A/N- Hello! So I know you waned this updated sooner and I was going to. There just happened to be one problem. I lost my internet connection Thursday morning and just got back online yesterday night. Sorry for the wait, but I have a new modem so hopefully this won't be happening for a while.
serenity11287- It wasn't soon, but it was updated. Thanks for the review!
sereNendy- Sorry about making you hang for so long…
Sunny38- Ya a definite ouch for Sere.
Melody87- Don't worry about it. I hope your trip was fun though. Thanks for your review… for all three of the chapters.
Zoey89- I know it was big, but I couldn't help putting it there. This chapter's ending isn't that bad so you don't have to worry.
Silver Moon Goddess1- Thanks for the review!
X00001- Thanks for the reviews on the other chapters!
cosmoscrystal96- Ya he can be pretty bad when he's trying to get something.
Eternal Cosmic Sailor Saturn- Thanks! Don't worry, I don't plan on stopping any time soon.
Madamoiselle La Lune- Thanks. I'm happy it's one of a kind. Always makes it better then.
Dertupio- I know it was drastic and I'm sorry. No problem on the updating… I love updating probably as much if not more as you guys like me updating.
Starlit Warrior- Don't worry, it's not like she dies. Don't worry I wouldn't kill her. She's going to be fine, you'll see.
"SERENA!" The girls yelled as Diamond pulled the sword out of Serena. Serena looked up, already looking pale, and fell to her knees.
"Get them out of here. Have the men vacate one of the other tents and put them in there." Diamond ordered Rubeus. His general nodded and hustled the girls who were already crying outside of the tent. Diamond looked down at the girl who was slowly dying on the floor, in the middle of his tent.
The blood was pooling around her abdomen and soaking into the furs that were under her. Before the last of the light in Serena's eyes disappeared a golden light developed around her wound before spreading through the rest of her body. Serena closed her eyes and groaned as the light engulfed her. The light became so intense that Diamond had to turn away. When the light started to diminish Diamond turned back to find the light slowly soaking back into Serena's pale body. When the light was completely gone Serena was left lying on the floor. Her skin was almost as pale as the moon and her hair and become silver with gold streaks running through it instead of the gold head she had arrived with. Over all she looked as though she really had died and Diamond had made an error. The only thing that alerted Diamond to the presence of Serena's life was the slow and steady rising and falling of her chest. The cut on her abdomen was healed and all that remained was a bloody tear in her dress.
"My god, I thought Selene was the last of your kind." Diamond muttered. He picked the girl up and placed her onto his own bed of furs. Serena looked at him with dull blue eyes that were swallowed by fatigue. Slowly her eye lids covered her eyes and Serena fell into a deep sleep.
When Serena woke up she was feeling a little better, but her stomach still hurt and she was still weak. She moaned as a cool cloth dampened her forehead and small droplets of water ran down the side of her face. Serena looked over to find Mina taking care of her. "Mina?"
"Shhh, you should not talk yet. You are still very weak from the rebirth." Mina said quietly.
"Where are the others?" Serena asked. She wanted to know what happened to the others. She knew her body's limitations and knew that her body could stand a few questions before it was dragged back to a world of unconsciousness.
"They are fine. Diamond is keeping them in an empty tent next to this one." Mina explained. "They have been bringing us food and none of the men have even walked in. I think Diamond gave them orders to not hurt us."
"Am I still in his tent?"
"No, but he had a medical tent put up next to his though. He comes in every hour to see if you have awakened yet. In fact, he just left." Mina said. "Now go back to sleep. I'll answer more questions and tell you anything I've learned when you wake up. I'll try and get you some food and water as well."
"Thank you." Serena whispered before she fell back to sleep.
Mina kept watch over Serena until Diamond came in again. She could tell he was agitated so she guessed something had not gone to plan. He walked briskly over to Serena's bed and ran his hand down her cheek. "Has she woken up?"
"Yes, she has, but she fell back to sleep within a few minutes." Mina said. She had her head lowered because she did not want to see the man who had kept them all as prisoners and had almost killed her friends.
"When she awakens next time alert me. Am I understood?" Diamond asked.
"Yes."
"Good, I'll be back to check on her."
"Of course." Mina whispered. Diamond trailed his finger down Serena's cheek one more time before starting to walk out of the tent. "My lord, could I have some water and food for her? She will need the energy."
"Of course, I'll have someone bring them in right away." Diamond growled. He threw the flap of the tent open and stalked outside. Mina heard him yell the order out to some poor soldiers before he made his way back to his tent.
"Darien, we'll be marching in an hour." Malachite reported. Darien had locked himself in council room looking at maps and planning out different attacks.
"Thank you. The men are lining up?"
"Aye."
"Let's go then. I want to leave as soon as they are ready." Darien said. Malachite followed his King out of the castle and into the stables where their horses were waiting. Darien jumped onto his black steed while Malachite mounted up his grey appaloosa stallion. The two men rode out of the stables and met with the other generals. They watched as the army grouped together and stood in attendance. "It's time." Darien signaled the generals who sent the message to the troops and the army was soon marching towards Diamond's camp.
"Mina?" Serena groaned as she woke up again.
"You want some food? I have some water as well." Mina answered Serena's call. She brought the tray of food and then the water over to Serena. She helped Serena sit up so she could eat. After Serena was done she laid back down and watched Mina walk around the tent.
"What has been going on?" Serena asked.
"Diamond is agitated about something, but keeps coming in here to check on you. I think another attack is about to happen." Mina explained.
"Any news from anyone? How are the others?"
"No news from the castle. The guards around the tent have been quiet. I haven't seen or talked to the others either." Mina said. She wiped down Serena forehead again before smiling down at her friend. "When was your last rebirth cycle you went through without being forced?"
"Um, when I was home. Since I went through this one it won't happen for a while again. Not unless something else happens." Serena said.
"Well that's good then." Mina said. "How tired are you still?"
"I'm still pretty tired. I should be better tomorrow so don't worry." Serena smiled. She let out a yawn and stretched before falling back to sleep in the cot. Mina smiled at her sleeping friend before walking around the room to stretch her legs.
Mina was about to sit back down next to Serena when two soldiers threw the flaps of the tent open and ran over to Mina. They grabbed her arms and started pulling her outside. "What's going on?" Mina asked. The men said nothing and just kept their course out of the tent. She dug her legs into the ground hoping it would stop the men, but they just lifted her up and kept walking out. As they exited the tent two more men walked into the tent. Mina tried to look behind her to see if they were bringing Serena to the same place, but the men dragged her around a corner so she lost sight of the tent. Mina was thrown into a cart filled with hay. A couple minutes later she heard screaming and fighting coming from the same direction she had just come from. Rei, Lita, and Ami were being dragged to the cart as well and they were giving one hell of a fight.
"Hey! Watch it!" Rei screeched when she was thrown into the cart. Two soldiers jumped into the cart as well, but climbed up to the chair where the reins were. As one man grabbed the reins the other grabbed a blanket and threw it over the girls. The cart lurched forward and they were traveling out of the camp.
"Mina!" Ami said when she saw her friend with them. "Do you know anything?"
"They didn't bring Serena. Two guards went into the tent after I was dragged out, but as you can see she's not here." Mina explained. The girls were silent for a moment before Lita broke the silence.
"Where do you think we're going?" The girls all looked at each other, but no one had the answer. Soon sounds of war were heard and the girls sat up a little bit so they could lift the cover that was on them. They could see the start of the battle. "It looks like Diamond's on defense right now."
"We're going to need to find out where Darien and the others are." Rei said. The others nodded and they tried to look more, but a stick or gun or something long and hard came down on top of them. They all fell back down and groaned.
"Do you think we could roll off the cart? If we can get off the cart we can probably find someone from home that can get us to the generals." Ami said. The girls all looked at each other and nodded. They laid down flat and rolled off the end of the cart.
"That hurt." Lita groaned as she was getting up.
"No kidding." Rei replied. "Come on, we need to go." The girls all got up and ran to the side of the battle. The crept through some of the foliage before they came upon a soldier with their country's colors on. "Soldier!" Rei yelled. The man jumped and aimed his sword at Rei and the others.
"Princess?" The man asked when he got a better look at the group in front of him. Rei nodded and the man lowered his sword.
"We need to get to Darien or the closest General." Rei said. The soldier nodded and signaled for the girls to follow him. He first headed deeper into the forest before starting across the battle field. The group could still hear the sounds of war; metal clinking metal, people screaming as they were killed, and men grunting as their muscles tired.
"It is not much farther, your highness." The man said. The girls didn't say anything, but just kept following their guide. They soon came upon an tented area where men were either being treated for injuries or were resting before they headed back out. As the girls walked through the camp everyone stopped doing what eve they were doing to watch them. Whispers soon rose from the crowd, but Rei and the other girls ignored them. "General Zoicite, I found Princess Rei and her ladies." The soldier said as he entered a tent.
Across from where the stood was Zoicite looking over some maps and books. His head snapped up after the solider spoke and relief flooded his eyes. "Thank you soldier, you are dismissed." The soldier bowed and left the tent. When the man was gone Zoicite ran up to Ami and engulfed her in a hug. "We thought you all to be dead!"
"Why? We were on a cart being led into the battle, but we rolled off. Did something happen to the cart?" Ami asked.
"Diamond sent us word you would be delivered to us in the cart. We were relieved to see it finally pull up. Before anyone could reach you the two soldiers who were driving the cart turned around to reveal torches. They threw them into the cart. It was only a matter of seconds before the cart was incinerated. We thought you were lost in the flames." Zoicite explained.
"Zoi, we need to find the others." Rei said. The general nodded and led them out of the tent. The first person they found was Nephrite who refused to let Lita go once he had her back in his arms. Then they found Jadeite grieving in his tent. He thought Rei was her ghost and not her actual self. It took some yelling, some hitting in Rei's part, and convincing from the others to make Jadeite believe that they were really alive. The last two men they were looking for were found together in Darien's tent. They were discussing revenge plans when the group arrived.
"Mal, Darien, we have something for you." Nephrite said with a smile. The men stepped aside to reveal Mina and the others. Darien hugged his sister and Mina ran over and hugged Malachite.
"What happened? How are you here? The cart, it was destroyed by the fire." Darien rambled.
"We rolled off the cart on the outside of the battle. We were walking through the edge of the trees when we found on of our soldiers and he led us to Zoicite." Mina explained.
"Where's Serena?" Darien asked looking over the group.
The girls all looked at each other with sad eyes before Mina started to talk. "I was taking care of her when Diamond's men came into our tent to take me to the cart. Two other men went in for Serena, but she was never put in the cart with us."
"She's dead?" Darien asked, the hope disappeared from his eyes and he fell heavily into the chair that was next to him.
"No, I don't think she is." Mina said. Darien looked up at Mina, his eyes asking for an explanation.
"Diamond knows what she is. When we first arrived Diamond believed she looked like her mother and pretty much knew she was a phoenix-"
"Wait, Serena was a phoenix?" Jadeite asked.
"Yes, now let Mina continue." Darien snapped.
"Before anyone could do anything Diamond stabbed Serena. It was a fatal wound, but Serena regenerated and healed her body. We were not able to see how she did it because Diamond had us removed from his tent after he stabbed her. She fell unconscious after she healed herself though so Diamond had another tent erected next to his and had her put in there. He came to us asking if we could help her and I had already helped her once so I volunteered. I was with her for two days before we were separated." Mina explained. The tent was silent after her story, no one daring to talk.
"How was she before you left?" Darien asked quietly.
"She was almost completely healed and her energy was coming back. She said she would be able to get up tomorrow. It was just tiring for her to do most things." Mina explained.
"My lords, a message from King Diamond." A soldier said holding a tan parchment. Darien waved his hand and the man walked over to the group. He handed Darien the letter who proceeded to read it.
King Darien
I am a man of my word for the most part. I can assure you the girls were in good health and no one touched them while they were in my care. I had planned on returning them to you after we had come to an agreement where your land would be handed over to me for their lives. Your little surprise attack ruined that and you paid the price. In case their bodies were turned to ashes in that devastating little wagon fire, I want to assure you I still have your phoenix. She is recovering quite well from a little… experiment we held when she first arrived. Have your men retreat back into your stone walls of the pathetic village you call you kingdom and don't make another stupid move like the last one you pulled. Although I do not wish to kill this angel, I will not hold back.
Diamond