I do not own Sailor Moon. If I did, would I be writing a fanfic? No. However, this plot and any original characters I introduce are MINE!! Comments and suggestions are very welcome, but no flames. Remember to review! SeleneStarr

Darkness Descends

Chapter 1: Contemplations and Letters

I dislike destiny.

No, scratch that.

I HATE destiny.

My name is Tsukino Usagi. I am nineteen years old, and a year ago, I graduated from Juuban High School. Soon, I, along with the rest of the people of Earth, will fall into a deep, death-like sleep. The cause of the sleep will be some sort of ecological disaster that will befall Earth. Then, a woman from Earth will be awakened after a thousand years by the Silver Imperium Crystal. She will use the crystal to awaken the people of Earth, and in turn, she will become the Queen of Earth with her loyal King, and court. They will, have course, have a child. A little girl, to be exact. The universe will know this woman by Neo-Queen Serenity, her King as Neo-King Endymion, and her kingdom as the Silver Alliance.

Someone who does not know me well might ask, "How does Tsukino Usagi, a normal, klutzy, crybaby teenage girl know for certain that these events will come to pass?"

I know because I am that woman. I am not only Tsukino Usagi, but also Eternal Sailor Moon, the Moon Princess from a thousand years ago, and the future Neo-Queen Serenity. The Guardian of Time, Sailor Pluto, has told my Sailor Senshi, my boyfriend Mamoru (the future Neo-King Endymion), and me about these future events. I saw my future kingdom as well, because I had to go to the future to save my kingdom, my future self, and my future daughter. Furthermore, my future daughter, Chibi-usa, has visited what she considers the past and what I consider the present, several times to train as a Sailor Senshi. Her father is Mamoru, and Mamoru and I were in love a thousand years ago during the Silver Millennium. He was the Earth Prince Endymion.

This is why I hate destiny. I was shown my future, something Pluto was never supposed to do anyway. During the Silver Millennium, she would have been executed. However, I do not have as much control over my Senshi as I did in the past, and they would be furious at the fact that I would want the Guardian of Time executed. They would have one good point, though. Who would guard the Gates of Time in her absence?

I digress. I was told I would have a wonderful future, a beautiful daughter, and a loving husband. Once, I did not care. At that time, when I was younger and naïve, I was happy for the future laid out for me. However, when I was sixteen and Galaxia came, things changed. When she came, Mamoru was, to my knowledge, in America alive and well. However, when Galaxia began killing my Senshi off one by one and the Starlights helped me realize that Mamoru was gone (he had his star seed taken in front of me and I blocked out the memory), I was more alone than I had ever been in my life. I was tied to this destiny, and so were my best friends. They all had dreams, dreams that would never be realized because they must protect me. The lack of response from Mamoru hurt deeply, and I turned to Seiya for comfort.

The comfort Seiya offered me meant a great deal to me, and we fell in love. Nevertheless, like my Senshi, I had a cookie-cutter destiny planned for me, so I could not follow my heart and do what I really wanted to do. Although we fell in love, I couldn't do anything about it. I could not risk the disappointment of my friends. They, as Senshi, had given up their dreams to protect me and my future kingdom. I could not let their sacrifice go to waste. Even though I knew how he felt about me, I buried my feelings and put on the show everyone had come to expect from me: ditzy and clueless. I was afraid to disappoint the Senshi, Luna, and Artemis. Furthermore, I did not want to loose my daughter. I love Chibi-usa. It killed me inside to hurt Seiya, and to lie to him. The day he, not Sailor Star Fighter saved me, and he asked me if he was good enough for me, I wanted to scream into the rain that yes, he was good enough. I wanted to let the whole world how much I loved him, not Mamoru. However, I held my tongue.

When Galaxia showed me Mamoru's star seed, I began to question the future through my pain of losing him and Chibi-usa. Even though I have restored everyone's star seed and sealed Chaos, I still question the future. What if I had not saved everyone?

The only conclusion I could come to was that Pluto was wrong—the future was not set. One event, one action, could change the future. I believe this even more now because Mamoru and I are drifting apart. Furthermore, I believe that Chibi-usa will be born no matter who I am married to. She is my daughter. I do not have to be married to the Earth Prince to have my beloved daughter.

Once I came to these conclusions, I began to mature. One day, I announced to my friends that I would be applying to Tokyo University. They laughed, except for Ami, because they didn't think I was smart enough to get in. I suppose, with the exception of Ami, that they failed to notice how well I was doing in school. Rei didn't go to Juuban High School, and Minako and Makoto were so used to seeing Ami at the top of the test scores that they stopped looking at the posted test scores. However, Ami and I were often tied in out scores, but I never made a big deal out of it, so neither did she. My friends, even Ami, failed to see the point of me going to university. After all, I was going to be queen.

Queen or no queen, I was still determined to do something with my life. Queens are not uneducated and lazy, and I would not be the exception. So I took the Tokyo University entrance exams three weeks ago, and no one knows that I did. Now all I can do is wait.

My last year in high school, I took on a part-time job to start saving for a place of my own after I graduated and my tuition. I work at a clothing boutique in downtown Tokyo, conveniently located five blocks from my apartment and Tokyo University. For the past three weeks, I have been running home after work to check the mail. Today is no different. It is a very cold February day, but I barely notice the stinging wind as I run home.

I stop in front of the mail building in front of my apartment complex. I slowly walk inside and open my mailbox, finding two envelopes inside. Seeing Tokyo University on one of the envelopes, I disregard the other one and tear open the Tokyo University envelope. I begin to read, my heart beating fast.

Tsukino Usagi-san:

Thank you for your interest in our university. As you know, we are a very selective and highly competitive school. We can only accept the most promising students into this university, especially into our art program. Therefore, we are very pleased to inform you that you have been accepted into Tokyo University's prestigious art school.

Enclosed you will find your admissions packet, as well as the information regarding your art scholarship. The art scholarship will cover your tuition, room and board, and any art supplies you might need. Please complete these forms and return them no later than March 5, 1999. Term begins April 1, 1999.

Once again, thank you for your interest in out school, and congratulations! We look forward to you attending Tokyo University. Please call us if you have any questions.

Sincerely,

Yamata Miyako

Tears filled my eyes as I read the letter twice. I had gotten in! Not only had I gotten in, but they were giving me a scholarship!

I had to tell someone.

I ran into my apartment building, not even bothering to wait for the elevator. I dashed up three flights of stairs to my apartment, let myself in, and sat down on my comfortable burgundy couch. I reached for the phone on the end table, but stopped with my hand suspended over the phone. Who would I call? The girls would tease me; Mama, Daddy, and Shingo were on vacation; Mamoru would act distant; Setsuna probably already knew; and Hotaru, Haruka, and Michiru had been acting strangely lately.

I looked at the acceptance letter still clutched in my hand, and noticed the other letter I had received today. I placed my acceptance letter on the coffee table and looked at the other envelope. It was dark red, and bore no return address. My curiosity getting the better of me, I slid my finger under the seal and pulled out a letter written on thick parchment paper. I unfolded the letter and gasped. The letter bore the official letterhead of Princess Kakyuu, the princess of Kinmoku-sei. I began to read.

Serenity-hime,

I hope my letter finds you well. I apologize for not keeping in better touch with you. However, rebuilding a planet is not easy, as I am sure you understand.

I am writing to ask a favor. The Starlights, upon returning home, have become melancholy and moody. They put the whole hearts into rebuilding our planet, but now that we are done, they seem to be thinking more and more of another place, and less of their home planet. Sailor Star Fighter, or Kou Seiya, seems to be the worst of the three.

It is my belief that they miss their life on Earth, especially their friends. In hopes that you will not refuse the Starlights, I have already sent them to Earth. I ask that you welcome the Starlight to your planet, to your kingdom. I wish them to stay there and make a new life. I have already trained new Starlights, so I have protection. Please do not worry about me. If you do not desire the Starlights as a part of your kingdom, please allow them a short visit, and send them home. However, I do not think this will be the case.

Protect them as if they were your own, because they are now your Senshi. If anything should happen to them, I will not hold you or your kingdom responsible. Please take care of them.

Thank you,

Kakyuu-hime

The Starlights were coming here? To Earth?

I had not seen the Starlights since they had left Earth three years ago. I have that day, and Seiya's expression of sadness and love, engraved in my mind and my heart. I had never expected to see any of them again, and now Kakyuu was sending them here to live their life, and to be my Senshi. And she was right. I would never turn them away. I love Taiki and Yaten as dear friends, and I think Kakyuu is the only one who knows how I feel about Seiya.

She is the only one who knows how much I love Seiya, and she doesn't give a damn about destiny. Only happiness.

Author's Notes:

If any of you are wondering about test scores posted at school, that's how students receive their grades in Japanese junior high and high schools (probably elementary school and college, too—I'm not sure); they post the grades for all to see. I do not know how universities in Japan let students know that they have been accepted, nor do I know whether they offer scholarships. I can only presume that they write students letters and that they do, in certain cases, offer scholarships. As I have developed Usagi into a bright, talented, intelligent student, I am sure she would be one of those cases. Tokyo U. knew she wanted to be in their art program because she sent them a portfolio when she applied to the university to take the entrance exam. I don't know if they really do that either, but hell, this is fiction. I couldn't find a good place to explain that, so I put it here. I chose art for Usagi because I think that if she put her mind to it, she could paint and draw wonderful things. After all, she used to live on the moon. This is a Seiya/Usagi fic. Do not review or email me later complaining about pairings. I have combined manga and anime plot points in this chapter, and will probably continue to do so in the future. In the manga, for example, Usagi saw Galaxia take Mamoru's Star Seed in the airport before he left. She blocked it out and recreated the scene in her mind as if she saw him get on the plane.

Sorry about the amount of author's notes. I will try to have less in the future. Once again, comments and suggestions are welcome, but no flames! Thank you for reading, and please remember to review! SeleneStarr