A/N: Wow. I am sooooo sorry that this took so long. I started writing it awhile ago, and forgot to finish this relatively short chapter…Gomenasai! I hope that all my loyal readers (all two of you) can forgive my absence. I've been very busy lately, what with moving across three states and doing the college bit. Thank you all so much for your patience and reviews, and keep them coming. I want to thank especially Sailor Usagi Chiba for giving me the kick in the pants I needed that got me to finish this (even if in such a hurry.) I hope you enjoy, and I will post the last chapter to this soon. Thanks again guys :)

Disclaimer: I don't own Sailor Moon, don't sue me. Thanks.

Chapter 6: Maiden to Mother

Serenity lifted her face to the sky, feeling the sunlight warm her skin. She smiled. Despite all she had been through, life wasn't so bad after all. Throughout all the battles, all of the darkest times in life, she had kept faith, and that faith had brought her to this moment, standing here in the gardens of the Crystal Palace, basking in the joy of sunlight in a world of love and hope.

She knew somewhere that it wouldn't last, that the past could never change, and fate was unavoidable. At least for now, at least for the next century, Crystal Tokyo would remain beautiful and untouched. She could live with that, even knowing that one day her powers would fail and some of her people would be hurt, even killed. Yet she also knew that she had the power to bring them back, to spare them and give them new lives once the battle was over.

A butterfly drifted lazily past, and she marveled at it. She had the power of this life at her fingertips, the power to restore the world. She couldn't destroy it, not like Hotaru, but she could make it whole. Yet even that was not the greatest power of all. Even that was not worth the power she had discovered within herself – a power that had lain dormant until recently. She had it in her all along, and never knew how it would change her, how it could lift her spirit and bring her joy like nothing else could.

Suddenly she felt a presence behind her, but before she could turn around, she felt Endymion's strong arms reach around her and pull her close. Her face lit up as he kissed her cheek softly and reached down, wrapping his arms around her swollen belly. She put her arms over his and leaned back into him, enjoying the moment.

"You know you shouldn't be out in the gardens by yourself. It's not safe for you right now." Endymion's concern made her smile.

"You know very well that I'm never completely alone, even here. Usually it's you who is lurking around in the shadows behind me." She turned around and reached up for a brief kiss, her lips curving up into a smile against his. He always seemed to find her just when she wanted him to, when his presence warmed her heart the most. They had been so close for years that she almost believed he could read her mind. Endymion gave her a smile of his own and led her back inside the palace.

As soon as she was within the doors of the palace, a woman in the uniform of her guardians came running up. It was Mars, and she was none too happy. Even her red high-heels seemed to click angrily on the crystal floor as she stalked up. Serenity suddenly had a vision of her as a hissing and spitting black cat, her tail thrashing side-to-side, and she couldn't help but giggle a little, which made Mars's eyes narrow even more. Serenity prepared herself for the onslaught.

"Do you know how worried we've been about you? Nobody knew where you were! You could've been hurt and no one would know! You could have gone in to labor for heaven's sake! You know better to disappear like that in your condition!" Serenity smiled calmly at Mars, whose face was almost as red as the skirt of her uniform.

"I knew perfectly well what I was doing, Mars. Besides, Endymion knew where I was." Endymion held up his hands in a 'don't-bring-me-into-this' gesture. "I am perfectly capable of handling myself, and if I had gotten into trouble, I would have been found."

Mars spluttered, her face turning an even deeper shade of red. Serenity began to wonder if that color was entirely healthy. She laughed and gave her old friend a big hug, to which Mars turned even redder. Serenity walked past with a light step, beginning to hum to herself as Mars gave Endymion an incredulous look.

Inside the royal suite was a door. If you walked into the bedroom, it was a small white door to the left, carved with a moon and a lotus flower. Inside of the room were all the sorts of things a mother loves to bestow on her newborn child – a cradle draped with beautiful white linens embroidered with darling little animals, mobiles of moons and stars, little toys for chewing on and playing with, and white lace curtains that would blow in a gentle summer breeze if the window were opened ever so slightly. It was here that Serenity spent a good portion of her time, running her fingers over everything and smiling.

It was here that Serenity came, sitting in the rocking chair next to the cradle and lightly touching its soft cloth. She was still humming, almost unconsciously recalling the lullabies her mother sang to her when she was young. Her other hand rested on top of her stomach, causing her to giggle a little every time she felt movement.

In a flash of tenderness, Serenity recalled a time not so long before, when she had the chance to meet a small, pink-haired girl by the name of Chibi-Usa. While she had been a complete pain, she had also managed to claim a deep place in Serenity's heart. She couldn't help but laugh at the irony of having met her own daughter before having her.

Her laugh sent a sudden jolt of pain through her body. Gasping, Serenity tried to stand, but the pain grew to an unbearable intensity, blocking out all of her senses and thought. Moaning softly, she slid to the floor on her knees, holding herself. After a moment that seemed to stretch into eternity, the pain faded, and she came back to her senses.

Looking down, she realized that her dress was wet, and so was the floor beneath her. She managed to climb to her feet, and walked through the door and into her room before the pain struck again. Trying not to fall again, she held onto a table desperately, fighting off the pain and working her way toward the door. Her hand stretched miles out into the air as she reached for the handle, straining every muscle in her body that wasn't contracted with the pain.

Just as her fingers brushed the handle, the door flew open and Endymion reached out to catch her as she stumbled. He looked down at her tear-filled eyes, helped her stand, and called for her guardians.