A Life Worth Remembering
Part Four

"And that's about the sum of it, Mamoru," Rei finished, as the four girls stood in Mamoru's hospital room, "I'm sorry."

"Wait...you're saying that Jadeite's back, and Usagi's fallen in love with him?" Mamoru asked, taking the paper from Rei's hand. "But Beryl killed him!"

"She only froze him," Ami said expertly, "And now that she's dead, he's back. And he knows that Usagi is Sailor Moon!"

"You have to help her!" Mamoru yelled. "You shouldn't have come here! Get out and help Usagi! Now!"

The girls scurried out of the room quickly. "Boy, he's sure temperamental," Minako complained, when they were out of earshot.

"He's right, though," Rei said, "He's just worried about Usagi, and he wants us to help her, because he can't."

"Let's do it!" Makoto cried, "Let's kill Jadeite once and for all!"

* * * * *

"This food is great, Jed!" Usagi cried, as she devoured the suchi that Jadeite had bought for the two of them.

"Only the best for you," he replied, smiling at her. Why am I being so nice, he wondered. So she saved my life, big deal. I can't trust anyone from Earth. But then again, my queen tried to kill me, and I trusted her. Nobody tried to help me, either. My "friend" Nephlyte was just too happy to take my place. But this girl...this Usagi, she didn't even know me, but she saved my life. Even so, I don't understand my feelings towards her now. Maybe I feel this way because she cared about me.

"Jed, where are you from?" Usagi asked, interrupting his thoughts, "I haven't seen you before, so I guess you aren't from Juuban."

"No, actually I'm from Tokyo," he lied, not knowing what else to say. "I went to the university there."

"Wow," she breathed, smiling up at him. "That must have been a lot of fun! Did you like the university?"

"Oh, yes," he replied smoothly. "It was all so...remedial, though."

"I'm sure," Usagi sighed, looking at the table. "Since you're so smart and all, you probably got straight A's in school. Not like me."

They continued to talk, unaware of what was about to happen.

* * * * *

"There he is!" Makoto whispered, pointing to a local cafe, where Jadeite and Usagi sat, in direct view of anyone passing by the window. "But he's not alone."

"What can we do? Usagi might try to protect him, and then she'll get herself hurt," Ami cried, "We can't do anything now."

"Oh, yes we can," Rei said, pulling out her transformation pen. "Usagi will get hurt if we don't help her. So let's do it! Mars power!"

"Venus power!" shrieked Minako.

"Jupiter power!" Makoto yelled.

Ami watched them go, and reluctantly said, "Mercury power".

* * * * *

"Oh, Jed, you're so funny!" Usagi laughed, grabbing his hand across the table. "You tell the best jokes, out of everyone I know!"

Jed smiled, and was about to respond, when a commanding voice yelled, "Hold it, Jadeite!"

"The senshi! It's the senshi!" Jadeite yelled, standing up. "I'm not working for Beryl anymore, so what do you want with me?"

"We know what you're trying to do to our friend," Mercury cried, "And we won't have it!"

"I'm not trying to do anything to Usagi!" Jadeite insisted, "Just go away! You've caused me enough trouble!"

"Jed, who are these girls?" Usagi asked, her voice trembling. "What do they want from you?"

"Usagi, get out of here," ordered Sailor Mars, "You might get hurt."

"That's right!" shouted Venus, as she started to do an attack.

Jadeite stood there helplessly. He knew that he couldn't run, and abandon Usagi. But without the powers Beryl had bestowed upon him, he couldn't stay and fight either.

"Leave him alone!" Usagi screamed, running towards him. "I won't let you hurt him!"

"Usagi, get out of the way!" Sailor Venus shrieked.

"He's evil!" Sailor Mercury insisted urgently.

"This is totally deja vu Nephlyte and Naru," commented Sailor Jupiter.

Usagi stood in front of Jadeite, her arms folded. "He's not evil!" she sobbed. "You are, all of you! Tormenting innocent people, you ought to be ashamed! Don't you even read the newspaper? Jed has been through enough!"

"Usagi, don't you see?" asked Sailor Venus. "He doesn't care about you at all! He just wants to hurt you."

"I don't believe you!" Usagi shouted. "You'll have to kill me before I let you do anything to him!"

Jadeite stared at Usagi, shocked. Nobody had even come to his defense like this before.

"Usagi, you barely know him! Why are you doing this?" Sailor Mars cried.

"Because...he's my friend!" Usagi screamed. "Just go away, we don't need you here!"

"I always knew she was much too trusting," Venus sighed to the others. "She actually thinks this creep is her friend, just because he's putting on a phony niceness act!"

"I was right before," Jupiter said staunchly, "He's not working for Beryl anymore. If he was, he'd fight back. But he's just cowering behind Usagi."

"I think we'd better leave," Mercury told them "Usagi may not know what she's doing right now, but hopefully she'll figure it out soon, before something bad happens to her."

"Let's go," Mars announced, turning around. "But nobody tell Mamoru this, understand? He won't be too happy."

* * * * *

"Why did you save me?" Jadeite asked Usagi, staring at her. "It wasn't you they wanted to hurt, it was me."

"I know that," Usagi said slowly, "I can't figure out why I did that. But why did they want to hurt you, Jed? And who are they?"

"I don't know why they want to hurt me," Jadeite lied. "But I do know who they are. They're the Sailor Senshi, silly little girls who do nothing but annoy me. Anyway, let's not talk about them. I promised you a walk in the park, didn't I?"

"Wait, Jed," Usagi said, touching his arm. "I can't, now. I think I need to go home and rest, I'm sorry."

"Are you all right?" he asked her, concerned. "Because if you're sick, I can take you to the doctor's."

"No, no," she told him. "It's just that I suddenly feel as if I was just involved in a battle."

"But it wasn't your battle," Jadeite reminded her. "It was mine. You know those brats have nothing against you, it's me they want."

Seeing how tired and sad Usagi looked, he quickly added, "But I'll take you right home if you like."

"Please," she said, leaning on him, her face pale.

* * * * *

"I'm sorry, Jed. I feel as if I ruined your day," Usagi sniffled, "I hope you aren't too mad at me, are you?"

"Mad at you?" Jadeite laughed. "Of course not! You saved me, Usagi, in more ways than you know. And as for ruining my day, a girl like you could never ruin my day. You only made it better. Much better."

"Oh Jed...thank you for understanding," Usagi whispered, and threw her arms around him. Almost immediately, he felt himself loosening up.

Jadeite stared into her large blue eyes, and felt his coldness melt away, as he drew her lips to his own.

* * * * *

"No!" Queen Keiko shrieked, as she peered into the crystal ball that had belonged to her aunt, Queen Beryl.

She was the girl with the long blue hair who had erased all of Usagi's memories of the senshi, and sent her back to Earth, unaware of who she really was. And now that Beryl was dead, Keiko was the new queen of the Dark Kingdom.

"Queen Keiko! What's wrong?" Hana, a servant girl, cried, scurrying into the room nervously. "What displeases my queen?"

"It's that wretch, Jadeite!" Keiko shouted, pointing into her crystal ball, "After he was banished to Earth, I was supposed to let him suffer for a few days, and then bring him back to the Dark Kingdom! Then, he would become enchanted with me, because I saved him from a horrible fate of living as a beastly human, and marry me! But no, look at that! He's fallen in love with some adolescent schoolgirl! Some human! My plan is ruined!"

"Why don't you just bring him back here and brainwash him?" Hana asked her. "Then you could do what you like with him."

"No!" Keiko shrieked, "There's where Beryl had it wrong with Endymion! She wanted him to love her, so she turned him into some robotic monster. I want Jadeite to really love me. Like he used to!"

"Oh yes," Hana said fondly, remembering. "You and Jadeite were engaged, weren't you?"

"Yes, we were!" spat Keiko. "And the second that he was freed from his icicle of sleep, I knew he would come looking for me! But does he do that? No he doesn't! He's banished down to Earth, without a single thought of his beautiful girlfriend Keiko in the Dark Kingdom! And just when I decide it's time to bring him back, he falls in love!"

"The absolute nerve," Hana remarked, "He should have been dying to get back together with you."

"Right, Hana," Keiko announced. "And now I'm going to have to do something about this."

"Wait a minute, my queen," Hana said, looking at the crystal ball. "That girl looks awfully familiar to me. Why, isn't she..."

"Sailor Moon with her hair down!" bellowed Keiko, throwing the ball to the floor. "That idiot is messing up my plans even when she isn't that annoying amoeba, Sailor Moon! Well, there's only one thing left to do. We have to expose Sailor Moon for who she really is, and bring Jadeite back where he belongs!"

* * * * *

I kissed her, Jadeite thought to himself as he walked to the apartment in which he was staying in. I actually kissed a human girl. Does this mean that I've fallen in love with her? But that can't be, she's a human! I should be in love with one of my own kind, like that Keiko back in the Dark Kingdom. But I never really cared for Keiko, did I? No, I didn't. I just followed the queen's orders and proposed to her bratty niece. I feel much different about Usagi. I haven't known her for very long, but I feel as if we've known each other for ages. She's so sweet and endearing to me.

Just then, a tall figure in a black dress appeared, her blue hair blowing in the wind. A sinister smile was on her lips. "Why hello, Jadeite," she said smoothly, "I see you've been enjoying your new human life, haven't you?"

"K-Keiko! It's you!" Jadeite cried, unable to move. "Wh-what are you doing here?"

"Don't stutter, it's unbecoming," she ordered, "But to answer your question, I'm here to reclaim my fiance. My lovely fiance, who has somehow managed to fall in love with a human girl, less than three days after he was banished to Earth! Now, do you know who that could be, Jed?"

"Go away, Keiko!" Jadeite yelled, storming away from her. "Just leave me alone! When your aunt froze me in forever sleep, I didn't see you doing anything about it. So what makes you think that I'm still in love with you? Or that I was ever in love with you?"

"Insolent boy!" shrieked Keiko angrily. "How dare you speak to your queen that way? But I have ways of making you do what I want, whether you like it or not!"

"Like what?" Jadeite shouted. "You can't do anything to me anymore, Keiko. I live here on Earth now, and I'm not one of your servants any more!"

"Like this!" laughed Keiko gleefully, as she snapped her fingers. A blonde girl appeared on the ground in front of Jadeite.

"Usagi!" Jadeite cried, reaching for her. "Oh no!"

* * * * *

Luna gasped, staring at the spot where Usagi had just been sitting, talking to Naru. "Hello? Usagi, are you there?" Naru's voice whined on the other end of the reciever. "I hope you didn't hang up on me again!"

Luna jumped under the bed, where's Usagi's communicator was hidden from view. "Ami, Minako, Makoto, Rei," she called urgently into it. "Luna here. Usagi just disappeared, and we need to do something now! Meet at the temple."

* * * * *

Five minutes later, the girls gathered onto the temple porch, each concerned. "I knew something bad was going to happen!" Minako cried. "We should have just killed Jadeite when we had the chance!"

Ami punched in something on her mini-computer, and called out, "There's something strange in that area right outside the apartments near the park! Let's go and check it out!"

The four girls transformed and headed out, determined to save their friend.

* * * * *

"Leave her alone!" Jadeite yelled, and lunged for Keiko, who immediately disappeared.

"Don't disrespect me!" Keiko shrill voice echoed, "Or else I'll really do something horrible to your lovely girlfriend over here!"

"No you won't!" a voice screamed out. "Because we are the Sailor Senshi, and we won't have you hurting our friend!"

Usagi stared at the four fuku-clad girls in shock. It's those girls who want to hurt Jadeite. But why do they consider me a friend? I don't even know them.

"Oh, look," Keiko snarled. "It's those four pretty teenagers whom Beryl had so much trouble with. Well, I'm sorry, girls, but I'm not here to pick a fight with children. I've simply come to reclaim my boyfriend and go back to the Dark Kingdom, that's all."

"Take him then!" Mars yelled, "We don't want him hanging around Usagi anymore!"

"That's right," Venus echoed, "Go back to your creepy Dark Kingdom and stop bothering us!"

"I'll never go back to the Dark Kingdom!" Jadeite bellowed, "Nobody there cares about anybody else, and now I know that!"

"And you think your dear little teenage friend does, do you?" Keiko said sweetly, "Well, we'll just see about that, won't we! When she has her memory back, maybe you won't have so much love for her now, will you?"

She began blasting a pink stream of light into Usagi's body. "Oh, help me, please!" Usagi cried, collapsing to the ground. "Make her stop, please make her leave me alone! I'm only..a kid."

"Let her be!" Mercury shouted, "Before we have to start getting nasty!"

"I'm not doing anything to affect you or her," Keiko said simply, "Just that traitor, Jadeite! Oh, wait a minute, it's 'Jed' now, isn't it?"

Usagi felt as if she were falling into an endless hole. Images kept popping into her mind, images of an ugly battle, of a tall, dark-haired prince named Endymion, of a boy named Mamo-chan. Of four friends named Ami, Rei, Minako, and Mako. And of a girl in a pretty fuku named Sailor Moon.

"I-I'm Sailor Moon!" Usagi cried, slowly getting up. "I...I remember it now. Ami, Minako, Rei, Mako! I've missed you so!"

"Usagi! You're really back!" Mars sobbed, running to her friend. The five girls enveloped in a group hug, each of them crying.

"Usagi is Sailor Moon, my enemy," Jadeite said aloud. "I can't believe it!"

"Yes she is!" sang Keiko triumphantly. "Now you can come home with me, Jadeite!"

"Jadeite..." Usagi said, turning to him. "This kind of complicates things, doesn't it? I mean, between you and me."

Why didn't I recognize her?" Jadeite asked Keiko. "That's the very same girl who caused my downfall in the first place! Her and her stupid boyfriend, that Tuxedo Kamen!"

"You're ready to come home now, I see?" Keiko beamed at him. "Now that your little fling turned out to be Sailor Moon?"

"Yes," Jadeite said decisevely. "I'm a stupid fool, to think that humans were worth anything. I'm going home."

"Good," Keiko purred, grabbing his arm. "Goodbye, senshi girls!"

"Jadeite, wait!" Usagi cried after him. But he was already gone.

"I guess he'll never learn what real love is," Mercury commented sadly. "Are you very upset, Usagi?"

"Nope! Now I can go see Mamo-chan!" she cried, racing ahead of the girls, in the direction of the hospital.

"I guess she's not heartbroken over Jadeite, huh?" Minako asked, sighing.

"No, I guess not," laughed Jupiter. "I didn't think so!"

"Everyone knows," smiled Mars. "Usagi's heart only belongs to one boy..."

* * * * *

"Mamo-chan, I missed you so much!" Usagi squealed as she sat, perched on Mamoru's hospital bed. "I can't wait for you to come out of this boring old hospital. Then you can take me out for sausage at my favorite place in town! It'll be so much fun!"

"I'm sure it will be, Usako," Mamoru smiled, looking at his girlfriend with tenderness in his eyes.

"I'm so glad Jadeite went home," Usagi confided in Mamoru, "I mean, he was getting really scary! I can't believe he had a crush on me!"

"Well, you did save his life," Mamoru pointed out. "But I've been wondering...how in the world did you manage to save someone's life when you can barely walk three steps without tripping!"

Usagi giggled. "I told my mother to call the ambulance," she admitted. "That's about all. But he took that newspaper headline a little too far."

"Usagi!" laughed Mamoru, putting his arms around her. "You know, I sure am glad to have you back!"

"I love you, Mamo-chan!" Usagi cried, kissing him. "And I'm never going to love another boy like I love you!"

The End