Subject: [SM] Letting Go (Revised)
From: monica@nyc.pipeline.com (Monica Shin)
Date: 9/8/1996, 4:54 PM
To: fanfic@fanfic.com

 
Thanks to Charles K. Hurst for the excellent C&C, and to Sapphire-and to
all the others who sent me encouragement... 
I basically fixed up the beginnings of the intro's b/w the generals and the
senshi- tell me which version you like better ( I think this may be way too
confusing...) 
 
 
 
Letting Go- By Monica Shin 
 
 
	*Wha...* 
	*Our prince is calling...* 
	*We are being summoned?* 
	*Why...?* 
 
The four rose from their resting place, and presented themselves to their  
liege. 
 
	*My lord...* 
	*He did not summon us?* 
	*Then how did we awaken?* 
	*The dreams are troubling him... the ones about the fall of the 
 kingdom...he's grasping at memories of long ago...and called us.* 
	*What should we do?* 
	*His princess is linked to him-let her sleeping mind give him  
peace...* 
 
The four looked at the lady beside him, and concentrated. Soon, she  
murmured, and rolled over to the prince, resting her head on his chest.  
Almost immediately, his restless tossings stoppped, and his nightmares were
 
turned into sweeter rememberances. 
 
	*That should do...* 
	*It seems that we have the night before our minds sleep again...* 
	*Enough time to say goodbye?* 
	*Perhaps...* 
 
And with that, the four separated for the night, each going to say
farewell, 
and to make amends. 
 
-------------- 
 
Jadeite carefully crept into her dreams, intending to say a quiet and quick
 
farewell to her slumbering conciousness, before he left. He'd never been  
good at goodbyes... Wha! He suddenly found himself surrounded on all sides 

by sentinels, who coaleased into one being... Mars. 
 
	*Who are you? What do you want?* 
	*Ah...* 
	*You!! You're dead! I destroyed you...* 
	*Wait...* 
	*I will send your spirit back, to where it belongs... Begone-* 
	*NO! Please... I just came here to say goodbye, before I return...* 
	*What? You were one of Beryl's minions... you were my enemy...* 
	*...goodbye to the former Mars...to the one from the Silver Millenium. 
	*Wha... I don't understand... What do you mean?* 
 
 
It would probably help if she remembered everything... 
 
	*Remeber...* 
	*Wha...* 
 
	Suddenly, she stiffened, as another mind touched hers. 
 
	*Please- let me let you remember.* 
 
	Mars slowly let down her guard, and her barriers. Memories flooded her 
mind... 
 
	*No- must not block them... 
 
	 A dais of marble, upon which a woman sat, upon her throne- welcoming 
five ambassadors from Earth...his prince...walking down the aisle in his  
dress uniform...flanked by us- four men in the gray dress uniforms of  
guards...no, not just guards...the personal bodyguards of the prince of  
earth...Names...being presented...Prince Endymion...the crown prince...  
Jadeite, Nephrite, Zoisite, Kunzite...there... beside the throne... the  
princess... and her famous guards...who's the striking one in red...Mars? 
 
 
-------------- 
 
Nephrite strode boldly into Jupiter's sleeping mind, knowing that she would
 
notice him, sooner or later. He was surprised to find how much of her mind 

was devoted to cooking, and to a mysterious boy... 
	 
 
	*So, this is the one she loves in this life... or is it..?* 
 
 
He realized how little Jupiter had changed, since she had been reborn. She 

was still the fighter, relying on her strength to see her through, but also

with a fighter's instincts...which had just noticed the foreign presence in

her mind. She immediately attacked, to find that there were nothing but  
shadows, until Nephrite chose to drop his illusion, and reveal himself. 
 
 
	*You! I know you! You're that monster who I destroyed! Why are 
you in my mind? If you want a fight, let's go!* 
 
 
She was still headstrong... 
 
 
	*I'm not looking for a fight, Jupiter. I'm just here to say goodbye...  
and to free you from some subconcious memories...* 
	*???* 
	*No... You wouldn't remember me, would you? Fine... I know you, 
and I know you'd just want me to tell you, so...* 
 
Suddenly, she was besieged by memories- 
	 
	*No... must fight them... an attack!* 
 
But soon, she realized that they weren't- 
 
	*I know these memories...but they're not mine..?* 
 
	A suite- the usual for the highest ranking ambassadors Earth had ever  
sent... luxurious, with gold, marble everywhere... The princess, again?... 

she seems curious...earthlings must be a novelty for her...there's Venus, 
fetching her back for her lessons...and another... taller- Jupiter?... 
	Our prince... nervous?...must be because of the responsibilities... 
there has been tension between our two nations... Jupiter... who is she? 
Unintentional glimpses of the tall woman... during practice... why was she 
on my mind so much...<The tall strong man... the dark haired guard I kept  
seeing...almost haunting me...> 
 
	*Wha... that was her memories... still strong, I see..* 
 
	An invitation...for lunch? With who? Going down to the meeting... 
surprised- why so far from the palace... so near the dome... getting ready 

for an ambush-just in case... What? A picnic...she's here...the princess...

and her four guards...how strange... 
	<This lunch was supposed to be for us... escaping the palace for a 
bit, just the five of us... why was the prince here... and that man..?> 
 
 
----------------- 
 
	Zoisite crept silently into Mercury's dreams, wondering how long it  
would be before she noticed him. Not long... Mercury silently put up her  
defenses, and asked, 
	 
	*Who are you? What is it that you want here?* 
	*I am the one who once was Zoisite...* 
	*That's impossible! Venus destroyed you! You're dead!* 
	*Perhaps... but I'm not here to debate whether or not I exist... 
I'm am here to bid farewell to the Mercury of the past...* 
	*What...Please explain why you aren't attacking, and why you're  
speaking about the Mercury of the past..?* 
	*I will help you remember...If you let down your defenses...please* 
 
Mercury looked at him closely, then agreed- letting down her mental
shields- 
before gasping, at the memories that came, from his mind. 
	 
	Being a guard for the prince...one of the four who guard him always... 
he'd never needed anyone besides the three other guards...and his prince...

but now?... Mercury...He'd seen her... so different than the fierce warrior
 
he'd expected... why was he being curious about her? 
	A field...where his prince asked for a vow of secrecy...why?...we  
agreed... No! It's forbidden...how could they fall in love?... they both 
knew... 
	<How could she? She knows... we're too different... we live so much 
longer that the earthlings... this can only end in heartbreak...> 
	The princess and prince walk away, content for the short time they 
have alone, leaving their guards behind...awkward silence... what can we 
say to each other... I'm in a daze, until I hear Mercury's voice,
attempting 
to start a conversation, speaking of a new book... 
	<He's here...the one I had noticed before...perhaps I should talk 
to him? Literature... a safe enough topic.> 
	I can't believe it...I just said that I didn't like the author... I 
had never been good with small talk... but she doesn't go away? She stays 
and we start talking.  
	Walking under a few trees... we talk about everything...our favorite  
books, plays, music... the others are splitting up too... 
 
-------------- 
 
Kunzite stopped before he went inside Venus' consciousness, and gave her
the  
equivalent of a knock. Her mind rose out of her dream rapidly, and called  
out mental challange. 
 
 
	*What! You! How is it you're alive? All of the Sailor warriors  
destroyed you!* 
	*I'm here to say a final farewell to you... the leader from the past, 
Venus.* 
	*I don't understand...* 
	*You don't remember anything... then let me help you remember the 
past...and us.* 
	*Us?* 
	*Remember...* 
 
	...The rest of the guards had split up into pairs, leaving me with 
Venus... We were both the leaders of our separate units, and couldn't risk 

seeming unguarded... at least, to each other. Memories...of noticing her 
when Serenity had been around our suite...my gentle teasing had put a blush

on her face... I had hoped that we could get to know each other...at least 
professionally... 
	<Kunzite... the earth guards' leader... I had hoped to speak with him 
sometime... I'd seen him around... I'd always been with my princess... He'd

always been with his princess... I'd felt something... but it was
forbidden- 
until now?> 
	We all knew that it was a bad time for Serenity and Endymion to fall  
in love... there had been a lot of tension between the Earth, and the Moon,
 
as some of Earth saw the Moon as an overbearing parent, choking the Earth
of  
its freedom. There were some of the Moon, who felt that Earth was getting  
"rebellious" and that perhaps, they should be taught a lesson.  
	These views were why were were here... When people saw that the 
heir to the earth had been sent, it put to rest any doubts about the good  
relations between the two nations. However, everyone knew there could be  
trouble from mixing people from the two nations... challanges against a
couple's  
loyalties... so it was taboo for inter-nation relationships... 
	But still... if our lieges felt that they could fall in love... could  
we.., but what was i thinking... I don't even know anything about her... 
except that she's strong, beautiful, intelligent... and now...we're
talking- 
maybe it's possible? 
 
-------------- 
 
	*I see... I think I'm starting to remember... We had great arguments  
about everything... but Jadeite, you were so charming that soon, we would
be  
laughing, not fighting... We were so in love... We even told each other our
true  
names...* 
	*You remember that? I was shocked at how easily we told each other  
our true names... After all, to tell someone you true name gives them power
 
over you... but it also makes them closer." 
	*We were so happy... even when the rumors started flying about the 
prince, and the princess, and their guards... Of course, no one officially 

believed them, but soon, all of you were called back...* 
 
---------------- 
 
	*We walked off together, talking about fighting techniques, and  
strategies, with me arguing for stealth, and you for strength... Then we  
discovered our mutual love for cooking...* 
	*Oh... I remember... I was so shocked that you... the big, strong  
Nephrite was the one who also loved to cook... I remember you teaching me  
some of your Earth recipies... I was so happy for those short weeks...  
before you had to leave the moon...* 
 
---------------- 
 
	*Of course, we knew that we couldn't really be together... even if we 
loved each other. Even though all we wished was to be together... We even  
exchanged true names...To have revealed our relationship would have been to
 
go against the Queen's wishes, and would have increased tensions between
the 
two states... Only our Princess dared to go to Earth, for secret meetings, 

when you left. I, as Mercury, one of the four guards, had a duty, to try to
 
distract her from Earth... but I kept thinking back to it, myself...* 
	*Until that day, when our Prince came back...* 
 
----------------- 
 
	*Though we'd only known each other for a short while... we were so in 
love... we revealed our true names to each other...it felt right, because  
the names we used- Venus, Mars, Jupiter, Mercury... had been held by the  
former guards of the crown princesses for so long, as had your names.  
Kunzite, Jadeite, Nephrite, Zoisite... named after elements of the Earth, 
as we had been names for the protectors of the Moon.* 
	*When we came back, to the Moon, we never had a chance to say anything  
to each other, before the attack came... That's why we came to say
goodbye...* 
 
	*We?* 
	*All of us are saying our true goodbyes, before we have to go back...* 
 
------------------ 
 
	*I came to say goodbye, Mars, because we'll never meet again... at  
least, in this lifetime... There was so much I wanted to tell you, that we 

never got to say... because of Metallia...* 
	*When she attacked, using your Earth people... we were all so shocked...  
and when...* 
	*When Endymion was killed... and Serenity commited suicide...* 
 
-------------------- 
 
	*I think that when we saw what had happened, all of the things that  
I'd wanted to tell you, before the battle, vanished... all I could see was 

my prince, dead...* 
	*Nephrite... I know... All I could see was my poor princess...dead...  
and something inside of me broke... All of our full powers were unleashed  
against the Earth people, against Metallia...* 
 
--------------------- 
 
	*I remember... that awful day, when we all fought as if possessed,  
even you and me, Mercury, though we'd never been fighters...* 
	*Yes...but we fought singly, not as a team... though we should have...* 
	*I remember being overwhelmed by too many for me to handle... I  
remember regretting that I never said goodbye...* 
 
--------------------- 
 
	*So now... all of us- Jadeite, Nephrite, Zoisite and I- came back to  
truly say goodbye... because we'd never let you go... our unresolved
feelings  
are affecting your real lives... We want you all to love again, and not let
 
us subconciously weigh you down... and to do that, we have to let you go...
 
we want you to have a chance to love, in this life, as we never had a
chance 
to do...* 
 
---------------------- 
 
	*Farewell...* 
 
---------------------- 
 
Mamoru woke up a little shaken, by the strange dreams he had had last  
night... before his princess had banished them. He looked down at her
sweet, 
innocent face... 
	*Somehow, this just feels right...Even we feel right... Mamoru Chiba... 
Earth Protector... I'll always protect you, my love... my little rabbit of 

the Moon...* 
 
----------------------- 
 
---- 
Monica Shin----monica@nyc.pipeline.com- 
Anime Fan!!! CLAMP---RG Veda, Tokyo Babylon, X, 
Dragon Ball Z-"Super-Saiyajin no BARGAIN SALE!! 
Fushigi Yuugi, Yu Yu Hakusho, Mac +,7