A.N: FINAL CHAPTER!!! Thank you to those of you who reviewed, and I
hope you like this ending.
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The sunlight shone its way through an opened window, resting in glorious golden rays on a sleeping girl who's beauty matched its own. Stirring sluggishly, the young woman smiled softly and slowly opened her eyes, revealing stunning silver flecked, crystal blue orbs.
Stretching, she brushed back a few strands of silvery blonde hair from her face and sat up, gazing blankly out the window.
Why did this all feel so strange?
Her thoughts scattered when a small warm body moved at her side. Smiling, she picked up the black feline and hugged her gently. "Good morning Luna." The cat purred in return and Serena rubbed her forehead fondly, pausing with her fingers barely brushing a certain spot in the centre.
Hadn't there been some sort of mark there?
Luna jumped out of Serena's arms, once again startling her back to reality. Shaking her head to clear the sleepy fog over her brain, Serena stood and crossed to her dresser, digging around in her clothes until she found a white mini skirt, baby blue tank top, and a light grey hoody that zipped up the front and said Brody in glittery silver letters on the back. Changing quickly, she brushed her hair and styled it in the usual twin buns before running downstairs into the kitchen.
Mrs. Tsukino smiled as her daughter hurriedly grabbed an apple before throwing on her shoes and rushing out the door. Chuckling to herself, she shook her head and went back to wiping down the counters. "That girl. Always in a rush, as if she's out to save the world." Sighing, she scrubbed furiously at a stubborn spot before moving on to the stove.
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Serena had ran all the way to the park before she finally stopped, walking around a bit to cool off before seating herself at an obviously well worn bench. This had always been her favourite spot. One of absolute peace and comfort, where she could always run to if she needed to sit and think, or even just sit for the fun of it. The lake shimmering in front of her, the leaves on the trees behind her slightly rustling in the wind, and sometimes a stray cherry blossom or two fluttering to the ground at her feet. And at night, it had a perfect view of the moon.
Yes, this was definitely her favourite spot.
However, she hadn't come here without a purpose, and so her expression was anything but blissful.
Something had been bothering her all morning. Something she knew was important, but she couldn't for the life of her figure out why. Long moments passed, until suddenly, she had wandered across the million dollar question.
Did she want to remember?
If her mind had gone through all this trouble to forget whatever it was she had forgotten, was it worth fighting to get the memories back? Closing her eyes, Serena leaned back onto the bench and sighed. If only she could have some kind of preview. Some kind of feeling to warn her if the memories were worth it, or if they were just too pain-filled to bother.
A child's delighted laughter echoed through the park, making her open her eyes to see the cause. Across the lake, a father was twirling in circles as he held his daughter above him, laughing joyfully as she squealed in mock terror before giggling again. A smile spread across Serena's face and she watched the two play together until they moved down a path towards the ice cream vendor.
Once again left to her thoughts, Serena moved to lean over the rail of the lake, watching as patches of light sparkled over its surface. An old friend had once told her that concentration was the key to finding anything. Who had that been anyway? Ah yes, it was Molly who told her that, after Serena had complained she wasn't going to ever find the part of her brain that solved math problems.
A dull ache filled her heart when she thought of her friend, although she didn't really understand why. After all, she had just seen Molly a few day's ago. Hadn't she? Shaking her head in confusion, Serena closed her eyes and concentrated, searching for those elusive memories that taunted her mercilessly.
A feeling of overwhelming pain came over her. Heart break, depression, and even sorrow attacking her every sense. As soon as it had come, it vanished, only to be replaced by the most wonderful feelings she had ever experienced. Feelings of caring and love, not from her, but from shadowed figures that she felt had been with her far beyond this existence. Then, those too were gone.
Opening her eyes in surprise, she immediately knew this had been the so called 'preview' she had asked for. So now a new question formed.
Was all of that pain worth the feeling of love and content she had experienced?
That had to be one of the easiest question's she had ever answered. Raising her face to the sky, she opened her mind, bracing herself as the memories rushed back into her. Not only memories of her life as Serena, but also those of Serenity and Sailor Moon.
Memories of the last few moments she had last been alive.
Realization hit. Her eyes widened and she took off running, headed to the opposite end of the park. The end a certain apartment building was located on. Five minutes later, she burst through the buildings doors and rushed to the stairs, not even bothering to wait for the elevator. Soon she was bracing a hand against the wall as she leaned against it and caught her breath. Staring at the door number, she hesitated before finally knocking, fingers crossed and eyes shining with hope.
She didn't have to wait long before the door opened, revealing a tall man with silky black hair the most amazing blue eyes. Serena froze, not knowing what to do. Did he remember what happened? Did he remember her? A smile broke out on his face and he pulled her into his arms, hugging her tightly to him.
Tears of relief welled up in her eyes as she pulled him closer to her, thanking whatever god it was that had let him walk into her life. "You remembered." Her voice was soft and shaky, barely over a whisper.
Darien loosened his grip enough for her to be able to look up at him. His eyes were serious and his voice filled with emotion. "How could I forget the most important thing in my life." A tear of pure happiness slid down her cheek before Darien softly wiped it away. "I love you Serena. I would never want to forget you, even if you had chosen to forget me."
"Oh Darien…" She was stopped mid-sentence when his lips were pressed gently to her own, briefly making her forget what she had been thinking. When he pulled away, she smiled blissfully and rested her head against his shoulder, enjoying the feeling of him so close to her.
Long moments passed as the two held each other, before Serena half reluctantly pulled away. "I have to see if-"
"I know. I'll drive you to the arcade." Serena leaned forward and kissed him passionately, catching him off guard.
"I don't know what I ever did to deserve you. I love you so much." She was sobbing now. Not tears of joy, but tears of heartfelt agony. She had almost lost him. Beryl had almost killed him – correction, Beryl had killed him – and it had been the Silver Crystal that had brought them back together.
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The arcade doors slid open as a young couple walked through, the girl eagerly looking around for a few familiar faces. The guy was the first one to spot who they were looking for however, and pointed them out to his partner. Suddenly hesitating, the girl tried to leave, but the guy pulled her to a booth four people occupied. All eyes turned to them and there was an awkward moment of silence.
Mina stood slowly, studying Serena's slightly frightened gaze. Without a word, she threw her arms around her and began to cry, quickly followed by Lita, Rei, and Amy. Rei wiped away her tears and smiled at her friend. "It's so good to see you again Meatball Head."
Serena laughed and playfully smacked Rei's arm. Not even a second later, her eyes softened. "You all chose to remember. Even after what you must have been through, you still-"
"Your our best friend Serena, we'll always choose you." Amy smiled widely, winking. "Even over homework." Everyone laughed again, revelling in the perfection of the moment. An hour later, Serena stood to go to the counter, cheerfully waving to Andrew.
He smiled and walked over, leaning against the counter. "Hey Serena, what'll it be?"
"Four cokes, a sprite, and a coffee." She chirped happily.
"And what should I get for your friends?"
Serena glared at him as he chuckled, deciding to not even dignify that with an answer. She was about to call out to Darien, but her voice died in her throat when she turned around.
"Hi Serena. I missed you." Serena just stared, not knowing what to say. Warm arms wrapped around her and she automatically hugged back.
"How…?"
"It was your wish Serena. You wished to make everything right, and so I was brought back." Serena's grip tightened and tears once again filled her eyes.
"I missed you so much Molly. Oh god, did I ever miss you."
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Serena closed the door softly, touching her tingling lips sub- consciously. Heading up the stairs, she closed the door to her room behind her and flopped down on the bed. Luna jumped onto her lap, purring softly. Sadly Serena cuddled her, brushing her fingers over the spot her crescent moon had once been.
The Silver Crystal had done exactly as she had asked. All the evil in the world had been completely destroyed, but to balance it out, a sacrifice of good had to be made. The Sailor Scouts no longer existed, and neither did Tuxedo Mask. Without anyone to train and guard, Luna and Artimis had also been sacrificed in a way. They still existed, but they were now normal cat's, their human conscious' dormant until the day they were once again called forth. The crystal had even given them the choice to forget all of the things that had ever gone wrong, but of course, they never could. It would be a shame to not remember all the hard earned victories and the close calls.
Serena would miss Luna terribly, but she had no other choice. She now had the normal life she had wished so hard for. All of her friends were back, and the love of her life would always be with her. She finally had peace. Pure and total happiness. Looking back on the year, she remembered something her mother had told her.
'If you think of everything that has happened to you over the year, and it doesn't make you cry tears of joy, then that year has been wasted. It's only when pure and total happiness has found you, that you know everything is going to be fine.'
Yes. Everything was going to turn out great. Why else would she be crying.
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A.N: Well, *sniff* that's it. It's finished! I want to say thank you to everyone who has ever reviewed and to everyone who has stuck with my story till the end! It was great to see that so many people liked it, and I just hope you find the end satisfying. Even though the story is done, I would love it if everyone reviewed!! Please, please, please?! Well, I guess this is goodbye! *sniff* Review!
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The sunlight shone its way through an opened window, resting in glorious golden rays on a sleeping girl who's beauty matched its own. Stirring sluggishly, the young woman smiled softly and slowly opened her eyes, revealing stunning silver flecked, crystal blue orbs.
Stretching, she brushed back a few strands of silvery blonde hair from her face and sat up, gazing blankly out the window.
Why did this all feel so strange?
Her thoughts scattered when a small warm body moved at her side. Smiling, she picked up the black feline and hugged her gently. "Good morning Luna." The cat purred in return and Serena rubbed her forehead fondly, pausing with her fingers barely brushing a certain spot in the centre.
Hadn't there been some sort of mark there?
Luna jumped out of Serena's arms, once again startling her back to reality. Shaking her head to clear the sleepy fog over her brain, Serena stood and crossed to her dresser, digging around in her clothes until she found a white mini skirt, baby blue tank top, and a light grey hoody that zipped up the front and said Brody in glittery silver letters on the back. Changing quickly, she brushed her hair and styled it in the usual twin buns before running downstairs into the kitchen.
Mrs. Tsukino smiled as her daughter hurriedly grabbed an apple before throwing on her shoes and rushing out the door. Chuckling to herself, she shook her head and went back to wiping down the counters. "That girl. Always in a rush, as if she's out to save the world." Sighing, she scrubbed furiously at a stubborn spot before moving on to the stove.
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
Serena had ran all the way to the park before she finally stopped, walking around a bit to cool off before seating herself at an obviously well worn bench. This had always been her favourite spot. One of absolute peace and comfort, where she could always run to if she needed to sit and think, or even just sit for the fun of it. The lake shimmering in front of her, the leaves on the trees behind her slightly rustling in the wind, and sometimes a stray cherry blossom or two fluttering to the ground at her feet. And at night, it had a perfect view of the moon.
Yes, this was definitely her favourite spot.
However, she hadn't come here without a purpose, and so her expression was anything but blissful.
Something had been bothering her all morning. Something she knew was important, but she couldn't for the life of her figure out why. Long moments passed, until suddenly, she had wandered across the million dollar question.
Did she want to remember?
If her mind had gone through all this trouble to forget whatever it was she had forgotten, was it worth fighting to get the memories back? Closing her eyes, Serena leaned back onto the bench and sighed. If only she could have some kind of preview. Some kind of feeling to warn her if the memories were worth it, or if they were just too pain-filled to bother.
A child's delighted laughter echoed through the park, making her open her eyes to see the cause. Across the lake, a father was twirling in circles as he held his daughter above him, laughing joyfully as she squealed in mock terror before giggling again. A smile spread across Serena's face and she watched the two play together until they moved down a path towards the ice cream vendor.
Once again left to her thoughts, Serena moved to lean over the rail of the lake, watching as patches of light sparkled over its surface. An old friend had once told her that concentration was the key to finding anything. Who had that been anyway? Ah yes, it was Molly who told her that, after Serena had complained she wasn't going to ever find the part of her brain that solved math problems.
A dull ache filled her heart when she thought of her friend, although she didn't really understand why. After all, she had just seen Molly a few day's ago. Hadn't she? Shaking her head in confusion, Serena closed her eyes and concentrated, searching for those elusive memories that taunted her mercilessly.
A feeling of overwhelming pain came over her. Heart break, depression, and even sorrow attacking her every sense. As soon as it had come, it vanished, only to be replaced by the most wonderful feelings she had ever experienced. Feelings of caring and love, not from her, but from shadowed figures that she felt had been with her far beyond this existence. Then, those too were gone.
Opening her eyes in surprise, she immediately knew this had been the so called 'preview' she had asked for. So now a new question formed.
Was all of that pain worth the feeling of love and content she had experienced?
That had to be one of the easiest question's she had ever answered. Raising her face to the sky, she opened her mind, bracing herself as the memories rushed back into her. Not only memories of her life as Serena, but also those of Serenity and Sailor Moon.
Memories of the last few moments she had last been alive.
Realization hit. Her eyes widened and she took off running, headed to the opposite end of the park. The end a certain apartment building was located on. Five minutes later, she burst through the buildings doors and rushed to the stairs, not even bothering to wait for the elevator. Soon she was bracing a hand against the wall as she leaned against it and caught her breath. Staring at the door number, she hesitated before finally knocking, fingers crossed and eyes shining with hope.
She didn't have to wait long before the door opened, revealing a tall man with silky black hair the most amazing blue eyes. Serena froze, not knowing what to do. Did he remember what happened? Did he remember her? A smile broke out on his face and he pulled her into his arms, hugging her tightly to him.
Tears of relief welled up in her eyes as she pulled him closer to her, thanking whatever god it was that had let him walk into her life. "You remembered." Her voice was soft and shaky, barely over a whisper.
Darien loosened his grip enough for her to be able to look up at him. His eyes were serious and his voice filled with emotion. "How could I forget the most important thing in my life." A tear of pure happiness slid down her cheek before Darien softly wiped it away. "I love you Serena. I would never want to forget you, even if you had chosen to forget me."
"Oh Darien…" She was stopped mid-sentence when his lips were pressed gently to her own, briefly making her forget what she had been thinking. When he pulled away, she smiled blissfully and rested her head against his shoulder, enjoying the feeling of him so close to her.
Long moments passed as the two held each other, before Serena half reluctantly pulled away. "I have to see if-"
"I know. I'll drive you to the arcade." Serena leaned forward and kissed him passionately, catching him off guard.
"I don't know what I ever did to deserve you. I love you so much." She was sobbing now. Not tears of joy, but tears of heartfelt agony. She had almost lost him. Beryl had almost killed him – correction, Beryl had killed him – and it had been the Silver Crystal that had brought them back together.
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
The arcade doors slid open as a young couple walked through, the girl eagerly looking around for a few familiar faces. The guy was the first one to spot who they were looking for however, and pointed them out to his partner. Suddenly hesitating, the girl tried to leave, but the guy pulled her to a booth four people occupied. All eyes turned to them and there was an awkward moment of silence.
Mina stood slowly, studying Serena's slightly frightened gaze. Without a word, she threw her arms around her and began to cry, quickly followed by Lita, Rei, and Amy. Rei wiped away her tears and smiled at her friend. "It's so good to see you again Meatball Head."
Serena laughed and playfully smacked Rei's arm. Not even a second later, her eyes softened. "You all chose to remember. Even after what you must have been through, you still-"
"Your our best friend Serena, we'll always choose you." Amy smiled widely, winking. "Even over homework." Everyone laughed again, revelling in the perfection of the moment. An hour later, Serena stood to go to the counter, cheerfully waving to Andrew.
He smiled and walked over, leaning against the counter. "Hey Serena, what'll it be?"
"Four cokes, a sprite, and a coffee." She chirped happily.
"And what should I get for your friends?"
Serena glared at him as he chuckled, deciding to not even dignify that with an answer. She was about to call out to Darien, but her voice died in her throat when she turned around.
"Hi Serena. I missed you." Serena just stared, not knowing what to say. Warm arms wrapped around her and she automatically hugged back.
"How…?"
"It was your wish Serena. You wished to make everything right, and so I was brought back." Serena's grip tightened and tears once again filled her eyes.
"I missed you so much Molly. Oh god, did I ever miss you."
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
Serena closed the door softly, touching her tingling lips sub- consciously. Heading up the stairs, she closed the door to her room behind her and flopped down on the bed. Luna jumped onto her lap, purring softly. Sadly Serena cuddled her, brushing her fingers over the spot her crescent moon had once been.
The Silver Crystal had done exactly as she had asked. All the evil in the world had been completely destroyed, but to balance it out, a sacrifice of good had to be made. The Sailor Scouts no longer existed, and neither did Tuxedo Mask. Without anyone to train and guard, Luna and Artimis had also been sacrificed in a way. They still existed, but they were now normal cat's, their human conscious' dormant until the day they were once again called forth. The crystal had even given them the choice to forget all of the things that had ever gone wrong, but of course, they never could. It would be a shame to not remember all the hard earned victories and the close calls.
Serena would miss Luna terribly, but she had no other choice. She now had the normal life she had wished so hard for. All of her friends were back, and the love of her life would always be with her. She finally had peace. Pure and total happiness. Looking back on the year, she remembered something her mother had told her.
'If you think of everything that has happened to you over the year, and it doesn't make you cry tears of joy, then that year has been wasted. It's only when pure and total happiness has found you, that you know everything is going to be fine.'
Yes. Everything was going to turn out great. Why else would she be crying.
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A.N: Well, *sniff* that's it. It's finished! I want to say thank you to everyone who has ever reviewed and to everyone who has stuck with my story till the end! It was great to see that so many people liked it, and I just hope you find the end satisfying. Even though the story is done, I would love it if everyone reviewed!! Please, please, please?! Well, I guess this is goodbye! *sniff* Review!