Sailor Moon Fan Fiction ❯ Eternal Serenity Series ❯ Eternal Serenity ( Chapter 4 )

Disclaimers: The characters within all belong to Naoko Takeuchi, DIC, Toei Animation and whoever else has rights to them. I own nothing but the story idea found within.

Rated: PG-13

As the group shook in grief, the scouts stared in horror at their leader's body... the lifeless form of their princess. "This can't be happening," Jupiter murmured in shock, her eyes filling with tears as she tumbled to her knees on the soft grass.

"The Messiah of Light," Uranus whispered, shaking her head slowly as Neptune moved silently to her side.

"We failed her," Mars whispered as Venus gently wrapped her arms around her friend's shoulders, the two crying into each other's arms even as Luna collapsed beside Artemis.

"No..." Mercury whispered as hot tears burned at her eyes. "She's not dead," she murmured quietly as she looked from Jupiter, to Uranus and Neptune, to Mars and Venus, and then back to Serenity and Endymion. And then, she turned till her watery blue eyes were locked on Reenie's small form. The poor little girl stood alone, forgotten by everyone in their grief, her large red eyes filled with tears as she stared in horror at Serenity's still form, her future mother's still form. "She can't be dead," Mercury said, this time a bit louder, her eyes locked on Reenie's shaking form. When she got no response, Mercury quickly looked up to see that her comment had gone unnoticed. And then, in that moment, the ever calm and patient Sailor of Mercury felt herself lose control in what could be the first time in her life. "SHE CAN'T BE DEAD!!!" she screamed out, causing all to look at her in surprise.

"But I'm afraid that she is, Sailor Mercury," a soft and gentle voice, so filled with sadness, spoke up from behind her.

Turning quickly, Mercury and the others watched as a lone woman stepped out of the shadows, her eyes filled with tears. "Puu!" Reenie sobbed in relief as she ran desperately for the woman, allowing herself to be scooped up into her warm and comforting embrace.

"But she cannot be dead," Mercury insisted as Sailor Pluto moved till she was standing beside Prince Endymion, the young man still holding Serenity's still form. "She cannot be dead because that means that Reenie was never born and she could not be here now, it is a..."

"But this isn't a paradox," Pluto interrupted sadly as she smoothed Reenie's pink hair. "This ended exactly as it should."

"I don't understand," Darien whispered softly as he gently brushed a hand against Serena's cool cheek.

"Of course you don't," Pluto acknowledged as the others slowly edged closer. "Only Princess Serenity truly understood..."

"What happened?" Reenie asked as she tried to wipe her tears away, a soft sob escaping her lips.

"Allow me to explain, Small Lady," Pluto stated quietly as she hugged the girl. "But I will need everyone's patience for my explanation is long and complicated." When she saw that she had everyone's attention, the Guardian of Time began. "As you all know, I guard the Gates of Time, but what is less known is that I also guard the Dimensional Gates. For you see, for every single decision that every single person has, many different options are presented. For each of those options a different world is created... a different dimension of sorts is created. For example, if a person was walking through a forest and was faced with three different paths, three new dimensions are created to handle each choice -- one dimension in which the person turned right, one for going straight, and one for when the person turned left. But the choices can be vast, the worlds branching off from something as simple as choosing a different route to work one morning to as serious as a terrorist pushing the switch on a bomb or not. For each of those choices a different dimension is created in which things play out differently."

"But what does that have to do with what happened? With Serena?" Mars asked quickly, her grief turning to anger.

"She's supposed to become Neo-Queen Serenity and rule over Crystal Tokyo," Luna sobbed as Artemis rubbed against her side.

"She's supposed to be my mommy," Reenie whispered as she looked down at Serenity's beautiful form.

"No, your Princess Serenity was supposed to die this night, saving millions of lives," Pluto countered sadly.

"But, Neo..."

"I'm sorry, Darien," Pluto interrupted, her face a mask of grief, "but she was NEVER to become Neo-Queen Serenity or have Small Lady."

"You mean... she's not my mommy?" Reenie whispered in shock as tears swarmed in her eyes.

"Not this Serena," Pluto agreed, wincing at the look on Darien's face. "Small Lady, all this time, when you've been going back in time to this Tokyo, you've also been skipping to another dimension than from the one that Crystal Tokyo resides in."

"So when we went..."

"Yes, Sailor Venus," Pluto interrupted once again with a kind smile. "When you voyaged to the future with Small Lady, it wasn't your future but her Crystal Tokyo."

"But what about the Dark Moon family?" Mars asked quickly.

"Unknowingly, they too traveled not only back into the past, but into your dimension."

"Of course," Mercury murmured sadly, "we'd never be allowed to see that much of our future."

"I'm sorry," Sailor Pluto whispered as she tightened her hold on the little princess.

"So what happened?" Darien asked suddenly, his eyes burning with anger as he clutched Serena's lifeless body closer. "What was different that let Neo-Queen Serenity survive this?!"

Sighing, Sailor Pluto slowly closed her eyes. "A few months ago Dr. Henry Parker led a team of scientists to do some tests in the North Pole. He was faced during the last week with a choice of working on a site to the right or left. In this dimension he chose right and uncovered Lucent. In Small Lady's dimension he chose the left so that Lucent remained lost in his sleep, undiscovered until shortly after Neo-Queen Serenity came to the throne..."

"And then what happened?" Mars asked bitterly as she stalked forward, glaring at the outer scout. "Was she able to convince him then?!"

"No," Pluto murmured sadly as she stared into the scout's grief-filled eyes. "In all the different dimensions Serenity is never able to convince Lucent otherwise. Instead, she was strong enough then to survive the use of the silver crystal."

"So... my Serena is dead?" Darien whispered, his voice choking as he stared in horror at the girl that he held in his arms.

"That body is dead, but her soul lives on," Pluto quickly murmured as she reached down and placed a gentle hand on the prince's shoulder, cradling Small Lady with her other arm. "In each dimension it is still your Serena, but as different options open up and different paths are chosen, she experiences different things and changes slightly from how you know her -- but it's always Serena."

"Serena is eternal... eternal Serenity," Darien murmured quietly, his thoughts whirling around him as he slowly looked down at Serena's still form, a fallen angel. "Darien, my love... never forget your promise to me... never stop looking for me... when our locket, the symbol of our love, stops playing... only then will all hope be lost... find me again in life and not in death......." As a numb hope began to fill him, Darien quickly pulled Serena's star locket away from the place where she always kept it. With trembling fingers he gently opened the clasp and nearly sobbed as their song tinkled out, strengthening his resolve.

Instantly tears came to Jupiter's eyes as she bent down and hugged Darien from behind, their friend obviously sitting in shock as he stared at the star locket. "Yeah, well even if she's alive elsewhere she's dead here!" she bit out angrily as she scrubbed her tears away with one hand. "And without Serena.. without Sailor Moon, our world is doomed -- we're doomed!"

"I'm sorry," Sailor Pluto murmured as she slowly began to back up, Small Lady in hand.

"Where are you going?!" Uranus yelled as she began to advance forward, her eyes glittering dangerously.

"I'm bringing Small Lady back to her parents -- it's time for her to go home."

"Well stay there," Uranus spat out as Neptune tried to hold her back. "If I ever see your face again then I'll kill you myself!" she vowed as tears came to Pluto's eyes.

"I understand," she murmured solemnly as she held Reenie closer.

"I want my mommy!" the little girl sobbed as she hid her face from the world. Not only had she just watched Serena be killed... but she also learned that Darien and Serena weren't her parents. "I want MY MOMMY AND DADDY!!!" she screamed as she held onto Puu for dear life.

"Reenie," Darien murmured quietly as he staggered to his feet, finally remembering his... the little girl.

Quickly, Pluto shook her head as she backed away further. "Not now, Darien," she murmured as she opened the time and dimensional gateway behind her. As she looked into his bright blue eyes, she smiled softly. Already the prince was beginning to understand. Reaching out, she gently squeezed his hand before backing away. "You will see your daughter again... find her again," she whispered before she and Small Lady disappeared in a flash of light.

Once more the park was left in silence as the scouts turned back to their fallen leader, the only sound to be heard was their quiet tears. Sighing, Darien slowly snapped the star locket shut and stuffed it in his pants pocket as he turned and knelt beside Serena. Gently, he lifted her still form into his arms, her beautiful dress softly covering his arms and hiding his armor.

"What are you doing?" Venus asked softly as she scooped Artemis into her arms, watching as Mercury did likewise with Luna.

"Bringing her to her parents," Prince Endymion stated quietly as he started down the path, the bright moon lighting his way.

Nodding, the scouts quickly feel into step behind him as they walked two by two, Venus and Mercury, Mars and Jupiter, followed by Neptune and Uranus. Together they formed a silent chain as they walked down the crowded streets of Tokyo, people stopping left and right to watch as the mysterious sailor scouts walked slowly in the open public, following a young man dressed in strange armor that bespoke of royalty. But most of all, the people noticed the grief that marked the warriors, the strange black cat that was actually crying in the arms of one scout... and the angelic young woman that lay so still in the young man's arms with hair so long that it trailed lightly across the ground they walked, a bright crescent moon marking her forehead. And without knowing why, the people were touched by this sight to the point of tears as they slowly joined the silent line behind the Sailor Scouts.

"Serena..." Molly whispered as tears filled her eyes, gripping Melvin's hand tightly as the procession walked slowly past. Without a word they joined the group.

"Serena Tsukino," Mrs. Haruna whispered hoarsely as she recognized her old student and joined the silent group.

"Serena... Darien..." Andrew whispered hoarsely as he and his sister joined the procession.

"Sailor Moon," Catsy, Byrdie, Averie, and Prisma murmured in horror as they too stepped in line.

In the end, hundreds of thousands of people fell into step behind the sailor scouts, mourning a girl that few knew... an angel that could only be described as a princess.

Too soon, the line of people that stretched back as far as the eye could see stopped before the Tsukino household. Those that could see watched as Ilene Tsukino came to the door, but all heard her agonized wail as she recognized her beloved daughter and took her still form from the young man's hands. As the thousands of people cried to the moon for the mysterious young woman, the Tsukino family gathered on the front step and screamed for their beloved daughter and sister.

And slowly, Darien stepped back and stared up at the quiet moon. "I don't know how, but somehow I will find you again, Serena... in life, and not in death because you won't be waiting there for me. I'll find you again," he vowed as he looked up at her beauty. And on the wind, he could have sworn that he heard his love's faint laughter...