Transformations of Time
A Sailor Moon fanfic by Beholder

Standard disclaimers apply.  I do not own Sailor Moon, those characters are owned by 
Naoko Takeuchi.  All other characters are owned by me.

After a long delay, I am back, minna-san!  I apologize for being gone for so long.  A
lot of things have been going on in real life that have made it difficult to get the
time, nor the mood to write lately, not to mention a brief bout with writer's block.
But I am back and things are going to pick up!

CAUTION:  This chapter contains adult content!  You have been warned!

Thanks go to:
DQBunny, Lady Snowbreeze, Lady Amethyst, and many others for editing/critiquing
DQBunny, Ajax, Elizabeth Turkwood, Tim Nolan, and John "P-chan" Laughlin for 
writing some very good stories that inspired me to write this, and some ideas which I 
borrowed from those stories, changed and incorporated into mine.
Some creatures are based on those found in Advanced Dungeons & Dragons by E. Gary Gygax.


Japanese translations:
saraba = farewell



Chapter 5:  Upheaval


	Rei looked around her room one final time.
	The closet, which was normally filled with clothes, was now half-filled with 
empty hangers.  The only clothes remaining were torn and faded T-shirts for chores, 
clothes too small for her, or clothes that were much too "yesterday's news" to wear now.  
Her computer had a dust cover over it, and the knick-knacks surrounding the computer 
were neatly arranged.  The drawers or the desk were pushed in and the chair was pushed 
in under the desk.  The bookshelf that Yuuichiro crushed had long since been replaced 
and refilled, but was several books were visibly missing.  The top of her dresser was 
neatly arranged and the garbage can was empty.
	The room was immaculate.  Rei looked down to her bed and inspected the open 
suitcase one final time.  Her clothes were neatly folded.  She had several books to read, 
should she get bored on the flight, as well as her toothbrush, hairbrush, and other 
bathroom necessities, including cosmetics, stuffed into a bag in the side.  Everything was 
as it should be, she decided.  She closed the suitcase, latched it, and locked it.  She then 
placed the box that her grandfather gave her on top of the suitcase.  But before she set it 
down, her curiosity got the better of her, and she shook the box.  A sound came from it, 
almost like a small rubber ball was loose inside.  The box sounded mostly empty, but the 
oddest thing that Rei noticed was that the box seemed to be unusually warm to the touch.
	After finally plopping the box on top of the suitcase, she grabbed hold of the 
suitcase, lifted, and put both objects down on the floor by the sliding door at the same 
time that someone knocked.
	"Hai!" she said.
	The door slid open, revealing a nervous and uneasy Yuuichiro on the other side.  
"Konbanwa, Rei-san," he said in a low voice.
	Realization flashed across Rei's face.  "Is it that late?" she gasped, then ran to her 
bedside and looked at the clock.  It was well past ten in the evening.
	"Hai," Yuuichiro said, taking a tentative step inside Rei's room.  "Doesn't your 
plane leave at six tomorrow morning?"
	"Hai!  Drat.  I got so wrapped up in packing and cleaning that I forgot the time!  
Genkidesuka, Yuuichiro-san?"
	"Hai, genkidesu, Rei-san," he replied as Rei motioned him to come in.  "I just 
wanted to check in on you and maybe talk a little before you left," he said, still taking 
nervous steps into Rei's chamber.  She smiled up to him warmly, nearly beaming.  "I see 
you have your packing done," he said.
	Rei sighed then plopped down on the bed, and lay flat, trying to get across how 
exhausted she was.  "I have spent most of the day trying to decide what things to take, 
what to leave, and what things I'll buy new over in the States.  Then, I felt bad about 
leaving the place a total pit, so I cleaned everything up."
	Yuuichiro closed the door then slowly walked to Rei's bed and sat down next to 
her as she spoke.  "You did an excellent job, Rei-san," he said.  "I heard your grandfather 
was considering renting out the room?" he began with a smirk and then looked sideways 
at her to catch her reaction.
	Rei knew immediately he was teasing.  She grabbed a pillow that was laid out on 
top of the bed, just above her head and bonked him with it.  "Baka.  My grandfather 
would never do that."
	"I dunno.  He was asking me if I knew any friends who needed a place to stay?"
	"BAKA!" she shouted, sprung up, and batted Yuuichiro with the pillow several 
more times.
	"OK!  OK, Rei-san!  I'm kidding!" he finally admitted through his laughter, after 
he could no longer withstand the punishment for making such a joke.
	Rei finally tossed the pillow back where she got it from.  The room was silent for 
a few seconds, the silence broken only momentarily by a thunderclap outside from an 
approaching storm.  "I'm going to miss you, Rei-san," he finally said.
	"I will miss you, too, Yuuichiro.  I never got a chance to thank you for what you 
did at the club."
	"Don't thank me, Rei-san.  That's what a good friend is for," he said proudly as 
they locked gazes.
	After a few moments, Rei surprised him by quickly leaning towards him and 
planting a quick, yet tender kiss on his lips.  Yuuichiro felt his heart start to pound in his 
chest, and swore his jaw dropped.  He hoped he didn't look too dumb.
	Rei intended the kiss to simply be a sign of friendship, even though she secretly 
felt a lot more than friendship for the man that sat beside her.  For that reason, she 
couldn't pull completely away from him.
	They both sat there for what seemed like eternity.  In reality, it was only a few 
seconds, until Yuuichiro began to inch forward, turning his head slowly, tentatively, 
backing off slightly a couple of times, until finally he pressed his lips firmly against Rei's.  
At the exact same time, a louder thunderclap penetrated the silence of the room.
	Now Rei's heart began to pound in her chest, sounding exactly like the 
thunderclaps outside to her ears.  It felt so very nice to kiss him, she thought.  She pressed 
into him a little bit more, then let her lips part slightly, just enough for their tongues to 
barely touch.  At the same time, Yuuichiro slid one of his hands through her raven mane 
and slowly up her back, pushing her gently in him a little more. At the same time, Rei let 
one of her hands slide up his side and rest on his shoulder blade, similarly pulling him 
into her more.
	It wasn't long before they became engaged in one of the longest, deepest, and 
most passionate kisses of their lives.  Eventually, the kiss simmered down and they began 
to plant little love kisses all over the other's face, punctuated by Rei giving him three 
short, gentle kisses on the lips, then whispered to him, "Stay with me tonight?"
	The request startled Yuuichiro.  "Are you sure you're ready for that?"
	Another louder thunderclap ripped through the skies outside.  "I just want you 
here, silly, to hold me tonight.  I...I'm not ready for anything more than that."
	"Okay."
	Rei smiled at him, and caressed his cheek with one of her hands.  "Arigato.  
Perhaps one day I will be ready for more."  As Yuuichiro's jaw dropped again, she 
carefully lowered herself down onto the bed and pulled him gently down with her, 
wrapping her arms around him at the same time, and nuzzling against his chest.  She 
would've preferred to feel the hair on his chest against her face, but, the T-shirt he wore 
was soft and comfortable enough.  She molded her body against his as much as she could 
and got comfortable as he reached over her and turned off the lamp by her bed.  The room 
suddenly was dark, aside from the moonlight and flashes from the lightning, which 
bathed them both.  Yuuichiro settled in, with Rei in his arms, and closed his eyes as the 
silence of the shrine and the sound of each of them breathing took over, interrupted only 
by the growing storm outside.
	"Aishiteru, Yuuichiro," Rei whispered, piercing the silence.
	"Aishiteru, Rei-chan."
	Within moments, they were both sound asleep, and did not notice the sliding door 
of Rei's room open just a crack.
	Rei's grandfather peeked into the room and saw Yuuichiro and Rei snuggled up 
on her bed.  The reaction of most parents or guardians would have been to barge into the 
room, throw Yuuichiro out and give Rei a good scolding.  Her grandfather, though, 
simply smiled to himself and closed her door.  She deserved to be happy after what she'd 
been through, he thought to himself.
	He always regretted not being able to tell Rei that he had foreseen her rape in the 
flames of the fire.  He saw that she would endure great pain and his first reaction was to 
warn Rei not to go to that Cringe concert, but the fire also showed him that the tragedy 
would bring her and the man she secretly loved together.  The truth was, whatever the fire 
showed him, he was bound to keep it to himself.  Who was he to interfere with fate?
	He walked through the hallways of the shrine with a satisfied smile on his face 
when he noticed a door ajar and light spilling out into the hall.  It was a room close to his 
chamber and that of the Great Fire; a room that he often used as a training dojo.  He 
cautiously slid the door open and peeked inside to see Makoto kneeling in the center of 
the room, and all the torches on the wall lit.
	"Kino-san, why are you still up?" he said as he slowly entered the room, startling 
her up to her feet.
	"Gomen, sensei," she said, bowing, "I finished packing, but I can't get to sleep."
	"What's troubling you?" he asked, walking closer to her.
	"You have been wonderful in teaching me how to manage my temper.  I simply 
want to find out if your teaching has done everything for me that I need."
	Rei's grandfather raised his eyebrow.  "Is that a challenge?"
	In a flash, Makoto assumed a defensive stance and locked her eyes on him as her 
response with a confident grin.  He chuckled.  They stood there for several seconds, each 
waiting for the other to make a move.  Finally, he hopped toward her and threw three 
quick punches to her stomach, which she easily deflected.  He followed them up with a 
couple of kicks to her legs, but she again easily blocked the blows, and then threw several 
chops at him.  He either dodged or deflected them then Makoto finished with a spinning 
back punch that he blocked by grabbing both of her hands.  She thrust her elbow at him, 
but he ducked out of the way, then grabbed her arm and flipped her, despite the 
significant height difference.  Makoto landed on her back, but without missing a beat, 
swept his legs out from under him and he slammed to the floor as well.
	They rolled away from each other.  Makoto got back up to one knee, but Rei's 
grandfather rolled to his feet, closed the distance between them quickly and unleashed 
another series of thrusts and kicks that Makoto confidently fended off.  Rei's grandfather 
delivered a roundhouse kick, but Makoto saw it coming and somersaulted away twice, 
then rolled back up to her feet and assumed a defensive posture once again.
	The battle of punch and counterpunch continued for several more minutes.  
Eventually, both combatants began to tire, though Rei's grandfather was tiring much 
faster than his younger, quicker, stronger opponent.  Realizing this, Rei's grandfather 
broke off his attack, flipped away from Makoto a few feet, then ran at her and leapt into 
the air, going for a running jump kick.  Makoto saw the attack coming and jumped 
backwards a few feet.  Rei's grandfather landed on his feet from the failed attack, but 
quickly lunged forward with a thrust kick.  Makoto intercepted the attack by grabbing his 
foot and twisted hard.  Rei's grandfather was swept off his feet, rotated along the axis of 
his body twice then landed hard on his back, wincing from the drop to the floor.  When he 
opened his eyes, barely a second later, he saw Makoto thrust an open palm aimed right 
between his eyes, but she pulled the attack and stopped her palm mere millimeters from 
his forehead, yet he did not flinch.
	"Sugoi!" he gasped, not from fear, but from satisfaction.
	Makoto stood up and helped him back up to his feet.  They respectfully bowed to 
one another.
	"You have learned well, Kino-san," he said.
	"Arigato," she replied, breathing hard.
	"Think you can sleep now?"
	"Hai.  Goodnight, sensei!"
	They bowed once again to each other.  Makoto then turned, left the dojo, ran to 
her room, took a quick shower, changed into her pajamas, crawled into bed, and was 
asleep shortly thereafter, dreams of America floating through her head.

	Meanwhile, motherhood was not being kind to Ami.
	For the week and a half since she and Takahiro had come home from the hospital, 
Ami tried her best to be a mother "by the book."  She quickly learned that those books 
often represent best-case scenarios and real life rarely goes that smoothly.  Takahiro 
frequently would wake up in the middle of the night, either hungry or needing a diaper 
change, and not fall back to sleep again for sometimes up to an hour.  She slowly became 
uncharacteristically grumpy and physically drained from sleep-deprivation.  Not only that, 
she had barely been able to see her friends.  She was either trying to get some quality 
sleep, or taking care of her son's needs.
	On the night before the move to America, the normally mild-mannered blue-
haired girl was becoming unusually frustrated and upset while she and her mother 
attempted to give Takahiro a bath.  Ami's son insisted on splashing in the water as much 
as possible, soaking Ami and her mother in the process.  While her mother thought to 
herself how this reminded her a lot of Ami as a newborn, Ami was convinced that she 
knew of at least one personality trait that she passed to him--a love for water.  She looked 
at the small child in the tub, HER child, and noted how little of a resemblance he had to 
her.  His hair had turned mostly a light blonde, a little lighter than Minako or Usagi's 
hair, and his eyes were a brilliant shade of green.  It still felt odd to her to think of him as 
"her child".  Even though she had several months to get used to the idea while she was 
pregnant, the title of "mother" still sounded odd to her.
	After many minutes of trying to calm Takahiro down and keep him from 
splashing more of the bath water out of the tub, he finally settled down to where Ami 
could bathe him effectively.  He happily gurgled and giggled as she poured water over his 
head and splashed and scrubbed him, hoping to get done quickly while he was distracted.
	Moments before she was done, the doorbell suddenly rang.  "I'll go get it," Dr. 
Mizuno said and was up and out of the room before Ami could offer.  The distraction was 
all that Takahiro needed.  As Ami turned to watch her mother abandon her, Takahiro 
began to wildly kick in the water, sending a huge splash all over Ami, startling her and 
drenching her even further.  Ami could only sigh in defeat.
	Dr. Mizuno wiped her hands on her jeans and opened the front door.  Outside in 
the hallway, a waterlogged blonde girl with a red bow in her hair and a white cat on her 
shoulder stood holding one end of a large trunk as if she were dragging it behind her.
	The girl gave Dr. Mizuno a blank look.  "Konbanwa.  Is Ami-chan in?" she asked.
	"Hai.  Please, come in.  You look drenched!  Let me take that," Dr. Mizuno 
replied, taking the trunk from her.  Minako entered the apartment ahead of Dr. Mizuno 
who dragged the trunk inside the apartment, then closed the door.
	"Ami-chan is giving Takahiro-kun a bath?at least, she's trying to."
	"I'll go help," Minako said before walking down the hallway to the bathroom, 
where Ami was busy drying herself off while her son splashed away in the tub.
	"Konbanwa, Ami-chan," Minako said with a big grin, seeming a bit more 
cheerful.
	Ami looked up.  The moment she saw Minako, she perked up.  "Minako-chan!  
Konbanwa!"  Then her expression changed to one of confusion.  "What are you doing 
here?"
	Minako's smile instantly vanished.  "My parents kicked me out."
	"Nani?" Ami gasped.  Minako nodded and lowered her head.  "Why, Minako-
chan?"

	Minako dragged her trunk out from her closet and placed it in the middle of her 
room.
	"Minako, that trunk is way too big," Artemis warned.  "Luna and I advised only 
one or two regular-size suitcases."
	"Artemis, my clothes wouldn't fit in just two suitcases.  Besides, if I am going to 
be a world-class actress and film star someday, I will need all my nice clothes to go to the 
auditions, and that doesn't even take into account all those lovely single American 
men?"
	Artemis rolled his eyes and sighed loudly.  "I swear, Minako, you have a one-
track mind sometimes."
	Minako grabbed a miniature pillow from a shelf behind her and tossed it at 
Artemis, forcing him to move from Minako's bed and find a safer perch.
	Minako began to fold and pack her clothes in the trunk when she heard a roll of 
thunder boom outside followed closely by the sound of the front door opening.
	"Wow!  We just made it home before the storm hit," a woman's voice said from 
downstairs.
	"I really need to work out more," a man's voice replied, between heavy breaths.
	"Minako-chan!  We're home!" the woman's voice called up.
	"Konbanwa, mama!  How was the show?" Minako called down.
	"It was excellent, Minako-chan!" the man's voice replied.
	"Who did you see," Minako asked as she continued to fold clothes and place them 
neatly into the trunk.
	Minako's mother appeared in her doorway.  "Tom Jones.  He has such an 
incredible?Minako-chan?  What are you doing?  Planning on going somewhere?"
	"Hai.  My plane leaves tomorrow morning."
	"Plane?  Where are you going?"
	Minako was stunned for a moment then looked to her mother.  "America, mama.  
To go to acting school."
	"NANI?  Since when?  I don't recall ever saying you could go to America, let 
alone go to acting school."
	Minako spun and looked her mother in the eye.  "Mama, I told you I was accepted 
to a school in America, like, a month ago.  But you were too busy with Dad's job and 
your own life to pay me any attention!"
	"You can blame us all you want, but you are going to a school in Tokyo and 
staying right here."
	"But, Mama?!"
	"What's all this yelling and whining about?" Minako's father asked, appearing in 
the doorway.
	"Minako says she's going to America to become an actress," his wife informed 
him.
	"I have the grades, I've been accepted, and I've saved up the money!" Minako 
pleaded with her parents.
	"Well, you can just unpack that trunk cause there is no way I am allowing you to 
go all the way to America to study something as ridiculous as acting.  You are going to go 
to a college here in Tokyo and you're going to pick a more practical major."
	"But, Daddy?!"
	"That's it!  End of discussion!"  He turned and began to walk down the hallway to 
the stairs, followed closely by Minako's mother.
	Minako ran out into the hall and shouted, "But my plane leaves tomorrow 
morning!  Everything's been arranged!  My friends are expecting me!"
	"I don't care what your friends do.  You won't give in to peer pressure while you 
live under this roof.  Besides, I've seen your so-called 'acting'.  Better to just forget it 
now before you waste any more of your life," Minako's father said before disappearing 
from Minako's view.
	Tears welled up in Minako's eyes.  Her heart sank, as she felt her dreams of being 
a world-famous actress and idol be shattered--by her parents, no less.  She burst into 
tears, ran into her room, threw the door shut behind her, and began to yank clothes off the 
hangers and throw them into her trunk, not even bothering to fold them.  She threw open 
the drawers of her dresser and emptied her underwear into the trunk.  Minako whirled 
through the room, ransacking it, searching for any items of personal value that she 
absolutely HAD to take with her.  She roughly shoved Artemis out of the way several 
times because he didn't move fast enough so she could get at items behind or under him.  
Artemis was tempted to tell her to calm down and take it easy, but he saw the flow of 
tears running down her face and decided to just let her be and try to stay out of her way on 
a windowsill.
	Within fifteen minutes, everything of value to Minako was mercilessly shoved 
into the trunk and locked up.  She immediately grabbed the phone book, looked up a cab 
company and called for someone to come pick her up.  The moment she put the phone 
back on the hook, the surge of adrenaline that had driven her for the past several minutes 
vanished.  She leaned back against her desk and surveyed her room, the place she called 
home for many years.
	The room was a disaster area now.  Only a half an hour ago, it was spic-and-span, 
with every item in its proper place.  Minako never considered herself a neat freak, but she 
was very proud of keeping her room orderly, the antithesis of the room she now surveyed.
	"So, Minako-chan," Artemis said for the first time since the argument with her 
parents exploded, "are you going to sneak out of the house or go out through the front 
door?"
	Minako ignored her guardian, and instead, navigated her way through the mess on 
the floor, threw open her door, and flew down the stairs into the living room where her 
mother was doing some needlepoint and her father was reading the evening paper.  
Neither of them seemed to have any remorse, nor seemed to acknowledge, the crushing of 
a young girl's most precious dream.
	"Daddy, Mama, I am leaving.  I am going to America and I am going to study to 
be an actress.  Gomen nasai if this is not what you intended?"
	"Go," her father said flatly, interrupting her.
	"Nani?" she said, puzzled.
	Her father crumpled the paper in anger as he lowered it to look his daughter in the 
eye.  "I said, 'Go'!  Get the hell out of my house!  If you don't have any respect for your 
mother or me then to hell with you.  Keep packing, and when you are done, get the hell 
out and don't ever come back!"
	A new flood of tears began to roll down her face.  She glanced over to her mother 
who was seated on a couch.  "Mama?" Minako asked, meekly, hoping for some sort of 
support.  Her mother did not acknowledge her.  Realizing that her mother was siding with 
her father, Minako burst into audible tears and raced back up the stairs to her room.  She 
grabbed the end handle of the trunk and as quickly as she could, she dragged it out of her 
room.  "Come on, Artemis," she commanded.  "We're leaving.  Now!"
	Artemis leapt from his perch on her windowsill and climbed onto her shoulder.  
"Where do you plan on going, Minako?" he whispered.
	"I don't know.  Ami-chan's perhaps?" she replied in a whisper.
	"I'm sorry it came to this," he quietly said sorrowfully.
	"You and me both," Minako replied, scratching him on his head before grabbing 
the trunk handle and dragging it down the stairs, out the front door into the raging storm, 
and to the street.  A few minutes later, a cab drove up.  Minako and the driver loaded her 
trunk up and took off into the night.

	Ami put the towel on the counter, lifted Takahiro from the tub and sat him on the 
towel.  She began to dry him, but he promptly began to cry, having been taken from the 
safety of the water.  "That's so unfair of them, Minako-chan!"
	"No kidding," Minako said while drying herself with a towel, "I hope I'm not 
intruding.  I just need a place to sleep tonight.  Maybe I could help you with Takahiro-kun 
in return?"
	As Ami continued to dry her son, she thought about Minako's offer, and the 
predicament she was in.  If Minako was willing to help with Takahiro, perhaps she could 
get a good night's sleep for once.  Takahiro probably wouldn't be much bother.  Minako 
might have to give him a late night feeding or perhaps a diaper change, but that wouldn't 
be too difficult.  "Would the couch be OK?"
	Minako smiled.  "Arigato, Ami-chan."
	"Have you ever changed a diaper, Minako-chan?"
	"Hai, but it was many years ago when I babysat now and then. Could you show 
me and refresh my memory a little?"
	Ami took a diaper from the box on the floor.  "OK, here's how you start?" Ami 
began and proceeded to give Minako a refresher on diaper changing.
	Once Takahiro had a fresh diaper and was put down for bed, Ami explained 
Minako's situation to her mother, who was more than happy to let Minako stay the night.  
Ami and her mother quickly set up the couch for Minako, then they all got dressed for 
bed and laid down, Ami hoping for her first good night's sleep in a long time.

	In another part of Juuban, in a small apartment, Usagi and Mamoru stood on his 
balcony and gazed out over the skyline.  It would be a while before they would return 
here after they begin their college careers in America.  They both wanted to get one last, 
long look at the Tokyo skyline.
	"I can't believe we're leaving," Usagi said.
	Mamoru put his arm around his beloved fianc饧.  "Hai, Usako.  I will miss this 
place."
	"We shared a lot of memories in this apartment--this city."
	"Hai," Mamoru responded quietly.
	They looked out over the skyline for a few moments longer then Usagi turned to 
walk back into the apartment, Mamoru close behind her.
	The apartment no longer looked like a comfortable home.  The couches, tables, 
lamps and chairs were covered with white drop cloths and stacks of boxes sat in front of a 
large, empty bookcase.  The rest of the shelves around the room were unusually bare with 
boxes standing nearby.  Mamoru and Usagi navigated their way through the maze of 
stacks to the doorway to the bedroom.
	Inside the bedroom, the furniture was similarly covered with drop cloths, but the 
bed still looked ready to be slept in and was neatly made.  The closets were mostly empty, 
except for a few shirts and ratty jeans that Mamoru never wore anymore, nor got around 
to disposing of.  Two large suitcases stood at the end of the bed, zipped up and ready to 
go the following morning.
	Usagi and Mamoru carefully walked into the room and looked around, as if still 
having a hard time believing that they're not going to be there anymore.
	Mamoru's eye suddenly caught the digital clock on the nightstand.  "Shimatta!  
Usako, I should be taking you home soon.  I promised your father I'd have you home by-"
	Usagi suddenly stood up on her tiptoes, wrapped her arms around Mamoru's neck 
and pressed her lips firmly against his, interrupting him.  At first, Mamoru was startled, 
but after a second or two, wrapped his arms around his beloved odango's back and held 
her tightly.  In response, Usagi opened her lips a little wider, and flicked her tongue 
against his lips, enticing him into doing the same.  Within moments, their tongues 
touched and began to passionately entwine with the other, curling, rolling, exploring.
	The kiss lasted several minutes, then Usagi broke the kiss with a series of small 
pecks on Mamoru's lips.  "Mamo-chan," she cooed in his ear, as she reached down and 
began to slowly unbutton his shirt.
	"Usako, if I don't get you home, your father will have my hide," Mamoru said 
quietly as a half-hearted warning.
	"I don't care, Mamo-chan.  What can he do, ground me?" she replied, moving on 
to the next button.
	Feeling the anticipation and excitement, as well as the fear of Usagi's father, 
growing, he gazed down at his beloved and closely examined the blue and yellow flower-
print sundress she wore-how it hugged her curves, accentuated just the right spots, but left 
just enough to the imagination.  "Are you sure this is the right place and time for this, 
Usako?"
	"Hai," she whispered, unbuttoning the middle button of his shirt.  "I want my first 
time to be here, in Tokyo, with you in this place."
	Mamoru suddenly clasped her hands in his.  "If that is what you want, can you 
give me a few minutes?  I want to make this perfect."
	Usagi's face lit up in curiosity and anticipation.  "Hai!"
	"OK," Mamoru said, "close your eyes, Usako."
	Usagi closed her eyes and dropped her hands to her side.  She obediently kept 
them shut, not wanting to spoil the surprise Mamoru had in store.  She listened to him 
rustle the drop cloths, open drawers, take small objects from them and heard him move 
all about the room.  She heard the flick of an electric lighter and immediately had a good 
idea of what he was doing.  He rushed about the room a bit more then she felt his 
presence in front of her again.
	"OK.  You can open them."
	Usagi opened her eyes and was astonished.  The room was now ablaze with light, 
reflected by the white drop cloths.  Candles were placed all about the room-on the 
dresser, the empty bookshelves, the desk, the nightstands--everywhere!  "Mamo-chan!" 
she gasped.  "Suteki!"  She then looked down to the bed; the covers now pulled all the 
way back.  She noticed that he had put silk sheets on the bed, which she couldn't help but 
reach down and touch.
	Mamoru suddenly slapped his forehead, causing Usagi to spin around.  
"Daijobu?" she asked.
	"I forgot the most important part!" he said.  Then, producing a rose in his palm, 
tossed it into the air over the bed.  At the height of its arc, the rose suddenly burst into a 
shower of rose petals that rained down onto the bed.
	The display brought giggles of joy from Usagi as she held out her hands and 
caught several of the rose petals in her hand.  Usagi smiled down at her hands then a 
devious look crossed her face.  "I hope you don't do this trick with many girls," she said, 
slyly, and then turned to see his reaction.
	Mamoru gave her a "you should know better" look, then gently took her into his 
arms again and kissed her deeply and passionately.  Usagi continued to unbutton his shirt 
until there were no more.  Usagi broke the kiss and nuzzled against his chest, enjoying his 
warmth and the fuzzy feeling.  Mamoru clasped his hands around her and held her tightly.  
Usagi turned her head and began to plant small kisses on his chest while sliding her hands 
up and down his chest several times then finally slid them up to his shoulders, under his 
shirt, and pushed the material down.  Mamoru let his hands and arms go limp, to allow 
the shirt to flutter to the floor, then put his arms around Usagi's back once more.
	As they held each other, they both noticed that the other appeared to be trembling.  
Simultaneously, they looked at each other and asked, "Daijobu?"  Their reaction to the 
simultaneous question made them smile and sigh to each other, but Mamoru was first to 
re-ask the question.  "Daijobu?" he asked, quietly.
	Usagi nodded emphatically.  "A little nervous, Mamo-chan."
	"Me, too."
	Usagi sighed and smiled softly as she nuzzled against his chest again.  "I'm sure it 
will be beautiful," she whispered.
	Mamoru looked down and gazed at his beloved once more, feeling the 
anticipation building.  He feasted his eyes on her small, lovely frame, but could not help 
from wanting more.  As he caressed Usagi's back, he slid a finger underneath the thin 
shoulder straps of the sundress and carefully, yet apprehensively, slid each one off.  He 
continued to push the straps further down her arms, causing the neckline of the sundress 
to stretch wider while at the same time, sliding lower.
	Usagi smiled to herself as she felt her own arousal and anticipation multiplying.  
She closed her eyes and soaked up every sensation as her future husband slid the straps of 
the sundress towards her elbows, causing the sundress to slide slowly down Usagi's body 
at Mamoru's command.  She felt the soft globes of her breasts being exposed to the cool 
air and couldn't help but shudder from the marvelous sensations.  Mamoru slid his fingers 
from the shoulder straps along the front edge of the neckline towards the small cleavage 
between Usagi's breasts, knowing that his fingers would pass over her small nipples.  She 
could feel his fingers inching their way across her chest and her shuddering increased 
until she felt them brush over the erect nipples, which sent a surge of pleasurable 
sensations through her body.  She was disappointed when he didn't stop to pay them 
more attention, but when she saw and felt his fingers meet between her breasts and 
gradually pull the material down, totally exposing her breasts and small pink erect 
nipples, she sighed in pleasure.  She wanted to reach up and kiss him, but the straps of the 
sundress held her arms against her sides.  She slowly slipped her arms out of the straps 
and then reached for him, the sundress sliding completely off and pooling on the floor in 
a small halo around Usagi's feet.  But before she could get a chance to stand on her 
tiptoes and kiss him, she felt each of his palms cover one of her breasts.  He began to 
gently caress her soft, firm breasts, which sent waves of pleasure all through her body, 
making her throw her head back, clench her eyes closed and sigh loudly.  As Mamoru 
gently caressed Usagi's lovely breasts, he looked down and feasted his eyes upon her flat 
stomach, wonderful curves, the small satin bikini underwear she wore and her strong 
thighs.
	"Do you like what you see?" she asked him.
	Mamoru was too overcome to say anything.  He merely nodded.
	"Sugoi!  I was afraid you wouldn't be pleased when you saw me like this," she 
said with a hint of sadness.
	"Usako, you are the most beautiful woman I have ever laid my eyes upon," he 
sighed to her then held out his hand to her.  Usagi carefully placed her hand in his and he 
gently pulled her close.  He leaned down and they kissed deeply once again.  She wrapped 
her arms around his chest and back, her soft breasts and the tips of her erect nipples 
pressing against him.  The feeling of her flesh against him was arousing him, and Usagi 
could tell.
	Usagi looked up to him.  "I want to see you, Mamo-chan.  Can I?" she whispered 
and placed a few small kisses on his neck.  Mamoru smiled and nodded to the small 
blonde, her question arousing him even more.  Usagi smiled to him and knelt down.  She 
slowly and carefully unbuckled his belt, thumbed open the button of his pants and slowly 
drew down the zipper, revealing his boxers beneath.  With a light pull on the sides of his 
legs, the pants slipped over his hips and then freely pooled down to the floor, eliciting a 
slight giggle from Usagi.  Her eyes focused on the front of Mamoru's boxers and the 
growing bulge there.  Nervously and with reserved eagerness, Usagi put her index fingers 
inside the waistband of Mamoru's boxers and pulled down on them, excruciatingly slow.  
Mamoru briefly thought about helping Usagi remove them, but he was too nervous 
himself.  Besides, it would rob Usagi of the joy of discovering for herself.
	Usagi's eyes were transfixed at the upper edge of Mamoru's boxers as they slowly 
slid down.  Finally, a tuft of dark hair appeared, and a small smile drew across her face.  
She continued to pull and the base of his manhood appeared.  Usagi's jaw dropped further 
and further as Mamoru's boxers slid down further and further.  Then, finally, the tip of his 
manhood appeared and suddenly it sprang forth, freed from its cloth prison and nearly 
batted Usagi on the nose.
	Usagi gasped as she saw it spring forth, but once she got a good look at the size of 
it, her eyes bulged as big as saucers.  He's supposed to fit THAT in me, she asked herself.  
"Daijobu?"
	Usagi snapped out of her stare and looked up.  "Nani?"
	"Something wrong?" Mamoru quietly asked her.
	"Iie, just thinking about how that is supposed to fit where?" she said, a hint of 
fear in her voice.
	"It'll be OK.  Don't think about it right now," he said, running his hand through 
her golden locks.
	Usagi looked back down to Mamoru's manhood.  After a few moments, she 
gingerly reached up and slid a finger along its length.  She noticed how smooth the skin 
was, except for the last inch or so, which had a much rougher texture.  As she slid her 
finger over that last inch, Mamoru drew in a deep breath, and Usagi saw his manhood 
twitch, which surprised her.  She made him feel good, she surmised, and that made her 
feel good.  She repeated this action with her finger several more times.  Sometimes she 
only used one finger, sometimes she used two or three and on different sides.  Each time, 
Mamoru either lightly moaned or drew in a breath, but only occasionally did it twitch like 
before.  "Does it still feel good?" Usagi looked up and asked him with growing concern 
that she might not be doing it right or in a pleasurable way anymore.
	"Hai," Mamoru sighed.  "It does, Usako."
	"Okay," she replied, reassured.
	Usagi explored and played with Mamoru for a couple more minutes, Mamoru 
being aroused more and more with each passing second.  Mamoru suddenly put his hand 
around Usagi's wrist, and gently pried her away from touching him.  Usagi looked up to 
find out why he did it.  "It's my turn, Usako," he said down to her, which brought a smile 
to her face.
	Usagi stood up in front of him and clasped her hands behind her back as Mamoru 
moved closer and slid his hands up and down her sides, then gently held each of her 
breasts in a hand and caressed them softly, and rubbed his thumb over her rock-hard 
nipples while kissing her passionately.  Usagi's eyes slowly closed as the waves and 
waves of pleasure emanating from her breasts and Mamoru's kisses washed over the rest 
of her being.
	After several minutes, Mamoru gently broke the kiss, released Usagi's breasts and 
knelt down in front of her.  He carefully placed his fingers under the small straps of her 
satin bikini and slowly began to peel it down over her hips.  He watched in anticipation as 
more of her lovely soft skin was revealed to him, and then a small tuft of blonde hair 
appeared.  A surge of nervousness, anticipation, and arousal ran through him.  A few 
moments later, the bikini underwear was slid all the way down her legs and in a heap on 
the floor around her feet.  Mamoru gazed at the treasure he uncovered, and desired to 
explore further.  He stood back up, wrapped his arms around his beloved and lowered her 
gently onto the rose petal-covered bed, and lay down on top of her, but off to the side.
	Mamoru and Usagi kissed deeply as his hands caressed all over Usagi's arms, 
shoulders, chest, breasts, stomach, and thighs.  This was all very pleasurable to Usagi and 
she wished that he would never stop.  However, Mamoru then slid a finger through the 
small tuft of hair between Usagi's thighs and brushed across her jewel, which sent a 
strong tingling through her body and made her gasp in pleasure as well as causing her 
eyes to bulge in surprise and delight momentarily.
	"Did that feel good, Usako?" he asked curiously.
	"Hai!" she said, astonished.  "Would you do it some more?" she asked breathily.
	Mamoru showed his compliance with her wishes by sliding his index finger back 
and forth over that spot, each time, causing Usagi to gasp louder and louder.  Eventually, 
she started to gently thrash on the bed, rolling back and forth, whimpering from the 
pleasure.
	She soon could take it no longer.  "Mamo-chan?onegai?now?onegai!" she 
pleaded.  Mamoru looked at his beloved to see her nodding furiously at him, as if 
answering a question before he had asked it.  He quickly slid on top of her and she 
wrapped her legs around him in response.  He looked at her again-she was still nodding-
and moved into position.
	Mamoru stopped for a moment and reached for the nightstand, opened a drawer, 
removed a condom packet, closed the drawer, tore the packet open, and applied the piece 
of latex.  "Arigato," Usagi whispered.
	"It's too early to have Chibi-usa around," he said, jokingly.  Usagi laughed, which 
helped her to relax for what was to come.
	Usagi could feel his manhood rubbing against her, and especially against the little 
nub that sent such strong pleasurable feelings through her before.  Then she felt the tip 
slip inside her.  She gasped, and could already feel a small twinge of pain, but nothing 
intense.  She was hoping that she could get through this without it being too painful.
	"Ready?" Mamoru asked softly.  Usagi nodded again in response, and then 
Mamoru very gently began to push, but watched her reactions carefully for any signs he 
was causing her pain.
	At first, everything felt fine to Usagi, but the first strong twinge of pain seared 
through her abdomen and she visibly winced and bit back a cry.  Mamoru immediately 
stopped.  "Daijobu?" he asked softly.
	The wince of pain dissipated from Usagi's face when he stopped.  She nodded to 
him in reassurance and used her legs behind his back to pull him inside further.  Mamoru 
complied with her wishes and pushed deeper in, and almost immediately, Usagi winced 
again.  Mamoru again stopped; concerned that he was causing her too much pain.  
However, Usagi shook her head adamantly at him and again used her legs to push him 
further inside her.  "Onegai, don't stop, Mamo-chan," she whispered as she pushed him 
further inside and caused more twinges of pain.
	Finally, Mamoru was in as far as he could go and stopped.  The grimace of pain of 
Usagi's face slowly began to disappear, but several tears escaped from her eyes and rolled 
down the side of her face.  Mamoru did not move, giving Usagi's body a chance to get 
accustomed to the intrusion.  He leaned down and kissed her gently on the cheeks, kissing 
away a couple of tears, then kissed her deeply on the lips, which she returned 
passionately.  As they continued to kiss, he slowly began to withdraw, trying not to cause 
her more pain.  Unfortunately, she did wince a couple of times, which caused Mamoru to 
more gradually withdraw.
	He broke the kiss with Usagi and asked, "Do you want to keep going?"
	"Hai, Mamo-chan," she quickly replied, and urged him to thrust back in again by 
pulling him in with her legs.  Mamoru pushed slowly all the way into Usagi again and 
only saw her wince twice.  He withdrew slowly again, and with the third thrust, barely 
saw any show of pain on Usagi's face. In fact, a small smile began to draw across her face 
as his thrusts gradually got faster.  The intense pain had become more of dull ache at this 
point, and she was beginning to get some tingles of pleasure from his motions.
	With time, Mamoru settled into a gentle rhythm with his thrusts.  Soon, Usagi was 
sighing and moaning out loud from Mamoru's motions.  As he heard his beloved make 
pleasurable noises, he could feel his own tingles of pleasure growing and intensifying 
with each thrust.
	Suddenly, Usagi began to moan loudly, and he could feel her body tensing up.  He 
guessed that her orgasm was building and could feel her body squeezing him as he 
continued to thrust.  The feeling of Usagi tightening around him was too much and he 
began to groan as his own pleasurable sensations began to grow quickly.
	Finally, Usagi cried out and Mamoru could feel her body completely tense.  She 
closed her eyes, threw her head back, arched her back, clasped her legs around his waist, 
and grabbed his arms tightly as her orgasm washed over her.  Hearing and feeling Usagi 
orgasm sent Mamoru over the edge as well.  He thrusted a few last times, then pushed 
inside her as deeply as possible as his muscles suddenly locked and he felt a muscle 
contraction of some sort inside him sending forth a gush of warm fluid.
	Usagi was still in mid-orgasm when she felt Mamoru orgasm inside her and felt 
his warm fluid erupt from him and felt him twitch violently inside her as he gushed 
several times.  Usagi's orgasm began to fade away and she laid back down as Mamoru's 
orgasm began to fade and he gently collapsed on top of her.  They both lay there for 
several seconds, just breathing hard until Mamoru pressed his lips against Usagi's and 
they kissed deeply for a very long time.
	Mamoru gently rolled to Usagi's side and pet his arm around her.  She nestled in 
his arms, laid her head on his chest and listened to his heartbeat for a few seconds.  
"Aishiteru, Mamo-chan," she whispered.
	Mamoru stoked her hair, running his hands through what remained of her mussed 
odangos and ponytails.  "Aishiteru, Usako."
	"Arigato, Mamo-chan.  You made this night the most special one of my life."
	"And you made it the most special for me as well."
	They were silent for several seconds, then Usagi asked, "Forgive me, Mamo-chan, 
but what is the time?"
	Mamoru checked his watch.  "It's a little after eleven.  I was supposed to have you 
home by now."
	Usagi snuggled a little closer.  "Daijobu, Mamo-chan.  This would be worth being 
a little late.  But, I suppose we should go home soon.  Onegai, five more minutes?"
	"Hai, but then we have to get dressed and I need to get you home."
	"Aishiteru, Mamo-chan," Usagi said quietly.  Mamoru simply stroked her hair in 
response.
	They snuggled there for five more minutes then they reluctantly stood up and 
began to clean up.  Mamoru went into the bathroom to dispose of the used condom while 
Usagi got dressed.  When Mamoru emerged from the bathroom, Usagi stepped inside to 
rearrange her odangos while Mamoru threw his clothes back on as well.  They 
simultaneously sat down on Mamoru's bed and put their shoes on.  Usagi then gathered 
up her things and they headed out the door.
	Fifteen minutes later, Mamoru's car pulled up to the curb just outside the dark 
Tsukino home.  Usagi opened the door, but reached over and deeply kissed Mamoru.
	"What time is the flight tomorrow?" she asked him.
	"Six," he responded.
	"That's early!" she said.  "I'm going to be so tired tomorrow."
	"Then you should go inside and get to bed, Usako," Mamoru said with a smile.
	"Hai.  See you in the morning!"  Usagi kissed him once more before stepping out 
of the car, closing the door, and running up the walk to the front door.  Mamoru watched 
as she worked the key in the lock, turned to look to him again and blow him a kiss, and 
disappear into the house before he drove off to go back to his apartment for one last night.
	Usagi crept up the stairs, trying desperately not to wake up Kenji or Shingo, 
slipped into her room and closed the door quietly.  She quickly dropped her things by the 
stack of suitcases and boxes by the door, stripped her clothes off, threw her nightgown 
on, and was about to sit down to brush out her hair.
	"Usagi-chan?"
	She whipped around and saw Luna standing on the center of her bed.  "Luna!  
What are you doing still up?  I didn't even see you there."
	"I tried to stay up and wait for you, but I got too tired.  Kenji-san was getting 
concerned that you were so late."
	"Gomen."
	"But then Shingo reminded him about your tendency to be late to just about 
anything and that seemed to calm him down.  Plus he knew you were with Mamoru-san."
	"Hai.  Good.  I hope he'd not angry with me."
	"He's not.  How was your night with Mamoru-san?"
	"It was...um...good," Usagi stammered.
	"Just 'good'?" Luna inquired further; detecting that Usagi was holding something 
back.
	Usagi seemed a little flabbergasted.  "H...hai!" she said, then immediately grabbed 
her brush, sat down at her small vanity and went to work brushing out her golden locks.
	"Usagi-chan..." Luna said in her scolding tone.
	Usagi put the brush down and hung her head.  "Yes, Luna?"
	"How was your night with Mamoru-san really?"
	Usagi slowly turned to Luna with a half-smile on her face.  "Mamoru and I made 
love," she said flat-out.
	Luna's eyes bulged for a second in surprise, but then her feline brow furrowed.  "I 
hope you were careful.  Not that I have anything against Ami-chan, but I don't want to see 
you in her situation before you're ready."
	"Hai, Luna.  We were both careful.  Chibi-usa was a handful when she was here.  I 
don't know how well I could handle her as a baby right now."
	Luna smiled.  "I hope it was all you dreamt it would be."
	"Hai.  It was.  Mamo-chan made my first time very special."
	Usagi stood up from the small vanity, waited for Luna to move down towards the 
foot of the bed, threw the covers off the bed, and crawled in.  She closed her eyes and 
within seconds, she was fast asleep, re-playing her evening with Mamoru in her mind.

	The sound of a crying child echoed through the room.
	Minako slowly pried one of her eyes open, and looked around, trying to determine 
if this were just part of what she was dreaming or the real thing.  The decision was made 
for her when she felt one of Artemis's paws tapping her on the forehead.  "Takahiro-kun 
is crying," he groaned from his perch above Minako's head on the back of the couch.
	She whimpered for a moment, but then remembering the deal she made with Ami 
and her mother, pulled the sheet aside and stood up.  She slowly walked across the room 
to where Takahiro's bassinette was and turned on a small lamp next to it.  Takahiro was 
screaming and crying as loud as he could and squirming in the bassinette.
	"There, there, Takahiro-kun," Minako said, gathering him up into her arms and 
trying to rock him slowly back and forth and up and down.  As she turned around, she 
saw Ami standing in the hallway, looking like death warmed over:  hair disheveled, arms 
limp by her sides, her eyes half-open and puffy.  "Daijobu, Ami-chan," Minako said with 
her trademark perky voice.  "I'll take care of him.  Go back to bed."
	Ami grunted, nodded, turned, disappeared into her room, and loudly flopped back 
into bed.
	Minako began to walk around the living room, still rocking Takahiro, whispering 
and singing lullabies to him.  After nearly ten minutes with no change in Takahiro's 
mood, Minako decided something else must be wrong.  She checked his diaper.  "A-ha!" 
she whispered with emphasis, "Someone has a full diaper!"
	She spread a blanket out on the living room floor, placed Takahiro on it, and 
proceeded to change his diaper and dispose of the used one.  Unfortunately, it did not 
quiet Takahiro down completely.  His cries weren't as distressed, but he was still not 
happy.  "Perhaps Takahiro-kun is hungry?" Minako asked herself out loud.
	Fortunately for Minako, Ami had made a regular routine of bottling some of her 
own breast milk for emergencies.  Minako walked into the kitchen, opened the 
refrigerator and found an emergency bottle.  She sat back down on the couch, cradled 
Takahiro in one arm, tilted him to the correct angle and placed the nipple of the bottle 
into his mouth, which he hungrily suckled at.
	Artemis slowly opened on eye and saw Minako feeding Takahiro.  For a while, 
Artemis thought to himself how nice and motherly Minako looked as she cared for Ami's 
son.  What troubled him, though, was the faint smile on her face as she looked down at 
the feeding child coupled with the tears that were escaping from the corners of her eyes.
	In time, Artemis faded back into slumber, his fears swallowed up in his dreams.

	In the glow of the rising sun, a taxi pulled up to the curb in front of the Tokyo 
International Airport and came to a sudden halt.  The driver threw the car into park, 
jumped out and went to the trunk as the back seat doors opened.  Makoto, Rei, and 
Yuuichiro stepped out of the car and walked up onto the curb as the taxi driver brought 
out the last of their suitcases.  Yuuichiro paid the driver, who thanked Yuuichiro, quickly 
walked to the driver's door, jumped into the taxi, put the car in gear, and pulled away.
	Yuuichiro, always the gentleman, graciously picked up the two girls' suitcases and 
the girls held the main doors open for him.  As they were about to walk inside the 
terminal to check-in, someone shouted, "Ohayo, Rei-chan!  Ohayo, Mako-chan!  Ohayo, 
Yuuichiro-san!"
All three heads turned towards the other end of the terminal.  A blue-haired girl 
pushing a stroller waved to them, leading a taller older woman who was pulling a suitcase 
and a blonde girl with a red bow in her hair who was pulling a large trunk with one hand 
and a small basket in the other.  A small white feline face poked out of the top of the 
basket.
	"Ohayo, Ami-chan, Minako-chan, and Mizuno-san!" the two girls shouted in 
response, almost in unison.  Rei, Makoto, and Yuuichiro patiently waited for the other 
group to catch up to them, then walked inside the airport together.
	The four girls, Ami's mother, and Yuuichiro eventually made it to the check-in 
counter and the girls got their tickets and checked in their baggage without trouble, and 
even managed to get Artemis into a pet carrier.  The man at the ticket counter handed the 
girls their boarding passes and gave them directions to their gate.  The six of them passed 
through the metal detectors, walked down the long concourse to their gate, speculating on 
the way on when Usagi would arrive, checked in at the gate, sat down and patiently 
waited.
	Meanwhile, at a second floor restaurant that overlooked the gate where Rei, Ami, 
Makoto, and Minako were waiting, four familiar faces gazed over the balcony from their 
table down to the gate waiting area.  A waitress brought a platter of food to the table that 
contained three jumbo blueberry muffins, three cups of coffee or tea, a chocolate iced 
donut and a glass of milk.  The waitress set a muffin and a cup in front of each of the 
older three women then placed the donut and milk in front of the young girl with them.
	The oldest of the four, a taller woman with dark green hair, demurely took a sip of 
her coffee, as did the aqua-haired woman.  The sandy blonde woman immediately began 
to peel the paper cup from the muffin.  The raven-haired young girl ignored her breakfast 
and looked over the balcony, observing Rei, Minako, Ami, and Makoto.
	"Something wrong, Hotaru-chan?" Setsuna asked.
	"Are you sure we can't go down and say goodbye to them?"
	"Hai," Haruka responded as she sliced her muffin in half and reached for the 
butter.
	"Why did we come here then?"
	"To see them off in our own way," Michiru replied.  "They don't share our 
principles, Hotaru-chan, and that has always separated us from the Inners."
	"We mustn't influence them too much," Setsuna added.  "While our ways of 
living may differ and cause friction, deep down, we realize that we complement each 
other.  They must grow up and choose their paths themselves."
	"What about that night at Mamoru's?" Hotaru asked.  "Couldn't they have been 
reaching out to us, then?  To find some way of us all becoming closer friends?"
	"I consider them as friends, Hotaru-chan," Haruka said as she bit into her buttered 
muffin.
	"You do, Haruka-poppa?" Hotaru asked, quite surprised.  "Weren't you the one 
that tried to kill Usagi-san once, though?"
	Haruka swallowed her bite of food and sighed.  "Hotaru-chan, just because we 
don't call them up and ask them to go for ice cream or go to a movie with us doesn't 
mean we don't consider them friends.  And I didn't REALLY try to kill her."
	"I wish I could be better friends with them," Hotaru whispered.
	"I know, Hotaru-chan," Setsuna said.  "Perhaps someday."
	Hotaru glanced around the concourse.  "Speaking of Usagi-san, I don't see her or 
Mamoru-san yet."
	Haruka chuckled.  "Sounds normal to me.  Knowing her, she'll show up just as 
the airplane is pulling away from the gangway."
	Hotaru peered over the edge of the balcony, keeping a watch out for Usagi and 
Mamoru a bit longer, then sat back down in her seat.  "I'll be back in a minute," she said 
then stood and walked away from the table towards the nearby ladies' room as the three 
older girls looked over the balcony.
	From the far end of the concourse, a perky voice shouted out, "Rei-chan!  Ami-
chan!  Minako-chan!  Mako-chan!"  The four girls whose names were called out looked 
up and down the concourse before finally spotting Usagi running up to them, pulling a 
couple of suitcases behind her.  Behind her, Mamoru pulled a couple suitcases of his own, 
walking down the concourse with Shingo and Kenji Tsukino.
	Usagi ran up to Rei, Ami, Minako, and Makoto and gave them each a hug.  "Are 
you ready for this, minna-chan?" she said excitedly.
"Hai," Ami said, "but we were worried that you weren't going to get here in 
time."
"They start boarding any second," Rei added.  "Knowing you, you probably got up 
five minutes ago." 
	Usagi stuck her tongue out at Rei, but quickly replied, "No, we had to store 
Mamo-chan's car in our garage.  Shingo was supposed to have cleaned it out, but he 
didn't get it done."
Kenji, Shingo, and Mamoru reached the waiting area just as the gate personnel 
announced over the loudspeaker, "Ladies and gentlemen.  We'd like to begin the 
boarding process for Flight 6428 to Los Angeles, starting with our first-class passengers 
and those needing special assistance first.  After that, we will announce boarding by 
sections, starting with the back of the plane."
Ami turned immediately to her mother and gave her a tight hug.  "I'll miss you," 
she whispered.
	"Take care of yourself and Takahiro-kun, Ami-chan," her mother replied.
	Rei slowly turned to Yuuichiro, and placed one of his hands between both of hers 
and held it against her chest.  "I'll miss you, Yuuichiro," she said softly.
	"I'll miss you, too.  Hey, maybe if I can get the money together, I can come see 
you in America?" he replied.
	"I'd like that," she said to him before flinging her arms around him and holding 
him tightly.  "Aishiteru," she whispered quietly into his ear so that only he could hear.
	"Aishiteru," he whispered back to her.
	Usagi hugged her father.  "I'll miss you, papa," she said.
	"Be careful, Usagi-chan, and call us when you get there, OK?" he replied, a tear 
escaping from his eye.
	Usagi broke the hug and stepped over to her little brother.  After a moment, she 
gave him a hug as well.  "Be a good boy, Shingo-kun."
	"Make mama proud of you, Usagi-chan, and papa and I as well."
	"I will.  Take care."
	Mamoru shook hands with Kenji.  "Saraba," he said to him.
	"You take good care of her, OK, Mamoru-san?"
	"Hai.  I will, Tsukino-san," he replied, then shook Shingo's hand.
	As Rei, Ami, Usagi, and Mamoru bid their families goodbye, Makoto and Minako 
moved their things closer to the gate and looked on.  Sudden feelings of sadness came 
over each of them.
	"I wish my parents were here," Minako said quietly, a sad squeak in her voice, as 
the incident of the night before replayed in her mind.
	"Me too," Makoto said back to her quietly as her parents' faces flashed in her 
mind.
	"Attention, passengers for flight 6428, we will begin general boarding at this time.  
If you are in rows twenty-five to thirty-five, you may board at this time."
	The five girls and Mamoru all consulted their boarding passes during the 
announcement.  "That's us!" Minako announced.  They collected their carry-on luggage 
and made their way to the line to board while saying their final goodbyes to their parents 
or loved ones there.  Ami was first to be confirmed and pushed the stroller with Takahiro 
on it through the gate, followed by Minako, Makoto, Rei, Usagi, and Mamoru.  Kenji, 
Shingo, Yuuichiro, and Dr. Mizuno moved to a window overlooking the plane and 
watched as the plane completed boarding, then after a long delay finally pulled away from 
the gangway, turned and headed for the runway.  As the plane disappeared around the 
side of the building, Kenji and Shingo turned and walked back down the concourse, 
followed a few moments later by Dr. Mizuno, and then finally Yuuichiro.
	At the table above the gate, Haruka, Michiru, and Setsuna had finished their 
breakfast while watching the Inners give their farewells, board the plane, and leave.
	Setsuna glanced down at the empty plates before them.  "Shall we be going?" she 
asked.
	"Hotaru's not back yet," Michiru said in a curious tone of voice as she stared at 
the half-eaten donut and barely-touched glass of milk in front of Hotaru's chair.
	Setsuna turned to Haruka who was also staring at Hotaru's half-finished breakfast.  
"She's been gone a long time," Haruka commented, staring a hole through the table.
	"Something's wrong," Michiru said as she closed her eyes.  "The seas are not as 
still as they used to be."
	"I can feel something strange in the air," Haruka added.
	Suddenly, an older woman, probably in her late fifties or sixties stopped at their 
table.  "Excuse me, are any of you Kaioh Michiru?"
	Michiru's head snapped up to look at the woman.  "Hai!  I'm Kaioh Michiru."
	"A young woman in the restroom asked me to come get you."
	In a flash, Michiru was on her feet and rushed for the restroom door.  She pushed 
and shoved her way past a couple of groups of women to get to the stalls.  "Hotaru-
chan?" she shouted.
	"Here, Michiru-mama!" a voice echoed through the room, the echoes masking the 
location of the source.  The voice was followed by the sound of a stall door being 
unlatched.
	Michiru hesitated for a moment.  The voice was definitely Hotaru's, but there was 
something different.  The tone was richer, the timbre not so childish.  Michiru walked 
along the stalls, and gently pushed on each door.  Most of the doors were locked, but 
finally one pushed open.  Michiru looked inside and saw Hotaru standing, leaning against 
the side of the stall, dressed, but shuddering as if she were freezing.
	For a moment, Michiru was about to scold Hotaru for alarming her, but then 
became alarmed after she carefully examined Hotaru.  Something was different about her, 
but the changes were so subtle that Michiru couldn't put her finger on what had exactly 
changed.  Hotaru looked a bit older, possibly a bit taller, and her figure was more filled 
out.  Her clothes seemed to be tighter, unlike thirty minutes ago when she left the table.  
"Daijobu?" she quietly asked.  Hotaru slowly turned her head to lock her gaze with 
Michiru's eyes.
	"They're coming."

	Jadeite rolled off of his slave girl and sat up on the edge of the bed.  Freed from 
his grasp, the slave girl rolled in the opposite direction and curled up into the fetal 
position, an expression of pain and anguish on her face as she began to cry away the pain 
he inflicted on her during their sex session.  He reached for a robe that hung nearby and 
wrapped it around his naked form and walked out into the living room, without saying a 
word to the crying girl in his bed.
	He sat down on what this world called a sofa, in reality a rough wooden 
framework with hay-filled cushions, and picked up some papers from a nearby table when 
a knock came at his door.  "Slave!" he shouted, "Answer the door!"
	The girl pulled herself up off the bed and gingerly walked naked out into the 
living room to the door.  She opened the door, and knelt down in respect for the spinagon 
who stood outside.
	"Jadeite-sama, I hope I am not interrupting anything," he said, noting the naked 
slave girl by the door.
	"No, you aren't interrupting.  What can I do for you?" he replied.
	"Baatezu-sama requests your presence in his chambers tomorrow morning for a 
report on your surveillance," the spinagon said.
	"Very well.  I shall be in his chambers tomorrow at daybreak."
	"Excellent, Jadeite-sama.  I will inform Lord Baatezu.  Good evening," the 
spinagon said then walked down the hall.
	The slave girl stood, closed the door then headed back for the bedroom.  "Matte!" 
Jadeite shouted, causing the slave girl to freeze in her tracks.  "Come here!" he 
commanded.  The slave girl obediently knelt down by him on the floor.  "Go get cleaned 
up," he ordered.  
	The slave girl nodded, stood, and quickly walked to the bathroom where she 
quickly bathed and dried herself, and then went back to the bed where Jadeite was lying 
on his back, waiting for her.  She carefully lay down next to him, and cuddled up close to 
him, as she was expected to do.  She held onto his left arm and carefully rested her head 
against his chest, but Jadeite pulled his arm away from her roughly.  Before the slave girl 
could ask if she had offended him, he put his arm around her and gently pulled her 
closely.  The slave girl was quite baffled at this, as he had rarely, if he ever had that she 
could remember, shown any sort of tenderness or affection for her.  It terrified her.  She 
felt like he was planning something?-something unpleasant?-and she was going to be a 
part of it.