Chapter 23

The Moon Kingdom

Amy smoothed out her dress nervously. The vibrant blue silk felt cool beneath her fingers as she pushed the layers down nervously, over and over again. She shuffled from one foot to another as Raye crossed the room to join her.

"You look really pale Amy." Raye commented as she adjusted the bodice of her ruby red dress. The neckline was lower than the princess of Mars generally wore but fit her small form perfectly. The sleeves fell delicately off her shoulders, exposing her slender neck and shoulders.

Amy felt a twinge of jealousy. Raye was so confident with herself. She was outspoken, friendly yet fierce and merciless during training. "I'm okay." Amy finally replied.

"I think she's nervous." Mina stated as she joined the two girls. She twirled before them, her dark amber skirts flowed around her ankles before settling back to the ground. "A little birdy… told me that you know one of the generals."

"Which one?" Lita asked, intrigued as she skipped over to join the girls.

"Zoisite." Mina answered for her as her deep blue eyes twinkled with delight.

Amy's cheeks flushed a bright red as her fingers continued to smooth down her skirts with a renewed vigor. "I knew him a long time ago… we were kids. My mom would take me to Earth with her and Zoisite was always there, his dad was a delegate. We developed a friendship."

Lita whistled as Raye and Mina exchanged excited glances.

"I haven't seen him in years, not since he joined the service." Amy stated hurriedly. "He probably won't even remember me."

"Forget you?" Lita scoffed as she looped her arm around Amy's. "How could he forget a princess? Especially you!"

Amy, if possible, turned even redder.

"Alright." Serena stated as she entered the room, waving away the other girls from Amy. "Leave her alone, the generals and Prince Endymion should be here any minute."

Lita's eyes turned dreamy as she waltzed over to join Raye and Mina. "I wonder if any of them are single— "

Mina giggled as she cast a look at Serena. "Well, we know Endymion is. Why else would he be hanging around the Moon?"

It was Serena's turn to blush as one of the Moon guards entered the room. "Prince Endymion and his generals." The guard announced as he bowed to Serena.

Serena nodded politely to the guard as the other princesses all joined her side, each attempting in vain, to shield their excitement.

Prince Endymion strolled into the room, his confident smirk present on his face. He wore his soldier's uniform, proudly displaying the insignia of the Earth over his chest. His dark hair, perfectly styled, accentuated his vivid sapphire blue eyes that focused straight on Serena. Behind him four other men followed, each wearing matching gray uniforms that held the same insignia. They came to a stop in a straight line behind him, their heads bowed respectfully to the five princesses before them.

"Princess Serena." Prince Endymion stated as he bowed to Serena took her hand, bringing it to his lips.

Serena's grin grew wider as she felt Endymion's lips brush against the back of her hand, sending a flurry of electricity shooting through her veins. "Prince Endymion, it is a pleasure to have you at the Moon Palace again. The Moon is indebted to you and your generals for the generous service you are to provide. Allow me to introduce the Sailor Scouts… Princess Lita of Jupiter, Princess Raye of Mars, Princess Mina of Venus and Princess Amy of Mercury."

Each princess curtsied to Endymion as they were introduced.

"It is a pleasure to be of service." Endymion stated with a wide grin. His gaze had only briefly left Serena's as the other princesses were introduced. "I have my closest friends with me to help train your Sailor Scouts." Endymion stated as he gestured to the four men behind him. "This is Kunzite, Jadeite, Nephrite and Zoisite. They may seem young but they're well trained and are some of Earth's best warriors."

"Thank you." Serena replied with a polite curtsy to the generals. She turned back to Endymion. "Shall we begin?"

Thirty minutes later everyone was outside in the fields outside of the gardens, ready to begin training. Mina was paired with Kunzite, Raye with Jadeite, Lita with Nephrite and Amy with Zoisite. Serena watched as each general worked with the scouts, showing them how to defend themselves against an attack. Endymion was beside her, his arms crossed as he carefully examined everyone's movements.

"They're doing well." Endymion remarked as he nodded to them. "They'll be ready within the next few months."

"They're fast learners." Serena remarked as she watched Amy blush as Zoisite put his arms around her, showing her how to properly raise her arms up to defend herself. "Do you think we will have enough time?"

"This dark enemy is growing stronger." Endymion remarked. "We must train quickly and efficiently."

Serena felt a shiver run up her spine. Charon. Endymion had mentioned that it was the first to fall under attack. Her thoughts wandered to Nikko. Weeks had passed and still no word from him. Was he lost to the darkness as well? Had she truly been deceived?

"Princess." A voice said from behind her.

Serena spun around to see Fabian standing just feet from her. His expression was grim, as if he didn't want to be outside talking to her.

"Prince Fabian." Serena said as she curtsied politely. Endymion gave Fabian a stiff bow which Fabian returned.

"May I have a word?" Fabian inquired. His gaze was on Endymion, not Serena as he spoke.

"Certainly." Serena replied with a quick glance at Endymion. His eyes narrowed as Fabian spoke but he didn't respond.

Fabian offered Serena his arm which she took and together they walked to the opposite end of the garden.

"You are looking well." Serena commented as silence fell between them. The sounds of the scouts and the generals practicing began to fade as they pulled away from the lower levels of the garden.

"As are you." Fabian replied though his expression remained grim. "I was wondering if you had heard from Nikko."

"No." Serena stated. "Nothing at all."

"That's what I feared." Fabian stated as they came to the stone balcony that overlooked the lower gardens. He led her to the edge so they could peer down at the scouts and generals below. Serena watched as Mina sent an attack at Kunzite which he easily deflected.

"Have you heard anything from home?" Serena asked.

"No, not a word from anyone. My own father hasn't been replying to my letters. Queen Serenity won't allow me to leave so I can't even go to see if everyone is okay." Fabian said, agitated. His fingers clenched the rail of the balcony tightly, turning his knuckles white.

"Endymion… he said that darkness has overcome Charon." Serena whispered, unsure if Fabian was aware of the rumors swirling around the galaxy.

"Nonsense." Fabian said with a half chuckle. "Our warriors are strong and our kingdom is strong. My father would not fall so easily."

Serena's grip tightened on Fabian's arm as she felt her heart sink. "Fabian, you know something is wrong. You know something is off…"

He shook his head with another chuckle but she could see the doubt in his eyes.

"I need to get home princess." Fabian he told her as he released her arm to face her. "I need your help."

"Mina is going home at the end of the week." Serena whispered. "You should accompany her."

"Venus won't get me to Charon." Fabian replied with a raised eyebrow.

"No." Serena admitted as a smile tugged at the corner of her lips. "But it will get you off of the Moon."

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Serena's heavy skirts kicked up a cloud of dust as she walked, leaving a clear trail through the ruins of what had once been the Moon Palace. She moved in silence, vaguely aware of the generals and Darien following closely behind. Their heavy footfalls faded into the background as her thoughts took over. It was hard to accept that her beautiful kingdom had been reduced to almost nothing, especially with her memories of the Silver Millennium returning to her so vividly. She knew that she was in the gardens, at least what was left of them. Piles of broken stone littered the ground but no signs of life remained. No flowers, no billowing willow trees or sturdy oaks… nothing was left. It was if the Moon Kingdom had never existed.

"Even after all this time, you can still find our spot…" Darien whispered from behind her.

Serena felt a shudder tear through her as the realization sank in. She could see the faint outline of the large fountain that had stood before the wall of ivy. The stones had crumbled but still formed the circle. This was their spot. The spot that held so much meaning to her: the spot where she had been saved by Nikko, where they shared their last kiss and said goodbye, where Endymion found her and pledged his loyalty, and where she realized it was him that she belonged to…

Those thoughts didn't bring her comfort. The past several weeks had clearly demonstrated her level of selfishness. She was angry that it had taken this long for her to realize that this battle wasn't about her or the men in her life but the people of Earth. Sailor Moon and the sailor scouts had a job to do, a job that was far from finished. She had allowed herself to become distracted. She had let the dark energy fester within her to the point that she had willingly left her team to be with a man she didn't truly love.

"Serena…" Darien began as he came to a stop just inches behind her. "We need to talk—"

"Not now." Serena remarked as she kept her gaze forward, refusing to look him in the eye.

"If not now then when? When you run off to Nikko again or get yourself killed by running into battle when you can't transform?" Darien asked as he walked around her to face her directly. His dark sapphire eyes caught hers.

Serena felt her resolve beginning to weaken. "Darien please, I can't even begin to sort through the mess that is our relationship. If that's what you can even call it." She stated as she felt a twinge of anger. "Don't you have a girlfriend anyway?"

"Maybe we'll just go wait over there—" Jadeite stated as Zoisite, Kunzite and Nephrite all changed directions to quickly vacate the area.

Darien ignored them as he took a step towards Serena. "Idra and I broke up."

"How convenient. Enjoy the single life, you've earned it." Serena stated sarcastically.

"Serena, stop pretending like you don't care. I think we both know that we belong together." Darien stated as he reached for Serena's hand.

She quickly backed away from him. "Just stop! You're the one who broke up with me! You're the one who pushed me away. "

"I suffered too." Darien stated as he lunged forward and took hold of her forearms, pulling her to face him as she attempted to pull away. "I didn't leave you because I stopped loving you. I left you because it was the only way I could protect you!"

"Protect me from what?" Serena asked as tears began to fill her eyes. She felt her body begin to shake as his hands gripped her tightly, pulling her closer. "Your other girlfriends?"

"From Raven." Darien whispered as his voice broke. "Pluto had a vision, actually it wasn't a vision, it was a scene of the future… She saw Raven's return. She saw the death and destruction she was going to bring to Earth. She saw all of our friends die, fighting her and she.. she…" He trailed off as his eyes began to water.

"What?" Serena whispered, her tone had changed completely." What did she see?"

"Queen Raven won. She took over and turned the galaxy dark. She took your life last so you could watch everyone die and watch our world fall to ruin and evil. Serena, I couldn't let that happen. The only reason Raven is here, is because of me. I stopped her once, I can stop her again, but I won't let her harm the people that I care about." Darien whispered as his hands slid down Serena's arms and back to his sides. His eyes bore into hers as his jaw set with determination. "I won't allow Nikko to take what isn't his either. Serena, to hell with Pluto's visions and to hell with the wrath of my insane mother… I love you and we belong together. We can't keep letting others get in the way of our relationship anymore. I should never have hurt you, I should never have allowed myself to be convinced that we don't belong together. Serena, you deserve so much better than the man that is standing before you here, right now in this moment but I promise you that I will never hurt you again. I will protect you and love you until my last breath."

Serena felt tears filling her eyes as he spoke. She could hear his voice shaking as he moved closer to her, his eyes settling on her form with a deep longing that he could no longer deny. She wanted to slap him, she wanted to yell and scream about all the nights she stayed up crying over his abandonment. She wanted to run away from him and the complicated relationship the two of them had that she wasn't even sure she wanted to jump back into. As her mind ran through endless scenarios she felt Darien's right hand gripping her hips, pulling her against his broad chest as his other hand went to the back of her neck. She could feel warmth radiating from his fingertips setting the nerves in her skin on fire as his hands drew her closer and closer.

"Say you love me." He whispered to her as their foreheads touched.

Serena exhaled deeply as she felt his heart beating wildly through his black shirt. She could feel her own heart matching the beat of his, beating so fast that it felt as if she was about to faint. "Darien, it's not that simple."

"Say you love me." He repeated as his fingers ran through her hair, trickling down to her spine.

"We can't just go back to being a couple." Serena whispered as she felt a shiver run up her back.

"Say you love me Serena." He stated a third time. This time his hands slid up her back to cup her shoulders, pulling her as close as possible to him.

Serena's knees began to feel weak as his lips brushed against her forehead, her temple, her cheek and finally to her waiting lips. She felt a flood of emotion overcome her and it was if a huge weight was lifted off her shoulders. Being with Darien felt so right in ways that being with Blake and Nikko never did. Her doubts began to trickle away as easily as water would through her fingers as she felt Darien's kiss intensify.

"I hate to interrupt you two." Kunzite stated as he approached Serena and Darien. "But it's getting dark, we should head below."

Darien and Serena both jumped as Kunzite spoke but quickly regained themselves.

"Wait, if the other scouts are here where are they? Where is everyone?" Serena asked finally as she turned to face the generals that were purposefully not facing them.

"The lower level." Kunzite replied grimly. "They're raiding what is hopefully, a well-stocked armory."

"Good." Serena commented as she cast another look around them. She felt the hairs on the back of her neck stand up as if someone's unwelcome eyes were following her every move. She felt herself take a few steps closer to the generals. "We should go join them but first, what can you tell me about Queen Raven?" She hadn't forgotten Darien's earlier statements about Pluto's vision.

"She's a formidable foe." Jadeite replied nonchalantly. His blue eyes settled on hers. "No one has ever defeated her on the battlefield."

"That can't be true." Serena remarked as her forehead wrinkled in confusion. "She was supposedly asleep when the Negaverse fell…"

"She was put to sleep but never actually defeated." Nephrite corrected with a glance at his comrades. "She was tricked."

"By whom?" Serena inquired.

"Me." Darien stated as he shoved his hands into his pockets. "Just before Beryl took over. I couldn't stop both of them… but I knew if there was one that needed to go, it was Queen Raven."

"You are right about that." A voice said from behind Serena.

The generals jumped in front of Darien and Serena as Fabian walked into view, seemingly appearing out of thin air. He wore a sharp hunter green uniform complete with a pair of shiny black leather boots. His dark hair was combed back, away from his face. His dark green eyes focused on Serena and Darien, peering at them as if the generals weren't obscuring his view.

"Endymion." Fabian smirked as he gave him a curt nod. "Queen Raven is pleased that you made it off Charon in one piece."

Darien snorted as his gaze settled on Fabian. "Tell the Queen that she needs to regain control of her attack dogs and get the hell off my planet."

Fabian shrugged carelessly as he began to approach them. "I have no quarrel with you Endymion." He stated, holding up his hands defensively. "However, I do have a message to relay from your mother. She asks again that you join her and regain your position as prince of Earth. You are her heir and only son. She wants to have the opportunity to start over again, fresh—"

Serena's turned to face Darien. His jaw was set, as if he were clenching his teeth in agitation. "Tell her no thanks." He said softly as a vein began to bulge in his forehead. "And remind her I'm not her son."

"I'm not sure that's the answer she was looking for." Fabian remarked with a half shrug. "Sorry to do this…"

Serena screamed as she felt something grab her from behind. The generals and Darien had been so preoccupied with Fabian that no one noticed Femi approaching them from behind. She grabbed Serena around the middle and pulled her, screaming and thrashing, back to an open portal. Serena watched as the generals and Darien all scrambled to get to her but they wouldn't reach her in time. She reached for Darien's hand as she felt herself falling backwards with Femi's strong grip on her waist. 'I love you.' She mouthed as their fingertips brushed for a brief moment before she vanished.