Reading Time: 123 Minutes

Title: Moonlight Destiny
Author: Lalaith Quetzalli
Fandom: Sailor Moon, Pretty Guardian Sailor Moon
Genre: Angst, Drama, Established Relationship, Het, Hurt/Comfort, Romance
Relationship(s): Usagi Tsukino/Mamoru Chiba, Naru Osaka/Kunzite, other minor pairings.
Content Rating: R
Warnings: Past Major Character Death, Referenced/Implied Past Rape/Non-Con, Violence-Domestic (Implied), Violence-Against Children (Implied), Past Minor Character Death, Reincarnation, Implied Suicide, Violence-Canon Level.
Author Note: This fic is centered on the PGSM show (the live-action version of Sailor Moon), though it can be read without having watched that. Please see further notes about what you really need to know of that, and the liberties I’ve taken with canon in the story master post.
Glossary & Translations: See story master post.
Beta: Junos Cauldron
Word Count: 93,378
Summary: Being Sailor Moon isn’t easy, that should be obvious; being a warrior, being alone even while surrounded by people, is never easy. But what if she weren’t, alone? What if she had her soulmate by her side? How different would her life be then?
Artist: Silver Dragonfly

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Chapter 14. Ancient History

That particular day the team’s all reunited in their hidden room at Crown Karaoke. They have to talk about strategies, make a plan to find the princess, and to keep the Dark Kingdom at bay. Yet instead of doing any of that at least two of the girls seem to be more interested in pushing a third into giving them details about her love relationship… her still very young, barely a week old, love relationship.

Makoto almost can’t believe she was so worried about how the others would react about Motoki finding out about them, that ended up being the least of their problems!

“Motoki knows I’m Sailor Jupiter.”

Nervous as she may be, Makoto wasn’t one to beat around the bush, which is why, the moment they were all sitting down, she simply told them.

“What?!” Luna was about to blow a gasket.

But what truly surprised the brunette was that she seemed to be the only one.

“We knew this would be happening at some point.” Minako said with a shrug. “I’m actually surprised you were the first to be discovered; I was so sure it would be me! I’m still sure that at some point Shachou will grow suspicious enough of me to find out the truth somehow. I mean, just considering how often I’ve been disappearing on him the last month alone!”

“So you had already planned on something like this happening?” Makoto inquired.

“Not exactly planned, but we knew it would happen eventually.” Ami informed her. “Rei and I talked about it when we got away from out parents that time last week. Considering how they didn’t seem willing to leave us alone for even a minute… I was sure a youma would appear and mother would end up finding out the truth…”

“So while you and Rei thought you’d be discovered, I was the one found out.” Makoto sighed.

“Relax, it’s not that bad.” Minako reassured her. “You trust this guy, don’t you?”

“Yes.” Makoto was very serious about this. “His name is Furuhata Motoki-kun, he works here at Crown, his dad owns the place, I think.”

Minako nodded thoughtfully; she’d seen how all the girls seemed to get along so well with him, so she wouldn’t press the issue. Rei was the first one to notice something odd in Rei’s eyes.

“There’s something else.” Rei declared, interested. “What is it Makoto?”

“Wha… Rei!” Makoto was having a hard time keeping her blush at bay.

She was so sure she could conceal her emotions, at least until she was ready to acknowledge the changes out-loud; she could hardly believed Rei caught on so easily.

“Come on, tell us, what else.” Rei insisted.

“How can you even know…?” Makoto couldn’t even finish the question.

“I’m psychic.” Rei deadpanned, then added. “And even if I weren’t, it’s all over your face.”

Makoto exhaled in defeat, so much for keeping things under wraps until she got used to it all.

“Motoki-kun is my boyfriend.” She confessed.

She wasn’t really that surprised by the loud squeal that followed, though it still left her ears ringing… and to think she hadn’t told Usagi yet!

And to make things seem even more like the Twilight Zone, Usagi actually has a reasonable reaction, telling Makoto how happy she is, for both her and Motoki, that she’s been hoping for a while that the brunette would find that kind of happiness.

On another line of thought, Makoto believes Motoki may already know or at least have strong suspicions about who the other senshi are. She, of course, didn’t say a word on the topic, but she also knows it’s not hard to guess considering most of them spend so much time together, especially since getting Ami back.

That day a particular meeting is taking place; particular in the sense that it wasn’t called by any of them, but someone else. The door opens right then to reveal three girls and one man. Terrans, is the term Minako uses to refer to them, since at least three of them seem to be directly serving the reincarnated Prince of Earth, Endymion… wherever he might be. On that front, the Terran Prince seems to be as elusive as their dear Moon Princess; it makes Makoto wonder if they are, perhaps, together…

With only five chairs in the room, and four already occupied by the senshi; Makoto would have expected for the newcomers to ask Motoki for some extra; however, they seem to have different arrangements in mind. Hina takes the remaining chair, after pulling it by the karaoke-machine (which is currently turned off), while Naru sits on the steps leading to the small platform, right beside Hina; Mamoru stands on the first step, on the other side of the platform, while Usagi goes to stand in the very middle of said platform, making it obvious that there’s something she has to say, a reason why she called them all to that meeting.

After making sure Luna and Artemis are comfortable in their human forms, sitting on the floor, by the senshi, Usagi begins talking:

“I know you found my call strange, but this is important.” Usagi fidgets, obviously unsure of how to explain herself. “Through my dreams, I’ve been asked to deliver a message to you.”

“Deliver a message?” That confuses Luna. “From whom?”

“From the same person who gave you the charmed pendant that allows you to take that form, Luna-chan.” Usagi can’t resist the small smirk.

And it’s that Luna looks so funny all shocked.

“How do you know that?” Artemis asks suspiciously.

“I already explained who told me.” Usagi answers simply.

“If what you’re saying is the truth, what else did she give us?” Makoto asks.

It isn’t that the tall girl distrusts Usagi, because she really doesn’t, she’s just so shocked by what the black-haired girl is implying she just has to make sure.

“Something called Star Tambourines.” Usagi answers easily. “She said they would boost your usual powers, and once you were ready you would be able to use them to call on your most powerful attacks.”

The senshi are in awe, while they guessed most of what’s just been said, it is different now that they actually know it to be true.

“Was that the message?” Ami asks after a while.

“No.” Usagi takes a breath, knowing the hard part’s coming. “Your Moon Princess…” She swallows, trying to find the right way to say it. There are still secrets she won’t reveal, but she won’t lie to them either. “There are things you don’t know, both because you don’t remember and aren’t being told; and there’s one in particular you need to know now… related to the Fall…”

Minako gasps and starts shaking her head.

“No, no, no…” she’s almost trembling in fright. “They aren’t ready… for them to know that… they aren’t ready…”

“Maybe not.” Usagi admits sadly. “But it’s your Princess’s decision, they need to know, they need to understand…”

Minako’s sobbing by then; she remembers; not everything, but enough to be traumatized. She’s sure that if she hadn’t mostly blocked that memory it would have caused her to break down a long time ago. And now the others are supposed to know… While yes, for the longest time she wanted her fellow senshi to remember, to know the truth if only so she won’t feel so alone anymore; she knows such lines of thinking are selfish, they’re better off not knowing, at least that way they don’t have to feel the pain, the grief, the shame… for having died, for having lost everything and everyone they knew, and for having failed the person that more than their princess was like their own sister…

“I know it hurts Minako-chan.” Usagi whispers softly. “The Princess is sorry you’ve had to go through all this pain alone for so long. But you aren’t alone, not now, not ever.”

“They shouldn’t have to suffer.” Minako whimpers. “It’s not necessary.”

“It is.” Usagi insists. “I don’t like it either, but I understand why you must know, and not just you, but everyone; you all need to understand what really happened that night.”

Minako raises her eyes slowly, wondering if Usagi’s really implying what she thinks, or it’s just because of the words being used.

“Yes, even you Minako-chan.” Usagi nods solemnly. “There seem to be things you believe, that aren’t entirely right; there are some details you don’t know, that are making you look at the whole thing the wrong way, laying blame where it doesn’t belong…”

Minako has a very good idea where Usagi’s going the second from the moment she uses the word ‘blame’; and that’s enough to tell her that yes, they’re going to be talking about That. And no matter what Usagi may say she’s missing, this conversation just can’t be good…

“What are you talking about?” Rei demands.

She can see that Minako is deeply affected by what’s going on, by the things that happened, things that no one but she seem to be able to remember… Except that now Usagi too seems to know. And it is then that Rei notices something, the profound sadness in the young pig-tailed girl, who suddenly looks more like a woman with the weight of the universe on her shoulders than the carefree girl she should be. Usagi knows too. For some reason the Moon Princess has chosen her as a messenger; what reason the reincarnated fire-blessed senshi has no idea, but it doesn’t change how obviously it’s affecting the spell-weaver; and if she, who’s always so cheerful, so positive, who seems like nothing can get her down, is that affected… Rei doesn’t even want to imagine the kind of effect it will have on the rest of them… Still, she won’t need to imagine anything, she’s about to find out.

“This is a story that begins in a time there is no registry left of.” Usagi begins in a very solemn tone of voice. “In a time known as the Silver Millennium. It was a time of peace, of great magical and technological development for what was known as the Silver Alliance, an alliance of every single planet in the Sol System… all except the Earth. Most considered Terrans, humans, to be nothing more than barbarians. While it’s true that one Kingdom governed the whole planet, the Golden Kingdom, that didn’t stop the uprisings, small civil wars from happening; and that’s something the members of the Silver Alliance didn’t tolerate. Which is why Earth wasn’t included. Not for a long time. Over nine hundred earth years after the beginning of the Alliance, the Terran Queen Azar, sent an envoy to the Moon, asking for reconsideration about her planet’s inclusion in the Alliance. In the last few years peace had been achieved, it was still new, but finally the whole planet accepted her rule. The Moon Queen, Selenity, along with her court, agreed to grant an audience to an ambassadorial team from Earth, that team was formed by six young people from Earth, handpicked by the Queen herself: they were the leaders of the Golden Armies, who were also the Crown Prince personal guards: the Shitennou; a priestess and the Crown Prince himself. The first meeting went well, and while most of the representatives of the other planets still had doubts Queen Selenity agreed to grant Earth a trial period before deciding if they should become an official part of the Alliance or not. With negotiations on the way the Terrans were allowed certain freedoms to visit places on the Moon. It was during one such visit, when the Prince managed to get away from his guards for a while, that he met her. He didn’t know who she was at first, not even after they spent hours talking in the gardens, not until that night, when she was officially introduced at the gala, and by then he was already infatuated with her, as was she with him.” She sighs. “Serenity, daughter of Queen Selenity, Crown Princess of the Moon and heiress to the throne of the Silver Alliance was said to be one of the most sought-after ladies in the Sol System; even if most men were only interested in what they could gain from a match like that. That’s why the Princess never cared to pay much attention to any suitor, she knew they didn’t really care about her. She was guarded by four royal ladies of the Inner Planets, who were called the Sailor Senshi. They each were princesses of their home-worlds, and handpicked to be the protectors as well as advisors to the girl that was one day expected to lead the Alliance.”

At this point several gasps are heard.

“We were princesses?” Ami inquires, shocked.

“Yes, each of you were princesses of your respective planets.” Usagi nods. “Even if none of you were in line for the planet’s throne… at least I don’t think so.”

“Even if they had been, the moment they became senshi they forsook that right.” Artemis points out. “A senshi has to be always loyal to the Moon Princess; being the heir to a throne would have caused a conflict of interests…”

“What about a love interest?” Rei asks. “Would that have caused a conflict too?”

“Why Reiko? Have someone in mind?” Minako can’t help but tease her.

“Of course not!” Rei snaps, though she’s blushing.

“I guess it would have depended who this attachment was to.” Artemis replies thoughtfully. “We didn’t have any such situation back in the Silver Millennium, though…”

Rei’s brow furrows, something inside of her telling her that’s a lie, whether the Advisor knows it or not, still she chooses to remain quiet.

“Like I was saying.” Usagi continues. “While the Moon Princess knew perfectly well the kind of responsibility that would be on her shoulders one day, she couldn’t help but wish it were different. She loved her guardians like sisters, and hated the fact that sometimes their sense of duty seemed to stop them from seeing her as more than just a princess. She loved her people, but they were so used to worshiping both her and the Queen so much, they treated them as if they were goddesses, and not mere people like them…”

“But that’s because they were more than mere people!” Luna interrupts.

“Doesn’t mean they didn’t feel like normal people.” Usagi points out with sudden steel in her eyes. “They just wanted to be accepted, to be cared for, for who they were and not the position they held or the legends that grew around them. That’s probably why when the Moon Princess and the Terran Prince met they were pulled to each other like that. They were both in the same kind of circumstances, heirs to their respective thrones, with people they loved deeply, and regardless of that still saw them first as future monarchs and then as people; and then all of those who were after them, only for their looks, their power, or both…”

“Serenity was more than just our princess, she was like our own sister” Minako cries out.

“Good to know.” Usagi says humorlessly. “I’m sure she’d have appreciated knowing it too…”

“She must have known…” Minako whispers, suddenly doubtful.

She loved Serenity like a little sister, she knows they all did; but that can’t stop the fact that the young princess was their charge, they were given the duty of making sure the girl would always be safe… it was their duty, what they were meant to live and die for, right?

“Did you ever actually tell her?” Usagi asks, calmly, almost emotionlessly.

Minako can’t find her voice, as she realizes how this too could be considered a failure, if Serenity never realized she was more than just their princess to them, how much the four senshi really cared for her… She can only shake her head, as the first tears begin to fall.

“Don’t assume she knew anything.” Usagi tells her, this time more softly. “Even the wisest of people can be oblivious sometimes…”

Minako nods, still silently crying; she promises herself she’ll correct this mistake, even if she can’t correct any other, as soon as they find the princess she’ll make sure she understands just what she means to her, to them all…

“So Princess Serenity and Prince Endymion met,” Usagi continues. “They fell in love. It happened so fast some people would have believed it to be impossible, but it happened. That first meeting, when they spent a whole afternoon talking without knowing who the other was made them feel special, like they had found someone who could accept them for themselves. And even after knowing who the other was, they didn’t care. They continued their meetings; and while before the masses they were very polite and proper, as expected of the Terran Chief Ambassador and the Future Queen of the Alliance he hoped to join; away from prying eyes they were as devoted to each other as any young couple in love.”

As the words are said, images spin in the minds of those present as fragments of memories reassemble. The encounters they witnessed, while always polite, had hints of secrets being kept carefully hidden, hints neither of them saw the first time around. Only now, knowing the love that existed between those two, reveals how significant the slightest of motions, of gestures, really were. Still, what bothers them most of all is that while they know those are memories, they’re still blurry, not allowing them to clearly see the faces of the Prince or Princess…

“Shortly before a year had passed, there was another situation.” Usagi goes on. “The Princess was about to become of age, and representatives of the planets began pushing for her to find a suitable husband; of course they each had their own ideas about who this husband should be. What they could have never expected was that the princess herself had already chosen, and gone ahead with it before anyone could know enough to try and stop it. Prince Endymion proposed to her, she accepted, and the way she phrased her answer invoked a very deep magic; it was the call for Selene’s blessing, knowing that once the goddess, the head of the Lunarian Royal line, gave it, no one would be able to break the match…”

Minako sniffs, that’s how she found out about the relationship between her Princess and the Terran Prince; and she felt like such a fool for not realizing it sooner. Of course by then it was too late to do anything, already the princess carried the mark of the betrothal, and there was no way she, or anyone, would be able to stand between them. She had such a hard time believing it too, while Prince Endymion wasn’t a bad man, all the opposite actually, he was a Terran, part of a planet that hadn’t yet been accepted into the Alliance, and heir to his own throne! Each of these facts should have been enough of a reason for the match not to be allowed, and yet Selene herself blessed it…

“I have no idea if Queen Selenity was surprised about her daughter’s actions, or if she actually expected it.” Usagi goes on with the story. “However, there were a lot of people that didn’t take it very well. The Alliance didn’t think Prince Endymion made a suitable match for the young Princess, and they may have even begun doubting the wisdom of her taking over the Alliance at some point, as they saw her use of magic on the matter as something rash and unwise. The reaction of the Terrans, on the other hand, was a bit… complicated.”

“It was obvious they wouldn’t accept.” Luna declares.

“That’s just it.” Usagi points out. “They didn’t, not at first at least.”

That catches everyone by surprise, even Minako.

“The first week after the betrothal was made official, there were no negative reactions from the Terrans.” Usagi elaborates. “The Crown Prince took his Princess on a tour of the capital of his Kingdom and some nearby provinces, and while it was evident that some people had doubts, considering how little they truly understood of the lunarians, they couldn’t help but accept the young Moon Princess as soon as she started trying to connect with them.”

“But… but that’s not possible.” Artemis denies. “The Terrans refused to accept a Lunarian as their next Queen, they rebelled against their own Queen because of this!”

“Did they?” Usagi questions, doubtfully. “Or were they pushed into it?”

Artemis shakes his head, he has his memories, he knows what happened, and yet; no one in the Moon Kingdom ever really knew that much about how the problems began on Earth, and it’s true that the Princess didn’t seemed to have had trouble on that week she was visiting the planet… What happened then?

“The true problem was one woman.” Usagi says, as if answering his question. “A peasant girl called Beryl; like so many others she was infatuated with Prince Endymion; however, unlike all others, she somehow managed to get the power to express her displeasure at the fact that the Prince had chosen a wife. No one knows how exactly she got access to the Negaforce; if Metalia’s seal had started weakening, or maybe Beryl was some kind of spell-weaver herself…”

“She was a priestess-reject.” Hina informs them calmly.

“Really?” That, Usagi didn’t know.

“Yes.” Hina nods. “I remember her. I think she was actually the illegitimate daughter of a Duke… she didn’t have the legal standing or the power to apply for the Elysian Order, and even the Aurora Order rejected her after the first year. I thought she’d just vanished into the background, like so many girls do after being sent away; until I saw her again later on…”

Usagi nods sadly, knowing what day she’s talking about.

“It was bad.” Usagi continues. “The year of probation had finally ended; and while most of the Court members of the Alliance didn’t fully accept the match between the Moon Princess and the Terran Prince, they knew better than to try and break a match blessed by a goddess. But then trouble began brewing on Earth, and the alliance papers were never signed… After all, a planet in war cannot be in the Alliance. That complicated matters because Earth couldn’t join the Alliance, yet the two royals couldn’t and wouldn’t break their engagement.” She exhales. “Things kept escalating in a matter of weeks, until the whole planet was in a state of war. For most of that time no one thought it to be anything more than displeasure about the Prince’s chosen bride, not until the Golden Kingdom was hit hard, and in an unexpected way: Queen Azar was assassinated, though not before sealing away the secrets of the magic of her Kingdom. It was then that the real force behind the rebellion was revealed: the Witch Beryl, handling the power of the Dark One: the Queen of the Negaverse, Metalia. Though pained about the fact, Prince Endymion knew there was nothing he could do for his people, not with Metalia imposing her will over them, and decided to leave for the Moon Kingdom, hoping to reach there in time to warn them… the Shitennou and two Elysian Priestesses helped protect him while everything was readied for their departure… but the enemy moved too fast. Beryl attacked the Throne Room, in the hopes of making it impossible for the Shitennou to teleport off-planet, it ended up with half the palace collapsing; three of the Shitennou were killed in the cave-in, while the leader acquired such grievous injuries he soon joined them…”

A sniff is heard, they can see the two priestesses, and while Hina is mostly keeping her composure, refusing to let her tears fall, Naru is openly crying, her hands fisted on her capris, as she holds back most of her sobs.

“The two priestesses… those were you.” Makoto understands right then.

The two simply nod.

“And you were with the Shitennou…” Rei guesses.

It’s a wild guess, but the flinch from the younger priestess proves her right.

“One of them was my husband, yes.” Hina admits in a stone-cold voice. “And before you ask, the only reason I didn’t die with him in that moment was because I still had a duty to Master Endymion… still, I wasn’t far behind.”

“I wasn’t married, but engaged to one of them.” Naru continues, following Hina’s lead in not giving any names. “I would have stayed behind but he himself ordered me to follow the Prince when he couldn’t. It would have been a dishonor not to do so.”

The senshi can’t help but admire the two Terran women; even while being so strongly emotionally attached to the men, they managed to ignore those feelings just enough to do their duty; they’re truly honorable…

“After the loss of the Shitennou, the Prince and his two remaining companions managed to reach the secondary teleporting point; but in the end only two left from there.” Usagi says.

“It was necessary.” Hina speaks, knowing what Usagi is unsure of revealing. “With Mistress Azar gone, and Endymion the only remaining royal, his soul was bound to the planet, he wouldn’t survive unless that bond was cut, or at least transferred to someone else. For the first you would have needed someone of great magical power, greater than any spell-weaver on Earth at the time; for the second only someone with some magic and a blood-connection was needed… that made the choice pretty easy.”

“You’re connected to the Terran Prince?” Minako asks, surprised.

“In my past life I was his cousin, yes.” Hina nods.

“So you used your power to take that bond to the Earth upon yourself, allowing the Prince to travel to the Moon…” Artemis is making the connections fast. “But that would mean that when the Earth’s Spirits weakened enough…”

“I would die, feeling the planet’s pain as if it were my own.” Hina finishes for him.

No need to point out that there’s no ‘would’, that did happen.

“Prince Endymion and Lady Molly were the only ones to make it to the Moon Kingdom, where they immediately informed Queen Selenity of the situation.” Usagi goes on, though this time slower, she’s getting to the hard part. “However, there were complications. There was a ball that night, I’m unaware what it was about, I don’t think anyone really remembers. No one thought to cancel it, because no one thought the Negaverse would attack the Moon that very night. It was total chaos, too many people who knew nothing about fighting screaming and running around; made it hard for those who could actually fight to get where they needed to be. Too many people died in the confusion that ensued. Finally the four senshi were able to take charge of the armies and face against the armies; meanwhile Queen Selenity was lead to some secret room behind the Throne Room, for her safety; Princess Serenity was supposed to follow… but she didn’t. She was too worried about her friends…” Usagi starts crying silently, but she refuses to stop, the truth needs to come out, or at least part of it. “She went to the main balcony, from where she could watch the fight, of course Prince Endymion followed her, and with him Lady Molly. They watched as the White Army faced against the forces of the Negaverse, they seemed to be pretty equal in power; even if the Negaverse were being controlled like puppets while the lunarians were truly committed to fighting for their Kingdom. B… But… but then something went wrong… I don’t really know what…” her sobs are becoming audible, and she starts talking faster, wanting it to over already. “Mars was hit from her blind spot, she fell, she wasn’t dead yet, but pretty close, this made Venus upset, and in her anger she began losing her focus; the enemy somehow managed to overpower Mercury, and when Jupiter tried to help both her and Mars she was taken down too. The four senshi died… you four died… I… S… Your Princess watched you die!”

There are gasps all around, Minako’s sobbing almost hysterically by then; she hadn’t known that, that her Princess had to witness that; it was bad enough for her, seeing each of her comrades, of her sisters and… those she cared most for, fall in battle, before finally losing her own life; she never knew that her princess bore witness to it all as well. Usagi for her part can’t hold herself up anymore, she falls to her knees, her sobs making it hard for her to keep talking, even as Mamoru kneels beside her and pulls her to him to try and offer some degree of comfort; it doesn’t help that they’re both suffering through their own pain and grief as well as the echo of the other’s.

“I… I…” Usagi cannot find her voice to finish the story.

“I will say this part, it’s okay.” Naru takes a moment to caress her best friend’s hair before facing the senshi. “I’ve told you before that I remember the Fall, I was there. I was having a hard time dealing with the loss of my betrothed; it took us so long to admit our feelings, especially me, and then when we finally accepted everything… he was pulled away from me before I had the chance to truly be called his wife. I was grieving, and as such, I wasn’t as observant as I should have been. I heard Princess Serenity as she screamed and cried at the deaths of her protectors, but I wasn’t really aware of much; which is why I didn’t see the soldier that somehow managed t climb the wall and onto the balcony until it was too late. He moved to attack the distressed princess, there was nothing she could have done, she was even less aware of her surroundings than I was. But someone else did notice…”

“The Prince…” Rei can’t help but mumble.

Makoto’s eyes widen as she suddenly begins to understand what happened, pain deeper than the one she felt at the thought of having died herself fills her at the knowledge that their princess had not only watched them, her almost-sisters die, but also the man she loved, the man she defied tradition, protocol and her own Kingdom for…

“Yes.” Naru nods solemnly. “The attacker was too close though, so Master Endymion did the only thing he could in such short notice, he protected Princess Serenity with his own body… he died in her arms just a few seconds later…”

“What about you?” Mercury can’t help but ask.

“I killed the attacker, but by then there was nothing I could do about Master Endymion.” Naru admits, ashamed. “I am no healer, and there was really no time. I had to watch as my Prince, my Master… my friend, died in the arms of the woman he loved so dearly. Then… I don’t know, I guess it just was too much; Princess Serenity had lost so many people that night, she’d been through so much, we both had…” she shakes her head at the dark memories. “The last thing I remember is a bright flash of silver light, then nothing.”

“Silver light?” Luna is shocked, and afraid at that. “That cannot be… it just… it can’t…”

“Luna?” Makoto and Ami are confused by the girl’s reaction to this.

“What’s so wrong about there being a silver light?” Rei wants to know.

“It can’t be!” Luna insists. “Because… because it would mean…”

“That the Ginzuishou destroyed everything.” Minako deadpans.

The gasp echoes all around.

“You knew!” Rei hisses.

“Yes.” Minako admits, brushing her tears, even as more fall. “However, I always believed it was because of Endymion, that Princess Serenity wasn’t able to handle her emotions after losing her Prince, and in her grief she couldn’t help but call on the crystal’s power… I was so afraid that the two would meet again in this life, and repeat history, and yet… and yet it wasn’t really because of Endymion… or not only because of him… Serenity not only lost him, she lost all of us, and she had to watch as it happened…”

“So you understand now…” Usagi whispers.

She manages to control herself, at least for the most part, though she’s still holding onto her fiance pretty tightly; him being the only thing keeping her sane.

“There is one thing you were never told in your past lives.” Usagi informs them. “Even though Queen Selenity was still the one to govern the Silver Millennium, the Ginzuishou had already chosen a new bearer: Princess Serenity. The crystal would answer to the princess’s desires, even when not in her hands. After losing everyone, the princess didn’t want to stay there, she didn’t want to be alone, so she unconsciously called on the power of the crystal to right things… and it did, just not in the way we would expect. It worked at purifying everything in both the Moon and Earth, but the power was so great that it also killed both Lady Molly and the Princess herself, due to being so close.”

Silence reigns as the recount ends; so much has just been revealed, now they’ll need to deal with the consequences of it.

xXx

Usagi is still feeling pretty exhausted, mentally and emotionally as she, her beloved and their closest friends leave Crown shortly after the serious talk ends. No one could have expected the surprise they find barely a few blocks down the street. They’re crossing a barely used part of the park, hoping to get faster to the apartment complex that way, they don’t expect the people who suddenly block their way.

“Beryl…” Mamoru hisses.

In a second he and the three girls shift into their alternate identities; though the black-haired girl knows she won’t be able to hold onto it for long, she’s too far gone. Instead the two priestesses call on their weapons and take fighting stances before Darien, while allowing him to keep Serena safe in his arms.

“What do you want?” Katrina demands in a strong tone.

It’s taking her all her strength of will to ignore Alexei as he stands at one of Beryl’s flanks, but her prince and his princess need her, she can’t fail them; similar thoughts are going through Molly’s mind at the same time.

“Where is Endymion?” Beryl demands to know.

The three Terrans keep themselves carefully in check; while it’s understandable that the senshi haven’t been able to realize that Darien is actually Endymion, even though Venus suspected it for a time; they can hardly believe that Beryl doesn’t see it either. Still, it’s good, it will help keep him, all of them really, safe.

“Safe.” Is all Katrina answers.

And even standing before so many enemies, with little chance of winning he is safe, as long as his identity isn’t found.

“You will tell me what I want to know.” Beryl insists. “Where is the Prince?”

“I don’t answer to you, witch.” Katrina defies her.

Furious, Beryl fires a bolt of purple lighting at her, but the priestess deflects it with her staff.

“You cannot fight me in these conditions Beryl, I’m way stronger than you in Earth’s magic.” Katrina points out proudly.

“I want Endymion!” Beryl snarls, like a petulant child.

“And I want this war to end already.” Molly cannot help but hiss. “We just can’t have everything we want!”

“Impudent child…” Beryl hisses at her as she prepares another attack

“You should think twice before attacking us.” Darien speaks in a strong voice. “Or we’ll deal with you like we’ve deal with all your followers.”

“Can you?” Beryl challenges him. “I’m too powerful for you! I’m the great Queen Beryl and…”

“Please…” Darien interrupts her in a dismissing tone. “You’re no Queen, of us or of anyone that matters. The Last Terran Queen was Her Majesty Queen Azar of the Golden Kingdom, and the next would have been Serenity of the White Moon, if the wedding between her and Endymion had ever taken place.”

Beryl shrieks in fury at the verbal attack from the man.

“Who are you?!” She demands to know. “What right have you to say such things?”

“What I say is just the truth.” Darien says simply. “About who I am, I go by Darien Shields, I’m Prince Endymion’s Shadow and Shield.”

He and the girls take notice of the slight change in two of the Dark General’s eyes.

“I know what it is you want Beryl and you’ll never have it, you’ll never have Prince Endymion.” Darien continues. “He belongs with Serenity.”

Beryl shrieks again and the priestesses wonder if Darien is provoking her on purpose.

“You will bring Prince Endymion to me!!!” She demands in a screech.

“We cannot do that.” Katrina informs her. “While we follow his orders by protecting this planet in his absence, we have no actual way of communicating with him, if he needs us he can find us, that’s how it works. We serve him, not the other way around.”

“I see.” Beryl’s gaze turns calculating. “Then if I cannot have him now, I’ll give him a reason to come to me…” she almost laughs in glee. “You will come with me.”

“What?!” Molly wasn’t expecting that.

“Yes.” Beryl nods, satisfied with her sudden plan. “I know the kind of loyalty Endymion inspires, and that he always responds equally. You will come with me; with all of you, and his Shitennou in the Dark Kingdom, the Prince will have no choice but to come out.”

“No way.” Molly refuses.

As much as she may love and want to be with Shinichi, she won’t allow Beryl to use her.

“You will come, or they will die.” Beryl announces suddenly.

There’s no way they could have expected that move, as, instead of finding themselves under attack, the ‘Terrans’ see the four Shitennou holding their blades at their own necks.

“You come, or they die.” Beryl explains simply. “Something I know you don’t want to happen, like I said, I know how your loyalties work…”

Darien growls, he hates to admit that the witch is right, there’s no way he, or any of them really, will allow the Shitennou to die; not without doing anything and everything to try to save them.

“We cannot do that…” Darien begins. “Not immediately. We have lives in this time and place, we can’t simply disappear without an explanation. We need to make some arrangements first…”

“Very well,” Beryl agrees after a few seconds of indecision. “You have three days. As the sun sets on the third day you will be here, ready to leave for the Dark Kingdom or… they will be the ones to pay the price for your defiance…”

None of them get the chance to complain, in a second Beryl is gone, the Shitennou with her.

 

Moonlight destiny
Itsu made mo dare yori mo soba ni itai no (Forever, more than anyone, I want to be with you)
Kono hiroi sora no shita de meguriaeta anata (Below this spacious sky above, you who I met by chance)

Chapter 15. Friends and Mothers

“You Won’t Be Coming. And that’s Final.”

“Yes I will, I will go with you, to the end of the world, to hell itself if necessary, and there’s no way you or anyone else can stop me…”

“Well, I’m quite sure the Negaverse could easily enough be seen as Hell, so…”

Hina’s sardonic tone interrupts the argument between the young engaged couple, they have been arguing about the same topic for almost two hours now, ever since awakening actually. And the only reason they weren’t arguing all night as well is because Usagi was too tired to say anything then.

“Hina, please, don’t give her any more ideas.” Mamoru almost snaps.

“She doesn’t need to give me ideas, I don’t need anyone to give me ideas.” Usagi retorts. “I made this decision by myself!”

“Then understand by yourself that what you want to do is madness!” Mamoru cries out.

He’s afraid, very much so, he actually doesn’t think he’s ever been this afraid before. Even when he was badly wounded, even when she was in her healing comas; but this situation is just so different, this isn’t a danger that fell upon them by chance, this is a danger greater than any before, and one they’ll be putting themselves in, by their own will… or as much of a will as can be exercised when being blackmailed by a bitch (bitch, witch, same difference) like Beryl.

“So it is madness that I go?” Usagi adopts a sarcastic tone. “If so, what about you? You’re going, willingly, into that awful place. You! Who are who she wants in the first place!!”

“You know…” Mamoru begins, tired.

“I know exactly why you’re doing it.” Usagi interrupts him. “I know there’s no way to stop you, because were the situation different I too would be doing the very same thing for my senshi. And knowing you, you would have followed me, so what makes you think you’ll be able to convince me to stay back when there’s no way you would in my place?”

Mamoru opens his mouth and closes it several times; he’s been left speechless, any and all possible objections shot down at once by his beloved with that one statement. She’s right, and he knows it, and he knows that she knows it; there’s just no way to break down that statement.

“Fine…” He gives up, in a very low tone of voice.

He allows himself to fall onto the closest sofa; he doesn’t like the situation, actually he downright hates it. Bringing his beloved with him into what could easily be defined as the wolf’s den isn’t a good idea; in fact, he’s sure it’s one of the worst things he could ever do. But is it his fault when she’s the one being stubborn about following him? And what about the fact that, like she said, he would do exactly the same were their roles reversed? True, her senshi will kill him, when they eventually find out; but, as much as it may cost him to admit it, he knows that things might be a bit easier for him with her by his side.

“Finally!” Naru cries out dramatically as she steps into the living room. “I really thought you would keep the argument going for the rest of the morning.”

Mamoru shoots her a scathing look but says nothing; if he thought it would be any good he probably would have continued the argument for the rest of the morning.

“So,” Hina calls, taking a seat as well. “What’s the plan?”

xXx

Mamoru was truthful when saying they had to make arrangements; only they aren’t the kind of arrangements most have to consider when going on a long trip. Hina and Naru simply tell their families they’re going on a trip to Mt. Fuji with some friends, to a cabin one of them owns; Hina actually does own a cabin up there, and since it’s so far away from any city there’s no phone signal, which serves as a good excuse of why they won’t be contacting their families or friends for the entire duration of their trip, which they’ve calculated to be from a couple of weeks to a month… at least they hope so. Mamoru makes sure all the bills will be paid in both apartments automatically; it won’t do for them to win the war and then return to find they no longer have a home; he also starts setting up things for a little surprise later on.

After much discussion they decided at least one person needs to know the truth: the chosen one is Motoki, since he already knows about the senshi, they hope he won’t have too hard a time accepting the rest.

“Let me see if I’m understanding this right.” Motoki says after they finish talking. “Usagi-chan here was Sailor Moon, but she quit about six months ago, more or less, right now she helps heal and protect while the rest of you fight these youmas. You, Mamoru, are Tuxedo Kamen, have been since even before Usagi-chan became a senshi; Hina-san and Naru-chan both are warrior-priestesses that fight pretty much like the senshi do.”

They all nod.

“But that’s not all.” Motoki continued. “You all are reincarnations of people who lived in this time called the Silver Millennium, two priestesses, a healer and a guard…”

“Yeah, well…” Usagi starts fidgeting.

She’s feeling uncomfortable They didn’t come to an agreement regarding whether they were going to tell Motoki about Mamoru and her being the Prince and Princess; while it might be dangerous for him to know so much, what will happen if worse comes to worst? If they were to die during this ordeal, then no one will know, the senshi will be left forever waiting for the royals to show up, not knowing they’re dead…

“I knew there was something else.” Motoki sighs, almost tiredly. “Let me guess, you two aren’t really a healer and a guard, you’re… I don’t know… maybe the reincarnations of some Prince and Princess, star-crossed lovers who defied all traditions to be together…”

It might be funny, if he didn’t hit the nail straight on the head. In fact, Usagi does giggle, almost hysterically, but not because she’s having fun. She’s nervous, extremely so; how can Motoki have guessed so much? They don’t even need to ask the question, as in a second Motoki raises his right hand in a fist and presses it against his chest, over his heart, before bowing formally.

The girls’ eyes widen as they recognize the posture he just adopted: that of a Golden Soldier; more precisely a member of the Royal Guard…

“You too?” Usagi asks, hardly believing it.

And really, with him it makes every single one of her close friends now who’ve turned out to belong the Silver Millennium. Is it just coincidence? Or is there more at play in their lives than she originally imagined?

Mamoru eyes his best friend critically, trying to connect enough memories to find him, but he’s having a hard time…

“I’m Andrew,” Motoki introduces himself, when seeing they haven’t made the connection yet. “And I really can’t believe you don’t remember me Dare…”

“Drew?” Mamoru’s eyes widen.

His mouth is faster than his conscious thought, but the moment the nickname leaves his lips he realizes who the man before him is.

“Drew?” Hina repeats, suddenly realizing it too. “Andrew Shields?”

“The one and only.” Motoki smirks at the older woman. “It’s truly a pleasure to be graced with your presence once again, High Lady Katrina…”

As he speaks he dramatically takes a hold of her hand and kisses her knuckles slowly; a very gentlemanly action that is totally ruined a second later when he snickers.

“Andrew!” Hina cannot help but laugh.

“Should I worry?” Mamoru asks, with a smirk of his own. “Because I really don’t think Alexei would appreciate you flirting with his wife…”

They can almost hear Motoki’s jaw unhinge at those words.

“Alexei?” He babbles, totally in shock. “Alexei is alive? What about Lewis?”

“In a manner of speaking, yes.” Hina’s voice turns almost frigid cold. “They’re currently under the command of Beryl… all of them.”

“Beryl, Beryl…” Motoki repeats several times under his breath. “Who’s that?”

“So you don’t have all your memories yet then?” Naru realizes.

“Not really, they’ve been coming in bits and pieces.” Motoki admits. “At first they were just dreams, things I could barely remember upon waking; but as time passed I began to remember details. I remember Darien most clearly, both of his identities;” he winks at Usagi. “I also remember a certain young lady that liked to sneak into a world not her own, even when it was supposed to be against the laws…”

Usagi lowers her head as she blushes brightly; she of course remembers that too, that’s where the identity of Serena comes from, after all; from both the name and appearance she took when sneaking to the Earth…

“Why don’t I fully remember him?” Naru asks, furrowing her brow.

“Because you’re thinking too hard about it.” Hina answers. “And you’re trying to see him in the same light as the Shitennou, don’t, he was never one of them. He was one of the Royal Guards, a Lieutenant, if I remember correctly, and the youngest person to ever acquire the rank of Royal Shadow…”

“Royal Shadow…” Naru repeats, as her eyes suddenly light up. “That’s right, he was Endymion’s actual Shadow and Shield, right?”

Both Hina and Motoki nod at her.

“That’s where he got the idea to create Darien.” Motoki elaborates. “And since, even being a Lord, I was from an estate far from the Golden Capital, it wasn’t hard to pretend to have a brother, even though my mother never gave birth to another son…”

They all nod as several memories run through their minds; not many, and to some they’re still blurry, but they’re at least enough to confirm the truth of who Motoki is and once was, a lunarian millennia ago.

“So,” Motoki calls their attention back as he relaxes his posture once again. “Now that we’ve cleared the air of secrets and past lives, what do you need to tell me?”

xXx

It’s already late afternoon by the time the full version of their history is recounted. And as impossible as some things sound, Motoki has enough memories of his lifetime as Andrew to just trust those around him about the things he either doesn’t remember or wasn’t privy to the first time around.

“So you’re gonna go into her territory…” He declares once the stories are finished.

“We have to.” Mamoru replies almost tiredly. “You know as well as I it would be against my own honor to leave my comrades to either remain slaves or die at the whims of one crazy woman.” He shakes his head. “I… we have to save them.”

“At least he’s learning.” Hina comments to the two other girls in a conspiratorial tone. “It’s no longer I, I, I…”

The other two giggle.

“I do understand.” Motoki ignores them, though he smirks. “And you know that if I could I would join you, but I just don’t have enough memories and we would run the risk of me saying the wrong thing and outing you.”

“I would never ask you to accompany me either way.” Mamoru assures him.

“I know.” Motoki nods. “And I also doubt you asked either of the girls.”

Mamoru sighs in defeat; of course he didn’t ask them, but it isn’t like he can stop them either; Hina and Naru, while still very loyal to him, at the same time love their soulmates too much not to help them if they can; and Usagi… well, they’re soulmates, and neither will ever willingly leave the other alone.

“So you’ll do it?” Usagi asks, hopefully. “You’ll explain things to the senshi? The part we told you at least, and the rest if things happen to go sour…”

“I still think you should explain things to them yourselves.” Motoki replies, a hand running through his hair. “At least the basics of what’s going on. While yes, I will do it, I still believe it would be better coming from you.”

“If we tried that they would never let us go.” Usagi points out. “Even without knowing who Mamoru-kun and I really were during the Silver Millennium, they would never allow it.”

“For good reason, you’re their princess, they’re supposed to protect you.” Motoki insists.

“Not in this life.” Usagi retorts. “In this life I’m not Serenity…”

“Please,” Motoki interrupts her. “You may not have yet transformed into her, but you are her. I’ve seen you as Serena, and you carry the Moon sigil; your hairdo and attire may be different, but Serena was really just Serenity, just like you’re both of them.”

“They cannot know, not yet, it’s not time.” Usagi shakes her head vehemently.

“And when will it be?” Motoki’s curious about this.

Several times during their conversation he heard the same excuse from the black-haired girl, about it not being time yet for her to reveal who she really is; but is there truly a time for such things to be revealed?

“I don’t know.” Usagi answers honestly and very seriously. “When I believe they’re ready to see me as a comrade and not a fragile porcelain-doll… or we can no longer hide it; whichever happens first.”

“I’m betting for the second outcome.” Naru declares offhandedly.

“Is the situation really that bad?” Motoki inquires.

He doesn’t remember enough of the past to have a basis for the senshi’s way of acting; but he’s seen the senshi in action, either on TV or from a distance a couple of times, they all seem to always be revolving around Sailor Moon, or Serena, but never really come in contact with her.

“I have to be honest here.” Hina states. “In the past, the senshi were always very over-protective of their princess, especially Mars. In this life they haven’t really seen Usagi-chan as a reliable warrior. As Sailor Moon they didn’t trust her enough, and as Serena they see her merely as a healer and spell-weaver. If our plan works and we manage to bring the Negaverse down from within they will never really see her as a comrade…”

“But this is how it has to be.” Usagi says, almost sadly. “I would love for them to see me as their equal; but in the end there is something worth more than their respect and trust.”

“What?” Motoki and Naru are confused by that.

“Their lives.” Is Usagi’s deadpan answer.

The atmosphere is suddenly very heavy; they all know she’s right, but that doesn’t make it any easier; all the opposite in fact. They’re going into the lion’s den with very little as far as strategy is concerned, with no backup but each other, and hoping to all the gods and spirits that their secrets won’t be discovered before they’re ready to act.

Right then Usagi’s alarm rings briefly.

“We gotta go.” She reminds them. “Mama’s waiting on us for dinner.”

They made arrangements with Tsukino Ikuko before going in search of Motoki, to have dinner at the Tsukino household that night.

“Are you planning on telling your family anything?” Motoki can hardly believe it.

“Not anything, everything.” Usagi corrects him.

This truly leaves Mamoru’s best friend in shock.

“No matter when we come back, things will have changed for all of us, that’s a given.” Usagi explains in a low voice. “Mama needs to know that, to understand…”

She, of course, refuses to even mention the other possibility, the other reason why it’s important for the Tsukino matriarch to know: them not coming back… She has to believe they’ll be able to defeat this, has to have hope that good will triumph over evil…

xXx

Dinner goes fine, for that night Ikuko has agreed to lay off the experimental recipes she seems to enjoy so much usually. Shingo’s there, and for once has agreed to hold back from annoying his sister and her guests; the only person missing from the small family is Kenji, who has yet to return from Hong Kong.

‘It might be better this way.’ Usagi decides. ‘Papa is just too overprotective, on the edge of being irrational; and with Beryl’s ultimatum… we don’t have the time to convince him to let me go. It’ll be hard enough to convince Mama and Shingo that this is the right thing to do…’

Once they’re done with dinner Hina and Naru bring out dessert: tea and pastries that Usagi and Mamoru recognize instantly: they were famous during the Silver Millennium.

“Wow, Kusaka-san, Naru-chan, these pastries are great.” Ikuko compliments them after tasting the first. “I’ve never before tasted something like this.”

“Please, Tsukino-san, the name’s Hina.” Said girl smiles sweetly at her. “And about the pastries, lets just say both it and the tea are some old family recipes.”

Naru barely manages to cover her snort with some coughing; but really, calling something from ten-thousand years ago, simply old, is a serious understatement. Then again, Ikuko would probably blow a gasket if she knew that part…

“Mama, there’s a reason I insisted we all had dinner together tonight.” Usagi finally speaks up.

“I thought as much.” Ikuko nods calmly as she bites another pastry. “Does it have something to do with you being Sailor Moon?”

Usagi almost chokes on her own pastry; while Naru practically spits out her tea.

“Wha…” Even Mamoru is in shock.

“Please, do you honestly think you can go out every other night, fight monsters, be tired, hurt, get nearly killed every so often, and I wouldn’t notice?” Ikuko arches an eyebrow. “Usagi-chan, while I may act oblivious most of the time, it doesn’t mean I am.”

Usagi practically gulps at that, she doesn’t need anyone to clear it out for her; her mother not only knows she is, or was, a senshi; somehow she also knows her daughter’s usual attitude is little more than a facade. But how exactly does she know all that? For how long has she known? Why didn’t she ever say anything? So immersed in her thoughts she is, the girl doesn’t even notice when she asks those questions out-loud, until they’re answered.

“Usagi-chan, I am your mother, and a mother always knows.” Ikuko says, as if that were the answer to everything. “You’ll understand some day.” She smiles almost playfully. “About how long, well, I knew even before Shingo did. Like I said, it’s a mother’s duty to know what is happening to her children. Though, for obvious reasons, your father isn’t as well informed.”

Usagi lets out a relieved sigh; her father knowing would have been too much.

“If you knew all that, and for quite a while, why did you never say anything?” Mamoru’s truly intrigued by the whole situation.

“Well, Tuxedo Kamen-san…” Ikuko says his alias just to prove the extent of her knowledge. “As much as I may dislike the fact that my daughter goes out to risk her life to protect the world every so often, I also know it’s her decision. In the end, as much as I may not like it, it’s her life, and it’s up to her to decide how to live it. For eighteen years I’ve done my best, to raise her, to teach her the difference between right and wrong, to think for herself… Whatever she’s doing now is the result of those teachings, teachings I trust. I did my part already, anything else that may come is up to her.” She turns to her daughter with a serene smile. “I’ve done all I can for you Usagi-chan, but in the end, you’re the only one who can decide what you do with your life, not me, or Shingo, or Papa… no matter how much we might want to.”

“Oh Mama!” Usagi throws herself into her mom’s arms, crying.

For hours she’s been dreading this night, having to explain everything to her mom, wondering if the older woman would be disappointed in her, would reject her as her daughter for being different, for not being fully human, and yet… Usagi should have known better, should have known that the love of a mother is absolute and unwavering; hopefully, like her mother says, she’ll understand some day.

“I’m so very proud of you Usagi-chan…” Ikuko whispers as she embraces her daughter tightly. “My little girl, the heroine of Tokyo…” she raises her head and meets Mamoru’s eyes. “Thank you Mamoru-san…”

Mamoru tilts his head to the side, not fully understanding.

“For always helping her, for protecting my baby from the dangers I can’t help her with.” The older woman elaborates. “For simply being there by her side, always…”

“It’s my pleasure, Ikuko-san.” Mamoru assures. “I love Usagi-chan more than my own life, she’s my soulmate…”

In her life Ikuko has heard many young men make such declarations of love and devotion, some even using the same kind of dramatic words, she’s always known they’re just immature children talking about things they don’t really understand. This is different. While Mamoru might be as young as many of those boys she remembers, she cannot help but fully believe those words. That he’s talking about something he believes in completely. For him, Usagi is his soulmate, and for her, he’ll do anything…

Ikuko smiles, as young as Kenji may want to believe their daughter is, she knows better, and it really takes a weight off her heart to know her Usagi is loved as deeply and absolutely as Mamoru loves her. She’s always known her baby is special, even before the whole senshi business began. And she’s also always known there’s something almost otherworldly about the relationship she has with the older boy, it’s there in the fact that Usagi has gone from never having had a boyfriend, never going on any actual dates, to not just having a boyfriend, but a serious relationship. Ikuko wouldn’t be surprised if at any moment now the two tell her they’re going to get married; Kenji will probably blow a fuse, but she? She’ll just be happy her daughter has found such a great love.

“That’s not all mama,” Usagi finally speaks again after a couple of minutes.

“I guessed as much.” Ikuko replies simply, still keeping a hand on her daughter’s arm.

“First of all, I’m no longer Sailor Moon, haven’t been for a while now.” Usagi begins.

Ikuko knows, she noticed that too, it’s been months since there have been any sightings of the senshi of the Moon.

“And yet you’re still fighting.” Ikuko points out.

Usagi nods; after learning her mom knew she’s a senshi, it doesn’t surprise her that she might be aware of other things.

“Why did you quit?” Shingo wants to know.

It’s the first time he’s spoken since the conversation began; she imagines that’s mostly because he already knew she was Sailor Moon. He found out not long after she began as a senshi. She explained as much to him as she could back then and he agreed to cover for her when one of their parents came too close to noticing there was something going on. A perfect plan, except for the fact that somehow their mom realized the truth anyway.

“Many reasons,” Usagi answers calmly. “The main two being that they refused to see Tuxedo Kamen as an ally; and they didn’t trust me the way they should, the way a leader should be trusted. I decided it was better to quit rather than risk there being trouble if at some point they refused to follow one of my orders in a life-or-death situation.”

“Yet you’re still going on there…” Shingo knows that for sure.

“Yes, but no longer a senshi.” Usagi nods. “For the last few months I’ve been taking the identity of Serena; mostly I arrive after the senshi have defeated the youma, to heal the victims; when I happen to be there during the fight I sometimes also use some minor spells to shield or aid in whatever way I can, though no direct combat.”

Ikuko nods, while she still worries about her daughter fighting at all, it’s good to know she’s no longer in as much danger as before.

“So,” Shingo turns to the other two women. “I guess you’re the two new heroes that have been seen with them?”

Naru smiles, it’s so refreshing, for people to know they’re heroes and treat them no different; it’s obvious by the light in the boy’s eyes that he admires them, but that doesn’t stop him from talking to them normally.

“Yes,” Hina speaks for them both. “Naru-nee-chan and I are priestesses, we can use magic from the Earth, and know some combat arts.”

Shingo nods, very interested.

“You’re all awesome.” Shingo declares proudly. “I’ve heard some people say you’re even better than the senshi!”

Usagi blushes, embarrassed, though at the same time her eyes look sad.

“We’re no better, or worse than the senshi, really.” Naru tells him, honestly. “They’ve been at a disadvantage until recently, since they have to call their powers from foreign planets, while ours is always at our feet.”

“What changed?” This calls Ikuko’s attention back.

“They got a power-boost of sorts.” Naru answers vaguely. “They’re still not at full power, but at least way better than they were not too long ago.”

Ikuko nods, then turns back to her daughter and waits, knowing something’s missing. After a few seconds of seeing Usagi’s nervousness, Mamoru decides that maybe he should be the one to explain this part.

“The situation has changed.” He informs the mother of his fiancee seriously. “Last night as we headed to the apartment complex we were intercepted by the five highest ranking members of the Dark Kingdom. We talked and an ultimatum was issued. Beryl, the pseudo-Queen of the Dark Kingdom has four men who were once honorable Warriors of Earth under her control. We know that at least one of them doesn’t serve her willingly, he’s forced magically to do her will. Another is following a different agenda, we don’t know all the details about. The other two don’t remember that they aren’t supposed to serve Beryl so they don’t question their loyalty.”

“Until now.” Usagi mutters.

Ikuko is puzzled this time.

“I hope so.” Mamoru nods hopefully. “What Usako means is that the Shitennou are finally seeing how little consideration for their life Beryl actually has; it showed when she was willing to kill them to get us. That’s what the ultimatum is about, we have three days to willingly go to her in the Dark Kingdom; if we aren’t there by sundown on the third day the Shitennou will be killed.”

“Why should you care if she kills her own subjects?” Shingo’s confused.

“Because, like I told you, they weren’t always her subjects.” Mamoru replies. “They were once the highest ranking generals in Earth’s Army. I…”

“You were their leader.” Ikuko finishes for him.

For at least the third time all those present are shocked at the woman’s perceptiveness.

“I’ve seen it before, with my grandfather; he was a general of the Japanese Army during World War II.” Ikuko explains. “He survived the war, but most of the men under his command didn’t, and even those that did had some permanent injury, he himself walked with a serious limp for the rest of his life. Anyway, I remember when he talked about his men, both dead and alive, there was such pride in his voice… he always regretted those he’d lost, and was happy for those that made it. You could hear it in his voice, the deep connection he felt to those men, as if they were his own family…”

Mamoru smiles sadly; he decides he really has to stop feeling surprised by Tsukino Ikuko’s insight; but really, what she just said, it’s exactly how he feels about the Shitennou. Even if they’ve never met in good terms in this life. Endymion’s memories are strong enough for the feelings to remain unchanged.

“So, they did serve under you.” Ikuko brings him back to the present. “But what I don’t understand is how? When?”

For a while no one says anything.

“I think we should tell both her and Shingo everything.” Naru voices her opinion. “I mean, it’ll help them understand, and it’s not like they’ll be in any more danger than they already are knowing that Usagi was a senshi.”

It takes a few seconds, but finally they all agree. Then, knowing how hard it’ll be for them, especially after what already happened the previous day, Hina decides to be the one to tell the story. She knows enough, and if she forgets something they can remind her.

“It all began many, many years ago,” She begins the tale. “In a time now believed to be nothing more than legend, an era known throughout the galaxy as the Silver Millennium…”

It takes over an hour for Hina to get through the whole tale; and even then she leaves quite a few things out, like the details of their deaths, and just how gruesome the war actually was; she doesn’t think the woman (or Shingo) needs to have their kind of nightmares. And even then, knowing what she knows, is enough to make Ikuko cry.

“My baby…” She sobs, embracing Usagi as tightly as she can. “For you to go through so much, in that life, and even now… my poor, poor baby…”

Mamoru smiles, he never imagined that revealing the truth would make Usagi even closer to her mother, and yet it’s a welcome consequence; he knows how much his soulmate loves her family, it’s good to see her happy with them. And then, to his surprise, Ikuko extends an arm and pulls him into the hug as well; Mamoru is so shocked by this he doesn’t put up any resistance and is quickly surrounded by the arms of the older woman, while pressed against his beloved.

“You are family now too Mamoru-san.” She informs him with a teary smile. “You always will be family.” She turns to the two girls a few feet away. “And you as well girls.”

Hina and Naru nod silently, truly touched by the heart of the woman so willing to include them, even when she practically just met Hina.

“I still don’t like the idea of you having to go into the enemy’s territory, especially considering how bad things went before.” Ikuko exhales as she slowly lets them go. “But I know why you’re doing it and I guess I’ll just have to pray that everything will be alright.”

“I’m really sorry about worrying you like this mama…” Usagi whispers.

She’s sitting on her heels, on the ground before her mom, and half laying against Mamoru.

“It’s okay sweety, like I said, I understand why this is necessary.” The older woman can’t help but smile. “You wouldn’t be the girl I raised if you weren’t so willing to do anything for your friends.” She turns to smile at Mamoru then. “I always knew you and my daughter were meant to be together. I just never imagined it would be like this.” She kisses each of their brows in turn. “You have my blessing.”

Hina’s eyes suddenly sparkle.

“Talking about blessings…” She begins, a coy smile on her face. “I have an idea.”

“What kind of idea?” Mamoru isn’t sure he likes her expression.

“If this works as I think it will serve as protection for the two of you in the Dark Kingdom.” Hina elaborates. “A way for Beryl not to be able to touch you, or to even try to influence you with her dark magics.”

“And what does this idea consist of?” Even Ikuko is interested at this point.

“A bonding ceremony.” Hina answers.

“Hand-fasting.” Naru blurts out as she understands what Hina’s suggesting.

Usagi can only gasp, while Mamoru is left breathless; they stare at the two reincarnated priestesses for a few seconds before turning to each other. They know how deep their love runs, they’re already engaged… do they dare do this? Now? And if they do, just what kind of consequences will there be?

“I told you already you have my blessing.” Ikuko reassures the young couple. “I will be happy with whatever you decide.”

xXx

Still, neither of them are able to decide in that moment, or even as they walk back to their apartment and prepare for bed; they haven’t even talked about it, almost afraid to find out what the other is thinking about the whole thing. Neither of them is really sure what possibility makes them more afraid: if the fact that the other may not want to do the ceremony, or that they may really want it… It’s until they’re in their nightclothes and getting settled in bed when finally one of them dares speak.

“I want to do it…”

“Are you sure?”

“Yes, I’m very sure. I want to be with you forever.”

“As do I. Very well, we’ll do it tomorrow then.”

“Are you sure?”

“More than I’ve ever been in my life. Tomorrow night we’ll be husband and wife.”

 

Moonlight destiny
Hohoemi mo kanashimi mo wakeaeru ne to (Through all the joy and the pain, we will share it together)
Mune de sou kanjite iru anata to nara (In my heart that’s how I feel, when I am with you)

Chapter 16. Love Eclipse

It’s still quite early in the morning when Tsukino Ikuko opens her door to find Chiba Mamoru at the door. She smiles at him and gestures for him to come in as she returns to the kitchen, where she’s washing the breakfast dishes. The mother waits patiently for a few minutes as she finishes her chore; eventually realizing the young man is just too nervous to say anything at all, he needs a little push.

“So Mamoru-san, what brings you here?” Ikuko asks.

He’s about to answer when Shingo pokes his head in, and seeing Mamoru there, decides to hang around and see what’s going on.

“Ikuko-san.” Mamoru begins after a deep breath. “I realize I’ve gone around this the wrong way; usually I should have come to you first, to ask for your permission, but since I’ve already asked her the question, I’m instead asking for your blessing. I truly love your daughter, more than my own life, it’s my greatest wish to marry her, and I would be honored if you allowed me that pleasure.” He straightens up as he pronounces the formal words to seal his request: “I, Chiba Mamoru Darien, would be honored if you, Tsukino Ikuko, as the matriarch of the Tsukino family, were to grant me the hand of your daughter, Tsukino Usagi Serena, in marriage.”

“Shouldn’t you be asking papa this question?” Shingo pipes in, confused.

They all know that in the present time there are very few people left that still go through with things like this, asking the family for the bride’s hand in marriage; but even then, as far as they know, tradition indicates that it’s the father who’s asked.

“If we were dealing with current Earth traditions, yes.” Mamoru nods at the boy. “But since we’ve decided to do things as they were done in Ancient times, it’s different. In this particular case, Serenity was from a matriarchal line, in that life I got Queen Selenity’s blessing… now that I think about it, not even back then did we do things in the right order…” he shakes his head with a sigh. “Anyway, following that particular tradition, I now need Usako’s mom’s blessing.”

Shingo grins, he’s been learning so much in the last couple of days… Who said learning can’t be fun? And yeah, he’ll never be able to tell anyone outside his family about the things he knows, but he still likes knowing.

“I told you last night, Mamoru-san.” Ikuko smiles at him. “You have my blessing.” She adopts a serious tone as she adds. “I, Tsukino Ikuko, as matriarch of the Tsukino family, happily give you, Chiba Mamoru Darien, the hand of my only daughter, Tsukino Usagi Serena, in marriage.”

As if in a daze, the woman approaches Mamoru, who instinctively bows before her, allowing her to kiss his brow. As they both take a step back their eyes clear, as if they had been in a daze.

“Wow mama.” Shingo brings them out of their reverie. “That was really neat! Like all ceremony-like stuff!”

Ikuko turns to her son slowly, as if working to clear her mind.

“Ikuko-san.” Mamoru calls her attention back to him. “How did you know all that? What to say? What to do?”

“Huh?” Both son and daughter are confused.

“You mean that whole thing actually meant something?” Shingo’s really interested.

“The way your mom phrased her speech, and the kiss on my brow; it made things official.” Mamoru explains. “It was the ceremonial way to answer the kind of petition I made.”

“Wow mama.” Shingo’s thrilled. “How did you know all that?”

“I’m not sure.” Ikuko admits, as her head finally clears. “I think I dreamt it last night; I remember a woman, beautiful, regal, in a long white dress, with black hair and a gold symbol on her brow. I think it was a crescent moon; she told me what I needed to say to make the ceremony official.”

Shingo, noticing the shocked expression on his to-be-brother-in-law’s face immediately turns to him for answers.

“I think…” Mamoru’s throat feels suddenly dry. “I think it was Queen Selenity that she saw.”

“Huh?” Shingo’s eyes widen. “But isn’t she… well, dead?”

“Has been for ten thousand years.” Mamoru nods.

“Then how?” Shingo insists on knowing.

“Who knows?” Mamoru shrugs. “Maybe she arranged it before dying with her power, maybe she’s a spirit watching over all of us even now. If so I hope she’s happy.”

It’s not like they themselves didn’t die and were reincarnated so… who knows?

“She obviously is.” Ikuko murmurs. “Why wouldn’t a mother be happy that her daughter has found happiness with someone she loves and who loves her as much as you and our child, our little princess, love each other?”

With the plural she’s referring obviously to the ancient Moon Queen; and Mamoru knows it, knows that they’re both giving him their blessing to go through with what he, what they have planned, not just the hand-fasting, but everything that’s to come after it.

“Thank you…” he whispers in a hoarse, heart-felt voice.

xXx

Usagi blinks a few times, allowing sleep to clear from her mind; yet what she finds once fully awake isn’t what she expected, she isn’t on Mamoru’s bed, in what has been their apartment for quite a few weeks now; instead she finds herself in a beautiful and big white bedroom, the four-poster bed has gauze drapes around it, and as she turns to a side she can see a glass-door that leads to a balcony: and through that she can see the night-sky, way darker than she’s ever seen it. But what truly catches her attention is the globe on the sky, the blue globe, the earth.

“I’m on the Moon!” She gasps out-loud.

Not fully conscious of her own actions she gets on her feet, barely noticing that she’s still wearing her simple nightgown. Her bare feet making no noise as she walks out of the room, through several empty hallways, until finally reaching the throne room. She may not have been there in a long time, but she still remembers enough, and she can sense some kind of humming calling her there. Slowly, almost hesitantly, she pushes open one of the doors to the grand room and peers inside, hoping to find what it is that’s calling her there… she couldn’t have expected what happens next:

“Come in, Serenity, my dear.” A voice calls.

She practically leaps into the room, eyes wide in shock, she doesn’t need to review her memories to know who that voice belongs to…

“Mother…” She gasps.

And there she is, standing tall and magnificent before the silver throne, the picture of elegance, grace and beauty, Serenity’s greatest hero and role model, the Queen of the White Moon, Sovereign of the Silver Millennium, her mother… Queen Selenity.

At one point, many months before, Usagi feared that if she were to ever fully accept all of Serenity’s memories and feelings, if she began seeing Selenity as a mother, she would lose herself, would lose what made her Usagi, including her human family. But it didn’t turn out that way, instead she now feels like she has a bigger family; Tsukino Ikuko will always be her Mama, just like Queen Selenity is her mother. She’s fortunate indeed, not many people get to have more than one mother, and especially such wonderful women as those two are.

Usagi rushes to the Queen and embraces her tightly, she knows that, had they still been in the Silver Millennium, she would have been told such actions aren’t fit for a princess, but at the moment she isn’t Princess Serenity but Tsukino Usagi, and she has a bit more freedoms than her past self ever had. Also, truth is that even is some stuffy Elder or someone else happened to be there and attempted to criticize her, she just wouldn’t care, she’s missed her Mother so much!

“It makes me so happy to see you, my little princess.” Queen Selenity whispers in lunarian.

She embraces the reincarnated form of her daughter tightly, she too pushing aside protocol and what may be correct for people of their station; in that moment the only thing she cares about is the fact that her beloved little girl is there, before her, after so many years.

“I’ve missed you so much mother…” Usagi whispers without letting go.

“You need not miss me, my little princess.” Selenity assures her. “I’m always watching you. While I may no longer be alive, I’m not fully gone either; because of how much power I used to send you, your love and your courts to the future a part of my soul is even now anchored to the Moon, and I’ll remain here at least until what began so long ago is finished…”

“What does that mean?” Usagi is confused.

“It means that for the last ten thousand earth years my soul has been tied to the Moon, to the very ruins of what once was our home.” Selenity explains. “What you see now is just an illusion, a memory we both share of what this place was once like, there’s very little of all this actually left on the Moon.”

“Yet you’re still there.”

“I am, and like I told you, I will remain until what began so long ago ends.” She smiles sadly. “The threat of Metalia, until she’s gone, for good this time, I won’t be allowed to move on, I won’t be free.”

“But that means, you’ll die!”

“No sweetling, I’m already dead, I told you. I’ve been dead since that night, using the power of the Ginzuishou when I knew I wasn’t really meant to, was more than my body could stand. And in all the years that have passed my body has long since become dust, only my soul remains, tied to the ruins of what once was our beautiful kingdom with the residue of power, a residue that will only vanish when the war is finally over.”

Usagi nods, beginning to understand; while she hates the idea of losing her mom, no matter which one they’re talking about, she knows her mother deserves to be able to move on, to go into the afterlife, to join with the soulmate she lost so long ago… the father Serenity never had a chance to know…

“But we’re not here to talk about such depressing things.” Selenity interrupts her thoughts. “I brought you here for a very different reason.”

That definitely calls Usagi’s attention, who raises her head to look at her mother, puzzled.

“Your wedding.” Selenity clarifies with a bright smile.

Usagi promptly blushes.

xXx

The ceremony begins at moonrise. Usagi’s in an ivory white strapless floor-length dress, gorgeous in its simplicity, and no shoes, white and red mini-roses adorn her hair, which is mostly down, except for two bangs twisted back to keep the rest of it in place. Meanwhile Mamoru’s wearing a three-piece black suit with a white shirt underneath, a red-and-white osiria rose pinned to the lapel, he too wears no shoes. They choose to do it in the Tsukino backyard. While a number of other places might have granted them more privacy, it’s important for the ceremony, for the magics they’re hoping to invoke, that they do it under the light of the moon, and while in touch with the earth; which is why they stand on the grass, with no shoes on, their feet directly in contact with the ground.

Naru and Hina stand there in their full priestess regalia, while Ikuko, Shingo and Motoki (who arrived last minute) wear some dressy clothes, choosing to forego shoes as well.

“Here on Terra we believe that the human soul shares characteristics with all things divine.” Being the higher ranked of the two, it’s Katrina who leads the ceremony. “It is this belief which assigned virtues to the four cardinal directions; East, South, West and North. It is according to this belief that we now will align ourselves with these elements. Each of these blessings from the four cardinal directions emphasizes those things which will help you build a happy and successful union.”

“Please turn to face the right direction as it’s called.” Molly says quietly.

Usagi, Mamoru, Ikuko, Shingo and Motoki follow the instructions quietly.

“Blessed be this union with the gifts of the East and the element of Air, for openness and breath, communication of the heart, and purity of the mind and body.” Katrina recites. “From the East you receive the gift of a new beginning with the rising of each Sun, and the understanding that each day is a new opportunity for growth.”

“Blessed be this union with the gifts of the South and the element of Fire, for energy, passion, creativity and the warmth of a loving home. From the fire within you generate light, which you will share with one another in even the darkest of times.”

“Blessed be this union with the gifts of the West, the element of Water, for your capacity to feel emotion. In marriage you offer absolute trust to one another, and vow to keep your hearts open in sorrow as well as joy.”

“Blessed be this union with the gifts of the North, the element of Earth, which provides sustenance, fertility and security. The earth will feed and enrich you, and help you to build a stable home to which you may always return.”

As the blessings proceed Usagi and Mamoru cannot help but think of how the Senshi and the Shitennou could have been part of it all. They hold power over the elements and stand guard over the cardinal directions respectively, after all. They regret that their friends cannot be there, not just to aid the ceremony, but simply to be a part of it. Yet there’s nothing that can be done to change the current situation, and a regretful heart isn’t a way to go into a marriage. So they push the sadness aside and focus on what truly matters: their love.

“Now we proceed with the handfasting ceremony.” Molly announces softly.

“Know now before you go further, that since your lives have crossed in this life you have formed ties between each other.” Katrina recites. “As you seek to enter this state of matrimony you should strive to make real the ideals which give meaning to both this ceremony and the institution of marriage. Do you still seek to enter this ceremony?”

“We do.” Usagi and Mamoru recite in unison.

While the current ceremony might not be in any way legally binding, it’s still very real for them. In their souls they’ve been together since long before they were born, in heart this ceremony will finally bind them together, legal matters can be dealt with later on; hopefully the rest of their friends and family will be there for that one.

“Please hold hands now.” Molly instructs the bride and groom.

Mamoru and Usagi do. Right to right and left to left, their hands entwine, their bodies forming what looks almost like an infinity symbol.

“These are the hands that will passionately love you and cherish you through the years, for a lifetime of happiness.” Katrina murmurs softly yet full of power. “These are the hands that will countless times wipe the tears from your eyes: tears of sorrow and tears of joy. These are the hands that will comfort you in illness, and hold you when fear or grief racks your mind. These are the hands that will hold you tight as you struggle through difficult times. These are the hands that will give you support and encourage you to chase your dreams. Together, everything you wish for can be realized.”

In that moment she cannot help but remember her own wedding, so long ago now. And for just a fraction of a moment, she could have almost sworn he’s there. That her Alexei’s there, standing on one of the corners of the little garden, looking straight at her and smiling…

“Back in earlier years, the hands would be bound with whatever was available: vines, colorful cords, pieces of rope, or scarves. Today we will use these cords to symbolize the binding, or promises.” Molly announces quietly.

She can still remember, being tasked with creating the cords for Katrina’s wedding, and having done so with the help of several of Queen Azar’s handmaidens. Similarly, she remembers Katrina announcing she’d be the one to weave the cords for Molly’s ceremony… which never happened. Molly forces herself to not focus on that, not wanting to mar the beautiful ceremony they’re performing with such sad thoughts. Instead she chooses to focus on the future she dreams of. Of one day hopefully, finally, being able to undergo the ceremony herself, finally getting the chance to call her Kunzite, her Shinichi, husband…

“Mamoru, will you be Usagi’s faithful partner for life?” Katrina inquires.

“I will.” Mamoru answers, voice ringing with honesty.

“Usagi, will you be Mamoru’s faithful partner for life?” Katrina questions next.

“I will.” Usagi replies, just as strongly.

“Will you be each other’s constant friend and one true love?” The priestess asks the questions of the two of them together next.

“We will.” The pair reply in unison.

Molly pulls the first cord out, draping it over Usagi and Mamoru’s crossed hands.

“And so the first binding is made.” She murmurs softly as she steps back.

They thought long and hard about what names to use. After all, in their current lives they’re Chiba Mamoru and Tsukino Usagi, but that doesn’t erase who they used to be, who they still are: Darien and Serena, Endymion and Serenity. In the end they chose to use their human names both because it’s easier and because, as important as their other identities might be at times (especially with the current war against the Negaverse) it doesn’t change who they are Now.

“Usagi, do you promise to love Mamoru without reservation?”

“I will.”

“Mamoru, do you promise to love Usagi without reservation?”

“I will.”

“Will both of you stand by one another in sickness and in health, in plenty and in want, in joy and in sorrow, for as long as you both shall live?”

“We will.”

And so the second cord is draped over the joint hands, the second binding made.

“Mamoru, will you cause her pain?” Katrina asks next.

“I may.” He admits in a whisper.

“Is that your intent?” That question is very important.

“No.” As is the answer.

“Usagi, will you cause him pain?”

“I may.” She admits the same.

“Is that your intent?”

“No.”

“Will you share each other’s pain and seek to ease it?” Katrina questions them both.

“Yes.” And that, that’s what truly matters.

So the third cord is draped in place, and the binding made.

“Mamoru, will you share her dreams?”

“I will.”

“Usagi, will you share his dreams?”

“I will.”

“Will you dream together to create new realities and hopes for this marriage?”

“We will.”

The fourth cord is draped, the binding sealed.

“Usagi, Will you honor this man?”

“I will.”

“Mamoru, Will you honor this woman?”

“I will.”

“Will you both seek to cherish and strengthen that honor?”

“We will.”

The fourth cord is draped, the binding made.

“Usagi, Mamoru, as your hands are bound together now, so your lives and spirits are joined in a union of love and trust.” Katrina announces. “Above you are the stars and below you is the earth. Like the stars your love should be a constant source of light, and like the earth, a firm foundation from which to grow.”

“The knots of this binding are not formed by these chords but instead by your vows.” Molly recites with a small, serene smile. “Either of you may drop the chords, for as always, you hold in your own hands the making or breaking of this union.”

Katrina holds one hand above the joint hands of Usagi and Mamoru, while Molly does the same, but under. The two of them then start reciting a prayer in Ancient. There’s a golden glow of light that starts in their hands and goes to each of the cords, and then their hands. It grows bright enough that the three guests are forced to close their eyes briefly. When they open them again the cords are gone. In some ways it’s as if they were never there, and in others… Usagi and Mamoru can feel them inside, the bonds that connect them, less visible yet at the same time stronger than any physical bind could ever be.

Still holding hands Usagi and Mamoru look straight into each other’s eyes as they pronounce their vows in unison. The words coming to them as if by divine intervention:

“Under the light of the moon, over the life-giving earth, with the blessings of our family and friends, I promise you that from this day on, you will be my only one. I shall look at no other the way I look at you, I shall think of no other the way I think about you, I shall talk to no other the way I talk to you, I shall desire no other the way I desire you, and I shall lay with no other the way I lay with you. I shall be with no other for you are now and forever shall be my one and only; my friend, my lover, my partner, my match.”

They might not know it just yet, but those words, they’re the Ancient Vows, the oldest and strongest vows to ever exist, said to be so strong that the couples that pledge themselves to each other with them will never be separated. Their union will last through everything, past time and space, beyond life and death. They shall be together until the last star falls from the sky…

“Now, by the power vested in me by the Golden Kingdom of the Earth and the White Moon Kingdom, I pronounce you bound.” Katrina announces (and she does have that kind of authority, even from the moon, Usagi herself granted it to her before the start of the ceremony). “I bid you now to be two minds with a single thought, two hearts that beat as one. Your two souls have now merged into one, and so you shall remain, from now to the end of time…”

There’s a heaviness to the air, as if the world itself can feel how momentous the occasion is. Tears sparkle in Ikuko’s eyes as she watches her beloved daughter, holding hands with the love of her life (of two lives!), the woman prays silently that, wherever she might be, Queen Selenity can witness this perfect moment. Motoki just watches in awe, as his past life settles more and more into the back of his mind, he doesn’t stop being Motoki, but the new memories allow him to understand better everything that’s happening, it’s importance. The beauty of a moment that didn’t get the chance to happen when it first should have, so long ago. Shingo himself, while not quite as emotional as the other two, cannot help but think that his sister looks pretty in that moment, and happier than he’s ever seen her before. For perhaps the first time in his life Shingo doesn’t even think about teasing or mocking his older sister, he’s just happy for her. And determined to keep an eye on things, prince or no prince, if Mamoru hurts his big sister Shingo will find a way to make him pay!

“You may now kiss!” Molly pipes in with a bright smile.

A giggle escapes Usagi’s lips, short, as Mamoru proceeds to do as suggested and the giggle gets drowned in a short but very heart-felt kiss. Katrina rolls her eyes, just a bit, though there’s a smile on her own face.

Before anyone has the chance to cheer and congratulate the couple, something happens that neither of them could have ever expected. As there’s a sudden, unexpected pale golden glow all around them; not so strong as to hurt, but enough that they all lose sight of their surroundings. When it clears just a moment later, they’re no longer standing in the garden of the Tsukino home, but instead in the middle of what looks like the biggest rose garden any of them have ever seen. In the distance there’s a stone building, a temple…

“Elysion…” Mamoru exhales at it all hits him.

It’s as he speaks, his voice coming out deeper than usual, that it hits him. The fact that he’s shifted, and not into Darien, or even Tuxedo Kamen, but into Endymion. Similarly, Usagi’s own appearance and essence has shifted into that of Serenity. Endymion has all of a second to panic, if the Dark Kingdom senses them, senses the change in them…!

“Worry not, sire, Elysion remains entirely shielded from the Negaverse’s power, they cannot sense what goes on within our borders.” A male voice announces.

They all turn in time to see three figures approaching; coming from the direction of the temple: two are identical girls with alabaster skin, pale-lilac eyes, very long hair of a pink so light it’s almost white in a hairstyle that’s somewhat reminiscent of Sailor Moon’s; they’re wearing toga-like floor-length dresses and their feet are bare. In between them and a couple of steps before them stands a boy, he looks young yet there’s an agelessness in his golden eyes and solemn expression; he has short blue-white wavy hair, is wearing a long-sleeved tunic-like shirt, pants and shoes, all white with trim in two tones of blue, and some golden details.

“High Priest Helios, Ladies Maenads, be welcome in this circle.” Katrina pronounces formally.

She and Molly drop into elaborate curtsies instinctively the moment they lay eyes on the three newcomers. Helios nods formally at them, the Maenads saying nothing, just smiling, and then the attention of all three turns to the couple, who’re still holding hands loosely.

“My King…” Helios pronounces formally, and he proceeds to drop on one knee.

The Maenads follow suit, their movements fluid and so in sync it’s almost eerie.

Helios’s choice of address… it’s like some sort of bomb dropping in the middle of the ground, as a single memory echoes in the heads of all reincarnated Terrans at the same time.

“The Queen is Dead… Long live the King…” Katrina and Molly whisper in unison.

It’s true. Endymion isn’t the Prince anymore, hasn’t been for a long time, even back in the last days of the Silver Millennium. The war may have made it impossible for a formal coronation to take place, but that doesn’t change their reality. At the time of his death, of the Fall, he was very much King Endymion of the Golden Kingdom of the Earth… And with Usagi, Serenity, being now bound to him in marriage…

“My Queen…” Helios’s next words clear any possible doubt of that part.

It’s… staggering, the way everything changes, and nothing does, all at the same time. Endymion is King of the Earth, but then again, he already was, even if no one could remember it. Serenity is his Queen, just as she is Queen of the White Moon Kingdom, even if nothing but ruins remains of the latter. And even with all that of that, none of it changes the fact that they have a duty to fulfill, a plan, and they will go through with it.

Helios informs them that now that they’ve fully regained control of their power, they can choose to conceal it. The moment they leave Elysion no one will be able to sense anything has changed if they don’t wish it.

Serenity cannot help but feel sad at all the things her Senshi are missing. Yet to what she told Endymion and the other girls she’ll hold: them being alive holds more value to her than them being there, than them knowing the truth. As long as they’re alive, have a chance to live their lives, to be happy, everything else will be worth it…

xXx

The sun is rising when the group reappears in the Tsukino backyard, Usagi and Mamoru are back to being themselves, in the clothes they chose for their handfasting. The group say their goodbyes and go their own ways. Naru and Hina finalize all details needed to ensure no one will go looking for them while they’re away. Usagi and Mamoru for their part lock themselves in their bedroom and don’t leave it for the rest of the day. It’s about more than just the chance to consummate their union. It’s the opportunity to know and worship one another in a way they never got the chance to, in their past lives. And in a small, though not inconsiderable way, it’s even a goodbye, as they both know they won’t get the chance to be intimate while in the Dark Kingdom.

As the sun begins to set, Serena, Darien, Katrina and Molly make their way to the same seldom used corner of the park, the place where Beryl confronted them three days earlier. She’s already there, awaiting them.

“Well, well, well,” She greets them, in a tone of voice that Serena cannot help but find grating. “I was starting to wonder if you were coming at all.”

“We gave our word,” Darien says simply.

“So you did,” Beryl agrees. “I wonder, if your Prince is as much a man of his word as you are?”

She gets no reply, they just don’t see the point.

“I guess we’ll see, won’t we?” She decides.

A moment later, they’re gone.

xXx

In various places throughout Tokyo, several people turn their eyes to the night-sky silently, most of them feeling that something has happened, like something is missing, even if they cannot pinpoint the reason or the origin of such a sensation. Those that do know though, they just close their eyes as they send silent prayers to whatever Higher Power might exist that those dear to them will be alright, will be safe, and will return to them…

 

Moonlight destiny
Itsu made mo dare yori mo soba ni itai no (Forever, more than anyone, I want to be with you)
Kono hiroi sora no shita de meguriaeta anata (Below this spacious sky above, you who I met by chance)

Chapter 17. The Dark Kingdom

They had a plan, when they decided to acquiesce to Beryl’s demands and go with her into the Dark Kingdom; they did it in order to try and help the Shitennou. It wasn’t a reckless, desperate choice, one made without considering the implications. They thought things through, they made a plan. Needless to say, things didn’t go according to plan. At all.

Beryl knew better than to try and split them up. At least, that’s how it seemed at first. They were given a set of quarters deep in the labyrinthine caves where the Dark Kingdom had set up shop. Deep enough under the earth that the cold wasn’t as unbearable. Though even then both Katrina and Molly were wearing shoes, which they never did, usually. Which they explained was less about the cold, and more about the darkness that pervaded every corner of the place. The cold they could have endured, even mostly ignored, the darkness was another matter entirely.

Darien was also fairly certain that the only reason his beloved didn’t collapse almost as soon as they arrived, was due to their bond. They were so far away from the sky, from the moon… the first couple of days Serena slept so much and then spent even the time she was awake more than a little distracted, almost listless. Darien would have worried if he weren’t expecting some kind of reaction from being kept away from her source of power. After seeing her senshi weakening after the loss of Sailor Moon, it was only to be expected. Thankfully, by the end of the third day Serena seemed to be able to find some kind of balance, the bond between them strengthening as she, as both of them, adapted to their circumstances.

They grew complacent, that was their mistake. Beryl demanded their presence in the Dark Kingdom in order to draw out Endymion, to bring the Earth Prince to her. She didn’t know the truth about Darien, and about Serena. They thought that was it. All they had to do was outlast her. Wait for the perfect opportunity to free the Shitennou. It was supposed to be simple… They should have known better. Things are never simple.

About a week into their stay in the Dark Kingdom, Beryl demanded that one of them lead a group of youma to Tokyo to gather energy. They refused.

“No…?” Beryl repeated in obvious disbelief. “What do you mean no?”

“No means no.” Darien said stoically. “Are you hard of hearing? Or perhaps just unfamiliar with the concept.”

“No one tells me no!” Beryl hissed.

“No,” Molly repeated pointedly, and then proceeded to say the same in Ancient, in English, and then in close to a dozen different languages.

“No one tells me no!!!” Beryl snarled, livid.

“You wanted us here, and here we are, but we’re not your minions, Beryl.” Darien reminded her.

No, they weren’t her minions, they were forced guests at best, political hostages at worst.

“We don’t follow your orders.” Darien added for good measure.

“Are you sure about that?” She asked, an odd, terrible glint in her eyes.

They should have known it wouldn’t be that easy. Should have known there were consequences to telling ‘no’ to someone like Beryl. Wasn’t that the whole point of things? All the chaos and mayhem and tragedy that started with war in the Golden Kingdom of Earth and ended with the Fall of the Silver Millennium, it started when Beryl was told no, by Prince Endymion…

“Perhaps you need a reminder of why it’s a bad idea to tell me no…” She snarled darkly.

It all happened too fast for them to do anything about it. The Shitennou were already in the room. She turned in their direction, by the time Darien got an inkling of what was coming it was already too late. In a motion too quick to truly follow Nephrite suddenly found himself with a blade (his own!) in his stomach. Then, before he even got the chance to cry out, a vortex formed behind him and he was pushed through. Ensuring that even if the stab didn’t kill him immediately, neither Darien nor any of the others would be able to help him.

And just like that, they lost Nephrite.

It was Beryl who miscalculated then. She could only see the way her actions might serve to secure her hold on Darien and the three girls. Never realizing that those same actions were at the same time wearing on the hold she had on the Shitennou.

Darien and Serena locked themselves in their room for a whole day. As she held her beloved tightly, offering what comfort she could at the loss of Nephrite, of a man who’d once meant so much to him, not just as one of his Generals, but also as friend, almost a brother… The mere thought of such loss. Serena cannot imagine ever losing any of her senshi, doesn’t want to. What time Mercury was away, that she spent as Dark Mercury, was bad enough. Truly, one just needs to think about the fact that the last time that she lost them, that she lost everyone, Serenity chose to give up her own life for the hope of a second chance. The thought of fighting, of surviving, of moving on… it never even occurred to her.

It shocked them more than a little when they finally came out of their room eventually to find that things had changed quite more than either of them could have expected.

“Huh…? Where’s Katrina-san?” Serena asked, curious as she looked around.

The set of rooms they were granted consisted of two bedrooms, one that Serena and Darien shared, the other for the two priestesses, a shared bathroom, all of it connected through a room set up as a living room, with a small kitchenette in a corner. Like a small apartment of sorts. According to Zoisite it was the only such set of rooms, as the four of them were the only ones who required human food. The Shitennou, while they could eat, most never did. Nephrite liked it for some reason, and Zoisite was pretty sure Kunzite did too, even if he’d never actually seen the eldest of the Shitennou eat any human food.

The four of them spent the majority of the time in their common room, only retiring to their bedrooms to sleep, and only leaving their quarters when Beryl insisted on it for whatever the reason (which she’d only done a few times before her attempt to send them to attack their home, and not once since). Which is why Serena, and even Darien, were more than a little surprised when they came out of their bedroom to find Molly silently working on a piece of cloth. Which had become pretty common, even before their arrival to the Dark Kingdom; spinning thread and weaving it to make cloth was a talent Molly seemed to be particularly proud of. She also claimed the quiet, simple motions helped calm her down, almost like a form of meditation. The surprise though, actually came from the fact that Katrina was nowhere to be found.

“She’s with Zoisite.” Molly’s answers only served to shock the couple even more.

It wasn’t that they weren’t aware of the connection between the two, they were, very much so. And of course finding the way to free the Shitennou was one of their main goals for going into the Dark Kingdom at all. And yet…

Darien was still processing the implications of Katrina being with Zoisite, when the door leading to their quarters opened and the two of them stepped into the room.

“Oh, you’re out and about, finally!” Katrina declared in her usual no-nonsense tone, which softened somewhat as she added: “Are you alright?”

“Am I…?” He echoed, clearly at a loss. “Katrina…”

“Are you two alright?” Serena asked quietly.

That seemed to throw pretty much everyone for a loop. Katrina and Zoisite in particular, who were clearly expecting all sorts of reactions, anything but what they actually got. Even Molly seemed a tad confused at Serena’s calm acceptance of Zoisite’s presence in their private quarters. Darien’s the only one completely unsurprised. He knows his beloved.

“My lady…” Zoisite bows his head respectfully, clearly at a loss.

“I know you’re aware of things, Zoisite.” Serena carefully avoided saying anything potentially incriminating. They couldn’t be sure just how private their quarters truly were, after all. “You respect us. Did even when we faced each other in the battlefield. And now… if Katrina has brought you to our rooms. I trust her to know her own heart, and more than that, to know yours. So I will welcome you and ask again, how are you?”

“I’m alright, my lady, alright indeed.” Zoisite whispered quietly.

That was the first, but certainly not the last time Zoisite visited them in their rooms. What’s more, Katrina began spending her nights with him, instead of with Molly. For all intents and purposes they were back to living as husband and wife… or as close as they could get while in the Dark Kingdom. Beryl knew some of it. At least she knew about Katrina spending a fair amount of time with Zoisite. They were all sure she saw it as one of her Generals working to tie them to the Dark Kingdom, to secure their loyalties. She’d no idea that it was the complete opposite. And it was all her fault, in the end, she was the one who showed her hand, revealed how little she actually cared about the Shitennou, and in doing so lost their loyalty once and for all.

The group talked often, using somewhat vague words and cushioned in terms that might allow them not to give away their secrets. It was insane. But then again, the whole thing was insane from the start, and yet they were still there. And still trying to push some version of their original plan through. Even after Nephrite’s loss. They could have never expected the next blow…

“What do you mean Jadeite is awake?!” Katrina blinked, clearly not expecting that.

“It’s the truth.” Zoisite nods grimly. “He’s been awake for a while. I realized it when I was sussing him out as a possible ally.”

“How can he possibly…? His loyalties…” Molly couldn’t seem to find the right words to express her mix of shock and offense.

“He’s in love with her.” Darien exhaled. “He always has been.”

“Wha…?” That threw both priestesses for a loop.

“I’m afraid so, yes.” Zoisite nodded.

“People will do crazy things for love.” Serena murmured quietly.

“You talk as if the two of them were together back then as well…” Molly points out.

“They were.” Zoisite and Darien muttered almost at the same time.

“Wha…?” Once again the priestesses were thrown for a loop.

“Why don’t I remember any of this?” Katrina wanted to know.

“It’s less a matter of you not remembering, and more that you never knew, because it wasn’t that important, not at the time.” Zoisite shrugged.

“You knew.” Katrina pointed out the obvious.

“I make a habit of knowing things.” Her husband shrugged. “It’s what I do.”

It’s the truth. It’s not that he’s a scholar, in the strictest sense, that’s always been more Kunzite’s thing. Reading books, researching matters, learning all sorts of new things. Zoisite… he researches people. At the most basic level he’d say that he likes knowing what makes people tick. It’s also proven to be a useful skill to have, more than once saving his life, and that of his brothers-in-arms, and his Prince. He always made a point on learning everything about everyone who was anyone. Regretfully, while he did know about Beryl, he didn’t know enough.

“Beryl first showed up at the Golden Palace as a Courtesan, not quite a year before it all went to hell.” Zoisite began explaining what he knew. “Her status as illegitimate made it impossible for her to secure a good, legal match, to become a wife, but she was still recognized as having the blood of one of the Old Kings, and that granted her a certain status. Enough for her to live in the palace, even as a courtesan.”

The Old Kings. It was well known that for many years Earth had been filled with many kingdoms who seemed to be perpetually fighting against each other. And then a young, adventurous King decided they all could do more if they worked together instead of being in constant conflict. He wasn’t alone, as he had the help of his young, beautiful spell-weaver wife. When the Golden Kingdom came to be, the two of them were officially crowned as King Prometheus and Queen Azar. Even before that they’d each of them belonged to royal lines. Of Kingdoms that, with the creation of the Golden Kingdom, existed no more. It was, in fact, thanks to Queen Azar’s own heritage that she was able to hold the throne herself after the death of the King, instead of being pressured into passing the crown to Endymion right away.

In any case, after the creation of the Golden Kingdom it’d have been a bad idea to ignore the wealth: economical, political, social and in pure knowledge, that the previous Kings possessed. And so, while the old Kingdoms ceased to exist, they were still granted high ranks, offered positions in the Council, that sort of thing. While officially they were all Dukes and Grand Dukes (depending on their original kingdoms), many people knew them simply as the Old Kings.

Andrew himself had been somewhat related to one such line, a nephew or something along those lines. Katrina had the blood of two lines herself. The Shitennou, all four of them, were children or grandchildren of the Old Kings as well. Molly was perhaps the only oddity in their little group, in that she was the daughter of a minor lord. Her path to the Elysian Order having been a very different one (not one she liked to remember, really).

“I believe she aspired to becoming the Prince’s mistress, eventually.” Zoisite explained with a shrug. “It wouldn’t have been impossible. Her own mother was the mistress of one of the Old Kings after all.”

“But what good would being a mistress do her?” Molly didn’t understand.

“It depends.” Katrina murmured, thoughtfully. “On its own? Nothing much. Even as the mistress of a King… she’d have been granted some security, but not much more. However, if she had birthed a son, and if the Queen didn’t… something she could have ensured herself… That’s where the situation changes. A King must have an heir after all, and if the Queen cannot give it to him, and the mistress conveniently already has one…?”

Yeah, she could have convinced the King to legitimize her son, making the boy his heir. Then, while still being technically a mistress, she’d have also been the mother of the Crown Prince…

“But that only works if she can ensure there not being an heir…” Molly pointed out, thoughtfully.

“Living in the palace, it wouldn’t have been impossible for her to ensure it, at least, not under normal circumstances.” Katrina admits.

Of course, the moment Endymion became engaged to Serenity circumstances became anything but normal. There was no way Beryl could have ever gotten near enough to her to go through with her plan. Not that Endymion would have ever taken her as his mistress at all.

“Jadeite loves her.” Darien muttered.

“He does, like you said, he has from the start.” Zoisite nodded, a hint of sadness in his expression. “He favored her from the moment she arrived to the castle. I think a part of him hoped that one day she’d choose him.”

“She never will.” Katrina said grimly. “This… it’s gone beyond a plan or a throne. She’s done too much, given too much, to pull back now.”

“And even if she were to stop pursuing Endymion, that won’t stop the fact that she’s a threat to this planet.” Serena reminded them.

“He’ll never go against her.” Darien added, morosely.

No, he wouldn’t, which meant that they’d have to fight him. Regardless of how much Darien might want Jadeite back… the blonde had made his choice.

That certainly introduced a kink into their plans. It’s complicated enough trying to device a plan to ‘wake up’ Kunzite. Neither of them want to even think about the possibility of him not choosing to be on their side when that happens. They can’t imagine having even more enemies they’ll need to fight. As if Beryl and possibly Metalia weren’t bad enough already… And the new girl: Kuroki Mio, none of them even know where she came from, though they can all tell that she isn’t human, at all. Also, she isn’t around too often, which Serena believes means she might be the one Beryl is sending with the youma (since she isn’t sending the Shitennou); she can only hope her senshi are alright.

“They will be alright, my love, you just gotta believe in them.” Darien told her when he noticed how much she worried. “Believe, they’re strong.”

And she does. She believes…

xXx

In the end it all comes to a head in a way none of them could have ever planned for.

Molly’s restless. She’s always been the kind of person to be a bit restless, from a very young age. It’s one of the things that drew her to Usagi in her current life. Such energy, joy and boundless enthusiasm, how could she not be drawn to it? In the past… it wasn’t as easy. Her restlessness, her fidgety attitude, her constant needed to be moving around, were but some of the reasons the Aurora Order turned her away. They claimed she wasn’t settled enough, didn’t have the right disposition, to be one of them, that her attitude disturbed the peace of the other priestesses. She knows now that was far from the truth. On the most basic level, the Aurora Order didn’t want her because they could gain nothing from her.

With the Elysian Order being so exclusive (and half believed to be extinct at the time), the Aurora Order was the highest ranking and most prestigious of the religious orders in the Golden Kingdom. They took advantage of that. Priests and priestesses didn’t just serve in the Temples of the Orders. Sometimes a Duke or another High Lord may request a religious representative settle in their property, to serve as a spiritual leader in their household, perhaps even for the local populace. The High Priests of the Aurora Order took advantage of that, seeking ‘donations’, tributes of any and all kinds in exchange of their priests and priestesses. And it wasn’t even just that, but once their people were placed, they’d be in perfect position to further the Aurora Order’s particular beliefs. And of course, having the younger children of High Houses was even more useful. The Order could boast about such families preferring them; nevermind that those who had any real gift could tell that most of those young priests and priestesses didn’t have any gift, or even any real inclination for the priesthood.

Molly was an oddity in many ways. She was born the only daughter of a minor lord and lady. Her mother was actually of higher rank than her father, the eldest child of a favored lord in service of one of the Old Kings. Her father, the youngest child of a lesser lord, chose to become a knight, seeking to improve their circumstances. It didn’t work. Not just that but he got killed when she was still a baby. Molly has no memories of him. Being from a lesser house, and the youngest of three, his father refused to keep Molly and her mother, so they were forced to return to the house of her maternal grandfather. That didn’t seem so bad at first, her grandfather loved her mother dearly. The issue? He didn’t love Molly. He saw the little girl as a reminder that his favorite daughter defied his wishes to marry a man he didn’t choose for her. At first it wasn’t so bad, Molly’s mother loved her very much, and that was enough. Then her mother remarried and… it was wonderful. Her stepfather was a wonderful man who was interested not just in her mother, but in Molly herself as well. Everything seemed perfect.

It didn’t last. Three times her mother became pregnant, and each time she lost the baby. The first two it happened early on in the pregnancy. The last was late enough for everyone to learn of the pregnancy, and when it resulted in a stillborn baby. Molly was there for the failed birth, doing all she could to aid her mother, and her baby brother. It was probably the most traumatic memory of Molly’s life. Even more so than what followed.

Turns out that, with her uncles all dead, her grandfather intended to pass on his position and power to his only remaining child, his daughter, but that could only happen if she was married and with a son (their line was patriarchal). When her stepfather found out about it, not just about the intentions, but that it’d only be possible if he had a child with Molly’s mother… He changed. He became obsessed with having a son. And when it became clear how unlikely it was that Molly’s mother would be able to give it to him. He decided that Molly herself would do.

When her mother found out about what had happened, she cried. She loved Molly so much, and hadn’t been able to protect her daughter, all she had left of her first husband, whom she loved so dearly… She bid Molly to leave. To flee. To join an Order or something and never return. For her own safety. And as much as it hurt, Molly did it. She made it to the Temple of the Aurora Order and joined as an acolyte.

Months later the news reached Molly at the temple. Her mother was dead. Died during delivery of a baby boy who perished himself less than 24 hours later. The grief was so strong, Molly couldn’t help but wonder if she could have made a difference, had she been there. And then other news reached them: her stepfather was claiming she was to blame for the tragic loss of his wife and son. There was absolutely no logic to it, but he was still doing it. And what’s more, he claimed that she was a deviant, who slipped into his bed in the middle of the night, seduced him, trying to take her mother’s place! When it was the whole opposite!

She was dismissed from the Order, supposedly because the ‘stain on her honor’ couldn’t be allowed to become a stain on the Order (she knows the truth, the death of her mother and the inheritance going to a distant cousin meant there was nothing the Order could gain from her, so they were no longer interested in having her). She was trying to make it to another town where she might be able to start over, when a group of men accosted her. Supposed knights, there was nothing gentlemanly or honorable about them. She has no doubt what would have become of her at their hands if Prince Endymion and his retinue hadn’t come down that road when they did. It was them who rescued her, Kunzite who used his own cloak to cover her, who lead her to the carriage, where the Prince insisted she join him. It was Katrina who claimed her for the Elysian Order, who gave her, a lonely, disgraced girl a chance at a new beginning… It was also Kunzite who, when members of the Aurora Order visiting the Golden Palace months later, questioned her virtue, her honor, and her right to be an Elysian Priestess stepped forth. He defended her most vehemently, going as far as calling her his betrothed. Until then she’d had the utmost respect and admiration for him, feelings that could have easily become love from the start, they certainly did very quickly after the fact; but she kept it from happening for the longest time. Not daring to believe that he might ever choose her. How wrong she was!

The cloak she’s been working on? It’s the closest she’s been able to get to his old Shitennou cloak. The very same he wrapped around her the day she was rescued on that road. The same he refused to allow her to give back, once they made it to the palace, claiming that the castle could be a bit drafty and she might need it to keep warm (it was a lie, the Golden Palace was a wonder of architecture and not the kind to get ‘drafty’). Still she kept it, wearing it as often as she could get away with. Is it a wonder that she fell in love with him? That she was so happy when he called her his betrothed, and not just that, but then asked her to make the lie a reality and join her life with his for real?

She wants her Kunzite back! Wants the man who loved her so much yet couldn’t find a way to tell her until he called her his betrothed before the whole Council, the House of Lords and several high ranking visitors. Wants Shinichi back. The man who trusted her into his life and into his heart; who trusted her with the life of his Prince, their King, when he could no longer protect the man himself. Wants Shin back. The man who was so scared and fascinated by the world in turns; who took her hand and followed where she lead, who planted her favorite flowers in his garden in order to see her smile. She wants her soulmate back!

“I should have killed you from the start.”

Molly freezes in shock. One caused not only by the words, or the cold, threatening voice pronouncing them, but also by the fact that she didn’t sense anyone nearby until the voice reached her ears!

“I knew from the beginning you were going to be a problem.” Jadeite steps out from a nook to block her path. “Kunzite was so taken with you, and why? I could never get it. There’s nothing special about you. Just a foolish little girl, a commoner, a whore…”

Molly’s deeply offended, but she knows better than to show it. She might not be the defenseless little girl she was back when first meeting the Shitennou, but she’s still not a warrior, exactly, and Jadeite is one of the very best to ever come from the Golden Kingdom… She stands no chance against him, so all she can do is call for help, wait, and hope they’ll get there in time.

xXx

Serena knows something’s wrong. She doesn’t know what it is exactly, or even where the feeling’s coming from. She still knows, instinctively, that something’s wrong. She looks around. To Darien and Zoisite, standing in a corner, making and dismissing plans of attack against the Negaverse. It’s not the first time they do it, and the longer it goes, the more insane and ridiculous their plans get. Serena’s half convinced they only do it as a way to distract themselves from the monotony of their days; they must know none of their plans are actually plausible! Katrina’s on a chair by the fire, a sketchbook in her hands, she’s drawing something. It’s then that Serena realizes that someone’s missing. Usually Molly can be found on the chair across from Katrina, working on her weaving. Only she isn’t there now, and Serena can’t actually remember how long it’s been since she’s been gone.

“Where’s Molly?” She asks suddenly.

Her tone of voice, deep and sharp, more than the words themselves, calls everyone’s attention. They all look around briefly, as if confirming the redhead’s absence.

“She likes to take a walk sometimes…” Darien begins.

“We need to find her.” Serena interrupts him before she can finish. “I… something’s wrong with Molly, we need to find her.”

She doesn’t even wait for any of the others to agree or disagree with her, rushing to the door and out of the room in seconds. They’ve just made it to the first intersection when Katrina stumbles briefly, Zoisite extending a hand to stabilize her almost as an after-thought.

“Molly’s calling for help.” She informs the others. “We need to hurry.”

It’s not easy. The energy in the Dark Kingdom makes it harder for all of them to use most of their gifts. Even the most basic ones. Even then, Darien draws on what power he can, and he and Katrina work together to track Molly to the best of their abilities.

Serena is beyond worried. They’ve no idea how long Molly’s been gone, or where in the vast maze of passages, halls and chambers where the Dark Kingdom has chosen to settle in this life, she might have gone. And the pervading darkness of the Negaverse makes her absolutely useless! It’s not the first time she’s felt so impotent, so unable to help one of her dearest friends. She’s hated the feeling each and every time. And the thing is… she knew she could change it. She has the power, if she were to just reach for it… But no, if she did that then it’d be the equivalent of pointing a bullseye straight on her, on them all. There’s no way she could call on the power of the Ginzuishou while so deep inside the Dark Kingdom and not be noticed by pretty much everyone, starting with Beryl herself! So, much as the reincarnated lunarian might hate it, she’ll have to pray to the goddess that the others will be able to find Molly in time. It’s not like she’s entirely defenseless, Molly’s a priestess, and a warrior. But depending who’s threatening her, the chances might not be so good… They need to find her soon!

When they finally make it to Molly what they find takes them all by surprise: the young priestess is on the stone ground, a hand pressed to the base of her neck, and the start of a dark bruise already visible around it, in the clear shape of a hand. That would normally be enough to make any of her friends, especially the girls, go ballistic. However, the rest of the tableau is enough to have their fury surpassed by their shock. As they find Jadeite (the most likely suspect of the attempt on Molly’s life), slowly staggering back, a sword through his chest… a blade that belongs to and is being held by none other than Kunzite!

“You will not lay a hand on my lady again!”

 

Moonlight destiny
Hohoemi mo kanashimi mo wakeaeru ne to (Through all the joy and the pain, we will share it together)
Mune de sou kanjite iru anata to nara (In my heart that’s how I feel, when I am with you)

Chapter 18. Senshi Princess

“You will not lay a hand on my lady again!”

That’s what Kunzite says. He calls her ‘my lady’, just like he did, back in the Silver Millennium. And for the first time Darien, Serena, Katrina and Molly, even Zoisite, have to wonder at the chances of the dark-haired Shitennou being awake as well…

Not as impossible as some might have believed, as it turns out.

“You have my gratitude, my lord, for saving my life.” Molly murmurs quietly as she gets on her feet, slowly, voice a bit hoarse.

“My lord?” Kunzite asks unexpectedly, focusing straight on her, and completely ignoring everyone else who just arrived. “Have I fallen so far from your regard that you won’t even call me by my own name? Or at the very least that of Kunzite?”

“Your own…” Molly murmurs, a bit at a loss, when it hits her.

She lets out a wordless cry (somewhat strangled after her recent choking) as she throws herself at Kunzite, holding onto him as tight as she can.

“You remember!” She gaps in shocked wonder. “You remember me…”

“I remember you Molly… I remember you, Naru-chan…”

That, that is more than Molly (or Naru) could have ever dreamed of.

It turns out that Kunzite, just like Zoisite, has been ‘awake’ for a while, also, much like his sworn-brother (and like the senshi), he believed Princess Serenity to be to blame for the end of the Silver Millennium. The memories of the last days of his previous life blurry enough that he had trouble recalling the truth about Beryl. And even when he was self-aware enough to understand the witch was an enemy, he didn’t know enough about Metalia to see the creature for what it truly was: a force of evil, pure and simple.

“And then I saw you,” Kunzite reaches the final part of his story. “I heard your voice, heard your name, and I knew… I knew who you were, on your own, and also to me. I knew you’d never betray me, or our prince. Which meant that if you were choosing to give them your loyalty, there had to be a reason.”

The declaration stuns them all, Molly herself is more than a little breathless. Because it’s… him being unquestionably loyal to Endymion would have been something. And even then, completely out of character for Kunzite who, on the day he swore his oath as one of the Prince’s General’s, was very clear his loyalty would be to the Golden Kingdom first and foremost. It wasn’t a sign of disloyalty, or insubordination towards Endymion, nor did he (or Queen Azar, who witnessed all the oaths) take it as one. No, it was a sign that he loved their realm, and if he ever thought his Prince to be in the wrong, he’d say it. That, they all knew, could be harder at times, to love and respect someone as much as the Shitennou (or at least, most of them) did their Prince, and still be willing to call him out when he might be in the wrong.

So, unquestionable loyalty wasn’t something Kunzite could ever be accused of. He’d certainly doubted Endymion was doing the right thing when it came to Serenity, long before Beryl and the Negaverse came along and complicated matters further. And yet where Molly was concerned… the man loved the auburn-haired young woman so much, even though he didn’t seem to know how to explain it most of the time. To him, the greatest show he could make of that regard was in the form of trust. He trusted her, fully and absolutely, with everything he was. A trust he showed in everything he did, from giving her his cloak and then insisting she keep it, to revealing his own name, and later on his past to her, to wanting her as his bride, to requesting that she remain at their King’s side, guard him, when he no longer could. It was that same trust that made it so when he saw her arrive to the Dark Kingdom, when he realized who she was exactly, and who she was with… that’s when he knew that everything he’d been told about the Fall of the Golden Kingdom was wrong. His priorities then rearranged themselves. It was as simple as that.

“You’re such a… disappointment, Kunzite.” A new voice announces right then. “My Queen Metalia had such high hopes for you… And I should have known better. You always cared too much for that little whore…”

Everyone reacts instinctively as they recognize Beryl’s voice. Not for the first time cursing at the Negaverse that affects their gifts such they didn’t realize the witch was so close. Kunzite’s absolutely furious at Beryl’s words regarding Molly, but he knows better than to let his anger guide him. The situation is precarious enough as it is. The last thing they need is one of them acting out thoughtlessly and endangering them all. He has no idea if the Negaverse can take them over again, either him or Zoisite. They certainly haven’t been able to do anything to the other four, and he knows they’ve tried… But their status as priestesses, their connection to Elysion, protects Katrina and Molly, as for the other two… Kunzite’s pretty sure that it’s the bond they have with each other that’s keeping them safe. And if only for that he’ll be forever grateful to the Moon Princess. And of course, she’s there. In the Dark Kingdom, trying to help him, helping save them all. She didn’t have to. She doesn’t owe any of them a thing. And yet… For perhaps the first time ever, Kunzite begins to see what it is that made Endymion fall so deeply in love with the girl, enough to be willing to defy everything and everyone to be with her. After all, he was willing to do the same for his Molly, wasn’t he?

Everyone moving away from her means that Beryl cannot not notice Jadeite on the ground, dead. She snaps. Going into a rant about how Jadeite was the best of her Generals, the most loyal, the only who truly was there for her… No one’s paying much attention to her rant, instead following on the dark power they can feel growing, the way the very ground under their feet seems to be almost shifting.

“Something’s coming…” The two priestesses whisper under their breath.

“Metalia…” The Shitennou clarify between clenched teeth.

It’d seem that the time for making and discarding plans is passed. The battle is upon them… now.

The first move is perhaps the one that shocks everyone the most. The first thing they notice is when Jadeite opens his eyes again… except they’re not his eyes anymore, entirely black, with no difference noticeable between iris, pupil or sclera. His uniform seems to change as he slowly rises, going completely black and gaining some extravagant detailing. And then… the true shock, when he unsheathes his sword and runs Beryl right through!

They’re all left staring in shock as Beryl’s corpse falls, eyes empty, she’s dead before she hits the stone floor. The surprise is so great, that’s one thing none of them could have seen coming.

“She was of no use to me anymore.” Jadeite… except it’s not Jadeite anymore, it’s Metalia, says for all explanation.

For several seconds no one says anything, they don’t move, it’s hard to tell if they’re even breathing… until they all explode into motion at the same time. Metalia calls on youmas, as many as can be summoned and fit into the big chamber they’re in, at the same time. Darien and the Shitennou throw themselves against the monsters; while the three girls press themselves against the nearest wall, the two priestesses standing guard over Serena, fighting what youmas get close, but without leaving her side.

Serena cannot help but feel a bit useless. There are so many enemies, and they just keep coming, the guys can barely keep up and the girls… they cannot go and truly fight with their men, like they must want to, because they have to stay back to guard Serena. Because she’s not a warrior and thus cannot fight herself. She might be a marvelous healer, and have some talent for magic, but not enough to be useful in the kind of battle currently being fought. She’s not a warrior and never has been… or has she? It’s only then that it hits her, Serena might not be a fighter, and neither was Serenity, and yet that’s not all there is to her, is it? Sailor Moon was a warrior. She might not have been the best, but then again, she didn’t have the inborn instincts, sort-of genetic memory or something that the others seem to possess. And yet that didn’t stop her from fighting. Didn’t stop her from trying, and she even managed to get better in the time she was Sailor Moon… And yet, is that enough? While she wasn’t exactly a pushover as Sailor Moon, neither was she at a level where she could have gone against a Dark General and expect to come out victorious, and this was Metalia! Then again, she didn’t have her crystal (or didn’t fully know she had it, and certainly not how to access it just yet), and thus her powers were somewhat limited. That wouldn’t be the case now. If she were to call on the power, the full power of the senshi of the moon, through the Ginzuishou… maybe that’d be enough. She knows it’s not something she’ll be able to take back and yet… they’re going against Metalia. There is truly no going back at this point. This it it. The battle for their lives, and quite likely, for the whole planet as well.

“Time to change things a bit.” Is all she says to warn the girls.

She says nothing more, not wanting to risk the enemy managing to stop her before she acts. So instead she holds both hands together at chest level, focusing, calling on the power inside her to come out. She can feel as the warmth between her palms grows, as the empty space suddenly isn’t so empty anymore.

Darien can feel the exact moment when things change, when the power shifts around them, and a soft, silvery glow starts taking shape.

“Wha… what’s she doing?” The two last Shitennou hiss at the same time.

“The same we’re doing.” Darien says simply. “Fighting.”

He knows the risk, and he also understands his beloved’s choice, and supports it.

“Moon Crystal Power!” They can all hear the call for power when it comes. “Make up!”

There’s a bright flash of silver light. When it clears… what’s revealed is, yet isn’t, Sailor Moon. Or at least, not the Sailor Moon that was known to fight the Dark Kingdom for several months. The pink in her fuku is a much lighter shade than it was before, while her boots are pink-lined white, instead of the full pink they used to be. There’s no pink on her gloves anymore. There’s also pearls, frills and lace strategically placed, making her look more elegant than before. Not merely Sailor Moon anymore, but Princess Sailor Moon. A senshi of the Moon, with the full power of the Ginzuishou.

“The Ginzuishou!!!” Metalia cries out as the power can be felt throughout the chamber. “It will be mine! All mine!!!”

With Princess Sailor Moon joining the fight, Princess Sword in hand, Molly and Katrina do the same, rushing to join the Shitennou.

“I hope you don’t mind my cutting in.” Moon cannot help but quip as she uses her sword to cut down a youma about to attack her beloved from behind.

“Mind?” Darien smiles at her. “Not at all, my princess… no, my Queen… It’ll be my honor to do battle side by side with you.”

As he says that, Darien shifts himself, not into Tuxedo Kamen, but into Endymion.

It’s probably the most insane battle any of them have ever been in. As the youmas keep coming, one after the other. And yet they also keep falling just as quickly. The six allies move slowly but surely until they form a loose circle, their backs to each other. They keep fighting the enemies as they come at them. Never slowing down, never giving in.

“How long are we going to keep at this?” Zoisite asks eventually.

“As long as we have to!” Kunzite snaps.

“Yes, yes, not that I want to be the pessimist here, but we’re going to all tire eventually, you know?” Zoisite points out. “We cannot keep doing this forever.”

“He’s right.” Molly agrees.

Kunzite opens his mouth, then closes it again. Were Katrina the one to agree, he might have said she was only saying it to agree with her husband. But it’s Molly…

“I’m not saying we’re not all willing to fight, and keep fighting as long as it takes.” She hurries to add. “But objectively speaking… we cannot do that. We need to end this fight.”

“Sooner rather than later.” Katrina adds for good measure.

“We need to destroy Metalia.” Moon points out. “As long as It stands, It can keep calling on youmas. It’s the only way to end this.”

“Do you know how?” Kunzite wants to know.

“I know it can be done with the Ginzuishou.” It’s the best she can offer.

It’s not a perfect answer, she knows. She doesn’t actually know how it can be done. Only that it can. It’ll have to be enough.

“What do you need us to do?” Endymion asks her.

“Cover me for a minute or so, as I commune with the Crystal.” Moon states, not fully knowing where the information is coming from, yet somehow knowing it’s right. “Then… clear the way as much as you possibly can for me. The clearest shot I can get at Metalia the better.”

It’s… perhaps not the best plan ever made. But it’s one that has a fair probability of working. So the Terrans do their best to ensure it gets done. Kunzite and Zoisite have always been pretty decent spell-weavers, even if their specialties are quite different one from the other. They release their biggest attacks, destroying as many youmas with a single move as they possibly can. Expending so much power they’re left panting, deeply drained and half unconscious by the end of it. Endymion, Katrina and Molly handle the stragglers.

“And what good was that supposed to do you?” Metalia asks, mockingly. “What good is it for you to almost kill yourselves destroying a single wave of my youma when I can just keep calling more? Don’t you understand? You’re never going to win. I am Queen Metalia of the Negaverse! I am Evil Incarnate! I am Endless! I Will Always Win!!!”

“Not today.” Is all Endymion says.

He can feel it. The way his beloved connects to her crystal. The moment the power starts to gather, first inside her own body, until it becomes so great she cannot fully contain it anymore. And he can feel the exact moment when she turns her attention from inwards, to outwards…

“Eternal Silver Moonlight!!!”

It’s… almost like a mirage, as the silver light expands from Princess Sailor Moon, it’s like she’s no longer standing there alone. Princess Sailor Moon is standing there, sword in hand; and there’s also Sailor Moon, holding the moon scepter; Serena, holding the Princess Harp; and Princess Serenity with the Ginzuishou in hand; and finally, behind them all, arms extended as if somehow holding all of them, all of her, together, is Usagi; simple, plain, beautiful, perfect Usagi. Standing against the greatest evil ever known…

Then the light becomes so bright, too bright for anyone to keep looking anymore. They’re forced to close their eyes, and even when they do it’s still so intense they cannot help but feel like they’re still seeing it.

And perhaps precisely because of how bright the light was, when its gone the darkness that’s left behind is so intense… it seems to blind them all over again.

No one’s quite sure when or how they all ended on the ground, though that’s where they find themselves when they can finally open their eyes and actually look around them. Endymion’s the first to move, more on instinct than anything else, as he reaches for his princess.

“Hey…” She’s awake, though barely; she’s also back to being Usagi, her power levels too low to be able to sustain any transformation.

“Is it over?” Molly asks quietly.

Before Usagi, or anyone else has a chance to answer, they can all feel it. Some kind of horrible shudder as the stone not just under them, but all around them shifts. It’s subtle at first, then harder, and harder; until it’s not just a trembling anymore, but full on shaking. Like the most violent earthquake imaginable.

“I think the caves are coming down upon us!” Zoisite exclaims, horrified.

“Of course they are,” Kunzite snarls. “The Negaverse was so deeply embedded in this place, and now it’s gone. What did you expect?!”

“How do we get out of here?” Katrina demands before the two Shitennou can truly get into an, in her opinion, absolute pointless argument.

Truth is, they’ve no idea. It’s not like any of them ever made a habit of actually walking out of the place! Portals were far more convenient after all. The problem is that none of them truly has the power for such an endeavor. That last attack truly took all that they had.

“What are we going to do now?” Molly asks, at a loss.

Because truly, have they gotten so far, achieved so much, finally managed to defeat the greatest enemy ever (the same enemy that killed them, that destroyed all civilization in the Sol System a lunarian millennia ago) to just die now, when they’ve finally won?

“This is still your planet, Endymion…” Usagi reminds him softly.

“The Golden Crystal!” He realizes then. “Everyone hold on!”

He cannot be entirely certain it’ll work. But truly, what other choice have they got? At this point, the smallest chance is better than no chance at all. So the Earth King closes his eyes, focuses on the power he knows to be at his core, and calls onto it. Wishing, praying, for it to work.

The caves that once housed the Dark Kingdom finally start falling onto one another, the entire cave system collapsing upon itself. It takes very little time for the wave of destruction to reach the chamber where the final battle between the forces of the Negaverse and the heroes defending the last living planet of the Sol System took place. Only by the time that happens, the chamber is already devoid of any life…

xXx

Roses. It’s the first thing they all notice when they wake up. There are so many roses…

“Whe… where are we…?” Zoisite asks, confused, as he sits up slowly.

Katrina’s beside him and he doesn’t stop holding onto her arm even as she sits seiza.

“Elysion.” Several of them answer at the same time.

Kunzite moves from where he used his body to cover Molly as best he could, with her smiling gently at him as he helps her stand.

On the other side from where Katrina and Zoisite lay Endymion is still on his knees, body curved where he bent over his prone princess in an attempt to protect her.

“My King…” Helios calls, with the barest hint of urgency as he approaches them. “Are you and your companions alright?”

He can sense that his liege-lord is mostly alright, while the priestesses appear to be exhausted but not particularly hurt; the Moon Princess (or is it Queen?) on the other hand isn’t moving, though Helios knows for a fact she’s still alive, while he doesn’t know much of the other two men, and thus cannot tell much about their status.

“King…?” Zoisite blinks, at a loss, before something seems to hit him: “Oh… The Queen is Dead. Long live the King…”

Kunzite grimaces as he remembers the first.

At least they know for a fact that neither of them were behind her death. In fact, knowing what they do now, it was probably Jadeite. And clearly Endymion doesn’t know. He probably would not have been so open to taking him back, had he known, or at least they don’t think so. Then again, he and his Princess seem quite willing to take the two of them back, despite their own crimes which, while they might not have killed any royals, that doesn’t erase that their hands are drenched in blood of the innocents…

“It’s not on you…” Katrina pulls him, pulls them both, out of their morose thoughts.

Kunzite and Zoisite just stare at her in silence, wanting yet at the same time not daring to ask if she even knows what she’s talking about. She cannot possibly…

“Whatever it is you’re thinking that’s darkening both your minds and your expressions.” She goes on. “Whatever crimes, whatever sins, you feel you’re responsible for. You’re not.”

“The actions you undertook while under the control of the Negaverse are not on you.” Molly states emphatically.

“I… we could have killed you!” Kunzite snaps. “We killed so many. We… the Golden Kingdom is gone because of us!”

“The Golden Kingdom is gone because of the Negaverse, and Metalia.” Endymion states vehemently. “Because of Beryl’s machinations, her jealousy, her desire for things and people that were never hers… That’s not on you. It’s not your fault that our enemies had skills you couldn’t truly defend from. And it’s definitely not your fault that one of our own, a friend, a brother, betrayed us thus…”

There truly is nothing any of them can possibly say to that. So they don’t.

“Helios, do you or the Maenads know any way I might be able to help my princess?” Endymion asks the priest quietly. “She’s exhausted. Well, we all are, I think, but she especially. And I want to know if we can help her, or if she’ll only be able to recover on the Moon.”

“Endy…” She murmurs, unable to even say his whole name.

He knows his beloved’s drained, dangerously so. In fact, there’s a pat of him that suspects that it’s only their bond that’s keeping her firmly tethered to the living. Which makes him even more grateful that he agreed to it, than what he already was when first learning that it truly was protecting them from the corrupting and brainwashing energies in the Dark Kingdom.

“I’m afraid there’s very little the Maenads, or I can do, My King.” Helios informs him softly. “You however… your Golden Crystal… the crystal of the Earth is all about he things that grow. And growth is, among other things, about energy…”

It sounds so simple when he puts it that way. He wonders if perhaps, without either of them entirely realizing, Serenity might have drawn on some of his power to help boost her attack. If perhaps that was what allowed her to destroy Metalia utterly, rather than just sealed her, as was done in the past (twice!). He supposes it doesn’t matter. What matters is that Metalia and the Negaverse are very much gone. And he has the means to aid his beloved.

It takes a few minutes, but eventually the Shitennou realize they’re recovering pretty fast, faster than either of them would have ever expected.

“We’re in Elysion.” Katrina explains when they voice their shock at this development. “This was once the core of the Golden Kingdom. Now… now it’s all that’s left of it.” She exhales. “Your power, as Endymion’s Shitennou is, in a certain way, anchored to this place as much as it’s anchored to Endymion himself. That’s why being here is helping you. It helps us as well, because of our status as Elysian Priestesses.”

They might not be like the Maenads. But then again, they don’t want to be. Truth is, neither Katrina nor Molly would know what to do with themselves, if they were to be bound to Elysion the way the two High Priestesses are. They might not possess the level of power those two are capable of, but the two reincarnated women do have freedoms the Maenads do not possess. Truth is that while all four of them might be considered priestesses, they’re very different. In the end, they’re each as they’re meant to be. It does make them wonder, if only briefly, about Helios. Is he like the Maenads, bound to Elysion entirely, destined to remain forever in that little piece of a long lost Kingdom… or maybe it’s just he hasn’t met his destiny just yet. Perhaps… perhaps one day he’ll find the right lady for whom he’ll finally be ready to leave Elysion behind.

Feeling safe enough there in Elysion, and not wanting to expend more energy than entirely necessary, they all allow themselves to ‘power down’. It’s then, looking at his Shitennou and seeing normal-looking humans, Mamoru wonders for the first time at their own lives. While learning about Shin from Naru let him know that at least one of his Shitennou was reincarnated, had a human life before being found by the Dark Kingdom again, he still doesn’t know much about the lives they might have had then.

“Molly… Naru…” If Shin’s call of her name serves to grab her attention, his choice to then use her reincarnated name, certainly ensures everyone’s looking at him.

He raises a hand, palm up, conjuring first what looks like a perfect, beautiful, orchid. He holds it out to his beloved in offering. Naru extends a hand. Only, right as the tips of her fingers graze the edge of one petal, the flower seems to fall apart, and not just that, but it’s like there’s a sudden gust of wind that blows the petals right off Shin’s open hand. And when that happens the truth is revealed as there, in the center of his palm is a ring. A solitary, with a delicate platinum band, and in the place where traditionally a diamond would sit, instead there’s a multi-faceted princess-cut kunzite stone.

“Marry me.” He’s never been a man of many words, actions are his language more than anything else, and in that moment, him having that ring at hand, a ring that isn’t the betrothal present he gave Molly in their last life… it shows his intent, his wish to marry her, to marry Naru, not just Molly. That’s important.

“Yes.” Naru says simply, because really, at that point, what else needs to be said?

This time, this time they will get to marry. This time they’ll get their happily ever after…

 

Moonlight destiny
Itsu made mo dare yori mo soba ni itai no (Forever, more than anyone, I want to be with you)
Kono hiroi sora no shita de meguriaeta anata (Below this spacious sky above, you who I met by chance)

Epilogue

Time passes, the Moon, the Earth and all other planets and satellites keep turning, the years pass, and life goes on… Some things might remain the same, on the surface but most change, in greater or lesser ways, but change they do. Some people grow closer, others grow apart. It’s part of living.

There was a notable change in a lot of things and people, following the defeat of Beryl and the definite destruction of the Dark Kingdom.

“Where were you?!” Rei demanded hotly practically from the moment she laid eyes on Usagi.

“Didn’t you already go and ask my mother that question?” Usagi asked, brow arched.

Rei had the decency to wince slightly. She had at that. It actually took almost a full week for the senshi to realize that Usagi, Mamoru and the other girls were nowhere to be found. They asked Motoki what he knew, not quite believing him when he explained the group was on vacation. Which was how Rei got it into her head to go ask Mrs. Tsukino.

“You cannot tell me you truly decided to go on vacation while in the middle of a conflict with the Dark Kingdom!” Rei snaps, furious.

“Are you serious?” Usagi asks, not actually waiting for an answer. “I’m not Sailor Moon anymore, remember? I’m not one of you…”

“Yeah well, I thought you were still our friend.” Rei retorts. “What if we had needed you? What if something had happened, and we were hurt and needed you and… and you would have been off at some resort having fun!”

“I wasn’t at some resort, and I most certainly wasn’t having fun!” Usagi ran out of patience. “If you had the… the… if you even thought to ask me, instead of just… just demand answers and think the worst of me…” She exhaled. “I thought we were friends Rei…”

It was eventually Ami and Makoto who explained Rei’s attitude. A new enemy had shown up during Usagi’s and the others’ absence. A girl who called herself Kuroki Mio, she first showed up as an idol, Minako’s rival, and then she turned out to be an Agent from the Dark Kingdom. They had some pretty intense fights against her. The last one which forced them to push their powers to their limits, to the point which, if Kuroki’s last attack hadn’t violently backfired on her at the last possible moment, they might all have died.

“Oh…” Usagi swallowed.

They’d known about Kuroki, of course. Had even known (or at least assumed) that she was the one leading the youmas against the senshi while they were in the Dark Kingdom. Still, none of them ever expected for things to have been that bad. Then again, she was a creation of Beryl and Jadeite, no humanity in her, nothing but magic and the power of the Negaverse. There was a reason why Usagi chose to call on her own power the way she did during the battle against Metalia, she knew she stood no chance against the being as merely Sailor Moon.

“We weren’t on vacation, on a resort or otherwise.” Usagi finally revealed. “Mamoru-kun, Naru-chan, Hina-nee and I… we were in the Dark Kingdom.”

“WHAT?!”

The whole story came out then. Or well, all of it except where her and Mamoru’s true past lives were concerned. Much as she might feel for Rei, might understand what drove her attitude. Usagi just saw it as yet another proof that the girls just weren’t ready to know the truth, to look at Usagi and see their princess… their Queen.

The senshi (and their guardians) really didn’t like hearing that Usagi and the others had gone to the Dark Kingdom, or why. Even after hearing of the success of the mission, the fact that two of the Shitennou had been saved, it didn’t seem to be enough for them. It’s not like Usagi ever thought they would. Still she wished they could be more empathetic. Very little was shared about the final battle, only in the most basic of terms.

In the end, Usagi knows, the others left that meeting half-convinced that the battle in the Dark Kingdom must have been connected with Kuroki’s attack backfiring on her, and at the same time, that her death must have somehow affected the Dark Kingdom in such a way that it allowed Darien and the others to destroy it. How exactly that is supposed to have worked, Usagi has no idea. The priestesses and their shitennou couldn’t stop laughing when they heard the senshi’s ‘theory’ about things.

In any case, the Dark Kingdom was gone, and a lot changed after that. Ami was the first to leave. Apparently she’d been getting invitations to join a program for geniuses in Germany, which was said would allow her to reach her goal of becoming a doctor in record time. She turned down the invitation the first couple of times, knowing that her duties as a senshi meant she couldn’t just leave, but with the Dark Kingdom well and truly gone, things changed, opportunities opened for her. So when one more invitation arrived for her in early August, she took it. She returned to Japan for things like weddings and such, but nothing more. Until now…

When Ami gets off the plane, she’s not alone. With her is her fiance: Lewis… Turns out that as awful as things looked when Beryl threw Nephrite through that portal in retribution for Darien and the others’ refusal to serve her, she didn’t actually manage to kill him.

“Lewis is alive!” It was Motoki who gave them the news, right after he made sure they were all as alright as they could be expected to be after their sojourn to the Dark Kingdom.

Apparently he was the one to find the former Dark General when he came out of the portal and landed straight in a back-alley in Juuban, not far from Crown Karaoke. He took the man in, gave him a place where to stay, recover, and even went as far as teaching him what was necessary for him to be able to live in the modern world.

“Thank you Motoki, just… thank you.” Mamoru knew not what else to say.

“What else are friends for?” Motoki asked him with a winning smile.

“How would you like to be a Shitennou?” Shin’s unexpected question surprised them all.

“Is this about Jadeite’s absence?” Motoki’s eyes narrowed.

“Jadeite’s treason is part of it, but not all.” Shin clarified evenly. “We’re Shitennou, there’s always meant to be four of us. And it’s not just for ceremonial purposes, but also to better ensure our King’s safety.”

“You are the perfect candidate,” Alex offered his two cents. “And it’s not just because of your past life. You are honest, hard-working, and loyal, you are exactly what our King needs in a Shitennou, and what we need in a brother…”

It took a while, but eventually Motoki accepted, and thus he became the Fourth Shitennou.

As for Lewis himself. He stayed with Andrew for about a year, before simply thanking the younger man for his patience with him and leaving. They couldn’t have known it but, there was a connection between him and Ami, even back then. Something that started during her time as Dark Mercury, and continued after he almost died. Ami was the only one among the girls to feel any sort of compassion for him. When she visited that summer, a year after first leaving for Germany, for Usagi and Mamoru’s wedding, she invited him to go with her. So he did.

It might have been the country, or it might have simply been Ami, still, Lewis finally had the chance to move on, to start over, and he did. What he’d learned during his time with Motoki (when the younger man insisted that if Lewis was going to destroy things in his fits of temper, he was also going to learn how to fix them, as they didn’t have enough money to keep replacing everything Lewis broke), and made a living out of it. It wasn’t much, but enough to keep himself busy, and Ami made more than enough money as a famous doctor for the both of them.

The two of them started dating about a year after Lewis moved to Germany, when he finally felt confident enough in himself to ask her out. After that… it was almost easy. If only they could make it to the altar already… They had gotten engaged relatively soon, yet never seemed to have time to just set a date. Then again, it’s not like much would change, when they finally got around to getting married. They already lived together, spent all their free time together, so…

That was Ami and Lewis.

Rei… not much changed with her. At least, the things most people knew. She still lived at Hikawa Temple, and with her grandfather slowly but surely getting on in years, she’d been taking on more responsibilities. She’d had a huge argument with her father when she decided not to attend university, not to even try. She didn’t care how much he might insist and even yell at her, and when he threatened to disown her. She walked away. Hasn’t seen him again since. In the end she just took a few business classes in order to learn some things that might help improve things at the temple.

Where things got interesting for Rei, was on the personal front. And, according to her, that was all Mina’s fault (of course it was her girlfriend’s fault!).

It all started when Minako confessed that she was dying… or rather, had been dying.

“What the hell do you mean you’re dying?!” Rei lost all semblance of composure the moment the last word crossed Minako’s lips. “You cannot die!”

“I said I was dying… I’m not anymore.” Mina clarified.

“What… what’s that supposed to mean?” Rei was at a complete loss.

It was then that Mina explained things to her. About her headaches, her seizures, she had a sickness no doctors could fully agree on, other than the fact that it was killing her. Shachou, her manager, had been trying to convince her to give an experimental surgery a try, yet she kept refusing. Not wanting to even hear about it.

“But why?” Rei didn’t understand.

“The possibilities of it working were around zero.” Mina explained. “It was far more likely that I’d die on the table.”

“And now what?” Rei insisted, she refused to give up without a fight.

“Now I’m not sick anymore.” Mina shrugged, as if it were that simple!

“How’s that even possible?” Things don’t work like that, life’s not that simple, Rei knew better than to believe such a thing, after her mother.

“I… don’t actually know.” Mina admitted. “It’s… I was supposed to go in for a check-up around the time Mio showed up. But well… all that happened. And then we almost died… and when Shachou caught me after that he insisted on taking me to the hospital. It was only while I was undergoing tests that I realized I hadn’t had an attack in weeks! Not since… since…”

“Since…?” Rei couldn’t help but feel this was important.

“Since Kunzite almost killed us all.”

“Since Kunzite…” Rei’s eyes went wide as she realized something else. “You mean, since Serena healed us… healed you?”

The first time Minako saw Usagi (after the argument with Rei… Minako wasn’t actually there for that, as she was busy with work) she hugged the pig-tailed girl and wouldn’t let her go for the longest time. And when Usagi learned why… The reincarnated lunarian honestly has no idea how she did it. It’s not like she went looking for Minako’s illness, she hadn’t even known the other girl was sick! Then again, Minako had been so close to death at the time, and Usagi, as Serena, worked so hard on healing her… it didn’t surprise her to realize that her power had picked up on an unknown sickness, on the threat it represented, and dealt with it. It was well known that the Ginzuishou’s powers (which were at the very root of Usagi’s healing talents) were phenomenal, known throughout the galaxy.

No one knows how Minako and Rei got together. Whenever they are asked Rei will refuse to answer, while Minako will tell elaborate and increasingly insane stories, a different one each time. The only detail they all seem to have in common is that, whatever the two of them might have been doing just a moment before, Rei from one moment to the next dropped whatever it was and simply… kissed the other girl. Who knows? Perhaps it was as simple as that.

It’s publicly known that Aino Minako is in a relationship with another girl. Rei even made an appearance in a few of her concerts, though the public knows her simply as Reiko. After some persuading she agreed to sing two songs for Minako’s latest album, one on her own, called ‘Sakura Fubuki’, and one in duet with Minako ‘Happy Time, Happy Life’. The public seem to love her, enough that Shachou asks her to allow him to launch her career every time they meet, but Rei just isn’t interested. She’s happy enough being a priestess, and maybe singing with Minako every so often. Life’s good for them.

Then there’s Makoto. Who nowadays is Furuhata Makoto. After finishing High-School Makoto decided to forego college, her marks weren’t the best for the really good scholarships, and she didn’t really have the kind of money to pay full tuition. She got a job in a cafe, and with what money she made she decided to try for some culinary courses. Hoping to get a good job and eventually save enough for her own restaurant.

Things went better than she could have ever hoped for. One of her instructors was absolutely fascinated by Makoto’s passion for cooking, to the point where she offered Makoto a partnership. And thus Kinomoto’s Bakery and Cafe came to be. (Moto being the surname of her instructor and later on business partner). Motoki himself helped with his experience in running a business. The business is a huge success and after some years they’re now considering expanding, will as soon as they find the right people to handle any other cafes they decide to open.

Makoto and Motoki dated for several years, before finally tying the knot. The Furuhatas gave them an apartment, and a very good deal for a recently vacated business lot on the ground floor of the building they own (the same where the Crown Karaoke and Ice Cream Parlor Crown are located). Even if Kinomoto isn’t technically a ‘Crown’ business, Makoto is family, and that’s enough for them.

It’s a good life, Motoki and Makoto are certainly happy together, even more with the fact that their family keeps growing!

“Congratulations!” Usagi called brightly when they met Makoto for the first time since she gave birth to her baby.

“Thanks.” Makoto smiled as she showed off her baby boy: Hiroki. “You know, I was so sure you’d be the first one to have a baby…”

It was true, Usagi was the first of their little group to get married.

“Oh no!” Usagi shook her head emphatically. “I’m not ready yet! But… someday… yeah.”

Yeah… someday.

Hiroki wasn’t the only child to join their patchwork family. There was Makoto’s second child, who as the time arrives for them all to come together once again is just a few months old. Ami hasn’t even met her yet. Their pretty little flower: Hanako.

And then there’s the other side of the family, those who might not be senshi, but are still tightly connected to them. Officially Hina and Alex were the first of their group to get married (as they married, legally, before the end of the summer, while Usagi and Mamoru waited until she graduated from High-School, in order to give Usagi’s dad more time to grow used to and accept the fact that his ‘little girl’ wasn’t so little anymore). Even Naru and Shin married before that, not able to wait for long to be man and wife (especially, because, no matter how much better things were, the two of them couldn’t forget that the last time they took their time, they didn’t make it to the altar before the world literally ended!).

Hina and Alex have two children, boys the both of them, and she’s hoping the next might be a girl. Alex works at the company Hina’s father owns; while she worked for a while, before choosing to stop working temporarily in order to spend more time with her children. She plans on going back to work once her youngest starts school.

Shin is a stock-broker, as well as having an inheritance from the family he reincarnated into, so he doesn’t need a formal job. While Naru, she makes a living out of her passion for photography. So she and Shin started traveling around the world, where she would take lots of pictures, which she’d later develop in her own dark-room, which Shin had built for her in his… or rather, their mansion’s basement. She sold the best, making quite a bit of money, and becoming somewhat famous for her shots. While her pregnancy, and the birth of their children (twin girls!) meant they had to stop their traveling for a while, she had enough photos saved. And in the end, it’s not like they needed the money anyway!

Time passes, the Moon, the Earth and all other planets and satellites keep turning, the years pass, and life goes on… Some things might remain the same, on the surface but most change, in greater or lesser ways, but change they do. Some people grow closer, others grow apart. It’s part of living. And now, now they’re all coming back together to celebrate, to welcome a new life into the world…

“Congratulations!!!”

Usagi and Mamoru freeze, having barely set foot into their apartment when their friends suddenly come out of hiding all around the place, shouting their congratulations. Mamoru makes sure to hold his wife tightly when she sways slightly at the shock the presence of all her friends produces in her. She hasn’t seen some of them in so long! (Mina not since her last tour took her around Japan, Ami not since the birth of Hiroki, and the last time any of them saw Lewis was right before he left for Europe!).

What takes most of them by surprise is when the baby in Usagi’s arms seems to react, either to the shout, or perhaps just to presence of them all, letting out a loud shriek. She has wispy strands of black hair (as dark as her parents’) on her head, and her half-closed eyes are the deepest blue. The thing is, when the baby lets out a shriek, a glow accompanies it, and suddenly right there, in the middle of her brow, is a golden crescent moon. The surprises don’t end there, either, as that seems to cause a reaction, as abruptly all of the adults cannot help but shift into their alter egos.

“What…?!” They’re all more than a little surprised.

Particularly when they direct their attention to the brand new parents and find not Serena and Darien, not even Sailor Moon and Tuxedo Kamen, but rather Serenity and Endymion.

The stupefaction is so great even Rei cannot bring herself to demand answers.

“It seems it might be time for some stories to be told.” Endymion suggests to his beloved wife and Queen. “What say you?”

“It seems so, yes.” She agrees quietly.

They step fully into the apartment, closing the door behind her. The upcoming conversation is going to be long, and quite probably loud, they do not need to draw unnecessary attention. She wonders which part her senshi might end up focusing on the most: the fact that she’s Serenity? That she knows, has known for a very long time (even before she quit as Sailor Moon)? All the ways they lied (or rather, didn’t lie, just chose their words very carefully when explaining things to them)? That her family knows, and even her father has known for years by now (since her and Mamoru’s legal wedding)? What truly happened in the Dark Kingdom? She knows there’s a lot they’re not going to like. Some of them are going to be sad, others offended, others are quite probably going to be more than a little angry (especially Rei). But it’s like she told her beloved once: they’re alive, and happy, that makes it all worth it.

They finally got their happy ending… or rather, their unending happiness…

Moonlight destiny
Hohoemi mo kanashimi mo wakeaeru ne to (Through all the joy and the pain, we will share it together)
Mune de sou kanjite iru anata to nara (In my heart that’s how I feel, when I am with you)

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