So this chapter is going to be again mostly dedicated to Usagi and Mamoru :) because of course they are the ones who are meant to be together on earth… right? RIGHT? Don't worry though! There will be more action with Tuxedo Kamen coming up!

Do I really need a disclaimer anymore?

Chapter 6

The Rose Garden

"The usual mocha, Mamoru?" Motoki asked as his best friend sat down across from him on his favourite stool.

"Better make it a black one today," Mamoru replied, feeling tired from the lack of sleep the previous night. "And make it strong."

"Why are you so sleepy?" Motoki grinned. "Your highly active social life finally catching up with you?"

"Ha ha, very funny," Mamoru commented drily. "Actually, I found myself lying on the pavement last night after another black out. By the time I walked home I didn't end up getting to sleep until day light. It's funny because it was actually Usagi and her friends that…"

Motoki's concern at Mamoru's story was soon replaced by delight as he looked toward the doors of the arcade opening and a certain small blonde haired, blue eyed someone walk in. In response, he stopped wiping glasses and leaned on the bench expectantly with a grin waiting for this afternoon's round of entertainment. Who cares if it didn't always make sense? A shift at the arcade always flew by when Mamoru and Usagi were around. Not only that, it was good to see his friend get some social interaction apart from just hanging out with him, even if it did get mildly violent at times!

"Hello Motoki! Hello Mamoru!" Usagi greeted, first nodding to Motoki and then gracing Mamoru with a genuine dazzling smile, plonking herself down on the stool next to him. "How are you feeling today?"

"Still a little tired but much better, thank you Odang- Usagi," Mamoru responded, correcting himself before saying his nickname for her out of habit. "How are you today?"

Motoki gaped at the preoccupied pair as they exchanged pleasantries like old friends. What was going on? He could have sworn that Mamoru actually called Usagi… well… Usagi! Perhaps he'd heard them call each other names so often that he didn't even notice anymore?

"I'm well thanks," Usagi replied. "I guess a little tired as well but nothing a chocolate sundae sugar fix can't handle! I'm starving! One of your super chocolate sundaes, please Motoki!"

Unable to physically close his jaw and looking at the pair like they had both just stripped off naked in front of him, Motoki struggled to prepare Usagi's sundae, first dropping ice cream on the floor and second, spilling chocolate topping everywhere.

"Oh no!" Usagi moaned, looking in her coin purse. "I don't have enough money! I knew I had heaps of change in here but they're all small coins… I'm so sorry Motoki… but I'll have to cancel my order."

In a flash, Mamoru had his wallet out and dropped 300 yen on the bench. "It's okay, I can cover it. After all, I do owe you for helping me out last night."

They were even hanging out last night? Motoki thought.

"Oh Mamoru, are you sure?" Usagi asked, feeling uncomfortable about him offering but also wanting to sate her grumbling stomach.

"Of course."

"Um, well…thank you so much! I promise I'll pay you back as soon as I get my allowance tomorrow."

"Don't worry about it. It's fine, real-" Mamoru began before being interrupted.

"THAT'S IT!" Motoki screamed with a thump on the bench, causing his two friends to jump in their seats and look at him in surprise. "I HAVE NO IDEA WHAT IS GOING ON HERE, BUT YOU," he motioned to Usagi, "CAN TAKE YOUR SUNDAE, AND YOU," he pointed at Mamoru, "CAN TAKE YOUR COFFEE AND BOTH OF YOU CAN GET OUT OF MY ARCADE!"

With that, Motoki stalked off to the other end of the bench and started furiously wiping over anything that he could while Usagi and Mamoru became the ones to gape at their mutual friend. They could hear Motoki muttering to himself angrily, the words 'what is happening to the world' followed by a 'what are you looking at' directed towards a group of teenagers being the only things they could clearly decipher.

"I wonder what has gotten into him," a wide-eyed Mamoru said.

"I don't know but I'm guessing that's our cue to go," Usagi responded.

Both got up, with takeaway orders in hand, and made their way through the arcade doors.

The afternoon sun beat down on a tall dark haired man and a small blonde haired beauty as they silently walked along the footpath towards the Juuban district. Usagi, on the left, was happily wolfing down her chocolate sundae, with Mamoru on her right, pensively sipping his black coffee.

It wasn't long until Usagi had finished her sundae, let out a long satisfied sigh and put the container in the bin that she said, "So what now?"

"I don't know," Mamoru responded. "I had been planning on spending the afternoon relaxing at the arcade but with Motoki in a mood I guess that's out. What about you? Did you have any plans?"

"Same," Usagi said. "I guess that means we're pretty much in the same boat. No plans and nothing to do…" she hinted, hoping he would offer to hang out with her for the afternoon. It was time to implement 'project baka' as she'd come to call it, the name making her grin to herself. She'd try to reveal the mystery behind him having the ability to see the rose and the easiest way for her to do that was become his friend. It was obvious last night seeing how lonely he was that Mamoru could do with more friends so really it was a win-win situation.

Mamoru, taking the hint, was trying to think of a suitable activity they could do that Usagi would enjoy. He wasn't really used to socialising, especially with girls. He realised he had no idea what interested her except for food, which she had already eaten, and video games, which they now couldn't play. Surely I know more about her than that after all these months? Thinking back to all of their verbal sparring he couldn't remember her actually saying anything about her interests. However, as he looked at Usagi he noticed again the rose that she had been wearing in her hair over the last few days and an idea came to him. Hadn't the rose garden in Juuban park just come into bloom?

(A/N: thank you Sweetmaj010!)

"We could always go for a walk through Juuban park and check out the rose gardens," Mamoru suggested. "They're meant to be the best this year and Motoki and his girlfriend went there for a date the other day and they said it was pretty good…" he trailed off, suddenly feeling a little shy at what he might have implied. "Well, we could go do that, that is, if you want to," Mamoru finished lamely.

"That sounds great," Usagi agreed, her eyes sparkling with excitement as the pair quickened their pace knowing that they had a direction to take.

Laughing and chatting about Motoki's strange behaviour along the way, it wasn't long until Mamoru and Usagi made their way through the Juuban park gates and into the lush rose gardens. It didn't disappoint. Every colour of rose imaginable confronted them like they were looking into a kaleidoscope.

Usagi eagerly ran up to a red rose bush and touched one of the blooms. "Kyaaaaa! They're so beautiful, don't you think?" Usagi exclaimed as she bend down to smell the rose she held in her hand.

Watching on as Usagi delighted herself with the scent of the bloom, a distant memory flashed into Mamoru's mind.

"Oh Endymion, I didn't realise that there could be anything so beautiful. In the gardens back home roses only come in silver, just like everything else," called a silver haired goddess across the garden, a goddess that looked so much like Usagi. "There are so many handsome colours that I nearly want to cry."

"Which would you say is your favourite colour?" Endymion responded as he made his way over to the smiling woman as she bent down to sample a pink rose's scent, her whole being sparkling in the afternoon sun.

"It would be so hard to choose," she replied but after pondering a moment responded, "Perhaps the red one over there."

Endymion walked over to the red rose bush that Serenity had motioned to and picked one of the open flowers. Removing the thorns with his dagger, he carefully put the rose in Serenity's hair. A blush crept over her porcelain face as his hand trailed down to hold her cheek while the other moved around her waist, pulling her closer to him.

"No matter how many roses surround you Serenity, to me, you will always be the most stunning rose of all," Endymion murmured before bending down and gently taking her lips with his own.

"Mamoru? MAMORU?"

Mamoru jumped back to reality to see a hand waving back and forward in front of his face.

"Wakey wakey!" Usagi sang, continuing to wave her hand in front of Mamoru's face, noticing that his eyes were glazed and strangely dilated. "Is everything okay? You seemed to have blacked out there for a moment."

"What? Oh, yes sorry," Mamoru replied. "I must have been daydreaming." Where on earth did that come from? It must be some sort of déjà vu, he thought. Déjà vu when you have never been to a rose garden with Usagi before? An inner voice asked. Déjà vu when you were called Endymion and Usagi was Serenity? He had to admit that was a little weird. Déjà vu when you were kissing Usagi?

Mamoru's face started to flame at the thought. Had he really just been daydreaming about kissing Usagi? Of course she was pretty and everything. What man in his right mind wouldn't want to kiss a girl that attractive? But she was only 14 and… and… well, they hated each other… didn't they?

Mamoru sighed. If he was honest with himself, he would say that he had never hated her. The first day her crumpled test paper had hit him square in the nose was the first day he had met a girl that had really attracted him. Needing to reach out to her in some way, he had teased her about her score and then her hair. And well, over the months their teasing and fighting had really just carried itself away from there and become over the top - a battle of wits rather than any heartfelt hate against each other. Well that was how he felt. Mamoru wasn't sure anymore what Usagi really thought of him. Then again, didn't she agree to come to the gardens with him?

It was odd, their newfound peace. He still couldn't believe that the girl that he had been fighting with just yesterday was actually hanging out with him, and smiling! But he wasn't going to complain, he only wished that they'd stopped fighting sooner.

"Okay, Mamoru," Usagi broke in, concern written plainly over her delicate features. "I think someone has had just a little too much sun. Let's go sit in the shade for a while."

They settled down on a grassy knoll underneath a large oak tree and looked out to the still lake. Anyone watching the young couple laughing and chatting would have thought of youth and happiness and the time of their first love. The pair didn't move for the entire afternoon - after their initial hesitation and awkwardness at finding conversation topics that didn't involve the words 'odango' or 'baka' they found that they actually enjoyed each others' company and had plenty to talk about. Usagi shared her dreams of her friends and family living long happy lives, of finding love and making a family of her own. Mamoru, touched by her kind-hearted dreams, responded by telling Usagi his dream of becoming a doctor so that he could heal the sick and help those like his parents who died in accidents. Usagi told humorous tales of her friends, family and getting in trouble with her teacher, Haruna-sensei, at school. Mamoru shared stories of his life growing up in the orphanage and of meeting Motoki for the first time at university.

They talked of anything and everything.

As the sun lowered and twilight set in, Usagi, needing to be home for dinner, and Mamoru, needing to finish an assignment due the next day, regretfully said goodbye to each other and went their separate ways home.

On her walk home, a smiling Usagi's could only feel joy as the wind blew through her hair and thoughts of Mamoru swirled through her mind. She admitted to herself with a smile that she actually really liked his company, even if he was a little serious and his smile never quite reached his eyes. She liked the way his lips moved as he spoke and the way he expressed himself with his beautiful hands. She admired how smart he was (definitely smarter than her! Better study a little harder!) and how he had opened up to her about his life. In one afternoon she'd successfully broken the wall that Mamoru had put up around himself. She couldn't help but feel privileged that he had shared so much with her.

Suddenly Usagi realised that she wasn't any closer to her 'project baka' objective. In fact, she forgot all about it as she and Mamoru sat in the rose gardens chatting next to the lake. Ah well, she thought as she practically skipped down the road. There will be plenty more opportunities. And for the first time she was looking forward to seeing Mamoru again.

Usagi wasn't aware of the shadow that followed her, an expression of growing concern adorning his face.

Yet in his eyes
all the sadness of the world
Those pleading eyes,
that both threaten and adore

The next afternoon Usagi arrived at the Shinto temple to find the other four senshi already there as usual. She could hear them stage whispering as she walked up the steps to Rei's bedroom and paused to listen before entering, her ears picking up that they were talking about her.

"So you're saying that she has some strange attachment to the roses that Tuxedo Kamen keeps giving her?" Usagi could hear Makoto ask, the brunette always the one to question everything in a blunt fashion.

"All I'm saying is that when we asked her to give it up she looked depressed," Minako explained knowingly. "That's why I gave it back to her."

"It couldn't be controlling her, could it?" Makoto questioned, her tone serious. "She has been kind of quiet the last couple of days."

"No, I don't think so, I haven't sensed any evil emanating from it," a confident voice spoke, rejecting the idea. Usagi recognised it as Rei's.

"I agree. I think Usagi might just be developing feelings for Tuxedo Kamen," Usagi heard Minako say, hearing a smile in her voice. Had she really been that transparent? Usagi thought. And just how much did she feel for Tuxedo Kamen anyway? Perhaps she should ask Minako, Usagi mused, feeling slightly chagrined.

"Well then maybe we should keep an eye on her," Makoto insisted. "That guy hasn't told us anything about himself so I'm still thinking that we can't really call him an ally just yet."

When will they learn?

After a couple of murmurs of agreement Usagi could make out Ami's soft voice say, "Hopefully she has brought that rose with her today so I can test it. We'll have more information then."

Deciding that she had heard enough, Usagi made herself known by stomping on the floorboards three times and then opening the sliding door to Rei's bedroom. Four guilty sets of eyes looked her way as she entered, Usagi could tell that they were hoping she hadn't heard their conversation about her. Although Usagi felt a little hurt that they would talk about her behind her back like that she didn't want them to be any more suspicious of Tuxedo Kamen or her actions.

"Hey guys!" Usagi exclaimed, plastering on a fake smile. "Mako-chan! Please tell me you brought some food! I'm so hungry I can hardly stand!"

After an awkward pause from the group it was Rei who spoke first.

"You are such a bottomless pit, Odango Atama! We have so much going on with the Negaverse and all you're concerned about is your stomach! Seriously, is food all you think about?"

"Rei, why do you always have to call me Odango Atama?" Usagi whined, ignoring the jibe about her not caring about their Negaverse problems. "You know I hate it!"

"Speaking of odango," the senshi of thunder cut in, trying to lighten the mood. "Here Usagi, of course I made food for you!"

"Fank you Makoko!" Usagi mumbled, shoving a whole odango in her mouth and practically swallowing it whole, then casting a glance the senshi of fire's way. "At least someone loves me."

"Okay everyone! Well the main objective of this meeting is for Ami to test Usagi's rose," Minako's authoritative voice broke through before Rei could retaliate, officially starting the meeting. Luna would have overseen the proceedings but she and Artemis were out investigating strange disturbances at the Juuban train station in case it might be linked to the Negaverse. Usagi, at Minako's instruction, obediently took the rose out of her bun and gave it to Ami, who with a look of intense concentration, started to analyse it with her computer immediately. "And while she is doing that we need to talk strategies because we all know we've had some close calls over the last week and we need to be prepared for a much stronger and deadlier enemy. If it weren't for Tuxedo Kamen.." Minako stole a glance at Usagi who was busy engrossing herself in Makoto's food, "… none of our attacks would have worked."

Gulping her food down quickly Usagi moaned, "Yeah, that Zoicite guy could even catch my tiara! If I can't use my tiara then how can I dust the enemy?"

"Jupiter and I have been learning to combine our powers to create a stronger attack. Perhaps we should start concentrating on combining our power with Usagi's tiara," Rei suggested.

"Hmmm that's a good idea but what about when it swings back and Usagi has to catch it?" Minako added, frowning and trying to think of a solution.

The girls, except Usagi of course, laughed at the image of Usagi burning her hands or being electrocuted, her hair burnt to a crisp if she missed her target and had to catch her tiara with the power combined. They continued discussing the matter until they heard someone clear their throat and Ami's head popped up suddenly to announce her results.

"Well there seems to be nothing dangerous about this rose at all," Ami concluded before elaborating. "However, it isn't your normal twentieth century variety of rose. My analysis of its DNA suggests that it has a prehistoric origin, which could possibly be why it having a longer lifespan than any normal rose. Also, it seems to be infused with some sort of power that I cannot identify."

"Why didn't I see it before?" Minako exclaimed, realisation suddenly dawning on her. "It's love!"

"What do you mean, Minako?" Ami asked, her logical mind thinking this didn't make any sense.

"The reason it seemed to affect Zoicite, weakening him enough for Sailor Moon to use her tiara, is because it poisoned him with love and his evil body couldn't handle it! The same goes for the roses' healing ability. Think about it, we hear stories where people recover from cancer from their loved ones praying, supporting and loving them all the time. You know, in a way it's probably similar to Sailor Moon's power - she is the senshi of love and justice after all. This love and justice is in the energy she puts into her tiara – her moon dust!" Minako cried, happy with her conclusion.

The senshi all looked at each other, contemplating what the senshi of love had revealed.

"I guess that sounds about right," Makoto agreed, the tall brunette the first to break the silence.

"It would explain the lack of evil presence," Rei also concurred.

"And the fact that my computer can't analyse the strange power," Ami also agreed with a nod of her head.

"Ha! I told you it wasn't evil!" Usagi exclaimed, triumphant. "And neither is Tuxedo Kamen. I'm sure of it!"

Finally…

"Well, I guess it's getting late. At least we solved the mystery of the rose. We should meet up again soon and continue to discuss strategies though," Minako said, closing the meeting. At her words, everyone except Rei got up and started grabbing their school bags ready to leave. Rei started to collect their plates and dishes ready to take to the temple kitchen.

"Before we go I was hoping to invite you all to an event my mother is holding…" Ami started, getting the other four senshi's attention immediately.

"Oo-Oo! What is it Ami?" Usagi jumped from one foot to another impatiently, always excited to hear of something new happening. She loved the arcade but there was only so much excitement it could offer before she conquered the new games when they came out.

Ami started to blush at all of their intense attention and continued, "My mother's hospital is holding a charity masquerade ball Saturday week to raise funds for neurological research. She said because she doesn't get to see me very often that I could go and I could also bring my friends too for company. So… I was hoping that you would all go with me?"

Minako and Usagi immediately hugged each other and jumped up and down screaming "A ball! A ball!" over and over. Rei and Makoto started arguing about who was going to look the hottest in a gown and mask, Rei arguing that she had prettier eyes and Makoto saying that they wouldn't be able to see her eyes so Makoto would of course look better because of her 'assets'.

"I guess that means you're all coming," Ami broke in quietly with a smile, glad that she wouldn't have to spend the night alone.

"Of course we're coming Ami-chan!" Makoto exclaimed. "You know what this means everyone, don't you?"

"We're going shopping!" They all cried in unison.

Please Read & Review! Sorry it's a little dialogue driven!

Thought I'd add a bit of light hearted fun in there at the end! Sorry, you'll have to wait a few chapter for the masquerade ball though! Hehehe...

.rose