A/N: I hope you all enjoy this chapter, I was going to split it seeing as it's about seven pages but then I figure you guys will love me more and review if I give you a nice long chapter. And yes the sailor scouts do exist here, they just don't really come into play for a little while. Please Read and Review and ENJOY!

Serena stood before the judges waiting onstage. She shifted uncomfortably in her black leotard waiting for the judges to tell her to start her piece.

"Ms. Moon you may begin."

She danced her ballet piece with slow grace and she poured her heart into the twirls and jumps wanting everything to be perfect. She didn't fall or slip or miss a single step as she danced in front of the judges.

When she finished the judges simply nodded, she knew as well as they did that it was good but there was nothing particularly outstanding about it. But she still had her contemporary piece to impress them with.

"You may start your next piece Ms. Moon." The apathy in the judge's voice unnerved her, but once the song began, it all left her. The words and the passion of the song overtook her, but most of all it was his eyes. Those eyes of midnight blue staring at her, infusing passion into her, the desire to wipe away the hopelessness he felt. This time when she ended she not only heard the name Endymion echo through her mind, but she said it in a breathless huff as she made her final pose.

This time the judges smiled at her and discussed her audition together. The smiles remained as they talked and filled out the audition forms.

"Well Ms. Moon we were very impressed by your contemporary piece. You should receive a letter in a few weeks saying whether or not we have decided to accept your application." Serena nodded and bowed to the judges thanking them for their time as she left the stage.

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Serena looked at the envelope before her. She had made sure to get to the mail before her parents everyday for the past three weeks, and now just as all her friends were getting their acceptance letters and giving her sorrowful glances thinking she had not gotten into any…her lay the letter from Juilliard. Her hands trembled as she looked at it. What happened if she didn't get in? She hadn't applied anywhere else? What would everyone think of her then?

She had run to her dance instructor as soon as she had found the letter in the mailbox. She needed someone there to open it with her, or open it for her she thought. She walked in the door, and after making sure there wasn't a class in progress screeched out for her teacher.

"Kaori! Kaori! It's here!" The two had become closer than friends after having been together for the past seven years and Serena did not abide by any of the normal formalities.

Kaori came running down the stairs, her face flushed and happy.

"Well? What does it say Serena? Did you get in?" Kaori asked almost as excited as Serena.

"I don't know I couldn't bring myself to open it." Serena said sheepishly as she handed the envelope to her friend.

"Well hand it over! I'm dying of suspense!" Kaori said taking the envelope and ripping it open to read the contents.

"You? This is my letter!" Serena said laughing nervously as her teacher continued reading. "Well? Kaori! Tell me what it says! Why are you still reading hasn't it said whether or not I got in?" Serena said crying out her frustration.

"Well it said that in the first line, but farther down it says something even more interesting." Kaori said her eyes alight with happiness. "and as a result of your dedication to your dancing we are pleased to offer you a full scholarship to our school, complete with room and board." As she finished she handed the letter over to Serena who gaped at it.

"I got in? I did it!" Serena said still staring at the letter in disbelief. "The best dancing school in America and I got in!" Serena and Kaori looked at each other and then began bouncing up and down like screaming school girls.

"I guess now you'll have to tell your family and your friends." Kaori said suddenly. Serena stopped bouncing and looked down at the letter. "Serena they will all be so proud of you, I don't know why you kept this from them." Kaori said softly. "Come if it makes you feel better I'll come with you, we'll talk to them together."

Serena smiled and waited while Kaori closed shop and followed Serena to her house.

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They were all seated around the dinner table when Kaori's nudging finally got Serena to tell her parents.

"Mom, Dad um I know it's about time for seniors to get acceptance letters and…" Irene looked over at her husband and the two shared a sad smile.

"Don't worry, we know your grades aren't good enough maybe you'll get into a community college until you are ready for a University." Serena looked over at her mother the old feelings of anger were setting in until Kaori cleared her throat.

"No it's not that, see I only applied to one college, the one I really wanted to go to and I worked really hard and I got the required 3.7 GPA and I did a flawless audition and… and I got the acceptance letter today!"

Irene and Ken looked at each other in shock, indeed even her little brother Sammy dropped his fork and stared at her.

"Honey! That's great! We had no idea your grades had improved so much! So tell us what school is it? And what's this about an audition?" Ken asked smiling brightly at the daughter whom he had thought would never get into college.

"It's Juilliard." Serena said happily wondering if her parents would know what that was.

"Juilliard isn't that a dancing school?" Irene said confused

"And isn't it in America?" Sammy said causing both of her parents to look at her in surprise.

Here Kaori finally cut in seeing that Serena might need reinforcements.

"Well see a while back Serena got tired of being so klutzy so she started taking dancing lessons, she's amazing at it but strangely she's still a bit of a klutz." Kaori said nudging her friend.

"You've been taking dancing lessons for how long? And how did you pay for them?" Irene asked wondering when her daughter had changed so much.

"Seven years" she said meekly. "Kaori felt sorry for me and so she never made me pay."

Irene and Ken shared a look of shock, they were happy their daughter had gotten into college but how could she have hid so much from them.

"Is it a good school?" Ken asked looking over at Kaori.

"Are you kidding Dad? It's the best dancing school in all of America, it's world renown!" Sammy said excitedly wondering if his dad had been under a rock all these years.

Irene and Ken shared a smile that obviously said how proud they were despite all that their daughter had hide from them.

"So when do you leave?" Irene asked smiling at her daughter.

Serena's eyes glowed with happiness. "You mean I can go? And you're not mad? Thank you so much! This is all I ever wanted!" She got up from the table and hugged both her parents.

"She is to report at the school July 25th in order to get adjusted and prepare for school." Kaori said answering the question that Serena had obviously forgotten.

The rest of dinner was spent making early preparations for Serena's move to America.

……………………………………………………………………………

The next day was a Saturday and therefore Serena decided to head over to the arcade. Kaori said she deserved a break from dancing after all the hard work she put into it and so Kaori decided to lock Serena out of the dance studio for the weekend.

So she walked to the arcade and decided she would tell Andrew about her acceptance letter.

"Andrew! Andrew!" She cried bounding into the arcade. It was still early in the afternoon so very few people were there. Just a few kids and Darien getting his morning cup of coffee. Needless to say both were surprised to see Serena.

"Calm down Serena what are you doing up so early?" He asked pointed to the clock that clearly stated it was 8:00 o'clock on a Saturday.

"What do you mean I'm always up this early?" Serena said confused her mind clogged by her excitement, before she remembered everyone thought she was sleeping when she spent the early morning hours at the dance studio. She caught Andrew's look of disbelief and decided to elaborate.

"You just don't see me in the morning because I am usually at Kaori's dance studio from 7 to 11. But Kaori said I deserved the weekend off because of the good news." Andrew took a moment to register Serena being up early and taking dance lessons before he was able to respond, but Darien needed no such time.

"Dance lessons?." Serena turned to look at him. She loved him with all her heart, but she loved dancing too and lately practicing and trying to keep her secret had kept them apart. Plus he was one of the many who thought she wouldn't be able to accomplish anything. Still, she thought, he loved her right?

"What's the good news?" Andrew asked Serena.

"I got my acceptance letter to Juilliard yesterday!" Serena cried out happily and the two men near her gasped in shock. Serena? Their Serena had gotten into the best dancing school around? But as Andrew went to congratulate her, Darien felt sadness clutch at his heart. Juilliard? That meant she would be going off to America. She would be leaving him. Well he couldn't have her leave without telling her how he felt. He wanted to know if she loved him enough to come back…or if she loved him at all anymore.

"Serena can we take a walk?" Darien asked her suddenly reaching out to take her hand.

"Of course Darien. I'll see you later Andrew!" Serena called grabbing her acceptance letter and Darien's hand.

As they walked toward the park and their bench, Serena saw the nervousness that filled him. That was strange, since when was he nervous around her.

"Serena do you still love me?" Serena looked back at him shocked at his words. Of course she loved him, she loved him with every fiber of her being, it was just that she loved to dance, and just this once she needed to prove to everyone that she could accomplish something.

"Darien, I love you with all my heart. I will always love you." Darien looked at her his eyes filling with relief. But the sorrow the filled them remained there, perhaps it even increased.

"Why did you hide all this from me Serena. I could have helped I could have been by your side. Why did you do it all alone?" Darien looked at her with sadness. Why didn't she trust him, why didn't she want him by her side if she loved him so.

"Because Darien I was tired of you and the senshi always treating me like I couldn't do anything on my own, not school, not being Sailor Moon, I just I wanted to do something on my own. I worked hard for this Darien, and now to finally hold this in my hands and know I'm leaving for America, I've never been quite this happy." Serena seemed to bubble over with happiness. It had been so long since he had seen her that happy, perhaps since they had started going out, when they had first found out who they were and the love they shared. Had they really grown that far apart in the last year?

"But Serena what about us? I thought you would stay around here and we would get married soon and find a place together…" Darien trailed off, how could she just throw away all their dreams so easily.

Serena looked at him in shock, once again he was just expecting her to fit her life around his plans. Was he even going to propose she wondered or just expect her to show up at the wedding? She would not sacrifice seven years of hard work for him, and if he really loved her he wouldn't ask her too.

"How can you say that Darien? Never once have you ever asked me what my dreams were. You just assumed they all focused around being your little housewife. Dancing was my dream long before I became a sailor scout and long before I discovered I was your Princess. I love you Darien, but you take this relationship and me for granted." She paused and looked at him. His eyes were still filled with sorrow and disbelief. "I will always love you Darien, but you cannot ask me to give up my dream for you, for I will not, I cannot do that." She walked off leaving him there sitting mournfully on their bench among the roses.

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The months leading up to Serena's departure for America were hectic. There was planning and preparing…plus she had a run-in with the sailor scouts.

They were all so furious at her, both for keeping things from them and leaving the sailor scouts. Luckily Luna was on her side. There were no signs of the enemy and Luna promised that if there ever was Sailor Moon could teleport back to Tokyo in an instant. The other sailor scouts were still not happy and had spent the entire time until her departure avoiding her.

Serena had called ahead and found out that by some miracle that she was allowed to keep a cat in the apartment/ dorm they were providing for her. She was elated and so was Luna, for the feline guardian did not want to leave the Princess, and the girl she had grown so fond of.

Serena had also been avoiding Darien, ever since their conversation in the park she did feel like she had been taken for granted in their whole relationship. She loved him and it tore her soul apart to leave, but how could she just leave behind all that she worked for and go to a man who just expected her to marry him and just expected her to stay at home and keep house for him?

"Serena darling? Are you all packed and ready to go to the airport?" Serena heard her mother's call from down the steps and she quickly put the last of her things in a carry on. Namely her brooch, luna pen, and her locket. The three things that meant more to her in the world. A tear fell from her eyes as she carefully tucked her locket into her bag.

"Serena are you going to be ok?" Luna asked from beside her. Serena smiled down at Luna and nodded.

"I'll be more okay then you, who has to go the long flight in a kitty carrier." Serena tried to joke but the tears choked in her throat as she tried to fake a laugh.

"At least they'll let me sit in your lap and not in the cargo bay." Luna muttered and then Serena really did laugh as she looked down at her friend.

"Serena! You don't want to miss your flight!" sighing Serena grabbed her bag and the cat carrier for Luna and trudged down the stairs. She felt sad that none of her friends had come to say goodbye but then she hadn't had a chance to tell any of them when she was leaving.

As she reached the bottom of the stairs she saw Kaori waiting to see her off. Serena dropped her bags and ran to hug her friend.

"I'm going to miss you so much Serena. I'm so proud of you." Kaori said as she embraced Serena.

"Thank you Kaori, I will miss you too." Serena said and then she went to meet her parents in the car.

When they reached the airport Serena said the same goodbyes to her parents and then she and Luna boarded her plane and headed towards their new life in America.