The Moon Princess has been found. But, will Serena’s assurances to Neflyte at his birthday come full circle.

Sailor Moon is copyright (c) 1992 Naoko Takeuchi/Kodansha, TOEI Animation. English Language Adaptation (c) 1995 DiC Entertainment

Mercury searched through her VR visor for the way out. The group had been walking silently for twenty minutes.

Malachite held Zoicite close, as both feared if the Moon Princess would be as vicious in punishing them as Queen Beryl.

Neflyte refused to release his hold of Serena. But he told Molly with his mind how much her remaining by him meant.

Finally, Serena started to wake up. "She's waking up," Neflyte dutifully alerted the others as he sat her against Solaris before backing away a respectable distance.

Mercury stopped her search for the moment. "She’s going to be okay."

"Sailor Moon, are you all right?" Jupiter asked worriedly.

Mars for once was visibly worried about the group meatball head too. "Yeah, you've been out of it for a while. Remember where you are? Remember what happened?"

After a moment it all came back to her. "Tuxedo Mask. Where is he? Is he . . .? Is he . . .? What happened to him? Why isn't he here? Did . . . did you abandon him?"

She looked at the Generals with fear, she remembered their sworn duty was to die rather than leave Darien or any of themselves on the field of battle.

Mars snapped at that. "Of course not! The Negaverse took him."

It calmed Serena for a moment, and then she looked directly at Neflyte. "Was he all right?"

"We don't know. It seemed like he was hurt pretty badly."

"I remember. Oh Darien . . . What are we gonna do?" Serena was starting to hate all of this. Now everyone would expect her to figure things out. But then she looked at her Generals, and the looks of shame and worry on their faces. “What is it?”

Neflyte saluted and knelt before he began. “Twice we have failed you, Princess. Even after the kindness you and your mother showed my family and me. I failed a thousand years ago, and I failed tonight. I place myself at your mercy.”

“As do we all, Princess.” Malachite and Zoicite both followed Neflyte’s lead to kneel with their clinched fist pressed against their chest and heads hung low in shame.

Serena, with a lot of help from Solaris, stood up. She remembered that the trio was simply following the old royal protocol for punishments. And she remembered how to pardon by the old ways too. Her Mother, Queen Serenity, had to be having a hand in this.

“There is no need to plead for my mercy. As to your crimes during the reign of my mother, Queen Serenity, I believe that the thousand years you have suffered through has been more than enough punishment. Each of you proved yourselves returned to your honor. Neflyte nearly gave up his life for Molly, and has not only guided, protected, encouraged, and rewarded myself and the rest of the Sailor Scouts - but has also fought to keep himself the honorable man we all remember.

“Malachite. It took courage to come ask for our help in saving Zoicite’s life. And then you both came here when each of you needed rest, and had no vows returning you to our Court. You have even gone so far as to accept the punishment you seem to think you deserve.

“Zoicite. You should have stayed at the mansion and rested. But, you and Malachite joined Neflyte in this fight; you all three chose to put your lives on the line for me - without knowing who I once was. That in itself is an act of heroism, even in the days of the Moon Kingdom. You have chosen to accept your past actions, and the consequences they bring.”

With Molly’s help, Serena made it to stand before Neflyte. It was time she made good on her past assurance. “Neflyte, I told you on your birthday that we are at peace with one another. How proud I am of you. And how I knew that the Moon Princess would forgive you once we found her. Well, I’ve been found.” Laying her hand on his one shoulder, then touching the other. “Arise, Lord Neflyte … High General and Leader of the Scout’s High Guardians. You have your honor back, my forgiveness, and all of my best wishes.”

Neflyte stood with tears falling from his eyes. He had hoped to one day go through this ceremony - maybe when he was a great-grandfather - but, never did he dare to dream it would come this fast. Again he held his right clenched fist against his heart, but this time bowed to the proper height. “I pledge to serve you, my Princess. To help recover our Prince Darien. And to help restore what we helped to destroy.”

In the same manner, she reinstated both Malachite and Zoicite as Generals and Scout High Guardians. And both accepted and pledged themselves to Princess Serena as Neflyte had. Though it was normally done with a sword, everyone understood what she meant by it.

Serena was proud that Zoicite was the first woman ever given that honor. She had gained her title and service while she was a man, but had asked all the Gods and Goddesses that were willing to aide that she could remain a woman - and one day give her love the children they both longed to have. Someone must have listened - the same someone who had spoke to her in the temple.

They went over their past with Artemis and Luna, the attack and destruction of the kingdom being painful for the High Guardians.

Each of the girls was a Princess of their own planets, as Luna had explained before. But each girl was also a Sailor Scout and a member of Serena’s Court.

They realized that the reason they did not remember their own pasts, was so that they could grow up to lead normal lives if they were not needed as Scouts. But, now it was time for them to begin remembering - each in their own time.

They knew that their battle against Beryl and the Negaverse had only just begun.

* * * * * * * *

Well, it looks like Serena had been right on back at Neflyte’s birthday party.

Now where do we go from here?

Well just hold on and I’ll tell you.