A/N: Sorry I took so long in updating! But here's a nice chappie for you, please keep reviewing!

By the way, Mars is a real b*tch in this chapter, but I've only made her that way to show how hurt she was by Serena leaving. I think this is the way she would have reacted if she was hurt really badly.

magicharm

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"What are we going to say?" a voice drifted out.

"I'm more worried about what she's going to say," replied another.

'It has been too long,' Serena thought, treading softly up the wooden steps leading to the rice paper door, 'I can't even recognise their voices.'

She raised a hand to push it gently, but stopped, dropping it. Her breaths came out quickly, too quickly. Luna looked at her anxiously from near her feet, and in comfort, purred softly and slinked around Serena's legs. The Moon Princess gave her a weak smile and raised her hand again, this time, quietly sliding the door open.

Three pairs of eyes swiveled towards her when she did, and it was all Serena could do not to weep in anguish at her best friends' faces. Mars was the only one that still had her face to the fire.

They were all in their Scouts' uniforms, not plainly dressed as they usually would have been in a meeting at the temple. They still looked the same, if not a bit older, and certainly more matured. Seated around the prophetic fire, their faces were masks, however, nearly all of them stony cold.

"Sailor Moon," Mercury was the first to respond softly, standing up and slowly walking towards her.

Serena wasn't sure what to do. Hug her best friend? Just stand still? What if they didn't want her at all?

"Why are you in your uniforms?" she whispered, her voice coming out weaker than she intended.

"To let you know that us being with you is purely professional," Mars snapped, jerking her head around from the fire and greeting her with blazing eyes, "We're not your friends any more, Serena. You threw that chance away years ago."

A million words were aching to tumble out of Serena's mouth, to explain why she had left, why she hadn't called. But she held her tongue and gathered the energy to nod through her shock. She had hoped that they would have heard her out, at least given her a chance to explain. They were obviously past that; forgiveness wasn't going to come.

Mercury was still standing in front of her, looking like she wanted to cry. Serena knew that she had missed her Moon Princess and best friend, but couldn't do anything because of the other Sailor Scouts.

So, Serena just whispered, "Thank you", and tried to bare her emotions as strongly as possible through her eyes as they locked with Mercury's.

Her friend understood, and gave her a small smile before retreating back to her place next to the fire. Serena was left standing there, Luna just behind her.

"So?" Jupiter asked, her voice an odd mixture of coldness and need, "What's the problem?"

Serena sighed softly, and brought a finger up to play with the ends of her hair, a sign of nervousness that she hadn't shown for a long time.

"I had a dream, where a Spirit came to me, calling itself the Spirit of the Sailor Team," she started tensely, still standing at her position by the doorway. Immediately, she saw Sailor Mercury whip out her laptop and begin furiously typing away, and Serena had to hold back a smile. Some things never change.

"It showed me the destruction of Tokyo by the Negaverse," she continued, purposely omitting the part about where they were possessed, "and said that all the death that I saw in my city would happen if I did not fight again."

Silence, and then Mars' bitter voice, "This isn't your city any more, Sailor Moon. It's ours, the Sailor Scouts. And remember that you're the one who needs our help."

Serena was filled with grief at her words, and with a single nod to the rest of the Scouts, turned and quickly left the temple, running down the hill. Nearly tripping a couple of times, Serena ran blindly through Tokyo, tears obscuring her vision. After a few minutes, she found herself at the tranquil Fairview Park where Mr. Baxter kept his lovely roses. Panting, Serena slowed down, walking along the lakeside, memories of Darien, the Scouts and Rini flooding her mind.

The lake filled Serena with quiet awe. The moonlight glinted off its surface, bathing the clear waters with a creamy glow. Not a ripple was seen, and it looked like glass. Looking up, a wistful smile graced her features as the horizon of Tokyo could be seen – multicoloured lights that created a blinking rainbow city. Leaning against a railing, Serena allowed silent tears to trickle down, before noticing that Luna was not with her.

Wondering where she was, Serena looked around, before hearing footsteps approach, and seeing two shadowy figures appear down the sidewalk, masked in twilight. Hastily brushing a hand across her face to wipe off the moisture, Serena focused her senses on the figures. They didn't feel evil, so she turned back to the lake. 'Probably just a night couple,' she thought, playing with the edges of her hair again, 'like how Darien and I used to.'

The footsteps became louder as the couple neared, and suddenly, Serena felt a tingle creep up her spine. She wondered if she had mistaken the figures, and clutched the railing tightly. Then, it became clear as one of the figures spoke in shock.

"Serena?"

Darien. Serena shut her eyes briefly before turning to him with a fake smile pasted on.

"Darien! Didn't expect to see you here," she said in an overly cheery tone.

Pause, and Serena had the time to take in the slim figure standing next to him. A raven-haired woman, clinging onto his arm, looking at her in curiousity.

"Neither did I," he replied, still in a stunned voice, "Where have you been?"

"Well, London, actually," Serena admitted.

Darien didn't reply, but bent down to whisper in the woman's ear. Serena watched them carefully, and saw a worried look flit across the woman's face, before nodding, and kissing Darien deeply. Serena turned away, feeling blood rise to her cheeks and her heart tear into pieces again. The calmness of the lake was perfectly opposing the torment that was ripping her apart.

When the woman had walked away down the dusky path, Serena was still looking at the lake. And she knew that Darien was standing beside her, scrutinizing her as he so often did in the past.

"Why didn't you tell me?"

She sighed. She knew it was coming, but was she ready?

"I couldn't," Serena whispered sadly, "I went through Hell before I left, Darien, and I just couldn't, not again."

"Couldn't what?" he demanded quietly, "I was there when you went through Hell, Serena. I went there and back with you, and you just left."

The Moon Princess turned her head slowly towards Darien. Blue eyes meeting with chocolate ones, she could easily read the despair and anger that were written all over his orbs. 'God, he still looks good,' she thought. But he was with someone else now, and the impact of his last words finally settled in on her.

"You have no idea!" she cried, breaking the stillness of the night, "You have no idea what it was like to lose everyone to Chaos. What it was like to finally have all your dreams come true, only to have it ripped away by – "

She stopped. No, not yet. If he or the Scouts wanted to know, they would have to wait. A test of friendship, and they were already failing.

"By who?" Darien yelled.

Serena shook her head, and he sighed in exasperation.

"Fine, Serena, keep your secrets," he spat, cutting Serena sharply, "I have someone else now. Someone who loves me and won't leave without a word. Someone who won't betray our relationship."

As he turned away to walk down the path where his partner had earlier, Serena softly said, "I'm only Sailor Moon here, Darien. Not Serena. The girl you knew is dead."

That made him halt in his steps, but he continued after a second, hands in his trademark duster.  Serena was left there, still staring at the water, but she lifted her eyes to the round moon and pleaded out to her mother.

'Please,' she begged silently, 'Please help me.'

And then a piercing scream ripped through the night.