{Ninx's world...again.  *g*}
*there before you is that girl, the one with the flowers
from before, sitting before a great bright screen of
pictures.  there are exactly seven large screens of
pictures, circling about here, and each is filled to the
brim with images--some even changing--except one.  a smile.*
 Hey all.  Guess what this story is?  Yep, the LAST piece of
the "Four Lovers" series.  Not necessarily the last piece of
the FL SAGA mind you, (yes, I should turn it into a
SAGA...maybe someone would buy the rights, neh?) but the
last story in a series.  Another clipping of time, if you
want to see that way.  Does anyone remember when it began? 
I believe I actually started writing "Stranded" early summer
last year, but all the stories were outlined over that
summer, and "Air" got progressive revisions as other stories
had key scenes written.  
 I am ruminating, and wasting space, I know.  But this is
going to be the HARDEST story for me to write.  And yes,
that shows up SOMEWHERE in every "in between" story I've
written--DitH, Interim, and now this one.  But it is. 
Because there is very little action, and quite a bit of
confusion over what may happen.  
 But anyways...I suppose I should just get on with it?
 DISCLAIMERS:
1. Sailor Moon, all the other Sailor Senshi and 
other names and terms associated with the series are 
copyrighted by Naoko Takeuchi,Kodansha, Bandai, DIC 
and all the other companies (which I can't remember 
right at this moment).  DON'T SUE ME! cause there's 
no infringement intended.
2. This IS a series, if you didn't catch that in the
ramblings up top.  Before you even take a GANDER at this, go
check out Stranded, Deep in the Heart, Happiness is a
Phoenix, Interim, Cast Meeting, and Air On a Cosmic String. 
They're usually located in order on the site--just check
above! 
3. I don't expect the parts of this story to come out fairly
regularly.  That is due, mostly, to "THE BEAST," which is
not much easier to write.  *g*  Why, oh why, did I actually
attempt characterization this time?
4. If you're expecting a total resolution to all problems,
you aren't going to get it.  I apologize not; had I decided
that writing a sequel would be detrimental to my health, I
would've never ended "Air" the way I did.  There is going to
be partial resolution in a few places.
5. I mentioned the other stories in the series before, but
if you really want to get a good grasp of what may happen
here, go back and check out "Happiness is a Phoenix" and
"Air."  
 *grin*  That was long, for a short story.  I'm thinking
five parts, maybe...anyways, shan't I get onto it?
 
                    FINALE IN WHITE
                         Ninx

                       prologue
 Things changed that fine summer morning the group of them
treked back to the apartment, and not only for the group
itself.  Nature seemed to mourn with them--that summer
slumped into rains and muggy afternoons, the fall into fog,
smog, and later, cooler temperatures.  The winter snows came
early to Tokyo, and while they rarely stuck, the fact that
they fell at all caused some to murmur about the strangeness
of it all.
 Those who felt strangest of all, of course, were the Inner
Senshi.  Suddenly, and quite brutally, they were normal. 
Well, not quite totally normal--each still had a bit of
power remaining in them, the one spark that reminded them of
their destinies as well.  Yet everytime Lita sensed the
coming of a storm, or Amy felt the fall of snow, it hurt. 
The reminder was two-fold, a blessing and a curse, and more
than once they resented it.  Hell, they resented even their
memories of BEING Senshi.  For, despite the fights,
injuries, and deaths, all still prized their role as Senshi. 
It had set them apart, true, but it had bonded them all to a
remarkable pair, and to each other.  To lose that...was
almost like losing their own identity.  
 The Generals, who still posessed their powers (though they
much shied away from using it), felt the pain of the
Senshi's loss and the couple's.  After all, each loved a
woman who had lost a central portion of her life and self,
and the fact that they still held onto those separating
energies made each feel guilty.  They had no reason to, but
they all did at sometime.  Added to this was the double loss
of their liege and his love, once their little sister. 
Together, the eight of them cursed their inability to
fulfill their jobs and protect the ones they cared so much
for, or to at least have been there when the crucial
decision had been made.  It was much more bitter for the
Generals, though, whose nearly fully intact memories sneered
at them, reminding them of their second failure.  Once or
twice, the thought of suicide crossed their minds; after
all, shouldn't they give up something to a failure made
twice?  Yet the thought of domino effect it could've
triggered brushed that thought away, or even a vision of
what it would be like for Serena and Darien to awaken to
find out what had happened.  More than once, Jade had mused
that Serena would probably dig him up just to kill him
again, probably with Raye's help.
 Serena and Darien lay together in a hospital room, hands
still joined loosely together, eyes still close. It was
quite an unusual arrangement, but when they had tried to
separate the two for good, both had gone into spasms.  It
seemed as long as one touched the other, all was well.  For
awhile, they had been puzzled as to how they were going to
explain this to Nate's dad back home; finally, they had told
him that she and an old friend had been walking along the
waterfront one night when a warehouse exploded nearby.  The
shock of that had put them in the coma, and from the way the
two were said to be found, the doctors believed that they
had instilled in themselves the psychological need to be
always in contact.  It was mostly fabrication, although one
of the doctors had put forth the psych theory; Nate's dad,
however, bought it, and soon the two were well taken care
of.
 The whole process took about two weeks, give or take a day. 
Katarina and Hielo had left the night after the attack, not
wishing for their uncomfortable presences to disturb them
anymore in their mourning.  The rest they had taken to
become adjusted to life again, and once they came back to
work, to add new members to the staff.  Lita remained a
cook, Raye a priestess/teacher, but Amy developed a peculiar
appetite for organizing files, and soon was part time help. 
Setsuna and Wesley took turns working and watching the Gate,
and Wes' ability to gather and organize data was a definite
plus.  They were running smoothly about three weeks after
they came back to work.  
 Time passed.  The weather soured as the relationship's
between all the couples sweetened.  Now, one must remember
that the Senshi had been defending Tokyo for awhile, and the
new freedom that came with the loss of their powers was both
intoxicating and overwhelming.  The sudden shock of not
having to be constantly on guard, constantly waiting for
some call, was something they needed some adjustment, too. 
It was almost a good thing that Serena had been lost to the
Gens, who hadn't lived under the same circumstances, and
therefore had once had lives.  It slowed them down to match
the pace of their socially stunted women, and allowed all of
them to grow together.  They discovered each other's likes
and dislikes, and though things never quite settled into a
schedule--especially for Jade--they did manage to fall into
a loose routine. Even Wes and Setsuna stepped out
occasionally, and the results showed in the newness that
came over the both of them.  Life was good, and settled, by
the time the first snows fell.  The only missing pieces to
their lives were Serena and Darien, tucked into a hospital
room on the seventh floor, slumbering their lives away. 
Their hope of a healer had dwindled when the first snows hit
the ground, and by the time November rolled around was only
a spark within them.  They all adjusted well to change, and
were learning patience; they could wait for the person to
come to them.  Actually, they were learning to wait for just
about everything...
 Until the night Zachary Petal took his girlfriend Amy Mizuno 
to dinner.