Darien
adjusted a knob slightly and the moon came fully into focus in the
eyepiece. He found Mare Serenitas, the Sea of Serenity, and
stepped back to allow Lita access to the telescope. It's beautiful tonight Lita, you can already see the signs
that the Moon Kingdom has been freed. When I reach out with the power of Earth both I and the planet can feel
the magic awakening once more.
"Amy told me that the moon's getting
brighter already," she mentioned, stepping to his side by the balcony railing.
He shrugged. "It's been on the news, apparently a couple
of astronomers noticed the same thing." It'll take years until it reaches its full strength but eventually a
full moon will be nearly as bright the sun at twilight. It'll ensure that no more shadows ever take
root here again. An image of Sailor
Moon shining in the darkness as she confronted Metallia came to him. Angel. He closed his eyes to prevent the tears escaping.
"She'll return," Lita told him.
He looked at her with an eyebrow
raised, "So sure of that?"
Lita smiled determinedly, "Of
course, I know Bunny and what Kunzite told you is right, if she wants something
then she won't give up until she has it. She'll come back."
Darien stared at her for a moment, a
thoughtful expression on his face. OK
Lita, maybe you're right, Goddess I hope you are. I need her, she was mine for far too short a time. If she returns I am never letting her go
again but have you considered the implication of what you told me? A small smile of his own formed on his lips
and he caught her eyes, "If that's so then what are you worried about? If she comes back he'll be with her, they
all will. They would no more let her go
off on her own than you Scouts would me." Though maybe now that the prophecy is fulfilled I'll have more
freedom. A freedom I intend to use if
Angel ever returns.
She stared at him and slowly a grin
formed. "You're right..." she whispered
softly at first before repeating at the top of her lungs, "YOU'RE RIGHT!" Her voice echoed from the buildings around
them.
I guess you really do believe
that she'll come back. I wish I had
you're faith. I guess a part of me
doesn't want her to return because I know what will happen. Some how a miracle occurred and I met an
angel who stole my heart, an angel fell in love with me in return. I know her better than you think and I know
how she loves, it's with her whole heart. She's given her heart not only to me but to all of us and in the end she
will only lose us.
They're not human any more, Lita,
they're so much more. Why would they
come back to us? Don't you understand
yet? If they did it would only be to
watch us grow old around them. They
live so much longer than we do, even with our power we'll be lucky to live to
two hundred. Her people measure time
not in years but in millennia.
We will die and leave her to carry
on... not alone for the Guard will always be with her but how many times can
you watch people you love die before you close yourself off? I don't ever want her to do that! I want her to be the happy, loving...
Meatball Head forever.
If our roles were reversed I
couldn't do it. I wouldn't be able to
bear knowing that I will outlive my love by centuries. I would rather not love at all than bear the
loss... I lie. For a moment with Angel
I would endure a thousand years in Hell but nor would I outlive her. If I knew there was no hope to see her
again... She loves just as deeply, the
thought that she might... no! Darien
closed his eyes, denying the thought. The Guard would not let her. They would protect her from herself if necessary. They will be there for her always as I can't
be. If she does return, if she decides
that it is... better to love and lose than to never love at all, the young
man's tone was bitter as the saying flashed through his mind. They won't die on her, they'll support her
and... maybe more.
Memories flashed through his head.
FLASH
The
green eyes that stared at him were strangely knowing, and held a hint of
regret.
FLASH
Jase
watched her sadly, almost regretfully but also peacefully as he concentrated on
forcing her to understand her own emotions.
FLASH
Jadeite
did not release Sailor Moon as he called quietly but with passion, "Lord
Phoenix, Bringer of the Cleansing Fires, hear your ward. The woman in my arms is both princess and
healer with a heart that burns in compliment to your own. Lend Serenity's daughter your strength that
she may bring my brother, the Dragon's Heir, back to us. I beg of you, help her."
FLASH
"I'm
here Angel," the armoured man murmured softly.
FLASH
It
was Jason who answered, "She's an angel."
FLASH
The
blonde man's lips twitched at a brief thought, "If you think she's gorgeous now
then you should have seen her with her wings!"
FLASH
The
angel nodded and helped Jadeite to stand. Both spread their wings, before he launched the blonde Guard smiled
sadly at the prince, "Don't worry Endy, I won't let her die on us."
FLASH
Darien's eyes opened in sudden
comprehension. Jade! He looked up at the moon shining brightly in
the sky. Feeling as you did, knowing
what you did, you still encouraged her to love me. Why? Because you thought
that it would be worth it? Did you
believe that what she and I could have would be worth the pain she would feel
and, when the time came, you and the others would be there to ensure that she
knew it also? Beside him Lita was
hugging herself in excitement and Darien lips twitched as he watched her.
They will be there for her just
she will be there for them. Angel will
survive as will Nephrite. It will be
hard but they will do so. Lita, women
around the world will envy you if Nephrite returns and not just because he is
Nick Cook, eligible bachelor. He will
cherish you for the rest of your life, not wasting a moment of his time with
you because he knows how little of it he has. Of course I could be way out of line, Angel's feelings for me might just
have been a crush. I have it on
reliable authority that my ego is over inflated.
Beside him Lita apparently got tired
of his silence. "So it was Bunny that
had you all hung up and spacing out?" she asked with her green eyes twinkling.
What? Oh no, Lita in sister mode is as bad as Mina in matchmaker mode!
"How would you know?" he retorted.
Lita smirked, "Mina and I saw the
two of you in the park before the final battle. Having fun weren't you Dare? Now let us have a little discussion about the vice of keeping something
like that a secret from your foster sister!"
"Why me?" he groaned to the world in
general, "What did I do to deserve this?"
Lita stared at him with an unamused
expression, "You tried to hide that you had finally started dating one of my
best friends! I think the universe
would agree with me that that I deserve some repayment for the aggravation
you've given me! Now where were we?" Darien just looked up at the moon again. I miss you Angel, come back to me please.
***
Pluto stood at the Gates of Time and
sighed as she watched two of her friends. The ShadowWar had been won nearly a month before and there had been no
word from the Lunari. As time passed it
became more and more difficult to believe that Bunny and her guardians would
return and that saddened Pluto on two levels. First was the sorrow that her prince would not be united with his love
but she understood that such a separation might be best for Bunny who would
long outlive her mortal lover. Second was the loss of a friend she had
treasured. She had not known of Bunny's
true uniqueness, she had only come to realise it once her access to the time
gate had been restored and allowed her to view past events, but she had still
regarded the girl as a special friend.
The loss of not only the Guard but
Bunny so soon after finding them had hit all of them hard but none more than
Lita and Darien. Pluto thought it
understandable considering their relationships with two of their departed group
and their closeness with the rest. The
Guard had, after all, been Endymion's closest male friends and Zoicyte fit in
there somewhere as well. Pluto also
knew that Jupiter had shared a special relationship with the warriors that had
come from helping them hide Zoicyte's secret in the past. So their depression hadn't surprised the
elder Scout but the depths of pain the others were experiencing was something
that she hadn't expected.
Haruka had fought against accepting
that the Guard were truly back but when she had she had welcomed her blood
brother back with a whole heart. Once
she had discovered that Kunzite and Haruka had been close friends in the past
she had not been surprised that he had told her the truth of his relationship
with Zoicyte. Though she suspected that
both Darien and Lita had not known that the Uranian Scout was aware of the
truth. Losing Kunzite again had hurt
Haruka more than Pluto had though possible and it was taking all of Michiru's
skill in handling her lover to prevent her from falling into a black rage. As it was the tomboyish Scout walked a very
fine line with apathy.
It was the loss of Bunny that hurt
the worst though. The uncertainty of
whether or not she was still alive ate away at all of them and Pluto could do
nothing to help. Instead she threw
herself into her duties. She was Sailor
Pluto, she guarded the Gates of Time and it was for her to see to any
arrangements that might be necessary if circumstance imposed on the daily lives
of any warrior, and that included those of the Guard.
She had informed the staff of the
Gryphon Restaurant Chain that Nicholas Cook had been summoned away for an
indeterminate time and would not be present for the opening of his
establishment in Tokyo. That it had
been decided to postpone the opening for several weeks to give him time had not
been her recommendation and yet it had pleased her that Nephrite would be given
the chance to make it. It had been even
simpler for her to arrange for Jason Ice's seconds and assistants to take his
workload, he had already been on sick leave and was so well liked that none of
his coworkers resented his absence as long as he recovered. Since Kunzite and Zoicyte had worked for the
same corporation, one that Pluto had been slightly astonished to realise the
Guard owned the majority of shares for, it had been easy enough to quote family
emergency and have them supplied with a leave of absence.
It had been so simple that she had
found herself unoccupied remarkably quickly, leaving her nothing to do but to
manage her small fashion business or return to the Gates of Time. She did both. Her investors were ecstatic about her latest designs whose
inspiration had come all conceivable time periods. She had been reminiscing, done by the Guardian of Time and Space
this endeavor took on new meaning, and her designs had reflected it. She had only looked into the past, she had
not been able to work up the will to enquire about the future.
The image between the gates of time
showed Lita badgering Darien. Glad that
the Jovian Scout seemed to have regained her faith Pluto hoped that she would
be able to pull her brother out of his depression.
"He is a very courageous young man,"
a deep, melodic voice behind her commented. Pluto whirled in astonishment to find herself face to face with brown
eyes under a mane of black hair on a man with silver banded, white wings.
"Michael!" she gasped, eyes wide.
The archangel nodded slightly while
his eyes twinkled. "I am afraid so."
"Afraid?" Pluto asked and then her
face paled, "Bunny? She didn't...?"
Michael hurried to reassure her, "Oh
no, Rena is fine. She is fully healed
and along with Sere is already making plans for the future. In fact that is the purpose of my
visit. Both my Queen and Princess have
been outlining our goals for the future and Earth plays a significant role in
them."
Pluto looked at him in perplexity,
several possibilities already suggesting themselves. Michael smiled at her and gently turned her to face the gates of
time. The dark Scout's automatic
resistance to physical handling of any kind abruptly ceased as she saw the
picture revealed within the portal. A
delicate figure danced in the air above the spires of the glorious city that
served as the capital of the Moon Kingdom. Her silver-gold hair trailed in the wake of her aerial acrobatics and
she was garbed in a white silken shift that allowed her ivory limbs complete
freedom of movement.
Pluto closed her eyes, almost unable
to accept what she was seeing. When she
opened them again she turned away from the image of the playful princess and
back to the guardian behind her. "How
did you...?" she gestured to the gate and he understood.
"The Gates came into being at the
same time as the Wall after the first ShadowWar. It was only then that the office holder of Sailor Pluto became
more than just a Scout and took on the duties of the Guardian of Time. Before that those duties fell to my Queen
and, through her, my people. Controlling
the Portal is no difficulty for one who has aided the Queen of the Lunari for
millennia." Once more he gently turned
her back to face the Gates of Time.
The dancing princess was not alone,
over a dozen others wove through the air along side of her. Another blonde darted after her in close
pursuit, his wings glittering gold with sparks of copper. Two figures followed at a more leisurely
pace, both females, whose tawny wings seemed to alternate between brown and
gold. Pluto spotted a male with auburn
hair and wings, another girl with fiery red wings, a woman with purple-black
hair and wings, her feathers trimmed with gold. Several smaller forms, Lunarian children who would now be growing
once more, were dashing about before uniting to save their princess from her
pursuing guard.
Pluto couldn't help but laugh with
Michael as Jadeite was bombarded with several small forms and, for several
moments, struggled to remain airborne. Nephrite, Zoicyte and their companions joined the hovering princess to watch
Jadeite recover and gain the aid of his erstwhile attackers and then the game
began anew. The flash of silver below
them caught Pluto's attention and the picture changed to her will. On balconies all about the city there were
figures that looked up at the playing angels but the company on one terrace
stood out.
Pluto recognised Kunzite, standing
proud in his new uniform of white and gold, his wings as silver as his hair but
now threaded with gold. Next to him
stood one of the warriors she had fought beside, his hair was grey, his wings
mottled with white and grey and his eyes were tawny amber. The third man's eyes were sky blue and his
wings were the creamy white of his hair but possessed of a thick silvery blue
band. The third form was that of a
woman, one Pluto would recognise
anywhere. Her wings the same silvery
white as her long streams of hair and her eyes silvery blue. She seemed to shine with light as she
watched her daughter play in the currents above them. At the same moment Pluto registered her presence the woman
turned, the crescent moon on her forehead shimmered gold, and looked straight
at her.
Queen Serenity's voice was as clear
and musical as the Plutonian Scout remembered, "Greetings Sailor Pluto."
Pluto quickly began to drop to her
knees but was prevented by Michael. Serenity frowned at her.
"Have I not told you not to do
that?" she asked. Then she smiled
brilliantly and Pluto could not help but think of Bunny's infectious grin. The regal blonde continued, "Moreover you are
a friend of my daughter's and, I hope, will become mine also. Friends do not genuflect to friends."
Kunzite and the two strangers moved
to the Queen's side. The strangers
smiled in greeting and, much to Pluto's private amusement, Kunzite blinked in
surprise.
"Pluto!" he exclaimed quietly.
His companions' eyes all twinkled
and behind her Pluto could feel Michael radiating amusement. Kunzite's expression became bland but Pluto
could see both the slight embarrassment and the wonder he felt. The grey haired man in almost identical
uniform placed his hand on Kunzite shoulder in comfort.
"Do not be ashamed my friend,
through you we see our magic with new eyes, it brings us the renewal we will
require if we are to take our place in the universe once more."
Serenity looked at the younger
guard, "Please listen to Raphael, Kunzite, and excuse our amusement at your
expense, we did not intend to embarrass you." The tall blonde woman waited for Kunzite to nod before turning back to
Pluto. "I have been remiss,
introductions are called for. You are
already acquainted with the commander of my daughter's guard."
Pluto nodded and looked to Kunzite,
"Yes, you look well Dragon General."
Kunzite gave a small bow in return
before replying, "As do you Time Guardian."
Serenity then motioned and turned
the Scout's attention to the grey haired guard, "This is Raphael, one of my own
protectors."
The archangel nodded, "Well met
Sailor Pluto."
Pluto bowed in return to the man who
had aided herself and her friends a few short weeks previously.
"Last, yet not least, is my aide and
advisor Artemis."
The white haired man bowed deeply.
"I am honoured," Pluto told him
sincerely, "Yet I admit I am also very curious-"
"As to why we have contacted you?"
Serenity finished for her.
Pluto nodded. "I would have thought that the first to
receive communication would be Endymion."
A small smile formed on Kunzite's
lips where he stood. Pluto saw that he
was not the only one to look amused and like the others his amusement was tempered
with a strand of sorrow.
"We managed to convince the princess
to wait," Raphael told her.
"Barely," Michael murmured behind
her.
Serenity looked at her lover in mild
reproof but her twitching lips belied her glare. "There are consequences to our release Sailor Pluto and many of
them concern you and your duties," Serenity informed her when she released
Michael from her attention.
"How so?" Pluto inquired.
It was Michael who spoke, "I told
you of how the Gates came to be."
Pluto nodded and Serenity continued,
"It will be many years before the Wall of the Ban has completely fallen but
when it is gone then so will be the conditions that made the Gates of Time
possible. I and my people will once
more take up the task of guiding the future. This will release you and your successors from the burden of guarding
the Gates, no longer will the Scout of Pluto need to stand apart from her
fellow Scouts." Pluto knew she showed
her disbelief openly.
"I will be free?" she whispered.
The Queen nodded and tears of joy
ran down the dark Scout's face. Thousands of years of solitude, of the painful foreknowledge of the
death of friends, family and worlds, of terrible acts performed which were
necessary to ensure that the future had a chance, memories crowded her
mind. She would no longer have to bear
the burden of that responsibility or the guilt that she might have been
wrong. "Thank you," she mouthed.
Serenity smiled in
understanding. "It will be years yet-"
she tried to warn the Scout.
"That does not matter," Pluto
interrupted, "Now I have hope."
"I will require your aid in familiarising
myself with the needs of this era."
"You shall have it," Pluto assured
the queen.
"Once I warned you that time could
be the worst torture of all and I am saddened to see that you have come to
learn that. That you have not only
endured what was effectively an exile but also triumphed is an accomplishment
you should be proud of. I am honoured to be able to
extend an invitation to you Sailor Pluto, you are welcome now and ever in my
home," Serenity smiled and Pluto saw Kunzite nod in respect to her.
"Your Majesty-" Pluto began.
"Serenity!" Michael and Serenity
corrected simultaneously.
Pluto's lips twitched, "Very well
Serenity. I would be honoured to accept
you invitation... on one condition." The queen blinked and behind her Michael choked. Meanwhile Pluto smiled innocently and
finished, "If you are Serenity then I am Setsuna!"
Michael burst out laughing while
Raphael, Artemis and even Kunzite fought to restrain their grins. The queen merely held out her hand in a
gesture of welcome. "We have much to
discuss Setsuna," she said softly.
Pluto reached through the Gates and
felt her fingers touch Serenity's. With
Michael at her heels she stepped through the Portal of Time.
***
Setsuna restrained her impatience as
she waited for her prince to finish dressing. The past hour had been a long one, dealing with reluctant royalty having
drawn it out interminably. As if he'd
read her thoughts Darien started to complain again.
"I don't know why you're insisting
that I come Setsuna," he walked out his bedroom dressed in a dark blue tuxedo,
"If you really wished to have a goodbye dinner then why couldn't you have had
it at Michi and 'Ruka's house? Lita
would have been happy to cook. I
really don't want to go... I'm just not ready yet."
Setsuna took a deep breath to keep
her calm before walking over and circling him in an inspection. "You are coming because this is my night and
I decide how it will be spent. Aside from
that, whether or not they are present this restaurant belongs to our friends
and we have a duty to support them." She stopped in front of him and brushed an imaginary piece of lint of
his shoulder before nodding in approval. "You look very nice tonight my Prince."
He just looked at her and she
sighed, "Good grief Endymion, act your age."
"It doesn't matter any more
Setsuna," he walked to the balcony window and looked out at the night sky
before continuing sadly, "It doesn't matter what I look like or what I do
anymore. I could go and live on the
streets as a tramp or I could go to bed and never get up again and it wouldn't
matter anymore."
She watched him in disbelief,
"Surely you don't mean that-"
He whirled and she stepped back when
she saw the raw anguish in his eyes. He
met her eyes and answered forcefully, "Oh but I do. There is no need for a prince of Earth anymore. I thought just being Darien rather than
Endymion, a doctor rather than a prince would be enough and it could have
been..."
"If she was with you," Setsuna
quietly finished for him.
"Goddess yes!" he exclaimed and
looked away and ran a shaking hand through his hair as he did so. He looked back to her after a moment, "I
need her. It's getting worse, not better. Do you have any idea how jealous I am that
you're going to be up there with her?" He gestured to the sky through the window. "I thought I could get on with my life, that if she didn't come
back I could accept it. After all why
would she come? I have nothing to offer
her! I'm only going to live two centuries, a blink of an eye to her! Why would she leave her people on the moon,
her perfect people, her perfect home, for my poor troubled Earth with her
irksome children? But I can't. I know that if she comes to me she will only
end up hurt but I can't go on without hope of seeing her again."
He moved back to the balcony door
and leaned against the frame. Setsuna
moved to stand behind him silently and saw that he was staring up at the full
moon. "I only knew her for two months,
and we spent most of that time arguing or avoiding one another." Setsuna placed a friendly hand on his
shoulder and he turned to face her. She
was not surprised to see the tears running down his cheeks. "How can she have become so important to me
so quickly? And how come I didn't
know?" he whispered to himself.
"You're wrong you know," she told
him softly, "About a great many things." He didn't look at her but she continued regardless, "Your poor troubled
Earth and her irksome children are going to be confronted with a race of truly
miraculous beings in a few years and it falls to you to ensure that they are
ready for them. It is for you to
negotiate with the Lunari for the healing of the other planets and it is for
you to lead the way into the future."
"Why me? There are others who could do that better," he replied.
"Maybe," she answered, "But I don't
think so." She stopped and turned him
to face her before she went on, "The time of prophecy has passed but you still
have a destiny to fulfill. You do, not
Endymion the Prince of the Rose or the Earth's Heir but Darien Chiba."
He looked at her in confusion and
she smiled before explaining, "Now that the ShadowWar has ended it is possible
for me to track the paths of the future once more. There is a path where Earth in unified and governed by the hands
of those of the old bloodline. Where
the other planets flourish and all coexist in harmony. Where the Lunari mediate between quarreling
factions to perpetuate the peace. Where
magic flourishes and a single soul grows to become the Light of the universe."
"'The light that will give the world
hope'..." Darien quoted.
Setsuna didn't recognise the phrase but it
almost expressed her thoughts. "The
light that will give the universe hope," she corrected. "There is still the most important task
before you my prince, one that you have performed before. It is as a teacher rather than as a prince
you will be needed. As with Arthur when
you were Merlin you must now mold a hero into a saviour."
Conflicting emotions showed on the
young man's face, Pluto found disbelief, worry, and inadequacy but first and
foremost there was the return of hope.
"You will not live to see the
culmination of your efforts, nor will I or my fellow scouts. Yet our successors will, and their heirs and
so on for millennia to come as they reside in an era of peace and prosperity
that will endure throughout the ages."
"You are certain of what you saw?"
Darien asked, "Can you tell me who it is? Is it the Angel?"
"The future is fluid, not certain
and what I saw is just one of many possibilities. Nothing is certain my prince other than as long as there is life
there is always hope."
Darien looked to the sky one last
time before standing away from the doorframe and straightening his jacket. "Have hope? No matter how long it takes?" he mumbled to the sky.
Setsuna brushed at the skirt of her
black gown and murmured, "Maybe you are just too impatient Endy."
Darien looked at her for a moment
before his lips twitched and he offered her his arm. As she tucked her hand into his elbow he began to lead her to the
door of his apartment saying, "You shall see what impatience really means when
we arrive at the restaurant nearly half an hour late. Your fellow scouts will be furious with me that I've kept you so
long."
A brief thought crossed Setsuna's
mind, "I think they'll have other interests to keep their attention."
"Oh?"
Setsuna merely smiled mysteriously.
***
Lita smiled sadly as she stood in
the lobby of the restaurant. On the
wall in front of her a beautiful landscape done in oils hung. In was done from the perspective of a
cliff. In the darkening sky the full
moon's silver light contrasted sharply with the vivid colours of sunset
highlighting the horizon. Before the
edge of the cliff four swords were thrust into the grass, the light of both sun
and moon reflecting from the blades. It
was a scene she remembered Nephrite describing to her in another lifetime and
here the delicate hand of Serena Tsukino rendered it.
Lita turned away, the painting
bringing her longing for her friends into the fore. That night was supposed to be fun not another opportunity to
mope. She saw Haruka and Michiru with
Hotaru along with Raye and Amy. All of
them were dressed formally, Haruka in a navy tuxedo and the other girls in
evening dresses. She walked over to the
small group.
"Hi Lita, where's Dare?" Haruka
asked.
The tall brunette shrugged, "He said
he'd be along, Setsuna said she'd make sure he didn't back out. Tonight's important to her."
"And so it should be!" Raye
retorted, "She's been contacted by Queen Serenity-" Michiru frowned and
motioned for the priestess to lower her voice. Raye smiled apologetically and obliged, "-and been asked to be Terra's
representative on the Moon. If it were
me..." Raye shrugged and the others nodded in comprehension. Not only was it a very great honour but it
would other benefits as well. Setsuna
was their friend but her years set her apart from them. On the Moon she would be with people who
understood her, something they all found difficult.
"By the way Amy, can you explain to
me how Setsuna can go to the moon if even the most powerful Lunari still find
it difficult to travel to Earth?" Raye asked their petite friend.
Amy spared a brief glance to ensure
that there was no one who could over hear and then began to explain. "As Setsuna explained it, the Wall of the
Ban which is the barrier around the Moon Kingdom, is slowly eroding because of
Darien's magic. In time it will
disappear completely but that will take years. It is still too strong for any but the most powerful of the Lunari to
cross and only the Queen and the Moon Guard are powerful enough at the moment." For a moment they were all silent
remembering the girl who should have been included in that list.
"At least we know that she's alive,"
Lita remarked.
Raye nodded and then added
impatiently, "OK Amy we know all of that, but it doesn't explain how Setsuna's
going to the moon."
"I'm getting there," Amy said
primly, "Even though the wall is still too strong to cross for most, now that
Selene can reach past it she is able to influence the Gates of Time. She will use them to transport Setsuna to
her court."
"Could she use the Gates to let
Bunny return?" Haruka asked.
Amy shook her head and opened her
mouth to answer but at that moment they heard a friendly voice call out to them
and they turned to welcome Andrew and Mina to the gathering.
"Hi guys!" Mina chirped, "Are we all
here yet?"
Hotaru shook her head shyly, "No,
Darien and Setsuna haven't gotten here yet."
Andrew's face sobered, "How's he
doing? Is he getting any better?"
Lita shook her head, "He still
misses her, and I don't think he'll ever stop. He was waiting for her for such a long time, to have her vanish just
after he'd found her, well..."
Andrew nodded, "Has anyone heard
from Bunny then?"
All of the girls shook their heads.
"It's been almost two months
though!" he exclaimed.
Lita smiled sadly and gestured to
the room they were standing in, "I don't think they'll be coming back. That their restaurant's being opened without
them sort of tells us that they're gone for good." Though she seemed only saddened on the outside, on the inside
Lita was whimpering. A calming hand
placed itself on her shoulder and Lita smiled at Michiru in thanks.
"Shall we go in?" Michiru asked.
"What about Darien?" Mina exclaimed,
"And Setsuna, they're still not here yet, shouldn't we wait?"
Lita shook her head, "Darien's
dragging his heels and Setsuna's dragging him. They could be a while, we all know how stubborn he is."
"He will come though?" Andrew asked.
The girls all smiled and nodded and
it was Mina who spoke their thoughts aloud, "Setsuna won't let him miss it for
the world."
Andrew smiled in satisfaction,
"Good, now ladies I do believe the Tokyo's newest restaurant is awaiting our
presences. Shall we?"
He offered his arm to Mina and then
led them into the dining room. It was a
large room with beautiful royal blue carpeting. The walls were covered in murals of mythical beasts, scenes out
of legend and heroes and heroines. Tables were placed along the edge of the room leaving a large area for
dancing. It was the ceiling that caught
their eye. All it seemed to be made of
was several trails of stars leading to a glowing hemisphere from which hung
dozens of tiny globes, each shining with their own light. Between the trails of stars the night sky
could be seen through the perfectly clear glass that served as the room's
ceiling.
As the group stood staring up a
young waiter approached them, "Can I help you Sirs? Madams?"
They all started and turned to the
young man. Michiru smiled and answered,
"If you would show us to our table that would be wonderful." She handed him her invitation and he looked
it over briefly before handing it back and smiling happily at them.
"That will be no trouble at
all. You have a table reserved for you,
just follow me!"
As they followed their guide the
seats around them were being filled with other august guests. Lita saw the mayor, his wife, their grown
daughter and the district attorney
all sit down at one table. At another
she saw John Carlyle, his girlfriend and four other doctors she recognised from
Darien's hospital. Another group of six
consisted of what looked to be two elderly brothers, their wives and another
couple.
Amy saw where Lita was looking and
whispered, "That's Dr Peter Fitzpatrick, his wife, his brother, his niece and
with them is Nurse Alice Greenly and I guess the other guy is her date. Alice and Dr Fitzpatrick work in the same
hospital as my mother." Amy gasped and
Lita looked about until she noticed what her friend had.
"Is that Miss Haruna?" she asked
fascinated as she looked at a red headed woman sitting with a tall, dark haired
man.
Amy nodded, "Yes, and that must be
her fiancée."
Someone came up behind them and
joined them in examining the guests. The two teens ignored them, thinking that it was one of their friends,
until a cheerful, deep voice said, "Hmmm, not a bad turn out at all."
Both girls stiffened and turned to
face the man behind them. From the
corner of her eye Lita saw the rest of her friends similarly stunned as they
milled near a large table but her attention was on the figure in front of her. She looked up into his blue-green eyes and
smiled as he took her hand without looking away from her face.
"We wanted to surprise you but
thought we'd better warn you, just in case," Nick Cook told her gently.
"You did..." Lita trailed as her
free hand found its way to his face and gently traced his lips.
He smiled and kissed the tips of her
fingers before responding, "Which? Surprise or warn?"
"...Both."
She followed willingly as he led her
to the table where the others were being seated even as she watched. Nick led her to where there were two empty
seats side by side and held one of them out for her. She sat and he bent down to kiss her cheek.
"I'll be back shortly, I have a few
more tasks to complete before I'm free for the night." She nodded and he began to weave his way
through tables and other guests. Lita
watched him until he was out of sight and then turned to see who else would be
sitting next to her.
Green eyes met green and Lita
groaned theatrically as Jason Ice grinned at her.
"What's up Lita? Aren't you glad to see me?" he smirked.
She leaned across and hugged him in
answer, "Of course you lunkhead!"
Jase laughed as they pulled apart,
"Better be careful, Lita. We wouldn't
want Nick to start getting jealous!"
"Of you?" she asked incredulously.
He tried to look offended but
succeeded in only looking smug. He gave
up and said happily, "I'm quite popular with those of the feminine persuasion,
cool huh?"
Lita rolled her eyes and retorted,
"You haven't changed a bit!"
"Shhhh!" Jase hissed at her while
his darted around in a parody of watchfulness. He continued in a melodramatic tone, "Don't give me away! I've got the others thinking that I've
started to grow up!"
"My lips are sealed," she
promised. "So you've all come back?"
she asked casually, "Why?".
"You didn't want us to return?" his
lower lip trembled and Lita sighed. Jase's eyes sparkled and he tapped the side of his nose, "My dear lady
Jupiter, that is for us to know and you to find out-"
"Shhh!" Lita hissed in her turn but
her admonition for restraint was serious, "Don't call me that, Andrew doesn't
know!"
They both looked over to where the
blonde man was talking with Kevin.
"So you're Bunny's guardians?" he
asked
The silver haired man nodded, "We
have that honour." Lita restrained a
snort as she heard the double meaning in the elder man's answer and beside her
Jase smiled.
"So is Bunny coming back as well?"
Andrew persisted.
Lita watched intently but Kevin
merely smiled inscrutably and answered calmly, "There are things we need to
discuss with young Darien before her return can be decided."
"Oh-?" Andrew murmured, his
curiousity and concern for his friend obvious, "You know that he loves her, he
wouldn't hurt her-"
"We know," Kevin assured him, "There
are other concerns though."
"Concerns that don't involve me, I
take it," Andrew finished and then nodded with good grace.
Jase looked back to Lita and waited
until he had her attention before saying quietly, "He will find out eventually,
you know that. Now that the Lunari are
free this star system is not going to be overlooked by the rest of the universe
for much longer. Visitors from other
planets will come and Earth is going to have to deal with them. The Lunari are only the first of the
non-humans you are all going to have to get used to. We of the Moon Kingdom are not the only ones who'll be required
to change, that is why it is so important that we have a representative in your
prince's court. Endy isn't going to
able to live the life of a simple doctor, he's going to have to take up his
duties as the Terran prince once more so that he can help prepare Earth to meet
the rest of the universe."
"Is that why you've all come back?"
Lita questioned in a low voice, "To be the Lunari's envoys like Setsuna is
going to be Earth's?"
Jase shook his head, "We are Lunari
but we aren't qualified to serve as the Moon's representative. We don't know enough about our people
yet. The envoy will be someone who not
only knows the needs of our people, has the authority to negotiate for them,
possesses the power to fight for them and the wisdom to do what is right but
also will be someone who can gain the respect and friendship of humans."
Lita looked at him silently before a
suspicion dawned. "Are you saying
that..." she trailed off, her voice choked by sheer joy.
Jase was trying to restrain a grin,
"That all depends on whether or not it acceptable to Earth's prince."
Jupiter looked at him levelly, "As
if he'd say no!" Jase couldn't restrain
his grin any longer and Lita found herself grinning back. Both of them turned their attention to the
other conversations aware that they were both restraining a similar impatience
to see Darien's reaction to Lunari's request.
***
Darien stood in the door leading
from the lobby to the dining room of the restaurant along side Setsuna. Now where are they? His gaze briefly swept the room trying to
spot either a familiar face or a waiter when a flash of silver caught his
eye. He felt Setsuna leave him but his
attention was caught be the two forms standing on an upraised area in front of
the band. It couldn't be... Angel!
"... The newest addition to the
Gryphon Restaurant Chain. I owe thanks
to the staff who managed to organise this in my recent absence, to my dear
friends whose support was instrumental with my enduring the endless preparation
that this place required, I believe I shall stick to my kitchens and let them
make the decisions henceforth. Last,
but in no way least, I must thank my ward, Serenity Tsukino, for giving me the
heart to enter into this enterprise," Nicholas Cook motioned to the small woman
beside him and the audience applauded. He stepped back and she took his place at the microphone.
Angel... Darien stood absolutely still in the doorway
as he drank in the sight of her as if she were water to a drowning man.
The little blonde straightened to
her full one hundred and fifty three centimetres and smiled at people seated
around her. "I am honoured to be here
among you tonight, more so than you could possibly imagine. That Nick gives me
so much credit for how the restaurant turned out is wonderful yet it is I who
should be thanking both him and our friends for the care they have given me and
still do. All that I am is thanks to
them and I am grateful for the opportunity to help them. On behalf of all of us I welcome you to our
newest restaurant, and before I finish I will take this chance to recommend the
chocolate bavarian cheesecake which is being served tonight." She grinned and waved to a table in the far
corner and Darien noted that his friends were seated around it.
"As my friends over there already
know," the angel continued with her gaze roaming the room, "It is to die
for..."
Her eyes met Darien's and for a
moment time stopped. Angel... You're here. You came back... to me? Her blue eyes seemed to glow and he felt warmth enwrap him. You did... She smiled directly at him but no one other than their friends
noticed.
Her eyes still locked with his she
continued, "Tonight we shall eat, drink and be merry. We shall dance and we shall laugh for tonight is the first night
of our future. I welcome you, one and
all, to the Silver Millennium!" As her
words rang out she raised her arms to the sky and by reflex everyone looked up
and gasped.
Hearing their shock Darien wrenched
his gaze away from the girl's mischievous one and looked up. Oh my! Through the glass thousands of trails of light could be seen
lighting up the night sky as the storm of shooting stars flashed across the
heavens. Did she do that? He looked back to her to see her stepping
down off of the stage area. She met his
eyes again and he felt his breath catch.
*No, I did not do that!* her
voice rang through his mind even though no word was spoken aloud.
Absently he moved to meet her even
as she walked towards him, neither paying attention to anything but each other.
Oh, so the universe just obliged
you hmm? Angel, Angel, Angel... His
wry thoughts trailed off as he became mesmerised by the glint in her eyes.
*No, Zit, I just checked the
paper this morning and timed my speech carefully!* her laughing thoughts
danced in his head.
Really? he looked at her in admiration and her lips
twitched.
*OK, I admit to cheating a bit to
make sure that I wasn't late or anything...*
Considering your track record that
was very wise of you!
They stopped, a step away from each
other.
*Jerk* She glowered at him and poked her lower lip
out in a pout.
You started it! He stared at her pursed lips, battling to
keep his self-control. Oh Angel, I
just want to...
*Then why don't you?* Her pout had turned to a shy smile. *I wouldn't mind!*
Darien blushed. Oh goddess, she heard that?
It was her turn to blush and she
whispered aloud, "Oh I'm sorry Darien, I thought you meant to. Your sendings are so clear... I'm sorry I didn't mean to eavesdrop."
He carefully touched her cheek,
"It's OK. It's just I don't know how we
were doing that or how I was answering you."
"You didn't?"
He shrugged. I just thought the way I normally do and
you heard me.
She smiled at him and shook her head
in wonder. *You're a natural
telepath, I just wasn't able to hear you before.*
I'm a telepath?
She nodded and smiled in
reassurance. *It's not a common
talent... but it makes me wonder what I would have heard if I had been able to
from the moment we met.*
Darien paused stock still for a
moment as a few memories made their way through his mind. Ah... nothing...
Bunny simply turned her face in his
hand and kissed his palm. *Don't
worry, I can teach you to control it if you wish... or we could ask
Kunzite. He and the others were all
taught while we were still on the moon.*
Darien didn't answer her, his mind
concentrating on one thing. On the
moon... are you going back? Or will you
stay with me?
She looked away from him and his
heart fell. *It depends* she
finally told him.
On what?
She looked straight into his eyes
and he felt her fear. *On you!* She took a step back and continued before he
could interrupt. *Prince Endymion,
Heir and Avatar of Earth, my Queen requests that you accept a Lunarian envoy to
represent Her interests on Earth, to aid you in preparing your people to meet
Hers and to help build a firm friendship between our peoples. I am Serenity, daughter of Queen Serenity,
she whom your people know as Selene, and I have been selected for the
task. Is my presence on Earth and
within your court as my people's emissary satisfactory to you?*
Darien looked at her incredulously
for a moment. Seeing her face fall he
regained his senses and took two quick steps forward, wrapped his arms around her
and crushed his lips to hers. All that
he knew was the feel of her lips pressed against his and the joy her presence
caused him. Several minutes later loud
clapping and wolf whistles brought him back to the real world. Still holding her, he straightened and
looked around to find that not only was everyone in the restaurant watching
them but their friends were standing and leading everyone in a round of
applause.
He watched them for a second and
sighed. Why me?
In his arms he felt his lady stir
and he looked back down at her smiling face. When their eyes met yet again he clearly formed his thoughts in his
mind. What on Earth made you think
you ever needed to ask Angel? I would
have no one else.
*I love you, I think I always
have.*
Her proclamation resonated within
him and he shivered in pleasure. He
raised a hand and traced her jaw line tenderly. I have been waiting for you for all of my lives. My heart is yours Angel, it always will be. She smiled as she reached up and pulled his
down so their lips could meet yet again. Darien ignored their audience and tuned everything other than his angel
out of his mind.
Angel... such soft lips.
*I feel so warm*
This is-
*-so right*
Voices intruded on his preoccupation
and they found themselves being pulled away from each other by strong
hands. Darien looked around and found a
pair of cheerful, green eyes set in a handsome face with a mop of blonde hair.
Jadeite? "J... Jason?" he stuttered
The man frowned for a second but the
expression was quickly replaced by one of merry disgust. "Where else would we be but with the
Angel? All of us-"
Of course you're with her Jade,
you're her guard!
Jason's eyes widened. *You... I... How?* the blonde man glared at Darien for a split second but
Bunny's amusement echoed in both their minds. *I thought that I heard you before* Jason's voice sounded heavier in his mind than Bunny's did.
Darien blinked and found that barely
an instant had passed as the mental exchanges had occurred and Jase was
continuing as if he'd never been interrupted, "-Are watching and here you are
seducing the Angel in full view of nearly one hundred people!"
"And doing a good job of it too
Dare!" Darien looked up to see a grinning Haruka standing behind Bunny and
groaned.
Jase slapped Darien on the back and
sniggered, "Yeah Dare, way to go!"
Why me? Darien looked up at
the sky in exasperation. Jase and
Haruka began to steer the young couple towards the table where the rest of
their friends were sitting. As Darien
sat down, ignoring the taunts and teasing from his friends his eyes met Bunny's
crystal blue ones. His irritation
disappeared as she smiled at him in the way he was learning she reserved for
him alone. Why me? Because I'm the luckiest man alive.