Rated PG

-
***SPOILER WARNING***
If you have not seen the English dub of Sailor Moon S that ran on The Cartoon
Network or the Japanese original, DO NOT READ THIS STORY. It will give away the
ending of that series.

Author's note:
This story takes place between Episode 126 and 127. For those only familiar with
the English dub:

Usagi=Serena Ami=Amy Rei=Raye Makoto=Lita Minako=Mina
Ikuko Tsukino=Serena's Mom Shingo=Serena's brother Sammy
Chibi-Usa=Rini Haruka=Amara Michiru=Michelle Yuuichiro=Chad

Finally, Haruka and Michiru are NOT cousins.

Ami Mizuno put her school satchel down and put her feet into the slippers
waiting for her by the door. It had been another wondrous day at school, filled
with new facts and new discoveries. She'd already done half of her homework at
lunch. Once she got the rest done, it would allow her to delve into the college
level microbiology text she was reading on her own.

The rattle of pans in the kitchen and the aromas drifting out into the
hall told Ami that her mother had been able to get off of her shift at a
reasonable hour. Even better; Ami liked her mother's cooking as much as she
liked Makoto's, as much for the time she would get to spend with her very busy
parent as for the taste. She was about to announce her presence when she heard
the phone ring. Her mother answered and began talking.

"I hope it's not the hospital," Ami thought. It was selfish, true, but
she was jealous of the time with her mother the hospital took from her. Picking
her satchel up, Ami headed for the living room of the penthouse apartment.

All in all, it should have been a glorious day, but it wasn't. Ami
couldn't quite enjoy it, because there was something about Usagi that bothered
her. Something about her hadn't been right. She couldn't put her finger on it.
Usagi seemed to act in the same dippy, distracted, juvenile manner as always,
but something about it wasn't quite synchronous. Ever since the battle with
Pharaoh 90, Usagi hadn't been right. At first Ami thought it was the girl's
overwhelming concern for Hotaru's safety. Then there was the showdown with
Uranus and Neptune. It was enough to put anybody off their stride, but things
were back to normal now.

And Usagi somehow wasn't.

"Perhaps I should look at that text on restorative psychology tonight,"
mused Ami. She sighed, suddenly worn and drained. When Usagi wasn't right, she
wasn't right either.

The doorbell rang. With her mother still on the phone, Ami moved to
answer it. She found Rei at the door, still in the uniform of the private
school she attended. Something was wrong. Rei never visited her unless there
was trouble.

"Is something the matter?" Ami asked as she ushered the girl in.

"Um," Rei hesitated, looking away. She seemed to be searching for words,
or perhaps searching for whether she should confide something. Rei was always
close to the vest with secrets, often maddeningly so. She held onto her
premonition of The Silence for weeks, letting it torture her rather than burden
her fellow scouts with it. Ami was just about to prod her when Rei finally
reached a decision. "How's Usagi been the last few days? You see her at
school. How's she doing?"

"She seems fine," Ami replied. So Rei had sensed it, too. Given Rei's
abilities, she might have sensed it first. "But there's something about her
that's just not right. If you asked me for specifics, I couldn't give them to
you. It just seems to me that - - I don't know how to express it."

"I knew it!" Rei scowled. She seemed on the verge of tears. "I've been
getting bad vibes from her for almost a week now. I thought she was just still
worried about where Hotaru was, but," and Rei cupped her hands to her mouth,
momentarily biting softly into the thumb, "but it's something else. I don't
know what, but I think it's eating at her."

"Do you think she's possessed by some new enemy?"

"I don't think so. The vibes aren't there. Besides, I did a fire reading
last night and didn't come up with anything."

"Perhaps it's some sort of carryover from the final showdown. We don't
really know what happened in there. Haruka and Michiru are both gone and Usagi
never did go into specifics about what those three and Hotaru faced in there."

Just then, Ami's mother walked into the room.

"Ami, I," she began, then stopped. "Oh, I'm sorry. I didn't know you had
a guest."

"That's all right," Ami replied. "What is it, Mother?"

"Well, I just got off the phone with Mrs. Tsukino. She's very worried
about Usagi. She's been very depressed and listless lately. She's not eating."
Rei and Ami glanced at each other with mounting concern. "And last night she
woke up in the middle of the night, screaming."

Rei couldn't stop a shuddering sob from escaping.

"Mrs. Tsukino asked me if I'd ask you if you knew anything Usagi might be
having a problem with. You are one of her best friends. Now I realize young
people don't like confiding in adults because you feel we won't understand or
that you'll be punished. But if you do know something, please tell me, Ami. It
sounds like your friend needs help."

"Honestly, Mother, I don't know what's going on," Ami said, her gentle
voice taking on a harder edge. "But if it's all right with you, I'm going to go
over there now and find out."

"I think that's a good idea, Ami," her mother replied. "Do you want me to
drive you?"

"That's OK, ma'am," Rei spoke up. "I'll escort her over."

During the walk over to the Tsukino residence, both girls found their pace
quickening consistently.

"What do you suppose it is?" fretted Rei. "The only time she ever goes
off the deep end like this is when she's having problems with Mamoru. You think
that's it?"

"I don't know," Ami answered, forcing herself to stay calm. "This is all
useless speculation, anyway. We need to establish some facts first before we
draw conclusions."

"Sorry, my scientific method's not that good, especially when my friends
are concerned. But I'm telling you, Ami, if this is something trivial like her
favorite anime got canceled or something, I'm going to knock . . ."

"Rei," Ami said sternly. "I don't think she's going to wake up in the
middle of the night screaming over her favorite anime being canceled."

"You sure? This is Usagi we're talking about." Ami glared at Rei. "Hey,
I'm just trying to lighten the mood a little. It's the only thing that keeping
me from bursting into tears," Rei replied, choking on the last few words.

Interesting, thought Ami, how we all deal with stress. Rei engages in
anger or gallows humor while I try to compartmentalize it and analyze it
rationally. So how do you deal, Usagi? By screaming in the middle of the
night?

By the time they arrived outside the walled-in Tsukino home, the sun was
beginning to set. Ami went straight for the gate, but Rei held back. Ami
turned questioningly.

"Maybe you better talk to her alone," Rei told her, the motivations for
her statement clearly painful to her. "She's more likely to open up to you than
to me. She probably thinks I'm too judgmental; don't know where she got that
idea, huh? Besides, I'm the spooky psychic chick. Not a lot of people like
opening up around me."

"I understand," Ami nodded. Just then, Rei's sight was caught by
something behind Ami. Ami turned and saw Makoto and Minako walking up.

"Did Usagi's mom call you, too?" Rei asked.

"No, Luna called me," Makoto answered. "That little cat's out of her head
with worry. She said Usagi was screaming in her sleep last night?"

"She talked to Artemis, too," Minako added. "Usagi made her promise not
to say anything to anybody, but Luna decided it was too important."

"Typical!" fumed Rei. "How dare that little airhead think that we
shouldn't worry about her!"

"So we're here to worm it out of her," Minako said. "I figure if you and
Makoto hold her down, I'll tickle her until she talks."

The other three stared at Minako with disdainful disappointment.

"What?" asked Minako.

"How about I go in alone," Ami suggested. "I've known her the longest.
She's more likely to open up to me."

"OK," nodded Minako grimly, then brightened up. "But if we don't hear
from you in an hour, we're coming in after you."

Ami shook her head and passed through the gate. The other two scowled at
Minako.

"What?" asked Minako.

Ikuko Tsukino seemed almost relieved to see Ami. The girl was gratefully
ushered into the house and given leave to go up to Usagi's room and stay as long
as she liked. Shingo was in the other room and he cast a worried, but hopeful
glance Ami's way.

"Things are worse than I thought if Shingo's worried," Ami thought as she
mounted the stairs. She looked up and saw Chibi-Usa clutching the top banister.

"Are you here to see Usagi?" the little pink-coifed girl asked, her eyes
moist.

"Yes," Ami smiled, trying to reassure her.

"What's wrong with her?" Chibi-Usa asked, unspoken fear in her words.
"She's in such pain. Who hurt her, Ami?"

"Hush, Chibi-Usa," whispered Luna, appearing in the doorway to Usagi's
room. "Please try to be strong for Usagi or you'll upset her even more."

"I'll try," whimpered the girl and she slinked off.

"Thank goodness you're here, Ami," Luna sighed with a heavy heart.
"Perhaps she'll talk to you. I've done all I can to try to coax it out of her.
She's just so very stubborn sometimes," and the black cat's voice trailed off
with tremors of emotion.

Ami entered the room. Usagi was sitting on her bed, her legs crossed
under her, still in her school uniform. Her back was to Ami and her shoulders
seemed slumped with the weight of the world atop them. But she sensed Ami's
presence and straightened up. When she turned, the standard Usagi smile
decorated her face, but the blue in her eyes wasn't quite so blue.

"Hi, Ami!" Usagi said with perkiness that almost seemed forced. "What are
you doing here? We didn't have a study date, did we? I hope you came to tell
me about some hunky new boy you're interested in."

Ami felt her cheeks flush reflexively, as they did whenever the subject of
her non-existent love life came up. She studied Usagi for a moment. If she
didn't already have so much evidence to the contrary, she'd think nothing was
wrong. How to approach this, though?

"I understand you haven't been feeling well the last few days," Ami said,
leading cautiously.

"Well," shrugged Usagi evasively, "I might have been a little preoccupied.
School still sucks and, well, high school exams are coming up and I just know
I'll fail and be totally humiliated. And I am still kind of worried about
Hotaru, even though Haruka and Michiru said she was fine."

"Nothing else?"

"No."

"Then why did you wake up screaming last night?"

"Ohhhh! Luna, you big mouth rat!" raged Usagi. "You promised!"

"That's big mouth CAT, IF you don't mind," Luna replied, standing her
ground, "and promises made under duress are not legally binding!"

"She's just worried about you, Usagi," Ami mediated. "We're all worried
about you."

"Don't," Usagi replied, looking away in shame. "You have enough burdens
in your life. I'm . . . just being silly old Usagi again."

"Screaming in the middle of the night is not being silly old Usagi. Are
you having nightmares about the final battle with Pharaoh 90?"

Usagi's shoulders slumped. She faced her friend and stared in wonderment,
helpless before a superior intellect.

"Ami," she gasped, "do you know everything?"

"Not yet," Ami replied, flashing her friend a wry smile. "But I'm working
on it. Am I right?"

Usagi looked down. She seemed torn by whether to confess or to suppress.
Her eyelids squeezed shut again and her shoulders began to shudder from a new
round of silent sobs. Instantly Ami was next to her. She folded her arms
around Usagi and the frail little blonde jumped to her like metal filings to a
magnet, wrapping her arms around her friend and clinging to her. Over Usagi's
shoulder, Ami focused on Luna.

"Get the others," she mouthed silently.

Luna nodded and was off, out Usagi's bedroom window. She leaped to the
branch of a nearby tree and scampered down it with little concern for her own
safety. From the main trunk, she leaped to the top of the wall and ran over to
the gate. The other three, waiting impatiently at the gate, looked up to her.

"Come up to the room," Luna said. "Usagi's having nightmares about the
battle with Pharaoh 90."

The three girls raced into the house and up the stairs, barely pausing to
leave their shoes at the door. They came to a screeching halt at Usagi's
bedroom door, then cautiously entered. Usagi heard the door and peeked at them
over her shoulder.

"Oh, I'm sorry they dragged you all down here," whined Usagi.

"Don't even go there, girl," Makoto said, trying to stay upbeat. "You're
having trouble and we're here for you."

"Luna said you're having nightmares about Pharaoh 90?" Rei said, sitting
down so Usagi was sandwiched between her and Ami.

"Oh, it's just so silly," Usagi tried to laugh it off. "You'll probably
yell at me if I tell you."

"I'll yell at you if you don't!" Rei cried. "We want to help you!"

"Maybe it'll help if you tell us just what happened," Minako offered.
"We're still kind of in the dark about what went down. If you fill us in, maybe
we can see something that'll help you."

"But if you'd rather not," began Ami cautiously.

"No. I'll try," Usagi said half-heartedly. "Phar. . . it . . . arrived
on Earth. It struck down Mistress 9. She was possessing Hotaru. It would have
killed Hotaru and Dr. Tomoe, too, but I was able to protect them. I . . . tried
to stop . . . it . . . but my Heart Attack was too weak. Neptune was saying it
was the end of the world. Uranus said it was my fault."

"Bitch," whispered Makoto angrily. The others looked at her. It was the
first time they could recall her ever cursing.

"Then Hotaru began to change into Sailor Saturn. She said she could
destroy it, but that it would probably kill her, too. She said I could have
protected her if I could become Super Sailor Moon." Usagi sniffed back a guilty
tear. "I begged her not to go, but I couldn't stop her.

"Then I tried to become Super Sailor Moon. I could hear them fighting in
there and . . . and I had to do something! And somehow I did."

"I remember," Minako said. "I was lying there in the rubble, half out of
it, and I heard you call."

"We all did," Makoto added. "I just surrendered to your call and all of
a sudden I felt myself connect with you."

"What happened next?" Minako asked.

"When I became Super Sailor Moon, the first thing I thought to do was go
into the energy field and rescue Hotaru. I went in . . ." Usagi just stared
for a few moments as her friends waited anxiously. Then her eyes widened from
a horror only she saw and her hands flew to cover her mouth. Tears streamed
anew. "Ohhhhhhhhhhhhh!" she gasped.

"Honey, what is it?" cried Makoto, wrapping her arms around Usagi from
behind. "You're safe now! Don't be scared!"

"Hotaru was almost dead! Her life energy was dwindling to nothing! I
could sense it was dying, too! I went to her, to try to protect her, to try to
keep the last of her life energy from fading away! And I, and I did it! I got
her and I clutched her to my chest and held onto her as hard as I could!"

"You did," Rei whispered. "You saved her. You said it yourself, you held
her in your arms and felt her warmth."

But Usagi broke down into the most mournful, dreadful sobs any of them
could remember hearing.

"What is it, Usagi? What?" Minako pleaded, kneeling before her, her hands
folded around Usagi's. "We can't help you if you don't tell us what it is!"

"I SAW IT!" wailed Usagi, wrenching the words from her bosom. "P-Pharaoh
90! I LOOKED RIGHT AT IT! I TOUCHED IT!" She began keening on the bed and Rei
and Makoto held on tighter. "IT HAD NO SOUL! NOTHING! JUST. . . EVIL! SO
COLD AND DARK AND. . .INHUMAN! I thought Beryl was bad! I thought I'd met the
worst person ever when I fought Wise Man! BUT THIS! UH HUH HUH HUH HUH HUH
HUH HUH HUH HUH!"

"Aw, it's OK, Usagi," moaned Makoto, on the verge of tears for her friend.
"He's gone now. You beat him. You don't have to worry about him anymore."

"NO!" cried Usagi. "You don't understand! I-I can still feel it! The
horrible, suffocating evil! How do you know it can die? If . . . if something
like that can be possible . . . Who says it can't come back? What if it can be
born again? WHAT IF THERE'S MORE THAN ONE?"

"Usagi, calm down, please," begged Ami. "You're becoming hysterical!
You're going to hurt yourself if you keep up like this!"

"We're not safe! None of us are safe! IF THAT KIND OF EVIL CAN EXIST IN
THE UNIVERSE . . ."

Suddenly Rei's hand was pressed to Usagi's forehead. She pulled it away
slowly, leaving one of her mystic wards pressed onto the girl. Usagi froze, her
mind a momentary blank. Then she let out a trembling sigh of relief and went
limp. Rei held her by the shoulders and gently eased her to the bed.

"What did you do?" Minako asked, amazed.

"It's a ward to drive off evil thoughts," whispered Rei. "I wish it could
last forever, but at least it'll let her sleep peacefully for a few hours."

Once Usagi was safely in bed, Rei got up and walked off into the far
corner of the room, her arms over her chest and her hands folded over one
another under her chin.

"Well now we know what's bugging her," said Minako, her brow knit. She
glanced up at Rei. "Are you going to be all right?"

"She didn't want to worry us," Rei said, huddled in the corner of the
room, her back to the others and her head bowed. "She's been holding in
something this traumatic for a week now because SHE didn't want to worry us."

"You know how she is," Makoto shrugged.

"When I had my premonition about The Silence," Rei whispered, "my mind
just brushed up against it and I was messed up for weeks. She looked it right
in the eye! Who knows what she's been going through!"

"OK," Minako said firmly, "so how do we help her? Ami?"

"Well," Ami hesitated. "I'm not a doctor. She really should see a
professional. But it looks like she's suffering from post-traumatic stress.
She needs counseling at the very least and possibly psychiatric treatment."

"This is all going to be kind of hard to explain to a psychiatrist, don't
you think?" Minako said.

"Why? You mean the Sailor Scout thing? Screw the whole identity thing!"
snapped Makoto. "That's not important! What's important is Usagi needs help!"

"I know that," bristled Minako. "But somebody has to think of these
things."

"Please," hissed Ami. "We don't need to be fighting, now of all times.
Maybe talking it out did her some good. We won't know until she wakes up. But
I do think one of us should stay with her tonight."

"I'll do it," Minako volunteered, briefly flashing a faint grin. "I've
got no place I have to be."

"Well I'm not leaving," Makoto replied.

"You'd have to drag me out," mumbled Rei.

Ami smiled. "Hmm. It's going to be pretty cramped in here with all four
of us. I'll call my mother and tell her I'm staying over. I'll also - - make
up some story to tell Mrs. Tsukino."

"Sure you can handle it?" Makoto jabbed. "You never could lie worth a
darn."

Ami's cheeks flushed again. "Then I guess I'll just have to edit the
truth."

As Ami left the room, Luna hopped up on the bed. She padded over to Usagi
and rubbed her forehead on the back of the girl's hand.

"Oh, do get well, Usagi," Luna whispered.

Outside the bedroom, Ami found Chibi-Usa curled up in the hall next to the
door.

"Were you listening the whole time?" Ami asked. Chibi-Usa looked up to
her.

"Is Usagi going to be all right?" the little girl asked.

"We're going to try our best," Ami replied gently. "Don't worry. You
know Tuxedo Mask shows up whenever she's in danger, don't you?" Chibi-Usa
nodded skeptically. "Well he's not here, so the danger must not be that bad.
Usagi just has to get over something that scared her. When she does that,
she'll be fine. She's sleeping now. Why don't you go to sleep, too."

"He didn't show up when she faced Pharaoh 90, either," Chibi-Usa said
glumly, "did he?"

Reluctantly Chibi-Usa went up to the attic that had recently been
converted for her use as a bedroom. Ami went downstairs. Ikuko Tsukino was
waiting for her there.

"Did you find out anything?" she asked hopefully. Ami steeled herself for
the task ahead.

"Usagi saw . . . a criminal. He was trying to . . . kill a little girl."

"Oh, gracious!" Ikuko gasped. "Is he still out there?"

"No. He was . . . killed by the authorities."

"Oh my, no wonder she's having nightmares. Usagi always was sensitive to
that sort of thing. I remember when she was seven, we found a bird in the
garden that had fallen out of its nest and died. She was inconsolable for days.
Usagi always has had such a reverence for life. And to witness something that
violent and depraved . . ."

"If it's all right with you, the others and I are going to stay the night
with her."

"Yes, of course. Thank you. She really has some great friends in you
four."

"She's a great friend to us. We couldn't do anything else but stand by
her."

The four settled in for the night in Usagi's room. Minako quickly staked
out the chair at Usagi's desk, so the other three made do with sitting on the
floor or pacing. Luna seemed to have the most sense of all of them. She picked
a perch on top of Usagi's dresser, curled up and went to sleep.

As they waited, Ami would occasionally glance at Usagi. The girl
continued to sleep soundly. She was so peaceful and delicate she conjured up
visions of Sleeping Beauty. But Ami's thorough eye could see the dark circles
under her eyes and the lines in her face that weren't there last week. This
ordeal was taking its toll on her. The evidence was there if you thought to
look for it.

Rei was the first one to drift off. She lasted about an hour before
succumbing to the stillness of the night and the emotional drain of pacifying
Usagi with the ward. Minako was next. Her head fell forward several times,
then snapped back up. The final time it didn't snap back. The last thing Ami
remembered was seeing Makoto bent over Usagi, studying the girl's face for signs
of trouble.

The next thing she knew, there was sun peeking through the curtains. Her
back was stiff from leaning against the wall. Ami stretched, smelled food
cooking, and noticed Makoto missing. After a quick check found Usagi still
sleeping peacefully, she went down to the kitchen. There she found Makoto
cooking. The clock on the wall said six thirty-two.

"Were you up all night?" Ami asked.

"I wanted to," Makoto replied. "But the old body wouldn't cooperate. I
think I drifted off a little bit after you did. She still sleeping?"

"Yes, and very peacefully, too. It can only help. Pancakes?"

Makoto grinned self-consciously. "I figured the best way to get her to
eat would be to seduce her with her favorite." Suddenly Makoto's cheery
countenance clouded over and her lip quivered. "I never thought we'd ever have
to seduce her into eating."

"It's hard seeing her this way, I know. She's important to all of us."

"Ami," Makoto started to say, then stopped. "I feel so frustrated. It's
just like when . . . when Mom and Dad . . . you know, died. I just want to go
out and hit something. Why couldn't it have been me?"

"If it had been you instead of her, Usagi would still be in pain. So
don't think like that again."

"Yeah, I guess so. But I hate being so helpless like this. I want to
help her, Ami. I owe her so much. She was the only one to take a chance on me.
I was so lonely and bitter, just lashing out everywhere. And she saw something
in me and brought it out. She brought the sun back into my world. And she
needs me now and I can't do anything!" Makoto pounded her fists into the
countertop.

"We all owe her, Makoto," Ami said, gripping the scout gently on the
shoulder and around the wrist. "And we'll help her to the depth of our ability.
But you have to accept the fact that there are some things Planet Power just
can't fix. If all we can do is support her and make her time in professional
therapy as painless as possible, it's what we must do. You can't flail yourself
for not being able to do more."

"Her breakfast is almost ready," Makoto commented, not sounding convinced.
"Could you pour her some juice?" Ami nodded.

Usagi turned over in bed. Her eyelids opened, but it was a moment before
she was aware of what she saw. Standing over her were her four dear friends,
plus Luna and Chibi-Usa off to the side of the bed. They were all smiling
encouragingly and Makoto held a tray with covered dishes.

"How do you feel?" Minako asked.

"Supremely embarrassed," Usagi moaned, draping her arm over her eyes. "I
am so sorry for putting you guys through last night."

"Shhh," Makoto whispered. "Not another word about that. Feel like some
breakfast?"

"Not really," Usagi groaned, her arm still hiding her eyes.

"I made it myself."

"You did?" Usagi asked, peeking up from under the arm.

"It's pancakes."

"It is?"

"A big old stack, just for you."

"Mmmmmm," Usagi groaned with temptation. Her eyes were uncovered and she
was clearly wavering.

"Take a sniff," and Makoto removed the cover. That was the last straw.

"You talked me into it," Usagi gulped, scooting up into a sitting position
in bed.

"Good," Makoto said, laying the tray in Usagi's lap, "Otherwise I was
going to sit on your chest and stuff them down your throat."

"Mako-chan, you wouldn't!" gasped Usagi, eyes bulging. Makoto only stared
at her calmly while the others struggled to keep from breaking up. "I'm eating,
I'm eating!"

Usagi devoured breakfast with nearly normal zest. It was good to see, but
the others knew things weren't back to normal yet. While they watched her eat,
Artemis appeared at the window.

"When Minako didn't come home last night, I figured she was over here,"
Artemis said to Luna, who met him on the sill. "How's Usagi doing?"

"We've made a little progress, but it's still too soon to tell," Luna told
him.

"Umf, were you guys here all night?" Usagi gasped in mid gulp. "Oh I wish
you hadn't put yourselves out like that for me."

"Don't be stupid," scowled Rei, lightly rapping Usagi's shin with her
fist. "You're in trouble. Where else are we supposed to be?"

The fork fell to the plate. Usagi bit her lip and looked down, her eyes
watering over. Makoto and Ami both glared at Rei impatiently.

"Hey, don't take it like that!" pleaded Rei.

"She's worried about you, Usagi," Chibi-Usa piped up. "Don't be sad."

"I can't help it," murmured Usagi. "I didn't want this to happen and here
it is! I just can't seem to escape it. I put you all through so much. I try
and I try, but I can't stop being poor dumb little Usagi who everybody has to
help and protect and lead around by the hand!" Tears sprouted from her eyes and
she jammed her hand to her mouth to smother a sob.

"Don't!" snapped Rei. "Don't do this to yourself! You're suffering
enough as it is, don't you dare for one minute think that you're a burden to
us!"

"I am!" Usagi sobbed. Rei was about to respond, but Makoto pulled her
away.

"Since when is friendship a burden?" Minako asked. Usagi didn't respond.
"How many things have you done for us? How many times did you help me when I
was in a rough way? How many times have you kept me sane when I wanted to run
screaming into the night because this whole world is a total loony bin? Do you
think friendship is a one-way street; you give and we take? Can't you see how
many lives you've touched? And you think you're a burden?"

"Yeah, give yourself some credit for once, Usagi!" huffed Rei.

"Usagi," Chibi-Usa piped up, scowling, "someone once told me that it's
easier to solve a problem by working together than by trying to tough it out
alone. I never understood that for the longest time, but I do now. You should
listen to it."

"Chibi-Usa?" Ami asked, smiling as if she recognized the quote. "Who told
you that?"

"Mama," Chibi-Usa replied. "When she wasn't sneaking chocolates."

The scouts glanced at Usagi and saw her face flush very red.

"Good advice," Ami offered.

"Now I'm embarrassed," mumbled Usagi, eyes downcast.

Shaking her head, Rei leaned over, cupped her hands over Usagi's ears and
kissed her on the top of the head before the startled girl could move.

"WHAT WAS THAT FOR?" gasped Usagi.

"That is for guaranteeing that my life is never, ever going to be normal
again," Rei sighed with a cynical grin.

"Yeah," shrugged Minako, grinning herself. "Who wants normal? Normal's
boring."

Their merriment died off though when they saw the melancholy expression on
Usagi's face.

"Are you still thinking about what happened?" Ami asked.

"Uh huh," Usagi nodded. "I try not to. B-But I can't get it out of my
mind."

"All right, calm down," warned Ami, stroking Usagi's arm. "Usagi, what
would you think about seeing someone about this, like a counselor or
psychiatrist perhaps?"

Usagi looked away. She resembled a trapped animal.

"Would it help?" she squeaked.

"It could. A professional could help you find a way to deal with what you
saw."

"Oh yeah," muttered Usagi. "Hey, Doc, I just looked into the face of Hell
and I'm having a little trouble dealing with it. He's either going to lock me
up or run screaming himself."

"Not necessarily," Ami persisted. "And you can't go on like this."

"Why doesn't she just use the crystal?" Chibi-Usa asked.

Everyone looked at her, stunned.

"What do you mean by 'the crystal'?" Minako asked.

"The Silver Crystal," she replied. "What other crystal is there?"

"The crystal can cure mental problems?" Ami asked.

"Sure. It took care of all sorts of people possessed by youma, remember?"
Chibi-Usa said. "And Mama . . . um, I mean Usagi . . . well, I mean . . . oh,
you know who I mean! In Crystal Tokyo, she'd use it all the time. It can't
help you if you've got a broken leg or something, but if someone was having
troubled thoughts and stuff, she helped them with that. She did it all the
time. Well, when she wasn't sneaking chocolates, anyway."

"All right, enough about the chocolates already!" bellowed Usagi.

"Wait a minute," Makoto said. "I thought it was dangerous to use the
Silver Crystal. That Usagi could die from using it."

"It depends on what you're trying to do," Luna offered. "The Silver
Crystal draws its energy from the person using it and amplifies it many times
over. The danger comes if the person using it is not yet mature enough to
provide the necessary energy for the task required." She looked over to
Artemis. "What do you think, Artemis?"

"Well, the Silver Crystal is very powerful," Artemis said, pondering.
"But in Usagi's hands its energy is primarily restorative. She's restored
dozens of other people with no ill effects on her, so I suppose. But can she
use it on herself?"

"Possibly," Ami commented. "Perhaps if she's Super Sailor Moon, she'll
have enough mental control of the crystal energy to heal herself."

"It's worth a shot," continued Artemis.

"There's just one problem," Usagi said glumly. "I can't become Super
Sailor Moon anymore. The Sacred Cup was destroyed by Mistress 9."

The room sagged.

"Can't you still try it?" asked Makoto. "Even if you're not Super Sailor
Moon, you can at least give it a shot, can't you?"

"Wait," Ami said, her brow furrowed. "When did Mistress 9 destroy the
cup?"

"You mean what time?" Usagi asked.

"Was it before or after Hotaru went after Phar. . . um, it?"

"Before. Hotaru said I could have helped her as . . ."

"Usagi, you did help her," Minako said, the light going on above her.
"You became Super Sailor Moon after the cup was gone."

"Yes, when your sub-conscious reached out to us for help," deduced Ami.
"You can become Super Sailor Moon again - - with our help."

"Do you think it's possible?" Usagi asked doubtfully.

"Won't hurt to try," Rei smiled. "Though, if we're going to transform,
maybe we better do it at the temple. It's a little more private."

"I'm coming, too!" Chibi-Usa added adamantly.

"Well, naturally," grinned Minako. "After all, you're our technical
advisor."

"Oh dear," gasped Ami softly, glancing at her watch. "School will start
soon."

"Well I'm not going in," Makoto declared. "This is more important. But
if you feel you have to go in, we'll wait for you before trying this."

"Mother would insist," Ami said, clearly torn. She struggled with the
decision for a few tense moments. Then she glanced warmly at Usagi. "I guess I
just won't tell her."

"Ami's going to cut school?" goggled Minako. "It IS the end of the
world!"

"Shut up, you," scowled Makoto, playfully shoving the girl. "You'll make
her change her mind."

"Ami-chan," Usagi said reverently. "Thank you. I know how much of a
sacrifice this is for you. I . . ."

"I know, Usagi. But let's go before I do change my mind."

"Your mom got something in the kitchen we can grab on the way out?" Minako
asked. "Playing nurse for you makes a girl hungry."

"Are you kidding?" Chibi-Usa grinned cynically. "The cabinet's full of
stuff. It's the only way to keep the 'Usagi Hunger Emergency Siren' from going
off."

"Ohhhh!" huffed Usagi. "You are such a brat!"

Six young ladies and two cats arrived at Hikawa Shrine. The temple seemed
deserted; however, as they reached the top step, Rei's grandfather popped up out
of thin air.

"Hello, ladies," he beamed.

"Hi, Grampa," the girls sighed in unison.

"The temple and all in it are grateful to be once again blessed with such
beauty. Anything I can do for any of you?"

"Oh, he's such a phony," muttered Luna.

"Uh, Grampa," Rei said, leaning in close. "Usagi's having some problems.
We all kind of need to be alone for a little while. Could you do us a big favor
and keep Yuuichiro busy for a few hours so he doesn't disturb us?"

Her grandfather leaned over to one side and examined Usagi up and down.
As he did, his beaming moon face grew serious.

"Yes. Her aura's very troubled. You can count on me, Rei. And good
fortune to your efforts." He walked over to Usagi and gravely cupped her hands
in his. "Good fortune to you, young lady. I'll be praying for you to regain
your shine."

"T-Thank you, sir," Usagi grinned.

Alone inside the temple, the five scouts transformed. Once they were
ready, the other four formed a circle around Sailor Moon. While Chibi-Usa and
the cats looked on, the four scouts joined hands.

"Mercury Star Power!" called out Sailor Mercury.

"Mars Star Power!"

"Jupiter Star Power!"

"Venus Star Power!"

The jewels on their tiaras began to glow with unearthly light. The lights
coalesced and enveloped Sailor Moon. Her head tilted back slightly and she
closed her eyes, feeling the mental bond with her four friends.

"Crisis make-up!" called out Sailor Moon.

The energy flared around Sailor Moon to a brilliant silver-white and the
sight of her was momentarily obscured. When it dimmed back to a lower level,
the costume of Sailor Moon was replaced by that of Super Sailor Moon.

Concentrating, Super Sailor Moon's hands cupped around her transformation
brooch in the center of the costume's bow. Without touching it, she deftly
warped space and brought the Silver Crystal forth with a grace that belied the
usual perception of Usagi. The crystal suspended between her cupped hands,
Super Sailor Moon extended her arms out before her.

"Sailor Moon, wait!" Artemis bellowed suddenly. "Don't do anything else!"

Shaken from her concentration, Usagi struggled to maintain her Super
Sailor Moon guise. The costume wavered for a few moments, then settled back in
place. With some difficulty, the four scouts glanced over at the little white
cat while maintaining the glow of their tiara jewels.

"What is it, Artemis?" gasped Luna.

"Look at the crystal!" he hissed.

Super Sailor Moon and the others focused on the crystal for the first
time. Normally the Silver Crystal resembled a bloomed rose shaped from
crystalline silver. This was different. The crystal was misshapen and ugly
fissures lined it. It seemed like the slightest pressure would shatter the
crystal into razor shards.

The horror in Super Sailor Moon's face was mirrored in the others as well.
She sank to her knees in shock. The crystal returned unbidden to the brooch and
the costume faded like mist, leaving Usagi behind.

"What happened?" demanded Jupiter.

"The crystal's reflecting Usagi's consciousness," Luna replied, numbed by
shock. "This is more than just some psychological trauma. Usagi's actually
been infected by some aspect of Pharaoh 90!"

"Oh no!" gasped Mars in dismay.

"Does this mean she can't use her power?" Jupiter asked.

"She must be able to," Venus said. "What else did she blast Uranus and
Neptune with?"

"She can use it," Artemis told Venus. "She just can't control it."

The scouts looked at the cats questioningly.

"With the crystal impaired, her power is impaired, too," Luna explained.
"Obviously she can still manifest her power, but without the refined facets of
the crystal, that power becomes scattered and unfocused."

"I wondered why," mumbled Usagi. The others turned to her. "I didn't
mean to blast Uranus and Neptune. It was supposed to be a shield. I thought
I'd just messed up - - got too excited by the moment." Usagi sucked in air,
struggling to maintain composure. "I could have hurt them!"

"But you didn't," Luna reassured her.

"So now what?" asked Jupiter.

"I don't know," Artemis replied. "If the crystal was intact, I'd say it
could remove the aspect of Pharaoh 90 from her mind. But - - she just doesn't
have enough control now. Not to use the crystal on herself in its current
shape."

A pall of shock and despair hung over the room. No one spoke. No one
could summon the courage to speak.

"Well," whispered Usagi finally, her words a poor cover for the deep
melancholy she felt. "We tried."

"We'll keep trying, too," Venus said forcefully. "We're not going to give
up until we've found a way to help you."

"Thank you," Usagi said softly, giving Venus a sad smile.

"Usagi," Mars said, struggling to retain her composure. "You can't give
up, either!"

"I'm not," she said, looking down, resembling a china doll about to
shatter. "I'm just trying to be brave about this, like you'd expect me to be.
Brave about the dreams, about the way I can . . . can constantly feel its cold,
inhuman hand caressing my mind, about not being able to be Sailor Moon anymore."

"Who says you can't?" Venus demanded.

"What if I hurt someone unintentionally?" Usagi asked, locking eyes with
Venus. "I won't take the risk. If I'm a danger to people because I can't
control my power, I won't use it." She looked down again, her moment of
conviction spent. Then she pushed herself to her feet. "I'm going to go home
now." Usagi started to leave, but paused at the door. "Can I . . . um, may I
ask one thing? If I can never be Sailor Moon again, can we still be friends?"

The four girls looked at her with infinite sympathy.

"Always," Jupiter said.

"You don't get rid of us that easily," Venus smiled.

"For life," Mercury replied.

"And beyond," Mars added.

Usagi smiled that wide, beaming, deliriously happy grin that so endeared
her to everyone. Then, in an instant, it clouded over again and she disappeared
through the door.

"She's going to need someone to be with her," Luna said. Turning to the
others, she appealed, "The rest of you, please try to brainstorm some solution
to this. I'm going to - - to try to lift her spirits somehow. Call us if you
get anything." With that, the black cat scampered out of the room.

"Well?" Venus asked the gathered, fading back to Minako as she did.
"Anyone have any ideas?"

No one replied.

"Does it," Luna began to ask, then paused self-consciously, "hurt?"

"Does what hurt?" Usagi asked blankly, wandering down the empty side
street.

"The thing," Luna continued delicately, "in your head."

"The thing?"

"Pharaoh 90! Honestly, Usagi, would you focus, please!"

"I know what you meant," Usagi grinned. "I just missed you yelling at me.
It kind of makes me feel normal again."

"You are impossible," huffed Luna.

"It doesn't hurt, Luna," Usagi said sadly. "It's sort of like someone
really creepy is watching every move I make, you know? And the minute I let my
guard down, it'll get me."

"You poor girl."

"It's the worst at night. I'm afraid to sleep. Afraid that - - that I
won't wake up as me. That it'll take me over when I sleep." Usagi folded her
arms over her breast. "And it's even worse now. Now I know there's something
actually inside of me, that it's not my imagination."

"You should have told us sooner," Luna said sympathetically.

"I didn't think anybody would understand."

Luna walked along for a few paces. Suddenly she noticed Usagi wasn't
beside her. She looked back and saw the girl cowering behind a tree.

"Usagi, what is it?" asked Luna.

"I saw Mamo-chan up ahead," she squeaked fearfully.

"And?"

"Luna, I don't want him to see me like this!" she gasped, on the verge of
hysterics once more.

"He'll understand. He of all people will understand."

"No, Luna, no! I don't want him to see me like this!"

"Well, with all the distress vibrations you're throwing off, he's not
going to have much choice. He's bound to notice you even if he doesn't see
you."

The shadow of the tree was joined by another tall, thin shadow. Usagi
jammed her eyes shut and wished to any power that would listen to allow her to
vanish at that moment.

"What's the matter, Usagi, did you lose something? Or did you trip and
fall again?" Mamoru joked.

Usagi looked up at him, her misery shouting out from her pitiful
expression at one hundred fifty decibels.

"Usako," gasped Mamoru, her pain chilling him to the marrow as he knelt
down to her. "What is it?"

She responded by burying herself in Mamoru's chest, crying like a little
baby while she clung to his strength as she would a life preserver. Luna looked
on helplessly as Mamoru cradled the fragile girl and listened to the entire
story tumble out in between gasping sobs.

"What if Chibi-Usa goes into the future," Minako proposed to the weary,
frustrated group, "gets Queen Serenity, brings her back into the past and
Serenity uses her crystal to cure Usagi?"

"Because Usagi IS Serenity," sighed Artemis, rolling his eyes in
exasperation.

"Yeah? So?"

"You can't have the same person in the same time from two different
periods of their life without risking major time paradoxes!"

"No, this will work," insisted Minako.

"No, it won't, Minako," Artemis replied through clenched teeth. "Until
Usagi's cured, the entire time line is affected. If Usagi's crystal is
corrupted, Serenity can't come from the future to cure her because it's the same
crystal and it'll be corrupted, too!"

"What do you know? You're just a cat."

"I know I could get better than a thirty-seven on a ninth grade math
exam," grumbled the cat.

"That - - was a low blow," glared Minako.

"He's right, Minako," Ami said. "It won't work, and for more than just
the reasons he gave."

"So you say," the blonde challenged.

"Would you like me to quote you the temporal physics calculations?"
bristled Ami.

"Maybe if I'm having trouble sleeping," scowled Minako.

"Hey, you two," sighed Makoto. "Stop fighting and focus on our mission."

"Boy, when Ami's ready to fight and Makoto's playing peacemaker, you know
it's time for a break," Rei said, heaving a sigh. "How about I make some tea
and see if Yuuichiro left us any of Grampa's cakes?"

"That sounds good," Ami replied, stretching as she rose. "Although I'd
prefer carrot sticks if you have them."

"I prefer the cakes, thank you," Minako said.

"You had cakes at Usagi's house this morning," Ami commented. "Minako,
you can't live on cakes."

"Who says? I've been doing it for fourteen years."

"Well that explains a lot," replied Ami. Minako responded by sticking out
her tongue and pulling down her eyelid. As they left the room, Makoto cuffed
Minako across the back of the head to get her to stop. Left alone in the room
were Chibi-Usa and Artemis.

"I could operate the crystal," Chibi-Usa said glumly. "I wish they'd let
me try."

"You're too young, Chibi-Usa," Artemis told her. "The Silver Crystal is a
powerful force and can't be used lightly. You're just not strong enough to
handle it. Remember what happened the last time you tried to handle it."

"I know! I wish everyone would quit beating me up over it!" grumbled
Chibi-Usa. Then she softened with the sadness she felt. "I just want to help
Usagi. I can't stand to see her suffer like this!" The little girl looked at
the floor. "Don't tell her I said that, huh?"

"Your secret's safe," grinned Artemis.

"I wish I could help her," Chibi-Usa continued, her hands clasped tightly
and thrust to the floor between her legs. "I wish I could help her more than
anything else in the world!"

"Usako," whispered Mamoru sympathetically as he cradled Usagi in the grass
beneath the tree, "why didn't you tell me?"

"Because," Usagi replied, absently tracing patterns on his chest with her
finger, "it would hurt you, and I never want to see you hurt by anything."

"So you suffer in silence. How noble you are, my Usako. And how silly."

"Hmm?"

"Do you think I don't hurt worse now, seeing you like this? Don't you
think my pain is greater because your pain is greater? If you'd told me right
off, it would have hurt a little, but it would have been forgotten when I tried
to help you through this. By trying to protect me, you only made it worse for
both of us."

"I'm sorry."

"I know," Mamoru whispered, kissing her on the top of the head. "It's
done. Don't dwell on it. The important thing is that I will do everything I
can to make you whole again."

"You're too good to me."

"You're my precious jewel. Nothing's too good for you."

"Mamo-chan . . . I love . . . love . . ."

"Usako?"

"!" Usagi groaned, her face twisting in
pain.

"Usako!"

"It's . . . Ohhhhhh, it's growing!" she cried in agony.

"What is?"

"It's trying to take me over!" she wailed, her body writhing in torment.

"It's Pharaoh 90!" Luna shrieked. "Get her to the temple! Perhaps Rei's
wards can help her fend it off!"

Not wasting time with words, Mamoru scooped Usagi up in his arms. As he
rose to his feet, he transformed into Tuxedo Mask. Using the extraordinary
abilities of that identity, he bounded off with the stricken blonde. Luna
followed, desperately trying as best she could to keep up. As she ran, she
radioed ahead to Artemis and informed him of the situation.

"Rei!" called out Tuxedo Mask ominously as he flung open the door to the
temple. Usagi was still clutched to him. She clung to him, feverish and
wracked with pain. "Where are you?"

"Bring her in here!" Rei called out from the doorway to the inner room
they'd been in. Seeing Usagi in such distress made tears well in the eyes of
the raven-tressed priestess. "It's worse," she whispered in terror. "I can
feel it in her now!"

Tuxedo Mask set Usagi down on a long table as the others gathered around.
Usagi's eyes were jammed shut and tremors shook her body.

"Usagi?" whimpered Makoto.

"It wants the Silver Crystal!" Usagi gasped, thrashing around on the table
as if she were at war with herself. "It sensed the power when I tried to use it
earlier!" She let out a mournful wail. "Help me, Mamo-chan! I can't hold it
off forever!"

Tuxedo Mask looked to Rei, who was already deep in prayer, the ward
pressed to her own forehead.

"Chibi-Usa!" gulped Usagi. "Where's Chibi-Usa?"

"Out in the garden, I think," responded Ami.

"Keep her away! Don't let her get near me! I don't want her to risk
being infected, too!"

The ward whipped away from Rei's forehead and came down toward Usagi. But
mere inches away from her, the ward burst into flame and was consumed in a
single second. Rei recoiled in horror, struck by the psychic feedback, and
clutched her head with her free hand.

"Mnnn!" she winced. "It's too strong! I can't drive it back!"

"Don't . . . feel bad, Rei-chan," Usagi said through clenched teeth. She
turned to Tuxedo Mask, the strain nearly forcing one eye closed. "I'm trying,
Mamo-chan. I'm trying to be strong."

"You are strong, Usako," whispered Tuxedo Mask, his gloved hand grasping
hers tightly. "You're stronger than any of us. Stronger than all of us."

"If you believe that," she said, forcing a smile onto her quivering mouth,
"then I believe it, too."

Ami was already transformed to Sailor Mercury and had her computer out
scanning Usagi.

"We've got to do something!" Makoto said desperately. "Ami?"

"I don't know," Mercury said, fear in her voice as her fingers danced over
the keys of the computer. "My scans aren't showing anything! If it's there, I
can't pick it up! And I can't form any plan of attack without information!"

"It's there," Rei said, the waves from Usagi battering her senses. "I can
feel it."

"So what do we do?" Makoto pleaded.

"I don't know," Rei replied helplessly.

"Transform, everyone!" Minako barked. "Lend her your strength! We'll get
her through this or die trying!"

The three girls joined Mercury as Sailor Scouts. They formed a protective
circle around Usagi and began concentrating, trying to establish a mental link
with their princess in order to funnel their energy to her and provide her with
a means to beat back Pharaoh 90.

"Behind you!" screamed Luna, just now making the doorway.

As one, the gathered turned and saw a cloud of billowing pinkish-red smoke
expand from a pinpoint warp in space. The smoke swirled until it reached the
floor, then dissipated. Revealed within the smoke was a woman. She was nearly
forty and had Usagi's face, but with a mischievous grin that Usagi never wore.
A flowing, floor-length gown of white, cut low at the bodice and held to her
shoulders with puffy white sleeves adorned her very tall, very voluptuous body.
The giveaway, though, was the thick pink hair done up in twin buns that
resembled rabbit's ears with the rest flowing down her back in cascading twin
trails.

Without a second thought, Jupiter and Venus leaped to place themselves
between her and Usagi. But she responded only with a sentimental smile.

"Jupiter-San," she bowed politely. "Venus-San. It's good to see you both
again."

"C-Chibi-Usa?" gasped Tuxedo Mask, voicing the thoughts of the entire
stunned room.

"Yeah, Dad, it's me," she replied, her warm smile painted with the
faintest hint of melancholy. "Your little girl all grown up." A low moan from
Usagi brought the woman back to reality. "Maybe we'd better leave the questions
for later, huh? Mama needs my help." She turned to the others. "Sailor
Scouts, please reform the circle around Mama and lend her your strength."

The girls obeyed instantly.

She then closed her eyes and tilted her head back. Her pink hair began
blowing from a breeze no one could feel. Cupping her hands about a foot apart
and a foot from her chest, the woman formed a small warp in space. From there,
the Silver Crystal appeared. It hovered equidistant from her hands and her
chest,filling the room with a silver radiance.

Usagi's hand came up, to her own shock and revulsion, because it was not
of her own volition. It began to glow a sickly deep gray, then spat a blast of
indigo energy at the crystal. Usagi screamed, more in terror than from any pain
she felt.

But the energy was stopped dead by the radiance of the Silver Crystal. It
pulsed impotently in the silver containment it was trapped in, then dissipated
as if swallowed.

"Mister, you don't know who you're messing with," the woman said, allowing
herself a dark smile of satisfaction as pink strands of hair blew in her face.

Her eyes closed again and her face took on a serene calm. The crystal
seemed to glow even brighter until it threatened to engulf the room in silver
light. Then the light narrowed until only Usagi was engulfed. Usagi went limp,
lolling back in Tuxedo Mask's arms, and everyone heard her gasp in surprise,
followed by a very faint sigh of utter contentment. Then the room was filled
with a sound just barely audible to them, though Luna and Artemis both buried
their heads under their paws in pain. It sounded almost like a scream, but the
sound was far too low to tell for sure. The silver light died away and the
woman's hair and gown stopped billowing.

"Usako?" Tuxedo Mask asked hopefully, cradling Usagi's head and torso in
his arms. She looked up at him, her eyes barely opened, small rivulets of tears
tumbling down either side of her head.

"I'm free," she smiled happily, her voice tremulous from the strain.

"You'll be all right now, Mama," the woman said, gliding to rest next to
her on the table, opposite from Tuxedo Mask. "Although you'll always remember
what happened, the actual memory of Pharaoh 90 will become hazy enough to deal
with."

"Thank you, Chibi-Usa," whispered Usagi happily. She brought her hand up
and touched the mature woman's cheek. The woman responded by folding her hand
over Usagi's.

"Then you're really the grown up version of Chibi-Usa," Mercury asked
curiously, "from the future?"

"Yes, Mercury-San. You can all call me Serenity if you like. Everyone
does. Although," and she glanced back at Usagi, "as far as I'm concerned, there
really only ever was one Serenity. As for why I came, well, the obvious answer
is my Mama needed me. But I'm also granting a wish that a young girl made a
long, long time ago."

"So you do remember this incident from your childhood?" Mercury persisted.
"Then you have to know that your other self is still in this time."

"I know." Serenity II leaned in conspiratorially to Mercury. "In fact,
take a look at the door. Notice it's opened a crack? Right now I'm peeking
through that crack in the door, eavesdropping on us." She smirked with
amusement. "It was Minako-San's idea that I remembered. It stayed with me for
years until I gained enough wisdom and enough control of the crystal to come
back in time and face Pharaoh 90."

"But the paradoxes. . ." Mercury began.

"Mercury-San," Serenity II said patiently. "I have a distinct memory from
my childhood of my Mama being saved on this day at this time by a tall,
pink-haired, VERY BEAUTIFUL woman in a lovely white gown who looked a little
like Mama. And I held onto that memory for years and years, and I talked it
over with Mama and with Dad and the rest until I understood just what happened.
And then I worked and planned and studied until the day came that I was sure I
could defeat Pharaoh 90 without risking either hurting myself or anything else
with the Silver Crystal. Then I came here to fulfill my destiny. So where's
the paradox?"

"But I thought your time had rules about time-travel."

"They do, Mercury-San." She shrugged. "I've never been much of a
rule-follower. My Mama once told me 'never let a rule keep you from doing what
you think is right'. It's one of the things I live by."

"I'm sorry, I just can't see. . ."

Serenity II gently placed her hands on Mercury's shoulders. "Ami-San,"
she said. "You're very dear to me and you were a great help to me when I was
growing up. But you think too much. Just accept it." Mercury's cheeks flushed
and she averted her eyes as Usagi-Chibi's megawatt smile, a smile obviously
inherited from her mother, shone in her face.

"Oh, Chibi-Usa," sighed Usagi, admiring the daughter that was twice her
age and more. "You've grown up so well. I'm so happy to see how you've turned
out."

"I'm glad you're pleased with me," grinned the woman, sitting back down
next to Usagi. "I worked hard enough." Serenity II playfully poked a finger
into Usagi's middle. "And speaking of work, maybe you could do a little more
and lay off the meat buns?"

"Well I see some things haven't changed," scowled Usagi. "You're still a
brat."

Serenity II suppressed a giggle. "You never could stand to be teased. I
think that's why Rei-San enjoyed it so much."

Usagi stared up into her daughter's eyes, mature eyes that had seen so
much more than she had and from the look of it, not all of it good.

"What's your life like?" Usagi asked suddenly. "Are you happy? Have you
found someone? Does he love you?"

Serenity's face took on a pained expression.

"I can't tell you, Mama," she smiled wistfully. "You know too much about
the future already." Usagi looked disappointed and it broke Serenity's heart.

Pulling away, Serenity II rose to her feet. Then she faltered. She sat
back down and flung her arms around Usagi, hugging the girl tightly. Usagi
responded and for the longest time neither one wanted to let go. Finally
Serenity broke the clench and pulled back.

"There is one thing I can tell you," she said. "Believe in yourself. The
universe will gasp in amazement at what you can do when you finally believe in
yourself." She leaned over and hugged Tuxedo Mask. "Good-bye, Dad. Love you."

Refusing to face the pair lest she weaken, Serenity II walked to the far
part of the room.

"I'm ready, Diana," she called out. Immediately, a mature gray feline
appeared next to her. She wore a small bell around her neck held by a ribbon
collar. A yellow crescent moon decorated her forehead. She glanced over at
Artemis and Luna with a stare that seemed to encompass them both and examine
their deepest, darkest secrets. The cat held their gaze for a few moments, then
returned her attention to Serenity, the barest hint of a smile curling her mouth.

"Wow," Artemis mumbled, his eyes locked on the gray feline. "She's cute."

"She's not that cute," sniffed Luna imperiously. "Although, I suppose a
cat like that is your type."

"I'd say. She looks a little like you."

"She does not!" huffed Luna.

"We're ready to return, your majesty," the gray cat replied in a low,
throaty voice that made Artemis' tail straighten. Serenity stooped and gathered
the feline up in her arms. The cat's eyes closed and her head eased back. Then
she jiggled her neck and the bell on her collar tinkled a particular rhythm. The
pair vanished in a billowing cloud of green smoke.

"You can come in now, Chibi-Usa," Mamoru said, his guise of Tuxedo Mask
fading with the crisis. The little girl wandered in, eyes wide.

"Was that," she murmured in amazement, "Was that me?"

"That was you," Usagi said, still stunned herself. "I guess you don't
drive me to killing you after all."

"So are you all right?" Makoto asked, her hand on Usagi's shoulder.

"Yeah," nodded Usagi. "It feels like a hundred pound weight has been
lifted off of my head. Thank you, everybody, for everything you've done for me.
I really, really appreciate it." She paused for a moment. "Is anybody else
hungry?"

"She's back to normal all right," Rei said, rolling her eyes.

"Yeah, why don't we all go grab something to eat at the café!" beamed
Minako. "Mamoru's treat!"

"Um," Mamoru started to protest, but he was too late.

"That's a great idea!" squealed Usagi. Instantly, Minako had Mamoru by
one arm, Makoto by the other and Rei and Usagi were pushing from behind while
Chibi-Usa tugged at his jacket and Ami looked supremely embarrassed. Artemis
and Luna watched the procession and shook their heads.

"Well, at least they're still resilient," Artemis commented. He glanced
at Luna. "Want to come back to my place? I've got some cat-nip stashed there."

"Lead on," replied Luna in exasperation. "After what I've just gone
through, I think I could down an entire box by myself."

Ami closed the door to the penthouse apartment and doffed her shoes. As
she put her slippers on, concerns continued to nag at her. Did she think too
much? Or had Serenity II inherited her mother's lack of regard for details and
consequences? Ami hoped it was the former, because she didn't relish going
through something like this again for a long, long time.

She felt tired, so tired that she wasn't even in the mood for studying.
Right now, she needed a nice warm bubble bath and something to renew her sense
of security. Seeing Usagi go through what she'd gone through was draining and
depressing. Then a scent caught her nose. Her mother was home and cooking
dinner for the second night in a row.

Hopefully she'd have the good fortune to enjoy her mother's company this
time.

"Is that you, Ami?" her mother asked, coming into the room. "I noticed
your satchel was here when I got home. Didn't you go to school today?"

Ami's heart sunk through the floor. However, she knew better than to try
to lie her way out of it.

"No, Mother, I didn't," Ami replied, her eyes downcast. "Usagi still
needed me."

"I see. How's she doing?"

"She seems to be over the worst of it. I think she'll be fine now."

"That's good to hear. So how does it feel to help someone who's ailing?"

Ami blushed. "Draining. But it's - - also very gratifying. Is that how
you feel when you do it?"

"Yes," her mother smiled. "Well, given the circumstances, I don't think
missing a day of school will do anyone any harm." Ami's smile widened.
"Dinner's just about ready. Are you hungry?"

"I'm always hungry when you cook, Mother," grinned Ami. Her mother draped
her arm over Ami's shoulder and gently pulled the girl to her. Ami's arm snaked
around her mother's waist and they walked into the kitchen together.

THE END