Author's notes:  This takes place after Usagi and Mamoru (Serena and
Darien) break up and before anyone finds out who Chibi-Usa's
(Reenie's) mother is.  This is my version of what would happen if
Usagi and Mamoru didn't get back together.  The word "lover" in this
story does not have a sexual connotation, the word is used in the
literal term meaning someone who loves another.  I do use the Japanese
names in this story so here's a handy little list for those of you not
familiar with the Japanese names for the characters: Tsukino
Usagi(Serena), Chiba Mamoru(Darien), Ami(Amy), Rei(Raye), Makoto or
Mako-chan(Lita), Minako(Mina), Chibi-Usa(Reenie), Serenity(Princess
Serena), Endymion(Prince Darien), Tuxedo Kamen(Tuxedo Mask),
Ginzuishou(silver crystal), Motoki(Andrew), Tsukino Kenji and
Ikuko(Serena's father and mother), Shingo(Sammy) If I have missed any,
please let me know.

Of course you all know that Sailor Moon and it's characters belong to
Takeuchi Naoko, Kodansha, and many other large miscellaneous
companies.  Any other characters in this story (there aren't that
many) belong to me, and if you want to use them, please let me know.

Warning: This is a shoujo story - no fighting in this one - just
emotional torment.  This is also my first fan fic, so please be kind. 
Any and all comments, flames, questions, and constructive criticism
are very much appreciated and welcome as this is my first fan fic.  Or
if you'd like just drop me a note telling me you read it, I would
really appreciate it.  I have a couple of other ideas for fan fics and
need to know if you guys enjoy this, and if I should continue.  Send
all to OTAKU9@aol.com

Finally, there is an illustration by yours truly to go along with this
fan fic.  If it's not available, please e-mail me and I'll be happy to
send you a copy.  If it is available, please do not look at it (I know
I'm inviting trouble with that comment) until after the point in the
text marked with a "~".  If you can't find the "~", the illustration
is of the picture one of the characters shows another character in the
restaurant (when you read it, you'll know ^_^). There that should set
everyone straight.  As I said, I drew this, so please let me know if
you like it.  Well with all that said (and I know I forgot something,
I just can't remember what....) on with the story!  Hope you enjoy it.

*****


                                Wrong Choices

                                  Chapter 1


Tsukino Usagi followed Chiba Mamoru into the Crown Game Center.  She
was sure he would talk to Motoki, his best friend.  She couldn't let
her Mamo-chan go just like that.  He had told her that he didn't want
to be tied to the past.  He wanted his space, and he wanted her out of
it.  But not a mere hour ago, Tuxedo Kamen had come to Sailor Moon's
rescue, and so, deep inside, Usagi knew that her Mamo-chan still loved
her.

Mamoru finally noticed Usagi following him, and stopped suddenly. 
Motoki, who had noticed the pair, was walking toward them.  His smile
frozeon his face and dissolved immediately.  Something was wrong. 
Mamoru's eyes held hidden pain and Usagi's eyes were on the verge of
spilling tears.

"Mamo-chan," Usagi started as she placed a shaky hand on his arm.  Her
eyes full of tears, she looked up into her lover's eyes.  Her
beautiful blue watery eyes begged silently for love, HIS love, as she
stared at him.  Mamoru felt his courage drain out of him, and gave in
to the tug-of-war going on inside him.  *Tell her the truth* exclaimed
his heart, *if you do, she will die* screamed his mind.  His selfish
heart wanted to hold her forever, and his logical mind wanted to push
her away for her safety.  *To save her, you must sacrifice your love*
screamed his mind; *To sacrifice your love, means to sacrifice your
soul, and your life...* his heart whispered.  "Usako, forgive me"
Mamoru thought as he wrenched his arm free from Usagi's hand.  He
turned angrily and looked her directly in the eyes.

"Don't you understand?  I don't love you anymore!" Mamoru's heart
cried out in pain as the words escaped his lips.  Words torn from his
mouth by Usagi's pleading eyes, and his nightmarish thoughts of her
death.  He watched in despair as his lover's eyes dulled; the spark
gone as if the light inside her disappeared.  Motoki who had finally
reached them stared at Mamoru in disbelief, and then walked towards
Usagi from behind.  He looked at the stricken Usagi; her eyes full of
tears, her lips mouthing silently Mamoru's name.  He placed his hands
on her shoulders as he stood behind her, rage for his friend filling
his eyes.  Mamoru looked at Motoki, pleading for forgiveness and
understanding with his eyes.  His eyes then wandered around the crowd
that had formed to watch the lovers.  He could not bring himself to
look at her.

"I don't love you anymore..." the words resounded in her ears, echoed
in her mind, strangled her heart, and murdered her soul.  A
heart-wrenching sob escaped her lips, and her mind shut down.  Her
only thoughts were to escape, to free herself from the pain that
washed over her.  She broke free of Motoki's hold and pushed her way
through the crowd surrounding them to the exit.  She ran blindly,
tears filling her vision.  She never looked back, for if she had, she
would have seen a broken man fall to his knees.

*****

Usagi ran to a nearby park, finally collapsing on the grass.  She
shook violently as sobs wracked her body.  Suddenly, strong arms
wrapped around her from behind, and she looked up to find Motoki
staring down at her.  She twisted in his arms until her face was
buried in his chest, and continued to cry as he stroked her back and
rocked her slightly.  Motoki held her until she calmed down, until she
could cry no more.  She clung to his shirt as if her life depended on
it, her knuckles white with the effort.  Finally the she felt herself
calm enough to release her grip on Motoki.

"Usagi-chan, are you alright?" Motoki asked the top of her head.

"No, Motoki.  I don't think that I'll ever be alright," Usagi said
solemnly.  "Could you please walk me home?  I don't want to be alone
right now."

"Of course," Motoki said as he rose to his feet, pulling her up beside
him.  *How could Mamoru do this to her?  Just yesterday he was telling
me how much he loved her* Motoki thought to himself as he and Usagi
walked to her home in the darkness.

Usagi walked silently, leaning against Motoki for the support she
needed  and strength she lacked.  Thoughts of death ran rampant
through her mind.  What she hadn't told Motoki was the REAL reason she
needed him there.  She needed him there to stop her from jumping to
her death.  Her Mamo-chan did not love her anymore.  How could she go
on living a lie?  How could she go on living at all?

They reached her home, and neither had said a word to the other. 
Usagi threw her arms around Motoki and held on to him.

"Goodbye, Motoki."

"Goodbye, Usagi-chan," Motoki said as she pulled away from him.  He
did not like the look in her eyes.  She looked desperate, almost mad;
but the looked passed as she looked up into his eyes.

"I will never forget what you've done for me today," Usagi whispered.

"We are friends, Usagi-chan.  What Mamoru did was-" his comment cut
short by Usagi's index finger on his lips.

"No, Motoki-san.  Please do not mention his name.  Goodbye, and thank
you."  Usagi opened the door to her home and with a final wave she
entered.

Motoki stared up at the house and silently prayed that Usagi would be
alright.

*****

Usagi walked to her room in a daze; her feet leading the way.  She
entered her room and suddenly found herself overwhelmed by memories. 
Memories she did not want.  Memories of Mamoru, and everything he
meant to her.  Her past, her future...all gone in a brief instant.  If
she had any more tears, she would cry.  She had to escape all of these
memories.

She walked to her dresser mirror and was shocked to see that her once
radiant face was twisted and marred in pain and sorrow.  She sat down,
and fingered her blonde hair absently.

"Everyone is sleeping," she whispered to her reflection, her wild eyes
darting, her voice held a hint of madness.  "Luna, Chibi-Usa, Mother,
Father, Shingo..." she trailed off.  She looked down at her dresser
and found the answer to her problem.  Next to a framed picture of
herself and Mamoru, she saw a letter.  A letter from her family's
friend in America.  She remembered her "Uncle" Robert.  How he tried
to teach her his language to no avail.  He spoke perfect Japanese, and
was very fond of his "niece" Usagi.  He will help her; he would have
to.

She had made her decision.  She stood and walked to her closet where
she pulled out a suitcase.  She grabbed blindly for her clothes not
caring what she chose, what did it matter?  She pulled from her hiding
place her savings that over the years had amounted to a sizeable sum. 
She counted it, but was dismayed to discover that it would not be
enough for a plane ticket.  *Uncle Robert will help me.  He is very
wealthy* she thought as she took the letter from the dresser, and
after making sure that this phone number was in the letter, she put it
in her pocket.

She placed in her suitcase everything she wanted.  The stuffed rabbit
Mamo-chan had given her, and his locket were placed on top of her
clothes quickly lest she changed her mind.  Photos of her family,
Chibi-Usa, Luna, Artemis, and the senshi were placed carefully in her
suitcase.  *The senshi,* she thought, *will they need me?*

"No, you have nothing to fight for anymore.  You are no good to them. 
You will get them killed," Usagi whispered to herself.  She closed the
suitcase and looked at her dresser.

She sat in front of her mirror, and looked at herself.  Her eyes were
red from crying, her face blotchy, and her hair was in tangles.  She
ran her fingers through her left ponytail as a thought crossed her
mind.  Once, when she was actually paying attention in class, she had
learned that women used to cut their hair when they grieved...Usagi
grabbed one of her long ponytails and cut it off with a pair of
scissors right below the knots in her hair, repeating the action for
the other.  Her long tendrils of hair cascaded to the floor.  She
sighed sadly.  

She had to hurry or Luna would find her.  She wrote a letter to the
only one who would know where she was headed.  She had to explain to
her the reasons for her disappearance, and she had to relinquish
leadership to her.  *She would find me with her fire anyway* she
thought.  She jotted a few sentences on a piece of painfully cheerful
paper, and put it in an envelope.

Finally she stood.  She looked around her room one last time,
memorizing the details.  She walked out of her house with her head
held high.  Her courage slipped away, however, and she began to cry
again as she waved goodbye to her home, and her family.  She had one
more job to complete.

She walked alone to the Hikawa Shrine, one last time, suitcase in
hand.  She placed the letter at the door of shrine where Rei read her
fire.  Then, on top of that she placed her brooch.  "I will not need
the Ginzuishou anymore..." she whispered as she walked away.  She
walked to the airport.  She had plenty of time.  Finally at the
airport, she placed a collect call to her Uncle Robert.

*****

The next day, a surprised Rei found a letter weighed down by the
brooch containing the Ginzuishou.

"Usagi, what have you done..." she said to the wind as she walked
inside to the privacy of the shrine to read her friend's farewell.

Rei,

You are the only one I am writing this to, and I would like it to stay
that way.  I am informing you of my actions because you are the only
one who would be able to find me, and I don't want that.  I NEED to
leave, and start a new life.  Mamo-chan has told me that he does not
love me anymore.  Without him, I can't go on; you, more than anyone
know that.  I would be no good to the senshi, and you know that as
well.  I know that you will be a better leader than I ever was, and
that you will lead the senshi to victory.  I know the ginzuishou may
not be of any use to you, but perhaps Luna will find a way...

I will be in America with my Uncle Robert.  Please do not try to
contact me or to change my mind, for if I stay in Japan the memories
of what once was will make me crazy.  Please do not let the others
know that you know of my whereabouts, and take Luna and Chibi-Usa into
your care.  I know that Luna or Chibi-Usa will try to discover where I
am through my parents, but not even they will know my exact location. 
Please try to forget that I ever existed.  It's better for everyone
that way.  The Moon Princess is dead - there is no Princess Serenity
without Prince Endymion.  One final request, my friend, please tell
Mamoru that he should not worry; he will never see me again.  I will
always love you, my friends.  And as you know, I will always love HIM. 
I will miss you.

Goodbye,
Usagi

Rei crumbled the letter in her hands as tears ran down her cheeks. 
She did not want to be a leader; she wanted her best friend back.  All
that could be heard from the Hikawa Shrine that morning was a fallen
warrior's cry of defeat.

*****

Chibi-Usa and Luna ran to Usagi's room to wake her up; even they had
overslept today.  What greeted them was a sight that made them both
gasp in panic.  Usagi's mother and father sat crying by her dresser
each holding one of her long ponytails.  Her room in disarray, and her
clothes and personal items gone.  Shingo sat on her bed looking
through teary eyes at a picture she left behind.

"Where's Usagi?" Chibi-Usa asked.

"She's gone," Usagi's mother said between sobs.

"We don't know where she is, and she left these behind," her father
said as he shook the tendrils of hair in his hand.  He burst into
tears, as the time-displaced child and the talking cat rushed out of
the room.

*****

The senshi were all gathered at the Hikawa shrine when Luna and
Chibi-Usa arrived.  Makoto was comforting Minako, while Ami stood
alone sobbing silently.  Rei's hands were fists at her sides and she
blinked back angry tears when she saw Luna and Chibi-Usa walk in.

"We have been waiting for you, Luna," Rei said to the cat as she
walked towards Luna with Usagi's brooch in hand.  "Usagi left me
this," she said dropping the brooch with disgust.  The brooch popped
open upon impact and Chibi-Usa gasped as its content rolled out: the
Ginzuishou.  Luna gasped and stared up at Rei, searching her eyes for
an explanation.

"Mamoru-san crushed her, and she is never coming back," Rei continued. 
"She said that the Moon Princess is dead.  She wanted ME to be the
leader," she burst into tears and dropped to her knees.  "All I want
is for HER to return.  SHE is the rightful leader, our ONLY leader"
she cried to the floor.

"Usagi is gone, and there is nothing we can do," Luna said defeated,
ignoring the shocked look on Chibi-Usa's face.

"The 'Moon Princess'?" Chibi-Usa asked recovering from the shock of a
talking cat.

"Yes, child," Luna explained, "Usagi was the Moon Princess."

"But, I'M the Moon Princess, my mother is Queen Serenity, and my
father is King Endymion," the child said.  "That must mean that..."
she trailed off.

"Usagi is your mother," said a voice from the door.

They all turned to see Mamoru standing there with tears in his eyes.

"And YOU, Mamoru-san, are Endymion, her father," Luna said, finally
understanding.

"Yes, I dreamed about the future last night.  For once in the past few
weeks, my dreams have not been of Usagi's death," Mamoru said. 
Chibi-Usa stared in surprise at Mamoru, her father.

"YOU," spat Rei, "you did this to her!"  She lunged at him struggling
to break free of her friends' grasp as Minako and Makoto held her
back.  "You broke her heart, destroyed her dreams, murdered her soul,
and all because of a dream?"

"How could you doubt your love like that? You should have known that
love can conquer anything, even death.  How could you be so
heartless?" Minako asked shocked.

"Now she is gone, and we will never see her again," Makoto said
angrily.

"We will never forgive you for this," Ami said softly.

"No, Ami-chan," Luna snapped, "Tuxedo Kamen is our ally, and now
without Sailor Moon, we need him more than ever."

"But don't you see, Luna," Ami explained, "Tuxedo Mask lives only to
protect Sailor Moon.  Without Sailor Moon, his identity as Tuxedo Mask
is dead."

"Papa, how could you break my Mama's heart?" Chibi-Usa asked suddenly. 
Her mind still reeling from all the truths revealed to her.  The girls
were the sailor senshi, and Usagi and Mamo-chan were her mother and
father.

"I didn't...I did it for her sake," Mamoru said trying desperately to
convince his audience and ultimately himself.  "If I didn't stay away
from her, she would die!  The last thing I ever wanted to do was break
her heart.  You seem to ignore that the woman that I love is gone, and
I know that it's MY fault, but I did it for her own good...for her own
good" he repeated as he broke down, his voice diminished to a weak
whisper, falling to his knees.

"Yes, Mamoru-san," Rei said defeated, "her body may have died in the
future, but with you words, you murdered her soul here in the present. 
Her parents will tell you what she left behind for you.  She chopped
off her hair as a symbol of the great loss she has suffered.  The loss
that YOU created.  Don't come crying to ME and tell me that it was for
HER own good!  You murdered her soul for her OWN good?  Well then, you
NEVER deserved her, and you NEVER will!  So don't even try to look for
her, you'll only hurt her more.

"Now please leave; you are not welcome here today.  Today, we grieve
for a lost soul."  With that Rei turned away as Mamoru got up and left
without looking back.

*****

End of Chapter 1.


So what do you think so far?  What will happen to everyone's favorite
couple?  What will happen to the senshi?  Please send any comments to
OTAKU9@aol.comAuthor's notes:  Previous notes still apply.  Not too
much to say this time around, except that this is a short chapter. 
Btw, six years have passes between Chapter 1 and Chapter 2.

Of course you all know that Sailor Moon and it's characters belong to
Takeuchi Naoko, Kodansha, and many other large miscellaneous
companies.  Any other characters in this story (there aren't that
many) belong to me, and if you want to use them, please let me know.

Send all comments, questions, flames to OTAKU9@aol.com



                           Wrong Choices
                             Chapter 2


Timothy Walters stared in awe at the beautiful woman he had come to
adore.  He had first met her six years ago when she arrived at his
friend's, Robert Jr.'s, house for the first time.  The little Japanese
girl arrived with her blonde hair tied up in knots at the top of her
head, and her tear-stained face begging for peace.  Robert's father
had told them that she was going to live with them.  She was fourteen
then, and Robert and himself were sixteen.  At first Robert Jr.
disliked the idea, but her kindness softened his heart and he began to
love her like a sister.

He remembered her struggling with her English, and finally mastering
it.  She dove into her studies, and had graduated high school at the
top of her class.  She had graduated from college, but had taken time
off from university to pursue her career as a dancer.  No one would
have thought that the clumsy Usagi Tsukino would shed her clumsiness
and become the graceful dancer, Serenity.  The stage name suited her,
for she was always serene.  It seemed to be a part of her nature.  She
was withdrawn and quiet, and painfully shy; that was the only reason
he and Robert were her only friends.  Timothy was not surprised that
in her six years of living in Washington, she never once went out on a
date; and he was overjoyed about that.  Robert, and himself were her
only companions, and she was content.

Timothy was jolted out of his reverie by the applause that filled the
stage.  Applause for the beautiful Serenity.  The applause was
overwhelming considering that this was just a dress rehearsal.  She
bowed slightly and a blush tinted her cheeks.  She walked gracefully
backstage, her silver hair flowing behind her in the two ponytails she
always wore.  It was strange, on the day of her eighteenth birthday,
she woke up with silver hair.  Not white, aging hair, but a beautiful
silver that seem to glow in the moonlight.  Once he had asked her
about her strange hair color and unusual style, and she had said in a
faraway voice that it was a sign of royalty.  He never understood what
it meant.

He got up to meet her backstage.  He knocked on her dressing room door
and she invited him in.  She sat at the mirror removing the make up
off her slender face.  He smiled at her.  He had fallen in love with
her, and it was about time that he let her know.

"Hello Tim," Usagi said to his reflection in the mirror.

"Usagi," he began as, suddenly, her dressing room door burst open.  A
very excited Samantha Rollins, dancer, ran to Usagi and threw her arms
around her.

"Samantha, what is the matter?" Usagi asked as Samantha stood in front
of her, eyes dancing with joy.

"Serenity, I have the most wonderful news!  I know how you've missed
Japan these past few years, and how you wanted desperately to return,
but couldn't"

"Samantha, I STILL don't know what you're trying to say," Usagi cocked
her head in confusion.

"Well," Samantha started ceremoniously, "your uncle has just booked us
for a two week production stay in Japan!" she exclaimed happily.

Usagi dropped the brush she was holding, and the color drained out of
her face.  "No, that's impossible!" she said as panic threatened to
claim her.  She stood and ran to her uncle's office leaving a very
surprised Samantha and a very worried Timothy in her wake.  Timothy
followed Usagi to her uncle's office and pressed his ear to the door.

"Uncle Robert," Usagi said, "how could you do this to me? You know the
reasons why I can't return to Japan.  I beg you to cancel this trip. 
I have yet to recover..."  her words became difficult to hear as she
began to whisper.

"Usagi, I'm doing this for you.  It has been six years since that day. 
You need closure.  You need to finally close the book of the past so
that you can begin your future.  You know that running away was not
the answer then, and it is not the answer now.  You NEED this trip. 
Your family misses you, and so do your friends.  I'm sure that Mam-"

"NO," she screamed, "don't say it."

Timothy heard her cry out, and begin to sob.  He couln't take it
anymore, and he burst into the room.  She sat accross from her uncle
crying into a handkerchief.  Timothy grabbed Usagi's hand and led her
out the door as he threw a sinister look over his shoulder to Mr.
Robert Lester.

*****

"Usagi, are you alright?"

The words reminded her of that night that she and Motoki walked home
in the darkness while she contemplated visions of death.

"Yes, Tim, I'll be alright," she said softly trying to convince
herself that it was true.

They had reached her home and they were alone in her room.  They sat
on a couch; he stared at her, and she stared at the crescent moon
outside her window.

"Do you want to talk about it?" Tim asked her.

"No"

"Usagi," he began, "there is something that I've been wanting to tell
you."

"What is it?" she asked as she turned slowly to look at him.

Impulsively he leaned forward and pressed his lips to hers.  He
caressed her lips with his, and she began to respond parting her lips,
thinking of another.

*Only one other has held my lips with such love,* she thought.

"Mamo-chan," she whispered, and froze.  Timothy stopped as the foreign
phrase passed her lips noticing that she had stopped suddenly.  He
pulled back and stared at her curiously.

"What does 'mamochan' mean, Usagi?" his innocent question tearing at
the wounds of her broken heart and releasing all the sorrow once
again.  She stood up suddenly and walked to the window to hide the
tears in her eyes and the paleness of her face.

"I'm sorry, Tim.  I must ask you to leave."

"But Usagi, I thought you wanted..." he trailed off as she turned her
head and looked at him with empty eyes.

"I'm sorry, Tim, that can never be," she said solemnly.  After a brief
silence she continued, "Tim, you are my closest friend in America.  I
need to ask you a great favor.  I know that you must hate me right
now, and I would understand if you refuse, but I have to ask."

"You know that I can't deny you anything, Usagi," Tim struggled to
keep his voice from shaking.

"I'm going to Japan, and I need you to be there.  I need your support
and your friendship.  I must face my past, and I need you as my
lifeline.  Please, Tim, I can't bear to lose your friendship.  I've
lost too much already, and I don't want to lose you too."

"Of course, Usagi.  I have a friend in Japan, and I'm sure I can stay
with him."  He stood and walked toward the door.

"I'm sorry, Tim," she said softly.

"No, it's alright.  I shouldn't have been so impulsive.  I just need
to know something."

"Anything," she breathed.

"What does 'mamochan' mean?"

"It means 'my only love'" she said, a solitary tear running down her
cheek.

"I see," Tim said as he shut the door behind him.  He walked out of
the house defeated and confused.  What had happened in there?  He
walked over to his car and got in, slamming the door.  He sat there in
the shadows, finally turning on the light as he rummaged through his
wallet.  Finally he found what he was looking for.

*Mamochan...Somehow, I don't think that phrase applies to me.  The
meaning just doesn't sound right.* he thought as he sat in his car
staring at a picture of Serenity.

*****

The next day Usagi, her uncle Robert, Robert Jr., and Tim rode in
silence in a limousine to the airport.  Usagi sat in the limo staring
out at the passing scenery.  She memorized the details of the home she
had known for six years.  She knew that something decisive had to
happen in Japan, and she had a feeling that once she saw her friends
and family again, she would not want to return.  She continued to
stare out the window as she remembered in vivid detail the life she
had led in America.

She remembered arriving at her Uncle's home, six years ago, and being
terrified at the sight that greeted her.  A huge mansion, numbers of
servants, and his son who at first seemed distant and aloof. 
Everything seemed so cold at first.  Then, as she began to learn
English and as she progressed in her studies, she began to enjoy being
in America with her uncle and cousin Robert.  She wasn't the Usagi she
had been all her life.  She became Serenity not only on stage but in
her demeanor.  She became graceful, shy, quiet, and even her physical
appearance changed.  She was not Usagi, the clumsy, rambunctious
crybaby anymore; she was Serenity, and she was one step closer to her
destiny.  She remembered waking up on her eighteenth birthday and
finding that her hair had turned silver and had grown back to it's
original length. Her mother's royal silver on her head was all the
proof she needed to see that she had matured.

After graduating high school at the top of her class, she went to
college, and after that she began to dance.  When she danced, she felt
like her alter ego, Princess Serenity, took over her body.  She had
choreographed her own routine, and designed her own costume.  She
danced in an abbreviated version of her Princess gown, though no one
save her friends in Japan would recognize it.  She danced to the tune
of Endymion's locket.  She danced an homage to the moon, and to her
love.  She became the music, and she became Serenity.  Tim had asked
her once how she created the effect of a crescent moon appearing on
her brow in the middle of her performance, she had smiled secretively. 
When she danced as Serenity to that melody, she felt Endymion's
presence in her heart.  How did she ever believe that she would be
able to escape her past.  How could she escape Endymion?  He was a
part of her, and she was a part of him.  How could she ever doubt
that, and how could he?

She had hoped that she would be able to forget him, and even
contemplated using Tim to do so, but she couldn't hurt Tim.  His
friendship had become so dear to her.  Dear Tim, she had suspected
that he held different feelings for her in his heart, that he wanted
more than friendship.  She feared the day when he would reveal his
true feelings, and how she would have to hurt him.  She could never
love another, not the way she loved HIM.  She did hurt him.  She could
see it in his eyes.

Usagi turned to Tim who sat next to her unmoving, staring at his
hands.  When he noticed her stare he looked up and the sadness she saw
in his eyes was so overwhelming that she turned her head in shame. 
She wanted to reach out and touch his face, to embrace him and feel
his strength, but she knew that it wouldn't be prudent.  She needed
him, but she knew there was a limit to his friendship.  If she pushed
too hard, and asked too much, she would lose him.  Just like she lost
Mamoru.

*****


An airplane landed in Japan, and a silver headed passenger set a shaky
foot on her homeland.

*****

At the Hikawa Shrine, Luna stared silently at the Ginzuishou placed on
a velvet pillow under a glass dome.  She cocked her head in wonder as
she felt a strange power emanating from the ancient ginzuishou.  It
began as a single pulse of light, barely noticeable.  Suddenly, the
light coursing through the ginzuishou had a rhythm.  It began to beat
to the rhythm of a heart.

"Rei!" screamed Luna "Usagi has returned!"

And older, wiser, and slightly saddened Rei walked into the shrine and
smiled at the cat.

"I know," she said calmly, "I feel the Princess' presence.  She has
returned to set in motion the events that will fulfill her destiny. 
We must wait, my friend, until she is ready to see us." She walked
over to the glass dome and placed her left hand on it as she stroked
the cat with her right hand.  Luna smiled a feline smile.

*****


End of Chapter 2.

Sorry everyone, short chapter.  What will happen now that Usagi has
returned after six years?  What will she find different?  Again please
send all comments to OTAKU9@aol.comAuthor's notes:  Previous notes
still apply.  ^_^

Of course you all know that Sailor Moon and it's characters belong to
Takeuchi Naoko, Kodansha, and many other large miscellaneous
companies.  Any other characters in this story (there aren't that
many) belong to me, and if you want to use them, please let me know.

As always, any and all comments please send them to <OTAKU9@aol.com>


                               Wrong Choices
                                 Chapter 3


There was a knock on the door in the Tsukino residence.  Tsukino Kenji
opened the door to find a beautiful woman in a pale yellow sundress
with silvery hair staring at him with tears in her eyes.

"May I help you?" he asked, not noticing the suitcase next to her or
the strange hairstyle that he should have recognized.

"Papa, it's me," Usagi began, tears streaming down her face, "I have
come home!"

"Usagi?" he asked, still not believing.  She threw her arms around him
and cried into his shoulder.  "Usagi, you are home," he said as he
wrapped his arms around the daughter he had missed dearly for six
years.

"Kenji, who was at the door?" Tsukino Ikuko asked her husband as she
came into the room, stopping suddenly at the sight of a strange woman
in his arms.  "What's going on here?" she asked angrily.

"Mama," Usagi raised her head from her father's shoulder to look at
her mother.

"Usagi?" her mother asked as the silver-headed woman rushed into her
arms.  "My baby has come home," she whispered as she and her daughter
collapsed to the floor with tears of joy on their cheeks.

"Where are Chibi-Usa and Shingo?" Usagi asked after she and her
parents had calmed down and were sitting in the living room.

"Who is Chibi-Usa?" her father asked.

"Chibi-Usa, my, uh, cousin?"

"You don't have a cousin!" her father said.  Usagi wondered where the
pink-haired girl went off to.  Maybe she left and forgot to
re-hypnotize her parents.  Another mystery she had to decipher.

"Anyway, Shingo is studying at the library," her mother explained,
"he'll be home soon.  Won't he be surprised to find his beautiful
sister home."

An uncomfortable silence filled the air.  Usagi knew what was coming,
and she was waiting until the questions began; questions she didn't
know how to answer. 

"Usagi, why did you leave all those years ago?" her mother broke the
silence.  "Where did you go?  I know you were in America, but why were
your letters so short, and why..."

"Mother, that is a VERY long story, and I rather find the ending
before I tell you anything.  I hope you understand.  I know you have
many questions, and believe me, I want to answer them.  I just don't
have all the answers myself, and until I do, I can't tell you how my
story ends."

"But, honey-" her mother stopped suddenly as her father raised his
hand.

"No, Ikuko.  She is right.  She is a grown woman, and she has to solve
her own problems.  She'll tell us everything, when she is ready."

Usagi gave a thankful look to her father and tried to hide her shock
behind her smile.  Her father had always been the one to overreact to
everything, and now he was the voice of calm wisdom.  She smiled at
the thought.

"Usagi, would you like to see your room?" her mother asked
tentatively.

"Yes, mother I would like that very much."  They walked to her room in
silence and her father carried her suitcase.

"Everything is just as you left it," her father said as he opened the
door and placed her suitcase inside.  "We'll leave you alone."

She walked into her room alone, much like that night years ago. 
Though she smiled now at the memories that greeted her, and looked
around her once cheery room.  Her eyes scanned the childish things she
had left behind and finally rested on a box set on her bed.  It looked
like it was once a gift box; it was tied in a big red ribbon. 
Curiosity claimed her, and she walked to the bed and opened the box. 
Nestled in tissue paper were two ribbons which held together, to her
amazement, two long blonde ponytails.  She pulled out the first ribbon
and ran her fingers through her old hair.  Her hair that was her pride
and joy six years ago and that she cut off as she grieved for her lost
love.  Her silver hair now was longer than it was then.  She put the
ribbon and hair back in the box and sighed sadly.  It was time to go. 
She had to be on stage in three hours, and she still had one more stop
to make.  She got up and walked downstairs to her family.

"I must go.  I have to perform in three hours.  Will you come?" she
asked her parents.

"Of course we will!  I still can't believe that you are a famous
dancer.  You were never very graceful," her father said and was
quickly reprimanded for the thoughtless words by his wife's elbow as
it collided with his chest.

"You have changed, Usagi, and for the better.  I'm proud to call you
daughter as I always have been, and of course I will be there for
you." Ikuko hugged her daughter.

"I won't be able to see you after the show, but I will spend the night
here.  I will see you tomorrow morning," she offered as she opened the
door.

"Usagi," her mother began, "why did you dye your hair white?"

"I didn't, mother.  It's naturally silver," and with that she walked
to her car.

*****

The Ginzuishou's light beat happily, SHE was coming.  It's light
flashed in tune to the rhythm of her heartbeat; and in someone's heart
the rhythm would soon begin to echo...

*****

Chiba Mamoru stared longingly out the window of his apartment.  He
longed to be free of this overwhelming sadness, but he no longer
hoped.  He had longed for the saddness to disappear for six years, and
it never did.  When she disappeared his nightmares vanished with her. 
Now he almost willed them back, if only to see her in his dreams.  

He had led a lonely life these past six years without her.  He
withdrew so deep within himself that he barely had any human contact
at all.  If not for Motoki, who found it in him to forgive Mamoru's
treatment of her, he would have no friends at all.  He hadn't realized
how much of a part of him she was.  Without her he felt empty and he
knew that nothing or no one would be able to fill the void in his
heart as she did.

He could barely bring himself to speak her name out loud.  The pain
was unbearable and it pushed him to the brink of madness.  He tried to
force her out of his mind...out of his heart, but he could not. 
Minako had been right all those years ago; he shouldn't have doubted
their love, he never should have been afraid of what the future held. 
He tried to protect her from it, instead he drove her away and soon
after Chibi-Usa vanished.  He wondered if she would even exist...

Suddenly, a strange feeling washed over him.  His heart seemed to stop
suddenly then start beating at a different beat.  He put his hand over
his heart as it hammered the familiar beat.  He knew this beat; this
was the beat of her heart...of HIS heart.  This is what he longed for
for years; to be in complete synch with his beloved.  Tears of joy
leapt instinctively into his eyes, and his mouth formed into the now
unfamiliar shape of a smile - it felt so foreign on his lips.  He
closed his eyes and he could see her clearly in his mind's eye.

"Usako," he whispered and the simple word made his heart race.  He had
to find her, but where could she be?  Rei would know.  He ran out of
the apartment and barely slammed the door behind him as he raced out
of the building.

*****

Usagi walked to the Hikawa Shrine after parking her car.  She didn't
know what to expect from Rei and the others.  She hardly knew her
friends now after six years so she couldn't venture to guess how they
would react.  She strongly believed, however, that Rei would be angry
with her; she always thought she was a coward.  Perhaps she was right.

She reached the top of the stairs and was surprised to find Sailor
Mars waiting for her, her body posed in the battle stance she
remembered from long ago.

"Burning Mandala," she screamed as she attacked Usagi.

Usagi back-flipped and dodged each one of the fireballs.

"Impressive, Princess," Sailor Mars said as she detransformed, "I see
that you have not lost your fighting skills, and that you have gained
some new ones."  With that she ran at Usagi.  Usagi closed her eyes
and braced herself for the attack she so deserved, after all she had
run away; but was in shock when she felt Rei hug her fiercely and
heard her sob in her ear.  She wrapped her arms around her best friend
and cried as well.

"You have returned," Rei said as she pulled away wiping tears from her
eyes and holding Usagi at arms length.  "How I hoped that this day
would come.  I see that you have become Princess Serenity much earlier
than anticipated," she said as she pointed at Usagi's hair.

"Rei-chan, you are not angry with me?" Usagi asked softly.

"Of course not, Princess.  You have returned that is all that matters
now.  You will set right all the wrongs that have occurred.  You have
to."

They walked silently into the shrine with their arms around each
other's waists.  A light filled the shrine as she stepped in, and she
felt her power returning as she welcomed it like an old friend.  She
opened her eyes to find the Ginzuishou glowing under a glass dome. 
Almost as if in a trance, she walked to it and pulled the dome upwards
to find a silver crown.  The middle of the crown was in the shape of a
heart and in the center of the hollow heart lay the Ginzuishou.

"It is your royal crown," said Luna, her eyes flashing in the glow of
the jewel.

"Luna," Usagi cried as she pulled the cat into her embrace.  "How I
have missed you."  The cat purred loudly as Usagi hugged her tightly.

"You have returned, Princess," Luna said.

"I have," said Usagi as she placed the crown on her head.  The
crescent moon appeared on her brow and power surged through her body. 
She was Princess Serenity now; Usagi was no more.

"We must speak, Princess," Rei said as she bowed before her ruler.

"Rei-chan, you must not bow to me.  We are friends." Rei stood.

"Usagi-chan, you have changed.  You are graceful, intelligent, and you
wear your mother's silver tresses."  Rei waited for Usagi to blow up
at the slight insult, but instead Usagi dropped her head.

"Yes, Rei-chan I have changed.  I changed that night, six years ago. 
I have grown up, and I am ready for my responsibilities.  But please
tell me how you and the others are doing."  They sat on the floor.

"Usagi-chan, when you left I didn't know what to do.  You left me in
charge of the senshi, and believe it or not we fell apart.  Ami-chan,
Minako-chan, and Mako-chan all wanted to be leader, and each had their
own reasons why they should.  Our first battle, after you left, we
couldn't work as a team.  Minako-chan got angry that we could not beat
the youma, and decided to return to London to become Sailor V again.
Ami-chan was hurt and has been in a coma ever since.  Mako-chan felt
guilty that she couldn't save Ami-chan, and gave up being a senshi to
study culinary arts in France.  I have fought alone these past six
years, and I am tired."

Usagi placed a shaky hand on her friend's shoulder.  Her mind raced;
Makoto and Minako weren't senshi anymore, Ami was in a coma, Rei had
fought alone, and it was her doing.  If she hadn't run away from her
problems....if she wouldn't have been so selfish, none of this would
have happened.  How could she have deserted her friends?

"Rei-chan, this is all my fault!  You are right, I will right the
wrongs that have occurred because of my cowardice.  I will start right
now."  Before Rei could negate her friend's thoughts of her own
cowardice, the crescent moon on Usagi's forehead and the ginzuishou in
her crown glowed as she shimmered and disappeared.  Rei was in awe at
the control that Usagi, no Serenity, displayed over the ginzuishou.

"Luna," Rei said, "everything is finally coming together.  The
Princess has returned to take her rightful place, and she will bring
back the others.  We must explain to her Chibi-Usa's relationship to
her, not to mention her disappearance.  If she and Endymion do not
fulfill their destiny, Chibi-Usa may be gone forever."

The cat stared silently at the empty space where Serenity sat a few
seconds ago and prayed that fate would guide them.

*****

In London, England, a sad and tired Minako stared out the window of
her apartment.  She had been wrong six years ago; she never should
have left.  Sailor V had died when Sailor Venus was born, and she
should have known that.  She was too proud to admit to Rei that she
was wrong, and she did not want to face the comatose Ami.  Artemis
walked up to her and put his nose on her cheek.  She smiled sadly at
him.  Suddenly, she and Artemis sensed tremendous power in the room,
they turned around to find a figure enveloped in light.

"Minako-chan," the figure said.  The light subsided and there stood
Usagi in a pale yellow sundress, the crescent moon on her forehead, a
crown on her silvery hair, and a smile upon her face.  She almost
looked silly wearing a crown and a sundress, but the serious look on
her face and her eyes full of strength betrayed the silly front.

"Usagi-chan," Minako said astonished to find her friend in her room. 
"How did you--why are you here?"

"I am Serenity now, and I have come to call upon my soldier and friend
to be beside me."  Minako didn't care that this was the Princess of
the moon; she ran to her friend and threw her arms around her.

"Usagi-chan, why did you leave me?  I needed you more than you could
ever know.  You were our strength and the glue that held us together;
we just didn't know it.  When you left, we didn't know what to do." 
Her eyes were full of tears as she looked up into Usagi's kind face.

"I know, Minako-chan, I am sorry.  I was a coward, and I should have
never run away.  Please forgive me, and join Mars and me again.  We
miss you."

"Usagi, it's you who should forgive me.  I ran away too.  I couldn't
face Ami-chan...it was my fault."

"It is all in the past, my friend.  I need you now in my ranks as a
senshi, and as my friend.  We need to save Ami-chan together.  Will
you join us?"

"Yes, your highness, I will return to my place.  I will return where I
belong."  She pulled away from Serenity and knelt in front of her.

"Rise, Sailor Venus, you are my friend.  Collect your things, we must
return."

"There is nothing here for me," she said as she picked up her cat. 
"Except for him," she said smiling.

"Hello Artemis, it has been a while," said the Princess scratching his
head.

"Yes, your highness, it has been too long."  

Princess Serenity smiled, touched the ginzuishou on her crown and they
were gone in a flash of light.

*****

"Makoto, you are not doing it the proper way..." Makoto remembered
Chef Dupree's heavily accented french words as he scolded her yet
again.  She didn't know much French, but she knew that phrase very
well.

She chopped carrots in her apartment to the beat of her angry heart. 
She was tired of being reprimanded repeatedly as she did not perform
to her teacher's idea of excellence.  

She hadn't been able to concentrate lately.  She was restless, and she
knew the reason why.  The power inside her needed to be free again. 
She hadn't become Sailor Jupiter in almost a year, and the pressure
was going to drive her crazy.  She looked over at the transformation
pen on the counter.  How she missed her friends, and how she missed
the battles.  She also missed Usagi.

Almost as if on cue, a light filled the room and a figure stepped
forward.

"Mako-chan, cooking as usual?" Serenity said as she stepped toward her
friend.  Makoto's eyes were wide as she dropped her knife and took a
step away from the Princess.

"Usagi?" she asked as she looked at her.  She wore a pale yellow
sundress and sandals, and a crown, and the oddest of things she had
silver hair.  Makoto finally realized that it was not Usagi standing
in front of her, but Princess Serenity.  She instantly stepped forward
and fell to one knee at Usagi's feet looking down.  "Your highness,"
she said shakily.

"Why do you all have to do that?" she asked with a hint of annoyance. 
"Rise, Sailor Jupiter, you are my friend, not my subject."

Makoto stood and was surprised to see that Usagi, no Serenity had
changed physically and emotionally.  She smiled through teary eyes and
hugged her friend.

"Usagi-chan," she said as she pulled away from her.

"Yes, Mako-chan, it's me, and I've come to ask you to return with us
to fight by my side.  The way it should always have been.  I'm sorry I
abandoned you, I was selfish...I thought that you didn't need me, that
I would only hold you back."

"Usagi-chan, we needed you more than anything else!  It was my fault
that Ami-chan was hurt, I couldn't save her..."

"No, my friend, if I would have been there, we would have fought as a
team.  If it is anyone's fault it's mine, but what's done is done, and
I will set it right.  Now, Jupiter, do you wish to return to your life
as a senshi?"

"If you and the others find it in your heart to forgive me, I will be
honored to return."

"There is nothing to forgive, Mako-chan," Minako said as she stepped
forward.

"Minako-chan!" Makoto said as they threw their arms around each other. 
Serenity looked on as the friends said their hellos.

"Mako-chan, please come back," Serenity said.

"Of course, what are we waiting for.  There's fights out there with my
name on them!" she said grabbing her transformation pen, her eyes
dancing with joy.  With that, Serenity touched her crown and they
disappeared in a burst of light.

*****

Rei sensed their return, and was happy that she sensed Minako-chan,
Mako-chan and Artemis as well as the Princess.

"The mission was a success, Luna," she told the cat.  Luna got up,
walked over to Rei, and sat next to her awaiting their arrival.  As
light filled the room, Mamoru arrived to stand back and stare in awe
at the scene unfolding before his eyes.

Three figures stepped forward as the light disappeared.  Rei jumped up
and ran to embrace her friends.  All their differences and arguments
from the past disappeared as the friends cried tears of joy.  Serenity
was the first to step away, and as she stepped out of the protective
circle of her friends she caught the eye of the observer.

Mamoru gasped in surprise as he saw his love changed by the years. 
She was taller and too thin, but her grace was apparent in every
movement she made.  Her hair had turned the silver of her ancestors,
and her eyes held strength and wisdom; but the sadness in her blue
eyes, unnoticeable to others, was obvious to him.  He watched her as
she smiled and laughed, but the emotion never reached her eyes.  It is
true that the eyes are the windows to the soul, and her soul was as
laden with sadness as his own.  Had she always been this breathtaking? 
Yes, but he was too wrapped up in his nightmares of the future to
notice.  Now, he was transfixed by her mere presence and his heart
hammered in his chest.  He watched as the girls broke free of each
other.  He noticed Ami's absence.  He hadn't seen or spoken to the
senshi ever since that day six years ago.  Ami's missing, I wonder
where she is, Mamoru wondered.

"Rei, I couldn't find Chibi-Usa," Serenity said.  Rei turned away from
her and when Serenity looked at the others they averted their eyes. 
"Where is Chibi-Usa, Rei?" Serenity's innocent question stabbed Mamoru
in the heart and forced him to show himself.

"Our daughter disappeared after you left," Mamoru said finally
stepping into the room.

Serenity turned to the sound of the voice and she paled as in front of
her stood the only man she could ever hope to love.  Mamoru faced her,
his eyes filled with a sadness that mirrored her own.  A myriad of
emotions swept through her: anger, sadness, joy, fear, guilt,
hatred...love.  The reality of what he had said finally reached her
mind.

"Our daughter?" she whispered to him and turned to look at Rei for
confirmation.

"Yes, Usagi-chan, after you left we discovered who Chibi-Usa's mother
was.  It was you all along.  She was yours and Endymion's child from
the future.  She was here to get the ginzuishou to help you in the
future.  Mamoru-san told us that you were in danger in the future and
that the only way to save you was by him staying away from you.  What
Mamoru-san all those years ago was true; you were in danger in the
future because you were together, but Chibi-Usa was here to help you." 
Rei's explanation made Serenity back away in pain, for she didn't want
to know the answer to the question screaming in her mind.

"Where is she, Rei-chan?" she finally asked, "and why do you speak of
her in the past tense?"

"She disappeared, Usagi-chan.  The way I see it, since you and
Endymion, er, Mamoru-san, were separated maybe the future has changed. 
A future where she doesn't even exist..." she trailed off as she
looked at the stricken look on Serenity's face.

"No," she whispered and fell to her knees.  Mamoru stepped toward her
and knelt behind her, placing his hand softly on the shoulder.

"NO," she snapped as she turned suddenly and slapped his hand away. 
The senshi quietly walked out and left them alone as Serenity
continued to yell.  They both knelt on the floor facing each other. 
"This is all your fault.  You told me that you didn't love me!  You
didn't want me in your life, and so I left.  I ran away from
everything I had ever known, everything I had ever loved because of
you!  I haven't been able to live a day of my life these past six
years without sadness claiming my soul.  Ami-chan is in a coma, the
senshi fell apart, Chibi-Usa's gone, and it's all your fault.  It's
all MY fault.  Why, Endymion, why?  Why didn't you love me..." she
trailed off.  She placed her hands on the wooden floor and looked
down, the anger slipping from her.

"Usako, Serenity, I have loved you every day of my life," Mamoru said
placing a hand on top of hers.  "Please understand me.  I began having
dreams of your death and I dismissed them as just dreams; but when
they started to manifest themselves, I couldn't avoid them.  The
dreams told me that in order to protect you, to save you, I had to
stay away from you.  Don't you think it hurt me just as much to tell
you those words six years ago?  And to have you disappear completely
from my life?

"I have lived alone these past six years without you.  I don't know
why I ever thought that staying away from you was the best for both of
us.  Look at us.  It's useless to try to be apart.  You were right all
along, Usako, we belong together.  Past, present, and future we will
always be a part of each other.  Please forgive me, Serenity, it's the
only way to set right what I have torn apart.  I am as much a part of
you as you are a part of me.  Look at me, look into my eyes, and see
for yourself.  I have always loved you and I will always love you."  

A tear rolled off her cheek and landed on their hands.  She slowly
looked up into his eyes, accepting the challenge, and to her surprise
she saw her love mirrored in his eyes.  He leaned forward slowly and
closed his eyes, and as he did so her heart began to pound as it did
all those years ago.  Her lips parted awaiting his, but as she closed
her eyes she saw Ami lying comatose on a hospital bed.  Guilt ran
rampant through her mind.  How could she even think of her own
happiness with Ami in a hospital bed.  No, this was HER fault.  She
had let her friends down, and she wasn't going to choose cowardice or
her happiness over them again.

"No, Endymion," she said opening her eyes and backing away from him,
tears filling her eyes.  He opened his eyes, and found her crying
again.

"Serenity, please understand, I need you in my life.  I always have."

"It hurts too much, Endymion.  I remember the words you said to me. 
It has been a long time, but they still hurt.  Now I say them to you;
I stopped loving you that day.  I don't love you anymore," she lied
averting her eyes as she stood.  The stricken look on his face gave
her the answer she needed, he wouldn't forgive her if she told him the
truth.  This was her punishment for abandoning her friends and giving
up on her love six years ago, and she had to accept it.  She had put
her friends in danger, and Ami-chan in the hospital.  She began to
walk away.

He jumped to his feet and grabbed her wrist.  He made her turn around
to face him and he saw the tears in her eyes.

"Why are you doing this?  Serenity, I know that you feel the same way
about me, I can see it in your eyes."

"Endymion, please let go of my wrist, I'm late."

"Late for what?"

"I have an appointment," she answered, finally breaking free of his
hold.  The anger in her eyes barely hiding her true feelings.

"Serenity, I will always love you..."

"Endymion, I do not blame you anymore.  The time for pointless arguing
is over.  I know now that you were only trying to protect me.  I never
should have left, and I understand that this is my fault.  I was
selfish, and stupid and now I have to set things right."

"No, Serenity..."

"Endymion," she said as she walked backwards away from him, "it has to
be this way...it's all my fault," and with that she turned and ran to
her car.

"No, Usako, I won't let you run away again," Mamoru said as he walked
in the opposite direction to his own car.

Inside, Rei and the others watched the two walk in separate
directions.  "This doesn't look good," Rei said to the others.

*****

What will happen now that Serenity wants nothing to do with Endymion? 
What will happen to Chibi-Usa?  See you next chapter ^_^.Author's
notes:  Not too much this time around.  This is the chapter when the
illustration come in.  Hope everyone likes it.  Please let me know
<OTAKU9@aol.com> Remember not to look at the picture until after the
point in the text marked with a "~".  If you can't find the "~", the
illustration is of the picture one of the characters shows another
character in the restaurant (when you read it, you'll know ^_^). There
that should set everyone straight.  As I said, I drew this, so please
let me know if you like it.

Of course you all know that Sailor Moon and it's characters belong to
Takeuchi Naoko, Kodansha, and many other large miscellaneous
companies.  Any other characters in this story (there aren't that
many) belong to me, and if you want to use them, please let me know.

As always, any and all comments please send them to <OTAKU9@aol.com>
On with the story.


                              Wrong Choices
                                Chapter 4


Motoki stared at his friend as he nervously shredded his napkin.

"I'm sorry, but my friend is a little late," he said in heavily
accented English.  "He speaks English better than I do.  He will be
able to take you to the theater.  I'm sorry, but my wife needs me..."
he stammered as his friend's nervous attitude began to affect him.  A
very pregnant Reika waited for him at home, and she needed him there
to soothe her tonight.  She was expected to go into labor any day now. 
He looked out the restaurant's window searching for Mamoru.  Finally
spotting him, he smiled at the American sitting in front of him.  He
and Mamoru would get along, they both had that distant sadness in
their eyes.

Mamoru walked to the table and the two men stood to greet him.  "Ah,
Mamoru, you are here.  Chiba Mamoru, I'd like to introduce you to
Timothy Walters from America," Motoki said in English.

"Nice to meet you, Mr. Walters" Mamoru said in almost perfect English
and smiled at Tim as he extended his hand.

"You too, Chiba-san," he said as he took his hand.

"I'm sorry, but I must leave you two to get acquainted.  Reika is
waiting for me at home.  Mamoru, could you please take Timothy-san to
the theater, later?"

"Of course, Motoki."

"Thank you.  You are in good company, Timothy-san," with that Motoki
shook Tim's hand and hurried out of the restaurant.  The two men sat.

"So, Mr. Walters, what brings you to Japan?" Mamoru asks him.

"I'm here with a young lady who is a performer in a dance company."

"Ah, a young lady," Mamoru said with a knowing look taking the glass
of water sitting in front of him to his lips.

"Serenity is not really..." trailing off, too immersed in self-pity to
notice that Mamoru choked on the water he was drinking.

"Serenity?" choked Mamoru.

"Yes, that's her name.  She's the dancer I'm going to see tonight. 
Would you like to come?  She's really the most beautiful dancer in the
entire production company.  Here I have one of the proofs from some
pictures she took for a magazine."

While Timothy searched his wallet, Mamoru's mind strayed.  This can't
be the same Serenity, but then again it is too much of a coincidence. 
Usako, a dancer?  Timothy handed him a picture and Mamoru took it with
trembling hands~.

He looked at it with a mixture of joy and pain passing through his
eyes.  Serenity stood there in her dance costume in a dramatic pose. 
Her face pointed away from the camera facing her right shoulder with
her eyes closed.  Her arms bent and her hands clasped at her chest her
long fingers pointing toward her left shoulder.  An invisible force
seemed to rustle the skirt of the costume around her legs and her
silver hair behind her.  On her head were two knots of hair, and on
her forehead a crescent moon.  The costume was an abbreviated version
of her Princess gown, and her white slippers had a crescent moon on
the top.  Mamoru paled and he put down the picture as his hands began
to tremble uncontrollably.

"Are you alright, Chiba-san?" Timothy asked looking at him with
concern.

"Yes, Mr. Walters," he said absently.

"Anyway she's not really interested in me."

"What makes you say that?" Mamoru prodded.  Timothy saw that as an
invitation to reveal everything to this stranger.  For some reason, he
felt as if he knew him in some way, and he had no problem talking to
someone about Usagi.

"Well right before the trip, I finally had the courage to kiss her." 
Mamoru flinched as if struck, and had to fight the overwhelming desire
to hit the man in the face, but instead he continued to question him.

"What happened?"

"She responded at first, but then she whispered something and froze. 
Then she told me that she could never love me, but she asked me to
come to support her here.  So here I am.  We are still friends, and I
do so love to watch her dance."  He looked at his watch noticing that
they only have an hour until curtains.  "Chiba-san, we must get going
if we are going to be on time to the performance.  You are joining me,
right?"

"I wouldn't miss it for the world," he answered truthfully.  His mind
was still reeling from what the American had told him.  They stood,
walked out of the restaurant, and strolled in silence to his car.  As
Timothy began to sit in the passenger seat, he looked over at Mamoru
who was on the other side opening his door.

"Chiba-san, what does 'mamochan' mean?"  At the question, Mamoru had
to lean against the car for support.

"Where did you hear that?"

"That is the word that Serenity whispered as we kissed, but when I
asked her what it meant she gave me the strangest answer."

"What did she say it meant?" Mamoru asked letting the tiniest bit of
hope to seep into his heart.

"She said it meant 'my only love'" he shrugged as Mamoru nodded a
confirmation and he got in the car.  

Mamoru was grateful for the dark parking lot and the fact that Timothy
was already in the car; for he let two solitary tears spill from his
eyes.  This time they were tears of joy and newfound hope.

*****

Serenity stood behind the curtain waiting for her cue.  She was
dressed in her costume, but the crown with the ginzuishou completed
the look.  She looked down at her costume and nervously smoothed out
the wrinkles on one of the strands of her skirt.  The costume was an
abbreviated version of her princess gown: the top and sleeves were an
exact replica of her dress, but streaming from the adorned empire
waist, hiding the leotard underneath, were strands of frilly white
fabric that constituted the skirt.  The front strands ended above the
knee while the strands in the back of the dress ended below her
calves.  She wore white tights and white slippers with crescent moons
adorning the middle.

She was nervous.  If she couldn't concentrate, she couldn't dance, so
she tried desperately to push thoughts of the day's events from her
mind.  The stage manager signaled that it was her turn to take center
stage.  In the darkness she walked through the curtain and positioned
herself in the center of the stage.  The melody began to play as the
theater lights were gradually brought up.  A spotlight followed her
every move, every slight movement of her arms, her graceful fingers
caressing the air around her.  Her legs sliced the air as she twirled
and danced on the stage.

The audience was silent as she brought them into the music, making
them feel the joy she felt when she heard the melody.  They could only
hope to imagine the meaning behind the melody, but one member of the
audience sitting in the front row, knew exactly what the melody meant. 
It was their melody, the melody of their locket.  She danced for the
world, yet she danced only for him.  Mamoru felt his heart soar as he
watched her graceful movements.  She moved to the melody they shared,
and his heart beat with her heart's rhythm.  They were each a part of
the other.

As Serenity continued to dance a myriad of thoughts ran through her
head.  Bits and pieces of conversations attacked her mind at the same
time.  Right wrongs, Endymion, Chibi-Usa, Usagi is dead, Ami-chan,
fulfill your destiny, it's all my fault, Chibi-Usa, Endymion, right
wrongs, fulfill your destiny, Endymion....the thoughts begged for
attention.  The crescent moon appeared on her forehead as she twirled
ready to do the final leap.  She took two steps and leapt into the air
her arms behind her, her silver hair waving a trail behind her.  She
seemed to fly as she stayed in the air for an impossible length of
time until, suddenly, she clutched her head, gasped in pain, and
collapsed on the stage with a loud thud.  The audience gasped in
horror as their angel fell gracelessly to earth.

Mamoru was the first on the stage followed closely by Tim.  Serenity
lay on the stage grasping her knees to her chest and whispering to
herself.  Mamoru knelt beside her only to be pushed aside by a very
worried and oblivious Tim.

"Usagi, what's wrong?" he asked her as he placed a hand on her
shoulder.  She looked up from her trance and her eyes were wide with
horror.

"Tim," she said as she slowly got to her knees, "I need you to tell my
uncle that I have to leave."

"But where are you going?" he asked as she stood.

"The hospital."

"I'll meet you there," he said as he got up and ran off the stage.

"Serenity," Mamoru said catching up to her, "what's the matter?  Are
you hurt"

"Endymion," she said looking at him through teary eyes, "it's Ami-chan
she's slipping away.  Please go find Rei and the others, they need to
be there too," she pleaded with him, and when he nodded she ran off
the stage and into the cool night.

Serenity ran through the park taking a short-cut to the nearby
hospital.  She was so intent on her destination that she didn't notice
the man following her through the shadows.

*****

End of Chapter 4.

Really short chapter this time.  No need to worry, saved the best and
longest for last.  What will happen to Serenity?  Who is the man
following her through the shadows?  What will happen to Ami?  Will
Serenity and Endymion be together?  Stop asking so many questions, and
just read on!  Hey don't forget to let me know if you liked the
picture <OTAKU9@aol.com>Author's notes:  Well here it is, the final
chapter, it is a little long, but I didn't want to break it up.  If
you read this far, I thank you, and please send me your comments, I
promise I will write back!  Honest!

Of course you all know that Sailor Moon and it's characters belong to
Takeuchi Naoko, Kodansha, and many other large miscellaneous
companies.  Any other characters in this story (there aren't that
many) belong to me, and if you want to use them, please let me know.

As always, any and all comments please send them to <OTAKU9@aol.com>
On with the story.



                              Wrong Choices
                                Chapter 5


Mamoru drove to the Hikawa Shrine to locate the girls as Serenity had
requested.  When he arrived at the shrine he found the three girls and
the two cats waiting for him.

"We know about Ami-chan," said Rei as he walked up to them.

"Serenity asked me to come get you to meet her at the hospital."

"When did you see Serenity again?" Makoto asked.

"It's a long story.  I'll tell it to you on the way there."  Mamoru
walked back to his car with the remaining senshi following behind him. 
His heart began to beat faster, and he clutched his chest and doubled
over.  Rei ran up to him and placed a hand on his back.

"What is it, Mamoru-san?" she asked him.

"Serenity," he whispered, "she's in trouble.  I have to find her.  Go
ahead to the hospital, take my car, and Serenity and I will meet you
there.  Don't worry, I'll protect her," he handed the keys to a
worried Rei, transformed into Tuxedo Kamen and disappeared into the
darkness to find his love.

*****

Serenity ran through the park oblivious to the ominous presence ahead
of her.  She turned a corner and found herself face to chest with a
very large man.  She backed away in fear.

"What do you want?" she asked in a shaky voice.

"Well, we can start with that diamond sitting on your head, and then,"
he paused groping her with his eyes, "we'll see what we can come up
with."  Serenity turned and started to run, but the thug was already
too close and had grabbed her by the wrist.  He pulled her roughly
towards him and placed the tip of a knife to her throat.

"Now," he said as he pushed her towards a more hidden area of the
park, "we can do it the easy way or the hard way."  They kept walking
until she was pushed up against a wall and they were hidden behind
shrubbery.  Serenity's eyes became wild and she tried to strike him
with her free hand.  The man caught her hand and pulled both her arms
above her head pinning them to the wall with his left hand.  Sensing
that she would try to attack him next with her legs he pinned her feet
to the ground with his own feet.

"Please, don't do this," Serenity begged through her tears.  She
watched in horror as the man waved the knife in front of her eyes.

"Hey, you're the one who wanted this the hard way," he said menacingly
as he placed the tip of his knife to her neck.  He traced a slow line
down the middle of her body.  "You scream and I'll kill you.  I can
enjoy this whether you're dead or alive, it makes no difference to me. 
Besides, nobody's going to hear you scream."  He had the knife right
above her stomach as he leaned towards her to kiss her.  She struggled
against his grip, but was startled as a look of pain washed over his
face, and suddenly darkness enveloped her as she felt something carve
into her side.

*****

Tuxedo Kamen rushed to where he felt Serenity was.  He finally sensed
her in the middle of a park.  He gasped in horror as he turned a
corner and found her pinned to the wall by a very large man.  The man
was hidden in shadows, but he knew that Serenity was there.  Her heart
screamed out at him to protect her.  He grabbed one of his roses and
threw it with all his might to the middle of the man's back.  The rose
hit its mark and the man fell forward and was pushed sideways by
Serenity who had slipped to the floor.  He saw Serenity as she finally
moved her hands grasping her side.  As he rushed toward her, he heard
her scream in pain and drop something to the ground.  

Finally, after what seemed an eternity, he reached her.  She had
collapsed to her knees and she clutched her side.  He knelt next to
her and held her in his arms.  She was alive.  He looked at the man
laying next to them, and something caught his eye.  Next to Serenity
lay a bloody knife.  He pushed Serenity away and studied her pale
face.  She opened her eyes, and she began to reach for his face.  He
looked at her hand and was shocked to discover that it was drenched in
blood.

"Thank you, Tuxedo Kamen.  Please help me get up," she said as she
began to push herself up.

"Serenity," he said returning to his normal form, "you're hurt."  He
helped her to her feet and panic claimed his features.  He still
hadn't seen the wound, but her pale face was all he needed to know
that she was in pain.

"Yes," she said finally standing, "you'll have to help me get to the
hospital."

"Yes, you need medical attention."

"No, Ami-chan needs me more.  Besides, the ginzuishou is healing me. 
It will just take some time."  She hated to lie to him, but if she
used the ginzuishou, she wouldn't be able to save Ami.  Maybe after
Ami was alive and well, her mother, Queen Serenity, would grant her
the wish of life.

Mamoru lifted her gently into his arms and he ran to the hospital. 
Serenity felt safe in his arms, and the thought of dying in the warm
caress of his body appealed to her.  She had to fight the darkness
that seduced her mind with visions of peace.  "No more pain, no more
sorrow, no more loneliness," the darkness whispered.  A brief memory
of Ami smiling invaded her mind, followed by memories of the other
senshi; finally a memory of Endymion and Chibi-Usa, like a ray of
light, pushed the darkness away.  Her eyes fluttered open and she
stared at Endymion's profile.  His features were contorted in worry,
but he was as handsome as she remembered.  She wanted to reach up to
touch his face, but she lacked the strength.

They reached the hospital quickly, and Mamoru, believing she was
already healed, placed her gently down on the tile floor.  When he
looked down, the floor around her feet was sprinkled in blood.

"I thought you said that the ginzuishou had healed you," Mamoru said
turning her gently to face him.  He looked down and took her hands in
his pulling them away from her side.  Tuxedo Kamen gasped at the sigh
of the huge gash in her side.  Serenity returned her hands to the
wound, pushing it closed to slow the bleeding, and her pale face
turned upward.  The determined look on her face tortured Mamoru's
heart, for he knew what she meant to do.

"If I heal myself, Ami-chan doesn't have a chance.  I won't have
enough strength to heal her.  I need to heal her, Endymion.  She's
about to die."

"So are you," Mamoru whispered the words as his heart tore in two.

"Maybe, but she's more important.  She's not a coward like me.  She
fell in battle and she fell bravely.  I ran away from my problems and
abandoned the senshi.  She deserves to live."

"So do you, my love," Mamoru said taking her into his arms.

"It is good to hear you say that, Endy- Mamo-chan.  Please help me get
to her room, because I don't think I can walk."  She smiled briefly at
him as he reluctantly let her step away from the safety of the circle
of his arms and pulled her to his side.

They walked in silence side by side to Ami's room.  Serenity huddled
to his body clutching her side, and Mamoru supporting her with his
arm.

*****

Tim rushed to the room of the girl Mr. Lester had told him about.  The
senshi were there when Tim arrived.  They looked at the American and
wondered who he was.  Tim searched his memory for a phrase in Japanese
that he could use, but he couldn't come up with one.  Minako, noticing
his distress spoke up in near perfect English.

"Can we help you?" she asked.  Timothy looked relieved as he smiled
gratefully at Minako.

"Yes, I'm looking for Serenity.  I was told that she would be here to
see her friend Ami"

"I am here, Timothy."  They all turned to see a pale Serenity at the
door held up by Mamoru.  Timothy walked over to her and finally
noticed the pain in her eyes.  He traced the pain to her blood-soaked
hands at her side and a large blood stain painting the white costume. 
His eyes went wide in horror as he dashed to her side.

"Usagi, what happened?  You need a doctor.  What happened, Chiba-san? 
How could you let this happen to her?"  Timothy was too blinded by
rage for the man with his arm around Usagi to be rational.  He grabbed
Mamoru by the shirt and pushed him back against the door and away from
Serenity.  Serenity, who had been leaning on him collapsed on the
ground, new pain making her gasp.  Rei and Mina rushed to help her
stand while Makoto pulled Tim away from Mamoru.  Fear was evident in
all their eyes as they held the weak Serenity.  Serenity looked up at
her friends.  She found the strength to pull herself up and walked to
stand by the hospital bed.  

Feeling Ami slipping away again, Serenity began the healing process. 
The ginzuishou's light surrounded her.  The senshi transformed and
stood around the bed as well.  Venus at Serenity's side close to Ami's
head, Jupiter facing Venus on the opposite side of the bed, and Mars
next to Jupiter.  Serenity turned to look at the two men standing at
the doorway.  One stared at her with fear and wonder in his eyes,
while the other, with the rumpled shirt, stared at her with
recognition and love in his eyes.  When she spoke, she spoke in
English so that the American could understand.

"Come, Prince Endymion, we need you," she reached out her hand and the
ginzuishou's power touched Mamoru.  His rumpled clothes were replaced
by his armor as he walked toward his love.  He took her in his arms
one last time before taking her place by the bed.  Serenity walked
towards the awestruck Tim, and as she did so her blood-soaked costume
was replaced by her princess gown.  Her face was calm and her hands
were no longer stained red.  She smiled sadly at him as the crescent
moon appeared on her head.  When he opened his mouth to ask her all
the questions that buzzed in his head, she placed two fingers on his
lips.  From her back, two angelic wings sprouted and extended as
feathers fell around her feet.  Tim stared in wonder at the sight of
his angel before him.  She finally stepped away from him dropping her
arm to her side.

"Timothy, this does not concern you.  Please know that there are
things not even I understand about myself.  I am sure that I will lose
my life tonight, so this is a final farewell.  Thank you for always
being there for me when I needed you.  Now I must join the others. 
Good-bye Tim."  She turned away from him and began walking toward the
foot of the bed.

"But, I love you," Tim whispered with tears in his eyes.

"I shall always be with you," she said as she turned and pointed an
index finger to his heart, the power of the ginzuishou reaching out to
him.  Tim felt her then, in his heart, in his mind, and knew that she
would always be there.  He understood that she wasn't his and that she
was saying good-bye to him.  He still didn't understand her
transformation or the transformation of the others now standing around
the bed in sailor outfits.  But he did understand that she was a
princess of some kind, and Chiba-san was a prince, HER prince.  He
remembered the shocked look on Chiba-san's face when he handed him her
photo.  In retrospect, he understood his reaction.  She belonged to
him, to her prince.  

His selfish heart almost smiled thinking that she wouldn't be
Chibs-san's either.  She would be erased from this world, giving up
her own life for another.  He pushed back the selfish thought as the
truth finally sunk in.  She's performing the greatest sacrifice, and
he didn't even know why.  He fell to his knees, his eyes tracing her
every move as she reached the foot of the bed.  He wanted to run to
her, to pull her away from the brink of death, to hold her back, but
his body would not respond.  Instead he opened his mouth to scream,
but found he had no voice to protest.  He felt helpless, rooted to the
ground watching the woman he loved relinquish her life.

Serenity stood at the foot of the bed, ignoring the pain in her side
and the teary eyes of those around her.  She stared at Ami's almost
lifeless body and she began.  She took the crown from her head and
gently removed the ginzuishou, holding it in her cupped hands.  The
crown clattered loudly on the floor.  Serenity took a deep breath and
stared at the ginzuishou in her palms.

She looked up once more to say goodbye to her friends and lover.  Her
eyes rested on Mars who was on her left.  Rei held fear in her eyes, a
fear that Serenity never believed could sully her courageous soul. 
Mars understood the good bye and dropped her eyes to hide the tears
that flowed over her cheeks.  

Serenity looked at Jupiter next who stared sadly into her eyes. 
Jupiter let the tears flow freely, without shame, as she nodded
slightly her good bye.  Serenity's eyes paused briefly on Ami's pale
face before resting on Venus' face.  Her face was so much like her
own, yet now it was twisted in sadness.  Minako could not, or would
not meet her eyes for she understood that Serenity was saying goodbye,
and she didn't want to say goodbye.  

Serenity's eyes finally rested on her prince.  His face was a mask of
courage, but in his eyes he held the empty sadness she felt in her
heart.  She wanted to tell him that she would be alright, that they
would be together after this; but she could not lie to herself and
least of all to him.  Their eyes locked and in their hearts, they
embraced as they had done in the past.  Nothing needed to be said. 
Their love for each other was so strong that it was almost tangible. 
He stared at her with loving eyes, trying to memorize her every
feature.  

His eyes told her of his undying love for her.  She let a tear escape
as she told Endymion with her eyes that she would always love him. 
The tear on his cheek trailed the same path as he closed his eyes and
bowed his head slightly.

Raising her arms, the ginzuishou cradled in her hands, she shouted the
words that would seal their fates.  "Moon Princess Healing Escalation" 
The power of the ginzuishou filled the room with light and surrounded
them as it drained Serenity's energy and healed their dying friend. 
The pain in Serenity's side intensified.  Her body beginning to
weaken, she began to lower her arms.  She felt her strength return
suddenly as two hands covered her own.  She looked up to find Endymion
towering behind her supporting her hands and the ginzuishou.  The
senshi each held a hand above Ami's body acting as conduits for the
raw power of the ginzuishou.

"Mars Healing" whispered Rei as the power of the ginzuishou passed
through her body and into the palm of her hand.

"Jupiter Healing" whispered Makoto feeling the power of the ginzuishou
in her clenched fist suspended above Ami's chest.

"Venus Healing" whispered Minako releasing the power of the ginzuishou
onto Ami's forehead.

"Earth Healing" whispered Endymion adding his own power to the
ginzuishou.

"Moon Princess Healing Escalation!" Serenity whispered as the last of
her remaining strength evaporated.  Mizuno Ami frowned slightly as the
sign of Mercury appeared on her forehead.  The power the senshi felt
dwindled.  

Serenity grasped the ginzuishou to her chest and lowered her head. 
They had done it.  The pain in her side subsided as the light around
her dimmed and suddenly became darkness.  Serenity's knees buckled and
she collapsed backwards against Endymion's body, her wings
disappearing upon impact in a flurry of feathers.  Her princess dress
dissolved to her stained costume, the blood continued to trickle
steadily out of the wound on her side.  The feathers floated down
around her feet, sticking to her spilled blood on the tiled floor. 
Serenity welcomed darkness and smiled slightly; she was happy.

*****

As Serenity fell into the arms of her lover and detransformed, Tim was
free from the invisible shackles that held him in place.  Endymion
knelt on the floor holding on to Serenity's still body, tears
streaming down his cheeks.  The senshi stood behind him, crying.  Tim
rushed to the side of the fallen angel, but stopped short next to
Endymion when he saw her pale, almost lifeless form.  He fell to his
knees at her feet.  She opened her eyes and willed her stained hand to
Endymion's face.

"I love you Mamochan," she said as her hand slipped away before
reaching its intended target.  He pulled her to him and kissed her
lips.  When he pulled away she smiled and dropped her head backwards,
her eyes blank and lifeless.  The senshi sobbed as Endymion rejected
her death with a heart wrenching scream.  

Tim wanted to run away from the pain that filled the room, and the
pain in his heart.  He backed up on his knees and almost ran into a
teenager standing behind him.  She was dressed much like the other
girls, except she wore a pink sailor outfit, and had pink hair in the
same style as Usagi's.  She pushed by him and ran to the grieving
group.  The words that came out of her mouth leaving his heart cold,
for he understood the borrowed words.

"Papa," she said as she reached Mamoru.  He turned in amazement to
stare at his daughter who had aged as they had.  How can she be here,
he thought.  Usagi is dead.  There must still be hope.

Chibi-Usa finally noticed her mother's body in his arms.  "Mama," she
exclaimed happily, walking around Mamoru to hug her mother.  She
backed up in horror when she noticed her mother's lifeless eyes
staring into nothingness. "No, Mama...."

She finally realized the reason why the senshi and her father were
crying.  Princess Serenity was dead.  Neo Queen Serenity was dead. 
Her mother was dead.  She reached forward to close her mother's eyes,
touching her cooling skin.  She pulled her hand away, and she began to
cry, collapsing to the floor.  

She sobbed into her hands, but surprisingly, ss a tear fell a crystal
formed and landed on her lap.  Chibi-Usa stared in awe at the
ginzuishou on her lap, and instantly knew what she had to do.  She
stood, raising the ginzuishou high above her head.  Her sailor fuku
dissolved into her princess gown and a crescent moon adorned her
forehead.

"Chibi-Moon Princess Halation," she screamed through her tears and
once more the power of the ginzuishou enveloped them as it healed
Serenity's wounds.  The ginzuishou Serenity still held in her hand
began to glow and her fingers twitched around it.  Serenity felt a
distant pain calling her back.  Her side miraculously healed itself,
her skin pulled itself together, her hands were no longer stained, her
blood began rushing in her body, her heart began to beat softly. 
Chibi-Moon stopped, too tired to go on, but the ginzuishou in
Serenity's hands continued to glow.  Serenity's life had been restored
returning power to the ginzuishou.  Serenity's eyes opened slowly and
stared up at her lover's face.

"Mamochan..." she whispered as he brought his head closer to brush her
lips with his.

Tim felt his heart soar when she stirred, but as she spoke and kissed
her love he felt it break.  She lived, but Usagi, the woman, was dead
to him.  Their friendship was all he could ever hope to have.

He had nothing to do there anymore.  She no longer needed him.  She
had her prince, and apparently a  daughter.  He had to escape the
overwhelming desire to take her in his arms and run away from that
prince and the rest of the strange women in front of him.  Instead,
Tim walked quietly out of the room in defeat.  No one noticed him
leave.  He leaned against the window of the hospital room staring
longingly at the happy reunion inside.

Now he understood the meaning of the words that had escaped her lips
as he had kissed Serenity just a few days before.  Mamochan wasn't a
thing, it was a person.  It was a man and an undying love.  

He needed to know the entire story.  He needed to know who they were
in reality, how she had a pre-teen daughter if she was only twenty,
and what happened in that hospital room.  But now was not the time. 
No, now he had to put the pieces of his broken heart back together.

*****

Mizuno Ami sat up in the hospital bed and looked around the room.  She
saw her friends huddled at the foot of the bed.  They looked older
than she remembered.  How long had she been sleeping anyway?  She
cocked her head to her right and was surprised when she felt hair
caressing the side of her arm.  She blinked in surprise when she ran a
hand through her once short hair and discovered that it now reached
well below her shoulders.  Her friends were still oblivious to her
presence, obviously concerned about something on the floor.  Ami
crawled to the foot of the bed and stuck her face in the circle of
friends.

"Hey, what did I miss?" she asked cheerfully.  Six pairs of startled
eyes were fixed on her as her smile disappeared.  "What did I say?"

The senshi jumped on the bed to embrace their friend, while Endymion
gently lifted Serenity off the floor and cradled her in his arms.  He
knew that she was healed to her full strength, but his protective
nature hid the fact that he just wanted to hold her close.

"Welcome back, Ami-chan," Serenity said happily from the safety of her
prince's arms.  The senshi began the story of the events that had
transpired as Ami sat in shock and disbelief.  Serenity smiled up at
Endymion to discover that he was staring intently at her.  He smiled
pulling her closer to his body and she placed her head over his heart,
her hands still holding the ginzuishou.  She drifted off to sleep to
the lullaby of the happy voices of her friends and the rhythm of her
lover's heart.

*****

After a quick, confusing explanation to baffled doctors and a phone
call to her mother, Mizuno Ami went home.  On the drive home, sitting
next to her mother, she pondered what the others had told her earlier. 
How she was hurt in one of their first fights without Sailor Moon. 
She had been comatose ever since that day.  She had lost six years of
her life, but finding her friends beside her as she awoke filled her
with joy.  She held no grudges against the others.  How could she? 
Usagi - no Serenity - gave up her life to save her.  

She still could not believe what the others told her about Serenity. 
She was the princess now.  She smiled as she remembered the clumsy
baby that Usagi was, but Usagi was gone.  Usagi had taken the next
step towards her destiny; Usagi had grown into Princess Serenity.

*****

Serenity opened her eyes the next morning and found herself lying on
her side, her forehead resting on the chest of her sleeping prince. 
She still wore the torn, stained costume and slippers.  Endymion held
her close to his body, much the same way she used to hold her stuffed
rabbit when she was a child.  She smiled at the silly thought.  When
she looked up she was staring into his eyes.  Their eyes locked and
they smiled at each other.  They were finally together.  Nothing could
keep them apart now.  She reached up with her lips as he met her half
way.  They were lost in each other's lips when a pink haired girl
burst into his room.

"GOOD MORNING!" she yelled happily as she threw the door open.  She
ran to them and jumped on the bed separating them.  Chibi-Usa gave
Serenity a smug look as she waited for the tirade of insults and angry
remarks from Usagi.  Instead, Serenity smiled at her daughter, kissed
her on the forehead and stood.  She needed to get out of her stained
costume.  Endymion followed her with his eyes as she gracefully took
one of his shirts from his closet and slipped into the bathroom. 
Chibi-Usa smiled up at Endymion.

"Mama sure is different," she said proudly.

"Yes Chibi-Usa, she is different, but she'll always be my Usako,"
Endymion said smiling.

Chibi-Usa followed her father as he stood and walked out of the room
to give Serenity some privacy.  They walked to the kitchen and he
poured his daughter a glass of milk as he began making coffee.

*****

Serenity showered to rid herself of the night's memories.  She
examined her side looking for a nonexistent wound before slipping on
Endymion's shirt.  The wound disappeared off her body without a trace,
but the ginzuishou, powerful as it was, could not erase the memories
of her attacker.  She could still picture the man's face as he leaned
forward to kiss her.  She shuddered and wrapped her arms around her
body breathing in the scent of Endymion's shirt.  Wearing his shirt
was almost like having him near her, caressing her body.  She smiled
at the thought as she began to knot her silver hair, forgetting all
about her attacker.

She walked out minutes later, Endymion's shirt grazing her knees. 
Endymion smiled lovingly at Serenity as she made her way to them. 
Serenity stood by Endymion's side and he put an arm around her,
kissing the top of her head.  Looking at her mother and father happy
together, Chibi-Usa became homesick.  Her job in the past was done,
and she wanted to return to her home.  She stood and cleared her
throat.  When she was sure that she had her parents' attention she
began.

"Mama, Papa, please love each other.  I disappeared all those years
ago because you were separated.  It was only the strength of your love
that brought me back to save Mama, Papa.  When you cried out in pain
over losing her, her soul heard you and reached out to me.  Please
love one another.  There may be more tests ahead, and you need to be
strong and always remember that the future is not in your hands, but
in your hearts.  

"You both made wrong choices six years ago, but somehow you set things
right.  I'm living proof of that.  We all must make choices on a daily
basis; but remember that the choices you make, whether right or wrong,
will determine the future." Chibi-Usa was solemn as she spoke,
sounding wiser than she appeared.  Her parents smiled proudly at her
as she spoke the wise words that Neo Queen Serenity had told her to
say.  

"The choice that you have to make is easy," she continued.  "Stay
together, love each other, and let nothing separate you.  I'm sure you
can do that," she smiled and gave them a knowing look reverting to her
usual character.  She pulled out her time key and walked over to her
parents to say good-bye.  She hugged Endymion first and then turned to
her mother with tears in her eyes.  Serenity looked at Chibi-Usa and
felt a mother's love.  She wasn't the annoying little pest who was in
love with her boyfriend anymore.  She was her future daughter who had
brought with her the gift of life.  She smiled at the paradox.  She
will give birth to this wonderful child in the future, but Chibi-Usa
would give her life first in her past.

Chibi-Usa threw her arms around Serenity, knowing that she wasn't
hugging Usagi.  This was Princess Serenity, and future Neo Queen
Serenity, her mother.  The love and respect she held for Usagi so
hidden within her heart and behind her haughty attitude years ago was
apparent now.  She broke away from her mother's embrace wiping tears
from her eyes as she opened the portal that would take her home.  She
waved goodbye to her mother and father, and curtsied.  Prince Endymion
and Princess Serenity held on to each other as their daughter walked
through the portal into the future.

*****

Tim began packing a suitcase when he returned to Motoki's place that
morning.  He had wondered around unknown streets all night, not really
caring about his safety.  The events of the night before filling his
mind.  When he arrived that morning, the house was empty.  Reika had
gone into labor so she and Motoki were at the hospital.  That was
good.  He needed to pack and catch the next plane to America. 
Carrying the suitcase, he walked out of the room and turned off the
light.  He had to write Motoki a note.

Looking for paper and a pen he walked into Motoki's study.  He sat at
his desk writing his thanks on a piece of paper.  Looking up he
noticed a framed picture.  Usagi and Chiba Mamoru sat there staring
happily at the camera, his arms wrapped protectively around her,
Motoki and Reika stood behind them.  This picture must have been taken
right before she went to America.  Her blond hair was tied up in the
usual buns and she was wearing an evening dress.  The childish Usagi
looked as beautiful then as she did now, except her eyes were full of
joy in the picture.  That was the only thing Usagi did not have in all
the years they were together.  Her smile never reached her
eyes...until last night.  Tim replaced the picture and walked out of
the room leaving the note on Motoki's desk.

There was a knock at the door and Tim rushed to open it thinking it
was Motoki.  Opening the door, he found a man standing behind a silver
headed woman, his arms wrapped around her waist.  Serenity and
Endymion blinked when they saw the disheveled Tim answer the door. 
Endymion quickly dropped his arms out of respect for Tim's feelings.

"Tim," Serenity began, "what are you doing here?"

"Motoki is the friend I was staying with."

"Oh," she said softly.

"If you're looking for Motoki, he's at the hospital with Reika."

"What happened?" Endymion asked worried.

"Reika went into labor."

"We have to go," Endymion told Serenity urgently.

"You go ahead.  I'll meet you there.  I have to talk to Timothy." 
Endymion nodded and squeezed her hand as he rushed off.  He understood
that things needed to be explained to Timothy, and that only she could
do it.  The two watched him drive off.  Serenity turned to Tim.

"Would you like to come to the park with me?" she asked him.  "There
is a lot that I need to explain to you.  Tim nodded and locked the
door behind him following Serenity.

When they reached the nearby park, the two sat on a bench.  Serenity
had her hands folded in her lap, while Tim tapped his thighs nervously
with his fingers.  Serenity looked at him.

"I don't even know where to start," she said truthfully.

"You don't have to tell me anything," Tim said as he watched the
children play in the distance.

"Tim, look at me."  Tim turned to face her.  "Don't you see, I have to
explain everything to you.  I know that the scene from last night
seemed like a dream, that it couldn't be real, and the explanation
will seem even harder to believe.  You see, I am the reincarnation of
the Moon Princess of the Silver Millennium.  I know how farfetched
this sounds, it was difficult for me to believe it too.  You see, long
ago there was a kingdom on the moon.  I was Princess Serenity,
daughter and heir of Queen Serenity.  Four soldiers, each princesses
of their respective planets, were appointed to guard me.  You see, the
four girls that were in the room were those soldiers.  Sailor Mercury,
lay comatose in the hospital, Sailor Mars in the red uniform, Sailor
Jupiter in the green uniform, and Sailor Venus in the gold uniform.  I
was Sailor Moon, that is until I went to America."

"What about Chiba-san?" he asked her, the pain obvious in his eyes.

"Yes, Endymion.  You see, I fell in love with the prince of Earth,
Prince Endymion, and he fell in love with me.  Chiba Mamoru is the
reincarnation of Prince Endymion of Earth.  He and I will always love
each other, it is our destiny.  

"I left for America all those years ago because he told me he didn't
love me anymore.  You see, he was having nightmares about the future. 
Dreams in which I would die if we were together.  He pushed me away,
and I let him.  I ran away from him, like a coward.  I abandoned my
friends and my family and everything I had ever known to be away from
the pain he caused me."

"Who is the pink haired teenager that called you 'mama' and 'papa'?"

"That is our future daughter, and the future princess.  Chibi-Usa is
the child that Endymion and I will have in the future.  She came from
the future to save me."  Tim put his head in his hands.

"This all just seems so unbelievable.  If I hadn't seen it with my own
eyes I would never believe it."

"I understand, Tim."  Tim looked up again into her eyes.

"Explain what happened last night.  Your transformation, that diamond
and why you were giving up your life for one of your protectors."

"That was not a diamond, it was the ginzuishou.  The silver moon
crystal.  It has incredible powers, but only the members of the moon's
royal bloodline can control it fully.  When I use it, I transform into
my princess form.  Actually, I have already become Serenity.  That is
why my royal symbol of a crescent moon appears on my forehead, and why
my hair is silver.  The ginzuishou brought out my full power though. 
I've never had wings before until last night.  That's how powerful the
ginzuishou is.

"The ginzuishou's power is immense, but it comes at a price.  The
ginzuishou's power drains me of my life, so when I use it I run the
risk of dying.  I had already lost a lot of blood because of my attack
in the park, so I was in bad shape when I used the ginzuishou.  I knew
that I was going to die.  I just needed to return Ami-chan's life.  It
was my fault that she was injured to begin with.  If I hadn't run
away, she wouldn't have been hurt."  Serenity looked down.  Tim lifted
her face with an index finger under her chin.

"That wasn't your fault, Usagi.  You must realize that not everything
is your fault.  They are your protectors, not the other way around.  I
know that you love your friends, but remember that everything happens
for a reason.  You don't know what would have happened if you stayed. 
Perhaps Ami wouldn't have been hurt, but then you may have been
killed.  Don't blame yourself for others' misfortunes.  I'm sure Ami
doesn't blame you."  Serenity smiled.

"You are such a wonderful friend, Tim. I don't know what I would have
done without you in America.  You were the one who gave me the
strength to come back."

"You're not going back with us, right?" It was his turn to look down. 
Serenity placed her right hand below his chin and lifted his head.

"I can't, Tim.  My place is here, it's where I belong.  My uncle knew
this, that's why he brought me back by force.  I must fulfill my
destiny.  Endymion and I have to follow the hands of fate that have
guided our lives for so long.  I'm sorry, Tim.  You must understand
that our love has survived countless centuries, and will survive for
countless more.  Please forgive me, I didn't mean to hurt you."

"There's nothing to forgive, Usagi.  I understand.  I just wished that
things could have been different.  I'm leaving for America today."  He
stood suddenly.  Serenity stood and placed a hand on his shoulder.

"The dance company leaves next week.  Please stay until then.  I can
show you my country."  She began walking ahead of him towards Motoki's
house.  Throwing him a look over her shoulder she said, "Besides, I
have four beautiful best friends who'd love it if you stayed."  Tim
smiled and followed Serenity back to Motoki's house.

*****

A week later the senshi, Serenity and Endymion, and Timothy joined the
dance company in a big cast party.  The party was held in a large hall
complete with balconies and a marvelous view.  Serenity and Endymion,
who sat at their table talking softly, holding hands, were inseparable
as always.  Minako and Tim talked enthusiastically sharing stories. 
Minako, who spoke English very well, was delighted in the stories of
Tim's adolescence.  Ami, with a new haircut, was enjoying a
conversation with Robert Lester, Jr. about new medical advances. 
Makoto was busy taste-testing the dishes of the buffet table.  Rei
seemed to be building up her courage as she walked towards Serenity
and Endymion.  She reached them and visibly gulped.

"Prince, Princess I have something to say," she said looking down at
the floor.

"Go on Rei-chan," Serenity said.

"I just wanted to say that I'm glad that you two finally worked things
out.  I don't mean disrespect, Princess, but frankly I was beginning
to doubt that you two would get together.  When you disappeared, six
years ago, I blamed Mamoru-san.  I still blame your disappearance on
him, but seeing you so happy with him makes me forgive and forget the
past.  I realize that I may have been cruel in my words to Mamoru-san
those years ago and in my treatment of him in the years that followed. 
However, I did so out of love for the princess.  I do hope, Prince
Endymion, that you make the princess happy and don't hurt her again or
you will have to answer to the sailor senshi."  Rei crossed her arms
and threw Endymion a look of defiance, but when he smiled the look
melted into a smile.  She bowed slightly and walked away hastily.

"Apology accepted, Rei" Endymion said loud enough for her to hear. 
Rei winced and stopped suddenly, but continued walking without a look
back.  Serenity and Endymion laughed.  Endymion stood and placed his
hand in front of Serenity.

"Would you like to go outside?" he asked as she took his hand.

"I'd love to," Serenity said as she stood, following him as he led her
out to one of the balconies.  They stood at the balcony staring up at
the full moon.  "It seems like a dream."

"A dream I never want to wake from," Endymion added.  She smiled up at
him and he leaned forward to kiss her awaiting lips.  When he finally
pulled away she rested her head on his chest and listened to his
heartbeat.  "Serenity, I've wanted to have you in my arms, just like
this for so long.  I've waited for you all my life."  Suddenly, he
took her hands from around his waist and stepped away from her.  She
looked up, her worried eyes searching his handsome face.

"What is it, Endymion?" she asked

"I need you to make another choice.  Hopefully this one won't be
another wrong choice like the ones we seem to be making recently." 
She cocked her head to the side and gave him a worried look.

"What is it?" she asked curiously.  She watched as he pulled a small
box out of his pocket and held it in his palm.  She gasped when he
opened the box to reveal a beautiful ring in the shape of a heart.  In
the middle of the heart lay a small diamond.  The precious stone
reflected the light of the moon, causing awkward patches of light to
dance upon Serenity's incredulous face.  Her eyes filled with tears.

"Do you accept this ring as a symbol of my love?"  Serenity stood
speechless.  Endymion got down on one knee, took the ring, and slipped
it on the ring finger of her left hand.  "Tsukino Usagi, Serenity,
will you do me the honor of becoming my wife?"  Serenity nodded and
knelt on the ground as she threw her arms around Endymion's neck.

"Oh, Endymion, I thought this day would never come," she whispered in
his ear.  "I'd love to share the rest of my life with you.  That is
the easiest choice I've had to make.  I promise to always love you as
I do this moment."  

"I promise to never doubt the strength of our love again, and to make
you the happiest woman on Earth" he whispered in her ear, a solitary
tear tracing his cheek.  His lips found hers and they kissed, finally
sealing their promise of love forever.


The End.



Well, what did you think?  Please let me know.  Send all your
comments, questions, flames to <OTAKU9@aol.com>  Hope you enjoyed it.