Queen Selenity looked at Artemis and Luna again, "What do you mean

Queen Selenity looked at Artemis and Luna again, "What do you mean?"

"We can not contact them," Luna began, "nor can we locate them," Artemis finshed.

Queen Selenity paused, hope was fading fast. It had been almost a day since Selene was seen last. The palace had been searched twice, including the hidden passages, and the grounds were almost all covered.

"We can not lose hope, we----" Queen Selenity started but stopped, something calling her, something in the wind, but it was almost silent, but was crying out loud to be heard.

She dismissed the thought and resumed talking to Luna and Artemis.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~


Minako and Ami wandered around the rose gardens, both knowning that the chances of Selene being here, was as much as Rei not snapping at Usagi for an entire day. Ami was doing a scan for Selene's energy, but since her energy was not in huge bursts, it was hard to tell.

"Lets try another place, Ami, she's not going to be here. Lets try the floating gardens," Minako suggested.

"No, Makoto already checked there and she wasn't there." Ami replied, not taking her eyes off of the screen of the computer.

"Where can she be?" Minako said, in a puzzled tone, as if wondering how a person, never the less a *princess*, could just disappear without a sign or clue.

"I don't know, Minako, I don't know," Ami said softly.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Makoto and Usagi wandered around the other part of the rose garden, trying to find any sign of Selene.

"Do you think she's alright?" Usagi asked, looking at the roses.

"She's fine, remember, she's part of the Outers. She's one of the toughest senshi there ever was, and don't you forget that." Makoto said, reasuringly.

"But, why is she part of the Outers? Why couldn't she be part of the Inners as well?"

"Usagi, you want to be part of the Outers? One of you had to be part of the Outers, so that the balance of power wouldn't shift drasitically. Besides, its not your fault that she was born before you."

"Only by a few minutes, but even then, she should be Sailor Moon, not me."

"Just because she's the first born, dosen't automatically make her the heir of the Moon. Apparently, something about you caused you to have the crescent moon on your forehead, and Selene didn't."

"Mother never has told me what she had on her forehead, if anything at all."

"I don't know, it could be anything, when you think about it. Maybe the Outer planet symbols merged together, an outside constelletion, anything is possible." Makoto said, she knew that Jupiter, at one time, was almost grouped with the Outers but was put with the Inners for they needed another strong senshi. Makoto, personally, was grateful, she didn't know how she'd be able to put up with Haurka, and keep the serious attitude 24/7.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~


Rei roamed the small garden of pansys. She looked around and sighe, she knew that time was running out, and Selene could be gone forever if they didn't find her soon, or it could already be too late. She mentally scolded herself, Its not her fault that she was put with the Outers. There has to be a reason...I should have been nicer to her, I don't know how I'm going to live with myself now. This dose not feel right, and I know it.

Rei suddenly stopped, a cool breeze came out of nowhere, and pulled back at her long raven hair and red gown. The wind, it seemed to say Where the water meets the land, where the grasses and the flowers mix, hurry there, Princess...

Rei paused, she had recieved unusal messages before, but this one took the cake, as well as a batch of Makoto's cookies. There's not any oceans here, but the grasses....., she thought then took off towards the lily garden and ponds.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The Outers sat around a small round table on Hotaru's patio. A cool breeze was blowing, mixing the scent of the flowers with the trees.

Haurka and Michiru were unusally quiet, as if they were waiting for something. Finally, Haurka spoke up, "Something is happening."

Hotaru nodded, "Where? Another attack from Trey?"

The Outers had been battling Trey for years now, and finally, last month they finally defeated him and killed him.

Michiru shook her head, "No, this is a new message, but its not clear."

Sestunna looked out towards the ocean, the winds causing the waves to rise higher then usual and to crash violently against the shoreline. "I have to go soon, so please, try to explain soon, or come to me later on."

Haurka was straining her senses, trying to make sense of the winds' message. "It involves Selene. That is for sure."

"The ocean also says that, something about distress and something approaching. Dose this make any sense, Hotaru? Sestunna?" Michiru asked, obiviously confused, for the ocean and the wind hardly ever contained the same message, for the message would usually split into two parts, but not this time.

"What do we do? Go to the Moon and get to the bottom of this?" Hotaru asked, she personally liked Selene and showed it; she knew that the others cared for her as well, but just didn't let it show.

"No, I suggest that we wait it out. This could just be something minor. Let the Inners take care of it. If any of you, get a message asking our assistance, contact me immediently." The wise, senshi of time said and teleported out.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Rei wandered around the lily garden, not seeing one trace of Selene or anybody, for that matter. She stopped again, and watched where the lilies were blowing, they were blowing towards a passage, which even Rei could tell that led to a dead end; but never the less, she followed and saw Selene.

Encased in what looked to be a dark crystal like material, her fuku on, her mouth and eyes wide open, as in either suprise or terror. Selene was there, or a mold of Selene was there.

Rei stood ther for a second, then yelled out, "Selene! I found Selene! SELENE IS HERE!"

"Don't worry, Selene, we'll get out of there and punish the person that did this to you," Rei said in a regular tone to the statue like Sailor Midnight Moon.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~


Queen Selenity looked up, "Rei....Lets go," she said, and with that Luna and Artemis were off towards the sound of Rei's voice.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Minako and Ami looked up, hearing Rei's yells as well.

"Lets go, I hope that its not too late," Ami said closing her computer and running towards them.

"Same here, Ami, same here," Minako replying, and running to catch up with Ami.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Makoto and Usagi look at each other, and Usagi sprouted a big grin.

"You hear that Mako-chan! Rei found her!"

"Lets go then!" Makoto replied and they were off as well.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

They arrived at the sight in this order: Queen Selenity, Luna, Artemis, Minako, Ami, Makoto and Usagi was on the way.

"Minako, go back to Usagi, do not let her see this," Queen Selentiy said, not taking her eyes off of the unmoving princess.

Minako ran back on the path, to find Usagi sitting on the ground, trying to untangle herself from some over grown ferns.

"You having a bit of trouble there?" Minako asked, looking down at the Moon Princess.

"No, I almost got it," Usagi said, thought her voice was strained as she tried to break the vern's hold on her leg. "How is Selene?"

Minako paused, and then came up with a story, "That wasn't Selene; Rei saw a statue of one of the old queens, and thought she was Selene. And guess what? You and I get a hour break!" Minako said, bending down and removing the vern from Usagi's foot (Usagi was doing it backwards, causing the hold to get tighter) and stood back up.

"Lets see what yummy treats the kitchens have for us today, Usagi-chan." Minako said, happily, and they were off to the kitchens in the Moon Palace.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Queen Selenity watched Minako run off, then turned to the others. "Luna, Artemis, please go and try to contact the Outers once more, Rei and Makoto, henison, and follow my orders."

Luna and Artemis, not wasting a precious seconds, immediently ran back towards the palace, passing Usagi and Minako, who were also making their way towards the palace as well.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"Mars Princess Power!"

"Jupiter Princess Power!"

"Hension, yo!" Both princesses scream out in unison, as ribbons and bright lights surround them, leaving the part of the all mighty and powerful Inner Senshi team.

"Rei, Makoto, try the Fire bird and Thunder dragon together. Ami, you know exactly what to do."

"Mars Firebird Strike!"

"Jupiter Thunder Dragon!"

Both attacks hit the 'statue' of Selene, chipping off most of the excess substence.

Ami opened up her computer and did a scan on the fallen substence. "It identifies it as 'Dark Crystal'."

Queen Selenity picked up part of the 'statue' that was blown off. "Dark Crystal, interesting..."

Both Jupiter and Mars were puzzled, for did a 'Dark Crystal' even exist? Was it a rare gem that even the royals hadn't even heard of it?

"Thank you for the assistence, Rei and Makoto, I believe that I can finsh it off," Queen Selenity began taking off her very own broach. Both Mars and Jupiter were in awe, hardly ever Queen Selenity transformed, and it was even rarer that she would do it front of the entire search party, if they were passing by.

"Moon Healing Beam!" Queen Selenity call out, beams of light, colors of the rainbow, wrapping themselves into the shape of the cresent moon, then shot itself towards Selene. It wrapped around her, crushing the 'dark cyrstal' surronding her, and with an ear splitting cracking noise, the dark crystal realeased its grip on the princess and fell down back to the Moon.

Sailor Midnight Moon fell, then looked around. "Where are you, creep! Show yourself! Midnight Moon Total Eclispe!" She called out, a dark ball of energy, which was rapidly growing, in her hands, and it grew to a nice size. It was the shape of the 'Dark Side' of the Moon. Suddenly, bright white light emitted from it, and the attack flew out, towards the senshi.

Sailors Mars and Jupiter ducked, as did Queen Selenity. Ami, however, was not as lucky, as she had to dive to avoid getting hit with one of Selene's 'stronger' attacks.

Midnight Moon looked around, and at the large hole that she had created, it went through 5 walls, made up of vines and flowers. "Umm.....Gomen..." She muttered, looking at them.

Sailors Mars and Jupiter, plus Ami, stood back up and just stared at Midnight Moon. None of them had ever seen or even heard of that attack, never the less, almost get hit by it.

Queen Selenity stood back up and looked at Midnight Moon, her eyes shining with tears.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Artemis pressed some keys in the 'Control Room' at the Moon Palace. "C'mon, yes, thats it..Bingo!"

A 3-D globe of Saturn appeared in the middle of the floor, where there were beams as if to keep it in place.

"Get me the Princess," Artemis said, as the machines were buzzing with the orders, sending out signals to Saturn.

Another beam dropped down from the ceiling and a 3-D image of the 17 year old Princess Hotaru appeared.

"This is Advisor Artemis, do you hear me, Princess?"

Hotaru nodded, "Yes, I do hear you Artemis. Why did you call me? Though, I highly doubt that you are just making a social call."

"Where have all of you been for the past 24 hours?"

"Here, at Saturn. We had a mini-meeting and discussed some things that needed to be discuessed years ago. Why?"

"Selene was attacked, and right now, if I am not misktaken, she is in a statue like statis. Now, it was crystal clear but had a dark purple, if not black, tint to it. Do you know anything about that?"

Hotaru paused for a moment. "Dark Crystal, one of the rarest forms a crystal can take. The only known mines are here, on Saturn. You sure that it was dark crystal?"

"Thats the only thing that it can be, Princess. You have any theories?"

"Last time I checked, we didn't have any mining going on in the mines. So, they would have got to have taken the dark crystal from the warehouse, when we were mining, or they just found another source."

"Tell me, what is so special about this dark crystal?"

"Well, I've read about this plenty of times, Artemis. According to some Saturnian legends, there was one huge crystal, that gave off negative energy. It says that the crystal could take in any type of energy and then put it to its own use. One day, the crystal exploded, and it covered a man and his wife that were passing by. They had the symbol of Saturn on their forehead, and were named 'King' and 'Queen'. I am part of that line. It is also believed that only one that never had a pure heart could harness the power that it gave off. If somebody could, then they'd probably be more powerful then myself and Queen Selenity combined."

Artemis paused in thought and let it all sink in. "What do you think happened?"

"I can not answer that, Artemis. For one I don't even know the entire story and two, you could just think it is a dark crystal surronding Selene."

Artemis nodded, "Well, do you think that Selene would turn on us? Betray us?"

Hotaru looked like she had been put between a rock and a hard place. "S---Selene, is powerhungry. She loves power. I know myself. Haurka took her for physical, Sestunna had her for mental, Michiru had her for spirtual, and I, I think I got the worse of it, the senshi powers." Hotaru paused and then started again.

"She's a fighter, born to fight. You know that. Usually, a 1st born, like herself, is destined for the throne, but not this time. I don't know why, for it just dosen't make any sense at all. She will do just about anything for that throne or any throne she can get her hands on."

"You didn't answer my question, Hotaru. Do you think she will?"

"You know the answer to that, Artemis. I'm just a teammate of hers, while you live in the same palace of her. Now, I best be off, before you start quizzing me about how brutal she is in battle----"

"Well, tell me that."

Hotaru sighed and looked up. "Do the stars shine? Do the moons revolve around the planets? Selene will fight to the death and back, if given the chance. She is like us, the Outers. We know our cause and we will not let petty emotions get in our way of our duty. Like the Inners do, I swear if I hear one more 'I'm sorry! I didn't mean for my lightning to hit you so hard!' I will scream and blast them all myself. Goodday Artemis, Luna." Hotaru finshed and with a blink of an eye, the Saturn image and the image of Hotaru had disappeared.

"We are nowhere closer to figureing this thing out are we?" Artemis asked.

"Not one inch," Luna replied.