Time and Unforeseen Circumstances
A Sailor Moon Story by BenRG
Legal Disclaimer
Naoko Takeuchi created all the characters and the story of Sailor Moon. TOEI Animation produced the original animé 'Pretty Girl Soldier Sailormoon', while DiC Entertainment produced the English Language adaptation of the animé.
This is a non-profit work for free distribution through the Worldwide Web. The author intends no breach of any copyright or trademark property.
Author's Notes
This is in response to a thought that I had one night: Exactly how alike is the current generation of Senshi to their equivalents in the Silver Millennium? Would they get along with each other if they met? On the other hand, would they be either too similar or too different for them to tolerate their other selves? I decided to find out by putting the Inner Senshi into a position where they had no choice but to seek out the help of their previous selves.
I know that the underlying idea is similar to that used in another fan story called The Heart Remembers by Meshala. I'm not stealing your story, because you will soon see that the detail of the story is quite different.
Continuity: The Inner Senshi are all 18; Tuxedo Mask is 23; Rini and Heather are both 12. Queen Serenity is about 500 years old; The Silver Senshi are all between 20 and 25; Princess Serenity is 20; Prince Endymion is 25; Sailor Pluto is a walking time paradox and you can't pin an age on her.
Events take place (in our time) two years after the defeat of Chaos and the healing of Sailor Galaxia.
Events take place (in the Silver Millennium) a year before Beryl conquers Earth and attacks the Moon.
Censor: PG
Chapter 1 – Future Imperfect
The Inner Court Chamber
The Silver Palace, Mare Serenitas, the Moon
Circa 8000 BC
Queen Serenity of the Moon was over four centuries old. She thought that nothing would surprise her anymore. Now, she had to think again.
In defiance of all logic, an imperfect copy of her daughter stood before her, looking at her in a hopeful and worried fashion. She seemed slightly younger, but there was hardness in her eyes that told the Queen that this young woman had seen too many battles and too much death to remain entirely innocent. At her side stood a young man in a white body suit with green and brown over-clothes who was, despite some differences, clearly Prince Endymion. "Hello, Mama," the young woman said. "I'm sorry to drop in unannounced, but you are my last hope."
The Queen stepped forwards and noted with a certain grim humour the shock on her Senshi's faces as they stared at their doppelgangers. There were the same slight differences from one group to another. The newcomers from the future had hair and eyes of a darker shade, their fukus were different and they seemed slightly younger. Most importantly, they all had the posture of seasoned warriors; people who had known for too long battle of a sort that had not scarred the Silver Alliance since its' inception. Despite Mercury's scans and her own feelings, she could not bring herself to believe that this young warrior was her innocent daughter. "Who are you?" the Queen asked at last, in an uncharacteristically harsh tone. "And why do you use the form of my daughter?"
"I know that this is hard to believe," the other Serenity replied, "but I am your daughter… or at least a version of her… from far in the future." She sucked in a deep breath and gathered up the bundle that she had carried through the time stream. "My Senshi and I have come back in time, over Sailor Pluto's objections, I might add, because… well because you told me that your past self was my only hope."
"Your only hope for what?" The Queen asked.
"The only hope to… to cure my daughter." Before the Queen's startled gaze, the other Serenity moved the blanket to reveal the face of a girl, maybe 12 years old, with silver-red hair in the royal hairstyle. The girl's face was so clearly a mix of Endymion and Serenity, but what frightened the Queen was the terrible deathly pale colour of the girl's face.
A granddaughter, the Queen thought in amazement. She looked into the other Serenity's eyes and suddenly knew that her daughter's soul looked out through them, despite the incomprehensible physical changes that had taken place. She focussed on her clothing and frowned. The Sailor Fuku in the colours of white, blue and red were something that she had only seen in the history books. It was the colours of Sailor Moon. My daughter… a Senshi? That boded ill for the future, then. In 9,000 years, the situation had never been so bleak so that the Queen of the Moon had to train her daughter to be Senshi Sailor Moon. Yet here she stood. The clear ease and familiarity with her powers that this Sailor Moon showed meant that this was not something that the other Serenity had been forced to accept recently, from her perspective. A bleak future indeed, then.
The other Serenity was looking down at her daughter's pale face, stroking the little girl's cheeks, tears trickling down her face. The other Endymion had stepped to her side and was hugging her, trying to lend her strength in her grief.
The Queen touched her granddaughter's face and felt the taint of evil and the sickness eating at the child's soul. Almost unnoticed, Serenity and Endymion had approached their future selves. The young princess looked down at her unborn daughter's pale face with an expression of horror. "What… what is wrong with her?"
"She has been poisoned with something called a Nightshade Crystal," the other Endymion announced in a bitter, angry tone of voice. "It is something from the Negaverse, but I've never heard of such a thing before. Even the Silver Crystal can only halt the spread of the poison, not reverse it."
"So Beryl is still causing trouble, even in the future?" Endymion asked his counterpart angrily. If it was her doing, he would leave at once to gut the witch and damn the consequences. No one even touched his child and lived! Then he paused, astounded that he would feel this way for a child that hadn't even been born yet!
The future Serenity looked at her love and the Queen could see them silently debating how much it was safe for them to tell. No doubt (and here the Queen had to smile despite the grim situation) Setsuna had given them a long lecture about preserving the time line at all costs.
Before either of the lovers could speak, the other Mars spoke up. "We were in a battle," she said simply. "Against… an enemy… Not Beryl, though. While we were fighting a large number of youma that was attacking the city, the enemy appeared and stabbed Rini with a crystal spear. Serena knew the moment that Rini was in danger was able to defeat him, but it was too late. As he was dying, he told us that… that the poison would spread through Rini and turn her into a monster that we would have to destroy to protect the innocent. His final act of revenge…" Although the future Sailor Mars' voice was level, the Queen could feel the torment in the black-haired girl's voice.
Senshi Mars jumped forwards again. "And how did this enemy get close enough to the little princess to attack her Sailor Mars?" The way she pronounced her counterpart's title was laden with accusation.
The future Sailor Mars looked at her past self in the way that Mercury would look at an interesting new form of microbe in her laboratory. "We were taken by surprise," she said. "The enemy had never targeted Rini before. We didn't even know that he knew she existed."
"That's no excuse," Mars snapped. "You can't let your guard down for an instant! You should never let events distract you enough to forget you primary duty: to protect the Royal Family!"
"Listen," Future Mars responded in some heat. "We've kept the Princess and her daughter alive for four years against enemies that you can't even imagine. Don't think that you can tell me how to do my job!"
"Oh yeah, you are great!" Mars replied sarcastically. "The condition that the Queen's granddaughter is in is proof of that!"
"Why you stuck up…!" Future Mars stepped forwards, red-yellow flame flaring over her forearms. Mars raised her soul blade again…
"That is enough!" Everyone blinked. The two versions of Princess Serenity had spoken simultaneously. Serenity looked at her future self and giggled self-consciously and the two versions of Sailor Mars jumped apart like scalded cats.
Sailor Moon continued for both of them. "Raye, I've told you already to stop kicking yourself. None of this is your fault." Sailor Moon turned to the older version of Sailor Mars. "Senshi Mars, it is pointless debating over what has already taken place. Lives were at stake, and there had been no threat to Rini before that day. Sailor Saturn was accompanying my daughter at the time of the attack, and she should have been enough of a guardian for any circumstance. Unfortunately for us, the enemy was strong enough to get past her, if only for a moment." Sailor Moon closed her eyes and sucked in a deep breath. A few more crystalline tears escaped her eyes. She could still hear Rini's agonised combined vocal and telepathic scream as Harbinger stabbed her with his spear.
All the court of the Silver Millennium was shocked into silence. Did she say 'Sailor Saturn'? the Queen thought in disbelief. The very thought of Serenity trusting the Senshi of Destruction and Rebirth with the protection of her daughter horrified the woman. Nonetheless, this told her enough of the enemy that the future Senshi faced. A power that could get past Princess Hotaru was a fearsome enemy indeed.
"O… kay," Mercury said at last, stepping forward to scan Rini. "I'm interested to understand exactly what this curse or poison is. There shouldn't be any dark magic strong enough to resist the Silver Crystal."
"We've tried everything," Future Endymion said. "The Silver Crystal is powerful, but this… nightmare seems to draw its' power from the elemental darkness itself. I'm not sure if anything could stop it… But I pray that we'll find something." The future Prince of Earth stroked a rebellious red bang from his daughter's face, his expression one of repressed fury and helpless agony.
"We consulted with… you," Sailor Moon continued, "but you hadn't heard of anything like this before. However, by our time, most of the magical knowledge of the Silver Millennium is unavailable for one reason or another. You suggested that the past version of you would know something that we couldn't know, or had missed."
The Queen touched her daughter on the shoulder. "I have never heard of this 'Nightshade Crystal,'" she said, "but our library is vast and I don't pretend to have explored even a tenth of it. We'll find the answer, my child, have no fear."
"Yes, we will," Serenity said, stepping forwards to hug her future self reassuringly. She could feel the exhaustion in her counterpart through the physical contact and turned to her mother. "Mother, they need to rest. They are all exhausted."
The Queen turned around to see how the two groups of Senshi were still looking at each other uneasily. Well, that wasn't a surprise. The day had brought too many shocks, and a warrior's response to a shock was to look for something to fight. The Earth Royal Guardsmen were looking on in some surprise and… yes, amusement. Kunzite, especially, seemed to be enjoying Venus' discomfiture as she gazed at her future self. "Let us offer our guests the assistance that they have sought by coming here," the Queen said in a firm, commanding tone.
As if someone had thrown a hidden switch, everyone started moving again. "I want to take the princess to my laboratory in the Healer's Wing for a full scan," Mercury announced. "We'll be able to help better if we know what we are facing."
Future Mercury stepped forwards. "I've already done as thorough a scan as my fuku's in-built TACS can manage," she said. "I'll upload the results to your own system." Mercury nodded in thanks and reached forwards to take the little princess from Sailor Moon's arms. Sailor Moon stepped back slightly and drew her daughter into a more protective embrace. Mercury looked helplessly at the Queen, but Serenity was the one to offer a reassurance.
"You know that you can trust Mercury," she told her future self. "Rini will be fine with her."
Sailor Moon laughed nervously. "Yeah, I know," she said at last. "She's already hurting so badly though. I… I never expected to feel protective towards anyone, but a bit of me is dying with her right now. I'm afraid to let her go."
Serenity's face shone with compassion. "We will help you, Serenity," she said. "I promise that we won't let your little girl die."
Sailor Moon smiled uncertainly for a moment. Her prince squeezed her shoulder and she looked into his eyes for a moment before surrendering her comatose daughter to Mercury. As the blue-haired Senshi moved away with her sad burden, Sailor Moon fell into the future Endymion's arms and began to weep. Serenity touched her future self's shoulder in sympathy and felt grateful for her Endymion's reassuring presence. What kind of future awaits us? she asked herself. Can I endure a time that is so violent that it will force me to take up arms and learn to fight as a Sailor Senshi?
After a moment, the Sailor Senshi of the Moon stifled her tears and turned around. The Queen had already summoned help. A redheaded woman in the graceful clothes of the palace's servants appeared through the doors to the Royal Quarters. When Sailor Moon saw her, her eyes bugged out slightly. "Naru," the Queen said, "I want you to prepare state rooms for our guests. Give the ones in Senshi Fukus single rooms. The two who look like my daughter and her young man can have a double room." The Queen winked at Sailor Moon in a way that made both versions of her daughter colour prettily.
Naru was staring at the near-exact duplicates of the Inner Senshi, her Princess (and best friend) and the Princess' fiancé in shock. She felt frozen to the spot. "Now please, Naru," the Queen said gently.
"Oh! Of course, Your Majesty! This way please… uh… Ma'am… uh…" Naru's voice trailed off helplessly. "What should I call you?" she asked in a quiet voice.
Despite the situation Sailor Moon laughed. It was a sound so like Serenity's bell-like joyous laughter that it made Naru's disorientation far worse. "You can call me Serena," Sailor Moon announced. "The other Sailor Mercury is Amy. Venus is Mina, Mars is Raye and Jupiter is Lita. The hunky guy at my side is Darien."
Darien rolled his eyes in a long-suffering way, making the future Senshi smile, although Raye's smile was grim.
***
Serena looked around the beautiful stateroom that Molly… no 'Naru' had assigned to her and Darien and tried hard not to be overwhelmed. There was an air of boundless prosperity and peace about everything in the palace. Hell, even the fittings in the en-suite bathroom were made of gold! Tapestries of amazing complexity and beauty decorated the walls and an astounding landscape painting of the surface of the Moon was on the wall in the room's living area. No wonder the Silver Millennium was remembered as a golden age. Both she and Darien had transformed back to their civilian guises as soon as they were in the room and they were trying to relax after the horrific events of the past twenty-four hours.
Darien was pacing restlessly. Every moment away from Rini was like a torture to him. Serena felt it too, but she had always been gifted with a… a serenity that enabled her to handle such situations without loosing her cool. Little did he know that it had taken all of her self-control not to attack Amy's past self when she had touched Rini. The only thing that was holding her together was the clear understanding that she wouldn't be able to help her future daughter if she collapsed into hysterics.
"I'm sure that they will be able to help," Darien said at last.
"I hope so," Serena replied, her voice level. She was about to continue when there was a gentle knock at the door. "Come in," Serena called out, standing to greet her visitor. Of all the people that could have peeked around the door, the one she least expected was… well… herself. "Um… hi there, er… Your Highness," Serena offered.
Serenity smiled in her best regal and reassuring manner and entered the room. She could understand her counterpart's confusion, of course. What do you call yourself anyway? She came to a decision. There was no point standing on ceremony with… herself. "Call me 'Serenity' if you prefer," she said.
"Okay, but only if you call me 'Serena,'" was the reply. The two near-identical young women gazed at each other in perplexelment for a moment before nodding in agreement and giggling self-consciously in unison.
Darien could feel his brain trying to force its' way out of the front of his skull. One Serena was a thing of dreams. Dealing with two of them would be a near-impossibility. Gods alone knew what would happen if Serena had to transform into her 'Princess' form. Two identical princesses would drive him crazy!
The two young women stood awkwardly before Serena rose. "Um… what can I do for you, Serenity?" she asked.
The Princess seemed to come from far away in order to reply. She had been staring at Serena and Darien's clothes. Both were wearing the clothes they had worn the morning of the last battle. Serena was wearing a white blouse and jeans with a small red hip bag, her Eternal Locket on the breast of her blouse. The Star Locket that Endymion gave to Serenity so long ago… but only a few months ago in this time period… was around her neck. Darien was wearing jeans, a black cotton shirt and sneakers (with that green blazer of his now thrown over the back of a chair). Frankly, they looked like a pair of commoners, and that made Serenity uncomfortable. What happens to us in the future? she asked herself in dismay. "Oh, I was just wondering how you were settling in," Serenity said. "Have you got everything that you need? Are you hungry? Perhaps you would like…" here Serenity's voice shuddered delicately, "a change of clothes?"
Serena caught her counterpart's reaction at once. She doesn't like our clothes, she realised. She looked down at her clothes and couldn't understand the princess' problem. Well, it isn't a ball-gown, but I'm certainly not threadbare or colourless!
"Maybe we should get some contemporary clothing," Darien commented. "Our clothes are civilian attire in our time period, but here it makes us look like a pair of clowns."
"And then we can get some food," Serena added with a lustful smile. "Do you have any chocolate in the palace, Serenity?"
Hell yes! Serenity thought, but did not say. "Chocolate is a desert dish," she said primly. "I'm sure that we can find something more appropriate for a late supper." Gods! I'm turning into my mother! the Moon Princess wailed silently. Why am I saying this?
"Chocolate is one of the basic staple foods," Serena countered stubbornly, folding her arms aggressively.
Serenity scowled back. "This is my mother's palace, Serena," she snapped "As long as you are a guest here, you will abide by her rules!"
"Some hosts you are," Serena responded snidely. Inside she winced. That had come out all wrong! She didn't want to insult anyone.
"Serena!" Darien was horrified. "You don't go around insulting your hosts, no matter how little you approve of their menu."
Serena and Serenity both rolled their eyes simultaneously at his tone of voice. Endymion spoke to Serenity in a similar way sometimes. "Dari-chan!" Serena protested in a whining tone of voice that made her inner self shudder. "Don't you understand that they are trying to deny us chocolate?"
"By the Goddess, you are such a baby! Why don't you grow up?" Serenity sneered and kicked herself mentally for being so mean. What is wrong with me suddenly?
Serena gasped when she heard that put down. Her blue eyes blazed with anger as she stalked towards her past self, her hands clenched into fists. "Why you… stuck up, spoilt… creep!" she spat.
"Creep? You can't call me that you… you… dirt-common hussy!"
"Snob!"
"Cry-baby!"
Serena's mouth dropped open when she heard that oldest and most loathed insult.
Serenity clearly saw her death in her future self's eyes for a moment. She suddenly realised that she was alone in a room with two seasoned warriors who might not care about causing a time paradox or two in order to settle an insult.
She still couldn't understand how this argument had escalated so quickly. One quite innocuous comment about food (her favourite food too) had somehow turned into a screaming argument. Why did she even have to make a comment about 'suitable' anyway? She and Endy pigged out on chocolate some nights and she was a princess, not a commoner who, by some joke of fate, had been made the Senshi of the Moon… Goddess! I'm even insulting her in my head! What is wrong with me?
Serena had finally recovered from her infuriated paralysis. "Get out," she grated, shuddering with anger. Go, please, she added silently, before I get so mad that I do something stupid! Please!
"As these are your rooms, I will leave as you request," Serenity said in a superior tone. "You are my mother's guests and I will give you the appropriate respect as such. Don't expect anything else… Sailor Moon!" The princess turned and swept out with an excess of royal dignity.
"Good riddance," Serena snapped. However, those words covered heartbreak at the naked terror she had seen on the Princess' face for a few moments.
"Serena, how could you?" Darien asked in a horrified, disappointed tone of voice.
***
Outside Serenity suddenly burst into tears, upset beyond words by the fury on her future self's face at the end of the argument and horrified at the snide and condescending tone that she had used as she spoke to Serena. Am I so isolated and spoilt that I can't even talk to myself without alienating her? She asked in horror and grief. Am I really such a bad princess? If so, what kind of queen will I be?
She fled towards her own apartments, inconsolable.
***
Inside their rooms, the two travellers from the far future were conducting an ad-hoc post mortem. "Dari-chan, how can you take her side?" Serena wailed. "She is a stuck-up, mean-hearted snob! Did you hear the names that she called me?"
"Yes I did," Darien said sternly. Serena smiled in triumph and opened her mouth to speak when Darien interrupted. "However, I also heard the names that you called her. All right, she was a bit condescending, but that is the attitude of royalty. There was no cause for you to start screaming at her!" Serena looked shocked, but didn't reply so Darien pressed on, praying that he could find the right words. Then, inspiration struck him. "The easiest way to avoid an argument is not to respond to a taunt," he said. "You learnt that during those first few months that we knew each other." His eyes twinkled with humour and he could hear voices shouting 'Ondango Atama!' and 'Darien-baka!' Serena, despite her distress, managed a giggle, clearly remembering the same thing. "Usako, we are their guests," Darien said gently. "You can't speak to them this way. Your mother… both of them… would be very disappointed in you."
Hearing that, Serena burst into tears. Darien instinctively rose and embraced her. "Oh Darien, I'm so ashamed!" Serena gasped out around her sobs. "I didn't want an argument but… but everything she said seemed to irritate me! She seemed to know just the wrong thing to say!"
Darien hugged her tightly and laughed gently. "That is one of the problems with talking to yourself," he said. "You know exactly how to upset each other."
"I don't know how I managed to get off on such a wrong footing with her!" Serena moaned. "How can you dislike yourself?"
Darien considered that. "Well… Serenity isn't really you," he said at last. Serena gave him a weird look. "She is you as you were back in the Silver Millennium. She has lived a totally different life: One of duty, protocol and dignity. You've lived the life of a middle-class girl who runs wild with her friends, cares for her own needs and has a weekend job at the Crown Arcade. Most importantly, you have spent four years as a magical warrior, a lifestyle that she can't possibly even imagine. The only thing that you and Serenity have in common is a soul. Apart from that, you are totally different people."
Serena held onto her soul mate for a while, trying to process this. "I should have been nicer, and I should have let those insults go," she said at last. "Gods know that I have had enough experience of that thanks to you and Raye." Darien grunted in displeasure when he heard that, making Serena giggle slightly. She suddenly looked up and gave him a little kiss on the lips. "Thanks Dari-chan! I'm going to fix the damage before it is too late!" Before Darien could protest, or even think, Serena was out of the door and racing down the halls of the palace.
***
Serena would, perhaps, not be as surprised as she could be if she knew that her other self was also deep in a pit of self-recrimination. Serenity was sitting on the stone bench in the rose garden, her favourite place in the palace gardens, crying her heart out. Suddenly she heard a familiar voice. "Your Highness? What's wrong?"
Serenity looked up. "Oh, Luna!" she gasped at the tall and elegant black-haired woman. "I'm so wicked! I'm a terrible, cruel, heartless person!"
Luna was shocked at the distress in the face of that the child she had helped raise from infanthood. Instinctively, she dropped down on the bench beside Serenity and engulfed her in a hug. "Oh, my poor Little Kitten," she whispered, stroking her hair. "What is it? You can tell your Aunt Luna. Have you and Endymion had a fight?"
"No! Worse!" Serenity sobbed, too upset to think to be discreet. "I've had an argument with myself! I've called her terrible names and… and… now she hates me!"
Luna tried to process her goddaughter's words for a few seconds before realising what she was talking about. The travellers from the future that Serenity told me about, she thought, remembering that curious audience with the Queen just a quarter-hour ago. "You had an argument with the Sailor Moon from the future?" Luna asked. "What was it about?"
"That's the problem!" Serenity wailed. "I don't know! I took one look at her clothes and I took it into my head that she is some sort of commoner and that I should dislike her! Then we start calling each other names! I don't even know why we started shouting at each other! How can I be a good queen if I treat one of my own future Senshi like that?"
Luna restrained an urge to laugh. Serenity was getting all mixed up… as usual. "It isn't that bad, Little Kitten," she said. "She is you after all. I'm sure that you will understand and forgive yourself… later on."
Serenity broke the hug and looked at her godmother and tutor thoughtfully. "It is so confusing," she admitted at last. "I don't know whether I am coming or going!" She shook her head. "You didn't see the look on her face though, Luna. She hated me for what I said."
"If you really were insulting, of course she would be angry," Luna said. "That is natural. What made you think that she was some sort of commoner anyway?"
Serenity shrugged. "Oh, I don't know," she said. "Her clothes and her manner were just not… royal. She didn't have any poise or dignity."
Luna considered that thoughtfully. Unlike her relatively innocent goddaughter, she had been able to come to several conclusions based on the future princess' double status as Senshi Sailor Moon. "She isn't what you expected that your future would hold, is she?" she asked at last.
Serenity shook her head. "No, she isn't, Luna," Serenity admitted. "I expected to grow up to be a regal, wise ruler. Instead I see an ordinary common girl wearing the sort of clothes I would expect of a worker from Endymion's homeworld."
"Theirs must be a totally different time," Luna said at last. "For your mother to order you trained to serve as the Senshi of the Moon, the war against the Dark Kingdom cannot be going well. I doubt that your future self has the time to worry about protocol, deportment or royal dignity. For her, it is fighting to survive day-to-day, ensuring the safety of her court and subjects and ensuring that her own daughter is safe and raised properly." Luna looked at Serenity with wise, amber eyes. "And that is what really upset you, isn't it?"
Serenity nodded. "I'm afraid," she said at last. "I don't want to live in that world."
"Senshi Pluto is always telling you that the future is not set," Luna reminded the girl. "Maybe you won't have to. However, even if you must, you have to admit that she is doing well. Her Senshi are all strong and loyal and she still has her prince at her side. Did the future Sailor Mars not say that they had just beaten yet another enemy when Princess Rini was hurt?" Serenity nodded. Luna smiled serenely. "There you have it. It isn't so dark, is it?"
"But why couldn't we get along?" Serenity whispered as she tried to draw as much reassurance from her wise godmother as she could.
"Probably because you are very different from what she remembers and she from what you imagine," Luna suggested. "You should also remember that she is very worried about her daughter." Luna chuckled and shook her head before continuing. "I'm no expert on non-causual interpersonal relationships, but I imagine every time traveller has problems getting on with their past or future selves." The Queen's chief advisor leaned over to brush a little hair out of Serenity's tear-reddened eyes. "Dry those tears now, Little Kitten," she said. "Find her and apologise. I think you will find that you can be friends."
***
"Uh… can I come in?" asked a very familiar voice. Darien recognised it immediately, because it was his voice.
He stood up and gestured courteously to his past self to enter the room that Naru had assigned to him and Usako. "Sure, make yourself at home," he told Prince Endymion.
The young man was not wearing his ceremonial armour right now, and he looked somehow more… at ease wearing just a comfortable jerkin and britches. Darien could empathise with that. He hated the constricting armour of his 'Prince' form, almost as much as he disliked the stuffy formality of his original Tuxedo Mask costume. "So, what can I do for you?" he asked.
Endymion caught Darien's eyes for a moment and the two self-possessed young men spent a few moments considering one another. "What in the name of the seven hells is going on, Darien?" Endymion asked. "How did your… our child end up in the firing line, and why is Serenity fighting as a Senshi? She is too precious for you to risk her that way!"
Darien bristled briefly at the thought that Endymion was clearly underestimating his Usako. Then he pulled himself up short. He doesn't know her as I do, he reminded himself. He sees her as a fragile princess, when I've seen the tough-as-nails Champion of Love and Justice. "Well, Serena is a lot tougher than you might think," he said with a slight smile. "She has a sense of responsibility that keeps her fighting, even though I and the Inner Senshi have begged her not to on more than one occasion. She may be scared, but she is also brave and determined to protect her people. Also, I've learnt that she doesn't like being treated as a delicate and helpless little girl."
"Neither does Serenity," Endymion agreed, "but that isn't surprising is it?" Both men smiled, realising that they were talking about virtually the same person. "However, I think that I could handle a temper tantrum or two." Endymion waved his hands in frustration. "Just tell her how it is going to be!"
Darien smiled. Endymion had obviously failed to make the logical leap from Serena wearing a Senshi Fuku. "Endymion, you fail to realise that this would be a temper tantrum from a young woman who could demolish a moderate-sized building with a gesture," he remarked with a grim smile.
"You are serious?" Endymion was visibly shocked at this news. "She is a powerful Senshi?"
"While at a quarter of her current power levels, and exhausted after a long battle, she handed Uranus and Neptune their heads in a two-on-one duel for their insubordination," Darien said. "I've never seen Neptune look so… scared in my life."
Endymion was visibly impressed. "How in the name of the White Goddess did this happen?" he asked. "I can't imagine the Queen ever permitting her daughter to train as a warrior!"
Darien shrugged. "I would prefer not to say," he said. "It might affect the timeline. Suffice to say that everyone makes mistakes. However, some mistakes turn out to be for the best. Without Sailor Moon, Earth would have been rendered a lifeless ball of rock years before my subjective present day."
Endymion nodded, his dark eyes narrowed as he considered this. "I know that the Lunar royal family has a lot of untapped potential," he said at last. "Maybe…" he shook his head. "Nah, Serenity isn't the sort to try this. I don't know how you convinced her to do it in your time." He looked up at his future self with a boyish, infectious grin. "So, tell me all about your time and all the battles that you've been in."
Darien raised a brow in surprise at how… bubbly his past self was. "Okay," he said at last and the two settled down to exchange old war stories.
***
After Luna left, Serenity sat on the bench for several more minutes, trying to think what to do next. Suddenly a familiar voice called out. "Your Highness?"
Serenity turned, her eyes wide with alarm until she confirmed that Serena was still powered-down. "S… Senshi Moon!" she gasped. "Please, come and sit with me." She nervously touched the bench beside her in a clear offer.
Serena laughed. "Can we drop the titles and protocol?" She asked. "I'd like to be able to call you 'Serenity' again, and I want you to be able to call me 'Serena.'"
Serenity looked at her future self for a moment. "Is that possible?"
"I hope so," Serena replied. After a moment, Serenity nodded and Serena sat next to her.
For a few minutes, the two young women sat in silence, each a strange, distorted mirror image of the other. "How did you find me?" Serenity asked in a desire to break the silence.
"I… just knew where you were," Serena said helplessly. "Just like how I always know where Darien and Rini are." Serenity nodded in understanding. She always knew where her mother and Endymion were too. It was an awareness of those who touched and, to a certain degree, shared your soul. The two were silent again for a while.
"I want to apologise," they said simultaneously. Equally in unison they started, gasped, opened their mouth to speak again and then burst into laughter. Serena was holding her sides in pain; she was laughing so hard, so she gestured for Serenity to speak first.
"I'm so sorry for being mean, Serena" she managed after sobering slightly. "I shouldn't have called you names, and I certainly shouldn't have judged you so harshly."
"And I'm sorry too, Serenity," Serena said. "I had no right to insult you or make demands or whine just because I couldn't have my favourite treat. It isn't right to treat your host like that."
The two looked at each other for a long moment. Both of them had calmed down and each was processing the other's apology. Finally, Serenity spoke again. "It is a terrible place isn't it, your future?"
"Oh no, it is okay really," Serena said. "It is just…" she stopped, wondering how much it was safe to tell. "It is very different from this time," she said at last. "I… you… we…" Serena shook her head, giving up trying to understand the paradoxes and continued. "I live a very different life from the one you do. For instance, my royal status isn't publicly known."
That shocked Serenity. That bad? Does the Silver Alliance even exist any more? She knew from her lessons from Senshi Pluto that she couldn't know the answer to that question. Indeed, she must not know it. "Give me some hope," she said at last. "At least tell me that we beat Beryl eventually and that peace is restored."
Serena sighed and averted her eyes. "We do beat Beryl," she said at last, "but not for a very long time, and only at a terrible cost." She looked up into her counterpart's blue-grey eyes before continuing. Maybe she was risking the time line, but she could not lie to herself. "Peace will not be restored for a long time after that victory. Too much damage will be done to make it an easy or quick task."
"Make me feel optimistic, why don't you?" Serenity said wryly. She looked at Serena's hand and saw the ring on her left ring finger. "That is beautiful," she said. "What does it represent?"
"It is called an engagement ring," Serena said. "It shows that Darien and I are betrothed."
Serenity blinked. "I thought that you would be already married, what with you having a daughter!" Serenity sounded shocked. Serena couldn't blame her. Some moral norms transcended time.
"Well, Rini, her full name is Serena Rose, by the way, isn't my daughter yet. From my perspective, she hasn't even been born yet!"
"She's a time traveller from your future?" Serenity asked, surprise colouring her voice. Serena nodded and her counterpart scowled. "What is Senshi Pluto up to?" she asked. "I must ask mother to speak to her about this!"
"Rini visits us regularly from her own time," Serena explained, and decided not to explain the details of Rini's home time-period. "Her mother… well, the future version of us both… decided that she should train in her role as the future Sailor Moon with my Senshi and I." Serena grinned in embarrassment. "I'm not sure of the exact reasoning behind that decision. Pluto tends to be a bit closed-mouthed about these things."
Both of them giggled in unison as they recalled their own dealings with the enigmatic Champion of Time.
"It must be exciting, being a Sailor Senshi," Serenity said.
"It can be," Serena agreed. "But it is also frightening. I've been in fights that you can't imagine against monsters that make Beryl look like an inoffensive flower by comparison. I've seen my Senshi mown down like wheat in battle. I've nearly died more times than I can count, and I have died more than once. Only the power of the Silver Crystal saved me and my friends." Serenity shuddered and hugged herself defensively as she listened. Serena touched her arm in reassurance. "It isn't all bad," she said. "I have my family, and I have Darien and my Senshi… my friends. The good times outweigh the bad."
Serena was silent for a while. "We aren't really the same person, you know," she said at last. "Not really. The line connecting you and I is… blurred. Bad times and desperate measures." Serenity nodded. She had suspected something like that to be the case. It would explain the subtle physical differences between them. "We are…" Serena continued and paused before giggling slightly. "We are like twin sisters who were separated at birth and have lived completely different lives. Now we've been reunited and we've got to learn how to get along."
Serenity smiled. "I like that thought," she said at last. "Sisters?"
"Sisters," Serena agreed. The two hugged and the identical crescent moon birthmarks on their foreheads blazed golden-white with power as their souls touched through the physical contact.
Suddenly there was a loud 'bleep.' The two soul-sisters broke contact, instantly recognising the sound. Serena pulled out her communicator and flipped it open. "Moon here," she said.
"Serena… I… that is Senshi Mercury has finished examining Rini," Amy announced. "The Queen has asked for us all to meet in Meeting Room 3 in the Healer's Wing. She said that Serenity would know the way."
Serena looked at Serenity, who nodded confidently. "We're on our way, Ames," she replied and flipped the communicator shut.
Serenity looked at Serena for a moment. "We are going to save Rini, Serena," Serenity promised.
"I know you will, Serenity," Serena said.
There was a long pause. "Hey, I just thought," Serenity said, "you still need a change of clothes! Come on, we'll stop by my rooms before we go to the meeting." Serena looked at her past self thoughtfully. As she thought about Darien's reaction to seeing her in near-identical dress to Serenity, a sly smile appeared on her face, one that was mirrored on Serenity's face. The two girls joined hands and ran off.
To be continued…