by Cosmos ChibiChibi is only an alternate form of Sailor Cosmos, not Galaxia's starseed. So please keep that in mind and the fact that this story is manga related. I've decided to use English translation names for the Inner Senshi and Japanese names for the Outer, since I have no clue as to what their English translated names are. And Haruka and Michiru are only close friends not gay. It only makes it easier for me to write. Please email me and tell me what you think of my story so far. This story is rated PG, well some slight violence and maybe language later on, if you call the word damn a bad thing. Well, enough of my babbling! On with the show! Usual disclaimers: Sailor Moon and all its characters and likeliness belongs to Naoko Takeuchi, Kodansha/Toei. English translation is made possible by DiC. My email address: ml_eclipse@hotmail.com] << >> = thoughts [ ] = author's note ================================== Serenity's Legend Part IV: Beginning of darkness Upon reaching the scene, Pluto gasps in shock. They see Tuxedo Mask lying limply on the ground calling Serena's name. The whole area is devastated. The surrounding trees are burned down to the very trunk. The grasses are also burned. The area looks as if hell had broken loose in the region. Pluto quickly rush toward Tuxedo Mask, Cosmos took an instinctive step forward to follow Pluto but she quickly decided that her appearance would only raise questions and concerns, something she wish to spare Tuxedo Mask at this moment. As silent as the night, Cosmos slips away. "Tuxedo Mask, are you all right?" Pluto asked in alarm. "What happened? Sailor Co-" But Cosmos was gone. Pluto frowns. She takes out the communication watch Luna gave her and called the other soldiers for help. Within minutes, all the soldiers arrived, except Saturn. "Oh my god!" "What happened?" "Where is Serena?" "Please everyone! Just be quiet. First we get Tuxedo Mask to a safe place," Pluto said in a commanding voice. "Then all questions will soon be answered when he gains his strength." "Right!" Mars replied. "We can take him to my place. He'll be safe in the temple." The others nod in agreement. At the temple, Darien is tucked in a bed cot Chad laid out for him. Everyone is standing around the doorway, talking about how strange the incident is. Several questions regarding Serena's whereabouts rose up frequently during their conversations. "This must be another evil invasion," Lita says. "Right, but these invaders appear to be much stronger than the once we have encountered before," Rei says. The others nod grimly. "Can they be from another time, like the Dark Moon family?" asks Ami. "I am not quite sure." Setsuna replies. "I do not sense any distortion in the fabric of space and time. Although…" She ponders silently for a moment while the others look at her anxiously. "Although…space and time is not exactly normal." Setsuna chooses her words with extreme care. "What do you mean Setsuna?" Michiru asks urgently. "Well…space and time together makes up a domain of the universe consisting in four dimensions. Usually with space-time travel a time hole is created by the traveler to the time they wanted to go. The hole or distortion will remain until that traveler returns to his or her right place in time." "Much like a warp hole?" Haruka asks. "Yes, but warp holes disappear soon after the traveler passes through. Although I do not sense any distortion of such a kind at the moment," Setsuna hesitates for a brief moment, then continues, " I do sense a space-time drift." Rei narrows her eyes. Her gaze instinctively flickers from the floor to Setsuna's face. She noticed the slight hesitation on Setsuna's part during her explanation. <> Rei looks directly into those deep crimson eyes, her gaze steady, perhaps even challenging. <> Rei speaks telepathically to Setsuna alone. Her expression unchanging, Setsuna looks away. "What is that?" Mina asks exasperatingly. She knits her brows together in frustration, looking from Setsuna to Haruka then back to Setsuna again. She appears to be in great anxiety in her attempt to understand Setsuna's scientific explanation. "There is a certain bond or relation between space and time that holds it together but currently that relation appears to be drifting apart." Ami's eyes widen in horror while Haruka frowns, whether in worry or in desperately trying to make ends meet with Setsuna's explanation it is uncertain. "What the world does that mean?" Rei cries in annoyance. Everyone can always depend on Rei to demand things to be clarified. "It basically means Rei," Ami helpfully explains, "that the universe is falling apart. Something is destroying the universal balance." Immediately a wave of gasps filters through the group of girls. "Where is Serena?" Mina asks suddenly. "The princess is in terrible danger," a voice replies solemnly. Everyone turn to look at a small pale young girl standing outside under the bright moonlit night. "Danger? Hotaru what do you mean?" Haruka asks. "No kidding she is in danger!" Rei pipes. "Tuxedo Mask knocked to kingdom come, crying for Serena in a hell hole, and now you tell us the princess is in danger? Even a Nega-creep can figure that out!" "Rei, please! Keep it down won't you?" Lita says desperately. "You might disturb Darien. He needs all the rest he can get to recover." Rei looks guiltily down at the floor. "I understand perfectly well how you feel, Rei, " Hotaru responds. "I do not know exactly what happened, but I can sense her feelings of fear, " Hotaru replies to Haruka. "And…and something else, something I cannot quite understand. Everyone we must find the princess quickly. I fear that we do not have much time. With the passing of each second her soul is dying." Everyone gasp in shock. "This is so strange!" Lita comments. "Her soul…dying? But how-" A cry within the temple broke Lita off, "SERENA!" "Darien!" Everyone exclaims simultaneously. "Here we go again!" Rei groans. Just as they reach the doorway to the bedroom where Darien is placed, an array of sharp edged darts in the form of red roses flew pass them slamming into the nearby wall. "What the-?" Mina exclaims, barely escaping that fast moving weapons. "Someone quickly hold him down before he destroys my temple!" Rei cries. Lita and Haruka both run toward him and each holds onto his arm, pressing them down against the bed cot. Suddenly a bucket of water slams into them. Both turn to see Rei holding a water bucket. "Rei, what the world do you think you're doing?" Haruka cries out angrily, her bangs dripping water into her raging blue eyes. "Huh? Hey where am I?" Darien says slowly. "To wake psycho here up," Rei replies, but there is no anger in her voice. "Darien, how do you feel?" Hotaru asks gently. "Like firefighters using me as their target practice," is the answer. "Umm…" Rei speaks up, her eyes darting to the ceiling, the bucket behind her back, "That would be me." "Huh?" Darien shakes his head. "Serena. Where is Serena?" Darien looks around the room wildly. Upon seeing no sight of her he cries out, "NO! She has her. She has taken her!" "Who Darien?" Setsuna asks. "Who has taken Serena?" "Where is she?" Multitudes of questions are thrown at him, but all he does is simply shake his head. "Oh, this is like talking to a brick wall," Rei cries out exasperatingly. "He is too out of it to answer anything right now. Maybe another bucket of ice cold water might bring him to his senses." Upon hearing Rei's comment, Haruka quickly grabs the bucket from her hand in order to prevent another down pour. And Darien, with hands waving frantically in front of his face in defense quickly says, "NO! No. That won't be necessary Rei. I am wide awake now." Afraid that Rei might not take him by his words, Darien opens his eyes wider in a gesture to say that he is truly awake and has come to his senses. "Everyone please!" Setsuna shouts desperately. "Let Darien think for a moment. You all are going to overload his circuit with all those questions. Now Darien, please tell us what had happened to you two out there in the park?" Darien runs his hand through his tangled hair gravely as he told them what had happened, "We were only taking an evening stroll along the path when suddenly a woman with dark purple hair appeared out of no where in a gust of wind… [flashback] "Who are you?" Darien shouted. The woman laughed in a trill voice, "No one you would want to mess with pretty boy. All I am here for is the girl. Hand her over and I will leave you alone." Darien's eyes widened, Serena? What does this stranger want with her? "Never you witch! I will never let you have her." Darien pulled Serena behind him protectively. "Find then fool!" The woman shouted angrily. "I will teach you a lesson for refusing my demand." She raised her hands above her head and large circular razor blade-like disks of dark lightning appeared, spinning above her head. The disks were quickly thrown at the two in front of her. Darien threw a red rose against the attack, but the disks just simply sliced through it and slammed into him. The incredible force threw both of them back against a nearby tree. Serena's locket flew out of her pocket. "Darien," Serena called. "How dare you hurt my boyfriend, you witch!" She screamed in rage. She reached in her pocket for her locket but found that it was not there. <> Serena thought while her hands frantically searched the ground around her. "What are you look for you little twit?" Serena looked up to meet the glowing red gaze of the woman, who was smiling evilly down at her. The woman reached out a hand and grabbed Serena by the neck, lifting her up until her feet can no longer reach the ground. I can't breath, thought Serena. Desperately she tried to call out to Darien for help, but the woman's grip only tightened painfully. Darien looked up to see Serena being choked by the stranger. He gritted his teeth in rage and with a flash of light he transformed into Tuxedo Mask. "Let her go!" Tuxedo demanded. At the sound of his voice, the woman looked over her shoulder. Her eyes were glowing even redder then before. "Why should I?" she said in a deadly tone. Suddenly ten red roses were shot at her, but the roses simply got deflected off an invisible force surrounding her. No matter what he tried, he simply cannot penetrate the field around her. "Idiot! Your powers are no match for me." Then she blasted him again with the strange dark disks. The force threw him far down the trail. "No, Daaa-r-iiii-en!" Serena gasped. The woman started to glow eerily in red light. "Don't worry little man," she says teasingly. "You will see your precious flower again. Once we poison it!"… [end flashback] "And then she and Serena disappeared," Darien says edgily. Rei looks into his eyes astonished at the magnitude of the fury shown in them. Never before has she seen such anger and hatred in those mysterious deep blue eyes. What she saw made her slightly fearful of him, but she understands all too well how he is feeling. Serena is her best friend. They must find her and bring her back. Unbeknownst to Rei is the fact that Serena will be seeking them and finding them instead. ============================== [hmmmm...interesting ending...well next chapter coming soon!]