How many stars can there be, you wonder. How many suns, how many planets, how many of them have you danced with already?

A thousand years is a long time. Long enough for a soul to sleep and wake and disappear again into a new form. How many forms did you have before becoming Raye Hino? How many times has your soul enjoyed the freedom of cosmos and the warmth of thousand suns?

You are the priestess, the wise one. You are the reason and the voice of the Sacred Fire. You will always know that the stars have pronounced the future, they have aligned themselves more than thousand years ago knowing exactly where they'd go and what'd they do. Your friends have already accepted Destiny as a matter of fact. But you?

Daughter of fire and consort of flame, will you bow your head before the stars' decree?

Never.

Your soul has been free before. You may have been promised a millennium of glory and fortune.

You will smile and laugh and live.

Her father wouldn’t allow it, but after a couch-threat, he finally subsided. Of course, that didn’t stop him from glowering when he heard Mamoru’s car outside. Her mother had to distract him while Mamoru grabbed her bags and sped out of her house.

It was as perfect as he’d said and more. But when she went collect their bungalow’s key, she found a little note saying ‘MA’ dangling from it.

Huh?

The clerk didn’t explain what it meant.

*~*

On her twenty-first birthday they went clubbing.

Drinking was finally legal and she was looking forward to it. Mamoru just laughed and said she’d have to sleep it off in his apartment or her father would kill him.

Usagi completely agreed with that idea.

She danced with the girls while he watched her movements studiously. Curiously, even though he’d refused to dance, every time a male got too close, Mamoru abandoned his chair to wrap his arms around her waist.

Usagi was grinning when she drank her first strawberry daiquiri. Under it she found a napkin with two ‘R’’s scribbled on it.

Weird...

*~*

It had been a stupid fight, they would have it solved within the week.

But the timing couldn’t have been worse.

Two days later her friends wished Happy Birthday to a woman who obviously wasn’t interested. Usagi spent her favourite day buried beneath worried Mommy-looks, Daddy promising the moon and the stars to his little girl and her friends trying futilely to cheer her up.

At midnight came a delivery boy with a pizza nobody had asked for. They frowned until he explained that it was already paid.

When Usagi opened the lid, she found a ‘Y’ and a ‘M’ written in cheese.

Strange...

*~*

For her twenty-third birthday he took her to his new, bigger apartment. He hadn’t moved in yet and had one question before he did, and didn’t she want to be the first to step inside?

She opened the door slowly, expecting to find a table set for a fabulous dinner. Mamoru could be so romantic sometimes!

But the room was empty except for...

Rose petals arranged to draw ‘E?’ on the wall.

Oh. God...

Usagi connected all the past clues and she suddenly knew what she’d find when she turned around.

Indeed, the little box in her boyfriend’s hand said that she was completely right.

They would say that they'd been called together by Fate. Maybe they'd name it Destiny or Fortune.

All ten would insist that they were just close friends, doing what every other tight-knit group did.

But in the end, they all knew what they were and what they represented.

United against every enemy, growing together in their powers.

Loyal to the grave, because every other option was not acceptable.

Fiercely protective of each other, to the point where one would gleefully die so that another could live.

They were not another group, they were more than close friends.

They were One.

They were Pack.

ENEMIES

Rei sees evil in the Fire. Humanity is condemned and she accepts it. Her enemy is the hope for a miracle.

Makoto knows violence. She defends herself and thrives in her strength. Her enemy is the peace assaulting her dreams.

Ami seeks refuge in herself. The world hurts, only alone can she be safe . Her enemy is the promise of loving arms awaiting her.

Minako is cursed. She lives with it but won't dare to believe in love. Her enemy is the whisper that curses are not forever.

Enter Usagi and suddenly their enemies have a single name.

THE I IN THE TEAM

Usagi understands. She is the one everybody has looked for. Like the proverbial puppy running after its tail, her team has wasted her energy in a futile search. She is the ultimate prize in this game they play. Whatever side she chooses would win, no questions asked.

She IS.

Nothing in this world or above, not even Metallia, compares to the raw power she's vessel of. How could this knowledge be hidden for long? If she so wished she could make the world bend at its knees.

But she looks into Endymion(Mamoru?)'s already lost eyes and understands something else.

She breathed deeply, smiled and waited for ‘it’ to happen.

A week later it was Usagi who stumbled into posts and benches, hurrying to meet her friends and show off her ring. It was no surprise when she turned to Rei and asked her to be her maid-of-honour.

Rei smiled again, remembering that she’d once loved as much. This was one more sacrifice to do.

"Sorry, Usa, I can’t."

Her friends deserved a maid-of-honour who didn’t envy their happiness.

BACK DOOR MAN

Mamoru stepped out of the car, walking on his tiptoes. This new job would be the death of him. Usagi may be a deep sleeper, but he still wanted to minimise the risks.

He opened the back door slowly, cringing when it creaked loudly. A yelp almost escaped him when he saw his wife in the hall. "Did I wake you?" he asked sheepishly.

"No." Threading her arms around his waist, Usagi murmured sleepily, "I just wanted to do this."

He smiled and hugged her back.

"I never see you anymore." She raised her head and her blue eyes looked pleadingly into his. "Please tell me there’ll be no more late nights..."

"I’ll try, love."

"You always say that," she grumbled, cuddling against his chest. "I love you anyway."

Mamoru caressed her hair silently and kissed her forehead before picking her up and carrying her to their room.

BLACK AND WHITE

There are no definite truths in this world, my queen.

Good? Evil? Black and white only exist to mingle together indefinitely. Haven’t you learned that from your marriage with your king?

You are not a pedestal of good, Serenity, for you lie to your people. You promise them peace even knowing that I am coming to snatch it away.

I am not evil either, how can I be evil when I only want the best for my own? We live in darkness, milady, we deserve to thrive under the sun too.

Shades of grey, only shades, never black and white.

BIG YELLOW TAXI

"OW!" Ami groaned. She rubbed her side, carefully testing for bruises. Usagi’s apologised profusely but Ami ignored her. There was a migraine coming, she was sure. "Whoever thought that Usagi and I could fit in the shotgun seat?"

Ami’s usually calm voice sounded distinctly angry to the four people packed behind. They shrunk in their places and unanimously decided not to answer.

Well, almost unanimously.

"We’re sorry," Makoto whispered contritely.

Rei pinched her thigh and Minako slapped her arm, their eyes accusing her for leaving the Ami Tornado to the rest of them.

"No, we aren’t." Minako studiously ignored Ami’s glare. "It only made sense because you two are the slimmest in the group." That and the ‘brief’ rock-paper-scissors they’ve played until the driver had threatened to leave them standing under the rain.

"Usagi slim? With everything she eats?" Rei snickered. "Who’d believe it!"

Usagi shoot daggers at her. Then turned around completely when she saw how cramped they were in the backseat. Her three friends were dangerously close to her boyfriend.... Her eyebrows shot up as she sent a warning glance to him.

Mamoru tried to make himself smaller, knowing that the glint in Usagi’s eyes did not mean how much she loved him. It had no use. The further he retreated, the more space the girls took. He was thoroughly trapped by arms, legs, hips and - God help him, because Usagi wouldn’t - boobs. His head hung in defeat, it couldn’t be much longer until this ended, now could it?

Usagi eyed him and decided not to push the subject further. For now. She settled back in her seat with a huff, elbowing Ami in the ribs again.

"OW!"

Ami sighed, glancing at the big yellow taxi beside the tiny one they’d chosen.

There she was!

People yelped and cursed as Usagi ran through the crowd, pushing, elbowing and stepping on several toes. But the blonde was deaf to everything but the faint "Chibi Chibi!" she heard when she finally reached that corner.

Strangely, this area was lonely. The only animal was an old panda looking bored in its cage. Chibi Chibi was standing in front of it, her wide eyes staring curiously at the animal inside.

Usagi breathed in relief, slowing her stride, now it was only a matter of taking the child and getting her home.

Her eyes bulged as the little redhead tried to slip between the cage bars. Usagi could see the bear opening its arms and looking at the girl. She was sure it wasn’t planning to welcome the toddler with a friendly hug. A scream died in her throat as she run desperately to rescue her.

She snatched Chibi Chibi by her waist, pulling her into a hug. "Don’t do that again!" Usagi managed shakily, still scared.

But the girl was unaware of the danger she’d almost put herself in. Tilting her head, she regarded the blonde in front of her. "Chibi?"

Usagi shook her head. This child was too strange sometimes. "Come on, Chibi Chibi." She lifted the girl and accommodated her against her shoulder.

Chibi Chibi squirmed until she managed to get her arm free and Usagi could feel her waving goodbye at the bear.

Nothing had ever been so scary.

You are wrong.

This is the end. Everything you love is dying. Your world collapses at your feet and you are powerless against its destruction.

This is the worst that could ever happen.

You are wrong.

He falls before you. Now you realise how wrong it is possible to be.

He always loved you too much but this you can't survive.

Take his sword, think of his eyes and whisper as you fall.

...I won’t forget.

SANCTUARY

"Take care, Usagi!"

Mamoru watches over the rim of his cup as Usagi blushes wildly before muttering a goodbye and tripping her way out of the arcade.

"Why are you so nice to her?" he asks Motoki when the girl is out of earshot.

"You really don’t like Usa-chan, do you?"

Mamoru shrugs. It’s not a secret that he finds the girl too annoying. "I’m just curious why you do like her."

"She is a cute kid." Motoki smiles a bit as he cleans the counter, buying them some time before the manager notices it’s a ruse to chat with his friend. "I like being able to make her feel safe."

Mamoru’s eyebrow arches in confusion. "Safe?" He sets his coffee back on the table. "Safe from what? Is she in trouble?"

Motoki looks at him for some seconds and then shakes his head. "No. Nothing like that." He sighs. "You know how she’s doing at school." A hard look stops Mamoru before he can snort in amusement. "Her parents are always drilling her about that and her new friends..." Both chuckle at the memory of the intelligent Ami Mitzuno and the bossy Rei Hino. "Well, they aren’t the most understanding when Usagi comes home with bad marks. This is the only place where Usagi isn’t judged." The movement on the counter stops. "At least until you met, that is."

Mamoru holds his friend’s gaze for a moment, but finally drops it back to his coffee. He doesn’t say anything for a long moment and then he's saved from answering to the thinly veiled accusation by a new customer. He picks some bills from his wallet and leaves them next to the cup before getting up.

Maybe, if Usagi behaves, Mamoru can try to lay off her from now on.

BLIND DATE

When Usagi told her that she’d found the ‘perfect guy’ for her, Rei scowled and promised to flay her alive if she tried to set her up.

When Usagi mentioned that a good friend of hers was in town, Rei glared at her and left the room before the blonde could even think about it.

When Usagi called her at eight p.m., panicking because her ‘so-called friend’ had invited himself into her date with Mamoru and would she pleeeeeeeeease save her, Rei stared at the receiver in disbelief and succintly told her best friend to get lost.

That’s when Usagi reminded her of the times she’d selflessly saved her butt and couldn’t she see how important this was? Rei finally relented. But she clarified that she did it only to stop Usagi’s whines.

One hour later, when Rei knocked on Usagi’s door, she was already thinking of ways to make the blonde pay. The last ten times her friends had set her up had been complete disasters and Rei could feel the eleventh one looming tonight.

The door opened to reveal a smiling Yuuichirou.

Rei gaped.

Meanwhile Usagi tugged Mamoru out of the room, practically cowering behind her boyfriend. "Mina-chan isn’t the only actress!" was what the little schemer said before disappearing into the kitchen, ready to take the backdoor and escape Rei’s wrath.

"Rei?"

Yuuichirou was still smiling down at her, even if now he was shifting on his feet, obviously nervous at her silence. "I told her this was a bad idea. But your friend can be very headstrong under all that cuteness. I understand if you’re not comfortable. In fact, I don’t know why I even thought---"

Rei took his hand, effectively silencing him, and finally smiled back.

It was a day of celebration, where rich and poor enjoyed the coming of Spring. Flowers and banners abounded, throwing splotches of colour everywhere.

It was beautiful.

She regarded everything from the balcony, secure at her father's right. She had managed to sneak here, not able to miss the spectacle even if it was inappropriate for a young lady. Her father had just shook his head in outward disapproval but smiled anyway. She was her Daddy's girl

The scene at her feet was truly something out of a fairytale. The market was full of people, everybody dancing and chanting around the big fire, forgetting the damage winter had left. She was the damsel in the castle, eagerly waiting for someone to ask her to the dance.

And the prince...

Her sight fell on the bluest eyes. He had just arrived to the celebration, sent by his parents who were too old already for such long trips. She watched as he easily domineered the situation. His steps were confident and his head held back in pride; exactly what she'd always dreamt about.

And maybe...

Could it...?

Was it love?

Beryl sighed dreamily, staring back at his tall form.

Yes, it was.

PLANS

This was such a tiny thing, nobody would really notice it. Just a minuscule detour in the passage of time, something so painstakingly planned that it couldn't do more than what she'd wanted. And she wanted it so!

It wouldn't hurt anyone, not at all. How could something so tiny affect anyone but her, who else could see what had changed and how to use it? He was of no real importance, only a man among a million others. She only wanted him and, why would it matter what his other life would be like?

Rei smiled, making apparently senseless, distracted symbols over his coffee, murmuring words that sounded like a song but actually were something else. Done, she thought to herself as Mamoru took the cup to his lips. My love spell will never wear off. It could only bring her joy and it wouldn't hurt anybody.