Hello everyone,

Here's the last chapter. It really should be a two part-er, but I got carried away so prepared to be reading for a while. Okay, enough of my rambling. On with the show. Enjoy!

Only Human

Chapter 6: Hello, Goodbye

(the finale)

'I don't like going behind Serena's back like this Lita,' Amy commented skeptically as she and Lita stood nervously outside of Darien's apartment.

'Come on Amy. You and I both know that Darien's probably the only one who knows what's bothering her. Has she said anything to you Luna?' Lita asked looking down at the black cat.

'No, not a word. She didn't even eat a bite of her supper last night.'

'Oh, she must be hysterical,' Lita replied, knowing Serena's food fetish.

'I still think we should let her deal with this without us interfering. If she wants to tell us what's wrong, then she'll tell us when she's good and ready,' Amy said stubbornly.

'Serena needs our help and I'm not going to ignore that, even if it means going behind her back. Now, are you with me or aren't you?'

'I'm with you. Come on, let's get this over with before I lose my nerve.'

Lita took a deep breath before pressing the doorbell.

Darien looked surprised to see them when he opened the door.

'Amy? Lita? What are you two doing here?'

'Can we talk to you Darien?'

'I was just on my way to class. Can it wait?'

'No, I'm afraid it can't,' Lita replied seriously.

'All right. If it's that important, please come in.'

'Do you have any idea what's up with Serena?' Amy asked once they were seated.

'Why do you want to know?' he asked warily.

Luna took over. 'Ever since she came home from school yesterday afternoon, she's become distant and withdrawn. She won't eat and I don't think she slept either. I don't know what to do now. Her parents are very worried.'

Darien listened intently, as a feeling a dread came over him.

'I don't know what I can do. She's made it perfectly clear that she wants nothing more to do with me.'

'Serena?' Lita responded in disbelief.

'Don't sound so surprised. We did break up after all.'

Luna felt that twinge of uncertainty again. Serena may have still been harboring some resentment against Darien for doubting her integrity, but Luna could not believe that she didn't care for him anymore. Not after everything they had been through together. Granted, his sudden dismissal of their relationship was a terrible blow, she just couldn't imagine Serena dropping her feelings for him as though they meant nothing.

'Nevertheless, you're the only one who can get through to her,' Luna answered quietly.

'I'm sorry, but I can't.'

'Why not? Don't you care about Serena at all?' Lita demanded angrily.

Amy put a hand on Lita's shoulder, warning her to hold her tongue.

Darien turned away so that they couldn't see the conflicting emotions that registered on his face. Of course he still cared about Serena. He never stopped. But how could he face her again, with those visions of catastrophe and knowing that she didn't want to see him anymore?

'Darien, we wouldn't ask you to do this unless it was a serious matter. Please, will you go and talk to her?'

He clenched his fists tightly to his sides until his knuckles turned white. Finally he said, 'All right. I'll do it.'

Zerena put up her hand against the cold metal railing outside of Reeny's school. She watched as the moon child played happily with the other children without a care in the world. She had wanted to see Reeny one last time before she met with Rubeus.

Several times, Zerena had wavered back and forth whether to tell the girls about her rendezvous with Rubeus and more importantly, her true identity. In the end, she decided to go alone.

This was HER fight. She had already lost Proteus. No one else needed to get hurt.

Reeny turned her head and spotted Zerena just as she was about to leave. She ran to her and opened the gate.

'Serena what are you doing here? Did you cut class again?'

Zerena smiled indulgently and bent down to her level. She was going to miss the little fungus.

'No. There's something that I had to do and I happened to pass by your school on my way.'

'Your eyes are all red and puffy.'

'I'll be fine.'

'Are you sure?' Reeny asked uncomfortably.

'I just miss my friend a lot. He had to go away...and he's never coming back,' Zerena replied in a tremulous voice.

'My mommy always told me that you're never really alone as long as you remember the ones you love.'

'Your mommy is a very wise lady. Thanks for the advice. Now you go back and play before they wonder where you are.'

'Okay. See ya later,' she said running back.

'Good-bye...Reeny.'

'Serena? What are you doing here?' Darien asked, walking up to her.

Zerena turned around quickly to face him. She was getting quite annoyed with his constant interference.

'Just leave me alone Darien. I'm in no mood to argue with you.'

'I come in peace.'

'What do you want?'

'I wanted to talk to you.'

'I thought we said everything that needed to be said.'

'The girls are worried about you Serena. They asked me to find out what's bothering you.'

'And you thought that I would faint at the sight of you and tell all my inner feelings right?' she replied sarcastically. 'Sorry, but you're wasting your time. Anyway, it's not as if you cared.'

'I DO care. I'm worried about you too.'

His eyes were gazing intensely into hers. Zerena had no doubt of his affections for Serena, but the look in his eyes reminded her so much of Proteus. Tears threatened to brim over.

'Nothing's bothering me. I've gotta go.'

Zerena tried to run past him, but his hand reached out and caught her arm.

'Let go of me Darien,' she said, trying to pull her arm free, but his grip was like a vise.

'No. Not until you tell me what's wrong. Is it Adam?'

At the mention of Proteus, Zerena broke into tears. She couldn't keep up a brave front anymore.

'Adam is dead,' she replied bluntly in a low guttural voice.

Darien released her arm and stared at her.'Adam's gone? I can't believe it. When did this happen?'

'It doesn't matter.'

'I'm sorry Serena. I...I know he meant a lot to you. Is there anything I can do?'

Zerena turned away and wiped her tears furiously. 'No, just leave me alone. I'll be all right.'

'I think we should call the girls. You shouldn't be alone right now.'

'No! I don't need them. I don't need anyone!' she cried out desperately and took off.

Darien narrowed his eyes after her as she disappeared down the street.

That girl was not Serena.

Serena's friends meant everything to her. She had always depended on them to give her strength when she couldn't do it on her own. Nothing could ever change that.

All the little inexplicable idiosyncrasies and changes that had come over her were beginning to make sense. At first he thought he had been imagining things so he had kept his mouth shut, but all the scattered pieces were coming together now. Her last comment had just clinched it.

But how could an imposter know every little detail about Serena, INCLUDING being a Sailor Scout? Only Serena had the power to use the Imperium Silver Crystal. So who was this mysterious girl? And more importantly, where was the real Serena?

Zerena stood alone at the edge of the cliff, overlooking the ocean. The gusty winds whipped her long ponytails around her legs as she prepared herself for the final confrontation with Rubeus. One way or the other, only one of them would come out of this alive.

She looked down at the brooch containing the precious Imperium Silver Crystal inside, and gripped it tightly in the palm of her hand.

'This is for you Proteus,' she whispered and said out loud, 'Moon...Crystal...Power!'

'Ah Sailor Moon, or should I say Zerena? It's so good of you to be on time,' Rubeus said appearing before her, after she transformed. 'Ready to give up?'

'Never! If you want the crystal, you're going to have to get it over my dead body.'

'Oh rest assured, that's EXACTLY what I intend to do.'

With a wave of his hand, Zerena was transported to the mother ship where the greatest challenge of her life awaited her.

Zerena blinked her eyelids and shielded her eyes from the sudden burst of light that flooded the pitch-black room. She got up slowly from the cold floor and surveyed her surroundings. She was all alone except for the coffin that was situated in the center of the otherwise, empty room.

Zerena walked slowly towards the coffin and peered through the glass plating. She recoiled in horror as she saw Serena's unconscious body lying behind the glass.

'A touching reunion isn't it? Rubeus remarked silkily as he stepped from the shadows.

'What have you done to her?' she demanded angrily.

'I'm surprised you haven't figured it out yet Zerena. The only reason you're alive is because of her.'

'What?!' she replied shakily and stepped back.

'I suppose you should know the truth. Afterall, you'll be gone soon enough.'

'Just tell tell me the truth Rubeus.'

'Have you forgotten already? I've been draining her energy and the life essence out of her body and transferring them to you in order to keep you alive. Had I known that you would betray me, I would have made other accommodations.'

Zerena's head was spinning. The repercussions of her actions finally dawned upon her. It never occurred to her that her existence was endangering her prototype's own life. She HAD to save Serena.

'I won't allow you to hurt anymore innocent people,' she responded determinedly.

'Zerena, haven't you learned anything from Proteus? You can't win so why don't you make it easier on yourself and just hand over the Crystal?' he scoffed in a patronizing tone. He knew exactly what her weak spots were and intended on using them to his full advantage.

Zerena drew her arm back and threw a punch directly at his face, but he anticipated it and vanished at the last minute, just as she was about to hit him. He reappeared again behind her.

'I guess we're going to have to do this the hard way.'

With a snap of his fingers, the glass coffin disappeared and she was suddenly surrounded by a wall of mirrors that had erected upward from the floor. The reflection of her image was amplified by each mirror reflecting on each other to produce a confusing multiple effect, as well emitting an ear splitting alarm. Zerena felt like she was trapped in an endless maze.

As she took a step back, she bumped into her reflection, and backed away only to find another image staring back at her. Zerena could not tear her gaze away from the haunting images. Her heart pounded furiously as she pressed her hands against her head.

'I'm right behind one of these mirrors. Catch me if you can. Poor, poor Zerena. You're just a pitiful imitation of Sailor Moon. I guess you'll never know whether Proteus really cared for you or for your prototype. After all, you're just a clone,' Rubeus taunted mercilessly.

'Shut up! Just shut up!' she screamed.

Zerena knew that he was just trying to get to her, but it still hurt to hear her insecurities being voiced out in the open. She sank to her knees and collapsed to the floor.

'I can't let Rubeus win,' she thought to herself.

'Zerena...' a familiar voice echoed into the chamber.

She shook her head from side to side. Surely she was just imagining things.

'Zerena...' the voice repeated.

Zerena lifted her head and saw a vapor-like apparition appearing before her in the form of a man.

'Proteus?' she whispered in disbelief. 'Is it really you?'

'I am always with you in spirit.'

'Then you know that it's my fault that Serena is in this mess.'

'The fact that you're here now, trying to make amends, proves that you have changed. I know your heart Zerena, and I know you'll do the right thing. Believe in yourself,' he said before fading away.

Zerena reached out and touched the empty space where Proteus vanished.

'Thank you,' she whispered gratefully.

Rubeus frowned as he observed her from the other side of the wall of mirrors. Who was she talking to? There was no one there.

In any case, he was going to get that Crystal once and for all.

Zerena held her tiara in between her thumb and forefinger.

'Please let this work,'she whispered before saying, 'Moon Tiara Magic!'

She flung her revolving tiara into the air and droppped to the floor covering her head with her hands. Her tiara hit one of the mirrors and ricocheted against the other mirrors in a chain reaction, shattering each one.

When she lifted her head up, she found Rubeus slumped against the wall with a large shard of glass embedded into his shoulder. His energy was quickly leaving his body. Also, the glass coffin reappeared in the chamber unharmed. Zerena approached him cautiously.

'Don't think you've won Zerena. You haven't defeated me yet,' Rubeus threatened, 'Not by a longshot.'

With lightning speed, he threw out his dark crystal in front of her, but this time Zerena was ready and deflected the prism with a sweeping karate kick, causing it to fracture to pieces.

'No!' Rubeus yelled in frustration.

Zerena looked on in astonishment as the dark crystal released its energy and the four sisters, who had been sent to attack Reeny. Other than being a little shaken up, they seemed to be all right.

While she was occupied with helping the sisters, Rubeus sneaked away to the control room to unleash his final revenge.

'Are you guys okay?'

'I think so,' Catsy answered.

'Why were you trapped inside that crystal?'

'Because Rubeus betrayed us,' Avery answered for the four of them. 'He never intended on keeping us alive. Once he was finished using us to do his dirty work, we were to be eliminated. Unfortunately, I found out too late and by then we were all trapped inside the dark crystal...until you saved us.'

'It would seem we were all deceived by Rubeus,' Zerena replied quietly.

'Could you do us one last favor?' Prisma asked earnestly.

'What is it?'

'We want to live a normal life again, like we used to on our own planet before we became twisted and bitter and bent on conquering the world. Can you help us?'

Zerena looked at them compassionately. Like herself, they had been pawns in Rubeus' evil game. Everyone deserved a second chance. Without hesitation, she held up her brooch and used the healing power of the Crystal to transform the four sisters into full human beings.

'We're free. We're finally free,' Birdy said joyfully.

'It's not over yet,' Zerena replied.

She walked over to the coffin that Serena was lying in and removed the glass cover, breaking the spell that had previously connected them. She felt Serena's inner wrist and found that she barely registered a pulse. If her prototype was going to have any chance of surviving, Zerena had to get her out of here right away.

'Wait a minute! Where did Rubeus go?' Catsy remarked, suddenly noticing his absence.

'You sisters should be more concerned with where YOU'RE going,' Rubeus' voice echoed in the chamber. 'This ship has been set on a crash course with Tokyo in less than 3 minutes. If you don't hand over the crystal within that time, you can say good-bye to your precious city.'

Zerena could not believe his demands. 'He's got to be kidding.'

'Rubeus is determined to rule Crystal Tokyo. If he can't win, he would rather destroy it. He has no qualms about taking the lives of all the humans on this planet,' Prisma answered solemnly.

'You can't give him the Crystal,' Catsy protested.

'I don't intend to,' Zerena assured the other girl.

'Then how are you planning on stopping him?'

'I'll think of a way, but first of all we have to find a way to get you out of here.'

'But how? Now that we're humans, we can't teleport out of here on our own,' Birdy replied.

Teleporting...that's it!

'Can you sense anything out of the ordinary Raye?' Amy asked as the girls and their guardian cats were meeting at Raye's temple.

'I'll try,' Raye replied. She concentrated and focused her mind to be in tune with her surroundings. 'I sense a dark force in the city. It's getting stronger by the minute, but I can't pinpoint it's location.'

'We should check it out,' Mina suggested.

'Shouldn't we wait for Serena?' Amy replied.

'Oh, speaking of Serena, did you two have any luck with Darien?'

'Don't know yet Mina. But he said that he would talk to her.'

'That girl is NOT Serena,' Darien answered abruptly.

Everyone turned around at the sound of his voice.

'What are you talking about?' Luna demanded.

'If this is some sort of joke, it's really in bad taste,' Lita commented in a disgusted voice. 'Do you hate Serena that much?'

'Listen to me! What I'm telling you is the truth. I confronted her like you asked me to, and she was very upset when I found her.'

'Is she all right?' Amy asked worriedly.

'When I suggested that she shouldn't be alone, she became hysterical and said that she didn't need her friends...or anyone else for that matter and then ran off before I could stop her. The real Serena would never say something like that.'

A moment of stunned silence permeated the tense atmosphere as everyone absorbed this startling information.

'Luna? What do you think?' Artemis asked.

'It would explain a lot of things,' she replied quietly.

'This is too much to handle. If this girl IS an imposter, then how could she know every little detail about Serena? And for that matter, how could she be able to transform into Sailor Moon?' Mina protested.

'I don't know, but I've got a gut feeling about this that I can't ignore.'

'I agree with Darien,' Raye said.

'Raye?' Lita questioned uncertainly.

'Don't look at me that way. It's not what you think. We just can't afford to overlook the possiblity. If this girl is indeed an imposter, then she knows everything about us...and she's got the Imperium Silver Crystal. What if she's working with those creeps from the Black Moon Kingdom?'

'We're overlooking one very important item,' Amy interjected quietly.

'If she's a spy, why hasn't she turned over the crystal yet?'

Just as Amy finished her sentence, their communicators began to ring insistently.

'Guys, it's me. I need your help right away. It's a matter of life and death.'

'Slow down and tell us what happened,' Lita answered.

'No time to explain. Just follow my coordinates. The future of Earth depends on it. Please hurry, there's no time to waste,' Zerena stressed.

'Well? What do we do now?'

'It could be a trap,' Artemis warned.

'We do what we are destined to do,' Luna responded without hesitation. 'Sailor Scouts transform!'

'Right,' they all nodded in agreement. Within seconds, the girls transformed ready for battle.

'Mercury, were you able to get a reading on her coordinates?' Luna asked.

'Let me check my computer,' Mercury replied activating her VR visor at the same time. 'This can't be right.'

'What is it?'

'According to the readings, Serena is on board some sort of alien spaceship in the upper part of the Earth's stratosphere.'

'This is getting weirder every minute,' Mina responded.

'Wait a minute, the ship seems to be moving and it's headed straight for the city!'

'No time to lose, you've got to use the Sailor teleport.'

'Can we do it without Sailor Moon?'

'You should be able to as long as you don't transport more than the number of Scouts that are involved in the teleport,' Artemis answered.

So, without Sailor Moon, the rest of the Sailor Scouts joined hands and began the teleport, but right at the last minute Tuxedo Mask jumped into the middle of the circle and went with them to Rubeus' ship.

When they arrived on the mother ship, they were unprepared for what was awaiting them.

'I think I need glasses,' Mina remarked as she stared at Zerena who was supporting Serena in the crook of her arms. 'I'm seeing double.'

'Thank goodness you came. You've got to hurry and get Serena and the four sisters out of here before it's too late.'

'What in the world is going on around here?' Tuxedo Mask demanded. He ran over to Zerena and took Serena away from her.

'I told you, there's no time to explain. This ship has been programmed to crash into Tokyo.'

'I knew this was a trick,' Raye responded angrily. 'This imposter only lured us here so that she could destroy us.'

'That's not true. And if you don't get out of here right now, that's exactly what's going to happen.'

'And why should we believe you? You've lied to us from the very beginning haven't you?'

'Zerena is telling you the truth,' Avery interjected.

'Hey, you're those weird girls from the Black Moon Kingdom,' Lita noticed.

'Not anymore. We don't want to hurt anyone. We just want to live in peace again,' Catsy replied, touching her forehead to show that the black crescent moon was no longer there. The Scouts gasped in surprise to find that ALL of the sisters had been converted to human beings. They had no other choice but to believe Zerena.

Suddenly the floor began to shake violently and buckled under the pressure of the rapidly plunging ship, causing everyone to lose their balance and sent them tumbling to the floor.

Zerena struggled to her feet, determined to stop Rubeus.

'Get out of here while there's still time.'

'We can't take all of you at once. There's too many people,' Amy warned cautiously, remembering what Artemis had told them. 'I don't even know if we'll be able to make it back in time for a second teleport.'

'You meddling Sailor Scouts can run, but you can't escape the inevitable,' Rubeus' voice taunted as it echoed in the chamber again. 'If I'm going to die, I'm taking you all with me.'

'Not if I can help it,' Zerena whispered and took off in the direction of the engine room.

'Sailor Scouts, use your teleport to get Serena and the others out of here,' Tuxedo ordered. 'I'm going after her.'

'But how are you going to get out?' Lita asked. 'We can only transport four people since there are four Sailor Scouts.'

'I'm the oldest...I'll stay behind,' Prisma volunteered.

'No Prisma! We can't leave without you,' Avery protested.

'Thanks Avery, but this time you're going to listen to your older sister. I have to do this.'

She put her hand on Avery's shoulder. 'Take care sis.'

Tuxedo Mask made sure Serena and the others were out of danger before going after her double. Within seconds, he and Prisma managed to catch up to Zerena and ran alongside her.

'Don't you think you've done enough?'

'Stay out of this Tuxedo Mask,' Zerena replied in between breaths as they ran down several long corridors. 'This doesn't concern you.'

'I'm MAKING it my business. You owe me an explanation.'

'Oh, all right,' she replied exasperatedly. It was obvious that he wasn't about to let this go until she told him the whole sordid story.

'My real name is Zerena. Rubeus kidnapped your girlfriend and used her DNA to create me.'

'Are you saying you...you're a clone?'

'The first time we met was in the park, that morning when everyone thought Serena was missing. My main goal was to find the Imperium Silver Crystal and give it to Rubeus.'

'So why DIDN'T you hand it over to him?'

'I didn't want anyone to get hurt. I knew what would happen if he got his hands on the crystal, so I kept quiet about finding it. Somewhere along the way, I stopped being Serena's clone and developed my own identity.'

'How could you have known about being a Sailor Scout?'

'I didn't. Not until I used the Crystal to transform into Sailor Moon. I only had partial memory of Serena's past, but the Crystal restored everything to me.'

'How do I know you're telling the truth?' he accused, still not convinced.

'You really don't have a choice,' she replied curtly.

When they finally reached the engine room, Zerena came up with an idea.

'Prisma, is there any way to stop the ship's guidance system?'

'Once the program is activated, there's no way to override it.'

There was only one other alternative now.

'Are you SURE there are no escape vessels on board?'

'Wait a minute, I do remember Rubeus mentioning that there was an escape pod, but I'm not sure if we can all fit. What are you going to do?'

'I'm going to cause the ship to self-destruct.'

'Are you insane?' Tuxedo Mask replied incredulously.

'Do you have a better idea?' Zerena retorted. 'If I don't do this, millions of innocent people are going to die.'

'You're taking a big risk Zerena. If it fails, you'll be jeopardizing everyone's lives.'

He left her no other option. She replied as innocently as possible, 'You're right. I wasn't thinking.'

Zerena turned away from him and cracked her knuckles.

'Now you're talking sense. I...'

He never got to finish his sentence because the minute he let his guard down, she turned around and gave him a sucker punch right in the jaw so hard that it knocked him unconscious.

'You didn't have to hit him so hard,' Prisma remarked drily.

'Don't worry. He's got a hard head. Now, get out of here. I don't want to have to knock you out too.'

The other girl reluctantly left, dragging Tuxedo Mask with her to the escape pod. She had no doubt that Zerena would have followed through with her threat if it was necessary.

Once Prisma left the mother ship, Zerena began to push all the control buttons and switches and stepped back as the control panel overloaded and sent sparks of electricity flying into the air. The short circuit caused a chain reaction to all the other systems, causing several sectors of the ship to explode simultaneously.

'You fool!' Rubeus yelled as his face appeared on the communicating screen in front of her. 'Don't you realize that if destroy the ship, you'll destroy us all?'

'On the contrary, I know EXACTLY what I'm doing. It's over Rubeus. It's over,' she repeated quietly and closed her eyes, ready to accept her fate.

The Imperium Silver Crystal inside the brooch began to glow brightly and expanded outward to envelop Zerena in its protective sheath, unbeknownst to her.

Rubeus screamed in terror as the video monitor lost its transmission and went blank.

'I can't wait any longer,' Mars said impatiently. 'We have to go back.'

'Even if we were to try to teleport again, we wouldn't be able to make it back in time to stop the ship,' Mercury reasoned.

Luna and Artemis had been waiting anxiously for their return and were speechless, after learning the recent developments from the rest of the sisters. Zerena had been so convincing as the perfect replica. So perfect that she had fooled them all.

'Well I'm not going to stand around here waiting for that ship to collide into the city,' Jupiter replied.

'Wait!' Venus shouted, 'I see something coming from the ship.'

'It's Prisma!' Birdy exclaimed.

Mercury used her visor to scan the approaching object.

'It's an escape pod, but I'm only detecting two life forms.'

When Prisma emerged from the vessel, carrying a groggy Tuxedo Mask on her shoulders, everyone immediately rushed over and demanded to know what happened.

But just as they got out, a thunderous, earth-shattering explosion rocked the sky and was followed in tandem, by a blinding flash of fire, smoke, and energy.

Everyone stared in horror as Rubeus' ship detonated, along with Zerena AND the Imperium Silver Crystal.

The clock on the hospital wall ticked silently as midnight approached the city of Tokyo.

Darien raked his hand through his hair in frustration for the umpteenth time within the past hour. He looked down at Serena's helpless, still form lying on the pristine hospital bed with an intravenous tube sticking in her arm.

How could this have happened? How could he have ALLOWED this to happen?

It was still hard to believe the chain of events that had transpired over the past forty-eight hours. After Rubeus' ship exploded, there had been no time to reflect on the ramifications. Their main concern had been to get Serena medical attention as fast as possible.

The doctors had barely been able to stabilize her condition, but even then, the battle wasn't over yet. Whatever Rubeus had done to her, it was severe enough to the point that she was now in a coma, with no guarantee that she would wake up again.

Breaking the news to Serena's family had proven difficult, to say the least in light of the circumstances. Reeny seemed to take the news especially hard. She still had no idea that Zerena had taken Serena's place all this time. The girls all figured that it was best to keep it a secret.

It was ironic. Zerena had started out as the bad guy, but in the end, she sacrificed her life to save everyone else. It was exactly like something Serena would have done.

The door creaked loudly as someone entered the room.

Darien had his back turned to the door, but sensed another presence. It was probably one of the girls trying to persuade him to go home and get some rest, to which he refused point blank every time. He was going to be there for Serena this time.

'For the last time, I'm not leaving so don't even waste your breath,' he said irritably.

'It's not going to make her wake up any faster,' Raye replied in a quiet voice and walked over to the opposite side of the bed. She was startled to find tears in Darien's eyes. She herself, was trying to keep a rein on her emotions before she broke down completely.

'Serena is going to wake up. She HAS to.'

'You still care for her don't you?'

'I never stopped Raye,' he replied softly, confirming what she had suspected all along.

'Serena is strong. She's been through tougher scrapes than this.'

'You know, I'd give anything to hear one of her ear-splitting wails right about now.'

'I can top that. I wish I could hear her whining again.'

They both smiled in mutual recognition.

She was about to leave to give him some privacy when he stopped her.

'Thanks Raye.'

She smiled understandingly and left the room.

'Any change in her condition?' Mina asked anxiously the moment Raye came out.

'No. No change.'

'This can't be happening to Serena,' Lita said angrily. 'We need her.'

'There's nothing we can do for her right now Lita, except hope and pray.'

Darien lifted his head up from his crossed arms that had been resting on the edge of Serena's hospital bed. He felt slightly disoriented from falling asleep in that uncomfortable position for most of the night.

The sun filtered into the room through the blinds announcing that it was morning. There was still no change in Serena's condition. Seeing her lying there so helplessly was more than he could take.

He gently took a hold of her hand and held it in his.

'Serena, I know you can hear me. You can't stop fighting, not when everyone needs you. I need you too. Do you remember the very first time we met when you were Princess Serena and I was Prince Darien? I can still remember it as if it were yesterday...'

And so, he began telling her about their first encounter during that peaceful era of the Silver Millenium. It had been one of those things that would foreshadow their future.

He had just reached his teens and was starting to take up more of his royal duties as the prince of the Earth such as accompanying his father, the King, on diplomatic trips and taking an active role in the kingdom by visiting his subjects and participating in government. His obligations had been enormous as well as overwhelming.

One day, he had wanted to be alone to get away from his duties just for a while, so he escaped to his favorite spot in the royal palace rose garden.

When he reached the rose garden, he was surprised to find a path of trampled roses forming a trail throughout the garden in a zigazg pattern. He followed the path and eventually caught up with the culprit.

The little girl was humming a tune while she picked every flower that caught her eye, not aware of the destruction she left behind her as she made her way through or of the young man observing her.

He wasn't angry. In fact, he was very amused by her reckless abandon and the peculiar hairstyle she wore. She looked so happy that he didn't have the heart to disturb her.

Young Princess Serena had been wandering around the palace grounds aimlessly in boredom, even after her mother Queen Serenity told her told her to stay put, while she visited the King and Queen of the Earth.

It was difficult for an eight-year old with her zest for life to behave like a lady, especially when she was far away from her home on the Moon. She missed her friends from the other planets within the Silver Millenial Kingdom, who were sworn to protect her. She also missed the beautiful gardens back home.

So when she stumbled upon the palace rose garden, she had jumped for joy and proceeded to run through the field, picking an armful of flowers along the way. When she turned around, she saw a pair of boots on the ground in front of her. With a sick feeling of dread, she moved her eyes upward until she was looking up into Darien's face.

From her point of view, he seemed like a giant. She bit her lower lip nervously in contemplation wondering how was she going to get out of this mess. It was obvious that she was going to be in trouble if her mother ever found out. She gave him a big smile and held out one of the roses she had picked.

Darien smiled and accepted her 'gift'. 'Thank you very much young lady. I take it you like roses too.'

Serena nodded her head, just wanting to get out of there.

'Look up in the sky,' she announced pointing up.

He had fallen for her diversion hook, line, and sinker. When he turned his attention back to the little blonde-haired girl, she was no where to be found. The bundle of flowers she had been carrying was left on the ground at his feet.

Darien had hoped that by telling the story of their first encounter, it would trigger something deep inside her.

Serena's hand flexed slightly in response. It was very faint, but still noticeable.

'Serena? Serena, can you hear me?' he asked eagerly.

Nothing happened.

This time, he took out her star locket and allowed the music to play its timeless lullaby. He had been keeping the locket for her ever since she, or rather Zerena, told him that she had no use for it anymore. If this didn't work, he didn't know what else he could do.

As the music played, it triggered the deepest part of her subconscious mind, where Rubeus had not been able to gain access to, no matter how hard he tried. Although he had taken most of her memories, he was not successful in taking everything away.

Serena fluttered her eyelids slowly, as if waking up from a deep slumber. She turned her head over to him, focusing on his image.

'Darien?' she whispered weakly.

Tears of joy streamed down his face as he nodded his head.

'I'm here Serena. Don't try to talk yet. Everything's going to be all right now. I'm here.'

She nodded her head and held onto his hand tightly.

'Well it's about time you came back to us,' Raye joked light-heartedly.

The rest of the girls, Reeny, and the cats were huddled around Serena's bed visiting her after receiving the good news from the hospital. They could afford to kid around, now that Serena was out of immediate danger.

'Yeah. I knew you wanted to play hooky from school, but this is really going to far,' Lita nodded in agreement.

Serena smiled. 'I've finally found a fool proof way to get out of doing homework.'

'Don't you dare. I brought you something to make you feel more at home.'

Amy took out a stack of thin workbooks and placed them on Serena's lap.

Serena groaned inwardly. Didn't Amy have anything else on her mind besides schoolwork? She opened the books, not wanting to hurt Amy's feelings, but was surprised to find that they weren't academic workbooks at all. They were in fact, the next five volumes of her favorite comic book series.

'Oh thank you, thank you, thank you, thank you, thank you ,' she replied hugging Amy.

'Reeny, don't you have something too?' Mina reminded the little girl.

Reeny shifted uncomfortably from one foot to the other, but finally presented Serena with her gift.

Serena almost cried when she held the clay figurine of a rabbit that Reeny had made for her in her hands.

'It's beautiful.'

'You're not just saying that are ya?'

'I mean it Reeny. Thank you.'

'You're welcome,' she replied smiling at her. They had finally been able to bridge the gap between them.

'I have to go now. See you guys later.'

'Bye Reeny. You see guys? I always knew that there was a sweet kid behind that bratty exterior,' Serena said when the little girl left.

Everyone slapped their foreheads in disbelief. (see big teardrops)

'Hey Luna, did you bring my broach with you?'

A sudden hush came over the room as the inevitable question that everyone avoided finally came out in the open.

'Serena, there's something that you have to know,' Luna replied quietly, and then proceeded to fill her in on Zerena's actions while Serena had been held prisoner in Rubeus' ship, and her part in it's destruction.

Serena didn't know what she was feeling, or how she should react. Everyone talked as though the Imperium Silver Crystal had been destroyed, but her gut feelings told her that it was still out there somewhere. After being the owner of the crystal all of this time, she had developed a close connection with it. It just didn't feel right that it was gone now.

'You realize what this means don't you?'

'I don't believe it,' she said adamantly, refusing to accept the news.

'I know this is a shock for you, but you're going to have to face the facts sooner or later,' Artemis reasoned.

Serena gripped the bedsheet tightly in her hand. She had resolved a long time ago that being the leader of the Sailor Scouts and the Moon Princess was her destiny in life, even though she had resisted in the beginning. Now all of a sudden she had to accept the possibility that it may never happen that way.

'I'd like to be alone right now,' she responded quietly.

Everyone shuffled out of the room, understanding her conflict of emotions.

'NOW what do I do?' she whispered.

Meanwhile, in the deepest part of the ocean, a malevolent creature of darkness had just awoken from its hibernation, ready to devour any source of energy. When Rubeus had first arrived in the twentieth century, he had released the Xenomorph into the ocean while it was still in its dormancy in order to utilize its awesome power later on as a last resource. But now that Rubeus was destroyed, the creature didn't have to rely on him anymore to supply energy.

Serena looked out the window pensively, trying to figure out what to do next. She felt as though the rug had been pulled from under her. The funny thing was that she couldn't blame her clone for what happened. After all, Zerena had made the ultimate sacrifice.

Luna and Artemis suddenly burst into her room panting breathlessly.

'What are you two doing here? I thought you went home.'

'Serena come quickly. The girls are in trouble.'

'What happened?' she asked in alarm.

'There's a monster in the park that's draining everyone's energy.'

Serena ripped out her i.v. tube and leaped out of bed barely having time to slip on a pair of jeans and ran barefoot all the way to the park. She may not have the Crystal, but she was still a Sailor Scout at heart. And right now her friends needed her.

A cold wind blew through the empty park as dusk was settling in.

The young girl with two long blond ponytails sitting alone on a bench, pulled the lapels of her coat collar higher to keep out the chill. She looked down at the strange brooch in her palms and gripped it tightly.

'Why can't I remember who I am?' Zerena cried out in frustration.

Although the crystal had protected her from the explosion, the sheer force had knocked her unconscious. The next thing she knew, she found herself lying alone on the beach in total disorientation with no recollection of her past.

She sighed despondently and got up. Just as she was about to leave, she heard several screams of terror coming from the other end of the park. Zerena automatically responded by running to the source and gasped as she saw the sight displayed before her.

Literally, hundreds of people were strewn all over the ground after having their energy taken away from them by the Xenomorph as it continued its relentless pursuit. Four female warriors dressed in sailor suits were trying stop the monster by using their respective attacks, and were accompanied by another man dressed in a tuxedo and white mask.

Zerena turned her attention to the young girl who had just ran to the scene.

'Oh lord,' she said in a horrified whisper as she recognized her prototype. It was all coming back to her now. 'I remember everything.'

The Imperium Silver Crystal must have protected her during the last seconds when Rubeus' ship exploded. At least Serena was all right, but she wouldn't be for long, if Zerena didn't act quickly.

Sailor Moon was needed...the original Sailor Moon.

The Sailor Scouts and Tuxedo Mask fought valiantly, but they were no match for the power of the Xenomorph. The remorseless creature had reversed the flow of energy when they all used their powers at once, and used their own attacks against them. When Serena came, she found them unconscious on the ground, just as the monster was about to take their energy.

'Luna, what do we do now?' she asked desperately.

'Transform,' Zerena ordered, thrusting the broach in her palm.

'Zerena? But...but how? You were destroyed.'

'No time for that. You know what to do.'

Serena gave her a grateful look and nodded her head.

'Moon...Crystal...Power!' she shouted.

As Sailor Moon, Serena confronted the Xenomorph one on one. She tried to use her sceptre to destroy the monster, but it didn't work. The creature smiled malevolently and sent out a burst of energy, knocking her several feet back.

'Sailor Moon!' Luna screamed.

Serena got up slowly from her hands and knees and unclasped her broach. She held out her hands in front of her and shouted determinedly,

'Cosmic Moon Power!'

The Imperium Silver Crystal sent out its own beam of energy and attacked the Xenomorph. Serena withstood the monster's resistence and continued her assault. But she was growing weaker as the Crystal used up most of her energy to attack the Xenomorph and dropped to her knees.

Zerena watched helplessly. There must be something she could do.

Then it hit her. She remembered how the other Sailor Scouts had helped Sailor Moon during that final battle with Queen Beryl by giving her their support and energy. Zerena ran over and held on to the broach alongside her. She channeled her energy into the Crystal and also transferred all of Serena's memories back to her in the process.

With Zerena's help, Sailor Moon was able gain enough strength to finally destroy the Xenomorph once and for all. Once the monster had been eliminated, all of the energy it had stolen was released into the air and returned to their respective owners.

'I can't tell you how grateful I am Zerena. I...' Sailor Moon stopped in mid-sentence when she noticed that her clone was lying motionless on the ground. In helping Sailor Moon, she had lost all of her own energy.

Serena propped her up in her arms.

'Zerena can you hear me?'

Zerena opened her eyes and replied weakly. 'I knew you could do it. I guess this is the end of the line for me.'

'Don't talk like that. We'll get help.'

'I was never meant to be here. Remember Serena, you are the one and only Sailor Moon. Don't ever change.'

'Thank you for everything,' Serena whispered tearfully.

'Tell Darien I'm sorry I punched him so hard,' Zerena said before closing her eyes.

Serena laid her clone's lifeless body gently on the ground.

'Don't cry Sailor Moon,' a strange voice spoke to her. 'Zerena isn't dead.'

She looked up and saw a tall figure looming above Zerena's body. His face was hidden by the cloak he wore over his head.

'Who are you? And how do you know my name?'

'I am an old acquaintance,' he said pulling back his hood.

Proteus kneeled down and placed one hand on Zerena's forehead and held her hand in the other. He closed his eyes and concentrated on using all of his power on her to bring her back to life.

'I won't let it end this way Zerena,' he whispered.

When Rubeus had 'killed' him, his body had decayed to a pool of water and had seeped into the lake. He would have perished had it not been for the life restoring waters of the planet. His body had reformed as it had undergone a type of metamorphosis. When he was released from his underwater cocoon, he went looking for Zerena, but by then she had gone to fight Rubeus. If Zerena had not given Sailor Moon her strength, the Xenomorph would have made Earth another barren wasteland.

Serena watched in stunned silence as Zerena's body began to radiate with energy.

Zerena opened her eyes slowly and looked up into Proteus' face.

'What took you so long?' she asked, smiling.

'You didn't have to see us off Serena,' Zerena protested as she and Proteus finished putting their suitcases in the trunk of the taxi.

She flipped her long hair over her shoulder in satisfaction. It was nice to have a hairstyle that suited HER personality. No more meatballs and ponytails for her.

'Hey, I couldn't let you leave without saying goodbye. America is so far away. Are you sure you don't want to stay here for a little while?'

'No thanks. We need to make a fresh new start for ourselves. You understand that don't you?'

'Of course I do. It won't be the same without you. And just as I was getting used to the idea of having a twin.'

'Hurry up Zerena, or we'll miss the plane,' Proteus reminded her.

'All right. Well, take care of yourself Serena.'

'You too.'

They both hesitated slightly before hugging each other warmly.

Serena waved from the front of her house as they disappeared down the road. She was genuinely happy for Zerena and Proteus and wished them well. They deserved a little happiness after everything they had been through.

'You know Serena, a lot of people wouldn't have been so forgiving.' Luna commented when she stepped back into the house. 'You're a real friend.'

'Thanks Luna. I think those two will be just fine. You know, I've been thinking it over and I've decided that's it's time for me to start taking my duties as leader of the Sailor Scouts more seriously.'

Luna stared at her as if the cat had HER tongue.

'What brought this on all of a sudden?'

'Oh, lots of things, but I guess Zerena made me realize that I have the potential to become a more mature leader. She's got my genes right?'

'I think I'm going to faint. You're finally getting your act together.'

'It's ALWAYS been there,' she replied defensively.

The front doorbell began to ring and she left to answer it.

'Darien,' she said in surprise.

'Can I come in?'

'Of course. I didn't know you were planning on coming over.'

'Sorry about that. Serena, can we talk?' he asked seriously.

'Is something wrong?'

'Something has been wrong for quite sometime now.'

He had wanted to tell her about the visions he had been experiencing and to explain why he had treated her so badly. Now that the whole mess with Zerena and Proteus had been cleared up, they could settle this matter once and for all.

Serena listened intently as he poured out all of his anxieties and fears and realized that he really did care for her after all.

'I was so worried about protecting you that I ended up pushing you away. I thought I had lost you forever.'

'I didn't know.'

'How could you have known? Anyway, I'll understand if you don't want to forgive me. I'm having difficulty forgiving myself.'

'I forgive you,' Serena replied quietly.

Darien stared at her uncertainly. Had he heard right?

'What did you say?'

'I said I forgive you.'

'How can you forgive me after everything I've done to you?'

'It would have been easier to stop breathing than to stop loving you,' she said in all honesty and without rancor.

Her eyes shone brightly like a beacon welcoming him home.

'Does this mean everything's okay again?'

'Not so fast buddy. There are a couple of things we have to straighten out. First of all, no more keeping secrets from me. If there's anything bothering you that concerns the both of us, I want to know about it. Second, no more deciding on what's best for me. I'm more than capable of making my own decisions. And last, but not least, if you EVER make me go through hell like that again, I swear I'll knock your block off,' she threatened, sounding very reminiscent of Zerena. After all, they had shared the same genes.

To get her point across, she put up her fist right in front of his face under his nose. Darien didn't need to be reminded twice. He was still recovering from that sucker punch Zerena had given him before.

He laughed nervously while putting down her fist.

'Point well taken.'

'Good. I'm glad we understand each other,' she replied smiling sweetly.

He suddenly became very serious. 'Serena, I don't know what the future holds for us. I can't guarantee that it will be an easy road.'

'Since when was life ever easy for us?' she retorted.

'But what about the visions?'

'We don't know for sure if the future will happen that way. We'll just have to take it one day at a time. I'm not afraid of the future Darien...as long as you're there with me.'

Darien looked into her blue eyes in admiration. She was so full of hope and optimism. It was no wonder that he loved her so much.

'I don't deserve you Serena,' he said after a moment of silence.

'This is true,' she replied impishly. 'But I expect you to make it up to me.'

'How's this for a start?'

Darien gathered her into his arms and bent down to kiss her with all the love and emotion in his heart that he had kept bottled up for so long. Serena linked her arms around his neck and returned his kiss with equal fervor, confident in the knowledge that this man was hers, now and forever.

When they separated, he kept her within the circle of his arms.

'Not bad, but needs a little improvement,' she said pretending to sound unimpressed.

He responded by smiling down at her.

'I'll guess we'll have to try again until I get it right hmm?'

'Oh I entirely agree,' she replied eagerly, leaning towards him. 'Practice makes perfect you know.'

'Oh, that's sick,' Sammy remarked in child-like disgust from the open doorway. 'I'm telling Mom and Dad.'

Serena shook her head back and forth exasperatedly.

'I knew this was too good to last.'

'How about a triple hot fudge sundae to cheer you up?' Darien suggested.

Serena's eyes brightened immediately.

'You took the words right out of my mouth. Come on, you're buying,' she said, grabbing his hand and dragging him down the front steps to thenearest soda shop.

She could begin her campaign on turning over a new leaf and being a more serious leader tomorrow. There was plenty of time for that.

But in the meantime...

The End

Originally Completed 6/7/96

Updated 4/2/01

Well, in the words of Porky Pig, "That's all Folks!" I hope you enjoyed this little escapade of mine as much as I did writing it. I never thought I'd actually get this far. I guess miracles do happen.

I wanted to personally thank everyone who took the time to read and respond to my fanfic. If I had time, I would name every one of you. I'll go back to lurking now. :)