The End of the Sailor Soliders

This is the first chapter of the fan fiction series, 
The End of the Sailor Soliders, entitled "School's Out".  
Though it is not my first attempt at writing fan fiction, it 
is my first attempt in posting any of my work on the Net for 
others to read.  A note, I did change the name of the highschool 
where the Scouts attend to something in English.  I did change 
a little history, all right?  I respect the Japanese version very 
VERY much, but wanted to change the name because it didn't fit 
in really with the English names and such.  I use everyone's 
Japanese last names except for Amy's, which is Anderson.  This 
story takes place after Sailor Stars, when the Sailors graduate.  
Darien is in the United States, Reenie is in the future, the 
Starlights are off in their own galaxy, and the Outers, (Haruka, 
Michiru, and Hotaru) are in France.  Setsuna is in at the Time 
Gate.  Everyone else is still where they have always been.  Any 
constructive comments are welcome, e-mail SlrUnico@aol.com!  
Enjoy!

Serena ran down the halls with the rest of the students at 
Lakeside High School.  "Whoo hoo! School is OVER!" she shouted.  
A large plastic bag slapped at her side, carrying the junk from 
her desks and locker.  Over her shoulder was her book bag, full 
of even more papers and books.  One thought was running through 
her mind.  No more school EVER!  It was really so relieving and 
exciting to actually  be able to think that, after so long.  
School wasn't just over for the summer for her and her friends.  
It was over for good.  Serena didn't bother to think about college, 
which she would be attending the next year.  Right now her mind 
was on graduation and parties, parties, and MORE parties!
     Panting for air, the blond haired girl stopped as she felt 
a hand on her shoulder.  "Serena!" said a voice with a laugh.
     Serena turned and promptly fell backwards with surprise.  
Luckily she landed on a bench.  "Oh!  Lita!  Amy!  Mina!"
     Her three friends were giggling next to her.  Lita, who had 
caught her shoulder, laughed the hardest.  "Oh Serena, I was 
telling myself the moment the bell rang, 'I bet she's running down 
that hall with the other eager for summer kids like a bat out of 
hell.'  And from the way you're gasping for air, I'd say I was 
right."
     Serena nodded.  "Yeah, but not just for the summer this time, 
Lita, for the rest of our lives! No more pencils no more books, 
no more teacher's dirty looks."
     Amy shook her head.  "You're forgetting, Serena, now we have 
term papers and dormitories to look forward to."
     "And professors' dirty looks," added Mina with a grin.
     Serena stared at them blankly.  "Amy, what do you think 
you're doing bringing up all of that now.  What are you talking 
about anyway?"
     Amy looked in shock at Serena.  "We have college, next year."
     Serena sighed.  "Yeah yeah yeah.  Whatever."
     "It's true.  But don't let THAT spoil your summer.  Have fun 
first."
     Serena smiled again.  "I will, don't worry."
     Lita smiled too.  "Who are you three bringing to the dance?  
I'm bringing Ken."
     Amy blushed.  "Greg wrote in his last letter that he would be 
traveling back to Tokyo to come and see me, and to take me to 
the dance."
     Mina smiled eagerly.  "Toby Maskkio asked me!"
     Lita looked to her with disbelief.  "The hunky linebacker 
for the American football team?  Wow!"
     Serena looked away.  Amy touched her arm.  "Serena?  What 
is it?"
     She looked back at them, her blue eyes filled with tears.  
"I don't have a date."
     "That's impossible!" exclaimed Mina.  "Why, you're so 
beautiful, I'm sure lots of boys have been asking you to go with 
them."
     "But I'm also a klutzy cry baby.  It seems like everyone 
has a guy except me, I don't belong to anybody."
     "Sure you do," Lita broke in.  "You have Darien!"
     Mina stomped on Lita's foot, but it was too late.  A tear 
rolled down Serena's cheek.  They all got quiet.  Darien was 
in the United States, at college.  Their circle of friends knew 
that she had asked him to come, but that he had a major final 
on that day, and couldn't make it.  Serena disclosed the fact 
that she thought he had another girlfriend, though they had 
attempted to talk her out of the very idea.  Raye used physical 
means as always, threatening to literally knock some sense into 
her.  She had come very close, but Lita had stopped the fiery 
Shinto maiden in the act.  
     Serena had held onto the dream that if an enemy ever emerged 
again, Darien would return and, sensing the danger she was 
constantly in, stay for good.  But there had not been another 
enemy since Galaxia and her henchmen.  After that, though Darien 
stayed in Tokyo for awhile to see her through the mental 
aftermath, (and, Raye sneakily suggested, to make sure Seiya, 
who had also been in love with Serena, was truly gone for good) 
he later went back to America.
     The danger Galaxia had brought slowly died away as she was 
healed, and the Scouts had not had any battles at all to fight 
afterwards.  Eventually even the Outers, Michiru, Haurka, and 
Hotaru moved far away, to France, to further Michiru's career as 
a violinist and so that Haruka could train to compete in the Grand 
Prix.  Setsuna would forever guard the Time Gate, out of reach 
unless she chose to visit.  It had been sad to see the family go, 
but they survived.  Haruka had a few moments alone with Serena...and 
what they said remained private outside of them.  But the others 
imagined it had to do with Darien and being destined to be the 
Princess.  Haurka had always been soft toward Serena, more than 
the other Outers, and had felt a strong kinship toward the smaller 
girl.
     Reenie had gone back to the future too, and the Scouts knew 
the only time they would ever see her again was a century ahead of 
them.  
     But the Inners, the original Scouts, Serena, Mina, Raye, Amy,
and Lita, were as close as ever, united for always.  And that was 
the way they were certain it would be for a long time.
     Serena began to cry openly.  "No I don't have Darien!" she 
sobbed.  "He's gone, maybe for good!"
     "But you know you'll be together eventually," pressed Lita.  
"I mean, look at Reenie, she is the result of that."
     Serena sniffled.  "How can I, she's not here!  The future 
isn't decided for us, I learned that much as a Sailor Scout.  We 
make the future.  And we can change what we think will automatically 
be, with only one word.  For all we know the things in the future 
no longer exist.  Reenie doesn't, and Darien and I..." she trailed 
off.
     The other girls grew quiet.  It was not often they heard 
Serena speak so intelligently about matters such as this.  But 
times like these were regarded as further proof that she wasn't 
always the ditz they could make her out to be.
     Mina was the first to make the move, bending down and hugging 
Serena tightly.  "I promise," Mina whispered, "no matter what, he 
loves you.  And we do too.  We'll always be together.  If you 
don't have faith in that, Serena, then nothing else is worth 
believing in.  Nothing else will be true.  Remember that and have 
faith."
     Amy and Lita bent too, encasing their two blonde friends into 
a group hug.  When they drew away, Serena's tears had gone and a 
smile graced her pink lips.  She nodded in agreement to the words 
they had silently uttered, their pact.  
     An onlooker then would have watched the four girls merrily 
trot on their way home, the blonde one with the odangos on her 
head almost tripping, inticing laughter from the other three.   
And he would have been filled with overwhelming glow and light 
that radiated from their group.  For it was as warm as a spring 
day, and as comforting as a soft voice singing a song in the 
night.

~o~O~o~O~o~O~o~O~o~O~o~O~o~O~o~O~o~

That afternoon was the graduation at Raye's Catholic all girls 
private school, and Serena and her friends were in attendence, 
seated beside Raye's grandfather and the temple attendant, (also 
one of her admirers) Chad.  There were a few embarrassing moments, 
such as when Raye was acknowledged for her work in the drama club 
and choir, and Serena, Chad and Granpa hooted and hollered, 
drawing sewatdrops from the people in the audience.  Raye took it 
in stride however and blew a kiss to her private fan club once 
leaving the stage, which Chad made a show of "catching" in his 
palm.  Only then did Raye blush furiously.  
     But all 6 of her friends and family cheered the loudest when 
her name was called and she received her diploma.  The rest of 
the audience laughed and clapped politely, in recognition of 
the loud group's concern for the dark haired beauty.
     When Serena finally made it home, she remembered that she 
then had her own graduation and the dance to prepare for.  It 
was going to be a long night, she was sure.
     Her preparation was nervous, and only Luna was allowed into 
her room the few hours before the ceremony at school.  The wise 
black cat looked with favor at Serena, recalling fondly the day 
they had met in the alleyway, and sadly realizing that the night 
would also bring a very sad event that even Serena did not see 
coming, but that Luna knew would arrive.  
     Serena changed into her white dress - all of the girls were 
made to wear that color to the ceremony and to the dance, though 
the style was of their choice.  Hers was a stunning reproduction 
of the gown she had worn as Princess Serena.  Of course her 
mother, who had arranged to have the gown fashioned, didn't 
know where Serena had gotten the design, though she told her 
it was breathtaking.  The neckline was semi modest, but was a 
little low cut.  Serena had decided to leave the gold circles 
that would normally grace the top off, for the sake of maintaining 
the solid white dress rule if nothing else.  
     The rest of the dress was such a pure white it was unbelievable, 
not many gowns were made with such a color.  The 
purity astounded the dressmaker when Serena picked out the fabric, 
asking how she got the notion that it would look as they both 
knew it would on her - beautiful.  Serena cocked her head and 
maintained a ditzy schoolgirl giggle, answering that she had no 
idea what he was talking about and that she had never seen the 
actual dress off paper before in her life.
     The gown flowed like water down to her toes, which were covered 
like the rest of her feet in white Morocco dancing slippers.  The 
bodice met the waist with a curving line of white pearls rather 
than the gold beads on the princess original.  The bottom had two 
layers, one slightly peeking out beneath the other at the base.  
A long white ribbon tied in back, complementing the gown with 
subtlety.
     Serena dressed herself in it fully, added a little makeup, 
and stepped back to get Luna's opinion.  The cat smiled and a 
tear came to her eye.  "My Serena, you look grown up, just like 
a princess in that dress...it's breathtaking."
     "Thanks, Luna," she said, spinning to look herself in the 
mirror.  Her reflection frowned.  "But it's missing something...
I don't know...AH HA!"  Hurridly Serena dove into her jewelry box 
and dug out two pins lined with pearls, and stuck them in her 
hair on each side.  Then she took a simple gold beaded bracelet 
out of the smallest compartment of the box and clipped it on her 
wrist.  Luna felt a pang in her heart as Serena flicked her hand 
to make the beads jiggle, remembering that day in her past life 
as she watched the Moon Princess' form float away in the sky, her 
limp arm  displaying the elegant piece of jewelry...her tears 
falling down to Earth in bead sized drops like those of the 
bracelet....
     Luna shook her head.  All that is finished...don't let the 
past trouble you.  She looked over at Serena and opened her mouth 
to remind her to hold the dress in her hand as she walked, away 
from the floor where she might trip on it, when she noticed that 
Serena had moved over to her night stand and was looking at a 
framed picture dug from amid the clutter.  The cat stepped closer 
and saw that the photo was of Serena and Darien laughing for the 
camera.  Luna felt sad for the blonde then, because she knew her 
heart was hurting that he could not see her graduate.
     A tear rolled down Serena's cheek, and her heart beat slower 
as she examined Darien's cocky but loving face, so mature and 
distant sometimes...She cried out loud, "Darien, oh I wish you 
were here!"  Her form crumpled to the floor and sobbed bitterly 
and quietly as Luna watched, immobile.
     He doesn't care, one part of Serena's mind screamed, no 
matter what the others say, or else he would call...or something, 
just to say he wished me luck, and that he loved me.  He must 
have found someone else!  How can I be strong?  Oh, someone give 
me the strength to see this through!
     There was then a knock at the door, and for a fleeting instant 
she thought it might be Darien, here to see her after all.  But 
then it opened and Serena's mother stood where she had hoped Darien 
might be, decked out in a formal dress.  "Dear?" she asked, "are 
you all right?"
     Serena's tears were gone as if they had disappeared instantly, 
and she stood.  "Of course, I was just looking for my bracelet..." 
she held up her wrist.  "I found it."
     Luna held her breath as Mrs. Tuskino nodded.  "Okay, if you're 
sure, we're ready to go, meet us out in the car when you're ready."
     Serena nodded eagerly and the smile once again graced her lips.  
"I'll meet you soon...I'm so nervous!"
     "I know darling.  I'm happy for you."
     The door shut with a click and owner and cat waited in 
silence as they heard a pair of women's feet descend down the 
stairs.  Then Serena stood.  Her head was held high and her tears 
remained gone, though they had left her eyes brighter than normal, 
and her cheeks flushed.  She turned to Luna.  "I wish you could 
come see!" she exclaimed, not a trace of sadness in her voice.  
"I know you'll want solid proof that I, the failing klutzoid, 
managed to pass high school, but you'll have to settle for the 
diploma when I bring it home tonight."
     Luna hesitated, caught between asking Serena if she was 
really all right, and pretending the scene had never happened.  
The latter won out.  "Of course I wish I could go too, and I'm 
sure Artemis does as well.  Make sure to tell me all about it."
     Serena nodded and with a little wave, flounced out the 
door, closing it behind her.  Luna settled down on the bed for 
a nap when a sudden crash at the bottom of the stairs startled 
her.  A scream that sounded very much like, "Don't even SAY 
it, Luna!!!!" wavered up to her right before the front door 
closed with a slam.  
     The cat smiled and sighed.  "Some things will never change."  

Stay tuned for chapter two, "Graduation Tears," where the 
girls finally graduate!  Mina pays tribute to three very 
special people...and Serena recieves a shock while recieving 
her diploma!
e-mail Ali at SlrUnico@aol.com for comments!