author: Samantha
Rating: PG
Timeline: Crystal Tokyo after Miranda
Notes/Summary: The Ginzuishou can't be relied upon? The Senshi truly are Serenity's protectors; even at the cost of death.
-
Even in Death
Kneeling on the ground in near exhaustion from battle, Uranus lifts her head just in time to see her queen followed into the palace by a dark shadow.
Neo-Queen Serenity manages only a few meters into the palace before being struck from behind. She struggles to regain her composure but is kept to the floor by enemy blasts.
"Neo-Queen Serenity," the dark man addresses her, "your Senshi have fallen and your army is no more. I have invaded this solar system and now my efforts will pay off. Surrender to me now, Serenity, and I will spare the lives of the innocent in this system."
Serenity turns to sit on her side, weakened from the battle, and faces the leader of the enemy. "Why are you doing this? What is your objective by trying to destroy my kingdom?"
"My goals, Dear, are simple. I travel around this galaxy from system to system, conquering them and recruiting more and more soldiers for my own army. Soon, it'll be so massive that I will near invincibility and rule the Milky Way. Yes, total domination is my goal, and taking this system is one link to that vision."
"Other kingdoms may have unfortunately fallen before you, but mine will not."
"Have you not heard me? Your nine protectors are no more. They have used the last of their strength in defeating but half of my army. The end for you is now."
Serenity lowers her eyes. "I have sympathy for you. You think that conquest and destruction is the only way to happiness. It is false logic, and I wish you knew the truth."
"Truth? Truth is in the eye of the beholder. I've heard this logic from countless others like you and am not about to be lectured again. Your time to fall to me has arrived!" The man begins forming a glowing spiked sphere in his hands.
Serenity immediately holds out her hand and summons the Ginzuishou.
A smirk appears on the villain's face. "The legendary Ginzuishou. It holds so much power yet grows weaker with its possessor."
"What?"
"Do you think that after such a fierce battle with my army the Ginzuishou has nearly enough power remaining to defeat me? Its powers are not limitless, Serenity. I know this, and now you shall face that reality!" The sphere emits a beam of light towards Neo-Queen Serenity.
The blonde closes her eyes and accepts her fate, feeling the everlasting energy of the Ginzuishou slowly fade to insignificance. But the enemy blast never comes. She opens her eyes to a worse sight than the attempt on her life. Her Senshi, Sailor Uranus, blocks the attack with her own body, shielding the queen. Serenity calls out to Uranus to move, although the large beam of light doesn't seem to pose a threat to her.
"Don't worry, Serenity. This man only boasts his power, but there seems no truth behind it."
The evil man's anger at the interfering Senshi melts into a mischievous plan. He activates the sphere between his hands and the hazy beam slowly narrows to a more defined stream of light. The bolt centers itself on Uranus' stomach, pain increasing with the light's decreasing width. The Senshi of wind winces at the pain but stands firm in its path.
"I'll show you the truth behind my threats with my undenied power!" The villainous man chants, causing the sphere of power to glow brighter than before.
Uranus closes her eyes and clenches her teeth in a desperate attempt to stand the intense pain.
"Uranus!" Serenity screams. "Stop!"
With one final exertion of power, the narrow beam of light pierces completely through her body, changing her expression to wide open eyes and mouth. The queen covers her mouth, not able to take her eyes off the horrendous sight. The light turns solid with the appearance of a long icicle. Blood flows from Uranus' body and stains the shaft on either side of her. After a minute she lifts her shaking hands to grasp the spear.
She turns her head to gaze at Serenity and smiles weakly. "It...it's okay...I...I'll always protect you," she chokes out. The leader of the Outer Senshi releases one hand and brings it back, summoning the Space Sword. She swings her talisman in front of her, sending a bolt of golden light toward the enemy. This weakens him but does nothing to the glowing core of his power.
Due to this unfortunate outcome, Uranus has no choice in her next action. She holds the spike tight in her hands and concentrates all her remaining energy together. She stares hard and furiously at the source of the invasion which caused so much suffering for the queen and Senshi. With a deep breath, she shouts her last deadly attack. "Epsilon Wind!"
The shaft breaks apart into a million glasslike shards, sending a shockwave of energy in opposite directions from Uranus' hands to break it. The spiked sphere of power explodes, having the same reaction on its possessor. The force of her attack also destroys the portion of the spear inside her, however, sending the sharp shards deep into her body.
Serenity catches her Senshi as she collapses and lays her down gently. "Haruka-san! Haruka-san, speak to me!"
"Dai...jou...bu...K-Koneko...chan?" Uranus forfeits the strength to even open her eyes.
"What are you saying? I'm fine, but the expense..." she forces herself to look at the horrendous wound and shakes her head. "Why did you do that!"
"I'll...always protect you."
Mercury, Venus, Miranda and Neptune limp into the palace, leaning on each other for support. Uranus merely whispers her lover's name and the aqua-haired Senshi runs to her without a second thought to her own injuries.
"Haruka! Haruka!" Neptune cradles Uranus in her arms, her head in her lap. "Kami-sama, what happened?"
Serenity begins to explain but ceases when realizing Neptune is beyond listening.
Uranus forces her eyes open and gazes into the girl's frightened eyes. "Michiru...you're okay."
"Just hang on, Sweetie. You'll be fine in a minute. Serenity can use the Ginzuishou to heal you." Neptune turns her head up to her queen. "Usagi-san, please heal her now. I don't think she can hold out much longer."
Serenity's eyes tear up as she observes Neptune's hopeful expression. "Michiru-san..."
The sea Senshi blinks in confusion. "Usagi-san, what's wrong? You've healed us before."
"The...the Ginzuishou suffered immense energy losses during the battle. It's...going to take a while for it to regenerate full power."
Miranda brings her hands slowly up to her face. "You're not saying that there's nothing we can do for Haru-mama..."
Serenity lowers her eyes to hide her tears. She folds her hands, placing the Ginzuishou back in its place magically. The other Senshi present gasp in shock of their queen's decision.
"Haruka, open your eyes!"
Answering to her love's wishes, Uranus finds the strength to part her eyelids once more. "M-Michi..."
"You must stay awake, Haruka. Don't leave me. Onegai!"
"Mama!" Miranda kneels next to her mother's fallen form. "You can't die, Mama! You defeated the enemy and saved the solar system."
Uranus turns her head and smiles weakly at her daughter. "Miranda..." She squeezes Neptune's hand tightly and leans her face into her stomach.
"Haruka!"
Uranus draws in a shuddered breath then chokes on it, coughing up blood onto Neptune's fuku, who is oblivious. The other Senshi look away, both in sickness and respect. Neptune blinks back her tears but they fall nevertheless. "You said you wouldn't leave me. You told me this battle wasn't going to separate us. Haruka...you promised me. You held me last night and assured me it wasn't over... Dammit, Haruka! I can't lose you! Don't lie to me! Haruka!"
The Senshi of Heaven breathes heavily to find her remaining breath. "Would you rather...happened to Serenity?"
Neptune shakes her head very slightly and breaks down in tears again. They still know they'd give their lives for Serenity before anyone else. "I love you, Haruka."
"Don't...don't...Michi." Uranus raises her hand to Neptune's face and weakly wipes a tear away. "Don't cry." The faintness of her voice reveals to her friends how close to death she is.
Neptune feels her lover's body going limp and heavy in her arms. Her hand drops from her face and her eyes close. "Haruka...?" Uranus' head falls back and the flow of blood from her body slows. "...Haruka?" The blonde Senshi's chest rises then falls one final time as she releases her final breath. "Haruka... Haruka...?"
The other Senshi present try their best to hold back their tears. Miranda becomes oblivious to the world having watched her mother's life fade away.
"...Haruka? Haruka, please...open your eyes...onegai..." Neptune bows her head and cries silent tears which drip onto Uranus' flawless face.
Serenity, Venus and Mercury almost feel Neptune's internal struggle. The sea Senshi collapses her upper body onto Uranus gently and cries unashamed.
"Haruka...no...no...come back...please..."
The other four Senshi finally return to the palace. Upon seeing the outcome of the battle, Pluto comforts Miranda while the Inners hug each other and Serenity. Saturn kneels in front of the couple and Neptune sits up to look at her with red eyes and a face flushed from emotion. The young girl wipes a tear from her eye and whispers, "Haruka-papa is...she's...?"
"No...Haruka...no!" Neptune tilts her head back and screams with her remaining strength.
-
Michiru slips on her nightgown and pulls the ribbon from her air. After a few strokes with a brush she fluffs it a bit and turns toward the bed. "Haruka, I don't want you in the battle tomorrow."
"Nani?" Haruka leans on her elbows while on her stomach. "What are you talking about, Michiru? Of course I'm going to fight. We all are."
Michiru crawls on the bed and holds her lover's head between her hands. She simply stares into her beautiful green eyes. "I love you so much."
"Michiru...what's wrong?"
She slides into Haruka's arms and snuggles against her chest. "I have a bad feeling about tomorrow's battle. It's going to be fierce. I don't want to lose you."
"Michiru," Haruka positions the other girl in her lap facing her, "what are you afraid of? You know me. I'm not going to let any evil person hurt me, you, Miranda, Usagi or any of the other girls."
Michiru closes the gap between their bodies and sighs deeply. "I know that, but I still worry. What if this enemy proves too powerful for us to handle? I can't lose you."
Haruka tilts her friend's head up to meet her gaze and softly kisses her lips. "Nothing is going to happen, okay? The Sailor Senshi can defeat anything as long as we're together. And we have the Ginzuishou to back us up if things get bad, ne?"
Michiru nods her head slowly and tries to blink back a tear. "I believe that, and I trust you, it's just..."
"Shh..." Haruka silences her with a finger to her lips. "Don't discuss it. You're only making yourself upset. I'm not going to leave you." The blonde laughs quietly. "Do you think I'd let Sailor Uranus' reputation be destroyed that easily?" They lean closer for a kiss. "I'll be fine, Michiru, I promise you."
As their lips meet, the aquatic Senshi sheds another tear. The possibility that this night could be their last together can't escape her mind. 'If anything ever happened to Haruka or Miranda I don't think I could continue living. I'll fight my hardest tomorrow to protect them, Serenity and the others; we're all each other's lifelines. I believe the Ginzuishou will bless us. It always has. Our victory is certain as long as its power is with us...'
-
'...but what good is victory if what you are trying to protect is destroyed?' Neptune holds her lover's prone body closer to her. "What good is it?" She looks up to Serenity with eyes red from sorrow, rage and exhaustion. "What good is the damn crystal if it can't even protect you? Haruka saved you because the Ginzuishou couldn't... The Ginzuishou killed her!" Neptune screams at her queen.
Serenity bows her head. "Michiru-san, although the Ginzuishou is not strong enough to revive her now, it will build up its power again and we may have a chance to bring her back."
"But she's...it can't bring people back to life."
"Haruka-san isn't gone yet," Mercury says softly as she kneels next to Neptune. "The Ginzuishou is linked to all of us. If we keep her spirit and body connected, the Ginzuishou can reach the essence of Uranus' power within her and revive her. A healing crystal will keep her body alive enough to heal her physical wounds. We can bring her back to us!"
Neptune stares at her younger friend without expression. "Will it work?" she chokes out.
"It's better than letting her die without a fight."
-
Michiru kneels beside the glass chamber containing the body of her lover. She gazes with mixed emotions at the beautiful blonde woman laying perfectly still and covered up to her chest with a thin white sheet. An immense healing crystal shines brightly from the ceiling.
"Haruka...if you can hear me...please don't leave me... I promise no one will ever hurt you again."
Serenity and Miranda watch silently as Michiru offers her prayers. They close the door behind them quietly and Miranda holds her head in her hands.
"Serenity, please tell me. Is there really any hope?"
The Neo-Queen smiles her best despite the situation. "If there wasn't, there's no way I'd let the suspense be dragged out this long. I can't imagine what Michiru-san is going through. There's no doubt in my mind that the healing crystal will repair her body to living condition, but it's all up to the Ginzuishou and our calling to actually bring her back. How her spirit will accept an extremely weakened body is tough to predict as well. We'll just have to wait and see. Rebirth is one thing, seeking out an essence that's in limbo between life and death is another... I'll do everything in my power to bring Haruka-san back, but we may need more power than the weakened Ginzuishou can offer us."