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Beryl sat in the throne, the staff in her hand and her laugh reverberating in the dark room. The black and very much revealing dress was almost merged together with the blackness behind her. The Queens red hair was a beacon, informing of her place on the throne. One could feel her evil aura lurking around, but the five Senshi, standing in a small half moon circle not far from her, were not afraid. They have prepared to face the evil Queen in the Artic. It had been a long road to finally stand up against her in this battle.

They have just arrived in the Queens lair, through a portal in the Juban Park. Mercury's computer had picked up the negative energy leaking through, and found a way for the Senshi to open a doorway, big enough to travel to the unknown. Before that they have failed to find the Queens whereabouts. After they went through the portal, the computer signalled their current location to be the Artic. They didn't have to walk far, as only five minutes in the cold place they found themselves face to face with Beryl, in a vast but dark room. They could see the four Generals standing next to her, two on each side.

Sailor Moon was grateful that their fukus protected them from the cold, providing an invisible barrier for protection. Makes me feel like Superman. She thought. If only I would be as much as invincible. The fighter let out a silent sigh and prepared herself for a battle for the umpteen time in the last few minutes. She didn't like to fight. Having a goodhearted nature, she had it hard to kill something, even if they were draining energy from people and threatening Earth.

Both sides were certain on their victory. One would gain the complete dominance over the Planet. The other peace. It was the latter that fueled the fighting spirit for the young girls. Barely seventeen they had much to fight for in this darkness, and so much more to lose.

What the girls did not know was that Beryl had leaked the energy intentionally. She was prepared to get rid of the girls once and for all. No one should stand in her way, especially not some young brats. She had finally merged with Metaria and was ready more than ever. She had thought of a plan, a perfection and beauty in her opinion.

Beryl stood up and spoke, her voice booming throughout the room, she was the first one to speak. "Sorry, girls. But I will take this round. And everything with it…" The ending came out with a hiss, clearly letting the girls know how much she despised them.

"Just wait, you redhaired bitch!" Jupiter screamed, her hands forming fists, making her battle stance more noticeable. Beryl's smirk was replaced by pure anger, making the girls alarmed. Their auras were now almost visible to the naked eye.

Jupiter was encased in small lighting play, small crackles could be heard coming from her every time a lightning bolt went around her body, doing no harm to the girls. Mars let fire dance at the tips of her fingers, reddish colour waves dancing like fire around her from time to time. Small ice patches could be seen forming at the soles of Mercury's boots, cold blue water drops circling her. Venus's orange flashes were similar to Jupiter's lighting, but hers were more sharp and form making. Moon's was a warm light coming from her tiara and brooch, nothing showing her true nature or power.

"Ladies, I suggest we cut the light show short and say our final goodbyes!" With that she raised her staff and the four generals were immediately behind the four girls, leaving Moon looking to both sides, fear coming to her eyes. An understanding came to her. She was yanked forwards by the Queen's power, and landed painfully on the knees in front of her.

Beryl hand Moons hands tied to her back with the dark power, her body now turned around to face the Senshi and Generals. The girls had knives to their throats, already drawing lines of blood.

"NO!" Moon yelled and tried to stand up, but she was pressed back on the floor, Queens staff for pressed to her throat and she had to listen to Beryl's whispers, meant solely for her. "I have merged with the Metaria, the Chaos itself. I am now much more powerful than you think, it's impossible to beat me, not without your precious princess that you still have not found. Not to mention without the Silver crystal. Since, I presume, you have all the Shards, I will have them for myself."

Beryl raised her hand and all the Shards gathered in her palm. Even the ones Tuxedo Mask had, since he gave them to Sailor Moon before they left for battle. He was injured in the previous encounter they had with youmas, and was too weak to join them. The man was left behind to wait to their return, guarding the entrance to the portal.

Sailor Moon looked over her friends, each girl was taken hostage by a general. They arms pinned behind their backs and the knives still at their throats. It was visible now that the Generals have received their share of dark energy for the Beryl-Metaria formation. They were now emitting their own black auras. They are stronger now. It allowed them to take the girls. Moon thought and tried to free herself again, but Beryl was back to her ear again.

"You see, girl, with the help of Metaria I will be able to create the Black crystal, and then… Well I am sure you know what happens then. But first I will see you suffer." She raised up and started to laugh, the laugh hanging in the air with painful certainty.

Sailor Moon, still on her knees, helpless and restrained, looked at each of the girls. She thought of her family, the life she might not have in few moments. She thought of the girls and that they might not find their true love. Something they used to talk about after Senshi meetings or in sleepovers. Darien's rare smile flashed in her mind. Darien. "NOOO! STOP THIS!" She screamed, tears now running freely. But Beryl only laughed.

The girls looked back at her, each wearing the same expression. Regret. Regret of failing, regret of losing each other. They sensed the power coming from the Generals numbing their own. They saw the knife going up. They felt the knife sink into their flesh until the hilt.

The pain that came with it was almost unbearable. And there was a thought that was even more harder to bear – Moon had to see it all and not be able to do a thing. She was their ray of sunshine. She was friends with them not because they were all Senshi. Serena was friends with them because she cared.

Sure, it was easy to be friends and not hide being a Senshi, but Serena did not care about it. Despite the fact it was what made them meet each other, it was not the thing that allowed them befriend each other wholeheartedly. It was Serena's happy go lucky nature that allowed them to see past the darkness in their lives. To banish it. To make them feel alive again.

Rei was always considered to be a stuck-up bitch, while she only tried to find friends that did not know about her inheritance from her rich father, or that tried not to make their lives better because of it. They always laughed about her wanting to be a Priestess at the Shrine where she lived with the grandpa. Serena did not even know who her father was, she admired her for being true to her dream and taught her once again to smile.

Mina was daughter of a famous model. But her nature was to live the life to the fullest, not going from one scouting to another. She enjoyed being a model and singer, but not if it was a pressed matter from her peers or an expectancy from her parents. Serena taught her to say her parents the truth, and they understood her, allowing to only do modelling and singing as a hobby, not a means to earn money. Soon she received job offers because she was being herself and enjoyed her job. At the age of sixteen it was hard, but easier if you truly wanted it.

Lita was taller and stronger then rest of her classmates, especially girls. Being an orphan only made it worse, people did not understand her. Of course, she received reasonable amount of money from her deceased parents' fond, and so she went to karate and MMA lessons. That only made her even more scarier in front of her schoolmate, thus making her changes school too often while she was beating up bullies, but they always turned it around, making her the bully. But Serena found out about her love to cooking, something that Lita learned from her dad, a renowned chef, and even expressed her admiration that she was in such a great shape. Defending her on the first day at Juban High against bullies who tried to play the game on her again.

Amy was a very smart girl, and everyone cared only to befriend her to get help with homework. No one even tried to get to know her better. Being shy and quite in nature, she started to avoid people in general. When Serena had come to her after the first meeting as Senshi, she admitted she liked her hair and said, that if she didn't love her long blonde locks, she would cut it the same length she had. And not once did she mention to Amy about her being a genius, she just talked about random things like manga and favourite foods.

The five girls were in pain. Both physical and mental. Moon watched their bodies slump down, once freed from the Generals' grip.