AN: Whew! This was a difficult chapter to write. But I finally got it done. Thanks to all the reviewers for all the reviews and encouragement. You don't realize how much it helped me write this chapter. Enjoy!

Disclaimer: I do not own Sailor Moon.

Chapter 31

*A few moments before the white light enveloped everyone Mercury's POV*

Across the park area all the scouts were engaged in battle trying to fend off the original youma, with little success. Sailor Moon was out of commission when they had arrived and with Sailor Mars recovering, they were without her power of fire.

Mercury did not like any of the statistics that were continually popping up in her screen. It showed too many holes and not enough good scenarios that they could pull, off, in order to come out the victors in this battle. Two scouts were out of commission.

Half of their numbers were youthful and the other half old and slow including her. Scientifically her Mercurian brain screamed it was intellectually impossible for her fellow scouts to be young again. However when factoring in magic, their Silver Millennium past, and the fact they battled strange creatures on a daily basis; only further gave evidence that scientifically or not, unexplainable things just happen and you have to deal with what fate dished out. Mercury's blue eyes narrowed in concentration. She would find the answer to all her questions, after all every problem has a solution. She sometimes found answers to problems come after a fresh re-start. Mercury closed her eyes for a moment and took a deep breath in clearing her mind. However in the calmness of the moment, like a flowing river changing course something other than her mind spoke back to her. With an new understanding she smiled, opened her eyes, and began to type a little slower into her computer. "Aha! Interesting..."

Tuxedo Mask's eyes were gleaming with rage as he continued to assault Jadeite with punches and blocking oncoming attacks.

"Let's make this easier. You stand still and I will let you die quickly." Jadeite lunged forward towards the masked hero.

Tuxedo Mask dodged Jadeite flipping his cape around to temporarily blind the general. "I don't think you have had enough from me quite yet." He then grabbed the general from behind gripping him tightly in a headlock. They both struggled, but Tuxedo's grip was firm on Jadeite.

Suddenly Jadeite stopped struggling in his grasp and began chuckling while looking across the way towards the wooded area where Sailor Moon lay. "Looks like my additional youma will make easy prey of your precious moon brat."

Tuxedo Mask gaze followed where Jadeite was looking. "NO!" he yelled shoving the general aside. As he raced towards her he realized he would not make it in time before the youma would get at her. He cursed at his inability to get to her, when at the last second he spotted Jupiter block the youma's attack.

Sailor Mercury continued to type away on her computer trying to find anything that could slow the enemy down enough to give them chance to change the situation around. She had made some progress but it was not going as fast as she would have normally liked. Suddenly a warning popped up on her screen and watched as Jupiter's vitals pop up on her screen and slowly decline into the red zone.

Everyone froze watching the emotionally charged scene play between Moon and Jupiter, they waited with baited breath.

However the wood youma that had attacked them inched its way closer, oblivious to the hysterical Princess who was pleading with her fallen friend. Its sharp arms were ready to attack them once more.

A sharp beep in Mercury's visor woke her from the stillness that had affected all of them. She seemed to be the only one aware of the impending second attack. Uncharacteristically Mercury threw her open compact computer to the ground which was still going through its calculations and ran over to Jupiter and Moon to stand in between. "I won't let you hurt my friends anymore!" Although she was facing the monster she spoke loud and directed it to Jadeite. "You may think you have the advantage, and my calculations on my computer may say that all final outcomes of this battle will end in a small victory for the Negaverse. However I have learned something recently which took me nearly a lifetime to figure out and it was not my intelligence or extensive research that gave me the answer. My life has consisted of burying my nose in books and ignoring the world around me in order to gain more intelligence. I have always though being the smartest would be the only way to be successful in life. Intelligence is power; however it is not the greatest power one can attain. I never had friends until one girl ignoring all the rumors that surrounded me introduced herself. She was the one who taught me to appreciate looking at the world around me rather than through the pages of a book."

"Although being smart is good; sometimes smart people make huge mistakes and their intellectual pride get in the way of the truth. My intellectual snobbery took my friend away. However I have learned through quiet understanding, forgiveness, through good and bad times. Loyalty and friendship from her has shown me the greatest wealth and knowledge one can have. The last thing I have to say is: Mercury Aqua Mirage!" She sent the new attack towards the wood youma blasting it apart.

Mercury's victory was short lived when she heard the slowing bleeping sound coming from her discarded computer a few feet away. Jupiter's vital signs bleeped out of existence. The bright light exploded blinding everyone.

The bright light would not fade away; it was if time stood still. Several minutes passed by when the cloaked figure from the woods emerged and walked through the white expanse and stopped when a time rift opened up a few feet in front of them. The garnet rod appeared through the rift followed by the scout of time Sailor Pluto.

Sailor Pluto was not impressed with the cloaked person. Although her frustration did not show on her face the tone of her voice said otherwise, "You should not be here. You are interfering with something you have no power to control."

A squeaky voice spoke from under the hood "See I told you not to do it. I knew we would get in trouble."

The hooded figure let out a huff of breath while flinging the hood of their head, ruby red eyes rolling in annoyance towards her right shoulder. Directing her answer to the scout of time, "I thought it was very taboo to stop time?"

"It is. However I did not create this time anomaly and that is why I came to investigate and find you here."

The squeaky voice piped up again "We are in so much trouble!"

"Diana put a sock in it!" The once hooded figure exclaimed.

Pluto had already known the identity of the cloaked figure. It however did not make her any less agitated at the current predicament. "Small Lady, what is the meaning of your interference?"

"You have been gone from Crystal Tokyo for a while since you went on your top secret mission. Strange things have been happening enough to drastically change the entire face of Crystal Tokyo. I came to investigate and saw that things are really messed up. I mean come on Crystal Tokyo and all the scouts have not aged for thousands of years, and here there are little old ladies way past their prime running around in short skirts. While the other half are youthful. It's ridiculous! I was making sure my future won't be compromised any more than it is."

"You worry too much little one. Things are quite different in this time however it will work out. I also believe that although you love your mother the way she is now in the 30th century. She has changed much in this, time and for good. Now come with me. The anomaly is almost done fixing itself. I would like if you would not further interfere with this timeline at the moment. They have some things to sort through and adding you into the mix might prevent some significant events from happening."

Rini followed behind Pluto as they left through the rift, "Aww really? Alright, but I could so kick Beryl's butt!"

What they did not notice is a pair of blue eyes had witnessed their entire interaction afar beneath the trees.

The light began to fade around the area and time began to flow correctly. Sailor Moon's gaze was focused outward as she stared at the spot the two additional people appeared and disappeared. She could tell that one of the figures wore a uniform similar to her sailor suit however the other was cloaked. Who were they?

For a few moments silence is heard all around, everyone's eyes come back into focus. Sailor Mercury blinked the light spots from her eyes. Jupiter moaned, and then gasped for air. All eyes were on Jupiter, as she slowly sat up. "Hey guys! What did I miss?"

The silver haired princess gasped and stared down at her friend. Who was fully healed and looked better than ever "Jupiter!" She hugged her friend with the arm she held around Jupiter.

Mercury rushed to their sides still worried, as she felt her eyes were playing tricks on her. "Jupiter, how do you feel?"

The lightning scout laughed. "Hey! Moon stop mauling me I am alive aren't I." She sat herself up more and began to lift herself up to stand. "I feel better than ever. It's like I have been super charged with energy."

Mercury smiled at her friends, "Well according to my observations. You should be feeling 100% since it looks like the same reverse-age effect has now affected you. You are now equivalent to a high school age."

"What? No way! This is awesome." Jupiter was now standing testing her revitalized strength. "I really did miss my younger body and how easy it was to move around rather than have an achy back. I feel great."

Mercury smiled "Looks like our numbers have changed to better odds. Somehow the white light has completely destroyed the two youma; and our group dynamics have changed to three young scouts and the two old ladies of me and Mars."

Venus walked over picking up Mercury's computer that had continued to analyze everything while she had dropped it to help out Moon and Jupiter. "Mercury I am defiantly no genius, but you have made a couple miscalculations in your analysis." She gave the Mercury computer to her.

Mercury glanced down at the computer which was still calculating and analyzing, finding nothing out of the ordinary. "I don't see what you mean; my computer says everything is normal."

Venus gave Mercury a 'you're the genius, are you kidding me look' while flippantly waving her hand over the computer as to say put it away it's not needed.

The blue haired scout put it in her subspace pocket, and gave the scout of love a pointed look as if to say get on with it.

Venus's corner of her mouth twitched, "Here maybe this will clarify at least one of your wrong observations." She pulled out a small mirror and shoved it into her friend's hand.

Mercury stared at the small mirror. "I don't see what is wrong. Why do I need a mirror any…GREAT APOLLODORUS KUIPER CALLORIS MERCURIARTIS! I am young!" She shoved the mirror back at Venus breathing heavily at the shock she received.

All the scouts including Tuxedo Mask laughed at her reaction.

Mercury was able to compose her erratic feelings and calmed down. "So Venus, what is the second observation I apparently missed? I am hoping this one won't give me a heart attack like the last one just nearly did."

Venus broke into a sly smile which to all of her friends never meant anything good. "I don't know about any of you, but I think Jadeite might be out of commission for a while due to shock. He has been standing there looking like he is going to faint." She then gestured to the area where Jadeite was staring which was right next to where Sailor Moon sat.

Sitting not too far away next to the princess she had been holding a hand. The owner to the hand looked quite calm if not a little annoyed as if they had been abruptly awoken during a nap sat Nephrite.

Yay! Another Chapter done! You know the drill. Hopefully the next chapter will come out easier.