Sailor Moon Fan Fiction ❯ Alone ❯ Chapter 23: The Future ( Chapter 23 )

Alone

By Selenity Jade

Chapter 23: The Future

Rated: PG

Disclaimer:  I don't own Sailor Moon.  I'm not nearly that talented.

 

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"Should we travel to your home first?"

 

The newly awakened princess blinked at the king and sighed.  "I think that might be best.  I am sure my parents are worried about me."

 

King Endymion nodded.  "I think I might remember the way."

 

The silver-haired young woman glanced at him in surprise.  "After over a thousand years?"

 

He laughed.  "Yes.  Your house may not be standing in Crystal Tokyo but the place where it stood is now an old shrine dedicated to the Serenity line."

 

She blinked in utter astonishment.  "I would not think that they would honor my line like that.  You are the King of the Earth, I am the heir to the Moon..."

 

He nodded.  "You are now the Earth Queen in my time.  Some time ago, a man by the name of Lewis met with my wife over some matter of history.  I think he wished to write a simple novel about the time of the Silver Millennium.  In any case, he became so enamored with my wife and her tales that he wished to honor the Moon's royalty by dedicated a place to the Serenity line.  He decided no other place would do on Earth except the place where my wife grew up, where you grew up.  It's silly, but we did not wish to discourage such a gift.  And it made my wife happy to see that the story of her kingdom, her mother would live on and never be forgotten again."

 

The princess nodded.  "I see.  Well, I do not think you will have to guess where I live.  I can simply lead the way."

 

He smiled.  "True, but I'd like to see if I could guide us there.  It's been so long since this time...  I miss being simply Mamoru."

 

The silver-haireded Serenity looked up at the king sadly.  "Do you regret being Endymion and King?"

 

He shook his head.  "Not exactly.  I did not want the title, but something was needed to bring peace to the Earth after Serenity woke it.  So we restored order to the chaos and now rule.  But I only wished to live in peace with her.  I was never as beautiful inside as she was.  She wanted to protect everyone and bring peace to their lives.  I simply agreed because I could see how much it meant to her.  She didn't want the burden, but she knew with the Crystal, she was the only one capable of healing the hatred and greed in people's hearts and the only one capable of protecting them as well."

 

Serenity nodded, following Endymion as he started to walk in the correct direction to her house.  "Do you think it was right?  To take away the negativity in people?  You didn't give them a choice, you simply...changed them."

 

Endymion hesitated.  "I never thought about it, though I'm sure Serenity had.  At first, I don't think she felt she had a choice.  We had to erase the negative energy to heal the planet and the human race.  Everyone was so full of anger and fear they were creating wraiths all on their own."  He glanced at the younger version of his wife.  "The Dark forces are really a creation of negativity.  The evil was born from human hate and anger.  Metallia was truly only an entity born from hatred here on Earth.  Humans are weak and are subject to negativity, unlike Lunarians like you.  Serenity refused to cleanse me, saying I wasn't prey to the darker forces of the human race."

 

"You believe you are."

 

He nodded.  "Not only believe, I know I am.  I feel anger and jealousy and hatred.  I am easily controlled by them."  He smiled a bit sadly.  "I am only as good a man as I am because of my love for her and her love for me.  She is blind to the darkness within me.  She truly sees only the good."

 

Serenity smiled.  "That will forever be my weakness, I think."

 

He nodded.  "Which is why you have the Senshi and me."  He cleared his throat.  "In any case, Serenity wished the humans to have a new start.  At first she did grant them a choice, either be cleansed or leave the Earth.  Those who left went to various planets that could sustain some form of life and Nemesis was one of those planets."

 

"Where Prince Diamond and the Dark Moon family are from?"

 

Nodding, he ran his fingers through his dark hair.  "Yes.  You can see the mark on their forehead and the powers they possess.  We sent normal humans out.  It was unfortunate that a few found Nemesis.  The dark energy of that planet warped the darkness within their hearts more, until they become something else.  They aren't human now, though I don't disagree that they can't change for the better if they choose."

 

Serenity frowned thoughtfully.  "I still do not believe how changing the entire population would be alright.  It's almost like tyranny.  My people live so long that we'd rule over the humans for thousands of years before our heir could take over."

 

"Yes, I suppose it is a bit like tyranny.  After a few of the first ships left Earth, Serenity decided not to give them a choice of cleansing.  She simply cleansed the Earth.  Perhaps some of it affected me as well, though I do not think she is aware of that.  She simply wanted to keep the negative powers at bay and keep Earth peaceful and full of joy.  She never ruled them harshly and most of the time, the different countries have different rulers.  We only oversee them.  It would be too tedious to rule the entire Earth completely."

 

Serenity laughed.  "That is true."

 

"No one objected to the cleansing though.  Serenity has not done it since; she hasn't felt concentration of dark energy on the Earth, though people now carry a bit inside of them.  I think she feels guilty for changing people's hearts.  Though she had freed them from the darkness, she did it without their consent."

 

They walked past the park where they often met on dates, and Endymion paused to look over it.  It was daylight, so there were children and young couples occupying the beautiful park, and Endymion took a moment to remember what it was like when he had been in this time so many years before.

 

"She may cleanse the Earth again if others such as Metallia were to threaten, but she lets them have free will of course.  We aren't really a Monarchy with complete say over their very lives, we simply...help guide the other governments.  Our ends almost justified the means."

 

"How do the people feel about Serenity's long lifespan?  And yours for that matter?"  She blinked.  "How is it that you are able to live as long as I do, anyway?"

 

Endymion smiled at Serenity softly and ignoring the second question, he answered, "The people feel less afraid of the future with so little change in the rulers.  Some of them are a bit bitter about it, those who are unhappy with their lives, though we try to give everyone every opportunity to be what they wish to be.  Universities around the world are free for everyone, so that everyone can afford to be doctors or geneticists.  Tutors are available for those who are struggling at no cost as well.  The school systems in each country are basically the same, so that everyone can have an opportunity to learn and grow and make a life for themselves.  Different jobs do have different pay of course, the more schooling needed for the job, the higher the pay.  But poverty is extremely low.  Most of the lower income jobs are held by college students looking to make money on the side. Because of our achievements, our life spans aren't mentioned often."

 

"What about drug use and violence?" she asked curiously.

 

"Also very low.  Drug use is quite low as most people are happy with their lives, though there are some problems for people with chronic conditions that require pain medication to get by.  Violence is limited to emotional distress usually and worldwide we find that we only get about two or three murders a year.  Prisons are extremely under populated, though our justice system is rather strict.  Simply people have less anger and hatred to fester on and it doesn't lead to murder as much as it used to.  A lot of the crimes are committed by the mentally unstable, such as the only serial killer to surface since Serenity cleansed the Earth.  He thought he was sending people to heaven."

 

"It sounds like a real utopia."

 

He nodded.  "It is.  Some people do find it rather boring, however.  Those are the ones, usually younger people, who find the need to commit burglaries and robberies, which sometimes lead to a death or worse."

 

"You didn't answer me as to how you are able to live this long."

 

He smiled.  "I apologize; I did not mean to evade the question.  I inherited the Golden Crystal.  I am the protector of the Earth and Helios, guardian of Elysian, helped me find it within me.  It is a lot like your Silver Crystal.  I am human and I think that the combination of your marriage bond to me and the Golden Crystal has allowed me to spend your life with you."

 

Serenity smiled softly.  "I am glad.  On the moon, I had worried that I would not have you too long."

 

He looked at her.  "You worried about that?"

 

She nodded.  "Very much.  I killed myself after I watched you die, remember?  And I was afraid... I was afraid that living with you for only sixty or seventy years would kill me too.  It was a great fear of mine, though I was willing to risk the pain.  I loved you that much."

 

He smiled softly.  "You were always risking getting hurt just to be near the ones you love."

 

She blushed faintly.  "Perhaps.  But I loved you best."

 

He nodded, looking away from the park and moving away from it, knowing she'd follow.  "I know that.  I could see it every time you looked at me."

 

"You could?"

 

He nodded.  "Yes."  Walking in silence for a moment, he allowed that to sink in.  "Even before we knew you were Serenity, I could see that feeling inside of you.  You loved me, but it was as if it wasn't conscious.  You were always so jealous of the girls I was with..."

 

Serenity nudged him in reproof.  "Don't poke fun."

 

He laughed.  "I wasn't.  I was jealous of all the guys you had crushes on too, you know."

 

She smiled.  "Simple crushes.  I don't know; I just always felt the need to have someone there, like something was missing... something I loved and needed."

 

"Me."

 

She nodded as they paused outside her house.  "Yes, you."

 

He looked down at her.  "You look so much like her."

 

Blinking, she glances up at him.  "Like my future self?"

 

He nodded, touching her cheek.  "Almost exactly.  You didn't age much in over a thousand years."

 

The newly awakened princess blushed and pulled back in embarrassment and confusion.  "We should go inside."

 

The King didn't even blink at her retreat.  He simply nodded.  "As you wish."

 

She quickly turned and headed up the sidewalk to her front door, her mind troubled by the gentle touch of the king.

 

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Next Chapter:  Serenity meets her parents!

 

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AN:  Just a little bit of timeline building for me.  Sorry it wasn't that exciting.

 

Lovies!