Author's Note

I don't OWN Sailor Moon…. Yet the story concept is mine…. Please don't take it without my consent…. PLEASE……….

So this time, it's going to be tons of fun. Can't tell you anything important yet, but I hope you like it. Something about an old boyfriend and an age old scheme…have fun!

Serena or Catarina?

Chapter 4: Twin Standard…. Maybe

"You did WHAT?" Luna demanded, the girl unconscious on the mat on the floor of the temple.

"We didn't have a choice Luna," Raye said. "She's our key to finding Serena, and if we let them take her, we will never find her. On top of that, she saved Amy."

"Did you even consider how she'll react when she realizes she's not in her own country anymore?" Artemis asked. "Let alone the freak-out factor that she's not where she was last night."

"School's tomorrow, and we need someway to explain if Serena's not there," Mina said. They looked over to the girl, remembering how much of a resemblance the two bore. "Do you think we could pull that off?"

"What? Convincing her to be Serena until we find Serena?" Lita asked. "Are you insane? She's going to kill us when she wakes up. The last thing that will be on her mind is helping us."

"She owes us one," Raye said. "It's worth a shot…"

"Your Majesty, we have found her," the woman said in Japanese. "Your lost daughter, yet it seems she is being stubborn and refusing to admit her lineage, and is even pretending to be cold."

"I see," an older woman said in Japanese as well. This woman wore an eloquent crown, gown, and cape. She held an icy scepter, and it pounded the ground of ice, which cracked beneath the scepter.

"Your Majesty?" the woman asked.

"I feared that she had lost her memory after she had sent her transmission for help. We've left her there so long that I almost fear she's lost what made her a princess of this planet. Please send her in."

Serena came through the doors, shivering and skating on the ice, with the little experience she could muster, in the gown the woman had forced her to wear. She found herself face to face with a woman with a light violet shade of hair, looking aged and worn. This startled Serena when the woman's eyes tear up. She suddenly jumped from the throne and ran to her, hugging her tightly.

"Your Majesty?" the younger woman asked.

"After so many years, it is true. My little baby is home, safe and sound. Thank you so much Aspera!" the older woman exclaimed.

"But Your Majesty," Serena said, feeling horrified as she said it. "I am not your daughter. My name is Serenity of the Moon Kingdom."

The queen looked at her, placing a hand to her forehead.

"Your forehead is ridiculously warm. Did you really adapt to their environment of theirs?" she whispered. "Oh! My baby! We'll get you back to normal. I swear it upon my title as Queen of Imperia."

"But I'm not your daughter," Serena replied. "I'm the daughter of Queen Selene of the Moon."

"Nonsense. They're all dead," the older woman said sweetly. "You must have lost your memory after you sent for help. Oh my little child, you just stick with your mother and you'll be back to normal in no time…"

She awoke, voices whispering around her. It had reminded of her of a nightmare, as she jumped to her feet and looked around. She was on a mat, and there were voices coming from behind a sliding door. There was a boy in the room, changing a washcloth, wearing traditional garb only found in Japan. She avoided a scream, as he and she were in a staring contest, both startled by the other, both reluctant to shout. A girl in similar garb entered the room, and the scene completed with shock on all three parts. They looked to one another, and the boy suddenly dashed out into the next room. The girl in traditional garb looked at her, a strange look of familiarity, and of that of someone about to ask for a huge favor. She sat down by Catarina, who reluctantly did the same.

"How did you do it?" she asked, as Catarina was almost immediately aware of what the priestess was talking about.

"I have always been able to. I just cannot do it of my free will. There always seems to be trouble when it happens."

"Listen," she said quietly. "I know you don't like us, but we just saved you from two people who tried to set you aflame. We need a favor."

After a minute of thought, she responded.

"What would that favor be?" she asked.

"We need you to pretend to be our missing friend," the girl in traditional garb said, a look of seriousness passing her face. "As long as she might be missing, we do not want her family to worry."

"And if I say no?" Catarina said after thinking it out.

"We get you back home, and leave you alone there where those two can get a hold of you."

"In other words, protection for staying, danger for leaving," Catarina deduced. "I'd rather take my chances leaving."

There was silence, as the girl suddenly threw herself at Catarina's feet.

"It's my fault she's gone," she said, her fists clenched. "I know you don't think you have anything to do with this, but you do. Your DNA structure, it's the same as the people who took her. They held me down while they snatched her out of the air. I feel the same cold presence from you that the woman who held me had. You're somehow related to them Catarina. I know you might not understand, but you're not normal."

This time, she didn't wait a minute to answer.

"I know I'm not normal," she said, realizing that a confession might help her understand why she must go. "I hear things—things said by people I remember from a time long ago. That man, he reminded me of a time that died years ago. A time that fought bravely to the end, and I nearly went down with it. It nearly killed me, bleeding to death in a field of red roses. Yet when I awoke, I was in a barren wasteland, the roses and their beautiful petals all withered. That was the first time I saw those two. Back then they were nice. Now they merely want me prisoner over something I cannot remember, but they do. In fact, your voice is familiar priestess. However, I would rather not endanger you in my endeavors to realize my own identity."

"How long have you been alive?" the priestess asked now, moving from her begging posture to look at Catarina's eyes.

"You would not know of that time, but back then it was called the Silver Millennium. They actually spoke your dialect, which it did not take me long to discover I was quite fluent in…"

The group was dumbstruck behind the panel. They had heard her words, and looked to one another.

"Do any of you remember her?" Mina asked, as Luna and Artemis even shook their heads. "I wonder why she didn't get sent through time like the rest of us."

"We're still stuck at who is she," Lita reminded her. "She apparently knew Darien. Can someone call him?"

"I'm on it," Mina said, whipping out a cell phone.

"I'm going in," Amy said. "Raye is going to need help convincing her…"

"But we can help you with your identity!" Raye said. "I can ask the fires for assistance."

"There is no need to trouble yourself with such frivolous matters," Catarina said. "Honestly, it would probably be of little help. Believe me I've tried before."

"Hello there," Amy poked in. She stepped beyond Raye's form and looked at Catarina. "So, how old are you?"

"I forgot that panels are walls that truly speak," Catarina laughed. "Older than you'll ever be."

"Actually," Amy said. "Maybe you should let us explain a little more before you judge our ability to assist you."

"We're from the Moon Kingdom," Raye said for her. "We're from that time."

"That would explain quite a bit. But how did you make it here? I thought those of that time had all died."

"Well, Queen Selene sent us into the future with the Silver Imperium Crystal," Amy said. "Why weren't you sent here as well? How much do you remember from then?"

"I don't know. Honestly, that time is quite fuzzy," Catarina admitted. "It's been so long ago—I can hardly remember voices from then, and all I can remember really well was the flowerbed."

"Listen. We can help. We need your help though. Please pretend to be Serena for us so that we can find her and bring her back home."

"I do not know if that is such a great idea. I hardly know her. How can you expect me to be her?" Catarina asked.

"Well, we can take care of the appearance," Amy said. "The rest we can tell you as each situation arises."

"Are you sure that they will not see through your ploy?" Catarina asked.

"You don't have to try very hard to be Serena. But we think that if you can act like her for a little while, we can find out about you. Are you sure your name is Catarina?"

"That is the only thing I am sure of," Catarina replied. "But are you sure about this?"

"We are, only if you are," Raye replied. "Do we have a deal?"

"Somehow I doubt no is an option anymore," Catarina said softly. "Let me see a picture of Serena."

The two smiled some, as Amy rushed for a photo.

"I thank you so much," Raye said.

"Don't feel guilty about it," Catarina said simply.

"Huh?" Raye asked.

"About the kidnapping. You were there, weren't you? Isn't that what you said?"

"Yes, but," Raye started, as Catarina smiled for the first time.

"Silly girl. You can't undo what's been done. You can only move forward. So move forward and go find her. I definitely do not plan on being this Serena character forever," Catarina laughed. She then stood, and met abruptly with the dashing Amy, looking at the photograph she now held in her hands. "The pigtails are key, as is the outfit. Do you have any clothes of hers here?"

"We picked up her uniform from her parents this morning while you were sleeping," Amy replied. "Lita! Grab one of Serena's outfits!"

"On it," Lita's voice replied. When Amy turned back to face Catarina, she had already placed her hair up in the pigtails. In fact, there really was nothing that was different in terms of appearance between the two girls. The fact that Serena was their beloved Sailor Moon, and this girl was not, was hard to make note when Lita gave her the clothes to change into. The three were stunned when this girl, who acted nothing like Serena, was like her total twin…

"This is your room," the younger woman, Aspera, said bluntly. "This is where you slept."

"Why is the queen making her give me a tour?" Serena thought bitterly.

"Why is the queen making me give her a tour?" Aspera thought. "This princess hardly remembers her own name, let alone the odds that she knows the palace anymore."

"Aspera!" a voice shouted, as Serena and Aspera stopped mid-tour. A man skated to them, and looked at Serena with loving eyes.

"My Catarina, you indeed are home at last," he said, as Serena shook her head.

"I am not Catarina. My name is Serenity from the Moon Kingdom."

"She does not remember quite who she is," Aspera explained. "She's been saying that ever since she arrived."

"My Princess, please forgive my intrusion," the man said, walking away. Serena looked at him, wondering who he was.

"That was your future husband, Knight Terrance. It must be horrible for him, realizing that his own beloved does not recognize him," Aspera said sadly, leading Serena along.

"Me like him? Is she nuts? Darien is way nicer than him, and on top of that, I'M NOT CATARINA!" Serena screamed in her mind. "But it seems that she's trying to make me feel bad about knowing him. Well sorry Aspera, I don't know him, and that's that!"

Serena followed after her obediently; still afraid of what they would do the moment they realized she had been telling the truth…