AN: this chapter might be a wee bit tedious but please bear with it as it is crucial to the story thanx ;)

Chapter1; What the Hell

Serena lifted her head the world around her was blurred, she scrunched her face as a bolt of pain cracked through her head like thunder, strange thing; she didn't remember drinking. What happened she thought. She sat bolt upright. Her eyes glazed over;

Frenzy of light, the colours of her scouts fukus. a power surging through her, pulsing the silver imperium crystal. Destroying that youma like it wasn't even there.

It had been far more powerful than anything she had ever felt, unnervingly powerful, even more powerful than when she used the imperium silver crystal. She suddenly became aware of where she was or the lack of knowledge of where she was to be more precise. She swung her head from left to right, as a slap of fear forced her heart to beat harder and faster and her breath to became shallower. The world around her was white, it seemed to go on forever, there were no boundaries just and endless realm of white. Her hands splayed out over the floor that she was sitting on; it was cold and hard, it too was white.

The other sailor scouts were scattered around her looking like corpses, each began to stir. An explosion of fear tensed every muscle in Serena's body! she heard voices, what sounded like a thick Russian accent. She scrabbled to her feet and ran to her nearest friend; she fell to her knees by the lifeless girls side " Mina wake up!" she whispered violently in her ear while shaking her as hard as she could.

Serena turned and looked up. She froze. Her breath caught in her throat. A figure stood over her bearing a small clinking bag. Nearly 7ft tall. Serena's heart thumped harder in her chest." your awake princess" it said in the apparent Russian accent "good". The figure looked like a werecat, it stood on two legs but they were like the hind legs of a cat, it had human arms and shoulders but its face was pointed once again like a cats, its eyes were a deep blue, it was a sunny yellow with a white stomach.

Serena clung to her groggy friend. The creature held out a four fingered had with a think guard upon its forearm, "Do not fear me princess". Serena's tear ducts burned for she did fear this creature. A cold sweat broke upon her forehead. She held fast.

Something began to glow behind the creature. Serena opened her moth to scream but in her paralysis only air escaped. The glow grew more intense as it came closer. Serena could hear her heart beat in her ears, her knuckles turned white as she clenched her friends sleeve so tight. the glow took form; a woman. The creature turned towards the glow. "Mother" Serena gasped.

Serenity stood where the intense glow had been. " Don't be frightened darling" the queen opened her arms. Relief flowed through Serena's body like a river, cooling her flustered cheeks and calming the beat of her heart. She scrambled to find her feet and ran into her mothers open arms, Queen serenity softly closed them over the fragile frame of her daughter.

Raye looked up with groggy eyes "Serena, is that queen serenity?" Serena nodded in response, but made no sound. The other three scouts rose rubbing their sleep encrusted eyes, " You know Raye" slurred Lita "I think it is" she starred unceremoniously at the queen.

"Now girls," Queen serenity said sternly "I want you to listen to the gate keeper she has some very important things to tell you"

"What's-a-gate-keeper" Mina said drunkenly, having little control over the movement of her mouth

"She's the gate keeper" The queen pointed to the tall creature that terrified Serena so. On hearing this Serena's cheeks gained a slight red tinge.

The gate keeper raised her already high head, bowed it to queen serenity and said in her thick Russian accent "Something very strange happened to you girls, no?". Each of the inner senshi, now a little more awake, gained the appearance of deep thought. Ami slowly began to nod as the memories of the furious battle flooded her mind. "Those balls of light, remember?" said the gate keeper. Lita now shocked, her brow furrowed with concern said "What were they"

" They were crystals" the gate keeper paused waiting for the looks of confusion and incredulity to pass, she resumed " much like the silver imperium crystal, though not as powerful individually, but together your crystals have a power even greater than that of the silver imperium crystal though they are actually intended to be used with the imperium crystal so that together you wield a power so great its indescribable"

each scout was lost for words, how was it possible that there was any power greater than the silver imperium crystal, was it real that they wielded it. The gate keeper raised the arm that held the clinking bag. She poured its contents into her free hand. Four shiny crystals, one red, one orange, one green and the last blue. She walked over to the places where the scouts were sat and gave each their crystal. The scouts starred at the little gems in awe.

Queen serenity stepped forward her mere presence commanding respect and attention from every person in the room. Her eyes bore great concern, her lips taught she said "You are not yet aware of what the power of the crystals has awoken" she said sternly, pausing to collect herself. The Queen breathed deeply and continued " They have awoken your greatest adversaries to date, your opposites"

" I don't understand your majesty" said Mina

" They are your opposites and equals in every respect from powers, to choice of clothing, as good as you are they are evil"

"Ah, I understand, thanks majesty" Mina said shaking her head

Serena looked up at her mother, serenity looked down meeting her daughters curious eyes. "Do I have on of those opposites things"

serenity shook her head "No dear"

"Not that I'm complaining but why?"

"The truth is that I do not know" said Serenity. Serena nodded thoughtfully. Ami looked at the Queen puzzled and asked "Are they after the crystals highness". In response the queen once again nodded and said "The crystals represent the only way they can defeat you and the silver imperium crystal, if they faced you without them then you would all be locked in an eternal battle which would yield no victor"

The gate keeper once again raised her head, "You cannot go back to your home, because you cannot properly wield the power of the crystals yet and if they fall into hands of the enemy, everything may be destroyed"

All five scouts starred at her gravely. " Where do you propose we go?" said an angry Raye whose voice was intended to sting. The gate keeper turned to face Raye and gave her a frozen glare, enough at least to temporarily silence the fire senshi "To the other side of the universe, to a place where you can be taught to master your new power and a place where you can safe" the gate keepers voice held a slight bite.

" what about our families?" said a panicking Ami

" Clones will be sent to tend to your day to day duties, and do not worry we have enough fighters to be able to ward off any youma"

" We can never go home?" asked Lita unable to believe what she had just been told.

"No you will stay there until you have mastered the crystals and can defeat he enemy then you and your home will be safe" she said to Lita a little softer.

This seemed enough to satisfy the scouts they understood their duties to their home world. "Can we say goodbye" Lita asked hopefully. The gate keeper shook her head as though she could not bare to say the words. Lita nodded frowning.

"I have assigned each of you mentors, you will not be living far from one another." Said the gate keeper. At these words the scouts perked slightly. She turned to face Raye first "You will be with a man called Vegeta, his temper is worse than your own, he is the only one I felt that could contain you let alone train you he was your best match as he can push you harder than any of the others" Raye rolled her eyes.

The gate keeper then turned to Ami "You will be living in the same place as Raye because of his wife Bulma she will not be your mentor but instead will be a great opportunity for you to learn about robotics and that type of thing" she waved dismissively, but Ami's eyes lit like torches with excitement "Your mentor will be the young Gohan, he can offer you kindness and intelligence as I fear your confidence is easily knocked, and he is kind enough to care greatly"

She then turned to Lita " You will be living with Ami's Mentor but his father will be your Mentor, Goku, his name, is both powerful and irrepressible much like yourself but also his wife passed barely two years ago and I believe you will serve as a strong woman who can help in the home and aid in caring for his youngest son who desperately needs a mother figure" Lita nodded and shrugged

" Next you Mina, Your mentor will a man named Krillin he is much like you very sweet and supporting." Finally The gate keepers eyes turned upon Serena who, in turn, pointed at her chest and said "Me, I'm not going though am I" the gate keeper looked down and shook her head " Yes you are going otherwise you will be taken and tortured by the enemy until you either give up the location of he crystals or die" Serena eyes grew wide and tears began to pour from them in bucket fulls "Your mentors name is piccolo" yelled the gate keeper over Serena hysterical wailing.

When Serena had calmed slightly the gate keeper continued and said "You will learn a new way of fighting; harnessing your non magic powers as they have your ki this will make you stronger but also will aid you in the ability to control great power."

A girl laying upon the floor of a great hall stirred, she pulled herself to a seating position and rubbed her eyes. She was quite short at about 5ft, her hair was a deep brown, as were her eyes, she was slim and pretty. Her face was half illuminated by a soft purple glow that penetrated the halls deep gloom "Cut that crap Emaria" she said irritably.

The soft purple glow disappeared abruptly and light flooded over the grandeur of the hall. "killjoy" said a floating amethyst purple crescent shaped, rock; Though it appeared to be a rock truth actually dictated that it was a living entity that looked like a rock. "Child you are here for me to tell you your next mission" said the rock look-a-like called Emaria. "Great" said the girl sarcastically.

Emaria went on ton explain, at length, all about the sailor scouts predicament. She followed by saying " What am I supposed to do".

"You are supposed to watch them and their progress until they are done"

"Well at least I get to see my old friends"

"Go on go to them then" said Emaria

The girl scowled at the rock and dissappareted away.

The girl appeared in front of the sailor scouts. They all starred at her, she felt a three fingered hand upon her shoulder " It's been far too long friend" said the gate keeper.

"Aye that it has, that it has" she turned to face the gate keeper. " Shall we get going then"

"Don't you think you should introduce yourself first you will be working with them after all"

" Fine, fine."

Unwillingly the girl turned once again to face the sailor scouts "I am the child of darkness, don't worry I'm not evil that title was given because I was prophesised but they knew no more than my existence, it means lack of knowledge, no light on the situation type thing. My real name is Ash Black and I will be your watcher, that is if you have any problems just talk to me no worries ok, now lets go." she said quickly, hurrying them along

She held out her hand and a great portal opened behind the scouts making Ami jump. The scouts all stood with a reassuring nod from queen serenity. All looked truly sombre. Raye, Loosing her will to fight it obeyed as she held Mina while she wept with tears escaping her own eyes. Lita, though not crying, stood silent, grinding her teeth while attempting desperately to hold back her torrent of sadness. Ami feeling hollow bit her lip trying not to sob.

Ash looked over the terribly moving sight and raised an eyebrow. She had herself known pain far worse than this they were returning, in her mind this fact alone would take away any sadness but none the less she was not heartless so she said " I know it seems hard but you will enjoy this experience more than you know, and at any rate you will return having saved your loved ones" The scouts and were a little lifted but none the less still they were still very upset.

Ash walked forward, she signalled for the senshi to follow and together they walked through the portal. Serena stayed behind and clung to her mother. "Serena my love its time for you to leave". Serena reluctantly separated herself from her mother and nodded. She turned towards the portal and walked while she still had the strength to do so. She entered and it disappeared behind her.