Kooin Ya no Gotoshi
Well, everyone, the time has finally come. The series I began in March of 2003 is finally coming to an end in September of 2005. It's been a long ride, hard at times, frustrating at times, but always, always fun.
My sincere thanks especially goes out to those of you who read all three parts of this series (past, present, and future). But I'm also grateful to those of you who only read one or two. I've put probably weeks' worth of hours into this series, and to every single person who reviewed, I read and appreciated every single review.
This will be my last series style contribution to the Sailor Moon fanfiction world. It's just time to move on, I think. But to all of my readers, who have been faithful over the last few years, don't forget about me! I will most likely post a one-shot every now and then, for old-times sake!
The Sailor Moon fandom has been a great genre to write in—fun and supportive, and writing SM fanfiction has helped my writing improve by leaps and bounds just by all the practice it provided! (Those of you who have read all three in the series will probably concur! .) So, again, my thanks go out to everyone who read, and double to all who reviewed!
And now, without further ado, the conclusion to Kooin Ya no Gotoshi and the Time Series!
EpilogueWhen the ambulance reached Tokyo General, the paramedics intended to send patient 1, a 16-year-old female, into intensive care, and patient 2, a 19-year-old male to x-ray. The two patients were holding hands. The male regained consciousness, and dazedly refused to let go.
"Sir, your girlfriend is good hands, but every moment you detain her from proper care puts her in more danger."
The young man opened his eyes. They were deep blue, and bright with intelligence. "Really, now? Well, doctor, I am a pre-med major, but I cannot explain this. Already I've learned to accept that there are things even science cannot explain. Watch."
He gently loosened his hold on the girl's hand, and as soon as their hands were no longer in contact, a wail pierced the air. Her heart had stopped.
"Holy…" the paramedic whispered, awed.
The young man quickly took her hand back in his own, and her heartbeat returned…
When King Endymion drifted into consciousness, the first thing he could feel was his wife's limp hand in his own, his fingers wrapped tightly around it even in sleep. Then, he felt the utter exhaustion of the battle, and after that, the soft caress of his bed jumped the last synapse, and for the first time in a week, he was… comfortable.
Bravely, he opened his eyes. Yes, he was in his own master bedroom, alongside his sleeping wife, neatly and chastely tucked in, their joined hands resting between them on top of the covers. Her small hand warmed his aching fingers.
He noticed curiously that they were alone. And it was still oddly silent in the palace. Obviously, the Senshi and Shitennou hadn't felt that they were in danger anymore to leave them.
Endymion sat up slowly, careful not to release Serenity's hand and fighting off the swarm of dizziness. He gingerly tested all of his muscles; all were functioning properly. Then, he shifted in the bed and regarded his wife.
She looked peaceful; it was not the sleep of the time sickness but the recuperative rest she needed after every battle. Her lips were naturally set in a small smile, and her chest rose up and down, steadily, softly. Every injury and blemish had left her save the deep cut in her inner shoulder, which had left a small scar. He made a mental note to thank Hotaru. He kissed the mark, relishing the feel of her skin on his lips.
Something, he sensed, was different about her. A bit of color in her cheeks, an extra warmth in her hands unrelated to fever. Something innately sensual, even erotic. But, he gave it no further notice. He was too relieved to see her whole, healthy, and happy. Every breath she released enraptured him.
Suddenly, a soft knock sounded on their door. "Yes," he croaked. He crinkled his nose at the crack in his voice. He cleared his throat, and answered strongly this time. "Come in."
The doors opened, and Ambassador Osaka Naru stepped through the doors, a bright, mischevious smile on her face and a platter in her hands with a teapot, cups, and a small breakfast array neatly arranged around the signature pink rose of Kino Makoto. Endymion grinned in anticipation.
"Good morning Naru," he greeted heartily. He was unembarrassed to be caught in bed because the Senshi and Shitennou, tender things that they were, had left him and his wife completely dressed, gown and robe and cape and all. He had to grin at that.
"That it is, Mamoru-kun! That it is!" she said cheerily. "How is Usagi?" she asked as she carefully set down the breakfast platter.
"She's quite well, actually," came a muffled reply. Endymion's eyes lit up as his wife gracefully stretched then eased herself into a sitting position.
"Usako!"
Naru blushed as he instantly pulled Serenity into a tight embrace then kissed the breath from her.
When they pulled apart, a delightful blush made the Queen's eyes sparkle. "Well. Good morning, Mamo-chan!" she teased. "I missed you too!"
For a moment, the King and Queen blissfully regarded each other, appreciating the love and life within the other. Naru simply waited patiently, legs crossed, though her shaking ankle gave away her secret excitement about something.
"And good morning, Naru-chan!" the Queen exclaimed, wrapping her arms gleefully around her friend. "Thank you for taking care of me. I could hear every word you said, and it calmed me."
Though her manner and vocabulary had matured over her years as Queen, Serenity's dancing eyes and jovial banter and all-out affection was very certainly still Tsukino Usagi. Endymion breathed a prayer of thanks for this, then reinserted himself into their conversation.
"So, where is everyone else? Is time still stopped? Did we succeed on Nemesis?"
Serenity's eyes widened, and she nodded vigorously, eager to hear the answers.
Naru grinned, and passed a steaming teacup to the two of them. "The girls are helping Makoto re-prepare your interrupted luncheon."
The royal couple blinked in confusion, then smiled as they remembered. "Oh, yes. Today is still the Anniversary of the Awakening!" Serenity said. "I take it then that Setsuna chose not to release the timeline yet."
"Of course not!" Naru said merrily. "The celebration must wait for its King and Queen. And to answer your other question, Mamoru-kun, yes. Ami and Zoisite used her computer and detected no hint of energy from the area. So Wiseman, Nemesis, and all traces of the Dark Crystal have been completely eradicated."
Both sighed in relief. "Well, that means that we have at least another 50 years of peace," Mamoru noted, pulling his wife close. She smiled up at him.
Naru noticed the intimacy of it, and stood. "Well, I'll take my leave now. Luncheon will be at noon sharp, and when you arrive, Setsuna will disengage the Time Stop. Don't be late, Usagi!" she teased as she shut the door behind her.
When the door latched, Endymion rolled over so he could face his wife. She was smiling. He traced the curve of her lips slowly with his finger.
"I have never been so scared in my life," he stated simply, all mirth disappearing from his face. "Usako… you were dead. You were all but dead."
"But I was still in there, Mamo-chan. I could hear you, feel you, even see you in my mind's eye. I knew it was Wiseman; I kept trying to tell you. But the only thing I could say was…"
He touched her mouth, a wry smile twisting his narrow lips. "Don't say it," he whispered. "It worked. That's all that mattered." He shuddered.
Serenity's heart went out to her husband. She knew exactly the fear he must have felt; it was the same she would have felt had their places been inverted. "Oh, Mamo-chan…" she sighed, curling into his arms, her gown rustling beneath her. "You did well."
The simple affirmation was like a healing salve on a wound. Renewed, Endymion slid further under the covers, and adjusted his wife in his arms so that she rested chastely into the curve of his body. He held her close, taking in the scent of her hair.
"I love you, Usako," he whispered, his voice cracking under the weight of his tears.
"I love you, too, Mamo-chan."
For the remainder of the morning until they rose to prepare for luncheon, the King and Queen just rested in each other's arms in a pure, timeless embrace.
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Later, when King Endymion opened the dining hall door for Serenity, they found the hall decorated with colorful banners, confetti, and gifts; candles surrounded a gourmet meal with a cake that read the same as the largest, brightest banner:
"Congratulations, Usagi and Mamoru!"
And in their finest royal fineries, the Senshi and Shitennou applauded them as they walked in and exclaimed, "Congratulations!"
Serenity cocked an eyebrow good-naturedly. "Um, minna! I think you forget what holiday it is! It's not our anniversary! It's the Anniversary of the Awakening!" she chided. But no one acknowledged her correction. They were all grinning like school children.
Endymion was puzzled into silence but jovially pulled his wife closer, enjoying her presence.
"Au contraire, Usagi-chan!" Ami giggled. "We've discovered additional cause for celebration!"
"For the victory?" Endymion ventured. "But that was everyone, not just us!"
"Wrong again!" Zoisite chided, as if the answer was obvious.
"Well, then, what is this about?" Serenity asked, curiosity dancing in her eyes.
"You know," Haruka called out impishly, "I say we just let them wonder on it as we catch up on our meal, what do you guys say?"
"I second that!" Jadeite answered roguishly, and other voices chorused agreement as Serenity's jaw dropped in disbelief.
"What!" she whined. "Come on, minna, tell me what's going on!"
Only the sound of chairs scraping against the crystal floor answered her as everyone sat calmly down to eat.
Grinning, yet still curious himself, Endymion urged Serenity to sit down and enjoy herself and let the Senshi have their fun. She agreed genially, and they took their places at the head of the table together.
As pleasurably meaningless chatter filled the hall, the King and Queen whispered back and forth as to what the occasion could be.
"Is it our engagement anniversary?"
"No, no, that was in winter, and this is summer. What about first date?"
"Spring. What about when we met?"
"That can't be because that was in the fall just after classes had started. Maybe it's some other victory or something…"
They went back and forth until dessert was served, but they were unable to remember any event of significance that could have happened on this day.
After everyone had enjoyed Makoto's delicious desserts, Setsuna stood, gently tapping her glass with her spoon. Slowly, silence embraced the table.
"As you all know," she began formally despite the telltale grin on her face, "today is the anniversary of the awakening of Crystal Tokyo. But also, as some of you know, we have also come together to celebrate an entirely different occasion."
She paused for a moment, and looked into her Queen's eyes. Serenity's eyes held no resentment, no condemnation, only vivacious curiosity and affection. Feeling absolved, Setsuna smiled broadly. "Today, we celebrate the fact that in nine months, Usagi and Mamoru are going to be parents!"
Endymion's jaw dropped unceremoniously, and Serenity's eyes widened charmingly. Laugher erupted around the table at their shocked expressions.
"How do you know that?" Serenity demanded excitedly, feeling her husband's grip on her hand tighten.
"Well," Michiru began smoothly, "after we arrive back from Nemesis, we naturally scanned the two of you to assess your physical state."
"And as you know," Minako continued ecstatically, "Ami's little computer is the most advanced in the universe."
"So it could detect even the smallest hormonal change," Kunzite added with a grin.
"At first we overlooked it," Hotaru said sheepishly, "because we were too worried about your lives."
"And with good cause, believe me," Makoto joked, trailing off.
"The two of you were in pretty bad shape," Nephrite finished with a disarming smile.
"But after Hotaru fixed you up as best she could," Haruka explained devilishly, "we decided to take a look at that little read-out."
"And," Rei concluded grandly, an amused spark in her eyes, "we discovered that our little Chibi-Usa was conceived two days ago and that Usagi was pregnant!"
"But, but," Serenity stuttered, "how can you know already? Doesn't it take like a week or two to find out?"
"Actually," Ami explained with a patient grin, "conception can happen in as little as a few hours."
Endymion's jaw dropped again as he remembered the morning two days ago, before Serenity was stricken with the time sickness…
"Why didn't you tell me everyone was coming to lunch today?"
Mamoru laughed and walked to the master bathroom. "You're the one that set the date, Usako! I assumed you would remember it!"
Usagi smiled. "After being married for a few decades you should have learned not to assume such things," she said, donning her own bathrobe.
Mamoru turned on the water in their room-sized shower, then turned back to his wife, grinning impishly. "Fine, you caught me. I just wanted to see Neo-Queen Serenity, mistress of the universe, hit herself in the forehead like that. It was priceless!"
Usagi wrinkled her nose, then moved to shove him the shower, robe and all. "I'm about to hit someone else in the head like that!"
Mamoru caught her in his arms, and pulled her in after him.
The same memory flashed across Serenity's eyes, and a fierce blush flamed in her cheeks, as Endymion pulled her close ecstatically.
"Oh, don't be embarrassed," Rei assured them devilishly, as Setsuna stood and light flashed off of her Time Staff, "everyone in the palace heard you anyway."
That caused both royals to blush furiously, and Serenity, in quite an unladylike fit, stuck her tongue out at Rei, just like she used to all those years ago. Endymion only beamed proudly as the guys stood to congratulate him, and the high-pitched excitement of the moment seemed to erupt from every female in the room. Overcome with love for one another, Neo-Queen Serenity and King Endymion interrupted the reception of congratulations for a passionate kiss.
Just then, the sound of celebration and life burst outside the palace as music began to play and laughter could be heard through the windows. The bustling staff of the palace could also be heard. The Awakening Celebration continued, as if it had never stopped at all.
Setsuna stood and cleared her throat. "To the King and Queen and Future Princess!" she called happily.
"Cheers!"
It was then that Serenity noticed with delight that her glass did not house champagne but sparkling white grape juice. She laughed joyously, and the sound of it, proving she was alive and well, seemed to float across the table, filling everyone around it with joy, then continued throughout the palace and across the entire kingdom, and at that very moment, everyone in Crystal Tokyo was smiling.
Fin.
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Well, it's finally finished! I can hardly believe it! It's been wonderful, everyone! Thanks for sharing this series with me!
And even though this story is complete, stay on the look out for some more SM one-shots from me in the future! Hope to see you there!
Don't forget to review, and God bless you all!
Until next time,
rosa lunae .