A/N: Not much to say here.

I don't own Sailor Moon or Kurai.

Act three: The End of the Beginning.

Three years before the fall...

Even as both Princess Serena and Princess Kurai had grown older and more mature over the years, the bond and happiness, and still slight childishness remained the the now fourteen year old twins, and stronger than ever. Though there was one little problem the sisters had found out as they got older; both of them cannot be Queens of the Moon Kingdom once they turn seventeen.

Their mother would have to pick only one of them and neither were certain of the other's future, which was what concerned more than worrying about who gets to be the new queen.

Serena and Kurai both sat in the flowers of the garden they and their mother normally would be at in their times growing up and still do today. Though Queen Serenity was having a meeting, so it was just the two of them for the time being, both left to their thoughts of their future.

"...What do you think will become of us in three years to come?" Kurai finally inquired after a few long moments of silence.

"I do not know." Serena admitted, feeling at loss. "To tell the truth...I do not think I will ever be ready to be Queen if mother picks me. I'd...I'd feel more comfortable if you take her place, because you have more of matureness than I do."

To her surprise, Kurai gave her a warm smile, saying, "I was actually thinking of the same thing of you, Serena. To be perfectly honest, I have a feeling mother will choose you over me and...if that were to happen, I want to support you when that time comes. To protect you with my life."

"It's funny, because I do not want to lose you and...I was kind of thinking if I could request mother I could become a Sailor Soldier so I could be stronger to protect you." Serena replied, giggling, which made her sister giggle as well.

"I suppose either way, we'll always be together. Nothing will tear us apart, right?" Kurai said.

"Right." Serena nodded in agreement, before she rested her head onto her shoulder's shoulder, while Kurai gently layed her head on top of Serena's, snuggling to one another before gazing up at the sky, where the blue and green planet people call Earth floated in the distance.

Serena then whispered, "I know this is very strange of me to say, but, I wonder...what Earth is like?"

"You know...so do I. They say that Earth has more of the nature of life than the Moon or other worlds in our Universe do. More lands, and a large expanse of water they call the Sea." Kurai admitted.

A few days later...

Kurai snapped her eyes open in quite a shock as she awoke from an unusual dream. Slowly sitting up on her bed in the bedchamber, the Princess frowned in quite concern.

In the dream, everything was dark, and both her mother and sister were trapped in a crystal while she herself had been surrounded by dark mists of evil which frightened her. Kurai also remembered the darkness attempting to engulf the frozen figures of her family, so she had done the only thing she could do; she hurried over and stood in front of them, arms spread out and despite the fear, allowed the darkness to engulf her instead. She could remember the intensed pain of it entering her body and the scream the filled the nightmare world which was what awoke her back into reality.

Suddenly, a poweful jolt of pain entered her heart and Kurai gasped, bringing her hands to her chest and she bend forward, her eyes shut tight and she whimpered as the pain refused to go away instantly. It was almost as though someone had struck a dagger into her heart and the said dagger was being digged deeper and deeper.

Then, as though like it had started, the pain faded away, but it left the young princess feeling unusally warm and sweat formed on her face as she panted, breathing in and out slowly until Kurai was certain that it was gone...

For now.

'What in Silver Millennium was this pain?' She thought to herself. Kurai's eyes then widened as she realisted, to her horror...the pain was coincedintely the same as the pain she felt when the darkness entered her heart in her nightmare.

"Something is very wrong." Kurai muttered, in grave concern. She had to speak to her mother about this, to see if there was anything she can do to avoid something terrible happening.

So, changing into her Princess Gown, Kurai silently left the room as she knew Queen Serenity would be up, and Princess Serena was still be asleep, hopefully peacefully and not rendered the same way the young black-haired Princess was feeling right now.

Finally, the Princess located her mother and to her surprise, Sailor Pluto who were apparently waiting for her. This only made Kurai's concern grow.

"Kurai..." Serenity acknowlaged, with concern of her own, while Sailor Pluto knelt to one knee to show her respects to the Princess's arrival.

"Your grace." Kurai replied, forming a cursity to show her respects to her mother, before beginning, "I...Something has happened."

"Please explain." Serenity requested, while Sailor Pluto stood up once more.

So Kurai did so; she explained of her nightmare, and then the pain she felt the moment she woke up after remembering every detail of it, and thus has come to inquire the cause of this and wanting to know if there was a way to stop the possible threat of darkness.

"...I'm worried about this, mother." Kurai concluded.

To her greater concern, Serenity and Sailor Pluto both glanced at each other, lowering their heads slightly with eyes closed in both sadness and defeat. This day had come, and now the two had no choice but to reveal the dreaded future to Princess Kurai.

"Kurai...Sailor Pluto had predicted this nine years ago of this day." Serenity finally spoke.

"What do you mean?" The young Princess asked, nervously. Whatever it was, it must be due to the darkness.

"Princess Kurai. The reason for these dreams and the pain you are feeling...the darkness you fear is coming...is within your heart. The source of it is coming from you, and unfortunately...there is no cure as I can see through time." Sailor Pluto explained.

Kurai gasped in shock and horror. The darkness she feared of invading the Moon Kingdom...was already here? But born within her? How can this be? Suddenly it made sense why she felt the intensed pain in her heart. But still, if that was true, then...

"No...it can't be true!" Kurai protested, feeling frightened of her own darkness.

"I'm afraid it's true." Sailor Pluto gravely said. "Your heart contains extremely dangerous darkness that cannot be tamed."

The black-haired Princess shook her head in denial, wanting this nothing more than to be another nightmare. "But I don't want to be dangerous! I only want to live peacefully."

Serenity sighed. She didn't want her daughter to be dangerous either, but she knew that she had to make an announcement, "I'm sorry, Kurai. This is why I decided to choose your sister as my successor for the Imperium Silver Crystal, because I couldn't allow you to hold it. If you did, then you'd be corrupted with evil."

Kurai began to feel the moisture of tears, but tried hard to hold them back and not be seen like a spoiled child. It hurt her more than anything that if she held the Silver Crystal, then she would turn evil. She couldn't allow herself to do that. She didn't want to be evil.

"I...I knew that I'd never be Queen, because I support Serena to take your place someday. But I do not wish to turn evil." Kurai lowered her head in guilt. It was all her fault and she didn't even realise the dangers she possessed to her family and to her own kingdom. Still...it was best that her sister would take their mother's place one day.

Her mother, feeling sympathy towards one of her twin daughters, slowly approached the distraughted Princess and embraced her in her arms.

"You will never turn evil, my darling daughter. But you must learn to listen to what your heart truly desires." Serenity whispered to her.

Kurai's eyes widened slightly, before saying as she embraced her mother in return, "I thought I knew what my heart desired. I thought it desired to support my sister, like me."

"Then perhaps training would help. Continue to do what you think is right and then perhaps one day...you will overcome this darkness." Serenity kindly advised.

The Princess said nothing. Instead, she leaned into her mother's embrace. She didn't want to feel jealously. She didn't want to have any desires that goes against what she wanted for her family...especially Serena.

Later that day, Kurai spend most of her time gazing between the pillars of the hallway, gazing out at the garden and fountains. Her thoughts spun back to what she learned over and over again, and how it would effect the future for everyone. More than anything, how can she possibly hide something like this to Serena?

"Kurai?"

Speaking of Serena...

The blond-haired Princess ran up to her before stopping to catch her breath once reached Kurai who blinked in concern, "Serena. What is wrong?"

"I haven't seen you all day and I got very worried." Serena replied, before noticing the saddened look on her twin sister's face, and then inquired, her own concern growing. "What is it? Is something wrong?"

Kurai hesitated. She didn't want to tell her of the growing darkness, but she couldn't really lie to her either. It ached her heart knowing that she was a danger...even to her beloved sister and she had promised to protect her with her life.

Finally, she sighed after a moment before answering, "...I...I have been having these...disturbing dreams and, well...I was told that as I'm worried something might happen, it would distract me from our people. Mother announced that I cannot be chosen to be Queen in her place."

Serena was shocked to hear this, yet not knowing the full truth. To be told by their own mother that Kurai was not fit to be queen made her realise that Serena herself was always the chosen successor and both she and her sister were only fourteen, not yet seventeen.

"I'm sorry." Serena mumured with feeling. It hurt her knowing that it hurt Kurai.

"It's alright." Kurai shook her head with a sad smile. "I knew it was always meant to be you to take her place one day and...I am happy for you."

"I am not." Serena sighed. "It is unfair for you to be told that."

"I admit, I was hurt when I was told that, but then I began to realise, she may have a point." Kurai admitted before adding, "Even so, I can at least do my very best to protect you when that day comes. As I told you, Serena. I want to support you."

Despite the disappointment and hurt she was feeling for her sister, Serena smiled back a little, and said, "And I will support you as my protecter and always love you as a sister."

The two sisters gave each other a warm embrace of love and support. Kurai then decided, darkness or not, it was not going to overtake her love for Serena or wash away what she knew was right.

Three months had passed, and Kurai still suffered the same nightmares, but the love she felt in her heart and she wanted managed to at least control the chest pains as she reminded herself that she wanted what was best for Serena and to be there to support her.

One day, she had a lucky break. Kurai had taken a moment to rest in her room and had accidently fallen asleep.

There were so many smiling faces. And it wasn't just Serena or her four Guardians in training who were the same as age her and Kurai, the latter also saw not only Luna and Artemis, but also unfamiliar faces of young children, other teenagers of men and women, some older, some younger, grown people, and creatures she never imagined before; two kind green beings, a grayish brown being on four legs, a cat wearing boots and a hat, wielding a sword, extinct species of four different kinds, humaniod people, all formed with warm and happy expressions. Kurai and Serena both smiled at so many friends by their side...

"...rui?...Kurai, hello?"

Stirring awake at a familiar voice awakening her from the most pleasent dream she has had in months, Kurai blinked her eyes open and realised that she had fallen asleep on her side. Gazing up to her left, a familiar face hover over her with a smile.

"Luna will be very upset if she finds you here sleeping." Serena lightly teased.

Her sister's pressence was enough to startle her fully awake as Kurai immediately sat up, shrinking back a little before calming down and mentally scolded herself for being foolish.

"Is there something the matter? Am I that terrifying?" Serena inquired.

"No, it's not that...I'm sorry." Kurai replied, feeling a flush of embarrassment on her face.

"And mother says I seem to inside my mind quite alot." Serena giggled.

Kurai lowered her gaze a little, saying, "I was having a wonderful dream in many days. It was...the two of us and so many people, and other beings all together."

It was an unusual dream, but the warm, happy smiles and the warmth of their hearts was the most beautiful dream Kurai has ever had in her life. While she was aware that could never happen, but still...it made her kind of wish it was real. Those non-human life-forms...while some were terrifying by appearnce, their personalities were kind on the inside as though they themselves were people.

Serena smiled at the thought, saying with a warm smile, "Well, I must admit, that seems like a wonderful dream. However...I think you had my dream."

"Huh?"

The blond-haired Princess has had her hands behind her back for the entire time and then brought them forward, revealing to have been holding a pink rose-bud flower in her right hand.

"It must be a vision of the future." She added.

A vision of a future? So Serena had the exact same dream as Kurai herself did. That comment and thought alone were enough to make her realise that even though she may have darkness in her heart, it can never overtake her, no matter how hard things may be.

Even so, the dream/vision of the future was both wonderful and confusing.

A/N: The next chapter will be some slight betrayal, but it's not what some of you are probably thinking. It involves death, so yeah, sorry. See you in the next chapter.