Cold, pale flakes brushed against her cheek and she turned her face to the sky. She laughed with her arms out to the side. Tears dripped down her jaw and soaked into her warm, woolen scarf.
People all around her, who at one time would have looked at her and shook their heads, laughed with her. A small breeze danced with the tiny silver snowflakes from person to person and no one could turn their head in reproach.
The petite girl twirled in circles as the snow fell ever faster around her feet. Reality, still tinged with excitement, set in slowly as she began the short trek to the Shrine. Eagerness quickened her pace and she was at the Shrine in minutes.
The others were already there, cups of tea in hand – scarves and jackets piled in the corner. She smiled broadly and Rei rolled her eyes.
"Well sit down. You're late, so don't complain when your tea is cold."
She sat at the low table and grabbed the cup of tea before her. She took a large gulp before hastily dropping the cup back onto the table. "Itai! It burned my tongue!"
Rei rolled her eyes again, but it was Ami who patted her knee and smiled kindly. "Mina-chan, just because it was going to get cold didn't mean that it was already."
Minako glared at Rei before taking a more civilized sip of her tea. "Well, you could've warned me."
"Like we could have said anything," Rei replied.
Minako shifted her weight before stretching her legs out before her. "I guess we're all here. Should we start?"
Nobody mentioned the unoccupied space.
Makoto nodded. "Yeah, let's begin." She looked to the other three. "What should we start with?"
There was silence for a moment before Ami softly noted, "It snowed today."
More silence.
Their heads bowed, Makoto suddenly broke into happy tears. "And she always said when it snowed we would know."
Minako frowned, though her own happy tears shimmered brightly. "But she never told us what we would know."
"Baka, open your eyes. It's so obvious." Rei shook her head and long strands of black hair floated around her face. "She's coming back. She's ascending."
Minako narrowed her eyes at Rei. "Well excuse me, I just don't understand."
"She will ascend through the Second Ice Age; the coming of Crystal Tokyo is upon us," Ami's quiet voice replied. "This is the beginning of the end, and with the end of this age will be one of the brightest beginnings of all."
Minako swallowed a lump in her throat. "How could she know?"
"She was wise, even as she was a child."
Four sets of eyes snapped to the doorway – there stood the ever-elusive Outer Senshi.
Sailor Pluto stood before them all in full uniform and her key-staff in her left hand. A bright light flashed and she de-transformed into a stylish dress-suit. She stepped elegantly into the room and Haruka strode in behind her, grinning boyishly.
"Hey, guys."
Michiru held her lover's hand and Hotaru walking in behind them.
A sudden flurry of motion coincided with their entrance as everyone hugged and greeted each other.
The activity subsided even though the emotion didn't. Smiles wreathed each face as they each took a seat in the crowded room.
Nobody mentioned the empty space.
Minako was breathless with excitement as she regarded each of her friends. "Okay, so the snow has fallen and everything – when's she going to get here?"
Everyone turned to Setsuna who merely looked back at them. "I do not know. The future is clouded to me."
The enthusiasm within the room noticeably declined as they each realized that Usagi had never actually told them she would be back when it snowed.
"Then what did she mean?" Makoto seemed dejected, almost as if she had lost Usagi all over again.
Eight Senshi looked from one to another without an answer when Rei's head snapped around, eyes narrowed and crackling with latent energy.
One by one, senses snapped into place, sorrow pushed aside, and the energy in the room rose to unbearable heights.
Rei voiced what they already knew. "Youma in the park."
And it was almost like old times as they henshined and ran the familiar path to their beloved park.
"Couldn't they attack somewhere other than the damned park?" Makoto muttered.
Michiru grimaced. "We should be grateful that it's such a large place. There's less of a chance for civilian casualties."
The concrete was hard under their feet and Minako could see her breath in the cold, night air. A stitch started to grow in her side and she almost complained when Usagi's voice sounded clearly in her mind. "Come on Mina-chan. We run farther than this to school everyday, the park isn't that far away."
The stitch in her side melted away and she looked to her side, but all she saw was Ami breathing hard beside her. She suddenly wondered if anyone else heard Usagi. She opened her mouth to voice her question when Usagi spoke to her again.
"Mina-chan, don't waste your breath on questions about me. Encourage them, you are the leader. You always were."
Minako's heart wrenched at those very Usagi-like words. She wondered if she was going crazy, but she looked inside herself and found the energy to lead as she had been taught a thousand years ago.
"Let's go guys, it's not too far now!"
Ami's face jerked to hers but she said nothing, merely nodding and pushing herself harder.
The park was fairly well-lit with moonlight and Minako sent a silent prayer of thanks to Serenity.
It seemed to be peaceful, but distant screams drew their attention and they nodded grimly to each other before heading towards the youma. After all of the strangest and weirdest youma possible, what they encountered was surprisingly human-looking.
His hands – and it was undeniably a male – curled around a shovel which he had obviously been using as a weapon. A youthful green face with sad brown eyes stared at them as he growled at them. There the human appearance ended as his body seemed made of wax and his skin dripped onto the white snow with each passing moment.
He wore nothing but a loincloth as he dashed at the gaping Senshi, his tense muscles rippling with every movement.
Flames drove from his palms and at random Senshi before they recovered enough to begin to focus their own attacks.
Sailor Mercury activated her mini-laptop and began analyzing the enemy as Venus protected her.
"Venus Love-Me Chain!" The golden hearted chain wrapped around the youma's bicep before it broke off, the wax hardening as soon as it hit the ground. The youma's howl of pain made Venus grimace, especially when the arm flew up to reconnect at the severed area.
"Mars Flame Sniper!" An arrow of flame struck the youma and a piece of his leg melted.
Venus retreated with Mercury as the other Senshi sent attacks at the youma.
"You almost finished there, Merc?" she muttered.
Mercury didn't even look up. "Almost, almost."
Jupiter and Uranus' attacks hit the youma at the same time, his pain-filled cries never-ending.
Venus noticed that Pluto and Saturn stood to the side, neither helping. She almost yelled to them to help, when Mercury snapped her fingers and shouted excitedly, "Mars, you need to melt him!"
Venus wondered how she was supposed to achieve this, but ran back towards the battle. "We've got your back, Mars. Do what you need to do."
Mars acknowledged her with a nod before yelling her attack again and focusing all of her energy into maintaining a continuous flame.
Venus wrapped her chain around the youma's middle, as attacks from the other Senshi hit him and he crumbled bit by bit.
Venus closed her eyes and wondered how long she could stand like this, the heat of Mars' fire searing her body and sweat pouring down her face. A soothing breeze settled over her and she opened her eyes to see almost identical blue eyes staring softly at her.
She gasped and her attack dissolved into nothing. She didn't notice. A wry grin appeared on the face before her before disappearing. Venus reached out with her hand and stumbled forward, her senses clearing. She looked around and there was no motion.
Mars stood a few paces away, her hands on her knees, breathing hard. Mercury stood with Pluto and Saturn; Uranus and Neptune together. They all stared silently at the place the youma had stood, howling to its last breath.
The once-white snow was no more, scorched and dead brown grass lay all around them. Bits of wax floated in the air around them.
Venus shook herself. "Good job guys." Her voice was high and squeaky; Mars sent her a strange look. She cleared her throat before yelling out, "Good job guys. Let's go home and get some rest."
Jupiter nodded and de-transformed, walking wearily towards her apartment.
Slowly, they all began their trek home, their earlier excitement dulled with the knowledge that with the snow had not come their best friend, but another enemy.
With each successive attack came a more and more human-like youma. Their efforts together disposed of each youma easily enough, but it seemed almost as if they were murdering someone they should be trying to protect.
Minako told herself that even humans could be evil, but it still didn't feel right and the mysterious visions of Usagi hadn't come back to comfort her. Nor had the real Usagi made an appearance.
She stood on a walking bridge, only a few feet away from where the last youma knelt before her and the others on the icy pond and pleaded for forgiveness with malice in its eyes. She shuddered and wondered if this is what the regular human war was like – enemies asking for sanctuary even as they planned demise from the inside.
She walked home slowly, not wanting to speak with Artemis or Luna, when the familiar tingling sensation of a youma came over her. She turned around on exhausted legs and ran at towards the source of the evil.
She came to a stop in front of the Tsukino home. She gulped as she realized this, and closed her eyes, the moonlight soothing her and snow falling gently around her.
When she opened her eyes a girl with blonde hair pulled into the Royal Hairstyle walked out the front door.
This was cruel.
The girl smiled, but it was full of malevolence and her eyes brimming with hatred.
This was pain.
The sound of pounding footsteps came to a stop behind her and someone, she didn't know who, gasped.
"So it has finally come to this." The girl looked like Usagi. She sounded like Usagi. But something in her voice was harder, darker.
"This is the final test."
Tears soaked the collar of Minako's fuku. "What do you want from us?"
"This is the end."
Minako felt a hand settle on her shoulder, but she shrugged it off angrily. "We've defeated each youma you sent after us. Who are you? What do you want?"
A small smile curled the girl's lips. "Don't you recognize me?"
Behind her, Rei snarled, "You are nothing but a crap parody of our liege. You are nothing."
The girl frowned and snapped, "Wrong. I am everything. Now, fight." She transformed into Sailor Moon before their eyes and they all stared.
Neptune finally stepped forward, her mirror at the ready. "Evil being," she whispered, "be banished!"
The battle began and attacks came from every direction. Minako stood back and she knew something did not feel right. She gasped as she felt a breeze at her back and she turned to see Tuxedo Mask. His mouth curled into a sneer. "Long time no see, Sailor Venus."
She stepped backwards and his cane snapped forward, catching her behind the legs and she fell. He laughed then, cruel and mocking. "The famed leader of the Senshi is to be taken down by one move? How pathetic. Even Sailor Moon did better than that."
His words angered her. Tuxedo Mask would never mock Sailor Moon. Tuxedo Mask would never laugh at his beloved's protectors. This was not Tuxedo Mask.
That was not Sailor Moon.
And this really was the end.
She jumped to her feet. "Venus Love and Beauty Shock!" Tuxedo Mask stepped back and whirled his cane, absorbing the attack as best he could. She yelled her attack again and he slipped, the attack hitting him square on the chest.
He flew backwards landing against the black metal fence surrounding the Tsukino yard. "You bitch," he snarled.
He lunged at her and she jumped to the side, yelling, "Venus Love Me Chain!" Her chain wrapped around his neck and she pulled him close. "You are nothing. You are not Tuxedo Mask. That girl over there is not Sailor Moon."
Tears tracked down her face and she sobbed. "You aren't Mamoru and she isn't Usagi because they're dead."
Tuxedo Mask jerked backwards and time seemed to slow. Wind whipped around her face and she couldn't stop crying. Sailor Moon stood a couple steps away, her face red with rage.
Minako looked from Tuxedo Mask to Sailor Moon and knew she was right. She turned her back on Tuxedo Mask and addressed her fellow Senshi. "It was something we avoided. They're dead, and maybe they'll come back, but we've been living like their return is right now."
De-powering, she began the walk back home. "Sailor Moon, Tuxedo Mask, thank you for finally making me realize the truth." The words drifted backwards and time slowed once more. Before her stood Usagi with a smile once more. She jerked in surprise, slipped and fell, cursing her clumsiness and the snow. Behind her she heard gasps.
Usagi didn't seem to notice or care as she began to speak. "Minako-chan." She looked at the others. "Friends. You have endured much heartache and learned to keep your friendships even in difficult times. Even when fighting against apparitions of myself and Mamo-chan." A slight gust of wind blew and the dark presence of Sailor Moon and Tuxedo Mask disappeared.
"Continue to live and love. Never give up hope for your futures. We love you. We await you in Kami's arms."
She disappeared and Minako jumped forward. "Usagi-chan, wait!"
But she was already gone, snowflakes fluttering on the wind. Minako fell, her knees scraping on the concrete sidewalk.
Someone's hand grabbed her shoulder in comfort and she looked up with hope in her eyes. It was Ami, her own sad eyes blinking back tears. "She said we would know and now we do."
Minako nodded and stood. "Let's go home." She gave a quivering smile to the friends surrounding her. "It's cold and I want tea."