Disclaimer: I do not own Sailor Moon or her characters, and have no right to it except as a long time fan.
Title: A Little Help
Serena x Darien
Rated: T
Romance/Drama/Time Travel
Summary: What if there was a reason Princess Serenity's fascination with the Earth switched from the planet itself to its Prince. What if the great love between the Moon Princess and the Earth Prince happened because of interference from the future?
A tall woman stood in front of a large elaborate silvery white marble set of double doors holding a silver staff as tall as she was in the slight shape of a key with a vibrant garnet orb at the top. She had long knee length dark green hair half of which was pulled up into a bun, and tanned skin that made her wise red eyes stand out.
As she stood in the dark foggy space she was dressed for duty.
A white body suit covered her upper body with a black sailor collar with a single white stripe attached, and round transparent gray puffed sleeves with two strips of black fabric attached to the bottom. On her chest just below her collar sat a garnet colored bow with a black five-point star attached to the center.
Around her waist was a belt consisting of two ribbons, one grey and one black, with two long thin back ribbons, clipped together by a golden five-point star. Just below on her hips was a two-layered skirt, the top layer black and the bottom grey, and on her lower back was a gray bow. Long white gloves reached the middle of her upper arms with three strips of black fabric attached to the ends. On her feet were white knee-high high heel boots with black V-shaped borders with golden five-point stars at the top.
Completing her uniform was a black V-shaped choker around her neck, on her forehead sat a golden tiara with a black five-point star gem, and dangling from her ears were black five-point star earrings.
Sailor Pluto stared off into the foggy distance as she watched over the doorway and timelines. She didn't need to be there anymore to do her duty; her Princess and future Queen had made sure of that, but she still came, partly out of habit and partly because of the silence that allowed her to think and focus better.
She suddenly turned her head and stared off in a different direction for a long moment before she turned and stared at the elaborate gateway that could take her, or anyone she allowed, to the Moon Palace in the past or the Crystal Palace in the future.
It is time. She thought before she turned and began to walk away from the gateway. Hoping all would turn out well as she was swallowed up by the fog.
~~~~###~~~~
Serena and Darien were relaxing on the couch in their living room in the early evening. Darien was lying down with his head resting on Serena's lap, and listening to her soft voice as she read to him while slowly running her fingers through his hair. He opened his eyes and looked up at her, taking in her features as he had hundreds of times before.
They had been living together in his apartment for nearly four years, since she was eighteen years old. She had moved in with him as soon as she possibly could, and neither of them had looked back from that day onward. They were happy in his apartment, their apartment, not at all believing they needed more since it was just the two of them living there.
They had been engaged even longer than they had been living together and he couldn't wait to finally marry her. They had been unable to marry in their past, and in recent years anything that even came close to trying to interfere with their eventual marriage caused him to become irritable, which quickly led into anger.
Our lives will be permanently connected if it is the last thing I ever do! He thought in a quiet serious tone as his eyes memorized Serena's face yet again.
Darien loved her far too much to let anything come between them and wedded bliss. And it would be bliss. They were the opposite in so many things, but that only connected them further. Gave them plenty to talk about and do together, and that didn't even include the deep love and passion they had for each other.
Serena finished the chapter she was reading and turned the page to the next chapter before she looked down at Darien and smiled softly to see him staring up at her. He had such a look of devotion that never failed to move her.
She felt so lucky to have him. He loved her so much and wasn't ashamed or afraid to show it. Even in the past he had been more than willing to show and tell all how he felt about her. She had been the same. The only thing that had stopped them from actually doing it on a wide scale was the concern over how their planets would react.
Their relationship had been forbidden after all. Likely because of the Lunarian's longer lifespan in relation to the Terran's. The people of the Moon worried how the Terran's would react, wary of a violent reaction, and the people of the Earth were concerned about a mixing of the bloodlines and what affects the Lunarian blood would bring.
Of course the couple had been even more concerned because of who they were. It wasn't just civilians of the two planets but the heirs to the throne of both planets. The reaction was bound to be more severe with people worried about the fate of their sovereignty.
But that was then and this, thankfully, is now, and we no longer have to worry about such concerns. We are finally free to do as we please. She thought softly as she began to run her fingers through his hair again.
And that was exactly what they did. Serena especially. As soon as she finished high school she had moved in with Darien. Against the wishes of her parents. They had been very unhappy and disapproving of her decision, but they didn't understand. On any level.
They had seen the engagement ring she had been wearing, but they hadn't believed that was actually what it was. They also, her father more than her mother, didn't believe she and Darien would survive her remaining school years, let alone still be together once she finished high school. They thought their age gap made them inappropriate to be together and would actually prevent them from having a meaningful relationship that would survive the test of time.
If only they knew. Serena thought as she put the book down and rested her now free hand on his warm chest.
"What are you thinking love?" Darien asked curiously as he watched a tiny smirk flit on her face.
"How much I love you and how long I've loved you." Serena answered without hesitation, and he smiled.
"Always an interesting subject." He stated quietly.
"It helps that we have an interesting history." She replied and he hummed in agreement.
Serena glanced over at the book and parted her lips to speak when a knock came unexpectedly. They looked to each other, silently conveying that neither was expecting anyone, and Darien sat up before he got up and went to answer the door. She sat quietly as she waited and a few moments later she heard quiet voices and looked over to see Darien return with someone unexpected.
"Trista!" She exclaimed in surprised.
"Hello." Trista said calmly as she stepped toward the couch.
"Please, have a seat." She said, gesturing toward the side chair, as Darien sat at her side.
"What brings you here this evening?" Darien asked as their visitor took the provided seat.
"I have become aware that you both have now fully recovered your memories of the past." Trista began and both Serena and Darien nodded lightly as they looked toward her in confusion. "Then there is something you must do." She directed toward her princess. "It is exceedingly important and will affect the past and present for the both of you." She said seriously.
"Well, what is it?" Serena asked with a concerned frown.
"You must go to your past and initiate and live your relationship with Endymion." Trista stated seriously.
"What?!" Serena said as Darien stared incredulously.
"What about her past self? What of Serenity? I..." He stopped and sighed heavily as he ran his fingers through his hair as he began to go through his memories. He didn't remember anything different or strange about Serenity. She was always just the woman he met and fell in love with.
"Why do I have to do this? I don't remember there being two of me in the past." Serena said.
"That is true. You don't remember. I am not sure why it is you don't remember, but you were there." Trista said. "As for why you need to do this. If you don't then you two will never be in a relationship. Serenity and Endymion will not meet, you two will not meet, and there will be no Crystal Tokyo."
"Does..." Darien began but hesitated, disbelieving of what he was about to say. "Does this mean Serenity didn't actually have feelings for me?" He asked, and Serena gasped quietly and reached for his hand. She linked their fingers together to bring comfort and support, and remind him that she had feelings for him regardless of what went on in the past.
"No. That is not the case at all." Trista said quickly. "Serenity did have feelings for Endymion. She was simply sheltered. She was too shy and worried about what she knew of the rules toward relationships between the Moon and Earth to actually do anything." She clarified.
"She honestly didn't have the determination to go down to the Earth time and time again until she met him, and then continue afterward in their relationship. I believe if Serena does not go Serenity will simply watch Endymion from afar, and history will change, this time will change." She explained.
Darien and Serena looked to each other in concern, unable to imagine a past where they never met and fell in love, and worried about the stability of their present relationship.
"Why now? Why not before?" Serena asked quietly after a few long moments of silence.
"Before now you didn't remember everything. Had you gone back before then you would've stood out. No one can know you are there. It would bring up too many questions; questions that cannot be answered." Trista explained, and the couple nodded and Serena sighed.
"How am I getting back there, and when will I need to go?" Serena asked as she clung tightly to Darien's hand.
"I will be taking you back. Specifically your soul and mind. Your physical body will remain here." Trista answered. "And I hope to proceed as soon as possible."
"How long will she be gone?" Darien questioned, both he and Serena frowning at the answers they had already received.
"Months. I am not sure of the exact number, but I know she will be there from start to finish." Trista answered, and Serena grimaced at the thought of being there at the end; of essentially reliving or at the very least witnessing her death.
Darien closed his eyes in displeasure. He was unhappy at the amount of time his princess would be gone, but he was willing to put up with it to secure their past and maintain their present and future course.
Serena stared down at her hand linked to Darien's and considered what had just been revealed to them. Their past love affair had been engineered and she was apparently the one to do it. On top of that she had to keep her presence there a secret from everyone, and would be gone from her present loved ones for months.
I'll be parted from Darien for months. She thought as she shifted her eyes from their hands to his unhappy face.
"Trista." She said seriously as she turned her focus to the older woman. "Darien and I need to discuss this. In addition, I will have to inform my family and the girls. When I call for that meeting I want you to ignore it, and maintain watch on the timeline. I will call for you when I am ready to leave." She declared.
"Yes your highness." Trista said with a nod. "I will leave you to it then, and see myself out." She added before she stood and did exactly that.
Serena listened and heard the door open and close signifying the woman's exist, then turned her attention to her prince.
"Do you want to talk about it now or tomorrow?" She asked and he sighed heavily as he opened his eyes.
"Tomorrow. For now, let's just go to bed." Darien said. "It's a bit early but I just want to hold you right now, and not have to let go so we can get ready for bed."
Serena nodded and they stood up together and headed for their bedroom cutting off the lights on their way.
~~~~###~~~~
The next morning Darien and Serena woke and decided to have their discussion in bed. Darien took a few minutes to call in sick to work since beyond their discussion they would have to speak to the girls and Serena's family that day. He didn't want to have to worry about work at all that day. Serena was off that day, so she didn't have to worry.
"She said it would take months." Serena said once he got off the phone.
"Yes." Darien said as he shifted until he lie facing her.
"You're twenty-five and my twenty-first birthday just passed." She said softly. "King Endymion said we were crowned when the Queen was twenty-two." She added, and he closed his eyes at the reminder.
"That gives you a little less than a year, eleven months and some days, to make our past relationship happen." He said as he opened his eyes. "And we still have no idea how or why Crystal Tokyo will happen."
"True." She said before she sighed. "I'll have to be careful. Mask my reactions. I have my memories but that's different than being there. I'll be there with half the girls constantly around me, and my mother will be there."
"My Generals will be there." Darien added, and she groaned quietly.
"I'll just have to hope being back there helps to temper my reaction to everything." Serena said.
"Hopefully not everything. I liked how you reacted to everything in the past. It was so entertaining and refreshing because of your innocence and honesty." He said.
"I'm not innocent now. How am I going to fake that?!" She cried out slightly.
"You can't, and you won't." He said as he wrapped his arm around her. "You'll be yourself. That's what I fell in love with. We may not remember any differences, but we spent a lot of time together and got to know each other. That's all that matters."
Serena nodded and closed her eyes as she enjoyed the weight of his arm around her and thought over what he had just said.
"In fact, I think you should just tell him the truth." Darien said and she opened her eyes curiously. "We both know you can't lie to me, so you won't be able to lie to him. Trista need not know at all." He added, and she nodded thoughtfully.
"Okay." She said. "Perhaps I'll only be visible to Serenity, and no one else will see me." She suggested after a few moments of silence.
"That would be helpful." He said optimistically. "It could explain why I don't remember you, but it doesn't explain why you don't remember."
"Yeah." She sighed.
"How about we get the day started. The sooner everyone knows, the sooner I get you alone. Before you go." Darien said with an unhappy sigh.
Serena leaned over and kissed him soundly until he hummed in pleasure.
"That's more like it." She said as she pulled away. "No unhappiness until I'm about to leave. I may be going back where Endymion is but you won't be there, and I want some good memories to keep us while I'm gone."
"Yes love." He said and watched as she smiled and pulled out the watch communicator he had not seen in years.
"Here goes." She said as she pressed the button that would contact all her Scouts.
Two hours later Serena and Darien had showered, dressed, and were sitting in their living room surrounded by all the young women who were secretly sailor scouts except Trista. Even Luna and Artemis were there sitting on the coffee table while all the other women sat in the available seats, on the floor, or stood.
"So what's going on?" Raye asked as she looked to the couple with a concerned frown. They hadn't all been called together like this in years. That wasn't to say they hadn't all gathered together in that time, but they hadn't been summoned together for scout business.
"Why isn't Trista here?" Hotaru asked in concern. The oldest of them was the only one not present.
"She's not coming. I asked her to ignore the call since she's already aware of what this is about." Serena said before she sighed. "Trista came here last evening and informed us that I needed to go to the past, meet Endymion, and essentially start and live the relationship we had in the past. If I do not then Darien and I will not meet in this time and Crystal Tokyo will not happen."
Everyone stared in stunned silence. They couldn't believe what they had just heard. This couldn't be right; there had to be some kind of mistake.
"You're serious?" Lita said with a frown.
"Yes." Serena said.
"Why now?" Michelle asked quietly.
"She said it was because I've now remembered all of my past, and wouldn't stand out as I surely would if I didn't recall everything." She explained.
Now that she had spoken that detail it made her earlier suggestion to Darien about only being seen by her past self unlikely. She wouldn't need to remember if she was only going to be seen by one person.
"I don't get it." Mina said, drawing everyone's attention. "What about Serenity? She's the one who was living in that time. Why do you have to go back and do what she did?" She asked as she frowned. She didn't like that she was referring to Serena and Serenity as separate people since to her they were the same woman.
"Because according to Trista Serena's the one who made our relationship happen. Neither one of us remembers her being there, and Trista couldn't explain why we don't remember." Darien said.
"Apparently Serenity was too sheltered and shy; too conscious of the rules prohibiting relationships between the Earth and Moon to actually act on her feelings like we remember she did." Serena said, and the women nodded thoughtfully.
"So all those times I remember you sneaking down to the Earth to see Endymion, that was actually you and not..uh.." Raye sighed in slight confusion before she even finished her question.
"Yes." Serena said quietly in understanding. She was Serenity, but for the purposes of this situation she and Serenity needed to be referred to separately to avoid confusion. "Apparently that was me and not Serenity."
"Well, what about Serenity?" Amy asked, and all eyes shifted to her. "If you were there, are going to be there, then where is she going to be?"
"We don't know." Darien said.
"I guess I'll find out once I get there." Serena said quietly.
"How long is this supposed to take? How long will you be gone?" Amara asked with a frown.
"Months. Trista said I would be there from the start of our relationship to the very end." She answered.
Lita, Raye, Mina, and Amy grimaced as they recalled exactly how things ended.
"What about Crystal Tokyo?" Amy asked in concern and everyone but Serena and Darien looked confused. "Don't you remember?" She said as she looked to Raye, Mina, and Lita. "King Endymion said they took the throne when the Queen turned twenty-two. Serena is twenty-one!"
"We thought of the same thing earlier. It gives me a little less than a year to do what I have to do and get back here before what happens to create Crystal Tokyo." Serena said.
"Either that or whatever happens will begin before she returns." Darien stated.
"When do you leave?" Hotaru asked softly.
"I still have talk to my parents." Serena said with a sigh. "I can't just tell them I'm leaving for a few months and can't tell them where or that I won't be contacting them at all. And I can't just not tell them anything and disappear. They'll think I've gone missing." She said. And likely try to blame Darien. She thought. "So, I'm going to have to tell them the whole truth about me."
"Oh. That's going to be an interesting conversation." Raye said. "Do you want us there?" She asked.
"No. Just me and Darien will be enough." Serena said and everyone nodded. "I'll be leaving after that. The sooner I get started in the past the sooner I can get back."
Everyone nodded and they spent another hour talking and spending time together before everyone left. Darien and Serena heading to her childhood home, and the others to the tasks and plans they had for that day.
~~~~###~~~~
Serena and Darien calmly walked up to the front door of the Tsukino residence, and Serena rang the doorbell as she had been doing since she moved out.
She sighed and linked her fingers with Darien's as they waited. She'd made sure to keep in touch with her parents and brother, visiting occasionally, but it was strained when it came to her parents because of their disapproval of her moving in with Darien.
And now I'll have to tell them the truth about me. She thought quietly.
Serena had managed to keep that part of her life secret for nearly eight years, but now they needed to know. She didn't need them believing Darien had done something to her when she disappeared.
Still, I wish I didn't have to tell them. She thought with a sigh, and felt Darien squeeze her hand. She looked up and saw him smiling gently.
"Don't worry. Everything will be okay, and don't forget who you are." He said confidently.
I'm his fiancée. I'm a princess. I am Princess Serenity, and soon to be Neo-Queen Serenity. She thought confidently as she nodded, her worries disappearing.
"Thanks my prince." She said softly just as the door opened.
"Serena! Darien!" Mrs. Tsukino exclaimed as she saw who was there. "What a surprise. Please come in." She said as she stepped back and held the door open.
"Thanks." Serena said as they stepped inside. "Are dad and Sammy home?" She asked as her mom closed the door.
"Your father's in the living room, but your brother isn't here." Mrs. Tsukino answered. "Why? Is something wrong?" She asked as she looked between the two with a frown settling on her face as her eyes landed on Darien.
"No. Nothing is wrong. I just have something to tell you. You'll just have to tell Sammy when he gets home." Serena said as they walked into the living room. "Hi dad." She said as she spotted him.
"Serena! What brings you here?" Mr. Tsukino said calmly, completely ignoring Darien's presence.
"Well I have something very important to tell you both." Serena said as she, Darien, and her mom sat down.
"You're not pregnant are you?!" Mr. Tsukino asked and alarm and Mrs. Tsukino gasped.
"What?!" Serena said incredulously. "Of course not!" She said. Though that does remind me that we're supposed to have Rini when I'm twenty-two as well. She thought as she shook her head.
"Then what is so important?" Mrs. Tsukino asked.
"There's something I've been keeping secret for years, but I need to tell you now because of recent circumstances." She began before she took a slight breath. "For the past seven years, since I was fourteen, I've been a sailor scout." She revealed and watched her parent's eyes widen.
"You're serious." Mrs. Tsukino said as she looked to the couple's calm faces.
"You can't possibly believe this nonsense!" Mr. Tsukino said. "You leave home, move in with him, and now you're lying to us! Clearly he's a bad influence." He added as he gestured angrily to Darien who was idly running his fingers through the closest stream of Serena's soft hair, ignoring the man.
Darien was there to support his woman. He knew her parents didn't particularly like him, or approve of their relationship, but he didn't care. Serena was his. Period. It didn't matter who she was born to or what they named her. He would have still met her, she would still be his princess, and they would still be engaged. It was as if it was written on his soul to finish what they started in the past; to marry her and permanently connect their lives.
"He's not a bad influence, and I'm not lying." Serena said calmly from where she sat close to her unfazed prince. "It's been a few years since I've transformed, but I suppose if it's the only way to prove myself then that's what I'll have to do."
She silently summoned her Holy Moon Chalice, and it appeared in the palm of her hand where it rested on her lap. Her parents gasped as the object appeared but she ignored them as she stood, deciding there was enough room where she stood, and held her chalice up.
"Silver Moon Crystal Power!" She said firmly and was instantly engulfed in bright pink light and swirling white feathers. When it cleared she stood as Eternal Sailor Moon.
She looked at her parents, seeing their shocked faces, and suddenly shivered as she felt firm fingers slid along her feathers. She carefully turned, remembering how cumbersome her wings could be, and saw Darien looking back at her calmly before he grinned.
"You know I can't resist." He said before he grabbed her stream of hair and began to run his fingers through it again.
Serena shook her head slightly and looked back to her parent's. Her mom stood and stepped toward her as she looked her over. She brought her hand shakily up and touched the transparent pink puff of her sleeve and gently touched the feather wings on her chest.
"It's real." Mrs. Tsukino said quietly as her eyes shifted up to the golden crescent moon on her daughter's forehead. "And judging by the moon you must be Sailor Moon." She added and watched her daughter smile gently.
"Eternal Sailor Moon." Serena confirmed gently with a slight nod.
"Oh." Mrs. Tsukino breathed as she took in the uniform and tall high heel boots. It was one thing to see one or more of the scouts on the news or catch a picture with an article in the paper, but it was a whole other thing to see it up close and personally. Especially when the scout was her daughter.
"Well, this is completely unexpected." Mr. Tsukino said as he ran his fingers through his hair, his eyes scanning this warrior that was his daughter before he looked to the young man playing with her hair like nothing monumental had just been revealed.
"You don't look surprised. Did you already know?" He asked him as he saw his wife return to her seat.
"Of course." Darien responded simply as he pushed his fingers through the stream of hair in his lap.
"You told him before you told us?!" Mr. Tsukino said just as his daughter began to glow brightly. When the light cleared she was back in the clothes she had been wearing looking nothing like the scout she had just been.
"I didn't need to tell him. He's been there since the beginning." Serena said as she sat back down. "He's Tuxedo Mask." She added calmly, and watched her parent's eyes widen.
"What?!" Mr. Tsukino said in surprise.
"Does that mean all of your friends are scouts?" Mrs. Tsukino said.
"Yes." Serena confirmed. "We have all been protecting the city and the planet all these years. Well, not the pass couple of years. Thankfully everything has been quiet."
"This is...is..." Mr. Tsukino began, struggling to come up with the words before he sighed heavily. "Why now? Why are we just now learning this?" He asked.
"Like I said earlier, recent circumstances have made it necessary for you to know." Serena said. "The Sailor Scouts duties are to protect this planet, and more importantly the Moon Princess and the Earth Prince." She said seriously and smiled slightly as she heard Darien make a sound of protest.
"He doesn't believe he should be included in those duties, but I believe otherwise since his safety is very important to me." She added as she looked at him. He returned her look before he reached over and gently caressed her face.
"You know I put up with it as long as you're protected first." Darien said.
"That's going to have to change next year." Serena said softly, and he gifted her look that said otherwise. Apparently his becoming King didn't mean her protection wouldn't continue to come first.
"Are you saying he's this Earth Prince?" Mr. Tsukino asked incredulously.
"Yes. He is Prince Endymion of the Golden Kingdom." Serena confirmed seriously. "And I am Princess Serenity of the Moon Kingdom."
"That's not possible. You aren't a princess Serena." Mrs. Tsukino said.
"And there is absolutely no way this boy here is a prince!" Mr. Tsukino said with a frown.
Serena looked to Darien and raised an eyebrow, and he nodded before he stood, taking her hand, and helped her to her feet. They focused briefly and one glowed a bright white while the other glowed a bright gold.
When the lights cleared Serena stood in her white silk dress with an elaborate bodice and her golden crescent moon on her forehead, and Darien stood in his dark navy blue uniform, cape, armor, and sword. Both looked just as royal as Serena said they were.
Both stood there a few more moments before they released their royal forms and regained their seats.
"We were royalty in our past lives. Darien lived on the Earth as heir to the throne, and I lived on the Moon as heiress to the throne. I grew infatuated with him and we eventually met and began a secret relationship since relationships between the Earth and Moon were forbidden." Serena explained.
"I've revealed our truth because we have recently learned that I need to go to the past and establish and live through our relationship in my past self's place. If I don't there will be far reaching consequences that no one wants." She said.
"How come your past self can't do it? She did it before didn't she?" Mr. Tsukino asked.
"We've been informed that I was apparently the one who did it before. For some reason we just don't remember that." She answered.
"You two remember what happened?" Mrs. Tsukino asked in surprise.
"Yes. We remember that life just as well as we remember this one. It's almost as if no time has passed." Serena said.
"Who is informing you of all this? How do you know they're credible?" Mr. Tsukino asked with a frown.
"My friend Trista Meiou informed us last evening." Serena revealed. "She's also Sailor Pluto, my scout and guardian of time and space. So yes, she is very credible."
"Apparently now is the time to do this because I've remembered all of my past, and won't stand out or cause suspicion when I get there because of lack of information." She added.
"What happens if you don't go?" Mr. Tsukino asked, and Serena looked to Darien worriedly.
"If she doesn't go Serenity and Endymion won't meet. Beyond the affect that will have on that time, Serena and I will not meet in this time, and everything that has happened over the past few years will change in ways we can't even imagine." Darien explained, omitting the facts about the future since it wasn't necessary for them to know.
"And you're going to go." Mrs. Tsukino said as she looked to her daughter.
"Yes." Serena said instantly. "I don't want my past to change and I like my present just the way it is. That's why I'm telling you both about this. I didn't want you to think something had happened to me when you didn't hear from me."
"How long are you going to be gone?" Mrs. Tsukino asked quietly.
"Months. That's all I can say. I'll be there from the start of our relationship to the end." Serena said softly.
~~~~###~~~~
Serena and Darien sat on a wooden bench overlooking the sea where the Starlight Tower had been. The city had turned the spot into a miniature park with grass areas, trees, flowers, and paved pathways with a sturdy railing around the outer edges to keep people from falling into the water.
After the couple had left Serena's parent's house Darien had reminded her that she needed to take care of her job. He had driven her to the place where she worked and she had masked her unhappiness as she quit her job. She really liked the place, but she knew if she didn't quit she would've been fired while she was gone.
Now they were just spending time together and relaxing until she was ready to go.
Daylight was gradually disappearing but Serena wasn't paying attention. She had curled herself against Darien, her head against his chest and his arms around her, as she thought about the important trip she was about to take.
"I'm nervous." Serena said softly. "I remember that life, but I don't remember the little details. I think those things are likely to give me away or at least alert that something is off or wrong with me."
"I think you'll do just fine." Darien said just as softly as he held her to him. "You're always nervous or worried before something big, but when it comes right down to it you take charge and do what you have to do without thinking about it." He reassured her.
"Just remember to tell him the truth, and everything will be fine." He added and she nodded, and they grew silent as they listened to the sound of the ocean.
"Serena." He said after almost ten minutes of silence as he gently turned her face up toward him, and listened as she hummed as she looked up to him. "Endymion and I are one and the same. It's okay to fall in love with him." He said gently yet seriously, and watched her eyes widen.
"You have memories of loving him, but that was as Serenity. You, as Serena, could fall in love with him, and I don't want you to hesitate over worries about how I would feel or what I would think or to feel like you're cheating on me. I am Endymion and he is me. Remember that." He said firmly.
"Okay." Serena whispered as she closed her eyes and hugged him. That thought hadn't even entered her mind, but she was glad it had occurred to him. If she had found herself falling in love with Endymion she could see herself stressing over what that would mean for her and Darien, which might cause her to make a mistake along the way that they couldn't afford.
"I think I'm ready." She said a few minutes later, and felt him take a deep long breath before he released it.
"Okay." Darien said, and watched her summon her communicator but hesitate.
"What about my body?" Serena asked in concern. "Trista said she would be taking only my soul and mind."
"Don't worry. I'll keep you safe. I'll take you to Elysion, so no one will have access to you. Especially since your crystal will be staying with your body." He said and she nodded before she lifted her communicator and pressed the symbol for Pluto.
"Pluto here." Came Trista's calm voice a few moments later.
"I'm ready." Serena said firmly.
"I'll be right there. Pluto out." The older woman said, and Serena put her communicator away.
Within moments a ripple began to appear in the area a few feet in front of them and solidified into a gray ripply upright rectangle. A moment later Sailor Pluto stepped out, and silently gestured for them to step through the portal.
The couple got to their feet and stepped through the portal hand in hand, and found themselves in the familiar dark foggy space they had come to to travel to and from the future. Pluto joined them a moment later and guided them through the fog until they could see the familiar gateway.
"I'm going to make a special portal. It will safely separate your soul and mind from your body, so that you can go through the gateway and travel to your past self." Pluto explained before she lifted her staff and a dark bubble began to appear in front of the garnet orb at the top.
The bubble floated away and lowered before it began to shift and widen into a large oval with a silky looking center.
"All you have to do is step through." Pluto said as she lowered her staff.
Serena released a shuttered sigh and turned to Darien. He wrapped his arms around her and she did the same as she took strength in his hold.
"Don't forget what we discussed." He said gently and she looked to him.
"I won't." She promised. "I love you."
"I love you too." He said before he leaned down and kissed her deeply. "Now go on." He said as he pulled back. "Go make us happen, and enjoy the experience." He added.
"Right." She said as they released each other. She smiled at him before she turned and nodded to Pluto. The scout returned her nod and she took a deep breath before she stepped toward the portal and through it.
Darien walked behind Serena as she stepped through the portal and caught her body as she collapsed when it disappeared. He lifted her into his arms as he watched Pluto guide the soft white light that was his love's soul and mind toward the gateway. She used her staff on the gateway and the doors opened slowly.
"You know what to do Princess." Pluto said as she stepped aside.
Serena didn't acknowledge her since she couldn't, and willed herself to move forward through the gateway. Once inside she focused on the past, on the Silver Millennium, and getting to her past self's body.
Serena opened her eyes drowsily. The first thing she saw was a slightly sheer white canopy, and she blinked as she shifted her eyes and realized she was lying on a bed. In a bedroom? She thought in confusion.
In the next moment she blinked wide and sat up as she remembered what was going on. She was in Serenity's bedroom, her bedroom, and she was thankfully alone.
Serena sat up and as she moved off the bed she recognized the white gown she always wore when she assumed her royal form, and understood that she was inhabiting Serenity's body. She slipped her feet into the waiting high heel shoes and stood before she moved toward the balcony doors.
She opened the doors and stepped out and looked over the familiar landscape that she had not seen with her own eyes since her past life. It was beautiful and brought back so many memories, but then she looked up and saw a more beautiful sight. The Earth looking like a blue and green marble in the night sky.
That's where Endymion is. She thought softly as she walked to the silver white marble railing.
Suddenly she sensed a slight presence inside her, in her head, and focused on it and heard a barely there sigh in her mind. Considering the circumstances she had a strong feeling as to what, or rather who, it was.
'Serenity? Serenity!' She called in her mind, pushing her own feelings on the surprising development to the background.
"Where am I? Who are you?" Serenity asked in fearful confusion.