Author's Notes: This is the beginning of a chapter fic, mainly a story that'll focus on Elios and Chibi Usa. It takes place in Crystal Tokyo and Chibi Usa, who will mostly be referred to as Princess Serenity, has finally grown into a beautiful woman and is soon to be courted by many princes throughout the galaxy. But through all the celebration, a powerful enemy is to be overlooked and has her eyes set on becoming the future Queen of the galaxy.
Disclaimer: I don't own Sailor Moon or any of the characters from the series. They are sole property of Naoko Takeuchi.
Destiny
-By Selene
The sky was filled with dazzling shades of blue, small stars twinkling off in the distance. A giant, crescent moon hung above this abandoned forest, casting a brilliant light upon the earth below. The only sound heard within this forest was the cry of the wind billowing through the leaves of the trees, echoing in a muttered silence. As a young girl gazed on with awe, a familiar wave of comfort washed over her, memories flooding back to her.
"Elios..." she whispered.
A gust of wind swept through her long, cotton candy pigtails. Her red eyes desperately scanned through the trees, looking for some sign of his arrival. Moments passed...minutes passed...silence.
"Why won't you return to me, dear Elios?" she asked, her voice echoing throughout the forest.
Again, she received no answer. Sighing disheartedly, she strolled over to a small brook, staring down at the running water to gaze at her reflection. Many years ago, the sight before her would have brought fulfilled joy to her tender heart. But now she couldn't help but look at the fully grown women with a lonely longing to be young again. As a child, her wonderful dreams had the power to summon her prince to her side. She had instantly fallen in love with him but knew that she was too young -too small- to ever have him. Her longing to grow into a beautiful woman grew stronger as the years passed by, convinced that once she had fully matured, he would return to her. But now...seeing her wish finally fulfilled, she found herself wishing she was younger again so that he would return.
"He came to me because of my dreams. And now that they're gone...he's gone..." she thought aloud, feeling her eyes filling with tears.
She had grown so beautiful...but what was beauty if you were alone? Sure, she grew up in Crystal Tokyo with both a loving mother and father and also with the greatest friends and fighters she had ever known. But her heart ached for a different kind of love...one that she thought would only be achieved by becoming a full grown woman.
"And yet I'll forever remain alone. Lost inside this body of beauty and loneliness."
Her bitter words stabbed her heart like a dagger. What was left for her after this?
"Elios....please....come to me...."
And then the tears spilled, dripping down her chin and slowly falling to the earth. With each tear that fell, a piece of her broken heart fell with it as the Princess Serenity accepted her fate. She would forever remain alone.
She closed her eyes, listening to the whispers of the wind. Her body ached, her heart ached... and yet the tears refused to stop.
A gentle hand wiped away her tears, much to Serenity's surprise. Blushing, she slowly opened her eyes, her heart leaping in her breast.
"Elios..." she whispered, lifting her hands to touch his face.
He smiled at his princess, rewarded as her sad eyes filled with hope. He had waited so long for this moment...the moment he would re-unite with his beloved.
"Chibi Usa...My Serenity...you truly have become a beautiful lady..." he replied, gazing longingly at her.
Suppressing a giggle, she replied, "I'm not so Chibi anymore."
Reaching into his pocket, he pulled out a small, golden ring. Taking Serenity's right hand in his, he placed the ring on one of her delicate fingers, a pink blush coloring his pale cheeks. Serenity gazed at her hand and found herself gasping at the beautiful, pink, heart-shaped diamond formed in the center of the golden band.
"Do you like it, my precious one?" he asked, a hint of nervousness trailing in his voice.
"It's...it's so...beautiful..." she whispered back, feeling tears form in her red eyes. "But...why?"
"It's a reminder of my love for you. We have both waited so long for this moment but even now, we still can't be together. We live in separate worlds and hold separate destinies. We may have to wait over 900 years, again, before we can finally be re-united. And if this love is or is not our destiny, I want you to have a promise ring if only to remember me."
Serenity smiled again at her prince and reached around her neck, unlocking the necklace she had worn every day since returning from the twentieth century. She motioned for Elios to bend forward as she clasped the necklace around his neck.
"My mother and father gave this to me after I had returned from the twentieth century and completed my training. They told me to keep this locket as a reminder of their love for me and also as a gift for becoming one of the Senshi. I have placed a picture of myself inside, from when I was living with Usagi. I had always hoped I would be able to pass this on to my true love."
Elios opened the gold, heart-shaped locket and glanced at her photo. The small girl in the picture wore a blue, white and red school uniform and held a soft smile on her face, her eyes gleaming with adventure and anticipation. On the other side of the locket, the words "Forever in our hearts" had been engraved with silver. Elios opened his mouth to protest such a wonderful gift but Serenity placed a single finger on his lips, motioning him to be silent.
"I know it may seem too overwhelming to accept," Serenity began, "but I don't need this gift any longer. I wake up every morning within walking distance of my parents. I see them every day and this is the first time in over 900 years that I've encountered you. I need no reminders of my parent's love for me because they tell me every morning how much they care about me. But as for you, my Elios, we rarely have had the chance to meet again. Please keep this locket. I want you to have some memento to remember me by in case we have to wait another 900 years to see each other again."
Elios nodded and tucked the locket inside of his white tunic.
"Until we meet again, Princess Serenity," he whispered.
Elios tilted Serenity's chin as he leaned forward, capturing her lips in a soft kiss. Before he had a chance to pull away, Serenity wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed him passionately, her lips hungrily devouring his own. Both were locked in a tight embrace, Serenity running her hands through his hair and Elios playfully exploring the inside of his princess's mouth.
But time was not on their side. Serenity would soon have to awake from her beautiful dream and Elios would return to Elysion. Pulling back, regretfully, he sadly turned and began to walk away.
"Goodbye, Elios," Serenity whispered. 'Till we meet again....'
~*~^._.^~*~
The young Serenity awoke the next morning, slowing stretching her arms and yawning. A small smile played across her rosy lips that still tingled with the sensation of a kiss. Had it all been just a beautiful dream? Or had she really kissed her prince?
She blinked her rosy eyes a few times, adjusting to the morning sunlight that streamed through her open window. A jewel glittered in the rays of light, catching her attention from the corner of her eye. Bringing her right hand to her face, Serenity gazed curiously at this foreign object.
"A ring?"
Slight confusion flashed across her features. But then she remembered the most important part of her lovely dream where Elios had given her a promise ring.
So it wasn't just a dream. He actually visited me within my dreams and gave me this beautiful ring, she thought. Which means...I really did see him again!
Her heart pounded furiously in her chest and her smile grew more sincere. Her prayer had finally been answered.
"Oh Elios..." she sighed. "Please return to me soon."
Serenity had no idea if he could actually hear her but hoped that he understood her pain of separation. She needed him more as each day dragged on. And she wasn't about to wait another 900 years for another kiss.
~*~^._.^~*~
The sun glistened off of the crystals that formed the palace of Crystal Tokyo, reflecting a beautiful glow throughout the royal dining room. Around the table sat King Endymion, Neo-Queen Serenity, and the eight princesses of the galaxy, all hungrily awaiting to start their meal as they waited for the heir of Crystal Tokyo to drag herself out of bed.
"I am deeply sorry to keep all of you waiting," Queen Serenity apologized. "I haven't a clue as to why our daughter would be late."
"No worries," Minako happily chimed in, disguising her pang of hunger. "Small Lady is probably still exhausted from last night's dinner party."
Haruka groaned. "Who wouldn't be? King Nerona made a long, boring speech on how grateful he was to be staying on the most 'glorious planet within the entire universe'. That man just loves to talk."
Neo-Queen Serenity gave Haruka a mocking glare. "Now Haruka, you mustn't speak so poorly of a man of great importance. His presence in Crystal Tokyo was well much anticipated, especially since his youngest son may prove to be a wonderful match for our dear Serenity."
The queen winked at Haruka and then turned her attention to Diana, the small, medium-sized cat that had just entered the room. Her red eyes sparkled mischievously as she sniffed the air with her delicate, pink nose.
"Sorry to be intruding on your brunch, your majesties," she said, bowing down respectfully, "but Princess Serenity has requested that I inform you that she is terribly sorry for waking up late and she will be arriving shortly."
"Thank you, Diana," said Endymion, "and your intrusion is always much desired."
The small cat blushed, bowed again to her king and queen, and bounced out of the room. With the cat gone, the princesses and rulers of the galaxy continued their conversation.
"So young Serenity is soon to be receiving courtship. How many suitors do you expect to have?" Makoto asked.
King Endymion smiled. "Many of the rulers in the Geroshita galaxy have young princes that are available to court our daughter. As you know, she is to marry a prince that hasn't been promised the kingdom on their own planet."
"This is so that Serenity will have the chance to rule over Crystal Tokyo. Many of the more desirable suitors we conversed with a few weeks ago have already been promised their father's kingdom. It's unfortunate that they won't be able to court our daughter but I still feel that the younger sons would make excellent Kings," Queen Serenity finished.
Michiru pushed back a strand of curly, aquamarine hair, and sighed. "I hope that Serenity finds true love. She should marry a man that fills her hearts desires."
"And hopefully a man that also knows his politics," Ami added.
"He should be good-looking," Rei said.
"Don't forget confident," said Hotaru, Serenity's closest friend.
"And hopefully a man that understands the importance of his power and doesn't abuse it," Setsuna added.
They all continued discussing the issue, unaware that the young princess had just arrived in the room. She stopped at the doorway and listened to the conversation, her cheeks growing pink as they discussed what type of a prince she should marry and how she would become a great ruler. Feeling more embarrassed each second, Serenity cleared her throat to get everyone's attention.
Everyone turned to look at her, some cheering because they would finally be able to eat, and others blushing at the fact that she had heard their conversation. Serenity just ignored this and sat down at the table alongside her mother, many thoughts running through her head.
Neo-Queen Serenity and King Endymion felt most embarrassed since they had brought up her courtship. The Queen apologetically turned to face her daughter.
"We're sorry to be discussing such an issue at the moment. It was supposed to be a surprise," she said.
King Endymion nodded, grinning at his daughter. "We didn't mean to embarrass you, sweetheart. The issue somehow arouse during our morning chatter."
The rest of the princesses also expressed their apologies.
"That's fine, father," Serenity replied. "I should be the one apologizing. I am sorry for keeping everyone waiting this morning. I woke up late from a wonderful dream."
She stopped herself their, a dreamy look clouding over her eyes.
"I bet she was dreaming of her prince charming," Minako said, winking at the blushing princess of Crystal Tokyo.
"You could say that..." she added.
Conversation ceased there as bowls of gourmet soup and bottles of win were brought to the table. Everyone immediately ate, a long silence following as they all hungrily indulged in their delicious meal. Somewhere near the end, though, the observative Hotaru couldn't help but point out the difference in Princess Serenity.
"What happened to your golden locket?"
As she asked that question, all eyes turned on the young princess. Ever since her return from the past, she hadn't taken off that necklace, not even when she slept at night. For years now, that locket had been one of her trademark accessories. To see her not wear it came as a shock to everyone.
"Do you not like our gift anymore?" Queen Serenity asked.
The hurt in her eyes caused Serenity's heart to plummet down to her stomach. She hated lying to her parents but she didn't want them to know of Elios at the moment. Knowing how overprotective they were, they might start jumping to conclusions.
"I...uh...decided to...take it off last night. It's not safe to sleep with a necklace around my neck so I put it aside and forgot to put it back on this morning," she quickly replied. Hopefully that'll keep them from getting suspicious!
"Oh."
To destroy the awkward silence that followed, Ami brought up the recent negotiations made with the Karoesu galaxy in order to restore peace. Serenity sighed in relief and went back to finishing her meal. And, as always, the observative Hotaru couldn't help but notice another difference with Princess Serenity. She secretly noted to ask about the pink-diamond ring later.
~*~^._.^~*~
Flipping back her pink pigtails, Serenity lay on the grass near an open lake within the fields of the palace, thinking of her courtship, and most importantly, Elios. The afternoon sun had started to descend from the earth, leaving the air a bit cooler on this late-summer day but also painting the sky with brilliant shades of red and orange, reminding Serenity of Elios's brilliant golden eyes.
"I just can't get you out of my head," she whispered, smiling. She closed her eyes and listened intently to the wind, straining to hear whatever secrets the air could hold. She strongly felt Elios's presence wherever she went, whether within her warm blankets or in the glorious outdoors and she often talked to the very air, knowing that Elios could hear her. It was as if his spirit followed her.
She heard the approaching steps and remained sitting in the grass, knowing well enough that her friend Hotaru was approaching, most likely followed by little Diana. The three of them shared a bond and knew everything about each other, including favorite spots. Whenever Serenity wasn't found within the palace, Hotaru and Diana always knew where she would be within the fields.
"You seem to be lost in your thoughts, Chibi Usa," Hotaru said, settling down beside her friend. Diana, as predicted, was also there and she jumped up on her princess's shoulder, cuddling Serenity's neck affectionately.
Serenity smiled dreamily, her eyes twinkling happily. "The most wonderful thing happened to me last night. Since then, I haven't been able to get him out of my head."
"You must mean Elios, right?" Diana asked.
The princess nodded. Only Diana and Hotaru knew of her love for Elios. Although the other Senshi and her parents had known of her feelings for Elios, they had only seen it as a little "crush" and hadn't given him any other thoughts since, much to Serenity's disappointment.
"And I'm guessing that your mysterious ring must have some connection to your dream, right?" Hotaru inquired.
Again, the princess nodded.
"Care to share your dream with us?"
Smiling, Serenity focused her eyes on the lake and began her tale.
"I was strolling through an abandoned forest, alone, looking for Elios. I felt so alone...and I kept calling out his name, but he wouldn't answer me. As strong as I normally am, I soon found myself crying. I thought that Elios wouldn't answer me because of who I had become and all I could do was weep. But then..." her eyes glazed over with tears, "...he appeared and wiped away my tears. That was when he gave me this ring. He told me it was a reminder of his love for me. In return, I gave him the locket mother and father had given me years ago. And then, he kissed me..."
Serenity sighed and felt her cheeks grow warm.
"It felt so good to finally feel his lips again. But our moment was cut short since I had to awake sometime, although, I wouldn't mind sleeping forever if it meant that I could be with him."
Diana hopped off of the princess's shoulder and grinned. "Love sure does make people think crazy. As much as I like to sleep, I don't think I could sleep for that long."
Both Hotaru and Serenity laughed at their furry friend.
"That dream sound beautiful, Chibi Usa," Hotaru whispered. "Do you think you'll see him again?"
"I hope so. I can't imagine having to wait another millennium before seeing him again. I'm hoping that he'll arrive to Crystal Tokyo for my courtship. Then we can finally be together."
Hearing this, both Diana and Hotaru couldn't help but exchange sad looks.
"Are you two okay?" Serenity asked.
Diana nodded, asking, "Is Elios the ruler of Elysion?"
Serenity smiled. "Of course he is."
"There is something you should know about the courtship..."
~*~^._.^~*~
Her black lips curled in an evil grin, her dark eyes looking down at the planet before her. Extending her hand, a black tipped finger pointed at their destination.
"We have only few more observations to make. Within the next few weeks, once all information on their defense systems has been detected, we shall descend."
Strolling across the room, her black dress swished along with her feet as she remained within her thoughts. All of her minions turned their eyes on her, standing completely still in silence, for fear of their Queen's deadly wrath. As she stopped and turned to look at each of them, every minion held their breath, wondering what sort of sick thoughts were crossing her mind.
"I want all of you to begin preparing for battle. Even if we take the planet by surprise, we still will be facing the strongest warriors in the universe be prepared for anything," she commanded, her cold gaze causing a few to tremble.
One warrior, with little power of skill of battle, stepped forward and asked, in a shaky voice, "Wh-which planet are we-we attacking?"
Before anyone could blink, a ball of dark energy was emitted from the Queen's palm and disintegrated the foolish creature. Then the Queen calmly blinked, looking about as if challenging anyone else to ask such a ridiculous question.
"Let that be a lesson to the rest of you," she said. "Always bow before your Queen."
A wicked look passed her features and again, she turned to stare at their destination.
"Prepare for the domination...of Earth."
To Be Continued
-By Selene
Author's Notes: I dunno what to think of this fic. I thought it was good at first but maybe it might not be so great. It all depends on what all of you think. If you like it enough, I'll continue it. In the next chapter I promise to have more sappy moments with Elios and Serenity (Chibi Usa) and also more background information on Crystal Tokyo's new threat.