Ann stared sightlessly at the open book on her desk. The teacher droned on and on about something she couldn't care less about and not for the first time, Ann wondered why she had bothered coming to school today. After she saw that Alan hadn't come after being missing all night, she should have just gone back home.

A sigh caught Ann's attention and she glanced towards the back of the classroom. Usagi sat a few rows behind Ann with her chin resting on her hand as she gazed out of the window. That wasn't unusual for Ann's flighty classmate, but the frown on her face was. She must have felt Ann's gaze on her, because a moment later, Usagi looked up and met Ann's eyes. She spared Ann a half-hearted smile- a twitch of the lips really- before turning her attention back to the lesson. Ann frowned and turned back around in her seat.

What did Alan see in her? Ann wondered. What did Mamoru, for that matter? Usagi had somehow become her main rival for both of their attention. At first, when Alan first started paying far too much attention to the young blonde, Ann had ignored it. After all, they were supposed to be brother and sister, not…whatever they actually were. Ann had had similar motives for going after Mamoru. But something had changed along the way, for both Alan and Ann. Mamoru had become more than a temporary distraction for her, and it looked as if Usagi meant more to Alan.

Now his feelings were getting in the way of possibly reviving the Makaiju. Somehow, Usagi's energy had done more to heal the tree than anything Alan and Ann had tried before. She could be the missing piece to restoring the pair's devastated home world. It was, as far as Ann was concerned, a necessary and easy sacrifice to make. Usagi's life- because it would likely kill her to give the Makaiju all the energy it needed- for their entire planet. Yet Alan didn't want to give the tree what it wanted. Ann's jaw set with annoyance at that and she shot one short scathing look back at Usagi, though the girl didn't see. She was back to gazing dreamily out of the window.

The bell rang and Ann hung back while her classmates left. Usagi hadn't been paying attention to the clock, or to her classmates gathering their belongings, so she was still packing her school bag when the classroom emptied. When the teacher left, Ann walked over to Usagi. Immediately, Usagi was on her guard, a frown already forming on her face. Ann surprised her with a gentle smile.

"Hey Usagi," she said, cheerfully. Usagi blinked in surprise.

"Um…hey," she replied hesitantly. Ann's smile turned a little wistful.

"I've been thinking," Ann continued thoughtfully. "This little rivalry of ours has gotten out of hand.'
"It…has?" Usagi's surprise turned into confusion. Ann nodded.

"I mean, look at us. We're both smart, pretty young women, fighting over some guy? How lame is that?" Usagi gaped at her, but nodded in agreement.

"I-I guess," she stammered. Her cheeks went pink with embarrassment. Laid out that way, Usagi realized how petty she had been, to Ann and Mamoru. "I mean, yeah. It's pretty lame."

"I'm glad you think so!" Ann exclaimed, clapping her hands happily. "It's been so difficult making new friends since Alan and I got here and I just realized that I had alienated someone who could have been a really good friend. Then I had to take a real long look at myself and I gotta tell ya, I didn't like what I saw. So what do you say, Usagi? Can we be friends?" Usagi wavered for only a moment before she took the hand that Ann had extended towards her with a smile making its way slowly across her face.

"Yeah," she said. "I'd like that."

"Great!" Ann snapped her fingers and grinned at Usagi. "I have an idea. Why don't you come over after school? We have that assignment Sensei Taishi just assigned. Why don't we partner up for it?" Usagi bit her lip. The assignment was for history. She and Minako had that class together and usually, Usagi partnered up with her friends in classes they had together. But she thought Minako would understand if she worked with Ann instead. She liked the idea of forging a peace with the other girl. It suddenly occurred to Usagi that maybe the reason Ann had been so obnoxious in her pursuit of Mamoru was because she was lonely. A deep sense of sympathy filled Usagi as she finally consented to being Ann's partner.

"Sure." Usagi smiled. "We can work together. I'll meet you out front after final bell. I've got to go catch up with my friends for lunch, but I'll see you later." Usagi flashed Ann a 'victory' sign with her fingers and left Ann alone in the classroom. Ann's smile shifted into a smirk. She grabbed her bag and finally, as she had been wanting to all morning, left the school. She had done all she needed to do, and now she only had to wait for the final bell.

-:-:-:-:-:-:-

"I still can't believe you agreed to work with her," Makoto said, shaking her head. "Last week you were ready to rip her hair out over the play, and now you two are friends?" Usagi looked up from tying her shoes and made a face at Makoto.

"What? I can't be mature and take the fast road?" Usagi demanded.

"I think you mean high road," Ami corrected her. "And we're very proud of you for it. It's just…well, why did she have the sudden change of heart?" Usagi shrugged, feeling as mystified as her friends.

"I don't know," she admitted. "But I'm honestly tired of fighting with her. Have a non-monster enemy is exhausting." Minako snorted.

"Whatever!" she said, pouting. "I just can't believe you're abandoning me on this project. Do you know who I have to work with now? Eiji! The guy who can belch his numbers all the way up to ten!" Usagi looked at Minako sympathetically.

"I'm sorry, Mina," she said. "I didn't realize he was the only one without a partner. But I just felt so bad for Ann. I think maybe she's lonely." Minako rolled her eyes, but there wasn't any real anger behind it.

"Oh, fine!" she huffed. "I'll suffer through it in the name of sisterhood." Usagi grinned and gave Minako a quick hug.

"You are the best!" Usagi squealed. "I have to go. Ann's meeting me out front. I'll see you guys later!" Usagi grabbed her things and ran out to the front of the school. Ann was waiting by the gate. She smiled when Usagi bounced up to her.

"Ready to go?" she asked.

"Sure am!" Usagi nodded. "Do you want to stop for a milkshake?" Ann's mouth twitched down into a quick frown at the suggestion. She turned and started towards her apartment so Usagi wouldn't see the flash of irritation on her face.

"Actually, I have a pretty busy evening after we're done. I don't want it to take all night."

"Oh!' Usagi said, falling into step beside Ann. "What've you got going on?" Ann dropped her head and smirked.

"I've got to bury a body," she said frankly. Usagi paused for a beat and burst out laughing.

"You looked so serious!" she giggled. She winked at Ann. "Okay, Futoshi Matsunaga. You don't have to tell me." They walked along to Ann's apartment, Usagi chatting amiably while Ann did her best to look interested in what she was saying. Ann had to fight the disgust she felt for Usagi. There was no one in the universe, Ann was sure, who could genuinely go from disliking someone to being as friendly as Usagi was being as fast as Usagi had. Ann suspected that Usagi was just trying to lull her into a false sense of friendship before pulling something underhanded to get Mamoru to herself. It made what Ann was about to do much easier. She hated phony people passionately.

"So, I didn't see Alan in school today," Usagi noted. "He isn't sick or anything is he? Because if he is, we can go study at my place." Ann's eyes widened and she spun towards Usagi.

"No!" she almost yelled. Usagi shrank back nervously. Ann schooled her face into a smile. "I mean, he had something to take care of out of town. I don't know if he's back yet, but he's not sick." Ann smiled secretively and looked at Usagi slyly. "Besides, if he is home, I'm sure he'd love to have you over anyway."

Usagi blushed and turned away from Ann. She began to wonder at her companions motives for inviting her over and burying the hatchet. Maybe, Usagi speculated, Ann was trying to Parent Trap her and Alan. Usagi was generous enough to think that Ann was truly acting as a caring sister trying to set her brother up with the girl he liked, but she also knew that Ann probably thought that by getting Usagi and Alan together, she'd clear the field for her to get Mamoru. A part of Usagi bristled at the thought, but another part of her thought that it was cute, albeit misguided. It sounded like something Minako would pull, which sort of endeared Ann to Usagi. They arrived at Ann's building and Ann pointed towards the top.

"We have great view of the city from our balcony," she told Usagi. "It's beautiful at night." She led Usagi into the building and pressed the call button for the elevator. They had just stepped into the elevator when they heard someone running towards the bank.

"Wait! Hold the elevator!" Ann recognized Alan's voice, but Usagi was closer to the door. She pressed the door open button and was surprised when Alan appeared, and then shocked to see Mamoru behind him. The doors slid shut behind the boys and Usagi found herself wishing that she had just let the elevator go without them.

-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-

Mamoru had been on his way to the grocery store when he bumped into Alan. The slightly shorter man had been walking aimlessly, and Mamoru was prepared to pass him without acknowledgement- he was still unaccountably irritated with Alan and his flowers- but Alan surprised Mamoru by greeting him.

"Hi…"Mamoru said uncertainly. Alan looked a bit disheveled and Mamoru wondered if he was sick. "You okay?" Alan stood up a little straighter and ran his hand through his messy reddish blonde hair.

"I'm fine," Alan said. "It's just… been a long day."

"Oh…well, you should go home and get some rest," Mamoru suggested awkwardly. Why had Alan stopped to talk to him, he wondered. Alan smirked and pointed to the building across the street.

"I'm already here." His face brightened suddenly, as if he had just gotten an idea. "Why don't you come up and hang out for a while? I'm not really in the mood to be by myself." Mamoru couldn't fight the look of confusion on his face. He barely knew Alan, and the bit he did know, he wasn't thrilled about. He was trying to figure out a polite way to turn him down when he saw something across the street to make him change his mind.

"Ah, sure," Mamoru agreed. "We've got the light now." The two men sprinted across the street and into the building where Mamoru had just seen Usagi and Ann disappear into. Alan ran for the elevator, asking the other riders to hold it for him and Mamoru. He didn't seem surprised to find Usagi and Ann inside, but the girls were surprised to see them. Usagi's eyes widened when the met Mamoru's and she ducked her head almost immediately. She stood silently in the corner, and let Ann stand between her and the two new arrivals. Mamoru berated himself for the impulsiveness he had been giving into over the past week. The ride up to Alan and Ann's apartment was unusually tense and everyone was relieved when it was over.

Ann opened the door and let the others in. Then she and Alan ushered Usagi and Mamoru into the living room while they went to the kitchen to prepare food for their guests. Usagi sat uncomfortably on the edge of her seat. She had chosen the easy chair across the small living room from Mamoru's perch on the couch. Mamoru cleared his throat and they both started speaking at the same time.

"I'm really sorry about yesterday-"

"Usagi, I shouldn't have yelled –"They stopped and laughed nervously. Usagi bit her lip and pulled at a lock of her hair.

"Ah…me first," she said. "I'm sorry about how I acted yesterday. I was…in a bad mood. I shouldn't have taken it out on you."

"No, I should have realized you wanted to be alone," Mamoru apologized. "I'm sorry I yelled at you." Usagi looked at Mamoru through her eyelashes and smiled shyly.

"Friends?" she asked. Mamoru froze for a moment before smiling back somewhat reluctantly.

"Yeah, friends." Usagi sighed with relief. Alan and Ann came back carrying refreshments.

-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-

Ann eyed Alan suspiciously. They had come in to the kitchen and Ann pounced as soon as she was sure their guests were settled in the living room.

"Why did you bring him here?" she hissed quietly. Alan glared at Ann stonily.

"I could ask you the same."

"You know why." Ann's voice was low and dangerous. Alan had to fight back a smile. She looked like an alley cat ready to strike.

"Then I guess he's here for the same reason she is." Whatever Ann was expecting his answer to be that wasn't it. Her anger melted in the wake of her confusion. This time Alan let the smile spread across his face.

"You were right," he told her. "I've lost sight of what our mission is. But I think you have, too."

"What are you saying?" Ann asked, her eyes furrowed in uncertainty. Alan sighed and placed his hands on Ann's shoulders.

"We've allowed ourselves to become distracted by trying to be human," he said. "We came here to save the Makaiju and our people, but we got so caught up with these petty problems with Usagi and Mamoru, that we lost sight of that. What I'm saying is that we need to be rid of all distractions. All distractions." Ann finally understood what Alan was saying. She lowered her head, allowing her bangs to fall into her eyes. The thought of sacrificing Mamoru to the Makaiju saddened her. But, she reflected, it was exactly what she was asking Alan to do with Usagi. Ann took a deep breath and met Alan's eyes, her own flinty with determination, and then gave him one firm nod. Alan smiled at Ann. With a quick glance over his shoulder to make sure Usagi and Mamoru couldn't see into the kitchen, he bent down and kissed Ann.

"We should get them something to eat," Alan said, smiling at the blush on Ann's cheeks. "I hope we have something good enough to be a final meal."

They quickly put together trays of sandwiches, chips and drinks and carried them out to the living room coffee table.

'Usagi and I should get started on our homework," Ann announced. She placed her hands on Alan's shoulders and pushed him gently towards the balcony. "I know, why don't you show Mamoru the view from the up here, and let me and Usagi have the living room. Alan smiled kindly and slid the balcony door open for the other man.

"We have a great view out here," Alan bragged. "And no boring girl talk." Mamoru looked reluctantly back at Usagi before following Alan out to the balcony. The siblings had fed him, he figured he could stay and be a good guest for a little while.

Ann turned back to Usagi when the guys had shut the door behind them and smiled. She glanced at their school bags, which were sitting by the coffee table untouched and sighed.

"I can never jump right into homework when I first get home," Ann confided in Usagi.

"Oh! Me neither," Usagi said, happy to finally have something in common to leap on. So far, Usagi's hopes that she and Ann would become good friends had been hindered by the fact that they didn't have any similar points of interest at all. Usagi knew that not everyone she met was destined to be her best friend, but she was determined to at least try with Ann, who had made such a huge effort to make amends.

'How about we eat first," Ann suggested. "It'll give us time to chat about something that's not Mamrou." Usagi blushed and laughed a bit.

'Sounds good." Ann asked about Usagi's classes and her family and friends. It wasn't hard to get the girl chatting, Ann found. As long as Ann asked questions, there was never a lull in the conversation. Finally, though, Usagi found an opening and began asking Ann questions. Questions she couldn't, and didn't want to answer.

"What do your parents do?" Usagi asked at one point. Ann gave her an evasive answer, but Usagi filled in the blanks. Alan and Ann had no parents. The brief look of pity that passed over Usagi's face irritated Ann. Who was this girl- this human - to pity her? A noise from the Makaiju's room caught the girls' attention.

"What was that?" Usagi asked, peering down the corridor leading to the bedrooms. Ann saw her opportunity.

"I don't know," she whispered fearfully. "Alan's been working on something in his room. He's so sly about it when I ask him, but I keep hearing noises when no one else is here."

"Really?" Usagi's eyes went round in anticipation of a mystery. Ann nodded.

"Mostly bumps and thumps," she explained. "But sometimes, I hear this dragging noise. I keep wanting to check it out, but I'm afraid to look on my own." Usagi glanced back towards the rooms and heard the noise again. Her curiosity was piqued. She licked her lips and turned back to Ann.

"If you really want to check, I'll look with you," she offered. Ann smiled, excitement and gratefulness on her face. Usagi grinned back at her. There was nothing like a mystery and poking around your brother's things to cement a new friendship. Ann peeked out on the balcony where Mamoru and Alan were, and motioned for Usagi to follow her.

Usagi felt chills of anticipation as the girls made their way towards Alan's room. Or at least she told herself it was anticipation. She had to clench her teeth to keep them from chattering nervously. Discreetly she reached her hand up to her transformation broach, even as she told herself she was being paranoid for no reason. In all likelihood, the only thing they would find in Alan's room is what she would expect to find in Shingo's room; a musty, messy boy's room, and maybe some sort of animal to explain the noises. Determined not to wimp out in front of Ann, Usagi straightened her spine and dropped her hand to her side. The girls stood outside of Alan's room for a moment, exchanging nervous glances. Ann put her hand on the door knob.

"Okay, I'll open it on three," she said. "Ready? Three!" Ann threw the door open and Usagi stared into the room in confusion. It was pitch dark, without any windows to let in the late afternoon sun. The strangest thing though, was that the room felt huge to Usagi. Much bigger than the size of the apartment or the building would allow.

"I don't see anything," Usagi said nervously.

"Well you won't see anything from out here." Suddenly Ann's hands were on Usagi's shoulders and she shoved her roughly into the room. Usagi landed on something coarse and uneven. Before she could register the feeling of bark under her hands, a vine shot out and wound itself around her, and suddenly there was an indescribable pain rushing through her.

"AHHHHHHHHGGGGGH!"

-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-

That the two young men had nothing to say to each other became apparent almost immediately. After making some comments about the view, and the weather, they ran out of things to say to each other and sat in uncomfortable silence. Mamoru wasn't looking to make a new friend today, and if he were really honest he'd admit that he still was less than thrilled with how Alan looked at Usagi.

Mamoru sighed and looked at the tray. The sandwiches had been eaten and Mamoru wasn't much of a soda drinker, so his still full cup sat there. He briefly wondered if enough time had passed that he could leave without it looking rude and decided to take his chances. Usagi and Ann would probably be a while, and Mamoru had no real reason to wait around for her. He was going to say good-bye when a piercing shriek tore through the apartment. Mamoru leapt to his feet and flung the door open.

"What was that?" he shouted.

"I don't know," Alan said, leading the way inside. There was another scream and Mamoru took off running to the rooms in back. Instinctively he knew that it was Usagi screaming. Ann was standing at the door of one of the rooms and barely spared a glance at Mamoru. She was focused on something inside.

"What's going on?" he demanded. He ran into the room and saw Usagi's limp form dangling from the glowing Makaiju. Without stopping to process what he was seeing, Mamoru leapt up on to the twisted roots of the tree and wrapped his hands around Usagi's wrists.

"Usagi!" he yelled. To his relief, the girl stirred and opened her eyes blearily.

"Mamo…?" She blinked at him in confusion before she remembered where she was. Her eyes flew open and she tried to pull her wrists free from Mamoru's grip. "You have to get out of here! Run, Mamoru!" Mamoru tightened his grip and shook his head.

"Not without you!" he promised. Mamoru tried again to pull Usagi free of the vine that held her above the ground. Another vine shot out of the dark and wound around Mamoru's midsection. He was yanked violently away from Usagi and suddenly, he felt something like electricity shoot through him. He barely heard Usagi calling his name over his own screams. Through the pain, he clawed at the vine. He had to get himself and Usagi out of there. His vision blurred and he could feel whatever the tree was forcing through him draining his energy. From the corner of his eye, Mamoru saw a figure in white materialize in the shadows beneath the tree. No one else seemed to notice it. Mamoru shook his head and turned his attention back to the tree holding him and Usagi captive.

Usagi clawed at the vine tightening around her body and glared at Alan and Ann. They stood in the doorway staring in awe at the glowing Makaiju. They weren't concerned with Mamoru or Usagi anymore. Usagi looked over at Mamoru, who was struggling against his own bonds and her heart clenched. She had to get him out of there. Gritting her teeth in desperation, Usagi clutched her broach and shouted her henshin phrase.

"Moon Prism Power, Make Up!" That caught Alan and Ann's attention. The three others in the room gaped as Usagi suddenly burst into blinding light. When the light faded, Sailor Moon stood in Usagi's place. The vine had burst around her and the pieces lay uselessly at her feet.

"What?" Alan gasped.

"You are Sailor Moon?" Ann stared in disbelieving anger at the girl who had been her rival on more than one front. Sailor Moon glared at their captors defiantly.

"How dare you use the beauty of nature to hurt innocent people!" she snarled. "In the name of the Moon, I will punish you!"

"Usagi, behind you!" Sailor Moon heard Mamoru's warning in just enough time to leap out of the way of a vine that was heading towards her. It followed her as she jumped higher into the tree's branches. Finally she saw an opportunity stopped long enough to pull her tiara off.

"Moon Tiara Magic!" The glowing disk sliced through the vine and through the one that held Mamoru. He hit the floor hard, but he was back, shakily on his feet a moment later. He clutched his bruised ribs as he searched the tree frantically for Sailor Moon. Alan and Ann rushed into the room, their human glamours dropped. Mamoru's attention was pulled from the tree to the two alien beings now before him. Their skin was tinged green and their hair flowed around their waists. Alan's hair was blue and Ann's hair was now pink. Their clothes had also changed, but Mamoru didn't have time to take it in. Ann pulled out two cards and Alan put a flute to his lips. As the haunting melody poured out from the flute, the cards began to glow. They floated out of Ann's hands and in a flash of light, turned into two monsters; one looked like a two-headed bulldog the size of a horse and the other seemed to be an anthropomorphic praying mantis in flowing black robes.

"Get her!" Alan ordered, pointing up to the tree's top branches.

"No!" Mamoru shouted. Still holding his ribs with one hand he frantically threw anything he could get his hands on at the two monsters. The Cardians turned to him in confusion as they were pelted with rocks and bits of tree branches and barks. The bulldog's head growled in unison and stalked towards Mamoru who was ducking under and over the tree's roots, leading the monster away from the fight.

"Mamoru!" Sailor Moon jumped down and landed behind him. She pulled him out of the way of the Cardian as it leapt at him, both sets of slavering teeth bared. Sailor Moon hid with Mamoru in a cluster of roots just out of the Cardian's reach.

"You have to get out of here!" she told Mamoru. "I'll get Alan and Ann away from the door and you run." Mamoru grasped her hands fiercely.

"I told you, I'm not leaving without you." Mamoru could see the frustration on Sailor Moon's face, but the other Cardian had come to join the bulldog and there was no more time to argue. Sailor Moon pulled Mamoru into a brief hug.

"Stay safe," she whispered. "I'll come back for you." Mamoru watched her in awe. She leapt out from the tangle of roots over the monsters' head and attacked them with her tiara again. The light flashed again, but Mamoru could see that though Sailor Moon had hit both of the Cardians, all she had done was hurt them a bit. They were still in good enough shape to give chase. She led them away from Mamoru's hiding place.

Mamoru clenched his fist as he kept an anxious eye on the fight. They were going too far away for him to see clearly. It was all wrong, he thought. He shouldn't be hiding; he should be out there helping her. He hated the useless feeling of watching the woman he loved fighting to protect him.

That thought gave Mamoru only a fraction of a moment's pause. The analytical part of his mind accepted that he loved Usagi, but reminded him that that knowledge wasn't going to help her win this fight.

"You can help her." Mamoru gasped. The figure in white- the one he thought he imagined- was suddenly standing at the opening of Mamoru's hiding place. From close up, Mamoru could see it was a man, about his height, wearing what seemed to be a costume from Laurence of Arabia. There was a turban on his head, and mask over his face. The only thing visible was the man's piercing blue eyes. Mamoru looked at the man dubiously.

"Who are you?" he asked. "What do you mean?" The man stepped back and motioned for Mamoru to come out into the open. Mamoru hesitated a moment, but climbed out after him. None of the four assailants in the room saw him. He turned to the man in white, waiting for an explanation.

"If I tell you who I am," he said. "If you accept what I offer you, you are committing to helping Sailor Moon not only with this battle, but for all the ones she faces in the future." Mamoru looked up into the trees. He could see lights flashing and the shadows of the combatants, but Sailor Moon was out of his sight. He turned back the man in white and nodded frantically.

"I'll do it," he agreed. "Just tell me what I need to do." The man in white nodded in approval and removed his mask and Mamoru was looking at a mirror image of himself. He stumbled backwards in alarm, but the man came closer with his hand out.

"I am the Moonlight Knight," Mamoru's double said. "Everything will be clear soon. Just take my hand and help Sailor Moon!" From above, Mamoru heard Sailor Moon cry out in pain as one of the monsters' attacks hit it's mark. Mamoru took the Moonlight Knight's hand and in an instant, two lifetimes worth of memories flooded his mind. He saw parts of his life as Prince Endymion of Terra; Endymion and Serenity's romance; the fall of the Moon Kingdom. He remembered searching for the rainbow crystals to unlock the secrets of his past; bickering with Usagi because he didn't know what else to say to her; fighting along side Sailor Moon, and later the Senshi. The memory of his time spent serving Beryl filled him with shame and regret, even though he knew he was under a spell at the time. Finally he saw Usagi's final battle with Beryl. He remembered how he, along with the other Senshi, lent her his strength so she could use the Silver Crystal to defeat the witch. Mamoru remembered calling up an image of Usagi's face as the last of his life slipped away from him.

It was all over in an instant. When Mamoru opened his eyes, the Moonlight Knight was gone. He wasn't surprised. The Moonlight Knight he now realized was a manifestation of Mamoru's psychic powers, born out of his desire to protect Usagi. The Knight wasn't needed anymore, Mamoru thought, looking up at the treetop. Sailor Moon didn't need the Moonlight Knight anymore, but she did need someone.

Mamoru leapt up towards where Sailor Moon was fighting. Tuxedo Kamen's black cape fluttered around his shoulders, using the sudden updraft to carry him farther than he ever thought he could jump. Sailor Moon had her back against the Makaiju's expansive trunk and she was trying to keep an eye on both of the Cardian's slowly approaching her on either side. She was injured. She held her side, trying to stop the flow of blood that stained her fuku and simultaneously looking for an opening to attack. Kamen saw the problem immediately; even if she could take one of the Cardians out, the remaining one would be in a position to attack her before she could get on the defensive again. Tuxedo Kamen snarled at the beasts. He pulled out two steel stemmed roses and threw them at the Cardians and they landed on their marks with a massive jolt.

Sailor Moon stared at the roses in shock. They weren't white. Forgetting the Cardians and the pain in her side, she spun towards where they came from, hardly believing- hardly hoping- that she would see a familiar figure standing there. But he was there. Tuxedo Kamen. She was so stunned, she almost fell out of the tree. Tuxedo Kamen jumped down to her branch and steadied her.

"How…?" she whispered, clutching his sleeves. 'But you were…" Tuxedo Kamen smiled at Sailor Moon and shook his head.

"Let's survive this first and compare stories later." That brought Sailor Moon out of her daze and she jumped a few branches up from where the Cardians were. They were beginning to recover from Tuxedo Kamen's attack, but Sailor Moon was ready for them. Her new vantage point put both Cardians right where she needed them. Calling up her wand Sailor Moon hit them with a finishing blow.

"Moon Healing Escalation!" A wave of opalescent light hit both Cardians, reducing them to piles of ash with cards protruding from the top. Sailor Moon paid the remains no attention. Almost before the light of her attack faded, she had returned to the branch where Tuxedo Kamen was waiting. She threw her arms around him, and then pulled back just enough to look him in the eyes. She brought her hands up to either side of his face. Her eyes were tearful, but happy.

"Is this real?" she asked. "I'm not dreaming?" Tuxedo Kamen smiled as he gaze back at her. His arms were wound around her almost as tightly as the vine had been. It aggravated Sailor Moon's wound, but she didn't care.

"This is too weird to be a dream," Tuxedo Kamen assured her. He leaned in to kiss her…

Boom!

The couple was flung apart by the force of Alan's attack. Tuxedo Kamen managed to grab hold of the branch and stop his fall, but Sailor Moon hit the tree trunk with a sickening thud and landed in a heap. She didn't move. Tuxedo Kamen scrambled to get to her, but Alan materialize in front of him. He floated above the tree with a look of fury on his face.

"So sorry to break up this lovely moment," he snarled, "but you two have something we need. Two superheroes for one. That ought to be enough to restore the Makaiju permanently." Vines started moving, creeping in towards the trio.

"ENOUGH!" A loud, booming voice filled the room. The vines shot out and wrapped around Alan and flung him into the ground with a force that sent tremors through the tree. Ann let out a strangled cry in horror and ran to his side.

"What have you done?" she cried out to the Makaiju. "We were only trying to restore you!" The tree glowed red and black, and the strength of its anger warmed the room. Tuxedo Kamen clamored over to Sailor Moon. She had rolled onto her knees and was trying to stand.

"Go slow," Tuxedo Kamen told her. But she wasn't paying attention to him. She reached out a hand and placed it against the tree trunk and gasped.

"It's in pain!" The Makaiju's glow dimmed and Sailor Moon could swear she heard it weeping. Ann stared at the tree, hurt and confused. She had Alan in her arms, and tears streaming down her face.

"I don't understand," she yelled at the tree. "We did everything we could to save you. We gave you all the energy we could." She pointed at Tuxedo Kamen and Sailor Moon angrily. "We brought them for you so that you could live." She dropped her head onto Alan and sobbed into his hair.

"You have filled me with the fear and anguish of so many," the Makaiju cried. Tuxedo Kamen could hear the pain in its voice. He wrapped an arm around Sailor Moon's waist and leapt down from the tree with her. "This isn't what I wanted."

Sailor Moon pulled away from Tuxedo Kamen and knelt at the Makaiju's roots. She rested her hand on one of the gnarled extrusions. The tree was ancient. Ancient and weak. Sailor Moon could feel the Makaiju reacting to her touch. It wasn't pulling energy from her; it simply felt like the tree was leaning into the comfort of a gentle touch.

"I'm sorry," the Makaiju said. Vines reached out and rested on Sailor Moon. Tuxedo Kamen started forward to pull her away, but he stopped when he saw Sailor Moon reach up with her free hand and lay it on the vine comfortingly. She was crying silently and the Makaiju's leaves seemed to droop with her.

"Everything's gone so wrong," the Makaiju lamented. "My children have gone so wrong."

"Your children?" Tuxedo Kamen asked. He glanced back at Ann and Alan. Ann had stopped crying and had lifted her head towards the tree.

"I don't understand," she whimpered. "We were told that you were dying and needed a strong source of energy to live. Are these humans not enough?"

"I don't need energy; I need love!" The Makaiju's glow brightened to a blinding light and suddenly the dark room was gone. The Makaiju showed them the beginning of its life. It was alone on a faraway planet covered in water. Its island was the only land on the planet. The Makaiju began to grow. Its roots spread until there wasn't a corner of the island it didn't touch. When it had spread as far as it could, the Makaiju grew upwards. The tops of its branches scrapped the lower stratosphere, and it could suddenly hear the songs of the distant stars. It was so beautiful. From where she knelt at the tree's roots, Sailor Moon could hear a familiar song. She knew instinctively it was the song of her own star system. It blended with the other songs of the universe flawlessly and for the first time she understood that she and Tuxedo Kamen and the rest of the Senshi were part of something even larger than they thought. It was overwhelming and her tears came with a renewed fervor. It was so beautiful it hurt.

The Makaiju thought the same. When it heard the songs, it tried to join in. It lifted its voice as loud as it could, and though the sound of it shook the planet to its core, the Makaiju knew it wasn't quite strong enough to be heard amongst the others. It was alone in singing. It was lonely. Sadness filled the Makaiju's branches and roots. It hadn't considered its solitude before. It comforted itself by listening to the universal song ringing out across the galaxies, and every so often, it would sing again, joining with a song that no one else would hear.

One day, the Makaiju noticed something new. There was a blossom on one of its branches. The next day, it noticed a few more. Soon the entire tree was filled with blossoms. Their sweet scent filled the island, and then it mixed with the scent of the ocean and it was carried across the entire planet. The Makaiju was joyful and it lifted as branches even higher, so the blossoms could catch all the sunlight they could. Then one day, the Makaiju saw that the blossoms were falling off, and it was sad again. When the last blossom fell off, its branches drooped. Even the highest branches skimmed the ground. It mourned for the lost blossoms. It mourned because it thought it as alone again. It didn't understand, even when the places the blossoms had been began to swell. Then the swelling grew larger and larger. The Makaiju's branches were heavy with fruit, but it still didn't understand. When the fruit was ripe, it fell to the ground and split open. The island was alive with sound. The Makaiju was filled with wonder. It had children! It wasn't alone any more.

The Makaiju taught its children to sing and at last its song was loud enough to blend with the Universal song, but somehow that didn't seem as important as it once had. For millennia the Makaiju and its children, and its children's children lived happily on their planet. The love they felt for each other strengthened the Makaiju and it grew until its roots reached the center of the planet and its branches spread out over the water. The children of the Makaiju made their homes all around it; in the branches and in the roots. It now only listened to the song of the Universe occasionally. It was vaguely aware when first one song, and then another, and then others were silenced. Then, one day, it noticed a change in its children. They no longer wanted to sing with the Makaiju. They began fighting. First over resources, then over power. The Makaiju tried to keep the peace. It spread its branches even further, to give its children more space. Soon the Makaiju covered the entire planet, but it still wasn't enough. Its children had discovered war. The Makaiju watched, agonized, as its children began taking sides and fighting meaningless wars over concepts and ideas. They killed each other and the Makaiju wept for every fallen child.

The children of the Makaiju forgot about love and the Makaiju began to grow sick and weak. Its farthest branches began to fail, but it was a long time before it noticed. Finally, the Makaiju decided that enough was enough. It pulled in its roots and let its farthest branches die until it was only a fraction of its former size. The children it loved so dearly watched the decay in horror. They began to sacrifice their own kind and forced the Makaiju to accept their energy, heedless of how miserable it was. When the Makaiju's roots were short enough, it used the last of its energy to pull away from the planet's surface and drifted up towards the stars with only a few of its children remaining, clinging to its branches and roots. All the Makaiju wanted was to take them away and start again. This time it would teach its children better. It would tell them not only about love, but warn them what hate brings. But the Makaiju underestimated how long it would take to find a new planet. Its children began to sicken and die until only two small children were left. They were drawn together by their shared grief; they had both lost the parents that raised them.

The Makaiju brought them to a planet that it had heard before, when the Universe was younger. It was one of the planets that stopped singing so long ago, but its song was beginning again. Its voice was thin yet, but strong. The Makaiju almost passed the planet, because it sensed on its surface the same hatred that had destroyed its children, but then it felt something else. Love was also on this planet and it was fighting the hatred. For the first time in a long time, the Makaiju felt hope. It followed the source of the love and landed in Tokyo. There it discovered to its horror that it was too weak to speak. It couldn't tell its two remaining children how to help it recover, so they did the only thing they knew to do. They collected energy. They sacrificed humans to strengthen the Makaiju and it nearly died of the despair of having possibly sentenced this planet where love was fighting hatred to the same fate as its home planet.

Ann finally understood. She and Alan had been trying to save the Makaiju, but they had only been speeding along its death. She hung her head in shame as the room faded back to black. Her tears fell onto Alan's face. A hand touched her shoulder gently. She looked up and saw Sailor Moon smiling tearfully at her. Ann broke and she threw herself into the other girl's arms and wept bitterly into her fuku.

"Why are you being so kind?" Ann asked when she could speak again. Sailor Moon had no answer to give. The Makaiju's sigh was felt rather than heard.

"It's love," it told Ann. Ann pulled away and stared at the ground. She was ashamed. Everything she had ever thought about Sailor Moon, Usagi, humanity in general was so off base. The Makaiju was dying. She felt it. Alan was gone. Ann would be completely and truly alone. She wrapped her arms around herself and doubled over. She was too heart sick for tears.

Sailor Moon looked at the other girl with pity. She stood up and looked at the wand in her hand. The Silver Crystal glittered in the curve of the crescent and she knew what to do.

"I can help you," she said quietly. The Makaiju stirred. Its branches shifted forward towards Sailor Moon. Ann stiffened. She didn't dare meet Sailor Moon's eyes again. Sailor Moon looked over at Tuxedo Kamen uncertainly and then faced the tree. "I'm not sure what will happen to you. But I can get rid of the bad."

"If you could do that," the Makaiju sighed, "I would be grateful. No matter what the consequence, I cannot go on this way anymore." Sailor Moon nodded in sympathy. She raised the wand over her head and it sent a warm glow over the room.

"Moon Healing Escalation!"

The glow grew brighter and brighter until nothing else could be seen. When it faded, the tall tree was gone. Sailor Moon looked around frantically. She couldn't have completely destroyed it, she just couldn't have. Tuxedo Kamen came up beside her.

"It's okay," he told her. "Look." He turned her around. Ann was standing next to Alan, completely healed. He had his arm around Ann as she cradled a sapling in her arms. She lifted her tearful eyes to Sailor Moon.

"Thank you," she said. Sailor Moon's heart constricted in her chest. The beautiful tree was gone.

"But the Makaiju," she protested. "It's all wrong! It was supposed to be healed."

"It is healed," Alan assured her. "We had filled it with so much hate an evil, the only way to save it was to start over."

"We'll get it right this time," Ann promised. "We will help it to grow strong again. Only this time, we will do it with love and not pain and suffering." She looked up and smiled at Alan. He gazed back into her eyes lovingly.

"We have to go," Alan said. "We have to save what's left of our planet. We will never forget you, Sailor Moon…Usagi." Alan looked at Tuxedo Kamen pointedly. "Take care of her, or I'll be back for you." Tuxedo Kamen smirked and pulled Sailor Moon closer to him.

"Don't worry about that," he said. "I'll protect her with my life." Sailor Moon smiled at Tuxedo Kamen and rested her head against his shoulder. Alan, Ann and the Makaiju faded away, and with them, the room seemed to disappear. Or rather reappear. Sailor Moon blinked as the darkness faded. She and Tuxedo Kamen were standing in an empty bedroom. It was filled with light from the setting sun. She went to look out into the rest of the apartment, but she only made it as far as the door before exhaustion and the pain of her injuries caught up with her. Tuxedo Kamen caught her before her legs gave out completely.

"I'm not around for a few months and you go and nearly get yourself killed," he chided her gently. Sailor Moon scowled, but she couldn't be mad for long. She wrapped her arms around his neck and held on for a long time.

"I have missed you so…so much," she said shakily. "I didn't think I'd ever get you back." Tuxedo Kamen held her close, one arm around her waist, the other cradling her head.

"I'll always come back to you," he promised. "Always. I love you." Sailor Moon gasped and pulled back to look in his eyes.

"Say it again," she begged. Tuxedo Kamen smiled and happily obliged.

"I love you, Usako." He leaned in and kissed her gently.

'I love you, too, Mamo-chan," she whispered before she kissed him again.

The end.

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