Twist of Fate

By Silver MoonAngel/Carley Nine

Rated: PG

Summary: Just one year can make a difference. With Galaxia defeated, Serena has a new problem, and she must make a decision that will forever alter her fate. Maybe even her ties to Darien.

AN: This is the actual first story to my HDWFIL series. It's not important to read this one first, but snatches of it will pop up in future stories.

Chapter 2

Serenity turned her head to look at a clock, but couldn't find any. Then she remembered...

They had been attacked at night. Both Rini and Chandra had wandered far from the Palace and she had gone outside to find them. She had never seen anything so heinous in all of her life. Burned corpses were outside the Palace, some of her best soldiers gone. She would give them a proper burial later, but now she was worried for her daughters.

She searched everywhere, calling for her girls. Just as she returned to the Palace, she saw them waiting by the steps, ready to run to her. However, something hit her and she was out like a light. She could vaguely remember yelling at her girls to get into the palace and the crystal activating to place the crystal coffin around her body so she could heal herself.

Raising the lid, she could see that the time of the Great Freeze had come. Surrounding her were several more crystal coffins, all filled with her loved ones. They all had various injuries and they all had sacrificed everything for her. Even her little girls had transformed. She wouldn't let their sacrifices be in vain. They would sleep until they were healed...everyone would sleep until they were healed.

She rose and went to where Endymion slept. He had very nearly died, but he couldn't leave her now. Touching the lid, she said, "Sleep, love. I'll be here when you wake up."

Her soldiers and their daughters lay around the outside of the room, ready to protect their queen, even in sleep. She looked over the room and said, "Sleep my senshi. You have earned your rest."

Walking up to Chandra's coffin, she felt the first tears slide from her eyes. When she finally woke up, Chandra would probably be blind. Serenity could see little trails of blood tears, a sure indicator of an eye missing. "Don't worry, my sweet. We'll all see for you." Her eldest daughter was younger than she when she finally became Sailor Moon, but much, much wiser.

She turned and her breath caught. Rini was wearing her Mini Moon fuku and holding a crystal rose for dear life. Serenity realized that Rini was holding the Silver Imperial Crystal and that it was emitting a soft glow. Waving her hand over the coffin, she said, "You did a good job of saving everyone, precious, but now it's Mommy's turn." Serenity watched as the rose disappeared and she soon felt the familiar glow radiating from her chest.

She calmly strode from the room and whispered under her breath, "I'll kill all those bastards that hurt you."

Her footsteps echoed hollowly in the palace, a sure indicator that they were the only ones left alive. As she walked, each footstep fueled her anger. Her aura burned hotter and brighter as she manifested her powers. She had never been more powerful; but then again, she had never felt the need to be so powerful. Before she opened the doors to the outside, she manifested her wings. Striding from the palace, she took flight, waiting for some enemy to make their presence known.

To her left, she heard an all-to-familiar laughter. She looked and there were the ones for responsible for all of this Prince Diamond of Nemesis and the Wise Man. "Your deep-freeze won't kill us," Diamond chuckled.

Serenity smiled coldly and said, "It may not kill you, but it will give me the chance to." She spread her wings as far as they would go and looked down at Diamond. All the fire in her was replaced by ice and she said, "I give you my word, as the Neo Queen of Crystal Tokyo, that I will one day deliver the final blow. Until then, you will freeze and live with those thoughts." She called forth her crystal and the first flakes of snow appeared. Looking straight ahead, she said, "I'm giving you this last chance to find shelter to sleep in. If you stay out here, you will surely die."

Sheets of ice began piling up around her. She could stay out here another five minutes, then even she would have to retreat inside the castle. She cast a last glance at the city she loved and finally returned to her castle. All were still asleep. She checked all the coffins one last time before returning the crystal to Rini. It only seemed fitting, especially since she had saved them all.

She lay down in her own coffin and closed the lid. She was about to get more sleep than she could ever dream of...and more.

"Am I going to see any more?"

"Patience, Serena, this is hard for even me to watch."

Nearly a thousand years of sleep will do weird things to your brain. Serenity woke up, driven by pure hatred toward Diamond. She was the first to awake. She rose from her coffin and went around the room, lifting the lids of all the others. She went to Endymion's coffin and kissed him on the lips. She gasped as he opened his eyes and stretched.

Sitting up, he asked, "How long have I been out?"

Serenity smiled and answered, "Nearly a thousand years."

She moved away from him and went to the other coffins, touching each person so they would wake up. When she got to Chandra, she touched her shoulder and asked, "How much can you see?"

Chandra looked at her mother with clear blue eyes and said, "I can't see out of my right eye...only shadows."

Serena pulled her daughter into a tight hug. "That's okay. I was afraid you wouldn't see at all."

"Mom, you should've seen Rini. She took charge and was winning." Turning her gaze to where Rini still slept, she added, "She was so fearless. Puu had to finally drag her into the castle. She said that 'five-year-olds shouldn't be fighting to the death' and walloped her good when she gave lip."

Serena arched an eyebrow at Pluto as she went to Rini's coffin and lifted the lid. Her little girl with blonde hair was lying there, gently sucking on her thumb. Brushing her bangs off her forehead, Serena said, "Wake up, Rini."

Rini sat up and blinked the sleep out of her eyes. "Mama?"

Taking her daughter into a hug, she said, "I'm here, baby."

"Mom."

Serena turned to Chandra and asked, "What?"

"I can see the enemy. They think they're going to attack us."

Serena powered up. "Not if I have anything to say about it!"

Chandra touched her mother's right eye and said, "Let me give you my sight."

Instantly, Serena could see every enemy in the immediate area. She looked at Chandra and understood. Holding her daughter's face in her hands, she whispered, "The gods have given you a gift, let's use it." Tensing for the battle, she looked among her senshi. They had given her many years of faithful service, but she had one last thing to ask of them. Turning toward them, she asked "My senshi, I ask you once more to do battle by my side against those who have ravished our land, our country and left death and destruction in their wake. Are you prepared to do this task for me?" Seeing the startled looks on the younger ones faces, she added, "I don't promise that it will be easy, but with all of your help, we will defeat Prince Diamond and Wise Man."

Turning to Chandra, she said, "I'm going to ask a great burden of you. If either your father or I die, don't let Rini use the crystal. Just get her out of there."

"Yes, Mom. I will do that for you."

Conjuring her wings, Serenity led the way out of the castle. She felt proud of her senshi, and of her daughters. Wiping tears from her cheeks, she took to the air. She wouldn't let Diamond see her weak. Rising to the air, she flew over the multitude of minions. Hovering just above Diamond, she demanded, "Get your minions out of here. You're the one I want."

Diamond let out a wild laugh. "Who are you to threaten me Neo Queen? I seem to remember taking your daughter's eye. I'll be sure to do the same to you."

Serenity gave him an icy glare. Feeling her anger burst into flame, she calmly said, "For taking Chandra's eye, I'll repay the favor ten-fold. You will pay with your life."

"Mom, watch out!"

Serenity looked beneath her. There were at least ten little minions getting ready to shoot arrows at her. She calmly said, "Wrong move." She willed flames to come out of her fingertips and shot every one of the little archers. Returning her gaze to Diamond, she said, "I hope you're ready for some warmth." She gathered the fire into the center of her hand and threw it at Diamond.

Diamond grabbed Wise Man and pulled him into the path of the fireball. A horrified scream escaped Wise Man's lips as he was incinerated. Diamond called up to Serenity, "I won't hurt you. I love you too much." He whistled at his minions. "However, everyone else must die!"

A wave of minions ran toward the gathered senshi. The metal of their weapons glinted in the wintry sun.

"That does it! I'm sick and tired of all of you!" Chandra pulled a sword out of her space pocket. Screaming like a banshee, she ran toward the first minion and sliced off his head in one quick swipe.

Serenity watched her daughter in awe. She didn't realize... Shaking her head, she turned back toward Diamond. Pulling out a feather in her wings, she willed it into the shape of a sword. Made of crystal, it glinted in the setting sun. "Before this day is over, your blood will wash the soil." She flew at him with her sword flashing and she knew that this could quite possibly be her last day on earth.

"What happens?"

Trista gave her a grim smile. "It's not pretty. Chandra eventually lost her eye completely and a few of us died."

Serena gazed at Trista's face and said, "There is something you're not telling me. What happens?"

Trista took a deep breath. This was going to be hard. "Chandra was the new Neo Queen before sunrise."

Serena asked with a gasp, "Did Diamond kill me?"

Trista shook her head. "He did worse. He killed Darien."

Serena felt the tears well up in her eyes and a dreadful feeling in her stomach. "Did I kill Diamond?"

Trista felt a tear drop to the ground. "Yes. Right before you killed yourself."

Serena fell to the ground and wept bitter tears for what could have happened. After her bout, she asked, "What happened to Rini?"

"She tried to resurrect you, but Chandra took the crystal from her and told her what you had said. Rini eventually became Neo Queen; Chandra abdicated to her."

Wiping the last of her tears away, Serena said, "Alright. Let's see the next one."

"Promise me you won't do anything drastic."

"I promise."

Let's go then."

AN: Sorry this took soo long to get out. I've had major writer's block. I had most of this written, but couldn't make the transitions.

Oh, and major props to my editor SailorAngel for her help on this.

As always, send Q's or C's to: