They were trying to find a way to get to Serena from the cavern they were in when suddenly everything went black.
"What's going on?" Venus yelled.
"Welcome to my humble abode." They all watched as he stepped out of the darkness as if he was a part of it.
"Skip the introductions Viladi we don't need them! Where's Serena?" She scowled.
"Oh, let me see, you must be the friends she spoke of." He replied amused. "Funny, but I don't see why you'd be so interested in the life of one insignificant moon civilian."
"She's not insignificant, NOW WHERE IS SHE?" Darien yelled coldly.
"Oh, and Darien's here too I see. I thought you'd be proud to know, that your name was the last name she called out, before…she died."
"Noooooooooo!" He cried out. "Liar!"
"Oh, liar am I? Well then, I think I'll give you what you want, you want to see Serena, well, she's right over there." He allowed the illusion of the rocky walls in front of them to dematerialize. Their eyes focused on her lifeless body lying on the examination bed, her skin color was a pale white, her movement very stills.
"Noo, it's an illusion, it's not real!" cried Jupiter.
"I-I-I'm afraid it's real you guys." Mercury replied shakily. "According to my computer, it's...it's not an illusion."
"We've failed!" Jupiter's body crackled with lightening as she attempted to keep anger in check.
"Her blood shall be avenged by the plummet of your own soul!" Venus clamped hands together before shouting. "Venuuusss…Love chaaaiinn…Encircle!" One by one they all began attacking with the exception of Darien; his body grew taught as he unbelievingly stared at her body, while a battle commenced around him.
I'm too late....
"Mercury Sparkling Aqua Allusion …Spray!"
His body shook as he approached her still one slowly, as if in a trance. Visions of her flashed before his head, of her pointing her finger at him, laughing at the beach, making love...letting go...
"Mars Fiery Sniper…Attack!"
No! I refuse to believe...
"Jupiter Lightning Shock…Electrocute!"
But when his hand lifted her cold one into his grasp, his mind went wild.
One by one they attacked, allowing the hurt and pain they felt to be released through it. They attacked repetitiously with all their might, until they felt they could do it no more. When everything had cleared, they looked where Viladi's body had once been and there he still stood tall.
Serena wake up baby...wake up okay? He held her in his arms and sobbed into her hair. For me all right? I'll give you what you want...please...
"Finished? Now it's my turn." He raised his hand in the air, a huge black ball of destruction forming within his palm. Almost immediately he threw it at them, not giving them a chance to respond. They flew backwards and hit the wall, falling into unconsciousness.
I'll love you...He released her onto the bed and stood there stock still, hands tightening into fists, tears falling down his eyes, before turning coldly to her murderer.
"Are you through, because your madness ends now!" He said heartlessly, his eyes chilled with no love left to give, no tears left to shed.
"Well, if it isn't the brave warrior of Earth, come on his mighty stead to avenge the death of his only love. You know, if you truly love her so much, I don't see how you can go on living knowing that she's dead. What a cruel lover you are. If you had been her true lover, you would have been able to save her from death." Darien's eyes turned fiery. He wanted to do something to this man that took the life of his dear Serena, but the man was right.
I'll join you soon my love...Serena was dead now, and more than anything he wanted to lie by her side. He lived long enough without her to go on living knowing that she was gone.
He put his arms out in front of him; if he were going to die he would take down the man who took the life of his love with him.
"What could you possibly do to me? You're nothing but a pathetic little human!"
"I am sick…and tired." He began as he opened his palms inches apart from each other. "Of people calling me," a midnight blue ball of energy began to form in his hand. "A human!" He let the ball go and took Viladi by surprise; he ended up flying back 20 feet before landing hard against a wall.
Viladi had no idea that humans possessed any power; it was impossible. It was a well-known fact that humans did not possess magic, so how could this man possess any? It didn't make any sense. Not only did he possess magic, but also his magic was strong. Viladi knew he'd be dead if it weren't for the energy he acquired from Serena. With hard eyes, he wiped the blood from his chin and arose from his place.
"Not bad, next time you should learn to finish what you started." He pulled out his arms and went into the same position as Darien, both men circling each other before finally letting their powers go. A huge wide stream of midnight blue met an equally sized stream of red, and in the middle the two opposing powers battled to gain control. "You'll never win Earthling."
"I shall take you to the grave." They were both sweating profusely, their hair matted to the sides of their face. The battle went on like this for quite a while, and soon both men became weary of fighting.
"Tell you what Earthling, let's fight man to man, to the death. No magic" Viladi proposed.
"Do I have your word on that?"
"Certainly, my word is bond, Endymion." Darien wasn't sure he could trust Viladi, but he was willing to take that chance. If he pulled anything, he would be ready for him. They both slowly lowered their hands simultaneously, approaching each other slowly when someone called out.
"Endymion." Darien, who thought it was possibly Serena, turned around to see Mars getting up. Before he knew what was happening, she screamed again.
"Endymion, watch out!" He quickly turned back around but it was too late. Viladi blasted him at full power and he flew across the cavern, hit a wall hard, and fell unconscious.
"Now that that's taken care of, I think I shall begin the steps towards my conquest." He laughed to himself. "So sad, shouldn't have trusted me." He looked to Darien's body with disgust before holding out a hand to the other senshi as they all began to rise.
"I think your plans just got canceled." A stern female voice interceded.
"Who's there?" His voice shook, he hoped that it had not been whom he had thought it was.
"Scouts, take Serena, and Endymion and teleport to the moon kingdom immediately. "
"But Queen Serenity, what about Viladi?" Venus asked wearily as she helped a weak Mercury stand.
"Your first order is to rescue the civilian, and I'm adding Endymion to the list. Now do as you're told." Her voice held it's firm nature as she looked over Viladi with distaste.
"Yes your majesty." Moments later, they disappeared, leaving Serenity and him alone.
"You can not kill me, you know the law, even the queen must obey it. I did nothing to hurt the millennium!" He countered, scared yet confident. He knew that Serenity had the power to kill him, but she could only do so if he was after the millennium, and she still had no proof.
"I have more proof than you'll ever imagine!" She said as she brought her hands up.
"Serena will never live again, without me, you can not revive her." He pointed out with an evil smile.
"I am tired of your lies, you shall die now!" In the shadows, a woman in red hair watched, as Serenity took the life of the man she loved, and then disappeared.
"How are they?" Serenity inquired as she walked into the medical room where Serena was being kept.
"Darien is fine, but it will take sometime before he will wake up...he took a serious blow from Viladi. It is evident that he had meant to kill with his hit. Frankly, I am surprised that he survived at all. As for Serena, I think you already know her condition." Amy relayed as she scanned Serena's body with shaky hands.
Serenity slowly approached Serena's still body, her eyes cloudy as she looked down at her charge. Her lips were no longer pink, but blue; her hair lacked the vibrancy that it once had; her skin, a very icy white.
"Oh, goodness, where's Justin, you didn't tell him did you?" She inquired softly.
"No, he's in the playroom, with his toys. He doesn't even know she's here. Galen's in there with him."
"Good, because there's a chance we could fix this." She said as she passed her hand over Serena's cold cheek.
"Your majesty?" Luna spoke up; she had been sitting in the room quiet for some time.
"Oh Selene, she's, she's…" Queen Serenity began but stopped in her tracks. "I'm going to revive her."
"Your majesty, as your advisor, I must say that that is out of the question, you need your energy."
"It will be all right, I'll have just enough energy left to recover." She began. "Now, you and Ami go out in the viewing room. I need total concentration for this. When she is alive again, take her to the recovery room...she'll need to be left alone in order for her to recuperate completely. She must awaken on her own, you understand."
"Yes, your majesty, we do." Artemis replied.
"Good, make sure that you tell my daughter what has happened, and not to worry, that I am fine where I am. After this procedure, I am certain that you know where to keep me."
"Yes your majesty." Luna replied as Ami, Artemis, and her walked out the room.
"From here we can watch the procedure." Ami began to explain to the other girls. "On this computer we can observe their lifelines. The top one is already beating because that's Queen Serenity's lifeline. As soon as she starts giving Serena energy, her lifeline will appear beneath the first one. Of course, as the procedure continues, Serenity's lifeline will grow thin, while Serena's will grow stronger. Don't worry though, Queen Serenity says that she will have just enough energy to revive Serena and still be able to recover herself."
"I hope this works." Mina commented dismally.
"I know it will, I have complete faith in her majesty's powers." Luna looked up as she spoke; through the window they could see Queen Serenity sitting down beside Serena and placing her hand on her head; instantaneously a white light flashed, encompassing both her and Serena's bodies.
Mina, Rei, Ami, Lita, Malachite, Luna, Artemis, and Zoycite all repeatedly watch the screen of the computer before switching to the room before them; they observe as Serena's lifeline appears on the screen, the room silent as they continue to nervously look on.
Ami sat still, her fingers twitching as Serena's lifeline grew and Serenity's lifeline decreased. Both Mina and Rei rock back and forth, sweating from agitation and warmth they feel in the room. Lita is in the back, her face one of true pain as she proceeds to watch the whole scene unfold. Aware of his lover's state, Malachite walks up to Mina and holds her from behind as the procedure continues. Both Luna and Artemis pace the floor back in forth looking at the computer screen occasionally. Finding nothing better to occupy her time, Ami begins to tap to the rhythm of the two different heartbeats on the computer alternately.
Tap……………………………….....Tap She taps to Serena's heartbeat.
Tap……Tap She taps to the queens heartbeat.
Tap………………………...…Tap
Tap……....Tap
Tap……………………Tap
Tap……......…Tap
Tap………..…Tap
"Will you stop the racquet, I'm going crazy over here!" Rei exclaimed.
"S-Sorry." Zoycite reassured Ami by giving her a hug, holding her within his embrace.
"I'm sorry Ami, this is just too much for me." Rei said as Jedite and Nephlite walked in.
"Darien's doing fine he should be-" He began
"Jedite." Rei called out to him, interrupting his words; she walked over to him determinedly and he hugged her.
"Shhhhhh." Malachite warned his friends. They turned their heads towards the window and realized what was going on and immediately took the hint. Nephlite walked over to a distraught Lita and hugged her.
They all watched in silence as Serena's lifeline grew stronger by the minute and yet Serenity's weakened proportionately. They had sat there for a while when they noticed that Serena's lifeline was at about full power. Her hair was sun yellow again, her lips pink and her body mauve. When Serena's power was enough for her to rejuvenate, they all cried and exclaimed joy because the procedure was over. Although Queen Serenity's strength was real low, they knew she would recover, she wouldn't die, she was the queen. They all began to get up and leave when Ami called them back.
"Wait." She said calmly. "Something's...something's not right here." She noted. "Serenity's power...is decreasing and yet, Serena's is staying the same. I-I don't get it. What's she doing?" She asked in a shaky voice. As soon as she inquired, however, she got her answer; a third lifeline appeared on the screen. "No." She began to cry. "It can't...it's can't be, it can't." She shook her head in denial and buried her face in Zoycite's shoulder.
"She can't leave us...she can't!" Mina cried out.
"She knew, in the room, she knew, and she didn't tell us, cause she knew we'd object." Luna cried. Rei looked at everyone, her head shaking back and forth, before suddenly running up to the window and beating hard and rapidly on it; she pounded her fist into the computer board as hard as she could manage, venting all her anger.
"She can't leave us! She's our Queen! She can't!" Jedite reached for her and grabbed her, attempting to subdue her while she continued to let out her anger, kicking and hitting whatever was nearest to her, which was sometimes him. Each of the men consoled their female companion as they watched the queen's lifeline disappear. In the end, she lay on the bed lifeless, atop Serena, who was in a deep trance.
"Where's the princess?" Zoycite inquired.
"I don't know...but it is a good this she was not hear to see this." Jedite replied.
"No, it is more a good thing that Darien is still in a coma." Malachite whispered to his friends as he held a teary Mina close. "He would go crazy if he knew that he had almost lost his love...and his baby."
Stay tuned for the epilogue.......