Disclaimer: I do not own Sailor Moon or her characters, and have no right to it except as a long time fan.

Life Goes On

Friday: Day Twenty Six continued...

The group relaxed a bit after everything was said and done, letting the fact that their enemy had been defeated sink in and that they didn't have to worry anymore and could be themselves.

Then they started leaving for home one by one. First Makoto, than Ami with Luna since the feline wanted more details on what happened. Rei hesitated since she wanted to stay, mostly to be around Mamoru, but she knew she wouldn't be welcome so she left with Ami.

Usagi watched them depart and was reminded of what was most likely waiting for her at home. An angry worried mother, at the least.

She looked off into the distance at the skyline and considered taking whatever punishment was coming her way, but remembered that her mother was upset with her for leaving and probably not too happy with Mamoru either.

If her father was home her mother would most likely tell him, and even if he wasn't she would probably do it when he did get home, which meant he would be upset with her and angry at Mamoru.

That could result in them grounding her and trying to keep her from Mamoru. That wouldn't work since they couldn't be with her all day every day, but Usagi didn't even want to have to deal with that.

She didn't deserve it and neither did he, and she wasn't about to spend weeks sneaking around. They had done that in the past and even for a little while in the present, and they didn't need to do it anymore.

Usagi sighed wearily and leaned against Mamoru. Her body was healed thanks to him but she was still tired. Her mind was tired, and now she was contemplating having to reveal her secret to her parents.

I'll be with you no matter what. Whatever you decide you want to do. Mamoru assured her, having silently followed her thought process.

Minako and Artemis hadn't moved as the others began to leave. They had seen the expression on Usagi's face and they exchanged a worried look as they wondered about it. Their enemy had just been defeated for good and they didn't have to fight any more for the time being, so why was she looking upset?

"What's wrong Princess?" Artemis asked, speaking first.

"When we left my house earlier my mom didn't want me to leave." Usagi said with a sigh. "She didn't want me going out into danger and was clearly upset that I wasn't listening to her demands that I stay home. My father should know by now, and if he doesn't he will soon."

"I can't explain exactly why I left so I know I'm going to be grounded at the very least. I wouldn't mind that too much, but I worry about how Mamoru leaving with me will affect my parents' opinion toward him. I think it's very possible they, or mostly my father, will try to keep us apart." She explained.

"It wouldn't work if they did try, but I don't want to deal with their attempts. It wouldn't be fair to either of us, so I'm seriously considering telling them the truth about me." She finished.

Minako and Artemis were surprised Usagi was thinking of revealing her secret, but they also understood why she would. They certainly wouldn't want to be separated from the one they loved or be forced to sneak around to see each other. Not to mention they wouldn't want to come home and be punished after having literally saved the world.

"What can we do to help?" Minako asked and Artemis nodded his agreement to help.

"Telling my secret means telling everyone's, including yours. Are you all okay with that?" Usagi asked.

"Yeah. Go right ahead." Minako said with a nod.

"Yes. That's fine." Artemis assured her.

Usagi looked to Mamoru. "Of course. We're in this together." He assured her.

"Thank you." She said as she looked to all of them then sighed. "I don't want the others to know I'm telling my parents, so I don't plan on informing them. I'm also hoping to impress that fact on my parents after the revelation, so they won't say anything to them if they see them."

"I'd like you to help with the explanations since it would be best to have one of my Senshi there to prove my story, and you're the only one of my Senshi that I trust." She said to Minako.

"You too Artemis. You could give your perspective and explain things that Luna would have been able to." She said to the feline advisor.

"We can do that without a problem." Minako said with a nod.

"How exactly do you want to do this?" Artemis asked.

Usagi sighed yet again. "I'm not sure if I should go in alone and hear what they have to say before brining you all in or if we should all go in and get it over with." She said and they all sat in silence as they thought through the options.

"We should all go in together." Mamoru said. "If your parents want to speak to you alone then we can wait in another room. That way you can hear what they have to say and if they decide to keep you from us as punishment then we can step in and start the explanations."

"What do you want to do if nothing happens, if you don't get punished? Do you still want to tell them?" Artemis asked his princess.

"I don't think that's likely to happen but if it does then yes, I still want to tell them." Usagi answered. "There's been too many unexplainable things lately and they're bound to be suspicious. They might not say anything but it's there and it'll continue to grow if there are any more incidents."

"There's also the fact that Luna isn't around. They haven't said anything about her absence but I'm sure they noticed, so it's best to just get it over with." She continued. "If they just ask for an explanation of why I went out into danger then we can use that opening to start our explanations."

Minako nodded then frowned slightly. "Do you just plan to tell them about your senshi life only or your past as well?" She asked.

"I want to tell them about both, but I wonder if I can avoid explaining how our bond was formed." She said as she looked from Minako to Mamoru. "Or maybe I can avoid talking about our bond altogether."

Mamoru grimaced. "I'd rather avoid it if we can, but if we can't then your parents' reaction still won't keep us apart." He said. "They're your parents but they will learn and understand that they can't keep us from each other."

Everyone silently took in his statement. Usagi placed her hand on his leg and squeezed slightly in silent agreement. After all, the two of them were connected and would always be able to speak to each other. Not to mention they could go to Elysion or the Moon anytime they wanted, and there were always things they had yet to discover. They could probably use their crystals to bring themselves to each other for all they knew.

"Will you tell your brother?" Mamoru asked Usagi as he looked at her.

"No. I'm not sure he would keep it a secret." She answered. "He might not mean to tell, but there's a chance he could let something slip."

Once again they were quiet for a while then Usagi sighed. It was either now or never, and she didn't want it to take all day. She was still tired and her parents were sure to have questions after all was said and done, so she sat up from where she was leaning against Mamoru and looked to him, Minako, and Artemis.

"We should go and get this over with." She stated.

They nodded and Usagi and Mamoru stood. Minako scooped up Artemis in her arms and stood as well then they began to walk in the direction of Usagi's house.

Usagi sighed wearily as she spotted a familiar car as they stopped outside the front gate to her house.

"My father's home." She informed them quietly.

"It's okay. You're not alone." Mamoru said as he gently squeezed her hand, and Minako and Artemis agreed.

She led them toward the front door and paused once there before she moved to grab the spare key from its hiding place. She hadn't thought to grab her keys when she and Mamoru left, and she wasn't going to knock or ring the doorbell and risk her parents trying to turn Mamoru, Minako, and Artemis away.

Usagi quietly opened the door but her parents were rushing toward her before she was barely inside.

"Tsukino Usagi!" Her father yelled before he stopped abruptly, realizing she wasn't alone.

"Are you okay? You're not hurt are you?" Mrs. Tsukino asked as she hugged her daughter tightly.

"I'm fine. I'm not hurt." Usagi assured her.

They all finished coming in and closed the door. They looked at each other for a few silent moments, then her father glared at Mamoru before looking to Usagi.

"I want to speak to you in the dining room, right now!" Mr. Tsukino said.

"Could you two wait in the living room?" Mrs. Tsukino asked Mamoru and Minako as she gestured toward the room.

They nodded and went to sit without a word as Mrs. Tsukino followed her husband and daughter. She closed the dining room door behind her and went to sit at the table.

"Your mother and I have been worried sick about you, especially your mother." Mr. Tsukino said loudly as he looked to Usagi. "What in the world were you thinking to disobey your mother and go out into that dangerous madness?"

"Those strange creatures were out there destroying buildings and attacking people left and right. You could have been seriously hurt or killed. I barely got away from my office in time, and was lucky I wasn't hurt." He said.

"Shingo was lucky he made it safely home as well." Mrs. Tsukino added.

Shingo. Where is he? Usagi wondered.

Upstairs. I'm guessing he's in his room. Mamoru answered her thought.

Thank you love. She said and focused on what her father was saying as he paced.

"And I can't believe that boy, Chiba, lead you out into that danger! He should have stopped you!" Mr. Tsukino continued before he stopped pacing and looked at his daughter. "Your mother said you needed to go see your friends. I want to know what was so damn important that you had to go help them."

Usagi sat at the table calmly listening to her parents. They had reacted about how she thought they would, and now it seemed they wanted an explanation. She nodded slightly and stood.

"Okay. We should go into the living room with the others." She said as she moved away from her seat.

"We aren't done yet." Mrs. Tsukino interrupted.

"I know. You wanted an explanation and that's one of the reasons I brought them back with me. I figured you would." Usagi said as she looked from her mother to her father.

They reluctantly followed her into the living room and she sat next to Mamoru as they took their seats. She held in a sigh, unsure how she was supposed to get things started.

Maybe you should just tell them the secret outright. Mamoru said.

Alright. Usagi said as she looked to her parents who were looking at her expectantly.

"I went out because the message in the sky earlier was for me." She stated bluntly. "I was going to meet up with my friends before we went to deal with him."

The room was silent for a moment, her parents looking at her in disbelief and exasperation.

"This is no time for games Usagi! I want the truth." Her father snapped angrily and she frowned slightly.

"It is the truth." Usagi said calmly. "I'm Sailor Moon, Mamoru is Tuxedo Kamen, and Minako is Sailor Venus. My other friends are senshi as well."

"I became Sailor Moon a little over six months ago when I met Luna. I met Ami, Makoto, and Rei one by one and they became senshi during the first youma attack after our meeting. Minako here was already a senshi but she wasn't in the country, and from my understanding it was Artemis who found her." She explained as she gestured to the white cat on Minako's lap.

Mr. and Mrs. Tsukino looked at each other surprised and doubtful. Mrs. Tsukino sighed with a frown as she looked away and Mr. Tsukino shook his head as he looked to Usagi.

"I can't believe you're making up stories to get out of trouble." He said in disappointment but Mrs. Tsukino made a hesitant sound as she looked at them.

"I'm not so sure it's just a story dear considering how serious all three of them look, but I still can't believe it." Mrs. Tsukino said to her husband. "All of your friends are senshi, and what does Luna have to do with any of this?" She asked in confusion.

Mr. Tsukino looked to his wife and gestured to the group. "You can't actually be considering this outrageous story to be true." He said incredulously.

"I don't know." She said as she shook her head uncertainly.

"Will you believe once you see proof?" Minako asked and Mr. and Mrs. Tsukino shared another look.

"Sure. I'll believe it." Mr. Tsukino said in a tone that clearly suggested he thought they were wasting time on such nonsense.

Usagi got up and walked to the window before closing the curtains. She turned back and moved back toward the seating before she paused and looked toward the stairs. The last thing she wanted was for Shingo to come down, but he would do just that if she told him not to come down.

Lock him in his room. Mamoru said simply and she hummed thoughtfully.

"I'll be right back." She said out loud as she left the room.

She went up the stairs and stood in front of his closed door, then thought better of it and went to the top of the stairs and used her crystal to block the stairway with an invisible barrier. That way he could leave his room and go to the bathroom, but couldn't go down the stairs. She then headed back down the stairs and returned to the living room.

"I'm ready." She announced and Mamoru and Minako nodded.

"I'll go first." Minako said.

They nodded and Usagi sat back next to Mamoru as Minako stood, Artemis shifting to sit on the wide arm of the chair to watch. She pulled her transformation pen from her subspace pocket, looking as though it was appearing from thin air, and held it slightly above her head.

"Venus Power Makeup!" She said, and transformed in a bright flash of orange light.

When Sailor Venus stood there Mamoru placed a hand on Usagi's leg and squeezed it slightly before he stood. He pulled a red rose from seemingly nowhere and transformed into Tuxedo Kamen in a light red flash of light. He moved to stand next to Venus then waited for his princess to do her thing.

Usagi stood with a weary sigh then pulled her new brooch from the bow on her uniform shirt and held it up.

"Moon Crystal Power Makeup!" She called lightly and transformed in a bright soft pink flash of light.

Mr. and Mrs. Tsukino sat stunned as they looked at the three young people before them, one of them their own daughter. They were surprised when Minako took out an orange pen from thin air and were even more so of the bright light that had come after her words. It had nearly blinded them. It had been the same with all three of them. Though Mamoru didn't seem to need words to make his transformation work.

Now two Sailor Senshi and a masked man stood before them. People they had only heard about and seen on TV. They couldn't help staring in their speechlessness, getting a detailed look when the news only showed them at a distance.

Mamoru stood in a full tuxedo with matching top hat and cape. He even had a handkerchief in his breast pocket and wore white gloves. Minako looked different in her transformed state. After seeing it happen before their eyes they had expected the outfit, but not the different shade of her hair and coloring of her eyes.

Usagi, their Usagi, stood there looking very different from the last time they had seen images of Sailor Moon. There seemed to be more accessories to her outfit, and her hair! Her hair was a completely different color then it was moments ago. A silvery white as opposed to the golden blonde they were used to.

"Do you believe me now?" Usagi asked calmly and watched them nod.

"Yes." Her mother breathed out, wide eyed.

The three revealed fighters released their transformations and took their seats, and Usagi left her natural hair color to show.

"Your hair didn't change back. Why?" Mrs. Tsukino asked as she looked at the silvery locks.

"This is my natural hair color now." Usagi answered. "Before I transformed I was concealing it so it would look like the color you were used to."

"When did it change?" Her mother asked curiously.

"It was gradual but it started when I was sick." She answered.

"Why?" Mrs. Tsukino asked.

"I'll explain that later." She said.

"I can't believe it." Mr. Tsukino said in disbelief. "You really are Sailor Moon. That message in the sky was for you and you went out and were in even more danger then I previously thought."

"But she wasn't hurt. She looks fine." Mrs. Tsukino said to her husband. "What happened? Is the situation with that man finished?" She asked as she looked to her daughter.

"I'm fine and everything obviously turned out okay." Usagi reassured them. "The man who sent the message has been dealt with."

"What do you mean?" Mrs. Tsukino asked with a frown.

"The man is dead." Mamoru clarified bluntly and Mrs. Tsukino gasped in horror, her eyes wide.

Mr. Tsukino shook his head. "Start from the beginning. How did you get your secret identities, how did you become Sailor Moon?" He asked.

Usagi explained meeting Luna on her way to school and helping her, and the feline coming to her in her room after she returned from school and telling her she was a senshi and it was her duty to protect the city, and the planet, from their enemy the Negaverse by fighting youma. It was also her duty to find her fellow senshi and together they had to find the Moon Princess and protect her.

She then went on to relate how exactly Ami, Rei, and Makoto had been revealed to be senshi almost immediately after she met them.

Minako then spoke up and informed them of how Artemis had found her back in England and informed her she was a senshi and of her duty. How it had been a least a year before Luna had found Usagi.

Mamoru related that he had become Tuxedo Kamen the same day Usagi had become Sailor Moon. It had actually happened because she became Sailor Moon. He had also been looking for the Moon Princess because he had been having dreams of her asking him to find her and her crystal. Although at the time he hadn't known she was princess of the moon.

He went on to explain that in the beginning he hadn't known he was the masked hero and had been losing chunks of time until he had discovered the truth.

"In the beginning our days were spent getting to know each other, dealing with the dark generals, and fighting the youma they sent. We also spent any spare time looking for clues to help us find the Moon Princess." Usagi said, continuing the tale.

"After Makato became Sailor Jupiter Luna officially named me leader of the Senshi and gave me a wand that was a weapon but could also be used to find rainbow crystals, which were objects we thought would help us find the legendary silver crystal, which in turn might lead us to the princess." She explained.

"At that point everyone was looking for the rainbow crystals. The Senshi, Tuxedo Kamen, and the Negaverse. We were hoping to find the princess through them, but the Negaverse wanted the crystals to either find the silver crystal or the princess because they wanted the silver crystal for the power it could grant them. And as far as they knew the princess had the crystal." She continued.

"Why exactly would they want it? Just how powerful is this crystal?" Mr. Tsukino asked.

"It's a very powerful object that can only be used by the royalty of the Moon, and can be used as a means of healing and as a weapon. Beyond that the crystal can do many things, and depending on who wields it, it can be used for good or evil." Usagi answered.

"To give you an idea, the crystal can heal an entire planet. Meaning it can restore the lives of the dead, both human and animal, regrow plant matter, and restore buildings and other man-made objects." She explained.

"If it can only be used by the royalty of the Moon then why did the...Negaverse want it?" Mrs. Tsukino asked.

"They didn't know they couldn't use it. They just saw or knew of its power and wanted it for themselves." Usagi said. "Still, there was always the possibility that they could figure out how to make it work. Or they could've found the princess and brought her to their side so she would use the power for them. That was another reason why we needed to find the princess. Especially since she wouldn't know she was the Moon Princess."

Usagi then moved on and explained how although she and the girls had become friends after they met they eventually began to complain about her behavior. They didn't like that she didn't do well enough in school, didn't study enough, they didn't like that she was clumsy, ate a lot, and was loud.

They also had a problem with her performance as a senshi. They were all able to fight well as soon as they became senshi, but she never had and it was hard for her. They always complained about it. Luna included. According to them she wasn't trying hard enough, wasn't fighting well enough, and was always scared and running away from attacks. It was as if nothing she did was ever good enough for them.

She went on to explain that a few weeks ago, a few days before she got sick, she had finally had enough and had quit the team. She felt that they would be better off since they had such a problem with her being a senshi, and her self-esteem had been very low because of their constant complaints and since she knew she wasn't a good senshi compared to them.

"It was while I was sick and Mamoru was visiting that we learned of each other's secret identity. The discovery only added to our growing feelings since we had developed feelings for each other as Sailor Moon and Tuxedo Kamen." She said.

"How did you two make that discovery?" Mrs. Tsukino asked as she looked from her daughter to the young man beside her.

"I gave Sailor Moon a star locket, and saw Usagi take it out one evening when I was leaving. I realized instantly that she was Sailor Moon as soon as I saw it." Mamoru answered.

"Is that all it took? What if Sailor Moon had given it to Usagi?" Mr. Tsukino asked.

"The locket is special between us. I knew she wouldn't have given it away." He replied confidently. "After that discovery I left her a letter I had written to her as Sailor Moon after I had been informed she quit the Senshi. Then after I was sure she had read it I revealed that I was Tuxedo Kamen."

"It was around that time that Luna informed Artemis and I about Usagi quitting. Although at the time Luna didn't realize it was us she was reporting to." Minako chimed in. "After hearing how badly things had deteriorated we took the first flight into Tokyo, and I began to observe the Senshi. After that I made contact with Usagi and Mamoru and learned about the situation with the Senshi from Usagi's point of view."

"From there the three of us got to know each other, and trained together so Usagi would feel comfortable going out to fight again." She continued. "After the first meeting between us it was decided that I would approach the Senshi and introduce myself."

Minako paused there and looked to Usagi and Mamoru. It wasn't lost on her that they had yet to mention that they were royalty. Usagi nodded slightly, seeming to understand her hesitation, and she nodded before taking a breath, wondering how the next few minutes would go.

"So the first fight after that decision I revealed myself to the rest of the Senshi and introduced myself as Sailor Venus, also known as Sailor V, and the Moon Princess." She explained.

Mr. and Mrs. Tsukino gasped in surprise, unable to help their reaction. They were getting into the tale despite it being about their daughter's dangerous secret life.

"You're the Moon Princess everyone was looking for?!" Mr. Tsukino said in surprise.

"No I'm not." Minako answered. "I'm her protection since I resemble her the closest. It was decided that I would take on her identity so the Negaverse and the rest of the Senshi wouldn't learn of her before she was ready for them to know."

"But that means you know who the princess is." Mrs. Tsukino said. "Who is she? Who is this girl the Sailor Senshi were supposed to find, whose been sending Mamoru dreams to find her, and who can use an all-powerful crystal?"

Minako simply gestured toward Usagi and their eyes skipped over to her and widened.

"It was surprising to me as well." Usagi said simply. "And hard to believe, especially since I had begun to suspect I was the princess during a conversation with Mamoru."

"Are you really a princess, this Moon Princess?" Mr. Tsukino asked quietly.

"Yes. It's true." She said as she nodded. "I even remember my past. I am Princess Serenity of the Moon Kingdom."

"Is that all you are?" Mamoru asked with a small smile as he looked at her, and watched her smile softly.

"I'm also the soulmate to Prince Endymion of the Golden Kingdom." She added proudly.

Mr. Tsukino watched unhappily as Mamoru tipped his daughters head back and kissed her right in front of them, clearly unashamed.

"You're this prince?!" He asked the young man incredulously.

"I am." Mamoru said as he looked to the man. "I am Prince Endymion, heir to the throne of Earth and soulmate to Princess Serenity."

"So that's why you were receiving those dreams, because you two are soul mates." Mrs. Tsukino said.

"That's partially correct. We didn't know we were soul mates until recently, but we were obviously connected or I never would've received the dreams. She unknowingly reached out to me because of our relationship in the past. We were very much in love despite the challenges presented to us." Mamoru said.

"And what were those?" Mr. Tsukino asked, wondering if they weren't supposed to be together in this past they spoke of. Perhaps her parents in that time hadn't approved of him then just as he didn't exactly now. Thoughts of Mamoru's parents and their exact ages in their former life didn't even cross his mind.

"We lived on different planets. Beyond that, it was forbidden for relationships to develop between the Earth and the Moon." Usagi answered.

"Why?" Mrs. Tsukino asked and watched them exchange a look.

"I don't know. I never learned why." Usagi said with a slight shrug.

"I didn't either but I think it was because those of the royal Moon line lived long lives." Mamoru said. "I guess that made sense since the people of the Earth didn't live nearly as long. What no one counted on was that I was different then the rest of the population. Possessing my crystal made me much longer lived."

It's a shame we didn't live long enough to see just how long that was. He added quietly.

We'll have our chance this time around. Usagi replied softly.

"I still find it hard to believe that you two are royalty from the past." Mr. Tsukino said. "Where's the proof?"

Usagi looked to Mamoru and smiled as she sat forward. "Shall we my prince?" She asked as she rested her hand on his leg.

"Of course my love." He replied and together they stood.

The pair focused internally and shifted their forms in bright flashes of white and gold light. When it was gone they stood in their royal garb.

We should show them our crystals. Just so there's no doubt. Usagi suggested and Mamoru agreed.

They summoned their crystals with barely a thought. Usagi held her silver crystal floating between her parted hands, and Mamoru held his golden crystal hovering over one palm with his free hand resting on the hilt of his sword.

The older Tsukino's were wide eyed as they looked at the pair. They definitely looked like royalty not only in what they wore but also how they held themselves. They were especially awed at the change in their daughter.

She looked incredibly beautiful and mature. Her eyes stood out as well as the almost glowing crescent moon on her forehead. And the crystal she held, obviously the powerful sought after silver crystal she spoke of.

Mr. Tsukino noticed that Mamoru's demeanor had changed dramatically. Now that he was thinking about it he had seen traces of what he was currently seeing before his transformation. He looked commanding as if he was ready to give an order and expect it to be followed without question.

There was no question that the couple looked impressive, and looked like they belonged together.

After a few long moments Mamoru and Usagi silently decided their display had lasted long enough, and they put their crystals away and released their transformations before they resumed their seats.

"Being the Moon Princess is why my hair color changed. It actually happened to the girls as well because they are senshi." Usagi explained. "When we began using our powers our DNA began to change back to what we had been born with in the past. Our physical appearance was apparently the last thing to change."

"I began to train with the girls and joined them in fighting the youma when they attacked." Minako said, continuing their tale. "I did my best to prepare them for when Usagi returned to the team so their behavior toward her would be changed from how it used to be."

"I returned to the team not too long after that, making it seem like our princess had talked me into returning, and I managed to perform well enough when youma attacked." Usagi explained.

"Soon after that we managed to defeat two high level members of the Negaverse, which led to what happened over the last few hours. We managed to finally defeat our enemy and restore order. Hopefully everyone will begin to forget about the youma attacks once they realize that no more are happening." She finished.

"This…Negaverse and the youma are really gone? The fighting is really done?" Mrs. Tsukino asked.

"It's all done." Usagi answered with a nod but she thought of the new brooch resting on her shirt. It's probably only done until some new threat emerges. I wouldn't have been given this new brooch if it wasn't possible or even likely.

The two parents thought over everything they had learned as everyone sat quietly.

"I'm glad I know your secret, glad that you were willing to trust us with it, and I'm glad we won't see any more youma." Mr. Tsukino finally said to Usagi then sighed and ran his fingers through his hair. "I'm still upset that you disobeyed your mother and went out into danger. I also don't appreciate that Mamoru essentially escorted you out into that danger."

"What did you want her to do? Sit at home and do nothing as the city was attacked and overrun with youma? It was her duty to handle it, and she had the power to put a stop to it." Artemis said, speaking for the first time since their arrival, determined to defend his princess and her mate.

Mr. and Mrs. Tsukino gasped as they heard the cat, Artemis, speaking. They had been told that he made Minako a senshi but it was still a shock to hear a cat talking to them.

"Usagi would have gone even if Mamoru hadn't been there. Not that his absence would have mattered. He would have shown up at the fight anyway like he always did." Artemis continued. "She wasn't alone. Not only did she have Mamoru, but she had all of her senshi fighting by her side. Not to mention she is now very capable of protecting herself."

"Beyond that, you both heard the message the dark general displayed to the entire city. Usagi just told you it was for her. How do you think she felt knowing the city was being attacked because the Negaverse wanted her? Did you want her to stay home, supposedly safe, and have the fact that she did as you wanted and left the city to its own devices on her conscious?!"

Mr. and Mrs. Tsukino looked at each other. They hadn't thought of that last part, which wasn't too surprising since they really hadn't given themselves time to process all they had learned.

Mrs. Tsukino was sympathetic for Usagi and what she had to go through. It wasn't lost on her that they had been told a summary. Many many details had obviously been left out, and she had no doubt that her daughter had had a rough time as a senshi.

Mr. Tsukino was torn. He understood everything he had been told, understood that his daughter had a burden to bare as a senshi who had to fight this strange enemy to save the city, but she was still his daughter and had disobeyed her mother.

He supposed the question was did she deserve punishment for that? If she wasn't a senshi would she have gone out into that danger?

He looked at her and realized that no, no she wouldn't. She had quit being a senshi and he had seen a news report once showing the Senshi fighting without her, so he knew she could have decided not to go. But he understood her reason for quitting and not fighting. She hadn't been prepared for the kind of fighting she needed to do, among other things, but this time she had been prepared so she had gone.

"I understand." He said with a heavy sigh. "I won't punish you for disobeying your mother. I wouldn't have wanted you to have that burden on your conscious, especially since I imagine you had something similar on your conscious before when you quit being a senshi."

"You're right. I did have a great deal on my conscious then, and I only agreed to be a senshi again because I realized things were getting dangerous and the girls were having trouble with just four of them fighting." Usagi said.

"Not to mention remembering my past and knowing that the girls were my guardians and would eventually have to learn about me. I also felt more confident in my ability to fight and protect myself after I got some real training." She added and her parents both nodded their understanding.

Usagi then let her parents know that Shingo was not to know any of what they had learned. She didn't want to take the risk that he would tell a friend. She also didn't want Luna and the other girls to know that they knew since she didn't trust them.

If Luna and the girls happened to be at the house and they wanted to ask her something about that part of her life she would appreciate it if they asked to speak to her in private or wait until they were alone.

Mr. and Mrs. Tsukino easily agreed and the group spent some time answering her parents' questions and explaining some things in a bit more detail.

The Next Day…

With it being the first day of the weekend Usagi and Mamoru decided to spend the day together. They went to a park in the early afternoon and relaxed as they ate a picnic lunch.

Usagi lay stretched out on the blanket they brought with her head resting on Mamoru's thigh while he leaned back on one hand and played with her hair with the other.

Mamoru sighed. He didn't want to bring up the subject and risk ruining the relaxed atmosphere they had achieved, but he knew it was necessary and his princess needed to know.

"You know when we were being pulled into Metalia Rei called out my name." He told his love as he looked down on her peaceful face. "That moment, as brief and fraught with danger as it was, was very telling. Her feelings for me are still strong."

"It's not surprising that I didn't hear her. I was a bit preoccupied trying to breath." Usagi said with a sigh as she closed her eyes. "Still, I can't believe her reaction. I wonder if the others noted it when it happened or if they were too preoccupied."

"I think they would remember if it was brought up, but I don't see a reason why we should ask." He replied.

"You're right. We don't need them thinking about this." She said with a slight nod.

They both understood that Rei couldn't just turn off her feelings for him, but something needed to be done if Usagi's Senshi were going to be able to work together properly to protect her. They knew the enemy was gone and the fighting was done, but they also knew that it could start up again at any time with a new threat.

"It's one thing to be worried about me because she considers me a friend or because I'm important to you, but that's not why she reacted the way she did." Mamoru said with a frown. "If she's always looking for me or more concerned about my safety because of her feelings for me then that's a serious problem."

"True. I already didn't trust her and this new information isn't helping at all." Usagi said with a light sigh. "I just hope another enemy doesn't come along that will be so powerful that I would seriously require my guardian Senshi."

"She needs space from me. Out of sight out of mind." Mamoru decided after some quiet thought. "The only place she ever sees me is at the arcade. I'll just stay away from there. After all, the only reason I go is because my best friend works there, and later it was also because you hung out there."

"I don't need to go there to talk to or spend time with Motoki, and I definitely don't need to go there anymore to see you." He added.

"I agree, and it's a good decision." Usagi said. "As long as it doesn't cut into the time you're able to spend with Motoki. I don't want you losing a friend over this." She herself had already lost a friendship because she had become a senshi, so she knew very well how it felt.

"Don't worry. I won't." He assured her.

"I won't say anything to the girls. They don't need to know. Although I'm sure they'll eventually notice your absence from the place. At least they will if I spend more time around them. That's still something that's going to take time." She added and he nodded.

They were both sure that Rei would eventually notice his absence from the arcade even if the other girls didn't. They just hoped that time out of his presence would help Rei's feelings fade, and time in general would help Usagi be able to continue to repair her friendship with Makoto, Ami, and Rei and build trust in them.

Days began to pass, then weeks, as everyone began to settle into their violence free lives.

Luna moved back into the Tsukino household after a couple of weeks. She and Usagi had spent some time together and talked a few times about everything so Usagi felt comfortable enough to allow it when Luna asked if she could.

What Usagi didn't like about Luna's returned presence was her constantly trying to get her to be friendly with the girls.

She spent time with Ami and Makoto during lunch at school and occasionally after school, but it was still nowhere near what it had been before she had quit being a senshi. She also spent time with Rei after school when she joined them, but Usagi didn't go out of her way to see or speak to her.

Usagi understood that they were trying but she couldn't just instantly forget months of mistreatment. It was going to take time. Especially with Rei. She seemed to be making an effort to be friendly when they all hung out after school at the arcade, but there were times where she would lapse back into speaking condescendingly and acting like she was better than her.

And of course she was ever watchful of Rei's behavior when Mamoru's name was mentioned and when she asked after Mamoru. What she saw was that Rei's eyes were always roaming when they were at the arcade, always snapping to the doors when they opened, and she seemed more curious about his whereabouts than a friend should be.

Usagi reminded both Luna and herself that the situation with Ami, Makoto, and Rei was going to take time, and that Luna shouldn't be trying to force the issue, especially since the situation with her was also still taking time.

Just because she had allowed Luna to come back to the house didn't mean she was instantly forgiven. She just thought her being in the house was the only way they could work on their relationship since they wouldn't see each other otherwise.

Time was something they all needed.