AN: Hello, collide readers! So, first of all, I sincerely apologize for the delay in this chapter. When I first started writing this, I never intended for it to be as dark as it is. Admittedly, I needed a break from the angst to work on some fluffier pieces! Now, this chapter is much shorter than the others. It was difficult to write, and I am not sure how it will be received.

I want to thank my readers, reviewers and followers. It means everything to a fanfiction writing gal to get a notification in my inbox! It's become one of my favourite things!

Shout out to my bae-tas. and my equally beautiful muses- these girls. They make my life. Aya faulkner, Ninjette Twitch and Revy679.

Well, I am nervous... so I'll let you get to it.. If you like it. Please Review!

Chapter 10

The white-haired prince of Nemesis

Ash was not a patient man. In fact, if there was anything he hated more than the royal abominations that he was currently plotting to kill, it was waiting for something to get done. He supposed that was one of the reasons why he'd been recruited as the Dark Moon Clans militant expert in the first place. For his ability to strike with cold, and startlingly dangerous precision, quickly, and without a second thought. He was admittedly more calculated and much less impulsive than his red-headed predecessor and his band of witches, but Demande and his steely-eyed brother had underestimated his thirst for power.

They'd assumed he was a sheep, easily led by a metaphorical jewel encrusted leech, just a pawn in their power plays. How quickly they'd forgotten that they had not been the ones to recruit him. Wiseman had been the one to pull him from the viper pits of Nemesis, and he preferred to follow the floating creature of darkness rather than the misguided brothers who'd apparently lost sight of their real goal.

Wiseman was also the reason he currently sat upon Demandes pretentiously constructed stone throne, presently waiting on Esmeraude, who made his skin crawl with disgust.

He knew what he was going to do now that he'd taken control. He was going to harness the power of Crystal Tokyo's spawn to amplify the powers of the maleficent crystal, and then he was going to kill the King, Queen and their pathetic band of protectors. His lips curled into a maliciously satisfied smile, his gaze fixed absentmindedly on the sleek, shimmering black walls of the chamber. He so longed to watch them all burn, as he had himself watched so many of his own burn on Nemesis. The skin melting and bubbling off of their bones as they screamed in agony.

Then, when they had all burnt to a crisp along with the Silver Crystal that was the sole reason for their everlasting lives, he was going to kill Esmeraude and Saphir. They were vain, egotistical creatures that he would have never chosen himself. No, he intended to handpick his own warriors from the deepest trenches of Nemesis and lead the world into a new era of darkness.

The air shifted in the chamber, and a resounding pop exploded throughout the room and effectively pulled Ash from his dark musings. His blood began to race with anticipation as Esmeraude appeared, ragged and slightly terrified, precariously clutching a wailing child as she pulled an unconscious blonde woman behind her. The blonde promptly collapsed to the ground as Esmeraudes vines of darkness dissipated, uncurling from around her captive body.

He had fully expected that the green-haired woman would fail. She was impulsive, her rash behaviour unpredictable, which surely should have resulted in her demise. He was surprised that she'd actually managed to succeed. Though, if the pained look on her face was any indication, not very well.

His eyes narrowed in confusion as he leveraged the cold stoned armrests to pull himself to his feet. Esmeraude was writhing in pain now, and with an anguished cry, she dropped the black-haired monster whose wailing intensified from being unceremoniously tossed onto the floor. The shrill sound pierced the chamber with a ferocity that made him want to cover his ears.

Rage began to course through him as he stared at the creature, "Shut it up, Esmeraude!" he growled out furiously, his voice barely audible over the sound of its piercing cries.

Esmeraude pulled herself to her feet, wobbling unsteadily. He noted that there were tears of pain glistening in her eyes, and his frown deepened. He'd never seen the cold-hearted bitch shed a tear in all the time he'd known her. She took a step back, vehemently shaking her head. "I'm not touching that thing! Do you know what it did to me?" she screeched angrily, and the sound of Emeraudes high-pitched tone intermingled with the baby's cries made him grit his teeth in irritation.

He stepped towards the green-haired witch menacingly, clenching his fists. "It was an order, Esmeraude. Not a request. Shut. It. Up!" he was furious now, irritated by her disobedience and by the creature that wouldn't cease its screaming.

The blonde-haired woman that had fallen to the ground as Esmeraude had arrived moaned pitifully. A pained hissing sound slipping through her teeth as she pulled her broken body upright, whimpering as she lifted herself up onto her hands and knees. "Endy," she choked, and he watched in disgust as she collapsed onto her side again, before attempting to pull her mangled limbs across the floor, evidently trying to reach for the child.

It was clear that this must be one of the Senshi guardians. She was quite beautiful, even mangled from Esmeraude's handiwork, but much younger than he'd initially assumed. A twisted cord of angry irritation coursed through him; how could the green-haired bitch have managed to discover the identity of the Senshi when he, himself, had tried to find them unsuccessfully for years?

He let his rage, that always simmered just beneath the surface, boil over as he strode to the blonde and violently kicked her in the stomach just as her slender fingers grazed the wailing creatures back. She gasped in pain, curling her body into the fetal position in an attempt to protect herself, though her hand still extended desperately towards the baby.

With a sneer of disdain, he pressed the heel of his scuffed gray boot onto her hand, twisting and grinding it into the extended limb. A snakelike smile slid onto his lips as he gleefully relished in the sounds of snapping bones and her screams of anguish that weaved so beautifully into the air around him. He breathed a sigh of blissful relief; with her pain-filled cries, he could hardly hear the baby anymore. Her pain lessened his irritation, and he pressed harder, and her screaming intensified. It was a guttural cry of agony laced with a whimpered, pleading sound. It was music to his ears, and he shuddered with pleasure. He was so deeply entrenched in his enjoyment of the torment he was causing her that he didn't expect the attack.

He cried out as what felt like an electric current raked painfully across his skin, cutting into him like electrically charged razor-blades that brought him to his knees. He gasped, his throat constricting with agony as his fingers dug into the stone floor beneath his palms. He craned his neck, bleary-eyed, as he furiously scanned his surroundings to locate the source of the attack.

He noted that the blonde-haired Senshi had promptly fallen unconscious, her body twisted at an unnatural angle beside him, her breathing pained and shallow. Esmeraude had also been pulled to her knees in agony, and he roared furiously as his eyes fell onto the red-faced, squealing seed of the abominations he hated.

It was the damn baby that was attacking them, and the edge of his vision turned a hazy red with his unfettered rage. He was going to rip the little beast apart when he got a hold of it.

He pushed through the pain, clenching his eyes shut as he gritted his teeth with determination. He liked to think he was only seconds away from overcoming his pain and springing to his feet in a rage-filled glory when the agony suddenly stopped, and the screams and wailing that had pierced through the chamber abruptly ended. The only sounds were their gulping gasps of air as he unsteadily forced himself to stand.

His sharply angled brows furrowed in confusion by the strange picture that greeted him; the child was currently cradled in the arms of the floating, hooded figure that belonged to Wiseman. It was calm now, in an almost lethargic state, as Wiseman's skeletal hand almost tenderly grazed its head. The bony pads of his fingers interlacing through ebony hair, massaging its scalp and promptly rendering the child unconscious.

Ash's face contorted into a menacing sneer, as he stepped towards the floating spectre. "Wiseman," he said, and his anger intensified at the hoarse sound of his tone. "Give me the child. I will give him to Saphir for dissection," he demanded haughtily, reaching towards them with outstretched palms

He had never seen Wiseman's face beneath the ratty brown hood that hung thickly around his gaunt form, and today was no exception as he peered demandingly into the endless dark hollowed out place where he imagined his face would be. His muscles coiled and tensed with irritation as the spectre effortlessly glided backward, taking his powerful prize with him.

Wiseman chuckled raspily, "No, I think not. I have more lucrative plans for him than a mere dissection," he croaked menacingly, his tone terrifyingly low and infuriatingly firm.

Ash bristled indignantly, how dare Wiseman think to deny him? "I think that you forget that I am in charge here -" he began haughtily but was firmly interrupted by the abrasive, powerfully angered chords of Wiseman's voice.

"I think you are forgetting that your position was acquired only by my good graces in allowing you access to the Maleficent Crystal, Ash. Do not forget why you stand where you do," he stated, and the deathly calm way with which he said it terrified him and effectively silenced his protests.

He'd always known -more so than Demande- that Wiseman was, above all things, inherently dangerous. It would not bode well for him to cross the mysterious being that had, up until this point, aligned with his goals. He swallowed down his anger, making the disappointing decision not to argue as he fixed his gaze on the child in Wiseman's arms. Whatever power the dark spectre was imbuing in the child was very effective, as the creature remained sleeping, its milky-white, alabaster skin so very distinct within the swirling folds of Wiseman's cloak.

He opened his mouth to speak, to say something that might somehow show his subservience to the dangerously influential mentor while still maintaining a firm, authoritative control over a snarling Esmeraude. Wiseman did not give him a chance to speak though, and with a dusky snap, the spectre disappeared from the chamber.

The silence he'd left in his wake was deafening, and Ash had to fight through clenched fists and gritted teeth to wade through the almost unbearable flash of fury. He needed to somehow soothe his rage at being so thoroughly overpowered. Ash contemplated kicking the blonde Senshi again, but she was unconscious, and his thirst to hear her scream would not be satiated. He glanced over at Esmeraude, whose eyes were narrowed on him, her face a stone cold mask of silent derision. The green-haired Bitch would hardly do, either. What he truly wanted was someone to kill.

The tension coiled into the muscles of his neck and shoulders suddenly seeped out with a sudden realization. They would not be dissecting the child. The corners of his thinly pressed lips curled upwards into a malicious smile of anticipation. It was time to summon Saphir. Demandes brother had outlived his usefulness.

oOo

It felt like he was being ripped into shreds, and it began the moment his sole reason for breathing had stepped over the Crystal barrier and slipped away from him, firmly ensconced in the enemies arms. Keeping the unbearably piercing grief at bay had been a feat on its own. When paired with his future counterparts hardened eyes, Chibi's heart-wrenching sorrow, followed by her decision to sever her connection to the Golden Kingdom and run, he was filled with guilt so sizeable, it was crushing him.

He took a step forward, his heart racing as he prepared to follow his pink-haired daughter into the mist, but Pluto firmly grasped his arm. "Stop, Endymion," she said, her tone even and her gaze piercing. His eyes hardened and filled with a frustrated irritation as the cobalt hues of his eye met her even stare. He'd already failed to keep Usagi safe, to protect her as he'd silently vowed to do, and now he was just supposed to let Chibi run away, heartbroken, without trying to save her?

He gritted his teeth, swallowing around the lump of despair as he took another step towards the mist where Chibi and Jimu had disappeared. "Move, Pluto," he demanded harshly, but the Senshi of time clasped his arm. Her slender fingers curling around his forearm like resolute steel bands.

He opened his mouth, furious, ready to protest when he felt the swiftly changing cords of energy around her. It held none of the terrifying uncertainty that it had contained only minutes before. There was a relieved and determined strength pouring off of her now. Something within the multitude of timelines that she managed had changed.

His brow furrowed, his stiffened stance slightly softening as he twisted towards her. "What happened?" he questioned hoarsely. He was barely hanging on at this point, filled with so much terror for the people he loved and the future he desperately wanted. If there was something, anything, that could be done to fix this. He wanted to know.

Pluto, adept at wielding riddles, understood what he meant. She didn't smile, but the contours of her face softened, "There's hope, but we must act quickly," she said, her tone urgent. "There are many ways this could go, and I only stopped you to give you this," she said, leaned forward and swiftly unclasped a brass key from the belt that jingled with the movement around the pleated black skirt of her Sailor fuku.

She pressed the key into his palm, her gaze locked onto his as she curled his fingers over it. "This is a time key. Without it, you can get lost in the mist for all time. Find Small Lady and Jimu. Bring them home," she stated vehemently, and his breath hitched in his throat as he reeled from the intensity of her gaze. The energy around Pluto was difficult to decipher, even with his gift. He wasn't sure if it was because she was continually adapting to the change wrought by time, or if she possessed the ability to mask it from him. Either way, it took him by surprise when he felt the steadfast determination clearly prevalent and unchanging within the Senshi of time.

His fingers flexed around the key, and though it was cold, he swore there was a heat radiating from it through his gloved hand. He was torn between his need to rescue Chibi, and the urgency to bring the Senshi and Generals from the past to help him fight. "The others?" he questioned, his tone hoarse and tinged with uncertainty.

Once again, Pluto immediately understood what he meant. She nodded firmly, "I'll get the others," she reassured, her tone curt as she pushed him gently into the mist. "Go now, Endymion," she demanded, and it was all he needed to hear.

With a sharp nod of his head, he twisted around and strode away from the gates of time. His body slicing through the mist, his swift movements displacing it in swirling masses around him. He would save Chibi first, and then, with the help of the others, they would rescue his Usako.

oOo

She didn't know how anyone could possibly survive in this cold, cavernous crystal palace with endlessly long hallways that twisted and turned like a labyrinth. The walls shimmered and pulsated with purple veins of dark energy. Usagi shivered, swallowed down her dread and forced herself to put one foot in front of the other.

This place was seriously creepy; it was reminiscent of Beryl and Metallia's Dark Kingdom. Even the dank, musky smell that assaulted her senses reminded her of that awful place. It evoked a sense of terror that rose with the unbidden memories that she'd spent the better part of a year trying to forget. She wished that she wasn't walking these halls alone, and more than anything she wished that Mamoru was here to keep her haunted sorrow at bay like he usually did.

Her heart skipped a beat at the thought of her raven-haired prince that she'd left in a lurch, wide-eyed and confused. She wished that she'd taken just a moment to stop and explain to him what it was that she was doing. She should have, and now he was probably worried sick.

Her breathing quickened, and she stumbled a little as the panic began to unfurl like a dark blossom of fear in the cavity of her chest. She stopped and pushed herself into the darkened shadows dancing throughout the halls, her back pressed against the cold crystalized wall. Her situation was a little bleak, undoubtedly, a Moon Senshi with no actual ability to use her powers, but all she needed to do was find Saphir so he could get them out of here. Demande was running out of time. She took a deep, cleansing breath, strengthened her resolve, and pushed away from the wall.

It was strange that she had yet to see a single soul in this place. Though, there was only Ash, Esmeraude and the mysterious Wiseman that she needed to worry about. She'd seen this black crystal castle on Nemesis in Demande's earliest nightmares, and she'd been grateful when he'd stopped bringing her here. The darkness of this place in Demandes contrived world was nothing compared to this place in real life though. She could feel the inherent evil coiled in every corner and crevice here. Almost like something was lying in wait, like needled eyes of Maleficent energy following her every move from the shadows.

She shivered, trying to rub some warmth into her arms as she pressed forward. It felt like she'd been wandering around for ages, and she was beginning to panic when she passed the opening of a darkened chamber. She would have kept going and just given it a quick glance over just like all of the others, but a small wisp of gold caught her eye. Something so bright was out of place in the dark black, greys and purples that made up the castle on Nemesis. So, she cautiously stepped over the threshold, and her eyes narrowed as it adjusted to the even dimmer lighting in the room.

Her heart skipped a beat, and her breath hitched painfully in her throat that was constricted in horror as the sight before her fully registered in her mind. Two bodies were lying motionless on the floor, their limbs twisted in unnatural angles. She recognized the blue head of hair right away, and she choked on a broken sob as she stumbled further into the chamber. Sheer devastation compressed painfully in her chest at the sight of Demandes brother splayed out and discarded in the cold. She thought her horrified sorrow had surely reached its peak until her eyes fell onto the broken blonde, with a familiar red bow tangled up in her hair, in the exact same position.

She gasped, the blood draining from her face, and she swore she couldn't breathe. Her knees buckled, and she fell, with jarring impact, onto the cold stone floor. It wasn't Minako. It couldn't be. Her cry of terror rattled deep in her chest and bubbled out of her throat into a truncated gasp of horror.

She fell forward, the grainy pebbled stones on the ground digging into the palms of her hands and knees as she brokenly crawled to her friend, bleary-eyed and filled with devastated denial. Minako was at home with Endy. This wasn't real. It couldn't be real.

When she reached her friend, mangled and almost unrecognizable, an involuntary whimper tore from her lips and echoed throughout the room. Her hand shook as she forcibly lifted it towards Minako's face and gently pulled back the curtain of twisted blonde hair that covered her pale facial features. "No," she whispered hoarsely. "Minako!" The cry tore from her throat, and her movements became frenzied as she dropped her head onto Minako's chest, desperately clinging to her friend. Her fingers digging into her shoulders. What happened? Why was her friend here on Nemesis, and untransformed?

Her heart hammered against her ribcage as her ear pressed against her friend's breast to listen. She tried to calm herself, stop the laboured breathing and sobs resonating throughout the room so that she could discern, with bated breath, the difference between her own heartbeat pounding in her ears and Minako's. It took every ounce of willpower that she possessed to control the raging sorrowful emotions coursing through her, but she managed and wept with relief as she heard the muted, but steady heartbeat, intermingled with the pained moan of agony, that emanated from Minako.

She was in pain, so much pain, but she was alive!

She shot up onto her knees and whimpered with relief at the sight of Minako's face contorting into a look of anguish as she attempted to move. "Minako! Oh God, you're alive!" She said, her tone riddled with the uncontrollable need to cry and laugh at the same time.

She leant over, placed a trembling kiss on her friend's forehead, "It's okay, Minako. I'm going to get you out of here," she whispered, her tone fierce and filled with promise. She took a deep breath and channelled her anger. With a newfound steeled resolve to save her friends, she sat up on her haunches.

Her body shook with a mixture of grief and sorrow as she turned to peer over at Saphir. She prayed that there was still life in the brother that she'd come to love secondhand through Demandes memories. With one last comforting squeeze of Minako's shoulder, she tentatively pulled away and shuffled her body the two feet across the floor to Saphir.

She knew the instant that her hand touched his stiffened shoulder that he was gone. Her hands shook, and she closed her eyes, taking a moment to wade through the sorrow. This was going to break Demande. When she opened them again, she was blinded by hot tears of grief. She trembled as she tenderly swept away a tuft of blue hair from his cold, pale forehead. She forcibly swallowed the bile that bubbled, unbidden, in her throat back down into her churning stomach as she gently pressed her fingertips onto his eyelids. It felt like her tears seared hot trails of pain onto her cheeks as she gently pulled Saphirs lids shut over the glossy grey eyes that would never see again. She could have saved him.

"Serenity."

She inhaled sharply and rapidly twisted her body around. Her muscles coiled tightly and ready to attack, but it was Demande leaning against the wall beside the doorway. He was pale, his expression ragged and filled with pain. Silver strands of hair clung to his face and neck that was wet with perspiration. His hand clutched his chest that heaved with rattling, agonized breaths. She wasn't sure how much longer he was going to be able to hang on.

She pressed the palms of her hands into the cold stone floor, curled her legs beneath her and leveraged them to stand. Demandes piercing gaze was fixed on her, his stare pain-filled and filled with confusion, so she knew he had yet to see Saphir's lifeless body splayed out behind her. The thought of what this would do to her friend, how it would break him, renewed a fresh onslaught of tears that welled and slid down her face. It felt like they were burning grooves into the flesh of her cheeks, their warmth in contrast to the cold in the air numbing her face.

Her fingers nervously twisted into the fabric of her pleated skirt, as the words of sorrow, or comfort - she wasn't really sure- bubbled up in her throat, before tangling up on her tongue and dying on her lips. What could she possibly say to him? She let out an involuntary whimper instead and Demande's brows furrowed as his eyes filled with alarm.

He pushed away from the wall, and with difficulty, took an unsteady step towards her. He reached for her, his hands outstretched and his mouth opened as if he were going to ask her what was wrong, but he froze mid-stride as his eyes finally fell onto the body that lay on the floor behind her.

His eyes widened in horror, and though she didn't think it was possible, his face turned a shade whiter than it had been. "No... Saphir," he spat raspily, his tone filled with a mixture of fury and disbelief.

He roughly pushed past her, and it broke her heart to see him fall to his knees and desperately clutch at the lifeless husk of the only person that Demande had ever truly loved. She choked on a sob, pressing her fingers to her lips in an attempt to force it back down, as she watched him shakily caress his brothers face before gently removing the blackened crystal that hung on his ear. His head bent forward with sorrow, and his shoulders slumped and heaved with devastated sadness. He didn't make a sound, though, except for his laboured breathing, and she took a tentative step forward. She wanted so desperately to hold him, offer him some kind of comfort.

She placed a delicate hand on his shoulder, "Demande, we can bring him to Mamoru, we can bring him back.." she began desperately but trailed off as she felt his muscles stiffen beneath her fingers. It happened so quickly, she did not expect it when Demande twisted around, as he gracefully pulled himself to his feet and grasped her wrist in his hand. She cried out in pain as his fingers curled around her wrist so tightly she thought he would surely snap her bones. She briefly wondered how he managed such strength when he'd been so weak only moments ago. The answer was in the rage contorted onto his face and emanating from his darkened gaze.

Demande's fury was pushing him through his anguished pain, and currently, his wrath was wholly directed solely onto her. "Do you think Saphir would want to be an abomination, like you?" he seethed furiously, and though she knew he was currently wracked with grief, the words still hurt.

Something dark and dangerous flashed through Demandes eyes and the blood drained from her face, as her breathing quickened. She'd faced this look before, in the early days of Demandes nightmares. "Demande, please, I'm so sorry," she choked on her despair and her devastation. The pain in her voice for the broken friend that had come so far, but was slowly falling back into the darkness she'd so carefully pulled him out of.

He laughed derisively, a sneer of rage twisting onto his face. "Liar," he spat, and she wanted to weep for him. "You don't care about me, Serenity. Saphir was right, and now he's dead," his words were angry but layered with so much agony that she wished that she could comfort him. "He's dead because I chose you over him, and you'll never choose me," he snapped, and though his voice broke with pain, his facial expression hardened. She was looking at the unyielding, Prince of Nemesis again.

She could not swallow back the sob that tore from her throat this time, and it ripped from her lips as she clenched her eyes shut. Her head fell forward onto his chest, and she lifted her freed hand and pressed her palm into the white fabric of his shirt. "Demande, please. That's not true. You're my friend, I'm so sorry," she pleaded desperately. Was there any way that he would ever listen to her now? How could she make him understand?

He forcefully pushed her away, and she stumbled backwards before tripping and falling to the ground. The impact was jarring, and she winced at the sharp pain that tore up her wrists and forearms that she'd used to brace her fall. She craned her neck, her vision swimming with tears as she stared up into Demandes ashen face and furious obsidian glare as he towered above her. She would do anything to take away his pain. She wished that she could have saved Saphir, and more than anything, she wanted to see her friend again. Not the cold, harsh prince of darkness that she'd met for the first time so long ago.

"How many times do I have to kill you?"

Demandes gaze snapped away from her at the sound of the derisively spoken words that resonated around them. She gasped, twisting her body around to peer up at Ash that stood angrily in the doorway. Cold disdain dripping from his face, his hands clenched into fists and pressed into his sides as he fixed a furious sneer onto Demande.

The silver-haired prince matched his sneer with an equally furious glare, his body beginning to shake with the strain it took to keep himself standing upright through the pain she knew was ripping through him.

Ash spared her a brief glance, chuckling darkly. "Well, I knew that Saphir was a traitorous, spineless worm, but had I known he'd delivered the Queen to me, practically on a silver platter, I may have been more inclined to let him live," he said lightly, the words were meant to prod Demande, and it worked.

Demande roared furiously and took a step towards the red-headed monster, but he was weak and filled with grief. He stumbled and would have fallen had he not caught himself against a tall-backed, stone chair fixed into the floor. Ash laughed, and the shrill sound made her skin crawl.

It felt like time had stopped. Like everything was moving in slow-motion as she watched, helplessly, as Ash stepped into the room and lifted sinuous arms into the air, a black ball of electrically charged maleficent energy forming in the palms of his hands. She peered up at Demande in horror, weak, in pain and unable to protect himself, then she glanced down at Minako, broken but alive and stirring at Demandes feet.

She needed to make a decision, and it was the hardest one that she'd made since the decision to plunge a steel blade into her abdomen. She would not let her friends die, and though Demande was angry now, she loved him still. Just like she loved the blonde-haired Senshi of Venus that she knew Demande could get out of this darkened pit of despair.

With every ounce of strength that she possessed, she leapt to her feet and barreled into Demande, curling her arms around his neck and burying her face in his chest just as Ash released the weaponized beam of energy.

She felt the moment that the beam hit her. It ripped through her flesh at the small of her back, tearing violently through her spine. She screamed in agony; this was more painful than the time that Metallia had embedded herself into her soul, though not nearly as bad as the searing pain inflicted by Beryl. She couldn't feel her legs anymore, and she was sure that she'd been cut in half.

Her vision blurred, her ears ringing as all of her extremities went numb. Her head, of its own accord, rolled back as she began to slide down the length of Demande. He must have held onto her though because she didn't collapse onto the ground as she'd expected too. She was becoming accustomed to the pain now, as she dizzily peered up into Demandes horrified expression. His eyes were wide, his lips parted in disbelief, and tears were pooling in his eyes. She let a wispy smile curl onto her lips at the sight. Her friend cared after all.

With one arm still firmly wrapped around her mangled waist, he lifted his other hand and cupped her cheek. There was blood staining his fingers, and it took a moment before she realized, with a start, that it was her own.

She supposed that she should be able to feel the heat radiating from his palm, but it was just cold now. Everything was so cold. "Serenity, why would you do that?" he choked. She smiled sadly up into his face. How could he still not understand?

She wanted to lift her hand to comfort him, but she couldn't feel it anymore. She choked around the blood that was bubbling in her throat. "You're my friend," she whispered with great difficulty. "I already told you, Demande. I would gladly take your place in death, just like I would for all of my friends," she gurgled raspily. She would have said more, begged him to find Mamoru and save Minako, but it was all that she could manage.

The look in his eyes told her, though, that Demande finally understood what she meant. That he could finally comprehend what she'd been trying to teach him all of this time.

Everything became a dull blur after that, and she was only vaguely aware that he'd placed her on the ground beside Minako, before resolutely turning to face Ash. She couldn't really hear what they were saying, it was all just buzzing noise to her now. She thought she felt something on her hand, and though it caused her unbearable pain, she twisted her neck to the side, pressing her cheek into the stone to be greeted by tear-filled blue eyes.

She couldn't move her body, every part of her completely paralyzed so she could not offer Minako, who'd clasped her hand, the comfort that she wanted too. She couldn't speak either, no matter how much she wished she could. So she forced a smile onto her face instead, hoping that the look in her eyes would convey to her all of the love that she felt, along with a silent plea of forgiveness for leaving her too early.

Minako's mouth was moving, but she couldn't hear her words. She knew that she was dying, and her last thought as she closed her eyes with accepting sorrow was of deep soulful cobalt blue eyes. Her only regret was that she hadn't been able to hold Mamo-chan just one more time before she let the darkness consume her.

oOo