Welcome all to Chapter 2.  Thanks to Bunnychu and Marni who review for this story. And thanks to Matakishi Hirata-san who reviewed for this story and 'The Greatest Man I Never Knew'.  Ya all made me feel so loved. ;)

Sorry if I confused anyone with all of my flashbacks in last chapter (I didn't want people to assume that it was a typical Scouts have a fight, Serena leaves for America, and then gets strong story).  Serena has just started fighting by herself.  She's was alone for a grand total of one full day last chapter.

Disclaimer: I don't own Sailor Moon don't sue please.

Enjoy

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Book I: Alone

Chapter II

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'I can't fail too many people are depending on me.'

With that thought I surveyed the scene around me.  There was one monster attacking a frightened teenaged couple.  The monster was humanish in form, but strangely mutated.  Instead of normal features such as skin, eyes, and hands the creature had grayish scales covering its body, glowing spots where eyes should have been, and claws in place of hands.

"You will not destroy us.  We will maintain our way of life.  The prophecy will not be fulfilled," the hideous monster screeched at the teens.

"Stop right there, freak, leave the young lovers alone, and pick on someone else – someone like me."

The monster left the couple alone as it turned its attention to me.  I felt the glowing "eyes" sizing me, scrutinizing my fighting stance, and trying to figure out my power level.

"Who are you that you think that you can mess with the great Souixzans.  We will crush you and your pathetic planet.  Lord Deivic will watch with a smile on his face and a laugh in his throat as you fall.  I will happily devour your spirit as my reward.  You will not threaten our way of life."

I stood completely bewildered by this monster.  It seemed to think that I was attacking their planet instead of the other way around.  And what was with the thing about devouring my spirit.  I shuddered. 'How disturbing.'

"I am Sailor Moon, champion of love and justice, and in the name of the moon I shall punish you.  Moon Tiara Magic."

I sent my attack at the monster.  In its arrogance it didn't even bother to try to dodge my tiara.  I smiled as it screamed in pain, but my happiness was short lived.  The monster was not destroyed by my attack, only injured.

"You brat, you shall pay dearly for injuring me."

One of the monsters claws shot toward me.  I stood almost paralyzed by fear.  I think I even saw my life flash before my eyes.

'You could try moving instead of screeching when an attack is coming at you.  It might be safer for the both of us that way,' Tuxedo Mask's words came back to me.

In hearing those words run through my mind again I found the courage to try to dodge the attack.  I managed to avoid the brunt of the damage.  My inability to dodge sooner allowed the monster to land a gash in my right side.

'It could have been worse,' I thought to myself as I tried to fight back the scream of pain.  But, thoughts have never stopped me from screaming before, and I don't think that they ever will in the future.

To the delight of the hideous beast, I let out a pained yelp.  The monster responded to my cry by shooting its other claw at me.

This time I was faster at dodging it.  I tried to move aside and the claw pass right by me, but my klutziness took over and I tripped. Lucky I fell away from the claw. As I was attempting to get back to my feet the first claw bit into my side.

I let out another anguished cry as the claw landed a deep gash in my left shoulder.  The monster once again took delight in my cry, and lashed out with another onslaught of attacks.

Some of the attacks I managed to evade, but I couldn't avoid them all.  With each attack I grew weaker as I lost more blood.  And with every cry that passed through my lips, the beast attacked me more fiercely.

I couldn't even stand any more.  I was barely clinging on to consciousness, and the monster knew that it had won. 

"I shall have you spirit as my reward for defeating you."          

'No, I can't die.  I can survive one battle without the Scouts and Tuxedo Mask.  I killed them because I thought that I could fight alone.  I must protect earth.  There is no one but me now.'

The beast was now standing right next to me.  I felt its cold claw up against my skin.  My blood seemed to turn to ice at its touch, and I could feel my mind numbing from the cold.  As the creature withdrew its claw it could feel my spirit being pulled out of my body.

"NOOOOOO"

The monster left go of my spirit in surprise.  My spirit melded back into my body and I felt warmth creeping allover me.

I manage to stand once again on my shaky legs.  Through the blood and tears which filled my eyes I saw the beast gape in awe at my determination.

"You will not defeat me.  You will not destroy earth," I said harshly to the monster in nothing more than a whisper.  I reached for my tiara once again, but this time the words I shouted were not completely familiar to me.

"Moon Spirit Tiara."

When I shouted that phrase, I felt a slight chill as my spirit exited partly from my body.  My spirit reached for her own tiara and fused it with my regular one.  Together we threw the newly formed energy disk.

I noticed that the disk was faster, brighter, and contained a different sort of energy then my normal attack.  The disk barreled its way through the beast and disappeared into thin air.  When the disk disappeared I felt warmth once again returning to my body.

I heard the last dieing screams of that beast as it was turned to dust.  A shudder racked my body, and I collapsed down onto the hard, unyielding earth.

I don't know how I managed to make it home form the battle in my condition, but when I was rudely jostled from my sleep, I was in my own bed.

"Serena, get up now so you aren't late for school."

Mothers can be so annoying at times.  If she knew that I was up half the night defending this planet from utter destruction, she wouldn't be hounding me this much about school. 

"Serena, are you up yet.  You have to be in school in less then a half hour."

A groan escaped my lips as I tried to force myself out of bed.  'I can to this.  I need to be smart since I have to face this enemy alone.  I need to go to school to get smart,' I though as I reflected on Amy's last words to me.

It hurt so much to move.  I was now feeling my wounds of the night before.  Most of my cuts and bruises had healed them selves while I slept, but some of the deep gashes that I had received remained to serve as a reminder of my near failure.  I walked towards my bathroom, noticing that I had a slight limp in my walk.

'I hope I'll be able to make it through the day without anyone noticing my injuries.  People know that I'm clumsy, but it would be my luck that some observant person would point out that many of my injuries aren't due to a fall.'

"Serena, you have to been in school in ten minutes.  Hurry up!"

"I'm coming. I'm coming. Hold on a second will ya."

I paused at the top of the stairs apprehensive about walking in front of my mother.  'I can do this.  I can make myself walk with no limp.  I am the Moon Princess.  I am good for something.'

Ignoring the pain that shot through my right leg, I made my way down the stairs and over to my mother.

"Good you're finally down here.  Here's your book bag.  You had better hurry."

"Thanks see you, mom," I said as I placed a kiss on my mom's cheek, threw my bag onto my shoulder, and ran out the door.

As soon as I was out of sight of my house I lowered myself to the ground and threw my book bag aside to ease the pain in my leg and shoulder.

'That was so bright, putting my bag on my shoulder and then running like that.  I hope the enemy doesn't attack today.  I don't think that I would be able to make it to the monster in time to start any sort of battle.'

Knowing that I had to get to school, I stopped thinking about what might happen, and started off again in the direction of my school.

As luck would have it I entered the school yard just in time to hear the second bell ring.  'Damn another detention.'

After I apologized to my teacher for being late and received my due detention, I prepared myself to actually take notes and pay attention in class today.

'For you Amy.  You were only trying to help me be a better smarter person.  I'll get myself some brains.  I'm sorry that I'm only trying now, now that I've killed you.'

School went faster then normal today.  I guess that when you occupy yourself with what the teacher is teaching, you don't realize how much time goes by.  Before I knew it school was over and I was seated in the detention room.

'I suppose that now is a good time to get some homework done.  Darien and the girls would be so proud of me if they knew I was doing work with out being forced to.'

"Serena, you may leave early today.  I appreciated that you were paying attention in class.  I hope that this wasn't just a freak occurrence," my teacher said to me with a warm smile as I finished up the last bit of homework I had.

"Thank you very much, Mrs. Botterili."

'Wow, I can't believe how lucky I am.  I guess paying attention in class has benefits other than good grades.'

I was headed toward the arcade to relax since I no longer had any homework.  Well, I told myself that I wanted to relax, but deep down inside of me I was hoping that, when I walked through the sliding glass doors, I would see Darien sipping his coffee while having a conversation with Andrew.  I was hoping that the girls would be in our normal booth giggling or arguing.  I was hoping though I knew that the arcade would be empty of my dearest friends.

A sudden familiar pain brought me away from my sad thoughts.  'There is another attack.'

There was a commotion coming from a few stores down the street from where I was.  The arcade was being attacked.  I saw a few lucky teens dash from through the doors and run to safety.

I ducked into the alleyway that ran alongside the arcade.

'Moon Prism Make-up'

I closed my eyes and awaited the familiar feeling of my transformation.  Seconds went by but still I felt nothing.  I tried my transformation phrase again, but still my crystal refused to work.           

I heard the screams of the people inside the arcade.  They needed me to save them, but I could do nothing.

"I actually thought that I was a lucky person," I muttered bitterly to myself before trying once again to make myself transform.

The screams stopped coming from the arcade.  Instead I head the cackling laughter of the monster.  I even managed to make out some of its words.

"You will not destroy our way of life.  The prophecy will not be fulfilled.  I shall have your spirits as a reward for eradicating you from this would."

'I have to do something.'

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You like?  Drop me a line and tell me what you thought about it.  Constructive criticism is welcomed (because I know my writing isn't perfect).

-The Golden Lady