[Summer 2005] Dust swirled in the air, settling uncomfortably into the sweat on Serenity's neck as she pushed the cardboard box across the attic floor. Wiping her brow with a rag, she carefully climbed back down the ladder and returned to her parents' bedroom. From downstairs she could hear Chibi-Usa squealing with laughter, undoubtedly at some new antic of her doting father's. They were taking turns watching the baby and packing boxes. Serenity had no idea what the future might hold for this particular place. Would it be a museum? A tourist attraction? Would it exist at all? So many questions, so much to do. With the closet finally finished, Serenity turned her attention to her mother's dresser. She had purposely left this to last, since it was where her mother kept her most valuable possessions. Serenity collected the various pieces of jewelry from the top and placed them a small box. These would not go into the attic with the old clothes, of course. Trying not to let the memories overwhelm her, she proceeded to the first drawer. Upon opening it, however, she found something unexpected. Laying purposely upon what looked to be a pile of photos was a crisp white envelope. It was labeled simply "Usagi." Serenity picked it up and opened it delicately as she sat on the edge of the bed. --- Beloved daughter, When you read this, I know it will be a very sad time for you. I will have gone on to join your father, your brother, my mother, my father, and the rest of our ancestors. Please know that I am somewhere safe and happy and please do not worry about me. I am writing you this letter to share some things with you that we never discussed openly. Sometimes, it is hard to put the most important things in one's life into words. I want you to know how very proud of you I am. Your father and I were very blessed to have such a kind, considerate, loving daughter. Watching you and your brother grow up was the greatest joy of my life and I cannot express how happy it made me to see you grow into the wonderful woman, wife, and mother that you are. I am also very proud of you for your other accomplishments. Though I do not know all of the details, I am sure that you have gone through a lot of terrible things. So often I thought that perhaps I should let you know that we knew, but your father believed, and I agreed, that the most important thing we could do for you was to provide you with a normal, loving home, a refuge where you could escape that other part of your life. From the moment you were born, we knew there was something special about you. You shone with an inner light and were marked by a greater destiny. I won't describe the dreams, we didn't understand most of them anyway, but we always knew that there was someone else out there keeping an eye on you, a guardian angel perhaps. When Sailor Moon appeared, we knew that your destiny had arrived. While I don't know exactly what you've accomplished, I sense that you've saved many lives and that your love and compassion has helped the entire world. I am glad that we could play a part in your destiny and hope that we have given you the tools you will need to continue to succeed. As I write this, I can sense that things are changing in our world. I know that you will be at the center of those changes. I hope you will always remember where you came from and the values that your father and I tried to instill in you. I have no reason to believe that you won't. I know you will always make me proud. I love you and will always be watching over you, Ikuko-mama ---- Serenity laid back on the bed, not bothering to wipe away the tears that had been falling continuously since she began to read. "I miss you, mama," she whispered. "I'll do my best to keep making you proud. I promise." ----------------------- To: ejyoung@stanford.edu From: mizami@yahoo.com Subject: Visit! --- Hey Elizabeth! How are you doing? I'm sorry that I haven't written in a while, but things here have been very busy. I've been working overtime on the hypercancer project. Yes, things have also been busy with you know who. Before you ask, everything is going great. We've been ring shopping for the last week, in whatever free time we have. I think we've found the perfect matching set at last. I'm so very happy. The main reason I'm writing is to let you know that I'll be coming to San Francisco to visit in a couple weeks. When I get my itinerary I will forward it to you. I would love to see you and all the old gang if you guys are available. It will just be me. Makoto is going to see some friends in Paris the same week. How are things with you and Shana? I hope you are both still in good health. Let me know what is going with you guys and everyone else and give my best to all. Looking forward to seeing you soon, Ami ---- Ami clicked the Send button and sat back at her desk. She could hear Makoto's light snoring from the other room and it brought a wan smile to her face. Though their plans had come into focus over the last week, there was still a lot left up in the air, still preparations that needed to be made and decisions as well. It could all wait a few more hours, though. Ami padded softly back into the bedroom, kicked off her slippers, and slid under the covers. Makoto stirred and rolled towards her as Ami pressed lightly against her side. "Morning, love," Makoto mumbled, sleep still dazing her eyes. Ami reached out and tenderly brushed the long, auburn stands from Makoto's forehead. "Good morning, my beloved," she whispered sweetly. She snuggled up closer, resting her head on Makoto's chest, giving her lover time to wake up. As Makoto shifted her arms to wrap Ami in a tight embrace and as her hands began to stroke Ami's skin gently, Ami closed her eyes and shuddered happily. The future could wait just a little while longer. ----------- Minako rolled over in her king-sized bed and reached out. When her fingers found nothing but hotel sheets, she opened her eyes with a start. Sleep vanished in a rush of adrenaline until she recalled where she was and why. With a plaintive sigh, she sat up and got out of bed. The first rays of dawn crept through a part in the heavy curtains casting the room in a dim orange haze. Mina moved to the dresser and pulled out some sweats, putting them on quickly and beginning to stretch her muscles. Again she glanced longingly at the empty bed behind her. Her workout could wait, just a little while. On the lamp stand by the window there was a small tape recorder. Normally, Mina used it to record snippets of songs as they occurred to her. You never knew when inspiration would strike after all. Lately, though, she'd found a better use for it, especially since she hated typing and writing. Pulling the curtains open, she let the morning sun shine in as she sat in the easy chair and clicked the Record button. "Hey Rei, it's me again. It's morning now. I was just going to send this as it was, but then you popped into my head all over again and I just had to talk to you. "I don't like waking up alone. I don't like reaching out for you and finding nothing. I know that there have been lots of times we've been apart, but somehow it's worse here. Sydney will always remind me of you. If I close my eyes, I can see you standing here, stomping your foot and demanding that we get out of the suite for just one night. You're so cute when you get all intense and focused on something. I thought about having dinner at our restaurant, but I realized that I never want to set foot in there without you. "[sigh] Oh Rei, I know that what we're doing is right, but I'm still so scared. I trust Ami and Serenity; I'm sure the plan will work, but when I'm all by myself these little fears and doubts start to creep in. I wish you were here to tell me I'm being stupid in that annoyed tone of yours and then to give me a big hug and let me know that everything will be all right. "I had a dream that we went ahead with our initial plan and told everyone what we were going to do. We gave a big press conference, revealed our true identities, and told the world that we were going to freeze them for a thousand years. Things shifted around like dreams do but then we were all running down a street in Tokyo somewhere and everyone was chasing us with pitchforks and torches. Some people tried to defend us, but they were surrounded and there was a lot of fighting and bloodshed. We tried to explain and make it stop, but they threw stones at us and put us in jail and then everyone died. It wasn't a good dream, but I think it's a sign. Ami might not agree, but I know you will. We're doing the right thing. They wouldn't understand. They would just panic. Hopefully, by the time this is all over and when all the negative energy has been sucked out of everyone, they will all forgive us. "Sorry to be so melancholy, darling, but I miss you so much. Hopefully, I'll find the right place today. Ami's little device seems to be working, so I'm sure I'll be able to pinpoint the perfect location soon. I'll overnight this so you can listen to it tomorrow. [laughs] I'll probably talk to you before then, but I'll send it anyway. I love you, Rei. I guess I'll see you on the other side. Please take care." Mina clicked a button and the tape stopped. Talking to Rei, even if only through a tape, made her feel better. A quick workout, a shower and breakfast, and then back to work; it would be a busy day. Sydney was a very big city but somewhere here was the place where she would need to be when the time came. Mina had a vague suspicion that that place just might be in a nearby park, in a secluded corner where her entire life had changed. She'd leave that area till last to check, however. She really didn't want to go back there by herself. ----------- Makoto looked down at the reading on her sensor. The indicators had gotten stronger and stronger until she had reached this point, but they still were not at maximum strength. If she moved in any direction, however, they got weaker again. Maybe it had gotten broken in her carry-on bag, she considered. With a heavy sigh, she dropped her hand to her thigh and looked up at the sky. Overhead, the Eiffel Tower soared majestically into the air. Ami had said that the positive energy convergence points would likely be in important locations. Makoto had not understood all the talk of ley lines and energy patterns, though Ami had explained to her more than once. 'It's always tough to focus when Ami lectures because she's so damn cute when she does,' Makoto admitted ruefully. As a warm breeze blew through her hair, Makoto gave thanks that she'd been tasked to come here. Of course, she was the only senshi really familiar with this area, but at least she hadn't drawn Australia like Mina or South America like Haruka. It would be winter down there and much less pleasant to hike around. Rei wouldn't be too cold in Kenya, of course, but Makoto wouldn't have traded Paris for anything. 'Except maybe San Francisco,' she realized. But, if she had gone there then Ami would have had to go someplace else, so it wouldn't have mattered. There were only so many senshi, after all, and this was a pretty big ritual they were getting ready to perform. Teleporting was easy and protecting a building or even a city was much more manageable than protecting the entire planet! Of course, if Makoto couldn't find the precise convergence point, it might all go for naught. Shaking her head and refocusing on the task at hand, she lifted the detector to examine the readings once again. As she did so, she noticed a very slight fluctuation in the readings. She lowered her hand and lifted it again. Once more, the readings changed slightly. Carefully, she lifted the device over her head, shading her eyes from the sun with her free hand. Yes, there it was. The readings were just a little stronger now. With a triumphant smile, she checked her pockets for loose change, hoping that they hadn't raised the fare to ride to the top of the Tower. She'd found it! -------------- Dear Diary, You know that when I say "Dear Diary", I really mean "Dear Chibi- Usa", don't you? Everything I put in here is meant for you to read, when the time is right. Every day that goes by that time comes just a little bit closer. On those dark nights when I wake up in a cold sweat with the dreams or memories of the things I have done in the past, I remember that somewhere further down the time stream, you wait for me and that gives me the strength to go on. You know, I've never had many friends. I guess the reason is obvious. None of my memories of my past incarnations include any of time spent with friends, just hanging out and laughing together. Even now, though I know lots of people in my classes and activities, the only friend I have is you, and you're just a little baby. Oh, but you're so cute! [smiley face] I guess that the other senshi are my friends, but you know how adults are. At least, I guess you do. I've met your parents, but I'm betting it's different in the future than now when you're just a baby. Don't get me wrong, I love Haruka-papa, Michiru- mama, and Setsuna-mama, but they're still my parents. I wish they'd just leave me alone me sometimes. They treat me like I'm still a baby. Clean this, wash that, put that away... I swear sometimes I feel like a maid or something. Like, we're getting ready to freeze the world... who cares if my bed is made! Well, whatever. I love them and all, but I certainly won't mind growing up and moving out on my own. So, I guess the time is coming when you'll go to sleep for a long time, just like I did. I don't think your mom and dad have figured out yet whether or not to include you in the freeze. Setsuna-mama said something about slowed aging, delayed development, resistance to the negative energies... blah blah blah. I'm going to be out in space anyway for a long time, and I'm not allowed to play with you or watch you grow up or anything in any case. I guess that's not such a bad thing. I have to keep trying to remember you as my best, dearest friend, not as the little crying baby who yakked all over me last month. [smiley face] I think it would be weird if I watched you grow up too closely. I don't want to be an aunt or an older sister to you, Usako. That's not how I think about you. I hope that by the time you read this, we'll have sorted all that out. I hope that the brief time we spent together affected you the way it did me and that you think of me the same way I think of you. Well, I'd better sign off for today. Setsuna-mama will be here soon to gather me up. I'm looking forward to going out into space. That's where she and I have to be for the big event. Paris would have been nice, or America, but it's better than where Michiru-mama got stuck. Who'd want to visit Novosibirsk anyway! Bye for now! 'Taru. ------------------- Serenity and Mamoru stood in the radio tower looking out over the city that had been their home all their lives. Closing her eyes, Serenity could still recall the sight of Minako dressed up with odangos, claiming to be Sailor Moon during the fight with Kaori. She chuckled at the memory. Mamoru looked over at her with a fond smile. "Something amusing, love?" he asked curiously. "Just remembering something," she replied. "I guess it's time. I wonder what it will be like afterwards." "It will be a better place," Mamoru assured her. He paused to take in the scenery, his hand finding and clasping hers. "I hope we're ready. I'm not sure I'm cut out to be a king." "You will do fine, Mamo-chan, and so will I," Serenity said with a serious but fond tone. "It is our destiny, after all." "Destiny or not, Usako, you know that I would have loved you just the same. Fate may have pushed us together, but that's not what made me love you." Serenity felt a tear welling up in her eye as she turned to face her husband, her best friend, her soulmate. "I love you, Mamo- chan." "I love you, Usako. Shall we?" "Yes." Serenity turned back to face the city. Raising her left wrist, she touched a button on her communicator, glad that Ami had found a way to power it up enough to reach across the entire planet. "Sailor Senshi, this is Serenity. The time has come. On my mark, Sailor Senshi transform." Taking a deep breath, Serenity let her consciousness drift inside herself and then projected it outwards. Eyes closed, she could feel the lines of energy radiating out across the sky and through the floor at her feet, all centering on the silver crystal that lay on her chest. It was like a vast spider web of glittering moonlight and as she delicately touched it, the reverberations spread throughout the entire system. "Senshi.... transform." Even as she gave the command, she willed herself to transform. The energy swirled about her, filtering into the web. Beside her, she could sense Mamoru's change. Slowly, she became aware of similar sensations throughout the network of lines laid out before her. They flickered in her mind, brief flashes of familiar colors. Suddenly, she sensed something else familiar through the web. Not transformations, per se, but friendly vibes being transmitted to her in black and white. 'Luna and Artemis', she thought. Though they were not senshi, they still gave their all to the cause. Lifting her wings into the sunlight, feeling the breeze ruffle her feathers, Eternal Sailor Moon raised the Silver Millennium Crystal from her chest into the air. "Now, my beloved friends, give me your energy!" The words came to her through the communicator, but they were not necessary. Sailor Moon could feel them in her heart. "Mercury Star Power!" "Mars Star Power!" "Jupiter Star Power!" "Venus Star Power!" "Neptune Star Power!" "Uranus Star Power!" From all corners of the globe, the energy came, flowing through the sparkling lines of power and coalescing in the Silver Millennium Crystal. Bystanders on the street below the radio tower shaded their eyes from the bright, shining silver light above, a light so pure it made the sun seem dark in comparison. Sailor Moon gasped, overwhelmed by the power swirling around and through her. It was too much, there was no way she could handle this much power. Just as she knew she was going to explode, to collapse from the weight, she felt a hand on her shoulder. Tuxedo Kamen smiled at her proudly, his features shifting from that of her black-clad protector to the purple armored king who would rule by her side. "You can do it, Sailor Moon," he urged her, even as his calming influence helped settle the energy and moderate the pressure. "Pluto, Saturn... now!" Serenity yelled through clenched teeth. "Pluto Star Power!" "Saturn Star Power!" Suddenly, a new branch of energy shot down into the web from above. Two points of light gleamed in the orbit above and added their strength to the matrix being formed. The strands of the web began to swell and pulsate. All was ready. Everywhere across the world, people stopped, sensing the great energy gathering all about them. For a single moment, time itself seemed to come to a halt, waiting. "Moon Crystal World Healing Make-Up!" The words came to Serenity even as she opened her mouth. She'd wondered before what they might be, but as she expected, they'd come to her when necessary. All of the energy flowing through the Silver Millennium Crystal began to shift and change in form. Small branches sprung from every stand of the web, creating new webs, new matrices of power spreading out to fill in all of the gaps. Slowly, the positive energy began to coalesce and solidify into a pure, clear, crystal that coated everything. Though it seemed like hours, the process only took minutes. The senshi from their various positions aided in directing the flow of energy, sensing the world being frozen all around them as they willed all of their strength and power to Sailor Moon. While the cleansing shell was placed around the world, all of the senshi became as one: one mind, one will, one purpose, guided by the love and devotion of Eternal Sailor Moon, until finally, it was over. Endymion caught Serenity as she fell backwards, overwhelmed by what she had accomplished. The city surrounding them glistened like the dew on the morning grass. Nothing moved. He checked quickly to verify that she was all right and then leaned over to speak into her communicator. "It is done. Please return to Tokyo."
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