….I'm Serena Tsukino, 21 years old, lost in a haze of work and identity. I'm still clumsy, and still a crybaby. But actually, I used to be the fighter for love and justice, Sailor Moon…

Serena heaved a big sigh as she fumbled around in her shoulder bag for her apartment keys. Lately, she was feeling increasingly tired, and couldn't wait to collapse onto her bed, despite its tiny size.

'Living in London has its benefits, but when it comes to living, this place is a real bummer if you don't have money,' she thought bitterly, 'at least there's always work for blondes who get fired every time they trip over a customer's foot.'

Finally finding her key, she shoved it into the rusty door hole and twisted, tiredly wrenching the jammed door open.

'Must get that fixed,' Serena thought, not for the first time.

"Luna! I'm home!" she called out as she entered the dingy apartment.

It was all Serena could afford, after her parents flew her off to England to prevent her 'falling in with the wrong crowd' after her magnificent defeat of Galaxia's chaos. She had been heartbroken when her father, in his twisted form of concern, drove her to the airport that very night, not even allowing her a goodbye to her fellow friends and Scouts, or her beloved Darien.

The Moon Princess had tried to convince her parents that her destiny was for real, even showing them her star seed, which she had discovered after the battle, was still implanted into her chest. They accused her of witchcraft, cursing her cherished friends, giving her an ultimatum: either she flies to England and cut off all contact from those 'troublemakers', or is disowned from the family.

So Serena, in subdued tears all the way, flew to London and started work as a waitress, moving from café to café. She was still too shocked to believe that the normal life she had always wanted as a teenager was finally being given to her, but she didn't want it. She wanted to be Sailor Moon. Or Princess Serenity. Or even just Darien's girlfriend.

Instead of continuing her studies (what was the point? She was always falling asleep anyway!) , her parents had marginally supported her financially until she turned 18, then telling her to find her own source of income in the middle of London. Serena had waited for her younger brother to come out as well, her only other supporter when she had moved, but he had disappointed her by flying to America instead, working for a mega-manga company.

"Ah, Serena! How was work?" Luna asked, jumping nimbly off the tattered couch in the living room.

"Boring, as usual," she said, stifling a yawn, "I don't understand why I have to wake up so early to work in a café that I'm going to eventually get fired from. This kills."

Serena dropped her bag on the couch, and collapsed into it, lovingly scratching Luna's head when she had leapt into her lap. Serena could feel the exhaustion overwhelming her.

Although she was already 21 and could leave, Serena hadn't found the heart to return to Tokyo. 'All of them must hate me for leaving like that, especially Darien. How could they ever want me back?' she thought bitterly.

"I used to be so great, Luna," she whispered, "What happened?"

Even after six years, the memories of the past, friends and Darien still plagued Serena every day.

The cat sighed.

"I do not know, my Princess," Luna replied, melancholy.

The two of them sat in silence, as they had done previously every night.

Fog, so similar to Sailor Mercury's Bubble Blast in the early days, was shrouding her. Serena knew she was wearing her Princess Serenity dress, and it felt wonderful. It felt like home.

Suddenly the fog was gone, and Serena looked around, puzzled. There was complete oblivion surrounding her, until a blood red rose shot out of nowhere, landing at her feet.

Seeing it, she gasped in disbelief.

"Darien?"

But then the rose began to wilt, its petals turning black, crumbling at her feet.

"NO!", she cried as she swiftly bent down, trying in vain to collect the ashes.

Then she heard the sound of feet approaching and looked up to see her beloved Sailor Scouts coming towards her. Amy, Raye, Lita, Mina…

She tried to call their names, but the four girls raised their hands, stealing her voice. She watched in horror as the silver orb was wrenched out of her throat and travelled into their palms. When it hit, they absorbed it, and the four girls' voices began to speak as one.

"I am the Spirit of the Sailor Team. Hear me out, Princess Serenity," a commanding, yet oddly gentle voice sounded out.

Serena was about to rudely point out that she didn't really have a choice since the Spirit had stolen her voice. The Spirit heard her emotions somehow, and surprisingly, chuckled.

"Full of radiance still, young one, despite all your misgivings," the Voice said, "but I am here to issue warning. There is great evil approaching, Princess, and you must once again reach your peak of power in order to stop it."

There was a great flash, and a horrendous picture of Tokyo emerged, being overrun by creatures of the Negaverse. There was awful screaming that made Serena want to curl up and shut her ears. The images swiftly changed: innocent citizens being collapsing on the streets, weak from energy drainage, other children killed in the process.

Then Serena saw it. The worse picture of all: the Sailor Scouts and Tuxedo Mask, possessed, wreaking havoc across Tokyo. It made her cry out, although she had no voice, to see her friends act like that.

The images drew to a close, revealing the tear-streaked face of Serena, shaking, and the bodies of the Sailor Scouts in front of her, oblivion surrounding them once more.

"This is what will happen if you do not stop them, Princess Serenity," the Voice said sorrowfully, as it began to fade out, "you must fight once again."

She wanted to know more, but Serena was jerked out of her sleep. The star seed in her chest was throbbing with heat, and she sat up in bed, clutching it tightly. She cleared her throat, wondering if her voice had returned. It had.

"Serena, what's wrong?" Luna asked as she raised her head from the bed, worried.

Grim determination set itself in the Princess' eyes, and facing Luna, she asked, "Can you contact the Sailor Scouts? Looks like there's another baddie coming."