Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

Emily Dickinson once wrote, "Hope is the thing with feathers that perches in the soul - and sings the tunes without the words - and never stops at all."

 

Thus far, despite the pain that his words and rejection had levied on her, Usagi could not give up on the hope that still burned within her. It just was not in her nature to give up on someone she cared about, and not when paired with their history and love that had survived over lifetimes. She had fallen in love with Mamoru during the Silver Millennium when he had been known as Prince Endymion of Earth and she had been Princess Serenity of the Moon. Theirs was a love that had been so great that he had shielded her from a sword blow meant to take her life but took his instead. Death had separated them only for as long as the moment that it took for her to comprehend his death, feel the inconsolable pain of a life without him before she picked up his sword and plunged it into her body so that death would take her, too.

 

Then too, there had been those half-remembered dreams that began fading the moment her demonically possessed alarm clock woke her up. Dreams that she was certain were memories of other lifetimes, because those bits and pieces that she was able to hang onto after she woke up were just too vivid and detailed to just be just dreams. After the first few times she had had one of those dreams, Usagi had taken to writing down all the details she could remember as soon as she could and then later Googling the details to figure out what era or place the dreams had taken place. From what she had learned, she had concluded that she had at least one life in either ancient Greece or Rome, there hadn’t been enough details for her to figure it out and the fashion styles of both looked the same to her, and another during Regency England. There were a few others, but she hadn’t yet had the time or energy to do any research with a new enemy appearing.

 

In every lifetime she had dreamed of, the one thing she was always able to recall was that she and Mamoru were never able to get their happy ending. It was as if fate kept conspiring against them. Or maybe they simply weren’t meant to be together until they had dealt with the reason why they hadn’t gotten their happy ending in their first lives. After all, it wasn't until this lifetime that the Dark Kingdom, the ones responsible for their deaths that first time and the end of the Silver Millennium, had been able to break free of the seal, created by the Queens of the Silver Millennium, which imprisoned them.

 

There had been no balance… no justice for them in the Silver Millennium because the Dark Kingdom had not been defeated and punished for their crimes against the Silver Millennium Alliance, merely locked away to nurture its anger and hate until it was released once more. Usagi couldn’t blame the Silver Millennium Queens for that. They had done what they could at the time to deal with the Dark Kingdom and she knew that their actions were hampered by the grief that they suffered from the loss of their children and destruction of their kingdoms and people. In any case, it just made sense that there had never been a chance for a happy ending in those other lives because the circle of destiny couldn’t be complete until they had dealt with the Dark Kingdom once and for all.

 

And like every other lifetime before, since their first as Serenity and Endymion, their beginning as Usagi and Mamoru had been tempestuous. It seemed like they always managed to rub each other the wrong way at that first meeting and would probably do so again for every lifetime after this one. She attributed part of the problem to the strong simmering sexual tension that had always burned between them. Even at that first meeting, when Mamoru had irritated the hell out of her and she had contemplated whether it would be worth it to beat him in the head with her school bag, a part of her had also been tempted to jump the man. And, while she had by that point had her fair share of crushes, her daydreams had never gone beyond the point of kissing, yet in that moment she had been thinking of something far more scintillating. It probably hadn’t helped that certain memories of the past had flashed in her mind, although she hadn’t truly ‘awakened’ until months later and gained access to the memories of her life during the Silver Millennium.

 

Usagi remembered being mortified by her thoughts and that had increased her ire at him since it was easier to blame him for causing them than to examine her own thoughts. Silly really, since she had no reason to be embarrassed since she was the only one who knew she had envisioned the man naked in bed, but there you had it. While he had never confirmed it, she suspected that Mamoru had the same thing happen to him and while it wasn’t a really big deal for her to have those thoughts, the same couldn’t be same for him since she was four years his junior in this life, and jailbait to boot. The combination of lust and embarrassment caused by the vividly sexual thoughts, that were actually memories resurfacing, had done nothing to help their first meeting. In fact, those memories had only served to set the tone for their future interactions. She had taken a rather perverse sense of pleasure from their daily verbal sparring. It had been an outlet to reduce the stress from fighting the Dark Kingdom, because even if Mamoru had irritated her and she kept getting disturbing sexual visions of him, the man was total eye candy.

 

Over time, they had begun to fall in love, as they had every life before, so by the time they had awakened and unlocked their memories of the Silver Millennium, it had only served to explain that those random sexual thoughts were memories. The past had given even more depth to their feelings for each other, but it wasn’t because of remembering their past that they had fallen in love, although the flashes of memories had served to stimulate their passions. The only thing remembering their past lives, as Endymion and Serenity, would have done was make them put to words what they felt now. Not that it had turned out that way when Kunzite has kidnapped Mamoru from her and then that bitch Beryl had brainwashed him and turned him into the enemy. But they had eventually overcome that, and the subsequent memory loss that came after the final battle with the Dark Kingdom and fallen in love again.  A love, she had thought, was even stronger and more powerful than what they had shared during the Silver Millennium, or any other lifetime, because of everything they had been through.

 

Suffice it say, Usagi thought she had some pretty damn good reasons to believe that she and her Mamo-chan would get back together again. All she had to do was find out the true reason that had caused Mamoru to break up with her in the first place and fix it. She had to believe in that because if she didn’t… well, she truly didn’t think she could survive and continue on living if all hope was lost. Maybe that sounded overly dramatic, but when you considered the gods-only-knew-how-many lifetimes they had met and fallen in love with each other, then one would realize the depth of their feelings – that had been built on life after life –  was so much stronger than some other relationships she knew of. And besides, there was no other explanation for why they kept being drawn to each other time after time except that they were soulmates. So, she had to keep the hope alive.

 

But… if she was completely honest with herself… that light of hope inside her was burning smaller and flickering just to stay alive. It was becoming harder and harder to patch up the cracks inside. It had been months since Mamoru had broken up with her and, combined with the stress of fighting the new enemy – the Black Moon clan – it was taking a toll on her in more ways than one. It was only a few rare moments in the past several months where she thought she saw something in Mamoru's eyes. Something that told her he still cared, and it was that something which kept her going and holding on, kept feeding fuel to that faltering light burning alive inside, when in a less tenacious soul, it would have died already.

 

It was those precious few moments that she relived in her mind when she had time to herself, which was about as rare as an animal on the endangered species list. With the arrival of the Black Moon, a great deal of her time was devoted to dealing with the enemy and protecting Chibi-Usa who the enemy was hell-bent on capturing. The rest of her time was spent on school and her family and friends. Honestly, if it wasn't for school and living at home, Usagi doubted she'd even have that much time with her family and the friends who weren't Senshi, which gave her some guilt that she hadn’t been able to spend as much time with Naru-chan, who’d been her best friend since they had met all those years ago in PreK. Naru-chan, bless her heart, wasn’t angry with her for not being around as much, although she was certain the redhead was more than a bit confused

 

It was perhaps a bit of a blessing that she had overslept that morning, thus making her late to school and earning a detention. Of course, at the time that said detention had been assigned to her by the once again dumped Haruna-sensei, Usagi hadn't been particularly thrilled as it made the chances of her being late to the Senshi meeting after school all the more likely. A detention with Haruna-sensei could be ten minutes to well past supper time depending on the woman's moods. And if she was late again, Rei and Luna would get on her case again; while she could understand the value of promptness, sometimes the way they acted about it, you would think that her tardiness would single-handedly destroy the world as they knew it. It’s not like she had ever been late for a battle, in fact, she was usually the first one to stumble on to whatever new plot their enemies tossed at them.

 

Thankfully Haruna-sensei didn't hold her and the rest of the poor unfortunate souls detained with her for very long. Fifteen minutes after detention had started, the ex-boyfriend called to kiss and make up. None of the students had stayed long after they were dismissed; one never knew when their teacher's change of heart could be swayed to the opposite direction again, particularly since the men that Haruna-sensei dated all usually turned out to be major jerks. The students were beginning to not-so-jokingly talk about forming a committee to investigate and vet the men in their teacher’s life so she could avoid heartache and they could avoid her ire when she was suffering from said heartache.

 

Usagi set off in the direction towards home with a brisk pace, anticipating that she had enough time to change her clothes and indulge in a snack, while she read the newest manga that she had bought with what was left of last week's allowance, before she had to go to Rei's for the meeting. She was nearly halfway home when she realized the blessing in her short and abbreviated detention when she spied her beloved running to her. Well not to her, she mentally corrected, but rather towards her.

 

It was a blessing, as it was rare that she ran into Mamoru anymore; the man avoided her like she was the Black Plague. Though he hadn't meant to let it slip, she knew from Motoki-onii-chan. that Mamoru now only came to the arcade when she was in school or when he knew she wasn't able to. If it wasn't for the Black Moon's attacks, she doubted she would be able to see him at all.

 

However, while it was a blessing, Usagi also found it quite telling of his state of mind to see him running at this time of day. Mamoru ran for the benefits to his health and to keep in shape so he could be at his best to fight their enemies; however, he also ran when he was troubled or had a lot on his mind. He was also a creature of habit that preferred to run in the mornings during the warmer seasons because of the cooler temperatures. To see him running in the afternoon was a clear indication that all was not in the world of Chiba Mamoru.

 

“Hello Mamo-chan," she greeted him, trying to remain positive even though it was clear he was less thrilled that their paths had crossed.

 

 

"I was just greeting you," the blonde retorted, the tone of her voice containing a bit of the sassy bite that it once had held during their verbal sparring in the days of the Dark Kingdom and before the revelations of their alter egos and past.

 

Things had been so much easier back then because she knew exactly where she stood with him and while his words had bite back then, they had never been cruel or caused her emotional bleeding when they parted. She didn’t think it could be possible that it just hurt more because they now had their feelings out in the open and had had a romantic relationship. It was more than that.

 

Nor to mention, he hadn’t confused her back then as he did with the continuous Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde behavior, with Hyde being the dominant personality. Back then he had been an annoying jerk, but one she could count on to lend a hand. Not that he didn't now, but only when it came to fighting the Black Moon or helping with Chibi-Usa. Outside of that… well, she was certain that if he came across her on the ground with a broken leg and bleeding profusely, he would walk around her and make some malicious comment. One would think that would discourage her, yet she knew she saw something in his eyes in those rare moments when Dr. Jekyll would appear. He still cared, despite how much all evidence except for that 'something' that said otherwise.

 

"Why?"

 

"Why what?"

 

 

“I already told you.”

 

“No, you didn’t,” she countered as months of frustration and heartache bubbled up inside and forced her to push at him, when in the past she had held back from pushing too much because a part of her had feared the answer as much as she wanted it. “And I refuse to let you walk away without telling me the truth. You said you didn’t love me anymore and I don’t believe that. People just don’t fall out of love. Not like that. No one falls out of love in a matter of hours.”

 

 

“I mean that I never loved you in this life,” he replied. “Think about it, Usagi, before we remembered our past lives, we argued and fought. We hated each other.”

 

Mamoru glanced away to stare at a storefront, as if it was more interesting than looking at her, when he noticed how she kept blinking. It was a one of her tells, one that hadn’t changed since she was Serenity, that the blonde was fighting to hold back her tears. If she hadn't been trying so hard to keep from crying, Usagi would have noticed the pain and regret that flickered through his eyes before he had looked away.

 

“The only reason I asked you out after the Dark Kingdom was defeated was because of the feelings I had for the Princess of the Moon.”

 

“But I am the Princess of the Moon!”

 

“No, you’re not. Not really. You look like her and have her powers, but you’re not her. You’re nothing like her. Me... the other Senshi, we're all like our past selves, but you're the polar opposite of who Princess Serenity was. I’m tired of trying to pretend that you are. You're not the woman that I loved during the Silver Millennium. And why should I let the past affect my present anymore? The Dark Kingdom's been dealt with so our past lives can be laid to rest."

 

“But-”

 

“I don’t love you!” he yelled, although in his heart he denied it vehemently. "Get it through your stupid head. Why would I love someone who can't keep up her grades or walk five steps without tripping over her own feet? It's a miracle that you've even managed to save the world, although that's probably thanks to Rei and the rest of them being there than anything else. I'm going places, Tsukino, and I need to be with someone who's my equal and won't be holding me back because I have to baby her every step of the way. So just stop bugging me like a stalker and find some boy at your level."

 

He could feel her pain as surely as if he had been punched in the chest. The worst part of it was – the words were all lies. Lies that preyed on every single insecurity he knew she had. Lies that burned in the back of his throat even as he forced them out with seemingly no trouble at all. Forget studying to be a doctor, he should just go into theater because he had no business being a person who helped to heal people – not when he just had successfully hurt the one person he was supposed to protect and cherish with his lies.

 

Because he did love her; he loved her more than life itself and he would die again for her if he had to. It was because he loved her that he had to push her away and be an absolute bastard about it, although to a bystander that made little sense. He was doing this to save her life because there wasn’t a doubt in his mind that she would die if they stayed together. His dreams had shown him that and Mamoru knew from experience not to discount the things he dreamed, particularly one that kept recurring every time he closed his eyes.

 

It was always the same dream, at least at the beginning. It always began with all of his family gathered, the friends he had let into his heart to replace the family he had lost as a child, to celebrate what should have been one of the best days of his life, the day he made Usagi his wife as she should have become long ago when they were Endymion and Serenity. It should have filled him with a deep sense of verity and peace, but after the first few times the dream had come to, he was only was filled with a sense of cold trepidation at a scene that should have evoked positive and joyful emotions. Perhaps that was what made the dream even crueler because it tormented him of a future he wanted before it was ripped away. The ending of the dream varied in execution, but the end goal was always the same. The destruction of the planet and Usagi dying in pain and fear while he couldn’t do a fucking thing about it but watch and listen to some voice tell him that this was his future if he continued to be with the girl he loved.

 

At first, he tried to ignore the dreams, thinking them the result of stress from the appearance of Chibi-Usa and a new enemy. However, the more he tried to ignore them, the more vividly gruesome and graphic they became. It was as if the dreams were punishing him for ignoring their message, until he came to the point where he had to give in and consider that they weren’t just dreams but a premonition of what was to come. And if they were a glimpse into the future, then who was he to tempt fate when he knew damn well the power of dreams? Hadn’t he dreamed of Usagi as Princess Serenity his earliest memories from childhood?

 

And while it made him an asshole to admit it, he didn’t give a damn if the world burned down as long as Usagi was alive and with him. But he could not and would not risk Usagi’s life on a gamble that this time his dreams were nothing more than that.

 

“Not…love me,” she whispered, the words coming out in strangled gasps because she suddenly couldn’t get any air to her lungs

 

It wasn’t that she had stopped trying to breathe. She was trying to suck in oxygen, but an enormous lump had manifested inside her chest. It made it damn near impossible to get more than a wisp or two of air past it each time she inhaled. There was a burning sensation behind her eyes and she curled her left hand into a fist, pushing her nails into the tender and soft flesh of her palm, focusing on the pain to hold back the tears because she couldn’t cry now. It didn’t matter if he knew her well enough to know that the tears were there waiting to stream free. She couldn’t let him see… refused to let him see the physical proof of what his words had wrought on her.

 

“Crybaby’s going to cry now,” he scoffed, as he turned and walked away from her, torn between wanting her to forgive him for treating her like shit while the other half hoped that this would be enough to keep her away from him.

 

He’d rather have her hate his guts and move on, even if that meant seeing her with another guy, knowing that she was alive and safe then watch her die like she did in his dreams. He didn’t dare look back, knowing that he might not be able to keep up the bastard routine if he saw the tears that were sure to come now. He wouldn’t be surprised if the heavens struck him down with lightning for making an angel cry.

 

Usagi watched as he walked away, not bothering to push away the strands of hair that had been blown into her face by the afternoon breeze. She watched until she could no longer see him and then slowly began to walk home, each step a constant struggle to hold everything inside. Halfway to her destination, she slipped into a dark alley and leaned against the brick wall, cool to the touch from having been in the shade and out of the blazing rays of the sun. She finally let go of the iron will of control, letting herself break down and cry. Tears spilled down her cheeks as she let out heart-wrenching sobs.

 

“I never hated you!” she cried. “Even when we were fighting… I wondered what it would be like to be your girl. To feel your arms around me… your lips on mine. Why couldn’t you love me? Why wasn’t I good enough for you to love? Why am I never good enough?”

 

She pushed away from the brick wall, turned around, and punched it with all her might. She relished the brief pain that it caused her, because for that moment it pushed aside the overwhelming pain inside of having her heart shatter completely. Looking down at her hand, she saw that her fingers were slightly swollen and the knuckles were scrapped and beginning to bleed. A normal person would have broken the bones in their hand, possibly to the point of never healing back to normal, however, her Senshi powers had allowed her to come away from the situation with relatively minor injuries. The wall was not so lucky as it now sported a dent the size of her fist. It was fortunate that she was Lunarian and not Jovian like Makoto was.

 

Giving herself a few more minutes to cry, Usagi grasped the strands of her control once more and pulled herself together. Focusing her attention on her hand, she called the power of the Maboroshi no Ginzuishou to heal herself, so she wouldn’t have to explain her injury to anyone. Particularly the rest of the Senshi since they were well aware of the force it would take for her to injure herself. She then pulled out a mirror and made sure her eyes were no longer red, calling upon the crystal’s power once more to cast a simple glamour so that there was no evidence of her crying before continuing home.

 

“Tadima,” she said, her voice flat and lacking any of the vibrancy that was there when she was upset or wary of returning home with a less then pleasing test score.

 

“Hey baka,” Shingo greeted her. “You’re late. Did you get detention again today?”

 

“Shingo, be nice,” his mother reprimanded him. “How was your day, Usagi?”

 

“Fine,” was her answer.

 

Ikuko frowned. Something was terribly wrong. There had been such a lifeless look in her daughter’s eyes just now. Even when she had been depressed or unhappy in the past, there had always been a faint sparkle of something… a je ne sais quois, in Usagi’s eyes, but not today.

 

‘Something’s not right,’ Ikuko thought. ‘I’ve never seen her look that way before. What in the world could have happened make her look as if the world has ended and she has nothing to live for?’

 

---

Usagi leaned against the back of her bedroom door as she let her eyes gaze around the room, bile rising in her throat as she looked at all the details that either reminded her of Mamoru or what he saw as foolishness that she indulged in that made him think less of her. This morning this room had been a sanctuary to her, a place to hide from the world when she needed to lick her wounds or center herself, but now it was just a torture chamber, pouring acid into the shattered fragments of her heart. She swallowed hard and closed her eyes, pushing back the negative emotions that threatened to spill out again, because she didn’t think she could shove them into their box until she was ready to purge them from her system, if that was even possible.

 

However, she knew that no matter how broken she was inside, she had to present a strong and positive attitude. Her friends counted on her to be unfailingly optimistic and cheerful to boost team morale all the time, well except for the moments when she whined about having to fight in the first place. Usagi flinched as if she had been physically struck, thinking how much that must have made her sound like the crybaby that Mamoru had accused her of being. It was true that she hated fighting and sometimes she dragged her feet, but that was usually when faced with a scary situation. For Selene’s sake, she watched horror movies from behind a pillow or the spaces between her fingers because she had her hands over her eyes. She liked horror movies, maybe not as much as Makoto or Rei, but that didn’t mean it was easy to watch the scary stuff head on.

 

In any case, she couldn’t fall apart right now. Later, tonight when she could lock herself away in her room, she could let herself go but not a moment sooner. She knew she already failed at fooling her mother, and that was on her for not taking another moment to pull herself together before walking into the house. She’d have to think of a believable excuse, because there was no way Tsukino Ikuko would let this day end without putting her eldest child through an interrogation to find out what was wrong and her mother would never understand how Mamoru had hurt her unless Usagi told her about the Silver Millennium and all the other past lives and revealed that she was Sailor Moon to make her mother believe it. 

 

Sighing, her eyes opened and she was reminded once more of her pain. Maybe she couldn’t let herself fall apart and cry again, but she could damn well do something about the inanimate objects that were taunting her.

 

Darting across the room with inhuman speed, she began ripping down the posters of her favorite idols and video games, not stopping until each poster was in miniscule shreds. She didn't even stop to think about the time, money and effort spent to acquire each one. Next went the manga. Pages were torn out and crumpled until every single one had met the same fate and there was a small mountain of trash on her floor. Her nostrils flared as she turned, her brow furrowing as she moved to attack the stuffed animals lying helpless on her bed. No wonder Mamoru thought she was silly. What fourteen-year girl still had stuffed animals like a little child? She grabbed the scissors off her desk and used them to help her tear into the dolls, ripping off their heads and yanking out their stuffing to join the trash pile growing on the floor.

 

Panting, she reached out to grab the last victim, sitting in a place of honor on her pillow. She stopped in mid-reach, her hand trembling and then curling back into a fist. She dug her nails into her skin, using the pain to push back the burning need to cry again. The stuffed animal was a pale pink rabbit with tiny little cherub wings, mischievous red eyes and a matching red bow tied around its neck. It had been the big prize of a rigged darts game at the Dreamland Amusement Park that Mamoru had won for her. The dart game had been child's play to win at for a man who tossed around steel-tipped roses while he moonlighted as the city's masked hero. There was another moment of hesitation before she forced herself to pick up the rabbit and mete out the same fate as the stuffed animals.

 

The next victim of her purge was the custom-made silver photo frame that Mamoru had gotten her for their one-month anniversary. The bottom right corner of the frame featured an entwined rose and crescent moon to symbolize the love between her and Mamoru. The frame itself contained a photo of them, standing in front of the Crown Game Center, on the first day as an 'official' couple. The blonde picked it up and flung it in the direction of the pile of trash, figuring all the paper and stuffing would cushion it’s landing. Her aim was off and it hit the side of her desk instead, shattering the glass.

 

Usagi breathed in deep, holding it in a moment, before releasing it slowly on a sigh. She bent down, sitting on her knees, and began to pick up the broken pieces of glass. A sharp flash of heat seared her index finger, as she picked up a shard the wrong way and cut herself. It dropped from her grasp, landing on the pink rug. She stared at the cut, the blood already seeping out from the wound and trailing down her finger. Her eyes drifted back to the glass and then back to her bleeding finger...

 

Usagi shook her head, grabbing a band-aid from the First Aid kit in her desk, and doctored her finger. She grabbed some of the torn and crumped up manga pages from the trash pile, using it to protect her hands as she gathered up the rest of the broken glass shards and tossed them into the trash can. Glancing around her room, she saw the jewelry box sitting on the white dresser. She swallowed hard, pushing down the lump that had suddenly formed in her throat, as she made herself walk across the room. With unsteady hands, she released the clasp of the box and opened it, pulling out the gold star locked by the gold chain it hung from.

 

It was the locket that she, as Princess Serenity, had given to Prince Endymion a thousand years ago on the night before the Dark Kingdom had attacked the Moon Kingdom. It was the same night that he had openly declared his intentions to fight with the Moon Kingdom’s army, essentially abdicating his position as the heir to the Earth throne, since at that point his father, the King, and most of the people of Earth had either been brainwashed or seduced into following the Dark Kingdom. The people who had stood up against the Dark Kingdom were either dead or had to flee and seek asylum on other planets. His choice had put him against his own people, something she knew that had hurt him because he cared about them, but his honor would not let him stand with them when he knew they were wrong. It was also the only way that her people would accept him amongst them.  

 

The locket was – no had been – a symbol of their love. It had helped her reach Mamoru when Beryl had hidden his memories behind a barrier and infected him with the tainted energy of the Dark Kingdom to turn him into an enemy. Something inside him had responded to the sight of it, probably because Beryl had not known of its existence or the importance of it to know she had to twist the memory of it as she had done with his memories of Usagi. The locket had stopped him from attacking her and touching it had cleansed him of the Dark Kingdom’s evil.

 

Now it was just more acid on a shattered heart. There was nothing left. Perhaps some would consider her to be over-dramatic to be so devastated by a man. Other women had had their hearts broken before; she certainly wasn't the first. However, the difference was that it wasn’t just some man who had broken her heart. He was her other half – her soulmate – and to be rejected by him so completely was as much of a blow to her soul as it was to her heart. She was hanging by a thread and she knew with absolute clarity that if the Black Moon hadn’t been threatening the Earth, she would have had a hard time continuing to find the will to live after the soul wound she had suffered.

 

She clutched the locket against her chest. The locket was a source of pain, thus it needed to be purged. Yet her limbs were stiff and frozen, refusing to do her bidding, like she had looked upon the face of the Gorgon Medusa and been turned to stone.

 

“Usagi,” Chibi-Usa chirped, knocking on the door three times to announce her presence before bouncing into the room. She had suffered enough pillows to the face to know better than to barge into Usagi’s room without warning. “The Senshi meeting is in thirty minutes. Luna adjusted the time, since she figured you'd get detention again.”

 

“Hai,” Usagi replied softly, breathing out the word and letting it end with a heavy sigh.

 

There was a part of her that wanted to hate Chibi-Usa. The cotton-candy pink-haired child’s arrival had started a chain reaction of negative events in her life. The hard won peace that she and the Senshi had won taking down the Dark Kingdom and then dealing with An and Ail had vanished the moment the child had dropped down from the sky and brought the Black Moon Clan with her. Not to mention the mother of all headaches that Usagi had suffered from having the child use her head as a landing cushion. Then her parents had given Chib-Usa the spacious attic bedroom that was nearly twice the size of her bedroom. She had been campaigning for over a year trying to get permission to switch rooms; it wasn’t like she was a little kid any more who needed to be on the same floor as her parents and it would have made it so much easier to hold Senshi meetings at her house or be able to talk to Luna freely without worrying about somebody walking by her room and wondering who she was talking to. Of course, the worst thing to happen was the breakup that had happened a few days after Chibi-Usa had come into their lives. It was hard not to assume that the child’s presence had caused one of the worst events of this life.  

 

“Wow! That’s a pretty locket,” Chibi-Usa exclaimed, noticing the shiny gold piece of jewelry in the older girl’s hands.

 

Usagi glanced down at the locket still clutched in her hands. She couldn’t just destroy it or toss it in the garbage. Somehow despite what had happened, it seemed blasphemous to treat something that had survived over one thousand years with such disregard. Keeping it was out of the question, yet maybe… giving it away to someone who would appreciate it?

 

“Do you want it,” Usagi asked. “You can have it if you want.”

 

“But it’s sooooooo nice,” the little girl protested, good manners warring with a child’s desire to possess a shiny new bauble. “This locket has to be very special to you.”

 

“Really, it’s not,” Usagi replied. Maybe it had once been a very precious possession to her, but now it had become a source of pain and a symbol of all that she had lost. “It’s just a trinket.”

 

Usagi handed the star locket to Chibi-Usa, who gave her a sweet smile and thanked her.

 

“Come on Usagi,” Chibi-Usa said. “We should probably leave now if we want to get to Rei’s house in time for the meeting.”

 

“You go on ahead Chibi-Usa,” Usagi replied, stepping to the side to block the child's view of the small mountain of trash. She was lucky Chibi-Usa had been distracted by the locket to not have noticed it; if she saw it now she would ask questions or bring it up at the meeting and it wasn't a topic that Usagi relished having. “I just need to finish cleaning up before I can leave. Mama will be mad if she comes in here and see the mess.”

 

“Okay,” Chibi-Usa replied and then added as she ran out. “But Rei-chan’s going to kill you if you’re late.”

 

As soon as she was alone again, Usagi dug out a large trash bag that had been in her closet, leftover from her last spring cleaning. She shoved all the trash into the bag and then grabbed anything in view that had a connection to Mamoru. It left the room very bare by the time she was done. A quick check of the clock on her nightstand told her she had less than ten minutes to get to the temple.

 

The only way she'd be able to get there in time was if she took a shortcut through the park because there were so few people there that she could make use of her Senshi speed without any civilians raising questions. The last thing she needed was to deal with was Rei yelling at her again for being late again, but it would be worse if a rumor popped up about someone spying a blonde school girl running in the park at a freakishly fast speed. Halfway through the park, she heard a familiar scream.

 

Usagi picked up speed and ran towards the direction that she had heard the scream, until she came across Chibi-Usa fleeing from a Droid. The Droid had long blood-red hair, pulled back into a braid, entwined with green leafy vine, that stopped at her knees and pine green eyes. The porcelain complexion of the Droid’s skin was an oddity as most of the Droids that the Black Moon had sent tended to have odd-colored skin that no human could have unless they were in cosplay. However like its predecessors, this monster of the week was dressed provocatively to entice men, which made her question if the final boss for the Black Moon was perverted and horny male. Then again they had had previous enemies who were female who sent slut monsters out to do their dirty work.  Although she had to admit this particular Droid looked more like the star of a snuff film than any other Droid, Cardian or youma that she had ever seen before.

 

The Droid’s coloring and her outfit reminded her of the DC character, Poison Ivy although a much sluttier version, which was saying something considering the character was well-known for her skin-bearing sexy outfits. The top of the outfit was little more than a string bikini made up of vines and two strategically placed miniature red roses – and of course it would be red roses – that covered the nipples, but nothing else. The bottom half of the outfit was a mini-skirt made out layers of different types of leaves that Usagi doubted barely covered the monster’s ass. She sincerely hoped that Droids wore undies, even if it was just a damn thong, because her life had been fucked up enough today without having to add mental scarring and the need for eye bleach.

 

“What is it with bad guys and their porn queen monsters,” Usagi muttered, glancing around quickly to make sure no one was around before she threw her hand up in the air to call out her transformation spell.

 

“Moon…Crystal... Power! Makeup!”

 

A white light bathed her body, dissolving her school uniform and leaving her naked as the day she was born. Glowing pink ribbons appeared out of thin air and wrapped themselves around her body, fusing together into her Senshi fuku. A familiar burst of adrenaline coursed through her body, a side effect that happened every time she transformed into Sailor Moon, which made sense considering more than half the time she was called to save the world in the middle of the damn night and obviously the bad guys weren’t going to wait until she had a damn cup of coffee to wake up and find the energy to give them the ass-whooping they were asking for.

 

The soothing boost of warm energy suddenly dissolved under the wave of prickly ice-cold tingles. She didn’t know the how or why of it, but every time she transformed into Sailor Moon, Mamoru got a psychic bat signal to let him know she was about to possibly be in danger. He had once told her that until he had gotten his hands on the orange Nijizuishou, he had had neither control nor memory of being Tuxedo Kamen instead being bound by the whims of his subconscious or the invisible thread that bound him to her and forced his transformations when hers occurred. The Nijizushiou had given him back control of his body, but had he still been unable to block the siren’s song that called to him whenever she became Sailor Moon. However, Mamoru had learned over time to glean information through their link to know when she was in one of Luna’s diabolical training sessions or if she was battling the enemy. He had, in fact, fine-tuned the skill that as soon as a Droid looked at her the wrong way he knew to come so she didn’t have to even raise a finger in battle.

 

While the link would be tugging at him, because she had transformed into Sailor Moon, he wouldn’t because he knew that the Senshi were having a meeting today (thanks to chatty Artemis) so he would assume that she was training. Yet, the moment the Droid noticed her presence and started to have homicidal intentions toward her, Mamoru would know she was in danger and he would come. He would come even though he didn’t love her – had never loved her – in this life, despite the complete and utter disappointment that she was the owner of the Ginzuishou, and thus had to be protected since none of them were sure what would happen to it should she die. Plus, chances were that if there was a battle, the Black Moon was targeting Chibi-Usa again and Mamoru would never let anything happen to the child.

 

There was no way she could handle seeing him again this soon. She wasn’t sure how she’d manage to later, but there would no avoiding him. Even though she didn’t matter to him, there was no way that Mamoru would stop becoming Tuxedo Kamen to help the Senshi. He was still the Crown Prince of Earth, even if the kingdom he had once been destined to rule was divided into hundreds of different countries and his people were horribly divided, and that meant there was no way that he could look the other way and do nothing. And of course, again, he wouldn’t turn his back on Chibi-Usa…

 

She raised her right hand up and touched the Crystal Star Compact that rested in the middle of the red bow on her chest. Breathing in deeply, she focused her thoughts on the Ginzuishou and mentally blocked out the world around her. It was rather risky considering the Droid could notice her – doubtful, as it was focused on the pink-haired munchkin, but considering how her life was at the moment anything was possible. But even still she knew she had to center herself when using the Ginzuishou to do something more intricate then a little healing and a simple glamour spell. She tapped the crystal’s power and temporarily blocked the invisible thread that linked her to Mamoru, so he wouldn’t be able to sense that she was in a battle. It might be possible to block it for a longer period of time or more permanently, but it would take more time and focus than what she could spare at the moment

 

Sailor Moon pulled her tiara from her forehead, watching it float above her hand and transform into a glowing white discus. She glanced up and located the Droid, who was closing in on Chibi-Usa. While the child was quick, she couldn’t sustain a continuous chase as the Droid could, and was tiring in her efforts to escape. The Senshi of the Moon narrowed her eyes, estimating the distance and the probable position the Droid would be in the moments it took for her to use her attack. She aimed and threw the discus, hitting the Droid’s arm and getting its attention.

 

“Who’s there,” the Droid demanded, slapping a hand against the cut on her arm that was oozing out thick green blood as she glanced around for her opponent.

 

Sailor Moon stepped out of the shadows, pointing her finger at the Droid in a dramatic fashion. “How dare you terrorize small children! I am Sailor Moon, the Champion of Justice and innocent children. On behalf of the Moon, I will right all wrongs and triumph over evil. And that means you, you X-rated botanical nightmare!”

 

“Die, Sailor Moon,” the Droid cried flicking her fingers towards Sailor Moon and sending dozens of razor-sharp flower petals – and of course, they were rose petals – at the Senshi

 

“You have got to be kidding me,” Sailor Moon cried, skipping backwards out of the way of the danger. “You call that an attack? A kindergartener with a peashooter is more dangerous!” She glanced at Chibi-Usa in her peripheral vision. “Chibi-Usa! Run away now!”

 

“But-” the little girl protested.

 

“Do it,” snapped the golden-haired heroine. “You’re the one she’s after! Go get the other Senshi!” The little girl hesitated for another second before nodding and then fleeing as instructed.

 

“Come back here,” the Droid cried, realizing that her original prey was going to get away.

 

“Hey, Slut Queen! I’m the one you should be worried about,” Sailor Moon yelled, as she took a running leap and kicked the Droid in the back of the head, sending it head first into the sidewalk that cracked into pieces from the impact. If Sailor Jupiter had kicked the Droid, there would have been a Droid-shaped crater.

 

Mercilessly, she attacked the Droid with her hands and feet, making full use of the karate training that Makoto had given her. She dodged the few attacks that it managed to throw when it wasn't on the defense until finally, she decided that it wasn’t worth her time to fight with it anymore. She pulled out the Moon Rod out of her subspace pocket and aimed it at the Droid.

 

“Moon… Princess…Halation!”

 

She watched as it turned into a pile of sparkling dust, oddly feeling short-changed. The battles usually took longer and required the efforts of the whole team to defeat a Droid, but this had been rather anticlimactic. Laughter filled the air, sending a chill a down her back, before something whacked her in the back of her head. The pain seared white-hot through her brain, blinding her, as it spread through her body like liquid fire. Her legs buckled as she lost her balance, the air rushing past her as she fell face first towards the ground and under the pain she wondered if this was how the Droid felt when she had kicked it before.

 

 

Everything went black.

 

---

 

 

 

Final Thought from Usagi:

Mamo-chan...?

Chapter Text

"Usagi's coming," Luna remarked, as the roar of feet pounding down the hallway was heard. However, she and the others were surprised, when it was Chibi-Usa who charged into Rei's bedroom instead of their blonde and perpetually tardy leader.

The little girl suddenly dropped to the knees, her face red and her breathing labored as if she had run a serious marathon or as if the hounds of hell had been at her heels. In Chibi-Usa's case, it was more then likely that this particular hound was Usagi; the two mixed like oil and water most of the time and it was a common occurrence to find Usagi on a tear to capture the pink-haired child to try and dish out some retribution. It was only a matter of time before Usagi would appear with the same sort of homicidal glee in her eye that she got before dumped Luna in the tub for a bath. Since it was the general consensus of the group, nobody made any attempt to move from their spots in the room.

Rei was sprawled out comfortably in her desk chair, sitting sideways so that her legs were hanging over an arm of said chair. Makoto was on the bed with Minako sitting on the floor in front of her, a magazine opened to show various hairstyles, which she had clearly been showing to the brunette as to how she wanted her hair styled. As for the calmest and quietest of the Senshi, Ami was in the process of trimming Artemis’s claws; the white furred feline, despite boasting a greater intelligence then the average was reacting with the same anxiety and panic of the average cat. The only difference in the situation was that the average cat didn’t have the ability to creatively curse, come up with threats of retribution and extravagant promises if he was released from his torture.

“Where’s Usagi-chan,” Minako asked, wincing as Makoto tugged on a strand of hair a little too hard.

"Don't tell me that baka got detention again," Rei said, glancing at the clock. “Although if she did, Haruna-sensei must have got dumped pretty hard.”

"She's… fighting a…. Droid," Chibi-Usa said, managing to get the words out as she panted and fought to catch her breath. She had run faster then she had before, even then those times when she herself had been chased by the Black Moon Droids; her worry for Usagi had forced her to push herself to her limits and she had been afraid that thlime-haired lady with the creepy, weird laugh would appear and take advantage of Sailor Moon’s distraction by the Droid to capture her. Her words had the effect of sharpening the attention on her by the occupants of the room.

“Did Tuxedo Kamen arrive to help her before you left,” Makoto asked, as she hastily pulled the Senshi of Love’s hair back in its customary style with its trademark red bow.

“Nooo,” the little girl replied, a slight wail to her voice that was eerily similar to the blonde that she physically resembled. Despite denials from both, one claiming the other was a pesky little brat and the other retorting that the elder was a clumsy baka, there were quite a few similarities between the two that made the others suspect that there really was some kind of blood tie between the two.

"Is she nuts to try to take one of them by herself," Artemis cried. "Those things have gotten more powerful ever since Rubeus was defeated. You girls better transform and go help her fast."

Transformation wands were pulled out subspace pockets, as the girls ran towards the door without having to be told twice. A single thought filled each Senshi’s mind.

‘Please, let Usagi-chan be okay.’

---

Sailor Moon groaned as she opened her eyes, the back of her head still aching from where she had been struck. Pain was quickly replaced with panic as she realized that even though her eyes were open, she could see nothing but pitch black. Where the hell was she?

The last thing she had remembered was being in the park, after she had managed to defeat the Droid, which would definitely had earned her major bragging rights. The current crop of Droids, had become stronger and more deadly. It was near impossible for any the Senshi to defeat one on her own. It had required an increased amount of teamwork on their part, which while served to improve their ability to fight as a unit also was deterrent when a Droid showed up while more then one of them way busy with obligations, that couldn’t easily be dismissed or escaped.

The fact that she defeated it rather easily in anti-climatic fashion now made had the Senshi of the Moon suspicious considering her current situation. Maybe it hadn't been her improved skills and blood thirst to fight that had defeated the Droid. Maybe she had just been sent the dunce of Droid Academy to deal with for a reason.

"So this is the mighty Champion of Love and Justice. So young to be so powerful, yet expected from the guardian of the Maboroshi no Ginzuishou.”

She turned towards the voice, or where she thought it was, seeing nothing but absolute blackness until suddenly a tiny ball of light appeared. The light was no bigger then the end of a ballpoint pen, but as she continued to stare it grew larger until it revealed that it was actually a crystal ball, about as big as one of the 9-pound bowling balls that Mako-chan was fond of using when they went bowling. The glow of the crystal ball gave enough illumination that she was able to see the outline of cloaked figure, but nothing more.

“Who are you,” she demanded, her eyes darting from side to side, hoping to see something in her peripheral vision of a possible escape. But there was nothing. Nothing but black space all around her. “Where am I?”

"This is my own private dimension, my dear and I am known as Wise Man," the cloaked figure replied.

"You're the one who attacked me before, aren't you," she cried.

"Now why would I attack you, my lady," he asked.

"You're the enemy," she cried. "You're the one who keeps sending the Droids. Why are you trying to destroy the earth? What did you do to Chiba-Usa’s mother?"

"Are you sure about that Sailor Moon," inquired Wise Man. "Perhaps it is the ones who claim to care about you, that are the enemies. Perhaps they’re lying to you."

"Liar," she cried. "My loved ones would never hurt me. They care about me. They would never lie."

The Wise Man smiled, knowing she could not see his face under the cloak. When she had been unconscious, he had used his magic to enter her mind. Even unconscious, she had had the power to thrust him out, but not before he had seen a brief glimpse. That brief glimpse had told him what he needed to know.

The girl had been deeply hurt by the one she had loved. It was a hurt that cut her not only in her heart, but to her soul. The one who had inflicted the pain was her soul mate, her destined partner by fate. That kind of pain had the power to put doubt in one’s heart about love and about her the others she loved. If your other half could betray you, then who was to say others couldn’t do the same. And what if they truly didn’t care for you as you cared for them?

This knowledge had enabled him to hear the doubt in her voice when she had claimed that her loved ones wouldn't hurt her. The doubt he knew that was in her pure heart.

A pure heart that he had every intention of tainting to claim the power that she wielded. She would become his finest weapon in achieving his goals.

"Then how do you explain this young man," Wise Man said. A black mist came from the crystal ball and swirled in front of her before taking the form of Tuxedo Kamen.

"Tuxedo Kamen," she cried, unknowingly relaxing her guard enough so that the Wise Man's magic could enter her mind.

"What do you want," Tuxedo Kamen asked coldly. "I told you that I don't love you. I despise you Sailor Moon."

She flinched.

"You're weak and pathetic," he continued. "You’re nothing but a dumb blonde who can’t walk and breathe at the same time without klutzing out. How could I love someone like you? I despise you.”

She whimpered.

"I've found someone better then you," Tuxedo Kamen said, and she watched in horror as Sailor Mars appeared from the shadows. Tuxedo Kamen wrapped his arms around Sailor Mars and kissed her passionately.

"No," she whispered. "You're supposed to be my best friend. How could you?"

Salior Mars pulled away from Tuxedo Kamen and stalked towards her. When she was standing in front of Sailor Moon, Mars slapped her with enough force to cause a red hand mark to appear upon the blonde’s cheek.

"How could I," she asked in amusement. "Easy. I was never your best friend. I just hung around to get the Maboroshi no Ginzuishou from you. You’re not worthy to be the Princess of the Moon anymore. Reincarnation is supposed to improve a person, but you’ve just become pathetic. I'm a million times better then you in all things."

"That you are, my love," Tuxedo Kamen said, wrapping his arms around the Senshi of Fire.

Sailor Moon dropped to her knees, closed her eyes and then covered her ears, while shaking her head. "No, this isn't true. This isn't real. Mamo-chan may not love me anymore, but Rei would never betray me like that. She wouldn’t! We’re best friends! We’re as close as sisters! It isn’t real!"

But she couldn’t escape the betrayal in her mind and she was forced to watch as Tuxedo Kamen kissed Mars with the same passion that he had once kissed her.

No, it was different. Her memories began to change on her to things they weren’t as Wise Man used the opening her pain had given him.

---

“Oh Mamo-chan,” Usagi sighed as she tilted her face up towards his in anticipation of a kiss. There was nothing more wonderful and amazing then being kissed by the man you loved. He smiled down at her before his face lowered and she felt the press of his lips against hers.

She felt her toes curl in pleasure as she pressed her lips against his, kissing him with all the passion of her young heart and all the yearning that came from the woman she was now and who she had once been. In this time and place, kissing was all she’d be able to get him from; yet in another life there had been more then kisses. She had memories of heated embraces, clothes being pulled off in frenzy, as they tried to get as close to each other as two souls could be.

A moment later, she noticed that she was the only one who seemed to be enjoying the kiss. Oh, Mamoru was putting some effort into it, but the passion was all hers. She might as well be kissing her hand, because it would be the same. It wasn’t the same. Not like before. Not like when they were Serenity and Endymion.

No, there had been that one time just after he had his memory had returned after the battle with Ail and An. But then it had changed. Why hadn’t she noticed it before? She was the only one who was putting a real effort into their relationship.

The kiss broke. He smiled at her and said all the right things, but this time Usagi could hear them as fake. As they had been fake all the times before. She responded on auto-pilot as he told her that he had to go study for an exam and watched as he exchanged good bye with the others.

Watched as he exchanged looks with Rei and noticed for the first time that there was more to that look. The heat and passion she wanted from him was directed at Rei.

---

“No, it’s not true,” Sailor Moon cried. She shook her head, trying to rid herself of the hurtful memory. That wasn’t how things were. That wasn’t what happened.

Or was it?

---

“Can’t you do anything right,” Tsukino Ikuko demanded, shaking another of Usagi’s tests in her daughter’s face. The test paper has a prominent 30% scrawled across the top along with x’s all over it to indicate all the problems that the teenager had gotten wrong.

“Honestly, don’t you ever study Usagi? If you just studied even a little, you might actually be able to manage to make a passing grade. But clearly wasting time and eating is all you’re good for.”

“Mama…” the blonde said slowly, not knowing what she could say to make up for failing grade. What could she say? It wasn't like she could admit that she had been tired fighting Droids to focus on a test that she HAD actually studied for. She glanced at her father, who sat with his arms crossed and shaking his head in disgust.

“We don’t want to hear your excuses, Usagi,” her father said. “Excuses are worthless. What we want is change, young lady. We want to see improvement instead of this repeated failure.”

“Then you’d be asking for a miracle, Dad,” Shingo said as he entered the dining room, shooting his sister a sneer. “There’s nothing that’s going to make that baka improve. Honestly, she’s such an embarrassment, that I wish I was an only child. It wouldn’t’ be so bad if she had one saving grace, but she doesn’t even have that.”

“Now Shingo, your sister is seeing that young man who’s studying to be a doctor,” her mother replied. Their mother glanced at Usagi and saw the crestfallen look on her face. “Don’t tell me he broke up with you? What did you do wrong?”

“Nothing,” Usagi answered. “He just broke up with me after Chibi-Usa showed up.”

“Don’t blame your cousin for your failures,” Kenji scolded. “You know Usagi, your brother is right. It’s plain disgraceful. If a girl can’t do well in school, she should at least be able to find a good man to marry one day to take care of her, but you couldn’t even do that.”

“But Papa,” she protested, but it didn’t matter because her family had walked out of the room, ignoring her because she was nothing more a failure and disgrace to the Tsukino name.

---

“Mama… Papa… Shingo… Please no!”

Tears streamed down her face, the pain in her heart intensifying. Her own flesh and blood had turned their backs on her. Because she couldn’t live up to their standards, she had become nothing more then a dirty family secret. Why hadn’t she noticed before? Why hadn’t she realized how much they hated her? How could she have forgotten all those hurtful words?

Yet the memories didn’t stop there.

Everyone she had ever known had used her or treated her badly in some way. Motoki-onii-chan… Reika-san… Umino-kun… Yuuichirou-san… Naru-chan… none of them had cared. None.

The Senshi had been no better. They had been disappointed in her. She wasn’t the Princess they remembered. She was inferior copy of the Princess, that they had once faithfully served. A klutzy ditz that they were forced by destiny to risk their lives for because she was the wielder of the Maboroshi no Ginzuishou. Artemis and Luna felt the same as well, disappointed that they had searched all this time for her. They were all sick of it.

Sick of her.

They only stayed because of the Maboroshi no Ginzuishou. Only stayed until they could figure out how they could take it from her and give it to a vessel who was more worthy of using it and being their Princess. Like Rei. Rei would be a perfect Princess and it was clear that Mamoru, the reincarnated Prince of Earth thought the same

Chibi-Usa sneered at her and said that she thought Sailor Moon was a horrible Senshi and how she wanted Sailor Mars to save her mommy. Because with Sailor Mars, she knew that her mommy would be saved, while Sailor Moon would more then likely fail and destroy any hope of saving the child' mother.

Sailor Moon opened her eyes, eyes that had lost their vivaciousness and clarity. Instead they appeared glassy and dul. In front of her was the Wise Man and small army of Droids, yet what she saw thanks to his magic, was every person she had every cared of them, standing in a group. Not a single one had any kindness and compassion in their face. All she saw was anger and disgust before in unison they turned and walked away, leaving her alone.

"NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO," Sailor Moon screamed, tears streaming down her face as she shook her head wildly back and forth. "Why don’t you love me?!? Why couldn’t you accept me for who I am now?!? I accepted you all! I never betrayed you! Why are you betraying me?!? Why are you leaving me here alone?!?”

'Betrayal… Unloved… Loneliness…,' whispered through her mind.

The light seemed to fade from her eyes. Just emptiness. Complete and utter emptiness.

"I've always been alone. Nobody cares about me. They all hate me," she whispered, the tears pouring down her cheeks faster. “They’ve always hated me. All that I have is pain.”

“That’s right,” Wise Man said, two red eye-shaped lights glowing under the cloak. “All that you have is pain. There is not a single creature on Earth that has ever cared or treated you with kindness. None at all. All they do is use you and leave you with more pain.”

“Use me,” the blonde repeated. “More pain. I don’t want to feel any more pain. No more. Please, no more!”

“I can help you,” the Wise Man said.

“How,” she asked.

“All you have to do is take my hand,” he replied, the cloak moved and suddenly there was phantom hand reaching out towards her. She stared at it for a second and then slowly placed her hand in his.

---

Chapter Text

“Are you sure this is where the Droid and Sailor Moon were fighting,” Sailor Mars asked Chibi-Usa, who had led the Senshi to the battle via a piggy back ride on Jupiter’s back. The Senshi of Fire glanced around the park, but there didn’t seem to be any traces of porn star reject Droids or their Princess.

The park was for the most part quiet, except for the chirping of some nearby birds. It was peaceful and beauty, yet something warned the miko that something wasn’t right. Even before she had awakened as a Senshi, she had listened to that inner voice that had always guided her without fail. Her awakening as a Senshi had only explained why her ability to have visions was so well-developed. Mars was not only the planet of war and fire, but of prophecies as well.

“I’m positive,” Chibi-Usa said, glancing around and looking slightly baffled. Being forced to mature quickly, so she could save her mother and protect the future by coming into the past, she had learned to be observant and pay attention to details. She was positively certain this was the spot where she had left Sailor Moon and the Droid to battle while she had went for the others. Yet while all the details she had remembered were here, there was no Droid or Sailor Moon to be found.

“Then where is she,” Jupiter demanded, her voice held a sharpness that came from worry and fear for her friend. Usagi had been the first one to befriend her when she had first transferred to Juuban Junior High. While it had been the blonde’s appreciation of food and hunger that had lured her to come near Makoto and her gourmet bento lunches, it was her pure heart that had seen past the tomboyish exterior to see the brunette’s vulnerable and kind heart.

Because Usagi had taken the time to truly see her, the rest of their classmates had given a Makoto a chance too and she had never forgotten that kindness. It had only been an added bonus, in her mind, that her friend was also her Princess. True, Usagi didn’t have the same grace that Serenity had, but the heart and soul of the woman was the same. Besides she figured that Usagi would eventually learn the grace as she grew older.

“This is the right spot,” Mercury said, after scanning the area with her Mercury computer. “The scanner on my computer has picked up particles in the air that are identical to the residue that is left over whenever Sailor Moon destroys a Droid with her Moon Scepter.”

“That explains what happened to the Droid, but now where Sailor Moon is,” Venus said. “Where could she be? And why hasn’t she contacted us? It’s not like her to be forgetful about stuff that is this important. Mercury, can you find her?”

“I’m not sure. The computer’s picking up her residual energy signature, but that’s it,” was her answer, which didn’t reassure any of them.

“What do we now,” Chibi-Usa asked.

“I guess we go check to see if she’s at the shrine,” Mars said. “We could have missed her while we hurried over here.”

“And if she’s not there,” asked the little girl.

“I don’t know.”

---

 

A column of dark energy pulsed in front of the Wise Man; the vague outline of a woman’s form was barely visible in all that darkness. The dark energy would erase any beautiful and good memories the woman had from her mind, while keeping those that could easily be tainted so that the memory of what was became something entirely different then its original form. The tainted memories would only serve to reinforce to the manipulation and brainwashing he had done to make her his tool.

He could only thank her foolish soulmate for having given him such an easy opening to gain control of her. ‘I suppose I owe that idiot Diamund’s obsession with Neo-Queen Serenity and Ruebus’s failures to defeat Sailor Moon. Without either of them, who knows if I would have made the connection that Sailor Moon was the Queen’s past self.’

And knowing who Neo-Queen Serenity had been in the past had given birth of a new plan in his mind. It had been fortunate that he had identified the younger version of the Queen and formed his plan just as her past self had been at her most vulnerable. He had no illusions that had the young woman not been suffering for complete heart break caused by her soulmate, he would not have had an easy time of capturing and gaining control of her as easily as he had. It would have probably taken hours of torture and manipulation until he had broken her down to the point where she would willing accept the energy of the Dark Crystal.

‘It will not be long until this miserable planet is under my control. The Senshi will not be able to fight their precious Princess and risk harming her, but she will have no such qualms. I will have her destroy the Senshi and without them this planet will have no one to protect it. Once the Earth is mine, I will expand and control the entire universe.’

Delighted with his thoughts, the Wise Man laughed with wicked glee that was soon joined by a woman's laughter.

---

 

A day had passed since Usagi had last been seen.

The Senshi had returned to the Hikawa Shrine to discover that their hopes had been for naught since their leader was not there. They had questioned Yuuichirou and Rei’s grandpa and learned that Usagi had not shown up and left after they had run off to the park to find her. Worried, the group had headed to the Tsukino residence to find that Usagi wasn’t there either and unable to explain why they were concerned, there had been no way to tell their leader’s mother that something was wrong. They had just barely been able to excuse themselves without alarming Tsukino Ikuko.

With no leads, they had all agreed to split up and search the city for the blonde’s usual haunts with the hope that she was there, while Chibi-Usa had been left at the Tsukino house with strict instructions to stay home and contact them immediately when Usagi showed up. The key word had been 'when', since none wanted to think in the terms of ‘if’; it was too scary to think otherwise.

By eight o’clock that evening, they had all received phone calls from Usagi’s mom asking if they had seen the blonde. An hour later there had been more frantic phone calls from both of Usagi’s parents, in which their responses had not changed, although now guilt ate away at them because they couldn’t tell the Tsukinos that the last the time their daughter had been seen was while fighting an evil monster in defense of the Earth by their 'niece'.

No one had gotten much sleep that night, as worry and fear, had eaten away at all of them. Things hadn’t gotten much better at school, particularly after Haruno-sensei had made an announcement in class about Usagi’s disappearance and asking the students to report anything they knew. It wasn’t surprising that the rest of the day had been rather somber and tense, since Usagi was a favorite among many because she of her sunny nature and compassionate heart. Naru had looked like she was ready to burst into tears at any moment; not surprising since as one of Usagi-chan’s best friends she would have been gotten a call the previous night from the Tsukinos and thus be fully aware of the situation before the announcement. Rei and Minako’s days weren’t much better, particularly after Makoto and Ami had given them an update via their communicators.

By the time school ended, the girls had met up front of the Crown Game Center with Chibi-Usa and the felines; the game center had always been one of Usagi’s favorite hang out spots when she wasn’t with her friends or there was Senshi business to deal with. Even though it was a pipe dream, they had all hoped that the blonde would be inside playing one of the Sailor V games, but of course she wasn’t.

“There has to be something we can do to find Usagi-chan,” Makoto said, looking to any casual observer as if she was ready to pound some poor unfortunate into a mushy pulp of pain if they looked at her the wrong way. However, to those who knew her it was clear that she was just frustrated and stressed to her breaking point. She had always been physically stronger then others, which came from her Jovian origins, and because of who she was and how others had influenced her she had been taught to use that strength to help and protect others. Yet none of that strength was doing her any good right now to help one of the people who truly mattered to her.

“Perhaps…” Ami started to say hesitantly as if she wasn’t sure of the reaction her suggestion would cause.

“Perhaps what,” Minako questioned, a look in her eyes that said she might have an idea of what the other girl would say. Ami, by virtue of who she was as a person and being the Senshi of Wisdom and of Mercurian origin, was a genius capable of a level of analytical thinking that was sometimes beyond that of many people (well Umino and Reika-san seemed to hold their own pretty well against the blue-haired Senshi). But Minako didn't need analytical thinking or genius brain to have an inkling of what her blue-haired friend was considering. As the Senshi of Love, she had her own strengths which led her to same conclusion as Ami, albeit an entirely different route.

“Perhaps we should speak with Mamoru-san,” Ami said. “Despite their break up, he has always shown up when Usagi-chan was in danger, which means whatever metaphysical bond that connects them is still in tact regardless of their current relationship. He might be able to use that connection to find Usagi-chan.”

Rei and Makoto were silent as they considered Ami’s words. Out of the group, the Senshi of Mars and Jupiter were the ones most likely to have a volatile reaction to the suggestion. Both were known to have hot tempers and developed shorter fuses under stressful conditions like the current situation. There was also the factor that like the other two less hot-tempered Senshi, they had a strong bond with Usagi, so the break up between their friend had its effects on them too.

While in some ways Usagi had physically voiced her turmoil and upset over the situation, she had never truly vented all of the pain she had felt. It wasn’t that their Princess didn’t trust them; it was just in Usagi’s nature not to burden or bring pain onto others (except evil scum, but there was always an exception to a rule). They had all been aware that Usagi had held back and contained the worst of her pain to protect them. Yet they had all felt a bit of it to some extent, Rei moreso then the others due to her spiritual abilities.

Knowing how much Usagi was hurting without any reasonable explanation (not that any excuse Mamoru could make would have been reasonable for hurting someone they loved), hadn’t made the Senshi feel very friendly towards the man, even if he did help them get out of jams with the Droids. So it was hardly a surprise that Ami was concerned about how those two friends would react to a suggestion of asking the man who hurt their dearest friend to help find her.

“Okay, so we use him, like the dog is he, to find Usagi,” Rei said finally. She wasn’t exactly thrilled with the idea, however she could see the logic in Ami’s suggestion. Besides she wasn’t going to turn down any idea to find her friend, even if meant using the one person who she’d rather skin alive or turn into Earth Prince flambé. She would use any means necessary to find her friend; well except hurting anyone because that would upset the blonde when they found her. Although hurting Mamoru wasn’t exactly a bad idea either and what Usagi didn’t know…

---

 

When Ami had suggested making use of Mamoru’s ability to find Usagi, she had thought it would have been a simple solution to their dilemma. Hunt the man down, explain the situation, and then use him to find Usagi. Despite being a complete and utter ass, she didn’t think he was without compassion and would have helped the Senshi. Of course, she realized now, in hindsight, that she forgotten to factor in the anger that her friends felt towards the man and how Usagi’s presence leashed them for unleashing violence upon the one who had hurt her.

She also hadn’t realized the extent of her anger towards the man or how little it would take to push her over the edge

It hadn't occurred to them until after their arrival, that the metaphysical bond between Usagi and Mamoru meant, that the man always knew when there was enemy activity as soon as Usagi began to transform. That didn't necessarily mean he arrived at the battle instantly; however even if appeared after they had defeated the current porn star reject, he still put in some kind of appearance. Yet Ami had found no hint of his energy on her computer scan yesterday when they had been searching for Usagi.

When Minako had explained the situation and then asked why he hadn't shown up, his answer had served as the last straw for Usagi's faithful Senshi. The answer that had been given was that like Rei, his ability to sense Usagi went more then feeling the tug of the Senshi of the Moon’s power whenever she transformed, but to some extent feeling the same things that the miko felt.

Having had an encounter with Usagi earlier before the battle, Mamoru had used his power to block Usagi and the pain that had radiated through that connection. He had apparently been a little too successful since he had barely felt anything when Usagi had become Sailor Moon. When he had finally realized that her pain had replaced by the same sensation as when she went into battle, the feeling had already begun to fade away so he had thought her safe and his presence unnecessary.

Rei and Makoto had exploded at that, not that Minako had been exactly calm. But while they had yelled and intimidated the man, which had more to do with seeing smalls bolts of lightning dance down Mako-chan’s arms and little sparks of fire in Rei’s hair, there had been no violence up to that that point. Violence had only occurred after Ami had stepped forward and popped Mamoru in the jaw, holding her fist in the way that Makoto had taught her, and knocking him to the ground. The others had stared at with their jaws hanging, since Ami was the last person anyone expected to punch another person.

After that things went a bit downhill, although Ami was able to regain enough control to ensure that Mamoru wasn’t hurt too badly. The fact that the man hadn’t done anything to defend himself or fight back was very telling. In any case, once the Senshi had been able to ‘vent’ a bit, they refocused on the more important task of finding their friend. Problem was that their ‘hound dog’ had led them straight back to the spot where Chibi-Usa had the day before.

“Are you sure he’s not broken?”

“Mako-chan, I told you that you hit him too hard.”

"Actually, I'm pretty sure this time this is Ami's fault and not mine."

Mamoru shot them all an annoyed expression for discussing him like a kitchen appliance that wasn’t capable of comprehending their words. “There is nothing wrong with me. Usagi’s in the park. I’m positive of that.”

“Then where is she, Tux Boy,” Makoto demanded.

Mamoru knelt down, closing his eyes as he pressed a hand to the ground. As the Prince of Earth, he had a connection with the planet which he could use in various ways. In this case, he was using his connection to the Earth while focusing on the connection that bound him to Usagi to help him find her. No matter where she was, he would be able to find her; as long as she was on the planet.

“The lake,” he said suddenly, his eyes opening. “I can sense her by the lake, but… it feels different somehow. I don’t how to explain it, except something is off about her aura.”

“We can worry about her aura later,” Rei snapped. “Right now I just want to see if she’s alright.” She turned and ran towards the lake with the others hurrying after her. However, when they reached it, there wasn’t a soul around.”

“Ye-e-ah, he's definitely broke,” Minako drawled, although even though her voice sounded like she was making light of the situation, the blonde was clearly upset that their plan to use Mamoru was failing horribly.

It was then they noticed that the park was eerily quite around them, which was stranger considering that the park usually had a good crowd at this time and the natural wildlife that resided within it. Suddenly they heard the silvery bell-like laugh of a woman; a laugh that sounded eerily familiar yet at the same time was off. They looked around until Chibi-Usa noticed and brought to their attention to black rose petals, swirling above the lake for a moment, before they formed an outline of a woman.

The petals suddenly dissipated to reveal a woman floating over the lake in their place. The woman wore a strapless black gown with a slit that rose up to mid-thigh. The dress had sweetheart neckline and its bodice appeared, even from the distance, to be crystallized. A transparent cape that looked as sheer and delicate as spider-silk was attached to the back of the dress, dancing in the air thanks to a breeze. She wore black high heels, with heels that looked as sharp and thin as ice picks and the trademark black crystal earrings of the Black Moon clan dangled from her ears. Her hair was silvery white and pulled into the hairstyle that was unique to that of the Moon Kingdom's royal family.

The cerulean blue eyes that stared at them, which were as familiar to them as their own, were as cold as glaciers and hard as diamonds. There was absolutely no trace of any warmth or love in them, something that had ever happened before no matter how angry the owner of those eyes had been. Not even Queen Beryl had ever seen such eyes and that villainess had every reason to deserve them.

Upon the woman’s forehead was, instead of the golden crescent moon of the royal Moon family, the inverted black crescent moon of of the Black Moon clan.

"Usagi," Luna cried, her voice filled with disbelief. "Is that you?"

"Usagi," the woman said with amusement "Yes, I was once called that when I so pathetically believed that love and friendship actually existed in this world. But I no longer go by that name anymore. My name is..."

She paused, her lips curved up into a sensual smile. An evil smile.

"Serenity, Queen of Nemesis."

---

 

Final Thought from Mamoru:
*grumbles* I told you I wasn’t broken!

Chapter Text

“Serenity,” Luna repeated in a voice barely above a whisper. The shock and disbelief was clear in her voice and the eyes of the feline as she stared at this dark parody off the young woman she knew. The Serenity of the past and the Usagi of the present had never been capable of the cold expression of hate and icy anger as the woman before her. Even when facing off against Beryl, neither incarnations of the gentle soul had looked so... heartless, for a lack of better word. Even the jealous and vain Beryl had seen some compassion in those cerulean blue eyes.

“Usagi, if this is your idea of a joke, it really isn't funny,” Rei said, the fear in her eyes contradicting the anger tone in her voice. The Senshi of Mars prayed to her guardian planet that this was truly a joke, one in extreme bad taste, but even a bad joke was better then the truth that stared down at her without a hint of warmth. Yet in her heart of hearts, she knew the truth was that this was no joke.

“Do I look like I'm joking,” asked the dark Queen, arching an eyebrow as her lips twisted into a cruel smile, that she would, as herself, never have been truly capable of pulling off in a million years. Even in the Snow White play, when she had been cast as the evil stepmother, Usagi had been unable to really capture the evil of the vain and murderous Queen. 

She had no problem now. 

“Usagi, what have they done to you,” Minako cried, eyes filled with tears that threatened to fall. No, this couldn't be. This wasn't Usagi-chan. Her princess... her best friend... no, the girl she knew could not be this cold and heartless queen. Not willingly

“Those monsters,” Makoto agreed, desperately wishing that the cackling green-haired hyena would show up so she could smash a fist into the smug face. 

“Monsters,” Serenity said with a delicate snort. “They're not the monsters. The Dark Moon gave me truth. They have removed the blindfold from my eyes and showed me the world as it truly is. You, who I foolishly thought were friends, were the ones who lied to me. You punished me for not being perfect, for not being the same woman I was in another life.

“What are you talking about,” Red demanded. “We would never do that to you!”

“Liar,” sneered Serenity. “And you're the worst one of them all, along with him. Both of you sneaking behind my back, cheating and plotting to get my crystal, that is mine by right of birth and blood. I HATE you! All of you! You and the rest of the people on this miserable planet… you have done nothing, but cause me pain! Well I’m not going to take it anymore.”

She held out her right hand, palm facing up at them. An orb of black energy appeared before it began twist and shift, taking the form of long black scepter. The scepter was nearly as long as Serenity was tall, from her toes to the top of her ears in length. The bottom was actually larger version of the the black crystals that dangled from her ears, except this one gave the impression that if used correctly, it would slice an enemy open as easily as a sharp sword. The top half of the scepter appeared equally as dangerous with a black dragon, so black that it appeared to have purple tints to it, perched, almost in a dog-like sitting position, on top mouth wide open to show impressive sharp teeth, with it's wings spread out and its long muscular tail coiled sinuously around the staff. The Maboroshi no Ginzuishou lay nestled between the dragon's front claws, glowing with power. But like it's mistress, something was off and its glow was no longer a silvery white, but a black ominous light.

“DIE,” the woman that had once been their cherished companion cried, as she pointed the scepter at them. A blast of dark energy shot out of the crystal towards them, but despite being in their civilian forms, all the training of their past lives and their current one allowed them to react and jump out the way. Mamoru grabbed Chibi-Usa and dodged the blast with the cats close at his heels.

“Transform,” Artemis ordered.

“But Artemis it’s Usagi-chan,” Luna protested.

“And she’s not holding back,” the white cat replied bluntly. For all his joking ways, he could be serious when necessary and he understood the situation a lot better then the others. While he cared for their Princess, he was not overwhelmed by softer emotions like the females were nor did he hold a love for the Princess as Mamoru did, no matter how much the man said otherwise at the moment. “The Senshi won’t be able to keep dodging any more attacks as they are now.”

Makoto glanced at Usagi, no Queen Serenity of Nemesis, because to think that their beloved friend would attack them was unbearable and seemed impossible to comprehend. There was no kindess in that woman. Aretmis was right. “He’s right. Transform. It’s the only way we can survive and figure out what the Black Moon did.” 

The girls exchanged looks and then nodded. Transformation wands were pulled out of subspace pockets and they quickly shed their civilian forms and took on their Senshi identities, which brought them greater access and control to the powers they had been born with. Mamoru pulled out a rose, turning into his alter ego Tuxedo Kamen. He didn’t know if he had it in him to fight against Usagi, even only in defense, but he could protect Chibi-Usa, the only one of them who lacked the power, agility, and speed to defend herself against such an adversary.

The Senshi quickly learned that facing off with the Queen of Nemesis would not be easy, even if she hadn't been their friend. Several blasts of dark energy, laced with traces of silvery white threads came at them. It took all their concentration and training to avoid the blasts, cringing inside to see the devastation to the area around them. It also hurt knowing that those blasts had been intended for them; their best friend was attacking them with the intention to kill. 

“How can she believe that we would hurt her,” Venus asked, when the attacks stopped as the dark Queen seemed to consider an alternate way to attack them would better results; whether she believed it or not, they just couldn't attack Serenity and there was no way of knowing what she thought of their inaction. It was so surreal, as if they were trapped in a nightmare, except the huge craters littering the area and the sweat trailing down her skin were cold-hard evidence that Senshi of Love was wide awake. Their friend and Princess was evil and hell-bent on killing them. How were they going to get Usagi back? 

Mercury, her mind racing as it contemplated explanations and rejecting them, stared hard at the woman who had been her very first friend. Her heart filled with sorrow at the thought of having to fight Usagi, something so illogical that she never thought it could ever be a possibility. Yet behind the sorrow was cool determination; determination that they would win their friend back. It was determination that made her look into those once warm cerulean blue eyes, the eyes that been a window into Usagi’s soul, but were now as cold and opaque… Opaque as if….

“They brainwashed her,” Mercury cried. ”Those bastards brainwashed her.”

Everyone turned in shock to stare at the blue-haired Senshi who had never uttered a single profanity before, even at times when she had been highly vexed. Clearly this day was like having a lunar and solar eclipse on the night of the full moon of a Leap Year on Friday the thirteeneth, because that was the only explanation for their Princess turning evil and the ever calm and logical Mercury to be swearing and punching men.

“Look at her eyes,” Mercury said. “Usagi's eyes have always given her away her emotions. It’s why she always loses when we play poker. But her eyes are blank. That's how a brainwashed or drugged person's eyes look. It’s the same way Tuxedo Kamen looked when the Dark Kingdom brainwashed him.”

“Usagi, snap out of it,” Jupiter cried, her forest green eyes staring up into those cerulean orbs and pleading with them to go back to normal. “The Dark Moon has brainwashed you. You have to fight it!”

“Brainwashed me,” Serenity questioned in amusement. “No I think you're the ones who are trying to do the brainwashing. Wise Man has been honest with me, brutally honest in fact. He would never lie to his Queen.”

“Usagi you have to return to normal,” Chibi-Usa pleaded, feeling a fear that was a horrible and familiar as when she has seen her mother get hit in one of the Black Moon's attacks. “Please! You promised that you were going to help me save my mommy.” 

The little girl clasped her hands together and looked up at her heroine with beseeching eyes. A pale pink glow surrounded the child, causing everyone to gasp in surprise.

“Please remember the truth,” Chibi-Usa cried. The pink glow that encased her shot out a blast of energy that hit Serenity. The dark Queen jerked back as if she had been slammed back by an eighteen-wheeler before sliding down onto her knees, still floating over the lake, her hands covering her ears as she screamed.

“Nooo,” Serenity screamed. “Make it stop!”

In her mind, Serenity saw a vision of herself as she had once looked in Rei's room with the other girls. Books and papers were scattered around the room and she realized that it was a memory of a study session.

---

“Ugh,” Usagi cried. “Let's take a break you guys. Maybe we could go down to the Crown Parlor and get something to eat?”

“No way Usagi,” Rei replied. “You just took a break ten minutes ago.”

“But I'm getting a headache,” the blonde protested. “This stuff is soo hard.”

“You'll never learn anything if you keep doing that,” Minako scolded.

“Like you're one to talk,” Makoto teased, as she reached over and pulled a manga out of Minako's science book. “Little Miss I'm-Pretending-To-Study-But-Is-Actually-Reading-A-Manga-Hidden-In-My-Textbook!”

Minako blushed bright red at getting caught as everyone laughed.

“Now get back to studying, Usagi,” Rei ordered, when the laughter had died down.

“I don't see why we have to study now,” Usagi complained. “We're not even in ninth grade yet. Why do we have to study for the high school entrance exams now?”

“Because Meatball Head,” Rei replied. “Its better get a head start. And don't you want to get into the same high school as the others. If you don't study now with us, you might get into some other school with a whole bunch of people you don't know.”

“And high school won't be as much fun if you're not there, girl,” Minako said.

“Yeah,” Makoto and Ami agreed.

---

“They did that because they cared,” Serenity questioned herself softly, as the scene faded from her mind and she stared in confusion as the pink light faded away from Chibi-Usa. “Are they right? Did Wise Man lie to me?”

“Don't listen to them, my queen,” Wise Man's voice boomed as the skies darkened ominously. A pillar of dark energy hit her. “They're lying to you. Like they always do. They don't care. They've never cared.”

The same vision entered her mind again except this time the ending was different. Rei was telling her they were studying because they knew how stupid she was so that she would need lots of extra time. Then Minako said that she didn't know why they even tired since no amount of studying would help Usagi because she was so stupid and then Makoto and Ami agreed.

“Liars,” she whispered. “You'll pay for your lies and the pain you put me through! I’ll never forgive you! NEVER!!!”

Queen Serenity disappeared in a swirl of black petals, leaving her former companions to watch in pain and sorrow for being unable to bring her back to normal.

“How could they have gotten her to believe their lies,” Jupiter demanded. “Usagi's stronger then that.”

“She was,” Venus replied quietly, “until our resident masked hero dumped her without a good reason and put a dent in her belief in love and the people who care about her.”

Seven sets of eyes, each displaying varying amounts of anger and hostility, turned their stare onto Tuxedo Kamen. Mars's eyes burned hot like the fire she used and it was clear that she was considering turning the man into a human torch.

“This is your fault,” she cried. “My best friend is on the bad guys' side because of you. How could you do that to her? How could you make her cry and hurt so bad that she would be willing believe to all the shit that Dark Moon brainwashed her with?”

Tuxedo Kamen looked down. “I can't tell you.”

SMACK!!!

Tuxedo Kamen stumbled slightly from the force of the slap that Mars had laid on him. 

“No we're not going to have none of that bullshit,” she snarled. “You are going to tell us and you're going to tell us now us why you hurt the one woman who loves you with every fiber of her being. And then you're going to help us figure out how to bring her back to us. After she had returned to her normal self, I want to see you on your hands and knees, begging for forgiveness and going out of your way to pamper her. Capice?”

At first, Tuxedo Kamen looked angry and defiant. He wasn't a man who took well to being ordered around by anyone. Yet in the end he nodded; Minako and Rei were right. It was his fault that this had happened. In his effort to protect his Usako from harm, he had left her vulnerable and open for their enemies to take control of her. A chill went through him; maybe by breaking up with Usagi to protect her, he had helped make his dream come true instead…

"It all started shortly after Chibi-Usa showed up," he said slowly. "I kept having these visions of another place… a city made of crystal every time I touched her. And then the dreams came…”

"Dreams," questioned Mercury.

"Dreams of Usagi dying," he replied, the pain and horror evident in his eyes. "Every night, I watched her die and I couldn't do anything to protect her. The voice in my dream told me that Usagi would die if we were together."

"Let me see if I got this straight," Venus said. "You broke up with my Princess over a fucking dream?!?!? A damn dream and she's out of your life like yesterday's news!!!!!” 

Tuxedo Kamen flinched, as each of her words cut into with the razor sharp accuracy of her Venus Love-Me Chain. The same weapon she was currently holding and would have probably used to strangle him with if Jupiter hadn't wrestled it from her. Not that the Love-Me Chain being in Jupiter's hands was any better for his continued survival, if the expression on her face was anything to go by. 

"Give him a break, Venus," said Mars. "You have to remember that dreams are what led him to Usagi in this life in the first place."

The Senshi of Venus let out a sound that sounded suspiciously like a snort, although no one in their right mind would accuse the avatar of the goddess of love and beauty of snorting, particularly since she happened to be highly pissed off with the Prince of Earth; it wouldn’t take much for her to redirect her anger at another target.

"Okay so we know what caused the baka to break up with Usagi-chan," Jupiter said. "So how do we get Usagi back?"

"Simple," Mars replied. "Next time Usagi shows up, we hog tie her and combine our powers to debrainwash her."

"Chibi-Usa could help as well," Mercury added thoughtfully, staring at the little girl in question. "I don’t know where that pink glow came from, but it seems that she had some sort of inner power that could help us reach Usagi-chan. It clearly had some effect on her before. If we add our strength, it just might be enough to get her back."

"Okay, so we have a plan," Venus said. "Now all we have to do is wait."

---

Wise Man waited as Serenity appeared by his side in a swirl of black rose petals. Anger burned in her eyes, although somewhere in those depths he knew there was pain. Oh he had hinted to her that all the pain would be gone once she accepted the dark power of the Black Crystal but he knew that he couldn’t allow her to be completely unfeeling. She needed the pain to drive her so he could direct her to fulfill his plans. 

"My Queen," he said, respectfully as she sat on a black marble throne, her scepter floating before her.

"I want my revenge Wise Man and I want it now," she said. 

"Yes, my Queen," Wise Man replied. "But to do that you'll need to gain control of the rest of the Black Moon clan. Their abilities will aid you, but they all follow Diamund."

"Then Diamund shall die to set an example," said Serenity. "And then the rest will follow me if they treasure their lives."

"But there is a better way to win, my Queen."

"Explain yourself," she ordered.

"My Queen, as you know, I and the others come from the future," Wise Man replied. “Diamund fell in love with your future form, but since she was...naive to the treachery of those around her, she rejected Diamund in hopes that one day that Endymion would return to her. Her hopes were in vain and because of the treachery of the Senshi she lies sleeping in a crystal tomb until she regains the energy to free herself.”

"I see," she replied. "Then I will make this Diamund, my consort and he and the others will be under my beck and call."

"Could you love Diamund," asked Wise Man. 

"Who said anything about love," she said. "Love is an emotion for the weak. I will not be weak again. Call Diamund, Wise Man, so that he may greet his Queen."

"As you wish, my Queen," Wise Man replied. He waved a hand over his crystal ball and a few minutes later, a man with shoulder-length white hair and dark ice blue eyes entered the room. The man's uniform was entirely white and on his forehead was the insignia of the Dark Moon.

"You called, Wise Man," he demanded in a tone of voice that indicated his irritation for being summoned; but then a flash of silver caught his attention. He turned his head and eyes lit upon Serenity. "Who? How?"

"This is Serenity, Diamund," Wise Man explained. "She is the Queen of Nemesis and the Black Moon clan."

"Queen," Diamund repeated. "But she looks so much like-"

"Diamund, my love," Serenity said, approaching the Prince and gently cupped his face and drew him down so she could kiss him. She kissed him as if he was air and the man who had loved her elder self with an obsession responded despite his confusion at the situation. And as they kissed, the dark Queen tapped into the power of the dark Maboroshi no Ginzuishou and wove a spell around the Prince to entrap him so he would no longer question anything and do her bidding. 

The Wise Man's eyes narrowed as he observed the scene and felt the power of the crystal. He hadn't expected this turn of events and wasn't particularly sure that his puppet was taking more initiative then he cared for. In truth, she had done nothing more then he had planned to do to ensure things ran smoothly, but somehow it put his back up that it had been Serenity to do it on her own.

The couple broke from their kiss. A satisfied smile graced Serenity's lips as Diamund knelt before her. He took the hand she offered him, kissing it before he raised it to his forehead in a sign of fealty. "I am at your service, my Queen. Just as the rest of my family and clan are yours to command."

"Rise, Diamund," she ordered; her voice a soft and seductive caress. "Rise and be my consort. Protect and obey me, my love and we shall rule the universe."

"Yes, my Queen. My love," replied Diamund as he stood, his blue eyes softening with love, not noticing the split second when her eyes revealed her scorn for him and the emotion he offered her. Diamund had fallen right into her web. A man in love was a fool.

"Diamund dearest," Serenity said, pressing herself against him. "Call me Serenity when we are in private. It's much more intimate then 'my Queen'.'"

"Serenity," Diamund said softly, testing the name on his lips. How he had longed for the pleasure of being able to call her by her name without any formalities or titles, but he had never had that chance back in the future.

"Diamund, there is something I need you to take care of for me before we can rendezvous with the Senshi again" she said softly, looking up at him with her cerulean blue eyes.

"I would do anything for you, Serenity," he declared.

"Good," she replied smiling. She rubbed her thumb against her fingers as if she was spreading a hand of cards and just like that there was beautiful clouds with the Dark Moon insignia on their back. She handed them to Diamund. “Retrieve those individuals.”

"May I ask why, Serenity?"

"I’ll tell you later, my love,” she replied evasively. “Just have them brought to me as soon as possible.” 

‘Soon the Senshi will pay,’ she thought, as her plans played out in her mind. She anticipated the pain they would feel, the pain they had inflicted upon her. They would all pay!

‘No, don’t do it,’ a voice whispered in her mind. ‘Remember the truth, Serenity! Remember, before it’s too late. Please, just remember.’

‘Who’s there,’ she mentally screamed. ‘Reveal yourself. What am I supposed to remember?!?’

But the voice remained silent.

---

 

Chapter Text

Serenity stared at the pathetic humans that were bound and gagged before her throne. They were huddled in a circle, as if taking comfort in being near others that were vaguely familiar. Strangely enough even the one who wasn't familiar at all to the others was accepted into the circle, but who understood the minds of humans. They had treated her horribly, after all, despite her efforts to help and make them like her.

They gazed back at her with some disbelief and confusion as if they recognized her, or at least the her she had once been. It was a possibility, she had to admit, through the color of her hair had reverted to the true color she had born to in the Silver Millennium and the power of the Black Crystal had aged her body a few years when it had strengthened her to overcome the lies and pain, she was relatively unchanged and there was no magic to cloud their simple minds as there had been when she had transformed into Sailor Moon.

The dark Queen noted that there was some fear in those eyes, although she doubted it was aimed at her despite the circumstances. For the subtle changes to her appearances, she looked like a face they had known and abused thus there would be lack of fear. The fear was probably due to Wise Man lurking behind her like a phantom creeper or perhaps because of Saphir, who stood at her side, because he had been the one who had completed the kidnapping and dealt with the details of of keeping the Senshi from realizing what had happened before she revealed her first gift to them for their treachery. 

Then again their fear of the man beside her was because he was such a grim and cold bastard who didn't even know how to pull off the cliche evil smile and grin routine. Not that was entirely a bad thing when one needed to use a minion as a threat. He was certainly more effective and useful then that braying green-haired hyena who kept mooning over Saphir's older brother. If she had actually had feelings for Diamund she might have been irritated, but Emeraude's infatuation would be useful in the future.

Her own expression was one that could not be easily defined, at least not with any specific emotion. Her lips pulled in a rigid straight line; it was neither a frown nor a smile. If anything, she appeared thoughtful. 

“Serenity,” Diamund said, a question in his voice, as he came up behind her and wrapped his muscular arms around her lithe form. He had noticed the look on her face; however much to his annoyance he did not know her well enough to read it and figure out what was going on behind those cerulean eyes. Then there was the fact that her eyes seemed just a tad bit off to him; yet whenever he tried to pinpoint the reason why, his mind seemed to shy away from the topic or the reason why his mind did that too. 

“It’s not enough,” she answered. “This is a good start, but it’s not enough. They will be hurt by this, yet it will not be enough. Not for what they have done. There must be something more. Something that will hurt them even more.” 

Her scepter appeared before her and the dark crystal glowing with power between the dragon's claws. The dragon's head tilted up and and suddenly roared as fire shot up out of its mouth. Serenity gazed into the fire, seeing something that clearly none in the room could see and it was a debate of who was more annoyed by this turn of events, Diamund or Wise Man. The Queen's eyes lips curved into a smile; clearly whatever she saw had pleased her.

“Perfect,” she whispered, tapping an index finger against her chin thoughtfully. “Absolutely perfect. This will be the final nail in the coffin for the Senshi and Endymion.” She reached her hand into the fire, ignoring Diamund's protest, and pulled out a scroll made of parchment paper. As suddenly as the dragon had began breathing fire, it stopped and returned to its former position. “Saphir. Use this map. It will react to what you need to obtain for me.”

“As you wish, my Queen,” Saphir replied, taking the map and bowing in respect, he paused only a moment to exchange a look with his brother before he vanished to do her bidding.

“While we wait for Saphir to complete his task, I think it’s time to begin preparing the first part of our gift to the Senshi,” she said, wrapping long slender fingers around the scepter and pointing them at the hostages. 

A dark bubble appeared and enclosed the hostages and floated them above the dark marble floor. Serenity slipped out of Diamund’s arms and walked out of the throne room, the bubble and Diamund trailed after her as she walked down a long flight of stairs that led them deep into the heart of the castle. Finally after following her through a series of long winding corridors they entered a room where the Dark Crystal floated in the air above Emeraude. 

“The preparations are ready,” Emeraude said, her tone sulky and a touch defiant. One could hardly blame her considering the fact the man she loved was following the silvery haired bitch like a well-trained poodle. However, despite her jealousy she wasn’t stupid enough to be too defiant and anger her beloved Prince. Not to mention that the Wise Man had made some promises to her… “Achiral and Chiral followed Saphir’s instructions to make sure that everything fit your specifications… Queen Serenity.” 

It was clear that the title had been passed through the woman’s lips with great reluctance. Another thing that had not escaped Serenity’s notice was that the lime-haired woman had always made sure to never address her as ‘my Queen’. Clearly she had felt no bond to the new ruler of the Dark Moon clan, not that it mattered to the Queen.

“Excellent,” Serenity purred, as she flicked her wrist at the floating sphere that held her prisoners, causing the sphere and its captives to disappear.

A few seconds later they reappeared, hanging in the air beneath the Dark Crystal. Serenity pointed her scepter at the crystal, causing a bolt of black lightning to shoot out of the dark Maboroshi no Ginzuishou and hit the larger crystal. The dark crystal glowed and air crackled with power before black tendrils of lightening shot down, swirling around the captives until each appeared to be cocooned in what looked like silk cocoons

“Now to add the final ingredients,” she said. She held her staff out to Diamund, who took it without being told to or asking her any foolish questions. 

She pulled a dagger out of her subspace pocket and without hesitation, she sliced the palm of her hand and watched in silent morbid fascination as the blood begin to well up from the cut. Had it only been a few days ago when she had contemplated cutting herself with glass?

“Blood of my blood,” she whispered, walking to each cocoon and rubbing the blood on them “flesh of my flesh, breath to breath,” she blew on the places that were stained with her blood, “my will is yours until death do us part.”

Stepping back, Serenity allowed Diamund to wrap his arms around her again and press her against his body as they watched the cocoons glowed.

“Soon,” she whispered. “Soon the Senshi will receive the first of my gifts to them.”

---

“That’s the fifth time that this has happened,” cried Minako. “I haven’t even been anywhere near the gym in a month, but Kana keeps insisting that I was there and that this time I deliberately hit her in the stomach with a volleyball.”

“You? Hit someone with volleyball,” Makoto questioned skeptically. “But you’re so nice that it gives people cavities. Heck, the only time I’ve seen you be mean to anyone was when you tried to strangle Artemis that one time.”

“Well he had that coming,” huffed the blonde, as she plopped down next to Ami on Rei’s bed. “Ruining my new baby blue tank top. I got that thing on sale too.”

“You are too young to wearing anything that skimpy,” Artemis retorted, from his spot on the floor.

“I already have one dad, Artemis,” said Minako. “I don’t need another.”

“It is pretty strange about Kana accusing of you of hitting her,” Ami said, steering the conversation into safer waters before Artemis found himself being strangled by his owner once more. The chances were high considering the blonde was currently glaring at him and had a bit of a homicidal glint in her eyes.

“Ami-chan is right,” said Makoto. “Right now we need to figure out a way to get Usagi back.”

“Well it’s not like we can do anything” replied Minako, biting her bottom lip. “It’s been over a month and there hasn’t been any sign of her or the Black Moon. And I don’t know about you guys but this waiting is driving me crazy. I want Usagi-chan back now.”

“You know it is peculiar,” Ami mused. “Even if she has turned evil, she is still Usagi-san and she has never been one to be patient about doing things. You would think that she would have made a move by now.”

“Not unless the Wise Man changed that about her personality,” Makoto said darkly. “Remember, she mentioned him while telling us that he had been brutally honest with her about our ‘true colors?’ He’s gotta be the one who brainwashed her and when I get my hands on him, I’m going-“

“Hey guys,” said a harassed looking Rei as she rushed into the room. “Sorry I’m late. Grandpa needed me for….”

“Needed you for what,” asked Ami.

“Who are you,” Rei demanded, glaring at the blue-haired girl as she fell back into a fighting stance.

“What are you talking about, Rei-chan,” Ami asked, appearing perplexed at the miko’s behavior as the other girls and the cats. She exchanged worried glances with the others. Was the stress of Usagi’s disappearance getting to Rei?

“You may look like Ami-chan, but you don’t give up the same aura that she does,” the miko retorted. “Who are you and what have you done with Ami-chan?”

“What are you talking about, Rei-chan? Ami-chan is with me,” said a child’s voice from behind them. They all turned and gasped when they saw Chibi-Usa and Ami who were staring at the Ami in the room with shock. The other Senshi turned to stare at the Ami in the room who Rei had said wasn’t the real girl genius that they knew and loved. 

“Damn, I guess the jig’s up,” said the fake Ami, letting out a familiarly irritating laugh. “It been fun girls, but I’ve got better things to do then hang out with you weaklings.” Saluting them in farewell, she moved with lighting quick speed to get up and jumped through the closed window. The sound of shattering glass filled the air and the others rushed to the window to see the fake Ami land crouched on the ground before she took off running towards the forest that was near the Hikawa Shrine.

“Don’t let her get away girls,” Luna cried as she and Artemis jumped through the window to chase after the fake Senshi of Mercury. The others raced out of Rei’s room and towards the direction that they had seen the felines run towards, only to find them in a clearing, sniffing the air furiously. 

“Where did she go,” Makoto demanded, angry that they had lost the other girl. 

“Where did who go?”

They all turned to see Usagi leaning against the tree. She wore a black tube top with a black leather vest over it and a short leather black skirt. Black knee-high boots completed the outfit. And glowing darkly on her forehead, was that cursed Dark Moon insignia that seemed to mock them for their failure in protecting their Princess.

“Usagi,” Rei whispered. “Please remember me. Don't let them win and steal your memories/”

“The Wise Man made me face the truth. He didn’t take away my memories. And don’t call me that. You will address me as Queen Serenity,” Serenity replied.

“No, this isn’t you, Usagi-chan,” Makoto cried.

“Silence,” the white-haired woman thundered, her eyes blazing with anger. “Do not make me tell you again. Never address me by that name.” She paused and seemed to relax. “Now I didn’t come here to fight. I wanted to give you guys a present. I know you guys treat other people well and there are some friends who have been away for a while...”

A chill went down their backs, as the considered who hadn't been seen in the past month. Osaka Naru had been absent from school, although Haruna-sensei had reassured the class that she wasn't missing like Usagi, but merely sick, which was caused by the stress of worrying about her missing best friend. Then there was was Furuhata Unazuki, Motoki-onii-chan and a senpai of Rei's and Nishimura Reika, his girlfriend who had apparently gone off on a girls' trip. It had been considered weird for Unazuki to go off in the middle of the school year, but since she was a good student and Reika's close ties to the Furuhata family, it hadn't seemed that big of a deal.

But Usagi possibly couldn’t have done something to them, could she? They were civilians and incapable of fighting back or defending themselves. Yet this wasn’t the same Usagi they had known. The real Usagi, the one with a pure heart, would have never considered doing anything to harm a civilian. But who knows what the Wise Man had done to her besides brainwashing her.

“Ah,” Serenity said with delight. “I see by your faces that you’re starting to understand. Then let me introduce you to my new servants.” She paused a moment for dramatic emphasis. Clearly that part of Usagi’s nature had not been destroyed by the caped creeper.

“Sailor Genbu"

Black ice crystals began swirling at a spot next to Serenity, before melding together to take the form of Osaka Naru, who was wearing a sailor fuku remarkably similar to Mercury's except for a few differences, the most notable being the color scheme. Mercury's was dark blue and sky blue, while Naru-chan's, no Sailor Genbu's, was black and dark green. The Black Moon clan earrings hung from her ears. 

"Sailor Suzaku."

In a burst of flames the next Senshi appeared, revealing that another friend had not safely missing. Sailor Suzaku was Furuhata Unazuki. Like Genbu, Suzaku's was nearly identical to Mars's except for the color scheme and the Black Moon clan earrings. Mars wore a vivid red and purple, but Suzaku's colors were a darker red more like garnet or spilled blood and black. Suzaku's hair was pulled up in Unazuki's trademark ponytail, however the cheerful yellow ribbon was replaced with a black one.

“Sailor Seiryu, come forth!”

Not to be outdone by her fellow Senshi, Sailor Seiryu, appeared in a bolt of lightning. After seeing the first two dark Senshi, the girls and the felines weren't as startled by the presence of another one, although who it was still upsetting. Sailor Seiryu, was Nishimura Reika. Being Jupiter’s dark counterpart, Seiryu’s fuku, of course, looked exactly like the Senshi of Jupiter’s except for her fuku color scheme was navy blue and black and the earrings.

“And of course, no Sailor Senshi team would be complete without a leader,” Serenity said, smiling evilly. “Sailor Byakko, leader of the Shishin Senshi, show yourself.”

Sailor Byakko, appeared in a swirl of black flower petals and drew a shocked gasp from Minako, who immediately recognized her as her British friend Katarina Williams. Like her fellow Senshi, Byakko's fuku looked like Venus's except for her earrings and the color scheme, which was silver and black.

"No Katarina," Minako cried, feeling horrible for not even realizing that her old friend had been taken by their enemies. It had been a while since she had called the Interpol officer in a while, because she had been caught up with fighting the Black Moon and worrying about Usagi. 

"Now that I’ve given you my gift, I’ll be leaving and preparing some more surprises," Serenity said."Shishin?”

“Yes my Queen,” the Shishin Senshi answered, dropping down to one knee and kneeling before the dark Queen.

“Do you remember your orders,” inquired Serenity.

“Yes. To engage the Sailor Senshi in battle,” the Senshi replied. “And then we are to capture the Rabbit.”

“Excellent,” Serenity replied. “In that case I’ll be leaving now.”

Serenity turned and held her right hand up, palm up and sent a surge of dark energy, creating a large portal. She then turned and walked into the portal.

“Usagi no,” Rei cried, moving toward her friend to stop her, but was cut off by Sailor Suzaku.

“I don’t think so, Rei-chan,” Suzaku said in a taunting voice. “Your fight is with me.”

---

Chapter Text

‘This isn't happening.'

 

'This can't be real.'

 

'This is all a bad dream and all I have to do is wake up.’

 

'Make this nightmare stop.'

 

The Senshi stared into the familiar faces of the Shishin, finding it yet again hard to swallow the fact that another friend had now become the enemy or that this time this enemy was caused by their Princess and best friend. Physically these were the same people, but what was inside of them had changed into something completely different. Something cold and malevolent lurked in their eyes that didn't bode well for the continued good health of the Senshi.

 

There was no need for the feline guardians to order the girls to transform. They had learned their lesson the last time when they had faced off the first time with their brainwashed Princess. If their best friend, someone who they had thought incapable of harming them ever, could attack them with no hesitation and ill intent, there was no reason why the Shishin would be any different.

 

Whatever had been done to them, now wasn't the time to quibble the details. The Shishin may have once been friends, but now they were the enemy. An enemy that could not be destroyed, because that would destroy all chances of returning them to who they once were. And that one tiny little detail tied the hands of the Senshi and gave their opponents a great advantage in this war between them and the Black Moon.

 

“Mercury Star Power!”

 

“Mars Star Power!”

 

“Jupiter Star Power!”

 

“Venus Star Power!”

 

“Make up!”

 

In a flash of lights and the very elements of nature, the four teenagers were replaced by the Sailor Senshi who saved the world on what seemed to be a a bi-annual basis since they had awakened to their power in this life. They stood in a tense show down with their dark counterparts, each side seeming to wait to see who would make the first move.

 

Chibi-Usa stood nearby, hiding behind a tree with the cats; the young girl’s thoughts went back to another similar battle a few months earlier between the Senshi and Ayakashi Sisters of the Black Moon clan. That fight had been terrifying to a child as young as her, no matter how smart and mature she was¸ but this one was much worse in comparison even though it had yet to start. It wasn't too hard to figure out why. Before Sailor Moon had been here while the others had fought… had protected her Rubeus had attacked them. This time there was no Sailor Moon. No warm embrace of someone who was trusted and made her feel safe as she did when she was with her mother.

 

The stand off didn’t last long, nor would the Senshi think it surprising later when they thought back upon about which Shishin had started the fight; she had never been the patient type before, after all and it was almost a relief on one hand to know that the Shishin might not be completely altered from their true identities.

 

“Suzaku,” Suzaku raised her right hand above her head, fire spilling forth from her hand like a cascade of water, except for the fact that it was definitely the wrong element, "Flare,” the fire flowed down and swirled around her so that she was no longer visible through the fire, “Blitz!”

 

One moment there was a human-shaped column of fire in front of them and the next that fire was smashing into Sailor Mars and sending her flying back. If Jupiter hadn't reacted, Mars would have slammed into a tree; as it was both Senshi were bruised and scratched up from skidding on the ground. What was even more troublesome was the fact that Mars looked a bit singed, which was thought to be nearly impossible since fire was her element of control. Even her battles with Koan hadn’t done that after her power had grown; the two had been evenly matched. Yet in this case, it looked as if that might not be the case.

 

However there was no time to theorize on the point. The gauntlet had been dropped by that first attack and the battle had begun.

 

“Genbu Freeze Shock!”

 

What appeared to be hundreds of thousands shards of ice suddenly formed around Sailor Genbu, hanging in the air for a moment and crackling with oddly electrical energy before they shot towards Mercury. The Senshi of Ice tried to dodge the attack, but there were so many ice shards that it was impossible to avoid every one. Each time she got hit, she felt a electric charge that sizzled along her skin before leaving her with the feel of being cold to the bone in the spot that was had suffered the direct hit.

 

“Seriyuu Electroweb!”

 

Sailor Seriyuu hand moved swiftly in the air, creating a spiderweb that was made up from lighting that was slender as spider silk. Once the web was completed she slammed her palm against the center of it and sent it hurtling towards Jupiter. Like Mercury she was unable to avoid the attack, not because there was too many to avoid but because the electric web grew larger in size before it fell on her, wrapping her in the painful electric threads. She cried out in pain, falling to the ground.

 

Sailor Venus turned toward her dark counterpart, one hand resting on the chain that hung from her waist. Even having seen it, it was still hard for her to comprehend that more friends had been turned against them. More people she cared about, that she would have to fight. Sailor Byakko was Katarina, someone who was dear to her even though they hadn’t seen each other in quite some time. They had kept in touch with phone calls and e-mails, retaining their close relationship although the frequency of contact had been reduced since the Black Moon had shown up. So it hurt to know she’d have to fight this friend once more. The first time it had been because Kunzite had used her against Venus and now this time it was her best friend, both people who held pieces of her heart.

 

It hurt more then words could say, but she knew she had to remain strong. She had to be strong, because being weak wouldn’t get Katarina back. Nor would it help her get back Usagi. She had already lost two friends, she refused to lose any more people. She didn’t blame Usagi for Katarina’s second brush with the dark side, nor did she blame Kunzite for the first. Because in both instances, the two people she cared for had been used by others. Queen Beryl had been at fault for Kunzite, Wise Man for Usagi. She would not fail Katarina or Usagi. She would not let down the others. She was the leader of the Senshi and if she was weak, it would weaken the others and they wouldn’t stand a chance at getting back Usagi.

 

“Katarina, please you don’t have to do this,” she pleaded. “Snap out of it. This isn’t you.”

 

“Katarina is nothing more then alias,” Byakko retorted. “A mere mask to be worn until my Queen summoned me. The Queen you should have treated better! Now pay for your sins!”

 

Byakko placed her right hand on her hip and generated a black light that changed into a kusarigama, a traditional Japanese chain weapon that had deadly scythe on one end and a iron ball at the other, making both ends leathal. The Shishin leader held the iron ball in her right hand, while she held the middle of the chain and started swinging it sending, the rest of the metal chain and scythe spinning in a deadly spiral above her head.

 

“Byakko Tiger Claw Slash!”

 

With a snap of her wrist the Shishin sent the scythe at Venus, who had the good sense to react quickly (as she already noted how fast the other Shishin had attacked her friends) and grab her own Love-Me chain to counterattack.

 

“Venus Love-Me Chain!”

 

The two attacks met, the chains vibrating from the force of the collision and the power driving each of them. Yet unlike the other attacks, Venus was able to hold her ground, barely. The two powers pushed at each other and while it moments it seemed like Venus would be overpowered and lose, she was able to hold on.

 

Was Venus stronger then her companions? Was Byakkko weaker then the other Shishin? Or was it because of Venus’s resolve to get back her friends and kick Wise Man’s ass from one end of the universe and back again for what he had done? No one could know for sure. However, one thing was clear. They had a chance and the stalemate helped the other three Senshi find their strength to hold on.

 

“Mercuy Shine Aqua Illusion!”

 

“Genbu Freeze Shock!”

 

“Mars Burning Mandela!”

 

“Suzaku Flare Blitz!”

 

“Jupiter Sparkling Wide Pressure!”

 

"Seiryuu Electroweb!"

 

“Venus Love-Me Chain!”

 

“Byakko Tiger Claw Slash!!”

 

There was an explosion of energy as the attacks of Senshi and Shishin Senshi crashed against each other, however this time around it seemed that things had evened up a bit. The Senshi weren’t winning exactly, but they weren’t having their asses handed to them anymore either. There was a renewed sense of energy in them that came from Venus’s stalemate and desire to overcome the odds to achieve their main goal. Before it would have Usagi, no Sailor Moon, who would have done this for them, but without their Princess it was Venus who led them and was their pillar of strength. They might not be able to beat the Dark Senshi, yet, but they would hold their own in this battle.

 

Meanwhile, Chibi-Usa watched the battle, her crimson eyes wide with fear and worry. It had sacred her at first to see how easily Jupiter, Mars, and Mercury had been injured by their dark counterparts. She had bitten her bottom lip so hard when Venus had had her first showdown that it caused her lip to bleed. It was still bleeding as she watched the Senshi battle, the metallic taste of blood in her mouth only adding to heighten her anxiety. The cats tried to reassure of all being well, but even they couldn’t quite hide their worry. Plus she could make out some of there whispered conversation with each other.

 

“….powers are too strong.”

 

“….they don’t even possess Sailor Crystals…”

 

“….how strong is that stupid Black Crystal”

 

“….not sure…”

 

“Please,” Chibi-Usa prayed, “please Mama. Help the Senshi win. Help them get their friends back and turn Usagi back to normal. Please.”

 

“Praying isn’t going to help you little girl,” came a male voice from above her.

 

She looked up and let out an eep as she saw a man standing on the tree branch above. The man sorta look like Mamoru, except his hair was a a dark blue and he had the Black Moon insignia on his forehead and the earrings too. The man stood there, looking down at her with an evil grin that she had never seen on Mamoru's face before which dismissed any doubts she had that the caped hero was playing a bad joke.

 

Chibi-Usa grabbed the cats and began backing away. She had a feeling that this baddie wasn’t just standing in that tree for the view. She had been stupid to stay there. Four Shishin, four Senshi and only the cats to protect her; those weren’t very good odds for her and she didn’t doubt for a minute that the Black Moon wasn’t still after her anymore. They seemed like the type to follow thought with the job even if the objectives changed, just because they hated loose ends and she was definitely a loose ends.

 

“Not so fast,” the Black Moon man said, jumping down and coming towards her. Luna and Artemis wiggled free of her arms and jumped at him, fur puffed up, hissing, and claws extended as cats tended to do when they were attacking and wanted to seem more threatening. It did them little good as he used one arm to catch them in the gut and send them flying back at the ground.

 

“Luna! Artemis!” Chibi-Usa rushed to their sides, gently picking up the defeated felines. There was no way she could leave them behind, even though they pleaded with her to do so in pained voices. She glanced up as the man approached, knowing there was no way to run even if she did take in her mind to do so.

 

As he reached for her, a flash of red appeared before them. The man yelped in pain, yanking his hand back as blood welled up from a cut caused by the rose that was now embedded in the ground. Tuxedo Kamen landed between Chibi-Usa and the Black Moon warrior. Tuxedo Kamen’s eyes slid to the battle nearby, making out the forms of the Shishin Senshi and recognizing three of them (since he had never met Katarina, he had no idea who she was), and quickly realizing the situation at hand.

 

“Back off,” he growled, holding his cane in front of him.

 

“Get out of my way,” snarled the other man, calling forth a sword and attacking.

 

The two men fought, cane against sword although one should never estimate a cane; at least never underestimate one that was owned and being used by Tuxedo Kamen. Besides it was clear from the start that Tuxedo Kamen was the better swordsman. It was clear who would win until suddenly a shade of Serenity appeared between the two men; Serenity as she truly was in her princess dress and the golden crescent moon insignia of the Royal Moon family.

 

"Endymion, don't hurt me," she cried out, tears trailing down her beautiful face.

 

Tuxedo Kamen hesitated instead of making the final strike that would have allowed him to disarm his opponent. Serenity smiled, but it was not the smile he knew and loved, but the evil one that had replaced it once the Black Moon got their claws in her. The gold crescent moon faded and was replaced by the inverted black crescent moon of the Black Moon.

 

"Psyche," she said, laughing as her form dissipated as evil Mamoru look alike slashed through her shade and managed to strike a deep cut in Tuxedo Kamen's right side.

 

“Mamo-chan!” screamed Chibi-Usa, completely and utterly terrified and worried when she saw the blood. Suddenly a bright pink glow surrounded her, the same glow that had appeared before when evil Serenity had first appeared. The glow around her intensified and expanded, filling the area. The Senshi and the Shishin paused in their battle, glancing at the little girl.

 

“What’s going on,” the Black Moon warrior demanded, trying to swat away at the light with his sword.

 

Sailor Byakko tilted her head, as if she was hearing someone speak to her before she nodded in the affirmative. “Retreat,” she ordered.

 

“W-what?” wailed Sailor Suzaku. “Why? No, I don’t want to. I’m winning!”

 

“Now Suzaku,” Byakko snarled. “Her Majesty’s orders.”

 

“Fine,” was the surly reply. It was clear that the fiery Shishin Senshi was not happy about the turn of events, although she wouldn’t disobey her Queen. “Until next time Mars.” In a sudden burst of flames, Sailor Suzaku disappeared. The others followed suit, all disappearing in their dramatic fashion while the man's exit was more sedate in comparison in a flash of black light.

 

The glow around Chibi-Usa faded away when the last of their enemies had vanished; the little girl then collapsed to the ground.

 

---

 

Final Thought Sailor Suzaku:

But I was winning!!!

Chapter Text

Saphir rubbed his arms, trying to warm the chilled limbs. He was thankful that this errand that the Queen had sent on had finally led him to a underground cave in this frozen wasteland. It was no surprise to him that there were no human inhabitants here, even those with magic as he possessed, would be hard pressed to survive in such temperatures. At least here in the cave there was barely any wind blowing as it had been outside (he had the misfortune of being sent during a storm apparently), except for a few drafty breezes to remind him of the cold that waited outside.

 

The next time he was being sent off as an errand boy, he was going to make damn sure that it was somewhere warm. Let that cackling hyena, Emeraude deal with subzero temperatures. He wasn’t particularly thrilled with the new Queen of Nemesis, but at least he had the sense not to come off as hostile and defiant as Emeraude had; love had made her foolish, although he was of the opinion that the woman had a nothing more then a childish fangirl crush on his elder brother. She was just too vain to love anyone other then herself.

 

The dark-haired man wandered through the caverns, glancing occasionally at the map that he had been given. The only thing it had done for him thus far was give the coordinates of where to look; it had yet to give any sign of him being near his goal. It made him question if there was anything here. He didn’t doubt that Queen Serenity had sent him to retrieve something, only that perhaps the item no longer existed where she thought it would be. Yet one could not discount the Maboroshi no Ginzuishou and its power. Hadn’t it been the jewel that had told her?

 

Suddenly the map began to glow bright and grow warm in his hands. Saphir paused to look it and then glance around his surroundings. There was nothing that could be seen yet obviously what he sought was here. Cautiously he took a few steps in one direction and noticed that the glow of the paper had dimmed. Okay, so the map was working as a divining rod; he switched directions and kept moving as the map grew brighter and warmer in his hand. It finally got to a point that it was to hot from him to hold. He dropped it and soon as it hit the ground, it burst into flames that soon died out after a few minutes.

 

The flames had melted a hole into the frozen floor. Saphir knelt down and reached into the whole, his hands closing onto something solid and rectangular in shape. He pulled out a plain wooden box. Curiosity of what it contained and to find some answer of why he was sent to seek it, made him open the box. The inside of the box was lined with black velvet and laying in a row were four stones of varying shades.

 

“What could these stones possibly do against the Senshi,” he pondered aloud. He traced a finger against one of the stones, wincing as he felt a shock go through his body. The stones, or at least that one stone, held some sort of energy. There was a certain flavor to the energy… it was almost masculine.

 

“What do you have planned,” he whispered, but there was no answer. The only one who could wasn’t here to answer him and even if she was, he doubted he would get an answer.

 

---

 

 

“I have my eye on you mister,” Rei’s grandfather said, shaking his index finger at Mamoru. It was clear that the old man considered the younger man a threat to the virtues of his granddaughter and her friends. Considering the pervy thoughts that went through his own head, it wasn’t particularly surprising. As to why he didn’t freak out about Yuuichirou’s presence around the girls? Well it was clear that the brunette was very much cowed and in awe of Hino-san.

 

“One wrong move, my boy and you’ll see my Hino High Kick of High Pain!”

 

“Yes, yes, I’m sure Mamoru-san is suitably terrified,” Rei said, ushering her grandfather from her bedroom. “Honestly. There are six of us and one of him. You’d think you’d be more worried about his virtue.”

 

“What? Rei? What are you-”

 

The door was firmly closed in the old man’s face. Rei let out a breath and waited a few minutes, until she was certain her grandfather had left to go complain to Yuuichirou about how mean she was being. It wasn’t as if she was, but sometimes the old man, as much as she loved him, could be embarrassing. Besides, they had more important things to tend to and they couldn’t have her grandfather around asking questions.

 

“Lay down Mamoru-san,” Ami instructed, as she and Makoto helped the man lay on his left side. While like the Senshi, Mamoru had a higher healing factor when he was in the form of his alter ego, they had needed to discuss the new turn of events and standing in the forest near Rei’s shrine in their transformed forms wasn’t the best place for such discussions. There were just too many people that visited the shrine who enjoyed taking a stroll through those woods.

 

So to avoid being stumbled upon by anyone (which would have led to being badgered with questions and autographs; as much as they liked to keep under the radar it was hard thing to do when you saved the word bi-annually from bad guys), they had decided to return to Rei’s place. Unfortunately this meant they had to revert back to the civilian forms, which while sustaining a higher rate of healing then the average person was far too low when having to heal a wound such as one that Mamoru had sustained. His wound had to be taken care of before they could do anything else.

 

With patience and care, Ami eased off the man’s green jacket and passed it to Minako. Despite the seriousness of the situation, the Senshi of Mercury had to bite back a smile as she saw her blonde friend hide the horrendous fashion disaster in her subspace pocket. Selene only knew how often Usagi had complained about that jacket and how she had tried to remove it from Mamoru’s wardrobe; yet she had always failed because the man had seemed to possess some kind of radar on it. Her amusement faded as she thought about the reason why the jacket’s removal had become possible.

 

They had to get Usagi back.

 

Ami pulled up Mamoru’s black shirt, wincing as she saw the cut in his side that had been caused by the Black Moon doppleganger of the man laying in front of her. She hadn’t really paid much attention, too busy in her fight against Sailor Genbu, but she remembered a moment of shock at seeing the man in her peripheral vision as he attempted to kidnap Chibi-Usa. The man had looked eerily like Mamoru except for a difference of hair color and the Black Moon insignia on his forehead, which had only made her think of another important person who now had that insignia on her forehead.

 

 Going against Usagi again would be difficult, just as it would be to fight the Shishin.Yet the Senshi of Wisdom had realized after the end of their battle, that the only way to win and thus gain back the ones they had lost to the Black Moon was to fight seriously. To do any less would mean they would lose because the Shishin and Usagi had no qualms about fighting them.

 

“This is going to need stitches…” she said, glancing up at Rei.

 

The miko nodded before leaving the room for a few minutes before returning with a large First Aid kit and a half-full bottle of whiskey. “I figured it’d help,” the Senshi of Mars said when her friends looked at her weirdly. “Well they’re always drinking some kind of alcohol in the movies when somebody’s getting stitched up. There has to be some reason for it.”

 

“Thanks Rei,” Mamoru said, raising himself up enough to take the bottle and take a quick swig. The liqueur burned its way down its throat, but the burn of alcohol was a lot less then the burn in his side. He had been stupid; he had let himself too open in the fight when he had hesitated. He honestly didn’t think he had it in him to actually hurt his friend, let alone kill him, but he should have been smart enough to at least make sure that he was on guard at all times.

 

“Maybe Chibi-Usa should go outside for this,” Artemis suggested, glancing at the little girl who was currently staring at Mamoru with wide-tear filled crimson eyes.

 

“No,” the little girl said in a tone that was very similar to Usagi’s when the blonde decided on something that she wouldn’t budge on. “Mamo-chan got hurt protecting me. The least I can do is be here and hold his hand while he gets stitched up.”

 

The white cat wanted to argue against it, but a sharp claw in the tail had him biting his tongue. He glanced at Luna who gave him a look that was easy enough to interpret. The child had seen a lot in her young life that was a lot worse then seeing a man having a wound stitched up. For whatever reason, whether it really was out of gratitude, the child was going to stay and it was a waste of breath to continue arguing.

 

Chibi-Usa sat by the bed and took Mamoru’s free hand in hers. The man smiled at the little girl who was trying to be brave for his sake; one would think it was she who was being stitched up and not him. He nodded at Ami to continue and looked away, knowing that watching the procedure would only make it hurt worse.

 

The blue-haired teen got the needle ready and swallowed nervously. Her dream was to be a doctor one day and she read medical textbooks in her spare time, but it was one thing to dream of a someday and read about something and quite another to do. She glanced at her friends who all nodded at her encouragingly. Swallowing again, she set to work trying not to flinch when Mamoru visibly winced when the needle entered his flesh for the first time. She focused on her task, moving as quickly as possible but not so much to sacrifice efficiency.

 

Twenty minutes and thirteen stitches later the task was done. Ami moved away as Makoto stepped and took over to make sure the closed wound was properly cleansed and then bandaged. Another few minutes and Mamoru was sitting up with his shirt pulled over the wound and not a moment too soon as Rei’s grandfather barged in once more ‘to bring them treats to enjoy’ but in reality to check up on them. Rei chased the old man away once more and set about passing out the snacks.

 

“Okay, can I say we’re like officially screwed nine ways to Venus,” said Minako, biting into a cookie glumly. “I mean we barely walked away without having our asses handed to us.”

 

“The Shishin don’t even have to lift a finger and they’re stronger then us,” Makoto added. “I really had to focus my power to actually stand a chance against Sailor Seriyuu.”

 

“They’re also not brainwashed like Usagi-chan,” Rei added, her expression thoughtful as thought back in the battle. “Their eyes were perfectly clear. Nothing cloudy or glassy looking about them at all. If anything I think something was done to them to change them into what they are now. I don’t think they respond if we called them by their real names.”

 

“Well fu-” Minako started to curse and noticing a pointed look from everyone, remembered that Chibi-Usa was present which meant using certain four-letter words wouldn’t be acceptable. “-udge. If they don’t know their own names then we can’t get that as a way to help snap them out of it. I mean at least with Usagi-chan she knows who she is even if they fudged up her memories.”

 

“That’s not the only problem,” Ami said, who had previously taken out her Mercury data computer and typing at it. “I didn’t know when Usagi-chan would show up so I created some data cams to be used during the battle.” The others thought back and remembered vaguely Ami throwing what appeared to be pebbles in the air; so that’s what that had been. “From the data I collected, what’s been done to Shishin isn’t natural. None of them were ever meant to be warriors, not like us. We were born to fight and protect but they’re truly civilians. They’ve had magic and powers forced into them and changing them.”

 

“Somehow I have a feeling there is more bad news coming with that,” Makoto said.

 

“If they had been changed with the power of the Maboroshi no Ginzuishou it would have fine because it’s so powerful and pure. Even now with Usagi the way she is, it could have changed those four and nothing bad would have happened. However… it looks like the Black Crystal was used and it’s tainted so the magic and powers aren’t taking because they were pure beings who had it forced upon them. If we don’t get them changed back to their former selves, this change is going to kill them.” Ami finished, with a grim face. “And it’s not going to be nice and easy death either.”

 

The room fell silent as the Senshi of Wisdom’s words sank in. The silence in the room seemed to deepen as they realized that the young woman they loved and cared about had done something so horribly wrong as what was done to the Shishin Senshi. The Usagi-chan they knew would have never harmed another being like that unless it happened to be a bug and anyone made an exception for those creepy things. Out of all them, Usagi was the one who hated fighting the most. She fought to protect the planet and her loved ones, but their Princess was really a pacifist and would prefer to find another way then to use the great and deadly power that she possessed.

 

“I, uh, also managed to record that bright light that surrounded Chibi-Usa this time,” Ami said, changing the subject as it was more then depressing. “It’s going to take another few minutes but I think I’ll be able to pinpoint what it is. Just another second…” The blue-haired Senshi blinked. She then pulled her glasses out of her subspace pocket and put them on and glanced at her computer again.

 

“Ami what’s wrong,” Luna asked.

 

“Um… well… the Mercury computer has identified the light that was emitted from Chibi-Usa but… I’m not sure how this can be right.”

 

“What is it?”

 

“The energy signature that came from that light… it’s the same as the Maboroshi no Ginzuishou.”

 

 

Final Thought from Mamoru, Makoto, Minako, Rei, Luna and Artemis:

SAY WHAT????

Chapter Text

As he had expected, the Queen had praised Saphir for finding that which she had sent him to find, but had ignored all of his attempts, subtle and not so subtle, to find out why she had requested the box. That irked him to a certain extent, but she was his superior so she wasn’t obligated to tell him anything.

 

However, what did bother him was that when his brother, noting his persistent line of questioning, had tried to question her about it after Saphir had left the throne room (although he hadn’t moved out of eavesdropping distance), he had been rudely rebuffed as well. Since Diamund was definitely no one’s inferior, he had every right to know what Queen Serenity was planning with that box of stones. It didn’t matter that she was called the Queen of Nemesis; Diamund had been Nemesis’s Prince first and really he should have been called King and she a mere Princess; at least that’s how Saphir thought of things and he was certain the others did too (particularly one hyena-laughing lime-haired pain in the ass).

 

But somehow either Serenity or Wise Man had maneuvered the situation where Serenity was the one who ruled the Black Moon clan and Nemesis, while Diamund was merely her minion. Wise Man had more status with her then Diamund, which made the Prince’s younger brother suspicious that perhaps the cloaked old fool had more power then what they thought. It was something to think about on his own. There were few people he was willing to share his thoughts with and only one was here.

 

But his brother couldn’t be trusted in this. He was Serenity’s obedient and slavish consort. All he needed was a little kiss and cuddle and he was a happy camper. Diamund didn’t see the coldness in Serenity’s eyes, didn’t realize that all he got was what could be amounted to lip service. Saphir suspected that Serenity loved no one anymore and if she could that love would be reserved to the man in this century who would one day be King Endymion of Earth.

 

It was clear to him that whatever Serenity was planning it was something she had no intention of sharing with Diamund for a reason. He questioned whether Wise Man was aware of her plans; only a bit spying would give that information. So he had waited until the Queen had placated the Prince for not giving into his demands of information and followed her as she took the wooden box to her suite. He waited until he was certain she inside and distracted before moving to her door and quietly opening it a crack so he could get a view inside.

 

He watched as Serenity sat the wooden box on a table in her room and slowly begin to open the lid-

 

Saphir felt someone grab his arm and yank him back away from the door. It was his fault. He had been too preoccupied trying to see inside and find out what secrets the Queen had, that he hadn’t thought about his surroundings. He had forgotten about the Shishin Senshi that the Queen had created to torment the Sailor Senshi. Personally he found it a slap in the face, as if he and the others weren’t good enough to take on the Senshi. But then again the Queen, as a Senshi, had faced up with Crimson Rubeus and the Ayakashi  Sisters and obviously found them lacking. 

 

“What do you think you’re doing,” Sailor Seiryu demanded. Behind her, Saphir could see Sailor Genbu quietly close the Queen’s door before turning to give him a dirty look.

 

“Not that it’s any of your concern, but the Queen is hiding information from my Prince,” Saphir replied. “It’s my duty to my Prince and my brother to find out what.”

 

“Your loyalty should be to the Queen first,” Sailor Suzaku retorted, practically bristling with anger at a slight towards her sovereign. Little flames danced up and down her arms. “The Prince is second to the Queen. Hell his title even implies it!”

 

“Prince Diamund was head of the Black Moon clan before the Queen was here,” Saphir snarled back. “The only reason why there is a Queen is because my brother wanted her for his own.”

 

“And looks like he’s happy to let her take the lead now that he has her,” Sailor Suzaku replied sweetly, although there was nothing sweet in her expression. It was clear she was itching for a fight, probably because she was denied a chance at finishing her battle with Mars. It was to be expected since the Senshi had rallied and put up more of a fight that appealed to Sailor Suzaku’s bloodthirstyness

 

“Why you-” he snarled, moving towards her but  stopped and ducked fast as a chain suddenly came flying towards his head. His quick reflexes saved him as the chain crashed into the wall behind and leaving a large crater indention.

 

“Leave,” Sailor Byakko said, her hand playing with the chain that was wrapped around her waist as if had never left and tried to pulverize his skull, while she examined the blade at its other end. “What the Queen does is her business. If she wants you to know, then you’ll know.”

 

Saphir glared at the leader of the Shishin, but while he was good he knew he wouldn’t be able to take on all four of them at once. He turned and left, although he didn’t go far; only far enough to be out of view before he masked his presence and then watch the four stand guard at the Queen’s doors. It was a good thing that he did as he got an interesting sight to see Sailor Byakko, suddenly crumble to the floor; her face was only saved from kissing the floor when both Sailor Suzaku and Sailor Seriyuu grabbed her and held her between them as Sailor Genbu examined her.

 

‘Interesting,’ he thought. He wasn’t slow. While he hadn’t seen what the Queen had done to the hostages before they changed into their current forms, he had spent enough time studying the TRUE Senshi to realize that the difference between them and the Shishin was that they were born with their powers. What had been done to the Shishin was unnatural. Magic forced into their veins which wasn’t taking too well on their mortal bodies.

 

This wasn’t right. He had done a lot of things in his life to help his brother achieve his goals, but nothing they had done had been of this magnitude. They had never forced magic into an unwilling vessel. Magic didn’t always take well to people who weren’t born with some of it in their veins. But for the unwilling… terrified hostages… well they might serve her now willingly but their bodies had suffered from the change. This was not right.

 

He hadn’t liked it that this woman had come and taken his place. But now… now he liked it less that the woman his brother had wanted so much, was no longer the same. He hadn’t like the attraction that Diamund had for Neo-Queen Serenity, but he had understood it. A powerful and brave woman, loyal to those she had loved or sworn to protect.

 

That woman was no more.

---

Inside the sitting room of her suite, Serenity placed the wooden box on the coffee table. She sat down on the white leather couch and leaned over and opened the lid of the box. Her finger traced over the four stones. The first was a translucent shade of green; the second was a mixture of yellow, brown, and gray; the third had a vitreous luster to it and was a shade of bright yellow; the final stone was almost colorless yet at the right angle you could see hints of purple or lilac in it.

 

Jadeite. Nephrite. Zoicite. Kunzite.

 

The names of the stones and the souls of the men that the stones contained. Once they had been generals in the Dark Kingdom, Beryl’s generals. Before that they had belonged to Endymion. The thought of the man’s name was alone to send a stab of pain in her heart, to bring up images of betrayal and the cruel words uttered. Her hand drew away from the stones and clenched in a fist, nails digging into soft flesh until drops of blood dripped from her fist and onto the stones.

Serenity sat back and waved a hand over the stones, the blue of her eyes glowed with power. The stones seemed to pulse before what appeared to be some kind of mist, kind of like the type that occurred when Genie popped out of his lamp in the Aladdin movies, rose above them and then moved to other side of the coffee table and took the form of four men. Instead of wearing the dark gray uniforms that she had last seen them in, but instead in the white and gold uniforms of the Silver Millennium before Beryl had claimed them for herself.

 

“What the hell,” Jadeite said as he reached up to clutch his forehead. His head was full of memories, all battling to be in the forefront and there were so many of them. Memories of the Silver Millennium... his love for the Princess of Mars and their fiery courtship... Beryl’s offer to join her and the refusal of the Shitennou… being captured and then the dark energy that had washed over him… feeling like his mind had been split in two, one part locked away raging at what he said and did and the other relishing in serving that fox bitch… and then being trapped in the stone he was named for until he was released again to do Beryl’s bidding… failing the bitch and then the ice prison, aware but trapped and cold… and finally the wash of pure energy before he was trapped once more in stone...

 

“Celosia.”

 

He had hurt her again in this life as well and Jadeite knew it was going to take a lot of begging and groveling to make his Princess trust him again, let alone let him back into her life after betraying her twice even if hadn’t been his will to do so. But apparently his troubles were quite bad as comrades…

 

“Oh gods, I cheated on Lara,” Nephrite said, as his memories returned and he remembered his feelings towards his Princess and then for the flame-haired Osaka Naru.

 

“Dude, I think betraying Lara twice to her enemies is worse then a little fling with some civilian who you didn’t even kiss,” Jadeite pointed out.

 

“Not to Lara it isn’t.”

 

“You think you have problems,” Zoicite said, almost hysterical, “you weren’t given a sex change and cheated on your woman with a GUY.” The flaxen haired general, shot his commander a look, cheeks turning red before he buried them in his hands. He hadn’t done anything to Beryl to warrant losing his balls and being brainwashed to think he was in love with his commander.

 

Then again, Kunzite had pissed off Beryl big time with his refusal to bow down to her will and he had vague memory of how much effort the evil queen had spent trying to turn the silver-haired man to her side. Clearly what had been done was a knife twisted in the back to Kunzite and he had suffered the consequences for it. And he had been the unwitting and very much unwilling fool who had been used to twist that knife. Sophia had always said his flair of dramatics and overly pretty looks would get him in trouble. How right his sweet Sophie had been.

 

Kunzite, on the other hand, seemed oblivious to his subordinates as his mind reviewed the memories returning almost analytically, although even he was unable to ignore the sharp stab of guilt of what he had done that betrayed not only his Prince, but his own lover, Princess Bellaniece of Venus. If the bitch wasn’t already dead, he would have gone and hunted down Beryl to slit her throat and stab her stone cold heart. He glanced up at who had summoned him and was shocked to see Princess Serenity, although not as he had ever seen her before.

 

“Princess Serenity,” Kunzite said, a question in all four men he and the others bowed in respect to their Prince’s lady. The other three exchanged confused looks as it was clear to them that this girl was not the same as they had known in the past or the one they had faced when they had been revived again to hurt those they loved. “Why did you summon us?”

 

“Revenge,” she replied. “The four of you are going to cause a great deal of pain to Endymion and the Senshi.”

 

“Why would you want to hurt our Prince and your Senshi,” Jadeite demanded to know. Even death had not made managed to curb his tongue any less, then again neither had brainwashing by Beryl.

 

“Because they BETRAYED me,” Serenity retorted. “For that that they will pay dearly.”

 

“The Prince and the Senshi would never betray you, Princess,” Zoicite said, those green eyes watching her in a way that reminded her of Mercury. It was no wonder they had bonded once before. There were so many similarities yet, Zocite had been more playful and outgoing of the couple. He had brought Mercury out of her shell in the past.

 

“Sailor Jupiter would lay down her life for you, Princess,” Nephrite added. “As would the Prince. There must be some mistake or someone is tricking you.”

 

“There is no mistake,” Serenity replied, her voice cold and firm. “They have betrayed me and they will pay. And you will help me.”

 

“This isn’t like you Princess,” Kunzite said. His face was stoic, giving away nothing, but inside the general had an idea of what was going on. Serenity’s eyes were not the eyes of the Princess of the White Moon, nor were they the same of the young woman who had become Sailor Moon and fought him. “You are not the kind of person who would harm another even if they harmed you first. And the Prince and the Senshi have never intentionally harmed you, which is what you are implying they have done. We won’t help you do this thing. We won’t hurt our Prince and the Senshi. You’ll only hurt yourself more in the end.”

 

“Oh you’ll help,” Serenity retorted. “Or have you forgotten how easily you did so in the past. Betrayal comes easy to you four.”

 

The looks on their faces told her she had scored a hit. Even the most stoic of them could not completely conceal the shame they felt for allowing themselves to be taken in by Beryl and the Dark Kingdom. They should have been strong enough to withstand the brainwashing magic, then again their Prince had not been able to as well and there was none stronger. The shame was soon replaced with anger and defiance.

 

‘Was this what Beryl faced when she brought them to her side,’ Serenity wondered.

 

“No,” Kunzite said, answering for himself and his comrades.

 

The woman before them was not the same. Serenity no matter how hurt she was by her loved ones could never deliberately hurt them. She would fight evil like Beryl and Queen Metallia, but if there was a way to ensure peace another way she’d take it. It wasn’t in her nature to take revenge. What had been done to the Princess had turned her to this path and it was only a matter of time before her true nature would break through what had been done to her. The true woman would be devastated by her actions. It was their duty as the Shitennou, the guardians of Prince Endymion and the once lovers to the Guardian Senshi, to save their Princess from herself.

 

“So be it,” Serenity replied, raising her hand and blasting with them with power. The men tried to stand against the power, but eventually fell to their knees as the pressure of it became too much. Whether they willed it or not, they would be pawns in Serenity’s game to avenge herself of the pain that was done to her, real or imaginary.

 

‘Serenity stop this,’ a voice whispered in the dark Queen’s mind.

 

“No,” she replied, the only acknowledgement she would give to the voice as she focused upon her task.

 

‘In the end you will only cause yourself more pain, my child, when you come to your senses.’

 

“Whoever you are, you speak in riddles.”

 

‘You know the truth deep down inside, Princess. The moment will come when the pain in your heart dulls enough for you to see truth, you will regret all this and hurt even more because of your own actions.’

 

“Silence,” Serenity screamed and for once the voice was silent. The Queen stared at the ground where the Shitennou lay. Soon they would awaken and do her bidding as the Shishin did. And then the Senshi and Endymion would really start to understand the pain they had caused her.

 

---

 

Final Thought from Serenity:

*to the mysterious voice* Who are you?

Chapter Text

There was quite a bit of an uproar after Ami made her announcement about the energy signature of the light that had emanated from Chibi-Usa during their encounter with the Shinshin Senshi. It was hardly surprising when the Mercurian had pronounced the energy to be the same as the Mabroroshi no Ginzuishou. The same Ginzuishou that was in the possession of their brainwashed best friend and princess, which was thus tainted by the darkness that currently inhabited her soul. They had all felt the difference in the crystal when they had encountered dark Serenity and by Ami-chan’s words, the light that come from Chibi-Usa was the same as that very same crystal if it had been in its untainted state. There was just no possible or reasonably logical explanation for the Mercury computer’s results. Or was there?

Several side glances were made at the pink-haired child; glances that revealed a little girl with a rather guilty expression on her face. Was the Ginzuishou that Serenity possessed perhaps a dud? Had Chibi-Usa, in fact, stolen it again as she had done before the final showdown with Crimson Rubeus? If so, then what about the crystal that Serenity had been using? A copy crystal made from the Black Crystal that was simply more powerful because it was Serenity using it? Usagi was powerful without the Ginzuishou, the crystal gave her a major power-up. But Chibi-Usa had been the one to come crying for help when Usagi had been fighting a Droid. There was no way she could have done that if Usagi hadn’t transformed, which wasn’t possible without the crstyal.

“Chibi-Usa…” Mamoru said slowly, not knowing exactly what he should ask. It was clear the child was hiding something, but he didn’t know what it was. He didn’t want to ask the wrong thing and upset her. Whatever the power was or if it was truly the Ginzuishou, it was clear that the other side hadn’t liked it. Both times, their opponents had fled from them after Chibi-Usa had emitted the energy. 

“I didn’t take Usagi’s crystal again,” Chibi-Usa cried, clutching Luna-P in her arms and begging them with her eyes to believe her; the problem was that while her voice was sincere, there was guilt shining in her eyes. Where was the guilt coming from?  “I swear I didn’t!”

The child’s toy, which they had long since realized was more then a toy, reacted to the child’s pleas. How it was capable of such feats of comprehension, not to mention all of the other tricks it had pulled off, was a question that they had never been able to answer. Luna-P pulled itself free of Chibi-Usa’s arm and bounced on its own a few times before freezing in the air. The antenna stood straight up and projected a holographic image above it of the moon while repeating over and over in a robotic voice, “To the Moon! Answers there!”

Looks were exchanged around the group again before Luna stated the obvious. “I guess that means we should go to the Moon find our answers. We leave tonight when the moon is full.” 

The feline glanced back at the child’s toy, which had at once,to her outrage, been pointed out to have some resemblance to her (which she still could not see, or refused to see). Luna-P was still projecting an image of the Moon. The original place of her mistress’s birth and where she was certain her lady’s mother’s spirit still resided. The others were still unaware, but Luna knew in her heart that Queen Serenity’s spirit still haunted the ruins of the Moon Kingdom. It would be hard to face her withcout the Princess. Even harder still to tell the Queen that she had failed her duty to guard the Princess as she should. 

‘Forgive me, Your Majesty.’

---

It was one thing to say they were going to the Moon, it was quite another to actually accomplish. Usagi’s mysterious disappearance had caused quite a stir in the city, even moreso with those who had known the blonde. Children were expected to check in frequently with their parents of guardians to reassure them that they were alive and hadn’t vanished out of thin air. They had no way of knowing how long they would be away finding their answers (although obviously it would be in the terms of hours and not days) so a cover would have to be made to allow them to make the trip without worrying loved ones. 

Or to be precise Rei, Ami, Minako and Chibi-Usa would need cover stories (particularly the little girl considering she was a ‘niece’ of the Tsukino household of the missing young lady). Makoto and Mamoru had no one family that would care if they went missing or not. The girls snuck looks at Makoto and Mamoru, the moment really hammering in what the two were missing in comparison to what they all had. And to understand how much more that Usagi would mean to those two on another level because of it.

They all managed to convince their respective loved ones that they were having a sleepover at Makoto’s as a way to cheer themselves up from the worry and fear that Usagi’s disappearance had caused. It was as close as the truth since they had been spending more time together and had crashing at Makoto’s or sometimes even Mamoru’s as they tried to figure out a way how to get back their fearless leader. Luna-P would be left connected to Makoto’s phone-line to receive and handle any parental phone calls and ease their worries. It was a bit disconcerting to find out how well the damn toy could imitate their voices, let alone be able to answer in a way they themselves would have if it had actually been them speaking.

Once their cover story was in place, the group gathered in a clearing in the small forest near the Hikawa Shrine. The girls and Mamoru transformed into their alter egos as here was no way they had the power in their civilian forms to make the trip. Tuxedo Kamen and Chibi-Usa held hands, while using their free hands to hold the felines. The Senshi moved to stand around the four of them, equidistant at the four cardinal point before raising their arms, hands up palms facing the two Senshi in the cardinal points diagonal from her.

“Mercury Star Power!”

“Mars Star Power!”

“Jupiter Star Power!”

“Venus Star Power!”

“Sailor Teleport!”

A column of white light swallowed the group, momentarily blinding them before it faded away to reveal that they were no longer in the forest. However, the place they found themselves did not resemble the Moon, or at least not the Moon that the Senshi had visited when they made their one and only trip more then a year ago with Sailor Moon. Back then the Moon Kingdom had been in ruins, nothing more then rubble that could hardly be identified with the places that they could remember. The one place that had even a vague resemblance to the one in their past lives had been the Moon Palace, but it too had been reduced to nothing more then fragmented slabs of white marble and broken white ionic columns to indicate what had once stood on the land.

This time it was very different. They weren’t standing in the fallen remains of what was, but in a grandiose room of white and gold and unbroken ionic columns. The walls and columns had to be at least twenty feet up high to a large dome ceiling that was painted with scenes that were vaguely familiar, a reminder of the fact that as much as they knew of their former incarnations, the Senshi’s memories were still rather incomplete. Even Tuxedo Kamen, who had regained more memories than the young women, realized that his memories were also lacking as well. As for Chibi-Usa, she was entranced by everything she saw and there was much to see.

Hanging from the white marble wall were large banners, the largest and most predominant ones were in white trimmed with gold and displayed the House Crest of the White Moon: a gold crescent moon cradling the Mabroroshi no Ginzuishou in it’s lotus flower form. The other banners, they realized, represented the planets. The Senshi and Tuxedo Kamen, after a few moments, were able to pick up their banners and with them a few more memories of the past came that hadn’t been before.

“It wasn’t like this the last time,” Venus said, gazing up once more at the dome ceiling and the mural of the images that caused faint wisps of memories to come to mind. She took it all in and this time noted the large skylight in the dome that revealed the Earth glowing above them in the night sky. It was stunning to realize how much she really didn’t remember of the past compared to what she thought she had. 

Out of the Senshi, Venus had remembered the most after Sailor Moon due to her earlier awakening when the Dark Kingdom stirred again on Earth. Still she had always been aware that not all of her memories had returned, just the ones that had been the most relevant: who they had once been and why and their reason to fight now… well they hadn’t really needed the latter. They had been reborn into new lives, but their souls, the core of who they were, had remained the same and none of them had been the type to run away from saving the plane they now called home when they had the power to fight. Even more important, after meeting Usagi, their Princess, there was nothing that could make them walk away from protecting their beloved lady.

So this room, while somewhat familiar to them on some level, was also unknown and it certainly hadn’t been like this the last time the Senshi had been here.

“The last time you visited the Moon, the Silver Millennium had not been resurrected. When the Princess prayed and used the power of the holy stone, the Mabroroshi no Ginzuishou to defeat Beryl and Metallia she brought about its resurrection.”

The group turned towards the sound of the voice and saw the ghostly figure of Queen Serenity seated upon one of the two thrones upon the dais at one end of the room, the Crescent Moon Wand gripped in one hand in its extended scepter form. The other throne that sat lower and was less elaborate but no less elegant or lovely was empty, as of course it would be. It was the Princess’s throne. The Senshi curtsied as Tuxedo Kamen and the felines bowed (well in the case of the cats their heads and upper body lowered to the ground). Chibi-Usa, on the other hand, stared up at the ghostly Queen as she rose from her throne and approached them. Whether it was a conscious decision on her part, the child met the Queen halfway as she continued to gaze up at the older woman.

“You look my mommy,” the child said.

Queen Serenity smiled down at the child and a transparent hand reached out to touch the little girl’s cheek. “I should hope so, since your mommy is my daughter.”

“WHAT!?!?!?!??!” 

“Oh dear, it seems that I,” the Queen shot an amused glance at the cats, “if you will excuse the expression, let the cat out of the bag. Well there’s no taking it back, but I think it best if I take you to the one who can safely answer the questions I know you all must have.” 

The Queen looked down at Chibi-Usa and a transparent hand reached out to cup the child’s face. Though she realized that the lady was a ghost, Chibi-Usa still felt like she could feel warmth coming from the lady’s hand. ‘Not just any lady. My grandma.'

“Follow me,” Queen Serenity ordered, her hand dropping away from her grandchild and turning to point at the Crescent Moon Wand at the dais. A beam of light shot out of the wand and a portal opened up before them into a long hallway. They trailed behind her as she led them down the hallway that was lit only by candlelight and by a doorway at the other end, for there was no windows to allow in natural light. 

Then finally reached the doorway and entered a circular-shaped room that was brightly lit from above by a crystal chandelier. Like the hallway, there was no window in the room yet there was faint breeze that made the crystals in the chandelier clink against each other and create an impromptu but haunting melody of chimes. At the other side of the room resided a large elaborate white double door that was braced by ionic marble columns. Each door had five panels depicting the phases of the moon. Standing next to the door and facing it was a bronze-tanned skin-toned woman with long green hair that was so dark that it seemed to border closer to black. The woman was dressed in sailor fuku of black and garnet red, a chain wrapped loosely around her waist like Venus’s Love-Me Chain, with the main difference of being silver and having several small silver keys hanging from it, and held long staff that a large key. While the woman didn’t appear to be no more then a handful of years older then the Senshi, there was something timeless about her; no ageless as she existed outside time itself.

“Puu,” Chibi-Usa cried, running to the unknown Senshi.

The Senshi turned towards them and glanced down at the child. There was a moment of hesitation and then a smile graced her face. “Small Lady,” the Senshi said dropping down to one knee so she could hug the child. “It is good to see you, sweetheart, although I was not meant to see you in this time so soon.”

“Puu? What do you mean,” the child questioned. 

“I am Puu, Chibi-Usa, but I am not the Puu that you know in the thirtieth-century,” the Senshi said.

“It would be best to start at the beginning, Pluto,” Queen Serenity said. “I’m not sure what effects it would cause, but I’ve already admitted to the relationship between me and the child. I brought them all here since you are the only one who could safely explain things and not throw the time space continuum into a total mess.”

“They were meant to know so it won’t effect things too terribly much,” Pluto replied, “however things are not occurring as they should. Let me start at the beginning. I am Sailor Pluto, the Guardian of the Gates of Time. In this century, I have not awakened completely as a Senshi as the rest of you have. However, because the Gates may never be left unprotected, a part of my conscious and power has separated from the body that I have reincarnated in this time to stand watch at the Gates.”

“So you are saying that in a manner of speaking that like Queen Serenity, you are a spirit who stands guard while your civilian and mortal body continues through the motions of life in its unawakened state,” Sailor Mercury said, her understanding of the situation, as usual, was spot on. 

“That is correct, Mercury,” Sailor Pluto answered. “There will be a time when my mortal flesh will awaken as all of you have, but that time is not now. Chibi-Usa comes from the future, the thirtieth-century to precise and in that time I have awakened completely and stand guard at the Gates in both body and soul. It is that ‘me’ that she knows of and who knows her. However, my role as the Guardian allows me to see the flow of time to although with some limitations, which is why I knew of Chibi-Usa even if I have yet to meet her in this time of my life.”

“Queen Serenity said Chibi-Usa was her granddaughter,” Jupiter recalled, remembering the shock of the statement and its implications that had been pushed back when they had followed the Queen and met this new ally.  “That means…”

“Yes, what you are thinking is correct,” responded Pluto. “Telling you this does not change the flow of time as it was meant for you to know, however there has been a great change in the space-time continuum due to the Princess being brainwashed and tainted by the Black Crystal. The natural order of things was that you would have all learned of the future and Chibi-Usa’s true identity when you followed her through the flow of time of to the thirtieth-century. This issue with the Princess’s current state changes things, however not to so much that it changes the knowledge you must know. 

Sometime in the distant future a great disaster nearly destroyed the Earth and the rest of the universe, however the Princess was able to intervene and with the Mabroroshi no Ginzuishou saved our part of the universe. It was then that she officially took up her roles as Queen of the Moon and High Queen of the Silver Millennium as well as ascending to the throne as Earth’s Queen. She is known as Neo-Queen Serenity and and she is mother of Chibi-Usa and wife of King Endymion.”

The Senshi of Time paused and glanced at Tuxedo Kamen.

“King Endymion, as in your future self Chiba Mamoru. Chibi-Usa is your future daughter. Yours and Usagi’s.”

Though Tuxedo Kamen suspected the truth when Queen Serenity had claimed Chibi-Usa as kin, there had been so doubt thanks to the current situation and the fact that it was his actions that had driven the wedge between him and his love. To have the the truth confirmed and have the visible reminder of the future result of what his and Usagi’s love had created and how that was possible made the masked man blush. He was no virgin, but being with Usagi made his past fade and nothing that had happened back then could compare to even the simplest pleasure of holding his lady’s hand. 

“Huh, what? Usagi is my mother! No way!” Chibi-Usa protested, as it had not occurred to her that the daughter that Queen Serenity had been referring to was Usagi. She had said that she was her mama’s mama. No way, that was Usagi. She may have been the great and powerful warrior her daddy had told her about (and wow wasn’t it cool that Tuxdeo Kamen was her daddy in the past), but how could clumsy Usagi be her beautiful and elegant mother?

“Chibi-Usa, you came to the past to obtain Sailor Moon’s help and the Mabroroshi no Ginzuishou of this time,” pointed out Pluto. “Sailor Moon possessed the Ginzuishou in this time and your mother had it in the future. How do you think your mother got it? Did you believe that Sailor Moon knew your mother and gave her Ginzuishou? Come now, you know better. Despite our enemies rabid desires to posses the crystal, only one of the White Moon bloodline could ever wield it successfully to it’s full power. You know this. Think about it, little one. You have seen your mother in Usagi before.”

Chibi-Usa frowned, feeling a headache coming on as her young mind tried to work. But she could deny Pluto’s words. There had been moments when she was here in the past with Usagi that had reminded her of time spend with her mother. Like Usagi, her mother enjoyed reading manga. There had been times when Neo-Queen Serenity had been able to have some free time away from her duties as regent that she would indulge in her favorite pastimes; one of them had been curling up in bed with her daughter and reading manga that was age appropriate for Chibi-Usa to enjoy. The child had been well aware that the manga choice was for her and that her mama would have probably reading the ones that Aunt Lara or Aunt Bellaniece were known to read. But she had never doubted that her mother had ever resented spending her time reading manga with her child, nor that she hadn’t enjoyed it. 

She had similar memories in the past as well of spending rainy afternoons reading manga with Usagi. Usagi hadn’t minded reading with Chibi-Usa or even being interrupted from her own manga to answer a question on a word that Chibi-Usa came across that unfamiliar to her. Just like her mama would do. And then there had been all those moments when she had been by Usagi’s side (or Sailor Moon’s side who was Usagi, but she hadn’t known that all the time) when she had felt as safe as she had been with her mother.

“Usagi is the past self of my mama,” Chibi-Usa slowly stated, although her tone was more questioning the verity of the statement then saying a fact. She gazed up at Queen Serenity and Sailor Pluto who both nodded. 

All this time she had been looking in the past for a way to save her mother in her own time. She had thought that all it would take was to get her hands on the Ginzuishou in this time. Though she remembered the stories her papa had told her about Sailor Moon, she had been hesitant to ask the heroine from her bedtime stories to help her. Puu had said that it really wasn’t a good thing for two identical from two different points of time to be in one place together for too long. It made thinks… well she couldn’t remember exactly how Puu had explained, but Chibi-Usa was sure the general gist was it made things wonky. She hadn’t known who Sailor Moon’s future self was and she knew Sailor Moon would never come help without the others and there was no way the Sailor Senshi could come because she didn’t think the thirtieth century could be saved fast enough before the wonkiness happened.

But she hadn’t been able to get the Ginzuishou. Usagi could be ditzy at times, but she had been very good at protecting the crystal except for that one time when Chibi-Usa had been really sneaky just like… it was just like it had been with her mama. Because Usagi was her mama. And now her mama in the past needed help just like she did in the future. Except this time her mama wasn’t sleeping encased on a crystal altar. The Black Moon had taken her mama had made her bad because Usagi had been hurting. Hurting because Mamo-chan, her papa in the past, had hurt her because of the dreams he had. Dreams that had started coming because of her. Because she had come to the past. 

Pain filled her heart as her soul cried out in denial of the truth. Her eyes took on a watery sheen as they filled with tears at the hard truth of what had happened in her own time and here in the past. Everything that had gone wrong for her mama was her fault.

“It’s my fault,” she cried, hot tears pouring down her cheeks as her small body trembled from the wrenching sobs that wracked it. “The future…. now… it’s all my fault! Everything bad that’s happened is because of me! I’m a bad girl! I’m a bad daughter.” The little girl dropped to her knees, wrapping her arms around herself as she cried. “I’m sorry Mommy. I’m sorry!”

Tuxedo Kamen dropped down on one knee and gathered the little girl in his arms. His little girl, he thought with some amazement as he he held her close and rocked her as she sobbed into his shirt. He and Usagi would one day make this beautiful little girl; it certainly explained the attachment he felt for her and why her tears, like Usagi’s, had the power to cut him off at his knees.

“Shhh…” he said, rubbing her back as her tears slowly subsided. “Chibi-Usa, we can’t help if we don’t know what’s wrong. No matter how bad things may seem, there’s always hope. Usagi… your mother faced the greatest power of the Dark Kingdom and she won.”

“She did,” the child asked in a hiccuping voice, her naturally crimson eyes even redder from all the tears she had shed. 

“That’s right, she did,” Jupiter chimed in. “And she was all by herself.”

“Well almost all,” Mars corrected. “We were there in spirit.”

“Why in spirit?”

“Because we were dead, sweetie,” Venus answered. “The Dark Kingdom sent their most powerful youma, the Doom and Gloom sisters after us. And it took everything we had to defeat them.”

“But we died to protect your mother,” said Mercury. “Because she’s very dear to us and because we believed that she could win. And that could save your papa, because he was brainwashed to be bad just like Black Moon’s brainwashed Usagi now.”

“And she freed me,” Tuxdo Kamen continued, “and then she defeated Queen Beryl who had merged with Queen Metallia. She believed and she gave it her all and because she believed, the Senshi were able to transcend their deaths and be there for her in spirit to add their power to hers. I don’t know what you think you’ve done that puts you at fault, Chibi-Usa, but we can fix this. You have to believe in that and to believe in us and most of all to believe in Usagi. We’re going to get her back. I promise you that and we’ll get your mama back in the future too.”

Chibi-Usa stared up at the man who had be her daddy in truth in one day and saw the determination and strength in his eyes. She turned to look at the Senshi and the cats who all nodded encouragingly at her and then at Puu and the lady ghost who was her grandmother, Queen Serenity.

“Okay…”

The child looked down at the ground as she clung to Tuxdo Kamen and took a deep breath and looked up. It was time to come clean.

“Puu said, the one in my time, that time travel wasn’t a good thing to do because it mess things up. But… I used Luna-P to scare Puu so I could steal a Time Key from the chain around her waist so I could come to the past. If I hadn’t come to the past then Mamo-chan wouldn’t have those dreams that made him break up with Usagi and… then the Black Moon couldn’t have taken and brainwashed her to be evil…”

“Oh Chibi-Usa, you can’t blame yourself for that,” protested Venus. “There’s no way of knowing if your arrival was directly responsible for the dreams. It could have been very well the Black Moon showing up that did it.”

“That’s right,” Mercury added. “The Black Moon came to the past in hopes of contaminating Crystal Points. There arrival could have just an easily been the reason for those dreams as your arrival. In fact it’s more likely it’s them since it’s their fault Usagi has been brainwashed.”

“And Mamoru is a grown man. Regardless of what caused his dreams, he’s responsible for his actions and the results they caused,” said Jupiter. “We can only hope he’s learned his lesson from this and not pull a stunt like this in the future.”

A noise that sounded very much like a snort that had come Sailor Pluto’s direction was heard with a muttered, “Doubtful, he still screws it up there too.”

“So that takes care of the past,” Mars said, glancing at the Senshi of a Time with a thoughtful expression on her face. As the Senshi of Prophecy, she had glimpses of possible futures to come which allowed her to take action against a negative one, but Mars realized as the Senshi of Time, it was quite possible that if Sailor Pluto wanted to, the Senshi knew everything that happened and had the headache of trying to decide how much to say or interfere with what had to happen to maintain time’s balance. “Why do you blame yourself for what happened in your time?”

“None of the other kids in school believed I was Mama’s daughter,” the child began. “I was too little and I didn’t have any power so they said there was just no way I could be the daughter of the Queen. I wanted to prove them wrong… I slipped into mama and papa’s room where she kept the Ginzuishou when she didn’t have it with her. I thought… I thought if I borrowed it for a little while I could prove that my mama was Neo-Queen Serenity…. but… but when I picked it up it started glowing and disappeared!”

Chibi-Usa glanced up at the others, fearful but ready to see the condemnation in their eyes for what she had done, but there was nothing that she could see. But it would come. She knew because she hadn’t told them the worst part.

“I knew Mama would get mad. I lost the Ginzuishou so… I ran away from the Crystal Palace. I didn’t want to see her mad at me and I know she’d be sad to for what I’d done. It was when I was outside the Palace that the Black Moon first attacked Crystal Tokyo. People were screaming and buildings were being blown apart and crumbling down. I was so scared and,” the child’s voice began to quiver as she started to cry once more, “that’s when Mama came outside. She left the Palace to come find me and then the Black Moon hit her with the energy from the Black Crystal. She got hurt because of me. She came looking for me and she didn’t have the Ginzuishou to protect her. I lost it and she came outside where it wasn’t safe to find me. It’s all my fault!!!!!”

Everyone except for Sailor Pluto and Queen Serenity was struck frozen by the child’s words. Though there was some truth that the blame was on Chibi-Usa for trying to take the Ginzuishou without her mother’s permission, she had no way of knowing what her actions would have done. And it certainly wasn’t her fault that her mother had been outside on the day of the attack. The child hadn’t known the Black Moon would show up and crash her happy existence. If not for them, it would have been another normal day except the issue of the missing Ginzuishou, but they were certain that without the Black Moon’s presence there future selves would have resolved the issue quick enough.

And as for Sailor Pluto and the Queen… well they knew the truth of the matter as the Senshi of Time and as a Queen who was now a ghost and thus privy to all sorts of time secrets that she had been mostly denied in life. But a ghost couldn’t impact the flow of time as easily as a living woman, so she knew the truth of the matter. Just as she was aware of how the course of time should have flowed, but for some reason the events that Pluto had told her of had not come to pass. It should have been this extraordinary grandchild of hers who would have been plied with lies and brainwashed, not her sweet daughter Serenity. Yet time had not gone as it should and now Pluto and she had to do what they could to ensure the future came to pass it should even though the current time was thrown in chaos by those huge change in events.

“You didn’t lose the Ginzuishou, Chibi-Usa,” Queen Serenity announced, causing the child to stop crying and glance up to gaze at her grandmother in surprise and wary hope. “You are a child of the White Moon and the one true heir to the Ginzuishou after your mother. When you picked up the crystal, it reacted to your desire to prove to the world that you were truly the daughter of the powerful lady who ruled it. As a child, the powers that you wield are dormant inside you until you are older and able to property being to wield it or… a catalyst happens to force it active. “

The Queen smiled down at the child of her child. Despite some differences in appearance that would change as the little girl grew older, Chibi-Usa was her mother’s daughter in every way. 

“That catalsyt is the Ginzuishou. You may have thought possessing the Ginzuishou would give you powers like your mother, but they were already there inside you sleeping and what you wanted more than the Ginzuishou was proof of those powers. The crystal merely reacted to your heart’s pure wish and started the process to wake up your powers earlier then nature intended.”

“But it disappeared, Grandma,” the child protested.

“It did indeed, my pet,” agreed the Queen. “The crystal disappeared into your body to being awakening your powers.”

“In me?”

“Yes, in you. It’s quite remarkable as your mother did the same thing in her past life and gave the High Court a scare when she came crying into the throne room that she had lost the Ginzuishou.” Queen Serenity chuckled, able to laugh now with amusement of the past long ago, although at the time she had not found it quite so funny. Luckily it hadn’t taken long to realize what her daughter had done and fix it.”You never needed the Ginzuishou of the twentieth century for you had the one from your time all along. It’s been inside of you all this time, protecting you and slowly awakening the power that you possess as my granddaughter… as your mother, Neo-Queen Serenity’s daughter. Now close your eyes and think of the crystal, see it in your hands...”

Chibi-Usa quickly obeyed, letting her eyes fall shut as she thought of the Ginzuishou. It had been her in all this time? A part of her was skeptical, but if it was true… She thought hard about the crystal and then she began to feel warm feeling inside her chest that grew hot until finally she head a gasp. Her eyes flew open to see the Ginzuishou cupped in her hands.

“It really was in me! Look! The Mabroroshi no Ginzuishou!”

“You’ve done well, Chibi-Usa,” Tuxedo Kamen praised her. 

“Very well,” agreed her grandmother, “and with the Mabroroshi no Ginzuishou you will be able to save your mother, both in this time and yours. The power of the crystal and your love for you mother will be able to help you bring her back.to who she was. If you can do that, then you will be able to save your mother in your own time.”

“Well that certainly explains why the Black Moon has run every time that light came from Chibi-Usa,” Venus pointed out. “She must have been unconsciously wielding the power from the crystal and lessening the effects of whatever the Wise Man did to brainwash Usagi.”

“Yes, and it probably had some effects upon the Shishin as well,” Mercury theorized, pulling her Mercury mini-computer from her subspace pocket. If we can just pin down Usagi long enough for Chibi-Usa to use the Ginzuishou and combine our powers with it before they try to snatch her away to interrupt our efforts, we may be able to cleanse the dark energy from her and manage to get through to her.”

“So we have a plan,” Jupiter said, punching one hand into the palm of the other. “We work together to get Usagi back and then we kick the Black Moon’s as- er heine.” The Senshi of Jupiter shot a glance at the child who seemed oblivious to the slip of tongue. Chibi-Usa focus was on the crystal in her hands and the hope that she could right the wrongs she had done. The others may have believed that she wasn’t guilty, but she still felt differently. She had to fix what her actions had done.

“Before you leave,” Pluto said suddenly out of the blue, “I think it would be best if all of you regained your full memories of your past lives.:

“Pluto,” Queen Serenity questioned, but the Senshi of Time merely shook her head. 

Whatever her reasons, Sailor Pluto wouldn’t say it front of the others. The Time Guardian closed her right hand into a fist and focused her attention on it until a sphere of light glowed around it and then faded away. She opened her hand and in it appeared to be five large black spheres (really the rather resembled marbles to be quite frank), each with the planetary symbols of Mercury, Venus, Earth, Mars and Jupiter etched into the sides of them in gold.

“Take the sphere that is yours and press it to your heart,” Pluto instructed. When the five had taken their spheres and pressed them to their hearts as instructed, she knelt before the cats and pressed the palm of each hand against their furry chests, feeling the beat of the hearts. “It’s best you remember to if you two remember as well.”

The Time Senshi’s hands began to glow once more at the same time as the spheres pressed to hearts of the five humans glowed as well. Heat entered the seven as memories of another time poured into their minds.

“I just hope this is the right decision…”

---

Though they had a plan on how to save Usagi and through her to save the four friends who were now the enemy Shishin, it was quite another thing to execute the plan when the ones involved didn't show up. It had been over a week since they had returned from the trip to the Moon, elated that they now had the power to save their Princess through Chibi-Usa and Ginzuishou of the future and perhaps a bit sadder and wiser with the full memories of the past. Sailor Pluto had a reason for giving them back their full memories, although she had refused to explain why however they all had a feeling that the spirit of the former Queen of the Silver Millennium learned it as soon as they had left. 

Still whatever the reason, it was good to finally know everything. Or at least that was how Minako felt. She now felt complete whereas before there had always been an empty feeling somewhere in her heart. It made her wonder if her future self had ever obtained her full memories. She hoped so since she was sure she would have felt the same way about getting them as she did now.

In any case, despite the completion she felt with her memories, there was still an ache that they hadn’t been able to save Usagi yet. Rationally she understood that they had to wait and that patience was a virtue that would eventually reward them, but emotionally Aino Minako was not a young woman who was very good with patience. She hated not being able to take action. She wanted her best friend and Princess back down! Irritated just thinking about it, she slammed her shoe locker shut after she tossed her indoor shoes in.
“Trying to damage school property, Minako-chan?” a male voice called in a teasing tone. “That’s the beginning of delinquent behavior and gang life.”

The blonde spun around toward the voice before her face lit up with recognition. “Saitou-senpai,” she exclaimed in delight as she smiled up at the man. Saitou Akihiko was a former graduate of Shiba Koen Junior High School and a former crush hers (one of many if you listened to Artemis, which she didn’t recommend; you couldn’t trust a cat who got high off of catnip daily).They had crossed paths in her Sailor V days when she taking on the Dark Agency, a branch of the Dark Kingdom that had been working to gather up energy for Metalia through the use of idol world; they had quickly realized that method was too flashy and caused them to be discovered by her and Artemis too quickly to gather much energy (not that it hadn’t stopped Jadeite to try it again in a manner of speaking). 

In any case, seeing Saitou-senpai was a welcome distraction to her worries. It also occurred to her now, why she had developed a crush on Saitou-senpai on the first place was that he bore a striking resemblance to a certain Earth General from her past. She may have not remembered it at that time, as she did now, but a part of her had been drawn to her senpai because of the resemblance. And in a way he did have the same sort of noble demeanor as the general.

“What are you doing back here, senpai,” she asked. “Are you here to see, Okamoto-sensei? Because I think she’s still around. The cooking club is meeting today.”

“No, actually that wasn’t the reason why I came,” Saitou-senpai replied, his face turning slightly red in embarrassment that the blonde was aware of his feelings towards his former teacher. Despite his tender feelings for the women, he knew they wouldn’t be returned as she was older than him and he had heard through the grapevine that she was seeing someone. Okomoto-sensei was a dream, but he hoped one day he would find a lady like her. “Actually I just came by to show my cousin around. He’s going to be subbing here for a while for one of the gym teachers. Teaching isn’t his intended career goal, but with the economy down as it is, he has to find some kind of work until he can get in his field.”

“You’re totally right,” Minako chirped, although in reality she had no idea if the economy was bad or not. She didn’t really pay attention to that sort of thing and if the economy was bad, it hadn’t affected her father’s job. She was pretty sure that Ami would know or even Rei, because of who her father was. 

“Yeah, anyways we were outside when I heard you slamming your locker. Rough day, blondie?”

“You have no clue.”

“Well tomorrow’s another day and-” Saitou-senpai broke off as as the door opened, letting in the blinding light of the afternoon and preventing Minako from getting a clear view of the man who was entering. “Oh there you are. I want you to meet my kouhai, Aino Minako. Minako-chan this is my cousin, Saitou Kyou.”

“It’s a pleasure to meet you,” Minako responded, bowing her head in respect as the man was her senpai’s cousin and if he was subbing at her school, then he was, of course, older then her. She raised her head and then froze as the color drained away from her face.

“...Kunzite…?”

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