Into The Vortex

by Mikazuki

Rated PG-13 - Adult situations, violence and language

Copyright & disclaimer:

As much as it pains me, I do not own Sailormoon nor its characters. SAILOR V, SAILOR MOON & all related material are © 1992 - 2000 NAOKO TAKEUCHI, KODANSHA LTD, TOEI ANIMATION, DiC ENTERTAINMENT, PIONEER ANIMATION & CLOVERWAY. SAILOR MOON, the SAILOR MOON characters & their respective names & likeness are trademarks of TOEI ANIMATION. All rights reserved.

This story was written by Mikazuki Naishinnou and is the property of Mikazuki Naishinnou. You may not distribute this story without permission. Published A Sailormoon Romance & Aria's Ink.

Chapter Four: Youma In Princess' Clothing

People had gathered outside the Embassy. Photographers snapped pictures of the rich and powerful as they walked through the gates. Hordes of other people stood commenting on those who past by.

"Wow! Look at her!" Several people gasped as Serena walked by them on the red carpet.

"She must be a princess!" Photographers began to snap her picture.

"This way! This way!" They called out to her.

"This is so great!" She thought to herself as they continued to take her picture. She continued to walk down the red carpet and past Amy and Raye.

"Hi girls!" Serena said as she smiled and winked at the two standing in the crowd.

"Serena? Is that you?" Raye said, surprised.

"Yup! Isn't this great! Gotta go!" She said as she winked again to her friends and walked up to the gate.

"Excuse me Miss," said a tall muscular man. "May I see your invitation?"

Serena didn't even look at the man as she replied, "I am the Princess of the Golden Kingdom." She said, remembering that Endymion had said he was from the Golden Kingdom. She then walked through the gates as the man began to go over his list.

"Golden Kingdom? Golden Kingdom?" He said as he continued to look through his list, not noticing she had already gone inside.

"Well that was easy," she said to herself as she entered the Embassy.

"Wow!" She cried out in excitement. She looked into the grand ballroom and saw the many people dressed in various ball gowns and tuxedos. "A masquerade!" She said as she noticed that the men and women were in masks. "This is so like the movies!"

"Your mask, miss," a girl in a uniform said as she hand Serena a silver mask in the shape of a crescent moon.

Serena wandered around the outside of the dance floor looking at the people dancing. Music, laughter and chatter filled the air. Never in her life had Serena saw something so elegant and fun. She continued to watch the people waltz and sighed to herself. "So romantic!"

"Excuse me m'lady but may I have this dance?" A man said as he tapped her on her shoulder.

Serena spun around and faced the tall man. "Endy?" She cried out.

"Serena? Is that you?" He asked as he removed his mask.

"He looks just like Tuxedo Mask!" She thought to herself. "Wait a minute, if he looks just like Tuxedo Mask and Darien then Darien must be Tuxedo Mask!" Her mind flashed back to earlier that day in Darien's kitchen.

"Who knows why? Do I look like I'm a super hero or something?"

"You?" Serena giggled. "A super hero?" Her giggling turned into laughter. "That's rich. Darien, a super hero. Let me guess, you're Tuxedo Mask. Yea, and I'm Sailor Moon." She continued laughing and Darien joined in.

"Clumsy Serena, Sailor Moon? Now that IS funny."

"Nah, couldn't be. Wow! You look great Endy!" Serena said as she looked up into his blue eyes.

"And you look extremely beautiful, just like a princess," he said as he kissed her hand. "Would you do me the honor and dance with me?" He said as he bowed to her.

Serena smiled and curtseyed. "The honor would be mine," she said as she allowed him to take her to the dance floor.

He placed a hand on her petite waist and the other on her hand. Serena had never ballroom danced before but for some reason it felt so right being in his arms and dancing. It felt like a dream and she felt herself being swept away by the man who held her. The music carried the two away and they danced in their own world.

"Would you like to dance?" Said a tall man with long wavy brown hair to a young teenage girl standing alone and looking lonely.

The girl looked up and shook her head.

"It's ok, Molly. It's me," he said as he pulled off his mask.

"Maxfield!" She gasped as she allowed him to take her hand.

"Are you here alone?" He asked.

"No, I'm here with my mother but she seems to have disappeared in the crowd."

"A beautiful girl such as yourself shouldn't be hiding in the corner like a wall flower. You should be out on the floor dancing and having the time of your life," he said as he replaced his mask before he led her to the dance floor.

Serena noticed Molly dancing with the handsome man wearing a domino mask. "Oh, look! It's Molly! I wonder who she is dancing with!"

Endymion turned to see whom Serena was talking about and saw the couple. "Nephrite!" He gasped. "What is he doing here? I left him behind to protect my kingdom!"

Serena gasped at the mention of the Negaverse general's name. "Did you say... Nephrite?" She said as she pulled away from Endymion's embrace.

Endymion looked down at her noticing how pale the girl had become. "Yes, he's one of my generals; Jadeite, Nephrite, Zoisite and Kunzite. My four most trusted friends and protectors." He noticed that with the mention of each name Serena became paler. "What's wrong? What is it?"

"N..n...nothing. It's hot, I need some air. Please excuse me," she said as she pulled completely out of his grasp and headed outside to the balcony. Endymion was torn between going after Serena or go up to Nephrite and demand an explanation as to how did he get there, why he was there and how they could return home.

Endymion looked at Nephrite one more time before deciding that Serena needed him more. The night was young and he could always catch up with Nephrite again. He hurried after Serena but lost her among the people.

Serena hurried to a balcony and noticed that no one was there. She reached into the small bag she had with her and pulled out her communicator pad and tapped it.

"We have a problem," she said into the communicator.

"What's wrong? Is it the Negaverse?" Raye said as her face came onto the small screen.

"Nephrite is here!" Serena said as she looked over her shoulder to make sure she was alone.

"What? Are you sure?" Lita said as her face and voice came over the comm.

Serena nodded. "Yes, and I found Endymion. He's here too and..." She hesitated, she was torn; she had to tell her friends and fellow Senshi that Endymion KNEW Nephrite because Beryl's generals were HIS generals. She would have to confess that they were right and she was wrong, Endymion was one of Beryl's minions and she was duped to believe that he was a good guy. "Oh Endy! You can't be! It can't be true!"

"He even recognized Nephrite. And there's more..." She sighed and looked up into the full moon. Endymion says that Nephrite is one of HIS general!"

She could hear each of them gasp as she revealed the information.

"Stay where you're at, don't transform. We're on our way!" Mina said. "Everyone else, transform!" Serena could hear the girls call out their henshin phrases and knew that in a few seconds her friends and fellow Senshi would be there to help her.

Serena reentered the ballroom to keep an eye on her best friend and Nephrite not knowing what the evil man would do to her friend.

Kenji Tsukino continued to take pictures of the ball and of the people. Serena spotted her father and her mother but continued to pretend she was a princess from a far off land. Each time her father would get close to her she would slip away.

"She looks like Serena," Kenji whispered to his wife.

Ikkuko turned to see whom the girl her husband referred to but only saw blonde hair. "Where dear?"

"Her," he said as he pointed to Serena's back.

"Dear, I think you need new glasses. She looks nothing like our Serena," Ikkuko said as she continued to watch the young girl. "That girls has an air of royalty to her. Go back to taking your pictures, darling."

Serena slipped away from her parents and backed into two women who were talking and drinking. One of the women turned drenching Serena with her drink.

"I am so sorry, miss!" The woman apologized to a horrified Serena.

"That's alright!" She replied to the woman with a warm smile. "It's just an accident. I'm sure it will come out with some cold water." She hurried to the ladies room to remove the stain forgetting all about Molly and Nephrite, for the moment.

Tuxedo Mask hid behind a large potted plant near an ornate pair of doors. Two men in tuxedos stood guarding the doors as he continued to watch them hoping that they would leave so he could find out if this Princess Selena was the princess from his dreams.

"If the treasure of the Diamond Monarchy is the Imperium Silver Crystal then maybe I will finally learn who that girl is," he whispered to himself.

Serena wandered the hallway looking for the bathroom. "Now where is it? I'm so lost!" She cried to herself.

Tuxedo Mask spotted Serena, who was once again wearing her mask, wandering the hallway and mumbled to himself. "That girl! She looks just like the girl from my dreams! Could it be her?" His mind flashed to his dream and there he saw his dream princess. Her long hair sparkled under the moonlight but he could not see her face, only her hairstyle and her dress. "I know I've seen that girl before," he said to himself as he watched her walk away.

Molly and Nephrite stood outside on an empty balcony admiring the full moon.

"It's so beautiful," Molly whispered. She couldn't believe that there she was alone with him. "Maybe he'll kiss me." She hoped

"You are like the stars in the heaven," he whispered to her as he took her hand and pulled her close to him. "Look at me," he said as he noticed her blush and look away.

She looked up at him "Yes? He's going to kiss me!"

The wind picked up and blew his hair around him as his eyes glowed red with an evil light. A demon shadow exited his own and wrapped itself around the young girl. As his minion possessed the girl, he laughed.

"Foolish girl," he said as he watched her eyes glow with the same evil light. "Molly Osaka, you are now under my control and will do everything I tell you."

"Yes, my lord," she replied, her eyes continuing to glow with the evil light.

Serena stood by herself in the ballroom watching the people dance. The stain removed from her gown with the help of the Luna Pen. She sighed, as she felt quite alone not knowing where the Senshi or Endymion had gone. She even lost track of Molly and Nephrite. "I went to the trouble of dressing like a princess and for what? My prince charming turns out to be a Negaverse agent!"

"May I have this dance?" She heard a young man ask her. She recognized the voice and gasped as she looked up.

"Tuxedo Mask!" She said to herself as she accepted the dance. At least she could dance with someone not her enemy. "No wait! He's Darien!"

Tuxedo Mask pulled Serena out onto the floor and they began to dance. Emotions overwhelmed Serena as she danced with him. "This feels so right! Just like with Endymion."

"They share the same soul," Amy's voice echoed in Serena's mind. "...the same soul."

"Are they really the same person? Are Darien, Endymion and Tuxedo Mask all the same person? But if Endymion is a Negaverse agent then Tuxedo Mask must be one too and if Tuxedo Mask is Darien then he must be Negaverse agent too! I'm so confused!"

"Are you alright?" Tuxedo Mask asked the young girl in his arms. "Who is she? Could she be the princess I'm searching for? Is she the one?"

"I don't believe it!" She exclaimed to him as she looked up into his eyes. "It's really you isn't it, Tuxedo Mask?"

"Yes, how did you know?" He whispered to her as they continued to dance. The dance floor cleared for them as they danced to the waltz.

"You dance just like someone I know," she replied sadly.

Tuxedo Masked looked at the girl as a memory flashed into his mind. He was dancing, but not with the girl in his arms or was she? He could see himself and the girl who looked just the one in his arms dancing under the light of a full... a full Earth? Where was he? Was he on the moon?

Molly walked up to the ornate doors and to the guards.

"Stop!" One of the guards yelled at her. "Who are you? What do you want?"

"I am here to see the princess," the demon replied.

"Excuse me? Who are you?" The other asked as he looked at the other guard.

"Take me to the princess," Molly said. "She is expecting me," her eyes glowed red as the men fell under her spell.

"Yes, this way," they said as they opened the doors for the demon.

A young teenage girl sat in front of mirror looking at her reflection. She was anxious about the ball for it was the first time she was to present the family's most prized possession to the world.

"I can't do it!" She said to herself as she looked at her reflection. She wore a gold tiara in her short brown hair. Her glasses were made of gold as well but nevertheless she hated how she looked. "Maybe if Father will present it," she mumbled to herself as she continued to get ready.

The doors opened. "Your highness," said one of the two guards as he knocked and opened the door. "There is a young lady requesting to see you."

Selena looked at the guard through the mirror. "Oh? Send her in, please," she said as she stood from her chair.

The demon smiled at the princess as the door closed. "This will be so easy" it thought to itself.

"How can I help you?" The princess asked as she smiled at the girl standing in front of her.

"You can give me the Crystal!" The demon said as it left Molly's body. Selena screamed but it was too late. The demon took possession of her body. Molly fell to the ground unconscious.

"Princess! Princess!" Guards yelled as they burst into the room.

The demon looked at the new guards as she picked up the box with the crystal and took off running. "Out of my way! This treasure is mine!"

The guard fell to the ground and a third man ran after her but stopped at the door. "Selena! Selena! Come back!" He yelled after her.

"Something has happened to the princess!" One of the two guards yelled.

"Has she gone insane?" The other shouted.

"Go after the princess," the older man commanded.

"Yes, your majesty," they said as the ran after the princess.

Klaxons went off in the embassy. Serena and Tuxedo Mask stood in the middle of the dance floor wondering what was happening.

Endymion stood on the balcony wondering the same. Something was very wrong for he had never in his life heard anything so horrible, not even Beryl's youma made such a horrible noise.

The Senshi jumped from the rooftop of the Embassy and hurried inside and raced to find Serena then to look for Endymion and Nephrite.

Luna jumped into Serena's arms and whispered to her. "Hurry, get out and transform. Princess Selena has stolen the Crystal and is heading outside. I'll warn the other Senshi."

Serena nodded and slipped away from Tuxedo Mask. She ran to a stairwell and looked around making sure no one was around.

"Moon Prism Power! Make-up!" Ribbon of light surrounded her body and in the blink of an eye Sailor Moon stood in her spot. She raced down the stairwell hoping to get to the Princess before Nephrite or Endymion.

The demon laughed to itself as it ran from the building. "Won't my master be pleased!" It hissed to itself. It spotted Nephrite and hurried to him.

"Princess Selena! Stop!" A figure shouted from shadows of the balcony to the demon that neared Nephrite. "Nephrite, what have you done to our princess?" She demanded.

"So you're here too, Sailor Brat," the man yelled at her. "It's of no concern for me. I won! I will soon have the Imperium Silver Crystal in my hands and you lose!" He laughed. "Selena bring that to me at once!"

"Yes, my lord!" The demon laughed as it ran to Nephrite with the box in hand.

Sailor Moon jumped from the balcony and ran towards the princess hoping to stop her before it was too late but as she did she didn't see the energy bolt thrown by Nephrite. The bolt of negative energy threw her back and against a pillar.

"Sailor Moon!" The Senshi cried as they raced to their fallen leader.

A red rose flew through the air and stopped the demon from reaching Nephrite. "Stop right there, Negascum!"

"So you're all here. No matter. The crystal is mine! You might as well give up!" Nephrite said as he threw energy bolts at the Senshi and at Tuxedo Mask.

"Nephrite!" Came a booming voice. "What are you doing?"

Nephrite stopped throwing the bolts of energy and looked around for the voice.

"Show yourself!" Nephrite screamed into the night.

Endymion jumped from the balcony that Sailor Moon had stood on moments before.

"Answer me, Nephrite. What are you doing? The Senshi are our friends!" Said the man now clad in black armor.

"Friends with the Senshi? NEVER!" He said as he threw a bolt of energy at the prince.

The prince dodged the energy bolts and swung at Nephrite with his sword. The Negaverse general vanished from his spot and reemerged behind the prince. "Too slow, fool!" He said as reappeared behind the prince and shot him in the back with the evil energy.

"Endymion! NO!" Sailor Moon screamed as she ran up to Nephrite. "Moon Tiara Magic!" She pulled her tiara off and threw the magical disc at the man hitting him square in the back. "I will not allow you to harm him!"

Nephrite staggered. "Shadow Demon! Help me!"

The demon that had possessed the princess left her body and reemerged. "Yes, master!"

"Attack the Senshi!" He commanded as he grabbed the box with the Crystal.

The demon began to throw more energy bolts at the Senshi who scattered to prevent from being hit. A battle was on and in the chaos Nephrite escaped with the Crystal followed closely by Tuxedo Mask.

"Supreme Thunder!" Sailor Jupiter cried out as she attacked the demon.

"Venus Love Me Chain!" Venus cried out as her spell wrapped around the demon binding it in place.

Sailor Moon took her tiara off yet again and threw it at the demon remembering how a previous combination of attacks destroyed another youma. "Sailor Mars!" She said as it flew into the sky towards the demon.

"Right! Fire Soul!" She cried out and her magical attack combined with Sailor Moon's. The youma screamed in pain and turned to moon dust. The glittering dust fell to the ground before blowing away in a gust of wind.

"Go after Nephrite! He has the crystal!" Luna cried out to the girls.

"Go! I'll be there in a minute. I need to make sure Endymion is all right," Sailor Moon said as she ran over to where Endymion was at.

The four girls raced into the night hoping to find Nephrite and Tuxedo Mask and stop them from what ever they had planned.

"Endy! Endy wake up!" Sailor Moon cried as she shook the man. "Please! Wake up!"

Endymion slowly opened his eyes. "Who are you?" He asked as he struggled to sit up.

"Don't move. You're hurt," Sailor Moon said as she smiled, relieved that he was still alive. "I'm Sailor Moon, leader of the Senshi."

"Sailor Moon? There is no Senshi from the Moon, only from the major planets except Earth," he said as he stood. "I don't understand. If you're a Senshi then you must take me to Queen Serenity immediately."

She shook her head. "That's impossible."

"Impossible? Why? I need her help," he said pleading with her. "My world needs her help."

She looked up at the full moon then into his eyes. Tears fell from her eyes as she looked at him. "I can't... Queen Serenity has been dead for thousands of years!"

To be continued...

This chapter like the last are based upon the episode "Worth A Princess' Ransom" (English dub title) & "Romance Under The Moon! Usagi's First Kiss!" (Japanese title) except my own twists were written in. Hope you liked it!