Author's notes: Not too much this time around. This is the chapter when the illustration come in. Hope everyone likes it. Please let me know Remember not to look at the picture until after the point in the text marked with a "~". If you can't find the "~", the illustration is of the picture one of the characters shows another character in the restaurant (when you read it, you'll know ^_^). There that should set everyone straight. As I said, I drew this, so please let me know if you like it. Of course you all know that Sailor Moon and it's characters belong to Takeuchi Naoko, Kodansha, and many other large miscellaneous companies. Any other characters in this story (there aren't that many) belong to me, and if you want to use them, please let me know. As always, any and all comments please send them to On with the story. Wrong Choices Chapter 4 Motoki stared at his friend as he nervously shredded his napkin. "I'm sorry, but my friend is a little late," he said in heavily accented English. "He speaks English better than I do. He will be able to take you to the theater. I'm sorry, but my wife needs me..." he stammered as his friend's nervous attitude began to affect him. A very pregnant Reika waited for him at home, and she needed him there to soothe her tonight. She was expected to go into labor any day now. He looked out the restaurant's window searching for Mamoru. Finally spotting him, he smiled at the American sitting in front of him. He and Mamoru would get along, they both had that distant sadness in their eyes. Mamoru walked to the table and the two men stood to greet him. "Ah, Mamoru, you are here. Chiba Mamoru, I'd like to introduce you to Timothy Walters from America," Motoki said in English. "Nice to meet you, Mr. Walters" Mamoru said in almost perfect English and smiled at Tim as he extended his hand. "You too, Chiba-san," he said as he took his hand. "I'm sorry, but I must leave you two to get acquainted. Reika is waiting for me at home. Mamoru, could you please take Timothy-san to the theater, later?" "Of course, Motoki." "Thank you. You are in good company, Timothy-san," with that Motoki shook Tim's hand and hurried out of the restaurant. The two men sat. "So, Mr. Walters, what brings you to Japan?" Mamoru asks him. "I'm here with a young lady who is a performer in a dance company." "Ah, a young lady," Mamoru said with a knowing look taking the glass of water sitting in front of him to his lips. "Serenity is not really..." trailing off, too immersed in self-pity to notice that Mamoru choked on the water he was drinking. "Serenity?" choked Mamoru. "Yes, that's her name. She's the dancer I'm going to see tonight. Would you like to come? She's really the most beautiful dancer in the entire production company. Here I have one of the proofs from some pictures she took for a magazine." While Timothy searched his wallet, Mamoru's mind strayed. This can't be the same Serenity, but then again it is too much of a coincidence. Usako, a dancer? Timothy handed him a picture and Mamoru took it with trembling hands~. He looked at it with a mixture of joy and pain passing through his eyes. Serenity stood there in her dance costume in a dramatic pose. Her face pointed away from the camera facing her right shoulder with her eyes closed. Her arms bent and her hands clasped at her chest her long fingers pointing toward her left shoulder. An invisible force seemed to rustle the skirt of the costume around her legs and her silver hair behind her. On her head were two knots of hair, and on her forehead a crescent moon. The costume was an abbreviated version of her Princess gown, and her white slippers had a crescent moon on the top. Mamoru paled and he put down the picture as his hands began to tremble uncontrollably. "Are you alright, Chiba-san?" Timothy asked looking at him with concern. "Yes, Mr. Walters," he said absently. "Anyway she's not really interested in me." "What makes you say that?" Mamoru prodded. Timothy saw that as an invitation to reveal everything to this stranger. For some reason, he felt as if he knew him in some way, and he had no problem talking to someone about Usagi. "Well right before the trip, I finally had the courage to kiss her." Mamoru flinched as if struck, and had to fight the overwhelming desire to hit the man in the face, but instead he continued to question him. "What happened?" "She responded at first, but then she whispered something and froze. Then she told me that she could never love me, but she asked me to come to support her here. So here I am. We are still friends, and I do so love to watch her dance." He looked at his watch noticing that they only have an hour until curtains. "Chiba-san, we must get going if we are going to be on time to the performance. You are joining me, right?" "I wouldn't miss it for the world," he answered truthfully. His mind was still reeling from what the American had told him. They stood, walked out of the restaurant, and strolled in silence to his car. As Timothy began to sit in the passenger seat, he looked over at Mamoru who was on the other side opening his door. "Chiba-san, what does 'mamochan' mean?" At the question, Mamoru had to lean against the car for support. "Where did you hear that?" "That is the word that Serenity whispered as we kissed, but when I asked her what it meant she gave me the strangest answer." "What did she say it meant?" Mamoru asked letting the tiniest bit of hope to seep into his heart. "She said it meant 'my only love'" he shrugged as Mamoru nodded a confirmation and he got in the car. Mamoru was grateful for the dark parking lot and the fact that Timothy was already in the car; for he let two solitary tears spill from his eyes. This time they were tears of joy and newfound hope. ***** Serenity stood behind the curtain waiting for her cue. She was dressed in her costume, but the crown with the ginzuishou completed the look. She looked down at her costume and nervously smoothed out the wrinkles on one of the strands of her skirt. The costume was an abbreviated version of her princess gown: the top and sleeves were an exact replica of her dress, but streaming from the adorned empire waist, hiding the leotard underneath, were strands of frilly white fabric that constituted the skirt. The front strands ended above the knee while the strands in the back of the dress ended below her calves. She wore white tights and white slippers with crescent moons adorning the middle. She was nervous. If she couldn't concentrate, she couldn't dance, so she tried desperately to push thoughts of the day's events from her mind. The stage manager signaled that it was her turn to take center stage. In the darkness she walked through the curtain and positioned herself in the center of the stage. The melody began to play as the theater lights were gradually brought up. A spotlight followed her every move, every slight movement of her arms, her graceful fingers caressing the air around her. Her legs sliced the air as she twirled and danced on the stage. The audience was silent as she brought them into the music, making them feel the joy she felt when she heard the melody. They could only hope to imagine the meaning behind the melody, but one member of the audience sitting in the front row, knew exactly what the melody meant. It was their melody, the melody of their locket. She danced for the world, yet she danced only for him. Mamoru felt his heart soar as he watched her graceful movements. She moved to the melody they shared, and his heart beat with her heart's rhythm. They were each a part of the other. As Serenity continued to dance a myriad of thoughts ran through her head. Bits and pieces of conversations attacked her mind at the same time. Right wrongs, Endymion, Chibi-Usa, Usagi is dead, Ami-chan, fulfill your destiny, it's all my fault, Chibi-Usa, Endymion, right wrongs, fulfill your destiny, Endymion....the thoughts begged for attention. The crescent moon appeared on her forehead as she twirled ready to do the final leap. She took two steps and leapt into the air her arms behind her, her silver hair waving a trail behind her. She seemed to fly as she stayed in the air for an impossible length of time until, suddenly, she clutched her head, gasped in pain, and collapsed on the stage with a loud thud. The audience gasped in horror as their angel fell gracelessly to earth. Mamoru was the first on the stage followed closely by Tim. Serenity lay on the stage grasping her knees to her chest and whispering to herself. Mamoru knelt beside her only to be pushed aside by a very worried and oblivious Tim. "Usagi, what's wrong?" he asked her as he placed a hand on her shoulder. She looked up from her trance and her eyes were wide with horror. "Tim," she said as she slowly got to her knees, "I need you to tell my uncle that I have to leave." "But where are you going?" he asked as she stood. "The hospital." "I'll meet you there," he said as he got up and ran off the stage. "Serenity," Mamoru said catching up to her, "what's the matter? Are you hurt" "Endymion," she said looking at him through teary eyes, "it's Ami-chan she's slipping away. Please go find Rei and the others, they need to be there too," she pleaded with him, and when he nodded she ran off the stage and into the cool night. Serenity ran through the park taking a short-cut to the nearby hospital. She was so intent on her destination that she didn't notice the man following her through the shadows. ***** End of Chapter 4. Really short chapter this time. No need to worry, saved the best and longest for last. What will happen to Serenity? Who is the man following her through the shadows? What will happen to Ami? Will Serenity and Endymion be together? Stop asking so many questions, and just read on! Hey don't forget to let me know if you liked the picture