Here it is! A little late, but here nonetheless! I
have good excuses! I've been in Europe for a month!
I managed to write a little bit in a hotel room in
the wee hours of the morning, but other than that,
I couldn't seem to write on the trip. I think I was
in culture shock. 0_o

Since chapter 9 was a bit on the short side, I made
this chapter and the epilogue considerably longer. ^_~
I hope you enjoy this chapter, minna-chan. It will
be the last, with an epilogue to conclude it.

Love ya!
Aimee-chan

The very last sentence of this chapter is dedicated
to Angela-chan and Lilac Summers for our lovely chat
about wet Mamo-chan and other delights. Remember
Lilac, I have custody over him during the week. Hand
him over, or feel my wrath! ^_~

@--<----- @--<----- @--<----- @--<----- @--<-----

"My soul waits for the Lord more than watchmen wait
for the morning." Psalm 130:6

@--<----- @--<----- @--<----- @--<----- @--<-----

	My vision began to swim and my surroundings
vanished. The world disappeared as a blinding light
washed over me, encasing me in a sea of endless white.

	I screamed as everything went black.

@--<----- @--<----- @--<----- @--<----- @--<-----

The Coldest December
By Aimee

Chapter Ten

	"Turn around,
	Look at what you see.
	In her face,
	The mirror of your dream."
	~Neverending Story

	The darkness encased me in thick blackness
that stretched out endlessly before my alarmed and
tremoring physique. No longer did I feel the wet
street pavement beneath my feet. I felt absolutely
nothing, in fact, for several moments that seemed
longer than an eternity. But sooner than I
anticipated, the darkness lifted like a veil,
fleeing back to where it came, and I was conscious
of my surroundings once more.

	Breath leaving my lungs in a frightened and
drawn-out sob, my racing thoughts grasped the
realization that I was no longer on a wet street
corner in central Tokyo. A feeling of consternation
spread through my veins like a raging wildfire,
setting them ablaze with apprehension and
helplessness.

	My unbelieving eyes swept left and then
right. I turned around once in a diminutive circle,
then again, taking in every detail of my surroundings.
Crumbling under my feet was pallid, dry soil, which
covered the ground as far as my eyes could reach.
The white dust cloaked the ancient ruins that were
surrounded me. Once beautiful structures, the cracked
and rugged stone and marble buildings lay destroyed
everywhere I turned. Statues and monuments were
toppled, abandoned and dismal in their ruin.

	Who could have caused such destruction? And
where were the people who had once reigned over the
crumbled city? I shuddered involuntarily, calculating
in my mind the battle that must have been waged on
the soil beneath my feet. The air I breathed tasted
of death. It was as if I were standing in the middle
of a nightmare.

	In fact, very much like *my* nightmares...

	Breathlessly, my eyes traveled up to the
endless sky above me, and I saw literally millions
of stars. Apparently, wherever I was, it was far
from any modern city. There was no way that I could
see so many of the glittering celestial bodies if
I were near metropolis lights of any kind. I gazed
at the stars, their light reflecting off of my
anxious, tear-filled eyes.

	Turning around in breathless amazement,
I continued to scan the endless heavens that
stretched incessantly before me.

	My wavering pupils dialated in horror and
disbelief at the manifestation I beheld in the vast
sky before me. And for one long moment, I stood
trembling in my footsteps at what I saw in the
heavens, towering above me.

	The Earth.

	Eyes fluttering shut in overwhelmed denial,
I crumbled to the ground in a dead faint.

@--<----- @--<----- @--<----- @--<----- @--<-----

	Unaware that I lay, half unconscious and
oblivious to my surroundings, I smiled instinctively
as something soft gently touched my cheek, stroking
it with affection and love...like the touch of a
mother. My eyes fluttered open as the brief fainting
spell wore off, and I gazed vacantly at the radiant
woman before me, who was caressing my face with
surprising tenderness.

	She was...beautiful.

	The pale blue eyes that searched my own
were peaceful and inviting, and I knew without a
second thought that she wouldn't harm me. Such a
countenance did not belong to the enemy. Her hair
was like spun silver, and it shone even in the dim
light that cloaked us in shadows. It was styled
like mine, but was much longer, falling in beautiful
waves to the ground. Her skin was pale and seemed to
shimmer. The exquisite gown she wore was of flowing
white satin.

	But the strangest thing about her by far
was the glowing mark on her forehead. It looked
very similar to Luna's crescent moon mark, only it
shone as brightly as the stars overhead.

	"Are...are you an angel?" I breathed, eyes
wide with amazement and enchantment.

	She laughed. It was a happy laugh, but her
smile was sad and reflective. Crystalline tears
sparkled clearly in her eyes as she spoke in a quiet,
emotion-filled whisper. "Oh, Serenity...my little
Sere. How I've missed you."

	I blinked. "What did you call me?"

	But I had heard her clearly. More than that,
I knew the name. Somehow...*somehow* I knew it. It
was buried deep down inside of my heart...in a place
I knew not of.

	"I have so much to tell you," the angel
continued with the same heart-breaking smile pulling
at her lips. "There's so much for you to learn...to
remember."

	I shook my head in confusion, feeling
overwhelmed and disoriented. "I...I don't understand."
I sat up from where I lay, ignoring the dizziness
that attempted to pull me back down.

	"You will, princess. I promise. You came
here to me...how, I don't know. But it must be time
for you to learn of your past."

	With that, she leaned over and placed a warm
kiss on my forehead. Something flickered on my brow
and lit up. I could feel a soft burning sensation.
It wasn't painful, but it was impossibly confusing.
I touched my forehead with inquisitive fingertips.
What had just happened?

	The angel made a gesture, and I barely
contained a cry of alarm and surprise when a mirror
materialized out of thin air, floating and hovering
before us both. How was such a feat possible?

	<You're cracking up, Usagi. Losing what
little mind you have. The mirror isn't *floating*.
No no no! Inconceivable! Tis merely a trick! It has
to be! And surely that's not the *Earth* up there
in the sky! Oh no! Just another random planet that
decided to visit our solar system, and it just
happens to looks remarkably like the Earth. Nothing
to worry about! Nothing at all! It's all in your
head, Usagi. Think happy thoughts!>

	I had to be dreaming. Glancing up once more
at the sky, I was met again by an all-too-familiar
green and blue planet. Drinking in the unbelievable
sight, I was only more reassured that it was all a
mere hallucination.

	But it felt so real...

	"Come," the angel requested, taking my hand
in her own and leading me to the mirror that wasn't
*really* hovering...or so I tried to convince myself.
I stared my reflection but hardly recognized the face
that stared back. My gown was white with gold and
silver embroidering, and it fell to the ground in
lacy pools. The bodice was form fitting, yet the gown
had a girlish innocence to it. I wore a ring on my
left hand that seemed terribly foreign and unspeakably
familiar all at once, and a string of pearls encircled
my right wrist.

	My hair...oh my, how could I begin to describe
it? It was *silver*. Just like the angel's, only not
as long or as grand. I touched the strands in awe,
not truly believing the images my eyes were feeding
my brain were correct.

	But the thing that shocked me most was the
glowing crescent moon on my forehead. I reached up
a shaky hand and touched it carefully. It burned
warm against my fingertips but did not hurt me. I
let out a gasp of confusion. It was real. But more
than that, it was *part* of me.

	But...*how*?

	The angel put her hands on my shoulders,
and together, we looked at our reflections in the
mirror. Though she stood nearly a foot taller than
me, I was dazed the similarities in our features.
"How are you doing this?" I breathed, feeling
apprehensive and uncomfortable. But once again, the
angel smiled, and those feelings were quickly washed
away. I can't explain why, but in her presence, there
was peace.

	"I know you're confused, Serenity. Rightly
so," she commented, making another gesture with her
hand. I whimpered as the mirror vanished. "But all
will be explained in time. But first, we must discuss
the happenings on Earth."

	Without another word, she stretched a hand
out towards the blue planet, and I watched with wide,
unbelieving eyes as beams of light of every color
departed from the Earth and shot towards us with
speed I could barely comprehend. It was like watching
a meteor shower...only the meteors were closing in
on where we stood. I took a step back in fright as
the beams came impossibly closer, but the angel
responded to my apprehensions with a simple, "Don't
be afraid."

	By the time the words had finished rolling
off of her tongue, the colored beams were upon us.
They lit up the sky brightly, and I shielded my
eyes in fright as they flashed as one. When I had
the courage to peek between my fingers, I saw seven
colored crystals hovering before me. I marveled at
their remarkable beauty, noting that it wasn't the
first time I'd seen the blue one. Tuxedo Kamen had
stolen it after the youma battle. But what the
crystals were or meant, I was completely oblivious.

	"Your mission is not an easy one," the angel
continued, her face lit up with the rainbow of colors
that emanated from the strange gems. "But this will
help you fight."

	Her eyes closed, and her hands outstretched
towards the crystals. They flashed brilliantly, and
in the blink of an eye, melded together to form one
single, crystal clear gem that shone and sparkled
with intensity I'd never before witnessed. Its name
formed on my tongue instinctively.

	The silver imperium crystal.

	I'd heard of it. Luna had often spoken of
its importance, but the gem could not be found no
matter how we'd searched. And now I stood before
it, white knuckles pressed against my lips in fright
and awe in the presence of such power.

	It *was* power. And it scared me witless.

	"That's for me?" I whimpered. She nodded,
and I immediately felt as though I'd been run over
by fourteen elephants. "But...I was t-told that the
c-crystal belonged to the Moon Princess."

	The angel smiled a knowing smile, eyes
sparkling at me. "You were correctly informed,
which is why I give it to you now. It's yours."

	My lips parted, but nothing came out. I
couldn't speak, nor could I seem to expel the breath
that was trapped in my chest. All I could do was run
the same three words over and over in my mind.

	*THE* Moon Princess. The *MOON* Princess.
The Moon *PRINCESS*.

	*Me*? My goodness, but the angel was
delirious! It was simply preposterous! Ridiculous!
Outlandish and extremely NOT FUNNY.

	"You don't believe me?" the angel asked.

	I was not amused, and my face reflected as
much.

	"When was such skepticism born in you?" she
continued, shaking her head, not waiting for me to
answer. "Believe what you want for the time being,
little Serenity, but soon the truth will become hard
to deny. For now, we must focus on your mission."

	"The Earth is in peril," she continued.
"Beryl will attack soon...from the North. You must
understand her determination. Since the planet was
once under her control, she has become obsessed
with regaining it. You, the other senshi, and Tuxedo
Kamen must hurry to stop this charade."

	I blanched, again leveled with what she told
me. "Tuxedo Kamen? But...but he's our enemy! Probably
even working with her!"

	She shook her head. "No, child. He's not.
More than that, he's crucial to your success in
this war."

	"But..."

	"Tell me," she interrupted, "do you recall
the name Endymion?"

	My brow furrowed. "Endymion...?" I echoed.
The name felt strangely familiar on my tongue, and
my heart seemed to beat faster at the very utterance.
The name was buried deep within my subconscious,
engraved there forever.

	And then I remembered the nightmare, and the
name I'd screamed in my dying moments. It was none
other than the name Endymion. Endy, I called him.
Noble and strong. Caring and just. Cruelly murdered
by a witch named...Beryl.

	I shivered at the memory, eyes wide as they
met the intense gaze the angel offered. "You...you're
the one who's been giving me the dreams, aren't you?"
I whispered.

	The woman shook her head, her eyes glittering
with a seemingly eternal bittersweet sadness. "No,
little one, I'm not. I have no control over your
memories. The dreams came to you, I believe, because
you've come to realize that what you have in life
isn't enough."

	<The void...> I remembered, placing a hand
over my heart. <It screams within me, wanting more.
Wanting *what*? What can these memories bring me?>

	"Do you know that Mamoru has been having
the dreams since his parents were killed?" she asked.

	I stiffened, caught off guard by the question,
wanting hopelessly not to think about him. It hurt
too much. And the void...the ache just *screamed*
at the very thought of his betrayal...the way it
did on the street before the light overtook me. But
why? What did the void have to do with him? Surely
it couldn't be *him* that I needed to complete me.

	But God, I wish it was...

	"How do you know about Mamoru?" I asked
angrily, stumbling hopelessly over his name, feeling
as though nails were being driven into my heart.

	"Mamoru is Endymion," the angel said simply.

	I inwardly shuttered, somehow knowing already
everything she told me. "Mamoru is a liar."

	"Endymion loved you."

	"Endymion is dead."

	"Tuxedo Kamen protects you."

	"Tuxedo Kamen betrayed me."

	"Your mind deceives you."

	"My mind is all I have left," I declared
angrily. "And besides, it hurts too badly to listen
to my heart."

	"But you can't get away from them, can you?
All three of them haunt you, and they always will.
Even if you succeed in driving Mamoru away for good,
he'll still be in your heart."

	Angry tears overflowed onto my cheeks. "Why
did you bring me here?"

	"You brought yourself here, little Serenity."

	"I don't even know who you are!"

	"Of course you do," she replied calmly.

	With a cry of frustration, I broke down,
tears of dissatisfaction and confusion overtaking
me. Pressing my hands to my face, I turned away
from her, wishing to awaken from the nightmare I'd
been caught into.

	But deep down, I knew I wasn't dreaming.
And more than that...somehow I knew who she was.
And I knew who I was, too.

	How can I explain it? It was like a light
had seeped inside of my mind, delving into secret
chambers hidden there. The chamber doors swung open,
and the chains of imprisonment dropped to the ground.

	I gasped, my eyes wavering with tears as
knowledge gently soaked in...coaxing me into
acceptance...giving me one memory at a time...saving
others to remain locked away until another time.
But it was still too fast, and tears spilled onto
my cheeks as I trembled.

	Arms were around me, gathering me close as
I cried. I addressed the angel with another name
before I even realized what I was saying. "Mother..."
I whispered, resting my head on the her shoulder,
eyes drifting shut.

	"You're overwhelmed, little princess. The
memories are coming to you too fast," she told me,
smoothing my hair. "So much has happened, and so
much is yet to come. You must find rest, Serenity.
You must forgive him and move on, or you'll never
have the strength to face the battles to come."

	"Is it true? He loves me?" I whispered,
daring to accept what she told me...daring to hope
in Mamoru...in Endymion.

	"He loves you, darling. But you already
know that. You don't need me to tell you."

	My heart swelled. <Endy...you kept your
promise. You swore you'd find your way back to me.>

	"What do I do?" I whispered into her hair.

	She smiled. "Love him back."

@--<----- @--<----- @--<----- @--<----- @--<-----

	I was returned to the street corner as
quickly as I'd departed from it. Though no longer
cold on the outside due to exposure in the cold
December rain, I was numb on the inside. I could
barely speak, such was my shock after such an
overwhelming journey.

	Eyes traveling slowly to the sky, I blankly
stared at the moon, which had peeked through the
rain clouds. It seemed to return my gaze, staring
right into my heart and mind.

	Had I really just been there? With her? My
*gulp* mother? Was I truly a princess? Her daughter?
The future queen? Keeper of the crystal?

	I felt an unfamiliar weight pulling at my
neck and glanced down in surprise. There the crystal
hung from a silver chain, rising and falling with
my breath as though it were a simple necklace charm.
But it was so much more than that...

	I clasped it in my hand protectively, afraid
to lose it...afraid to look at it...afraid of what
it meant...

	The angel was right. The truth was becoming
very hard to deny.

	A familiar voice startled me out of the
daze I'd fallen into. "Usagi!" it cried from a
distance.

	I blinked. "Rei?"

	I turned towards the approaching footsteps
and saw the priestess. "Usagi! There you are! Oh
God, I've been looking everywhere for you!" Her arms
engulfed me in an unexpected hug before I could
respond. "Are you okay? What happened? Where have
you been? I was so worried..."

	And I was baffled. "Why?"

	She faltered momentarily, violet eyes falling
from my face as she inwardly debated over something.
"We'll talk about it at the temple, all right? You've
been out here long enough." She took off her jacket,
but I pushed it away before she could put it around
my shoulders.

	"No, I'm not cold. You wear it."

	"Not cold? Usagi, you're not even wearing
long sleeves! It's freezing out here!"

	"I'm fine, Rei," I responded quietly, taking
one more glace at the moon before it slipped behind
the clouds once more. My breath froze in a little
cloud before me, and the wind nipped at my bare arms,
but I didn't even feel it. It was as if I were warmed
inwardly by something unknown. I placed a hand over
my heart, and the void there twisted painfully in
response. My eyes clamped shut in a vain effort to
keep my tears at bay.

	<Mamoru...I've hurt you deeply, haven't I?>

	"Usagi-chan?" Rei whispered, gazing at me
with concern in her eyes. "We really should get
you inside."

	My hand fell from my heart, and I swallowed
the lump in my throat, not even noticing as Rei put
her jacket over my shoulders again. "Hai."

@--<----- @--<----- @--<----- @--<----- @--<-----

	Rei insisted upon an explanation as soon as
we reached the Cherry Hill Temple. I was hesitant at
first...understandably, since I still was partially
suspicious that I'd dreamed the whole encounter up.
But the crystal hanging around my neck made me think
otherwise. If the dream had truly been nothing but
a hallucination, I had no other way to explain the
crystal's appearance. And besides, *something* had
happened to me out there, and I really couldn't keep
such an experience to myself...not when such important
details had been disclosed.

	Rei hardly blinked. Stunned would be an
understatement. I was partially surprised she hadn't
interrupted me after the first sentence and told me
that I was suffering from delusions of grandeur.

	"Then it *is* true," she whispered. "You're
the princess."

	"I wouldn't believe it myself, had it not
been for this..."

	The crystal was placed in her hands, and
her eyes grew impossibly wider. "Usagi-chan..."
she breathed. Together we simply *looked* at it,
hopelessly amazed that such a tiny gem could be
so powerful and striking, yet appear so innocent
and harmless. "I knew it...I just *knew* it was
you," she continued.

	It was my turn to be stunned. "You knew?
But how?"

	"I wasn't completely sure that it was you,
but I suspected," she admitted. "I've been having
dreams about the princess and the Moon Kingdom for
a long time."

	My eyes grew wide. "When exactly?"

	She pondered momentarily. "I suppose they
started occurring when things had gotten so rough
at home...before I came to live with Grandpa." I
nodded my understanding, and she continued. "When
I met you, I began to suspect that yours was the
face I saw in the dreams, but I wasn't really
considering it as fact until I spoke with Mamoru
the other day. I had recognized his face as I did
yours. I confronted him about the dreams, the
occurrences of which had been steadily increasing
in number ever since I'd met him."

	As had mine...

	"He didn't remember or recognize me and
seemed completely surprised at what I told him,"
she continued, "but admitted that he too had been
having the dreams...ever since he was a little boy."

	"H-He dreams of the princess?" I whispered,
running the words over and over in my mind, trying
my best to accept them, but still struggling with
disbelief, even though the angel had told me as much.

	Rei smiled at my question. "Yes, of you. I
spoke of my suspicion that you were the princess,
and he admitted his own related thoughts on the
subject. He also told me that he was Tuxedo Kamen."

	I bit my lip at the mentioning of *that*
name, and the ache in my chest bottomed out hope-
lessly. Rei noted the miserable look on my face
with a guilty sigh. "Usagi, I'm so sorry I didn't
tell you, but he wanted to do it himself. He made
me promise."

	"He was going to tell me?" I echoed and
was surprised at the nod she responded with. "But...
but he never did, and it hurt so badly when I found
out on my own."

	"With all due respect, Usagi-chan...you never
exactly offered Mamoru any indication that you were
Sailor Moon."

	I faltered. Oy vey.

	"I don't know why Mamoru didn't tell you.
You'll have to discuss that with him on your own,"
she continued, "but I do know why he never confronted
you about being the princess. He and I agreed that
you should be the one who discovered the truth about
your past. We didn't feel right about simply sitting
you down and telling you the facts. You would remember
when you were ready." She hesitated, smiling at me.
"I guess you're ready, ne?"

	My lower lip trembled as tears stung my eyes.
"No, I'm not. I'm scared, Rei."

	Her face softened. "Usagi, there's no need
to be afraid. You're not alone. You've got Luna, the
senshi, and me. You know we'll always help you through
and protect you. We're the guardians of the princess.
But more than that, we're your friends."

	I nodded silently, unable to speak. And for
the first time in the history of our friendship, Rei
let me cry in peace. I appreciated her silent comfort
and her thoughtfulness in allowing me to gather in
my thoughts in my own timing. Everything had been
such a blow...I could barely comprehend all that
had been disclosed to me. But somehow it all soaked
in, and the tears slowed in time.

	"Rei..." I whispered, rubbing a fist over
my cheeks to dry them, "how did you know to come
look for me tonight?"

	"Mamoru called me," she admitted hesitantly.

	I swallowed hard. "He did?"

	"He was pretty worried about you. In fact,
strike that sentence. It's an understatement. He was
completely freaking out. He'd been looking for you
everywhere and called me in hopes that I might have
seen or heard from you." She hesitated, adding after
a moment, "He told me what happened."

	I shifted uncomfortably, busying my guilty
mind with fiddling at a piece of lint. "I guess I
really screwed things up, didn't I?"

	"Something's telling me he's thinking the
exact same thing," she replied, placing a comforting
hand on my shoulder. "Do you want to use the phone
to call him?"

	"Iie. We need to talk face to face."

@--<----- @--<----- @--<----- @--<----- @--<-----

	I pulled the jacket Rei had given me closer
around my shoulders as I waited outside for the taxi
she'd called for me. I wouldn't let her walk with
me to Mamoru's apartment, knowing she would have to
walk back alone, and the stubborn girl refused to
let me walk by myself. So alas, I awaited a taxi to
take me the "far-reaching" span of 10 blocks. I
could have made the walk in no time, and God knows
I wanted badly to talk with Mamoru, but the still-
falling rain discouraged me from taking off before
the taxi arrived. I huddled under the dry building
overhang, next to the still-open temple door, watching
the road intently for my ride.

	The sound of a twig breaking caught my
attention. Turning my head sharply to the right, I
listened intently but heard only the soft pitter-
patter of rain droplets hitting the ground. Backing
up a little further towards the door, I whimpered,
suddenly feeling as though eyes were upon me.

	*His* eyes. Tuxedo Kamen's.

	I swallowed hard and looked around me
carefully. I saw nothing, but I knew he was there.
Somehow I could feel him out in the shadows, watching
me.

	"Tuxedo Kamen?" I called weakly into the night.
"Are you there?"

	Only the sound of the washing rain replied.

	"I want to talk," I tried again. "Please..."

	Again I waited. Nothing.

	My head hung miserably, and I willed myself
not to cry...but it was a fruitless venture. A lone
tear escaped me. Perhaps I was mistaken. Maybe he
wasn't there after all.

	Why should he be? After all I'd done and
those horrible things I'd said, I considered it a
miracle that he'd even been looking for me. I'd
slapped him, refused to listen to him, accused him
without proof, insulted him without just reason,
and proceeded to flee from him as though he were
some sort of rapist. I couldn't think of a reason
why the man shouldn't hate me.

	Maybe Rei was mistaken. Perhaps he hadn't
been searching for me. Why would he want to see me
after all of that?

	But dammit, I wanted to see him. Refusing
to wait any longer for the taxi, I whipped around
in determination towards the direction of Mamoru's
apartment.

	And stopped dead in my tracks.

	Tuxedo Kamen stood before me, hopelessly
soaked from the still-falling rain.

@--<----- @--<----- @--<----- @--<----- @--<-----

To be concluded.

Yes, dear Angela and Lilac, there's your wet Mamo-chan.
Do I deliver, or what? --;; Okay, I'll hush now...

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Love you!
Aimee-chan