The Sailor Scouts knelt before Queen Serenity. Yami and Sariah bowed before her, as well. Everyone else simply stared at the woman in brilliant white.

"There's no need to bow before me, thou whom were once Pharaoh and Queen of Egypt," Queen Serenity said to Yami and Sariah. "After all, your authority is equal to mine here." Yami and Sariah obediently stood, him supporting her with one arm.

"Grandma?" Sailor Mini Moon asked.

Queen Serenity smiled at Sailor Moon and Sailor Mini Moon. "You can call me that if you want," she replied.

"I don't understand," Sailor Moon said. "What are you doing here? How are you here?"

Queen Serenity lowered herself to the ground, standing beside Serenity Wheeler and the gawking Joey. "I have been here with Miss Serenity Wheeler for years, waiting for this moment."

Serenity Wheeler stirred and opened her eyes. "Queen Serenity… you really are here," she said with a smile. Serenity sat up, Joey supporting her with his uninjured arm. Sailor Jupiter and the other Senshi stood upright.

"Of course. I am always here for you, my friend." Queen Serenity placed a hand on Serenity Wheeler's head, smiling gently. The queen stood again, addressing Sailor Moon loud enough so the entire room could hear her. "Before you were born—and even before my own birth—the Moon Kingdom's relationship was more cordial, even friendly, than it ended up being by the time you and Prince Darien met and fell in love."

"Friendly?" Tuxedo Mask asked, placing his hands on Sailor Moon's shoulders.

"Egypt was the primary power on Earth for thousands of years, before your kingdom or any other began to grow in power," Sailor Pluto interjected.

"Sailor Pluto is right," said Queen Serenity. "For that reason, my mother Queen Kaguya the Third decided to form an alliance with the Earth. While the Moon Kingdom had been charged from its onset to be a guardian and watch-keeper of the Earth, the people of the moon feared being targeted by other kingdoms, whether they were of Earth or of other planets or systems. So, Queen Kaguya traveled to Earth and formed a treaty with Pharaoh Akanamkanon."

"That explains the picture on the wall when we came in," Amy murmured.

"Akanamkanon?" Yami asked.

"Your father in your past life," Sariah told Yami.

"He was?" Yami's face fell. Sariah placed a gentle hand on his arm.

Queen Serenity turned to Ishizu and Sailor Pluto. Ishizu said, "He lacks all memory of his past

life as Prince or Pharaoh of Egypt."

Queen Serenity nodded with a sad look at Yami. "I am sorry to hear that."

"Pharaoh, do you have the other Items?" Ishizu asked.

"Yes, I brought them." Yami squeezed Sariah's shoulders, then stepped back to retrieve them.

"Looking for this?" Kaiba held out the duffle bag towards Yami.

Yami turned to face him, eyebrows raised. "Kaiba! Yes… thank you."

"Save it and take this. If it'll get us out of here, the sooner the better." Kaiba dumped the bag into Yami's arms and walked back to the door. "You idiots…" he muttered as Yami set the bag with the Items gently on the floor.

Queen Serenity shook her head. She then continued speaking to Sailor Moon and Yami. "Part of Queen Kaguya's concerns were with the dark magic of the Millennium Items. She feared their being used to conquer the Moon Kingdom—and from there, the rest of the galaxy and the universe. So, a crucial part of that contract included the creation of Items with the power of light, to counteract or work alongside the power of the Millennium Items."

"More Items?" Yami Bakura muttered with glee.

Queen Serenity glared at both Bakura and Amberite; Amberite stuck her tongue out while Bakura glared back. "These items can only be wielded by warriors of justice." The queen raised her arm towards the altar. "Light and shadow work together to give them power."

Yami unzipped the duffle bag. The Millennium Items floated in the air and began to glow on their own power. The altar's top cracked in half, each half sliding to the ground with a smash.

Eight orbs of white light emerged from the broken altar. Four orbs gravitated towards the Inner Senshi. One floated to Tuxedo Mask. Another two orbs gravitated to the two moon princesses, and the last orb settled before Sailor Universe. "Each Crystal Item was made using the power of the Imperial Silver Crystal, so only the Sailor warriors may wield them," Queen Serenity explained. "Now, use them wisely, and keep them safe from evil like the two that infiltrated this sanctuary."

A silver light exploded from Queen Serenity's body—and she vanished. Then, a golden light burst from the Sailor Scouts and vanished just as quickly. The sailor fukus of the senshi transformed and shaped to accommodate the new power they attained. The white trim of their sleeves and collars was replaced with gold. The eye of Udjat adorned their shoes, chokers, and tiaras. Gold trimmed their bows, lined their skirts, and coiled like snakes around their wrists. Tuxedo Mask's suit changed from black to a brilliant silver.

Each item, crafted from colored quartz and adorned with the planetary symbols, settled onto the re-transformed Scouts. The pyramid-shaped Crystal Pendant, the Crystal Ring, and the Mercuric Key hung from the shoulders of Sailor Moon, Sailor Mini Moon, and Sailor Mercury. Sailor Mars grabbed the handle of the Martian Scales, and Tuxedo Mask gripped the Terra Crystal Rod. The Venusian Necklace appeared on Sailor Venus's neck, and the Heart Bracelet shone around Sailor Universe's right wrist.

Sailor Jupiter cried out in pain, crumpling to her knees. She dropped Serenity's arm and covered her face.

"Lita!" Joey exclaimed. Both Wheeler siblings gripped Sailor Jupiter's shoulders. "Lita, are you okay?" Joey asked.

Sailor Universe looked around at the other Scouts. "Necklace, scales, ring, rod, pendant, key…" Her eyes widened as she turned to Sailor Jupiter. "Oh no."

Sailor Jupiter uncovered her face. Her right eye was replaced with a mint green orb with the numeral 4, the symbol of Jupiter, replacing the iris and pupil—the Jovian Eye.

The boxes around Bakura and Amberite dissolved; Bakura sprang to his feet. The Millennium Ring around his neck shimmered. "Now to take what should be mine!"

"Goddess Isis, strengthen my power," Venus murmured. The Venusian necklace and Millennium Necklace glowed in sync. A golden chain circled around Venus in a cylinder. "Royal Chain Strike!" she shouted. The heart-link chains struck at Yami Bakura, knocking him to the ground and binding his arms.

"No!" Amberite formed a sphere of dark energy in her hand and hurled it at Venus.

"I call upon Ra! Strengthen my power!" Mars cried. Her Martian scales and the Millennium Scales glowed together. "Eye of Ra's Flames!" Tendrils of fire burst from the Martian Scales, evaporating Amberite's magic. The fire launched towards Amberite; the former lieutenant jumped and rolled out of its way.

Jupiter staggered to stand. Joey started to protest, but Sailor Jupiter shook her head.

"Horus, strengthen my power!" Jupiter cried, raising a hand in the air. Electricity collected on her tiara's lightening rod as her Jovian Eye and the Millennium Eye glowed. "Vengeful Lightning Dance!" She spun like a tornado, sending lightening straight at Amberite. Amberite couldn't dodge; electricity shot through her, leaving her to collapse to the ground.

Bakura struggled against the golden heart chains. "This… cannot be happening…"

"Pharaoh!" Sailor Pluto ran over to Yami and Sariah. "Go help them," she murmured.

"But how…?" Yami glanced and saw Sailor Moon and Mini Moon gripping their Crystal Items in preparation.

"Get behind the two on the ground. It'll help channel the blast," Sailor Pluto insisted.

"Alright," Yami said with a nod. He made a dash for the wall behind Amberite and Yami Bakura.

Amberite, struggling to stand, saw Yami from the corner of her eye. Dark lightening crackled in her fingers; she pointed two fingers towards him to shoot.

"Hapi, god of the Nile, strengthen my power!" Mercury cried, her Mercuric Key shimmering with the Millennium Key. She raised her arms before her. "Waters of the Nile… Flooding!" She thrust her arms forward, sending a cascade of water at Yami Bakura and Amberite. The white-haired boy fell to his knees. A growl escaped through his clenched teeth.

Knocked off her feet, Amberite sprawled on her back, panting. "Those items… so much power…" she muttered, a smirk on her face as she sat up.

"Well, it's power you're not gonna get! Not on my watch!" Sailor Universe shouted as Sariah joined her. She glanced back at Sailor Moon. "Sailor Moon, you focus on Bakura. We've got Amberite." Sailor Universe crossed her right arm with Sariah's arm. The two Bracelets touched, glowing in synchronized pulses.

Amberite chuckled. Her arm trembled as she rose it and pointed two fingers towards Sailor Moon. "Oh do you, now?" Black lightening shot towards the moon warrior…

…only to be absorbed by the Terra Crystal Rod.

Tuxedo Mask stood in front of Sailor Moon, Mini Moon, and Universe, protecting them from the dark energy. The black lightening traveled through the rod and dissipated into the ground.

"Thank you, Tuxedo Mask," Sailor Moon said, wide eyed. Tuxedo Mask smiled back at her.

"Sailor Moon!" Yami stood squarely, holding the Millennium Puzzle in his hands from behind Yami Bakura. "Now!"

"Right." Sailor Moon closed her eyes, focusing her power.

The Crystal Pendant in Sailor Moon's hands and the Millennium Puzzle together glowed twice as bright as before. A beam of light joined the two items, activating the Millennium Ring around Bakura's neck and Sailor Mini Moon's Crystal Ring simultaneously. All of the Senshi's Crystal Items glittered with silvery-white light as the Inner Senshi joined hands. Their shimmering energy split into two glowing beams—one absorbed into the Moon Senshi, and the other shot into Sailor Universe and Sariah.

"Khonsu, god of the moon, strengthen our power!" Sailor Mini Moon shouted, raising the Crystal Ring in the air.

"Moon Crystal…" Sailor Moon opened her eyes. "Healing… Activation!" Her compact opened, the Silver Crystal's own light completing the spell the Items created.

A sheet of light wrapped around Yami Bakura. He shrieked, shielding his face with his arms.

Sariah's Bracelet of Light and Sailor Universe's Heart Bracelet formed a beam of light, engulfing Amberite in sheer whiteness. Crackles of black lightening skittered from around Amberite, only to scatter and absorb into the light.

Everyone else in the room covered their eyes. The room exploded in white—

And when the light faded, Amberite was found kneeling on the ground, and Bakura's standing body began to topple.

With a gasp, Venus dashed forward. She caught Bakura in her arms before he could collide with the stone floor beneath them. Quickly she shifted him onto his back as she continued holding him.

"Venus, take the ring from him!" Sailor Mercury darted to Sailor Venus and knelt behind her and the unconscious Bakura.

Venus nodded briskly and untied the cord keeping the Ring around Bakura's neck.

Meanwhile, Amberite simply continued to kneel with shaky, hissing breaths. Her long auburn curls concealed the sides of her face as her head tilted forward. "N-no… I was…" Her hands clasped to her shoulders. "Jedite…"

Universe unconnected her arm with Sariah's and strode forward. "Amberite, you don't have to keep this up…" Falling to one knee, she reached out and placed a gloved hand on Amberite's upper arm. "Let me help you. If all you really want is to revive the one you love—"

"Don't touch me!" Amberite slapped her hand away. Sailor Universe recoiled as her Negaverse counterpart glared at her. The narrowed eyes of the dark-clad former lieutenant peered at the gold and green Senshi through her curled locks. "You can't do a thing for me," she seethed through bared teeth, "and I'll never accept help from the likes of a goody two-shoes like you."

A black portal swallowed Amberite up before anyone could say another word. The strange knife she had carried clattered to the ground. Venus clutched Bakura's unconscious body to her protectively, her eyes full of worry. No one dared to break the silence.

Until Joey spoke up. "That was awesome! Yeah!" He fist-pumped into the air. "You girls really showed 'em who's boss!" Jupiter giggled, a blush on her face as she turned around to look at the exuberant blond boy.

"Yeah, that was awesome, Rini!" Mokuba ran up to Mini Moon, eyes shining in admiration. "With that sweet magic blast and how you stood there like you owned the place!"

"I want magic like that!" Rebecca chimed as she joined Mokuba by Mini Moon.

"Oh! Thank you!" Mini Moon clutched her hands to her face.

Mr. Muto, Professor Hawkins, and Mr. Mizuno began to quietly converse in a huddle, while Duke and Mars began to snark at each other. Other chatter formed within the room as Mercury returned the Millennium Ring to the duffle bag with the other items.

Yugi zipped the bag closed, and he looked over at his friend in the gold and green fuku. Amidst the conversation, Sailor Universe remained where she knelt. Sariah stood beside the Senshi, a reassuring hand over her shoulder as Universe splayed a hand over the ground where the portal had appeared to take Amberite. "There was nothing you could have done for her," Sariah said to Universe in a soft voice. "There isn't a way to help someone that doesn't want it. Besides, she still hates you."

"I know… I just…" Universe sighed, finally standing upright. "Maybe I could have done just one thing right today, though… by doing something for her…"

"We did a lot of things right," Sailor Moon interjected, standing beside Universe now.

"You guys did…" Universe ran her fingers through her hair. "But I—"

"Must pay for the consequences of your inaction." A voice boomed within the room. Everyone except Universe shot their heads up and looked around the room. Universe simply groaned and rubbed her temples

Swirling winds howled in the underground tomb. Wisps of smoke coiled in the center of the room. A cloaked figure appeared from the smoke and stepped towards Sailor Universe. As the smoke disappeared, light passed across the front of the figure. A silver-grey beard curled down from the hood, attached to a face with wrinkled cheeks and a bulbous nose. A wooden staff topped with a blue sphere appeared in the figure's hand.

Everyone stood shock still—except for one person.

Sailor Universe fell to one knee, head bowed, a hand over the bow on her chest. "Master Merlin."

Author Notes Below

{Mew: I know it's taken me years to update again, and I leave you on yet another cliffhanger... But I'm still grateful to all the people that have favorited and followed this story over all that time. Thank you for your support, and I'll see you all again when the story does get finished. :) }