Mamoru awoke the next day feeling more rested and refreshed than he had in weeks. The first thing he noticed was that sometime in the night, he and Serenity had both gravitated toward the middle of the bed and she was now snuggled securely within his arms. Looking down at her silvery-blonde head resting comfortably against his chest, he felt contentment wash over him. There had been no nightmares last night and she was safe within his arms. He smiled to himself and simply enjoyed the feeling of being with his one true love once more. 'Even if she doesn't remember me,' he thought sardonically. Glancing at the clock, he was shocked to discover that it was already past noon. The Senshi would be arriving in a few hours, so he had better have Serenity up and dressed in something a bit less revealing by the time they arrived. 'And just how am I going to explain that this is Serenity, not Usagi?' sighing softly at the thought of dealing with the Senshis' reaction, especially Rei's, Mamoru carefully began to ease himself away from the princess. She made a few small whimpers of protest at the loss of his warmth, but did not awaken. 'At least she still sleeps like Usagi!' he thought in amusement as he slipped quietly out of the bedroom.
Serenity was trapped in a prison of ice. Through the walls, she could see her Senshi fighting...and falling. She beat upon the ice walls until her fists were bloody, screaming their names, but they couldn't seem to hear her. Mars was the last to fall and Serenity allowed herself to fall with her. Her hands left bloody streaks on the crystal clear walls as she slowly slid down to her knees. The ice had chilled her to the bone and her tears had frozen as she wept. "Mars," she whispered brokenly as she stared sightlessly out of her prison. An evil laugh startled her and she slowly turned to look behind her. On the other side of her prison, a tall woman stood glaring at her with contempt. Flaming red hair fell around her shoulders, which were bare above the tight, purple dress that seemed molded to the woman's body. The woman might once have been beautiful, had her face not been permanently twisted into a sour expression. Serenity's eyes widened at the sight. "Who are you? Why are you doing this?" she asked the woman fearfully.
"Well, if it isn't pitiful little Princess Serenity. You're all alone now, brat, and soon you'll be dead. Kill her, my prince." She gestured toward the princess and, for the first time, Serenity noticed the man kneeling at the woman's side. He stood and unsheathed his sword, walking purposely toward Serenity's prison. At his touch, the walls melted away and Serenity could see his face clearly.
"Prince Endymion!" Serenity cried in horror as she backed away from him. "This can't be true, I won't accept it. Noooo!" Serenity screamed her denial as he raised his sword, his black eyes filled with hate...
Mamoru was just about to pick up the breakfast tray he had prepared when he heard the scream from the bedroom. Leaving the tray, he raced down the hall fearing what he might find. Serenity's crescent moon was blazing against her pale face and he could see that she had been crying. Her head was tossing from side to side and when he reached down to calm her, he discovered that her skin was like ice. "Serenity," he said, trying to wake her as he gathered her into his arms. "Serenity, wake up, it's just a dream. Come on, open your eyes."
Serenity woke up just as the sword was swinging down at her. She saw Mamoru's face looking down at her and, for a moment, she was overcome with terror; but the warmth and comfort radiating from him soothed her and she stared up at him in confusion. Something was different...his eyes! They were blue, not black! And they reflected concern, not murder. Sighing in relief, Serenity allowed herself to relax in his arms and she gave him a weak smile. Reaching up, she gently swept his bangs out of his eyes. The action seemed familiar somehow, as if she had done it a thousand times before and she frowned as she tried to figure out how that could be. "Why is it that I feel as if I have known you forever?" she asked quietly, still gazing into his eyes. She let her hand trail gently down his face and shivered at the delicious feelings that simple action invoked.
Mamoru was stunned by the touch of her hand on his skin. For over a month he had denied himself the pleasure of feeling her skin next to his and now that she was here, with him, in his bed, he couldn't resist the urge to kiss her. He felt as though he was falling into her eyes as he leaned down closer to her face and had almost captured her lips with his own when the doorbell rang. It had the effect of a cold shower and Mamoru straightened hurriedly and started for the door, muttering "I better get that."
Serenity's heart was beating rapidly as she watched him leave. She felt strangely bereft, as if she had come very close to a major revelation, but it had been snatched away. Shaking her head at her foolish thoughts, she sat up and dragged her fingers through her hair in a vain attempt to work some of the tangles out. She could hear voices coming from the other room and she paused, all senses alert, as she recognized the soft female tones. 'Mars!' she thought joyfully and ran to greet her best friend and Senshi.
Mamoru was just about to explain the situation to the Senshi when a blur of white and gold burst into the room and threw itself at Rei.
"Mars! I thought you were dead! I thought you had all perished with everyone else!" Serenity exclaimed excitedly as she clung to the violet-haired girl as if she might disappear. "Mamoru said last night that Ami would explain everything and I was so tired that it didn't even register... I thought you had all died on the Moon! I'm so happy to see you!"
Rei was shocked by the greeting and struggled to free herself from Serenity's stranglehold. "What's the matter with you, Odango? We leave you here overnight and you fall to pieces!" she said in exasperation.
At the other girl's words, Serenity stiffened and stepped back, searching the other girl's face. Then she turned and looked carefully at the other three girls who were watching her. They looked like her Senshi, but they weren't. Not quite. They were different from the girls she had grown up with. They did not look at her with the same eyes. She backed away from them in confusion and fear until she bumped into Mamoru. Startled, she looked up at him, tears shining in her eyes. "Who are they? They look like my Senshi, but they are not. They do not feel the same. What has happened to my friends?"