To Begin Again
Prologue
A young woman stood in the shadows, smiling as she
watched her young friend play with her pink haired infant.
The young girl spoke absent mindedly to her daughter and
turned her face to the moon. The young woman in the shadows
became troubled as she watched her friend's smiling face turn
vacant and sad. The woman was confused and wondered why
her friend looked so troubled. The woman remembered and
reprimanded herself for forgetting. This was a night of
mourning. For on this night three years ago everything in this
young girl's life was suddenly turned upside down.
****************************************************
The two women walked down the long hallway as the long
robes of one of the women swept impatiently along the floor.
"Well, Your Highness, you seem to have learned this pretty
quickly." Her companion said, speaking confidently.
The young queen stopped and turned to face her friend. "Come
on, Setsuna, stop it with the formalities! We've been friends for
too long and I won't have it."
Setsuna blushed and sighed. "Yes, Your High- I mean, Serenity.
I'm sorry but you're the queen now, not Sailor Moon. You
shouldn't be regarded with any less respect than you deserve."
"I've only been Queen for a year! " Serenity said, laughing.
"And I don't mind, really I don't. All the others seem to get it
okay. You're the only one who seems to have any problems with
it. I'm the same person I was when I was Sailor Moon. I just
have well, a different title."
"And you have a different robe and a different position...Not to
mention that every guard in this place is scared to death of
you. I've been your friend and advisor for a long time but I
can't get used to this. I will die for you but I'm still not sure
how to handle your new position."
Serenity frowned and then smiled. "You of all people should be
okay with this. Come on, we're practically sisters! Now, I want
you to be normal around me. You can even get a couple of
whacks in if I annoy you. Not even Raye has that. Promise me
you'll be okay." Setsuna nodded. "Great! Now we're going to be
late for the meeting with
the others if we don't hurry."
In rare form, Setsuna grinned. "Wanna run for it?"
"Yeah!" Serenity's face of beauty became filled with mischief.
"On your mark, get set - "
Suddenly there came a loud boom outside. The girls took off
running. Outside there was fire and the Sailor Senshi , Tuxedo
Mask, and Imperium Soldiers were standing in front of a huge
looming figure. Tuxedo Mask turned to see them run out.
"Setsuna, get the Queen out of here! Now! Whatever you do, keep
her alive!"
Setsuna nodded and took Serenity by the hand, Serenity
fighting to get her hand free so that she could join the fight.
Setsuna ran with Serena down the hallway. "Setsuna, what are
you doing?! Let me go so I can fight! Come on, I can't let
Tuxedo Mask fight without me! What if something happens to
him and I'm not there! I have to go fight!"
"Not this time, Serenity! I'm under orders to keep you alive. I'm
not letting you go until I know you're safe!"
Setsuna led the way to a secret passage under the palace as the
ceiling began to fall around them. The passage was dark and
cold. They paused along the stairs, trying to catch their breath.
A loud boom rang through the palace.
Serenity hugged Setsuna tightly and Setsuna started speaking,
first of the young queen's responsibilities and then of stories of
when the world was first created. Setsuna's soft but shaky voice
soothed her scared friend. Serenity let herself be taken away by
Setsuna's stories as the palace slowly fell around them. Serenity
found herself falling
asleep.
The next morning Serenity woke to find Setsuna curled up
beside her. She yawned and stretched her arms, her body sore
from sleeping on the stone stairs. Serenity shivered, the cold air
in the passage was more cold than before. Reaching over to
wake up Setsuna, she said "Setsuna! Wake up! It's over!"
Groggily Setsuna rubbed her eyes. "Huh? What? What is it
Serena?"
"It's over! The booming, it's gone. They must have defeated it!
Come on, we have to go see the others!"
Setsuna grabbed Serenity's arm as she got up. "Wait. Something
tells me that we should go cautiously. I feel that it didn't turn
out as we think. There may be injured people. As queen you will
need to show your people compassion. "
Serenity's excited face turned sober and she helped Setsuna up.
Slowly they climbed the stairs, unsure of what they would face.
Setsuna pushed open the door and bright light fell upon their
faces. The women gasped as they took in what they saw. Sailor
Senshi
and Imperium Soldiers lay scattered on the ground, many
dead.
"Oh, God." Serenity said.
Setsuna looked at her friend. "Queen Serenity, this is your
responsibility. Tell me what to do."
Serenity looked at Setsuna for a second with a confused look
and then took charge. "Right. Um, go among the bodies and
look for anyone showing signs of life. Take them into the
palace. Anyone able to walk, they help you. Some of the less
injured ones can go and start an infirmary. I will help you. I
want to find Endymion first."
Setsuna looked at her and walked away. A few minutes later
she saw a white mask on the ground and picked it up. She
silently walked forward and heard a low moan. A pair of
piercing blue eyes drew her to them. A blood covered hand
reached out and she kneeled and took it and held it gently.
The hand squeezed hers as pain washed over its owner. A pain
filled voice whispered. "Setsuna, don't let Serena see.
Tell her I died bravely and peacefully. Watch over her. Don't let
her be alone. Tell her that I love her, I always have and I
always will." He took a long shuddering breath and closed his
eyes. He opened them again and a tear slid down his bloody
cheek. He sighed a sad sigh and closed his eyes once more,
never to open them again. King
Endymion, Neo-Queen Serenity's only love, was dead.
Setsuna was tending to a wounded Imperium Soldier when
Serenity ran up to her, her slender locks gracefully trailing
behind her. "Setsuna, I can't find Endymion! Where could he
be?" Setsuna looked at her, a weird look forming on her face.
Serenity looked into Setsuna's eyes and began shaking her
head. Grasping Setsuna's shoulders Serenity begged her,
"Please, tell me where he is. Tell me, please!" Setsuna said
nothing. "Tell me where he is!" Serenity screamed. Setsuna
answered softly, "Serena, please..." Serenity started to walk past
Setsuna but Setsuna stopped her. "Let me by," the young queen
commanded. Setsuna stood fast, nearly letting her emotion
overcome her silent strength. "Setsuna, let me go! " Setsuna,
seeing Serenity's tear -stained face painfully looking up into
her own tear soaked face, moved aside. Setsuna sank to her
knees as Serenity hurried by.
Serenity ran, to where she didn't really know, frantically
searching for Endymion. Suddenly something caught her eye.
She gasped and ran to Endymion. "Oh, God, no!" With tears
streaming down her face, Serenity pulled Endymion close. She
wiped his hair from his face and stroked his cheek. "Oh,
Darien," she said using his old name. "I never got to say
goodbye. Oh Darien!" She hugged Endymion. "You can't be
gone. You can't be. What am I going to do without you?" She
paused and took a deep breath. "Guess what. I'm pregnant.
Rini. She's coming. But she will never know of the joys of your
touch or of the look of your eyes. Our child will never know
what it means to love you! Oh, God, I'm alone. I'm all alone!"
She sobbed, letting her tears mingle with Endymion's blood.
Setsuna stood over her friend and put her hand on Serena's
shoulder. "Your Highness," Setsuna began, calling her by her
respected title. "It's time you go."
Serenity shook Setsuna's hand off her shoulder and pulled
Endymion closer. "I'm not leaving."
"Come, there are others who need your assistance. Leave him.
When things are in order we will give him the burial he
deserves."
"No! Leave me be! My husband is dead!"
"I know, Your Highness. But there is nothing to be done."
Serenity looked up at Setsuna. "There has to be. Hotaru! She
can heal him! Where is she? Bring her to me!"
Setsuna remained where she was and kneeled down to Serenity
and looked into her eyes. "Hotaru can't heal him."
Serenity pulled back, her face full of confusion. "What? I don't
understand."
"Hotaru is dead, all the Senshi are dead."
"No, they can't be!" Serenity yelled, pounding the ground with
her fist. "No! They aren't dead, none of this is real! Raye is in
the fire room meditating, Ami's reading in the library like
always and Lita's
overseeing the meal for tonight's supper! Mina's surrounded by
all her suitors and Haruka and Michiru are playing with
Hotaru. This is Not real! It's NOT!" Serenity looked at Setsuna.
"The Crystal! It can heal them, all of them. Bring it to me!"
"I cannot. The Crystal was destroyed."
Serenity grabbed Setsuna's hand. "Help me hold on, Setsuna.
Don't let me faint. I have to get through this without fainting."
Setsuna tried what she could, but she couldn't help Serenity
with her emotions and they seemed to swallow the young
queen. Serenity was unable to grasp the immensity any longer
and she was swept into a deep sleep that lasted for days.
Unable to help her friend, Setsuna took the role of the ultimate
authority. Most of the kingdom was destroyed and it needed to
be rebuilt. Knowing how little Serenity would be able to
accomplish, Setsuna took over.
Camps were set up for those who had lost their homes. The
infirmaries were overrun with the injured and anyone who
had survived and received little or no injuries was expected to
volunteer. No one was ever idle except in sleep. Some of the
people asked for closure, for memorials for those they had lost.
But Setsuna had none. There was simply no time to remember
the dead. It would have to wait until things were rebuilt.
When Serenity woke and saw the damage done, she was quiet
and let Setsuna continue to lead. It was a great burden on
Setsuna to know how many people were looking to her and she
never stopped working except for when Serena had need of her.
Serenity had time to reflect on what had happened and she
had time to grow angry. By the time she called Setsuna into
her chambers, it was evident whom she was angry with.
Serenity paced in front of Setuna for a moment then turned
and pointed to Setsuna. "You" she said. "It's your fault this
happened."
Serenity stood close to Setsuna, their faces almost touching. "If
you had been doing your job as ordered we wouldn't be here!
The Sailor Senshi would still be here. Endymion is dead be
cause of you!"
Setsuna pushed Serenity away. "It is not my fault! If you
remember, Your Highness, I was helping you when this all
began. Don't even try blaming me!"
"It's you who are the keeper of time, not me! If you had been
watching more carefully -"
Setsuna interrupted Serenity. "It is not my responsibility to
foresee the future! Time is tricky and at any moment things
which follow a natural course can be disrupted! No one had
any idea that something of this magnitude would happen! But
it did. And we can't place
blame upon anyone. Terrible things have happened and right
now the only thing we need to focus on is moving on and
rebuilding. You are the Queen! You must be strong and lead
these people. I can't do this for you, nor will I try. "
Serenity looked at Setsuna and broke down. "My husband.."
"Loved you very much. And would probably hurt to see you like
this. Please, Serenity. Be strong. If not for your people, for
Endymion. "
"How did he die?"
Setsuna used Endymion's words. "Bravely and peacefully."
"Have you talked to any of the Imperium Soldiers? Have they
told you what happened?"
"Yes."
"Please tell me so that one day my child will be able to
understand why it has no father."
"Aren't you going to be remarried?"
"No. I have thought of it much. And I have decided that I will
not. Endymion was my first and only love. It would be too
difficult to love like that again. I choose to be a solitary
leader. With you and Luna and Artemis by my side as advisors
I will rule my kingdom alone."
"What about Senshi? Will there be others?"
"I have thought much about this as well. It is too hard to think
about but I will not train anyone. I want my child to grow up
not knowing of any evil. There will be no Sailor Senshi, except
you, and no Silver Imperium Crystal. Now, please tell me what
happened."
"Are you sure you want to know. It was hard even for me to
take in. Will you be able to handle it?"
Serenity thought for a moment. "No, I won't be able to handle
it. This is indeed a great tragedy and I have a right to know. "
She put a hand on Setsuna's shoulder and smiled. "And I know
it will be easier coming from you. Please tell me."
Setsuna looked down for a moment and began. "One of the
soldiers told me this story. He was witness to the Senshi's demise.
He said that when he got there the Senshi were fighting bravely,
though Ami was mildly wounded. He said -" She stopped and
turned to acknowledge a soldier who had entered and waved
him to speak.
He stepped out of the shadows he had been waiting in. "Excuse
me," he said to Setsuna and turned to Serenity. Bowing he
spoke, "Your Highness, I have an urgent message from your
advisor Artemis." He handed Setsuna a folded note.
Setsuna read it aloud. "Serenity, please come. You are needed
immediately in the East Wing."
Serenity looked at Setsuna. Their eyes met and they were
quickly on their feet and running toward the wing. When they
got there Artemis ran into Serenity's arms, tears slowly
cascading down his soft cheeks.
Serenity looked alarmingly at Artemis. "What is it, my friend?"
"Luna and Diana. Diana is dead and Luna is barely hanging
on. She wants to talk to you before she -" his words broke off.
Serenity walked slowly to the room and sat beside the bed
where Luna lay. "Is that you Serenity?" a weak voice asked.
Serenity swallowed her tears, vowing that for Luna's sake she
would be strong. "Yes, Luna. I'm here."
After a broken silence Luna spoke. "Neo - Queen Serenity, Sailor
Moon, Serena. I am old, my daughter is dead, and I'm dying.
Serenity, I've been with you for a long time. We worked through
a lot together. You have achieved so much in your lifetime,
and you will achieve more when I'm gone. I have faith in you.
You will rise above all that
binds you. You are like my own child. I would gladly die for
you. But my death is nothing to be sad about. I have lived a
long time, and served two queens."
Serenity choked on the tears she was holding back . "Luna,
don't talk like that. Please don't die. I have lost so much
already. Don't take yourself away from me."
"Oh, Serenity, there is nothing to be done. I'm old. It's my time
to rejoin Queen Serenity. You should understand that." Luna
laughed softly. "Do you remember, all those years ago when
you were Sailor Moon, when you'd knock me off your bed in
your sleep? And the meetings at Raye's temple where we
laughed until we cried..Those were such good times. Remember
them when I'm gone, Serena. For those memories are what will
keep me alive in your heart. I love you, my child. I always will."
Silence filled the empty room and Serenity looked about her in
alarm. "Luna? Luna! Please answer me. Luna, please! Don't
leave me! I need you so much!"
Setsuna stood, silently unsure of what to do. She paused for a
moment and quietly walked up to Serenity. She reached down
and gently pulled the crying queen up. Setsuna put her arms
around Serenity and Serenity hugged Setsuna and cried on
her shoulder. When she stopped, Setsuna led her to the West
wing, which hadn't been disrupted by the previous night's
events. Setsuna laid the young queen on her bed and, turning
off the lights, left the room.
*************************************************
It was 3 in the morning when Setsuna found herself
running down the hallway toward Serenity's chambers. She
threw open the bedroom doors and turned on a light. Serena
sat curled in a ball, her face red and sweaty. Setsuna had
expected a visitor but realized that Serenity had only had
nightmare and screamed in her sleep. Setsuna crept to the bed
and sat beside Serenity. She was shivering and sweat beaded
her furrowed brow. Setsuna got a washcloth and began wiping
Serenity's face. Serenity looked at her and spoke. "It was the
attack. I keep seeing Endymion dying over and over again. He
keeps running to me and crying my name and no matter how
fast I run, I never reach him in time. Setsuna, if I had been
there with Endymion he'd still be here. "
Setsuna remained quiet as she got up and prepared to leave.
"Shh, You need your sleep," Setsuna coaxed, trying to soothe
Serenity.
Serenity got angry. "Why sleep when I hate waking?! I keep
hoping it was a dream. That Endymion is sleeping here beside
me! But he's not! And I don't want to live without him. " She
paused. "I don't want to wake up alone if it happens again.
Please stay and sleep in here."
Setsuna turned off the light and sat down on the window seat.
She looked out at the dark night. "I'm awake now. Why don't
you sleep? I'll be here if you need me."
During the night Serenity slept fitfully. Whenever Serenity woke
Setsuna was there, gently wiping her face or soothing her with
words. At one time, Serenity became so scared that Setsuna
gently held her in her arms and rocked her. Serenity, safe in
comforting arms, slept peacefully the rest of the night.
A month into the Reconstruction, Serenity told Setsuna of her
condition. She was pregnant. Six weeks. She said she had
intended on telling Setsuna and the others as soon as she'd
told Endymion. And Serenity had planned on telling
Endymion the night Endymion died. Serenity was ordered to
rest and she obeyed. It was a blow to Setsuna but she was
already in charge and the news did not affect her workload.
Whether or not Setsuna mourned in quiet, Serenity didn't
know. Setsuna was always working and she never broke the
calm reserve, except only once when a soldier lightly called
Setsuna Queen Setsuna. Setsuna got mad, grabbing him by the
shirt collar and reminding the soldier that no matter what
Serenity did or didn't do, she was still his queen and she
deserved his respect. Setsuna ordered the frightened soldier
away from her and by the time he left the room, she was again
calm. But Serenity never saw Setsuna react any other time. She
barely had time to talk to Setsuna alone. Setsuna worked
furiously on the Reconstruction of Crystal Tokyo, which was
now being referred to as Neo Crystal Tokyo, and Serenity did
what she could. Knowing how swamped Setsuna was, Serenity
hired an assistant for Setsuna. It was the only leadership role
she took.
One afternoon after an extremely trying day, Setsuna
collapsed at her desk in Endymion's office. For a moment, she
closed her eyes, trying to imagine away her pounding
headache.
"Setsuna?"
Setsuna opened her eyes and found Serenity in the office.
"Serenity. You should be resting."
"I'm tired of resting. Are you okay?"
"I'm fine. I was just about to get some paper work done."
"I was on my way to get something to eat and I heard you..."
"Don't worry, Serenity. It's nothing."
Serenity sat in a chair before Endymion's desk and looked
around. "This is Endymion's office."
"Yes."
Serenity picked up a book off the desk and held it to her nose.
"It still smells like him. I miss him, Setsuna. Tell me again...why
Endymion's office?"
"Endymion had everything. In here is everything it took to
create Crystal Tokyo and the whole world. Moving all this
information to another room for me would simply be too much.
It's easier for me to work here and give my office to Sergeant
Joliet." She smiled as he entered. "Speaking of the good
Sergeant..Good afternoon, Joliet."
Serenity smiled. "Sergeant Joliet."
Sergeant Joliet bowed. "Your Highness. You look beautiful
today. You're practically glowing. How are you?"
"I'm well, thank you for your concern. Well, Setsuna, Sergeant,
I'll leave you now."
Sergeant Joliet smiled and nodded as Serenity left the office.
Out of sight of Serenity, Setsuna sighed and rubbed her temples.
"Are you okay?"
"I'm exhausted, Joliet."
Sergeant Joliet smiled in understanding. "I'm sure you are.
What are you running on, what four, five hours of sleep?"
"Three. Three hours if I'm lucky. And with Serenity pregnant...."
Sergeant Joliet leaned forward and his eyes widened.
"Pregnant? Serenity is pregnant?"
"Yes. That's why she isn't working as much as she could be. And
the worst part is, Serenity has no idea what it's taking to
rebuild. We've got nearly a whole planet disabled with injured
people and half the people on Earth don't have homes and
there's so much to be done and so little people to do it with.
And I'm the only one - with the exception of you - who seems to
know what I'm doing. The only problem is, I don't. I'm so on
the edge of quitting but I know I can't."
"Setsuna, you're right. You know you can't do that. You have to
be strong for Serenity...."
For a second, Setsuna heard Venus speaking, swore the words
were belonged to her dead friend, her comrade. But when she
looked up, she saw only Sergeant Joliet. Setsuna sighed,
hearing what he'd said again in her mind. "I have to be
strong," she said softly, her voice growing louder. "I have to be
strong for Serenity. I've been strong since the day I was born. I
didn't ask to be Sailor Pluto but I accepted it anyway and I
was strong. Now...now I've lost the same group of friends and
had my life turn just as upside down as Serenity. And I have to
stay strong?!"
Setsuna stood and faced Joliet. "I'm working my ass off for a
kingdom that is loosing more respect for their queen every day
because they don't know that she's pregnant and she will not
tell them. And they have done nothing to change things! Yes,
stay strong. Always strong! God forbid I show any human
emotion! I haven't even cried over the loss of my family! I
haven't had time to fucking mourn! And I still stay strong even
though it's killing me inside!"
Joliet stayed quiet and let Setsuna have her say, knowing she
would calm down eventually. But when Setsuna froze and
stared past him at the doorway, he knew without needing to
turn that Serenity had heard everything. Setsuna's lip quivered
with the outburst of emotion and she stared into Serenity's eyes.
Serenity stared back, her eyes dark and daring Setsuna to
continue. They stood there for many minutes, how many Joliet
lost count. Setsuna and Serenity stared at each other, sharing
words that could never be voiced.
Three weeks later, Setsuna sat beside Serenity outside in what
were once the greatest gardens ever created. "In the name of
love and justice, and all that is good, these eight proud
warriors gave their lives. Our friends and lovers sleep here. May
their sleep be remembered as glory." Serenity spoke these words
well, with great emotion as she stood before her people. The
memorial to the Senshi was the last of the memorials for those
who died. This day marked the end mourning period for the
kingdom, to remember all who died and the beginning of the
rebuilding for everyone. Serenity also announced her
pregnancy, explaining to all her weakening condition. It was
a wake up call to the people and they gained respect for her.
Not long after, Serenity met with Setsuna in private. To her
trusted friend, Serenity poured her broken heart out. "There are
times when I think of Endymion and I stop wanting to exist.
There are mornings where I just wake up and it's all I can do...
But then I think of Rini," she touched her stomach where the
curve of her pregnancy showed, "and I realize I have to go on.
If not for me, for her. Your show of emotion that day made me
realize how hard it's been for everyone else. I realized I
couldn't ask my people to do something I can't. I....miss
Endymion and it hurts every second of every day. He's with me,
though, guiding me. I want to be the queen Endymion would
have been proud of and lead my people as their King would
have lead them."
Serenity grew up and she worked on matters that did not
require much energy. The people of the kingdom forgot their
jokes of Queen Setsuna and became loyal once more. Setsuna
worked hard though her work was lessened incredibly by the
number of people Serenity hired to help. Setsuna was no longer
exhausted and she and Serenity grew closer as the time passed.
Serenity now looked forward to the mornings.
Epilogue
Setsuna watched as Serena slowly picked up her daughter
and placed her in her crib. Serena slowly kissed her daughter
goodnight and slipped out the room, turning off the light and
leaving Setsuna in the dark. Setsuna remained where she was
for a moment and walked quietly to the crib. Looking down,
she smiled at the young child. Setsuna reached down and
lightly stroked her cheek. "Young princess, sleep well tonight. I
wish your father could be here to see you. But fear not, young
child. He knows." Setsuna smiled and turned, making her way
to the window.
Outside Serenity was walking to the monument dedicated to
the scouts and to Endymion. Serenity stopped and looked at
the huge monument and slowly read the words once spoken by
herself. "In the name of love and justice, and all that is good,
these eight proud warriors gave their lives. Our friends and
lovers sleep here. May their sleep be remembered as glory. " She walked past the pictures of her friends and kneeled at Endymion's grave. The torch that had been erected in his honor burned slowly and Serenity laid a red rose near the fire. Every night for the past three years she had come to this spot and laid a rose on the grave. Tonight was especially important.
Serenity jumped as she heard herself speak. "Oh, Darien. I miss
you. I miss your laughter, your eyes, the way you touched me.
It's not so hard most nights but on this night, your presence
seems to be everywhere. After it first happened, the hardest
thing to do was wake up in the morning without you. I didn't
want to live. " She smiled. "But I'm am no longer here to
mourn. I am here to remember. To remember everything about
you and to remember my love for you. I love you, my brave
king. "
With that the young queen stood, the soft moonlight lightly
touching her face. She stood, looking out at the monument.
She smiled again, kissed her fingers and placed her hand on
the monument. She spoke a word of remembrance and
friendship and slowly turned. Neo-Queen Serenity made her
way back to the palace, no longer saddened by the thought of
waking up and not knowing what tomorrow would bring.
~Fin~
Author Notes: 6-15-01 I've been working on this story off and on for a little longer than 3 years or so. It started out extremely melodramatic. Last week, I picked up the printed version and started to edit. I had parts that needed to be put in and parts that needed to be taken out. Then one day, I sat at my computer and copied what I had onto here. I edited more. And I added a ton. This is my pet, the first story that I thought would never finished that is. And I'm proud of it. So whether I get glowing reviews or enough flames to last me a lifetime, let me assure you that nothing can change the way I feel about this piece of work. Thank you, Duchess. aka Minako lanie_pu@yahoo.com ^_~
Prologue
A young woman stood in the shadows, smiling as she
watched her young friend play with her pink haired infant.
The young girl spoke absent mindedly to her daughter and
turned her face to the moon. The young woman in the shadows
became troubled as she watched her friend's smiling face turn
vacant and sad. The woman was confused and wondered why
her friend looked so troubled. The woman remembered and
reprimanded herself for forgetting. This was a night of
mourning. For on this night three years ago everything in this
young girl's life was suddenly turned upside down.
****************************************************
The two women walked down the long hallway as the long
robes of one of the women swept impatiently along the floor.
"Well, Your Highness, you seem to have learned this pretty
quickly." Her companion said, speaking confidently.
The young queen stopped and turned to face her friend. "Come
on, Setsuna, stop it with the formalities! We've been friends for
too long and I won't have it."
Setsuna blushed and sighed. "Yes, Your High- I mean, Serenity.
I'm sorry but you're the queen now, not Sailor Moon. You
shouldn't be regarded with any less respect than you deserve."
"I've only been Queen for a year! " Serenity said, laughing.
"And I don't mind, really I don't. All the others seem to get it
okay. You're the only one who seems to have any problems with
it. I'm the same person I was when I was Sailor Moon. I just
have well, a different title."
"And you have a different robe and a different position...Not to
mention that every guard in this place is scared to death of
you. I've been your friend and advisor for a long time but I
can't get used to this. I will die for you but I'm still not sure
how to handle your new position."
Serenity frowned and then smiled. "You of all people should be
okay with this. Come on, we're practically sisters! Now, I want
you to be normal around me. You can even get a couple of
whacks in if I annoy you. Not even Raye has that. Promise me
you'll be okay." Setsuna nodded. "Great! Now we're going to be
late for the meeting with
the others if we don't hurry."
In rare form, Setsuna grinned. "Wanna run for it?"
"Yeah!" Serenity's face of beauty became filled with mischief.
"On your mark, get set - "
Suddenly there came a loud boom outside. The girls took off
running. Outside there was fire and the Sailor Senshi , Tuxedo
Mask, and Imperium Soldiers were standing in front of a huge
looming figure. Tuxedo Mask turned to see them run out.
"Setsuna, get the Queen out of here! Now! Whatever you do, keep
her alive!"
Setsuna nodded and took Serenity by the hand, Serenity
fighting to get her hand free so that she could join the fight.
Setsuna ran with Serena down the hallway. "Setsuna, what are
you doing?! Let me go so I can fight! Come on, I can't let
Tuxedo Mask fight without me! What if something happens to
him and I'm not there! I have to go fight!"
"Not this time, Serenity! I'm under orders to keep you alive. I'm
not letting you go until I know you're safe!"
Setsuna led the way to a secret passage under the palace as the
ceiling began to fall around them. The passage was dark and
cold. They paused along the stairs, trying to catch their breath.
A loud boom rang through the palace.
Serenity hugged Setsuna tightly and Setsuna started speaking,
first of the young queen's responsibilities and then of stories of
when the world was first created. Setsuna's soft but shaky voice
soothed her scared friend. Serenity let herself be taken away by
Setsuna's stories as the palace slowly fell around them. Serenity
found herself falling
asleep.
The next morning Serenity woke to find Setsuna curled up
beside her. She yawned and stretched her arms, her body sore
from sleeping on the stone stairs. Serenity shivered, the cold air
in the passage was more cold than before. Reaching over to
wake up Setsuna, she said "Setsuna! Wake up! It's over!"
Groggily Setsuna rubbed her eyes. "Huh? What? What is it
Serena?"
"It's over! The booming, it's gone. They must have defeated it!
Come on, we have to go see the others!"
Setsuna grabbed Serenity's arm as she got up. "Wait. Something
tells me that we should go cautiously. I feel that it didn't turn
out as we think. There may be injured people. As queen you will
need to show your people compassion. "
Serenity's excited face turned sober and she helped Setsuna up.
Slowly they climbed the stairs, unsure of what they would face.
Setsuna pushed open the door and bright light fell upon their
faces. The women gasped as they took in what they saw. Sailor
Senshi
and Imperium Soldiers lay scattered on the ground, many
dead.
"Oh, God." Serenity said.
Setsuna looked at her friend. "Queen Serenity, this is your
responsibility. Tell me what to do."
Serenity looked at Setsuna for a second with a confused look
and then took charge. "Right. Um, go among the bodies and
look for anyone showing signs of life. Take them into the
palace. Anyone able to walk, they help you. Some of the less
injured ones can go and start an infirmary. I will help you. I
want to find Endymion first."
Setsuna looked at her and walked away. A few minutes later
she saw a white mask on the ground and picked it up. She
silently walked forward and heard a low moan. A pair of
piercing blue eyes drew her to them. A blood covered hand
reached out and she kneeled and took it and held it gently.
The hand squeezed hers as pain washed over its owner. A pain
filled voice whispered. "Setsuna, don't let Serena see.
Tell her I died bravely and peacefully. Watch over her. Don't let
her be alone. Tell her that I love her, I always have and I
always will." He took a long shuddering breath and closed his
eyes. He opened them again and a tear slid down his bloody
cheek. He sighed a sad sigh and closed his eyes once more,
never to open them again. King
Endymion, Neo-Queen Serenity's only love, was dead.
Setsuna was tending to a wounded Imperium Soldier when
Serenity ran up to her, her slender locks gracefully trailing
behind her. "Setsuna, I can't find Endymion! Where could he
be?" Setsuna looked at her, a weird look forming on her face.
Serenity looked into Setsuna's eyes and began shaking her
head. Grasping Setsuna's shoulders Serenity begged her,
"Please, tell me where he is. Tell me, please!" Setsuna said
nothing. "Tell me where he is!" Serenity screamed. Setsuna
answered softly, "Serena, please..." Serenity started to walk past
Setsuna but Setsuna stopped her. "Let me by," the young queen
commanded. Setsuna stood fast, nearly letting her emotion
overcome her silent strength. "Setsuna, let me go! " Setsuna,
seeing Serenity's tear -stained face painfully looking up into
her own tear soaked face, moved aside. Setsuna sank to her
knees as Serenity hurried by.
Serenity ran, to where she didn't really know, frantically
searching for Endymion. Suddenly something caught her eye.
She gasped and ran to Endymion. "Oh, God, no!" With tears
streaming down her face, Serenity pulled Endymion close. She
wiped his hair from his face and stroked his cheek. "Oh,
Darien," she said using his old name. "I never got to say
goodbye. Oh Darien!" She hugged Endymion. "You can't be
gone. You can't be. What am I going to do without you?" She
paused and took a deep breath. "Guess what. I'm pregnant.
Rini. She's coming. But she will never know of the joys of your
touch or of the look of your eyes. Our child will never know
what it means to love you! Oh, God, I'm alone. I'm all alone!"
She sobbed, letting her tears mingle with Endymion's blood.
Setsuna stood over her friend and put her hand on Serena's
shoulder. "Your Highness," Setsuna began, calling her by her
respected title. "It's time you go."
Serenity shook Setsuna's hand off her shoulder and pulled
Endymion closer. "I'm not leaving."
"Come, there are others who need your assistance. Leave him.
When things are in order we will give him the burial he
deserves."
"No! Leave me be! My husband is dead!"
"I know, Your Highness. But there is nothing to be done."
Serenity looked up at Setsuna. "There has to be. Hotaru! She
can heal him! Where is she? Bring her to me!"
Setsuna remained where she was and kneeled down to Serenity
and looked into her eyes. "Hotaru can't heal him."
Serenity pulled back, her face full of confusion. "What? I don't
understand."
"Hotaru is dead, all the Senshi are dead."
"No, they can't be!" Serenity yelled, pounding the ground with
her fist. "No! They aren't dead, none of this is real! Raye is in
the fire room meditating, Ami's reading in the library like
always and Lita's
overseeing the meal for tonight's supper! Mina's surrounded by
all her suitors and Haruka and Michiru are playing with
Hotaru. This is Not real! It's NOT!" Serenity looked at Setsuna.
"The Crystal! It can heal them, all of them. Bring it to me!"
"I cannot. The Crystal was destroyed."
Serenity grabbed Setsuna's hand. "Help me hold on, Setsuna.
Don't let me faint. I have to get through this without fainting."
Setsuna tried what she could, but she couldn't help Serenity
with her emotions and they seemed to swallow the young
queen. Serenity was unable to grasp the immensity any longer
and she was swept into a deep sleep that lasted for days.
Unable to help her friend, Setsuna took the role of the ultimate
authority. Most of the kingdom was destroyed and it needed to
be rebuilt. Knowing how little Serenity would be able to
accomplish, Setsuna took over.
Camps were set up for those who had lost their homes. The
infirmaries were overrun with the injured and anyone who
had survived and received little or no injuries was expected to
volunteer. No one was ever idle except in sleep. Some of the
people asked for closure, for memorials for those they had lost.
But Setsuna had none. There was simply no time to remember
the dead. It would have to wait until things were rebuilt.
When Serenity woke and saw the damage done, she was quiet
and let Setsuna continue to lead. It was a great burden on
Setsuna to know how many people were looking to her and she
never stopped working except for when Serena had need of her.
Serenity had time to reflect on what had happened and she
had time to grow angry. By the time she called Setsuna into
her chambers, it was evident whom she was angry with.
Serenity paced in front of Setuna for a moment then turned
and pointed to Setsuna. "You" she said. "It's your fault this
happened."
Serenity stood close to Setsuna, their faces almost touching. "If
you had been doing your job as ordered we wouldn't be here!
The Sailor Senshi would still be here. Endymion is dead be
cause of you!"
Setsuna pushed Serenity away. "It is not my fault! If you
remember, Your Highness, I was helping you when this all
began. Don't even try blaming me!"
"It's you who are the keeper of time, not me! If you had been
watching more carefully -"
Setsuna interrupted Serenity. "It is not my responsibility to
foresee the future! Time is tricky and at any moment things
which follow a natural course can be disrupted! No one had
any idea that something of this magnitude would happen! But
it did. And we can't place
blame upon anyone. Terrible things have happened and right
now the only thing we need to focus on is moving on and
rebuilding. You are the Queen! You must be strong and lead
these people. I can't do this for you, nor will I try. "
Serenity looked at Setsuna and broke down. "My husband.."
"Loved you very much. And would probably hurt to see you like
this. Please, Serenity. Be strong. If not for your people, for
Endymion. "
"How did he die?"
Setsuna used Endymion's words. "Bravely and peacefully."
"Have you talked to any of the Imperium Soldiers? Have they
told you what happened?"
"Yes."
"Please tell me so that one day my child will be able to
understand why it has no father."
"Aren't you going to be remarried?"
"No. I have thought of it much. And I have decided that I will
not. Endymion was my first and only love. It would be too
difficult to love like that again. I choose to be a solitary
leader. With you and Luna and Artemis by my side as advisors
I will rule my kingdom alone."
"What about Senshi? Will there be others?"
"I have thought much about this as well. It is too hard to think
about but I will not train anyone. I want my child to grow up
not knowing of any evil. There will be no Sailor Senshi, except
you, and no Silver Imperium Crystal. Now, please tell me what
happened."
"Are you sure you want to know. It was hard even for me to
take in. Will you be able to handle it?"
Serenity thought for a moment. "No, I won't be able to handle
it. This is indeed a great tragedy and I have a right to know. "
She put a hand on Setsuna's shoulder and smiled. "And I know
it will be easier coming from you. Please tell me."
Setsuna looked down for a moment and began. "One of the
soldiers told me this story. He was witness to the Senshi's demise.
He said that when he got there the Senshi were fighting bravely,
though Ami was mildly wounded. He said -" She stopped and
turned to acknowledge a soldier who had entered and waved
him to speak.
He stepped out of the shadows he had been waiting in. "Excuse
me," he said to Setsuna and turned to Serenity. Bowing he
spoke, "Your Highness, I have an urgent message from your
advisor Artemis." He handed Setsuna a folded note.
Setsuna read it aloud. "Serenity, please come. You are needed
immediately in the East Wing."
Serenity looked at Setsuna. Their eyes met and they were
quickly on their feet and running toward the wing. When they
got there Artemis ran into Serenity's arms, tears slowly
cascading down his soft cheeks.
Serenity looked alarmingly at Artemis. "What is it, my friend?"
"Luna and Diana. Diana is dead and Luna is barely hanging
on. She wants to talk to you before she -" his words broke off.
Serenity walked slowly to the room and sat beside the bed
where Luna lay. "Is that you Serenity?" a weak voice asked.
Serenity swallowed her tears, vowing that for Luna's sake she
would be strong. "Yes, Luna. I'm here."
After a broken silence Luna spoke. "Neo - Queen Serenity, Sailor
Moon, Serena. I am old, my daughter is dead, and I'm dying.
Serenity, I've been with you for a long time. We worked through
a lot together. You have achieved so much in your lifetime,
and you will achieve more when I'm gone. I have faith in you.
You will rise above all that
binds you. You are like my own child. I would gladly die for
you. But my death is nothing to be sad about. I have lived a
long time, and served two queens."
Serenity choked on the tears she was holding back . "Luna,
don't talk like that. Please don't die. I have lost so much
already. Don't take yourself away from me."
"Oh, Serenity, there is nothing to be done. I'm old. It's my time
to rejoin Queen Serenity. You should understand that." Luna
laughed softly. "Do you remember, all those years ago when
you were Sailor Moon, when you'd knock me off your bed in
your sleep? And the meetings at Raye's temple where we
laughed until we cried..Those were such good times. Remember
them when I'm gone, Serena. For those memories are what will
keep me alive in your heart. I love you, my child. I always will."
Silence filled the empty room and Serenity looked about her in
alarm. "Luna? Luna! Please answer me. Luna, please! Don't
leave me! I need you so much!"
Setsuna stood, silently unsure of what to do. She paused for a
moment and quietly walked up to Serenity. She reached down
and gently pulled the crying queen up. Setsuna put her arms
around Serenity and Serenity hugged Setsuna and cried on
her shoulder. When she stopped, Setsuna led her to the West
wing, which hadn't been disrupted by the previous night's
events. Setsuna laid the young queen on her bed and, turning
off the lights, left the room.
*************************************************
It was 3 in the morning when Setsuna found herself
running down the hallway toward Serenity's chambers. She
threw open the bedroom doors and turned on a light. Serena
sat curled in a ball, her face red and sweaty. Setsuna had
expected a visitor but realized that Serenity had only had
nightmare and screamed in her sleep. Setsuna crept to the bed
and sat beside Serenity. She was shivering and sweat beaded
her furrowed brow. Setsuna got a washcloth and began wiping
Serenity's face. Serenity looked at her and spoke. "It was the
attack. I keep seeing Endymion dying over and over again. He
keeps running to me and crying my name and no matter how
fast I run, I never reach him in time. Setsuna, if I had been
there with Endymion he'd still be here. "
Setsuna remained quiet as she got up and prepared to leave.
"Shh, You need your sleep," Setsuna coaxed, trying to soothe
Serenity.
Serenity got angry. "Why sleep when I hate waking?! I keep
hoping it was a dream. That Endymion is sleeping here beside
me! But he's not! And I don't want to live without him. " She
paused. "I don't want to wake up alone if it happens again.
Please stay and sleep in here."
Setsuna turned off the light and sat down on the window seat.
She looked out at the dark night. "I'm awake now. Why don't
you sleep? I'll be here if you need me."
During the night Serenity slept fitfully. Whenever Serenity woke
Setsuna was there, gently wiping her face or soothing her with
words. At one time, Serenity became so scared that Setsuna
gently held her in her arms and rocked her. Serenity, safe in
comforting arms, slept peacefully the rest of the night.
A month into the Reconstruction, Serenity told Setsuna of her
condition. She was pregnant. Six weeks. She said she had
intended on telling Setsuna and the others as soon as she'd
told Endymion. And Serenity had planned on telling
Endymion the night Endymion died. Serenity was ordered to
rest and she obeyed. It was a blow to Setsuna but she was
already in charge and the news did not affect her workload.
Whether or not Setsuna mourned in quiet, Serenity didn't
know. Setsuna was always working and she never broke the
calm reserve, except only once when a soldier lightly called
Setsuna Queen Setsuna. Setsuna got mad, grabbing him by the
shirt collar and reminding the soldier that no matter what
Serenity did or didn't do, she was still his queen and she
deserved his respect. Setsuna ordered the frightened soldier
away from her and by the time he left the room, she was again
calm. But Serenity never saw Setsuna react any other time. She
barely had time to talk to Setsuna alone. Setsuna worked
furiously on the Reconstruction of Crystal Tokyo, which was
now being referred to as Neo Crystal Tokyo, and Serenity did
what she could. Knowing how swamped Setsuna was, Serenity
hired an assistant for Setsuna. It was the only leadership role
she took.
One afternoon after an extremely trying day, Setsuna
collapsed at her desk in Endymion's office. For a moment, she
closed her eyes, trying to imagine away her pounding
headache.
"Setsuna?"
Setsuna opened her eyes and found Serenity in the office.
"Serenity. You should be resting."
"I'm tired of resting. Are you okay?"
"I'm fine. I was just about to get some paper work done."
"I was on my way to get something to eat and I heard you..."
"Don't worry, Serenity. It's nothing."
Serenity sat in a chair before Endymion's desk and looked
around. "This is Endymion's office."
"Yes."
Serenity picked up a book off the desk and held it to her nose.
"It still smells like him. I miss him, Setsuna. Tell me again...why
Endymion's office?"
"Endymion had everything. In here is everything it took to
create Crystal Tokyo and the whole world. Moving all this
information to another room for me would simply be too much.
It's easier for me to work here and give my office to Sergeant
Joliet." She smiled as he entered. "Speaking of the good
Sergeant..Good afternoon, Joliet."
Serenity smiled. "Sergeant Joliet."
Sergeant Joliet bowed. "Your Highness. You look beautiful
today. You're practically glowing. How are you?"
"I'm well, thank you for your concern. Well, Setsuna, Sergeant,
I'll leave you now."
Sergeant Joliet smiled and nodded as Serenity left the office.
Out of sight of Serenity, Setsuna sighed and rubbed her temples.
"Are you okay?"
"I'm exhausted, Joliet."
Sergeant Joliet smiled in understanding. "I'm sure you are.
What are you running on, what four, five hours of sleep?"
"Three. Three hours if I'm lucky. And with Serenity pregnant...."
Sergeant Joliet leaned forward and his eyes widened.
"Pregnant? Serenity is pregnant?"
"Yes. That's why she isn't working as much as she could be. And
the worst part is, Serenity has no idea what it's taking to
rebuild. We've got nearly a whole planet disabled with injured
people and half the people on Earth don't have homes and
there's so much to be done and so little people to do it with.
And I'm the only one - with the exception of you - who seems to
know what I'm doing. The only problem is, I don't. I'm so on
the edge of quitting but I know I can't."
"Setsuna, you're right. You know you can't do that. You have to
be strong for Serenity...."
For a second, Setsuna heard Venus speaking, swore the words
were belonged to her dead friend, her comrade. But when she
looked up, she saw only Sergeant Joliet. Setsuna sighed,
hearing what he'd said again in her mind. "I have to be
strong," she said softly, her voice growing louder. "I have to be
strong for Serenity. I've been strong since the day I was born. I
didn't ask to be Sailor Pluto but I accepted it anyway and I
was strong. Now...now I've lost the same group of friends and
had my life turn just as upside down as Serenity. And I have to
stay strong?!"
Setsuna stood and faced Joliet. "I'm working my ass off for a
kingdom that is loosing more respect for their queen every day
because they don't know that she's pregnant and she will not
tell them. And they have done nothing to change things! Yes,
stay strong. Always strong! God forbid I show any human
emotion! I haven't even cried over the loss of my family! I
haven't had time to fucking mourn! And I still stay strong even
though it's killing me inside!"
Joliet stayed quiet and let Setsuna have her say, knowing she
would calm down eventually. But when Setsuna froze and
stared past him at the doorway, he knew without needing to
turn that Serenity had heard everything. Setsuna's lip quivered
with the outburst of emotion and she stared into Serenity's eyes.
Serenity stared back, her eyes dark and daring Setsuna to
continue. They stood there for many minutes, how many Joliet
lost count. Setsuna and Serenity stared at each other, sharing
words that could never be voiced.
Three weeks later, Setsuna sat beside Serenity outside in what
were once the greatest gardens ever created. "In the name of
love and justice, and all that is good, these eight proud
warriors gave their lives. Our friends and lovers sleep here. May
their sleep be remembered as glory." Serenity spoke these words
well, with great emotion as she stood before her people. The
memorial to the Senshi was the last of the memorials for those
who died. This day marked the end mourning period for the
kingdom, to remember all who died and the beginning of the
rebuilding for everyone. Serenity also announced her
pregnancy, explaining to all her weakening condition. It was
a wake up call to the people and they gained respect for her.
Not long after, Serenity met with Setsuna in private. To her
trusted friend, Serenity poured her broken heart out. "There are
times when I think of Endymion and I stop wanting to exist.
There are mornings where I just wake up and it's all I can do...
But then I think of Rini," she touched her stomach where the
curve of her pregnancy showed, "and I realize I have to go on.
If not for me, for her. Your show of emotion that day made me
realize how hard it's been for everyone else. I realized I
couldn't ask my people to do something I can't. I....miss
Endymion and it hurts every second of every day. He's with me,
though, guiding me. I want to be the queen Endymion would
have been proud of and lead my people as their King would
have lead them."
Serenity grew up and she worked on matters that did not
require much energy. The people of the kingdom forgot their
jokes of Queen Setsuna and became loyal once more. Setsuna
worked hard though her work was lessened incredibly by the
number of people Serenity hired to help. Setsuna was no longer
exhausted and she and Serenity grew closer as the time passed.
Serenity now looked forward to the mornings.
Epilogue
Setsuna watched as Serena slowly picked up her daughter
and placed her in her crib. Serena slowly kissed her daughter
goodnight and slipped out the room, turning off the light and
leaving Setsuna in the dark. Setsuna remained where she was
for a moment and walked quietly to the crib. Looking down,
she smiled at the young child. Setsuna reached down and
lightly stroked her cheek. "Young princess, sleep well tonight. I
wish your father could be here to see you. But fear not, young
child. He knows." Setsuna smiled and turned, making her way
to the window.
Outside Serenity was walking to the monument dedicated to
the scouts and to Endymion. Serenity stopped and looked at
the huge monument and slowly read the words once spoken by
herself. "In the name of love and justice, and all that is good,
these eight proud warriors gave their lives. Our friends and
lovers sleep here. May their sleep be remembered as glory. " She walked past the pictures of her friends and kneeled at Endymion's grave. The torch that had been erected in his honor burned slowly and Serenity laid a red rose near the fire. Every night for the past three years she had come to this spot and laid a rose on the grave. Tonight was especially important.
Serenity jumped as she heard herself speak. "Oh, Darien. I miss
you. I miss your laughter, your eyes, the way you touched me.
It's not so hard most nights but on this night, your presence
seems to be everywhere. After it first happened, the hardest
thing to do was wake up in the morning without you. I didn't
want to live. " She smiled. "But I'm am no longer here to
mourn. I am here to remember. To remember everything about
you and to remember my love for you. I love you, my brave
king. "
With that the young queen stood, the soft moonlight lightly
touching her face. She stood, looking out at the monument.
She smiled again, kissed her fingers and placed her hand on
the monument. She spoke a word of remembrance and
friendship and slowly turned. Neo-Queen Serenity made her
way back to the palace, no longer saddened by the thought of
waking up and not knowing what tomorrow would bring.
~Fin~
Author Notes: 6-15-01 I've been working on this story off and on for a little longer than 3 years or so. It started out extremely melodramatic. Last week, I picked up the printed version and started to edit. I had parts that needed to be put in and parts that needed to be taken out. Then one day, I sat at my computer and copied what I had onto here. I edited more. And I added a ton. This is my pet, the first story that I thought would never finished that is. And I'm proud of it. So whether I get glowing reviews or enough flames to last me a lifetime, let me assure you that nothing can change the way I feel about this piece of work. Thank you, Duchess. aka Minako lanie_pu@yahoo.com ^_~