Subject: [FFML][SM] Climbing Past Their Struggles
From: Karlee Paige
Date: 9/7/1999, 9:39 PM
To: ffml@fanfic.com


This is a short story that I wrote after going on a family trip.  A lot
of the references in here most if not all of you will not understand. 
Sorry about that. 

Send any comments to:

Dragoness@lunap.com

Thanks!

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Hello, everyone this is one of my first public fanfics.  
It's short and mushy.  I don't usually go for mushy stories 
but this one I felt just had to be written.  Part of the idea
came after a day with some of my family when we climbed a 
mountain.  That's what the Squirrel Club is about.
   
I appreciate all comments and what not to my e-mail address
at Queen_Morgana@yahoo.com						

DISCLAIMER:  Sailor Moon and  any characters associated with
her are not mine.  They belong to Naoko Takeuchi and many 
companies which I have no part in.  Thus I get no money from
this story, so don't sue me. 


"Climbing Past Their Struggles"
	
	Serena and her friends were sitting in the back two 
seats of a van, talking and giggling as her parents drove 
them to the site of their family reunion.  Serena had 
convinced her parents to let her friends come along.  
They drove for hours, over mountains, along dirt roads, 
and thru forests.  "There's our cabin, girls," Serena's 
dad called from the front seat.
	The five girls gasped.  "It's so beautiful!" Mina 
exclaimed.  They struggled to get out of the van.  As they 
climbed out, they noticed a mountain they hadn't seen from 
their spot in the car.
	"That's a tall mountain," Lita stated everyone's thoughts.
	"If you get to the top, you can join the Squirrel Club," 
Serena's dad informed them.
	They unlocked the cabin, went in and found their rooms.  
Serena's parents shared a room, Mina and Lita in another, Amy and 
Raye shared a room, Sammi and Serena had their own rooms.  Before 
they had a chance to unpack, Serena's parents drove them down to 
the picnic area.  Almost all of Serena's extended family was there.  
After being introduced to what felt like a million people they sat down 
and had lunch.  The rest of the afternoon they played games.
	"When do we get a chance to conquer that mountain?" Lita 
asked Serena's parents as they were driving back to the cabin.
	"Tomorrow and we might join you," Serena's father spoke for
 himself, Serena's mother and Sammi.
	"We can't hike with them," Serena moaned.
	"Don't worry, Serena.  We'll protect you from the spooky, 
parent monsters," Raye joked.
	"They'll ruin our fun," Serena explained herself.
	After dinner the girls stayed up and chatted for 
a while before going to bed.  At 10:30PM Serena's dad 
told the girls, "If you want to climb that mountain tomorrow, 
you should go to sleep now."
	"Do you do actual mountain climbing?" Amy questioned, 
for she knew she was too weak to do that.
	"No, there's a trail that takes you to the top," Serena's 
father quieted her fear.
	"Goodnight," each of the girls said to Serena's parents as 
they headed for their rooms.
	Once they figured her parents were asleep, the girls crept 
back out to the family room and played, "Truth or Dare."  This 
went on until about midnight when Serena fell asleep.  Pooling 
their resources, the four other girls carried her to her room.  
"Boy, she sure isn't light!" Raye exclaimed softly so as not to wake 
the adults.
	"Shut up, Raye!" Mina whispered to her.  Once they had 
Serena in her bed the other girls went to sleep.
	The next morning the girls awoke early.  Mina and Lita went 
for a jog while the other girls had breakfast.  When Lita and Mina 
got back, they packed and drove to the base of the mountain.  
They found a place to park and climbed out of the van.  They walked 
to the start of the trail, got some water and headed out.  Within 
fifteen minutes the girls found themselves far ahead of Mr. and Mrs. Tsukino.  
	"Let's play Truth, Dare, Double Dare, Promise or Repeat," Serena 
suggested.
	"Okay," the other girls agreed.
	Another fifteen minutes passed before Amy suggested, "I'm a 
little worried about Serena's parents being so far behind guys, 
let's wait for them to catch up."
	As they sat down, a tall, black-haired, handsome man passed by.  
Serena got very pale and gasped.  "What is it?  What's wrong?" Mina asked.
	"I think I just saw Darien!"  Serena exclaimed semi-quietly.
	"It's just in your mind, you miss him so much you see him everywhere 
you go," Raye downplayed the girl's reaction.
	"No, Raye.  I believe it was Darien," Amy defended Serena.  Just 
then Serena's parents came into view and the girls took off again.  
They basically ran up the trail in hopes of seeing who they believed
 to be Darien.  But they could find no one who looked even remotely like him.
	"Maybe it was just my imagination," Serena huffed, out of 
breath from all the running.  Many people on their way to the top 
passed the puffing girls, wondering what happened to them.  Once they 
composed themselves they set out once again.  "Wow, look how high up 
we are," Serena was awed by the view.  
	It wasn't much longer before they reached the halfway 
point.  "I'm starving, didn't we bring anything to eat?" 
Serena and the other girls checked their pockets.  They came
 up with a piece of gum and a throat losenge.  They divided 
the piece of gum and decided to save the throat losenge.  On 
and on they went, the trail was pretty steep occasionally.
	As they were hiking they saw a kid and a cute looking 
little mouse-looking creature run by.  "Pikachu, get back here!" 
the young boy shouted.
	"How cute!" Mina commented.  They continued playing their 
game until they got to the small field which they could rest in 
before tackling the enormous flight of stairs that lead to the 
Tower at the very top of the mountain.  As they were resting 
Serena saw the same tall, dark-haired figure climbing the stairs.
	"There he goes again!"  Serena shouted.  "I swear it's Darien."
	The other girls spun around but just missed him, "What 
are you talking about, Meatball-Head?  I don't see anyone like 
that at all," Raye yelled at her.  
	Serena broke out into tears.  "Raye, you don't have to be so 
mean to her," Lita defended Serena.
	Once Serena stopped crying they started to make their way up 
the 150 some stairs.  They got to the top, their thighs burning, and
 they looked out at the scenery.  They started to go into the Tower 
when they all saw Darien and they gasped.  "I told you so, Raye," 
Serena stuck her tongue out at Raye.
	"Shut-up Meatball-Head!" Raye exclaimed quietly.  They climbed 
onto one of the many nearby rocks.  Serena was perched in an awkward 
position, looking for Darien.  When he came out of the Tower and 
towards her she lost her balance.
	"Darien!" she shouted as she began to fall.  He turned and 
saw the four other girls but not Serena, the others were just gasping.
He jumped up onto the rock she had been sitting on and looked over the 
side.  Serena had caught hold of a small tree growing out of the side 
of the rock.
	"Hold on Serena!  I'll save you!"  Darien shouted to her.  He 
grabbed her hand and pulled her up.  As he was pulling her up, Serena's 
parents finished climbing the stairs.  She fell into his arms and they 
kissed.  Serena's parents were just watching, trying to analyze what 
happened. 
	As Darien stood up, he lost his balance and fell over the side.  
"Darien!" Serena reached down and grabbed his hand.  "I won't let you 
go again!"  As she said, "I love you," his weight made her lose her balance 
and she fell off the side.
	He held her in his arms, gave her one last kiss and answered, 
"I love you too."
						THE END

Didn't I tell you it was going to be mushy?  Well once again, send all
comments to Queen_Morgana@yahoo.com