Hello all! Yes, I know, it has been ages since my last update. In my own defense, I had to finish up law school, and now I am in the middle of studying for the stupid Bar. I have also been writing a book on the side, so that has taken a lot of my attention and creativity. Thank you again for all those that have reviewed and stuck with the story. It is because of you that I keep coming back to this story :-). I do hope you enjoy this chapter, and I apologize for any grammar or spelling mistakes. I only got to check over it once, but I wanted to go ahead and get it out.

Note: This chapter is loosely based around the Star Trek episode "The City on the Edge of Forever." It is without a doubt my favorite episode of the series. It has such a deep meaning to it, and if you haven't seen it, I suggest giving it a go. Plus, if you haven't seen the new Star Trek movie GO NOW!

Translation of the chapter is: Edge of Forever

As the story turns...

Chapter 10: Rihk t'Ek'wak

Serenity stared at the white wall inside the brig. After the security guards brought her here, McCoy and Kirk came to visit her. It didn't sit well with either of them that she was sitting behind the clear wall of the cell. Their trust in her brought a smile to her face, but what else could be done? They were in the middle of space, and this was the safest thing to do.

Serenity couldn't believe her stupidity with Spock. She should have been honest with him from the beginning. It was all she wanted to do the moment she remembered everything, but how do you begin to tell such a history?

Serenity allowed her hands to cradle her head as the tears flowed freely. She thought after all the tears she had cried in her lifetime, she would have none left. It seemed she still had some to shed. His rejection of her cut her so deeply. He didn't even give her the chance to explain.

He must have never loved me. She thought to herself.

"Serenity." A voice cut through her thoughts. She looked up and saw Gary Mitchell approaching her. He walked with hesitation. "Mitchell." She said in a soft, welcoming voice. His eyes finally found hers as his uncertainty began to fade.

He paused for a moment before beginning, "I'm really and truly sorry for…"

"Please, Gary." Serenity interrupted him. "You have nothing to apologize for. It was not your fault. You didn't ask for what happened to you." Mitchell pulled up a chair to sit down on. His eyes studying her.

"I still should be thanking you for saving me." Mitchell sighed as his eyes fell to the floor. "And I am to blame, for the deaths, the destruction. I didn't even try to control myself. The power, it felt so good. I didn't want to control it." His voice cracked at the end of the sentence. When his eyes found hers again, there were unshed tears within them. "I'm so ashamed."

"You have nothing to be ashamed of." Serenity stated, walking over to the translucent wall that separated them. "Such an increase in power, knowledge, and vision, your reaction was normal. No one can handle that amount of power without being corrupted."

"You can." Mitchell said instantly.

Serenity gave a sad smile. "I've had many years to practice control."

"Still, I bet you have never behaved the way I have." Mitchell countered.

She looked at him before saying, "No, I haven't." Mitchell's eyes turned from hers rapidly; shame eating away at him.

"Gary." She said softly. "You must understand. My strength and power did not grow at the rate yours did. It started off very slowly and grew over a long period of time. I had time to adjust. To reevaluate whom I was before and beyond the power. You were not given this same luxury. I truly believe that had I been in your shoes, I would have reacted the very same way." And she meant every word. She just hoped he could hear the sincerity behind her voice.

He sighed as he turned to face her again. "It's all wrong." He stated. "I should be the one behind that wall, not you."

She gave him a genuine smile. "No, things are exactly as they should be. I am someone that Starfleet has never seen before. Not only this, but I have demonstrated that I possess a power that most do not have. It is only natural that I sit here. You, however, are the same Gary Mitchell everyone has grown to love and respect. One event out of your control does not change that."

Her words seemed to give him confidence as he sat up straighter in his chair. "Still isn't right." He stated in reply. "There is no way you could harm anyone. The only reason you sit here is because of the Vulcan." His words had a bit of a bite to them.

At the mention of Spock, Serenity tensed up. "Perhaps that is true." She said in a shaky voice. "But Mr. Spock was only doing the logical thing, and I cannot fault him for that."

"You are so forgiving." Mitchell couldn't help but say. "You forgive me, even though I am weak and have done terrible things. Not to mention that if it wasn't for me, you would never have had to reveal yourself. And you forgive the Commander, even though he is the only one who insisted on locking you in here." Mitchell paused. "Why? Why are you so ready to forgive even those that have hurt you directly and personally?"

"Because no one is ever beyond redemption." She said simply.

Spock couldn't get over the conversation he just heard. The words that flowed from her mouth were kind and loving. It sounded like something Serena would say. She always held the needs of others as greater than her own.

But this girl wasn't Serena, was she?

"Still think she is the Wicked Witch?"

Spock turned to face Kirk. "Captain, I am unsure of who she is, but we cannot take chances. Starfleet regulations state…"

"Yea, yea, I get it. The regulations." Kirk stated with a frustrated sigh. "You better not let Dr. McCoy hear you talk about Starfleet regulations with regards to her. He is likely to snip off those points on your ears."

Spock tensed at Kirk's words. Kirk couldn't help but chuckle at him. Vulcans and their ears. He thought to himself. Once his laughter subsided, he turned serious eyes on the Vulcan.

"Have you even tried talking to her about what happened?" Kirk questioned.

"It would be best for all interrogations to be left to the proper Starfleet authorities."

"God Spock!" Kirk exclaimed, causing the Vulcan to question his choice of words. "I'm not talking about an interrogation, I'm talking about sitting down and actually talking with her. Try and clear some of the air between you. Ask some of the questions that are still going through your mind."

Spock remained silent at this as he watched Mitchell walk away from Serenity. His eyes remained on her long after Mitchell left.

Kirk could only sigh in exasperation at the ignorant Vulcan in front of him. "Do whatever you want Spock, but you know as well as I do that she doesn't deserve this."

Kirk laid a gentle hand on the Vulcan's shoulder before leaving him alone to contemplate his next course of action. Before he could even allow logic to enter his thought process, his feet began to lead him to her.

After Mitchell left, Serenity turned away from the clear wall that served as her cage. Her eyes once again found the plain white walls. She was alone with her thoughts once again. It seemed she could never find peace. She used to think if she found whatever was missing from her, that things would be easier. That everything would finally make sense. Well, she had found him, and it only made her life more complicating.

"Stupid Vulcans and their stupid logic." She muttered to herself.

"Stating logic is stupid is a bit of an oxymoron, would you not agree?"

Serenity jumped slightly as his voice brought her back to reality. She had the decency to blush at her words, but she did not apologize for them.

"Mr. Spock." She said in a tight voice.

"Miss Moon." He replied, inclining his head only slightly.

They stood there for a moment in awkward silence. Neither one of them quite sure of how to begin.

Finally, Serenity turned away from him. She couldn't bear to look at him. When she saw him, all of the wonderful memories they had together flashed before her. She knew if she continued to stare at him, she would do or say something stupid. She had to remind herself that she was still somewhat mad at him.

"Is there something I can help you with Mr. Spock?" She questioned, her back still turned from him.

A million questions flowed through his mind, but in this moment he could not voice any of them. His mouth had run dry, and the only question that mattered came tumbling from his mouth. "Are you alright?"

The unexpected question threw Serenity off her guard for a moment as she turned back to him. He looked very uncomfortable, having realized his mistake, but he could not hide the true concern shining from his eyes.

"As well as can be expected." She stated, gesturing to the closed walls around her.

They sat in silence for a moment longer before Serenity snapped. "Spock, what do you want?!" She was tired of playing games.

"You remember everything?" He questioned.

Her eyes widened for a fraction before she simply nodded.

"How do I know you are who you say you are?"

"I really don't need to answer that." She said with a small smile. "You know it's me. You've known all along."

"Why didn't you remember? Why did it take you so long to come back to me?" The questions tumbled out of his lips before he could stop them.

The small smile that was on her face began to fade. "I don't know why I didn't remember. More than likely I lost my memory so I could fulfill the destiny I was born for. If I had remembered you, and this life, I would not have been focused on my mission."

There was no hint of a lie on her face, but still, her words did not make much sense to him. "What life were you born for? What mission?"

At this, Serenity's eyes diverted from him. How was she to explain this? Her life as a warrior? As a princess? A queen? Her hands found her face. How on Earth was she going to explain Endymion?

"Spock, I…" She began, her voice cracking. "There is so much to explain. I don't even know where to begin. I don't know if you'll believe me, and I'm so afraid that you will simply walk away upon learning the truth."

"I won't walk away from you Serena." He said, referring to her by the name she was once called.

"But you already have Spock." She countered. "You walked away and had me locked in here after everything happened with Mitchell."

Before he could respond, she held up her hand to silence him. "I know I didn't help the situation by pretending not to remember, but you must understand. It was a great deal for me to take in, and there are so many things from my past…"

"How can we begin to fix this when you won't tell me about your past?" Spock asked. Irritation tenting his voice only slightly.

"You're right." She finally admitted. She took a deep breath. "Spock, the thing is, I'm a warrior. I was taken away from this time period to live the life of a warrior. My mission was to protect the Earth from threats that it could not handle." She stopped, not knowing how to go on from that initial statement.

Spock almost shook his head at her inability to tell him the things he needed to know. He began to walk away from her.

"Spock, wait, where are you going?" She called out to him.

He stopped his steps, but he didn't bother to turn towards her. "You say that I know very well who you are. Were I completely Vulcan, that might be the case, but I am not beyond recognizing the weaknesses of my human half."

"What do you mean?" She questioned.

"Meaning that the emotions I invested in you, or in the person you represent, have clouded judgment." Serenity began to protest, but Spock merely continued without acknowledging her. "Now you very well may be the girl that you say you are, but how am I to know that if you will not explain yourself?"

"It's not that easy, Spock." Her voice a mere whisper.

"Learning to live without you…all those years of searching, they were not easy, but I did it. If you truly are who you say you are, you will tell me the truth." He paused, and when her silence was all the answer he received, his feet began to move towards the exit.

"You said you wouldn't walk away. What exactly are you doing now?"

Spock's fists clenched at her words, but before he could say anything, the Red Alert began to sound on the ship. He took off running to the bridge to see what was happening.

Serenity's hand hit the transparent wall. She wanted to know what was going on. She wanted to help protect the people on this ship. She knew she could easily leave her call, but she didn't want to jeopardize her position anymore than she already had.

"Damn you Spock." She muttered before finally taking a seat, prepared to wait and listen…for now.

Spock finally made it to the bridge. He looked out and saw that the Enterprise was orbiting a muddy looking planet. Just then the ship started to shake, causing Spock to place a hand on the wall to stabilize himself. Once the ship stopped shaking, Spock made it over to his desk to see what exactly was causing the turbulence.

"Stay on top of it Sulu." Kirk ordered.

"We're holding orbit, sir, but the helm is a little sluggish." Sulu replied, trying to keep the ship under control.

Scotty came over the speaker. "Engineering to bridge. Control circuits threatening to overload, Captain."

"Understood, Engineering." Kirk responded before his eyes fell on Spock. "Spock, can we not avoid these areas of turbulence?"

Spock's eyes didn't look up from his station as he said, "I believe we will have them plotted in a few more orbits, Captain." At the end of his words, Sulu's console exploded, throwing the pilot across the room and knocking him unconscious.

Kirk quickly keyed in the code for Medical Bay. "Bones, we need you on the Bridge." Kirk then quickly contacted Scotty. "Bridge to Engineering. Mr. Scott, our pilot Mr. Sulu is unconscious."

"Switching to manual." Scotty quickly replied. "Captain, do we maintain this orbit?" He questioned.

"Spock?" Kirk looked to the Vulcan.

Spock looked to Kirk. "This is of great scientific importance, Captain. We're actually passing through ripples in time."

Kirk nodded before telling Scotty, "Maintain orbit. Open the channel to Starfleet Command. Precautionary measure, Scotty. Broadcast to Starfleet Command what is going on here, starting with the unusual readings we had on the instruments and how they led us here. Inform Starfleet Command that apparently something or someone down on this planet can effect changes in time, causing turbulent waves of space displacement."

"Aye Captain." Scotty replied.

McCoy finally made it to the bridge and began to make his way towards the unconscious Sulu. He began to check over him before finally saying, "Some heart flutter. Better risk a few drops of cordrazine."

Kirk raised an eyebrow. "Tricky stuff. Are you sure you want to risk…"

Before Kirk could even finish his sentence, McCoy had already administered the hypo on Sulu. The pilot's eyes began to open. McCoy looked up at Kirk with a smug look on his face. "You were about to make a medical comment, Jim?"

Kirk held up his hands. "Who, me, Doctor?" He said with a grin on his face.

"Engineering to Bridge." Scotty's voice came over. "We're guiding around most of the time ripples now, Captain."

"Spock?" Kirk questioned.

Spock continued to punch keys before finally stating, "All plotted but one, Captain. Coming up on it now. Seems to be fairly heavy displacement." The moment the words left Spock's lips, the ship began to shake violently. The crew began to lose their footing, and McCoy fell over, the hypo still in hand.

"McCoy!" Kirk exclaimed, but it was too late. They hypo went into his stomach, injecting the rest of the cordrazine inside the Doctor.

Kirk quickly ran to the chair and began to key in the number for Medical Bay. "Emergency medical team, we need you on the bridge now!"

Just then, McCoy shot up and began to scream. "Killers! Assassins! I won't let you! I'll kill you first! I won't let you! You won't get me!" He dashed out of the bridge and onto the turbo-lift.

Serenity sat in her cell as she waited to find out what was going on. The ship was shaking, and it was all she could do to just stay inside her cell.

Her ears perked up at the sound of footsteps. They were coming fast down the hallway near her. She got to her feet and walked closer to the clear wall. As she looked out, she saw McCoy running down the hall, screaming as if his world was ending. That was the last straw for her. She held up her hand and sent a shot of energy towards the wall, shattering it before she set off after McCoy.

"Continue alert." Kirk ordered. He couldn't believe what was going on. With such a high level of cordrazine, it was very unclear as to what would happen to McCoy. Kirk sighed in frustration. "The medical department knows as little as we do. In dosages approaching this, there's some record of wild paranoia."

Spock nodded his head. "Confirmed by the library record tapes, Captain. Subjects failed to recognize acquaintances, became hysterically convinced that they were in mortal danger, and were seeking escape at any cost. Extremely dangerous to himself or to anyone else who might…" Before Spock could finish, a voice came through to the Bridge.

"Security to Bridge, we just found the Transporter Chief. He was just knocked off his feet." The security officer stated before the Chief began to speak. "Captain, Doctor McCoy has beamed himself down on the planet. That girl, Serenity, followed behind him."

Spock's eyes shot up at the Captain at the last sentence. "Serenity." Kirk muttered. "How did she get out of the brig?" Kirk looked over to Spock and nodded. "Assemble a landing party, we're going after them." He ordered.

When the landing party arrived on the planet, they were greeted with a tall door. No walls, no structure, just a door. Kirk slowly approached it, but stopped before reaching it. He stretched out his hand in confusion. "What is this Spock? It seems to be pulsating with power."

Spock studied the door as he held out his recorder. He couldn't believe what his device was showing him. "It's unbelievable, Captain. This single object is the source of all time displacement."

"Can you explain, Spock?" Kirk asked.

Spock shook his head. "I cannot. For this to do what it does is impossible by any science I understand. It is operating even now. Putting out waves and waves of time displacement. Such incredible power."

"What is it?" Kirk couldn't help but question.

"The question is not what am I, but who am I." A voice said. It surrounded them.

Kirk blinked. For a moment, he lost his voice. He could not believe a door was speaking to him. "Wh…who are you?" He questioned hesitantly.

"I am the Guardian of Time. The Guardian of the things that were, the things that are, and the things that are to become." The voice said in an eerily quiet voice.

"Being or machine?" Kirk asked.

"A spirit. The shadow of a being who used to be." Just then, Serenity approached the landing party. Her eyes filled with tears as she approached the door she knew so well.

"Serena." Spock whispered when he saw her. All eyes turned to her. Spock quickly walked towards her. "Where is the Doctor?" He questioned as his eyes scanned her to make sure she was unharmed.

"I lost him." She answered, her eyes not leaving the door. "I tried to follow him to make sure he was alright, but he was out of his mind. By the time I beamed down, he was out of my sight." She walked closer to the door. Kirk was about to reach out to stop her, but Spock stopped him. He wanted to see what would happen.

As she approached the door, she reached out her hand for the handle. Her hand landed on it, but she made no move to open the door. She simply held the handle. "Pluto." She said in a shaky voice.

"My Queen." The Guardian said.

She let out a noise that was part between a sob and a laugh. "I can't believe it is you."

"It is merely my spirit, my Queen. My body was lost long ago."

Serenity nodded, knowing this was true. "So you are here still guarding the gates?" She questioned.

"I do not guard as I used to. I simply play the frames of time for those who wish to look. The gates no longer need to be guarded when the Cosmic Warrior is in power." Pluto answered. Spock looked at Serenity. With every passing second more and more questions began to pile up. What had she gone through? Why was this Guardian calling her a queen?

The door began to open. "Behold, a gateway to your own past." Serenity stepped away as the door was opened fully, allowing the landing party to see flashes of Earth's history.

"I wonder if we could go back a day before the hypo of cordrazine was injected in Bones." Kirk pondered as he watched the images flash before him.

"Cordrazine?!" Serenity exclaimed. "Well that explains a lot."

"Captain, it would be difficult to pin point the exact moment to jump through the gateway." Spock reasoned as he scanned the gateway. Recording the passage of time.

Serenity began to shake her head. "There must be another way to help him. You don't want to start messing with time. There are so many things that can go wrong."

Just then, McCoy came running through screaming and dodging the landing crew.

"Someone, grab him!" Serenity shouted, but it was too late. McCoy jumped through the gateway, disappearing somewhere in time.

"Where is he?" Kirk questioned, completely lost as to what to do.

"He has passed into what was." Pluto answered.

"Oh God." Serenity said as her hand came to her forehead. "Pluto, has he changed anything?"

"Everything, my Queen. Your vessel, your beginning, all that you knew is gone." She replied.

"She's right, we've lost communication with ship." Scotty said as he checked the communicator. "And there is nothing wrong with our devices."

"Captain, I was recording the moment Dr. McCoy jumped through the gate. It looks to be a primitive moment in your Earth's history." Spock stated.

"We'll have to go back to before McCoy arrives and stop whatever he changed." Kirk sighed. "We'll have to figure out what he changed." He had no idea how they were going to get out of this.

"Pluto." Serenity called. "Can you slow down the flow? Point us to the right period to stop McCoy?" She asked the Time Guardian.

"I can." The moment the Guardian said this, the images slowed down. "My Queen, you will know what he has changed when you arrive to that moment in the past. It is a memory well known to you." Serenity nodded. "Go now Serenity." Pluto said.

Serenity looked at Kirk and Spock. They nodded towards her and began to walk through the gateway, unsure of what would await them on the other side.

When Kirk, Spock, and Serenity walked through the wall, they were in the middle of a large crystal city. Elements of it glittered as if it were alive. Spock looked around and couldn't place the time period they were in. He had no data on it whatsoever.

Serenity let out a small gasp as she gazed on the largest crystal structure. "Crystal Tokyo." She murmured. She began to walk towards it before Kirk stopped her. "Whoa, whoa, whoa. We need some kind of clue as to where we are and what we need to do. Not to mention the other fifty million questions you need to answer about what just happened between you and that Guardian."

"The Captain is right. Miss Moon, what exactly is going on here?" Spock questioned, his voice filled with curiosity.

Serenity sighed. "We are in a part of Earth's history that has been forgotten. You know how the Guardian refers to me as Queen? Well, this is my kingdom." Kirk's eyes widened at this. "The Guardian was once a warrior. A Senshi who was part of my Court. She assisted in helping me keep peace on this planet. She was the Guardian of Pluto and of time itself."

"So, she had powers similar to those that you demonstrated when dealing with Mr. Mitchell?" Spock questioned. Serenity nodded. There was so much more he wanted to say, to ask, but he didn't want to lose face in front of the Captain. "It seems as if the atmosphere here is caving in on itself." The Vulcan commented.

Serenity began to look at the sky, and she started to frown. The sky was dark. Lightning was striking all around the kingdom. She knew where they had fallen. This was where Chaos had finally come to seek its revenge after the battle against Galaxia. This was where she died. Where everyone had died.

She turned to Spock. "I think I know where McCoy is." A great explosion sounded in the distance. Serenity took off running towards the noise. Spock and Kirk hot on her heels.

McCoy stood in what appeared to be a throne room. He could not believe what his eyes were seeing. Right there in front of him was Serenity, only she was dressed in a white gown with a crown placed on her head. She had a group of women surrounding her, fighting off what could only be described as a demon.

"My Queen, you must leave. Save yourself from this." One of them called out.

"I can't simply leave!" Serenity exclaimed. "After what happened to Endymion and Chibiusa…" Her voice broke slightly. "I can't leave you here to fight this alone."

"We can't risk you using the Silver Crystal now, it will drain your energy." One of them reasoned. "We will weaken Chaos, and then you can use the power of the Crystal to seal it once more."

Attacks were being thrown left and right, but it seemed nothing was touching the monster. It merely laughed at the efforts of all the warriors. McCoy wanted to help, but in this type of fight, what use would he be? He would simply get in the way.

McCoy just watched, and one by one the women began to fall. The strength of the being called Chaos too much for them to handle. But they died faithful and true, protecting their Queen. McCoy didn't know if this was real or simply a dream. He knew that Serenity was hiding many things. His heart ached for her as he saw the tears streaming down her face. She was crying out for her guards, her friends.

"You know nothing of power, Moon Warrior." The being said. "With me in my true form, you have no choice but to bow to me." Serenity could only look upon the demon, she had no desire to fight, no desire to go on. All that she cared about, all that she knew was gone. Everything, dead. Down to the last human on this Earth. She had failed.

McCoy could see the defeat in her eyes, and he knew that she would do nothing to defend herself. As the being raised its arm to deliver the fatal blow, McCoy couldn't control his legs. He began to move from his hiding space. He had to try and protect her. He couldn't sit by and watch someone he respected and cared for die.

He took off running, but before he could even reach the open space of the throne room, something hit him hard, pushing him back into the shadows. He tried to fight against who it was, but they simply held his arms down. When his eyes finally focused, he couldn't believe who was sitting on top of him. "Serenity?"

She got off of him and sat down beside him. "You can't save me, Leonard." She said in a whisper. Kirk and Spock finally caught up with her. They stared at the scene before them. "Is that you?" Kirk questioned.

Serenity nodded. "This is the day I died; my last day as the Moon Warrior." Spock tensed at her words. The idea of her dying caused his heart to skip a beat. "How are you here now?" The Vulcan questioned.

"There is no time to question, Spock!" McCoy exclaimed. "I can't just sit here and watch you die, Serenity."

"You have to, Leonard." She said, sadness laced in her voice. "I must die now. If there is any delay, the remaining spirits of my Guardians will try to save me. If I don't die now, there will be no one in the future to challenge Chaos. I need to die now with them. I need to be reborn as the Cosmic Warrior. Only in that form can I stand against Chaos."

"Serenity…" Kirk tried to argue, but she held up her hand. "No, Jim. There is nothing that can be done. This event is what changed your future, remember?"

Spock allowed his eyes to leave her to focus on the broken queen holding the body of someone dear to her. She no longer cried. She just waited. The demon allowed the rush of power to leave its form. It encompassed her, but she did not cry out. Once it was over, her body laid there, lifeless. Spock knew that image would never leave him. He vowed to himself then and there that he would do all that he could to make sure he never saw that again. He would protect her to his dying breath.

"Come on, there's nothing to see here." She said in a numb voice. "Everyone, hold hands. I can get us back to the ship. Come on, Leonard, let's make sure you're alright." She reached out her hand to the Vulcan first, knowing how intimate handholding was to Vulcans. His eyes stared into hers as he took her hand without hesitation. There was an unspoken understanding between the two that they would figure this out. That they would get through this.

When they were all joined, Serenity took one last look at all the death before her. "Sailor Teleport." She whispered, leaving behind the very nightmare she could never escape.

And there is the next chapter! I do hope you enjoyed it, and don't forget to PLEASE REVIEW! I won't make any promises on when to get the new chapter out, but know I am working on it and lining out the rest of the story. Bed time for me, nighty night!

-Lizzy