DESTINY. Chapter 1: An Unexpected Turn of Destiny.. Usagi was sitting in her room, looking at her clock. It was seven o'clock, and Luna said that she, Rei, Mako, Ami, Minako, Haruka, Michuru, Setsuna, and Artemis would come to see her. Her parents were gone for the weekend, and Shingo was at his friend's house. Suddenly, she heard her doorbell ring, " I'm coming!" she called, jumping up, " I wonder what they wanted to talk to me about..?" she asked, walking down the stairs. She hurried to the door and opened it, " Hi mina!" she replied. But, after a moment, she noticed the looks on their faces, " Mako-chan? Rei-chan? Amy-chan? Minako-chan?" she asked, looking at them. They had all been crying, " Are you alright?" but, before anything else was said, Haruka pushed by her, almost knocking her over, " Huh..?! Haruka-san! That hurt!" she said. Michuru walked by her, without even looking toward her, and Setsuna did the same, " What's wrong, guys?" she asked. Then, the other girls walked in, only glancing at her with their red eyes. " Usagi." She looked over to see Setsuna talking, " We need to tell you something… " Usagi sat down on the couch, looking at them all. " What is it?" she asked, putting on a slight smile. None of them returned the smile. Usagi frowned. " We have reason to believe you are not the Moon Princess." Haruka said, closing her eyes. Usagi looked at her. " What?!" she asked, " Haruka-san… You can't be serious! You know I'm the princess!" she cried. Haruka looked down at Luna. " Luna, would you explain to her our reasons?" she asked. Luna stood up and nodded. " Usagi… We've found some reasons to explain that you aren't the Moon princess.." Usagi was about to object, but Luna went on, " You see, you can't be… Judging by the way you act, the way you look…" " They way I look?!" Usagi cried, " I DO look like her! I AM her!" she cried, looking at the others for help, " You know it! You saw it!" she cried, looking at Mako, Ami, Rei, and Minako. But they just looked at the ground. " True.." Luna went on, " But, you must be the decoy. Queen Serenity said she sent out a decoy, so that the real princess wouldn't be in danger. And, obviously, you ARE the decoy princess, Usagi." " No… I have control over the crystal! I am Sailor Moon!! You've all seen me! We have memories to prove it from the Silver Millenium!" she cried, tears welling in her eyes. " Shut up, Usagi." Haruka snapped, in annoyance, " I believe the quickest way to say this is that you are not the Moon Princess. And that means we are not to protect you any more. And, we're telling you that you should stay away from us if you don't want to get hurt." At that, Haruka stood up, " We don't want to play around with you, little cry baby." Usagi was shocked. " But – but – I – Me, Usagi – have saved the world! I defeated Chaos! And Matilia! And The Nega-Moon! I.. I have the Moon family's birthmark! Me! Please, don't do this!" she cried, standing up, " We have seen the future! Reeny is my daughter! I am Queen!!" she sobbed. By now Haruka, Setsuna, and Michuru had left. Usagi fell to her knees, crying. " Usagi.." Luna said, " We can not yet explain the future…" she began, " But right now, we know this is true." Usagi looked at her. " Then, if you think I'm not the princess… Then who is?" she asked. Luna looked up at Minako. Usagi's eyes became misty again. " You think Minako-chan is…?" she asked. Minako looked at the ground and broke out crying again. " Usagi… I'm sorry.." she began. Usagi looked surprised. " Just Usagi..? Minako-chan.. Don't tell me that because you say I'm not the princess that we're not friends.." she began. Minako looked at Luna. " I'm afraid so, Usagi. You must pretend this never even happened to you. And, because of this, I'm going to live with Minako and Artemis." " Luna.. Please don't… I don't want you to leave me here.. I can't take it.." she begged. Rei stood up. " Don't be such a baby, Usagi! Just pretend you never met us! It shouldn't be that hard! Destiny changes. We can't help it." With that, she hurried out the door. Mako and Ami stood up. " Goodbye, Usagi.." then, they left, followed by Minako and Luna. Usagi watched, heart broken, as the girls left. All this time she had been told who she was, and given all these things.. these powers, these duties.. and now it was all being taken away, leaving her with nothing. She had opened her heart to let them all in, to accept what was her destiny, what they said couldn't be changed. She had let it all in. She had kept it all this time. And now, they wanted it back. She broke down crying again. " This can't be.. you can't leave me.. Minako-chan… Ami-chan.. Rei-chan.. Mako-chan.." she felt dead. She was all alone. All alone. In the morning, she laid in bed. It was 6:00 on Monday morning, " I might as well get up.. And go to school. There I'll get to see Naru.." she whispered, trying not to think of last night. Hoping to God that it was only a dream. She packed her bag and lunch and walked out the door, " This isn't happening.. They haven't left you, Usagi. If they are you friends.. if they ever were your friends.. then they'll still be here for you." She closed her eyes, still walking. She looked down at her hand. There was the engagement ring from Mamoru, " Mamo-chan.." she whispered, tears in her eyes, " Oh, God, no.." the tears ran down her red cheeks. She looked ahead and saw him, " Mamo- chan.." she whispered, speeding up a little, < Not you too, please..> " Mamo-chan..?" she said. Mamoru stopped, and slowly turned around. " Usagi.." he said, an unexplainable look on his face, " What are you doing up so early?" he asked. Usagi looked at the ground. " Going to school." She said. Mamoru noticed her ring. " Uh.." he felt his pulse quicken, < Oh-no..> he told himself, closing his eyes, < I can't do this to you, Usako.. I can't..> but, he knew he had to. He and the Scouts had a talk about it, " You still have that ring..?" he asked shakily. Usagi looked up at him. " Of course I do.. why wouldn't I?" she asked. Mamoru closed his eyes. Usagi's tears were now completely visible, " No.. no, Mamo-chan.. please, not you too.." " I'm sorry, Usak – I mean, Usagi.." he began. Usagi looked at him. " You just called me Usako!" she said, half smiling. Mamoru turned away from her, dryly, making her gasp. " It's an old habit." He said. Usagi could only stare at him, " The – the engagement's off.." he said, " You're not the Moon Princess… not the person I'm destined to be with.." " How can you say that?!" asked Usagi, trying not to cry, " I am! I am! You know I am!!! I'm Sailor Moon!! Even if I wasn't the princess we were still always together! Don't tell me that didn't mean anything to you!" Mamoru didn't say anything, " Or was the only reason you said you loved me because I was the princess, Mamoru? Is that it? Fine! Take this back!" she took the ring from her finger and threw it as hard as she could against the ground, " I can't believe I thought any of you cared! If we were friends, lovers, then you would still at least be my friends!" she began to walk away, " Goodbye, Mamoru-san. I'm sorry. Knowing me must have been the worst thing that ever happened to you!" she sobbed. Mamoru turned around and watched her go, tears in his eyes, too. " Usako.." he whispered, " I'm sorry.. I didn't want to.." he whispered, " Even if you aren't the princess…" he looked at his feet where Usagi had thrown the ring. He picked it up, " Usako…" Usagi's tears were uncontrolable. She was sobbing, her hot tears falling to the ground, " I'm going to die… I can't take this! Mamo-chan..! Minako…" she whispered, " N-no.." she recalled his words when he said why the engagement was off : You're not the Moon Princess… not the person I'm destined to be with. " No.. then he and Minako would…" she fell to her knees, " No!!! I couldn't bare it! NO!" she cried. People walking by looked at her, wondering what in the world could be wrong. Usagi walked into her classroom, her face red from crying and tears still in her eyes. She was late, as always, " Tuskino Usagi, you.." suddenly, the teacher noticed she was crying, " Usagi-san? What's wrong?" she asked, hurrying over. " Nothing.." Usagi whispered, " I – I -.." she broke down in tears again. All the students looked a little worried. " Usagi-chan!" Naru walked over and knelt by the weeping girl, " What is it?!" Usagi looked up at her. " Naru.." she whispered, " I…" she stopped. No one knew about the Moon Princess. No one but the Scouts. She looked up and saw Mako, Minako, and Ami all sitting in their desks. Ami was pretending to read a book, Minako pretending to look out a window, and Mako pretending to look at the boy in front of her. But, Usagi knew, they were actually looking at her. But they had only looked away when she looked at them. " Usagi.. Maybe you should go home." The teacher said, beginning to write a note, " Here.. Naru.. you and…" the teacher looked at the class, " You and Makoto please take Usagi out." Mako looked up. Usagi stood up, with the help of Naru, and glanced at Mako. " No." she said, " I don't mind if Mako doesn't want to walk with me. Besides, she doesn't have time for cry-babies like me." Usagi whispered, hurrying out. Naru walked with her. Mako looked longingly after her. " Usagi-chan.." she whispered, her eyes becoming glassy, " Oh.. Usagi-chan.." " Usagi-chan?? What's wrong? Are you and Mako-chan having a fight?" asked Naru, as she and Usagi walked down the hall. " Naru-chan.." she whispered, " Yes.. me and all my other friends are… but I.. I.. I don't think we are to be called friends anymore.." she broke down in tears once again. " Don't say that, Usagi-chan! They're your friends!!" Naru said, letting Usagi cry on her shoulder, " What is this fight about, Usagi..?" " I - - never mind it, Naru-chan.. Please.. I don't want to talk about it.." she whispered. Naru sighed, sadly. " Want to call Mamoru-san? Maybe he'll make you feel better..?" but when Naru saw the look on Usagi's face she felt cold, " Usagi-chan?" " Mamoru and I - - broke up.. for good, he says.." Usagi whispered, closing her eyes. Naru gasped. She knew how much having Mamoru meant to Usagi. " Oh, Naru-chan! I can't take this any more! Everything is falling apart!! Oh, Naru-chan!!! Please don't say this is really happening to me!" Usagi cried, stopped. " Usagi-cha…" Naru whispered, tears in her eyes, " Usagi-chan… I'm so sorry… I wish I could help… I.." Usagi turned and began to cry on Naru again. Naru closed her eyes, " Oh… Usagi-chan.. I'm sorry.." Mamoru was standing on his balcony, looking out over the city, " Usako.." he couldn't help thinking about their encounter that morning. Right now he was looking at her ring… " Usako… I'm sorry.." he whispered, hanging his head, " Why did this happen? Why now?" he asked, " I can't believe this.. If it's hurting us so bad I can't imagine how it's hurting you.." more tears filled his eyes, " After all this time we had no idea.. Minako.." he had been dreading the thought that she was the princess. Him and Minako? It didn't sound right… He could never do it, either… He wouldn't be able to go for one minute without thinking about Usagi.. He clutched the ring tightly, " Usako.." he whispered, " I love you.. I hope you still know that.. Because I might never get to say it to you again.." Usagi was crying in room. There was a photograph in the garbage, one of her and the girls, " If you want so much to forget me.. Then there's nothing I can do but try to do the same.. guys.." she whispered, glancing at it, " I HATE YOU! Why did you have to do this to me!!?? Why? Why??!!!!" she wailed, her tears not going away, " Mina… I wish everything could be like it was again!" she cried. Her parents were still gone, and Shingo was down stairs playing Sailor V. She looked at her jewelry box. She saw something that she had almost forgotten. Her locket. The star locket Tuxedo Kamen had given her. She reached for it, and grasped it. After a moment of looking at it, she opened it and listened to it play, " Oh, Mamo-chan… Tuxedo Kamen.." she whispered, " How could you? This hurts worse than anything else.. It hurts worse than it did loosing you to Galexia! Because then I knew I could get you back.. I knew I could.. But now… Now you won't let me.. I won't even try, Mamo-chan.. I love you.. And because of that I will let you go. You and Minako-chan can live happily together.." she closed the locket and put it in her drawer, then locked the drawer, " I'll let you go.."