Author's Notes at bottom - Enjoy!
@------
Flee to Destiny
Chapter 15 - Saving Shingo & Epilogue
By: Bethany
Editor: Meara
Rated: PG
@------

The entire room lit up with a purple light as Pluto
hit Shingo dead on. "Shingo!" I screamed, trying to back
up. The wall behind me prevented much movement, though I
would have disappeared into it if I could. Vaguely I could
see Shingo, palms towards Pluto, blasting energy bolts at
her one after another.

"World Shaking!"

"Deep Submerge!"

"NOOO! Yamete!!*" My commands carried no weight with
the Outer Senshi as they continued to attack Shingo. Tuxedo
Kamen was beside me, but I paid no attention to his words.
The only thing that I could think of was that they were
killing my little brother. The little brother that I didn't
want, because at age twelve I thought my parents didn't
need anyone but me. I could remember the day he came home
from the hospital. I was so jealous I wouldn't even look
at him. Even so, I couldn't help but become fascinated by
each and everything he did. Slowly but surely he crawled
into my heart. And then I was forced to change roles from
sister to mother. But I had failed. And he was dying...

Dying...

"Venus Love-Me Chain!" Venus lashed out with her
weapon, but Shingo dodged and then blasted her against
the wall. With a groan the Solider of Love passed out,
a trickle of blood sliding down the side of her face.
With that small act, the rest of the Inner Senshi, who
had refrained from attacking, stepped forward and took
fighting stance.

"Usako, we can't let him kill us. We have to fight
him, just to tire him enough so you can heal him," Tuxedo
Kamen was saying to me, trying to calm me down. But I
couldn't think past the fact that they were attacking
Shingo to understand anything else.

Mars began to attack Shingo and I felt myself snap.
I stood up, but I couldn't consciously put my finger on
what I was doing, something deeper in myself took over.
Calmly I placed my hands in front of my broach and summoned
the Silver Crystal. On command my locket opened and the
bright stone came to float before me. A warm light bathed
me, flowing from my head to my feet. When I reopened my
eyes my fuku was gone, replaced with a flowing white dress
made of fine silk, different layers moving in an unfelt wind.
Everyone in the room was staring at me, but the one I took
notice of was Shingo - tears in his eyes that battled
between blue and black.

"Shingo, it's okay now," I said with a confidence
and calmness beyond my years. He stared at me with the
queerest expression as I walked towards him.

Suddenly he blinked, stepping back from the warm
glow of the Silver Crystal. "Stay back," he commanded,
but his voice had lost its rough edge and bordered more
on the youthful voice of Shingo. He raised his hands and
blasted a shot of energy towards me, but it was weaken
and I easy deflected it.

"It's okay," I repeated softly, all my love for him
poured into my voice. I closed my eyes and began silently
pleading for the guidance I needed to restore Shingo back
to me and to remove this evil. "Please, Goddess Selene,
grant me the strength to heal Shingo," I begged. The stone
in my hands grew brighter, but still Shingo's eyes were black.

As I struggled to uphold my stance, and fight against
the evil I felt another power mix with my own. A golden light
shot out towards Shingo, mixing with my own silver. With the
two powers joined, the room became unbearably bright. I heard
Shingo scream, the black emptiness giving way to blue again.
Beside me stood the Prince of my dreams, armor protectively
wrapped around his chest, which he pulled me against.

I pushed harder into the Ginzuishou, the effort
beginning to wear my body down. But I couldn't give up,
not while there was a breath left in me. Shingo fell to
his knees, but the evil was planted deeply in his body and
refused to let go of its death grip. His head was thrown
back and a continuing howl of pain left his throat.

Somewhere in the back of my mind I heard the Senshi
screaming that they room was caving in, but I couldn't stop.
I barely felt the rocks falling down on and around us.
Something peaceful came over me then, and the weariness
of using the crystal didn't seem so harsh any longer. I
felt as though I were easing myself into a nice hot bath;
the promise of complete relaxation just around the bend.
Just a few more seconds...

"Usako! DON'T!"

Shingo's eyes stayed blue and a black mist fled out
of his mouth, disappearing in the warm light of my powers
as water evaporated in the hot sun. His body fell limply
to the ground and I smiled. I had saved him; it was okay
to let go now. But why wasn't I able to move towards him?
I wanted to run to him, to hold him close - and while I
willed my feet to obey, they refused to listen.

"Usako! Damn it, don't do this! Listen to my voice,
come back to me!"

I could hear Mamo-chan, but I couldn't see him. I
looked around, but all I saw in every direction was never-ending
white light. I felt a sob rise in my throat; what had I done?

"Princess Serenity."

"Who are you?" I asked, spinning around. It was the
same girl who had haunted me for a lifetime. She stood as
regal as she had the first time I had seen her clearly...
the first time I had meet Mamo-chan. "Mamo-chan?" I called,
ignoring her and looking around again. Shaking my head, I
lashed out at the Princess in front of me, tears streaming
down my face. "What's going on?!"

Her heels tapped softly on the floor as she approached
me calmly, the essence of a Princess. While I wanted to
scream and rip her hair out, if only for the reason that
she possessed such calmness. "I just wanted to thank you,
Serenity."

I looked at her like she had grown two heads and was
about to do the can-can. "Thank me? For what?" I demanded.

She laughed, her voice sounding like a sweet melody
that was especially written for her voice. "For setting me
free. Now that you have fully come into your powers and
therefore your memory - I am free. Free to leave the jumble
between life and death and be with my Endymion again."

Her words intrigued me, so that I forgot where I was
and what had brought me here. Had she been a prisoner in my
mind? Could he be that she longed to be as free from the past
as I? "Wait, you're saying that you were trapped... in my mind?"

"Bound by duty and love for my people, I had to stay in
this limbo until you destroyed Metallia forever. Now I am
free to proceed to the after life where my Love awaits me."

My mind was reeling; so many pieces of the puzzle were
falling into place. "Then you are not me?"

Princess Serenity grabbed my hands within her own, our
identical gazes locking as she spoke to me. "We are one, but
not the same. And I thank you for helping me, for becoming
the Princess that I am proud of. Now, return to Mamoru before
he goes crazy." Briefly she hugged me and the next second was
gone. "Thank you," her voice resounded through out my mind.

With her finally at peace, I new that I, too, would
finally find peace with who I was.



@------ Epilogue @------

The sound of the crews working on the cleaning of the
site where Tokyo Towers once stood filled my ears as I pushed
Chibi-Usa through the park. The wind blew in my hair, making
it dance in the air behind me. The sun shinning on my face
made me feel alive and wonderful.

Shingo had become withdrawn after we had defeated Metallia
and saved him from its evil grasp. He said less now than he did
after our parents died. And yet, I was happy just for him to be
alive. The rest we could work through.

In the summer of that year, Mamo-chan, Shingo, Chibi-Usa
and I flew back to the United States to visit my parent's graves.
All of my friends that I had thought enough of to stop and see
couldn't get over Chibi-Usa or how handsome Mamo-chan was. But
it felt strange seeing the people I thought were my best friends
in the world, but who had never written or called when I moved
away. I found myself missing Rei, Minako, Ami and Mako-chan, as
well as the light and laughter they brought into my life. Even
though I felt bad about doing it, I asked Mamo-chan if we could
leave early. He looked relieved I had suggested if, even though
he didn't say so.

And so returned to Japan, the place I really called home now.

I snapped out of my memories and looked at my watch.
"Time to pick Papa up from work," I told my three month old.
She grinned at me just like she understood completely. In the
distance I could see Shingo pushing himself back and forth on a
swing. There were many children around him, but he stayed to
himself. Mamo-chan assured me Shingo would come out of his
shell soon, but still I worried about him. "Shingo! Let's go!"

By the time I reached the car Shingo had caught up and
took the stroller from me, folding it up and placing it in the
trunk. He ran around the car and jumped in the front seat next
to me and buckled up, not saying a word the entire time.

When I arrived at the laboratory where Mamo-chan worked,
I was surprised to not see him standing outside like normal.
Curiously I grabbed Chibi-Usa and with Shingo following behind,
went to find my boyfriend.

"Hello, Usa," Mamo-chan's lab partner greeted as I
approached. Hento Daiki was shorter than Mamo-chan and not
nearly as handsome. His stomach protruded over his pants,
making it seem like he wore an inner tube under his clothing.
I absolutely hated running into him when Mamo-chan wasn't
around. He always made advances on me and it seemed today
would be no different.

He stuck his thick finger out to tickle Chibi-Usa and
instantly she began crying. I glared at him, but because we
were alone, he ignored my harsh look. "Where's Mamo-chan?" I
demanded, stepping back. I didn't want to cause problems with
Mamo-chan at work, but suddenly I wished I had said something
to him about the way Daiki talked to me.

Daiki shrugged and rolled his eyes. "I don't know, he
left a couple of hours ago. You know," he said in a syrupy
voice as he came towards me and winked. "I would never leave
you like that. You should leave Mamoru and go out with me."

For a split second I wondered if I should just scream.
But instead I hardened my glare even more. "I'll tell Mamo-chan
what you suggested and see what he says about it." I turned on
my heel before he could react and rushed out of the room and
away from his lust filled eyes.

I went straight home, a thousand things running through
my head at once. But instead of focusing on yet another encounter
with Daiki, I wondered why Mamo-chan had left work early and not
told me.

By the time I arrived home and rushed to our door and
inside, I was frantic. Everything from him being sick to him
leaving me came and went in my thoughts.

I took my shoes off at the door and rushed inside, still
holding Chibi-Usa. The house was strangely dark for mid-afternoon,
and I noted that they shades were drawn in the living room. I
pushed the kitchen door open and reached for the light switch.

"Happy Birthday Usagi-chan!" I heard a chorus of voices
ring out. I jumped, nearly screaming. In my arms Chibi-Usa
became alarmed and began crying - which in turn caused every
person in the room to begin laughing.

@------

The party lasted for hours. Everyone was delighted with the
element of surprise, especially since my nineteenth birthday wasn't
until the next day. All the Inner and Outer Senshi was there, also
Motoki and his sister. I received a mountain of beautiful gifts
from everyone, as well. It was truly one of the best birthdays I
could remember. But the best present didn't come until after
everyone had left and the children were asleep.

I found Mamo-chan sitting in a chair on the balcony, staring
at a golden rose he held delicately in his hand. When he caught me
staring at him, he blushed and smiled at me. "I had this dipped in
gold," he explained, holding it up for me to take. "It's the first
rose I ever gave you."

I felt a tear trickle down my face. But as I reached out for
the rose, something glittering on his finger caught my attention.
"What's that?"

"What?" he asked, his lips curving into a handsome smile. He
looked at his hand and pulled the ring off, showing it to me. The
outside light made it breathtaking to behold the heart shaped
diamond, a small cluster of diamonds outlining the large one.
"Oh, this? Well, I bought this for a special woman I just happen
to know..."

I began crying harder as he got to one knee. This was it;
he was going to ask me to marry him. I felt like I was going to
float away on my own personal cloud of happiness. His face turned
dead serious, his eyes finding mine and locking there. "I could
sit here and name a thousands things that my love for you expands
past, but words are too clumsy for what I feel in my heart for you.
I say I love you, but it doesn't seem to do it justice." His voice
faltered as he tried to build up the courage to continue. I noticed
how the hand that held the ring out was shaking. "Please, marry me.
I would never ask you for anything else if you would just do this,
and make me the happiest man alive."

He began to slip the ring on my finger, but stopped - waiting
for my response. At first I didn't know if I could speak, or if I
would just start crying my eyes out. "Yes," I whispered, flinging
my arms around his neck and pressing my lips to his over and over
again. We both fell back, but he managed to hold us both up without
his head hitting the floor. "Yes! Yes!" I nearly screamed, just to
make sure he heard me and for the sake of hearing myself say it again.

@------

I lay in my love's arms that night and admired my engagement
ring. Even in the dark, it sparkled. Every time I laid my eyes on
it, I replayed his words over in my mind and felt my heart beat in
happy anticipation of our life together. Suddenly I turned to
Mamo-chan and grinned. "Again?"

He rolled his eyes, laughing at my pleading face with mock
annoyance. "But I've already done this five times, Usako!"

"Please?" I begged, batting my eyelashes at him.

"Okay," he said, holding his hands up in surrender. "Once
more." I smiled gleefully and closed my eyes. I felt him slip over
top of me and press his lips to mine gently. "When we are married,"
he began in a soft whisper that sent chills up and down my spine.
"I'm going to wake you up every morning by kissing your eyes," he
said, and proceeded to kiss each of my closed eyelids. "And your
nose," here he kissed my nose. "And say, 'Chiba Usagi, my beautiful
wife and love of my life, it's time to wake up'." Gently he kissed
my lips again and I grinned widely. "Happy now?"

"Uh huh," I mumbled, nodding my head. Truly I was happy. Happy
with who I was and where my destiny had led me. Finally, after
traveling the long, hard road of fate - I had what I wanted for
over a thousand years. I closed my eyes and fell into the land of
dreams.

Only now the demons of my past were gone.

And I was truly home.

--End of "Flee to Destiny".
* - Yamete translates to "Stop"

That's it! I hope everyone enjoyed this story - at least enough to
stick around for the next book "No Greater Love". ^_^
HUGE thanks to my editor, Meara. Thank you for keeping me in line (and
in the right presence)through out this story.
Also, many many thanks to all the loyal fans of this story, I sincerly
hope you continue to read the next book.
The prologue to the next story will be out this weekend - so see you then
for "No Greater Love".