`Okay I apologize for not updating recently. I find the faster I write chapters the more I lose my enthusiasm. So for a while I not only had a horrible writer's block but also 0% percent will to continue writing this fanfiction. But after reading your reviews I decided to continue. So I want to thank each and everyone one of you for the encouragement. I intend to put up at least 2 chapters including this one before next week as an apology. And then I will go back to my regular writing.

Also freshman year of high school is over! Yay! So I have more time to write! I hope everyone is having a wonderful summer. :)

P.S. I hope this chapter is good. I know it's a bit dark. But I promise from the main plot it will brighten a bit. However the trials are never very happy things.

Who do you think should die Rei or Darien?

Serena

She had received a call from Amy a while ago. She was worried sick because Rei was nowhere to be found and apparently the temple was a wreck and there were scratch marks on everything. It had to be a youkai right?

Serena was hesitant to help. Rei had betrayed her in the worst ways and yet Serena had a duty to protect the weak. And that is what she would do treat Rei as, weak. Compared to Serena, Rei was weak as a soldier and weak minded toward things that belonged to Serena.

The blonde shook her head. No matter what Rei was, she was still a soldier and Mars was going to be apart of the crystal system. And yet the warrior of fire was evading Serena's attempts to help her remember. It was concerning.

For today Serena will settle with helping Mercury to remember; however, if Rei and Darien didn't remember their oaths soon they will have to be "disposed of."
Serena shivered. Disposed of was a term her mother used and Serena hated it. But the moon princess had already diminished the punishment the scouts were to receive. To not get rid of those who knowingly breaking their oaths would be a great disrespect to Queen Serenity. Furthermore it would be a disrespect to Serena herself.

Serena knew the coming future for the couple. Rei or Darien was going to die and the other would be changed forever. It was overwhelming knowing the future, the past, and everything in present space. Since she emerged as Cosmos, Serena acquired the power of her soldiers. Not only that but she could block their powers, a skill that helped to deliver their punishments.

Seiya had to go to a concert today so it was just Serena. That was good because Seiya would never let Serena do what she was about to do. The power of space helped Serena find Rei. The woman was locked in a house near the temple.

Now Sailor Cosmos stood on a light pole looking as majestic as usual. She looked down making eye contact with Minako and Lita who yelled, "Cosmos Venus, Make Up!" and "Cosmos Jupiter, Make Up!" in unison. The transformation ended.

It left both scouts in similar uniforms. The leotards were pure white; however, instead of slim rainbow streaks on the skirt like cosmos, Venus had a thick orange line on her skirt and Jupiter green. Each planetary crystal shone from inside an orb that settled on their chests. A back up crystal rested in another orb on the green and orange belts above their skirts. The orbs had a pair of wings and the scouts had a pair of pure white wings on their backs as well. But the wings were not nearly as stunning as Cosmos's.

"Ready?"

"When you are Cosmos." Venus answered

"Always," was Jupiter's reply.

Amy

It was cold. That was the first though that came to the blue haired girl. She was half way buried in a cold lake… on Mercury. Amy had always liked the cold because of her tundra like home planet. But this was pushing the limit.

After a while she was able to pull herself up the side of the massive lake when a giant gust of wind smacked her in the face sending the miserable scout back into the water. She was knocked out and she wasn't waking up anytime soon. But in her dream of pure darkness she knew she was sinking. Sinking further and further into the depths of the lake.

Rei

It was absurdly hot in this place. That is what Rei though as she woke up to light. She took a quick span of her environment and saw single window to her right and a door to her left. But there was an old staircase leading to the door that would no doubt creak and giver her away. And she could see the dead bolt on the window from where she was sitting across the room. This place was a prison and she was the lone criminal.

There was a pang of pain in her stomach she needed food now. Rei painfully sat up on the concrete bed. Everything hurt. And to make things worse she was naked. She was disgusted with herself she had sex with a youkai. What the hell does that mean?

The door at the top of the stairs opened giving way to five youkai. They looked liked Serena's family except of course the one that looked like Darien.

"Okay, you've trapped me, what do you want to do with me?" They started laughing hysterically. The one that looked like Serena spoke first, "Silly girl you're not important enough to pay attention too."

The youkai disguised as Serena's brother continued. "We want you in order to lure Cosmos. The other scouts though they have forgotten are still strong. The future Queen has already taken action to bring them to her side no doubt making them even stronger. Our leader said that you are mentally weak right now. So you're an easy kill."

It was definitely an insult. She was chosen because she was weak. "W-what do you want to do with Serena?"

"Cosmos has the power to vanquish chaos from a person just by looking at them. Turning each planet into cosmos would give the planetary rulers the same power." Rei looked up with a blank stare. "Don't you understand? Light cannot exist without darkness. Serenity will not kill us she'll just leave us so weak and broken that we'll wish she killed us. Now if you lure her here we can kill her before the crystal system is created." Rei was dumbfounded and was only paying attention to the youkai who looked and sounded exactly like Darien.

"Now honey. It has come to our understanding that you aren't too fond of Serena. Here is our proposition. You help us kill Serena and keep her soldiers out the way and you can have your own team and everything that belongs to Serena; her boyfriends, friends, family, and eternal powers. Deal?" A youkai disguised as Serena's mother held out her hand.

The deal intrigued Rei immensely. She held her hand out to the youkai and shook it.

Serena

The three scouts were in front of the house. They had no idea what to expect or how to dress when telling someone, "Hey you kidnapped an accomplice of mine I would like to have her back." The hen shin that the senshi performed prior to the journey to the house was purely to test how fast they could do it case of emergency.

The door opened at out looked a woman that looked exactly like Serena's mother.

"Mother?" Maybe the hen shin was unnecessary.

"Oh Darling! What a surprise to find you here!" Serena was suspicious was her mother always this cheerful. But then again she had hardly seen her family since they moved to Brazil for work purposes. It was shortly after Serena graduated from college so she had her own place. And from then on when she and her family met up it was outside away from the house so Serena had no clue where they were living.

The navy haired woman dragged Serena into a bear hug and let go only when she noticed Lita and Minako behind her.

Everyone was sitting in the kitchen. Everyone consisted of Serena, Lita, Minako, and Serena's mother, father, and brother. The atmosphere was bubbly and carefree… almost. There was an underlying motive to the simple family's kindness. And all three scouts felt this secret motive in their bones. Their muscles were tensed and eyes and ears alert. They were prepared for a split second transformation… of what, an average day family?

It was then that things started to fall apart. Serena's mother was making cupcakes as everyone else sat at the large kitchen table. Her mother leaned over the cupcakes for a split second before picking them up to put them in the oven. Serena turned to her friends. She was relieved to see them staring at her with the same horrified look. Did Serena's mother just spit in the cupcakes?

Amy

She opened her eyes to see blue. Everything was beautiful. She had fallen to an underwater cave. But what was interesting about it was that it was not made of rock but rather sparkling blue ice. And it shimmered and reflected the color of the water in ways that would bewitch the eye. Ami stood up and walked to a wall. It was connected to a cave with water up to her hip. It was interesting but something was wrong, very wrong…

Ami touched to the wall her hand pressed gently to it and then it collapsed. It was slow and painful. First the ice around Ami's hand cracked and the pressure of the water on the other side made the cracks travel crookedly to the top of the cavern. And then it broke, shattered everywhere. Leaving the air full of sharp screams of the frozen water giving way. Ami turn her head sharply to the water that was held on the other side which was flowing to her. And then she was on the ground.

She had to register what was going on. If the wall gave way that easily then it means it was just made this entire cavern had just frozen. And she remembered something her biological mother used to tell her. "Honey, you know you can't go swimming now. Mercury will freeze over soon." Freeze over. At night everyday Mercury would turn completely to ice. And the only way to survival would be to go to the palace or a hot spot. Every planet had volcanoes, Mercury's was just underwater.

This was life or death if Ami didn't make it to a volcano fast she would freeze to death or worse she predicted the build of water would crack these walls long before the planet froze. She had two options live by getting to a hot spot before the planet froze or drown.

Though it was painful. Ami suddenly wretched herself off the ground and ran only to be confronted by a three way tunnel. There was no way she could tell herself which way to go however if she used her watch it would tell her. She flicked open the cover to her sailor watch to find it dead. Not glowing blue and greeting her with its robotic voice but black in color.

The scout was on the verge of tears. She had no powers, no watch, no technology, and she was too weak to think of something logical, she simply walked painfully and helplessly down the middle tunnel.

Serena

Her mother just placed a trace of vanilla cupcakes on the table. Each was adorned with a moon crescent fondue design. It looked good but it smelled poisonous and Serena was sure it wouldn't taste to good either

"Eat!" The excitement in the room was overwhelming. Serena, Lita, and Minako hovered their head over the cupcakes. They smelled cheesy, oozy.

Serena shook her head. "Actually we ate already. You know how I love my chicken Parmesan."

A frown appeared on the family's face instantly. "You have to eat! It's mom's famous cupcakes. You have to have some of those. "Serena's brother yelled. During his rant a roach had crawled on the wall next to him. The boy saw it and let it vermin crawl onto his hand before he dropped the bug to the ground and stepped on it.

"I think it is actually time for us to leave. We have…" Everyone turned to the scouts.

"Why would you leave your family in such little time spent together?" The father was completely confused.

"Because I just realized that we are in a strangers house. I know none of you." Serena voice was steady and defensive as she inched her way toward the door. She beckoned Lita and Minako to follow her lead but they were confused as to while Serena was so hesitant to stay.

"Of course you know us honey! We weren't in Brazil for that long." The smile on her mother's face was friendly with an undertone of something very malicious.

" Shingo is terrified of bugs. He would never remain in the same room with one, forget letting it touch him." Serena voice grew cold.

"Don't be ridiculous. We were in Brazil, roaches there are three times the size as the ones here. Shingo got used to them. It took it while but he did. You should trust us Serena, honey." Serena's father hid his face behind a newspaper it wasn't making the situation any less tense.

"Fine dad how about you eat one of mom's famous cupcakes." Serena's face was unreadable.

"Serena we should just leave, I don't like this." Minako spoke to Serena in a hushed tone.

"Minako, we have cosmic powers now we can handle this." Lita jumped in with the same hushed tone.

"I couldn't possibly eat them, your mother made them for you." The atmosphere was getting heavy. Then a dog walked in.

Serena smiled, "I don't remember you getting a dog?" She walked toward the cupcake tray and picked up one while her mother said, "Yeah we had to. Shingo was asking us everyday. Plus Trevor is a great dog.

Serena kneeled down and held the treat to the dogs mouth. "Eat." The dog bit into the cupcake. It was no sooner than when he swallowed that the canine started convulsing. He was spitting up looking more and more like a rabid dog. His paws trembled and his eyes bulged. There was a look of betrayal in the dog's eyes, as he stared at Serena. Finally he fell to the ground.

There was a silence. The other scouts were about to move to Serena when she held up her hand to stop them. The skin of the dog split suddenly. The skin raveled toward the ground allowing Serena to see in from the dog emerged a very small youkai. It spit up and convulsed and died like the dog did. But this time he stared at Serena's mother like she was a monster.

"I'm sorry did I kill your pet? You know I saw you spit in these cupcakes. What have you been eating lately because I think it's toxic." Serena was not acting herself and she knew it. But there was something plain wrong about these youkai pretending to be her Earthen family.

"Why couldn't you have just eaten the cupcakes when I asked you to?" The mother tore out of her skin revealing a nasty bee youkai, the brother exposed his roach like self, and Serena's father stood and took longer to this time peeling off his skin showing Serena his centipede youkai self.

"What is this the bug emporium." Lita spoke sarcastically trying to turn he attention from the shivering Mina who was cowering away from the giant bugs.

Ami

She had been walking for the longest while. The feeling in her fingers and toes had long since disappeared as well as the scout's hope. All she wanted at this point was not to survive but the see the light above the ground. She wanted to be freed from the tunnels. And then she saw a chunk of ice. If she had not been moving she would not have seen the way it glistened in the light.

It was tiny no more that a four by four piece of paper but for some reason it looked special, completely irresistible. Ami wrapped her chipped nails around the piece of ice and yanked. The frozen water wouldn't give way and so she gave up. She was losing the feeling in her fingers and touching this ice was not helping. She continued to move forward. She did not know how long it had been since she looked at the piece of ice but she realized she walking in circles. Ami had appeared in the same place were the ice was. The only difference was that it was gone. Instead there was hole where the pretty jewel like piece was.

Something was down here with her. Little bead of water on the walls around her started to fall. It was getting hot in here and Ami didn't know why. She turned around and saw seal. It was from Mercury so it was different than normal seals. It had long saber like fangs that reached to ground and shown like diamond. Its eyes were not friendly but cold as it stared at Ami. In the center of its forehead was the jewel beautiful as ever. The animal advanced toward Ami. The smart thing to do would be to try and rip off its fangs instantly killing it.

The seal roared and pounded toward the water solider. Then Ami realized it too was stuck here. It's hungry and cold exactly like she was. Yes for survival purposes it would be smart to kill it but was it right? If she saw a smaller animal in this condition wouldn't she think of it as food as well?

And it came to her. It was smart to choose a more stable leader like Rei. But it was Serena's birthright. It wasn't right for the scouts to rip Serena away from the very things that latched her to the silver millennium. Technology and logic weren't always the best side to choose. It had its advantages yes but it harbored no emotions no exceptions or considerations. Especially since she had promises to advise Serena through thick and thin. Ami promised to use her intelligence and logic to support her princess not break her down. The solider of Mercury promised to never leave Serena's side. The princess of Mercury promised to never stop loving her princess. And Ami did not keep any of her promises but she forgot and trusted logic rather than her heart.

Ami stared at the seal. It was upon her. If this is what her punishment was it was she deserved it completely. She stood and closed her eyes. She didn't want to see this happen and she knew that she wouldn't feel it rip into her. Frost had already covered her whole body and the only pain she could feel was around her ankles where she was sure she as experiencing frostbite. The seal instead of biting into her leaned it head toward her giving her access to the crystal and it breathed out a moan. But to Ami it was sentence and explanation. I would have killed you if you hadn't remembered. Ami hesitated to pick up the crystal. This is the Shard of Ice belongs to the heir of Mercury. Temptation took over Ami and she grasped the shard.

As soon her fingers wrapped around the shard it glowed blue, illuminated the darkened tunnels. The glow continued to spread brightening. It completely blinded Ami and when she could she again she was in a palace. It was grand blue everywhere with white streaks placed strategically. All decorations and tiles were cut and shaped in geometric shapes not surprising for the planet of Mercury.

The glow that now was only captured in the crystal engulfed Ami and when it left the girl, she was dressed in a gown of many shades of blue. The magic light crawled around the castle and outside around the many leveled icy surroundings. Finally all traces of the light died out. The castle was now made of a beautiful icy blue crystal. But the real difference was outside. The magic had bought Mercury to a sublime spring. The way it was before the silver millennium died. There were trees, forests of ice blue trees. The paved roads and tall houses gave the planet a charming feeling. And people peaked out from the once icy caves and looked around. It was warmer, cold, but warmer. The citizens rejoiced and bowed to the castle standing above them.

Their gratitude to their princess was clear. And then the crystal emitted another light. And then it ascended and attached to the blue crystal chandelier in the middle of the great hall.

A voice boomed, "This crystal, the Shard of Ice will bring eternal spring to this planet as long as it remains in this palace. This planet is now part of the crystal system and is now to be called Crystal Mercury. Your princess is now to be called Astral Princess Ami of Crystal Mercury." The entire planet yelled, "All hail Astral Princess Ami," in order to praise their savior and princess.

Serena

Sailor Jupiter and Venus were handling three youkai upstairs in the kitchen. Meanwhile Sailor Cosmos was fighting a moth and butterfly youkai, which before were disguised as Darien and Serena. She just needed to know is Rei was here. If she wasn't she would escape with her soldiers, there was no need to be hurt over a fight with no cause. If so even if Rei hated Cosmos she would fight with the silver haired warrior to save her life, right?

Cosmos wretched open a door that led to the basement. The light was already on in the center of the room standing with dried tears on her face was Rei. "Rei! I came to save you. Just stay back okay?" Cosmos toke a stance in front of Rei and looked at the two youkai pounding down the creaking steps in front of her. Serena got ready to cast her healing chant but a blow from behind her hit her. Everything went dark and the scout fell to the ground.

Rei

"Good job Rei." The moth like youkai grinned. But they furry pinchers instead of giving off a warm feeling made Rei feel like prey.

"Yeah, yeah, yeah. I told you she was a dunce and way too trusting. Le's just get upstairs and finish off the rest.

Rei moved forward to lead the youkai up the stairs when the door slammed open. In it stood Jupiter and Venus. "You two weaklings could have possibly killed the youkai." Rei said with a snort.

"Oh but we did. And then we had some friends visit us." As Jupiter was speaking the Starlights marched up behind them. Rei shifted suddenly feeling very claustrophobic. But that was a mistake.

Rei had shifted just enough to give her opponents a good look at Serena lying on the floor with red blood matting her blonde hair. All their eyes looked from the girl lying on the floor to the bloodied bat in Rei hands. Then with an outraged yell Sailor Star Fighter lunged at Rei. The raven-haired hair landed with a thud on the basement floor. She looked behind her to see the two youkai unlocking the basement window.

Rei knew she couldn't win this and fled with her new comrades. She had escaped but with a sprained foot. She was dizzied from the fall and her neck hurt. Something sharp pierced her heart. Remember or be disposed of.

Serena

She awoke to find Seiya sitting on the bed beside her. There was sadness in his eyes. Suddenly she remembered that someone had hit her. But the only person behind her was Rei. Rei. Rei had hit her behind the head with the intent to kill her. But how did she get here. Serena lifted a hand to her head and felt clothe.

"Don't touch it too much I don't want it to fall off." Seiya spoke. His voice was angry.

"Seiya…"

"Serena. How could you just leave and try to handle something like that all on your own." Seiya's eyes searched hers for an answer.

"I'm sorry. I thought that Rei had some kindness left for me. But I was wrong. I just… just don't believe that there is a need to allow a single person to suffer in this. "

"Serena. Sometimes we just have to let go. Rei is gone. She isn't coming back. I'm here for you." Seiya hugged Serena tightly, gently caressing her head. Serena hugged back. And closed her eyes.