This is the first fanfic I ever wrote, so please tolerate it as best you can :)

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Souls in the Wind
   A tale of love and regret

       By: odango (odango@usa.net)



     Soft music played--a gentle melody twinkling faintly, its simplistic tune
hauntingly beautiful.  A pair of tortured blue eyes looked down at a star
locket in horror, and the lid was quickly shut closed by the girl.  With a
sigh, Minako looked up at the moon.  All of this pain and anguish because of
one stupid misunderstanding, made under a similar starlit sky...

                                 *    *    *

     A couple stood on the fringes of a softly moonlit beach, the gentle waves
lapping at their heels.  "You're a very special person," Mamoru murmured to the
girl, the moonlight accenting her shining blond hair and bright blue eyes.
     "I know," she replied, not meeting his eyes.
     Almost earnestly, he told her, "I want you to know I'll always be here for
you."
     Her stomached turned over.  She already knew this.  Why was he telling it
to her out loud?
     "Mamo-chan!" a horrified voice gasped.
     He whirled around.  "Usagi." he breathed softly.  "What are you doing
here?"  Minako could hear the forced calmness in his voice.  Her eyes narrowed.
What was Mamoru-san up to?
     "Why am I.....Minako-chan!" was Usagi's soft, stunned reply.  Her immense
sapphire eyes welled with tears, and in a tight voice, she said, "I see."  Her
paralyzed hand dropped something golden as her mouth silently struggled to say
something else, but only tears dripped down her face.  For a few moments,
they all stood, staring at one another, then Usagi finally turned on her heel
and fled, sobbing hysterically.
     Minako drew in a sharp breath.  "Oh, Usagi-chan, no....."  She wanted to
run after Usagi, beg for her to understand what was really going on, but her
legs refused to move.
     "Usako...she really did come..." Mamoru whispered.  Minako whirled around,
her expression darkening ominously.  She wanted to tear out Mamoru's heart for
this.  One steady thought was going through her head: Mamoru tricked them
both.  She had been tricked when he had called and said there was some business
with the Black Moon droids to be taken care of...then he found a way of
getting Usagi to find them at this secluded beach, making her think.....oh,
god, making her think that she and Mamoru were now a couple!  The anger
mounted inside of her, and she was about to let him have it when Mamoru
dropped to his knees, whispering, "Oh god......"
     Minako's eyes drifted off in the direction Usagi had fled.  Her eyes
caught sight of the golden star locket lying in the sand, looking old and
forlorn.  She picked it up slowly, and lifted the lid.  The classic melody
played its first few notes before she could stand no more.  Tears running down
her cheeks, she whispered, "Oh, Usagi, please forgive me...I didn't know...
     "I didn't know."

                                 *    *    *

     "No...no!" Usagi whispered softly as she stared into the river before
her.  It seemed endless, never stopping, and she idly wondered if she was like
the river; her lives never ending, something always pushing her forward.
     'If Rei-chan knew I thought about these kind of things, I wonder what
she'd look like....?' she mused, trying to picture Rei-chan's face, and
giggled to herself.  Then the pain came back.  Minako and....Mamoru?
Together?  She had always thought she and Mamoru were forever.  Maybe if she
had tried harder, maybe this wouldn't have happened.  She felt fresh tears
course down her cheeks, and she sniffled and wiped her cheeks with the hem of
her shirt, idly noticing a stain of dried blood on her shirt's hem.
     'Must have been from my bloody nose earlier today,' she thought quietly.
The blood had spilled so freely, and it had reminded her so much of Mamo-chan's
endless supply of red roses.  The thin streams of blood had reminded her of
the fabled red string of destiny too.  All these things Usagi had wished
night after painful night to leave her alone.  But they never had.  No matter
how hard she tried, she was linked to Mamo-chan, and probably couldn't ever
really part from him.  She'd rather die than to live without Mamo-chan...
     The glimmering waters of the river caught her eye.  The river was so
quiet, yet so fierce and strong.  "Maybe," Usagi thought desperately, "maybe I
could borrow some of its strength.  Please, ginzuishou, give me some of your
strength..."
     She climbed on top of the bridge's railing, and her resolve was crumbled.
She took a deep breath, and tried to steel her nerves.  "Come on, Usagi!  If
you can do this, you can die brave and strong.”
     Shutting her eyes, Usagi stepped out into nothingness.
     A bright column of white light shot up to the sky, and Usagi was freed
from her burden of misery.

                                 *    *    *

     A sudden jab of pain shot through his chest.  "What....NO!" Mamoru
gasped.  He could feel that his link with Usagi, the one that always had told
when she'd been in danger, had been suddenly cut.  Mamoru could swear that his
soul was torn away from its life source.  His mind flashed back to the scene on
the beach.  "Oh god, what did she do?"

                                 *    *    *

     "Princess...Princess..." the wind called softly. "Do not forget what's in
your heart, Princess..."

                                 *    *    *

     "Oh, no, oh nononono!!  My baby, my baby!" Usagi's mother cried, her
entire frame wracked with sobs, her arms cradling Usagi's brooch.
     Mamoru felt numb and very, very tired as he said quietly said quietly,
"Please accept my most sincere condolences.  The police officers are still
trying to figure out what happened.  They let me take the brooch, but they kept
Usagi's fuku."  Mamoru's voice caught in his throat, and he had to pause for a
moment before continuing.  "They--they found the fuku in tatters, and I was told
there were some blood stains on it.  They think Usagi might have been attacked
by someone, then thrown into the river to drown."  The lump that had been
sitting in his throat was suddenly keeping him from talking.  It just couldn't
be.  Usagi wouldn't allow anyone to kill her!  Why didn't she henshin?  She
could have saved herself!
     That wasn't fair of him, he realized a moment later.  It was his fault,
not hers.  Maybe seeing him and Minako had hindered her ability to fight with
all of her strength?  Oh, god, what had he been thinking?!
     Mamoru looked inside the doorway.  Usagi's father suddenly looked old,
Usagi's mother was still sobbing quietly, and Shingo looked explosive.  "The
police are searching for her body right now," Mamoru finished quietly.
     "What did you do to her, you horrible, ugly monster??" Shingo suddenly
shrieked, pounding Mamoru with his fists as tears began to stream down his
face.  "I know YOU did it!  She cried every night, calling your name!  I heard
her!  You horrible jerk!"
     Mamoru took each blow, not really feeling them.  After he had heard the
news from Rei-san, he had felt numb.  Then he heard Usagi's father clearing
his throat and quietly telling Shingo to stop.  After a moment or two, Shingo
stopped, glaring at Mamoru hatefully.
     "She's gone, she'll never come back, AND IT'S ALL YOUR FAULT," Shingo
spat viciously, then ran off to his room, tears streaming down his cheeks.
     Mamoru stared after Shingo, and caught sight of Chibiusa standing in the
background.  She wore an expression one of pure shock.  "Usagi...gone?" she
whispered.  Then Chibiusa noticed her hand fade in and out. "Nani?!"  She
clutched her Luna-P close to her and hugged it tight.  "Nani kore?!" she
whispered as she stumbled into Usagi's bedroom.
     Mamoru's eyes widened.  "Sir, Chibiusa-chan...she's..."
     "She's not to visit you anymore."
     "Sir?!"
     "I don't mean to sound harsh, but from what I heard from Hino Rei-san and
the others, plus Shingo, it seems that Usagi might have _jumped_ off that
bridge because she was upset over something you did.  I don't know if that's
true or not, but if it is, I can't have you upsetting Chibiusa-chan too."
The man's face looked old and drawn.  "We can't afford to lose Chibiusa-chan
too, and especially not now."
     "But sir, she's--"
     "Good night, Chiba-san.  We'll see you at the memorial service."  The
door firmly shut itself in Mamoru's face.  Mamoru could hear choked wails from
inside as the family mourned the loss of their irreplaceable Usagi.  Mamoru
leaned against the door heavily.  Tears began to drip down his cheeks, and he
choked, "Oh, Usagi!  I'm so sorry...!"  Then his bitter tears closed off his
throat.

                                 *    *    *

                                 *    *    *

     "Rei-chan, you're really hardworking, that's so cool!" Usagi had
exclaimed, her eyes showing her admiration.
     "Oh, really?  Maybe you should try it yourself!"Rei had snapped back.
     "Ooh Rei, you're so bossy!" Usagi's gaze had turned into pure ice.

     "Usagi!" Rei wailed, and buried her head in her arms, weeping.

     "So what do you do for fun?"
     Ami had given a shy smile.  "Oh, I go to the library."
     "The library?!?  I go to the arcade.  Wanna come?  Oh, it's fun, let's
go!" and Usagi had dragged Ami off to show Ami the fun in living.

     "Usagi." Ami whispered in anguish.  "Why did you leave us?"  And she broke
down into uncontrollable sobbing.

     "Ooh, that looks good to eat!" a blond haired girl had said to her
suddenly.
     "You aren't afraid of me?" Makoto had blinked in surprise.
     "No, why should I?" Usagi had replied.

     A sob choked her throat.  Her head dropped down, and she whispered, "My
friend, why did you go?"

     "Mamo-chan!" Usagi had first cried out, utterly horrified.
     Then Usagi's voice had said her name.
     And all she had done was look away.  She hadn't even tried to run after
Usagi and tried to comfort her.  How could she have let one of her best friends
just go?

     Minako dropped her head, and whispered softly, "I'm sorry, Usagi."  A lone
tear made its way down Minako's cheek, and splashed unnoticed onto the golden
locket resting in her lap.

                                 *    *    *

     "We will remember her always as our loving daughter, sister, and friend.
Her life brought a light to the world that no one else could have brought.  Her
life, short as it may have been, has touched many lives, and therefore, she
will never be truly forgotten.  We will love her always and hold her dear in
our memory.  Her life, her voice, her walk, the way she ate, everything--
everything--will always be remembered and cherished."
     Usagi's mother finished reading her eulogy, then solemnly closed the Bible
on the podium, concluding the last words of Usagi's life.  "And now, I believe
some of Usagi's friends would like to say something about her."
     Rei, Makoto, and Ami stepped forward.  Mamoru got up to follow them, and
then decided to stay where he was.  He pulled out a picture from his pocket and
stared at a scene of him, Usagi, and Chibiusa.  No one knew where the little
girl was.  Mamoru had looked everywhere for her, but it was like she never
existed.  He sighed and looked at the four girls standing at the podium, regret
and sorrow in his eyes.
     "We each have something to say to Usagi, something about Usagi." Ami said
softly, then said in a stronger voice, "She was braver than any of us knew, and
had more friendship and love than she knew.  I will always miss her chatter,
and I will always miss her."  Ami's voice choked up, and she fell silent.
Makoto and Minako seemed as if they couldn't say anything, so Rei finished up,
"We will always miss her friendship."  Then Rei herded Ami and Makoto, who were
weeping softly, back to their seats.  Rei's soft brown eyes filled with tears
as she passed by the few treasures of Usagi's that were laid out, but she
refused to cry.  For Usagi's sake.
     Minako watched in pain as she saw Mamoru leave hurriedly, not even saying
a word to her.  This was all that bastard's fault, and he couldn't even face
her!  But what hurt more was when she saw Usagi's brooch lying on the table,
missing its priceless ginzuishou.

                                 *    *    *

     A brief smile, then the girl disappeared from view.  She emerged giggling
as she ran across her lawn when its sprinklers went on.  Her short black hair
glinted in the sunlight, showing its unusual yellow highlights.  She shrieked
as the water hit her, and then finally made it into the house, soaking wet.
Her pale cheeks glowed pink, and her green eyes shined with delight.
     'Summers in Japan are always such fun!' she thought happily.  She
leaned forward a little bit to avoid her dripping hair and added a bit
wistfully, It's too bad we can't stay here all year.'
     "Mirechu!" a woman called.
     "Coming, mother!" she called back.  Shaking herself on the way up the
stairs, she found her mother in the kitchen, hugging a letter to her chest.
     "Oh, Mirechu!" her mother said excitedly.  "Today, we got a letter from
your uncle in the United States.  He says we don't need to need to go back
there!  We can stay in Japan again!"
     "Oh, MAMA!" she cried happily.  She hugged her mother delightedly.  "Can
we stay here, in this house?  Do I get to go to the junior high school here?
Do I get to make friends without worrying about leaving them?"
     Her mother smoothed her hair down.  "Of course, Mirechu."
     Mirechu beamed even brighter.  Her mother remembered.  "Oh mother, can we
go shopping today?  I want to buy some new clothing to celebrate!  PLEASE,
Mama!!"
     Her mother laughed.  "Go ahead without me, little one.  I will give you
the money to buy just one new outfit for now."
     Mirechu hugged her mother one last time, then left quickly with some
money.
     A few school girls trickled by.  With a sigh, Mirechu surmised she would
have to start school very soon......way sooner than expected.  She walked by a
new poster mentioning something about the new Sailor V movie.  Mirechu's eyes
lit up.  Sailor V!  She really was back in Japan.  Such happiness!
     She was so busy being happy she did not notice there was someone in front
of her, and ran smack into a blue haired girl.
     "I'm so sorry!" she blurted out quickly, speaking instinctively in
English.
     "What did you say?" the girl asked in Japanese.
     Mirechu turned pink.  "Gomen nasai," she said, apologizing, "I'm sorry for
running into you.  Please forgive me."
     "It's no problem," the girl laughed.  "Don't worry about it, I used to
have a friend that always used to..." Suddenly, the girl bit her lip and said
no more.  Mirechu idly wondered why the girl was suddenly upset, but pushed
away her curiosity.
     The girl made an effort to smile, and said, "My name is Mizuno Ami.  What's
yours?"
     "Araki Mirechu.  Your name is really beautiful."
     Ami smiled, though it was still a little sad.  "Thank you, that means a
lot to me.  So where are you from?  Shouldn't you be in school uniform now?
The break just ended."
     Mirechu blushed pink again.  "I know, but I just moved back here from the
United States.  My uncle said that we could stay in Japan again, so right now
to celebrate I wanted to buy some new clothes."  She looked to the Ami's
uniform.  "But maybe I should save the money for the uniform?"
     Ami laughed.  "No, I think it's fine of you to want to spend it."  She
glanced down at her watch.  "I have to go meet some friends right now.  It was
nice meeting you." Ami said quickly.
     Mirechu immediately replied, "It was nice meeting you too.  Have fun
talking with your friends."
     Ami took off down the street.  "Bye Mirechu!" she called, waving over her
shoulder.
     Mirechu waved back, then proceeded to finish her quick trip to the Juuban
mall.  She walked into the clothing store, and picked out an outfit quickly.
As she was paying for it, a beautiful necklace caught her eye.  It was a
crescent moon dangling from a long, silken black cord; it was exquisite and an
oddly comforting sight.  The sudden burst of loneliness which had accompanied
the sight of the moon surprised her, and she instinctively reached out for the
necklace.  The cool weight of the moon pendant in her hand made her feel
curiously less alone.  She closed her fist around it.
     "How much?" she asked the sales clerk.  The clerk rattled off a price.
Mirechu considered.  "That's not that bad," she murmured to herself. "I'll
take it," she told the clerk quickly.
     The clerk quickly handed Mirechu her package, and Mirechu left.  She was
so tired of shopping; she just wanted to meet some new people, that was all...

                                 *    *    *

     "Venus Star Power, MAKE UP!"  Minako watched as her hand manipulated
the stream of starlit brightness, and she reveled in the Power that flowed
through every tip of her.  Then it was all over, and in a flash of bright,
Minako reappeared as Sailor Venus.  "Hurting innocent people!  The pretty-
suited soldier, Sailor Venus, will punish you!" she snarled fiercely.  This
droid looked like an easy picking. Might as well just knock it off quickly and
save a lot of hassle. "Venus...LoveMe...Chain!"
     The droid easily jumped out of the way, and Minako cursed.  Why did they
always have to make things so DIFFICULT?!  The droid then growled something
unintelligible while releasing a stream of black energy at her, which she
narrowly avoided.  "They ALWAYS have to be so difficult, don't they??" Minako
grumbled, readying her `Cresent Beam' attack.
     "Shine...Aqua...ILLUSION!"  A stream of icy energy slammed into the
droid's side, and suddenly it was encased in an ice tomb.
     "Sparkling...Wide...PRESSURE!"  The droid screamed as it was electrocuted
inside its ice shell.
     "Burning...MANDALA!"
     'Oh, why the hell not?' Minako figured after hearing Mars begin her
attack.  'I'm powered up already."  She raised her arm over her head, summoning
her first attack.  "Crescent...BEAM!"
     "Someone help meeeeee..." the droid yelped as it was killed in a flash
of light and fire.  A faint, shimmery outline of Rubeus appeared.  "Savor your
victory-- while it still lasts!" he hissed.  Then his form wavered and disappeared.
     Minako turned to the rest of the senshi, feeling annoyed.  Why did they
treat her like she couldn't kill things on her own?!  Now she understood how
Usagi had felt.  "Thanks guys," she told them, trying to make her voice sound
cold.  She was _really_ getting sick of this.
     "Anything for our newly appointed leader," Jupiter tried to say cheerfully,
struggling bitterly to not let her anger show.  'What right does she have to
be mad at me?' Minako thought angrily, then the little voice inside her head
reminded, 'She has every reason to be mad.  YOU're the reason why Usagi's dead.'
     Mars's eyes grew suspiciously bright.  "Usagi would have loved to have
dusted that monster--after screeching a lot, of course."  Her mouth twitched as
she tried to smile.
     "Why don't we go inside?" Mercury suggested gently.  "We can talk in
there."
     Something Jupiter said suddenly registered in Minako's mind.  Leader.
What a suddenly filthy word.  Minako hated that title more than anything.  She
didn't want to be at the meeting.  She wanted out of here.  "Whatever.  I
gotta get going, so make it quick," she told them impatiently.
     Makoto lost her temper.  "What's with the attitude, Minako?  Just chill,"
she said sharply.  "I don't understand you anymore.  Before, you were one of
the sweetest people to be around.  Now you're always bitter and uncooperative."
     Ami stepped in hastily.  "Now, now, Makoto, it's okay.  Minako probably
has got something on her mind, that's all."  But Ami, too, sent Minako a sharp
glance.
     "We are her friends.  She should be able to talk to us about her problems,"
Makoto said stubbornly.
     'Just finish up this act, and you can get out of here,' her brain told her,
and Minako tossed her head.  "I don't have time for this.  See you guys around.
Call me when you need my help against a droid."  She walked away from the temple
briskly, and rounded the corner before stopping and sagging against a wall.
She couldn't tell them, not ever, what had happened.  She was the cause for
Usagi's death.  It was her fault.  She couldn't ever tell, or she would lose
everything.

                                 *    *    *

     Mirechu walked with her package in hand.  All around her were buses, cars,
and noise.  She longed for the quiet parks of San Francisco.  Suddenly her eyes
caught hold of a flight of steps that seemed to lead up to a world of trees and
serenity.  Her eyes lighting up, she quickly began to mount the steps that
lead to a place where she could rest.

                                 *    *    *

     "I'm getting sick of Minako," fumed Makoto.  "All she does is fight beside
us because of her vow, and that's all.  After the fight, BAM she's gone again,
like we're strangers and we don't know each other.  I'm tired of her behavior.
It's like just because she's 'Sailor V', she can act like she's just a big shot!
She shouldn't be leader if she acts like this; either she shapes up or she
should be kicked out."
     "Makoto!" Ami exclaimed, shocked.  "Minako's probably having some personal
problems right now.  Maybe she feels that they aren't our concern or something.
She isn't required to tell us always of what she's feeling and doing."
     Rei sat apart from the two girls, staring into the serene waters of the
pond.  This was the only place in the area around the temple that always
comforted her.  'Oh, Usagi,' she thought, `you were the glue that kept us all
together.  Now we're just falling apart.  What do we do?  We need you back as
our Princess.'

                                 *    *    *

     Mirechu walked around the temple, impressed.  It was lovely, and so was
the area surrounding it.  The slightly perverted old man who said he ran the
temple with his granddaughter said to feel free to look around and enjoy the
peace that the area gave people, and he had been right, it was peaceful.
     Mirechu walked around until she caught sight of a clear, pristine pond.
It looked like an ideal place to be by herself and take a rest.  She walked
closer and closer until she heard voices and realized there were people there
already.  Hesitantly, she walked closer, until she recognized a familiar blue
head.  The voice was familiar too.  She kept walking closer to get a better
look.

                                 *    *    *

     Rei's head jerked up.  "There's someone coming," she whispered.  "Do not
talk of senshi business now."
     Ami turned around and saw the girl that she had bumped into earlier that
day.  "Araki-san!  How nice to see you again!" she exclaimed.
     Mirechu came into sight shyly.  "Hi, Mizuno-san.  Are these your friends?"
     "Yes, some of them." Ami hesitated for a second, then said, "This is my
friend Kino Makoto"--indicating the tall brown haired girl on her left-- "and
this is my friend Hino Rei"--indicating the girl in robes on her right.
     Mirechu waved at them shyly, and said, "Nice to meet you guys."
     "So what school do you go to?" Rei asked curiously.
     Mirechu replied, "I'm not exactly in school yet; I just moved back here
from the United States. I'll have to start school soon I suppose...not that I'm
exactly thrilled with the idea..."  She made a face.
     Makoto laughed.  "Enjoy your break while you still can." she said, a smile
tugging at her lips.
     Mirechu smiled happily.  "I will, thanks."
     Rei studied Araki-san carefully.  She shook Mirechu's hand, and as soon as
she did, a jolt hit Rei.  She managed to say, "I don't think I've ever seen you
around here at the temple here.  Is this your first time here?" without
revealing what she had just felt.
     Mirechu nodded enthusiastically.  "Yes, and I love it here already.  It
feels so peaceful and quiet; so familiar and comfortable to be in."
     "I'm sure you'll like it here." Rei said, releasing Mirechu's hand.
     Mirechu smiled a tiny smile.  "Thanks."  Then she checked her watch.  "Oh,
shoot, my mom's expecting me home in 10 minutes.  I'd better get going.  Nice
seeing you again, Mizuno-san; nice meeting you Kino-san.  And Hino-san, I'm
going to be sure to stop here at the temple more often."
     Rei said sincerely, "I sure hope you do."
     Mirechu disappeared among the brush.  "Bye guys," was the last thing they
heard from her.
     As soon as Mirechu was out of hearing range, Rei turned to Ami and Makoto.
"You'd better signal Minako," she said briskly, "This is urgent."

                                 *    *    *

     Minako was furious.  "How dare they order ME to get over to the temple!
I'm the leader, I should be able to do what I want!  So what if they need me
over there?  I have better things to do!"  Her expression got even more twisted
with anger.  "They're the ones who wanted me to be leader, not me!  I never
asked for it!"  Then her expression cleared, and was replaced with one of
anguish instead.  "I never wanted to be leader.  I shouldn't be, it's not
right, not after what happened with Usagi..."  A sob caught her throat.  "It's
just not fair....."

                                 *    *    *

     "You're perfect, Minako.  You should be our new leader," Ami had whispered
in a hushed voice the week after they had heard the news about Usagi.  Artemis
had suggested that they regroup and choose a new leader, in case the Dark Moon
attacked again, and now they were discussing it.
     Minako's eyes had flown wide open.  "No!" she had said fiercely, "I can't
ever be leader!"
     "Minako, now's not the time to be humble," Makoto had teased gently, "When
have you ever shied away from the spotlight?"
     "But I---"
     "I agree with Ami." Rei had said, sealing her fate.  "Minako's got the
most experience."
     Luna and Artemis had then nodded in agreement.  "Fine, it has been
decided.  Princess Venus, we are at your service," Luna had said, bowing
slightly.
     Minako had stared back in horror.  No, no, this wasn't happening!  Usagi
did not die because of her, only to have her take Usagi's place as _leader_!
No, no, not ever......!

                                 *    *    *

     Minako's eyes filled with tears.  "Oh, Usagi-chan, I never meant it to be
this way."  A small cry of pain escaped her lips, and Minako stumbled away from
the wall, weeping openly.
     She ran smack into Mamoru.

                                 *    *    *

     Mirechu looked over the contents of the mysterious package that had come
earlier that day.  The palm-sized, multi-faceted round crystal shone brightly
from within layers of paper.  In wonder, Mirechu gently cupped it her hands
and stared at it with wide eyes.  What was this for?  And who would send her
such a gift?

                                 *    *    *

     "Mamoru-san!" Minako gasped, horrified.  She looked to the floor.  "What
are you doing here?"
     "How have you been, Minako?" Mamoru said quietly.  "Have you been well?"
     Minako demurely replied, "Yes.  You?"
     "I've been well."
     A silence lapsed.  Minako stared at her feet, a hundred thoughts racing
through her mind.  Finally, she broke the silence, saying, "Mamoru-san, I
deserve to know--why?"
     Mamoru's head jerked up.  "What do you mean, why?"
     Minako's icy blue eyes met his.  "Don't play dumb.  You know what I mean.
Why did you trick me??  Why did you USE me to hurt Usagi-chan??"  A bit of her
hot anger burst out of her.  "You bastard, tell me WHY!"
     Mamoru looked away.  "I really don't know what happened or why."
     Minako stared at him for a little longer, then nodded her head.  "I
understand," she said icily, "You just don't want to accept the fact that it's
also your fault that Usagi needlessly died that night.  If you'll excuse me,
I have a senshi meeting to attend."  She brushed past him and marched off in
the direction of Rei's temple.
     "Minako, wait." Mamoru called.  "Minako........"
     Minako ignored him, tears streaming down her face. 'Usagi-chan,' she
thought, 'you were a saint to put up with this crap.'
     A hand clamped down on her arm.  Minako whirled around.  "What do you
want?" she hissed at Mamoru.  "I have nothing more to say to you."
     "Then just listen to me, please." Mamoru said softly.  He racked his
brains for an excuse. "That last night...I thought that it would be easier for
Usagi to get over things if she saw me with someone else."
     Minako pulled her arm away from Mamoru abruptly, her eyes blue fire.
"You are a REAL jerk!  You're just soooo great at sparing people's feelings,
you idiot!  You knew that Usagi-chan loved you with all of her heart!  But you
went ahead and tried to further break her heart, AND you dared to use me to
make her so upset that she committed suicide?!  Forget you, don't even bother
talking to me, I don't want to hear it from you."
     "You don't understand, Minako!" he cried, frustrated.
     She turned on him and marched up to his face.  "I don't understand?  I
don't understand?!?  I understand that one of my best friends is dead!  And
that I feel like I killed her when it was ALL YOUR FAULT!"  Mamoru stepped
back, stung by her words.  She continued, "I don't really care what I have to
understand--because I think I already know what I need to know." Throwing
something golden at his face, she turned on her heel and fled, angry tears
running down her cheeks.

                                 *    *    *

     "Where is Minako?" Rei said sharply.  "She should have been here over an
hour ago.  Where could she have gone??  This is really important!"
     Makoto yawned.  "It's just like I told you, you guys," she said softly,
"Minako just doesn't care anymore.  There's no point in having her in our
group if she doesn't act like one of us."
     Ami looked at both of them worriedly.  "I'm worried about Minako, you
guys.  She took Usagi's death pretty hard, you know..."
     Rei glared at her.  "Well, so did a lot of us, Ami," she snapped in
reply, "But some of us know how to get on with our lives!"  At seeing Ami's
recoil, she said in a softer voice, "I'm sorry, Ami.  I didn't mean to snap
at you."
     Ami nodded.  "I miss her too."  She sighed and stared out at the pond.

                                 *    *    *

     "Do not forget," a voice called to her.  "Do not forget...!"
     Mirechu woke up from her nap with a start.  Where had she heard that voice
before?  It sounded so familiar.
     A flash of light caught her eye.  The crystal sat on her desk, and was
glistening brightly.  Mirechu got out of her bed and picked it up.  As she
picked it up, a jolt hit her, and something in her memory stirred.  Frightened,
she dropped the crystal and bolted out of the room.

                                 *    *    *

     "Minako!" Ami cried, shocked.  Her friend staggered into the clearing by
the pond, her hair and clothes wrinkled and dirty, her face streaked with
tears.  Her body was wracked with sobs.  "Minako, what happened?"
     Minako collapsed onto the floor.  Sobbing, she managed to say, "Don't
hate me anymore, don't hate me anymore... please don't hate me anymore," before
her throat closed up from all the tears.
     All three girls surrounded her.  Ami cradled Minako, and asked softly,
"Why would we hate you?  Oh Minako, you're one of our best friends, we couldn't
ever hate you."
     "Minako..." Makoto said softly, touching her friend's shoulder.  "Minako,
we could never hate you."  Makoto fought the urge to cry herself.  "Oh Minako,
what's wrong?"
     "I kept it secret for so long...I couldn't tell you guys ever," Minako
moaned.  "But I can't take it anymore.  I can't take it!"
     "We're your friends, Minako, you can tell us anything," Rei told her
softly, her own eyes filling with tears.
     Minako opened her mouth, and struggled to push the words out; yet they
would not come. "I...I... killed Usagi!" she finally shrieked.  Then she lapsed
back into her frenzied crying.
     "What?" Makoto said, startled.  "You couldn't have killed Minako.  You
loved her as much as we did."
     "No, no no..." Minako moaned.  "You don't understand..." and then she
told her friends of what had happened that starlit night, on that deserted
beach.

                                 *    *    *

     Mamoru walked along the shores of that same beach, a picture in his hand.
Usagi's radiant smile shone up at him from within the picture.  His other hand
balled up into a fist.  "Oh, Usagi....." he whispered in pain.  "I'm so
sorry... why did fate have to tear me apart from you?  I never meant to hurt
you or anyone else...I only wanted to protect you!  Please come back to me,
Usagi..."  Tears dripped on to the moonlit sand.  "Please!"

                                 *    *    *

     Mirechu ran as she had never run in her life.  She had to get away from
that crystal.  It scared her beyond belief.  A few tears fell, and Mirechu
knew she had to find somewhere safe to gather up her thoughts.  She dashed to
the only place in Tokyo that she knew of so far that could offer her the
desperate sanctuary she was looking for.
     Mirechu didn't know if the temple was still open, but she didn't care.
She just wanted a place to calm herself in, a place where she could sort out
the flurry of new thoughts racing through her head.  She headed to the best
spot at the temple: the pond.

                                 *    *    *

     “Minako...." Makoto said in a hushed voice.  "Oh, Minako...."
     Rei opened her mouth to say something, but then was cut off when a girl
breathing raggedly appeared before them.
     Horrified to see there were other people there, she said in a frightened
whisper, "I'm so sorry to intrude, I'll go somewhere else--"
     Ami lifted her head.  "Mirechu!  Why are you here?"  Noticing the girl's
tears, she asked worriedly, "What's wrong?"
     Mirechu noticed the girls were all standing over one of their friends; a
strangely familiar looking blond girl who was weeping softly.
     The girl moaned, "I'm so sorry you guys; I should have seen Mamoru's
actions for what they were, but I was too stupid and trusting...I didn't know
he was using me to hurt Usagi!  I loved Usagi as my sister... I never wanted
anything bad to happen to her..."
     Makoto kneeled at the girl's side.  "Minako...Mamoru-san was wrong for
doing that to both you and Usagi.  You and Usagi were such good friends; of
course you couldn't have made her die!"
     Mirechu stood off in the background, trying to puzzle out what they were
talking about.......then something surfaced in her memory.  She remembered
reading an article in the newspaper about a girl who had committed suicide
after she had thought her ex-boyfriend had gone after one of her best friends.
It was a small article, really, not of much importance, but somehow it had
caught her eye anyway...
     Suddenly, she felt someone staring at her.  She looked down to see Minako.
And Minako, so distraught she began to speak in English, asked in a half-
whisper, "Forgive me...", her eyes darting wildly between her friends and
Mirechu.
     Mirechu, startled to hear someone speak her native language, replied, "If
it makes you feel any better, I forgive you," her English no more than a
stunned whisper.
     Minako was the only one to understand her reply.  She gave a faint smile
and it did seem as if she did feel better.  Her eyes drooped, and Minako fell
asleep, worn out from endless weeping.

                                 *    *    *

     Mamoru looked up at the stars one last time before turning back to go home;
tears shone in his eyes.  He knew, no matter how hard he wished, Usagi was
never coming back.  Not ever.  And Minako had been right: it was all his fault.
But there was no way for him to make it up to Usagi, not ever...

                                 *    *    *

     Rei looked up at Mirechu.  "What ever you said to her, it sure made her
feel better," she said gratefully, not having understood a word of the last
part of Minako's pleading.  "What brings you back to the temple?"
     Mirechu looked down at her feet.  "I'm sorry to have intruded on your
friends.  I just wanted to take a look at the pond.  I'd better go now.  Bye
guys, I'll see you around sometime," and with those fleeting last words,
Mirechu fled the temple area.
     Rei looked at her retreating figure, weighing something in her head.
"There's something important that I should tell you guys: I *know* Mirechu from
somewhere.  She could be a very important person, you guys."
     Makoto stared.  "You think so?"
     Rei nodded.  "I felt it when I shook her hand.  Mercury, I think you
should run a program on your computer that could figure out who she is.  Who
ever she is, we'd better find out soon.  She could be anyone from our past."

                                 *    *    *

     "Mirechu!" a familiar voice called out to her over the din of the
chattering students.
     Mirechu looked up.  It was so hard to see who had called her; there were
so many people outside to eat their lunch.  Finally, she spotted who had been
calling her.
     "Hi Ami!  Hi Makoto!" she said happily.  "I'm so glad there's someone I
know in this school!"
     The girls sat down with Mirechu and they began to eat.  They made small
talk over teachers and people, and they had almost finished eating when Mirechu
decided to take off her jacket.  As soon as she did, Ami and Makoto gasped.
     Mirechu looked to them worriedly.  "Is something wrong with my uniform?"
     "No...but...where did you get that brooch?" Ami managed to say.
     Mirechu looked at the brooch, which lay on the knot of her bow on the
uniform, in pride.  "My mom bought it from this lady who was selling some
things.  It's really pretty, isn't it?"  She gazed admiringly at the pretty
star that was etched into the circular brooch, with four tiny gems that formed
a sort of a diamond shape surrounding the star.
     "Yes...it is..." Makoto said softly.
     Mirechu smiled.  She finished her lunch, chattering happily, while Makoto
and Ami finished their lunches wordlessly.

                                 *    *    *

     "Luna, I really think you should meet this girl," Minako said to the cat
gently.  She seemed much happier and carefree now, almost like the old Minako.
"Come on, Luna, moping around all the time won't bring Usagi back..."
     Luna sighed.  "I know, Minako.  But I keep thinking how mean I was to her
all the time....."
     Minako picked up the small bundle of fur.  "Oh, Luna, you were only like
that to push Usagi into being a better sailor senshi.  Come on, Araki-san won't
bite, she's the one who made me feel better."  She whispered, "It was almost
as if I knew her from somewhere, and I had known her well enough to trust her
that much."

                                 *    *    *

     At home, Mirechu played with her new brooch.  It was so pretty!  As she
fiddled with it, the front fell off, revealing a small hollow.  No wonder the
brooch was so thick, she thought with a wry smile.  Pressing the front back in
place, she got up and decided to take a walk.

                                 *    *    *

     Minako spotted a familiar yellow-glinted head.  "Mirechu!" she called.
     Mirechu turned around.  Her green eyes gleamed cheerfully.  "Minako!  Hi!
Nice meeting you again.....are you feeling better?"
     Minako nodded.  "Yeah, thanks to you.  What you said to me made me feel a
lot better."
     Mirechu smiled happily.  "I'm so glad."  Something twinged in the back of
her mind.  Ignoring it, she asked Minako, "So where are you headed?"  She
noticed the sleeping cat in Minako's arms.  "Oh, what a beautiful kitty...I love
the crescent moon.  Was that painted on?"  She touched the moon gently, and a
burst of light was emitted.  Simultaneously, a jolt ran through Mirechu, which
made it impossible for her to see anything.  Startled, she stared out into
space with wide-eyes, and in a trance-like state, for a few long moments.
     Minako, who had been making sure she couldn't seen any sign of Mamoru,
hadn't seen a thing.  She shook her head.  "Nope.  I have another cat at home,
a white one, that has the same crescent moon on his forehead.  His name is..."
     "Artemis." Mirechu cut in suddenly.  Her eyes focused, drawing her out of
her trance.  Where had that come from?
     Minako blinked.  "Yeah, that's right..." she said softly.  How could Araki-
san have known that?

                                 *    *    *

     Rei glanced up.  "Look, Makoto, there's Minako, and Araki-san."
     "Ami," Makoto said softly, "Are you done analyzing who Mirechu could be?
She's coming, you'll have to put away your Mercury computer."
     "Just one last computation......." Ami muttered.  "Okay, let me save
this."
     "Hi!" Mirechu called, with Minako at her side.  "What's up, all?"
     "Not much." they all replied.
     "I just wanted to show you guys something at home; want to come over?
It's so hot here, and maybe you guys would like to run through my sprinklers?"
Mirechu offered.  She liked hanging out with these four girls.  It almost felt
like they had hung out before, like all the time or something.
     Rei straightened up and smiled.  "Sure, why not?"

                                 *    *    *

     While the rest of the girls were shrieking and having fun running through
the sprinklers, Mirechu offered to show Ami her room, an offer which Ami
accepted quickly.
     Once inside her room, Ami, who was cradling Luna to her chest, quickly
caught notice of a large object on Mirechu's desk. "What a beautiful
crystal," Ami commented.  "Do you know where you got it from?"  It was the
ginzuishou, Ami knew it, but how had Mirechu gotten her hands on it?
     "Not really.  I just got it somehow.  Showed up at my door one day!
Don't know who gave it to me or what, but all I know it gives me the creeps
sometimes.  But hey, look at this: it fits into my brooch."  Mirechu laughed.
She pried off the front of her brooch and popped in the crystal.
     She was about to pry it back out when Luna nudged Ami, and Ami said
hastily, "No, leave it in, it looks nice like that."  If Mirechu could handle
the ginzuishou like it was nothing, did it mean she was of the royal family
too?  Did Usagi have some sort of sister or anything?  Ami's mind raced with
the possibilities.
     "Really?  No one will see it."
     "Just put the lid back on, that way the crystal will be protected," Ami
directed.
     Mirechu shrugged.  "Sure." She placed the lid back on, and seemed to sink
into place automatically.  The star shone brighter, and so did the four tiny
gems.
     Ami smiled.  "Doesn't that look better?"
     "Yeah, I guess it does," Mirechu said, puzzled by the change in the
brooch.

                                 *    *    *

     "Mirechu, your house is a wonderful place to be at on a hot day," Rei
laughed.
     Mirechu blushed.  "Thanks.  You're always welcome, as long as you call me
up first."
     They neared Rei's temple.  "Why don't you guys stay over here for awhile,
and we can talk?" Rei suggested.  Ami had told her that Araki-san had the
ginzuishou and had treated it like she was used to handling it.  Rei wanted
her near the Fire to see what the Fire would tell her.
     Minako opened her mouth to say something, when a rustling noise was
heard.
     Rei stopped suddenly.  "I sense danger," she whispered.  Abruptly, a huge
droid burst out from the surrounding green and attempted to attack the girls,
starting with the nearest one--Mirechu.  Screaming in terror, Mirechu backed
away.
     "Get her out of here!" Rei cried.
     "Right!" Ami said.  "Come on, Mirechu, let's not stay here."  She dragged
the girl away from the rest of the senshi.
     "But they're going to be alone with that horrible monster!  I can't let
them get hurt!"
     "Don't worry about them, they'll know what to do......come on, let's
GO!" She tugged a bit harder.
     "No!  I can't let them get hurt!" Mirechu cried stubbornly, yanked her
arm away, and ran back to where the monster was.
     She got there in time to see Rei, Makoto, and Minako cry,
     "Mars Star Power--!"
     "Jupiter Star Power--!"
     "Venus Star Power-!"
     "--MAKE UP!"
     And then, three sailor senshi appeared before her eyes.
     "Ruining the fun of girls trying to get their minds off of studying!  The
pretty sailor soldier of love and justice, SAILOR VENUS, will not forgive you!"
     Mirechu felt something prickle at the back of her mind.  This seemed such
a familiar scene.  But she couldn't remember where or when she had seen it...

                                 *    *    *

     "Who threw that?!" Cooan hissed.
     "Ruining the fun of an old man who's a little perverted!  The sailor
soldier of love and justice, SAILOR MOON, will punish you in place of the
Moon!"
     Cooan ordered her droid to hurtle its attack at her head, but the droid
had been no match for Sailor Moon's cutie moon rod.
     "Moon Princess Halation!" Then the monster had been killed, dusted
for eternity.

                                 *    *    *

     The image in Mirechu's mind quickly faded away as she heard a shrill
scream.  Ami flew backwards, and landed heavily on the floor, unconscious.
     "Mizuno-san!" Mirechu shrieked.  She ran over to her friend.  A tear
trickled down her cheek.  Angrily, she glared at the monster, and she rushed
at it wildly, wanting to kill it for hurting Ami.  Knocked aside like a ragged
doll, she sailed through the air, and her forehead briefly shone with the
symbol of the moon.  Landing with a thump next to Ami, the thing in the back
of her brain persisted at her.  From the rapidly churning thoughts, an idea
emerged.  A crystal had given her a gift beyond her imagination in a time of
frenzied grief.  The quiet persisting at the back of her brain became an
aggressive roaring.  Tears streaming down her cheeks, she knew that she could
not ignore it any longer.

                                 *    *    *

     Mamoru gazed up at the sky in longing.  He glanced down at the golden
locket in his hand, and as he heard it twinkle their old melody, his heart
ached in longing.
     'Oh, Usagi,' he thought quietly. 'Will this ache ever go away?'
     As he stared up at the shimmering moon, something within him twinged.  And
incredulously, he almost swear that the soft powers of the moon were repairing
the broken link that had connected his soul with Usagi's.  It felt almost if
she was nourishing his soul with her love...

                                 *    *    *

     Putting her hand to the brooch, she willed the ginzuishou to undo what it
had done for her out of her mother's love.  The black-haired, green-eyed girl's
outer appearance ribboned, and as it faded away to reveal a blonde, blue-eyed
girl with two "odango" sitting on top of her head, Usagi whispered, "I
remembered, Mama.  I remembered."
     Standing up, she cried, "Moon Crystal Power, MAKE UP!"  The ginzuishou
flashed pink streams of light, brighter than Usagi could ever remember it doing
in the past.  It must have been waiting for another chance to shine again, she
realized.  Then the ribbons of her uniform covered her body, and as they
wrapped her up in their familiar embrace, Usagi felt her body grow strong and
familiar again.  She went through all the familiar motions, and as she threw
back her head, the symbol of her birthright shinning brightly, she knew that
she never wanted to give this up again.  Even if it meant having to deal with
all that pain.

                                 *    *    *

     Mamoru gasped.  A cold wind had passed over his body, very much like the
one that had always warned of dangers to his princess.  But Usagi was gone.
Why in the world was this haunting him for??  But then... his sense wouldn't
lie to him, now would it?  What if someone needed his help?  Maybe it was
Chibiusa who needed him!
     Without further hesitation, Mamoru transformed into Tuxedo Kamen and
rushed to aid who ever it was who might need his help.

                                 *    *    *

     "Trying to hurt innocent and pure girls fighting for justice!  The sailor
soldier of love and justice, SAILOR MOON, won't forgive you!  In place of the
Moon, I'll punish you!"
     Rei turning around, went white. "Usagi?" she whispered.  It couldn't be!
Was... was that her spirt?!
     Minako lifted her head.  "Usagi?" she murmured, disbelieving.  She wasn't
dead?
     "Usagi??" Makoto gasped.  It couldn't be!
     Usagi knelt by Ami's still form.  "Ami-chan...." she said softly, "Oh,
Ami-chan, wake up...please Ami-chan, don't leave, I came back...I came back..."
she wept.
     Ami's eyes fluttered open.  "U..Usagi?" she whispered.  "This isn't
real..."
     Usagi smiled.  "It is real, Ami-chan.  The ginzuishou made it all
possible..."
     "Enough already!  Are you going to just waste my time?" snarled the droid,
"Ice liqueur drunken!"  Usagi only had time to realize this droid could actually
talk before she was being pushed out of the way by Makoto and Rei.
     "REI-CHAN!  MAKO-CHAN!" Usagi screamed as the girls absorbed the attack.
Mako was out cold, having taken most of the blast, but Rei was still somewhat
conscious.  Usagi cradled Rei's head in her lap.  "Rei-chan, why'd you do it
for?  You didn't have to...."
     "Guess I was too eager to show off now that you're back, odango atama,"
Rei said weakly.  "Go on.  Help the others."
     Usagi nodded.  She hadn't chosen to return only to let everyone else get
beaten up, right?  "Moon Tiara Action!"  The spinning discus of light neatly
sliced through the droid's arm, and it howled as its fleshed burned.  Usagi
gagged from the stench, and she almost got hit by the droid's next attack
because she wasn't paying attention.
     "Usagi-chan!" Minako was suddenly at her back.  "Ami-chan is almost ready
to henshin.  Let's distract the droid a little longer, okay?  Maybe we can
finish it off with your princess halation soon enough."
     "Gotcha."  No problem.  Being a good distraction was what she did best,
right?  "Moon Tiara Stardust!"  Showers of pixie dust-like sparkles fluttered
through the air, and the droid actually stopped for a moment to examine them
in wonder.  A weak "Mercury Star Power, Make Up!" reached Usagi's ears, and she
decided to buy a little extra time.
     "Sailor V kick!" Ignoring Minako's strange look, Usagi smashed her right
leg into what she guessed was the droid's stomach, and rolled away expertly.
"Much better than the time I used this on the front door," she murmured to
herself.
     "Shine Aqua ILLUSION!"
     'Perfect timing, Ami-chan,' Usagi thought in satisfaction.  The droid was
covered with a thin film of ice, and Usagi pulled her Cutie Moon Rod out of
storage.
     "Moon Princess...eep!"  How the hell did that droid break free so
quickly?!  "Let go of me, you stupid droid!" she shrieked, trying to get her
hair free from the droid's grasp.
     A streak of red hit the monster's arm, and Usagi rolled away.  "Tuxedo
Kamen!" Usagi breathed.  She whirled around.  "You came!"
     Tuxedo Kamen started.  It had been _Usagi_ that had called on him to help.
But...that was impossible...she was dead!
     Usagi whirled back around, and saw the monster begin to regain its full
strength.  "Damn," she cursed.
     "Burning MANDALA!"  Mars was on her feet, but wheezing heavily.
Usagi was going to go to her when Jupiter's scream tore through the air.
     "Sparkling Wide Pressure!"
     The droid screamed in agony.  "Someone help me..." it shrieked as it was
killed by a stinging cloud of fire.
     Rubeus suddenly flickered into being, his brown eyes cold and icy.  "So
you've come back, have you, Sailor Moon?" he snarled.  "Perhaps you should
have stayed away--for your own good!"  Forming small pink balls of glowing
fire, he cried, "Taste the power of the Dark Moon, you horrible, meddling
senshi!"  Mercury and Venus stared in disbelief at their new enemy before a
storm of the pink fire erased them from Usagi's view.
     Shrill screams filled the air, and Usagi squeezed her eyes shut,
screaming, "NO!!  Sailor Venus!  Sailor Mercury!"  She whirled around to face
Rubeus, her eyes blazing with hatred.
     "Oh yeah?  Taste some of this, you jerk!" Jupiter yelled back. "Sparkling
Wide Pressure!"
     Rubeus dodged the energy bolt easily.  "You foolish girl," he sneered,
"It'll take more than that to hurt me.  Ha!"  A huge ball of glowing pink fire
sprung from his palm, tearing through the air; Jupiter tried to dodge, but the
ball still caught her--moments later, she was out cold once more.
     "FIRE SOUL!" Mars shrieked, stabbing her fingers at Rubeus.  He only
laughed savagely, and after a few moments of intense battle, Mars was down as
well.
     Well, it was only her left.  Better get the jump on him.  "Moon Tiara
Action!" Usagi cried, flinging her tiara at him in great haste.  As Rubeus
dodged the tiara, she yelled, "Moon Princess.... HALATION!"
     Rubeus sagged as the white, hot burst hit him.  "You will never defeat
me!" he snarled.  "Taste my power, puny Sailor Moon!" and a burst of fiery
energy was in her face before she knew it, slamming her into a wall.  Her
head spinning, she could barely make out Tuxedo Kamen's form attacking Rubeus.

                                 *    *    *

     Tuxedo Kamen was furious.  He did NOT lose Usagi once to only lose her
again to some evil jerk like Rubeus.  He threw himself into the air, and his
arm lashed out.  A split moment later, his cane smashed into Rubeus's stomach,
and Tuxedo Kamen fell back down, his feet crashing into the ground.  He
crouched, absorbing the impact, all the while still glaring at Rubeus.  "There's
more where that came from, you piece of Black Moon trash!" he snarled, his
fury barely contained.
     Rubeus's reply was to merely blast him.  "Tuxedo Kamen!" Usagi wailed and
struggled over to his side.  Rubeus straightened up, having recovered from
Tuxedo Kamen's attack, and leered at her.
     "Sailor Moon, prepare to die." he said, his mouth curving into an evil,
sly smile.
     Usagi's tears dripped unheeded onto Tuxedo Kamen's still body.  There was
only one choice.  "Make me a Princess once more," she silently begged the
ginzuishou.  "For their sake."
     As she touched the ginzuishou, a flash of white light filled the world,
and waves of white energy overlapped her, forming her gown.
     Staring up defiantly at Rubeus, she yelled out defiantly, "Moon Crystal
Power!" and an energy ball burst from the ginzuishou.
     Started to see the Moon Princess standing before him, Rubeus only had
enough time to partially teleport before the blast of energy hit him.  Screaming
in pain, he dropped to the floor.  After several shocked moments, he used his
last dregs of energy to transport himself away.

     Princess Serenity knelt besides Tuxedo Kamen.  "Oh, Endymion..." she
whispered.

                                 *    *    *

     She had run after him and had been also taken up by the suction field
Endymion had been caught in.  Then a energy ball had slammed into them, and
Princess Serenity and Prince Endymion only had enough time to cry out their
anguish before being taken by Metallia.

                                 *    *    *

     She blasted Zoisite away wordlessly.  The danger of being attacked was
gone.  Setting down her Crescent wand, Usagi held Mamoru in her lap and
whispered, "Oh, Mamoru, please don't leave me.  I need you!"
     Groaning in pain, Mamoru's eyes fluttered open and he gasped, "You're...
you're finally free...Serenity.  You're free, and now I remember everything.
I am...Prince Endymion...of Earth."
     Serenity gasped.  "Endymion-sama... of course.  I'm now remembering too...
I-I'm Princess Serenity...I was the heir to Silver Millennium, the kingdom on
the Moon."  The memories flashed crystal clear before her eyes.  "And our love
was forbidden, but we loved each other together... the last time I saw you was
when we shared our last kiss, and I gave you my locket to remember me by."
     She sat quiet for a few seconds, remembering how she had cried out as
Endymion had left her to go off and fight.  She continued, "But you came back
and set me free.  We're free!"  A pink light burst forth, and she collapsed
upon his body, their souls finally free.

                                 *    *    *

     "Endymion..." she whispered softly, "We've been through so much together.
Don't leave me now..."  Her tear-filled eyes caught sight of each one of her
friends lying on the floor.

                                 *    *    *

     "If you're one minute late, you're a dead odango atama!" Rei snapped at
Usagi angrily.

     "Usagi, why don't we go to that beauty salon?" Minako had suggested,
trying to help ease Usagi's pain from Mamoru-san's kidnaping.

     "I said leave her alone!" Makoto said fiercely, glaring every which way
after protecting Usagi from some big, mean guys.

     "Do you need any help with your homework?" Ami had laughed gently after
seeing Usagi's test score.

                                 *    *    *

     "Oh, my friends, all the pain that I've caused.  But I promise, I'll fix
it," Princess Serenity breathed.  Closing her eyes, she struggled to control
the actions of the ginzuishou while it restored things back to the way they
used to be.

                                 *    *    *

     "Usagi?" a voice asked worriedly.  "Usagi??"
     Princess Serenity opened her eyes slowly.  "Endymion," she breathed.
"Where is Endymion?"
     Minako's teary face stared down at her.  "He's nearby."  She crushed Usagi
in a hug.  "We're all so glad you're back!" she said tearfully.  "How did you
come back?"
     Princess Serenity, her energy drained from giving so much of it into using
the crystal, said slowly, "I never really left...the ginzuishou gave me a new
life, a new family.  But some things can never be forgotten...I had to come
back to save you guys."  She closed her eyes to rest.

                                 *    *    *

     "You did a very noble thing, my daughter," Queen Serenity said softly, her
voice echoing through the great marble hallway.
     "It was my fault for it, and I had to fix it," Princess Serenity replied
solemnly.
     "You gave up your sanctuary to save your friend.  I'm so proud of you, my
dearest daughter."
     "It was hard, Mama..."  A small sigh escaped the princess's lips.  "But
thank you for my gift.  I'll never forget it."

                                 *    *    *

     "Usagi?  Oh, wake up Usagi!" an anguished voice cried into her ear.  "Oh
Usagi, _please_ wake up!"
     Sailor Moon opened her eyes slowly, looked up into the faces of her
friends, and smiled.  "You're all here," she whispered happily.  She sat up
slowly, and glanced around again.  "You're all really here."
     Mars's eyes were suspiciously bright, but she said, "Of course, odango
atama.  We couldn't leave you out here all by yourself, you might have gotten
lost."
     Sailor Moon smiled.  She glanced around, comforted that all of her
friends were with her, and noticed Tuxedo Kamen standing off to one side.  She
took a few steps toward his lone figure, saying hopefully, "Tuxedo Kamen-
sama...?"
     Tuxedo Kamen was glad that the mask hid his eyes.  If Usagi could see his
tears, she'd never be able to leave him alone.  And he'd never be able to let
her go, either.  Another image of a shattering crystal city flashed before his
eyes, and he turned his back to her.  He had to protect her.  That was all
there was to it.  No matter how much it pained him to do it.
     Usagi wanted to cry out Tuxedo Kamen's name, beg him to come back.  She
walked back to her friends, crying a few tears for the part of herself that
she had surrendered to him; the part of herself that she'd never get back.
     Sailor Jupiter put a gentle hand on her shoulder.  "Sailor Moon?  Are you
okay?"
     Usagi nodded.  "Thank you Mako-chan, I'll be fine."  She looked at each
one of her friend's faces.  Ami-chan, so smart and gentle, who always found
time to help calm her down; Mako-chan, so strong and fierce, who was always
protecting her; Rei-chan, the beautiful and spiritual one, who always knew how
to push her to do her best; and Minako-chan, the flighty and cheerful one, who
always knew how to help her through her dark times.
     Lifting her face up to the moon, Usagi silently thanked it for giving her
a chance at sanctuary from her pain.  'Thank you, mother,' she thought.  'I
will never forget.'  She turned and gazed at her friends once more.  With a
signaling nod, Usagi lead the way home.

                              ~~~~~Das Ende~~~~~



- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

Oh my god!!  It's done!  Hehee.

Just a few notes:
      1) Why did I choose Minako to be the one that Mamoru used?  Well, it's
         because of a card I saw once.  A very odd card, with Minako and Mamoru
         standing quite close to one another.  My original version had
         Mamoru saying some really out-of-character things, so I changed the
         story a little to make it more real.

      2) I first wrote this when I didn't know about the Japanese version, so
         I tried my best to replace all the NA Dub references with the correct
         Japanese equivalents...if I made a mistake and some of the old NA Dub
         references are still hanging around, lemme know please!