Emotions
Chapter Thirteen: Year Four
"Did you ever know that you're my hero? And everything I would like to be? I can fly higher than an eagle, cause you are the wind beneath my wings."
Serena ended by adding a little jazz and pop to the end. The senior class whistled and clapped as she finished with a smile. Mina and Raye stood up, along with Chad and Andrew. Their actions started a standing ovation. Serena blushed greatly as the headmaster, Professor Johnson, clapped her on the shoulder and smiled.
"Well done, Ms. Serena. Give it up for Serena Tsukino!" the headmaster called over the microphone. The whole college campus roared with approval, and Serena blushed harder when she heard the catcalls and wolfwhistles of the boys of all classes.
The headmaster continued. "Today is a day of happiness as we say farewell to our seniors, but it is also a day of sadness to our friends and our youth. We are now all men and women in the world, determined to make our way through life and make our destiny. As on that note, Serena would like to say something." Serena made her way to the podium slowly and cleared her throat.
"The song I just sang means a lot to me," Serena began. "I dedicate it to my boyfriend who's in Europe right now. His dream was to become a doctor, and he applied for a medical internship about five years ago." Serena paused. "I love my boyfriend very much, and a lot of you know him. He's very special to me and has stood by me through my good times and my bad. I met him when I was fourteen, over seven years ago when I was in middle school. I was always late to everything, forever getting in detention, sleeping, clumsy, continuously falling on my face and failing my classes." A rumble of laughter ran through the crowd. "But when I met him, he opened my eyes to something great. He made me blossom from a small bud into a beautiful flower. He made me see past my flaws and see the real me-the me you now gaze upon and admire. I thank him eternally for that." She smiled sadly.
"I also want to thank my friends, the people who have stood beside me for as long as I can remember." Serena winked at her friends, who were smiling with unshed tears in their shining eyes. "They helped me through difficult times in my life and have stuck by me when I was not suitable for social interaction. They have been my pillars for support when my boyfriend went away four years ago. One's graduating from culinary school today and the other's graduating from medical college. They have encouraged me to achieve my dreams, my goals, and eventually change my destiny." Serena paused again. "I love them with my life, and that is why I'm here today."
Applause met her ears as she stepped off the stage. "Well said, Ms. Serena," the headmaster said. "Now, let the ceremony begin!"
- -
Serena left the ceremony early to prepare the Temple for the Graduation Party. Lita and Amy arrived first, smiling as they embraced their long-time friend.
Lita wore green cargo pants and a camouflage shirt. Amy was wearing a light blue dress that went to her knees.
"Wow, you guys look great," Serena remarked. "Lita, can you help me with these streamers?"
"Sure," she replied and helped her short friend hang up some red streamers. Serena, deciding some fun on Lita's part, smiled.
"So Lita, what's cookin'?"
"That's not funny!" she retorted. She then smacked Serena upside the head.
"OUCH!"
Amy ran in from the next room, wearing a white doctor coat and a med kit in hand. "Anyone yelp for a doctor?" she asked.
Lita and Serena started laughing. Amy, confused, asked, "Uh…what's going on?"
Mina and Raye then entered the Temple. They saw Serena and Lita rolling on the floor in laughter and Amy looking rather confused.
This is a strange face on Amy, Mina thought. Her mind flashed to the camera in her purse. Kodak moment!
Mina took the picture, capturing Lita's smiling face and Serena's red face. After the picture came out, Raye started making fun of Serena. They started a stick-out-your-tongue war while everyone sweat-dropped and shook their heads.
"Oh, you guys are such babies!" shouted Lita. "Really. This is supposed to be our graduation party, and here you are looking like a bunch of 12-year-olds!
Raye and Serena slowly pull their tongues back in, then gave each other one last glare, and fell into a fit of hysterics.
"Where's the cake?" asked Amy casually.
Everyone looked at Amy with weird and shocked looks.
"Is it me or did I just hear Amy say that?" Serena asked.
"Hey!" shouted Amy. "Geniuses can want cake too!"
"Right," Lita replied slyly. "Just like Serena wants Darien."
Serena blushed red, then retorted, "Just because your boyfriends aren't traveling around the world doesn't mean that you can say anything about it!"
Raye snickered, then said, "Did you ever think that maybe Darien traveled around the world because he wanted a break from you? I mean, you do have a tendency to drive people crazy…"
Amy took a few steps back as Serena advanced on Raye, hand raised.
Serena got a fabulous idea and her bottom lip trembled. The girls recognized this as one of Serena's "wail fests".
"You guys are so mean," she whimpered pathetically, tears building up in her eyes. The gang backed away slowly.
"Oh, come on, Serena. You know we're just joking," said Lita.
Serena looked as if she was ready to burst. Her eyes were glossy, and her face was turning red. The girls continued to back away.
Just then, Serena opened her mouth wide, and…
BAM!
A jet of ice shot over toward Serena's mouth, covering it in a thick layer of cold clear ice. The girls slowly take their hands off their ears and turn around to see Amy smiling triumphantly.
"I believe she'll be fine. Lucky there was a doctor nearby, eh?" Amy said, referring to the earlier episode between Serena and Lita.
Amy!" Apparently Luna had just appeared. "You know you're not supposed to abuse your Scout powers."
Amy had the grace to blush as Raye replied, "Well, she did do a great service by shutting up Meatball Head."
After being reprimanded by Luna, Raye stuck out her hand and shot a jet of crimson fire, the exact color of her dress, toward Serena's mouth.
Serena's eyes opened wide at being shot at, then realized that she could speak again, and began immediately to use the talent.
"AMY!"
"Now, Serena," said Luna calmly, "this is no way to behave at your graduation party. Where's the cake?"
Serena widened her eyes. "I'm the one who's supposed to be asking about the cake! By the way, where is it?"
All turned to Lita, who looked around with nervous eyes. "Uh...oops?" she tried nervously.
"LITA!"
"I'M TIRED OF COOKING!" she said. "THAT'S ALL I EVER DID AT SCHOOL! And anyways, you girls never even decided on a flavor, so I couldn't exactly make it, unless you wanted a choco-vanilla-carrot-angel food-cake."
"Yum, sounds great!" said Raye.
"But I wanted chocolate!" Serena whined miserably.
"Well, Meatball Head, you get what you get and be glad that you got it," Raye answered sourly, obviously fed up with the blonde's whining.
"Shut up Raye!" Serena yelled, and started another tongue war.
"Cake's here!" shouted Mina.
"What?" asked all the girls in unison.
"While you were quibbling, I ordered a cake—it's a specialty!"
"What is it?" they all said together.
"Why, it's a choco-vanilla-carrot-angel food-cake!"
There was a sweatdrop on all the girls' foreheads.
"Mina, you can be so dense sometimes," a male voice remarked. The gang turned to see a white cat with a crescent moon on his forehead.
"Same with you, Serena," Artemis remarked. Luna sighed and smiled.
"Thank you for stating the obvious," Raye said.
"What's obvious?" asked Serena.
"Like I said," replied Artemis.
"Can we eat yet?" asked Lita impatiently. "That cake looks delicious."
- -
"OW!" Sailor Moon cursed as the Youma's dart stuck in her leg. The Sailor Scouts hadn't arrived yet; Serena had gone walking through the park when she had stumbled upon it. She had paged the girls before transforming. "Why aren't they here yet?" shouted Serena. "Usually I'm the one who's late!"
She threw a beam of light at the Youma. No good. How long could she hold it off?
"Damn monsters!" she shouted. Man, if she could be in this kind of mood with Darien when they had first met, she might have managed to take off his head without touching it!
"Best friends are to be loved and cared for, not to be used as dartboards!" a female voice called. Serena rolled her eyes. Mina. "I am Sailor Venus, and we are the Sailor Scouts!"
The Youma looked at the Scouts hungrily. "Pretty," it remarked before pouncing.
A beam of green lightning shot out from somewhere behind her and struck the Youma in its chest. It reeled back seconds before it struck her.
"I've always got your back," said a smiling Sailor Jupiter.
"Always," echoed Venus.
Sailor Mercury took her turn and blasted it with water, which froze on its body and held the Youma in place.
"Finish it off, Sailor Moon!" she shouted.
With a loud cry, Serena took off her tiara and threw it at the monster while shouting "Moon Tiara Magic!" and the monster dissipated into a million tiny pieces that vanished in the bright morning sunlight. Serena reached out her hand and snatched the tiara out of the air and gracefully put it back on her head.
"Is it my imagination, or are our monsters weaker?" Lita asked, detransforming. The others followed.
Amy nodded. "They are weaker. They aren't the energy-sucking kind, they're the distracting kind. Queen Beryl is up to something."
Serena's eyes narrowed angrily at the Negaverse queen's name. The girls noticed and grew scared. When Serena was angry, either hell had frozen over or there was hell to pay.
"DON'T SAY THAT—THAT EMBASSAL'S NAME IN FRONT OF ME!" shouted Serena.
"Gee, she's really been yelling a lot lately," noted Lita. "Serena, are you on your-"
"NO!" she screamed.
"Alright," Amy said, putting a calm hand on Serena's shoulder. "Breathe in, breathe out. There."
Serena calmed down enough to smile at the bluenette. "Thanks Amy."
"Can we go home now?" Mina asked.
"Sure, whatever," said Amy. They started to trudge home. It was peacefully quiet, which was a rarity for them to witness.
- -
Serena sipped her milkshake at the Arcade the next day. She was thinking about her future, now that she was out of college. She was moving back into her apartment soon.
Her thoughts were interrupted by the brown-haired girl who just sat down beside her.
"What's on your mind, Serena?" she asked. "You look so bleak."
Serena smiled at Lita. "I'm thinking," she replied. "I need help moving back into my apartment and I need to clean Darien's apartment."
"I'll help," Lita offered. Serena smiled wider.
"Thanks," she answered. "I miss him so much."
Their talk was interrupted by Raye's high-pitched, "KKYYAAHH!" Both turned around to see their priestess running towards them, Mina and Amy following at a slower pace.
"Chad asked me to marry him!" Raye exclaimed, showing them the half carat diamond on her left hand. Serena gasped.
"WHAT?" screamed Lita and Serena in unison.
"Oh my god! That's fantastic!" said Lita with a huge smile.
"Wow, what a ring," said Serena simply.
Raye threw her a look. "I want you all to be in my wedding—as bridesmaids!" she exclaimed. "We haven't made many plans yet, but the bridesmaids will be wearing red, of course."
Oh joy. A red wedding, thought Serena. Beautiful.
"Sounds great, Raye!" Serena said, happy for her friend. "I'd be glad to!"
"Me too," said Lita.
"But who'll be your maid of honor?" Mina asked, batting her eyelashes at Raye. Raye rolled her eyes.
"I've already asked Andrew's sister. Chad asked Andrew to be his best man. Your boyfriends will be your consorts." At this, Serena's face fell. Raye noticed this and added quickly, "Oh, we'll have the wedding after Darien gets back, Sere."
"Maybe it could even be a double wedding!" said Lita.
Serena gave her a look that said what the hell are you thinking?
"O…K…never mind, then," said Lita sheepishly.
"This should be fun!" exclaimed Raye. "All my best friends in my wedding…how wonderful!"
"Are you having it at the Temple?" Serena asked nonchalantly. Raye shook her head.
"I was hoping I could have it at the Minato Flower Gardens."
Serena smiled. "Of course you can have it there! I feel honored!" Serena exclaimed, showering her friend with a bear hug. Andrew came over just then.
"Hello, ladies. What's all the fuss about?" He was in a very good mood, as usual.
"Oh, nothing. Just that I'm getting married!" exclaimed Raye.
"Really?" asked Andrew, surprised. "Well, that's great! Who are your bridesmaids and people going to be?"
"Wait a minute. Didn't Chad ask you to be his best man?" Raye asked suspiciously. Andrew thought for a minute, then a sweatdrop appeared on his forehead as he remembered.
"Yeah he did! Sorry Raye, it slipped my mind," he said nervously.
"Everything slips your mind, Andrew." Andrew blushed a nervous shade of pink. "So…what can I get for you all? The usual?"
"Yes please, darling," Mina purred, smiling gently at her boyfriend. Andrew blushed harder, then went to fix their drinks. The gang pulled Serena over to their favorite booth.
"Did you hear about Raye?" asked Serena to Mina and Amy. Blonde and blue hair waved as they shook their heads. "She's getting married!"
"What? Chad finally popped the question?" asked Amy. "Awesome!" Raye gave a huge smile and went into detail about the wedding plans.
At that moment, Mina had been in dreamland, imagining the night when Andrew would pop the question; it would be on a cloudless night, he would have just taken her out to dinner at her favorite restaurant, and they would be standing on the pier, watching the moon rise. He would say how beautiful she was, with her golden hair blowing gently in the breeze…he would kneel down on the ground, pull out a tiny white box and ask if she wanted to marry him…and she would give him a huge hug and shout "yes, oh yes!" and then he would stand up, and they would kiss passionately…
"Hello, Mina, are you still with us?" Serena was waving a hand in front of her face. Mina jumped back to the present.
"She's probably daydreaming about her own wedding," Raye stated. The girls giggled as Mina blushed.
"No, I was just dreaming of the day Andrew would pop the question," she retorted hotly.
"Well, it's not like you guys don't think it about it every once in a while," said Mina. She got blank looks in return. "Oh, come on, guys!"
"We're just kidding. Andrew, where's those milkshakes?"
Andrew had been leaning on the counter, staring vaguely in Mina's direction. "Huh? Oh. Coming right up!" He ran around frantically throwing together several different flavors of milkshakes into tall glasses and shoving multi-colored bendy straws into them.
"Here they are!" he announced, placing a milkshake in front of each girl. Placing a kiss on Mina's cheek, he quickly ran to answer the phone.
"Crown Arcade, Andrew speaking!" he answered. "Darien!" The girls all looked up. Why would Darien call the arcade?
"Dude, where are you?" Andrew asked. Serena perked up and smiled. "In Turkey? That's great! How's Serena?" he asked, turning around and smiling. Serena stood and walked over to the counter hurriedly, the gang following her. "Why not ask her yourself?"
Serena snatched the phone out of his hands. "Hi Darien! Ooh, I miss you so much! So much has happened? What's Turkey like? Is it hot? The weather's been fantastic here. Ooh, guess what? Raye's getting married!" She finally paused for a breath. Poor Darien. "Of course it's to Chad, you dimwit!" The gang behind her started giggling.
"So, are you a bridesmaid?" Darien asked her, finally putting the phone back to his ear.
"Yes," was the breathless reply.
"Who's the best man and maid of honor?"
"Andrew and his sister Lizzy."
"Where are they holding it and when?"
Serena took a breath. "Minato Flower Gardens and after you come home."
Darien was touched that Raye and Chad would wait until he came home in order to have their wedding. "It's so nice that they're going to wait for me to come home. I wouldn't miss their wedding for the world."
"Well," Serena drawled, "Mina wants to know if any of your new friends are hot."
"Hey!" Darien could hear Andrew protesting in the background and Mina giggling. He sighed, amused.
"Well, Darien, I guess I'd better let you go, before my friends eat me alive to hear about you. And I'm sure you have tons of work to do, so we'll let you go while we relax with nice, cold milkshakes."
"Hey! I want a nice cold milkshake!"
"Oh. . .too bad! Talk to you later!" and she hung up. She sighed.
"Oh, I miss him so much!" she said.
It was then and there that her friends bombarded her with questions. Words flew in and out of her ear, and soon Serena was getting a headache.
"SILENCE!" she roared, and all was quiet. "Now please, one at a time."
- -
"I am so flippin' tired of these monsters!" Sailor Jupiter roared as she dodged the Youma's ice crystals. One grazed her calf, and she faltered.
"Supreme Thunder Crash!"
The lightning bolt was met with an ice storm and dissipated. Lita growled.
"Can I take just one shot here, Mercury?" she shouted vaguely inthe Scout of Ice'sdirection.
"Well, sorry, I just was trying to get rid of this damned thing!" she howled back.
"Queen Beryl must be in a really bad mood to keep sending all these Youmas after us," the Sailor of Fire said. "Maybe she's on her—"
"RAYE!" shouted Serena. She threw a beam of light toward the monster. It left a deep cut in its shoulder, but it seemed not to notice.
"Something's up," said Sailor Jupiter. "These monsters keep getting stronger, it seems."
Serena called on the Moon Scepter and aimed it at the monster. "Moon Princess Halation!" The monster turned to ashes and blew away.
"Nice job, for little bitches like yourselves," a metallic voice floated. All looked up to see a woman floating there.
She was butt ugly. Her flame red hair was dry and bitter, looking like it would break like a twig under slight weight. Her matching eyes bored into Serena's, reflecting the Sailor soldier's inner fire. An ugly purple dress hugged her mismatched figure; she had a huge chest, tiny waist, big hips and fat legs. The woman's long purple nails glinted in the dying sunlight.
"Beryl," Serena growled the hateful name. The evil being smiled cruelly.
"I see you at least have the strength to defeat my weak Youmas," said the horrid woman in a cold voice. Just the sound made the Scouts' hearts freeze over. "Pathetic, you are. Even a mortal could defeat these things."
Nobody spoke because nobody could think of a retort. All they had was cold, raw loathing and hatred toward the garish being in front of them.
"Beryl!" Serena finally called, taking a step forward. Her stance radiated fury.
"Hello, Sailor brat. Or should I say, Serena?" Beryl replied cruelly. The Scouts gasped.
"Why?" Serena asked, eyes building up tears.
Beryl shrugged. "When you were still her, you took away my one true love and destroyed my hopes and dreams. I wanted revenge for what you had done."
"But that's the past!" Mina yelled. "Why are you here?"
"To take over the universe, of course," Beryl answered evilly.
"It won't work, you know," said a weak voice from behind them. Serena recognized it as Amy's voice.
"Oh? And why not?"
"The Universe is so huge. . .bigger than anyone can imagine."
"Duh."
"And—well, people will always be around to stop you. Like us. You can't defeat us. Deep inside of you, you know that." Her confidence was rising. She knew she had struck a nerve. She could see it in Beryl's eyes.
Beryl quickly regained her composure. "Oh, and you think you can beat me? How amusing."
With that, she disappeared in a cloud of icy smoke.
"Son of a bitch!" Serena cursed out loud. The girls' eyes widened at their leader's angry outburst. "The nerve of her! Damn her and all her kind! Damn her!"
"Serena," Amy said calmly, trying to soothe her friend. Serena shook her off.
"I've had it! She is going down. Amy, I want a detailed report of where her hideout is. Raye, I want you to consult the Sacred Fire. Lita, set a schedule for martial arts training between. Mina, help any of the others. This is war."
- -
For the next few weeks, the girls did as Serena had instructed. Amy worked vigorously on her computer, consulting books, charts, and graphs of the Universe. Raye consulted the Sacred Fire, and Lita scheduled training sessions for the group, to be held in the living room of the Temple. She cleared out the space, and had Mina put up protective barriers around the room. They did aerobics, fighting skills, and magic skills, practicing and dummies and sometimes each other.
"Whew, I'm tired!" Lita exclaimed, plopping down on a pillow. The others followed suit, except for Serena. All were worried.
"Why don't you take a break, Sere?" Mina asked, voice concerned.
Serena shook her head. "I won't rest until she is dead," she replied, voice deadly. Raye sat straighter, done with her consultation with the spirits of the Sacred Fire.
"All I know is she's in Japan," she panted, exhausted. Lita poured the priestess a glass of pink lemonade while Mina handed her a box of teriyaki chicken and rice.
"That's good," Serena said nonchalantly. "The closer she is, the faster I can annihilate her."
"You mean the faster we can annihilate her. You're not doing this alone," said Mina.
"But I have to!"
"No, you don't," the other blonde replied. "We're all in this together. You know that."
"That's right!" Raye protested. "This just isn't your fight. It's ours too."
"But what if you get hurt?" Serena retorted. "I can't afford that?"
"If we get hurt, then..."Mina trailed off.
Amy finished the sentence for her. "If we get hurt, then it won't be in vain. The ultimate goal is to defeat Queen Beryl. That's why the Sailor Scouts were created. To battle evil. It would be an honor to die fulfilling our purpose. Although I do hope we win," she said hopefully, "and that none of us die in the process."
Serena smiled gratefully at her friends, her family. "Thanks you guys," she said, tear brimming. "I love you guys so much!" With that she gathered them for a group hug.
"Hello! I'm being squished!" Raye complained. Serena grinned and kissed Raye's cheek.
"Don't worry, be happy!" she replied, and everyone laughed. Mina wished they could have more moments like this. She had been thinking lately that it wouldn't be long when they were all finished with college, and they would have to start new lives. What would happen then? Would they have defeated Beryl by then? Then she thought about that fateful day. She knew it was coming soon. Would she live? Would Beryl be defeated?
She decided to stop thinking and hug her friends all the more tighter.
- -
Dearest Serena,
I'm so happy to be in view of the Indian Ocean once more! I'm on a plane to the capital of China, my last stop. I miss you so much.
I can't wait to see you. Andrew sent me a picture of your college graduation and might I daresay you looked ravishing. He tells me you graduated with flying colors, which doesn't surprise me in the least bit.
Do you have new info on Beryl? Raye contacted me in my dreams and told me what's been happening. It seems Amy found Beryl on the top of Mt. Fuji. Good luck and come back alive!
I love you,
Darien
Serena smiled as she finished reading Darien's letter to the gang. They all sighed, except Raye, who was snuggled next to Chad in the booth.
"I hope he comes home soon. I miss him so much!" said Serena with longing in her voice. She was staring off into space for a few moments, and the girls were sure was imagining the kiss they would share when upon his return.
"Is it gonna be steamy?" Mina asked in a seductive voice. Serena nodded subconsciously, then let the statement sink in.
"MINA!" Serena roared, chasing said person around the arcade. They both were laughing as the rest sweat-dropped.
"Well, I was just wondering," she said defensively. "So I could know whether to bring a fan or not."
"Why a fan?" Serena asked, confused.
"To cool you off, of course!"
Amy chimed in at this point. "You said it would be steamy."
"Amy, you stay out of this," Serena growled in a mock serious tone. She rounded back to her fellow blonde. "Now what to do with you. Where would you look nicer?"
"Huh?" Mina asked, obviously confused.
"Over my mantle or over my fireplace, because when I get you, you're dead!" Serena yelled playfully, lunging for the blonde. Mina squeaked and tried to run away, but Serena caught her legs and both went tumbling.
"Don't hurt her too much, Sere!" Andrew cheered. "She's still my girlfriend."
"Thanks baby!" Mina called.
"I don't want to go out in public and be accused of abuse."
"Hey!"
Mina socked Serena in the stomach. Serena lunged at her and pinned her to the ground. Mina's face curled into an evil grin as she put her legs under Serena's stomach and hurled her over her head. But Serena never hit the ground. She took off flying, and landed back on the floor with hardly a sound.
Andrew looked stunned. Raye and Chad were still oblivious to the whole thing.
As Serena readied to charge, something happened.
"Help me!"
"Huh?" Serena said, confused. Looking around, she straightened. The girls looked at her, confused.
"Help me!"
"Serena, are you all right?" Mina asked, their game forgotten. She placed a hand on her shoulder.
"I'm hearing a voice," she muttered. Suddenly there was a scream.
"Did you hear that?" Serena said in a frantic voice.
"Yeah, we heard it."
"Guys. . .I think it's time to go."
"Go where?" they asked in breathless wonder. Serena spoke low as to not worry Andrew.
"It's time to go fight monsters."
- -
The girls ran in the direction of the scream. They found it to be an overgrown rabbit/dog Youma. Its red eyes looked menacingly at them as they transformed.
"Venus Star Power!"
"Mars Star Power!"
"Mercury Star Power!"
"Jupiter Star Power!"
"Moon Crystal Power!"
"Girls, surround it!" shouted Serena. They scattered and formed a circle around it.
"Supreme Thunder Crash!" shouted Sailor Jupiter. The spell struck the Youma in the side. It screamed. But the scream was unlike any other Youma scream they had heard before. It sounded—it sounded almost human. The girls faltered for a moment.
"It's just Beryl trying to psych us out!" Amy yelled. "Kill it!"
Each girl used her own powers against it. This was a particularly strong Youma. It attempted to swipe at Lita, but she sidestepped out of the way. The monster was quickly getting confused and disoriented as it wound itself in circles. Then, Amy and Lita both hit it at the same time with their powers, and the monster fell to the ground. It didn't dissipate like the others. Then they heard a high, cruel laugh pierce the air.
"You fools!" Beryl cackled. "Look upon what you have done!"
Serena looked down and gasped. A human man was lying still on the concrete. Blood spilled from his head and his neck, but what Serena saw made her heart ice over; her Moon Scepter attack had cut the jugular vein in his neck. Any second and he would be dead. Tears came to her eyes.
"No," Amy whispered, voice choking. Lita, shocked, came and wrapped an arm around her shoulders. Mina's sobs in the silence sounded like sirens as Raye tried to calm her down. Serena sank to her knees in defeat.
"I thought your powers didn't affect people," Beryl remarked, looking at her fingernails. Mina raised her head, eyes bright.
"You bitch!" she yelled, body trembling with rage and sadness. "How dare you!"
"I do what I must," Beryl replied.
"You had this planned all along!" Amy shouted up at her. "You knew!"
"Well, I wouldn't say that I'm all-knowing, but yes, I knew." Then she added, "Of course I knew. And please, don't use such foul language with me."
"Why would you do such a thing!"
"Oh, my dear girl, this is but a taste of what is to come!" Exuberant glee filled her voice. "Isn't it wonderful?"
"No, it isn't," said Serena in an icy voice. As Serena stared up at her, something hard grew deep within her chest and within her mind. I will kill her, she vowed. She will feel my wrath. I will give her pain! For all the pain she caused us and so many others!
The girls saw the fury and icy rage in Serena's eyes and voice and thought, Beryl's gonna get it now.
Beryl narrowed her eyes. "Oh, and one more thing, Sailor Moon: I can read your thoughts and enter your dreams. You have a pure heart; that was what enabled me to enter your mind and shape your nightmares. Remember, I'm everywhere." With that she vanished.
Serena gazed with empty eyes at the dead pedestrian. She remembered a conversation with Mercury about their powers.
Flashback
Zoicite's hands glowed black as she tried to punch the masked man. Tuxedo Mask moved with amazing swiftness, dodging her attacks and landing some of his own. While they fought, Serena looked on with rage and fury.
How dare she attack Tuxedo Mask! Serena leveled the Moon Scepter at the General, ignoring the fact that Mercury had come running to her.
"Serena," Amy whispered hurriedly, "you can't do this. You risk hitting Tuxedo Mask, and you know what our powers do to normal people."
"Tuxedo Mask isn't normal," Serena replied cold-heartedly.
End Flashback
"Why?" the girls heard Serena whimper. "Why does this need to happen when I'm finally happy? We swore we'd never kill, never destroy, a human ever!"
"We didn't know," Amy said softly, settling beside her leader. A comforting arm wrapped around Serena's shoulders, and Serena turned bleary eyes to Raye's tearful ones.
"But I would've sensed it!" Serena screamed, the sobs racking her body. She leaned into Amy and Raye. "Why?"
"Why, you ask?" Raye said, "Because she's horrible! She's a stupid bitch! I don't know why we even speak to vermin like her!" Rage filled her voice.
"We need to kill her," Amy said. "I am so tired of this!"
Serena looked at Amy gladly. "Let's go."
- -
"It's so cold!" Mina complained, hugging herself tightly. Of course it was cold on the top of Mt. Fuji!
"Will you shut up already?" Raye screamed, clutching her cloak tighter. They continued to trudge up the mountain, then came to a stop.
"This is the place," Amy said, referring back to her handheld.
The girls looked around. There were a few trees here and there, but it was mostly just barren land. Where could she be hiding?
Serena kept her eyes alert as she looked around the barren plain. The girls also watched, their cloaks wrapped tightly around them.
"There," Amy called, pointing to a tall oak tree. They walked to it and saw a hole in the hollow tree. "You're supposed to send negative energy into it in order for the door to open," Amy explained. The others sighed.
Serena backed away from the tree; a respective distance of four meters. Judging the direction of wind and the speed, she looked at her hands. Looking inside herself, Serena found all the pent-up anger, fury, malice, and disgust and pushed.
A black ball of negative energy grew in her cupped hands. Opening red-tinted eyes, she pushed the power towards the tree. It swallowed the power and split open, revealing stone steps.
"How did you do that?" Raye asked, shocked at what she just saw. Amy quickly typed and read:
"All the negative feelings Sailor Moon felt towards Beryl were enough to take physical shape and had enough power to open the door."
They stared in awe at Serena, who looked like she hadn't just done something strange. "Let's go in," she whispered, and she led the way down the dark stone steps. There was darkness ahead. They kept walking down the steps, taking care not to trip in the semi-darkness. Suddenly, there was a loud scraping noise behind them, and the light began to fade quickly.
"The door is closing!" shouted Serena, but she could hardly be heard above the noise the tree was making. Soon there was a crack of light, then nothing at all. It was completely pitch black now. They started to panic, but then realized they must calm their nerves and continue on. Nobody said a word as they crept down the stairs.
The steps kept descending into the earth. How far under the ground were they? Three fathoms? Ten fathoms? One? Amy had no idea. She only knew that the air was getting cooler the further down they went. Then, Serena spotted a shaft of light up ahead.
"Welcome to my lovely home," Beryl's voice came from all directions.
Mina curled her lip in disgust as they dropped their cloaks. "Lovely my ass," she whispered.
Beryl's 'home' was far from lovely.
They appeared to be standing in a damp cave. The ceiling was high and in shadow. Stalagmites jutted out of the floor like sinister yellow spears. Water made murky pools of dark green all around the floor. Something yellow was slowly dripping down the walls. Lita felt something wet hit her head. When she reached up to feel what it was, it was sticky.
And then, adding to the horrible décor, was Queen Beryl herself, in all her hideous splendor.
Beryl sat on a gnarled throne made of stone and tree roots. A dark crystal floated in front of her, absorbing the darkness.
"How did you brats get in here?" she demanded, rising gracelessly from her throne. Serena stepped up.
"All my feelings towards you were enough to open your door," she replied, taking her fighting stance.
"Oh, how cute. Is wittle Sewena angwy at big bad Queen Beryl?" she said the first words in a high, babyish voice, and the last two with an evil snarl. "And—oh, let me guess. You want to fight me now? You want to bring me down? You want to scour the Universe for evil and make a whole new one without evil to bring on a big, bright future of happiness of love?" She paused, looking at the faces of each Sailor Scout in turn. "Well, it doesn't work that way. There'll always be evil, and I'll almost always be behind it. Except for the evil on your miserable little planet. That stuff's homemade." Serena could feel her temperature rising. Anger was welling up inside her chest. She knew the other girls felt the same thing. There was one thing, one common goal between them: Revenge. And that is exactly what Beryl would get.
The beating of a lifetime.
"NOW!" Serena roared. The girls readied their attacks.
"Double Mercury Ice Bubbles Freeze!"
"Mars Celestial Fire Surround!"
"Supreme Thunder Dragon!"
"Venus Love Chain Encircle!"
"Moon Princess Halation!"
Beryl nimbly dodged the attacks and landed some of her own. The girls flew back with enough force to break the stone. In fact, Serena was quite sure that something had broken, it hurt so much. But she struggled to stand, and succeeded, and she watched the other girls follow suit.
"We have to try something else," said Lita. They nodded their heads in unison toward her.
"Is that all you've got, girlies?" asked Beryl in her metallic voice.
"Not—yet," said Serena. She couldn't give up. They had barely gotten started! With this thought, a surge of energy filled her. She communicated telepathically to the other girls, and they straightened up too. They continued to shoot attacks at her, but to no avail. She would just swipe it out of the way, or step to the side. It didn't take long for them to start slowing down and becoming weary. How could Beryl be beaten? Could she even be beaten? It wasn't looking like it.
"I see you grow weary." Beryl was smiling. If that's what you could call it. None of the Scouts said anything. "Maybe you deserve a rest."
They stopped moving. Beryl walked up to Lita, and looked her straight in the eye. It made Lita's heart freeze over. "You've been battling hard. Good job." Then, she grabbed Lita around the neck and raised her a few inches off the ground. Sailor Jupiter's face began to turn red as she gasped for air. The other four girls ran forward to her defense. Beryl held out her hand to stop them, and they stopped, as if some invisible force was holding them back. Lita struggled for breath, but none came. Her face was turning blue.
"Let her go, you devil!" cried Serena.
Beryl turned around. "Okay," she said simply, then she threw Lita hard against the wall. Her left arm grazed a razor-sharp stalagmite on her trip to the wall, and she got a deep cut that immediately began to bleed profusely. She was gasping for breath, a dazed look on her face.
"Who's next?" asked Beryl.
Pure, raw anger welled up inside Amy's chest. She couldn't contain it. Putting on her game face, she strode up to Beryl. There was only one thing she could think of doing.
She reached her hand out and smacked Beryl across the face.
Beryl stood there, stunned. Then, she conjured up a ball of black light and thrust it at her. It quickly engulfed her entire body, and Serena gave a small cry as she watched the life being drained from her frail body. The black light disappeared, and Amy's body fell limply to the floor. Beryl let out a shrill laugh.
Tears streaming down her face, Raye stammered, "You can't—do this."
"Watch me." She then lifted Raye high up into the air, without touching her. Raye screamed at the top of her lungs as she was thrust down onto the floor. Serena heard bones crack. She knew without even looking that Raye was dead. Serena didn't try to contain her sobs. She couldn't stand to lose her friends. Mina walked up beside her and put a hand on her shoulder. Lita seemed to wake up a bit, and she stared in their direction, even though she couldn't move. Her body felt leaden and heavy. It was all she could do to stay conscious.
"That crystal is mine."
Now, at last, it had come to the crystal in her brooch. It had always been on her chest, glinting in the light. She didn't know what powers it contained, but knew it must be very strong. Serena clutched it.
"You can't have it," she said simply. Mina stood still beside her, bracing for an attack.
It came. An invisible force knocked her against the wall. The bone-jarring impact almost knocked her out. She kept her eyes on Serena. Serena's face was contorted with a mixture of rage and grief.
Beryl blasted Serena with another beam of light, and it lifted her into the air a few inches. She then walked forward, and reached out to Serena's chest. Her white fingers tore Serena's off the crystal, and she grabbed hold, and pulled it toward her. But it didn't move. The pain it was causing Serena was immense. Lita couldn't stand to watch.
"Don't!" she cried.
With her other hand, Beryl threw another jet of light at her, and Lita's head hung limply on to the side. Beryl pulled harder at the crystal. Serena screamed a high, terrifying scream, and the crystal was lodged free of her body. The light faded and she fell to the floor. Mina feared she was dead. She was right.
Beryl gave a scream of delight. "Yes! The crystal is now MINE!" A wind was swirling around the cave. It became more intense with each passing second. Mina wasn't sure she could hold on much longer.
But then something strange happened. The crystal began to glow with a bright light.
Beryl screeched, as if she had been burned, and dropped the shining orb to the ground. A white vapor came out of it then, and slowly took the shape of a person. She had very, very long white-purple hair, and skin as white as snow and fair as silk. A shining face took form, with bright, sparkling lavender eyes. A loud, clear voice filled the room. "Beryl," it said. The voice seemed to be full of hope and protection. Mina eased up a little. "You think you have won, but you have been defeated. Once and for all. Peace will be restored to the souls of the ancient Moon Kingdom and the rest of the Universe. You are dead." White light filled the room, and became so intense that Mina could not see. She heard the booming voice in her head. "Be at peace, Princess Jasmina of Venus," it said.
She closed her eyes, and the world went black.
- -
Serena felt like she was floating. Looking around, she saw black, like nothing existed.
Suddenly she saw her friends floating in front of her. They looked broken; blood oozed from huge wounds, limbs hung at odd angles, bruises and scuff marks all over their bodies. She turned away from them, tears coming from her eyes.
A bright light shone on her closed eyelids. Serena cracked them open to see a beautiful woman with white wings smiling at her.
The woman's hair was a white-lilac color, done up in Serena's hairstyle. Her lavender eyes glowed softly, showing determination and love. The white dress she wore hugged her slim figure, and the golden crescent moon on her forehead shimmered.
"Serenity," the woman breathed. Serena looked closely. "You are more beautiful than I remember."
"Who are you?" Serena asked, curling her legs to her chest. The woman looked hurt and deeply shocked.
"I am Queen Serenity, your mother," the woman replied. Serena widened her eyes. "Do you not remember?"
Serena shook her head. "I do not. All I remember is that I'm Princess Serenity and that Darien is Prince Endymion."
The form of the Queen nodded. "Ah, I see. Well, this should help." Serenity placed a warm hand on Serena's forehead.
Serena gasped as images flashed in her mind. The Moon Kingdom in flames. The peace before the Great War. Endymion-Darien-smiling gently at her before their first kiss. The true identity of the crystal in her brooch. Serena found herself crying as her forehead glowed with the crescent moon birthmark.
"Thank you," she thanked the Queen, expressing gratitude by kissing her hand. Serenity smiled at her daughter.
"Go."
- -
Serena woke up on the floor of Beryl's cave. The evil being was gone and her dark crystal lay shattered on the rocks. The once-shining orb that was her crystal lay dull and gray on the floor. Serena picked it up and held it to her chest, sobs rocking her body.
The crystal started shining white once more, and Serena was engulfed in it. When it cleared, Serena was now Princess Serenity of the Moon Kingdom.
Her white dress was tight through the chest, but flowed from her waist to pool at her feet. Her buns were held by pins of three opaque pearls and her streamers spilled over her shoulders, now a silvery-gold color. The crystal, which Serena now knew as the Silver Imperium Crystal, hovered in front of her, ready to take orders from its princess.
Serena looked around with tears at the broken bodies of her friends. At her bidding, the Crystal lifted them one by one to be set in front of her. Serena caressed each face lovingly; at her touch, the Crystal healed all their wounds. She winced as she heard bones popping into place and mending. She felt her own broken arm mending itself.
The princess concentrated her own wish into the crystal, holding it over the newly healed bodies of her Scouts. The crystal "asked" her if this request was her final answer, and she nodded. A bright silver light filled the cave and surrounded the princess and Scouts.
All Serena remembered before she fell was painful groans and Lita's, "Oi, my head!"
- -
Serena's head pounded with enough intensity to break through her skull. "Ow," she complained as she sat up.
A flying force shoved her back on the bed, and Serena laughed to see it was Amy. Amy had been watching her friend.
"Oh Serena!" she exclaimed, half-sobbing. "We thought you'd never wake up!"
"Calm down, Ames," Serena soothed her crying friend as the others entered. Lita carried food on a tray, Raye carried a jug of steaming green tea, and Mina had some comic books. "Hey guys," she said. They sat next to her.
"How did you do it?" Lita asked when Amy pulled back. Raye and Mina let Serena lean on them for support.
"I was floating in this black space and I saw you guys there, looking so sunken and broken," she explained. Amy gripped her hand. "I saw this woman come to me. She said she was Queen Serenity, my mother in my previous life." The girls' eyes widened. "She gave me back my memories, memories of us and what we had. She let me know the true identity of my crystal. When I remembered how to use it, I used it to heal you guys and let you gain your memories back."
Raye hugged her with one arm as she kissed her friend's forehead. "We'll always be with you, princess. Now and forever."
"Of course you will!" said Serena, laughing. "You guys are all I've got." A tear ran slowly down her face.