Author's note: Thank you SO much for your reviews and continued support. I had a little hiatus since I last uploaded while I was tending to my health. I am so thrilled and excited to bring the last chapter of kintsugi to you. I really hope you enjoy this chapter. Just a note that I didn't touch on Luna and Artemis in this chapter but I can assure you that Queen Serenity sent them back to Earth. They weren't vital to the ending. (I didn't forget them!) Please leave me reviews and let me know what you think. I'm really excited to hear your thoughts and feelings on the end of this story which means so much to me. The concept of kintsugi is beautiful and I hold a special place in my heart for it. See the end of the chapter for my final notes. - R

Disclaimer and acknowledgement: the concept of the Croatoan was inspired by the CW series Legacies, series two, episode six. This character really intrigued me so I took a drastic spin on it to help me create Darien's story. The song that largely inspired Darien's forgotten character was The Script's The Man Who Can't Be Moved which I feel depicts Darien and Serena's relationship when they try to find each other, as they do after their reincarnation. It was beautiful for me to explore how they overcome the song to find themselves in Kintsugi.

Chapter 35

Mina blinked, opening her eyes slowly. She lifted her head from the floor, pushing herself up with her hand and blinked again as she took in the yellow haze of her surroundings. She sat up straighter and got to her feet, feeling waves of light flowing fabric falling around her legs. She looked down at herself and recognised the signature long yellow gown of Princess Venus. She raised her eyebrows and peered a little into the distance, immediately recognising the sulfuric fog and knew she was on Venus. There was no mistaking Magellan Castle, the palace of the Venusian Princess of the Silver Millennium. But that gave her more questions than answers.

Her heart was telling her to approach the castle, so she started walking and made her way onwards. She didn't feel scared or anxious, or even uncertain. She just knew that she needed to be there, like something was pulling her there. She felt safe and protected. She imagined that this was how Serena felt when she was on the Moon. She felt a smile tugging at the corners of her mouth, that feeling of home. She reached the entrance to the castle and reached out to push it open with no hesitation. Before she could do so, the door swung open and she took a step back, shocked at who she found there.

"Hello, Princess Venus," came the greeting.

"Hi… What… I mean," Mina stumbled over her words. "What?"

"Don't worry," her receiver laughed. "You're not going mad. I know it must be a little disorientating. Come in. I suspect you have questions, and I can answer them."

Mina stepped inside, revelling at the various takes of the Venusian colour making up the castle: citrine, lemon quartz, yellow diamond, garnet, amber, fire opal, golden pearl, canary danburite.

The last one was ironic, she thought grimly to herself.

She followed the occupier of Magellan Castle into a room a short way down the corridor and reacted when she was prompted to join them into something that looked far more technologically advanced than a 21st Century Earth elevator. She felt a strange energy fizzle through her for a second then it disappeared, and she realised that she could now see out over Venus and must be at the highest point of the castle. That was when she turned back to the very person who was the last person she expected to see.

"What are you, my doppelgänger?"

"If you want to call me that," the Sailor Venus twin responded. "I'm a little surprised you haven't worked it out before now, actually. Where else would the source of your power come from but me? I am responsible for guarding Magellan Castle in your absence while you are on Earth. I help you call on the energy and power of your castle when you need to access your full powers. I am Guardian Venus, one of the eight Sailor Power Guardians."

"Eight?" Mina frowned.

Guardian Venus nodded.

"Guardian Mercury is Sailor Mercury's other self, the Sailor Power Guardian of Sailor Mercury, residing and protecting Mariner Castle. Guardian Mars, likewise, guards Phobos and Deimos Castle on Mars. Io Castle on Jupiter is protected by Guardian Jupiter. It isn't time for you to know about the remaining Guardians yet. But know this: we are here to allow you to do your duty in protecting the prince and princess."

Venus shook her head.

"How? I don't understand. Did I fail to protect Serena?"

"You mean, did you die?" Guardian Venus rephrased. "I can't answer that. But there is a reason for everything. My fellow Guardians are explaining to your planet counterparts exactly as I am explaining to you now. When the Croatoan attacked on the Moon and you put yourself in front of the princess to protect her, your spirit went to the one place you were needed: to your home planet, the origin of your planet power."

"What does that mean?" Mina faltered. "Surely, my spirit means I died."

"You're a sailor soldier of the planet Venus," Guardian Venus pressed. "Your spirit can never die, with one exception that is only known to one. As you've lived and known, a spirit can be reincarnated, as has happened to you more than once. You are exactly where you need to be."

"But Serena!" Mina exclaimed. "The Croatoan managed to get to the Moon and Darien is in danger because he's got no memory of himself, with no access to his powers. The girls are gone, and goodness only know what happened to the Shitennou." Mina stopped. "Why are you smiling? This isn't funny."

"I told you that everything happens for a reason," Guardian Venus reminded her gently. "None of you failed to protect her. You each have a connection to the princess, and you can give her all the power she needs to protect the prince. But he won't need saving." She extended her hand to Mina. "Come. Perhaps it will ease your mind to be among the guardians."

Mina hesitated for a moment and placed her hand in Guardian Venus' and immediately felt the warm glow of Venusian light surround her. She blinked and found Amy, Raye and Lita looking back at her. The Guardians were unmistakable in their Sailor Planet uniforms standing next to their respective planet soldiers.

"Where are we?" Lita asked.

"We're on a sungrazing comet," Amy and Guardian Mercury said simultaneously.

They looked at each other and smiled.

"Wow," Raye laughed. "There really are two of them now."

"Don't say that to Guardian Mars," Lita nudged her.

"Guys, to business, please," Mina urged. She turned to the Sailor Power Guardians. "Where are the Shitennou?"

The Guardians looked at each other, with variations of apprehension on their faces.

"The Croatoan was able to get hold of the Shitennou stones," Guardian Mars told them. "Because of this, it was able to reach the prince and princess on the Moon."

"The Shitennou now reside in their stones which is the source of their power and connection with the Earth Prince," Guardian Jupiter revealed. "The Croatoan was able to send their spirits into the stones so that it could get to the prince. Without the stones, the Croatoan could never get to the Moon."

"It needed to happen this way," Guardian Mercury reassured them. "The Earth Prince needed to be in the company of the princess during the Croatoan's attack to release her power."

"Can Serena give Darien back his memories?" Mina asked.

"It's a little more complicated than that," Guardian Jupiter replied.

"Why are we here?" Raye asked. "How can we possibly help Serena?"

"You can use your connection as planet guardians to tell Serena exactly what she needs to know," Guardian Mars stated.

"And what is that?" Lita asked.

"The Earth Prince needs the Shitennou stones in his possession once again," Guardian Venus said. "Once he has them, the Croatoan will no longer have any truths to seek."

"Where am I?" he asked himself. "Who am I?"

The unfamiliar beeping, tapping of shoes on the pristine white floor, the chatter of voices he didn't know and the strong smell of antiseptic and soaps in the air overwhelmed his senses. He shook his head, staring into his hands that rested in his lap on top of the snow-white sheets that he instinctively knew were not his. But what blankets were his?

He looked up at the sound of the door opening and into the face of the kind face of a middle-aged man in a white coat and a stethoscope around his neck. For some reason, it surprised him to recall the name of the medical device but equally, he was pleased he could. He watched silently as the man stepped forward, pulled up a chair and sat down next to his bedside.

"How are you doing, son?" he asked. "Do you remember who I am?"

He shook his head helplessly.

"We spoke yesterday after you woke up," he reminded him. "I am Doctor Frost. And I found out that you are Darien Chiba. We have determined that following the car crash, you have suffered significant damage to the brain, and we have diagnosed you with what we call retrograde amnesia. I am sorry to tell you that there is no guarantee that you will regain your memories." Dr Frost looked down at the notes on his lap and sighed. "I'm really sorry, son. We are going to take care of you, and you will be okay. It's normal to feel disorientated and confused. Later, you may even feel angry and upset, but we can help you through that, Darien. Anything you need, just ask."

"Can I see my parents?"

Dr Frost looked at the young boy and pressed his lips together into a thin line.

"I'm afraid that that is impossible, Darien."

"Oh… okay," Darien faltered.

He returned to staring into his hands in his lap and heard the doctor get to his feet, feeling a hand on his shoulder.

"This never should have happened to you," Dr Frost said. "I'll be back a little later."

Darien heard the door close and continued to stare, not seeing his hands as his mind wandered.

"Darien?" he repeated the name back to himself. "Is that who I am? Who is Darien?"

"Ow!" Darien exclaimed, catching the scrunched-up ball of paper into his hands after it bounced off his head. "That hurts, Meatball Head!"

"Oh, I'm so sorry!" the petite blonde with hair twisted into two buns with flowing lengths to her the backs of her knees promptly apologised, spinning round to him.

He uncrumpled the paper and cringed in horror at the big red mark he found on the test paper.

"30%?" he said, appalled. She cried out in embarrassment. "You need to study harder, Meatball Head!"

Her face immediately went from mortification to anger, and she stomped over to him, ripping her test paper from his fingers.

"It's none of your business," she shouted. "And they aren't meatballs! It's a hairstyle!"

They caught eyes and she immediately felt tongue tied, his eyes widening behind his dark shades. They each stared at each other, feeling a strong sense of familiarity, everything around them fading into the background. He felt a warmth radiating through him, his heart feeling like it could jump out of his chest for how strongly he could feel it beating. She seemed to shake herself out of it and she blinked, turning away from him to continue her way down the street. He stared after her, watching as she turned back to pick up her dropped bag at his feet, her bright blue eyes meeting his for just a moment before she retreated again. It felt like the warmth was taken with her but the fluttering in his chest never stilled.

He knew he had to help her. He knew she was in trouble. It was like an invisible heart string pulling him towards her, so he followed it to find her, the Sailor Guardian of Love and Justice. He got to the jewellery store and winced at the high frequency waves coming from inside. He leaped inside and saw her cowering on the floor in tears, overwhelmed by her own fears. He needed to remind her who she is.

"Quit crying!" he ordered. She looked up at him, the tears glistening under the light of the store on her cheeks. "It's your time to act. Now, Sailor Moon!"

"Grab your tiara!" the black Moon cat demanded with urgency. "And shout 'Moon Tiara Boomerang!"

Tuxedo Mask watched as Sailor Moon removed her tiara, spun around with a flourish and threw her tiara, shouting the magical words to power her weapon. The three of them watched the monster crumble into moon dust and Sailor Moon gasped.

"You're kidding! She turned to sand and vanished?"

"Well, I didn't find the 'Legendary Silver Crystal' but I did find something most fascinating," he mused.

"That voice I heard…" she murmured, turning round to look up in his direction. Her eyes widened.

"My name is Tuxedo Mask," he introduced himself. "Sailor Moon, I'll certainly take note of you."

"More! Give me more of your energy! And I can give it back to you hundreds of times over! I will blow Tokyo off the map!"

Sailor Moon stared in dismay at the leader of the Shitennou.

"Run, hurry!" she shouted to those behind her. "He's about to attack with his built-up energy!"

"Take the princess away someplace safe!" Sailor Venus ordered to the sailor guardians. "She must be protected!"

"Sailor Moon!" Sailor Mars shouted as she attempted to run towards her.

"Dammit, Sailor Moon!" Venus cried. "We have to protect Sailor Moon! Now!"

This scene only strengthened Tuxedo Mask's resolve.

"He's going to…" Tuxedo Mask realised. "This time I will! I'll protect her!"

He leaped out in front of Sailor Moon and felt the powerful dark energy run through him like a poison. As much as he was aware of the pain, he was aware of a voice. Her voice. Long hair. She's always calling me in my dreams. Is she you? Sailor Moon?

"Tuxedo Mask!" she exclaimed tearfully. "Hang in there! Open your eyes!"

"You shouldn't have such a sad look on your face," he whispered to her. "What are the tears for?"

He saw the familiarity in her eyes, like she was recalling this exact moment in a past life.

"Endymion!" she grieved.

"Endymion," he rolled the name around in his mouth. "That's… my name. I remember. I was reborn into the here and now as Darien Chiba, so I could meet you… Serenity."

He heard her scream of distress as he took his last breath taking him to his second death in his efforts to protect her. The mark of the royal family of the Moon Kingdom appeared on her forehead, her sailor guardian suit melting away to reveal the Moon Princess.

That was the first time he saw her, hoping to catch a glimpse of the Earth prince in a forbidden descension to the blue planet. It was the innocent baby blue eyes that captured his attention in the gardens of the Earth. Time and time again, she found a way to see him, and it got harder and harder to stay away. Her hands rested on his chest while he held her face gently between his hands, his head resting against hers.

"We mustn't meet like this anymore," she whispered sadly. "Denizens of the Earth and Moon are forbidden to fraternise. That is the God's law. I mustn't fall in love but it's too late."

He kissed her passionately, feeling her breath leave her as he pulled her closer into his embrace.

"We will take the Kingdom of the Moon and make it ours!" the citizens of the Earth declared as they waged war on the Moon Kingdom.

"The 'Legendary Silver Crystal' will be mine!" Queen Beryl announced at the front of the angry mob. "Prince, will you be a traitor to Earth? This is all for Earth's prosperity!"

Prince Endymion stood firm in front of Princess Serenity, his sword drawn, his stance strong.

"Stop!" he yelled. "Lay down your arms! Stop this futile war!"

The Queen of the Dark Kingdom raised her weapon in anger, her jealousy of the Lunarian descendent fuelling her rage. The princess' eyes widened, her breath taken out of her as she watched Endymion take the blow for her, his life ending with no regrets, but only love for her.

Darien's eyes opened and he inhaled sharply, the memories flooding every cell in his body. He blinked and pushed himself up from the floor. Prince Endymion. He could feel him fall into place where the empty hole had been for such a long time. Serenity… Serena! He became conscious of the sound of a struggle, and he turned his head to find Serena in battle with the Croatoan. He jumped to his feet.

The Croatoan shot another beam of moonlight at Serena, but she didn't make any attempt to move out of the way. Instead, she raised her hand, and the moonlight touched her without any harm. She smiled, shooting her hand out in response, a brighter ray of light hitting the Croatoan head on causing it to stumble backwards. The Croatoan made no move to fight her with her own powers and took a defensive action. Darien saw its plan and acted on instinct.

"Serena!" he alarmed her, leaping forward and pushing her out of the way, right as the Croatoan's tentacles wrapped around his body where Serena was stood.

She fell to the floor and looked at him in the Croatoan's grasp.

"Darien!" she called.

Darien groaned at the grip squeezing his torso and felt his breath be knocked out of him with the pressure. He opened his eyes and smiled at Serena to assure her it was okay. The Croatoan pulled him towards it with its skeletal hands reaching towards him menacingly.

"The Croatoan has the Shitennou stones," Serena shouted. "I can't get close without being entangled in the tentacles and there's the danger that we could get covered in the deadly saliva or bitten with those teeth. You need to get the stones from it! Can you?"

Darien faced the unseeing gaze of the Croatoan and reached for the Croatoan's coat, but it grabbed his arm, its claws digging into his skin. Serena didn't hesitate. She clutched the moon stick in a tight grip and leaped forward, cracking the Croatoan around the head and kicking it hard in the forearm, causing it to drop its grip on Darien. He reached forward and pulled open the Croatoan's coat, immediately spotting the Shitennou stones and yanking them back into his possession. He felt the energy of his generals residing in the stones and let it flow through him.

"Tuxedo smoking bomber!" he yelled on instinct, holding his hand up, firing a thin beam of concentrated energy at the Croatoan. He fell to the ground with a thump and Serena helped him up by the arm. "I've got this," he told her, pushing his lips against her forehead.

She stared at him in shock and watched as he stepped back, taking her hand, feeling the light of the moon in her warmth. He looked at her and she understood. They turned, raising their hands at the Croatoan and released the powers of the silver crystal and the golden crystal simultaneously. The white light combined with the golden light, twirling together into a single beam of powerful light, hitting the Croatoan. The Croatoan didn't seem affected, but Serena noticed that the light wasn't coming out of the back of it. The light was affecting it from the inside where she knew damage would remain. She looked at Darien and she gasped. The four colours of the heavenly kings were emanating from his body, and he appeared to be lit up from the inside from the power of the golden crystal that awakened within him. The light faded from their outstretched hands and Serena watched Darien return to his human warmth.

"Wow," she breathed. Absent-mindedly, she turned to look at the Croatoan and her hands both shot to her mouth in shock. "Oh my God."

Darien looked in the same direction and gaped. The face they expected to see looking back them wasn't what looked at them. The robes, the boots, the stance, it was all the same, but the face was Darien's. The Croatoan-Darien smiled at Darien, tipped its hat to him and disintegrated into moon dust which had a golden glow about it, reminiscent of Darien's power.

"What…" Serena gawked at the scene that just unfolded before her. "Was that you? Like Tuxedo Mask but not?"

"I…"

"No," Queen Serenity interrupted. "That was not the Earth Prince, but it shared a connection with him. The Earth needed its protector and it responded to find him through the power of the Golden Crystal." Serena made to open her mouth, but the Queen raised her hand. "All of the people who were targeted are fine. They will recover due to your combined powers." She turned to Darien. "The light of the moon touched your heart, and your heart filled that hole that you've had in your head since your rebirth. Your memories allowed you to embrace your status as the Earth Prince once again. In your refusal to leave Serena alone in a fight, you became her protector. The Earth has its protector again and the broken connection is restored."

"Darien…" Serena said, amazed, hopeful. "You remember me?"

Darien stepped forward, brushing her bangs back from her face gently, taking her hand in his.

"Only you could take them away and give them back," he stated. "No one else has that hold over me."

Serenity turned to Serena and gestured for her to hand over the moon stick.

"Of course," Serena said, releasing the moon stick to her mother. "Are you able to send us back?"

"Not yet," Serenity told her. "There's more."

"More?"

Serenity turned to Darien.

"I have a gift for you," she revealed. "Close your eyes."

Darien glanced at Serena uncertainly, but he did as asked when Serena nodded her head. Serenity waved the moon wand over Darien, prompting the golden crystal to react and glow. Serena watched as moon dust sprinkled down on Darien and his face twitched, his eyes fluttering under his eyelids as if he were dreaming.

"What are you doing to him?" Serena whispered.

Young Darien raced into the master bedroom, leaping onto the two mounds under the duvet covers.

"I'm five, I'm five, I'm five!" he giggled to himself as he jumped up and down on the bed as if it were a trampoline. He heard the chuckling beneath the covers, and he took a different approach. "Come on! It's time for cake!"

"Oh, Darien, please never change."

A pair of arms came out and took him into their arms, pulling him under the covers between them. After a birthday bath, fresh clothes and an acceptable amount of cornflakes, Darien found himself sat at the table with a large cake in front of him decorated with birthday candles in a variety of colours, all lit. He looked up into the faces of his parents who were smiling down at him affectionately.

Emmett Chiba was a spitting image of the adult Darien: silky, ebony hair, midnight blue eyes, a strong jawline, broad shoulders and a wide chest, standing tall above his wife, Katarina. Katarina had a heart-shaped face with a fine bone structure, a wealth of honey brown curly hair and almond-shaped, ocean green eyes with thick dark lashes. She came around the table and stood behind Darien, resting her hands on his shoulders, placing a warm kiss on his cheek.

"Do you want to make a wish?" she asked.

Darien looked between his parents, feeling the abundance of love in the room filling him up. He smiled.

"No," he admitted. "I have everything I could ever wish for, mommy."

He wrapped his arms around her neck and Katarina gestured for Emmett to join them. He rubbed Darien's head fondly, kissing his wife on the lips.

"Happy birthday, son," he grinned.

"Come on," Katarina urged. "Blow out the candles before we get wax on the cake."

Darien stretched up to his full height on the chair and took in a huge lungful of air, blowing out as hard as he could to blow the candles out in one go. Emmett and Katarina cheered.

"We love you, Darien," Katarina told him. "Never forget that."

"I found a piece of his past and gave it back to him," Serenity said. "Just a few memories I could reach." She looked at her daughter. "Everyone deserves to have that memory that gives them peace."

Serena smiled, watching as Darien's eyes slowly opened. He inhaled sharply.

"Wow," he breathed, his lip quivering from the emotion. Serena cocked her head to one side, only imagining how he was feeling. She stepped forward, wrapping her arms around him, knowing exactly what Serenity meant about peace. She felt it in his arms right now. The tears leaked from his eyes, and he exhaled steadily, squeezing her to him.

"I've missed you so much," he murmured into her hair.

"I doubt as much as I missed you," she mumbled into his shirt pointedly, squeezing him to her.

To feel his lips on hers again was like a distant memory that was just a whisper away. It was like she was in a dream that she'd only seen in her sleep since she woke that day to find he didn't remember her… again. This time was different. Today will be different. Today, she will smile, and it will be genuine. Because today was the day that they got to live again. She opened her eyes to see those familiar midnight blue eyes that she adored staring back at her. She smiled back at that face. Queen Serenity left them to return to the Moon Castle, the source of her energy now as the living spirit of the dead Moon Kingdom. It was the source of Serena's power, but her strength lay in the one person who didn't know he was. His eyes now held that knowledge of who he is, with a newfound peace that Serena had never seen before.

"What is it like?" she asked. "To not only remember who you are, remember me, but to have a firm memory of your past with your parents?"

"You know, it's really funny but I thought that remembering something, anything about them would make everything fall into place, like the memory of them would bring me alive. But I was wrong. It's amazing… unbelievable to have a piece of them now. I can remember the warmth and the love that we shared. We were happy. So happy. My dad looked so much like me. Now looking in a mirror will be like he's still with me. And my mother… she was so beautiful. I can feel each of them with me. I know they're there. But I didn't need their memory to complete me. I already found peace with you. They loved and raised me into childhood, and I had no one until I found you. To face the future with another, who means more than any other, is to be loved."

Serena smiled, resting her head against his chest, inhaling the sweet smell of him.

"I look at you, and I'm home," Darien murmured into her hair. "I guess even when I was wandering around Juban with no memory of you, my heart still knew you."

"I knew you'd find me again," she said.

"Distance, memory, another lifetime… I will always find you," he declared.

He brought his lips down to meet hers and she gladly kissed him back. She felt at home too, but she was missing the foundations that held it up. He felt her falter and peered down at her. He recognised the sadness clouding her eyes and he brushed her bangs back from her head, running the back of his fingers over her cheekbone.

"They're gone," she whispered. "Knowing me puts them into an eternal damnation. It's my fault."

"Serena," he said firmly. "It's not your fault. None of what has happened has been your fault. The girls… they love you, always have and always will. They would never have done anything differently."

"I just wanted them to live their lives," she breathed, feeling a tear fall. "That's all I ever wanted for all of us. But the universe seems to have other ideas."

"Everything happens for a reason," Darien said, pulling her into his arms. "You taught me that." He paused as he felt her sniffle and rest her head against him. "Killian, Zane, Jackson and Neal, they all lived to ensure that I did, and they passed on into these stones to ensure I remembered why I should."

Serena opened her eyes, pushing away from him, wiping her eyes. She gaped at him and reached into his jacket to pull out the Shitennou stones. She opened the long delicate case and ran her fingers over the stones. She could feel their essence in the stones, and it was undeniable that there was life in them. She looked at Darien's confused face and shook her head.

"They can't be dead," she murmured. She gestured to the stones. "They still live in here. The girls don't exist on the same plane as the Shitennou because your power sources are different. The girls exist as one on their respective planets. Planet power can never die. We can bring them back. I'm sure we can now that you remember. They gave you back your power, and you found your courage in me."

"I believe in you," he reminded her.

"Through our union of the Moon Kingdom and the Earth, we can bring them back to us," she repeated, taking hold of his hands. "Just let my power flow through you and I'll feel you."

He closed his eyes and felt her hands momentarily squeeze his. He felt the signature light of the moon flow through his veins.

"Mercury power!" Serena yelled. "Mars power! Jupiter Power! Venus Power! Moon crystal power!"

"Zoisite, knight of purification and healing!" Darien called, feeling the power of the golden crystal being embraced and accepted by Serena's light. "Jadeite, knight of patience and harmony! Nephrite, knight of intelligence and comfort! Kunzite, knight of purity and affection! Earth golden crystal power!"

"Unite!" they shouted in unison.

They opened their eyes to see the silver crystal shooting five beams of light in blue, red, green, yellow and silver which intertwined with the five beams of light firing from the golden crystal in green, blue, red, grey and gold. They watched the light launch into the air, exploding to blind them. Momentarily, they kept their eyes closed, still feeling each other's touch and connection through their power as they regained their sight. Inhaling sharply, Serena opened her eyes to find Darien looking back at her. He offered a small smile to her.

"Did you really think anything could keep us down for long?" Raye's smug voice accosted their ears.

Serena's head whipped round, and she gasped.

"Oh my God," she cried. "I knew it."

She released her hands from Darien's and flew into Raye's arms. The sailor guardians and the Shitennou were circled around them where Darien and Serena were once stood. Darien grinned at Killian, striding over and clapping him on the shoulder fondly.

"Thank you," Darien said gratefully. He looked at Zane, Jackson and Neal who were sharing the same smile. "All of you."

"No, Darien," Killian corrected. "Thank you." He glanced at the guys. "We knew you'd make it back to us." He looked at Serena surrounded by the girls. "In her heart, so did she. We knew she would bring out the protector in you. You just needed reminding of who you are."

"I'm glad to have you back," Darien told them. "Even if I didn't remember that I was missing you in the first place."

"We were never going anywhere," Zane said. "And neither were they."

They looked at the girls and chuckled.

"So, how do we get off the moon?" Neal interjected.

"I think I can take care of that," Serena announced, bouncing over, taking hold of Darien's hand.

"You're going to do the hokey cokey and turn yourself around?"

Killian scowled at Neal and Jackson thumped him.

"Still an idiot I see," Raye remarked.

"Yes, well, he's my idiot," Lita smirked.

"Better you than me," she retorted.

"There's time," Jackson said, staring at her.

Raye tore her eyes from Jackson and looked back at Serena.

"Sailor teleport?" she asked instead.

"Not quite," Serena shook her head. "Remember that I'm not really here. I brought your spirits from your planet castles, and we were able to bring the Shitennou from their stones, but my body remains in the Cherry Hill Temple. Darien will allow me to hitch a ride with you. I just won't land on Earth with you."

Everyone formed a circle and took hold of each other's hands and concentrated. Beams of light emanated from each of them in their respective signature colours and the last thing Serena remembered was Queen Serenity smiling at her through the Moon Castle.

Serena opened her eyes, feeling her hand in a warm large hand she knew she recognised. She turned to her left and smiled.

"Is it too cliché to welcome you back, Sleeping Beauty?" Darien mused.

"Darien!" Serena shrieked, leaping up in bed and diving into his arms. "You're back!" She rained kisses down on him, on his cheeks, his nose, grazing his lips, crossing his forehead, running her fingers through his ebony locks as she brought her lips back to his own. "I've missed you so much."

"I can believe it because as I you," he chuckled, pulling her into his lap. "It's because of you I'm here again. It always is, isn't it?"

"I told you," she reminded him. "I'm never letting you go."

"And I'm glad you didn't," he said. "Come with me. You've been in this bed long enough." He pulled her up and she stopped, pulling him back. "What is it?"

"What the hell happened to the door?" she breathed in horror.

"Ah, yes," Darien inhaled. "That would be the Croatoan. This happened before we joined you on the moon."

"Will Raye need help dealing with all of this?"

"The girls are already on it," Darien assured her. "Come with me."

He led her out and they exited the temple and out into the gardens at the back. He headed for a spot under a cherry blossom tree onto the bright green grass and sat down, pulling her down with him. She curled up in his side, resting her head against his chest, inhaling his scent, closing her eyes. She could feel the calm on the planet now, the disruption gone.

"How are you feeling?" Darien murmured in her hair.

"I'm happy to have you back," she said. "How about you? Do you remember everything that happened?"

"You mean my parents?" he asked. He felt her nod. "Oh yes. I think I feel more at peace than ever before."

"Queen Serenity always comes through," Serena smiled. "She's incredible. I do miss her."

"I can understand that," he said. "But it was you, Serena. Don't you see that?" She sat up and looked at him questioningly. "Queen Serenity sent us to Earth to give us a second chance at life, but you did exactly the same thing after the Dark Kingdom was defeated. You gave us a new beginning. Because you did, I got more than that. I got a piece of my past back and it was enough to help me move forward and move past it. I know you want to live like any other normal human girl, whatever normal is. But you're not normal. You're extraordinary."

"What about the girls?" Serena wondered. "And the guys? None of them asked for this."

"Who said they aren't extraordinary? They were born as we were to be as we are." Darien sighed. "Do you know about the Japanese art of putting broken pottery pieces back together with gold?" Serena shrugged. "It's a metaphor for embracing your flaws and imperfections. In the practice of kintsugi, something broken is put back together with gold and the gold turns the broken pieces into something beautiful. Just as we all suffered and survived trauma, we began a new life as new people, accepted our previous lives and learned to be someone new while embracing ourselves, past, present and future. You helped make us grow into something better. My broken pieces are part of me, but they don't hurt anymore. The future is bright and it's going to be worth it."

"How do you know?"

"When broken things are mended, people intend to bring the broken piece back to life," he went on. "But it's never the same. I realised that neither was I. Let me show you something. It's because of you that I can assure you that everything will be more than fine with time."

He held his hands out, palms facing up and gestured for her to place her hands on top. As she did, she felt an instant connection with Darien, her hands flat against his own, feeling a warmth between them. The only way she could describe the experience was that her mind was transported elsewhere while being conscious that she was still sat in the gardens of the Cherry Hill Temple.

Amy was clapping in the stands that overlooked the large Olympic sized swimming pool. She was radiant, beaming over the crowd as she watched Zane speed his way down the lane, his arms and legs slicing through the water as if it took no energy at all. She cheered the split second his hand hit the end of the pool and he looked up at her, punching the air. He was declared the winner and she bounded out of the stands, not caring whose eyes looked her way. She made it to the poolside and ran towards him. He turned, a grin on his face, pushing water back from his face, his hand running down the length of his blonde hair tied back in a ponytail, now out of the swimming cap. His cat-green eyes lit up as she leaped in the air, not caring that her doctor's scrubs were going to get wet as she wrapped her legs round his trim waist and her arms around his neck. There was nothing that was going to stop her being here in this moment.

Raye was sweeping the front of the Cherry Hill Temple, occasionally pausing to wipe at her brow, pushing her bangs back from her violet eyes and offering a smile to Phobos and Deimos. It was hard work, but she was proud to be the shrine priestess. It was going to be a little easier for her once her permanent help moved in. But not quite yet.

"Are you ready yet?"

She looked up at the interruption to find Jackson standing at the top of the stairs that led up to the temple. She gaped at him, dressed in a tailored suit and she smacked herself mentally. Where did the time go?"

"Oh, Raye, you said you'd be ready!" he accused.

"I know, I know!" she exclaimed. "Look, it'll take me ten minutes. I showered earlier. I just need to wash my face, brush through my hair and throw on my dress."

"Does any girl just 'throw on a dress'?" he mused drily.

"Watch it, or you'll be sleeping outside," she warned.

The permanent help cringed, shaking his head, knowing she was only half joking.

"The bride won't forgive us if we're late."

"If Lita has a problem with it, then she can take it up with Phobos and Deimos," she shot over her shoulder.

"I don't think the birds are the problem here, firecracker!"

"I told you to stop calling me that," he heard her shriek back to him from within the temple. "And they're not just birds!"

He chuckled to himself. It was hard for her to get past her issues, but it was worth it once he started to break down those walls. For all their problems, she couldn't deny that he was in her heart, and he wasn't ever going to leave it. Sleeping outside or not, he wasn't going anywhere for he'd move the very Earth for her.

The bell jingled and two young children bounded into the café come garden centre, immediately finding her in among the hydrangea of various colours.

"Mommy!" they chimed in unison.

"Girls!" Lita cried with delight. "How are you doing my little ladybugs?"

"We're good," the twins grinned. "Daddy is being slow though."

Lita frowned, looking up as Neal appeared in the doorway looking worn out. She raised her eyebrows, biting her lip at his furious expression.

"They outran you again, didn't they?" she deduced.

"You lied," he accused. "You didn't give birth to twin girls. You gave birth to Tasmanian devils."

Lita laughed.

"Don't be silly, you drama king," she said, reaching up, pulling him down from the back of his neck for a kiss. "You wouldn't have it any other way."

They looked at Lita's café shop that was attached to her garden centre, their girls running rampant around the place, narrowly avoiding customers in some cases, and they didn't need to say out loud that they absolutely wouldn't have it any other way.

The feel of his fingers running through her long blonde tresses was almost mesmerising. It was delicious and soothing and everything that she wanted in that moment. Well, that and his skin against hers. She had her wish. She breathed out slowly, feeling perfectly content.

"Are you sure this was what you wanted?" Killian checked for what now felt like the hundredth time, running his fingers down her bare back, giving her a little thrill as the tingles ran down her spine.

"I didn't want anything more," she confirmed for what felt like the hundredth and one time.

"But to elope?" he repeated. "I would have thought you'd have wanted the big white wedding with all the frills and trimmings."

"What's all the frills and trimmings in one day when I can have them for eternity with you?" she asked, pulling herself up to land a kiss with a perfect bullseye precisely on his lips. She didn't want anything more.

Serena blinked slowly, opening her eyes. She looked at Darien.

"What was that?" she asked.

"I always had premonitions," he told her. "Not quite in the same way as Raye, but after I gained my memories, and I mean all of them and some, we connected our powers in ways we hadn't before. We created this connection, and I didn't know what it meant until I returned to Earth, and you opened your eyes. Through our connection, I realised I could see just enough of the future to see into our own utopia. The Croatoan unlocked the truth and I found mine. And through our touch, I was able to share with you what should have been without the evil, without the horrors. But even as sailor guardians, we can have that future."

"Wow," Serena breathed. "So, everyone is going to be okay?"

"You saw it for yourself, you tell me," he said.

"They seemed so happy," she reflected thoughtfully. "But what about us?"

"Do you remember that song I sang in Déjà Brew?" She thought back and he pulled her closer, whispering in her ear. "'Cause if one day you wake up and find that you're missing me, and your heart starts to wonder where on this earth I could be, thinking maybe you'll come back here to the place that we'd meet, and you'll see me waiting for you on the corner of the street." She recalled the memory, the intensity she felt in the café that day, remembering how she wished he could remember her, being so close but just that much out of reach.

"Yes, I remember," she confirmed.

"I may have forgotten, but my heart never forgot you," he said. "Why else would I have written the song and played it over and over again? I was just trying to find you."

"So…"

He kissed her chastely on the lips, halting her words.

"It means that one day, everything you saw in our shared vision, we will live too." He pulled her body towards him so that the length of her was against him and he held her face gently as he kissed her, almost more urgently than before. Echoing the words of his mother, "I love you, Serena. Never forget that."

And that she didn't. This life will be good. And beautiful. But not without heartbreak. In death comes peace, but pain is the cost of living. Like love, it's how we know we're alive. Just as in kintsugi, where the gold will fill the cracks and turn something broken beautiful, love will give them everything they need to keep them safe and happy with each other. Always and forever. Maybe that's what heaven is. A new life that gives them back the version of peace they never knew they wanted, as the extraordinary people they are, living extraordinary lives in a perfectly ordinary world.

Author's note: I decided against an epilogue for one specific reason: kintsugi isn't about an ending. Kintsugi is about being made new and living for the new beginning. The sailor guardians don't end - just like space, they're eternal.

"One day, we will vanish. New Guardians and new stars will come. But you, Sailor Moon, you will forever be immortal. You will be the most beautiful star shining in the sky for eternity."— Mamoru Chiba, quote from Act 60 Stars 11