Please keep that in mind the fact that this story is manga 
related.  

I've decided to use English translation names for the Inner Senshi and 
Japanese names for the Outer, since I have no clue 
as to what their English translated names are.  And Haruka and Michiru are 
only close friends not gay.
It only makes it easier for me to write.

This chapter will be entirely from Sailor 
Cosmos' point of view.  That is why I call 
it Path to the Soul, her soul.]

This story is rated PG, well some slight violence and maybe language later 
on, if you call the word damn a bad thing.  Well, enough of my babbling! On 
with the show!

Usual disclaimers:  Sailor Moon and all its characters and likeliness 
belongs to Naoko Takeuchi, Kodansha/Toei.  English translation is made 
possible by DiC. 

EMAIL ME! MY INBOX IS STARVING!
My email address:  ml_eclipse@hotmail.com

<< >> = thoughts
[ ] = author's note
=====================================================

Serenity's Legend         written by Cosmos

Part VIII:    Path to the Soul


I don't know how…how I managed to transport myself to Setsuna's 
apartment, but when the light dies down, I see myself standing 
alone in the dark, in the center of her living room.  I can feel 
the sticky liquid seeping through my clasped hand on my upper arm 
and fall in silent thuds to the wood floor below.  The darkness 
in the room weighs heavily on my tired eyes, so much so that I had 
to struggle to the balcony in order to have the pale light of the 
moon ease the dark force from them.  I struggle with every step, 
swaying like a drunkard.  I clasp the balcony railing with all my 
strength to keep myself upright as I feel the room beginning to spin 
before my eyes.  I felt incredibly nauseated and dizzy.  I wasted my 
last ounces of strength during the teleportation and I knew I lost 
a lot of blood resulting in my weakened condition.  The reality of 
my physical condition is catching up with me as I see my vision 
becoming more blurred by the minute.

Unexpectedly I feel wetness on my cheeks.  I raise my hand to my face 
and realize that I am still crying all this time.  Words…painful 
words return to haunt me.  << Even though you're the strongest Sailor 
Soldier, you are *nothing* compared to her.  She is *more* than what 
you will *ever* be!…She is my friend…She is the only friend I had 
ever had!…You are nothing but a coward.  A fool scared to face her 
own destiny.>>

"NO!" I cry.  "no…no" my voice trails off in wracking sobs that shakes 
my entire body causing more dizziness to come to my head.  
"Mother…," I whisper to the silent moon floating above me in 
the heavens.  "Mother…," I whisper again.  "Mother please help me.  
I…I don't know what to do? What I should do…Please Mother, " 
I plead lifting my azure eyes to the moon, " tell me how to stop 
this…this pain that is killing me.  I…I don't want to see anyone 
suffer anymore…I WANT THIS ALL TO END!!!!" I scream with all the 
anguish and the desolation that hides deep within my heart.  
I suddenly fell quiet and cry uncontrollably into my arm on the railing.

I don't know how long I stood there sobbing my heart out, but 
then suddenly I hear the wind whisper in my ears, soft…quiet…almost 
like a fairy fluttering by my ears.  "Serenity," the wind whispers.  
I look up slowly, not expecting to see anyone thinking that it 
was only my imagination calling me, mocking me.  Yet, to my surprise 
I see a vision that makes me fall to my knees in tears.  
"Mother," I breathe.  Before me, floating just a little ways 
off the balcony on which I am kneeling, a beautiful goddess appears 
in a shimmer of pure light with a pair of delicate wings that 
resembles those of a dragonfly, except these wings appear like they
 have been made of glass…so thin…so delicate.  A beautiful white 
gown hugs her elegant form, flowing past her feet and spreading out 
like the petals of a white rose below her.  Tears begin to flow in 
greater force down my cheeks as I cry, "Oh, mother…you came…you heard me."

"Ssshhhh," She soothes, as she slowly drifts closer to me.  
I stand up and leaning far into the railing, reach my hand out 
to touch her.  Her hand and mine meets.  It feels like my hand is 
being caressed by the wind.  Her hand is barely visible, like a 
light mist, over mine.  "Do not cry, my darling, " She says.  
"You have come a long way from being Sailor Moon to Sailor Cosmos,
guardian of the universe.  It is time you accept your destiny and 
pursue it with all your might.  Do not let destiny guide you 
but let it help you find your way through the mists."

"But mother, " I whisper.  "my destiny brings me nothing but pain.  
And it spreads sorrow to the ones I love as well.  L-look at you.  
You have lost your life for me…and my friends have paid the very 
same price."  She looks at me…sadly?…no…not in sadness but 
in…pride?  Why would she be proud of a failure like myself, I wonder.  
She floats closer to me and holds me in her arms as the wind 
can only embrace.

She whispers down to me, "Every one of us have our own destiny.  
Each one leads us on a path that we all must take.  But Destiny 
does not force you to do things; instead it allows you to choose.  
What I had done was my own decision, not because of you or because 
of my destiny.  You take too much of others burdens onto yourself, 
my Serenity.  It is time you let others carry their own weight and 
give them the credit to choose what they wish.  Your friends died 
not because it was destined for them to, but because they chose to.  
They chose to save you, my dear.  They did not want to see this world 
without you in it."  She takes my chin in her faint hand and lifts 
my face up to look into her beautiful cerulean eyes.  "I am proud of 
you my daughter, " she whispers.  "You are strong…and you are kind.  
There are few in this world who can stand under so much responsibility.  
Believe in yourself…listen to your heart…and trust in your destiny 
and the path it has led you on." Her voice trails away softly as she 
slowly fades into the night.

"No…mother…don't leave me," I cry softly, but now I feel too weak to 
make any attempts to hold her back.  Instead, I drift to the concrete 
surface below as I sense the darkness closing in around me.  My 
conscious mind slowly lets go of the surface and I sense myself 
falling…falling…falling…into oblivion.  I know I will die.  I have 
lost too much blood and my spirit no longer wishes to grasp onto an 
existence that holds nothing for me.  Just as I am about to let the 
darkness take me completely, I hear a faint voice…so very faint but 
it is there.  It is so familiar, this voice.  Yet it sounds so sad.  
Nonetheless it is this voice that prevents the darkness from taking 
me.  Somehow it revives my fighting soul.  No, I think, I cannot leave.  
I cannot…must not…die.  Then I hear her voice in my mind again, 
<> 
I must live, I think again, I must live for them in the hopes that
maybe I will see them again, if not but in a dream.

I slowly open my eyes, looking up at a fuzzy face hovering above.  
Slowly my vision clears and I see two beautiful stormy blue eyes 
looking worriedly down at me.  Such strong emotions of sorrow assault 
those beautiful sapphire eyes.  So sad, I think, why is this person 
so sad? Then I hear the voice again, it is this person's voice…it 
is *his* voice calling to me.  He is saying something, but I cannot 
make out any sense of the sound rumbling in my ears.  
I strain harder, knitting my sweaty brows together as I try to clear 
the buzzing sound in my ears and hear what he is saying.  He is…he 
is calling my name.  "Serena," he is saying.  "Serena you cannot 
leave me.  I'm so sorry…I'm so sorry." Tears form in his eyes falling 
softly onto my face.  Why is he apologizing, I wonder? He has done 
nothing wrong.  I should be the one to apologize…apologize for 
letting him die so long ago.  I reach a shaky bloody hand up to 
his face and whisper in a painful voice, "I can never leave you." 
He smiles.  Oh! That smile of his…that smile that has captured my 
heart since the dawn of time.  He is smiling, smiling just for me.  
I try to smile back but I cannot.  So much pain…and…and guilt? 
A guilt that still haunts me.  Yet what is it that I am guilty for, 
I do not know.  It is not the guilt that I *do* know…this is a guilt 
that I do not know.  So strange, I think.  Suddenly I feel my lids
grow heavy again.  I cannot fight it.  Slowly I close my eyes 
waiting for the cold emptiness of death to envelop me, but instead
a strange, yet comforting, warmth spreads through my body.  I sigh 
in contentment as sleep, not death, takes over my body.  And I fall, 
this time, into the warmth.

I do not know how long I had slept, but when I do open my eyes, it is 
still dark.  Did I sleep for only an hour? Two hours? What time is 
it? I wonder.  I turn around to a dim light glowing at the head of 
the…bed? How in the world did I get into my bed?  If this *is* my 
bed? I turn to look at the dim light again.  It is only nine in the 
evening the clock indicates.  Ooh, I groan, not because of any pain, 
but because of some cramps in my arm.  My arm? I remember of the 
wound and instinctively reach up to test if it is still bleeding, 
but surprisingly I can't feel anything besides smooth skin.  There 
is no blood and no wound at all.  I gasp in shock.  How the--but a 
voice in the dark cuts me off.

"Your arm is all right," the voice says in a gentle and comforting 
tone.  I swivel my head around and narrow my eyes in my attempt to 
see this stranger through the darkness that is shielding him.  My 
mind is still so fuzzy of the events that occurred earlier that when 
a light flickers up I took in a sharp breath in my amazement, because 
there in the corner by the bed sits…

"Darien?" I ask in surprise.  "How…how did you know?"
He gives me a sad and tired smile, "Setsuna, who else?"

Then silence fell over us.  I feel a bit uncomfortable with the 
silence between us so I spoke up in an attempt to ease our situation.  
"Umm…so what happened to my arm?" I ask.  Upon seeing the hurt 
expression in his deep blue eyes I could have thrown myself out
of the window.  Oh dumb question…dumb question!  Serenity how could 
you ask such a question to him? There are just some things you will 
never learn…like never ask the person who *unintentionally* hurt 
you what happened to the wound they created.  "I-I'm sorry Darien.  
I-I didn't mean to ask that."

"I healed your wound, " is all that he says.  I look up from the 
covers on the bed to his face and find him still staring at me 
with those hurt expressions in his eyes.  <> 
I am about to apologize again but his actions took me by surprise.  
He suddenly stands up from where he was sitting at the end of the 
bed and moves swiftly to me, and allows his head to fall into my 
lap while he cries in great sobs that shakes his entire body.

"Serena, " he speaks between sobs, "Please forgive me! I didn't 
mean to hurt you.  I didn't know…I just didn't know that--"

"No, Darien, " I say.  He suddenly looks up at me in confusion.  
"I cannot forgive you for something that requires no forgiveness.  
I know you didn't mean to do it." I give him a reassuring smile.

"Why Serena?" he speaks again, his magnificent blue eyes delve 
deep into mine, "Why didn't you tell me who you are?"

I look away from him as sadness rises into my heart…and that guilt.  
"I didn't want you to get hurt." I reply, my voice relaying the 
emotions in my soul.

"You can never bring me pain, Serena, " he says, now kneeling by 
my side with his hands covering mine.  "The only pain that you can 
give me is if you are not there."

His words bring tears to my eyes.  "No, Darien, " I barely whisper 
in my attempt to control the storm that is building in my heart.  
"I have always brought you pain…you and everyone else who nears me."  
I bite my lip, closing my eyes as I struggle to hold back the tears, 
but my attempts are futile.  The tears cascade down my face in 
endless streams wetting the bed cover below.  Suddenly, I feel 
something warm on my lips.  So gentle…so sweet.  It is like I am 
kissing the silk petals of a rose.  I give a soft sigh as I kiss 
him back with all the passion and longing I have locked deep inside 
this tiring soul over the past years.  I feel his strong hands 
envelop my body, pulling me tighter to him.  The kiss is long and 
passionate as each soul pours every ounce of emotion into it.  
Finally we broke off as our lungs scream for air.  He breathes 
softly in my ear, still holding me tight to his muscular body, 
"You can never bring pain, Serena.  You don't know how to."  
Normally, I would have smiled at this, but instead his words only 
broke my heart.  <> 
I can sense him give a tired sigh and whisper again, "Do not 
doubt yourself, my love.  You *are* the light.  You are *my* 
light.  Without you I would be blinded by the darkness and probably 
drifted off my path into oblivion."  He pulls back to look 
deep into my eyes.  I can feel my heart melting in my chest.  
"Believe me, if you won't believe yourself.  What I say is 
true…as true as that pure soul I see in your eyes."

He slowly stands up pulling me along with him.  "Come, " He says 
gently.  "The girls want to see you."  I nod in silence, emotional 
turmoil still conquers my heart.  Then suddenly he turns and adds 
with a mischievous glint in his mysterious azure eyes, 
"Let us hope we're in time."

I look at him in confusion.  "In time for what Darien?"

"In time to prevent them from destroying Setsuna's apartment in 
worry."  He gives me one of his quirky grins that simply makes 
me want to faint.  My heart eases a bit and I give out an involuntary
 giggle.

The girls were talking among themselves but quickly stops when 
they see me step through the door.  Six surprise stares quickly 
fell upon my face.  I see that they haven't de-transform.  
<> Then realizing that I haven't 
de-transform also, thinks <>  From 
the softening looks in their gaze I know my question is answered.  
I look at each of them slowly, taking in their faces, their eyes, 
and their liveliness.  I lock each one of them into my memory 
in fear that this may be the last time I will be in their company 
again.  The future still haunts me.

It is then that I notice there are only six pairs of eyes looking 
back at me from the black leather couch.  
<>

"Uranus is out on the balcony, " Mercury replies in a tight voice 
as she tries to control her inner emotions, "and Pluto is on 
the roof."  I stare at her in confusion.  <> Then I realize that I must have spoken 
out loud.  I give her a nod and move toward the balcony, but 
before I reach the doorway, I feel a hand clasp me on the arm.  
I turn to see two dark eyes staring at me…pleading to me.  
Sailor Mars stands there holding tight onto my arm.  I know 
what she will say, but I gave her no time to speak her mind
for suddenly I pull her into my arms and held her in a tight 
sisterly hug.  Surprised at first, I feel her body stiffen in 
my arms, but then she returns my hug as strong as best friends 
can do.  No matter what our history was, she and I have always 
been close, almost like twin sisters.  And I miss her so much.  
Suddenly, I feel our bodies tighten together as I realize that 
the others have also gathered around, holding both of us.  
<> I think with a smile.  
<>

"Serena, " Jupiter speaks up from above me, " why didn't you 
tell us? Why did you let us do what we did to you?"

"I am so sorry, " Mars finally speaks.  "You know I never mean 
what I say when I am angry.  Do you forgive me, Serena?"

"Do you forgive us all?" Saturn asks, her dark eyes full of 
emotions so new to her.  I look down at her, remembering
 her future self dying in my arms.  A tear escapes my eyes 
as I manage to whisper, "You know I will always forgive you.  
There is nothing you can do that I can never forgive."  Then 
I add in a sadden tone, "But can you forgive me for all the 
things I said?"

"Yes, " came the spontaneous reply.  Then they all started 
to cry as their emotion catches up with them.  Their hug on 
me tightens, so much so that I have to squeak out, "Y-you guys, 
a little breathing room here."  They all laugh and apologize 
altogether as each one slowly release me from their *tight* 
embrace.  The atmosphere eases with their laughter filling up 
the room like the light from the chandelier.

I watch them in silence, taking in their warmth and light.  I 
turn quietly to the balcony and take a step outside.  I look 
to my right and there she stands, looking solemnly at the moon.  
I can see tears falling from her face in glistening droplets like 
a shower of stars.  I speak up, "Uranus?"  She suddenly turns 
around to look at me.  Her eyes full of pain that I never thought 
could be possible in any eyes.  She rushes to me as silent as the 
wind, gathered me in her strong embrace, burying her face in my 
silver hair.  "Oh, Serena," she manages between sobs.  "I thought
you would never wake up.  I thought I had killed you.  Oh god! 
Serena can you ever find it in your heart to forgive me?"

I cradle her head in my arms as sobs wrack her tall slim body.  
Uranus has always been like a big sister to me.  We have all been 
like sisters to each other, but Uranus, along with Jupiter have 
always been protective of me like older sisters.  Maybe because 
of their height, they felt this obligation to take the big 
sister role.  I am glad they did.  I love them all so much.  
"There has been too much asking for forgiveness tonight, " 
I whisper.  "None of you should ask for forgiveness for something 
that needs none."

"But Serena, what I did can't be accepted.  It can't even be 
forgiven!" Her muffle cry floats to my ears from my shoulder.

"No Uranus," I whisper in a soft, reassuring voice, 
"don't blame yourself for an action I know you did not mean."

"But I did mean it.  That's why it hurts me so much.  I 
meant to hurt you.  I meant to hurt you." Her body shakes 
again as tears seize her eyes once more.

"No, you meant to hurt an insolent stranger who mocks your 
dearest friend.  You could not have known that that stranger 
was me.  Please Uranus, stop crying.  Your pain is tearing me 
apart.  I don't want to see any of you suffer anymore."  Then 
I ask in a light voice, trying to ease the atmosphere that 
now hangs so heavily on our souls, "What did you mean that you 
thought I would never wake up? How long *did* I sleep, an hour, 
two hours?"

Uranus stands up straight looking at me with her eyes twinkling 
in the dark, "An hour? Two hours? No way, Ms Sleeping Beauty, 
you slept for an entire two days and three nights."  Then she 
laughs uncontrollably at the shock expression on my face.  Her 
roaring laughter drifts into the apartment, making everyone 
inside look out giving us both quizzical expressions on their faces.

"Hey, did we miss something here?" Mars asks in her usual 
temperamental tone.

"Only the joke, " and Uranus roars in laughter again.

Mars turns around mumbling something under her breath along 
the line of, "That girl, if she wasn't so tall, I'd smack her on 
the head."  I smile as I heard this.

"I hope you don't mind, " I speak up.  "I would like to speak to 
Pluto for a moment."

"Of course." Uranus replies.

After a few moments climbing the stairs, I step out onto the 
dark roof, illuminated only by the faint light of the quarter 
moon.  I see her standing there, alone by the fence.  She hangs 
her head as I hear her cry.  
"Pluto," I ask, " why are you crying?  Is there something wrong?
Did I do something?"  I turn my face up to the moon and say quietly, 
"I know I've said some things…in the past few days, but I-I 
don't really mean them."

>From the corner of my eye, I can see her look up at me with 
such sorrow that makes me want to cry along with her.  
"No," she whispers.  "You did not do anything wrong."

"But the things I've said…"
She cuts me off, "Words are empty if the action does not 
support it.  Besides, I know you all too well to believe in 
your words, Serenity."
"What does that mean?" I ask, feeling my old emotions of annoyance 
rising up again.  I have not felt that for a long time.  
<>
"Oh, you know," Pluto replies in exasperation.  
"You were always bubbly.  You never realize what you say until 
it escapes your mouth."

"Bubbly?" I feel color rising into my face.  "I am NOT bubbly!"  
Suddenly I see her laugh, an action few have ever witness.  
But being here, hearing her silvery laughter ringing in my 
ears, I can't help but feel special…privileged to be able 
to witness it.  I laugh along with her.  Our laughter drifts out 
onto the brilliant city below carried along by the wind.  
<>

We continued to laugh enjoying the comfort of each other's 
company, but our peace does not last long.  It never does.  
We suddenly hear another laughter, one that chills us to our bone.  
A gray mist swirls behind us and we both turn to see the one 
being that none of us want to encounter, Darkness.

"Well, I finally found you." Darkness gives an evil smirk.  
"I told you we will meet again."

"What is it that you want?" I speak daggers.

"Oh, don't worry," she replies in an unconcerned voice.  
"I am not after you.  I only want the guy.  What's his name?" 
She raises a slender finger to her head pretending to remember 
her victim.  "Oh yeah, Prince Endymion," she says his name 
like a lion licking his chops at a gazelle.

"You can NEVER have him!" I yell at her in rage.

"Oh, I know you won't give him in so easily.  That is why I 
came here to you.  I realize that the only way for me to get 
him is to kill you instead."  Her eyes glow in a strange aura 
of lights.

Pluto steps forward and cries, "Serena, stop this! Darien is 
your love! You love him as he loves you."  Then she screams in 
greater desperation, "Fight this evil thing that has captured 
you Serena.  I know you can do this! Fight it! Fight your way 
back to us, fight your way back to him!"

A strange light flickers in Darkness' eyes but is quickly consumed 
again by the darkness that conquers her soul.  "Shut up, you 
annoying pest!" Darkness shouts and blasts Pluto, her body 
slamming into the fence at the incredible force of the attack.

I ran to place myself between her and Pluto, who holds her stomach 
in pain.  I raise my hand in front of me and a flash of light 
appears revealing my Eternity rod.  I hold it tight in my battle 
stance, poised like a snake ready to strike at the slightest motion.  
She gives a mocking laughter, shaking a finger at me pitifully.  
Clicking her tongue she speaks, "Tsk…Tsk…Tsk, such haste.  
No, no deary, I don't want to have a battle here on the roof.  
No." Then she looks straight into my eyes; her gaze pierces my 
soul.  "No, a battle like this needs more room…for the blood 
to spill.  I will meet you in the park.  Same place…same time 
tomorrow.  The winner gets Darien.  The loser…well, she dies."  
And she gives her chilling laughter and disappears into the mists.  
I look past the space she occupied only moments before and 
catches the stunned gazes from the other Sailor Soldiers and 
Darien.  Horror upon horror reflects in all their eyes.  <>

I turn around in silence and look up at the moon, shining more 
brightly then ever in the heavens.  I hear Mars take a hesitant 
step forward and speak in a torn voice, "You cannot Cosmos.  
It is suicide.  You must not go."

"Serena, you can't go.  There must be another way," Darien's 
concern voice floats to me.  "I'll go to her.  I'll try to free 
her soul from this…this thing that has taken over her."

I shake my head in sorrow.  "No," I whisper sadly.  "There is 
nothing you can do.  Sailor Chaos' power is much stronger than 
all of you combine.  The only way Serena may possibly be free 
again, is if Chaos herself dies."

"W-what are you saying?" Neptune asks, but I sense she fears the 
answer that I am about to give her.

"I have run away for too long," I say in a lost voice.  "I can 
run no longer.  It is time I accept my fate and face my destiny."

"No Serena," Darien speaks quickly.  I can hear him walking 
towards me.  "You are not going to face Chaos."  His words brought 
gasps from the others, even Pluto.  I feel his strong warm arms 
around my waist.  
<>, I think to myself.  
Instead, I break away from his embrace, taking a few steps closer 
to the fence and speak with my voice like the wind that once 
whispered in my ears, "I cannot let the future be destroyed 
because of my fear.  It is time I allow destiny to help me 
choose my footing on this path I have chosen to take."

============================================

[Okay, two more chapters to go.  Remember email me and tell me what you
think.  Suggestions, compliments, and critiques are all welcome.  Email
Address above.]

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