"Mamoru-kun?"

Chiba Mamoru did not immediately turn. He kept looking up to the falling sakura blossoms. The grounds of the Hikawa Jinja were ideal for meditation and reflection, and he had much to think upon.

She took her place by him, joining him in his vigil. The shared a companionable silence before he spoke.

"I can see, I can hear, I can smell. It's all real. And it's hard to imagine how fragile it all is. We almost lost it all. And the power that wished this all gone is still out there. We'll have to face it again. It cost us dearly this time. I wonder what we will do when we must face it again."

Meioh Setsuna knew many things. A part of her even knew the answer to this question. But she could not say the things she knew. And recent events taught her that even the things she thought she knew, sometimes she had to question.

She answered with silence. Her closest friends always understood. Just because she said nothing didn't mean she told them nothing.

"How is she?"

This time, she could answer.

"She is remarkable," she said, without even the barest hint of irony. "I do not know anyone who could have done what she did. She is shaken, but she will endure."

Mamoru nodded. It was something they could both take solace in.

"And the others?"

She waited a beat before responding. "It will take them some time. But they will endure as well. It is their duty to guard her, but she guards them all the same. We are all very lucky."

"We failed her, didn't we?" he asked in a voice barely above a whisper.

For the first time, even her voice was a bit unsure.

"We spent so much time trying to protect her, we forgot how powerful she really is. We stopped believing in her. But she surprised us all." She crossed one arm to her shoulder, gripping slightly, as if punishing herself.

"I thought her simplicity would be a liability against the coming threats. But it turned out to be our salvation. All she needed was love, and she saved us all. She truly is her mother's daughter. We are very blessed."

The shared a few more moments of silence together. Mamoru turned to leave, but stopped short. His head remained down, but he reached out with one hand to her shoulder.

"Thank you for everything you did."

She nodded, also unable to meet his gaze.

"Usagi is not the only one I doubted."

Mamoru nodded. "I doubted them too. I've had the power for a long time now to call them back. I just… I didn't… I couldn't lose them again. And so I kept them bound to me. They could have had their lives back. But they came through. They did their duty. In the end, they were loyal."

She brought one hand to his and squeezed gently.

"I feel so alone without them."

"We are not alone."

"I know I am not. But you… your duty…"

She finally looked up at him.

"I know my fate. And it is a joyous one."

He looked up at her. There was a smile on her face, beautiful, mysterious, and genuine.

"What is it?"

The smile remained. "That is for me to know."

He chuckled before looking off into the distance. She turned to join him, and their eyes both settled on the glittering crystal palace in the distance.

"She really did it."

Setsuna nodded. "Tomorrow, it all begins."

Aino Minako put her head down on her pillow. For at least one more night, she would still be just Aino Minako. Tomorrow, everything would change. Once, during the darkest moments of the fight against the most recent threat, she had resented her fate. She had even resented Usagi. That seed of resentment, and a few cunning lies and deceits had nearly cost her very soul.

She knew the truth now. Usagi had saved her. Crystal Tokyo was not a burden. It was a gift. It was salvation. It was the surest defense against an enemy that would see every good thing in this world destroyed. Minako knew now that were she given a choice, she would choose nothing other than to defend that beautiful dream for as long as she had breath in her body.

But for one last night, with her parents asleep in the next room, and with Artemis curled up next to her, she could pretend she was an ordinary girl who had no cares in the world.

Tonight, however, she chose not to give in to that childish fantasy. Instead, she clutched a cold stone, and remembered.

It was all she had left of him now. And the cold, lifeless rock, was so unlike her memories of him. Warm, vibrant, passionate and strong. She held the stone in her hand, but in her heart, she held those things closer.

She wondered now how she could have ever believed the lie. She wondered how she could have ever believed he did not care for her; that her love was in vain.

She wished desperately that she could have made amends, told him once more with an open heart and eyes wide open that she loved him.

In spite of all she had given up for Crystal Tokyo, Minako regretted nothing about her own life, save this one thing.

He did not know how she felt about him. She had never told him. Not the way she should have told him.

She closed her eyes and put the stone under her pillow. That one regret would follow her into her new life, but she promised herself that it would only bring her strength, not sorrow.

Minako's eyes opened, and it took a moment for her surroundings to come into focus. It was as though she was within pure light. The strange nature of her predicament should have scared her, but for some reason, she felt completely at peace. There was a definite sense of power about this place, but she felt no danger. Just a feeling of utter tranquility.

She could see a shape emerge from the light ahead.

Her breath caught in her throat. She felt no danger, only anticipation. Her heart quickened.

Silver eyes met blue.

He turned a melting smile on her, a smile that spoke of dancing under starlight, and kisses that brought contentment.

"Hello."

"Am I dreaming?"

He cocked his head slightly. "Not quite."

"Are you…"

His smile faded slightly.

She closed her eyes to try and fight back the tears, but one leaked through anyway. She jumped when she felt a strong hand cup her face, and a thumb wipe away the tear. Her body shivered at the touch. Another arm wrapped around her, and pulled her into an embrace.

She could do little more than clutch at his chest as the dam broke and sobs wracked her body. She shed tears for so many things. She cried for his death, three times over. She cried for happiness lost, lives taken, fates sealed and paradise lost. And she also cried because for the longest time, her heart's desire had been to fall into his arms and remain there forever, and in this brief moment, she realized her wildest dreams fell far short of the reality.

He stroked her hair and rode out the storm. Eventually, she relaxed. Her arms encircled him, and she held on, afraid of what might happen if she let him go.

"I'm not dead, am I?" she asked.

He laughed, and it resonated in his chest. Minako wanted to stay there and feel his laughter more. It felt right.

"No. You are very much alive."

"What is this place?"

He rested his chin on top of her head. "I'm not sure. Jeffrey said it was Purgatory. Nathan just said it wasn't Hell, because he'd been there. And Zacharie just wanted to know if he could have a coffee and croissant."

"Are they here?"

She felt him nod. "They had other matters to attend to."

"Did they-"

He pulled back slightly and took her face in his hands. His eyes held hers completely.

"In a place like this, a man learns what matters most to him."

He kissed her then, purposefully and deeply. And she kissed him back, desperately.

When they broke apart, they rested together, forehead to forehead.

"Will I ever see you again?"

He sighed.

"I don't know. This place… there's a reason I'm here. And I don't fully understand it yet. I am sworn to my master. We all are. And we will serve him as long as we can. For now, that requires us to be here. But we are his, always. Fate will take us on a long journey I suspect. I don't know what the future holds for us."

"Why am I here?"

He pulled back again to look at her. His hands gently moved the hair from her face.

"Because I needed you to know. I could not stand to have you believe the lies."

His hands rested on her shoulders.

"I love you Venus. No evil can ever erase that."

She felt like she might fly apart at those words.

She summoned enough courage to speak, even if it was in a slightly shaken voice.

"Show me."

He smiled as his hands remained on her shoulders, and he looked deep into her eyes.

She gasped as she could feel their minds join. She could see herself the way he saw her. She was so much more beautiful that the mirror had ever shown her. She could feel what he felt when he looked at her.

So beautiful…

He brought a hand up to cup her cheek again.

Thank you for saving me…

He stroked her hair.

I wish we could spend an eternity together…

The beauty of it all broke her heart and she wanted to cry. He wiped away the tear.

I love you…

She didn't even realize how it happened, but they were naked before each other. More than that, she realized they were totally bare to each other, soul to soul. In this place, there was more to him than flesh and blood. She could see and feel the strength of his duty and devotion. He was more than hard planes and sharp angles and taut muscle. He was sworn oaths and unshakable faith. And she could feel in his gaze that he found her to be soft skin, graceful curves, and pure abiding love.

When he kissed her, she could feel him on her lips and in her heart.

When he touched her, she could feel him on her skin and in her soul.

They did not merely make love. They were truly one in this place. Every thrust was a whisper of tender devotion. Every caress a pledge of eternal fidelity. Every kiss a memory of love shared. Every moan a verse of poetry to beautiful for any language ever spoken.

No man could ever know her this way, not in the unguarded, unfiltered beauty she basked in now. She could never give her heart to any man. She had already given it to him, and he had given his to her. Her heart was no longer hers to give. And she would never part with his, not for anything.

For ages, it seemed, they moved together in a dance of intricacy and endless complexity. There was nothing simple about the way two hearts beat as one and two bodies came together in such a perfect expression of love. And every movement was a lifetime's worth of pleasure.

They knew not if they'd ever be able to share the sort of life other people in love would, so they made the most of this. They kissed harder, deeper, longer, savoring every last moment and sharing enough love for the lives they had lost, and the life they may never lead. They engraved their names deep into each other's soul, so that were they never to see each other again, they would always carry the best of each other wherever they went.

And when they were done, they lay together, as every pair of lovers should, and looked deep into each others eyes, and knew beyond all doubt, what love was.

Princess Venus stood with her sisters at the coronation of Queen Serenity and King Endymion.

Today marked a new age of peace for Earth. There were many trials yet to come, and enemies yet to be faced. But for the first time in many long years, the people of Earth were hopeful. They had the universe's best hope against evil guarding them.

The four guardians each glowed on this day. Not literally, because with their powers, each was capable. But Venus knew each woman was just a little different today, and it had nothing to do with the new powers that came to them on this day. She knew it had more to do with the pieces of jade each wore around their neck. She looked over at each of them with a knowing smile. Mars rose her chin in defiance, as if daring Venus to mock her for hers. Jupiter smiled the smile of a girl newly in love, and with a heart unbroken. Mercury blushed deeply, but gave a tentative smile as Jupiter gave her a friendly shoulder bump.

Venus looked back to the King and Queen and watched as Endymion took her in his arms and kissed her, cementing the union and solidifying the future of Crystal Tokyo.

She could feel a warmth from the crystal around her neck. She closed her eyes and remembered silver eyes looking into hers, and telling her all she ever needed to know.

"Bismillah."

THE END