"I don't know how I'm gonna get through this English Exam, Ami-chan!" A blond girl with a pair of long pigtails exclaimed throwing her briefcase behind her head and looking up at the sky. "It's too hard," she whimpered.

Mizuno Ami looked over at her friend and smiled. "I bet Mamoru-san could help you, Usagi-chan." Ami gave her friend a devious smile.

Usagi's eyes opened wide and she blushed. She threw her arm behind her head and laughed. "Good idea, Ami-chan. You really are a genius!"

The two girls came to an intersection and stopped to talk for a few minutes. "Ami-chan, wanna go to the arcade? The new Sailor-V game just came out."

"No thanks, Usagi-chan. I have cram school today." She turned to the left and started down the street. "See you tomorrow!"

"Bye Ami-chan!" Usagi waved and continued down the road.

A red car pulled up behind her and honked, jerking her out of her daydream.

"Usako! Need a ride?"

Usagi's face lit up. "Mamo-chan! I was just thinking of you!" she told him as she got into the car.

"I'm honored." Chiba Mamoru leaned over and kissed her as a greeting.

"Mamo-chan, I was wondering..." Usagi began as he pulled away from the curb.

'Uh oh, here it comes,' he thought to himself.

"…If you would help me study for the upcoming English exam."

The car jerked to an abrupt stop in the middle of the street. Car horns blared all around it.

"Ow!" Usagi rubbed her forehead.

"You want me to help you....STUDY?!" Mamoru asked quizzically.

"Yeah," Usagi responded.

"Who are you and what have you done with Usako?"

Usagi looked hurt for a moment as she stared at her boyfriend.

Mamoru smiled and kissed her again. "Just kidding. Of course I'll help you, Odango Atama."

Usagi's face exploded in happiness. "Let's start now then!"

"OK. But I have to go to work in an hour."

* * * * * * * * * * *

Hino Rei sat before the sacred fire in deep meditation. Her long raven hair spilled over her shoulders and down her back. The fire burned bright and strong in front of her, casting a glow on the girl's angelic face and body, creating an aura of that of an angel around her.

Visions of beautiful landscapes and tranquil seas danced in her head. The peace was soon shattered; all of it covered in a crimson red.

The girl's eyes snapped open. Sweat beaded her forehead. Something big was about to happen. The Prince and Princess were in danger, and so were the Senshi.

Rei grabbed her communicator watch and turned it on.

* * * * * * * * * * *

Aino Minako sat at her desk, studying for the upcoming exam when her communicator went of.

"Sailor-V!" she answered.

"Minako-chan, I just had a vision," Rei said frantically to the Senshi of Love, Sailorvenus.

"What's the matter? Is the Princess in danger?" Minako questioned. Sailormars' visions were never wrong.

* * * * * * * * * * *

"So, the subject of the sentence comes before the predicate, and the conjugated verb," Usagi recited. "Right, Mamo-chan?"

Mamoru murmured and kissed the back of her neck. He wrapped his arms around her and pulled her closer to him.

Usagi giggled and turned to face him. "Break time," she said with a grin. Usagi leaned back into Mamoru's strong embrace and sighed with happiness. She closed her eyes and wallowed in serenity as Mamoru's strong hands began to massage up and down her back gently working out the knots.

"Why so tense, Usako?" he asked in his deep voice.

"For the same reason you are, Mamo-chan." She placed a hand on top of his and looked up into his midnight blue eyes. They'd both felt it: an eerie sense of premonition. Soon the peace and silence would be shattered forever; the serenity and tranquility would be gone.

The communicator on Usagi's wrist beeped, saving Mamoru from the awkward situation. It was true. He had felt a premonition, but he didn't want to worry Usagi with it. They'd been so happy lately, forgetting everything but themselves.

"Moshi, moshi," Usagi said half-heartedly. "What's up? Is it another youma attack?"

"No, Usagi-sama," Diana spoke softly into the two-way radio. Even though she was just a small kitten, she was highly intelligent. Usagi wondered why she was back from the future.

"Is Chibi-usa back?!" Usagi exclaimed happily. Mamoru tensed behind her. It had something to do with Chibi-usa; something was wrong with her. He knew it.

"No, Usagi-sama. But I do have a message from Sailorpluto and Chibi-usa."

Usagi's face fell. Her eyes watered and Mamoru took her hand to try and comfort her. The two missed Chibi-usa terribly. Waiting for her to come back was a living hell for them as parents.

"What did she say, Diana? Do your parents know you're here?"

"She's not 'there,' Princess," a quiet, yet forceful voice whispered. The tiny screen on her watch faded out, and a tall figure materialized in front of the two.

"Pu…" Usagi whispered. Something was really wrong. Sailorpluto, the mysterious Senshi of Time, never left the gates of Time. "What's the matter, Pu…is it Chibi-usa?" Usagi asked fearfully. Mamoru tightened his grip on his beloved's hand.

"Something has happened to the Small Lady," Sailorpluto began.

A small sound escaped from Usagi's throat as her eyes grew large in fear.

"However, something is wrong with the King as well." The Senshi paused, trying to find an easier way to say what was wrong. She looked at Mamoru, his face disclosed nothing. He'd learned at a young age to hide his feelings, yet some fear and sorrow made their way into his eyes.

Sailorpluto took in a deep breath and leaned a little on the tremendous staff she carried. "A few days ago, the King doubled over. A day passed, yet he only got worse. Then he began to fade. And so did the Small Lady. She has since completely disappeared, and the King has as well." Sailorpluto's face softened, and she walked across the room to the distraught couple. "She left a message with me. She said that she wasn't worried; that she knew that the champion of love and justice would come through for her. She said that she believes in you, Sailormoon, Tsukino Usagi, Princess Serenity of long ago; and Neo-Queen Serenity who rules over Crystal Tokyo in the future," Sailorpluto stepped back and began to disappear. "She believes in you" With those parting words, the Senshi of Time returned to her solitude, leaving Usagi and Mamoru alone.

Mamoru got up, walked to his phone, and dialed the hospital. "I'm sorry, Mizuno-san," he said softly, struggling to keep his voice from breaking. "I can't come in today." He paused and listened. "Yes, I know, I know you're shorthanded, but it's an emergency." Then another pause. "Yes, thank you. Good bye." Mamoru hung up the phone and nearly collapsed next to the desk. He leaned on it heavily, his head bowed so low it nearly rested on the desk. Soon he was crying and shaking with grief. His usually strong and stable physique was now that of a scared child.

Usagi rose from the couch, numb with grief, and stood beside him. Hot tears ran down both sides of her face. Mamoru lifted his head and looked at her with bloodshot and swollen eyes. His face was that of a scared little boy. Usagi took a step towards him and a small hand on his muscular arm. The two fell together, comforting each other.

"Usako, what…what could've happened in this time-"

"I don't know, Mamo-chan," Usagi's sob came out as a frightened whisper. "But, Chibi-usa's gone…she's gone!" she cried into his chest.

Mamoru wrapped his arms around her back and buried his face in her hair.

* * * * * * * * * * *

The four inner senshi met at the Hikawa Jinja to discuss the vision that Rei had had. All of them were there: the Senshi of Truth, Wood, Thunder, and Lightning, Sailorjupiter: Kino Makoto, The Senshi of Love, also known as the legendary Sailor-V, Sailorvenus: Aino Minako, The Senshi of Wisdom, Sailormercury: Mizuno Ami, and the Senshi of Fire, Sailormars: Hino Rei. Two cats, Luna and Artemis accompanied the inner senshi.

"Does anyone know where that Odango Atama is?!" Rei exploded.

Ami got up off the floor and walked to the phone. "Maybe she's at Mamoru-san's," she said as she dialed the numbers from memory. "She said she was going to ask him to help her study."

Makoto started laughing. "Our Usagi? Study?!" Her long brown ponytail bounced as she laughed. "Yeah, right! She's at Mamoru's 'studying.'"

Ami looked at her watch. "Maybe not," she thought again. "He's supposed to be working today."

The other three senshi looked at her quizzically. "Are you memorizing his schedule now, Ami-chan?" Minako asked.

Ami blushed. "No!" she said in defense. "He works at the hospital with my mother. She comes home telling me how good-looking he is all the time!"

Minako opened her mouth to ask another question, but Artemis jumped in before she could. "Have you tried the communicator, Rei-chan?"

"Yes; she's not answering that either."

"Try Mamoru-san's apartment anyway," Luna suggested. "It can't hurt to try."

Ami dialed the number once more and let it ring. The machine picked up, and Ami was about to hang up the phone when she heard crying in the background. Her eyes widened and she dropped the phone.

"What? What's the matter, Ami-chan?" Makoto asked in surprise.

They're there…and something's wrong," she whispered.

"Damnit!" Rei swore under her breath. She jumped up off the floor, ran out of the room, and to her car. She honked the horn and shouted out the window, "Come on! We have to get over there now!!"

Tears of Sorrow

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