It was a blip. They happened sometimes, little pockets of left-behind things. Once it was a forgotten Daimon egg, another time it was a small rip in spacetime that let through something dark and shadowy that shouldn't exist. Once Minako swears it was a malevolent alien but Ami insisted it was just a hapless pigeon who stumbled onto the residue left behind from a Black Moon dark point. In each case, the fight was quick, easy and - the best part - done in one fell swoop.

Plus, Luna would say, at least it keeps them from getting complacent and flabby after the battle with Galaxia had ended. Which inevitably would make Usagi groan and say, "Maybe I want to be complacent and flabby."

This time, it was an evil spirit, awoken by some construction at the corner of Juuban park. There was an urban legend about a woman who murdered her lover... (Minako was the one who loved that stuff, Usagi would scream and cover her ears) in any case, it was a spirit or ghost or something that Sailor Moon and the girls dispatched in a burst of healing energy. Whatever darkness was there didn't want to let go of its vengeance, however, and sent a blast of dark smog right at Sailor Moon just as she was celebrating her victory with a fist pump.

"Sailor Moon!" Venus shouted, pushing her out of the way. The smog seemed to follow the Moon senshi though, hovering over her face for a bit while she attempted to hold her breath.

"You took my revenge from me," the spirit hissed before it vanished, "so I will take something precious from you."

It took Sailor Moon a while to recover from her coughing fit, but soon she was clear-eyed and blinking at Venus. "I'm fine," she said.

"She said 'I will take something from you,"" Mercury said, running to Sailor Moon and tapping on her computer. "Are you missing anything?"

Sailor Moon frowned, looking down and around at her body and the surrounding area. "I seem to be intact. Silver Crystal, check. Transformation, check."

"Detransfrom and transform again, see what happens."

She obliged, it went flawlessly. As Usagi Tsukino, she looked through her bag, everything seemed fine. She made a quick call home from a payphone and according to her mother, the whole family was present and accounted for.

It was decided they head back to Rei's to continue to check Usagi over.

"Your ring is missing," Rei observed out loud, but Usagi was already too far away to hear so Minako answered for her.

"No, no, it's just being resized. It's safe at Osaka's. Anyway, if the worst thing that happened is Mamoru has to spring for another engagement ring I'd consider that a wash."

"I think whatever the monster meant to do, it didn't work," Usagi said, later at Rei's. She sighed as Ami scanned her with the computer one more time. "I don't feel any different. I still have all my possessions. I am still Sailor Moon, I am still Usagi, everything is good, okay?"

"It's your mind, something's... not right," Ami murmured, zooming in on something on the small screen.

"Ha, don't need to tell us that, Ami," Rei said earning her a glare from Usagi.

"Hey!"

"Usagi, do you know what year it is?" Ami quizzed, asking her rapid-fire questions about her family, classmates, current events. She answered all with the typical Usagi knowledge.

"What about Sailor Moon? What was your first battle?"

"Naru. Jewelery store. Dark Kingdom," Usagi said, with the same clipped manner in her voice as Ami. She seemed amused. "Queen Beryl - that whole thing."

"Then?"

"The demon tree," Usagi wiggled her fingers, drawing out the word 'demon' in a spooky voice that made Minako nod in pride.

"Then, it was the Black Moon wanting Chibi-Usa," Usagi said, ticking off on her fingers. "Hotaru and Professor Creepypants, the circus freaks and Nehelenia, Galaxia and the end of all life as we knew it-" she cringed a little, "with Chibi-Chibi and the Starlights and all that. You think this thing stole my memories of past battles? If ONLY."

Ami sighed. "Something happened. I guess we'll just have to wait and see what it is."

"Can I go now?" Usagi whined. "I'm missing Manga Club and it's, like, the only thing about high school I actually like."

Minako had been watching the whole scene with calculating eyes. "Hey, Usagi-chan, do you have a boyfriend?" she asked suddenly, as Usagi was already heading toward the door with her bag slung over her shoulder.

"Huh?" she blinked.

Rei gave Minako a sharp glance and Makoto raised her eyebrows. It's true, she usually doesn't go this long without mentioning him, Ami thought.

"Well?" Minako asked, still eyeing Usagi carefully.

"Uh... no?" The smaller girl laughed a little. "Whatever, Minako, if I did you'd be the first to know, okay?"

"Usagi," Rei said, and Usagi seemed surprised at Rei's shocked expression.

"Jeeze, sorry, you'll be second, Rei. Trust me, you all, when I get a boyfriend I'm sure I'll never shut up about it."

"You have a point," Minako muttered.

"So, Usagi, wait," Ami shifted on her legs, sitting up higher. "Why did Queen Beryl attack the Silver Millennium?"

"Because she was jealous of my mother's power," Usagi said, looking as if the answer was obvious. "You already quizzed me on all this stuff!"

"Why didn't you and An get along?" Rei asked.

"Ugh, she hated me because her creepy brother-slash- boyfriend wouldn't leave me alone," Usagi sighed. "Also, she was evil at the time so you can't say I was wrong not to like her."

"What about Chibi-Usa?" Makoto demanded. "Who was she?"

"My cousin," Usagi looked at Makoto oddly. "Came to stay with us for a while, also a senshi, pink hair, cute kitten, ring a bell?"

"Who did Nehelenia kidnap that time she came back?"

"Chibi-Usa," Usagi answered. "And I went through hell to get her back, remember?"

"But wh-"

"Can I go?" she interrupted, bouncing a little on her feet. "Manga cluuuuuuuub. I bet all the cookies are gooooone by now."

"Yes," Ami said, "yes go, you seem to be fine. Have a fun time."

Usagi waved and left, and as soon as she was out of earshot, Rei rounded on Ami.

"What the heck? She's obviously not 'fine'!"

"I know!" Ami said, "I know! That thing must have somehow taken her memories of Mamoru somehow. It's like he was erased from all past events." She felt sick. I will take something precious from you. This has to be fixable, she thought.

"So," Makoto said, "we get some photos, some letters, gather them up, show her and jog her memory. Easy peasy."

Ami looked concerned. "I am not sure that's a good idea right now. It might really upset her or confuse her. You have to be really careful in these situations. Usagi's mental health may depend on it."

"So what we just... do nothing?" Makoto said, upset.

"No, no," Ami said, "not nothing, obviously. We just need to be careful about how we approach this. Confronting her about this probably isn't a good first step."

"But I know what is," Minako said. "Rei, can I use your phone?" she said, stepping into action.

"Why?"

But Minako was already headed to Rei's nightstand, all business.

"Minako, don't you dare make a long-distance call on my phone!"

"It's not long distance."

"You are calling Mamoru in America, aren't you?" Rei demanded, following her with her hands on her hips. "Do you know how expensive that is without a calling card?"

Minako lifted the phone and made a big show of pressing "0", "See?" she said to Rei. "Not long distance. Yes, hello operator? I'd like to make a collect call overseas."

Ami sighed, putting her head to her hand. "That's so expensive," she muttered.

Rei shrugged. "As long as I'm not paying."

"Hey, Mamoru, it's me, Minako!" Minako was saying into the phone, "Thanks for accepting the charges! Listen, question real quick, do you know a girl named Tsukino Usagi?... Oh good."

She gave a thumbs up to the other girls, "It must only be her, then... what? No, she's fine. There was a little battle... oh! you felt that! Wow, cool, even from so far away you... oh okay, right sorry. No, Usagi is totally fine. The picture of health. Yup. Oh? why I called you?... it's what time there? Where you sleeping?... Okay, ya know what, Mamoru, I don't appreciate your sarcasm. Anyway, Usagi is doing just great but... funny story, she sort of doesn't remember you two are dating... Yeah, it some sort of weird curse from the spirit. I don't even know if she remembers you at all but she definitely doesn't know you are together. In fact, all her memories seem to be changed to disclude you, it's weird."

"Disclude isn't a word," Ami murmured.

"It IS so a word, I just SAID it," Minako said to Ami, who gestured frantically toward the phone. "Oh! Right!" Minako turned back to her conversation.

"Sorry, I didn't hear what you said. Look, in any case, I'm sure it's totally fixable and she'll be fine I just wanted to give you a heads up do NOT call her or anything because she won't know who you are... a joke!? Mamoru, would I call you collect in the middle of the night just for a joke?... Yeah, okay, point taken. But no, this is real see?"

She held up the phone to Ami who reluctantly leaned toward the mouthpiece. "Yeah, Mamoru, sorry. It's true b-"

Minako snatched the phone back, "Anyways, this call is getting pricy for you, so why don't you go back to sleep. Don't worry about a thing. Don't even think about the fact that the love of your life has no idea you exist because we totes got this. Have a great week, Mamoru! Byeeee!"

She hung up and brushed her hands together. "Welp, now loverboy is appraised of the situation so that's step one taken care of."

"Minako," Rei said, "you just hung up on that poor man, what is wrong with you?"

Minako shook her head, slinging her arm around her friend, "Rei, Rei, Rei, Rei. Do you really think he's not already on his way to the airport?"