Disclaimer: I do not own Sailor Moon or her characters, and have no right to it except as a long time fan.

A Second Chance

Epilogue: A Second Chance

Serena, Darien, and Rini calmly walked up the stairs just before noon, with Luna, Artemis, and Diana in their company, to the temple grounds Raye lived on and helped manage. Luna was nestled in Serena's arms, Diana cuddled in Rini's arms, and Artemis lay comfortably draped over Darien's shoulder.

It was the day after they had defeated Wiseman, and it was time to get Rini back to her home and parents. She had already said goodbye to the Tsukino's, who still had no idea of her actual relationship to them, and everyone else who knew of her true origins would be there to see her off.

The small group walked pass people visiting the temple and grounds, and gradually moved around and behind Raye's home and further into the forest where they had agreed to meet everyone. They moved through the trees and bushes until they reached a clearing where all the girls were gathered.

"Are you two ready?" Amy asked Rini and Diana after everyone had exchanged quiet greetings.

"Yes." Rini said with a nod after taking a deep breath. Diana nodded in answer, and Amy nodded in response.

"Well, whenever you're ready." She said, and Rini looked down to Diana.

"Let's go home Small Lady. I'm sure your parents are waiting for you." Diana said encouragingly.

Rini nodded and grasped the key on her necklace and stepped toward the middle of the clearing.

"Guardian of Time, cut through the heavens and open the Door of Space and Time for me. I call thy true name, almighty God of Time, father of the Guardian, Chronos. Grant me guidance. Grant me protection. Show me the path of Light!" She said clearly.

The group watched as a twinkling star of light formed around the top of the key before it floated up and lifted high into the sky. When the light disappeared into the sky a circular cloud appeared and widened before a beam of light shot down to where Rini stood.

Rini turned around and looked to everyone. "Thank you all for helping me." She said as she and Diana were lifted off the ground. "Goodbye." She said as she waved.

Everyone waved in return and said goodbye.

"Tell the King and Queen we said hi!" Lita called out.

Rini and Diana rose higher and higher into the air until they disappeared into the cloud and found themselves standing in an area surrounded in fog. Rini picked a direction and began to walk. She walked for a few minutes before she began to see the silhouette of a doorway and the tall figure of a person.

"Welcome back Small Lady." She heard a mature female voice say. "Judging by the fact that you are returning with only Diana I can assume you are back for good?"

"Yes." Rini said as Sailor Pluto's figure was revealed. She took off the key she had used to get there from her necklace and handed it to Pluto. "Here you go. Thank you for your help and seeing me safely through the time passageway." She said.

"You are welcome." Sailor Pluto said as she accepted the key back. She paused for a moment to place the key back on the chain with her other keys before she brought her attention back to Rini. "Are you two ready?" She asked.

They nodded and Sailor Pluto turned toward the double doors and raised her staff and unlocked the gates. They opened slowly to reveal bright daylight and trees.

"This is the same place you returned to with the Scouts of the past, and I am sure someone will be there to pick you up." She said.

"Thank you." Rini said before she stepped through the gates of time, and put Diana down.

She came out into a forest area and saw that everything was how she remembered it before the bad people attacked her home. The sky was bright blue and the sun was shining and the air was warm.

"Small Lady." She heard her name being called and ran toward the voice. Her small feet racing through vibrant green manicured grass and stopped at what met her eyes.

There at a slight distance standing together were her parents, both actually there, solid, and not hurt, and at their sides were the Sailor Scouts. All four women stood watching her with smiles on their faces.

Her eyes teared up at the sight of Sailor Venus smiling at her. She vowed to be a better person, to be worthy of their protection, and be someone they wanted to protect because of who she was and not because she was her parents daughter.

Then her eyes switched to her mother and her tears escaped as she began to run forward. Her mother knelt down and opened her arms and she ran right into them.

"Mom!" She said as she hugged her, and sighed as she felt her mother's arms around her. She had been so worried that she would never feel that again.

"Welcome home Small Lady." Her mother said as she held her tighter. She was happy to be back, but she would never forget her experiences in the past.

— o.0.O.O.0.o —

Serenity stood out on her bedroom balcony in the late evening after she had put her daughter to bed. It had taken longer than usual but it was understandable considering how long they had been parted and what she had been through.

Now, however, as she looked out into the night at the glittering lights of her home city she found herself growing dissatisfied. She wished she had been able to see her younger self.

She hadn't seen her older self when she was a scout in the past, and this time when Small Lady returned she hadn't been able to see her younger self either. She didn't think that was fair. Endymion had seen his younger self and gotten to see his older self when they had lived the past. She wanted that chance; wanted to be able to speak to her younger self.

Suddenly she felt warm hands rest on her shoulders before they moved down her arms and slipped around her waist.

"What is wrong love?" A familiar voice asked as he pressed himself against her back, and she sighed heavily.

"I wish I had been able to see my younger self. You got to see and speak to your younger self, and I want to experience that too. You even got to speak to your older self when we were younger, and I did not get that either." She explained. "I think it is unfair, and I want that experience. I want it not only for myself but for my younger self as well since I know the experience had an effect on you."

Endymion hummed thoughtfully. "You are right." He said.

He had been affected by seeing and speaking to his older self. He had felt more confident, more determined, and more self-assured after seeing what he would become; after seeing that he would marry his love and have a family. That he would finally fulfill the destiny that had been taken from them. It had allowed him to move through life with an ease and sureness that he hadn't had before.

"I can definitely understand why you want that for yourself and your younger self. Your younger self seemed confident and self-assured, but I do not see why she cannot be more so if talking to you helps that." He said before he kissed the top of her head. "You have my support. Do what you want; only be careful not to let Pluto know what you are doing if you decide to go through with it." He added.

"Thank you." Serenity said softly and relaxed into his arms and against his chest. She decided in that moment without an ounce of hesitation that she was going to go through with it. It was something she really wanted.

Now she just wondered how she could make it happen so she could actually see her younger self, and not just speak to her as she had before when they had both been in a healing sleep.

After a few minutes she decided she could use her silver crystal to make a connection with the crystal her younger self had, open a doorway, and speak through the doorway without passing through.

That should keep Pluto from knowing. She thought with quiet surety.

— o.0.O.O.0.o —

A few days after the fighting was done and Rini had gone home Serena sat in the living room with her family watching TV in the evening. She was dressed comfortably in black yoga pants and a lavender pullover hoodie sweater.

Everything had been quiet and calm since Wiseman was defeated and Rini had gone home. Everyone was settling in to the peace and getting back into the full normalcy of their lives.

Amy and Lita seemed to have gotten over their anger with Darien for breaking up with her. She was sure it helped to learn that the same thing had happened to their future selves, and that they would still be together years later and become King and Queen and start a family.

Raye seemed to have gotten over her feelings for Darien, but neither she nor Darien were entirely sure. She could simply be keeping those feelings to herself. They were fine with that as long as she never tried to act on them again, but they would both be watchful of such actions for the time being.

Mina was enjoying the quiet and spending almost all her free time with Andrew, working on deepening their relationship and remembering more of their past together in the Silver Millennium.

Currently Serena was lounging at the far end of the couch with her feet curled beneath her when she suddenly sensed something happening through her silver crystal. It began to warm and pulse inside her and she sat up and shifted until her feet were on the floor as she pulled out her cell phone. She immediately pressed the button to speed dial her prince as she stood and ran her fingers through her bangs.

"Hey love." He answered after a few moments.

"Come to my house; right now! I need you to be here for this. I can't explain it over the phone." She said.

"Okay. I'll be right there." He said without hesitation.

"Right." Serena said before she hung up, and looked around to see her family looking confused.

"What's happening?" Her mother asked.

Before she could say anything Darien appeared suddenly in a golden flash in the entryway to the living room confusing her family even more. He was wearing a white T-shirt and dark blue jeans, and sported a look of concern as he looked around until his eyes landed on Serena.

"What's happening?" Her mother asked again.

"I'm not sure." She said.

Before she could say anymore a small ball of light appeared in front of the window and grew larger then faded until a silver white marble doorway appeared. It had a door matching the color of the doorframe with a gold doorknob.

They all stared at the door for a long time but nothing happened. Serena felt a warm pulse from her silver crystal and she glanced to Darien, who smiled and nodded, before she walked around the couch and stepped toward the door and grasped the knob.

"What are you doing?!" Her father asked incredulously. "Don't open it! You don't know what that is, where it came from, or what's behind it!"

"It's okay. It's completely safe." Darien said as he stepped toward his princess.

Serena opened the door a little and peeked inside, and her eyes widened at what she saw. She looked back to Darien in surprise before she pulled the door open wide and stepped back.

On the other side was a tall woman in a white sleeveless strapless dress with an elaborately decorated bodice, with long white moonlight hair trailing along the floor done up in the same style as Serena with a delicate silver crown resting on top of her head. The room around her was bright with gray white marble floors that they could actually see her reflection in, and crisp white walls.

She was pacing a short distance away with her head slightly bowed, her fingers toying nervously with a white pearl bracelet on her right wrist.

The Tsukino's gasped and the woman spun toward them, wide eyed and stunned, before she gracefully moved forward and stopped right in front of the doorway.

"I was beginning to think you would not open the door." She said as she looked to Serena.

Serena blinked at the familiar gentle, calm, and musical tone.

"Oh wow! You look so much better when you're awake." She replied, and the Queen laughed softly.

"I completely agree." She said before she looked over the younger girls form. "I kind of wish my hair was still that color."

"Do you really?" Serena asked, and the Queen paused.

"Maybe. I like both colors, but I do miss the color since it was there a long time." She said and Serena smiled.

Darien stepped forward and his eyes flickered all over the Queen. He had been right to think her blue eyes would stand out with all the white she sported.

"Darien." She said as she smiled at him. "I miss seeing you dress so casually."

"Maybe you should tell the King. I'm sure he'll be happy to dress this way, and see you dress casually as well."

The Queen's eyes flicked over to Serena and took in what she was wearing thoughtfully.

"You are right." She said with a nod. "I certainly miss dressing so comfortably."

"What is going on?!" Mrs. Tsukino suddenly said as she, her husband, and son moved forward.

The Queen looked to them and smiled.

"Hello Mom, Dad, Sammy." She said calmly, and they blinked in surprise.

"Serena." Mr. Tsukino said in surprise and shock as he looked from the woman to his daughter and back again. She looked like his daughter, but he hadn't wanted to assume with all he had learned about his daughter.

"They do not know." The Queen said as she looked back to Serena and Darien.

"I told them about being Sailor Moon and the Moon Princess, but I didn't say anything about my future." Serena admitted. "They were having a hard enough time accepting that truth and I didn't want to add to that. Plus, I'm still trying to come to terms with it myself." She added, and the Queen nodded.

"I felt the same, probably worse, when I was not trying to forget it." She said, and then glanced to the Tsukino's before she looked back to Serena. "I am sorry. Your future would have remained a secret had I not contacted you."

"That's okay." Serena said even though she nodded. "I'm glad you contacted me. It's a unique opportunity I didn't even think to have."

The Queen smiled softly and turned her eyes back to the Tsukino's.

"Yes I am Serena. Although, I have not gone by that name in a long time. Now I am known as Serenity." She said.

"You're going by your past name now." Sammy guessed as he stepped closer.

"Yes." The Queen replied. "There are only a few who actually know that I was Serena."

"What do you mean?" Mrs. Tsukino asked.

"As of now only my scouts know I was once Serena." She answered.

"What about him?" Mr. Tsukino cut in before she could continue as he pointed at Darien with a frown.

The Queen looked at the two men in amusement. "Of course he knows. He is now known as Endymion." She said.

"I don't quite understand. Why are you two going by your past names? Am I missing something?" Mrs. Tsukino asked as she looked from the Queen to Serena and Darien and back to the woman that was the older version of her daughter.

"You did not miss anything. You simply were not told." The Queen said gently. "We go by our past names because of our current occupation. I am actually known as Neo-Queen Serenity and my love is known as King Endymion. We rule over the Earth in a new Silver Millennium."

The Tsukino's eyes widened and their jaws dropped in shock. First they learn Serena was the heroine Sailor Moon that had been fighting the monsters appearing in the city, then she revealed that she was also a reincarnated princess from the Moon, and now they were learning that she was going to become queen of the Earth in her future.

And beyond that her boyfriend, who was also Tuxedo Mask and the reincarnated Earth Prince she had loved, was going to become king of the Earth in the future. It was outrageous and crazy, but the proof was quite literally in front of them in the form of Serena's future self.

"Serenity." They suddenly heard a deep masculine voice call, and her eyes widened before she leaned off to the side. "What is this?" They heard him ask.

"Come." She said before she moved back into view holding a gloved hand, and a tall masked man wearing a white tuxedo and a light lavender tinted cape stepped up beside her and looked toward them.

"Oh." He said in slight surprise as his eyes moved over everyone. "Darien. Serena." He greeted; his eyes softening as he looked to Serena. He couldn't help it; she was the younger version of his Serenity. "Greetings Tsukino's." He said as his eyes returned to the three people he hadn't seen in a long time before he looked to his wife.

"You actually did it." He commented, feeling only slightly surprised that she had gone ahead with her desire.

"Yes. It only took me a few moments of thought to decide that I wanted and needed to do it." Serenity replied before she looked to her past self. "I contacted you because I wanted to see and talk to you. I did not think it was fair that Endymion got to see and speak to his past self but I did not. Not even when I was in your position did I get to speak to my future self."

"I feel that way a little, but considering what was going on at the time I don't think it really would have sank in until weeks or months down the line." Serena said.

"What did you want to talk to Serena about?" Mrs. Tsukino asked.

"Nothing in particular. I simply wanted to see and speak to her. It does not matter what the topic is." Serenity answered.

Serena considered for a few moments. Here was her much older self. She could ask her any number of things. But what? She wondered.

"How do you like being Queen?" She finally asked.

"I enjoy it very much. It has filled a need I did not know I had until we actually took the throne. I had been born and trained to rule after all, and that chance, that destiny, was taken from me." Serenity answered. "I do not know if you have felt that way or if you have even thought of it, but that is how it was for me."

Darien looked to his older self and Endymion nodded, silently conveying that he had felt the same way. Darien nodded in return, not at all surprised. After all, he too had been born and trained to rule.

Serena nodded thoughtfully, knowing that was something she would have to consider and see if she felt the same way.

"When did you two get married?" She asked.

"When I was twenty-two." Serenity answered, and Serena sighed.

"So long?" She said.

"Do not forget the differences between our timelines so far. Perhaps it will happen sooner for you." Endymion said.

Serena blinked thoughtfully. He's right. She thought. She had already hoped the differences would mean they might have a boy instead of a girl. Who's to say we won't get married sooner? She thought as she looked up to Darien hopefully, and watched him smile.

"We'll see." He said, and she smiled with a slight shrug and figured he was right. She would be ready anytime, but he would be the one doing the proposing, so it was up to him when it happened.

Serena hummed as she considered what to ask next then blinked as her eyes landed on the King.

"Did your Raye get over her feelings for you?" She asked as she looked from her older self to the King, and the Queen blinked and looked to her husband.

"Yes she did. That is something we have not had to think about in a very long time." Serenity said as she looked back to her younger self. "I even went so far as to ask Venus about it to make sure after the ordeal with the Black Moon Clan was over."

"Are you having problems with her?" Endymion asked in concern, and watched his younger self nod as his expression darkened.

"When Serena was unconscious in the hospital Raye had asked me out." Darien said, and the King and Queen blinked and their eyes widened slightly in shock.

Serena nodded. "I spoke to her myself later on, and learned that she hadn't thought I loved him"

"She likely thought we were only together because of our past, and our breakup likely strengthened that theory." Darien added. "I actually had to speak to her and tell her that I felt nothing for her and that I had always liked Serena."

"We did not have that problem." Endymion said. "Mars did not speak of her feelings after our past identities were revealed." He add, and the Queen nodded.

"I only spoke to Venus about it to be absolutely sure there were no lingering feelings I would have to deal with later." Serenity added, and Serena nodded and sighed.

"We're going to keep a careful eye on her since she really did like him, and was hurt when he made it clear that he had never felt anything for her." She said, and they nodded understandably.

"Do you remember Itonus?" Darien asked the older couple, changing the subject, and they nodded. "Do you know who his reincarnation is?"

"We do, however, we did not try to remind him of who he was." Endymion said.

"Do you know?" Serenity asked them curiously, and Serena and Darien smiled at each other.

"Yes." Darien answered.

"He and Mina remember each other, and are dating now." Serena added.

Serenity's eyes widened and she clasped her hands against her chest. "Really?!" She said, showing that that news was yet another difference in their timelines, and Serena nodded.

"He also knows who we really are; both identities since I told him after Serena first entered in the hospital." Darien added.

"Right now neither the girls, nor Luna and Artemis, know. Just Mina." Serena added.

"Why do they not know?" Serenity asked.

"We decided to keep it to ourselves because they weren't feeling particularly charitable toward me after the breakup, and telling the secret to someone would have likely angered them since it was their secret as well." Darien explained. "After we got back together and everything was cleared up with the group we just didn't particularly feel the need to enlighten them."

"I like that he has someone outside the group to speak to that isn't focused on me and what I'm feeling, and I think Mina appreciates the privacy they have to get to know each other without the girls in her business." Serena said, and the two older royals nodded and thought that made sense.

"Good for you. I wish I had done that." Endymion told his younger self, and Darien nodded with a small smile.

Serena sighed and decided everything else she wanted to ask weren't things she was willing to ask in front of her parents, and she knew she could live without the answers or rather she could wait to find out for herself as she lived her life.

"I don't have anything else I want to ask." She said, and Serenity instantly gave her a gentle look of understanding as if she knew her thoughts.

"I have plenty to say. However, I believe we should wrap up this visit before we are interrupted." She said. "I have a gift for you. I am aware of what has happened to your brooch, and I want you to have a new one."

Serenity held out her hand and it began to glow softly before the light centered on her palm and grew brighter. When it cleared a new shiny brooch sat in her hand, and she handed it to her husband who took it and stepped forward. He moved his hand and forearm through the doorway and held the brooch in front of the younger girl.

Serena smiled in understanding and reached forward and took the brooch from his hand. She didn't think it would've been a very good idea to touch her older self even if it was simply brushing her fingers against her hand as she grabbed the brooch.

"It is called the Cosmic Heart Compact." Serenity informed her as her younger self looked at it.

It was a shiny red heart lined with gold with a flat like crown on top. Laid over the red heart was a gold cross like shape with a circle in the center with a gold crescent moon inside it.

"Thank you." Serena said as she looked up from the brooch in her hand, and Serenity gave her a nod.

"You are welcome." She said kindly before she looked to her family. "Mom, Dad, Sammy. It was so very good to see you again." She said before she looked back to Serena and Darien. "I am glad to have seen you both. Take care and be happy."

"You both take care as well, and be safe." Serena said.

"I promise we'll be happy." Darien added, and Endymion smiled.

"We will hold you to that promise." He said.

Serenity smiled and waved her hand slightly, and the door began to close. The two couples stared at each other, taking in last details, before the door closed.

Moments later the doorway began to glow softly, and began to become transparent before it disappeared altogether.

Shortly after their talk with their older selves ended Darien brought his princess to his house in Elysion. They hadn't been there since they had talked and got to know each other better and Serena had become one with the princess inside her.

They settled comfortably in his bedroom, Serena stretched out on his bed and Darien sat up leaning back against the pillows next to her, and Serena sighed.

"That was a very surprising meeting." She said, and he smiled slightly and nodded.

"Very surprising. They look better healthy and conscious." Darien said.

"And in their bodies." Serena added, and Darien huffed a slight laugh and nodded.

"I'm glad the Queen contacted me and I had the chance to talk to her; for the chance to see her face to face." She said as she looked up to him. "Were you glad you were able to talk to the King when we were in the future?" She asked.

"I was glad. After getting over the initial shock of seeing him and understanding that he was my older self I took in every detail I could. How tall he was, how he looked the same if only a few years older than me, the sound of his voice, and the way he spoke." Darien said. "I was just glad for the chance to see what our future held. It wasn't something I had thought about before our first trip into the future, but since we experienced it I was glad."

"Me too." Serena agreed. "I wonder how long it will take me to become even a little of what the Queen is."

"You are already becoming what she is. I think the only thing she has ahead of you are the years that passed to grow more mature, experienced, and refined. Time is all you need." He said, and she nodded.

"What about her hair? How do you think it changed color?" She asked.

"I have no idea, but I can't wait to see if it happens all at once or gradually." Darien said, and she laughed.

"Of course you would." Serena said.

"I wasn't going to talk about this anytime soon," He began after a few quiet moments. "but now that you have that new brooch I wonder if your thoughts on being a scout have changed. How do you feel about being Sailor Moon now that some time has passed since our last conversation about it?"

Serena sighed heavily.

"I've tried not to think about it with everything that's been going on, but now...well my first reaction to seeing the new brooch was to grimace. I managed to hold it in but it was there in my mind." She said.

"I suppose I feel fulfilled in general from being able to help people and keep the city safe, but I still feel I need more training." She admitted. "I think I've done well against the droids we've been up against since my training started, but I know it isn't enough; especially since my brooch was damaged. That droid shouldn't have gotten close enough to do that. Had my brooch not been there I would have been seriously hurt."

"The girls' attitudes have changed, and I wholeheartedly believe it's because I changed. Merging my present and past personalities has done what just my present personality couldn't. They now take me seriously and respect me when I'm not literally standing in front of them in my royal gown." She continued. "Which means I'm not being criticized anymore, so that's something."

Darien nodded, taking in her words thoughtfully.

"Do you still want to be Sailor Moon?" He asked, and she sighed.

"I don't know." Serena answered.

He nodded and scooted down on the bed, and lay down next to her and wrapped his arms around her. She turned toward him and curled against him, and he brought his hand up and began to stroke the back of her neck.

Before he could say anything he began to see his third vision since the ability had revealed itself.

Sailor Moon stood with a serious frown on her face as she gazed forward, the wind blowing the ribbons of the back bow on her uniform as well as her long hair, as she gripped her scepter in her hand.

Next to her stood Tuxedo Mask, a serious look plastered on his face as the wind blew his cape, and behind them stood the Sailor Scouts lined up, their bodies relaxed yet clearly ready to move.

Suddenly the wind picked up and snow began to fall, and they found themselves in a growing storm before they all began to run forward.

Darien blinked and continued to stroke his loves neck as he thought over what he had just seen. If the vision was to be believed, and he had no reason to doubt it considering the visions he had already seen, his princess would continue as Sailor Moon.

Though her uniform will be different. He thought, closing his eyes as he remembered it.

She still wore the white body suit but the shoulder pads had become transparent and wing like. Her collar was dark blue and the stripes on it were yellow instead of white. The bow on her chest was still red but at its center was her new brooch, and the bow on her lower back was now a very light blush red, long, and billowy.

Around her waist and on top of her skirt was a yellow belt and at the v-juncture was a small copy of her new heart brooch. The skirt itself had become white and was lined at the bottom with a yellow border and a blue border.

Her gloves and boots were the same, but her choker had become yellow with a red heart on it, her earrings were now simple gold crescent moons, in her hair just behind her bangs were two white wing-like barrettes, and instead of a red gem on her tiara there was a gold crescent moon.

Beyond that, the scepter she had been holding was different. It had a similar look to her current one but the top was heart shaped and similar looking to her new brooch.

Darien decided not to tell her what he saw since he didn't want to influence her decision, and the vision could possibly change though he doubted it. Still, the image was there and he couldn't help thinking she looked confident, mature, and even more beautiful.

"Don't think about it." He finally said. "We'll continue to train, and if a time comes where you need to use your brooch you'll know then if you want to continue."

"Okay." Serena said as she nodded slightly, then closed her eyes and relaxed at the feel of his warm massaging hand.

She was determined not to think about the new brooch sitting in her subspace pocket nor the possibility of a new enemy coming along. She just wanted to relax and spend time with her prince.