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Makoto couldn't explain it, but she somehow felt at peace walking down the street, hand in hand with Ite. She could tell that he was likely just playing along. And there was the possibility that she was wrong. Maybe he wasn't the knight in her dreams. She hadn't actually seen him change.

"It was a peaceful time, known as the Silver Millennium. The planets were aligned as one, and Queen Serenity ruled the galaxy. She was a lovely queen who had a daughter, also Serenity. One day, that peace was interrupted by a jealous, wicked woman. Queen Beryl. She wanted to be the ruler and to do so, she chose to enslave the people of the moon kingdom by using youma to steal energy from them.

"Over time, Beryl became too strong and overpowered the moon kingdom. Using the last of her strength, Queen Serenity sent her beloved princess and the Sailor Senshi to a time when they would arise again using a powerful gem, known as the Silver Crystal. This time, to defeat Beryl once and for all. Then the day came. A group of middle school girls awoke, one by one, to summon the forces they needed to defeat Queen Beryl. With the power of the Silver Crystal, Princess Serenity arose and defeated Beryl with the help from the spirits of the Senshi.

"But Beryl was only the first. Many other enemies have arrived to challenge the Senshi. One wanted Princess Serenity's future daughter, Small Lady Serenity. Another wanted to steal pure hearts. The next went after dreams in search of Pegasus, the keeper of the Golden Crystal and guardian of dreams. And finally, there was Galaxia, who wanted everyone's star seeds. She was infected by Chaos and used her power as the strongest Senshi in the galaxy to obtain them so that she could be the ultimate ruler.

"As the enemies evolved and became more powerful, so did the Senshi. They went from their normal forms and developed the powers they needed to defeat these enemies. Yet, it appears that more come. Thanks to Chaos, they will never stop.

"One of those Senshi was Sailor Jupiter. Not much is known about life in the Silver Millennium. But Jupiter was the strongest of the Inner Senshi.
Although she was the princess of her own planet, she made it her sole duty to protect Princess Serenity at all costs. And that was what she did, until one day, she fell in love.

"I don't know much of the story of her love. But from what I can gather, they became smitten with one another. He was a man who was feared by the kingdom. The Youma Hunter, who slayed the beasts that went after the moon kingdom. He promised he would protect her at all costs. But in the final battle at the Silver Millenium, tragedy struck and she died in his arms before Queen Serenity sent them all away.

"And thats... All I know... The rest is all fragments that I don't really understand. I never knew that there was another besides Princess Serenity who found true love in the Silver Millenium." Makoto finished.

It was all like a fairytale. Their story was one they had never shared with an outsider. What if Makoto was wrong? What if It thought she was making it up? What if he thought she was some crazy bat? Perhaps he would run. But Makoto was banking on him having at least an ounce of understanding.

~ ~ ~

As Nariko finished her meal, she bid Sakura farewell. Samurai offered to walk her home. "No thanks, I can manage. Thanks for the food! You've given me a lot to think about."

But Sakura wasn't done with Nariko yet. Just as Makoto and Ite were being followed. So would Nariko. Sister of the not yet awakened Youma Hunter. As soon as she had her, she would have him, too.

"Yes. I am Princess Jupiter, reincarnated. And I believe that you are the Youma Hunter." Mako admitted quietly. "If this is true, than I think that perhaps we were destined to find one another again."

It was then that Makoto became aware of where they were. Shocked, she didn't know what to say. "Um, uh..." She blushed. "What, exactly are we doing here?" In the back of her mind, there was a part of her wondering if she get the hell out of there. But somehow, she felt an enormous amount of trust for Ite. There was no way that she was bringing her here to take advantage of her.

Makoto gasped in awe. "Wow!" was all she could say. So simple, beautiful and elegant! She could only dream of having a garden like this one day. She stopped and kneeled in front of a sunset orange colored flower with long, brown speckles on it. She took in its sweet scent as she closed her eyes. It was unlike any flower she had ever smelled before!

Mako spent several minutes walking through the garden and smelling the different flowers. She was just like Usagi in a pastry shop! She looked over the edge of the rooftop. She could see Tokyo below her. She had been able to view the city from other rooftops, sure. But somehow, this felt more special.

It was rather ironic that such a beautiful place was hiding in a love hotel, of all things. "How did you come across this place?" she asked with an innocent curiosity. She could definately tell that it was easy to hide up here. "Aren't you worried about papparazi finding you and publishing a photo of you coming out of this place or something?" she asked.

"Wow. That's an amazing story." Makoto said. Then, he made his comment about pictures of them coming out and she blushed. "Well," she approached Ite and leaned into his ear, quietly saying (but not quite whispering). "I guess I wouldn't mind half the school thinking I had been deflowered by a gold medalist." She pecked him on the cheek and giggled. It wouldn't be the worst thing anyone said about her, that was for sure. And although she wasn't the type of girl who would give herself up to just anyone, somehow she felt as if she would be OK with such a rumor.

"What the hell!?" Makoto exclaimed. She looked up and saw him. The Youma Hunter? How could this be!?" Makoto backed away from Ite, looking for whatever it was that was nearby.

But wait, wasn't Ite the Youma Hunter? She could have sworn... Her dreams... Had she just told the wrong person her secrets.


"There are no youma here. What is the meaning of this?" She demanded to know, clutching onto her transformation pen in her pocket.

Makoto cursed under her breath. What the hell was going on, here? What was she supposed to do, let them duke it out? No. If she did that, Makoto had the feeling that one of them was going to die. Holding out her transformation pen, she called out her transformation. "Jupiter Star Power... Make-up!

She felt the familiar surge of electricity surging through her as she transformed in front of both Items and the Youma Hunter. One of these men was her one true love and she would be damned if she was going to lose him a day after she finally found him.

"One of you is real. The other is not. In the name of the planet Jupiter, I will punish the fake!" The question was, which one was fake? Was it the one standing next to her whom she had been so entranced with? Or was it the one who had split her and Ite apart with an arrow?

Sailor Jupiter sighed. If she didn't do something soon, it was likely that one of these men was going to kill the other. "Alright, time out!" She said.

"One of you is real. The other is fake. Neither of you will be killing the other today. As the heir to the throne of the planet Jupiter and a representative of Queen Serenity of the Moon Kingdom, I forbit it!" She snapped, knowing her command was futile.

She paused for a moment. Her mind went back to that night. The night at the masquerade ball. The final peaceful moment they had together before the palace was attacked. Their last exchange of words before Jupiter perished in battle.

"That night, at the masquerade. Before the palace was attacked by youma. Where did we agree to meet when I was called away by Serenity?" She said as she stared down the Youma Hunter. Then, she gazed at Ite. "And what were my final words to you?"

Both conversations were private exchanges in their final moments of their lives in the Moon Kingdom. Sailor Jupiter was resting on a gamble. Maybe they would remember. Maybe they wouldn't. But if at least one of them could answer, she would know who to attack.

"Pervert!" Jupiter snapped as she jumped out of the way. "No way in hell am I going to let myself get deflowered by a ******** flower! I'm saving myself for someone special and clearly you're not him! Jupiter Oak Evolution!

As she unleashed her attack on the fake Ite, Jupiter made her way towards the Youma Hunter. "We're going to have to be careful not to harm any of those flowers. If they were real people, they may change back once we defeat him."

All the times she had been in a fight, she never had the monster of the day threaten to have botanical sex with her. She couldn't believe she had let herself become so deceived. And by another guy, nonetheless! Had this been the same person she'd met yesterday? How could she let herself trust such a creature!?