Chapter One

I opened my eyes slowly, my dull gaze sleepily surveying my surroundings. It was a familiar room, but only to a certain degree. I stared at the ceiling, momentarily confused, I felt lethargic, and my mind didn't assure me as to why I was here, or where exactly here was.

Nothing came to my aid, but I did not find myself panicked; instead I felt completely detached. I held the ceiling with my dreamy gaze for a moment longer, before my eyes slowly began to close, leaving me in darkness.

The darkness, however, did not last very long, and I soon found myself drifting in and out of frozen images, photographs in my mind if you will. Their occupants never moved an inch, as one would expect in a dream, yet I was only in their world for an instant before moving to the next. However, I reached one, which I could not leave, my eyes riveted upon the characters, each detail pervading my mind. Only when I moved, trying to reach out to these people, did the scene change, bringing me to the next horrifying image. There were five of these images in total, each as awful and saddening as the one before. A thread held each of these images together, a common factor – one of the pair in the picture was contorted in pain.

Their pain, and mine, seemed to have no end, as I was continuously bombarded by these five images, repeated one after the other, always in the same order. Four of the images held girls I knew, with powerful looking men standing over them; the girls were clad in Sailor fuku's, the men in blue uniforms, each situated in a dark garden, cobblestones at their feet and nature surrounding them. In the fifth, was me.

The first, a blonde, her long hair draped lifelessly around her pale face. One of her arms was outstretched, reaching weakly for the long haired man standing over her. His white blonde mane shadowed his face, but his intent could be seen in the way his sword had pierced her abdomen, red blood only just beginning to spill from her white bodice covered skin, the tip of his sword gleaming crimson in the light.

Her head was raised slightly, her golden eyes full of tears, her face contorted into a mask of overwhelming pain. It was obvious that the arm propping her up was about to fail, the ending of this inevitable – no one survived a wound like that. Especially when a deadly man such as him was standing over you, waiting coolly for your demise.

My eyes were filled with tears also, this girl was important to me. I could not let this happen to her. But I was powerless, I reached out a hand to her, and the image disappeared as quickly as it has arrived.

It was replaced by another pair, their roles shown the same way – a female against a tree, the male showing his doMinakonce with a hand around her neck. The girl was pale with short light blue hair, wearing a darker blue and white fuku with blue boots. Her arms limp at her sides, her legs dangling uselessly. Her head was turned to the side, resting on his hand, a red welt on her right cheek.
The man's stance was powerful, and his long curly blonde hair didn't detract one iota from his handsomeness; he held one hand to her throat, the other reaching for his sword, an inch of silver metal shone from where it was partially pulled out of the scabbard.

Once again, I started forward, and was pulled to the next image.

By now, my face was covered in hysterical tears, this next image adding to the growing pain in my chest. I was bombarded by another pair, a dark-haired male and female, their hair reaching past their shoulders in waves.

The female crouched; her green eyes opened wide in shock and horror, staring at the blade, which pierced her chest, directly through the green bow and its pink centre. Her white bodice covered in dripping blood, her green skirt stained, dark green hair falling half out of its ponytail.

The man standing over her looked as though his heart was being torn out as he wounded hers. But his arms were firm, his hands tightened around the hilt of the sword, which had glided to effortlessly into her chest.

I sobbed, my chest heaving heavily, I couldn't breathe.

Another pair appeared – Please, let them be the last, I pleaded silently, ignored by whoever was causing this agony.

Here both male and female stood, by the male obviously held control. The female, a red-haired beauty with crimson eyes shrunk away from her aggressor. Her hands at her own throat, red with her own blood, a gash visible beneath her crimson fingers. She wore a red and white fuku, which was rapidly being turned one colour.

The male, his short blonde hair caught in mid wave, stood with a blood soaked sword dangling at his side, its purpose completed. His face was quietly determined, his eyes filled with fear.

I gasped for breath, and was taken to one final scene.

I saw myself.

Myself and a dark haired handsome man wearing a suit of armour and cape. He lay on the ground, obviously dead, his eyes closed, face pale, head slumped slightly, blood dripping from his mouth. He was laid out on the ground, arms at his sides, legs flat against the cobblestones.

I kneeled over him, tears filling my eyes, my long silver hair streaming out behind me, caught by the wind, my customary odangoes sitting firmly upon my head. I wore a long white dress with golden details, pearls around my wrist and strewn throughout my hair. The white dress was tainted by the blood rushing a the wound I had inflicted upon myself.

A sword had gone completely through my chest, emerging from the other side, killing the heart, which had truly died when the man had.

I collapsed to the ground, whatever ground it was that I landed on. My legs were no longer able to hold my grieving body. One word escaped my lips Why? Before I passed out, unconsciousness welcoming me gratefully.

Sometime later I became aware of my surroundings. I stood in the dark, only now recognising the faces, the people. My hands jumped to my chest, searching for a wound, which was not there. I breathed deeply. Closing my eyes, I took another breath, tears seeping between closed lids.

"Minako…Ami…Makoto…Rei…Endymion…" I whispered, filled with unimaginable dread, "No." The images bombarded me, and I screamed. Screamed for the friends I had lost, the soul mate taken from me.

I couldn't breathe again. I tried gulping and failed miserably, my eyes darting around the dark desperately. The five images came at me again, but with one terrible difference – this time, the people moved, and died, in front of my eyes.

Minako

The first image came to me again, but with subtle differences – currently only Minakoko stood in the garden. She was surrounded by yellow daisies, her orange skirt waving in the wind, her golden hair mimicking its movement.

She, however, did not move. She appeared to be waiting for something, some kind of signal. Her body was tense, arms held deceptively calm at her sides. Anyone else would have thought she was serene, Minako-chan was that good of an actress, but only one other person knew her like I did.

The silver haired man from the still image emerged from the dark path behind her, a small smile on his face. He walked towards her, reaching out a hand and resting it gently on her shoulder, his other arm moving around her waist, pulling her close to his body.

Minako tensed slightly, then relaxed, giggling at his movement while she turned her head to look up at him, a large smile gracing her features.

"Kunzite! I've missed you." She said, delightedly, watching as he smiled at her comment, then leaned down to kiss her.

"I've missed that," he replied, breaking away slightly. He spun her around to look at him, their eyes locked, gold with silver.

Then his face changed into a wickedly evil smirk, his arm moving too quickly, striking her face.

Minako fell back, shocked to her core, her blue eyes accusing. Her training, however, kicked in and she jumped up; glaring at the man she loved.

"What the hell was that for?!" She demanded of her assailant.

"You know what, Princess," he said scornfully, "I've just realised that you're only a silly, foolish child. I'm done with you." His voice was cold, deliberately cold, his words carefully crafted to rip her heart to shreds by attacking her insecurities. She stared at him, bewildered, then slapped him with all the force she could muster. He reeled back slightly, but did not fall, having anticipated her movement.

In response, he drew his sword. She glared at him, glancing only briefly at the gleaming silver in his hands. Minakoko walked back a few steps, looking at Kunzite with cold eyes.

"Love and Beauty shock!" She cried, sending her attack at Kunzite. He used his sword to deflect it back at her, the lunged forward, his sword stabbing through her abdomen. She stared at him, then at the sword embedded in her stomach.

Minakoko fell to the ground, propping herself up slightly on a wavering arm, the other reaching out to him, her blue eyes staring at him, filled with tears. He left his sword pointed at her, it had slipped out of her as she fell, its entire length coated with blood.

Kunzite stepped forward, grinning wickedly once again, daring her to try to hurt him. Minakoko struggled for breath, taking one deeply, desperately, then collapsed to the ground, her weak arm giving up on her.

He stood over her as she took her final breath, her white bodice completely stained in already cooling blood. Then he walked away, no sense of regret pervading his stance.

I had no chance to even consider what I had seen before being taken to the next.

Ami

Ami sat on a bench in her garden, surrounded by electric blue irises. She held one to her nose, inhaling their scent, a small smile gracing her lips. She seemed completely at ease, utterly unaware of the events which had unfolded only minutes before, unaware of her sister's death.

She was waiting for her own love. He had sent her a message through the Palace Guards, asking her to meet him in this place. She had been delighted; she hadn't even known that he was on the Moon.

Ami closed her eyes, remembering his face from the last time they had seen each other; she adored his long blonde hair, so different from her own, and the way he always seemed to capture her with his smile. She grinned.

A butterfly kiss was planted on her cheek and her eyes flew open, alighting upon the face she had only just imagined.

"Zoicite!" She cried delightedly, her arms reaching around his shoulders, kissing him deeply. She felt only a moment of happiness before she was pushed away. Ami frowned, tilting her head at him slightly, looking at him closer.

"Zoicite?" She questioned him, blue eyes registering her understanding as he smirked at her.

"Oh. Oh no. Zoicite. You can't have…You wouldn't have…" Ami turned away from him, trying to run from this confining space, but he blocked her only exit, slamming her against a nearby tree. She felt her back crack as she slammed against the tree, the force of the blow ripping the breath from her chest. Ami tried desperately to inhale, but found no relief. She coughed, trying to stimulate her throat and lungs again.

She managed one breath before he punched her, his fist connecting with her right cheekbone, sending her head into the tree. That arm, his right arm, then followed up upon its earlier movement, reaching around her neck, cutting off her airflow. Ami struggled, kicking and punching, her hands scrabbling at any part of his body she could reach.

The blue haired warrior managed to cause several long lasting bruises and scratches, but didn't inflict enough pain to make him release her.

She saw black spots emerging in her vision, when Ami felt metal cut into her chest. The pain was overwhelming; she tried to scream and found no breath to release it with. Her entire world went black.

Zoicite released her motionless body, wiping his sword on her bodice. He stared at her with conflicting eyes for a moment, flickering between sad and cold, before leaving to meet Kunzite.

Makoto

Makoto's senses had always been fairly well developed, she had been second in their psychic powers class, after Rei, of course, so she felt her sisters' pain. The brunette gasped, her eyes opened wide, her body turning and moving towards the epicentre of the emanating waves of pain.

She sprinted towards the gardens of her sisters, their favourite places on the Moon. Makoto found Minako first, horrified by the large amount of blood surrounding the blonde.

"Minako?" Makoto whispered, moving closer to the blood stained girl, her trembling fingers reaching out to her sister as she knelt in her blood.

"Oh, Minako… no," she said, pushing the blonde's fringe away from her face. Makoto paused for a moment, then picked her up, cradling her lifeless body against her chest.

Makoto carried her sister to Ami's garden, less than 50 meters away, and almost collapsed when she found the Sailor of Mercury laying lifeless on the ground. Makoto ran forward, placing Minako gently next to Ami. She reached out a hand, pushing and prodding Ami slightly, like a small child would, trying to wake her up.

There was no response, and Makoto collapsed forward, holding her friends tightly, covering herself in their blood. All she could smell was that awful sweet coppery scent.

Sobbing uncontrollably, Makoto pushed herself up, wiping her face with the back of her hand.

"I will hurt them," she swore, "I will hurt those who did this to you. I will cause as much pain as I can to them, because no pain of theirs will ever match up to the pain I feel at your deaths."

"You won't have that chance," came a voice from behind her; Makoto turned quickly to look.

Nephrite.

"What do you mean by that?" she demanded of him.

"Aren't you starting to connect the dots, Princess?" He replied scornfully, stepping closer to her.

"You? You did this?"

"No, of course not, my only goal is you."

"Quit playing with me Nephrite, who did this?!" She screamed at him, jumping to her feet.

"Why, my brothers of course," he said coldly, pausing briefly, "Oh, and Rei's next."

Makoto looked at him helplessly, angrily.

"Let me past, Nephrite," her voice was controlled, scarcely showing her inner turmoil.

"You know, I don't think I will."

"Let me go to my sister!" She screaming, her voice cracking; running forward, she landed a punch on his cheek, snapping his head back.

"You. Little. Bitch!" He yelled, backhanding her, "Do you honestly think that you'll ever leave this garden?"

"Yes," she snarled, charging the first attack which came to her mind, "Jupiter Oak Evolution!" It hit him, sending him back a few feet, not doing as much damage as she had intended –they had always been evenly matched when it came to fighting.

"Don't make me kill you," she warned, crouching down into a fighting stance, her eyes watching him as he wiped blood from his mouth.

'Oh, don't worry, I don't intend to," he drew his sword, and the next thing she knew, it was through her chest, directly through her green bows' pink centre.

Makoto could only look at him in astonishment, he had improved since their last bout, and she had never expected her love to be so resolute in killing her. She had trusted him, loved him, and had been ultimately betrayed by him.

She never had a chance to see the sadness and utter heartbreak in his eyes – she had fallen beside Ami and Minako long before he let it show. He stared at her body for a moment, realising this would be the last the would ever see of her, then turned away to meet his brothers.

Rei

Rei kneeled in her own garden filled with undeniable terror and horror; she had seen each of her sister's demises, and had been powerless to stop each of them. She had knelt earlier, trying to determine when Beryl would arrive, for the higher powers to give her the information they desperately needed, and had been unable to move since, trapped by her own psychic powers.

She knew Jadeite was coming for her, she'd had a nightmare about it weeks before, and had foolishly passed it off as just that, a nightmare. But after seeing her sisters attacked by the ones they loved most, Rei knew it had been a warning.

Rei breathed in deeply, inhaling the mixed scent of Casablanca lilies, daisies, roses and irises, blood and fire. Beryl had returned, but was not to reach the Palace for some hours yet; she had begun her reign of terror again, and Rei knew she could do little, if anything, to stop her.

"Luna," she called telepathically, "Tell the Queen that Beryl has returned," Rei cut off communication and stood. She closer her eyes for a moment, centring herself.
"Goodbye, Sere."

Jadeite stood in front of her, his blonde hair waving in the slight breeze.

"You know why I'm here?" He asked her, meeting her eyes solidly.

"Partially," she replied dryly, "I know what you're here to do, but not why."

"Ah, so your visions didn't show you that much. Well, lets just say… Beryl is much more persuasive than Queen Serenity and yourself."

Her eyes narrowed slightly, trying to determine what he actually meant. Was he a youma in disguise? Brainwashed? A clone? Possessed by one of Beryl's strongest warriors?
She was not to know in this lifetime.

"One last kiss?" she asked of him, moving closer, muttering a purging spell under her breath.

His lips met hers in a bittersweet moment, a memorial to the love they had shared. Then his slit her throat with his sword, leaving her no chance to ask more questions, to understand why.

She put her hands to her throat; hardly able to believe he had gone through with it.

"Goodbye, Rei," he said as she fell to the ground.

Jadeite, ever the considerate soul mate, placed the body of his love with her sisters, before going to meet his fellow Shittenou.

Beryl cackled, the last of her opposition dead or dying; Prince Endymion lay dead on the ground, Princess Serenity soon to follow, her Senshi killed by their lovers, now her Shitennou.

I stood in the Palace, waiting for Endymion to arrive; I was dressed in my traditional Princess garb, my silver hair streaming to my feet from two odangoes.
He was late – but he was never late, not to meet me. I was filled with a sense of dread and fear. I walked quickly towards the huge double doors that were the entrance to the Palace, striding through them as they were opened by guards, and out into the Palace gardens.

I assumed that if he were to be anywhere, it would be in the Rose garden where we first met.

I was not wrong.

He stood before Beryl, looking for all the world his part as an arrogant, defiant Prince of Earth. That was until he fell to the ground, killed by Beryl's power.

I choked, screaming his name, running towards his body and the evil taunting Queen.

"Endymion, no!" I cried, kneeling beside him, feeling it grow cold beneath my hands. It was only at that moment that I felt the absence of my guardians, my sisters.

"Ami, Minako, Makoto, Rei?" I questioned the air, "Where are…" I stopped, looming up at Beryl.

"You." I accused, grabbing my loves sword, standing and pointing it at her.

"You killed them. You killed them all."

She only smirked.

I took a deep breath, calling on the Ginzuishou, and lunged, stabbing her through the heart. My lessons with Endymion had not be for no use, and I quickly beheaded her.

Then I collapsed to the ground beside Endymion once more, hardly breathing as I resolved to follow him to the afterlife – I had no reason to go on without him and my Senshi sisters.

I gripped his sword in both hands, then ran it through my heart, calling out my prince's name with my dying breath.

I was not to know that I had not killed Beryl til I was reincarnated in another body, a different planet and millennia later.

Usagi sat up directly in bed with a small, muffled scream. She had known she was the Princess of the Moon for a few months now, but no significant memories had returned before tonight.

She was terrified as to what this meant.

They had defeated Beryl a month after she had discovered her (and Mamoru's) heritage; and Beryl was truly gone. The Shitennou, however, had been turned into their respective stones, and were now in Mamoru's possession.

After that dream, she was sure she wanted Mamoru to destroy them.

Usagi couldn't sleep after that, and, staring at the clock, wondered if it was too late for her to call Mamoru. Weighing the odds, she decided that it was best she call him, he would be so angry if he found out she hadn't. The phone rang, once, twice, before a bleary sounding Mamoru answered.

"Mamo-chan?" she asked softly, sadly.

"Usako? What's wrong?" he asked, waking up more as he heard the tone of her voice, "Has something happened?"

"Umm.." she replied, "I had a nightmare," she paused for a second, "but not a silly, I'm-afraid-of-the-dark type one, one from the last day of the Moon Kingdom. It was awful." Her voice cracked on that last word, silent tears running down her cheeks.

"Did you want to tell me?" He asked her gently, "Or did you want me to come over?"

"Yes, I do want to tell you, but not over the phone… umm, let me think for a minute. It's too late for you to come here, obviously, its got to be like, midnight at least," Usagi rambled, waiting for him to say something.

"Do you remember that little park a few blocks from your place? I'll meet you outside your house then we can walk there, and you can tell me, how does that sound Usako?"

"Oh, Mamo-chan, that sounds perfect. How long will you be? Take as long as you need of course…"

"I'll be… 20 minutes, is that okay?"

"Alright, I'll see you then. Love you."

"Love you too." They hung up their respective phones, and moved to get dressed. It was only at that moment that Usagi realised that Luna wasn't in her room, at the end of her bed where she usually slept until 5 minutes before Usagi had to leave for school. Usagi frowned, looking around her mostly dark bedroom, then shrugging it off – Luna would appear sometime.

She dressed warmly, it had been getting fairly cold lately, but that was to be expected, it was Autumn again, after all. She climbed out her window and onto the large tree which had grown there since before she was born, before dropping silently onto the ground. She leaned against the tree until she saw Mamoru approaching, walking silently down the sidewalk.

Usagi walked to him, smiling softly, wrapping her arms about his waist and taking all the warmth and comfort from him that she could. He kissed her forehead, turned and led her towards the small neighbourhood park. They settled themselves on the only bench, Usagi leaning into his side, Mamoru's arm around her shoulder. They sat this way for a moment, enjoying the ease and familiarity of this action.

"Mamoru. I saw them…"Usagi breathed deeply, "I saw us, die. In the Moon Kingdom. I saw each awful death, Minako, Ami, Makoto, Rei, you… me. I felt myself die, my own resolution not to live without you. I killed myself because you were gone, and I thought I'd stopped Beryl. I felt it all again, in such awful precision."

Mamoru drew her closer to him, whispering gentle platitudes, trying to calm Usagi down, she was so distraught.

"Shh, it's okay Usako, it was a long time ago, and we're here now aren't we? We're together, the girls are alive, we're alive, it's okay," Mamoru said to her, rubbing her shoulder comfortingly.

"I wouldn't be dreaming this if it wasn't important, Mamo-chan. I know I wouldn't. There's something about the way they died, not you and I, the girls. They were…" Usagi paused, tears running down her face, "The Shitennou killed them, one by one. Kunzite killed Minako, Zoisite took Ami, Nephrite stopped Makoto saving Rei, and Rei knew… she knew Jadeite was coming, she knew what he was going to do. The only thing she didn't know was why. I don't even know why. And I couldn't do anything to stop it, I didn't even realise they were dead until I saw you lying at Beryl's feet. I didn't… I couldn't… I failed them Mamoru. I failed everyone."