Updated 5/2/15: I changed a few details to make the story better flow with the Sailor Moon Crystal cannon. Now, only a few centuries have passed rather than a millennium.

Original Author's Note: Hello everyone! I can't believe how quickly this chapter came to me. I literally spent 'days' pouring over exactly how I was going to begin it. Unfortunately, I wasn't able to come up with anything that made me happy. Then, a little phrase popped into my head from the book 'Wicked' by Gregory Maguire…and that was it. I finished this one up in two sittings :)

Again, thanks to everyone who has commented on my story. I know I say it over and over again, but I really appreciate the feedback. As always, please read and review :)

Standard disclaimers apply. Sailor Moon and its characters aren't mine, just some of the ideas.

Stay warm, everyone!

Until We Meet Again

Chapter 6: Turn the Page

"What story do you want to hear tonight?"

The little girl stared with wide-eyes up at her mother. Silence followed. Such a silly question. Her mother knew exactly which story she wanted to hear.

The mother laughed. "Don't you want to hear something new? We've read this one every night this week!"

Still, she shouldn't have been surprised. The stories about the Sailor Senshi were among the most well-known and beloved in the world. After all, they had everything little girls loved to hear: Strong, magical girls. Triumphant battles over evil. A romance that spanned centuries. They had been her own favorite stories when she was a little girl.

She took a deep breath and began. "Many years ago, the world was on the brink of destruction. People were sick and hungry. The cities had crumbled around them. The forests had died, the lakes dried up. Time was running out, and everyone had given up hope."

The daughter lay quietly in bed, listening intently to her mother. "Everyone?"

Her mother smiled. "Everyone…except Princess Serenity. She had defied the odds before. After all, she had saved her friends and her prince from the wicked Queen Beryl and all-consuming Chaos. She was determined to save them again."

She cupped her hands together, acting out the story. "She knew that she would pay the ultimate price to save them. But she loved her friends, her prince, and her home so much that she never thought twice about it. Using the 'maboroshi no ginzuisho', Princess Serenity, healed the earth and all of its people. But at such a price…it took everything she had to give. The 'ginzuisho' broke apart and the princess died."

It didn't matter that she had heard the story before. Tears glistened in the daughter's eyes. "It's not fair. She gave everything to save her friends and the prince. And now she can't be with them. It's not fair!"

Her mother smiled gently. "But that's not the end of the story. Legend has it that before she died, the princess promised her prince that someday she would return. They 'would' be together again. To this day, he holds on to her promise. He waits until the day they will meet again."

She reached over to turn out the light, but her daughter grabbed her sleeve. "Did she ever come back?"

The mother kissed her forehead softly. "Not yet," she replied as she switched off the light.

The tale and several like it had become common bedtime stories for the children of the Crystal Millennium. But to many, the tale of Princess Serenity was nothing more than a legend. Like so many things, as the years passed, the truth of the story disappeared across the years. Even the few steadfast believers had lost hope of ever seeing Usagi again.

Even Sailor Mars.

For years, as one by one her friends had slowly lost hope, she alone continued to believe in the king's unwavering conviction. But if King Endymion's faith could not be shaken, then Sailor Mars vowed that her own faith would not be either. But it was so difficult…year after year, with not so much as a sign…

Still, it was 'hope' that had her secretly sneaking out of the Crystal Palace late at night on the anniversary of her friend's death. It had become something of a ritual for her to honor Usagi's memory at the Hikawa Shrine.

In the beginning, when the death had been so fresh and sharp and painful, she would visit the shrine almost nightly, feverishly channeling the sacred fire for news. But as the years passed and the fire shed no light on the future, her daily visits dwindled to weeks, her weekly visits to months…now, it was only on the anniversary of Usagi's death that Sailor Mars would travel to the shrine.

With her grandfather dead and her own services needed elsewhere, the Hikawa Shrine had become neglected and was in desperate need of repairs. Still, she couldn't bare to pray anywhere else. She had such a deep connection to the shrine. It reminded her of simpler times, of another life…

She shook her head and climbed the steps, careful of the rain and the crumbling stone. 'Someday, I'm going to restore this place,' she vowed as she glanced around in disapproval. The porch needed to be swept, the roof repaired…she caught herself and smiled wanly. Long ago, she had cursed this part of her life, the part that had ostracized her from the rest of the world. The part that had her labeled as a 'freak' and a 'snob.' All until Usagi…

Usagi.

Still so difficult to think about…

She entered the shrine, removed her shoes, and did her best to clean herself. The old Rei would have reprimanded someone like her for being remiss in her rituals, but now she was doing the best she could with what she had to work with.

Still, old habits die hard…

The room of the sacred fire was dark and bare, but with a flick of her fingers, she soon had a strong fire burning in the pit. She knelt slowly, stared intently into the flames, and clasped her hands together in prayer.

And it was as if she had never left.

Sailor Mars closed her eyes and began to pray, hoping that something, 'anything' would give her a sign about the fate of her friend. Something that would renew her hope, their hope…

The King's hope.

For a moment, her concentration faltered and tears began to swim in her eyes. The king had never truly recovered from the loss of Usagi. Year after year, he would do nothing else but concentrate on the well-being of the people of Earth. He was so meticulous and thorough, and little by little, they entrusted him with more and more power. Still, this was no way to live a life. The laughter had gone out of him. He was unable to find true joy in anything. As the years passed, he was slowly slipping away from them.

And this frightened Sailor Mars more than anything. She had already lost one dear friend. She couldn't bear to lose another.

And yet his grief and the overwhelming and unrelenting responsibilities were taking its toll on Endymion. And to make matters worse, rumors of unrest and rebellion sprouting from a small group of power-hungry individuals was on the rise.

'How quickly they forget that it was this very power that had decimated the Earth in the first place,' she thought angrily.

The Earth would need a strong leader as a guide through such a crisis, and to remind them of the terrible consequences of unrestrained power…and while Sailor Mars knew that the king wielded the power to quell any violence, she also knew that he did not have the heart…

'Hurry up, Usagi!' The thought unconsciously flashed through her mind. 'You're always late for everything!' Just how many years had her friend been gone? She had lost count.

But given the circumstances, she could hardly blame herself.

The ginzuisho had, among other things, given the citizens of the Crystal Millennium unnaturally long and healthy lifespans. And it seemed to have given the senshi and the king even longer than that…

She took a deep breath and tried to clear her mind. With something that used to be second nature to her, Sailor Mars was definitely out of practice with channeling. Everything was distracting. 'Someday…'

She stopped mid-thought. 'No, concentrate!' She reprimanded herself. And breathing in and out, she let the sound of the crackling fire lull her into a trance.

Sailor Mars' eyes snapped open. Her legs were on fire from sitting seiza for so long. The sacred fire had almost run its course, its embers emitting a dull amber glow in the fire pit. A full moon was high in the sky and the stars had shifted. Just how long had she been channeling?

With a sigh, she stood slowly and reached for the nearby bucket of water to douse the remaining simmering ashes. Another year, the same results.

Nothing. Absolutely nothing.

After all of these years, the disappointment should not have been such a gut-wrenching blow. But it always was. Year after year, try after try, she had always been so 'sure' that 'this' time would be different than the rest.

Or maybe she had just wanted to give the king and her friends something to hold on to. Now she would come back as she did every year: empty-handed. Not that they knew about her secret trips. She had become a master in keeping to the shadows and making sure that her heels never made a sound. She never wanted to give her friends 'false' hope. No, she kept the yearly disappointments to herself.

Sailor Mars left the shrine slowly. The clouds had lifted and the moonlight illuminated her path, allowing her to take a closer look at the shrine. She frowned again at the warped wooden foundation, the overgrown greenery…

'Someday,' she told herself again as she made her way back to the stone steps, 'after we take care of the…'

Suddenly, a bolt of white-hot electricity shot through her body. The hairs on her arms stood on end and she collapsed to the ground, clutching her chest.

She couldn't breathe.

Her heart was pounding at a furious pace, almost as if it were ready to fly out from under her breast and soar to the sky. She tried to breathe in, but her chest was so tight. Darkness began to close in on her.

What was going on?

Suddenly, the part of the nijizuisho that had fused with her star-seed all of those years ago exploded from her chest and shot into the sky like a rocket. And just like that, she was able to breathe again. Sailor Mars sucked in big gulps of air as she tried to clear her vision and, more importantly, her mind.

The nijizuisho…what did this mean?!

A few heartbeats later, her communicator beeped frantically, demanding her answer. Sucking in a few more breaths, she was greeted by the worried, but very alert face of Sailor Mercury.

"I'm coming," Sailor Mars promised, not even giving her comrade a chance to speak. She quickly closed the device and jumped to her feet. With a burst of renewed energy, she rushed towards the Crystal Palace. She had no idea what had just happened, but after years of 'nothing', she felt something new gently flutter in the pit of her stomach.

Hope.

While Sailor Mars might not have known how many years Usagi had been gone, there was one person in the palace and very much awake who did.

Before that first memorial all of those years ago, the king had vehemently refused to attend. He knew Usako was not dead. A memorial service would be pointless. Keeping with tradition, he refused to commemorate this anniversary either. Still, he could not stop thinking about her.

She had promised. She had 'promised' that they would be together again. She 'never' broke a promise. And yet it had been centuries… These thoughts were a litany in his head.

He was desperate to distract himself before he started to scream in frustration. And he had read the same long treaty over and over for an hour before realizing that he hadn't comprehended a word of it.

She 'promised.'

But God, it was so hard…

And then…

The King of Earth fell forward onto his desk. His head was pounding, his chest so tight it hurt to breathe. His heart was racing, and something deeper…was…

Just faintly…

Pulsing…tugging…

Endymion went rigid, his breathe caught in his throat. It was faint, so faint... but it was there. After years of nothing, after years of uncertainty...

The silver cord that bound them together.

Usagi. Usako.

With a burst of energy that he hadn't felt in years, the king sprang from his chair and rushed out of the room. When normally he would have ensured that his clothing and hair were immaculate, nothing was further from his mind. He didn't even bother with a glance at the mirror at his disheveled appearance.

His years moonlighting as Tuxedo Kamen ensured that his footfalls made no noise on the marble floor. Still, though it was late, his activity did not go unnoticed. Staff were immediately notified the moment he stepped from his room. Lights flickered and voices murmured in confusion. By the time the king had reached the command center, Sailor Mercury was already in a conference with his top generals.

Although she had many gifts, Sailor Mercury was not keenly sensitive to changes in energy like Sailor Mars or the King. But the shock she felt moments ago had roused her from a deep sleep. She hadn't felt something so strong in such a long time and it frightened her, though she kept it well hidden. She stopped mid-sentence of her analysis and looked up at the king worriedly. She hadn't seen him act in such a way since…

Since…

A hand flew to her mouth. "Mamor…majesty," she almost slipped, startled as she saw that long-lost spark return to his eyes.

He looked at her for a moment. Then, for the first time in hundreds of years, he smiled.

"It's Usako," he whispered as his hand rose to cover his heart. "I think…I think she's finally back."

The story had broken to the world in a matter of hours. The return of…the princess? Hadn't that tale just been a childhood bedtime story?

But the news spread like wildfire. Researchers poured over articles of history from the 20th century, analysts speculated, and the public was in a flurry of excitement as the king himself addressed the people, quelling the rumors but leaving several more questions unanswered.

The king produced a picture of a stunning young woman. The crowd gasped and for a moment, the room full of anxious reporters was silent. Even with just a photograph, such an outdated piece of technology, her radiant beauty shone through. Long golden hair, crystal blue eyes… anyone seeing the picture would immediately recognize her for who she was.

His eyes were shining as he glanced at the picture and then cleared his throat.

"This is… my wife. Serenity. The Queen of the Crystal Millennium. And the savior of the earth." The crowd began to buzz with questions, but he held up his hand to silence them.

"We have reason to believe that she has finally returned to us. But," he held up his hand again, "we are unable to locate or contact her. Given what has happened and the time that's passed, we can only imagine that she is confused or disoriented. So I would ask that you please, 'please' keep a lookout for Serenity and contact the palace if you have any information regarding the search." He stepped from the podium and let the press secretary continue with the conference. He hurried to the next room where the Sailor Senshi were feverishly using everything at their disposal to find their friend.

"Anything?" He asked anxiously. Sailor Mercury shook her head, not even looking up from her work at the computer.

"Then we need to expand the search. Sailor Venus…"

"I'm one step ahead of you. I've already sent out search parties."

"Can you believe it?!"

A group of young middle-school girls gathered together before class began, comparing notes.

"He rarely makes appearances! He's so handsome!"

"And he's always so sullen! But it looked like he was about to cry!"

"And the queen is so beautiful! But she doesn't look Japanese at all!"

"She's 'not' Japanese. She's Lunarian, remember?"

"I don't care 'what' she is. I just wish 'my' hair looked like that!"

"Can you imagine waiting all of this time just for 'one' person? How romantic!"

"But I had always thought it was just a fairytale that my mom told me as a bedtime story!"

The girls immediately scattered to their seats and stood as their young sensei entered the room. After taking attendance, she looked down at her desk, then back up at her class with a great big grin and a twinkle in her eye.

"So, who has heard the big news today?"

Every hand in the room shot up quickly.

She giggled softly. "Good, good! It's a very big deal. The biggest thing to happen in your lifetime. And probably in mine, too!" The class laughed as she smiled again and walked the length of the room. "And we won't even get 'into' how long that's been!" She shot a humorous glance at a couple of snickering boys sitting in the corner.

"However, in light of everything that's happened, I decided to switch up the lesson a little bit. And yes, you 'will' be getting you tests back at the end of the hour," she paused a moment for the groans, "but first, let's get down to business."

The sensei took her seat and after a moment, the class followed suit. "Okay, how many of you know the tale of the King and Queen?" About half of the class raised their hands. "My mom used to it to me as a bedtime story," one of the girls sitting in the front row replied. Many of her friends nodded in agreement.

Their sensei cracked another grin. "Now 'that's' the short story! Their tale goes back even 'further' than that! Does anyone know 'that' story?" The class stared at her blankly.

She laughed again. "I thought so. History 'always' seems to be neglected and only the romantic parts remain. So that's why I figured it's probably best that we covered the history of the Crystal Millennium before we get into the political part." And so began her lesson, with the tale of Silver Millennium, the battles of the past, the princess' sacrifice…and the founding of the Crystal Millennium.

"After the princess had saved the Earth, the world was literally turned upside down. She didn't just restore the Earth. She restored the memories of anyone who had been from the Silver Millennium. So there were thousands of people who demanded the return of the monarchy, though there were several countries and the king himself who were against it. Their opposition was for different reasons, however. The king has always been an advocate of the people. He would not resume power unless the people wished it."

Their sensei stood up, stretched slowly, and began to walk around the room. "And while some countries were not so quick to give up their stalwart governments, leaders thought it wise for the king and the Sailor Senshi to be in charge of inter-'planet' diplomacy and protection. Anyone care to try and explain why?"

Her question was met with silence until a boy sitting towards the back of the room raised his hand. "During the 20th century, the earth had no idea life existed on other planets." The class laughed at such absurdity, but immediately silenced as the sensei nodded her head.

"That's exactly right," she smiled warmly. "And yes, it's hard to believe. The people of earth had always speculated, but had never found any evidence. Then, one day, their entire understanding of the universe was shattered. No country was 'prepared' to deal with any otherworldly life, let alone threat. So at first, what they decided to do was establish a sort of confederation, very similar to the United Nations that existed at this time. It was decided that this sort of group would meet in Tokyo, and with the permission of Heisei Tennou, then the reigning emperor of the royal house of the Chrysanthemum Throne, they began to construct the crystal palace in order to accommodate their organization. And while King Endymion and the Inner Senshi were granted the authority to establish relations and provide protection, the countries had to agree on a course of action for them to take. Needless to say, that didn't last very long." The class giggled again as their sensei shook her head and rolled her eyes.

"So the first type of sovereignty the king was granted was inter-planetary. As he built up the trust of the rest of the population who was 'not' part of the Silver Millennium, countries began to ask for advice and assistance for domestic affairs and natural disasters. As the years have passed and their power as protectors has grown, the king with the kinzuisho and the Senshi with their powers have helped ensure our prosperity." She glanced up at the digital clock. "And that's where we're going to stop for today. But…" she whipped out her bag and with it, a stack of papers, "come and get 'em!"

One by one, the students slowly trudged to the front of the room to retrieve their tests. Some grinned at their scores, while others scowled at the red marks. One girl rushed back to her seat happily and playfully tugged on her close friend's long black pigtail. "How'd you do, Usagi-chan?"

And with that, Chapter 6 is finished. A lot of information, but I hope it clears up some things…but also has you asking more questions. :) As always, comments are appreciated. Have a nice Valentine's Day, everyone!