The Solar Circle Chapter One: Thus It Begins Again The car door slammed and Darien winced. It sounded so loud and out of place in the feeble dusk surrounding Chad's hunting cabin. The coming night was palpable and almost ominous as the first twinkle of celestial bodies shivered on the horizon. He dropped his suitcase on the hard packed ground and watched; entranced by the dim ancient lights. The car's ticking engine cooled, a small wind blew up, and still he stared at the sky. Finally, at the edge of the coming night, the first fingernail of moon peeked over the trees and smiled at the small valley below. "Darien? Shouldn't we go inside now?" Darien started at the quiet question and blushed. Rini stared at him patiently; her pink rabbit backpack slung over her slender thirteen-year-old shoulders, her large innocent eyes piercing his cosmic concentration. "Sorry Rini. I just wanted to see the beginning of the full moon tonight." She nodded and stooped to help him with the lighter bags before heading to the rustic log cabin. He grabbed the cooler Lita had prepared the night before with sandwiches and goodies for the road and his suitcase, then followed his future daughter up the small pebbly path to the cabin. After a few moments of struggling with the keys and old lock, he finally heard a rusty click and the door swung open revealing a plush sitting room. Rini rushed in, curious about the house, but Darien paused just in the foyer. He could feel her excitement, and was pleased with the expansive lodgings, but a tiny piece of him cried none the less. He glanced at his watch. In five hours or so it would be midnight, and the date he and Serena had set for their wedding. He had originally planned to be so drunk he didn't remember the day, or what it represented, but now he had Rini to take care of so that was out of the question. "Darien! There's the prettiest bedroom upstairs! It's all decorated with pink and white and there's a big stuffed bunny on the bed!" Rini hurried in, her eyes glittering with mirth and excitement. "And a note from Raye saying it was for me as a surprise! Can I keep it?" "Of course Rini. Anything one of the Scouts gives you is yours, you know that, Small Lady." She giggled at the title and began to rush off again, but stopped a foot or so away instead. "Darien, why haven't you claimed a bedroom yet?" He reached out and brushed a stray lock of pale pink hair off her forehead. Except for the color of her hair, Rini was the image of her mother at that age, or so he guessed. He had met Serena when she was fourteen, not thirteen, but Rini had the same expressive eyes and trim youthful figure. She was Serena all over again, down to the pert way her nose turned up at the end and he bit back a low moan of pain at the fresh memory of his clumsy meatball head. "I thought I'd let you have a crack at it first, Rini. But since you seem to have found a room especially for you, I think I'll go find mine too." Her eyes took him in again, and Darien could feel her carefully weighing his carelessly tossed words. She had become extremely cautious of his moods and tuned in to his thoughts since she had arrived and found him in his miserable condition. "Yeah," she whispered, her large eyes filling with tears, "that might be a good idea." Inside Darien winced and cursed himself for a fool. In the three or four months Rini and he had been habituating in his tiny apartment, they had skirted around the Serena issue as much as possible. It was still hard for him to speak of and she felt odd that her existence would be eliminated the instant she stepped out of the current timeline. Serena's early and unexpected death had ripped the entire world apart in both their eyes. But that notwithstanding, she didn't deserve to have their little vacation ruined because he couldn't heal properly. "I'm sorry, pumpkin," he whispered. "I...Why...Why don't you help me find a room, okay?" She slipped her delicate hand in his and once more Darien tried to keep his voice even. "Come on. Let's go." * * * * * * * * * * * "It was a good idea to get them out of town," Lita commented as she settled the still bubbling and steaming pan of lasagna in the center of the long dining room table. "It'll do Darien good to be away from his ninety hours at the hospital and Rini will get to see a little bit of the mountains and have a little bit of a summer before she has to return to school." Nephrite shook his head; "I still don't like the idea of the King going out by himself with no one to protect him. It isn't safe, and he has the child's safety to worry about as well." His piece said, he began setting the table with shiny silver forks and cloth napkins. "I agree," Zoisite commiserated, laying out the knifes and bread plates, "I mean the King should be at home where his support network is, not off in the woods like a hermit. What is he going to do there? Sit? Mope?" "Oh Zoi," sighed Ami from her place in the kitchen pouring drinks, "first of all, he hasn't been a king since the Silver Millennium, so I wish you'd stop calling him that. It makes Darien nervous. Second of all, the silence will be good for him. He hasn't even begun to grieve yet, all he is doing is hiding in his internship and not progressing at all." She softened her tone and wiped at the sneaky tear trailing its way down her left cheek. "We all miss her, and if our pain is any indicator, he must be going through hell right now. Rini is there; she has her Silver Crystal and can protect him if anything goes wrong, though they'll most likely be protecting each other. Aurora and Apollo will be up there in a few days. They'll keep him from doing anything drastic." "Besides," Lita supplied, "Serena would want him to start the healing process. It is what is best for both he and Rini. She can't go home or she will vanish, and he can't survive here without someone to watch out after him. It's a good match, one that Serena would approve of." The front door opened and Malachite stumbled in, his arms full of bags. Mina stepped in daintily behind him, her long skirt swirling in the light breeze. "Where do you want Mal to put these, Lita?" Grinning, Lita pointed to the kitchen. "Thanks for picking that stuff up for me guys. I appreciate it. Most of it will go in the second cabinet on your right, above the sink. The rest will just go to the left of the dishwasher." Mina nodded and went to help Malachite with the groceries. Her voice floated out to the others, still setting the table. "So, when do our honored guests arrive? I am so excited to see them again." Nephrite blushed and sat down at the table with a thump. "They said they might be a little late, Melvin was nervous about the airport traffic or something." Lita moved behind her General and massaged his shoulders gently. "It's okay, Nephrite. She doesn't blame you, she never blamed you. Molly's just not that kind of person." He smiled at Lita's reassuring touch and felt a wave of peace overcome him. Though she was still with Ken, he and Lita had regained a measure of the closeness they had shared in the Silver Millennium, and though Ken didn't fully approve, Lita wasn't about to give up a friend to appease her boyfriend. Nephrite appreciated Lita's open attitude towards him, but he understood it was because she had never had to face him in battle in this life. All her memories were of the good Silver Millennium variety rather than instances of his human manipulation. After hearing some of the stories about his attacks under Beryl's command, Ken muttered a bit, but kept his thoughts mostly to himself and Greg. Chad, surprisingly, took a lackadaisical approach to the odd situation. He had simply told Jadeite that if he tried anything funny, he would personally rearrange his face. Other than that, the General was allowed to be as close to her as Raye wished. If only Raye treated Jadeite in the same kind-hearted manner. Anytime the slender blond General tried to approach the fiery priestess, she grew taut and still, as if waiting for an attack. Nephrite knew this hurt Jadeite deeply, but he didn't know what to do to make things better. It wasn't his place. Malachite and Mina were another matter. Unlike the other Generals, who all lived with the Four Sisters and helped out a bit in the store for their monthly keep, Malachite lived with Mina and Artemis in her small two-bedroom apartment, and had already found a position at a local martial arts school to help Mina with the bills. His expertise and patience with the children astounded the Knights, all who had been prepared to fight for the death for the Lady Mina in lieu of her dead Knight, Adam. But Mina and Malachite got along well; even Artemis had quit protesting over the tall powerful man living with them. Nothing had happened romantically, yet all the Generals knew Malachite desired Mina just as much as he did in the Silver Millennium, but was willing to let the tide of her grief fade before attempting to begin again. Ami, Greg, and Zoisite often gathered and worked on plans for the future of the Scouts and Knight's training together. Zoisite kept his thoughts mostly to himself, but Nephrite knew that the young man still harbored feelings for both Ami and Malachite. It was tough, but he was slowly pulling away from both on the romantic level and following his heart elsewhere, to one of the sisters, Birdie. She was more than a match for him intellectually and they worked well together in the store, sharing smiles across the counter and helping customers. Nephrite knew that things would go well, and wished his young friend the best of luck. As for himself, Nephrite was still deeply in love with his strong Princess of Jupiter. Lita was still the beauty she had been in the Silver Millennium, but more importantly, she was still the same kind, loving person. He knew she no longer shared the same deep emotions, but he remained close to her anyway. It made him feel better to hear her little secrets and to share his own with her. Lita had always taken him on face value and that was something he valued deeply. He knew his love would never be returned, but felt it was necessary to solidify the growing bond between them before moving on with his life and discovering what he was really good for on this new planet. * * * * * * * * * * * "We're going to be late if you keep fussing with your clothing, Solan. I promise you, you look great." Auriel tapped her foot and stared at her loved soul mate in the bathroom mirror. His reflection grinned at her and blithely ignored her annoyed tone as he continued to fuss with his tie. "Just three more minutes, love." Apollo chuckled from the living room, and it could be heard throughout the tiny apartment. Aurora's low voice answered and a third commented. Auriel sighed and shifted her position leaning against the wall. The hem of her blue satin evening gown whispered against the ratty carpet and she scrunched her feet and relaxed them in her tight blue high heels. "You said that last time," she complained. "Dear, we really need to go." "There!" he announced. "All done. How do I look?" Auriel paused a moment and took a long measuring look at the love of her life. Her gaze wandered from top to bottom and up again, noting every smooth seam, every shift of the black tuxedo covering his well built form. She fiddled absentmindedly at the edges of her long white satin gloves and then reached up to pat her fluffy auburn hair coifed and styled in to an elegantly simple french twist. He grinned as she did so, knowing that when she fidgeted like that she was searching for imperfection and finding none. Absence of flaws made her nervous, she liked to know when something was wrong and exactly where it was so it could be dealt with. "Well," she finally commented, "There is too much gel in your hair, but other than that, I see nothing wrong." She reached forward and smoothed back and imaginary strand of white-blond hair off his forehead and met his intense purple gaze with her warm amber one. "You are simply one of the most handsome men I've ever seen in my life," she confessed breathlessly. He smiled softly, and cupped her creamy cheek with his hand. She leaned in to his touch like a cat, fluttering her eyes closed, and Solan bit back a smug grin. Auriel was exquisite herself, though if one told her that, she would deny it with a flash of her passionate eyes and a toss of her thick chest length hair. He ran the pad of his thumb over her lips and leaned in to kiss her sweetly. She was his and his alone, a fact he was still astounded to realize to that day. They were soul mates and nothing would ever tear this precious, spirited beauty from his arms. "Come on," he growled playfully, all traces of the boy he had been a mere six months before erased from his features, "you'll make us late." A low squawk of indignation met his statement and he fled the room, laughing as he ran in to the living room to meet Apollo, Aurora, and their two other guests, Raye and Chad. "Ready for an evening of fine wine and dancing?" Apollo questioned as Solan fled his girlfriend's wrath. Chad smiled and pulled Raye to her feet, nearly stepping on the hem of her scarlet floor length evening gown in the process. She neatly removed the offending hem from the vicinity of his feet and smiled. "Ready as ever." Aurora laughed at the neat avoidance of conflict and accepted Apollo's offered hand to rise. She smoothed imaginary wrinkles out of her own elegant shimmering gold gown and they started for the door. "So, Raye," Auriel laughed, "why did you want to come with us? Isn't Lita making one of her huge dinners tonight?" Raye shook her head as Auriel fished her door key out of her tiny evening purse. "The Generals are going to be there and I would rather not see Melvin or Molly right now. She's about to pop." "When is the baby due?" Chad asked, running his hand through his ruffled black hair and glancing sheepishly at the floor. Auriel counted out the months on her fingers and shook her head. "Well, it's been about four or five months since Solan was activated, so she should be due in a week or so, right?" "She's late," Raye replied. "They are going to force labor in a few days if her water doesn't break soon. Melvin is really nervous, and so is Nephrite. Though about two completely different things, I'm sure. We were supposed to meet them for dinner the day after Solan arrived," they group began moving towards the cars, "but Solan's arrival and Mina's hospital stay a few weeks later altered our plans to say the least." Apollo opened Auriel's door and moved to open Aurora's as well. "Well, we are going there after dinner Raye. You have to face Jadeite sometime." Chad chuckled silently as Apollo mimicked the words he himself had been throwing at Raye almost daily since the General's unexpected return. She silently fumed when they came from Apollo rather than the biting retort she usually favored Chad with. He watched as she gathered her wits together, then forced an answer through tightly clenched lips. "I know...I just can't right now. It's too hard." Aurora leaned her head out the window. "Enough of this for now. We'll meet you at the restaurant in about twenty minutes. Remember that the reservations are under Solan Grange. See you there. Drive safely Chad." "I will." He moved to his side of the car and let himself in. Raye sat silent and fuming in the seat beside him. He grinned at her, but she merely turned to him and glared. "I don't want to hear it Chad. Do you understand?" He chuckled once more silently, and did his best to force a serious mask over his smiling eyes. "Of course Raye. Whatever you say, dear." * * * * * * * * * * * Adam smiled as Serena laughed uproariously at Chad's antics and Raye's silent anger. Her only enjoyment these days came from the two walls that showed them glimpses of the outer world that they both missed. Chibi Chibi had been spirited away by Sailor Cosmos weeks before, and Serena felt her loss as completely as he himself did. The morning sun had just risen just beyond the forest at the foot of their tiny mountain. The beach glittered with the gentle light and Adam had gone out to forage for food for the wee working family they had formed in their solitude. He had been hacking at the underbrush in the forest that never saw day when a light singing voice caught his attention. He stumbled to the beach, eager for a new face, and found instead one of the most peaceful women he would ever meet calmly awaiting his arrival on a small outcropping of rock. "Hello, Adam," she smiled. "You are late." Adam stammered an apology before dropping to one knee before the silver-haired goddess. She laughed, a low tinkling sound, and bade him rise. "I need no one kneeling at my feet, least of all a kindly Knight such as yourself. Tell me, Adam, I have lost something of mine, and I was told it was in your possession. May I have it back?" Confused that he would ever own something that belonged to such a lovely creature, he nodded. "Though, my lady," he had whispered pleadingly, "I honestly have no idea to what you could be referring." She simply smiled kindly and eased herself off the rock. "Gentle Knight, please take me to Serena. She will know where you two have placed my light." Adam pondered her words as he led her up the steep path to the cave. Her light? The cave was equipped with electricity, though he had no idea how, and the two walls seemed to run on a will of their own, for he had yet to find a manner of operating them other than wishes alone. They entered the cave and Serena glanced up from where she was brushing Chibi Chibi's flaming red locks. The little girls jumped up and laughed as he entered, throwing her chubby little arms around his legs and giving him a good sized squeeze for one so little. "Adam," She stated happily. "Adam here." A moment later the cave was filled with a strange silvery light as the woman entered. He looked for its source for several seconds before realizing that the woman herself was emanating the dim glow. Serena stood and curtsied low as best she could in her princess gown. The woman curtsied in return then rose to stand beside Adam. She lay one hand on Chibi's head and smiled tenderly at the small child. Serena's face was crumpling softly, and Adam suddenly knew what the "light" the woman was searching for referred to. "No," he whispered, shaking his head. "She's so small. Where are you taking her?" The woman smiled at him again, and he instantly knew that no harm would befall his little flame-haired toddler. "The Light of Hope, the Star Seed of Galexia, is returning with me to a better place for the time being. I promise you, Sir Knight, that she will return in plenty of time to help you with your journey ahead. Indeed, for you shall never find your way without our little light." "But Sailor Cosmos," interrupted Sailor Moon, "how will you find us if we're not here? I mean you are full grown, but Chibi's a mere child." "I promise you, Sailor Moon, that I personally shall escort Chibi to your location before returning to where I am needed most. Take heart, Little Rabbit, all will be well soon." Serena nodded and a tear slipped down her cheek. She opened her arms to Chibi and the small girl rushed in to them, covering Serena's face with small baby kisses. "Serena," she announced, "Chibi, Adam. Safe." Serena nodded and smoothed spare wisps of the flaming hair off the baby's face. "I promise, baby. I promise to keep him safe for Mina." Her goal attained, the tiny child rushed in to Adam's arms once more. "Adam, safe." He nodded, hefting her sweet weight against his chest and feeling small tears pricking his eyes. "I know. Serena will keep me safe. Good journey, little one." He set her down on the ground and she turned to them both, primly curtsying before grasping the slender silver woman's hands and fading quickly and silently away before their eyes. Adam turned to Serena. She sat staring at one of the walls. It was blank now, shimmering a faint silver gray, and Adam felt relief it wasn't showing Mina. It still hurt too much to see her. "Sailor Cosmos?" he questioned. Serena nodded absently, still staring at the wall. "She is supposed to be Chibi Chibi as an adult. It was once said that they are supposed to be the ultimate incarnations of me, but I couldn't tell you. Either way, both are more powerful than you could ever imagine." "I figured that," Adam replied wryly. "So what do we do now, Sailor Moon?" Eyes glossing over, Serena shook her head. "I will feel it when we need to make a move. At the moment, I think we should just remain here and visit the others in their dreams. Nothing more can be done until I have a sign or something. To put it simply, we're trapped." * * * * * * * * * * * "I've got you! You're trapped now!" A little boy screamed in joy and laughter and raced across the grassy expanse of yard to reach base before his father did. Chubby legs pumped and strained with all their might, and Seiya didn't have the heart to use the full advantage of his height to catch up to his racing boy. He stumbled up to the base tree instead, pretending to be out of breath and staggering. "Oh, Yaten! You are much to fast for me son, what is your tired old dad to do, huh?" The boy stared at him with wide blue eyes and smiled a gap-toothed grin. There was no evidence of the previous evening's panic attack showing on his sweet face. It had been several months since his mother had passed away, but the boy still occasionally crawled in to Seiya's large empty bed in the middle of the night to curl like a puppy in his father's warm, comforting arms. The first time Yaten had done this, Seiya awoke and thought of trundling his small son back to his own bedroom, but then reconsidered. What would it hurt to have a warm baby-body next to his own again? As toddlers, his two older daughters had done the same, certain that a monster lived beneath their beds. Serena had merely laughed her gentle, giving laugh and made space between them on the large soft bed, and his two girls would snuggle up, one to a parent and fall fast asleep. Now though Hotura and Minako said little to him of their mother, but he knew they both felt her loss as deeply as he did. As the years had gone by, Serena had insisted that Seiya go on monster patrol, and they had worshipped their father for the "dangerous service" he performed each evening. If only they knew what actual danger he had been through in his years as a Starlight. But his children, though a few years older than Yaten, were still young enough that a few years from now, Serena would be no more than a pleasant memory and their "brave Daddy" would remain as monster catcher extrordinaire. But what if I don't want to be a "brave Daddy" alone? What if I need Serena here to make me seem brave? What then? He paused to look in to the giving eyes of his brilliant baby boy, and sighed. Scooping the child up, he swung him around. "More Daddy, more!" Seiya willingly spun and spun, letting his problems whirl around with his small son's trusting body. His mental tussles would be best left for a time when his boy wasn't staring at him with trusting eyes and concerned features. It was not time to go scaring his children. Serena, he knew, would approve. A sound caught his attention over his son's loud giggles. A voice, coming up the front path. His eyes widened, and he stumbled to a stop, twisting his body so he took the brunt of his clumsy halt, and Yaten bounced on his belly rather than on the ground. "Again, Daddy! Again!" "Sorry, Yaten. Daddy doesn't think he can manage that maneuver again. Hey!" he sat up, pretending he had an idea, "Why don't you go ask Mrs. Yakobe next door if she has any sugar cookies? I know a very good little boy who, if he asks very nicely, might get some if he delivers a message for his daddy." "Sure!" Yaten bounced once more and Seiya surpressed a groan of pain at the movement. "Okay. Go tell Mrs. Yakobe that your daddy has company and needs little pots to be taken care of for awhile. Can you do that?" "Gotcha! Bye Daddy!" Seiya watched in partial amusement as his son raced off to the sweet old lady next door. She doted on all three of his children and Seiya appreciated her occasional help. It made it easier knowing that a friend of Serena's was willing to help out with the children if the occasion arose. He staggered to his feet and brushed his clothing free of dirt and bits of grass. Running across the backyard, he heard the front door bell chime and the pattering of tiny feet as the girls raced to get the door. "Hotura, Minako," he called as he skidded through the kitchen and into the front entry hall, "Go next door and stay with Mrs. Yakobe for awhile, okay girls?" Hotura stepped back from the door and nodded, her serious face concealed by her long dark hair that she had inherited from him. Her little sister pouted a moment before he pointed to the way her sister had gone. "Go, Minako." She flashed another pout, before pulling a strand of her pink hair in to her mouth. "Okay, Daddy," she muttered before grasping her sister's hand and tearing through the house and out the back door. He sighed; contemplating shouting the rule about not running after them, but knowing in his heart it would do no good. They listened to no one after Serena had died, that was his problem. The only one he could connect with at all anymore was baby Yaten. Shrugging, Seiya straightened visibly and slowly swung open the door. Two of the people lounging on his stoop didn't surprise him. However, the woman with them did. "Princess Kakyuu," he gasped. "Yaten, Taiki?" "Hello, Fighter," she replied sweetly. "May we come in?" * * * * * * * * * * * Ken leaned over and hit the conference call button on the company phone. "Hello? Millennium Knights Computer Services, Ken here. What can I do for you?" He heard a familiar low chuckle over the clack of his keyboard, and his blood warmed. "Hey Lita." Another low laugh. "How did you know it was me?" Ken grinned and picked up the hand held portable from its cradle. "I would know that laugh anywhere. That and the Caller ID said it was from your place. How did the dinner go?" "Well," Lita's voice was thoughtful. "Melvin was the same, just cuter. I swear, if a high paying American job can do that to him, I'd be afraid of what it could do for Chad." "What's wrong with Chad?" Ken protested. Chad was the only one of them who hadn't changed his image much after getting together with his love. Secretly the boys admired him for it though Darien had been itching to give him a haircut for years. "I see nothing wrong with him." Again, the sweet laugh. "Nothing is wrong with him, Ken, I just think Darien was right about his hair. But if Raye doesn't care, we shouldn't. It doesn't matter at all, it's just the fact that I like to look into people's eyes when I talk to them." Ken nodded. "I see your point. So, Melvin is no longer geeked out. That is good, if he's happy with it." He hit the enter key and tabbed a few times to center the next line of his paperwork. "What else?" "Let me think." There was a pause and a muffled crash in the background. Ken bit back a grin, aware that it would show in his voice. "What was that?" "Umm, Mina I think. She doesn't appear to be hurt and nothing is broken that I can tell, so I think she just knocked over the stack of metal mixing bowls." "So," he urged. "Continue." "Well, Molly was upset she couldn't give her condolences to Darien, but I guess the fact he's not here is a good thing. They just left to visit Serena's grave. It's kinda morbid, it being near midnight and all, but they don't have much time. She goes in to labor tomorrow. She's about to bust Ken. I mean, I hope I never get that big." Ken bit back another grin. He couldn't picture his Lita ever bursting at the seams of a maternity gown, but he bet it would be one hell of a sight. He deleted the line he had just typed and tried another approach. "So the dinner went well then?" Lita sounded relieved. "Oh, yes. Nephrite and she got along beautifully, and Melvin didn't get jealous or anything. Molly understood everything, within the limits we set for the conversation, you know? I mean, I still think she doesn't know that Serena was Sailor Moon." "Well that's good." There was a muffled laugh and Lita returned. "Actually, everything went better than expected. The Generals are heading home and so are Ami and Mina. The Solar circle, Raye, and Chad took off about ten minutes ago. Auriel has a student teaching class in the morning and Solan has the studio director in a snit over some small special effect." Ken laughed again as he finished the document. "That's great. I'm glad he was able to maneuver a higher position on the special effects team." "Well," Lita paused for a moment, "yeah. He's talented though, so it all works out in the end. Anyway, when are you coming home? We have tons of leftover lasagna but if you'd like, I can fix something else." "Hold on for a sec, honey. Let me check with Greg." He put the phone down and swiveled his chair around to find his partner snoozing peacefully at his desk. Ken smirked and grabbed an unopened pack of Post It notes from his desk. One quick flick of the wrist and Mercury Knight was sitting up and rubbing his eyes. "What?" "Are you ready to head home? Lita wants me home soon." Greg nodded sleepily. "Yeah, sure. Let's go." Ken returned to the phone. "Hey, is Ami gone yet?" "Not yet. Why?" "Just tell her Greg is on his way home. I'll be home in about twenty minutes hon, I have to stop at Radio Shack and pick up a transceiver, okay?" "Okay," Lita sounded a bit breathless as she passed the message along. "Come home soon, I miss you." "Miss you too." Her small apartment echoing loudly, Lita hung up the phone and glanced around her small living room. All the dishes waited her in the sink, but she didn't feel like cleaning at the moment. Instead she drifted across the room, smelling the ghosts of Mina's perfume and ended up staring out the patio door at the shining full moon high above her head. Serena, I miss you too. * * * * * * * * * * * "So," Seiya stared at his old friends, his large eyes worried and fearful. Their appearance here could mean only one of two things, and neither very good prospects. "What happened?" Taiki swallowed and laced his long slender fingers together. "Serena, Seiya. Where is she?" Shaking his head, Seiya bit his lip. "What do you want with Serena? I still haven't told her about us, if that's what you mean. She doesn't know." At his words, the Princess and Yaten exchanged glances. "Seiya," Yaten began, "you know I thought it was a bad idea. Your staying here, I mean. It broke up the team, and living in disguise for so long..." he drifted off. "So?" Seiya snapped in confusion. "I loved Serena. She was worth it." Taiki caught the change in tenses and straightened. "What do you mean, "You loved Serena, she was worth it, Seiya?" His blunder slapping him in the face, Seiya stood and walked over to the entrance to the kitchen. "Follow me." Wordlessly they rose and followed him to the kitchen. He poured them all drinks and set them on a tray, before kicking open the back door and leading them out to the wobbly picnic table in the backyard. He gestured for them to sit, and laid out their drinks. Just as he anticipated, a few moments later three figures dashed out of the house next door and ran across the wide lawn, each chubby hand clutching a small napkin filled with goodies. The first figure spotted him and shrieked with joy. "Daddy!" Yaten's eyes widened as the boy ran across the yard and dumped himself in his father's welcoming lap. The two girls followed suit, though much more cautiously, aware of the company. "Daddy," began Hotura, "Mrs. Yakobe said we can come over tomorrow for sweet tea and learn how to dance. Momma always said one day she'd teach us how to dance. May we?" "I wanna come!" declared little Yaten in a huff. "Momma said I could learn to dance too! 'Young gentlesmen need to learn to dance' she said! Can I, can I, Daddy?" He stared at his father with eyes so much like his mother's it was frightening and Seiya sighed and smiled. You certainly may, but the proper way to ask permission is 'May I?' not 'Can I?'" "Yeah! May I, may I!" he chanted. The princess laughed at his boundless energy and drew small Yaten's attention to her. "Hello," he whispered. "You smell nice." "Why thank you," she replied. "Your father seems to have forgotten his manners. My name is Kakyuu, you may call me Fireball. What is yours?" Yaten leaned in and eased off his father's lap. He walked around the table with the confidence of all very small children and tugged on her dress. "May I sit in your lap, Fireball?" She blushed and nodded. The elder Yaten hoisted his heavy baby weight up and settled him tenderly in their Princesses lap. The small boy tugged gently on her hair and sighed. "You smell like my mommy and Minako." Taiki smiled. "Who is Minako, my little man?" Minako set down her cookies and opened her arms to be held. "I am! Pick me up please." Uncertain as how to respond to this innocent order, Taiki fidgeted and glanced at Seiya for assistance. "Um, Minako," Seiya gently began, "maybe Taiki would rather not pick you up." Her large eyes filled with tears and Taiki immediately swept her into his embrace. "Of course I want to pick her up," he insisted, with a bright smile. "So your name is Minako, huh? Mine is Taiki." The elder Yaten swept back loose strands of his white hair and glanced at Hotura. "Would you like a seat too?" She nodded once, her large dark eyes growing huge as she was easily swept in to a hug. "My name is Hotura," she whispered in Yaten's ear. "And I'm Yaten!" announced the small bundle of light seated in Fireball's lap. "I'm named after a friend of Daddy's!" The older Yaten turned to Seiya and smiled. "Geez, thanks Fighter." "Why do you call my Daddy 'Fighter'?" queried Minako, as she played with Taiki's long brown ponytail. "His name is Seiya." "We know that," answered the Princess. "But your daddy has always been Fighter to us, so it's easier for us to call him that after such a long period of not seeing him." The afternoon wore on and soon the three guests found themselves saddled with three sleeping children. "Oh my," remarked Fireball. "I do believe we've worn them out." Seiya chuckled. "It won't last for long I promise you. They're just refueling for tonight. Why don't we put them down and then we can continue our conversation." They nodded and settled the children down one by one. Yaten was the last to be laid down. His large blue eyes fluttered open a moment and he gripped one of Fireball's hands tightly. "Will you be my mommy, Fireball? My mommy went to heaven and she can't be my mommy anymore." Seiya winced in pain and met three pairs of horrified and questioning eyes. Fireball tore her gaze away from his and leaned quietly down over the child. "One day you will see your mommy again, Yaten. I'm sorry, but I can't be your mommy, but I have a very important job that won't let me be a mommy for a long time, okay?" There was a low snore for an answer, and they all quietly crept through the door. Seiya closed it gently, a quiet snick declared the door shut and without looking at any of his friends, and he hurried down the hallway to the kitchen. "You have some explaining to do," commented Yaten as he picked up an orange and began peeling it. "What happened?" "Yaten," chastised Fireball. "That's enough." She turned to Seiya and opened her arms. He fell in to them, and wrapped his arms around her, squeezing with all his might and forcing the tears down. "I missed you all so much." "Shhh, we know, we know." He snuffled and drew away. Wiping tears from his eyes, he stared at the backyard, at the tree he and his son had used as base earlier that day. "She died in an accident. We were throwing a Frisbee around during the kid's naptime. It was the first Sunday I had off in a while and she just wanted to spend it at home relaxing. I tossed the Frisbee and she went running after it. It was really hot that day and...and...she fell. She just collapsed on the grass, by that tree over there. I thought it was heat stroke. I called the ambulance, but she had already died. She...just...died. Right in front of me and I couldn't do a damn thing!" Taiki reached over and patted him lightly in the middle of his back. "We understand. But that makes this harder to do now." Seiya drew away. "What?! This makes what harder to do now?" * * * * * * * * * * * "What are you watching?" Adam sauntered over to Serena and plopped down beside her on a small cushion at her feet. She was staring intently at one of the screens. Three men he didn't recognize and a tall slim woman with hair flaming as red as Chibi Chibi's were gathered in a kitchen. One of the men was shaking his head in denial. Serena had turned off the sound or it wasn't coming in, because he looked to be shouting in pain and anger now. "Seiya doesn't want to go home." Serena's voice was flat and lifeless. Her eyes were dim and tired. Adam fancied he could see a glaze of pain in them, but he wasn't sure. "So who is Seiya?" "My husband in that life...The one I don't remember." "Oh. Did you know him in this life?" She nodded and turned from the screen. "He showed up for the battle with Galexia. He and his fellow Starlights. They saved me countless times." She paused and turned back to the screen. "He loved me before he knew I was Sailor Moon. I thought him arrogant, but I could see the sweet, kind person beneath. If I hadn't had Darien, I might have attempted..." Adam nodded. "I understand. So you married him in the other life?" Serena didn't answer, just shut her eyes and buried her face in his shoulder. Adam glanced down in surprise at the softly crying girl in his arms then wrapped her in a soothing embrace. "It's okay, Serena. We'll get you home, I promise." * * * * * * * * * * * The roof was silent and still. Under the full moon a few wolves howled in the distance but not near enough to frighten Rini. The sky was so bright and clear she couldn't begin to count the glittering stars sheeting across the sky in innumerable layers. "Star light, star bright," she whispered under her breath, "any star I see tonight, I wish I may, I wish I might..." Rini paused. Just what did she want? What in the entire world would she wish for? "...Have this wish I wish tonight...I wish for..." the sky glittered above her and Rini gasped as a comet glowed for one moment before shooting across the black dome, "...I wish for my Mommy back." One of the stars above twinkled and she smiled, knowing that it had heard her at least. In her room below, Darien drew back from the window with a low gasp. Rini didn't hear him, she merely continued staring at the constellations and thinking. Darien backed out of the room and hurried down the stairs, seeking the cold refuge of his room. Oh Serena! What are we going to do without you? * * * * * * * * * * * Many miles away, another also stared at the sky twinkling above her. She ran a brush through her sunrise hair thoughtfully and glanced at her calendar. One month from now would mark the anniversary of Auriel's arrival and Adam's death. A low song played on the radio, "...objects in the rearview mirror may appear closer than they are...if life is just a highway, then the soul is just a car..." Mina shivered at the thought. Her opinion of forever did not include the possibility that she would have to drive for an eternity, though it could be considered a type of hell for certain people. "I wonder if a drive would help me clear my mind?" she wondered aloud. A moment later she grabbed the grubbiest pair of shoes in her closet and tacked a note on the message board for Artemis and Malachite. Going driving...be home soon. Mina. * * * * * * * * * * * A low voice interrupted Birdie's musing. "What are you staring at so intently?" She turned from the sight of the full and bloated moon above to smile at Zoisite's concerned face. "Oh nothing. The moon is so large tonight, it almost looks like it is going to fall to earth." Zoi smiled sweetly and gave her a loose hug. "Well, if it did, I'd protect you." She giggled and blushed, achingly aware that he held the embrace a moment longer than was normal. "Well, if it did decide to fall, I don't think you could do much, but thank you for the offer Zoi." "Anytime, my fair lady. Anytime." He turned and stood beside her, resting his arms lightly on the rail. "So what was Crystal Tokyo like?" Birdie shrugged. "I barely lived there before I ended up on Nemesis. Rubius duped us, but what I do remember of it was lovely. Everything was green and lush. What was the Silver Millennium like?" Zoi laughed. "Much the same. Silvery and golden and pure and clean. Everything was sweet heaven, and the only thing that drove me from it was Ami." A confused glance sputtered its way across Birdie's face. "Ami? Our Ami?" He nodded. "In that time I was desperately in love with her. I knew she had a Knight, I always knew it though I sometimes think she forgot. I shouldn't have fallen in love; it was a useless and painful mistake in the end. It also brought about the downfall of the Silver Millennium in a roundabout way." "Oh." Birdie was silent for a moment. "Ami saved me. She brought me around and convinced me that I was worthwhile." Zoisite caught her eyes and reached for her hands. "Birdie, why would you ever think yourself worthless? You are one of the most amazing people I know. You are intelligent and put together and..." he sputtered to a stop, a flush of embarrassment covering his features. "You probably think me a flattering fool." He turned from her and pulled his hands away, glancing at the ground far below instead. A moment later he felt a gentle hand under his chin. He slowly allowed her hand to force him to face her. Her eyes were wide in the moon's gentle glow and as she pulled his face softly towards her own, his last thought was of Serena's romantic moon.