See notes in the end of the part 8! :-)


Different
Part 8
by Anni

**Serena's point of view**

After today I'll always remember one particular thing: if things
start going crazy in the morning, the whole day is ruined. You
don't believe me, right? Well... then I have to tell you everything
starting from today's morning.

Actually the day promised to be nice and relaxing. The only thing
on agenda was working at the hospital and going to the library
later in the evening. I couldn't think of better way to spend
a day. It was still beginning of the summer, but not too hot.
Blue sky promised a warm day with soft gentle wind. What else
could anyone wish for?

However in the hospital things went WRONG and in the worst of
ways. One of the patients, old respectful lady, was just not
in the mood. And don't laugh as if it's not that bad. You don't
know that lady. She was brought here for joint operation.
Nothing dangerous as Alex said. But Mrs. S. made such a big
event of that, that soon the whole hospital was talking about
the nosy patient from surgery department.

Her two daughters, their husbands, even her two grown up
granddaughters were visiting her everyday. If some of them
didn't show up for two days she became close to nervous
breakdown. Her idea fix is that no one cares for her, everyone
wants only her to die, you name it and she thinks it..

You may ask how does it concern me? That's simple! She is
one of the patients I should take care of before and after
surgery. And she is taking all my time. If I didn't believe
in energy sucking monsters before meeting her I would
definitely believe in them now! After talking to her for
an hour I feel like a used piece of lemon.

She would tell you her life story from childhood till this
exact present moment. And you'll be lucky if she'll only
tell it once. I guess I know her life better than mine.
She will complain about her neighbors, her family, will
cry and gossip, everything to make me sit near her. And
after that she will complain that I was not listening,
or that she didn't get enough of my attention.

Yeah... difficult case. I wonder if her place should be
in the psych department and not in the surgical one.
Anyway. I have spent best part of today's time with this
old lady. She was not satisfied with her food, with the
way one of the nurses looked at her, or with the way her
relatives talked to her.

I did my best to calm her down. I assured her that I'd
do my best to make her comfortable. I even tried to heal
her with the mysterious ring I was given. But the result
was the same as usual. I left the work dead tired.

Moreover, I've helped one girl who was in coma for two
days already. Usually it's enough to heal with the power
of the ring, but that case was more difficult. I couldn't
leave the healing process half way done only because I was
tired already. So I added some of my own energy, too.
Yeah, I know that it's not good for my health, but who
cares anyway? The thought that I can help and that
I'm needed, made all my doubts about using my energy
vanish. I would do anything to lessen people's suffering
at any cost.

No one knows that I constantly heal some patients in the
hospital. There are few talks about strange healing powers.
People believe that this hospital is built on a holy place
and that its aura is helping everyone who needs help.
But... I know what a 'holy' place it is and who does
the healing process.

After I realized that I have these powers, I couldn't help
but to aid the patients in the hospital. I just can't watch
people suffer when with a little concentration their pain
and suffering would be over. Especially since it's easy
to do during night shifts. I am usually alone so that
I can be in the patients' rooms undisturbed.

I guess I haven't mentioned before that the new power
I've gotten from the ring is not solely healing power.
Somewhere deep inside I can feel a great amount of energy,
ready to burst into my memory, ready to awaken some
of my new powers. But I don't want to rush.

I remember how tired I felt after using Ginzuishou before.
It was draining my energy as bad as a youma. I don't want
the same experience again. If I am to receive all powers
of that ring - I'll do it, but slowly, little by little.
Perhaps my theory is really working because I don't feel
any energy loss after using the ring. It feels so natural
that it is beyond my poor attempts to explain it.

But back to the point when I had left the hospital.
As I said I was TIRED. However I hadn't gone home.
What could I find there? Four walls and me between them?
I had gone to the library, taken a poetry anthology and...
Next moment I realized that I was the only one who was
left in this book's paradise. I have lost the track of
time completely and the library was closing.

Well... you know the rest. Dark park, some drunk pervert
and then this blond guy looking so worried.

No, I must be wrong. It's not possible for him to be alive.
With this thought I realized I was lying on the bed.
And something was telling me: it was not MY bed.

**End of Serena's point of view**



She woke up in the strange room lying on the bed.
Immediately she tried to sit up but she felt strong
dizziness so she laid back. That was when someone peeked
through the door. Serena closed her eyes still fighting
the strange feeling of dizziness. She noticed someone
moving outside the room but she was too tired to react.

When she opened her eyes again she saw 4 pairs of eyes
looking at her with surprise and worry. 'Worry? I must
be seeing things' Serena thought to herself. Looking
around she realized that she was truly trapped: 'I have
no chance to escape.' she realized with horror. 'Four
against one? Impossible. But... I thought they were dead.
I saw them...'

The man with short blond hair interrupted her self-monologue
softly speaking: "How are you feeling?"

He received only bewildered expression on girl's face.
So he continued: "You've fainted in the park and
I brought you here. My name is.." he paused as not sure
what to say. It was like he was waiting for something.
He looked at her almost questioningly.

"Jadeite." Serena whispered to herself not fully aware
she did it aloud and she regretted that, because everyone
heard it. She heard all four of them gasping.

"Well.. Now you see, she knows our names. I told you that!"
Kunzite turned to other men. He looked at Serena again:
"I am sorry, but you have to tell us how you found out
our names. Who had told you them?"

Serena remained silent. Her tiredness was absolutely
forgotten with such an unexpected turn of events.
Her heart was racing in her chest. 'What if they know
about Himur? What if they actually work together? Can
it be that they'll bring me back there?'

"No..." She realized she said the last word aloud.
Men exchanged glances.

The man with short blond hair spoke up softly:
"You know something. Please tell us. We won't hurt you".

He noticed that the girl was trembling. He continued
trying to speak as gentle as possible not to scare
her even more:

"There is only one person in the world that knows
the names you just said. She was the one who helped
us one day to get here. If you know where she is,
please, tell us. We want to thank her for everything
she'd done for us."

Serena was still looking down on her hands afraid
to meet their eyes. They were so kind, their voices
sounded so honest. She didn't know what to do.
'Maybe I am wrong? Maybe they won't hurt me? But
then who was that person they mentioned?' Her thoughts
stopped at sudden realization.

'They think it was ME who saved them? But HOW?'

She felt how Nephrite touched her chin to lift her head up.
Serena suddenly remembered that he was the one who actually
saw her transformation long time ago when he was Negaverse
General.

She sighed sadly to herself: 'Don't talk in past tense yet.
Maybe he is still from Negaverse. But I have no other way
then to tell him.' She looked at him directly into his eyes
almost touching his soul with her look and he gasped
from realizing the truth. "Sailor Moon?" The others
were in the same state of shock.

"Yes, I am... I was Sailor Moon," she almost whispered
avoiding their glances...

She never expected them to bend down onto one knee.
Anything but that! There was such respect in their eyes
that for some moments Serena thought she was shining with
light or something. It was silence in the room for few
seconds. Serena's heart raced in her chest, and she was
sure it was pounding almost loud enough to be heard.

Kunzite was the first one to speak. "Princess Serenity,...
we could never thank you properly for freeing us from
Beryl's spell. We understand it is impossible to repay
for all you've done to us. But if you ever need our help,
we will do anything for you."

Serena was stunned. She freed them from Beryl? Maybe
when she wished everything to be normal, the power of
Ginzuishou made the Generals normal people again?
Instead of capturing her, they were actually kneeling
in front of her. Four Negaverse Generals!

She began feeling uncomfortable. "Please, stand up.
You don't have to thank me. It is me who should thank
you for saving me, from being ..." she couldn't finish.
Everything was too sudden for her. She felt tears
gathering in her eyes of sudden relief: she was not
trapped; she was safe.

'Better change the topic, Serena' she told herself.

"Why are you free, and why..." she had no words to express
that respect they were meeting her with. Now she could look
at them more carefully. They were all very much like Negaverse
Generals, but something was different. There was no hate or
evil in their features.

'They are all quite handsome' she noticed and smiled to herself:
'Never in my life I'd expect myself to find them attractive'.

Kunzite began to speak. "I guess you don't remember that,
but we are actually from Silver Millenium. We were the court
of Prince Endymion, as your senshi were your, Princess
Serenity, court. Before Metallia had attacked Moon Kingdom,
she managed to capture us. She wanted us to work for her,
to fight against Endymion and you. We refused. There was
no chance that we would betray our prince. But..."

Kunzite's voice lowered: "But Metallia ordered Beryl?
she tortured us until we could no longer resist. Then
she brainwashed us and made us fight against our beloved one's.
The most terrible thing was that deep inside we were still able
to keep our real feelings. It was worse than be dead. From
deep inside of our conscious we had to watch how we were
betraying our prince and killing our soon-to-be wives."
He stopped enable to continue.

Serena was listening to him carefully. At his last words
her eyes widened with shock. "I am sorry. I had no idea
about that."

She went pale but she still refused to look in their eyes.
'What can I tell them? That I am no longer Sailor Moon?
That I have no idea where other senshi are now?' There
were too much things she would rather hide in the depths
of her mind. However, she had to face these four men.
They were waiting for her reaction.

'Maybe I can tell them about Himur?' Serena was still
unsure if she could ever tell that to anybody. But knowing
what Beryl has done to them... maybe Usagi (not even Serena,
it was Usagi Tsukino) had a chance of being understood.

"I? I am?" She was trying to decide what to say, when
she felt someone touching her hand. Kunzite. His gentle
touch made her lift her head and meet man's eyes.
There was such respect and.... love? Friendship?
Something she hadn't felt for years.

"You don't have to explain anything, Serenity" Kunzite said
to her softly. "We'll be near no matter what. You just have
to know that." Serena nodded in agreement and sighed in
relieve.

She spent all evening in their house. They told her everything
about returning to normal earth life. They were returned to normal
life, but they could remember all memories of Silver Millenium
and also from the battles with Senshi.

They could remember everything and everyone starting from
Silver Millenium till present day. By some unknown power
each of them has found out that his neighbors were other
three Generals. In some way in was a great gift from Ginzuishou
that they could meet each other. It's not easy to live being
alone with such a burden in your heart and not to be able
to share it with anyone.

They had to start over with jobs, studying, earning for living.
Each of them found something that was close to their interests
in past life. The knowledge of the past made their life a lot
easier. The education and power training in times of Silver
Millenium helped them nowadays in finding good jobs and
leading a normal life.

Somehow they all knew that no one except Princess Serenity
could ever recognize their past identities. Even the other
senshi were not powerful to do it - at least they hoped not.

Serena was surprised noticing their sad faces each time
mentioning the senshi. Then she remembered the phrase
"to fight against our beloved one's". Something in her
memory started to bother her. 'It is as if I should know it...
what a strange feeling.'

Serena collected all her courage and allowed herself a question:
"Uhmm.. I wanted to ask you...." She carefully searched for words.
"Who were your fiancees in the past?" There was a pause when
four generals were looking down avoiding her questioning look.

Then Zoisite found courage to continue: "You probably don't
remember that, because you don't remember 'us' from Silver
Millenium, but.... but the court of Moon princess was engaged
with four Earth Generals." He stopped waiting for Serena's
reaction.

She was just sitting and staring blankly at them. There were
too many surprises that day. So this one was just the next one.
She had no strength to show her surprise.

All she managed to say was: "Oh...."

After that there was silence. Zoisite continued:
"My fiancee was Princess of Mercury. Princess Ami.
We planned to get married when the war started and..."
his voice trailed off.

Slowly Serena regained her senses back. Before they were
able to continue she said: "Wait... let me... Kunzite?"
The general had met her eyes. Serena thought for a second.
Something was coming up from her memory. It was as pieces
of long forgotten dream were returning to her.

She smiled as she suddenly remembered: "Minako, right?"
She received a nod from a blushing man and looked at the next one.

"Nephrite... it must be Makoto?" Another shy smile and blush
was the best answer she could receive.

"Then... Jadeite... is it Rei? Princess of Mars?" A blond man
was looking away, but Serena knew she had it right.

"But why do you hide from them? They probably don't remember
you. Moreover, if you were in love.... then... " Serena
realized what was she saying: 'Love... I wish I could feel
what does love mean. Ah.. Forget it Serena. Just accept
the way the things are.'

Suddenly she felt so tired and sleepy. She sighed trying
to hide the sadness in her eyes. But Kunzite was watching
her all this time. He saw that look on princess' face and
decided to help her out. He walked closer putting his hands
on her shoulders.

"Serenity, you need rest. It was a long day for all of us."
Others nodded in agreement. "We can talk about everything later.
And remember we'll be always near. If anything..." he didn't
finish, just moved in front of her taking her fragile hand in his.

"Anything... We are always ready to help you." he repeated
kissing gently girl's fingers.

Serena was stunned by such gentleness. She nodded and tried
to stand up but all she saw was white twinkles. She tried
to blink them away when she fainted in the arms of Kunzite.

She woke up from strange feeling. Like she was full with energy.
However, that was not her energy. It was... she quickly open
her eyes to see Kunzite sitting on the chair near her bed.
Actually, it was Kunzite's bed.

Now she remembered the fact that she fainted. 'Jeez... To faint
two times one day in front of four men. I was too tired after
Mrs. S., then healing that little girl in the hospital and then
this entire story with generals....'

She realized that Kunzite was still looking at her with reproach.
"Why did you do it?" he asked.

Serena was surprised: "What?"

"Oh, Serenity! Don't make that face, as you have no idea what
I am talking about. You have recently sacrificed your life
energy to other people. That was the reason you fainted last night.
It was quite dumb for me not to notice that the first moment
I saw you. Don't you understand you life is more precious than
to risk it like that?"

She looked away sadly thinking: 'My life... Sometimes I wish
I were dead long ago. Precious... huh!'

Kunzite continued: "You are lucky that I can give you my own
energy. In other way you would be sleeping for few days
before you get well again."

Serena was still recovering from the fact Kunzite told her.
'He gave me his life energy?' Still in a daze she lifted her
hand to pull her hair from her face when she heard a gasp.

Only then she noticed that the button on her sleeve was lost.
'Probably while I was asleep.' The sleeve went down and revealing
the red burn marks and scars from the ropes.

She didn't wear short sleeves any more after getting back
to the earth. Usually she wore some bracelets also to cover
her wrists, but she forgot them today. 'Oh-oh' Serena tried
to pull the sleeve back to its place and opened her mouth
to make some explanations, but Kunzite was quicker.

"Serenity, who did it to you?" his voice was trembling and
Serena couldn't understand was it anger or fear that she
heard in his voice.

She closed her eyes in despair. 'Now I am really lost'.

"Serenity!" the demanding voice made no chances to escape.
Where was that gentle and caring man she saw before?

'Well, here goes. Better make it quick. If I am lucky
that he'll save me from more explanations.' Serena looked
directly into his eyes: "Himur." it was almost a whisper,
slight move of her lips, but it was enough for Kunzite to hear.
She could see how his eyes widened.

He went pale.






End of part 8

Well... I hope it was interesting ^^) I am sorry for making
you wait for this part for such a long time. I had a busy summer.
I was in Rome on World Youth Days!!! Btw, have any of you been there, too?

Again sorry for being so late with this part!! To cheer you up
I'll say, that I have more than 30 pages (in Word format) of
story continuation. Don't faint yet!!! Maybe I'll cut half of it
while editing. But just in case you are wondering - I am not
going to quit! I am going to finish this story. I even know
'how' to finish it! *g* But I need details and more time. ^^)

I want to thank everyone for emailing me. You don't realize
what power you, people, have in you hands! You can give
inspiration and strength by only few lines. (Thank you
Melanie for your kind words!) I am sorry I couldn't reply
all of you. Some of you have asked me about
what is real in this story and what is not.
Well... For now I can say this: almost everything. Only
Himur part is fictional. There going to be much more "private
emotions" in next parts. I don't want to reveal all secrets.
At least not now. It wouldn't be fair. Serena has a right
to tell her story and not to mix it with mine. :-)

But if there is enough curious people I will write what is
true after the story "Different" is finished.

And another thing..... If you have found this story with
the help of Sailormoon Romance, I have a surprise for you!!!
I have my own page now. So check out homepage of Different at:

www.online.ee/~pomm/different

Anni.
annushka78@hotmail.com

September, 20, 2000
(btw, I had birthday on September, 14!!!!!!! I am 22 now!!!!!!!)