(Chapter Seven)

The once-Queen of the Dark Kingdom was having a difficult time adjusting to her new life with Goku. And she had first-hand experience being a cook for a very hungry man. She failed miserably at it and the good-natured (though quite confused) husband of hers took them both out for breakfast.

As they made their way out of the restaurant and towards their car, she noticed a young dark-haired man kissing a petite blonde with long golden pigtails. Is it her?! she fumed, suddenly pulling away from Goku and stomping towards them, forgetting all her queenly dignity when she was faced with such a hatred. She wrenched the girl away from the young man, despite both their startled protests and she was even more enraged to find that they looked nothing like the Prince of Earth and the Princess of the Moon. Growling under her breath, and ignoring the complaints that were reaching her ears as she walked back, her ears turning an embarrassing shade of red, and her fists clenched. Why did EVERYTHING she saw remind her of that bratty little princess winning her Endymion's love?! There was nothing that despicable little child had that she hadn't had!

"ChiChi, are you okay?"

"I'm fine." She growled, planting herself in the passenger seat of their car. Goku had (finally) passed his driver's test and was deemed (loosely) safe to meet on the road. And so, anyone who saw them would have seem them zooming away (just at the speeding limit too) and ChiChi's hair starting to turn slightly auburn at the ends…

~*~*~*~

King Endymion stepped into the present and looked around at the time-frozen world. He noticed especially the youma (whose fingers… or whatever they were, twitched at times). He made his way to Mamoru's apartment, (snapping his fingers of course… a handy spell did what would've taken ten minutes to do on foot) and levitated to the balcony. He found himself staring at, well, himself. He snapped his fingers, and his younger self stumbled into animation again. He looked up instantly to see the not-to-pleased King. "What the…?" he asked, looking around in shock.

"So I see you weren't even at the battle, much less taken away."

"What are you doing here?!"

"I'm here to ask you a question. Why you want to let the woman we both love slip away from us! I'm losing my wife and my child with her!" King Endymion barked angrily, silencing his other self. "Now you'd better tell me what the hell you're up to, because I do not want to go home finding a wasteland with no moon in sight!"

"Why should I care anymore?! She's not part of my life!"

"And I came here just to ask that very question. WHY THE HELL NOT?!"

"Because I love her dammit!" he yelled, finally snapping, slamming his fist on the railing of his balcony. "I love her, I love her, I love her!"

"That told me nothing."

"Nothing? Look, I'm dying okay? I've got some kind of new disease similar to cancer that no one in any medical field can figure out. And when I do die, I don't want to have her breaking her heart because of me. I love her, and I don't want her to keep on loving a dead guy!"

"You're… you're not going to die, I'm still here." Mamoru growled, "And how long will you stay that way? Do you have any idea how many times I've regretted this decision? I don't need her to cry for a guy that'll leave her for the very last time!" he turned away from his future self, angry with himself, and completely ashamed. "And I can't tell her the truth… so I chose a way that she was completely familiar with, thanks to your meddling, and one that I know how to manipulate. She's not mine anymore, okay? I'm going to die, and she's not going to care."

"I can't believe I was such a fool." Replied his double coldly.

"What are you talking about?!" Mamoru whirled to face his floating self. "I'm saying that I was a complete idiot to do something like this in the past. I would not drop my wife with the drop of a hat and walk away, not for anything. And I know for sure that she deserves the truth. And by god you're going to tell her the truth!" he yelled, grabbing Mamoru's collar and dragging him upwards so that he was floating in the sky above his balcony too. "Come on!" he yelled as he dragged his other self through the portal and through the galaxy-dotted space that was time.

"Your stop." He said suddenly, letting his past self go and Mamoru despite himself, yelled quite loudly as he was dropped into a pool of light. Dammit, things were not going well today.

~*~*~*~

"What the hell does that girl got that I haven't got?!" she raged to herself when she and Goku had returned to their home and she'd taken a turn with throwing things, and ranting and raving. Goku apparently found this normal and he took a stance of cowering behind a pillow on the couch as she paced back and forth. "What girl?"

"That despicable blonde hussy that stole my—my, son." she made up suddenly. "Who, Usagi? What's wrong with her? If she's got a thing going on with Gohan, it's better than Goten's blonde, air-headed girlfriend."

"She is a 'blonde air-headed' little brat and I do not want her around m-us, any more than she has to stay!" she shrieked. She hated that brat and that was all she needed to tell. "I want my life back, I don't want any of this!" Suddenly she stopped, this guy wasn't the brightest crayon in the box but he could put two and two together soon enough and she was determined not to have that happen. "Um… sorry about that…" she mumbled, "I'm going to take a bath." She stood up and marched out of the living room and into the bathroom and, slamming the door behind her and locking, she whispered a word phrasing and passed her hand over the glass of the mirror. The familiar swirling began again and she clutched the edge of the sink to keep her balance as the entire room swirled along with the lines of the glass.

"Have you got her?" the boy asked her as soon as his face was clear. That was all he was, a little boy! And she had to grovel to him! But this wouldn't last long. She had no intention of giving him the girl, she was finding her old powers all on her own and she was becoming more like herself every day. She didn't need that little boy to help her. She could torture this little hussy until she begged for death.

"Not yet, Sir." She said as respectfully as she could, and keeping her head lowered. It would not do to let him know so soon.

"Hurry up with it then! I have need of her soon. And if you cannot to the job… there is always another alternative." His face hardened into a grim smile, which even Beryl had to shudder when she saw it.

"Y-yes, master, just let me have a little longer… I promise I'll bring that little bi-girl to you as soon as I can."

"Then quit dawdling, woman! I have very little time and patience for dealings with anything of the mortal realm and I want to get my meeting with her done with."

"Yes, master."

"Dismissed." The swirling disappeared and she was staring at the woman's reflection again. She looked carefully; noting with satisfaction how much her appearance was beginning to change back into her former self… the auburn of her hair was proof of that. She smiled in satisfaction, and walked out the door of the bathroom. She quickly exited the bathroom, finding Goku watching the TV and announced that she was going out for a while, leaving the house before he could say anything. He blinked but continued watching some reruns of some cartoon…

Usagi looked up from her manga (thank goodness for the existence of such wonderful things as these still!) to see ChiChi standing at the door looking ready to kill. "Damn that stupid door! That thing almost took my head off!" she was yelling as she kicked the metal door with a foot before wincing with the pain. Usagi walked forward, eyeing the woman curiously. "Um, hi." ChiChi looked up to see her and she grimaced, Usagi guessed still from the pain of kicking a solid metal door. "Oh it's you."

"Uh… yeah, the others just left for a few minutes to do something downstairs in the lobby… do you want me to call them?"

"No thank you, Miss Moon." she replied icily, glaring at the girl. "Is there something wrong…?" Usagi asked hesitantly, wondering what this woman was mad at her about. There was nothing she could think of. "I want you away from here, you got that? I'm giving you a chance to just get up and go." Usagi's mouth opened in protest, she couldn't do that! "I can't do that! I've got to get my crystal back!" Beryl narrowed her eyes. Fine, she'd do it her own way.

She reached into a pocket in her jacket, pulling out something. It was a small key, violet, with a glowing red stone in it. She held it up for Usagi's inspection. "Recognize it, little moon brat?" she asked. Usagi gaped at the thing, and Luna, who'd just come into the room, hissed, her fur standing on end.

At her telepathic command, the key grew to the size of the Time Staff (which it was) but what had been once violet had now deepened into an impossible shade of black. The red gem once seeming to glow with a comforting light of eternity seemed now to be a gleaming red eye of some dark destiny.

"You… what did you do to Pluto?!" cried Usagi staring at it. She wasn't as dumb as she seemed… she recognized that key. "I haven't been rotting in the underworld for the past few years Miss Moon after you killed me, I had my revenge in mind. And I made my plans. I'm sure you remember a certain youma you had not enough skill to defeat…?"

"Who… who are you?" whispered Usagi as she watched the woman with the gleaming auburn hair, and the triumphant face. "You don't remember me? I was the queen of the Dark Kingdom… and I should have ruled the universe with Prince Endymion at my side!" she yelled, pointing the Time Staff at Usagi. "Now you and your little cat are going to pay." Usagi paled immensely before taking out her broach. This was not a good thing. "Why are you here?"

"TO BRING YOU TO ME." stated a voice, the volume intense and loud. Usagi immediately covered her ears, noting that Beryl didn't do anything, she was too busy scowling with extreme anger. "NOW MY SLAVE. BRING HER TO ME."

"Yes, master." She finally spat out, before snatching the front of her collar, kicked Luna out of the way, and let the both of them disappear into a dark swirling vortex that had appeared behind them. Usagi lost consciousness as the darkness and the evil overwhelmed her.

~*~*~*~

"AHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!" a scream rent the air as she fell from the heavens. Dammit, I can't die just like this can I?! she thought to herself, why couldn't they have fixed that dimensional whatchamacallit right?! There were few precious seconds before her body would be broken on the ground below, and at her speed, if not the first impact, the second. She closed her eyes as she accepted the coming of death. She couldn't stop it.

She suddenly found strong arms grasping her, stopping her inches away from the dirt and rock of the ground below her. Her eyes flew open to see the shoes, tan pants, and red shirt of Van Fanel himself. He was grasping her by her abdomen and he immediately righted her, her long hair flying into her face as he did so. With an expert twist of her head (as she'd done this many times with hair as long as hers) her hair whipped back around to hang down her back again. She was still extremely disoriented, staring around her and swaying unsteadily on her feet. "Where… where are we?" she asked shakily as Alan caught her form behind as her feet finally gave out.

"You're back with us… we're in the Dragon's Graveyard."

"Why… why would you be in a… graveyard?" Alan smiled, gesturing at Hitomi running towards them (quickly) and said, "Hitomi had a vision about it… of course, we never expected you to fall from heaven like the angel you are." Van sighed, shaking his head. Merelu (who was clinging to Van's arm) mimicked the same sigh. "You are such a player, Alan." The man in question smiled charmingly. Rei had to laugh this man was charming and hot! She could almost imagine herself running her fingers through his long golden hair. Alan grinned, as if reading her thoughts, "I am a knight. I would not do something as dishonorable as such." He had such a comical look in his eyes (even though his face remained completely serious) that all present began laughing."

"Hey, what's so funny?!" demanded a panting Hitomi. Van's answer was quick, "Nothing, nothing… Hitomi." Rei saw the look he gave her… and Alan's as well. Apparently something was happening around the three of them that Hitomi didn't even realize. She grinned, might as well help them along.

Hitomi's face relaxed into a pleased grin and she immediately hugged Rei. "I'm so glad you're okay now." She whispered in her ear. Rei's eyes widened. She knew. Hitomi pulled away and winked before she asked a question to the two men (still looking rather dazedly at her) whether they should be getting back to the ship or not.

"Hello? Hello? Hey, Van, snap out of it!" she exclaimed waving a hand in front of the guy's face. Rei sighed… he was even more gone on her than Odango-atama was on Mamoru-san. She mentally winced as she remembered Mamoru-san. He'd gone out with her at first, and she'd been completely enamored of him. She'd imagined spending the rest of her life with him. Then the damn truth had to come out that he was completely in love with Usagi-chan. She sighed, shaking her head. Oh well, there were always other fish in the sea, she told herself firmly.

"Oh, yes Hitomi, I think you're quite right." replied Alan suavely as he lay an arm around her shoulders. Rei saw Van tense but trying not to make it seem so obvious. They all walked rather silently back to the ship. The three in front that is. For Rei and Merelu, there was already a conversation coming on as the three ahead walked on. They were quite far behind, as Merelu of course knew the way through the forest they were going through and that gave them time to slow down and talk. "What did you do, Rei-san?" she asked interestedly as she stared up at the Earth and the moon above in the sky. "Did you go back?" Rei shrugged, "I'm not sure… I didn't go home… I was called into the future of my world." Merelu looked rather confused, but shrugged it off. "Well things have been happening around here too. Alan and Van-sama are getting rather…" she waved her hands in an expressive way, but couldn't find the words to explain. Rei nodded, "I could see." She frowned afterwards, "But Hitomi can't."

"Should we tell her?"

"I'm sure she can work things out for herself. She can chose, she has the choice of being able to chose." Replied Rei softly to herself. "I recall her being rather enamored of a certain track star from her school last time I saw her…" Merelu's eyes widened, "You remember now?"

"Yeah." The cat girl smiled, "Great! Then you and Hitomi can—ahhh!!!!!!!" she shrieked as a tree behind her, warped suddenly, a grinning face showing through the bark, and the branches snatched her in its grasp, at her arms, and leaving her legs kicking, but unable to affect the huge tree in any way. Rei gasped, "HEY! Let her go!"

"Hush little lady. I'm going to take the little kitty for some questioning… she apparently knows a lot about those two guymellef fighters." Rei grimaced as a flailing branch smacked her in the face as the tree uprooted itself, and began to quickly slide away on its roots. "GET BACK HERE! I'll teach you not to mess with me!" she yelled, snatching something out of her shirt pocket, "MARS POWER!" the emblem on the stick she was holding began to spin quicker and quicker as the girl's body was clothed in a clinging white bodysuit and a short skirt. Two bows, gloves, a red sailor collar, tiara and high-heeled red shoes appeared on her as she yelled, "FIRE SOUL!" and the entire tree shuddered as the flames licked at the branches, burning many into a cinder. But a quick smack with several of its multiple others sent her flying into another tree, making her cry out as Merelu continued to struggle before she was knocked unconscious.

Mars was a tough girl and she got up slowly, ready to take on that blasted tree. "AKUROU TAI—AH!!!!!!" she screamed in the middle of the word as she was picked up by a branch wrapped around her foot, razor sharp leaves slicing at her legs and arms as she was repeatedly smacked against the earth again and again. She could feel herself already losing consciousness but she managed to choke out the words. "FIRE SOUL!" And the blaze of fire that shot up into the sky from the tree's branches could be seen by anyone, even the three of their companions already running back when they'd heard the screaming.

The tree slammed Rei against the ground again, and could've broken her neck if she hadn't twisted around to land on her side and groaned at the pain of the rocks digging into her flesh. She could feel her power diminishing already, and, sure enough by the next blow, her fuku disappeared and she was back into her original clothes. The tree proceeded to throw her back to the ground again, and scuttled along like a spider on its roots, Merelu hanging limply from a branch twisted around her. Rei couldn't even stand up.

"Rei-san! Oh god what happened?!" cried Hitomi, trying to lift the raven-haired priestess but barely succeeding and only managed to help the girl sit up. "Merelu." Gasped Rei as she pointed to the earth that had been completely churned and ground but the uprooting of the tree. "It took her… I couldn't stop her." she collapsed in Hitomi's arms, and fell into unconsciousness.

"WHAT?! Is she all you have to bring back from them?! A cat?!" yelled Dilandau when the tree had found its way into the floating fortress of Zaibach. "I… I thought she could be useful." The tree monster whispered shrinking away from the red-armored boy. "Why… why don't you see her first?" suggested the monster in a whisper.

"Not now, I have better things to do than watch a cat hiss at me." he turned and stalked away from the tree monster.

Far away, Rei, who'd finally woken up, was explaining everything to the remaining others about what had happened to her, and then what had happened with Merelu. No one spoke after she was done, and they all looked grim as they thought silently. Hitomi looked rather worried as she twisted the necklace with the pendant in her hands. She knows something, thought Rei eyeing her curiously, but Hitomi never cared to explain.

SMASH! BOOM! "AHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!" the sudden noised made all their heads jerk towards the door where a man had just flown past the open doorway. Alan and Van were immediately on their feet and at the door, hands on the hilts of their swords. Just as suddenly, a swirl of air made them turn back just in time for both Hitomi and Rei to be caught up in a swirling vision of a chaotic battlefield.

"NO!!!!!!!!!" screamed both of them at exactly the same time, their eyes snapping open. The two males stared. Not one of them had ever had visions except for Hitomi… then why was Rei wearing the same horrified expression on her face as Hitomi? "What is it?"

"There's no way!" gasped Rei her eyes still unseeing as she was still half in the vision and still watching. "There's no possible way an entire army of machines can be invisible!" A gasp went around the room (other than Hitomi, who already knew more of the subject in question) as they all stared at the girl who'd never before seen one of the enemy guymellefs, especially as they'd never even spoken a word about those things.

"Did you see anything else?" asked Alan grimly. "It's Merelu… she's in… Zai… Zaibach." She murmured as the name finally came to her, as she stared in horror at the floating black… thing. "She's… she's an enemy."

"The Gold and Silver Twins!" Hitomi suddenly said out of nowhere as she stared pleadingly at all of them. "They're there too!" A jolting in the entire floor that they were standing on made Hitomi cry out, "They're coming… they're attacking the fortress." she moaned, holding her head.

They could hear the splintering of wood, and crashes and screams outside. Van and Alan were on their feet in a moment. "Van and I will go out in the guymellefs. Hitomi… you and Rei stay here… it should be safe." ordered Alan as he made his way towards the hall.

"HEY! You're not leaving me behind!" yelled Rei standing up. "I'm coming too!" Alan cursed at the delay but turned back to her, "We can risk your safe—"

"Screw my safety! I'll be fine. I'll more help than you think! Those guymellef things aren't that protective against direct fire… and fire is my specialty."

He sighed but they all knew they'd need help. Hitomi had that look in her eyes. The look that made sure that she wouldn't be left behind. "Very well… let's go."

"Wait!" he turned again, looking extremely impatient, especially knowing that there were good men that might be dying right now. "WAIT FOR ME TO TRANSFORM YOU BAKA!" she yelled before covering her mouth and looking rather sorry.

Hitomi giggled, she already knew Sailor Mars… but would the men's eyes pop out or what? She suddenly got an image of that, and she frowned. She didn't like that idea very much. "Um… Rei… I don't think—" But it was already too late. Rei had yelled the henshin words. "MARS… POWER!" Too late, the thought came to her. Oh no… I'm naked! Her clothing disappeared, leaving her naked body twirling in the air, covered in ribbons of irridescent magic. The circles of fire appeared around her, changing into her fuku. Rei no longer stood there. She was Sailor Mars. Despite herself, Hitomi laughed out loud. Both Alan and Van were staring quite openly at the beautiful raven-haired senshi.

~*~*~*~

"Ow…" moaned Usagi, finally waking up. She sat up and looked around. "What happened?" she asked woozily, spotting a large stone throne with a crescent moon carved at the top. She got up, and cautiously made her way towards it. Where am I? she wondered… this place was freaking her out. A sudden cold wind sprung up and she shivered the candles that stood next to the stone dais where the throne was flickered violently. She whirled, trying to find the source of the wind at least. She caught something out of the corner of her eye, and she instinctively reached for her broach, clutching it in her hand nervously. She turned back, towards the throne, and found a person sitting on it now. She gasped, taking an involuntary step backwards, before she recognized the figure, and she gasped again. "Mamo… Mamoru-san?" she stuttered.

The guy's beautiful blue eyes softened only infinitesimally. There she was, right in front of him, his beautiful princess, the moonchild of his dreams. "No, Serenity-hime. I am his older twin brother. You should never know my name again… so call me naught else other than Dark Endymion. That is a correct way of saying it…" She was confused and asked, "What do you know about destiny?!"

"I was the one you met on the Moon Kingdom, love. Well fell in love and would've married, a fortnight from the day Queen Beryl attacked. But the darkness captured me. I was still in love with you… and I sent my brother to be with you… to protect you. But something happened that I hadn't expected. He fell in love with you too." he grimaced, "Looking back, that was a foolish thing to do. Anyone would've fallen in love with you. You were perfect." Usagi turned red, remembering her mother telling her about these things. She was nothing like that now. "He never was able to free me… and when you both died that night, and he became Mamoru… he forgot anything that had ever to do with me. But I never died. I've been watching you all along… I could never forget you."

"What do you want with me?!"

He gave a short laugh without humor, "I want you back, Serenity-hime. I was the first one. And I shall have you again."

"Just because you were first doesn't mean I have to love you forever!" she yelled back, scared and trying not to show it. He raised an eyebrow and smiled slowly, "You have such confidence in my little brother, hime? I did not see him with you when you went into battle. I did not see him even when all your friends had fallen and you were alone. But I did hear you yell that you 'couldn't even depend on love anymore'." She grit her teeth, "That was none of you business, creep."

His eyebrows rose as he looked at her. "You are nothing like you were on the moon Usagi." He told her, using her name in disgust. "You are a completely vulgar, unmannered girl and I cannot believe that even my little brother still loved you as the moonchild." He was disgusted with this human which he had loved for so long, and now that she was right in front of him, was blatantly telling him that she did not love him, and that she wasn't even the one he loved.

She winced but she said, "I know I'm not the same person as I was on the moon… I know that. I'm a complete ditz when it comes to anything, I'm no good at figure-skating anymore, I flunked the Princess Academy, I fail any test I take…" she grimaced, "But I am still Princess Serenity, Sailor Moon and also the future of Crystal Tokyo. I am the Neo-Queen Serenity." She told him, her eyes steely. "And I know one other thing. What you think you felt back on the moon was not love. Love is something that one feels for another throughout eternity. You had an obsession with me. That's all." She told him firmly, and for a split second, he saw a visage of an older, more regal face in her, and a sense of royalty again. Neo-Queen Serenity, the destruction of all that was evil… and when that time came, his destruction would be nigh approaching as well.

His eyes narrowed dangerously. "Usagi-san, do not dare consider me as much a blockhead as my little brother. Can you not tell he does not love you? He dares not see you, dares not to talk to you."

She could feel tears beginning to slide down her cheeks as he continued on with his harsh words which she knew that some were the truth, and others were her own fears. "BUT I LOVE HIM!" she yelled suddenly, interrupting them. "And I don't care whether or not he loves me back anymore." She said finally, brushing away the tears from her cheeks with her hand.

"He does love you, Usako." came an almost strangled voice from behind her. She gasped and whirled to see her Mamoru, standing behind her, gripping heavily on the ebony wall as he raised himself up onto his feet. "I'm here, Usako… I was… delayed." Usagi gasped again, "You called me… you called me…" she stuttered.

"I called you the name I always call you." he said softly, before lifting his eyes to his older brother who was looking down at him in scorn. "So the knight in shining armor comes at last. Welcome, traitor." Mamoru winced at the words. "That was harsh, brother." He replied slowly, still rather dizzy with the entire transportation thing. But one thing was for sure. He wouldn't die without letting Usako know the truth at least. He couldn't give her much else other than that.

His brother stepped down from the dais and faced the two of them. "You are pathetic, brother. You have always been, and always hid behind me. When the time came that I asked for your help, you went and stole my fiancée. You refused to help me when I needed you. You made her forget entirely about me. That is why you were a traitor, in more ways than one."

"Perhaps you find me a traitor, brother, but I followed my heart. You did nothing but watch. I found you need to fight for what you want. Or else you'll lose everything." He glanced at Usagi. "And right now, I might've lost the one thing I care about more than anything in the world."

"No you haven't. You were never supposed to love her in the first place!" hissed a voice that seemed to resonate around them, brimming with evil. Mamoru's eyes widened as he recognized that voice. "Oh god, Usako is that…" Usagi was holding her head, "Not again…" she moaned.

A wind sprang up again, visible as a moving whiteness that swirled in a globe. When it dispersed, they found themselves staring at Queen Beryl, in all her past glory. "WHAT?!" roared Dark Endymion, drawing his black sword. "What did you do?!"

"Did you really think you could keep me under your thumb forever, master?! I have powers that not even death can take away from me. Now I am as I was, and you, who tried to control me, and threatened me in such a way… you're going to pay!" Pluto's time staff appeared the black and red making a horrifying visage in her hand as she grasped it and faced him.

With a battle cry, Dark Endymion lunged forward, thrusting his sword towards her, which she parried the red glow of the orb making swipes of crimson in the air as they fought quickly and viciously. Usagi found herself watching a horrid fight where there were no rules, but pure anger and viciousness. It was a quick fight. As strong as he was, Dark Endymion was not powerful enough to overcome a previous Queen, who'd lived for thousands of years, armed with a weapon of such power that he fell before her soon enough. Usagi didn't know what to do, but Mamoru had a strange look on his face. Suddenly, as if he'd made his decision, a sword appeared in his hand, and his clothes shifted into that of the armor he wore as Prince of Earth. With a roar, he ran into the battle, slicing quickly at Beryl with the broadsword.

But even with both of them, they were beaten quite effortlessly and found themselves lying a meter or two apart as Queen Beryl gloated over her power and picked up the sword of Dark Endymion and walked towards him. Usagi's eyes widened as she ran at the woman, throwing herself at her in an attempt to stop her. Beryl simply slammed the hilt into her gut, stopping her in mid-air and watching her fall in a heap, gasping for breath before standing over Dark Endymion. "So, the little prince can't even control his servants… you should never underestimate your opponents, little one… they can lead to disaster." She raised the sword up over his chest, plunging it into his heart quickly, before he could roll away. The man's eyes widened, and blood began flowing from the wound onto the floor, staining his clothes as the room around him grew increasingly blurry. He heard someone yelling, and finally saw his own little brother in front of him. There were tears. A memory suddenly sparked up in his mind, when both of them were still little and his brother's dog had died. He'd been crying then too… "Be a man Endy… accept things." He whispered the same words he'd said so long ago as he slowly slipped away.

"Go…men… na…sai… Serenity…hime…" the last words passed through and with another sagging breath, he lay still. His little brother, kneeling in front of him looked at him in shock. Even when he was a being of evil, he'd learned to forgive and forget… at the very last. He grasped the bloodied hand of his twin and gave a last shuddering sob before turning towards Beryl. "I'll kill you with my bare hands, witch!" he yelled, and Usagi found herself glaring at her with the same anger and hate. Perhaps she might truly have loved him once, a long time ago like he said.

Clenching her fists, she stood up and stared at Beryl. Beryl was taken aback a little. The girl's facial expression… it was hard, cold fury. Her face was completely absorbed in such a look of hatred that her eyes had darkened to almost black. "You will pay for this… he might have changed… he might've become good again…"

The queen laughed, "Then I saved him from a fate worse than death, I see… and now, you can join him." Raising the staff, she gave a triumphant laugh.

She knew before she saw it, from Dark Endymion's still body there came a rush of golden light, which began to swirl in the air. Usagi turned to it, watching the light play over her body. She knew what was happening. She grasped Mamoru's arm, "Forget about her for now… we've got to go!" she ran towards the light, that was already growing fainter as it stayed open. He tried to struggle, but she overpowered the tired man, and shoved him in, turning only to grab ChiChi's body, lying on the floor behind her and drag her in after her. Right before Beryl lunged at her seconds later.

She and Mamoru tumbled into the apartment of Gohan and Trunks right when they had just gotten into the apartment and found it a disaster area. (Let's just say that the portal that sucked Usagi in made quite a mess) She fell to the ground right in front of their stunned faces and fainted dead away.