Discovering the Future
By Athena
nikita@sgi.net

Hi! Hi!  I was inspired to write this while I was watching the Lost Episodes
on the Cartoon Network. In the series its like Serena has grown up a lot and
I thought that it would be interesting to give Serena some thoughts on what
was going on around her. Of course I had to change things around a little bit,
but I think that you'll like the end result. Please e-mail me and let me know
what you think about this. This is a new approach for me and I want to know
if I should do anymore like it.

As always, Alicia, you're a constant inspiration.  Thanks!!!!

Enjoy!

Love Athena

The usual disclaimers apply.  Sailor Moon does not belong to me.

****************************************************************************

I'm standing here looking at my future self asleep and encased in the quartz
shell the the Sailor Guardians had used in an effort to protect me. Obviously,
it hadn't worked because there I am.  So motionless, so pale, so....dead
looking. I shudder and begin to rub my arms to ward off the invisible cold
that has seemed to settle into my bones ever since I stepped foot into this
crystal palace.  It too is so cold and dead appearing....just like my future
self.

My future self. It gives me the creeps to see my future self lying there. I 
mean, no one should know their future. This is too weird. I don't like 
knowing that this is going to happen. I have enough to deal with in life 
right now, I don't need this on top of it. It's almost like finding
out when and how you are going to die. Creepy. Creepy and eerry.


I sigh with anxiety and bring a gloved hand up to rub my forehead under
my tiara. So much has happened that I can barely take it all in.  First a new
Sailor Scout, that stands guard at the Gates of Time. I mean, time travel?
Well, I suppose anything is possible, I mean, look at me, look at what I can
do.  Look at what my mother did to save me! Hmph, Mother. I guess that I did
follow in her footsteps afterall. 

But I can't think about that now. There are more pressing matters at hand. 
More surprises that I can barely grasp. Are you ready for this? That hologram 
that greeted us..yeah the guy in the purple tux and mask..yeah him. 
That's my Darien, his future self. He's now my husband, but I only have
a hologram to talk to because he was hurt during the battle, which probably
means that he is dying somewhere and I can't save him because I am lying 
THERE, HERE! I begin to shake with rage now as the memories of recent 
confessions come flooding back.

Then this hologram tells Darien and I that he's the one that sent those
dreams to Darien that caused him to break up with me and break my heart, 
and all for what!? Test our love! As if our love needed tested! 

But then again, now that I think about it, I have always believed 
wholeheartedly in our love. I've always been the strong one. Darien,
well, he's never been to secure in that area. Too afraid of losing the people
he loves. 

I guess that I can't really blame him considering that he lost his
mom and dad in that accident all those years ago. Then a dream saying that
he'd lose me too if he loved me too much.  Ridiculous, of course. But he 
should've at least discussed it with me first.  But that's never been his 
strong suit either. I swear that I will work on that when I get back to the
present. 

But that wasn't the major blow, as if it could get any more intense,
right? Well hold on, because it does.  Rini, you know, the little spore?
Well she's my daughter, mine and Darien's that is.  I know, I can barely
believe it myself. My daughter. I can't believe the love and warmth that 
comes with those two words. It's funny, in actuality, I shouldn't even know
about her yet, but I do and I already find myself dreading the time when I 
have to say good-bye until this time. How weird. Does that mean that in this
time when I wake up, and I will wake up, that I'll remember Rini coming to 
see me when I was only 14? I hope so. 

But first, I must save my lovely daughter. The wise man, that demon, has 
stolen her from me. Turned her against me. The pain of that, to know
that there was even a doubt of my love for her, that gave him enough
leverage to turn her into an evil creature, just tears my heart into two. 
But I will get her back. Even if I have to die to do it, she will be saved. 

I quietly hear the door to this room open up behind me and I hear Raye's voice
softly call out to me, "Sailor Moon? We must go now. The Wise Man and 
Wicked Lady have gone back to the present." 

I nod to acknowledge that I have heard her and I hear her silently walk 
away. I take one last look at my future self. I will not fail! For Rini, 
for Darien, for the future and....for myself, I WILL NOT FAIL! 

Then I turn around and without a backwards glance I leave for the present to
save my future.