And the Music Plays On

(Recommended music to play with fic: Jim Brickman's CD "Picture This," track
13. It's a song called "Hero's Dream." All piano and very, very nice.)
--
Here we are, the last story of second season (minus a songfic or three ^_^).
Note: There's a teeny little end-of-SMS spoiler in here. If you're totally
offended by that and yet have made it this far with the whole Sets-in-S
thing, that's okay. Just don't read it. However, you should read it; the
spoiler isn't THAT bad. It's been a long time, and it's definitely been a
fight of sorts, but we've made it. We've seen new characters, new plot
twists, new risks, some angst, and a Crystal of Illusion. And it's been fun.
So, without further adieu, I'd like to thank the following group of people
for all they've done:
-To Christina/"Orion": So you sort of fell from the position of Galactic Co-
writer, but you're great! ^_^ And when's your Usagi story going to be done,
again?
-To Ginnie: You didn't get turned good, but you did get to have some fun.
Thanks for sticking by this project...and threatening my life every time I
said I was skipping a week of story.
-To Andrea: "Gee, I don't know Quatre. That's awfully big..." You've fallen
from the world of Sailor Moon fanfiction, but thanks for putting up with
this and actually reading it! And for listening to me whine. A lot.
-To Joan: Thanks for letting me borrow you for the use of this story (though
you didn't mind) and just putting up with me, oh great Editor-sama.
-To Brian: You're someone I couldn't possibly get through life without,
whether you like it, know it, or not. And I'm glad for it.
-To the AMHC: The 'Powers That Be' deemed, long ago, that we should forever
be friends. I like those Powers, you know that?
-To Dania: Thanks for being a fan. ^_^ It's good to know that it's not only
my hometown friends and a few other assorted net-buds who read this. I need
the pick-me-up of knowing that, sometimes. And watch for yet another little
cameo of yours in here.
-To the rest of the "parody-play" e-group: When I figure out why I like you
weirdoes so much, I'll let you know. Until then, just smile and nod. And...
::clears throat:: "Blame Canada!" I COULD have been a Queen...
-To everyone who has gotten this far: Thank you. If you weren't reading
this, I probably would have given up long enough. Not that I would have been
allowed to, however... I'm glad to know that I'm not the only one reading
these stories. It's a lot of work, but it's worth it.
Also, this episode's a little on the shorter side. Why? Because there isn't
a lot of wrapping-up to DO. It's just the end of second season. Well,
whatever, enjoy.
--
And that, my friends, is where the story begins...
* * * * * * * * * * * *

"You know, I'm still not completely certain what a Galactic Sailor
IS," he admitted guilty, his hands thrust in the pockets of his khakis as
they walked down the sidewalk. It was a lovely spring afternoon, only a full
day after the clouds over Tokyo had cleared, and the sun was glittering in
the sky, smiling down on the world. His blue eyes were focused on the gray,
emotionless concrete; he felt silly, asking her this much.
Chuckling, the teen girl flipped a strand of black hair away from her
face and grinned at her companion. "Well, Sebastian," she replied coyly,
"I'm awfully surprised that you asked."
He felt himself flush. "Really?" he croaked.
Tara beamed, her light green eyes sparkling as she tucked her arm in
his and beamed up at him. "Really," she nodded reassuringly, "but I'm glad
you did."
Raising his head, the tall blonde glanced down at his dinner date.
"And why is that?"
"Well," she grinned, leaning her head on his arm, "if we're going to
have a relationship, we most definitely have to start SOMEwhere!"
Sebastian smiled and ran his free hand through his hair. He couldn't
argue with that.
* * * * * * * * * * * *

"I don't believe that your apartment is this nice!" gaped the blonde
woman as she glanced around the living room, her blue eyes wide as she took
each little detail about the room. Kicking off her shoes, she stepped out of
the tiny foyer-like area into the apartment proper, smiling. "Thank you for
inviting us over, Richard."
The young man smiling charmingly, shaking the hand of the short,
grinning woman before him. "I'm just glad that you and Mr. Mokoti--"
"Andrew," interrupted the man in question, who was already settling
into the couch, feet propped up on the coffee table.
"--could make it," finished the redhead, adjusting his glasses. He
accepted an apple pie from the woman and started into the kitchen. "Lyra
will be out in a moment; have a seat."
Mina nodded at him and smiled slightly, sitting down in a large blue
armchair. "This is so nice," she breathed to her husband, still glancing
around the apartment. "The last time that I was here, I was in such a nasty
mood that I screamed at Molly and stormed out." She folded her hands in her
lap and leaned back in her seat, letting a long sigh escape her lips. Her
azure gaze turned wistful as she glanced at a small portrait of Richard and
Lyra, standing together in the park, arm-in-arm. "Our little girl's a grown-
up now, isn't she?"
There was a creak of a floorboard behind her, and the woman
immediately knew who was behind her. "I am a grown-up," replied Lyra with a
slight smile, resting her elbows atop the chair as she peered down at her
mother. "I've come a long way from that day when I first met Reeny." She
pursed her lips together, still staring down at the blonde woman. "And I'm a
new person."
Sighing, the woman glanced up at her daughter through thick blonde
bangs and smiled weakly. "You're right, of course," she admitted softly,
"but you'll always be my little girl..."
From his spot in the kitchen, Richard smiled and dried his hands on
the dishtowel. "Looks like mother and daughter are getting along again," he
commented to the silver kitten at his feet.
Cassiopeia beamed up at him, the golden star on her brow seemingly
brighter than ever before. "And you know what?"
"What's that?"
"It's about time!"
* * * * * * * * * * * *

Her hands trembled as she stared down at the sheet of paper in her
hands, breath coming in ragged gasps. Ice-colored eyes traced over the words
repetitively, reading and re-reading each and every syllable. Her heart was
racing, stomach churning, knees wobbling...
"Pheebs, I was wondering where you wandered off too," commented a
voice as Marie trudged down the wooden steps to the basement. Her mahogany
eyes glanced at the frozen teen, and she furrowed her brow. "Phoebe?"
The braid-headed teen didn't glance up toward the woman. She was
standing in the very center of her precious 'dance studio,' unmoving, as she
stared down at the letter before her. She didn't smile, nor frown... But she
was obviously amazed by something.
Gulping, she closed her bright eyes. "Do you remember that movie I
tried out for?" she asked softly, her voice weak and shaky as she tightened
her grip on the sheet of paper before her.
"Oh, Phoebe, I'm sorry!" exclaimed the woman, rushing toward her niece
and offering a consolatory hug for the girl. The sad smile on her face was
full of empathy and caring... Until she stopped.
The teen had shoved the letter before her face, still completely
stoic.
"Read."
Taking the sheet from the pale hand of the thespian, Marie cleared her
throat. "'Dear Miss Urawa,'" she read aloud, her voice marred with the
confusion of not knowing why she should be doing as the girl commanded. "'We
are surprised and honored to inform you that you have received the "Star
Struck" role of Kennedy Marshall. On June fifteenth, we will send an agent
to your home to discuss...'" She trailed off, a bright smile crossing her
face as she turned her head to look at the frozen teen before her. "Pheebs?"
Raising her head, Phoebe grinned and opened her eyes. They were both
slightly teary, but she ignored the fact long enough to jump high into the
air and clap her hands together. "I made it!" she exclaimed loudly, dancing
about the room. "I earned my big break! Stardom, here I come!" She paused in
her excitement to stare at the woman before her. "And you know what, Marie?"
"I have a feeling you'll tell me," her aunt responded with a smile,
her arms crossed as she stared at the girl.
The navy-haired teen rested her hands on her hips. "The world is
safe," she stated matter-of-factly, "evil is destroyed, and Crystal Tokyo is
a utopia again." She pressed her lips together. "The only thing that's left
is for me to pursue happiness."
"And?"
"And," smiled the Sailor Scout known as Phoenix, "that's EXACTLY what
I'm going to do."
* * * * * * * * * * * *

High-heeled footfalls echoed on stone steps as she strode out of her
apartment building. Auburn tresses, curled for the occasion, were pulled
into a high ponytail with a clip and allowed to flow down the back of her
head and neck. A floor-length gown, colored the same as the deepest seas,
was ruffled in the breeze. She pulled her lavender shawl closer to her bare
shoulders and glanced down at the young man who stood on the sidewalk,
waiting.
Upon seeing his date, Todd Walker's jaw dropped nearly to the ground.
Never before had Alice, though a very pretty girl, looked so stunning. In a
strapless, flowing navy evening gown, she was amazingly gorgeous. Even with
the shawl around her shoulders--a shawl that, under any other conditions,
would not match--she was the picture of feminine beauty.
Grinning, she brushed a loose strand of hair from her face and smiled
at her prom date. "How do I look?" she questioned coyly, batting her long
eyelashes toward the teen as she stepped down to his level.
He gulped and tried to control his grin from becoming all too goofy.
"Gorgeous..." he breathed, holding out a rose toward her. "Absolutely
stunning..."
She wrinkled her nose. "ANOTHER gift?" she lamented, accepting the
flower reluctantly. "Didn't I tell you to stop DOING that?"
But the anger in her voice was only mocked, and the glimmer of
annoyance in her eyes was nothing more than the clever flirting of an
adoring girl. And Todd knew it.
Opening the door to the pitch-black limo, the young man bowed deeply,
his deep brown tresses falling into his eyes. "Your chariot, my Princess?"
"Princess?" she questioned, an amused smile crossing her pink lips. "I
like that..."
* * * * * * * * * * * *

She held out the small sheet of paper toward her mother, teal eyes
guiltily focusing on the floor of the large den as she did so. "I...
Here..." she stammered, chewing heavily on her bottom lip as the tall woman
accepted the letter. "I was going to tell you when I first got the
application, but..."
"What is it?" questioned Michelle, leaning over on the couch so she
could see over the shoulder of her blonde wife.
Alexandra's gray-green eyes went wide as she silently read the letter.
Her lips fell slightly open, and words formed... Words that she couldn't
manage to get out. Her partner's reaction was much the same, her blue eyes
flying from the sheet to her younger daughter and back to the sheet again.
And Haley stood, hands folded behind her back, in the center of the
den, feeling more like a small child than a nineteen-year-old fighter for
justice. "I'm...sorry..." she muttered, licking her parched lips. "I know
that I should have told you right away, but I couldn't..."
"This is..." The blonde tomboy glanced up at the teen, her eyes full
of adoration and amazement. "Haley, this is astonishing!" Her stern
expression gave away to a bright smile. "I would be mad, but this is far
too impressive to overlook!"
The brunette swallowed and stared at her parents. "Really?" she
questioned nervously, twiddling her thumbs behind her back as she spoke.
"Because, you know, I can always decline and..."
Raising an eyebrow, the aqua-haired musician stood and crossed the
room, reaching out and resting a hand on her daughter's shoulder. "I don't
think you understand, Haley," she stated, her bright eyes boring into the
girl's soul. "THIS is no laughing matter; THIS is a full-paid scholarship to
Notre Dame, one of the premiere American universities." She smiled and
ruffled her child's hair. "We are VERY proud of you."
Feeling tears biting at her eyes, the teen pulled herself away from
her mother, staring at the floor. "I'm sorry," she whispered, voice
wavering, "but I have to go...think..."
As the retreating footsteps of her daughter echoed down the hall and
stairs, Michelle furrowed her brow and glanced at the woman behind her.
"What was that?" she questioned, confused.
With a slight, mysterious smile, Alex brushed some lint from her pants
and shrugged. "I don't think she wants to leave."
"Will she?" inquired the aquatic one.
The blonde nodded. "She'll figure it out," she answered cryptically,
"it just may take some time."
* * * * * * * * * * * *

And, high in the sky above a school known as Mugen Gakuen, a
helicopter exploded.
* * * * * * * * * * * *

Night fell heavily on Tokyo, the stars shining more brightly than ever
before. In the midst of a lush, green park, a group of young men and women
sat in a circle, warmed by a small, crackling fire they'd built. Behind
them, five small children chased fireflies, giggling and tripping over one
another in the evening's moonlight.
"Well, life is back to normal," smiled the Princess of the Earth as
she leaned into the warm embrace of a tall, silver-haired man. Her pink hair
seemed to glow in the pale firelight as she smiled at her friends. "We all
have love, happiness, belonging..."
Phoebe sighed and tucked her legs to her chest, resting her chin on
her knees. "And Alice's at prom," she put in, smiling slightly, "so all
we're missing is Haley..."
Throwing up his hands in exasperation, the young, golden-brown haired
man tried to avoid all the prying glances from the Galactic Sailors. "Don't
you look at me!" he protested defensively, trying to hide the flush that was
coming. "Just because you wanted to get us to reconcile..."
"After it was already too late," chortled the brunette stranger at his
side, grinning widely. Everyone turned to gaze at her, as though they were
suddenly aware of her presence for the first time. She shrugged. "So I got
them back together," she protested. "So what?"
"And you are..." prompted the raven-haired one, staring.
With a grin, the girl with the Irish lilt pushed her glasses up on her
nose and cocked her head to one side. "Joan!" she exclaimed excitedly. "I'm
Eric's exchange student!"
Shaking his head, the tall blonde man shot a look down at his miko
companion. "You have the oddest friends, Tara," he stated blandly.
The young woman on his arm rolled her green eyes. "I've never met her
before," she defended herself in slight annoyance.
"Well, you shouldn't know me," smiled the stranger as she picked up a
stick and began to prod at the flaming logs. "But I certainly know who you
are, Miss Earth."
The temple maiden blinked in shock and said nothing.
Laughing, the Irish teen rose and seized her backpack off the grass.
"Well, I'd best be going," she stated, smoothing her cargo pants as she
bowed to the group. "Unlike Eric-the-senior, I still have to take finals."
She waved her good-byes and was off, her shadow retreating down the path
slowly as she whistled the tune of some strange song.
"Where IS Haley?" questioned Phoebe of the young man, not quite
certain if he knew or not. "She left in a rush right after I brought the
mail in today..."
Biting his lower lip, the 13th-grade male focused on the dancing
flames. "I don't know," he admitted weakly, his voice low. "I tried to call
the Ten'ous this afternoon, but her mother said that she wasn't accepting
calls."
"Yeah, Haley's in a bad mood," commented little Peter, plopping down
on the ground beside Helios, Celeste following quickly in his footsteps. "I
guess she got into some really fancy school in America and doesn't want to
go."
The blonde at his side furrowed her brow. "But she SHOULD go," she put
in softly, warming her hands as she spoke. "Most the schools in the states
are incredible, and I'm sure she'd find the chance of a lifetime there..."
Reeny nodded sympathetically. "But would she want to leave her
friends?" she asked in a soft tone, her red eyes glancing up at the dark
sky. "We're really all she has, anymore..."
"The house WOULD be empty without her," sighed the braided one weakly,
playing with a strand of wavy hair.
Tara forced a slight smile. "As would our hearts."
Wordlessly, Eric Hartford stood up and started away from the group,
obviously caught up in his own thoughts as he retreated. Everyone watched
him leave, not really having anything to say to him.
It was a long, awkward silence that swept over the group. Soon,
Ambriel had rejoined her supposed 'parents,' leaving the last two children
to play alone amongst the fireflies.
"Next week," thought the soldier of the Moon aloud, "we're going to
need a Scout Meeting."
Everyone glanced suspiciously at her, not sure why the comment reared
its head. But no one sought to argue, either.
"Look, Sissy!" exclaimed little Josh Yuuichirou as he rushed toward
the firelight, shaggy tresses bouncing as he run. Behind him, walking at a
much more subdued pace, came the green-haired child of Pluto. Her colorful
eyes were more alight than usual as she watched the small child open his
hands and let a firefly escape into the air. "See?" he questioned his
sixteen-year-old sister excitedly. "It's beautiful!" His purple eyes
followed the small insect as it slowly drifted up into the sky...
And landed on his nose.
Everyone chortled at the sight the boy made; he was practically going
cross-eyed trying to see the bug on his nose. Even Aeris giggled slightly,
but she immediately cupped her hand to her mouth as soon as she noticed how
very immature she was being.
"Cute," grinned the blonde-haired girl on the grass, glancing up at
her staring friend. "Wouldn't you say so, Aeris?"
She tossed her head indignantly. "Silly," she retorted quickly,
sticking her nose into the air.
Celeste was about to continue her prying when, from behind her back,
Reeny produced a large bag of fluffy white sweets. "Roasted marshmallows,
anyone?" she asked coyly.
Laughing, smiling, and enjoying life, the present Galactic Sailors and
their friends dove in.
* * * * * * * * * * * *

"And then, I suggest that you fold the cloth diapers long-ways..."
The doorway to the Ten'ou-Hartford-Chiba kitchen cracked open,
surprising the eight young women in the room. Each had a small child, the
oldest of all the babies probably only nine or ten months old.
In the center of the room was Hannah, her purple eyes gleaming as she
held up a single cloth diaper. It was as though she was hoisting a symposium
on the subject.
Seeing the young man in the doorway, the black haired one laid her
diaper down on the countertop. "Well, hello Eric," she greeted him with a
grin. "Looking for Brian?"
Stepping into the room, the teen raked a hand through his short, gold-
brown hair and blushed slightly. "Actually, no," he responded, pursing his
lips nervously. "I was looking for Haley, but..." He scratched the back of
his neck and glanced around the room, a bit confused. "Am I interrupting
something, Miss Hannah?"
She chuckled and shook her head. "This is just my baby health care
group," she explained, gesturing to the eight strange women who were seated
about the room. "Meet Jessica, Tora, Connie, Ophelia, Megan, Barb, Samantha,
and Dania." Her smiled never wavered. "Tonight was my night to host, can you
tell?"
Eric just stared. Hannah certainly had two faces; she could be either
the cryptic, solemn soldier of destruction or just another grinning
housewife, depending on the situation.
"Haley's outside," she continued, pointing a single finger to the
sliding glass door behind and to the left of her. "I'm sure that she'll be
glad to see you."
The young man nodded and started for the door, not really saying
anything as he beat a hasty retreat.
One woman, who was obviously somewhat pregnant, cocked her head to the
side and blinked at the hostess. "Who was that?" she asked, bewildered.
Picking the diaper back up, the black-haired one smiled. "That's
Brian's little brother," she explained, "and Haley's boyfriend."
"Sisters in love with brothers?" came the befuddled response. "And I
thought that only happened in movies!"
Chuckling, Hannah winked a purple eye at her friend. "Sometimes,
Dania," she explained coyly, "life is a lot more like the movies than you'd
think."
And there was a click as the glass door shut behind a young man.
* * * * * * * * * * * *

"I'm glad to know that the world is safe," she breathed, sitting on
the edge of her cloud as she watched the bright lights of Crystal Tokyo.
Though it was night, everything about the city seemed to have an impossibly
serene, comforting air about it. She sighed and rested her chin in her
hands, smiling.
A silvery light, shaped roughly like a human, perched next to her.
"But what now?" 'she' questioned, feminine voice echoing through the clouds
as the form leaned back in the air. Her companion sent her a confused
glance. "Well, you're probably in pretty good standings with Heaven right
about now," she clarified, shooting her friend a bright smile. "And you
would make an incredible angel."
With a chuckle, the Angel of the Moon brushed a strand of silver hair
from her eyes and glanced at the ever-changing, human-like shape beside her.
"I most certainly like you better as a cat, Orion," she smiled with a slight
shake of her head, blue eyes sparkling in mirth. "You're not as cynical that
way." Her smile faded, however, as she glanced up at the starry firmament.
"But, no, I don't think I'd be much of an angel, despite what you say."
"Really?" questioned the Guardian of the Silver Star, raising an
eyebrow-like portion of her brow as she stared at the tall, thin woman. "Why
do you say that?"
"Because," responded the dead Ambriel, "my place is here. Where I can
take care of my daughter and make sure that she doesn't make the mistakes I
did."
Orion shook her head and rolled her bright green eyes. "You didn't
make mistakes," she retorted. "You loved someone."
"When you're an angel, it's the same thing." She closed her blue eyes
and took a deep, saddened breath. "But I don't mind," she continued, a happy
lilt to her voice. "Because I like it better here than in Heaven."
Orion nodded. "And I do, too," she agreed as she stared down at
Crystal Tokyo with a smile.
* * * * * * * * * * * *

She sat on the little wooden slat that was the 'swing,' slowly
drifting back and forth in the darkness, watching the fireflies dance in the
great backyard.
Why? She'd asked herself that very question numerous times, never
really getting much of an answer. She'd sent in the form a few days late,
mostly for fear of having to leave and then, in the end, she had to leave
anyway. And her parents were excited beyond reasonable measures, which made
it even harder... Harder to go...
She sighed and wiped tears from her bright teal eyes, trying
desperately to avoid really crying. More than anything, she hated crying...
It made her feel weak, helpless, and alone... It made her feel like someone
she wasn't...
"Haley?" questioned a soft, deep voice from behind her. She jumped
involuntarily, slipping off the single thin slat of wood and landing hard on
the ground in a patch of mud. Immediately, tears welled up in her eyes, and
this time, she didn't try to hold them back.
Clambering to her feet, she clenched a fist and began a pursuit of the
voice's owner, knowing instinctively who it was. "Why?" she asked, her angry
tone shaking as she began to cry. "Why is it that, of all the people in the
world, you had to pick me?" She crunched her eyes shut as she strode
forward, automatically stopping just feet shy of running completely into her
unwanted visitor. "Why did you have to fall in love with me and tell me? Why
did you have to make my love of you come back just when I thought I was
freed of you?" She opened her tear-filled orbs of teal and glared straight
at her ex-boyfriend--or was he really her boyfriend again? She didn't know.
"And why did Notre Dame want me, Eric? WHY ME?"
The young man froze, copper eyes wide, like a deer caught in
headlights. There were two, maybe three, scant feet between him and his
angel, and he adored the idea of pulling her into his arms. But what would
she say?
For the first time in the three years he'd known her, Eric Hartford
really took a long look at the slender, athletic woman. Long, shining
tresses of brown hair rimmed her face and flowed down, over her shoulders,
to gently curl off around chest-length. Bright teal eyes, the color of the
sea, were rimmed by thick lashes. She wasn't extremely tall, but she was as
muscular as she was shapely, with round hips, a slender waist, and defined
thighs and calves. Garbed plainly in a pair of jean shorts and a T-shirt,
she was his epitome of feminine beauty, despite the tears falling down her
face.
And he realized, again, he loved her more than anything in the world.
"I'm sorry," he whispered, opening his arms slightly and offering a
hug to the sobbing young woman before him. "I didn't know about the college
thing until tonight."
Wordlessly, she rushed forward into his embrace, wrapping her arms
around his neck and burying her face in his shoulders. Strong arms rose to
encircle her waist tightly.
They stood there in silence for a moment, basking in the cool breeze
of the late spring night. Fireflies twinkled about them, lighting the sky.
The moon and the stars shone down upon them, the ultimate in romantic
lighting.
Then, Haley raised her head to Eric's, resting her brow against his
and staring into his eyes. "I love you so much," she choked, hardly able to
breathe as she gazed at him. "I don't want to go to America if it means
losing you." She tightened her grip on his neck, trying desperately to pull
herself further into his warm embrace. "I will always be bound to the
others, to the Galactic Sailors, but you..." Frantically, she pressed her
lips to his, ravishing his mouth as though all of Hell's fury was at their
backs, trying to pull them apart. He responded quickly, holding her more
closely than before, desperately grasping onto that one sweet moment, a
moment that could never again be.
After a long moment of intense, loving passion, the young woman pulled
her mouth from his and shook her head, blinking away the crystalline tears
that once again welled up in her eyes. "I don't want to lose you, Eric.
Never."
"You don't have to," he returned softly, tangling his hands in her
silken tresses. "I'll go with you."
She blinked at him, staring confusedly at him. She pulled away a
little, rearing back in surprise. "You'll WHAT?" she gasped, staring up at
him through her thick bangs. "Are you serious?"
He nodded, letting a bright smile cross his face as he gazed down at
her. "I've always wanted to study abroad," he admitted nonchalantly, his
expression one of undying love and adoration, "and I would rather be with
you than with any other person on this planet."
Grinning excitedly, she began to hop up and down, still in his arms.
"I love you!" she exclaimed, pausing in her little jumps to hug him tightly.
"I love you, I love you, I forever love you!" She pulled away from him and
stood on her tiptoes to lay a kiss on his forehead. "And I want you to come!
And I need you to come! And I love you!"
Eric chuckled slightly at her antics and clasped her as close to his
body as possible. "I love you, too," he whispered softly. "I love you, too."
And the moonlight, stars, and fireflies danced around them.
* * * * * * * * * * * *

Her footfalls echoed on the vast marble floor as she strode down the
hallway. Hair, long, green, and silken, flowed from the crown of her head to
the backs of her calves, tickling her legs as she walked. Garnet eyes were
opened widely, focused on the pair of doors that stood at the end of the
corridor. They were large, stretching from the floor up until the vaulted
ceiling, and most anyone would have turned tail at such a sight.
She just brushed the bangs from her eyes.
Throwing open the door, she stepped right into the private chambers
belonging to King Endymion and Neo-Queen Serenity. The raven-haired man was
snoring lightly, completely cocooned in his quilt under the bed's canopy.
She smiled at the picture he made, the ruler of the Earth sleeping like a
child. At home, her husband was no doubt burrowed in his own comforter the
same way, perhaps sharing the large bed with two young children.
How she missed her bed. How she missed her husband. How she missed her
children.
Red eyes pulled away from the sleeping man and glanced toward the
window. Silvery light, cast down from the heavens and through large panes of
glass, warmed her face as she gazed down at the young woman who was
precariously perched on the windowsill.
Garbed only in a thin, silken nightgown, the Queen of the Earth was
staring out at the city--her city. Waves of golden hair cascaded down her
back to her feet and pooled onto the floor, looking much like a sea of
yellow. Bright cerulean eyes neither blinked nor wavered as she gazed down
at Crystal Tokyo, aware of her visitor.
"Is the future now secure?" she suddenly asked of the fuku-clad one,
turning her head just enough to take a long look at her companion.
Hidden partially in the wall's shadow, the Sailor Soldier of Pluto
nodded solemnly, her magenta lips neither curving into a pleased smile or a
painful frown. She was stoic, as always, as senshi were to be.
But there was a flicker of light in her eyes, a distinctive color that
was not normally there, and it was obvious to the timeless blonde that
Sailor Pluto was pleased.
"And you are home?" questioned the Queen, turning back to the city
with her chin raised high. "For good?"
Bowing, the green-haired one closed her eyes. "Yes, Messiah," she
responded in her low voice, pleasure still hidden behind that all-too-
familiar mask. "The time has come for the heirs of Pluto to accept their
throne." For the first time, a hint of emotion lit her voice, and that
emotion was amusement. "Though, I do not know how my children will feel
about that..."
Serenity chuckled, her soprano lilt echoing through the room as she
rose from her seat and, taking one last glance at the city, turned fully to
the Keeper of Time. "Well, my friend, I am glad," she stated as she smiled
brightly. "I have missed you."
"So I had guessed." Sighing, Sailor Pluto raised her head and looked
out the window, maroon eyes focusing on the starry firmament. She took a
deep breath and, for the first time in what had been too long, smiled a real
smile. "The Galactic Sailors saved the world, didn't they?"
With a nod, the Queen of the Earth also turned her gaze to the skies.
"Yes," she agreed softly. "They did."
* * * * * * * * * * * *

For the first time in what seemed, to the Galactic Sailors, to be
ages, dawn came, its colors shooting across the sky in a magical display of
nature's splendor.
Sighing, a certain blue-haired thespian tucked her hands behind her
head, settling into the warmth of her bath water as she stared out the
skylight and into the heavens. Never before had the sky been so very azure,
she decided with the slight nod of her head. She took in a deep breath,
lavishing in the lavender fumes of her bubble bath. And the sun... When had
the sun gotten so bright?
Offhandedly, she mentioned these very things to her two cats, both of
whom were perched on the wide ceramic ledge around the bathtub. The calico
glanced down at the girl, a slight smile creeping across her whiskered face.
A silver star glittered in the natural lighting. "Why, yes," she agreed
softly, turning her forest-colored eyes to the window above. "It is brighter
than ever before."
Orb snickered and rolled his golden eyes in annoyance. "Is not," he
retorted in a snotty tone, glancing up as well. "It's just the plain old sky
with the same puffy white clouds..." He cocked his head to one side, nearly
falling into the tub as he did so. "But, that one cloud DOES look like the
Galactic Rod if you squint just right..."
His mate sent a glare in his direction. "Don't ruin the moment,
idiot!" she hissed as the teen in the tub smiled slightly.
True to her grin, Phoebe let out an amused chuckle before pulling a
wrinkled hand through her damp tresses. The waves of navy splashed back into
the water, sending tiny droplets of the liquid onto the two animals. The
orange-and-white one scowled and shuddered at the contact, but Orion laid
down on the edge of the tub. "Idiot," she mumbled a second time, shaking her
head as she batted at the water with a single furry paw.
"How am I going to leave this place?" questioned she in a soft tone as
she placed her hands back in the water and slowly traced long fingers
through the fluffy bubbles that outlined her slender figure. "I love my
friends and family so much..." She sank deeper into the warm bath, bending
her knees and submerging all of her body except her face. "And what about
Haley? Even if she IS going to college, she'll need a roommate." She
wrinkled her small nose. "And Alice will be lost with just her mom, again,
as she goes to Tokyo University."
The male cat sighed. "You're not really worried about them, are you?"
he asked pensively, staring at her face. "You're worried about yourself and
how you'll cope."
He waited. If she was really, truly upset, the reaction would be
subtle, almost immeasurable. But, if she knew the truth--that she would
leave, with or without the others--her reaction would be big, bold, and
typically Phoebe.
She sat straight up in the bathtub, the water streaming off her body
as she bent down to glare daggers at the cat. Her icy eyes were alight with
both mirth and annoyance as she glowered at him.
"For your information, Captain Butt-Head," she countered in a low,
throaty tone that was practically pulsing with mock anger, "I'm actually
worried about my FRIENDS this time! I'm fine by myself." She tossed her
damp hair haughtily and sank back into the tub slowly, allowing the water to
gently caress her pale skin. "Besides," she continued with a smile, "this
is my big break. There's no more evil, no more war... Just me and my bright
future."
The calico smiled widely. "And we're happy for you, Phoebe," she
chortled, amused by the dramatic show of emotions, despite how regular it
was.
"Speak for yourself," grumbled her mate with another roll of his eyes.
There was the definitive smack of a paw making contact with the back
of a head, followed by the splash and spitting that was a cat taking a face-
first swan dive into a bathtub full of water. The cat in question, orange
fur hanging over his golden moon insignia, slipped and slid down the side of
the bathtub numerous times. His female counterpart just laughed.
And Phoebe Solaria Urawa closed her eyes and beamed.
The sky was impossibly bluer. It was certain.
* * * * * * * * * * * *

"Terry, will you please pass the rolls?"
There was a grunt, a whoosh, and a thwack. Alexandra shook her head,
trying to free her short tresses of breadcrumbs. In one hand was a broken
roll, while the other hand was a tight fist. And it was shaking toward the
young man at the end of the table.
Pushing his glasses farther up on his nose, Terrence Chiba flashed the
tomboy a charming smile and buried himself in his waffles.
It was a typical breakfast at the Ten'ou-Hartford-Chiba household. As
they had since the day their large family was one, they gathered around the
dining room table, sharing a meal together, almost complete, for the first
time since Haley had left. But pots and pans collided in loud clangs, dishes
clattered against cups, and silverware thumped onto the floor. Add to this
two women and their son-in-law discussing politics, a fussing baby, and
cousins bickering over cartoon superheroes, and the noise was to a level so
far beyond unbearable that no one could describe in words.
Perhaps that was the main reason no one heard the door to the room
open. The hinges were silent, and the footfalls of the last resident of the
said household were quiet enough to not be heard by anyone. No floorboards
creaked, no words were said, and no one looked to the doorway.
She leaned against the wall, her face to her family and back pressed
against the smooth wood as she took in the scene before her. Haley and
Peter, the two brunettes at the table, were emerged in a heated conversation
over who would win in an all-out mecha war: the boys from Gundam Wing, or
the three pilots from Neon Genesis Evangelion. On the teen's far side was
little Aeris, her long tresses half up and half down as she engrossed
herself in her meal of pancakes and tea. Her father was half-heartedly
talking over the single empty chair to Hannah Hartford, and he occasionally
shot comments across the table, retorting Brian's conservative thoughts on
the way that the world was being run. Lastly, the Ten'ou wives and the short
blonde man were discussing Serenity's rule versus the iron-fisted rule of
any other totalitarian government, and how utopia and Communism were similar
in nature.
She chuckled and crossed her arms over her pajama top, just taking in
the sights. It had been seeming years since she'd last been in close
quarters with her family, even those her 'years' were but brief months.
Suddenly, the head of the small Chiba girl perked up and whipped
around. Colorful eyes locked with two brightly burgundy orbs, and a fork
clattered loudly onto china before rolling off the table and onto the
carpet. Silence fell over the group as Aeris gasped, and everyone turned to
see what was so very interesting.
With a slight smile, Susan Chiba brushed a strand of mused green hair
from her face and cocked her head to one side. "Did I miss much?" she
inquired coyly.
Peter leapt out of his chair, careening toward his mother at a speed
almost frightening. "MOMMY!" he screeched before burying himself in the arms
of his tall parent. Tears streamed from his red eyes. "I missed you SO
much!"
The Guardian of Time hugged her son back, stooping down to lay a kiss
on his forehead. But her bright eyes never left the gaze of her stoic
daughter, and she watched the child like a huntress watched pray before the
killing was to take place.
Logic and love clashed in the mind of the smallest Sailor Scout as the
girl placed her napkin on her plate and clambered down from her seat. Thick
bangs hung in her eyes, but she didn't push them away. She stared at her
mother, mask unwavering, not sure what to do. One hand clutched the back of
Haley's chair as she gazed longingly at the woman she'd missed for so long.
"Mother..." she whispered, her precocious maturity trying to push its
way into the front of her mind. "I am happy to see you, again..."
Susan's face fell. Despite how adult her daughter was, she'd expected
much more in her return. An unbidden tear crept into her left eye, and she
forced it away as she gazed at the child. "Aeris?" she questioned softly,
her whisper little more than a mouthing as she pursed her pink lips
together.
And that was all that the girl needed. "MOMMY!" she yelled, rushing
toward the woman, her silken tresses streaming behind her like a cape as she
pushed her brother away and wrapped her arms around the neck of the
crouching woman. "Mommy!" Tears fell down her cheeks, but she didn't attempt
to push them away as she immersed herself in the loving embrace. "I missed
you more than anything!" she sobbed into her mother's shirt. "I'm so very
glad you're home!"
And, his own green eyes teary as he watched his children and wife
reunite, Terrence Chiba smiled.
* * * * * * * * * * * *

Sighing, the brunette woman hung up the phone. For a moment, she just
stared down at the receiver, her emerald eyes sparked with tears as she
gazed down at the small device.
Then, wordless, she collapsed onto the couch, eyes staring up at the
vast expanse of whiteness that was the ceiling.
Beside her sat a man, eternally young, dressed in a pair of plaid
boxers and a ratty T-shirt. His chestnut eyes stared at the ponytailed
woman, and he smiled slightly. Of course, it had been young Alice who had
called, and she was probably going out to breakfast after a night of parties
and dancing. And that would upset any single mother, especially one who was
about to lose her only child to college.
But the smile didn't fade.
Reaching out with a single hand, he brushed a strand of hair from her
eyes. The subtle motion caused her to turn her head. She gaped at the man,
the display of emotion, no matter how small, unusual to no end. "Ken?" she
whispered softly, staring with wide eyes.
Smirking, the man took his best friend into his arms and hid his face
in her soft, smooth tresses. "Leets," he breathed, the word tickling the
back of her neck, "I just wanted to remind you how much I really do love
you."
She gasped and blinked, completely awe-struck. But the strong embrace
didn't loosen even as she tried to force herself free.
He took in the scent of her hair, the feel of her body in his arms,
and sighed wistfully. Years ago, when they had both been nothing more than
dream-filled teenagers, he'd lost the chance to call her his own. She'd
slipped through his fingers like grains of sand, and he had lived to regret
it. No woman had ever looked at him the way she had, and he'd never felt as
secure and happy with anyone beyond her. And that was frightening.
But he kept her in her place, halfway in his lap, and lifted his head.
Gently, he turned her head so he could look fully in his eyes, and he smiled
at her, brown eyes filled with love.
"I'm sorry I ever let you go," he apologized, laying a soft kiss on
her forehead. She just stared, both amazed and delighted, as he caressed her
cheek lightly with his thumb and continued. "But I love you, Lita. I've
always loved you." He gulped back the growing lump in his throat. "Alice is
going to graduate in less than a week, and... This apartment is too big for
you alone..." All his valor took a flying leap out the window as he was
melted by a green-eyed gaze.
Lita tucked a single loose hair behind her ear and pursed her lips,
trying to read his dopey expression. But, as always, she was helpless to
understand his ramblings, and she cocked her head to the side. "What... What
are you saying?" she stammered, confused.
He swallowed and ran his fingers across the nape of her neck,
delighting in the little shivers he caused. "I'm going to move in here," he
stated, the sudden bluntness causing the woman to blink confusedly. "I don't
want to screw up and loose you again. I've done that enough times, already."
Without a word, the brunette practically pounced on her destined, her
lips searching for and finding his. Ken fell backward on the couch, the
woman atop him, as he succumbed to years of pent-up passion and want.
And then, less than three minutes later, the doorbell rang. The loud
peal of the bell caused Lita to shudder, and she glanced down at the man who
was kissing her neck. Immediately, her hands shot out from under his T-shirt
and she gulped.
"Ken..." she hissed urgently, trying to ignore the soft kisses and
occasional nips at her throat. "That was Alice on the phone, and she called
for a reason..."
She thought she heard a "so?" from somewhere between her neck and
chest, but she wasn't certain.
A keycard scraped in a lock.
"So," she returned quickly, her green eyes staring warily at the
doorway, "Alice and her friends are coming HERE for breakfast!"
He froze, as though a hundred ice cubes had just been dropped down his
boxers.
And the door swung open.
There was a pause in which no one moved. A good dozen teenagers were
grouped in the hallway of the apartment building, Alice leading the throng,
staring. And Lita just bit her lower lip, not knowing a graceful way to
clamber off the man below her.
Raking a hand through his mused hair, Ken smiled sweetly. "How was
prom, dear?" he questioned of his daughter, as though there was no one atop
him.
The auburn-haired teen just buried her head in her hands, wordless.
* * * * * * * * * * * *

She gentle swooshing sound of a broom's bristles against cobblestone
echoed across the temple courtyard as the teen swept leaves and dirt from
the sidewalk in front of Cherry Hill Temple.
The fresh spring breeze ruffled her priestess robes as she turned her
tanned face to the skies, taking in the vast blueness of it all. Never
before had she noticed the complete perfection of planet Earth.
She turned back to her sweeping.
Yes, there had been some bad patches in her life--even if she WAS only
sixteen. But all the horrors and nightmares that she'd struggled through
were just part of living out a tiny part in the great performance that was
life; each battle, large or small, was just a snag in her personal thread of
fate.
And some people in the world had tiny fates, supposedly insignificant.
But each leaf that was a single human filled out the beautiful tree. And
each strand of yarn made the sweater more elaborate, more irreplaceable.
"Hey, Sissy!" called a young voice, and she pulled herself from her
thoughts to stare down at the little boy. His shaggy tresses were mused by
the wind as he held out a single slip of paper.
A prayer.
"Will you hang this for me, Sissy?" questioned the child, his violet
eyes sparkling as he grinned up at her. "There aren't any branches low
enough for me to reach!"
She chuckled at his antics and gently plucked the small sheet of
paper, her sandals echoing on stone as she started toward the prayer tree,
brother in tow.
'I wish that everything will stay the same...forever.' Her olive eyes
were attacked by tears as she read the messy statement.
Folding the prayer into a small strip, Tara Yuuichirou raised her face
to the sunshine, breathing in the scent of flowers and the peace of spring.
"Yeah," she whispered hoarsely, clutching a single fist over her
heart. "So do I."
* * * * * * * * * * * *

"Good morning, Lyra!" called a friendly voice from behind her. She
turned around, blonde curls whipping through the air and blue skirt ruffling
in the breeze. Her light brown eyes sparkled as she grinned at her friend.
Tara brushed a strand of mused black hair from her face and smiled in
kind, staring at the girl who she had, for months, completely forsaken. Her
olive-colored eyes glittered in the light of morning as she crossed the
patio in front of Crossroads School. Her black shoes echoed on the pavement
as she walked, the clomping carrying in the breeze as she turned to stare up
at the sign on the brick building.
"It's been a wild ride," she commented casually, gripping her book bag
with both hands as she gazed at the school, "but we're still here."
Her blonde friend smirked at this. "Yeah... Back just in time to take
our finals, like good little soldiers."
The miko of Cherry Hill Temple giggled, her pink lips curving into a
jovial smile. Then, she sighed wistfully and let her shoulders droop a bit.
"Do you think that we've done a bad job with the Earth?" she asked, her tone
soft and uncertain. "Or do you think that we've saved it as best we could?"
With a long intake of breath, the older girl smiled slightly and
glanced at her friend. "Well," Lyra considered, "I think we did the best job
we knew how to do." She slung her bag over one shoulder, still focused on
the taller teen. "It's hard to say, though..."
"Yes," agreed the Shinto softly, "it is."
"But we can at least ask Reeny's opinion at the Scout Meeting, right?"
mused the blonde with a cheery gleam in her eye as she skipped toward the
front foyer of the school.
Tara laughed at her friend and took off after her, grinning all the
way.
* * * * * * * * * * * *

He smoothed the wrinkled fabric of his silver silk pants, watching as
the young woman shoved the last of her belongings into a small burlap sack.
Her bright eyes, the color of the rising moon, refused to glance up from her
work, and he knew why she was acting as such.
She didn't want to cry.
Beside her was a young man, his arms laden with two huge, leather-
covered books, and he braved a smile at the silver-tressed man. The white
robes, embroidered with the symbols that indicated his priestly level, were
crisp and clean, flowing around his muscular body with a gentle breeze.
Moss-green waves of hair rimmed his face, and deep chestnut eyes stared
straight forward.
Then, he closed said eyes and rubbed the back of his neck guiltily.
"Well," he gulped, his smile growing both larger and more forced, "I guess
we'd best be going, now."
"Hn," grunted the woman, still hunched over her small bag.
"I hope that you won't hate us, Master," the tall man continued,
pursing his lips and allowing the fake grin to fade. "We went against your
wishes, we smarted off, and then Abigail--with my prodding--used a forbidden
spell to awaken the Princess, something that had not been done for hundreds
of years."
Helios, the Master of Elysion and the most powerful priest in the
world, chuckled at the younger man's ramblings. "Brice," he smiled, his
bright azure eyes sparkling with mirth, "you also saved the life of the
woman I am to marry." He bowed deeply at the young man. "As soon as you get
back to Elysion, you are an active First Priest--second only to Abigail, of
course."
"Well," drawled the woman coyly, slinging her bag over one shoulder,
"I guess he'll ALWAYS be second in command, then!" Her master sent her an
odd look, to which she responded by flipping her long blue tresses. "Come
now, Master Helios," she chided, wagging a finger toward him as if he were a
naughty pet. "You cannot honestly tell me that, after you marry the
Princess, you will return to Elysion." His nose wrinkled at the impudent
comment, but his only reply was the toss of a head. This caused her smirk to
grow. "Thought so."
Shaking his head slowly, Brice sighed. "I'm truly sorry, Master," he
apologized in a low tone, brown eyes glancing at the woman beside him in a
mixture of appreciation and annoyance. "She can be quite a handful."
The other man smiled. "I believe that is why I chose her to lead the
way for others," he returned, and--for the first time--the young woman with
the sky-colored hair flushed. In an almost wary manner, he reached forward
and took one of her hands in his, laying a gentle kiss on its pale skin.
"Master of Elysion," he breathed, lively eyes reinforcing his request
without words, "take good care of the world I love."
Straightening, he smiled knowingly at Brice. "And you, First Priest,"
he jokingly chided, "take good care of HER."
Then, without words or magic, he was gone, footsteps echoing on marble
as he strode quickly out of the guestroom.
Blinking at the now-closed door, the young woman who was also the High
Priest of Elysion furrowed her brow. "He's certainly changed since he came
to be with his Maiden," she murmured, tone somewhere between adoring and
confused.
"We've all changed," responded her second-in-command, reaching out and
seizing one of her hands. "But it's for the better."
She couldn't argue with that.
* * * * * * * * * * * *

They seemed to be the perfect couple.
She was tall, thin, exotic, and elegant, with calf-length tresses the
color of rainforest. Bright eyes, the color of wine, gazed out at the world
through small, black-rimmed glasses. Even in her rather plain outfit of
khaki shorts and a long-sleeved T-shirt, she looked the picture of feminine
beauty, a single hand held by her companion.
And her companion was a young man, his messy brown hair hanging
partially in his eyes, fading highlights of blonde still sparkling in the
afternoon sun. A goatee, both messy and yet still very fitting, covered his
chin as glasses, edged in gold, covered two excited green eyes. He wore his
usual tan suit, which was both wrinkled and a bit too big, but he didn't
seem to care. He was grinning.
Sighing, Susan Chiba glanced up at the blue sky, her eyes staring up
at the clouds and birds above them. "It's so strange to be taking a walk
without the kids," she breathed, using her free hand to push a green tress
from her face. "Do they really need to be in school, Terry?"
Her husband scoffed. "Did you really expect ME to home-school the
Plutonian twins?" he gaped, eyes widening as he mentally considered the
suggestion. "I could just IMAGINE the mess I'd make of that, and our poor
heirs..."
She chuckled. "I suppose you're right," she nodded, a sweet smile
curving her pink lips. "You would make quite a mess of things."
"I didn't mean it like THAT," he defended with a wrinkle of his nose,
scowling.
Laughing a second time, Susan found herself content to admire the
lush, green beauty of Tokyo Central Park. It was, after all, a wonderful
spring day, and she had been gone for so long... Her smile slipped slightly,
turning wistful as she remembered the past she'd just helped to save. THIS,
the budding trees, blooming flowers, and chirping birds, was what she'd
fought so hard to protect. And now, she had everything she had ever wanted:
a husband who would never betray her, two adorable young children who she
loved more than life itself, a doting family who supported her, no matter
what, and a beautiful world to live in.
It was the perfect life.
"You know," drawled the young man at her side pensively, his green
eyes searching her face for any emotion whatsoever, "I've really been
thinking about the twins in the last couple days..."
Susan furrowed her brow and stared at him, her gift of stoicism
masking her overwhelming confusion. "Really?" she questioned, her voice
pretty much level barring a single hint of surprise.
He nodded hesitantly, as though he feared his life. "And I was
thinking that...well..." Terrence forced a bright smile. "Sets, let's have
another baby."
And then, it came to a jarring halt.
Setsuna 'Susan' Chiba, the Guardian of Time and Sailor Soldier of the
Planet Pluto, froze in her tracks. Red eyes stared, unblinking, at her
husband. Not a portion of her body moved an inch. She'd even stopped
breathing.
"Did..." She gulped back the lump in her throat and took a deep
breath. "Did you just say what I think you said?"
His eyes, too, went wide as he replayed the scene in his head. "Did
*I* just say what I think I said?" he gasped at himself, shocked. Green eyes
stared blankly at the woman as he tried to remember. "I had thought it in my
head, and then told myself I was going to change the subject because I knew
you'd react like this, and then I thought that I should ask you how the past
was, and then I said that..." He groaned to himself, scrunching his eyes
shut. "I think my mind and mouth aren't attached right, Sets..."
She chuckled and took his hand again, as though the previous comment
had just melted into oblivion. "Well," she returned pensively, "I guess we
can THINK about it." She winked a red eye. "Frankly, just the TRYING is the
best part..."
Terrence tried to hold back a triumphantly goofy grin, but it got him
nowhere. "Really?" he questioned.
And his wife nodded.
It was good to be home.
* * * * * * * * * * * *

"Mmm! What good brownies!" praised the blonde girl cheerily, her small
mouth stuffed full of the thick, chocolately treats as she grinned at the
young adult in the kitchen. "Where'd you get the recipe?"
Beaming at the chirping of her friend's sister, Alice brushed a strand
of hair from her eyes. "My mother used to make them for Scout Meetings in
the past," she responded, setting a plate laden with cookies and Rice
Krispies Treats beside the platter of chocolate brownies on the counter. "I
thought it only appropriate."
The navy-braided teen, slumped against the large, almond-colored
refrigerator, rolled her eyes at this comment. Snatching a celery stick from
yet another platter, she glanced around the kitchen and over the counter
that connected it to the living room. "Where IS everybody?" she questioned,
wrinkling her nose as she chomped on the crunchy vegetable. Her icy eyes
glanced at the brunette who was languidly stretched out on the couch, and
then at the Pluto twins, both of whom were enthralled in a documentary on
crime. Finishing off the celery, she examined the platter it came from,
scrutinizing the radishes, carrots, and cherry tomatoes. "And, more so," she
turned to her wavy-haired friend, glaring playfully, "WHERE is my spinach? I
ASKED you to get spinach!"
Sighing, Alice pressed past the dramatic girl and tugged open the
refrigerator, nearly throwing Phoebe into the wall in doing so. "HERE!" she
announced, thrusting a large, plastic baggie filled with hunter-colored
leaves toward her friend. "Your spinach, Princess."
Phoebe grinned and ruffled the auburn tresses that rimmed her
companion's face. "You're too good to me, you know that?" she asked
rhetorically, accompanying the question with a sly, flirty wink.
"And, in response to the question about everyone else," piped up the
brunette suddenly, her elbows resting on the counter as chestnut strands
fell almost--but not quite--into the plate of cookies and marshmallowy
treats, "you should know that Reeny is ALWAYS late!" She chuckled down and
grabbed a brownie, successfully pulling it from the reach of the pigtailed
girl. "And Tara said she was catching a flick with Sebastian today, and you
KNOW what that means..." Taking a little nibble of the sweet, she chewed
pensively. "Which leaves Richard and Lyra, which means those two are
probably getting some..." Haley's teal eyes flared as she smirked and
devoured the rest of the brownie in one bite.
"Getting what?" questioned Celeste, resting her chin on the dark green
countertop as she peered up at the older girl.
All three teens paled noticeably, not really willing to answer the
too-innocent question of a rather sweet blonde girl. Luckily, the door burst
open at that very moment, adding a chorus of loud voices, both female and
male. Shoes were slid off, clunking onto the tile of the foyer as the
throng of bodies pushed into the Kino living room.
The first to enter was the pink-haired Princess of the Earth and Moon,
clad in her navy-and-white college uniform. "Ooh! Kino food!" she exclaimed
excitedly, nearly pouncing on the platters of treats spread out before the
group. Within seconds, crumbs and chocolate smears dotted the area around
her lips as she shoveled as much food in her mouth as she could.
Helios chuckled to himself, watching the young woman eat. "Well,
knowing that she died certainly did not ruin any appetite," he observed with
a knowing smile.
"Did you actually think it WOULD?" snorted Alice, coming out of the
kitchen with her spinach-munching friend hot on her heels.
Phoebe shook her head. "Don't you ever get sick of playing the cynic?"
she questioned wryly, raising a single navy eyebrow.
Chuckling, Tara plopped into an armchair, but not before reaching into
the braid-headed one's bag and pulling out a few dark leaves for herself.
"Why would she get bored with it?" she retorted slyly, looping one leg over
the arm of her seat as she stared up at the auburn-haired one. "She likes
causing trouble... Right, jerk-face?"
"Of course, melon-brain," replied Alice before she sunk into the
couch.
The navy-tressed one scowled and bopped the miko on the head with her
bag. "Mine," she stated plainly.
"Alice or the spinach?" quipped the curly-haired one as she, dragging
Richard behind her by a hand, crossed the apartment toward the sweets.
"Perhaps both," put in Aeris rather softly, her colorful eyes flashing
silver, despite the fact she never glanced up from the television set. A
slight smile touched her lips.
Phoebe turned eighteen different shades of red, and all the older
Scouts began to laugh.
Ambriel tugged on the school blouse of her blonde-haired friend.
"'Leste," she whispered, her gray eyes darting to the group and then back to
the older girl, "I don't get it."
A sheepish grin crossed the face of the girl otherwise known as the
Keeper of the Nebulae. "Uhh..." She coughed nervously and patted the shorter
child on the head, musing her red tresses. "It doesn't mean much."
"Well, is this meeting going to come to order or WHAT?" questioned
Haley languidly, seizing the plate of vegetables as she went to sit cross-
legged on the walnut coffee table. "Because I have to finish packing if I'm
ever going to make it to South Bend by Friday."
Resting her elbows on her knees, the auburn-haired one leaned forward,
glancing about the room at her friends. "And I graduate Thursday," she
breathed, her brown eyes growing teary. "And, come fall, I enroll in
college."
"You do, don't you?" questioned Phoebe softly, her chewing slowing as
she pondered her friend's comment. "Fall's going to bring quite a few
changes for all of us, isn't it?"
Celeste, sitting cross-legged on floor in front of Tara's armchair,
shook her head slowly. "Not for all of us," she responded, glancing up at
the braid-headed teen as she spoke. Her voice grew deep, rumbling with the
awesome timelessness that was the Keeper of the Nebulae's voice. But she was
smiling, and that was one thing that the Keeper did not do. "A few of us,"
she continued, a slight hint of amusement in her tone, "will remain the
same. But some..." She glanced meaningfully at the still-eating Princess and
her exasperated Prince, bright, pine-green eyes then dropping to gaze toward
the blue-haired spinach enthusiast, the brunette on the coffee table, and at
the two heirs to Pluto, both of whom were still staring at the television.
"Some will say vows before a marble altar..."
Reeny dropped her brownie to the floor, not noticing as it crumbled to
bits at her feet. Helios flushed and took a quick side step away from her.
"...some will star in roles we can only dream of..."
Choking on her spinach, Phoebe doubled over, face turning a shade of
red that perfectly matched the Princess' eyes.
"...some will take college as a chance to catch up on lost love..."
Haley dropped a carrot into the little bowl of ranch dressing that sat
in the epicenter of the plate, and the white goop splattered both her shirt
and the coffee table.
"...and some will become the active Guardians of Time."
Standing, the green-haired child stood and paced to the television,
switching it off silently.
Smiling, Celeste steepled her fingers complacently, her cool stare
still circling the room slowly.
The Princess of the Earth swallowed nervously. "May this meeting of
the Galactic Sailor Scouts come to order," she croaked uneasily, crossing
the room to join Alice and the Pluto twins on the couch.
Lyra, who was sharing the loveseat with her red-haired boyfriend as
she was oft apt to do, glanced around the room at the various embarrassed
individuals. "Hold your horses, here," she commanded in a confused tone, her
light brown eyes darting about as she spoke. "You mean to tell me that
'Leste's not making this all up?"
Silence blanketed the room, sending several of the occupants to seek
refuge in avoiding the teen's gaze. Both Phoebe and Haley were still
blushing, their faces as crimson as ever before; the silver-haired Priest of
Elysion was pacing behind the couch, his hands thrust deep into pockets;
Reeny's scarlet eyes were studying the tan shag of the carpeting for all it
was worth; and the two Pluto twins were sitting side-by-side, completely
stoic, neither speaking.
"Come ON!" pressed little Ambriel, hopping off the arm of the loveseat
to stand right in front of them all, tiny, balled fists resting on equally
thin hips. Her gray eyes were lowered in a displeased glare. "We've been
through all sorts of shit together--"
"AMBRIEL!" scolded her two demi-parents, scowling at the girl's use of
language.
"--and we'll be through more of the same." She sighed and shook her
head. "It's a sad day in Crystal Tokyo when all my best friends can't share
the important happenings in their lives..." A single tear traced its way
down a pale cheek.
Alice's chestnut eyes blinked in befuddlement. "Damn," she murmured,
her whisper breaking the uneasy silence in the room, "that girl must be
taking acting lessons from Pheebs."
A bag of spinach smacked her across the face.
Still, the room was deadly quiet, the breathing of warriors big and
small echoing through the chamber...
"Well," drawled the brunette boy from his spot between his twin and
Alice Kino, "'Leste IS telling the truth." Colorful eyes darkened to black
as the green-haired girl glowered at her brother. He ignored it, red eyes
glancing around the room nervously. "Mother has resigned as the Guardian of
Time, which makes Aeris and me the two Guardians."
Sighing miserably, his sister nodded her agreement. "He speaks the
truth," she lamented, the displeasure in her voice remaining unhidden. "We
now must serve as the active Guardians of Time, our only possible
replacement being the Moon Cat, Diana."
The Princess of the Earth snorted at that, but Aeris sent her a cool
glance. She silenced herself.
"And she wasn't lying about me, either," the braid-headed one stated,
folding the top over her bag of veggies as she stared at her purple
slippers. "I tried out for a movie a while back, and...well..." Her face
reddened even further. "And I got the part." A few assorted gasps echoed
through the room, and she felt all the eyes upon her go wide. She blushed
again. "Yeah, well, I get to go to America," she continued meekly, her icy
eyes darting from friend to friend as a smile crossed her face. "And Alan
Gerbecki's my co-star--"
Tara interrupted with a dreamy sigh. "What a BABE!" she announced,
clutching both hands to her chest as she leaned further back in her seat.
"I'd like to get me a piece of that action!"
"--and it's just a movie." But her grin widened past the realms of
modesty, and she finally gave up on playing the meek one. "Oh, who am I
kidding?" she questioned, clasping her hands together excitedly. "This is my
big break, and I've never been happier!" She sighed and leaned back against
the couch, her blue eyes half-closed. "Who knows what will happen next, eh?"
Clearing her throat timidly, the Princess of the Earth straightened
her spine and smoothed the fabric of her navy skirt. "Well, I think that
there will be a wedding," she responded to the rhetorical question of her
friend, extending a single hand into the air as she said this. "Perhaps my
Galactic Sailors would stand up in it for me."
Breaths were inhaled sharply as everyone stared at the golden ring
encircling the young woman's finger. The single, silvery diamond sparkled in
the lights of the living room. Reeny's face slowly turned the color of her
hair as she shivered under the stare of so many eyes.
"What?" she squeaked, reeling backwards as all her friends gazed at
her like so many ravenous vipers. "It's not like we've been hiding this for
TOO long!"
Helios cringed at his fiancée's exclamation, knowing immediately that
she'd just signed her death certificate.
"'TOO long?'" quoted the auburn-haired Scout, crossing her arms over
her bosom as she spoke. "When did he actually pop the question, then?"
The blush on the pink-haired one's face deepened as she wrinkled her
nose at the comment. "Uhhh... Well..."
Curls bounced as Lyra leaned over her boyfriend to rest her chin on
the loveseat's arm nearest her Princess. "Before or AFTER we killed Tina?"
she questioned.
"Before..."
"Before or after Rich and Lyra got it on?" inquired Phoebe, her braids
flying as she practically pounced on the embarrassed college student.
Two faces turned bright red and glared at her. "WE DID NOT GET IT ON!"
they chorused.
Pausing for a minute, red eyes demurely focused on the white ceiling,
the Princess of the Earth pondered that question. "About the same time, I
would guess," she wagered with a shrug of her shoulders.
Sighing, the redheaded man pushed his glasses further up on his nose,
the annoyance on his face unmistakable. "Will they EVER believe us?" he
grumbled, resting his head in a hand.
"No, dear, they won't," retorted Lyra, settling into his lap and
planting a kiss on the very tip of his nose. "But let's just not let it get
to us."
Phoebe sniggered. "Too late!"
Ambriel, who had sunk to a sitting position in the middle of the floor
long ago, counted on her fingers, gray eyes lowered at herself as she did
so. "Hmmm..." she mumbled, her tiny pink lips pursed. "Then, according to
Celeste, that leaves..."
The coffee table creaked as a good hundred-twenty pounds of brunette
slowly stood. "Well," thought Haley aloud, setting the nearly empty plate of
vegetables on the table, "I've got work to do, SOOO..."
"Sit!" commanded several voices in unison, and the teal eyes glanced
nervously about the room, only to find that the five sets of eyes belonging
to her original Galactic Sailors were focused completely and totally on her.
She pursed her lips and forced a smile.
"I think," she put in, slowly taking her seat upon the tabletop once
again, "that Celeste is just one French fry short of a Happy Meal, that's
all." The nervousness in her voice was unmistakable, however, and she forced
a cute little laugh. "Then again..."
Phoebe rested her hands behind her head, lounging further back in the
chair she had long ago dubbed as 'hers.' "Eric's going to South Bend with
you?" she inquired in a falsetto tone, smiling evilly. "Or did I
misunderstand our ever-sweet Keeper?"
The blonde girl on the floor tossed a pigtail. "You didn't miss a
thing," she responded in a soft, sweet tone, her green eyes sparkling.
Snaking a finger under her shirt collar, the young woman blew a few
strands of brown hair from her face. "Well...yeah..." she croaked. Then, her
head snapped up and she lowered her eyes to a glare. "But it's all the fault
of that funny little Irish teen!" she declared loudly, her fists clenching.
"That girl... I don't even know her name..."
"Joan?" asked the redheaded child, resting her chin on a balled fist.
Her gray eyes stared up at Haley. "Why would Joan make Eric agree to go to
America with you?"
"Well, she didn't... Exactly..." She wrinkled her nose in thought,
then threw her hands up in the air. "I give up!" she announced. "Eric IS
coming with me when I go to college!" Aqua eyes lowered to a dark, angry
glare toward a certain golden-tressed child. "HAPPY?"
Celeste just grinned.
Red eyes lowered and pink eyebrows knitted in thought as Reeny slowly
counted out...something...on her fingers. "Well, we've talked about the
engagement," she said to herself, unawares that everyone else was staring
blankly at her, "and about Haley's leaving. And now we know about Phoebe's
movie and the Pluto twins. That just leaves one thing..."
All gazes turned directly to the raven-haired priestess, who was still
in her strange sitting-laying position in the single armchair. She looked up
from biting her fingernails and swallowed rather guiltily, olive eyes
immediately darting about and avoiding meeting any other gazes.
"Uhh... Do you need something?"
Brown eyes lowered quite a bit, sparkling with enlightenment. "How'd
you get your locket back?" questioned Lyra, her brow furrowed as she stared
at her friend. "It had to be magic or something..."
Flushing, Tara glanced at the floor. "I guess it came back because
being a Scout what I'm meant to be." She shrugged slightly, her eyes focused
on her folded hands. "And I guess that destiny is what brought it back."
"Either that," nodded one with the auburn waves, "or it was dumb
luck."
With a chuckle, Celeste smiled up at all her friends. "I don't think
it's luck," she countered as she glanced about the room. "I think that it's
part of all of us, to be destined, and to be one."
Nodding slightly, the heiress of Pluto smiled slightly. "I do not
think that any of us could better express the bond we share as she just
did."
And no one could argue with that.
* * * * * * * * * * * *

Navy robes and navy caps shone in the setting sun of Crystal Tokyo.
The park was overwhelmed with both birds and people as three hundred
students, smiling bravely, each took their moment in the light to accept
their diplomas.
"Tamara Laurilyn Kamikona."
And, if one looked close enough not at the students, but at a tree
that stretched to the heavens behind the crowd of parents and friends, one
could make up the silhouette of five pretty, Sailor-suited soldiers.
The Galactic Sailors.
"Alice Aurora Kino."
Auburn waves of hair cascaded down slender shoulders as the young
woman, eighteen years old, accepted the leather-covered folder that
contained her diploma. She smiled, shaking the hand of Crossroad School's
principal, before starting down the aisle back to her seat. And as she moved
her golden tassel from one side of her mortarboard to the other, she glanced
up at the tree and smiled.
The tears in her chestnut eyes, the tears of joy and love, glittered
in the sunlight.
And someone in the tree blew their nose.
"Phoebe..." groaned Sailor Comet, shaking her head slowly as she
watched the dramatic Sailor Scout wipe her tears and snot onto her red
skirt. "You DO realize that you can't take a Sailor fuku to the cleaner's,
right?"
Ignoring the mean-spirited quip, the braid-headed teen sighed
wistfully and clutched her folded hands to her chest. "She did it," she
croaked, tears still tracing down her face. "She actually graduated high
school... and with high honors. I'm so..." She pursed her lips for a long
moment, as though trying to find the right words. "So..." A smile crossed
her face, and all evidence of sadness left both her expression and her ice-
blue eyes. "Impressed!" she chirped excitedly. "She ACTUALLY did it!"
Rolling her red eyes, Sailor Moon elbowed her friend in the stomach.
"Come ON, Phoebe!" she stressed, sending a pained look in the direction of
the thespian. "Would you like it if, next year, Alice was all sarcastic to
YOU?" The navy-haired one raised an eyebrow, and the leader of the Galactic
Sailors sighed. "Next year, it's going to be Lyra and YOU in robes and
hats."
The previously mentioned blonde Scout rolled her brown eyes. "Caps and
gowns, Reen," she corrected indulgently.
"Whatever!"
Silence fell over the five soldiers as they continued to watch the
graduation ceremony, watching strangers and friends alike as they crossed
the threshold to their new lives as adults. No one dared to speak as they,
basking in the bright illumination of the setting sun, stared down at the
people they had saved. The people they had fought for.
Their people.
"It's strange," commented Sailor Earth, her olive eyes filling slowly
with tears as she glazed down upon the other students, "to see an era
just...die...like this." She sighed softly, shaking her head a bit. "I can't
imagine what life would have been like without Scout-dom, and now..."
Forcing a brave smile, Sailor Comet clapped her friend on the back.
"Yeah, Tara, you're right," she returned with a nod of her head, "but
someday we'll look back on this mess and laugh at it all." She brushed a few
walnut tresses out of her eyes. "You shouldn't worry."
The curly-haired blonde nodded quickly. "And I certainly hope we laugh
soon!"
Shrugging, Sailor Phoenix leaned back against the trunk of the great
oak tree, folding her slender arms over her chest and the burnt-orange bow
there. "Well, it's doesn't matter," she pointed out, her icy eyes searching
the expressions of her friends. "Where we go, life goes." She smiled sadly,
her pink lips quivering a little as a genuine tear trailed down a pale
cheek. She wiped it quickly away, frowning at herself. "We're the Galactic
Sailors!" she announced, trying to hide the choking in her voice from her
fellow Scouts. "That's what we DO!"
The pink-haired Princess smiled gently at the braided one. "Forever."
"And eternity," agreed the shrine maiden with a bob of her head.
"Without regret," added the Princess of the Silver Star, fingering one
of her star-shaped earrings. "Without remorse or retreat."
The last Scout, the brunette, smiled. "Until the very end."
Clapping her glove-covered hands together, the Sailor Scout of the Sun
grinned excitedly. "Yeah!" she exclaimed. "This is the symphony of life,
guys!"
Sailor Earth brushed a strand of raven hair from her face. "And we're
the musicians, aren't we?"
Her curly-haired friend nodded. "That's how it has always been."
"Ourselves and our 'instruments' singing for the world," sighed Comet,
her teal eyes staring down at the grass and graduates pensively, "as it was
always meant to be..."
And Sailor Moon, her pink pigtails blowing in the wind and golden moon
symbol on her forehead shining, glanced up at the rising moon. A single,
silvery tear escaped a scarlet eye, tracing slowly down her cheek as she
sighed. A smile parted her pink lips.
"And the music plays on."
* * * * * * * * * * * *

The Galactic Sailors Say!

(The original six Sailor Scouts crowd onto the stage, forming a single line.
They all smile sadly.)

Moon: Sometimes, the hardest thing in the world is to say goodbye.

Earth: (nodding) Goodbye. It's a hard thing, isn't it? I mean, you KNOW it's
going to be forever when you really, TRULY, say goodbye.

Polaris: (sighs) And there's a finality about it, too. A sort of heaviness
to the word that makes your heart ache.

Phoenix: And maybe THAT'S why goodbye is so sad. Because it makes you know
it's all over.

Aurora Borealis: After all, who wants to know that something's forever gone,
over, ended?

Comet: (smiles weakly) No one, that's who.

Moon: So, we're not saying goodbye.

(All the Sailor Scouts nod in agreement.)

Polaris: We're saying the very thing we've always said, and that's that.

Phoenix: We don't actually want to CRY!

(Everyone glances at her.)

Phoenix: What?

Comet: So, I guess this is it.

Earth: Show time.

Aurora Borealis: Okay then...

(The Gals all join hands, grinning, and take a deep breath.)

Moon: From us to you...

ALL: The Galactic Sailors Say...

(They bow.)

ALL: SEE YA!
* * * * * * * * * * * *

And that, my friends, is the end of an era.