Serenity had been utterly startled to emerge from the Crystal warm cocoon 
of power to see that her Mother had aged and looked almost identical to her! And 
then, without warning she had again been snared by the Crystal. ["What is 
happening?"] she cried out mentally as she was consumed. The power filled her 
mind and her veins with silver power and visions began to fly past her minds-eye 
dizzyingly. She could hardly follow their progress. And then one came very 
sharply to her mind. It was a city. A beautiful city made entirely of crystal 
and in the center was a large palace. Serenity's mind flew towards the palace 
and she went THROUGH the walls into a throne room. She ignored the crowd there 
and focused on someone sitting on the throne. A beautiful woman with long silver 
hair flowing from two buns onto the floor. The woman abruptly looked up and 
their eyes met-

"Stop!" someone commanded sharply. A woman's commanding voice, sounding 
strangely echoing. As if she were standing in a great cavernous room. The 
silver-haired woman and the throne room vanished, along with everything else and 
then Serenity was consumed with power again. Before she could gasp, she felt 
herself falling fast. "Arrggggggh! she shrieked in an undignified way, both from 
the falling sensation and from the way that her shirt was flying up above her 
waist, revealing her bare breasts and a view of her lacy panties. The darkness 
about her cleared and she fell into a light, then smacked into a hard body from 
above, flattening the person. "Oh dear" Princess Serenity gasped, eyes wide and 
stunned. She was barely clad decently and-she looked up-she screamed again as 
she saw three men staring down at her with shock.

"Get off of me!" someone grunted from below her.

Serenity shrieked again as the person surged underneath her, making her 
tumble to the ground ungracefully. She glanced around nervously as she hurriedly 
scrambled to her knees and huddled there hiding her long bare legs. ["Oh WHY 
didn't I get Endymion to buy me some clothes?"] she wailed silently, a huge 
blush on her cheeks.

"Good lord!" one of the men breathed. The one that had practically thrown 
her off.

Serenity looked up hesitantly into his blue eyes and then she focused on 
his face and hair. "Good lord!" she breathed back, horrified. Fear spirally 
through her at the familiar face. Where WAS she?! Wasn't he DEAD?

"Princess Serenity!" the man gasped out, paling as his eyes swept over her 
appearance. She paled and then flushed under their gaze.

["He knows who I really am!"] she thought, shrinking back. But-he had died 
and no one but she and her extended family knew... "Stay away from me!" she 
commanded, trying to calm her trembling tone. She got up and backed off, 
forgetting her undressed state. They averted their eyes from her, making her 
remember. She then noticed that something was clutched in her hand and looked 
down quickly to see that it was the Silver Crystal. As if responding to her fear 
and bewilderment, the Crystal once more flared into brilliant light and she was 
sucked into a swirling vortex.


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------

Kenji and Marie came running into the room then, both looking red-faces 
and concerned. Their startled eyes went from the form of the Princess glowing 
like a small sun, to the naked shoulders of a strange girl who looked EXACTLY 
like his daughter, to a poleaxed Ikuko, two stunned cats and a gaping Motoki and 
Reika.

"Usagi?" he queried, looking first at Seline. When she shook her head, his 
eyes became a trifle wild and he looked back at the glowing twin. "Usagi?!"

"It's her, Kenji" Ikuko said worried, biting her lip. She felt so helpless 
against such power as the Silver Crystal was exhibiting. And not for the first 
time either, over all. She'd had no control over anything since all of this had 
begun.

"Umm-what did we miss?" Kenji uttered faintly, looking back at his 
daughter. She was glowing so brightly that he could barely see her form. But he 
could see that her beautiful silver eyes were wide and staring. Blank. "What's 
wrong with her?!" he demanded, almost running to her side.

"Kenji-no!" Seline cried out, the golden crescent moon on her forehead 
glowing briefly.

Kenji fell to a stop mid-stride and froze where he was a foot from the bed 
and hand still out-stretched. "I can't move" he groaned through stiff lips, eyes 
rolling wildly from side to side.

Seline gasped and released him, falling back into Ikuko with the sheet 
clutched at her chest for modesty's sake. She shuddered when the blue-haired 
woman wrapped a comforting arm about her shoulders. "It's so hard now. MY powers 
are so weak," she said weakly, passing a slender hand over her shadowed eyes.

"What happened-" Marie began curiously, eyes never leaving the Princess' 
form.

"We aren't sure, Marie-but don't touch her. The Crystal packs quite a 
punch," Ikuko said ruefully.

"Uh-sure" Kenji said uncertainly, settling back a few feet from his 
daughter. He wrung his hands together nervously. "Is she okay in there and-" he 
looked about. "Where is Mamoru and the girls? I thought that Rei and he couldn't 
separate from Usagi because of the bond!" he looked accusingly at Seline. "And 
WHO are you? And-and-" he noticed something else, eyes going wild. "WHERE is the 
baby?"

"Here?" Seline waved an arm at him, giving Kenji a tentative smile. "I'm 
Seline-the baby...who was Queen Serenity. And why am I babbling? Oh dear!" she 
covered her mouth, blushing becomingly.

"There, there, dear. You ARE only sixteen now" Ikuko soothed, eyes going 
back to her other daughter.

"YOU'RE THE BABY?!" both Kenji and Marie gasped, eyes boggling.

"Yes" Seline muttered from beneath her hand, utterly bewildered and 
shocked from the circumstances. Her daughter was trapped inside the Crystals 
power, Pluto hadn't answered her, the Senshi and Endymion were off in battle 
without the crescent moon wand and-SHE had aged and actually turned back into a 
sixteen year old. "This is such a mess!" she cried out, frustrated.

"It IS" Luna sighed heavily, padding forwards on the carpet until she was 
at the base of the bed and then she leapt up. Her red eyes studied the Princess 
encased inside the Crystal's unimaginable power. "I believe that she is 
unharmed" she said finally. "The Silver Crystal appears to be-I don't 
know...almost it looks like communicating" she sounded puzzled.

"The Silver Crystal isn't sentient, Luna. That is NOT possible," Seline 
said, removing the hand from her face swiftly. Her eyes tried to penetrate the 
glow of power about her daughter, but even she was unable to sense anything. "My 
powers are not at their fullest, I am afraid" she murmured, resting her head 
back against Ikuko's chest, the silver hair spilling over both of them and the 
sheet like a silken waterfall. She looked so like Princess Serenity that it was 
uncanny.

"Are you SURE, my Queen? Artemis asked, breaking his silent musing. "I 
mean, what do we really know about the Silver Crystal? Do we even know where it 
CAME from?"

Seline frowned, delicate lines forming between her silver brows. "I-I-that 
is strange" she murmured, perplexed. "I cannot remember where the Crystal came 
from either"

"You WHAT?!" Luna and Artemis chorused in horror and disbelief. HOW could 
Queen Serenity NOT know?!

The young girl suddenly looked her age as her silver eyes became 
frightened and bewildered. "I do not know! My memories aren't all there. Oh, 
Luna!" she cried out, sounding so like a scared Usagi that Luna responded 
automatically. 

Luna forgot that this was her Queen of over a thousand years and only saw 
a beautiful frightened girl who was under her care currently. She leapt up the 
bedclothes and curled up onto Seline's chest above the sheets and began to purr 
loudly. "It will be all right" she soothed, reaching up to pat the girl's cheek 
with a soft paw.

Artemis' eyes softened also as he looked first at Seline and then the 
purring Luna. Something familiar nagged at his mind, but it slipped away before 
he could grasp it. Only a flash of something stayed-a beautiful woman with long 
curly purple hair, smiling at him with love. He blinked, then frowned darkly. He 
too had been having problems with missing memories. "I'd really like to know 
what's going on around here-and what is going on with Princess Serenity!" he 
snapped out, frustrated to the point that his white fur was standing on end on 
the back of his neck.

"So would I!" Kenji announced, crossing his arms and frowning just as 
darkly. "I bet that boy has something to do with this!" he muttered.

Ikuko and Motoki heard and glared at him. "I thought we already had a talk 
about this and agreed that none of this was Mamoru's fault, Kenji!" she snapped 
at him irritably.

He groaned and unfurled his hands to touch a finger to his throbbing 
temple. "Yes, yes. I know we did. And I know it's not-but who else can I 
blame?!" he finished in a demanding tone.

"When we find out, we'll be sure to tell you first" Artemis said dryly.

"And we can do without that attitude if yours young man!" Kenji whirled 
and pointed one trembling digit at the astonished cat.

Artemis' fur bristled in indignation, then he smiled slyly. "I hate to be 
the bearer of bad news-NOT-but I'm WAY older than you YOUNG man" he said smugly 
to the now-fuming Kenji. "Give or take a thousand years"

"Oh, yeah!" Motoki said, eyes lighting up. "That's right! All of you are 
over a thousand years old" his eyes went wide, face paling. "Even Mamoru! Wow"

"Wow is right" Reika murmured. She quirked an amused eyebrow at her 
boyfriend. "I suppose now that he's far too old to attend collage. Ancient in 
fact"

Artemis growled at Reika, then stuck his tongue out at the startled woman. 
"Lady, do I look ancient to you?" he asked her pointedly. "Do you see any gray 
fur? And does Mamoru or Usagi or Minako look wrinkled and cane-bound to you? 
Heeeeello!"

Reika blushed at him, then frowned back. "You know-you sounded very like, 
Minako just then" she, Marie and Ikuko turned big grins on the cat as he 
spluttered.

"MEEEE? Like that blonde ditz! Ha! Never happen" he shouted indignantly. 
He purposefully turned his furry back on them all and began to sulk and mutter 
under his breath about women in general.

Seline giggled, then sobered as the room went quiet again and all eyes 
went to Serenity. "I hope she's okay-" she began, but was cut off by a bright 
flash right in front of her face. The glowing form of the Princess vanished into 
thin air before anyone could gasp. "Serenity!" Seline screamed, scrambling up 
onto her knees and just remembering her sheet at the last moment. Her hands 
frantically dug at the covers where her daughter had been, even though it was 
evident that she was gone. "Serenity!" she wailed.

"Usagi!" Kenji and Ikuko shouted together, devastated.

Luna looked about wildly, having been tossed ungracefully from Seline's 
chest as the girl scrambled up. "Usagi! Serenity!" she too began pawing at the 
covers as if the Princess was hidden there. "Where is she?"

As her frantic words died down in the panicked yelling of everyone in the 
room, another bright flash-larger this time-came into being right above the 
beds. As everyone gaped, there came a startled shriek and Princess Serenity came 
hurtling down from above. "Arrrgggggh!" she fell directly onto the poleaxed 
Luna, who couldn't move in time and was flattened. As she frantically scrambled 
out from under the light-weight girl to see if she was all right, she was 
shocked to hear four more startled shouts from-this time sounding definitely 
masculine.

"Abandon bed!" Motoki shouted out, blue eyes wide as he eyeballed the 
glowing light hovering over Ikuko, Serenity, Seline and Luna. The girls all 
looked up and then scrambled ungracefully from the bed as one person as four 
shapes came hurtling out of the air and onto the bed. They hit with such force 
that the figures tumbled off the other side of the bed and thudded into a pile 
of flailing legs and arms at Seline's delicate feet. Then cursing filled the 
air.

"Ouch, damn it!"

"What in Terra's name just happened? I just hit my bloody head on the 
floor!"

"Never mind that-where the hell ARE we! And where is Princess Serenity?"

The last lot of swearing was muttered, but highly uncomplimentary, from a 
figure crushed under the others.

Serenity eyed the pile of limbs and royal blue uniforms with a slightly 
perplexed look. "Mother-I er seem to have brought back with me....from 
somewhere" she stepped back towards Ikuko nervously, still wary of the men. 
Especially the two that ought to be dead!

"A FEW someone's, Serenity!" Luna growled, rubbing herself against her 
Princess' bare leg and glaring. They were MEN! ["And they saw my Princess 
dressed in only a shirt!"] her eyes began to glow red with outrage. Her claws 
popped out, ready to rip into the interlopers. Then her eyes widened as she 
finally caught the last part of Serenity's stammered words. "SOMEWHERE?!" she 
yowled, leaping up into the air in shock. Serenity caught her automatically in 
her arms, then blinked at her face reflexes. "And where was THAT exactly?!" she 
demanded, recognizing two of the men belatedly. ["Great, Serenity! She's brought 
back the dead!"] Luna started to panic at the implications of that thought.

Seline moved forward, after making sure that she had securely wrapped 
herself up in the sheet toga-style. She placed a hand about her daughter's waist 
in a silent comforting way and then stared down at the uniformed men with a 
startled, then utterly horrified look as the four finally raised their heads and 
scrambled onto their knees to face their audience. "Oh, NO!" she gasped out in 
horror.


---------------------------------------------------------------------------
------

Chapter Five


---------------------------------------------------------------------------
------

Shingo backed away from the open doorway as he heard the Senshi mention a 
battle near the Mall. "They'll be going there soon-and I'm NOT missing it!" he 
told himself firmly. He hesitated as he turned away to creep away down the hall. 
Marie and his dad were still down in the kitchen. "Usagi sounded so worried too. 
I'll keep an eye on the Senshi and Mamoru for her" he decided, heart beginning 
to beat uncomfortably fast. Mamoru and the other's had rapidly become family to 
him, even if it had only been a day or so since he had discovered their 
identities. And he already thought of Mamoru as an older Brother. One day he 
would marry Usagi.

He ran as quietly as possible down the main staircase and into the hall, 
tip-toeing so that he couldn't be heard from the kitchen or upstairs on the 
tiles in the main foyer. Shingo slipped out the front door and ran down the long 
drive to the main gates. Then he paused in chagrin-he didn't KNOW the code! He 
slapped his forehead. "Idiot!" he grumbled angrily as he cast about the front 
yard and drive for a solution. Shingo's eyes brightened as he saw the large tree 
to the left. It would do no good to anyone trying to break in from the OUTSIDE-
but was perfect for someone to break OUT! He grinned in glee, easily scaling the 
tree and jumping onto the top of the wall. Then, holding his breath, he jumped 
down form the high wall and began to run in the direction of Juuban Mall.

Five minutes later, he cursed himself for an idiot as he realised how 
stupid it had been to RUN all the way to Juuban. The Senshi definitely had an 
advantage over him, being superheros. "Keep going Shingo!" he told himself, 
pushing faster. "I hope they're okay" he thought aloud, concern in his eyes. 
Still, as fast as he ran it took him so long that the battle had already started 
by the time be arrived and spotted them. He gasped for breath and hid behind a 
tree half a block down-just in case it got rough. He was pretty sure that no one 
back at the mansion would miss him-and the Senshi and Tuxedo Kamen weren't 
EXPECTING him to be there...so he should be safe enough...


---------------------------------------------------------------------------
------

Sailor Mercury glanced down at the mini computer clutched in one gloved 
hand. "It's just below us," she said in a low voice to the others. She brushed 
back a lock of her deep blue hair with a distracted movement, then moved to the 
edge of the rooftop to glance down. Sure enough, below her-eight floors below to 
the sidewalk-was a hideous Youma AND Zoisite. She reached up to touch the earing 
of her left ear and her visor slid down. "And she looks really annoyed too" she 
noted in slight satisfaction.

Sailor Mars slid down from Tuxedo Kamen's arms quickly, purple eyes wide 
with surprise as they rested on Mercury's clearly smug face. ["She's changing 
personalities on us, Mamoru!"] she complained mentally, rolling her eyes 
skyward. This new Mercury was astonishing them all. But from what they had 
learned, this was what the blue-haired girl had been like a thousand years ago. 
Obviously, modern times had given the girl her shyness-but having been a warrior 
protecting the Princess of the Moon in the Silver Millennium had given her the 
confidence and amusement that she was occasionally displaying since their 
change.

["Oh, I don't know. I kind of like her like this"] Tuxedo Kamen responded, 
voice amused. He moved next to Mercury and glanced down also, narrowing his blue 
eyes behind the white mask. He couldn't see as well as the Senshi could-or 
Mercury with her visor, for that matter-but he could sure SENSE the outrage 
coming from the General in waves. He grinned. "Yep. She's steaming!" he reported 
to the others.

Sailor Venus reached up to tug at one of her long ponytails in annoyance. 
"This hairstyle is driving me nuts!" she declared roundly. "Let's go kick 
Zoisite's' butt and get home for some lunch"

"I second that" Sailor Jupiter grinned widely, the tossed her long pink-
brown hair back from her shoulder and cracked her knuckles loudly. "And 
remember, everyone-call Venus 'Sailor Moon'" she reminded them seriously.

"Right" Tuxedo Kamen murmured, expression becoming sombre. He wanted to 
get back to his love quickly. He had faith in her that she had the strength to 
maintain her appearance as Princess Serenity-otherwise he and Mars would die...

["She can do it. I KNOW that she can. Don't worry, Tuxedo Kamen"] Sailor 
Mars reached out to hug him tightly, ignoring everyone else's startled 
expressions at her impulsive movement. Both she and Tuxedo Kamen frowned darkly 
at the same time, glaring at everyone in annoyance. They knew very well that 
Mamoru belonged to Usagi and vis-versa...but this affection that they both felt 
seemed very natural to them. Even if it didn't to the others. 

"Let's get this show on the road" he growled at them all, startling them 
again with his obvious anger. He reached out for Sailor Mars and swept her into 
his arms smoothly, then leapt off the side of the building.

"Look out below!" Sailor Venus cried out, taking a short run and leaping 
from the side of the building.

"Geronamo!" Jupiter cried out gleefully, cannon-balling off the side a 
moment after.

Mercury rolled her eyes, jumping onto the ledge of the building. She 
hesitated a moment, then grinned. "Yah hoo" she whispered, taking a swan dive 
off the side.

They all landed, moments apart on the sidewalk below and fell into 
defensive positions. The Mall was only half a block away and they all hoped 
silently that the place wouldn't be destroyed.

Sailor Mars looked about as she again quickly slid from Tuxedo Kamen's 
arms and stood at his side carefully close. The streets were deserted, she noted 
as she looked about. And the Youma had been busy throwing a temper tantrum-or 
Zoisite had. The shops around them were looking rather decimated. She winced. 
["Oh dear-this isn't going to look good for our record. The city is going to be 
REALLY angry at us for showing up this late"]

"Urk! Umm-maybe we should have gotten here a bit earlier, everyone?" 
Jupiter noted, wincing also.

"Couldn't be helped" Mercury murmured, eyes narrowing on Zoisite.

"About time you brats got here!" Zoisite fairly screeched at them all, 
face going red with rage. She calmed herself, normal colour returning. "And 
what's with the hair colours? Got bored and dyed your roots huh?" she smirked at 
them all. 

"Shut up! My roots are perfectly natural!" Sailor Jupiter yelled at her, 
hands going defensively to her pink hair. Okay, so it was a strange colour to 
see in modern day Tokyo-but her roots were NATURAL! She glared at the General.

Zoisite smiled smugly at the reaction her words had gotten, then her head 
turned to talk to the Youma, mouth opening to order it. It was then that she 
finally stared at the others. She paused in disbelief and rage. "YOU! You're 
dead!" she shouted, pointing at Sailor Mars accusingly.

Mars flushed uncomfortably, then paled as realisation hit her. It hit the 
others at the same time and she heard multiple groans from around her. She'd 
been dead the last time Zoisite saw her-and none of them had remembered! ["We 
are morons! Idiots! Usagi's even!"] she slapped her forehead with a gloved hand, 
purple eyes darkening.

["Hey!"] Tuxedo Kamen bit out, voice startled. Then he relaxed and threw 
Mars a slightly sheepish look. He guessed that old habits died hard. ["I totally 
agree with you. IDIOTS!"] he shouted, making both he and Sailor Mars wince as it 
echoed around both of their head's painfully.

["Will you quit yelling!"] she bellowed back at him angrily. She turned 
her attention to Zoisite. "Yeah-well, you were mistaken!" she lied easily to the 
steaming General. She could have SWORN that she saw green sparks shoot from the 
woman as she stood there, with her fists clenched. "OH!" she exclaimed, an evil 
expression entering her purple eyes as it hit her why Zoisite was so enraged. 
"You told Beryl I was dead!"

"Oooh. Bad mistake there" Jupiter noted, wincing.

"You-you-! DIE Senshi!" Zoisite screamed at them, raising her hands 
swiftly. She blasted them all with her dark power, shooting randomly in her 
rage.

The Senshi all dodged easily; Mars tucked under one of Tuxedo Kamen's arms 
to keep them close. One little false jump and they could both end up dead from 
bond separation!

"That was a little too close" Sailor Venus muttered under her breath.

"Tell me about it" Mercury murmured, blowing the bangs from her forehead. 
She quickly put away her Mercury computer into her sub-space pocket, so that her 
hands were free to fight.

"Reptilia-kill those brats!" Zoisite ordered the Youma, flying away to a 
safe distance to view the battle.

"Ugly" Jupiter said under her breath, eying the newest Youma. She could 
see why it had been called Reptilia. She was all green and covered with scales, 
her flickering tongue long and pink like a snake's.

Sailor Venus sided up next to Mars and Tuxedo Kamen nervously, eyes 
flickering over the Youma as Jupiter and Mercury dove into the fight. "Umm-guys? 
I'm supposed to be Sailor Moon right?" she said to them. "Then er-how do I 
fight? This is a disguise and I doubt Sailor Moon's usual powers are going to 
work with this outfit" she finished in a rush, shrugging helplessly.

Mars looked at her in chagrin. "Why didn't we think of that earlier?" she 
groaned. ["Once again-we are MORONS Mamoru!"] she told him scathingly.

"I agree with you-never think I don't" Mamoru groaned back at her aloud, 
rubbing hand over his face in a stressed fashion. "Just try to stay behind us 
and keep up the masquerade for as long as you can" he ordered, reaching out for 
her shoulder. He pushed her gently behind him and Mars. "How about a fireball, 
Sailor Mars?" he asked the purple-haired Senshi, a determined glint in his dark 
eyes.

"Right!" she said, hands coming up. "Mars fire!" 

Sailor Jupiter was glad when a stream of hot fire passed her and Mercury, 
hitting the Youma squarely in the chest. It yowled in agony as it flew 
backwards, body flaming.

"Can't you do anything right?" Zoisite shouted at her minion, flying 
closer to the battle. She sent a barrage of dark fire back at Sailor Mars. She 
smirked as she saw Tuxedo Kamen's arms wrap around Sailor Mars' waist-Sailor 
Moon trying to keep up and obviously behind them other two. "Changed girlfriends 
huh, cape boy?" she taunted him.

"Shut up and eat lightning!" Sailor Jupiter yelled back angrily, chucking 
a lightning ball at the gloating woman. She grimaced as Zoisite easily dodged 
and laughed annoyingly.

"Oooh. Hit a nerve, hmm?" Zoisite said, eyes calculating. Dissension in 
the Senshi's ranks could work well for her.

"Raaaaaaah!" the Youma gave off an enraged bellow and charged at the 
nearest Senshi-Mercury. She gave a startled gasp as it loomed over her, as if 
from nowhere, claws extended menacingly.

"Mercury!" Sailor Mars screamed, hands flying up to blast the Youma. She 
heard the others cry out in horror, but it was too late.

Sailor Mercury could only give an agonised scream as the poisoned claws 
shot towards her and slid smoothly into her chest. She gurgled her last breath, 
hands moving up to clutch at the Youma's wrist futilely. She's buried her claws 
to the end of her fingers into Mercury's body.

"MERCURY!" they all screamed, rushing to her aid. But even as they did, 
they knew it was far too late. The Youma smiled evil and shook Mercury off of 
her claws as if she were garbage. She turned to them all. "Who's next-"

Tuxedo Kamen's fist shot up viciously into the Youma's face, smashing her 
nose into her skull. She fell limp at his feet, groaning.

"Ta ta, Senshi! Another dead-and this time she's DEFINETLY dead" Zoisite 
called out in a singsong way. She blew them a kiss, eyed Mercury lying in a pool 
of her own blood and then vanished in a swirl of pink flowers.

Jupiter leapt onto the prone form of the Youma and began pounding it to 
death, rage in her eyes. It gurgled and struggled and then died as she crushed 
its face. "Bitch! You bitch!" she screamed, clawing at the dead Youma's chest.

"Makoto-it's dead. Leave it" Tuxedo Kamen said soothingly, pulling her off 
of the body. he pulled her into his arms, as Mars and Venus clung to Mercury's 
fatally wounded body.

"Ami. Don't die please!" Mars cried, tears running freely down her 
beautiful face. 

"Oh god! I-I-" Shingo stammered, running up. He paled as he got closer and 
saw Mercury's body. She was clearly fatally wounded-and there was nothing any of 
them could not. He cursed himself silently for just watching the battle from a 
safe distance. He'd come to watch over them for his sister-and had not even been 
able to help!

"Shingo! Where did you come from?" Mars exclaimed, eyes shocked. The boy 
had appeared from nowhere. And she mansion was a very far distance from Juuban 
Mall.

"I-I followed you all. I was worried" the young boy stuttered, eyes on all 
the red blood spilling around Sailor Mercury. "Oh god!" he groaned again, 
sinking to his knees beside the others. "Ami"

Mercury opened her blue eyes and gave them all a ghost of a smile. "I'm 
sorry everyone-but I'm dying" her voice broke off as she choked on her own 
blood. "It will be okay. Remember, Serenity will know...We'll be bonded soon" 
even as she was dying, she was comforting them.

"I hope so" Venus whispered, gently brushing Mercury's dark blue bangs 
from her eyes. She bent over and kissed her on the cheek reassuringly-and when 
she pulled back, Mercury was dead.

"OH GOD!" Mars choked, hands pulling back from her friend's silent body 
and burying in her own lap with fists clenched. "Please sense this, Serenity. 
She can't be gone"

"She'll sense it. She'll sense it" Shingo repeated over and over 
feverishly, wishing that he could have done more than hide like a coward as he 
watched them all fight.

Tuxedo Kamen titled his head back to the sky, eyes closing. He rocked the 
inconsolable Jupiter in his arms. ["Serenity! Please have sensed this! Oh god 
Serenity"] he prayed silently. Could she do anything? Could she possibly bring 
Mercury back as she had Mars-and all the way from the mansion?

They all stayed silent, praying that their Princess knew what had happened 
and was on her way with the Crystal...


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------

The four men stared back at the group of stunned people, not exactly sure 
where they were or who the strangers were.

Seline could do no more than stare in complete horror, having realised 
exactly who the men were and where they had come from. The ramifications 
were...staggering! To say the least.

"Who ARE these people?" Motoki yelled, gesturing wildly at the four men. 
His eyes were wide and startled-all though he was sure that he aught to have 
been used to strange happenings by NOW. He brought his arms up to his chest and 
crossed them, trying to look somewhat threatening-for the ladies' sakes.

"Who are YOU!" one of the strangers yelled back, annoyed. His hair was 
short and blonde, eyes deep blue. As with the others, his uniform was deep blue 
with gold trimmings and he bore a sword at his hip.

Luna merely sat at Serenity's feet, totally poleaxed and spluttering. Her 
red eyes were glazed over. "Oh dear. Oh dear" she kept muttering under her 
breath, for once not able to gather her thoughts and take charge as she did for 
the Senshi occasionally.

"Usagi dear-would you mind explaining who our guests are?" Kenji said in a 
strangled tone, glaring bloody-murder at the men standing a few feet from his 
scantily clad daughter. It was bad enough that Motoki and Mamoru had seen her 
like this-but STRANGERS? Intolerable! He fought an insane urge to throttle the 
four men.

"Umm...I-well-" Princess Serenity responded, unable to form a coherent 
sentence to save her life. ["They're DEAD! Dead! I SAW-"]

["Calm down Serenity"] Seline's voice in her daughter's mind was meant to 
be calming, but instead only amplified the panic and horror that she was 
feeling. ["This isn't happening! Oh no, no, no"] she kept thinking over and 
over, just staring at the men before her. Where was her commanding presence that 
she had had over so many millennia? She was like a child again!

"Princess Serenity" one of them said politely, averting his eyes from her 
bare legs as he bowed in a courtly manner. "Could you please explain exactly 
where we are and what is going ON here?" his words ended in a growl, as he 
finally lost his patience.

"You're NOT in Kansas" Motoki muttered under his breath, snorting in a 
sarcastic way.

Reika watched the proceedings with a lot of interest. The men didn't SEEM 
to be harmful. And they were dressed so strangely, it was obvious that they were 
not from around Tokyo.

"Oh dear!" Serenity said, fear filling her eyes again as they rested upon 
two of the men, ignoring the speaker for now. Two men who were DEAD and very 
familiar to her. "Jadeite? Nephlyte?" she whispered weakly, resting back into 
Ikuko and her Mother's arms. "But you're dead!" she finished on a rather shrill 
note.

"Dead? I'm not dead, Princess!" Jadeite responded in perplexity and 
concern. Why was the Princess of the Moon so scantily-clad and proclaiming that 
he was dead? AND Nephlyte too! He averted his blue eyes from the silver haired 
girl and stared at the others crowded about her Highness. Rather belatedly, he 
saw the identical-looking girl with her arms about the Princess. "Good lord-A 
TWIN?!" he shouted, wild-eyed.

"A twin!" Nephlyte and the other two shouted just after, having spotted 
Seline also.

"Not good. Not good. Oh, Pluto will have my head for this-surely she 
will!" Seline wailed, clinging to Serenity's slender waist like a lifeline. Her 
silver eyes flitted over the four men and settled on one in particular. "I was 
RIGHT!" she blurted out, eyes glazing over. She wasn't HAPPY to be right-but 
there was the proof right in front of her. The one who was meant to be a girl-
but was clearly a man.

"Right? About what, Mother?" Serenity demanded, turning to look at her 
'twin'.

"MOTHER?!" the four Generals exclaimed in disbelief. Their eyes flitted 
over the other occupants of the room and noted their strange clothing.

Malachite took charge then, as usual. "Queen Serenity?" he queried, a 
flicker of incredulity entering his light blue eyes as he looked over the 
beautiful girl wrapped up in a sheet toga-style. This couldn't be right...

"Yes. I am Queen Serenity" Seline said proudly, releasing her hold upon 
her daughter to stand tall and proud before Endymion's Royal Guard...and try to 
pretend desperately that she wasn't holding audience wearing a sheet. She 
faltered as their eyes swept over her from head to toe, clearly disbelieving. "I 
AM Serenity" she snapped at them, regaining her mature composure. Her silver 
eyes glinted wrath as the doubt lingered in their eyes clearly. "Serenity-the 
Crystal, if you please!" she demanded of her daughter.

"Yes, Mother" Serenity answered, obediently opening her hand and handing 
the silver Crystal to her Mother. She held her breath as she did so and knew 
that her Mother was doing the same. Seline was human now and the Crystal might 
not recognise her as the former Queen. They were essentially putting Seline's 
life in danger in order to prove her identity to the Generals.

Seline picked up the delicate-seeming Crystal from Serenity's palm and 
breathed in relief, slumping slightly as a warm power and light enveloped her in 
a familiar way. It recognised her! ["Thank Selene"] she murmured mentally. She 
would have been utterly devastated if the Crystal had rejected her-but then 
again; she would have been dead. Her head thumped uncomfortably in her chest, 
making her breath deeply. "Recognise this, Gentleman? Do you dare to refute my 
claim now?" she asked the men coolly, holding the Silver Crystal up clearly 
before them.

Malachite and the other's backed away as the Crystal in the girl's palm 
became to glow a warm silver light, enveloping her. He sighed as he saw the 
proof. This was no imposter! He had seen with his own eyes, the Princess 
Serenity hand the Crystal over to her twin-and now the Crystal itself had shown 
to truly BE the legendary Silver Crystal that Queen Serenity used to keep peace 
over the Solar System. As one, the four Generals' went to their knee's, head's 
bowed in apology. "I apologise most humbly, Queen Serenity" Malachite spoke for 
them all.

"You must admit, your majesty that you don't look as you should" Jadeite 
raised his head as he spoke and then the four got to their feet smoothly to 
await her answer. This was as bizarre as it got! Wait till Endymion head about 
this one! "You're-so YOUNG!"

"Much has happened that you may not believe" Seline spoke more calmly, 
handing the Silver Crystal back to her daughter. She glared at the Generals as 
their eyes followed her movements and settled again on the indecently clad 
Princess. She moved her body, so that she was concealing her daughter from their 
eyes. She felt mollified, as the General's looked sheepish and realised that 
they had never seen the Princess nor herself ever dressed so indecently.

"You can say THAT again!" Motoki spoke finally, breath exploding. "Seline, 
WHO are these men?" he demanded.

"Watch your tone with the Queen, boy!" Jadeite growled at Motoki, reaching 
down for the hilt of his sword. This-peasant had spoken so disrespectfully to 
the Queen...even if he had called her by a different name. He halted when 
Zoisite placed a calming hand on his.

"BOY!?" Motoki shouted indignantly, lunging at the arrogant General. "I'll 
give you-Hey! Reika!" he yelped as his girlfriend grabbed the back of his shirt 
and yanked him to a halt ungracefully. He struggled with her, trying not to hurt 
her in the process. "But he-he insulted me!"

"Don't be stupid Motoki!" she yelled at him, spinning him back around to 
face her. She grabbed a hold of his shirt with both hands and shook her 
boyfriend. "Don't mess with a man with a big pointy sword!"

Motoki blinked and threw a hasty look over his shoulder, eyes going to the 
sword in the sheath about Jadeite's waist. He paled and slumped in defeat, 
muttering uncomplimentary things under his breath about weird guys with swords 
from other dimensions. "I've decided not to attack you-even though you deserve 
to be beaten into a bloody pulp!" he announced haughtily to the blonde General, 
trying to make it sound like it had been his own decision.

Jadeite smirked at him and then at Reika. "Whipped, I see" he noted 
mockingly.

"WHAT WAS THAT?!" Reika shouted at him, eyes flaming with wrath.

"Now honey! Remember! Pointy sword!" Motoki wrapped his arms tighter about 
his enraged girlfriend to keep her from clawing Jadeite's eyes out and ripping 
him into a bloody pulp. "You're REALLY stupid to make Reika angry" he told the 
blonde General casually. "She's not pretty-especially at that time of the month" 
the last part was said in a stage whisper in order to lighten the tense mood. 
Reika rewarded him with a punch in the arm and he winced. He cowered when he 
looked at everyone else and saw all the women wearing murderous expressions. 
["Ooops? I shouldn't have mentioned something so touchy,"] he thought.

"Stupid" Kenji muttered, shaking his head.

"Real stupid" Artemis nodded in agreement, smirking at Motoki. "Why, I 
remember when, Luna-" he frowned deeply, as his thoughts trailed off. ["That's 
strange-I could have sworn I was about to say that Luna was always murderous 
when she-"] he frowned even deeper, blue eyes glinting with worry and disbelief. 
He raised his eyes to stare at Luna penetratingly, trying to figure out how he 
KNEW such an intimate detail. She stared back at him, eyebrows risen in inquiry. 
"Never mind" he finished lamely, lowering his head to look fixedly at the 
carpet.

Seline smiled at him, knowing that his memories of him and Luna were 
starting to return. "Well-now we can get down to business," she said 
commandingly, smoothing her damp palms down over her hips in a soothing, but 
undignified manner. She grimaced when she realised what she had done.

"Please do!" Zoisite said, looking annoyed again. "What IS this?" he 
gestured about him, encompassing the people, the cats, the room and the world in 
general. "And why do you look as if you were the Princess' twin sister?" he 
added as an after-thought, eyes going to the Princess' face over the Queen's 
shoulder. Princess Serenity blushed brightly in response.

"To put it simply-you're in the future, gentleman. My daughter somehow 
travelled to the past and brought you back with her" Seline said clearly. A 
startled shriek sounded into her ear from behind and she winced, then turned her 
head to glare at her daughter. "Princess Serenity!" she reprimanded, silver eyes 
stern.

Serenity swallowed at her Mother's tone, remembering times past when it 
had been aimed at her. She flushed again, this time in shame. "Sorry Mother-but 
they're form the PAST!" she exclaimed in disbelief. She looked over her Mother's 
shoulder to where Zoisite was standing with arms crossed, looking arrogant. "And 
it explains HIM" she added, casting a look down at Luna.

Luna nodded in return, looking flabbergasted. "It certainly DOES," she 
said emphatically.

"Explains WHAT exactly, Princess?" Zoisite said suspiciously, taken-aback 
by the weird looks that the Royal Adviser and her Princess were giving him.

"Well..." Serenity hesitated, not sure how to tell him. "In this time-and 
don't ask me how-you're a....girl"

"I'm a WHAT?!" Zoisite dropped his arms and gaped at the Princess in shock 
and horror. "A GIRL?!"

"A girl?" the other three Generals and the other's echoed, equally 
stunned. They looked at the Princess, then stared at Zoisite from head to foot.

"Huh?" Kenji said intelligently, totally lost. "What do you mean, in this 
time?"

"Yes, DO explain" Malachite's eyes held a look of amusement and curiosity. 
"And how did the Princess bring us to the future?"

"Exactly how FAR into the future are we?" Nephlyte broke in, before the 
Princess could answer.

"Over a thousand years" Seline told them, expecting an explosion. The 
General's paled, then the air exploded with a multitude of colourful curses. 
They were so wildly varying that even Kenji and Artemis flushed in 
embarrassment.

"Is this some kind of joke?" Malachite asked finally, not looking amused 
in the slightest. He cast a frozen look about the room and occupants as if his 
Prince would leap into the room at any moment and yell 'Got you!'. "Where is 
Endymion"

"There's a battle with Queen Beryl's General's" Serenity said finally, 
swallowing uncomfortably. Her silver eyes went to Zoisite's stiff form, all the 
General's telling from her tone that something was being hidden from them.

"Beryl?" Nephlyte said with a deceptively quite tone. "The dread Queen? 
SHE'S here? I sincerely HOPE that my Prince is NOT fighting on his own? I note 
that the Senshi are all missing" he gritted out from between clenched teeth.

"Venus, Jupiter, Mercury and Mars are with-Endymion" Ikuko spoke, trying 
to stay calm. Her eyes swept over the men. So these men were Mamoru-no 
ENDYMION'S Generals and his protection?

"What of the other Senshi?" Malachite said, sounding surprisingly calm. 
However, his eyes were as cold as ice.

Serenity and the other's started with shock, looking inquiringly at 
Seline.

"More Senshi that I don't remember?" Luna groaned under her breath, not 
totally surprised. Once again, she was resentful that her memories were in 
pieces. ["It figures as much"] she thought.

["I have more Senshi?"] Serenity thought in shock and incredulity, keeping 
the thought from her Mother. If Seline had wanted her to know-then she would 
have told her already. And she greatly doubted that her Mother WANTED her to 
know that there were others. For some reason... ["I wonder why I don't remember 
them?"]

"What others?" Marie murmured from behind Ikuko, having said not a word 
until that moment, not really knowing what was going on. She had only recently 
joined the others, after all. "I thought that there were only FIVE Senshi?"

["We will talk of this later"] Seline said mentally, focusing on her 
powers. It drained her and she fell silent after, unable to think another word 
at them. She was so weak now! ["This is so frustrating!"]

["It's all right, Mother"] Serenity murmured, glad of her link with her 
Mother. She could sense a huge amount of tension from the silver haired girl 
before her.

"Where is he? WE are his Generals and should be beside him in battle" 
Jadeite said coldly.

Everyone was silent; some of them because they were confused by it all and 
others because they JUST didn't know HOW to tell the Generals that so much had 
changed in a thousand years.

"Endymion can look after himself. He has my Senshi also," Princess 
Serenity said, narrowing her silver eyes at the four Generals. Absently, she 
looked their uniforms over from head to foot. They were wearing deep blue and 
gold instead of the terrible grey colour she was used to seeing on them in this 
time. ["So-the Generals were Endymion's protectors in the past. I did not 
remember that either"] she bit her lip. ["It will not be good when they discover 
that the General's in this time are our enemy's and Endymion only knows them as 
such"]

"I appreciate that you think so, Princess Serenity" Malachite said 
formally, clenching his jaw with impatience and trying to be gentle to a girl he 
knew had no fighting experience. She'd been sheltered in the Moon Palace all her 
life, he knew. "But he is our Prince and WE must protect him. We have been 
sworn-"

"You will do nothing" Serenity interrupted him icily, every inch a 
Princess. Her skin crawled with rage as the impertinent General presumed to know 
her so well. "The Senshi will look after my love and give their own lives if 
necessary to insure his safety"

Malachite's eyes narrowed at her. "You seem terribly determined to keep us 
from our duty, Princess" he replied coolly, eyes boring into her determined 
face. "May I remind you that you have no military experience-"

"How DARE you!" Kenji bellowed at the General, seeing red. He charged the 
man so fast; mind filled with rage, that he actually landed a punch. The man 
staggered back, looking surprised.

"Kenji!" Ikuko said, stepping forward in concern as the three other 
Generals' lay their hands on their swords threateningly.

Kenji seethed, pulling himself straight and glaring at the four. "I don't 
know WHO you think that you are, but NO ONE speaks to MY daughter like that!" he 
spat out.

There was a stunned silence from everyone, especially the General's.

"DAUGHTER?" Malachite said in shock and disbelief, looking the man over. 
"This is your husband in this time, Queen Serenity?" he managed, choking on the 
words. "Isn't he a little...old for you?" everyone knew that wasn't what he was 
REALLY thinking, but said nothing. It was obvious that the General's thought 
Kenji was not King material.

Seline almost fainted from shock. "My-my HUSBAND?" she stammered, blinking 
rapidly. Then she burst into irresistible peels of laughter. "Oh! Oh, that is 
just TOO much!" she gasped, doubling over with mirth.

Kenji looked nonplussed and a little indignant at Seline's response. "Is 
it THAT ridiculous a thought that I could be married to a Queen?" he demanded of 
them all, frowning.

Marie, Ikuko and Reika sniggered from behind their hands, eyes filling 
with a similar mirth to Seline's. Serenity bit her lip, fighting the laughter. 
Luna and Artemis covered their faces with their paws.

"YES!" Jadeite and Zoisite answered simultaneously, looking at Kenji as if 
he were a bug.

"Definitely" Nephlyte added.

"Good hit" Malachite said to Kenji, rubbing at his jaw. He looked at 
Princess Serenity. "My apologies Princess. But you really do NOT have any 
military experience"

"You are mistaken" Luna cut in coolly, defending her beloved Princess. 
"Things are different in this time. Serenity has been a Senshi"

The four Generals gaped at her. "A SENSHI? The Princess of the Moon?" 
Nephlyte gasped out in astonishment. "Impossible! The Senshi are Serenity's 
protectors! That is their duty"

Luna flushed brightly. "Yes well-" she cast a disgruntled look at her 
former Queen, red eyes resigned. "There was a mix up when the Senshi were 
reincarn-"

"Luna!" Seline snapped, interrupting her adviser. "Do not tell them any 
more than we have. Serenity has destroyed a lot of the Timeline as it is" she 
sighed as her daughter flinched. "I AM sorry, Serenity-but it is true. This was 
never meant to happen. Pluto will be SO angry about this"

"The Guardian of Time?" Malachite inquired with interest. "We have heard 
of her-but never seen her in battle"

"Who?" Motoki gasped out. "There's a Guardian of TIME?!"

"Oh yes" Seline said absently, wincing as she thought about Pluto's 
reaction to this mess-whenever she discovered what had happened, that is... "I 
wonder why she has not come" she said aloud, perplexed. She had been dismayed 
and upset that Pluto had not responded to her summons...but if Pluto had not 
even responded to a fracture in the natural Timeline then something was TERRIBLY 
wrong.

"Pluto...Sailor Pluto?" Serenity said, breaking the silence. She 
remembered...something, but was not sure what it had been. When she had just 
been remembering having been Princess Serenity in her past and her soul was 
struggling to be free-she vaguely remembered seeing flashes of other girl's 
dressed as Senshi. And then into her mind flashed the scene that she had seen 
before ending up in the past and collecting the Generals. "She is the Guardian 
of Time?"

The General's gave her a strange look. "You do not remember one of your 
Senshi, Princess? Things really HAVE changed" he noted. "Just how many Senshi 
are with Endymion?" he demanded.

"Four" Seline said absently, looking closely at her daughter's face. She 
sensed that Serenity was hiding something. "What is it, Serenity?" she asked 
crisply.

Serenity looked startled, then gave a tentative smile. "I was just 
remembering something" she began, eyes loosing their focus. "As I was going back 
to the past, I saw so many things. Visions of past-and I THINK the future or 
perhaps the far past" as she paused, she and the other's saw Seline pale to a 
deathly white shade, eyes going wild.

"Exactly WHAT did you see, Serenity?" she said urgently, reaching out to 
grasp one of her daughter's slender wrists in a bruising grip. She knew that 
Serenity could hear some of her thoughts and threw a strong mental shield up 
before she gave anything away.

"Mother" Serenity winced, but didn't pull her arm from the grip. Her 
Mother looked-PETRIFIED! "I saw-a huge beautiful city and a palace made all of 
crystal. And there was a woman with long silver hair, done up in the royal 
style-"

"Oh my god! Selene preserve us!" Seline gasped out in horror. "Did you 
recognise her?" she demanded urgently of her daughter, praying to her god that 
her daughter had NOT. Or ALL time would be unravelling.

Serenity paused, thinking hard. "No. NO, I didn't...who was she?" she 
demanded back, knowing that her Mother was hiding something big.

Seline slumped slightly in relief. Serenity HADN'T recognised her future 
self. "Oh, thank you!" she whispered fervently. There were thinks that Pluto had 
showed her after she had died on the Moon Kingdom. Things that no one else was 
EVER meant to know about.

"Mother?" Serenity prompted.

"You-you saw something that you were not meant to" Seline said firmly, 
looking around at them all. "Forget what you heard and saw"

"Was it the past or future?" Nephlyte pressed the Queen, eyes staring hard 
at her. He-more than the others-appreciated that time could not be disturbed. 
The stars knew all and knew the passing of the ages. But still, the Queen had 
seemed SO terrified by the Princess' words that he could not help but be 
curious.

"Forget" Queen Serenity almost growled at him, eyes abruptly filling with 
a silver glow of power.

The Crystal in Serenity's hand began to burn and she gasped in surprise, 
throwing her Mother a look. She was somehow drawing from the Crystal's power 
without touching it! Awe filled her. "What-" her words broke off in a pained 
gasp as agony filled her whole body. She fell to her knees, eyes going blank.

"Serenity! Princess! Usagi!" everyone cried out, rushing to her aid.

Kenji pulled his daughter upright and held her trembling form as she 
shivered and whimpered. "What's wrong, Usagi?" he asked her, not seeing the 
General's exchange a bewildered look at the strange name he had called the 
Princess.

"Ami" Serenity groaned, loosing her concentration on her past self. Usagi 
fought to be loose and combined with the link with Rei and Mamoru was the 
knowledge that her dead friend was dead. "She's dead!" she screamed out, hands 
going to her temples and pressing hard. "Mercury is dead!"

Seline wrenched her daughter's hands from her face before she could damage 
herself. "Serenity! Concentrate!" she shouted, trying to get through. There was 
so much pain she could feel through the link she shared with her daughter. So 
much!

"Hurts. Oh, Mercury! So much pain!" Serenity whimpered, legs giving way. 
She felt herself lifted into her dad's arms and placed on the bed gently. 
["She's DEAD! Mercury is dead, Mother!"] she screamed mentally again, filled 
with loss and despair. And the Senshi and Endymion were crying out to her for 
help!

Seline straightened from her position bent over her daughter. "You have to 
get to her," she said, biting her lip.

"I don't know what is going on-but we will take her to Mercury" Malachite 
offered.

"Damn right we will! What do you mean Mercury is dead?!" Zoisite roared at 
the Princess, his heart almost stopping. Vein's in his temple stood out sharply 
and he had been bereft of all ability to speak when he had heard that his love 
was dead. ["She must be called Ami here"] he thought irrationally. ["What a 
strange name..."]

"Don't yell at her!" everyone shouted back at him, glaring.

"No-you can't go with her," Seline said hastily, knowing that it was true. 
The General's of the past MUST NOT meet their future selves. Even if two of them 
from this time were dead from Queen Beryl's displeasure.

"Queen Serenity, with all due respect-" Jadeite began heatedly.

"NO! I said NO and I mean NO!" Seline shouted at him, infuriated. "I know 
that Zoisite and Mercury are in love, but things are different here! There is a 
Timeline to maintain!"

Marie gasped, a hand going to her throat. Her daughter was in love with 
one of the General's of the past? But-they hadn't met...which meant that it was 
the PAST Senshi that had been in love with him and AMI didn't even know him. "Oh 
no" she whispered, suddenly understanding Seline's urgency. "She's right. There 
must be another way"

"I'll drive her," Kenji said suddenly, making the decision.

"Drive?" Malachite said, perplexed at the strange term.

"Damn it!" Zoisite shouted in rage, punching a hole in the wall.

Serenity breathed in deeply to calm herself and made the fear recede. 
Mercury was dead and she would be too late if they drove her. "It will be too 
long" she murmured under her breath. "Silver Crystal...give me your power" she 
spoke directly to the Crystal in her palm. It glowed in response and as if 
sensing her urgently, it suddenly burst into silver flames and rapidly consumed 
her. She saw the shocked faces of everyone moments before they disappeared and 
she disappeared from the room.


---------------------------------------------------------------------------
------

Pluto witnessed the Princess call upon the Silver Crystal's power and saw 
its immediate response to her agony. Her red eyes widened in incredulity. "The 
Crystal isn't sentient!" she exclaimed in shock. Queen Serenity had been 
entirely correct when she had told that fact to the others.

The Guardian of Time stared deeply into the Vortex of the Time Portal 
carefully, seeing the Princess reappearing before the Senshi and her Prince. 
"It's moving too fast. Much too fast" she said to herself, deeply troubled. Time 
was altering so much that she could even safely say herself what might happen. 
None of this had been meant to happen. None. But once it had started to alter, 
so did the portals about her and she was allowed in some measure to see it's 
ramifications. But not now. Something else had changed. Her eyes narrowed on the 
Crystal and the Princess, sensing...something. And then, right before her eyes, 
something else happened. Something world-shaking. "Oh no-Serenity" she 
whispered. Irreparable!

Her gloved hand reached up to run threw her long dark green hair. There 
had been a reason earlier when she had not gone to her Queen's summons. And it 
was not, as the women had thought, because she was no longer Queen. She would 
ALWAYS be Pluto's Queen...until Serenity took the throne, that was. But now-
there was no longer a need to stay hidden. Sailor Pluto closed her eyes for a 
long pained moment. Her Princess would need her now. More than ever. She 
summoned the Time Key to her from her sub-space pocket and opened her eyes to 
stare deeply into the glowing garnet orb. She must leave this place before the 
Time Gates slammed shut on her and she would be trapped in the Halls of Time. "I 
am coming, Serenity" she said, then concentrated on her powers and disappeared.


---------------------------------------------------------------------------
------

Chapter Six


---------------------------------------------------------------------------
------

"Please Serenity" Tuxedo Kamen prayed under his breath, casting out his 
desperation mentally. Mercury had been gone for almost a minute. Mars had been 
gone longer, admittedly, but how could tell when Serenity would sense-

["She'll get here!"] Mars broke into his thoughts, trying not to panic 
herself.

Abruptly, a brilliant silver light flashed into existence three feet from 
their grief-stricken group. A form solidified and when the silver vanished, 
Princess Serenity stood there, clad in her shirt.

"Serenity!" Mars cried out in relief.

"Thank god!" Jupiter and Venus cried out also.

"Usagi!" Shingo burst out.

"Shingo?" Serenity exclaimed, sparing him a searching look. She fell 
silent, determined to ask him why he was there later on. Mercury needed her now.

Tuxedo Kamen closed his eyes in thanks and then opened them quickly as 
Serenity gave a heartbroken wail and threw herself down next to Mercury's still 
warm body. She reached down to pick up a limp gloved hand and held it tightly. 
"Oh Mercury-I was hoping that I had been wrong" she said, tears forming and 
slowly sliding down her smooth cheeks. She looked swiftly up at Tuxedo Kamen, 
ignoring her tears. "How long was she gone before I sensed her death?" she 
demanded, dreading the answer. ["What if I sensed it too late?"] she thought in 
mental agony.

"She's only been dead for about a minute, Serenity" Tuxedo Kamen soothed, 
releasing Jupiter's form and moving to knee next to his love. He totally ignored 
his body's natural urges as their bond cried out to them and he needed to kiss 
her senseless. Mercury came first. And the well-being and safety of their family 
always WOULD come first before their own needs.

Serenity breathed a sigh of relief, glancing up at her Prince and then to 
Mars. "You were gone longer than this, Mars. I was in time" she breathed, trying 
to comfort them all. She brought up her right hand and opened the palm to reveal 
the Silver Crystal clutched desperately there. ["I hope that I can do this,"] 
she thought to Endymion. ["Mars was not brought back by the Silver Crystal-but 
by another means"] it was still a confusing point to the Princess-how her 
dearest friend had been brought back. Had her soul cried out in loss and the 
universe answered her call?

["Just try, Serenity. Try"] Tuxedo Kamen murmured back soothingly, laying 
a hand upon her slender shoulder briefly. It had not escaped his notice that his 
love was still clad only in a shirt and that they were crouched on a street near 
a usually busy Mall. How long would it be before people started to venture out 
to see that the battle had ended. He frowned and reached up to untie his clock, 
then swept it from his shoulders and onto the kneeling form of the Princess.

Serenity cast him a grateful look, then stared down at Mercury's silent 
form. ["Silver Crystal-lend me your power once more"] she centred her thoughts 
upon the Crystal and in response it began to glow almost soothingly. She felt 
the power shoot up her arms and then into the rest of her body as the silver 
light strengthened and consumed her and then Mercury. She was startled as her 
mind was filled with the murmuring of a thousand voices; all indistinct words 
but strong in chorus. A vision came to her, out of all the multitudes that 
flashed past her mind's eye and she saw a Senshi. She was older and had long 
dark green hair. The Senshi did not sense her and seemed to be staring into a 
swirling Vortex of some sort, a devastated look on her beautiful face. All at 
once, Serenity RECOGNISED her. It was sailor Pluto-the Guardian of Time that her 
Mother had spoken of. 

"Serenity?" Endymion's voice seemed to come from a long way off and yet 
her heart sang when she heard his voice. It broke into her meditations as no 
other's could have and the vision and voices faded. "Come back to me Mercury!" 
she commanded, feeling out with her mind for her Senshi's. Her dearest friend. 
Her sister. And she found it-soul burning bright. She grasped onto it and 
pulled, feeling the power race along her nerve endings in response.

"She's breathing! Oh, Mercury thank god!" Sailor Mars said from far off, 
filled with relief and love.

"Serenity?" Endymion's voice was filled with panic this time, but Serenity 
was unable to respond.

"Serenity!" they all cried out to her, filled with horror.

"Usagi?" Shingo's voice said also, confused and frightened.

Mercury's voice was weaker, but no less fearful as she waited for her 
Princess to say something. "Serenity! Answer us!"

Serenity opened her mouth to speak, but could not. She was formless. 
Floating in a loving warmth of silver power that was the Crystal. She didn't 
know what was going on-but only that she was there for a reason and reluctant to 
leave. Even though her loved one's waited for her, there was some REASON she was 
still enveloped in the power. A reason why it flowed into and through her and 
burned her and her soul. She felt like liquid power, endless-stretching on to 
past and present and future. And then there was a voice-or rather an awareness. 
She frowned as she tried to puzzle it out. Something wanted her to go back, but 
said nothing. Her eyes opened and everything blurred-the the power faded and she 
was again kneeling beside Mercury with Tuxedo Kamen's cloak wrapped warmly about 
her. She glanced down anxiously and saw that Mercury's eyes were wide open and 
staring back at her with relief, love and-shock?

"Serenity!" Mercury breathed at her, a hand rising to touch her chest. She 
pressed it there as if her heart were beating to hard to bare. ["My god!"] she 
thought mentally, absently feeling the strong link that she now had with Mamoru 
and Rei swirl about her comfortingly.

"Good lord-Serenity" Tuxedo Kamen uttered in shock, unable to look away 
from his love. She had changed-again! ["How did this happen?"] he demanded 
silently to Mars.

["I think that the Silver Crystal did it"] Mercury's voice answered, 
startling the other two. They'd forgotten that she was now to be linked to them. 
["She used it to bring me back, didn't she?"]

["Yes"] Mars answered, too poleaxed to say more, even mentally. Her 
Princess was even MORE beautiful than before! She hardly resembled the 14 year 
old Usagi who had been such a klutzy awkward girl only days ago...

"What is it-?" Serenity demanded of them, reaching down to pull Mercury 
into her fierce embrace. She held her as if she would never let go and was again 
almost in tears. She was completely startled at the sound of her own voice. She 
blinked. It was different somehow. More musical and older-sounding. She looked 
down at her form, noting her slender arms and legs were a little longer. She 
gasped as she spotted her hair-it was even LONGER than before. "Oh no, what has 
happened!" she said with fear. What had the Crystal done to her THIS time? She 
felt so STRANGE! Different.

"You've-aged" Tuxedo Kamen said in a strangled tone. His deep blue eyes 
were filled with so many emotions as he locked eyes with her. Love and lust, 
fear and concern, protectiveness and pride. ["You're...absolutely BEAUTIFUL, 
Serenity!"] he told her huskily, mental tone private. His eyes drank her in, 
moving slowly over her bare legs and upwards over the shirt which was suddenly 
more full and straining at the buttons. Under the cloak, her shirt-that had once 
fallen almost to her knees was almost indecently at mid-thigh. Serenity now 
looked about HIS age. 19 years old and stunning beautiful. Perfect.

["Endymion?"] Serenity said uncertainly, seeing deeper emotions in her 
love's eyes than she'd even seen before. Something that had been restrained in 
the deep blue of his eyes had now been unleashed and her body responded, 
beginning to tingle with awareness. She clutched Mercury closer, actually afraid 
of what she was feeling.

"Don't be afraid of me" Tuxedo Kamen half-pleaded and half-growled at her 
aloud, startling the others.

Mercury clung back to her Princess, feeling the slight tremors racking her 
body. She didn't know what was wrong-but Serenity seemed to be AFRAID of her 
Prince-which Tuxedo Kamen's words had just confirmed. Immediately her eyes iced 
over. She gently removed Serenity's arms from about her and placed herself 
squarely before her Princess. The other's moved into similar protective 
positions, glaring at Tuxedo Kamen furiously and crouching between him and the 
Princess' form. "You stay away from her!" the Senshi of Mercury warned him.

Mars frowned unhappily, not sure what was going on. One minute they were 
all so happy that Mercury was alive again-and then their Princess was afraid of 
her Prince! ["Mamoru-what's going on?"] she demanded cuttingly of him, keeping 
close to him and Mercury for bond's sake only.

Tuxedo Kamen glared back, eyes baffled and unhappy also. ["I don't KNOW! I 
can't seem to fight my emotions"] he retorted in frustration, eyes going 
automatically to his love over their shoulder. She looked calmer, but he could 
still sense her wildly fluctuating emotions through their link. Endymion's link 
to Serenity. He bit his bottom lip hard as his body flooded with uncontrollable 
lust as their eyes met and locked. Her eyes answered his just as fiercely, fear 
fading. "Serenity" he purred at her, clothes shimmering from Tuxedo into armour.

"Endymion" she answered, breathing hard and unable to control her body. It 
felt like it was on fire! Her every senses were filled with Endymion. She lunged 
suddenly towards him, knocking Mercury to the side.

Mercury was looking at Tuxedo Kamen's eyes, which were filled with a 
bewildering hunger that made her flush with embarrassment even though she didn't 
understand it. He suddenly shimmered and was clad in armour, Prince Endymion 
taking over. Before she and the others could even speak, something rammed into 
Mercury's back and knocked her to the side. She gaped as her once-frightened 
Princess flung herself into Endymion's arms. Their lips met and began to devour 
each other's hungrily.

"Oh...dear" Jupiter said, staring.

Venus' powers cried out from beneath the facade of Sailor Moon. She WAS 
the Senshi of love after all...but this was more than love. It was natural and-
burning brightly.

Mars and Mercury could only gape at the two as they locked arms about each 
other and did their best to eat each other's lips-at least that's what it looked 
like to the shocked Senshi.

Serenity moaned loudly and slid her arms up Endymion's armoured chest, 
then over his shoulders to lock firmly behind his neck. Her fingers dug into his 
dark locks as they kissed deeply, passion uncontrollable. ["Endymion"] she 
groaned his name mentally, trying to burrow closer.

Endymion in return, slid his arms up her back until one hand was twisted 
into her long silver hair and another firmly against the back of her head to 
keep the kiss deep. ["My love"] he groaned back, licking hungrily at her bottom 
lip, then sucking it into his mouth. His body was on fire for her and all 
rational thought had left as soon as their minds had truly merged as Prince and 
Princess.

Mars broke out of her stupor and blinked, looking around worriedly. People 
were starting to wonder back out into the street, staring at the two lip-locked 
so passionately and the Senshi crouched a foot away. ["I think we should break 
those two up and get out of here. NOW!"] she said hastily to Mercury, feeling 
the beginnings of panic. What if Zoisite came back right now and saw the Prince 
and Princess? Would she recognise them? And she would see that Mercury was alive 
too!

["I agree-totally"] Mercury said, sounding a little distracted as she 
gazed at her Princess and Prince. There was something not all together 
unfamiliar about the scene before her and she was wondering why. She rubbed the 
back of her neck distractedly. "Right-you and Jupiter grab Endymion and I'll 
grab Serenity" she said, uncharacteristically taking charge.

Jupiter nodded and she and Mars lunged for Endymion, taking a hold of his 
shoulders and pulling. His lips unglued from the Princess', a fierce growl 
escaping his lips at the interruption. As they broke him away, Mars winced in 
pain as she and Mercury's bond began to be felt. They blue-haired girl was just 
a bit too far away. ["Mercury"]

As if sensing this, Mercury winced also and nodded, moving closer with a 
firm hold about Serenity's slender waist. She took a firmer grip as Serenity 
groaned helplessly and began mindlessly to move towards Endymion. "This is 
ridiculous!" she said aloud for Jupiter and Venus' benefit. Serenity and 
Endymion's eyes were totally glazed over and filled with hunger and lust! Given 
their behaviour, the unknown emotions that she had seen in Endymion's eyes 
before were now very obvious. Somehow Serenity's aging so abruptly had called up 
some...uncontrollable mating urge.

Mars smirked, as she caught Mercury's thoughts. "Mating urge?" she gave a 
short amused bark of laughter, clinging hard to Endymion's arms to keep him 
firmly back from his love.

"Mating urge?" Jupiter looked from Serenity then to Endymion and laughed 
also. "You're RIGHT! It's like...I don't know-two wolves?" she floundered for a 
similar experience in life to base this hunger on.

"It must be that bond Queen Serenity spoke of. The Princess' aging so 
rapidly must had let loose whatever had been held back by her younger age 
before. What had been an urge to kiss is now an overwhelming urge to-" she broke 
off, flushing brightly. "Er-lets just say lust and leave it at that, yes?" she 
suggested to the others, very much embarrassed.

"Sound's good to me. Now how do we DO this?" Mars said, looking pointedly 
at Sailor Mercury. "We're bonded now-and Endymion is bonded to Serenity...so 
those two HAVE to stay together and WE can't separate..." she trailed off 
helplessly.

The other Senshi eyed her with horror as the meaning caught up with them. 
How could they POSSIBLY jump from roof to roof and keep the bonded one's 
together? They HAD to keep Serenity and Endymion back from each other, but not 
more than a certain distance or they would die.

Venus moaned, taking a hold of her Princess' other arm and looking around 
at a growing crowd of curious onlookers. "Serenity! Get a hold of yourself-
PLEASE!" she said desperately to the silver haired girl. NONE of them seemed to 
know what to do. They were all still shaken from the earlier events.

Shingo spoke finally, reminding them that he was there. "Uh-I don't know 
what's going on or what's wrong with my sister...but couldn't she use the 
Crystal to take us all back to the house?" he said tentatively, staring at 
Serenity as if she had grown too heads. It was beyond HIM why she and Endymion 
had looked like they were trying to eat each other's faces. It hadn't LOOKED 
like kissing to him.

["I'm glad we can't sense their thoughts!"] Mars said in relief, as 
Endymion tried to shake her off and get to Serenity, his deep blue eyes still 
glazed over. Still, something inside of him must have been aware of them, 
because he didn't try to get loose enough that he would HURT them. He just 
wasn't very rational or sane at the moment with his love so close.

Mercury frowned thoughtfully, then turned to her Princess. She calmly 
raised a gloved hand and slapped her over the face.

Prince Endymion roared in rage and threw Jupiter and Mars off; his eyes 
fixed on Mercury murderously. But he had not taken a step before the two Senshi 
dove onto him again and used their enhanced strength to hold him there.

Mercury swallowed hard at the look in her Prince's eyes, sure that he 
might have actually killed her if he had been free at that moment. Then she 
turned back to her Princess, an apologetic look in her blue eyes. "I'm sorry, 
Serenity-but there was no other way to wake you up" she said.

Serenity blinked as her cheek stung from some kind of pain. The feelings 
consuming her were pushed back slightly as she looked at Mercury's worried eyes. 
There was fear there too, which the Princess responded to. "Mercury! What is 
wrong?" she asked sharply, finally looking about her. Her lips still tingled 
from the touch of her Prince's and as she looked back at him, cheek still 
throbbing, she saw his rage. She flinched and he saw it, eyes becoming abruptly 
rational.

"Serenity" he gasped, slumping into Mars and Jupiter's arms. "What on 
earth just happened?" he demanded of the Senshi, utterly stumped. He's ravished 
his Princess in front of them-in a STREET! It was then that he noted he was 
being restrained and that there were curious people watching them. "I'm fine" he 
told Mars and Jupiter, who warily released him. "Serenity-you had better get us 
back home" he told his love, purposefully avoiding her lovely eyes. If they 
looked directly at each other, they might be consumed again!

"Of course" Princess Serenity said, nodding and avoiding his eyes also. 
She opened her palm and sent a thought to the Crystal, which she was much more 
familiar with now. Liquid silver consumed her and then the others and they 
vanished from sight.


---------------------------------------------------------------------------
------

"God!" Kenji blurted out in shock as his daughter, the Senshi and Tuxedo 
Kamen abruptly appeared in the centre of the bedroom. Everyone had been waiting 
anxiously.

"Mother-Mercury is all right" Serenity said, tears of relief filling her 
eyes. She was glad when no one gave her more than a cursory look before staring 
at Mercury in delight.

Seline however DID notice. Her silver eyes widened in incredulity and 
shock as she took in her daughter. She was taller, her hair longer, almost 
bursting out of her pink bunny shirt under Tuxedo Kamen's cloak and OLDER! "God 
lord" she breathed almost in a whisper. "Serenity, what has happened to you?"

"Endymion!" Malachite breathed in relief, seeing that his Prince was 
unharmed.

Minako slumped as the Luna Pen's power suddenly gave out and the illusion 
of sailor Moon faded along with it. "That's better," she said in relief, running 
a hand through her loose hair.

Zoisite took one look at Mercury before striding swiftly across the room 
and sweeping her into his arm. She gave a startled yelp and then her lips were 
smoothed under his in a demanding kiss.

"Umm-Mercury? Who is THAT?" Mars yelled, pointing a shaking finger at her 
friend locked into a passionate embrace with a strange man dress in a uniform 
and sporting a sword at his side. She noticed three other strangers and included 
them in her pointing. "And WHO are THEY-oh my god! Jadeite!" she shrieked at 
him, eyes going impossibly wide with horror and shock.

"Hello my sweet" Jadeite murmured to her, moving as quickly as Zoisite had 
to pull the Senshi into his arms. In a moment, she was being ruthlessly kissed.

"What-" Venus began, heart leaping into her throat as she noticed an 
amazingly handsome man eyeing her narrowly. He stalked towards her and she 
yelped, backing off-but to no avail. She too was swept into eager arms and 
kissed like there was no tomorrow.

"Good lord!" Kenji uttered, eyes boggling. What on earth was going ON 
around here?!

That left Jupiter, who was also being watched like a tasty treat by a 
gorgeous man with long brown hair. He took a step towards her and she took a 
step back hastily. Okay, so he was delicious BUT- "No, no, no! NO kissing!" she 
shouted at him, backing off more as he tried to corner her. She dashed around 
the other side of the bed and raised a shaking finger to his baffled and hurt 
face. "I don't know who you are, but no kissing without introductions first! And 
maybe a date!" she added the last part wistfully.

Nephlyte came to an abrupt halt, horror and realisation flooding his eyes. 
"You don't KNOW me!" he said rather numbly. He turned to look at Seline in 
agony. "We're not together in the future?"

Seline shook her head sadly. "I'm sorry-no" she looked at Mars, Mercury 
and Venus who seemed suddenly reluctant to end their kissing session-even if 
they had no idea who the General's were.

"Together?!" Jupiter exclaimed, staring at the man. "Just who ARE you and 
why would you think that we were together-and WHY are your buddies kissing my 
friends!" she blurted out, confused as hell.

"That is what I would like to know" Endymion broke in coolly. He looked 
Nephlyte over, the faintest hint of recognition in the blue depths. "I know you, 
don't I?" he said, sounding uncertain.

Nephlyte closed his eyes in pain, then opened them and stared solemnly at 
his Prince. "My name is Nephlyte Prince. And I don't know how you don't know me 
and the others-but we are....WERE your Royal Guard a thousand years ago" his 
voice sounded extremely wounded, but he tried to hide it. Desolated.

Jupiter looked at him, feeling a strange tug at her heart. "We knew you? A 
thousand years ago?" she went to continue and then a glint entered her green 
eyes as something clicked. "Did you say Nephlyte? But you're dead! And one of 
Ber-"

"Jupiter NO!" Serenity shouted, drawing attention to herself. Everyone's 
eyes widened as they really LOOKED at her for the first time since she had 
returned. She flushed to the roots of her hair as their mouths fell open and she 
belatedly remembered that she was almost bursting out of her top. She swiftly 
closed the warm cloak about her.

"SERENITY!" Luna gasped out, the first to speak past her shock and 
amazement. Her Princess looked like she was 18 or 19 now! "HOW did this 
HAPPEN?!" she demanded.

"That's what I want to know, young lady! And NOW!" Kenji bellowed at her, 
eyes boggling-not only at her changed age, but at her apparent state of undress.

Zoisite pulled back as he heard yelling and looked down into the flushed 
face of his love. "I'm glad you're all right, love" he whispered tenderly. For a 
moment, there was love and tenderness in her eyes too-and then it faded into a 
look of fear, bewilderment and a lack of recognition.

"Who-who are you?" she stammered, yanking herself from his warm arms and 
backing towards the others.

Mars pulled herself from Jadeite's arms and stared at him for a long 
moment in disbelief. Then anger clouded her eyes and she raised a hand and 
slapped him over the cheek hard. "Don't EVER touch me again. Bastard!" she 
hissed at him, hate in her eyes. She and Mercury backed together, unconsciously 
reaching out for each other's hands.

"Mars. Love, what-" Jadeite began, utterly shocked by her. She had HATE in 
her lovely eyes. Hate for HIM.

"Don't CALL me that, Dark Kingdom scum!" she shouted in loathing, not 
noticing that the General's had gone deathly white at her words.

Venus caught the tail end of Mars' heated words and wrenched her lips from 
the handsome strangers swiftly. She looked at him in horror, his own eyes 
echoing it as he too heard Mars. "Dark Kingdom?" she whispered faintly, running 
past him to where Mars, Jupiter and Mercury were huddled protectively close to 
each other near Serenity.

Jadeite turned shattered eyes on Seline. "Dark Kingdom? We work for Beryl 
in this century?" he spat out, eyes boring into her unforgivingly. He gestured 
to Mars. "Mars doesn't LOVE me! My soul mate!" he shouted at her, voice filled 
with hate and pain. He didn't see Mars' eyes widen with incredulity.

"Just what is going on here?" Malachite said, trying to sound calm. From 
Venus' reaction, he surmised that the Senshi of this time did not know him at 
all. Had not met him yet. And at least his love's reaction had not been as 
violent as Mercury and Mars' had been.

"I'm so sorry-I forgot to tell them before we came back" Serenity's voice 
was anguished and hushed. Tears filled her eyes at the amount of pain in the 
four General's eyes. Unbearable anguish. "Mercury was dead and then-"

"Why did you kiss me?" Mercury demanded of Zoisite, sudden recognition in 
her eyes. "You're Zoisite-aren't you? But you're a GIRL!"

Zoisite winced in response, closing his eyes and trying to will the pain 
away. It wasn't her fault. She didn't know him in this time-which brought up the 
question of WHY? "Yes, I AM Zoisite and I have been told by Queen Serenity that 
I am a girl in this century" he sighed deeply, opening his eyes to gaze at the 
other three General's. "It's not their fault" he told them calmly. "Apparently 
they don't remember us-and the General's they know work for the Dark Kingdom"

"HOW?" Jadeite demanded, rage barely-contained in his voice. He looked at 
Serenity and Seline for answers and he wanted them NOW. "HOW can our soul mates 
not KNOW us" he frowned as something else occurred to him, unnoticed before. 
"And why are they younger than I remember?"

"I will answer all of your questions, Lord Jadeite," a strange voice said 
calmly.

They all spun defensively to see a Senshi standing just inside the door. 
She was older-in her early 20's, with long dark green hair and red eyes. Her 
Senshi fuku was dark blue and black. She was also stunningly beautiful.

"Pluto!" Seline and Serenity gasped out simultaneously.

"My Queen" Sailor Pluto bowed deeply before Seline and then again-with an 
ever so slightly deeper bow-to Princess Serenity. "My Princess"

"The Guardian of Time" Malachite breathed, aware of the ramifications of 
her even BEING there talking to them. Sailor Pluto had never been seen by anyone 
other than the Princess of the Moon and her Mother the Queen. She was legendary.

"But I thought that you weren't allowed to interfere with Time" Jadeite 
said in bewilderment, looking at Seline. "Queen Serenity hinted-"

"It is a moot point now, Lord Malachite" Sailor Pluto sighed deeply 
walking towards them. "Time has been changed beyond recognition and I had to 
escape before the Time Gate closed upon me"

Seline gazed at the Senshi in horror. "You can't DO anything, Pluto?" she 
whispered, faint.

"Nothing" Pluto answered, eyes sweeping over them all. "It's too late now 
to fix it" her red eyes swept over Serenity from head to toe. "The Princess has 
aged again" she noted clinically. "You know what this means" she said to her 
Queen, but still looking closely at the Princess.

"Oh no. It's too early. MUCH too early" Seline replied weakly. She fell to 
the floor as her legs gave way from under her, silver eyes wild and stunned.

"It is LATE now, Serenity" Pluto said gently, walking gracefully over to 
her Queen and helping her to her feet. She stared into glazed silver eyes. "You 
must aid her now, more than ever" she turned her head to look at the Generals 
and then Endymion. "They are now involved and must resume their roles as the 
Prince's protectors. They must ALSO be told of their involvement with Beryl in 
this time"

"No, no" Seline murmured, shaking her head. She looked up at them all, 
seeming all at once to be a normal frightened teenager. Sailor Pluto seemed to 
realise this and released her Queen gently. Princess Serenity immediately too 
her Mother into her arms, murmuring soothingly.

"Answer my questions now, Sailor Pluto" Zoisite said from between clenched 
teeth, trying not to look at his love in anguish. His world had been turned 
upside down and it would have been more merciful to kill him than let him live 
without Mercury.

Mercury gasped as she heard his words and saw from his startled eyes as he 
spun to look at her that he had not known he had spoken aloud. Her teeth 
clenched and her lips tingled as she remembered his searing kiss. It had held 
such love...and these apparently weren't the evil General's that they all knew. 
Besides the fact that he was a guy!

The Senshi all exchanged a look, filled with guilt, anger and half-
remembered feelings. Did they all feel the same, these strange men? That they 
would rather DIE than not have the Senshi's love? Were they truly together and 
soul mates in the past?

"Queen Serenity" Mars said rather formally, looking at Seline uncertainly. 
"Is it true? The General's were our soul mates in the past?"

Seline nodded. "It is true. You were all in love"

"Were" Jadeite said rather bitterly, flinging himself away from the others 
and keeping his emotions to himself.

Mars stared at his stiff back, not knowing WHAT to feel. ["We were in 
love? I felt-something...and then I remembered who he was and felt nothing but 
hate"] she thought to Mercury, anguished at the pain she and the others had 
wrought. These were not Beryl's Generals. These were men that had loved them-
deeply. And still DID.

A sigh escaped Mercury's lips as she recalled her violent reaction to 
Zoisite's loving kisses. "Oh-what a MESS this is!" she exclaimed. ["Such a HUGE 
mess!"]

Venus's heart ached as she felt all the unrequited love filling the room. 
Oh what utter agony the Generals were feeling at that moment! Their soul mates 
hated them and only knew them as enemies. She looked up at Malachite sadly, 
wondering how deeply THEY had been in love a thousand years ago. He returned her 
gaze with wariness and love and she felt her heart skip a beat in response. "How 
can we fix this?" she whispered to herself, feeling despair. "How can we EVER 
fix this?"