Summary: A year has passed since the battle against Chaos, and Earth slowly makes its recovery. But, things don't look good for its saviour, Sailor Moon.

As a new enemy makes its appearance, it's up to Serena to fight alone, with her allies only being the Starlight team. Old players begin to step up to the playing field, and new friends have arrived to justice. Her loyalties in her friends and family aren't unbidden, and she will find a way to save them from the darkness.

But as more sacrifices are made to change the battlefield, a dark future faces everyone on the planet. Will Serena be able to beat the darkness alone, or will she die trying to make her future a reality in this darkness?

A.N: Guys, I am so sorry I have been absent - whilst I've been on the site active as a reader, unfortunately real life took hold where I couldnt update my stories as much as I wanted to. For those who are still interested, my stories will have other chapters uploaded shortly, however some will have edits which will cause going back and re-reading

Vintage Spirits

Chapter 1

Return to Normal

Three heads silently and softly peaked into a room where a young blonde haired woman was fast asleep. It was the first time in months, even since the visit to Cherry Hill, which they had seen her sleeping peacefully. Deciding to let the woman sleep, they left the room, and closed the door quietly behind them, with praying in the hopes that their peace would continue to last.

"Have you guys got any sort of news on or from the Alliance, yet?" A silver haired male asked quietly, as he and the other two walked into the main room. "It's not normal for them to be this quiet after all, especially since we've broken orders and left our posts."

"Communication has been barred completely, Yaten." The brown haired male of the group sighed, as he sat on the couch. "At the look of things, especially after we left, Galaxia must have hit them harder than she did with our kingdom since that's the stronghold of our Soldiers, and the heads of the Alliance reside in that particular area."

"Oh goodness, I really hope not, and pray that they are still safe no matter what happens. It would kill me, if they were injured, after we left Kinmoku to travel here to find our Princess." The silver haired male muttered, as he flopped down onto a single chair. "Hey Seiya, what's up with you?" The two moved their heads to look over at the final silent member of their group.

The black haired male shook his head, refusing to answer and sat down quietly on one of the spare seats, before groaning as he put his head into his hands. The other two looked at each other in shock, before turning to look at him, with identical worried expressions. Seiya frowned as he looked up at the other two, and yet his eyes told them everything they needed to know.

"We're meant to protect her now, even months after the aftermath?" Seiya asked himself, before looking towards his team mates. "I can't believe them, especially the Outer Scouts because in a matter of minutes, everything she knows was?"

"Gone?" His teammates echoed, feeling the same way that Seiya felt, disbelief was churning in their guts at the pain the blonde woman in the next room had gone through.

Seiya nodded and sighed, before the group heard a creak of the floorboards and door from the room they just left. The trio looked up and caught the blonde haired woman stood quietly in the entrance of the room, misery covering her features from the events of the last couple of months.

"Guys, do you mind if I come in?" A sweet voice asked from the entrance. "I'm not disturbing any of you, am I?"

The trio stood from their seats, at her voice, and softly smiled. Yaten walked forward and took a hold of the blonde's hand and guided her over to a couch. What worried them was the fear in her eyes, and they knew, that something was off, but fear was hidden behind the misery and pain.

"Serena, darling, you're meant to be asleep?" Taiki murmured, as he pulled her into a warm embrace, as he moved over to sit next to her. "Did something wake you up, after we checked on you, not only a couple of minutes ago?"

"Is it that bad that I'm still having nightmares, a year on, from winning the war with Chaos?" Serena whispered. "I should be trying to live a normal life, like my friends wanted to, not abusing the memories that I've been left with?"

"It's ok to miss them, Serena." Seiya whispered in return, and squeezed her hand. "Its part of life's many trials, but you are the Princess we have sworn to protect, and our allegiance is yours until your scouts and boyfriend return back to you."

"We're still here, and no one will take that away from you." Yaten smiled, as he knelt in front of her. "And I know that, somehow even though it might seem difficult, that there is a way, to get your friends and boyfriend back from wherever they are and return them back to this planet."

"I hope you're right." Serena whispered, as tears slowly gathered in glistening blue eyes.

"I get dibs on punching the living daylights out of them!" Yaten barked out suddenly, making Serena's head snap up from where it was resting on Taiki's shoulder.

"No way, I'll go first!" Seiya snapped as he growled over at Yaten. "Those outer scouts won't know what hit them until it's too late."

"Guys, perhaps sitting down with them quietly and talking this through would be a better way to solve this?" Taiki preached to his brothers, as Serena looked between the two in disbelief. "Violence shouldn't be an option, and the Inner Scouts haven't done much except follow through with their duties?"

"Talk with the Inners, violence with the Outers." Seiya and Yaten looked at each other, with a nod, knowing that their decision was set. "But we won't get involved with Terra's Prince, since heaven knows what would happen there?"

Serena continued to blink rapidly, before bursting out in laughter, and falling back onto the couch, whilst the three brothers stared at her in shock. A familiar sound, not heard since the battle, had finally made itself know and all it took was some mock arguments. The trio smiled, as Serena's blue eyes sparkled once again.

"That's a new sound, isn't it?" Taiki asked, as Serena softly sat up again. "I'm glad to hear that sound once again, Little Lady."

"Thank you, guys." Serena giggled, as she curled into Taiki once again, feeling comfort like she never did before, as she looked over at Seiya and Yaten. "But I do agree with the two of you, the Outer Scouts need a lesson in trying to protect me, though I'll deal with Darien myself."

"Ha-ha, see what we're talking about Taiki?" Yaten whooped in laughter, as Taiki slapped his forehead in disbelief. "Even Serena agrees that this is the right course of action that is needed to be taken, especially with the Outer Scouts."

"Alright already, I'll agree to what you're saying as long as you annoyingly do not get yourselves hurt." Taiki muttered under his breath, as he watched Serena slowly begin to fall asleep, and the trio smiled as Taiki whispered. "We still need to find a way to get them back first, so we'll work on that before settling in the aftermath, do you guys get me?"

Knowing their brother was telling the truth, the duo nodded and silently watched as Serena peacefully slept in Taiki's arms.

In a small apartment, off the main city, the group of four began their life and took comfort in each other's presence. It would be a difficult stage, to move on for one, without the people she called family and friends, but now there was no backing out because the path was chosen and it must be followed until the end.