Sailor Moon and associated characters are copyrighted 1997 Naoko
Takeuchi/Kodansha, DIC entertainment, Toei Animation.
@)~ ~ ~~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ (@
The Truth Within His Heart
by: Mistic
"Come back here you little spore," Serena cried as she waded
through the murky water. With a very low curse, Serena continued
against the light current of the murky sulfuric water. Her progress was
slow and labored, for she was hiding her nude form from the prying eyes
of all that were about by keeping almost entirely under the water holding
her hands crossed over her chest as she went.
A few feet ahead of his older sister, Sammy ran holding her
towel in his hands. A smile of pure glee and mischief spreading over
his face as he ran up the embankment towards the steep hill top.
Suddenly, Sammy stopped and peered harder at the ghostlike form of a
young man.
As Sammy focused on the figure, Serena snatched her towel from
his immobile hand. She quickly pulled the towel around her body once
more so that no one could see her in her compromising state and mumbled
in a very low voice, "Next time, I'm wearing a bathing suit no matter
what mom says!"
When Sammy didn't react to Serena's comment, she looked up with
a curious expression on her face. She gasped gently at the sight of her
brother. His form was unmoving save from the rhythmic movement of his
chest do to his heartbeat. Standing up, Serena decided to take a look
at what had fixated Sammy.
Below them on the beach stood a form that Serena thought that
she would never see again. Her heart flipped in her chest and her eyes
could see nothing but the familiar form of her prince. Serena's eyes
began to well with tears of joy as she saw him peer at the place that
she and her brother stood. Before Serena knew what she was doing, she
was running to her hotel room after gasping "Darien!?"
Upon arriving at her hotel room, Serena threw on her bathing
suit and a resort robe. In under two minutes flat, Serena was running
once again. She ran out of her room and into the woods that surrounded
the resort. Pausing for but a moment to assess her location, Serena
turned and headed towards the spot were she had seen Darien. Once there
she looked around eagerly searching the shore for that familiar form
that made her heart do flips of joy. To her disappointment and
heartbreak, Serena could find no trace of the man that she loved with
all her heart and soul. Dejectedly, Serena began to trudge through the
forest. Serena soon lost her way do to the fact that she had not even
noticed what path she had taken on her run through the woods.
"Great, Serena. Just great! First you lose Darien and now
you've lost your way," Serena chided herself as she walked through the
forest. Serena stopped for a moment to clear her head. She looked
around and decided to rest. She sat down upon the ground and leaned
against a statue that she had not noticed before. As Serena buried her
head in her hands and began to cry, a soft, sweet melody began to
play. Not understanding exactly how or why her star locket was playing,
Serena pulled it out of the pocket of her robe and began to stare at
the revolving moon insignia.
Not far away from the weeping Serena stood the man that she wept
for. Endymion stood gazing at the lake that Serena had left but moments
before he had arrived. He stared out at the gently rippling surface of
the lake. Anger was boiling in Endymion's heart for he could neither
find the girl he had seen upon the cliff above the lake nor could he
figure out what was within the lake that was so evil that it was
drawing his attention to it.
"What's out there-" Darien's musing was cut off as he heard the soft
music of Serena's star locket though for all he knew it was someone
playing bells. Something in the melody broke his heart yet mended it
at the same time. His feelings were in such a mixed up state that
Endymion had to find out what the music was. He just had to know why
it was affecting his heart in such a way.
Within five minutes, Endymion found the source of his trouble.
It was a small golden locket that seemed to radiate moon beams from the
center, for light that rose from the locket seemed to be as pure as the
Goddess Diana herself. After studying the locket for a moment, Endymion
took a moment to looked at the slip of a girl that held the locket in her
hand. Involuntarily, Endymion gasped at the pureness and sheer beauty of
the girl he saw. Her hair was that of golden sunshine on the brightest
summer days. Even though he could not see her eyes, Endymion's heart told
him that her eyes were the color of the purest summer skies. Not truly
meaning to say anything, Endymion asked before he could catch himself,
"W-what is that music?"
"It's the music of the moon," Serena stated solemnly, not even
bothering to look up at her inquisitor, "and true love."
Endymion paused as he pondered the answer. He searched the back
of his mind for the answer had seemed familiar to him though he knew
not why. For a few moments, Endymion racked his brain for the answer
but could find none. Again Endymion spoke before he thought of the
consequences of his question, "What is 'true love'? I know what the
moon is, but I have never heard of this love. What is it?"
Shocked beyond compare by this question, Serena abruptly
brought her eyes and head to see who was speaking to her. "Darien," She
gasped both in confusion and surprise. She had known that he was an
orphan, but she did not realize that he had never known love. Looking
deeply into his stormy gray eyes, Serena saw nothing but confusion and
almost a timid kind of fear. Suddenly, she was trapped in within a
vision of horror:
"What is your name," a woman with dark red hair and snake-like
teeth asked in a hideous voice.
"Darien; my name is Darien," Darien faltered; the words only
above a whisper for he had used nearly all his strength to fight the
brainwashing machine.
The wound that lie just above Darien's heart seemed to have
worsened since Serena had last saw it. The stain on his shirt was
larger and that scared Serena. She continued to watch the vision in
horror. Darien fought against the woman's brain washing as hard as he
could but it was a losing battle. Sweet sleep overtook his mind and the
brainwashing seemed to stop. The woman watched with little feeling as
Darien's life force slipped out of his body. As soon as he was dead,
the woman spoke an incantation that animated Darien's body and he
became Prince Endymion once more. The woman cackled loudly as Prince
Endymion bowed to her and kissed her hand.
Serena's eyes widened in horror as she looked at Endymion and
for the first time realized that Darien was truly dead. Tuxedo Mask was
no more, and the man that her heart beat for was dead. Instead of
crying, Serena gently touched Endymion's arm though she knew that he
was truly not the man that she longed for. Serena looked into Endymion's
confused eyes and whispered delicately, "What has happened to you,
Dar-Endymion? What has she done to you to turn your heart against mine.
I watched as you died. How could she still be in control of your body?"
Endymion turned his eyes down to those of Serena and just
replied, "I do not know. I do not even know who you are even though you
seem to know me as well as my queen does. As for dying, my memory is so
clouded that I know not what to think of that comment."
Before Serena could respond to his answer, Mrs. Tsukino called
her name. Serena turned to her where she had heard her mother's voice
and said to him, "I must go-"
"Who are you talking to," Mrs. Tsukino asked as she came upon
her daughter. Mr. Tsukino and Sammy trailed only a few feet behind
Serena's mother.
Serena spun around only to see that Endymion had teleported
away. Tears springing into her sky blue eyes, Serena turned to her
mother and buried herself in her comforting arms.
"Oh my darling; what is wrong," Mrs. Tsukino asked tenderly as
she stroked her daughter's silky hair gently.
"He's gone," Serena sobbed softly into her mother's arms, "He's
truly gone. She took him from me."
"Who? Who's gone," Mrs. Tsukino asked in surprised tones as she
held her sobbing daughter.
"Who's made you cry, honey," Mr. Tsukino asked, "I'll kill him
for hurting you."
"Only I can make her repent for what she has done to my
Endymion-Darien-my only love," Serena's sobs began to trail off.
"What's wrong," Serena's mom asked once more as she ended the
embrace for Serena's muscles had grown tense. Serena scanned the forest
with determination for she felt that something was wrong. A moment
later she gasped as a monster ran out in front of her family.
"There's that little wood sprite," a hideous monster that was
half fish and half humanoid hissed as she spotted the tense Serena.
The fish creature attempted to attack Serena but was stopped by
a black rose. Serena looked up when she heard a familiar voice say,
"Bad form to attack innocent people! I command you to go back to
the lake!"
"Command me," the monster hissed as though it had been struck,
"I think not!"
The monster struck out at Serena's family once more only to
have Mr. Tsukino try to fend off the attack with a stick. The monster
turned the stick into a pile of splinters. As it tried to attack Mr.
Tsukino again, Serena pulled out her moon wand and stopped the monster's
attack from hitting her father. Rage filled Serena's heart as she
cried, "How dare you hurt my family! You will not get away with that.
On behalf of the moon-" Serena stopped her speech as she felt a strong
blast hit the monster square in the chest forcing a great gap between
the two.
"We'll take it from here, Princess" Shouted four Sailor Scouts
as they gracefully landed between Serena's family and the monster.
"Cool the Sailor Scouts," Sammy shouted gleefully as they began
to battle the monster, "They'll waste her!"
Serena vigorously moved her head from side to in order to clear
the fog that had encompassed it due to her fall. Endymion and the
Tsukinos flew to her side in order to help Serena up. As Endymion
helped his princess to her feet, Serena noticed that his mask had
uncolored for a split second, and she saw a vision of Darien trying to
fight the brainwashing but dying in the process. Serena blinked and the
color returned to the mask. Hope began to burn in her at that moment,
and she voiced forcefully, "I know it was not your fault, Endymion. I
know you had no choice. Beryl will pay for your soul's death. She will
repent for taking you away from me, again. But for now we are enemies.
I know I must cope."
"I understand," Endymion said as he looked into Serena's
crystal blue eyes and saw that her love for him burned bright. Endymion
bowed to Serena though he did not know why he felt the need to do so.
With a wistful goodbye, he teleported back to the Nega Verse, "Though
we are now enemies, Princess; I truly know not why. Until we meet again.
Oh--and I will get that crystal, Serenity. You can count on it."
"In you dreams, Endymion; in your dreams," Serena chuckled as
she turned to face toward the rest of her bewildered family.
"Is that the young man you were crying for," Mr. Tsukino asked
slightly hostile but mostly bewildered.
"Ya," Serena stated wistfully as she turned to see the moon
shining in the distance, "Once upon another life time."
It was at that moment that a star fell from the sky, and
Serena's family was knocked off their feet by an explosion. Fear closed
in on Serena, but this fear was not the usual fear for own life but
that true fear for those that she loved.
"Follow me," Serena cried as her warrior side took over her.
She led her family to the path that it had taken her so long to find
before. As she was running, Serena could hear the cries of help from
her friends, and she ducked behind a tree calling out, "The resort's
this way!"
Serena's family ran past the tree that she was hidden behind and
were headed safely back to the resort. Serena silently prayed that they
would be fine and then allowed her warrior spirit to have control once
more. She cried out the transformation phrase and was encompassed by ribbons
of pure energy. As they caressed her, Serena felt new power surge through
her soul, and she teleported to where her friends awaited her much needed
help.
"Moon tiara magic," Sailor Moon threw her tiara and sliced the
vines that held her fellow Scouts. She then turned her attention to the
monster and cried, "You hurt my family and my friends. It is for this
that you must be punished. On behalf of the moon and all that I hold
dear, I will vanquish you! Moon tiara magic!"
The tiara hit the monster and tore her to pieces but there was
something strange about this monster. She just fell apart and then
pulled herself back together. Mercury yelled out something about the
monster not being from the Nega Verse, and Rei let lose one of her
anti-evil charms upon the monster. It was only then that Sailor Moon
remembered what her mother had told her that morning in the car. Sailor
Moon picked up her Moon Crescent Wand and called out, "Moon...
Healing... Activation!"
The monster was encircled by pure moon dust and then silver
moon beams shot forth from her body. A bright flash of light and the
transformation was complete. No longer held by her deep jealousy, the
young woman's spirit floated up into the night sky to join the spirits
of her village. As she journeyed to the heavens, she recognized Serena
and smiled saying softly, "Thank you. Thank you."
Serena smiled for the first time all night and turned to her
friends, "How did you know were I was?"
"Luna told us," Mina giggled nervously.
"Well," Serena said angrily and then playfully as she hugged
her friends, "Thank you! I needed the help. If you hadn't shown up, I
would have had to transform in front of my parents. Now that would
be harder to explain--ah never mind. That would actually be easier than
explaining about Endymion."
Everyone laughed as they hugged their friend. Mercury
detransformed and suggested that Serena go find her parents. Serena
agreed and left her friends on their own.
Serena found her mom and dad easily because they were calling
her name out rather loudly. She ran to them and fell gracefully into
her mother's opened arms. She decided it was best to play the part of
the distressed daughter and cried in a high pitch squeal, "Oh, that was
utterly terrifying! It's a good thing the Sailor Scouts showed up. I am
sorry for scaring you. I didn't mean to."
"That's okay, my darling," Mrs. Tsukino said soothingly.
"We're just glad that your all right," Mr. Tsukino added.
"Hey, Serena," Sammy asked timidly, "Who was that guy?"
"You'll find out someday, Sammy. But today is not that day,"
Serena paused to stare at the full moon and then continued in a wistful
tone, "Until the Moon Princess can free him as he freed her, no one
shall know who he is. Especially since he doesn't even know who he
truly is."
With that Serena's parents started to question her meaning, but
Serena interrupted them by yawning and saying, "I think I'll go take a
nap. My friends will probably want to go for a swim later, and I'm very
tired at the moment."
"Sure go ahead, honey. We'll wake you up for dinner," Mrs.
Tsukino said as she watched Serena stand staring at the moon with a
wistful smile and a broken heart. It was clear to her that Serena's
heart had been broken, but Mrs. Tsukino decided that it would be better
for Serena to tell her why on her own.
Serena's parents headed up the path that led to the resort
leaving Serena behind to ponder her dilemma. Serena blew a kiss to the
moon and headed up the path with a heavy heart. Serena made a secret
prayer deep in her heart that Darien would one day find his way back to
her though she knew it was impossible...
Far above the Earth in a place not known to any living man, a
ghostly figure caught Serena's kiss and gently scolded his young love,
"Nothing is impossible, Princess. Nothing's is impossible, my sweet,
gentle princess. We will meet again one day even if it is in another
lifetime."
The figure knew that events would work out and that someday
soon Serena's prayer would be answered, for he would help her in her
search for peace and retribution. With these thoughts, the ghostly
figure evaporated from where he had stood to a place of eternal peace.
****************************************************************************
Takeuchi/Kodansha, DIC entertainment, Toei Animation.
@)~ ~ ~~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ (@
The Truth Within His Heart
by: Mistic
"Come back here you little spore," Serena cried as she waded
through the murky water. With a very low curse, Serena continued
against the light current of the murky sulfuric water. Her progress was
slow and labored, for she was hiding her nude form from the prying eyes
of all that were about by keeping almost entirely under the water holding
her hands crossed over her chest as she went.
A few feet ahead of his older sister, Sammy ran holding her
towel in his hands. A smile of pure glee and mischief spreading over
his face as he ran up the embankment towards the steep hill top.
Suddenly, Sammy stopped and peered harder at the ghostlike form of a
young man.
As Sammy focused on the figure, Serena snatched her towel from
his immobile hand. She quickly pulled the towel around her body once
more so that no one could see her in her compromising state and mumbled
in a very low voice, "Next time, I'm wearing a bathing suit no matter
what mom says!"
When Sammy didn't react to Serena's comment, she looked up with
a curious expression on her face. She gasped gently at the sight of her
brother. His form was unmoving save from the rhythmic movement of his
chest do to his heartbeat. Standing up, Serena decided to take a look
at what had fixated Sammy.
Below them on the beach stood a form that Serena thought that
she would never see again. Her heart flipped in her chest and her eyes
could see nothing but the familiar form of her prince. Serena's eyes
began to well with tears of joy as she saw him peer at the place that
she and her brother stood. Before Serena knew what she was doing, she
was running to her hotel room after gasping "Darien!?"
Upon arriving at her hotel room, Serena threw on her bathing
suit and a resort robe. In under two minutes flat, Serena was running
once again. She ran out of her room and into the woods that surrounded
the resort. Pausing for but a moment to assess her location, Serena
turned and headed towards the spot were she had seen Darien. Once there
she looked around eagerly searching the shore for that familiar form
that made her heart do flips of joy. To her disappointment and
heartbreak, Serena could find no trace of the man that she loved with
all her heart and soul. Dejectedly, Serena began to trudge through the
forest. Serena soon lost her way do to the fact that she had not even
noticed what path she had taken on her run through the woods.
"Great, Serena. Just great! First you lose Darien and now
you've lost your way," Serena chided herself as she walked through the
forest. Serena stopped for a moment to clear her head. She looked
around and decided to rest. She sat down upon the ground and leaned
against a statue that she had not noticed before. As Serena buried her
head in her hands and began to cry, a soft, sweet melody began to
play. Not understanding exactly how or why her star locket was playing,
Serena pulled it out of the pocket of her robe and began to stare at
the revolving moon insignia.
Not far away from the weeping Serena stood the man that she wept
for. Endymion stood gazing at the lake that Serena had left but moments
before he had arrived. He stared out at the gently rippling surface of
the lake. Anger was boiling in Endymion's heart for he could neither
find the girl he had seen upon the cliff above the lake nor could he
figure out what was within the lake that was so evil that it was
drawing his attention to it.
"What's out there-" Darien's musing was cut off as he heard the soft
music of Serena's star locket though for all he knew it was someone
playing bells. Something in the melody broke his heart yet mended it
at the same time. His feelings were in such a mixed up state that
Endymion had to find out what the music was. He just had to know why
it was affecting his heart in such a way.
Within five minutes, Endymion found the source of his trouble.
It was a small golden locket that seemed to radiate moon beams from the
center, for light that rose from the locket seemed to be as pure as the
Goddess Diana herself. After studying the locket for a moment, Endymion
took a moment to looked at the slip of a girl that held the locket in her
hand. Involuntarily, Endymion gasped at the pureness and sheer beauty of
the girl he saw. Her hair was that of golden sunshine on the brightest
summer days. Even though he could not see her eyes, Endymion's heart told
him that her eyes were the color of the purest summer skies. Not truly
meaning to say anything, Endymion asked before he could catch himself,
"W-what is that music?"
"It's the music of the moon," Serena stated solemnly, not even
bothering to look up at her inquisitor, "and true love."
Endymion paused as he pondered the answer. He searched the back
of his mind for the answer had seemed familiar to him though he knew
not why. For a few moments, Endymion racked his brain for the answer
but could find none. Again Endymion spoke before he thought of the
consequences of his question, "What is 'true love'? I know what the
moon is, but I have never heard of this love. What is it?"
Shocked beyond compare by this question, Serena abruptly
brought her eyes and head to see who was speaking to her. "Darien," She
gasped both in confusion and surprise. She had known that he was an
orphan, but she did not realize that he had never known love. Looking
deeply into his stormy gray eyes, Serena saw nothing but confusion and
almost a timid kind of fear. Suddenly, she was trapped in within a
vision of horror:
"What is your name," a woman with dark red hair and snake-like
teeth asked in a hideous voice.
"Darien; my name is Darien," Darien faltered; the words only
above a whisper for he had used nearly all his strength to fight the
brainwashing machine.
The wound that lie just above Darien's heart seemed to have
worsened since Serena had last saw it. The stain on his shirt was
larger and that scared Serena. She continued to watch the vision in
horror. Darien fought against the woman's brain washing as hard as he
could but it was a losing battle. Sweet sleep overtook his mind and the
brainwashing seemed to stop. The woman watched with little feeling as
Darien's life force slipped out of his body. As soon as he was dead,
the woman spoke an incantation that animated Darien's body and he
became Prince Endymion once more. The woman cackled loudly as Prince
Endymion bowed to her and kissed her hand.
Serena's eyes widened in horror as she looked at Endymion and
for the first time realized that Darien was truly dead. Tuxedo Mask was
no more, and the man that her heart beat for was dead. Instead of
crying, Serena gently touched Endymion's arm though she knew that he
was truly not the man that she longed for. Serena looked into Endymion's
confused eyes and whispered delicately, "What has happened to you,
Dar-Endymion? What has she done to you to turn your heart against mine.
I watched as you died. How could she still be in control of your body?"
Endymion turned his eyes down to those of Serena and just
replied, "I do not know. I do not even know who you are even though you
seem to know me as well as my queen does. As for dying, my memory is so
clouded that I know not what to think of that comment."
Before Serena could respond to his answer, Mrs. Tsukino called
her name. Serena turned to her where she had heard her mother's voice
and said to him, "I must go-"
"Who are you talking to," Mrs. Tsukino asked as she came upon
her daughter. Mr. Tsukino and Sammy trailed only a few feet behind
Serena's mother.
Serena spun around only to see that Endymion had teleported
away. Tears springing into her sky blue eyes, Serena turned to her
mother and buried herself in her comforting arms.
"Oh my darling; what is wrong," Mrs. Tsukino asked tenderly as
she stroked her daughter's silky hair gently.
"He's gone," Serena sobbed softly into her mother's arms, "He's
truly gone. She took him from me."
"Who? Who's gone," Mrs. Tsukino asked in surprised tones as she
held her sobbing daughter.
"Who's made you cry, honey," Mr. Tsukino asked, "I'll kill him
for hurting you."
"Only I can make her repent for what she has done to my
Endymion-Darien-my only love," Serena's sobs began to trail off.
"What's wrong," Serena's mom asked once more as she ended the
embrace for Serena's muscles had grown tense. Serena scanned the forest
with determination for she felt that something was wrong. A moment
later she gasped as a monster ran out in front of her family.
"There's that little wood sprite," a hideous monster that was
half fish and half humanoid hissed as she spotted the tense Serena.
The fish creature attempted to attack Serena but was stopped by
a black rose. Serena looked up when she heard a familiar voice say,
"Bad form to attack innocent people! I command you to go back to
the lake!"
"Command me," the monster hissed as though it had been struck,
"I think not!"
The monster struck out at Serena's family once more only to
have Mr. Tsukino try to fend off the attack with a stick. The monster
turned the stick into a pile of splinters. As it tried to attack Mr.
Tsukino again, Serena pulled out her moon wand and stopped the monster's
attack from hitting her father. Rage filled Serena's heart as she
cried, "How dare you hurt my family! You will not get away with that.
On behalf of the moon-" Serena stopped her speech as she felt a strong
blast hit the monster square in the chest forcing a great gap between
the two.
"We'll take it from here, Princess" Shouted four Sailor Scouts
as they gracefully landed between Serena's family and the monster.
"Cool the Sailor Scouts," Sammy shouted gleefully as they began
to battle the monster, "They'll waste her!"
Serena vigorously moved her head from side to in order to clear
the fog that had encompassed it due to her fall. Endymion and the
Tsukinos flew to her side in order to help Serena up. As Endymion
helped his princess to her feet, Serena noticed that his mask had
uncolored for a split second, and she saw a vision of Darien trying to
fight the brainwashing but dying in the process. Serena blinked and the
color returned to the mask. Hope began to burn in her at that moment,
and she voiced forcefully, "I know it was not your fault, Endymion. I
know you had no choice. Beryl will pay for your soul's death. She will
repent for taking you away from me, again. But for now we are enemies.
I know I must cope."
"I understand," Endymion said as he looked into Serena's
crystal blue eyes and saw that her love for him burned bright. Endymion
bowed to Serena though he did not know why he felt the need to do so.
With a wistful goodbye, he teleported back to the Nega Verse, "Though
we are now enemies, Princess; I truly know not why. Until we meet again.
Oh--and I will get that crystal, Serenity. You can count on it."
"In you dreams, Endymion; in your dreams," Serena chuckled as
she turned to face toward the rest of her bewildered family.
"Is that the young man you were crying for," Mr. Tsukino asked
slightly hostile but mostly bewildered.
"Ya," Serena stated wistfully as she turned to see the moon
shining in the distance, "Once upon another life time."
It was at that moment that a star fell from the sky, and
Serena's family was knocked off their feet by an explosion. Fear closed
in on Serena, but this fear was not the usual fear for own life but
that true fear for those that she loved.
"Follow me," Serena cried as her warrior side took over her.
She led her family to the path that it had taken her so long to find
before. As she was running, Serena could hear the cries of help from
her friends, and she ducked behind a tree calling out, "The resort's
this way!"
Serena's family ran past the tree that she was hidden behind and
were headed safely back to the resort. Serena silently prayed that they
would be fine and then allowed her warrior spirit to have control once
more. She cried out the transformation phrase and was encompassed by ribbons
of pure energy. As they caressed her, Serena felt new power surge through
her soul, and she teleported to where her friends awaited her much needed
help.
"Moon tiara magic," Sailor Moon threw her tiara and sliced the
vines that held her fellow Scouts. She then turned her attention to the
monster and cried, "You hurt my family and my friends. It is for this
that you must be punished. On behalf of the moon and all that I hold
dear, I will vanquish you! Moon tiara magic!"
The tiara hit the monster and tore her to pieces but there was
something strange about this monster. She just fell apart and then
pulled herself back together. Mercury yelled out something about the
monster not being from the Nega Verse, and Rei let lose one of her
anti-evil charms upon the monster. It was only then that Sailor Moon
remembered what her mother had told her that morning in the car. Sailor
Moon picked up her Moon Crescent Wand and called out, "Moon...
Healing... Activation!"
The monster was encircled by pure moon dust and then silver
moon beams shot forth from her body. A bright flash of light and the
transformation was complete. No longer held by her deep jealousy, the
young woman's spirit floated up into the night sky to join the spirits
of her village. As she journeyed to the heavens, she recognized Serena
and smiled saying softly, "Thank you. Thank you."
Serena smiled for the first time all night and turned to her
friends, "How did you know were I was?"
"Luna told us," Mina giggled nervously.
"Well," Serena said angrily and then playfully as she hugged
her friends, "Thank you! I needed the help. If you hadn't shown up, I
would have had to transform in front of my parents. Now that would
be harder to explain--ah never mind. That would actually be easier than
explaining about Endymion."
Everyone laughed as they hugged their friend. Mercury
detransformed and suggested that Serena go find her parents. Serena
agreed and left her friends on their own.
Serena found her mom and dad easily because they were calling
her name out rather loudly. She ran to them and fell gracefully into
her mother's opened arms. She decided it was best to play the part of
the distressed daughter and cried in a high pitch squeal, "Oh, that was
utterly terrifying! It's a good thing the Sailor Scouts showed up. I am
sorry for scaring you. I didn't mean to."
"That's okay, my darling," Mrs. Tsukino said soothingly.
"We're just glad that your all right," Mr. Tsukino added.
"Hey, Serena," Sammy asked timidly, "Who was that guy?"
"You'll find out someday, Sammy. But today is not that day,"
Serena paused to stare at the full moon and then continued in a wistful
tone, "Until the Moon Princess can free him as he freed her, no one
shall know who he is. Especially since he doesn't even know who he
truly is."
With that Serena's parents started to question her meaning, but
Serena interrupted them by yawning and saying, "I think I'll go take a
nap. My friends will probably want to go for a swim later, and I'm very
tired at the moment."
"Sure go ahead, honey. We'll wake you up for dinner," Mrs.
Tsukino said as she watched Serena stand staring at the moon with a
wistful smile and a broken heart. It was clear to her that Serena's
heart had been broken, but Mrs. Tsukino decided that it would be better
for Serena to tell her why on her own.
Serena's parents headed up the path that led to the resort
leaving Serena behind to ponder her dilemma. Serena blew a kiss to the
moon and headed up the path with a heavy heart. Serena made a secret
prayer deep in her heart that Darien would one day find his way back to
her though she knew it was impossible...
Far above the Earth in a place not known to any living man, a
ghostly figure caught Serena's kiss and gently scolded his young love,
"Nothing is impossible, Princess. Nothing's is impossible, my sweet,
gentle princess. We will meet again one day even if it is in another
lifetime."
The figure knew that events would work out and that someday
soon Serena's prayer would be answered, for he would help her in her
search for peace and retribution. With these thoughts, the ghostly
figure evaporated from where he had stood to a place of eternal peace.
****************************************************************************