The Return

Chapter 1: Disappearance

By Richan

Disclaimers: Sailor Moon is owned by Takeuchi Naoko, and tons of other people who aren't me. If you sue, all you get are my school debts. You can have my sister's dog if you really want him.

*****

Usagi walked down the street, trying to remember all that she had to get. It was the last day that she would be a single woman. A bright smile washed over her face, startling the other people on the street. All she could think about was how happy it made her when she was with Mamoru. In her mind, she saw him standing as her prince after she helped Galaxia remember that everyone needs some chaos in their lives.

She looked in the windows as she passed the shops. This was the neighborhood where she had grown up. As she passed Naru's mother's jewelry shop, she remembered how she met Mamoru when she hit him in the head with a failed test. To think that she was marrying that handsome man tomorrow. Unbelieveable.

*****

Passing a window, she didn't see the woman looking at her. The woman vanished, and returned to the darkness where she must stay. It was painful to project herself into the real world. She needed to find a way to stay there or...Maybe she should bring her enemy into the darkness, and let her experience all that she had these many years.

The woman sat down upon the throne that was all the remained of the kingdom she had once ruled. The wreckage that lay before her was proof that she had fallen, but she was determined to regain her throne, with her prince beside her. Beryl watched the young woman again. Her enemies had gained a lot of strength since they thought they had defeated her. It was agonizing, watching them enjoy their happy lives, while she had no power here in the darkness. Her Queen was gone, banished by the Moon Princess. Her armies had been vanquished. Her enemy was free and had taken her prince.

It was time to make a plan.

*****

The next day...

"NANI?" Rei screamed. "What do you mean, she's nowhere?!"

"We haven't seen her since last night," Tsukino Ikuko replied. "I figured that I would let her sleep in a little, so I didn't go up until 9. I thought she was just trying to sleep some more when she didn't answer like she always does. When I went in there to make sure she was up, her room was a disaster area."

"Was there any clue to why she wasn't there?" Makoto asked.

"Her wedding dress was missing, but her shoes were still in the closet."

Rei thought that sounded strange. Usagi leaving and only taking her wedding dress? On the day she is supposed to marry her prince?

"I just don't know what to do," Ikuko said. "Shingo went to look for her, and he hasn't come back, either."

"Shingo's missing," Minako asked. "When did he leave to go look for her?"

"Right after we found that she was missing," said Usagi's father, Kenji.

"That's almost three hours ago," Rei said. "I think that we'll go and look for the two of them, ok?" She looked at Mako, Mina, and Ami. All of them nodded, and went outside.

"This is just too strange," Mina said. "Why would she leave on her wedding day?"

"Ami, would you scan the area to see if Usagi is around," Rei asked.

"I'm already on it, Rei."

Luna came running up. "I haven't seen her this morning, minna. I went out early this morning to go talk to Mamoru. When I got back, Usagi was missing, and Ikuko was frantic."

"Why did you go see Mamoru?" Mina asked.

"MINA!" Rei and Mako yelled.

"We need to focus on Usagi missing," Rei said to Mina. "Any sign of her yet, Ami?"

"I haven't been able to find her within ten blocks. However, I have been able to pick up a sign that someone from the Dark Kingdom has been here."

"WHAT?!" Everybody replied.

"My computer is picking up faint traces of our former enemies. I'm going to try to see if it links with Usagi missing this morning," Ami said. She typed some more data into her computer, and was startled when the sonar started beeping. "My computer indicates that she's been taken north, far north of Tokyo."

"As in the North Pole, north?" Rei asked. "If that means what I think it means, we've got trouble."

*****

Mamoru paced back and forth in his apartment. His Usako was missing and he wasn't able to do anything. Looking out the window, he was startled at the scene that met his eyes. Darkness was starting to fall over the city, and it was only two in the afternoon. All of a sudden he got a bad feeling that there was a new enemy. Turning to the door to go find the Senshi, there was a knock on the door.

"We must hurry," Sailor Pluto said as Mamoru opened the door.

Mamoru was taken aback at the statement. "What?"

"There is no time to waste. Come, we must go."

Looking past her, he saw Sailor Uranus, Sailor Neptune, and Sailor Saturn standing awkwardly in the hallway. Realizing that standing there was not useful, he quickly changed into Tuxedo Kamen. "Let's go."

Pluto looked at him. "This will not be easy."

"It never is."

*****

Mars, Mercury, Jupiter, and Venus stood on the threshold to the former Dark Kingdom.

"My computer indicates that this is indeed where Usagi was taken," Mercury said. "The trace I put on her has been getting stronger the closer we have gotten."

Jupiter turned towards the others, looking at each of them in turn. As she started to speak, there was a blast of cold wind, much colder than what had been blowing the minute before. A voice spoke through the wind, "I will destroy her."

"You can't!" Jupiter cried. She started running towards the point where she had left Sailor Moon in their battle against Queen Beryl. Suddenly there was a hand on her shoulder, and she went to grab it. Turning around to grab her attacker, she let out a gasp, and the others watched in shock as she vanished.

"What took her?" Mars yelled at the others.

"I don't know," Mercury said.

"It looked like she was trying to beat up some invisible man," Venus said. "She looked angry as she turned back at us."

"You must be careful," came a voice from behind them. Turning around, they saw the Outer Senshi and Tuxedo Kamen.

"Pluto!"

"We are here to help," came the reply. Pluto nodded at Tuxedo Kamen. "We must get to the Princess before it is too late."

"Nani?" Everybody else asked at the same time.

"Come."

"Looks like Pluto won't answer us again," Uranus muttered to Neptune. Pluto looked back at her and she tried to look innocent. As Pluto looked forward once more, Neptune softly giggled, and looked at Uranus.

"It's just her way of telling us that we have to be careful."

"Yeah right, more of her way of annoying us."

The Senshi walked forward. Mercury was starting to lag behind as she tried to type on her computer and walk at the same time. She felt someone behind her and as she turned to look she vanished.

Mars looked back just in time to see her vanish. "Mercury!" she cried. "They got Mercury! NOOOOO!"

The others looked stricken. "Let's hope somebody else doesn't vanish before we get to where we are going," Venus said. "We have to keep going."

The group started forward again. As they did, Venus started to feel goose bumps grow on her arms. As they kept walking they grew. Suddenly she realized where they were going. She turned to tell the others what was going on when she felt cold all over. As the others watched in horror, she opened her mouth to scream and then vanished.

Pluto turned to Mars. "Are you ready for what is to come?"

Mars looked back at her, her face troubled. "If it is what I must do to save my Princess, I am."

Tuxedo Kaman and the rest of the Senshi looked startled and started asking questions, but the two did not answer them.

"We must continue. Come," Pluto said. As she turned to walk forward, she disappeared like the others.

"Pluto!" cried Saturn. "Puuuuu! NOOOOOOO!"

Neptune was in shock. "Pluto! Where..." She turned to look at Uranus and felt the cold running down her spine. "Haruka..."

Uranus turned just in time to see the Neptune was gone also. "MICHIRU!"

Mars started walking forward in a daze. Uranus ran up to her. "We have to find the others before we go any further. We've lost too many people!"

Mars looked at her, and Uranus looked on in shock at her expression. Tears were running down her face. "She's taking us in the order of our deaths."

"WHO!" Uranus demanded.

"Beryl." Tuxedo Kamen stated flatly. He had realized where they were going just before Venus had vanished. The feeling in the air had given him some clues, but he also felt Usagi's essence close by.

******

Mars, Uranus, Saturn and Tuxedo Kamen slowly started walking again, trying to reach the former home of the Dark Kingdom before it was too late. Mars looked over at Tuxedo Kamen, and saw the worry lines that had formed around his mouth. She knew that there would be more around his eyes, even though she couldn't see them behind the mask. Sighing, she turned to look straight ahead. As she did so, she caught something out of the corner of her eye. Stopping, she reached for Tuxedo Kamen's arm to stop him as well. Uranus stopped, wondering what made Mars halt.

Saturn stopped as well, but she was a couple of steps behind the others. As she took a stop to catch up with them, she felt a cold wind whipping around her. The others looked on in horrer as her hair blew in a wind none of them felt. As they watched, she faded from sight, with a terrified look on her face. Uranus reached out for her, but Tuxedo Kamen put a hand on her arm. "We can't help her now," he said. Uranus glared at him, angry at him for stopping her, before acknowledging that he was right.

Mars felt vibrations in the air, coming off to the west. Turning to her right, she saw Usagi hanging in mid-air, with her arms stretched wide. Tuxedo Kamen took a step forward, when Mars stopped him. "Beryl's played this trick before, but it's still not going to work."

Tuxedo Kamen looked at Mars, puzzled. 'Why did she stop me?'

Mars looked back at Usagi before turning back to Tuxedo Kamen. "This was the trick that the D-Girls played on us before the last battle before Beryl. They were sent to eliminate us so that Sailor Moon would have to face her alone."

Tuxedo Kamen looked at Usagi again, this time noticing that her eyes were red. Inhaling sharply, he turned back to their original destination. Uranus walked between them.

"Hey, mind telling me what's going on?" she asked.

Mars told Uranus how they had each been 'picked off' by the henchmen of Queen Beryl. Her voice finally wound down as they got closer. "We're close now. I will see the two of you later."

Tuxedo Kamen and Uranus stopped to look at her when she suddenly ran behind them as if she was being chased by demons. As they turned around, they noticed that she, too, had vanished. Tuxedo Kamen and Uranus looked at each other, knowing that it would be up to them to save the others.

******

Meanwhile...

Beryl laughed as she saw her enemy bound in the chains on the wall. Rubbing her hands together maliciously, she walked up to her and put her face up to the blue eyes that looked at her with pity.

"I will change that pity into hate, and with hate, you will be mine," Beryl drawled. Usagi looked up at her, wondering how this woman could be so filled with hate. She couldn't understand why this woman was alive. She thought that she had healed all of the Dark Kingdom with the Silver Crystal. Beryl laughed again.

"Soon," she said. Usagi looked up at her to see an expression that made her sad.

Beryl glanced over at her prisoner. "Don't you want to know what I have in store for you, your Highness?" she sneered. "I don't think that your friends will like you after I'm through with you."

Usagi again looked up at Beryl with pity in her eyes.

She couldn't stand it, to be impaled with those blue eyes. Grabbing Usagi's chin, Beryl stared at her. "Don't look at me!"

Usagi searched for something in Beryl's face that would help her understand. "Why?" she asked. She glanced down at the floor, trying to think what could possibly have happened to bring Beryl back from the dead.

Beryl came closer, close enough to breathe on Usagi, sending a chill down her spine. "It is not for you to know until it also becomes your purpose." Saying these last words, she raised her hand and slapped Usagi into unconciousness.

******

One by one the senshi regained consciousness. Jupiter looked across the room to find Shingo chained to one of the walls. His head hung low, his bangs covering his eyes, but she could tell that he was awake. "Shingo," she called softly.

He raised his head, trying to figure out who called his name. Finding Jupiter he wondered how she knew his name, but wondered if she was one of his sister's friends. "Who are you," he asked.

Jupiter shook her head gently. "A friend."

"You're one of Usagi's friends, aren't you," Shingo said.

Jupiter jumped, startled at the statement. Shingo wasn't asking, but looking for her name. "It's Kino Makoto."

"Aa," Shingo said.

"How did you know that I am a friend of Usagi's," she asked.

Shingo looked at his feet for a moment before answering. "I...I found out that she's Sailor Moon," he started. Looking back up at Jupiter to find her nodding her head slightly, he continued. "The evil woman was carrying her when I went looking for her this morning. The..." Shingo stopped for a second, wondering if what was happening was real. Taking a deep breath, "She said that I should be punished along with Sailor Moon, since I was part of the family that destroyed her."

Mercury woke up as Shingo was finishing his explaination to Jupiter. Trying to stand up, she found that chains held her to the wall like Shingo and Jupiter. Gathering her hands in front of her, she tried to summon her computer, but it wouldn't come. A voice suddenly spoke, startling the three that were awake. "Uh uh, Sailor Mercury. I wouldn't try any heroic deeds now. I have cut off your powers now that you are in the Dark Kingdom." There was an evil cackle before the silence began again.

Shingo looked over at Mercury as she searched the room. "Ami?" he asked. Mercury looked at him, nodding shyly. Shingo closed his eyes before talking again. "You're probably wondering how I knew it was Ami, when I didn't know who you were Sailor Jupiter." Jupiter nodded. Shingo glanced over at Mercury. "When Usagi brought Ami over for the first time, I couldn't believe that my sister would even know somebody as smart as she is. After finding out that my sister is who she is this morning, I figured that Ami must be one of the Sailor Senshi. Is Rei Mars?"

Jupiter nodded, looking for her. Seeing her bound with twice the chains, she mentally winced. 'Rei is not going to like this when she wakes up.'

Mercury saw Shingo watching her and blushed. "Shingo-kun, would you mind looking somewhere else for a minute, please?"

Shingo jerked, realizing that he had been staring. He let his eyes wander around the room, trying not to look at Mercury. Out of the corner of his eye, he could see a flash of light. Looking over at Jupiter, he saw that she had gone back to her normal self as Makoto.

"I figure that we might as well conserve our energy while we're down her," Ami said as she finished her detransformation. "Shingo-kun, how long have you been down here?"

"A couple of hours," he began. "You've been here for about half an hour, and everybody kept on showing up. Sailor Venus and the one with the staff should be waking up soon."

"Sailor Pluto," Mako said. All three turned to look at Venus and Pluto, who still lay unconscious. Shingo tugged at his chains again, trying to bring some circulation back into his legs. Concentrating, he could have sworn he could see them coming off. Suddenly, there was a faint clink of metal against the concrete floor as the chains on his ankles fell off. Shingo stared at them for a moment, before thinking that he should try the same on his wrists. After a couple of seconds, those chains fell off as well. Looking up at Ami and Mako, he saw their mouths hanging open, not believing what they were seeing.

Crawling over to Mako, he placed his hands on the chains on her wrists, then on her ankles as the bonds broke. Going over to Ami, he did the same thing.

"How?" Ami started to say before wishing silently that she had her computer to see how Shingo had done that.

Shingo shrugged. "I don't know. All I did was wish that the chains would come off, and they did!" Shingo started to get excited, thinking that maybe he had special powers like his sister did.

Hearing a shuffling sound, Ami and Shingo went over to where Venus and Pluto lay. Shingo broke their bonds. Pluto woke up, and found herself looking at Shingo. Smiling faintly, she nodded at him before standing up. Grabbing her staff, she tried to look for possibilities as to where they were. She found nothing, not even a shimmer. Looking back at Shingo and Ami, she detransformed herself, nodding at Venus to do the same.

"Shingo," Setsuna said. "Would you please break everybody else's bonds as well?"

Nodding, he did so, trying to overcome his awe at being surrounded by the Sailor Senshi. Ami took pity on him and went over to him, telling him that they were still the same people he knew before. "Besides, you also have some power," Ami said. "Not everyone can break metal chains the way that you have just now."

Shingo brightened a little, thinking that maybe he did have a little power.

"Now," Setsuna started. "We must find a way to help the Princess."

******

Tuxedo Kamen and Sailor Uranus walked on, both thinking that they would never reach the Dark Kingdom. Wondering if they were walking in circles, they stopped to get their bearings. Gazing across the barren wasteland at the North Pole, Tuxedo Kamen was startled to see a shimmering off in the distance.

"What's that," Uranus asked, pointing in the same direction.

"I have no idea, but maybe we had better investigate." Tuxedo Kamen started off in the general direction, feeling a tug. "I have the feeling that this may help us."

"Are you sure?"

"Yes."

After ten minutes walking, they discovered the shimmering was actually light being thrown off of a large crystal. Putting his hands on it, Tuxedo Kamen realized that there was somebody inside of it. Concentrating on opening, he was able to split it. Uranus saw what he was doing, and took out the Space Sword to help. A large crack slowly formed down the center, suddenly bursting open, revealing the battered body of Jadeite.

"Jadeite..."

There was movement inside the coffin as Jadeite began to sit up. Tuxedo Kamen held his cane up, ready to defend himself.

Jadeite shook his head, bringing up a hand to settle the spinning. Looking around him, he saw his prince and the senshi of Uranus. His prince was dressed a little differently than the last time he had seen him. "Endymion?" Jadeite tried to stand up, but fell back into the coffin, tired from his long sleep. Shaking his head again, he saw who was standing next to his prince. "Uranus! What..." he broke off, unable to understand the picture before him.

"Jadeite," Uranus muttered under her breath. She vaguely remembered who this man was before her. Watching as he rose from the crystal, she put a hand toward him to steady the former Dark General. As she touched, images of a past life raced by her eyes, too quick to comprehend. Startled, she pulled her hand back quickly, looking at it as if she had grown a sixth finger.

Glancing back at Jadeite, she found him smiling slightly as her before turning back to his prince.

"My Prince," Jadeite said, bowing. Shifting slightly, he bowed towards Uranus. "My Lady."

Looking back at the crystal coffin where he had lain, Jadeite shook his head softly before turning back to Tuxedo Mask and Sailor Uranus. "Come, we must find the others."

"Others?" Tuxedo Mask and Uranus looked at each other. Tuxedo Mask wasn't sure if he meant the Sailor Senshi or the generals.

"The Generals." Jadeite searched the horizon, trying to see the markers that were left over from the Dark Kindgom. "When Sailor Moon used the Silver Crystal to fight against Queen Beryl and Metallia, the four of us were healed. I was left in the crystal that Beryl put me in, and the others were put in them as well to keep us safe until the time came to be reawakened." Jadeite stopped talking, finally finding a marker. He motioned to Tuxedo Mask and Uranus to follow him. Walking for about five minutes they found a large hill that was not quite the same as the others that surrounded it. Holding his hands out, Jadeite closed his eyes to concentrate. Soon the snow melted away, revealing three crystals. Tuxedo Mask stepped up to the nearest one and touched his hand to it. There was a loud crack that echoed through the barren landscape as all three crystals slowly broke open.

As soon as all three were fully open, Tuxedo Mask's outfit slowly changed. His tuxedo melted into a modified version of his Endymion armor. Instead of being black, it was a silver color with the trim in lavender. His cape changed to the lavender color, along with the sheath for his sword. Uranus watched, facinated, as well as Jadeite.

Nephrite sat up, clutching his head, wondering what was going on. Catching Tuxedo Mask's transformation out the corner of his eye, he quickly turned his head. Seeing his prince's new armor triggered a memory in the far reaches of his mind.

As he thought on it, Zoicite and Kunzite sat up. Finally remembering what the change signalled, Nephrite stood up and walked up to his prince. Bowing, he spoke. "My Prince. This is a sign of things to come. The stars forsee everything."

Sighing, Kunzite and Zoicite came over to their prince as well. Both bowed before Kunzite went over to Nephrite. "What's this thing with the stars." He turned back to his prince, nodding at Zoicite to explain.

Still bowing, Zoicite sighed. Refusing to look his prince in the eye, he started to stammer an apology. "My Prince, please forgive me for what I have done..." A hand on his shoulder stopped him. Standing tall once more, he began his story...

******

The Silver Millennium

"Mother, please tell me the story once more," pleaded a tow-headed young girl. Tugging at her mother's dress, she continued begging for another bed-time story.

"Now, Serenity," came the reply. "You have heard this story enough times that I expect that you can tell it back to me word for word."

"But, Mother, I like it when you tell it to me," the girl started to whine.

"Now, no more. Hop into bed, sweetheart," her mother said. Looking at her daughter's face, she sighed. "Very well, Serenity, I will tell you the story."

Jumping onto her bed, she grabbed her pillow, hugging it tightly and faced her mother. Seeing the look on her mother's face, she lay the pillow back down and got under the covers.

"Now, the Gods foretell of a young woman and young man who will one day rule the solar system. The woman wore a dress of pure white, with gossamer wings. Her long hair blew in the soft breeze that played through the air as it traveled through her kingdom. Beside her stood her husband, a man that wore clothes the color of the sky at dawn. Together the two of them ruled the kingdom with kind hands and gentle guidance. With their allies, they kept peace for all humankind.

"However, one day there was a great burst of evil on the planet. Both the woman and man were worried, and the woman decided that she would go to quell the evil that had started to spread. Before long, the woman had reached the place where the evil lived. She was hurt in battle, and failed to return to her kingdom.

"Afraid of what might have happened to his wife, the man headed for the out-reaches of the evil with his allies. Stumbling through the roadblocks the evil had set in their path, the man and his allies soon became separated from each other. Before he faced the evil, the man came upon old allies he had thought were lost to him forever. Waking them, they joined with the man and the last of his allies. Together, the six of them gathered what power they had and went to battle the evil.

"By this time, the brother of the young woman had joined the battle, and had stumbled upon the evil as it stole his sister. Finding his way through the hovel in which the evil lived, he soon found his sister's allies and freed them of their bonds. Discovering that he had power of his own boosted the young man's confidence, which gained him even greater power. The allies were amazed at the change wrought in the young man, and gathered him into their protection of the queen. The brother soon led his sister's allies to free his sister, finding the evil had put a spell of eternal sleep upon her. The brother went into a rage, and destroyed the coffin the evil had put his sister had been put in, but it was not enough to wake her from the spell. The allies added their power, but it still was not enough. Exhausting themselves, they could not find enough power to battle the evil as it came back. Soon, all of the allies were put under the same spell as the queen they had sought to protect.

"The king and the allies who were with him came upon the place where the evil was. Pooling all of their powers, they entered the hovel and found everybody they had sought to rescue in eternal sleep. Howling in despair, the young king threw all of his power at the evil, but it was not enough to dent it. Gathering all of their powers, his allies also aimed for the evil. The evil laughed at their pathetic attempts to stop it, and sent dark energy to the small group, putting them under the same strange spell. By destroying its enemies, the evil was now free to reign over the Earth it had sought to conquer so long ago."

The mother stopped there and looked at her daughter. "Now, Serenity, you must really try to sleep. I know that you are excited that your sister is coming home tomorrow, but you need some sleep or you won't have any energy to greet her with. Maybe she will tell you the rest of the story tomorrow night."

Serenity nodded, and snuggled down into the covers. She grabbed the small doll that her sister had given her before she had left. "Mother," she began, "when does Tranquility arrive?"

"In the morning, dear," her mother said. She pulled the covers up and tucked her younger daughter in. "Sweet daughter, I hope that you will remember to tell your children this story when you grow up."

Nodding her head sleepily, Serenity yawned. Turning on her side, she buried her head in her pillow, almost to the land of dreams.

The door opened and a woman dressed in fine robes came over to the mother. "You should try to get some rest, Queen Tranquility." Shaking her head softly, the woman looked down at the younger daughter of her queen. "I am sure that she will be a fine young woman when she grows up. I think that her children will have as kind a heart as she has."

The queen agreed. "I am sure they will, but I have a feeling that I will not live to see them."

Gasping, the woman tried to assure her queen that she would live to see her grandchildren, but the queen put her hand up, halting the woman's words.

The next day, Queen Tranquility stood, waiting for her older daughter's ship to arrive from the Earth. As she watched in horror, the ship burst into flame and headed towards her. Hearing a scream behind her, she turned to see her younger daughter weeping. Making a decision, she concentrated on the Silver Crystal and sent her daughter into the palace, where she would be safe. Turning back to the burning ship, she stood, waiting for it to hit the soil.

Serenity stood at the window, and watched in disbelief as she saw her mother be engulfed in the flame surrounding the burning ship. Screaming at the top of her lungs, she clawed at the window before fainting.

******

Zoicite paused before turning to his prince. "They say that the young king wore silver armor in battle, which makes us all believe that the story is becoming true."

Nodding, Jadeite stepped forward. "With this transformation, you have once again become Endymion, ruler of Earth."

Standing off to one side, Uranus went through the story handed down by the Gods. Walking up to the prince, she layed a hand on his arm. "If this is true, we should try our best. There is always a way to change a story." She looked at the four generals, who nodded their agreement. "Come on, let's go kick some butt."

Laughing, Endymion began his journey to bring back his life...

******

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