Next day, I went to work as usual. I had to face Mamoru. Not after yesterday's quarrel. I coudn't even look at his eyes. I was driving past the university Hospital when I saw something I couldn't believe at all. Ami-chan and Taiki-kun were actually walking together! Hand in hand! I pulled myself together. Why couldn't Ami and Taiki be together? It wasn't that Ami neede my permission to go out with anybody. She was a free woman now! But inside my heart I felt worried for her. She had almost never fallen in love before. How would she cope? I just forgot about that and drove off. When I reached there, Mamoru was having his daily cup of coffee mixed with tea. I just said, "Good Morning," and went off. When we worked together, there was no excitement at all. No jokes, no fun, nothing. Our relationship had come to a complete stop. That went on for a whole day. I felt so distant from him. Then before he left, he mumbled something which I couldn't hear at all. I met Seiya-kun at the parking lot. He promtly asked me, "Can I drive you home in your car?" Sometimes I don't appreciate his sicko humour. When he drove, he stopped the car for a while. "I'm sorry about Mamoru and you," he said softly. I couldn't believe it. Seiya saying something that wasn't offensive at all? I couldn't wait for him to say more. "Usagi-chan, I know this is hard for you. I may not know about it at all, so I don't know how you feel. I know this may be mean to you, but..." he gave me a small ring. "Usagi, will you marry me?" I didn't know what to do. Before I knew it, I ran to Seiya's arms and kissed him. "Yes, Seiya. Anything to get the one I love," For a while, I thought I saw Mamoru. -------------------------------------------------------------------- Before stopping by Michiru's home, I reminded myself to buy her album. I had to comb 3 stores before I could get it. All the stores said that the album was selling like hot cakes. I just hoped it was safe enough to enter their house. Haruka had given me their apartment key secretly. I unlocked the door and entered. There was complete silence. I was about to leave when I heard a saxophone play softly. Couldn't be Michiru or Haruka, I thought. The sound came from the guest room. I peeped inside the room and saw a pink haired girl, around 14 to 15, with long pink hair wrapped around two ice cream cones. She looked familiar. Who could that be? Then I remembered. Chibiusa! I saw Hotaru and another lady with brown hair sitting beside them. The three of them were oblivious to my presence when the lady told Chibiusa to stop playing. She came before I could leave and grabbed my hand. She stared hard at me. Then her expression softened. "Usagi-chan?" the woman asked. Her brown curly hair was tied up in a blue ribbon. I tried to remember her name, but she did the remembering for me. "Remember me? Naru-chan, your best friend ever since Junior High?" Naru-chan! She looked so different now. She was thinner and paler. Chibiusa came out of the room. She was about my shoulder height and looked prettier. I noticed she had finally graduated to lipstick usage! Even I seldom use lipstick! "Usagi?" She asked. She didn't wait for a reply. She hugged me tightly. "Osaka-sensei, why don't we all take a break and feast on ice cream?" Hotaru suggested. Chibiusa supported the suggestion. Finaly, Naru-chan gave in and the four of us went out. We stopped at the park while trying to eat our ice cream. Eating ice cream was hard with Chibiusa, since she was still very childish. "Naru-chan, how are you so far? Is being married to Umino-san good living? I hear he is very successful in his business," I hoped Naru would be proud of Umino's career. "Not even Umino-chan can help me now. Chibiusa, Hotaru, go and walk around. I want to talk to Usagi-chan," Naru-chan said gently as she chased them away. I sensed something was amiss. "What is wrong, Naru-chan? Is there anything I can do?" I asked, slightly worried. "Usagi-chan, I have Cancer," Naru-chan said softly. I couldn't believe it. Naru-chan was dying of Cancer? Two years ago she was so alive, so healthy. Now, she was dying? "I've been a music teacher for some time. I was diagnosed for Cancer 1 year ago. At first they just suspected it, now it's a reality. I'm enjoying the remnants of my life. Umino's always away on business and hardly spends time with me," Naru's eyes were swelling, her voice trembling from the crying. I couldn't tell her happy news at that time. Suddenly, a brainstorm flashed through my head. "Naru, why don't I take you to have some fun?" We brought Chibiusa and Hotaru along and we had fun. We had a joyride all over Tokyo and drove to Naru's summer house. We made dinner and joked together. Finally the two of us sat outside, wrapped by a warm blanket whil Hotaru and Chibiusa did their own things inside the house. Christmas vacation had started, so we did not have to drive back early next morning. We gazed in enchantment as the moon shone over the frozen sea. "Usagi-chan, thanks for letting me have a fun time. I've never had such fun since a long time ago," she whispered. "Worth remembering, isn't it?" "Yeah. Usagi-chan, do you wonder if there was a princess on the moon a long time ago?" "Naru-chan, would you believe me if I told you something?" "Usagi-chan, I'll believe anything," So I started to tell her all about Mamoru, Chibiusa, my past, my identity and my feelings when I was a senshi. I noticed that Naru-chan had fallen asleep, so I wrapped the blanket around her while we both slept together on the swing. At sunrise, I woke Naru-chan up, but she wouldn't respond to my calls. I checked for a pulse, then I knew she had gone to heaven with a smile on her face, full of the memories we had last night.