Legal Gig: Bishoujo Senshi Sailor Moon is property of Toei Animation and Takeuchi Naoko. Project: Sailor Earth and The Utopian Chronicles are property of Tory L. Brown Any reference to anyone living or dead is purely coincidental, or the author just lost her mind for a second or so... Characters: Sailor Earth/Utopia Knight/Takanera Moshi and Tenchino Hoshi, belongs to Tory L. Brown. Should they be used without her permission, I just hope your insurance is paid up. Arc Notes: Break time is over for now, here's the next installment of the Utopian Chronicles. I decided that it was time to move the story line along and when I get the chance, I'll take a few more breaks later. ^^;; Wow, I can't believe it's been five long years. I hope this is the start of something new! * * * ::T h e U t o p i a n C h r o n i c l e s:: By: Tory L. Brown (tory_brown@yahoo.com) ::A r c T h i r t e e n:: A Blast From The Past The sun rose at around six a.m. An alarm clock in a small bedroom went off an hour later. A girl awoke and stumbled to her closet, pulling out her fuku for the day. Moshi yawned and stretched, knuckling the sleep from her eyes. She went over to her desk, putting her notebooks in her handbag. She grabbed her towel and toothbrush and went in search of the bathroom. She passed Mamoru in the hallway, who was already dressed and on his way out. She paused, blinking. "Ru-chan, you're up early?" she said somewhat surprised. "What's going on?" Mamoru took the piece of bread from his mouth to speak. "I have a big test today and Hoshi-kun and I are meeting before class to go over notes. Ja!" The sleepy black haired girl waved to her brother. "Ja ne." She continued her trek to the bathroom to begin her day. Thirty minutes later, fresh, and now wide eyed. Moshi sat down to a bowl of rice. Mamoru had eaten the rest of the breakfast and only left a few bits of rice. She made a mental note to give him a stern talking to later. She wandered to the fridge and noticed that only a swallow of orange juice was left. Cursing, she threw the carton away and opted for a glass of ice cold water. She checked her bento and noticed that at least she would have a good lunch, despite the paltry breakfast. She deposited her dishes in the dishwasher and padded to the living room, taking her bento with her. Moshi turned the answering machine on and went to put on her sneakers. Making one last check, she exited the apartment and headed for the elevator. That was at 8:00. * * * * "I'm late!" Moshi cried as she sped down the hallway of Juuban High School. Students who were also late were joining her in the streak, turning off into their own classrooms. Moshi grumbled at the fact that their class was all the way on the second floor. That meant hitting the stairs. Somehow, every few weeks or so, she and Minako would run into each other on the stairs and nearly tumble to their deaths. This time, Moshi made sure to peer around the stairwell first. When she saw the coast was clear, she trucked up the stairs, skidding to a halt in front of her class. She had just made it in time before Sekano shut the door in her face. Seconds later, Moshi heard two girls scream. She turned to look, but was knocked off her feet by a pair of blonde bullets. They flew into the air and went sliding across the classroom floor, coming to a stop in front of the chalkboard. Moshi opened her eyes and looking into the wide blue gazes of Minako and Usagi. "Ohaiyo, Mo-chan," both said weakly. Moshi grunted. "Ohaiyo. Can you move? I can't breathe!" The two blondes giggled nervously and scooted off their friend. Moshi was helped to her feet by the Sensei and she brushed her skirt off. "This is for not running into me on the stairs, right?" she asked, cocking one dark eyebrow at Minako. Minako giggled nervously and went to her desk. Usagi followed suit, a red stain of embarrassment was on her face. She sighed and bent over to pick up her bag when a pain radiated up her arm. With a curse she dropped the bag and started to hop around madly. "ITAI!" The sensei rushed over, his face filled with concern for his student. "Takanera-kun, daijoubu?" he asked. Moshi felt tears well up into her eyes. "My wrist hurts!" she wailed. Usagi and Minako held their heads down in shame. "Aino-kun, Tsukino-kun. Can you take her to the Nurse?" he asked, holding out the hall pass for one of them to take. Usagi quickly jumped to her feet and grabbed the hall pass and Moshi's bag. "Hai!" Minako had put her arms around Moshi and was steering her to the door. * * * * As they walked down the hallway, Moshi glared at her two blonde friends. "You're trying to kill me," she grumbled, holding her injured wrist close to her chest. Usagi blinked back tears. "It was an accident! We didn't mean to!" The pair of arms around her tightened in a makeshift hug. "We wouldn't do that on purpose, Mo-chan," Minako said. Moshi snorted and winced. The least movement hurt and caused a great deal of pain. She was sure that her wrist was broken. "I want Hoshi," she sniffed. They were silent for the rest of the way. Minako had her arms around Moshi as if afraid that they might hurt her again. Usagi carried the hall pass and Moshi's bag, but making sure to stay at least an arms length away from her. The trio made it to the nurse's office. Moshi was admitted to the nurse and Usagi and Minako waited patiently. "What if we did break her wrist?" Usagi asked with panic lacing her voice. The pale blonde shrugged, flipping her hair over her shoulder in a nervous gesture. "Mo-chan knows we didn't do it on purpose. Maybe if we made it up to her?" Usagi nibbled on her lower lip, the hamsters in the wheels were starting to turn. "Say, she had a birthday not to long ago, ne?" "Hai," Minako answered. "But she was in the future so she really didn't get to celebrate it." A whoop of glee escaped Usagi before she could contain it. "We could throw her a birthday party! You know, to celebrate the one she missed and to make up for what we did! We could even get Hoshi-san to come!" Minako's pale blue eyes twinkled at the prospect of a party. "Yeah! We could even have it at my house! My parents are going on a trip in a while and we'll have the place to ourselves!" The two cackled with glee, drawing the stares of the other students waiting in the office. * * * * The dark cocoon around him was slowly starting to crumble. "What's this?" he thought. "Am I finally waking up?" For years, Jadeite was trapped in eternal slumber, a prisoner of his former mistress, Queen Beryl. He slept on as Zoisite, Nephrite, and then Kunzite was destroyed. The pain of losing his friends clenched tight in his chest, but there was nothing he could do. The sleep granted him darkness, but he retained consciousness, noting everything that was going on around him. A fragment of the cocoon sliced his cheek, drawing a few whispers of blood. "I must move or I'll be cut to ribbons," he thought For the first time in years, Jadeite opened his eyes and for the first time, he felt alive. He extracted himself, feeling the shakes of hibernation sickness setting in. He noted that his eyesight was mediocre at best and he would have to rest a bit more before moving on. A tingle moved up his spine, causing him to jerk. Someone was still alive. Who was it? He gasped. It couldn't be, he saw her die before his very eyes. Mosite. * * * * Moshi was quite upset. The accident from that morning left her with a scrapped up elbow and a severely sprained left wrist. Now her hand was covered with tan bandages and silver tabs. To make matters worse, she needed her left hand to take notes! What was really pissing her off was the fact Usagi and Minako acted as if it wasn't a great big deal. Once class was over, the others left post haste and left her to struggle with gathering her belongings and fighting to put her shoes on with one hand. By the time Moshi left Juuban, she was in a sour mood. A dark cloud of evil thoughts hung over her head. Most of these thoughts involved Usagi, Minako, Moshi, and a stick. She was grumbling to herself when she ran into a tall wall. "Ack, gomen nasai!" she quickly apologized without looking up. "Funny we always meet like this," the voice said. Moshi looked up into the green gaze of Hoshi. "Hoshi!" she cried, throwing herself into his arms, taking care not to bang the injured wrist. He stumbled a bit at the impact and put his arms around her shoulders. "What's wrong? You sound tired." She held up her wrist for him to see. "I sprained my wrist!" she wailed. She sniffled a bit and sighed. "It hurts and I have lots of homework, but I can't write and I'm losing my mind!" she wailed again. Hoshi rubbed her back in a soothing gesture. "Come on, I'll take you home." She sighed and wiped her eyes. "My prince," she chuckled. "Always coming to my aid. "Forever and ever," he said, opening the car door and putting her handbag in the back seat. He helped her climb in and buckle her seat belt. He went to the other side and climbed in. He shut the door and started the engine after putting his own seat belt on. Moshi looked over, her eyes looked luminous in the shady interior of the car. "I don't want to go home, not yet." A red blush flared across his face. "What do you mean?" He couldn't take the stare, anything but the stare. She could coax a fur coat out of him when giving that stare. The stare not only made his knees quiver, but basically left him open to virtually any command at her disposal. "I mean, silly, I want to go somewhere and just be with you." She smiled at him. He sighed with relief, she'd stopped the stare, and he was spared. "How about the park, we could sit there for a while. Moshi gave him the stare again. Her violet eyes seemed to be even rounder now. "That'll be nice." Hoshi groaned and put the car in drive. It was going to be a long day. * * * * Hours after being released from his prison, Jadeite noticed that he retained his powers that Beryl gave him. Not only was this a stroke of luck, it saved him the task of walking all over Tokyo to find Mosite. Something in his soul told him that his old friends was very much alive and was probably looking for him. He felt elated that someone was still around and quite possibly living a full life. He wondered how she would be doing now. He remembered all the fun times they had before the world as they knew it went to proverbial hell. The deaths, the pain, the instant regret of joining a lunatic out for revenge, the thought of it turned his stomach. Mosite. How he missed, the way they would double-team Nephrite with gentle teasing, causing the brown haired general to snap at them and toss his dark hair about his shoulders in contempt. He remembered how Kunzite would laugh at them both, only enraging Nephrite even more. They only did it out of fun, but also love. They were a close functioning unit and they did well way before they met Beryl and Metallia. The days of performing as Endymion's guards were over. The days of being Generals of the Dark Kingdom were also over. Now it was time for a new life, a new beginning. And if Mosite could have one, then so could he. * * * * Later that evening, Moshi was taken back home by a sympathetic Hoshi. He'd taken her to the park, wined and dined her, to take her mind off the pain, but also to keep her from going for revenge on Usagi and Minako. He helped her to the elevator, her handbag in his hand. "Feeling better?" he asked, putting an arm around her shoulders. Moshi snuggled closer to Hoshi's warm body and sighed. "I always feel better after being with you." This caused him to blush a bit. "Same for me," he responded and placed a kiss on her forehead. For the rest of the trip, the two were silent, basking in each other's embrace. The elevator chimed, alerting them that they were on the 10th floor. They walked down the hallway to the apartment and stopped before the door. "Mamoru-kun might be a bit mad at me for bringing you home this late, so I won't come in," Hoshi said with a sheepish grin. Moshi grinned and took her handbag from him. "I understand. I just can't wait until we're married." Hoshi turned red for the third time that day. "What do you mean?" he asked. She grinned. "Then we'll be together every day and every night." She stood on her toes and planted a kiss on his mouth. Hoshi took her injured hand and gently placed it on his shoulder as he returned the kiss. The two stood locked in a kiss for minutes until the door swung open. "Ahem." They broke apart, both red. "Hai?" "You are late, get your rump in here!" Mamoru chided. He reached out, grabbed her handbag, and put it on the desk near the door. Moshi waved at Hoshi and skipped into the apartment past Mamoru with a silly grin on her face. "Night, Hoshi!" she said as she skipped down the hallway to her bedroom. Hoshi took a step back; Mamoru had that look on his face again. "Well, she hurt her wrist and I ran into her on the way home and we went to the park for a while and just talked," he babbled. Hoshi noted that his babbling was starting to get quite incoherent and he knew Mamoru would be less likely to believe anything he already said. Mamoru just stood in the doorway looking at his sister's boyfriend. "Just don't keep her out late on a school night again, okay? I do have some responsibility in raising her right!" Hoshi nodded dumbly, making sure to keep his mouth shut. If he spoke again, it was sure to be something else incoherent. Mamoru turned to close the door, but he stopped. "Oh and Hoshi-kun?" The red haired man looked up. "Hai?" A tissue was thrusted into his hands. "You've got a nosebleed." Mamoru closed the door and chuckled, hearing the small squawks of denial come from his friend. * * * * That night, Jadeite swept the city, searching for Mosite. No matter how he tried, he could not center on her location. Whenever he thought he'd found her, it was someone who just happened to look like her. He was picking up traces of her everywhere, nothing dead center. He pondered going to his former enemies for help, the Inner Senshi. "Oh that would go over good," he thought with a snort. They would attack him so fast that he wouldn't see it coming. "No," Jadeite thought. "I have to do this myself. If it'll take some time, then so be it. I have to find Mosite." For the rest of the night, Jadeite flew through Tokyo, searching for his erstwhile friend. * * * * Haruka stirred in her sleep, the wind rustling in her ear crisply. With a jerk she sat up, ran, and hand through her sweat-drenched hair. What was this feeling? "Something big is coming, I can feel it," she muttered to no one before settling back down to a fitful sleep. * * * * Michiru was up late, finishing a painting. The brush in her hand drooped and fell to the floor, splattering the tile with a streak of red paint. She stared at the red patch. It was as red as a pool of blood, freshly spilled and containing life. That second the seas stirred within her soul, alerting her to be on her guard, something was coming and no one was going to like the results of it. * * * * Rei was doing a fire reading when for a brief second; Mosite and Moshi appeared within the flames. Seconds later the pale haired Jadeite appeared and vanished. For the entire reading, she saw flashes of the past, those mostly involving the late general. "Kami-sama, what is going on now?" * * * * From her post at the Space-Time Door, Pluto felt a smirk cross her face. "The past has returned," she said. Pluto shifted her clothing to that of Meioh Setsuna and moved through the door, in this time, they would need her advice. * * * * Hotaru was doing her homework when a great urge to scribble overwhelmed her. She flipped to a new page in her notebook and started to scribble insanely, writing repeatedly, looping her letters, and ripping through the page at times. When the moment had passed and she finally caught her breath, she saw the phrase, 'The past has come back," was written on the page multiple times, covering the sheet of paper. Nervous, Hotaru ripped the page out and threw it into the trash. * * * * Moshi was sleeping, thanks to the pack of pain pills the nurse had prescribed. In her dreams, she saw she was Mosite again, running through the fields of Elysion with Jadeite, Nephrite, Kunzite and her twin, Zoisite. "Oi, Nephi-chan," she teased, Nephrite, ducking a swat from the angry general. Jadeite had laugh. "Nephi-chan is it? Isn't that just kawaii!" Nephrite groaned. "How many times must I tell you two imbeciles it's Nephrite-SAMA!" Jadeite and Mosite only laughed. "Oh sure, Nephi-chan." The dream suddenly shifted to Mosite alone. She was standing guard outside the Earth palace, her hand on the hilt of the sword still in its sheath. Citizens of the Golden Kingdom were strolling past, peeking here and there to look at the general. There was one man in particular that caught her eye. He was tall with reddish hair and green eyes. He always seemed to be near the gate on the days she worked and he would pause to look at her and then move on. Mosite never learned his name, but she certainly thought he was cute. "Maybe I'll see him again someday," she would always whisper to herself before changing posts with Zoisite. The dream flashed again, this time she was in the middle of the battle, right before she killed Sailor Uranus. She could still feel the warm gush of blood as it flowed from the wound created by her sword. She felt the last gasps of breath on her face as Uranus fell back. She flinched when Neptune appeared and was instantly killed. She saw the last two outer Senshi standing at the edge of the battlefield, waiting. The last fleeting moments of the dream circled around herself and Hoshi. She was running through the fields of Elysion again, dressed in a simple purple silk gown that flowed around her like water. In a quick, second she noticed that it was a purple copy of the silver gown Princess Serenity wore. She continued to run, her bare feet pounding the grass in tune with her heart. She felt as if she didn't move fast enough that she would miss him. Up ahead, she saw Hoshi, dressed in a green tuxedo similar to that of Tuxedo Kamen. She felt her ponytail come undone, her dark hair flowed behind her like a black river. "Hoshi!" she cried, running faster. The green clad figure never moved. His back remained turned to her. The purple clasps in her hair fell free, scattering to the side. She picked up the folds of the dress and pressed forward. When she finally reached him and turned him around, it wasn't Hoshi. Instead, it was Jadeite. * * * * Mamoru was up and about again at around six. He was having breakfast when he noticed that it was past seven. He went down the hallway and peered into Moshi's room. Moshi was still in the bed with the covers pulled over her head. Her alarm clock was still chirping. "Midget," he said with worry. She never missed her alarm. He slowly pulled the covers back and saw how red her face was. Gingerly, he touched her forehead and noticed it was flaming hot. "Crap, she's got a fever." He tried to rouse her awake slowly. Her eyelids fluttered briefly for a second. "Ru-chan? Why did you turn the heat up?" she croaked. "The heat isn't on," he said. "You've got a fever." He stood up and left the room, returning later with a thermometer. With some minor protesting on Moshi's behalf, he learned her temperature was briefly cracking 101. "Well, you've got a fever all right," he sighed, putting the thermometer back in its case. "A doozy at that." Moshi moaned, mopping the sweat with her pajama sleeve. "It feels like hell in here!" "Watch the language," he chastised. "I'll go make you something soft to eat and we'll get you cooled down." "Okay," Moshi moaned, closing her eyes again. The heat was unbearable. She felt like her skin was trying to peel itself away from her. She knew it was because of this stupid sprain. The same thing had happened before when she sprained her ankle in fourth grade. At least now she could take an ice cold shower. She sat up in her bed when Mamoru came back in with a bowl of soup and aspirin. She ate the weak soup and took a few aspirins. With Mamoru's help, she went to the bathroom and took a long cold shower. She wanted her teeth to be chattering from cold by the time she was finished. While she showered, Mamoru phoned the school and said she wouldn't be coming in. He was glad she waited to be sick on a Friday. He didn't have class on that day. He heard her bumble her way out the bathroom and into her living room. He walked back down the hallway and peeped in. "You relax here, okay? Don't bother answering the phone. I'm going to go get some medicine for you." Moshi waved feebly from the bed. "Sure, no problem." Mamoru winked, waved, and left the bedroom. Moshi slowly crawled back into her bed and pulled the hot oppressing covers over herself. Reaching out with her good hand, she pushed the windows open to let a cool breeze drift over her face. With a sigh, Moshi fell back asleep. * * * * It was morning. Jadeite was growing weary of his searching. He must have searched every place in Juuban. He hovered a bit near a tall building, hoping that someone walking around wouldn't spy him. He sagged against the building, feeling tiredness wash over him. That was when he felt that tingle again. This time it was stronger than any of the others. He was near Mosite! It was just a matter of searching for her. He spun in a circle, feeling for the direction with the greatest pull. When he found it, he flew forward, zipping over buildings and continuing straight ahead. Jadeite slowed down when he came upon a grouping of similar buildings. One building snagged his attention. The room with the window open was of particular interest to him. He flew closer and peeked into the window. In the room, a girl was in a bed with the covers pulled up to her chest. Her face was flushed red and her breathing was shallow. "Mosite," he breathed with recognition. She looked different, but it was her. It had to be! "Mosite!" he said again, this time more loudly. She stirred and opened her eyes. He noted they were violet instead of the pale gray. She sat up, the covers pooled around her waist. "Who said that?!" she looked around wildly, her dark hair was a mass of waves around her shoulders. Jadeite squeezed through the window and settled on the end of her bed. "Mosite, it's me! Jadeite!" Moshi's eyes grew large. "Jadeite-kun?!" she said. He nodded, clasping one of her hands in his own. "I'm free, thanks to you." "Thanks to me?" she parroted with a squeak. He nodded, his pale hair flying about his head. "I was sleeping in that prison Beryl put me in, when I sensed that you was still alive. So I spent the last hours looking for you." Moshi paled. She couldn't believe it. She only dreamt about him a few hours ago and here he was in her bedroom! "I'm no longer Mosite, I'm Moshi now. Takanera Moshi." Jadeite's face screwed up at her new name. "Takanera Moshi? That sounds odd." Moshi sighed. "Mosite died ages ago, this is my life now. I'm 16 in high school and..." She trailed off. She almost admitted to Jadeite that she was Sailorearth. She couldn't believe the feeling of familiarity that had overcame her and she was spilling stuff about herself. Jadeite clasped her hand tighter. "How did this happen? The last thing I remember was you died on the battlefield." Moshi looked away. "Lots has happened since that day. I can't talk about it, it's personal." He looked hurt for a brief second. "Personal? You used to tell me everything, Mosite-chan." She gripped the covers. "Don't call me that!" Jadeite was about to let her hand go when the door opened slowly. Outside, Mamoru and Hoshi were walking in laden with sick goodies. Mamoru gasped and Hoshi's bag fell at his feet. Moshi stared at Hoshi and then looked at Jadeite clasping her hand. This did not look good. "Who is he?!" Hoshi demanded with a roar. He stalked across the room and slapped Jadeite's hand away from Moshi. "He's an old friend, a very old friend," she stammered, feeling hotter by the second. Fire flashed through Hoshi's green eyes as he spoke. "I realize that you're sick, but you're not this sick! How long has this been going on?" Moshi jumped to her feet and wobbled slightly. "He dropped in on me today, literally!" Moshi wanted to cry. She saw the ice slide into place in his eyes as he folded his arms. She felt the invisible barrier he instantly erected around himself. "No, no," she said, grabbing his hands. "Don't you start to shut me out!" Hoshi pulled his hands away from her and stalked out the bedroom without a word. Moshi whirled on Jadeite who was still on the bed and looking innocent. "Don't you move!" * * * * Hoshi stormed down the hallway, fighting the tears that threatened to flow. How could she do this to him, especially all that was said between them yesterday? He wanted to believe her, he honestly did, but there was just something about that guy he didn't like. Maybe it was because he was blond. Hoshi remembered the immense jealously he felt when he thought Haruka was a guy and he thought Moshi fawned over her. Now there was another blond sitting in his girlfriend's room, on her bed! "Hoshi!" Moshi cried, moving as fast as she could down the hall without passing out. She caught him at the door as he stepped out the guest slippers. "Stop, please!" she pleaded, latching onto his arm. "What? You've finally thought up some stupid excuse?" he snapped. Moshi flinched like he'd slapped her. With as much strength as she could, she dragged him to the couch and pushed him down onto it. "Sit down. I have a lot I haven't explained to you yet." Hoshi folded his arms and glared at her. "This I've gotta hear. What? You're the missing fairy princess of Lillith? Oh wait, you're the ex Queen of some dark kingdom?" Now, Moshi was ready to slap Hoshi senseless. She didn't know he could be this irritated when irked. "Don't make me hurt you," she growled and instantly regretted it. The fire in his eyes had died just as quick as it appeared. "What makes you think I'm not hurt now," he said in a low whisper. She sighed and put her thumping head on his chest. "Hoshi, I never meant to hurt you." "I know," he said. "But I can't help but wonder." She looked up at him and grabbed his head between her hands. "Look at the symbol on my forehead," she ordered. She felt her forehead burn slightly as the infinity sign appeared and shimmered slightly. * * * * Hoshi felt the air around him whip violently as he settled in a field plush with grass. He looked down and saw that he was dressed in a dark green tuxedo. He looked over to his right and saw Moshi lying in the grass dressed in a dark purple silk dress. She looked to be asleep, her lips parted slightly. There were two dark purple clips in her hair. Her arm twitched briefly as her eyes opened. "Hoshi?" she said fuzzily, looking around. He put a hand on her shoulder. "I'm here. What happened?" Moshi sat up, gathering the silk skirts about her body. "I don't know exactly, but you're going to find out everything about who I am. My past, my present and possibly the future." Hoshi felt himself flinch at the seriousness in her voice. He never heard her sound this serious about anything, except anything relating to Senshi business. He knew this had to be something Senshi related. He just didn't know if he was prepared for it. "Were are we now?" Moshi stood up, the purple silk fluttering around her body. "We're at my old guard station, Elysion." "Elysion?" Hoshi said as he stood up and dusted his tuxedo off. "You mean as in Elysion fields? But that's just a myth!" She looked at him with intense eyes. "Iie, Hoshi. Elysion is no myth." Moshi walked over and stuck her hand in the crook of his arm to lead him forward. They walked through the lush fields laden with flowers and butterflies of various colors. In silence, they walked together, admiring the surroundings. Ahead a gazebo of gold and pearls stood before them. In front of the gazebo was a woman dressed in the clothing of a general. Her white hair was swept up in a severe odango and her stern gray eyes surveyed the area before her. "Who is that?" Hoshi asked perplexed. She looked familiar, everything about her said that he knew her. Moshi nodded. "That is Mosite. She is who I was during the Silver Millennium, when Queen Serenity ruled the moon kingdom and Queen Gaia ruled the golden kingdom." Hoshi felt his head swirling with all the information Moshi was giving him. "So what you've been telling me all this time was true?" A bubble surrounded the couple and lifted them high into the air, allowing them a full overview of the entire fields. Together, they watched as the fields grew with time, becoming overloaded with flowers. They watched as the dark kingdom slowly overtook the Earth. They watched as Endymion's generals were persuaded to the dark side. Hoshi watched in shock as he saw the death of Sailors Uranus and Neptune. He felt Moshi's hand clench and release slowly. They watched as the Senshi led Mosite to the palace and they watched as she took her final breath. Time shifted quickly and sped ahead to where Moshi was finally created. He saw the trials of Moshi as she slowly adapted to the fact that she was now Moshi and no longer Mosite. He watched the creation of the Sailor Elementals and to their final fall. He saw as Earth fled and was finally tracked down and killed. With ache in his heart, he felt the tears come from Gaia as she swore that both her children would live again. Time shifted one more time, this time taking them to a hospital where a woman was giving birth. A baby girl was born and the parents named their daughter Moshi. Years sped by as Moshi grew into a teenager, faced with the death of her father, the reclamation of her powers and the introduction of her past. Lights flashed and the bubble instantly popped, sending them falling to the ground at breakneck speed. Hoshi knew it wasn't real, but the fear he was feeling was definitely real. He blindly grabbed for Moshi and pulled her close to him while the ground grew larger as they came closer. * * * * When Hoshi woke up, he found himself on the floor with Moshi on top. She started to stir slowly, raising her upper body. "Hoshi?" Hoshi shook his head, clearing the cobwebs that started to form. "Hai?" She pushed a dark tendril of hair away from her face. "Now do you understand?" They stood up and sat back on the couch. A few minutes of quiet lapsed between them as Hoshi gathered his thoughts. "I understand, Moshi," he finally said with a heavy sigh. Moshi brightened with a smile. "You do?" He nodded. "I do, but I don't think I'll be able to cope with it. I've really gotten head over heels in this one." "What do you mean?" Moshi asked, feeling her heart stop pounding that second. The implications of his statement left her limbs feeling cold and heavy. "Maybe we should rethink this relationship thing," he said sadly, getting to his feet. Moshi jumped to her feet, holding her injured hand. "You don't mean it!" He sighed heavily. "I just don't think I can deal with this. Not right now." He started to put on his shoes and grab his coat. "Hoshi, no!" Moshi cried, running forward. She stumbled on one of her slippers and pitched forward, accidentally landing on her hand. She noted the pain was nothing compared to what Hoshi had decided. "Hoshi, don't leave me," she whimpered. Hoshi looked at her, tears filling his green eyes. "I'm not leaving, I just need some time to think." He gave her one last look before exiting the apartment. When Mamoru found her later, she was still on the floor, huddled into a sobbing ball. From her bedroom doorway, Jadeite watched what had happened with mild interest. Oshimai, da yo! Next Arc: Old Friends and Birthdays Never Mix *** JAPANESE USED IN ARC THIRTEEN *** -kun,-chan,-sama -- honorifics denoting, respect and/or affection. Gomen nasai -- I'm very sorry. Hai -- Yes. Ja ne -- See you later/till then! Kami -- God. Ohaiyo -- Good morning. Oi -- Hey!