An; well hi there people! It's been awhile! Hope you're all not too angry with me! Hope you are all good too. Ok, so I'm at a new semester at uni now and its pretty hectic so life is gonna be interesting for a while. That also means I wont be updating all that often now, or if it is often it will be irregular. Anyway heres the next chappie, hope you like it!
Endymion looked towards the castle with a frown on his face. There was something not quite right about this. Sailor Moon had been terrified of this woman Beryl, and Sailor Mercury was too. And if those two scouts were worried about her, she must be a threat. But here they were, less than a mile from her stronghold, and they hadn't encountered any sort of protection or guarding measures. It sat wrong with him, this silence. It just wasn't right.
"There's something not right here." He announced softly to the group gathered around him.
Mercury, who had been busy at her computer, looked up. She trusted Endymion's instinct, and was ready to listen to what he had to say. The four Generals also were used to his sudden bursts of insight, and stilled to listen.
"We should have encountered some sort of guards or patrol by now." Endymion said quietly, still scanning the area, "I hate to use a cliché, but it's too quiet."
"I agree." Said Malachite, "Something here isn't right."
"Could they be waiting for us?" asked Sailor Venus.
"Or is it just that this Beryl character isn't all that smart?" enquired Jupiter.
Mercury turned sharply to say something to Jupiter, but Artemis got there first.
"Beryl is an evil queen, but a queen nonetheless. She knows how to protect her kingdom. Mark my words, she either knows we are here and is letting us in, or she is planning some sort of ambush. I'm hoping for the former."
"Why exactly?"
Luna raised an eyebrow at Mars, "Do you fancy the idea of fighting your way to the heart of that place?"
"I don't fancy the idea of this at all." Mars said stiffly, "but let's do it, because Sere needs our help."
Mercury noted the old nickname and guessed correctly that Mars would be the next to awaken. She spared a thought for Jadeite. He wouldn't take it very well.
"Let's go." Said Endymion, and lead the way.
"Why is it that Scout uniforms come in high heels?" demanded Mars as she slipped on another slimy rock and grabbed a branch from a gnarled tree to steady herself.
The tree moved.
Mars froze. That did not just happen. Slowly she lifted her gaze to the tree. It moved again.
"Um, guys, the tree is watching me."
Serena's dreams were getting worse. Over the last week she had gotten very little sleep at all. The strange coincidences that had put her in the path of the crystal bearers so far had been useful, and she now possessed five of the rainbow crystals, but it had cost her sleep, and then when she actually got a chance to sleep her dreams were haunted by terrifying nightmares about her past. Most of the nightmares had elements of her old life in them, twisted so horribly that she would wake in a cold sweat and not be able to sleep again.
But every now and then she would see a true dream of either the past (usually recognisable because of the muted colours that came with memories) or the future. One night she even dreamed of the deaths of her scouts, all four of them in a row. She hadn't even been able to stay in bed after that, and had gone out on 'patrol'. But Beryl seemed to be biding her time, for no nega-creatures had attacked the city in the last week. And that worried her too.
She awoke the morning after she found the fifth rainbow crystal to the singing of birds outside her window. She rolled over and looked out at the clear sky and sighed, another day of searching. Or, if she was lucky, another strange coincidence would put the two last bearers of the crystal in her way, and she could go and rescue her scouts, the generals and her dearest prince. If she was lucky.
The phone rang. Rolling out of bed with a yawn, she grabbed the extension and;
"Good morning! Serena speaking."
"Hey Serena." The voice was young, male and sounded down.
"Sam? What's wrong?" her youngest brother of both her lives didn't usually call her, he knew they shouldn't be even seen talking to each other in case Beryl came after him as well. It was a slim chance, but when Serena had first remembered who she really was, she had figured out that having the heir to the moon kingdom as well as Sailor Moon in the same house was just too juicy a target for Beryl to pass up. Sam and her parents had not been happy about their forced separation, but when Serena had demonstrated to them what Beryl would do to them, they agreed.
They were not supposed to contact her. Therefore, something was very wrong.
"Mum and dad are gone."
"Whad'ya mean, gone?" Serena demanded.
"Gone. Their bed was empty this morning. They didn't wake me for school so I went to see where they were, and they're not there. Here. I'm scared, Rena,"
So was she, but she wouldn't admit it. She took a deep breath, "Ok, Sam, I'll come pick you up. You can stay here until we find them. It's probably safer here anyway. Be ready in ten."
"Ten? But-"
"Ten, Sam, now I'll see you then. Pack some clothes and whatever else boys need to pack."
"Nothing, were not like girls."
Serena rolled her eyes and hung up. He was obviously feeling a little better.
She dressed hurriedly in jeans and a purple tee, before teleporting herself to her old home. She arrived with a flash of bright white light in the lounge, and caused Sam to drop his bag in shock.
"Geez! He growled, "I hate it when you people do that!"
Serena raised an eyebrow at him. Obviously he wasn't worried about his parents anymore. Probably believed that his big sister would take care of everything. She had in the past, why not now?
"You mean you aren't teleporting yet, Sam?" she asked him snidely, "I thought you were supposed to be learning the magic stuff."
He glowered. He had never been very good with the 'magic stuff'.
Before he could retort, his sister held out her hand, "come on, let's go."
He took her hand and with the sickening but familiar jerk in his stomach, he was standing in what was to be his room at Luna and Artemis' mansion.
It was large, boyish, and just cool, in his opinion.
"I have to go out today Sam, so I want you to amuse yourself here. There's a gym, den, a bar, thought I don't want you to use it for anything other than soft drink, and the fridge is full. Help yourself to whatever you want."
"You're going out?" Sam asked, panicked, "why?"
"We've gotta find out what happened to mum and dad don't we?" she asked with a little more force than she had intended. She relented a little, "You'll be fine here, the whole place has got a magical barrier set up around it. If anything comes close to the barrier that shouldn't be there, I'll know and I'll be here, ok?"
He nodded, and watched as she disappeared, teleporting off to whatever place she needed to go. He still didn't know her very well. He had never really got to know her in the Millennium, he had been too young to realise that he was a little lonely. And before he had realised it, they'd all died. He shuddered. Perhaps this time, fate would be kinder.
Serena landed without her usual grace on a dark, foggy and cold plain. She ended up on her butt on the ground, and swore softly. She never had been able to navigate the time plains like her mother had. With Selenity, she'd just teleport straight to the gate, but Serenity usually ended up some distance away and had to trudge until she happened across the Time Gate and its Guardian. Not that she'd visited often, Serena reflected, as she began her trek with a twinge of guilt. Pluto had always been delighted to see her, even if it was only for a couple of minutes.
But there was no guarantee that Pluto would still be guarding the Gate. Serena did not know how the Time Scout had fared at the end of the Millennium. If she had survived, she would almost have certainly stayed at her post. If she too had been killed and reborn then maybe she would not have remembered yet, and therefore would not be there.
When one is on the time plains, one's sense of time is totally skewed. Serena had no idea how long she had been walking. But eventually, she found the time gate. But there was no familiar figure guarding it, no challenge of authority as there had been centuries ago. No, now there was simply an old gate, sitting in a foggy place, empty, and, it seemed dusty.
"Heh." Serena muttered, wiping her hand over one of the engravings, "the dust of time. Never thought it actually existed."
The dust on her fingers glowed as she spoke, lighting up her hand. She only had time to blink before she was jerked out of the time plains and back into the real world. She had time to see a ceiling above her before whatever it was that had grabbed her in a magic grip let her go, in mid air.
"AH!" she yelped and fell.
And landed on a soft double bed with a whumf that knocked the air out of her.
She lay there a couple of seconds, trying to get her wind back, and took the chance for a quick glance around the room. It was a small bedroom, obviously owned by a girl because she could see makeup and perfume. The bed was in the Japanese style with a slightly westernised touch, the pictures on the walls were brightly coloured blobs of colour, and the dresser and wardrobe were similar to the bed in shape and colour. Everything matched, and it all looked very stylish. There was a window, but since she couldn't see anything out it she guessed she was in an apartment building. But in what country she had no idea.
She rolled onto her stomach and stared at the same ceiling she had seen a split second before falling.
Right, she thought, where am I and why?
Then she heard voices, coming closer and obviously inside the house.
"I'm telling you, Amara, I heard something!" the voice was familiar, but had an unfamiliar tinge of heat to it.
"You're just paranoid because you were trying a spell." Spoken lazily, and slightly laconically, Serena would have recognised that voice anywhere.
"Well, let's just have a quick look around and get back to the spells." A softer voice, but it too was familiar.
"Well I think it's a waste of-"
The door opened and Serena, still lying upside down on the bed, stared at the three shocked faces, trying to hide her amusement. She remained silent; I need to know if they remember or not before I know how to handle this.
"Who the hell are you?"
Ah. No recognition. Well, I may as well have some fun. After all, they would do the same to me.
"Well, that's a very good question." She muttered, "I don't know myself half the time. Where am I exactly?" she asked, and sat up before stepping of the bed.
They stared at her, and she saw the dawning fear and curiosity there.
"You're in Chicago." Said Trista, staring still, "In my apartment."
"Chicago? Cool, I guess. Thought San Francisco would have been nice, or even Hollywood. Why did you have to live in Chicago?"
"I beg your pardon?"
Serena waved a hand, "no matter. Let's have a look around then."
And she flounced out of the bedroom and began to inspect the apartment; making comments to the flabbergasted three. When she reached the lounge, she had cause to stop and stare, not at the room, but at the clutter in it. Everywhere she looked there were books, papers and even a few candles.
In the centre of it all, onthe coffee table, was a book of legends, opened to the one of the doomed lovers Serenity and Endymion. Her throat tight, Serena drew closer and stared at the book.
She glanced over her shoulder at the three silent figures, "they never quite get the story right, not matter how many times they try."
She picked up the book and flipped to the illustration of the legend, "and they never ever get me right. Endy they somehow get, but I'm always wrong."
"Just who the hell are you?" demanded Amara, once the scout of Uranus.
Serena shot her a wicked grin over her shoulder, and held up the book, "you've been researching me, you made a spell to call me here and now you want to know who I am?"
"You're telling me that you're Serenity?" asked Trista doubtfully, "look I know you just appeared in my bedroom but-"
"Do you have such little faith in your own ability, Pluto?" asked Serena mournfully, "that's not like you, and I find it a little sad. It's terrible what time can do to people.it changes them so much."
She sat down, suddenly sick of playing, "to tell you the truth, I've been looking for you three for a little while now. Though I'm very happy to see you, it brings back bad memories."
Pluto sat down opposite her, "are you Serenity?" she asked again.
Serena shrugged, "see for yourself."
She glowed briefly, making Amara and Michelle step forwards to protect their friend if need be, and when the glow faded it wasn't a girl in jeans and a tee shirt that sat in front of them, but a regal young woman wearing a white dress with an odd hairdo and a glowing crescent moon on her forehead.
AN: ok, now remember this is a flashback or it won't make sense!
Mars stepped back away from the tree.
"The tree is watching me."
The words were barely out of her mouth when the tree struck with lightning speed, sending out black vines of power. Mars shut her eyes and prayed, but needn't have bothered.
A deep red wall of flame sprung up around her, and the tree's vines erupted into flame on impact. Once he had made sure the entire tree had been destroyed, he pulled down the protective shield he had erected around Mars. She smiled at him, and Jed's heart lurched.
Mercury, noting the smile, and the sick look on Jadeites face, grabbed Mars by the hand and pulled her onwards.
"There'll be more of that if we don't keep moving." She announced.
Looking back, Endymion would have thought it strange that he did not suspect anything wrong until too late. Until they were in the lions den.
They found it relatively easy to sneak into the castle once they reached it. Though there were many guards about, they were not spaced well enough to dissuade the determined intruder. Once inside the castle, they had to split up to avoid being seen. Endymion, Mars and Malachite went together, Mercury, Jupiter and Jadeite, Nephrite, Venus and Zoisite were together. Luna and Artemis changed into their cat forms and disappeared down a dark corridor together. And although they all went their separate ways they all ended up in the same room. If you could call it a room.
It was a chamber, dark and dank with barely enough light to see. There were several statues of weird looking creatures scatted throughout the large space, all of which were very dusty.
"So, Mercury," asked Jadeite when they reached the room first, "can you pin point the location of the catalyst?"
"Besides the fact that I know it's in this room? No. My computer isn't as powerful as my old one."
"So how do we tell what it is?" asked Jupiter, "does it glow?"
Mercury snorted quietly, "I doubt it. Beryl wasn't one for flashiness, though I suppose that may have changed over time. Anyway, the catalyst will be something personal to Beryl or Serena, probably Beryl. Something special to her, but also something to do with our princess."
The split up and quietly searched the room, looking for something. Mercury couldn't believe that Beryl would keep something so important to her in a dusty, dark room, unguarded.
Unguarded.
Mercury froze. She had been so stupid, so utterly blind, so idiotic. Of course beryl hadn't left it unguarded! Of course she had guards! She wasn't stupid, she knew they would try and help their princess!
She looked back towards where Jadeite and Jupiter were diligently searching every nook and cranny, and then to where the other two groups had just begun their search at the other end of the chamber.
"Here." Endymion spoke quietly, but they all heard and hurried to him, Mercury quickest of all, her heart beating a thousand times too fast.
Endymion stood staring up at the wall, and at the thing hanging from it. Mercury felt a lump grow in her throat. This was the catalyst then, the thing that was holding Serenity in the sleep that drained her of her energy. This was it.
"Her crown." Said Endymion quietly, "the one thing she treasured more than her life, because it meant more than her life. It meant the life of every person under her protection. All her soldiers, all her friends, all her people. She told me once that the Moon Crown was more important than the Moon line, at least to her."
There was a beat of silence, and Mercury sighed, "I hate to say it, but we need to destroy it, and we need to do it now. Something isn't right about this, there should be guards."
She stopped, recalling who she was talking to and shook her head, "I'm sorry, there are guards. They're watching us right now. Destroy it, and let's see if we can get out of here."
"And I f we can't?" it was the first time Venus had spoken in a long while, and Mercury noted the change in her, she was remembering things.
"Then let's pray Serenity awakens and gets the rainbow crystals before Beryl does."
"Enough chatter." Said Malachite, and flung a sliver of silvery power at the crown.
It didn't even dent it.
"All together then," said Endymion, "one, two, three."
WHOOSH!
The beautiful crown, and some of the wall behind it, disintegrated.
They watched the silvery dust float to the floor,
And a whole plane of existence away, a blond girl awoke slowly.
And a voice came out of the darkness behind Endymion, "I must confess I am wondering why half of you, who owe nothing that you know of to the pathetic princess, have just wasted your live so she could wake from a snooze."
It seemed Beryl had indeed, been watching.
AN: woot! I finished a chapter! Sorry again it took so long! Uni life really is bad when you're living alone. Heh. I never appreciated how much a mother does for one. Thanks again to my beta, Prom Firebringer! There shouldn't be such a big wait next time, but we'll see.