Title:  Welcome To Reality

Chapter Title: Graduation

Summary: Serena Warren, now fifteen, graduates the tenth grade with honours and is offered a chance to go to Japan on a student exchange program. Here, she realizes that the reason her dreams seemed so real is that they were.

Author: Silver Sparklze

Reason For Writing: This story was written as a challenge set by Sage: The Dark Dryad.

Author's Notes: I have tried to translate the Japanese next to the words, but even so, anything written in bold will be translated at the end of the chapter if not already translated.

~Galaxy Dorm, Planet Orphanage, New York~

"Sere-chan!  Oki te kudasai!" {Serena! Please get up!} Matty called up the stairs.

"Iie. Watashi no nemui da." {No. I'm sleepy.} Serena mumbled.

"Serena!" Matty had obviously stormed up the stairs. She pulled the covers off Serena's head, and glared. "Come on! We promised to meet Louise, Amelia, and Rochelle at the Mall before school, and Amelia is no doubt a nervous wreck already, no need to make her worse."

Serena sat up, completely awake now.

"Hai, hai, atashi yukiki." {Ok, ok, I'm coming.} Serena mumbled.

Last year, Amelia had accepted a position at a riding camp for the summer. While there she became very close to the owner's of the camp, and they had adopted her, having no children of their own. Louise had been fostered soon after, and was living with those people still, and Rochelle's mother had finally been found, so Rochelle had moved out. Only Matty and Serena were left. Serena missed her former orphan-mates terribly, but she was extremely happy for them, and knew better than to make their lives miserable.

"I expect to see you downstairs in five minutes. We're graduating today, remember?"

"Nani?!" {What?!} Serena yelped. "Iie! It can't be!" {No!}

"Yes, it can be. Your robes are in the closet. Hurry up and get ready." Serena got out of bed, and ran to the bathroom.

Twenty minutes later Serena and Matty were waiting at the coffee shop where they met with Louise, Amelia and Rochelle every morning.

"Where are they?" Serena asked finally.

"Over there." Matty replied, pointing. Serena flipped her blonde hair over her shoulder, trying to get the stupid hat thing to stay on over her buns wasn't easy.

"Finally." She commented.

"Hi! Sorry we're late." Louise said, flashing a grin, green eyes dancing.

"Bad traffic. Mom couldn't take her foot off the brake for a minute." Rochelle added, pushing heavy purple/black hair off her forehead. "Whew! It's hot."

"For sure." Serena agreed.

"We had better be going," Amelia said, frowning at her watch, "The ceremony starts in two and a half hours."

"And we're across the street. It's definitely going to take us two hours and twenty-five minutes to get there." Serena said sarcastically.

"Serena!" Rochelle scolded. Serena giggled.

"Only kidding, Amelia." She said. "C'mon, let's go since you're so anxious."

"And last but not least, Warren, Serena." Miss Jenkins, Principal of Wessington Catholic College called out, handing Serena her certificate. "Congratulations." She added in an undertone. "See me after the ceremony, please." Serena nodded, confused.

"Serena!" Amelia called, "Come over and meet my Mom!"

"I can't, Ames, I've gotta go and see Miss Jenkins." Serena replied.

"Why?" Rochelle asked, coming up behind her, "How did you manage to get into trouble when it isn't even school time? Christ, Serena,"

"I dunno why I have to see her. Leave me alone!" Serena ran off, leaving her surprised friends behind.

Serena tapped on Miss Jenkins' office door, and went inside timidly.

"Ah, Serena, you made it." Miss Jenkins said, smiling, "And without your entourage. Very good." Her eyes were twinkling, which caused Serena to relax slightly, but she knew she wasn't out of the woods yet.

"You wanted to see me, Miss Jenkins?" She asked.

"Yes, I did. You are aware that you graduated with honours, Serena?"

"Yes…" Serena said slowly.

"And that although you took up Japanese halfway through year nine and are the highest in the year?"

"I am?"

"Well, an exchange has been offered from Juuban High School in Tokyo, for the best Japanese student in the year. It seems that one of their students is moving to New York, as her father has been transferred, and they have a spot to give away. You'd stay there for a while, see if you liked it, and, if you did, you could board there for the rest of your high school education."

"Really?!" Serena's eyes opened wide, "Are you sure? Omigod!!!!"

"Indeed." Miss Jenkins' eyes twinkled. "I'm very proud of you, Serena. I didn't think you were going to make it through your middle school years."

"Neither did I." Serena said honestly. "I'm really proud of myself. And this will be a great opportunity for me. I'll go. When do I leave?"

"In one week."

"A week?!"

"Yes, I wanted to wait until graduation to tell you. I was almost positive that you would do it anyway. I know how your mind works, Serena, and you have shown great dedication to the Japanese language." Miss Jenkins smiled at Serena warmly.

"Oh, this is great! Thank you, Miss Jenkins!"

"You have no one to thank but yourself, Serena."

Serena hugged Matty tightly.

"'Bye, Sere-chan." Matty whispered.

"Sayoonara, Matty-chan. Tegami o kaku omoida." {Bye, Matty. Remember to write.} Serena replied.

"Omae mo." {You too.}

"Sayoonara." {Bye.}

"Sayoonara." {Bye.}

Serena walked through the barrier into customs, and onto her plane.

More Author's Notes: Thank you to these reviewers;

lina(): Well, the mirror actually came from my own imagination. You see, before Sailor Moon came out, there actually was a legend about the Goddess Selene of the Moon, and Endymion of Earth. The legend was that she saw him one night, fell in love with him, and begged Zeus to put him to sleep. Zeus asked Endymion what he wanted to do, and Endymion agreed to sleep forever, and preserve his beauty. The consequence of the spell was that Selene could only see him on one night of each month, the night when there is no moon. Despite the fact that Endymion sleeps for eternity, he managed to impregnate Selene an impressive 50 times. The poem is Olde English, yes. But there's also a bit of Gaelic in there too.

Lady of Pluto: thanks, I will ^_^

Silver Moonlight-81: I'll definitely continue; I'm glad you liked it.

Shimmering Angel: No, she hasn't gone on the exchange program yet, to answer your first question, and as for your second, no, it wasn't a dream. It was real. Poor girl, I'm being such a bitch to her…but just wait until she meets Darien! Yes, I'm evil ^_^

Quote for the week; I heard of a linguistics professor who said that it's man's ability to use language that makes him the dominant species on the planet. That may be. But I think there's one other thing that separates us from animals. We aren't afraid of vacuum cleaners.