Sailor Moon and all associated senshi are the property of Naoko 
Takeuchi, Kodansha, Bandai, and a whole bunch of other people I 
either don't remember or don't know about.  Everything else, 
however, belongs to me, and is guarded by my vicious attack 
gerbils.  If you wish me to call them off, please ask nicely.

Visit my website, Jelynne's Little Mess 
at www.crosswinds.net/~jelynne

To contact the author, please write to jlynne33@hotmail.com

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			4 A.M. - Destiny
			By: Jelynne
			Rated: PG

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	This is the most peaceful city in the entire world.  It is 
also the most beautiful.  When the sun shines brightly, the entire 
city glows like the jewel it is.  No one fights here, and there 
have been no wars for centuries now.

	It is four am, and in a little less than eight hours, this 
beautiful, magical city will be attacked.  In twelve hours, it 
will be all but destroyed.

	I know this, but no one else does.

	I expect this.  I have known it was coming ever since this 
place's creation.  I know the precise time of the attack, and I 
know exactly where they will strike.  So, what will I do to stop 
this?

				***

	Absolutely nothing.

	I will stand by and watch the city I love get crumbled into 
dust.

	It will not be the first time I have stood by and watched.  
It is most certainly not going to be the last.

	Then why am I crying?  Useless tears, searing cold cheeks.  
I shouldn't waste my time with tears, I should stop.

	The tears continue, dripping unglamourously off my chin to 
splatter on my skirt, on the ground.

				***

	What must be will happen.  I have no right to stop it.

	And I know that this will not be the end of everything.  
Time and time again, the soul of this place will rise from the 
ashes, remake itself from its dust, and be whole again.  There 
will never be an ending.

	Stop crying, dammit!  You are the wisest, the one who knows 
all!  You have no need for these emotions, these weak tears!

				***

	I love this city, and I adore the one who rules here.  If 
she asked, I would tell her what is going to happen.

	But she won't ask.  She knows, far too well, the pitfalls 
of knowing the future too well.  And whenever I open my mouth to 
tell her, something stops my voice, and I am silent.

				***

	Destiny is a chain that binds me more heavily than I ever 
suspected it would.  When I first started, I thought destiny was 
romantic.  Now I know better.  Destiny is blood, battle, and 
tears.  My tears.

	Somehow, I never thought that doing nothing would be so 
very hard.