A/N: Kudos to the very few people who knew that Diamond's earring was what kept him alive. Some of you may not remember, but at the end of chapter 11, it said "Everyone was so grief-stricken that they failed to notice the small black crystal earring that softly glowed in the darkness." Hope you enjoy reading!

Chapter 18 - Face off

Sailor Moon and Tuxedo Mask ran side by side to an abandoned warehouse located a few blocks away from the arcade. Her lungs were demanding more oxygen as she huffed and puffed, her boots clicking each time her foot hit the pavement. All she could think to do right now was run. Everything else didn't make sense. She couldn't even begin to comprehend the situation with Diamond. She was sure she saw him defeated! Was it possible that she had just imagined the whole thing? There was no time to think about that now though.

Beside her, she felt the edge of Tuxedo Mask's cape brush against her arm as she fought to keep up with him.

"Serena..." He said as he quickly glanced over at her without slowing down and continuing to run.

She glanced back at his profile. "Yes?" She said in between breaths.

"I want you to stay back. Let me handle this." He said, animosity tainting his voice. This time he spoke as he kept his eyes straight ahead.

Her brows knitted together at his words. "What?"

"This is between me and him!" And with that, he leapt up into the air and sped up, moving ahead out of earshot.

"Wait!" Serena yelled after him, but it was too late. He was now only a small black dot up ahead continuing to become smaller. She sighed exasperatedly and pumped her legs faster.

There was no way she was letting him fight alone. Not after what happened last time. Not after she had nearly lost him. She forced the image of his motionless body out of her mind as she pushed herself to her limits and demanded her legs to move even faster than she thought she could possibly run.

She arrived at the entrance of the abandoned warehouse, out of breath and panting. She gulped in heaps of air attempting desperately to bring her condition to one that would allow her to fight. She was met with a bruised and battered Sailor Jupiter who had to lean against a wooden crate for support.

"Sailor Jupiter!" She ran over to her friend as soon as she caught sight of her. Her eyes widened in horror at the burn marks littering her arms, legs, and face. "Are you alright?"

Sailor Jupiter managed to nod as she grasped her right side. "Yeah, I'll be fine. I just saw Tuxedo Mask barge in there. Go, they need you!" She urged as she leaned herself against the crate. "I'll be there in a second. Just need to catch my breath." Sailor Moon nodded and took one last look at her injured friend before bursting through the warehouse doors.

She cautiously surveyed her surroundings, all her senses heightened tenfold. Boxes, crates, and trash were recklessly strewn all over the place as if a tornado had carelessly blown everything to intentionally make a mess. She frantically looked around searching for any sign of her allies. "Sailor scouts?" She called out and waited for a response.

Instead, she was met with two arms that wrapped around her shoulders from behind. A snicker assaulted her ear as two arms gripped her tightly in place rendering her unable to move. "You thought you were rid of me?" Diamond's voice drawled. "You should know dear Serenity that I could never be kept away from you for too long." She felt his breath on her cheek and leaned away, repulsed by his forcefulness. He swiftly turned her around and brought his lips toward her, only stopping when they were mere inches apart. She turned her head away as she tried to wriggle free from his grasp, but his hold on her was like a death grip. His face was so uncomfortably close to hers as he said, "Now nothing will stop you from being mine."

Suddenly, she felt his grip on her loosen completely as he screamed out in agony.

"Except me!!" Tuxedo Mask shouted with a vengeance as he whammed a crowbar he had found into the back of Diamond's head.

Diamond staggered backwards, clutching at the back of head with both hands, peeved that he had let a simple blow like that happen to him. "I thought I killed you!" He growled at the man in the Tuxedo who had taken a protective stance in front of Sailor Moon.

Tuxedo Mask glared at him with such an intense anger as he glowered and roared, "Don't even come near her!"

He quickly turned his head and glanced down at Sailor Moon behind him. "I told you, stay out of this. Go! I'll handle this!"

She shook her head to protest, but before she could reply, Diamond guffawed mockingly. "Do you not remember, cape boy, the last time we faced off? There was a clear winner and here's a hint: It wasn't you." He laughed mockingly once more as his eyes looked beyond him to Sailor Moon.

"You may have thought I was defeated, but you shouldn't underestimate the power of the Dark Moon. If it wasn't for the power of the dark crystal earring, Princess Serenity wouldn't have the delight of seeing me now." Diamond said with a wink at Sailor Moon.

Without warning, a large growl that was almost animal-like and unhuman erupted from Tuxedo Mask. "Yeah, well you got lucky, but I guarantee you, it won't happen this time!"

Diamond raised a taunting eyebrow. "Oh yeah? What makes you so sure?"

Tuxedo Mask let out another monster growl, Diamond's mocking and advancing glances at Serena fueling his anger. He panted with rage as his eyes dangerously narrowed to slits, his fists clutched in front of him tightly, and his his teeth clenched together.

He let out a loud angry cry that caused Serena to yelp and step back. She had never seen Darien this angry before. This behavior was uncharacteristic of a normally calm and cool Darien.

Sailor Moon peered at the vision in front of her, unsure if she was seeing correctly.

Tuxedo Mask was glowing!

She blinked and kept her eyes glued to the scene in front her. What was going on?

The top hat instantly vanished and the immaculate black and white Tuxedo was replaced with hard, strong armor, royal blue material forming underneath. A ominous sword hung at his side, although the knives shooting from his eyes toward Diamond could have been just as dangerous.

"Prince Endymion..." Sailor Moon breathlessly said as she unbelievingly gazed at Prince of Earth. She looked down and realized that her sailor uniform was no more and in its place was a dazzling white gown made of the finest white silk material. She must have transformed to Princess Serenity when Darien transformed into Prince Endymion!

She looked up to find Diamond's hungry eyes roaming over her, completely disregarding Prince Endymion.

"Princess Serenity, I will have you even if it means I have to fight this fool. It will be just as it was before--an easy defeat. I'm coming for you Serenity." Prince Diamond said as he admired her beauty, his eyes drinking in her exquisiteness.

"THAT WILL NEVER HAPPEN!" Prince Endymion screamed out, causing Serena to jump.

Quickly, he drew his sword and lunged forward at Diamond hastily and skillfully, swinging and moving his sharp weapon with every ounce of his strength.

Serena watched with bewilderment and shock, her feet glued to the ground as she followed the fight between Darien and Diamond. She had never ever seen Darien like this. He was going completely ballistic! He swung his sword non stop without so much as a short pause to even see if he hit his target. He fought in a blind rage and attacked without catching his breath, expending his energy and continuing to lunge forward toward Diamond who too, seemed caught off guard by his sudden outburst.

Diamond drew up his palm and shot a blast of power at Endymion who used his sword to successfully deflect it. Serena swore she could see the veins popping at the sides of his neck.

"Might as well give up now!" Diamond shouted as he sidestepped Endymion's sword.

"I could say the same to you!" Endymion swung at Diamond's head, but was greatly disappointed when he missed by a few centimeters. A tuft of white hair slowly floated to the ground.

Both men stood a few feet apart for some silent moments, the only sound was their panting as their chests heaved in and out.

"AAAARRRGGHHH" Prince Endymion yelled as he advanced towards Diamond once again, his sword leading the way.

The two clashed as their powers faced off against each other, both struggling and just when you thought one was winning, the other came back full force.

It seemed to be an endless battle, both men now evenly matched in power and strength.

I have to help! Serena reached for her Moon Wand, but stopped herself when she realized she was the only Sailor Scout present. Where are the other girls? She quickly scanned the surrounding area hoping to see a familiar face, but none of the other girls were in sight. The only one she had seen was Jupiter who was badly injured outside. She gathered her skirts and began to make her way to the entrance, but she was held in place by an immobilizing force. She instantly knew that it was Diamond. He wasn't allowing her to move.

"I guess we'll have to settle this another way." Prince Diamond said, slightly out of breath as he lifted Serena up with his telekinesis and placed her in between Darien and himself.

Darien's eyes lit up with rage. "Leave her out of this!"

"One false move and you might regret it so you better cooperate." Diamond stated with irritation. "I challenge you" Diamond cracked his knuckles. "to a duel." He spat at Darien. "But not just any duel. You see, we're going to play a little game."

Darien tightened his grip on his sword, a few beads of sweat dripping down to his brow. "Don't you even think of playing your dirty little tricks!" He readied himself again to attack.

Diamond simply waved off his remark and said, "We're going to compete for Princess Serenity fair and square." And with that, he pointed his finger in the direction of Serena who was hit with a blast of power.

Endymion went absolutely mad. "WHAT HAVE YOU DONE???!!" He lifted his sword above his head, ready to bring it crashing down on Diamond's head.

Prince Diamond snarled, his hand held up in front of him to stop Endymion. "You didn't let me finish." Suddenly, the blast of power that was illuminating the room died down and in its place was...five Serenas??

Endymion stood frozen, his sword still held above his head. The next moment, a clanking sound resonated through the air as a result of Endymion allowing the sword to fall to the floor. He simply stared with his mouth slightly ajar at the five girls in front of him, all possessing the appearance of Serena. He peered closely at them all, attempting to distinguish one from the other. Surely there would be at least one difference that set one apart from the rest. But alas, he could not find even one tiny difference. They all exactly resembled his Serena.

Prince Diamond snorted with laughter as he witnessed the befuddled look on Endymion's face. He was going to win Serenity for sure! "This shouldn't be too hard now, should it? All you have to do is guess which one is the real Serenity. If you pick correctly, she is yours fair and square. But if I pick correctly, she is mine and you will no longer pursue her. Do you accept?"

Endymion glared at Diamond. "It's not like I have a choice whether or not to accept your deal, do I?" He spat bitterly.

Diamond snickered. "I see the brawn has brains. Go on, you must decide which is the real Serenity. I won't give you too long." He fell back on his heels and crossed his arms, looking forward to the entertainment he was about to witness.

Endymion's eyes roamed over all five Serenitys' faces. A feeling of dread and anxiety wrenched his gut. Damn Diamond and his schemes! All five stood in a line facing him, none yet saying a single word. If only he was given some sort of clue, if only the real Serenity gave him some sort of sign. Suddenly, the third one spoke.

"It's me, Endymion! I'm the real one!" She pleaded with him, her hands clasped together in front of her.

"No, don't believe her! Please, believe me because I am the real one!" The first one claimed, tears forming in her eyes.

The fourth one fell to her knees, begging him from her position on the floor. "Look at me, my love! I'm right here!"

The fifth one reached out to him with her hand outstretched waiting for him to grasp it. "Don't listen to them. You know it's me, don't doubt it!"

Endymion let his face fall into his hands, feeling despair towards the current situation. This was turning out to be a lot harder than he thought possible! What if he chose the wrong one? Not only would he greatly disappoint himself, he would also disappoint Serena! He couldn't lose her to this despicable man named Diamond. There had to be something that would point him in the right direction.

Diamond looked upon the five Serenas and Endymion with a smile of satisfaction. It wasn't long until Serenity would be his. Why didn't he think of this sooner? It would have saved him so much trouble. "Hurry up and choose little Prince!" He said impatiently.

Endymion lifted his head out of his hands and glanced over at the only Serenity who hadn't yet spoken. He slowly and deliberately made his way to her and stopped when they stood face to face. She looked back at him, her eyes sorrowful although she did not say a word. He peered back at her, searching her face for any signs or clues. She began to sob as she stared in his face. "Do you really not know which one is me, Endymion? Is it really that difficult to choose? Am I really not that special to you?"

He swallowed hard as he clenched his fists at his sides. He was beginning to feel dizzy and he gritted his teeth as he forced himself to keep upright. He took a few steps backward and took a few deep breaths to clear his foggy head. He was still at a loss. They were all pleading him to choose them and he wasn't any closer than he was at the start to figuring out which one the real Serena was. He brought his fingers up to his temple as he looked at the five Serenas once again.

"Time is running out, Prince. Hurry and choose!" Diamond said as he tapped his foot. He couldn't control the grin that was spreading across his face. "Emerald! Come!" He bellowed, calling to his side one of his female minions. A split second later, a woman with long pea green colored hair, a black dress, and black knee high boots appeared at his side. "Let's watch this fool lose for the second time." He looked at her for a quick second with longing in his eyes before releasing a burst of laughter aimed directly at Endymion.

Emerald looked upon the scene with horror, her mouth covered by a gloved hand. Her eyes rolled to the top of her head as she felt the room spinning and the oxygen leaving her brain. She shook her head and inhaled deeply, reeling oxygen in and fighting the urge to pass out and have a deep rest. She needed to do something quick, otherwise things could go terribly wrong. Her thoughts roamed at a frantic pace in her head and she tried to sort through them, looking for an answer.

She abruptly turned to Diamond and bowed, making very sure that her voice was loud enough to be heard by everyone present. "My Lord, I have something important to tell you!"

Diamond's eyes widened at her sudden statement, but his eyes softened and he replied, "There will be plenty of time for that later on. Surely, it can wait." He gave her a quick wink before returning his gaze to Endymion.

She shook her head and pleaded him to listen. "I..." She prayed desperately that her words would rise above the cries and wails of the Serenas as they pleaded Endymion to choose. She needed to say something that only Darien knew. Images of Darien standing in front of two tombstones flashed through her mind momentarily. "I want to tell you that my favorite flowers are Lilyannas!" She quickly blurted out as she glanced over at Endymion from the corner of her eye, but her heart sunk to her feet when he didn't show any sign whatsoever of having heard her. Instead, he remained in the same position facing the Serenity look-alikes, his back facing her and Diamond.

Diamond creased his brow for a moment. "I never knew there were such flowers. Nonetheless, you couldn't have waited to tell me?"

She forced a sweet smile to appear on her face as she replied, "It's important to me that you know these things."

Prince Diamond returned the smile, longing creeping its way into his gaze again as he looked at her. "I won't forget then."

Emerald gulped, suddenly feeling very light headed. Was this how things were going to end? Darien should've known that when Diamond said fair and square, he was lying right through his teeth.

Prince Diamond cleared his throat. "Ahem. Time is up little Prince. Time to choose which one is the real Serenity."

Endymion didn't move as he continued to look at the five women lined up in front of him. He lifted his head and straightened out his shoulders from their slump. It looked as if he was sure now, it looked as if he was about to make his choice known. "I know which one is the real Serenity."

Emerald held back the urge to shout and stop him for surely Diamond wouldn't allow it and Endymion would be punished for her outburst.

"I choose..."

Suddenly Emerald felt so incredibly sick. She wanted to run behind one of the crates and vomit. She wanted to wake up and realize that this was just some sort of twisted nightmare that wasn't in any way real. But to her despair, here she was and everything that was happening was definitely real.

Prince Diamond crossed his arms and scowled, his patience level reaching its very limit. "Hurry up and choose so we can get this over with!!" He roared.

Prince Endymion slowly turned around to face Diamond, keeping his eyes locked on his. "You play dirty tricks and you thought you could fool me, but I know which Serenity is the real one." He said with one last glance at the five behind him.

Emerald kept her gaze on Endymion, hoping that he would make eye contact with her, even for just a second. But he didn't even glance in her direction. It's over. It's done. She thought hopelessly as she let her eyes fall to the floor.

"Well then hurry up and make your choice!!" Prince Diamond replied, already annoyed and angry.

Endymion's face took on a look of stark determination. "I choose her." He said with such clarity and certainty in his voice yet he made no motion toward anyone and neither did he give any indication as to who he was referring to.

Diamond's eyebrows furrowed together. "Which one is her?"

The very next second, Emerald felt two strong arms encircling her as a pair of lips collided with her own. She was so frozen with shock that she didn't even have time to close her eyes or return the kiss. The pair of lips attached to hers pulled back and she was left looking into Endymion's blue eyes.

He didn't release her from his arms as he turned his head and looked at Diamond. "Her. I choose her!" He said pulling Emerald closer to himself.

Diamond looked at them with expressions ranging in between stupefaction, hatred, unbelief, loathing, and disdain. "How did you..." He began to say, but Endymion decided to finish his sentence.

"How did I know she's the real Serenity? I can't take all the credit." He smiled at her and she smiled back at him, tears of relief beginning to flood her eyes. She whispered, "You heard me?" He nodded and planted a kiss on her forehead. The spell wore off and Emerald's appearance melted away, returning Serena to her original self.

Following Serena's transformation back to her original self, the five Serena look-alikes collapsed onto the floor and in their place, laid the four sailor scouts and the real Emerald. They had all been under Diamond's control, hypnotized to obey his commands.

Serena ran to the Sailor scouts who lay sprawled out on the ground. "Scouts! Wake up!" She pleaded as she ran to them and knelt on the ground. She sighed with relief when she noticed that they were still breathing.

"AAAAAAGGGGGGGGGGHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!" Serena cringed at the loud roar coming from behind and she quickly turned to see that Endymion and Diamond were once again engaged in battle, Diamond shooting blasts of power as Endymion skillfully deflected them with his sword.

"If I'm not mistaken, you said if I picked the correct one, Serenity would be mine! I won fair and square!" Endymion shouted as he dodged Diamond's attack.

Diamond didn't slow down, but continued to throw beams of power at his opponent. "Shut up! Shut up! Shut up!" He roared viciously.

Once again, they fell into a fury of attacking one another, neither one gaining the upper hand as they were evenly matched.

Without warning, Endymion staggered and fell backwards having tripped on a tin can that had been carelessly lying around. Prince Diamond snarled and laughed evilly as he raised both hands above his head, ready to end this once and for all.

Serena watched with horror as deja vu engulfed her. No, this can't happen again! She gasped as she remembered the feel of Darien's cold skin against her fingertips, his eyes closing in finality as if to say they would never open again, and his desperate gulps of breath as his lungs began to surrender.

"Nooooooooooooo!" She screamed when she saw Diamond swing his arms down toward Endymion.

A/N: This story is almost finished! Probably 1-2 more chapters and I'm leaning more towards 1 more chapter. I know this chapter is a little bit shorter than some of the previous chapters, but I wanted to get this out to you and didn't want to keep you guys waiting any longer than you had to. Thank you for everyone's replies and reviews, it honestly is what keeps me writing even though I've got a ton of other things to do for school. I know this story is almost done, but I'm definitely willing to keep writing and I'm already thinking about writing another story after this one is done. Until next time, which will hopefully be soon! Take care everyone!

I'm sorry that there's no review replies today, but I'm really hungry and I wanted to upload this and then go buy some sushi!! I think you all already know how much I appreciate you!!