all.
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Kunzite watched the two girls from the window, finding himself drawn suddenly to the one watching her friend. It wasn’t that Usagi wasn’t beautiful – she was. And he was still certain that she held the key to unlocking his past. It was just the expression in the other’s eyes – the look on her face. Minako was staring at Usagi with an expression of rapt interest and utter devotion. Kunzite recognized the emotion. Just as he would do anything for his Prince, Minako would do anything for Usagi.

But what did that mean, in human terms? It had been so long since he’d been truly human that he didn’t even know any longer. The old concepts of honor and duty seemed to have been lost among the centuries. Sacrifice was an alien word to these selfish creatures; they lusted after everything in their path, from the girl who lived next-door to the pastry in the window, but they wanted for very little, in actuality. In these times, he would have thought that honor and duty would be paramount – that helping those less fortunate as a matter of principle was still the honorable thing to do, but thousands died in the streets every year.

He couldn’t understand how a time of such wealth could be so selfish – nor could he understand how such an outdated concept like devotion could be so clearly written on the face of one woman-child. Nor why it fascinated him so. Usagi was the key to his past – but who was this other girl? Was she the Princess? Had his master managed to find her without even knowing what it was he sought, what he was born to find? The thought stilled him. The two of them together…

Something clenched in his stomach. Was that why he had truly betrayed the goddess? Betrayed? a shocked voice in his mind shouted. A memory came to him, swift and visceral – golden hair sticky with blood. Blood on his sword. The copper tang permeating his nostrils as he gasped around the odor. She was lying on her stomach, her hair spread around her like a silken cloud, her blood pooling beneath her body. He stood over her, his sword pointed downward as grief rocked over him, staring at the woman below him. Tears pricked his eyes. Yes, betrayal. He had destroyed the goddess, shoved his sword into her back and laughed as she fell to ground – laughed as the life had flowed out of her, his name a whispered plea on her lips.

He didn’t deserve her, and yet he couldn’t walk away from her. Perhaps he had betrayed the goddess before, but he would not do so again. He swore a silent oath that if his life could be given to protect hers, it would be; if his soul could be taken to save hers, it would be. She would never fall, lifeless, to the sands of the Earth as she had to the Moon; never bleed out her life on the shores of a forgotten sea. He would give himself as her guardian, and she would live, even if it meant that he would not. Next to his Prince, there was no one more important. She would never again feel the blade of his sword or any other.

His eyes met those of Usagi’s through the doorway as Mamoru walked to the girls, and he smiled reassuringly as he walked inside to join her.
________________________________________

Minako did not remember everything from her past life. She remembered much of it, but there were still some things that were hidden in shadow. The face of the man she had betrayed her Queen for as a goddess was one of them. As she stared at Ryuu, walking towards Usagi with a tender smile on his face, she wondered again if he was the one. Was Ryuu the Prince that her Princess was meant to find? Was that why her heart had begun to ache when she’d noticed his interest in the other girl? Silently, she fumed at Selene for this.

It had been a harmless distraction at the time, toying with the lover of the Queen of the Gods. He had been handsome, she knew that much, and far too in love with the Queen to ever notice Aphrodite. It had been a game to seduce him, to see if her powers as the goddess of lust could bring him from the Queen’s side. She had been bored for so long that it had seemed so simple, so harmless. And then the Queen had discovered her treachery and cursed her. She would forever fail in her attempt to find true love for herself, no matter how many attempts she made. The Queen’s jealousy of her lover was legendary, and she should have known better. He hadn’t even noticed, she recalled quietly. She had put forth her best efforts to seduce him and he hadn’t even noticed, too enthralled in the Queen to see the mere handmaiden.

Something had happened, many millennia later, and the reign of the gods had ended. Aphrodite had become a warrior – defender of the Ginzuishou and the one who bore it. The Senshi of the planet Venus. And then she’d met him; Prince of the Earth. How was she to know that he was the incarnation of the Queen’s lover of the past? How was she to know that by seducing him before he met the Princess she was failing her task once more? How was she to know that her Princess had been watching him since the day of his birth with longing and love, and that finding him in the chambers of the leader of her warriors would be nearly enough to start a war?

In the end, it hadn’t mattered. The Prince had fallen in love with the Princess and she, Senshi of Venus, had met him. There were others who would try to steal the Prince away, but they would fail. Destiny was not easily thwarted, and nor was Selene, no matter what form she took.

Minako shrugged off the thoughts of the past. This time, she would not fail the Princess. Ryuu was obviously the Prince, it was painfully clear. Her attraction to him was merely a remnant of her feelings as Aphrodite, who had loved him, deep below her calm exterior. Mamoru…she wondered if Mamoru were him. He who she thought would help her break the curse Selene had placed upon her. He who had, ultimately, betrayed her. Yes, she remembered that, as well. His voice as he laughed, watching her lifeblood spill over the sands of the Moon after the drove his sword into her back. Would he betray her again? Was that to be her destiny?

As she looked into his cobalt eyes with a sudden sense of unease, she was afraid that it would be so. She turned, instead, to Ryuu, preparing to evaluate his intentions when her eyes locked with his, silver upon blue, and she suddenly recalled, with horrible clarity, where she had seen that face before.

“You!” she gasped out.
________________________________________

Mamoru stared from one to the other. His Princess was looking at Ryuu as though he’d taken a knife and plunged it into her heart, and Usagi was watching the whole thing curiously. A fog seemed to settle over the girl after a moment, and she shook her head slowly, as though to clear it.

“I’m sorry,” Minako muttered. “I seem to have zoned out for a moment.” Ryuu and Usagi shared a glance of confusion and Mamoru turned his face to the Princess, who did indeed look baffled.

“Minako-chan?’ he whispered gently. “Are you alright?” She nodded slowly.

“It was weird, but I’m fine now,” she said, offering a brilliant smile to her companions. Mamoru wasn’t too certain, but he let it slide. He heard whispering behind him and spun to see Ryuu with his head bent towards Usagi, his lips inches from her ear and a delighted smile on her face. She nodded.

“Minako-san, Mamoru-kun, Usagi-chan and I are going to go for a walk. Please enjoy yourselves,” he added, making it clear that they were not invited. A pain shot up his arm, and Mamoru was surprised to see that he was clenching his fist so tightly that his fingernails had drawn blood on his palm. He focused for a moment and the cuts mended, though the urge to hurt someone did not fade. The two walked way, silver hair and silver-blonde swishing together around their linked arms as they faded from sight. Mamoru fought an urge to retch.

“So, shall we follow their example and take a stroll?” he suggested. Minako nodded, her eyes glued on the spot where the other two had disappeared from sight. He opened his wallet and pulled out money for the milkshakes the girls had ordered while waiting for them and dropped it on the counter, waving good-bye to Motoki.

“Which way?” she asked, her face pointed in the direction that Usagi and Ryuu had disappeared. He pointed and they set off at a slow walk, both of them staring ahead.

“So, you just moved here?” he asked, desperate to start a conversation with her.

“Yes, from England,” she said. “I was born here, but my parents moved me there about a year after I was born. My father works for an electronics company and he was asked to head up the new division in London. Now that it’s finally running smoothly on its own, his bosses asked him to come back and bring their Tokyo branch up to speed.”

“He’s pretty busy, then?” Mamoru asked, a sudden suspicion flooding him. She nodded.

“He isn’t home much, and my mother kind of leads her own life – I’ve been on my own a lot.” The words were simple, but the underlying meaning wasn’t lost on him. He tightened his grip on her hand in a gesture of silent support.

“I understand that feeling,” he said. “My parents died when I was young and I didn’t have any memory of who I was. About a year ago, a lawyer tracked me down and told me that my father’s business partner had been searching for me for quite some time. Suddenly my life changed completely.” It was about that time, he recalled, that he’d first started dreaming of the Princess, though it was only a few months ago that he’d started becoming Tuxedo Kamen in his search for the Ginzuishou.

“That’s horrible – I’m so sorry,” she offered quietly, squeezing his hand in response. He thrilled at the simple touch. Here, finally, was common ground, something they could build from. They walked in silence for a little while, and Mamoru was grateful for the quiet. If Usagi were there, she would be filling the air with her mindless chatter that drove him to distraction. He couldn’t count the number of times he’d been tempted to kiss her just to shut her up. He shook his head.

Minako was the Princess. He had to remember that. A sudden sharp pain hit him, making him double over in agony as the urge to transform to Tuxedo Kamen washed over him. Sailor Moon, your timing sucks. He risked a glance at Minako, who suddenly looked uncomfortable.

“Ah, Mamoru-san, I just remembered, I have to do something,” she muttered, looking at the ground. “Can you wait here for a few minutes?” He nodded gratefully, watching until she disappeared into the darkness before slipping into his alter-ego. The pain intensified; Sailor Moon was in danger. He opened himself to it, following it to where he knew it would lead.

“Hang in there, Sailor Moon,” he whispered fervently. “I’m on the way.” Please let her be close, he begged silently.
________________________________________

The youma had knocked Ryuu into the pond, she noticed. It was now or never. “Moon Prism Power Make Up!” she shouted, thrusting her hand into the air above her head and waiting for the familiar sensation to overtake her. A flash of light and ribbons and suddenly she dropped to the ground, red boots hitting the pavement with a solid thunk. She turned towards the pond, where Ryuu had just surfaced and prayed he hadn’t seen anything. The youma was made of water, she noticed, and wondered if the others would arrive any time soon. She’d pressed the alert button on her communicator immediately, hoping that the sound would attract the others quickly, when she heard heels clacking in the distance. At least one of her Senshi would be there soon.

A sudden weight hit her across the stomach and she flew backwards into a tree, her back screaming in agony as the bark tore through her bodysuit and shredded her skin. Stupid! she chastised herself. The youma had used her distraction to its advantage and now – she moved gingerly – she wasn’t sure she could stand, let alone fight – and the youma was bearing down on her, preparing to strike another blow.

“Crescent Beam!” A pulse of pure energy followed the words, and Usagi looked up to see Sailor Venus, blonde hair flowing in a storm of power. The youma, obviously deciding to take out the one that was more dangerous to it at the moment turned to face Sailor Venus, who was smiling in the most terrifying way. In that moment, Usagi decided she never wanted to cross her Princess – the woman was downright deadly.

“Sailor Moon, can you stand?” a familiar voice spoke in her ear and she turned her head, eyes locking with the familiar white mask of Tuxedo Kamen. She shook her head weakly, and he grabbed her gently under the arms, lifting her to her feet and peering over her shoulder to view the damage. His breath was drawn in on a hiss.

“That bad?” she said, slightly amused at his reaction. In all their previous encounters, she would have sworn that the masked man had no interest in her besides making sure she didn’t get hurt, but his genuine concern made her wonder if perhaps he was just more reticent with his emotions than she was.

“I’ve seen worse,” he said quietly, “but you’ll probably need a hospital. I’m so sorry I wasn’t here to protect you.”

“No, it’s not your fault – it’s mine,” she said sharply. “I wasn’t paying attention.” His face was screwed up in concentration, as though he were focusing his energy, and she felt the skin on her back knit together, pushing out the dirt and bark. The blood dried to her skin in sticky rivulets and she found that she was able to stand on her own, but Tuxedo Kamen looked like he was ready to collapse.

“Thank you,” she whispered, lowering him gently to the ground as his knees buckled, forcing his much-heavier frame into hers. “You rest here and I’ll take care of the rest.” He nodded, eyes behind the mask drowsy, and Usagi smiled softly. He’d exhausted himself to heal her – she hadn’t even known he could do such a thing, but that he had warmed her in a way that she was unfamiliar with. She smiled down at him tenderly, brushing a lock of ebony hair out of his eyes.

Something about him was oddly familiar to her in that moment and she felt a sudden flash of déjà vu, as though this wasn’t the first time that she’d brushed his hair from his face – as though she’d done this many times in the past. Indeed, she wasn’t even sure where she got the courage to touch him so familiarly. One could even call her bold for reaching out and touching a strange man’s face in such a manner. The urge had merely come upon her and she had acted on it.

“Fire Soul!”

“Supreme Thunder!”

The sound of her fellow warrior’s battle cries brought her attention back to the water youma and she spun, racing towards them as she pulled her tiara from her forehead. “Moon Tiara Magic!” she shouted, tossing the disc towards the youma. It sliced through the water and the youma splashed to the ground, creating a large puddle – and soaking Sailor Mars in the process. The girl glared at Usagi for a long moment before walking away. Usagi rolled her eyes at her friend and ran back towards the tree where she’d left Tuxedo Kamen, but he was gone. She tried to hide her disappointment as Sailor Venus ran over to her.

“Usagi-chan,” she whispered urgently. “Where’s Ryuu-san?” Ryuu! Usagi had completely forgotten! She rushed to the water and found him passed out on the side of the pond. She shook him gently and his eyes opened.

“Where’s Usagi-chan?” he whispered weakly.

“She got away,” she assured him. “Can you stand?” He nodded and got to his feet. Crowds were beginning to gather and Usagi knew that she could get away now. She handed Ryuu over to Sailor Venus and leapt into a nearby tree. She jumped from tree to tree until she was far enough away from the battle to drop her transformation and then she slid down the trunk of the nearest one, brushing leaves out of her hair.

She walked carefully towards the crowds. “Ryuu-kun!” she cried, injecting worry into her voice. “Ryuu-kun!”

“Usagi-chan!” She breathed a sigh of relief as she saw him running towards her. If he was well enough to run, he couldn’t be hurt too much. She silently cursed herself for abandoning him to tend to Tuxedo Kamen – though this incident further reinforced the belief that perhaps he was the only one she could ever seriously consider dating. Any other boy was merely youma fodder. Look at poor Ryuu; he nearly drowned trying to protect her from a youma. At least Tuxedo Kamen had his roses.

“I should get you home, Usagi-chan,” Ryuu said quietly as he came up next to her, his eyes glancing over her as though assure himself she was unharmed. She just nodded.
________________________________________

“Mamoru-san?” Minako called. She knew that bench was the one she’d left him on, so where was he? A groan brought her attention to a dark shape at the base of a tree and she dashed over towards it, prepared to transform and fight if need be. As she got closer, her eyes recognized the black hair and distinctive features.

“Mamoru-san!” she cried in horror.

“Mamoru-kun?”

“Baka!” As she reached his side, she realized the other two voices belonged to Usagi and Ryuu, who were running to join her. “The youma must have gotten him, Minako-chan.” Minako looked up at her Princess and shook her head very slowly, almost imperceptibly. She had left Mamoru sitting on the bench and he had not been anywhere near the battle – something else was wrong with him.

“I’m fine – I just have a migraine,” he whispered. Minako watched curiously as Usagi leaned down and tenderly brushed a lock of his hair out of his eyes.

“Baka,” she whispered gently. “We thought you got attacked.” His hand reached up and grasped hers, stilling the motion his eyes locked on hers as though searching for something.

“I’m fine, Odango,” he muttered, dropping her hand. “Let’s get you girls home.” Minako turned to see if Ryuu had noticed the strange moment of affection between the other two, but Mamoru took her hand in his own and wrapped it around his arm. They set off at a leisurely pace, Ryuu and Usagi walking behind them.
________________________________________

Mamoru was grateful that they’d bought his excuse; he couldn’t very well explain to them that he had expended all his energy healing Sailor Moon – especially now that he knew who Sailor Moon was. He felt like the idiot she so often accused him of being; how could he have failed to notice the similarities? Why did it take a surprisingly gentle touch of her hand, an identical gesture, to make him realize that Usagi was Sailor Moon?

Even her friendship with Minako suddenly made sense – of course Minako would be friends with the other Senshi immediately after she moved. His mind leapt from thought to thought, realizing almost immediately that the other Senshi must be Rei, Makoto and Ami. He groaned, causing the other three to look at him in concern.

“I’m okay – really,” he assured them. Minako looked at him worriedly, but smiled. Usagi and Ryuu looked unconvinced. Usagi’s brow was furrowed adorably and she looked like she wanted to whip out her wand and heal him herself if she could find a way to do it without giving away her identity – unaware that she had already done so. And how could she have known that? The only way she could know that she had given it away would be if she knew that he was Tuxedo Kamen, and she clearly hadn’t a clue. Sailor Moon treated him with respect and not a little affection – he rather suspected the heroine had a crush on him. If she had any idea that he was actually Chiba Mamoru – well, he was pretty certain that all kindness towards his alter ego would vanish as well.

So many things suddenly made sense to him, and the one thing that didn’t was the one walking next to him, her delicate hand wrapped around his arm. He supposed he should be used to that by now; the Princess had never made sense to him. Why did she haunt his dreams? Why did he feel so powerfully towards her in his dreams and yet feel nothing when she stood next to him? Was the Princess beside him not the Princess he dreamed of? At least now he could make sense of his growing fascination with Usagi; his body had simply recognized the girl as Sailor Moon before his mind could sort it out.

Great, he thought. Now I really do have a headache.
________________________________________

Kunzite applauded his own acting and his master’s. He hadn’t been hurt by the youma, but he had to make the Senshi believe that he had been or the jig, as they say, would have been up. Even now, Usagi and Minako were stealing glances at him as though to assure themselves that he was as fine as he seemed, and his Prince’s lie of a headache had excused his weakness. Of course Kunzite had watched as his master had healed Sailor Moon, draining his own energy so that she would have the strength to fight. He’d witnessed the tender way the Senshi had gazed upon the fallen hero before rejoining the fray with a peculiar feeling of déjà vu, as though he had seen it happen a dozen times before.

It was the identical actions of the girl beside him that had him baffled. He should have felt something other than a calm acceptance when Usagi had leaned down and gently brushed his master’s hair away from his face – something akin to the raging jealousy he felt at the sight of the delicate hand wrapped possessively around Mamoru’s elbow. As they walked the two younger girls to their doorstep, bidding them both goodnight, he took another furtive look at the golden blonde hair and the hauntingly familiar face of Minako, nearly doubling over when the truth suddenly struck him

Minako was the goddess! She turned and walked inside her house without a glance in his direction, Usagi on her heels and he and Mamoru parted ways, the entire time Kunzite’s mind was reeling. Minako was the goddess – which meant that Usagi was not. Who was Usagi, then, that he should feel that she was the key to his past? Could she be the Princess?
________________________________________

“Get away from her, you hell-born bitch of the devil!” Queen Serenity’s voice had never sounded so cold as she shouted the vile words at Beryl. Beryl flashed her a triumphant look and thrust her sword towards the unprotected chest of the Princess who had caused all of her heartache.

The evil witch’s face fell as she realized that her attack had been blocked by the body of Endymion, and the sword clattered to the ground. Kunzite spun from his battle with Sailor Venus to see his Prince fall, and Venus stopped in her tracks as she watched her Princess pick up the witch’s fallen weapon.

She raised the sword and thrust it into her own chest, slumping across the body of her lover. “Princess!” Venus shouted, the Queen’s sobs echoing in the silence that seemed to blanket the Moon.

“Endymion!” two voices shouted in unison as Beryl and Kunzite rushed towards the fallen Prince. Beryl was intercepted by Serenity, but Venus turned her back on the scene, sobs wracking her body. She never saw the shadow fall over her golden hair; never saw the sword raised towards her unprotected back. It wasn’t until Kunzite had plunged his blade completely through her that she even knew he was behind her.

“You should have tried harder to keep her away from him,” he whispered bitterly. “This is your fault.” His voice followed her into the darkness, and she knew no more.

Four bodies rose startled from their beds in the darkness, four pairs of eyes blinked rapidly as the details of the dream slipped away, leaving them with nothing but a vaguely unsettled feeling and a sense that something bad was coming – had already begun.
________________________________________

Minako tried. She would remember that later and laugh, of course, but she did try to fight her attraction to Ryuu over the next two months. She and Mamoru would often meet the other couple for coffee, and she would try so hard to not look at him, to not feel jealous of the way he stared at her Princess. She would try – so hard – not to feel his eyes on her every time she looked away from him. Was she destined to repeat the sins of her past, destined to steal the man her Princess would love?

She started spending more time with Mamoru, alone, without Usagi and Ryuu, in an effort to keep her thoughts from straying towards her friend’s boyfriend. The only thing she seemed to get for her troubles was the feeling that Mamoru was forcing his attention on her in much the same manner she was doing. And every night, she was haunted by dreams that she could only remember for a moment after waking before they slipped away completely, leaving her sweating and terrified in the darkness of her bedroom.

Scarcely a day had gone by since their first double-date without a youma attack, and though Sailor Moon was getting more adept at fighting, Minako couldn’t help but worry about the masked crusader who always seemed to swoop in and rescue her Princess right when she needed it most. Nor did she miss the affectionate way he would watch her as she used her tiara to destroy the youma. He seemed almost as proud of her development as the Senshi were, and Minako couldn’t make sense of it.

And the dreams! Always her mind returned to the dreams. They were trying to tell her something, she knew, but she couldn’t figure out what. And how would she ever discover what they meant if she couldn’t remember them for longer than a mere moment?

“Minako-chan?” A shudder raced up her spine as his voice drifted down to her. She had come to the arcade alone, hoping against hope that she could avoid seeing him, but of course that was not to be.

“Hello, Ryuu-kun,” she offered pleasantly, pulling herself from her thoughts.

“I was hoping to have a word with you.” He sat across from her at the booth, looking directly into her eyes for the first time since their disastrous double-date, and suddenly, Minako understood.

“Kunzite,” she whispered, her voice dripping venom.

“Venus, do not look away, I beg you,” he said, his voice low and urgent. “I do not know if you will remember this when you look away, so please grant me a moment of your time.” Something in his voice compelled her – she couldn’t look anywhere but in those painfully familiar eyes.

“Mamoru is the Prince,” he said, waiting for the meaning to sink in. Her eyes widened, tears welling up in them, threatening to spill over. She had done it again. “I remember your curse, beautiful goddess, and there is still time to make this right, but we must act swiftly.” She nodded, her eyes never leaving his, suddenly remembering all the times he had tried to catch her eye, all the times he must have tried to tell her this – but why?

“What do you have to gain from this, Kunzite?” she asked no malice in her voice.

“I will not deliver my Prince to that witch,” he said simply. “The only one who can fix this is your Princess, Venus. Even now, she compels me to bring him to her, and I do not know how much longer I can resist. I need your help – he needs your help. Please, Di, for your Princess - tell her. Help her help him, for I may not be around for much longer.”

“You will betray us again?” she whispered, memories rushing over her, crashing over her senses and blurring her vision with tears and a haze of red.

“Never,” he swore, his gaze intense. “I would fall on my own sword before I would let it harm any of you. But I cannot protect him alone.” He looked down, his eyes falling to the table, and she breathed deeply. Whatever he had done, the veil had lifted. He was no longer Akihiko Ryuu – he was still Kunzite. And Mamoru was Endymion.

“Princess, I’m so sorry,” she whispered softly, a tear slipping down her cheek.

“Perhaps this time she will forgive you,” he offered. “Time grows short, Minako-chan. I can feel her presence, coming closer. She will not wait much longer. Your Princess has to be ready.” Minako nodded.

“Let’s go, Kunzite-sama,” she said quickly, jumping to her feet. “We need to find Luna and Artemis.” He nodded and the two raced out of the arcade, leaving a startled-looking Motoki behind.
________________________________________

Mamoru pushed the textbook aside. He’d been trying valiantly to study for the past two hours and he’d gotten no further than the first paragraph before his eyes would close and his mind would fill with visions of Usagi. No matter how often he reminded himself that Minako was the Princess, he couldn’t get the image of her friend out of his head.

Usagi, answering the door in her pink slip. Usagi, her blue eyes flashing passionate fire at him as she shouted at him during their first meeting. Usagi, laughing hysterically over something Minako had said as the two sat in their customary booth at the arcade. Usagi, smiling gently at Ryuu when he put an arm around her shoulders while she was playing a video game. Usagi, her silver-blonde hair in loose waves cascading down her back and her head thrown back in laughter at Motoki’s joke the night they’d all gone on their double date. Usagi as Sailor Moon, leaning down to brush his hair away from his face, throwing her tiara into youma, shouting at Zoisite so passionately, ready to die for love and justice. Why in the name of all that was holy would he want a Princess that haunted him, begging him for some rock when he could have all of that?

His head snapped up suddenly as he realized what he was saying – even to himself. He would throw away the Princess and his chance to find out who he really was for Usagi? He really was losing it. Still, he couldn’t shake the feeling that something should have happened by now – Minako should have figured out that he was the one she was sending the dreams to – shouldn’t she? His doorbell rang, disturbing his thoughts, and he stood and crossed the room, grateful for the distraction. Perhaps it would be Ryuu. Even when the sight of Ryuu with his arm around Usagi was enough to drive Mamoru to the brink of homicide, he still found the other boy’s presence comforting. Another thing in the long list of things that made no sense to him.

“Coming,” he called when the doorbell rang again.
________________________________________

Usagi was fairly certain she’d seen Minako in the arcade earlier, but she hadn’t been able to stop then. Her mother had sent her out for lemons to make a pie and she’d had to hurry back home, fully intending to come back when her errand was finished. However, when she arrived at the arcade, Minako wasn’t there. Usagi wanted to talk to her Princess about the dreams that she’d been having lately, dreams so disturbing that she woke up in tears, though she could never remember what they were about. It was Luna that had suggested it, and Usagi could see how the idea had merit.

Unfortunately, now Minako was nowhere to be found. She wasn’t at home, she wasn’t at the arcade or the shrine or anywhere else that Usagi had thought to look. There really was only one place she hadn’t been yet, and she was a little uncomfortable going there.

Ever since the night she’d been healed by Tuxedo Kamen, she’d felt another presence inside her mind. She couldn’t describe it, but she knew it was there. Suddenly she would say something without knowing where the thought had come from. She’d find herself halfway through a slice of blueberry pie before she remembered that she hated the taste of blueberries. Even worse was the first time that she realized the other presence was strongly attracted to Mamoru.

It was the same night; the same presence that had urged her to reach out and touch Tuxedo Kamen had compelled her to do the same to Mamoru and she couldn’t explain it. She’d managed to avoid being near him since then, but here she was, she acknowledged, standing outside the door of his apartment, looking for Minako. She pressed the button, tapping her foot impatiently, praying to all the gods she could think of that she wasn’t interrupting them. After a few moments with no answer, she pressed the bell impatiently a second time, no longer caring if she was interrupting them. It was vital that she speak to Minako. She had to tell someone about the dreams, about the presence or she might go mad.

“Coming.” The voice was muffled, but she easily recognized it as Mamoru’s. The door opened and she was suddenly faced with all that she had been avoiding for the past several weeks; ebony hair mussed, as though he’d been raking his fingers through it in frustration, deep blue eyes stormy and – she gulped – wearing nothing but a plain white shirt and a pair of grey pajama pants.

“Mamoru-baka,” she said, striving for some semblance of normalcy even though her breath was choking her.

“Odango-chan,” he replied, though he, too, seemed to be short of breath. “To what do I owe this honor?”

“I was looking for Minako, and when I couldn’t find her anywhere else, I thought I’d try your apartment – I know you are close.” The last word was painful, as though a thousand knives were ripping through her very soul. The sensation was not foreign, indeed, she felt as though it had all happened before.

“She isn’t here, but you look – distressed,” he offered gently. “Why don’t you come in for a bit and calm down before continuing your search. There are a few things I want to talk to you about, anyway.” Her eyebrows rose to her hairline – what could Mamoru possibly have to say to her? Perhaps he noticed her growing attraction to him and wanted to let her down gently, as the saying went, she mused. She nodded mutely and followed him into the spartan living space, settling herself into the deceptively comfortable sofa before noticing that he’d sat, not in the chair across from her as she’d expected, but on the seat next to her – uncomfortably close.

“What did you want to say?” she whispered, staring down at her hands, noticing that they were clenched so tightly her knuckles had turned white.

“I know your secret,” he said softly, eyes trained to the floor. Usagi gasped. He knew about the dreams? About the presence inside her head?

“For how long?” Her voice was strangled, so unlike her own.

“It was when that water youma attacked and you brushed my hair back – just like Sailor Moon had,” he said, turning those eyes on her. Her brain struggled to process the information. Had he sensed the other presence so early? Wait – how did he know that the youma that night was a water youma? And Sailor Moon had never touched Mamoru.

No, said the voice in her head, the evil, insidious voice that had seemingly taken over, But Sailor Moon did touch Tuxedo Kamen the same way – and Tuxedo Kamen knew it was a water youma. Her eyes widened. As dense as everyone claimed she was, she understood the implications the voice was making instantly. Mamoru was Tuxedo Kamen. Tuxedo Kamen was Mamoru – and the secret he was referring to had nothing to do with dreams or voices, but her identity as Sailor Moon. What happened next was completely expected – in fact, had anyone else been there to witness it, they would have laughed and claimed it was typical Usagi and left it at that. The world got fuzzy on the edges, dark. She could hear Mamoru calling her name as though from a long way away, his voice distant and echoing in her mind and she felt her limbs deaden before she knew no more.
________________________________________

“Luna!” Minako cried, overjoyed to have finally found the black feline. “I need you to gather the Senshi for a meeting at the shrine immediately. I have to find Artemis!”

“Of course, Princess,” the cat said, belatedly realizing that Usagi’s boyfriend Ryuu was following in Minako’s wake.

“Princess?” he asked, an eyebrow raised sardonically. Oddly enough, he seemed to find nothing peculiar about a talking cat. Luna stared at him. The voice – it was so familiar to her. Why hadn’t she recognized him before?

“It was a necessary deception, Kunzite-sama,” Minako was saying to her companion.

“Kunzite?” Luna screeched. “Deception?”

“I’ll explain it all when we’re gathered together,” Minako said, brushing off the cat’s concern. “I have to find Artemis and track down Usagi-chan. She isn’t answering her communicator and I’ve been trying to reach her for nearly fifteen minutes.”

“Hold it right there, young lady,” Luna commanded when she noticed that Minako was already turning to run away. “You’re not going to step another foot until you tell me what this is about!”

“Luna, find Artemis and gather the others,” Minako ordered. “I don’t have time to argue. If the enemy has discovered the ruse then Usagi is in terrible danger! I have to find her, Luna! Do as I command!” She ran off, Kunzite following. Luna stood rooted to the spot for a long moment, her brain trying to wrap itself around everything she’d heard, puzzling the pieces out.

Deception. Usagi. Princess.

Suddenly, it was all too clear and Luna stiffened. Usagi was the Princess, not Minako, and Usagi was in danger. She would never forgive herself if anything were to happen to the beautiful blonde she’d come to love so much. She reached out with the telepathic link she had to her mate and ordered him to the shrine. She would go there immediately herself and allow Rei to use her communicator to gather Makoto and Ami. Minako was correct – it was an emergency.
________________________________________

Mamoru sat in his desk chair, watching the unconscious girl lying in his bed as her chest moved up and down with shallow breaths. She’d given him quite a shock when she’d fainted, but she seemed to be okay. He’d seen the realization hit her a moment before her eyes had rolled into her head.

He was playing with very high stakes at the moment, hedging his bets that the attraction Usagi felt for him as Tuxedo Kamen would outweigh any lingering resentment she held against Mamoru-baka. His cards were on the table, and he was ‘all in’ as the saying went, his chips resting on the hopes that he wasn’t throwing away a Princess who seemed to need him and a past he’d wanted his whole life for a slip of a girl who couldn’t take two steps without tripping over her own feet. Never in his life had he been so tense. It was worse than battling a youma.

Her eyelashes fluttered against her cheeks in the dying sunlight from the window, and he held his breath, waiting for her to wake. Wait – dying sunlight? The day was only half-finished. He looked up towards the window, where the smirking visage of Zoisite hovered.

“Pretty little girlfriend you’ve got there, Mamoru,” he said, a lascivious look in his jade eyes.

“Don’t. Touch. Her.” His voice was calm, steady – deadly. In that moment, he knew that he could summon the very last of his strength if it would keep Zoisite’s hands off Usagi.

“I’m not here for her,” the monster laughed. “I’m here for the crystals. Sundown. Starlight Tower. Come alone, and we’ll finally get to see which of us is the better warrior – Tuxedo Kamen.” The image vanished and the brilliant sunlight filtered back through the open blinds, illuminating the horrified face of the girl lying in his bed.

“You can’t go alone,” she said with surprising strength for someone lying on their back.

“You’re not going with me.” She shook her head, laughing slightly.

“Do you feel like we’ve had this argument before?” she asked curiously. He nodded.

“Yes, and something tells me I lost that time, too – but that doesn’t mean I can’t try,” he said. They both laughed for a moment before her face turned serious.

“So you know,” she stated. “How do we go back to Mamoru-baka and Odango-chan after this?” He smiled at her gently, reaching out to take her hand.

“I don’t think we do, Usagi-chan,” he said, looking at her. “There’s more to it than just me knowing, though, so don’t say anything yet until I’m finished, okay?” She nodded warily and he sighed. How did he tell her that he’d begun to fall for her before he knew she was Sailor Moon – that he was giving up a princess because he cared too much for her and all her clumsy, crybaby ways?

“A few months before our first meeting, I started having dreams of the Princess,” he began, noting the way her eyes widened. She remained silent, however, for which he was grateful. “In my dreams, she keeps begging me to bring her the Ginzuishou. The night that Sailor Venus appeared, I was hiding at the docks – I heard her when she said she was the Princess.”

“That’s why you started dating her?” she asked, clearly unable to keep it in. He nodded.

“I couldn’t understand why I never felt connected to her. The Princess in my dreams – she and I have some kind of connection, but Minako-chan and I…” He sighed. “We just don’t. Around the same time, I started noticing you, Usagi-chan.” He paused, debating the wisdom of telling her the whole truth, but decided he might as well lay it all on the table.

“Actually, that’s a lie.” She turned to stare at him, hurt evident in her eyes, but he continued. “I’d noticed you from the first time you threw your test paper at me and hit me in the head, I just didn’t want to admit to myself that I might be interested in a girl who was several years my junior. But you just wouldn’t go away – even when I was with Minako, reminding myself that she was the Princess of my dreams, I couldn’t stop thinking about you. And then I discovered that you were Sailor Moon.” Her face fell.

“So, you liked me because I was Sailor Moon,” she muttered, eyes downcast. He shook his head with a gentle smile and reached out, tilting her chin up so that she was forced to look at him.

“No, Usagi-chan – it just started making more sense then,” he said, smiling at her. “I’d always felt a bond with Sailor Moon, and with you – it made sense that you would be the same person. It just didn’t make any sense that I never felt that connection with Minako-chan. Even during battles, I looked for you first. I had to remind myself to make sure that Sailor Venus was okay, and even then I couldn’t bring myself to rush in and stop her from getting attacked the way I did with you.”

“But if the Princess needs you, you should protect her first,” Usagi protested, struggling to sit up. “She is my responsibility. As the leader of the Senshi, my duty is first and foremost to protect the Princess, and if you’re going to work with us at all, then that has to be your duty, too!”

“No,” he stated calmly, enjoying the way her eyes flashed dangerously at that. “Right before you showed up looking for Minako-chan today, I’d made a decision. I will help the Princess in whatever ways I can, but my first duty will always be to you. The Princess can be your responsibility, Usagi-chan, but you are mine.” He realized as he said it that the words could be taken differently than he intended, but decided he didn’t care. He meant it both ways anyway. A soft smile began to flirt with the corners of her mouth, a smaller and much more timid one than he was used to seeing on her face, but it gave him hope.

“Ryuu-kun,” she muttered, her face falling. Mamoru suddenly wondered if what he was about to say was selfish, but decided it wasn’t.

“If it helps, I’ve noticed Ryuu-kun spends an inordinate amount of time looking at Minako-chan,” he said, letting loose a laugh at the way her jaw dropped. She regained her composure more quickly than he would have thought possible however.

“I thought I was imagining that,” she admitted. He shook his head.

“It might be just wishful thinking on my part, Usagi-chan, but I don’t think either Ryuu-kun or Minako-chan will be terribly devastated if we were to break things off with them.” She nodded slowly, her eyes focused once more on the hands gripping the plain white sheets that covered her. A barrage of images hit him, Usagi dominating every one of them, and he suddenly knew, with perfect clarity that he was going to kiss her – and that she would let him.

He reached for her hands, disentangling them from the sheets and wrapping them in his own, linking her fingers through his and giving them a gentle squeeze. He moved both of her hands into one of his and brought the other up to tilt her chin, forcing to her look at him once again, as he leaned forward, slowly closing the distance between their faces until he could feel her short, uneven breaths on his face. “Close your eyes, Usako,” he muttered, watching as dark lashes fluttered to rest on faintly flushed cheeks.

He leaned down and brushed his lips against hers once, twice, softer than a butterfly’s wings against her skin. Her breath exhaled in a warm whoosh across his face as all the air escaped her lungs and he gave in to the urge to smile. She really was adorable. He moved his hand from her chin, trailing it along her jaw until it rested slightly behind her ear on the back of her head, his fingers tangling themselves in the wispy blonde locks at the base of her skull and toying with them, reveling in the feel of the silky strands between them.

Her hands pulled from his grasp, one reaching up to stroke his cheek and the other grabbing a fistful of his shirt as she brought their lips together again, harder this time, more demanding, opening her mouth under his and allowing him to explore it with his tongue. A flash of brilliant silver light lit the room around them, but they were both oblivious to it as his other arm wrapped itself securely around her waist and hauled her closer to him as he rose from the chair and lowered himself until he was laying next to her on his narrow bed.
________________________________________

A shock of energy ran through the very earth itself and knocked Minako and Kunzite to their knees, and Minako turned to stare at him in confusion as they were bathed in brilliant silver light.

“It would seem our efforts to find Usagi-chan have been successful,” Kunzite said sardonically, pointing to the source of the light, a window in the building they had been heading towards. Minako nodded silently, following the direction of his gaze. She, too, knew that window. When the arcade and mall had been vacant of her Princess, they’d started thinking of unusual places to find her, coming to the conclusion that she might have gone to Mamoru’s, despite her dislike of him. Motoki had mentioned that she’d come by the arcade looking for Minako, and Kunzite had made the suggestion. At first Minako had dismissed it, but when Motoki said that it was the direction she’d been heading, she’d been forced to agree that it was possible.

“Forgive me, Princess,” she whispered, dropping her hands to the ground and allowing her body to follow in a posture of extreme supplication. “I did not mean it – I thought I was doing right.”

“Minako-chan,” Kunzite said in his deep, comforting voice, “if there is one thing we know it is that Usagi is far more forgiving than Princess Serenity was, and certainly more so than Selene. Save your recriminations for the time when they are appropriate, if they ever are, and hurry! If we feel that power, then it is certain that Beryl has sensed it as well and is even now sending a youma to investigate the source. It will not take the witch long to discover your Princess and all your deceptions will be for naught.”

Minako was bolstered by his wisdom. With her memories had come a comforting realization that this man could spur her warrior self as no other could; his presence comforted her and gave her strength. They raced up the stairs of the building and into the elevator. Minako pressed the button urgently, jamming her finger into it several times as though spurring the piece of machinery into action. When the doors finally opened on the proper floor, Kunzite reached into his pocket and pulled out the spare key Mamoru had given him the week before, letting them into the apartment silently.

The bedroom door was closed, shimmering light bursting from every seam. They crept towards it, opening it as quietly as possible. As her eyes adjusted, Minako took in the scene before her, a hot blush rising to her cheeks as she realized what she was witnessing. Her Princess – her beautiful, pure Princess – was lying on her back in Mamoru’s bed, her school top abandoned, hanging haphazardly off the back of a chair. Her pink-tipped fingers were digging into the bare skin of his back and he seemed to have his face buried in her neck, one hand cupping a lace-covered breast and the other – oh, Selene – the other sliding up the royal blue skirt and dragging the hem along with it!

Neither of them had noticed the two intruders in the room yet, but the silver glow was dimming, fading into oblivion as though it had only existed to show the world that these two souls had finally come together once again. Minako turned to Kunzite, ready to suggest that perhaps an immediate retreat was in order to find him staring resolutely at the floor as though loathe to intrude on the passionate embrace of the lovers. Minako took a step backward, prepared to go back to the front door and ring the bell, when a dark presence filled her senses and she looked up, staring at the horror in front of her.

“Well, well, well,” a snide voice spoke from between pointed teeth. “Isn’t this a familiar scene?” The lovers broke apart suddenly, Mamoru protectively pulling a sheet up to cover Usagi, putting himself between her and the creature that had glided through his window.

“Beryl,” he spat, recognition clear on his face. Minako gasped. As he said the name, the faceless demon of her dreams suddenly took form and she realized that it was the woman in front of her. Kunzite growled low in his throat.

“Oh, Endymion, don’t act so surprised,” she said evilly. “It’s not like this is the first time I’ve caught my betrothed in a compromising position with the little tart from the Moon.”

“That was a long time ago, Beryl.” His voice was cold, commanding – Mamoru had peeled away, leaving Endymion in his place, and this man was every inch the Prince that he was supposed to be. “Leave her out of it.”

“Oh, I fully intend to,” she said mysteriously while Usagi cowered behind Mamoru. “And – ah, yes. The loyal handmaiden, Sailor Venus, I presume,” she continued, eyes locking onto Minako. Minako met her gaze boldly, refusing to rise to the bait. Beryl laughed, a wicked sound and turned her attention to Kunzite. “You did well, Kunzite, to lead me to them. You will be forgiven for your little vanishing act once we have returned to the Dark Kingdom, and I assure you that your place in my court will be second only to Endymion.”

“No,” Minako whispered, her eyes moving involuntarily from Beryl to the man she was addressing who was watching his Queen with interest in his eyes. “Oh, please, no.”

“Did you really think you could change him, Venus?” Beryl said contemptuously. “He has been mine since the first time he betrayed you to lay with me, all those millennia ago. Haven’t you, my pet?”

“Of course, my Queen,” he said smoothly, and Minako felt the tears rush down her cheeks. Beryl raised her hand imperiously.

“You may keep your Princess for now, Sailor Venus,” she said as though granting a great boon. “The Prince, however, comes with me.” Before Minako could react to the statement, Mamoru was wrapped in a sphere of negative energy, Usagi was screaming and Beryl was laughing maniacally.

“Sorry, Princess, he was mine first,” she said with an evil grin. “Kunzite – come!”

“Of course, my Queen,” he said, and the silver-haired man crossed the room to stand next to the one to whom he would always be loyal. They vanished, leaving Minako alone with Usagi.

“Mamoru!” she screamed, beating her pale fists against the floor, tears pouring from her eyes. “No! Give him back! Mamoru!”

Her Princess’ tears galvanized Minako. She could worry about her own betrayal and loss later – right now, her first duty was to protect the Princess. She whipped out her communicator. “Everyone, come to Mamoru’s apartment immediately – we have an emergency.” She didn’t wait for their answer, she merely ran to Usagi’s side and wrapped the smaller girl in her embrace.

“Shh, Usagi-chan, shh.” She rocked her back and forth in her arms, cradling the girl against her chest, weeping for the agony she could feel flowing from the beautiful girl in her arms. “I’m so sorry, Usagi-chan, so sorry.” She didn’t even know what she was apologizing for; for trying to take the Prince in the first place or not being fast enough to stop Beryl from taking him. Her tears mingled with those of Usagi’s, falling to the floor, into her Princess’ hair.

“We’ll get him back,” she whispered, kissing the top of the other girl’s head. “We’ll get him back.” When the others arrived five minutes later, she was still holding Usagi in her arms, rocking her back and forth, still crying and repeating those words as though the mantra would be enough to help them save Mamoru.

“What happened?” Rei demanded, rushing to them and wrapping her arms around them. “Usagi-chan, what’s wrong?”

“They took him,” the girl sobbed. “They took him.” Her voice was rising in pitch desperately and Minako tightened her hold, meeting Rei’s eyes over her head. The anguish she saw there she was sure was reflected in her own. Makoto and Ami stood off to the side, as though reluctant to join in. Ami had her computer out, scanning the room, her eyes wide at what was no doubt an exceptionally high reading of negative energy in the room.

“Usa-chan,” Minako whispered into the Princess’ ear, “I’m going to wrap you up in the blankets and we’re all going to hold you on the bed while I tell the others what’s going on. They’ll help us get him back, okay?” The other nodded slightly and Minako lifted her while Rei pulled the blankets from the bed and wrapped them securely around the forlorn form and helped Minako sit down with her precious bundle in her lap against the headboard. The others crowded around them, each of them laying a comforting hand on the heartbroken Usagi.

“I’m sorry – Artemis and I have been lying to all of you,” she said, taking a deep breath. “I’m not the Princess – I’m a decoy. I came in to draw attention away from the true Princess until she could awaken. It was vital that everyone believe I was the Princess so that the enemy would not suspect that Sailor Moon was actually the one.” The other three girls stared in shock at this statement. “Sailor Moon is not the leader of the Senshi – I am. We are here to protect her, because we failed in our past life.”

“Past life?” Rei asked, her brow furrowed.

“Yes,” Minako said. “Usagi is the incarnation of Princess Serenity, heiress to the Silver Millennium and the Ginzuishou. We are her four Guardian Senshi, and our sole purpose is to protect the Princess and the Ginzuishou. In our past life, we lived on the Moon and we – grew careless. Our Princess fell in love with the Prince of the Earth, Endymion, but theirs was a forbidden romance – all contact between the Earth and the Moon was strictly illegal. Each of us, in our own way, not only allowed this to happen, but made it possible.

Each of us followed our Princess to the Earth at one time or another to retrieve her when she would go missing, and each of us allowed herself to be seduced by his Shitennou. Instead of discouraging Serenity, we would sneak to the Earth with her – except for me. I would stay in the Palace, disguised as Serenity, for my lover was part Lunarian, and able to blend in with our people. Had the Queen not been so distracted by the threat growing under Earth’s soil, she would have discovered our treachery long before she did and punished us most severely. Instead she was blinded to it.

By the time Endymion’s father announced his betrothal to a Princess of the Pyrite Kingdom, he and Serenity had already lain together more than once – more than a hundred times. Despite this, Endymion did not dare go against his father’s will, so he set Beryl up to discover the two in – er – a compromising position. It did not go as he planned. Instead of calling off the betrothal, Beryl went to her mother, Metalia, who had been overtaken by an evil spirit, and begged for the power to destroy the Princess of the Moon and all that followed her.

One by one, she seduced Endymion’s Shitennou, corrupting them with dark crystals, and raised an army of youma. She set her trap for Endymion, but somehow he saw through it and rushed to warn the Moon of the coming invasion. He took a blow Beryl had meant for Serenity and she picked up his fallen sword and plunged it into her own breast. Each of us was killed by her former lover.” She paused, letting the information sink in, watching the memories flood over her comrades.

“Jadeite,” Rei whispered, a look of hatred crossing her face, but not before a tear slipped down her cheek.

“Nephrite,” Makoto said softly. There were no tears for her fallen lover, but her face was tight as though it took every ounce of her not inconsiderable strength to keep them at bay.

“Zoisite,” Ami murmured, tears freely flowing down her cheeks.

“Kunzite,” Minako said, more for their benefit than her own – she did not need to be reminded of his betrayal again. “Our Queen managed to harness the power of the Ginzuishou and seal Metalia and Beryl away. With the last of her strength, she sent our souls to Earth, praying to Selene that this time, her daughter would be born on the same planet as Endymion and the lovers would finally be able to live in peace.”

“Mamoru,” Usagi whispered, her face set, tear tracks staining the now-dry skin. “Mamoru is Endymion.”

Minako nodded. “I did not see it until it was nearly too late, Usa-chan, and for that I am so sorry.” She looked to the others, determined that they should know the entire tale. “There is more to the story. Each of us is the incarnation of a goddess – Usagi is Selene, of course. I am the incarnation of Aphrodite, the foolish goddess of love who, millennia ago, made the fatal error of falling in love with Selene’s consort, though I could have had any other I wished. Selene did not forgive easily, and she cursed Aphrodite – no matter how many times reborn, I am doomed to make the same mistake. This life, as you already can tell, has been no different. I believed Ryuu to be the Prince, and so felt safe to pursue Mamoru, despite my growing attraction to Ryuu. I only hope that Usa-chan can someday forgive me.”

“What about the past life, Minako-chan,” Rei whispered, remembering that she, too, had pursued Mamoru once upon a time.

“Our Princess did not fall in love with Endymion by accident. She had watched him since his birth, fascinated by his deep connection to the blue planet she loved so. I did not know. The time for the re-affirming of the treaty between the Earth and the Moon came, as it did every one hundred years, and Endymion accompanied his father to the Moon to witness the signing of the treaty. I did not know, I swear it, my Princess,” she whispered. The others were watching this scene as though terrified of what might have happened. “I seduced Endymion and Serenity happened upon us. She had been looking for the Earth Prince to try to capture his attention and found him in bed with her cousin. The betrayal was complete. Princess Serenity was cordial to me from then on, but the love I was accustomed to from my Princess was stopped as though someone had turned off a spigot.” Minako bowed her head over Usagi’s and dropped another tender kiss on the top of her head.

“I am so deeply sorry, my Princess, I did not know,” she sobbed. Usagi merely nodded and Minako pulled herself together.

“So what happened here tonight?” Ami asked, trying valiantly to change the subject.

“Kunzite approached me today and revealed Endymion’s identity, and I knew that I had to find Usagi immediately. We were searching for her and saw a surge of pure energy coming from Mamoru’s apartment. We rushed in to find them together, but then Beryl appeared. The energy had drawn her, as well. She took Mamoru with her and Kunzite returned to his Queen’s side.” The last words were bitter on her tongue. The others gasped in shock.

“We have to get him back,” Usagi said, her voice strong, determined.

“We will, Usa-chan, we will,” Minako whispered, tightening her hold on Usagi. “I swear to you that we will retrieve him and destroy that hell-born bitch of the devil once and for all.”

“Sleep now, Usagi-chan.” Rei’s voice was softer, kinder than anyone had ever heard it when addressing the other girl. “Let us take care of you tonight. You just focus on you for right now. We will come up with a plan.” Usagi nodded.

Makoto leapt off the bed and picked up Mamoru’s discarded t-shirt.

“Put this on, Usagi-chan,” she ordered softly. “We’ll all stay here tonight and watch over you. Tomorrow, we will get him back.” Usagi’s hand reached limply for the shirt and she pulled it over her head, breathing in deeply as she did. Minako reluctantly released her and lay her down, stretching her limbs out over Mamoru’s bed while Ami pulled the covers smooth over her.

“Rest now, Usagi-chan,” Ami whispered. “We will take care of you.” Usagi nodded, her eyes drifting shut. Luna curled up on the pillow next to her mistress’ head and turned her blue eyes on the others.

“I will watch over the Princess while you plan,” she said. “Someone will need to call Usagi-chan’s parents and let them know where she is.” Minako nodded and led the others through the door, shutting it softly behind them.

“I’ll call her parents,” Rei said, taking action. “I’ll say she fell asleep at Makoto’s and we decided to have a sleepover since we couldn’t wake her up. I’ll call my grandfather, too.” Minako said nothing. Her parents probably wouldn’t notice if she didn’t come home that night – they never had in the past.

Makoto fixed her with a cold stare. “Why was our Princess in Mamoru’s bedroom with no shirt on?” she asked. Minako felt a flush rise up her chest and cover her cheeks.

“I don’t know how much of their past lives Usagi-chan and Mamoru-san remembered before Beryl took him – it may have been all of it or none of it, but when Kunzite and I arrived, they were in a rather – er – compromising position.” Minako knew her face was the color of a ripe tomato.

“She’s only fourteen!” Rei shouted. “As soon as he comes back from wherever Beryl has him, I’m going to light his ass on fire!”

“Rei-san, her body may be fourteen, but her soul is ancient, and so is their love. It is not our place to say if they consummate it or not,” Ami put in logically. Makoto nodded.

“So, was that what caused that energy spike?” Makoto asked, her ear cocked towards the other room, where Rei was on the phone, cajoling Usagi’s parents into letting her stay the night.

“I can only assume that the moment their souls connected, the Princess’ power flared to life,” Minako confirmed.

“It’s very romantic,” Makoto said quietly. “I always wondered why those two fought so much. Motoki-kun once made a joke about it being sexual tension, but I couldn’t credit it at the time – now…I wonder.”

“I, for one, would like to know why you were working with Kunzite,” Rei said, coming into the room with a cordless phone in her hand. Ami nodded.

“Ryuu-kun was Kunzite,” she said quietly. “He told me he was fighting the influence of the dark crystal that was corrupting him – that he would never turn Endymion over to Beryl – and I believed him. Yet another mistake of the past life that I am apparently doomed to repeat.” Minako hung her head in shame.

“You saved the Princess,” Makoto reminded her. “You protected her from Beryl. Now that my memories are returning, it seems like she’d have wanted Usagi-chan dead – if you hadn’t been there, Selene only knows what might have happened.”

Minako shook her head. “No, Beryl made it very clear that she wanted nothing to do with the Princess right now – she only wanted Mamoru-san,” she told them, waiting for their reactions.

“Stop calling her that!” Rei snapped, fire in her eyes. “Usagi-chan is not the Princess anymore! She is Usagi-chan! Do not force the past life upon her, too. She is not doomed to that fate and neither are we!”

“But the past life defines who we are now,” Makoto argued. “Surely you can see that.”

“I do not like it either,” quiet Ami put in. “Usagi-chan is Usagi-chan, and by denying her that name, we are denying her part of who she is. Even if she is the Princess, she is still Usagi-chan, and we should continue to call her that, even amongst ourselves.” Makoto seemed to weigh this logic over for a long moment before nodding.

“This bickering is getting us no closer to finding Mamoru-san and defeating Beryl,” Minako felt compelled to remind them. “Ami-chan, pull out the Mercury computer and see if you can trace the dark energy to its source. Rei-san, use your fire – follow the trail and tell us what you find. Mako-chan and I will stay here and watch over Usagi-chan. We’ll stay in contact via communicator. Artemis, you go with Ami-chan. Once we find out where they have taken him, we can formulate a plan to get him back. I will not lose her to her grief again.” The others nodded and pulled out their transformation pens, each shouting her phrase. The room was awash in light and color for a brief moment. When the glow faded, four Senshi stood, battle-ready, and set upon their appointed tasks.
________________________________________

“Kunzite, watch over the Prince,” Beryl commanded. “I want nothing to go wrong with his transformation.” Kunzite nodded and bowed to the Queen. She stalked out of the chamber, and he turned his attention to his master, lying as though dead in a pod pulsing with negative energy.

“Fight it, my Prince,” he whispered. “Fight her. Do not give in. Remember Usagi-chan. Remember who you are. Fight it.”

His words seemed to bolster the still figure in the pod. Color returned to his cheeks and his eyes fluttered open.

“Usako,” he muttered quietly. “Where is she? Kunzite, where is she?” His eyes were wide, panicked, and Kunzite reached out a hand to his Prince.

“She is safe, my Lord,” he assured him. “Sailor Venus has her and will take good care of her. I’m sure they are even now plotting your rescue from this place.”

“Not without you, Kunzite,” Mamoru whispered softly. “Where are the others?”

Kunzite reached into his pocket. His heart had felt as though it were made of lead when he returned to the Dark Kingdom to find that Beryl had destroyed the last of his fellows. He pulled out a silken pouch and removed the three stones – all that remained of the Shitennou. “I have them here, sire. I will keep them safe for you.” Mamoru nodded his approval and his eyes drifted closed again.

“Fight it, Mamoru-kun,” he urged, relieved when the cobalt eyes opened again. “You must fight it. The Senshi will come for you, I know they will, but you must fight it until they arrive.”
________________________________________

“I found them!” Ami shouted jubilantly, walking into the quiet apartment. Makoto was the only one in the living room. “Where’s Minako-san?”

“Usagi-chan woke up about half an hour ago and called out for her,” Makoto said, somewhat bitterly.

“Mako-chan, what’s wrong?” Ami asked, sitting down next to her friend. Makoto shrugged.

“I just feel so useless,” she admitted. “Usagi-chan really seems to depend on Minako-san – more than she ever depended on us. You can go hunt for Beryl with your computer, and Rei can read the fires and see the future, but all I can do is sit here, going out of my mind with worry.” She bowed her head in shame. “I love Usagi-chan, Ami-chan – you all are the only family I have and it’s because of her! I just wish I could do something to help her!”

“When the time is right, Mako-chan, you will,” Ami soothed, startled by the outburst. Makoto nodded and turned her attention to more important things.

“Where are they?”

“The Arctic Circle,” she said. “The base is hidden under at least a mile of ice, but there has to be a way in.”

“The Sailor Teleport,” came Minako’s voice from the doorway. “We will all need a good night’s rest if that is what we have to do.”

“We aren’t going to make it – it is Usagi-chan’s fight and hers alone.” Rei had tears in her eyes as she let herself in, crossing to stand in front of them. “I will give my life for my Princess, because it was what I was reborn to do – but I will give my very soul for Usagi-chan if it will help her defeat this.”

“As will I,” Minako swore, coming to stand beside Rei.

“I knew, from the time I first became Sailor Jupiter that my time was marked – now I just know when that debt comes due,” Makoto said.

“I’m sorry that I won’t live to be a doctor and make my mother proud of me, but I know if she were to understand why I sacrificed our dream, she would be prouder still,” Ami added. She and Makoto joined the other two standing in the center of Mamoru’s living room.

“For the dreams that will never come true,” Makoto whispered, sticking her hand in the center of their circle. The others piled theirs on top of hers.

“For those that will,” Ami murmured, looking pointedly towards the bedroom where their Princess – their friend slept, unaware of the vow her they were willingly taking for her.
________________________________________
The Arctic Circle, Present Day

Light. Light and warmth. Those were the first clues that perhaps she wasn’t dead after all. She was bathed in pink light and it felt – comforting. Death shouldn’t feel like Usagi’s hugs, or smell like Makoto’s cookies. She opened her eyes.

“Oh, thank Selene,” Usagi said, leaning over her. “I thought I’d lost you all.” There were tears shining in her Princess’ eyes, tears of happiness and relief. A heavy arm was draped around her back, and Minako turned her head, meeting the eyes of Chiba Mamoru, who was looking down at her in concern.

“The others?” Minako managed to croak.

“They’re awake already,” Usagi whispered. “You fought coming back – almost like you’d have rather stayed where you were.” There was wisdom and knowledge in her eyes, things that had never existed in the blue depths in this lifetime. The sight nearly broke Minako’s heart – would have broken it if it weren’t already shattered.

Usagi stood, face turned up towards the brilliant light of morning, but Mamoru knelt beside her for a few moments longer, his hand finding hers in the snow and clutching it tightly, slipping something hard and cold between her clenched fingers.

“I know that I’m supposed to have this, but something tells me you need it more,” he whispered, bending down to drop a kiss on her cheek before he stood up and joined Usagi, wrapping his arms around her waist and resting his chin on her head. The others joined her, helping her to her feet and they stood for a long moment, taking in the joyous sight of their Princess finally reunited with her Prince.
________________________________________
One Month Later

“If it hadn’t been for Kunzite – I would have fallen under her influence,” Mamoru said quietly. They were sitting in his apartment, the five Senshi and the Prince, discussing the battle of the previous month. “He never left my side. He wouldn’t let me give in and sleep, no matter how tired I was, no matter how much easier it seemed.”

Minako stood suddenly and dashed out to the balcony. Rei stood to join her, but Usagi shook her head softly. “No, Rei-chan,” she said. “She has just been dealt a blow. Give her a moment to compose herself.”

“You’re the only one that can heal this, Usagi-chan,” Makoto said. It was the first time that any of them had acknowledged it. She nodded.

“I know,” Usagi said, standing. She had invited the others over tonight for this purpose. As her memories of the night before the battle came to her, she remembered Minako’s story, and she knew that what needed to be done. She’d just needed to find the right time. She crossed the room slowly, opening the sliding door and joining her warrior on the balcony.

She stood behind Minako and slid on arm around the other girl’s waist and rested her head on her shoulder.

“You’re forgiven,” she whispered. “I lift the curse.”

“It’s too late, Usagi-chan,” Minako said softly. “My next incarnation will have to be more grateful than I am, because it doesn’t seem to matter now.” Usagi nodded understandingly and slipped back inside. Though the others continued their conversation, she kept her eyes glued on the balcony, watching silently as the figure leapt to the nearest rooftop and continued along until she was out of sight.