When she opened her eyes, the scene had yet to end.

With her heart beating faster than normal, Usagi let out the breath she'd been holding in, her body going icy cold with dread. "Mam...Oru..." The anguished whisper left her trembling lips as she took a tentative step forward, the silence in the room deafening. From somewhere, she heard Mars' soft little intake of breath, heard the sharp exhale of Venus, and it was only then that she realized she'd still yet to move to his side. She snapped to life in an instant, rushing across to fall to her knees beside him, her gloved hands stained crimson as she fought to staunch the flow of blood from his wound. "Mamoru... Please." She cried as she peered down into his face, his handsome features contorted with the pain he so clearly felt. Tears filled her eyes, threatening to spill over as she remained there beside him, knowing deep down that he was dying. And knowing that there wasn't a single thing she could do about it. "Mamoru... Please don't go..."

Mamoru... Mamoru, please don't go...

That voice... He'd heard that voice before, hadn't he? Though the pain was fierce, Mamoru forced his eyes to open, and his reward was catching sight of her brilliant blue eyes. Was she... Was she crying? For him? Mamoru felt something twist in his heart and he reached up a hand, every last ounce of his strength in that final gesture. He trailed the tips of his fingertips over cheekbones, lips moving wordlessly as he fought for the power to speak. "Are you alright, Sailor Moon... No, Usako..." He watched as she gave a single, silent nod, and relief flooded him, warming him like nothing else ever had. He felt her arms slide beneath him, holding him up, putting him that much closer to her. He'd never looked into her eyes like this, their color putting the brightest of sapphires to shame. "Why... Do you look like you're going to cry?" He asked her softly, his arm beginning to shake in his effort to keep it upright. He could feel himself slipping further and further away, her face was beginning to blur before his very eyes. "I'm just glad you're safe." He voiced the very last thought he could before his arm went slack, falling down beside him on the floor.

"Mamoru, no!" She felt something like electricity rushing through her veins, the shock of it enough to make her feel ill. "This can't be..." She murmured, shaking her golden head, tears falling rapidly down her cheeks. The pain was unlike anything she had ever felt in her whole life- pain she felt down to her very core, right in her own soul. But why... Why did she feel so deeply, because it was Tuxedo Mask? But Tuxedo Mask, he was also Mamoru... And Mamoru was... Mamoru was... She couldn't even think it, not right then, she couldn't insult him even in her own mind, not when he'd just saved her life at the cost of his own. He was dead and she was alive, but it hurt so much she almost wished it weren't so. But why... Why?!

Closing her eyes, she bowed her head as a single teardrop began to glow, softly at first until it's light became so bright that everyone else had to shield their eyes from its brilliance. When the light had died away, the seven rainbow crystals were coming together with that single tear drop, forming until they became a bright, shining crystal that hovered just out of her reach. From behind her, she heard the girl's soft gasps, heard Luna's soft exclamation as the crystal materialized. Usagi couldn't quite say what told her to do what she did next, but she was rising up from the ground, the Moon Stick clutched tightly in her hand. The shining crystal placed itself atop the Stick and she tightened her grasp on it, and suddenly the room was ablaze with its light.

They all felt the power of that shining, white light, its warmth reaching even that of Zoicite who had yet to react to all that had happened around him. When the light died away, gone was her fuku, replaced with a white silk gown, one she oddly recalled, as if from a dream of a lifetime before. That was when she remembered, her name before it was Usagi... Serenity. The dreams she'd been having had been of a life she had once lived, a life with... "Endymion." She whispered as she knelt back beside him, carefully moving him to rest his head upon her legs. "Oh, my love," a single tear traced the curve of her cheek and she felt the shifting of his body, felt the touch of his palm to her cheek. He was still yet alive, revived by the shining light of her crystal's power.

"Serenity..." He murmured her name aloud, remembering her as he had that last time he'd saw her, running towards him, leaving behind all her fears as she reached her hand out towards his. "I remember." He felt her hand enclose around his own and he was plunged into memory after memory, recalling their short time together with a fondness he couldn't quite describe. He remembered how it felt to hold her in his arms, to hear her laugh, to kiss her lips... Mamoru opened his eyes, wishing then he had kissed her when he'd had the chance, before this moment. There were so many things he wished to tell her, so many things he wanted to say... But he couldn't, he just didn't have the strength left.

As his mind faded to black, he heard her soft cry and his last waking thought was of her a time before, when they'd only been strangers on the street. Back to that very first time he had watched her cheeks turn red and she make a face at him. The very first time she had made his heart skip a beat. If only they could have gone back to that moment.

Usagi felt her heart crumbling, the pain inside of her burning like the touch of skin to ice, the cold feeling settling into the very pit of her stomach. Mamoru was leaving her, he was going to die, and the feeling of being left behind again was almost to much to bear. Power was flooding her again and as the light faded, gone was her princess gown, gone the little crescent moon tattooed on her brow. She was back into her fuku, back to being just Usagi. Although, something told her from that moment on she was going to be anyone but "just Usagi" anymore. And Mamoru... Mamoru was... She felt the blackness clawing at her and all the fight went out of her, leaving her to one final thought...

If only they'd had a little bit more time.