-o-
She threw the flowers into the air, as there could be no grave for a dream.
It really was just a symbolic gesture. Every day more people were waking up. Simply fading into existence where they should have been all the time. Filled with the memories of nine hundred years of worth of sleep, but seeming like only five. Her sister had not appeared yet, but Mercury assured her that it wouldn't be long before Yuki could contact the rest of her family.
That would be a little strange. Going to bed with your 6 year old daughter, and waking up to find a 900 year old queen in her place. But it was just another weird thing her family would have to get used to. They would adapt. Just like they always did.
As for her, it was a little different.
She had nothing left. Her Queendom had been given over, so it wasn't her job to deal with day to day affairs anymore. Even all the time spent working with Pluto to get into Usagi's dream didn't give her a good reason to be allowed at the gates now that the problem at hand had been fixed.
Sighing and looking over the balcony of her guest room, watching the sunrise over the horizon, she wondered what was left in the world for an old spinster like her. Her hair was graying, she was unmarried, unemployed, and generally hopeless in the face of society. The Crystal palace she was a guest in was a wonderful place, formed by the ice while Usagi and her family slept. A wonderful home for the new Queen Serenity.
A wonderful home she didn't belong in.
Everything about it irritated her. The fact that Mars always stood between her and Usagi, 'just in case' something happened. The look Venus would give her, that was something floating between pity and confusion. The look Mamoru would give her, a thinly veiled threat from what was suppose to be the kindest man on the planet.
The small part of her that was still like the Dream Naru cried out at her, screaming and bashing things. Trying to remind her of simpler times. When Love was all that really mattered. When a pure emotion could topple any obstacle.
The only reason she hadn't stomped out of the castle, leaving her customary wake of destruction, was because Usagi had asked her specifically to stay for a while.
But Usagi was always tied up with all the silly day to day matters. All the chores she took up to keep herself busy, were drowning her little blond friend.
And the thought of Usagi swimming in paperwork brought a smile to her face, possibly the first in years. It would be just like her first few years on the throne.
Then the frown came back in full force. Usagi have a whole group of people around, willing to help her every step of the way. Even better, she wouldn't have to worry about rivals trying to kill her every day. For Naru, there just was never a good answer. Just the lesser of two evils to choose from.
"You're always cuter when you smile. You know that right?"
Naru looked up, turning away from the sunrise, seeing her friend standing before her, long transparent nightgown draped over her body, a gentle smile on her face, "Queen Serenity?"
She smiled, just shaking her head, "Just Usagi today Naru... I missed you so much you know..."
Naru couldn't help but blush, "I missed you too... So what have you..." Usagi suddenly pressed herself against Naru's chest, stroking her cheek softly with her hand, softly brushing their lips together.
It's a little more then an understatement to say that a kiss like that was returned rather happily.
The surprising part came in where Naru stopped her, pushing away at her shoulders, "Usagi, we can't do this."
"Why not, I spent all that time, dreaming about when we could..."
"It was just a dream though. We have to live in the present."
"But it is the present! And it's just you and me."
"And Mamoru, and Rei, and everyone else." The blond shivered as if the first breath of winter had just brushed her skin, "You can't forget them just because I'm around."
"But... I love you... and you love me..."
"And they love you and need you just as much as anyone else... Go to them..."
"But what about you?" Her eyes widened suddenly with understanding, "You're planning on leaving aren't you?"
"Just to see what the world has to offer. Maybe help out here and there if I can." Naru blushed a bit, biting her lower lip, " And being introduced in court as Queen Beryl all the time is getting me funny looks."
"But... I can't..."
She grabbed her shoulders, making Usagi jump softly, "You can too. You can do anything. You're my friend. You're better then Queen Serenity. You can do anything, because I know you can."
-o-
And so Naru Beryl left Crystal Tokyo for the last time. It was a very quiet escape, as most people didn't notice she was gone until days after she left. Usagi never told anyone what happened on the balcony, but the guest room was declared off limits, and used as her personal mediation chambers.
As for Naru, history doesn't have a solid answer for where she went, or how she died. Besides a sporadic sightings outside Cairo, in South America, and across the globe, little is known about her last few years of life.
Any contact she may have had with the Queen Serenity Usagi or the Queen Beryl Yuki is based purely on speculation, as actual records are believed to be destroyed.
She threw the flowers into the air, as there could be no grave for a dream.
It really was just a symbolic gesture. Every day more people were waking up. Simply fading into existence where they should have been all the time. Filled with the memories of nine hundred years of worth of sleep, but seeming like only five. Her sister had not appeared yet, but Mercury assured her that it wouldn't be long before Yuki could contact the rest of her family.
That would be a little strange. Going to bed with your 6 year old daughter, and waking up to find a 900 year old queen in her place. But it was just another weird thing her family would have to get used to. They would adapt. Just like they always did.
As for her, it was a little different.
She had nothing left. Her Queendom had been given over, so it wasn't her job to deal with day to day affairs anymore. Even all the time spent working with Pluto to get into Usagi's dream didn't give her a good reason to be allowed at the gates now that the problem at hand had been fixed.
Sighing and looking over the balcony of her guest room, watching the sunrise over the horizon, she wondered what was left in the world for an old spinster like her. Her hair was graying, she was unmarried, unemployed, and generally hopeless in the face of society. The Crystal palace she was a guest in was a wonderful place, formed by the ice while Usagi and her family slept. A wonderful home for the new Queen Serenity.
A wonderful home she didn't belong in.
Everything about it irritated her. The fact that Mars always stood between her and Usagi, 'just in case' something happened. The look Venus would give her, that was something floating between pity and confusion. The look Mamoru would give her, a thinly veiled threat from what was suppose to be the kindest man on the planet.
The small part of her that was still like the Dream Naru cried out at her, screaming and bashing things. Trying to remind her of simpler times. When Love was all that really mattered. When a pure emotion could topple any obstacle.
The only reason she hadn't stomped out of the castle, leaving her customary wake of destruction, was because Usagi had asked her specifically to stay for a while.
But Usagi was always tied up with all the silly day to day matters. All the chores she took up to keep herself busy, were drowning her little blond friend.
And the thought of Usagi swimming in paperwork brought a smile to her face, possibly the first in years. It would be just like her first few years on the throne.
Then the frown came back in full force. Usagi have a whole group of people around, willing to help her every step of the way. Even better, she wouldn't have to worry about rivals trying to kill her every day. For Naru, there just was never a good answer. Just the lesser of two evils to choose from.
"You're always cuter when you smile. You know that right?"
Naru looked up, turning away from the sunrise, seeing her friend standing before her, long transparent nightgown draped over her body, a gentle smile on her face, "Queen Serenity?"
She smiled, just shaking her head, "Just Usagi today Naru... I missed you so much you know..."
Naru couldn't help but blush, "I missed you too... So what have you..." Usagi suddenly pressed herself against Naru's chest, stroking her cheek softly with her hand, softly brushing their lips together.
It's a little more then an understatement to say that a kiss like that was returned rather happily.
The surprising part came in where Naru stopped her, pushing away at her shoulders, "Usagi, we can't do this."
"Why not, I spent all that time, dreaming about when we could..."
"It was just a dream though. We have to live in the present."
"But it is the present! And it's just you and me."
"And Mamoru, and Rei, and everyone else." The blond shivered as if the first breath of winter had just brushed her skin, "You can't forget them just because I'm around."
"But... I love you... and you love me..."
"And they love you and need you just as much as anyone else... Go to them..."
"But what about you?" Her eyes widened suddenly with understanding, "You're planning on leaving aren't you?"
"Just to see what the world has to offer. Maybe help out here and there if I can." Naru blushed a bit, biting her lower lip, " And being introduced in court as Queen Beryl all the time is getting me funny looks."
"But... I can't..."
She grabbed her shoulders, making Usagi jump softly, "You can too. You can do anything. You're my friend. You're better then Queen Serenity. You can do anything, because I know you can."
-o-
And so Naru Beryl left Crystal Tokyo for the last time. It was a very quiet escape, as most people didn't notice she was gone until days after she left. Usagi never told anyone what happened on the balcony, but the guest room was declared off limits, and used as her personal mediation chambers.
As for Naru, history doesn't have a solid answer for where she went, or how she died. Besides a sporadic sightings outside Cairo, in South America, and across the globe, little is known about her last few years of life.
Any contact she may have had with the Queen Serenity Usagi or the Queen Beryl Yuki is based purely on speculation, as actual records are believed to be destroyed.