The Dark Side of the Moon

Chapter Six – A New School

By Crow Skywalker

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Disclaimer – I don't own Sailor Moon or it's characters, nor do I claim to. No profit is being made from this…and if you sue me, I have a total of two cents in pennies.

Author's Notes – Long time, no see, huh? Sorry about that *grins sheepishly* I've been pretty busy with other fics, school and so forth. I probably lost a lot of readers in the meantime, but that can't be helped. Writing is what I do in my spare time…which I don't have a lot of, and when I do, I don't feel like writing half the time. But anyway, the next chapter's finally here – so if you're still with me, enjoy the fic! ;P

Warnings/Pairings – PG-13 for obvious reasons. I might even up the rating later on, so beware. Later pairings of Usagi/Mamoru (And I mean way later), and the senshi/generals. In the meantime, I might actually throw some romance in with Usagi and the generals…maybe. But if you don't like that, then don't read, cause I just warned you ;)

Series Summary - AU, where everyone's older. What if Queen Beryl had found Usagi before Luna? What if Beryl thought Usagi had good potential, and offered her a place at her side? The first season of Sailor Moon certainly would have been different. Sailor Moon done my way ^_~

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Minako yawned, stretching her arms above her head before rolling over onto her side and cuddling into her warm blankets. Outside her window dawned a new day, and bright rays of morning sunlight filtered in through the curtains. She smiled in her sleep, content in just staying in bed all day. However, a loud yowl in her ear woke her up.

"Minakooo!"

Blinking, Minako opened her eyes to find that she had rolled over on her white cat Artemis, who had been sleeping soundly next to her.

"Sorry Artemis," She giggled, quickly getting up and allowing the cat to breathe.

The cat glared up at her from where he lay.

"Hey, what time is it?" Minako yawned, sitting up fully in bed.

"8:00" The cat answered, and Minako's mouth instantly snapped shut and her eyes went wide.

"8:00?" She grabbed the clock next to her bed, bringing it close to her face as she stared at the glowing red numbers, "Artemis! You were supposed to wake me up at 7! Now I'm going to be late for my first day of school!" She yelled, leaping out of bed and grabbing her things as she ran to the shower.

Artemis stared after her, a bewildered look on his face. Curling up into a ball, he was almost asleep when Minako came running back in, her wet hair hanging around her shoulders with her new school outfit on.

"I'm late, I'm late, I'm late…" She was whispering to herself as she ran a brush through her hair. Making sure it was straight, she quickly tied a red bow around her head.

Artemis yawned, watching her with one eye. "Maybe if you had set your clock instead of depending on me, you would have got up on time!"

Minako frowned at him as she studied herself in her mirror. "Well maybe if you had woken me up on time I wouldn't be late! Ohhh…and I had to meet with the principal this morning too!" She whined, turning her attention away from the mirror. "Where's my book bag?"

He nodded his head to the corner of the room where it was, currently covered in clothes and other junk. She grabbed it, saying a quick thanks before running out of the room. Artemis stared after her, shaking his head.

If the rest of the senshi are like her, we're doomed, he thought sadly.

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Minako stopped running once she arrived at the school, and took a moment to look at the new surroundings. The school looked okay from the outside, had a nice premises with lots of grass and trees and kids were outside laughing and talking in their own group of friends. It looked like a normal school to Minako, and she smiled. She was going to like it here.

The bell rang then, signaling for the start of school. Minako watched the students enter, somewhat nervous about going in herself. She'd transferred to different schools before, mainly because she had always been on the move when she was Sailor V, but this would be her permanent school. No more moving, she had to stay here and help defeat the Dark Kingdom, and find the Moon Princess.

With a sigh, she made her way towards the front entrance of the school.

The halls were full of laughing and chatting teens, most of them at their lockers getting the necessaries they'd need for their morning classes. Minako frowned, trying to push her way through the crowed – she had to find the principal's office before the second bell rung. She'd promised she'd be there early to get her schedule, and of course, she was already late.

Minutes later the bell rang overhead and she groaned in frustration. Where is the damn office? She growled, I've looked everywhere! In fact, I think I've gotten myself lost! So angry with herself for being late and putting herself in this situation, she turned a corner only to bang into someone.

"Oof!" She dropped her books, falling herself. The person she'd bumped into paid no attention to her and continued on their way, not even bothering to say sorry. "Thanks a lot, asshole!" Minako mumbled, getting to her knees. She began to pick up her things.

"Need some help?" Came a voice, and Minako looked up to find a girl smiling at her. She wore the school's normal blue and white uniform, and she had black hair that seemed to shine almost blue. The girl bent down, helping Minako up.

"Thanks." Said Minako, brushing herself off with one hand.

"No problem." Said the other girl and she suddenly asked, "Are you new? I haven't seen you around before."

Minako nodded. "Yeah, this is my first day here…and so far it isn't going too well." She admitted.

"Oh." The blue-tinted haired girl gave her a sympathetic look. "Is there anything I can do to help?"

Minako looked up and down the now empty halls, frustrated. "Yeah, you wouldn't know where the principal's office is, would you?" She asked.

"Down this hall and to your right." The girl pointed in that direction, "It's the first door, right next to the fountain."

"Thanks." Minako smiled at the other girl. "I probably would have been wandering these halls all day."

"You should probably ask someone at the office to show up around, this school's pretty big."

Minako nodded. "I'll do that. Anyway, I won't keep you any longer…see you around!" She waved, turning away from the girl as she made her way in the direction the girl had pointed her in.

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The room was dark, and there was an unearthly chill as if a window was open in the middle of winter. However, there were no windows in this room, and even if there was, it was too dark to see. A small light shone from the ceiling, only bright enough to make the only piece of furniture, a single bed, visible.

Jadeite slept, deep within a dream. He didn't sleep much, sometimes he'd go for weeks without shutting his eyes, but this was one of those times he had finally lied down to rest, if only for a few hours.

A voice giggled within the darkness of his room, unheard by him. "Poor Jadeite's sleeping," Said the voice, and a girl stepped forward, her face shrouded in shadows. Serenity scowled, stepping more into the light. She came to stand by his bed, looking down at the sleeping figure.

He looks so peaceful, she thought, bending down to look him in the face. Reaching out, she pushed a stand of his dark blond hair out of his eyes. Almost human, a small smile played across her face, but her eyes narrowed.

"I should thank you, Jadeite, for bringing me here," She told him, even though he couldn't hear her. "I feel better than I ever have…more intelligent, and certainly more powerful." She turned her head to look into the darkness, "And yet, I'm stuck here. Unable to return home and take revenge on those who've hurt me. I'm nothing but a prisoner of the Dark Kingdom."

Serenity frowned, raising her hands and watching as a white light formed in her palms. "I should destroy Beryl and take control of my life," She turned her hands, aiming them at Jadeite, "But I should destroy you, because it's you who keep me from my destiny. Until you're gone, I don't even have a chance of returning home."

Silence fell then, as she stared at the power in her hands. Jadeite continued to sleep, rolling over and pulling the covers closer. She scowled down at him, the light extinguishing. "But you'll sign your own death certificate. I know that you'll fail, the senshi will beat you. You're weak, Jadeite, and every day you grow weaker." She sat down now, feeling the red velvet sheets beneath her. "Why is that, Jadeite? Why does your power weaken so?"

Jadeite turned again, his face growing pained as he mumbled something in his sleep. Serenity lowered her head, peering at him curiously.

"What's that? What'd you say?" She whispered, hoping he might repeat it.

He turned his head, sleeping eyes clenched together tightly. "Rei."

Serenity looked puzzled. Rei? She'd never heard of this girl. Was it someone he'd met while out carrying out his plans?

"…I'm sorry." He said, and Serenity realized he was having a nightmare of some sort.

The palace was ablaze, fire scorching everything so it's once white crystal like look was gone. Screams rang out in the air, and everything was on fire. He stood watching all of this, his heart as cold as ice. He did not care that they'd just burned down and killed almost everyone on the moon. He cared of none of this, and he stood by the other Generals as they laughed at the destruction.

"Jadeite!" Someone screamed, and he looked to a girl approaching him. "Jadeite! What are you doing!?"

Ash covered her face, and her black hair was a mess. She wore a burned and torn fuku, and she was in tears. Jadeite did nothing but tilted his head, studying the girl he recognized, but couldn't remember. He raised a hand, creating a ball of energy that he was going to use to destroy her.

"Jadeite!" She cried. "Stop this!"

His eyes glowed red, and he unleashed his power upon her, his evil smile never faltering.

"Rei!" We woke up in a cold sweat, screaming. His eyes immediately looked around widely, and he realized he was in his room alone, and he had been dreaming. He lay back down, sighing in relief.

"It was a dream…only a dream." He told himself. "…but it seemed so real."

Breathing steadily, he found himself calmed back to normal within moments, and sleep was returning to him. He was just drifting back to sleep when the girl flashed back into his mind, and his eyes opened wide. "It's her! It's the girl from the other day!" He realized. But this doesn't make any sense…why am I dreaming such things about a meaningless girl? He frowned, staring up at the darkness of his ceiling. This is so confusing… He turned over, closing his eyes. Maybe I'll have forgotten all about this by morning. I need my rest so I can start my next plan.

Silence fell upon the room as he went back to sleep, too tired to read deeper into the dream.

From the darkness, two eyes flashed a bright white, and then disappeared.

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"Miss Minako Aino, I presume?" Asked a man in his mid fifty's. He was short, with little hair left on top of his head, and wore a suit. Minako nodded, staring down at the man. "You're late."

"Sorry about that," Minako grinned sheepishly, "I had a little trouble –"

The principal interrupted her with a wave of his hand. "Just don't make a habit of it." He walked behind his desk, sitting behind it in his leather chair. Pulling open a drawer, he took out some papers and handed them to her. "This is your schedule. I'm afraid we couldn't fit you in some classes because they were already full." He raised an eyebrow, giving her a look, "That's what you get for transferring in so late in the school year."

Minako glanced over her schedule. It's not that bad, she thought, before her eyes landed on a three letter word that she truly hated. Gym?? They put me in gym?! She almost groaned out loud. Well, it's not all that bad, she thought with a frown, at least I'm good at one thing in gym – volleyball! That thought brightened her mood.

"I hope you will be happy here," the principal went on to say, "Our programs are good, and the people here are friendly." Minako almost laughed at that, remembering the rude person who'd knocked her down earlier. "I think you'll enjoy our school." He finished, and Minako looked up from her papers.

"Uh, sir," she began, "This is a new school and all, and I was wondering if you could get someone –"

"To show you around." He finished. "Of course, you didn't think I'd just send you out to wander the halls did you?" He smiled, looking out the door and calling to his secretary. "Inform Miss Mizuno that I need her, please."

The secretary nodded, pushing a button and talking quietly into it. Minako shifted feet, waiting to be shown around her new school. It didn't take the person long to appear, and Minako smiled. It was the girl who had helped her earlier.

"Hey," Said the girl, giving her a smile before looking at the principal, "You wanted me, sir?"

"Yes." He nodded, "I'd like for you to show Minako here around."

"Sure, I'd love to," She answered, and the principal beamed.

"This is Ami Mizuno," He said to Minako, standing and putting a hand on Ami's shoulder, "She's the school's most smartest girl. She's grade A student, who wants to be a doctor when she grows up." He smiled proudly, and Ami blushed. "Ami, this is Minako Aino, I want you to make her feel welcomed."

Ami held out her hand, and Minako shook it. "Nice to meet you again."

"Same here." Replied Minako.

"Good." The principal returned to his chair, "And again, Minako – welcome to our school. We're glad to have you."

To Be Continued…