A woman, almost a queen, sat in the tallest room of the house, staring out the window. The citizens walked through the town nonchalantly, and the woman had a moment where she had to remind herself that they would soon be her citizens. Her subjects. Her people. She put her hand to her heart and spun away from the window, lifting up her skirts. Ever since her seventeenth birthday, she preferred to wear white, very occasionally pale pink or gold, but primarily white, long flowing dresses that brought out her regal nature.

The house was empty yet bright, tall and shimmered from all angles. It was built from Lunar crystals Mamoru and his university friends found on the Moon's surface, and tests showed they'd make perfect building materials, and with his permission they modified his old apartment into the sprawling palace. It took six years to complete, but she was proud to see her dreams finally come to fruition.

Usagi walked into the room just next to her bedroom, a room decorated in pink and soft bunny motifs, a large crib in the middle. She leaned over the bars and gently patted the pink head of her daughter, her namesake, only a few months old at that point. A small smile crossed her lips as she gave Chibiusa a gentle kiss.

In just a few days, it would be her coronation, and finally she could begin to rule over Crystal Tokyo. She knew she was ready. She just needed to bring her court back.

"I wonder how they're doing?" It was harder to keep in contact with them, as the instant they graduated they all moved around the world to pursue their dreams, only a few remained in Juuban. Usagi knew they had to be by her side when she was crowned though, forever and always. They knew what their destinies were. Still, another part of her, the part that was Usagi, lamented how they'd have to uproot everything just to serve her endlessly, no dreams, no families, no anything, but the side that was Serenity pushed it down. They knew their destinies, and that was that.

/+/

Makoto finished tying her hair up and went right back to running on her feet, dealing with the cash register and handing out the final orders to those walking out the door. She never stopped smiling as she did so, even as sweat dripped down her back and her hair popped out of her ponytail. Once the final customers were out, she waved to them with a smile and closed up, adjusting her ponytail into a bun and heading into the back.

"Mommy!" Mayumi smiled up at Makoto, and Makoto grinned and rubbed her five-year-old's daughter's hair. "You worked a lot!"

"Yeah! The bakery is just as popular as ever," Makoto wore simple pants and a green sweater but tied a lacy apron over everything, which she untied and hung back up.

Makoto never left the city and instead got to work on her dream, opening up a bakery. While she still held out hope that she could still add a flower shop onto that, due to the economy the bakery was all she could afford, but hey, she wasn't complaining! Her family lived in a tiny house connected to the bakery that had just enough room for the three of them.

"That's great news! Six years strong, huh?" Her husband, Ittou Asanuma, looked up from his paperwork at the coffee table. Mayumi jumped over to him and crawled onto the couch next to him, kicking her legs in the air.

"They know I make the best!" Makoto grinned. "How's your work going?"

"Better than normal. It's still pretty slow, but you'd be surprised how many are willing to entertain the thought of extraterrestrials. I'm hoping by two more years we'll have a solid alien communications group!"

Most of his peers scoffed at his dreams, but Mamoru and his friends were always supportive, having known the truth for a while, and one of them, Ken, even funded Ittou's college scholarship so he could specifically study the paranormal and other conspiracies. He currently worked at a recent branch of the UN which was devoted to inter-planetary relations, inspired by Sailor Moon's popularity, but it lacked funding and was thus in its infancy. So far the only major relationship they had was of a distant planet named Kinmoku-b, and due to the distance every three months Ittou had to check in to a new message from their representative who went by the name she used on Earth years ago, Yaten Kou.

"Do you have extra cake, Mommy? I want a chocolate one!" Mayumi bounced up and down on the couch, but Makoto shook her head.

"Sorry, not today,"

"Awwww!"

"You're so full of sugar already, it's why you're so bouncy," Ittou picked her up easily and lifted her in the air, making her squeal. "You're full of cake!"

"I'm a cake princess!" She cheered. She had a gorgeous brown-blonde mix of a ponytail from both parents and her mother's distinct green eyes. Makoto couldn't help herself and loved to dress her in poofy pastel dresses and big hair bows that she made with the help of Minako and Setsuna sometimes.

Makoto just shook her head looking at the two. She was glad her day at work was short so she had more time to spend with them. She'd never throw that away for anything.

/+/

Ami wiped at her mouth as she stared at herself in the mirror, hoping she didn't look too out of sorts. Her first few weeks in Russia had been a breeze, until she hit a sudden bout of sickness and spent her evenings after work with a head in the toilet. She instantly recognized what it was, but didn't want to admit it so soon. Normally her sickness wasn't a problem, but she stayed late at the hospital that night and had to make do with vomiting.

After she fixed her hair, she stepped out and checked on the two patients she was currently watching. One was a young boy whose intestinal disease left him almost in a coma, but his oral rehydration therapy had been very helpful. He was asleep and Ami tidied up his area, pushing his slippers under the bed, turning off the light, and replacing the water at his bedside.

The other patient was a girl who was awake, squinting at a picture book. Ami walked over and sat beside her. "Want me to help you read?" She asked politely.

"Yes! My eyes are still pretty bad so everything is a blur to me." She handed the book to Ami with a smile, and she smiled back and began to read to her the story about a beautiful girl who saved her family from an evil witch. The pictures were deep oil paintings and the words were simple enough for Ami to grasp, though she studied Russian for several years and thought she had a natural knack for it. Once the book was over, she closed it gently.

"Did you like it?"

"Yes! I've always loved Vasilisa. We have the same name too!" She squirmed happily.

"Want to read another?" Ami motioned to the nightstand that had several other picture books on it, but the girl shook her head.

"I have an examination tomorrow, so I need to rest for that,"

"Good night!" Ami smiled at the girl and left the books on her nightstand, checking in with the secretary at the desk.

"Going home already? You finished your work?" She asked in surprise, and Ami nodded. "Just sign here, have a nice night Dr. Urawa!"

Ami signed her name and bowed politely, taking the bus back to the small apartment her and her husband shared. One would expect a doctor to make enough to have a super fancy house, but even growing up she lived in an apartment. Doctors didn't make as much money as one would expect, and she was doing volunteer work on top of it.

The moment she arrived home and took off her shoes, more nausea crashed against her like a wave and she ran to the bathroom to vomit again, sighing as she rested her head on the toilet bowl. It would be a long night.

/+/

Her day was spent sleeping and doing paperwork before she got dressed in her smart suit and white lab coat to head out to do her doctor duties yet again. She checked on the boy and found him awake, so she gave him two cups of the oral rehydration therapy with a smile. She checked on some teenage patients, prescribing epilepsy medicine for one before her phone rang suddenly.

"Excuse me, this is important," She apologized after recognizing the number on the screen and ducked into the bathroom. "Hello?"

"Ami-chan, I think you need to come back home," Rei's voice warned from the other line. "I know you feel it too. Something is about to happen."

"Are you referring to Senshi business?" Ami lowered her voice. "Surely that's impossible? It's been six years, Usagi-chan is going to be crowned in three days, we've defeated everything."

"I thought so too, but I just couldn't shake the feeling, so I checked my fire to do a reading. I couldn't make much out, but there was a shadow in there. We have a new enemy."

Ami tightened her grip on her phone, a sick feeling in her stomach. She didn't want to admit it, but the past week left her feeling hazy in ways she knew were unrelated to her morning sickness. The warrior in her always knew when evil cropped up, and even after so long without threats, it never forgot that feeling. It was a calling, her destiny. No matter what, she'd always have to be Sailor Mercury, ready to defend her princess at any cost, even her own life. She had done so many times in the past and knew she would in the future.

She put a hand on her stomach and thought of her husband, Ryo. She had just finished four years at university when they received the offer to travel to St. Petersburg for work. She enjoyed the culture and working with the children. She liked getting to live as a civilian once in her life.

"I think you should come back home," Rei said gently. "It's not ideal, but barely any of the others are here. If there's a real threat, we need to come together."

She knew Rei was right. This was her destiny, and she couldn't run from it. Yet...

"I'll just keep my eyes peeled here," She had powers, she could train if needed, why did she need to go back home over this?

"What? No! You're needed here!" Rei gasped, losing her composure briefly. "You're the brains and our defense!"

"I don't see why I can't be the brains here!" She turned away from the mirror. "I have a job now, Rei-chan! A husband! I like being here, in a new country! I'm an adult, we all are. We can't just drop our obligations and fight in uniforms like the old days. We've grown."

"Usagi has a child and so does Makoto-chan. We're all adults with jobs and lives. We knew this would happen in the future, we saw our future selves. They were nothing but guardians." Rei said.

"It might be easy for you, but not for us,"

"I didn't say it'd be easy."

Neither woman said anything for a long time before Rei eventually sighed.

"If the worst happens, promise you'll drop everything and come back."

"Always." Ami promised.

"I'll keep trying to divine for information. I want to hope it's a fluke, and over fast."

The two girls said their goodbyes and hung up, Ami heading back to the room and apologizing.

"Sorry for being on the phone so long. Emergency,"

"We completely understand," The teenager's father smiled.

"That's why Dr. Urawa is my favorite doctor here! She's so timely and thoughtful!" The teenager smiled and Ami felt her face heat up.

No, she couldn't possibly leave this place.

/+/

In Los Angeles, Michiru and Haruka went out to dinner together after another successful concert, keeping an eye on the time. Haruka needed to go to bed early so she'd be in a good mood to drive further out east to compete in the annual American races. The two found they didn't have much of an appetite, as Haruka mostly looked out the window and Michiru stirred her tea endlessly.

"That sugar has disintegrated by now," Haruka joked.

"Luckily I prefer my drinks to be black," Michiru smirked as she took a sip. "I wonder how Hotaru is doing at home."

"Stressing out over winter exams, most likely. She's got Setsuna there though."

"Two more weeks and then we can finally go back home to Japan," She placed her teacup down. "Announce to everyone there we finally tied the knot when I was performing in Iceland," She gently took Haruka's hand. "Are you sure you don't want to take my last name? It's very regal."

"Only if you take mine." Haruka squeezed her hand and the two quickly pulled away as the waitress came over to bring what they ordered; the first things they saw on the menu. Haruka tossed the vegetables in her salad using her fork while Michiru stirred her soup endlessly.

"When we get back, I think I'm going to take up painting again. It's been a while and I want to go back to it."

"Really?" Haruka looked up in interest. "What made you want to?"

Michiru sipped a spoonful of soup. "I just have the urge. They convey my dreams better than most things, I've noticed,"

She paused in her movements. "Are you having nightmares?"

"I think a new threat has been discovered," She nodded. "But the strangest thing is, if I ask my mirror to show me or just give me more information, it turns foggy."

"Oh, this is not good at all,"

"Usagi..."

"We should head back tonight,"

"No! It's nothing they can't handle," Michiru insisted. "We've always been the type to judge by the sidelines, only intervening when necessary. Why rush into a mysterious situation rashly?"

Haruka grumbled. "But Usagi and the princess..."

"Hotaru would protect them to her dying breath."

"That's what I'm worried about."

The two barely ate and left a lot of money in return, getting in the car and driving near the beach, letting the wind blow Michiru's hair back. She brushed it away from her face with a smile every time she caught Haruka looking at her.

"Let's take a long drive. I don't want to go home tonight." Haruka suggested.

"So irresponsible! What of your race?" Michiru giggled.

"It can wait. Right now I have you."

"Luckily, I'm quite familiar with ways we can entertain ourselves during that long drive," She smiled sweetly at Haruka, but the sultry undertone her words carried caused Haruka to blush and turn her attention back onto the road. Michiru giggled and toyed with her hair again.

If her nightmares were correct and there somehow was a new threat after so long, then naturally she'd have to go back and face it. It was her duty. And after the coronation she'd be expected to hang up her violin and become a mindless guard of the outer realms, fighting hostile threats. She frowned a bit. Of course she'd have to do that right after she married Haruka, right after she got to watch Hotaru grow up, right after she became a violinist superstar.

Was it so wrong that she wished to prolong her dream for just a bit longer?

/+/

Minako waved energetically and blew kisses to her audience, soaking up the adoration from them.

"Love Goddess! Love Goddess! Love Goddess!" They cheered.

"See you all here tomorrow night for another gorgeous performance!" She winked before the curtain fell, then started stretching. "I'm so beat! I've only done four shows this week and I'm already so tired!" She sat down on a chair backstage, sighing.

"Luckily that's your last show of the night," Her manager reminded her, but she waved them away.

"And I'm so lonely! Every day I have to sing and meet people, do interviews, rehearse, and do fashion shoots! Tomorrow will be the third one this week!" Minako swooned overdramatically. "Never have the time to call my friends and see how they're doing. It's not fair!" Especially because everyone else was super far away and she was only in Kyoto. But somehow she was the one with barely any time to call them!

She sighed again and checked her phone, noticing no new messages. Why did she expect it to be any different? She went to her dressing room and sorted through her closet, wondering what she'd have to wear tomorrow.

Her moniker came with a complete Greek flair, inspired by mythology. She donned cream and pale yellow robes that draped around her body alluringly that looked good paired with her cropped short hair. The hair was a spur of the moment thing, and she knew when the other girls saw her with it, they'd freak, but she didn't really care. Somehow, short hair suited her better and she was glad she made that decision.

As she went through her closet, her phone rang and she picked up, expecting one of the girls.

"Minako-chan."

"Oh, Usagi-chan! How are you?" Despite the serious tone, Minako didn't miss a beat with her chipper attitude.

"You're one of the only girls in Japan right now. I'm calling everyone to remind them of my coronation, but when I called Rei-chan...something came up,"

Minako froze.

"According to her fire, we have a new threat."

"No way! We've fought everything! And we're not strong enough for that anyway!" She laughed nervously. "She's messing with you."

"Come back here. I need you all to protect me more than ever now."

Minako tightened her grip on the phone.

"Everything needs to go smoothly before my coronation. I'm going to call the others too and ask them about this." Usagi hung up after that, leaving Minako to her thoughts.

At least she wouldn't be bored, and she'd be around her friends. She stared at a hair pin, gold and shiny, that was left out on her dresser.

Sailor Venus would have to step into her leader position once more.

/+/

Hotaru frowned to herself as she pored over her school work, sighing. Setsuna was a great help, but she also often insisted Hotaru figure some stuff out on her own, but it was always the tricky stuff she said that about.

"My exams are in a week!" She cried. "I never thought I would stress out this much over them,"

"Maybe you should take a break." Setsuna suggested.

Hotaru wandered around the living room, stretching out her legs and arms as she did so. She was sixteen at that point and had elegant long black hair that fell nearly to her knees and a prominent figure, as well as having grown a bit taller. Her three guardians worried at first, despairing over how much she resembled Mistress 9, but she managed to convince them she was still herself. She honestly thought the long hair suited her best.

"What question is confusing you?" Setsuna asked.

"Mostly the math and Japanese ones. The sentence structures are the worst!"

"I think you should ask your Haruka-papa with the Japanese questions," Setsuna gave her a secretive smile. "She's the best at those."

Hotaru almost protested, saying it was Haruka-papa's least favorite subject in school, before she caught Setsuna's smile and gave a secretive one back.

"Okay, I will! And Michiru-mama gets the math!" She decided. "Is there anything I can help you with in the kitchen?"

"I have it covered in there. But you can help me do the sweeping, alright?" She said, and Hotaru nodded.

"It's so quiet around here without them. Not the same. I miss them," Truthfully, their global tours were the longest she was apart from them, otherwise she had been inseparable from them in her whole sixteen years. She was more used to them than she was in middle school, but that didn't make her less lonely. She missed Michiru's affectionate nickname of 'little princess'.

"It's not forever, just two more weeks," Setsuna reminded her. "If you really want to get your mind off your work, why don't you help me in my own studio after we sweep? I'm working on a new dress I think you might like!"

Hotaru's eyes lit up. "Really?! I'd love to!"

And just like that, her studying was forgotten.

/+/

Mamoru came home that night to see Usagi sitting in front of her mirror, idly brushing her hair. He came up behind her and hugged her, which she leaned into.

"How'd it go with Usagi?" He asked.

"One feeding in the morning before she slept the rest of the day. She's still very tiny," She reminded him. "Even now, I'm so unused to her name."

"Well, you were the one who chose to name her after the one who saved the world numerous times." Mamoru reminded her, and a giggle slipped past her queenly exterior. "There's the woman I married,"

He spun her around and the two kissed passionately. The moon rose and reflected off the crystals, bathing them both in silver, glittering light.

/+/

Author's Note:

Hi. So, it's uh been a while. A very long while since I've written a Sailor Moon fanfic. If you've been here a while, you might remember Sailor Moon Eternal, about the girls growing up and facing a new enemy. I stopped because I wrote myself into a corner and hated where the plot was going. I ached for a more canon-compliant story and fought for years with myself over how to do it. This is my answer, eight years later. You may notice a lot of similarities between the two, that's intentional. Sailor Moon Eternal will remain up, I don't delete any of my fanfics no matter what so you can read these two and compare how far I've come. I needed to be honest with myself and while there might be a lot of content the readers might take issue with such as the more raunchy humor, or my headcanons about the Silver Millenium, it's what I want. I'm not 17 anymore, I want to write about adult life on my own terms and how I think this show would've gone had they matured too. I've improved so much since then and I hope you'll stick with me on this revamped journey.

Let me know what you think.