I changed the names of the outer senshi. Ericka is Haruka/Sailor Uranus, Michelle is Michiru/Sailor Neptune, Hannah is Hotaru/Sailor Saturn, and Sara is Setsuna/Sailor Pluto. I use the name Rei for Raye, and Ami for Amy.

"Silence . . . "

Serenity looked up at the crystal ceiling above her.

"So quiet . . . " Her head moving swiftly side to side, Serenity looked around, searching, always searching . . .

"Darien!!!!" Her words echoed like memories of the past. "Daaarieeen!!! Where *are* you???" No return call answered her, and the worry began to show in her blue eyes. "Nothing . . . Oh, beloved, where could you be???" Panic began to rise in her throat, she didn't know where to look for her beloved husband, and she got the strong sense that something was very very wrong . . .

Serenity bolted up in bed, gasping for air. Darien reached up and took her hand, automatically trying to calm her down, asking her what in the world was wrong. Looking down at her husband, wide eyed, Serenity babbled out her dream. "Hush, love, hush . . . hush . . . Shhhhh, lover, it was just a dream . . . "

"But it felt so *real* . . . " Darien sat up all the way and took her in his arms, stroking her hair gently, letting it tumble out of her odangos. "It's all right, beloved . . . Hush, my Usako . . . My little bunny . . . "

"Oh Darien, if anything ever happened to you, I don't know what I'd do . . . "

"Nothing will, I'll make sure of it. Come back to sleep, my Usako . . . " Arms still around her, he laid back down, pulling her close comfortingly. Serenity fell asleep in Darien's arms, her worries gone, for now. The next morning Serenity woke up to find Darien watching her, a loving look on his face, brushing the golden strands away from her cheeks.

" . . . Did you watch me all night?" she murmured sleepily. He nodded, smiling gently. "Then you go back to sleep, you need rest . . . " Darien closed his eyes and fell instantly asleep, Serenity falling back asleep as well.

It wasn't until about noon that both of them finally awoke, the winter sun shining in the window. Serenity slid out of bed and went to the window, gazing out at her beloved Tokyo, the snow falling gently down. Picking out the form of Mina and Michelle walking into the front door, she changed quickly and went out to meet her friends.

"Serenity!!" Mina cryed joyfully, hugging her friend. "We're back, we're back!!" The other senshi had been gone on a three week trip to the states on a sight-seeing tour, and were finally able to come back to their friends and--in a year--sovereigns. Michelle hugged Serenity as well, her ocean-blue hair tumbling over her shoulders. "Serenity," she said in her quiet voice, "you wouldn't believe some of the stuff we saw!!! Ericka went to all the races she could and had a blast, Rei went to every concert around, Ami went to some conferences, Sara went to some fashion shows, I went to some of the greatest violin concerts--Oh, Serenity they were so *wonderful*!!!--"

"I went to lots of art shows, Lita went to three different cooking classes with Ken, and Hannah and Rini both went to some shows for kids their ages . . . " Mina added.

"Yes, how is my daughter? I miss her terribly . . . "

"Oh," Michelle said, "She crashed over at Hannah's house. It was so late when we got back, we didn't want to disturb you. She'll be here soon. Now then, Mina, why don't you tell her what *else* you were eyeing at that art show?"

"I . . . " Mina turned a bright red.

"Mina met a guy from the states at one of the art fairs she went to!! Has his number, address, email address, *everything*." Michelle smiled happily, glad her friend finally found someone. Darien entered the room and stood beside his wife, smiling at the homecomers.

"Welcome home, Michelle, Mina. Glad you're back!"

"So are we. The others will be here soon," Mina said. Right on cue, Ami, Rei, Lita, Ericka, Sara, Hannah and Rini bolted through the door, chattering like magpies. "Mommy!!! Daddy!!!" Rini ran straight into her parents' arms, crying happily. "I missed you!!!!"

"We missed you, too, sweetheart!!" Serenity said, hugging her daughter tightly. "There's my Teeny Rini," Darien said as he picked her up and set her on his back. Serenity, always easily driven to tears of any kind, was crying happily, going from one friend to another, chattering and hugging and catching up.

"Three weeks--That's just too long!!!" Lita said, echoing the thought on everyone's mind.

"Well, at least everyone had a good time," Darien said, his pig-tailed daughter still riding on his back. "Come in, tell us about it!!" Everyone followed him, walking through the huge house that was Serenity, Darien and Rini's until Serenity and Darien ascended the throne as Neo-Queen Serenity and Neo-King Endymion. In the living room, everyone proceeded to spill out their stories, one girl after the other.

Ami, too, had found someone in the states--oddly enough he lived here, in Tokyo. His name was Austin Moore, and according to Ami he was coming over "in about ten minutes" to meet everyone. No one had seen Ami so happy before, and it was good to see her so excited about a guy. Serenity said a silent prayer that Austin would be good to Ami, and that it would last.

Christian Matthews, the guy Mina had met, lived in California but hated it there. As luck would have it, he had been thinking of moving to Japan, he just hadn't figured out where. Now he had decided on moving to Tokyo. Naturally, Mina couldn't wait, she and Christian had really hit it off.

Lita and Ken, her husband (yes, the very same "Rainy Day Man") had taken advantage of this trip to spend some time together, and had returned even closer than before. In short, everyone came back from the trip with great memories, but ecstatic to be home. Suddenly there was an almost shy knock on the door. Ami bolted out of the room, and everyone heard a cry of joy when the door opened. Presently Ami returned with a tall, brown-haired man with green eyes, whom she introduced to Darien and Serenity as Austin Moore. He looked to be about twenty-three, a year older than Ami. "I'm sorry to just show up like this," Austin said, a little embarressed. "Oh, it's no problem at all!!" Serenity said. "We've heard a lot about you, I'm glad to get to meet the infamous Austin!"

Ami turned a bright red. "Serenity!!!!"

"Well, it's true," Lita added. "You *have* said alot about him."

Austin smiled down at Ami, obviously pleased. "My Ami . . . You're wonderful . . . " Austin said. Ami smiled, blushing even more. "Well, we're going to go for a walk, everyone. We'll see you later . . . " Everyone said bye as Austin and Ami walked out, hand in hand. About an hour later, it was just Serenity and Darien, Rini had gone over to Hannah's again to get her bags and talk a while.

"You don't realize how much you need friends until they're gone, even if it's on a trip," Serenity said, looking thoughtful. Darien looked up, wondering what had caused this introspection. "Oh, just thinking about how much I had missed everyone when they were gone . . . "

"Well, love, they're back now, thank goodness. I missed them too."

Serenity smiled, sitting down next to her husband, resting her head on his shoulder. He leaned down, kissing her softly, then sat back against the sofa back, closing his eyes, grateful for his wonderful family and friends. Life was good.

"Silence, always silence . . . can't find him anywhere . . . Darien!!! Darien, answer me, please!!!!!!"

Once again, Serenity bolted upright, shivering. "That dream . . . What does it mean??" she thought to herself.Darien looked at her, his wife's shivering waking him up. "Serenity, what's wrong?? That dream again, isn't it?" Serenity gazed at him miserably, nodding. "Don't worry, Serenity, we'll figure it out." Darien kissed her forehead where the crescent symbol was. The door opened and Rini came back in, lugging her bags. "Mommy, Daddy, look what I've got!!!" Rini kneeled in front of her parents and started digging through her biggest bag, pulling out a huge stuffed rabbit. Serenity chuckled softly, the rabbit's ears matching her daughter's hairstyle.

"Beautiful, Rini, that's a great one to add to your collection."

Rini grinned at her mother's approval, hugged her parents again tightly, then ran up to her room to figure out where to put her newest bunny. "A rabbit lover, just like her mother," Darien said, smiling softly. His eyes shone with the love that had stood the test of time.

"Do you want to go walking around Tokyo like we used to, Muffin?" Serenity asked, smiling happily and holding our her hand. Darien nodded, and, calling to their daughter who raced down to join them, walked out the door, across the huge lawn, and started down the street. As Rini skipped ahead of them, Serenity and Darien walked hand in hand. "Mommy, can we stop by Hannah's house, see if she can come along?" Rini begged. Serenity nodded, and they followed the direction to Professor Tomoe's house where he lived with his daughter.

"Can Hannah come out and walk with us?" Rini called as she opened the door. Professor Tomoe poked his head out of the door and grinned as he saw the trio.

"Yes, of course!!!" Turning, he called into the house for his daughter who came happily out. As soon as she saw Rini she ran into her friend's arms and hugged her.

"Rini! Hi!" Hannah said happily. Hannah and Rini went off ahead of the pair after Serenity and Darien chatted for a few minutes with Professor Tomoe. Eventually they went around to every senshi's house and ended picking up a big group of people. The day ended up quite nicely, friends and couples alike watching the sun set together. All in all, they agreed, life was wonderful . . .

In her black castle far from the Sailor Senshi, Belladonna paced restlessly about the halls, her dark-souled guards drawing back for fear she might squash their existence with a passing blow.

A deceptively smooth voice wove like satin through the castle, belying the malice behind the words. "My Dark Lady, there is little time. If we are to succeed in this mission, we will have to move swiftly." Belladonna looked at her second-in-command irritably. "Don't you think I know all this, Aconite?" Belladonna's long, striking purple hair moved in waves as she shook her head in anger. Poison-tipped black nails slashed out and cut lines through a tapestry next to her. "But where to *strike*!!!! *That* is the question!!" Aconite moved out of her queen's way, looking at her with carefully hooded eyes. Jonquil, Belladonna's (annoying, in Aconite's view,) third-in-command piped up, never taking her gaze from the mirror in front of her. "I heard Tokyo was particularly strong, something about those annoying Sailor Senshi guarding it especially." Belladonna smiled evilly at this mention of the Senshi.

"Yes, the Sailor Senshi, guardians of peace . . . " Aconite and Jonquil looked up at the tone in their queen's voice. "Most claim they are strong, but love of peace is a weakness . . . The true nature of life is war, and thus I shall ignite it among good and evil once more . . . I will kill two birds with one stone, so to speak. Take over Crystal Tokyo . . . And take down the infamous Sailor Senshi . . . "

That's it for now. Why don't you tell me what you think so far?

Main Page

This page hosted by Get your own Free Home Page