This is a song fic called "At the Beginning."  One of my fave songs!  
Read and enjoy!  Oh, this is based on the Sailor Moon Manga!

This was originally posted only on Lady Spring's website, but now I 
felt it could be posted on all the other sites too.  So if this is 
your first time reading this, shame on you for not visiting Spring-
chans' site like I told you to!  The addy again is:
http://www.geocities.com/Tokyo/Lights/3406/index.html

So move it!  Everything on her site is Usa/Mamo romance only!  And 
only the best are aloud on her site, so I garunte that everything is 
good, cause I've read it all.  SO GO!

MMARY2000!  I hope you are reaing this!  I just want to say that I 
have gotten all of your mail, but I can't mail you back for some 
reason.  One of my friends helped me and sent a letter for me, but I 
don't want to have to keep doing that for her.  Thanks for your 
letters!

RATING: PG- This is based on the manga, so it is much darker than the 
anime would be.  But it is not too bad!

DISCLAIMER: I do not own Sailor Moon.  This song is copyright 1997 TCF 
Music Publishing Inc.  It's sung by Richard Marx and Donna Lewis and 
written by Lynn Ahrens and Stephen Flaherty.  Hope that covers it!

AT THE BEGINNING
From the "Anastasia" sound track

<We were strangers starting out on a journey>

Bunny looked at the test paper and sighed.  "I'm going home!"  She 
crumbled the paper into a ball and threw it over her head.

"Hey, watch it, **Cow Tails!" Darien yelled from behind her as the 
paper hit him in the head.

"These are not Cow Tails!  They are called "PIG TAILS, stupid!  PIG 
TAILS!" Bunny yelled at him.

Darien smirked as he saw the test paper.  "30?  Whose calling who 
stupid, Cow Tails?"  He threw the paper back at her, hitting her 
on the head.

<Never dreaming what we'd have to go through>

Sailor Moon sat on the ground in OSA-P jewelry store.  "I HATE THIS!  I 
WANT TO GO HOME!" she wailed, causing super sonic sound waves to be 
charged from her hairpieces.

Tuxedo Mask called out to Sailor Moon from his place on the windowsill.  
"Don't cry, Sailor Moon!  Now's your chance!"

Sailor Moon stopped crying for a moment and turned to where Tuxedo Mask 
was.

<Now here we are and I'm suddenly standing at the beginning with you>

"I didn't find the Silver Imperium Crystal here," Sailor Moon turned 
to the sound of the voice after she had destroyed the monster and 
looked as Tuxedo Mask began to jump from the window.  "But I did enjoy 
the show!"

Sailor Moon looked at him in awe.  "My name is Tuxedo Mask.  I won't 
forget you, Sailor Moon."

<No one told me I was going to find you>

Tuxedo Mask picked up the handkerchief that the young lady that had 
run by him had dropped.  He stretched it and read the name on it.  
"Bunny - Crossroads Jr. High."

He turned toward the ballroom and smiled.  'So, my Princess is here.'

<Unexpected what you did to my heart>

Darien, dressed as Tuxedo Mask, walked up to Bunny and took her hands.  "Beautiful Princess...may I have this dance?" he asked as he pulled 
her towards him.

Bunny gasped and then smiled a little.  "Just now, I was thinking I 
wanted to see you," she whispered.

Tuxedo Mask felt his heart flutter.  "Me too," he whispered back as he 
pulled her closer to him.

<When I lost hope you were there to remind me this is the start>

As Tuxedo Mask and Bunny fell from the balcony, Bunny pulled her Luna 
Pen out and the two floated down to safety.  When they were safely on 
the ground, Tuxedo Mask turned to Bunny and smiled at her.  "Thank you, 
Sailor Moon.  You saved me."

He turned and ran off.  Bunny held her broach in her hand and looked 
after him.  "No, you're always the one who saves me."

<Life is a road and I wanna keep going>

After the battle with Nephrite, Sailor Moon walked to the refreshment 
table and took a drink thinking it to be juice.  She sipped it and 
hiccuped.  "Oh!  This is...kinda tasty..." she said as she began to 
sway.

She bumped into Tuxedo Mask and passed out.  Tuxedo Mask smiled at her, 
picked her up, and carried her out to the balcony.

<Love is a river I wanna keep flowing>

Tuxedo Mask laid Sailor Moon down on a bench on the balcony outside of 
the Embassy.  He gently brushed her bangs from her face and remembered 
her words from earlier.  Slowly, he bent down and kissed her deeply.

<Life is the road now and forever, wonderful journey>

Sailor Moon felt this and sighed and responded to the kiss.  'This 
feels like something from a long time ago...Somewhere...soft lips...
warm arms...sweet kisses...many, many times...'

<I'll be there when the world stops turning>

Darien was studying in his apartment when he felt a strange power.  
Taking off his reading glasses he turned and looked out his window.  'Bizarre...the whole town has stopped?' he thought.  He then saw 
people passing out in the streets and his pulse sped up.  'MY GOD!'

<I'll be there when the storm is through>

Darien ran out of his apartment and on the streets of Tokyo.  He turned 
a corner in time to see Bunny pass out from lack of energy.  He ran to 
her and held her, checking her pulse.

He transformed into Tuxedo Mask as Bunny began waking up.  She opened 
her eyes and gasped, "Tuxedo Mask?!"  They gripped their hands tighter 
together.

"You must morph, into Sailor Moon."  Bunny gasped.  "Only you can save everyone," he told her.  Bunny nodded, and transformed.

<In the end I wanna be standing at the beginning with you>

Bunny saw Darien in the park.  She walked up to him, "Hey!"

He closed the book he was reading about Crystals.  His mind flashed 
back to only a few days before, when he was powerless to save her from 
Zoisite.  He pulled his glasses off, "I don't know, Buns."  He turned 
to her and smiled.  "I don't deserve to be with you...but it seems 
like it's fate."

Bunny blushed and turned her head slightly.  'Fate?'

<We were strangers on a crazy adventure>

Sailor Moon, the other three Sailor Scouts and the Princess** climbed 
to the top of Tokyo tower.  Up at the top, she made her speech and 
pulled out her crescent moon wand.  "Moon Healing Escalation!" she 
called out, healing the entire city of Tokyo from the Dark Kingdom's 
spell.

Kunzite released a blast of energy at her, causing her to fall off of 
Tokyo Tower.  The others called out for her and she screamed.

<Never dreaming how our dreams would come true>

Tuxedo Mask caught her and she wrapped her arms around his neck.  'No 
way!  Again?!'  He pulled away to look at her for a moment and she 
gazed at him with wide eyes.  "It's not safe here.  We're battling 
the enemy!  Run away as far as you can!"  She then leaned forward and 
kissed his lips quickly before running back to the battle.

<Now here we stand unafraid of the future>

As Kunzite grew more powerful, Sailor Moon knew what she had to do.  
'I've got to get the Princess to safety!  I've got to protect her!' 
she thought as she used her wand to move her and the other Sailor Scouts 
out of the way; but not herself.

Tuxedo Mask watched as Kunzite fired at Sailor Moon.  'This time, I'll 
protect her.  For once...'  He jumped in front of Sailor Moon and took 
the hit himself.

<At the beginning with you>

As he looked up to Sailor Moon's tear-streaked face he remembered.  
'Such a sad face...why are you crying?  This has happened before...'

In a flashback he remembers Serenity screaming his name.  "ENDYMION!  
ENDYMION!"

'Endymion...that's my name...' he thought.

<Life is a road and I wanna keep going>

'I remember.  I was reborn here, to find you...' he thought.  
"Serenity..." Darien whispered as he brought his hands to touch her 
face.  With a sigh, his head went limp and his arms fell to his sides.

"No...!" Sailor Moon whispered.  "NOOO!!" she screamed as her Tiara 
cracked, to reveal a shining crescent moon.  While the crescent moon 
on Sailor Venus' forehead vanished and turned into a normal tiara.

<Love is a river I wanna keep flowing>

Princess Serenity held Tuxedo Mask in her arms as his broken star 
pocket watch** came to her.  'I remember, Tuxedo Mask,' she thought 
sadly.  'My beloved, Endymion...Sometimes I would descend to Earth, just 
to see him.'

<Life is the road now and forever, wonderful journey>

Serenity was spying on Endymion in the gardens and he caught her.  "We 
mustn't keep meeting like this!" he told her.  "Communication between 
the people of the Moon and the Earth is forbidden!  It is the way of 
the Gods!  We mustn't fall in love!" he said.

Serenity leaned forward and kissed him.  'But it is already too late.'

<I'll be there when the world stops turning>

As Beryl led the attack against the Moon, Prince Endymion protected 
Princess Serenity.  "PRINCE!" Beryl called.  "Do you betray us?  We 
fight for Earth!" she told him.

<I'll be there when the storm is through>

"STOP!" Endymion told her.  "Stop this useless fighting!"

Beryl came up to the Prince with a wicked gleam in her eye.  She raised 
her sword and struck him in the back, as the Prince protected Serenity 
from the blade.

<In the end I wanna be standing at the beginning with you>

Serenity screamed and cried out for Endymion.  "NOOOO!!  ENDYMION!"  
She took his fallen sword and held it to her breast.  With out a 
second thought, she stabbed herself through the chest with his sword.

<I knew there was somebody somewhere like me alone in the dark>

"Talk to me..." the Princess whispered.  Open your eyes!"  'Is this 
our fate, Endymion?'

"TUXEDO MASK!"  'I still have so much I want to tell you!'  Tears 
welled up in her eyes and one streaked down her cheek.  "My love...my 
one and only..."

<Now I know my dream will live on, I've been waiting so long>

The tear began to glow and slowly the Silver Imperium Crystal formed 
from her tear.  A bright flash of light encompass all of Tokyo and 
Serenity held her Crystal in mid air and looked at it in awe.

<Nothing's gonna tear us apart>

With out being totally focused, Serenity held the Silver Crystal over 
Tuxedo Mask's body, and *willed* him to live.  A piece of the Imperium 
Crystal leapt into his body in hopes of bringing life to him.

<Life is a road and I wanna keep going>

Tuxedo Mask watched as Sailor Venus collapsed after using the Sword of 
Imperium Silver Crystal.  He leapt forward and grabbed the unconscious 
Venus, along with the sword, and teleported away with them and the 
Silver Crystal.

"V-babe!" Sailor Moon called as she ran after Tuxedo Mask through the 
portal he had created.

'Hang on, Mina!  Darien!  I'll save you both!'

<Love is a river I wanna keep flowing>

Sailor Moon watched as nothing they did effected Tuxedo Mask.  Her 
breaths came short and struggling.  'Do I have to fight him?  Do I have 
to kill him?'

"No...NOOOO!!" she screamed as she grabbed her head in frustration.  
The Imperium Crystal and Tuxedo Mask began to shift and react to 
Sailor Moon's cries.

"Tuxedo Mask and the Imperium Crystal are reacting to the confusion in 
Bunny's heart," Luna told the other Scouts.

<Life is the road now and forever, wonderful journey>

Energy began to swirl around Tuxedo Mask and Sailor Moon called for 
her mother.  'Help me Queen Serenity!'

'You are the only one...' Serenity responded.

'I can't do it,' Sailor Moon argued.

'Be proud of the fact that you are a Princess, and the champion of 
justice, Sailor Moon.'

<I'll be there when the world stops turning>

Sailor Moon looked up.  'Is there no choice?  I can't stand to see him 
like this anymore.'  She took the sword from the ground and ran towards 
him with the others calling for her from behind her.

'Is this the only way?'

<I'll be there when the storm is through>

'Is this, the reason we were reborn?' she thought as she took the 
sword and stabbed Endymion with it.

As he fell, Sailor Moon looked into his eyes and kissed him deeply as 
tears ran down her cheeks.

<In the end I wanna be standing at the beginning with you>

'Darien...'  Sailor Moon took the sword and thrust it into herself, as 
she did a thousand years ago.

'Endymion...Even if we're reborn in another life, we'll find each 
other...and then...we'll fall in love again.  Endymion...'

<Life is a road and I wanna keep going>

Sailor Moon freed herself and Tuxedo Mask from inside of Metalia after 
they had been swallowed up.  She took Darien's hand and felt it 
getting warmer inside of her own.  "Darien?" she whispered.

"Sailor Moon?" he said as he opened his eyes.

<Love is a river I wanna keep going on>

Tuxedo Mask called encouragement to Sailor Moon in her friends absence.  
"Gather all of your power.  If that's not enough, I'll give you mine."  
He reached up and touched her face.  "I'll help you instead of your 
friends.  I'll stay by your side...Serenity."

"Endymion..." Sailor Moon whispered.

<Starting out on a journey>

Sailor Moon looked more determined as she began to pray to the Great 
Power of the Moon.  'I will win!' she thought with determination.  As 
she gathered more and more power the moonlight became brighter and 
brighter.  "This sacred light...will burn you to dust!" she yelled to 
Metalia as she released all of her energy and killed the evil Queen 
who had caused so much pain.

<Life is a road I wanna keep going>

Tuxedo Mask walked over to Sailor Moon and knelt down beside her.  
'You're so cold,' he thought as he brought her cheek to his.  'Have you 
used all your energy?  All you life force?

<Love is a river I wanna keep flowing>

Slowly, Darien bent down and closed the distance between their lips and 
kissed her long and passionately.  When he pulled back, Bunny's eyes 
opened ever so slowly.

"Endymion?" She whispered as they touched each other's faces.

"Serenity!"

"Endymion!  I've found you!  I've finally found you!"

<In the end I wanna be standing at the beginning with you>

Bunny cried as he held her.  "Darien, I'm so happy."

"Buns..." Darien whispered as he held her tighter.  "I've wanted to 
hold you for so long..."

Bunny looked up at him and smiled.  "We were born here to find each 
other again.  I love you Darien."

'I'll never let go.'

The end.

**Wow!  Lots of different things in the manga first, in the American 
version of the Manga Darien called Bunny "Cowtails," and not "Meatball 
Head" Darien and Bunny knew about each others alternate identities 
long before they knew about being the Prince and Princess.  At the 
Embassy Ball Bunny dropped her handkerchief and Darien picked it up.  
He was still Tuxedo Mask and knew before she did.  Later on he told 
her after she used an extraordinary amount of energy.  After that 
Darien started calling her "Buns" or "Usako" in the Japanese version.

In the manga, Sailor Venus was thought to be the Moon Princess and she 
claimed to be.  The truth was that she had regained her memories of the 
Moon Kingdom before the others and was acting as the Princess until the 
true one emerged.  They weren't counting on many of the events that did 
happen to happen.

And as for the star pocket watch, that was what was used in the manga, 
not a locket.  Though I personally like the locket better!

I think (occasionally!) that that's about it!  There are a lot of things different in the manga then anime and I personally like the manga better 
so far! ^_~

Ja!

Stefanie