A.N: I'm back! Thank you for all of the reviews. I was happy when I
updated my story to see I had that many! Well, here's my new chapter. I
hope you enjoy it.
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Zoisite's face turned red from anger as she stared at the message. Reading it over for the fourth time, she screamed in rage and tore the paper into as many tiny pieces as she could, then proceeded to stomp on them. "Those…those ignorant, snide little brats!" She hollered. "How dare they? How dare they think they could insult me like this!" She growled and punched the wall beside her, leaving a dent on the otherwise smooth cavern surface.
The youma that had delivered the message attempted to make its way to the door without drawing her attention, but it was too late. Zoisite turned towards it and shot out a hand in its direction, engulfing it in flames. Even the sound of its pained shrieks gave her no satisfaction and only caused her to become more angered. A door to the side opened and Zoisite was about to attack when she saw who it was.
Malachite calmly walked into the room, taking note of the charred body of a youma on the ground. "What has you so angered?" He casually asked as he crossed to the table that had the crystals placed on it, sitting in one of the nearby chairs.
"That!" Zoisite pointed to the torn and trampled note, her voice filled with fury. Malachite looked at the ruined note and concentrated. The pieces of paper were surrounded in a blue light and the note was once again whole. It formed in front of him and he carefully reached out and took it from the air, reading it silently.
~ It's time you stopped being such a coward and fought us head on Zoisite! Although, we have a 2-3 bet that you send youma because you are to weak to fight yourself. What a laugh it would be if it's true! One of the mighty Negaverse generals…a pushover! We could make a list of the insults we have for you, but it would take way to much time and we want to get down to business. Enough is enough. As the leader of the Scouts, I have a proposition for you. We both want the crystals the other possesses, so I propose a duel. Me and you in the Starlight Tower at 8:00 sharp! The winner gets all of the Rainbow Crystals.
See you at 8:00…unless you're too scared to show.
Signed,
Sailor Moon ~
Malachite raised an eyebrow and placed the note down. "I see." He stood and walked over to Zoisite, standing in front of her. "Are you going to accept?"
"Of course." She growled. "Those brats are gonna pay. No one gets away with insulting me!"
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Sailor Moon nodded as Mercury confirmed that the youma they had recently encountered had indeed delivered the message. They hadn't been sure how they were going to get the message to the Negaverse at first, but finding the youma attacking people from an alleyway had been a stroke of luck. The Scout's had 20 minutes to get to the tower, so Sailor Moon decided to go over the plan once more.
"This fight is between me and Zoisite, so don't even think of interfering." She looked at them pointedly. "Stay out of it even if I'm losing." The girls were about to protest, but they closed their mouths when she glared at them. "After it's over, we'll try and find a way to join the crystals and get the Silver Imperium crystal." Sailor Moon turned to Luna and Artimis. "You two are to stay in the shadows. That way, if the enemy has something planned, we have you as a back-up." She turned back to the Scouts. "You four will watch these." She handed her crystals to Sailor Mercury, since she was closest. Luna stared at the new crystal, knowing they hadn't had it before.
"Where did you get that?" She asked in amazement.
"I fought Tuxedo Mask for it." The four scouts gasped.
"And you won?" Sailor Venus picked up the new addition and studied it thoughtfully.
"He let me win." At the blank looks she was getting, Sailor Moon sighed and shook her head. "I'll have to tell you some other day. We don't have time right now." She turned and headed towards the tower with the others close behind. Sailor Mars smiled and shook her head in amazement. Despite the warning Serena had given, she was still surprised by the transformation of her friend from someone she had thought of as naïve, to someone who couldn't be described as anything else but a leader. She had been shocked when Serena had announced the plan. It was the best they had heard so far out of any of them, and it made sense. She was proud of her friend. All of a sudden, her vision blacked out and she fell unconscious to the ground.
*Flashback*
The princess of Mars slowly walked through the gardens of the Moon Kingdom, glad that she had a day off from her royal duties.
She had just arrived from her own kingdom the day before, sent to be one of the guards to the moon princess. She still hadn't seen the girl she was to protect, and was told she wouldn't be meeting her until all of the guards had arrived. She was a day early, but was glad she had time to look around and admire the grounds.
As Mars turned on the path, she noticed the presence of another up ahead. Walking more in the shadows to stay unnoticed, she stopped behind a tree and looked around it to see who was there.
A young girl sat at one of the many fountains in the garden. As far as Mars could guess, she was the same age as her. She wore a white flowing gown that seemed silver when the sun hit it. It was strapless and flared out from the bust line, with golden rings designed around the top and a large bow in the back. The colour of the dress complimented her pale, flawless skin and the faint glow of her cheeks. Large crystal blue eyes flecked with silver were framed by thick black lashes that brushed against her cheeks when she closed her eyes. Golden hair that seemed to have a silver shine was done up in two streamers that fell to her ankles from two buns at each side of her head. The same style as the queens.
The princess of Mars was not a stupid girl, and she knew that it was the queen's daughter that sat at the fountain. The hair was a dead giveaway. Interested in what she was up to, Mars moved behind a closer tree and watched.
Unaware of her watcher, Princess Serenity trailed her fingers in the water of the fountain as she studied her reflection. She was so deep in thought, she didn't hear the yelling coming from her left until one of the people screamed in pain. Snapping out of her trance like state, she stood and ran down the path towards the noise. Mars followed silently.
Serenity stopped when she had reached the source of the yelling. A guard was holding a boy around 7 or 8 up by the scruff of his shirt while the boy glared at him defiantly. The princess straightened and placed her hands on her hips. "What is going on here?" Her tone was one of authority.
The guard turned to her in surprise, remembering to bow at the last minute, but he didn't lower the boy. "I caught this thief stealing from the kitchens." He replied, lacing his words with respect. "When I caught him and told him to come with me, he bit my hand and kicked my shin." The princess shook her head and looked the boy over.
"That doesn't give you the right to be so forceful with him. He's just a child. Put him down." The guard was about to protest, but one look at the glaring princess told him he better obey. He placed the boy down and bowed to her. The boy looked at the princess in awe as she kneeled before him on the ground, seeming not to care if her dress got dirty from doing so. "What is your name, child?" She asked gently.
"Ghend." He replied in a small voice.
"And why were you stealing from the kitchens?" The boy began to cry and the princess pulled him into a hug.
"My…My family is hungry. And my sister…she's sick. Father went away to find work and he never came back. Mother can't find a job and we haven't eaten in days." Serenity hugged the boy tighter and looked up at the guard.
"You will escort this boy home and when he is safe with his sister, you will find a good job for his mother. Take a doctor to examine his sister as well. For tonight, give them a good meal, so tomorrow his mother will have strength enough to work and support her family." The boy hugged her tighter as the guard glared at him angrily.
"Surely you will not let this boy get away unpunished?"
Serenity stood swiftly and placed a finger on the guards chest, glaring up at him. "You would hit a child for trying to help his family?" She growled through her teeth.
"He tried to steal from the palace…" The guard stuttered.
"And what of it? What is a missing loaf of bread when we can easily afford another? We live a life unburdened with fear of hunger, so it is easy to say someone who steals for his starving family is in the wrong! It is us who are wrong! For we are the ones who failed to make sure our people were happy. The role of a kingdom is to care for its subjects. If his family is hungry, it is because we failed to complete our role. Sometimes we see so many of the happy people around us, we forget there are those less fortunate. You will do as I ordered. Or would you defy your princess?" She had calmed down and was now looking him in the eye, begging him mentally to understand.
The guard shook his head. "I would never defy my princess." To Serenity's surprise, he got down on one knee and bowed to her. A bow that was only to be done for the queen. "We are fortunate to have such a kind heir to the throne. You have just proved you are worthy to take your mothers place. You shall always have my loyalty." The princess blushed as the guard took Ghend's hand and let him lead the way to his home.
Mars smiled in the shadows of a large tree. She was proud of this young woman before her, and to her, it was an honour to be one of her guard. Not only had she taken care of the situation and shown her generosity, but she had also shown her intelligence since she had ordered the women work for her earnings after tonight. It would show the princess was willing to share, but not to the point that her people got greedy and lazy thinking she was a pushover. Already, the princess of Mars could tell a bond was forming between her and her charge.
*End Flashback*
Sailor Moon was relieved to see Mars' eyes flutter open. She was lying with her head on Sailor Moon's lap and the other Scouts were to her side. Looking at the relieved faces of her friends, she slowly turned her face up to Sailor Moon. When they made eye contact, Sailor Moon paled considerably. *She knows.* The champion of love and justice bit her lip as she pleaded silently to her Scout. *Please. Please, don't tell.* Sailor Mars understood the look and nodded slightly as she smiled. She had finally found her princess. She was finally complete.
Getting to her feet, she brushed her skirt off as if nothing happened and looked in the direction of the tower. "How much time has passed?" She asked, hoping she hadn't ruined the plan. Sailor Jupiter followed her gaze and sighed.
"A minute…maybe two." She answered. Mars blinked in surprise. It had seemed she had been out for at least half an hour. She shrugged it off and the group once again started for the tower.
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The tower was only a block away and the Scouts still had 5 minutes, so they decided to take their time. Sailor Moon was walking between Jupiter and Venus, who had been arguing over who was a better fighter. Finally, Sailor Moon had had enough. "That's it!" She yelled. "Now is not the time to get in an argument. We have to stick together if we want to make it through this." Both Jupiter and Venus stopped in mid-step, their eyes blank and staring at nothing. They were having a vision of the past.
*Flashback*
The princess of Venus stared incredulously at the last guard of the moon princess. She had just arrived today. The princess of Jupiter had shown up with a torn and ragged looking tunic and pair of pants. Her thick, brown hair was loose and dishevelled and dirt was smudged on her left cheek. "This?" she said, looking disdainfully at Jupiter. "Is this the best we can do?"
Princess Mercury frowned at Venus. She had been snobby since she had arrived an hour ago. She saw Mars and Serenity looking at each other in disapproval. "That's not very nice to say, Venus." She softly reprimanded.
Venus ignored Mercury and looked the new arrival up and down. "Did she crawl out from under a rock, perhaps? Or maybe she's just a commoner pretending to be a princess."
Jupiter had had enough. She turned to Serenity and bowed. "Do I have to take that from her, highness?" Serenity, who couldn't believe how rude her guard was being, shook her head in a silent 'no'.
"Was there something you wished to say?" Venus smirked.
"I just wanted to tell you that I don't much care for that nose-up-in- the-air way you talk." Jupiter replied. She looked Venus in the face. "All right, I'm a bit ragged looking right now. So what? If you don't like the way I look, don't look at me. There's a war happening back on my planet that took out both my parents, leaving only me and my older sister. And I'm like this right now because I fought to avenge my family. I don't see where that's any of your business, though. I was too busy staying alive to worry about how I look, and if you don't like it that way, well, that's just too bad."
Venus was gaping at the angered princess. "People don't talk to me that way!"
"Not to your face maybe." Jupiter shot back. "But I think if you'd close your mouth and listen to other people once in a while, you might find out what they really think of you. But you don't want to know, do you? I wasn't raised in the palace the way you were, obviously. I was taught respect and kindness."
"I don't have to listen to this!"
"Maybe you don't have to, but you really should." The two princess' glared at each other until Serenity stepped between them, facing Venus.
"I'm very shocked to know that this is the attitude of one of my guards." Venus looked down ashamed. "How do you think you can protect me if you don't work as a team? I know your heart is pure Venus. I can read your soul and I can see you've also had a rough life, but doing to others what's been done to you is not the answer." Serenity took her hand in her own. "You have great kindness in you. Show it. We have to stick together."
The two feuding princesses looked at Serenity admiringly. Her words were so full of passion and hope of peace that they couldn't help but want to make her happy. Both of them were surprised that this stranger wanted them to be friends so badly. It was odd to see royalty who cared so much about what their guards felt.
Venus looked guiltily at Jupiter and bowed low in respect. "I'm very sorry, princess Jupiter. That was harsh of me and I truly apologize."
"Apology accepted." Jupiter mumbled. She pulled a strand of hair into her line of sight and sighed. "Although I guess I do look a bit worn."
Venus excitedly grabbed Jupiter's hand. "I have the greatest idea! How about I give you a makeover? We could get to know each other better." Just then a male guard passed the group. Venus and Jupiter watched him pass. "And talk about boys!" She practically drooled. Jupiter nodded anxiously.
"He looks like my old boyfriend." Jupiter sighed as her and Venus headed towards Venus's room. The forgotten princesses watched them leave together, giggling and talking about nothing, with amused expressions.
*End Flashback*
The two blinked at each other in confusion as the blackness around them faded. As one, they turned to Sailor Moon. Seeing the look in their eyes, Sailor Moon figured they must have found out she was Serenity as well. She sighed and hung her head in shame. *What do they think of me now?* She wondered. She didn't want to look up. Didn't want to see the disappointment.
Jupiter was about to say something when Mars placed a hand on each Scout's shoulder and shook her head. Venus nodded and, smiling, grabbed Sailor Moon's hand and began running to the tower. "We don't wanna be late!" She shouted. The others followed with Mercury lagging behind, wondering what was going on.
The group reached the tower in no time and were soon in the elevator and headed to the top floor. Sailor Mercury watched the button to the top floor light up. "This is it." She murmured. The Scouts stepped out of the elevator and moved to the centre of the dimly lit room.
No sooner had they done so, then Zoisite appeared out of nowhere. She glared at Sailor Moon. "This ends now!" She growled. Sailor Moon nodded.
"Before we begin, give your crystals to Mercury. She already holds mine. She'll hold them until the winner is announced."
"And why should I give them to her? How do I know you won't just take them and leave?" Zoisite sneered.
"Because that's what you would do." Sailor Moon quipped back. Zoisite frowned and the crystals formed in front of Mercury, who took them and set them down. Sailor Moon got into a battle stance. "Ready?"
"It's going to be a pleasure killing you." She growled.
Sailor Moon started things off by running to Zoisite and throwing a punch, which missed. Zoisite retaliated by throwing pink energy blasts at the Scout. One hit Sailor Moon in the chest, throwing her back. She cried out in pain. The Scout's were seriously regretting their promise not to interfere.
Zoisite laughed and backhanded her, sending her crashing to the floor. Mercury took a step forward, scared for her friend. Like the other Scouts, her vision went black and she was no longer seeing the things going on around her.
*Flashback*
The princess of Mercury walked down the empty halls of the palace, headed towards her room. It had been two days since she had arrived and she didn't seem to have anything in common with the other girls. As she turned into a new hallway, she ran right into someone who had been coming the other way. She blushed and began to apologise until she felt a hand on her arm. Looking up, she saw Serenity smiling at her. She hadn't spent time with the princess alone yet, so she still felt uncomfortable around her.
"Mercury." Serenity smiled. "Just the person I was looking for." Mercury looked at her, surprised.
"What's wrong princess?" She asked.
"Nothings wrong. We haven't been able to spend much time together have we. Just the two of us." She grabbed her arm and continued to Mercury's room. "I was wondering if you could tutor me."
Mercury looked at her, surprised. "Tutor you?"
"Yes." Serenity smiled. "I hear you're very good at Latin. I always wanted to learn it."
Mercury smiled. Her favourite subject was Latin. "I would love to teach it to you." She agreed as they entered her room.
A few hours later, Serenity had already learned enough to make sentences. Only small ones though, since she hadn't really gotten to past or future tense. The two decided to take a break and went to the large library. After finding a book that looked interesting, they sat on one of the velvet sofa's and took turns reading to each other. They spent the entire day together, laughing and having a great time in each others company. That night, they went to the gardens to sit by the fountain and watch the stars.
Only half an hour after they had relaxed under the night sky, Mercury sensed danger. Quickly she stood and tried to find where it came from. Out of the dark, a dagger like object was thrown at Serenity. Acting quickly, Mercury pushed her down, but the knife grazed her shoulder, making the moon princess cry out in pain.
Mercury turned in the direction the object had come from. The girl beside her had become the closest friend she had ever had. She never thought that someone could possibly share so many of the same interests as her. Serenity had changed her life of loneliness into one of happiness in one day, and Mercury knew she would be bonded to her for life. In outrage, she turned into her Scout form and threw her attack. The guards later found the body of an escaped assassin.
That night, before going to bed, Serenity had told Mercury something she never thought she'd hear.
"I'm glad we're friends. I wouldn't trade this day in for anything."
*End Flashback*
"No! Serenity!" Mercury cried out, waking from the vision.
Sailor Moon raised herself from the ground and blocked a kick from Zoisite. *So now they all know.* She frowned. With all of the Scout's completely awakened, Luna and Artimis would automatically regain full memories. She threw a punch which landed, sending Zoisite reeling back holding her jaw. Behind her, she heard Luna order the Scouts to combine their powers and attack. *No Luna! Wait!* She tried to turn and tell them to stop, but Zoisite was one again attacking her. She was knocked out of the way by Artimis as a large mass of energy slammed into the Negaverse general.
Before the energy made contact, Sailor Moon heard Zoisite whisper Malachite's name. She was dead before she hit the ground. She sank to her knees, as if in defeat, and stared at the motionless body of her enemy. She should be relieved that the general was destroyed. But she wasn't. In Zoisite's last instant before death, she had called to the one she loved. That was such a human emotion, Sailor Moon didn't know if she could bear the sadness it made her feel. Tears streamed down her cheeks as the Scouts celebrated in the background. "I'm sorry." She whispered.
Sailor Mars remembered her vision and turned to Sailor Moon, calling to her as the blue mist formed behind her. Sailor Moon stood before it solidified and pulled a dagger from her boot that Mars had given her for this moment. Once Malachite was solid, she plunged it into his chest, the tears still forming. She felt evil, killing someone who just wanted to avenge their love. "I'm sorry." She repeated.
Malachite stared at her as his life faded away, seeing the honesty in her eyes. All his hate for her disappeared in that one moment. She was truly sorry. He didn't want to die with hate in his heart, like Zoisite. He wanted to be unburdened in death. Free to know that in the end, he died with a clear mind and heart. Like Nephrite. He didn't know why it was important, but it was. "You're forgiven." He replied. And he meant it. Sailor Moon cried out in agony as he fell to the floor beside is love, one hand almost reaching out to her.
Her tiara disappeared and a golden crescent moon appeared on her forehead in its place. All seven Rainbow Crystals formed in the air in front of her. As on single tear fell from her chin, the crystals flashed and joined with it, forming the Silver Imperium Crystal. Sailor Moon stood in a trance and in a flash of silver, became Serenity. Her crystal joined with her crescent moon wand and she reached out for it as if sleepwalking.
The Scout's watched in awe as Serenity wrapped her fingers around the wand. There was a huge burst of light and a painful impact of air, like thunder without sound. All four Scouts and the two cats fell to the ground, shocked at the unexpected release of power. Serenity's eyes closed and all of a sudden, she crumpled to the floor.
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Zoisite's face turned red from anger as she stared at the message. Reading it over for the fourth time, she screamed in rage and tore the paper into as many tiny pieces as she could, then proceeded to stomp on them. "Those…those ignorant, snide little brats!" She hollered. "How dare they? How dare they think they could insult me like this!" She growled and punched the wall beside her, leaving a dent on the otherwise smooth cavern surface.
The youma that had delivered the message attempted to make its way to the door without drawing her attention, but it was too late. Zoisite turned towards it and shot out a hand in its direction, engulfing it in flames. Even the sound of its pained shrieks gave her no satisfaction and only caused her to become more angered. A door to the side opened and Zoisite was about to attack when she saw who it was.
Malachite calmly walked into the room, taking note of the charred body of a youma on the ground. "What has you so angered?" He casually asked as he crossed to the table that had the crystals placed on it, sitting in one of the nearby chairs.
"That!" Zoisite pointed to the torn and trampled note, her voice filled with fury. Malachite looked at the ruined note and concentrated. The pieces of paper were surrounded in a blue light and the note was once again whole. It formed in front of him and he carefully reached out and took it from the air, reading it silently.
~ It's time you stopped being such a coward and fought us head on Zoisite! Although, we have a 2-3 bet that you send youma because you are to weak to fight yourself. What a laugh it would be if it's true! One of the mighty Negaverse generals…a pushover! We could make a list of the insults we have for you, but it would take way to much time and we want to get down to business. Enough is enough. As the leader of the Scouts, I have a proposition for you. We both want the crystals the other possesses, so I propose a duel. Me and you in the Starlight Tower at 8:00 sharp! The winner gets all of the Rainbow Crystals.
See you at 8:00…unless you're too scared to show.
Signed,
Sailor Moon ~
Malachite raised an eyebrow and placed the note down. "I see." He stood and walked over to Zoisite, standing in front of her. "Are you going to accept?"
"Of course." She growled. "Those brats are gonna pay. No one gets away with insulting me!"
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Sailor Moon nodded as Mercury confirmed that the youma they had recently encountered had indeed delivered the message. They hadn't been sure how they were going to get the message to the Negaverse at first, but finding the youma attacking people from an alleyway had been a stroke of luck. The Scout's had 20 minutes to get to the tower, so Sailor Moon decided to go over the plan once more.
"This fight is between me and Zoisite, so don't even think of interfering." She looked at them pointedly. "Stay out of it even if I'm losing." The girls were about to protest, but they closed their mouths when she glared at them. "After it's over, we'll try and find a way to join the crystals and get the Silver Imperium crystal." Sailor Moon turned to Luna and Artimis. "You two are to stay in the shadows. That way, if the enemy has something planned, we have you as a back-up." She turned back to the Scouts. "You four will watch these." She handed her crystals to Sailor Mercury, since she was closest. Luna stared at the new crystal, knowing they hadn't had it before.
"Where did you get that?" She asked in amazement.
"I fought Tuxedo Mask for it." The four scouts gasped.
"And you won?" Sailor Venus picked up the new addition and studied it thoughtfully.
"He let me win." At the blank looks she was getting, Sailor Moon sighed and shook her head. "I'll have to tell you some other day. We don't have time right now." She turned and headed towards the tower with the others close behind. Sailor Mars smiled and shook her head in amazement. Despite the warning Serena had given, she was still surprised by the transformation of her friend from someone she had thought of as naïve, to someone who couldn't be described as anything else but a leader. She had been shocked when Serena had announced the plan. It was the best they had heard so far out of any of them, and it made sense. She was proud of her friend. All of a sudden, her vision blacked out and she fell unconscious to the ground.
*Flashback*
The princess of Mars slowly walked through the gardens of the Moon Kingdom, glad that she had a day off from her royal duties.
She had just arrived from her own kingdom the day before, sent to be one of the guards to the moon princess. She still hadn't seen the girl she was to protect, and was told she wouldn't be meeting her until all of the guards had arrived. She was a day early, but was glad she had time to look around and admire the grounds.
As Mars turned on the path, she noticed the presence of another up ahead. Walking more in the shadows to stay unnoticed, she stopped behind a tree and looked around it to see who was there.
A young girl sat at one of the many fountains in the garden. As far as Mars could guess, she was the same age as her. She wore a white flowing gown that seemed silver when the sun hit it. It was strapless and flared out from the bust line, with golden rings designed around the top and a large bow in the back. The colour of the dress complimented her pale, flawless skin and the faint glow of her cheeks. Large crystal blue eyes flecked with silver were framed by thick black lashes that brushed against her cheeks when she closed her eyes. Golden hair that seemed to have a silver shine was done up in two streamers that fell to her ankles from two buns at each side of her head. The same style as the queens.
The princess of Mars was not a stupid girl, and she knew that it was the queen's daughter that sat at the fountain. The hair was a dead giveaway. Interested in what she was up to, Mars moved behind a closer tree and watched.
Unaware of her watcher, Princess Serenity trailed her fingers in the water of the fountain as she studied her reflection. She was so deep in thought, she didn't hear the yelling coming from her left until one of the people screamed in pain. Snapping out of her trance like state, she stood and ran down the path towards the noise. Mars followed silently.
Serenity stopped when she had reached the source of the yelling. A guard was holding a boy around 7 or 8 up by the scruff of his shirt while the boy glared at him defiantly. The princess straightened and placed her hands on her hips. "What is going on here?" Her tone was one of authority.
The guard turned to her in surprise, remembering to bow at the last minute, but he didn't lower the boy. "I caught this thief stealing from the kitchens." He replied, lacing his words with respect. "When I caught him and told him to come with me, he bit my hand and kicked my shin." The princess shook her head and looked the boy over.
"That doesn't give you the right to be so forceful with him. He's just a child. Put him down." The guard was about to protest, but one look at the glaring princess told him he better obey. He placed the boy down and bowed to her. The boy looked at the princess in awe as she kneeled before him on the ground, seeming not to care if her dress got dirty from doing so. "What is your name, child?" She asked gently.
"Ghend." He replied in a small voice.
"And why were you stealing from the kitchens?" The boy began to cry and the princess pulled him into a hug.
"My…My family is hungry. And my sister…she's sick. Father went away to find work and he never came back. Mother can't find a job and we haven't eaten in days." Serenity hugged the boy tighter and looked up at the guard.
"You will escort this boy home and when he is safe with his sister, you will find a good job for his mother. Take a doctor to examine his sister as well. For tonight, give them a good meal, so tomorrow his mother will have strength enough to work and support her family." The boy hugged her tighter as the guard glared at him angrily.
"Surely you will not let this boy get away unpunished?"
Serenity stood swiftly and placed a finger on the guards chest, glaring up at him. "You would hit a child for trying to help his family?" She growled through her teeth.
"He tried to steal from the palace…" The guard stuttered.
"And what of it? What is a missing loaf of bread when we can easily afford another? We live a life unburdened with fear of hunger, so it is easy to say someone who steals for his starving family is in the wrong! It is us who are wrong! For we are the ones who failed to make sure our people were happy. The role of a kingdom is to care for its subjects. If his family is hungry, it is because we failed to complete our role. Sometimes we see so many of the happy people around us, we forget there are those less fortunate. You will do as I ordered. Or would you defy your princess?" She had calmed down and was now looking him in the eye, begging him mentally to understand.
The guard shook his head. "I would never defy my princess." To Serenity's surprise, he got down on one knee and bowed to her. A bow that was only to be done for the queen. "We are fortunate to have such a kind heir to the throne. You have just proved you are worthy to take your mothers place. You shall always have my loyalty." The princess blushed as the guard took Ghend's hand and let him lead the way to his home.
Mars smiled in the shadows of a large tree. She was proud of this young woman before her, and to her, it was an honour to be one of her guard. Not only had she taken care of the situation and shown her generosity, but she had also shown her intelligence since she had ordered the women work for her earnings after tonight. It would show the princess was willing to share, but not to the point that her people got greedy and lazy thinking she was a pushover. Already, the princess of Mars could tell a bond was forming between her and her charge.
*End Flashback*
Sailor Moon was relieved to see Mars' eyes flutter open. She was lying with her head on Sailor Moon's lap and the other Scouts were to her side. Looking at the relieved faces of her friends, she slowly turned her face up to Sailor Moon. When they made eye contact, Sailor Moon paled considerably. *She knows.* The champion of love and justice bit her lip as she pleaded silently to her Scout. *Please. Please, don't tell.* Sailor Mars understood the look and nodded slightly as she smiled. She had finally found her princess. She was finally complete.
Getting to her feet, she brushed her skirt off as if nothing happened and looked in the direction of the tower. "How much time has passed?" She asked, hoping she hadn't ruined the plan. Sailor Jupiter followed her gaze and sighed.
"A minute…maybe two." She answered. Mars blinked in surprise. It had seemed she had been out for at least half an hour. She shrugged it off and the group once again started for the tower.
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
The tower was only a block away and the Scouts still had 5 minutes, so they decided to take their time. Sailor Moon was walking between Jupiter and Venus, who had been arguing over who was a better fighter. Finally, Sailor Moon had had enough. "That's it!" She yelled. "Now is not the time to get in an argument. We have to stick together if we want to make it through this." Both Jupiter and Venus stopped in mid-step, their eyes blank and staring at nothing. They were having a vision of the past.
*Flashback*
The princess of Venus stared incredulously at the last guard of the moon princess. She had just arrived today. The princess of Jupiter had shown up with a torn and ragged looking tunic and pair of pants. Her thick, brown hair was loose and dishevelled and dirt was smudged on her left cheek. "This?" she said, looking disdainfully at Jupiter. "Is this the best we can do?"
Princess Mercury frowned at Venus. She had been snobby since she had arrived an hour ago. She saw Mars and Serenity looking at each other in disapproval. "That's not very nice to say, Venus." She softly reprimanded.
Venus ignored Mercury and looked the new arrival up and down. "Did she crawl out from under a rock, perhaps? Or maybe she's just a commoner pretending to be a princess."
Jupiter had had enough. She turned to Serenity and bowed. "Do I have to take that from her, highness?" Serenity, who couldn't believe how rude her guard was being, shook her head in a silent 'no'.
"Was there something you wished to say?" Venus smirked.
"I just wanted to tell you that I don't much care for that nose-up-in- the-air way you talk." Jupiter replied. She looked Venus in the face. "All right, I'm a bit ragged looking right now. So what? If you don't like the way I look, don't look at me. There's a war happening back on my planet that took out both my parents, leaving only me and my older sister. And I'm like this right now because I fought to avenge my family. I don't see where that's any of your business, though. I was too busy staying alive to worry about how I look, and if you don't like it that way, well, that's just too bad."
Venus was gaping at the angered princess. "People don't talk to me that way!"
"Not to your face maybe." Jupiter shot back. "But I think if you'd close your mouth and listen to other people once in a while, you might find out what they really think of you. But you don't want to know, do you? I wasn't raised in the palace the way you were, obviously. I was taught respect and kindness."
"I don't have to listen to this!"
"Maybe you don't have to, but you really should." The two princess' glared at each other until Serenity stepped between them, facing Venus.
"I'm very shocked to know that this is the attitude of one of my guards." Venus looked down ashamed. "How do you think you can protect me if you don't work as a team? I know your heart is pure Venus. I can read your soul and I can see you've also had a rough life, but doing to others what's been done to you is not the answer." Serenity took her hand in her own. "You have great kindness in you. Show it. We have to stick together."
The two feuding princesses looked at Serenity admiringly. Her words were so full of passion and hope of peace that they couldn't help but want to make her happy. Both of them were surprised that this stranger wanted them to be friends so badly. It was odd to see royalty who cared so much about what their guards felt.
Venus looked guiltily at Jupiter and bowed low in respect. "I'm very sorry, princess Jupiter. That was harsh of me and I truly apologize."
"Apology accepted." Jupiter mumbled. She pulled a strand of hair into her line of sight and sighed. "Although I guess I do look a bit worn."
Venus excitedly grabbed Jupiter's hand. "I have the greatest idea! How about I give you a makeover? We could get to know each other better." Just then a male guard passed the group. Venus and Jupiter watched him pass. "And talk about boys!" She practically drooled. Jupiter nodded anxiously.
"He looks like my old boyfriend." Jupiter sighed as her and Venus headed towards Venus's room. The forgotten princesses watched them leave together, giggling and talking about nothing, with amused expressions.
*End Flashback*
The two blinked at each other in confusion as the blackness around them faded. As one, they turned to Sailor Moon. Seeing the look in their eyes, Sailor Moon figured they must have found out she was Serenity as well. She sighed and hung her head in shame. *What do they think of me now?* She wondered. She didn't want to look up. Didn't want to see the disappointment.
Jupiter was about to say something when Mars placed a hand on each Scout's shoulder and shook her head. Venus nodded and, smiling, grabbed Sailor Moon's hand and began running to the tower. "We don't wanna be late!" She shouted. The others followed with Mercury lagging behind, wondering what was going on.
The group reached the tower in no time and were soon in the elevator and headed to the top floor. Sailor Mercury watched the button to the top floor light up. "This is it." She murmured. The Scouts stepped out of the elevator and moved to the centre of the dimly lit room.
No sooner had they done so, then Zoisite appeared out of nowhere. She glared at Sailor Moon. "This ends now!" She growled. Sailor Moon nodded.
"Before we begin, give your crystals to Mercury. She already holds mine. She'll hold them until the winner is announced."
"And why should I give them to her? How do I know you won't just take them and leave?" Zoisite sneered.
"Because that's what you would do." Sailor Moon quipped back. Zoisite frowned and the crystals formed in front of Mercury, who took them and set them down. Sailor Moon got into a battle stance. "Ready?"
"It's going to be a pleasure killing you." She growled.
Sailor Moon started things off by running to Zoisite and throwing a punch, which missed. Zoisite retaliated by throwing pink energy blasts at the Scout. One hit Sailor Moon in the chest, throwing her back. She cried out in pain. The Scout's were seriously regretting their promise not to interfere.
Zoisite laughed and backhanded her, sending her crashing to the floor. Mercury took a step forward, scared for her friend. Like the other Scouts, her vision went black and she was no longer seeing the things going on around her.
*Flashback*
The princess of Mercury walked down the empty halls of the palace, headed towards her room. It had been two days since she had arrived and she didn't seem to have anything in common with the other girls. As she turned into a new hallway, she ran right into someone who had been coming the other way. She blushed and began to apologise until she felt a hand on her arm. Looking up, she saw Serenity smiling at her. She hadn't spent time with the princess alone yet, so she still felt uncomfortable around her.
"Mercury." Serenity smiled. "Just the person I was looking for." Mercury looked at her, surprised.
"What's wrong princess?" She asked.
"Nothings wrong. We haven't been able to spend much time together have we. Just the two of us." She grabbed her arm and continued to Mercury's room. "I was wondering if you could tutor me."
Mercury looked at her, surprised. "Tutor you?"
"Yes." Serenity smiled. "I hear you're very good at Latin. I always wanted to learn it."
Mercury smiled. Her favourite subject was Latin. "I would love to teach it to you." She agreed as they entered her room.
A few hours later, Serenity had already learned enough to make sentences. Only small ones though, since she hadn't really gotten to past or future tense. The two decided to take a break and went to the large library. After finding a book that looked interesting, they sat on one of the velvet sofa's and took turns reading to each other. They spent the entire day together, laughing and having a great time in each others company. That night, they went to the gardens to sit by the fountain and watch the stars.
Only half an hour after they had relaxed under the night sky, Mercury sensed danger. Quickly she stood and tried to find where it came from. Out of the dark, a dagger like object was thrown at Serenity. Acting quickly, Mercury pushed her down, but the knife grazed her shoulder, making the moon princess cry out in pain.
Mercury turned in the direction the object had come from. The girl beside her had become the closest friend she had ever had. She never thought that someone could possibly share so many of the same interests as her. Serenity had changed her life of loneliness into one of happiness in one day, and Mercury knew she would be bonded to her for life. In outrage, she turned into her Scout form and threw her attack. The guards later found the body of an escaped assassin.
That night, before going to bed, Serenity had told Mercury something she never thought she'd hear.
"I'm glad we're friends. I wouldn't trade this day in for anything."
*End Flashback*
"No! Serenity!" Mercury cried out, waking from the vision.
Sailor Moon raised herself from the ground and blocked a kick from Zoisite. *So now they all know.* She frowned. With all of the Scout's completely awakened, Luna and Artimis would automatically regain full memories. She threw a punch which landed, sending Zoisite reeling back holding her jaw. Behind her, she heard Luna order the Scouts to combine their powers and attack. *No Luna! Wait!* She tried to turn and tell them to stop, but Zoisite was one again attacking her. She was knocked out of the way by Artimis as a large mass of energy slammed into the Negaverse general.
Before the energy made contact, Sailor Moon heard Zoisite whisper Malachite's name. She was dead before she hit the ground. She sank to her knees, as if in defeat, and stared at the motionless body of her enemy. She should be relieved that the general was destroyed. But she wasn't. In Zoisite's last instant before death, she had called to the one she loved. That was such a human emotion, Sailor Moon didn't know if she could bear the sadness it made her feel. Tears streamed down her cheeks as the Scouts celebrated in the background. "I'm sorry." She whispered.
Sailor Mars remembered her vision and turned to Sailor Moon, calling to her as the blue mist formed behind her. Sailor Moon stood before it solidified and pulled a dagger from her boot that Mars had given her for this moment. Once Malachite was solid, she plunged it into his chest, the tears still forming. She felt evil, killing someone who just wanted to avenge their love. "I'm sorry." She repeated.
Malachite stared at her as his life faded away, seeing the honesty in her eyes. All his hate for her disappeared in that one moment. She was truly sorry. He didn't want to die with hate in his heart, like Zoisite. He wanted to be unburdened in death. Free to know that in the end, he died with a clear mind and heart. Like Nephrite. He didn't know why it was important, but it was. "You're forgiven." He replied. And he meant it. Sailor Moon cried out in agony as he fell to the floor beside is love, one hand almost reaching out to her.
Her tiara disappeared and a golden crescent moon appeared on her forehead in its place. All seven Rainbow Crystals formed in the air in front of her. As on single tear fell from her chin, the crystals flashed and joined with it, forming the Silver Imperium Crystal. Sailor Moon stood in a trance and in a flash of silver, became Serenity. Her crystal joined with her crescent moon wand and she reached out for it as if sleepwalking.
The Scout's watched in awe as Serenity wrapped her fingers around the wand. There was a huge burst of light and a painful impact of air, like thunder without sound. All four Scouts and the two cats fell to the ground, shocked at the unexpected release of power. Serenity's eyes closed and all of a sudden, she crumpled to the floor.