Hello again! Lovely day to be reading fanfics, isn't it? Haha, I have no life outside of fanfiction and band class T^T I lied before. Sorry. Tuxedo Mask's tux was the same as always, up until this chapter. In this one, he gets the white and lavender one. Also, I said that I would get this one out soon, too, but that wasn't the case. I hit another brick wall ._. In any case, Sailor Moon is owned by Naoko Takeuchi and TOEI Animation.

Rei sits up quickly, finding herself in a bed. The room is dark, but she can tell it's not her own.

"What a weird dream..." She and her friends-along with three unknown people-had been captured by these weird people who called themselves the Kurushimi Company from the New Moon. They had to be connected with Nehellenia, whom she hadn't thought about for years. Then-you won't believe this, but-Sailor Moon had come to her rescue! Sailor Moon! She hadn't heard from her for years. For all she knew, she was dead.

Suddenly, a door opens, and a bright, white-gold light fills the room. Rei shields her eyes, but looks down to find herself in her Sera Fuku, something she hadn't worn in a very long time. `What is going on here?! This must be part of the dream! What strange things are my brain gonna conjure up next?` she wonders. She sees the silhouette of a woman with long pigtails and a flowing dress.

"Sailor Mars."

"It couldn't be... Neo Queen Serenity?!"

"Listen. It wasn't a dream. I'm here to help you become stronger." The door closes as she walks in gracefully. Something triggers Rei's sixth sense, giving her a bad feeling. That feeling would never come from Usagi. She grits her teeth.

"Who are you?!" she shouts.

"What do you mean? I'm Serenity."

"No, you're not! You've messed up your act, whoever you are! 1!" she says, standing up and Fire Soul-ing the strange woman. "Usagi couldn't walk in so gracefully! Mars Flame Sniper! 2! She would never have such a terrible aura! Especially when I just saw her and felt it, stronger than ever before! Burning Mandala! 3! She wouldn't introduce herself as Serenity to me! She would say... she would say..." Rei falls to her knees and curses herself for believing that she had seen Usagi.

"Duh, Rei, it's me, Usagi! Stupid, stupid! What are you crying for?"

Rei looks up to see the real Neo Queen Serenity standing by her, leaning over and grinning at her.

Rei smiles softly. "It really wasn't a dream, was it?"

"That was just a test. I'm glad you'd recognize me if you saw me. Alright. Get , it's dark!" Usagi walks back over to the door, and suddenly the lights come on. "This is a dream, kinda, but... Anyway." She folds her arms. "Like the fake said, I'm here to help you get stronger. Here, take this," she says, handing Rei a light red, star-shaped brooch. The front has intricate carvings with a golden crescent moon and her mark in a deeper crimson inside the curve of the crescent. She flips it over.

Goddess of Passion and War

Lady Athena

"What's this?" she asks.

"Isn't it obvious? It's a henshin brooch, duh, Rei!"

"No, I mean the carving, Usagi!"

"Huh? Gimme that!" Usagi takes the brooch back and studies it. "Hm... Lady Athena? Isn't that, like, some old fake goddess?"

Rei sweatdrops. "She was the Greek Goddess of Battles." She snatches it away from Usagi.

"Hey, I was looking at it!"

"Well, too bad, it's mine now!"

"Aw, Rei! I wanna see, I wanna see!"

"Didn't you look at it before you gave it to me?"

Usagi is quiet for a moment. Her face looks kinda blank. "Hey, that would've been a great idea!" she says finally.

"Gawd, I can practically smell the smoke from the gears in your head!"

"Hey, now, what's that mean?! My smarts have improved a lot since then!"

"Sure, they have! You expect me to believe that?"

"Yes, I do! I always get one-hundred-percents on my tests!"

Rei looks shocked at the seriousness on her face. "Y-You're not lying, are you?"

"Of course not!" Usagi pouts. "Geez, you're so mean!"

"Of course, it's all thanks to Ami's perseverance and patience when we were in junior high!"

"How could that have possibly been it?! I left before I was smart!"

"Ha! So you admit it!"

"Keyword: before. Stupid."

"Yeah, I'm stupid."

"Are we gonna do this again?!"

"As long as it takes!"

"Grr, you know, you're really starting to get on my nerves..."

~And so, Usagi [eventually] delivered new battle suits to all the Senshi, including Earth, Sun, Tuxedo Mask, and Jose. When they awoke, they found themselves in the midst of battle. But, now, they are stronger, and could handle it.~

"Neo Mercury Power...!"

"Neo Mars Power...!"

"Neo Jupiter Power...!"

"Neo Venus Power...!"

"Neo Earth Power...!"

"Neo Sun Power...!"

"Make... UP!"

"Ooh, so scared!" Kuroi snorts.

Serenity points her finger at Kuroi. "You've met your match, Kuroi! I won't let you continue on with your evil deeds any longer!"

"Bring it on! You think you can take me? I've been training for this for years!"

"As have I, Kuroi!"

Kuroi raises one eyebrow. "You couldn't have possibly known this was coming! You didn't even know I existed before today!"

"I've been training to protect my loved ones from the worst danger!"

"But you failed, didn't you?"

Serenity winces. "That's the cause of my diligence." That wasn't a day she liked to remember. But the memories flow into her mind anyway, breaking through the strong cinderblock wall she had put up that had been beaten at a lot recently.

"Happy 16th birthday!"

"We'll be going to a reunion tonight and probably won't be back until after midnight."

"Your life will change drastically in the next few hours."

"Your parents were involved in a really bad car accident..."

"Neither survived..."

"Who's going to take care of their poor kids?"

"They have a grandmother in Kyoto, I believe. Maria Tsukino."

"You don't mean... the Maria Tsukino?"

"Yes, yes! That one!"

"My condolences."

"It will be okay."

"I can do this... I'm strong... I think..."

Serenity squeezes her eyes shut and wipes them to catch the tears. She sniffs once and takes a deep breath. "I'm strong enough to forgive the drunk who caused the accident."

"And that's why you're crying, right?"

"I never said I wasn't strong enough to not cry. I mean, they were my parents. You'd cry, too, if you had feelings."

"Ooh! Burn!" Neo Sailor Earth yells, snickering. She and Serenity grin at each other.

Kuroi growls, then notices Hikari, Sailor Earth's counterpart, stifling laughter. "Hikari!" she shouts, angry.

Hikari clears her throat. "Sorry, Madam."

Kuroi turns back to Serenity, and looks at her angrily. "We end it here, Serenity!"

"What if I don't want to fight you?"

"Then you lose!"

"I don't think you can fight me."

"Try me!"

"Neo Moon Power, Make UP!"

Kuroi charges, and so do her people. Neo Sailor Moon and the Neo Senshi dodge the attacks placed by the Kurushimi Company. But the Kurushimi Company is quick, and the Inners and Tuxedo Mask are having a hard time keeping up, due to lack of activity.

A little while later, the Celestial Trio and Jose begin to tire as well. So, instead of dodging every attack, Moon blocks Kuroi as she's about to attack her, and locks her in place.

"Why do you feel the need to get rid of me?"

"Because," Kuroi says, breaking free, "I disagree with your ways!"

"That's no reason to fight."

"That's exactly what pisses me off! You're afraid to fight!"

Something strange flickers inside Moon, like nostalgia. "Fighting doesn't solve anything."

"Don't you have any pride?! Courage?!"

"If that means hurting one another, then I don't want it." The words feel familiar on her tongue, as if she'd spoken them before. "I don't think anything is gained by fighting."

"Coward!"

"She's not a coward!" Earth says defensively. "You're the coward! You're too scared to say what you feel! At least she can do that much! She may not be the smartest girl in the world, or the happiest, but... but at least she cares for others! I don't think you fully understand right from wrong!"

"That's right," Mars adds. "The woman who raised you also had a similar idea long ago. Nehellenia used to hate Sailor Moon for the deepest pit of her heart. Sailor Moon helped her understand what she really wanted, what her real dream was, and helped her achieve that, let her start over."

"My mother is an idiot. She doesn't have any cares! She makes me sick!"

"Kuroi... What is it about me that bothers you?" Moon asks.

"Everything! You're not strong enough!"

"Why does that bother you? Why does it matter to you how I run things? You live in a separate kingdom from ours. I thought your mother was queen where you came from."

"But you've influenced her! She's exactly like you!"

"Take a better look at your people," Tuxedo Mask says. "Are they unhappy with her ruling?"

"N-No..."

"Then she must be a good leader. If she's as you say, like Sailor Moon, then Sailor Moon will be a good leader as well."

Moon looks at him, and blushes slightly. She smiles, suddenly overjoyed by his presence, and he smiles back.

"Ergh..." Kuroi growls. "You make me mad!"

"You're only mad because you know you're wrong," Jupiter says. "I think you're just picking a fight because you were bored."

"Well, maybe... I happen to like battle," Kuroi says.

"Why?" Tux asks.

"What is it with your questions?!"

"I asked first."

"Ergh... You piss me off!"

"Why do you like battle?"

"Because it's fun. Hence, our name is kurushimi."

Moon grits her teeth. Her head falls, causing her bangs to shade her eyes, and her hands clench into tight, tight fists. Just as Tux opens his mouth to reply, she whispers, "You cause pain because it's fun?!"

"What else for?"

"I've had it with you."

"U-Usagi-sama..." Jose puts his hands in front of him, trying to reason with her.

"Please, stay calm, Princess..." Sun says.

"Aw, crap, now look what you've done! Keep it together, Blondie. Don't forget what happened last time. I bet Jose remembers." Earth grins.

Jose pales and his eyes grow wide as he remembers. "Yes, I remember quite well, thanks for reminding me Akira-sama," he says in a flat tone. He cringes. Earth chuckles softly.

Moon takes a deep breath. "How can you cause pain to others and find it fun?"

"You and I have truly different tastes, dear Serenity."

"Explain to me, then. I want to understand you better."

"There's a certain face that everyone gets when they feel pain. One of grievance and agony. The way it scrunches up is so amusing, and it also makes me feel good because I feel as though I've won. I feel accomplished, because I've triumphed over them. You were certainly one whose face I wanted to be scrunched up in that way. Especially by my own hand."

"I'm determined to not feel anymore pain from now on. So, you're too late."

"What is it about happiness that you like so much?"

"The feeling of having a light heart is so wonderful, how could one not want to feel that over and over again, or continuously? Wait. Don't tell me. You've never been happy, have you?"

"That's one experience I'm glad I don't have. It's too dangerous to feel that way. Happiness brings hope, and hope is one of the most dangerous things in this universe."

"Because it causes pain. But, I thought you liked pain?"

"I-I don't-"

"Like feeling it, huh? Have you ever put yourself in your victim's place?"

"No."

"Do you have anyone precious? Are these people precious to you?"

Kuroi looks around at her followers, smiling at her.

"Is Ikuto precious to you?"

"Yes... He's very precious..."

"Then, humor me. Imagine that someone took them all away from you, just so that you would be hurt, just because it's fun. Because it's oh-so-hilarious-and-entertaining to see you in agony. Have you ever considered that?"

"I guess not..."

"How would you feel if that happened?"

Kuroi's face scrunches up in agony. Her fists clench.

"Does your heart feel cold and brok-"

"SHUT UP!" Kuroi screams, and punches Moon right in the nose. She falls on her backside.

"Sailor Moon!"

"Ow..." She sits up and feels her nose. There's a warm liquid there, and she looks at her hand. Red. It's probably broken, too. Darn. "Geez, you can really pack a punch, huh? When I was least expecting it, too."

"Sailor Moon, are you okay?!" Tux asks frantically, kneeling down next to her.

"Calm down," Earth says. "Don't get your panties in a knot, pretty-boy. She can take care of herself."

"And who the heck are you to say?"

"Who the heck are you?! I've actually been a part of her daily life for the past three years!"

"Earth..." Sun warns. "This isn't the time or the place for such matters."

"You know what?! I kinda wish that that was actually us back then! In the park! They should know just what has happened the past three years!"

"And they'll find out in time! Earth, I'm telling you, this isn't the time or the place!" Sun says.

"You're always such a hothead, Earth. Calm yourself down for the moment, and... and we can tell them later. Maybe," Moon says.

"What's this?" Ikuto asks. "As I recall, it seemed as though having them find out about your past was the last thing on your to-do list. And now, suddenly, you're willing to let them know."

"I don't remember that concerning you."

"It concerns my other self."

"What?"

"My other self is Chiba Mamoru."

"Of course. I should've known," then, under her breath, "Holy crow..."

"Quit standin' around!" Hikari yells. "It's killin' me! C'mon, girl!" She aims a punch at Earth, who blocks it and uses it against her, pushing her away. They get into a fight.

"Hey, Yukino," Sun says. "You seem pretty nice. I don't wanna fight you."

"I was a little scared to say so, but I don't wanna fight you, either," Yukino Taiyono says.

"Then let's not fight, 'kay?"

"'Kay!"

"You can't just settle it like that!" Moon and Kuroi yell together. They look at each other. "Don't copy me!" they both yell, and then get into a catfight.

Ikuto and Tux sweatdrop. "Usako..." "Kuro-chan..."

"We should probably separate them before they really hurt each other..."

"But..."

"It's kinda scary..." they say together, sweating bullets.

"Raging Bolt!"

"Iron Rock Wall: Continuous Formation!" [I'm borrowing these from Fairy Tail :D They don't belong to me, I didn't make them up, Hiro Mashima-sensei did, so...]

Jose and Tony battle continuously, throwing attacks back and forth, and blocking, so really just wearing themselves out, not even hitting one another. They're both very loyal, so they both are fighting with all their strength.

With Ayame and Mercury, it's a battle of wits. They get into a debate on all sorts of subjects, math, chemistry, literature, and the like. [I'm not smart enough to come up with good examples D:]

"Mars Phoenix Love!"

"Water Slicer!"

"Flame Slash!"

"Aqua Cane!"

"Jupiter Flower Cyclone!"

"Sand Explosion!"

"Lightning Thrash!"

"Sand Rebellion!"

"The best thing in the world is Love, of course!" Aika declares, winking.

"Yeah, this girl is my counterpart, all right," Venus says, sweatdropping.

"After Kuroi-sama's happiness!" She looks at Venus evilly.

"Oh, crap!" Venus cries. "Venus Love Goddess Embrace!"

Mamoru sits up in bed, panting heavily. "What a dream…" he whispers.

Little did I know I had only a little bit left to do. I guess I'll leave it at this. It's good. :3 Do you think it all really was a dream, or was it actually real? Mm, I wonder… :3 Stay tuned, my fellow moonies! :D (So happy I'm getting a chapter out after so long ^^)