A/N: Someone asked me about the previous timeline. Serenity traveled through time and is inhabiting her own body, erasing the previous timeline
So yes, the other timeline is gone..

Perfect World

Chapter Twelve: In The Darkness

Serenity had snuck away from Crystal Tokyo.

Actually, she had snuck away from Earth entirely. She had told everyone not to disturb her for the day so that her absence would not be quickly noticed, then she had left. She had spent a long time thinking, and mourning, and brooding, and puzzling over what she should do.

For a time, she had hold up in her memorial room, where she added a picture of Pluto -though she was conflicted about adding it, since it wouldn't be exactly of the Pluto she was trying to add - and she did the majority of her mourning there. She felt miserable, having so many feelings piling onto her at once. She was able to pull herself together slightly by thinking of the words Pluto had offered her after the last time she had visited her memorial. Pluto had told her that following her heart was one of her best qualities and she decided to hold onto the advice that she had been given.

Her heart lead her to the moon.

It had been so long since she had been amid the ruins of her fallen kingdom. Even though she had traveled the solar system twice over at least, it hadn't occurred to her to return until now. She had an ache in her heart. An ache that she had no way to feel. But she felt the pain of loss. The loss of her love, the loss of her perfect world, the loss of a friend, and the still stinging loss of the family she had been born into on Earth. This place was also of broken dreams and lost paradise. This place was also one where she had been happy before something had stolen it all away. And this place was less stifling than the palace on Earth, where she was watched and worried over near constantly.

"Why did this happen?" She asked wondered aloud to no one.

"My beloved daughter, I wish that I wasn't seeing you so sorrow filled, but I am glad to see you."

Looking up, she saw the spirit of her mother standing before her, smiling with warm benevolence. Serenity's eyes watered slightly as she looked at her mother. "Mother?"

"It's good to see you, my beautiful daughter." Queen Serenity said. "Let me tell you something, Serenity. When my kingdom was flourishing, I made certain that there was a way it could be restored. After the tragedies that befell you, my daughter, I did not have the will to raise my kingdom." The Queen smiled with a sorrowful heir. "You are like me in many ways, Serenity, but you are also stronger than I was. You have two homes, the Earth and the Moon."

Serenity turned to look at the ruins of the moon kingdom. "You think that I could restore our home?"

"I know that you can, my daughter. If only you have the will, this could be your home once more." Serenity's form moved closer to one of the ruins. "I don't know what you have been through, Serenity, but I believe with all my heart that you will be able to move past what ever troubles have settled in your heart."

"Thank you, mother." Serenity answered.

Queen Serenity smiled. "Be strong, Serenity." Then the image of her mother faded and Serenity let herself fall to her knees among the ruins.


She inquired to Mercury, first, as soon as she returned.

"The reconstruction of the moon kingdom?" Mercury replied in question. "I don't know if that's possible." She said to Serenity. "If it could be done, the ginzuishou would be the only tool that I can think of that would work. Perhaps you should ask Luna or Artemis."

Serenity nodded. "You're right."

"Why were you thinking about it?" Mercury questioned.

"Call it a curiosity." Serenity answered.

Serenity was compelled to ask Artemis rather than Luna. Perhaps it was because of the hazy memories that she had, but she felt weary asking the feline what could be a telling question. Artemis was pleased to answer her question.

"Queen Serenity would have been able to restore her kingdom with the ginzuishou, but it would take a lot of power." Artemis explained. "The moon kingdom was intrinsically tied to the power of the ginzuishou and everything there was designed to responded to that power. What makes you ask?"

"A curiosity that I've been having." Serenity answered.

Artemis looked at her a little longer, waiting for her to offer more, but she did not. Had it been Luna she spoke to, the feline woman would have been suspicious and asked many more questions. Serenity did not know what she planned to do, exactly, to have answered such questions anyway.


Slowly, so that no one would notice, she began to spend more time on the moon. Staring at and studying the ruins, enjoying the solitude, and talking to Diamond. The emptiness of the moon was better than the oppressive presence of her once friend and cold husband. She sat on the cold, lifeless surface, leaning against the fallen pillars.

"It's becoming rather stressful to be within the palace." Serenity told him. "They aren't obviously together, but whenever the two of them are out of my sight, I wonder what they are doing. If they are together. And since being in their presence pains me so, they are so often out of my sight."

"I can see why it would be painful to you." Daimond told her. "My advice to you is either to go nowhere at all or to make yourself a home elsewhere."

"What do you mean?" She asked him.

"If you truly do not want to be around them, you do not have to be. You could leave them. That carries the repercussions of leaving other things as well. You could also refuse to leave and force them to confront you."

"Confronting them... I'm not sure I'd gain anything from it."

"You could gain knowledge of their reasons..." He suggested.

"I'm not certain that I want them." She replied. Serenity sighed. "Have you received the supplied that I sent, yet?"

"Yes. Nemesis is very grateful for all your aid, Serenity." He replied.

"If you could... I'd like a favor Diamond." Serenity began. "Queen Isis of Saturn, I find her very kind and I think she would not be one to treat you or your planet with hostility. I know that Nemesis does not have a good standing among the other planets, but I think if you reached out, it could help you in that regard."

Diamond was silent for a moment. "From anyone but you, Serenity, I would scorn such advice."

"I do not mean to impede on your pride, Diamond." Serenity answered.

"I know." He said in turn.

"I hope that you do not think this question intrusive, but how is it that Nemesis came to be?" She questioned. "You are the only of the planets that I did not aid in the reconstructing. It is curious."

"Our planet's source of life is the Dark Crystal, used in much the same way as your ginzuishou. My father's adviser helped him with his own power, also."

Serenity gave a hard beat as memories of the Phantom came to mind. Fear crept down her spine, but she tried not to show it. She had yet to figure out a way to approach the problem that the Phantom would present. One could not go unprompted to foreign planets and attack their people, especially when that person had a high position among their people. A war would be not better than what the Phantom planned.

"The people of Nemesis are amazing." Serenity whispered quietly. "So enduring..."

"So are you." He told her.

She smiled slightly. "You are kind to say so." She whispered. "Thank you for your advice."

"You are far kinder than I, Serenity." He told her.

Silence reigned for a moment, then she asked quietly, "Did you help at all, with the raising of Nemesis?"

"Saphir and I both." He answered.

"Perhaps... you would be willing to help me with something..." She began hesitantly. "I... I want to restore the ruins of my mother's kingdom."

Diamond was silent a moment in turn. "If it is your desire, Serenity, then I will help you. I must wonder, however, if this means..."

"I do not yet know what it means." Serenity said. "And I don't know what I will do, only that i have this desire."

"You have my support." He told her. "Just as you have given support to me."


"Usagi." Venus called to her one day, looking stern. "You don't look very happy today, tell me what's wrong."

"...Don't... call me Usagi anymore, Minako." Serenity said hesitantly. "I... I don't want you to think of me that way, now. I don't want to be Usagi."

"What do you mean?" She asked. "Who o you want to be?"

"Myself." She answered. "But I'm not the same person that I once was, so I don't want to be called what used to be."

Venus was frowning at her, expression between confusion and sadness, but Serenity didn't know how to make her understood what she meant without saying more than she wished to. "Okay..." Venus answered. "Serenity."

She moved forward to hug her tightly. "Thank you, Minako." She said and she felt the tension leaving from her senshi's body. Then Serenity held her a little tighter and asked, "May I ask you something?"

Venus's arms went around Serenity in return. "What is it?"

Serenity paused as she tried to gather her words. Her mind was on Endymion and she hesitated to speak at first. "Do you think I... Do you think that my younger self, when I was still a senshi, was... needy?"

The question seemed to call the tension back into Venus' body. He voice was slightly shaky when she questioned in turn, "Why do you ask?"

"I just... need to know."

Venus pulled back to look at Serenity, her face filled with determination of a sort or maybe she was upset, Serenity couldn't quiet tell. "We were all a little needy in the beginning." She said. "And there is nothing wrong with relying on your friends! We were suppose to support each other, that's what you do when you are close to someone. And you were always there for us. All of us. I don't think that you've done anything wrong, Serenity." Venus told her. "And I wouldn't call you needy."

Serenity stared at Venus for a long time before a soft smile touched her lips and she said, "Thank you."

"We should all be thanking you, Serenity." Venus said. "You gave us the strength to move forward... and... I just hope that one day... we can give you strength, too."

The words coupled with the look in Venus' eyes brought her to realization that Venus knew. Or, if not knew, she at least suspected and that... put Serenity to shame, just a little. But it also, comforted her that Venus would still such things to her, still feel that way about her, even knowing that she had been inadequate for Endymion. And perhaps also, for Mars.

"Thank you." Serenity said once more. "I think that I would like to be alone for a time." She said, then she headed toward her crystal gardens to think again.


A/N: So, it's been a long time hasn't it? I know I'm terrible for leaving this story so long, but I have no intention of leaving this story unfinished, I just got a little busy and then I got a little uninspired.

I've had this chapter written for a while, but I originally wanted to add more. I feel bad posting such a short chapter, but I just can't let the New Year start without an update. I can't promise when future updates will come, but this story has moved back up to the top of my priority list, so more will be coming before too much time passes. I want to thank everyone that has reviewed or has favorited or followed this story. It really motivates me and this update is for all of you. Hopefully I'll get a few more of those inspiring reviews and I look forward to them. Thanks for hanging in their with me!