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Forgotten… But Not Forgiven? A Sailor Moon Fan Fic

Neo-Queen Serenity

And Neo-King Endymion

Formally invite you

To the wedding of

Princess Lady Serenity of Crystal Tokyo

And Helios, Priest of Elysian

Yes, Helios had finally returned to Chibiusa after so many years of being separated. The instant he had returned, the two fell madly in love all over again, and the King and Queen of Crystal Tokyo prepared for the wedding of their beloved only child.

The Sailor Senshi were often lonely, watching as their best friend had grown from the crybaby Usagi into a more mature Sailor Moon, and then into the beloved Queen of Crystal Tokyo. They had watched her relationship with her prince from the Silver Millennium blossom, without regard for the difficulties she and Mamoru-san had often faced. Their past selves had loved each other, yes, but the pair loved each other for who they were now rather than who they had been. Prince Endymion and Princess Serenity had been destined in the same fashion as their modern-day selves, but destiny hadn't mattered much since they loved each other regardless. Now that prince and princess were king and queen, destiny was fulfilled, but the Senshi were alone.

Little did they expect, but their own past loves still watched and cared. The four generals that had protected Prince Endymion during the Silver Millennium, after the defeat of the evil Queens Beryl and Metallia, were revived by the Silver Crystal, and allowed to start over once the Crystal had destroyed the evil energy that had kept them Beryl's servants. Even Jadeite, who had been sealed in Eternal Sleep, was revived when Beryl and Metallia's powers were broken. They had been horrified when their memories of misdeeds came back to them, and were unsure if they had the right to attempt to reunite with the women they had loved before Beryl had brainwashed them.

There was always that one question that burned them: would the Senshi be able to forgive them, after having to fight them to defend their beloved Princess, now queen of their world? They had, up to this point, left them alone, to face the battles ahead of them without distraction. Now, with nothing lurking in the background, could they face their loves and try to make amends? How would they react?

In the Crystal Palace, things were chaotic as everyone rushed around trying to make things perfect for "Small Lady" Princess Serenity's wedding. Mercury set up the decorations, while Jupiter was working like mad in the kitchen, trusting no one else to make Chibiusa's wedding feast fabulous. Venus was preparing the invitations, since it only made sense for the Goddess of Love to do such things. Mars was helping Chibiusa and Usagi with the arduous process of helping the Princess decide on her wedding dress. Mamoru, Neo-King Endymion, was talking to Helios, making it clear what EXACTLY would happen if he did anything to hurt his precious only child. Although it saddened both the King and Queen to only have one child, they loved her with all their hearts. They wanted her to have everything she desired. Apparently, she wanted Helios. Granted, neither of her parents was surprised, since they had been there while she had fallen in love with him, even if they hadn't known who caused her odd behavior. When the truth of the situation was revealed, they had accepted that the two of them loved each other, especially when Sailor Moon watched Helios use the last of his dream magic to lift the curse on Sailor Chibi Moon.

It was crunch time. With the wedding starting in a few hours, the palace was in uproar trying to make sure there were no last minute problems that might make the wedding anything other than perfect. Traditionally, royal heirs were expected to marry other royalty, but as her parents' only child, they had let her choose to marry for love rather than duty. They wanted their child to be able to rule with a man she loved, rather than a man that wanted her title and throne. Helios had been serving Endymion for over two thousand years, so his honor and loyalty to the royal family was unquestionable. Neo Queen Serenity had no doubt that, when the time came, he would be able to help Chibiusa rule the kingdom. After all, although they were all practically immortal, the king and queen had no desire to rule forever. They had decided that a time would come when the Moon Kingdom would be rebuilt and the King and Queen would retire there and allow the crowned princess to take the throne. When that time came, she would have her own Senshi to guard her and her family as well, allowing her mother's Senshi to join them if they wished. The hope was that the Senshi would have their own children, who would become Chibiusa's guardians and companions when she was the Queen, in addition to the Sailor Quartet. However, the Sailor Senshi were still without either husband or child.

The four generals had finally reached a decision: they would confront the Sailor Senshi after the couple left for their honeymoon, to avoid anything that would upset the young princess.

Jadeite, as the brash and impatient youth of the group, argued, "Why don't we just go to them now? Haven't we waited long enough? I miss Rei-chan…. It's been two thousand years since we were together, and I can't wait any longer."

Kunzite laughed sardonically. "Do you suggest interrupting the princess' wedding and risking angering the Queen and King, in addition to the Senshi? They must all have spent a long time ensuring that everything is ready, and I doubt they would take kindly to any unexpected surprises, especially one they will most likely consider unpleasant."

Nephrite looked up tiredly. "Have the Senshi even remembered that particular part of the Silver Millennium? Out of all of us, I received the most kindness from Sailor Moon before I died, and I think she would've considered it merciful, once she remembered, to keep them from knowing that the men that they had been so close to were the same men they were fighting. Out of all of us, I'm the only one that didn't meet my love in battle. Each of you fought against the Senshi in this life. We also don't know if they remember the last day on the Moon. If they know we were the ones responsible for their deaths, they'd be feeling even less charitable." A frown creased his face, which was kinder in appearance than it had been during Sailor Moon's time. "What if they don't even remember that they loved us, and reject us immediately?"

Zoisite offered, "Wouldn't the Queen allow them to remember now that we've reformed? From what I've heard, Neo Queen Serenity is a fair ruler, and since we've reformed she has no reason to keep their memories hidden. Just like the rest of you, I want Ami-chan back, but without her memories it'll be even more difficult."

"Zoisite, you obviously think that they'll trust that we've reformed, don't you? Would you trust such a thing, after fighting for so long? We'd be lucky if they don't kill us on the spot and allow us to say our piece first. Expecting the Queen to restore their memories simply because we claim to have changed is absurd." Kunzite quickly pointed out. "Minako-chan and the others may be kind, but we were their enemies in their current life, not friends. Nephrite at least has the advantage of having changed before his death, so they might listen to him, but they have no reason to trust us at all. Endymion may remember and speak on our behalf, since I don't think Serenity would keep it from him, but I wouldn't count on it, especially when Zoisite nearly killed him."

Zoisite scowled at the reminder. "Thanks, that's exactly what I needed to be reminded of, how I nearly killed my prince as a result of Beryl's brainwashing. As I recall, I paid for it with my life. If Sailor Moon cleansed us, wouldn't she trust us?"

"It's possible, I suppose," Nephrite offered, "But it could've been something the Silver Crystal did without her conscious direction. She had expected, I think, to die after that battle, but instead she and all the others were reincarnated once again, just without their memories. It's highly probable that she doesn't realize that the Crystal reincarnated us as well, even if we did start over as children while they returned to their previous state."

The four of them spent ten minutes arguing back and forth, but resolved to stick to their decision. They would seek an audience at the palace once the Princess and her new husband had left, and they would attempt to rectify the errors of the past. For the time being, at least, they would not mention to the Queen, King, and Senshi the help they had sometimes given in battle. Although the Silver Crystal had removed the negative energy of the Dark Kingdom, they still possessed the strong golden power of the Earth that Prince Endymion had given them over two thousand years before. When the Senshi were in danger of an attack from the rear, one of the four had quietly removed the youma (or Cardians, Droids, Daimons, Remlisses, and Phages) that endangered their beloveds, as well as their prince and his princess. Over all of the enemies they had faced, the generals had more than once protected them from a threat they never knew. For now, it would stay that way.

"Your Highnesses, some men are here seeking an audience," announced a young page.

"What, now? The princess just left, can't they come at a better time?" Neo Queen Serenity inquired.

"They claim that it is important, and involves your Senshi," came the reply.

Serenity and Endymion exchanged confused looks. "You'd best find out what's going on, Usa-ko. You know you'll fret until you hear this anyway. Do you want me to summon the Senshi?" Endymion studied his wife, who was already appearing worried and confused.

"You're right, I suppose. You may escort them to the throne room, we'll be there shortly," she told the page, then, turning once more to her husband, "What do you suppose is going on, Mamo-chan? We should stop and find the Senshi on our way there, this seems too important to summon them."

Endymion frowned, replying, "Yes, of course we can go find them. I couldn't say what it's about, but we will find out shortly. Shall we go then?" He asked, offering his lovely wife his arm.

The two of them quickly located the Inner Senshi, deciding that if need be they could summon the Outers, and moved to the throne room to receive the visitors. When they reached it, and the King and Queen took their seats, with the Senshi bracketing their rulers, they saw four cloaked figures standing in the center of the room.

The Queen, although taken aback by the strange style in which the visitors were presenting themselves to their sovereigns, asked, "May I inquire as to the reason for your visit?"

At the same time, each of the four figures pushed back their hoods, revealing four faces that they hadn't seen for many, many years, faces that some had hoped to never see again. The Senshi each gasped and prepared their attacks, waiting for their Queen's order. They had never expected to be confronted, once again, with the Generals of the Dark Kingdom.

"Wait." Neo Queen Serenity's soft command cut through the commotion effortlessly. "Do not attack."

"Your Highness? Are they not our enemies?" inquired Venus, as the leader of the Inner Senshi, her golden heart still at the ready, although the other Senshi were reluctantly backing down in response to the Queen's orders.

King Endymion chose to reply for his wife, for, as the generals had expected, he possessed the memories of their past. "Venus, we will hear them out. An enemy would not so brazenly stand in the center of the throne room, in the palace surrounded by guards. Indeed, the Silver Crystal would not allow it. If they came with evil intentions, the Crystal would never have allowed them to enter the palace."

Neo Queen Serenity nodded, and then gestured at the generals, asking them to explain themselves. The four men exchanged glances, and chose to have Nephrite explain, since they were more likely to trust him. They still might not do so, even they probably wouldn't trust them, but King Endymion's comment that the Silver Crystal would keep those with evil intentions from entering would help. They just hoped it would be enough to have them take the generals seriously.

As courteously as he could, Nephrite began. "My lady Queen, when you defeated the Dark Kingdom so many years ago, the Silver Crystal reincarnated you, the Prince, and the Senshi, did it not? For you all had died during that horrific battle to save the planet."

Neo Queen Serenity momentarily grimaced at the memory. "Each of them died trying to protect me, saying that I would be the one that had to face Beryl. While I was dying, I wished that everyone could have a happy life, and it brought each of us back, just without our memories of our… unusual past."

Nephrite nodded. "That same time also brought back others. When the Dark Kingdom's energy was broken, the evil energy that had possessed each of us since the end of the Silver Millennium broke as well. Each of us was reborn on Earth without our memories, as children. With time, our memories of both of our previous lives returned to us. We were horrified by what we had done, and we set out to reunite with each other. We have been a team again since our memories returned. Even though we were reborn human, we still carried the power of Earth that Prince Endymion gave us during the Silver Millennium when we rose to our ranks as his Shitennou."

At this point, Venus objected. "Are you saying that you had been Endymion's guards? How can this be the case, when you were in the attack against the Moon Kingdom?"

Mars agreed, saying, "If my memory is correct, the four of you were responsible for each of our deaths as we fought against the invasion."

Mercury and Jupiter both nodded their agreement while the Shitennou winced. So they remembered that after all… The Queen rose and walked over to Sailor Venus.

"My friends, they are telling the truth. They were indeed Prince Endymion's generals so long ago. When Beryl attacked the Earth, which, as you recall, was the first place she appeared, she captured Endymion's generals and brainwashed them with Metallia's evil energy. She may very well have captured Prince Endymion at that time, but he had just snuck away from his generals to see Princess Serenity. When the battle started, the four had no memory of serving him, and were controlled by Beryl in much the same fashion that Beryl controlled Mamo-chan after our past identities were revealed."

"Usagi-chan, how do you know this? None of us remember any of this. The only times I recall seeing them was during the battles against the Dark Kingdom, both during the Silver Millennium and after," Jupiter wondered.

The Queen sighed. "I do realize that. You know that I erased all of our memories when the battle was over, and you never had regained all of your memories of the Silver Millennium. There is much of that time that you don't know. I didn't want all of you to bear the burden that someone each of us had trusted had betrayed us, for you had met Endymion's Shitennou many times when he came to visit. They were as trusted in the palace as each of you, and their attack shocked everyone."

"Are you saying that you kept us from remembering that part of our pasts? To protect us?" Mercury asked.

"Your Highness, if I may?" Kunzite requested, asking permission to explain further. Serenity nodded, allowing him to continue. "The battle was over, and we were, to your knowledge, dead. What purpose would have been served by reminding you of our betrayal? She didn't want you to feel guilty for fighting as we forced you to, for we had been allies before Beryl seized Earth."

A heavy silence fell as each of the Senshi glared at the generals, while the King and Queen exchanged sorrowful glances. They each knew what the generals were, at the moment, not saying. They both feared the effect that it would have on them to learn the rest of their history. Venus had had her past used against her at one point during the battle with the Dark Kingdom, so she especially would be hurt to know the truth. Having her dear friend turned into a youma had been exceedingly painful to her, since it forced her to fight someone that she had always fought with. The fact that it had been Kunzite behind it would no doubt hurt her even more if she found out. Would she be able to bear it a second time?

After the four generals left to find rooms in a local inn, the Senshi and the King and Queen gathered in the Queen's sitting room. Each Senshi dropped their transformations, and the King and Queen reverted to their human forms. Usagi studied her friends with a worried expression.

As usual, Rei chose to be blunt. "What else is there to this situation that we don't know? There's obviously something that we're not being told, since they kept giving us the strangest looks, even though it was Prince Endymion they betrayed most."

Usagi and Mamoru exchanged glances. Usagi tried to soothe her irate friend. "Rei-chan, you're right. There is more to the story, but for now that part of the past is best left buried. At some point, we may yet reveal it, but now it is best left alone. I won't force it, and if the four of you want, I will restore your memories to you now, but I don't want you to jump in without considering that there is a good reason for you to not know yet. There is a high probability that the memories will reveal themselves to each of you when you're all ready to know the truth."

Mamoru nodded, holding his wife, who looked exhausted from the stress of both her position and her worry for her best and dearest friends. "At this time, there are only six people that know the whole story. The two of us do, of course, and the four generals. Usa-ko didn't know that they had been reincarnated until just now, so she saw no reason to do anything that would only hurt you."

"Do you trust them?" Ami asked simply. "We need to know enough, at least, to know if they pose a threat to you or us."

"What did your Mercury computer say? Did it pick up any negative energy readings?" Makoto wanted to know. "I know it takes passive readings even when you're not analyzing specifically. Did it pick up anything unusual?"

She pulled out the mini-computer and started typing, scrolling through the backlog of data to the appropriate time frame. The computer whirred as it executed her commands, giving a negative response.

"None," she replied confidently. "The computer would recognize even a trace amount, but it was all gone, although energy similar to that of Mamoru-san's Golden Crystal was detected. It supports their story that the Silver Crystal cleansed them when Usagi-chan used it to defeat Beryl and Metallia. I don't think anything else would have achieved strong enough results to get rid of even the faintest traces."

"Well, we have to believe the super genius," Minako said, "But I still don't think we should trust them. The Silver Crystal may do many things without Usagi-chan's specific instruction, but complete purification and reincarnation for someone other than the group of us? That's a bit hard to believe, even with Ami-chan's data. The Crystal would have needed a good reason, like when Usagi-chan used it to purify the Phantom Sisters. Maybe we could ask them about how the purifying effects of the Silver Crystal work, since we've only ever felt it reincarnate and Mamoru-san doesn't really remember too much about when she used the Crystal to bring him back the first time."

When each of them turned to Usagi, they realized she had fallen asleep in her husband's arms, as she had so many times. He commented, "All the stress of Chibiusa's wedding, then this gets dumped on her. It must have worn her out more than I thought. I'm sorry, minna, but we'll have to continue this another time. In the meantime, think about what she said about your memories. She will return them if that's what you decide, but I agree with what she said about it being for the best at this point."

Each of the Senshi quickly transformed back and went to inspect the grounds, as they always did each night before retiring. The king placed his exhausted wife into the bed, and turned to leave when she said, "Please don't go. This is all so much; I need you to stay with me. For tonight, I don't want to have to be queen; I just want to be with you. Then tomorrow we'll both be better prepared to deal with this unexpected dilemma."

Mamoru smiled. As usual, he could deny his Usa-ko nothing. He quickly changed into nightclothes, tossing hers to her as well, before they slid into bed and fell asleep, finding comfort in each others' presence.

In Usagi's opinion, morning had always come much too soon. Now, with royal duties, she always had to get up early, even on the weekends. She reached for the alarm clock, trying to get the snooze button, only to find that it had been moved. She sat up, looking for the awful thing. Spotting it, she realized that Mamoru had moved it to the other side of the room to ensure that she didn't just turn it off and go back to sleep. It also avoided the constant dilemma of clocks that had ended up smashed on the floor due to her utter distaste for mornings.

She groaned, trying to ignore the horrid mechanical menace that had yet to stop ringing and pulling the covers up over her head. Then Mamoru walked in, carrying a cup of cocoa.

"Wake up, Usa-ko. I know you hate getting up early, but we need to keep trying to work out the issue with the Shitennou. Here's your cocoa, by the way. You need to hurry up, or the Senshi may take it upon themselves to make the decision. There's also the chance that the Outers might find out about this."

"Oh, no, that would be awful!" Usagi exclaimed, now fully awake. "You know what they would do to them, don't you? They'd kill them in a heartbeat. They would!"

"I do realize that, Usa-ko, that's why I reminded you that it would be best if you dealt with this so you could keep them from doing so. They won't disobey…. Well, probably won't disobey a direct order. Hopefully."

Usagi sat up and reached for the Silver Crystal, which had appeared as she did. As she grasped it, she was turned once more into Neo Queen Serenity, as Mamoru became Neo King Endymion. "Can't we ever just stay ourselves for the day any more? Instead of being royalty and ruling the world?"

"That day will come, Usa-ko, you know that. At some point, we'll give Chibiusa and Helios the throne and retire. Now, however, the people need you most."

"Shall we get down to business then? Even if it seems like that's all we ever have time for."

Each of the Senshi stood stiffly around their rulers as the four generals once again entered the throne rooms, looking distinctly tired. In truth, the only ones that had slept well out of the ten people in the room were the King and Queen. The Queen had ordered the room cleared of all others to keep the meeting private, for her Senshi's sakes. She knew that things were already going to be difficult for them, and she didn't want anything else to make it more complicated.

Zoisite chose to speak first. "Could we please drop some of the formality? We've known each other for a long time, if not always under the best of circumstances."

"As you wish," the Queen replied, gesturing for her Senshi to drop the transformations as she herself reverted to Tsukino Usagi. Endymion quickly followed, becoming Chiba Mamoru once more. The Senshi remained still for a moment, but obeyed their Queen's orders, returning to their human forms. Like her, none of them had aged past about 25. They were indeed still the people they had been in the past.

The four women quickly snagged chairs from behind the dais, for themselves for comfort and for the Shitennou through courtesy. They were all seated, although Mamoru and Usagi continued to sit in their thrones.

"Have the four of you reached a decision regarding your memories?" Usagi asked quietly. "It is your right, and I realize I should have returned them to you long ago, for it was not my place to deny you your histories."

"Usagi-chan, don't worry. We understand, and we appreciate your concern. We decided, last night, that it would be best if we did not ask you to return our memories," Ami started.

"We will, however, ask that the four generals explain what it was that happened. All of it, including the parts that they were dancing around yesterday," stated Rei.

Shocked expressions appeared on the generals' faces at that request. They knew they would not be able to deny them, but would it be for the best?

Zoisite sighed, "Very well then. We could not keep it from you much longer anyway, so I suppose it's going to have to be now. We had hoped to spare you this," he said, his eyes lingering on Ami.

Jadeite began the story. "We already told you of our positions as Prince Endymion's generals during the Silver Millennium, and how we were allies and friends. While the Prince and Princess were getting close, we were as well."

"Getting closer? Tell me that doesn't mean what I think it does," Minako said.

"I'm afraid so, Minako-chan. This is why I didn't want the four of you to remember. Now, however, I think it's time," Usagi said, raising the Silver Crystal. Images began to float through the girls' minds.

…. Ami and Zoisite, reading together in the palace library….

…. Nephrite and Makoto in a wrestling match when he dared to say she couldn't be too good of a fighter because she was a girl…;

…. Minako and Kunzite arguing companionably, as they had been so prone to doing….

…. Rei and Jadeite talking in increasingly irritated tones in the gardens….

All of their memories came back to them, as they stood there staring at the men they had once loved. Tears formed in more than one pair of eyes, as the memories progressed to that last day, during the final battle. Pain shone in each of the generals' eyes as they, too, recalled how each of them had murdered the women they had once loved. Usagi also allowed an image that she had kept from them from so long: when Prince Endymion and the Senshi had all died, Beryl had not killed Princess Serenity, for she had killed herself with her prince's sword.

"… Why?" asked the four Senshi in unison.

"I could not bear to be alone, once all of you had died to defend me. I didn't consider myself worth it. That, however, is not what is important here. I had simply decided that the time had come for you to know all of what had happened at the Moon Kingdom, not just the part that's important right now. Mamo-chan already knew this, although he didn't like it at all. I didn't want the same for you," Usagi said, tears glistening in her eyes.

Each girl turned to confront the generals. "Why are you here? To humiliate us by making us remember how foolish we were to trust you?" Rei hissed.

Jadeite winced visibly. "That's not it at all, and I think you know that. We regret what happened. If we could change things, we would in a heart beat. We loved each of you then, and we still love you now."

Anger shone in each of the girls' eyes as they stared at the men that they had trusted. "How can you say that after what happened? How could we forgive the pain and trouble that your betrayals cost us?" Makoto demanded, looking ready to both attack and cry at the same instant.

At that, the four girls grouped closer together, while Mamoru moved to them and attempted to help as much as he could, although he knew they weren't ready to forgive the past.

Usagi studied her friends closely, then rose and walked over to the generals. Speaking quietly so that only they could hear, she said, "I know they are angry now, and I'm sure that you expected it. For today, this will have to be all, since they need me right now. For the next few days, I'd like you to stay at the palace, but I'll place you away from them and ask that you avoid them until I tell you. I won't force it, though, but this is for the best. Then I'll find ways for each of you to meet with them, and to try to patch things up." She paused, staring once again at her dearest friends. "I trust you, for I feel no ill intentions in this. You love them still, then?" At their nods, she continued, "Then you will do whatever it takes to make things right. I think they can find it in their hearts to forgive, but it will take a great deal of time and effort for that, and may take even more for them to realize they love you still. For now, though, please…"

At her request, the men rose and moved to the main hall, where Usagi, who'd returned to her persona as Neo Queen Serenity, sent a servant to escort them to a suite on the other side of the palace from her Senshi's suites. They would listen, for they realized that she knew them best in this life. They had not changed much from the girls they had been, but they had grown up further, so they had to believe that their best friend could help them get their loves back.

The days that passed before the Queen came to speak with them once again were agonizing for each of the men. They had revealed the truth to the Senshi, and had seen nothing but pain in their eyes. Each man wished to comfort them, to show them the regret they felt for their actions, and to be given a chance to redeem himself.

At last, a page appeared at the door and announced, "Neo Queen Serenity will be arriving shortly to confer with Generals Kunzite, Zoisite, Nephrite, and Jadeite of the Golden Kingdom. Hold all in readiness for Her Highness's arrival."

Five minutes later, the Queen appeared, a few ladies in waiting accompanying her. She quickly shooed out her ladies, turning to face the generals alone. "Gentlemen, I hope you've found the accommodations suitable."

"Of course, my Queen," replied Nephrite graciously.

"Oh, please, don't bother with the formality," she insisted, quickly returning to her human form. "Nephrite, you found out who I was while we fought, so I don't see why you feel the need to stand on formality. We had been friends once, even if we've been enemies too. Usagi is fine, or Serenity if you must, but no titles."

"Very well then, Serenity-sama. You said that you would try to help us make amends. I miss Minako-chan to the depths of my soul and seeing that pain in her eyes makes me despise my past even more."

"The past cannot be changed," she said sharply, "And wallowing in self-loathing will not help. I don't want to be harsh, but if you each loathe yourselves, you will give the girls no reason to accept and forgive. They cannot respect someone who can't respect themselves. You have made an effort to live this life with goodness in your hearts, haven't you? AND AGAIN, NO TITLES, NO SAMA, NOTHING! GOT IT?"

"More than any of you know, I believe," Zoisite said, tactfully ignoring the Queen's outburst. "Each of us supported you and the Senshi in battle more than once, without your knowledge. Many times, an enemy had sent another attacker at your backs in an attempt to take you by surprise, only to be stopped by myself or one of the others. Although we don't have the same powers we had that you recall from this life, we still carry the powers Prince Endymion gave us all that time ago. We did not stay children after our reincarnation, but rather grew at an astounding rate similar to that exhibited by Sailor Saturn."

"Hotaru-chan? How did you know about that? Michiru-san, Haruka-san, and Setsuna-san swore that no one else knew of what happened to her."

"We were there when she awakened, fighting some of the Mirror Parodies that the Outer Senshi had not seen," replied Jadeite.

"You knew who they were, back then? And we were so proud for having kept our secret so well… You hadn't even fought them before."

"We watched you and the girls, and made the connection between the women you call Haruka and Michiru and the Senshi of Uranus and Neptune the same time you did. We did not interfere when there was only one, for it would have made you suspicious. Once we knew they were Senshi too, we helped them as well, which is how we knew about Hotaru's astounding growth," Kunzite explained.

"One of us was always shadowing you, since Sailor Moon would have to be present in every fight. When you or your Senshi were in danger that you weren't aware of, we would help as much as we could without drawing attention to ourselves. The time had not come to make you aware of us," Nephrite explained. "We've been keeping watch over them since we matured in this life. Once we had our memories and powers, we knew we would do everything we could to keep them safe."

Since she would be in front of her court once she left the room, Usagi reassumed the powers of Neo Queen Serenity before leading the generals to the gardens.

"My Inner Senshi are off duty today, since the Outer Senshi arrived yesterday. They are each in here somewhere. They've cooled off somewhat, but I still suggest caution in approaching them. I would also check to see if they're transformed or not, since there's no reason to leave them with the ability to attack the instant they see you."

"Understood, Your Highness," replied the men.

She made a face at the title, but continued, since she couldn't yell at them for it in public. "Try to talk to them. I have to go, since the Outer Senshi requested a private meeting with Mamo-chan and I, but I'll try to make sure you're still in one piece when I get my first chance."

"Thanks for the encouraging comment," Jadeite said sarcastically.

"You're welcome," she said with a mischievous grin saying that she knew exactly what he had really meant. "Just do your best."

Usagi sat back in her room, staring at the Outer Senshi worriedly. "Are you sure? I thought we had defeated all of the dangers."

"Unfortunately not, Odango," replied Tenou Haruka, while Usagi smiled slightly. "There is definite negative energy brewing, but even Michi's mirror can't pinpoint the source. Something big is coming; the wind speaks of danger."

"We all knew that the peace couldn't last forever," stated Meiou Setsuna. "Now, with Princess Lady Serenity away, is a good time for an enemy to strike, when you don't have your daughter with you. They must know that the two of you prefer fighting as a team, now that she is not only princess but the primary Senshi of the Moon."

Mamoru paced anxiously. "Is it a previous enemy or a new one? Do we know anything?"

Tomoe Hotaru, who had been sitting still and quiet until that point, said, "I think that there would be a trap of some kind, possibly regarding the Senshi's love interests."

"Why would they be targeted? The Senshi are still far from forgiving them, so they're not exactly on good terms right now," Usagi stated dryly.

"It may be because they have already been possessed by evil before, making it easier for them to become so again, or any number of other reasons. It may also be that their powers as Endymion's generals, the golden power of the Earth, is required for something," replied Kaiou Michiru.

"Does that mean that Mamo-chan is also at risk?" asked Usagi, terror rapidly washing over her face.

"It's possible, I suppose, since you are also one of the Senshi, and I would assume that Helios may be at risk as well, but I feel that the main threat is pointed at the four generals and the Inner Senshi," Setsuna remarked.

"Usa-ko, relax. I trust you and your abilities, everything will work out. We'll face and defeat this new enemy. Even if they do come at me, I'm not completely powerless. I have the Golden Crystal, and I know how to use it fully. With both Crystals, and Chibiusa-chan's Pink Moon Crystal, I don't see any way for this new danger to win. Have faith in yourself, and in your Senshi."

"But, Mamo-chan, what if they can't forgive what happened in the past, and we lose the Shitennou to this new foe? I think this will require them to accept the past, and I don't know if they can."

Haruka rose. "We'll be staying until this threat is resolved. I'd like to be able to talk the Inner Senshi, as well as these generals, with Michi, Hotaru, and Setsuna, of course. I have a lot I'd like to discuss with the generals, but for now I will remain civil. However, if they hurt those girls any more, I will personally see to it that they are not capable of doing so again."

"Haruka, no. They will need to work this out between themselves," Michiru said, attempting to defuse the potentially explosive situation. "We faced our difficulties and worked them out ourselves. It may take more pain until they can forgive and move on. It's not our place to interfere."

"Michi… I can't stand seeing them hurt any more. Those girls have gone through enough, just like Usagi. I don't want those Nega-jerks, even if they're ex-Nega-slime, doing any more damage," Harurka said, almost whining at her partner.

"Haruka-chan, Michiru-chan is right. They'll have to work it out, the same way that Mamo-chan and I worked through our problems, even with all the times that he didn't remember or we were fighting each other. They know how to take care of themselves; they'll find a way through this."

With that, the Outer Senshi took their leave of the King and Queen, who, at the moment, were feeling much too ordinary to be put into such difficult situations.

Each of the Inner Senshi had indeed dropped their transformations and separated, moving toward the part of the garden that Makoto had designed for them, when the Queen asked that each girl have a place where she can feel comfortable when not working. Makoto moved to a different part of the gardens to continue planting, since, in her opinion, there was no such thing as completed gardens. Her intent was to make the palace grounds the most magnificent the world had ever seen.

Zoisite found Ami in a portion of the gardens overflowing with flowers of every shade of blue imaginable, from the palest baby's blue to deep midnight. It suited her perfectly, in his mind, for the color had always calmed her, especially aquamarine. One could understand why Ami was the Senshi of Water and Ice.

She knew he was there the instant he arrived, but she kept her eyes closed and simply continued to breathe in the sweet scent of the blossoms. She had no interest in fighting on one of her rare days off. Ami simply wanted to enjoy the peace and the flowers. 'I have no interest in the man anyway,' she assured herself silently, 'right? Of course I don't, that would be completely absurd. Just because I loved him in a past life doesn't mean I care now.'

Zoisite sat down on the bench next to her, watching her calmly. 'She looks so serene, it's easy to believe that she's the same as Princess Mercury from so long ago…. Even if she always freaked out about being alone with me at first.'

After several long minutes, Ami opened her eyes. "What do you want? I'd prefer to be alone right now." With that, she pulled out a book and started reading.

He craned his head to see the title. "Quantum physics? Is that what you read for entertainment these days? I recall you reading lighter materials in the past," he commented.

She sniffed irritably, replying, "I don't always choose to waste my time on frivolous pursuits. I do what I can to improve myself. I prefer to not act as you have in the past."

He frowned, hurt coloring his features. "If that's what you think, you obviously haven't taken the time to fully examine your memories of the past. We both had our duties, and I followed them as well as you did. I know what you do for your team, and what you've sacrificed as part of that team."

Guilty in spite of herself, she looked up from her book at her companion, saying, "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to insult you. You are my Queen's guest, and I should treat you with respect and courtesy."

Now anger flashed across his features. "Don't. Don't act like I'm nothing more than a guest here, when you know very well who I am and what we meant to each other. I don't want you to brush me off, Ami-chan. I want a second chance with you. Don't act like we never were together. I know I made mistakes before, but that's what it is. The past. Do you hold Endymion-sama responsible for turning on you and the princess? It's the same thing that happened to us, but we didn't have anyone to save us, because you didn't remember us at all."

Her own temper flared in response. Ami was the coolest and most collected of the Senshi, but when her temper flared she could be as dangerous as Mars. "Don't address me so informally. We are not together, and I regret that we ever were. Of course I don't hold Mamoru-san responsible for what happened, he was mortally wounded, at your hands, I might add, and didn't have the strength to both heal his wounds and fight off Metallia's power."

Temper dissolved once again into hurt at her cutting comments. He knew that she had every right to be angry with him, but the cold manner in which she now treated him burned as badly as her temper. "I see. Very well, Mizuno-san, Sailor Mercury, Princess Mercury, Queen Mercury, I shall leave you alone now. It's painfully clear to me that I was mistaken to believe you could love me again, or even forgive me."

With that, he turned and hurried back to the palace, with every intention of leaving as soon as he informed the others. He didn't turn back, but if he had, he would have seen tears streaming from her eyes as she watched him leave.

"Oh, no, Ami-chan, you didn't!" cried Usagi the instant her friend came to her with her story. "How could you say that to him? That's not like you at all, to be so cold and cruel. I know that you weren't serious about regretting your past together. You still love him, don't you?"

Ami winced, tears still flowing steadily from her sad blue eyes. "I do, but how can I still feel this way? He betrayed me, he betrayed all of us. How do I still care about a man that could do that? How do I deal with this? Usagi-chan, what do I do?"

"Ami-chan, you realize that you'll need to apologize, and to give Zoisite a chance. You can tell he's changed, that he is what he was once again. Yes, he fell to Beryl's hypnotism, but so have many others. He's obviously still in love with you, but even with that he may not be able to stand being treated like that. You were very harsh. Give him a chance to explain himself, and to try to make things right between you. The two of you have a history, but history can't make things work out now."

Mamoru nodded. "You know that he loved you, no, loves you, then, right? He never meant to hurt any of us. I fell to Beryl's hypnosis too, so I can't hold him or any of the others responsible for what they did at her command. I am sorry that they killed each of you, but I tried to kill Usa-ko, as well. She forgave me," he said, smiling at his wife.

Each of the other Senshi entered without knocking, too upset to care. They had all just experienced similar encounters, and wanted the comfort of their best friend.

"You, too, Ami-chan?" asked Makoto, fighting the urge to weep.

She just nodded, still crying against Usagi's shoulder. Usagi looked at her other friends and told them to sit down, and asked them to explain what had happened. Unfortunately, all of them had said hurtful things to the generals, pushing away the efforts they made to find peace. After giving her friends much of the same advice she had given Ami, an irate Usagi rose and started pacing by the window, stopping when she saw four figures leaving the palace gates.

"I'm afraid," she said, cutting through the sounds of crying effortlessly, "that the four of you may have pushed too hard."

"What makes you say that?" chorused the other women, watching her fearfully.

"Simple. They're leaving."

At Usagi's statement, all four Senshi leapt to their feet, ready to fly after them, when a simple "Wait" cut through the sudden commotion.

"I think," She said calmly, "they need some time on their own to sort things out. The four of you will be relieved of your duties by the Outer Senshi tomorrow, at which point I suggest that you go after them, since they will have had some time to calm down, as you doubtless hurt them more than you realized."

Mamoru added his weight to her comments, saying, "Even if you didn't hurt them too badly, you need a chance to sort things out as well. It could just be that they wanted to give you some space to think things through, though I don't doubt that you would have been well-served by being less harsh. They were trying to make amends, after all."

All four Senshi looked ashamed, tears once again forming in all of their eyes. Usagi sighed, turning to them once more. "Don't fret so much. No more tears, either. Things will work out as they're meant to in the end. For now, I want all of you to go to bed and get some rest. I don't doubt that tomorrow will prove to be difficult if you are going to try to make things work with the Shitennou."

They all nodded their acquiescence and left, leaving Usagi and Mamoru alone.

"Do you really think it'll work out, Usa-ko?"

"I have to believe it will, for their sakes. They've been alone for far too long already," Usagi murmured. "I don't want them to lose the chance they have now. You knew of the generals' feelings even back then?"

At his nod, she continued, "I didn't realize. I must've been so wrapped up in us to realize what was happening until I saw the looks on their faces when the battle started. After that, I was more worried about their deaths and yours to realize exactly what had happened, or that the past would come back to haunt us. I simply missed all of you, more than anything else. I couldn't bear to be alone, so I followed you in the only way I could."

He squeezed her close to him, soothing the utter despair that always arose in her when she dwelt on that fateful day. He knew their deaths had hurt her, and it still upset him to think that she had considered death a better alternative than being without them. He never wanted to have to see her lifeless form again, as he had so many times both in dreams and in battle. He daily thanked the Silver Crystal for always bringing her back to him, although some times he also cursed it for causing the problems in the first place.

"We have to let them work it out alone, like you said. If we interfered, they would always be thinking of what ifs. Have some faith in your Senshi, my dear. I think that it will end well if they open their hearts and tell them the truth."

The night dragged on far too long, in the Senshi's opinions. When dawn finally came, they were already up and dressed, eschewing their Senshi transformations for that of humans. If things did turn out well, they did not want relationships with people that loved who they had been, but men who loved the women they had become. Ami quickly located them at a nearby inn with her Mercury computer, and they set off, determined to set things right, only to be stopped by their leader.

"Now I want the four of you to wait. Mamo-chan went to talk to them already, and to see what's going on. I want each of you to stay here for exactly one more hour before you're allowed to go charging into town," Usagi ordered sternly, leaving no room for arguments.

Of course they wouldn't have been the first to leave. King Endymion had chosen to try and speak to them as well, and, knowing as he did his wife's Senshi, he had left early. Since he preferred to do this without an escort, he dropped back to his human self. Without the mask and tuxedo, no one would recognize him. As Mamoru, he could walk among the people without dealing with the adoration he was exposed to as king. Some days, even kings wanted to be treated like a normal person. However, he had to leave the Golden Crystal at the palace. Its energy signature was much too noticeable; it would draw attention to him within moments. He had told Usagi his plan, and she had placed some protective spells on him with the Silver Crystal in case anything unexpected happened. She didn't want him to be powerless due to the lack of the Golden Crystal, while protecting it in the interim.

He knew and remembered the Shitennou better than the others, since they had been his companions in their past lives in much the same ways the girls had been Usa-ko's. Mamoru had realized immediately that the generals were not leaving to give them space. They loved them too much, so when they expressed an interest in being rid of them, they had gone. He didn't doubt that he would have done the same if he had received the same reception from Usa-ko after his unpleasant stint with the Dark Kingdom. Since then, he had lost her too many times to be able to tolerate it happening again. The pain of that type of loss was precisely why he was headed to see his old friends. He didn't doubt that they currently felt the same way.

He found their location easily enough. Their powers had been given to them by his past self, so he had no difficulty tracing it, since the energy burned bright enough that it left an almost visible trail. It led him straight to them. When the innkeeper asked who it was so that he could check if the generals wished to see him, he used a little of his innate ability to simply keep going without answering. He knew they wouldn't keep him away, but this required some privacy.

He knocked quietly on the door to their suite, and Jadeite answered. The poor man was somewhat taken aback, since he didn't recognize him immediately. A few seconds later, it dawned on him, and he quickly ushered his liege into the room. The other three rose and bowed.

"Please don't, I came this way to avoid stuff like that," Mamoru said exasperatedly. "We've known each other a long time, so there's no need for so much formality. I'm not planning on putting you on trial or anything."

"You mean we don't have to worry about treason charges?" Jadeite asked in a fake hopeful tone.

Mamoru chuckled. "Of course not, that would be silly. We don't try crimes that took place in another lifetime. That's not what I'm here for, and you know it, so don't try ducking the topic. I wanted to talk to you about what happened with the Senshi yesterday. I have to hope that you're not planning on giving up that easily."

"Of course not!" Zoisite protested indignantly, adding, "It would be silly to have come at all if we were going to give up after one unpleasant conversation. You don't think we're that weak-willed, do you?"

"No, I don't, and well you know it. I knew perfectly well that you wouldn't, I just wanted to make sure reincarnation hadn't addled your brains."

"Well, what little some of them have," Kunzite said in a sickly sweet tone.

"Ha ha. You always have to stick your opinion in there, don't you, Kunzite? Anyway, we never planned on backing down. It's part of our plan. That barb the girls tossed in there yesterday stung, quite a bit might I add, but we were expecting it and used it to further our plans. We know they're coming here today, right?"

"More than likely. I think they were planning on coming as soon as Usa-ko would allow it and Ami-chan found you on her computer. Usa-ko is keeping them at the palace for about another hour before she lets them loose."

"Yes!! It worked, it worked," Jadeite sang in an irritating fashion.

"Jadeite cut that out this instant or I will be forced to kill you," Nephrite said in a threatening fashion. "I'm sure the King of Crystal Tokyo has better things to do than listen to you act like a brainless monkey."

Mamoru winced when they brought up his title. "You guys are never going to just treat me like one of you instead of royalty, are you? Even back in the Silver Millennium, when we were so close, you still never forgot my rank. He's right, though, Jadeite. You sound terrible."

"Thanks a ton. I'm just happy that they're coming; it means we can finally start to work things out between us. Rei-chan was cruel yesterday, but I wasn't at all surprised, that's how she deals with things."

"Nice to know you didn't provoke them without a purpose. That is what it was, wasn't it? You made them mad on purpose."

"Well, yeah, but I wasn't expecting Ami-chan to get THAT mad. She never gets that mad, ever. That was kind of creepy. If I hadn't been watching her with a mirror as I was leaving, I might've actually believed some of that."

"You… you were watching her? You sneaky man. So you already knew what her reaction was to that… conversation?"

"Of course. I'd be an idiot to not think that her reaction was important. If she hadn't started crying, I might've actually believed that she wanted me out of her life. She sounded so serious, not to mention completely pissed off. But I was prepared, so I found out the truth."

"You do realize that if they figure out it was a set-up, they'll be mad at you all over again?" Mamoru asked, amusement glinting in his dark blue eyes. "You'll have to talk fast to avoid getting blasted; they won't take it very well."

"It's not really getting blasted that worries me; the power you gave us will protect us from most magical injuries. What I'm worried about is if Mako-chan takes it into her head to throw me out the window. That'd hurt, and it's exactly the kind of thing she might do, especially since she HATES being tricked," Nephrite said worriedly.

"What about you, Jadeite? Do you think it'd hurt if Rei used her Mars Arrow on you?"

He winced, saying, "Undoubtedly, especially if she's really mad. Nephrite's right, the powers you gave us will protect us… for the most part. That won't stop her from trying to kill me, though. She probably wouldn't, right?"

Mamoru was, at that point, doubled over laughing too hard to respond. He definitely thought that they both had a point, since both Makoto and Rei had particularly nasty tempers, even if Makoto's was less so. Ami and Minako had a temper too, but they were more likely to listen before they started blasting. At least the men would have a few seconds' warning if they were going to be attacked, since the girls probably wouldn't be coming as Senshi. They'd have to transform before blasting. He just hoped it would give them long enough to get out of the way.

While their king was still occupied with his semi-hysterical laughter, Kunzite felt the floor shake slightly. He frowned, not knowing quite what to make of it. He didn't think there should be anything going on to cause such a thing, unless the girls had already arrived, but Mamoru had said that the Queen would be detaining them for approximately another half hour. What could it be?

All of the sudden, all five men were on alert. They had each sensed the presence of a negative energy of some kind. Mamoru frowned; it wasn't one he was familiar with. 'Is this the threat Hotaru was predicting? Was Usa-ko right, are they after the generals? Are they after me?'

Each fell into a battle pose, and Mamoru lapsed into the familiar form of Tuxedo Kamen, preferring not to let the enemy know he was the king, if they didn't already. If not, there was no point in advertising it, and it wouldn't help him to do so since he didn't have the Golden Crystal with him. Even if they knew, it might cause some confusion. He wished once again that he could still become the Moonlight Knight, but that persona had disappeared as soon as his memories had returned, and he couldn't become the King without the Golden Crystal anyway. He thanked Selene that Usa-ko hadn't come with him, as she had offered to do. He didn't want to place her in any more danger. Even as the Queen, bearing the Silver Crystal, she wasn't invincible. He didn't want to run the risk that some day the Crystal wouldn't bring her back.

If the generals were somewhat surprised by his choice of fighting form, they made no comment. They understood his reasons for not making his rank too obvious, although there were those that would know who he was anyway. They also didn't know that not having the Golden Crystal would keep him from becoming King Endymion. They just prayed that the enemy wouldn't. They had lost him before and didn't want it to happen again, now that they had been forgiven and were finally making up for all the lost years.

Makoto quickly pushed past the simpering innkeeper. It was just their luck that everyone in the city knew who they were out of their transformations, since it would be improper for them to act as mere soldiers rather than the Queens they were at many events. When the innkeeper offered to escort the "Ladies" again, Rei promised swift retribution if he didn't shut up and leave them alone. As soldiers, they did not appreciate being treated like they were helpless simply because they were women.

They had managed to slip out when the Queen got distracted by business, since the Outer Senshi had been with her as well. They didn't have to feel bad as long as they were with her. As they headed up the stairs to the room the Mercury Computer said the generals were in, they felt the negative energy. It beeped ominously, indicating there was a fight in progress.

The girls exchanged looks and then nodded.

"Mars Crystal Power, Make-up!"

"Jupiter Crystal Power, Make-up!"

"Mercury Crystal Power, Make-up!"

"Venus Crystal Power, Make-up!"

Each of the girls' transformations quickly flashed by, and the four Inner Senshi, the Queen's personal guard, as well as the Planetary Queens, stood in front of the door. They threw open the door, and were shocked by the scene that confronted them.

Each Senshi's eyes took in the scene apprehensively. The battle that had supposedly been taking place in that location had obviously done so, but there were no combatants. Indeed, there was no one there at all. The room was in complete disarray, which was the only sign that people had been there not too long before. They quickly fanned out to search the room. For the longest time, they found nothing helpful. Then, at last, Mercury called the rest of them to her.

"Well, I found something, but I don't think you'll like it… at all. I especially think Usagi-chan won't like it." She held up a note, which she had already slid into a plastic bag to keep it safe.

Senshi-

We have not only the four men that were here, but the King of Crystal Tokyo as well. If you and your Queen want them back, you had best await our next communication. That includes the former Generals of the Dark Kingdom. Do not attempt to find us if you value your lives, as well as theirs.

"Well, that's… fairly cliché," Mars said, attempting to sound unworried and failing miserably. "How are we going to tell her?"

"Doubtless, Usagi-chan already knows. The Outer Senshi probably are physically restraining her to keep her from racing out to look for him. She would've sensed it the instant anything bad happened to Mamoru-san," Venus commented. "The fact that they got a hold on both Mamoru-san and Kunzite and the others is troubling indeed. Wouldn't he have had the Golden Crystal, which would've protected him?"

"We don't have time to worry about what ifs, everyone. If that note is real, we need to get back to Usagi-chan right now. This is really bad, so let's hurry," Jupiter said quickly. "Damn it, why couldn't we have gotten here sooner? If that stupid innkeeper hadn't kept getting in our way, we might have gotten here fast enough to protect them."

"Jupiter, think about it. If they were strong enough to capture Mamoru-san and his generals, all of whom have the same Earth powers he does, couldn't they have captured us as well? I doubt that they were caught unaware, since there are signs of a battle. We may very well have just gotten in their way, or gotten ourselves caught," Mercury said logically. "I highly doubt that Zoisite and the others would've let anything happen to Mamoru-san if they could stop it, and the five of them together are very strong fighters. Mamoru-san would have sensed the evil energies before they would have reached them, so they were prepared for a fight and still were captured. What I'd like to know is why my Computer isn't picking up any of the Golden Crystal's energy."

"He… must not have had it with him," Venus said thoughtfully. "If he were coming here as King, the innkeeper would've mentioned it to us. I think he must've left the Crystal with Usagi-chan so that he could come without the entire city following him. He may not be as beloved as Usagi, but he's still a very popular ruler."

"That just cements it. We need to get back to Usagi-chan RIGHT NOW!" Rei shouted the last bit. "She needs us, Mamoru-san needs us, and Jadeite and the others need us. No doubt Uranus and the others are finding it very difficult to keep her from racing after him right this minute, and she hasn't become Sailor Moon in a long time. Her fighting skills are probably rusty enough to put her at a serious disadvantage. Let's go!"

With that, all four Inner Senshi ran from the room and headed for Crystal Palace as quickly as they could.

"No! Let me go! I need to find him! Mamo-chan!"

"No!" The Outer Senshi said simultaneously as they held her back. "You can't go after them, that's what they want you to do! Neptune, has your mirror been able to locate either the men or the Inner Senshi?" Uranus snapped.

"Don't worry about looking for us, we're right here," Jupiter said as they skidded into the room, the others too out of breath to speak. Usagi momentarily paused from her struggle to break free from Pluto and Uranus' grips, looking up hopefully to see if her Senshi had any good news.

"Usagi-chan, we found this at the inn," Mercury said, hesitantly handing the note to her irate Queen. Usagi ripped free of the Outers' grasps and took the note, reading it quickly. She would've ran out the door as soon as she finished, but they anticipated it and grabbed her before she got two steps.

"That's the best news you have for me, but you expect me to stay here quietly? I need to find him!" Usagi shouted, tears flowing freely down her pale face.

Suddenly, the Silver Crystal rose from its stand and floated to hover in front of Usagi, flashing brightly. An image of Mamoru appeared, looking down at them.

"Usa-ko, calm down. I'm all right, see? The protective spells you cast helped, so I'm fine. I don't know what's going on, but I'm trying to get out. I'll let you know what I can if I find anything."

"M-mamo-chan?" The light disappeared and the Crystal floated into her hand. "No, don't go!"

"Usagi-chan, he probably didn't have enough energy to send a message any longer. The Silver Crystal is strong enough to drain your energy, remember? It takes a lot of energy for anyone other than you or Chibiusa to use the Crystal at all. I'm sure Mamoru-san just didn't have the strength to use it any longer, especially from a distance. He knew you would be worried and was just trying to calm you down."

Usagi stilled in the Outers' grasp, and they reluctantly released her, ready to grab her if she tried to bolt again. Strangely enough, she was calm. The tears had stopped, to be replaced with a look of determination.

"You all know you won't be able to keep me from going after him for long. He needs my help. I will help him, with or without all of you. Although," she said, turning to the Inners, "I'm sure the four of you will accompany me."

"Of course we will, Usagi-chan. We want them all to come home safely," Mars said, while silently thinking, 'How can I have been so cruel to Jadeite yesterday? If I had known what was going to happen, I would've tried to be more understanding.'

Usagi watched them, well aware that they were each thinking similar thoughts. She wasn't in the slightest bit surprised that that was what they were thinking, for she had thought the same thing when Mamoru was taken from her when they had just barely gotten their memories back. If she had known then what was to come, she would never have insulted him so often. Now, too, did she regret the way she had treated him so long ago, because if she hadn't they might have been together longer. They had been together for a long time at this point, but that didn't stop her from wanting to have spent every possible moment with him. She crossed the room to the Silver Crystal's stand, and opened a hidden drawer in the side, pulling out an old gold broach.

"Are we agreed, then? We go to find them?"

At the nod, she held up the broach and said, "Moon Eternal, Make-up!"

And so Eternal Sailor Moon stood before the Senshi once again. "Uranus, Neptune, Pluto, Saturn? Are the four of you coming? Or are we going without you?"

Neptune sighed. "If you are insistent on going, we will accompany you, Usagi. I really wish you would think about this first, though."

"There's nothing to think about," she answered firmly. "I will always help him when the need arises. I don't doubt that you would react the same way if it were Uranus that was in danger."

Uranus and Neptune exchanged mildly embarrassed glances, and then nodded. "You're right, of course, but our lives are nothing compared to yours."

"Don't be silly. There is not any life worth more than another, they are all precious. I'm not the only one that can be Queen, but he is the person I can't live without. I want to accomplish this without the loss of any lives. However, could one of you explain Saturn's theory to the other Senshi?"

'Theory?' wondered each of the Inner Senshi. Pluto nodded grimly.

"Sailor Saturn has been having frightening visions recently, of danger. This time, however, it did not seem to be directed primarily at the Queen, but at the men each of you loves. Whatever this threat is, it's targeted the soul mates of the Senshi so far. Saturn is still avoiding getting too close to anybody in case her powers are ever needed, and I have no soul mate that I'm aware of. Uranus and Neptune are both Senshi, so it is impossible to say if they are included. The four of you, on the other hand, are obviously affected. I don't think King Endymion was meant to be a target, although it is possible. I think that this threat was primarily directed against the generals, due to their ties to you."

"Oh, no… So their ties to us is the reason they're in so much trouble? This is terrible, we have to help them. And we don't know if this is targeting Usagi-chan as well?" Venus asked.

"No, we don't. She hasn't acted as a Sailor Senshi in a long time, but it may be that she is considered one of us. There may be a risk to Helios and Chibiusa-chan as well, but as long as he's with her, he should be safe. We'll contact them to be sure, if we don't hear from one of them in the next hour," Pluto said. "If this is resolved quickly, I don't want to worry her."

As soon as she finished saying that, their Senshi communicators started beeping. They exchanged worried glances, and then Mercury answered on her computer so that it could project the image for all of them. It was Chibiusa.

"What's going on, and why do I have a note saying that Helios is with Dad and some generals that I've never heard of? Someone had better start explaining, and fast," she ordered.

Chibiusa arrived in minutes, using an indirect Sailor Teleport by having the Senshi focus their powers on her much the same way they had for Sailor Moon in the past. They hadn't been sure if it would work, but desperation made them try; they needed Chibiusa with them. The instant she arrived, she demanded an explanation.

The Senshi did the best they could to explain, as Usagi waited as patiently as she could. She was dying to go find Mamoru, but she knew her daughter deserved to know why her new husband had disappeared. They should have warned Chibiusa of Saturn's theory and visions, but they had seen little reason to disrupt their honeymoon. If they had known both the King and the new Prince were in danger, more steps would have been taken to protect them. Usagi feared that Mamoru might be in danger because she hadn't gone with him. He hadn't wanted her to, but she should have followed him to make sure he was all right, since she had known that Saturn had been foreseeing problems. 'What is this new enemy, and why are they after our soul mates at this point? What purpose can this possibly serve?'

"So we know nothing about who this is or why they're doing this? I don't like this; any attempt to rescue them could easily become an ambush. We don't even know where they are, so what can we possibly do at this point? Dad didn't have enough time or strength, whichever it is, to tell us anything helpful."

"All we know is what Saturn has told us. Beyond that, all we can do is postulate. Mamoru-san said that Usagi-chan's protective charms had been keeping him safe, but we don't know how long they will hold against an enemy capable of capturing five strong fighters, especially when they weren't caught unaware," Mars replied.

"Maybe I should disguise myself as Mom with the Luna Pen to try and lure them out, letting the rest of you find the men and get them out. That way, she isn't in any danger," Chibiusa offered.

"Absolutely not," her mother cut in. "I won't see you put in danger for me. I will stand for myself. All of us have a stake in this, but I won't have you putting yourselves in greater danger to protect me. I have the Silver and Golden Crystals, so I should be fine. The Golden Crystal may not work as well for me, but it will be an extra boost if I need it. If need be, Chibiusa, I'll have you take the Golden Crystal. Since you're of the Earth as much as the Moon, you can use it better than I can."

"Mom… we're all worried, but we won't let you put yourself in harm's way to save everyone. You're the Queen of Crystal Tokyo, the people need you and Dad," Chibiusa said.

"The same could be said for you and Helios. Your father and I don't plan on ruling forever; at some point, we're going to step down and let you take over. I won't see you put in harm's way either. You are just as necessary here as I am, if not more so. You're the future of Crystal Tokyo, after all."

Pluto rose. "I don't want either of you in danger. This is risky as is. I would suggest that I and the other Senshi go in to see if we can locate the King, Prince, and Shitennou before the pair of you get involved."

Both women objected instantly. "Queen or not, Pluto, I'm still the leader. I won't send you into battle without me to protect myself. We're all part of a team, which means we're equals. I don't consider any of you expendable. We WILL do this together, or I can go alone. Even if you tried to leave me here, you know I wouldn't stay."

Chibiusa immediately agreed with her mother, adding, "We're the only ones that can use our Crystals properly, and I feel that they will play a crucial role in this. I think we may need both the Pink Moon Crystal and the Silver Moon Crystal to free them, wherever they are, and to defeat this new foe."

Having been forced to return to his identity as King Endymion, he paced the small chamber he was locked in, trying to figure out what to do. Being the King without the Golden Crystal was extremely tiring, and he had no doubt that it was intentional. He wouldn't stay conscious much longer if forced to remain in his royal persona. They obviously had something that made them certain that the Sailor Senshi and Usa-ko wouldn't be able to complete a rescue mission, or they wouldn't have been so cocky about kidnapping the King and his Shitennou. He just hoped that she wouldn't be hurt. He had no desire to hold her as she died once again. Even though the Silver Crystal restored her many times, he always feared that it wouldn't work at some point and that she'd be lost to him forever. He also was concerned for Chibiusa. The attack had been well-executed, and he worried that they would go after Helios as well. Since both his daughter and his new son-in-law were very powerful, they hadn't felt the need for guards to accompany them on their honeymoon. He hoped that his daughter would be left alone.

That hope was quickly dashed when the door was opened and Helios was tossed in. The man looked a bit worse for wear, making Endymion suspect that the attack had caught the pair off guard. He doubted that Chibiusa would have had time to cast a protective charm before Helios had been taken. He moved to help his son-in-law up.

"Your Highness? How did they manage to capture you?" Helios asked, obviously distressed. "What's going to happen to Chibiusa? I haven't seen her since I was attacked."

"I'm sure she's all right, this attack seems to have targeted us primarily. I don't think they were after the women, at least not at this stage. They pulled the generals and I out before the Senshi could arrive. I think they're avoiding a confrontation with them for now."

Endymion snarled. He still had no idea who these mysterious attackers were or what their goals were. If they did anything to Usa-ko or Chibiusa, he'd make them regret it…

He was interrupted from his musings when the door opened once again, admitting a mysterious cloaked figure. The build was wrong for a woman, so it obviously wasn't one of the Senshi making a daring rescue. No, the figure was definitely masculine, showing not even the slightest hint of feminine curves, and was too tall to be one of the Senshi. Only Pluto was that tall, but she was much thinner than the person standing before Endymion and Helios.

"Neo King Endymion and Prince Helios of Crystal Tokyo?" asked the mysterious figure.

"You already know who we are, so why are you asking?" demanded Endymion, already tired with this ordeal. His energy was being drained more quickly than he liked. The Golden Crystal's absence was more wearing than he had anticipated.

"If you value your life as well as all the others, you should be careful what you say… especially that of your wife," he warned ominously.

"You stay the hell away from her," Endymion roared, lunging for the cloaked figure. Helios grabbed him and pulled him back, desperately trying to keep him from doing anything foolish.

"Temper, temper. No one told me the King was so rash. Don't worry, we haven't hurt her, and we won't if all of you cooperate with us."

"Don't expect us to cooperate with you on anything. She can take care of herself, and she'll defeat you and everyone else that threatens the peace of our world," Endymion said confidently. "We've dealt with much worse than you before."

"You don't even know who we are, so how can you be so sure? I have no interest in continuing the discussion at this point, but when I come back I would suggest cooperating, for her sake…"

Endymion lunged again, but the man left before he got close enough. Helios kept him from trying to break down the door, knowing it would only tire and hurt him.

"Your Highness, calm down! He's trying to make you mad, and you're letting him get to you."

"He's threatening Usa-ko, of course I'm mad! Who the hell do these people think they are? We finally have peace and then someone always shows up to mess up everything we've worked for. Usa-ko…" Endymion sank against the wall as he overtaxed what was left of his strength.

"I don't know who they are either. Do you know if there's any way out of this room, or any way to communicate with either the women or the generals? We need to figure out why they abducted all of us and what they're after," Helios pointed out.

"I already managed to get a message to Usa-ko, but it took most of my energy to do it. I had to send it through the Silver Crystal. I hope she doesn't use it," he said despairingly. "Every time she does, she overdraws her energy. I'm afraid someday she'll push it and herself too far and I'll lose her for good."

"I think we have to trust them. They've gotten themselves out of worse situations before, haven't they? Neo Queen Serenity defeated and sealed Chaos, which is something only the strongest Senshi can do. Sailor Cosmos is her ultimate form, isn't she? She'll find a way to pull everyone through safely, she always does. Chibiusa and the others will help her. I assume the Outer Senshi were in Crystal Tokyo at the time?"

"Yes, Usa-ko will be Sailor Cosmos at some point in the future, but we don't know when. I'm worried about Uranus and Neptune. Their strategy seems to be separating all the pairs, to upset and demoralize the other. That means they might both be in danger too, and they've gotten reckless when one of them has been at risk before. I don't want that recklessness to cost anyone, so I hope that nothing happens to either of them. Neptune will keep an eye out for any more trouble with her mirror, but when they caught myself and the four generals when we were prepared, they may be able to hide it from Neptune's Mirror as well, catching them off guard. They would also demoralize the entire group if they managed to capture Usa-ko or Chibiusa-chan."

"We've managed to capture all of the Senshi's men. Only the Outer Senshi haven't lost anybody. Sailor Pluto has chosen to forsake love for her duty, and Sailor Saturn still fears to get too close to anyone, since her powers will result in her death if she uses them. The only remaining pair is that of Sailors Uranus and Neptune, and they're too well protected right now to be touched, since they're in Crystal Palace," reported the man that had been speaking with Helios and Endymion.

"And you haven't had an opportunity to capture the Queen? She is the most dangerous of them all, she and her brat of a child," stated their leader.

"No, milady. We barely managed to capture the new Prince, since the Princess would have been able to defeat the operatives we sent to retrieve him, and the Queen has not yet left Crystal Palace. We suspect that the Senshi have been forcefully restraining her, for in the past she never wasted any time to race to people's defense."

"Very well. Send a note to the Palace, through a villager, so no one finds out who we are or where. Tell them that we will exchange all of our prisoners for their precious Queen. No doubt she will give herself up to protect them, even if she has to find a way to escape her guards."

"Yes, milady."

Another operative silently slipped into the village. Disguised as a traveler, he quickly found a tavern and paid a mercenary to deliver a message to the palace. The note was on its way.

A knock sounded on the door of the Queen's sitting chamber. "Come in," she called.

"Your Highness… Eternal Sailor Moon, a message was just delivered for you," replied the maid.

"Very well. Leave it on the table. You're dismissed, Natsumi-san."

The maid bowed and left. Usagi moved to the table and picked up the sealed message, opening it quickly. Her face drained of color.

"Sailor Moon? What's wrong? Sailor Moon!" The Senshi raced over to her. Mercury took the letter from her hand and examined it.

"No… Usagi-chan, you can't. You can't give yourself up, regardless of their demands. You're the biggest threat to them; you can't expect them to actually let them go if you do. They're using your desire to help your friends to get to you. You can't give them what they want," Mercury stated firmly.

All of the Senshi added their agreement to Mercury's. There was no way they would allow their Queen to sacrifice herself, no matter what. She was too precious. Chibiusa objected as well.

"Mom, you know that just because you would give yourself up would not ensure the others' safety. There's no way we'll let you, either. If necessary, we'll keep you under constant guard."

"You all realize that there's no way you'll be able to stop me if I decide to follow their instructions. I won't risk all of your happiness to protect myself, or risk their lives. If we can't find a way to rescue them, I will give myself up."

The Silver Crystal flashed once again; this time there were images of two men. They each looked down at their wives. "Whatever you do, Usa-ko," Endymion said worriedly, "Don't give yourself up. That's what they want; they're using everyone as leverage to get to you. If you gave yourself up, everyone would be doomed."

"They're after you, too, my sweet maiden. They consider you as much of a threat as your mother. Both of you need to stay away. We don't know anything else, but if we can we'll let you know if we hear anything," Helios contributed.

The shine died down again, leaving the women standing there, more worried than they had been before.

"The Queen… and the Princess? What are they trying to do, and why do they want Usagi-chan and Chibiusa-chan?" Mars wondered. "What could possibly be going on?"

"Have we had any response from the Queen, Fuyuki?"

"Not that I have informed of, milady," Fuyuki replied smoothly. "The Queen is doubtless looking for ways to escape her guards and give herself up."

"I do not want to wait. I have waited long enough," came the angry response.

"Have no fear, milady. She will come, never doubt it."

As Fuyuki left the room, Lady Sachiko rose and moved to the window. She had envied the Queen of Crystal Tokyo for a long time. With all of the men in her power, the Queen would come running. Then she could complete the spell she had been contemplating for years, allowing her to take up the Queen's position on the throne. Neo Queen Serenity had everything: a loving husband, a daughter, a throne, and the love and respect of her people. Lady Sachiko had been ousted from her position in her own world when the people revolted and replaced her as Queen with her younger sister Makiko. Her sister had made a token protest due to family loyalties, but Sachiko knew she had been plotting with them.

'Soon,' Sachiko though. 'Soon I will have a throne once more, in one of the most powerful planets of the galaxy. It's a shame I'll have to brainwash all those men, they seem most… fascinating, but I can't let them get in my way. Those Senshi brats need dealt with too. If I don't, there's no way my plan will work.'

As Sachiko planned to steal the throne of Crystal Tokyo, Usagi was cursing it.

"None of this would've happened if we could have stayed normal people like I wanted. We wouldn't be dealing with destiny and past lives, and no one would have any reason to attack us. We would've been able to live peaceful lives," she cried.

"Usagi-chan, normality is overrated. As much as we may wish to change things at times, this IS our destiny. You are the hope of the people; they all depend on you. You've saved the worlds countless times over, would they trust anyone else?" Rei asked her.

"I don't want this. I never wanted to be Queen, or for you to have so many difficulties. I wanted each of you to be able to find love and happiness, not have it taken from you. If you weren't my Senshi, you would've been spared this."

"Usagi, we knew what we were getting into. We were all outsiders before we met you anyway. We could've chosen not to fight, but we need you. If we had continued on with our lives as they were before you came into them, we never would have been happy," Makoto commented, attempting to console her best friend. "Regardless, we won't let you sacrifice yourself to bring everyone back."

"But I have to! I can't leave them with whomever it is that has them. I have to protect them, it's my duty. A good Queen wouldn't abandon her subjects to save herself."

"Interesting how you only play the Queen card when it suits you, Usagi-chan. Yes, you are the Queen, but it's our job to protect you, and we will," Minako stated firmly. "The enemy is after you and is using the men to get to you. We can't give them what they want."

"That's enough talk of self-sacrifice, Odango," Haruka insisted. "You know we won't allow it. Mamoru-san would kill us if we gave you up to save him and the others. As I'm rather fond of living, I don't plan on doing anything foolish. Risking myself to protect you is one thing, but risking it when I don't need to is another."

Michiru agreed. "Mamoru-san already said that you can't give yourself up. Do you think we intend to defy the King?" she asked innocently.

"And you think it's a better idea to defy me? I am Queen, after all. The only reason I didn't already leave is that you guys outnumber me by too many at the moment."

"And that's a good thing, too," Setsuna pointed out. "This place would never survive without you at this point in time. I agree with your and Mamoru-san's plan to leave this place to Chibiusa and Helios eventually, but now is not the time, especially with Helios missing."

Hotaru walked up to her Queen. "Usagi-chan, you always do what everyone else needs you to. Right now, they need you here, out of harm's way. We wouldn't know what to do without you."

"Hotaru-chan, I'm not that great. I was scared so much most of the time, and all of you bailed me out more than I ever did any of you. I wouldn't be anything without you guys."

"Don't be silly, Usagi-chan. You saved Hotaru-chan from Mistress Nine and helped her defeat Pharaoh 90 and the Death Busters. She wouldn't be here now if you hadn't done all that," Rei told her leader. "You defeated Chaos, too, where no one else had been able to. We all died, and you had to do what you could by yourself."

"I wasn't alone, though. I had the Starlights with me, and they kept me from breaking down when I lost all of you. I don't know what I would've done without them. Chaos would most likely have won."

"Usagi, you underestimate yourself. You're the strongest out of all of us," Minako said. "You've defeated every enemy that's ever appeared, without us more than with. You've saved all of us many times over. We won't repay the favors by letting you sacrifice yourself again."

"Guys, I'm tired. This is really wearing me out. Could you leave me alone and let me sleep for a while?"

Haruka and the others eyed her suspiciously. "Are you going to try and sneak out?" Haruka demanded.

"No, of course not. I wouldn't scare you like that," Usagi lied, praying they would buy it. "One of you could stay until I fall asleep if it'll make you feel better."

The Senshi exchanged glances, and then nodded. "I'll stay," Ami volunteered.

The others consented and left. "Usagi-chan, you'd better not be planning anything," Ami warned forcefully. "We don't want to lose you, regardless. You mean too much to us."

"Thanks, Ami-chan. I really am tired though," Usagi replied as she climbed into her bed. It seemed much too big without Mamoru beside her, much too lonely. She needed him to be safe desperately.

Ami sat quietly beside her friend until the Mercury computer indicated that she was indeed sleeping. Ami rose and silently slipped from the room. 'She should be all right now, the computer said she was sleeping peacefully,' Ami thought.

Usagi waited until Ami had left. She hated deceiving her friends, but she was doing what needed to be done. She hadn't realized she could use the Silver Crystal to fool the Mercury computer till she had tried. She just hoped Ami didn't recognize the energy readings it had been giving off until she'd had enough time to get too far for them to catch her. She could use the Crystal to teleport herself, so she wouldn't have to try to get past the guards in the Palace and, most likely, beneath her window. She focused on her Crystal, willing herself to a place where she could find the people that wanted her in order to free everyone else.

"Milady, the Queen has left her palace. It seems that she left alone, I don't think her guards realize that she ran."

"Thank you, Fuyuki. Go arrange a nice… greeting for the Queen," Lady Sachiko ordered. "I'm sure she'd like to see 'everyone' go free, don't you think so?"

"Of course, milady. We are already disguising operatives in order to fool the Queen."

"Is she carrying the Silver Crystal with her? Our plans will not succeed without its power."

"Yes, milady. The Queen used it to leave the Palace. I believe she teleported rather than alert her guards by leaving through more conventional methods."

"Very good, very good. See that everything is ready; I want the Queen secured before her Senshi realize she is missing. I'd also like you to see if there's any way for us to capture that brat of hers."

"Of course," Fuyuki said, bowing out of the room.

After leaving Usagi, the Senshi had transformed once more and taken up posts at all the doors and windows to Usagi's suite. Just as they began to hope against hope that Usagi had been telling the truth about sleeping, their communicators activated.

"Everyone, quick! Usagi-chan is gone; she's not in her rooms. My computer is picking up energy readings from the Silver Crystal!" Mercury shot out rapidly.

"Damn, what did she do? I thought you said that your computer had monitored her to be sleeping! What happened?" Uranus demanded angrily.

"I don't know for sure. I think she used the Silver Crystal to fool my computer into thinking she was asleep, even though she was still wide awake. She must have used its power to teleport," was the worried reply.

"Everyone split up into pairs and search for her," Venus ordered. "Find her as fast as you can. Mercury, any idea on how long she's been gone?"

"I'm not sure; the Silver Crystal is probably still keeping my computer from getting accurate readings. I would guess that she left as soon as I left the room, maybe a few minutes after to be sure I wouldn't come back."

"I KNEW we shouldn't have left her alone," Uranus raged, as Neptune tried to calm her down enough for them to form a rational plan.

"Mercury, is there any way for you to find her with the computer?" Jupiter asked.

"I'm working on it. Now that she isn't here, the interference from the Crystal is falling off, so I should be able to pinpoint her location in a minute. There's no need to send out search parties, they wouldn't help and people would find out she was missing," she replied.

"Okay, fine, no search parties," Venus said. "Just hurry up and get a lock on her, okay? We can't lose her."

"… Okay, got her," Mercury said. "Everyone get ready, we're going to have to use the Sailor Teleport to get to her quickly. There's negative energy headed her way."

The Crystal took Usagi, in the form of Eternal Sailor Moon once again, to a deserted clearing. 'This is where I'm supposed to find them? Well, that's useless. There's nothing here.'

With that thought, a cloaked figure appeared in front of her. "Neo Queen Serenity?"

"And if I am?" Usagi replied boldly.

"Then I'll ask you to come with me, if you want to see the prisoners to safety."

Feeling she had no choice but to do as the stranger said, she followed him through the woods for a time. They quickly arrived in a second clearing. This one just wasn't as deserted.

"Mamo-chan!" she shouted. She moved to embrace him, but was stopped by her mysterious companion.

"The bargain was that you would give yourself up for them. We've kept our side of the bargain, now we expect you to keep yours."

Tears glistening in her eyes once more, she complied. "Of course."

'I'm sorry, Mamo-chan. I know you told me to not come, but I had to, for you and for everyone else.'

'Usa-ko…' A mental whisper fluttered through her head. Her spirits lifted slightly; he didn't seem mad. Sad, though… And why didn't he sound closer? Normally their link was much stronger. 'Maybe it's just because I'm so tired,' she told herself. 'I'll be able to hear him normally after I rest.'

The cloaked figure grabbed her arm and teleported away from the clearing just as the Sailor Senshi burst into it. The last thing they saw of their Queen was her disappearing with a stranger. They didn't have long to dwell on it, however…

"Jadeite?" Rei asked, moving closer.

"Hardly," drawled the mercenary as he threw off the disguise.

"It's just like we feared; they tricked her into giving herself up!" Neptune exclaimed.

Pluto frowned. "Now is not the time to worry about that. We need to dispose of this trash and find her. We can worry later."

Laughter followed from their opponents. "Oh, I'm sure you'll find her. Lady Sachiko will want all of you at some point as well."

"Lady Sachiko? Who is that?" said an unexpected voice.

Shouts of "Chibiusa!" rang from each of the Senshi.

"Did you honestly think I wouldn't follow you? This is my family we're talking about, and I'm as much a Senshi as the rest of you. I have every right to be here," she said sharply. "In my parents' absence, I'm the Queen Regent, am I not?"

"So, this is the Queen's brat," sneered one of the men. "I'll be taking her, then," he said, moving to catch Chibiusa.

"Oh, I don't think you will. WORLD SHAKING!"

"MERCURY… AQUA RHAPSODY!"

"MARS… FLAME SNIPER!"

"DEEP SUBMERGE!"

"DEAD SCREAM!"

"VENUS… LOVE AND BEAUTY SHOCK!"

"JUPITER… OAK EVOLUTION!"

With that, their opponents fell to the ground. They'd been no match for the combined powers of the Senshi. Saturn still stood in front of the Princess, ready to defend her if she needed to. She made sure to hold the Silence Glaive at the ready, to shield her if the need arose. It was a good thing she did, for another adversary, having remained hidden during the fight, attempted to attack Chibiusa from behind, only to be met with a cry of "SILENT WALL!" as Saturn sensed and deflected his attack.

Her shield threw the man into the clearing, where Uranus pinned him to the ground, her Space Sword at his throat. "If you desire to keep living, even briefly, I suggest you tell us what you know. Quickly, for I have very little patience for slime like you."

At Uranus' threats, the man started to babble pathetically. He didn't know anything, he was just doing what he was paid for, he was only a mercenary after all. Only the higher ups knew what was really happening. Uranus' patience quickly wore thin.

"Do you dislike living so much you wish to irritate me? You should at least know where they would have taken the Queen, if you planned to take the Princess as well," she snapped angrily.

"I… I'm not sure where it really is. None of us are allowed to go there directly; someone else always comes and takes us. They don't want anyone to know where the main base is in case they get captured."

"Damn it again. I really don't know why I bothered to let you live. If I wasn't such a nice person, I may rectify that error. If you want me to stay a nice person, I suggest you leave now and never get involved in this tangle again, do I make myself clear?"

"Umm… yes. Very clear. Crystalline," the man said, starting to babble once more.

"Just get out of my sight," Uranus said disgustedly. "Neptune, can you find Usagi in your mirror? I know that dark energy was blocking you before, but her light should make it easier. Mercury, could you search as well?" Uranus chewed her lip nervously, wondering if she really wanted to say what she was thinking.

"Of course," both water Senshi replied. Mercury blamed herself for Usagi's capture. 'If I had only stayed longer….'

"Everyone," Uranus stated, "As much as I hate to admit it, we need to contact Princess Kakyuu and the Starlights. We need all the help we can get if they have the Queen, King, Prince, and Shitennou. Kakyuu promised us her help whenever we needed it, and she owes Usagi-chan. I'd really rather they weren't involved, but…"

"We understand, Uranus. As much as you dislike Fighter and the others, without Sailor Moon we need help," Neptune said in a soothing voice. "Usagi-chan will be glad to see them when we get her out of there."

The Senshi all continued with their tasks after that, as Neptune and Mercury searched for their missing Queen and the others scoured the area for any more targets to get information from. Saturn approached Mercury tentatively.

"Sailor Mercury…" Saturn started quietly, large eyes seeming to probe into the other Senshi's troubled mind. "There's nothing you could've done to stop this. Our Usagi is a very determined woman. She'd do anything to help her friends, even if it could be a trap. Hasn't she proven that many times in the past?"

"Yes, of course she did. She's always been there to help us, or anyone for that matter. I just can't help but feel that I failed her," Mercury whispered as she continued searching with her computer.

"I think we all feel like that, right now. Now, however, we need to focus on finding her. There's no point in blaming yourself. She would've found a way to leave even if one of us were constantly at her side. That's what she did when Queen Nehelenia had kidnapped Mamoru-san, isn't it?"

"You're right, of course. I just wish sometimes she were less selfless. She always puts herself into danger without hesitation if it'll help someone else."

Once they had pulled Usagi, still in the guise of Eternal Sailor Moon, through the portal, they easily knocked her out with a strange object.

Endymion heard shuffling down the corridor and moved to the small window in the door to watch. The scene that greeted him was far from what he had hoped for.

"Usa-ko!!" he screamed angrily, startling Helios from his silent meditations. The prince took one look at the King's face and immediately guessed what had enraged him.

"They have Neo Queen Serenity?" he asked tersely. "What about Chibiusa-chan?"

Endymion was still beyond hearing him, too focused on his wife as she was carried away from him. He watched to see if there was any sign of a struggle. When he could see no injuries on his wife's still form, he started to mutter darkly, "What was she thinking? Why would she give herself up? The Senshi must be going frantic with worry…"

Helios decided to try talking to the King again, taking care to stay out of arm's reach in case he didn't remember who was in the cell with him. "Umm, Your Highness? What about Chibiusa-chan?" he said, hoping that the man would be responsive.

"What… Chibiusa-chan? What about her? She's not here too, is she?" he replied absently, still brooding over his wife's foolishness. He wondered why she always felt the need to place herself in such predicaments. 'She probably thought she was helping… she's either very brave or very, very stupid, depending on your perspective.'

"That's what I just asked you," Helios replied sardonically. "You're blocking the window."

"What? Oh, sorry. No, Chibiusa-chan isn't here. Usa-ko must have left when they weren't watching. They have my Usa-ko!" he roared again. "Why must she always act so irresponsibly?"

Lady Sachiko watched amusedly as her men carried in the queen, still unconscious. The woman stirred slightly as she was laid on the ground at Sachiko's feet, then quickly bound. 'It won't be long until I can take her place now,' Sachiko thought.

Then, she addressed her soldiers. "Why is she unconscious? I wanted to speak with her."

"My apologies, milady," Fuyuki said soothingly. "I simply thought you would prefer her to continue to believe that we had set the other captives free, since we had to take her past the King's cell. No doubt she would have felt his presence had she been conscious."

"Oh, all right," Sachiko snapped. "I suppose I will just have to wait to speak with Neo Queen Serenity until she wakes up. Do you know why she's dressed in such an odd fashion? Isn't the Queen's hair silver?"

"Milady, my sources tell me that this is the form that the Queen used to take during battle. If one did not know who she was, the glamour upon her would keep anyone from realizing her identity unless she chose to reveal it, or if they saw her transform. Since you knew that we were bringing you the Queen, you had no trouble recognizing her for who she was. It does not change her appearance much, but simply keeps an observer from making the connection between the identical appearances," Fuyuki informed her.

"Does this strange form of hers have a title?" Sachiko asked. "For my plan to succeed, I need to know everything she would know. Anyone who is close to the Queen would know about this."

"My sources say that this particular form of hers is called Eternal Sailor Moon. It's her third stage as a Sailor Senshi. The Queen can still assume her role as a Senshi, although her daughter is the primary Senshi of the Moon now that she is Queen."

"And what of the others? And may I ask what source this is?"

"My source is simply research at the Crystal Library. Since I have no apparent connection to any enemies of the Queen, I have no difficulty finding the stories of her past. Her other forms are numerous. She has a civilian form that she can assume, and there is her past forms as a Senshi, namely Sailor Moon and Super Sailor Moon. I don't believe she has access to either of these any more, however. She also used to take the form of the Moon Princess, Princess Serenity, in times of great need, but again I don't believe she can any more. Her primary form is that of the Neo Queen Serenity at this time, milady, and few see her in any other."

"Her civilian form, though, what of that? She surely must continue to use that form. I shall require her name as well."

"She most likely does. One would assume that that is the form she would take when alone with her husband or child, or her Senshi. Her civilian name is a well-kept secret, however, and only those close to the Queen know it."

"Do we know what this form looks like?"

"I don't know currently, but it should be simple to find out. Once she no longer carries the Silver Moon Crystal, she should return to her civilian form, since both the Queen and Eternal Sailor Moon are sustained by the Crystal."

"Thank you, Fuyuki, you're being very helpful. How much longer should it be until this 'Eternal Sailor Moon' awakens?"

"She should be regaining consciousness very soon, milady. We were careful not to expose her to it for too long."

"Very good, very good. Will she be fully coherent, Fuyuki?"

"Yes. She will most likely be weak and disoriented, but there should be no difficulty in communicating."

"That's all, then. You may all leave," Sachiko said, her eyes still riveted on the Queen. Each of her men bowed and left quietly, leaving Lady Sachiko alone with Sailor Moon.

Usagi came back to consciousness slowly. She thought she could hear voices, but she didn't recognize any of them. 'Where am I? What's going on?'

She tried to sit up, then realized she was tied hand and foot. She managed to lever herself into a sitting position after a couple of tries.

"Greetings, Neo Queen Serenity," came a cold voice. "Nice to see you awake."

Usagi's eyes focused on the figure in front of her. It was a woman, with a cold hard face. "Who are you? What do you want?"

"So rude. Not even an attempt at proper introductions. Are you sure that you're really the Queen of Crystal Tokyo?"

"Yes, of course I am. You didn't answer my questions, however. Who are you?"

A cold smile spread across the other woman's face. She could feel the power of the Crystal in the room. Its strength was more than she had imagined. "My name is Lady Sachiko. This is my home. You, as you may recall, gave yourself up to free the men I captured."

"Men…. Yes, I do remember. However, I still want to know what you want from me."

"You really are very rude. A guest in my home, and not a nice thing to say."

Usagi snorted at the comment. "A guest is not bound and left on the floor, at least not in my home. Unless your home has very strange customs?"

A harsh laugh issued from the woman. "Very nice, Sailor Moon. One does not expect a queen to be so sarcastic. I will inform you of my plans eventually, but first I want you to talk to me. Tell me about yourself," she commanded imperiously.

"Why on Earth would I do that? I don't know or trust you, and I have no doubt that your plans are of a singularly unpleasant nature." She rose as the Crystal's power untied the ropes binding her wrists and ankles.

"Now, if you'll excuse me, I'll be off," Usagi snapped irritably. "I don't plan on staying here."

"Sailor Moon, did you really think it would be that easy for you to leave?" Sachiko raised a dark colored stone. Usagi felt her strength leave her as she collapsed, her transformation leaving her. In a moment, Usagi lay on the ground, no longer Sailor Moon or Neo Queen Serenity, but a human woman. The Crystal flashed brightly, then faded. Sachiko returned the stone to a box.

"There, you see? You're not going anywhere," she taunted.

"What… what was that?" Usagi asked, although she barely had enough strength to stay conscious. She could feel the darkness reaching for her once more that day.

"That? That crystal, you mean? It's a special tool of my own devising. It negates the power of your Silver Crystal when it's in the same space, unless it's in this special box. That's how my men knocked you out earlier. Didn't you wonder how they caused Sailor Moon to go unconscious so easily?"

"It negates the power of the… Silver Crystal?" Usagi said, even as she once again lost consciousness. As she did, Sachiko rose and took the Silver Crystal from her hand. The light of the crystal was fading rapidly. It wouldn't work properly unless it was powered with Usagi's energy.

Sachiko reached for the bell pull and summoned Fuyuki. He appeared almost immediately. "Take her to her room. Make sure she is secure, too. It wouldn't do for this plan to go badly."

"Of course it wouldn't," came a voice that Sachiko didn't know.

She spun immediately. "How did you… how did you get free?"

"It's amazing what can be done when pushed. And you did indeed push. It was your folly to allow me to find out that you had captured my wife. Did you not know that she's not the only one with powers in our family?"

She studied the man standing in front of her for a moment. "You must be Neo King Endymion then, and that little mouse behind you must be the new Prince. I didn't realize you were so powerful."

"They aren't the only ones," said another new voice, a woman's this time. "You would be wise to have learned how to keep us from teleporting to this place. Our Queen's energy calls to us, you know."

"Nice of you to join us, everyone. Chibiusa-chan, didn't we tell you to stay in the palace? You had poor Helios worried you'd try to be your mother and give yourself up," Endymion told his daughter. "Did the Senshi let you come with them?"

Chibiusa laughed. "Not exactly, Dad. I followed them. Thought they could use some Moon Power. Might I add, they weren't too pleased to see me, but I can pick up Mom's energy better than they can. Oh, I think you might want this," she said as she handed her father the Golden Crystal. He immediately felt stronger as its familiar power coursed through his veins.

The Senshi, Outer and Inner alike, studied their Princess exasperatedly. They knew she had helped, but they worried that Endymion would be angry with them for allowing Chibiusa out of the Palace after losing Usagi.

"I'd hate to interrupt this little party, but I really see no reason to let you live now. Fuyuki! Take care of this garbage," she told the man, who had just returned from securing Usagi. She then vanished.

"Coward," Endymion muttered, turning to face the man. His anger and fear for Usa-ko heightened his senses and abilities, so his powers were incredible. He and the Senshi exchanged looks. Fuyuki moved to Sachiko's throne and pulled out the crystal. He held it up. Each of the Senshi fell to the ground, since Usagi's powers were part of their own. Cutting out hers weakened them greatly, but Fuyuki hadn't counted on Helios and Endymion still standing strong.

"But… you shouldn't be able to fight now…"

"You're a fool. The Silver Crystal is their source of power, not ours. The Moon for the Senshi, the Earth for the Elysians." Endymion raised the Golden Crystal. It flashed brightly, destroying the dark crystal the other man held. The Senshi stood again, and they formed a ring, clasping hands.

"Moon Crisis Power!"

"Mercury Crystal Power!"

"Mars Crystal Power!"

"Jupiter Crystal Power!"

"Venus Crystal Power!"

"Uranus Crystal Power!"

"Neptune Crystal Power!"

"Saturn Crystal Power!"

"Pluto Crystal Power!"

Helios and Endymion spoke in unison. "GOLDEN CRYSTAL POWER!!"

Power poured through the Golden Crystal, knocking into Fuyuki and dissolving him in an instant. The Sailor Planet Attack, combined with the power of the Golden Crystal, was a formidable attack indeed.

"Everyone, team up," Endymion ordered. "Search the area. The generals and Usa-ko are in here somewhere, and so is that Sachiko woman. She has the Silver Crystal, so be careful. I don't think she can really use it, but caution is best, if she has a tool that can cut into Usa-ko's powers. Chibiusa, you and Helios stay here. Summon the Sailor Quartet. I'm sure you haven't seen them for some time now."

"Mamoru-san, if you don't mind us asking, how did you and Helios get out?" Mars asked.

"After I saw them carry Usa-ko by, I couldn't hold still. Eventually, Helios and I decided to try combining powers, since we've both used the Golden Crystal. Residual energy?"

"That would make sense. This place is designed to keep the Silver Crystal from being used, if that's what was desired, but it has no defenses against the power of the Golden Crystal," Mercury decided, studying her computer readings. Everyone split into groups, except the King, who ran off alone in search of his wife. Naturally, some of the Senshi followed him, while the other half searched for the remaining prisoners.

The Inner Senshi decided to look for the Shitennou, aware that the Outer Senshi could guard the King easily, and that the King could fight just as well. They needed everyone's powers, since chances were very good that things would get nasty when they found Usagi-chan. Unfortunately, it got nasty sooner.

"Oh, wow," Jupiter said calmly as she rounded the corner in front of her. The others quickly caught up, then decided they had to agree with her assessment. A good thirty men stood in the hallway in front of what appeared to be a cell door. "Three guesses where the Generals are," she added.

"Gee, could it possibly be right there?" Mars quipped as she readied her Mars Arrow. Venus quickly ordered everyone to prepare their strongest attacks except Mercury, who was told to use her Bubbles to make sure the mercenaries couldn't see them.

"CHABON SPRAY!" Mercury shouted as she approached the admittedly large opposing force. Without Sailor Moon, it could quickly prove difficult and dangerous. As many battles as the Senshi had been in, they generally weren't outnumbered by that much. More often than not, they had outnumbered the opponents they faced. The last time they had fought so many at once, it had been at the close of the Silver Millennium, and the battle had most obviously not gone in their favor.

"Everyone ready?" Venus called. "Attack! VENUS… LOVE AND BEAUTY SHOCK!"

"MARS… FLAME SNIPER!"

"JUPITER… OAK EVOLUTION!"

"MERCURY… AQUA RHAPSODY!"

"There's still some left! Our powers are stronger than they are, so don't waste too much energy. VENUS LOVE-ME CHAIN!"

"Got it, Venus! BURNING MANDALA!"

"SHINE AQUA ILLUSION!"

"SPARKLING WIDE PRESSURE!" Jupiter waited while the remnants of her attack dissipated the last of Mercury's Bubbles. "Well, that's the last of them. Shall we see what's behind door number one, then?"

"Okay, Jupiter, but be careful. It could be a trap," Venus warned, knowing that it wouldn't be the first time an enemy had tried to trick them in an unusual fashion.

"A trap with 30 men at the door? If that's it, then they wasted a lot of men," Mars said smugly.

Mercury seemed inclined to agree with Venus. "It may have been a lot of men, but they weren't very strong, or even well trained as a unit. As soon as they couldn't see us, they started panicking. They obviously weren't prepared to stand up to our powers, since everyone knows about my Bubbles if they know anything about the Senshi. If it weren't a trap, they would've used better trained men. Only a fool would leave four high-risk prisoners guarded by baboons."

"Force in numbers?" Mars suggested. "They may not have known how strong our powers have become over the years. They might have expected me to use my Fire Soul or something weak."

"I hope you're right, Mars," Venus said worriedly. "I think that was too easy."

"You two go on ahead," Jupiter offered. "Mars and I can deal with anything that comes our way if it is a trap."

Mercury and Venus exchanged concerned looks. "I don't think we'll leave you two behind, but we can take a look around to see if there's anyone coming. Even though Mercury's offensive abilities have improved a lot, she's still not as strong in battle as you two, but BE CAREFUL! Don't assume it's all right just because you two are powerful. That Sachiko woman was able to cut out Usagi-chan's powers, so don't be cocky."

Venus and Mercury moved to check the approaches, making sure no other guards had heard the commotion and was coming to check, while Mars and Jupiter prepared to open the cell. They quickly decided Jupiter should, since, although effective, it could be dangerous to set the door on fire if the Shitennou were inside. Mercury's scan had showed that the door's strength was top notch, so their strongest powers were needed. What bothered Mercury was that the scan hadn't been able to give her information about what waited for them inside.

"JUPITER… OAK EVOLUTION!" Jupiter cried as she flung her most powerful attack at the door, where, hopefully, the Shitennou were waiting unharmed. "Uh-oh…"

An even larger number of men started pouring out of the room, and they were obviously much better trained than the aptly named "baboons," as Mercury had called them. "This is going to get ugly," Venus commented nervously. "Ready, girls? Let's go!"

The battle had been raging for twenty minutes, and the Senshi were at a serious disadvantage. It took a blast of their strongest powers to take out each opponent, and there were around 50 men against the four women. They were weakening fast too, since they had been cut off from Usagi's powers.

"SUPREME STAR SERIOUS LASER!" came a more than welcome shout from Sailor Star Fighter behind them, as the three Sailor Starlights joined the fray.

Fighter's attack proved as effective as their own, and the seven Senshi proceeded to dig in and deal with the enemy. Since the Starlights were unaffected by the loss of Usagi's powers, they lent some strength to the exhausted Inner Senshi as the tide of the battle turned and the Senshi carried the day.

Cries of "SUPREME STAR SENSITIVE INFERNO!" and "SUPREME STAR GENTLE UTERUS!" took out the last two standing opponents, and the seven women collapsed exhausted to the floor, trying to catch their breath.

Healer muttered angrily under her breath, "What kind of enemy is this that you were set up with such impossible odds?" She was in a sour mood from being pulled away from her day off by Princess Kakyuu's urgent summons.

"Well, this one seems to have some measure of intelligence, unlike many of the others we've faced. Didn't the three of you get here awfully quickly?" Venus asked curiously.

"Apparently Kakyuu-hime got your message immediately and sent for us, and then we flew here as fast as we could. She's in the main hall with the Prince and Princess. How on earth did this new enemy get their hands on Odango?" Fighter demanded tersely.

"The baka gave herself up, Seiya-kun," Mars informed him. "They sent her a note telling her that they'd release their prisoners if she surrendered to them."

"Prisoners? And they would be…?" Maker trailed off questioningly.

"The King and the Shitennou," Jupiter told them.

"And the Shitennou are?" Healer asked, wishing they would hurry up and spit out the whole story.

"That's a really long story and best left for another time," Mercury said briskly. "We need to go find them before we all join up with Mamoru-san to free Usagi-chan."

"Mercury, have you found the Shitennou on your computer yet?" Venus asked.

"Yes, I have. It seems the enemies we just defeated were using some sort of device to cloak their presence, but it was destroyed during the battle. They're guarded, but only by two men, since they most likely don't know the true extent of their powers. I would assume that they're still unconscious or playing unconscious," Mercury replied confidently.

"Good, then let's go," Fighter said impatiently. "The sooner we save Odango the better."

The rest of the group quickly agreed and ran off in the direction Mercury indicated.

The Outer Senshi were proving hard pressed to keep up with their enraged King as he raced through the corridors looking for his precious wife. Even when they pleaded for him to be rational and look more calmly, he simply ignored them and kept running. He just kept reaching out to their special bond, and let it lead him to her, although Sachiko's hideout was a maze. He'd nearly gone wrong far too many times for his liking. He just knew instinctively that time was of the essence.

The Inner Senshi and the Starlights fairly flew down the corridors as they headed for the Shitennou's cell. They wanted to get everyone out safely, and as quickly as possible. Mercury continued giving directions as she watched her computer.

"Right at the next two intersections, then straight ahead. We'll be around a corner from the Shitennou's cell. Hopefully, we'll be able to attack the guards before they hear or see us. According to my computer scan, these guards are pretty tough, which means it'll probably take our strongest attacks to take them down since we don't have Sailor Moon," Mercury informed the group as they raced toward the imprisoned men. "We're almost there, so be ready to go in blasting. The computer shows that the Shitennou are still unconscious in their cell, so just be careful about accidentally firing any power through the door until I can determine their exact positions."

"Roger that, Mercury," Venus responded. "Everyone on the ready, we don't want to give the guards a chance to react or raise an alarm. Mars, you go in front and use your Mars Arrow. That'll be a good opener, I think."

"Gladly," Mars said, drawing her most lethal attack to the fore. "Those Nega-sleeze will pay dearly for messing with our love lives."

"Ready?" Mercury queried. "Okay, Mars go!"

"MARS… FLAME SNIPER!"

Her attack hit the first of the guards dead-on in the chest, taking him down instantaneously. He was only unconscious, not dead, but the aware one was the bigger threat now. The second, a unusually slender female warrior, immediately shifted her attention to the interlopers, pulling her weapon forward to prepare to fight. Something about the woman was familiar, though…

"En!" The four Inner Senshi chorused simultaneously. She seemed off, though, as if she weren't really there. Something in her eyes was out of focus, as if she were staring over there shoulders. Jupiter suddenly made the connection.

"She's been brainwashed! That's Ali, too! Good thing we didn't kill them. Usagi-chan would've been very unhappy. We just need to knock her out and keep her out long enough to have someone snap them out of it. Mercury, can you just freeze her and keep her that way?"

"I think so, yes. SHINE AQUA ILLUSION!"

A gush of ice flew from Mercury's outstretched palms and hit En in the face, causing her to freeze instantly. "Mars, do you think an evil spirits charm will hold until we can purify them? I don't know how long before the ice starts melting."

Mars considered for a moment before deciding that it should be sufficient, since Ali and En had felt the touch of their powers before. "More than likely, it'll work. We can take these two back to the Sailor Quartet, Helios, and Chibiusa. Chibiusa-chan should be able to heal them with her Pink Moon Crystal." She drew two of her charms from her sub-space pocket and muttered the incantation before throwing one onto each of the unconscious aliens.

"Let's find out where in that cell the Shitennou are so we can open the door and get all of them back to the main hall," Venus ordered. Mercury scanned the cell.

"It wouldn't be safe to blow off the door the way we usually would. Jadeite is right in front, the shrapnel and debris would probably injure him. You should pull the door off the hinges with your Love-Me Chain."

"Got it. VENUS LOVE-ME CHAIN!" Venus shouted, aiming her power at the door. It latched onto the bars on the window, and the other Senshi and Starlights all grabbed the chain and pulled together, releasing the door from its frame.

As each of the Senshi proceeded to check on and try to awaken the unconscious Shitennou, Mars started getting confused.

"First the Shitennou show up out of nowhere, not that I'm complaining, mind, but then Ali and En? What next? Is Fiore going to walk out and ask Sailor Moon for a hug?" Each of the Inner Senshi couldn't help but agreeing with her.

All of the sudden, Healer lost control and burst out, "Anyone care to explain who these people are and how you know them? The four of you looked shell-shocked when you saw that woman. And who is Fiore?"

Mercury, Mars, Jupiter and Venus shared a vaguely amused, yet slightly harassed look. "Well, our connections with them are somewhat hard to explain…" Mercury trailed off.

Venus wasn't so cautious. "Ali and En were the first enemies we encountered after being reborn from the fight with the Dark Kingdom. They were looking for a home and a place to survive, but they needed life energy to sustain an… interesting tree that gave them life in turn. They were attacking humans for energy for months, until they learned to love and moved on to start over the right way. Mamoru-san and the rest of us had lost our memories after defeating Queen Metallia, and Sailor Moon was revived alone at first. The four of us were revived shortly thereafter. The Tree nearly killed Usagi-chan and Mamoru-san before Usagi-chan purified it of the negative energies it had been polluted with, and it brought back Mamoru-san's memories in the process. Fiore is a figure from Mamoru-san's past, and it would be better if you got the story from him and Usagi-chan. Suffice it to say that Fiore tried to kill Usagi-chan and nearly destroyed the Earth. Usagi-chan stopped him by using the Silver Crystal, but she died in the process. Fiore gave up his life-flower to Mamoru-san to save her."

Each of the Starlights sat there digesting that long story for a moment, before Fighter decided to comment. "Wow… the group of you is really good at getting into trouble. Do enemies normally follow you around like magnets?"

"Not usually," Mars said dryly, "but they seem to be drawn very strongly to Usagi-chan. It's been so peaceful lately too… maybe that should've warned us that trouble was brewing."

"It seems that you have a lot of long stories we'll need to discuss later. Tsukino-san died during the fight with this Fiore? What is this life-flower?" Maker asked.

"That story is best told when there is time for one to understand it fully," Jupiter told her. "We can tell you more about it after we finish rescuing everyone. Any more pressing questions, or shall we get on with business? Oh, and Taiki-san, it's not Tsukino-san. She generally prefers being called Usagi-chan, since the three of you knew her before she was queen."

"Umm… okay. Let's get all these unconscious people to the princesses, then. Kakyuu-hime and your princess should be able to revive and purify them," Fighter said confidently, still showing the same cocky attitude she'd had a thousand years ago.

"It's a good thing there's so many of us here, or we'd never be able to drag six unconscious people there in one trip," Mercury said honestly. "I know Jupiter and Fighter can each carry one alone, but I don't know about everyone else. There are seven of us and six of them, so how do we want to make this work? At least three more of us are going to need to carry one alone."

"I guess I can take the woman," Maker said. Fighter offered to take Ali, too. Jupiter immediately volunteered to take Nephrite, saying she was the only one strong enough to carry him, since he was so much bigger than them. Mars decided to take Jadeite, leaving Venus, Mercury, and Healer to figure out the last two Shitennou.

"Maker, can't you trade with me and take one of the guys?" Healer complained. "I don't want to break a nail or something." Maker rolled her eyes and agreed to the switch, taking the lighter Zoisite over Kunzite, leaving Venus and Mercury to carry him. The seven women finally proceeded back to the main hall to get everyone patched up so they could go help with the search for the Queen.

Chibiusa paced fretfully in the main hall, irate that she hadn't been allowed to search for the captives with the others. Her father had summoned her Senshi for her, and they had been unwilling to allow her to go racing off to look for her mother.

"Chibiusa, calm down," Helios said soothingly to his restless wife. "Your mother will be fine; she always comes out of these situations all right."

"Helios, I just don't know what I'd do if anything happened to Mom. I don't want to be Queen yet, and I still need her so much. I don't know what anyone would do without her."

Pallas looked up at her calmly. "Have faith in your mother, Chibiusa. I'm sure you'll get the chance to help, too. You just need to be patient."

A shout for assistance came from the doorway as the exhausted Inner Senshi and Starlights stumbled in with their unconscious burdens. The Shitennou had been stirring slightly, but En was still frozen and Ali looked like he needed attention soon if he was going to survive. It was clear that although the Shitennou would probably be able to help defeat the enemy, Ali and En would need to rest for a long time before they could do much of anything.

Chibiusa, Helios, and the Sailor Quartet raced over to help, as Kakyuu joined them from her meditative state. Both Chibiusa and Kakyuu summoned their crystals to them, ready to help in any way they could. Chibiusa stopped by Ali and En and immediately raised her Pink Moon Crystal, summoning the healing powers it had inherited from her father's Golden Crystal. They were in far more urgent need of medical care than the Shitennou, who just needed the equivalent of an energy boost and some minor injuries repaired, which Kakyuu was more than capable of administering.

Chibiusa spent a good ten minutes purifying and healing Ali and En before sitting back, spent. "That's as much as I can do for them," she said. "The dark energy is pretty much entirely gone, and their wounds are mostly healed. Mom and Dad will have to do the rest once we get to them." Helios held his wife supportively as she tried to collect what energy she had left.

"My sweet maiden, maybe you should just let everyone else go after the King and Queen. You don't have much strength left, and your mother will be very worried if she sees you fighting in your condition," he cautioned her.

"I will NOT stay here and wait while all of you fight!" she said hotly, clearly displaying both of her parents' tempers and stubbornness. "I will, I repeat, WILL be coming to help all of you. If Mom can't fight, you'll need Moon power. There's no way you'll be able to keep me here."

All of the Senshi, even the Starlights, sighed. She acted so much like her mother it was scary sometimes. Princess Kakyuu considered trying to reason with the younger girl, but decided her efforts would just be ignored. The Sailor Quartet wished there was some way they could actually restrain their charge, but knew it was a lost cause. She'd just give them the slip the same way her mother had evaded her Senshi. Reluctantly, they agreed to let her come, but she was under strict warnings regarding overstretching her powers. They didn't need both of the royals to expend too much energy, since the Queen did invariably did so every time there was a new enemy to defeat.

Endymion continued to race down the corridors as though pursued by Death itself, searching for the distinct energy signature that always led him to his wife. He couldn't understand why he didn't feel it as well now. Her powers generally burned brightly enough to draw him from miles away, and he knew she had to be somewhere in Sachiko's complex underground web. The fact that her presence was being even partially shielded from him was extremely unnerving, and fueled his determination to get to her as quickly as possible.

Uranus finally managed to draw level with the King and tackled him to the ground to allow the other Outer Senshi to catch up. They'd be no good in battle if all of them were too tired to fight. Endymion immediately attempted to hoist her off of his back, but she was being stubborn and holding onto her enraged King as best she could. Neptune caught up first, followed by Pluto and Saturn. They helped Uranus restrain Endymion as he strained to keep going to find his precious wife.

"Slow down! Mamoru-san, even if you run as fast as the wind, you won't be able to help Usagi-chan if you haven't got any strength left! Right now, you're running on pure adrenaline," Uranus informed him sternly. "She'll be very worried if you collapse the instant you get there."

"You don't understand," Endymion barked angrily. "She's unconscious and losing energy fast. I felt her mind slip away a few minutes after we beat that idiot in the main chamber. I need to find her before it gets worse. Now can you get off of me?"

"Are you going to start running the instant we do?" Saturn asked.

"Of course I am, I can't leave her there any longer than I have to," Endymion snapped angrily.

"Then I'm afraid not," Neptune stated firmly. "We all need a moment to catch our breath, and if you stand still and focus you stand a better chance of finding her exact location. At the speed you've been going you could run right past her and never realize it in this maze. I can look for her with my mirror too."

"Fine," Endymion snapped again. "If I have to be patient and try to find her, I will. Now get off of me!" he said, suddenly flinging Uranus off his back. She landed on her feet after twisting like a cat in midair, barely avoiding the wall. She turned and looked behind her, relieved she wasn't encountering stone at that very second. Neptune shook her head in mild amusement.

"Now just focus on her and reach out to try and find her. It'll also help if you touch my mirror; if you can give it a better idea of where to look we'll stand a better chance of finding her. The other Senshi should also be joining us shortly, along with Princess Kakyuu and the Sailor Starlights."

Endymion's head jerked up, temporarily distracted from finding Usagi. "The Starlights? They're here? Why did they come?"

"After Usagi-chan was taken and we fought the assassins in the clearing, we decided we could use all the help we could get and contacted Kakyuu-hime. We didn't expect them to get here so quickly. It was actually Uranus' idea," Pluto informed him.

Uranus grimaced. "As much as I still don't like them, Kakyuu and the Starlights care a great deal about Odango, and would be willing to help her as much as any of us. Fighter still cares about her a great deal."

Now it was Endymion's turn to grimace. "I had almost forgotten about that. It's been so long since we've seen the Starlights that I haven't had to worry about guarding my wife from Seiya. You're right though, Fighter would do anything to protect her."

The sounds of a number of racing footsteps alerted them to the arrival of the larger group, as the Inners, Starlights, Quartet, and various royalty joined them. "Any luck finding her?" Mercury asked, drawing out her computer. "I don't know exactly where she is yet, but I have the general idea. There's something shielding her energy from my computer's sensors."

"Just a moment, Mercury," Endymion said. "Chibiusa…" 'Uh-oh,' his daughter thought. "I thought I told you to stay where you were," he said sternly.

"Dad, I couldn't just sit around and wait with Mom missing. You guys need Moon power and I'm the only other one that can provide it," she said, smiling in a winning fashion. Her father was unfazed, since her mother tried to pull stunts like that all the time.

"I told you to stay there to keep you safe, young lady. What would your mother say?"

"Mom would do the same thing if she were in my position," Chibiusa pointed out.

"Yes, and that's exactly how she got herself into this mess, isn't it? Oh, never mind. There's no point in arguing with you when you start acting like your mother. Let me make it clear, though, that there will be no reckless endangerment on your part. I'll have the Sailor Quartet tie you up if I have to," he told his daughter severely.

"Yeah, whatever, Dad. Let's just go find Mom now and have a nice argument later. Any sign of her, anyone?" Chibiusa asked, turning to the others.

"Mercury and I nearly have a lock on her," Neptune told her princess. "As soon as Mamoru-san can give us what he knows, we should have her location pinpointed in a few seconds."

Fighter was looking farther into the corridor. "Hate to break it to you, but that'll have to wait a few more minutes," she said, pointing at an approaching group of mercenaries.

Mars turned to look too. "Oh, great," she said. "We've almost got her and more interruptions show up. Let's leave the searchers to do their job and the rest of us take out this bunch. MARS… FLAME SNIPER!" she shouted, aiming at their leaders.

The other Senshi quickly followed suit, and the hall echoed with their attacks. Uranus took down a rather unpleasant looking fellow that had been trying to organize into what might've been a successful attack with a quick draw and a shout of "SPACE SWORD BLASTER!", while Venus and Jupiter joined together against a group of relatively harmless men, mixing "CRESCENT BEAM!" and "SUPREME THUNDER!" for a particularly effective combination. Chibiusa summoned her old Crystal Carillon to use her "PINK SUGAR HEART ATTACK!" much to her husband's amusement. Saturn stood at the ready to keep an eye out for any additional threats to her princess, while Helios added his own powers to Chibi Moon's attack. Although they were in the middle of a pitched battle, the other Senshi still found it amusing that she had to be called Chibi Moon. The Starlights and Kakyuu cornered one of the more intelligent looking mercenaries while their companions were dispatched as quickly and efficiently as possible.

Uranus decided to take over the interrogation of the last remaining man, since the previous captive had been so unhelpful. 'He didn't even have the good grace to be amusing,' she thought irritably. 'Hopefully this one can actually answer our questions and keep us from having to run around any more.' She held her Space Sword threateningly at his throat, while Saturn held her Silence Glaive at the ready to ward off any other surprise attacks. Uranus leaned forward, getting in the face of the man in a purposely irritating fashion. He spat in her eye.

She stood back, wiping her face with one gloved hand. "Well, well, that's not very friendly," she remarked in a deceptively calm tone. "Here I am trying to be friendly and you get so aggressive. I was even considering letting you live if you helped us, too," she trailed off suggestively, watching amusedly as his face rapidly drained of all color. She was pleased when he didn't start to babble nervously like the last time.

"I wouldn't help any enemies of Sachiko-sama. This is her throne that she's rightfully retaking," he said firmly.

The Senshi shared amazed looks, then all burst out laughing. "Sachiko's throne? Do you honestly believe that?" Venus asked, tears of mirth spilling from her eyes regardless of the dangerous situation. "Neo Queen Serenity is responsible for the creation of Crystal Tokyo, so how could anybody other than her family have a claim to the throne?"

At that point, Endymion lost what was left of his patience. A sharp red rose appeared in his gloved hand, and he launched it at the trapped man. It embedded itself in the wall a matter of millimeters from his head. He gulped, suddenly aware that they were far more capable soldiers than he had given them credit for.

Endymion stalked closer, a few more roses appearing in his fist. "You will answer our questions, or I will personally ensure that each of these roses find their mark in a variety of unpleasant locations. Do I make myself perfectly clear?" He waited for a nod before continuing. "Now, you will give us the exact location at which my wife is being held, and I may actually order Uranus and the others to let you go free. You see, Uranus really likes to kill anyone that gets in the way of helping her Queen. I'm sure any of the other Senshi here would gladly do so as well, or my daughter and son-in-law."

Each member of the group nodded in agreement, including Princess Kakyuu and her Senshi. A particularly bloodthirsty look crossed Uranus' face as she held her sword at the ready. "I think… I'll tell you what I know," the mercenary said desperately.

Each of the Senshi withdrew slightly, although the Outer Senshi seemed highly reluctant. Endymion kept a few roses in hand just in case of a need for further persuasion. "That's a good idea. Do continue," the King said in a silky tone.

"I wouldn't be able to tell you how to get to your Queen, but I can lead you to her," the man informed the group. "There are too many twists here to describe well."

"Really?" Endymion asked. "That would be most courteous of you. If you can do so quickly and efficiently, I will let my wife decide. She is far more compassionate than the rest of us, and more readily willing to give others a second chance. She'd be a much kinder judge than anybody here."

The scared man nodded in agreement, waiting for the others to let him move away from the wall. Venus stepped forward.

"Your Majesty, I will stand by him and ensure that he does not try anything, if you'll allow it. I will see Usagi-chan safe if it's the last thing I do."

"We all feel the same way, Venus, but you may. As leader of the Inner Senshi it is well within your right. By all means, lead the way. Shitennou, if you would also stay nearby, I would appreciate it greatly. I will take no further risks to my wife's wellbeing," Endymion stated in a royal manner, as each of his dearest friends bowed and formed a wedge behind the Venusian queen and their captive.

Their captive led them true, and five more minutes of walking led them to a distinct cell. There was enough negative energy rolling off of it in waves that it nearly made several of the Senshi ill.

"Usagi-chan must be in bad shape if she's in there," Mercury said worriedly after they dismissed their helper, warning him that they'd be able to find him if he crossed them. "She feels negative powers more strongly than most of us, and being surrounded by that could be really, really bad. I think Rei-chan is the only one that would be more affected by that."

Fighter studied the door carefully. "All of the other cells we've seen had windows in the door, even if they were blocked. This one is completely sealed. They're either trying really hard to keep her in or to keep others out, or both."

"I don't think they would expect us to have found this place, since the entire area is so strongly negative that we wouldn't have picked up Usa-ko's aura," Endymion pointed out. "Mercury, we need to know the situation in there, if you can. You can help too, Neptune. I can still feel here, so I know she's here, but she's getting very weak. I don't know how much longer she can hold on in that place."

The two water Senshi focused on their respective research, before looking up. "It's very curious, Mamoru-san. That woman from earlier is in there with her, but Usagi-chan doesn't seem to be restrained in any way I can see," Neptune reported.

Mercury nodded her agreement, adding, "There's a strange dark pulsing around her, though. It may be that the negative energy is what's restraining her. According to my scan, she's still unconscious, and, like you said, she's losing energy quickly. I don't know why, though."

"We don't have time to worry about the whys," Jupiter said impatiently. "Is that door resistant to our planetary powers?"

Mercury tapped on her computer for a few seconds, before nodding. "Anything that uses the Silver Crystal's powers won't affect it. I would guess that Mamoru-san, the Starlights, or Kakyuu-hime would have to open the door, since our powers wouldn't be effective."

This brought some mumbling from the Senshi, but they stood back, deciding to let the Starlights go. "A combination of their three attacks should be sufficient," Mercury directed. "Try to keep it contained, though. Usagi-chan is in a direct line from the door."

The Starlights nodded, then each of them turned and aimed their respective powers.

"SUPREME STAR SERIOUS LASER!"

"SUPREME STAR GENTLE UTERUS!"

"SUPREME STAR SENSITIVE INFERNO!"

A narrow beam of light shot from each, and impacted strongly with the door, effectively evaporating it. In a flash, the entire group raced into a surprisingly spacious chamber, doing their best to ignore the oppressive dark energies radiating from the entire room. They all gasped at what they saw.

Sachiko stood over the unconscious Usagi, holding her Silver Moon Crystal. Instead of lying dormant as the Crystal always did outside Usagi's possession, it pulsed with the same bright light it revealed in her hands. Kakyuu was shocked to see the young queen unconscious while her most precious possession could be used by another, since she didn't believe anybody other than herself was capable of wielding the crystal that ruled Kinmoku. It worried her to think that there were ways to wrest control from its rightful wielder.

The Silver Crystal pulsed once more, this time actively. All of Earth's Senshi felt the planetary powers granted by the Crystal pulled away, and each collapsed, leaving only the three remaining Terran royals and Kakyuu and her Senshi.

"Interesting," Sachiko said. "There are those unaffected by the Silver Moon Crystal's powers? I don't believe I know who the four of you are," she said, indicating the Starlights and their Princess. Turning to Endymion and Chibiusa, she continued, "You must be Neo-Queen Serenity's husband, daughter, and son-in-law. Why aren't you as affected as the others? Is it this mysterious 'Golden Crystal' again?"

Father and daughter exchanged looks, then Chibiusa raised her Pink Moon Crystal. With it, each of the Senshi of their system regained at least part of their strength. The Sailor Quartet was completely rejuvenated, and moved to back their princess, while Usagi's Senshi tried to cope with what powers were still missing. "For some of us, maybe," Chibiusa said in a sickly sweet voice. "Others have their own powers, inherited instead of given."

"So the little princess isn't weak after all? Now there's a shocker for the day," Sachiko laughed as Chibiusa bristled at the insult. "You could never be as powerful as your mother, though. Your little Crystal simply can't compete."

"How are you using the Silver Crystal anyway? Only Neo Queen Serenity or her relatives can power it properly, or use anything other than a small fraction of its abilities," Mercury demanded.

Neptune simply pulled out her mirror and examined the images it showed her. "I can answer that one for you, Mercury. This imposter is draining her energy to power the Crystal. I haven't pinpointed how yet, though, since I can't see anything unusual."

"I can," Mars said grimly. "That bracelet on her wrist. It's draining all her energy, I can feel its evil from here. We need to destroy it to stop it." The source of trouble looked simple enough, just what appeared to be a black colored bangle. Mars knew it was the same as the little crystal that had stopped their planetary powers before, but this one did it in a slightly different fashion.

"So the little Senshi have brains? How impressive. I expected to have to explain my plans to you. You made these things so much simpler. With your Queen's Crystal, I can simply adopt her appearance and pass for her, since no one would expect anybody else to use her Crystal. Now, though, all of you are in my way and will have to be dealt with," Sachiko stated in mock sadness, readying the Crystal for a blast.

"You will never be the Queen!" Jupiter said furiously, drawing forth her powers. "JUPITER… OAK EVOLUTION!" They were all shocked when a silver shield simply appeared and blocked her attack as though it were nothing.

"Your puny attacks are nothing compared to the might of the Crystal. You may as well submit, and I won't kill any of you."

"I find that hard to believe, since we know of your plans," Endymion said coldly as he drew several sharp roses to him and hurled them at her, hoping that his powers wouldn't be stopped as easily as the Senshi's planetary powers. They, too, however, were destroyed before they could reach their target. He could feel his wife's power fading fast, and he hoped that she wouldn't die before they could save her. He couldn't bear to lose her again. He thought it over, and quickly formed a telepathic link to everyone else. 'Guys, I hope you can hear me,' he thought.

Although he registered surprise more than once, all of the others responded. 'Do you have a plan?' Fighter asked.

'I hope so,' Endymion replied, 'but I need you and the other Starlights to listen to me, if your Princess doesn't mind.'

'No, I don't,' Kakyuu replied. 'We're all here to save Usagi-chan, so whatever we can do to help we will.'

'Okay, here's the plan. Helios, the Senshi, and I will try to distract Sachiko. I need you and the Starlights to try to get that bracelet off of Usa-ko, with the Shitennou's help. Use your powers if you have to, but be careful. I'm afraid that if she takes any more damage we'll lose her. I'd do it myself, but she continues Chibiusa and I her biggest threats and wouldn't allow us out of her line of vision.'

The entire group agreed, and each Senshi linked hands to try a Sailor Planet Attack, with Chibiusa acting as the Moon figure in the group. The attack flew true, and actually managed to do some damage before being turned back by the shield. In the meantime, Kakyuu led the others to Usagi to see what they could do about removing the bracelet. Since Sachiko was primarily concerned with the Senshi, she gave it little thought. As they each conferred using the telepathic link Endymion had opened, the smaller group reached a decision.

'It'll be somewhat similar to their Sailor Planet Attack. Since none of us are tied to the Silver Crystal, this thing shouldn't be able to resist it, and the Earth's energy seems to be fairly effective. The Senshi told us that Endymion smashed another crystal similar to this with his powers,' Fighter thought-said determinedly.

Kakyuu looked slightly concerned. 'Can we do that?' she asked. 'None of us have really linked powers like that before. I don't really know how to do so.'

Kunzite studied her. 'Theoretically, it's simple enough. A group of people with power focus all their powers together with one goal in mind. The rest of the Shitennou and I have done so before, so if we intersperse we should be able to help the rest of you. We should channel it through you, though, since you have the strongest powers.'

Kakyuu agreed, but Healer asked, 'Is it safe? I know the Senshi told us that if their Princess overtaxed her energy, she could die. Will the same thing happen to Kakyuu-hime?'

'Doubtful,' Nephrite said. 'Serenity only died if she tried to use the Crystal too much. When she worked with her friends, she was fine. Your Princess should be completely safe.'

Kakyuu cut off her other Senshi before they could insist that should was not good enough, and decided to try. They formed a line and linked hands, with Kakyuu at the center, closest to the unconscious woman. Each Senshi silently called their transformation phrases to pool their powers, while the Shitennou concentrated to bring theirs to the fore. With a flash, a bright wave of light flowed to Kakyuu before she channeled it into Usagi, and the bracelet, though resisting for a minute, broke and fell with a clatter.

Though exhausted by their efforts, they were interrupted by a shriek before they could check to see if she was all right. The Silver Crystal had lifted out of Sachiko's hands and was floating near the ceiling, pulsating in rhythm with its mistress' heart. They could see it going slower and slower till it stopped, going dark.

"NOOOOOOOOOOO!" came the despairing cry, as Endymion saw the Crystal go dull. "No, Usa-ko, you can't leave me," he said, weeping, as he moved to embrace his wife. His daughter also moved to her mother's lifeless body, while her husband tried to console her as he fought back tears himself. The Senshi did their best to contain Sachiko, but the sight of their beloved friend's dead body shocked them to the core and the loss of her powers had greatly depleted theirs. Sachiko's own natural powers were still highly formidable, on a level comparable to that of Chaos, which strained them badly. They'd had no idea that this woman was that powerful.

The Starlights and their Princess, along with the Shitennou, jumped into the fray, trying to keep the murderess from escaping before her judgment could be meted out. Even with the combined powers of fifteen Senshi, the Kinmoku princess, and the Shitennou, the battle was going badly, but they didn't want to force the grieving family to fight.

'How can you describe the sudden absence of light in your world?' Endymion wondered. He'd been asked more than once what it felt like to hold your love as she died, but he never chose to answer, because the memory of it was so painful. He had cradled her dying body in his arms more times than any one person should have to endure, for once was bad enough. Being subjected to such torture multiple times was simply inhumane. He didn't know how to function without her to brighten up his world, which had once been so dark and dreary.

She was his soul mate, his other half. Time and again destiny had brought them together, and fortunately had defied death to do it. All he could hope was that once more fate would bring her back. Everyone needed her. He needed her. He wasn't sure if he could keep breathing as he felt her body temperature begin to drop where it had been feverishly high moments before.

Unnoticed by all, the Silver Crystal began to shine once more, growing brighter by the moment. It moved to hover above its mistress' still form as power in many colors flew to it. It then proceeded to drop into her hands.

Seeing this, Endymion drew back suddenly. 'Can it be that the Crystal is granting me a miracle again?' he wondered, hoping against hope. He watched while becoming concerned again when the Crystal flashed and vanished.

Usagi wandered through the mists, trying to see around her. The emptiness scared her as she searched for her friends and all the people she cared about. The lack of substance simply made her so tired, as if she could lie down and sleep forever.

Serenity…

Usagi jolted upright upon hearing the name, in such a strangely familiar voice. "Mother?" She called out. "Mother, is that you?"

"Yes, sweetie, it's me," Queen Serenity said while appearing before her child. "You can't simply give in and stay here, Serenity. There are still things you must do. People are counting on you, and your friends are grieving so…"

"Why would they be grieving? I'm fine, aren't I?"

"I'm afraid not, darling. This Lady Sachiko of yours drained all your energy to power the Silver Moon Crystal. She overtaxed it, and you died. Endymion is holding your still body in his arms right now as your daughter looks on. Your Senshi and friends grieve, but they continue to fight in your memory. They know no other way to avenge you. This one, however, they cannot win alone. They need you, Serenity. There's someone else here that wants to talk to you, though," Queen Serenity informed her daughter.

"Someone else? Here? I thought it was just the two of us," Serenity (for it was Serenity, but as the princess she had been) said. "I'm not even Queen anymore. Look at me."

"In a sense, it is just the two of us, but the fact that you are here as Princess Serenity is because we are on the moon, where you have yet to actually assume the throne. In time, you will be the Moon Queen, but for now here you are still its Princess. Sailor Cosmos!"

"Mother," greeted an approaching figure. "Princess Serenity, I believe you have met me already, but I have not yet met you in this time. Sailor Cosmos, guardian of the galaxy, and…" she said as she shifted forms, "… you."

"So the time has come for me to assume the powers of Sailor Cosmos. Is that what you're telling me?" Serenity asked both her mother and the Sailor Senshi she would become.

"Exactly so, Princess. I'm simply here to bring you what you needed," Cosmos said, as she made a clutching motion in midair. An object fell into her palm and she passed it to Serenity.

"This is the Silver Crystal. Why do you have it?"

"This used to be the Silver Moon Crystal, but no longer. As your powers are about to evolve, so did it. Now, it's called the Lambda Crystal, which you might recall from your first encounter with me. It's the key to the balance of the galaxy, and will play a part in many battles to come. I'm afraid the peace that you've been experiencing was temporary, Princess. Chaos has risen from the Galaxy Cauldron, and the battle has begun," Cosmos told her quietly.

Serenity turned to her mother. "Princess Serenity, crowned princess of the Silver Millennium, the time has come for you to assume your place as Sailor Cosmos and as the Queen, of the Crystal Alliance and of the Moon. Crystal Tokyo will remain in your control for some time still, but within ten years my granddaughter will take her place as Queen of the Earth. Each Senshi will need to assume her post of Queen of her respective planet as well. The time has come for the Alliance to be formed and unity developed. Chaos will strive to disrupt and disturb, but your strong faith in each other makes you strong. Never give up, my precious daughter, Neo Queen Serenity. Good luck to you. Awaken now as Sailor Cosmos."

At the old Queen's words, the form of the Sailor Cosmos that had been conversing with them went fluid, and flew forward to merge with that of the Princess. With a flash, she stood as Sailor Cosmos at last.

"It's time for you to go back to your world, darling. It needs you. You may not see me again for a long time, but rest assured that I will always look over you. Good luck," Queen Serenity said softly.

She watched silently as her only child vanished once again, on her way to protect everything she loved. "Serenity, I'll always love you. I'll see you again someday, when your duty's done. Good luck, sweetie. I think you'll need it. This war may be the hardest thing you've ever done," she whispered as she faded into the fog.

'Apparently not… the universe just has a sick sense of humor,' he thought darkly.

He quickly withdrew that thought when he saw his wife's body begin to shimmer, shifting into the persona of Neo-Queen Serenity. He gazed at her in shock, for although she was still unmoving, there was obviously power at work. The body began to float as well. The battle in the center of the room stopped as everybody turned and stared. Even the deranged usurper paused to see what was going on.

Suddenly, each of the Senshi began to shine as their powers' auras sprang up around them, taking on their signature hue. Beams shot from each to the floating figure, which continued to shine more brightly. Beams of power flashed from Kakyuu, the Shitennou, and the other royals as well, until the light surrounding Usagi's body became too bright to see through.

Finally, after what seemed like an eternity of watching, the light shattered, revealing a very much alive woman. This woman, however, was not what they expected. Sailor Cosmos stood before them, holding her staff in front her as she prepared to do her piece.

"U… Usa-ko?" Endymion asked shakily. She turned and nodded slightly, before saying, "I'll explain everything later."

Turning to Sachiko, she raised her staff. "Sailor Chaos, I am here. Leave that woman and face me," she commanded, hitting the base against the floor.

Sachiko's form blurred, and a shadow double appeared next to her, while the human collapsed. The others pulled back in horror.

Sailor Chaos stood before them, and had retaken the dark form of Galaxia that they recognized from the past. Although Galaxia had been purified and was safe, it seemed to enjoy their discomfort, for she was a welcome figure at the Crystal Palace.

"So you finally reveal yourself, Cosmos. I was beginning to think that you would hide from me forever."

"That would be difficult for me to do when you attack the person that I was. You knew that Neo-Queen Serenity was one of my alter egos, I presume."

Chaos laughed, a horrible grating sound that made one think of the depths of the Underworld. "Of course I knew. It was pretty easy to determine after the silly girl that she used to be was able to seal me away again. You helped her do it, after all," Chaos pointed out.

"Did you honestly think I would abandon my past to be destroyed by you? Galaxia made a mistake sealing you the way she did, but it was an honest one. I would not allow the world to be destroyed because of it. She knows the error of her ways and will stand and fight you again if I just ask it of her," Sailor Cosmos stated. "I think I would be correct in saying that all of my Senshi will stand against you, as well as everyone else who loves our world or any other."

Each of the Senshi agreed, followed rapidly by the Shitennou and Princess Kakyuu, who spoke up. "Chaos destroyed my world and many others, along with so many lives. I would be honored to fight with Sailor Cosmos to defend the universe. For good or bad, our lives are here, and I will not see them crushed by anybody."

Everyone fell into fighting stances, ready to help Cosmos with everything they had. Her Senshi ranged themselves in a semicircle behind her, while she stood with her love. She turned to face him.

'Mamo-chan, I love you so much. Will you stand by me as you always do, and help me fight Chaos once again? I can't promise that this will be the last battle, but I know we'll always win with you at my side. I can't do this without you,' she whispered into his mind.

He gazed at Cosmos, still seeing in her eyes the woman he loved so much. 'I'll always fight by your side, Usa-ko. Anyone that knows you would, because you love everyone more than anything. Even if it meant my life, I would do anything to protect you and our world.'

'Very well, then, although I'll tell you right now that you'd better not die on me.' "Everyone together, then! Share your powers, and your faith in our worlds!"

"MOON CRISIS POWER!"

"MERCURY CRYSTAL POWER!"

"MARS CRYSTAL POWER!"

"JUPITER CRYSTAL POWER!"

"VENUS CRYSTAL POWER!"

"URANUS CRYSTAL POWER!"

"NEPTUNE CRYSTAL POWER!"

"SATURN CRYSTAL POWER!"

"PLUTO CRYSTAL POWER!"

"CERES CRYSTAL POWER!"

"JUNO CRYSTAL POWER!"

"VESTA CRYSTAL POWER!"

"PALLAS CRYSTAL POWER!"

"FIGHTER CRYSTAL POWER!"

"MAKER CRYSTAL POWER!"

"HEALER CRYSTAL POWER!"

"KINMOKU CRYSTAL POWER!"

"GOLDEN CRYSTAL POWER!"

Cosmos raised her staff once more, which had been gathering the energy from all the others and was currently glowing with the same bright white light that had heralded her appearance. "LAMBDA POWER!" she shouted, aiming the huge amassed energy at Chaos. The spell bound Chaos in a crystal prison.

Cosmos spoke again. "Sailor Galaxia, attend to me!" Her Lambda Crystal flashed, relaying the command to the Senshi being summoned.

Within seconds, Sailor Galaxia appeared in a flash of golden light. She studied the figure before her then bowed. "Sailor Cosmos, how may I be of assistance?" She asked quietly, recognizing Cosmos' authority as the leader of the Sailor Senshi.

"Sailor Chaos deigned to make an appearance. The war is to begin again, I'm afraid. She is, however, trapped for the moment. Would you be so kind as to take her to the Galaxy Cauldron and keep her prison constantly under guard? Do not risk too much, however. Chaos will not hesitate to kill to come after me again. She considers herself the rightful ruler of the galaxy. You accepted my help once, my friend, so now I must ask yours: Are you ready to take up the ancient charge and help me defend the galaxy against her evil?" Cosmos asked intently.

"My Queen, you know I will do anything in my power to assist you. You are the leader of the Crystal Alliance now, Queen Serenity said. Our hopes rest on your ability to fight Chaos' intentions. I will serve you until my death," Galaxia said passionately, kneeling before Sailor Cosmos in a traditional vassal's oath.

Cosmos bent and pulled Galaxia up. "You are my friend, not my servant. I require no such oath from Sailor Senshi. Each of you may choose your own path if you decide not to fight in this war, and I will not judge you for it. It will be long and difficult," she said regretfully. "I fear there is a great possibility I may lose many of you." Tears sparkled in her eyes as she spoke.

"Sailor Cosmos… Usagi. We could never just abandon you to fight this war alone," Mars said, stepping forward. "We've stuck with you so far. We're not going to give in now. Even if you are the most powerful Sailor Senshi ever, we will still stand by you and protect you, as we always have."

"We love you too much to do otherwise, Usagi-chan," Venus added. "You've been the heart and soul of us for the past two thousand years. I don't know what I'd do without you."

"You'd be crazy to expect us to sit out on these fits, Usagi," Jupiter added fiercely. "I'd be really unhappy if you tried to keep me out of the fighting. Let me help you teach those Nega-creeps a lesson they'll never forget."

Mercury regarded her oldest friend, compassion evident in her face. "War is hard on you, Usagi-chan. Your heart doesn't embrace violence, and your desire to protect everyone may get you hurt. You need a good strategist on your said," she added with a small grin.

Sailors Uranus, Neptune, Saturn, and Pluto spoke in unison. "We'll always be here for you, Usagi-chan."

Pluto stepped forward. "Your mother charged me, a long time ago, to watch over you and make sure you were all right. Do you want me to start disobeying now?"

The three Sailor Starlights exchanged glances, nodding. Fighter decided to throw in her opinion. "We're not going to let you do this alone, Odango. Chaos seeks to fight through dividing us. Unity is our best defense. We'll stand by you, if Kakyuu-hime agrees," she said, turning to the Kinmokan princess, who nodded, trying not to cry in relief.

"Kinmoku will support you, Usagi. I'd like to request that we become members of the Crystal Alliance immediately. We're all in this together, since Chaos won't spare anyone just because they didn't fight her. She already destroyed my world once. I'm not going to let her do it again."

"Where our King fights, so will we," Kunzite said, speaking for the other Shitennou as well. "This fight is bigger than any of us, so we'll all be there to lend a hand. It may be bigger than one person, but I'd like to see it stand up to all of us together."

"Our princess will support you, and so shall we, Usagi. You saved us from Nehellenia. Chaos has fought you and failed before, but you can't expect any of us to want you to fight alone. You mean far too much to everyone," Pallas said firmly.

"We will too," said a surprising voice from the doorway. Everyone turned to see Ali and En, which quite shocked Cosmos and Endymion. Ali was leaning heavily on En, and both looked very tired.

"Ali, En, what are you doing here?" Cosmos practically screamed. "I haven't seen either of you since you left to start a new life with the Tree. What happened to you? You both look awful."

"Thanks, Usagi. We volunteer to help you and you say we look bad. I feel so appreciated now, don't you Ali? This Chaos of yours found us and brainwashed us. The Inner Senshi and the Starlights came across us while we were guarding the Shitennou. We were pretty badly hurt, so your daughter healed us and got rid of the negative energy as best she should. Kakyuu-hime took care of the Shitennou's injuries."

At this point, Healer just lost control. "What is this Tree people keep talking about, and what's going on? Is this some sort of big reunion or something? I'M GOING CRAZY OVER HERE!"

At this point, all the other Senshi started laughing, already knowing the history behind them, which seemed to irritate Healer even further.

"I'll have to tell you later," Cosmos told her, still holding her sides.

She turned to her family, taking a deep breath before asking them. "There isn't anything I can do to keep the three of you from getting involved in this, is there?" She asked sadly. Helios and Chibiusa shook their heads.

"Not a chance, Usa-ko. I think I finally know how you felt at the close of the Silver Millennium when you were lying there dead. I would've done anything to stay with you. I'm not about to let you go into a war without me. You know the two of us are stronger together than we are apart. I would gladly give my life if it meant saving you," he said, almost in tears himself.

"That's exactly what I'm worried about, though," she said as silent tears rolled down her face. "I don't want you to die for me. I don't want anyone to die for me. I want Chibiusa to grow old with Helios peacefully, instead of all of us risking our lives in a war that we may not be able to win. I'm scared of what will happen if I lose you again. It killed me before."

Endymion pulled her into a hug at this point, holding her as close as possible. "Even if I die, Usa-ko, I'll always be with you. My spirit wouldn't be able to rest without yours. You were always the Light of Hope, you know. The galaxy would be lost without you."

Cosmos let her transformation fall, returning to her mortal self as she sobbed in her husband's arms. He stared at the top of her head, tears falling from his eyes as well. 'I'd almost lost her again; if it hadn't been for her becoming Cosmos I would have. I won't ever let her fight a war alone. I don't know what I'd do without her."

Eventually, all tears subsided. "These problems are best left for another day, Usagi-chan," Pluto told her gently. "For now, let's go home and rest. I think the Queen deserves a day off before she tries to organize a galaxy-wide alliance. I'm sure Helios and Chibiusa won't mind acting as King and Queen. The Starlights and Princess Kakyuu can stay too, for they're no doubt too tired to return to Kinmoku right away."

Usagi straightened. "Okay, Pluto. Let's go home."