Chapter 18: The Power Of Love and the Power of Deception

Suddenly she felt her heart. It seemed to want to play a soft tune, like the locket did. Like her heart strings had turned from an angry violin, to a soft harp. She felt her body move her closer to the light.

"Serena." He said as he watched her.

"No don't touch it!" Diamond warned.

Why did this seem so familiar? She asked herself. Then she remembered. Queen Beryl. The moment that she saved Darien from darkness. The moment she stood up for what she believed in. She'd risked her life to save him. She needed to know why…she felt a void could be filled if she touched the locket. And she did.

Suddenly a warm light crept up her arm, reaching her ring finger before shattering the crystal into a million small pieces. Tuxedo Mask watched as her head arched back and Sailor Moon slowly returned to them. Then she fell forward in his arms.

"Sailor Moon?"

"Darien." She weakly let out, as he kept her close in his embrace.

"How could you do this? How could this happen?" Diamond yelled in frustration.

"You don't know how to have real emotions." Jupiter said, climbing up from the ground.

"You didn't have what they have." Venus said, climbing up as well.

"You can't just fake feelings and base emotions on lies." Mars said.

"And you can't depend on material things to fulfill the heart." Mercury joined.

"Most of all, you don't know the power of love." Pluto said regaining herself from the small battle with Wicked Lady.

"Enough!" Diamond said looking rather gloomily.

"Have you forgotten Diamond, you still have me?" Wicked Lady said.

"Yes but…"

"Or did you forget our deal? To take over the Earth together? Did you think that I killed Wise Man for nothing?"

"Don't speak to me that way!"

"She can speak to you however she wants." Melanite said grinning.

"You? What authority do you have?" Diamond glared.

"More than you, at this point." Melanite answered cockily.

"You forgot about me. You should know that I don't like being ignored." Wicked Lady said. "And now you'll pay…but first let's do something that will really ensure that we are never ignored again…"

Suddenly Wicked Lady lifted her hand and sent a ton of dark energy towards Sailor Moon. Diamond opened his eyes and then something strange happened.

Diamond was where Sailor Moon should have been, broken on the ground. Sailor Moon was crying. Tuxedo Mask holding back Sailor Moon.

She pushed herself from his grasp and crawled over to Diamond. "Why? Why did you save me?"

"Because…I really did love you Sailor Moon…with Wise Man I really didn't learn to love…Sapphire was a better man than I…I just hope you can forgive me."

She stared down at him, unresponsive and eyes closed; lifeless.

"Opps, I guess I missed a bit. No matter, it would have been inevitable."

"No Rini, don't you recognize us. Cant you see what you're doing wrong? We don't want to harm you we love you?" You don't have to kill everyone who gets in your way!" Sailor Moon pleaded.

"Hah, all lies. Rini doesn't live here anymore, and you can thank yourself. Distancing yourself from lover boy over there was your mistake! You'll all die now!"

"Then I have to fight for the ones I love." Sailor Moon stumbled to her feet.

"Don't kid yourself Sailor Moon!" Wicked Lady sent more energy hurling at them, causing Sailor Moon to fall back into Tuxedo Mask's arms, both crumpled to the ground.

"I am truly amazed by your power." Melanite said, both to himself and to her.

"Now I will finish you all off!" Wicked Lady laughed, filled with dark rage and power.

"STOP!"

Suddenly Pluto was standing in front of her. She looked around as everyone seemed frozen in time.

"What's happened? What did you do?" Wicked Lady asked frantically.

"Relax. I only stopped time for a moment. I am not supposed to alter with events, but I feel this is the only way that I can really reach Rini, if she is really gone like you say she is."

"And what could you possibly do to get her back?"

"This." Pluto lifted her scepter into the air and a bright light shone from it, so bright that Wicked Lady had to shield her eyes for a moment.

And there standing in front of her was someone she had never seen before, but something about them seemed familiar.