The Power of the Crystal
Written by: usagichan1 (Bishoujou Senshii Seraa Muun created by the one and only Takeuchi Naoko-san!!!)

AN: Just another oneshot that I thought of while trying to find the inspiration and motivation to continue writing my other stories that I have started. To all who were reading my other stories, I am so sorry that it's taken this long for me to update, but I'm having the worst writer's block for them. So maybe if I just write what I think, get it all out of my head, maybe I can continue……I hope you enjoy!

Princess Serenity just closed her eyes and embraced the cold darkness that enveloped her. It wasn't really where she wanted to be; and, if given the chance, she would never take this route, but it was something that she knew that she must do. She was always surrounded by a blinding warm white light. And she basked in its wake. But now, now she had succumbed to the silent chill of the blackness.

There was no sound. She couldn't hear the breaths that she took. Was she even breathing at all. All feeling was gone. She was numb. Frozen. An outer shell of a figure. It was a hollowness that words could not describe. The sounds of the battle were far away. There was nothing left.

The images of her fallen comrades were ingrained in her thoughts. How she could remember the events at this point in time was unknown to her; but, they were there. More so was the image that continued to flash in her mind. Prince Endymion. His inanimate body. His eyes, that was once so full of life, now black and void. It was a sight too horrible to behold. It was a feeling too painful to live with. To escape, Serenity took to the sword. But how ironic that even though she could not live without him and could not bear the sight of her one and only love destroyed, her memory was vivid and ripe with the scene, replaying over and over.

If tears could fall, the princess's cheeks would be drenched. If she could feel her heart, it would still ache with the pain of being shattered. If she could still feel, she would remember the energy draining from her as each one of her friends was slain in battle. But, now, she was powerless.

It was so strange in the darkness. There was no hope, no happiness. Serenity just continued to slowly fall for what seemed like forever. But suddenly, in one instant, somehow she felt as if she was whole. She could feel her body. She could feel herself being suspended in nothingness. And noise. The slight sound of wind brushed through her ears, just as wind whistles while rushing through a small crack in a window. But with that came the crushing empty feeling of the deep black void. She writhed in agony as it felt as if she was being smashed in between two large and heavy walls.

Using her arms, she tried to push against the imaginary walls, but to no avail. Soon, her breathing became labored and panic had begun to set in. Her skin felt as if it was being pricked by imaginary pins. Small pricks turned into violent stabs. It hurt all over. It was so painful. At first, the dark was all she wanted, to be with her lover and friends since they could no longer be with her; but now, it was too overwhelming. She had no idea what she had gotten herself into. She had no idea how unforgiving and cold the darkness was. She was all alone and that scared her more than anything.

Princess Serenity was at the point where she could not withstand any more. It was too much to bear. But then, a familiar softness surrounded her entire body, removing the sharp pains and the pressure. She felt as if she was being cradled in someone's arms. Carried. Warmth could be felt and it spread through her whole body. A small drop appeared to float in front of her. In an instant, she was cocooned in a tiny bubble. The drop began to radiate a light that was beyond brilliant, bursting out into the darkness, pushing aside the empty cold.

Serenity reached out and touched the drop with her finger. From her touch, the light and warmth intensified, expanding into a crystalline sphere. Without thought, Serenity wrapped her pale hands around it and brought it to her chest.

"I have found you, my love."

Serenity looked around frantically as she heard the voice. "Mama, Mama is that you?? Mama, where are you? I'm scared! I'm so scared!"

"Darling, I'm right here."

The crystal began to pulse with light as Serenity opened her hands and watched it hover above her palms. A ghostly image of the queen appeared. Her eyes were full of sadness although her lips parted with a smile. Those same tear-filled eyes gazed into the fear-stricken eyes of her daughter.

"It is all over."

"Mama? What do you mean?"

"Our once glorious kingdom is now gone. There is no more. When you were taken away from me, I couldn't continue to fight. Please forgive me, my dearest."

The princess stared at her mother in complete shock. Serenity's mind was so full of and focused on Endymion that she forgot about the queen. Serenity never realized that her mother saw the whole scene unfolded before her. She didn't think that about the one person who had given her life watched as she took it with her own hands; that she had caused her mother so much grief that she couldn't fight any longer. The tears soon flooded over and ran down her reddened cheeks.

"I…I…I'm so sorry Mama!!" Serenity blubbered.

"But there is still hope, Serenity." The image cooed softly.

"H..hope?"

"You still have the one thing, the most precious of all things, which will revive the hope and love that we all once shared on our Moon."

The crystal pulsed again with pure white light as each one of Serenity's tears fell upon it. It was known that this crystal held the purest energy in the entire universe and would one day fall into the princess's possession. She could remember being deathly afraid of it as a child and trying to get far away from it as possible; but now, she could feel the crystal feeding her the power she needed to sustain herself and her mother. But a part of it was fading little by little.

"The crystal." Serenity whispered

"Yes my dear."

"The crystal can create a new Moon Kingdom, right? We just have to use it, wish for it, and it will be all wonderful again, right Mama?"

The sadness returned to Queen Selenity's face. She knew that there was nothing that could be done. The radiant Moon Kingdom was now ashes, mere rubble. A ruin of its former self. Nothing could be done to revive it from its now grey ruins. Nothing. The queen shook her head.

"No my dear, we cannot revive what has been completely destroyed. I do not have enough power and you do not have the experience needed to use the crystal to that capacity. No, you will not revive the Moon Kingdom; but you will be able to continue to protect those around you that you love and create a new kingdom."

"What do you mean?"

"Look before you, Serenity. Look out into the vastness."

Serenity lifted her gaze from her mother to the darkness around her. As soon as her eyes adjusted, it was as a veil had lifted from her eyes and she could see the pale moon and the kingdom she once called home. The beautiful white palace was destroyed. The magnificent columns, the well manicured gardens, the sparkling lights and fountains; it was all ravaged. She surveyed the carnage in horror. There was nothing left, just as the Queen had said.

"I don't understand Mama. What is this?"

"This will be your new future." The Queen waved her hand over the whole scene.

A bright flicker caught the princess' eye. One flicker, two flickers, three; soon there were many that sparkled like stars. The flickers came closer and closer and finally Serenity could see the people of the moon, her friends and Endymion floating, encased in the same type of bubble she was in. They floated by her in a procession, slowly being drawn to the glittering blue and green planet. The dark cloud that had polluted the entire planet was now gone and Earth shone brightly with a renewed light.

"I sealed Metallia away hopefully to never waken or stir again. Now everyone will start all over again on Earth to live peacefully as we once did. I want you, dear Serenity, to live in happiness and in love. You too shall join your friends on Earth. But if anything should happen, always remember that….remem….tha….yo….ower….."

"Mama, what's going on? I can't hear you! I don't understand!!"

"Cry…s…tal…..remember…..call……rystal…..I lov…….re……ber…….."

"NOOOO!!! MAMA!!! DON'T LEAVE ME!!!!!"

But it was too late. The image of Queen Selenity flickered its last and disappeared. Serenity could not stop the tears from flooding down. She could feel the power of the crystal pulsing fiercely in her hand. The power was overwhelming, yet, she felt as it had lost something.

She looked at the Earth as she began to slow float towards it. This was to be her new future. Her mother had said that Metallia was sealed away; but if something should happen… Serenity could not make out anything that the Queen had said after that. She hoped that it all would be revealed when she arrived. She was going to be with her friends; and Endymion was going to be there as well. Serenity slowly smiled as she thought of what life would be like on that strange and wonderful planet that her true love was from and the new kingdom she was going to create. Her eyes began to droop and she fell into a deep slumber while her body absorbed the crystal.

Present day Tokyo:

Usagi sighed as she stood outside her classroom door. Once again she was late and didn't have her homework. It didn't help that Haruna-sensei was in foul mood as well. She had planned on doing it, honestly, but she was distracted. For some reason, last night, sitting under the pale light of the moon had mesmerized her. That made her stay up a little longer than she had planned, causing her to wake up late; and helping that strange black cat with the crescent bald spot this morning made her even more late. Usagi let out another sigh. Could this day get any worse?