It took Hotaru a moment to realize Haruka was in the room, but she was overjoyed to see her surrogate father figure after so long. She had almost forgotten how easily Haruka's attention could wander. Haruka would probably be out at the pool checking for Michiru before Hotaru could even make it into the kitchen. She probably should've mentioned the house was locked when she arrived, but Haruka had come through like a gust of wind and was gone before Hotaru could get a word in edgewise.

This train of thought was interwoven with thoughts of the beautiful weaving of the rug on the floor. She stared intently at the threads, contemplating the intricacies of the colors weaving together.

Haruka walked quickly to the coffee maker, pressing the button so that it would start heating up. She knew it would take forever, and so Haruka walked out to the back door to see if Michiru was outside. 

The sun was setting, and Haruka knew it would only be matter of time until night fell. Her eyes strained to see through the water of their deluxe pool, since she knew from experience that Michiru tended to...blend in. Unable to resist the urge, Haruka bent down and slammed her hand into the water, making a giant splash. She knew that would disturb Michiru, if she happened to be near the bottom of the pool. The woman hated anything that disturbed the peace.

"Michiruuuuu," Haruka taunted, splashing the water again. She waited a few seconds, but when her beloved hastened to appear, Haruka suddenly grew worried. If Michiru wasn't out here or in the house, where was she?

Panicking, Haruka ran back into the house. "Hotaru! Michiru's not outside, check for her upstairs!" she shouted, digging through her pocket for her cell phone. She pressed the speed dial for Michiru and put the phone to her ear, listening to the monotonous ringing tone - once, twice. Haruka instantly grew impatient and hung up, going to send Michiru a text instead. She hadn't really planned on sending multiple texts, but she was so panicky that it happened without her even realizing it.

'Michiru.'
'Where are you?!'
'Michiru.'
'MICHIRU ANSWER THE PHONE.'
'MI'
'CHI'
'RU'
'WHERE'
'ARE'
'YOU'


Haruka slammed her phone onto the kitchen counter, shoving her hands into her pockets as she paced back and forth across the floor. Then she paused. 

"Stupid!" she said aloud, more to herself than to anyone else. In the blink of an eye, Haruka had her communicator flipped open and had jammed her thumb against the button that would call Michiru. 

The tall blonde suddenly realized that Hotaru was not in the room, and she shouted for her adopted daughter: "HOTARU!"

The silence of the mansion was too overbearing - shouting made Haruka more comfortable.

Hotaru had wandered toward the kitchen once she had finished examining the rug with her eyes. She figured Haruka would be anxious once realizing Michiru wasn't to be found. A reflection off of something drew Hotaru back out into the main hallway. The setting sun was glinting off of the chandelier and making lovely rainbow patterns dance on the walls of the foyer.

It reminded Hotaru of how she played with her lamp collection when still living with her father. It gave her comfort and something to focus on after her mother died. Now it symbolized how the powers of the senshi would come together and be greater than the sum of their parts.

Distantly she heard the slamming of the back door as her eyes followed the rainbows about the room. One landed on a note that was lying out on the side table. This seemed out of place, so Hotaru walked over and took a glance at it. She continued re-reading it to make sure the message was clear.

She heard Haruka shouting her name from the kitchen and picked up the note, hurrying through the front rooms instead to get to the kitchen.

Haruka jumped when Hotaru opened the second kitchen door which she was facing away from. 

"Michiru's not here," she said quickly. "Usagi's in trouble. The details are in this note." She pushed the the note into Haruka's hands.

"Our time of peace may be ending..."

Despite the fact that battle had clearly started around her, Michiru still hadn’t transformed. She felt so unsure about what to do, and when Ami—Mercury—stepped up and figured things out, she felt content to stay back and watch. After all, Mercury was the smart one, right? And she seemed to be so sure of herself. Her attack made one of the apparitions disappear, though it didn’t seem to kill it. Michiru gasped as Sailor Mercury slapped her own friend, but did hope it would help bring some sense back into their princess.

She just felt so helpless. Without Haruka there, she did not know what to do.

And that was when her phone started ringing like crazy. First it was a call, but before she could pick it up, it had stopped ringing. Michiru knew instantly who would be that impatient. Haruka. Sure enough, the texts came faster than Michiru could open them. Haruka’s impatience frazzled her further; she must not have been taking her meds again. When Haruka was working ten times faster than usual like this, it drove Michiru crazy, because she needed time to think, to process, to focus and to be precise. Haruka was so chaotic, like a tornado driving through Michiru’s carefully crafted world. When they were both having bad days, they were on opposite ends of the spectrum, and she wondered how they could ever live together peacefully.

Before she could decide what to do with her phone, her communicator beeped next. In frustration, Michiru dropped the phone to the ground and grabbed the communicator. It was connected, but for some reason Haruka wasn’t speaking. Maybe something else had distracted her. Good god, could she maybe slow down for just a second?

“HARUKA!” Michiru yelled into the communicator. “Stop this barrage of messages this instant. I’m in the middle of battle!” Well, sort of. “Did you not get my message?!”

And then, “You’ve not been taking your meds, have you?!”

Haruka's mouth dropped open and she snatched the note from Hotaru's hands. "Give me that," she demanded, even though the note was already in her possesion. She wasn't trying to be rude, but by this point she was genuinely freaking out. She held the note firmly in her hands, her eyes scanning Michiru's perfect cursive handwriting. God, she did not have time to squint and try to make out these ridiculous connected letters. Frustrated, she threw the note onto the counter and pulled at her hair. 

Michiru's loud voice caused Haruka to freeze. She had forgotten that she had called her.  

"Michiru! Why the hell would you leave without calling me? You know I can't read your handwriting, damn it! And you're in a battle?! You know you shouldn't go into battle without me! And now Hotaru's here, and we were supposed to have a nice evening together, and now we all have to enter battle! And where the hell is Setsuna? She was supposed to get home hours ago - did she get lost again? We are co -"

Haruka paused when Michiru asked about her meds. Her skin paled, and she scratched the back of her head in embarrassment. "Well, I uh...took some this morning, maybe, but maybe not, I don't really remember, and....." Haruka paused, glancing at Hotaru. "We'll be there in a second! Bye!"

Before Michiru could respond, Haruka hung up and motioned for Hotaru to follow her to the garage. "Let's go, kid. We've got some creeps to take care of."

Usagi felt her world continue to spin as yet another figure appeared before her. This time it was Chibusa, whose words hurt most of all. Her daughter from the future had come to say how ashamed she was to have Usagi for a mother. Just as quickly as she appeared she disappeared. Usagi covered her ears and bent over as she tried to process this information. She was off in another dimension and didn’t hear Mercury talking to her.

She was snapped back to reality when she felt Mercury’s slap across her face. She looked up at Mercury who was telling her she needed to pay attention. Usagi nodded though she still wasn’t confident she could solve this problem. Usagi felt like her body was there and everything else that made her who she was, was scattered across Japan, or rather obliterated and destroyed, but as Usagi stood, she felt the hope of Mercury, Tuxedo Mask and the others around her. This hope made Usagi hopeful that somehow it would all work out or at least temporarily workout and they could re-group and plan in case another attack happened.

It had been so long since she last transformed, Usagi wasn’t even sure it was possible, but she drew in a breath realizing it was possible, if Mercury, Mars, Neptune and Pluto could transform then so could she.

“Moon Eternal Make Up” Usagi cried out with her entire being as she was surrounded by light as she transformed into Eternal Sailor Moon. When the light was gone there stood in her full glory, Eternal Sailor Moon. For a moment there appeared to be no threat so she turned to her long time friend and ally and said, “okay Mercury I am listening, please tell me how to rid this monster.” Her voice faltered a bit, but she hoped Mercury would have an answer on how to rid this monster that had been tormenting her ever since she had left her date with Mamoru earlier that evening.

Tuxedo Mask was put into shock when Sailor Mercury came over and smacked Usagi right across the face. The sound was loud enough to pull him out of his stupor from seeing his daughter again. He blinked, registering Mercury's words, and suddenly felt foolish. He knew this wasn't really his daughter, but he wanted to believe it so badly. He hadn't seen Chibiusa in what felt like forever, and he missed seeing her every day.

The masked hero turned to his beloved, placing a warm hand on her shoulder. "Listen to her, Usako. You are not what these illusions say you are."

He could see the conflict in Usagi's eyes, and it killed him inside. He wished he had the power to help her, to prove to her that she truly was beautiful, but he knew this was a battle she had to fight on her own. This was her inner demon, not his, and not the senshi's. 

To Tuxedo Mask's glee, Usagi stood up, that regal confidence he knew and loved returning to her. He stood, a warm smile on his face as his princess transformed into Eternal Sailor Moon. It was a great thing to see, especially after all that had happened. 

He loved to see Usagi this way.

Confident. Determined. Full of hope.

Mercury could see that she’d finally gotten Usagi’s attention. And when she transformed into Sailor Moon, Mercury felt that hope and pride she always felt whenever she saw her best friend physically changing from her ordinary, uncertain self into the powerful heroine of love and justice. Seeing Sailor Moon again in all her glory pulled her racing thoughts momentarily into a halt, and she took a moment to celebrate the occasion mentally.

“Just do what you always do, Sailor Moon,” she said confidently. “Use your power and attack it. Don’t think about what it looks like. Don’t let it fool you anymore.”

She stared into Sailor Moon’s eyes with utmost confidence in her friend and sincerity. “Don’t listen to it, don’t believe what it looks like or says. Just take care of it. Believe me, you can. You’re the only one who can.”

In the past, it had always been Sailor Moon who could finish off an enemy, the only one strong enough. Mercury was positive that it was right this time, too.

Hotaru scooped up Michiru's note before hurrying after Haruka to the garage. She also halfheartedly scanned the surfaces for Haruka's meds but to no avail. She climbed into the passenger seat and buckled herself in, repeating the location to Haruka. She knew time would be on their side with Haruka driving while unmedicated, but she was thankful for the handles on the door nonetheless. 

Her mind latched onto the intricate details of the door panel, the way the patterns and creases swirled around each other. It was soothing in a way and reminded her of the vast expanses of space, the way she felt one with the cosmos when transformed into Sailor Saturn. All else seemed to melt away.

Haruka sped out of the garage and down the road, driving way past the speed limit towards the location Hotaru gave. It had been a while since Haruka had been in that direction, so it was a surprise she even knew where she was going. But she made it in record time.

The hyperactive blonde was out of the car before Hotaru even had time to unbuckle her seatbelt. In just a few long strides, she as at Michiru's side. "What's going on? Why the hell is Chibiusa here? And why aren't you even transformed?! Usagi is in danger!" Haruka said, throwing her hands into the air as if Michiru was the most ridiculous person in the world. 

"And by the way, how many times have I told you that I cannot read cursive?! It's hard for me, especially when it's so perfect and not messy like yours. You have to write in print, Michiru. PRINT. Hotaru had to read the note for me. Oh, Hotaru's here, by the way."

Haruka was definitely not on her meds. In another second, she cut off the connection, and Michiru sighed. She watched everything unfold in front of her; it seemed Mercury was getting to Sailor Moon. If they needed help, Michiru would transform, but for the time being it seemed that it all depended on Usagi.

It didn’t take long for Haruka’s car to come skidding to a stop nearby. Michiru readied herself to welcome the incoming bulldozer-like blonde running toward her with the speed of a hyperactive cheetah.

She waited until Haruka was done with her tirade before massaging her temple. She was definitely getting a headache. “Some enemy showed up. That’s not actually Chibiusa—they’ve been portraying themselves as various members of Usagi’s family. I haven’t transformed because they’ve got this under control. And you would have been able to read cursive if you’d been taking your meds.” She glared at Haruka. “Now, if you don’t stop with your endless barrage of questions, I swear to god I will slap you.”

When Makoto entered the restaurant, she smiled. Actually she had her day off but she just could not help it. She did not want to stay at home when she exactly knew that there were lots of things to do at work. And as it turned out, she was right. Every table was occupied and everyone seemed to enjoy the meals.
 
Makoto just walked along the central aisle, farther to the door with the “Authorized Personnel Only” sign. Just when she wanted to open the door, a tall dark-haired man with two dinner trays came her way. “Oh Makoto-san, what are you doing here?”, he said surprised.
 
„I couldn’t endure the thought that you are overworked here.” Makoto smiled cheeky and went through the door. When she stood in the kitchen, everyone stared with wide eyes at her. She knew what they would say – “Makoto-san, why are you here?” Before anyone had the chance to ask she answered in advance. “I was bored and I thought, you could need some help…seems to be very crowded today.”
 
“Kino’s Food Storm” developed to one of the most popular restaurants in all Japan. And it was well on the way to build up a reputation in the whole world. It was always fully booked and had about 300’000 visitors per year. So it was obvious, that there was always a lot to do. And even though it often was quite hard for Makoto and her staff, she loved it. And she would never trade it for anything in the world. It made her proud.
 
When she just started to cut the vegetables, her good friend and employee came back from the servicing. “I need some towels.”
 
“Why? What happened?“,  Makoto asked.
 
“Oh, it’s not that important. A child just spilled his drink, no trouble at all. I’ll…”
 
“No”, Makoto interrupted.
 
“Excuse me?”
 
Makoto smiled. “I’m sorry, I didn’t want to give you a fright. But if you don’t mind, I’d like to do that. Today here’s a child’s birthday, right?”
 
He nodded. He exactly knew why she asked. Makoto loved kids. She treated every child as if they were her own. And every time children visited the restaurant, her only wish was it to service them. For that she would always leave the rest standing. It just made her happy to see them smile.
 
Quickly she cleaned her hands, dried them and took the notepad with her. And before you could turn around, she already left the kitchen.
 
“Hello, kiddo! And welcome to Kino’s Food Storm!” She ruffled through the boy’s hair. “I heard, you’re celebrating your birthday today. Am I right?”
 
The boy nodded and smiled shyly.
 
“Well then: Happy Birthday and all the best for the future! I hope you have an amazing day!” Makoto winked. “So, how old are you now?”
 
“Seven years old.”
 
“Oh, really? Then I’m sure a big boy like you can order his meal on his own! I’ll also tell you a little secret…” She bent over to the boy’s ear and whispered: “In view of this happy event you can eat here today for free, okay? But pssst, don’t tell anyone!”
 
The boy smiled from ear to ear and eventually agreed. Makoto did it once again. She put a smile on a child’s face. That is what made her happy. Not the fact that she was so successful, not the fact that she earned lots of money. But rather that she made people happy. This was her highest priority.
“So, what would you guys like to eat?”
 
She took their orders, closed her notepad and was on her way back to the kitchen to begin cooking the meals.
 
But right before the kitchen door it happened. A terrible pain passed through her head. She screwed up her face and tried - as far as possible – to massage her temples in the hope that the headache would stop. But it did not help. Instead it got even worse. She was doddery and finally fell to the ground. Makoto landed on her knees, almost crying and based herself on her arm, so that she would not land on her face. What’s happening? Makoto tried to hide her pain – unsuccessful. Everyone in the restaurant got quiet and looked worried to the head cook. An older lady stood up and bent down to her. “Is everything alright, Madam?”
 
Suddenly, the pain faded away. She stood up and said: “Thanks for your help. I’m fine. I guess, it was just a little qualm. But now I feel better!“
 
The lady was skeptical if she really told the truth. She experienced many things in her life and what she saw now looked way worse than just a qualm. Unfortunately she didn’t know what happened to her either. Never before she saw something like this and it got even odder when the pain faded away that quickly. Still worried she gazed after her and watched how she went back to the kitchen to be sure she was alright. “Hopefully she told the truth”, she said quietly and returned to her seat.

Seeing Usagi gaining confidence, the shapeshifting wisp of darkness took one last, desperate form. An adult woman with short, wavy brown hair and a friendly smile was now holding Usagi's hands. "Usagi-chan, sometimes I wish you wouldn't be so stupid. When's the last time you called me? When's the last time you took the time to come see me? I was your best friend. Who would comfort you when you screwed up every day? Me! You've tossed me aside for these crazy people you call friends. What kind of person does that? After all I've done for you! You're the worst kind of friend there is. And I bet all of these people are thinking the same thing.

Sailor Moon had to squeeze her eyes shut when the new figure appeared before her. This time it was Naru, she felt so real, it made Usagi’s heart hurt as she realized that she really had left Naru behind as soon as she became Sailor Moon a few years earlier. She fought the voices in her head telling her to give in to Naru’s words. Sailor Moon knew she had people around her and loved her, but it didn’t stop her from feeling the pain she felt at hearing Naru’s words. 

Sailor Moon mustered up all the strength she could from within to defeat this new monster. She knew Naru may really be mad at her, but she wouldn’t outright say she was horrible, not the real Naru Usagi knew….at least she hoped the real Naru didn’t feel that way. 

Sailor Moon stood straighter as she summoned her moon chalice as she planted both of her feet to the ground. She faced the enemy with a slight fierceness in her voice. “You’re wrong and you’re not Naru. These people here with me are my friends and they care about me and I care about them very much and I am tired of you trying to ruin my happiness.” She said as she spun and shouted, “Starlight Honeymoon Therapy Kiss!!” and she struck the enemy with her chalice wand.

After the attack, Sailor Moon felt a tremble in her legs that caused her to drop to the ground. She hadn’t had to fight in two years and she knew her attack has a sense of anger and maybe even a twinge of hatred behind it, traits she had never been known to show. That and the sudden use of energy had taken quite a toll on her, but she hoped with all that she had that the enemy was gone and that she could go home, with Mamoru, and that their lives could continue just as they had before this enemy had struck them.

Hotaru watched the scene unfold before her. The sight of Eternal Sailor Moon stirred some feelings at the back of her mind. Peace had lasted for so long that she thought she might never have to transform again, her destructive powers a distant memory. 

But seeing Usagi transformed once more also made her remember the light and power. The joys of their efforts and successes in battle. Usagi and Mamoru were facing off against a seemingly normal girl, but something about her seemed...off. She was saying disparaging things to Sailor Moon, but a sight appeared that hadn't been seen in so long. The great light and strength welled up inside of Sailor Moon as she attack the girl with a bright golden light. She sunk down, weak with exhaustion as Mamoru caught her after the attack. 

Hotaru thought about the strange passing headache she had felt on the train home earlier today. She knew better than to think it just a coincidence that this happened before a new enemy attacked, but she could not fathom why she had felt this headache. Maybe it was just one of her premonitions, and it had been so long, she didn't recognize it.

Mamoru say the enemy change into Usagi's best friend Naru. It seemed like the last straw for Usagi. She had snapped out of her stupor and attacked the enemy. He smiled when he saw Usagi become her brilliant self again. After she attacked the enemy with her strongest attack she started to fall. He caught her and held onto her tightly.

He wished there was a way to help her through her body issues. She was so beautiful and strong. He felt sad seeing her the way she was when the enemy was talking to her. But the fact that she recognized that everyone around her loved her for who she was. "Let's go home." Mamoru said smiling at Usagi.

As Usagi fell, she came out of her transformation. She felt relieved when Mamoru caught her. She rested her head against his chest as her jagged breathing became more slow. Usagi was more than ready to go home. She was emotionally, physically, and mentally drained and she just wanted to go home and fall asleep in Mamoru's arms.

She looked up at Mamoru and gave him a weak smile as she weakly said, "yes, please take me home Mamo-chan." She glanced up at her fellow senshi and gave them an appreciative nod, she was exhausted, but knew she would not have been able to find the power she needed had it not been for Mamoru and her senshi.

Usagi hoped that who or what this villain was, that they were gone and she could go back to her normal life, working in the bridal shop and planning for her wedding with Mamoru.

Mamoru smiled as he helped Usagi to her feet. "Goodbye everyone, thank you for helping." Mamoru said to the senshi. He didn't know what else there was to say, this attack came out of nowhere and it seemed specifically targeted at Usagi. If the senshi hadn't been there Mamoru wasn't sure what could have happened. He led Usagi to their car and started it up. He prepared for the ride home. He didn't know if he should say something to Usagi. Should I just let her relax and not remind her of what happened? Mamoru thought, Or should I ask her what she thinks is going on? Mamoru struggled with the idea of what to do and ultimately came to the conclusion that he should just ask. "Usagi, what do you think that was back there?" Mamoru asked. He wasn't sure if she'd respond, she probably had no clue what it was either, but they needed to talk about it. If a new enemy had just come to Earth they were going to have to figure out their agenda and how to stop them.

Usagi stared out the window on her ride home with Mamoru. She was lost in her own world, still trying to process what had happened. She still was shaking inside. She really hoped all those faces that appeared before her, truly loved her and they didn't think she was this failure in all she did. 

She was brought back to reality when Mamoru asked her what she thought that was. Usagi couldn't bring herself to face Mamoru yet, she had felt ashamed. She had just froze when this enemy appeared. She wondered why she was being targeted now, why couldn't she just be happy with Mamoru and her friends, things had finally smoothed over and she felt like in the time things were peaceful she had grown so much and her relationship with Mamoru had fully blossomed. But now, now it was like she was back to being the 14 year old cry baby with the math test with a score of 30 on it.

She felt a single tear roll down her cheek as she grabbed Mamoru's hand. "I-I don't know Mamo-chan, but why, why is there a new enemy now, why are we destined to this life?" She asked trying to hide the nervousness and shakiness in her voice, but she knew Mamoru would most likely see through it. He had been able to see through to her true emotions many times, and now she had a feeling he would be able to see through her. 

But all she wanted was to go home and fall asleep in Mamoru's arms.

Mamoru sat in the car with his question lingering over him and Usagi. He turned to her and saw a single tear rolling down her cheek and she grabbed his hand. He immediately felt like he wanted to fix everything and make her feel better. When she finally responded Mamoru felt a pang in his chest. She was nervous and her hand was trembling with the rest of her body. He wanted to be able to calm her, but in the car he clearly couldn't just grab her and hold her tight, with the hope that it'd wash her fear away.

With Usagi's question lingering in the air for a bit, Mamoru finally responded. "I don't know why we are destined for this life Usako, I wish I did. But I truly believe that with each new enemy we face, we get stronger, as people, as friends, and as a couple." He said squeezing Usagi's hand. "I know this life is hard and I wish I could take away all of your worries. We're almost home, Usako, and when we get there we can just go to sleep and hopefully we will wake up with a new perspective on things." Mamoru hoped that this would cheer her up, just a little. When they got home, maybe things would feel a little bit better. He just wished he knew why this was happening now...

Usagi listened as Mamoru spoke. He always knew what to say to make her feel better. She liked that he was honest with her and that he was wondering what the cause of this new enemy was. She liked the idea of just going home and going to bed, but part of her wanted to take a shower. She felt dirty and ashamed of herself. Soon enough they arrived at their apartment. Usagi walked up to the apartment and once Mamoru opened the door she walked in, but her fatigue was catching up with her. Usagi walked slowly, dragging her feet with each step. She walked into the bedroom, she was slowly taking down her hair when she caught a glimpse of herself in the mirror.

Shame and disgust hit her smack in the face as she limply dropped to her knees and wrapped her arms around her torso. Even though she had defeated the enemy, she still felt ashamed of herself and when she looked in the mirror she saw herself for all the things those false images of her loved ones had told her she was. 

Usagi was mentally done, she couldn't handle one more thing tonight, she sat on the ground, paralyzed by her own fears and false messages her mind was feeding her. The more negative messages that played in her head as she sat there staring at the ground, the more she began to believe them.

Mamoru opened the door for Usagi when they arrived at their apartment. He watched her as she walked tiredly into the bedroom. She was taking her hair down, Mamoru loved her hair and when it was down you could see how long it really was. It was beautiful and flowing. Suddenly he saw her fall to her knees and wrap her arms around herself. She looked so sad, so broken, so ashamed and Mamoru didn't know why. He stood there staring at her, not sure what he could do. There could be so many things swirling around in her head, maybe even though she had won against the shape shifter, she was still hit by the things it had said.

He stared at her like that for a few moments, unsure of what he could do, he hated seeing her like this, it made him so upset. Finally he walked over to her and gently wrapped his arms around her. This was all he could do for her at the moment. He knew he couldn't make her believe that what the shape shifter said wasn't true, he knew that he couldn't make her realize how amazing and beautiful she was. It made him angry that he couldn't just make her see how others really see her. So he filled his embrace with his feelings, hoping that they'd reach her, hoping to snap her out of her fears and back into the real world, where it was just the two of them together.

Haruka clamped her mouth shut, recognizing the tone in Michiru's voice as one that meant she had better shut up if she wanted to live. But when the other woman was done berating her, Haruka couldn't resist:

"I wouldn't have been able to read cursive anyway," she retorted, tossing her bangs to the side. Standing next to Michiru, Haruka watched as the shapeshifter changed from Chibiusa, to a girl that Haruka didn't recognize. Judging by the words the girl spoke, she was close friends with Usagi at one point. Hearing the things the girl was saying made Haruka's blood boil, and every muscle in her body was itching to run forward and punch the daylights out of the stupid thing. But Michiru's presence reminded Haruka that she needed to keep herself under control. If Michiru wasn't panicking, then Haruka wouldn't panic. That was how it went. 

Her hands clenched and un-clenched repeatedly as she waited for Usagi to fight back, to show what she was made of. Haruka had known Usagi long enough to be confident that no matter what, Usagi would pull through. She was their own little miracle worker.

Just like Haruka had predicted, Usagi gained her confidence and defeated the enemy. The area was quiet, and before Haruka could say anything to her princess, Mamoru took Usagi home. It was quiet for a while, and Haruka couldn't stand it any more. She was about to march back to her car when she caught Setsuna and Rei standing on the other side of the street, with Setsuna looking as clueless as ever.

"Oh dear god..." Haruka muttered. "Found the lost puppy. I'm not dealing with her tonight. You do it, you're nicer." She nudged Michiru, nodding her head towards Setsuna. It was hard for Haruka to have patience with the taller woman, especially when she didn't remember what was happening half the time. Michiru was a lot better at being compassionate and whatnot.

Usagi felt Mamoru wrap his arms around her. They were arms that brought her great comfort, but also the arms that caused all her walls to fall down. As he held her Usagi placed her hands on top of his, bending over more as she began to cry, first lightly, but as she allowed her layers to be peeled off and her vulnerabilities to come to the surface, her body began to tremble. Usagi felt safe in Mamoru's arms, but still very afraid of what had occurred just moments ago and what this meant for her life as Sailor Moon. 

Usagi looked back up and caught a glimpse of herself in the mirror through her tear stained eyes. She felt ashamed of herself and  in that moment could only see all her flaws. She slowly turned to face Mamoru and wrapped one arm around his back as she placed her head against his chest.
"Mamo-chan," the blonde said through sniffles, "I, I don't know that I can fight again, I don't think I am strong enough, I just want to be normal and happy..." She said as she cried into Mamoru's chest.

As Mamoru wrapped his arm around Usagi she began to cry. It was as if she was letting go of all of her pain and sadness. When she placed her head against his chest, Mamoru could feel all the pain she had been hiding, and all her sadness. When she spoke to him, he was surprised at how little she believed in herself. This was not the strong passionate girl he knew, and in that moment he realized just how fragile Usagi could be. Two years of not fighting had caused all of the senshi and Mamoru included, to get used to lives filled with peace, calm, and normalcy. He knew that Usagi was stronger than this and all he had to do was convince her of that. 

"Usako, you are strong enough. I know you are. With the help of everyone who loves you and cares about you, we can beat this new enemy. Whoever they are, they can never win against us. You just have to believe in yourself again Usako. I believe in you." Mamoru said and he squeezed Usagi gently. "We will have a happy life again and things with us have never been normal. I love our lives, every part of it."

 
One evening, Minako Aino was doing what she loved best - performing in front of a crowd of people, singing her heart out.  The crowd was only a couple hundred people (give or take a few), but Minako was confident that number would rise a lot by the time she was at her peak, and that the range she did concerts in would also grow a lot - so far, most of her concerts had been no farther from Tokyo than Yokohama.  After all, in her first few months, she only performed in Tokyo area nightclubs in front of less than 100 people.  Now she was regularly performing in front of about a couple hundred people.  Minako was on the rise, and she knew it; she would soon achieve her # 1 dream of becoming a top idol singer.

But this particular evening would be different.  During one of her wardrobe changes backstage, Minako suddenly got a splitting headache - so bad, she had to stop, drop the dress she was putting on, and even kneel down to try to relieve the pain (it only worked slightly).  She let out a loud groan as it was building, which resulted in a loud knock at the door of the room she was changing in, followed by her make-up artist almost yelling "Minako!  Are you alright?" - which, of course, only worsened the massive headache she was experiencing.  Thankfully, by then, the headache was starting to subside.

Several seconds later, it felt like it had never happened, and now Minako was in a small room with two dresses on the floor.  She stared at them for a couple seconds, trying to figure out which one she was supposed to put on during this wardrobe change and which one she had just taken off.  Finally, she opened the door just enough to stick only her head out and find her make-up artist.  "Yoriko?" she asked her make-up artist once she had found her.  "I'm alright.  But which dress was I supposed to put on now - the yellow one or the orange one?"

To Minako's surprise (at first), Yoriko's answer only carried a small hint of exasperation "The orange one.  Your closing segment is next."  But then, Minako felt like this was the way it had always been, meaning she shouldn't have been surprised.  "Arigato, Yoriko-chan," Minako kindly responded to her make-up artist, then brought her head back into the changing room and closed the door.  As she started getting into the orange dress, she got confused for a sec about how she was supposed to wear it.  Fortunately, she soon figured this out, and a few seconds later, Minako was emerging from her changing room - wearing the orange dress correctly - to walk the short distance to the chair she sat in whenever Yoriko worked on her make-up.

Even though she had taken virtually a full minute longer than normal to change her wardrobe this time (she knew seconds counted in this business), the way her assistants treated her during the rest of this concert break was pretty normal - or at least to Minako, it now seemed that way.  For example, as she was touching up Minako's make-up, Yoriko only asked, without any irritability in her voice "Are you sure you can perform your closing segment now?" and left it at that, without mentioning the extra minute.

Minako started to answer confidently "Hai, I ...", but then she became unsure.  So Minako was only able to finish her answer by weakly stating "I think so."  It almost amazed the blonde performer when Yoriko accepted this answer, finished touching up her make-up, and closed by urging her on "Okay, knock 'em dead."  But then Minako got a little confused about whether she should be amazed at that or it had been that way all along.

Shaking her head slightly to get these thoughts out of her mind just after she left the room where Yoriko did her make-up, Minako walked up to her producer for her standard last-second instructions before going back out on stage.  Her producer added an enthusiastic "You can do it!" to the end of these instructions, never bringing up the extra minute (just like Yoriko had never brought it up).  And even though Minako had to ask him what her cue was for holding a long note at the end of one of the final songs, he answered it by simply restating what it was - almost with a smile.

During this final segment on stage during this concert, Minako performed as well as always.  Perhaps the only difference from before the massive headache (which she had completely forgotten about) was that in her mind, she always thought she was doing something wrong.  So she was always surprised at the end of each song when the crowd responded by cheering enthusiastically.  And after she came offstage at the end of this concert, Minako was totally floored/shocked by the crowd cheering more enthusiastically than ever, not to mention that all of them were standing up while doing so.

Usagi sniffled as she stayed close to Mamoru. She spoke, keeping her voice low; "Mamo-chan, you always know what to say to make me feel better." Her breathing began to calm as she stayed close with Mamoru. She didn't want to let go, not yet. Instead she just wanted to remain close to him and feel the security he brought her. 

She slowly seperated from Mamoru and stood up slowly, her legs a bit wobbly still, but she was able to maintain her balance. She looked over at Mamoru with tired eyes as she tried to give him her best smile. "I am going to get ready for bed, I think I am just ready to sleep." She said as she disappeared to the bathroom to wash her face and brush her teeth. Usagi also braided her hair quickly so she didn't have to deal with it in her sleep. 

Usagi came back into her and Mamoru's room. She changed into her pajama bottoms, but found a pair or sweatpants in the drawer, she wasn't sure if they were hers or Mamoru's but they looked comfy and when she put them on, they felt comfy. Usagi pulled out a t-shirt and pulled it on. Soon after she climbed into bed. She waited for Mamoru to join her before she asked, "Mamo-chan, can you promise me something? Can you promise to hold me tonight, I just feel so far away from you and when I'm in your arms, I feel the safest, like nothing can hurt me."

Makoto returned – still a bit weakened – to the kitchen. As soon as she got there she noticed perceived fifty pairs of eyes directed at her. Her friend and deputy suddenly squashed through the crowd of employees towards Makoto with a worried expression in his eyes. Before he could say anything, she clapped him on the back to calm him down. “It’s everything alright. No need to worry. You can continue with whatever you did before.”
 
The way he glanced at her made her feel anxious. He knew she was lying. The past nine years of collaboration created a close bond of friendship between them, so she shouldn’t be surprised he could see through her play. Makoto looked apologizing into his deep, green eyes before she bowed her head and stared to the ground.

“Go home,” he said caringly. “You should rest until you feel better, chief.”
 
She nodded and stood up. After gripping her jacket, she moved quickly towards the door and ran through the maze of tables and chairs until she finally left the restaurant. “It was a bad decision to come here today,” she muttered to herself. “I should have stayed home.”
 
Makoto turned to the right after she decided to go through the park. She needed a quiet, peaceful place right now – the noises on the streets were way too loud for her.
 
While the sun was shining and the kids were playing in the meadow she sat down on a bench in the middle of the park and closed her eyes. The leaves of the trees rustled and the birds were singing their most beautiful songs. “Finally some relaxation,” she said and sighed. She couldn’t remember the last time she had some time to relax. Most of the time Makoto was concerned with the future of her restaurant. Certainly, everything went smoothly the past months but it could change at any time and no one really seemed to appreciate what she was doing all the time.
 
Slowly she sat up again and opened her eyes. I think I should go home now, I still have to do the housework. A bit unmotivated she stood up and began walking to her home. On a big crossroad at the end of the park she suddenly came across a little family. The mother was playing with her young daughter while the father carried their baby in his arms. Her heart jumped with joy when Makoto saw the happy family and yet she felt lonely and depressed that she still didn’t have her own. I’m 25 now. And I still don’t have anyone by my side. I never had anyone. What’s wrong with me? What did I do wrong that no one wants to go on a date with me?
 
Her eyes slowly welled up with tears. Makoto hid her tears behind her arm and suddenly started running out of the park to the next street. “Why does no one love me?,” she shouted and stopped running. “Don’t I deserve love and happiness like everyone else?” Makoto cried. “I’m tired of it. I’m tired of acting strong. I am not that strong!” She collapsed in the middle of the street bathed in tears. “I want to live Usagi’s life,” she said quietly while she sobbed. “I want a caring husband and a lovely daughter. Is that too much to ask for?” Slowly Makoto started shouting again. “Is it really too much to ask for?!”
 
Drowned in tears she based herself on arms and legs, so that she wouldn’t fall to the ground. “I took the wrong path,” she muttered while she interrupted herself with sobbing. “I should have attended college…I should have graduated…and find a nice man. I should be a housewife. And not a manager of a stupid restaurant. I destroyed it…I destroyed everything!”

Mamoru smiled as Usagi began to cheer up. As she got up and went to get dressed he was reminded again of how strong Usagi could truly be. She still hadn't really realized it yet, but he knew she would. He got up and followed her so he could get into his pajamas. He quickly threw on a pair of plaid pajama pants and a tshirt. Then he went and brushed his teeth. When he finally joined Usagi she asked him to hold her. She smiled and chuckled softly. "Of course Usako." He said, "I love you and I'd do anything to keep you safe and make you happy." He climbed into bed and let Usagi snuggle up against him before he wrapped his arms around her.

Usagi felt her heart fill with warmness at Mamoru's words. She really was lucky to have someone like him. Yes they were "destined" to be together, but now Usagi felt like they had truly fallen in love with each other for who they were, not by what the past dictated or what the future will reveal. Usagi knew in her heart that she was irrecoverably in love with Mamoru and there was no going back from her feelings for him.

She climbed into bed and laid next to him. She rested her head against his chest, she could hear his heart beat, he was calm, always calm, even in the scary moments, Usagi thought as she wrapped her arms around him and closed her eyes.

It didn't take long for her to fall asleep, she entered a dream world, it first started off happy, but then turned worse, the events from hours ago creeping into her mind. She was on a date with Mamoru and all was going well until her friends, family, and even Mamoru began to condemn and shame her for her appearance, clumsiness, laziness, and the fact that she wasn't the smartest one around.

Usagi felt heartbroken by these comments and while she wasn't awoken by her nightmares, she did begin to stir more in her sleep as she spoke (in her sleep) "you're wrong, why are you saying such hurtful things?"