...

I've given too much of myself

And now it's driving me crazy
(I'm crying out for help)

Sometimes I wish someone would
Just come here and save me...
Save me from myself

Who's there to save the hero
When she's left all alone
And she's crying out for help.
Who's there to save the hero Who's there to save the girl...
After she saves the world
After she saves the world.

The farther the group got away from the park, the more Usagi began to feel a bit better, it was as if a cold weight, a forgotten memory, was being lift off of her shoulders with each step she took away from the scene, but even with the distance between her and the fountain, a small piece of the cold sorrow remained evident in her heart. But even this cold remnant was soon forgotten, if just for a moment, at the prospect of a sleepover with the others at Makoto's house.

"A sleepover!" Usagi cried happily. The others nodded in agreement and Usagi's eyes danced as she let out a cheerful giggle and Makoto led her over to the nearby phone booth in order to call home. "A sleepover! A sleepover!" She said in a sing-song voice, and the others could only shake their heads at her sudden mood swing, but in their hearts they could feel it; something growing, an uneasiness at all of them being together once again. It was as if their reunion... had all happened before, and too soon it had ended badly.

Minako looked upwards at the almost full moon above them now. The lights of the city blocked out the other stars, but The Moon's light remained shining down upon them, and it filled her heart with sadness. It was not just the memories of the past that were filling her with sorrow though, but the worry now growing inside them all. It was as if The Moon's light was trying to reveal its sad secrets to her and the others. Secrets that it had never whispered to anyone before, but was only known to those who had been there to witness them happen.

"Boss..." Minako whispered softly as she stood staring upwards. "Queen Serenity..." In the past few weeks she had missed her dearly. Artemis was great in helping her in her duties, but... more and more he had given the reigns over to her. It was right of him to do so, after all, Minako was the leader, and he was just the advisor, the guide, the teacher. He was there to support her and help her, but the path they chose to follow was Minako's decision alone. If Queen Serenity were still there, she... she would be in charge, and Minako could fall back into simply taking orders; like a good little soldier. Minako sighed and looked away from The Moon and too the chattering princess in front of her. She knew that being just a soldier would not be what she truly wanted. If she was just a soldier, she could only follow orders and would not be able to act on her true feelings. Just like when she had wanted to protect Sailor Moon and Artemis had told her 'no'. It had only been when Minako had taken charge that she had begun to feel in control of herself. She needed to be free to act as drastically as she needed to. Rei was suddenly beside her, and her blue-purple eyes sent her a message of concern. An "Are you alright?"; Minako couldn't be any more relieved to have her nearby again; Sailor Mars. The one Venus had always been able to count on to have her back. No matter how crazy and unpredictable Venus' moves had been, she had always been there to back her up... except... for that one time.

The sight of Serenity's body sprawled out on top of Endymion's ran through her mind in an instant, and it caused Minako's blood to run cold and her breathing became heavier, but... she couldn't let Mars, she meant, Rei, see that.

"I'm fine." She lied, but the memory was there and so was her own scream and anger. The uneasiness The Moon's light had sent amongst them mingled with the horrible memory, and Minako had to wrap her arm around Usagi again in order to keep herself from screaming out in frustration. "What now, Usagi-chan?" Rei stood close by them, and Minako could feel her uncertain gaze still on her. Could she see through Minako's mask? Possibly, but Minako still had to keep it up.

"Lets go shopping!" Usagi answered happily. Minako laughed and nodded in agreement.

"I know just the perfect place!" Minako chimed in. "The goddess of love and beauty knows the ins and outs of this shopping district by heart!" Minako declared loudly, and Usagi laughed again.

"Oh, V-chan! You're so street savvy." Usagi said cheerfully and her eyes continued to dance. Minako had missed her so much... And to see her happy again was relaxing. For too long had her teary-eyed image had haunted her dreams, and the memories of their destruction in the past had filled her with dread. Minako held onto Usagi's arm more tightly as they began to walk. If only they could keep her this way, if only she didn't have to remember! Oh why couldn't they figure it all out without having to cause her so much sorrow?! Usagi smiled brightly in Minako's direction once more, and Minako forced her concern to wipe itself away from her face and she smiled just as widely. Usagi turned her face away from her again as she addressed the others, and Minako's face fell once more.

Why couldn't they just stay like this?

Forever?

It had only been about a half hour of browsing around when the group stepped back out into the street and were heading to their next destination. Only a half hour of just being together... like normal girls. The group had just let out another chorus of bright laughter when a loud burst of lighting ripped through the sky and spilt into several paths. The others around the girls let out a frightened scream at the sudden change in weather, but when looking upwards they could still see The Moon shining brightly before them, and not a single cloud in sight. The group of girls crowded around together still looking up at the sky expectantly along with the other shoppers.

"That was not everything." Makoto stated plainly under her breath. "I can feel the air above us growing even more tense."

"There is an evil presence moving in along with it." Rei agreed in a solemn whisper. Usagi tightened her grip on Minako's arm. She didn't like this. There was something... off about all of this. Something sinister. And Usagi didn't need Makoto's powers or Rei's intuition to feel it.

Once more the whole sky illuminated, but this time it remained light. The people around them were screaming hysterically and others were calling for them all to get inside. Whatever this was, it was Senshi business. As the people looked on the white sky flickered slightly and in an instant it was taken up by something torquise. The 'screen' in the sky focused to reveal five, humanoid, beings...

"Sailor Senshi..." The middle being spoke. It had long blonde hair and its skin was a turquoise with a revealing blue leotard. The others around it wore even less, and each had different shades of skin and hair colour and a set of white insect-like wings. The blonde was clearly the leader by her stature and in the fact that she wore a unique tiara. Her black eyes pierced through the screen and Usagi felt her pulse beating rapidly. Her hand squeezed Minako's arm more tightly knowing that they would soon be in danger again. "You have caused us great pain." The creature seethed. "Hurry here; Juban Harbor." She said. "We will be waiting for you." Then she smiled perversely. "And... don't keep us waiting." She moved to the side to reveal what lay behind her.

"Tuxedo Kamen-sama!" Usagi's voice pierced through the air and her grip on Minako's arm vanished as she raced past the others and stood in the middle of the street with a torrent of people rushing past her searching for shelter; completely oblivious to her private plight. But she was just as oblivious to them as they were to her. All she could do was keep looking up at his image high above her. A shadow covered his face as he remained slumped over and wrapped in chains, and he let out a soft moan. "Mamo-chan..." Usagi lifted up onto her tip-toes as if that might give her a better view of his face, but it was useless. The "screen" disappeared with a loud explosion in the air above them and Usagi stood there breathing hard. "Mamo-chan!" Then... her feet pressed hard onto the ground and she raced towards the direction of the sea.

"Usagi!" She had just turned the corner when Makoto caught up with her and held her still.

"Let go! We need to hurry! They'll hurt him!" She screamed. The others were behind her in seconds.

"We need to stick together!" Ami reasoned. "Going one by one will only get us killed." Usagi looked back up at the sky hoping to see the image there once more, to know they were not hurting him.

"Tuxedo Kamen-sama..." Usagi cried softly, and Minako stepped closer to her and put her hand on Usagi's shoulder.

"You really do love him?" She asked in surprise. Minako had always known, from the very beginning that they had shared something, but she hadn't known how seriously it had been effecting Sailor Moon. Usagi stood there with teary eyes and was avoiding Minako's gaze.

"Y-yes." Usagi admitted aloud in a quiet whisper. The others shared a worried glance. They had been keeping her away from him for so long not knowing how hard it had been on Usagi. But they had to! They knew nothing about him except that he was looking for The Silver Crystal! They couldn't trust him, at least, not yet, and not enough to let Usagi be alone with him!

Rei stood off to the side of the other three unaware of all that had been happening the last few weeks, but she could conclude one thing... this all felt like it had happened before. They had kept her away from a lover before... with dire consequences. Could this be...just a repeat of past mistakes? "Please, lets hurry!" Usagi begged finally looking up at them; her eyes desperate. The others nodded and they followed after Usagi as she ran. The streets were now deserted as the people of Tokyo took shelter. Only on occasion did the five girls hear the wail of police sirens nearby.

"We have to transform!" Minako cried and Usagi paused in her run. They were all alone in a deserted street, but they were still in viewing distances of others. "Over here!" The others followed Minako into an alley way that lead to another shopping area. They could transform here unobserved, and then leave without being suspected by people on either street. It was perfect. "Lets go!" Minako revealed her own transformation pen and the others did the same, then they looked at Usagi. Usagi nodded and then lifted up her own hand into the air.

"Moon Prism Power!"

"Mercury Power!"

"Jupiter Power!"

"Mars Power!"

"Make Up!"

Minako lifted her own transformation pen high into the air and began to glow a vibrant orange. "Moon Power!" She cried out. "Make Up!" The others in the group began to glow as well and they could feel a new sort of power flowing through them. They were all together... did that mean anything now? Usagi felt the ribbons encase her body and her eyes remained closed as the new power surged through her. It felt so good... Her recent fears melted away and her uneasiness left her. Sailor Moon's hand grabbed hold of Sailor Mars' automatically, and then Sailor Jupiter's to her left. Soon they were all holding hands as the power continued to fill them with their closed eyes.

Yes, they could save Mamoru. They would save Mamoru. The Youmas' fear tactics would fail. They had made a mistake in taking him. Sailor Moon's eyes opened wide in anger. That would only keep her fighting!

"Lets go." Sailor Moon hardly recognized her own voice with how strong and hard it had become, but the others opened their eyes and did not seem shocked by her sudden change. "Let us go to Juban Harbor." Sailor V nodded and Sailor Moon looked at her in surprise suddenly realizing the difference. Her two piece suit had become one leotard of orange, white, and blue, just like their own, and on her waist lay a gold chain. Her face was still covered by her trademark red mask and still the mark of The Moon, the mark of The Princess, remained engrained on her forehead. "V... V-chan..." Sailor V smiled. The others moved to let go of their hands but Sailor V rebuked them sternly.

"No. Keep your hands tightly together." She said. The others looked at her in confusion as their "princess" closed her eyes. "Focus your powers on getting us to the harbor." She said softly. The others obeyed and Sailor Moon closed her eyes tightly. Her whole heart willing herself to be at the harbor that very instant. "We can use 'Sailor Teleport' now." Sailor V said through the darkness. "Now that we five are together." Sailor Moon felt the power swirl within the circle and then move outwards around them.

"Sailor Teleport!" Their voices were in unison with no cue as to when to speak, and Sailor Moon felt their hearts beating as one, but in that same heartbeat, Sailor Moon could vaguely make out the other's uneasiness, even fear. She pushed it away. They were together, and their power would over come this evil.

Yes, as long as they stayed together... they would be fine.

Their bodies floated upwards into the air a few feet, and then Sailor Moon felt them rushing forward in bursts of light.

"Please, let it truly be fine." Sailor Moon's feet touched solid ground once more and her eyes opened to see the others still standing tall around her. She had only just turned around towards the sound of the rushing waves when she felt a hand on her shoulder.

"Wait." Sailor Mars' voice said sternly, she hadn't waited an instant before moving in to stop Sailor Moon's reckless dash. Sailor Moon couldn't wait though! She had to get to him, to save him! "Going in head on will only get us killed! Let Mercury asess the situation first!" She hissed as she tightened her grip on Moon's shoulder and kept her steady. "If you go in early you might just get him killed too! Just wait." Moon stopped pushing against her trying to break free and stood there staring out onto the desolate rooftop around them. She was right, she knew it in her heart, but her heart was also beating wildly in fear. What if they killed Mamoru in front of her before she had a chance to protect him? Sailor Moon clasped her hands together prayerfully and she felt Mars' hand squeeze tightly for a moment comfortingly. "We'll make sure he gets out of this safely." Mars promised. Sailor Moon nodded slowly. She had to trust that. She looked back at the others and smiled sorrowfully. Again she had started to act hastily and childishly when in truth she was suppose to be their leader. Sailor Moon blinked back a tear. She couldn't get emotional now. She had to protect her princess and she had to be able to think straight in order to save Mamoru.

The group walk slowly towards the edge of the roof and crouched down behind the ledge. Their heads peeked over the top and, sure enough, the five beings remained waiting at the edge of the harbor beside the water. Mamoru was no where to be seen.

"Where's Tuxedo Kamen?" Sailor Moon's voice cracked even though she had been trying to sound strong. "Where is he? They couldn't have killed him!" Sailor V put her hand on Sailor Moon's other shoulder and Mars held on tightly to her shoulder just in case Sailor Moon made a mad dash, but it was not Sailor Moon's plan.

"Mercury?" Sailor V looked at the blue haired Senshi who nodded. Her hand went up to her ear and the blue visor appeared on her face as she gazed at her computer.

"I can only get the five energy readings from the Youma." She said. "They could still be keeping Tuxedo Kamen nearby, or perhaps they have him somewhere that they can teleport to. I need more data to be sure." She looked out onto the harbor, and her blank expression became a frown. "That tiara on the middle being, its giving off a strong power reading. It must have some other function that we don't know about. As soon as she activates it though, I'll be able to figure out just what that is with my visor."

"But won't we too? I mean she'll be using it on us." Mars complained, and Mercury nodded still frowning.

"Perhaps, if its evident. But perhaps its a shield, or something else that's not evident at first." Mercury was now sounding uncharacteristically bitter, and Mars backed off.

"Okay, okay. Sorry." Sailor Moon glanced back at her to see her being truly apologetic. Sailor V leaned closer to the edge and peered out to the scene.

"What can we do to get the advantage over them?" Mercury shook her head.

"If we act in surprise, we cannot be sure to get Tuxedo Kamen out of wherever they are hiding, and perhaps there are more with him. We would endanger him. We need to get them to show him to us, so we can act." Mercury said. "I think we must act solely as if this is a rescue mission." Mercury's eyes landed on Sailor Moon as she spoke.

"How do we begin?" Sailor Jupiter asked. "Where do we strike first?"

"Why do they want us to fight?" Sailor Moon asked suddenly. "Why did they bring Tuxedo Kamen into this?!" Sailor Mercury shook her head.

"I don't know everything." Mercury said sadly. "But..." She turned to Jupiter. "I do have a plan. It might not work though." Sailor V lifted her other hand and grabbed hold of Mercury's arm.

"You're the brightest of us all. I'm sure we will make it through. Besides, I bet you're just being modest." Mercury was blushing now, but then quickly moved back to her computer. She was silent for a moment as she continued to read the information running across the screen. Her face fell.

"What?" The other three pressed forward, and Sailor Moon sat there with her heart about to explode. They needed to hurry... She kept her gaze looking out at the five creatures hoping to catch the slightest glimpse of Mamoru.

"These creatures are not like the other Youma we have face." Mercury said. "They are much stronger, and there is also an outside power force flowing through them that is not their own." She looked upwards at the others. Her face said what she could not aloud. "I have a horrible feeling about this." The other three knew exactly what she meant, and to their relief Sailor Moon was looking away and out into the harbor. She was already worried enough.

"It will be okay." Jupiter said, but she did not look entirely convinced.

"Yeah." Mars agreed, but she could feel the danger all around them even more than the others could. "We've got this." Sailor V could only sit silently as she kept looking at Mercury's pale, frightened face.

"So, the plan?" Sailor V asked finally. Sailor Moon drew her attention back to them, and Mercury nodded.

"Okay, but like I said. It's not the best. There are too many undetermined variables. We are going to have to take chances not all of us will be comfortable with." She looked back at the computer about to explain her plan but then she looked up at them wide eyed. "You have to stay in groups." She said violently, and with more strength Sailor Moon could remember ever hearing her use. "Being separated will only get you killed. They are too strong to take one on one. You have to, absolutely have to, remain together. Understand?" The others blinked in surprise, but then nodded in agreement. Mercury let out a sigh. "Okay, here is the plan."

Sailor V crouched down beside Sailor Mars as they waited for their cue to join in. Sailor V was hating this! To be separated from Sailor Moon at such a time like this was too nerve racking. Always in the past, the others had made Sailor Moon stay back with her, out of the heat of things, while the other two took the problem; with Mercury creating the plan and Jupiter acting it out. Now they were all in the middle of things and Sailor V was separated from her?! She understood Mercury's reasoning, she really did. If the creatures were after The Princess, whom they believed to be Sailor V, it would stand to reason that they would go after her the hardest, and Sailor Moon had already proven that she was ready to die before letting them get to her. That could not happen. Sailor Moon needed to be as far away as possible. So... she was with Jupiter as they prepared to spring Tuxedo Mask when he appeared. Then Sailor Moon would be left to tend to him and would fight from a distance with her tiara and wand as Jupiter joined Mars and Venus. Not that it made Sailor V any less nervous. They still knew nothing about him and the idea of having Sailor Moon alone with him was nerve racking. Okay, not alone, but with Sailor Mercury as she guided them from above. What if he was a part of this? She hadn't wanted to bring it up in front of Sailor Moon but always it was a fear in the back of Sailor V's mind. What if he was just playing with their emotions, and truly was a villain? Sailor V shook her head. She couldn't keep thinking that! It would only make her more tense, but... she just couldn't let the possibility slide.

What if he was just hanging around them until he could get his hands on The Silver Crystal? The Silver Crystal... Sailor V's heart was beating in a panicked state now. Will they need to awaken Sailor Moon's identity as Princess Serenity forcefully in order to get it? Did they really need it like her dream suggested? Was there a bigger battle waiting at the end of all of this?

"Times like these I hate my choice of shoes!" Mars hissed beside her. They had been crouching for several minutes now. Sailor V looked back at Mars, but saw through her lie. V's feet weren't hurting and neither were Mars'! She understood what she was trying to do though; break the tension: the tension of waiting, the tension of not knowing, the tension of being separated from the others!

"Come on Mercury." V whispered softly, and just then she saw it. The fog was beginning to form over the ocean and the air was growing colder by the moment. "One, two, three, four..." The two Senshi began to count in unison as the fog reached the edge of the peer. They could not act too hastily or else it might not work. Everything had to be perfect. "Fifty-six, fifty-seven, fifty eight..." The muscles in Sailor V's legs were beginning to wind up even more and her breathing as she counted was becoming even more heavy with each number. "Eighty-seven, eighty-eight, eighty-nine..." Oh! She wished she could just add "skip a few, ninety-nine, one-hundred!" and be done with it! The fog was now covering the harbor and the Youma's had taken notice, but they could not know if it was natural or not. Right?

"Come on out! Sailor Senshi!" The main Youma called out. "You think you can trick us with your fog?!" Sailor V stood up and Mars followed her lead.

"One-hundred." Mars said behind her and Sailor V nodded as she stepped out into clear view of the Youma. Behind her she heard Sailor Mars press the button on Sailor Mercury's computer. The fact that Sailor Mercury had given up the computer only enhanced the awful feeling around them. It was like giving up her right hand, or in her case, her left hand, but Sailor V had to trust that she knew what she was doing. Sailor V looked backwards for an instant to see three more figures beside Sailor Mars. They would have to do.

The three figures were still hallowgrams* of the other three Senshi. From a distance and in the fog it was the hope that they would mistake them for the others' true form, but if there was any closer inspection, they would surely realize it. And if they had energy sensors like Mercury's visor... they would clearly see they were not living, and even worse, they would know where the others were. And that they had known all along! Perhaps that was the tiara's other function? Sailor V held her breath. She couldn't think that! She was just being paranoid. Besides, the Youma hadn't been activating it when they were on the roof, so, they hadn't known then.

Sailor V let out the breath she was holding walked forward with Mars following behind and the three figures moved as well, but if looked at carefully, it would be clearly seen that their legs were not. "Please let this work!" She begged silently.

Sailor Moon sat crouched beside Sailor Jupiter as the fog began to creep past them and towards the Youma. Soon the whole harbor would be filled.

"Go." Jupiter whispered as the fog thickened. Sailor Moon ran forward trying to remain as silent as possible. They had at least one-hundred seconds to get into place, and they couldn't spare a moment! They had to be ready when the time came. The two leaned over the edge of the wall that overlooked the harbor and the two swung down underneath. Sailor Moon's hands gripped the side for dear life.

"Now, she says we must get behind them." Sailor Jupiter whispered. Sailor Mercury's must have whispered in Jupiter's ear. The little microchip in Jupiter's ear hooked up directly to Mercury's visor while the other two had Mercury's computer. Sailor Moon felt left out, but if Mercury's plane worked, she would have the computer back to Mercury in a flash and Tuxedo Kamen safe and sound.

The two Senshi slid slowly towards the Youma's who were facing the other way. They were running out of time! They needed to get into place!

"Come on out Sailor Senshi!" The voiced pierced through the fog just as Sailor Moon and Jupiter were balancing themselves directly behind them with the water splashing upwards beneath them and spraying their legs. Sailor Moon's breathing was coming quicker and she swallowed hard trying to get a good view of what was happening just a few feet in front of them. The fog was giving them good cover, but in return it was making it hard to see. At least she could make out their shadows. They just needed to find Tuxedo Kamen! Where was he?! Was he alright?

"As soon as you see him." Sailor Jupiter whispered, or more like, breathed, in her ear. Sailor Moon nodded. She would be ready. As soon as they saw him they would jump forward and grab him.

Five shadowy figures appeared in front of them and two stepped into the clearer part of the fog around the youmas.

"Who are you?" Sailor V demanded, and Sailor Mars stood close by while the other three 'Senshi' stood back in the fog. "What do you want from us?" Ask about Tuxedo Kamen! Sailor Moon ordered in her mind, but she knew she had to be patient. If they asked too early and urgently, then they would reveal about how worried they were, or at least, Sailor Moon was, and it would give his capture more weight in their battle. At least that was what Mercury had said, but Moon was not entirely sure if that was just for her benefit or not. The others were also giving them more time to get into place if they needed too. They couldn't know they were ready without Mercury telling them over the computer.

"We are The DD Girls." The middle being began to explain. "We serve directly under our great leader." The creature paused, and if Sailor Moon could see her face she would have probably seen her smiling perversely. "Someone who is just anxious to meet you, Princess." Sailor V's chin lifted higher in defiance.

"Who?" The creature laughed.

"You'll know soon enough, and then you will wish you had never figured it out." The creature mocked. "She will rip your heart right out of your chest, and The Silver Crystal with it!" Sailor Mars moved closer to Sailor V, and so did the other three 'Senshi'.

"We will stop you!" Mars cried, but Sailor V lifted her hand to stop her. This was it. This was it! Sailor Moon's muscles prepared to spring her into action, and she felt Jupiter do the same next to her. They would be ready. Sailor Moon would attack, and Jupiter would carry him to safety. They would not fail!

"Careful now." Moon barely heard what Jupiter had said it was so soft. "Tiara still off." Moon nodded to send that she understood. This mission could still hit or miss if the tiara's power proved to be something dangerous.

"Where is Tuxedo Kamen?" Sailor V asked finally, and Sailor Moon leaned forward. She would be ready! Her feet were pressing hard against the side of the wall ready to spring her forward. "Is he alright?"

"The tiara is activating." Jupiter whispered a little louder this time to ensure Sailor Moon heard her. Jupiter pressed upwards on the wall and her mouth was right next to Sailor Moon's ear. "Mercury says she's analyzing it now."

"Why don't you see for yourself?" The creature said in response to V's question and suddenly the blue being disappeared, and in her place was Tuxedo Kamen.

Now!

Sailor Moon's legs sprung her forward with The Moon Stick appearing in her hand and Jupiter began to follow after her, except... then she wasn't.

"STOP!" Jupiter's scream came too late though as Sailor Moon could only stop herself enough to prevent herself from colliding with the blue creature who returned to her position, and Tuxedo Kamen disappeared.

"SAILOR MOON!" V's scream came even louder, and Sailor Moon found herself pushed into the air by a stream of vine-like objects.

Sailor Moon was lifted higher into the air and she could see the others scrambling around bellow her, and preparing their attacks. The five Youmas flew upwards into the air around Sailor Moon as the three Senshi remained on the ground staring up at them. They couldn't attack without hurting Sailor Moon, and she could see on their faces that they were helpless against them, just as if they were tied up as well.

"You think you could sneak up on us?!" One of the other Youma called down to them, and Sailor Moon felt the vines around her growing hotter. "We will teach you to play games with us!" Searing pain shot through Sailor Moon's body and she screamed out in pain as the electricity swept over her.

"Stop! Stop!" Sailor V stepped forward frantically. "Take me, I'm the one you want! Take me!" The pain in Sailor Moon's body stopped just as soon as it had begun and she slumped over the vines catching glimpse of the pink wand still in her hand. "Take me!" The Youmas looked as if they were actually considering it.

"No... V..." Sailor Moon could barely get the words out. The vines were wrapping tighter around her cutting off her air.

"Princess, no!" Mars and Jupiter cried in unison, but they were looking upward with just as much worry. Sailor V stood unmoved.

"Take me." She had lifted her arms out to the side making herself even more vulnerable. "Don't hurt any of the others. I don't want my friends hurt. Please, take me!" She screamed. The Youmas shared a glance with each other and were smiling fiendishly.

"No..." Sailor Moon's arm shot upwards from the vines with The Moon Stick glowing. "Moon Prism Power!" The light increased drastically and she felt power surging through her at a rate she had never felt before. Something within her was growing hot and it was like a fire erupting in her soul. The Youma's grip on her tightened, and she felt the electric shock begin to continue. "Moon Healing Escalation!" She shouted it at the top of her lungs, she could not let V make that sacrifice for her sake. Sailor Moon was suppose to be protecting her, and not the other way around! The Youma let out a scream of pain and shock and Sailor Moon felt their grip loosen. Then... she was falling through the air, but not for long. Again a set of vines wrapped around her quickly and brought her upwards.

"You think you can escape?!" The green Youma screamed in anger. Sailor Moon kicked at her, but she was stuck. Soon the others would be back... at least two of them. The red and orange youmas were no where to be seen.

"Sailor Moon!" The other Senshi were just under her, but the green youma was using her as a human shield. The other two youma were just a few yards away now. There was no escape this time. The Moon Stick was buried deep in the vines and unreachable. The two youma were now floating beside the green youma and there were no more smiles. It was apparent to Sailor Moon that they didn't take some of their own being killed to well. "Now we will kill you all one by one! Starting with you!" The green youma shouted in Sailor Moon's ear.

"No! Please!" V shouted upwards, but they were still helpless. Sailor Moon pressed her eyes closed tightly and clenched her teeth together as she waited for the pain that would surely come. She would not cry out this time! She would be strong!

The shock came up her back and began to wrap through her as the others looked on in horror as she stifled her own screams and cries. The other youma watched their partner while floating off to the side, but close enough to remain safe from a Senshi attack.

"Stop it!" V screamed, but it was no use. "Sailor Moon!" Sailor Moon's mind was falling into darkness, she was going out... but at least... V wasn't going to die for her... the others... would... keep... her..."No!" She couldn't even finish the thought and her eyes slipped closed. "No!" This was it...

"Sailor Moon!" Suddenly the pain was gone and Sailor Moon thought that perhaps she was already dead. She wouldn't be in pain if that were true, but... would she be falling? Perhaps... "I'm here, Sailor Moon!" No... she wasn't dead. Someone new was calling out to her as they fell. Sailor Moon's eyes opened and there he was.

"Tuxedo... Kamen-sama?" His blue eyes, the ones that could swallow her in their mystery, looked down at her in panic. "How?" It was all she could get out before she felt them no longer falling and they hit the hard ground with a jolt.

"Sailor Moon!" The other Senshi were suddenly around them looking downwards at her in fear.

"Sailor Moon!" Sailor V pushed past the others and Tuxedo Kamen and wrapped her arms around her tightly. "Sailor Moon!" Above them Sailor Moon heard screaming and it seemed to bring the others besides Sailor V out of their panic.

"Now we will teach you how it is when you hurt the ones we love!" Jupiter cried.

"We will repay a hundred times over for the anguish you've caused us tonight!" Mars cried as she stood up beside her ally. Above them only two youmas remained, and the Green Youma was not one of them.

"No matter." The Main Youma stated and the gem on her tiara flashed as she disappeared and in her place appeared someone they all knew.

"Motoki Onii-san!" Sailor Moon gasped trying to sit up. She had to help him!

"Stay down Sailor Moon." Tuxedo Kamen said calmingly. "Its alright. Its not really him." Tuxedo Kamen looked upwards with anger flaring on his face, "If you plan on luring someone into a trap, you better make sure your bait isn't still roaming free on the streets!" He shouted upwards.

"Its just an illusion." A new voice said, and Sailor Mercury appeared beside the others. "Its the tiara's other function." Sailor Mars handed Mercury her computer once more just as the ground beneath them began to shake.

"Move!" It was all Mercury could scream before one of the remaining creatures crashed through the ground, barely missing Mars and Jupiter as everyone jumped out of the way. The youma flew upwards to where the fake Motoki was still standing and the illusion melted into the image of the Main Youma.

Tuxedo Kamen place Sailor Moon back onto the floor and Sailor V was next to them again in an instant. The other three Senshi stood looking defensively upwards at the youmas. Sailor Moon's hand went to her head as she felt the world beginning to spin around. She was just so weak.

"Here," Tuxedo Kamen's hand went for her forehead and it had a soft golden glow.

"Don't touch her!" Sailor V shouted as she slapped his hand away and held Sailor Moon closer to her protectively. "Don't ever touch her again!" She screamed. "Who are you? What do you want with us? The Silver Crystal? How could you destroy a youma in a single hit?! You've never had a single magical attack before tonight!" She continued.

"V..." Sailor Moon couldn't believe what she was hearing. Was she really hearing it? Or was she just dreaming all of this? How could some of her most important people be fighting each other? The two youma above them were already moving and disappeared into the water.

"Be ready!" Mercury called out to them as she gazed out over the water with her visor. "I'm getting a strong reading. They're surfacing!" Tuxedo Kamen moved to grab hold of Sailor Moon again, but still V shoved him out of the way.

"I said don't touch her!" It came out as a low, but still frightened growl. Sailor Moon watched as his calm, blue eyes looked V over. The normally calm V was appearing completely unnerved in comparison.

"Its alright, Venus." He said.

"No! Don't use that name with me!" She shouted. "You shouldn't even know it!"

"The water!" Mars' voice called out and all of them looked out into the harbor to see the water beginning to boil.

"What's happening?" Jupiter asked. Mercury was typing furiously at her computer.

"They are heating the water for another attack. Be read-" Before she could even finish, a large ball of what looked like lava emerged from the water. "They are inside! Be careful. Its an illusion, but its still scolding hot."

"Jupiter! Grab Sailor Moon!" V called up to her, but it was already too late. The illusion was crashing down upon them.

"Shabon Spray Freezing!" The attack struck the water turned lava and it froze instantly. The large mass struck the side of the harbor and the chunks of ice crashed back into the water. "Hurry, lets get farther in land."

"There's only two of them, we can take them here." Mars complained, but as she was the ground began to shake again. "I'm all for moving in!" She cried running forward away from the shaking behind Sailor Mercury and the others followed with Jupiter carrying Sailor Moon now and Tuxedo Kamen taking up the rear with Sailor V beside him. She was not leaving him out of her sight. The two youma crashed through the ground behind them and began their chase with their hands transforming into vines once more.

"What? Don't you want to play anymore, Princess?" The vines came down upon her in an instant.

"Fire Soul Bird!"

"Tuxedo La Smoking Bomber!"

The two attacks struck the Blue Youma and she withered into ash under the intensity before the vines even touched V.

"You!" The Main Youma screeched. She was now completely alone and utterly outnumbered. "You will pay for that! I'll not never forgive you!" Her hands went out in two directions and wrapped around V, pulling her close. She intended to strangle her and shock her at the same time. "Impudent fools! Watch your princess die!" The electricity went through V relentless and she let out a scream.

"Shabon Spray Freezing!" The attack stuck the Main Youma in the back and she let out a scream of pain as she began to freeze. No one had even noticed the Senshi as she had fallen behind the others in order to gain a better angle for her attack.

"Crescent Beam!" The vines around V snapped in half like twigs and V was caught as she fell by Tuxedo Kamen.

"Supreme Thunder!" The lightning shattered the rest of the ice and the Main Youma fell onto the ground. Her wings were utterly destroyed and she had nowhere left to run.

"Shine-" Sailor Mercury spun around with her attack as the Youma spat out her vicious prediction to them.

"It doesn't even matter! You'll all die like insects! One by one by one, and each in front of your precious princess! Then she'll die too!" The Youma spit at the Sailor Senshi and Tuxedo Kamen.

"-Aqua Illusion!" She let out a terrified scream as the pain and cold ripped through her and she broke into a million shards of ice.

Notes: There, Mercury finally got to kill one of them! Yay! Go Mercury!

Tuxedo La Smoking Bomber: Manga attacks! Yay! Tuxedo Kamen will throw exactly zero roses in this story!

Rant: Do you know how heart wrenching episode 45 is?! Its almost as bad as Sailor Stars! Wait... no. This is worse! When they are leaving Mercury behind to "fight" the monsters, you just want to scream at her. "You liar! You said you weren't going to die!" I have a new found love and appreciation for Sailor Mercury as of yesterday. Okay, I've always loved her, but yesterday just reminded me of why. She's the most level of the Senshi and I think the closest after Usagi to Luna. She helps Luna keep the others on track and in line. Who is the one to smack Sailor Moon when she is talking crazy? Mars? Nope; Mercury! And then apologizes like a good person, but then immediately turns back to the battle. "Dang girl! And they call you weak?!"

Okay, another rant: Have you ever noticed that in the anime they have abilities they give the girls for one episode and then they vanish? Never used again, never talked about, or even explained! Well... I've taken the liberty to use one. In the anime when Mercury first awakens she creates a digital look alike of herself. This is never explained or used again! Along with *clears throat*: Sailor Moon's hearing Naru with her Dango cover thingies. Sailor Moon using tiara to stop her schoolmates from being brainwashed "Moon Dust" or something. And apparently the anime Sailor Moon can in fact fly. So why use Sailor Teleport this whole time? She does this in the SuperS movie and whenever its convenient. (Okay the SuperS movie has a whole lot of problems in it. "Pluto? Didn't you die last season?!") She does in Stars too. In the manga she has real wings by that point, and its all good, but the anime... I'm pretty sure those wings aren't going to make her fly. They don't for the rest of the season so why is that one instance an exception? Okay, I'm done ranting now. For now at least.

Oh, and apparently Luna can restore memories in R. "So why didn't you or Artemis do that last season? We could have prevented Usagi's whole traumatic exposure as The Moon Princess thingy, and maybe not have ran around wondering if Tuxedo Kamen was an enemy and he would have shared his rainbow crystals with you!"