Chapter 4

Princess Serenity of the Moon sat alone in her room. A small, tinkling melody was the only sound that echoed off the cold white walls. The little porcelain ballerina twirled all by herself on a silver mirrored dance floor. She had a sad look on her face, one of longing and hurt. Princess Serenity laid on her arm just staring at the little dancer. She had watched it so many times that she knew the dancer's moves before she did them. Once, a long time ago, she would hum the melody. Precious memories would twirl around her like the little ballerina twirled.

But that was long ago, before she knew pain and heart ache. Once, the ballerina danced with a peaceful, loving expression on her face and she danced with another person. His dark figure towered over her, holding her gently by the waist, held her hand with tenderness. He leaned over her as if protecting their dance from prying eyes. For their dance had been a sacred moment, when both hearts would beat as one and love lit the silver mirrored dance floor.

But it had changed. She thought bringing herself out of her haunting memories. He had betrayed her…left her. And the little music box became tarnished with his betrayal and her hatred. The little ballerina's sweet expression was now sad and lost and the male figure was no longer holding her. The silver mirrored dance floor was cracked and dull. The melody turned dark and haunting. It would never be the same.

"Serenity. They have returned." A soft voice floated to her from behind her door. Princess Serenity waited until the sad melody finished and then she closed the top of the music box, casting the sad little ballerina into darkness.

The whispering ruined walls of a once majestic palace silenced as she opened her door. A small petite woman stood to the side. She was dressed in a white and blue dress that floated around her, swishing as she began walking with her. She was just a little shorter than Princess Serenity with big ocean blue eyes and sapphire hair. She moved like a cloud, floating on the dull marble floors.

In another room that was once the ball room, was a sea of yellow and green yomens. They stood still behinds their makers, Jupiter and Venus. Princess Serenity felt a satisfied smile grace her unemotional lips.

"Very good." She murmured as Jupiter held out the energy like an offering. An invisible bubble held the hot, potent energy that they all needed. She took the gift and the yellow and blue energy flashed and turned pure, blinding white. It was always white, when it should be silver. But soon…soon I'll have the silver crystal Princess Serenity thought as she walked to where the other energy was stored. A white pillar of swirling energy pulsed like a rapid heart beat. She held out her hands and the huge pillar sucked the new energy away until her fingers were empty of its heat.

"The moon will be full in two days and the next rainbow crystal will show itself." She told her protectors as they came to stand around her in a protective circle.

"Beryl." Mars's stern voice carried to the sea of yomens and they parted as a hunched character came from its midst. Princess Serenity looked at her with unhidden disgust and hatred as the pathetic creature crept forward, cowering when one of Mercury's ice yomen cackled and jeered her.

"Yes my mistress." She said in a wavering voice full of fear and tears.

"Your yomen, tell us where it is." Mars demanded. Beryl gulped. The darkness had told her. The darkness that clouded her small room. It swirled all around her, invading her dreams like a thief. It always happened two days before the full moon, and the wicked girls knew it.

"H—he was reborn as a priest. He holds the orange crystal I believe." She stuttered. Mars's hand shot out of no where and grabbed her tattered purple dress and yanked Beryl towards her. Princess Serenity did nothing as Beryl let out a whimper.

"You better be right." She hissed, holding her for a second more before releasing her. Beryl stumbled back and fell to the floor. The Scouts smirked and Beryl shook her head.

"How could you be so cruel?" She whispered and Princess Serenity lifted her hand and summoned a little of the energy. She shouldn't have said anything. Beryl thought frantically. Her fear exploded like a bomb inside her, made her tremble like a dead leaf. And they knew…she thought in wild distress, they could sense it in her.

"And you are one to speak to me of cruelty?" She murmured dangerously and let the energy twist and form into one of her moon yomens. Beryl's eyes grew wide and she tried to get to her feet but the moon yomen leapt from Princess Serenity's side and attacked, screaming with its hands full of forbidden moon magic. It lunged and imbedded itself into Beryl's very soul. Beryl sucked in a breath and didn't let it out. She twitched and her face began to turn blue until Princess Serenity banished the yomen from her. It swam from Beryl's body like an exercised ghost and disappeared in a spark of silver magic and Beryl greedily sucked in air, sputtering and heaving for more breath.

"You who destroyed our homes." She bitterly said and the moon yomen reappeared and smacked Beryl to the floor.

"You who killed innocent people and tried to kill us?" She asked. The yomen smacked her from the other side and Beryl hit the floor with a sounding cracked.

"You…who made us what we are?" She asked coldly and the yomen hit her backwards and Beryl lay sprawled on the floor with blood running from her nose and a huge bump on her forehead where she hit the floor.

"Did you think you could actually control us?" Princess Serenity stood over her watching Beryl fight for her consciousness. "And you call me cruel?" She asked in a silky voice full of acid. She didn't wait for an answer, just walked out of the ball room not looking back. Her protectors followed as well never sparing the gasping creature a glance.

"We will not be control again." She said viciously. An image swam into her angry memories, and his voice whispered secretly to her. Give it to me and I'll protect you…we can trust him I promise... Serenity give me your crystal and you'll live I swear…

She violently smashed his voice from her thoughts. Banished it from her soul.

This time she will have both crystal…the silver and the gold. She vowed it to herself. And all those who live on Earth will finally pay. Their energy was just the beginning. The filthy earthlings will be destroyed and the Silver Alliance will rule once more…

XOXO

It was late in the week and while there had been no battles with the scouts, there was still tension among Darien and his friends. Nothing was really out of place. They went to school, came home watched the news for signs of the Scouts and they had weekly meetings. It was still bizarre for Darien to think that the Scouts were the bad guys. He was just unwilling to believe it.

Luna and Artemis sometimes would get frustrated with the guys when they were unwilling to get with the program. They were putting off training and such because they just couldn't fight the Scouts.

"You're not even trying." Luna said to them one day when she got fed up with their half hearted training. "How can you protect the world if you don't even try?" She hissed at them.

"It's the Scouts—" Jadeite protested dropping down from the curl up bars and took a seat on the grass. They were at a small outside gym next to a local shrine.

"You keep saying that like it's an excuse. Look, maybe before your memories got all mushed they were good. But they are not good in this time. They are ruthless, cunning girls that will stop at nothing to get what they want. They suck humans dry of their energy and grow stronger and stronger."

"What do they do with the energy?" Zoicite asked with a small huff as he put his weights down.

"I'm not sure." Luna admitted. "What I am sure of is that what ever it's for is something really big." She stared off into space. "And besides, it's going to be a full moon tonight and when ever there is a full moon, Princess Serenity herself comes."

Darien bolted from his spot, his heart hammering from hearing her name. "A princess?" He asked thinking back to his dreams he had those many days ago. But ever since he was in this new time, he hadn't dreamt of her since.

"Yes, Princess Serenity. Artemis and I used to be her mother's advisers. But then the Silver Alliance was destroyed and you were all reborn." Luna explained totally giving up on making them train.

"Reborn? Like reincarnation?" Zoicite asked taking a sip of water from his water bottle.

"Yes, after the Great War and the Silver Alliance was destroyed." She murmured looking into the distance as if remembering some dark event.

"Silver Alliance?" Darien asked. Did it have to do with the Princess? Was this Princess Serenity the princess he had been dreaming about? Luna shook her head.

"You really don't remember do you?" She asked. It was the first time Darien saw that she was actually beginning to believe them. "This is just too strange." She murmured thickly and left. Artemis called after her, but Luna ignored him and disappeared under a fence.

"She wanted things to be different." Artemis said sagely after a short silence. The guys all sat on the grass and waited for him to continue. "Before Queen Serenity died, she sent all of you back to Earth to be reborn. She even sent the Scouts, but unfortunately their life orbs were intercepted by the Evil Queen who destroyed the Silver Alliance."

"You keep on saying the Silver Alliance like we know about it." Kunzite bit at him moodily. Artemis didn't take offence at his tone, only looked serenely back at him and nodded.

"My apologies, perhaps I should start with what I know so far. Long ago, the plants of this Solar System created a Silver Alliance and the Moon was the head of it."

Jadeite snorted. "A little rock was the head of all the major plants?" He asked in disbelief.

"Yes it was because the people of the moon were magical creatures that were blessed with power and beauty. But they were also blessed with the Silver Crystal, a very powerful crystal that out shone any star in the universe. No one knows where it originated from. All we knew was that it was passed from generation to generation. Princess Serenity was the next heir in line to receive it, and she was by far the most powerful person in the galaxy. She was to be more powerful than her mother, but she was still very young. All the planets were part of the Silver Alliance, all except Earth."

"Why not Earth?" Nephrite spoke, tearing some grass from the ground and letting the blades fall though his fingers. Artemis shrugged.

"I don't know. Earth was powerful on its own. They had possession of the Golden Crystal, and didn't want or need the protection of the Alliance. But in the end, the Earth fell victim to the evils of Queen Beryl, who wanted the power of the Alliance. She used Earth to get it and that's when the Great War began."

"And the Silver Alliance fell?" Darien asked. Artemis nodded.

"I don't remember much, just the basic story, but what confuses me is why the Alliance fell in the first place. The Silver Crystal should have been more than enough to fight the invaders." He stopped to think about it. "I don't know what could have happened, but when the war was over and the moon was left in shambles, Queen Serenity used the crystal to beat back Beryl. But she only used a little of the magic. She used the rest to save you and the girls."

"But something happened right?" Jadeite asked. "I mean you said the Scouts are the bad guys…"

"Beryl was not completely beaten. She still had enough power to intercept the girls. She corrupted them." He said sadly.

"So they are working for Beryl?" Nephrite asked in what sounded like hope. Artemis grimaced and shook his head.

"No, they work for Princess Serenity. I don't know what happened to Beryl. I don't know if she is still alive or not. Princess Serenity is the dark force we fight. Her heart is filled with vengeance and the Scouts seem to hate you more that they should. We don't know what plans they have in store, but we do know that they want to destroy Earth the way Earth destroyed the Silver Alliance."

"The sins of our Fathers?" Zoicite asked in sarcasm and Artemis nodded.

"All the energy they collect is building and building. On top of that, they are searching for some strange crystals. Every full moon one of the crystals shows up, buried inside innocent people. We don't know their significance yet, but we know that we must stop them."

"This Golden Crystal…do you know where it is?" Darien asked. Artemis shrugged.

"The Silver and Gold Crystals are both missing. We must be very careful, because if they are found, it could be dangerous. I think that's one of the Scout's many missions, to find the crystals. Perhaps these other crystals they are finding will lead them to it, who knows."

The sun was setting low in the sky and winter winds blew across the small outside gym. It was daunting. Something was going to happen tonight when the moon was full and its silver light will bathe them in its magic glow. And then he'll finally meet this… Princess Serenity. He was cautious, but also he was filled with anticipation. If he saw her then he would know if she was the Princess who pleaded with him in the night. Pleaded for him to help her, to get something from her. Even if she was evil, he had to know…he had to see her…

XOXO

The cool air was charged with anticipation. The Princess Scouts and the Moon Princess were standing on a cold slab of old grey stone at the top of a church. Night was cascading its shadows over the land and the wind was blowing thickly. Dressed in all white, the girls waited patiently as the lights from the church windows began to dim out and people trickled from the entrance. The doors were held open by cheery nuns and behind them, they were very aware of the Priest. His life force was pulsing power far beyond that of a normal human.

When everyone was gone, the Scouts and the Moon Princess walked to the back of the church where the graveyard lay. Mercury and Mars scouted the place the day before, watching the same ritual they witnessed today. After everyone was gone, the Priest would go to the graveyard for a bit of prayer before starting dinner. Silently they watched him walk to a small bench shouldered between two massive headstones. The Moon Princess motioned Mercury and she stepped forward. She raised her arms and crossed them, summoning her magic.

"Mercury bubbles…blast!" She yelled and the Priest's head shot up looking around in surprise. The whole graveyard was covered with thick fog. It crawled over the grey floor, over the tabs of the gravestones.

The Scouts jumped down and the Moon Princess stayed where she was, watching the plan unfurl before her. In the distance, she heard the winds shift fast. Beyond the smoking fog she saw five figures jumping from building to building, steadily approaching them. The Moon Princess frowned, annoyed that they were found so fast.

"Company girls." She called out to them. The Scouts merely continued with their plan.

"Venus Love me chain encircle!" Amber flashed in the mist. The Moon Princess could hear the man grunt. The five approaching figures were becoming clearer. But they were too late. The last of the plan was put in motion and she floated from the top of the church down to the Scouts.

"Mars fire…surround!" Mars's power ignited like an exploding lighter and waves of fire rolled all around them in a protective halo. The men landed around them. Tuxedo Mask was directly in front of her, only the ring of fire separated them. As she looked at him, she was a bit taken back by his eyes. Something was different about them, something…but she couldn't quite put her finger on it. But she wouldn't let the disturbance deter her from her mission.

In her hand, a warm black crystal spike began to vibrate and she held it to the immobile Priest's heaving chest. A bright orange light exploded in his chest and the Priest let out a blood curdling scream and arched his back in pain as the crystal materialized. The black crystal worked like a magnet and soon the orange crystal was floating above his chest. She snatched it from the air. It was warm, still pulsing with his life force. She then raised her other hand and summon six moon yomens.

"Kinda over doing it you think?" Mars retorted and the Moon Princess smiled and shrugged. The moon yomens glowed bright silver, bathing themselves in the pale moonlight, growing bigger and stronger.

"Jupiter oak evolution!" The attack sent balls of lightning at the five figures and then all of the girls leapt into the air and the moon yomens took their places, giggling and spinning in crazed circles. The girls were back on top of the church and watched as the five men battle the moon yomens who were playfully attacking them.

"Drunk on moon beams." Mars muttered, amused by the fact. The Moon Princess almost smiled as one of the moon yomen floated behind Tuxedo Mask and flicked his hat off and then let out a squeal and floated back around him, encircling him with her sheer arms and then spinning him like a top.

"No playing girls…" The Moon Princess softly called out to them and the moon yomens giggled and then floated around the unconscious Priest. He twitched like he was going into a seizure.

"Now the real show begins." Venus whispered only loud enough for the girls to hear.

"Let's leave them to it then." Mercury said softly and opened a portal. The Princess Scouts waited respectfully until the Moon Princess entered first. When she did, the girls gave one last look at the battle scene. The Priest had changed and he was now some boxing bird. The moon yomens were behind him, waiting for orders…

XOXO

Tuxedo Mask wasn't paying attention to the battle at first. He eyes were glued to the back of Princess Serenity. She didn't turn to see the fight begin.

"Attack!" The bird yomen screamed and the six glowing yomens came after them The battle was nothing he ever experienced. The moon yomens fought like possessed spirits, coming at them full force and then disappearing before they could strike them.

"Careful!" Tuxedo Mask hear Luna yell to them. "Don't kill him!" she screeched. That instruction tripped him up, and the bird managed to pound a blow in his side and knock him off his feet. His hat rolled off and one of the moon yomens snatched it up with a gleeful screech.

"What do you mean? He's a yomen!" Zoicite yelled out and managed to defeat one of the moon yomens. It spiraled like a dust devil and then faded away like smoke.

"Stun him! We'll do the rest!" Artemis hollered and he and Luna took cover in the fog. That was easier said than done. There were still three moon yomens to deal with and the bird yomen was not going to tire anytime soon.

"Use your swords!" Luna's distant voice advised them.

"What swords!" Nephrite asked through gritted teeth as he spun and ducked the swinging fist of the bird yomen. Tuxedo Mask snatched a rose from his inside pocket and threw it at the closest moon yomen. It hit it between the eyes and disappeared in a cloud of sliver smoke.

"Think of someone you want to protect." Artemis said from the fog.

"Anyone?" Kunzite asked, landing a kick at the charging bird yomen.

"Someone important to you." In the fury of battle, Tuxedo Mask saw Nephrite's hands grow dark blue. In the thick fog, his whole body was enveloped by a dark blue aura.

Bu-bump.

It sounded like a heartbeat and invisible power rolled off of him in rings like throwing a rock in a calm body of water. The rings washed over the whole graveyard, stunning the remaining two yomens and the bird yomen.

"Moon healing activation!" Luna's strong voice rumbled over the grave yard, emerged from the fog.

The bird yomen fell to its knees, clutched his head and roared like a wounded animal. His yellow feathers turned black, and then it turned back into the priest. The moon yomens recovered from Nephrite's rolling power and leapt into the air to escape, taking his hat along with them. The fog cleared and the guys were left staring at the unconscious priest.

XOXO

Princess Serenity sat on her neatly made bed, contemplating their next move. To be honest, she didn't really know. The full moons were not coming fast enough for her. It was the only way she knew when she would be safe, when Earth was bathed in that power. It was the only time she would venture out of her palace. The Scouts were different, she envied them. They were a lot stronger that she. If only she knew where the crystals were! A million thoughts ran through her head until she paused at one. A smile tugged at her lips and she stood and walked from her room.

It was quiet, and her bare feet made no sound as she walked through the palace corridors until she reached a tightly closed door. The dull brass knob felt cold in her hands as she yanked. It opened with a small creak. Darkness spilled over her like a glass full of secrets. Every step up the dirty stairs made her heart hammer deep in her chest. She never ventured up these stairs for so long, she was afraid of what she saw. Her memories of the palace were slim, little inconclusive images here and there, but nothing real. She knew once she got her crystal, she would remember everything. It frustrated her to know her whole life was wrapped in such a small item, and that the damn defenders of Earth were stopping their progression. She had to get rid of them for good. She needed some kind of splendid idea.

She arrived at another door, a large thick door of moonrock and marble. Exquisite designs of hand carved flowers and exotic tree life were yellow with age. The sliver knob was tarnished and had dust on it, but it turned smoothly with a soft twist of her wrist. The thick door made no sound as it swung slowly open and revealed another dirty room.

"Serenity?" Serenity jumped and spun with hand to her chest. Little hairs on the back of her neck stood on ends, and her heartbeat pumped erratically.

"Raye! You frightened me!" Her shock turned to annoyance as her raven haired friend gave her a smirk.

"I noticed." She murmured and held her hand out to a hanging lamp by the doorway. A spark of fire shot out like a bullet from a gun and lit it. Other hanging lamps sparked to life as well. Darkness skated from the room, illuminated the pearl blue room with various empty pedestals. Each one was richly decorated with extinct jewels of bright purple, pale blue and blood red.

"What is this place?" Raye asked as she trailed her fingers over one of the soiled pedestal. Her long black hair was weaved into an intricate braid placed over her right shoulder. Her gown of sheer red and white dragged lightly across the dusty floor.

"The Room of Heirs." Serenity murmured looking at the clouded pictures of her ancestors. Her memories were few, but she remembered what her mother looked like. She wiped her hand across the rough surface of a hanging portrait to see her kind purple eyes. A knot of emotion caught her breath and she blinked back some tears.

"What was in these?" Raye asked. Serenity sighed and turned from her mothers portrait.

"The Silver Crystal, the Moon Stick, Moon Rod, Spiral Rod, Changing Pen, the Holy Grail, Kaleid Moon Scope…" Serenity trailed off, returning to the Spiral Rod pedestal. "My mother thought I wouldn't get this weapon so soon." A faint memory tugged at her. It was fuzzy, jumbled, but she remembered her mother taking her aside one day and bringing her up to this room. Sunlight filtered though the arched window and each of the magical items sparkled prettily. A new pedestal rose from the floor with a scepter delicately perched upright. She had never seen this one before.

"Serenity, tell me who he is." She whispered, looking at the scepter like it might come alive and growl at her. Who he was? Coming back to the present, Serenity snatched her hand back looking at the pedestal with disdain. She must have meant him…her betrayer. The one she loved who danced with her and then destroyed her whole world because he took the crystal from her, lied to her.

"If everything is gone, then why are we up here?" Raye sounded bored now and Serenity smiled slightly at her.

"Not everything is gone my dear. Could you call the others?" Serenity asked and Raye put out a mental call, summoning her friends to her. After a little wait, they all stumbled in grumbling about how rude she was by waking them so early.

"We need to move things along." Serenity began, ignoring their grumbles. As soon as she spoke, they all became alert. "I think we've tested the waters long enough. We are confident on what the defenders of Earth can and cannot do yes?" She looked at her protectors and they all agreed. "How would you feel about moving from here and living among the Earthlings?" She asked slowly and tensely waited for an answer.

"What do you mean move? Like—live there?" Mina asked with a frown. Serenity gave one nod.

"Among the Earthlings?" Lita asked bluntly.

"What better way to observe our pray then to live among the sheep?" Ami asked all of them, her eyes sparkling. "Serenity, you have a plan to do this?" She asked. Serenity motioned them to a pedestal in the back corner. On a scroll corner, she touched a pale blue jewel and a stream of light shot from the ceiling. All the scouts ducked, but Serenity watched in fascination as an outline of five items began to shimmer into view. Four glass wands and one broach with a small pink gem in the center were materialized

"Are those what I think they are?" Mina asked in a shaky whisper and touched the amber glass wand ever so gently like it would break on contact.

"Yes." Serenity said softly.

"Why did you keep them from us?" Raye demanded as she greedily took her wand up.

"I didn't do it deliberately." Serenity scowled at her friend. "We didn't have access to them until we stored enough energy to activate this room." Raye's face softened and she quietly apologized for snapping at her. Serenity forgave without thought, smiling kindly.

"Did it take a lot of our collected energy to unlock these?" Lita asked.

"Unfortunately it did, but now we can summon our yomens and transform without taking anymore from the storage. We'll just have to work a little harder to gather more." Serenity said with a shrug.

"This will make things easier." Mina said confidently, taking her glass changing wand that was lost for so many years. Serenity took her broach, caressing the little pink gem lovingly with her finger.

"So we're going to do this? Leave this place and live with the humans?" Raye asked the girls with an unsteady voice. Serenity looked around the room. This slice of the palace Beryl took as a souvenir was so cold and dark. But it was her home, she felt safe here, untouchable. But living among the Earthlings was something that must be done. She would do anything to get her crystal back, and take the Golden crystal from the Earthlings.

"What about Beryl?" Lita asked.

"She will remain here. We'll have our yomens stop by once and a while to feed her." Serenity said coldly.

"Can we trust that they will keep her from her Mystic Globe?" Lita raised a finely shaped brow.

"We have it locked and sealed. She is weak and will not put up much of a fight." Serenity said confidently.

"I don't know. We shouldn't underestimate her. Beryl underestimated us and look what happened." Ami chimed in.

"I wish we could just kill her." Raye grumbled.

"You know we can't. Not until the crystal are found. The sooner we live among the human, the sooner we can collect all the crystals and then we can kill her."

"How is living with the Earthlings going to help us gather the crystals?" Mina asked. Ah yes, Serenity was waiting for that question.

"The black crystal can do more that extract the crystals. It can help us locate the holders."

"Then why do we need Beryl alive?" Raye roared.

"Because the only way to kill her is by using the Silver Crystal. She's from some kind of shadow race and she can't be killed the same way humans can be. She's infused with dark magic, and only magic can destroy magic." Serenity explained.

"Does she know this?" Ami asked.

"No. But we must move quickly lest she find out." She said. There was a moment of silence.

"Fine, but every week, two of us have to came back and check on her ourselves." Raye said. They all agreed.

"Have you thought about where we're going to live? What we're going to do? Our names? Lita asked.

"Leave that to me. Everything will be prepared by tomorrow morning." Ami said, grabbing her Glass Wand from the pedestal. Serenity gazed all around her, taking in her friends' faces, their smiles and unease. She wasn't sure why she felt like she was betraying them, but guilt swamped her. They would do anything she asked, anything. That power she held was making her sick for some reason. Living with the Earthlings was going to test them all. Their friendship, their loyalty…and more and the thought was making her sick.