Part Two: Acceptance

I awoke to find it eleven o'clock and the sun shinning. Luna was gone, and the house seemed to be empty. Sighing with determination, I left my house and walked down the street towards Rays.. On my way, I came across a great amount of cars at the local church.

"I wonder what's going on," I mused. I was just about to pass the church, but then I saw Darien and Andrew walk in. "It must be the funeral they were talking about," I whispered to myself. As I walked towards the church I fought myself in my head. 'I have to get to Ray's house! This is scout business!' But I was drawn towards the church and couldn't stop myself from entering. Once inside, I recognized all of the people there. Mom, Sammy, Lita, Mina, Amy, Molly, Melvin, my teachers, my neighbors, Darien, Andrew, and...Ray!! Who could've died that all of my family and friends were so upset...Then I remembered what my mother had said the night before. They all thought I was dead...The negaverse had brainwashed all of them. I slowly walked to the front of the church, and as I thought, no one paid attention to me or even saw me. As I watched all of them mourn through the service, I couldn't keep the tears falling from myself. I had been so mean to all of them...and now they thought I was dead. They shouldn't be sad... I had been terrible...Why were they all crying over me? And Darien...He of all people shouldn't be sad that I was gone. We fought with each other every time we talked...'I just don't understand...'

Shaking my head to clear my mind, I realized that they were moving the casket out of the church, and to the graveyard. Andrew, Darien, Sammy, and Melvin were carrying it. As they passed me, I saw the girl inside of it...Me. I gasped in surprise, fully realizing that the negaverse had made an image of my body, and had entrapped me in one that couldn't be seen or heard. Or...what if that was my real body...And when I was rescued by my friends I'd wake up in a coffin under ground...*shudder* I didn't want to think about it.

When I came out of my thoughts I realized that the crowd was breaking up, and many of them were heading for Ray's temple.

"That's right! The after-funeral-get-together is at Ray's temple! This is great. I'll be able to try and contact all of my friends at once." 'But...what if I can't contact them. Will I stay this way forever?' Trying to push the thoughts of failure out of my head, I followed the crowd of people. I would contact Ray, and she would help me to get out of this crazy parallel world that the negaverse put me in!

~~~~~~~~~~

I walked into Ray's temple and almost started crying all over again. Seeing everyone who cared about me made me want to bawl. I had even been mean to many of them the day before they were brainwashed. Darien for instance...wait...at the arcade, Darien said he had never had the chance to tell 'her' how her really felt...How he really felt about me? I looked at him and saw that he had put on one of his 'face masks,' meaning that he showed no emotion.

"Darien..."I sighed, looking at him. "I feel something for you too...And when I get back, I'll confront you. We'll be together." After taking one last look at him, I started to look for Ray. After 40 minutes of looking, and no finding, I almost gave up. Then, I stumbled across the fire-reading room. Ray was knelt before a huge and burning hot fire, and she was meditating. Perfect! I walked up beside Ray, and sat down next to her. Then, I closed my eyes and carefully listened to what Ray was mumbling under her breath.

"Oh great fire, please help me," Ray whispered. Then, I heard her gasp. I opened my eyes, and looked at her surprised face. "Oh great fire," she continued. "My friend is gone, but I wish to speak with her. Let us communicate. I am feeling another's presence oh great fire. I pray to the gods, let her cross over! Let Us Speak!" she ended with a commanding, loud, and booming voice. Sweat was dripping down her forehead, and she wiped it off. She kept her eyes closed, and I saw her concentrating. She knew something was wrong! She knew the negaverse had me! I knew I could count on Ray!

"I feel kind of weird," I said to myself. Ray continued concentrating, but I saw her eyebrows prick up as she again felt my presence. 'Okay Serena, think! Ray can communicate through the fire, so...' Then, an idea hit me. If I couldn't pick anything up...or touch anything...then fire wouldn't hurt me! Gathering my courage, I braced myself, and put my hand forward. My fingers touched the flame, but there was no pain.

"Wahhh!" I gasped and jumped back as the fire rose to an enormous height. I drew my hand back, and the flames quieted. I looked at Ray and I saw hope in her eyes.

"Serena," Ray called out. "Come to me. Don't be afraid. The gods are letting you pass." Taking another deep breath, I walked towards the flames.

"Well, here it goes," I said. Gathering my courage, I stepped into the fire.

The flames engulfed me, and I felt them grow to an enormous height once again. A bright pink light surrounded me, making my head dizzy. My body felt whole once again, but the light held me in the fire. In another minute the flames quieted, and I was looking out at Ray. Her face lighted up with happiness and joy.

"Serena!" she cried out, tears coming to her eyes.

"Ray?" I asked, still not sure if she could really see me. "Can you see me? Can you hear me?" She nodded her head, and tears of happiness rolled down her cheeks.

"Yes, of course I can see and hear you. You're in the power of my fire, connected to my will power and my soul.

"Oh, Ray! I'm so glad! I've been so scared," I cried. I tried to reach out to her, but the pink light shined, and wouldn't let me pass through to her.

"Serena...What do you mean scared? Where were you?" she asked, worry written on her face.

"Oh Ray, you'll never guess!" I cried, wiping the tears from my eyes. "I was at school, but no one would talk to me. Everyone ignored me! Even Amy, Lita, Molly, and Melvin! And after school I went to the arcade...Darien and Andrew ignored me as well. I thought maybe they were all mad at me...but Darien talked of a girl that had died. So then I thought they were all trying to protect me from getting hurt. I went home and Mom or Sammy wouldn't speak to me either. Luna too! Then, Mom talked of me as if I was dead!" I cried. Right then I broke into tears, not being able to cope with the fact that my parents thought I was dead. Ray was looking at me with mixed emotions written in her eyes. Disbelief, sadness, happiness, uneasiness, and comfort.

"It's okay Serena. Go on," she urged, giving me a smile.

"Well, it was then that I found I couldn't touch anyone of move anything! I thought long and hard all night, and I concluded that the negaverse is up to something! There's no way I can be dead Ray! Nothing happened that would have resulted in my death! The negaverse must have found out who I was! With me gone, Sailor Moon wouldn't be a threat any longer! After coming to that conclusion, I went to sleep. Then, this morning, I came across the church. The negaverse had made a duplicate of my body Ray! Or, they trapped my soul on some weird plane, and damaged my body. Ray, please help me! I'm so scared!" I sobbed, letting the tears pour down my face. Even with the relief that I had contacted Ray, there was nothing more I wanted than to be held. When I looked up I saw Ray crying as well, and I was saddened. "Ray, please, don't cry! I need your help!" I sobbed. "I'm so frightened! Please, I want to be seen again! I want to be heard! I want to use all five of my senses! And I want to apologize to all the people I was terribly mean to the other day! Please Ray!! Help." I looked out at her and saw that her tired face held a frown, and many tears.

Serena..."she started, but she stopped and looked at me for a little longer. "It's okay," she said soothingly. "I'm here now." I smiled out at her, and felt relief wash over me.

"Thank you Ray," I said sincerely. "Thank you." She smiled at me, but I saw the sweat pour down her face, and the strain she was in to keep the connection with me.

"Serena...I can't hold the connection very much longer. I've been trying to reach you for over an hour. Follow me, and I'll lead you to a room you can stay in. Tomorrow we can continue. Alright?"

"Sure," I said sleepily. "I'm very tired."

"Okay, I'm going to let your spirit go. When you return to your other state follow me. Oh, and Serena?"

"Yeah?" I asked.

"You're a great friend. I just want to let you know that I love you."

"You too Ray-chan. You too," I said. With that, I saw Ray relax, and the flames grew large again. The pink light repelled me out of the flames, and the fire returned to normal. I was laying on the temple floor, back to my invisible self. Ray was also laying on the floor too, but not because the fire threw her there. It was because she was exhausted, and she was catching her breath. I got up, and walked over to her.

"Ray?" I asked. Her eyebrows rose as I spoke.

"Serena!" she called out. "I can sense you when you speak. Will you talk again?"

"Of course I will," I replied, glad that I could at least communicate with her somehow. She smiled, and then she got up.

"Just...hum or something," she said as she stumbled towards the door. I followed, humming as I walked. She led me to a guest room, across from her room, and closed the door behind us. "Stay in here Serena. I'll come get you tomorrow. Sleep well." With that, she left, closing the door behind her.

~~~~~~~~~~

I awoke the next morning to find Ray sitting in a chair waiting for me. Smiling at her, a started humming a tune from the arcade. She immediately smiled and stood up.

"About time sleepy head," she teased, opening the door for me. I've been waiting a half hour." I just continued humming, and followed her to the fire-reading room. When we stepped through the door into the huge room I gasped in surprise. Amy, Lita, Mina, Luna, and Artemis were all standing there.

"M-My friends!" I cried out, happiness coming to me. They were all there, smiling at Ray...and at...me. With the thought that I'd be able to communicate with all of my friends, I was overjoyed. Forgetting my condition, I ran forward and reached out to hug Amy. Gasping, I fell right through her and rolled a few feet to the right on the floor. Tears came to my eyes as I saw Amy shiver and look around.

"Serena? Was that you?" Ami called out. I stayed where I was on the floor, and continued to cry. 'But...wait...my friends know now. They'll help me, and I'll be back to normal in no time!' Drying my eyes, I stood up and walked up next to Ray.

"I'm ready Ray," I said, knowing she wouldn't be able to here me, but she could sense me...and that made me feel a little better.

"Okay," Ray said, sitting before the fire. "Everyone sit around the fire on this side and hold hands. The others did so, but Luna and Artemis looked left out. "I can get in contact with Serena, but I'll need your help if we want to talk to her for an extended period of time. Serena will be able to contact us only because her life force will be connected to our souls and to our will power. Use the Sailor teleport physic connection to connect to my mind waves. Then, when I get in contact with Serena, she'll be tied to all of our souls, and we'll be able to speak with her longer. Does everyone got it?"

"What about us?" Luna asked, looking up at my friends.

"Well," said Ray. "If you two get in the semi-circle with us and concentrate then you my be able to see her also." Luna and Artemis took their places along with my friends, and the ceremony started.

"Oh great fire...answer our plea..." Ray started, gathering her strength. "Our friend is gone, but we wish to speak with her. I pray to the gods...let her cross over!" Then, Ray started mumbling something under her breath that none of us could decipher...I think it was in another language. "By the power of all present, and all who love this girl, let her cross over!" Ray said in a booming voice. "Let us communicate!" Then, that weird feeling returned and I stepped up next to the fire.

"Here it goes," I said, reaching my hand out.

"Let Serena come into the force of my fire...Let her be seen! Let her be heard!" With those words, I took a deep breath and walked right into the fire. The flames grew to the ceiling as my body was once again engulfed by the flames and a pink light surrounded me. In another moment, the pink light died down along with the flames. I was able to see all of my friends and all of them could see me.

"Amy! Lita! Mina! Ray! Luna! Artemis!" I cried out, relieved that all of them could see me at last.

"Serena..." Luna whispered, tears coming to her eyes. I looked at my guardian and I saw the depression in her eyes.

"Don't be sad Luna...Everyone is here and they'll help me to get back. Everything is going to be fine," I said to Luna. She smiled at me, but the depression only lessened in her eyes. It didn't go away completely. I looked at the rest of my friends and saw that they were all looking at me with joy, but grief as well.

"Serena," Ray said, gathering my attention. "I already told everyone your story. And we're going to help you." As she said this, tears overflowed from her eyes onto her cheeks, and she could not continue speaking.

"Ray?" I asked, concern overpowering me. "What's wrong? Why are you crying?" I looked at all of my friends to see that they too were threatened with tears.

"Serena," Lita started. "We're all sad, because we love you so much...And you were put through so much pain." I looked at Lita, but my concerned frown turned to a smile.

"But Lita, it's okay now. I'm here with my best friends, and we're going to figure out a way for me to come back." I looked at all of them for confirmation, but they said nothing. "Guys? What's wrong? What aren't you telling me?" I looked around in confusion as they all starred at each other. Finally, Amy spoke.

"Serena, we've talked it over," she said, looking me directly in the eyes. "With your permission, we want Ray to go through your mind and try to awaken your memories right before this happened to you. Is that okay with you? We think you mentally blocked out what happened."

"Um...sure," I replied, looking at Ray. "But...does Ray-chan have enough strength to do that? Does she have enough power for that skill?"

"With all of us holding onto your soul with our minds," Mina explained, "We should be able to hold you here without Ray. She'll be able to use all of her strength to help you search for the memories. Is that okay with you Serena?" I looked at all of them, still not sure why they were acting so strange, but trusting them anyway.

"Yes, it's okay with me," I replied. "I trust and love each of you."

"We love you too Serena," Mina said.

"We love you," they all said at once, smiling up at me.

"Right back at you," I responded, laughing. Ray finally looked up at me, and by that time the tears had disappeared from her face. Instead, concentration and power were in her eyes. She starred at me for a full minute, the whole time not breaking eye contact with me. Then closing her eyes, she started into her trance. A secret language was uttered from her mouth, and I waited and concentrated, ready for anything. After about an hour I felt myself go into a deep trance. The last thing I saw was the encouraging smiles from all of my friends, and the determined expressions on the face of Ray, sweat pouring down her forehead.

"Let me pass," Ray was mumbling. "Into the debts of the soul...Into the soul and memory itself. Serena..." I now distinctively heard Ray's voice, but not in that mysterious language that I had heard, and that the others were still hearing. I heard her plainly in English, and I understood every word. I let her guide my mind as we passed through memories of my early childhood. All the time, letting her soothing voice calm my nerves.

"Serena..." I heard her say soothingly and calmly. "Let us go to the day before...the day that you vanished." With that, I was swept to the morning of the day that changed everything. I watched with sorrow as I saw the way I treated everyone that morning. Then, Ray guided my mind to the car ride. I was yelling at my father...I started to cry as I realized that I couldn't say sorry now that he couldn't see me. The image disappeared and Ray's face formed in front of me.

Ray..."I whispered.

"Serena," Ray soothed. "I know that this will be painful for you, but this is your memory, just as those wonderful images from your childhood were your memories. You've blocked it out, because it was too painful for you...but you must let the memory surface. You will be in even more pain if you do not. Trust me. I'll lead you through this remembrance, and I'll never leave you. I'll be with you the whole time. Please, release it, and help me unlock the aching in your heart." With that, I returned the darkness. I could feel Ray searching my mind, trying to open and unlock the disturbance. Gathering my courage, I willed myself to remember, and relaxed my mind, trying to help Ray in any way I could. I don't know hoe long it took, but I felt as the blockade was lifted, and I was back in the car with my father. Ray had opened up the memory, and was guiding me through it.

It was an out-of-body experience, watching myself, and actually feeling and reliving the experience. I watched as I yelled at my father, and screamed his name as I saw a car heading right towards us. I yelled and covered my face as the car hit full speed into our vehicle. Everything went dark, and then I saw myself opening my eyes and seeing my father looking down at me.

"Hold on Serena! Help is on the way. Hold on! I love you..." His voice faded out as I heard sirens and my eyes closed. Everything was dark, and then I found myself at the school, just as I had 2 days ago.

"W-Wha...???" I whispered as I continued to watch myself. "Ray?" I cried, wanting her to explain. The image faded, and I saw Ray's tired and grief stricken face. "Ray...Is it true?" I cried, reaching out for her.

"I'm sorry Serena," Ray cried. She reached out as well, but we could not touch.

"Ray...I don't understand...What happened?...Did I...die?" I whispered to her.

"Let me take you into my memory," Ray said in her monotone and soothing voice. She was once again in the trance. I watched as she took me to the hospital through her mind. I saw through her eyes as she heard what the doctor said, and felt the emotions that had went through her head. I watched as she visited my father, who would eventually make a full recovery, and as she volunteered her temple as the after-funeral-get-together. Then, she took me to the funeral, and I heard the priest as he said a few final words.

"May our dear daughter, sister, friend, and loved one be blessed by the Father above, and may she fly up to heaven with an angel's wings..."