Luna ran up to the Palace gate.  The guard immediately recognized her and opened the gate.  He saw Princess Serenity, and he cried, “Oh Gods!” And fell out of his post.

        Princess Serenity entered the Palace staring in wonder at all that surrounded her.  It reminded Rei of a certain small infant who reacted the same way when first shown about the palace. When she approached the throne room, she was so shocked by what she saw, she almost fell backwards.  Sitting in front of her, almost like a mirror image, was her elegant mother.  “M-m-mother!”  she cried, and ran into the woman’s arms.  From the Queen’s eyes sprang tears of mirth.

        The King saw the commotion and embraced them all.  “Oh, my daughter!  You are safe!  We’re all saved!”

        The happy meeting lasted all through the day.  There was to be a big party tonight, and the Princess had to get prepared.  The bustling hairdresser was babbling the whole time about how beautiful she was, and how the men would react when they saw her.  But Serenity was more interested in something else.

        On her bureau, there was a full bloomed red rose, the fragrant petals shining with dew.  Her heart nearly burst.  From some far off memory that she plucked out of the depths of her mind, she saw a young boy holding a rose, and seeing the vision tugged at her heartstrings.

        The hairdresser delicately put a tiara of gold on the dreaming Princess.  When her mother came in, she saw Serenity, and thought of her own youthful days.  The Princess picked up the rose and clutched it to her chest.  Her mother escorted her out of the dressing room, as King Solarus watched them both in wonder.  His two girls, something to be proud of.

        Luna followed them to the ballroom.  She sat down at the head of a long, decorated table.  When she walked in, the orchestra started to play the song from the locket.  Surrounding her were all her friends, the inner Princesses who had taken care of her, and the outers, whom she had not been introduced to yet, but they looked friendly enough.

        The next thing that caught her eye was a young man, off in the corner, who stood alone.  He was a rather handsome fellow, with black hair that fell in a sweep over his forehead.  “Who is he?”  she asked Princess Hotaru, who sat diagonally from her.

        “I see he has caught your attentions,” she giggled.  “He is Prince Endymion, of Earth, silly.”

        Endymion. The Rose.  The forest.  Prince.  Earth.  The words spun around her head like a merry-go-round as she tried to make sense of it all.  This was that boy she had met in the forest.  She looked at him, and her heart melted.

        “I am Prince Endymion of Earth.”

        “Hey meatball head!”

        She looked up and saw the Prince standing in front of her.  All she could do was blush and hand him the rose she was clutching.  He gasped.  Did he remember too?

        He sat down beside her.  “Have I met you before?  I heard you were in exile or something of the sort.”

        “Remember in the forest?  You were lost, and I showed you a way out.  I gave you a rose.  Y-you were the only real friend I every had.”  She managed to say.

        “That was you?  I thought your name was “Usagi”, not Serenity.”

        “They called me Usagi as a temporary name.  If anyone found out my name was Serenity, well, I don’t want to even think about what would happen.”

        Endymion sat down, looking at her with interest.  “You sure aren’t that scabby little girl I met 10 years ago.  You know, you were the only real friend I had either.  It was lonely in our Castle, and with no brothers or sisters to play with, I was often left to play with myself.”

        Serenity looked at him with feeling.  “I know how you feel.”

        Meanwhile Princess Michiru had joined the orchestra and was playing a violin solo piece.  “Isn’t it beautiful,” Serenity sighed.

        “Yes.  It’s just like you, Princess.  So it looks like you got your wish.  You really were royalty the whole time!”

        The flustered Princess blushed a deep crimson.  “Thank you.”

        When Michiru’s solo ended, the whole court broke out in an uproar of applause.  Princess Haruka put her hand on Michiru’s shoulder when she returned.  “You were wonderful!”

        “Thank you, Haruka.” Michiru replied.

        “They are lucky.  I’ve always wanted to have a friendship as deep as theirs.  They’ll always have each other, as long as they both live.” Serenity said.

        The orchestra started up with a lively tune.  “Would you like to dance, Princess?”

        Her heart almost beat out of her chest.  “Why, yes!  I, uh, mean yes, thank you.”

        They stood up and waltzed around the room, and yet they were oblivious to their surroundings, seeing only each other.  They seemed to be floating on air.  It was just like a dream...

        Princess Minako was giggling with Makoto.  “Look at them!  She’s smitten with him, as sure as the light of day!”

         “Well, he looks pretty spaced out too.  Isn’t it wonderful?” Makoto said dreamily.

         When the song was over, they walked outside to the balcony.  “Isn’t the Earth look beautiful tonight?”  Serenity said as she gazed at the ball of swirling blue and green in the sky.

        The Prince put his head in his hands.  “Home, isn’t always as close as it appears.”  He put out his hand as if reaching out to touch the planet that appeared so enormous, and yet so far away.

        She took his hand in hers, and he looked at her.  This girl understood him, his life, his sorrows, and his joys.  He looked into her shining eyes, reflecting the light of stars.  He leaned over and kissed her on the cheek, startling her.  She settled into his arms, and they watched the sun rise together.

        The Queen, who sat at the head of the table, was watching them with interest.  The King noticed her watching the couple.  “So, I guess now I believe in love at first sight,” he said.  “Much like it was with us.”

        “So, my little baby has grown up at last.” the Queen said, and wiped a tear from her eyes.

        Princess Serenity was suddenly startled when she felt the ground shake beneath her.  The Prince tightened his grip on her, protecting her from anything that might harm her.  A bright light and a loud explosion broke the serenity of the dawn.

        “Nnnooooo!” The Queen screamed, and she knew they were all doomed.

        Queen Beryl stormed the Palace, leading her generals to attack.  The four youmas attacked ruthlessly, destroying everything.  Luna warned everybody of the attack, and the Princesses transformed.  Sailor Venus used “Love Chain Encircle” to no avail, not effecting Beryl at all.  The traitor general Malachite took his saber from his side, and mercilessly ended the life of the weakened Princess.

        “MINAKO!”  Jupiter yelled, lunging at Malachite.

         The Palace was coming down around their ears, and they could do nothing about it.  “Supreme Thunder” lit the room briefly, striking the generals, but still no effect.  General Nephrite took care of her with a quick blow.  Sailor Mars couldn’t take this.  She had lost her best, and only friends.  Eventually they all fell, except for Pluto and Mars.  Setsuna could not bear seeing her friends murdered.  Yet, amazingly, she kept calm.

        Rei grieved, seeing her friends impaled by these youma from hell.  She wanted so much to kill them all, but she knew she had not the strength.  Suddenly, Beryl turned on the King, who nobly drew his sword.  He would die with honor.  Rei couldn’t let him be slain.  She lunged forward to protect him.  “Beryl!  You have done enough!  Leave here!  You shall not win, you black hearted witch!”

        “GRRRR!!!” Beryl Screamed.

        She knocked Rei over in one swift blow.  Her flame had finally been extinguished.  She had feelings for him after all, and had died protecting her love.  The Queen was with her daughter and the two felines outside the Palace walls, unaware of the turmoil inside.  Queen Beryl approached the King, her dark shadow towering over him.  The King bravely raised his sword...

         Outside the Palace, they were all frightened when the whole Palace shook with an explosion that hurt their ears and sent debris flying.  The Queen collapsed.  Everything she had gone through was all in vain.  Everything was gone; her nightmare had come true.

         Sailor Pluto lifted up a large piece of scaffolding that lay on top of her.  She slowly limped toward the Queen.  “They- they’re gone.”

         Queen Beryl appeared.  “It appears your husband wasn’t half as strong as he appeared, my dear.”

         The Queen flinched.  She saw the Prince and the Princess holding onto each other tightly, and felt a pang of jealousy.  “You, Moon Princess!  I’ve loathed you since you were born, and now, imp, it is time to say bye-bye to your little Prince!”

         “NO!  Endymion!  Don’t leave me!” she cried.

         He gave her a kiss on her lips, and she started to cry.  Beryl moved her hands in a circle, causing the winds to swirl, making a whirlwind.  The Prince was carried up by it, and the Princess, tears streaming from her pretty eyes, was desperately trying to grasp his hand.

         She caught his grasp, and they were carried off into the maelstrom together.  It was the way she would’ve wanted to die, in her love’s arms.  “Moon Princess!” Luna cried, looking in horror and fright at the couple’s lifeless bodies, spiraling upward.

         Sailor Pluto crept up behind the pale Queen, who was still staring upward, in disbelief.  “Queen Serenity, I never gave the Princess her gift at her christening.  I have a plan, but I do not have enough strength to carry it out myself.  Do you remember when you were young, you were taught a secret spell, only to be used at last resort?”

         “Why, yes!  Oh, Setsuna, I see what you mean.  They said that it would take all my energy do it, and it would drain the Silver Crystal!  But, I must.”

         The spell was of reincarnation.  The Moon Princess would live again, in a different land, and a different life.  She had enough power in her being to save the Senshi, the Princess, and the guardians.  Sailor Pluto fell weakened from her wounds.  Serenity glanced up at the heavens and prayed for strength.  She and her husband would never meet again though.  She couldn’t save herself, and that was the drawback to the spell.

         She closed her eyes, and the Crystal she held started to emanate a blinding glow.  She would send the Crystal with them, where they would be safe.  The deceased bodies of her friends were encased in bubbles that carried them to another time, to get another chance at life.  She saw her daughter and the Prince in separate bubbles, and she felt glad, knowing that someday, they might meet again in their next life, and rekindle their happiness.  She felt serene and calm, knowing that Beryl had not succeeded entirely.

        She would sleep for hundreds, maybe thousands of years in the timeless bubble, but in her next lifetime, the Princess would reawaken to her true identity from the kiss of a Prince.  With her last ounce of strength, she found her King in the ruins, and lay down beside him.  She stroked his lifeless cheek, and closed her eyes.  So ended the Silver Millennium.

         But maybe, there was still hope after all...
 

Thank you everybody, for all your support and helping me create. This fan fiction piece.  Oh yes, the scene where Usagi gives Mamoru the rose is from the Sailor Moon R Movie.  I just thought it was so beautiful that that was how they should meet for the first time in both lifetimes.  I know, this fanfic is really gloomy, but hey, that’s how it happened.  Please Email me!  I need your comments!  All flames, questions and comments should be sent to [email protected].
 

Serenity’s Crystal Palace
http://www.angelfire.com/anime/Crystal/index.htm
By: Serenity
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