Acknowledgement: I'd like to say a great big thank you to Eric "Greywolf" den Biesen for lending me a helping hand when I really needed it. And to my ever persistent niece, Yumi (who keeps bugging me to be named in this section), for being responsible for co-creating Millenium Moon's attack and contributing a word here and there in this particular chapter.

Disclaimer: Sailor Moon, all the other Sailor Senshi and other names and terms associated with the series are copyrighted by Naoko Takeuchi, Kodansha, Bandai, DIC and all the other companies (which I can't remember right at this moment). All the new characters as well as the story line are my own. If, by any chance, you would like to put this story in your page, I would appreciate being notified before hand.

Time Frame: This story happens about five years after Sailor Moon S. There will be no connection at all to Sailor Moon Super S or Sailor Stars.

The wind whistled softly as it blew across the clearing, rustling the tree leaves and making the group shiver as they stood transfixed by the scene before them. A few yards behind them, the bustle and noise of the city went on as usual but seemed, somehow, muffled and far away. An eerie quiet pervaded the area instead, and only a slight breeze dared to disturb the occupants, ruffling the hair of the stranger as he held their friend in his arms.

"Hotaru" seemed to echo in their ears, even though he said it in a mere whisper, riddled with familiarity and tenderness. He held her in a tight embrace, savoring the feel of her in his arms again, like in moments they shared back in the Moon Kingdom.

The Senshi were spellbound by what they were witnessing and stood still and quiet, like Greek statues in a temple. Unlike them, the white ninjas were in motion, soundlessly retreating and heading for the cover of the trees. Once there, they continued to watch the tableau being played out in the clearing.

"Lynx," Usagi whispered, surprise coloring her voice.

"Yes," Galen agreed. "I've been expecting him to show up but not so soon. I didn't realize Hotaru had gone back to the age she's supposed to be."

"Me neither," she admitted. "The last time I saw her about a week ago, she was still no more than five years old."

"Drake is going to have a lot of questions to answer if he doesn't get out of there quickly," Ashe commented as he saw the Senshi coming out of their trance-like states. Even now, Uranus and Neptune were moving forward to confront the newcomer.

"Don't worry," Galen answered. "Hotaru will shield him from those two. She always was very protective of him."

"I remember."

No more words were uttered as they watched Saturn break the embrace and stand in front of Lynx, ready to protect him from the other Senshi.

"Who are you?" Uranus started. "And what do you want with the Senshi that you would save one of us?"

The stranger smiled enigmatically. "I am known as Lynx, a warr--"

"He's a friend of mine," Saturn interrupted. "That's why he saved me."

Neptune watched her closely as she spoke and saw her avert her eyes. "You're not telling us everything, Sailor Saturn. Is there something else we need to know?"

Lynx started to speak again but Saturn stopped him. "It isn't time yet," she cautioned. "They're not ready."

"Ready for what?" Uranus wanted to know.

"I'm sorry, I can't answer that right now," she replied, turning towards the older Senshi. "But I have a feeling you'll find out very soon. Until then, just accept that Lynx is a friend and an ally. There is nothing to fear from him."

All the Senshi saw the determination in her eyes and decided to let things stand for the moment. "Very well," Neptune answered for all of them. "We'll wait and see what happens."

With a nod to the others, she motioned that it was time to leave. The group turned as one and headed in the temple's direction. They had a lot to talk about and that was the best place to discuss things.

When the couple was finally alone, Saturn turned back to Lynx and just looked at him, comparing his face to the one in her memories. They were one and the same.

"Drake," she whispered softly, moving closer to him just as he stepped forward. He cupped her face in his hands and finally believed that she was truly there, alive and well and back in his life again.

"Hotaru..."

"Don't you think it might be better if you changed back to your normal selves before calling each other by name, hmm?" a highly amused voice suggested.

It startled them both out of the cocoon they were in, back to reality. Saturn searched around for the source of the words and found it in the man standing to the side of them, a few feet away. He had a big smile on his face and slowly held open his arms as she watched.

"Ashe!" she exclaimed, running to his welcome embrace and hugging him back.

"Hello, little one. I see you've been doing a lot of growing up lately."

"What?! No hug for me?" Galen complained, opening his own arms.

"Galen! Of course I've got a hug for you. I've got one for everybody."

Taking her up on her offer, the guys lined up for their turn to hold her and welcome her back to the fold. Drake stood nearby, watching his friends as they greeted his lady and noticed when Usagi broke from the group and moved towards the exit of the park. She stopped when she got there and followed the progress of the departing Senshi with her eyes.

Makoto felt like someone was watching her and turned around to investigate. She noticed a woman near the entrance of the park they just left and started getting suspicious.

"There she is again," she said to no one in particular.

"Who?" Michiru asked, turning to look behind them as well.

"That woman--," she started to answer when she noticed that the figure wasn't there anymore. "Funny, she always seems to disappear as soon as I look away. That's the third time I've seen her after an attack."

"Are you talking about a woman with long, blond hair in a plait and dark sunglasses?" Minako inquired.

Makoto nodded her head. "Yes. Have you seen her too?"

"Twice. I thought it was just a coincidence."

"Well, five times is hardly a coincidence anymore," Ami deduced. "She might have something to do with the attacks."

"What else could she be doing?" Rei exclaimed, frustrated.

"She was right in front of our faces and we didn't even know it."

Haruka had been unusually quiet throughout the entire conversation and only now ventured to comment. "This woman, does she wrap her hair around her neck once before letting it hang down?"

"That's right," Makoto agreed. "Do you know her?"

"I'm not sure," she said evasively and walked ahead of the group.

Princess? No, it couldn't be, she thought to herself. It couldn't be. That would mean that she's from the Dark Kingdom. And if she is--then Galen is too! She shook her head in denial.

"Haruka? Is something wrong?" Michiru asked from beside her. She had followed Haruka when the other girl had left the rest of them behind. She had sensed how troubled her friend was.

"I don't know, Michiru," she answered despondently. "I don't know what's happening anymore. I'm so confused."

"Why don't you tell me about it? I might be able to help."

"I guess it's time I did that. It concerns you, in a way," Haruka admitted. "We'll talk in the temple when the meeting is over."

"Alright," Michiru agreed, then silently walked beside her the rest of the way.

As Usagi stood watching her old friends going farther away, she noticed Makoto look back and quickly retreated from view. She moved to rejoin her group and saw Lynx watching her closely. She smiled at him and moved closer.

"Drake, it's so good to see you."

"You too, Usagi--Princess Serenity," he replied warmly.

"Now don't go all formal on me. You've never called me by my title when it wasn't necessary."

He smiled at the comment, noting traces of the old Usagi in the lady before him, but also seeing a whole lot of differences. "You've changed, Usagi."

"So have you, Drake. So have the rest of them." She indicated the group to her side with a sweep of her arm.

"Not Haruka and Michiru," he countered impertinently. "They're still suspicious of every stranger they encounter."

Usagi laughed at those words and remembered how he always managed to make her do so. He had always seen the funny side of things, no matter how dire the situation was. Except on that last day...

That memory reminded her of Hotaru's presence and she turned to see if her friend was finally free. She was standing in the midst of the circle of men, excitedly asking questions and answering some in return.

Usagi glanced back towards Drake. "Think I can wrestle her attention away from these guys?"

"I'll do that for you." He moved forward and entered the circle between Justin and Zachary, creating a path for Usagi in the process. He put an arm around Hotaru's shoulders and gestured towards her.

"There's someone here who wants to say hello."

Following the direction of his arm, Hotaru saw Usagi standing there, a smile of welcome on her face. "Usagi-chan!" she exclaimed as she went to enclose her friend in a hug. "And here I thought you were in danger with no one to help you. I should have known better."

"How could you have known these guys would be with me?" Usagi enquired. "I didn't even know they existed until a few months ago."

"Well, it all started a few hours ago," she began, taking a few steps towards a bench where she sat down. "When I woke up this morning, I'd somehow aged overnight and was now eighteen years old. But the biggest difference of all was in my memories. I remembered everything, from the events that happened in the Moon Kingdom to the things that happened the day before, when I was no more than five years old. It was all fuzzy at first but it gradually became clearer as more time passed." Hotaru stopped as Drake sat down beside her and put a supporting arm around her back. "What also surprised me was the fact that I could sense everyone's thoughts. When I looked at the Senshi, I could read their memories like they were my own, and I knew they didn't remember anything about the Moon Kingdom except what they were told."

"That's why you didn't want me to tell them who I was," Drake finally understood.

Hotaru nodded her head. "Yes. They wouldn't have known who you were anyway, and they would have asked a lot of questions. I don't think Galen and Ashe would appreciate your telling Haruka and Michiru about them before they could do it themselves."

"So you did know we were masquerading as the white ninjas earlier," Justin assumed.

"Not really. I knew Usagi was somewhere in the city and I could sense her coming closer. I also felt the presence of other people who were somehow familiar to me. But I didn't realize you were all together until you arrived to help us. Of course, the fact that one of the ninjas was very protective of Mercury made me look at all of you a little closer. That's when I discovered who you were."

Everyone turned to Zachary. "Hey! I couldn't help it. She was in danger and I had to make sure she was alright," he reasoned.

"That's okay, Zach," Nathan assured him. "We all know we would have done the same thing if it were our ladies who were in danger."

"Anyway, we should continue this conversation at the office," Galen commanded and turned to the couple on the bench. "You two transform back before anybody sees you."

Usagi and the six men formed a circle to shield them from view. Lynx caught the tip of his cape and flipped it upwards so it covered his body. By the time it settled once more, he was back to being just Drake Matsuda, small aircraft pilot and aeronautics engineer. Looking forward, he saw that Saturn was also no longer wearing her Senshi uniform but a dark purple coat over a lavender dress. She looked every bit as lovely as he remembered.

"Ready?" Kenjo prompted, looking behind his shoulder to see if they were finished.

"Ready," Hotaru answered and took Drake's hand. He smiled down at her and gave her hand a squeeze before they started after their departing friends.

At the temple, the meeting had concluded early because they didn't have much more information about their supposedly new enemy except what was discussed earlier by the park. The other Inner Senshi had gone to help Rei finish up some chores that had to be done around the temple, so the two Outer Senshi were left all alone in the living room. Haruka had just gotten up to look out at the peaceful scenery from behind the temple's front doors.

"Haruka," Michiru said softly. "Do you want to talk now?"

Without turning around, the other girl gave a deep sigh. "Do you love me, Michiru?"

Michiru stared at her, surprised at the unexpected question. Of all the topics she had prepared herself to discuss with Haruka, that one hadn't come to mind. It held her speechless for a long enough moment that her friend turned to look at her to see if she had heard the question.

"Michiru?"

She blinked. "Of course I love you, Haruka," she mouthed the expected answer. "Why do you ask?"

"Can you tell me how it feels, being in love?" Haruka asked instead of giving an answer.

"Don't you know?"

"I thought I did, but now I'm not so sure."

"I see." Michiru struggled to think of a way to describe her feelings, something which would have been easy a few weeks back. In her mind, she tried to picture the good times they've had but kept getting distracted by a different image altogether. Instead of Haruka's blond hair and blue eyes, she kept seeing bright purple eyes on a more masculine face. Ashe's face.

She shook her head, trying to dispel the image, but it kept coming back. The more she tried to forget it, the more she remembered the times she'd spent in his company during the last four weeks. Michiru had been worried about Haruka's unusual preoccupation so she'd decided to spend more time with her. Since the problem had started when Haruka began working with Galen and Ashe, she thought that that would be the best place to start. So she visited her friend at work more often and, in consequence, spent more time with Ashe who seemed to be always around when Haruka was busy with Galen.

At first, they just talked and got to know more about each other. Michiru learned that he shared her love for classical music and followed the same principles when it came to right and wrong. Eventually, she agreed to go out for lunch with him and, a few days later, to dinner and a symphony concert.

As the days went by, Ashe became more integrated in Michiru's life. She started looking forward more to her visits with him than to solving Haruka's dilemma and got nowhere near solving her friend's problem.

Now here she was, ready to try to help her friend, and all she could think about was Ashe.

"You're not talking about me, are you, Michiru?" Haruka interrupted her thoughts.

She blinked and tried to focus on Haruka's words. "Huh?"

"Just now, when you were describing your feelings, you weren't talking about me, were you?" her friend reiterated.

"I..." She must have answered Haruka unknowingly, she thought. When she was thinking about Ashe, she must have described her feelings for him. Is that what had come between Haruka and me, she questioned herself. Am I in love with Ashe?

"Michiru?"

"No, I wasn't," she admitted. "I...I'm afraid I was thinking of somebody else. I'm so sorry, Haruka," she finished dejectedly.

The other girl was shaking her head. "Don't be. This makes everything so much easier."

Michiru was puzzled. "It does?"

"Yes," Haruka assured her, "it does. You see, for over a month now, I've been struggling to understand the way I feel. Ever since the first time I met Galen, I knew I was aware of him on a totally different level than anybody else. I thought it was the challenge he represented, because he was as good if not better than me in martial arts and other things, that made me watch him constantly. But that illusion didn't last long."

She gave a self-depreciating laugh. "I knew it was more than competition that made me want to hurt Princess when she kissed him at the airport. I wanted to tear her from his arms and shout 'he's mine!'. But the most unsettling feeling of all was my wanting to be the one in his arms, to be the one he was kissing. Can you imagine that?" she asked Michiru, sitting down and closing her eyes. "Me, Haruka, wanting to be kissed by a man?!"

Michiru watched Haruka's face as she was talking, a flicker of understanding showing on her own. She was starting to realize what her friend was trying to say.

"I didn't like it," Haruka continued. "Not one bit. So I decided to spend as little time in his company as possible. But that didn't work either. I was miserable, and, although I told myself I was just tired and unaccustomed to the work load, I knew deep inside that it was because I missed him."

"Does he know?" Michiru asked.

"Know what?"

"That you love him?"

Haruka shook her head. "I'm not sure if I know that myself. I'm not ready to say that I love him just yet, only that he's someone very special to me." Turning to Michiru, she gave a relieved smile. "I'm just glad I didn't hurt your feelings as much as I thought I would."

Michiru smiled back. "Isn't it funny? We've been going around in circles the past few weeks, trying to deny our feelings, because we didn't want to hurt each other, when all the time we would have spared each other a lot of grief just by talking about it. Love can really make fools out of people, especially the ones who think they know what it's all about."

Haruka nodded in agreement.

The sound of the Inner Senshi's voices coming closer put an end to their private conversation. Within minutes, the other girls joined them in the living room once more.

"So, have you decided on what to wear to the party, Mako-chan," Mina was asking. "It's tomorrow night, you know."

"Something in green, I think. Nathan said I look good in that color," she replied, turning a rosy shade of pink at the mention of her employer's name.

The others smiled. "I don't blame you for doing what he recommends," Ami commented. "I would probably do the same thing if a handsome man told me I looked beautiful."

"Ami-chan, what a surprise!" Rei exclaimed. "And here I thought, all you're interested in is work."

The shy Ami turned a dark red color while everyone else laughed. When they finally got a hold of themselves, the conversation reverted back to clothing.

"I personally don't have anything in mind to wear yet," Rei volunteered. "All I've been wearing lately are jeans and T-shirts. I need to go shopping."

"So why don't we all go shopping," Haruka suggested to everyone's surprise. She was the last person in the world they expected to do something so feminine as clothes shopping.

Seeing that the other girls were speechless, Michiru came to their rescue. "Why not? I don't have anything else to do, do you?"

"I think it's a great idea," Minako agreed. "Let's go!"

Drake and Hotaru spent most of the afternoon with Usagi and the rest, discussing the event's that would occur the following day. Everyone was anxious for the next evening to come when they would finally reveal their true identities to the Senshi and, hopefully, begin their new lives together.

After it was said that Hotaru, along with Drake, will accompany Mamoru, Haruka and the other girls to the party instead of joining Galen and the rest, they finally decided to leave. They were at the gate of the building, about to go out, when they spotted the Senshi entering a shop across the street. They decided to follow them. Drake and Hotaru found the girls busy choosing outfits from the huge selection on the racks. The only one who wasn't holding a dress was Haruka, who stood beside Michiru, giving her opinion on her friend's choices. Hotaru immediately joined the two of them while Drake headed towards the Inner Senshi.

Haruka saw the pair enter and watched Drake's progress under hooded eyes, still unable to completely trust the stranger in their midst. Hotaru followed the direction of her gaze and touched her arm.

"It's okay, Haruka. You don't have to watch him. He won't hurt them, or you and Michiru either," she reassured her friend. "His name is Drake Matsuda and he's a pilot as well as the owner of an aircraft manufacturing company."

"He's also Lynx, isn't he?" Haruka enquired although she already knew the answer.

"That's true, but if you trust me at all as a fellow Senshi and friend, you'd believe me when I say he's not an enemy, but an ally."

Haruka reluctantly tore her gaze away from Drake and faced Hotaru. "It's not that I don't trust you, Hota-chan. It's just the fact that I don't know anything about him except what you've just told me," she tried to explain. "I would feel the same way about any stranger, especially one who seems very powerful."

"You'll find out a lot more about him very soon. Maybe even more than you want to know," Hotaru replied mysteriously.

Haruka stared at her searchingly but she turned to speak to Michiru. The older Senshi had no other choice but to drop the subject till a later time.

Meanwhile, on the other side of the room, the four Inner Senshi were busy deciding which colors to wear, unaware of Drake approaching from behind them.

"Well, girls, what do you think?" Minako was asking the rest, holding a fuchsia outfit in front of her.

"I think you would look more beautiful in the yellow dress with the off-the-shoulder neckline."

Everyone looked over their shoulders for the source of the new voice, and found a tall, handsome man with auburn hair and charcoal- grey eyes smiling at them. They didn't recognize him right away and were puzzled as to his identity.

"Uhh, do we know each other?" Mina enquired.

"Oh!" A sudden gasp came from Ami as she finally realized who their visitor was.

"What is it, Ami-chan?" Rei asked, concerned.

"It's him," her friend answered uselessly.

"Your not making any sense, Ami," Makoto said. "Who's 'him'?"

Before she could clarify her answer, Drake moved closer. "Very observant of you, Ami-chan, to recognize me so quickly." Turning to the other girls, he introduced himself. "My name is Drake Matsuda and I'm a pilot. I'm also a good friend of Hotaru's and I help her out whenever she needs me as the warrior called...Lynx."

"THE Lynx," Rei exclaimed. "The one who saved Saturn earlier?"

"The one and only," he agreed, bowing slightly in acknowledgement before facing Mina once more. "Anyway, I still think you should go with the yellow dress, Mina. It brings out the color of your eyes and makes you look even more beautiful than you already are."

Mina gave him a big smile. "I think I'm going to like knowing you a whole lot."

"Likewise," he replied.

Not wanting to let Minako get all the attention, Rei came forward with a dress of her own. "What do you think of this one?" she asked at the same time as Makoto's, "How does this look on me?"

And just like that, they had accepted him, Drake thought as he answered their questions. The Inner Senshi hadn't changed much at all from the friends he recalled having in the Moon Kingdom. They were still open and trusting, sometimes to their own misfortune, he judged, remembering the events that lead to their deaths. Still, it worked to his advantage at this point and he was grateful for any help he could get in trying to insinuate himself into this elite group once more.

With a sigh of relief, he turned towards Hotaru and the two Outer Senshi. In his mind, he counted silently. Four down and two to go. Meanwhile, in the building across the street, way up on the thirtieth floor, the meeting between Usagi and the generals continued. Plans were made for the next evening's schedule and last minute changes were put in.

As they were finally gathering up the papers needed to get things in motion, Nathan spoke.

"By the way, I've asked Makoto to sit in our table after the ribbon cutting ceremony. I told her I won't be around much before then because I'll be supervising behind the scenes."

"Lucky you," Justin said, clapping him on the shoulder. "I wish I could ask Rei to do the same, but she doesn't even know me." The other two Royal Guard generals nodded in agreement. They both shared the same problem as Justin but, hopefully, the ball tomorrow night will provide a solution.

"Haruka is also sitting with us and I think Ashe has asked Michiru to do the same." Galen added and looked towards his friend who nodded in agreement. "So, the two of us plus the three ladies will be alone at the table for the first few hours until midnight. Usagi will be mingling with the other guests while the four of you," he said, indicating Nathan, Justin, Zachary and Kenjo," remain scarce until the introductions have to be made. That won't be until the ribbon cutting ceremony is over. We don't want the Inner Senshi to recognize you and think they're being invaded by the Dark Kingdom."

The four of them agreed to this plan and the meeting was concluded.

The following day turned out to be hectic for both the Senshi and the generals. The first group had another morning meeting to discuss defense techniques against Dark Kingdom attacks, before finally rushing home to change for the party. The second was even much more busy preparing for the evening's activities. Last minute arrangements with the staff and the hired band were being settled by Justin. Nathan had the food preparation smoothly moving along while Kenjo, along with Galen and Ashe, took care of building security. Only Usagi and Zachary had nothing in particular to do and were out taking a stroll in the gardens surrounding the building.

"You're very quiet today, Usagi," Zachary observed as he walked beside her. "Is there something on your mind?"

Heaving a deep sigh, she answered softly. "I'm just thinking of tonight and what's going to happen. I wonder how the Senshi will react when they see and recognize me." Turning slightly to look at him, she asked, "What about you, Zach? Aren't you curious about Ami's reaction?"

"Curious? No. More like terrified about it," he admitted. "I haven't seen Ami since--forever and I really don't know what to expect. My only consolation is that she's the most level-headed of the Senshi and more likely to listen to my side of the story before handing out judgement." He smiled then, suddenly. "I'd hate to be in Justin's shoes when Rei sees him for the first time."

Usagi couldn't help but join in his amusement. It was going to be quite an evening for all of them, but mostly for the three Royal Guard generals who haven't had the opportunity to really meet with their soul mates. Deep down, she knew, a part of her wished it would never come.

Drake stood by the large picture window of Haruka's residence, waiting for Hotaru to fetch the two older Senshi. He was already wearing his tuxedo and patted the back of his waist to make sure he had tucked his most valuable possession there, under his jacket. "I hate to say it, but you were right," Haruka said from behind him.

Turning abruptly to see what she was talking about, he suddenly stopped, the words he was about to utter disappearing with his next breath.

Haruka stood just a few feet away from him, wearing a dress of midnight blue to perfection. The top was like a sheath, hugging her upper body to show her feminine curves before flaring from her waist down to just above her knees. She had wrapped a long scarf of the same color around her neck once, before letting the ends fall behind her back and trail close to the hem of her dress. When Haruka moved a few steps closer to him, the light caught on the hidden gold threads in her outfit, making the dress almost glow for a moment before returning to normal. Altogether, she was a breathtaking sight and Drake could once more see why Galen fell in love with her.

"You were right," she repeated. "The dress is wonderful and I love it."

"I knew it was perfect for you the first time I laid eyes on it," Drake said, feeling the wall of mistrust breaking between them. He didn't really expect this event to happen because of a simple dress. He was only making a conciliatory gesture when he recommended it to her yesterday afternoon.

Drake had seen her standing beside Michiru and, once in a while, looking across to the glass display of formal wear. He had followed her gaze and noticed the blue dress hanging on a manikin. It was a beautiful outfit and he knew that Haruka would look stunning in it.

Haruka had her back turned when Drake approached her, dress in hand. He had cleared his throat and waited for her to turn around. Whey she finally did, the dress was the first thing she saw since he held it out to her.

"I think this would look perfect on you," he said confidently before noticing the sudden hush in the store. All the other Senshi were watching them, waiting for Haruka to lose her infamous temper. Instead, she looked straight at him for a long time, as if trying to read his intentions, before calmly accepting his offer.

"I guess we'll see if you're right tomorrow, since it's too late to try it on now," she said before heading towards a sales clerk to pay for her purchase. Everybody followed suit since the store was about to close. When Hotaru reached his side, she whispered, "Well, it's not exactly an offer of friendship, but it's a start," before smiling and linking her hands with his.

As it turned out, it was a very good start since Haruka was actually smiling at him now and talking openly. By the time the other two ladies joined them, they had learned a lot about each other and were comfortable enough together to be called friends.

That evening, at the restaurant, the first guests were due to arrive at any minute, and Galen was standing by the entrance, ready to greet whoever it was. It turned out to be Mamoru, along with Rei and Ami, followed by Drake and the rest. Galen led them to the table reserved for important guests and made sure they sat in the right places. Haruka, Michiru and Makoto on the first table and the others on the one right next to it.

By the time they were settled, the other guests started arriving and Ashe, along with Usagi, still in her 'Princess' hairstyle, joined Galen on the receiving line. Minako was the first to recognize her, but not for who she really was.

"Look!" she exclaimed softly. "It's her!"

"Who?"

"The lady that always shows up when we're attacked," she clarified. "She doesn't have her sunglasses on, but that's definitely her."

Makoto overheard them from the next table. "Where is she, Mina-chan?"

"Over there, standing next to Galen. The one in the black dress."

"You're right. She is the one I've seen as well." Turning to her right, she asked, "Do you know her, Haruka-san?"

Unable to quiet her own suspicions, the older girl answered hesitantly, "They call her Princess and she's one of the owners of the building. All the guys are very fond of her."

"Princess?" Makoto repeated. "Yes. I've heard Nathan talk about her once or twice. He seems to like her a lot."

Rei was starting to get uneasy. "I don't like this," she told the rest. "This could be a trap and we're right in the middle of it."

"This is the best place for us to be, Rei-chan," Ami retaliated. "If the Dark Kingdom is planning on doing something here, we'll be on hand to stop them."

"She's right," Michiru agreed. "Try to enjoy yourselves but be extra observant as well. We could all be just imagining things and there's nothing going on at all."

That statement seemed to calm everyone down and they started talking about other things. Little did they know that their fears were about to come true.

Meanwhile, in a cavern deep within the Earth, a sinister plan was about to be started. The ageless seer had searched throughout the premises, seeking for his Prince to tell him of a new development in their search for Sailor Moon. He found him in his quarters.

"My Prince, I have some good news."

"What is it?" Morgon enquired, sitting up from his reclining position on the bed.

"The Senshi seemed to have gathered in one place and we can finally attack them all at once. We may be able to get them to tell us where Sailor Moon is."

"Where is this place? Where have they gathered?"

"They're presently on the top floor of a skyscraper in downtown Tokyo. It will be very hard for them to escape from there if we cover all the exits."

Morgon was still unconvinced. "And how will you tell the Senshi apart from the rest of the people?"

"I shall know them, my lord. Trust me."

Morgon looked at his seer's white head, bowed in respect to him, and decided to let him try his plan. After all, there were no other alternatives to act on.

"Very well. Take some of our best fighters and attack. I expect you to bring me more good news tomorrow." And he waved his hand to signal dismissal.

The seer quietly left the room and moved towards the outer hall where the youma practiced their skills. It was time to go to battle.

Back at the restaurant, the party was well on its way and the Senshi were finally starting to forget their suspicions when the band started having some problems. Galen and Ashe were too busy talking with their partners to notice it, and Usagi was on the other side of the room with some other guests, trying not to be seen too closely. Justin and Zachary were in the kitchen when the music ended abruptly in the middle of a song. Justin threw up his hands in disgust and walked out muttering something about boosters and forgetful musicians. Zachary tried to stop him.

"Justin! You're not supposed--," he started saying to his friend's retreating back. "--to go out there," he finished lamely.

He glanced worriedly towards Nathan, who just shrugged and continued his supervising duties.

Justin walked out to the stage, unconcerned about whoever saw him and totally forgetting about the Inner Senshi's presence. The first inkling he had of trouble was when he felt he was being watched. He turned his head and looked straight into Rei's startled eyes.

Rei was listening to the band play one of her favorite songs when they suddenly stopped. She watched as they tried to figure out what was wrong before one of the musicians flashed a smile of relief at someone coming from behind the curtains on the side. When she saw who it was, she turned white as a sheet.

Ami was saying something to Rei when she noticed her friend's pallor. "Rei-chan, are you alright? You're so pale all of a sudden."

When Rei didn't respond, Ami followed the direction of her gaze. That's when she saw...

"Jadeite!" she exclaimed.

"Where?" Mamoru asked, looking around the room.

"Over there," Ami pointed but looked to see only the band onstage. Jadeite was nowhere to be seen.

"He was there," she insisted. "Rei saw him too. Didn't you, Rei?" She had to shake her friend to wake her from her stupor.

"Huh?"

"Jadeite," Ami repeated. "You saw him too, didn't you?"

"Yes, I did. I told you it was a trap. We should just look for them and get it over with."

"We can't do that," Mamoru said. "What if we're wrong and we accuse them of horrible things. We could be jeopardizing our jobs as well as the friendships we've established."

"But that was Jadeite!"

"Are you absolutely positive?" Mamoru asked. "Couldn't it have been someone else who looked just like him but isn't. Remember, Jadeite has been gone for a long, long time. Queen Beryl must have destroyed him for failing to do her bidding."

Reluctantly, Rei agreed. "I guess it could have been someone else. But I'm not taking any chances. I'm going to keep a close eye on him if he shows up again."

"Very well."

Justin rushed to the kitchen entrance before stopping to get a breath. Both Nathan and Zachary were waiting for him there.

"Why didn't you stop me?" he demanded.

"I tried," Zachary replied. "But you were in too much of a hurry."

"Did anything happen?" Nathan asked.

Justin nodded dejectedly. "She saw me," he replied. "Rei saw me, and maybe Ami too. I didn't stop to check."

"Don't worry about it for now," Nathan suggested. "I'm sure Galen will let us know if something develops."

"Alright," Justin answered, still trying to catch his breath.

He had to admit to himself though, that, deep inside, he was glad his love finally noticed him, even from afar.

A few hours later, at a quarter to midnight, Galen and Ashe excused themselves to prepare for the ribbon cutting ceremony. Galen caught Usagi's attention from across the room and motioned for her to come to the front. She nodded her acknowledgement and started making her way forward.

Mamoru watched as she came closer, still trying to place where he'd seen her before. All evening long, he had puzzled over the familiarity of her presence. When she turned a certain way or made a certain gesture, he could swear that he knew her, but couldn't place from where. It was really bothering him and he was hoping to make her acquaintance, but she kept to the other side of the room all the time. He wondered why that was.

The band was moved to the side as the stage area was cleared for the ribbon cutting ceremony. Two decorated poles were placed on either end with a thick, red ribbon tied between them, then the area beyond it darkened so the rest of the preparations can go unwitnessed by the guests. A mike and chairs were positioned as the seven owners prepared to introduce themselves for the first time.

Before anything could be started, however, a commotion just outside the restaurant doors caught everyone's attention. Screams followed by the doors crushing under a youma's weight started guests panicking. A mad rush ensued as everyone tried to leave through the exits without getting in the monster's paths.

Only Mamoru and the Senshi stood by their tables, getting themselves psyched for the inevitable fight. When the room was finally empty, a great number of youma passed through the doors and surrounded the small group on three sides. Their only way of escape left was through the stage behind them, where Usagi and her team stood waiting for the next turn of events, unseen by either group of combatants.

As the Senshi contemplated their situation, the seer, Drago, walked through the front entrance, his flowing robes swaying slightly as he came closer to the waiting group. Mamoru and Haruka moved to the front to meet him.

"Who are you?" Haruka demanded. "What do you want here?"

Bowing his head slightly, he introduced himself. "My name is Drago, and I have come to find Sailor Moon for my lord Prince."

"Sailor Moon?" Mamoru repeated, unsure of what he heard.

With an evil smile curling his lips, Drago turned towards him. "You must be Tuxedo Kamen and these ladies, the Senshi. It is nice to finally meet you all, face to face."

"What makes you think we're the Senshi?" Michiru interrupted.

"The fact that you're still in this room says a lot about you," the seer deigned to answer. "Any ordinary person would have fled by now, like those fools who just run for their lives a few minutes ago."

"We just happen to be brave, that's all," Rei prevaricated.

"That's right," Makoto agreed. "And we don't care for anybody who tries to push us around."

"Enough!" the seer commanded in his hollow voice. "I'm not here to play games with you. Just tell me where Sailor Moon is and, maybe, I'll let you live."

"Even if we were the Senshi, we wouldn't give you that information," Ami answered. "Besides, Sailor Moon hasn't been seen in years. She could be anywhere by now."

Drago suddenly gave a sinister laugh. "Nice try, little girl. But I have felt her presence nearby, and you and I both know that she is somewhere in Tokyo."

A shocked silence descended over the Senshi at these words, blocking out the rest of Drago's statement. The news of Usagi's return to Japan was something that needed time to sink in. Time Drago wasn't willing to grant them.

"So what shall it be? Will you tell me where Sailor Moon is, or would you rather I force it out of you?" he asked, walking closer to the Senshi to look them eye to eye, and going as far as raising Minako's chin with a bold finger, as if to demand an answer.

The enraged Senshi removed the offending digit and gave it's owner a resounding slap on the cheek. "You can go to hell, Drago! And take all your monsters with you!"

Holding a palm to his stinging face, the seer grabbed her wrist tightly with his other hand. "You're going to regret that, young lady. I'm going to make you suffer before I have you killed."

"Not while I'm around," a voice said from the darkened stage before anyone else could come to Minako's defense.

"Who's there?" Drago demanded. "Show yourself if you dare."

Usagi moved forward until she was out of the shadows. Galen and Ashe, along with the other four men, followed suit.

"Oh great!" Rei said under her breath but loud enough to be heard by her friends. "Just what we need, more Dark Kingdom minions to add to the throng already surrounding us."

"But it couldn't be," Ami exclaimed softly, disbelief coloring her voice. "We destroyed Kunzite. How could he come back from being dusted?"

"You're right," Rei agreed. "I also distinctly remember watching Nephrite die in Naru's arms. But he's also back with us tonight."

"Which one is he?" Makoto wanted to know as she'd never seen him, squinting her eyes to get a better view.

Ami pointed to the second man from the left. "Over there. Standing beside Zoisite."

"But that's...," Makoto started before pausing to look again. She started shaking her head. "That couldn't be Nephrite!" she denied. "That's Nathan, and he's not a Dark Kingdom general. He couldn't be!"

Michiru patted her shoulder to calm her down. She could sympathize with Makoto's feelings of uncertainty since she was having them herself. She just couldn't completely believe that Ashe could be part of the Dark Kingdom. Even now, when she looked at him, there was nothing evil or sinister in his face. Just the ever present mischievous light in his eyes and boyish charm she'd come to love so much.

This is not happening, Haruka was saying to herself. Princess is not a member of the Dark Kingdom, and Galen is not working for her. Maybe, if she repeated it enough, she could actually believe it.

"Who are you?" Drago's next words put a stop to everyone's private musings, as they all gave their attention to the newcomer's reply.

"If you don't know me by now, then there's no sense in telling you who I am," Usagi replied haughtily. "Just leave this people alone. I'm the one you have to deal with, not them."

"Brave words. But let's see how you stand against my army." Motioning for the youma to start attacking, he melted into their midst as they surged forward.

Across the room, Usagi clasped her crystal necklace in one palm, then looked towards the Senshi one last time. She smiled at the knowledge of being among them once more, before shouting the words, "Millennium Moon...Make Up!"

A collective gasp came from the group in the middle of the room as they watched a blinding light burst from the crystal and lift Princess a few feet off the ground. As an even more intense light started swirling from her feet upwards, Galen, beside her, beckoned to Drake with a movement of his head. The younger man detached himself from the rest and joined his leader onstage.

Galen then reached under his tuxedo jacket, to the small of his back, and came up with a dagger still wrapped in it's leather casing. He carefully unsheathed it, letting the arm holding the cover fall to his side, before raising the dagger to chest level. Closing his eyes, he uttered the words, "Shadow Falcon..." The dagger suddenly lengthened to a full blown sword.

Then, with eyes opened once more, he shouted, "Come Forth!" A sparkle started at the tip before moving downwards until the whole sword was completely glowing. The glow then intensified in brightness and spread to embrace Galen, making him invisible to the naked eye for a moment. By the time the glow died down, Galen was no longer there. Falcon, the highest ranked of the Knights of Selene generals, stood in his place, the sword which started it all sheathed at his back, under his cape, with only the handle visible over his right shoulder.

Beside him, his two comrades came up with daggers of their own. Ashe and Drake raised them together and shouted...

"Shadow Wolf...Come Forth!"

"Shadow Lynx...Come Forth!"

The four other men didn't waste any time transforming either. They simply closed their eyes and concentrated on becoming their alter egos. Their forms started to waver, like images on water, and, in the blink of an eye, the four Royal Guard generals had taken their place. They were all a sight to behold. The beautiful lady in silver and white in the middle with her handsome protectors on either side. They all wore similar uniforms, with belted tunics, pants which ended in boots, and capes flowing on their backs. Only, three were in white and silver with their swords at their backs, while the other four were in black and silver with their swords hanging from their belts on the left side. All men with muscular physiques, able bodies, and a glint of excitement in their eyes. All ready to do battle.

The youma army had halted their attack when the transformations started. They stood at the other side of the room, fascinated by the changes being wrought on the stage. A few feet in front of them, the Senshi also stood unmoving, not knowing if they should transform or let the other two groups fight it out. Haruka was all for fighting, holding her transformation pen in a tight grip. Now that it's been established that Galen wasn't an enemy, she wanted to fight side by side with him. Only Hotaru's hand on her arm and the shaking of her head stopped her from going forward.

"This is their fight, Haruka-san. Let's just get out of harms way so they wont worry about us."

The older girl knew that Hotaru was right, so she motioned for the others to follow her to the side of the room. They could watch the battle from there and offer help if it was needed. Somehow, she didn't think it would be. She didn't think anybody could defeat the small number of warriors in front. They just looked too powerful for any youma to get the better of them.

Falcon had moved closer to Sailor Moon and beckoned the rest to do the same. When everyone was in hearing range, he suggested in an undertone, "Let Wolf, Lynx and me deal with most of them. Try not to use your powers as much as possible. We don't want them to see everything in our arsenal so we can keep a few surprises for other times when we need them. Is everyone agreeable to this?"

Everyone nodded their heads except for Sailor Moon. She simply strode forward and extended her arms, raising her cupped palms in front of her. Then, turning her head to look back at Falcon, she smiled and said, "Just once, Falcon. To help you get started."

The horde of youma across the room started surging forward once more and, seeing this, she concentrated on performing her attack. "Millennium Flaming Sphere..."

A ball of white hot fire materialized within her cupped palms and seemed to steadily increase in size. Without warning, she opened her hands and it sped straight to the advancing enemy, pausing just before it hit them.

"INCINERATE!"

Waves of flames burst from the hot core and burned to dust the more than a dozen youma surrounding it. Even so, another set of monsters replaced them, forcing the Moon Kingdom generals to take action. Falcon moved to cover the front while Wolf and Lynx stood on either side of him. The four Earth generals followed behind with Sailor Moon protected at their back.

Falcon raised his forearms, holding his palms facing upwards. A bright light suddenly emanated above them before becoming the more distinct shape of a lariat, made of pure energy, as he mouthed the words, "Falcon, Steel Talons..."

He held one end to the right of his head, over and a few inches past his shoulder, before starting a whirling motion. At this, the sharp, talon-like objects that hang from three short strings at one end formed an energy disk, resembling a deadly steel plate, which he flung towards the enemy.

"SLASH!"

The disk detached from the lariat and swung in a wide arch, slicing through numerous youma, before returning to be clasped by Falcon's hand then disappearing into thin air. The stunned youma stared at their attacker, still wondering what had occurred, before feeling their bodies fall apart at the point where they were hit. In a few moments, only a pile of dust remained where they used to stand.

Seeing a great number of their group die, the monsters faced the white-clad warrior in front of them and saw him arch his back slightly while bracing his legs and shoulders. Wolf focused all his powers in his hands and raised his forearms to just below chest level, as if to carry a heavy load in front. He then spread his fingers, palms facing inwards and at least three feet apart.

"Wolf, Deadly Force..."

His two arms started to glow from his shoulders to the tips of his fingers, creating heat waves in the air, going straight all the way to the other side of the room. The terrified youma didn't know what to expect and gathered together in the middle, away from the wavering wall.

"SMASH!"

Wolf forcefully moved his palms together until there was only a couple of inches between them. The heat waves the energy created followed the movement and slammed on both sides of the youma with the force of a brick wall. All the creatures in between burst to pieces, and Wolf was left with nothing but empty space in front of him.

Lynx, on the other side, placed his right arm across his chest without actually touching himself. He braced his legs slightly apart and made a fist in front of his left shoulder, mouthing the words, "Lynx, Blazing Claw..."

He waited as his forearm started glowing to a fiery red-orange, before flinging it forward when it was at its hottest, and opening his hand at the same time.

"STRIKE!"

Five smoldering claw like objects flew from his finger tips and imbedded themselves in his enemies' bodies. In another moment, all the youma affected splintered into pieces as they exploded from within, taking a lot of others beside them.

The few that managed to pass the three Knights of Selene generals died at the swords of the Royal Guard, leaving Sailor Moon to watch the battle without lifting a finger to help.

Across from her, close to the entrance of the room, Drago also witnessed the slaughter of his army and knew his chances of winning were deteriorating with every youma that hit the ground. He decided to try and make his escape while everyone was occupied.

Lynx had just finished the last of the youma he was fighting when he spotted Drago moving towards the door. With dizzying speed, not possible for an ordinary human, he ran to block his enemies escape route. He was at the entrance before Drago could step out the door.

"Wha--!" he exclaimed, turning to look at the spot where he last saw Lynx. It was at least a hundred feet away. "How did you--?" he tried to ask, still at a loss for words.

Lynx was about to make a flippant remark when he noticed a youma coming at Jadeite's back. He screamed a warning and missed seeing the dagger that suddenly appeared in Drago's hand. He was quick to move away but was still caught in the leg, making him fall to his knees, but unwilling to relinquish his position at the door.

Seeing that he wasn't going to be able to escape, Drago turned his rage at the other generals. He looked for an easy target and found Falcon with his back to him, preoccupied in fighting off a youma who had evaded his attack. Drago raised the dagger and ran straight for him, aiming to stab him with a fatal blow.

Sailor Moon heard a scream of rage and found Drago running towards Falcon. Without thinking, she ran to intercept him, passing Falcon in the process and using his shoulder as a leverage to deliver a flying kick to the advancing seer's face. The blow threw him backwards, rendering him half-conscious, and landing him a few feet away. When his vision finally cleared, Sailor Moon was kneeling in front of him and he thought he'd found the chance to kill her once and for all. He raised the dagger once more, intending it to be the instrument of her death, and was surprised at her strength when she took hold of his hand and aimed it back at him instead.

Silence suddenly reigned in the room as the last of the youma perished under Kunzite's sword. All eyes turned towards Drago, who watched in disbelief as the blood dripped from his chest and pooled on the ground. He raised his head to look Sailor Moon in the eye and said in his final moments, "I...underestimated you..., Sailor Moon. But...my master...won't. You'll see..." The seer grasped at his throat as his life energy escaped with his last breath. He dropped to the floor, unmoving, before slowly turning to dust and disappearing altogether.

Sailor Moon looked up to see Saturn assisting Lynx to his feet. She knew the younger Senshi had transformed in order to heal her loved one's injury, and was grateful for her assistance.

"Are you okay, Lynx?" she asked of the man standing beside her young friend.

He flashed her a smile. "No problem, Sailor Moon," he replied, putting an arm across Saturn's shoulders. "I have my own ministering angel beside me, after all."

She couldn't help but smile at his lightheartedness before surveying the damage to the rest of her team. "Everybody okay?"

"Wolf and I are fine," Falcon volunteered. "Nephrite too."

"Same here," Jadeite added.

Looking around for the last two, she called out, "Kunzite? Zoisite?"

"We're okay, Sailor Moon. No problems here," Zoisite answered.

Forgotten for a moment, Mamoru and the other Senshi stood rooted to the spot, still trying to accept the fact that the four Dark Kingdom generals were actually fighting with Sailor Moon. To Mamoru, the fact that Sailor Moon was in the same room as him was unbelievable enough.

For four long years, she had lived only in his heart and in his memories. He had almost given up on ever seeing her beautiful face again but his feelings kept him waiting, hoping for a chance to right the wrong he had done her. Now here she was in front of him and he didn't have a word to say for himself.

All night long, he had watched her, wondering why his heart beat faster every time she looked his way. He should have known his heart would recognize her even if his mind didn't. She was the only woman he'd ever loved, after all. His...

"Usako."

Whispered though it was under his breath, it still had the effect of silencing the other occupants of the room. A complete hush followed as the two groups faced each other openly for the first time. The Senshi were torn between welcoming Sailor Moon back and being wary of their four old enemies. The generals, on the other hand, were more than willing to get on with the meeting, but stopped at the look of uncertainty in their partner's eyes. Nobody wanted to make the first move towards each other.

Only Mamoru was certain of what he wanted--his only love back in his arms. He didn't know that she was far from ready to forgive him yet, or that she wasn't sure if she could trust him with her heart again. All he knew was that she was everything to him and he needed her in his life.

He took a step towards her and repeated the only word he was capable of uttering at that moment.

"Usako..."

to be continued...

Next: Dreams Denied, Dreams Fulfilled

Note: Certain Senshi's and Generals will resolve their relationships. Mamoru tries to regain his lost relationship with Usagi to no avail.

Personal Note: First of all, I have to apologize for taking forever in writing this chapter. I didn't put anything down on paper for the first two weeks since I thought I would be moving at any minute. By the time I was certain that things would stay the same, my working hours became hectic, leaving me no time for anything else. Writer's block was my most persistent problem especially when it came to creating attacks. That's why Eric deserves a big thank you, since he provided most of the ideas for the ones you see here and some you'll see in the future as well. Secondly, I have to thank everyone who offered to post my fanfic for me when I thought I wouldn't be able to (you all know who you are ^_^). I didn't realize how many people actually wanted it finished and would go out of their way to help. Thanks for giving me a boost of confidence. Now more than ever, I am determined to write it till the very end. That's all I wanted to say. Just please be patient with me. I am an ordinary person with everyday stuff to do. I may not be fast in putting out chapters but I will always try to come through somehow. Till next time...

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