Disclaimer: Sailor Moon and all it's characters belong to Naoko Takeuchi, I am only borrowing them. The same goes for Ranma ½ and it's characters, which belong to Rumiko Takahashi.

This fic is set in an alternate universe, where things appear to be the same on the surface, but the reality is quite different. In this chapter, I explain my version of the Silver Millennium, and my version of it's fall. It is similar to the manga canon, but not the same. Oh, for timelines, in the Sailor Moon storyline, Usagi began having the dreams about 3 months after Galaxia's defeat, and it has been about a year total since Galaxia. The Inner Senshi are all 17 and in the second year of high school. In the Ranma storyline, Ranma had been at the Tendo's for a week before he met Usagi, so he and the Tendo's are the ages they were at the beginning of the series.

That out of the way, on with the chapter!

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Chapter 4: "Memories and News"

'I am getting tired of this false life. I cannot act in any major way against the conditioning. I think the only reason I was only able to keep doing the kata was because Ranma had already seen me doing it. I hope he comes again today, I truly need help with this, but it's coming to me more clearly in my dreams. I remember now that each Queen and Princess had a personal name, and that Serenity was used as part of our titles. My personal name was Bara, which meant 'rose'. I suppose that's why I choose Kei to be my name when I was working with the guards. After all, what's a rose without thorns?'

Usagi set aside her journal, and rose to her feet. It was time to begin her training. 'It'll be nice when I don't have to do this before dawn.' she mused to herself. Just as she was finishing up her stretches, a female voice called out to her.

"Hey, Usagi-chan! Want me at help ya again today?" said a familiar looking redhead.

"Ranma! Sure, I can use the help." Usagi said cheerily with a bright smile. "Any advice for me to start with?"

"Yeah. Get rid of the pigtails. They're a huge disadvantage in combat. They'll just get in yer way, or yer enemy will use 'em against ya."

"I guess you're right. I've been wearing them like this my whole life, so I guess it is time for a new style." Usagi reached up and let down the buns and pigtails. Her hair actually pooled on the ground a little bit, it had gotten that long. "So what should I do with it? I don't think just a braid with work, my hair's to long."

"Maybe if ya put it into a couple of braids and then pin 'em up somehow."

"Mmm. That might work." For the next few minutes, Usagi plaited her hair into two long French braids. When she was done, the tips of the braids were a bare inch above the ground. She then wrapped the braids around her head, twisting them together into a large knot at the base of her skull. "How's this?"

"It could come undone real easy. Try somethin' else." Usagi frowned briefly, then brightened as she thought of a style she'd seen on the cover of a magazine. She undid the two plaits, then divided her hair into multiple little sections and braided them tightly against her head. She then took the many tiny braids and wove them together into a sort of crown on her head.

"Well?'

"That should work. Ya look almost like some sorta warrior princess." As soon as the words left Ranma's mouth, Usagi gasped and sunk to her knees, clutching her head. "Usagi? Usagi, what's goin' on?"

"...remembering...I'm remembering everything now." Usagi slowly lowered her hands, and shifted so she was sitting. "I'm fine Ranma. Apparently, the combination of the different hairstyle and your words was enough to trigger my full memories of my past life. I remember who I truly am now. Who I was, who I am, and I know who I will be."

"Uhhh, I'm kinda lost here Usagi."

"Remember how I told you that I was a warrior in a past life?"

"Yeah."

"That's not all I was. I just had all of my memories awaken."

"So...who are you now?"

"I'm still Usagi, though I was once known as Princess Serenity, Crown Princess of the Silver Millennium, called Bara by my mother the Queen and my Senshi. To a select few, I was also Kei, a warrior and general, who combined martial arts and magic to a degree never before seen."

"Why did only a few know ya as Kei?"

"It was forbidden for the Princess to learn to fight. The Queen felt that the Senshi and Crescent Guard were all who needed to know, and that the Lunar Royalty need only to know how to use the Silver Crystal. I disagreed."

"Senshi? Crescent Guard? Silver Crystal? What're they?"

"Perhaps I should start from the beginning." Usagi settled herself comfortably on the ground and indicated for Ranma to do the same. "It is a long tale, but will explain much to you.

"Long, long ago, there was a beautiful kingdom on the Moon. It was ruled by Queen Serenity and was known as the Silver Millennium. Back then, the entire Solar System was habitable, and people lived on each planet. Those planets, save Earth, each had their own Princess who was subject to Queen Serenity. Each Princess ruled their planet, and also served as a Senshi.

"The Senshi were divided into two groups, the Inner Senshi, and the Outer Senshi. The Inner Senshi came from the planets Mercury, Mars, Jupiter, and Venus. The Outer Senshi were from Uranus and Neptune. The Inner Senshi served as protectors, instructors, and companions of Princess Serenity. The Outer Senshi were tasked with patrolling the outer bounds of our Solar System to keep watch for invaders.

"Pluto and Saturn were special cases. Pluto's Princess was charged with guarding the Gates of Time. Her primary charge was to prevent any meddling with the time stream. It was a lonely, demanding job. No one lived on Pluto, so she was alone, always. Saturn's Princess, although ruler of her planet, was rarely called upon to perform her duty as a Senshi. Sailor Saturn was the bringer of Silence. She could wipe an entire planet from existence with just a spoken phrase. Thus, people feared her, and so, she spent the vast majority of her time isolated in her palace. Alone.

"Earth had no Princess, and no Senshi. It was a turbulent world, frequently at war with itself. Due to that, one of the first Queens placed a ban upon contact with Earth. Visiting Earth, or contacting it in any way was strictly forbidden. The ban would be lifted when Earth had unified itself, and had stayed that way for a century. The year before I was born, the ban was lifted, and the people of the Silver Millennium rejoiced. Now, now the Solar System was whole, for Earth had been welcomed with open arms into the Silver Millennium by all the other planets. But not all was good.

"Earth still had no Princess and still no Senshi. Earth's people looked upon the Moon with awe, and envy. The people of the Silver Millennium, though not immortal, lived very long lives. We matured at the same rate, but we could expect to live for more than a millennium, a rare few reached two. So, the people of Earth felt as though they were being looked down upon, because of their shorter lifespan, and their lack of a Senshi.

"At first, they were only a few dissidents. The next year, a few more. And so on. The Queen chose to disregard the warnings of her advisors about them. After all, there were always some people who were never satisfied. Why should the people of Earth complain? They were full citizens, and in a few of their generations, could expect the same lifespan, and would have a Senshi as well. It would take time for the full effects of being exposed to the magical radiation from the Silver Crystal to become apparent.

"Earth did have a ruler, a King. King Endymion the 6th, and his son, who would be King Endymion the 7th. The Prince was 4 years older than I was, and once the ban had been lifted, we spent a fair amount of time together. King Endymion and my mother began to speak of a marriage between the two of us when I was eight. I found out only because I'd already begun disobeying my mother about what I was and was not permitted to learn, and happened to be exploring the ventilation ducts in that area of the Palace.

"Endymion and I were like siblings. We decided that we would never marry, but we would maintain a façade in front of everyone else. We would pretend to be deeply in love. If we were found out, we would be in a huge amount of trouble. That's when Endymion came up with the idea of mentally conditioning ourselves. When we were doing our act, it had to be real. No slip-ups allowed. So, we conditioned ourselves to act a certain way, depending on a trigger. The trigger for our actions was my hairstyle.

"Only the Lunar Royalty were permitted to style their hair in the buns and pigtails I was wearing earlier. When I wore the Royal Hairstyle, we were happily engaged to each other, and I was a bright, bubbled-headed Princess who had no interest in fighting. When I wore my hair like this, we were ourselves. Later, I became Kei, a young girl who wanted to join the Crescent Guard, which is how I got my training. At first anyway. One of the instructors figured out who I really was, and pulled me out of the class. Instead, he gave me and Endymion specialized training. I learned to combine the magic that was my birthright with deadly martial skills. Endymion learned how to tap into Earth's latent power, how to use it in combat. We both learned the sword, and how to command during battle. We had both heard the grumbling from Earth, and heeded it.

"All of our preparations came to naught however. All because of a ball. My mother decided to throw a grand ball. Princess Serenity was required to be in attendance. That night, as the Lunar Court laughed and danced, Earth attacked. They were led by a witch named Beryl, who had made a pact with the demon Metallia. They attacked the Inner System first. Mercury, Venus, and Mars fell before we knew anything was wrong. Three planets gone. Devastated. Then they bypassed the Moon and went after the remaining planets. Jupiter, Uranus, Neptune and Saturn fell. However, Sailor Saturn awoke. The full energies of Sailor Saturn coursed through the body of an 11 year old girl who had no idea how to control them. She aged 7 years in 5 minutes before she was able to take control of herself. She could do nothing, for her powers were locked. Pluto wasn't a main target, as it was uninhabited, and the Gates of Time were kept secret.

"Then, at last, they came in force to the Moon. They had chosen the time well. The Inner Senshi were all new to their posts, and the Outer Senshi had been sent out on a long patrol of the space just outside our system. One by one, my friends in the Crescent Guard fell. Then my Senshi followed. All trying to protect me, because I was trapped in my own mind, and could do nothing besides scream. Then, Endymion fell. Something inside me broke, and I was able to seize Sailor Venus' sword. Not to wield it against my enemies however. I turned it upon myself, and died by my own hands, full of shame. At last, when she saw my body, my mother finally acted. She called upon the Silver Crystal and sealed Metallia away. She had not spent enough time practicing the spell however, and had to spend most of her life force to make it work. She then summoned the Outer Senshi from their patrol to release Sailor Saturn's powers.

"The Senshi of Uranus, Neptune, and Pluto each had a powerful Talisman. Combined, they acted as a key which would unlock the locks for Sailor Saturn. They did so, and she came. The Senshi of Silence, in all her dark glory. My mother commanded her to bring the Silence down on the Silver Millennium, sparing Earth only, as soon as she had breathed her last. She then used the Silver Crystal one last time, setting a spell to reincarnate the Senshi and as many of the Lunar Court as she could manage. Then, she died, on a broken pillar in what had once been a lush garden.

"Sailor Saturn raised her glaive, and softly spoke a phrase that meant that her full power, including her entire life force, would be used in the coming destruction. She looked around herself once, closed her eyes, and let her glaive fall. The Silver Millennium was no more.

"I have been trapped in Serenity mode my entire life. I was so deeply trapped, that I had only recently begun to remember the truth. Now though, there is no need to hide myself." Usagi paused and looked to Ranma, who was slightly wide-eyed with all that had been told. "Ranma, I need you to witness something for me."

"Huh? What?"

"I have to do a small ritual to remove the conditioning from myself, and one of the requirements is that someone witness it."

"Ok, sure. Do I gotta do anything special?"

"No, just watch." Usagi stood, and pulled her transformation brooch out. She looked at it for a moment, the turned it over and unclasped the pin. She braced herself, and quickly pierced the tip of her finger with it. She flipped the brooch open, revealing the crystal inside it. She held her bloody finger over it, and began to speak "I am Bara, Princess Serenity, daughter of Queen Serenity." One drop of blood on the crystal. "Queen Serenity is no more." Two, slight glow. "I am Kei, leader of the Crescent Guard." Three, now a stronger glow. "The Crescent Guard is no more." Four, brighter yet. "I am Queen Serenity." Five, very bright. "I am the Crescent General." Six, getting hard to see. "I am both Queen and General, yet neither. I am Serenity, Guardian of the Cosmos." Seven. As the last drop of blood contacted the crystal, it flared into an incandescent sliver light, briefly blinding Ranma. The brooch melted away, leaving only the Silver Crystal.

The light enveloped Usagi, hiding her from view. When Ranma could see again, Usagi had changed. Gone was the young woman in workout clothing and braids. In her place stood a warrior. She wore silver bracers on her forearms, and a silver breastplate. A skirt made of overlapping sliver plates brushed the tops of her thigh-high white boots. White gloves ran under her bracers to the middle of her upper arms. The only adornment she wore was a silver crown, which was secured to her head by her now silver hair. In the center of her forehead was an upturned silver crescent moon And then there were the wings. The massive, feathered white wings, which were folded behind her. They shimmered softly in the pale pre-dawn light. She held in one hand a slender sword, which had a crescent moon for a cross guard. In the other, she held a simple scepter, in the shape of a wand with a crescent moon on the end of it. In the bottom of the moon, now only glowing dimly, was the Silver Crystal.

"U-Usagi?"

"Yes, it's still me Ranma. When I'm like this though, call me Serenity." Even her voice had changed. It was rich with music, filled with joy and laughter, yet held sorrow and pain in it's depths. She quirked a small smile. "No more Sailor Moon, I guess. I should change back now." She clasped the scepter tightly, and once again, sliver light hid her from view. When it faded, Usagi stood there, unchanged.

"What was that all about Usagi?"

"I'm not entirely sure myself. All I meant to do was remove the conditioning, but I think that because my mother is dead, the magic forced me to proclaim myself. I'll have to work on figuring everything out." She looked at her watch and gasped. "Later though. I have to get home. See you around Ranma."

"Sure thing Usagi-chan."

Usagi ran home, stopping at the corner of her street to redo her hair. 'I've gotten used to this style. Plus, it'll just raise to many questions right now if I abruptly change it.' She walked into her home, and removed her shoes. "I'm home." She called softly.

"Usagi?" called her mother.

"Yes, it's me Mama."

"Come here, please. Your father and I would like to speak with you."

"Yes Mama." Usagi walked into the living room, where both her parents sat on the sofa.

"Usagi, your father and I are very concerned about your performance at school. We've talked about it with your teachers and the principal, and all agree that Juban High doesn't seem to be the right school for you."

"What do you mean Mama? I like Juban, all of my friends are there."

"We know, Usagi, but that seems to be part of the problem. We've decided to transfer you to another school, starting tomorrow."

"What? But school's already started."

"The schools agreed to the transfer since school has only been in session for two weeks. It's settled. You'll find your new uniform in your room. Make sure it fits, because tomorrow you start at Furinkan High in the Nermia district."

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My deepest apologies for taking so long with this chapter, I hope it was worth the wait. Next chapter, Usagi meets the students of Furinkan High! I shouldn't take as long with this one. (I hope!)

Reviews are welcome, flames will be used to heat my very cold room.

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