[The next morning…]

Chibiusa grumbled as the sunlight hit her face. She felt that she hadn’t had any sleep and what sleep she had acquired had been a long continuous nightmare…or so she thought.

*So strange…I dreamed Peruru and I were…and then we died. And I saw Oranjiya and Bananu smiling kindly as we held each other in death and they were leaving. So strange…but not quite as strange as Usagi waking up before anyone, especially me!*

“Are you up yet, Chibiusa!!?” Usagi screamed through the door. Chibiusa continued to sweat drop at the thought of Usagi awake before her. She finished dressing and stumbled out the door with Usagi dragging her behind. They were returning to the sweetshop to meet the others. She still felt unhappy because she couldn’t be sure if she had lost Peruru or not or if the whole thing was a nightmare. She assumed it had been a dream because she would be dead if it were not…right?

“Oh,’ she mumbled, ‘my head hurts! Everything is confusing today!”

“What are you complaining about now? You’ve already made us late!” Usagi snapped at her. Usagi then ran across the busy street, dragging Chibiusa behind her fast enough to make her fly, just barely missing the cars that halted to a stop in order to avoid human collision. When they had reached the other side, Chibiusa jerked away from Usagi so she could gasp and regain her breath enough to wheeze out at her:

“You…go in…first…*inhale*…I…can’t believe…you almost…got me…killed just to…save time!!!”

Usagi blinked a few times and looked back at the angry drivers who were glaring at her. She laughed uneasily and scratched her head a few times.

“Heh…I guess that was a little crazy…”

“YOU THINK!?!” Chibiusa growled at her.

“Oh hush…everyone is alive, just don’t take too long, there is a surprise that should be arriving soon for you.” Usagi said sneakily.

“If it’s anything like the last surprise you just did, no thanks, I like my head on my shoulders…”

“You complain too much! At least we’re here on time after all!”

“Just go in and I’ll be there in a minute.”

“Ok, ok, don’t take forever.”

A driver then yelled something obscene at Usagi and she turned around to fume at the rudeness of the motorist

“HEY! That was uncalled for! I said I was sorry!” She yelled at the driver who went speeding off.

Usagi then walked in through the door straight to Mamoru who sat in a booth with Ami, Rei, and Makoto who had been waiting for her and Chibiusa as well as Minako who seemed to be later than Usagi. Usagi noticed this immediately.

“Ohayo, minna-san. Where’s Minako?”

“Probably still asleep…where is small lady?” Setsuna asked, in the booth on the other side of the wall with Haruka and Michiru.

“She is outside catching her breath…I don’t think she remembers, or believes, much of last night.” Usagi said.

“That’s not surprising…that’s a lot to absorb for a child.” Haruka said sipping at her coffee.

“Where is Pupuran and Peruru, Mamo-chan?”Usagi asked, turning to him.

“Pupuran said he wanted to clean up first, so I gave him directions to this cafe.” He replied.

“I hope he doesn’t get lost," Makoto said, "I am supposed to help him find an apartment today, and Matoki and Minako are going to help him get a job and—“

“And I’m supposed to help him and Peruru enroll into a school.” Ami said closing the book she had brought along.

“And I’m supposed to bring him to my grandfather to see if he can stay temporarily until he can afford the apartment.” Rei said.

“I see… well, I think he will be able to find his way, he insisted that I not wait for him and Peruru.” Mamoru explained.

* * * * * *

[Outside the cafe]

Chibiusa stood up after awhile, staring at everyone else through the glass window. Just then, she heard a voice come in hearing range and she whipped her head around to see whom the familiar voice belonged to.

“Don’t lag too far behind, Brother! We’re already late!” a boy called over his shoulder. He walked up to her and a smile grew warm upon his face.

“I’m glad to see you are a lot better. Are the others all arrived yet?” the boy asked. She widened her eyes curiously at him.

*What is he talking about? And how does he know me? He looks so familiar and those eyes…this boy is--?*

“Pupuran! I’m glad to see you’ve made it! I was afraid you would get lost!” Mamoru called over to the boy, opening the door for him.

“Oh no, we didn’t get lost, he was just so tired, that’s all.” Pupuran called back, walking towards the door. He then turned to look over his shoulder and said to Chibiusa:

“Don’t worry, he’ll get here eventually…I hope.” He rolled his eyes mockingly towards the sky.

“Peruru…?” she gasped. He smiled.

“You’ll see, little one.”

He walked in the shop and before she could even let the news sink in, she saw Usagi standing around a lot of ‘take one’ and ‘free sample’ signs, and the next second, she was trying to eat all of the samples at once. And she began to choke. Chibiusa sweat dropped as Mamoru and Haruka tried to give her the Heimlich maneuver and Michiru patted her on the back. Pupuran, Rei and Makoto ran around frantically trying to get a glass of water, while Setsuna and Ami tried to calm everyone down.

“They should know better than to leave her alone next to all those signs!”

Just then, a golden blur rushed by Chibiusa, through the door and into the shop.

“I’m sorry I’m soo late everyone, I overslept! Is Pupuran here yet? Is he—Usagi-Chan, what happened? Your face is turning blue and—ahhhh!” The golden blur known as Minako announced just before she tripped, falling onto Usagi’s back, knocking the pastries out of her throat and across the room, but now she was about to fall. She braced for the impact. But the floor didn’t get to meet her face this time—someone caught her.

She opened her blue eyes to find a worried pair of reddish-brown eyes staring into hers.

“A-are you alright?” Pupuran asked her, with great concern.

“U-umm…yes, I’m alright, thank you.” She stuttered back at him. He helped her up to a standing position.

“Are you sure you didn’t bruise your knees?” he asked, trying desperately to hide the blush that crept up to his face. Minako would’ve been lucky to have that control. He was unusually attractive and familiar to her…and he was holding her but she didn’t seem to notice or care.

“Y-yes, I think I’m alright, I just think maybe I twisted my ankle or something…it happens when one is such a klutz…” She sweat dropped and scratched her head, giggled nervously. He began to laugh too.

“You actually look graceful to me, just in too much of a rush, and besides, everyone was panicking when Usagi-san was choking…you saved her life. It was a good thing you tripped today, but I’m so sorry about your ankle, I’ll help you to a seat…” he babbled on.

"T-thank you very much…”she blushed harder.

*What the hell is wrong with me?!*

*What is wrong with me? Blushing has never made my cheeks burn this much…He is some guy…I can’t believe this is the same Pupuran that tried to kill us so long ago… he’s changed so much.*

He gently carried Minako over to the booth so she could sit down with the others and he took a seat next to her so she didn’t ‘accidentally’ fall out of her own. Chibiusa had been watching this whole thing through the window and giggled till she was out of breath again. Until she heard another voice behind her laugh as hard as she was. She turned around suddenly to see a young boy smile warmly at her.

“Peruru…?”

“Chibiusa…” he greeted her. He didn’t get to say hello though for she ran and threw her arms around his neck and began to cry on his shoulder. He just wrapped his arms around her in a tight embrace.

“Chibiusa…” he said again. She lightened her crying and sniffled out a few words.

“Peruru…I thought you were…I thought you were…I’m so glad you came back!”

He began to lose his balance, so he leaned his back against a wall to support himself and her. He held her closer.

“I thought you were gone from me too…I was terrified that I almost lost you.” He began to shiver as if he were cold, but it was because he remembered seeing her blood on his tunic the night before and how broken she had looked the last time he held her this close. A tear began to slip from his eye and he quickly brushed it off before she could see. He was just glad he could hold her again. They stayed that way for a while until a large crowd began to form around them. The girls in the crowd began to sigh with love struck looks in their eyes and the guys began to snicker, until they were bashed in the heads by their jealous girlfriends. The couple then started to blush from embarrassment and quickly stood up. The crowd, seeing how intruding they were, began to disintegrate and in the midst of them, Chibiusa saw three cats head their way…

* * * * * *

“Okaa-san! Otou-san! We must hurry! I see Chibiusa and Peruru-san!” Diana mewed to her parents who were lagging behind her some distance. Luna was far behind her daughter, panting heavily.

“I can’t believe Usagi actually woke up before anyone else!” she panted.

Artemis lingered behind his wife and daughter a bit.

“Too bad Minako didn’t try something different this morning, she stayed up most of the night that was left deciding what she would wear today, so obviously, she overslept from exhaustion!”

Diana suddenly raced ahead of her parents with excitement. They looked at the dust clouds Diana left behind and groaned.

*We really must exercise more often…* they sweat dropped.

“Small lady! Peruru-san! I’m glad we…or I caught up to you two.” She squeaked looking behind her to see her parents struggling to catch up to her.

“Diana-chan!” Chibiusa exclaimed with her old cheerfulness.

“Nice to see you again, Diana-chan!” Peruru smiled as he picked up the tired, lavender bundle at their feet.

“Ugh… finally caught up…”The older cats grunted as if they were asthmatic.

“Well, let’s go in to see the others!” Chibiusa said.

They all finally entered through the door only to freeze again to gaze at the scene before them. Usagi, Rei, Makoto and Haruka were still teasing Minako mercilessly since Ami was powerless to stop them with her own occasional giggling behind her book. Minako wasn’t taking this so lightly.

“HOW CAN YOU POSSIBLY SAY SUCH THINGS?! I BARELY KNOW HIM!!!” Minako shrieked at them, attracting a lot of attention. She was trying to deny whatever they said about her and her, ’new prey’, Pupuran, who also tried to deny whatever they were implying.

“I really can’t see how you can all suggest such a relationship when all I did was catch her before she would have hit the floor after saving Usagi-chan. She is right, we barely know each other!” He told them as he blushed madly, not helping himself any.

“Don’t worry about that…besides, I saw you two last night with each other, that was pretty intense energy I was sensing between you two.” Rei said with a semi-evil grin. This caused Chibiusa and Peruru’s eyes to grow big.

“LAST NIGHT???” They burst out, flushing in the face. Everyone looked at them.

“No, no…it’s not what you think!” Minako and Pupuran rapidly explained to the children. This made everyone laugh. Rei began to explain.

“I saw them last night when Sailor Moon was reviving you two, the lovebirds," she gestured at Minako and Pupuran, who sweat dropped as she tried not to knock the crap out of everyone. Rei continued.

"Were hand in hand for the most part. It was VERY cute to me…”

Chibiusa and Peruru breathed and huge sigh of relief and smiled again. But the teasing still continued.

“Pupuran, I can tell you now, you two shall be getting to know each other very well, very soon…” Ami said, peeking over the top of her book.

“Come on Minako-chan, we’ve known you too long for you to still be able to fool us on this.” Usagi exclaimed, preparing to stuff a pastry in her mouth as soon as she finished speaking.

“She’s right, we know all but too well.” Makoto said matter-of-factly. Haruka had crossed her hands and was resting her chin upon them as she listened to them, getting an evil smirk on her face. She closed her eyes and spoke up.

“Hold on everyone. Pupuran, I almost believe you when you say that you were only protecting her from breaking her head open on the floor, but…” she began.

They all stared at her.

“But what?” Pupuran cautiously asked her, not trusting her smirk. She then opened her eyes and her smirk split into an all-out evil smile.

“She’s in no danger of falling now. Why are you still holding her?”

Everyone looked to see where his hands were, and they found them…right around her waist. The rest of the group exploded into laughter as Pupuran dropped his grip on her and jumped about 10 feet away in surprise and Minako finally broke down into giggles as she realized that a boy had been holding on to her for nearly half an hour, and had not even noticed it. She then smiled sweetly at him to reassure him that she was not angry. He sighed in relief but still blushed furiously, looking down at the floor in hopes that no one would notice.

Artemis grew hoarse as he fell down laughing. Luna and Diana were soon to follow.

“I have never seen her so red for so long, not even when she got a sunburn!!” Artemis crowed.

Peruru began to tease him.

“My brother has never turned this color before around a girl. I guess I may have to keep an eye on him in the future…”

Peruru and Chibiusa took their seats in their own booth behind Usagi and the others. After an uncomfortable silence, they began to talk. Chibiusa and Peruru were shifting uneasily in their seats and Chibiusa was the first to speak.

“I’m so glad we finally found each other.” She said smiling. He looked unsure and tried to hide the worry in his eyes but, as he soon found out, he couldn’t hide much from Chibiusa.

“What’s wrong?” she asked him nervously. He saw her face and smiled to reassure her.

“So am I, but why did you come when you knew you could have been…” he couldn’t finish because he got flashes of last night, when he woke from his trance to find blood on his clothes…and the blood that had been pooling around her face where he had hit her. He shuddered and felt his eyes begin to sting so he closed them tightly and looked down.

“Well…I had no choice…I wanted to see you again, and when I had that awful vision…I had to go…I wouldn’t have been able to live with myself if I had known you were in danger and I didn’t do anything…that vision…it was terrible, I couldn’t bear to think you could’ve been…” She stopped. It was her turn to shudder. He was amazed at her reply. He didn’t know she had been so terrified of what could’ve become of him.

“I thought you would have hated me after last night…when I…I…Chibiusa, don’t you remember that I was the one who almost killed you?!” He asked, afraid of her answer.

He wrung his hands and looked down at them, holding back a tear, afraid she would leave him now that she knew the truth. Then a hand caressed his cheek, making him blush and look up at Chibiusa, who smiled at him sweetly. He couldn’t help but feel a little better, but he looked at her curiously.

“Peruru…that was not your fault…they were controlling you at the time. If I am able to forgive them after all they did to you and I, did you think you of all people would not be? I never blamed you for anything, because it wasn’t really you.”

He began to smile. Another silence settled between them and Chibiusa fidgeted uncomfortably with what was on her mind. Peruru took note of the anxious look on her face and became confused.

“Chibiusa…?”

“Peruru… will you leave to protect the sugar energy again?”

He looked stunned. He wasn’t sure what to say because he had momentarily forgotten all about his duty…