Welcome to my Second Chapter! Please Please Please send me some
feedback... negative or positive I love e-mail! And thank you to all of
you who have responded! I loved getting your letters! This installment
has a lot less action and is more emotional and romancy... sorry to
all of you action-lovers but this story does have some romance and I
had to put it in sooner or later! Hope you enjoy!
All the usual disclaimers apply: All characters in Sailor Moon
are owned by the wonderful Naoko Takeuchi so don't sue me, I have no
money anyway I'm a poor college student! Meirou Hizashi, Sailor Sole,
Helia, Violet Dusk Guardian, Murasaki Ankoku and Chokusha are MY
characters and are MY ideas and, well, they are MINE (actually it
might be the other way around because they are the ones who tell me
to write about them and write NOW! ^_^). So please don't steal them...
they are not yours! Well I guess it's on with the story!!!

A side note: Sole is to be pronounced as So-Lee

A Bright and Shining Future

CHAPTER 2
Stumble into the Past
By: Sailor Berkeley

.... "Konichiwa imouto-chan!" Hizashi said with a teary smile.
Usagi did not know what to say. She just stood there and stared
at the stranger... no at her older sister! She gulped and suddenly ran
forward and almost knocked Hizashi down because she hugged her with so
much force. Hizashi looked at her litte sister's head and tears welled
up in her eyes.
"I missed you so much imouto-chan! Do you have any idea how
lonely it was without you to make me laugh and remind me that there are
still some things to laugh about?" Hizashi choked out.
Usagi looked up into her eyes and grabbed both of Hizashi's
hands at once. Their palms pressed against each other and light shined
from in between their palms. The others looked in awe as the two girls
let go of each other's hands. Usagi now had the sun symbol shining
brightly from her palm while Hizashi stared at the moon symbol on her
hand. After a couple of seconds the symbols faded away, although the
girls knew that they were still there.
"You... you remembered!" Hizashi was able to gulp out.
Usagi nodded and smiled. "I didn't until I hugged you. Then I
remembered. It's still fuzzy but the memories are coming back..." She
suddenly stopped smiling and tears welled up and threatened to spill
over. "Onee-san, why didn't you come? I wanted you there so badly but
you never came. I didn't even get to say goodbye! I thought you were
dead..."
Hizashi swept her little sister into a tight hug and hushed
her. "Shhh... I'm here now aren't I? And I couldn't come because of
that evil Queen Beryl who, I'm glad to see, you got rid of some time
ago, ne?" She winked at Usagi and then looked into her eyes. "Please
understand. If we could have gone we would have. In an instant. We... I
would never have let anything happen to you if I could have prevented
it in any way."
Usagi nodded and smiled once more, happy to see her older
sister alive and well. She turned around to see her friends extremely
confused and suddenly remembered that they didn't know what was going
on. "Gomen ne minna! I forgot that you can't remember Hiza-chan!"
"That's alright Reni-chan... I mean Usagi-chan. I guess I have
to remember all of these different names! I can explain everything
though. If you guys want to I can take you back in my memories thus
giving you all of your memories back. It will be... difficult for you
I think because you will all relive my life in a matter of minutes and
you will also have to cope with your own memories at the same time.
There are also other implicating factors from the past that are cloudy
to you right now that won't be after this. However, I should warn you
that those cloudy memories can be bad and it might make you upset. It's
up to you whether or not you want to do this."
They all looked at each other and then Minako spoke up. "I
think that I speak for all of us when I say that we would really like
it if we could see our old memories." As Minako spoke everyone else
nodded at her and looked towards Hizashi.
"Alright then. Let's go inside. This will take a while." She
then walked into the temple with everyone behind her. Rei lead them to
her room and there she closed the screen door and Hizashi had everyone
sit in a circle.
"I will need everyone to please concentrate their energies on
me so that I can do this. It will really wear me out but after we go
through it you will have all the answers. Now, when you feel me pulling
do not try to fight it. I will just leave you behind if you do. I don't
have enough energy to fight you to come with me. And I want you all to
understand that you will be seeing everything through my eyes. So when
my childhood memories play out you will see everything through the eyes
of a child which might be confusing. I'll explain whatever I can as we
go ok?"
Everyone nodded and closed their eyes, concentrating all of
their energies on the girl with the bright red hair. Hizashi then
closed her eyes and accepted all their energies, drawing them along
with her down the corridors of her mind and into her past. She watched
with them as her memories were played out one by one:

------------------------------

The little two-year-old Hizashi ran down a large corridor which,
to anyone who was a couple of feet taller, would be a rather small
hallway. She stopped when she passed by a closed door and heard the
voices of her mama and papa as well as auntie and uncle. Giggling a bit
she stopped in front of the door and reached out to touch it. Her small
brow furrowed in concentration and she soon started to glow yellow. The
sun symbol on her forehead burned brightly and she walked through the
closed door. As soon as she found herself on the other side she smiled
happily. She had just learned that last trick when she had locked
herself inside the closet and she was extremely proud of herself. She
tottled over towards the voices and saw her mama, papa, auntie, uncle
and five little babies. Her auntie was holding one of them and the
other four were in a crib. Suddenly she felt a ripple inside of herself
and out and there stood eight babies instead of the last four and she
ran to her mama who scooped her into her arms.
"Hiza-chan! How did you get in here?" The mama looked towards
papa and Hizashi buried her face in her mama's shoulder. A safe and
comfortable place. "She wasn't supposed to see this!"
'I'm sorry mama!' Hizashi looked towards mama and looked very
sorry indded.
"That's quite alright dear... it's not your fault." She smiled
at her daughter. "What did you see?"
'More babies were made. Where did they come from mama?'
"They're here to help you. They will always help you dear." The
Queen then gave her daughter a big kiss in the cheek and Hizashi
laughed eagerly.

------------------------------

The girls, Mamoru and the cats then found themselves suspended
in time and they heard Hizashi's voice as she came towards them.
"That was me when I was two. I stumbled into my parents and
Mamoru's parents doing something that would alter the future forever."
She smiled a bit before she moved on. "I considered the Queen and King
of the Earth my aunt and uncle because that was what I was taught to
say. They weren't my blood relatives but they were as close to an aunt
and uncle as I could ever come. Endymion was the baby you saw in their
arms. He had just been born that day when I walked in."
"But how could you speak so fluently when you were only two?"
Michiru asked, curious.
"The Moon babies were very... ummm.. talented I guess you could
say. My sister and I, because of our mixed blood, are telepathic. Even
though my mother couldn't answer me telepathically I was able to speak
to her in that way. I really didn't use my vocal chords and I spoke as
any normal two-year-old but my mind was sharp."
"Who were the other four babies?" Ami asked.
"That's what my next memory will explain to you." As soon as
Hizashi said that they all started to fade away and found themselves,
once more, in the mind of a child. Although this time she was a seven
year old child with plenty to talk about....

------------------------------

She saw the retreating backs of her five-year-old brothers and
yelled after them. "Come back here! Papa is going to get angry with you
and then you'll see!" They laughed and just kep running. She frowned
and stomped her foot. "Oh they just want to get in trouble!"
"Is that my mesume I hear getting angry again?" Her frown left
her face and she ran across the fireflowers towards him.
He picked her up and swung her around before putting her down
on top of the fire petals that she had strewn around. "Now dear you
know that guests cannot stand the heat of these flowers. If you spill
them all over the pathway how is anyone supposed to walk around?"
"Sorry papa. I wasn't paying attention. I'll clean it up!" She
then looked at the petals and willed them to move and they all flew
back into the surrounding field. She felt his hand move down and caress
her head and she smiled up at her red-bearded daddy.
"Where are your brothers?"
She remembered then that she was mad and frowned again. "They
went through the fields again. They know that they can't go through the
fields because they are too young and they'll get burned but they won't
listen. They think they can go because they've seen Reni-chan go through
them before." She stopped for a second and looked up at her father once
again. "Why can't they go in the fields papa? I've seen Reni-chan do it
before. But mama never does and Reni-chan can't stay as long as we can
either."
Her father sighed and sat down on a bench and drew her onto his
lap. "Hiza-chan do you remember once when you walked into a room and
first saw your brothers?"
"Yes papa. They multiplied. It was very strange but mama said
it was to help me."
King Aites nodded. "Yes it was done to help you. But you need
to know that your... brothers... aren't really your brothers. They are
four young boys who are destined to become the four greatest Generals
of this galaxy. They were chosen to protect the Prince of the Earth and
the Princess of the Sun but since they couldn't be separated we had to
cut them in half."
"Cut them in half? How could you do that?"
"We just made them have two different bodies but one mind. All
of this so you and Endymion could both have your guardians. So when one
of them has an experience here the other one has the same experience on
Earth but not physically... just mentally. Do you understand?"
"I think so... but they're not my brothers?"
"Not in blood Hizashi. But understand that in all other matters
they are as much brothers to you as any other real brother could be. So
never forget that they are your brothers and just as they protect you
you have to protect them."
She nodded solemnly and hugged him tight; his red beard tickled
her smooth face. "I love you papa."
"I love you too. Mesume."

------------------------------

The vision went blurry once again and they now found themselves
staring at a large courtyard made of yellow marble. The now nine-year-
old Hizashi was sitting in the middle of the courtyard. Her throat was
knotted and she was so sad but no tears would spill out. Instead the
sadness spilled over onto the planet and the numerous fireflowers on
the star smoked over and died. The whole of the sun withered and it
grew noticeably colder all around the galaxy and the people knew that
the daughter of King Aites mourned for him.
The coldness seeped into her bones and she shivered and crossed
her arms, hoping to bring some warmth into her body and knowing that
the cold could only be comforted by one person and that person was gone.
She sat there for a long time. Helia, the kitten assigned to
her upbringing, sat at her feet and meowed in simpathy. Her four brothers
flanked her and, unknown to her, four other young boys lay on their
beds all day and hoped to comfort the sister that they had never met
but knew they had. The cold was so horrible that it encompassed her
heart and formed a barrier around it. Suddenly she felt the small arms
of a child go around her neck and she turned around to see her little
sister's blue eyes full of tears and the ice around her heart melted
and she felt the tears spilling over her cheeks and she cried until no
more tears would come out. The whole time Serenity stayed near her and
held her hand tightly.
After she had cried her heart out she felt herself being drawn
into her mother's comforting arms and she sobbed outloud. It was the
first sound that she had made all day long and once she did she was
not able to stop. She sobbed and cried out to her father and held onto
her mother as much as she could. She knew her mother cried as well and
that made her feel better. To know that she wasn't the only one.
"Of course you're not the only one sweetie. We all loved him.
And... we are all going to miss him terribly. But he wouldn't want to
see you so sad. You know he always loved your smile. And how important
this star was to him. You know that right? That he loved the Sun. That
he wanted you to be his heir more than anyone in the entire universe
and that he was so happy that you loved this place as much as he did.
You can't let it all die. Think of your friends. Think of the flowers.
Look!" She pointed towards the grey ashes that filled the entire planet
now. "They are all dying. You can't let that happen. He would be so
proud of you if you don't let that happen."
Hizashi then nodded. She knew that. She knew how much her papa
would want her to take care of their Sun and she also knew that he
wouldn't want her to be sad. So she stood up and she went to the fields
and wherever she stepped the fire would roar up and the flowers would
burst into flames once again. The fire quickly spread around the star
and it was soon as hot as it had been before she had smoldered it all.
She then turned towards her mother and smiled and ran to her
and hugged her and her sister and her brothers and Helia as hard as she
could. She then ran over to the stables and brought Chokusha, the last
gift her father had given her, to the courtyard. She then apologized to
her people for neglecting the Sun and while they all mourned for the
King they were all happy that his daughter would be able to keep their
star as cheerful and warm as it had always been. The day passed in a
blur and although Hizashi missed her father and felt as if she would
never stop missing him she nevertheless always felt hope and happy to
have all that she had. It was agreed that she was to live on the
Sun while her mother and sister were to be on the Moon and that they
would keep in contact all the time. Before Serenity left, Hizashi went
up to her and smiled.
"I have a gift for you." The little girl who had been such a
comfort to her earlier that day smiled up at her older sister.
"What is it onee-san?"
"Give me your hand Reni-chan." Hizashi then concentrated all her
energy upon it and made it glow so that the sun symbol appeared on her
sister's palm and the moon on her own. "So you never forget me or this
place. Come and visit me often!"
Serenity nodded and smiled. "Of course! And we can always talk,
ne? Through our minds?"
'Hai!' Hizashi sent into Serenity's mind and they both smiled
at each other.

------------------------------

The group once again found themselves suspended in time and
heard Hizashi's voice although she didn't come to see them. "About ten
years passed after that and though I often spoke to my sister I never
saw her in those years. I was busy with my work and she with learning
her own. I also had personal... business... that a person four years
younger than I couldn't possibly have understood so the time passed
quickly. This next memory I'll show you will be from when I first went
back to the Moon after my ten years of absence. This was the year before
Queen Beryl attacked the Moon Kingdom and it was the first time that
Princess Serenity met Prince Endymion..."

------------------------------

"Your Highness! Aren't you ready yet?" Helia asked frowning.
"Ummm... I'm having problems with this dress. Couldn't you have
made it simpler?"
"Not for the occasion! Your Highness you know that this ball is
extremely important. And this will be your first time back on the Moon
in ten years! You need to act as any Queen of the Sun would."
"I'm not the queen yet Helia!" Princess Hizashi turned around
and picked up the beautifully made gold dress.
"No you are not but only because you are not of age yet.
However, you will be queen soon as you are well aware. Only two more
years to go and you will be given the title. You will also have to
choose what you have been putting off for so long."
"I'm too young to marry!" Hizashi exclaimed as she went behind
a screen to change out of the pants that she liked to wear and slip on
the dress.
"Too young! Ha! Your mother wasn't too young when she married
and neither are you. Besides, you have plenty of growing up to do in the
next two years. You will be ready soon enough."
"Yes, but I won't marry just because I have to. I want to marry
for love. And you know that a Queen must marry only if she wants to. If
I don't find anyone I will be a Princess forever and I don't see anything
wrong with that!"
"Oh that's certain!" Helia rolled her eyes at the profile on
the screen. "You are so stubborn that you can't see love when it is
under your very nose."
Hizashi blushed deeply and was glad for the screen that covered
her face. "I have absolutely no idea what you are talking about."
"Of course you don't. You wouldn't want a life-long friend to
become your husband. Since you can't even imagine a life without that
friend ne? Even though he loves you dearly and I'm sure that he will
be proposing to you soon enough. And if I hear that you are declining a
proposal from Prince Anko..."
"Alright Helia! Don't even say it aloud or you'll jinx us. You
know how I feel about this. I'm afraid of ruining our friendship. In
fact he's been acting strange around me lately and..." Hizashi sighed
as she thought about the last time that she had seen her friend. He was
acting so edgy that she thought he was going to bolt out of the room
as soon as an opportunity showed itself. She knew that they hadn't seen
each other in 3 years but that was no reason to do something like that.
As if he didn't want their friendship anymore. He had changed that was
certain. Not mentally of course. He would always be the same to her.
And she would always know him best. But physically. She blushed
profusely once more just thinking about his jet black hair and his
violet eyes and the way his back muscles had rippled against his shirt
and... She shook her head free of those thoughts and continued on with
her sentence. "... I think that I have been acting strangely too. So
nothing can happen or things will change once again. And I can't lose
a friend like him. The galaxy just wouldn't be the same. Damn this
stupid dress! Helia I can't seem to get the last button in. All these
tiny buttons are driving me mad!"
As she made her way out from behind the screen Helia smiled at
how beautiful the Princess looked. Yes, the dress was perfect just as
the seamstress had promised it would be. It was made entirely of gold
and it had golden sequins running along the entire dress in the shapes
of fireflowers. It was strapless and showed off the princess' curves
rather well. The dress was tight up to the waist where it then flowed
down and ran on to the floor. It had large cuts up to the hips on either
side and the princess was wearing a red silk skirt underneath which
contrasted rather well with the gold and was the same auburn color as
her hair. She was wearing beautiful golden sandals with the same pattern
on them as the dress. But the most prominent part was the tiny buttons
that ran the entire length of the dress on the back.
Helia called a maid and, though the maid stopped and stared when
she got in, she quickly came to the princess' aid and helped get the
last two top buttons closed. "Your Highness you look lovely." Helia
said honestly.
Hizashi just stuck her tongue out at her but Helia knew that
she was happy with the compliment. The maid then put the princess' hair
up in the odangos that the princesses of the Moon Kingdom wore and, to
mark her as the Sun Princess, tied a chain of fireflowers at the top
of the odangos and allowed them to trail down with the two ponytails
to the floor.
When Helia finally proclaimed her ready, Hizashi went out of her
room and walked to the courtyard where her brothers and Chokusha were
waiting for her. As soon as she stepped outside her brothers stopped
talking and just stared at her. Hizashi blushed once more.
"Well don't just stand there!" She twirled around. "What do you
think?"
Zoicite, who loved all beautiful things, went up to her and
kissed her forehead. "You look radiant. As much as any sun ray." Hizashi
smiled and hugged her brother. That was the best compliment he could
have given her and he knew it. She thought anything from the sun was
beautiful and comparing her to a sun ray was the most beautiful thing
that he could have said. All her brothers then came up to her and hugged
her and gawked over her. Kunzite was carrying a box.
"Your grandmother's ruby." He then presented her with a simple
gold chain and attached to it was the most beautiful ruby shaped like
a fireflower. She gasped as he put the necklace around her neck and
touched the smooth chain delicately.
"It's beautiful!"
"Yes, rubies to compliment the most beautiful of all crystals.
Your Empyrium Ruby Crystal." Hizashi smiled at him with teary eyes. The
legendary Ruby Crystal, which worked as the Silver Crystal did for the
moon and the Golden Crystal did for the Earth, was to come to her when
she was crowned Queen. No one told her how it would appear or where
but she knew that it would. No matter where she was. Kunzite, by calling
it her Empyrium Ruby Crystal was saying that, to him, she was already
Queen.
"Thank you Kunzite, Nephlyte, Jadeite, Zoicite. I love you all
very much!" They each bowed to her and she hugged them once more before
turning around to leave. As she was getting on Chokusha she looked at
them once more. "I wish you could come with me!"
"Don't worry sis! We'll be there!" Jadeite winked up at her.
She then smiled, knowing that her brothers' "halves" would be
there with Prince Endymion. She then made sure that Helia was comfortable
on Chokusha's large back and waved and Chokusha took off on a sun ray.
When they landed in front of the castle of the Moon Kingdom,
Hizashi breathed in deeply and smiled. Yes, this castle, although not
as important to her as the Sun Kingdom, was still home. Attendants came
out to take Chokusha - although they were careful not to touch him -
and she was left alone with Helia. The two of them started walking
towards the castle when a blur of gold attacked Hizashi and hugged her
tightly.
"Onee-san! I missed you so! I was so looking forward to you
coming! It was the only reason I wanted this ball!" Hizashi smiled down
at the blonde head that was hugging her so tightly and hugged her little
sister back. They then looked in each other's eyes and smiled as the
glow from inbetween their palms cast a glow on their faces. Hizashi
dropped their hands and looked at the Moon symbol with a smile.
"It's good to be back here Reni-chan. But let me see you. I
haven't seen you in ten years you know." She held her sister at arms
length and smiled. She was looking at a beautiful young woman now. Not
the little child that she had last seen. "Serenity-chan you are very
beautiful. Are you sure you don't have any beaus yet?" Hizashi winked
at her sister.
Serenity blushed deeply. "No! But you are very beautiful too
Hiza-chan! You look very beautiful tonight. I love your dress!"
"Thank you. Helia picked it out. I would rather have worn pants."
Helia gasped at the thought. "You would never have. I would never
have allowed it!"
"I know you wouldn't!" And the two sisters giggled and embraced
once more before going into the castle arm-in-arm.
When they entered, Serenity lead her sister into her mother's room
and the Queen embraced her other daughter with tears in her eyes. "Look
at you! You are quite the sophisticated woman now! You have grown so!"
She tenderly placed a hand on her daughter's cheek. The three of them
talked for a while and, since the ball would be starting soon, Serenity
and the Queen left Hizashi for a moment to get dressed.
"Meet us at the ball room Hizashi dear! We will be there shortly."
Hizashi nodded and left the room while Helia stayed behind to talk
to Queen Serenity. "No doubt about my future marriage." Hizashi muttered
under her breath. When she finally arrived at the ball room she stopped
and gawked. Everything was so beautiful! The room was set up splendidly
and everywhere the candles gave the room a soft glow. She loved it.
She walked around the entire room while servants bustled about
trying to finish everything at once and smiled. Her sister soon found
her once again and drew her aside. The royal family was supposed to
stay out of the ball room until all the guests arrived and it just
wouldn't do to have her walking around. The two then went into the Queen's
waiting room once again and talked until their mother showed up.
The fifteen minute wait seemed like it took hours to Hizashi but
finally the servant rapped on the door and announced that it was time for
the Royal Family to present themselves. The three women walked out of the
room and stood outside the closed doors as a crier announced their
presence. The hum of voices died down as the three walked in and the
entire room bowed to them. Hizashi, terribly embarrassed, found her eyes
attracted to a particular face and saw Prince Ankoku staring at her. She
gave him a radiant smile that flowed into her eyes and made them shine.
Much to the surprise of the other guests, Hizashi's eyes turned from
their usual blue to a bright yellow and everyone turned around to see
what the Princess was looking at. Hizashi suddenly noticed this and looked
down quickly at her hands. When she looked up once more her eyes were
back to their normal blue.
She couldn't help but notice, however, that her mother had given
Helia a knowing look and gulped. Her sister just seemed confused over
this phenomenon and gave Hizashi a reproachful look.
The rest of the night passed by like a blur. She was startled
when midnight came around. She had been dancing with various partners
she did not know for the past 4 hours! Excusing herself from the next
ready dance partner, Hizashi walked to the bar and helped herself to
some punch. She sighed profusely and suddenly noticed that she was being
watched. She slowly turned around to find herself in front of her
brothers.
She gave a little sob and ran into Zoicite's arms. It was such
a shock to her to meet her brothers' other halves and yet she knew they
were one and the same. And that Zoicite at home could feel this hug just
as well. She then gave each of her other brothers a hug and smiled with
such joy that they smiled back unknowingly.
"We.... we thought that we would never meet you...." Kunzite
said and added with a whisper "onee-san."
She smiled once more and nodded. "I didn't either. I'm so happy
I did though. And my... brothers on the Sun wanted to meet Endymion as
well but they could not have come if you were coming. Or I mean... they
did come through you but... not... oh! I don't know!"
She felt so happy when she heard Nephlyte laugh merrily. "We
know what you mean! It's quite alright." They suddenly stopped when a
young man with jet black hair walked towards them. Hizashi struggled to
see who it was but couldn't since her brothers had formed a very closed
cirlcle around her.
"Your Highness." Jadeite said and bowed, allowing Hizashi to peek
past his shoulder. She gasped. He looked almost exactly like Ankoku
except that he was definitely younger and his eyes were a deep blue and
not the violet that she usually saw in Ankoku's eyes.
"Oh Jadeite don't be formal now! You know I hate that. And who are
you hiding back there?"
Hizashi suddenly had an idea and looked at Kunzite until he noticed
and looked back at her. 'Does he not know? That your 'halves' live with
me?' She sent into his mind.
She saw him barely shake his head and nodded. If he didn't know
then she would just introduce herself properly. She quickly stepped around
Jadeite (ignoring his glare) and smiled at the black haired boy.
"Oh! Your Highness!" He bowed. "It's a pleasure to have met you.
I am Prince Endymion of Earth and these are my Generals. Kunzite, Zoicite,
Nephlyte and Jadeite."
Hizashi almost fainted when she heard that he was Endymion. 'No
wonder he looks so much like Ankoku! Baka Hizashi!' She thought to
herself and smiled at each of the Generals with the mild interest of a
new acquaintance. 'Hey, I'm getting quite good at this!' She smiled at
Endymion.
"How is your brother? I haven't seen him in a while and I have
been looking for him." She took him by the arm and the four Generals
followed, knowing that they would protect these two people. Because they
loved both of them so well.
Prince Endymion blushed at the thought of the beautiful and famed
Princess Hizashi taking him by the arm and stammered. "Ah... well... I..."
"I'm right here." Hizashi and Endymion turned around suddenly and
Endymion noticed how her eyes softened and how her body just seemed to
sway towards his brother automatically. He smiled. He knew how much
Ankoku was in love with Princess Hizashi. Ankoku pretented not to be so
the friendship wouldn't be ruined but Endymion saw past this pretense all
too well. He let go of her arm and was about to go when she put her
hand on his shoulder.
"Thank you, Endymion." She whispered and kissed him lightly on the
cheek. He blushed profusely and turned around once more when she stopped
him yet again. "Oh wait a second!" He turned around and looked at her.
She smiled up at him and told him and Ankoku to wait here.
As she walked away Ankoku kept his eyes fixated on her and made
sure he watched wherever she went. What really had happened that day when
Ankoku almost ran out of the room was nothing but his own love for Hizashi.
He was scared because he felt attracted to his best-friend and he was
afraid that she wouldn't want him in that way but at the beginning of this
evening when she had looked at him from the top of the stairs...
"Brother," Endymion spoke and broke Ankoku's train of thought. He
looked at his brother, "you should just tell her. She loves you, you know.
Didn't you notice how her eyes changed color when she saw you? The Sun
Royalty only do that when they are in love or when they are fighting.
And as there is no fighting between you two it can only mean..."
"Alright Endy-kun!" Ankoku smiled warmly at his little brother and
laughed nervously. "I... I just don't know if..." He stopped suddenly
because Hizashi had just come back with her sister in tow. Ankoku knew
that the little Princess Serenity was going to grow into a beauty and he
knew just what Hizashi was planning. He often knew what she was thinking.
He hid a smile as Endymion was introduced to Serenity and the two just
gawked at each other and left arm-in-arm without a word. The silent
Generals looked toward Hizashi and she barely nodded. They left as well.
The two then finally had time to look at each other and Hizashi
giggled. "Ooh I love when matchmaking works!" Ankoku laughed heartily
and drew her to one of the many balconies.
"Yes, well, you are horrible. You'll never change will you
Hiza-chan?"
She smiled at him. He was acting more like they used to and she
didn't want it to end. "Iie! I'll always be incorrigible! It's more fun
that way. Otherwise who would Helia boss around?"
"Hmmm that's true." She was so happy she had to let him know
somehow. She felt her eyes get lighter and knew that they were turning
yellow again. She quickly looked down hoping that he hadn't noticed. She
knew about the Sun Royalty just as well as Endymion did and she knew
what yellow eyes meant. But she couldn't do this right now. They were
friends and she needed them to stay friends.
Ankoku put his fingers underneath her chin and drew her eyes up to
his. They were still yellow and burning so brightly that he thought he
could lose himself in their burning fire. If she ever got angry he
wouldn't want to be staring into those eyes, that was certain. But for
now at least, the fire was softer and he knew what it meant and the
knowledge of it gave him so much joy that he thought he would burst.
"Aishiteru Hiza-chan." He whispered to her and kissed her softly.
Hizashi was so surprised and happy that she couldn't do anything but
stay in his arms all night long.
They, however, weren't the only ones missing all night. Hizashi
later heard from a very happy sister that Endymion had spent the entire
night talking to her and they had shared a single kiss before he had
left. Not only that, but her guardians, the Interplanetary Senshi had
also disappeared for the night with the four Generals.
Hizashi smiled at her little sister and felt so happy for her and
for her brothers. She had done the same thing and knew how wonderful it
was. When Ankoku had gone the night before, Hizashi kissed him goodbye
and before he left he turned around one last time and stared into her
yellow eyes with dark violet ones.
"Onegai, Hiza-chan. Say it one time before I leave." He whispered
to her and hugged her tightly to him. When he was just about to get on
the coach that would take him back to Earth she whispered to the wind:
"Aishiteru Anko-chan." And he left with a smile.

------------------------------

The Senshi then found themselves once again in that void and it
took a lot longer for Hizashi to appear. All the Senshi were incredibly
silent and the Inners were looking horrible. They had all gotten their
memories back from that night and they knew. Hizashi approached them
slowly.
"Gomen ne minna. I know how hard it is with you getting your
memories back. It must be horrible for you to relive that experience
knowing what you know now." The Outer Senshi looked extremely puzzled.
"What exactly do you mean Hizashi-hime?" Hotaru asked.
"Please call me Hizashi-san. I mean that..." She looked down at her
feet not sure how to say this aloud.
"She means that now we know the love that we felt for the Generals."
Minako interjected. "Rei-chan, Ami-chan, Mako-chan and I. We all loved
one of the Generals and... and now in our time, on Earth, we had to kill
them. Kunzite was my love and I killed him as Sailor Venus when he was
working for Queen Beryl. Ami-chan killed Zoicite-san, Rei-chan killed
Jadeite-san, and Mako-chan killed Nephlyte-san." Hotaru, Michiru,
Haruka and ChibiUsa all looked stricken and sad that such a tragedy
could have occured. "But you shouldn't worry Hizashi-san... I knew that
I loved Kunzite when I..."
Hizashi looked at her and tears threatened to spill over. "Oh no.
Oh Minako-chan I'm so sorry. So so sorry. I forgot you were from the
Planet of Love. Of course you would know... That... that must have been
horrible for you."
"Not really." Minako gave a weak smile as the other Senshi looked
at her with newly found respect. "I knew it had to be done. Besides the
Kunzite I killed was not my Kunzite-kun. He is gone forever now."
Hizashi looked as if she were about to say something but decided
not to instead. Her sister looked like she was about to cry and all the
others looked horror-filled. "I think that this is enough. I can't seem
to go through anymore of my memories and neither can you I gather so I'll
stop for now."
"Demo... Hizashi-san!" Hizashi looked at Endymion and saw how sad
his face looked. "My brother. What happened to my brother?" He gave a
small smile, "You didn't marry him because you weren't of age, I know
that much. But you only had a year left after Queen Beryl attacked. And
he wasn't there. Neither were you. Where is he?"
"I... I..." Hizashi collapsed and all the Senshi found themselves
back in the Hikarawa Temple with Hizashi on the floor crying uncontrollably.
"Hiza-chan..." Usagi touched her sister's heaving shoulders and
attempted to console her when a huge red pegasus came flying in through
the window and all of them had to step back from the heat except for
Usagi who had the blood of the Sun Royalty in her.
"Gomen ne Reni-chan!" Hizashi looked at her sister's face and
attempted a weak smile. "I have to go now but I'll be back. We need to
fight the enemy and it'll be very tough. Lord Hedenemos doesn't give up
so easily... I'll tell you everything later but for now I need to rest.
And think." She then got on Chokusha's back and they flew off on a sun
ray.
Usagi looked out the window to where her sister had disappeared
and tears fell from her eyes. Mamoru hugged her to him. "She must have
suffered so much Mamo-chan. She was always strong. For her to break down
like that... she must have suffered so much!"

Japanese words used in this chapter:

konichiwa - Good day
imouto - younger sister
onee - older sister
gomen ne - So sorry
minna - everyone
mesume - daughter
hai - yes
odangos - literally dumplings, but odango is what Usagi's hairstyle is
called in Japan
baka - idiot
iie - no
aishiteru - I love you
onegai - please
Senshi - Warrior (Scout in DIC version)

Well that's it for now! What do you think? Write to me and
tell me! My e-mail is cfmc@uclink4.berkeley.edu! All comments are
appreciated! Thanks!