AUTHORS NOTES
DISCLAIMERS: Rights to Sailor Moon are owned by Naoko Taceuchi, Kondansha Publishing, Toei, DiC, Optimum Productions, Cloverway...am I forgetting anything?
This story is supposed to provide an alternate story line to the Sailor Moon series. It starts after the Sailor Moon R series ends (the Death Phantom is destroyed and Rini goes home to Crystal Tokyo). The next events are of my own creation and do not relate to the Sailor Moon S series (at least not intentionally).
I finished this fanfic over a year ago, before the S and SuperS seasons were dubbed in America. Please excuse any attack names that are DiC-ish, because that is what I had to work with at the time. ;) This story, after looking back, seems a cross between Japanese and American references. So, please excuse the term "Negaverse" as opposed to "Dark Kingdom", because the story focuses on Jedite.
Anyway, please enjoy the story!
@@@@@
CHAPTER 29
For a moment, everything was white. Serena was still floating in the air, dressed in her normal clothes once more. She was very disoriented after controlling that much power. The sudden change in light made her shield her eyes. "Wha…what's happening?" she muttered to herself. "Where is everyone? Am I…am I dead…?"
"Quite the contrary, my daughter," came a familiar voice.
Serena recognized it in a heartbeat. "Queen Serenity!" she shouted with joy.
Soon the light dimmed to reveal the remains of the Moon Kingdom once again. Queen Serenity faced the levitated Serena, along with the other Planetary Guardians: Elistar, Lana, Selene, and Richter.
"Congratulations, Princess Serenity," Elistar began. "And thank you."
"You have once again triumphed over the evils that plagued you," Selene continued.
"You used the power and resolve in yourselves to achieve your victory," Lana interjected.
"We saw you from above," Richter added. "Dang, you guys kicked serious butt down there!"
"You are truly worthy of the title of 'Guardian,'" Queen Serenity finished.
Serena, listening to the glowing complements of her elders, didn't realize that her feet were firmly planted on the ground once more. Looking around, she noticed that her friends weren't with her. "Hey, where is everyone?" she asked aloud.
"We have talked to everyone separately," Selene remarked. "Your friends have returned to Earth."
"I see," Serena said, breathing a sigh of relief knowing her friends were all right. Looking downward, however, she noticed that she was dressed in her normal clothing. "Oh no, did I lose my powers again?"
Queen Serenity giggled slightly. "Your powers are fine, my daughter," she reassured Serena. "You don't have to worry. You transformed into your normal states when we helped you exit the dimension."
"You helped us out?" Serena asked. "I thought you were just spirits, or something."
Richter laughed. "Hey, we may be spirits, but that doesn't mean we don't have any power!"
"The dimension you were fighting in collapsed upon itself," Elistar explained. "We used what power we still possessed to teleport you back to Earth."
"But why am I still here?" Serena asked.
"Your spirit is here with us," Lana explained. "This was done with your friends as well. They were brought here in spirit form, and we congratulated them."
"That," Elistar interjected, "and we had to tell them something else. And that something is not that pleasant."
Serena was confused. "Not pleasant? Does that mean Jedite survived?"
"No, Jedite was destroyed," Selene said. "But there is another evil that is awakening."
"Another evil?" Serena asked, a small bit a of fear creeping into her system.
"We can't tell what it is, or where it is exactly," Richter said, "but we're sensing an evil presence in your Solar System."
"And it is a powerful presence," said Lana. "This evil could be more difficult to defeat."
"Your friends know of this as well," commented Queen Serenity. "You could not have gained the Guardian powers at a better time."
"Well, uh, thanks for warning us," said Serena. "Now at least we know what to expect."
"You are most welcome," said Queen Serenity. "Now is the time for you to return to your body on Earth, my child. Take care, and protect all of those who need it, for you are Sailor Moon, Champion of Justice!"
Serena smiled. She began to perform the signs of when she was Sailor Moon. "And in the name of the Moon, I will punish them!"
"Good bye, dear Serena," Queen Serenity said with a tear in her eye. "And good luck in your future endeavors."
Tears flowed down Serena's cheeks as well. "Good bye, Mother…"
And then, everything became dark.
@@@@@
"Serena…Serena wake up!"
"Is she dead?"
"No. According to my readings, she's just sleeping."
"Just like that Meatball-Head to snooze like that."
"Knock it off, Raye! She was controlling a huge amount of power!"
"I'm sorry. Really. That just slipped out."
"Come on, Serena! Open your eyes!"
"You can't leave us now!"
"Hold on, my readings are showing she's coming out of it!"
"She's waking up?"
"Serena! We're here! We're all here!"
It took a moment or two, but Serena finally opened her eyes. What she saw was somewhat surprising. To her left was Amy, kneeling beside her, taking readings on her computer. Luna was perched upon Amy's shoulder. Lita was beside them both, shaking Serena awake. To her right, Raye was shaking Serena as well. Mina sat beside her, with Artemis happily sitting upon her shoulder. Serena also noticed that someone was holding her hands. Gazing upwards, she figured out that she was resting comfortably in the lap of Darien, his warm hands holding hers. It seemed that she had returned to her reality, gazing at a starry sky.
"Everyone," she muttered, becoming more awake by the second. "You're all here."
"Serena!" everyone shouted, overjoyed that she awakened.
"We thought we lost you for a second, Meatball-Head," said Darien, joking and somewhat crying at the same time.
Serena's face turned into a huge smile at the sight of her boyfriend. "Oh, Darien," she said lovingly, suddenly springing to a sitting position and hugging him tightly.
"We're so glad that you're okay," said Luna.
"That must have been a rough battle!" added Artemis.
"Sure it was rough," said Serena, "but in the end, Jedite definitely wound up as moon dust!" Gaining a more detailed view of her surroundings, she figured out that she was back in the vacant lot they entered their tests from. Looking at the stars in the sky, a realization came to here. "Oh my, what time is it?"
"About 1:45 AM," Amy said, checking her watch. "We've been here for at least ten minutes making sure you were all right."
Serena suddenly became very scared. "Oh man, my folks are gonna kill me!"
"Yeah, I know what you mean," said Raye. "I'm going to have a fun time explaining this to my Grandfather!"
"Yeah, and my parents, too," added Mina, with a small bit of laughter. "Do you think that we'll have to tell them our little 'secrets' this time?"
"Well, not if you come up with really impressive alibis," Lita suggested.
"Can you stand, Serena?" asked Luna.
"Yeah, I can," she answered. "Thanks again, you guys."
As the group rose to their feet, they spent a few minutes to talk about the battle the had won, they're conversations with their elders, and the possible new evil surfacing. After which, Amy, Lita, Raye, Artemis, and Mina said their good-byes to the group, and left to go home for the night. Luna decided to proceed home on foot, so she wouldn't arouse any more suspicion from Serena's parents. This left Serena and Darien alone.
As Serena watched the rest of the group leave, had another bad realization come to her. "Oh, no, my house is too far to walk to from here."
"I'll take you home," Darien offered.
Serena seemed somewhat shocked. "Darien, you can't!" she said. "How am I going to explain you to my parents? You know about the near heart attack my dad had the first time he met you!"
"Hey, I have a good alibi to cover that up," he reassured. "How about, I was taking a midnight stroll, and I found you sleeping on that park bench?" He pointed to the bench where his motorcycle was parked.
"Not the best of excuses," Serena mentioned. "But knowing my parents, they'll probably believe it."
Darien blushed slightly. "It's late," he explained. "I can't think straight."
Serena winked at him. "Sure you did, Muffin," she said sarcastically.
Both had a good laugh before moving to the motorcycle. Both strapped helmets upon themselves, and soon after, Darien took Serena home.
@@@@@
Within a moment, Sammy had made a connection. "The hair!" he said aloud. "No one except Serena could come up with the same goofy hairstyle! I should have known. Serena's Sailor Moon!"
His discovery was short lived, however, for there came a knock at the door. Hoping it was good news, Sammy bounded down the stairs.
"Serena!" he heard his mother say. "Ken! Serena's home!"
"Serena?" his father blurted out. "Is she hurt?"
Sammy made it to the bottom of the stairs. The first thing he saw was his parents, frantically by the doorway, ushering in two familiar figures. One was a man in khaki pants, a black shirt, and green jacket. He recognized the man as Darien, Serena's friend. The second figure was his ever elusive sister. "Serena!" he shouted with joy.
"I'm fine, everyone," Serena said, taking a seat upon the near-by couch. "It's just good to be home again."
After asking about a million questions relating to "Are you all right?," Ken managed to ask the question that Serena was prepared for. "Serena, what were you doing out there so late?"
"You had us worried sick," Irene added.
Darien, who was standing in the doorway, took the answer to that question. "Well, I couldn't sleep, so I took a walk around the neighborhood. Along the way, I saw your daughter sleeping on a park bench."
"Figures," Sammy muttered under his breath.
"Well, thank you, um…Darien, right?" Ken said.
"Darien Chiba, Mr. Tsukino," Darien said.
"That's right. Anyway, thank you for finding her," Ken said, rising from his seat to shake Darien's hand. Irene went to join her husband in finding out a little more about the 'hero' of the night.
As Serena finally began to unwind, Sammy went over to her. "So, what did you really do out there, 'Sailor Moon'?" he asked slyly.
Serena suddenly bolted up from her seat. "Wha…what are you talking about?" Serena said, hoping that Sammy wasn't thinking what she was thinking.
"Don't play dumb with me, Serena," he said, grinning from ear to ear. "I'm surprised that you kept it from us as long as ya did!" His gaze then shifted upon the mysterious Darien. "And who's that? You're 'Tuxedo Mask'?"
Serena became furious. "You little creep!" she whispered hoarsely.
"Pretty nice pickings for a boyfriend, Serena!" he cackled.
"Shut up!" she whispered again. In the fit of anger and surprise she was in, she began to rant. "I can't believe it. I'm gone for a day, and already my cover is blown? For crying out loud, Sammy! Don't you know when to keep your mouth shut? So what if Darien's my boyfriend? As long as Mom and Dad don't know………." She suddenly realized she blurted those last few sentences out without thinking.
Ken's alert ears also picked up the rant. "Boyfriend?" he shouted, almost at the top of his lungs. "Did you say, "BOY-friend?"
@@@@@
CHAPTER 30
For a moment, it seemed like time froze. Serena held both hands to her mouth, as if not to let anymore secrets escape. Sammy backed away from the situation, seemingly not involving himself in any more of this. He actually ran up to his room to hide. Irene had shifted to an unbroken stare to her husband, hoping that he would not be too hard on the couple. Irene seemed to know in her heart that something was between Darien and her daughter, since the first time she met him. Darien had broken into a cold sweat. He didn't know what to do next. Ken, however, felt his rage increasing. No matter how happy he was to see his daughter back safe and sound, he could not believe what he had heard. His daughter was seeing an older man. "Is this true, Serena?" he belted out, the anger in his voice rising.
Serena was backed into a corner. There was no way she could back out of this. "Well, um…..yes, butIcanexplain…"
"I can't believe this!" Ken suddenly shouted. "My daughter has turned into a delinquent child behind my back!" He then pointed at Darien. "You're to blame for all this!"
Darien, also backed into a corner, could not find a way to escape this situation either. "But Mr. Tsukino…"
"Don't you 'Mr. Tsukino' ME, CHIBA!" he boomed.
"Darling," Irene said calmly, putting a hand on Ken's shoulder. "Maybe there's a logical explanation for this…"
Ken gently removed Irene's hand from his shoulder. "Honey, I can handle this. Of COURSE there's a logical explanation. But this is serious! Serena, how could you see this older man? He could take advantage of you, or worse! I thought you knew better than that! What do you have to say for yourself, young lady?"
Serena was speechless. She could not explain the circumstances to her father. There was just know way that he could understand the love that she and Darien shared between eachother.
Suddenly, she heard a familiar voice within her mind. "Maybe it is time that they should know…" it said.
Serena recognized the voice as Queen Serenity once more, but couldn't figure out what she meant by it. "Wha?" Serena said aloud. "Know what?"
"What did you say, Serena?" Ken belted, angry at the answers he wasn't getting.
Within an instant, Serena's new broach suddenly materialized upon her chest. The broach then flashed open, revealing the Imperium Silver Rose Crystal.
Both parents were very puzzled. "What in the world is going on?!?" Irene exclaimed.
"I…I wish I knew," Serena shouted, truthfully not knowing what was happening.
The broach flashed a bright light, and for a moment, Serena was encased in the costume of Sailor Moon. Ken was speechless. Darien was shocked as well, but soon the light flashed again. Darien was then clad in the costume of Tuxedo Mask.
After a third flash of light, both Darien and Serena were standing together, side by side. Irene fell into a state of shock. Ken just continued to stare in astonishment. After about a moment or two the light faded, and Serena and Darien were clad in their normal clothes. It took a few moments for what Ken and Irene saw to sink in. Ken then took Irene's hand within his, and led her to the couch. Sitting down, somewhat shaking, he seemed a little more inclined to listen to his daughter.. "Okay, Serena," he said, his voice shaking, "maybe you should start at the beginning."
@@@@@
What followed next seemed to take forever to explain. Taking a few minutes beforehand to decide upon how they should explain certain events, Serena and Darien took turns of telling a grandiose tale of what happened in their lives the past year. First came the story of the Silver Millenium. The story of how Princess Serenity and Prince Endymion fell in love, and how they were betrothed to be married. Then the story shifted into tragic Queen Beryl chapter, of how they were killed by her, and how Queen Serenity sacrificed herself to save her children. Then came the explanation of how they were reincarnated into these bodies in the twentieth century. (This was not an easy task.) Then Serena explained that she obtained her powers from the spirit of Queen Serenity. (She decided it was best to exclude the two felines from the discussion, for that would have been very hard for their parents to believe.) Darien then explained how he obtained his powers, including a short synopsis on how he lost his memory when he was a child, and his life thereafter. The story then shifted into the humorous tale of how they met. Even Irene stifled a laugh when she heard it. Serena then told the stories of how she met the other Sailor Scouts. She excluded some key details, however, as well as the actual names of her partners of justice. (She didn't want her parents to know too much.) Then, Serena and Darien alternated in telling of their many battles led by the Negaverse generals Jedite and Nephlyte. The story of the Seven Rainbow Crystals came soon after, with mentions of Zoisite and Malachite included. After which, Darien explained how he and Serena found out eachother's true identities, and how their time together was short lived when the Negaverse captured him and brainwashed him. The story then took a huge turn when Serena told how the Sailor Scouts defeated the evil Beryl and Queen Metalia. This included why the Sailor Scouts lost their memories afterwards. The explanation continued with the arrival of Ann and Alan, two confused aliens searching for energy to feed themselves. Some of the high points included the return of the Sailor Scout's memories, the Doom Tree, the Moonlight Knight, and Serena's new powers. Then, Serena launched into the battles she had with the Four Sisters, and how she healed their hearts of the evil that plagued them. (These stories, as well as the others from this time period, cheerfully excluded the subject of Rini. Without the Luna-P present, Irene and Ken would not have the slightest recollection of the pink-haired child. This involved a lot of creative editing on Serena's part.) This led to the subject of Rubeus and his huge spaceship. Both Irene and Ken remembered that time, but never imagined that it was her daughter that helped destroy it. After hearing of the story of the UFO, Irene asked the duo if they had anything to do with the huge crystal that appeared in the middle of town not too long ago. In response to this, Serena and Darien told the involving story of the Death Phantom and the Dark Crystal, complete with Prince Diamond, Sapphire, and Emerald. (This story did not include the Scout's journey to the future. Both Darien and Serena were in agreement not to tell Serena's parents what they knew of the future, for the fear of scarring them, or perhaps making them expect too much.) Finally, the fairy-tale wonder of what was Serena's life came to an end with a synopsis of the most current events. These stories involved Lilithite (and the real reason behind the broach and the burglary), Jedite, the Planetary Guardians, and the Sailor Scout's transition into Sailor Guardians. This also brought the real reason of why Serena came home late to light. The entire story, due to the complexity and many key details, took a while to explain. It was nearing 3 AM when the story was finally finished.
Ken and Irene were left speechless. They had just heard of stories and events that they had never expected to hear. Both could not believe that Serena, their daughter, was Sailor Moon.
"I…I don't know what to say, Serena…" Ken managed to utter after a few moments of silence. "I mean, I can understand why you kept this a secret from us, but…" His voice trailed off, still in awe of his daughter.
"Well, that's the whole story, Dad," said Serena, who nearly couldn't believe it herself that she told the near-entire story of her life as Sailor Moon. "There really wasn't any other way to say it."
"I understand Serena," said Irene, rising from her seat, walking towards the couple. "At least, I think I do. Anyway, I knew that there was a logical explanation between the two of you. I never thought it would be this 'involved,' though."
At this point, Ken rose from his seat as well. Instead of joining his wife, daughter, and his daughter's supposed "boyfriend," he walked towards a nearby window and just stood there, seemingly lost in deep thought.
Darien took a few steps towards the still somewhat stunned man. "I know this is hard to believe, Mr. Tsukino," he began. "If I were hearing this for the first time, I'd be having doubts myself. But, maybe you can look at it this way. Maybe the spirits of Serena and I were sent into the future for more than one reason. Not just to fight the evil forces, but to give our love a second chance."
Ken didn't seem to be paying full attention to what Darien was saying. All he seemed to be doing was casually nodding to Darien's words. Mustering up some more courage, Darien proceeded with his speech. "Mr. Tsukino, I love your daughter. With all my heart. I may be a few years older than her, but I can assure you that I never took advantage of her. I respect her, and trust her. And she respects and trusts me. And if you let us continue our relationship, I can guarantee you that you will see the trust there. I promise you."
Again, casual nodding was the only action that Ken visibly performed. Darien, for one of the few times in his life, was getting nervous. He wasn't sure that his speech to Serena's father got through to him, or if it fell on deaf ears.
Also, it seemed that everyone was waiting for a reply. Serena held Darien's hand for support, for once, and bit her lip. Irene was still standing next to Serena and Darien, not knowing what was going through her husband's mind. Even Sammy, who was spying all along at the top of the stairs, was awaiting an answer from his father.
After a few careful minutes of deliberation, Ken turned his head to one side. "Mr. Chiba?" he said.
"Yes sir?" gasped a nervous Darien, a lump in his throat.
Ken had now turned around entirely to face him. "Normally, I'd have the head of any man your age who said the things you said to me just now, regardless of who they are." The next few words caught in his throat. "But given the circumstances, I'll…I'll make an exception."
Everyone was overjoyed at what they head just heard. Serena had to pinch herself to make sure that she wasn't dreaming.
Ken made his way to Darien once again, and shook his hand. "Please forgive what I said earlier. You seem like an upstanding young man," Ken mentioned. "And besides, from the pictures I've seen of Sailor Moon and Tuxedo Mask, they looked so…right together. And now I know you're…him, well, you seem to resemble your alter-ego in many ways."
"Thank you, sir," uttered Darien, still a bit nervous.
Ken sighed. "I want you to take care of my daughter out there, Darien. Make sure she doesn't get hurt in…battle, or something." Ken then gave Darien the evil eye. "And if anything does happen to her, I WILL have your head!" Ken smiled afterwards, just to show Darien that he was joking.
After a few more minutes of laughing and talking, it was time for Darien to go. Both Serena and Darien decided to forgo a good-bye kiss for the night. Although Irene might have been okay with it, they had to give Ken some time to adjust to the fact that they were dating and they were both superheroes.
Serena watched from the doorway as Darien boarded his motorcycle. While she was, Ken suddenly turned to his wife. "Honey?" he said.
"Yes?" his wife asked.
Ken removed his glasses and clutched his throbbing skull. "Please take me upstairs, Irene. I don't feel too well…"
Irene understood and smiled. She took Ken's hand, put her free hand on his shoulder, and led him up the stairs. "Come on, dearest, it's been a long day…"
"Not only do I give her permission to date an eighteen-year-old boy," Ken ranted as he walked, "but we find out she's Sailor Moon, and a princess, and she was reincarnated, and flew in a UFO…" This continued for a while afterwards.
After Serena saw Darien leave, she decided it was time to turn in herself. Stretching, she made her way up the stairs. At the top, she found her spying brother.
"That was a great trick!" Sammy remarked. "And what a story!"
Serena sighed. "Sammy, can't we talk about this in the morning?"
"Come on," Sammy nagged. "Can I ask you some questions?"
Serena just gave him a stare. "Look, if you want to see the effect of my Moon Staff up close, just keep talking."
Sammy began to grow a little pale. "But it's just a wand, right?….Right?"
Serena grinned evilly. "It's a Staff now, genius," she remarked.
Growing more pale, Sammy said his goodnights and quickly ran into his room. Satisfied with herself, Serena made it into her room and closed the door.
About a minute later, she saw Luna jump through the open window. "I thought I saw a white light coming from this direction," Luna panted, catching her breath, "but I never thought it would be this house again! Is everyone okay?"
Serena just flopped down upon her bed. "You wouldn't believe me if I told you, Luna!" Within a few moments, she fell fast asleep.
Luna, taking this as a sign that everything was okay, jumped on the foot of Serena's bed. "Oh, it's been a long day," she remarked as she curled up and went to sleep herself.
@@@@@
NEXT TIME...
The epilogue to the story, with a surprising twist. Plus, since it has been nearly three years since work began on "Return of the Jedite", I take time to reflect on my first serious piece.
DISCLAIMERS: Rights to Sailor Moon are owned by Naoko Taceuchi, Kondansha Publishing, Toei, DiC, Optimum Productions, Cloverway...am I forgetting anything?
This story is supposed to provide an alternate story line to the Sailor Moon series. It starts after the Sailor Moon R series ends (the Death Phantom is destroyed and Rini goes home to Crystal Tokyo). The next events are of my own creation and do not relate to the Sailor Moon S series (at least not intentionally).
I finished this fanfic over a year ago, before the S and SuperS seasons were dubbed in America. Please excuse any attack names that are DiC-ish, because that is what I had to work with at the time. ;) This story, after looking back, seems a cross between Japanese and American references. So, please excuse the term "Negaverse" as opposed to "Dark Kingdom", because the story focuses on Jedite.
Anyway, please enjoy the story!
@@@@@
CHAPTER 29
For a moment, everything was white. Serena was still floating in the air, dressed in her normal clothes once more. She was very disoriented after controlling that much power. The sudden change in light made her shield her eyes. "Wha…what's happening?" she muttered to herself. "Where is everyone? Am I…am I dead…?"
"Quite the contrary, my daughter," came a familiar voice.
Serena recognized it in a heartbeat. "Queen Serenity!" she shouted with joy.
Soon the light dimmed to reveal the remains of the Moon Kingdom once again. Queen Serenity faced the levitated Serena, along with the other Planetary Guardians: Elistar, Lana, Selene, and Richter.
"Congratulations, Princess Serenity," Elistar began. "And thank you."
"You have once again triumphed over the evils that plagued you," Selene continued.
"You used the power and resolve in yourselves to achieve your victory," Lana interjected.
"We saw you from above," Richter added. "Dang, you guys kicked serious butt down there!"
"You are truly worthy of the title of 'Guardian,'" Queen Serenity finished.
Serena, listening to the glowing complements of her elders, didn't realize that her feet were firmly planted on the ground once more. Looking around, she noticed that her friends weren't with her. "Hey, where is everyone?" she asked aloud.
"We have talked to everyone separately," Selene remarked. "Your friends have returned to Earth."
"I see," Serena said, breathing a sigh of relief knowing her friends were all right. Looking downward, however, she noticed that she was dressed in her normal clothing. "Oh no, did I lose my powers again?"
Queen Serenity giggled slightly. "Your powers are fine, my daughter," she reassured Serena. "You don't have to worry. You transformed into your normal states when we helped you exit the dimension."
"You helped us out?" Serena asked. "I thought you were just spirits, or something."
Richter laughed. "Hey, we may be spirits, but that doesn't mean we don't have any power!"
"The dimension you were fighting in collapsed upon itself," Elistar explained. "We used what power we still possessed to teleport you back to Earth."
"But why am I still here?" Serena asked.
"Your spirit is here with us," Lana explained. "This was done with your friends as well. They were brought here in spirit form, and we congratulated them."
"That," Elistar interjected, "and we had to tell them something else. And that something is not that pleasant."
Serena was confused. "Not pleasant? Does that mean Jedite survived?"
"No, Jedite was destroyed," Selene said. "But there is another evil that is awakening."
"Another evil?" Serena asked, a small bit a of fear creeping into her system.
"We can't tell what it is, or where it is exactly," Richter said, "but we're sensing an evil presence in your Solar System."
"And it is a powerful presence," said Lana. "This evil could be more difficult to defeat."
"Your friends know of this as well," commented Queen Serenity. "You could not have gained the Guardian powers at a better time."
"Well, uh, thanks for warning us," said Serena. "Now at least we know what to expect."
"You are most welcome," said Queen Serenity. "Now is the time for you to return to your body on Earth, my child. Take care, and protect all of those who need it, for you are Sailor Moon, Champion of Justice!"
Serena smiled. She began to perform the signs of when she was Sailor Moon. "And in the name of the Moon, I will punish them!"
"Good bye, dear Serena," Queen Serenity said with a tear in her eye. "And good luck in your future endeavors."
Tears flowed down Serena's cheeks as well. "Good bye, Mother…"
And then, everything became dark.
@@@@@
"Serena…Serena wake up!"
"Is she dead?"
"No. According to my readings, she's just sleeping."
"Just like that Meatball-Head to snooze like that."
"Knock it off, Raye! She was controlling a huge amount of power!"
"I'm sorry. Really. That just slipped out."
"Come on, Serena! Open your eyes!"
"You can't leave us now!"
"Hold on, my readings are showing she's coming out of it!"
"She's waking up?"
"Serena! We're here! We're all here!"
It took a moment or two, but Serena finally opened her eyes. What she saw was somewhat surprising. To her left was Amy, kneeling beside her, taking readings on her computer. Luna was perched upon Amy's shoulder. Lita was beside them both, shaking Serena awake. To her right, Raye was shaking Serena as well. Mina sat beside her, with Artemis happily sitting upon her shoulder. Serena also noticed that someone was holding her hands. Gazing upwards, she figured out that she was resting comfortably in the lap of Darien, his warm hands holding hers. It seemed that she had returned to her reality, gazing at a starry sky.
"Everyone," she muttered, becoming more awake by the second. "You're all here."
"Serena!" everyone shouted, overjoyed that she awakened.
"We thought we lost you for a second, Meatball-Head," said Darien, joking and somewhat crying at the same time.
Serena's face turned into a huge smile at the sight of her boyfriend. "Oh, Darien," she said lovingly, suddenly springing to a sitting position and hugging him tightly.
"We're so glad that you're okay," said Luna.
"That must have been a rough battle!" added Artemis.
"Sure it was rough," said Serena, "but in the end, Jedite definitely wound up as moon dust!" Gaining a more detailed view of her surroundings, she figured out that she was back in the vacant lot they entered their tests from. Looking at the stars in the sky, a realization came to here. "Oh my, what time is it?"
"About 1:45 AM," Amy said, checking her watch. "We've been here for at least ten minutes making sure you were all right."
Serena suddenly became very scared. "Oh man, my folks are gonna kill me!"
"Yeah, I know what you mean," said Raye. "I'm going to have a fun time explaining this to my Grandfather!"
"Yeah, and my parents, too," added Mina, with a small bit of laughter. "Do you think that we'll have to tell them our little 'secrets' this time?"
"Well, not if you come up with really impressive alibis," Lita suggested.
"Can you stand, Serena?" asked Luna.
"Yeah, I can," she answered. "Thanks again, you guys."
As the group rose to their feet, they spent a few minutes to talk about the battle the had won, they're conversations with their elders, and the possible new evil surfacing. After which, Amy, Lita, Raye, Artemis, and Mina said their good-byes to the group, and left to go home for the night. Luna decided to proceed home on foot, so she wouldn't arouse any more suspicion from Serena's parents. This left Serena and Darien alone.
As Serena watched the rest of the group leave, had another bad realization come to her. "Oh, no, my house is too far to walk to from here."
"I'll take you home," Darien offered.
Serena seemed somewhat shocked. "Darien, you can't!" she said. "How am I going to explain you to my parents? You know about the near heart attack my dad had the first time he met you!"
"Hey, I have a good alibi to cover that up," he reassured. "How about, I was taking a midnight stroll, and I found you sleeping on that park bench?" He pointed to the bench where his motorcycle was parked.
"Not the best of excuses," Serena mentioned. "But knowing my parents, they'll probably believe it."
Darien blushed slightly. "It's late," he explained. "I can't think straight."
Serena winked at him. "Sure you did, Muffin," she said sarcastically.
Both had a good laugh before moving to the motorcycle. Both strapped helmets upon themselves, and soon after, Darien took Serena home.
@@@@@
Within a moment, Sammy had made a connection. "The hair!" he said aloud. "No one except Serena could come up with the same goofy hairstyle! I should have known. Serena's Sailor Moon!"
His discovery was short lived, however, for there came a knock at the door. Hoping it was good news, Sammy bounded down the stairs.
"Serena!" he heard his mother say. "Ken! Serena's home!"
"Serena?" his father blurted out. "Is she hurt?"
Sammy made it to the bottom of the stairs. The first thing he saw was his parents, frantically by the doorway, ushering in two familiar figures. One was a man in khaki pants, a black shirt, and green jacket. He recognized the man as Darien, Serena's friend. The second figure was his ever elusive sister. "Serena!" he shouted with joy.
"I'm fine, everyone," Serena said, taking a seat upon the near-by couch. "It's just good to be home again."
After asking about a million questions relating to "Are you all right?," Ken managed to ask the question that Serena was prepared for. "Serena, what were you doing out there so late?"
"You had us worried sick," Irene added.
Darien, who was standing in the doorway, took the answer to that question. "Well, I couldn't sleep, so I took a walk around the neighborhood. Along the way, I saw your daughter sleeping on a park bench."
"Figures," Sammy muttered under his breath.
"Well, thank you, um…Darien, right?" Ken said.
"Darien Chiba, Mr. Tsukino," Darien said.
"That's right. Anyway, thank you for finding her," Ken said, rising from his seat to shake Darien's hand. Irene went to join her husband in finding out a little more about the 'hero' of the night.
As Serena finally began to unwind, Sammy went over to her. "So, what did you really do out there, 'Sailor Moon'?" he asked slyly.
Serena suddenly bolted up from her seat. "Wha…what are you talking about?" Serena said, hoping that Sammy wasn't thinking what she was thinking.
"Don't play dumb with me, Serena," he said, grinning from ear to ear. "I'm surprised that you kept it from us as long as ya did!" His gaze then shifted upon the mysterious Darien. "And who's that? You're 'Tuxedo Mask'?"
Serena became furious. "You little creep!" she whispered hoarsely.
"Pretty nice pickings for a boyfriend, Serena!" he cackled.
"Shut up!" she whispered again. In the fit of anger and surprise she was in, she began to rant. "I can't believe it. I'm gone for a day, and already my cover is blown? For crying out loud, Sammy! Don't you know when to keep your mouth shut? So what if Darien's my boyfriend? As long as Mom and Dad don't know………." She suddenly realized she blurted those last few sentences out without thinking.
Ken's alert ears also picked up the rant. "Boyfriend?" he shouted, almost at the top of his lungs. "Did you say, "BOY-friend?"
@@@@@
CHAPTER 30
For a moment, it seemed like time froze. Serena held both hands to her mouth, as if not to let anymore secrets escape. Sammy backed away from the situation, seemingly not involving himself in any more of this. He actually ran up to his room to hide. Irene had shifted to an unbroken stare to her husband, hoping that he would not be too hard on the couple. Irene seemed to know in her heart that something was between Darien and her daughter, since the first time she met him. Darien had broken into a cold sweat. He didn't know what to do next. Ken, however, felt his rage increasing. No matter how happy he was to see his daughter back safe and sound, he could not believe what he had heard. His daughter was seeing an older man. "Is this true, Serena?" he belted out, the anger in his voice rising.
Serena was backed into a corner. There was no way she could back out of this. "Well, um…..yes, butIcanexplain…"
"I can't believe this!" Ken suddenly shouted. "My daughter has turned into a delinquent child behind my back!" He then pointed at Darien. "You're to blame for all this!"
Darien, also backed into a corner, could not find a way to escape this situation either. "But Mr. Tsukino…"
"Don't you 'Mr. Tsukino' ME, CHIBA!" he boomed.
"Darling," Irene said calmly, putting a hand on Ken's shoulder. "Maybe there's a logical explanation for this…"
Ken gently removed Irene's hand from his shoulder. "Honey, I can handle this. Of COURSE there's a logical explanation. But this is serious! Serena, how could you see this older man? He could take advantage of you, or worse! I thought you knew better than that! What do you have to say for yourself, young lady?"
Serena was speechless. She could not explain the circumstances to her father. There was just know way that he could understand the love that she and Darien shared between eachother.
Suddenly, she heard a familiar voice within her mind. "Maybe it is time that they should know…" it said.
Serena recognized the voice as Queen Serenity once more, but couldn't figure out what she meant by it. "Wha?" Serena said aloud. "Know what?"
"What did you say, Serena?" Ken belted, angry at the answers he wasn't getting.
Within an instant, Serena's new broach suddenly materialized upon her chest. The broach then flashed open, revealing the Imperium Silver Rose Crystal.
Both parents were very puzzled. "What in the world is going on?!?" Irene exclaimed.
"I…I wish I knew," Serena shouted, truthfully not knowing what was happening.
The broach flashed a bright light, and for a moment, Serena was encased in the costume of Sailor Moon. Ken was speechless. Darien was shocked as well, but soon the light flashed again. Darien was then clad in the costume of Tuxedo Mask.
After a third flash of light, both Darien and Serena were standing together, side by side. Irene fell into a state of shock. Ken just continued to stare in astonishment. After about a moment or two the light faded, and Serena and Darien were clad in their normal clothes. It took a few moments for what Ken and Irene saw to sink in. Ken then took Irene's hand within his, and led her to the couch. Sitting down, somewhat shaking, he seemed a little more inclined to listen to his daughter.. "Okay, Serena," he said, his voice shaking, "maybe you should start at the beginning."
@@@@@
What followed next seemed to take forever to explain. Taking a few minutes beforehand to decide upon how they should explain certain events, Serena and Darien took turns of telling a grandiose tale of what happened in their lives the past year. First came the story of the Silver Millenium. The story of how Princess Serenity and Prince Endymion fell in love, and how they were betrothed to be married. Then the story shifted into tragic Queen Beryl chapter, of how they were killed by her, and how Queen Serenity sacrificed herself to save her children. Then came the explanation of how they were reincarnated into these bodies in the twentieth century. (This was not an easy task.) Then Serena explained that she obtained her powers from the spirit of Queen Serenity. (She decided it was best to exclude the two felines from the discussion, for that would have been very hard for their parents to believe.) Darien then explained how he obtained his powers, including a short synopsis on how he lost his memory when he was a child, and his life thereafter. The story then shifted into the humorous tale of how they met. Even Irene stifled a laugh when she heard it. Serena then told the stories of how she met the other Sailor Scouts. She excluded some key details, however, as well as the actual names of her partners of justice. (She didn't want her parents to know too much.) Then, Serena and Darien alternated in telling of their many battles led by the Negaverse generals Jedite and Nephlyte. The story of the Seven Rainbow Crystals came soon after, with mentions of Zoisite and Malachite included. After which, Darien explained how he and Serena found out eachother's true identities, and how their time together was short lived when the Negaverse captured him and brainwashed him. The story then took a huge turn when Serena told how the Sailor Scouts defeated the evil Beryl and Queen Metalia. This included why the Sailor Scouts lost their memories afterwards. The explanation continued with the arrival of Ann and Alan, two confused aliens searching for energy to feed themselves. Some of the high points included the return of the Sailor Scout's memories, the Doom Tree, the Moonlight Knight, and Serena's new powers. Then, Serena launched into the battles she had with the Four Sisters, and how she healed their hearts of the evil that plagued them. (These stories, as well as the others from this time period, cheerfully excluded the subject of Rini. Without the Luna-P present, Irene and Ken would not have the slightest recollection of the pink-haired child. This involved a lot of creative editing on Serena's part.) This led to the subject of Rubeus and his huge spaceship. Both Irene and Ken remembered that time, but never imagined that it was her daughter that helped destroy it. After hearing of the story of the UFO, Irene asked the duo if they had anything to do with the huge crystal that appeared in the middle of town not too long ago. In response to this, Serena and Darien told the involving story of the Death Phantom and the Dark Crystal, complete with Prince Diamond, Sapphire, and Emerald. (This story did not include the Scout's journey to the future. Both Darien and Serena were in agreement not to tell Serena's parents what they knew of the future, for the fear of scarring them, or perhaps making them expect too much.) Finally, the fairy-tale wonder of what was Serena's life came to an end with a synopsis of the most current events. These stories involved Lilithite (and the real reason behind the broach and the burglary), Jedite, the Planetary Guardians, and the Sailor Scout's transition into Sailor Guardians. This also brought the real reason of why Serena came home late to light. The entire story, due to the complexity and many key details, took a while to explain. It was nearing 3 AM when the story was finally finished.
Ken and Irene were left speechless. They had just heard of stories and events that they had never expected to hear. Both could not believe that Serena, their daughter, was Sailor Moon.
"I…I don't know what to say, Serena…" Ken managed to utter after a few moments of silence. "I mean, I can understand why you kept this a secret from us, but…" His voice trailed off, still in awe of his daughter.
"Well, that's the whole story, Dad," said Serena, who nearly couldn't believe it herself that she told the near-entire story of her life as Sailor Moon. "There really wasn't any other way to say it."
"I understand Serena," said Irene, rising from her seat, walking towards the couple. "At least, I think I do. Anyway, I knew that there was a logical explanation between the two of you. I never thought it would be this 'involved,' though."
At this point, Ken rose from his seat as well. Instead of joining his wife, daughter, and his daughter's supposed "boyfriend," he walked towards a nearby window and just stood there, seemingly lost in deep thought.
Darien took a few steps towards the still somewhat stunned man. "I know this is hard to believe, Mr. Tsukino," he began. "If I were hearing this for the first time, I'd be having doubts myself. But, maybe you can look at it this way. Maybe the spirits of Serena and I were sent into the future for more than one reason. Not just to fight the evil forces, but to give our love a second chance."
Ken didn't seem to be paying full attention to what Darien was saying. All he seemed to be doing was casually nodding to Darien's words. Mustering up some more courage, Darien proceeded with his speech. "Mr. Tsukino, I love your daughter. With all my heart. I may be a few years older than her, but I can assure you that I never took advantage of her. I respect her, and trust her. And she respects and trusts me. And if you let us continue our relationship, I can guarantee you that you will see the trust there. I promise you."
Again, casual nodding was the only action that Ken visibly performed. Darien, for one of the few times in his life, was getting nervous. He wasn't sure that his speech to Serena's father got through to him, or if it fell on deaf ears.
Also, it seemed that everyone was waiting for a reply. Serena held Darien's hand for support, for once, and bit her lip. Irene was still standing next to Serena and Darien, not knowing what was going through her husband's mind. Even Sammy, who was spying all along at the top of the stairs, was awaiting an answer from his father.
After a few careful minutes of deliberation, Ken turned his head to one side. "Mr. Chiba?" he said.
"Yes sir?" gasped a nervous Darien, a lump in his throat.
Ken had now turned around entirely to face him. "Normally, I'd have the head of any man your age who said the things you said to me just now, regardless of who they are." The next few words caught in his throat. "But given the circumstances, I'll…I'll make an exception."
Everyone was overjoyed at what they head just heard. Serena had to pinch herself to make sure that she wasn't dreaming.
Ken made his way to Darien once again, and shook his hand. "Please forgive what I said earlier. You seem like an upstanding young man," Ken mentioned. "And besides, from the pictures I've seen of Sailor Moon and Tuxedo Mask, they looked so…right together. And now I know you're…him, well, you seem to resemble your alter-ego in many ways."
"Thank you, sir," uttered Darien, still a bit nervous.
Ken sighed. "I want you to take care of my daughter out there, Darien. Make sure she doesn't get hurt in…battle, or something." Ken then gave Darien the evil eye. "And if anything does happen to her, I WILL have your head!" Ken smiled afterwards, just to show Darien that he was joking.
After a few more minutes of laughing and talking, it was time for Darien to go. Both Serena and Darien decided to forgo a good-bye kiss for the night. Although Irene might have been okay with it, they had to give Ken some time to adjust to the fact that they were dating and they were both superheroes.
Serena watched from the doorway as Darien boarded his motorcycle. While she was, Ken suddenly turned to his wife. "Honey?" he said.
"Yes?" his wife asked.
Ken removed his glasses and clutched his throbbing skull. "Please take me upstairs, Irene. I don't feel too well…"
Irene understood and smiled. She took Ken's hand, put her free hand on his shoulder, and led him up the stairs. "Come on, dearest, it's been a long day…"
"Not only do I give her permission to date an eighteen-year-old boy," Ken ranted as he walked, "but we find out she's Sailor Moon, and a princess, and she was reincarnated, and flew in a UFO…" This continued for a while afterwards.
After Serena saw Darien leave, she decided it was time to turn in herself. Stretching, she made her way up the stairs. At the top, she found her spying brother.
"That was a great trick!" Sammy remarked. "And what a story!"
Serena sighed. "Sammy, can't we talk about this in the morning?"
"Come on," Sammy nagged. "Can I ask you some questions?"
Serena just gave him a stare. "Look, if you want to see the effect of my Moon Staff up close, just keep talking."
Sammy began to grow a little pale. "But it's just a wand, right?….Right?"
Serena grinned evilly. "It's a Staff now, genius," she remarked.
Growing more pale, Sammy said his goodnights and quickly ran into his room. Satisfied with herself, Serena made it into her room and closed the door.
About a minute later, she saw Luna jump through the open window. "I thought I saw a white light coming from this direction," Luna panted, catching her breath, "but I never thought it would be this house again! Is everyone okay?"
Serena just flopped down upon her bed. "You wouldn't believe me if I told you, Luna!" Within a few moments, she fell fast asleep.
Luna, taking this as a sign that everything was okay, jumped on the foot of Serena's bed. "Oh, it's been a long day," she remarked as she curled up and went to sleep herself.
@@@@@
NEXT TIME...
The epilogue to the story, with a surprising twist. Plus, since it has been nearly three years since work began on "Return of the Jedite", I take time to reflect on my first serious piece.