Hello, well first I'd like to say thank you so much for your reviewing my last chapter, it really gave me the incentive to complete this chapter. And I'd like to apologize for the editing mistake at the beginning of that chapter, I'm not quite sure what's happened – the original chapter copy does not appear to have that editing mistake...

On a brighter note, I hope you like this chapter and please read and review !! it really boosts morale :D

Chapter 20 - Betrayal

Miadora looked at her guests in amusement. She wasn't afraid or wary – the people she saw before her posed no threat.

Usagi looked at her friend sitting cockily on the throne, and something in her broke. Something was holding Mina captive, just after Mina had come back – something had taken her away from her friends – no her family.

"Mina it's me, please snap out of it" Usagi bawled, tears streamed down her eyes in anguish, Endymion was helping to keep her from falling to pieces – as he always was.

"Mina, come on this isn't like you" Ami pleaded – still dressed as Sailor Mercury,

Kunzite just looked at this woman, this foreign shell of a woman. He was angry, this wasn't his Mina. This was something else – yet his Mina was buried somewhere deep within this person.

"Come on Mina – this isn't you" Nephlyte yelled out in determination, Miadora cocked her head, a smile pursed her lips,

"I welcome you" Miadora spoke, her voice sending a shiver down the spines of everyone that stood there,

"Come on, it's time" Haruka snapped raising her hand to let the space blaster sword appear,
"right" the other outer scouts appeared, each summoning their own weapons.

"What no! You can't seriously be thinking of attacking Mina!" Makoto as Sailor Jupiter yelled at the four,

"We have our duty" Michiru reminded the fragile scout,

"Protect the Queen and King at all costs" Setsuna agreed, nodding her head,

"But at what cost" Usagi whispered, her voice soft yet firm, everyone looked at her, their eyes wide with intrigue – never had the queen talked like this,

"Duty first" Kunzite agreed, appearing now more as a stone statue than an actual man at this moment. Everyone tried to read his expression, to no avail – this was the Kunzite they had known before Mina, the Kunzite who had been nick named the 'stone statue'.

You have to kill me – please

The words ran through each of the inner scouts heads simultaneously, each of them could picture their best friend – the fiery Venusian beauty, each recalling events where she had helped them and each landing on the last event they could recall – when they thought Mina was dead. That was the hardest day of their lives,

We've died before

Rei thought of those last words, they were true in a sense. They hadn't died once, they had died several times and yet were reborn each time – but what guarantee did they have that Mina would be reborn. That she'd come back the way she used to be, the bubbly blonde who would always confuse and muddle up motto's or quote like she had done once upon a time, a small smile appeared on Rei's lips as she recalled that friend. The very friend who had given her advice on her love life, and actually convinced her to go on a date with Jadeite who she had poor opinions of initially - which had led to the hot tempted Martian beauty actually falling in love, yes that's the friend Rei would remember.

Miadora stood up, everyone made sure to not divert their eyes from the woman,

"tsk tsk tsk" the woman taunted, the generals tensed up and began to take lead in front of their beloved's – even though they needed protection more than the scouts in fairness.

The woman walked forward,
"WORLD SHAKING!" Uranus launched her attack at Miadora, even watched in suspense, waiting for confirmation that the attack had done its intended job. The smoke cleared to reveal Miadora enclosed a dark purple sphere; the attack had done no damage.

"Come on scouts" Rei shouted, as the woman kept coming forward,

"But" Usagi whispered in protest, knowing that Miadora would hurt them if she got close enough yet not wanting to hurt her friend in the same instant,

"She understands" Kunzite comforted the frail queen, she nodded understandably as Miadora now stood still at the edge of the platform
"Well well well, it seems we have guests Mabus" she taunted lightly,

"Yes it would appear so my Queen" he replied formally, more submissive then he had been previously.

Miadora analysed the faces that stood before her, smiling gleefully when her eyes landed on Kunzite,

"Oh so you're him" she smoke knowledgably,

"What do you mean" Kunzite snapped angrily,

"She's in love with you, isn't she" Miadora asked quizzically, tilting her head in intrigue

"How dare you!' shrieked Rei as she launched an attack on the stationary queen, Miadora clicked her fingers and immediately Rei was paralysed in mid air – all but her head. Miadora easily dodged the attack Mars had set upon her.

"Let me go" Rei fumed, struggling to unpin her outstretched arms and legs,

"You annoy me" Miadora growled, waving her hand which caused Rei to scream out in agony,

"STOP IT" Makoto yelled in frustration, preparing to launch an attack – although unsure if it would do any good, Miadora smiled and waved her hand again, causing Rei to stop screaming.

"So you must be the legendary warriors" Miadora analysed, eventually focusing on Usagi,

"And you must be Queen Serenity" she deducted,

"How did you know" Usagi asked impulsively,

"I've been around a long time queen, I know and I've seen a lot of things in my lifetime" Miadora spoke more seriously,

"Then you know you shouldn't do what you're doing" Usagi tried to bargain, Miadora looked more sternly,

"It's not that simple queen" she growled,

"Why not" Usagi pleaded, Endymion wary of Miadora's reaction,

"Everyone has a purpose" Miadora shrugged nonchalantly

"But why take Mina!" Usagi sobbed,

"oh so that' her name" Miadora replied,

"Why are you doing this" Rei whispered in pain, as she was helped up by Jadeite,
"as I said, it's in my nature – balance has to be kept" Miadora explained,

"What balance, earth is the last kingdom" Endymion growled at the dark queen,

"yes but my purpose needs to be fulfilled, now away with you – I tire of thee" Miadora snapped, as she did a complete one hundred and eighty degree turn in order to return to her throne,

"WORLD SHAKING!"

"SUBMARINE REFLECTION"
"DEAD SCREAM"

"SILENCE GLAIVE"

"AQUA RHAPSODY"

"JUPITER OAK EVOLUTION"

The attacks were concurrent one after the other, Miadora bearing the full blast of the attacks, yet only stumbling a few steps in the process. Everyone looked if their attacks had hurt Miadora in any way, the dark queen turned around, her eyes literally red with anger,

"I gave you a chance and this is how you repay me, now you die!" Miadora yelled in frustration as she raised her hands all the scouts became enclosed in a black sphere – each unsure of what to do now, hopeless in a sense.

With another flick of her wrist Miadora sent black lightening throughout the sphere – causing everyone to yell out with pain. Miadora smiled in triumph at their screams, after all they did need to be punished – how dare they do that to a queen.

Suddenly something had changed, Miadora's expression changed to one of sadness, she clicked her fingers and the spheres around the scouts disappeared, each of the fell to the ground in pain.

"Sailor Moon, you need to finish this" Makoto spoke surely, Usagi nodded her head in agreement, raising her sceptre,

"Crystal Therapy Kiss" Sailor Moon yelled as she launched the attack on the stationed queen who seemed more tired than frightened. Again the same results were achieved, Sailor Moon's mark left not a hair touched on Miadora's body,

"Why isn't this working" Haruka fumed, expecting something to have happened, Miadora sighed despondently,

"You can't kill me princess, nor can your queen – I am death, and you can't kill the dead" Miadora sighed, everyone looked up at her

"Is this true hotaru?" Usagi asked the worn out scout,
"I don't know, there was only the legends about Pandora – I never actually saw her" Hotaru explained,

"You intrigue me, you're not like the past guardians" Miadora spoke, recalling the centuries she had repeated this same process, and the people she had killed in order to see it through. That was her purpose, that's what she was meant to do – and nothing and no one would change that. Miadora thought carefully about the people who stood before her, she knew that her feelings of compromise were because she hadn't fully taken over the girl inside of her – that blonde haired girl was still there, and Miadora was feeling everything that this person felt.

"We need to stop her" Rei deducted thoughtfully, Sailor Mercury was busy typing on her computer, analysing Miadora,

"Guys, we can't get to her, the atmosphere is serving as a protective shield – there's no attack that would get through that barrier" Sailor Mercury worriedly deducted after intense analysis,

"Well we have to do something, she's going to kill everyone on earth" Zoisite added,

"What can we do" Sailor Jupiter asked, cringing at her own statement.

"I need to use it" Sailor Moon replied,

"No Usagi, it will kill you – please don't" the inner scouts pleaded in unison, Usagi nodded her head in disagreement,

"I can't let them destroy earth, there's just so much good there, I can't let that be destroyed" Usagi spoke, even if it is Mina she completed the sentence in her mind.

"I don't think that will do any good Usagi, it's not just a power barrier she's creating – it's this space, this very environment is protecting her. Sailor Mercury explained promptly,

"So we need to get next to her to be able to do anything" Nephlyte deducted logically,

"That might be able to have some affect – but I doubt it" Sailor Mercury spoke back, trying to hold onto some small bit of hope,

"As long as we're in this place, we stand no chance" Pluto spoke gravely, clutching her time staff with urgency,
"Wait" Kunzite spoke, stepping forward from the group,

"What are you doing?" Jadeite whispered angrily at his leader who kept advancing to Miadora who sat on the throne, smiling at the person who was coming towards her,

"Miadora let me join you" he cooed in a velvet voice, her heart beat ran faster – this man was definitely affecting her,

"Hmmm" she smiled thoughtfully,

"But my queen" Mabus hissed abruptly,

"Silence" Miadora flared angrily, Mabus bowed down and slunk away.

"Kunzite what are you doing!" Endymion yelled angrily, the rest of the scouts and generals stood tensed – their friend was betraying them for the enemy.

"Alright Kunzite" Miadora spoke seriously, Kunzite bowed taking a stance next to Miadora as she sat on the throne.