When the Earth is Gone
By Catrina
Disclaimer: I own no part of these characters
A/N: Yes, this is another Starlight story, which means that Mamo-chan and Serenity are not together. Also note I do not have a beta for my stories, so I am sorry for any grammer and spelling mistakes, I can only read the story so many times before it all blurs together.
The pairings are the canon Starlight couples, Usagi and Seiya, Minako and Yaten, and Ami and Taiki. Hope that you all like. As always please let me know what you think and enjoy.
00-00-00-00
All the scouts knew that the earth was slowly dying. And Mamoru was slowly dying with it. Both facts created a sinking in their hearts that they couldn't begin to explain. They watched as the grass disappeared and the sky lost its bright blue color. Usagi looked out to the moon. Right now, the Outer scouts were with Mercury building an artificial Earth just like the one Moon Kingdom before it, and she would rule alone, just like her mother. Her Mamo-chan was dying slowly, and while she truly tried to be optimistic things, certain things couldn't be denied. One being Mamo-chan was dying. They all could see it and he was now living off the drugs that Mercury had given him. They were no longer sure how the earth was even holding on, when its guardian was barely alive. Jupiter, Venus, and Mars were with her, but Mercury would be back soon. They had to evacuate all the people, get them to the moon. Mercury and Venus had come up with a rotating plan that would get all the people up there in around a day, but the problem, was what to do with them when they all got up there. Right now the outers were working on non-permanent barracks that the people could live in. But the hard part was coming up for her. She still had to tell all her subjects tomorrow that the Earth was going to die and that they were moving, to the moon, which to her still seemed almost implausible. .
"Your Majesty!" A man rushed through the doors of the observatory. The man stood at attention, with his head respectively bowed to her. She often wondered if any of the staff had ever really seen her face.
"Yes." She turned to look at him pasting a fake smile on her pale face.
"Sailor Mercury is on vid-link one." He told her still not looking up at her.
"Thank you." he turned and left. She walked to the vid-link and opened the channel. Mercury's face was smiling on the screen waiting patently.
"Hello Usagi-chan." She said greeting her friend.
"Ami-chan." She said smiling an actually smile. "How are things?" She asked not sure that she really wanted to know.
"All is well. We are now growing plants and breathing actual oxygen. We need more builders ASAP. Can you send them up today and then working with the extra crew we would be ready by tomorrow? The plants up here are doing well too. We have plenty of food and there are houses going up for the people."
"I will get the builders assembled right away. So then it is your opinion that we bring them up tomorrow?"
"Thank you, and yes, tomorrow. Usagi," she said turning serious, "I will be back tomorrow. You wouldn't believe how the Earth looks from here. It looks so dark and cold."
"I know you can feel it down here." She told her, her own heart sinking.
"And how is Mamoru-san?" Ami asked concerned more for her friend that the man himself. Mamo-chan had come to terms with his fate a while ago.
"As well as can be expected. Why, Why must the earth die now?" Usagi asked.
"It has lived for millions of years; we can only ask so much." Ami pointed out.
"Thanks for the report Ami-chan; I will see you tomorrow, right?
"Yes at 10:00. I will stand with you at the announcement." She said signing off.
"Great, tomorrow then," Usagi said as she turned off the link. "Tomorrow," she said as she went to sleep by her dying love.
00-00-00-00
She could feel it something was going to go wrong today. Rei walked down the hall to the briefing room. Her heels made clicks steadily on the floor. She left early this morning; she was taking the builders up in two hours. Hopefully, 50 crews rotating shifts would work for the outers, who were in charge right now. Jupiter would take the next fight after that with all the food and supplies with the first settlers. The elderly would start, then whoever. Rei walked into the room and looked to the others already there.
"Time to do this." Venus said. She was nervous, her Venus sign was shining. When they became eternal Senshi they lost their tiara and their planet sign took that place, plus they now had wings. They each looked like Eternal Sailor Moon in their respectful colors.
"Yes, the others are coming down to take up four shuttles today plus the ones Makoto and I are taking."
"Good," Usagi smiled, even though her subjects knew her as Serenity, her friends knew her as Usagi. "That takes out most all the population."
"Actually Usagi-chan, that leaves just some of the palace crew, you, Venus, Mamoru and me." Ami told her.
"Okay, Usagi, tell them that the only need to take things of sentimental value. All the thing that are essentials are already there, the rest can wait." Venus told her.
"Come on, let's go." Jupiter said, leading the out the door.
Serenity looked over the people they were calm, probably expecting her to tell them good things. Well she was about to burst some bubbles.
00-00-00-00
All the shuttles were filled in five hours. The speech was met with instant panic and chaos. All the people ran for the cover of the shuttles after packing things and arranging to have things shipped up to the moon. Usagi walked down the hall. She had just found out that all the scouts had taken off with success. That was when she first felt it, but it was too soon. A rumble went through the Earth, shaking everything trembling to the core. She ran to her room to check on Mamo-chan. She ran in to find him barely breathing.
"Usako?"
"Yes, love, I am here." She kneeled beside the bed and latched on to his hand.
"This is it." He said opening his eyes.
"What do you mean, love?" He could hear that panic in her voice.
"The Earth is dead now, like me." He told her trying to keep from coughing.
"What?" She asked horrified.
"I love you Usako, please be happy in your life without me."
"I can't be happy without you." She said as her tears started to roll. Venus her heard anguished scream throughout the whole palace and ran to her ignoring the shouts and protest of the people around her. She came flying through the door to see her queen holding her dead husband crying.
"Oh, Usagi." She started to cry as she went to her.
"Minako, help me, we have to get him to the shuttle."
"Okay." She helped to lift his body. They carried him to the shuttle and lay him on one of the beds. Usagi ran from the shuttle screaming, "Luna, LUNA!" The cats came running Artemis was carrying Diana in his mouth
"Where is Mercury?" Venus asked. Another quake had just hit. It was too soon, they hadn't been ready yet, for if the earth was coming apart, they couldn't come back to get what they left behind. But at least they were alive. The palace crew had already been sent up, but there was still, Venus, Mercury, the queen, king and their cats. The quakes were getting worse and worse. The Earth was coming apart in a matter of seconds; it had only been ten minutes since the first quake had hit. This one has caused part of the roof to fall in the shuttle bay. The whole world was being torn apart piece by piece. Another quake hit.
"I will go find her." Usagi said.
"But Queen." Venus said stopping her.
"Hey, I don't know how to start the shuttle. And we have to be ready to leave." She smiled and went after Ami. She then saw her. She was holding all the disks to on the programs that ran the palace. Programs she had worked on for years to get the palace the way it was. Then it seemed to happen in slow motion. Venus looked out the window on the shuttle to see just as another quake to hit and cause the roof to finally fall in. A silent scream rose in her throat as she saw the piece of falling roof hit her two friends. She ran out not caring about her own condition. She could hardly steady herself, the quakes were almost constant. They all knew the earth would fall apart, but she had no idea that it would happen this quickly in only a matter of minutes.
"VENUS CRESCENT BEAM SMASH!" she yelled. The piece of roof was demolished and she dragged her friends on to the shuttle, one by one. It took three times to get air born and finally she got taken off. She looked behind her to see the palace demolished not to mention everything else. She flew out of the range of Earth and put in a call to the moon.
"Uranus!" She called as the dirty blond's face appeared on the screen.
"Hey, Venus." She said surprisingly calm considering that she had just watched the word fall apart.
"Uranus. Mamoru is dead. Everyone is off, but Mercury and the Queen are both injured. We have no medical set up on the moon. I am going to take them to the nearest friendliest place."
"You can NOT mean what I think you mean."
"Yes."
"VENUS! We just found out recently where they came from."
"Uranus, I don't have a choice."
"Venus listen. Not all scouts are eternal like us."
"I know, but I don't have anywhere else to go. Usagi still had us partially isolated. There is no where else!"
"I don't like this." Uranus said looking down at the floor.
"I know. Uranus look at me. In my absence, I appoint you as leader until my return."
"Venus, I am honored." She said truly, they had all been amazed when she had been chosen as leader, but then they were all surprised about how seriously she took it.
"People respect you, like it or not. I must go." Venus said honestly.
"Okay, try to keep in touch." Uranus said, "I can only do this for so long."
"I will, and you'll do fine." She had a four-day trip to Kinmoku with no food, which hadn't been packed yet, and the water had leaked out when hit by a chunk of the castle. After making Usagi and Ami comfortable she put Mamoru in an airtight chamber. Then sat back and enjoyed the ride, through very unfamiliar territory.
00-00-00-00
Taiki was on patrol today. Not that it was hard. All you did was sit in a room watching the radar screen, nothing really ever happened. It was always a thinking time for Taiki. He would just let his mind drift wherever it would go. Most of the time his thoughts were full of his time on Earth. They had remade their planet to look al lot like it. It had been wonderfully beautiful there and even though it had been 100 years, he never thought it was strange to think of it. He remembered when they had all come back, they had all been testy and the princess had never been sure what to do. She had always had feelings toward Fighter, but the minute she saw how in love he was with someone else, she could never feel the same way. They had all found it strange. He missed being called Taiki-san, now he was always called Maker even if he was in his male form like he was now. They all like being in their male forms, it had used to be hard to even get them to consider it but now, it was a connection, to the ones that knew them best that way, the Senshi of Earth that had died long ago. He wished he could have gone to the funeral. He could never deny it like Yaten had. Taiki knew that he had had a connection to Ami, and it was more that just they were at the same intelligence level. It was deeper and purer than that. Yaten just ignore that face that he had always felt drawn to one of the Senshi. He and Seiya knew that it was Minako. Speaking of Yaten, he was to relieve him for the night shift. The princess thought that if an enemy heard an actually Senshi give a warning they would run, and she was right. They had yet one person to break though. About three hours on to his shift he saw a blip on the radar screen. He turned on the voice log and started to speak.
"Identify yourself."
"You first," came a voice over the line. It sounded strangely familiar.
"I am Sailor Star Maker of the Sailor Starlights." He announced, mad that this person had interrupted his thoughts.
"Taiki-san?" The voice asked questioningly.
"Identify yourself now!" Surprised by hearing his Earth name
"This is Eternal Sailor Venus, from the planet of Earth. I am in need of assistance."
"I want a picture on my vid-screen now." He knew that the earth Senshi could not still be alive. It had been to long of time almost 100 years, and the Earth Senshi were not eternal, not like them right? The screen blinked on and Taiki looked on in amazement. On the screen was a tired looking blond with big blue eyes and a Venus sign, and were those wings?
"Minako-chan?"
"Hello Taiki-san. I need help. My Queen is injured along with Sailor Mercury, I need medical help now."
"Go to docking point B and land, okay, someone will meet you there." He called up Seiya and told him to go to docking bay.
00-00-00-00
Seiya stood and watched as the shuttle landed. It was a little beat up and looked like it was about to die. The walkway came down as he walked toward it. A blond came walking into his sight. He was to far away to see anything yet, but as she got closer she started to look familiar.
"Minako-chan?" She looked to him and smiled
"Seiya-kun," she looked a little surprised, and then spoke again. "You have to help me. I did the best I could but they need medical attention now."
"Who?" He asked getting over his surprise.
"My Queen and Ami." She ran back in and grabbed the rolling table that Ami was on. Seiya followed and grabbed the other table, yelling for a medic. He looked down and shock came in full force. His Odango was there, right there in front of him. She was bruised and a little bloody, but she was there. Before he had time to do anything, the medics where there grabbing Usagi, Ami, and Minako was following.
00-00-00-00
The princess sat around at her table with three very nervous Senshi when the doctor finally came in. He looked to all of them through beady eyes and horn-rimmed glasses.
"The one called Venus only has exhaustion and dehydration, with a little starvation. Mercury, is a little worse, she has three broken ribs, a punctured lung already taken care of, and has a little bump on her head that will have her out for a while yet. The last one has a broken arm and minor swelling in the brain, which has already been taken care of. All are lucky that we have so much technology on our planet, it is what saved them." All four breathed a sigh of relief. "They are resting right now, but you are welcome to go and see them."
"Is Venus awake?" The Princess asked standing up.
"Yes, but not for too much longer. The nurses can't settle her down so they will give her a drug after her exam, so you might want to hurry, your highness."
"I shall, thank you." She walked out the door flagged by her Senshi, off to see the only awake scout.
00-00-00-00
Minako stared out the window. It looked like Earth, but she knew it wasn't, earth was gone. Tears started to form, but she held them back. She was a failure. She didn't protect her queen and king, Mercury was hurt because of her, and all she had done was run to another planet and pour her problems on them. She was a failure. Her eyes were starting to grow heavy; they had given her a strong drug. She looked over as she saw Princess Kakyuu walk through the door; her Starlights flagged her.
"Hello, Venus." The princess said with a gentle smile.
"Princess," she bowed her head. The four of them looked at her. She was pale and tired and her blue eyes no longer held the innocence that they remembered.
"You remember the Starlights, Venus?"
"Yes. Thank you for your hospitality and your help. When can I see the Queen and Mercury?"
"Later after you sleep."
"I want to see them."
"You can't right now." Maker said in a firm voice. She looked up at her and glared. She never used to look like that when she first knew her; Minako was always smiling and happy.
"Venus, tell us what happened?" Healer asked. She too was observing the changes. Her hair was smoother, calmer. Her eyes were still large and blue but not the same innocence. Her face wasn't as 'chubby', it was thinner, elegant.
"I have failed." She said as she hung her head in shame. "My king is dead, my planet destroyed, and my Queen is injured."
"We understand," Fighter told her, knowing exactly how she felt, "But what happened?"
"About ten months ago," she began her story, after calming down a little bit. "We discovered that Mamoru-san wasn't feeling well. He went to Mercury who could find nothing wrong with him. It was Saturn who found out. She could feel the planet dying. We tried to think of a way to save it but we didn't have enough time so Mercury went to the moon. She discovered that it could hold life. She worked a miracle and found a way to make real oxygen up there. Then millions of builders went up. We had everything up there, houses, shop, everything was made an almost exact replica of earth, except for the castle and a few other buildings, and we even had minerals like gold and silver. Everything was almost set. Then Serenity made the announcement. There was panic and chaos. The shuttles were filled and sent to the Moon. All that went okay, but right as soon as Mercury and I split up the quakes came. I heard a scream and rushed to Serenity's bedroom. Mamoru-san was dead. We carried him to the shuttle, but then we couldn't find the cats, or Mercury. Oh, my God. The cats…"
"We found them, they are fine." Taiki reassured her.
"Continue." The princess ordered.
"Okay, Where was I?" Minako asked.
"Mercury…"
"And the cats…"
"Oh, Yeah," She said with a smile. Then again grew serious. "Once on the shuttle. I wanted to go get Mercury, by this time the quakes were coming harder and faster than before. Serenity didn't know how to start the shuttle so she went to get Mercury while I started the shuttle. Then I looked out the shuttle, to see them under part the shuttle bay roof. I got them… out then I… came here." The drug was kicking in. She could hardly keep her eyes open.
"Thank you, Venus." The princess turned to leave, by that time Venus was asleep. She looked over to see Healer, still there staring at her. She had always wondered why they had changed so much after Earth and judging by Yaten's reaction to this girl, he had obviously felt something for her. "It is late, let us go rest. We can see them in the morning."
00-00-00-00
Ami slowly opened up her blue eyes to a strange place. She looked around the room, looking for anything familiar. Nothing. Around her were computers and blinking lights. A hospital, I think. She pulled back the sheets; someone had changed her into a cotton-like nightgown. She sat up, putting her feet on the cold ground. She stood slowly holding on to the rail of the bed. She slowly walked along the pale walls to the door on the other side of the room. Pushing her blue hair out of her eyes, she pulled open the door to look into an empty hall. Finding her legs stronger, she walked out the door and down the hall. She heard distant voices and decided that since they would lead to someone, decided to follow.
00-00-00-00
Taiki walked down the hall to where he was meeting the others and the princess. His walking slowed as he thought about last night. First hearing that earth was destroyed and then going to go see her, Mizuno Ami, Sailor Mercury. Even on Earth he had had a fascination with her. Her beliefs, her strength, and then why she had died for him that day. Then he had snapped back to the present and just stared in disbelief at what had lain before him. Her radiant eyes hidden by pale eyelids her bright smiling face, pale and no longer smiling. He touched a pale hand that and had been shocked by how cold it had been. At first he feared her dead but the stead rise and fall of her chest had calmed him. He had then brushed her hair away from her eyes and wishing they would open so that he could tell her that she had been missed. Years ago, they had left Earth leaving their hearts behind, yet they lived on without the ones they loved, knowing that they would die, but low and behold, they were eternal just like them. Taiki snapped back to the present and began to walk a little faster. He had feared that if he were to ever see Mizuno Ami again she would be dead or old, but she was neither.
He continued down the hall, taking a left, this was when something came into his line of sight, a blue-haired angel wearing the fashionable white hospital gown. He smiled; he should have known that as soon as she would wake up she would be curious about her surroundings. He walked up behind her as he saw her peak around a corner, and then cleared his throat.
"May I help you?" He asked and had to hold back a smile as she jumped about two feet off the floor. He watched her blue hair twirl around her face as she turned. He looked deep into blue eyes that he had missed so much, the book she gave him, and the test score sheet that he had was nothing to remember her by, not compared to this.
00-00-00-00
"May I help you?" She jumped startled by the voice of the person she didn't know was there. She knew that voice. That voice had been cold, mean, surprised, and cherished. She turned slowly. Shock came first, as she looked into his purple eyes, then amazement.
"Taiki-san?" With his nod, she smiled a huge grin. "I am so glad to see you again." She told him as she did something against her character. She launched herself at him and gave him a big hug. She wrapped her arms around him and smiled. "I thought you would be dead by now?"
Taiki stood in shock as his little angel wrapped her arms around him. He had never held her before, ever. He inhaled her scent and wrapped his arms around her. "No," He told her, "not dead yet." She pulled back with a crimson blush spreading across her cheeks.
"I'm sorry..."
"It is all right, I missed you too." She looked up from under her lashes to smile at him, but she was still blushing. "So, how are you feeling?"
"I am feeling all right. A little weak, but otherwise, I am feeling great. When can I see Venus?"
"I don't know if she is awake yet."
"Are we on Kinkmoku?"
"Yes."
"Earth is gone then?" Tears began to fill her eyes as she looked up to him, knowing the truth but not wanting to believe it.
"According to Venus."
"I must see her. Please, Taiki-san?" He looked into her blue eyes slowly filling with tears and he knew that he could deny her nothing.
"I must go to a short meeting, join me and then afterwards, I shall take you to her." She smiled at him than took his out-stretched hand and walked with him to the meeting.
00-00-00-00
Venus woke up groggy and unhappy. She couldn't believe that they drugged her. A very strong drug too. She looked around her; the last thing that she remembered was talking to the others last night. Then she smiled. The lights were alive. Her Yaten had yet to leave her. Wait, when did she start think of him as hers? True she often thought of him, but never has hers; he was probably married with kids by now. She looked around her, still in the hospital, she thought to herself. She turned her head as a nurse came through the door. She smiled at the nurse.
"Hello, do you have something that I can use to communicate with my homeworld?" The nurse smile back telling her that she would be right back, when she came back she had a vid screen that she could use. "Thank you." she told the nurse smiling again. She programmed the frequency to the moon and after many tries selected the right one, and then she waited for an answer.
"This is Sailor Neptune, How can I help you?"
"Hi Neptune, may I speak to Uranus please?"
"Sure, but I don't think that you really want to."
"Why?" Neptune smiled mysteriously before she answered.
"Being leader is frustrating her. I'm sure she has a whole new respect for you Venus." She said as she started to laugh hearing Uranus yelling in the background. "Let me get her."
Venus smiled as a frustrated Uranus came on the screen. "When are you coming back?" She asked and Venus just laughed, the cheerful sound echoing through her room and down the hall.
00-00-00-00
The meeting was short and to the point. When the earth scouts were to head to the Moon the Starlights were going with them, by Royal demand. Ami hadn't heard because she had been playing and exploring with their computers, she had tuned everything out. They had nine senshi, why did they need three more?
"Taiki-san, May I see Venus now?" She was kind of distressed; all she could remember form the meeting is that they would leave as soon as the queen woke up. She should have paid attention to the meeting instead of the fascinating computer.
"Yes, we are all going to see her." Yaten answered.
"How is My Queen?"
"She is okay, the surgery and everything went well, all we are doing is waiting for her to wake up, but it may be a while."
"May I see her also, after I see Venus?"
"Sure."
They walked down the hall in a heavy silence. No one really knowing what to say, as they neared the hospital room where Venus was they heard her laughter ringing out. They walked in to see her talking with Uranus on a vid screen. She seemed to be giving her instructions. The lights looked to Ami with confusion written in their faces. Ami smiled as she started to explain.
"You see, in our past lives on the Moon, Venus was our leader, and as our memories serve she was a very good one, nothing came before our princess. When we became eternal, we were all granted greater power by the Moon Goddess, Selene, but she was also granted her the leadership which had been hers on the Moon, Rei didn't like it at all, but Selene gave her the power and it turned out very nicely. She works harder than a lot of us; nothing comes before the Queen or the King, when he was alive. Selene made a very good choice; the only problem is that she works too hard sometimes. If you would not have drugged her, like you said, she would have never slept, and look the first thing she did was call her appointed leader." The starlight, a little amazed by the story were shocked by her last words. Minako then looked up to see them all standing in the doorway. She smiled then wrapped up her conversation and told her good-bye and to be nice. She then stood and smiled as one of the nurses gave her a dirty look.
"Ami, I am so glad that you are okay." She rushed to her friend to hug her.
"Just a little pain in the ribs, that all. I am amazed by their technology." She said, hugging her back. Venus pulled from the hug to look at Seiya.
"We would like to see our Queen please." It was more of a demand then a question. The steel in her voice just begged him to try and stop her. With Ami's nod, they started down the hall. Seiya walked in front guiding them down the hall, he had went to see her many times, each time his eyes filled with tears, wondering if she would ever wake up. He got the door and then held it open for the two ladies. They walked in and looked to their queen. They bowed their heads momentarily then continued in. They stood by her side and looked at her. She looked pale, but other wise okay. Ami looked to Minako and asked in a whisper, "Are you thinking what I am?"
"She doesn't know that she is asleep."
"Or she doesn't want to wake up."
"Shall we call her?" Minako asked.
"We have no other choice."
"With only two it will take all our power."
"Guys will you excuse us with our queen?" They nodded they walked out the door. "Shall we?" Ami asked as she locked the door.
"Certainly."
"VENUS ETERNAL! MAKE UP!"
"MERCURY ETERNAL! MAKE UP!"
00-00-00-00
Serenity walked down the hall of the castle to her balcony, the Earth was so beautiful, but the last five days, seemed different, wrong, almost. Mamo-chan walked up behind her hugging her waist.
"What is wrong Usako?"
"Don't you feel it, Like this is wrong?"
"No, but why do you feel this way."
"I haven't seen any of the senshi in days or any other person, just you and me."
"I know and you are right Usako, you shouldn't be here, but I won't be with you when you go back."
"Go back?"
"Yes, they will come for you soon, but don't worry all will turn out okay. I will always be with you, in that little corner of you heart, that will always be mine. I may visit, but you will never know."
"Why not?' Serenity was starting to look scared.
"Don't be scared, I know what is in store for you and though I didn't live forever, someone else will."
00-00-00-00
Eternal Venus and Mercury each took one hand of their queen's hands and then closed their eyes.
"Eternal powers,
Let us call
To our queen
Who we lost
Find her pure soul
And bring it back
From the land
Where it is lost."
They continued the chant until they fell unconscious.
00-00-00-00
They lights were waiting patently outside the door when they heard them call for their powers. They looked to each other in horror as they rushed though the door only finding it locked. After the got through the door what they saw brought them to a dead stop. Both Venus and Mercury were chanting holding on their Queen, their wings had wrapped around them somewhat and their signs were glowing. Then they crumpled to the floor. Taiki and Yaten ran forward to catch them, both succeeding, while Seiya stated in awe. Did hear them right, they were going to find the queen's lost soul. Now what the hell did that mean?
00-00-00-00
Venus followed Mercury who was slowly guiding the way. The data coming in from her computer wasn't making a lot of sense.
"Venus, I can't find her using technology."
"Well, I can't go on much longer, the two of us were too weak to try this we could die if we aren't careful." They walked through a shifting heavy fog, it shifted around them as they slowly walked through it. It slowly started to take on a familiar shape.
"We are starting to find her, the fog is taking shape." Mercury announced.
"Oh, my! Is this the earth castle?"
"Yes, I guess her mind went to the last spot that she knew."
"Where would she be Mercury?"
"I don't know, what was her favorite spot?"
"THE BALCONY!" They yelled together as they started to run.
"Hey, Mercury, I can only hold on a few more minutes before I lose unconsciousness in the other world completely."
"Me too, so let's hurry then." She said as she took the lead.
00-00-00-00
"Mamo-chan, I don't understand?" Serenity said as she stared into Mamoru's eyes.
"I am not still alive." He told her bluntly.
"But I can see you, touch you."
"My guiding planet has died. I can not live without it."
"Earth? We are standing on it now." She said confusion evident in her voice.
"No, they will come soon. Come to me." Serenity walked to her husband with no question. "I love you, Usako, but this is good-bye. My power has been given to another, another to whom you are also destined to love."
"I don't understand." At that time two figures came through the balcony doors. Both were angels, but Usagi didn't welcome them now.
"My queen," Venus said bowing. "You must come with us."
"Where?" She asked tilting her head.
"Back to the land of the living." Mercury told her as she stood from her bowing position. "Right now your soul is lost."
"My soul has been lost?"
"Yes, we have come to find it and guide it back." Venus told her smiling.
"But Mamo-chan…"
"I can no longer be with you, but you must go." She ran back into his arms. "You will be fine with out me. Now go." He leaned down giving her a kiss that told her how much he loved her then pushed her to Venus and Mercury, "Take her or she will never leave." As they started to fade, she yelled his name and he blew her a kiss.
00-00-00-00
The lights stood in Usagi's hospital room, very confused. Taiki had set Mercury in a chair while Yaten still held the prone body of Venus. They had walked in after hearing the two girls transform only to have them fall to the ground in a strange state; they looked awake, but dead. Their eyes were open, but slowly drooping; as though they could no longer stay awake.
"NO! MAMO-CHAN!." The anguished cry filled the room and echoed down the halls as the bodies of the two scouts glowed their respective colors and the ribbons that had surrounded them to form their powers now unwound in a brilliant display of light and the two scout fell totally limp and into the darkness they had been holding off for their Queen.. "No," she yelled as she started to cry. She looked around her unseeing what was around her. She looked into a pair of brilliant blue eyes familiar, but not the ones she wanted. "Where is he? Where?" She asked as she tried to get out of the bed.
"Usagi, you must lay down."
"Seiya?"
"Yes."
"Is it true?" She asked her blue eyes looking into to his and he couldn't lie. He hung his head, as he knew that pain he was about to cause. Looking back into the anguished face he told her the truth.
"Yes." As she started to cry she wrapped her arms around him seeking comfort where she had found it so long ago.
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Yaten stood blinking; the light around Minako had blinded him when she changed. Her body was now pale and cold, as she was held cradled in his arms. Her head was tilted back with her long silky hair, brushing the floor. He looked to Seiya who was holding the Usagi as she hysterically cried.
"SOMEONE TELL ME WHAT THE HELL IS GOING ON?"
This seemed to gain everyone's attention. Usagi looked up at him surprised by his outburst.
"My soul was lost." She said sniffling as her tears continued to fall. "They found me." Taiki looked to her as he checked over Ami.
"Please explain."
"Well, Ami discovered that when some people go into a coma they go to what we call 'the land of the lost', we really don't know where it is." She stated as an after comment. "We discovered that with our powers, along with a really old spell book that we found on the moon, we could go into this land to find people. It usually takes at least five of us." She leaned away from Seiya still crying. "I was in the palace, with Mamo-chan. They came and brought me back." She looked at them and smiled a wet smile. "They will be out for a while." She looked to the door as all the doctors ran through with a worried princess. Usagi looked to her, "I want to see my husband."
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She was too weak to walk so Seiya pushed her in a wheelchair. They walked trough the maze of halls silently. They came to a room with a stone door.
"He is inside." The red-haired princess told her. Usagi looked up and smiled.
"I want to see him." They went through the door slowly and stopped about two feet away from the clear airtight chamber that Venus had sealed him in.
"Minako-chan took care of him." She said as she stood. She took slow steps as she walked to him. She put her hand over the glass that held his body and ran her hand down it as though the glass wasn't there. Tears formed in her eyes and fell down her cheeks creating small puddles on the glass.
"Oh Mamo-chan, I love you so much. Why did you leave me? I need you, my love." She gazed lovingly at the familiar features. She stood over him staring at him. She turned to the others who were crying. "Leave me."
"Odango, please, don't do anything stupid." Seiya told her as he left along with his princess who turned to look back at her.
"He was not the only one, who loved and needed you, remember that." She said as she closed the door on her with her dead love.
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Taiki sat beside the bed reading the only information that he could find on the Earth Moon. Ami truly worked a miracle by providing life on the moon. She still looked pale. That was such a stupid thing to do. He shook his head and laughed knowing that he would have done the same thing. She stirred a little in her sleep, murmuring incoherent words. She had looked so amazing transformed as Eternal Sailor Mercury. They were truly powerful. He stood as her eyes started to flutter open. The first thing that Ami saw when she woke was disapproving purple eyes.
"I had to." She said softly, her throat parched as she tried to defend herself.
"I know," he told her understanding.
"Is she all right?"
"Physically." He nodded, but his eyes showed a different concern.
"It will take time to mourn." She whispered.
"Yes, but she will pull through."
"Yes, she always does, as long as she is not alone."
"No one likes to be alone." Taiki stated.
"One does get used to it." She said smiling.
"Are you alone?"
"Sometimes."
"The others?"
"All have respectful others. No one loves me." Taiki's heart broke at that statement, could she really believe that.
"I can't believe that you really think that."
"The ones that we love, we can never have." She told him with a small smile. Her eyelids kept falling down over her eyes, telltale sign of sleepiness.
"Go back to sleep." He told her as he sat back down beside her.
"Will you stay?" She asked as she fell back in to the darkness.
"I will always be here, Ami-chan." He told her sleeping form and was answered by a small moan as she turned in her sleep.
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Yaten stood by the bedside as Minako tossed and turned in her unconscious state. She had yet to wake up and go into her normal state of sleep that he was told should happen. The door open behind him and he looked to see his princess glide through the door.
"Hello Healer."
"Princess."
"How is she?"
"She hasn't woken up yet."
"You seem worried?" She asked him. She was beginning to wonder what had happened on earth between these two senshi and her Starlights.
"Yes, I am." He was more frustrated that she wouldn't wake up. This wasn't normal Serenity said before she had gone to see Mamoru she had said that they should be like this for a few hours then wake up and go to sleep. Four hours had gone by and she had yet to wake up.
"Why? What happened on Earth between you two?"
"She gave me hope when I had none." He said nothing more after that, so the princess relented and moved on to a different topic.
"Well, Mercury has just woken up, so I am assuming she will too. Remember, you still have night duty tonight."
"Thank you." She turned and left, closing the door quietly behind her but Yaten didn't even notice he just stared at Minako. He brushed her hair off her face and smiled down on her. They had never told their princess of how they had died for them. The memory of Minako running in front of him saving him from having his star seed taken was still fresh in his mind even though it happened about 100 years ago. He shook himself out of his memories when he saw her eyelids flutter open.
"Hi." He said gently.
"Is she okay?" She asked, closing her eyes again.
"Not really, but she is healthy."
"Good. Don't be mad, I had to. I have to go home and I have to bring her with me."
"I know."
"Tell her I need her, she will understand."
"Okay," he told her, but she had already fallen into the depths of sleep.
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Usagi stood looking at Mamo-chan more that prepared to join him but the princess words hung in her head. "He was not the only one, who loved and needed you…" She was right others needed her but she wanted to be with him. It was supposed to be forever, or so she thought. She continued to cry as she sat down in the wheelchair, but she stayed by his side for another hour until she could no longer stay awake. She slowly wheeled herself out of the room cumbersomely opening the door, and there he was.
"You stayed." She said, but all he did was stare at her swollen eyes and tear stained cheeks.
"Yes." He said as he walked behind her pushing her back to the hospital.
"Why is it that when Mamo-chan isn't with me you are."
"I guess your god know that you need me."
"There is no god; no good god would take my Mamo-chan from me."
"We all lose people we love, but we go on."
"Have you," she yelled at him, needing to vent. "Have you ever lost someone you loved with your whole heart and soul? Have you ever had your heart torn out by the one you love? HAVE YOU?"
"YES!" he said yelling back. "So stop yelling at me and learn to move on." He told her as he calmed himself down.
"I can't, not yet."
"Fine, but don't take it out on the rest of us." He said as he got to her room, then turned around and left.
"Seiya, wait." It was a plea, but he was already gone. She started to cry again, the sobs racked her body as she crawled in to bed to cry herself to sleep.
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Minako stood by the window looking out the window. They would leave today, and she would once again leave Yaten behind. She had fallen hard for him on Earth, but she hadn't notice how hard she had fallen for him until he left, then she hoped that it was just an infatuation, but she still felt something very strong for him. She wished that she could stay and see his planet, but she knew that she couldn't. Uranus was having a hard time dealing with everyone complaining to her all the time, she was going to kill someone soon, or so Minako feared. She was still wearing he hospital gown, Seiya had come to tell her that he was preparing their ship and that they would be ready to leave in an hour. He didn't really look to good and she had a feeling that she knew why. Usagi had lashed out and she had yelled at him and hurt him. She did that sometimes, but always to Mamo-chan who could calm her in a minute, but Mamoru was no longer here. Minako hung her head and looked down at her bare feet for a moment. Then took one last glance out the window and then left to find Ami.
She looked in the room next to her, boy she was hard to find.
"Hey girl"
"Hey, Minako-chan."
"Did you hear, we are leaving today, in about an hour?"
"Yes, Taiki came by."
"It was good to see them again."
"Yes."
"Hey Ami, you want to go and wonder around the palace."
"Do you think that that will be okay?"
"Sure, what will they do, kick us off?" She said with a laugh.
"Okay." She said slowly, not really sure, Minako was acting the same she did when she was 16. Minako latched onto her arm and pulled her down the hall.
"Hey, slow down." Ami yelled startled when her voice echoed down the hall.
"Ah, Aim, com'on, don't ya want to see as much as you can, before we leave forever?"
"Well…"
"I will take that as a yes." She said as she continued to drag her friend down the hall.
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Seiya walked through the hall. Everything was ready all they had to do was leave. He knocked on the door to Serenity's hospital room. In his hand he held the dress that his princess was loaning her. He walked in the room and saw her still curled up on the bed. For some reason the bitter words that she had spoke yesterday had hurt him, more that a little.
"Get changed, it's time to go." He told her. He cringed; he sounded cold, even to himself. She turned over to look at him with hollow eyes.
"It hurts." He nodded curtly to that statement. "I'm sorry. I just don't know what to do with myself."
"You'll learn."
"How can you be so cold?"
"I have been through it, you learn to deal, but it can still hurt, everyday, every thought, but you still need to go through it."
"I know."
"Change, I'll be back to get you to the ship in a few minutes." He turned to leave, but then turned around. "Don't worry about it, I know how you feel, and I'm sorry too." Then closed the door behind him.
Usagi stared at the door wondering why she felt even emptier after he left.
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They walked everywhere, through the palace into the garden then into the courtyard. Everything was amazingly beautiful and clean. It was so much like Earth that Ami almost wanted to cry. She looked around her to see that they had ventured farther that she thought.
"Minako, may be we should head back now?" she asked not wanting to see more.
"You're probably right; they are probably ready to ship us off." She told Ami with a laugh.
"I'm sure we will see them again." Ami said with hope, knowing that it would most likely never happen.
"No, I don't think so." Ami looked over to Minako, her confusion apparent. "The only reason that we are seeing them is because I had no where else to run."
"That isn't true." She said touching Minako's arm lightly,
"No, Ami-chan, it is, I came here and dumped all my problems on them."
"They did the same to us."
"Not willingly. We asked for their problems along with our own."
"Minako, if you hadn't I would be dead, so stop worrying about pride, and be glad that Queen Serenity and I are all right."
"I know, we should go back, but I don't know where we are." She said starting to laugh. A giggle escaped from Ami as she grabbed her arm again.
"This way, silly." She said as they walked back through the courtyard, into the gardens and back into the palace. They headed toward the docking bay slowly taking in everything that they had seen here and imprinting it on to their memories. They got to the docking bay and smiled at the lights.
"Where have you been?" Yaten growled at them.
"On a tour." Minako told him, putting her hands on her hips.
"Oh, please," Taiki sighed, "Let's just get on the ship." Minako went up the ramp followed my Ami then the lights; she stopped dead in her tracks to look at them.
"What are you doing?" She asked cautiously.
"We are coming with you." Seiya told her bluntly.
"No way." Minako said, not wanting them around.
"Well when you pulled that stupid stunt, we were going to tell you." Yaten told her with an evil smirk and raised eyebrow. Ami smiled, she remembered this now, and they had been talking about this when she hacked into the computer system in the council room.
"What, why do you need to come?"
"To help."
"We don't want or need your help" Minako said. Ami looked from her to the lights totally confused; she had said that she would miss them so why didn't she want them to come along.
"Minako, they won't stay that long, just to help." Ami defended the lights, knowing that any willing hands could help.
"But they might not be accepted by the people, and what about Uranus?"
"Only for a short time." The lights watched the girls fight.
"Venus, just let them come." All five looked over to the Queen of the Moon, surprised.
"Yes, your majesty." She finished walking up the ramp and then headed toward the cockpit. "Fine let's go."
"Hey, "Yaten said as he came up behind her. "Who said you could drive?"
"Me."
"Fine, but I am co-pilot."
"Then sit down. Vessel name?"
"Earth." She looked to him, in shock. "What? Did you think that we left and forgot all about you?"
"Yes, I did." Then she put on the mic. Ami came in quietly behind her,
"All is set."
"Okay, Tower, Vessel Earth ready for lift off."
"You are clear Earth, safe journey."
"Thank you for your hospitality, we shall remember it." She then looked to Ami. "The Queen?"
"She is in the lounge with Seiya and Taiki. They gave us the rooms next to theirs."
"Good, why don't we take a tour after lift off?" Ami smiled, nodded, and left, Minako looked over to Yaten. He hadn't said anything yet, and why did he look so mad? She proceeded with the lift off; it ran smoothly, considering that she had done it thousands of time in her lifetime. She sat back in the chair after setting course and then looked over to Yaten. When he looked over at her he looked very mad. She smiled then continued piloting the ship.
"You really think that we just forgot about you?" Yaten asked after they were on auto-pilot in space.
"Hey what were we supposed to think? We all knew that Seiya loved Usagi, but he never even drop a note a letter or any type of communication. But you know, whenever we saw shooting stars there was always that hope that it was you guys. But never. Then I just killed you, never thinking that you could live this long, you guys were dead and buried."
"Then why did you come here?"
"I had no other choice."
"There is always a choice." He told her angry.
"No, not when you lose your planet, your king is dead, your queen and friend are dying and you have no water and food. I had to come here; to the closest place that wasn't an enemy even thought I thought you wouldn't be here. Sometimes, you just deal with the cards that life gave you." She said as she turned and walked away.
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Mercury's blue eyes studied the chessboard watching Taiki as he moved his knight. "Why sacrifice your knight?" She asked.
"He is useless."
"He is never useless, Taiki-san." She said on a laugh as she then took out his Queen with her white knight.
"Wait a second." He said realizing what she had done. She turned her head when Minako came in.
"Minako-chan is everything okay?" She asked concerned.
"Yeah, are we ready for our tour?" Ami nodded and Taiki stood to show them around. He showed them around and four the next four days this ship carrying technology and machines became home to the six people, and 3 cats present. The trip wasn't exactly bad but when they got to the Moon, they were only met with chaos.
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Uranus watched as the hatch came down and then watched as Venus came down first. She looked to her and smiled grateful that she was back. She walked to her and gave her a hug, something totally against her character and she knew it but she didn't care. "Never go away again. That is my last order as temporary leader."
"I don't think that we have to worry about it." The others started to come down and she saw Uranus glare at the people behind her. "They were sent to assist."
"Did you tell them we don't need them?" She asked rudely knowing that they would hear.
"They didn't care. So tell me what's going on."
"Confusion chaos, we tried to make it right…"
"Uranus this isn't like you what's wrong."
"All these annoying people expect me to know all the answers. I discovered that I am not a people person."
"Okay, my office." She said laughing…They all worked better as a team then as a single person. Even though she was a leader they all depended on each other. They walked away. The Starlights watched the transaction amazed at how well these two got along compared to the way they were in the past.
"Man I thought they didn't like each other." Seiya said.
"Yeah…" Yaten said confused. Michiru walked forward.
"Welcome Starlights, we greatly appreciate your willingness to assist. Thank you."
"What are they doing?" Yaten asked pointing to the pair missing.
"You see that board?" She asked then waited for him to nod. "In five minutes your duties will be posted there. Watch and see how we all work with our leader."
Then the duties were posted and they no longer talked but now they all worked.
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End Chapter One.
This story will have a total of four chapters. The following chapters will focus in on one couple. The next chapter will be about Minako and Yaten, and will pick up where this chapter left off, I have always like Minako, so in the future that was why I made her the leader that is also based on the manga, where she was the leader. I think that all the scouts would grow up and be a little bitter, so I have tried to portray that in this story I hope that you all enjoy, and as always review to let me know!
Thanks for reading,
Cat.