A World Not Forgotten.

Me! Hotaru! Again... Well, who knows where a fanfic will go? yes, I like having titles appear near the end of fics, and it seems to happen a lot. Anywho, I wrote the title, and said, hmm. Okay. Kept writing. This is what I ended up with. Hope you like! E-Mails about any 'fics are appreciated...
All rights to Sailor Moon and all associated characters belong to Naoko Takeuchi, Kodansha Comics and Toei Animation. (To my knowledge.)

A World Not Forgotten.

Regret? I had thought I had none. Forward, marching to the light, the bright stars known as the senshi. Regret? What use is it? Perhaps battle has made me bitter. But there is peace. Peace will live, my small reconciliation. I hope. Peace without war. Soldiers without a battle. This is our world. I don't think it's the life I wanted. But, no regrets. No regrets.

The fire in me still burns. I'm alive. My Queen is alive. My friends are alive. Why regret? I've lost nothing. I hope.

It's a quiet night. The stars are shining, and I'm sitting by Crystal Point Lake, reading another book. I'm undisturbed, of course. I own the lake. I glance down at it. I own it. The Queen virtually owns the world. Power, and we have paid the cost. I think of my old life. I don't remember ever wanting power. I'm not so sure that I do now. But, as the sky is so fond of saying, no regrets.

A cloud blossoms with silver lightning from the north, bringing a tingle to the base of my spine. No regrets. I have nothing to say. It's a peaceful night. So why does my soul long for the battle? Why this electric longing in my heart?

Love and beauty. The world is full of it. Full of my spirit, in a way. I can sense the hapiness. I can. But, if it's everywhere, why this emptiness? In the midst of being a part of so much, have I forgotten myself?

I stretch back and look and the dark skies. A cloud is thundering, and I know that the spirits of the others are pained. I glance over at her, for she is lying beside me.
"No regrets," She says. I smiled softly. "Of course. And, we go after the Grail, ignoring the others battles." I softly remind her of the words she had broken. Ara, she says. I think, for some reason, she likes being reminded. The future is happy. We can sit in the sun all day, and worry about nothing. Perhaps too easy, perhaps I can't live without it. I am a racer, I had told Minako-chan, I need only be myself. I think, in the end, that holds true. To be myself, more important, than the air I breathe.
She's as tired as I am. She shows it more. I want to take the pain away from her... but I don't know how. I don't think she knows how I feel. No regrets? I don't know. It's not so hard to regret, really. I miss those times... The beach, the sun... the two of us, fighting together as senshi...

I watch through the gates. So tired, all of them. Restless. Even the Queen. A beautiful world. But, to have given up the fight. The battle against the darkness never ends, never ceases. They lie in peace, not knowing that everywhere is a battle. So sad. They cannot forget the world that they so quickly left. For a moment, perhaps for a moment...

A garnet light filled the skies, and the worlds changed.

"I'M GOING TO BE SO LATE!!!!" I rushed out the door. Life! Living! I felt like leaping. I did, and fell. On my face. A voice laughed. Mamoru. Oh, he makes me so mad!!! I stood up and stuck a tongue out at him. He was the king, but, who cares! My problem right now was getting to school. I fell back into my younger mindset and tornadoed-away.

I stared into the sacred flames. Small, not the bonfires of the future, that tower stories high, but... it was satisfying. I knew... what was, a minute ago... But I was still here - now. For a moment, I was in my old life. I ran out to the kitchen.
"Grandpa! I'm home!"

I scored a hundred on a test. Usagi was looking over my shoulder. "Ami-chan... you aced it? Again?"
I laugh. "If you study, Usagi-chan, you could too." She sweatdropped. It was good to be home. At the moment, the brightest future would always be the present.

"Hey! Get out of here!" I rammed my knee into the jerk who had been beating up a younger kid for money. I watched them run away.
The kid looked up and thanked me. "Arigato!"
"No problem." I turned and walked away, my rose earrings leaving a sparkle behind me. I lived for this. Protecting others.

"Aino Minako will now become the all-star champion of Juuban High's volleyball team!!!" I shouted triumphantly as I did another flip shot over the net. My four friends cheered. Back in the spotlight. I couldn't be happier.

I leaned out my window, and gave a cry of delight. The wind racing through my hair! Michiru at my side. The speed trying to slow me down, but I pushed the gas pedal faster. Michiru clutched my hand, then leaned over to kiss me. Oh, it was great to be back.

We had stopped by the oceans. There were people on the beach, smiling and laughing. Then, far out, a child was crying. They had gone too far in. I began to run for the water.
"M-Michiru?" Haruka called. I called back, "One minute!" I dived into the salty water. Even though I knew others were depending on me, I couldn't help but enjoy the feel of the water on my body. In seconds, I had reached the boy and dragged him to shore, where his parents smiled and thanked me, in tears. Haruka walked beside me and offered me her coat to dry off, but I didn't take it. It felt good to have the water drying off me by the air. Good indeed.

They wanted to stay forever. A day was all the strength I had, though. I raised the staff...
Garnet light filled the skies again and the future returned.
The senshi were all sitting on the hill outside of the palace. Together, all of them, for the first time in a long while. For minutes, there was a great silence. Setsuna says nothing, but Usagi looked at her for a long moment. Then, a small voice came from Ami.
"What do we do now?"
Usagi smiled. The ginzhuishou appeared, and, using it, a silver glow began to fill the cities. It was a strange sight, watching the silver light cause the crystal to retreat. In the end, Tokyo stood again. In the center, shining against a setting sun, was the Tokyo Tower, red and gold, somehow symbolizing the Tokyo they all knew and loved.
"From now on," Usagi continued. It was no longer the Queen. The white dress had faded into her school uniform. "We live. We do not give up the battle. We continue, and live on. Crystal Tokyo is no more. No light without darkness, no paradise without the dark alleys. No more illusions, of victory with no chance of defeat. To forget what the world really is, is to forget that we have any enemies, to forget that we have not truly won yet. We will not lose ourselves again, nor will anyone in the city."
Around them, the senshi could see life beginning again. "No one remebers it. This is Tokyo, our world. It is not in our right, or power, to change Life. Without life as we had it, we cannot live, nor can anyone else, in anything but a shade of reality. We locked away the things we hated so that we could live peacefully, and never have to confront them. We ran away. But even as darkness returns, the Sailor Senshi will be here, to fight on behalf of the light." And the odango-chan put her hand forward. Nodding, each of the senshi put their hand in.

"Moon Prism Power!"
"Mercury Power!"
"Mars Power!"
"Jupiter Power!"
"Venus Power!"
"Uranus Planet Power!"
"Neptune Planet Power!"
"Pluto Planet Power!"
"MAKE UP!!!"

We have had our power; and rejected it. And, I think to myself, watching my friends transform, in our memories, no world is truly ever forgotten. No memory is lost as long as there are hearts to continue to hold them.


I have no more regrets.