Disclaimer: I do not own Sailor Moon or any of the canon characters. Any OC's and AC's are mine to use, as well as changes to the story line. I will not receive any monetary compensation for this work.

Author's Notes: The characters are slightly AU, as is usual for me, and they are all in high school together. The girls are 16, the guys 18.

Reader's Notes: At this point in the story Ail, An, and Fiore have been saved (I generally add the Promise of the Rose to the doomtree arc) and are helping our heroes. The Shitennou have also been saved.

Acknowledgements: My friend and beta Astraearose-silvermoon helped me a lot with this story when I got stuck and also did the beta-reading. She rocks.

Gift-Exchange 2K20: For DarkenedHrt101. I was so excited when I got your name and I was really hoping you didn't notice my slip accidentally messaging you. Woops. Please tell me what you think. I hope you enjoy this piece, which is packed full of drama just for you!

Warning: Some adult language. Rated T.

To Stand Alone
Chapter One
Out of Tokyo

Rei sighed as she stared at the train window. She could see the reflection of the other girls in the glass. Minako was subtly watching Usagi. Ami had a book open but was staring off into space, obviously day-dreaming about Zoicite. Makoto was staring at her phone intently, probably texting back and forth with Nephrite. The two of them were always talking, which was cute, even when it was also annoying.

Then there was the smallest of their number. Usagi, thinking she wasn't seen, was crying again. It was all so unfair. Between breaking up with Mamoru and the little pink-haired troll constantly on her case, Usagi hadn't had so much as a moment to breathe in weeks. She needed a break, and she was about to get one.

Rei could take credit for the idea of getting her friend out of Tokyo, but she had needed help to implement the plan. It had seemed like the only option to get Usagi into a better frame of mind. The other girls, having discovered her purpose, helped Rei convince Luna and Artemis that it was necessary for them to have another training mission without the Shitennou or Tuxedo Kamen. Now she just had to hope none of their boyfriends spilled anything to Mamoru.

Usagi definitely needed a distraction. Something to get her thinking about anything other than why Mamoru had broken up with her. Rei wanted to see her smiling and laughing. She'd give anything to have a ridiculous argument. She twisted a long strand of hair around her finger and grinned as an idea popped into her head.

"Did you finish all your homework Usagi?" Rei asked slyly. She was very careful not to call her friend Odango. She might tease her friend, but she would never hurt her.

"Huh?" Usagi asked, trying to wipe her eyes before the others could see. "What Rei?"

"Did you get your homework done?"

Usagi blushed. "No."

"Well? What are you waiting for? We have two hours on the train. You should start." She tried to put a hint of an order into her tone, knowing it would set the little blonde off.

"You aren't the boss of me Rei," Usagi hissed.

"Am so," Rei argued.

"You are not!" Usagi yelled.

"Am so," Rei teased.

Usagi blew a raspberry, her cheeks reddened and her eyes flashed. Much better. Rei blew her own raspberry back at the girl, then laughed.

"Here," she said, tossing her friend a brand-new manga.

Usagi snatched the book as easily as she would have grabbed her returning tiara and opened it immediately, forgetting the argument. The pages turned quickly as Usagi sunk down into the seat, eyes glued to the pictures and story hidden within. There was a hint of a grin on her face and within a moment she was giggling at the characters in the story.

Rei looked over to Minako who nodded with understanding. They had to do something to keep her occupied. Maybe if enough time passed, Usagi would be able to move on, and if not be happy, then at least be content. Anything else was unacceptable.

None of them had been able to figure out why Mamoru suddenly put the breaks on his relationship with Usagi. They'd been going strong after his memories had returned. None of the Shitennou had changed their minds about the Senshi they were with. It didn't make a bit of sense. The guys knew nothing about why Mamoru had broken up with Usagi, though they had apparently asked dozens of times.

Everything had seemed fine right up until the moment Mamoru told Usagi he didn't want to see her anymore. Granted, Usagi and Chibi-Usa didn't always get along, but Usagi tried to take the high road with the younger girl. Usagi's grades had improved with help from both Mamoru and Ami, as well as occasional assistance from one of the others. She was sixteen now and allowed to date. Usagi's parents even liked Mamoru.

So why had he broken up with her?

Rei sighed. At least they were getting away from all the drama. Thankfully Ail, An, and Fiore had agreed to stay in the city to watch over Tokyo while they were away. They had enough power to keep Chibi-Usa both protected and occupied, which wasn't always easy. She'd watched the brat a time or two herself, and the little hellion had snuck off and ruined Usagi and Mamoru's date the first time. Rei was glad she was back at home and not on her way to Takaragawa Onsen in Gunma with the rest of them.

With a near two-hour trip ahead of them, they could all take a bit of time to unwind. Usagi needed time to figure out what she wanted to do next. It was Rei's hope that this meant Usagi had the time and the freedom to decide what steps to take. She hadn't given up hope on Mamoru, that much was obvious.

Kunzite sighed as he watched Mamoru pace back and forth in his apartment. At the moment he didn't really want anything to do with the other teenager. He cared about him, loved him as a brother, but even looking at him made Kunzite angry. It was more than obvious that Mamoru was miserable, but he was being so stupid about it.

Without a word to his friend, Kunzite strode to the apartment door and opened it, not bothering to say goodbye. He slammed the door behind him and made his way down the hall to the elevator. He missed Minako, but he and the others had understood the need to get Usagi away from Mamoru for a while. Not to mention the little brat.

He smacked the down arrow and waited for the car to come, looking back over his shoulder. Of course Mamoru probably hadn't even noticed he'd left. He snorted. The prince was becoming a first rate jerk. There was a quick ding and the metal doors opened. Kunzite escaped into the elevator and pressed the button for the first floor.

All of this was so stupid. They were meant to be with their soulmates. Kunzite couldn't imagine anything that would make him stop loving Minako. Something about the whole break-up didn't sit right with him. Mamoru hadn't even given any of them a reason, no matter how much they'd asked.

He caught sight of Jadeite the moment the doors opened. "I wouldn't go up there," he murmured.

"That bad?" Jadiete asked.

"Hai. He's pacing again. What the hell is he doing? He orders us to follow Usagi around and keep her safe, but he doesn't love her anymore? It just doesn't make sense."

Jadeite followed Kunzite out of the building. "Sometimes…" he stopped himself, shook his head, then continued. "I think he's hiding something from us. Something big. He looks miserable even when he drags girls into the Crown. I don't think he actually does want the break-up."

Kunzite frowned. It was possible. None of them had been able to understand what the hell was going on. But he couldn't stand to watch Mamoru tear Usagi down day by day. It was awful. He would parade other dates in front of her, hang out with the pink-haired spawn of the devil who loved to rub it in to Usagi that 'Mamo-chan' was hers. And he was belittling her like he had apparently done before they'd gotten together.

Usagi was important to Kunzite and the other Shitennou. She had saved them from the taint of Metalia, and then from death. When she and the girls had gotten their memories back Usagi had come and found them with a little help from Mamoru and the guardian cats. Kunzite couldn't be more grateful to the girl and watching Mamoru break her heart was just too much. He would do what he could to make that burden lighter.

"It doesn't matter what he wants," Kunzite said at last. "He's breaking her. We have to snap him out of it somehow, but I don't know how to go about doing it."

Jadeite shrugged. "Maybe Nephrite will have an idea," was all he said.

Kunzite sighed. Romance was all well and good, but until Mamoru came out and told them what was wrong, they were fighting blind. There was no need for romance unless Mamoru actually tried to get Usagi back and at this point it didn't seem likely. No, what he needed was a swift kick in the ass.

"Where are Zo and Nephrite?" Kunzite asked.

Jadeite shrugged. "Not sure. I was going to see if you all wanted to do some training beind the Jinja."

"Sounds like a plan," Kunzite said, reaching for his communicator. He wasn't going to call Mamoru in however. Minako and the others had asked them to keep the trip a secret so that Mamoru wouldn't follow her. He was happy to keep him in the dark. They might be friends but Mamoru was in the wrong.

Usagi pretended to enjoy the train ride after she'd finished the manga. She was grateful for the distraction, but wished she didn't need it so much. She tried to think back to their last 'training mission.' It made her giggle. She, Rei, Makoto, Ami, and Minako had all gone skiing. There had been a contest about the moon princess. She snorted. It had been one of Kunzite's attempts to trap Sailor Moon and get the Silver Crystal.

'Half-hearted attempts at best,' she thought to herself.

Knowing the guys as they were now, Usagi knew Metalia had been rather foolish in thinking wiping away their memories would make them serve her better. Healed, their strengths came out so much more. They were all good men with pure hearts. And Usagi was glad the girls had their soulmates back.

Clenching her teeth in irritation, she tried to change her thoughts to something, anything, else. The last thing she needed to be thinking about was soulmates. Her own had decided he didn't love her anymore, that he didn't want to be with her. She couldn't believe it. How could someone say I love you one day and I don't love you the very next afternoon? She shook her head. None of it made sense to her.

Not to mention Mamoru's insistence on dragging other girls into the Crown to rub it in her face that he was moving on even as he looked miserable. She shook her head. It was the most blatant move she'd ever seen, and she'd once fought a youma that had told her everything it was about to do before it struck. He was trying to get her to move on. The question was, why?

Usagi had enough of her former self's memories to know that there was no moving on from Mamoru. He was her soulmate. They had been Soul-Bonded in their last life. Literally half of his soul was in her, and half of hers in him. They could never form lasting relationships with anyone else no matter how many lives they lived. It hurt all the more that he had walked away, knowing that.

The day he had broken up with her was imprinted in her memory. She'd been so happy to see him, throwing her arms around his waist. And he'd just stood there, glaring down at her. Then he'd said he didn't want to see her anymore, that he didn't love her and it was all a mistake. But Usagi had seen the glimmer of pain in his eyes. So she hadn't given up. She was miserable, sure, but that changed nothing. She wasn't giving up on him. Not ever.

The truth was, while Usagi was strong enough to stand alone, she didn't want to.

"I think we're here," Ami said softly, touching Usagi on the shoulder. "Mako has your bag."

"Alright," Usagi murmured. She stood and put on her jacket, then followed the other girls to the door.

She was so grateful to all of the girls for getting her out of Tokyo and away from everything that had happened. Away from Mamoru and his 'dates' and Chibi-Usa with her horrible attitude. Away from her mother who had a billion pieces of advice on getting Mamoru back, and her father who had a million more about getting over a broken heart.

Makoto was the first one off the train. Ami and Usagi followed her with Rei and Minako bringing up the rear. They walked toward the station, none of them really talking since they were exhausted, and made their way toward the rental cabin.

"Don't forget," Rei reminded them as they were piling their bags in the closet of the cabin, "Grandfather asked us to check in on that little village. Maybe we should get that done today. We have the time and it would make it easier to relax the rest of the weekend."

Usagi nodded. It did make sense to get it done. They had the rest of the day and then Saturday and Sunday to train and play. Checking her brooch automatically, Usagi made sure it was on her shirt. It felt weird to be wearing jeans and a baby tee over her swimming suit. She was so used to wearing the new school uniforms or her fuku that anything else seemed odd.

Mamoru couldn't stop his pacing. He had to do something to keep Usagi safe, but since he wasn't supposed to go near her he had been sending the generals out to keep an eye on her. Now though he wasn't sure if it was enough. He had to see her for himself.

With a frustrated groan he decided he couldn't stay hidden in his apartment anymore. He had to go to the Crown. It was pure torture seeing Usagi and not being able to pull her into his arms, but he had to know she was alright. He had to see those incredibly vivid cerulean blue eyes and that long blonde hair that made him want to wrap himself around her and never let go.

"Get a hold of yourself baka," he muttered.

Usagi was his everything and he would give anything to see her safe, even spend an eternity being miserable as she finally moved on and found someone else to love. He shook his head. He couldn't deal with that thought. He needed out of the prison that was his apartment.

He needed someone who wasn't angry with him. Motoki.

Hurrying out of his apartment, he started walking toward the arcade. It wasn't a long walk and going through a few alleys made it even faster. His mind was whirling as he moved through the longest alley.

None of this was fair. He needed Usagi. He loved her. He wanted her. She was more than just his soulmate. She was his friend. His family. His everything. Whirling around he punched the wall, grunting as his hand hit the hard bricks. He shook it and sighed. Destroying the alley wasn't going to stop the dreams or make the truth of an existence without Usagi any easier to bear.

She was so close and he couldn't reach out and pull her into his arms, couldn't tell her he had lied, that he loved her and would give absolutely anything for her. He couldn't tell her that he missed her, that he wanted to hold her forever and never let her go. It was all just so unfair.

His words had put such a look of hurt and pain on her face. He didn't think he would ever get over it.

"Come on!" Makoto urged, racing ahead on the trail. She was wearing a pair of shorts over her bathing suit and looked as though she could run up mountains and swim oceans and still have energy to burn. Her hair was pulled up into a high ponytail and her muscles could be clearly seen as she pumped her arms back and forth while she ran.

"Give us a break!" Rei shouted. She bent over and put her hands on her knees. "We've been walking for two hours. We must be close to the village." Rei had tied her own hair up into a messy bun and was wearing her miko robes in spite of the afternoon heat.

"Yeah, it's hot," Minako complained. She was wearing thin leggings over her bikini, which was blaze orange, and had her hair braided and pulled up off her neck. The other blonde stayed close to Usagi wherever they went and had been commenting on everything from the color and shape of the leaves to the best new pop artists. Even though she knew Minako was deliberately distracting her, Usagi couldn't be upset. She was grateful.

"It's less than a quarter mile," Ami informed them. She had on a pair of jeans, like Usagi, and a t-shirt over her suit. Her hair was plastered to her head, having recently found a small waterfall they could cool themselves in. She closed the Mercury computer and tucked it into her subspace pocket.

Usagi sighed in relief. She was tired and hot. Her own bathing suit was damp already, from dunking in the waterfall, and her jeans were damp and didn't want to move with her body anymore. She felt tired and gross. Her hair was clinging to her neck and shoulders, her feet ached, and she was pretty sure she had a blister forming. Waving a hand in front of her face, Usagi sat on a massive rock to the side of the path.

"How many people are in the village?" she asked.

"Not sure," Rei answered. "All I know is that Grandfather asked me to look in. Their priest died and it looks like all the miko are going to other shrines. It's sad this one will be closing."

"It sounded like everyone is leaving the village anyways," Minako said. "It just makes me wonder why."

Usagi was curious too. People had lived in the village for generations, but something was suddenly sending them off looking for other places to live. If she didn't know better Usagi would have assumed there was a rogue Youma out there.

Almost as soon as Usagi had the thought, she heard screaming. It was instinct to grab for the brooch on her t-shirt. She wrapped her fingers around it, looked at the other girls, and ordered, "henshin yo."

A flurry of lights filled the path as the five teenaged girls changed from their normal selves into the lengendary Senshi. Stars, ribbons, flame, water, and lightning covered their bodies as they transformed. Within a minute they were running in the direction of the screams.