Sailor Moon Fan Fiction ❯ A Trusting Heart ❯ Divide and Conquer ( Chapter 19 )

[ A - All Readers ]

Not quite the customary cliffhanger but the best I could do in thirteen pages.
The tide of the battle has turned with Sailor Moon, Serenity, *Serina* riding the crest in to victory- But dark currents wait beneath the rushing euphoric surface as the Wise Man plans his attacks from below, a deadly under-toe that is sucking and pulling the unwary out to sea and into the cold caress of death. The twin daughters of Serenity and Endymion suffer first for the warriors whom have grown careless and overconfident in their 'safe' home town. But Serina's plan seems sound and she appears to have a sixth sense for the Wise Man's evil deceptions; she suspects but
can confirm little with no enemy in sight and only eternity to wait for him.
The Wise Man's plan, as well, is going in accordance to his ultimate designs . . . I hope to see you again the next chapter of A Trusting Heart, Chapter Nineteen, "Divide and Conquer."

Anime/Manga: Sailor Moon Fan Fiction | Genre(s): Action / Adventure / Drama / Romance / Sci-fi / Suspense | Type: Other | Uploaded On: 06.13.2006 | Pages: 9 | Words: 10.0K | Visits: 250 | Status: Completed

Chapter 19

Divide and Conquer

"Irene, Rini, come here." Serina sat rigidly on her bed, waiting patiently, Luna sitting primly beside her. She could hear the girls giggling, playing in their room or downstairs, she couldn't tell by sound alone. "Irene. Serina." She raised her voice a notch or two when the pair didn't respond. Another lull in their laughing made her raise an eyebrow only to have her eyes fall with a sigh when they began playing again. She didn't know if they were purposely ignoring her or they honestly didn't realize how important this was. They should feel it in her but then she wasn't intruding on their thoughts either.

Serina stood up in impatient, motherly annoyance. "Imbrium Rose, Serenity Usagi Shields! Get in here this instant!" Within a breath, both girls appeared as if from nowhere, Luna Ball following as quickly as it could float. Petals of all colors and dime-sized buds of impossible multi-colored roses fell from their hair and clothes; there were three complete, bloomed reddish-pink and violet roses in Irene's hands and one half-pink, half-white rose in Rini's.

"Yes, Mother?" The twins were short of breath and curtsied shakily, in unison. Neither looked up. They knew what it meant when they heard their titles in THAT tone of voice.

Serina fell back a step in upset surprise, her eyes wide with disbelief. "What is this mess?" She asked, knowing she was going to have to clean it up and knowing her daughters knew better than to make such a disarray as guests in someone else's home. She could only imagine what their room looked like if their clothing was any indication of their chaotic influence.

"We- We were practicing our roses." Irene raised her hand and presented her flowers to her mother, her eyes lifting, glimmering with frightened anticipation. Serina could see her bite the inside of her lip. She was glad the girls weren't use to her being so commanding and that they listened to her. It showed they respected their future mother, and that Neo-Queen Serenity was rarely angry with them. It made her feel better.

"Just like Daddy's and Aunt Ro-" Irene shot a glare at her sister as she snatched Rini's strange split personality rose and offered it up to Serina's face, as high as she could reach.

Serina sat down heavily on the bed, taking the roses and smelling them all. They had no scent but she smiled anyway. "They're very nice, girls. You're both getting better. Um, Rini? Did you intend this new hybrid?" Rini frowned, because, no, she hadn't. She wasn't as good at earth powers as Irene, it was an accident that her two roses merged- "Because it's very exquisite and creative." Rini beamed.

"Come sit with me, girls. Mommy needs to talk with you." The light that glowed on identical faces at their mother's approval quickly died at the return of her sad countenance.

Again, in stereo. "Yes, Mama?" The twins sat uneasily on the floor before Serina. It was serious but she wasn't angry, they realized.

Luna continued to watch silently.

Serina tried to remember why the girls were still here. They had followed them back, into danger far greater than their true home offered. They had missed them and wanted to be with their parents of the past while their real parents were busy rebuilding the kingdom and- oh yeah, Pluto said they would somehow influence these upcoming events. She supposed Irene all ready had by saving her with her Sailor Earth powers and Rini too just by assisting her in her attack against Emerald. But that was all they could do since Serina wouldn't allow them near the battle tonight. They should probably get going back home if she had the power to send them.

She took a deep breath. Her daughters' identical cinnamon eyes followed her every move. Carnation pink and dusty lavender bangs framed those canted, Terran eyes. Such solemn expressions on pale faces meant to smile. Laughter hid behind deep, haunted fear long buried in those dark eyes. Power glinted along lighter, crystal carmine edges, hope out-shined all from depth to surface of their minds and souls. She could see it and feel it. They were her children, the generation born of everyone's love and hope- eternal. She didn't want them to be hurt, she didn't want them anywhere near the battle, to hell with what Pluto said. The girls were staying here.

"Irene, Rini. Darien, the Scouts, and I are leaving for a while. You're old enough to know we are going to battle, and you are also old enough to know you must stay here. If distracted in any way, by your disappearance from here or any danger whatsoever to you, we could lose. You must stay here, for your own safety and your friends' as well. If Wise Man ever used you against me, I would surrender and give anything to get you back, all of us would. You're that important to us. Please don't put us in that position. We would lose too much. " Serina's deadpan voice faded, her somber, lightless eyes stared straight ahead. 'Is all this necessary? I'm scaring them more than Wise Man could!'

"Mama, Mama, please don't talk like that!" Rini whispered.

"You'll be fine, Mommy. You and Daddy can't lose, you're the best!" Irene hopped up on the bed and held her mother's cold hand.

"Promise me, you will stay away from the battle?" She was very serious and scared. Serina tried to keep the tears from her eyes. "You two are the last generation of the earth and moon royalty. Whatever the future brings, you must survive to protect your father's planet and your mother's home, and all the people living there. It is our duty as moon royalty to guard this planet. And I love you both too much."

The twins looked up. "On the sun, moon, and earth, Mother." 'We won't interfere with your battle. Right, Moon bunny?'

'Just this time, Earthworm. It's too important for 'kids' to screw up.'

Luna quietly left as Serina snatched up her daughters and wept as she held them close.

__________________________

Luna ran into Ilene listening outside the door.

"Madame-"

"She's leaving all ready, Luna?" Ilene backed away, holding her apron tightly in her fists, her eyes just as teary as Serina's a moment ago. Luna hung her head in defeat; Ilene was just as sneaky as her daughter.

"Yes, the battle has begun. Serenity has figured out a plan to destroy the Dark Moon and Wise Man before he can harm anyone else." Luna followed beside Serina's mother as the two walked downstairs to the kitchen.

The woman still refused to meet the cat's eyes. Luna sat on the tile and countered her fear with reasonable thinking. "It is a sound strategy and I have no doubt that it will succeed, even with the unforeseen. Serina is very creative and thinks well on her feet. It was one of her best traits to get out of bad situations back in the Silver Millennium. The things that girl could talk her way out of . . ."

__________________________

'Time to leave, love.'

'I know, they're just so precious.'

Serina bent over the twins sleeping in her bed. They'd fought over her all night and now slept peacefully beside each other with her gone. She kissed them each on the temple and stood beside her fiancé. Darien took a step forward after squeezing Serina's hand and placed a red rose beside each girl, and another in the vase where Rini and Irene's latest endeavors stood. He kissed each child on the cheek and returned to their mother's side. Tuxedo Mask and Sailor Moon disappeared out the window without a backward glance.

Only a moment later Irene stirred to the scent of the delicate rose, and cried when she realized her mother and father had all ready left.

She missed them by half a heartbeat.

__________________________

"Birdie, you sure you wanna do this? I mean, the only protection you have is from Rubeus. If there's any kind of fighting, you're all but helpless."

"Don't worry, Sere. I trust Robby and the Scouts. I'm pretty good at hiding too if it comes to a fight"

"Yep, she's your perfect replacement, Meatball head."

"Shut up, Rei!" Serina laughed as her hand shot out to whack her friend upside the head. She turned back to the youngest of the four Sisters. "Thank you. This isn't really necessary but it will throw that thing off us for a while, I appreciate the risk you're taking."

"No prob, Sere. Anything for my queen." Birdie grinned as she bowed to the blushing blonde and took the pen offered by the white cat on the floor. "Luna Pen, transform me into Sailor Moon!" Instantly, the soldier of love and justice stood before the gathered group of Scouts and Clan. Rei and the other girls transformed, the clan men, and Emerald followed suit. The Sisters hugged good-bye, the groups slowly dividing between those leaving for Nemesis and those leaving with Serina, now disguised as Prisma.

"Be careful, Scouts. I don't know how long we can keep him from noticing you if our 'distraction' doesn't kill him." Serina met each of the girls' blue, green and violet eyes.

"Don't worry about us. We're supposed to protect you and the sooner we take out that rock the safer you'll be and the sooner we can get back to rescue you." Serina rolled her eyes at the insinuation but kept at her speech.

"Just try to conserve your energy. We don't know why that thing wasn't destroyed before or how much it'll take to do it. God only knows what state you'll be teleporting back in.

"Don't worry about it, Serina!"

"We'll be fine."

"Now let's crackin'!" Jupiter grinned evilly and cracked her knuckles with heavy emphasis. Rubeus, Sapphire, and Garnyt shuddered.

"All right. Just be careful-" Serina tried to reiterate but Mars popped up from behind Sailors Mercury and Venus, trying to lighten the mood in her tried and true way.

"We should be saying that to YOU! The Meatball head off to trip and squish the bad guy by falling on him-"

Jupiter turned her back on the four other girls and to the men of the Dark Moon clan attending her princess on her away mission. Diamond and Tuxedo Mask met her eyes, Garnyt and Sapphire shrank a little but tried not to show it next to their prince. "Take care of her, 'kay? If she's hurt in ANY way cause we left her with you-"

Mars suddenly whirled from her little colorful group, a mysterious shine in her eyes, and focused with deadly fiery accuracy on Tuxedo Mask. "Tux, watch over her. She's still a klutz, princess or no princess and we're not there to help you save her this time." Mars cringed when she felt something shaky tap her shoulder. She whirled angrily on the physical interruption to find Venus cowering behind her, a false Prisma fuming over her.

"Mars . . ."

"She's behind me isn't she?" She whispered and Venus nodded quickly. "Uh, time to go. Good luck!" Mars grabbed Venus and Mercury's hands and dashed to circle up with Jupiter.

"Yes, it is time for you to go." Serina growled as she watched the dyed energies rise off her friends and guardians, their eyes closed, suddenly cut off from the world. Then they were gone. The few items that had risen from the floor fell back down with a loud clatter in the silent room. Serina maintained her irate expression until the last of the energy had dissipated.

"Are you ready?"

'Yes, love.' Darien took the girl's hand and smiled when she took a deep breath, seeming to stand a little taller, a little stronger. "Is everyone ready?" Affirmative nods followed her eyes around the circle. Her eyes fell to the floor. "Keep an eye on my Scouts, Luna. I want to know the moment their mission is accomplished." The two cats bowed silently. "Watch over my family too."

Diamond and Sapphire eased up and held the shoulders of 'Prisma' and Tuxedo Mask, Garnyt standing beside them, and teleported away in a dust devil of red glitter and indigo and purple light.

"Good luck, Serenity!" Luna called too late.

__________________________

The moment before she opened her eyes, Serina could feel the cold mist of evil in the very air drifting around her. Her senses tingled and her nerves stood on end. She was still holding her breath, afraid the thick, indiscernible smoke would suffocate her or somehow take over her body, when a soft chuckling echoed as the group broke apart. Sapph and Di backed away, on guard, Tux stood beside Garnyt, in front of Serina. Each held their weapons at the ready, starting at every flickering shadow.

Around them, flitting in and out of the blackness like a raven, a dark cackling surrounded them.

Serina went cold as she remembered the last time it was this dark, this cold; that same evil, that same heartless laughter . . . His blood on her hands, her friends' deaths flashing before her eyes, her own body, too broken to move . . . She was still frozen in that terrified memory when the lightless eruption hit her from behind.

__________________________

"Birdie, you okay?" The whisper came from the silent darkness.

"Shush, I'm Sailor Moon, Venus." She replied, then shook her head to disperse the vertigo of their teleportation. "But yeah, I'm fine, thanks."

"All right, Rubeus, your turn." Rubeus was all ready heading through an open portal.

"This way."

The planet was riddled with corridors and tunnels. Passages opened up suddenly as they passed, sharp turns appeared as if they purposely jumped in their way, deep, dark holes dropped out of the floor. Rubeus effortlessly marched through the barren, stone veins of the dead moon, leading the cautious Scouts deeper and deeper into enemy territory.

"How much further, ya think?" Jupiter mumbled. She couldn't help but keep her voice quiet even when complaining- the tiny planet was so silent, not even the humming of machinery or murmur of any kind of life drifted down to them.

"There appears to be a large, shielded power source approximately a quarter mile ahead and two more levels down of us." Mercury turned her blue tinted eyes to their guide for confirmation.

"Yeah, that should be it. Sapph said there's a drop to the room that he used to spy on the Wise Man and Prince Diamond. It should be in a room three hallways down-"

"I have it on my scanners." Mercury confirmed, clicking the palmtop shut and focusing on the journey ahead.

__________________________

"Let's rumble!"

"Diamond, Sapphire, to me! Attack head on! Tux, Garnyt! Take the sides, front and back- he may fight alone but he's as tricky as Beryl." 'Prisma' pulled out her moon scepter, conveniently disguised as the destroyed power rod the Sisters had fought over. She couldn't see the Wise Man but she could sense his tingling presence all around her, saturating the room with tangible hatred.

"Serenity, why bother with these games?" From above, a deluge of negative energy forced Serina to her knees, washing away her disguise to reveal a very ordinary teenage girl. The feeling was like cold water dissolving her clothes and leaving her naked and open to the world.

"No!" Serina dodged, transforming into Sailor Moon as she rolled towards Tuxedo Mask and Sapphire. The two men lurched forward to protect the girl but a solid, opaque, crystal wall separated her from her guardians. Sailor Moon hit the wall, bouncing back up and to her feet, racing for the opposite side before Prince Diamond and Garnyt were ripped away from her.

She didn't make it.

"I've learned much in a thousand years." The disembodied voice sounded from right in front of her kneeling, hopeless form. Sailor Moon jumped from her knees, ready to fight again but the sorcerer was too fast- Sailor Moon was hurtling through the air before she knew what hit her. Within seconds, she slammed into the wall where Tuxedo Mask and Sapphire were pounding the thin, smoky crystal. Sapphire winced and Tux held back his fists before striking again in anguish as he watched the blast restrain the blonde to the wall, her Scout uniform once again melting away to reveal a very vulnerable Serina. She groaned and tried to fight the invisible force but it kept her bound to the crystal shield. Their mouths moved in silent curses and promises but the wall domed her in, away from everything of touch and sound- but not sight.

"Divide and conquer, my Queen." The thought of her Scouts and Rubeus alone on the dark moon suddenly flashed through her mind, arresting her heart. The voice disappeared, the attack steadily lessening, and Serina's terror grew- He hadn't- He wouldn't attack them-

As Serina fell to her knees once again, her arms like jellied spaghetti and barely able to keep her nose from brushing the ground, she lifted one hand, breathing heavily, to her locket to transform again.

Before she could even touch the brooch, the dark attack blasted her again- she heard Tux shout from the other side, the chink of ruby spears shattered against the wall. She forced her eyes up, hoping the Wise Man hadn't begun to attack her dear companions as well.

Dark cerulean eyes met hers, steady and tormented to her blinking, pained ones. His lips moved but no sound came out, she could only imagine what he was telling her, hearing it faintly in her mind. 'Be strong, love. I'll save you, Serina, just hold on-' She felt that terrible cold feeling again and her normal skirt and blouse melted away to a flowing gown of translucent white and gold.

"Nooo . . ." Serenity groaned, holding her arms tight across her chest. Each time her transformation was stripped from her, it felt like more of her life force was roughly scoured away. Her breath drained from her, her body pinned to the floor, her hand reaching for her protector's on the other side of the crystal wall. Tuxedo Mask's fist smacked the glass again before his sore fingers slid down to almost touch hers . . .

'Oh, Endy, this crystal prison- it's the same as the future and the twins' nightmare! This can't be, I won't let this happen- I will never be separated from you again! NEVER!'

__________________________

The girls fanned out to the four cardinal corners, Rubeus taking a fifth point to guard over them. "Guys, this thing is radiating incredible amounts of dark energy- it's off the scale." Mercury typed a few equations into her computer, never taking her shielded blue eyes off the enormous crystalline shard in the middle of the dimly green lit room.

"Does that mean he's-"

"Attacking the others?"

"I'll kill him! Come on! Let's get this over with!" Jupiter smacked her hands together and drew in a deep, bracing breath. The other Scouts copied her actions as Rubeus paced the perimeter like a wolf knowing his pack was in danger.

Slowly humming with energy, the four Scouts spread their arms towards each other, as if to hold hands, forming a square around the dark crystal. Spears of colors shot from slender arms extended in a cold embrace-

"Sailor . . ."

"Planet-"

"ATTACK!'

__________________________

She blinked. And again. The pressure was gone- she was floating above her body, the Princess Serenity lay unmoving alongside a wall two men were relentlessly trying to disintegrate. A black and red cape flared with each strike, roses scratched and scraped only to snap in half.

"Serenity, your Scouts need you now."

"Yes, Luna, I feel them." Serenity lifted her arms, pulling the silver threads of power that crisscrossed the remnants of the Silver Millennium. Even here.

She felt the Wise Man's power abruptly fail as he appeared in ghostlike form next to hers. He noticeably sagged and limped, weakened by his sudden energy loss. Her Scouts had succeeded in destroying the dark crystal. She could kill him, destroy this evil demon right here and now, with every life-giving energy in her being she wanted nothing more than to throw all that pure light into this hole of blackness beside her- but . . .

"Take your chance, Serenity . . . You will never defeat me after this moment. Evil, darkness, chaos; these are entities you will never destroy." Serenity ignored the taunts, her best chance at destroying this horror standing right beside her-

'Scouts, return to me.' Serenity closed her eyes in defeat as the warmth pooled in her hands, cascading from the Silver Crystal round her neck- and called her Scouts and friend to her. Four shimmering bodies appeared on the floor behind her, Tux swung around and knelt beside the closest girl, feeling for pulse. 'They're fine, Sere-'

"You've missed your opportunity, Serenity! You chose to save your friends instead of destroying me to save your future!" The maniacal hunched figure slowly regained his strength and raised his spindly arms to the heavens. The last of his stored power collecting for his final attack on the princess. "Now pay for your sentimentality!"

"No! No, I did NOT!" Without pause, Serenity dropped her hands, returning to her fallen body, evading the attack and using more power than she had the reserves for to teleport her people home and herself to the surface of the Dark Moon.

Tux didn't have a moment to blink before the thick blackness of the area faded from existence and was replaced by the night-darkened greenery of the Cherry Hill Shrine.

The rising white moon, a pure white pearl in the sparkling sky of midnight blue, hung oddly shadowed by impenetrable ebony not so far above his planet.

His princess was gone. She was still there, on that tiny rock between the moon and the earth-

"SERINA!"

_________________________

"Sure, what have you got to lose?"

She stood, her eyes never leaving the grayed, desolate field where she knew her enemy would reveal himself at any moment. Serenity let out her breath, a long, silent hiss. She was ready for him.

How familiar this dusty plain seemed, it was darker, marred only by craters, not the blood and fallen structures of her memory. An icy shiver ran through her body as she remembered a thousand years ago recalled only a few days before. The surface of the Black Moon was still just as barren and devastated as her old home.

"You remember this moment, Serenity?" The colorless plain shimmered and dissolved into the images her memory evoked. 'The moon kingdom . . .'

Serenity's eyes stung and her breath caught. She bit her lip and shut her eyes to the scene, refusing to succumb to the torture of her kingdom in flames, the bodies of her Scouts burning, her mother still weeping though she had died all ready. The agony scratched and seared her from within her chest- the pain never lessened!

'This is what I left behind. This doesn't work on me . . .'

Serenity lifted her head, her eyes slit and staring down the solidifying form of her enemy. "This means nothing to me anymore. The bodies of my family and friends still remain on that moon, I've seen them, touched them, said my good-byes. You can't hurt me with this!" She raised the Silver Crystal above her head, wishing with all her heart that this being would disappear from her worlds, past, present, and most especially, future, FOREVER!

Opalescent white and pink scintillating light imbued the area surrounding the moon princess. Her gown danced and floated, her feet no longer touching the thick, floury ground. She rose higher above the tiny planet, energy gathering in bright, pale hues around her to eclipse the white moon behind her. The Wise Man rose with her but he was all ready too spent to be any match for her.

'If ever I've needed something, Mother, Serenity, Luna, Diana, Selene, and Artemis. Goddess of the moon, please grant me the strength to finally finish this . . .' The lines of magic reached and swirled around her like stars to the center of the galaxy, she was the middle of a spider web of silver threads of enchantment and power. From the furthest reaches of the system, strands of dyed magic arced toward her, each filament cocooning her in light.

Serenity's arms came crashing down, slicing through the light web, thrusting the Silver Crystal out before her to magnify her attack on the entire dark planet, Wise Man its ragged target. The brilliant, lightning flash that followed was silent until the shock wave struck and shook the blue world below.

__________________________

Full night had fallen on Japan, the bright moon fading behind a mysterious, premature wane. The otherwise normal, cricket-sung night was suddenly disrupted by a light in the sky that made even the shadows of night retreat from the glare of a small sun dying.

For a moment the entire world stood still.

The city remained silent, it's people frozen and staring at the sky. The stars returned momentarily, the afterimage of the sunburst beside the moon, dissipating the darkness, was held forever captured by those millions caught by the soundless explosion in the sky. Breath was held in anticipation, the stillness adding to the tension that congealed the air but kindly embraced everyone.

The eruption faded, a mirage-like shimmer in the night sky returned the world to movement once again as the report rolled over the earth like an intangible tidal wave, trembling every leaf and windowpane, each dew drop and lamp post. Gasps sharpened the air, but the repercussion had all ready passed and was over. A vague sense of safety and contentment filled those whose eyes beheld the unexpected explosion- and they went back to their lives.

Only one extended family remained to watch the dark sky afterwards for they were the only ones watching it before.

__________________________

"Papa, where's Mommy? What happened?"

Darien didn't move. He watched the night, holding his youngest daughter a little closer and didn't glance back at Irene as he answered her question. "I can't feel her anymore, Irene. I don't know . . ."

Rini lay cradled in his arms, pretending she was at home and safe. She pulled on his shirt reluctantly. "We don't feel her either, Daddy. Why wouldn't we be able to feel her?" 'Irene, shouldn't we do something??'

'No. Mama made us promise.'

He shook his head again. "I don't know-" The porch light came on behind the trio standing in the yard and Ken walked out. A silent Ilene immediately stood from where she sat in the shadows of the stairs, watching the sky and her grandchildren with their father.

"Darien? Do you know what's going on yet? Why hasn't that girl come home yet?" He sounded so much like she'd only skipped curfew with her friends, as if he were more angry with her than worried. The cover up was so obvious it hurt.

"Sir-"

"Ken, that 'girl' is fighting to save the world by herself. And we can't do anything to help her! Not even Darien can help!" Darien's heart pinched at the remark.

"Ilene . . ." Ken's wife fell into his arms and he held her. He knew exactly how she felt, nearly twenty years together knew that. "All we can do is wait. She's a strong girl, a lot stronger and smarter than we thought. She'll be fine, once this is over." That didn't stop her weeping but Ken knew nothing beyond the return of her child would.

"Sir, you should take her inside. There's nothing left to see, we can only wait." Ken nodded in agreement with the young man.

"Why don't you take those two in too." Darien hesitantly agreed and turned to follow.

"Endymion, Imbrium, Serenity. My daughter needs you now . . ." The soft voice made Darien twist around, his eyes searching- only to drop to the ground, head down, kneeling.

"Grandmama!" Rini yelled, hopping from her father's arms. Irene snatched her hand as she tried to run up to the miniature hologram. A tiny beam of light pierced the darkness from the direction of the recovering moon, in its center stood Queen Serenity of the Silver Millennium.

Irene and Rini curtsied to their other grandmother, so happy to see her they didn't wonder why she was there in the first place.

"Queen Serenity- Serina, where is she? What's happened?! Is she okay?" Darien tried to keep his voice level but seeing the queen instead of his love brought out his worse fears. He was starting to panic- he couldn't do that in front of his daughters.

"She needs your help. The battle is won, the Dark Moon forever destroyed with its master. Serenity was cast through space to the surface of the white moon where she lays now. I had it arranged . . . My daughter was to return to me when her time on earth ended."

'Time on earth ended . . .' His heart stopped. 'That doesn't mean-' "Queen Serenity-"

"You must go to her now, her royal soul is the only thing keeping Serina alive. She needs the three of you to heal Serenity's soul so she can heal Serina's body." The moon's mirage elegantly pleaded. Darien nodded, the twins mimicking his actions a second later.

"We'll go now."

__________________________

Rei opened her eyes. A soft radiance made her squint momentarily and she sighed. It almost felt like the gentle warmth of her sacred fire- she felt whole, safe . . . finally home . . .

Beneath her feet the land trickled away like a watercolor, painting itself as she stood there watching. Pale green grass, sprinkled with reds, pinks, whites, yellows- every color of the rainbow and more- spread across the field of dainty flowers. Further beyond, the tame wilderness blended into hedge mazes and sculpted shrubbery. Circles and crescents, hearts and flowing, spiraling shapes of trimmed rosebushes created tiny lovely rooms and clearings. Fountains gushed silver-hued water that appeared to float to the pool rather than fall.

Even further away, stood an alabaster palace she'd long forgotten.

A millennium of repression hadn't changed the way it looked. Before the attack and it's destruction. Rei's violet eyes slowly stung and welled, and she turned her flushed face away, sniffling in frustration. Why should she cry?

She swiped at her tickling eyes, trying to catch her breath when she heard someone cry somewhere far off.

She quickly glanced up, tossing her thick hair over her shoulder. It was then, as she stared at the ethereal image of her princess, that she realized she was wearing a pale red dress of a Greek style- like her- her Princess gown!

"What in the name of all things holy-" Rei's head shot up again. "SERENITY!" She shouted angrily and ran the great distance that separated her from her annoying friend. If the princess wasn't careful, running around in her evening gown like a little girl, she could trip over something and tear it apart! AND she might hurt herself in the process, not that she cared, but what would that show the Queen if the Martian Scout couldn't guard her princess from herself? And didn't Serenity have a dinner party or something tonight? She should be getting ready! Not prancing about- 'Where's Jupiter, Venus, and Mercury? Why am I always babysitting the moon-brained bunny?'

Rei blinked. 'This seems so odd somehow. Weren't we somewhere else just a little while ago? Somewhere so far away from this?' Rei glanced up at the pale sky, the glossy blue marble that hung out there, the primitive world it was the moon's duty to nurture and protect. 'Something to do with that little planet. I feel like I should belong there, being someone else-' She shook her head, keeping her eyes on the ground and her delinquent princess. 'That's ridiculous.' "I am Princess Reianna of Mars, Scout of Mars, and second Guardian of the Moon Princess." 'That's all I have ever been. And now she needs me.'

Reianna made it to the edge of the fountained gardens, her blonde princess racing through the marble pathways towards something Reianna couldn't quite see. "Serenity, slow down!" She called but the girl didn't seem to hear her, didn't even acknowledge her presence. 'Well, that's just rude, even for her. What'd I do this time?' As the princess rounded the corner, Reianna caught sight of her expression. She wasn't happy.

"Serenity?" With her gifted sight and intuition, the princess of Mars could see her eyes were full of a terrible, deep sorrow- and a small, obvious joy. Her brow was creased in relief and tense anticipation, her lips drawn and pale as if she could never smile again though her heart held hope of feeling contentment- but there was an all-consuming resignation. These complex, contradicting feelings were wrong for Serenity, too confusing and horrible for her princess.

Reianna hid behind a silver statue. This was not like her princess at all. She had never experienced these emotions. Not since her father . . .

Reianna saw two figures standing at the end of the long walkway her princess had taken off down. One was obviously Queen Serenity, white gown, pearly crescent, bow and all. But standing beside her, solid as any man, stood the late king. 'This isn't right. It's not right. The King's been dead for years . . . Sere- 'Sere, stay away from them-' Reianna suddenly felt a horrible dread in her chest, like at any instant, even as she watched and could do nothing to prevent it, the world would end. Her dress flickered, fading between the red drapery and downy purple pajamas before settling on the princess costume again.

"Sere- Ser- Serina! Serina! Don't go near them! Don't touch them! It'll ruin everything! They'll kill you!" Rei jumped up, shoving off the statue base to quicken her steps. She sprinted down the path; she had to stop that air-headed girl before she destroyed everything! If she went to her parents, if she accepted this place as heaven, as her spirit's home- the real world would lose her forever!

Serenity halted and paused before slowly turning around. Even in the silk gown of Princess Serenity, Rei recognized her as her Serina, her present Serenity, not the innocent Serenity of the distant past. "Serina, you have to believe me! You know it's true!" Even after she had stopped and Rei kept running, she was still too far away. Serenity's calm countenance remained as her lips moved. Rei was certain she was too far away to hear anything Serenity whispered but her words were clear and grave.

Her eyes left Rei's violet to stare at the ground not ten feet in front of her. Rei followed her line of sight and collapsed to her knees in horrified shock. "It's all ready too late for me, Rei. I tried my best. I saved Endy's world, I destroyed the Black Moon. I saved you and all my Scouts and friends. And thanks to Pluto, my children will be safe as well." Serenity smiled softly, almost pityingly at her guardian on the ground. "I'm home now. I can be happy. Leaving that life behind me. I started it off terribly, made it so much worse with every thing I did. My family, my schooling, my fighting, battling, my lies to those I loved most-" Her kind blue eyes fell lightly to the ground. "Let me rest in peace, Rei. Send everyone my love." She met her friend's eyes once more then turned away, returning to the path that led to her parents.

"No . . ." Rei's eyes stayed fastened to the figure lying on the dusty, colorless patch of earth. Where everything else in this dream was perfect, bright, and serene, the tiny gray area where that body lay by the edge of the palace yard was desolate and dead.

"It's too late . . . to save me. I'm sorry, Rei . . ."

Shattered crystal petals shimmered sharply over a silken transparent dress. Tiny, shredded pink ribbons loosely wrapped around the fabric of her chest, radiating from the empty setting of a silver chain around her neck. The real Serenity lay cold and white in her isolated grave. One arm crossed her chest, her fingers resting over her heart. The other seemed to have fallen, reaching with a last strength to the sapphire globe of earth. Her eyes had long closed, her face emotionless.

"Serenity . . ."

Before her very eyes, three figures abruptly materialized beside her princess. She recognized Darien, Rini, and her sister instantly. "Oh, Darien, it's terrible, we're too late!" His expression at the sight of her future wife cracked her heart; she tried to stand to hold the girls- their faces were just as horrified! Darien, the same thought on his mind, turned away to hug his two young children- Rei's heart slipped from her chest, tears spilling over quickly and painfully. The girls moved away and Darien faced his fiancée once more, reaching out to gently lift her head, checking for a pulse.

"Darien, she's not there. She's all ready gone!" The young man ignored her- "Darien!" He didn't even flinch, like he couldn't hear her at all!

"He can't hear you, Rei. You're on the astral plane; they are in reality." Rei's eyes shot up. Serenity stood not too far from her. "I knew they wouldn't forgive me."

Rei gazed past her princess. Her royal parents still waited, Serenity standing between Rei and them. She forced her eyes back to the small family before her, silently holding Serina's body. "Why aren't you with your parents, Serina? In this paradise you wanted so much? That you forsake all us, your friends, your family, your future for?! What selfish pleasure do you gain from watching your daughters sob and cry, trying to revive you?!"

"Rei, it's not like that- you know why I want to stay- I'm so tired. I don't want to fight anymore-"

"And for that lazy, greedy reason, you're willing to destroy Darien's world? We can't protect it without you. And he'll die if you do! You KNOW that! Then what can Pluto do? Your kids will grow up without their mother and father- orphans just like Darien, like Lita- if they're unlucky enough to be born anyway! What will this do to your mom? You brother? What about Lita and Mina and Ami? You don't care at all about them! Why should you? You have your perfect home now, you can live guilt free for eternity, watching our lives go on- if they do- forever, never being apart of it. This is the last time I'll ever speak to you, I'll seal the astral planes of the moon myself!" Rei stood and stomped her foot.

She angrily turned back to where Darien knelt with Serina's head in his lap, holding hands with his daughters, whom in turn, held hands, forming a triangle. She leaned in close to Darien, whispering in his ear- "Don't bother. She doesn't love you anymore . . ."

"Rei!"

'If there's one thing she might fight for, if one thing scares her into staying with us, I hope it's losing Darien.' And the fiery brunette disappeared from the moon.