A/N: I'm back! Yes, after… almost three months of waiting, I, Star-Chan, have decided to update. I realized my last chapter came out really bad, but my writing style has changed yet again. … So has my anime style for that matter… hmmm. Anyways, just read!

P.S. Hehe, new pen name!!

Of Sun, Moon, and Cards
Book One
The Loving of Others

"Hotaru?!"

This was almost too hard to believe. Princess Hotaru - Sailor Saturn - had just come out of her womb! Her! Queen Serenity of what used to be the White Moon Kingdom and the Silver Alliance had just given birth to the senshi of destruction. It was like light giving birth to darkness!

Wait! That's it!

"Hotaru?" Clow repeated, utterly confused. That wasn't the name they had decided upon, and the fact that Serenity and Setsuna seemed to recognize the baby was enough to rattle the mind. This did nothing to ease Clow's confusion. How could they know the newborn baby? And where could they know her from? Too many questions. "Serenity, what is going on?"

But she did not hear. Looking at her daughter, Serenity had no doubt that it was indeed her daughter, nor that it was Hotaru. Though she had just been born, she already had a head full of black hair - just like Clow's - but it was the eyes that convinced her. Instead of being totally violet like before, they were more of a light violet with a touch of blue. Realizing that fact, Serenity smiled. Her smile grew when her daughter smiled back.

It was then that Clow decided to pose his question again. Turning to him, Serenity beamed and explained, " I think that this is the reincarnation of Princess Hotaru of Saturn, otherwise known as Sailor Saturn, senshi of destruction and rebirth. She represents darkness, though she is anything but evil. If I'm right, about this -" She looked at Setsuna who nodded. "- then Hotaru was reincarnated for the balance. I represent light, even though I'm not a senshi, and she represents darkness. One can't be without the other."

Setsuna decided it was her turn to add to the conversation. "Also, though it was unknown to many, Hotaru had sorcerer's magic. Most prominent within her was the ability to heal. She also had the power of illusion - to create images of real things. When the Queen of Saturn found out, she made Hotaru promise never to use it - quite like your own mother Serenity. After all, being the senshi of destruction and rebirth, not the mention the wielder of the Silence Glaive, who knew what power she could possess?" Seeing that Clow did not acknowledge the referral, she added, "The Silence Glaive is the deadliest weapon in the solar system. It was the power to destroy an entire planet."

Silence drifted over the room as Clow absorbed the information. Finally, he said, "So do you wish to name her Hotaru or not?" Secretly, he wished to name her the name they had chosen together.

Knowing what Clow felt without being told, Serenity placed a hand on his arm. "I wish to name her the name we picked out in the gardens." The Moon Queen looked down at her daughter. "You are Hotaru Tomoe no longer; you are now Yingfa Reed." The newly named Yingfa giggled in her mother's arms.

As Setsuna started to leave, she looked back at what could only be called a family, and her heart ached. How she longed to have a family with the man she loved, but it seemed that it was not to be. With a sad smile, she left the room, temporarily unnoticed by the occupants.

* * *

Putting his paws on Serenity's knees, Cerberus carefully lifted himself up to look at the tiny bundle in his mistress' arms. Indigo eyes stared back into golden ones. "She's so small!" he whispered excitedly. This was the first time he had ever seen a real baby. And to think! It had come from inside his mistress! Most remarkable!

Giggling, Serenity replied, "Well, she's only a few weeks old so she would be small. I'd be worried if she aged a couple years in a few weeks." She smiled when Yingfa patted Cerberus' face. In the past few months she had become very close with Cerberus, but less so with Yue, something she felt extremely guilty about. Her thoughts where interrupted by Yinfa yawning.

"Okay Cerberus, it's Yingfa's nap time," said Serenity kindly. The Sun Guardian gave the baby one last cuddle before getting off Serenity. The lady got up (with help from Cerberus in regaining her balance) and went upstairs to put Yingfa in her cradle, situated in Clow's room where they both were now sleeping.

Serenity looked one last time at her daughter before leaving the bedroom. Walking past the library, she caught sight of a figure. The Moon Queen knew it wasn't Clow, for her was in town, and it wasn't Setsuna because she had to be at the Time Gates. That only left one person: Yue.

Slowly walking into the library, she saw that he was seated at a table, pouring over a book. When he caught sight of her, he promptly stopped what he had been doing. This disturbed Serenity greatly. Did he not feel comfortable with her? It was time to try and get closer to the Moon Guardian.

"What are you looking at?" implored Serenity, stepping closer. Silently, Yue held up the book and handed it to her. She gasped when she saw the title. "Oh Selene! I didn't know that we had this! Setsuna must've saved this before the Kingdom fell!"

Yue cocked his head to a side, but his expression remained impassive. "You can read it? It's in a different language than all the others."

"Of course I can. It's in Lunarian."

"Lunarian?"

"Both the people and the language of the moon. You yourself resemble them… us." Serenity ran her hand over the aging silver cover. "This is our written history including all our beliefs and rituals. I should know, I had to study a book exactly like this for numerous years. Having to prepare to be Queen of the Silver Alliance is no easy task." Yue's eyes glittered with curiosity. "I never told you about that? Here, let me tell you now."

Sitting in a chair next to the Moon Guardian, Serenity proceeded to tell him about her peoples' long and illustrious history.

* * *

"Did you have a nice day Serenity?" asked Clow from the bed. He watched his lover - no, soul mate - brush her long silver hair. She was quite a sight to see, what her lace nightgown and hair pooling on the ground beneath her.

"Oh yes!" Serenity assured, casting a loving gaze at him. "First Cerberus and I sat with Yingfa and then I spent the afternoon with Yue telling him about the Silver Alliance and the Moon Kingdom." She got up off the stood she was seated at and climbed into the bed of black silk with Clow. He wrapped his arms around her waist as she continued. "I'm glad I had a chance to get closer with Yue. I felt so bad about being so distant from him."

Holding her closer, Clow replied, "I know you did." He paused before adding, "You shouldn't get too attached Serenity. You don't know when it will be time for us to… pass on. I don't want you to regret growing to love them."

The Lunarian looked at Yingfa's tiny cradle. Soft breathing was coming from within. "What about Yingfa? What if we have to leave her right away? I don't think I could leave her in an orphanage - I know I couldn't!" Tears had welled up halfway through her outburst.

Hugging her tightly, Clow whispered soothing words in his love's ear until she had stopped crying. "Listen, nothing will happen to Yingfa. If worse comes to worse, we'll leave her with my mother's family. They know all about magic. As soon as Yingfa's talent develops, they will train her."

"Really?"

The sorcerer nodded into Serenity's hair. "But that means we're going to have to go to Hong Kong. That's where the Clan is situated. We'll probably have to see them and give them some sort of explanation. We couldn't just leave Yingfa on their doorstep. It would be unethical. Don't worry, our daughter will be well taken care of."

Nodding sleepily, Serenity let the slumber overtake her, quite looking forward to a good night's sleep. The Fates however, had different plans.

* * *

FLASH!

A shadowed figure sat in a large armchair holding a staff with a sun atop. Two figures stood on each side, one with a humanoid form and the other with a feline form. Both had butterfly-like wings sprouting from their backs. The shadowed figure's mouth moved and the staff began to glow red.

FLASH!

An adolescent girl stood in front of what appeared to be a scantily clad female monster. She wore a Sailor Senshi uniform with a blue, red and yellow-layered skirt. Her hair was done up in identical golden buns on either side of her head. Streamers of hair from the bottoms of the buns swirled in a non-existent wind, as did the feathers from the wings on her back. The girl pulled out of nowhere what could only be described as a staff, murmured some words and in a flash, the monster was gone. Taking one last look at the spot, the girl jumped and vanished.

FLASH!

Three figures stood on the entrance to a shrine, while one his in the shadows. The middle figure lifted a staff. Both the sun and moon blacked out, leaving the world completely dark. People everywhere began to fall asleep.

* * *

Shooting up in bed, Serenity panted to catch her breath. It had happened again: she had received visions of the future. The only difference was that this time she understood them better… well, except for the last one. The woman had no idea what that could possibly mean.

Carefully untangling herself from Clow, she slipped out of her bed and quietly tiptoed out of bed. Opening the door, she saw the hallway was pitch black. "Glow," Serenity commanded quietly, lifting her hand. A glowing card immerged from Clow's room and burst into small glowing bubbles. AS she walked along, the little lights seemed to follow her.

The air outside was chilly causing Serenity to wrap her arms around herself. There were no clouds tonight and a full moon seemed to spotlight her with its beams. The cobblestones were smooth beneath her bare feet. A slight breeze made both her fine lace nightgown and her long silver hair flutter behind her.

She walked out to the backyard. The sent of the Sakura trees overwhelmed her. Serenity loved both the appearance and the smell, hence the reason her daughter Yingfa was named what she was. It was Chinese for Sakura or cherry blossom. As she continued, tiny pink blossoms fluttered around her. Coming up to one tree, she sat beneath it and reflected.

Unknown to her, someone was watching her from a second story window.

* * *

Yue watched as his Mistress walked through the backyard and finally settled under a tree, a strange emotion filling him. In fact, he felt it every time he looked at her. Today, he had felt that same strange emotion when he she had spent the afternoon with him in the library. He didn't know what it was, but he wanted her to look at him like she looked at Master.

"Yue," said a voice from behind him. Turning around, he saw Setsuna. He knew from his Mistress that she as the Gate Guardian, knew almost everything and that it would be best to listen to her. "I know what it is you feel Yue." Yue turned to look out the window once again. "You mustn't act upon your feelings. I know you lover her, but she belongs with Clow. She thinks of you only as a friend - as her child."

Love. What that what it was? Having read all about it, he knew exactly how it was described, but had no idea that that's what he was feeling. He was in love with his Mistress and according to Setsuna, he wasn't allowed to act on it.

"I know it seems unfair," said Setsuna sympathetically. "I went through the exact same thing."

Somehow Yue doubted that, but said nothing. Setsuna had never fallen in love with her creator. She had never found that she was in love, only to have it ripped away by another's words. No, she could have never been put through the exact same thing. Of this, he was sure.

* * *

"So you're saying we're going to be reincarnated in the time of the new Clow Card master?" summarized Clow, looking intently at Serenity.

"Um, yes?" responded Serenity, smiling sheepishly at him.

Clow took off his spectacles and cleaned them with his robes before returning them to his nose. "This is unexpected," he said at last. A frowned covered his face. "But if we are to be born again - at least in some sense - then why is there going to be a new master for the cards?"

Sighing, Serenity explained. "Because it is not our destiny, it's that girl's. Yes, we shall be reincarnated, but not as we are now. You're soul will be born again, not you physically. You both will be similar, no doubt of that. As for me, I'm a little different. My soul will always be the same - that's part of the… gift - that comes with merging with the Ginzuishou - but in my next life I will be a Sailor Senshi. I don't know why, but I suppose that being a senshi would alter my magic wielding… at least a little, therefore making me different. I don't know all the details. It would be better to ask Setsuna. I only caught the gist of it." She looked at her lover more intently. "We - you also have new guardians. Why we need them and how we made them, I know not, but they do start with you."

Silence drifted over the room as Clow pondered[1] and Serenity watched, waiting for his reply. "Perhaps if you gave me an amulet or charm containing some of your magic, I would be able to create them and still keep the balance intact," suggested Clow, sipping his tea.

"I suppose that would work," said Serenity, biting her lip. "Clow?"

"Hmmm?"

"Will - I mean to say - you and I, will we - are we going to be - would you want to be with me?" asked Serenity, worried tears prickling her eyes. A world without Clow would be horrible. She didn't know if she could stand it.

Realization dawned on Clow. He took her hand in his and titled her chin so that his eyes bore into hers.

"Always Serenity. Always."


[1] I can't help it. Whenever I say ponder, pondered, pondering, I always think of "Pinky, are you pondering what I'm pondering?" Completely useless fact about moi, but I thought I'd add it anyways.

A/N: Blah! I'm done. This thing has been rotting in my writing folder for… at least a month. I hate prewriting. It doesn't work. My motto is go with the flow. ANYWAYS, I need help. If someone would like to be my beta-reader/muse/whatever else you want to call it, I really need one. I have so many ideas, and I need someone who knows a lot about both Bishoujo Senshi Sailor Moon (anime and manga) and Card Captor Sakura. In other words, you have to know as much as me, and I know… well, let's just say I need a new hobby! ^^;; So, um, yeah. Please send applications (or whatever) to kawaii_sakura_blossoms@yahoo.com Thankies! Ja ne!