Disclaimer: I don't own Sailor Moon.

Summary: The Moon Kingdom ended…. In war… In pain… yet it was some how different… something was changed.

'Till the end.' -
by: Sirenic Griffin

Part Two

"Aphrodite, I'm bored." Serenity said as she fumbled with her white dress gown.

"Serenity, it's not that bad." Serenity looked at her shrewdly.

"Mother is always protecting me. I want to fight!" She said punching the air mockingly; the leader of the inner senshi rolled her eyes.

"Come on Serenity, think realistically. You aren't old enough to have completed your training." Serenity glowered at her.

"Yeah Serenity, Aphrodite is right, while Hermes, her and I have been training to fight, you had to train for the court. That training finishes soon and that's when you learn to fight, you have to wait." Serenity blinked as she looked at Ares comforting face.

"Serenity, she's right 'Patience is a virtue'" Serenity whirled to face the blunette and smiled.

"So I'll have to wait!" She said and lay on her bedspread; her scouts looked at her and smiled.

"I wish Jupiter and Saturn were here. It's so much more interesting." She said looking up at the roof. Ares rolled her eyes.

"Just because Ares and Jupiter have different opinions." Hermes said typing into her computer.

"Of course!" Serenity said sitting up.

Footsteps were heard outside the door and Venus drew her sword and stood in front of the senshi. Mercury put away her laptop and picked up her harm - ready, her harp may not look like a weapon but it was a talisman that helped to focus her ice and water-like powers. Mars drew her bow in preparation. Serenity jumped behind to the other side of the bed, her blue eyes watching from the other side of the blanket.

Suddenly the door came crashing open. Standing there stood one man. His long straight white hair draped over his shoulder and his uniform looking beautiful.

"Kunzite!" Venus whispered beginning to lower her sword but a cruel smirk appeared upon her lovers face.

"Not anymore Aphrodite." The blond blinked as he slowly drew his twin swords and took a step backwards.

"My Eternally Beautiful Queen has renamed me Malachite." Venus cocked her head sideways.

"Queen? Gaia?" She said bemused and Kunzite laughed.

"No, pathetic Aphrodite. Beryl." Her eyes widened and she took a step backwards.

"The traitor who betrayed you all to the Dark Kingdom." She whispered.

"Beryl was no traitor! She was our saviour" Venus's in shock made her step backwards.

"That's lunacy Kunzite." Fury was eminent on the generals' face as he grasped a small knife and threw it at her; gasping Venus caught it and chucked it aside.

"Its Malachite now," He whispered and she blinked and looked at his face. There was no life in his eyes.

"Kunzite what have they done to you?" She whispered and was lucky enough that he didn't hear her.

"I offer you something Aphrodite." Venus looked at him fearful.

"Join us! Join the glorious Dark Kingdom." Revulsion showed across Venus's face.

"The Dark Kingdom fights for everything that I stand against." she said venomously hoping to stir some positive emotion in Kunzite. None came.

"Well then, I take that as a rejection." When the leader of the sailor soldiers nodded her accent he smirked.

"Good, I'd hate to have a pathetic whore like you in the army to distract my soldiers. Only a fool like Kunzite was could only love you." Aphrodite flushed crimson and her brain told her that the man before her was no longer Kunzite but Malachite.

"Mars! Mercury!" She yelled at the pair behind her and they nodded in recognition.

"Get the Princess away." Again they nodded - shock showing on their faces. Shock from 'Malachite' and shock that their leader was going to take him.

"Do you want me to?" Ares said, pushing her black hair out of her eyes.

"You can protect Serenity better." But Venus shook her head.

"No, Malachite is mine." They both blinked at the use of the name and nodded, grabbing Serenity's hand and running. Mars' quiver swinging on her shoulder and Mercury's harp firmly griped in her other hand.

Venus watched them leave through the secret passage and turned to face Malachite who smirked.

"My orders were to try and recruit the sailor senshi toward the dark kingdom and kill Serenity, and if killing Serenity means I have to go through you all the more pleasure." Venus's eyes widened in fury and she pulled her sword into an attack position and Malachite did the same.

"You know, they won't get far." She raised a blonde eyebrow.

"We analysed the tunnel system before the attack. Zoisite is on the other end." Venus swallowed.

"I'll deal with that later." She whispered but Malachite overheard and laughed.

"Come now, you honestly don't think you'll live." Venus glared at him.

"You do? How quaint! You know this is how it's meant to be. The Leader of the Shittenou versus the Leader of the Sailor Senshi." Venus blinked for only a moment when he came rushing at her. Surprised she took a step back and the deadly spar began.

"I hope Aphrodite will be okay..." Whispered Serenity as she travelled in-between her bodyguards.

"She will! Aphrodite can take anything that's dished out to her." Mars replied from behind her confidently.

"I wonder how they got in." Mercury said from before her. Serenity blinked and held her hand to her face thinking.

"I don't know. The palace is impregnable. The only way in or out is through the front door or..."

"Or?" Mercury said confused.

"The secret passages. But only the royal family and our guardians know about these." Mercury nodded.

"So they must've teleported." She replied logically.

"Nope." Both girls turned around to look at Ares.

"What do you mean nope?" They asked.

"It means we have a traitor among us." Serenity blinked her ever trusting eyes.

"That can't be!" She yelled.

"I can't believe it!"

"Believe it." The girls gasped as the tunnel opened out to reveal a honey haired man. His curly hair had been tied back in a ponytail.

"Zoisite!" Mercury stepped forward lovingly but something in his smile stopped her.

"Mercury." He nodded in recognition.

"You wouldn't believe it! We just left Venus with Kunzite. He's betrayed you all for the Dark Kingdom." She began to speak but Zoisite shook his head, still smiling.

"He didn't betray us all Mercury." Her eyes widened.

"You all joined." She said speaking slowly.

"Of course." The man's green eyes glittered dangerously and horror filled her face.

"Hermes?" Zoisite asked, seeing her look of horror.

"Zoisite, why?" Mercury asked with the last of her reserves.

"Beryl is the eternally beautiful queen." He replied automatically and Mercury picked it up immediately.

"You've been brainwashed." She stated plainly, Zoisite's face contorted with pain.

"No I haven't." He replied simply.

"Yes you have." Tears began to appear in her fragile eyes and Serenity's arm wrapped around her shoulder's - supporting her.

"Hermes-hime. Join us." Zoisite replied smiling at her and Mercury gasped.

"I love you Zoisite, more than anything." She said simply and Zoisite began to smirk. "But that was the old you that I loved. The new you, I could never love. I love my kingdom more than enough to try." Zoisite nodded.

"Well that's that." He replied.

"What's what?" She replied fearful.

"I was given two orders: try to convert the senshi and if not kill them and the second was kill the princess at all costs." Mercury gasped.

"MARS!" She yelled and she felt Mars at her shoulder.

"Mercury?" she heard her ask.

"Get Serenity away from here. Me and Venus will meet up with you later." She could feel Mars' reproach. She knew that she wouldn't meet up with her friends again but she knew it was best to spare Serenity that truth.

"Let's go Serenity." And Serenity nodded and they ran back into the tunnel, to try another passage.

"They won't get far." Mercury quietly turned her attention back to Zoisite.

"What?" She whispered.

"I said they won't get far. Jadeite and Nephlite are at the other ends." She looked at him shock but something hit her.

"Don't you mean Nephrite?" She asked curiously.

"No, I mean Nephlite. Our Eternally Beautiful Queen renamed him." Mercury's eyes glazed over and she gripped her harp more securely.

"And so the battle begins?" Zoisite's eyebrows rose and Mercury glared at him and raised a hand to strum her harp and Zoisite's hands thrust forward.

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