Author's note: Yipe! I just looked at my readme and realized that it ended with a name I used on AOL and not Palin. Let me just say it was a mistake. If you haven't read the readme and prologue, I'd suggest you start there, so you at least know I'm writing about Sailor Moon. See readme for disclaimers. And in case you are wondering, yes this is still a Sailor Moon story, I've just got to introduce my new character. - Palin Chapter 1 A funeral and a New Beginning The last day of school was supposed to be fun and joyful. But for Paul Anderson and his friends, it was a very sad day for two reasons. First, Paul was leaving the next morning for Tokyo, Japan, where he would be an exchange student for the year, and would possibly stay. This was especially sad for him because he had been in Houston, Texas longer than he had stayed anywhere in his life. When he had moved from London, he finally made some real friends. He wanted to stay, but at the same time he knew that this was a great opportunity and didn't want to pass it up. The other reason for the dark cloud hanging over his group of friends was because one of their best friends, Paul's girlfriend Serena McDonald, had died the week before at a party they had been attending. The funeral was that night. All of her close friends were speaking, and Paul was going to sing a song that they had enjoyed. Trying not to dwell on his late girlfriend, Paul made his way down the school halls for the last time. He signed yearbooks, and said goodbye to friends and teachers. Very few knew that he was leaving for good. He wanted it that way. The ones who did know cried as he said his goodbyes. After the final bell rang, Paul went out to the parking lot, where the buses were waiting to pick up the exuberant students. Cheers of "School's out!" "Boy am I glad to be outta here" and "See you next year" resounded around the buses, and continued as the student got in the bus for the last time that year. Paul took a seat near the front, as he usually did. He got into the habit when he was in middle school, having just arrived from England. Some of the students had poked fun at him and his accent, and Paul didn't need to get into any fights. So he sat in the front, and still did that day, for the last time. Paul's stop was first. He got off with two of his friends Amy and Sarah. They had been at the party the night Serena had died. "See you tonight Paul." said Amy. "Good luck singing." Sarah said, walking beside Amy. "Thanks Sarah. I'll see you two tonight." "Bye" the two girls said, and slowly walked to their homes. Paul turned and walked into his. The house was nothing special. Since the break-in in London, his parents had decided to buy smaller houses, so criminals wouldn't suspect that they had more money than the average middle-income family. Paul sighed, noticing that his parents' car was not in the driveway. He had a bad feeling that he knew why, which was confirmed when he saw a letter with his name on the front lying on the entry table. Paul looked at the clock on the wall. 3:30, it said. The funeral began that night at 7. Paul sat down in an easy chair, and opened the letter. "Paul", it read, "We're very sorry to do this to you, but an emergency came up at the home office in London. We had to leave very unexpectedly." Paul snorted. His father was Executive Vice President of Finance, so his idea of an emergency was the company losing 10 dollars. "We are very sorry, but we won't be back for a few weeks." thought Paul, "Ms. McDonald will pick you up for the funeral tonight, and will take you to the airport tomorrow. Have a good time. We'll come visit you. All the information about where you will live etc. is in an envelope in your room. It has the key to your apartment, money for the trip, your account number for the bank in Tokyo, a map of the city, your airplane tickets, and a letter from the headmaster of your new school. Its in Japanese, and we cant make heads or tails of it, but since you seem to have a knack for that language we figured you'd work it out. There is also some information about job openings, though why you'd want to work with us giving you money every month...? That's about it. We may have forgotten to list something in here, but everything you need is in there. We love you. Have fun. and good luck singing at the funeral. Love Mom, and Dad." Paul put the letter down, and went to his room. Sure enough, there, lying on his bed, was a big envelope. Paul put it with the rest of his luggage. He had one bag open, in which he would put his suit that he would wear at the funeral, and anything else he may have forgotten. His phone rang. Paul picked it up. "Hello?" he said. "Hey munchkin." Irene McDonald, Serena's mother, was on the other end. She named him munchkin because he was only 5 foot 4, small for his age (actually she had picked it up from her daughter Serena, who had teased him with that name for awhile, but then made it her pet name for him. She had been an inch or two taller than him). She sounded a little upset, but, he supposed, that was to be expected. "Hi Mom." he had gotten into the habit of calling her mom, as well as his own mother, because he saw her about every day. "Did you get your parent's letter?" "Yeah." "Paul, your parents were upset about having to leave all of a sudden, but there was some labor relation problems, and they needed your father's help." "I know. I just hoped they'd be there this time." "I understand. It's about 4 o'clock. Do you want to get something to eat before the funeral? The luncheon was at 12, but I wanted to spend some time with you before you leave, and I figured you'd like some company." "Sure thing. What time should I be ready?" "Tell you what. I'll come get you now. Bring your suit, and you can change at the church." "Okay, see you in a few. Bye mom" "Bye munchkin." Paul hung up the phone and looked around. Then a bright spot of color caught his eye. He reached over to his table and grabbed his picture of Serena, and packed her in a case. Then he walked to his wall. "Well, Sailor V, looks like you get to get in a suitcase again." he addressed a poster of the famous Sailor V, autographed by the crime- fighter herself, when Paul had met her in London. Well, he didn't quite plan it, but she had foiled the robbery of his parents' house. She was more than happy to sign his poster when he told her that he was "her biggest fan." He took down the poster, rolled it up, and put it in its case, which went with his pile of luggage. A car horn honked outside. Paul grabbed his suit and went out to meet his "other mom." They ate dinner in silence mostly. The few attempts at conversation died quickly, but Paul was happy for the company. When they arrived at the church, Paul ducked into the men's room and put on his suit, then went out to the auditorium for a sound check of the microphone and his singing voice. When everything sounded right, Paul took his seat near the front, and waited for the service to begin. He waved to his friends when they arrived, but didn't get up. At 7:15 (apparently the minister had some troubles getting ready) the funeral began. The minister said a few words, then turned and looked Paul's way: "And now a young man, who was close to the deceased, would like to sing a song for us... and for her. Paul?" Paul stood, and walked to the front. As he did, he drew his necklace, which had been hidden under his shirt up to that point out. It was a plain gold chain, but at the bottom was a gold diamond ring. He had planned to propose the night Serena died, 15 or not. Unbidden, the memory came back to him. <<<1 week before. Friday night>>>> It was a warm Friday night, and the High School Theatre group had come together to have one last party before the year was over. It was also a going away party for Paul, but he didn't know that until he arrived. They had decided to make it a costume party, so everyone was very colorfully dressed up. The director, their teacher, had come dressed in drag. In fact, much to the amusement of some of the others present, one of the guys in the group had assumed that the disguised director (James LeBou, or just LeBou to the group) was LeBou's wife. He turned so red that it had shown even through his clown makeup when he found out that he was wrong. About 3 had come that night dressed as characters from Star Wars, totally accidentally, and had planned to have a light saber duel, when they heard some commotion outside. The sight that greeted them was absolutely hysterical. Paul, Serena, and 5 of his friends had dressed as Tuxedo Mask, Sailor Moon, and her scouts. They had been known as the "Sailor Moon Fan club" (Both of the anime and the Senshi, in Tokyo) and decided to fulfill that name. Paul was in a tree, wearing a tux and a mask. Serena, as Sailor Moon, was leading her scouts (their friends Sarah, Rachel, Amy, and Michelle) in a battle against a monster (named Rick). Serena tried to fight but was knocked over. Paul threw a rose (really badly) which distracted Rick long enough for the "Scouts" to shout attack phrases and throw silly string. Then Serena took off her "tiara" and threw it at Rick. It missed, but he acted hurt anyway. The tiara flew into the street, as applause began. Paul was in a tree, and was trying to climb out when he heard tires squealing. He turned and saw Serena flying through the air. She had gone to get her tiara, and was hit by a car driving too fast with no lights on. Serena never saw it coming. She died before she hit the ground. The car sped away. The next few events seemed to be in slow motion. Paul leaped from the tree and ran to his fallen love. He held her close. "NOOO!!! Serena, please, wake up! please." he shook her, and began to cry. The engagement ring he had planned to give her fell from his pocket as his friends formed a close circle around him. <>> That same ring was at the end of the necklace he held in his hand. Paul took the microphone and held it up, and began to speak. "The song I am about to sing may sound a little odd to hear at a funeral, but I do have a reason to sing it. The first time I met Serena, this song was playing. It was at the 7th grade mixer. It played when I first asked her out a few weeks later. I had hoped to sing this song at our wedding, if she had said yes..." Paul smiled and looked at the ring in his hand. "so I figured that she should hear it one last time. Serena..." he addressed the body in the coffin now "this was our song." once again, to the audience "Its called 'One Friend', written by Dan Seals." The familiar melody drifted from the speakers, and Paul began to sing. With each word, memories of the times he and Serena had had together drifted in and out of his mind. Good times, bad times, and, most of all, the love they had had for each other. I always thought you were the best I guess I always will I always felt that we were blessed And I feel that way still Sometimes we took the hard road But we always saw it through If I had only one friend left I'd want it to be you Paul's eyes were beginning to fill with tears, but he would not stop. He had to sing this one last time. For himself, and for her. Sometimes the world was on our side Sometimes it wasn't fair Sometimes it gave a helping hand Sometimes we didn't care Cause when we were together We made the dream come true If I had only one friend left I'd want it to be you Someone who understands me And knows me inside out Who helps keep me together And believes without a doubt If I could move a mountain Someone to tell it to If I had only one friend left I'd want it to be you By now, there was not a dry eye in the room. Paul looked out, and looked at Serena's mother, and at his friends. In their eyes, he saw that they were supporting him. That gave him the strength he needed to finish the song. Someone who understands me and knows me inside out who helps keep me together and believes without a doubt If I could move a mountain Someone to tell it to If I had only one friend left I'd want it to be you {<>} As Paul held out the last note, his tears began to fall. By the time he had returned to his seat, he was weeping uncontrollably. Serena's mother put her arms around him, until the tears subsided. Paul didn't hear much of the funeral, after that. His friends got up, and each said a little about Serena. Then Ms. McDonald stood and gave her eulogy. A final goodbye was said, and the minister motioned for everyone to stand and pay their respects to the deceased. As he walked by the coffin, Paul stared down, one last time, at Serena. , he thought, the tears began anew, as Paul walked out of the Sanctuary, and went with Ms. McDonald to the car. "I'll be there to pick you up at about 7 tomorrow. I'll bring some breakfast, so you don't need to worry about it." She said, when they were in the car. Paul just nodded. Then he turned and looked at her. "Thank you for everything." he said. She smiled down at him, and drove him home. *********** As promised, the next morning, Irene was there, ready to help him leave. They packed the car, and headed to the airport. As they arrived at the terminal, she turned to him. "Paul, you be careful over there. You'll be on your own." "I know. I will be, I promise." "Take care of yourself. and have fun." "Bye mom." "Bye munchkin." They hugged, and Paul, his luggage being loaded into the cargo area, grabbed his carry-on and headed for the plane. Irene watched the lonely figure leave. "Please be happy Paul. Serena would have wanted it that way." Then she looked down at the seat Paul had just vacated. There, sitting on the seat was a plain white envelope. She opened it, and found the ring Paul had planned to give Serena, and a letter to her. "Mom," it read, "I wanted you to have this. Your daughter meant a great deal to me, and so do you. I cant thank you enough for everything you have done for me. I wanted you to have this ring to remember us both. Put it with the picture of me and her in your den, and think of me. I wanted you to know this before anyone else. I don't think I am going to be coming back. My parents are rarely home anyway, and I think I have the chance to make my own life over there. They have given me enough money to get a start in life, and I think if I can get a job I would rather be there than in the states. I'm going to miss you and all my friends. Tell the group that I'm leaving, but that I will try to come visit sometime. I love you mom. –Paul" Irene read the letter, and stared at the planes taking off. In her car, by herself, she cried for 15 minutes. She then wiped her tears away, and drove back to her empty house. Paul never knew why Serena's dad wasn't around. He had been killed 10 years before, in a car accident. Irene pulled the car in the garage, and tried to finish her housework, so she would be caught up enough to go back to work the next week. But she knew her life would never be the same. ********** As Irene read the letter, Paul was boarding his plane for Tokyo. Despite leaving early, he was right on time for the boarding procedures. He took his seat in first class, and pulled on his headphones to listen to until takeoff. About 20 minutes later, a flight attendant came up and asked him to remove them so she could give pre-flight instructions. Having flown before, Paul didn't listen much. He just sat back and acted interested until she was done speaking. The seat belt sign came on and the pilot came over the intercom. "Hey everybody, this is Captain Joshua Neville of Continental Airways. We're cleared for take-off, so sit back and enjoy the ride. Now lets see if I can find the manual for this thing... hmm.." Paul groaned. He hated pilots with a sense of humor. They tended to get annoying. About 40 minutes later, the pilot came on again "Ladies and gentlemen, this is your captain speaking. My copilot has informed me that we have achieved our maximum cruising speed and altitude on this non-stop flight to Tokyo, Japan. For those of you not going to Japan, there are parachutes in the tail compartment." More people than Paul groaned at that one "The weather looks great, and it should be clear flying from here, except for that flock of geese we just hit. Oops, there goes another one." By now the flight attendants were looking a little more embarrassed, and one got on the intercom. "Ladies and gentlemen, you will have to forgive Captain Neville. He thinks he's a stand up comedian." Paul decided that listening to them could get old, so he dozed off for awhile. Lunch passed, a good meal, as it was first class, as did dinner. Then the plane began its decent. ********* Tokyo International Airport was nothing new to Paul. He'd never been there before, but it was just like any other airport: busy and very crowded. Thankfully for him, Paul was fluent in Japanese, having studied it most of his life. His parents had wanted him to learn it so he could get ahead in business (a little ironic, he thought, as neither of them could speak a lick of it). Paul just wanted to learn it, so it worked out well. He listened to flights being called and good-byes being said as he wandered towards the customs area. A brief check there, and he was walking towards the information center, to find out where he needed to go to get a bus. As he walked, he heard a girl crying very loudly. He looked and saw a blonde girl, about his age, he figured, hair done in twin ponytails and tied into balls at the top. She was hanging on to an older man, actually, Paul looked again, young man, probably a few years older than her. Both he and the 4 girls around her, a blonde that looked familiar to Paul, a brunette, a blue haired girl, and a black haired girl, were trying to get the girl to get quiet. They finally succeeded, and the girl let him go, after she got a good kiss. Paul was staring now, but he couldn't help it. His mind wandered back about 3 weeks, to a conversation he had had with Serena about him leaving..... "But I don't want you to go!" she had said, in tears. "I know Serena, but this is a great opportunity for me." "Then I'm coming to!" "You know you can't do that, love. Our parents would kill us both." "Well then, if I cant go, and you are going to leave, I'm gonna give you a send off that will make you ignore every female over there, and make you want to rush home to me as fast as you can." "Really," Paul had a sly look in his eye "How bout a preview?" She smiled and leaned in, her lips meeting his.... Suddenly Paul was overcome with emotion. His love was dead. He found a bench quickly, and sat down, tears falling. Amidst the crowds of people, holding on to his carry-on (the rest of the luggage was sent via international express mail to his apartment) he wept for her. He couldn't control the tears as they fell, until he felt a gentle hand touch his shoulder. He looked up into the face of the young girl he had seen crying before. Her eyes were clear now, and she had a look of concern on her face. "Are you alright?" -----------------------------------End Chapter 1 Well, that's all for chapter 1. Hope you liked it. Oh and for those of you who are yelling at me about it, Irene will show up later, I promise. I'm not gonna leave the poor woman like that. Anyway, feedback is encouraged! Please please give me feedback!! ? And don't flame me, please! -Palin