Sailor Moon Fan Fiction ❯ A Trusting Heart ❯ Essence of Majesty ( Chapter 15 )

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The Sailor Scouts are dying. In the past, their lives were taken by the last Nega-Moon general, Emerald, a woman they've never seen yet she manages to divide and conquer each Scout. How can the girls fight her? If she is so powerful in the past as to have all ready won, what can they do to stop her and more importantly, how can they get Jupiter, Venus, and Mercury back?
As Sailor Moon is about to learn, for every deed there is a consequence, whether she is the one paying for her actions or someone she knows. It is what divides ordinary girls from queens when a person will take responsibility for such actions that hurt others. It is the nature of royalty.
But for a moment, a mother and father are going to finally know what it feels like to be parents of twins at their young age. ;D It's amazing how everything will turn full circle, the future to past, the past to future, life to death, triumph to grief . . . In Chapter Fifteen, "Essence of Majesty."

Anime/Manga: Sailor Moon Fan Fiction | Genre(s): Action / Adventure / Drama / Romance / Sci-fi / Suspense | Type: Other | Uploaded On: 06.12.2006 | Pages: 8 | Words: 9.7K | Visits: 315 | Status: Completed

Chapter 15

Essence of Majesty

"Oh, God, no..." It was all happening so fast, too fast, and they couldn't stop it! Emerald couldn't defeat the Sailor Scouts so easily and yet- now they're gone? Dead? 'Lita...Ami...Mina! No! It can't be, it just can't be! I wouldn't let it happen!' Sailor Moon's desperate thoughts were halted by the instantaneous appearance of Sailor Pluto.

"Serenity, the timeline is being disrupted! The Emerald is taking over in the past. She's defeating the Scouts one by one as they are divided; she is causing damage that I cannot repair without help. Sailor Moon, you must return to the past to stop her from destroying the Sailor Scouts altogether. You must help the remaining Scouts or all will be lost. I will take you to the proper time, a little after when you originally left. We must leave before Sailor Mars, Tuxedo Mask, and you disappear as well. I can protect you three from the disruption, you will be paradoxes that I can allow to exist should your past selves be killed." Pluto raised her staff and a red light engulfed them. It was absorbed and quickly disappeared.

"What about us? Should we go too?" Serenity asked, holding her husband close. If either herself or him should disappear...

"No way they can stop ME!" The elder Sailor Mars stated as she stomped up to the green-haired Guardian of time. The younger Mars had her hands clenched in much the same way as her counterpart. "It's my job to protect the king and queen and my friends, past, present, and future!"

"No, Serenity, I will not risk you to go, or the king, for that matter; you are too important to the timeline to be hopping around in pivotal points of the course's flow. Sorry, Mars, you must remain to protect the king and queen here. Don't worry though, I happen to see some other help along the way and we have a very good chance. Right

now, all I can physically allow are these three. I'm too busy trying to keep up with the tidal forces of the temporal fluxes this Emerald is creating. Even I cannot foresee what will happen." She turned to the three warriors standing before her. "Are you ready?"

"Yes, let's go! We've got to get our friends back!" The younger Mars shouted.

Sailor Pluto created a portal to the past and Mars and Tuxedo Mask leapt in. "We will get them back, won't we?" Sailor Moon asked quietly, her eyes full of fear and hope.

'She will never change either. Always her friends first.' Pluto thought even as she nodded to alleviate the moon princess's fears. "Yes, our friends will return once Emerald is defeated. 'All spells wrought are thus undone.' Everything she has done to disrupt the

timeline I will mend and return to proper order." Serina smiled uncertainly then continued through the portal. She disappeared with a quick wave of farewell to the king and queen.

"Be brave, Serina, don't ever give up!"

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Hidden behind a door, two pairs of identical cinnamon eyes watched in horror and fascination as one by one the Sailor Scouts, their protectors, disappeared as if they never existed. Sailor Pluto had shown up just as Sailor Moon was breaking down and had sent her, the younger Sailor Mars, and Tuxedo Mask back to the past to stop some bad lady named Emerald.

The flamingo pink-haired twin turned to her older sister after Sailor Moon had left.

"Irene, did you hear?"

'Of course I did, bunny head.' Irene replied telepathically. "Sounds like Puu knows we're coming, if you ask me." Irene grinned conspiratorially. This was her chance to finally see the world her parents had come from, a thousand years ago. She could finally do what her little sister had gotten away with.

"And that's almost like permission to go, right?"

"More like an order from the Guardian of Time!"

'Great! Let's go help Meatball head and Daddy in the past!' Irene whirled on her sister, shocked to hear her call her queen mother by her hated nickname.

"I'm telling Mommy you called her that. She yells at Daddy when he calls her that; you're gonna get in trouble!"

"Mommy let me call her that all the time when I was living in the past with her!" Irene frowned. That wasn't fair. She wanted to call Mommy Meatball head too and not get in trouble. But that could wait until they were in the past and Serina couldn't punish them. She wasn't their mother yet.

'I'm still telling. When we get back, now let's go before Luna finds us!' Rini and Irene spun back into the shadows of the palace halls. Rini lifted her time key to the air and smiled smugly at her sister's jealousy. Irene rolled her eyes at Small Lady's immaturity and lifted her hand to hold her sister's.

"Crystal Time Key, take us to Sailor Moon!" Familiar pink magic clouds swirled overhead and they were lifted into the air. Irene giggled at the sudden weightlessness she felt.

"No! Lady, Small Lady! Get back here!" The twins glanced down the hall in surprise; Luna and Artemis were racing around the corner but it was all ready too late. They were through the portal even as they heard their parents' heart-wrenching cry behind them.

"NO! Irene, Serina!"

"Don't worry, we're going to help!" Irene shouted before her voice was swallowed up by the winds of time.

__________________________

(A.N. To distinguish between two Serinas, Reis, and Dariens, the three from the 'future' will be referred to by their names even after they transform but not until the past trio is introduced. Don't worry. You'll understand.)

"Okay, does anyone know when we are?" Sailor Mars piped up as the trio looked around the docks where the time portal had dropped them.

"Oh, I wish Mercury were here..." Sailor Moon murmured to herself. There was no way she was going to accept this, this reality wasn't real. It was some kind of nightmare or game- she just had to solve it and defeat Emerald to get her friends back. She straightened and turned back to Mars, feigning determination and strength. "Nope, and I don't think it matters either. Emerald changed everything when she showed up."

"Then where do we start? We need to find out where the Scouts of this time are so we can destroy this lame-brain Dark Moon witch!"

"Some things would be nice to know, Sailor Moon; are we back together, are Garrett and Robert still on our side-" Darien started but Serina interrupted him, detransforming.

"Oh, yeah, trust me, it's not like we went that far back in time, more like five minutes after we left. That's what Pu- Pluto said, isn't it?" Serina couldn't say how she knew, it just felt like this was almost the same time they'd left except- the timeline had

completely changed when Emerald arrived.

"More like an hour or two, Meatball head. It was late afternoon when we left to save your butt and now it's nearly dark. And look- The storm's gone." Rei pointed out as she and Darien followed Serina's example and shifted down. The skies above them were clearing, the tatters of the rain clouds were ablaze with the oranges and pinks of

the setting sun over the Pacific.

Serina pouted and whined. "Hey! Why do you always have to be so MEAN, Rei!" Rei spun away with an exasperated, exaggerated sigh as Darien came up behind Serina and put an arm comfortably around her waist. She turned to him, her frown instantly melting into a smile as she looked up into his loving eyes.

"Have I told you lately how much I love you?" He whispered. As if she wasn't torn up enough, Rei was just adding to his princess's grief- But then he understood the Scout of Fire had to vent her feelings on the subject as well, and this was the only way she knew how. All he could do was let her be and console his sweet love's suffering soul- and his own. These girls were as close as sisters, all best friends, and the closest thing to a family he had...

"Not in this timeline..." She replied, her voice growing steadier with her protector near. She stood on tiptoe to meet his lips in a sweet kiss. Out of no where, two screams pierced the air with a flash of light.

"Ahhh- oof." Rini landed on Serina's shoulders, knocking both to the ground and Irene was caught in Darien's arms before she could hit the earth.

"Ugh. Not again, you girls really have to work on your timing." Serina moaned as she pushed Rini up, and reached for Darien's arm as he pulled her to her feet. Irene gave Rini a confused look as the pair of twin sisters stood beside each other before their future parents.

'That's funny, Mommy says the same thing all the time.' Both girls giggled before they caught a glimpse of the concerned and angry faces of the older people.

"What are you two doing here? Your parents couldn't have sent you back- it's much safer there than here." Darien demanded as he faced the young girls. Serina stood beside him with the same look of angry motherly concern her future self had mastered.

Rini pushed her older sister in front of her and Irene stuck her tongue out at her as she was used as a buffering shield- like always.

"Girls..." Darien warned, his voice frighteningly similar to the king's. Irene snapped back to attention before him, her dark cinnamon eyes wide with fear of punishment.

"Yes, Father?" She asked, her eyes downcast so she wouldn't have to meet his stormy ones. Behind her, Rini shifted her feet. She recognized that tone of voice too.

Darien was caught off-guard by the reference; it was so sweet to hear, like angels' voices. It almost made him shiver with delight, and he knew Serina had noticed as well when her grip on his arm tightened. But he couldn't show weakness just yet, the girls were in trouble here, there was too much danger for them to stay! And this endearing, soft voice/eyelash thing was one of Serina's own tricks. "What did you do?" Darien could tell by the way the twin girls were acting that they were guilty of something. Serina did the same thing when she was to blame. It was what they might have done that scared him.

"Well, Puu kinda-"

"-Gave us the hint that you guys needed our help-"

"-So we ran away. Mommy and Daddy-"

"-Know where we are." The twins switched speaking in such a dizzying manner that was almost confusing for the young couple to follow. Rei just closed her eyes and pinched the bridge of her nose to halt a headache.

"They're as confusing as you, Meatball head." She complained. Serina and her daughters all shot her an identical glare and Rei smiled. Triple hit.

Serina turned her glare back to her daughters, of which she had no difficulty in telling apart though they were identical. "Lady, Small Lady, you know better! It's dangerous here, especially right now. Rini, I want you to take yourself and your sister back to the future RIGHT NOW." Her tone of voice told them she wasn't going to give- not without some serious wheedling.

"But, Mommy, I just got you back and I'm frightened- What if Emerald beats you and Mommy disappears and then we'll disappear- you can't make us go back when we can help you!"

"And Puu said we were supposed to help! We can help! Rini has her moonbeam power and I have the life seed. And we're six now. We're almost grown-ups!" Irene protested as Rini turned her pleading, watery eyes on her young parents. Irene pouted with her puppy dog eyes and both twins played their best cards.

"Please . . ." They whined in unison. Darien's expression screwed up and he raised his hand to his mouth to smother a smile. Serina sighed and buried her face in her fiancé's chest before she cracked into giggles. Behind them, Rei shook her head.

"If Sailor Pluto said they were needed to help, then we can't exactly fight the flow of time." Serina sighed, smiling when she turned back to the girls. They jumped and shouted with their victory over their parents.

Serina's expression instantly fell into darkness, her glower caught the twins by surprise and they hiccuped to a stop in mid-laugh. "But don't you ever try anything like this again! And don't THINK I don't know your mother is going to punish you severely for running away- Don't think I'm gonna let you get away with it either. You're both grounded until I say otherwise." Serina's eyes flashed with seriousness and they could see their mother surfacing in the young blonde girl before them. They cowered before her majesty, conceding to their queen mother. "Now march." Serina commanded, pushing the girls before her as she walked forward, Darien's hand on her shoulder, bowing to her authority.

"Yes, Mother." The twins surrendered as they silently trekked back to Serina's house. Irene submitted to Serina unquestioningly, having never known the meatball head she was supposed to be. 'I thought you said she was nice.'

'She was never this much like Mommy before. She's usually a ditz, wailing and klutzing out all the time. I think it's because she found out I'm her daughter-'

'Me too, moon bunny.'

'Yeah, earthworm, but when she found out that she was going to marry Darien and have us, she changed, like she grew up or something. She's only fifteen, y'know. And did you notice Mommy's ring on her finger?'

'Yeah.'

'I think Daddy finally proposed to her. Y'think they'll let us-'

'Go to the wedding? Wicked cool! I wanna go to Mommy and Daddy's wedding!'

"Me too!" Rini cried aloud. She clapped a hand over her mouth. Serina and Darien weren't supposed to know they could talk to each other in their heads. They might get in trouble!

"What was that, Rini?"

"Nothing." Rini nonchalantly responded, pausing before she continued with her cover up. "Did Daddy finally ask you to marry him?" The question caught the engaged couple by surprise.

Serina nodded slowly. "Last night. How did you know, Rini?" Serina asked, self-consciously twisting her ring around her finger. It was still bespelled by Luna Pen's magic and she certainly hadn't had time to tell Rini.

"I can see Mommy's ring on your finger. I think I'd recognize it, Mommy lost it often enough and she needed our help to find it before Daddy found out." Serina blushed furiously as Darien glanced down at her with a raised eyebrow. Serina's pink cheeks deepened as he let out a chuckle.

"RINI, you little spore! You're trying to embarrass me on purpose!" Serina took off after the little girl. Rini didn't waste a second before sticking her tongue out and racing out of Serina's reach. Now, everything could get back to normal. "Get back here, you fungus!"

"Can't catch me, Meatball head!" Rini squealed as she rushed around Darien's feet and in between Rei and her twin. Irene burst out laughing at the chase, ready to jump in on the fun. Serina fumed, hiding her smiles behind embarrassed fury. Irene toppled over laughing when Serina screeched and tripped over a stone on the sidewalk, losing

her balance and flinging herself right into Darien's arms. Smiling, he caught her and barely kept her upright as she tried to leap after the pink-haired brat that teased her from behind her sister.

Serina sighed, gasping as she gave up the chase and leaned on Darien. She was still so tired. "Brat!" Serina called as her daughter took off again, leading her sister through the park they had to go through to get to Serina's house. She clung to Darien, and he held her close, sensing her fatigue. "Mmm, I'm tired, Endy. There's been too much fighting lately and when this last one's over, Rini and Irene will have to go home."

Darien gazed down at his love, her petite mouth caught in a hidden yawn, her beautiful blue eyes twinkling and drooping. The sunset dyed her golden hair a rich russet, her pale skin blazed a warm copper looking so much like a goddess in his arms. A goddess he would protect forever, and she was now in pain over the loss of the children she hadn't even had yet. "They'll be back, Serina, you know that." He bent down to kiss her. She returned the kiss and broke off giggling.

"I know. But I'll miss them." She sighed, her breath soft on his arm as they watched the girls running through the park, yelling and chasing each other. "We'll have to make this up to them. Before they go home, let's take them out somewhere. After we win this battle and get the other Scouts back, let's do something with them. Go to the beach or to dinner, a picnic in the park or something. Our first family outing. Please?" Her azure eyes silently begged him. He smiled. 'This must be where the girls pick up their pouting habits. They definitely take after their mother.'

"I thought our daughters were grounded, my sweet." He teased softly. He was rewarded with her cheeks flushing a soft rose.

"You can overrule me anytime- as long as I agree with you first."

"Uh, Mommy! Daddy!" Rini suddenly called. The couple glanced up, startled by their daughter's cry but they couldn't see either of the twin girls.

Rei suddenly dashed forward to search out the missing children, Serina and Darien close behind her. "Rini! Irene! Where are you!"

__________________________

"Even though you're gone, our love will still live on."

"Rini! What are you doing out here! It's dangerous with Emerald attacking all the time, sweetheart. You know what happened to the other Scouts, darling." The Sailor Moon of this time confronted the little girl and her companion. Something seemed slightly different about the kid. 'It must be the dark, her hair looks almost purple.'

"I'm not Rini, I'm IRENE!" Irene cried in upset dismay. Rini piped up behind her older sister. "That's an insult!" They said at the same time. Sailor Moon gaped, her jaw dropping in surprise. Two Rinis? When did that rabbit start to multiply?!

"Rini, who- who's this? Why does she look so much like you?" Sailor Moon dropped to her knees beside her daughter. Behind her, Sailor Mars came running up, skidding to a stop when she thought she was seeing double.

"Sailor Moon, be careful, it could be a trap!" Mars warned, cautiously coming up behind the two girls. "Only Emerald would use a little kid to capture us. We left Rini with Tuxedo Mask, REMEMBER?" She reminded her ditzy leader. They were the last two Scouts left after this new Emerald showed up recently. She had taken Sailor Jupiter's life earlier that day, and Venus and Mercury last night and yesterday.

Moon glanced up at her, realizing she was right; it could be a Nega-Moon trap- but this was her daughter. She couldn't ignore that even with the tricks Emerald pulled. "Mars, please don't say that . . . Rini, explain yourself please." Sailor Moon's voice was heavy and feathery with battle-worn exhaustion and sorrow. She still had tears

in her eyes from her non-stop crying after the loss of Mercury, Venus, and Jupiter. She could still feel their spirits' presence and hear their voices as they whispered their last words, the same words of encouragement and hope they'd spoken to her when they died in the fight against Beryl.

"Mommy, trust me. This is Irene, my twin sister- We came back from the future to help you fight Emerald. The other Sailor Scouts, the ones in our time disappeared, they died. Puu sent us back to help you- Serina, Rei, and Darien are with us too, somewhere..." Rini rushed, realizing how ridiculous she sounded to this past Sailor Moon even as she spoke. She wondered where her other parents, the ones she'd come with, were right now.

"What are you talking about, Rini? I'm right here, so's Mars, and Tuxedo Mask just took you home. You're not making sense, sweetheart."

"It's a trap, Sailor Moon. Something's not right! Rini doesn't have a twin, and she just went home not twenty minutes ago. How could she come back from the future if she's been at home this entire time? Emerald's probably around here somewhere!" Mars searched the night-darkened park with her violet eyes and mystic sense, her gaze finally

settling on the twin girls Sailor Moon was now fearfully backing away from.

Moon still refused to give up all hope that this was not her daughter; she could feel the undeniable connection with them both, though she took the precaution of edging carefully away from the possible threat. "Rini, tell me something only you and I would know. It's the only way we can be sure it's you and not some trick of Emerald's."

Rini desperately thought over the last few days, over the last few WEEKS of staying with Serina. What could she be sure this past Serina had experienced that her Serina had too? "Um, you talk in your sleep and had nightmares of Darien leaving you. You only said you hated it when I snuck into your bed at night because you didn't want

anyone to know you liked me. I- I loved you like my own mother long before I found out you really were. Um, you really were grateful for the study book Ami got you for your birthday because you want to start taking school seriously so you can get into high school. I gave you a picture for your birthday, one of you and Sailor Moon and my mom.

And last night, after our party, you were worried that Darien really had fallen out of love with you even though he said he didn't but now you're wearing your engagement ring that Darien gave you last night." Rini paused to take a deep breath. "Is that enough?"

Sailor Moon once again fell to her knees, her legs too weak to hold her after all the shocks she'd had in the past forty-eight hours. She very nearly fainted. Rini and Irene raced to her side, sensing her distress. "That's plenty, Small Lady." She whispered as she held the two girls close, burying her teary eyes in her daughter's pink hair. "There were some things I never told you. How did you- Oh, never mind, I hate all that paradox thinking stuff, I'm just glad you're okay." Moon kissed Rini's forehead and released her, studying her face then her sister's. "And this is your twin sister? Irene?"

Irene nodded, nearly in tears because her mommy hurt so much. "I didn't know I had twins, you never mentioned it, Rini. How terrible to have to go so long without someone so close to you." Moon reached for the second, older girl with the bunny-buns, cinnamon eyes, and lavender hair. Identical. Irene fell into her embrace, finally

reassured of their safety and Sailor Moon's certainty.

"Lady! Small Lady?"

"Rini! Girls! Where are you? Irene?" Voices cut through the still park air, extraordinarily familiar voices.

"They're here! FINALLY!" Rini stated and turned around, running to meet with three shadowy forms that were calling their names. "Mommy, Daddy, Aunt Rei! We're over here! We found Sailor Moon and Sailor Mars!"

Irene escaped Sailor Moon's arms and raced after her twin to the three figures quickly running to meet the girls. When they stepped into the light of a street lamp, the two last Sailors gasped. It was themselves- it was like a mirror image or ghosts or something. Serina, Darien, and Rei, in civilian form, kneeling to catch the twins and

hugging them with as much worry and love as the other Sailor Moon had not a moment ago.

"I'm losing it..." Moon heard Sailor Mars mumble behind her. Sailor Moon heard her with half a mind, listening more to their doppelgangers reprimanding and scolding the girls for running away again.

"But we found Sailor Moon and Sailor Mars of this time, look!" Irene protested. She didn't want to get stuck getting grounded again. Darien picked up the twins in concerned hugs before dropping them again to scold them. Their mother, however, took the opportunity to look up at the darkened forms of the Moon and Mars of this devastated timeline.

"Sailor Moon, Sailor Mars, we're here to help you." Serina approached the two girls who were frozen in shock. This way too way weird for Serina herself, she couldn't imagine what this other Sailor Moon was going through-

Then again, she did know exactly what she was going through. "We know about Emerald and Sailor Pluto sent us back to keep her from destroying the rest of you- er, us."

Darien sensed the other girl's confusion just as he might his own Serina's. He tried to help this Sailor Moon understand. He stayed close to his Serina, giving her tired body support as he clarified. "It's hard to explain, Sailor Moon. Somehow the timelines seem to have split. When we left our time, Serina had gone to the future with Rini to wake her mother. The rest of us had gone to help her at Sailor Pluto's warning. After we destroyed the Nega-Moon, the Scouts started disappearing. Sailor Pluto said it was because of Emerald's attacks in the past- our past. We were sent back to help stop her." Serina sighed and rolled her eyes at her fiancé as she turned back to her other self.

"Then again, Sailor Moon, don't try to understand. It confuses the heck out of me and I'm the one who went through all this. Just trust us. We need to fight Emerald together. If we can beat Prince Diamond and the Nega-Moon then we can certainly defeat a little tart like Emerald, right?"

"Who are you calling a tart, you immature human." The girls all screamed as a woman materialized from thin air before the strange group of look-alikes.

Darien whirled, instantly transforming into Tuxedo Mask before his turn was complete. He held a rose in his hand and splayed his cape protectively before his fiancée and the twins. Sailor Moon and Sailor Mars leapt into defensive stances, even as Serina and Rei raised the hands to the sky and called on their powers to transform.

"I am-" Sailor Moon started.

"I am- oops." Serina began before she frowned in mid-sentence. They looked at each other, having a blonde moment as they realized they were going to say the same thing. They tried again. "Uh, we are Sailor Moon! We stand for love and justice! And in the name of the moon, we will right all wrongs and triumph over evil! And that-"

"Means me, yeah, yeah, WHATEVER! I've heard that line before, you Sailor twits- Right before I destroyed those other weak Scouts." The woman, dressed in a tight, short black outfit, smiled as Sailor Moon flinched and paled at the mention of her fallen comrades. Then she made a face as she counted the number of enemies. She flipped her

long green hair back and spread her ugly feather fan before her face. "Great! Now I have to kill three MORE Sailor brats. And I see we have two rabbits for the price of one as well?"

"You're going down, Emerald! For what you've done to my friends and for threatening my family!" Serina leapt from Darien's defense at the sneering woman. Emerald raised the hand that held the clashing pink fan and aimed a blast of nega-energy at the flying warrior.

"No! Sailor Moon!" Tux flung a rose at the beam but it merely dispersed the energy. The refracted rays hit the girl in many less powerful stings rather than one massive burn. She grimaced but pursed her lips to stay silent as she continued her flying attack.

"Moon Scepter Elim-"

"Oh, no you don't, Moon brat!" Emerald instantly teleported to safety even as the warrior landed, her scepter's pure energy missing it's mark. Emerald reappeared within the crowd of soldiers. In the space of a breath, she grabbed a hold of Rini and dematerialized away again.

"Rini! No!" The second Sailor Moon raced up to the last Nega-Moon general but screeched to halt when she raised the little girl up as a shield.

"Come any closer, puny weakling, and your precious rabbit dies." Emerald's feather fan suddenly stiffened into a deadly spread sharp knives. Everyone froze in terror.

'Irene! I could use some help here, sis!' Rini's telepathic cry hurt Irene's head but she nodded. She slipped away behind Tuxedo Mask and Sailor Mars and reached for the green-gold locket underneath her uniform.

'I'm coming, Rini...' Irene raised the seed-shaped locket above her head and whispered. "Earth Power!" Rich green and earthy gold swiftly enveloped Irene's young body in brown dust and new spring green leaves. Flower petals of red, pink, white and violet fell swirling around her to be blown away and reveal her grass green and white

sailor suit accented in dark gold bows and trimming. In her right hand she held a short wooden staff.

When her transformation was complete, Irene gasped at the sight of herself. She'd never actually tried to transform before; her parents said she couldn't begin training until she was older but Luna had showed her how just in case of an emergency. Now was the perfect example of an emergency! Sailor Earth pushed her way through the guarding wall of adults to aim her earth staff at the old Nega-Moon lady. She needed an attack that wouldn't hurt her sister but distract the evil person long enough to let her go. She raised her staff and slammed the end into the ground. "Earth Tectonic Quake!"

The ground below Emerald suddenly bucked and shifted and she was thrown to her side, dropping Rini to the dirt. The little princess quickly escaped, running to her parents' sides. Behind the fallen Emerald, a second Tuxedo Mask fell gracefully from sky, landing several roses around the threatening woman.

"It's not fair you get to be Sailor Earth before me!" Rini called indignantly as she raced to her sister's embrace. They shared a quick, relieved hug, even as the other Scouts stared in disbelief at the littlest Scout.

"Well you get to be Sailor Moon and she's a LEGEND!"

"Yep, you're right, I'm a legend before you!" Rini stuck out her tongue and teased. Irene bopped her sister on the head with her staff. "Hey!"

"Girls, stop. Sailor Earth, is it? Take your little sister to some place safe, far from here and don't let Emerald see you. Use your moonbeam, Rini, if there's trouble and use your powers too, Sailor Earth. Now, go!" Sailor Earth snatched her sister's hand and they took off into the darkness, in the direction of Serina's house. They could easily hide there without too much difficulty. And now the adults were reassured that they could protect themselves. Tux heard Sailor Earth taunt her twin at being called the 'little' sister as they ran off into the darkness.

Two Tuxedo Masks, two Sailor Moons, and two Sailor Mars' stood defiantly before Emerald, blocking the path the twins had taken. The latest addition to the look-alike couples, didn't ask questions; he just reacted as he would with his Sailor Moon to protect and Emerald to fight. This battle was going to be VERY interesting.

"This ends here and now, Emerald! On behalf of the moon, we WILL punish you!"

"Yeah! You wanna rumble, let's rumble!"

"When you play with my friends and their families, you're messin' with fire and you're gonna get burned! In the name of MARS!"

"Face it, Emerald, you won't win this one!" The second Mars shouted. They braced themselves as Emerald glanced around with the crazed look of a trapped animal. She raised her fan again and spread her fingers, releasing dark energies at her enemies. The Scouts and Tuxedo Masks dodged easily, retaliating with roses, fireballs, and scepter

attacks and fizzling tiara magic.

"Let's try something different!" Serina tossed her scepter to the second Sailor Moon and winked. The other girl gave her a bewildered look before smiling and attacking with it, returning her powerless tiara to it's proper place. Serina raised her Silver Crystal into the night air and transformed into Princess Serenity.

"Serina!" Darien called, suddenly even more worried for his fiancée. She was too exhausted as it was! There was no way she could use the Silver Crystal again! 'Please don't, Serina, you'll get yourself hurt...' But what he was really distressed about was her getting herself killed.

Serenity heard his plea and she smiled softly in his direction. She would do anything to save this time and herself, just to save her children's future. 'Don't worry, my love. Everything will work out, it always does-'

Just then, Emerald teleported again, grabbing the moon princess around the neck and lifting her above the ground, strangling the poor, struggling girl.

"Serina!" Tux flung razor-edged roses at Emerald's white straining hands but still she didn't let go. The pair rose higher, quickly floating above the trees.

"For the death of my prince and my world, I'll take your precious empress and destroy your future!" Emerald proclaimed. She squeezed her hands tighter around the princess's small neck, rising beyond the twin Tuxedo Masks' roses' touch, Sailor Mars's fireballs were too chaotic to even try to disable the evil woman. The past Sailor Moon

watched helplessly as her counterpart disappeared into the night sky.

"Serenity! Serina! Fight her! Don't give up!" Darien called even as he watched, powerless to stop them from ascending beyond his reach. He saw his princess fight, tearing at the fingers around her throat, her hands smearing with Emerald's blood from the cuts Tux had managed to inflict. But even if she got Emerald's grip to loosen,

she'd surely fall to her death anyway.

__________________________

"Alone against my darkest fear."

"Let- me...go!" Princess Serenity gasped, twisting and kicking. She dug her nails into Emerald's pale arms and kicked the woman as hard as she could. Serenity's eyes flashed as she felt Emerald's hands slip and she sucked in a deep breath before renewing her efforts. Her head swam, the night sky's blackness mixing with the inky darkness of

unconsciousness. She was so far above the ground, she felt like she could reach up and touch the moon, below her specks of faded color represented her friends. This feeling seemed so familiar. 'Deja vu...'

"You'll pay for Diamond's death! MURDERER!" Emerald's insane face was white with rage and her eyes wild and red with tears and evil power. Serenity was more frightened of those eyes than the height or the lack of air in her lungs. She released her tight, reflexive hold on the cold fingers that were holding her so far above the earth.

Emerald shook her slight form like a heavy doll.

"Yo- you don't, know for sure...that, he's gone- do you? Your whole world, you life and family- I'm sorry, Emerald. I had- to. I'm sorry..." She gasped, darkness and guilt threatening to overwhelm her. Icy cold washed over her body. She recognized the desperation in Emerald's eyes now. She'd felt the same torture when she'd lost Darien- to Beryl, to amnesia, to the nightmares. She knew this feeling as she realized the depth of love and loyalty this woman had had for her prince, just as Serenity had for her Endymion. And she destroyed it. Serenity regretted it, for Emerald; she pitied the life the two might have had if she hadn't killed that dream.

She would gladly give anything to bring back this woman's hope, her love, but- she couldn't. She felt sorry for Emerald and was ready to give up; she was too weak to fight now anyway. She didn't want to see this poor soul go through the same pain she'd gone through, even if she was evil, everyone deserved a second chance. 'That's what

being kind and trusting and human is about.' That's what the responsibilities of royalty were. She had to acknowledge her mistakes and the consequences of tough decisions...

'Be brave, Serina, don't give up on me! I won't lose you!' Serenity heard the faint, silent cry in her mind, recognizing Darien's despairing prayer.

'My love, I love you too much to ever give up...' She responded weakly. Serenity hung lifelessly from the woman's icy hands, her mind fading quickly to peaceful sleep even as she struggled to remain conscious. She found her brief second wind and used it the only way she knew how. "Emerald, forgive me for taking your love, I'm sorry, he was irrational- I couldn't let him do the things he wanted to! As Queen of Crystal Tokyo and Princess of the former Moon Kingdom, I forgive you for Nemesis's attack on earth. Please, if you will not join my kingdom, then please forgive me..."

But Emerald was beyond reasoning. "Forgive YOU!? Never! My life is over! My home destroyed, my friends turned traitors or dead like Diamond- my PRINCE...And I will kill you too!"

"I can't- let you do that- Emerald... I'm so sorry..." The moon princess, heir to the Silver Millennium and future creator of Crystal Tokyo, raised her shaking hand to her chest; it seemed so heavy and cold, her entire body throbbed as if it were falling asleep. "Moon Crystal Healing, Release..." She whispered. It was an attack she'd never known before, one she almost thought she made up. A mercy magic of the crystal's.

Serenity's eyes were closed, her battle against the lack of oxygen ending. 'I love you, Darien, my prince and love... I love you, my friends, my family...' The dazzling light that burst from the crystal was over in a second, burning away the cold darkness of the night for a tiny moment of time. It was terrifyingly beautiful display before it all disappeared.

Then the moon princess felt nothing more.