AN: Welcome to Sailor Moon X! This is a reimagining of the first major arc of Sailor Moon except everyone is ten years older. I think the idea came to me when I was twenty-four myself and thinking about how much harder it might actually be. (Rent is expensive y'all.)

So, after years of sitting on this idea and occasionally daydreaming in this world, I decided to tackle it for NaNoWrimo 2018. I drew on my own experiences of adulthood as well as my travels to Japan. When it was done, I was pretty happy with it and have decided to share it with the world.

This is part of my New Year's resolutions. New chapters will be posted every other week until it's done. Be prepared because this is gonna be a long one.

To my friends: Here you go! You can finally read something I've written after ten years of seeing me write!

To new readers; Hello! Welcome! Hope you enjoy this story as much as I did writing it.

A big thanks my beta readers: Matt and Runic. Matt, you're my favorite for exploring ideas. Runic, you make me a better writer. Also a big shout out to Chelsea, my writing buddy. I would never have gotten so many words in without you, and I look forward to writing with you this year!

Lastly, a big thanks to my husband, for being a great critic and telling me I'm not crazy when I think something sucks and identifying why it sucks. Love you.

And without further ado...here we go

Chapter 1: It Always Starts With a Little Black Cat in Trouble

The boys in the alley had to be up to no good. They sat in a semicircle, poking at something on the ground. Given the Vicinity Youma phone alert sent twenty minutes prior, the subject of their fascination was probably morbid.

Usagi was taking out the trash, which was one of the only reasons to be behind Crown Arcade. Her shift had started with a full workload and halted due to the advisory to stay indoors. To top it off, her shop was virtually empty because of said monster attack, which was actually at a nearby establishment. She'd learn the details after work when she had time to check her Twitter feed.

"Do you think it's still alive?" one of the boys asked.

She sighed. As Assistant Manager of Crown, Usagi would have to address this situation.

She loudly banged the dumpster open in hopes of scaring the middle school kids off. Then, she tossed her trash into the bin then slammed the dumpster closed. Still no response. So, she inhaled deeply, trying not to gag on the smell of stale soda and rotten chips.

"Hey! Kids! What are you doing back here?" she yelled.

This time, the boys froze, looked over their shoulders, then rushed out of the alley. Clearly, up to no good. Relieved that it hadn't been particularly confrontational, Usagi went over to see just what trouble the boys were getting into. She gasped at what she saw.

A small black cat was lying prone on the ground.

Usagi dropped to her knees, and touched the kitty, hoping that she wouldn't feel it cold and stiff beneath her fingers.

"Please kitty, be alright," she whispered.

She let out a breath she didn't even know she was holding when she felt warmth beneath her fingers and the small labored breaths of a injured cat. What was she going to do? How could she help? She knew one thing for sure, sitting out in this alley wasn't going to help.

Very carefully, Usagi lifted the cat up and brought it into the arcade.

Luna ached and she wasn't entirely sure what was happening. She remembered the youma. She remembered instructing Minako in the heat of battle. She remembered being struck, but not much after. Where were her Senshi?

"It's okay kitty, I'm going to get you help," an almost familiar voice told her.

Luna felt blankets being wrapped around her, and being gently laid somewhere. She cracked her eyes open and saw blue eyes, blonde hair, and an indistinguishable face backlit by a single light. All she could think in that moment was, princess?

A gentle hand petted Luna, and it was very soothing.

"You're safe now. Just rest," Luna heard, then let the darkness overtake her once more.

Usagi did her best to occupy herself. Patience was not a virtue she possessed. This was especially true when she felt she could be helping, but wasn't. Or course, she constantly reminded herself that she was doing all she could. The vet wouldn't even be in for another forty minutes.

So, Usagi wiped down counters, dusted, stocked the claw machines, checked on patrons (there were only two) and made sure all her games were in top order. (Which of course, only took five minutes.) She'd do anything that would make the time go by faster. The worry still bubbled through. Worried that even waiting the hour for Motoki to get there so she could the animal to the vet would be too long. If something happened to that cat, Usagi would never forgive herself.

The door chimed, and Usagi leaned into the aisle to see who entered. (Again, happy for any distraction.) A beautiful woman with long blonde hair and a big red bow stood looking around. She was model gorgeous with perfect posture. It's like she'd walked off a movie set for the next Avenger's movie. Recognizing that this woman was probably not here to play the newest Square Enix arcade game, Usagi brushed her hand off on her pants and walked over.

"Hi," she said. "Can I help you."

The woman's demeanor shifted from elegant and aloof to anxious. She wrung her hands, and began, "I know this is a long shot, but have you seen a black cat around here? I lost her during a youma attack, and I'm just so worried…"

Usagi perked up. Finally! Something she could do. "Yes! I found her in my alley," she said eagerly. Without really thinking, she took the woman's hand and lead her to the storeroom.

"I'm really sorry," Usagi continued as they walked, "she's really beat up. I was waiting for my manager to get in so I could bring her to the emergency vet..."

In her excitement, Usagi fumbled with the keys to the storeroom. As soon as it was open though, the woman pushed past her and kneeled beside the box.

"Oh Luna," the woman said, kneeling down beside the box. "Thank you so much. I can take her from here."

Gently, the woman lifted the cat from the box, and Usagi actually felt a little sorrow in her heart. She couldn't quite place it, but it was almost a sense of deja vu, a sense that it should be Usagi cradling the cat in her arms.

When the woman turned to face Usagi, she looked into Usagi's eyes, and Usagi also felt such a strange familiarity in this moment. The woman did too.

"How can I ever thank you?" the woman said, cradling the injured cat.

"Come back when she's better," Usagi said, pointing to the cat.

The woman nodded and left, leaving Usagi behind, and a feeling that the world shifted under Usagi's feet. Something big had happened, but Usagi couldn't quite figure out what.

It was still strange to Mamoru to be back in Tokyo after so long. He'd been there nearly six months as the new pediatric surgeon for Saiseikai Central Hospital, but it'd taken this long before his and Motoki's schedule had aligned. And now he was on his way to his old haunt. A place he hadn't been in six years, a place full of fond memories - Crown Arcade.

Crown Arcade's core hadn't changed much since he'd been there, but everything looked different. New games he didn't recognize, many violent with guns and some strange Pokemon token game greeted him at the entrance. The sliding doors were polished and sparkling. The walls were now a pale blue instead of a pale yellow. Motoki had told him they'd changed the name to Crown from Furahata to appeal to the influx of foreigners in the district. It all felt fresh and hip and slightly Western, as did most of Roppongi Hills now.

But even though all the surface had changed, and the paint was fresh, everything inside was just as it had always been. There were kids and adults and beeps and chimes. In the back he could see some of the older games, the games that had been hip when he was in school. He noticed it was aptly labeled Nostalgia Corner (sponsored by Super Potato).

Then he stopped dead in his footsteps. The old Sailor V game was being played by a child. Beside the boy was the back of a young woman, dressed conservatively, wearing the store apron, her long blonde hair wrapped up in two twin buns and pigtails on her head. The very tips of her hair were dyed a pale pink. His heart quickened, and he shook his head.

He hadn't been prepared to see her after all these years. After what he'd done. She wasn't supposed to be here. She was supposed to have grown up. Moved off to college somewhere far away. Maybe he'd pass her in a busy street or at Shibuya Crossing. He'd see her at a distance and wonder what was. He swallowed hard.

Some things never change. He walked closer. She continued on, unaware of the ghost walking back into her life. She didn't glance over her shoulder as she heard the ding of someone new coming in. She could have checked to see if the new patron was in need of help, but she also knew they could just wait a moment.

"Yeah! Just like that! You've got this, Yoshi," Usagi said, encouraging her favorite patron, a young boy about nine who was in love with the classic Sailor V game. She would never say out loud that Yoshi was her favorite patron; she was the assistant manager and therefore couldn't really show favoritism. But, she held a extra special soft spot for him. All of her focus was on him.

So she didn't hear the footsteps walking up behind her, but she did feel eyes on her back. Of course, all that was forgotten the moment Yoshi beat the boss.

"You did it!" Usagi exclaimed. She and Yoshi high-fived. Both shared a child-like joy at the success. The machine made the beeping noise where it would have dispensed a prize if it wasn't a decade old and prizes were long gone. Yoshi looked at the dispenser a little crestfallen.

"Don't worry, I have something special for you. Just wait here," Usagi said. She patted his shoulder.

As she stood up and turned around, she stopped dead in her tracks.

"Hello Odango Atama."

He looked so different and so much the same. He looked older, but even more handsome, though less immaculately dressed. He still had that swagger. That unruly dark hair. Those piercing blue eyes. And if he thought he was just going to walk back in here after six years without so much as a damn Facebook message, he had another thing coming.

She put on her best unimpressed face. "Excuse me, Mamoru, but I have a customer to attend to. I'll be with you just momentarily," she said in her iciest, most business-like voice.

She deliberately brushed past him, her shoulder pushing into his pecs (oh damn that was well defined). A spark flowed through her at the touch. She dismissed it as static. If he thought he could just walk in here and pretend that everything was okay…

When she reached the storeroom, she was proud she hadn't looked back. She was proud of herself for not crying when she ducked to scrounge through the bottom shelf. It shouldn't still hurt. But seeing him took the breath right out of her. Made her heart pound in her chest. How after all these years could there still be a something between them. She pushed through the boxes of DragonBall Z and Sword Art Online as various other characters, hoping that there were still some leftover Sailor V prizes.

"Usa!" Motoki called. "What are you doing under there?"

Usagi almost jumped into the storeroom door she was so startled. She put her hand to her chest to calm herself.

"I'm trying to find any old Sailor V prizes. Yoshi finally beat the Haunted Castle today," she explained. As she did, she found a little Sailor V figure, dusty, but otherwise in mint condition. "Ah-ha! I knew I still had some down here."

She pulled the little box out from the counter. As she stood up, she knocked the cobwebs from her hair.

"Well, I wanted to warn you that Mamoru is coming to meet me for lunch," Motoki continued. "I know it's been years, but, the way he left…"

"Well, that warning came a little late," Usagi said and exited the storeroom. She slammed the door behind her. As she headed toward Yoshi, she saw Mamoru talking to him. He was playing the game again, Mamoru kneeling beside him. (Damn tall bastard.)

"Wait! You can't back tack, and that's a false wall. The Moonbeam power up is hidden there. Don't forget it. You'll need it when you fight the Diamond Queen," Mamoru informed.

Usagi stopped in her tracks, and bit her lip to keep herself from smiling. He'd given her that same tip many years ago, though he hadn't been quite that nice about doing it. It was key to obtaining a high score.

"Watch out!" Mamoru called, but it was too late. The game over music sounded. "Ah, man, that trap used to get me too."

The main screen flashed as did the high scores. MoonBunny and CM1 flashed as the respective top slots, one and two. Usagi took this moment to interrupt.

"Here Yoshi," she said. "I knew I still had a prize in the back." She handed him the little figure box.

"Yes!" Yoshi exclaimed. He clutched it to his chest. "I'll see you tomorrow Usagi-onee-chan?"

Usagi nodded and he skipped out of the arcade.

"You finally beat my high score," Mamoru said when the boy was out of earshot.

"What do you mean finally? I beat it years ago," she answered, her back to him. "You've been gone a long time."

Mamoru couldn't disagree with her there.

Thankfully, Motoki approached and waved to Mamoru. "Hey man, you ready?"

Usagi crossed her arms in front of her. If Motoki thought she was gonna just happily pretend that he'd be in touch with Mamoru for all these years after Mamoru ghosted her, he had another thing coming.

"Right," Mamoru said. He started to walk towards Motoki, then stopped.

"Usagi," he said, glancing back to her at the ground by her feet. Like he couldn't look her in the eye.

She arched an eyebrow. Something she had perfected in the years since he left. He wasn't worthy of a vocal response.

The silence between them lingered for a while, and she thought that maybe, just maybe, he was going to say, "I'm sorry."

"We should catch up sometime," he said. Cop out.

Usagi didn't answer him. Instead Mamoru sighed and walked away with Motoki. She stood there, arms crossed in front of her as the two men exited the arcade. Catch up sometime? After everything that had happened between them six years ago? After he broke her heart?

Usagi tried walking it off by scanning the arcade. She busied herself walking through rows. She helped someone with a claw machine by moving the prize a little bit closer to the edge of the platform (the guy had been at it for 20 minutes). She was in the process of emptying the change machine when the youma burst through the window.