I had to do a little changing to this chapter. I knew when I finished it that I wasn't completely happy with it. This one and the next one, so it may be a little of time before I post the next one. There are a lot of changes I want to do to some of the last chapters. We are getting close to the end here my friends. I am still working on my next stories. Hope to have something new for you guys soon. I am proud to say that this fic now has 94 reviews. My last fic only got 66 so this is an improvement but my last fic has more favorites than this one. I hope my next fic will do twice as much but we will have to see! Thank you all for your support and I am glad you have enjoyed it so far. Keep letting me know what you guys think!

The Truth About Tragedy

Ch. 18

"Only people who are capable of loving strongly can also suffer great sorrow, but this same necessity of loving serves to counteract their grief and heals them." – Leo Tolsto

Her hands looked foreign to her. She twisted them back and forth in front of her eyes. Then placed them on the strange material against her skin. It was a dark silk. A few golden strands fell off her shoulders, into her line of sight. She grabbed them and gave a tug, surprised t find they belonged to her. A laugh startled her out of her inspection, forcing her eyes up. A woman stood before her in a long dark dress. It was way too tight and exposed far too much skin. She looked like she was trying way too hard. Her long red hair looked like it came out of a bottle completing her "hussie" look. Her green eyes looked at her with recognition, so maybe she could be of some help.

"Who are you...and who am I?"

"I am Queen Beryl little one, your master. And you are Serenity, who is sworn to serve me!"

Beryl placed her hand in front of her face. Something told her that she would never swear herself to someone who was so obviously weaker than her but to keep up appearances, she obliged her with a respectful kiss.

Of course you would never follow her

Looking around, she saw no one else in the room for the voice to have come from. It was gone as quickly as it appeared.

"Now rise and follow me. We have much to discuss."

She followed her to a large throne room where Queen Beryl sat. With a clap of her hands more of her subjects appeared around her. Their shadowy figures danced around her. One subject stood next to her admiring her. He was a tall man with white hair that contrasted greatly to his dark skin. He took her hand and laid a kiss to it.

"I am Lord Kunzite, lady Serenity. So glad to see you have returned."

"Returned? Where did I go?"

"Our enemies had captured you and tortured you. It was Queen Beryl who saved you from their wicked deeds."

"Torture huh? Why can't I remember anything?"

"They stripped you of them. But don't fear, the Queen is sure to help you retrieve them."

She turned expectantly to her Queen, who with a wave of her hand lights appeared forming a picture of a man and a small group of women. The man was very handsome in his tuxedo even with a mask on. His dark hair fell seductively into his beautiful blue eyes.

Mamoru...

She looked almost frantically for the owner of the voice once again and all eyes turned to her in her turmoil. Stopping herself from creating a scene, she stilled herself and calmed down.

The women were also beautiful, one of them was surely his lover. They all had on armor that ended with very short skirts. There bodies were curvy like a woman but muscular like a warrior. They made a handsome group and something was familiar about them.

"These are our enemies, Tuxedo Kamen and the Sailor Senshi. They captured you and tried to turn you against us. They managed to steal your memories away, but I got there in time to stop them from completing their plans."

That's why they look familiar. They had tortured her. Even though they erased her memory, she still remembered their faces from the cruelties they performed on her. Even if Queen Beryl was much weaker than her, she still had to be thankful for saving her from a fate worse than death.

"They think that they succeeded in turning you to their side. Their failure will be our advantage though. Lady Serenity, I want you to return to them and act as their friend. Gain access to their control room and destroy it and them. Get them to trust you then rip their hearts out!"

"My pleasure, Queen."

With a blink, she was in an alley just outside a place called The Crown. Beryl had sent her here for a reason. Looking around at the people on the street and then down at herself, she knew the had to do something to blend in. With a wave of her hand, her gown dematerialized and was replaced with a pair of black knee high boots and thigh high white socks. A dark denim skirt hugged her waist and ended just below her butt. Her sweater was dark purple and made of a thin clingy material. The sleeves where ¾ length and the neck line scooped down just low enough to show the tops of her breast. The silver crystal dangled against her ribs. Taking another glance around she quickly materialized a short leather jacket and walked out towards the arcade. Tucking her hands into her pockets, she entered the arcade with a ding behind her. The atmosphere was cheery as children squealed at the games in front of them. The soft chatter of adults murmured over the beeping and music in the air.

"Oh hey Usagi! I heard you weren't coming in today. Whoa, you trying out a new look?!"

She turned to see a man behind a counter. He worn a silly white apron and white collar shirt. He was handsome with his dark blonde hair and pale skin. He was looking right at her so he must have been talking to her. This must have been part of their scheme. Give her a fake life here and making these people believe that she was one of them. He had called her Usagi, that must be the name they gave her.

"Yeah I thought it was time I grew up."

She knew they were here, she could sense their power. The humans each let of a small amount of energy from their life force. But those who were not quite human, those reborn from another time gave off a lot more. She found all five of them sitting at a booth together. They all had solemn looks on their beautiful faces. Especially the man who must be Tuxedo Kamen. He was even more beautiful in person. Maybe she could play with him a bit before she killed him. A wicked smile played on her lips as the group turned towards her entrance. They must have been upset over their failed plan but as soon as they saw her they all brightened up. This was going to be so easy.

"Oh my God! Usagi!"

She was soon covered by four warm bodies. The blonde was the closest to her, whispering in her ear.

"We thought we lost you Princess."

She looked at her to see sincerity in her eyes. Good God these people had managed to delude themselves. At least they were going to make her a Princess instead of a Lady. When they released her, the man stood in front of her. He slowly brought her into a more gentle embrace than the other four had. He smelled of roses and pine, a smell she must have experienced a lot when they tortured her for it smelled familiar. Her arms wrapped around him tightly on their own. She couldn't control them for some reason. He tried to kiss her and her body refused to move as he grew near. Fighting against her own body, she pulled away at the last second. Why couldn't she control her own body? What was fighting against her control? They were all eying her suspiciously and she had to think fast. Was she expected to have a relationship with this man? She needed to come up with something before her cover was blown.

"Sorry. I'm still in shock I guess."

He smiled warmly at her, "I understand. It has been a very long and hard few days for you."

"Usagi please sit. Tell us what happened? How did you escape from Kunzite? Can you lead us back to the base? How did you get here?"

They all over flowed with questions each talking over each other. A small laugh made it's way out of her mouth. This was the powerful team that over powered her? They were the big threat? The master minds that kept Queen Beryl on her toes? The thought made her laugh out loud. They looked at her strangely again. She was going to have to get a better hold on herself.

"Maybe we should talk about this in private?" She covered.

They continued to look at her strangely but soon recovered when the blue haired girl began to talk.

"Oh course. Maybe we should meet back at central tonight and you can tell us all about it. Till then, maybe you should get some rest Usagi."

Crap. She was going to have to wait.

"I'll take you to Rei's"

The man stood beside her and held out his hand for her but she eyed it suspiciously till the girl with the black hair spoke up.

"With all the snow we have been having lately, your Aunt and brother are stuck at the spa so until the roads clear your still with me."

She was soon dragged to her feet by the man and pulled out the door to a car. She watched as the strange world flashed by her eyes at top speed. The man next to her didn't say a word as he drove her to some unknown place that she was expected to "rest" at. When he stopped the car the only thing near by was an endless set of stairs. Confused, she sat still staring at the place she was suppose to be living at. Was she suppose to sleep on the stairs?

"I'll walk you in."

Before she could protest, the man had moved around the car and opened her door for her.

He was a little out of breath when they reached the top. How weak. But she did enjoy watching his toned chest rise and fall beneath his tight black sweater. He led her around the temple that stood in front of her to a small room. So they took away her memories so they could stick her in this hell hole. She examined the room, picking up the odd pieces of clothing that hung around. No wonder the stranger at the counter questioned her clothes, they wanted her to dress like a child. She noticed that the man still stood in the door way.

God he is beautiful. The one good thing about the new life they had tried to give her was the man in front of her. He ran a hand through his disheveled dark hair and sadness swam in the deep oceans that were his eyes which brought an unexpected need in herself to kiss away his sadness. She fought the feeling away and drank in the full sight of him. He was tall and muscular. His broad shoulders and thick arms stretched against his sweater. His jeans hung to his hips and were tight in all the right places. Maybe she could have a little fun while she waited.

Don't you dare hurt him!

Her head burned and popped as whatever was inside her struggled to release itself. She clutched the sides of her head in agony. Something was inside her and it was trying to take over. What had these people done to her? The man was in front of her inspecting her when the pain slowly disappeared. Releasing her head she drank him in as he stood so very close to her.

His eyes were on her so she slowly removed her jacket to show off the tight sweater she wore beneath it. His eyes widened at the action. So easy. Sitting on the bed she began to slowly remove her boots and socks in a seductive manner. Rising again, she strutted over to him. Confusion twisted on his face but she just smiled sweetly at him. Running her hands up from his navel, across his chest, and then into his hair she pulled him to her lips. They were soft and warm. Her heart felt as if it was going to burst out of her chest and her knees were weak. His arms wrapped around her, keeping her from clasping to the floor. What was wrong with her? She could do this, this man had no power over her. His tongue danced against hers and he puled her tight against her body. He led a trail of hot kissed down her neck causing a moan to escape her lips. Soon his warm breath found her ear.

"I thought I lost you."

He squeezed her tighter to him and she soon felt the need to remove any and all space between them. Crushing her lips to his again her head began to spin. Images of the two of them together flashed in her inner eye. And then the voice whispered inside her head again.

Endymion

This was a mistake. She pushed him roughly off of her and began to pace the room. What the hell was that? Was it the affects of their brainwashing? Memories that they had tried to implant in her? They really were strong, the fake memory had felt real. But she had to do this mission. She had to play along.

"I'm sorry Endymion. I'm just a bit frazzled after my escape."

He stared at her oddly, "Mamoru. My name is Mamoru."

Shit. The voice inside her head was messing with her, trying to get her caught. She gave him a small giggle, "I know that. I just got a little confused."

He watched her with deep curiosity. She needed to get rid of him before she completely blew her cover.

"Look, I should get some sleep."

"Alright."

But to her dismay, he pulled the door shut behind him and began taking off his shoes.

"What are you doing?"

"I just got you back Usagi. I'm not letting you out of my sight."

The sincerity in his voice threw her. This man was really delusional or he believed the lie more than she did. Maybe he had been brainwashed too? Maybe she could save him from all this...no. She had a mission and it was to kill them all. She owed Queen Beryl that much. Plus they had tortured her and stolen her precious memories. They deserved to die.

You don't own the bitch anything!

Shut up!

She surprised herself when she felt bashful around the man named Mamoru. She turned away from him as he removed his sweater and pants. Soon he was in the bed in his boxers and undershirt. She quickly stripped off her clothes and found a white sleep shirt. A blush crept on her face as she slid into the covers next to him. He was warm and comforting, wrapping his arms securely around her. He nuzzled her neck. She didn't like how much she was enjoying this. What was she suppose to trust? The weak Queen who was clearly not her superior or the man loving her after he stripped her of her memories?

"I haven't slept since you left. Oh I've missed you so much Usagi."

He kissed her neck and by the breaths that hit her skin, she could tell that he had fallen asleep. A smile played at her lips till she forced it to stop. His warmth was so comforting. No matter how she fought it, she too soon drifted to sleep.

The sun shone high above her as she stood on a bridge. The sound of gurgling water and birds were the only sounds as she watched the fish swimming below. The sun warmed her skin and the air was filled with the sweet smell of blossoms. The trees were painted with pink blossoms that fell all around her. She lifted her hands and caught a few of soft petals. The wind picked up and swirled around her making the petals dance around her. She joined them and her laughter rang out like a bell as she spun with the fallen blooms.

"You truly are an angel aren't you."

She turned to the voice to see Mamoru as he slowly approached her. Her heart began to race as he joined her n the bridge. He turned to the water and looked around at the blooms but she didn't take her eyes off of his beautiful form.

"This is our bridge, remember? We said we would return for the cherry blossoms. But you left me and then forgot about me."

"I didn't forget you!"

She said it, knowing it was a lie. She had forgotten him and left him all alone. He smiled sadly at her, breaking her heart and pulled her into his embrace.

"I will always love you. I have no regrets. Do you?"

He placed a warm kiss on her forehead and turned and walked away. She tried to chase after him but the kiss he placed began to burn at her skin and into her skull. She doubled over in pain, her skull was on fire. The flames sunk down her body, reaching her heart, causing it to race as if it would burst.

She sprang up from the bed, her head and heart burning in pain.

Remember? You love him! You have always loved him! You must remember please!

She shook the voice into silence. Her sudden movements woke Mamoru who called out in fear to her. But the intense pain covered his words. He put a comforting hand on her shoulder but she shrugged it off. This was their mind control. They were still trying to brainwash her. He must have caught on to her plan. Leaping out of the bed, she rushed out of the temple and down the stairs. Quickly blinking her way back to the arcade. It was late and clearly closed. She cursed under her breath ad ducked into an alley.

She quickly replaced her night gown with more appropriate clothing; tight, dark jeans; gray high heeled boots; and a black v-neck sweater. Then she remembered the clothes in "her room". She turned the jeans into a loose knee length white skirt and the top into a light pink sweater with a heart shaped neck line. Wrapping a bright pink pea coat around her she exited the alley. To her luck the four women were standing just outside the arcade. Her sudden appearance startled them but they soon softened at the sight of her.

"Where's Mamoru?"

So he hadn't gotten to them yet, "Oh he was so tired I let him sleep."

The brunette gave her a small smile, "Yeah poor guy was so torn up when Kunzite took you."

"I bet he was", she mumbled.

"So you ready to tell us what happened?"

She turned to the blonde, "Sure, as soon as we are in central. I don't want anyone to hear us."

They all looked at her a little strangely again but soon entered the arcade. It was empty but they still had gained access. Soon one of the games moved aside and a light flooded the darkness. There were stairs below it. The girls went in first and she followed. Upon reaching the bottom of the stairs, she knew she was in the right place. A large computer sat in the middle of the room and two cats sat in front of it. The black cat turned to her and bounded up to her. Wrapping it's small paws around her neck. She pulled it off of her expecting it to attack, but she saw that it had tears in it's eyes and it didn't scratch or bite her.

"Oh Usagi, I am so glad to see you safe. I'm sorry I failed to protect you Princess."

The cat wept as she held her at arms length. For some reason, it broke her heart that the strange beast sobbed in front of her. She couldn't stop herself from pulling her against her and comforting her.

"Luna, we all failed. Now let Usagi tell us her story. She might be able to tell us where the base is."

The cat sprung from her arms and soon all eyes were on her. This is what she had been waiting for. The man wasn't here, but she could kill him later.

Don't do this! Don't you dare hurt them! They are your friends, your sisters. You must remember!

The fire returned and she gripped her burning skull, doubling over in agony.

"Usagi?! Are you alright?!"

"Well first, I would like to applaud you all on your grand performances. If I didn't know any better, I would think you all actually cared about me."

Hurt and shock reflected on all their faces. That's right, you have all failed and now you will die.

"What are you talking about Usagi? Oh course we care about you. Are you feeling alright?"

She sneered at them, "Of course I'm not alright. You took my memories from me! You tortured me and tried to brainwash me. Well guess what, you failed. The only thing you managed to do was piss me off."

She let her clothes fade away so that she was back in her deep purple gown. Raising her hands above her, she let her energy grow till she flung the mass at the group in from of her. Impressively they all managed to dodge it but she still destroyed their super computer. She let out a deep laugh as they scattered before her. She blocked their only exit, they had no other options but to die. A hand grabbed her shoulder. It was the brunette.

"Please Usagi. We all love you. Don't do this."

Her pathetic tears fell down her face. She kicked her hard in the gut sending her flying towards a wall. The brunette hit it hard with a sicking thud as a tear fell unchecked down her cheek. Despair covered their faces but not a single one of them attempted to fight back.

"Pathetic. Not a single one of you has the courage to fight against me?"

The dark haired girl looked at her will tear filled eyes, "None of us could bare to hurt you Usagi!"

A pang went through her heart and the burning she felt before began to return. It wasn't as bad as before but she still felt it.

I won't let you do this. I'll kill us first before I let you hurt them.

The burning became intense and she found herself gasping for air. It was hard for her to even move as the heat radiated throughout her body. Whatever they put inside her was going to kill her and if she didn't hurry it would be before she killed these weak women. She raised her hands again to collect her energy while the four women and two cats wept before her. Pathetic. They scattered as her attack flew at them and two arms wrapped around her tightly holding her still.

"Girls run! Get out of here!"

They didn't move at first but then one by one they walked past her and up the stairs. This man, this Mamoru was ruining everything!

"You better hold on tight pretty boy, cause if I get loose I'm going to kill you!"

But he did the opposite. He released her and turned him to him.

"Go ahead. Kill me."

What an idiot. She pushed him away from her and gathered her energy. She looked into his eyes. The dark blue orbs grabbed a hold of her and wouldn't let go. She tried to move but she was frozen. She had lost all control of her body once again. Her body caught fire and she crumbled to the ground. Clutching her heart, she tried to rise again but her knees buckled. He caught her before she fell to the ground.

"Let..go..of..me." She managed through breaths and gritted teeth.

He held her tight and gripped her chin, forcing her to look into his cursed eyes again. Pain erupted though her. It felt as if her body as being torn apart. Her screams filled the small room and echoed above. She could just make out the figures of the the group that had fled a few minutes ago.

"Get out. I'm handling this!" He yelled at them.

They soon disappeared again and she was left alone with her torturer. She had pegged him as weak but now she could see he was the strongest of the group. He was the one that had inflicted all the pain on her before. She wiggled and writhed in his arms but he held her tight, continuing his assault. He forced her to look into his eyes again even when she tried to shrink away.

"You have to remember Serenity. Remember the truth."

Then he kissed her. Pain blinded her and stars seemed to appear before her eyes. She saw the women that she attacked earlier. No, they were Ami, Rei, Minako, and Makoto. They were smiling and laughing, begging her to join them. As they touched her, a flood of visions followed. Studying together, crying together, laughing together, and loving together. Two graves appeared before her. Ikuno and Kenjo Tsukino...her parents. She reached out and touched the cool marble of the head stones and Kunzite appeared before her. Blood covered her and pain filled her body. He sneered at her and told her exactly how he killed her family. Family. A small boy with big hopeful eyes stared up at her. Tear threatened to fall but she picked him up and kissed his cheeks before they could. Shingo. Laughter made her turn and see a beautiful woman that could have been her sister. She pulled the two of them into a hug. Aunt Yukio.

She was back in Kunzite's clutches as he drew energy to kill her. But a rose flew passed and cut his face causing him to release her. She looked at her rescuer to see a man in a tuxedo. His face was covered with a mask but she knew him. Tuxedo Kamen. He had saved her life so many times before. His mask faded away to show his true face. Mamoru. The man that she loved more than life itself. She watched from above of them in a fight and for the first time saw how he really looked at her. She saw him watching her as she talked with her friends, the little smile that played on his lips. Then after he took her and Shingo in, how he watched her while she comforted Shingo. Him telling her about his parents as they swung along in the snow covered park. Her slapping him outside of the arcade and then him holding her while she mourned her parents. Once in front of the crown and again at their funeral. The first time they kissed in her backyard. The one memory she had held onto, what kept her from being able to kill him or the others.

Now you remember. You have loved him since you first saw him. No. Before that. She loved him when her name was Serenity and his was Endymion. When she would sneak off to the Earth to see him and he would come to her bedroom at night. How he had given his life for her and how he had loved her even though it was forbidden. They couldn't help it, they were soul mates. She loved him. She always would.