A/N
Hey guys, it's time for another chapter. I'm going to apologize in advance that there isn't much Diamond action in this chapter. But after this we are going to see him more, I promise. Okay, lots happening in this chapter, so I'm not going to waste time. Let me just throw out my hugs real quick. BIG HUGS TO:Jacks
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Thank you guys, as always. I'm going to shut up now.
ENJOY!
What If : A Sailor Moon R Twist
Chapter 10
Showdown
Serena leaned her head against her hand and sighed. She hated English class. It always seemed to drag on forever and made her feel dull and sluggish. Thank goodness lunch was next. That always perked her back up so she could get through the rest of her classes.
Today's class really wasn't that bad. Miss Huruna had been shocked speechless when Serena had actually turned in her homework on time. She had been further stunned to find that it was done correctly as well and had refrained from her normal routine of singling Serena out to ridicule her in front of the class.
"Miss Haruna" a voice suddenly came over the intercom. "A package has been delivered for you in the main office."
"Thank you" Miss Haruna replied. "I will send someone down to get it."
She scanned the class, trying to decide who to send on this mission. Her eyes landed on the blonde girl near the window. Perfect.
"Miss Tsukino, would you run down to the office for me?" she asked.
"Sure thing Miss H." Serena agreed happily, thankful to have an excuse to escape the confining classroom for a few minutes. She was out of her seat and through the door before most of the people in the room could comprehend what was going on.
Once she was in the hall, she slowed down. There wasn't that much longer until class was over. If she milked this for as long as she could, there would only be a few minutes left in the period when she returned to the classroom. Then she could go have lunch.
She smiled at that thought, not only because eating was one of her favorite things, but also because lunch promised to be fun. It was a beautiful day outside. And now that she and Darien were back on speaking terms, he and Andrew would join the group like they used to.
She stepped lightly as she walked down the hall. Even though it had been a late night, she had slept peacefully and had woken up refreshed. Darien had been gone by then, of course, but the sight of Rini curled up next to her had started her day off on a bright note.
She had woken the little girl up and had helped her get ready for school. After breakfast, Mina had showed up as always, and she had left the house. She felt a little anxious about leaving Rini unprotected, but since none of the scouts could trail after her without causing suspicion, Luna and Artemis had promised to lurk around the primary school and call at the first sign of anything out of the ordinary.
She also felt a little guilty. Dominic had not shown up to school again today. She was worried that he might have been injured worse than he had let on when she had talked to him, but another side was oddly grateful that she didn't have to deal with him.
A sudden vibration from her pocket made her pause. She pulled out the small calculator size communicator. She had remembered her communicator early this morning and had searched for it. When she had been unable to find it, she grabbed the spare one that Luna kept stashed under the bed. She knew the cat hardly ever used it and probably wouldn't miss it for a while, and she wanted to stay in the loop.
Pressing a button on it, a text message popped up. Whenever paging the scouts during school hours, this was how Luna did it. She couldn't risk a voice message and having other people hear and blowing their cover. This way, the scouts could read the message and find a way to slip out of class.
Serena read the message and felt her blood turn as cold as ice.
There is an attack at Juban Primary. Get here as quick as you can. Don't tell Serena.
Serena was running for the school entrance almost before she even read the message all the way through. Rage was roiling through her, not only because Rini was in danger, but also because of the fact that the others would try to conceal something like this from her.
'Sailor Moon may be out of commission right now, but I'm still here.' she thought angrily. 'I promised to protect Rini just like they did. I have a right to be there too.'
She hit the doors at a dead run and was across the schoolyard and through the gate in the blink of an eye. The primary school wasn't that far away. She should be there in just a few minutes.
As she drew near the school she heard loud banging and what sounded like evil, maniacal laughter along with the cries of terrified children. She didn't stop to think as she barreled through the doors with one purpose in mind. She had to find Rini.
She hadn't traveled more than twenty feet from the door when a loud explosion went off and the whole building shook, knocking her off her feet. She fell to the floor and covered her head with her arms as tiles from the ceiling and other debris rained down around her.
Once things seemed to settle, she got back to her feet to begin searching. Luckily, she had gone to school here for most of her life and knew the layout well. She knew exactly where Rini's classroom was. She hoped and prayed the she was in that room safe and sound. She didn't think she could handle it if something happened to the girl.
At the same moment Serena received the message, five other communicators vibrated in pockets throughout Azabu High School. The five teenagers quickly read the message and then claimed to their teachers that they felt sick and needed to visit the nurse. One look at their student's stricken expressions made the teachers believe them.
Mina slipped out of her biology class. Raye left history. Lita got out of Home Economics. Amy quickly left her calculus class, and Darien flew out of the chemistry lab. The five of them reached the gate at the same time. Without pausing, they all left the school grounds.
"Serena doesn't know about this, does she?" Darien asked the others as they ran.
Raye shook her head. "There's no way she possibly could. She has English this period and none of us have that class with her."
"She'll find out soon enough if we don't show up for lunch." Amy replied.
"She's going to be madder than hell when she finds out." Lita told them. "Not to mention how upset she'll be that Rini's in danger."
Mina nodded enthusiastically. "You've got that right. She's worse than a mother bear protecting her cub when it comes to that kid."
They saw a dark, deserted alley and ducked in to transform quickly. Then the sailor scouts and Tuxedo Mask were able to travel over the roofs the last couple of blocks to the school.
The sounds of destruction reached their ears before the school building even came into sight. The sound of groaning metal and splintering wood, along with the small explosions that could be heard made it sound like the whole building was coming apart. The insane laughter of what sounded like several people could have been taken straight from a horror movie.
The heroes landed on top of the office building next to the school and took a minute to survey the damage and get a feel for things before venturing into the school itself. For all the noise, the building looked to be pretty solid.
They were about to drop down into the schoolyard when suddenly Tuxedo Mask groaned, "Oh man, I don't believe it. What the hell is she doing here?"
"What? Who?" all of the scouts asked together. They all looked in the direction he was pointing and saw what appeared to be the tail end of two long streamers of golden blonde hair entering the school through the front entrance.
They all moaned. Serena was supposed to be blissfully unaware and safe back at the high school. How did she know to come here? And what had possessed her to come alone when she couldn't transform?
"That crazy Meatball Head. I swear I'm going to lock her up somewhere for her own protection." Tuxedo Mask growled as he leapt to the ground, the scouts right behind him.
They were racing toward the building when suddenly there was a loud explosion that rocked the building to its very foundation. The windows of a second floor classroom shattered as bright purple flames mixed with a crackling, black, electric energy slammed into them and then erupted out into the air.
Serena fell to her knees as she hugged the little girl tightly. After she had fought her way through the swarm of panicked children only to find Rini's classroom empty, she had thought that finding the girl might be impossible. But an almost inaudible whimper had led her to look under the teacher's desk where she had found Rini curled up in a ball.
"Oh Rini, I'm so glad you're okay." she exclaimed in relief.
Rini burrowed herself into Serena's chest. "I knew if I just stayed put you would come for me."
Serena let go of her and stood. Taking Rini's hand, she headed for the door. "Come on, we have to get out of here."
She cracked the door open just a little and peeked out into the hall. She almost gasped aloud as she saw two tall women at the other end of the hallway. One had dark hair that had a strange green cast to it; the other was the same purple haired woman that had tried to grab Rini that day at the temple.
"Anybody in there, Prizma?" the purple haired one asked as the green haired one opened a door to look in to a classroom.
"No, Katzy. How about on your side?" Prizma responded.
"Nobody over here either." Katzy said as she closed the door she had opened. "I think most of the people have left the building now. The Rabbit probably snuck out with them. I knew this was a bad idea."
Prizma clucked her tongue. "Don't let Master Rubeus hear you say that. This was his idea. The main point is to lure in the sailor scouts and Tuxedo Mask. We'll be able to grab the Rabbit at any time once we get rid of those idiots."
"True" Katzy agreed. "With those goody two shoes out of the way, nothing else can stop us. Crystal Tokyo will be ours."
Prizma opened another door to look in before closing it with an irritated sigh. "It's useless to check the rooms on this floor. Everyone's gone. Let's go see if Avery or Bertie had any luck."
Serena sighed in relief as the two women turned away. She had been afraid that she and Rini were going to be discovered. Even if they had hidden, something may have given away their presence if either one of those women had looked in.
Serena closed the door again and began looking around, trying to decide her next move.
"What are we going to do, Serena?" Rini sniffled as she clung to her hand.
Serena gave her a bright smile, not wanting to frighten her anymore than she already was. "Don't worry, I'll think of something."
Her eyes landed on the wall with the windows. The windows were small and kind of high up off the ground, but if she was able to get one open she should be able to climb up onto the windowsill and then pull Rini up after her. That sounded like a much better option than trying to make it through the halls. There was no place to hide in the hallways, and from the conversation she had overheard, it was safe to assume that there were at least four of those freaky ladies around.
Serena pulled a chair over to the closest window and stood on it. She pushed and pulled on it, but the stubborn thing refused to budge.
"Come on, you stupid…" she gave it all she had and managed to slide it open about two inches before it stuck again.
"Damn it." she muttered as she panted for breath. Her arm muscles were screaming from the exertion.
"Serena" Rini piped up. "Why don't you try transforming into Sailor Moon?"
Serena jumped down from the chair, her hand covering the broach that was pinned to the bow on her shirt. "I tried the other day, Rini. It didn't work."
"That's because you didn't believe." Rini told her. "Now that you know that you're Sailor Moon, it may work if you believe in yourself."
Serena shrugged, pulling the broach from the bow. "I guess it's worth a shot. I could definitely use a boost of scout power right now."
'Come on, Serena. You can do this.' she told herself.
She held the broach up and called, "Moon Prism Power."
At first she thought nothing was going to happen, then power suddenly burst forth. Pink ribbons wrapped around her body to form a blue-skirted fuku with red bows on the front of the white body suit and in the back at her waist. She was also adorned with knee high red boots and elbow length white gloves trimmed in red. A choker with a crescent moon on it and a tiara with a red jewel in it completed the look.
Serena looked down at herself in shock. This felt so strange, and yet so right. She felt the power coursing through her body and figured that she could probably just punch a giant hole in the wall if she wanted to. But she didn't want to draw attention to them, so it was best to stick with a quiet escape by window.
Rini hopped up and down in excitement. "I told you that you could do it. I can't believe I'm actually seeing Sailor Moon in person."
Sailor Moon smiled at her. "We'll celebrate later. Right now let's get out of here. What do you say, kiddo?"
Rini nodded in agreement as Sailor Moon jumped back onto the chair. With one simple push, the window slid open all the way.
"Much better." Sailor Moon said in satisfaction. "Are you ready to go up and out, Rini?"
Suddenly the door opened. Sailor Moon leapt from the chair to take a defensive position in front of Rini. Her hand automatically lifted to her tiara, ready to fling it at whoever it was if they proved to be an enemy. However, she froze when she saw who entered the room.
"Tuxedo Mask" she gasped in astonishment.
Sure enough, it was her tuxedo-clad protector that walked in and closed the door behind him. He surveyed her with a look of astonishment that far surpassed her own.
"Serena…Sailor Moon…now I know what that feeling was that I got a minute ago. But how?" he stammered.
Sailor Moon shook her head. "I'm not sure, and at the moment I don't care. I'm trying to get Rini out of here. There's some weird women going around looking for her so I thought it would be better to go out a window instead of going through the halls."
Tuxedo Mask nodded. "Good idea. Those women you're talking about must be those four freaks the scouts and I ran into not too long after we came in. The girls held them back so I could come find you and Rini. Now let's get out of here."
He hopped up onto the windowsill and slid the bottom half of his body through the window, keeping the upper half inside. He held his hands out. "Pass Rini up to me."
She picked up the little girl and held her up so that Tuxedo Mask could take her by the hands and pull her with him through the window. Once they had disappeared, Sailor Moon jumped up and slid through the opening as well.
She landed in Tuxedo Mask's waiting arms. He grinned down at her. "Welcome back, Moonie."
She let out a shaky laugh. "I'm not back. I honestly have no idea what I'm doing. I couldn't get that stupid window open so Rini convinced me to try transforming. I was shocked that it actually worked."
He sat her on her feet. "Well, we'll wonder about that later. For now, we need to move."
They followed the wall along the back of the building. When they reached the corner, they peeked cautiously around it and were almost blinded by a bright flash of flames. Red and purple collided in a brilliant, fiery lightshow.
"Thanks a lot, Mars. Now I'm seeing spots." Sailor Moon muttered under her breath.
There were more flashes of light and the other scouts could be heard calling their attacks as well.
"Looks like the fight has been moved outside." Tuxedo Mask grumbled. "That means we can't leave through the gate. We'll have to find another way."
"Can't we just jump over the wall?" Sailor Moon asked.
Tuxedo Mask looked thoughtful. "We could, but the enemy may see us before we get there. I think it would be best to go that way."
He pointed to the construction site that was behind the school where a new office building was being built. It was strangely deserted for this time of day. It also looked like their best avenue for escape.
"All right. Let's go that way then." Sailor Moon agreed.
Tuxedo Mask scooped Rini up into his arms and the three of them made their way quickly across the space to where a fence surrounded the building site. There was a hole in the fence, so they ducked through instead of having to go over it.
Once inside, they found themselves in a maze of steel beams and large pieces of equipment. Weaving through it quickly, they made their way toward the other side where they would be able to exit to a street.
They had just reached the middle when a low laugh sounded above them. They looked up in shock as a man seemed to materialize out of thin air. He had unnaturally bright red hair and an inverted black crescent moon on his forehead. He hovered above them while sneering down at them.
"Well, well," he drawled, "I had a feeling you three were around here somewhere. How nice to find you together. That makes my job much easier."
"And just who that hell are you?" Tuxedo Mask demanded.
The man gave an evil grin. "Oh, I'm sorry. I wasn't aware that we were going to acknowledge all of the little niceties. But I guess it's only fair to introduce myself since I already know who you are. My name is Rubeus and I come from the dark moon of Nemesis."
"I remember you." Rini spoke up angrily. "You were with those other two men that came to Crystal Tokyo and got my mommy and daddy mad. They said you were bad people."
Rubeus wore an expression of mock hurt on his face. "Tsk, Tsk, Little Rabbit. I know all children want to believe that their parents are right, but your parents are nothing but blind, greedy fools who think that they can have everything and refuse to share."
Rini was red faced and her eyes burned furiously. "That's not true. My parents are good people and everybody loves them."
Rubeus waved a dismissive hand. "It doesn't matter anyway. We've already dealt with them. Once we tie up a few loose ends, everything they once had will belong to my family. Now, let's make this easy. Come along with me Rabbit. It's time to face your destiny."
Sailor Moon felt her temper snap. She snatched the tiara off her head and felt a rush of power as it began glowing and spinning, hovering over her open palm. "I don't think so, buster. If you want her, you'll have to go through me first. Moon Tiara Magic."
She flung the disc at him with everything she had. It arced through the air, sailing straight for its intended target. All of a sudden, it stopped. The glow vanished and it fell uselessly to the ground.
Rubeus laughed. "Is that all you've got? I expected more from the great Sailor Moon. The stories of you in the future are legendary, but it seems they must only be myths. You're nothing but a little girl trying to play at being a hero."
"No" Sailor Moon whispered. "My tiara. Why didn't it work?"
Two shapes shimmered to life on each side of Rubeus as the two women Serena had seen earlier along with two other women appeared next to him. One of the newcomers had icy looking white hair with a light blue tint to it while the other had hair that was a very ruddy shade of auburn. All of the women had the same crescents marking their brows.
'No fair, Rubeus." the one named Katzy whined. "We want to be present for the moment of triumph too. Isn't that right, Bertie?"
The icy one nodded her head. "Absolutely. I wouldn't miss this for the world. Don't you agree, Avery?"
The auburn haired one smirked. "I suppose so. I just want to get this over with so we can go back to our own time. The past stinks. What do you think, Prizma?"
Prizma wore a superior look on her face. "I don't care as long as it gets done. I'm tired of all of this."
"Did you dispose of those pesky scouts as instructed?" Rubeus asked them.
Sailor Moon felt her heart sink. Her friends couldn't possibly be dead.
"Almost" Katzy said in a bored voice. "We beat them down pretty good, but we decided to move the party here and take care of all of them at once."
At that moment there was the sound of several pairs of running feet. The scouts appeared a moment later. They were a little rumpled and disheveled, but appeared to be unharmed. They all paused for a moment at the sight of Sailor Moon and questions burned in their eyes, but those questions would have to wait for later.
The scouts closed rank in front of Sailor Moon, Tuxedo Mask, and Rini. Mars glanced over her shoulder at them and gasped.
"Sailor Moon, where's your tiara?" she asked quickly.
Sailor Moon pointed to where the abandoned tiara lay on the ground. "It wouldn't work. I don't know what happened. It was doing fine, and then it suddenly stopped."
"This has been nice and all," Rubeus drawled, "but now it's time to finish this."
Tuxedo Mask handed Rini to Sailor Moon. "Serena" he whispered. "Take Rini and go find a safe spot to hide. Promise me that you'll stay hidden and out of the way."
Her startled eyes met his behind the mask. "But Darien…"
He laid two fingers against her lips. "No buts Serena. Let us handle this. It's important to keep Rini safe. I need you to do that."
Sailor Moon nodded her head. They had sworn to Sailor Pluto that they would protect Rini. It was really all she could do since it seemed she was pretty useless in a fight right now.
With a last smile to him and the rest of her friends, she ran with the little girl a decent distance away where they crouched down behind a stack of steel beams. They got there not a moment too soon. Attacks began flying as the two groups that were facing off began the showdown.
Powers clashed and collided, resulting in resounding booms that echoed like thunder and shook the ground.
Sailor Moon dared to peep over the top of her hiding place a few times to see what was going on. She saw each of the scouts paired off with one of the women, while Tuxedo Mask was locked in a battle with Rubeus.
The battle seemed to be in a deadlock, neither side was giving an inch. Sailor Moon gave a startled yelp when she saw Rubeus prepare to send an energy blast at Tuxedo Mask. The masked hero saw it, however, and sent a rose sailing through the air.
It struck Rubeus in the arm, causing his hand to sling back. His attack released, but instead of its original target, it was now headed toward Sailor Moon and Rini's hiding spot.
Sailor Moon only had time to gather the little girl close to her before the attack hit the ground nearby and exploded. The resulting blast sent the two girls flying through the air. Sailor Moon saw that they were headed for a brick wall and twisted her body so that she would absorb the impact.
Her back slammed into the wall and her head snapped back with a crack. Pain raced across every nerve ending in her body. If she hadn't been in her scout form, it probably would have killed her. But even so, she fell limply to the ground.
"Sailor Moon? Sailor Moon, can you hear me?" she heard Rini's panicked voice cry out. Thankful that the little girl sounded okay, she tried to focus on the little face, but her vision was blurry and was beginning to fade. Instead of fading to black, though, everything turned white.
She suddenly felt like she was floating through the whiteness. The pain disappeared, much to her relief. She wondered briefly if she was dead and this was what heaven looked like.
The cloudlike whiteness began to fade. Serena felt her feet touch down, and she looked around her in amazement as her surroundings became clear. She was standing on a wide stone balcony. Everything gleamed pearly white. Looking down at herself, she saw that she was dressed in a flowing gown of the finest white silk. She glanced up and gasped when she saw the Earth floating in the sky. What was going on?
"Great" she muttered. "You would think that being dead would cure me of my insanity, but it's only made it worse. Now I'm hallucinating, too. Oh no! What if I didn't go to heaven? I knew I should have behaved better. I could have been a better daughter and sister. Now I'll have to pay for it for all eternity."
She heard a light laugh that sounded like the tinkling of bells and then a soft voice said, "You never change, do you, Serenity? You are still just as overdramatic now as you ever were."
Serena whirled around to find out her was speaking to her. Standing by a large glass door was a woman who could have almost been her mirror image. Their coloring was different, but the facial features and the hairstyle were the same. Where Serena had golden hair and sky blue eyes, this woman had silver hair and shimmering violet eyes, she was also older than Serena, although she still appeared to be quite young.
A memory flashed through Serena's mind and she knew who this was. "Queen Serenity" she whispered.
The queen smiled gently. "There was a time that you called me mother. But I guess I shouldn't expect that of you at this time. It seems that you've gotten yourself into quite a little predicament, Serenity."
Serena nodded. "I made a wish on the Silver Crystal after I defeated Beryl. I didn't think anything would happen. I was so tired and alone that the words just slipped out."
Queen Serenity looked at her in sympathy. "Do not blame yourself, my darling. You just made the same mistake that I, like my mother before me, her mother, and countless others in our ancestry have made. The power of the Silver Crystal is very literal and you must always watch what you say when you're holding it and its power is active. Otherwise you may end up in an unpleasant situation."
Serena sighed. "I know that now. My biggest problem is how to fix it. There are still enemies attacking the Earth and I feel powerless to stop it. Even transforming into Sailor Moon doesn't help me. Everyone seems to have so much faith in me and the Silver Crystal, but I can't remember how to use it."
The queen gave her a benevolent smile. "All hope is not lost. You already hold the key that will unlock everything. You've had it the whole time."
There was a bright flash of light, and suddenly there was a crystal floating between them.
"The Silver Crystal" Serena breathed.
"It's power never left you, even if your memories of it did." Queen Serenity told her softly. "You are the only one that has command over its powers. It but awaits your command. Just make sure the next wish you make is the right one."
Serena hesitantly reached out and cupped the Silver Crystal between her palms. She thought very hard about the best way to voice her request. She sure didn't want to screw things up worse than they already were.
Finally deciding it was probably best to keep it simple, she said, "Please, Silver Crystal, I wish to take back all the memories that were locked away from me the day I defeated Beryl at D Point."
Queen Serenity smiled broadly. "That was perfect."
The power of the Silver Crystal flowed out and surrounded Serena in its comforting warmth. Thoughts and memories began trickling in, filling the holes and restoring all the times she had forgotten.
She remembered living on the moon, her mother, her friends, and of course her prince, Endymion. But those memories were clouded and hazy when compared to the ones of this life.
Closing her eyes she remembered several things at once. The first time she transformed, the first time she saw Tuxedo Mask, finding the scouts, the yomas, the battles, hunting down the rainbow crystals, it all suddenly became crystal clear.
Of course with the good also comes the bad, and the memories of those last two weeks leading up to the fight with Beryl were the worst. The Silver Crystal had been found and she was revealed to be the moon princess. Darien had been kidnapped and brainwashed by Beryl and she'd had to fight against him. All the scouts had died that day at D Point at the hands of the Doom and Gloom Girls, leaving her alone to face Beryl. She broke Metallia's spell on Darien, only to have him die in her arms moments later after he had saved her life yet again. Then that last, seemingly hopeless battle against Beryl, yes, she remembered it all.
The glow faded as the crystal returned to its dormant state and rested in Serena's palm. She opened teary eyes and looked to the queen.
"Mother" she cried, embracing the woman tightly.
Queen Serenity hugged her back. "There's my girl. I knew you could do it. Now there is no time to spare. It seems that Sailor Moon is needed badly. As queen, I am able to bestow a few gifts. First is this."
The queen held out a new broach. "Keep the Silver Crystal in this and use it to transform. It will make you more powerful. To use it just hold it up and say 'Moon Crystal Power'. I also give this to you."
It was a wand of some kind. It was about two feet long with an elegantly carved ivory handle. Carved wings at the top of the handle made a base for the jeweled top. A large gold crescent wrapped around a round, red gem. At the very top was a small red heart held in place by a thin band of gold.
"This is the moon scepter." Queen Serenity told her. "It is far stronger than your tiara. It actually pulls in power from the Silver Crystal and allows you to use it for attacks. Call out Moon Scepter Elimination to activate it."
"Thank you, mother." Serena said as she took her gifts.
"Anything for you, my daughter." the queen said with a smile. "Now you must hurry back and help your friends. Give the scouts and the prince a hello from me. And one more thing, heed Sailor Pluto's warning."
Serena still wasn't sure what that warning meant, but she nodded her head anyway. "I will, mother."
"I know you will make me proud, Serenity." was the last thing Serena heard before everything faded and went white again. Then everything turned dark.
"Serena. Serena, please wake up, please." a voice was crying.
Serena cracked open her eyes to find herself lying on the ground once more at the construction site. Rini was huddled up next to her crying. It had been her voice that had been calling for her.
"Rini" she whispered, reaching out a hand to touch one of the soft pink pigtails.
The little head snapped up and the teary maroon eyes were wide. "Serena" the girl squealed and threw herself on the blonde. "I didn't think you were ever going to wake up. You were lying so still I thought you might have died."
Serena chuckled. "I wondered there for a minute myself."
A loud boom shook the ground, reminding her that a battle was still going on. She jumped quickly to her feet, marveling for a moment that there was no pain from her earlier impact. The Silver Crystal must have healed her.
She ran back over to the stack of steel beams that she and Rini had hidden behind earlier and took at look at what was going on.
Everyone on both sides was still on their feet, but the fight was beginning to take its toll on all of them.
The dark moon clan was all disheveled looking and sporting an assortment of cuts and bruises. Their clothes were dirty and ripped in several places.
The other side wasn't faring much better. Mars had a nasty looking burn on one arm and Jupiter's cheek was sporting a deep, bloody gash. Venus had a few dark purple bruises on her body, especially on her right leg, which she seemed to be favoring. Poor Mercury looked like someone had tried to drown her and then strangle her. She was dripping wet with dark marks around her neck.
Tuxedo Mask was the only one that didn't have any damage visible on his body, but his clothes were a different matter. His hat was long gone and his cape hung in tatters. The usually pristine white shirt was covered in dirt. One of his pant legs even seemed to be scorched.
Serena felt anger bubble up inside her. This had gone on long enough. Some people may think that a five on five fight was fair, but when they started targeting a helpless child they lost their right to a fair fight. It was time for Sailor Moon to see what she could do.
She felt something in her hand and looked down to see the new broach Queen Serenity had given her in her palm. The Silver Crystal twinkled innocently inside it.
"Rini, I want you to stay here, okay." she told the girl.
Rini looked frightened. "Where are you going?"
Serena pulled the girl into a tight hug. "Don't worry. I won't be going far. Sailor Moon is back, and it's time these creeps found out that they can't push us around."
Rini began grinning. "You remember."
Serena nodded. "Yes I do. So just sit tight and I'll be right back."
She held up her new broach. "Moon Crystal Power". The familiar pink ribbons wrapped around her body and in seconds she was in her fuku once more. The outfit still looked the same, but the power she felt flowing through her was stronger than she had ever felt it.
"Good luck, Sailor Moon." Rini said.
Sailor Moon gave her one last grin before sprinting off. She jumped up onto some scaffolding and then onto the edge of the open second floor of the unfinished building. This way she would come up behind the enemy and hopefully that would help keep them clueless as to Rini's whereabouts.
"I have enough of this." she heard Rubeus rage. "Sisters, let's pool our energy. Between all of us we should have more than enough power from the Dark Crystal to take care of these nuisances."
It was now or never. Sailor Moon stepped to the edge of the ledge and called out in a firm, clear voice, "I wouldn't do that if I were you."
Rubeus turned to sneer at her. "What are you going to do about it, Sailor Moon?" he taunted. "From what I've seen you're useless in a fight."
Sailor Moon tapped her chin thoughtfully. "Oh yeah, that's right. You said that I was nothing but a little girl that pretended to be a hero. Well maybe you would like to see what this girl can do. I have fought against monsters that would make you wet your bed, so I don't think you weirdoes really pose that much of a problem."
By now all the fighting had stopped and all eyes were on them. The sisters were all snickering at her, while the scouts and Tuxedo Mask watched her with fear and trepidation in their eyes.
Anger turned Rubeus's face red. "You have an awfully big mouth. Let's see how you handle this." He shot an attack of dark, crackling energy at her.
Sailor Moon waited until the last moment before leaping into the air. Twisting in midair, she flipped over the enemy to land near her scouts and Tuxedo Mask.
"Serena, what the hell are you doing?" several of them hissed at her.
Sailor Moon grinned at them. "Just watch and see. Sailor Moon has a new trick up her sleeve."
The four sisters had rushed to Rubeus and were now arguing with him.
"Rubeus, have you lost your mind?"
"How could you attack her? We're not supposed to touch her."
"Prince Diamond will be furious if he finds out."
"He may lock you up, or even worse."
Rubeus waved away their incessant chattering. "I couldn't help it. That smart mouth little bitch had it coming."
Sailor Moon smirked. The five enemies were now grouped together, forming one large target. It was time to see what her new toy could do.
'I hope this works.' she thought to herself. 'Moon Scepter, come to my hand.'
The scepter appeared in her hand, making the scouts and Tuxedo Mask gasp in surprise. She could feel it humming with energy that was begging to be released.
Not one to attack an enemy with their backs turned, she called a warning out to them. "Your fixing to find out the hard way that nobody comes to this planet and does what you have done. Only sick, sadistic freaks would attack a child and make her have to leave her home. On behalf of my powers granted to me by the moon, it's time you were brought to justice."
She felt comforting presences step up on either side of her and looked up to see her friends taking up fighting positions next to her.
Mars gave her an exasperated look. "We're with you, even if you are acting insane."
"There's nothing wrong with a moment of insanity." Venus said flashing her V sign. "Aren't I proof enough of that? Carry on, fearless leader."
"Hey, I'm in. I'm all about kicking ass, and this scum deserves it." Jupiter said, pounding her fists together.
Mercury spoke softly. "We have always been a team, and we stand by each other. I believe in you, Sailor Moon."
Sailor Moon gave them a grateful smile. "Thanks guys. I promise I'm not insane. Now let's deal with this so that they can never threaten Rini again."
She felt a warm presence at her back and turned to see Tuxedo Mask looking at her in concern. His face was so much more precious to her now that she remembered everything.
"I hope you know what you're doing?" he whispered.
"I do." she answered softly. "Trust me, I'm thinking clearer now than I have in weeks."
He looked deeply into her unclouded eyes and saw the truth. He could feel the confidence rolling off of her in waves through their bond and his heart leapt. His Serena was back, and she was ready to do what she did best. It was time to take out the trash.
"I hope you're done with your little love fest, because it's time to end this, now." Rubeus snarled. "We have no interest in you, Sailor Moon. Walk away now, and you won't get hurt."
"Yeah right" Sailor Moon snorted. "As if I would do that. What kind of person do you take me for?"
Rubeus's eyes narrowed. "A very foolish one, obviously. Just remember, I offered you a way out."
He turned back to the sisters and spoke to them in a low voice. "Playtime's over. We take them out now. Avoid Serenity as much as possible. I know Diamond doesn't want her hurt, but we can't help it if she insists on butting into things."
The four sisters nodded their agreement and then turned to face off against the heroes. Without warning, they sprang into action.
Renewed by Sailor Moon's confident presence, the scouts and Tuxedo Mask met them head on. In just a few short seconds, it was almost over.
Venus whipped out her love chain, and in the blink of an eye had it wrapped securely around Avery.
Jupiter took Prizma by surprise and sent a stream of lightning at the woman. As it closed around her, she sank to the ground, stunned.
Katzy let out a snarl of outrage and as her purple flames shot from her fingertips. Mars just smirked for a moment before letting loose a volley of her own fire that seemed to rival the flames of hell. The red flame overpowered the purple, leaving Katzy lying on the ground with her clothes smoking.
Mercury dodged a high-pressure blast of water. She called upon the water molecules in the air; she gathered them around Bertie in a bubble. Then she froze it into an impenetrable shield.
With a bellow of rage, Rubeus threw himself at Tuxedo Mask, pulling a dagger from his waist. Tuxedo Mask sidestepped the attack and managed to trip the red haired man, sending him sprawling to the ground. Several well-placed roses pinned him there.
Tuxedo Mask turned to Sailor Moon with a grin. "I guess it's your turn."
Sailor Moon brought the scepter up in front of her. "Okay. Let's see what this baby can do." She spun around and aimed it at the five members of the dark moon clan. "Moon Scepter Elimination"
The scepter began glowing as Sailor Moon felt the power of the Silver Crystal rush through her body. It erupted from the tip in a spectacular shower of silver light. One by one, the women shrieked before disappearing. Rubeus hung on a few seconds longer.
"Do you think this is the end?" he snarled. "This is only the beginning. You're finished Sailor Moon. By the time Prince Diamond is done with you, you will wish you were dead." Then he faded away.
As the light faded away, Sailor Moon dropped to her knees. Taking out five enemies in one shot had definitely used a lot of energy and she felt drained. Exhausted, she let her transformation fade.
She heard hurried footsteps and looked up to see her friends hurrying toward her. One by one, they let go of their transformations to turn back into a group of average looking high school students. Then the excited squeals started.
"Serena, you were fantastic!"
"How did you do that?"
"Yeah, where did that come from?"
"That was simply amazing!"
Serena leaned heavily against Darien, who had knelt down next to her. "I had forgotten how much energy that crystal could suck out of me. I feel like I could sleep for a week."
He smiled down at her. "I imagine you could. You just took at five enemies at one time. What were you thinking?"
She sighed. "I had to do it. I didn't want to destroy them, but they were evil through and through. I had to stop them."
She heard the light patter of small feet, and then a slight weight hit her side. Small, soft arms closed around her neck in a stranglehold.
"I knew you could do it." Rini bubbled happily. "You were just as great as all of the stories I ever heard about you."
Serena giggled. "So I'll still be remembered a thousand years from now, huh?"
Rini nodded. "My favorite bedtime stories are about you. My daddy tells them to me all the time. He told me that they were true, and he was right."
"Hey, what about us?" Raye grumbled. "Doesn't anyone tell stories about us in the future?"
Rini stuck her tongue out at the priestess. "You're in the stories too, so don't blow a gasket."
The whole group laughed at the child's witty comeback.
"So what do we do now?" Mina asked. "Do we go back to school or what?"
"Oh no!" Serena suddenly wailed. "Miss Haruna is going to kill me! I was supposed to be picking up a package for her from the office and I never went back to class. All of my stuff is still there and everything. I am so dead."
Darien gave her a cocky grin. "No problem. I've got connections." He pulled out his cell phone a pressed a speed dial button.
"Hey, Drew…yeah, the situation's taken care of…I've got a favor to ask…"
"So, Serena," Raye asked, pulling her attention away from Darien's phone conversation. "What exactly happened? Are you really back, or just sorta, kinda back."
Serena smiled widely at her best friends. "I am back with a vengeance. No more swiss cheese holes in my head. I remember everything."
Hugs were shared and a few tears were shed at her proclamation. This was the reunion that should have taken place after the battle with Beryl. The team was fully reunited once more.
Darien flipped his phone closed with a click. "All taken care of. Andrew's going to get your stuff and smooth things over with Miss H. He always was one of her favorite students. He's going to tell her that while you were on the way to office your cousin came rushing in to find you. When you heard that she had been in an attack, you hurried out to take her home. Drew's a smooth talker, she'll believe him."
Relief swept through Serena. "Thank goodness. I hated the thought of facing that dragon lady's wrath. I didn't even stop to think. I got the message and just took off."
"Speaking of which, how did you know about the attack without this?" Darien pulled her communicator from his pocket.
Serena grinned sheepishly, pulling out an identical one. "Luna keeps a spare stashed under my bed. I borrowed it when I couldn't find mine. I wanted to stay informed and I had a feeling you guys might try to hide something from me. I was right, too. If I hadn't had this, I would have been clueless."
The rest of them had the good grace to look a little ashamed. Serena considered lighting into them, but didn't. She knew they only did it because they cared about her. She had the best friends in the world.
A sudden buzzing in her pocket had her pulling out her cell phone. She grew concerned when she saw her mom's cell number on the screen. Her mom never called her during school hours. She answered quickly. "Hello"
"Oh, Serena, I'm so glad I got in touch with you." Ilene said frantically. "There was an attack at Rini's school. I hurried down there, but I can't find her anywhere."
"Calm down, mom." Serena soothed her. "I was just about to call you. Rini's with me. She ran to my school when the attack happened. The girls and I were just calming her down. Is it okay if I miss my afternoon classes? We were going to take her for ice cream to cheer her up." She shared a conspiratorial smile with Rini.
Ilene sighed. "Oh, thank goodness she's okay. Yes, yes, take the afternoon off. The poor thing must be traumatized after that attack. You girls be careful and be home in time for dinner."
"We will, mom. Bye." she ended the call.
"That crisis is solved." she muttered. "I've had enough of dealing with mothers today."
The others looked at her questioningly, but she held them off. "I'll tell you all about it later. Right now I have to get some food. I was already hungry before, but now I'm starving."
"How about we all go to my place?" Darien suggested. "We can order pizza and have a private place to talk about everything that's happened today."
That brought a loud chorus of agreements from all of the girls. He helped Serena to her feet and kept a steadying arm around her as they walked the short distance to his apartment.
The carefully cloaked ship that was orbiting the Earth gave a great shudder, sending the occupants running to the large chamber in the center where a massive black crystal sent out pulsating waves of energy.
"Wiseman, what happened?" Diamond demanded as he and Sapphire joined the hooded being.
"Your minions have failed." Wiseman told him. "The moon princess has reawakened and has activated the Silver Crystal once more."
"I've never seen the crystal act like this." Sapphire said wide-eyed as he took in the sight before him.
Wiseman chuckled evilly. "Now you see why it's so important to get the Silver Crystal. The Dark Crystal will feed off of the energy of the Silver Crystal making it the most powerful source of energy in the universe."
"Amazing" Diamond breathed. "I knew Serenity was powerful, but this is beyond anything I expected."
"Be that as it may, Prince Diamond. It would have been better to get the crystal from the girl before she became aware of its power. Now it will be much harder to accomplish."
"But not impossible." Diamond contradicted. "I'll just have to come up with a new plan. You said she defeated Rubeus and the sisters?"
The hooded head nodded. "She annihilated all of them in mere seconds with the Silver Crystal. Not a speck of them remains."
Sapphire punched a wall in rage, leaving a deep depression in it. "How could she?" he growled. "How could she do that? What right does she have to decide the fate of other's lives? I will see her suffer for this."
"Calm yourself, Sapphire." Diamond said smoothly. "It seems that Serenity wants to do this the hard way. She keeps fighting against me at every turn. So be it. I will leave her no choice in the matter now. She will kneel before me and be my queen. And if I have to destroy her mind to do it, I will."
Sapphire gasped in outrage. "You still want her after what she's done. She has proven herself to be a cold-blooded murdering bitch. How could you want someone like that? I say we take her crystal and kill her."
"I know you disagree with me on this brother." Diamond replied. "But have no fear, she will suffer. I will use the third eye that Wiseman gave me to lock her away inside her mind forever. She will become my puppet to do with as I please. It is not the way I was intending for this to go, but as long as I have her in some form I'll be happy."
Sapphire clenched his fists. "Fine. If that's the way you want it. But know this brother, I will never bow to her. She may be your queen, but she will never be mine."
Diamond inclined his head respectfully. "That is your prerogative, Sapphire."
Sapphire turned and left the room. He managed to hold on to his emotions until he was alone in his laboratory. Once sealed inside the room, his rage knew no bounds. Glass shattered and books and papers when flying as he cleared a table with one sweep of his arm.
He stared at the mess sightlessly for several moments as he tried to get control of himself. Prizma's face kept flashing through his head. He hadn't loved her, they were both too selfish and self-serving for that true emotion, but they had been close. Neither she, her sisters, nor Rubeus deserved to have their fate sealed by a loud mouthed, klutzy teenage girl.
If it wasn't for the fact that his brother was the only person that he genuinely respected, he would go right now and choke the life out of the golden haired princess and let her see how it felt to have someone else in control of whether you lived or died. But if Diamond was able to carry through on what he planned, she would suffer a worse fate. An eternity of being able to think, but unable to act on your own, would be worse than death.
Serena turned over yet again and settled into a different position. She was so tired, but for some reason she couldn't fall asleep. It really wasn't any wonder. Even though her body was physically tired, her mind was constantly racing.
After almost three weeks of wondering if she was slowly going crazy, it was comforting to have all of her memories back where they were supposed to be. Of course, it also meant that her chance at a normal life was gone, but she could deal with that.
After the battle this afternoon, everyone had gone back to Darien's apartment. While she had appeased her stomach with the delicious pizza Darien had ordered in, she told everyone the story of what happened during the battle, how she had traveled to the moon and had spoken with Queen Serenity after she had hit her head on the wall.
Everyone had been spellbound during her tale. Once she had completed it, the excited chatter broke out. Darien and Amy had been more concerned about injuries she might have sustained than anything else. Darien insisted on examining her head for any bumps, while Amy had given her a full scan with her computer. Other than being a little low on energy, she was fine.
They had spent the afternoon trying to come up with a plan on what to do next. Rubeus's parting words had them all fearing that this was far from over, but none of them knew what to expect.
They had questioned Rini, but the little girl seemed to be as lost as the rest of them. She had only been told to come to the past and find them. She had no idea what the next step should be.
With no other choice than to wait, they had all pulled out their school stuff and had done their homework like normal. Luckily, Andrew had delivered Serena's bag to her on his way to the arcade, so she had been able to get her work done. She had shocked everyone by not complaining about it. With just a little help from Darien and Amy, she had completed all of her assignments.
Afterward they had all parted ways. Darien had walked her and Rini home. He had left them at the corner when he saw her father's car in the driveway, however. Ken Tsukino's over protectiveness of his only daughter was legendary. Every teenage boy in the area knew that they would be flirting with death if they ever asked Serena out. So with a swift kiss and a hasty goodnight, Darien had made a fast retreat.
Serena had been a little disappointed. She had hoped to have a few minutes alone to talk with Darien. Now that she remembered the full depth of their relationship, she felt like they needed to have a serious discussion on where to go from here. They had a beautiful, yet tragic past together, but did they have a future?
A slight whisper of sound reached her ears and had her sliding her hand under her pillow to grab her broach she had hidden there. She released her grip on it a moment later as her mind registered the energy of the person who was slipped quietly through the window that had just been opened all the way.
She kept her eyes closed and waited. She felt the presence move closer and then the light trailing of fingertips down her cheek. She slowly raised her eyelids to see Darien kneeling down next to her bed, gazing at her with those beautifully intense eyes of his. He smiled gently when he saw that she was awake.
"Hey" he whispered softly.
"Hey yourself." she replied. "You're making it a habit of coming through my window at night."
He chuckled. "I guess I am. I just felt like I needed to see you. I've thought about you all evening and couldn't go to sleep without seeing you one more time."
Serena giggled. "Are you sure that's not just as excuse to continue keeping an eye on me?" She had informed him and the scouts that it was no longer necessary for them to continue watching her house at night. Now that Sailor Moon was back in action, she would be able to call them if anything happened.
He looked hurt. "Of course not. I just had an urge to see my girlfriend for a few minutes before I went to bed."
Her heart pounded faster at his impassioned words. "Is that what I am, Darien, your girlfriend?"
His cheeks flushed a little as he realized his slip up. They hadn't had a chance to discuss their relationship since she regained all of her memories, but he had hoped that with their return that she would at least think about taking him back completely.
"Sorry" he muttered. "I know you said you wanted to go slow. But you are so much more to me than just a girlfriend, Serena. I want you to know that."
She met his eyes with her own. "I know that. Our love has overcome many obstacles, and this has been no different. I don't see how we could ever be apart. But if you ever pull another stunt like the one you pulled last week, I just may have to kick your ass."
His eyes widened and became hopeful. "Are you saying what I think you're saying?"
She sat up and placed a gentle kiss on his lips and then smiled at him. "Does that answer your question?"
His expression brightened even more. He stood quickly and pulled her up so that she was kneeling on the bed. He wrapped her tightly in his arms and claimed her mouth with his.
Serena gasped at the sensations running through her. Sure, they had kissed during the week that they had been together, but it hadn't been like this. This was much more intense. This was the way that Endymion had kissed Serenity.
A small whimper escaped her as her fingers wound into the ebony strands ay his nape and she pulled him even closer. A low moan reverberated deep in his throat as he complied, deepening the kiss even more. Their tongues danced together as they fought for dominance.
Darien won. Serena wasn't sure how it happened. One minute they were upright, the next they were both sprawled on the bed, his body covering hers. His mouth slid from hers to trail a line of kisses along her jaw to her ear where he took her sensitive lobe between his teeth and nibbled, eliciting a soft moan from her.
"I have missed you so much." he whispered in her ear, smiling to himself as he felt a shiver rack her body. "I know I don't deserve you, but I am so glad you decided to give me another chance."
Her eyes turned serious again. "Just don't make me regret it, Darien. I don't think my heart could take it."
His dark blue eyes met hers, just as serious. "I promise you, Serena, I'll never hurt you like that again. I don't think my heart could take it either."
She pulled his head back down to hers. Their lips had barely touched when they heard the soft click of her door opening. Serena pushed Darien off of her and he rolled quickly to land on the floor on the other side of her bed, hidden from sight. They were so screwed if her parents busted them.
He heard Serena breath out a sigh of relief and took a chance to peek over the edge of the bed. Relief spread through him as well as he saw who their intruder was.
Rini stumbled into the room. Her bubble gum hair was in a tangled mess around her and she sniffled as she rubbed her wet eyes vigorously.
Serena was immediately concerned. "Rini, sweetie, what's wrong?"
A small hiccup escaped the girl. "I had a bad dream. There were explosions and smoke and my mommy and daddy got hurt. Then there was this man with a black hood and he tried to take me away."
The little girl began sobbing. "I want to go home. I want my mommy and daddy."
Serena got up from the bed to pick up the little girl. She tucked the little girl in with her. "Oh Rini, I promise that the other sailor scouts and I are going to do all we can to help you get back home to your parents."
"Hey! What about me?" Darien complained in a loud whisper. "I thought I was in on this too."
Serena rolled her eyes at him. "Of course you are. Don't get your underwear in a bunch."
He gaped at her. "Excuse me?"
She stuck her tongue out at him. "You know what I mean, Darien." The look in her eyes turned mischievous. "But I am curious, boxers or briefs?"
A dark red flush stained Darien's cheeks. "That's none of your business."
Serena prattled on. "I always imagined Tuxedo Mask to be a boxer kind of guy. Black silk boxers kind of suit him, don't you think?"
Darien's cheeks turned even redder, if that was possible. "Serena, please," he begged. "Stop talking about that."
Serena grinned. "So the dashing masked hero of Tokyo can be embarrassed by talking about underwear. I'll have to remember that one."
Rini giggled sleepily. "You two are funny." Her eyes fluttered shut as sleep began to claim her. "You remind me of my parents." she mumbled.
The two teens watched as the little girl slipped off to dream land. They had no idea how to help Rini with her problem, but they were sure as hell going to try everything in their power.
"I guess I better go." Darien said softly.
Serena nodded. "I'll see you in the morning."
She snuggled down into the bed and Darien pulled the covers up around the two girls. He leaned down to kiss Serena lightly on the lips. "Goodnight, my princess."
Serena smiled at him. "Sweet dreams, my prince."
Darien reached over and smoothed some hair back from Rini's face. "Goodnight, little munchkin."
Rini whimpered a little in her sleep and turned her face into his palm. "G'night…daddy." she whispered.
A/N Okay. Sailor Moon's back…YAY!!! After this I start really deviating away from the original story line and making this story my own. Some of the original events will still take place, but just like the rest of the story has been, they may be different or happen in a different order. I'm going to try my best to update again before the end of the year, but I can't make any promises. Happy Holidays everyone! And remember to please drop me a review. And if anyone's interested in a holiday story, check out my one shot called On A Silent Night. Catch ya later!
~Sere~