Thought for the week: A little girl I used to teach in preschool once said to me, "The man in the moon is a girl." (We were learning about space.) I wonder. . . did she know something more? ^_^ Sailor Moon and all its characters are owned by Naoko Takeuchi, and copyrighted by Toei, Kodansha, Bandai, and DiC. The ideas from "Anastasia" are the property of 20th Century Fox, and I thank them for creating the ideas in order to make this fic come to life. You know the rest. . . Memories of Yesterday Chapters 1 & 2 by Sailor Elysia Since the destruction of the Moon Kingdom ten years earlier, the people who remained lived in constant fear of another attack. It could happen at any moment; they were never quite sure. They helped pass the time and get their minds off their worries by listening to the constant rumors coming from the surrounding settlements and outlying planets. However, the newest rumor had people hoping it was true. This one had come from the earth, and was thought to have been said by Queen Serenity herself. It was believed that Princess Serenity was still alive and living somewhere on the moon. The queen was planning to return to investigate, and preparing to offer a large reward to anyone who had any information about her daughter. ~*~*~*~*~*~ In a poor village on the outskirts of the Lunarian capital, a young girl stepped out of the doorway of a rundown orphanage. She was eighteen years old, and could no longer stay at the orphanage. The owner of the orphanage was kind enough to find work for Sere in the village, but that was as far as her kindness went. "I've found you work with the seamstress. She is expecting you by tomorrow. You must travel into the main village to get there. Do you understand?" she commanded in her raspy voice. Sere paid no attention to the rambling woman, she was too busy saying goodbye to all her friends to answer. "Sere! Are you listening to me?" "I hear you, Koji-san," Sere mumbled. "Good. Now follow this road to the crossroads, and you should be able to find your way from there." Sere grumbled a response, pulled her long coat around her to keep the cold out and started down the long road towards the village. The weary woman yelled after her. "Ungrateful wretch! Aren't you even going to thank me for what I've done for you?" ~*~*~*~*~*~ Sere easily found the crossroads and the large signpost Koji-san had described. One arrow pointed towards the capital city, and the other pointed to the path leading into the tiny village. "Believe me, I am grateful. I'm grateful to finally get away from you, and your torment. What a crab," Sere muttered. She pulled her hat from her pocket, placed it on her head, and shoved her long blonde braid beneath it. "I don't want to work for some seamstress, I can't even sew! I want to be free to do what I want. I want to live life to its fullest." She rummaged in her pocket and pulled out a small star-shaped locket. She cradled it in her palm. "I want to know who I really am," she said quietly. If only she knew where she got this necklace from, then maybe she could understand her past. Any memories that still existed was very vague. Sere hung the locket around her neck, and started down the path leading towards the capital city, leaving behind her old life. ~*~*~*~*~*~ The hustle and bustle of the Lunarian capital amazed Sere. From the few times she had been allowed into the village, she knew how busy the market could be, but this? She had never seen so many people in her life. And the rows of shops lining the streets were absolutely overwhelming. "The first thing I need to do is find work," she said to herself. "Then once I have enough money, I can go search for my family, if I have any left, that is." "Excuse me sir, could you tell--" she started to ask, but the man kept walking, taking no notice of her. "No time to give directions, but plenty of time to be rude," she muttered under her breath. Sere felt a soft tap on her shoulder. She whirled around and found a haggard-looking old woman. "If you're looking for work, go to the capitol, and ask for Endymion. He might be able to help," she said in a half-wheezing, half-whisper. Sere thanked the old woman, and set off to find the 'capitol' she had mentioned. ~*~*~*~*~*~ After asking several people, and taking several wrong turns, Sere found it in the middle of the older part of town. She was able to see the top of it from the outer road, but it was hard to find its main gate in the maze of streets. As she gazed upon it through the old rusted gate, she noted what remained of the Crescent Capitol was slowly crumbling, leaving only memories of the once glorious kingdom. She slipped through a door that was poorly boarded up, took off her hat, and began climbing the stairs. Funny how this place almost seemed familiar to her, but she brushed the thought away as quick as it had come. As she roamed the halls, Sere could see that this once was a magnificent place. The walls were lined with expensive looking tapestries, and many portraits hung on top of them. Although most of them had not been damaged in the initial blast, time and neglect had left only a few intact. A large portrait at the end of the hall had survived and Sere marveled at its beauty. The portrait showed two figures, dressed alike with a similar hairstyle. She wiped the thick dust from the bottom of the frame to read the inscription. "Queen Serenity of the Moon Kingdom and her Daughter," she read to herself. Sere had heard stories about the Moon Kingdom, but hadn't really believed them. Now she had the proof staring her in the face. Suddenly, Sere heard a faint tinkling sound, as if a music box was playing somewhere nearby. She glanced around the corridor for any clues, then looked down and removed her locket from around her neck and held it in her hand, peering closely at the golden object, which had been the source of the noise all along. "That's funny, I've never heard it do that before." But what was even more strange, was the tune it played sounded somewhat familiar to her, though she couldn't understand why. Sere placed the locket back in her pocket, hoping to muffle the sound, and continued to study the portraits along the hallway. ~*~*~*~*~*~ A young man that the city only knew as Endymion sat in the room he had converted into an office in the rundown palace. Only he and his confidante, Artemis, knew of this place. People that wanted work-- among other things--came to him. The rumor of Princess Serenity being alive and locating her current whereabouts had quickly captured his attention--or more importantly, the amount of the reward money being offered. With that kind of money, Endymion wouldn't have to be stuck in this place any longer. He figured he could find a girl who looked like the princess, teach her everything he and Artemis knew about her, and the queen would never know the difference. So far, unfortunately, they had been unsuccessful in finding anyone who remotely looked like or even acted like the princess. Artemis sat on the edge of the desk, his tail twitching back and forth, watching Endymion thumb through an endless stack of papers. Since their wing of the palace was not open to the public, they were usually left alone, save the small amount of "business" they had; which was the way they preferred it. Suddenly, the cat's ears perked up from an unfamiliar sound. "Endy, did you hear that?" Endymion didn't look up from his papers. "Hear what?" "I thought I heard something in the hall," Artemis said, jumping down from the desk to the hardwood floor. "Your hearing has always been better than mine, Artemis. It's probably nothing," Endymion said, looking down at the white cat. His ears twitched a second time. "There it is again, listen!" Endymion concentrated, and finally heard what sounded like a faint music box. He got up from his desk and walked to the door, opening it slowly and quietly. He glanced into the hallway to see the back of a young lady with long blonde hair tied back into a braid, partially shoved beneath an oversized winter cap. This was an out-of-the-ordinary thing, and being the curious person he was, Endymion opened the door all the way. He leaned against the door frame, an amused expression appearing on his face. "Just what do you think you're doing here?" ~*~*~*~*~*~ Sere jumped, startled at the sudden voice, and looked behind her. There stood a young man, arms folded, leaning against a door frame, glaring intently at her. Not knowing what he might want from her, instinct suddenly took over, and she started running down the long hallway, away from danger. This caught him off guard, and he started running after her. "Hey! Stop!" Endymion took off after the girl. "Stop!" He caught up with her at the other end of the hall. She stood beneath the large picture of Queen Serenity, trying to catch her breath. "How did you get in--" Endymion stopped as he fully caught a glimpse of the girl's facial features. He did a double take at the girl, at the large picture hanging behind her, then back at her again. The similarity was incredible. If the princess had had a twin sister, this girl could be it. Idea. . . Sere decided to try to talk her way of out of this mess. "Look, I'm sorry, I didn't know anyone else was in this old place. I didn't mean any harm, honest. I was told to come here to find someone named Endymion. Do you know where I can find him?" He looked back at her, no expression apparent on his face. "That all depends, why do you ask?" She made up her mind that this man *had* to be Endymion. Who else would want to live in this old place? She cleared her throat. "I'm Sere, and I'm looking for some help. I'm also trying to search for my family, but I have no clue how to begin looking for them. They say you're the one to see." Endymion looked at her, studying her carefully. He had to find a way to persuade this girl to be a part of his plan without her knowing too much. "So you want work, so you can search for your family. Well, where do you think they might be?" "I'm not sure. I don't remember anything much before I was eight years old. Maybe they live on the earth?" she replied, the idea suddenly popping into her head. This was getting better by the minute, Endymion thought to himself. They had to go to the earth to find the queen anyway. "Endy, is everything under control?" a voice trailed down the hallway. He turned to pick up the white cat, and placed him on his shoulder. "Yes, Artemis, everything is fine." Sere raised an eyebrow. "You talk to your cat?" she asked incredulously. "Well, I'd think it very rude if he didn't," Artemis retorted. Her eyes widened in surprise. "A talking cat? Now I've seen it all." "Okay, where were we?" Endymion broke in, using his fingers as a checklist. "Oh, yes, you want to go to the earth because you think your family lives there. Well, it just so happens that we are also going to the earth, and have room to take one more person." "Great! " Sere said excitedly. "However," he continued, "that place is reserved for her," pointing to the portrait behind Sere, "Princess Serenity." "We plan to reunite the princess with her mother, Queen Serenity," Artemis said matter-of-factly. "You know, you kinda look like her, " Endymion said, glancing at her as if the thought had just come to him. "Wait a minute," Sere interrupted. "You think *I* could be the Princess? I thought you had lost it for talking to your cat, but now I'm beginning to wonder if you ever had it. I think you've been living in this dreary place alone for too long, mister." "Look, I know it sounds strange, but it could be true," Endymion replied, losing his patience. "You look a lot like her, and you believe your family might be living on earth. The princess's only family lives there. But, if you don't want to come with us, it's understandable. Good luck trying to find work." Endymion turned and slowly started walking back down the hall. "Are you crazy, Endy? Why'd you go and do that?" Artemis hissed in his ear. "Take it easy, Artemis. I've got it all under control," Endymion muttered as he continued walking back to his tiny office. ~*~*~*~*~*~ Sere stood there and watched them walk away, along with what was probably her only chance to discover her past. She glanced once more at the portrait. What if. . . "Endymion, Artemis, wait!" she called. He turned around, trying not to appear too eager. "Yes?" "So you're saying I could be this princess, but if it turns out I'm not, then it's all just a big mistake, right?" "And if you actually are the princess, you won't need work, and you'll finally have a family," Artemis replied. After a moment of contemplating, she looked up, a smile beaming on her face. "Let's do it! " Sere exclaimed, shaking Endymion's hand to seal the deal. ~*~*~*~*~*~ Chapter Two To save what little money they had, the threesome--well, two humans and a cat--set out walking to the nearest harbor, which was forty miles away from the city. Along the way, Artemis and Endymion began teaching Sere how to behave more like a princess. Which, as they soon found out, was not a very easy task to do. ~*~*~*~*~*~ "Endy, I just thought of something!" Artemis exclaimed happily. "I'll get to see Luna after all these years." "Shut up, Artemis," Endymion muttered under his breath. "Luna? Who's Luna?" Sere questioned. "I haven't seen her for years, but we were always the best of friends. She's the royal advisor to Queen Serenity," Artemis finished proudly. Endymion had a sudden urge to play 'smack the kitty.' Sere was puzzled. "Royal advisor? But I thought you said we were going to see the queen herself." She stopped in the middle of the road, and turned to glare at Endymion. "Would you care to tell me what's going on?" Endymion found it difficult to look Sere in the eye. He and Artemis had come quickly to find out the girl had a temper that could be compared to a volcano. He gulped. "Well, anyone who wishes to see the queen has to go through Luna first. Especially anyone claiming to be the princess." Sere threw her hands up in disgust. "Why didn't you tell me this sooner? I don't look or act anything like a princess! Pretending to be royalty is one thing, but lying about it is another." "How do you know it's a lie? What if it's true?" Endymion retorted to get him off the hook. Sere didn't know what to say, and her mouth closed slowly. What if it really was true, and she really was this long-lost moon princess? After all she had been through in her life, it all seemed too far-fetched to be real. ~*~*~*~*~*~ Six long, tiresome days later, they reached the harbor. There they were able to book passage and board the next ship leaving for Earth immediately. When Sere returned to her small cabin after a light supper, she found what she could only describe as a dress lying on her bunk. Obviously, Endymion was trying to be nice--*trying* being the key word here--but had not bothered to look at the size of the dress when he bought it. Next time he picked out clothes, she reminded herself to advise him to not let Artemis have the final say. If he expected her to wear this, there was *a lot* of adjusting to do on it first. ~*~*~*~*~*~ Endymion looked up from his conversation with the co-pilot of the ship to see a very different Sere standing in the doorway of the stateroom, looking around for a familiar face. The light pink dress he had bought in a hurry on their way to the harbor definitely looked better on her than it had in a heap on a table. The cool linen material hugged her slim figure, her bright blue eyes sparkled in the light, and her long blonde hair hung loosely down her back. For the first time since this adventure began, Endymion realized Sere was an attractive young woman. So attractive, in fact, that he found it difficult to keep his eyes off her as she sat down next to him. Apparently, the young co-pilot seemed to notice her as well, for he quickly directed his attention over to her. A small stirring of jealousy overcame Endymion--why though, he didn't know--and he started to form a plan to subtly win back her attention. He looked at her from across the table. Catching her gaze, he said, "Sere, would you care to dance with me?" Her smile faded slightly. "I'm afraid I don't know how to dance, Endy." He smiled inwardly at her use of his nickname. "Well, since it's something you need to know anyway, I'd better teach you." He stood, and held out his hand to her. She lightly placed his hand in his, stood up, and they moved away from the table. Endymion placed Sere's hand on his shoulder, and he laid his other hand gently on her waist. He then started to slowly lead her around the room. Sere blushed from being so close to Endymion. She had only known him for a short time, and yet, she felt she had known him much longer. He was being so patient in helping her learn to dance, and he didn't even complain when she stepped on his foot--twice. Sere was tempted to lean her head on his shoulder. She felt so safe and comfortable in his arms. What was coming over her? She had never felt like this around anyone before. Was this what people called love? Was she falling in love with Endymion? ~*~*~*~*~*~ Endymion studied Sere's face as she gradually stopped watching her feet and began to look up into his face. He smiled when she smiled, and even laughed with her when she finally mastered a new step. He was barely aware that the music had stopped, and didn't notice they were the only ones left in the stateroom. He wanted to continue dancing, and never let go of her. He slowly backed away from Sere and couldn't help but just stare at her. "Sere, I. . . " the words caught in his throat. Suddenly, an urge to kiss her flooded his senses, and he didn't know what to do. Instead he just grasped her hand, and gave it an affectionate squeeze. He dropped it, and quickly walked away from her and out of the room. As he returned to his cabin, Endymion realized he needed Sere for much more than a look-a-like for the moon princess now. His life wasn't complete without her. Ever so slowly, this once annoying girl was winning his heart. One Last Note: I got the idea for this fic after watching the movie--especially the part where Dimitri walks away in his cape and top hat. Hmm, now who does that remind you of? *grin* See you soon! ^_^ Elysia-chan julcie@juno.com