Author's note: Here's the revision for chapter 4, I hope to have chapter five up really soon!

Special Thanks to; o0 DaRkNeSsEz PuRiTy 0o, Galactic Crystal, Karla, Kalinda, Veronica, and Honeystar for reviewing chapter 3. The fact that you took the time to tell me what you thought really mean a lot to me.

This chapter is dedicated to the mysterious e-mailer who motivated me to get off my lazy tush and get writing again. I accidentally deleted your message so I do not know who you are but thanks.

Disclaimer: I do not own Sailor Moon. In fact, I own very little right now. (Sigh) --

By Your Side

Chapter 4, Serenity

By: EmeraldSong

Her scent was everywhere. He could take it no longer, and once again, his eyes changed colours flicking back to a deep golden hue. Confused, insane and enraged golden black light flew everywhere, searching without abandon, for even a glint of silver.

"SERENITY!"

"Serenity!" A guardsman dresses in a white and silver tunic cried out; it had been his job to watch out for the princess. A darling little girl around the age ten, the princess was prone to disappearing for hours at a time. Since most of the guards were rather fond of their heads, she was usually found quickly.

In a silver birch nearby, a little giggle could be heard. The owner of the voice was a slight girl with pale skin and light silver eyes. Silvery white hair was pulled into loose pigtails that fell past her shoulders and a mischievous little smile danced on her face. A small crown of white roses decorated her head, the only thing other than the white linen dress she wore.

"Wind, and Water; hear my cry" she chanted, waving her tiny hands in circles as white light shimmered about them. In answer two globes of light, one a pale gray, the other a light teal, began to dance around her. Serenity smiled, and quickly tried the spell with the two elements most familiar to her and the power of the moon. The white light in her hands merged with the two globes, creating a bluish spiral of energy that swirled around her body for a few moments then stopped, and became three separate powers.

Serenity frowned, realizing that she would have to call up the power of Fire and Earth as well; the elements of the sun, which she had less control over than those of the moon.

"Fire, and Earth, lend me your strength" a faint sheen of perspiration glittered on her forehead, the only outward sign she gave that this was more difficult for her than her first summoning. Slowly at first, then faster two more globes of energy began to appear. Fire was a mixture of red, yellow, orange, and slight indigo hues. Earth held tawny browns and greens of every imaginable colour. Once they were the same size as the globes of Wind and Water, they went to join their fellow elements floating about her head.

Serenity smiled wearily then once again began to chant the transportation spell Luna had taught her. The elemental energy swirled around her faster and faster merging with the light in her hands to create an even larger sphere filled with thousands of bright colours. The spell was ready.

"Earth" she told it, and was delighted when it formed into a replica of the green planet floating beneath them. Clapping her hands together happily at her success Serenity eagerly fell into the miniature globe.

Elemental magic caressed her as she floated through, for what seemed like hours until a bright white light opened up at the end.

She fell through and for a moment, it was as if she was flying, until she realized that she was falling instead. Shrieking the princess realized too late that she had teleported at least twenty feet above the ground.

Still screaming she huddled up and waited for the ground to come up and meet her. One thing was certain if she survived, her mother was going to kill her!

Down below a boy dressed black, paused directly below the hysterical moon princess. Hearing her screams, he looked up just in time to watch as she plummeted from the sky to fall right on top of him.

Serenity and the boy who broke her fall were both sent tumbling to the ground. Groaning they both just sat there for a moment, Moon Princess on top and the boy on the bottom, before she regained what was left of her composure.

Remembering her manners, Serenity scrambled off him quickly. He looked embarrassed, a slight stain of red marring his face across the bridge of his nose. The he seemed to regain his composure enough to look her straight in the eyes. Frowning imperially, he opened his mouth to speak.

"Who are you?" he asked in an arrogant tone, trying to regain the upper hand. "Explain yourself before I call the Imperial Guards!"

Serenity glared at him, angry that he dared to take that tone of voice with the princess of the moon! Who did he think he was, the future king of Earth? In addition, just what were Imperial guards anyway? Feeling ornery, she put on her primmest princess face and stuck her tongue out at him. She used the same face on servants in the moon palace whenever something green and leafy was put on her plate.

Realizing that she did not intend to answer, he opened his mouth to yell something but before he even got out even one syllable, a small silvery hand had clamped itself over his mouth.

"Shh!" Serenity hushed, putting her finger to her lip in the universal gesture of silence, something even a barbarian of Earth would recognize. There was no way she was going to let him ruin her fun! He glared at her for a second, blue eyes almost seeming to flash gold, before curiosity got the best of him and he nodded. Serenity smiled and pulled her hand away from his mouth, more than a little pleased that she had gotten him to listen to her. Obviously, her womanly charms were at work.

"Who are you? And what the heck are you doing in my garden?" he demanded, phrasing his questions in a quiet but obviously irritated whisper.

"I am Serenity!" She announced proudly "Current princess and future Queen of

The moon!"

"Once upon a time Earth was a beautiful world, the most beautiful place in the universe. A thousand years ago this planet was ruled by King Destrion the Noble and his wife Queen Esmeralda the fair. It was a time of peace, and a time when the entire galaxy coexisted in harmony…" Ami paused and scanned her eyes across the eager eyes of the children who listened anxiously to her story.

"A young prince was born to the monarchs of earth, he was brave and noble just like his parents. He was also said to be handsome" Ami winked slyly at the young girl's listening "And a few yeas later on the moon, a princess was born as heir to the kingdom of the moon. She was said to have been the most beautiful maiden ever conceived, and was known as having a kind as well as generous nature. When the young prince came of age, he met the moon princess and they fell in love at first sight. They made plans to wed in an effort to unite their kingdoms in peace. However, for thousands of years the two kingdoms had been separate and kept in ignorance of the other and not everyone was overjoyed to learn of their union. A lunarian man who had fallen madly in love with the princess grew jealous of the Earth Prince and made plans to have him assassinated. Not long after the wedding ceremony and celebration he made his move..."

"Did the prince die?" A little girl in the front row broke in her eyes wide, it was obviously the first time she had heard the tragic tale of the moon princess and her earthbound prince.

"No." Ami shook her head sadly, "The assassin had aimed his arrow at the prince's heart, but his aim was off and when he released the arrow the princess was struck fatally instead. She died in the arms of her prince, promising him that her soul would remain him and that she would always love him." With the last words, she closed her eyes and let it sink in. They remained closed as she listened to the sound of them leaving to go to another lesson.

"Is that really the end?" one boy asked.

"But that's way too sad!" a girl exclaimed, "Why did she have to die?"

"I wonder what happened to the prince?..." the sound of scraping chairs and desk faded, as did the pitter-patter of their little feet. The children's questions fading to mere murmurs as they went further down the hall. Soon all that was left was the sound of her own breathing. In and Out, slow and even. For some reason it sounded louder, and more harsh than normal, almost like…

"Ami…"

Her eyes flew open and she frowned at him, conveying her displeasure at having her privacy invaded with one look. Tucking a strand of strawberry blonde hair behind one ear, he fidgeted and did not look up to meet her glare.

"What do you want?" she kept her tone brisk, her voice the polar opposite of the soothing voice in which she had used with the children. He winced, and she felt regret for hurting him, but steeled herself against letting any of the emotion she felt on the inside from seeping out on her face.

"Please reconsider…. What I said earlier.." he hesitated, just when Ami could hear the beginning of an apology. He brought his head up to meet her glare looking for reassurance. Seeing her mask of indifference, he stiffened, "Don't give me that look! You can't join one of the resistance teams, I know something terrible will happen!"

"Zack, we've been through this before. Nothing you say will make me change my mind about this. In fact…" she paused, " You told me yourself that the resistance is in desperate need of techs, and I just happen to be one of the best underground." It was not boastful, but simply the truth.

His light green eyes hardened with every word she said, and when she finished speaking, his normally handsome face was decorated with a large scowl instead of the nervous and approachable frown he had been wearing earlier.

"You have a perfectly respectable position as storyteller, I don't see why you would want to trade your personal safety for the dangers that working aboveground as a tech entails." He reasoned, doing his best but failing to appeal to her sense of logic.

"It can't be too dangerous if you're doing it."

"Ami, be reasonable" he pleaded, ignoring the implied insult "Resistance work is far too dangerous, especially for someone like you!"

"Someone like me? What is that supposed to mean?" Her voice was frosty now, and even though she kept her face clear of any anger; inside she was ready to burst from it. "Thousands of people enlist everyday, why should you have objections if 'someone like me' wants to join?"

"Because you're different…" he defended lamely, and tried to continue but Ami did not give him the chance. The cold anger bubbling up inside of her needed release, and he was there to provide the perfect target.

"How am I different Zack? Why should I have to stay behind when others just like me enlist and fight for what they believe in? I did not try to stop you when you joined. Why should I have to say behind?"

"I love you! That's why!" he burst out, grabbing her and pulling her closer to him. Ami weakly tried to push him away, but her heart was not in it and she only succeeding in making him cling harder.

"If you really loved me, Lieutenant Greene, you would understand why I need to do this." With those words, she did the hardest thing in her entire life and roughly shoved Zack away. Then without another sound, Ami left the room quickly and did not look back, knowing that if she did, those eyes would suck her in and never let her go.

Down countless darkened hallways she ran, doors to rooms that had never seen the light of day whizzed by as she made her way to her own private quarters. They were several stories further underground than the classroom she taught in, next to a giant underground aquarium where fish and water organisms who could no longer survive on the surface resided.

Unlike the aboveground where Endymion ruled, the underground bases where fortunate civilians escaped to were filled with colour. Ami's room was no exception, the walls were a rich royal blue with paler blue accents. In fact almost everything she owned came in varying shades of blue and white. It had been her favorite colour since before she could remember. Usually the cool warmth that her room held was something that made her feel more relaxed, but today it did exactly the opposite. The fact that she lived in such opulence ashamed her. Especially when she thought about all the people up above who had nothing but what Endymion sanctioned and no guarantee whatsoever of safety.

Many people living underground had never seen the surface, but Ami had been aboveground, she had lived there until she was ten. Eight years living below had never dulled the horrible memories and scars that the experience had distilled in her. Miyaki had been a little girl who lived next door to her. Ami remembered going over to her house to play dolls and have tea parties. However, one day she returned home from school only to find out that Miyaki and her entire family had been taken away to be purged. Soon after that Ami had left Tokyo forever, when her mother decided it was too dangerous and had gotten the opportunity to escape underground.

After living above, the underground was sanctuary, holy ground. She learned things beyond the scanty curriculum offered on the surface in segregated schools . She learned science, mathematics, and the dark and bloody history a thousand years long that had occurred during Endymion's rule.

Ami had longed to join the resistance since the moment she had first learned what it was. However, she had also been fascinated by the stories and histories of earth. Torn between the two, Zack had finally convinced her to give up her dream of being an operative resistance tech and instead settle for becoming a teacher and historian. Soon after starting Ami discovered that while she enjoyed her work, she could never be fulfilled unless she actively did something to end the thousand-year war between the rebels and Endymion. She knew there was a higher purpose in her life, and the dangerous life of a tech appealed to her far more than the safe and protected one that she currently led.

"Ami, be reasonable" he pleaded, "Resistance work is far too dangerous, especially for someone like you!"

Zack did not understand, and in all probability, Zack would never understand. As a result, they had both said things that should not have been said, things that under no circumstances either would be willing to take back. That last argument had been just like all the other conversation they had recently. With a sigh, she bolted the door behind her and set about making some tea. Ami placed a palm on her head where she had felt a slight ache that had only been worse as the evening wore on, she groaned. The last headache like this she had was over a year ago.

Pinching the skin between her forefinger and her thumb to help take her mind off the pain she tried to think of something, anything else. The only thing that came to mind was the story of Earth Prince and his Moon Princess. Strange that she should think of it now with everything else going on. Nevertheless, the tale had always appealed to her more romantic and dreamy side. Most people believed the tale to be myth, having originated so long ago that many of the details were lost in the threads of time.

"Doomed lovers" She muttered grabbing a mug from the counter. "That's the last thing I want to think about now. Stupid Zack." She flushed, anger once more overcoming her.

All of a sudden her temple started to pound and silver light flashed across her eyes. In the background, she heard the whistling of her teakettle that told her that the water boiled. Groaning in agony, she dropped the mug she had been carrying and in her confusion tripped, smacking her head into the corner of a cupboard.

"SERENITY!" an anguished cry, the last thing she heard before darkness claimed her.

"Endymion?" Usagi whispered confused.

Abruptly she felt a searing heat throughout her body, screaming she fell to the floor. Everywhere around her, she could feel molten gold energy, grabbing and pulling at her. Within her blood, silver fire answered the cry, meeting the gold with a fury that she had never felt before.

Across the room, she heard her mother scream, and her father yelling. She could not do anything about it, Usagi felt helpless it was as if she was only a passenger in her body as if something else was controlling it. The crystal fragment that was in her hand felt as if it was going to burn through her skin, and the crescent scar on her forehead that she had received a year previously made her feel as if her head was about to split in two.

"Wind, and Water, hear my cry! Fire, and Earth, gives me strength!" The voice that spoke was not her own, but the voice of a stranger. Filled with hate and loathing, it commanded the elements to give it heed. Pillars of multicolored light appeared and danced about the small room answering the stranger's call.

"GIVE ME REVENGE!" it screamed and the silver fire that battled with the golden light absorbed the pillars of energy, turning black, silver, and red all at once. That was all Usagi saw before the darkness claimed her.

Multi-coloured lights in the hues and shades of a thousand rainbows, exploded across the sky, and the ground underneath Dark Tokyo quivered, as long dead roots and the tiny corpses of thousands of organisms felt a small rush of life go through them. The sacred fire that lay buried underground, in a small Shinto temple pulsed. Oceans and lakes, ponds and seas sent out ripples, and small breezes rustled though long dead trees, running wild with elemental magic, that had not been felt since its sealing a thousand years ago.

Shingo looked up at the sky, shortly shocked out of his anger by the sight above him. Endymion stopped as well. The moon beamed down an unhealthy light, shedding an unnatural radiance upon the two combatants.

"SERENITY!" Endymion screamed, "SHOW YOURSELF!" A golden black crystal appeared out of nowhere and hovered in the air beside him. "Come back to me!" he cried burying his face in his hands and weeping, almost making Shingo want to pity him, almost. He did not understand at all what had happened but he was smart enough to take advantage of Endymion's temporary weakness. Mentally he prepared him self by remembering all the pain that this man had caused for both him and the entire world.

'Prepare to die.' Shingo placed his fingers delicately over the explosives contained within his coat, and stepped forward in order to get close enough to do fatal damage to the mad prince. Closing his eyes, he pressed the deadly combination and waited for the detonation. A second passed, and Shingo counted to ten before something was wrong and that his explosive must have been a dud.

In his dread, a hand clasped his throat and abruptly started tightening. Shingo gasped and his eyes flew open only to find himself meeting Endymion's blue-flecked golden eyes. In vain, he struggled, but his scrawny teenage body was nothing in comparison to the Mad Prince's large build

"What have you done with her?" The prince demanded, shaking him. "Where is she?" Shingo did not answer, instead choosing to glare defiantly until the end. He would not humble himself before this monster when he only had moments of life left! "Tell me!" Endymion demanded.

Shingo managed to spit in response, unfortunately though he missed Endymion and the saliva landed on the ground instead.

"If that is your answer," Endymion snarled flinging him to the ground "Prepare to die! Insolent wretch!"

Shingo could only watch as the mad man unsheathed his dark steel and raised it into a striking position. Pity that their positions could not be reversed. Poised to bring sword down, it was at that moment, that the sky chose to open up, sending a slim figure plummeting to the ground. Before Endymion's black blade could make lethal impact, silver light surrounded Shingo's prone figure deflecting the strike and absorbing the impact of the evil weapon.

Endymion stood shocked for a just a second or two before turning his attention to where the shield had come from. A woman who was ethereal in her beauty wearing gold and white robes with Shining silver hair that fell past her feet in two long ropes. In fact, it was the exact same style Usagi had worn as a child. He looked at her face and realized that she could have been his little sister's twin, if not for the golden crescent which blazed on her forehead.

"Serenity?" Endymion whispered, his voice lost and confused. "Is it really you?" he staggered forward and fell to his knees before her. The woman he called Serenity ignored him, her face both impassive and regal in the waxing moonlight.

Then she spoke "Serenity is dead, and what remains of her soul is scattered by the wind." Her voice was soft and melodious, but Shingo could hear a slight overtone of anger and bitterness in the way she spoke. "I don't yet have the strength to deal with you. Until then, ………Endymion."

The light flickered and both Shingo and the woman disappeared in a flash of silver light.

Ami groaned and rubbed her head where it had struck the cupboard. Her head felt sticky and when she pulled her hand away to look a dark reddish stain was visible upon her fingers. 'Blood' she thought, 'I must have split open my scalp when I fell'.

Picking herself up off the floor, she made her way over to the bathroom to see just how bad the wound on her head really was.

In the mirror, Ami's pale reflection stared back at her. She was indeed a sorry sight, with her short black hair matted with blood and the left side of her face stained red as well. She pulled back her hair to get a closer look at her temple where all the blood originated from but was shocked to find unbroken skin.

"I took the liberty of healing you while you were unconscious" Ami jumped at the sound of strange and yet tantalizingly familiar voice. "I trusted that you wouldn't mind, considering the condition I found you in."

She whirled around only to find herself facing on of the most beautiful women she had ever seen. Long silver hair trailed past her knees, framing impossibly blue eyes. She came dressed in long white robes, but what Ami found most disturbing about her was not the enigmatic smile that graced her pale lips, but the golden crescent moon that blazed on her forehead. Everything about her gave off a compelling aura of power.

Ami was so entranced by the mysterious woman before her that at first she did not even notice the unconscious boy who was lying on her couch. She glanced at the door noting how it didn't appear to have been broken in.

"Who are you?" she asked coolly, ignoring the overwhelming urge to get down on her eyes and kneel before this woman.

"You may call me Serenity." She inclined her head gracefully, "And you have in your possession something that belongs to me."

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