There was no warning, no premonition. Lightning did not split the sky, the ground did not open, the sun did not stop shining. She was walking through the trees with her boyfriend, listening to him talk about their future, a future filled with amazing animals (him), fantastic cooking (her) and wonderful travelling (both of them).

"So after Thailand, I was thinking we'd go to Tibet. It's an amazing place, there's so much history there, and the food! You'd love it, Mako-chan..."

"It sounds wonderful," she agreed, and then stopped. She watched Ken walk away from her, still describing their amazing future together. But she couldn't see it. She couldn't see their future. She could see her future: as a senshi, a guardian of the new order. And he wasn't part of it.

Makoto felt her legs weaken and she sat down before she collapsed. Ken was standing by an oak tree, staring up into the branches with that intent gaze which meant he'd spotted a bird. Her stomach moved in the familiar way as she noted his broad shoulders and the curve of his back. But her heart, her heart was in freefall.

"Ken," she whispered, too low for him to hear her. And what could she say? [i]I can't do it. I love you, but I don't love you enough. I don't love you enough.[/i]

I don't love you enough. She couldn't believe that she was thinking those words. She had never been the one who stopped loving first. She had always been the faithful one, the one who kept loving even though she shouldn't. She was the senshi of loyalty. But now she could see the end of their relationship as clearly as she could see the muscles move under his T-shirt.

"Honey?" He was walking towards her, looking concerned. "Are you okay? Did you hurt your ankle?"

Makoto pushed her hair back. She couldn't look him in the face. "I want to go home," she whispered.

Ken nodded. He reached out, touched her cheek. Her skin felt cold. "Okay, we'll go home. Can you walk?"

"Yeah." She stood up, turned away and walked back, not even looking to see if he followed. She couldn't speak. She had never thought she would be the one to end it.


DISCLAIMER: All characters belong to Naoko Takeuchi and so I don't own them, I'm just borrowing them.