I know, I'm such a liar; this chapter should have been out weeks ago. I got sidetracked with another fic that I'm working on, which I wont be posting until this fic is finished and until The Heart Remembers is closer to being completed (sorry) anyway here's chapter 29 I hope you enjoy it, there are only a few more chapters. Thanks for your patience. Enjoy.

She Who Must Stand Alone

Chapter 29

Tuxedomask felt the cold hand of death stroking his brow and heard it whispering "Don't fade on me now, things are just beginning to get interesting."

Tuxedomask struggled to open his eyes and then fought to keep them open. He wouldn't surrender to the dark just yet, but it was getting harder and harder to keep on fighting. Weak from blood loss, his body shook with tremors as it underwent shock. He could feel the darkness gathering; soon he would be oblivious to everything, even pain. He would be lying if he said that the thought of oblivion held no appeal for him but to give in would make him no better then a quitter, because he knew that if allowed himself to fall into darkness he would never see the light of day again. He had too much to live for too much to fight for he couldn't give in. He wasn't dead yet and although his odds of surviving were obis-mol at best, he'd take it.

………………………

Sailormoon struck out at the surrounding darkness, meeting nothing but air. She nearly growled in frustration as dark laughter met her futile attempts.

"What a waste." he whispered, his tone regretful "Such potential, our battle would have been glorious."

"You talk as if this fight is over." Sailor Moon argued her eyes searching the darkness for any hint of him. If she was going to survive this encounter she had to focus her senses, stop relying on her eyes to see and use the other abilities available to her. Abilities that he was responsible for, she shook her head quickly silencing that voice. She couldn't focus on what was done to her or how using these abilities felt wrong, if she wanted to survive she had to accept what was done and use it to her advantage. Her instinct for survival overrode everything else.

"You can't hope to win," he chided. "You're still too weak to put up much of a fight. We're stronger, faster and we've been hunting prey for over a millennium. You should be flattered, you're very important to us no one has ever hungered for you as we do, and no one could ever need you more then we do."

"Need me?" Sailormoon sneered, "All you want or need is my energy."

"So rich, so powerful" he whispered. Longing and hunger lacing every word "Enriched by the pureness of your essence, it's going to make for a very satisfying meal. "

"If you wanted a fight then why are you hiding." she bit out, contempt dripping from every word. She was trying to draw him closer, with the hope of discovering his whereabouts.

He laughed, almost a growl. "My dear Serena I'm not hiding, I've marked you as my prey, and now like any good predator I'm stalking you. In my experience" he whispered softly "I've often found that the chase is almost as good as the meal."

Serena shivered at his words. She didn't know what unsettled her more, the fact that he was toying with her and that there was nothing she could do about it, or hearing him referring to her as his next meal.

She was growing tired of his games and despite her best efforts could feel herself starting to become susceptible to the fear.

"Ah" he breathed softly "do I smell a hint of fear?"

Sailormoon shivered as hands settled down on her shoulders and moved down her arms in an eerie caress. She belt her breath catch in the back of her throat as fear replaced the adrenaline. She was frozen in place. She could feel his strength in his touch, sensed his power, and was afraid.

His hands stopped at her wrists. He gripped them in his hands and crossed her arms against her chest, and still gripping her wrists he pressed himself up against her back. She felt his lips as they trailed along her neck and she let out a small choked cry as she felt the touch of his tongue.

"Taste is one of the more pleasurable senses," he murmured against her neck "You humans have no idea of the gifts you've squandered, or the great potential you've wasted, and for what? He growled "a false ideal called civilization. All of you have forgotten what it's like to hunt, to live and survive on your instincts alone. I could met you on the street in broad daylight and you wouldn't see me for what I really am, a predator. You would see exactly what I wished you to see." He brought her closer to his chest. "And that is what you have lost and why you are no match for me."

"You were at the party, I could feel you." She muttered weakly, and with those words she felt something begin to awaken inside her. "I knew that I was in danger."

"Yes." he whispered "that's exactly what I'm talking about. You sensed that you were being stalked by something that meant you harm, that you were in danger. But…" he let go of her wrists and slid his hands down until they circled her waist. "Did you identify the threat? No you didn't, and why didn't you?" His grip on her waist tightened "because" continued softly "you were afraid, and let your fear control you, making you run and once you ran you identified yourself as my prey."

He swung her around.

Sailormoon let out a startled cry and reached out instinctively to grab a hold of his shoulders.

He chuckled, enjoying himself immensely. "Such trepidation, what happened to all that fire? I thought you were going to fight me until your last breath. Have you let your fear steal that as well?"

Sailormoon looked up into his face and wanted to scream. Not again she wanted to cry you wont do this to me again for starring down at her was the beloved face of her Darien. "Stop it."

He smiled at her mockingly "Stop what?" he asked while all the while knowing exactly what she was referring too.

"Is your own face so horrifying to look upon that you must use someone else's?"

He leaned in closer "Oh but this isn't just any face, this face belongs to the one you love above all else. And it makes what I'm about to do even more despicable" he chuckled "and I do love to be wicked."

"You're a cruel and heartless creature."

He smiled wickedly "Yes I know, as I told you that was one of the many things that attracted the mist to me in the first place. It admired my depravity, as well as my many other finer points." He stepped closer to her bringing their bodies in contact with each other's. "It's coming and soon this will all be over. I'am going to miss you. I've enjoyed our little escapades."

It's coming, his words echoed in her head, she knew that he was referring to the black mist that dwelled here and that once it arrived the two of them would begin to feed off her. The procedure was slow and painful and not an experience that she wanted to repeat in this lifetime or any other. This knowledge spawned her to strike out. The swiftness and the un-expectancy of the attack caught him off guard making him release his hold on her.

"He's not Darien; he's not Darien. She repeated this over and over in her mind as she quickly struck out again catching him along the jaw line. She went to follow through with a kick him when he recovered and turned back on her with a snarl, for once he looking like the beast he truly was, and yet, it was still Darien's face. And the contrast made her hesitate.

Growling low in his throat as he grabbed her, catching her by her hair he wound the long strands around his hand and yanked her head back exposing her neck to his hungry gaze. She believed it was that, more then anything else that made her go still. He wasn't angry, she would have expected him to be furious but instead he seemed to be excited and out of the corner of her eye she could see that his eyes were eyeing her with an intensity that was truly frightening.

He brought his other hand up to trail his finger down her neck. "That's the fire I was talking about. I could sense it in you the first time we met and I knew that my instincts were right when they told me to return here. You're amazing, all that innocence and fire all rolled up into one. On my planet you would have made one hell of a warrior."

"I'm not a warrior," she gasped breathlessly not sure she should be saying anything to him but unable to understand what he saw in her. "I'm clumsy and more often then not someone is always having to come rescue me." She almost cried when she thought about her friends and Darien. This was one situation that couldn't help her out of, and one in which she didn't even want them to try.

"You have a warriors spirit, if not all the capabilities." He explained, "I could have taught you how to hone your skills, to use the powers you've been gifted with more efficiently."

"Why, just so you could have a better hunt?"

He lowered his face and nuzzled her throat. "What good is hunting a prey that has no chance of surviving? For me it takes the pleasure and thrill out of the hunt knowing that your prey doesn't stand of chance of walking away."

"You've said that I don't have a chance and yet you seem to have no problem hunting me."

"You're different" he relaxed his hold on her hair and cupped the back of her head while moving his head lower. "Now that we've tasted you you're like a fire in our blood, an ache we can't satisfy, an itch we can't scratch. We won't be satisfied until we consume all of your energy, right down to the very last drop."

Sailormoon felt herself shiver at his words; she remembered what it felt like, the pain was like nothing she had ever felt before, she had felt the life being literally drained out of her.

"I wont let you do this," she gasped pushing against his chest

"It's too late." he murmured in satisfaction.

Sailormoon felt the cold painful grip of the mist as it circled around her, enclosing the two of the together and there was nothing she could do but scream as the two of them began to feed.

…………….

"Almost there." Mercury gasped harshly barely able to draw air into her lungs, but she couldn't give into the pain or her body's demand for rest, not until after they tracked down Darien and hopefully used his connection with Serena to find her. She knew the others were just as hurt and just as weary, but knew they felt the same as she did.

They rounded the corner into the alley and for a minute they didn't understand what they were seeing. It looked as if some great beast was leaning over a fallen figure, it took them a few seconds to recognize Sasha and just as long to realize that Darien was the one lying still beneath her.

In there minds the ground seemed to be colored red, it was with horror that they realized the reason the ground was the color of blood was because it was indeed blood, Darien's blood.

"No." They cried and rushed forward as one. They had no plan, no course of action other then getting that she-beast or whatever she was away from Darien.

Sasha smirked down at Darien "Good, more toys to play with." She flicked her tail, hitting Jupiter and Mercury who were in front of the pack and sent them flying into Mars and Venus sending them all crashing down just inside the entrance of the alleyway.

Mars bit back a scream as her hard landing jarred her bad leg but she couldn't avoid letting out a small cry as a second later Jupiter landed on that same leg. Her breaths came fast as her vision blurred and she knew that she was in danger of passing out, but she fought hard to remain conscious, to ride out the pain, until it was nothing more then a painful ache.

"Sorry." Jupiter muttered and knowing the pain she must be, very carefully rolled off her. Mars let out a small hiss but other then that didn't make a sound.

Jupiter got to her feet and offered Mars a hand up.

Mercury and Venus were a little slower getting to there feet, they were both still weak after having the mist feeding off them and draining them of most of their energy. But all of them were more then ready to continue this fight, there had been nothing they could do for Sailormoon, but they would be damned if they just stood by and watched as Tuxedomask was taken from them as well.

"We need a plan."

"There no time." Mars argued, "He could be dead in any minute, my God, did you see all that blood?"

Jupiter cracked her knuckles "Mars is right, we don't have the time. Let's go." The Scouts nodded as one and took off running back down the alley.

………………………….

Cold she was so cold. She could still feel pain as they continued to feed off her, but it was a distant pain and easily ignored. She just wished she wasn't so cold.

There was a part of her, which realized what was happening, but just couldn't face the reality of it. Instead she let her mind wander, to take her to better places where she was happy and safe and surrounded by those who loved her.

(Are you just going to give up?)

Sailormoon flinched and felt shame fill her at those words spoken by one whom she loved. ("I can't win," she cried)

("You're stronger then this")

("I can't do this by myself." she sobbed)

(You have the power to stop this, you and no one else. You just have to use it.)

(I don't know how.)

(I know and there is little enough time to teach you. You have to get away. Leave this place while you still can.)

(How? I'm so weak.)

(Teleport.)

(Teleport? I can't not without the others.)

(Yes, you can. The power to do so has always been there; you just have to use it.)

(How? How can I possibly teleport without the others?)

(Just concentrate. Picture the place you want to be in your mind or the person you wish to be with, focus on there face, then summon your power and transport.)

Sailormoon tried to concentrate, to focus her thoughts and summon the power and strength she needed to teleport. (I can't do this.)

(Serenity they're people out there who need you and are depending on to make it out of this.)

(I'm so tired and cold so very cold. All I want to do is sleep.)

(I know my darling but you have to fight it, you're not alone, there's someone else who is tired as well, but he's not giving up, and neither can you. He's fighting Serena, he's fighting with everything he has, and he's losing.)

(Darien? It's Darien isn't it?)

(He needs you. He doesn't have much time left.)

(What's going on? What's wrong with him? She cried out in rising panic.)

(I don't have to tell you, do I? You can feel it, can't you?)

Serena shuddered. Darien was in trouble. She hadn't known, all this time she had been afraid to think of him, remembering what had happened the last time he had followed her into the mist, intent on saving her. It almost destroyed him, so she had deliberately blocked him out, only now she reached for him, searched for him with her mind and what she found had her crying out in pain, (NOOOOOOO.)"

(There's still time, you can still save him, but it might cost you dearly.)

(Tell me how please, I'll do anything, just tell me what to do.)

(The key is the Imperial Silver Crystal, up until now you have been using its power and it has drained you of your strength. This creature has filled you with its impurities and corrupting your spirit. You couldn't use the Imperial Crystal now and survive it.)

(I don't care, as long as he lives.)

(That sacrifice will not be necessary. There's another way to use its power, but it will still be dangerous, you're chance of survival would be greater but not by much.)

(Tell me, please.)

(To survive and then to save Darien you must allow the Imperial Crystal to fill you with its power and give you the strength to fight. In a way it will be using you.)

(Yes, I'll do it.)

(Wait; first this warning. The power of the Imperial Crystal alone is not enough to defeat the enemy before you and the consequences for allowing the Imperial Crystal to use you could be great, perhaps even fatal.)

(I don't care.)

(Then let us begin.)

Sailormoon activated the Imperial crystal.

Damien snarled and jumped back, both he and the mist shying away from Serena and the light of the Imperial Crystal. "That power can't stop us." He taunted and licked his lips, the taste of her lingered, he wanted more. What small taste he had could never be enough. With dark intent he began to slowly approach her. While the Imperial Crystal couldn't defeat them it's deplorable light caused them some discomfort. He reached for her again determined to ignore the mild discomfort.

Sailormoon was aware of noting but what was going on inside her.

Once the imperial crystal was activated she could feel her remaining strength dwindling away and for a minute she thought that it was over and that she had failed, the pain she felt then was stronger then anything she had endured up until now.

She felt the warm touch of Damien and the cold touch of the mist each bringing it's own pain but it was only when the Imperial crystal settled down into her body did she begin to scream again.

Frustrated, Snarling and hissing Damien once again found himself backing away from his prey. She was warm to the touch, burning hotter then an open flame. He crouched down beside her but kept his hands to himself. She was withering on the floor in obvious pain but this time he was not the cause.

I want more.

"Yes, as doI" Damien answered "But I prefer my food without the ensuing third degree burns."

She's worth it, worth the pain.

"To you perhaps, but I don't enjoy pain when it's my own"

Hunger.

"Yes as do I. When I joined you, your hunger became my own. It's only my desire for a worthy opponent that has kept us from our prey up until now."

Feed.

"What's stopping you?"

Blocked.

"Blocked?" He looked at Serena curiously; she was no longer withering in pain but lying still surrounded by the light of the Imperial Crystal. "Is that so?" he reached a hand out to touch her preparing himself for the heat and the pain that would entail by touching her, but he never did. Sparks flew and his hand tingled as his hand came in contact with an invisible field. He brought his hand up to his face and noted his singed fingers. "It seems that our prey has found a way to evade us for the present."

No

"I said for the present, after all there's nowhere else she can go…" his eyes widened as contrary to his own words she disappeared.

………………..

"What do we do?" Jupiter whispered harshly, absolutely horrified.

Darien was now fully unconscious, and Sasha now had him propped up so that he was half sitting and half leaning on her. One clawed hand was still buried in his chest while the other was being held at this throat. She swore she would slice his throat then and there in front of them if they took one more step towards them. The threat to his life was enough to stall them in their tracks for the moment, but they knew that if they didn't think of something soon he was going to die anyway from extreme blood loss.

"What can we do?" Mars bit out bitterly. They were useless, completely useless first Serena and now Darien what good were they really if they couldn't even protect those who mattered the most to them?

"Nothing." Sasha purred with a sly smile "There's nothing you can do, you're quite helpless. Weak. Inferior. Humans."

"Dammit." Jupiter swore silently how could they come up with a plan when the damn she-devil could hear everything they said. Acting alone wouldn't get the job done. Sasha was too strong to take on one by one.

Sasha raised her nose in the air and made a big show of breathing in and out. After a couple of theatrical deep breaths she cast them a sly glance before licking her lips meaningfully. "The smell of your fear is almost tangible, I can all but taste it."

"We're not afraid of you" Mars barked "Let Tuxedomask go and we'll prove it."

Sasha chuckled. "I'm afraid not" she looked down at Darien possessively "You see we have a history Darien and I, and after everything we've been through, I have no choice but to see that he suffers greatly before dying. I promised him a slow agonizing death and I 'd hate to break my word."

She knows that Darien is Tuxedomask, they know Serena's real identity as well who were they and how did they know so much about them? Mars shivered as a thought occurred to her, how could they defeat an enemy who possessed awesome powers and who knows all their secrets as well. She opened her mouth to speak having no idea what she was going to say when a sudden burst of light had them all covering their eyes.

"What is it?" Jupiter cried. "I can't see." followed Mercury.

"Tuxedomask?" Venus cried

The Scouts went quite as they heard a God-awful scream, they couldn't see a damned thing but it sounded like some wild animal. They shuddered as their thoughts centered on Darien and what could be happening to him.

As the light faded they lowered their arms they prepared themselves for the worse what they saw had them disbelieving their own eyes. Sasha was gone. A woman with long silver hair was now kneeling on the ground leaning over Darien and obscuring him from view.

A painful groan had them looking off to the left where the spotted Sasha curled up on the ground holding what looked like a broken wrist. Their heads swiveled back toward Darien and the mystery lady.

Mars took a step towards them. Jupiter threw out her arm, making it impossible for her to move forward without first pushing her aside. Mars looked up at her in surprise.

Jupiter frowned down at her. "Wait, we have no idea who she is. It could be a trap or something."

"Umm guys, is she wearing a sailor outfit?" Venus asked

The Scouts looked at the newcomer with new eyes that had been so shocked by her presence they didn't even notice what she was wearing.

"Could she be a new Scout, one that we haven't seen before?"

"Wouldn't Luna and Artemis have told us if there were other Scouts besides us?"

"They might not remember, not all of their memories of the past have returned, so they might not know that there are others."

"Why don't we just ask her? Hey…Hello" Mars hollered waving her arms as if to get her attention which she immediately stopped when she realized that the other girl couldn't see her, flushing she yelled again. "Hey, you there, are you a Sailor Scout?" She watched. No response. Is she ignoring me? She was about to yell at her again when she saw Sasha getting to her feet. Oh boy. "Hey." She cried pointing at Sasha "She's getting back up."

The Scouts all took fighting stances but they were ignored as all of Sasha's attention was now focused on the new arrival. "Who are you?" she growled menacingly, whoever she was she was going to pay for injuring her.

"He's alive." She whispered softly, so softly that the scouts had to strain to hear her but Sasha had no problem hearing her and she laughed, "Not for much longer." she bragged, "in case you haven't noticed, the ground is covered in blood, his blood."

"Such pain."

"Yes." Sasha chuckled merrily "He's suffered but not enough to satisfy me. If his body wasn't so weak and frail I could have enjoyed myself more."

Jupiter could feel her temper about to boil over how could she stand there laughing about what she had done to Darien. "Listen." Jupiter barked to the mystery lady "take him and go, we'll stay behind and guard your retreat, just get him to safety"

Sasha snorted and looked at Jupiter in contempt. "Do you really think you weak humans can keep me from my prey?"

"Prey?" The mystery woman echoed going still

Sasha didn't pay her any mind as far as she was concerned she was just another sailor scout, one who was fortunate enough to sneak up on her, but like the rest of those humans no match for her superior strength. "Once I'm done with him I'll settle the score with the rest of you, no one will keep me from my prize."

Jupiter was ready to pounce on her when she saw that the mystery lady was starting to stand up. "What are you doing?" she barked, more afraid for Darien then of offending anybody. "Get Darien out of here, we'll take care of the rest." No response, she opened her mouth to repeat the command when the lady turned around and what came out of her mouth next sounded more like a squeal then anything else. She felt the other scouts go still. She couldn't believe her eyes and knew that felt the same way; the mystery lady with the long silver hair was none other then Sailormoon.

"I don't believe it."

"What's going on?"

"Her hair?"

"Sailormoon?"

They all caught their collective breaths as Sailormoon turned and looked straight at them. Her eyes. They were no longer blue, but silver.

"Oh damn." Mercury whispered. This was not good.