Hi there again. I know this is a very short chapter but it tells the story it needs to and sets up the second section of the story. As I have only recently acquired the Japanese episodes I am still more familiar with the English dub. For the remainder of this story I will compromise, trying to stick to events as they happened in the Japanese version and using a mix of English and Japanese names. For the sake of those not familiar with the drill by now this is a work of fiction (as if you couldn't tell). This story is mine please don't steal it. I don't own Sailor Moon. If the language upsets you I don't need to know I put the warning on page one.

With that out of the way, let's continue.

A Second Destiny

Chapter 5: Awakening into a Nightmare

With a moan Serena opens her eyes. For a few moments she looks around in confusion looking for the hospital rooftop and the others. Then slowly, the last of the dream fades away, to be replaced by painful reality.

How long had she been out anyway? A few hours at most by the feel of it, she had transformed back anyway, yet this time her dream had been so vivid, and packed with so much detail that it felt like it had lasted forever.

She tries to cling to the last fleeting moments of the dream. The same as she used to on cold school mornings in that period between waking up and getting up. Just a few more seconds of peace before she had to think about her situation again. Her mind however, was without mercy and the painful memories of the day began to surface through the fog.

That morning (was it really only a few hours ago?) she had been with the others at Hikawa Shrine, preparing themselves for a last assault against the Dark Kingdom and Queen Beryl.

Had the others known then? That they were most likely not returning from this one? They had seemed so cheerful, talking of their plans for when they got back. Had that only been a show for her benefit? She herself had realised it would be hard and dangerous but she had never expected the horrible reality of it.

They had arrived at the D-Point. The base of operations for the dark kingdom or Negaverse, which was located in the arctic wastes. Beryl had sent a group of monsters, calling themselves the DD Girls, to stop them. She had only been able to watch in horror as one by one the sailor scouts, her friends, had stepped in and tried to protect her. They had died because they believed it was her destiny to face Beryl and she couldn't be allowed to waste her strength on a minor battle.

She and Beryl did face off in the end. She was alone by then. All of her beloved friends were lying dead in the wasteland behind her. In Beryl's sanctum she had found her Prince Endiomon. He was once again a slave of the queen. Serena had tried her utmost to heal him, pouring all the energy she could into the silver crystal. In the Dark Kingdom however, her undeveloped powers had been too feeble to break the enchantment. Then Endiomon had attacked her on Queen Beryl's orders. He had beaten her down and then tortured her to the point of death without showing the slightest glimmer of recognition or emotion. With Beryl's taunts ringing in her ears she had made one last desperate attempt to free her Darien using her tiara. Better to free him at least in death, than to let him live forever a slave.

When even that desperate measure failed she had given in to despair. The dark energy that had enslaved him had made him as powerful as any of the generals. She couldn't beat him. Her locket had fallen open and its song had played. For a single glorious second of hope he had stopped in his tracks at the symbol of their love. She had begged with him to remember what they had had together. He had raised his sword, ready to destroy her last hope of reaching him. Then with terrible finality he had brought the blade down smashing the fragile piece of jewellery to pieces. She had been frozen in shock. The light of the silver crystal had gone out and she was now utterly alone. She had been the last, no, the only hope for this world and she had failed.

Beryl had changed her mind about killing her. They might need her in order to activate the silver crystal. Besides she seemed to feel that it would be more amusing to force her to witness the end of her world.

She sat on the floor of some chamber within the base. Every so often she thought she felt tremors running through the ground and walls. It was most likely nearing the end. The being beryl had referred to as Queen Metalia must be awakening. Her arms hurt from being suspended for too long and her wrists hurt from the manacles. They were connected by a length of chain which ran through a large iron ring above her. There was a little slack in the chains and she could just lower her arms halfway if she stood up on tiptoe.

Tears began running down her face once again, surprising her. She was sure she had cried herself out when she had been left in here by Darien. He had chained her up as blank as he had been when he tortured her. How could she have been so stupid? They had been fools to ever believe they could challenge an evil like this. Her friends, they had gone in with her so that they could protect her, and they had paid for it with their lives.

Lita, so strong and brave, reminded of her old boyfriend by just about every other guy out on the street. She had been surprised when Serena had approached her that first time, unafraid of her reputation.

Sweet, clever Ami, she had seemed so hurt when Serena and her classmates had poked fun at her on her first day. She had stood by Serena always and had tried to help her through her education.

Rei, with whom she had argued with ceaselessly since day one. Who in the end had used the absolute last of her strength to save her.

Mina the newest member and most intriguing member of the group, they had only just begun to know each other as friends. It was wrong that they were parted so soon.

These four wonderful people had believed in her as their leader. They had followed her into this nightmare, and had willingly died for her. All of it had been in vain. Beryl had the crystal. Her locket had been taken from her and there was no one she could call on the communicator for help. Her failure to stop the Negaverse had doomed not only her best friends but the entire world. Her parents, Sammy, Molly, Melvin, Grandpa, Chad, Andrew and countless others were going to die without ever knowing why.

The full weight of the situation finally overwhelmed her and she slumped to her knees, closed her eyes and waited for whatever end came.

Well I told you it was going to be short. Still it leaves me with the initial idea for the story. There is in face much more to come than I planned as the idea keeps evolving on its own. There could be a wait for the next chapter as the week ahead will be busy. I should have it up by next weekend at the latest. Please keep the reviews coming in as well as any suggestions/ predictions. Until next time then.

(Request) I have also begun working on another, more light hearted piece by providing commentary to some of the more popular episodes in the series. (Whether or not it will be a character commentary is undecided) If there are any favourite episodes you'd like considered please E-mail them to me. (Include episode number, season and title)