I definitely don't own Sailor Moon. Please don't report me, this just came off the top of my head while I was stressing myself out over the course of Exam Week. Hope you enjoy!

I had been feeling depressed for a while now… what with how my life has been like up until now. At the beginning, it was only because I was bad at studying, and the constant insults and berating from my entire family. It hadn't been that bad, since I friends who I could turn to when I started feeling truly terrible about myself. However, after I took on the mantle as Sailor Moon, I had to stop speaking to them. I had thought that I would be able to turn to the other Scouts, but as the years passed I found that they didn't want to be my friends, they were only there to protect the Earth, not me.

The stress of being Sailor Moon combined with my flagging self confidence had been weighing on me for way too long. Having to purify and or kill living beings since I was fourteen years old? Not to mention finding the man I'm going to have to marry, have an existential crisis as I contemplate what that means, defeat a woman from our past lives who has the hots for said soul mate, be the leader to a group of girls who are supposed to help me defeat said lady, all the while still maintaining my life as a teenaged girl and not letting on that I'm actually a crime fighting super hero at night was a lot. And that was only during her first year as Sailor Moon.

It has been almost four years now, and still the girls who were supposed to help me were degrading and insulting me, nearly dehumanizing me to my face. I was starting to get tired of this, even my so-called 'soul mate,' agreed with them, telling me that I am not good enough for him, nor am I good enough as who I am. Maybe that's true, but do they really have to say it so often, do they have to point out her flaws so often?

My daughter has become my best friend, which had become an ongoing joke between the two of us. Talking about the little girl, she had just jumped on my bed and tackled me into a hug. Sure, we'd had a rough start, what with her having a crush on her father, but we had worked through it and now she was my closest person.

"Sweetheart, you know you shouldn't jump on the bed." I mock scold her before tackling her into a tickle fight. "The tickle monster might just wake up!" She giggled as I mercilessly tickled her into submission before I picked her up in a football hold and started running down the stairs. "And now we shall break our fast!" Rini was still giggling as I carried her down the stairs, my parents laughing as they took in our joy while Sammy rolled his eyes, but he couldn't help the small smile pulling at his lips.

The day was going okay so far, the only reason that I was still trying to live was for Rini. I want her to exist, to live the life that I couldn't where she didn't have to be concerned that her friends only liked her because they had to, that her boyfriend was only with her out of a sense of duty rather than actual love. I wanted her to live freely and happily, but that wouldn't happen if I died. Over my stint as Sailor Moon, I had grown up even if the girls and Darien hadn't noticed it.

"Serena, you should come with me!" Rini yelled at me, shocking me out of my reverie. I smiled patiently at her, and lightly tapped her nose with a finger. Honestly, I had been getting better at acting mature, and I wasn't as bad at being coordinated anymore, truly being Sailor Moon had helped. According to my mother, I seemed to glide across the ground these days, which I think truly showed how much I've grown in these few years. I nod my head and allow her to take the lead, before stopping dead as I realize where she had decided to go- the Crown Arcade, where my Scouts were supposed to meet. I sighed before creating my façade and entering behind Rini.

Only to stop dead as I heard what the girls and Darien were discussing in this unplanned meeting. "She's still such a disgrace, how the hell did she manage to become the Queen of the Silver Millenium?" Ray snarked, the other girls and Darien agreeing with her. "I mean, she can't even walk straight without crying. When will she grow up?"

"I agree, it's been four years, she should have matured by now." Amy stated as if it was a fact. Yeah right, you were fangirling over the Starlights not too long ago before they had to return to their planet with their princess. "How do you put up with her Darien?" Amy asked, turning towards the Terran prince.

"I don't, I've been having my own relationships without her noticing the entire time. She's just too immature the way she is right now, and I have a right to experience other relationships before I have to marry her and have Rini." Darien said flippantly, as if he were just stating a fact. This hurt me incredibly, he had been cheating on me this entire time? Was that why he had been late to so many dates? Had cancelled so many plans, told me not to visit him on certain days, everything, had been so he could have other relationships?

"Really, we should just kick her out of the Scouts. She's the princess, we don't need her and more often than not she just gets in the way!" Lita complained, her arms flailing slightly as she slumped back against the booth. Andrew looked angry at the words that were being said about his friend, and almost younger sister, and was about to confront him before he saw Rini and Serena standing there in the entry way. Serena brought up a shaking hand to her lips, telling him to stay quiet as they listened.

"I agree, and as the true leader of the Scouts, I say we put it to a vote." Mina announced, not noticing that most of the Arcade was now glaring at them and listening to what they were saying. "All who think we should kick Serena out of the group, say Aye." Mina told them, and with a resounding 'Aye' the motion was passed. The other patrons of the Arcade had started spreading the word, telling their friends about the news; if these girls and Darien weren't Serena's friends, they didn't have to be nice to them anymore.

To be quite honest, many of the people in Juuban hated the girls and Darien for their attitudes, Mina's constant bemoaning of how she couldn't find a boyfriend, and then flirting shamelessly with any remotely attractive male. Lita was honestly too quick to hitting for anyone to like her, and too strong since when she hit people it more often than not caused them to bruise badly at the very least. Ray was just to uptight and strict for people to like, her proud and argumentative nature distancing her from people. Amy was simply too much of a smart aleck, constantly trying to correct people when she didn't agree with them or trying to change their mind until they agreed with her.

And Darien- well, they had a list on why they didn't like Darien. First of all, his clothes, who dresses like that? Every outfit people had seen him in were things not even the blind would be seen in! Second of all, he had bullied Serena since she was fourteen and accidentally bumped into him on her way to school, which really? It's a girl that's about three years younger than you, it's not that painful, and she's the one who ended up falling onto the cement! There was more, but you get the gist. He was terrible!

However, I still felt like I was about to cry, they were my friends, my closest friends in my past life, and in my future as Neo Queen Serenity, this was truly the darkest betrayal and most hurtful thing they could do to me. Rini looked like she was about to cry as well, and I was suddenly scared, what would happen now? I pulled out my communicator and called Trista as fast as I could. I guess my urgent tone caught the attention of the- these traitors since they turned towards me while I ran to the crying Rini. "Trista, I need you here now!" I commanded as quickly as soon as I could. I picked up Rini and ran into the park, where I knew that Pluto could meet us without the threat of civilians seeing us. "Meet us in the park, it's a true emergency." I quickly got her confirmation before I saw her open the portal to the gates, in which I quickly jumped into, Rini still in my arms.

"Trista, please, keep Rini here." I pleaded as I saw the traitors running after me. "They- They lied to me Pluto, they have betrayed me. I cannot trust them, I hereby instate the outer Scouts as my protectors until further notice as is my right as the ruler of the Silver Millenium, Princess Serenity." I called out quickly and with authority. As the traitors closed in on the gate, I stared them in the eyes as I analyzed them.

"Serena, please don't do this. You know you can't beat us, just come back and listen to us before we have to use force." Darien said with arrogance as he pomp as he stared at me, with Trista and Rini behind me. I had to shake my head as I stared at them, with their self righteousness was so distasteful I couldn't look at them.

"Wow, just wow. I honestly thought you were all smarter than this, Selene you all call me the idiot!" I allow the ice that had imbedded itself to my very core to seep into my voice, I see the traitors shiver as my voice changes the atmosphere of the park, everything suddenly seeming so much darker, and despite it being day it felt as if the park were suddenly shrouded in shadows. "I am sorry, daughter, but this time they have betrayed not only me, but the future as well." Rini had tears in her eyes but nodded in agreement. "You will remain in the Gate with Sailor Pluto until we can ascertain the existence of the Silver Millennium." I told her, stepping into the Gate, hugging her one last time before Trista had to close it.

"What have you done?" Ray screeched, my god was she always this annoying? I sigh once again, I was so tired of this routine we complete every time we meet altogether. I start to remove my Sailor Scouts materials, the Luna Pen, the Broach with the Silver Imperium Crystal removed, the Moon Wand, all of it I removed from my pocket space and simply drop it on the ground. I remove the Star Locket from around my neck and walk to stop in front of Darien, then place it in his hand, allowing my sleeve to pull back slightly so he can see some of the cuts on my wrists. Yes, I had been cutting for a while now- to punish myself for never being good enough, for anyone.

"We're over." I told him softly, not allowing my heart break to be heard. "Go ahead and sample all those other women you want, I will not hold you back any longer. I free you, Darien Shields, from your past life's promise to me."

I quietly looked away and continued to the other Scouts stopping in front of Venus. "I hereby quit the Sailor Scouts, you will not be hearing from me, nor will you contact me about Scout business." I closed my eyes and took a deep breath before opening my silvery blue eyes to the world, the golden moon flaring on my forehead as I become Princess Serenity once more. "You are all hereby relieved of your duty as my protectors, you have dishonoured not only yourselves but your planets Princesses of the Inner Planets. The outer Scouts, Uranus, Neptune and Saturn shall be taking over as my protectors until further notice."

I de-transformed and the outer Scouts appeared in front of me before each taking a knee in front of me, saying 'Princess,' to greet me. "Raise your heads, my faithful warriors." I told them smiling slightly at their formality when addressing. "Do you accept the responsibility as my protectors?" I asked them.

With a quick look between each other, at once the three of them nodded and said "Yes, my Princess." I could not repress my smile any longer, though it did have a tinge of sadness in it as I thought about why I had to do this in the first place. "Come, we shall depart." I told them before I left, them tailing me while the Inner Scouts gaped at what had just happened.

It was time to start getting serious.