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"Usagi-chan will come around after she talks to Mamoru-san," Luna said as she approached Makoto. "Until then, the rest of you need to work on training yourselves as Senshi again." The youngest Senshi was confident that a good talk with Mamoru would help get Usagi to become dedicated to their mission again. After all, that was what was expected of them all. It was just a little harder for Usagi to be responsible or so Luna rationalized it.



As Usagi walked away from Crown, she pulled out ehr cell phone. She had no idea where Mamoru had gotten to after the incidents at Crown. Would he have gone back to his appartment? or would he have gone to discuss the current situation regarding Mio with the Shitennou? She needed to see him and she prefered to talk to him alone but the Tennou would probably be able to offer her some insight as well. With a sigh, Usagi dialed in Mamoru's phone number and waited for an answer.

Kunzite pulled his sword back, but did not resheath it. He glared down at Zoisite. That man had the nerve to deny what was going on, even now? There was no one else it could be, Zoisite himself said that he never leaves the house, so he would have had no time to find a new lover. "Don't play dumb. We both know full well that that was Danburite Jadeite saw you with. You would forget about the oaths we took? For him. You disgust me."


'I disgust myself already,' Zoisite thought to himself, but his hand was being forced, he could not admit to anyone that it was Danburite. The Master's safety was at stake, and that was what mattered. "That man wasn't Danburite, Kunzite. Danburite is long dead, you know there is no way that he could be here now." Zoisite stood now, thankful for the Master's presence. He wasn't sure he wanted to know what Kunzite would have done to him if they were alone. "And I don't see how my current love life is the business of anyone else."


Mamoru looked from one Tennou to the other. Zoisite had never done anything to make Mamoru distrust him, but Kunzite's insticts were usually right on the money. "You're right," Mamoru replied, "it isn't. But I want to know who this Danburite is, or was." The name was so familiar, he couldn't help but feel that it was important none-the-less.

It was then that his cell phone rang. Checking the number, he say that it was Usagi. He suddenly felt rather guilty, he hadn't spoken to her since the incident at Crown. "Just give me a second," he said to the others before answering the call. "Moshi Moshi? Usagi?"

Jadeite could hear the arguing upstairs, and he wondered what was happening. Kunzite had been so mad. Maybe that meant that Kunzite did know more about what was going on. He wanted to find out for himself. He started to go up the stairs. As he came close to the bedroom door he happened to hear the name "Danburite". Was that name familiar to him? He thought that he vaguely remembered hearing that name, but he wasn't sure. Maybe he had heard it while he was still in the Dark Kingdom. But why was that name coming up now? Trying not to be noticed, he walked slowly and quietly toward the door. He hoped to hear more of this interesting conversation.

"All right. I will be there soon," Usagi said, not noticing that there was a rather long silence from Mamoru. Never in her wildest dreams could she imagine the current scenario at the Tennou household.

"Usagi-chan went to go clear her mind," Luna responded to Artemis' question. She turned to look at Rei, sighing slightly. She knew Rei was right but none of them could force Usagi to accept her destiny. "Demo... Rei-chan, Usagi-chan has to accept this on her own. Forcing her back into this would only do more harm than good."



Danburite strode down the corridor until he reached Mio's room. She would be his subordinate for the time being since they both wished to rid Beryl from her seat of power. Or so it seemed to Danburite. He was not entirely positive he could trust Mio. After all, she was Beryl's shadow.

'With time she will prove whether or not she is useful to me,' he thought as he banged on the door.



Usagi finally managed to reach the home of the Shitennou. It had been some walk to their home and before knocking, she stood before the door and caught her breath. She did not mind that she would have to talk to Mamoru in front of the Shitennou. She knew they could offer more insight into the situation than Luna and Artemis could since they had been part of the Dark Kingdom themselves.

Of course, she had made her mind up on the trip over but she still wanted to discuss it with Mamoru befre she told the girls. She knew waiting to tell them her decision was a bad idea but she was going to do it anyway.

And with that in mind, she reached up and rang the doorbell, signalling her arrival to Mamoru and the Shitennou.



Meanwhile, Osaka Naru was on her way to Crown Karaoke. She had not been there in a long time and she was suddenly in the mood for a little bit of karaoke. The door slid open before her, revealing the unchanging karaoke parlor with Motoki and Kamekichi ever present at the counter.

"Konnichi wa!" she greeted them heerfully as she entered.

"If he has seen Danburite, and I know he has, then his mere presence is a danger to you, Master," Kunzite replied. "Danburite is manipulative, and would easily use Zoisite to get to you. I will not allow that to happen." He set his gaze fully on Zoisite then. "Get out of this house."

"Stop it, Kunzite," Mamoru said after hanging up the phone. "I don't believe he's a threat, and besides, where exactly is Zoisite supposed to go?" Aside from the Shitennou and Mamoru himself, Zoisite had little to no contact with anyone else.

Kunzite smirked at this, continuing to look at the other Tennou while answering the Master's question. "Well, since he claims that his new love interest isn't Danburite, I'm sure this mystery man has a home he could stay in. In fact, this whole thing could be settled if you simply introduce us to this man, couldn't it?" That wasn't going to happen, and Kunzite knew it. Zoisite could go back to the Dark Kingdom for all that Kunzite cared at that moment.

Zoisite looked from Kunzite to the Master and back again. Kunzite had made his point, it was impossible for Zoisite to introduce them to anyone. Kunzite had him in check-mate.

He started for the door, but paused briefly beside Mamoru. "I'm sorry, Master," he said quietly before leaving the room. Down the stairs and to the main entrance of the house, he saw then that the Princess stood at the door with Jadeite, and this caused him to stop for a moment. He had never really gotten over his guilt for all the times that he had tried to kill her, never feeling that he had been worthy of her forgiveness. And now he knew that to be the case.

He kept his eyes low, avoiding eye contact with both her and Jadeite as he passed them on his way out. "Excuse me," was all he said.

Zoisite paused when the Princess called out to him. He kept his back to her and bit his lip nervously as he waited for her to speak. He knew that she would come to hate him as soon as Kunzite explained the circumstances behind his departure, and she certainly had that right. Zoisite's emotions had caused him to be so weak that he couldn't even properly perform his duties. Kunzite was right, he was a danger to the Master, and the Princess would despise him for that as would the other Shitennou.

Mamoru looked Kunzite squarely in the eyes. "You had no right to do that," he said, so caught up in these events that he hadn't even registered the door bell. "I'm going after him."

When the Master turned to leave, Kunzite reached out and grabbed his arm to stop him. "No, you are not, Master," Kunzite said, speaking as though he had authority over the Prince's actions. "You don't remember Danburite, and so you do not understand what he is capable of. I won't allow you to put yourself in harm's way."