NOTES: This is a prequel to "Of Love and Other Catastrophes", and the two stories actually intersect at the end of this piece.

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TIME WILL PASS, it read, BUT WILL YOU?

Valiantly, Mamoru dragged his attention back to what Professor Yamamoto was saying.

"Now, some would believe that the 'visions' of the prophets were nothing more than hallucinations," Yamamoto paused a moment for breath, sighing inwardly at the blank, glassy stares she received. Even Chiba Mamoru, normally her best student, looked like he was paying more attention to the clock than her lecture. Well, she went to the trouble to prepare this lecture, and they darned well ought to appreciate it! Thus, rapping her ruler against the chalk board again, she watched with some amount of glee as many of the students heads jerked up. Poor Chiba-san, he looked like he might keel over. Drawing another breath, she continued; "However, true believers were ready to sacrifice their lives for these heavenly apparitions..."

#(#)#

The day had been terrible. Awful. Mamoru slammed the door as he entered his apartment, throwing his things down on the couch and plopping down beside them. Usagi hadn't been in the arcade, instead, she'd been stuck back at school with a detention! That meant he'd gone sixty six hours without seeing one wisp of golden hair! Sixty six hours without that adorable little pout of hers....

"Kami-sama, Usako, what have you DONE to me!" Mamoru asked aloud. The bare walls of his apartment had no forth coming answer, so Mamoru decided to call it a night. Stumbling down the hallway, he considered the rest of his awful day as he prepared for bed. After not seeing his little bunny, things had gone down hill fast.

"You must really hate me," Mamoru said to the heavens before picking up the receiver, "Moshi Moshi, this is Chiba Mamoru speaking."

"DUDE!" came a very loud, very enthusiastic voice from the other end of the line. Mamoru stifled a groan. It was Ronnie, the foreign exchange student from America. He couldn't figure out just HOW the other man had gotten to Japan in the first place, seeing as he'd met panda bears more intelligent than Ronnie.

"Ronnie," Mamoru said, by way of greeting.

"Dude, I thought you said you were gonna come to my house warming party!" the football player enthused, "Like, we can study... the babes!" Obnoxious laughter came over the line, and Mamoru jerked the phone away from his ear. When had he agree to go to a party? *Any* party, especially one thrown by Ronnie, of all people! He must have been daydreaming about Usako again.

"Look, I'm really sorry, but, uh, I've kinda met up with an emergency, and..."

Outside, a flash of lightening ripped the sky.

#(#)#

"Endy! Hurry, my mother will KILL us!" Serenity cried in utter panic and she and her prince raced through the brush surrounding the forest and out onto the main road. They'd been hiding amongst the silvery trees all day long, hoping to find just a little privacy. Sure enough, it'd worked. No giggling senshi, teasing generals or over protective moon cats had bothered them, and the loving couple spent the day wading in the lavender river and trading passionate kisses. Only now, as the earth was rising in the sky, did Serenity realize her mother expected her back by dinner, so she might attend the ball later that evening. Thus, a very harried Moon Princess was dragging the Prince of Earth down the road and towards the palace, even though she knew it wasn't humanly possible for them to make it in time.

"We'll never make it, Sere-chan!" Endymion informed her, "At least... not on foot..." he said as he noticed a familiar figure approaching on horse-back. "Zoicite-san!" The Earth General stopped the animal immediately, hoping down from his saddle to approach the prince.

"Endymion-sama," he said, "Where have you been, we've been looking for you everywhere! You mother has come from Earth, and is most displeased you were not present to meet her!" The prince visibly paled, while Serenity put a hand to her forehead and shook her golden locks.

"I stand corrected," she murmured despairingly, "Both our mothers will kill us!"

"Not if I can help it," Endymion said determinedly, "Zoicite-san, may we borrow your horse?" The general looked hesitant, looking as though he was about to say something, but thought better off it and nodded dejectedly. "Arigato, I own you one!" the Prince said as he climbed up on the beast, placing Serenity in front of him in the saddle. With a pull of the reins, the Prince and Princess disappeared in the cloud of moon dust, leaving poor Zoicite to stare after them. The young general raised his eyes to the heavens as he shoved his hands in his pockets.

"Well, looks like I'll have to *walk* to the Mercurian Embassy," he spoke to an innocent moon blossom sitting on the side of the road, "Gomen, Mercury-chan," he sighed as he began walking down the road, "Looks like *I'll* be late."

Serenity giggled and held on for dear life as Endymion pushed the horse to go faster. They raced through the town commons and on towards the palace, leaving the startled pedestrians in their wake to stare after them and shake their heads. Several of the young village women smiled, Serenity-sama was *very* lucky.

"Save a dance for me at the ball?" Endymion whispered in his princess' ear as they hurried onward. The young woman giggled.

"I'll dance with you the whole time, if I can help it!" she declared.

"I don't think your mother will allow it," Endymion said warily, annoyance flashing across his features, "Just once I wish I didn't have her *or* my mother looking over my shoulder all the time."

"Oh, you know they both approve of our union," Serenity giggled, kissing Endymion's free hand.

"Yes," the prince conceded, holding his angel a little more tightly in his embrace, "But how am I supposed to convince you to be my wife if I can't even get two seconds alone with you!" Serenity smiled and started to say something, when suddenly, the horse spooked and reared, throwing both it's riders to the ground.

"Serenity!" Endymion cried, just before his head connected painfully with the ground.

#(#)#

"Uhhh..." he groaned as he tried to sit up, fighting off the intense pain in his head. Since when did dreams become painful?

"Can't you two wait until we make sure Endymion-sama is alright before you start playing tonsil hockey?" a very familiar voice asked mockingly. As Usagi pulled away, Mamoru saw that it was Rei, standing in the doorway with her hands on her hips. Only... she didn't *look* like Rei, not with red ribbons woven in her hair and that long, elegant crimson gown that clung to her figure.

Finally, Mamoru's slightly cloudy thoughts cleared enough for him to realize three things;

"Mars-chan!" the Un-Usako cried, "You scared me!"

"Hai," the other woman said with a teasing smile, "Just be glad it was me, and not the Queen." Un-Usako blushed and turned to Mamoru. As he looked at her fully, he realized that, while she might not be Usagi, she was damned close. She looked into his eyes, and suddenly drew back.

"Kami-sama!" she cried, "This isn't Endy!" Mars looked at the other girl as though she'd just declared herself Queen of the Monkeys, opening her mouth to say so, when her own psychic alarms went off. It really *wasn't* Endymion.

"Alright," the Martian woman growled, "Who are you and what have you done with Prince Endymion!?" Mamoru felt something like a rock land in his stomach, and realized, with a stinking feeling, that he *was* in a heap of trouble.

"My name is Chiba Mamoru," he replied as evenly as possible, considering how hard it was to ignore the young girl crying to his left. She was so much like Usako, he just wanted to wrap his arms around her and make it all right. Shaking those thoughts off, he focused his attention back on Mars, "And I have no idea who this Endymion person is, let alone what happened it him!"

"I...I..." Un-Usagi was weeping and hysterical now. Mars put a hand on the young girl's shoulder comfortingly, but it didn't help.

"Serenity-chan," Mars said, "I'm sure we can figure this out..."

"I want Endy!" Serenity cried, shooting a despairing look in Mamoru's direction. Apparently deciding that her tears were not helping the matter, Serenity threw her head back and wailed;

"MERCURY!!!"

Not five seconds later, a short blue haired girl stuck her head in the room. Mamoru noted with some amusement that she looked exactly like Ami, one of Usagi's friends.

"Yes?" the girl, who's name was obviously Mercury, asked.

"Oh, Merc, you've got to help me!" Serenity cried, throwing her arms around her confused friend, "He.. he's not Endymion!" Mercury looked alarmed, stealing a glance at the man sitting on the bed.

"Um, Serenity-chan, that *is* Endymion-sama," the other girl corrected. Mars shook her head, jumping in with her own two cents.

"No, he's not," she said with assurance Mercury looked from Mars, to Serenity, then back again.

"Have you both gone daft?!" the confused girl exploded, "OF COURSE HE'S ENDYMION!!" Mamoru resisted the urge to chuckle, seeing as it probably wouldn't be appreciated at the moment.

"Merc, just trust me," Mars replied, "Go get your computer and see for yourself." Untangling herself from Serenity's death grip, the blue-haired girl hurried out of the room, only to return moments later carrying a small computer. Without preamble, she took a seat on the end of the bed and began to scan Mamoru. The young man looked on with some interest, feeling suddenly over whelmed by feelings of unfamiliarity.

"You're right," Mercury said at last, "He isn't Endymion, but.." she said before Serenity could burst into tears again. "in a sense he is."

"What do you mean?" a curious Serenity asked.

"He has Endymion's soul," the other girl paused, looking at each of the room's occupants for a moment before going on, "He is Endymion's future self."

"Kami-sama," Serenity breathed, before her eyes rolled back in her head and she fainted, right into Mamoru's arms. The young man shook his head as he cradled the other girls body while Mars went to fetch some smelling salts. Feeling a bit cliche, he muttered the only two words that could describe his current predicament;

"Oh, boy."

#(#)#

Endymion, Prince of Earth, soon to be KING of Earth, rolled over and cursed. What WAS that infernal beeping noise!? Sitting up in bed, the young man quickly realized that he was not in his chambers. The strange scenery was disturbing to say the least, but first things first. He HAD to stop that horrible racket. Listening carefully, the Prince quickly tracked the hideous noise to it's source, a strange contraption with little red numbers. 5:57, it read. Not knowing what to do, but exceedingly annoyed, the prince did the only thing he could. He yelled at it.

"That should teach you not to mess with the prince of Earth," he advised the remains of the creature. With that, he turned on his heel and went back into the room, ignoring the strange look the woman on the opposite balcony was giving him. The young lady shook her head and went back to hanging up her clothes to dry.

"Poor alarm clock," she muttered to herself as she reached for the next wet garment.

Finally able to think, Endymion began to worry. The first thought in his mind was Serenity. Where was his Princess? Was she alright? And what was he doing in this strange apartment? Unable to keep still, the Prince began searching for answers, his natural tendency towards orderliness the only thing holding him back from ransacking the place. Eventually, after at least an hour of searching, he came across a plain, leather bound book. The inside page informed him that it was the journal of some one named Chiba Mamoru, and, surprisingly, the handwriting looked just like his own. With a hopeful sigh, Endymion took a seat on the couch. Perhaps this could give him clues as to his current state of being.

#(#)#

Queen Serenity took one look at Mamoru and turned to her daughter solemnly

"I believe you are correct, my dear," she said regally, though she was truly fighting very hard for her composure. What would the boy's mother, Queen Cassiopeia, say? Thank heavens her dear friend had returned to Earth, least she see her son in such a state, "He is most certainly not your Endymion, though he is the prince, in some form." Princess Serenity didn't have the same composure as her mother.

"I want ENDY!!" she wailed uncontrollably The silver haired woman attempted to soothe her daughter, though she knew it would have no affect.

"Okay, hold the phone," the young man on the bed cut in, sounding more than a little peeved, "What exactly is going on here, where am I, and when can I go home?" The Queen's attention quickly fixed on the young man who looked so much like her daughter's betrothed.

"My dear boy," she began calmly, "It would seem, that somehow, you have been switched with your past incarnation, Prince Endymion." Mamoru seemed to take all this in for a moment, then nodded slowly, "As to where you are, you are on the moon."

"The moon?" Mamoru asked a skeptical eyebrow, "As in, the big rock orbiting Earth?"

"It is not a rock!" the Princess exclaimed, scandalized

"Serenity," the Queen warned, then turned back to Mamoru, "Yes, you are on the moon, and as soon as I contact Sailor Pluto, I'm sure she will come immediately to our aid and we will have you back in your rightful place in no time at all."

"That's all well and good," he said at last, "but what am I to do until then?"

"I suppose you'll just have to take Endymion's place," the Queen replied thoughtfully. Mamoru groaned and fell back on the bed, mumbling to himself.

"Great," he muttered, "How can this day possibly get any worse? Possessed clocks, cranky teachers, demonic bosses, over time, now I'm either insane, or I really have switch places with Prince what's-his-face, and worst of all, no Usako!" Suddenly, his eyes flew open, and he found everyone in the room staring at him. For the first time since arriving in this strange place, Mamoru actually panicked. "OH NO!!"

"What, what is it?" Princess Serenity asked, alarmed.

"You and the prince, you're, ah... together, right?" he asked. Blue eyes stared back at him with confusion, but the Princess answered with an affirmative 'yes'. "Well, er... there's this girl in my time, her name is Usagi, and er... well, she looks exactly like you, sort of."

"And...?" Serenity encouraged. Mamoru sighed in frustration.

"What do you think he'll do when he sees her?!" A collective ïahhh' filled the room.

"Well, he probably can't do too much damage" Venus, silent up until that moment, put in.

"He does have a good head on his shoulders," Jupiter said.

"Unlike Serenity-chan," Mars barbed. Mamoru did chuckle this time, some things never changed. He'd already figured out that Mars was Rei, and Mercury was Ami. That Jupiter must be Makoto, though he had no idea who the blond Venus was.

"MARS!" Princess Serenity whined. The Queen rolled her eyes, and patted her daughter's shoulder.

"My dear, I believe we have other matters to attend to. I'll cancel the training match with the generals today, I think it would be best if no one else knows of our Prince's predicament However, he will need to go to the ball this afternoon..."

"Me? A ball? You've GOT to be kidding!" Mamoru interrupted The Queen shot him a look that clearly informed him that, no, she was not kidding, and the young man wisely shut up.

"My Queen," Jupiter said, "The ball is in an hour, shouldn't we all get ready?"

"Ahh... yes," the Queen replied, climbing to her feet. "Serenity," she addressed her daughter, "I trust you to take care of Mamoru-san and make sure no one else discovers anything is amiss."

"Yes, mother," Serenity bowed a little. Nodding, the Queen swept from the room, followed by four giggling senshi.

Mamoru rolled his eyes, laying back down. The world was tilting dizzily on it's axis. He opened an eye to peek at Serenity, who was turned away from him, sniffling. Again the world tilted as he put the pieces together. Princess Serenity looked like Usagi, Serenity was a *princess*, and that explained the princess in his dreams. He'd been dreaming of Usagi the whole time! Louder sniffles interrupted his train of thought, and Mamoru felt his heart crack at the sight of poor Serenity crying. Slowly, he got up and went to her side, embracing her in a friendly hug. She clung to him and cried into his shirt.

"What if I never see him again!" Serenity wailed. Mamoru shook his head, cupping her jaw and forcing her to look at him.

"Serenity, I'm sure this Pluto person can take care of it, like your mother said. Don't worry about it." The princess in his arms nodded, laying her head on his chest tiredly. Mamoru held her silently, wanting to give her what comfort he could.

"This Usagi, what's she like?" Serenity asked at length. Mamoru smiled, guiding her so they could sit on the bed.

"Well, she's wonderful, she looks just like you. She's a little klutzy sometimes, but it's part of her charm," Mamoru's eyes took on a far away look, one that made Serenity smile as she looked up at him. "She wears her hair like yours too, and she's always smiling. She's got a great personality, lots of friends and..." Suddenly, the young man frowned, "she hates me."

"Wha?" Serenity asked, confused. Her, hate Endymion? The idea was positively insane!

"You see," Mamoru explained, "The first time I met her... I kind of made fun of her hair. I called her Odango Atama... but, you see, she really is my dumpling, and I love her dearly... it just took me a while to realize it, but by then it was too late. Whenever we meet, we always fight, and now I'm sure she hates me..."

"She can't possibly hate you!" Serenity said, standing up and cupping Mamoru's face in her delicate hands. Smiling gently, she leaned down until she was eye to eye with Mamoru, "You see, when Endy and I first met, we insulted each other too... but one day, we both realized, that we really did love one another and..." the princess trailed off, searching for words, "She can't possibly *not* love you!" Mamoru nodded slowly, wishing the girl standing so close was Usagi, no offense to the Princess.

"Thank you, Serenity," he said softly, giving her a peek on the cheek. The Princess blushed, then suddenly straightened.

"The ball!" she cried, "SHOOT! I'M LATE!!!!!" Mamoru chuckled softly as a whirl of golden and white fled the room. The more things changed…

#(#)#

Two hours after sitting down, Endymion finally had it all figured out. His name was Chiba Mamoru, and he was an orphan. He worked at a place called Doppler's, his best friend's name was Motoki, and he was head over heels in love with Tsukino Usagi. Re-reading the description of the girl, the Prince concluded she must be Serenity's future self, as he'd already concluded that he, was the past form of this Chiba Mamoru. Also, judging from the awful green jacket hanging in the closet, the man had terrible taste.

Stomach growling, Endymion began a hunt for food, yet nothing seemed familiar enough to be safe to eat. The only thing he managed to find was bread, so he devoured that quickly and went back into the bedroom. Sitting down, he noticed something he hadn't seen before. Sitting on the nightstand, in a little gold frame, was a picture of a girl who bore striking resemblance to Serenity. Her hair was up in twin buns, and her blue eyes laughed. She was wearing a uniform Endymion didn't recognize, but the prince quickly concluded that *this* must be Tsukino Usagi.

ïShe hates me,' he remembered reading in Mamoru's journal, ïI love her so much, and she hates me.' The young man scoffed at the notion, not only did Chiba Mamoru have terrible taste, but he was also a numskull.

Walking down the street, Endymion marveled at the strange chariots, deciding that they made him incredibly uncomfortable. But, he chose to ignore them as he searched for the Crown. However, as he passed a certain shop, something in the window caught his attention. It was a men's clothing store, and featured on one of the manikins was a black leather bomber that looked VERY sharp. Quickly editing his plans, Endymion entered the store and checked to make sure he had enough currency. Check.

"Ah, Mamoru-san," he said to himself, "What would you do without me?"

Twenty minutes passing found Endymion exiting the self-same shop, this time clothed in a sharp, black leather bomber. He ditched the green jacket and hurried back towards his original destination with a bounce in his step.

#(#)#

It had been a long day, Mamoru considered, weird, and interesting yes, but long as well. With a groan, he pulled himself to his feet and began to remove the armor and the rest of his clothing, ready to crawl under the covers and get some rest. He was removing his shirt when the door burst open.

"Mamoru-san! We've managed to get a hold of Pluto and...," Serenity trailed off, apparently noticing his current state of undress. Poking his head out of from under the shirt, Mamoru saw a fiery blush over take the princess cheeks. "Err... I'll um, come back in just a second when you're more..." choking back her giggles, Serenity turned and fled from the room, slamming the door behind her. The young man shook his head and pulled his shirt back on. Apparently this Pluto person was the key to getting him home, and the sooner he saw her, the better.

#(#)#

"Motoki-kun, how are you today?"

"Oh, hi Mamoru-kun, didn't see you there!" Motoki said, looking up. The young man smiled at his friend and began to tell him about his day, continuing to wipe down the counters. Endymion listened amiably, waiting for the other man to finish. "... and the best news of all, Reika is coming for a visit on Friday, I can't wait!"

"Hai, that's good, Motoki-kun," Endymion replied, unable to fathom the identity of this 'Reika'. "Say, have you seen Odango Atama today?" he asked, adopting Mamoru's name for Usagi.

"Actually, Ami told me she has late detention today," he replied simply, "Why, are you interested in her or something?"

Endymion fairly beamed at the other man. This was exactly the opening he'd been waiting for! Smiling, he replied;

"Yes, actually, I think I'm in love with her." Motoki's jaw dropped, and he briefly wondered if he had entered the twilight zone. There was something definitely wrong with Mamoru today...

"Man, what's up with you?" the blond asked his friend, "You're acting kinda strange today." Endymion smiled at that, how very observant!

"You...really like her?" Motoki asked, his shock fading as he put the pieces together. All the teasing, the way Mamoru would gaze after Usagi as she fled his presence.

"Oh, yes, very much so," Endymion replied. The demonic Endy had managed to pin the angelic one. "In fact..." the angelic Endy was loosing his grip, "I was wondering if you might help me win her over." SPLAT, the little angel fell from Endymion's shoulder, effectively leaving him alone with the little red clad demon.

"Wow, sure, I mean, it's just hard to believe that you really like her that much!" Motoki exclaimed. "But you know, jealousy works wonders," he said suggestively. Endymion nodded slowly, a smile blooming on his face. Suddenly though, he began to feel light headed... Serenity must have found a way to get him back!

#(#)#

"Serenity, what's going on?" a more decently attired Mamoru asked as he poked his head in the main room.

"Well you see..." Mercury, who was sitting to the Princess' left, began. But her words were cut short by an impossible crash of lightening and a swirl of black smoke forming in the center of the room. Another flash revealed a tall, elegant green haired-woman to be standing where the smoke had been. She was dressed in a form fitting sailor suit, her left hand curled around a dainty silver staff.

"Always did have to make an entrance," Mars muttered to Venus.

The stranger raised her ruby red eyes, she addressed Serenity.

"Princess," she bowed, "What exactly is the..." her eyes shifted to Mamoru, and, like Serenity and Mars, she instantly new it was Endymion, "Oy vey!"

"Pluto?" Jupiter asked worriedly. The green haired woman closed her eyes and shook her head.

"You call me away from vacation again? For the same reason..."

"Um, Pluto, as far as I know, nothing like this has ever happened before," Serenity put in. Mamoru could only stare on in mute shock. ANOTHER SAILOR SENSHI??? Would this day's surprises ever end?

"Of course it has, Usagi just switched with," Pluto opened her eyes to look on five *very* confused princesses. "Wait a second... that hasn't happened yet!" she put a hand to her forehead, rubbing her temples, gazing out at Serenity through her green tresses, "Some days, princess, you give me a headache." A confused Serenity merely laid a sympathetic hand on Pluto's shoulder and offered her a cup of tea. "Yes, tea would be nice," the worn Time Guardian replied. Mercury quickly allowed Pluto to take her seat, while Serenity handed her a tea cup.

"Er, excuse me, but I thought that perhaps I might be going home now?" Mamoru asked, unable to think of anything else to say.

"Oh, hai, well," Pluto said, shrugging her shoulders. She set her cup down and grasped her time staff in one hand, "Say your good-byes, you two." Quickly, Mamoru gave Serenity a hug, and a kiss on the forehead. When they parted, the senshi of time struck her staff against the marble floor and a wave of energy struck Mamoru, carrying him back to his rightful place.

#(#)#

When Mamoru opened his eyes, he found himself sitting in the Crown. His first thought was that the whole thing had been some crazy daydream, induced by some very bad coffee, but Motoki's words dashed that little illusion.

"I really think if you want to win Usagi over, you should try making her jealous!" the blond man said. Mamoru's head jerked up and he looked at his friend in shock. He hadn't told Motoki about his feelings for Usako!

"NANI!?" he cried. Motoki only laughed, misinterpreting his stricken look for something else.

"Man, have you even been listening? Where were you?" he asked innocently. Mamoru shook his head, feeling one massive headache coming on.

"The moon, apparently," he replied dryly. Motoki laughed again.

"Hey, Motoki-san, Mamoru-san!" a cheery voice called out. Both men turned to see a classmate, Yuuko, making her way into the arcade. Her green eyes flashed as she tossed her rather ratty brown mane, then attempted to pout, "Could one of you please help me with this calculus nonsense? I could really use it?" She batted her eyes. Motoki's grin nearly split his face in two as he noticed Usagi just outside the window. He quickly elbowed Mamoru.

"Man, this is your chance!" he whispered. Mamoru resisted the urge to roll his eyes, there was no fighting it now. Turning his attention to Yuuko, he took her arm and steered her towards one of the booths.

"Sure, Yuuko-san, I'll help you," he said, just as Usagi entered the arcade.

"Me, care?!" Mamoru heard Usagi ask, her voice shrill, "No way," she sweat-dropped, "Ah.. bye Motoki-san!" With that the lovelorn Mamoru watched his Odango as she sped from the arcade at speeds yet to be reached by normal human beings.

Some minutes later, Mamoru got up from the booth and walked casually over to where Motoki stood. He was trying desperately not to bombard his arcade-keeping friend with questions.

"Did it...work?" he asked nervously, trying to keep his cool. His blue eyes gave it all away.

"Yeah," Motoki said gleefully, "Man, you shoulda seen her, she was pea green with envy!"

"Really?" the other man's eyes lit up. The blond at his side shook his head in pity.

"Man, Mamoru-san, you've got it bad," Motoki said.

"Bye, Motoki-san, bye Mamoru-san," the voice of the girl previously sitting beside Mamoru carried across the arcade, "Thanks for the help with my Calculus homework!"

"Bye, Yuuko-san," both guys waved, then exchanged glances. Yuuko had no idea she had just inadvertently aided the romancing of Tsukino Usagi by one Chiba Mamoru.

"Look, Motoki," Mamoru said, "It's been a LONG day, so I think I'll be going now."

"Okay, see you later man!" Motoki called as he went back to wiping down the counters. It took all Mamoru's self control not to imitate Usagi and break the sound barrier whilst fleeing the arcade.

#(#)#

Endymion felt incredibly dizzy as reality re-asserted itself none too gently. A supportive arm found it's way around his waist, and opening his eyes, the Prince found himself looking down at his one and only Serenity.

"Endy, I missed you!" she cried, crushing herself against him. He accepted her gesture lovingly, stroking her back as he buried her face in her hair.

"Ahem," Pluto interrupted, looking a little more than peeved, "I think I'll be leaving now."

"Thank you, Pluto," Endymion said, giving the girl in his arms a gentle squeeze. Serenity giggled and thanked the Senshi of Time as well.

"You're quite welcome," Pluto replied tiredly, rising her time staff and intending to disappear in her usual cloud of black smoke. Just as she raised her rod though, she paused. "Serenity, if trouble ever stops following you around like a lost puppy, it will be a miracle of biblical proportions."

"Well, there goes *my* faith in the Almighty," Mars said sarcastically. Neither the Prince, or his Princess heard her; they were too busy kissing.

#(#)#

Blinking, Mamoru read the note again... and again. Finally, the poor, traumatized young man put a hand to his forehead and set the note down. Turning on his heel, he went to go find some Advil. As he passed through the bedroom, he noticed his empty nightstand, and couldn't help but wonder where his alarm clock had gotten off to.