The Dark Side of the Moon

Disclaimer: I do not own any of the Sailor Moon and X-Men characters. Those are owned by their respective creators.

This story is dedicated to my grandmother, for she has always been my biggest fan for my writings.

Prologue

Serena sat on the green grass in the park near her home, beneath the swanging leaves of the willow. Its branches giving her a blotchy shade. The sun glistening off her like the shimmer from crystals. She was deep in thought about many different things. The biggest being her birthday in just a week and then two days later she leaves for America for a school in New York, leaving her friends behind. She watched as the butterfies and bees flitted from flower to flower and children ran around screaming with giggles and cheering as they played in teams. A soft look about her eyes as she saw a couple walking down the stone path, hand in hand. She remembered the walks she and Darien took, in the days that they were together. They ended their eight year relationship after he decided he wanted to study abroad, so he moved to California to study literature and fine arts. It tore at her heart each and every day since. An eight year relationship torn away by such a simple thing. She would have followed him but he would not allow her, telling her that her duty was to stay home and be the protector of this land. The scout of the moon. The Neo Queen of Tokyo. It was already discovered that he was not needed to be King for that destiny to be built. Though the truth was, he no longer loved her.

So she stopped fighting. She stopped believing. She stopped dreaming.

Chapter One: A Birthday to Remember

Raye and Serena jogged down the street towards Raye's temple. The temple that she inherited from her grandfather nearly two years passed. He had passed away from a heart attack in his sleep. It had been a bright and sunny morning when Raye had found her grandfather peacefully at rest beneath his sheets still in his pajamas. It was a sad day for all of the girls; Raye, Serena, Mina, Lita, and Amy. They laid him to rest the same day and Raye was given the temple from her grandfather's will. Now she ran everything from the martial arts classes to the charm shop. She and Serena slowed as they came to the stone steps and sat upon them, breathing heavily. They sat in silence for a few minutes as they caught their breath. Both girls were dressed in shorts and a sports bra. This was their evening exercise routine. Something the two of them started a year ago to keep up with their health and strength to fight, but the demons were attacking fewer and fewer each week to each month.

"Serena, tomorrow is your birthday, do you have any plans for that night?" Raye looked at her as she took a sip of her water that she carried as they jogged. Serena's expression went thoughtful. After a minute or two of silence from her she stood up and turned to Raye with a smile.

"Not a thing, want to head to a movie and dinner or even the beach. I haven't been there in awhile." Raye stood up after her and nodded her head in agreement.

"Alright come over tomorrow at seven and we'll go see the new Resident Evil movie coming out." They turned and walked up the stairs to the temple. "Are you and Mina coming over tonight for movies again and ramen?" They stepped into Raye's room and found their clothes and changed back into them.

"Not tonight, I'm heading over to my parents after I speak to my land lord to finish the final paper work and get my deposit back to add to the money saved for the trip to America." Serena slipped her shirt over her head and turned to Raye who was combing her hair.

"Are you scared?" Her voice was solem. Serena's eyes shadowed over. No one had asked her that yet. She thought about it for a minute.

"Yeah, I am. I mean I know it's only for a few years, but its still a scary thought. It's America. It'll be a new home. New people. New life." Serena's voice softened and Raye knew what was not too far from mind.

"He'll be on the other side of the country sweet heart. He doesn't even know you're going to the states. Everything will be fine."

"I know." Serena said goodbye to her best friend and headed out to her car. She drove back to her apartment to finish packing the last of her clothes and then headed to her land lord's house to finish the paper work and getting her money. She headed to her parents house and walked up the pathway where she heard her father calling for her mother to join him in the kitchen. She knocked on the door and her brother who had recently turned 18, answered the door. He gave her a big hug and let her into the kitchen where her mother greeted her with a kiss to the cheek and a hug from her father. They enjoyed dinner together and finished the night sitting in their living room enjoying the random different conversations.

"Oh before you go Serena, your father and I have a gift for you." Spoke her mother getting up from the recliner. Serena started to say they shouldn't have but the look Sammy gave her told her just to accept it and be happy. Her mother returned with a small envelope and handed it to her. She flipped it over and ripped open the white paper and took out the card. She read the cover and opened it to find a small plastic card slip out of it. Looking at the small credit card and then up at her parents, she started to question the gift but her father answered her before she could finish the thought in her own mind.

"Its an american bank card. We've been saving up for you for college, when we realized that your path lead down a different path we decided to do a bit of investing for you and Sammy. After you decided to go to America to help at that school, we decided to switch all of your money to an American bank so you can access the money easily."

"How much is there?" Serena asked softly. Her mother smiled.

"Nearly 30,000 in U.S. dollars. Your aunt and uncle and grandmother had a hand in it as well. Its a start. We don't know how things are in America but think that should help you for awhile, dear." Serena stood up and thanked her parents with a big hug and tears. Sammy stood up and gave her a hug as well. From his back pocket he pulled out another small gift and handed it to her.

"It's definitly not as big as their gift but its something I set up for you and dont tell me I shouldn't have. You're a pain in the ass big sister but a big sister none the less and you're leaving which means I'll have to miss you." Serena smiled at him and laughed as she realized how much he has grown up and she took the small wrapped gift from him. She unwrapped it and gave a big smile and a soft laugh. It was an ipod and as she scrolled through the playlists she saw that it was all her favorite music from concerts that she and Sammy snuck into to the music she was sure he heard her and the girls listening to in her room when she lived here. She even saw music that she didn't recognize.

"I threw in alot of American bands so that you could get used to their stuff. I thought it might help you incase you happen to come across someone who knows the music there and you two get into a conversation." She thanked him and gave him a big hug. They ended their night with a bit more conversation and a few more sodas. By eleven Serena was feeling extremely tired and wanted to get back to Lita's to get some sleep. She promised that she would be back for lunch the next day and to bring her stuff with her. She thanked them one more time before she left and headed out to her car.

She sat in her car for a minute before she put the key in the ignition. She pulled away from the curb and headed towards Lita's apartment. Luna was supposed to help Lita tonight with making records of all the enemies that they have encountered in the eight years that they've been fighting. The eight years of dying and then coming back and the loss and the gain. Eight years.

Serena sighed and took a right down a darkened road where she immediately stepped on the break as a dark figure ran across the road. It was under a lamp post so the light should have eluminated it but all she saw was a dark shadow. She pulled her car to the side of the road and jumped out, looking in the direction the shadow had gone. She seen the shadow dart back and forth behind trees moving further away. She took off after it. She went to contact the girls but thought against it not sensing any real danger. She followed it into the park and down a path that led into the small wooded area with an even smaller pond in the center. She continued to follow it down the dark path still darting in and out of the trees.

She raised her hand in the air with the moon crystal and called forth her transformation to Sailor Moon. When nothing happened she stopped dead and looked at the crystal and tried again. Again nothing. Cursing she took off a few more feet and stood in front of the pond. The moon shone through the trees giving the water a black and blue look. She spun around looking for the shadow but didn't see it any longer. She turned back to the water and sighed again. After a few minutes longer of standing there she walked back to her car and opened the driver door. Before she sat down she saw an object sitting on her seat. She slowly picked it up and turned the white peice of paper over and let out a gasp. It was a picture of her sitting in the park a week ago when she was underneath the willow. She looked up and scanned the area again and when she didn't see anything she got into her car and closed the door and locked it. She looked at the picture and finally noticed the writing on the other side of the picture. She turned on the light in her car so she could read it better.

golden hair of a beauty divine

streaks of rays to enterwine

around the face

of an angel of grace

Her hands shook as she stared at her picture again. Her face expressionless as she watched the people in the park. She dropped the picture in the seat next to her and started her car and took off towards Lita's.

"Serena! You're back. Good, maybe you can help us, we-" Lita's smile fell as she saw the grim look on her best friend's face. "What's wrong? Are you ok?" Lita jumped up and walked quickly to her and put her hands on Serena's shoulders and did a once over.

"I'm alright. Nothing bad happened. I was on my way here when something ran in front of my car. It was a shadow and it moved fast so I stopped and took after it. I lost it in the park. When I got back to my car I found this in my seat." She handed Lita the picture and Lita read it outloud.

"Sounds like you have an admirer." Lita handed the picture back.

"Someone was watching me in the park. To have them photograph me and then leave the picture in my car so I know that they were there after the fact. It's a bit weird." She took off her shoes and walked over to Lita's living room and sat down next to Luna who was watching her movements to make sure that she was convinced that she was ok.

"You only have three days left in Japan, sweet heart. This person can't follow you much longer." said Lita, sitting next to her on the floor. Luna walked on the table next to her and sat down in front of her.

"I'll be with you, all the fighting and bad will be behind us. It'll be a good break and if the girls need your help, you can transport back here. So dont worry about the person who took that picture." Spoke Luna looking her in the face. "Everything will be ok. Just you see."

Serena woke to the sun coming through the window. Luna was asleep next to her on her other pillow. She slipped out of the bed, careful not to stur her feline friend and walked into the bathroom. She passed Lita's room and peaked in. She was still asleep. Serena went to the bathroom and then walked into the kitchen. She turned on the coffee and then went into the living room and turned the tv on with the volume on low. Flipping through channels as she waited for the coffee to be made.

"Good morning birthday girl." Yawned Lita as she sat next to Serena on the floor. She was wearing as little as Serena. Shorts and a sports bra. It was warm in the mornings so there was no need to sweat and start the day feeling grimey, and seeing as they were both female, it didn't really matter much.

"Thanks Lita. Coffee should be ready soon." Serena turned on the movie they didn't finish from a few nights before and she and Lita sat finishing it while they drank their coffee. After the movie was done they took their turns sharing the one shower and getting ready.

"I'm gonna head over to my parents place now, you're welcome to join if you would like. I dont think they'll mind if you sit and enjoy lunch and family fun and picking on each other." said Serena as Lita had walked into the spare room that she was allowing Serena and Luna to stay. Lita smiled at her and shook her head. Lita's brown hair up in her regular ponytail, swayed as she did so. She was wearing a pale red tank top with a short green skirt with green high heeled ankle boots. Her favorite rose earrings finishing off the look.

"No I'm meeting with Amy at the library in an hour, she's going to help put all the information Luna and I worked on last night in order and fill in the missing peices. Amy wants to put it all in an archive so when Neo Tokyo is finally ready, we'll have all of the past at our finger tips." She smiled and hugged Serena goodbye. Serena turned and slipped on her flip flops. She was not about to go around walking in heels. She may have grown up and stopped crying like a child but her clumsy self certainly had a ways to go. She wore a simple sundress that looked flattering on her even though that was not the intention. She grew taller a bit, and her body filled out to a more womanly look, just as the rest of the girls. They were no longer children. Some of them were 22 and some of them were 21 yet but getting there. She wore her hair in the same style as always.

"Are you ready?" Luna sat on the bed behind her. Serena turned and nodded, picking up Luna and walking out.

She walked up the steps to her parent's house and knocked on the door. No one answered. She rang the doorbell and waited. Again no one answered. She turned and looked at her parents car in the driveway. Sammy's car was the only one missing. She turned back to the door and then looked at Luna. Luna just looked back at her.

"How much will you give me that they have something planned?" Serena said to her with the smirk. Luna just smiled back.

"Serena we're in back sweety." Her mother's voice came around the corner of the house. She followed the path around the corner and she stepped through the gate closing it behind her. Following the path around to the back she was greeted by her family and friends shouting all the same word at her.

"SUPRISE!" She beamed a smile at them and walked into the middle of the group and gave everyone a big hug and a smile. Raye and Sammy walked up to her and embraced her at the same time. Luna jumped off her shoulder and walked over to Artemis and Diana. They were lounging in the shade under the refreshment table. Diana was playing with a streamer that was dangling off. Diana was Rini's cat, but Rini had gone back to the future months ago. Diana came back now and again for visits. Rini was unable to under strict orders from Trista, the sailor scout of time.

The party went on for a few hours with laughter, smiles, jokes, and simple conversations unless you were talking to Amy. Amy and Serena's father got into conversations about American banking systems and the living situations of the second class people. Serena dove out of those conversation and moved into talking to Mina and Serena's mother about fashion. Raye, Lita and Sammy were talking about the martial arts classes at the temple. Artemis was on Mina's lap, Diana on Mrs. Tsukino's and Luna on her own. Each enjoying a good back scratch. The time slipped away and the sun slipped below the treeline.

Serena and the girls helped clean up the after party mess. After everything was cleaned up they said their goodbyes to the Tsukino family and headed to Raye's temple, they each took their own cars back. Luna and Diana sat in the passenger seat, Diana curled up next to Luna asleep. Serena looked at Luna and then back at the road. She had about 15 minutes before they were there.

"Luna, there's something wrong with the crystal." She told her guardian outright. Luna looked at her with a quizzical expression.

"What do you mean something wrong with the crystal?" Serena kept her eyes on the road.

"I mean it didn't work last night when I tried transforming into Sailor Moon." Luna gave a shocked look and then looked down. "Is there another stage to go through? Are my powers growing still?"

"Yes that's always a possibility, but nothing has happened to inflict such a change." They kept their voices low, as to not wake Diana. Serena waited for Luna to respond, when she didn't she continued.

"Could something be wrong?" She asked.

"No, no I dont believe so. No damange was done to it, but maybe you should have Amy do a scan just to make sure. Maybe the crystal itself is just exhausted and needs a break." Serena nodded and they drove the rest of the way in silence.

Raye, Amy and Mina were sitting on the temple steps when Serena and Luna walked up to them, Diana in her arms, still asleep. She handed Diana to Raye who cuddled her onto her lap. Diana seemed to be in a deep slumber as she had not even sturred in the transfer.

"Where is Lita?" asked Serena looking around. She gave a confused look as she saw Lita running up the sidewalk waving her right hand in the air. She was waving something at them. She slowed to a stop and gave them a big smile. They let her catch her breath first.

"I had to turn around and go back to the house, I forgot these with Sammy. He called me to tell me I had left them in his room." Lita handed them each a piece of paper with giant words on them and a small rectangular, thicker paper. The bigger one was a flyer for a concert that was going on tonight at the outdoor theater in the park. The smaller peices of paper were tickets to the show.

"TOKYO HOTEL!" Mina shouted. That woke Diana up with a start. Luna and Artemis both jumped up and off shoulder and lap to the ground. "Where did you get these? They have been sold out for weeks!" She was beeming her biggest smile.

"Sammy got them online for real cheap. He's going to be meeting us there with a few of his friends. If we hurry we can get up front." said Lita slowly backing away towards her car to motivate the other girls to go. Raye looked down at the cats.

"You three can go relax in the temple if you want. Bed is made with soft new pillows and the remote for the tv should be on the table." The cats meowed their appreciation and ran up the steps as the girls walked quickly to Lita's car and piled in.

There was definitely a crowd of screaming girls in the front of the stage waiting for Tokyo Hotel to start, but that wasn't for another hour. Sammy and his friends found the girls sitting on top of a nearby hill. It was decently close to the stage but not overly so. They didn't need to be near the stage to watch the show. They sure didn't want to have to fight with a bunch of drooling teenagers either.

"You found a nice spot." said Sammy sitting down next to his sister. It had been nearly two years since they've stopped fighting. They grew up alot and appreciated each others company. They both figured it was when they helped each other out. Sammy hadn't filled out into maturity yet and was being bullied. Serena had stuck up for him and even though she was bullied back he appreciated the gesture. Later he had helped her to cope with Darien leaving. They both hadn't realized how much they needed the other as family and so they grew out of the arguing and fighting and teasing each other. They respected each other.

"Girls, these are my friends Deryk, Andrew and Todd. Guys these are my sister's friends Lita, Amy, Raye and Mina." They exchanged greetings and chatted about the band for the remaining hour before the music started with a bang. They jumped up and cheered like everyone else. The night went on with cheers and screaming.

Well here's the end of the first chapter. I hope you all enjoyed it. Thank you so much for reading it. Please dont forget to leave reviews! :) I'd really like to hear what you think of my story. Please no flame reviews. I don't need to hear about how horrible you think it was, I didn't force you to read it or try and force you to like it. Anyways, if you have any suggestions for future chapters, those are welcome. Hope to see you all down thr road of the chapters.