I'll Be There For You
Part 5 - The Loss of Innocence

Pegasus's hoofs clopped the green grass with
impatience.

"Come," Elios said, spreading his wings once more.
"We go now." And with that, the milky white horse
took to wing. The mythical creatures with their pas-
sengers shifted, and then took to flight also. Darien
watched them all enter the airy realm and then dug his
heels into Midnight's side. The stallion reared and
then galloped up--on an airy road through the clouds.

They made easy passage to the castle in the sky--it
had taken them longer to mount their beasts than to
travel to their destination. The castle shimmered with
iridescent light. Sunlight reflected off the shiny
stone. The creatures touched soft stone and landed
with grace.

Pegasus, first to land, disappeared in a puff of
white smoke, melting away to reveal Elios in his white
and blue cape, waiting for them. Aldebaran and
Antaries, the two sphinxes, vanished with a goodbye
bump to Kunzite and Zoicite. Surya purred lovingly
as both Jedite and Raye scratched her eye ridge and
chin...but she too, left. Hathor was the only creature
who refused to leave...until, that is, Lita gave the
griffin the remaining cookies.

"Follow me," Elios said, twirling and striding down a
corridor.

"Where are we?" Darien asked, stepping ahead of the
other.

"This is my home--The Palace of Dreams," Elios said.
He stopped suddenly. "IT is the ruling court in
Illusion." He opened a golden gate and led them into a
beautiful garden. Roses brimmed every side of the walk-
way in every color ever known to man.

"Roses were the crest of the royal house of Earth,"
Elios said as he continued down the walkway. "They
were especially loved by the Queen." He stopped. "She
passed that love onto her first born, the crowned
prince of the Earth Kingdom." He looked at Darien and
then continued forward.

"When the Moon Kingdom fell," Elios continued, "Earth
also fell. The Queen took ill and refused to tend her
gardens. As a result, most of the Kingdom fell to
ruins." They came to a small circular section of the
garden. At it's center was a rose bush with a single
bloom on it: the bloom was solid gold.

"What remains of the Earth Kingdom survives only here,
in Illusion." Elios looked at Darien again. "I
wouldn't if I were you." He turned to look at Sailor
Venus who was reaching out to touch the beautiful bloom.

Mina snatched her hand back and looked at him.

"I have knowledge of only three persons who may touch
that rose and live," he said, turning to the rose in
question. The others circled around the golden flower,
held in fascination.

"Who?" Amy asked, held in equal transfixdation, her
mind nonetheless questioning.

A sad smile tugged his lips. "One who once was, yet
always is. One who once was and is again. And one who
will be yet has been," he riddled for them.

They were quiet for a moment, his words digesting in
their minds--and then Haruka broke the spell.

"What the hell does that mean?" she burst, startling
Michiru. "Sorry," she mumbled to the aqua-haired woman
supporting her.

The air in the small section began to tremble. A small
sphere of light began to glow beside Elios--flame red
darkening to ocean blue, richening to emerald green,
brightening to sunny yellow and then...the sphere flashed
a bright white light. It grew in size, larger and
larger, until the shape of a woman could be seen with-
in its space.

The light died away to reveal a beautiful woman. Her
ink black hair, darker then the night sky, fell in
waves down her back. Brilliant green eyes--not jade
or emerald, but more like malachite--flashed with wis-
dom and compassion. Her crimson lips were slightly
parted in the shyest smile--red rose petals against her
honeyed skin. The royal blue dress that clung to her
well-figured body formed a miniature lake at her feet.

Nor was this the end of the woman's appearance. A
finely detailed golden chain hung at her waist in
little golden enter-locking squares. Each square
displayed a different tiny crystal or gem stone. It
looked like a golden rainbow against a blue sky. Upon
her regal head rested a small golden circlet, which
raised in triangular fashion in the front. On this
was displayed the symbol of Earth--a blue and green
circle.

Her arrival took no longer than a minute--yet she
remained still for a moment longer, held transfixed
by the person standing before her, her throat too
tight for speech.

"Hello, Endymion," the woman whispered.

The four Earth Generals fell to their knees--beside
the beautiful woman, Elios also knelt. "My lady--" he
began, looking up at her.

She raised a small hand--silencing his flow of words--
never once tearing her eyes from the young man before
her. Her eyes ate in his form, searching over every
small detail. She moved closer to him--gliding over
the stone. The outstretched hand reached forward, and,
gently, she cupped Darien's cheek. Tears shimmered in
her fertile eyes.

"My son," she choked. Darien's own eyes glistened
with moisture and surprise. She smiled and reached
past him, plucking the golden rose from its bush. In
her hand the stem melted away, leaving only the golden
bloom. The bloom rose in her hand and began to spin,
around and around until it was a golden blur. It slowed
and the golden crystal lowered into the hand she held
up.

"Of all my children," the Queen of Earth said softly,
"Only to my son will I ever pass these powers to. Use
its power well," she cautioned. "Know your own heart...
and never be afraid to follow it."

She held the crystal up to him and he, in turn, held
his hand out. She smiled, and the crystal past from her
hand to his. The golden glow that had first appeared
in the fire room now returned to engulf Darien in its
light.

"Know that I am here for you always--" the Earth
Queen said softly on the small breeze that had begun
to pick up--"in you dreams you will always be able to
find me."

She stepped back--away from him--her figure beginning
to fade.

"Mother!" Darien cried stumbling forward like a small
child being torn away from its parent.

"Save her," the wind carried to him before the Earth
Queen vanished completely.

No one knew what to say--they seemed stunned.

******

Serena groaned long and hard and the fell back into
the bed. She panted, sobbing on each breath.

"The babe comes," an old wizened woman said gruffly,
looking up at her 'queen' and the struggling young
mother.

"Good," Alicia replied, looking back at the girl on
the bed. Serena had already been in labor for nearly
eighteen hours and Alicia was getting tired of caring
for the girl. She wanted the baby. "How much longer?"
she questioned the old woman.

"Not long now," the old woman replied. "Not long
now."

Alicia smiled with anticipation. "Everything is in
readiness?" she asked, her eyes narrowing over the
woman. The woman nodded. Alicia's smile wider.
"Good, good," she said to herself.

She turned back to the bed at ran her nails down one
of Serena's cheeks. "It looks as if we are going to
have a baby," she said, laughing cruelly.

*******************************************************************

"Do you know how to use the crystal?"

Darien looked over to where Elios was now standing,
a blank expression on his face.

"Emotion is the key," the young man said, walking
towards him. "As like any other crystal." He stopped,
standing before Darien.

Darien looked down at the crystal in his hand. It
seemed...alive--pulsing--radiating with life. It wasn't
orange or yellow like citrine or carnelian, but actual
gold--almost twenty-four carrots in quality--but it was
also transparent--clear like quartz. Flawless. It was
smooth--a sphere with many facets--each tiny corner
came to a sharp point, sharper than a rose's thorn.
It was at once cool and warm, fire and ice.

"Start with something simple," Elios suggested. He
pointed to the group of senshi and generals watching.
"Heal them."

Darien looked up with surprise. He had forgotten the
others' presence with his mother's visit and the golden
crystal. He noticed that they were all still suffering
from their earlier bruises. He frowned, knowing from
experience that senshi healed faster than normal humans,
and he had worked with the generals long enough now to
know that the same held true for them as well.

"How," he asked, looking from the group to Elios. "I
don't know--"

"Yes you do!" Elios snapped angrily. He threw up
his hands in exasperation. "Spend an entire lifetime
teaching the boy tricks--give him a few years off and
he forgets everything!"

Elios' eyes narrowed, lifting a hand he touched a
forefinger to Darien's forehead. There was a flash of
light--and then Darien staggered back, his eyes wide
with shock. They rushed to grab him but he held them
off. He swallowed hard and looked at Elios, his eyes
burning with intensity.

"Do you remember *now*, Prince Endymion of the Earth
Kingdom?" Elios asked with a smirk.

Darien stood up straight, his shoulders back, head
held high. He looked at his friends and then down at
the crystal in his hands. His azure blue eyes closed
slowly in concentration. The crystal began to glow.

There were startled gasps and murmurs from the group.
The light grew brighter, filling the entire area of
the garden. When the light slowly faded away the
senshi and generals stood, torn between looking at
themselves and looking at Darien.

Darien collapsed. They rushed to catch him.

"You must learn to harness the power of the Golden
Crystal," Elios said, standing back to allow the others
to fawn over him. "It is not a toy--but a dangerous
tool. It is as powerful as the Silver Crystal--and as
deadly."

"Serena--" Darien groaned, trying to sit up. Worried
faces looked down on him.

"Now that you have joined with the Golden Crystal,"
Nephrite said.

"Yes," Zoicite jumped in. "We should be able to find
the princess--"

"No."

Everyone looked at the boy who ruled this realm.

"He has no control over the crystal," Elios said--and
before their eyes he seemed to age, older and older,
until he was perhaps fortyish. "If you were to place
the two crystals together when they are so ill control-
led--" he shook his head. "I am sorry but I cannot
allow that."

"I didn't know we were asking." Haruka crossed her
arms under her chest. Beside her Sardonyx was cracking
his knuckles.

"We came here to find this crystal," Raye said sharp-
ly, standing to her full height--which was still taller
than Elios, no matter how old he looked. "So we could
find Serena."

"And now you have found it," Elios replied evenly.
"But the crystal will not leave this realm."

Jedite looked around him and then back to Elios.
"Nine to one, old man, says we do."

"No." Darien stood up. "There will be no fighting."
He looked around at the world around them. "This is
the last remnants of my Kingdom--I will not see it
destroyed by war as the Moon Kingdom was--" he turned
to Elios-- "But unless we find Serena and bring her
back home safely, this world, too, will cease to exist."

Elios and Darien stood locked in silent exchange.

"The power of the Crystal could kill you," Elios said
softly.

"I have died before," Darien said, equal in volume.
"It is a chance I am willing to take."

Elios stared at the young man; the warring emotions
that tormented his mind were visible in those stormy
eyes that looked into Darien's.

"Then may the gods that rule our lives watch over
you," he said. "Your princess awaits you. Good luck,
my brother."

There was a flash of light--bright and blinding--the
world tilted, unbalancing the senshi and generals,
knocking them into one another--they fell to the ground
in a large heap.

When they managed to untangle themselves, they were
in the fire room back at the temple.

"Was it all an illusion?" Hotaru asked, accepting
Tellurium's help to her feet.

"What is reality," Darien asked, "And what is
Illusion?"

In his open hand the Golden Crystal radiated.

*****************************************************************

"Push, girlie," the old woman rasped. "Push!"

"I--oh m' gods! -- am pushing!" Serena's body
doubled over, straining--and then fell back into the
bed, heaving, sobbing.

"Again!"

Again Serena pushed forward--willing the baby in her
womb to get out. She groaned with effort.

'You're hurting me.'

'I'm sorry, but it's not much fun on my side, either!'

'Is that your wish--to hurt me?'

'I am hurting too!'

"One more good push!"

'Please--' Serena begged. 'Please--'

She felt the searing pain--something tearing, rip-
ping, her body being torn in two--and then emptiness.
Someone pushed on her stomach and the emptiness
increased. And suddenly--- the long ordeal was over.

Her body trembled violently, a chill sent in against
the clammy, sweat stained skin.

The old woman rushed away and then returned to talk
to Alicia. A delirious Serena tugged on the woman's
sleeve.

"My--my baby?" she asked breathlessly.

Alicia turned to her, the other woman left. Her lips
made a tight line as she stared down at the weak, pa-
thetic creature on the bed.

"The child is dead," she said without any hint of
emotion.

"NO!!!!!!!!!"

**********

The scream ricocheted through the universe-- worlds
light years away from our universe rocked with pain and
anguish-- made strong not only by the power of the
Silver Crystal, but by the power of the woman's flood
of emotions.

Everyone, everything, felt her grief, felt her pain
and heartache. It was the day every being stood quiet
and sad and wondering why--before going back to their
individual lives and worries.

For nine warriors in one small room, in one small
temple, on one small world, in one small solar system
in the infinite universe--it was devastating, sending
them to their hands and knees, weak and sick with grief
and pain.

The sacred fire hiss and spat, roaring to unnatural
life. At its center was the face of the girl they were
looking for.

Their hearts and stomachs lurched.

"Serena--"

Teary eyes looked into the flames.

Raye looked stunned, dazed, shaking her head slowly
from side to side as one in a trance. "We have failed
her," she said hoarsely, her tears in her voice.

"No--" Mina cried, blinking back her own tears. "I
won't believe that, I wont!"

"Nor will I," Setsuna said, struggling to stand.

"She can't be gone," Lita whispered.

"The messiah," Haruka hissed.

"The princess," Michiru murmured.

"This can't be true," Amy said standing up. "This
can't be. Darien, surely--"

But Darien was too stunned to move, to say anything.
As hard as that little display had hit all of the
others, it had attached him. The power of the Golden
Crystal reacting to his soul mate's grief had ripped
through him, tearing his insides to little shreds.

They helped him up, carried him to one of the cots in
Raye's room. Or, rather his generals did. Through it
all the generals had remained silent, dealing with their
pain and anguish and fear for the girl in their own
way--but then, what man really reacts outwardly emotion-
al? --Now they had something to do and they jumped on
the chance to do rather than think.

The pain, the nausea, the overall tidal wave of
emotion began to recede and Darien slowly began to
regain his wits. Painstakingly he sat up in bed.

"We have to go to her," he scraped out of his tight
throat.

"Is she--"

Darien shot arrows at Mina. "She's still alive," he
answered. "But we've lost time. We've got to hurry."

'Hold on, Serena,' he urged her silently. 'We're
coming! We'll find you! I promise!'

*******

They had left her alone. No one entered the room.
No one brought her food or water. No one stopped in to
see how she was doing. No one cared.

She flipped the tear stained pillow over and allowed
the fabric to soak up more tears.

'Oh, Darien,' she thought, her heart wrenching. 'Oh,
Darien, she's dead. Our beautiful baby is dead.' But
new tears choked off her thoughts.

They had brought in the dead child moments after
Alicia had told her. The dead thing was swabbed in a
dull pink blanket. It had been cleaned off, she was
told. Born dead. Died in the womb, the old woman said.

It was so tiny, Serena had thought. So very, very
tiny. A girl. They would have had a little girl, she
thought chokingly.

The old woman had asked if she wanted to hold the...
thing. But Serena couldn't...

The woman had turned to leave and was at the door
when Serena called her back. "What color are her
eyes?" she had asked--she had had to know.

"Blue," the old woman replied.

Serena bit her lip and nodded, choking on her tears.
'Not Chibi-Usa. Not Rini,' was all she could think.
And then the dam had been broken and her tears fell
freely.

She didn't care. She didn't care. And if she kept
repeating that over and over to herself enough times,
maybe it would be true...

*******************************************************************

"Sailor Mercury," Darien said, sitting up in
the bed, his legs swung along side the bed. Out of
all of them, he was the only one in street clothes.
He stood up and walked over to where Amy was standing.

"Take the Golden Crystal," he said, holding it out
to her, "And see if you can use its power to enhance
your computer's scanners."

She nodded and turned to go, but a hand on her arm
held her back. She looked at him with a small, puzzled
frown.

"See if you can find any trace of the Silver
Crystal."

"Wh--"

"If--" he took a deep breath and tried again. "If
Serena has been hurt then her life signs maybe too
weak even for the Golden Crystal to detect." A pained
look slashed her angelic face. She bit her lip--a tear
dared to run down her cheek. Zoicite came up behind
her, holding her shoulders.

"Zoicite, go with her and help her with anything she
needs," Darien said, turning away to look back at the
others. Their faces were all covered with pained
expressions. He took a deep breath.

"Mars, Jedite--try to do another fire reading."
Both warriors stood to attention. "Link your powers.
You should be able to extend" Both warriors stood to
attention. "Link your powers. You should be able to
extend your psychic abilities that way." They both
smiled and nodded, and then took off to the fire room.

"Venus, Kunzite," he said, turning to the two. "Find
Luna and Artemis. Check the command center to see if
there's anything in the archives that can help us find
Serena and bring her home."

They both nodded and took off. Sailor Pluto spoke
up before Darien could continue.

"I will take the Outers and the Moon Generals and
see if we can discover anything new," she said, holding
her staff up in the air.

Darien nodded at her, accepting her eagerness to
help. A portal opened and the Outer senshi and the
Moon Generals disappeared within its vortex. Darien
turned to look at Lita and Nephrite, the only two
people left in the room.

"Lita," he said with a small, apologetic smile.
"Do you think you could whip us up something quick
and easy?" he asked, looking at her with a pleading
look written all over his face.

Lita sweatdropped. "Is that all I'm good for to you
people?" she rumbled even as she started off to the
temple kitchen. Nephrite grinned after her receding
form.

"She couldn't be happier," he said, turning back to
Darien, the smile still on his lips.

Darien grimaced and fell back onto the bed, his head
in his hands.

"I feel torn," he grounded out.

"You look like shit," Nephrite offered jovially.
Darien shot him a dirty look. He placed a friendly
hand on his shoulder. "Go out and take a walk or
something," he told Darien. "Relieve some stress.
We'll find her, don't worry."

Darien shook his head wearily. "I can't leave. I
need to be here when they come back. I need to know
what's happening."

Nephrite frowned. "You're no good to her or us if
you're too stressed out to think clearly." Darien
sighed. "Go, take a walk, relieve some stress."

As an afterthought, Nephrite pulled something from
his pocket and handed it to him. "Here," he said,
pushing the black thing into Darien's hands. "If we
find something out, we'll call you."

Darien looked at the phone and then at Nephrite and
then back at the phone. "All right," he sighed.
"Perhaps a walk will do me some good."

******

He walked the streets of Tokyo like a man possessed
by his thoughts, which he was. He was torn--torn be-
tween wanted to tear ever building in the entire city
down with his bare hands--and wanted to jump up the
highest tower. Neither was an option.

As if by route, he found himself in the park--the
park that held so many memories for him. Memories not
just of Serena, but of Rini too. And then, then he
knew. *Knew* deep down inside that, somehow, they
would find her. *Somehow* they would bring her back.

The future depended on it, on their finding her, on
her revival of it...

Darien leaned back against the sturdy trunk of
*their* tree. How many times had they come here?
He wondered, pressing his hand into the hard bark
of the tree. It cut into his palm, but he didn't
notice the pain. How many times had they sat here
and looked out over the waters and watched the sun
set and...

Two days ago. Just two short days ago, he and Serena
had sat beneath this tree, laughing over impossible
baby names. Just two short--

Aurgh! His fist slammed back into the tree. The
tree shook, leaves falling down around him.

"I will find you, Serena," he promised. "If I have
to die doing it."

******

It was dark when Darien trodded up the temple
steps. There was a dread closing around his heart:
a fear that hissed in his ear.

'You lost her--you will never find her--she is dead--
you will never see her again--you have failed her--you
were never there for her--'

He pushed the thoughts aside and stiffened when he
saw the Inners and his Generals in Raye's room talking--
arguing was more like it. The door slid open and he
stood there. Just stood there watching them. It was
the Earth Generals who noticed him first.

"Oh, Darien," Luna sighed, jumping into his arms.
She sobbed against his shirt. "We just have to find
that meatball head! I should have never left her out
of my sight! I knew I shouldn't have gone--"

"It's okay, Luna," Darien said, awkwardly, stroking
her head and neck. "We'll find her. I promise."

They were looking at him, he knew. The girls weren't
used to seeing him act--affectionate, he knew. Not
even towards Serena, even though they all knew he
loved her. It just--wasn't Darien's style to act
emotional. But then, Darien wasn't just Darien then.

He looked up at them, continuing to stroke Luna.
"What have you found?"

"She is definitely still alive," Raye said before
anyone else could say anything.

"There is a small moon in the asteroid belt," Amy
spoke up.

"A moon?"

"It is smaller than our moon," Zoicite added.

"But too circular in shape to be just another
asteroid," Amy finished.

"We believe that is where she is."

Darien studied them both. "You are not sure."

Amy bit her lip and shook her head. He turned to
Mina and Artemis. "And what does Central have to tell
us?"

"Not much, I'm afraid," Mina replied.

"It would be hard to try and teleport without knowing
the destination," Artemis said.

"We've done it before, though," Lita said biting down
hard on a carrot stick and munching.

"If we just knew for sure," Amy said.

"What about you?" Darien asked, looking at Raye and
Jedite. "Did you see anything other than that she was
alive?"

Raye flushed. "Just--just a lot of pain and sadness,"
she said, looking sorrowful. A tiny light lit up.
"But--" she said swallowing. "But we could tell she
wasn't *here*," she said, looking at Jedite.

He nodded. "The princess is not on Earth," he agreed.

"What makes you think she's on this--moon?" Darien
asked, turning back to Amy and Zoicite.

"There's a strong energy radiating from it," Amy said,
opening her computer and typing a few keys. A hologram
of a small sphere appeared for all to see.

Nephrite gasped. "I don't believe it," he said, his
eyes wide with shock. He looked at the other three
generals. "Kunz, don't you recognize it?" he asked.

Kunzite frowned. "It looks familiar," he said. "But
I don't know why--"

Jedite nodded. Zoicite looked puzzled too. "That's
what I thought," Zoicite added. "But for the life of
me, I couldn't figure out why."

"Nemesis."

They turned to look at Darien. The girls gasped. A
flare of recognition flashed in the generals' eyes.

"But the witch was trapped on Earth!" Jedite argued.
"Surely if her own planet still existed--"

"She wanted *Earth*," Darien said shaking his head.
"Besides, I doubt she even knew the moon survived the
battle."

"Did it survive?" They looked at Nephrite. "Is it
still able to support life?"

Amy typed a few keys and numerals and symbols flew
across the computer screen. "It *does* have a weak
atmosphere," she said, stilly crunching numbers.

"She that's where she is," a voice from behind said.

They turned to see Setsuna and the others.

"We agree," Setsuna continued, walking into the room.
"It seems as though Queen Beryl's world has decide to
reawaken."

"We must go there at once," Mina said, standing up
and thrusting a hand into the air. The others followed
suit.

"VENUS STAR POWER!"
"MERCURY STAR POWER!"
"MARS STAR POWER!"
"JUPITER STAR POWER!"
"URANUS STAR POWER!"
"NEPTUNE STAR POWER!"
"SATURN STAR POWER!"
"PLUTO STAR POWER!"

The Earth Generals looked at Darien and nodded.

"By the powers of EARTH!" Nephrite called.
"By the powers of FIRE!" Jedite shouted.
"By the powers of Wind!" Kunzite roared.
"By the powers of WATER!" Zoicite called.

The Moon Generals didn't want to be left out.

"New Moon Make-up!" Tellurium shouted.
"Waxing Moon Make-up!" Sardonyx shouted.
"Waning Moon Make-up!" Meliphane shouted.
"Full Moon Make-UP!" Euclase shouted.

They stood around looking at Darien. His hand
clenched into a fist and he held it up to his chest.

"BY the powers of EARTH, FIRE, WIND, and WATER,"
he almost whispered. And there stood Prince Endymion
of the Earth Kingdome, all decked out in his shining
black armor.

"Let's go get her," he said.

*****************************************************************

They stood in a large circle, hands clasped.
The girls powered their planetary teleport while the
guys all concentrated on focusing their power, support-
ing the senshi. The small room filled with blinding
light--a chaotic volume of rainbow light. In a flash, the room
was empty...the only light, that of the ever-burning fire
flickering in the dark of a moonless night...

"Be careful!" Luna's voice carried after them.

"They will," Artemis said, moving beside her. "Don't worry, Luna.
Our scouts can handle anything thrown at them. And with the Generals..."

"Be careful," Luna repeated, turning to lay down on one of the mats.

Black/white. A moment of non-consciousness. The world
they knew disappeared and was replaced with that of another.
They stood still for a second, pausing, recovering from
the teleport...and then they broke apart to look around
them...and gasped.

"This--this looks like--" Mina began, but the words re-
fused to come.

They all shared her confusion, for the world they found
themselves in seemed strangely familiar...and yet unlike
anything they had ever known before. It was so much like
Earth...and yet it was nothing like their world. The colors
were--distorted. Faded, somehow. And yet there *was* color.

The grass beneath their boots and heels *was* green.
The soil was dark as dirt is wont to be. Off in the distance
there were mountains--brown and green with snow capped peaks.
There was an atmosphere--at least none of them were having
problems breathing...

Mercury already had her visor down, scanning their sur-
roundings, even as Zoicite was punching keys into the computer.

"Their!" she cried, pointing towards the mountains. Zoicite
nodded.

"The Silver Crystal *and* Serena," he said snapping the
computer shut. "Approximately 50 kilos in that direction."

They began walking--at a fast past--without saying another
word. An urgency pumping through their veins with every heart-
beat, each step they took.

'Hold on, Serena. We're coming!'

******

"Mistress," the old woman rasped in her throaty voice.

"What is it?" Alicia asked, turning away from the tiny bed.

"We have visitors."

Alicia's widened with surprise. 'Could it be true?' she
asked herself silently, strong, steady steps taking her from
the tiny room. 'Could someone have come to Nemesis, come to
her world, without her knowing of it first?'

She walked into the command room, heading straight for the
main computer. A hundred centuries ago this room had been
bustling with life--at least ten people manning stations at
any given time. Now the room was empty, save for her self
and the old nurse. A hundred centuries ago her father, the
ruler of Nemesis had sat in the command chair behind her and
given out orders. Now the chair sat covered in dust. The
room laid covered in dust. Alicia ignored it all.

"Endymion," she whispered brokenly, falling into the chair
as she watched the main screen before her light up with their
'visitors'. Her eyes ate in the sight of the dark-haired
prince, her love, and ignored the sight of the other sixteen
warriors.

The old nurse watched her mistress, shuffling on her old
feet nervously. "Mistress," she said after another moment
spent in silence. "What should we do?"

"Nothing," Alicia replied, not tearing her eyes from the
screen before her. Her fingers tapped a few keys and the
keyboard before her and the picture focused, enlarged, until
only Endymion could be seen. "Endymion," she whispered again,
tears falling from her china blue eyes, racing down her cheeks
before falling to the dusty floor at her feet.

******

Serena turned over in bed, holding her empty stomach
to herself. She choked on her tears. She was too weak to
move. She was too shocked to move. She was too--overwhelmed.

Her crystalline blue eyes stared out, dully, unseeingly at
an empty space in front of her, blinking only ever so often.
The pain had begun to numb her insides. Instead of a huge
crushing, engulfment of pain, she now just felt--hallow. An
emptiness.

"Darien," she managed to whisper, rasped through a tight and
dry throat. New tears pooled her eyes as she curled up into a
tighter ball and began to rock again.

*******

He stopped suddenly.

They all turned around to look at him, to ask him why they
stopped. Euclase and Nephrite were at his side first.

He was forced to his knees, struggling not to be overwhelmed
by the pain...the helplessness...the heartache. The strain was
plain on his face. He squeezed Nephrite's hand, his teeth
gritting. A groan escaped his lips. Finally, the wave of
emotion ebbed and he began to breathe heavily.

The circled around him, curious, fearing. No one spoke, too
afraid to voice their feelings...their nightmares...their fears.
After another moment, he was able to look up at them. Uncon-
trollable tears sprung to the senshi's eyes, the pain, the
helplessness, the pure heartache in his eyes searing through
their breast.

Zoicite caught Amy as her knees gave out and she began to
slide to the ground. Michiru's hands masked her faced, cupping
back the shallow breaths she forced into her lungs. Hotaru
hid her head in Tellurium's side. Haruka's and Lita's fists
clenched and unclenched, a lost look deadened their face as
tears streamed unchecked from their fierce, determined eyes.

"We failed her," Raye said emotionlessly. Her lower lip
trembled--that was all the movement the passionate senshi
displayed. A worried Jedite pulled her protectively into
his arms. She didn't respond.

"We weren't there for her," Mina choked. "It's--it's *our*
fault!"

"She's alive," he whispered hoarsely, breathing more steadily
now, but the tears fell freely from his own blue eyes as they
stared up into hers.

Her own blue eyes widened, a flare of hope rekindled, only to
widen more with shock as what was left unsaid sunk in. She
crumbled to her knees before Kunzite could catch her. She
began to hyperventilate. She stomach began to roll as she
leaned forward, her sun-brightened blond hair falling forward
to hide her pain.

"Oh gods!" she moaned. "It's our fault!"

Kunzite looked up at him, pleaded with him. He didn't answer
her. He didn't know what to say. After another moment he
pushed up. "We have to find her," he said, walking stiffly
away from them.

***************************************************************
Okay, I *know* I'm gonna get flames for this one...[sigh]. I'm
sorry, if it's any consolation. I, um, didn't see it coming...
as a matter of fact, it's 1:47 right now and I'm still kind...
sick to my stomach... I can honestly say that how Mina feels is
*EXACTLY* how *I* feel at this moment...as a matter of fact, I
don't think I'll be able to reread this chapter...

Thanks to everybody who's been giving me feedback and suggestions
I really do appreciate your help and interest in my story...
especially since it IS the very first fanfiction I've EVER written!

It was pointed out to me that this story isn't finished yet...
In all honesty it WAS SUPPOSED to end at chapter 49...actually,
Part 3 - Releationships wasn't even supposed to be a part...
So I'll be switching things around a bit...but you can just read
my very first READ ME to find out what's going on! IT's been a
pleasure!

Until next time!
Andrea Readwolf ^.^