Amy awoke, lying in the floor, Serena's mother bending over her.
"Lie still Amy." she said "That... thing... hurt you pretty good."
"What do you mean?"
As she tried to sit up, a coursing pain jolted her right arm, and she closed her eyes and slumped to the floor again.
"That."
Amy looked as she saw the mark of Mercury, only black, burned into her wrist.
"I have to go." Amy said, trying to rise again, and only managing a painful moan.
"Lie still, you're hurt."
"Hey Mom?" Serena's little brother said from over her shoulder. "How is she?"
"She'll be OK in time, she needs rest." She replied.
"Sammy." Amy called his name "I... need a favor."
"Sure, anything."
"You have to get everyone out of here for me."
"Right." he said, rushing off to get everyone out of the building.
"Amy?"
"You should go too."
"No." Serena's mother replied firmly "You're hurt, and I won't leave you."
"You must." Amy said.
"Tell me why then, and I'll take Sammy and go."
"Hand me... my jacket."
Handing Amy her jacket, Serena's mother helped her stand.
Amy grabbed the familiar wand from the pocket of her favorite jacket, and muttered the since forgotten words.
"Mercury Star Power!"
A flash... and Amy was Sailor Mercury.
"Wow!" Sammy said, as Amy dropped to her knees in agony "You're Sailor Mercury? Wait a second... that means..."
"Serena was Sailor Moon?" her mother finished.
"Yes." Mercury said from the floor. "Now please, go... this whole area will be in danger soon."
"Come on Mom, we gotta get outta here!" Sammy said, grabbing her by the hand and leading her away.
"Mercury... Amy..." she paused, turning to watch as Sailor Mercury somehow battled to stand.
"Do you think...Serena's... maybe..."
"Please... go..." Mercury said "If there is a way to save Serena, I will do anything I can to make it happen."
They left now, and Sailor Mercury staggered momentarily as she reached for the communicator.
"Lita... Meena... Rei... come in, this is Amy."
Static.
"Anyone, please..."
"Amy?" Lita's fuzzy voice was barely audible.
"There has been a problem... Serena... is... I..."
"Calm down, we're on our way."
The communicator died, the batteries now used up.
I guess it's up to me for now.
Stumbling toward the door, she was caught by surprise as the Evil Serena found her first.
"I changed my mind." she said, starting her walk toward Amy once more "You'll have the honor of going first."
Amy's scream was soon silenced in a flash of light, and a roar of evil laughter.
"Amy?"
Serena's voice was cracked, and tearful.
"Serena... is that... you?"
"Oh Amy..."
Amy sat up quickly, remembering suddenly.
She sat in Darien's apartment, Serena knelt beside her.
"She got you too I guess." Serena said quietly, holding her friend.
"I'm..."
"Yeah..."
Amy chuckled through through her sobs.
"Nice to see you again."
"Shhhh."
The two girls held each other in silence for a long time.
Darien paced the floor, trying desperately to think of what to do next.
"This is impossible." he said for the hundredth time.
"Serena is gone for good, and now Amy and Rei?" Meena asked, carefully wrapping her battered arm in a bandage.
"Looks like it's just us three now." Lita commented dryly.
A few moments before, Rei had been attacked by an evil Amy, and after a short battle, the remaining Scouts had been cornered and marked with their own planet's marks of power.
"We've lost." Darien said, clenching his fist "But I won't give up, no matter how bad it looks."
"Me either, I can't give up on them." Lita added "They'd never give up on me."
Meena nodded agreement, but her face screwed up in pain from her arm as she finished wrapping it up.
"You need that looked at." Darien said quietly.
"No, I can worry about it later." she replied firmly "I have to help you guys, or we'll never have any chance."
The three nodded and sat to think of a plan.
Death watched from his own pocket dimension.
Currently he looked like a young biker, black leather jacket, sunglasses and a bandanna around his head over ripped jeans and boots.
It is time.
Yes my queen. he answered silently, and within two steps his guise had changed once more, this time to a more comfortable form.
Tuxedo Mask crouched wearily over the lifeless body of Meena, covering her in his cape, he glanced to see how Sailor Mars and Sailor Jupiter were faring against the Evil sides of Sailor Moon and Sailor Mercury.
"Jupiter, Thunderclap..."
"Eclipse, Rainbow!" The evil Sailor Moon screamed, blasting a multicolored energy beam at Jupiter before she could finish her own attack.
"Too.. tired." Jupiter replied... trying to get up as Sailor Mercury leapt atop her from a blind corner.
Her sudden scream spurred Tuxedo Mask into action once more.
His swing was way off, but Sailor Mercury rolled aside anyway, coming up into a crouch, her eyes wide in surprise.
"This stops NOW." he yelled, staring at her with the eyes of a man without a soul.
"Useless words from a useless man." she replied, standing up VERY un lady-like.
"Not useless, just tired.. of all this."
"You submit?" Sailor Moon replied, stalking toward him from his right side.
"If you want my soul, come take it... I just want to be with Serena forever, nothing else matters."
Standing quietly as Sailor Moon kissed him, he was amazed at how painless the process was... and he couldn't help but smile, knowing he would be with Serena again soon.