Ok. Wow...long time no see. Well, first off. My laptop literally fried itself and I was left with nothing for over 3 months now. I finally got it back a few weeks now and I had to go back and put everything back on it again. There was literally nothing left on the damn thing and I had no disks to save anything on, so I had to wipe everything off and hope for the best. So yeah, now I have to rebuild everything from scratch. Daunting task to say the least. So it might take me a while until I can get back into swing, but I did have 3 chapters that I had saved before it killed itself. I swear, this computer finds new and exciting ways to piss me off... Thanks for the patience.

I don't own Sailor Moon. If I did, I would have destroyed this latop ages ago...

Collides With Beauty

By: Rini

Chapter 12: From the Damage

He stretched out his arm, hoping to wrap around soft skin and draw in the warmth to his body. Yet, his arm didn't make contact with anything at all. He reached out once more and felt around, but only cool sheets met his search. His eyes shot open quickly and they searched frantically. No one was anywhere to be seen.

Panicking, Darien threw the sheets off and shot out of bed. The sudden moves caused his earlier injuries to flare up and he fell back down on the bed. Taking in gulps of much needed air, he stood up again although much slower. He looked in the bathroom and found nothing, so then he decided to go into the living room and search there. Walking slowly with an arm wrapped firmly around his ribs, Darien strode into an empty room.

His eyes looked for any form of movement, butcame up withnothing. His thoughts strayed to darker ideas, but he quickly pushed them away. He had just rebuilt the foundation of his relationship and he already jumped to the worse conclusion. But he couldn't find the strength to beat himself up with. Somewhere, in the very back of his mind, he felt he almost justifiedto jump to such ideas.

Noticing out of the corner of his eyes something moving around, Darien turned his attention there and saw the balcony door was left open and the curtains were swaying about in the breeze. He calmly walked over to the doors and felt a sense of dread overcome him. Had she been kidnapped? Or did she escape through here?

Figuring he had little else left to do, Darien walked through the open doors and stepped into the burning hot summer day. The sun was high above in the sky and lit everything on fire with its intense heat. It was one of those cloudless days that just drained every ounce of strength in your body should you be daring enough to venture out into the sun all day. Darien held his arm up over to cover his eyes and tried to search around for any sign of anything odd.

A sound of ruffling caught his attention behind him and Darien quickly turned and conjured a rose. He held his arm up and was ready to strike should anything come at him, but once again everything was silent and still. He heard yet another sound and something land on the railing. He turned and threw the rose in one fluid motion. The image dissolved and he heard the sound of laughter.

" Do you really think that could stop me?"

" I was worried you left again."

" And here I thought we had some trust built between us."

Darien turned and saw a silhouette of a woman with long hair ruffled by the soft stream of wind. Her features were lost, but he knew them better than anyone. He took a few steps closer to her and suddenly her cool look of indifference was seen to his eyes. Her silver-blue eyes were expressionless and her pose was something he tied to a deer spotted by hunters, waiting for a moment to flee.

" You should have waken me up," Darien reprimanded.

" It is really no difference to you what I do or what I will choose to do in the future. I don't need you to ok my decisions."

Darien grew hot with anger, but quickly pushed it away," Could you have at least left a note?"

" You shouldn't even be out of bed," Imperial Moon said with a flick of her hair," So I thought I'd leave you here to rest."

" So where did you go?"

" I have loose ends to tie up."

" Daddy!"

Darien turned and was instantly tackled by a small fluff of pink. Rini wrapped her arms around his waist and buried her face against him. Her small tears soaked into his pants and he bent down to pick her up. Her face looked so sad, but it swiftly perked up once she was lifted into his arms. She cuddled against his chest and kept whispering over and over how much she missed him.

" I had to make sure she was safe," Imperial replied softly.

" I'm glad she's ok," Darien answered as he tucked a strand of hair behind her small childish ears.

" Rini. I need you to do what I asked you ok?"

Rini turned her head and nodded at Imperial. Darien let her down to the ground and she bowed to them both. She walked into the apartment and left her parents to themselves.

" She was there when it all happened."

Darien sat down on the couch on the balcony," So she knows what happened?"

" To an extent. She knows that you died and that I was about to surrender myself to the Crystal, but like myself and you, she knows nothing past the point when the Crystal was activated."

" So she has no idea what the other light was?"

" I highly doubt it. She only knows what she was there for, which isn't a lot. Same with Luna and Artemis."

" I assume you went to them this morning too?"

" They were both at my house with Rini. I had assumed that after the light died away we all went back to where we were before all this started. Rini, Luna, and Artemis returned to my house. You and I ended up back to where we needed to be. Your apartment."

" So you want to know where the Scouts are?"

" A warrior always knows where his soldiers are."

" Then I guess you'll be going to the shrine."

" Take care of her until I get back. Don't wait up for me."

Imperial Moon turned around and kneeled down. She was about ready to drop down to take off to the shrine, but Darien stood up and grabbed her hand.

" Promise you'll be back."

" Like I said, I have loose ends to tie up. Take care of her."

With that, Imperial jumped off of the roof and disappeared before Darien even had a chance to look over the edge.

It was white. White everywhere. There were no feelings or thoughts. Just the stark bleached white. Mina felt herself as if she were floating in a dream. She could feel the weightlessness of her body and the lightheaded, disjointed thoughts stream through her mind. At the moment, all she could do was smile.

" You have to wake up."

" I like it here."

" You can't stay there forever. You have to open your eyes."

" I like the white. I want to stay here."

" You mustn't. You have to remember who you are. You have to get up now."

Mina slowly opened her eyes and the white started to crack and shattered. Color splashed everywhere and dripped, like paint thrown against a wall. At first, none of it seemed to make a clear picture, but soon enough she was able to see a pair of concerned emerald eyes and intense violet.

Mina clutched her head," I was having such a nice dream too."

Raye shrugged and put her hands on her hips," Last time I save you."

Lita laughed to herself," Sorry Mina, but you had to wake up or else you'd be trapped in that dream forever."

" What do you think that dream was? Did you have it too?"

Lita nodded her head," It was all white and I felt like I was just floating along without a care in the world."

" What do you think caused us to have that dream?" Raye asked.

" I believe it was the Silver Crystal."

Amy sat down outside on a step, a couple feet away from the others, typing furiously away at her mini computer.

" You really think so?"

Amy pulled off her glasses and pushed them back up on her head," Think about it. What was the last thing you can remember?"

" I remember seeing Serena," Lita started," She was insane and evil. I remember trying to get her away from Diamond and then he gave her that huge sword to fight us with. Everything else after that is a little fuzzy."

Amy nodded," Serena was possessed by Diamond and brainwashed by his will. He used her to attack Darien and us. Once she got us out of her way, Diamond forced her to attack Darien. I can't say I remember much after that, but I do remember a bright light that I briefly saw right before I slipped back into unconsciousness."

" You think Serena activated the Crystal?"

" Whose to say she didn't activate it while still possessed?" Raye questioned.

Mina stood up," We're all alive. That's how we know."

" Mina is correct. I believe the Crystal, if under evil influence, would certainly not have kept us alive and healed us. If she was still under his influence, then we wouldn't be talking right now."

" But wait," Lita sighed," This is confusing. Whose to say she could even use it if she wasn't in control? Isn't it possible the Crystal can't be used unless it's used for good? Can the Crystal really be used for evil?"

Amy fixed her glasses down again," My guess is no. I don't think the Silver Crystal is capable of making evil wishes. I think it can only grant pure ones."

" So then that means that Serena had to be freed from Diamond before she used it," Mina concluded.

" Well without us actually finding her, I can't be entirely sure."

" Amy's right. For all we know, she might haven been freed and Diamond captured her all over again. She might not be here anymore again."

Just then Lita stood up, interrupting Raye's train of thought. She looked out the doors of the Fire Room and narrowed her eyes.

" Lita?"

" Something's out there. I just saw a shadow move across the door."

" It might have been my Grandpa."

" I highly doubt it," Lita responded as she clutched her transformation pen in her hand and strode quickly to the door.

She looked to both the left and right before walking down the steps and standing in the main open yard in the back of the shrine. From here, she clutched her pen tightly and her hands flexed before forming fists. She kept searching every tree branch, rock, and crevice for any signs of the shadow she had seen. Nothing seemed to be out of place, but a chill ran down her spine that deemed otherwise.

The other girls formed a circle with their backs to each other with Lita, each clutching their pens as convulsively as the mighty champion of Jupiter. Lita noticed a shadow move swiftly from a tree branch to the ground. She nudged Amy who attempted to scan the area, but she shook her head. Suddenly, Mina gasped as she saw another glimpse of the shadow jump to the roof and the faint outline of a person before it faded into obscurity.

" Didn't you all see that!" Mina pointed to the roof," It went to the roof and then I saw a person."

" My scanner can't find anything negative in the area," Amy said frustrated.

" Up there. It's back up on the roof," Lita shouted.

Everyone gazed up at the roof and saw the distinct outline of person. The person got up from a kneeling position and held up their hand. The girls prepared themselves for an attack they thought was coming, but nothing happened. The figure jumped up into the air and disappeared without a trace.

" Who was that?"

" Do you think it might have been Diamond trying to trick us?" Mina asked, worry lacing her voice.

" No. That was definitely a woman. It couldn't have been Diamond. Not to mention my computer can't pick up any traces of negative energy."

Mina frowned," I wonder if it was her."

" Just who else would it be Mina?" a mysterious voice called out.

Everyone turned around and saw a sight they thought they might never see again. There was Serena leaning against the cherry blossom tree. Her face was calm, showing the training she was subjected to as royalty. She wore a pair of dark blue shorts with a green sash tied around as her belt. She had on a nice emerald green tank top with her hair kept up in a ponytail, curls still cascading down her back and spilling past her shoulders. She got up and took a few steps, demonstrating her exact poise and grace.

" You all look so pale, as though you've just seen a ghost," Serena spoke, a slight edge of humor pushing into her voice making her lips nearly curl to a smirk.

They found themselves unable to react. They each gazed at her as though they were starved and needed what only she could give. Raye was the first to move after the long, charged minute. She walked slowly towards the figure that was still smirking at them.

Raye bowed her head, bangs covering her eyes," Serena."

Suddenly, Raye launched herself at Serena and wrapped her arms around her tightly and cried as she refused to let go. Serena's arms were stuck to her sides due to Raye's grip on her and found herself unable to move at all. Her face lit up with shock. Was Raye seriously crying against her? Did she really worry about her that much? Was there more to Raye that she simply never showed to her?

Serena's brow furrowed. She felt guilty that she caused Raye so much grief, let alone all the other girls as well. She had realized a long time ago that what she was doing might seem selfish, but she had never really noticed the true after affects of her actions. Perhaps she was being more selfish than she ever thought. Maybe she should have come clean with them about her plan ages ago. Maybe she should have told them the truth about her death and rebirth. Maybe they had truly learned their lesson after all.

Truly?

" You stupid, stupid Meatball Head," Raye half cried and half scolded.

Serena let her cool demeanor fade and she lifted her arms up as much as she could, and she wrapped her arms around her as well.

" I know. I'm a million kinds of fool. Yet that's me, the Meatball Head."

Raye pulled away, a smile gracing her features and making her whole face light up. She wiped away her tears furiously.

" You made me cry. No one ever makes the Scout of Fire cry."

" Then add that to my tab of other things I've done."

The other girls smiled and embraced Serena as well. Mina grabbed her hand and led her into the Fire Room behind the others. Serena had to let herself another rare smile due to the familiarity and normalcy she had been seriously lacking in her life up until now. She noticed how the room still smelled of the lavender incense Raye used in her meditation. The pillows were still situated around the table as before, with her seat taking up three instead of one, and still in the position she had last left them. The Sacred Fire flickered brightly and she could feel the waves of tranquility the fire gave off, taking the edge off her reservations and allowing her peace of mind.

" Some things certainly never change," Serena whispered to herself with her eyes closed.

" Some things certainly do," Amy whispered back, lightly tapping Serena's closed hands.

" We thought we lost you for a while there," Lita said.

" Well, we all have our moments of weakness."

" Just how did you end up with Diamond?" Raye asked.

" You're all getting ahead of yourselves. Do any of you remember how you ended up back here?"

" The Silver Crystal right?" Mina replied," We figured the Crystal did it."

" In our last battle, I regained my consciousness after I had attacked Darien with my sword. When Darien was dying, I saw a golden light and then I saw four other lights as well. Do any of you know the lights of which I speak?"

Amy tilted her glasses," Darien mentioned a golden light. That must have been him. Which then means the other four lights must have been us."

Serena nodded," The light of each of your planets is a unique signal you each give off. I was temporarily blinded, but your powers helped to call me back to remember who I was. That's what helped me to return again. The light you each gave off was strong enough to make me shake the last of Diamond's control."

" So then what happened?"

" I transformed back to my original princess dress and ran to Darien's side. I saw him dying and the damage I had done to each of you. I couldn't allow myself to let it end that way. So, in a fit of rage and sorrow, I called on the crystal to make my last wish. But I had a dilemma."

" To stop Diamond or save us," Raye added.

" Yes. Diamond knew I didn't have enough power to do both things. He goaded me into attacking him, which he knew would have been pointless anyway. By this time, Rini, Luna, and Artemis were there and I realized I had no choice. I had to save the lives of my friends. I was willing to sacrifice myself for the greater good of humanity."

Mina struggled for breath," You mean you died?"

" I didn't. I made my wish to save all of you, but then something completely unexpected happened. There was another light. This light seemed to stop my wish of trading my life for yours and saved me. Whatever the light was, it was combined and powerful enough to complete my wish to save all of us and hit Diamond. He is still alive, but it still attacked him."

" Another light? Another Crystal?" Amy questioned.

" Impossible. There is only one Silver Crystal."

" It didn't exactly feel like the Silver Crystal, but it was just as pure. It's like its only purpose was to save my life, to prevent me from dying."

" Does that mean that someone made a wish to save Serena's life?" Lita asked.

" But who else would have made that kind of wish? All the rest of us were unconscious."

Serena pondered the idea," Whatever it was is really not on the forefront right now. Rubeus and Emerald are dead. Whatever Diamond has planned is sure to involve me again. He's getting desperate and he knows it."

" Then we'll protect you as best we can. You are our Princess and our friend. We'll be by your side."

Serena stood up and replaced her look of iciness," It doesn't matter to me what you do. I am perfectly capable of dealing with this on my own. I have no need for your help. I have everything under control and I came here to let you all know to stay out of my way. I have my own design and it doesn't include any of you. I will do what I deem necessary and none of you are going to stop me. If you stand in my way, I will stop you."

The girls all stood flabbergasted. Was this girl really the one who had been smiling just moments before?

Raye jumped up, her face contorted in rage," How can you say that? We risk our lives for you and this is what you tell us? We are your protectors and that's what we are going to continue to do. We are your friends. We care about you. How can you be so heartless?"

" I am going to do whatever I need to. I came here so that all of you wouldn't do something stupid. I came here to warn you. Don't get cocky and think that just because Rubeus and Emerald are gone that it's going to get easier. It's going to get a lot worse before it gets better."

Serena stood up and walked out of the Fire Room. Mina sat there with a deep frown on her beautiful sunny face. She got up and followed after Serena, who was currently back in the courtyard.

" Please. Wait."

Serena stopped and sighed," Mina."

" Why won't you stay with us? I know we haven't always done the best to encourage you or help you. You know we care about you so much."

" I know that. But none of you can accept me for what I am. I am not just a princess. I'm not just a sailor scout. I am Serena. I wasn't anything other than a normal girl trying to live a normal life and it just wasn't enough for you. I couldn't please either of you and now you will never know the hell I walked though. The trials I faced were burdens that I'll forever carry. None of you can accept me as a whole, as a truth, until you can learn the meaning of forgiveness. Mina, I am sorry."

Mina bowed her head," I understand Serena. I am sorry as well."

" Don't apologize until you can fully understand why you must."

Serena quickly transformed into Imperial Moon and was ready to bound off.

" Wait! Is he with you?"

" He's back at his apartment," Imperial Moon answered," We went where we were all needed to go. Rini, Luna, and Artemis went back to my house. You and the girls came back to the shrine. Darien and I returned to his apartment."

" So he's ok?"

" He'll live. Just a little worse for wear now."

" Does this mean?"

Imperial Moon turned and leapt up high into the air. She grabbed onto the edge of the roof and swung herself up. Next thing you knew, she had already dashed back into the heart of the city.

Mina stood there a moment longer and sent a prayer to her princess and closest friend. The Scout of Love and Beauty also sent out another pair. A prayer that whatever kept true love apart, would soon disappear.

" Our princess is fading, but I know that golden light can save her again. It brought her back from the darkness once."

Imperial Moon stood atop the Tokyo Tower once more. The long sapphire ribbon of her bow wrapped around her legs and tickled her. She sat down and just watched the city. The people, completely oblivious to the dangers of the world, would never know the sacrifices she made for their sake. Somehow it made her heart sink further, knowing she put those she loved in danger the more she tried to distance herself from them.

A faint glimmer of light, nothing more than a trick of the sunlight, reflected behind Imperial Moon. Should one look closer, you could make out the faint outline of long twin streamers of golden hair and a white ball gown. A faint mark graced the features of the figure and a hand rested on Imperial's shoulder.

" We knew this was going to be hard. We just have to pick ourselves up and recover from the damage."