**NOTE THAT IF YOU HAVE NOT SEEN SAILOR STARS YOU SHOULD PROBABLY
READ THESE NOTES!

Okay, I was watching an episode of Sailor Stars when I got this
idea, so it's really spur of the moment.  Actually, I've been
working on it for three weeks, but the IDEA was spur of the moment.
Okay, this takes place during Sailor Stars, between episodes 186
and 187, right before Sailormoon gets her power up.  So Chibi Chibi
is here, the Starlights and Solar Senshi, especially the Outers,
aren't on good terms, and Mamo-chan is "In America."  If you don't
know where he really is, sorry, I ain't telling you!  But I will
tell you the reason the Outers hate the Starlights.  They are from
outside the Solar System, and it's their job to protect their
Princess from threats outside the Solar System, and they consider
the Starlights invaders.  Even when Sailormoon tries to ally with
them, they um...attempt to kill Fighter and tell them to leave.
Yeah, so now you know the Outers don't change...EVER!  And Chibi
Chibi really only can say one of two things.  "Chibi Chibi" and s
he repeats' part of what another person says.  Oh, and Koneko-chan
means "My Little Kitten" and this is Haruka's new pet name for
Usagi since she is her princess and respects Mamoru enough to not
call her Odango Atama anymore. :) That's my theory.

RATING: PG - Little bit of nothing in here.

DISCLAIMER: Sailormoon and all associated characters are property
of hundreds of companies all over the world that I can't even name.

E-mail: stefaniecraig@hotmail.com

Website: http://home.att.net/~stef_chan/

ICQ: 634674320
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are! ^_^

The voting for the Usa/Mamo WAFF stories has begun again. Please
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Quote of the Week: "Confession, apology, and forgiveness were the
tools friends used to break walls down into bridges."  Aunt Beru
of Star Wars, from the book "Vision of the Future"

UNDERSTANDING
Part 1/1

"STARLIGHT HONEYMOON THERAPY KISS!"

Eternal Sailormoon's attack hit the Phage and with a scream of,
"Beautiful!" it turned back into a human.

Sailormoon let out a sigh and turned to see the Starlight's looking
at her with no expression on their faces.  Uranus and Neptune came
up behind her and crossed their arms, sending a silent message to
three ladies to leave.  NOW.

"Ja ne," Sailor Star Fighter called as she, Maker and Healer
disappeared in the night.

"With out even a 'thank you,'" Jupiter snorted.  "They're very rude.
Why are they here any way?"

The usual course of agreements and 'I don't knows' coursed though
the air but Sailormoon tuned them out.  Sailormoon's eyes were
heavy and she yawned.  "Minna, I'll see you in the morning.  I'm
tired."

"Usagi-chan!" Venus called after her as she began to walk home.
But Sailormoon didn't stop and just kept walking.  "Usagi-chan...
what's wrong with you?" she whispered.

"She's been like this since Mamoru-san left for America," Mercury
observed.  "She's probably lonely."

Uranus looked after her princess with worried eyes.  "I think it's
more than that."  It was true enough.  Since Mamoru had gone to
the States, she had been noticeably sadder, and distant.  Sometimes,
Uranus had wondered what was keeping her going.  It was like she
had given up on even seeing him.

"Yeah," Mars agreed sarcastically as she turned to face the two
Outers.  "I'm sure it also has something to do with the fact that
you destroyed our only chance at allying with the Sailor Starlights.
She's been really upset with that!"

Uranus and Neptune's eyes burned fire at the other Senshi.  It was
an old argument, but a touchy one still.  "How dare you?" Uranus
hissed.  "Are you not a protector of our Princess?!" she demanded.
"They are from outside of the Solar System and a danger to our
kingdom!"

"If they're so much of a 'danger' why haven't they done anything
dangerous yet?!" Mars retorted with the same fire.

"Haruka," Neptune intervened gently as she pulled her arm.  "Let's
make sure that they Princess gets home safely.  Our views stand,
and so do theirs.  There is no point in making a scene out of
this," she urged.

Uranus glared at the Inner Senshi out of the corner of her eye as
she and Neptune bounded away.  "They're just like you two," Venus
whispered softly.  "Alone and unsure of who or what they really are,
or who they should ally with.  You choose right...but will they?"
she wondered briefly.

"Venus!" Mercury exclaimed softly, in shock.

*******************************************************************

Eternal Sailormoon didn't bother to detransform as she wandered
through the park alone.  The night was warm, making her outfit
appropriate for the temperature.  But inward, she couldn't help but
shiver.  She was so cold, in her own way.  She was sad and lonely;
her Mamo-chan was away from her, and she had heard nothing from
him.  Not a letter, a phone call or even a short postcard.  He had
just stopped talking to her.

A sob was about to escape her throat, but she held it back.  What
would the others say if they saw her like this?  What would her
Mamo-chan say?  She was all right by herself.  She would be all
right.

There was a noise from the side bush and Sailormoon stopped.
'Voices?' she thought as she crept closer, hearing the arguing of
female voices.  She hid outside the bushes and gasped as she peaked
out side and saw the Sailor Starlights.

"We aren't here to protect the Earth, Fighter!" Sailor Star Maker
yelled with something akin to hate in her voice.  "It's their
problem!"  Her ponytail swayed back and forth as she whirled to
Healer for and agreement.

Healer sighed.  "Maker's right, Fighter.  It's their war, their
price.  If they can't protect their own planet, it's their problem."

Fighter closed her fist and clenched her jaw.  "I'm not saying we
have to!  We need to find the Princess, and they will help us, even
if they don't know it," she told them.  "Maybe we don't need allies,
but they can help us."

"We'd be using them," Maker observed.

"Would it be any different than what we're doing now?" Healer
asked, blowing a loose strand of her long white hair away from
her eyes and sighing.

Sailormoon gasped and stepped back, stepping on a twig and cracking
it.

Within seconds, the Starlights were alert and jumped to where they
heard the noise, cornering the small girl in between the three of
them.  Sailormoon gave a small scream and tried to back away from
Maker who was in front of her, only to see Healer behind her.

"What are you doing here?!" Healer demanded, grabbing one of
Sailormoon's arms and twisting it around, causing her to cry out.

"Itai!  G-gomen nasai!  I was just going home -itai- when I saw you!
LET ME GO!" she cried out trying to wretch herself out of the
Starlights' grasp.

Healer looked to Maker who nodded her consent.  "What are you
doing here, Sailormoon?" Maker demanded harshly.

Sailormoon cradled her injured arm and glared at them slightly, with
a wince in her gaze.  "Itai wa!  What did I do to you?  I was just
walking home!" she snapped.  Realizing she had just yelled,
Sailormoon covered her mouth with shock.  "GOMEN!  I'm...I'm very
sorry.  It's been a rough night."

The Starlights watched as Sailormoon seemed to forget about them
and walk to a more open area, where she started gazing up at the
moon.  "Sailormoon?" Fighter asked with something akin to concern
in her voice.

A tear slid out of Sailormoon's eye and she didn't turn.  "Sailor
Star Fighter...you remember what you told me about your past?" she
asked quietly.

<:Flashback:>

"Please forgive me," Sailor Star Fighter whispered with tears in her
eyes after she used her Star Serious Laser on the Director/Sister
turned Phage.  The Director who had taught her, as Seiya, what it
means to really try.

"Stop right there!" a now familiar voice yelled to Fighter.  Eternal
Sailormoon and Super Sailormars stood in front of Fighter.

"I don't know what grudge you have on it, but that Phage was
originally a human!" Mars snapped at her.

"I can't let you attack it as you want!" Sailormoon added.

"Shut up!" Fighter snapped, startling the two.  "You'll never
know...our hardship...and the sorrow of the survivors!" Fighter
exclaimed with tears in her eyes.


<:End Flashback:>

Sailormoon's eyes were still glued to the moon as tears began to
flow freely from her cheeks.  She understood what they were doing
now, why they were here.  They were looking for her; their Princess.
Maybe... "I remember...you spoke of hardships and being the only
ones to survive a disaster.  You are so sad because...you think we
won't understand you, Starlights," Sailormoon whispered.

Healer clenched her fist.  "That's because you don't!" she screamed.
Lowering her voice, she attempted to control the tears that were
coming to her eyes.  "How could you?"

Sailormoon felt tears coming to her eyes and she fought them back.
"Because..." she whispered, trying to decide if she should go on
helping them.  They had been almost no help to her in the past
weeks.

"Are you going to tell us something useful?" Fighter asked with a
frown.

Sailormoon nodded.  "Only that I know what you are going through...
thinking no one understands, and that you are the only one it has
happened to.  Demo...I understand."

The Starlights looked at her in shock and then anger.  "Don't say
things you don't mean!" Maker snapped at her.  "You couldn't
possibly know!"

Looking hurt, Sailormoon glanced away from them.  "Did you pass the
moon on the way to our planet?  Did you see how barren and cold it
is?"  Before any of them could answer, she looked to the three with
an expression on her face that displayed every sorrow and pain she
had been through in her life; both of them.  "That was my home!" she
yelled as tears began falling freely.  "I used to live there!  It
was beautiful and peaceful!  We worried about nothing!  All of the
planets were once like that!  We had peace, harmony and
friendships!"

The Starlights could only stare in shock as Sailormoon broke loose,
letting out centuries of hurt and pain she had been feeling but
never let anyone see.  She didn't know why now, of all times and
places, she let this hurt show, but she knew that it may end up
doing them good.  She had to tell them.

"But then...it was all taken away from us," Sailormoon whispered
as she collapsed to the ground and stared up at the moon.  "Metalia
came and took it away from us.  My friends, my love...okaa-sama
too," her voice was barely above a whisper now and the Starlights
attempted to cover up their shock.  "That was a long time ago,
and all of us were reborn on the Earth, the only planet that was
still able to sustain life, after that at least."

"But-but how?!" Healer asked.  "Every planet?  WHY?!"

Sailormoon shook her head.  "It doesn't matter now.  It was a long
time ago, and we're all back...except for mother," she whispered
sadly.  "But she gave up her life for us."  She smiled up at the
Starlights through her tears.  "See?  I know.  I can understand
you.  You're trying to blame yourself, and tell yourself that this
one person, your Princess, is the only one who knows.  Venus,
Mercury, Mars, Jupiter...they understand too."  She gave an almost
laugh.  "Uranus and Neptune understand probably more than even I do.
We weren't on good terms when we first met."

Maker blinked and raised an eyebrow.  "You're serious about that?"

"Hai!" Sailormoon exclaimed.  "They were like you, wanting to make
sacrifices, not believing in allies and lonely."

"Sailormoon..." Healer whispered as she took a step forward.

"Don't move!" Sailoruranus bellowed as she jumped onto the scene
with Sailorneptune right behind her.

"You!" Fighter exclaimed.

"Princess, are you hurt?" Uranus asked as she rushed to help
Sailormoon up.

"Princess?" Fighter whispered as she looked to her Sisters in arms.
"A Princess?" she wondered.  'Our Princess?'

"Did they hurt you?" she demanded, her eyes burning fire.

"Iie!  Uranus!" Sailormoon yelled as she was shoved behind her
friend.

"What did you do to her?" Neptune asked the Starlights as she
stepped forward into a ready stance.

"We did nothing!" Healer yelled.  "She found us, and started talking
to us about her past!"  Fighter touched her arm and shook her head.
The two Senshi they were dealing with would sooner kill them then
talk anything out.

"Let's go," Maker frowned.  "Arigato for telling us, Sailormoon."

Fighter smiled at her.  "Arigato!" she and Healer yelled as the
three ran away from the scene.

"Humph," Uranus snorted as she glared at their retreating figures.
She turned to her Princess, eyes narrowed and angry; at her or the
Starlights was uncertain, but she was mad.  "Why did you tell them
of your past?" she asked through clenched teeth.

Neptune gasped in shock at Uranus' tone.  "Haruka, maybe we should
go home and then-"

"NO!" Uranus snapped as she walked to Sailormoon and grabbed her
arm.  "Princess, they could be enemies!  You should not associate
with them at all, let alone tell them anything about the Silver
Millennium!"

Sailormoon lowered her eyes and started to nod but stopped.  "No.
I will tell them what I want!" she yelled at Uranus.  The two
Outers took a step back in shock.  "They're just like you two were,
alone and uncertain about their path!  I'm only trying to help them
understand!  We're all Senshi, that should say something!"
Sailormoon burst into tears and collapsed to the ground again.
"They've been through hard times and are looking for someone...
they just need someone to understand them..." she whispered as
she wrapped her arms around her knees and hugged them to her chest.

"Usagi!" Neptune gasped quietly.

Sailormoon detransformed and covered her mouth.  "But I know how
they feel...they miss someone...........Mamo-chan," she cried.
"Mamo-chan..."

Exchanging glances, Uranus and Neptune knew what was really on
Usagi's mind.  While the Starlight's were high on the list, they
now knew what was really going on.  Or perhaps talking with the
Starlights had brought this about.

"They just miss the person who understands them..."

Uranus and Neptune detransformed and knelt down to their Princess.
Haruka opened her arms and Usagi leapt into them.  "Koneko-chan...
it's okay," she whispered as she pet Usagi's hair.  "He'll be back
and then you two can be together."

Michiru touched her Princess' back and met Haruka's eyes; this was
not good.  "Don't worry, Princess."

Meanwhile, Usagi simply cried in Haruka's arms.  "Mamo-chan...
Mamo-chan..."

*******************************************************************

Half an hour later, Haruka and Michiru left Usagi's house after
putting her to bed.  They stood outside her house for a little while
longer before heading back to their yellow sports car.  "With
Mamoru-san gone, we're the ones who have to protect her, Haruka,"
Michiru whispered as they drove away.

Haruka nodded, and remembered Usagi's cries for her lover.  "She
doesn't need protecting, Michiru, she needs Mamoru to help her and
to be there for her in times like this."  She chuckled slightly.
"She needs him to help her stay away from our bad influence."

Michiru smiled.  "Oh?  Last time I checked, you weren't bad."

*******************************************************************

Seiya frowned as he tuned his guitar.  They had left the
battlefield an hour ago, and he couldn't get Sailormoon's words
from his mind.  Yaten and Taiki weren't doing much better either.
The three of them had sat in silence since they got back, each
going over what had happened.

"Maybe she *can* help us..." Seiya wondered out loud.  "The way
she talked, I believe her."

Taiki looked up from his book and closed it.  "While I think she
was sincere, I also think Uranus and Neptune would prefer that we
stay away from her.  She may be able to help us, and she does have
a power we don't have.  She can heal Phage's."

"Uranus called her 'Princess,'" Yaten pondered.

"Yes, I wondered about that too," Seiya put in.  "Maybe she knows
something about our Princess.  Sailormoon also spoke of her."

"Don't think about it," Taiki retorted.  "We can't just guess.
When she appears, we will ask her about it, but until then, the
other Senshi are just necessary allies."

"Right..." Seiya sighed.

*******************************************************************

Mamoru slipped the heart shaped ring onto Usagi's finger and smiled
when he felt her blush.  He stood back up and looked her straight
in the eye.  "Aishiteru, Usako," Mamoru whispered.

*******************************************************************

Usagi gasped as she woke up from her dream...more like her memory.
Glancing at the ring on her left hand, she felt the memory of that
day come back.  That was the day he said he loved her, the day she
had first met Seiya, and the day the enemy had first appeared.  So
much had happened that day, and she knew she would never forget it.

That was when Usagi realized she was in her room.  "What?  How did
I get here?" she asked herself.  Suddenly, the memories of the night
before came back and she bit her lip.  "I fell asleep.  Haruka-san
and Michiru-san must have brought me home.  I hope they aren't mad
at me any more...I told the Starlights only what I thought I
should."

"Chibi Chibi?" a voice from the doorway asked.

Usagi turned and saw her 'Imouto' standing in the door.  "Hello,
Chibi Chibi.  It's early, what are you doing up?"

Chibi Chibi walked over to Usagi's bed and smiled at her.  "Doing
up?" she repeated curiously.

Smiling fondly at the girl who reminded her so much of Chibi-Usa,
Usagi got out of bed and kneeled before her.  "Do you think I did
the right thing, Chibi Chibi?  Telling the Starlights a little bit
about my past?"

"Chibi...Chibi!"

"Yeah, I thought it was a good idea too!" Usagi laughed.

***************************************************************
~THREE DAYS LATER~

Usagi, Rei, Ami, Makoto, and Minako stood all the way in the
back of the crowd and watched as the Three Lights smiled at
their fans in the airport.  Not an hour ago, all of them had
been forced to reveal their identities to the other.

Seiya looked up and saw the five of them standing back there,
with rueful expressions of their faces, and he too, stopped
smiling.  Yaten and Taiki looked up as well, their gazes turning
sorrowful when the saw the girls.

Seiya was the first to turn away from them, Yaten and Taiki soon
following, and all three of them walked away from the scene,
leaving them there.  Usagi started to go after them, but stopped
and sighed.

'Seiya...Yaten-kun...Taiki-san...' Usagi thought.  'Just remember
what I said.  I know what you're going through.  I understand.'

THE END.

Well...how was that for my first Stars fic?  Any good?  I hope it
was cause I think I know a pretty good amount of Stars stuff.  The
only thing about this fic is that if any of this actually happened,
the only person who listened to Usagi was Seiya because the other
Starlights are still jerks and so are the Outers.  Anyway, feedback
is more than appreciated and needed!  So if you want this poor,
starving writer to live and keep writing, then write me!  LOL.

See ya!

Stef-chan

E-mail: stefaniecraig@hotmail.com

Website: http://home.att.net/~stef_chan/

ICQ: 634674320
If you add me to your ICQ list, please tell me why,
and who you are! ^_^

The voting for the Usa/Mamo WAFF stories has begun again. Please
cast your votes! http://www.lunap.com/umwaff2000.html