It was a warm day for being so late in the year, and the two girls had decided to make a day of it and go to the park.
They had been there about an hour, enjoying the air and the quiet, waiting on tomorrow, Thanksgiving. Everyone was supposed to be at Serena's house, and Serena was her usual bouncy self.
"Tomorrow's the big day!" She squealed, excited.
Serena giggled madly, rolling over onto her side on the blanket, looking at Amy.
"I know Serena" Amy replied without looking at her, sitting with her back to a tree, reading a book. "You've told me three times today."
"Well, I can't help it, I'm excited." she said, casually rolling over onto her back again, staring up at the sky. "It's been SO long since we've all been together," she paused "unless we're fighting Nega monsters or saving the world or..."
"Or," Amy piped in, smiling. "the rest of us are following you around and saving you from something until Tuxedo Mask can show up and you drool all over him."
Serena sat up, scowling. "I would expect that from Rei, but from you Amy?" She folded her arms in mock disgust.
Amy simply smiled, placing her book carefully beside her and looked at Serena.
"You know I'm joking."
Serena turned around, smiling. "I know."
As the two girls giggled, another little girl on the other side of the paved path sat alone under a tree. She was holding a stuffed rabbit, crying softly into the top of it's head.
As Serena caught her breath, she glanced across the beautiful park. Shielding her eyes from the afternoon sun, she noticed the little girl.
"Look Amy" she said, pointing. "You think she's hurt?"
"I'm not sure." Amy said, standing and dusting off the back of her dress. "Let's go and find out."
Serena bounded up, hastily battering dirt off her jeans and walking slowly toward the little girl.
As they drew nearer the child, she suddenly stopped crying, looking directly at Serena, a tear rolling down her cheek, mindlessly falling onto her dusty pink dress.
"Are you OK?" Serena asked, kneeling down next to the girl, concern spreading across her face like water across glass.
"You need not concern yourself with me, Princess, I will be fine."
The calm, clear tone of her voice stunned the older girls into silence, until finally Amy gained enough courage to speak.
"What do you mean?" she asked cautiously, the word 'Princess' still poking her curiosity to the breaking point.
"You are curious Princess Mercury." the little girl said, now looking at Amy, trying to wipe the tears from her eyes with the ears of the stuffed toy she held in her arms. "I should have expected as much from you, I forget myself."
Before Serena realized what she was doing, she reached into a pocket of the jeans and pulled out a handkerchief given to her by Darien, wiping the excess tears from the girls face. As the girl looked toward her, she reached out and grabbed her, hugging her and staring at the ground, speechless.
"Serena..."
Serena stood, now holding the little girl, who had snuggled up into her arms and fallen asleep. Serena's eyes had gone totally blue, and Amy knew she was thinking as the Moon Princess.
"Princess" Amy said, not skipping a beat. "We should go now."
"Yes Mercury, you are right." Serena, now the Moon Princess, turned and walked toward the blanket, Amy following close behind, her mind filling with questions and racing to answer them with facts.
Meanwhile, in an apartment high above Tokyo, Darien stood quietly, looking out over the city, as he did often when he had a lot on his mind.
As he stood on this beautiful afternoon, he glanced off to a television tower across the city. He noticed movement on it, which wasn't unusual.
Probably a worker tightening up something while the weather is warm, or a painter maybe.
But before he could even toss that thought aside to get on to more important things, he realized to his horror it wasn't a man, but a woman!
"What the..." he said, running into his apartment and grabbing his binoculars. Dashing back to the balcony, he focused on the tower...
There his world fell apart.
Serena? he thought, in shock.
No Prince Darien. a strange voice in his cluttered mind replied.
The voice was surprisingly soothing, and quiet, but demanded respect. Your help is needed now, more than ever. A great and powerful entity is on it's way here from across the world, and it will take everything the forces of good can muster to stop it.
Darien nodded, beginning to understand.
He replied aloud "Yes my Queen. I will do what I can."
She smiled and disappeared.
As Darien raced to meet his destiny, Lita and Meena sat at the Cherry Hill Temple waiting on Rei to finish her chores.
"Did Rei say where we were going?" Lita asked, bored.
"Nope." Meena replied, stretching slightly. "All she said was 'we'll all meet up there', so your guess is as good as mine."
Just then, the door flew open, and Rei appeared, looking serious. As the two girls got up, Rei turned around, grabbing a broom from outside of the door and twirling it around like a staff.
"What's up?" Meena asked.
"Him" Rei said simply, pointing.
The man simply smiled. Dressed in grey and white, he floated two feet off the ground in a black ball of force. He had long white hair, reaching to his waist, and he smiled with an evil sneer that would make most people run in fear. The Sailor Scouts were far from normal, and they stood in a line, ready for anything.
"Well well well, if it isn't my old friends the Sailor Scouts." Malachyte sneered from behind his magical force shield.
"We aren't your friends, Malachyte." Rei said, taking a step forward, broom at the ready. "Get outta here before we stomp you into the dirt!"
"Ooooh, such language from a beautiful girl." The Negaverse General smiled, lowering his shield and floating softly to the ground. "If I weren't here on business, I might have to take that as a challenge."
"What buisness?" Lita asked, stepping forward steadily.
"Why a truce, dear girl, no more, no less."
"A truce?"
Malachyte scoffed aloud. "Are you deaf now too? Yes a truce."
"Why would we want a truce with you?" Lita said, smiling. "Afraid we're winning?"
"Hardly." He folded his arms, turning sideways and looking toward the sky, unconcerned.
"Queen Beryl sent me personally to call a truce between our factions, for she knows of a grave danger to this entire planet which threatens us all."
"What would that be?" Meena asked, slowly walking toward the man in disbelief.
"She hasn't said exactly..." He paused, looking at Meena's face in the sunshine. "In fact, she hasn't said a word for a day or so, until a while ago when she sent me here."
Rei started forward, about to say something, but Meena stopped her with a gentle hand on her shoulder.
"He's serious." Meena said softly. "Don't ask me how I know... but I'm know he's telling the truth."
"Indeed he is serious." a new voice said from behind them all.
As they turned to look, Darien came roaring up on his motorcycle just in time to catch Queen Serenity's next words.
"Sailor Scouts, Tuxedo Mask, Malachyte... We have a new threat in which we need to join forces to prevent."
"What is it Mother?" Princess Serena said softly from somewhere behind the group, though no one turned to look at her.
"A danger greater than any you have ever faced, my Daughter, and one, I fear, that may mean the end of the world as we know it if it not destroyed soon."
"You got THAT right lady." a scruffy voice replied from somewhere above the group.
Now everyone did turn to look at the incoming visitor, and what they saw sent Malachyte into a roar of laughter.
The man was no taller than five foot three, yet he stood with an air of danger and fearlessness in his stature. He wore faded blue jeans, a plaid shirt and a cowboy hat and boots, and as he walked up to the Negaverse general, in a flash he withdrew three metal blades from the back of his hand and had them to Malachyte's throat in the space of a single heartbeat.
"You gotta problem, laughing boy?" he said, scratching the taller man's shirt with a claw tip.
"Enough!" Queen Serenity's voice boomed over everyone gathered. "We will need his help in the fight to come Logan, as well you know."
"Yeah, maybe." he withdrew his claws, stepping back and lighting a cigar. "Onslaught isn't a nice guy, and even with all of us we got now, I don't know if we can beat him like we did last time back in the ol' 'Big Apple', but don't you worry darlin', you can bet the ol' Canuckle head'll put a good thrashin' on ol' bucket head when he gets here."
"As you say" the little girl in Serena's arms said softly. "I think he will be much easier to defeat this time Logan."
"How d'ya figure?" Logan asked around his cigar
"Because we have help coming." she said, smiling.
"Help?" Lita asked, brushing a loose strand of hair from her eyes. "Who's going to help us?"
"They will be here when they are needed." The little girl replied, turning to face the street. "Right now, we need to prepare."
"How long do we have?" Amy asked.
Just then, a red beam of energy shot straight up from the center of town. It was as large as a city block, and a voice could clearly be heard from the same area, though only Logan seemed to understand it.
"He's speakin' English... figures." Logan repeated in the group's native Japanese. "He says if we don't bow down on our knees and make him ruler or somethin', he'll destroy this city with a flick of his wrist."
Amy giggled suddenly.
"I thought he said 'A pick of my nose'"
That sent waves of laughter through the entire group, even Malachyte uttered a chuckle.
Logan took a final few puffs off his cigar, and put it out on his hand.
"Why did you do that?" Rei asked instantly.
"Wouldn't wanna mess up your house here darlin', besides, it don' hurt none anyway."
The being known as Onslaught roared his dominance in town and said something else... something even Logan didn't translate. Amy blushed, but said nothing.
"What did he say?" Serena asked, somehow coming back to normal since setting the little girl down.
Amy blushed a darker red now, and Logan chuckled.
"You're a lady, I won't repeat it, but he's not a happy camper." He looked at the little girl. "My guess is that our help has arrived."
"Indeed Logan... now is the time."
Within a few minutes, the Sailor Scouts had transformed, Logan had ripped off his shirt and jeans and was now in his costume, and he smiled as he put the mask in place. Malachyte had disappeared and returned with Zoycite and a small army of Nega-monsters.
As the newly allied team of heroes closed in on where Onslaught stood, they noticed flashes and beams in the air. As they got gradually closer, they were able to see and hear, and the voices were familiar to the Scouts.
"Come on Kakkarot, this guy's power level is off the scale, we HAVE to finish him as soon as we can!"
"Relax Vegeta." Goku managed while dodging a red beam of energy from the monstrous armored fiend. "He's gotta HIT us before he can hurt us."
"Goku!" Sailor Mercury called, waving.
"Mercury!" Goku waved back, landing and smiling as Vegeta held Onslaught's attention "Glad you made it."
Wolverine was first to make it to Onslaught, and dove headlong into him, slashing and tearing at his leg like a wild animal, only to be kicked off soon after.
Meanwhile, the Sailor Scouts spread out and began to unleash various attacks on Onslaught, only to have their attacks repelled with a blow of Onslaught's mighty fist.
The Z Warriors, Goku and Vegeta were in the air with the Negaverse generals, throwing everything they had at him, only to be scattered like flies when he swung his other arm skyward.
The battle raged on for nearly an hour, and the Earth Defenders were all exhausted, and spent more time running and dodging than attacking.
"This is hopeless" Sailor Moon called from behind the ruins of a mangled truck. "We haven't even SCRATCHED him!"
"We have to keep trying!" Sailor Jupiter yelled back from under a slab of sidewalk, which had been uprooted like a sheet of paper. "We have to stop him somehow."
Onslaught laughed, folding his arms and saying something in English.
"What did he say?" Zoycite asked Sailor Mercury, as they his behind a massive tree that had fallen on it's side in the fighting.
"Well, I think he said something about... Armageddon."
"Close enough darlin'" Logan said, appearing behind them like a ghost. "He said it is time we experienced a taste of the future as he will make it if we don't surrender..."
Before Logan could say another word, the earth began to shake and chaos erupted.
As everyone tried to shield themselves as best they could, Onslaught roared a laugh that shook the souls of all gathered there.
"I have had ENOUGH!" Wolverine said, pulling his mask back onto his face and charging, his claws extending in a telltale 'snikt' sound as he dove toward Onslaught in a rage.
"Aim mid-range" called a voice from a speaker in midair, though Logan didn't hear it, Serena did, and she looked up between shakes and saw a faint figure near Onslaught's waist.
If I didn't know better, I'd say that's a guy! she thought, trying to explain what she saw. and I'd almost SWEAR he was INSIDE that... that, thing!
"Sailor Moon!" Tuxedo Mask's voice rang over the deafening noise like a bell. "Aim for his waist, it's a robot!"
"Robot?" Malachyte said, catching on. "Of course, how STUPID of me," he stood, smiling. "Ingenious if I do say so myself."
"Shut your mouth, fool." Vegeta screamed as he shot into the air like a rocket. "Just BLAST the thing!"
And Malachyte did just that, as did everyone there. And soon, Onslaught was curled into a ball, holding his stomach as if in pain, though sparks shot out of various joints at random intervals, a kaleidoscope of color in the darkening sky.
Onslaught stood now, forgetting his waist and powering up some sort of energy between his eyes.
"Hit the dirt!" Logan yelled, turning and leaping toward the nearest Sailor Scout, which happened to be Jupiter.
No sooner did they fall to Earth, did the air split asunder with a radiance and a scream of energy that even stunned the Z warriors, who also ducked for cover.
The world fell sideways after that, Sailor Moon was lost in a red haze and a pain unlike none she could ever imagine, but for some reason, she knew she would survive, and she was not afraid.
I am Sailor Moon she thought, as if to the world in general. I will NOT be destroyed by this source of evil, and I will never give up, do you hear me? Never! Never! NEVER!
She screamed the last aloud, though she was not aware of it.
"Be still, Sailor Moon." The voice was Zoycite's, and it was soft, sweet... almost concerned. "You need medical attention..." the pause was unmistakable... the pause one takes when trying not to cry, and though Sailor Moon could not see, or move, she knew Zoycite was near tears. "You have done well... Lie still, I will get help."
Sailor Moon tried to speak, but only managed a dry, hoarse moan of intense pain.
"Shhhh" a new voice said, one she did not know. "You'll be OK, you just need rest now."
"Who..." she managed, trying to raise her right hand and touch, something, anything to put a face to this new, beautiful voice.
"A friend."
And then, silence, and the eternal blackness that comes with sleep.
The next thing she heard was a mumble of voices, and she began to sit up, still not able to see.
"Whoa there Serena, you need to take it easy." Darien's soothing voice said, gently pushing her back into the bed.
"What happened?" she managed, her throat dry.
"Well," A strange voice spoke, a Doctor she imagined. "You were in town and a gas line blew up and blinded you, burned you a little and threw you backward into a concrete slab. You'll be OK, but you're gonna be here a while."
"But..."
A gentle hand covered her mouth, and Darien's voice once again returned to her ears. "You heard the doctor, you need your rest."
A moment of silence, mumbles in the distance and then a door shutting quietly.
"Hello?" She asked, scared for the first time in a while.
"I'm here." Darien replied smoothly, gently squeezing her left hand. "You did it, you know that?"
"Did what?"
"Destroyed that robot. It was the most beautiful thing I've ever seen, but it was frightening at the same time."
"I don't understand." she said, her voice cracking.
I remember now Serena told herself.
Onslaught had risen from his defensive crouch, roaring in pain and began to power up a massive energy beam between his eyes. Her friends had leapt to safety, but now, thinking back, she didn't do that.
I didn't hide she remembered I stood and fought
And she fought and won.
As the giant monster fired his beam in a semi-circle at her friends, she snapped.
"In the name of the Moon, I will DESTROY YOU!" she yelled, grabbing her scepter and putting the Imperium Silver Crystal on the tip.
"Crystal Moon Scepter Disintegration Beam!"
She aimed the scepter at Onslaught and fired, her clear pink laser beam cutting through him just as his beam blasted her, and then, darkness.
"He's not dead, he's a robot." She said aloud, snapping out of her trance. "And I can't transform." she added softly, walking toward where the bed should have been, feeling for the familiar bars of the side rails.
As she got close, there was a crash of glass, and she was suddenly picked up in a massive fist.
"Sailor Moon." the voice rang through the room. "How does it feel to know you are about to die?"
Serena was in agony. She felt no pain, she simply knew that she was being crushed, slowly.
"Hey, Chrome Dome!" A familiar, scratchy voice said from behind her, though she barely heard it through the wall of pain she was surrounded by.
"Logan, glad you could make it." Onslaught said, turning to face this new threat. "You may watch as I crush this girl into atoms."
"I think not." a new voice said from the doorway.
"Go... Goku?" Serena managed, close to blacking out now.
"Yup, That's me." he said, floating close to her. "We'll get you outta there soon, just hang on."
Logan wasted no time, the second Onslaught looked at Goku, he leapt at Onslaught and slashed for his wrist, and leapt free as the giant robot hand came apart at the wrist joint, dropping the huge hand to the floor.
"It's still closed!" Goku realized as Onslaught voiced his rage.
Goku appeared next to the hand, which was still crushing Serena, and began pulling at the massive thumb with everything he had.
Logan meanwhile began ripping in the fingers.
Goku slipped free, crashing into the wall as he lost grip.
"That's IT!" he said, suddenly going Super Saya-jin with a flash of flame.
He walked over to the giant hand and easily pried it apart with a yell, catching Serena when she fell out, nearly unconscious and very cold.
Serena's head was suddenly filled with voices, strange sounds and warmth where there was once pain, cold and fear.
I must be dead she thought.
"No my child, you are far from dead." a familiar voice replied softly.
Mother? she asked, wishing she could see Queen Serenity as well as hear her.
"Lie still child." Serenity replied "You are safe now, your fight is over for now"
But, my friends...
"Are all safe as well..."
"...now get some rest." the voice suddenly became her real mom on Earth, and she smiled before falling into a soft, warm, loving sleep.
Meanwhile, outside the hospital, Goku, still in Super Saya-jin form was floating in midair above the huge red form of Onslaught.
"You are FINISHED!" Onslaught roared, blasting Goku with a beam of energy.
Goku just floated in midair, ignoring the useless attack.
"Enough, DIE..."
The Super Saya-jin began to power up his most famous attack, taught to him many years ago.
"Ka..."
Logan dove for cover, not knowing what was up, but not stupid to find out.
"Me..."
"Useless fool, I am ONSLAUGHT!"
"Ha..."
"Know my name and fear it."
"Me..."
Onslaught fired another red energy beam at Goku, roaring his rage as he fired.
"Ha!" Goku's Kamehameha beam went off simultaneously, the golden beam of the Saya-jin blasting right up the middle of the red energy beam of Onslaught, and hitting him right between his eyes.
The resulting explosion was heard throughout the city, though Onslaught's body didn't have much energy left to do any real damage, it still shattered windows for blocks and cracked the paint on the hospital.
A week later found everyone in good spirits. All the Scouts except Lita, Darien, Logan, Goku and Vegeta all stood in Serena's hospital room, awaiting the removal of her bandages.
"I'm all nervous now" Serena exclaimed as the Doctor started cutting the bandages in the back of her head.
"Yeah, don't cut those meatballs off her head there doc." Darien ribbed, laughing.
Serena scowled, but sat still, waiting for the doctor to finish.
"Now, it will take a few seconds for your eyes to adjust at first, and you may still see everything blurry as well."
"I understand Doctor." She said, sighing softly.
The doctor soon finished, and everyone waited to see what would unfold. Serena blinked, and rubbed her eyes carefully for a minute, and then, she opened them.
There was a blur, a mirage of color and light. Darkness and shapes. Then, she smiled as she surveyed her circle of friends. locking on Darien's face.
"Darien!" she grabbed him in a massive hug, which he gladly returned, tears running down both of their faces as they held each other.
Suddenly, Serena opened her teary eyes, letting go of Darien and looking around.
"Lita." she said, and Darien understood.
"Doctor, can she..."
"Yes, She can go see her friends, IF you keep her in a wheelchair, she's still going to be in the hospital a few more days, and I'm not going to have her aggravating those new injuries."
Serena smiled, and Darien and the doctor left to go get a wheelchair for Serena, and she spent the time talking to her friends.
Later, after Goku and Vegeta left, and Logan disappeared somewhere, Serena was wheeled into Lita's room, who sat propped up in bed, bandages on her head and looking peaceful in her sleep.
"Looks like she's asleep, Serena." Darien said.
"That's OK, I just want to sit here a while." Serena said.
"OK, I'll leave you two alone." Darien said, kissing her softly on the cheek and leaving quietly.
Serena sat quietly, holding Lita's hand and talking to her as if she was listening.
"...and then, I got the bandages of this morning." she finished, sighing. "I just wish you were there."
Lita smiled then, and Serena's heart jumped in joy.
"Guess I missed the fun, eh Serena?"
Serena just cried, holding Lita's hand and laughing all at once.
"Looks like things are gonna get back to normal around here." The shadow looked on, smiling, soon disappearing as he came, silently and without notice.
A week later, Serena and all her friends sat around an overstuffed Thanksgiving table. Everyone was there, Molly, Lita, Meena, Amy, Rei, Serena, Darien, Serena's parents, even Melvin was there.
"Well, it's a week late." Serena's mother said, smiling. "But at least we're all together."
"Here here!" Serena's father said, raising his glass.
Darien rose, holding up his glass. "I'd like to propose a toast."
Everyone except Amy and Rei rose, understandable due to their still healing injuries.
"Here's to being together..." he paused a moment. "and never being alone." he smiled, looking at the little girl, who smiled in return.
Serena was the first to agree with that, and everyone drunk to that... even if it was only chocolate milk.