Chapter Seven: Picture Perfect "I'm frightened, Fighter." Fighter stared at the young princess. Seiya had always known the beautiful woman he had taken as his wife was special, there had never been a doubt; but to find out that she was the woman he had been searching for was frightening. She had been under his nose the entire time. "I will protect you, Princess." Serena smiled sweetly at the solemn vow. The StarLight looked so...fierce. And protective. "Thank you, I know this...must hurt you." Starting at the canny observation, Sailor Star Fighter glanced over at the princess with surprise. Serena had always had an amazing gift for unfathomable empathy and massive understatement. "I...yes. Yes, Serena, it does hurt. A lot." Fighter dropped to the ground, her shoulders shaking. "You were the only one who could get me to admit I was hurting, I can't hide from you as much as I want to. I...miss you." Tender hands touched Fighter's shoulders and he powered down in to merely Seiya. To the casual observer, it would seem that an exquisite woman in her late teens or early twenties was comforting a slightly bedraggled man in his early thirties. It would seem to the slightly more than casual glance that perhaps the man was clinging to the woman a bit too tightly, or that the shine in the woman's eyes was maybe a little deeper than mere comfort. Those that stayed to watch the interlude a bare bit longer, might notice that the two were shaking, that a fine trembling caught both of them in its grasp. "Seiya...I know that I'm not her. I'm not the woman...Serena. I'm not your Serena. I'm not yet a mother; I have never had to balance a budget or watch after my children, or...suffer with my husband. I'm still a child in the grand scheme of things; a child trying to wake up from the nightmare I'm caught in. I used to watch you from the cave and if...Yaten, or Minako, or Hotura were caught in a nightmare, you would go on bogeyman patrol. I have no patrol now, Seiya, and my guess is, neither does your Serena. I need a way free of this nightmare, and I will do my damnedest to free her as well." The man drew away and smiled tenderly and hugged the gentle girl close. "I know," he whispered. "I know." * * * * * * * * * * * Darien hugged his returned daughter close and brushed pink bangs off her high forehead. "I'm sure Saturn and Pluto will be overjoyed to have you in the Time Gates, Rini. You have to go, I know you don't want to." "I want to help," she broke out again, her impossibly large eyes streaming tears. "Neo..." "I know, Rini, but you must listen to me. If we fail...if they fail...you could be destroyed here. You have to go to where you are safe. Just because everyone is awake, does not mean the danger is completed yet. You are the key...if she gets her hands on you; the plan will fall through. You must be protected at all costs, and that undivided protection you can not get here." "But Jupiter said..." "I know..." Darien paused and glanced around the park and still waters of the lake before them. They were currently sitting on the edge of their favorite pier, the one that had seen so many adventures over the past five years. The water was soothing, but not soothing or calming enough to make this conversation any less strenuous. He began again: "I know this is difficult for you. And I know Jupiter means well. But we will need Lita and the rest for...backup. You must go to the Time Gate and await news. I know it will be difficult to remain there by yourself, but Helios and a guest of his have Pluto's permission to stay with you until this entire mess is over. She and Saturn will be needed here as well." "I just don't understand why Auriel won't tell anyone what's going on," Rini pouted, looking for a moment exactly like Serena at that age. "To be truthful, I don't think she knows. The only one outside of the Solar family who seems to have a clue is Celia and she is not willing to speak of it." Rini drew back once more. "I understand. I don't like it, but I understand." He hugged her once more. "That's my little girl. Now go, Pluto's waiting for you at the entrance to the park. I'll see you when this mess is over with." Watching his daughter walk away, Darien felt a moment of peace. Serena would come back to them. He just knew it. * * * * * * * * * * * The guardians were found in front of the gates to Eclipse. All three wore dejected expressions and downcast eyes. "Well this is it," whispered the young man. He ran one hand through his bright golden locks and met Serena's eyes with a gaze heartfelt with emotion. "We...we wanted to let you know what you were truly up against before you left. Once you pass these gates, we can no longer be of any service to you. When the battle is complete, the StarLights and Chibi have a great task before them." The dark-haired woman smiled trepdiaciously. "You can try to send Serena back. It will be her final choice in which world she would rather return to. The other one took that choice from her when she forced Serena to make a choice in her dreams. For that, Serena alone must fight her darker half. It is law, and thus it can not be challenged. They alone have the power to cancel each other out." She embraced Serena once more. "You will win...Mother." Stiffening with the gentle declaration, images from the cave walls breached Serena's mind and she pulled back to stare at the woman before her. "Hotura?" Fighter froze and quickly took in the three guardians before her. The young man smiled impishly, his golden hair and blue eyes a carbon copy of Serena's own. The dark one in Serena's arms smiled gently, her hair and eyes a perfect match for Seiya's. In his Fighter form, Seiya could easily pass for her older sister. Finally, the sweet tempered girl with the pale pink hair chuckled as he turned his eyes on her. "Hi Daddy. Sorry we left Mrs. Yakobe's early, but your 'business trip' was taking so long." "How..." Yaten smiled. "We were special. I made a choice that allowed Mother to risk her life in order to go home. Queen Serenity took us back in the past to when the last residents of Eclipse were preparing to die and requested that we sit in a guardian holding pattern here until you arrived. So, we've been waiting for fifteen years in a place that has no time, and gathered the information we would need to help you." "But...why?" There was a knowing silence among them before Minako spoke, tugging nervously on her long pink braid. "We wanted to see you and Mother happy again. We wanted to say goodbye." Serena opened her mouth to say something, tears streaming down her face, but Hotura raised a hand for attention. "There is no time. You must go and go quickly. It is the night of the full moon, the year anniversary of the night Adam died. You must hurry and follow the silver path that lies right outside the city limits to the forest. Follow the road deep in to the forest, and you will come to a crossroads. It shall be there that she will be waiting. You remaining four can do nothing, just let Mother battle without aid from you. Have faith, as we all do, and all will be well." "When the battle is over," continued Minako, "one of you will be left standing. That is the one with the power to control worlds. You can't make it home on your own, it is impossible. The furthest the necklace can take you is back to the beach where you began." "But...isn't there a way to win without slaying her? I mean..." Serena looked at the others, "...I need..." "To make it all the way home," supplied Yaten. "And you will. As for her death, it is a part of life. Do you remember when you entered Eclipse? Minako told you then that there are Four Fates, not three. Just as there are Four Roads in this world. The road of the Maiden, one you have been on; the road of the Mother, which you have been on in one life, but not yet in the other; the road of the Crone, which you will never tread, due to your practically immortal form; and the road of the After, which you have touched upon time and time again for your friends." He paused for breath, then continued on. "Just as you died for them then, you chose your road. This time though you will literally be on a crossroads and you must chose a path after the battle. One road, the Mother, will lead you to our world, where you can live a normal life. One, the Maiden, will take you home similar to your own, but it will be a drastically different world and nothing prophesied will come true as you know it. One road, the After road, will take you where even our wise eyes can not see." "And the road of the Crone?" Serena whispered. "What then?" Yaten winced. "You will age. You will age and you will die. Beyond that we know nothing." "So there is no clear road for her to take? No easy answer? I thought you were supposed to be of help, not a confusing factor!" Healer was incensed. "Which is the road that sends her to the world she knew?" Maker whispered. Yaten shrugged. "None will send her home again. The best she can hope for is to be returned to the life that she chose when she was tricked. In the other she is dead. No one can help her there." "I see." Serena's voice was nothing more than a whisper. "How do I choose my road?" Minako bit her lip but touched the necklace in front of Serena. "Just slip the necklace over your neck and choose a road. It will do the work for you and transport you to the world you chose. During the battle each of the Stars must guard a corner of the road from the attacks of the treacherous monsters that live in the forest. As must Chibi. She should transform in to Sailor Chibi Chibi Moon as soon as you leave this place." They each nodded and Healer picked up the small child carefully. She was so tiny and quiet in her arms; she appeared more of a doll than a child. But everyone there knew she held more power within her than anyone in the universe or beyond. "Well then. We should go." Serena clutched the necklace tightly and resigned herself to the battle ahead. "Yes, we should." They gathered themselves and their meager possessions, Fighter taking care to pick up the huge shining sword that Adam had bequeathed him in the name of the Moon. There was a moment of silence, then the bright young man wrapped his arms around Serena. "I love you Mom," he whispered for her ears alone. "I know you didn't want that life, but...I still love you." She sniffed and clutched him tighter. "If it is of any help," she confessed, "I almost wanted to be in that world with you. You were...are...the best son a mother could want." The embrace ended and the warriors left the guardians at the gate. No one looked back, though the trio watched from the gate until they were gone. Minako stopped Yaten as he turned from the road with one slender hand on his arm. "Do you think we did the right thing Yaten?" He nodded. "We did what we had to. Her choice is clear, now the only obstacle is the witch." Hotura shivered and wrapped her arms around her waist as if cold. "God help her if the dark one wins. Mother is strong, but not nearly as strong as we made her out to be." "If the dark one were to win, then the Gods help us all." * * * * * * * * * * * Ken clutched Lita's hand and scrutinized the clearing. "Okay, I know I'm not going to get an answer from any of them, but why are we standing in full battle gear by Serena's grave in the middle of the night?" "It's not the middle of the night, it's only eleven," Lita chided. "Besides, no one here other than Aurora and company know what's going on." She glanced around at the assembled members of the Soldier team. "Wow, it's been awhile since we've all gathered like this." "I feel weird, being Jupiter Knight again with you. I missed you." She kissed him lightly, but her eyes plunged through his own and in to his soul. "I'm glad." They finished their conversation and turned to watch the assembled members of the team. Tuxedo Mask leaned against a nearby tree, clutching tightly to Serena's locket as if for comfort. His head was tilted back, but it appeared he was saying something in a very low voice to either the air or the moon high above his head. Nearby, Mercury Knight and Sailor Mercury were scanning the area for further youma or monsters. Neither one of them had any intention of letting a monster in to the clandestine midnight vigil. Neptune and Uranus also stood watch by the trees, both in loose battle stances as if they were expecting hostile company. Uranus had even drawn her Space Saber and had it buried in the dirt at her feet. Nearby, Saturn remained a silent, unervingly still figure in the shadows, her glaive at readiness, shining faintly in the dim light of the moon. Pluto also had her Garnet Rod held in check somewhere on the opposite side of the clearing. A little to the left of Pluto, Sailor Venus kneeled on the ground, with Sailor Mars crouched beside her. They appeared to be speaking quietly, but no more than that. Neither seemed to be expecting trouble, or so their body language indicated. Mars Knight stood at a distance, urgently gesturing with Solar Knight over some unknown topic of conversation. In the center of the clearing, beside Serena's stone, Auriel was up a tree. Sailor Jupiter still could barely believe the sight of the slim Solar Sailor high in the branches of the oak. No one knew why she was up there, at least to Lita's view. Aurora probably did, but she and Apollo weren't talking. They were simply drawing arcane patterns in the dirt a short distance away from Serena's grave. Suddenly, Auriel dropped lightly to the ground, startling everyone except her sister and Apollo, still engaged in their odd ritual. "I see them," she said simply. Solan gasped and closed his eyes, clasping his hands together as if in prayer. "Here we go then." "Would some one tell us what in the hell is going on?" Mars demanded. Her Knight laid a pacifying hand on her arm. If Raye's temper was a flash fire, then Chad's was most definitely a slow burn. "Hold on. Give them a minute to get it together." Solan opened his eyes and chuckled. "Good idea. It might be the best one anyone's had tonight." "What is going on?" Uranus queried. "And do we need to preparing for an attack or something?" He shook his head. "No attack. An attempt to reverse some damage. What Auriel was searching for was a particular set of constellations high over the horizon. When they appear, we can begin." "Too true," replied a wry voice. They all turned to watch Auriel stand and wipe her hands together to rid them of excess dirt. "There was once a prophecy in the Silver Millennium that four children of the Solar kingdom would repay a debt to both Venus and the Moon. A child from Venus tried to save some ancestors of ours from a fate worse than death and threw herself in the path of a coming attack. It was of no use, they died anyway, but we promised we'd repay our debt someday." Venus waived her hand absently. "It's no problem. I'm sure that whatever happened however long ago has been repaid." "But that's the point," Solan whispered. "To conclude old debts you must all trust us to do our best to pay them off. We need your strength; we need you to complete this. You must simply lend us your force, but we can not tell you why. You must trust the newest members of your team to do well. Can you do that?" Ami looked to Darien. In the months following Serena's death, everyone had tried to take a portion of the blame on themselves, but Darien had taken it the hardest. He had blown up at Aurora one day, accusing her of stealing his love from him in her stupid attempt to reawaken men meant to die. Aurora, mostly unflappable, had run off crying. At the time, Darien had felt that way, but he had rightly apologized and Aurora accepted. But it was well known that he didn't believe the Solar family to be completely trusted. After all absolute power and all that. "I follow you," he whispered brokenly. Each of the Soldiers stepped forward and pledged their allegiance to the Solar Circle. Mina was last; "I don't know what you're planning to do. Frankly, at this point, it's ceased to matter. I trust you enough to say...VENUS POWER!" Her body built up with the power of her planet. She felt Auriel move her into position and heard her faintly say, "Stay right there. The others don't matter, other than for brute energy. You, Mina, are the key." Backing up, Auriel joined the circle and looked back to Mina, all alone and powerful. She glowed faintly, and Ami stepped forward to take her right hand. "MERCURY POWER!" The others nodded at one another, fanning out around the four Solar members and their runes. Raye took Ami's spare hand tightly in her own. "MARS POWER!" Touching the glowing red aura was like touching the fire of Mars itself, but Lita didn't mind. She pulled her own strength from the planet of her birth and her voice rang out, "JUPITER POWER!" The Inner Scouts complete, Pluto nodded to the Outers. Nerissa stepped forward and clasped Jupiter's hand. "NEPTUNE POWER!" Moments later she felt the familiar callused touch of her true love and Corinne made her own power known. "URANUS POWER!" Saturn and Pluto followed respectively, with Pluto tightly gripping Mina's open hand. The Knights watched the awesome display of power with masked features before spanning out and extending their canes to full staff length. Touching the weapons end to end, they made a circle around the powerful warriors and silently willed their own secret powers in to being. Not a sound was made, but almost simultaneously each of the men's auras shot in to the sky to combine with the Scouts'. Aurora gripped Solan's hand in her right and Apollo's in her left. She centered herself on the other side of her twin as Auriel took Solan and Apollo's free hands. "Are you ready?" The three nodded and as one they closed their eyes and willed their own powers in to the light. In far distant galaxies, solar activity began increasing as they drew from their well of unquenchable energy. "We, the guardians of the Solar flames..." began Aurora. "Beg of the mighty ones..." continued Solan. "But a moment of their time..." whispered Auriel. "And one small favor," completed Apollo. * * * * * * * * * * * Serena threw up her arms to block on pure instinct. She had been watching the Star Light's and Chibi Chibi Moon battle a what seemed endless tide of monsters for over an hour. She had attempted to help, but had been told on no uncertain terms to cease and remain in the protective center of the road. Their strength was waning when something inside Serena told her to throw her arms up. The act most probably saved her life. A force unlike anything Serena had ever felt ripped through her mind as twin claws shredded the front of her upcast arms. "So..." hissed a frighteningly familiar voice, "...the little princess wants to play." Serena opened her eyes and met an identical pair of baby blues. "You," she breathed. "Me," came it's reply. Though a perfect image of the woman Serena saw in the mirror each morning, the person before her was clearly not Serena. Long tangled blond hair cascaded down her shoulders, coated with filth and grime. There was no sense of self in those eyes, no purpose or direction. The woman before Serena was little more than a malevolent animal, a beast loosened on the world without action or course. The thing that had been Darien's double had been her direction, her guiding wind. Without him she was nothing other than pure evil bounding in twenty directions at once. Serena sensed this and drew from her double with a sense of loathing. "You were the one that did this to me." But even as the words passed her lips, Serena knew they were not true. She could feel nothing but pity for the animal before her; it had not been her fault. The woman chuckled, a low rasping sound that normally would have indicated mirth, but instead translated undue pain. "I did what needed to be done," she countered. "I was once you, you know. I longed for the responsibility of a normal life. The responsibility of ignoring the world around you as a fair trade to achieving your own desires and needs. I wanted to be merely human again!" Serena shuddered. This person was what would have become of her had she given up hope even once and turned to despair. "I took it from you, didn't I?" There was a malevolent silence, a battle of wills. Then: "I could have been so wonderful. I had a chance, but you snatched it all away from me with your selfish need to be special, to save the day." Her tone was mocking. "You absolutely had to die, didn't you? You had to kill yourself repeatedly for the cause of good. Did it ever occur to you that I didn't want to die? Did it ever once enter your addlepated little brain that there was something more at stake than your puny little world?" She forced Serena to the ground, her fingers digging in to Serena's shoulders. This had turned from a physical assault to an almost purely emotional one. The only pain Serena felt was the agony radiating from...her own eyes. "I killed you," she choked out in grief. "But it needed to be done." "No," the woman hissed. "It didn't. You have unmentionable power at your fingertips. There is always another way. But you had to show off. You were proud, it was pride!" Her voice raised to a screaming fit. "I DON"T NEED YOU! I HAD CHILDREN, I HAD A HUSBAND, I HAD A LOVING, WONDERFUL LIFE!" But Serena saw through it all. "Yes," she whispered, "you do." Her hand fumbled at her neck and pulled the necklace free. Surging upwards, she wrapped one arm around 'herself' and clutched tightly in an insanely one-sided hug. "I love you, Serena," she whispered. "Even as your self loathing won't allow you to love yourself. You are me, you are Yaten's mother." The figure stiffened in her grasp. "No," she moaned. She began thrashing as best she could, the insanity and anguish mounting, but the tender restraints of Serena held her back. "Yes. You were so good, but he took you out of yourself and changed you to the despairing thing. That world, the one we were so certain wasn't supposed to exist, it did, because a piece of me wanted it to. A piece of me wanted the peace of not being Sailor Moon, no matter how much I loved it. My mother had given me the chance to become a normal girl and Queen Beryl took it away from me, from my friends. I gave that chance to you." Serena held herself and felt a shimmer in her heart. Though most of the insanity was still there, some tiny part had been touched. She had reached the heart of the beast. The tide of monsters ceased without the unknown fury to guide them. The battle had been won. They powered down, and Taiki, Yaten, and Seiya stood where the StarLights had just been. Seiya stared at the woman Serena clutched in her tender arms, the woman pulling at her hair and crying heavily. "Serena?" She shivered. "Don't look at me." He fell to his knees and reached one shaking hand out to his love. "What did he do to you?" Her broken voice cringed, as did her body when he caressed her arm. "He said he loved me too much to allow me to be...normal." Surrendering herself to Seiya, Serena murmured an apology. "It wasn't Darien. We thought it was all along. It was...a pollution, but it couldn't have been him. There is a balance within each person, there is no ultimate evil in the face of ultimate good, just..." she wiped away a tear, "...each of us trying to do our best in a world gone mad. That's how I figured out that she wasn't me gone bad. She spoke of joy, of love, something an ultimately evil me wouldn't have cared for." "I need...healing," whispered the woman. "I want to go home." Serena nodded and held up her crystal. It glowed faintly, before pulsing out and showering the crouching woman in it's radiant glow. "Moon Healing Activation." All was silence for a bit. Then Serena took the necklace in her hand and lay it around 'her' neck. 'She' searched Serena's face with overwhelmed eyes. "Serena...I...can't take this." "Go," Serena whispered. "I did this to you. I forgive you for all the evil you have done. Just take the necklace, your husband, and his friends; and go home. Raise three beautiful children, keep a clean home, and don't ever let your friends grow away." Seiya started at the mention of the children. "But...I mean the kids are..." Serena chuckled. "I'm sure they will have a fine time telling their father about the dream they had. In the morning you will receive a phone call from a nearby hospital. It turns out a total amnesia patient received a blow to the head that jarred back her memories. There was a mix up in the hospital and the woman buried in your wife's plot is not actually your wife." 'She' bit back a laugh. "Who do you think will figure that one out?" Serena joined in with a chuckle. "I have a feeling Dr. Ami will be making rounds at her new residency today. Care to say hello for me?" They nodded and all rose to their feet. Serena hugged each with more than a twinge of sorrow. This would be the last time she would see them, of that she was certain, but even in a world with no evil monsters they would still be in danger. "Here," she whispered, pulling the Moon sword from the ground where Seiya laid it. "Take this. It's not the Silver Crystal, but it has it's own special powers. If you ever need protection and Seiya can't help you in Fighter's form, use this to protect your children. It will serve you well, I promise." 'She' accepted it silently and nodded in wordless gratitude. Serena turned, it was time to say goodbye to all the maybes she had been feeling ever since she had first met Seiya. Taking in a deep breath, she hugged him a final time and leaned in close. "I love you," she whispered to Seiya. "Take care of her." He nodded soundlessly and kissed her forehead. Moving away he took 'her' hand. 'She' grasped the necklace tightly in one hand and without glancing back, they began walking down the road marked "Mother". Serena smiled softly at the irony of that. By giving that woman the chance to live, she had consigned this body to remaining in the "After." A small hand tenderly grasped her own and Serena lifted Chibi Chibi in to her arms. They both watched in silence until the forms on the road began glowing with a soft white light. Then they simply faded away, like a mirage on a hot day. "Well, Chibi, it's just you and me now," Serena whispered, tears flowing down her face again. "Home?" Chibi inquired, her head cocked to one side in confusion. "Serena, Adam, home?" Chuckling at the reminder of Venus Knight, Serena shook her head. "Adam's with Helios, Chibi. He won't be going home, and neither will we. All we can do is choose a road...and follow it wherever it may go." "That's all anyone can ever do," whispered a gentle voice in her ear and Serena turned to find herself nose to nose with Sailor Cosmos. "Oh, you scared me!" She laughed and opened her arms. Chibi immediately began wriggling and Serena handed the small child to the older woman. "Here you go. I take it she isn't to go with me?" The woman sighed and shook her head. "No, Princess Serenity. Chibi...you will never see her again until you are as pure as she is." "Is that a veiled way of saying the theories are correct and I will become both her and you some day?" The silvery woman laughed. "Now if I told you that it would be cheating." She smiled warmly and winked. "You must follow the rules like everyone else Serena. One day, I promise you will be so pure and good you will be outside them. But until then, I have someone here I thought you might like seeing again." Serena's mouth dropped open as a young man stepped from the shadows. "Hey, Princess. Long time, no see." "ADAM!" She squealed. "I thought you had to remain with Helios!" He nodded. "I did, until this pink haired girl showed up and they got all lovey. Then Sailor Cosmos showed up and told her everything would be okay, and took her away. Helios wasn't extremely happy about that, let me tell you. But then it was my turn, so here I am. I had a feeling I'd be seeing you one more time before you went home; if for no other reason than to say goodbye." She shook her head. "I can't go home." "Why ever not?" queried Cosmos. Serena ducked her head and blushed. "I gave the necklace...the power to go home...to Seiya and the others." She didn't want to tell them about the other Serena. Somehow it felt like a secret and one she was more than willing to keep. "You gave the power to go home up?" whispered Adam. She nodded, tears gathering in her eyes. "It's not that I don't appreciate everything you've gone through to get me home, Adam, I do...it's just..." Cosmos laid a hand on her arm. "Calm, Sailor Moon. Peace, your decision was the correct one." Serena snuffled softly. "It was?" She nodded. "Yes. It showed the true power of your giving heart, the light of the universe. You are a treasure, Serena, an one that must be protected at all costs." Nodding to Adam, she shifted Chibi to her other hip. "Are you prepared to protect Serena on one more journey, Sir Knight?" Adam nodded and moved to lay a hand on Serena's arm. "I would protect her with my life, you know that." Cosmos chuckled. "Well, that's a moot point now. The final leg of this small journey is simple: be like any other man and woman in the world and choose a road. That road will lead you where you need to go." They glanced at each other. "That's it?" "Just choose a road?" They were both incredulous. There was no answer. Cosmos, and Chibi Chibi, had vanished without a word. "Damn," Adam complained, "I hate it when they do that." Snorting softly, Serena nodded. "I know." "So what now?" They looked at the four roads surrounding them in confusion. "Which one is correct?" Adam shook his head. "I don't know. It's kind of daunting, making a choice like this." "No one said it would be easy." "No, they didn't." "Adam?" "Yes, Serena?" "I'm scared." "Of what?" She looked once more around them. "I feel something big is about to happen, but if we choose the wrong one..." He took her hand in his. "Something big is about to happen. And in this case, all roads are the right one." They looked around and Serena pointed. Adam nodded and they began heading down that road. The night was silent but Serena's voice was low enough to barely be heard. "Adam?" "Hmmm?" "Aren't you scared of anything?" "Only clowns, Serena. Only clowns" * * * * * * * * * * * After an hour of silently willing her power for Auriel, Mina was drained in a way she didn't believe possible. The Solar Circle was chanting quickly, the words blurring together in a pattern of beseeching spirals. "We beg..." "We plea..." "Open the doors..." "Of infinity..." "Crying children..." "Times three..." The words went on and on. Something about only love can break the bonds, not denying destiny, and fate out of control. The words whizzed by, but at that point, Mina didn't care anymore. In some faraway part of her mind she was aware of a rising wind, the clap and snap of thunder and lightening overhead. The pressure of the air around her was becoming unbearable, not only for her, she noticed but the others as well. Pluto's grip was weakening, as was Mercury's. She silently willed them to hold on just a bit longer. The voices in the circle rose to a screaming pitch and suddenly the lethargy that gripped Mina let go; she found herself absolutely bursting with energy as a clap of thunder overhead signaled the Gods above. A dousing rain beat on them without warning, but no Soldier released their grips. They could feel the air itself tearing in front of them as the intense rain poured down. And still the Solar Circle chanted. Mina felt her newfound energy go spiraling out of her body; within the circle they seemed to have reached the climax of whatever spell the circle was performing. A beam of golden light swept out from the four and she felt her knees turn to mush; without a word, she released Ami and Celia's hands and slumped in to the muddy ground at her feet. The storm raged on, oblivious to the drained warriors beneath it's angry skies. Mina held on to consciousness by a thread. Around her she could sense the other Soldiers bested by the elements and exhausted as well. Alone with her thoughts, her eyes drifted open and shut. The rain slowed to a mere patter, soaking her to the skin and oozing cold rainwater down the back of her uniform. She heard Aurora sigh, the rain let up completely, and heard Auriel's broken voice begging, "Why? Why didn't it work?" "I don't know, but we need to return the others to health quickly," was the tired reply. Moments later, Mina felt a low glowing warmth fill her body. She was as refreshed as if she had just stepped out of a warm shower. Raising her head, she saw the other Sailors slowly gain their feet. Uranus held up Neptune's weakened form, and Jupiter did the same for Mercury. Greg transformed and moved to take Ami from her but she shook her head and stood on her own. Saturn helped Pluto rise and Tuxedo Mask used his staff to stumble to his feet. "What was this about?" he demanded. "What didn't work?" Auriel shook her head. "Everyone," she called, "Go home and get cleaned up. Meet over at Lita's in an hour. We'll tell you then." Silently the group split. Mina went with Lita and Ken to Lita's since her own house was too far away to get to quickly. After showering, she borrowed a pale white dress that complemented her rich tan and golden hair. Though it only went to Lita's knees, on Mina it came nearly to mid calf. One by one, they arrived, all looking fresher, but definitely tired. Lita had cookies and drinks ready. Chad and Raye sipped green tea and Pluto had a cup of coffee. Corrine and Nerissa took water, but no one else was thirsty. Auriel swallowed and stood in the middle of the living room. "It was foolish," she began, "to think that we were the prophesied ones that could breach ages of history and...heal an old wound." "What were you trying?" Mina couldn't help herself, it slipped out. She blushed and glanced at the floor. She really didn't expect Aurora to answer, but when she did, Mina was floored by the calm reply. "We were attempting to bring Serena back using you." "What?!" Mina heard Darien's angry shout from somewhere deep within her confusion. "There is a prophecy that says Venus power leads the way to returning the full moon to its peak," replied Apollo. "It was in the anthology of Solar spells and prophesies I had to learn growing up in the royal court. It was so arcane and odd that none of the wise men could say where it had come from, or to what it referred. All they knew was that it had something to do with the legendary Solar Circle, the circle that Aurora, Auriel, and myself are...were...thought that we could be." "And you thought that by using Venus as a beacon, you could bring some cosmic power in to alignment and return Serena to us?" "That's why you positioned me," whispered Mina. "I was wondering." "Well, it didn't work," Solan sighed. "I'm sorry. That's why we didn't tell anyone. We didn't want to get their hopes up only to be..." The light chimes of the doorbell interrupted him. Mina was closest to the door, so she gathered her balance and stood. Moving to the door, her heart suddenly began pounding in her chest. Wondering at her sudden palpitations, she didn't check the peephole before swinging open the door. The people on the step stared at her for what seemed an eternity as she looked calmly back. "Mina," called Lita from the couch, "who is it?" Of course, they are all at an angle that they can't see the front door that well, Mina thought dully. How silly of me, they can't see me going insane. "Mina?" questioned Serena from her dripping puddle in the doorway. "Does Lita have any spare towels? Adam and I walked all the way from the cemetery in the rain." Mina nodded silently, her gaze going past her princess and catching in a pair of eyes she knew better than her own. "Lita," she called shakily. "Get some towels. A lot. Serena and Adam are really wet." There was a pause. "Very funny, Mina. That was uncalled for." Adam took that instant to grin his old smile at Mina and wink. She stepped back and he took two giant steps in to the room. "Fine then Jupiter. I'll clean up the mess tomorrow."