Title: Winter Snow
Author: Crystal Saturn
Rated: PG
Chapter: 20- The Future, The Force & Moving On

Last time on "Winter Snow"...

"Just relax, close your eyes. Focus on your breathing and repeat the exercise once again." Crystal instructed, letting a short amount of time pass before continuing. "Now, visualize a bubble forming within your mind. Let the formations of your nightmares unfold within this bubble, and only the bubble."

"Okay, I can see it." Darien did as he was told. He envisioned the dark bubble within his happy area. His nightmare began to play back in his mind. When Crystal was convinced that it was safe enough to peer into his mind and soul without disturbing anything, she closed her eyes and began to sift through all the memories for an answer to why this was happening and where it was beginning.


The nightmare ended and Darien opened his eyes. He was in a cold sweat and so was Crystal. She opened her eyes soon after him.

"Did you find anything?" Darien asked, getting his normal breathing pattern back.

"Well, the dreams are of the future, and they're possibly from the future." Crystal ended in a somber whisper.

"Do you know why they're happening?" Darien sighed deeply.

"To tell you the truth, no, I don't. But I think that the voice you hear at the end might be a force in your life from either your past or your future. It's someone quite close to you. Someone quite important in your future." Crystal frowned deeply. She knew that voice, but couldn't pin down where.

"So it could be the Negaverse of the futur-" Darien began

"No, it's not an evil source." Crystal interrupted. "His aura's pure..." Crystal began to think to herself. "He's one of our allies, Dare" Crystal added.

"Well then, if he's on our side then why is he doing this?" Darien roughly brushed his fingers through his jet-black hair, in frustration.

"I really don't know. The world's future is at stake here. Maybe he's warning us of what will happen. But if you and Serena don't get together then what will happen to the future Crystal Tokyo?" Crystal let herself wonder out loud.

"Future Crystal Tokyo?" Darien asked, quite confused.

"Yes. I've already said too much. No one should know of their future, but I'm so confused right now. The future tells me that you and Serena are destined to rule the Earth together as King Endymion and Queen Serenity. You will have a child, whom you will call Serenity or "Rini". You will live in a beautiful tranquil City, named Crystal Tokyo. It will be the beginning of a new age. A time and place in which you and Serena call home, and where you will rule. But this cannot happen if you two do not get married!" Crystal explained.

"If Serena ever married… another man," Darien paused. "Could they… maybe… rule together?" He cringed, unable to bear the thought of his Serena being with anyone other than himself.

"That's what I'm unsure of. As far as I know, that's not a possibility for the future because you and Serena are destined to be together. Your love for each other is pure and true and she will never be able to love someone as she loves you, and that goes for you too. Crystal Tokyo is built from love. The special love and connection you two share and it will never be made without the both of you." Crystal sighed in despair. "The eternal peace of this world will never be achieved if you stay away from Serena. Chaos will surely reign."

"So what do we do now?"

"I... I don't know." Crystal thought out aloud. "I could try to confront this force from the future, but it's incredibly dangerous." Crystal warned.

"I don't care. Just do it." Darien's eyes lit up.

"I don't know Dare. It's really dangerous and I don't like the idea of poking around in your head. I don't trust myself. I could hurt you. If whatever it is, that is getting into your head is as powerful as I think it may be, we might be in for a risky battle. You might not even live..." Crystal tried to talk her brother out of it.

"It's worth the try." Darien said, quite determined. "I trust you, Crys. I believe in you."

"Are you sure?" Crystal asked for the very last time. Darien nodded. Crystal drew in a deep breath. "Lie down and go to sleep." Crystal sighed. She was nervous. She had only ever read this in a book and didn't exactly know what to do. Darien did as Crystal told him.

Half an hour passed and Crystal knelt down beside her sleeping brother. She drew in a deep breath and placed her right hand across Darien's forehead and closed her eyes. She concentrated hard and Darien stirred. He wasn't ready yet. Darien had to be in the final stages of deep sleep, known as the 'Delta' stage. Crystal lay down next to her brother and drifted off to sleep. She controlled her energy and astral projected. She had to concentrate to remain as calm as she could because if she moved in the slightest way then her soul would not be able to return to her body and would be trapped in between the mortal world and the spirit world.

After quite some time, Crystal's soul immerged out of her body. She wasn't too concerned about leaving her body as she was about entering Darien's. When she was convinced that Darien was safely snoozing within the Delta stage, Crystal entered his mind. She looked around and found nothing but darkness. As if on cue, a tall figure began to walk in her direction. Crystal began to panic but a wave of reassurance muffled her fears. The man was tall, dark and quite handsome. He seemed familiar, but distant at the same time. He was clad in a gunmetal gray and black suit with a white mask. In his hand he held a white scepter and had a medallion in the shape of the sun pinned to the lapel. He had a small white bow and under it were two sun shaped buttons, one beneath the other. His cape was a darker shade of blue. The same color as his eyes. He held dignity in his stride as well as confidence and pride. He radiated a dark indigo aura. He stopped merely two feet away from Crystal and looked at her strangely.

"Crystal?" He asked in a familiar yet strong tone. Crystal recognized his voice as the voice in Darien's dreams.

"Neo King Endymion," Crystal had a sudden urge to bow. She dropped to one knee and lowered her head down to look at the ground. Endymion chuckled and kneeled down next to Crystal.

"You know, you don't have to do that little sis." Endymion's voice softened a little. Crystal's eyes widened.

"W-What?" She stammered, alarmed at his informality.

"Don't you recognize me anymore?" Endymion smiled. Crystal was speechless. It was then that she realized exactly who this man was. "So what are you doing here?" He asked, frowning.

"Don't tell me you brainwashed me to be your little lab rat for your little spells..." Endymion sighed.

"No, actually, I'm trying to help Darie- errm- you. Wait, what are you doing here? The Darien of the present doesn't even know about you. You shouldn't even be here!" Crystal asked. Endymion sighed.

"I know. I'm just making sure that the Serenity's future remains safe...

"By staying away from her? Why are you doing this? You and I both know that if you continue to change the past then the future will change! You have to stop this or there will be no Future Crystal Tokyo and there will be no Neo Queen Serenity or Neo King Endymion!" Crystal exclaimed.

"Yes I know. But I have to do this." Endymion looked down at the young girl and smiled. "You always were ahead of yourself. You always knew things before anyone else. I have to go now. Take care Crys." Endymion cupped the little girl's cheek in his gloved hand.

"No wait, Endymion! Tell me why you're doing this!" Crystal asked frantically.

"All I can tell you is that it's for the best." He smiled wearily.

"But Endy, do you honestly think that this is for the best? You don't know what ramification this could cause. The you that you are right now would cease to exist. How can you be sure that you're doing the right thing?"

"I really don't know Crys. I have to go now. " He repeated and turned around. He took a step forward and stopped again with his back towards Crystal. "Can I have one last hug before I go?" Endymion asked, smiling childishly.

"Of course you can..." Crystal gave Endymion a big bear hug. "...Big brother..." She whispered. Endymion let go and grinned before turning around and disappearing into the darkness. Crystal decided that it was time she left. She drifted out of Darien's mind and back into her body. As she returned to reality and into a conscious state she blinked a few times and turned her head to face Darien, who seemed to be sleeping peacefully. She sighed and looked at her clock. It read '4:17 A.M'. She stood up and blew out all of the candles but one.

"Crystal?" Darien groaned, lifting his head up

"I'm right here." Crystal smiled soothingly.

"What's the time?" Darien asked, sitting up and looking around at the darkness around him.

"Twenty past four." Crystal informed. Darien groaned in annoyance and they both walked out to the kitchen where Darien made them both a hot chocolate.

"So did you find anything out?" Darien asked, stirring up his hot chocolate before taking a sip. Crystal played around with the thick layer of chocolate froth on her hot chocolate before scooping it up and devouring it.

"Well I was right. The dreams are coming from the future. But that's all I know about them." Crystal paused to look up at Darien. Hey Dare, did you know that we were related way back on the Moon Kingdom?" Crystal asked.

"No, I didn't know that. Were we still brother and sister?" Darien asked, becoming interested. Crystal nodded, a warm smile gracing her features. "Well then, why are you Sailor Crystal Saturn? Shouldn't you be something like- Sailor Earth?" Darien asked. Crystal nodded at the question.

"That's quite logical but in theory, on the Moon, I wasn't a Sailor Scout like the inner and outer scouts, I was just a normal princess and your sister. I had no 'sailor scout' powers at all and so I am Crystal Saturn because of a few different reasons. Crystal by name, crystal by nature. I work with their magical healing powers. They come from the Earth, which is my element and Planet. 'Saturn' actually comes from the fact that Saturn is my guardian planet and I was so passionate it ever since the Silver Millennium Moon Kingdom that Queen Serenity actually gave me a fragment of its energy. She had the energy bottled in a little gem and she attached that to one of Saturn's rings. She concentrated the ring's energy and size so it would fit on my finger. Saturn also comes from the fact that Hotaru, or Sailor Saturn, is our distant cousin and my mentor. In the days of the Moon Kingdom, she taught me everything I know." Crystal grinned as she explained. Darien's jaw dropped.

"You know too much for your age!" He huffed. *You always were ahead of yourself...* Endymion's voice echoed through Crystal's mind but she shook it off.

"Oh and guess what?!" Crystal asked, excitedly.

"What?" Darien asked, mimicking Crystal's enthusiasm. Crystal ignored her brother's smart-ass attempt to annoy her.

"Do you remember how you came into my room and that gem stone was glowing a slight green tinge?" Crystal asked. Darien chuckled. He knew that Crystal purposely ignored his 'enthusiasm'.

"Yes I remember that. Isn't your main color purple?" Darien added

"That's right. My powers are ever growing. I lend my energy from the crystals of the Earth. I'm slowly losing my temporary Sailor Scout status. Soon, I'll becoming the first Scout of the Earth; Sailor Terra Saturn!" Crystal boasted proudly.

"So you'll be an official Earth Warrior Princess!" Darien spoke boldly. He exaggerated his movements, sitting up straight and pushing his shoulders back. Crystal nodded and smiled. "I'm proud of you Crys, you've come a long way as a Sailor Scout. You should probably get some sleep though. You've got school tomorrow,

"Oh no! I totally forgot about it!" Crystal whacked her forehead lightly with the palm of her hand.

"Well go to bed. I'll let you sleep in a little later and I'll give you a lift to school." Darien offered.

"Aww! Thank you!" Crystal hugged Darien tightly and gave him a kiss on the cheek.

"That's alright." Darien chuckled "Goodnight!" He added. Darien retired to his room to take a well needed rest. He closed his eyes for just 2 seconds when he jolted out of bed with his eyes wide open.

"Not again!" He grumbled. The dream continued to haunt Darien, so he decided to go back to his now routine, '5 minutes of sleep at a time' game.

Two weeks had passed and Serena was still heartbroken. Her marks had improved dramatically, her manners were perfect. She never tripped or whined anymore and she was always early. She was quiet and reserved. She was courteous and graceful but she wasn't happy. All that for the exchange of her smile. It broke Darien's heart to see her that way. He would rather have had the noisy, klutzy, happy Serena, rather than have the quiet, smart, graceful girl who was perpetually depressed.

At first, Darien's depression didn't really show but as each day slowly led onto another, he realized that he missed her even more. He missed all the little things like seeing her smile at him or even seeing her klutz out on the street and running to her aid. He even missed seeing a rather large phone bill but only having one telephone number listed on there; Serena's number. He sighed as he recalled all the times that she had updated him on her daily events. Every day, Darien would find one or two more tiny things that he missed about Serena and his heart would sink to his shoes. He realized that he would never see her do any of those things again. He memorized every fine detail of her. Her different glances, smiles, the different shades of her eyes and hair in various lighting, everything!

Crystal managed to block all the pain that she was receiving through the link that she and Darien shared and she had also stopped receiving the wretched nightmares too. Not many monsters had showed up lately but when they did, things were kept strictly business and formal. The routine ran like clockwork every single time. The Scouts arrive at the scene, Sailor moon makes her speech, The Scouts kick major monster butt, Tuxedo Mask helps out when he is needed, Sailor moon dusts the monster, Serena begs Darien to tell her what she did, Darien refuses and leaves, Serena is left without any answers, picking up the pieces of her broken heart once more, and they all go home. The next day is spent avoiding each other as much as they can. Crystal sighed as she tried to figure out the logic in the dreams.

*Why is Endymion doing this to himself? Isn't there any other way around this?* Crystal thought to herself. She shook her head and managed to convince herself not to think about it anymore. It was causing her too much pain, and talking to Darien seemed like a lost cause. It was none of her business. Something that she had no part in. She couldn't do a thing to make her stubborn brother change his mind. Her mind continued to wander though.

*Hey, I wonder what my future self is like...* Crystal thought. It was around 7pm on a Saturday night and Crystal was waiting for Darien to come home from is afternoon class, hopefully with some take away food. *I wonder why Endy wanted a goodbye hug* Crystal smiled a little as random questions popped into her mind. Did she not give him hugs in the future? It was then a light flashed in her room causing Crystal to jump up as a reflex. She ran to her bedroom and looked around. Her brooch was glowing. The scouts needed her.

"Terra Saturn Power!" Crystal transformed, trying not to make too much noise and made her way to the park where she had sensed the sudden surge of negative, dark energy.


Crystal Saturn