Child of Destiny

A Sailor Moon Fanfic
by Lunari

This particular piece takes place immediately following the last
Sailor Moon episode before the Day of Destiny two-parter, (or
DiC's one-parter version.)  I've written this using DiC's
Americanized version so that all Sailor Moon fans can enjoy it.

A warning.  This is a lyrical piece chock-full of description.  I
tried my best to make it flow beautifully, but I make no claims
that it actually does.  Also, this is very dependent on Sailor
Moon backstory from the first season.  If you aren't very
familiar with it, you might get lost.  

This one is for Lisy.  My Tiamat and Oniichan. 


     Girls remained where warriors had once been.

     Five innocent, youthful, and inexperienced girls stood at
what had been the a threshold of a place of darkness and evil. 
In that place, the same few seconds earlier, those spirited
warriors had killed, and gained the information they needed to
kill again.  They emerged victorious from the blackened world in
celebration.

     But after they transformed, after they shed their glorious
bodies and fantastic abilities, five frightened girls remained to
deal with the situation.

     And Serena, their leader, was the most frightened of all.

     She looked up slowly, her china-blue eyes large and wide as
she considered each of her friends.  Serena drew in a long breath
and gave a shuddering sigh.  She was silent, as if afraid
speaking would lay claim to the position of leader, forcing her
to take responsibility she didn't want.

     Luna touched Serena's leg with her paw.  "Serena?" she
asked, not sure how to read the girl's face.

     Her voice was very small when she spoke.

     "I want to go home."

     Luna didn't know what to say to this group of five.  She had
been counting on Serena to take charge, especially after the way
she had taken care of Malachite and vowed to destroy Queen Beryl. 
Luna didn't know when the shock of having a selection of memories
returned to her would take affect, but figured it would have
meant Serena passing out like that time after Beryl had taken
Darien.  She didn't know the girl would totally clam up.

     But they all had.  Each was in shock as the realization
dawned; they were going to face Queen Beryl and they were going
to fight her.  

     The time had come.


     "Yes," said Artemis.  "Serena's right."

     Luna turned to the other feline.  "What did you say?" she
asked.  Artemis never agreed with Serena.  He thought she was a
crybaby and shouldn't be leader.

     But the white cat stood up for her in that moment.  "We
should all go home," he said.

     "But Queen Beryl could attack the Earth at any time!" Luna
said, her large eyes blinking.  

     "She's not going anywhere for at least twelve hours,"
Artemis said.  "We should all go and get some sleep.  You'll all
need your strength for what's in store for you tomorrow."

     Those few words made the five girls visibly recoil.  Artemis
made a pained face, and then walked over to Mina.

     "C'Mon," he said to the blonde super heroine.  "Let's go." 
He looked back at Luna, and whispered in Catspeak.  "We need to
talk.  One hour."

     Luna nodded, and looked at the other girls.  "You may as
well all go now," she said.  "Try to get some sleep.  We'll meet
at Raye's temple tomorrow morning."

     Raye nodded numbly, and with a swish of her candy-red skirt,
headed out the door.  Amy followed, running to catch up to the
raven-haired girl outside.  Lita started for the door, then
turned back to Serena.  "Will you be alright?" she asked.

     Serena didn't look at her as she grunted an affirmative. 
Lita cast a look at Luna, then left.  The dark feline began
padding towards the door, and stopped to address Serena.  She
opened her mouth to say something, anything to comfort this poor
child.

     And found she had nothing to say.

     "I'm coming, Luna," Serena said, walking with careful steps
out the door.  Luna started after her.

     "You know, Serena," she began, trying to be heard above the
noise of the evening street.  "If we all -LOOK OUT!"

     Luna tackled Serena and bowled her over, out of the path of
an oncoming truck.  It's horn wailed as it swooshed by, and faded
into the distance, accompanied by the banging of Luna's heart. 
Luna stood on Serena's chest, and spoke into her face.

     "Serena, what's wrong with you?" she demanded.  

     The girl blinked a few times, rubbed her head, and moved to
stand, brushing Luna away.  She walked away from the cat, this
time off the road, her small voice trailing behind her.

     "I just want to go home."


***


     Luna sat on the roof of Serena's house that night, letting
the soft moonlight caress her face and bathe her in the gentle
rays of light and love that used to be her home.  Luna stared at
the moon, her eyes scrutinizing the surface, seeing the deep
craters that used to be the homes and palaces of noblemen and
duchesses.  She thought she even caught a glimpse of the
perimeter wall, and the familiar way it curved to surround the
majestic palace, the royal gardens, the Guardians' stables, and
the Princess's ice rink. 

     Beryl had destroyed everything, and had even ground up and
atomized the soil to eradicate any memory of the Silver
Millennium and her rulers.  Now all that remained were pits and
dust, that orbited the earth in unholy reminder of the death of
many thousands, if not millions of people.

     "It's horrible, isn't it?"

     Luna turned to see Artemis as he crawled onto the rooftop. 
He settled down beside her as she turned back to the moon.

     "No," replied Luna.  "As awful a reminder it is, I think
Beryl failed to destroy all of the Moon Kingdom up there.  You
can still see the glow of the Celestial Lights that lit the
palace at night, and the beauty that surrounded the Queen herself
still shines on the earth-"

     Luna stopped when the tears obscuring her vision began to
drop onto her face.  She bowed her head, hoping he wouldn't see
her cry.  Not again, not after seeing the princess killed so long
ago.

     "She has to defeat her, Luna," Artemis said.  

     "I know."

     "And we might lose her again."          

     "I know."

     "You have to make sure she's ready for this."

     "But I'm not ready for this!" Luna shouted, startling
Artemis.  "I'm not ready to lose her again!  Artemis, I love her
like her mother did!  I had to see her, *feel* her die once and I
won't let her die again!!"

     Luna turned away, bitter tears oozing from her lids as she
pressed them shut to block out the moon's light.

     Artemis spoke softly as she cried.  "Luna, something above
and beyond us lies in the balance.  I know how you feel, and I
understand your pain, but if we don't do something, Beryl will
unleash the negaforce and nothing will matter anymore."

     "I know this," Luna said.  "Forgive me, but I would at least
like ONE selfish moment to myself before I send those girls to
their deaths!  She's been dead to me for thousands of years and
when I finally get her back, I have to give her the gun that will
kill herself!!  She's not going to survive her fight with Beryl! 
Serenity didn't, why should she?!"  Luna's tears choked her voice
and she barely spoke the last statement.

     "I'm not sure she can even destroy her."

     Artemis watched her, wanting to comfort her and make
everything right.  But he pressed his mouth into a tight line and
let no emotion leak into his words.

     "That's what I came to talk to you about."

     Luna composed herself and sighed.  "I know we should have
given them time to prepare," she said.  "But everything is
happening faster than we expected."

     "That's not what I mean."

     Luna looked at him, unsure.  "Then please enlighten me."

     Artemis sighed.  "Besides Darien, Serena has no reason to
want to defeat Beryl.  And even that reason is uncertain.  Luna,
how do we know for sure, that after the other scouts fall, Serena
will have the strength and the will to carry on?"

     Luna was silent.  She had been afraid of this.  Ever since
she sensed the Moon's aura on Serena, she'd been afraid she
couldn't hack it as leader, and now as princess.  Luna looked
down, as if she could see through the roof into the room where
the girl slept, and felt defeat sinking its teeth into her heart.

     "There's nothing we can do about it," Luna said.  "There is
no pep-talk, no training, nothing to get her ready within the few
hours we have left."

     "Maybe we should give Mina the crystal."

     "What?!"

     "Maybe another scout should take the mantle of leader,"
Artemis said.  "If Serena can't do it, maybe someone else can."

     "Granted," Luna said after a pause.  "That Mina has more
experience, or Lita is stronger, or Raye has more passion, or Amy
is more intelligent, none of them are the princess.  And only the
princess can use the crystal-"

     "-And survive," finished Artemis.  "But we know they're
going to die anyway, so why not?"

     Luna stared at him, her mouth open.

     "At the risk of saving the universe," Artemis said. 
"Consider it."


***


     Serena thought a nightmare would plague her dreams like many
of them had the past few night, making her baggy-eyed and grouchy
the next morning when she needed to be alert.  But she didn't
have to worry about that tonight.

     She couldn't get to sleep.

     Serena rolled over, her sheets tangling around her legs and
her hair catching around her fingers.  She groaned and struggled
to free her legs while fighting the impulse to thrash around,
hoping to disentangle herself.  Finally she rolled herself out of
the bed, shedding the sheets with the pants of her pajamas.  She
gave a half-hearted attempt at finding them, and decided to
forget it and donned the kimono-style robe her mother had given
her for her birthday.

     Serena stood in the center of her room, and saw the moon as
its rays streamed onto her bed.  She found herself drawn to the
window sill and plopped down to stare at the shining satellite.

     "But if we don't do something soon, Beryl will unleash the
negaforce, and nothing will matter anymore."

     Serena blinked as she heard Artemis's intonation, and then
started when Luna's responded in a louder, tear-choked voice. 
She listened for awhile, wanting to run up and comfort her feline
guardian, and then felt fear burn in her soul as she heard Luna's
prediction of her death.  She was about to slink back to her bed
to cry when she heard the final statement.

     "I'm not sure she can even destroy her."

     Serena sat, frozen stolidly to the patch of carpet below her
window.  She'd imagined fighting Beryl and possibly dying, but
never losing the battle.  She'd fought so hard against the
negaverse that there was no way she could lose now.

     Or was there?

     Serena listened to Artemis as he complained about her lack
of initiative, drive and will.  She felt her heart breaking like
shards of glass as he recommended Mina take the crystal, and then
explode into small dust particles as Luna agreed in so many
words.

     The crescent wand slipped out of its subspace pocket and
landed in Serena's lap.  She stared at it, and the gleaming
crystal attached, wondering why it came to her; she hadn't bidden
it.  Her hand curled around the hilt, feeling very weak and small
next to the awesome power of the crystal.  Serena raised her face
and heard Artemis's final words to Luna.

     "At the risk of saving the universe, consider it."

     He wasn't talking to Luna.  He was talking to her, daring
her, to take charge as leader of the senshi.  He was accusing her
of being unworthy and demanded she either take her place or get
out of the way.

     He didn't believe in her.  And neither did Luna.  The scouts
probably didn't either.  She was about to fight a lethal battle
and didn't have anyone to back her up.

     And she was afraid.

     Her feet moved under her and she watched in dumb
recollection as her body ran from her room and out of the house,
her bare feet slapping against the cold ground in a rhythm
matching the intense beating of her heart.  

     Cold air sliced through her robe and puckered her skin with
goose-bumps.  Hot tears dribbled down her flushed face, and her
hair streamed crazily behind her.  It had rained earlier that
night and frigid puddles splashed her legs and sent chills up her
spine.  A dull ache throbbed in her chest and a painful lump in
her throat.  A sob escaped her lips, the moisture in the air and
on her face one and the same.

     When her leg muscles finally cramped, she hit the ground
with a painful thump.  Her arms slipped on the wet grass and she
fell headfirst onto the soil.  There she wept, the soft grass
pillow to her tears, the darkness blanket to her body's shudders
as the cold wind and rain swept through her, blowing the shards
of her broken heart of glass.

     It wasn't until a faint glow opened her eyes that she
realized she was still holding the crescent wand.  She blinked
her china-blue eyes as the crystal pulsated with energy, and
seemed to match the beating of her heart.  Serena pulled herself
upright, mud and tears caking on her cheek, and watched in awe as
the crystal began to fluctuate and then explode in light.

     Serena flinched, and turned away, her retinas burned from
the light.  A wave of heat swept over her, and she shuddered from
something beyond the chill air.  Something tingled in her grasp
and her body began to numb.  Serena had time to open her mouth to
scream when the world turned white around her, and black inside.


***


     ~Serena.~

     She heard a voice like the tinkling of chimes, or the soft
ring of bells.  The sound echoed inside of her, as if the source
were speaking from within her bosom.

     ~Serena.~

     There it was again, that voice like feathers brushing
against the strings of a harp, like rose petals dancing in the
moonlight.

     ~Serena.  You must wake up.~

     Serena pried open her eyes.  "Luna?" she said, her voice
loud and obnoxious compared to that which spoke to her now. 
Serena saw only white light, and she winced, her eyes still
burning from the strain.

     ~Don't be afraid, Serena,~ the voice reassured.  ~It's only
me.~

     Serena started, the voice suddenly familiar in a way she'd
felt only a few times.  She turned towards the light, towards the
voice, and spoke into it.

     "Queen Serenity?" she asked.

     The voice laughed, the sound of surf bubbling over sea
shells.  ~No, not quite, Serena,~ it said.  ~Take a closer look.~

     Serena finally adjusted her eyes to the light, and saw a
woman before her, dressed in white with long hair bound in
ponytails and china-blue eyes that sparkled like so many stars.

     ~Don't tell me you don't remember, Serena.  It's me.~  The
voice paused.  ~Or should I say, it's you.~

     Realization dawned on Serena about as subtle as a brick
wall.  She shook her head, feeling her own hair brush against her
neck, and took a fresh look at the woman before her.

     "Princess Serenity," she said, awe in her voice.

     ~That's right,~ she said.  ~We haven't had a chance to ...
talk since the crystal came together.~
 
     "B-but, how?"  Serena stuttered.  "You-you're me, and I'm
you?  Wha-how?  I .." Serena sighed, slumped back.  "I don't get
it."

     ~It's very simple, Serena,~ Serenity said.  ~You and I, our
memories and experiences, have been separate since you were born. 
I've been trapped both in your mind and the crystal for a long
time.  Only when you took on the role of Sailor Moon did the part
of me in you awaken, and when the crystal became whole once more,
I was freed ...~

     Serenity's voice trailed off for a moment, and she looked
away, as if trying to see into the past and the future at the
same time.

     "But we're the same person now," Serena said.  "Right?"

     ~Not quite,~ Serenity answered, looking back at the girl. 
~I'm free, but we are still separate.~

     "Why?"

     Serenity sat in front of Serena, her arms folding in her
lap.  ~That's why I called you here to speak with me,~ she said. 
~Sailor Moon cannot exist unless we are unified, but there is
something standing in the way.~

     "What?" Serena asked, not understanding how she could be
talking to herself, and not minding either.

     Serenity looked deep into Serena's eyes, and she had no
doubt the princess could see into her heart.  ~You don't want to
kill Beryl.~

     This wasn't quite the answer Serena had suspected, but she
felt something lurch in her stomach at the mention of the evil
queen.  "I wouldn't say that exactly ..." she began.

     ~Then what would you say?~ Serenity asked, compassion gone
from her voice.

     "Ah, well.  I would say ... uh ... that she's not exactly a
*nice* person but ... ah ... well ... that she deserves something
for taking Darien but .. uhm ..."  Serena saw Serenity wince at
the mention of Darien, and she blinked.  "What?  What did I sa-
Darien?"

     Serenity nodded.  ~Endymion,~ she corrected.

     "Well, don't worry," Serena said in her affable manner. 
"The scouts and I will get him back, noooooo problems-"

     ~She's murdered him before, what should stop her now.~

     Serena blinked, and sat back.

     "I'm sorry," Serena whispered.

     Serenity took her hand. ~Don't be,~ she said, smiling
sweetly at Serena.  ~You couldn't possibly understand.~

     "But I- hey there!" Serena jerked, a bit offended.

     ~I will try and make it clearer for you.~  Serenity looked
at her reincarnation, and saw herself at the same age.  She
smiled, and began her story.

     ~You never had a chance to fall in love with him,~ Serenity
said, her eyes unfocused, as if seeing another time and place. 
~The first time I met him, I knew he was my only love.  Of
course,~ she said, a twinkle in her eye that reminded Serena of
herself.  ~He was kind of a jerk at the time ...~

*

     Fireworks lit the sky with a brilliance only second to that
of the celestial fountains that lit the streets and canals of the
moon surrounding the palace.  Another salvo of light burst from
the ground and exploded in a thunder and flash akin to Jupiter's
wrath.

     Light played over the features of the princess as she stared
up at the woman before her.  The Lady was taller than she, and
much older, although beauty oozed from every pore of her body. 
She had soft blonde hair, almost white, and sharp gray eyes, like
flint with the same fire stored within.  A golden tiara wrapped
around her forehead, cresting above and between her eyes with a
shining red stone.  Adorning her sculpted body was the
traditional senshi fuku, with deep blues and brilliant reds along
with the coolest whites.  Down her long legs were a pair of
ruby-red boots, shining with light from the fireworks and
sporting crescent moons at the tops.

     The elder Senshi of the Moon was very attractive.  And, at
the moment, very angry.

     "Your mother is a wise and powerful woman," the senshi said,
her voice carrying the old Lunar dialect from ages past.  "But
she is fooling herself if she thinks I will let the chosen one go
untrained in the abilities of the Senshi."

     "Mother wants me to be trained as the next queen," the
princess said, sighing as she plopped down upon a large chair
well worn from being used in that manner.  "Not as a Sailor
Senshi."

     "Your mother is trying to break tradition and destiny," the
Senshi said, pacing instead of sitting.  The room was large and
spacious, decorated in muted colors of soft blue and softer pink,
dotted with white marble pillars every few yards.  A celestial
pool bubbled softly in the center, casting swirls of light over
everything that reflected it.  The Senshi stalked the breadth of
the room, then the width.

     "Mother says that Lady Venus is doing a fine job of leading
the other scouts," Serenity said, trying to ease the woman's
temper.

     "But it is *you* who should be leading," the senshi said,
pointing a gloved finger at the princess.  "Just as I lead the
elder senshi, your mother's court."  The senshi sighed, and
turned her back to the princess.  "So foolish," she muttered.

     Serenity chewed her lip, not sure what to say.  "Have you
asked her ... ?" she said, casting her china-blue eyes to the
senshi.

     The Senshi laughed.  "Of course I have," she said.  "Ever
since the mages sensed the Moon's aura in you, I knew that you
were the one chosen to take the responsibility of the younger
senshi."  The woman walked over to Serenity, touching the golden
sigil on her forehead.  "The Queen was afraid that it might be
you," she said.  "Since your conception, she's watched each
planet's rulers give birth to the next generation of senshi, and
just knew that fate would chose you."

     Serenity frowned.  "Than why is she so opposed to my
destiny?"

     The Senshi smiled.  "Because you have another destiny; queen
and supreme ruler of the Silver Millennium."  She sighed.  "When
you think about it, your mother has a point.  Being a Senshi
would only endanger you, and training would take away from your
royal education."   

     Serenity smiled, hefting the small locket in her palm.  "But
isn't secrecy a bit inappropriate?" she asked.  "Why give me a
locket to transform?  Because the Queen would recognize the wand. 
Why not disclose the existence of a younger Sailor Moon?  Because
the Queen knows who she is." Serenity frowned.  "Why keep this
from her?" she asked.

     The elder Sailor Moon turned away from the princess, sorrow
crossing her features.  "Because I am sworn to obey my queen,"
she said, age in her voice.  "And she said to me `I never want to
see any evidence that my daughter is the chosen one' on the day
the magis confirmed you were a senshi."      

     Serenity smiled playfully, darting around to face Sailor
Moon.  "Isn't that twisting the truth-"  She stopped when she saw
her elder and teacher was crying.

     "Arynia," she said, calling the senshi by her real name. 
"Oh, please don't cry."  Serenity wrapped her arms around the
senshi's waist, burying her face it the fabric of the fuku.

     "Ah, Serena," Arynia said, stroking the princess's hair. 
"You are different from your mother."  She stayed that way a
moment, then tsked herself.  "Ah, we mustn't carry on like this. 
I have a transport to catch."

     "Leaving so soon?" Serenity asked.

     "Aye," the Senshi answered.  "I am needed on Venus to help
with recovery from that earthquake in Eros."

     "Did mother send you away?" Serenity asked, her voice not
giving way for Arynia to back out of the question.

     "I believe so.  She must know I've been training you while
I'm here."

     Serenity clasped the brooch to her gown, feeling the energy
emanating from it.  She looked up at Sailor Moon, and smiled.  "I
think I have a way for her to understand."

     The Senshi's eyes widened.  "Now Princess, don't you go and
try another foolish plan of yours.  You remember what happened
with Lady Mars and the canals, don't you?"

     Serenity smiled again.  "Don't worry.  I have everything
under control."

     The Senshi looked at Serenity uncertainly, and then smiled
at her, ducking out of the exit.  She turned to say something
before leaving, but the sound of an exploding firework drowned her 
out.  She was gone before Serenity could ask.

     The princess turned towards the window, watching the sky as
the night air bathed her flushed cheeks.  She smiled as she
watched the small crowd of non-royals that sat at the perimeter
wall.  Those Lunari lived close enough to the palace to watch the
fireworks that were displayed every time there was a royal ball
or special party at the palace.  

     Which was about every other night, Serenity thought, her
smile quirking as she turned away.


     Serenity crossed through her room, her turquoise dress
catching dust particles on the floor as she passed.  She left
through one of the many doors to the room, not to mention the
various secret exits hidden in interesting places.  Serenity
trotted down a spacious corridor, royal guards bowing to her as
she passed.  She stopped and asked one where her court was
waiting to be presented.

     "My princess," said the young man with dusty blond hair and
green eyes.  "Ladies Mars, Venus and Jupiter are waiting in the
Duchess's parlor, and Lady Mercury is en route.  She was detained
by a last minute study session."

     "Thank you," she said, suddenly forgetting the guard's name. 
She started down the hall to the proper room, the heels of her
shoes clicking on the marble tile work.  She ducked down a
corridor, and stopped in front of the appropriate room.  The
guards stationed in front wore different uniforms, their colors
representing each planet.  Each bowed to the princess.

     "I wish to address my court before they are presented to her
majesty," she said in her best impersonation of her mother's
voice.  The guards almost bowled each other over opening the door
for her.  She stepped through, her hair brushing against the
doorsill.

     Light nearly blinded her eyes as she did.  Serenity held her
arms up in front of her face as energy swooshed around her and
magicks flushed over her skin.  She blinked a few times before
the tears in her eyes dissipated and she could see again.  She
saw the figure of a woman being burned completely by fire, and
then being created anew from it.  She saw another woman being
electrocuted with lightning, and a third enveloped with
starlight.  Serenity smiled, recognizing the incredible magic
that her court, her friends, were vested with. 

     As their magical transformations ended, three of the younger
Senshi stood before her, the thrill of change lighting their
faces and smiles.  Serenity cleared her throat, and the women
turned to her.

     "You highness," Venus said, her platinum blonde hair finding
creative ways to swirl and wave around her body.

     "Princess," said Jupiter, her red-painted, jade earrings
glinting with light.  "We didn't hear you come in."

     "I hope," Mars said, her violet eyes flashing angrily. 
"That our magic didn't frighten you."

     Serenity noticed a hint of bitterness in Mars's voice, and
couldn't help but resent her for that.  It was a long time ago
since that canal incident, Mars shouldn't hold it against her. 
Serenity brushed the though from her mind.

     "Has Lady Mercury arrived yet?" she asked. 

     "Not yet," Jupiter answered. 

     "Then you shall have to update her when she arrives,"
Serenity said.  "My friends, I have need to confide in you all
once again."

     "What is it?" Venus asked.

     Serenity smiled.  "The younger Moon senshi has been
located."

     Mars gasped, and Serenity hoped she didn't sense the truth
before she had a chance to tell them.  Jupiter's eyes widened as
she stepped towards the princess.  "Where is she?"

     Joy bubbled in Serenity and she passed her hand over her
brooch.  "Right here."


***


     Music wafted in from the main hall where the full orchestra
played their soft melodies for her Majesty Queen Serenity. 
Terrans and Lunari danced and mingled along with a scattering of
Mercurians and Venusians.  Four tall Jupraetorians clumped
together by the window, their soft green robes blowing in the
evening breeze, and two Areses talked in low tones with the
Terran noblemen.  There was one Saturnite who shuffled about the
dance floor with a dark-haired Terran princess, but no others.

     Someone gave a cutting gesture and the orchestra halted
their beautiful music.  A nobleman dressed in white and gray with
a lunar sigil on his forehead stepped up to a podium and cleared
his throat.

     "Gathered Ladies and Gentleman from across our fair Queen's
reign.  I present to you, her royal majesty, sovereign of the
Silver Millennium, Queen Serenity."

     The musicians struck up the regal anthem of the Moon Kingdom
as the Queen descended from an upper chamber down a long, red
staircase.  It had been written that the Queen had the beauty of
all the stars combined, and made the Vixens of Venus pale in
comparison.  That she could catch the breath of any soldier or
nobleman, and had even made holy men blush red with
embarrassment.

     But to those who were in attendance that night, she simply
glowed.


     Mercury's astronomers had said that the moon's light came
from reflection of the sun, but everyone who knew better said it
was the Queen herself that made it bright as it was.  She was
dressed in a glittering dress the color of the sky on a foggy
morning.  Her hair was a silver-white color that glinted in the
light, and hung down from her head in two rivers of flowing
strands.  The Queen's eyes were a soft gray color with a hint of
blue in them, and her face, beautiful enough to charm stone, bore
the regality that she had been long known for.

     The audience bowed to her in a shuffle of satin dresses and
silk doublets.  The Queen made a gesture with her hand, light
reflecting off the bracelets on her wrist.  

     "Welcome dear friends," she said in greeting.  Her lilting
voice held an undertone of power and nobility, and something else
too subtle to identify.  "Welcome to our celebration of the life
of the son of Earth's king, the royal Terran Prince Endymion."  A
light applause ensued, sounding like the soft tapping of rain on
a rooftop.  "As you know," Queen Serenity continued.  "The prince
is coming of age, and his Majesty King Endymion will have to
marry him off soon."  She paused for dramatic impact.  "Lords,
make sure you know where your daughters are tonight," the Queen
said, smiling. 

     Queen Serenity went on to discuss the training that the
prince of earth was undergoing, and how he would take part in the
diplomatic errands of the moon as an "internship" for her
Majesty.  Her pleasant speech went on for while, the members of
the party listening in rapt attention to their queen.  Finally,
her Majesty began her wrap up to drop the responsibility of
speaker in someone else's lap.

     "I now wish to present to you," she said, pointing to a
veiled area across the room.  "The court of my daughter; the
younger Senshi of the planets Mercury, Venus, Mars, and Jupiter." 
The queen looked to a lackey who pulled back the curtain covering
the platform.  It parted, revealing five young ladies dressed in
the traditional sailor fukus, colored to each world
appropriately.

     For all of those who could count, a murmur began to whisper
through the crowd.  The Queen noticed the uncertainty and looked
herself.  And there, in the middle of the Senshi, stood a younger
version of the Moon senshi.

     "It's Sailor Moon!" a quick Terran said, pointing a finger
at the girl.

     "The Younger Moon Senshi has been found!" a Lunar said,
clapping her hands together.

     The murmur grew to a buzz, and then, like an electric
current, applause and cheers echoed through the great hall. 
Sailor Moon stood there, smiling, her cheeks flushed red and her
china-blue eyes wide with excitement.  

     Queen Serenity smiled gamely, anger knotting her forehead
and blackening her mood.  She looked directly at Sailor Moon, her
gray eyes as sharp as daggers.  Sailor Moon glanced at the Queen,
and gulped.

     "I'm really in for it, now," she thought to herself, and
tried to smile at the Queen.


***


     "Serena, what exactly were you thinking?"

     Princess Serenity knew she was going to be given a harsh
lecture, but after following her mother from the great hall and
into her private chambers, the Queen's first words to her were
level and calm.  Although, her using the princess's childhood
name irked her.

     "Mother-"

     "Serena, please answer my question," her mother snapped.

     The princess looked down at her locket, having transformed
en route to her room.  She chewed her lip and swallowed.  Her
mother stood, no longer as politely poised and proper as she had
been mere moments ago, but now tall and imposing.  Her gray eyes
flashed angrily and her gaze narrowed at her daughter.  Princess
Serenity inhaled, feeling a lump growing in her throat.

     "Arynia and I were talking before the ball-"

     "Did she put you up to this?" the queen asked, putting
emphasis on the 'she'.

     "No," the princess answered quickly.  "I did this by myself. 
I didn't want her to think I was shirking my responsibility-"

     "Serena, you did!" the queen said, gesturing with her thin
hands.  "You gave up your responsibility to the Moon Kingdom and
to me!  You used that ... that THING to transform yourself to the
moon senshi, and didn't stop to think what I would feel!"

     "Mother-"

     "Serena, you have a responsibility to your people," the
queen said, pointed outside the window.  "There are four-hundred
million Lunari on this planet that are looking to you to be their
next queen."  Serenity then pointed to the star-studded night
sky.  "And there are three billion Terrans, twenty-five million
Mercurians, two billion Venusians, nine-hundred million Areses,
and who knows how many Jupraetorians, Saturnites, Uranusi,
Poseidone, and Plutonians who are ALL looking to you to be the
next leader of the Silver Millennium."

     "But the younger senshi-"

     "Are being lead just fine by Sailor Venus and the outer
senshi by themselves."  Queen Serenity sighed, her eyes softening
as she examined her daughter.  "Oh Serena," she said.  "You don't
need to be Sailor Moon, it's taken care of.  Why don't you just
give me your transformation brooch-"

     "No," the princess said firmly, reminding herself of
Arynia's trust in her.

     The Queen stopped and looked at her daughter, no emotion on
her face.  She held out her hand, her eyes hardening slightly. 
"Serena, give me your brooch."

     The princess felt the lump thickening in her throat and
envisioned Lady Jupiter to give her strength.  "I cannot give you
this brooch," she said, hearing Lady Mars' stubbornness in her
voice.  Lady Venus' diplomatic abilities surfaced in her memories
and she thought of Lady Mercury's intelligence, drawing on both. 
"I am the chosen senshi of the moon," the princess said, her chin
rising and her words noble, spoken in the dialect of the moon. 
"And I am not allowed to nor will I let this transformation
brooch ever leave my possession.  I am bound by the destiny
chosen for me, and cannot ignore it." 

     Queen Serenity stared at her daughter, her arm still
outstretched.  The princess held her brooch with her right hand,
and it pulsed with energy in her grasp.  Serenity closed her
hand, returning it to her side.  "Very well then," the queen
said, her voice like ice.  "You may keep it."  Her eyes raised to
the princess's, and suddenly she was afraid of her mother.  "But
I never want to see Sailor Moon again."

     The queen turned from her daughter, her silver gown brushing
against the marble floor as she walked.  "See to it, Serena."

     The Queen opened the large door with a touch, and was
escorted by two guards from the area.  Princess Serenity stood
there, the light from her brooch fading as the doors closed. 
When they at last banged shut, Serenity's mask broke.

     "I ... can ... not ... be- ... lieve ... her ..." she said
through gritted teeth.  "I can not beLIEVE her!"

     The princess swung herself around, feeling a trembling in
her back and a heat like the pits of Mercury rising in her chest. 
Her face flushed red with anger and her fist balled as she felt
pressure boiling inside her.

     "I CAN NOT BELIEVE HER!" she screamed, tearing off her royal
gown.  She pulled at the satiny fabric, trying to free herself
from the itchy confines of the dress.  Her mother's dress it was. 
It was one of her `choice gowns' for `elegant ballroom dancing'
and `mingling with noblemen and proper ladies.  

     It made her sick.  

     Serenity yanked the dress off her person, following it with
her jewelry, her shoes, and her stockings.  The princess mussed
her hair up into a tangle of golden strands, making it almost
impossible to see the golden lunar sigil on her forehead.  She
padded over the marble floor and threw open the closet doors,
banging the oak against stone.  She rifled through the closet,
shredding through the waves of fine clothing her mother had
purchased for her.  Serenity stopped near the back where a few
simple outfits hung.  She grabbed one of the white leotards,
hopping, tripping, and falling as she tried to get it on.

     Finally the princess, now clothed in a white, strapped
leotard with a small skirt at her waist, sat herself on the floor
and pushed her feet into a pair of boots of white leather.  She
laced them hurriedly, and then stood, a few inches taller, and
clumped from the closet to the celestial fountain.  She dipped
her hands into the cool liquid and splashed it into her face,
wiping the makeup her mother had chosen for her off her features. 


     She shook the remaining water from her hands, and then
searched her ivory fingers over the carvings in the pool.  She
pressed her thumb against a certain leaf and the middle of the
fountain disappeared to reveal a secret exit in it's bottom. 
Serenity stepped over the real water and into the confines of the
force field that held the water back.  She clumped down the
stairs, keying the release that closed the hatch and re-initiated
the water hologram above her.

     Outside, the fireworks had stopped, leaving only open sky to
greet Serenity as she made her way through her flower garden,
away from the palace.  Thoughts pounded her mind and matched the
furious beating of her heart as she reached the end of her garden
to an open area.  Before her sat a stretch of mercurian ice, a
gift to her from Lady Mercury.  It gleamed with a rich luster in
the starlight, reflecting the heavens in it's surface.

     Serenity sighed, breathing in the cold air brushing over the
ice.  She trotted over to the rim and picked up two shards that
lay scattered on the ground.  She slapped one to the underside of
each boot and the ice formed a blade as sharp as steel.  Now an
even taller-looking Serenity took the ice, the blades sliding
over the slick surface. 

     Cool air bathed her hot face as she pushed herself over the
ice, and the night sky blanketed her anger with beauty.  Serenity
skated gracefully, her twirls easier to complete in the moon's
gravity.  The mirror surface reflected the dark night, and
Serenity skated in the sky, the only evidence of her position on
the moon dictated by the lunar horizon.  Tension eased off her
back and tempered the flaming anger that bubbled in her heart.

     Her mother didn't skate.  Her mother didn't like skating,
and hadn't chosen the athletic outfits the princess wore, and
hadn't chosen the boots the princess wore and would not be caught
dead in the un-made-up, un-combed, unruly appearance Serenity ...
Serena now adopted.  At least in one thing, she could be
different from her mother.

     Her mother wasn't a senshi either.

     Serenity lost her balance and fell, her rump bouncing
against the wet surface of the ice.  She slid to a halt,
confusion on her face.  I shouldn't have fallen, she thought. 
What made me lose it?

     A steady clapping jolted Serenity from her thoughts, and she
jerked towards the sound.  She rose to her feet, years of royal
training guiding her facial expression and regality.  She peered
into the darkness, and her eyes focused on the image of a man
seated in front of one of her flower bushes.  Serenity frowned as
he stood and made his way towards her.

     "Who art thou?" she asked in lunar dialect.  "Why has though
espied upon me in this manner?"

     The man stopped, and Serenity saw a confused look cross his
features in the dim light.  He must not speak Lunaria, she
thought, and reverted to a more commonly known form of Lunar
communication.  

     "Who are you?" she asked, a bit of Lady Mars' attitude
sneaking into her voice.  "And why are you watching me?"

     To this, the man seemed to understand.  He spoke from the
shadows, his voice a bit cocky but well articulated.  "I'm
nobody," he said, something different in his voice than anything
Serenity was used to.  "And I hate parties."

     Serenity smiled.  "You're Terran, aren't you?" she said.

     "Yes," the man responded, emerging from the shadows.  He was
taller than Serenity, but not by much as she stood on the ice
with blades and boots boosting her height.  His hair was coal
black and his eyes shone like a sapphire sky.  He wore an
undecorated suit of armor that looked unbelievably uncomfortable,
and glinted black in the starlight.  He looked relatively well-
built, probably from training in a gravity higher than that of
the moon.  His expression, though curious, seemed a bit on the
conceited side.  "How did you know?"

     Serenity skated to the rim to meet him, Lady Jupiter's
self-assurance in her tone.  "Only Terrans would insult their own
heritage by calling themselves `nobodies'."  

     The man made a face at her likened to someone not hurt, not
offended, but almost there.  He stopped at the edge of the ice,
crossing his arms over his chest.  "And who might YOU be?" he
asked.  "Real ladies don't leave the palace until the party is
over."

     "Who says I was invited?" she asked, resting her hands on
her hips, her eyes on level with his.  "And why do you deserve
the right to know who I am?"

     "If only you knew," the man said.

     "Ah, if only YOU knew," Serenity answered.         

     The man smirked at her.  "Well, since neither of us seem
willing to elaborate on our names," he said.  "Tell me how you
found your way to the princess's little ice rink?"

     "I," Serenity said, deciding to have fun with this silly
Terran.  "am well-acquainted with the possessions and practices
of the princess."

     "A servant?" he asked in a bitter tone

     Serenity felt angry at him, but calmed herself.  "And why do
YOU feel free to wander around the private areas around the
palace?" she asked.

     The man seemed to consider his words before speaking.  "I
have a certain ... affinity with the Royal Terran entourage."

     Serenity smiled a sarcastic smile.  "A servant?" she
repeated, her eyes narrowing.

     The man bristled, but held his temper.  Serenity skated away
from him, elation at winning an argument of sorts swelling in her
chest.  

     "Do you always fall like that?" he asked.  "Or are you just
stupid?"

     Serenity jammed her toepick into the ice, stopping her
forward movement.  No one but NO ONE called the Princess stupid. 
She whirled, ready to tear him apart for his effrontery.  Her
mind buzzed as she tried to think of how exactly to drop the bomb
on him, but stopped.  An evil smile played on her lips and she
pushed her feet out to skate in a lazy manner over to him.


     "It must be the company," she said, sweeping past him, her
hair brushing his face and tickling his nose.  

     The man started after her, but the ice blocked his path. 
She smiled at him, and performed a simple toeloop to show off. 
He frowned at her, and then smiled mischievously.  "I doubt my
leaving would improve your skating any," he said.

     She swept past him again, her hair irritating his nostrils
again.  "You try and do better," she said, coasting out to the
center of the ice.  She laughed lightly to herself, and looked at
the earth's position in the sky, trying to predict how long it
would be until the Queen sent someone after her.  

     Her heart nearly stopped when she heard the man slapping ice
shards to his boots and stepping onto the ice.  She faced him as
he stood, and watched silently as he moved his foot to propel
himself forward.

     And fell flat on his face.

     Serenity wanted to laugh but held in the fit of giggles that
bubbled in her lungs and skated over to the man as he pulled his
limbs into a less awkward position.  She stopped beside him and
knelt down to his eyelevel.

     "Need any help?" she asked.

     The man brushed her away and struggled to his feet, weaving
a bit to regain his balance.  She skated from him, speaking with
her back turned.

     "So how long have you been in King Endymion's employ?" she
asked, her hair streaming out behind her.

     "All my life," he answered.  Serenity heard something in his
voice she didn't recognize, but dismissed it.  She felt his
presence at her back and smiled as he matched her pace.  "And how
long have you been in the service to Queen Serenity?" he asked,
his head held high as if addressing the masses.

     "All of my years," she said, turning to face him.  Her
skates moved easily as she backwards skated, and he frowned at
her.  He opened his mouth to speak, but his blade caught on a
chunk of uneven ice and sent him sprawling again.  Serenity
executed a spiral and returned to his side.  "Be careful," she
said, no malice in her voice but memories of her first experience
on the ice of Mercury and the head wound that ensued.  She knelt
and placed her hands under his arms.  "If you let your blade dip,
it can catch on anything."

     She pulled at his arms and he jerked his face up to her. 
His blue eyes flashed angrily, and she felt his muscles tense
under the fabric of his uniform as if to push her away.  She let
go of him, throwing herself off-balance as fear chilled her
heart.  Serenity bumped against the ice, her eyes wide and her
mind screaming at her.

     What was she doing?  She didn't know him!  Terrans only
respected rulers, not meddling servants.  What if he struck her? 
She couldn't possibly defend herself against him, and he would be
severely punished for striking the Lunar Princess.  She was such
a fool to place herself in danger like that!

     Serenity clamped her eyes shut and drew an arm up to protect
herself.  She braced for the impact, wishing she hadn't left her
transformation brooch with her other jewelry back in her room. 
She felt his hand touch her arm and she winced, trying not to
whimper.

     "No no no," she heard him say.  "It's okay.  I'm sorry." 
Serenity opened her eyes carefully, and saw the terran had knelt
down in front of her, his hand touching her arm gently.  On his
face was an expression of apology and sadness, and she blinked as
he smiled at her.  "See," he said as she lowered her arm.  "I
won't hurt you."  She blinked at him, and he smiled
encouragingly.  "Are you alright?" he asked.

     Serenity forced herself to speak.  "I'm fine," she said, her
heart still racing but not with fear.  "I thought you were going
to-"

     The man shook his head, closing his eyes as if undergoing an
internal spike of pain.  "I wouldn't dare," he said, looking at
her.  "Either you don't trust Terrans," he said.  "Or someone's
been hitting you."  His face hardened.  "Who-"

     "No no no," she found herself repeating.  "It's nothing like
that.  I'm just not usually in this -uh- kind of -ah-
predicament."

     "Neither am I," the man laughed, and she heard that
something in his voice again.  He offered his arm to her, her
eyes were still wide with uncertainty.  "Please let me help you
up," he said.  "Even though I believe nothing will remedy my
actions-" 

     Serenity carefully laid her hand upon his, and he grasped
her fingers, guiding her to her feet.  "-Allow me to try," he
finished.

     Serenity found her voice again, and the sarcasm Lady Mars
was known for therein.  "And if I refuse?" she asked, plucking
her fingers from his grasp.

     The man blinked his sapphire eyes.  Serenity smirked, taping
her toepick on the ice.  The man grinned, shrugging his
shoulders.  "Then I guess I don't know what I would do," he
answered.  "I've never met anyone like you." 

     Serenity gave a shrug and scrunched her toepick into the
ice, pushing herself away from the man to face the palace.  She
heard him scrambling to follow behind her.  "Leaving so soon?" he
asked.  Serenity swirled around to face him.

     "No," she said.  "Not yet."  She turned to him, surprised
her caught up to her so quickly.  "I still don't know your name,"
she said, trying to fit back into the character she left when he
stumbled and fell.

     The man blinked, and smiled.  His voice was warmed with that
familiar something she'd noticed before.  "Call me Dari," he
said.  "En.  Darien," he finished, as if still deciding.

     She nodded to him.  "Very well then, Darien," she said,
rolling the name off her tongue in the old Lunari accent.  "You
may call me Seren-"  Uh-oh.  Think fast, princess.  "A.  Serena."

     She mentally kicked herself for nearly blowing her identity
as the princess.  Serenity knew her mother would not take kindly
to a Terran guard asking permission to court her.

     "Serena it is," he said. 

     Serenity heard a commotion behind the flower garden, and
figured her mother had sent someone after her.  She looked up at
Darien, feeling a warm, pleasant feeling as she did.  "Uhm," she
said, breaking away and skating towards the edge of the ice.  "I
have a question, Darien."

     The terran, who had followed her lead towards the rim,
visibly froze for a moment, as if afraid of her inquiry.  "Yes?"
he asked carefully.

     "When I fell," she said, hoping the servant wouldn't see her
if she got off the ice.  "And you tried to reassure me, you asked
if someone had been hurting me."  Serena made it to the rim and
pulled off the ice shards with a sharp noise.  "What did you plan
on doing if someone was?"

     Darien stepped off the ice, jerking his blades off in suit. 
"I would have found him and beat the living tar out of him," he
said, standing at normal height on solid ground in front of her.

     Serenity made a quirky smile, and rubbed sweat off her neck. 
"But you don't know me," she said, standing in front of him.

     He reached down and took a hold of her hand.  Serenity
watched as he brought it to his lips and kissed her knuckles
gently.  "Something I wish to remedy," he said.

     Serenity smirked.  "Ah, Darien," she said, cocking her ear
towards the shuffling servant across the courtyard.  "You plan to
make a conquest of me?"

     "Not in the least," he said, walking towards the bush he'd
been sitting by when she first saw him.  "You are the first
person to infuriate and insult me."  He smiled a cocky smile at
her as he stooped to a pile of black and red fabric.  "And I
simply must learn more about you."

     The servant's footfall was closer now, and Serenity realized
she would put Darien in danger if they were found.  She looked
away, towards the shimmering palace.  Light from many windows
blinked at her and she wondered if her mother was peering out one
of them, searching for her.

     "I'm afraid that's not possible," Serenity said, the humor
gone from her voice.  Darien had swept the cape over his
shoulders and stood tall and noble in the starlight.

     "Why not?" he asked.

     Serenity frowned, afraid to tell the truth.  "I want to know
you better, too, Darien.  Really I do-"

     "But," he said.

     "But," Serenity chewed her lip, not wanting to scare him off
by disclosing her identity as the princess.  It would have been
simple if she were a servant, and could find an excuse to slip
away from the castle to a secret rendezvous.  There was a rustle
of leaves as the servant entered the garden.  Hurry it up,
Serenity, she thought.  Before it blows up in your face.  "But I
don't think we are ..."  What would her mother say? 
"Compatible."

     "Lunari and Terran?" he said, confused.  "Our worlds orbit
each other, how incompatible could we be?"

     "Darien," she said, fighting the urge to tell him to run
before she was found with him.  If her mother found out she was
bandying with one of the Terran's honor guards, she would NEVER
see him again.  She saw him stiffen, and realized that they'd
been found.

     She turned to address the servant, to buy him off if
necessary, but found the man's attention riveted to Darien.  She
opened her mouth to explain when the servant interrupted.

     "Prince Endymion," he said breathlessly.  "Your father
desires your presence before you are presented to her majesty the
Queen.  He is quite angry about the words you said to him before
leaving, but is willing to compromise if you but return before
the Lunari address to the Terrans."


     Serenity's eyes widened, and she stared at the servant,
noticing now that he was clothed in the black and grays of the
Terran entourage.  The servant's eyes settled onto her and he
gulped.  "I apologize, m'prince," he said.  "I didn't realize you
had-"

     "Tell my father I'm coming," Darien said behind her, his
voice now totally that something she'd noticed before.  He was
royalty, like she.  The servant nodded, bowed, and then sped off
in direction of the palace.

     "Serena," Darien started.  "I meant to tell you-"

     Serenity whirled around, staring at him through china-blue
eyes.  "Please don't be angry," he continued, reaching his hands
out to her.  "I know you think that because I'm a prince means we
can't-"

     "Princess!"

     Serenity heard the shrill voice of her page and turned
towards her.  The red-haired girl stumbled into the clearing. 
"Princess, your mother has been trying to find you for -- never
mind."  The page took one breath, than launched into her spiel. 
"Her majesty the queen requests that you return to your chambers
to speak with her before she addresses the Terrans.  She wants
you to be prepared for the presentation of Prince Endymion and
she want to speak with you about your court.  It seem Lady Mars
is having trouble with one of the Terran guards.  And your mother
wishes that you please return soon because the Saturnite is
getting a bit cozy with the Terran princess and the queen wants
to separate them.  And-"

     "Tell her I'm coming, Mahli," Serenity said, changing her
tone back to the one she used when in court. 

     The girl bowed curtly, and then took off through the flower
garden towards the palace.  Serenity stared out into the horizon
and felt her pulse throb in her hands.  She swallowed and slowly
turned to Darien, her white leotard catching light from the
faraway palace, bouncing them back to Darien like the Moon's
light on the Earth.  Serenity inhaled and looked to Darien's
face, her bright blue eyes clear as she beheld his expression.

     He was about a shocked as she was a moment ago.  But slowly,
ever so slowly, did the shock drip off his face and the sweet
realization sink in.  He blinked his sapphire eyes a few times,
and then fixed them on Serenity.  His gaze warmed as her lips
turned up at the ends in a smile.

     Then the Terran prince bowed deeply at the waist.  When he
came up a red rose was clutched in his hand.  He stepped closer
and offered the blossom to her.  Serenity took hold of the stem
and then slid her hand onto his.  Endymion brushed at the strands
of hair covering her lunar sigil, smiling.

     "Lunari," he sighed.     

     "We must part soon," Serenity said, feeling warmth from
Endymion.

     "Yes," he said, still fingering her hair.  "I suggest that
the princess take a brush to her hair before being presented to
the Terran prince," he said, smiling.

     "And I suggest that the prince make sure he wears his cape
to cover the water spots on his trousers," Serenity answered, her
hand coming up to touch his as he played with her hair.  He took
her hand and brought it to his lips once again, kissing it
gently.

     "I shall," Endymion answered, closing her hand over the rose
stem, and letting go of her.  He backed away from her, and bowed
again.  And then with a swish of his cape, he turned and walked
into the night.  Serenity swore he bent the earthlight as he
walked because she couldn't follow him after three or four steps.

     Sayonara whispered on the breeze as Serenity brought the
rose to her face to smell it, and passed the petals over her
lips.  

*


     Serena felt the memories more then saw them as Serenity
spoke.  She chewed her lip as the princess finished her tale.

     "Wow," she breathed.  "I didn't know."

     The princess smiled a sad smile.  ~Not many people ever do,~
she said wistfully, still in the world left cold and dead
thousands of years ago.  Serena blinked at Serenity's words, and
cocked her head, strands of her hair shifting into her vision. 
The princess broke herself from her reverie and continued.  ~I
wish you could understand what it's like,~ she said.  

     "I do," Serena said.  "Well, sorta."

     ~What do you mean?~ the princess asked.

     "Well," Serena started.  "Like, what you said about Dar-
Endymion.  You teased him and played around before you knew your
real identities as Prince and Princess.  I hated Darien before I
knew who he really was.  Well, no that isn't true.  When I got to
know him in the elevator ... that's when I liked him.  The Tuxedo
Mask thing helped and then the prince thing .. woah!"  Serena
smiled.  "Big reality check, huh?"


     Serenity was silent.  But when she spoke, her voice was icy
and severe, akin to her recollection of Queen Serenity.  ~Well
here's another one, Serena,~ she said, frightening Serena. 
~Queen Beryl murdered Endymion in front of my very eyes.  She
stole from me everything I ever held dear and forced me to watch
as my world shattered.  Then she took my life as well!  But it
didn't end there!

     ~I couldn't just die there with my mother and my love and
all my friends.  I didn't pass into oblivion helpless and
blissfully ignorant of the future.  I came back and was given a
chance to live and love again!  And now, when revenge is within
my grasp, when I can fight in a way I couldn't before, you are
too damn scared to help me!"

     Serena backed away from Serenity, shocked at her words. 
Tears were streaming from Serenity's eyes and she trembled
violently in front of her.  Serena blinked her china-blue eyes,
and swallowed.  Serenity balled her fist and Serena was afraid
she'd strike her when the princess spoke.  Her voice was calmer
this time, but still angry.

     ~I can't do it without you,~ she said, looking up at Serena,
her voice pitiful now.  ~I don't know how.~

     Serena gaped.  "Wha?  What do you mean?"

     Serenity sniffed, continuing.  ~I don't know how to be
Sailor Moon.  I don't know how to fight.  I can control the
crystal, but not alone.  I'm too weak.~

     "You mean," Serena said, stammering slightly.  "You mean
that you need me to fight for you?  *Me*?"

     Serenity nodded.  ~You're braver than you think, Serena. 
You've been Sailor Moon longer than I ever was.  I need you to
fight for me so WE can destroy Beryl.~

     "But princess, what if we fail!"


     Serenity looked into Serena's eyes.  ~I failed once,~ she
said.  ~With you and the other Senshi, I don't think Beryl stands
a chance.~

     Serena smiled a bit, then frowned.  She bit her lip again,
and then spoke.  "Serenity, what's it like to die?"

     Serenity started, not expecting that question.  She blinked
a few moments, trying to bring up the right words to answer. 
Serena watched her, feeling very small and afraid.

     ~I ... I don't know for certain," Serenity said.  ~I didn't
die all the way.~

     "But what's it feel like.  To be dead?"

     Serenity reached back into her memories, into the feelings
most prominent in that last moment before waking up again. 
Anger, fear, sorrow, anguish, helplessness ... and loneliness.

     ~Alone,~ she said finally.  ~That's how I felt when
everything was gone.  Alone.~

     Tears began to trickle down Serena's cheeks.  "Serenity-"
she started, feeling the princess's memories ripe in her mind.

     ~The Senshi were dead.~

     "Serenity-"

     ~Endymion was gone.~

     "Serenity-"

     ~I never saw my mother again ... ~ 

     "Serenity!" Serena cried, wrapping her arms around the
princess.  "I promise I'll help you!" she sobbed, holding
Serenity tightly.  "I promise!"

     Serena felt her grip on the princess lesson and Serenity
slowly faded away from her.  No, not disappearing, drawing into
Serena, becoming part of her.  Serena's arms felt no resistance
and the princess was with her once again.

     ~Thank you.~

     Serena opened her eyes and found she was back outside in the
rainy night.  She lowered her arms, the crescent wand clutched in
one hand, and looked up.  The clouds parted and shafts of
moonlight struck the ground, providing a halo of white around
her.  Serena stood, her body clad in the sailor fuku of a Moon
senshi.

     Sailor Moon faced the moon, and narrowed her eyes as the
glare burned into her retinas.

     "I will not let the Kingdom of the Moon be unavenged," she
said, not Serena's voice, but not the princess's either.  She
raised her wand above her head, the crystal bursting into
luminescent flame as she addressed the heavens.  "Beryl, you
shall taste the wrath of the Senshi and the vengeance of
Serenity!"  Sailor Moon screamed.  "And you will meet your doom!
This I swear!"

     Through the night sky, through the stars and clouds, even to
the very face of the moon echoed the cry of Serenity.


Epilogue

 
     Beryl was dead.

     Unfortunately, Serenity noticed, so were the Senshi.

     And Serena.

     Princess Serenity felt the body of her incarnation die and
then saw the astral soul of Serena float aimlessly beside her in
what she could only deem as oblivion.  Serenity reached out with
her hand and grabbed hold of Serena's arm, drawing her close. 
She wrapped her arms around the girl and hugged her, feeling joy
beyond sorrow in her heart.

     ~Oh thank you, Serena,~ she wept.  ~You did it!  You avenged
the Moon Kingdom.~

     Serena blinked slowly, her large eyes swiveling in their
sockets.  "So this is what it's like to be dead," she muttered.

     Serenity blinked and tried to smile.  ~I don't think we're
dead yet, Serena,~ she said.  ~This is the crystal, and our fate
is about to be decided.~

     Serenity looked Serena straight in the eyes as she felt the
souls of the other Senshi, her Senshi whisper past her.  ~The
Kingdom of the moon is in your debt.  Name it, anything, and it
shall be done.  Whatever you wish, and I'll make sure the crystal
does it.~

     Then Serenity saw Endymion rise behind Serena, Darien's soul
floating near.  Her breath caught in her throat as she saw her
prince, and he smiled at her, opening his arms.

     "I just," mumbled Serena, her lids closing.  "I just want to
be a normal girl again."

     Pain like ice fire struck Serenity's heart as she winced,
not wanting to hear the wish.  She chewed her lip to keep from
sobbing as she felt the call of the crystal for her soul once
again.  Serenity opened her eyes and saw her Endymion, his
sapphire eyes glittering, and she heard him say goodbye.

     Serenity nodded her head, her arms trembling as she let go
of Serena's shoulders.  ~It shall be done,~ she said, backing
away from the girl.  ~This I swear.~
 
     Serena's eyes closed and ribbons of light cocooned her until
the only features discernible were her closed eyes and the
pompons on her head.  Four female and one male soul in the
crystal were wrapped with the warm light, their bodies restored
slowly and their minds neatly erased ... again.  And five souls,
four clad in Senshi fukus, one is dark terran armor, hovered in
the air awaiting instruction from their princess.

     Serenity stood tall and noble as she faced the souls of her
court.  A lump formed in her throat as she opened her mouth to
speak.  But Lady Mars stopped her before her words left her
mouth.

     ~We understand, Princess,~ she said, love and tenderness in
her normally agitated voice.  It pained Serenity to hear that
voice in the normal Ares accent after such a long time.  ~And we
love you.~

     Lady Jupiter nodded, her jade earrings glinting in the
light.  Lady Venus grinned at her in a smile almost as similar to
Serenity's as their planets were to each other.  Lady Mercury
waved her gloved hand, sage wisdom in her eyes as she beheld her
princess for the last time.  Lady Mars blinked her violet eyes,
moisture gathering on the lids, and bowed.

     Serenity smiled, and the four members of her court turned to
balls of light and were spirited off to secluded corners of the
younger girls' minds.  Serenity then faced her darkly clad
prince, and he reached out for her, his hand already turning to
fine light.  Serenity stretched her arm to find his and for a
moment she felt the pressure of his touch on her hand, on her
lips ...

     And then he was gone, too.

     Serenity looked down at the gentle soul beneath her, and
sighed.  She knelt beside Serena's sleeping soul, and smoothed
her hand over her glowing skin.

     ~I would give anything to be you,~ she said as the ice-fire
of the crystal began burning at her soul and freezing her mind. 
She felt part of her psyche being ripped from her soul and stored
in the crystal's nexus, forever locked until the crystal was
reactivated.  The remainder of what had been Princess Serenity,
heir to the Moon Kingdom, leader of the Senshi and beloved of the
Terran prince was bound in strips of fire-ice until all her
influence over Serena was stricken, and her ability to become
Sailor Moon torn asunder.    

     ~I love you, Serena,~ Serenity thought as her psyche found a
niche to lay in while being buried alive in Serena's mind.  ~So
much that I give you my life, like you gave me yours so we could
become what we were always meant to be.~


The End