Hey everyone, I am so so so sorry for the wait but I've been so busy with various things but I'm back now and I hope you enjoy this chapter. I am replacing chapter twenty-five with this new one as it runs more in line with the plot that I wish to achieve and I hope it makes sense to you all. I also wish to get the next chapter up within the next few days at least, so you all don't have to wait that long.

Thank you so much everyone for your patience and please enjoy.

Love to you all, daisyboo xx

Disclaimer: I do not own sailor moon or any of the characters, only the ones created by my own imagination.

Chapter Twenty-Five

It had been a week, a week that's all since Serena's frantic flight from Neptune and her agonizing separation from her best friends. The week however, seemed like a lifetime, as with each passing day with each passing second that came, was torture to Serena. She loved her friends, her protectors, her girls, very much and it pained her immensely to think about what the Neptunians might be doing to them. She wanted them, no needed them and not just to protect her as was their duty but to just be with her in safety and carefree bliss. She felt completely alone without their laughs and playfulness and their bond of undying love and affection as friends. The girls were her most precious friends and Serena did not know what she would do without them. She thought of each girl in memory of her relationship with each and the pain they must be going through at the moment. Aimee was the first to grace Serena's thoughts as Serena reminisced all the times they had spent together studying hard in the Moon library and then completely forgetting about their studies as they would both erupt into fits of uncontrollable laughter. Serena loved Aimee, she was like a sister as all the girls were but Serena had complete and utter respect for the intelligent Sailor Soldier mostly. She was full of remarkable knowledge and very educated in battle styles and sequences. However, Aimee was also the sweetest of the Inner Scouts and with her sweet smile and temperament came the love that Dominic felt for her. Dominic had been lost without his amazing lover and with him knowing now that she could be in proper danger at this moment, pained him immensely. He and Serena had spent an afternoon together in complete solitude and luxury recently as they reminisced about a girl they both loved so dearly. Dominic had needed some comfort and Serena provided him with a little as he had few friends besides Aimee and the Scouts. They had talked for a long while and then Serena had to leave due to some intense duties that she had to now undertake due to her protectors' sacrifice.

Serena sobbed knowing that her friends were in danger and then after Aimee, her thoughts centred on Mina. Serena thought that she must be feeling dreadful at the moment due to her being left on the cold sombre planet and with her feelings of rejection from Xavier, Mina must be feeling the worst of them all. Mina was the most dignified out of the girls who always valued duty above all else and it had grieved her profoundly, when Xavier had ended their relationship. Mina had known that there were problems as she knew his feelings about Serena but as she was the Sailor Soldier of Love and Beauty, she thought that he would disregard them. However, Serena moved her thoughts onto all the good times she had shared with Mina and there were many to choose, but she chose one it particular. The memory was of when Serena and Mina had just turned fifteen and the then virginal Mina, told Serena about her first kiss. She described in great detail of how she had felt with the sweet and tender touch from a boy she had been infatuated with like forever but soon after this boy had tainted her virginal lips, he had rejected her and then moved away. Mina had always been unlucky in love, which was quite ironic due to her title, but Serena knew that with her impressive looks and wonderful personality, she would eventually attract a man, who was worthy to gaze at her loveliness.

Next, to enter the princess' animated mind was the strong and fierce Sailor Jupiter, who was the happiest out of the girls at the moment as her heart's desire to find a wonderful man whom she loved and who loved her in return had been accomplished. She and Lucas were due to wed in approximately two months and Serena could not be happier for her. Lucas was an extremely honourable man, who Serena knew would never cheat on Lita ever and that thought comforted her. She knew that Lita would be a wonderful queen someday too and bring happiness to herself and to her people through her choice of husband. Lita loved Serena like a sister all the girls had become accustomed too and Serena loved Lita too. Serena smiled as she thought of Lita and their playful sword fighting and their skills both improved through their light-hearted escapades. Then next, memories flowed into Serena's mind of Raye, her best friend, the one she connected most with and the girl she had almost had as a sister. Serena held fond memories of her girls that had participated in but none no fonder than Raye. She and Raye had been close friends anyway but with the death of Serena's brother and Raye's beloved, they had been drawn together in their grieve. They had both loved James very much and now that he was gone, they focused their affection upon each other and become best friends. Their friendship was well known throughout the Solar System that the tender breathtaking princess of the Moon was best friends with the fiery princess of Mars and they were both devoted to each other. Serena smiled as she thought of her friends and those warm feelings of their memories together and those warm feelings were what drove her in her task at the present moment.

Since Serena's return from Neptune, she and her mother, along with the few intellectuals of the Moon that included the cat advisors, Luna and Artemis in their human forms, had worked tirelessly for the past seven days trying to gain communication with the girls and hopefully trying to retrieve them finally from the now isolated planet. The intellectuals were working around the clock with Luna and Artemis leading them and Queen Serenity was even using the Silver Crystal to try and gain contact, with some difficulty too. Serena had even begun using the Crystal now, nearly everyday and sometimes she thought that she could hear the faint voice of Mercury, trying to gain contact and when that occurred Queen Serenity would take over. Serena was now at this present moment using the Silver Crystal as she tried to gain in contact with her friends. Serena was situated in the centre of a large pure white room with her mother, Luna and Artemis present as she tried her hardest to embrace the power of the crystal. She held the small round crystal in her tiny hands and held the crystal high above her head in her stretched slender arms. She was wearing a pure white princess dress that was encrusted with silver embroidery all along the edges; bodice and sleeves, making Serena seem eternally ethereal with her hair cascading down her back like two golden magical lengths and only adding to her enchanting quality. She closed her eyes then like she was instructed to and reached her hands higher above her head to try and reach her potential whist using the crystal. The crystal then moved away from Serena's outstretched hands and hovered between them using the power that was being released from the small round gem. Luna and Artemis watched in wonder as Princess Serenity with the help of her mother began using the crystal and focusing the power on what was important. Serena could feel the intensity within the crystal growing substantially as the crystal accepted its new user.

"Now, my princess," commanded Queen Serenity as she watched the concentration on her daughter's face deepen, "shout 'Moon Prism Power'."

"Moon Prism Power," shouted the young princess in a very commanding tone.

After Serena had yelled her command, the crystal began to glow with a dim white light and Serena began to pour her strength into the crystal. The light within the crystal began to grow brighter and Queen Serenity saw her daughter start to sway but she stood her ground nevertheless.

"Now Serena, concentrate your energy on communicating with the Sailor Scouts and any connection would be good," Queen Serenity comforted as she watched her daughter proudly.

Serena listened to her mother's words as she pushed all her strength and energy into the core of the glowing gem, she held between her hands. She kept her thoughts on her friends and on gaining communication with them to try and find their location. The concentration on her face showed the energy she was using but then the concentrated face turned into one of pain. Serena was using all her energy and all of a sudden, her energy and potential reached its maximum. She started to shiver as all her energy poured into the crystal and then she felt a little something. A little spark enflamed within her and Serena embraced the spark like she was told to do. She allowed it to flare up more and as she did, a large white light entered her mind, engulfing it with its brilliance. Queen Serenity, Luna and Artemis saw Serena's face change and Luna leapt forward to try and ease Serena's obvious suffering. However, Artemis held Luna back in his arms as Luna gave him a heated look.

"We must wait for the queen to give her consent," Artemis stated plainly as he gave Luna a sympathetic look.

"My queen," Luna pleaded as she turned away from Artemis to focus her attention upon her queen.

"Luna, allow Serena to have this experience," the queen stated importantly as she first looked at Luna and then Serena.

Luna pleaded with the queen with her large brown eyes but Serenity ignored her and concentrated her energy with Serena's. Serena however, was completely oblivious to what was going on around her and focused upon the image that was unravelling before her. The image that first flashed before her eyes was that of the sun and it was covered immensely in large sunspots but then the next image that appeared was that of large shadows covering the atmosphere of the moon with large different coloured faces. They looked extremely menacing and then they shot quick beams and fireballs everywhere that started destroying everything in sight. Then Serena flew to a shot of her Scouts and firing their attacks at the large menacing shadows and then having them shot back at them. The girls screamed in pain and Serena gasped in shock. The next image then came of Serena running wildly looking for someone as she flew down corridors and then she spotted her mother. She was holding the Imperium Crystal and looking extremely hurt and fatigued. Serena screamed for her mother and Serenity screamed for her daughter to leave as she heard her cries. Serena saw then as a large flash of green light hit her mother. Serena screamed again as she watched the dangerous light hit her mother but before she could do anything else, the next image appeared.

Serena watched as she saw herself running again but this time she held a frightened child within her tight embrace. The child was a little boy and he looked tiny. He had a thick unruly mob of dark ebony hair and he clung to Serena tightly as she ran from the destruction and pain behind her. She ran as fast as her legs would carry her taking deep steady breaths as the little boy within her grasp cried hysterically. Serena crooned to the child as much as she could but then as her attention turned to the child to comfort him more, another dangerous green light shot itself towards Serena and the boy. Serena was completely oblivious to the dangerous light as she smoothed the young boy's thick dark hair and then it struck her. The light almost hit Serena and the child as she turned to loo but there had been a barrier that prevented the beam from hitting them. Serena looked as she turned and noticed a body lying on the floor that had taken the hit for Serena and the boy. Serena screamed as she looked at the body and the boy's cries grew louder. Serena noticed the dark hair of the body that had taken the hit for them and then the body started to moan. Serena cried as she rushed to the body of the male that had protected her and gasped when she saw the face of the man.

"Serenity, Serena," cried Luna as she clutched the shaking princess in her slender arms.

Serena heard Luna's cries and pleas as her vision slowly cleared into focus as the haze cleared and her eyes began fluttering.

"Serena," Luna cried again as Serena focused her eyes upon the trembling women before her, "what happened Serena? Are you alright?"

Serena could not register for a moment as she just stared at the dark-haired beauty before her and then a pale pair of sparkling blue eyes appeared before the shivering youth.

"What did you see, my darling? What did you see?"