Chapter Five: The War Rages, taking a terrible toll

Usagi entered the room with the four other princesses and immediately forgot about Mamoru. She ran to Demando and was swept up into his arms. The two shared a long kiss, until Rei began tapping her toe and saying, "Hello? We have a bigger problem here, Mamoru!"

Ami turned on her computer and began typing away furiously. The other girls and Demando turned around once they heard Mamoru's voice coming from Ami's computer. Ami hooked her computer up to a projection screen and everyone saw what Ami saw, Mamoru holding a Military Meeting.

"…Commander, you are to send a message to the Moon Kingdom Military that we will attack if the missing princess is not returned to me. Either way, we will attack at dawn, regardless if she is returned," he said, turning around and grinning. "See Serenity?" he muttered. "You're getting exactly what you asked for."

The projector went blank and Usagi buried her head in Demando's shoulder. "Minako, I never should have let you talk me into this. I never should have taught you how to copy my handwriting identically so that you could forge a note and make it look like it was from me! You make me so mad!" she yelled, and then reburied her head. Demando put an arm around her and said, "Usagi, we'll get through this, somehow. You won't have to go back to Mamoru, if you don't want to, and believe me, I'm not going to let you."

She raised her head to look at him, "Really?" she asked.

"Of course. Usagi, I love you."

"I love you too, Demando," she said hugging him.

"Demando, we need you to take Serenity to your palace on Nemesis. She shouldn't be here for the battle," said Makoto.

"I will, but then I'm coming back to assist the Moon in their battle. They are allies with the rest of the Silver Millennium, except for the Earth, and I'm an enemy of the Earth, so it's only obvious that I'd get involved," he said, grinning.

Usagi smiled and he whisked her off to Nemesis.

"Okay, now for the bigger strategy. How to kick the Earth's little butt," said Makoto.

Minako rushed into the room. "I just called Haruka, Michiru, Setsuna, and Hotaru. They should be here soon."

"Okay. Good. The more of us, the better," said Rei.

***

Meanwhile, Mamoru entered a space pod and blasted off toward the Negaverse. When he reached the Negaverse, the generals bowed to him, and escorted him to Beryl.

"Queen Beryl, you look absolutely stunning tonight. Is that a new dress?" he asked.

"Can the flattery, Endymion. Why are you here?"

"I would like to join forces with the Negaverse to defeat the Moon Kingdom. Prince Demando of Nemesis has run off with Princess Serenity, who has been betrothed to me since her birth. I have threatened to attack if she isn't returned, but even if she is returned, I'm attacking. Things are not going as I had planned. That is why I would like to join forces with you, my queen."

"Hmm. The Earth could be a valuable ally. Your request has been accepted. We will attack the Moon at dawn tomorrow."



***

"No, Demando! I'm going, and you're not stopping me. Crisis Make Up!"

"Usagi, you're not going, regardless of whether you've transformed or not. You are staying here, under Esmeraude and Saffiru's care."

"Demando, I'm coming, whether you like it or not. I'm a very independent person. Plus, I have this feeling that a force other than the Earth is going to attack."

Demando disappeared and Usagi teleported after him. She appeared next to the Sailor Senshi, who were hiding in the forest near the palace, waiting for the Earth's attack.

"You guys," Usagi hissed.

"What?" asked Ami. "Usagi? What are you doing here?"

"I came back. I wanted to help. Plus, I know something. Mamoru enlisted the help of the Negaverse. They're attacking at dawn," she said, looking worriedly at the rising sun. The senshi heard an explosion coming from the other side of the moon.

"I think that they're here early," muttered Haruka.

"Okay, here's the deal. I'm the leader, so I say what goes. Uranus, Neptune, and Pluto, you three go investigate the explosion. Keep your communicators on in case it truly is the Negaverse."

"Okay," said the three outers and they ran off toward the explosion.

"Saturn, Jupiter, and Mars, you three go station yourselves near the palace. Protect my mother and Luna and Artemis."

"Okay," said the three senshi, and dashed toward the palace.

"Now us," began Usagi. "Are going to go kick the Earth Kingdom's butt when they get here."

"Usagi," said Ami. "I think that they are here." They looked over the horizon and saw Endymion standing next to Beryl with his army of Earth troops behind them. They watched him give the command to attack and as his soldiers mercilessly went from house to house in the villages and set fire to them.

"Lets go," said Usagi quietly. "To destroy my kingdom to get to me is one thing, but to destroy it for pleasure is another.

They ran to where the Earth soldiers were laughing and joking as they set flame to house after house.

"Shine Aqua Illusion!" cried Sailor Mercury, dousing the burning houses and torches with her water attack.

"Ah, Sailor Scouts. Your presence here was expected," cackled Mamoru.

"Oh really?" snapped Sailor Moon.

"Who are you, blondie?" he snapped back.

Usagi turned around and grinned at Ami and Minako. "I am Sailor Moon, champion of justice and the planet protector of the Moon."

"Endymion," commanded Beryl, "Get rid of the three nosy Sailor Brats."

"As you wish, my queen." Endymion gathered a blast of dark energy and shot it at Sailor Moon. She went flying back into Sailor Mercury and Sailor Venus.

Beryl stepped forward and looked down at Sailor Moon. "Hmm, what is this?" she asked evilly. She grabbed the henshin brooch from Usagi's Sailor Moon transformation and watched, as the transformation was undone. Sitting in Sailor Moon's place was Princess Serenity, a look of hatred on her face.

"You're kidding?" gasped Endymion. "You can't be Sailor Moon."

Sailor Venus and Sailor Mercury looked at each other and stood up. They moved in front of the princess who stood up and said, "Silver Crystal, come to my hand." The silver crystal floated out of the brooch and into Usagi's hand. She calmly placed it on the crescent wand and held it up, shielding herself from Endymion's coming attack.

"Venus Love Me Chain, Encircle!" yelled Sailor Venus, lashing out with her attack.

Queen Serenity rushed out of the palace, ignoring the Sailor Senshi's warnings to her to stay inside the palace. She ran to where she saw the power of the Silver Crystal lighting up the sky. She saw her daughter losing the battle against Beryl and Endymion and watched in horror as Endymion and Beryl's combined attacks broke through the crystal's barrier and sent Usagi flying backwards only to crash into a broken down cement pillar and slump unconscious.

Sailor Venus stepped forward and picked up the crescent wand, then turned around and saw Queen Serenity. She threw the wand to her and the queen caught it. Serenity took one last look at her military, with Demando leading them badly losing to the Earth Army. Half of the army lay on the ground, dead. Most of the other half was wounded, including Demando. She saw the Sailor Senshi on the ground, either unconscious or dead from the blows to their heads that they had taken. She looked down at the crescent moon wand and knew what she had to do. She held it up and summoned her power to entrap Beryl and the evil spirit of Endymion inside her crystal. She then looked around one more time at her shattered kingdom, her lifeless daughter and her friends and summoned her final strength to send Usagi and the rest of her friends to the future, including Endymion's soul and Demando, Usagi's one and only love.

She sank down onto a fallen pillar and watched as her kingdom was transported to Earth, ready to begin a new life, a thousand years later.